Making Herbal Medicines, by Michele Cooper

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Herbs are powerful medicine. Do not think for one minute that all herbs are harmless. Herbs can also interact with any medicines you are taking, making them stronger or counteracting some of their properties, so research them well if you are taking any meds.

Herbal Preparations

I will go over various preparations for herbal medicines, which can be made into various forms, including an infusion, decoction, syrup, pill, capsule, and more. I will provide general instruction for each of these below.

Infusion (Tea)

Probably the easiest method to prepare herbal medicine is an infusion, more commonly known as tea. However, for an herbal infusion, it is better to allow the tea to steep for five or more minutes.

To Make Herbal Infusion

To make an herbal infusion, add boiling water to your herbs, cover with a small plate, and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Add sugar or honey, if desired, and drink.

You can make your teas by placing a teaspoon or more of the herb or herbs you want to use into your cup or in a tea strainer. For tea you want to take throughout the day, make it in a teapot. Consume promptly.

Continue reading“Making Herbal Medicines, by Michele Cooper”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. Today, JWR is filling in, since HJL is busy preparing our annual archives. The updated waterproof archive USB sticks should be available for ordering by January 17th.

Pelosi’s Legislative Crown Jewel

From all reports, incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D.-California) is already a scheming a raft of new anti-gun legislation.  In addition to a so-called “assault weapons” and magazine ban, she will be pushing for what are euphemistically being called Universal Background Checks.  This is the Crown Jewel of her planned legislative agenda. Emboldened by Trump Administration weakness on banning bumpfire stocks, Pelosi now wants to reach for the Brass Ring.  Using feel-good phrases like “closing the gun show loophole”, the Democrats and their RINO Fellow Travelers want to destroy all privacy in private party sales of second-hand guns.

The Commerce Clause is clearly aimed at control of interstate commerce, but private party sales of used merchandise is clearly falls into the category of intrastate commerce. We are talking about two citizens of the same state selling and buying used goods. How does that have any bearing on interstate commerce, by any stretch of the imagination? The absurd mental gymnastics of Wickard v. Filburn were tempered by the reality check of U.S. v. Lopez, but the Supreme Court has not properly and fully revisited this issue. They need to overturn wicked Wickard.

Pelosi and her co-conspirators simply don’t care about the original intent of the Commerce Clause. They want the whole enchilada. They want every  gun sale to go through an FFL, with a Brady-style background check and Form 4473 paperwork!  (Even sales of used guns, between private parties.) Because FFL guns sales records are permanent and archived, this will create a de facto national firearms registry.  Firearms ownership privacy will be destroyed, in just one generation!

Please, please contact your congressman and Senators, and firmly tell them NO to any and all gun control, Red Flag laws, and “Universal Background Checks.”

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” – James 5:13-16 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday – December 29, 2018

Today is the birthday of actor Jude Law (born 1972.) You will remember him from Enemy at The Gates and Sky Captain.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 80 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 80 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Medical Action Sheets by K.B., M.D. Part 4

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We are wrapping up our series on medical action sheets for use when illness or injury strikes in various scenarios that can prevent professional medical access, such as weather extremes (hurricanes, ice storms, blizzards), civil unrest (riots, curfews), EMP, TEOTWAWKI, or pandemics/disasters, which can swamp the medical system. I have given binders of these to my loved ones with the caveat that they use them only in a genuine situation as listed above and if I am unavailable to help them. As you read these lists, remember that I am not prescribing and urge you to review any plans with your medical professional who will tailor medical action sheets to your specific medical needs, conditions, allergies, and abilities.

Last time we studied tick-borne illnesses. However, today we will look at acute sinusitis and how we can deal with them with or without prescription medications.

Acute Sinusitis Overview

Acute sinusitis occurs when the nasal passages become inflamed and swollen. This can be due to viruses, bacteria, or allergies; we will focus on the first two. Often the cause is the common cold, which can cause swelling that blocks sinus drainage with subsequent mucus retention. This mucus retention results in pain located in the forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, and/or upper teeth and worsens with bending over. Unfortunately, these moist warm passages are a great breeding ground for bacteria. The big question is when or if to use antibiotics. It is best to avoid antibiotics if possible; however, a cloudy or purulent postnasal drainage for over 7 to 10 days, fever over 102 degrees without influenza or other source, or worsening symptoms lean one towards using antibiotics. If the sinusitis was improving and then returns with a vengeance, antibiotics may also be indicated. Again, I am not prescribing and strongly encourage you to see your medical professional.

Continue reading“Medical Action Sheets by K.B., M.D. Part 4”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

JWR

Now that the local lakes have frozen over, we are now seeing many more Bald Eagles cruising up and down The Unnamed River (TUR). That is the river that flows through the back end of the Rawles Ranch. This Eagle Surge is an annual  phenomenon, because the river is mostly fed by springs so it stays free of ice, in most years. Meanwhile, the nearby lakes get ice thick enough to walk and skate on. Ice fishing here is popular here in January and February. So it is only natural for the predators that lack ice augers to shift their feeding patterns.

This time of year the eagles can also be seen feasting on road-kill deer. This is actually our best chance to see them close up. And it is when it becomes obvious just how much larger a Golden Eagle is than a Bald Eagle. The Goldens seem huge, by comparison.

We are now in our winter routine, and itching for the days to get noticeably longer. Lily is already digging through her seed catalogs. For optimists like us, spring is not far away! – Jim & Avalanche Lily, Rawles

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. The bumpstock ban lawsuits are starting.

Bumpstock Ban Lawsuit

David Codrea and some compadres have filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Court, challenging Trump’s bumpstock ban. I’m praying that that they are successful, and this odious make-believe law is struck down.

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Reader T.H. sent in this interesting take on one of the lawsuits being filed. Apparently, in addition to the ATF ruling at least 10 times in the past that a bumpstock did not a machine gun make, the whole driving force behind this current ban may be false. According to this article, the ATF was not allowed to examine the firearms used in the Las Vegas killings which started this witch hunt. Imagine that…The ATF was not allowed to examine evidence in a major crime where the ATF was expected to do just that. The FBI is claiming that there is no easy way to find those documents. If you don’t want crazy conspiracy theories abounding, don’t give obviously false or absurd statements!

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,
Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.” – 1 Kings 6:11-13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – December 28, 2018

December 28, 1793 is the day that Thomas Paine was arrested in France for treason. The charges against him were never fully detailed, but he was tried in absentia on December 26 and convicted. Best known as the author of Common Sense, he moved to Paris to be part of the French revolution. Initially welcomed, the tide soon turned against him, because he was opposed to the death penalty and the French revolutionaries were sending hundreds to the guillotine.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 80 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 80 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Medical Action Sheets by K.B., M.D. Part 3

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Preppers are concerned about scenarios that can prevent access, such as weather extremes (hurricanes, ice storms, blizzards), civil unrest (riots, curfews), EMP, TEOTWAWKI, or pandemics/disasters, which can swamp the medical system. When illness or injury strikes, you will not have the time or inclination to read books or articles. I, therefore, propose the use of medical action sheets, and I am sharing a few of those that I have written. In truth, I have given binders of these to my loved ones with the caveat that they use them only in a genuine situation as listed above and if I am unavailable to help them. As you read these lists, remember that I am not prescribing and urge you to review any plans with your medical professional who will tailor medical action sheets to your specific medical needs, conditions, allergies, and abilities.

Last time we studied influenza, colds, and pneumonia. Today we will study tick-borne illnesses, which can be quite serious and difficult to diagnose correctly even by experts. Nevertheless, you can save yourself or your loved ones a lot of grief by knowing certain warning signs and situations.

New Type of Tick Sweeping the USA

There is even a new type of tick sweeping the USA that you should be aware of. It is called the Asian longhorned tick and arrived state-side in 2017. A female Asian longhorned tick can lay approximately 2,000 eggs without even mating, has a faster life-cycle generating more ticks, and survives freezing winters by digging into the ground. This is bad news.

Continue reading“Medical Action Sheets by K.B., M.D. Part 3”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) With the Christmas holiday, this was a short trading week, in many markets. Today’s focus is on Silver and Gold in 2019. (See the Precious Metals Section section.)

 

Precious Metals (Silver and Gold in 2019):

Watching the exchange value of the Dollar and interest rates, many market analysts are predicting higher silver and gold prices in 2019. The ongoing stock market turmoil may indeed trigger a rush to safety. Here are a few links to what some of the analysts presage:

Silver’s Time Will Come; TDS Sees Silver Outperforming Gold In 2019

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2019 Gold Price Forecasts and Predictions from the Big Investment Banks

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GOLD PRICE FORECAST 2019, 2020, 2021 AND 2022

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Could the Silver Price Really Hit $130 per Ounce?

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Will LBMA Predictions of $1532/Ounce Gold In 2019 Come True?

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J.P. Morgan: Gold Set to Shine in 2019

 

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – December 27, 2018

On this day in 1979, in an attempt to stabilize the turbulent political situation in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union sent 75,000 troops to enforce the installation of Babrak Karmal as the new leader of the nation. The new government and the imposing Soviet presence, however, had little success in putting down anti-government rebels. Thus began nearly 10 years of an agonizing, destructive, and ultimately fruitless Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Death by a thousand cuts.

o o o

It is with sadness that we learned that Jerry Pearce died in his home at 76. Jerry was an ex-cop who launched a late night call-in radio show host dealing with law enforcement and political issues. We will miss him.

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 80 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 80 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Medical Action Sheets by K.B., M.D.- Part 2

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Preppers are concerned about scenarios that can prevent access, such as weather extremes (hurricanes, ice storms, blizzards), civil unrest (riots, curfews), EMP, TEOTWAWKI, or pandemics/disasters, which can swamp the medical system. When illness or injury strikes, you will not have the time or inclination to read books or articles. I, therefore, propose the use of medical action sheets, and I want to share a few of those that I have written. In truth, I have given binders of these to my loved ones with the caveat that they use them only in a genuine situation as listed above and if I am unavailable to help them. As you read these lists, remember that I am not prescribing and urge you to review any plans with your medical professional who will tailor medical action sheets to your specific medical needs, conditions, allergies, and abilities.

Last time we studied abscesses and shingles. Today, we’ll study medical action sheets for influenza, colds, and pneumonia.

Influenza Overview

Influenza is spread by viruses either via droplets (up to six feet away) or direct contact with objects. (Think door knobs, ATM buttons, ink pens, keyboards, et cetera.) The virus lives up to eight hours on surfaces, so wash hands frequently and wear a mask/eye shield when caring for flu patients. Remember that influenza hits hard and fast compared to a cold. You will experience fever, extreme fatigue, and painful body aches. You’ll feel like you’ve been hit by a truck, but don’t despair! There is a new, inexpensive over-the-counter treatment called the vitamin D3 “hammer” that can end the flu within 48 to 72 hours. So please consider giving this a try and see if it works for you. Our family has had success with it, so read details below. Just remember to stick to the dosage listed below for adults, as vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, as are vitamins A, E, and K, and overdosing can result in toxicity.

Continue reading“Medical Action Sheets by K.B., M.D.- Part 2”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. Toyota Bots may soon be commonplace.

Civil Disobedience

New Jersey’s draconian gun laws have taken effect, limiting magazines to no more than 10 rounds and instantly making felons of everyone who refuses to turn them in to police or remove them from the state. Just like we saw in Connecticut and New York, people are just ignoring the law. So far, every police station contacted has reported that no magazines have been turned in. That makes upwards of one million (probably more) citizens of New Jersey felons according to this ridiculous standard capacity magazine ban. The police have no plan moving forward and most believe that the ban is simply unenforceable. Thanks to DSV for the link.

Bipartisan Gun Confiscation

Reader H.L. sent in this article from the Mises Institute that suggests there is growing support for gun confiscation in 2019 though. We probably won’t see an outright ban moving forward through congress, but significant inroads will be made through the use of “red flag” laws. These are laws that allow the state to confiscate the firearms of people without due process. Basically, if anyone makes a claim that they are afraid of you with your guns, the state will move to confiscate the firearms until you are proven to not be a danger to yourself or others. Since you are not given the chance for representation before the warrants are issued, your rights are trampled upon. It doesn’t matter if there are valid fears or not, the red flag laws are simply unconstitutional on many levels.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”