Prep No Fail

I am pretty pleased with myself recently. I been in quite few situations lately were being prepared has really paid of. For example, the other day, I managed to minimize the time I had to spend battling the wind to feed the meter, (it so windy here that I could barely stand without being pushed by the wind) because I had thought ahead and packed a bag of change a few weeks ago for my car. Also, recently, when I picked up take-out and the soup container broke as I got home, but because I thought ahead and done all the dishes and pan/potware ahead of time, I was able to easily transfer the soup to the soup pot without loosing much of the soup and without much of a mess.

I have come to realize that being prepared is not just about survival, but it is about making your daily life easier and less stressful. Each time I needed something, it was there. I didn't have to search for it, or spend more time having to clean up and fix something. I was even able to help out my friends a couple times It doesn't seem like much, but when thing just fall into place when you need it, it is a good feeling, and just makes everything easier.

Take care and be well to all.

Moon Time

This is the post I been promising for a long time.

The idea is very simple. If you know your basic astronomy, you can use both the moon and the sun to tell time and direction.

The Ecliptic is the path the sun takes in the sky. While the sun and moon does not follow the ecliptic dead on, it is still valid to say the sun and the moon rises in the East, and sets in the West.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic

As the Moon goes through each of its phase, it revolves around the earth, which causes it to rise and set at different times. Therefore the full moon, will rise at 6PM and set at 6AM, and a new moon will rise at 6AM, and set at 6PM. However, we can not see the new moon, because the side of the moon that is getting sun is facing away from us.

This has some vocabulary, and a still frame of what I am talking about.
http://www.teachersparadise.com/ency/en/wikipedia/l/lu/lunar_phase.html

Additionally, the following site has a interactive application, which you can set the moon to different phases and see what times they rise and set.
http://www.samuelwat.com/peabody/detailedmoon/index.html
A waxing gibbous will rise at 3PM and set at 3 AM.

Notes:
Daylight light savings time has to be taken into consideration.

The moon does vary slightly in rise and set times, but it is not enough to discredit the use of the moon to get an approximation of what time it is. The following link can tell you exact time of rising setting based on your location.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.php

Waxing - Moon is becoming fuller, and it lighted on the right side (Think about waxing a car with your right hand)
Waning - Moon disappears, and it is dark on the right side.

I believe in the Southern Hemisphere this is all flipped, but I would have to double check on the fact. If anyone knows, let me know.

I did a previous post on using the sun as a compass for anyone interested.
http://ontologicalthinker.blogspot.com/2008/05/no-compass-no-problem.html

Solar Power Goodness

I have notice a growing trend in solar power devices. Portable radios are no exception. I borrowed this from a friend.

It is solar-powered, hand cranked, has AM/FM radio, along with a headphone jack. It is a good size, and easy to store. It cost about $18 USD.







I have a couple more pictures of this, but I covered the important parts. When I get one, I shall let you all know how good it works.

Times Keep on Rolling

While my presence this year has been nearly hit or miss, I am around. I truly have very little to say that is not redundant to others.

I will be posting my telling time with moon post up soon. I been preoccupied with reorganizing the things in my life and working through my education.

I know the swine flu has been on the news and such. I have no comments.

Hurricane Season is coming, so to my fellow Texans, start preparing.

Lastly, the best advice I have gotten all week is from a fellow blogger.
The advice was simply "Live, Da** it"

My comment upon that is that you should plan for tomorrow, but still enjoy today.
This way you don't miss anything, but you are always ready for anything that comes.

Dissipated and Shipping Container Houses

Well.. I am back... Life got busy, in result, I had no life for a few weeks, but happily, things are getting back to where they need to be, and I have returned here, as it should be.

I know I promised a astronomy post about telling time with the moon. Needless to say, that is still a work in progress. However I bring you something a bit more fun.

A growing trend is making houses out of shipping crates. With the right chemical spray, one can even make the shipping crate insulated. It is very cost effective, and very versatile.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/2008/09/23/20080923biz-containerhomes23-ON.html

I particularly like the pictures in this link, because they demonstrate both the simplicity and usefulness of this idea:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/shipping-container-houses.php

This one is a whole complex of shipping crate houses:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neil_b/207154861

Randomness

I find my blog is very random, but that is perhaps because life is very random, or maybe it is just me. I just know that you can not just focus one thing, because you need multiple skills to survive in life.

I do like to talk about my projects, but I find I have so little time to work on them.
But, I do like to shy away politics and news, because if you are reading my blog, then you probably already read the news. I have long since said what I thought politics and the news. Which is pay attention to it! Use your brains. Do not let doublethink or minispeak confuse you. However, on the topic of news, there was barely any ammo at Wal-Mart today. I noticed some that were completely out stock previously had some, so they must be restocking, but it just flies of the shelf too fast. This perturbs me.

I read on Texas Preppers Blog today about group survival. I find that so few people think about that. It is encouraged when you go camping or even swimming to have at least a buddy. The hardest part about that idea though is that it is hard to find good people. During Ike, my neighborhood did not get together. Each neighbor took care of themselves, however in other parts of Houston there were apartment complexes, and even this couple I meet where they did work together and combined resources. I suppose the most difficult part of group work (in any form) is you do not want to have slacker/parasite that only brings the group down.

By the way, if you get a chance to, go check out Wolf Track's Patch. It is pretty neat.(Ya, I know The Texas Preppers got to it already. They are a good one to check out, too.)

Last bit of randomness. My next post is going to cover how to tell time with the Moon. It is not hard, but it is useful.

Even Sesame Street Says So

I was watching television, and as I flipped through the channels, I saw a commercial from Sesame Street telling kids/parents to go their site to learn more about preparing for emergencies.

I know it bad when the govt tells you to prepare, but when Sesame Street is promoting workshops and site material on this... I am just left with my mouth wide open.

I have included the site address given by the commercial, and some other links of interest, which includes a neat blog I found (Third Link.)

http://www.sesamestreet.org/ready/

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/initiatives/emotion/ready

http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2008/09/29/grover-sesame-street-what-should-we-tell-the-publicnational-preparedness-month/

http://www.ready.gov/

If you get a chance to watch the video on the Sesame Street Site, it actually highlights on the important things and is somewhat thorough; however some parts are kind of annoying and obviously for little children(But you can skip forward during those parts.)

How to use a swiss army knife can opener

Bicycles and Exercise

I have been working on is getting my bike up to par. I know in most places, everything is far enough where a bike is not sufficient as a mode of transportation. However, it has be kept in mind that biking is a good form of exercise, which I need, but it is a form of transportation that is not dependent on electricity, gas, oil or any other type of fuel. This means as long the bikes works, you have a dependable form of transportation.

I like to stress the importance of keeping your body up to par. If your body is healthy, you are less likely to get sick as often. Also, in times of survival, such as Ike or all the snow storms, if you are healthier, then you have a more fighting chance to survive better.

I have mentioned this before, but being healthy saves you money, time, and pain. Take the time to keep yourself well.

Stay well and safe!

The Thing I Do Not Say

When I write, I like to leave my personal life out of it.
I may make a slight reference here and there, but I believe that your personal life has very little relevance on the internet, unless it is part of the topic at hand.

Despite the previous statement, I cannot help but feel saddened by the fact that my sweetie is worried about our future. I wish to tell my sweetie that we will make it in every way that sentence can mean.

I think that is what I wish to impart upon the world the today. Do not put off your future plans for marriage, children, careers, or what not. I do not mean if you goal to be an actor/ actresses. I mean daily survival.

If you intend to make it with all your might. If you intend to truly survive, and I mean truly, truly survive. No matter how hard it is, then you will be fine. It make a lot of work, and a lot of suffering, but if our grandparents could make through great depression, and our long time ago ancestors could make it through the dark ages. Why can't we?

I do not bring religion into my writing very often, I find people will not listen to me when I do. But in today's breaking of my many habits, I wish to say that God will take care of those who are truly faithful to him. So I do not fear anything that comes my way.

Post Ike

The power came back on either Wednesday or Thursday.

Still recovering and will have to write more about this later.

Needless to say I was very fortunate.

I had a gas stove that could be lit with a spark light to cook hot meals.
The landline allowed for communication and limited use of the internet.

One thing I would like to mention before I forget: Food keeps morale up.