Working on my pocket urban survival kit----JoJo's cabbages have come in and she shredded and froze tons of it for use all during the upcoming year---the crew is working on adding front and back screened in porches to the homestead--for future breeze cooling when power cooling is gone forever--my Prius MPG this week averaged 49.0----this week we accomplished a lot.

The link below is to an article addressing an issue I had not thought about previously..The fact that with the depression---baby boomers are/will be staying in their jobs much much longer---creating a situation where the young will be idle and unemployed for years creating a lost generation....without a possibility of retirement on one side there are no openings created for the other...I had not put 2+2 together previously but it makes perfect sense.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/columns/political-connections/our-upside-down-workforce-20110609

Interesting poll results---the first displaying that the majority of Americans believe the economy will never improve. Smarter than our leaders we are Luke....

http://www.cnbc.com/id/43268037

This next poll advises, that Americans are pretty much pissed off over everything economically, governmental and actually pretty much pissed off at everything in a 360 degree radius. Like this is a surprise?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20110605/pl_

dailycaller/pollfindsamericansangryaboutprettymucheverything

I have been staying away from homesteading and survivalist books for a while. We have been building, creating and working on our downtown homestead for long enough that most of these titles have little information to supply to us any longer. I'm not claiming to be an expert--it is just that most of these books cover the same ground giving the same advice...after awhile if you have read 3 or 4 homesteading books you have read them all.

I took a chance tho and ordered Surviving the Apocalypse in the Suburbs by Wendy Brown.

I have to admit that my interest was perked simply by the title....the premise of the book is based on the concept that if you knew a societal crash was coming in 21 days, what could/should a suburbanite do to prepare to ride out the downfall of normal society----long term. The best part of the book so far has been the fact that the author is making do with both the property and the house that she has----rather than working from the ideal survivalist circumstance...i do enjoy that honesty...there have been a few concepts presented in the book I am going to try...but overall for me it is a confirmation of do-rights that JoJo and I have been working on for the past few years.

Geezer tactical clothing has been a difficult hunt lately--- I prefer European military surplus items----i have experience with European issued equipment---having become an extra large American in my geezer years European military surplus in large or X-large is hard to locate, purchase at a reasonable price and obtain in decent shape for my continued personal use. I do get lucky now and again--for example I just received the item below--an Italian marine San Marco camouflage pattern jacket in XL. This San Marco pattern issued during the mid 80's to mid 90's by the Italian military and has since been replaced. This type of light cover is excellent for conceal carry or for layering in colder weather. It actually fits---and I am very,very happy with this purchase !

On the same order I obtained 2 pair of British Military surplus utility trousers in large....I like these British Trousers because of the large belt loops allowing for a garrison belt to be worn if one prefers...these are excellent out and about trousers---that really hold up. I haven't tried these on yet--but I have to admit that British large may be too small for me...and these may wind up as gifts or trading material.....too bad because these are basically brand new and I really wanted these to work out---but with European military surplus you spin the wheel and take your chances..

I stand by my belief tho that Military surplus clothing with it's reasonable resale price, utility, and durability will be the perfect geezer wear for our upcoming uncertain future....

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/Main.aspx?

Born again?! No, I'm not. Excuse me for getting it right the first time.

Dennis Miller

A new strain of dangerous bacteria suddenly appears in Europe---no progress on the federal budget or the debt limit yet ----our representative idiot government is vapor-locked as usual while the governments daily funding is coming out of their employee retirement accounts (that's a great fucking way to run a country eh?)----the stock market declines this week on the "news" that the economy we peasants have to live and work in is "bad"----a fact that the rich, the wall street traders and the fat cat bankers have apparently not yet noticed.....

I have been observing more and more individuals walking/sitting/panhandling on the roadside lately both in town and on the highway during my commute into work. This behavior is really a tough way to go where i reside---the desert is no place to be afoot...or just squatting watching the traffic go by....door to door salesmen have seemingly increased as well---selling everything from alarm systems to meat and seafood (?) from the back of a pickup truck---

I am forced to believe it is the state of the economy causing this...people are doing whatever they can or whatever extra they can do to get by----after a while tho---- people lose all hope working within a corrupt system to no avail and then it is a danger close scenario.

Projects that I have worked on lately include attaching the light weight, super small CRKT Ritter knife to my P32 ankle holster.....(with the results pictured below).

I first added skateboard tape to the knife's skeleton hilt to insure the ability to hang onto it even if it gets slippery and reduced the length of the lanyard that came with the knife. I then mounted the knife and it's Kydex click-in sheath to the left (gun opposite side) of the rig with Velcro. The holster's ankle strap will also enclose the knife and sheath insuring that it remains in place no matter what. This set up gives me a last chance option if necessary...working out the process was interesting.

I am also working on a pocket urban survival kit based around the tin that came with the above DRKT knife. When finished I want this little pocket kit to be focused on an urban environment rather than a "lost in the woods" survival type kit...below is a sample photo below of what i have accomplished so far---i will provide a complete listing of the contents, when I complete this project next week---i am waiting for a few medical supplies to arrive to finish this project off...

The only thing i feel as if i can control and enjoy at work is my personal items--my every day carry, my watches--weapons--carry bag--clothing. There is nothing else that i have control over as a mindless, hired, automaton. My kit then has become my Walter Mitty work mental escape plan--- and overwhelmingly important to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mitty

I am consistently adding material to my everyday carry and I have a particular affection for knives and watches. I just received a Casio Men's G-7900-3DR G-Shock Green Resin Digital Dial Watch--- this particular watch is a soon to be discontinued model and was priced accordingly...i had planned on purchasing only solar powered watches but the asking price is way out of line now and as a result i plan on stocking up on batteries and purchasing a tool kit to make standard watch service/repairs....I cannot help myself when it comes to a new watch---it allows me to make it through another month at work---when all i want to do is run screaming into the desert---but i can prevent that by staring at my new piece of personal kit.

A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.

Henry Ford

Every day carry update:

I have worked out how to construct my own Kydex sheaths for my every day carry knives. Pictured above and below is a sheath I finished today--constructed for a one off skeleton knife I purchased at a local gun show last year. The knife is excellent but came with a really shitty leather sheath. I started by cutting and fitting skateboard tape to the bare metal of the knife hilt area.

Then I started on the sheath---first obtaining supplies from Knifekits.com.

http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php

There are any number of spots on the web that will explain how to create a Kydex sheath like this---so i won't bore you with repeating easily obtained information. The major fact I discovered is that pre-construction design and proper measurements is Way more important than what is mentioned in the how-to articles. I added a small tubular side compartment to carry a fire steel and striker..sheaths designed and made on your own offer unlimited possibilities for your personal use and equipment desires----I have just reordered additional Kydex supplies to make a few more sheaths for knives i own that I have not carried due to shitty sheath design...as i complete them I will post additional photos. I actually feel good about figuring this out....and enjoyed creating it.

Tonight was vegetable lasagna and a huge salad from the garden for my JoJo, a friend and I. Wonderful to offer vegetables straight from the garden to the table...my JoJo planted more beans today and something new for us----peanuts. We are going to see if peanuts do well in our climate (local legends say yes) and if successful we have our oil seed hand grinder that will allow us to make our own peanut butter. Producing our own peanut butter will free us from the Republican businessman salmonella peanut butter outbreaks which have occurred routinely over the past few years. Poisoning for profit is a unique to Republicans business practice---especially since the Republicans killed funding to the poison control hot lines across the country as well.....

Our corn looks like corn now--which is nice--but we are suffering from the worst drought in New Mexico since the Great Depression, or so the news advises...we are watering constantly now fighting the heat and drying high winds---and there has been no rain for the past nine months at all---we are lucky in that the Southern New Mexico cities are old and based on the oasis theory---The towns are where they are at because there is water here---not because people figured out how to transport water in as with many more modern towns in Nevada and Arizona.

Grow something---anything---if you do not then you will go hungry in the future.

This month's survival food purchase may seem strange---a full case of 50,blueberry, non-frosted pop tarts. Pop tarts are in many ways the perfect survival food--fits in a battle dress utility side pocket---shelf life forever since it is almost like food but less....can be eaten if crushed into small pieces by activity, if necessary...I have been saved several times in my life by having a pack of pop tarts in my bag or BDU pocket!! With dehydrated food impossible to find i decided to invest in using and storing a case of Pop Tarts----don't laugh!

My other survival purchase for this coming month is a CRKT mini knife which comes with and is designed to fit in a small tin. I am planning on attaching the mini knife---which is, no kidding, really mini---to my ankle holster which holds my Kel-Tec P32 summer semi-automatic....I am planning on creating my own urban mini survival kit to put in the small tin. I'll post photographs of both finished products.

The above small knife and sheath will be attached to the below ankle rig opposite the pistol.

Had to have it T shirt time continues--featuring the "Hey look, it's Enrico Pallazzo" Leslie Nielson, Naked Gun t-shirt---i will be counting the number of times someone recognizes it. Those who recognize the joke, will be people worth knowing....

In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.

Charles de Gaulle

Work, read, sleep, work repeat x 5 this week---

If not for our little homestead and my wondrous wife i would go insane....

We are eating full salads out of the garden now--JoJo has been working so hard fighting our lack of rain here in New Mexico--almost 10 months now without rain and the march winds are still blowing at the end of May---the rest of the country is flooding and we cannot get a drop---but thanks to my wife, the ultimate gardener---we are again enjoying fresh produce---our corn and potatoes show proof of life and hopefully will produce---but tomato's and peppers are dying and suffering in our area. This year i am very thankful that we are not yet dependent on our garden for all our food or to supply us through the winter---dependence on what an individual or a family produces is coming, make no mistake and this year has displayed to me how difficult that can be in our climate....at least we are doing much better than many other gardeners in the area...although that is little consolation.

Political love children, European power brokers attacking maids in their hotel rooms, the elite class is really working hard for us---no pun intended---I guess this is what is meant by trickle down ? We haven't even started the 2012 campaign yet which is really a race to see which republican candidate can keep their zipper zipped the longest....The economy has split in two with a depression economy which we regular people must live in, and an elite economy where the rich trade stocks and speak of the recovery.

If I see one of these "I'll be raptured on May 21st assholes" walking around on Sunday--does that mean that they are spiritual zombies and need to be dealt with?

I am a huge fan of little houses--micro houses i suppose you might call them...our homestead house is 1200 sq feet, but compared to the cube project our small house is a McMansion...how much space do you really need when it comes down to it?

The cube is constructed of currently available materials and products that are totally recycled and carbon neutral---solar roof panels provide necessary power and it is transportable by truck to where ever you wish to live---the entire cube fully equipped cost $52,000. Hit the link for an excellent video tour by the designer...why should anyone be homeless other than through the greed of bankers?

http://www.cubeproject.org.uk/

I so desire one of these Killspencer backpack's---I'll just have to save---very beaucoup expensive...but very hipster survivalist. Actually handmade in America---Take a look---

http://www.killspencer.com/category.php?id_category=6

A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five.
Groucho Marx