09:16 – It was 53.7F (12C) when I took Colin out at 0645 this morning, gray and drizzling. Barbara is out today, at a volunteer meeting this morning and then the bookstore this afternoon.
We had chicken fried rice for dinner yesterday, all from LTS food. In the normal course of things, we don’t have rice that often, maybe three times a month. But we do like it and it’s extremely flexible, so I keep a metric boatload in our LTS food pantry. A pound of rice, a small can of chicken or other meat, a few dehydrated vegetables, soy sauce, and other incidentals, and you have enough fried rice to feed a full meal to four people. It can also be added to soups to bulk them up, used as the basis of a casserole or a rice pudding, and so on. And it’s cheap and stores forever. If your LTS food storage goal is a one-year supply, you should probably have at least 100 pounds of rice per person stored.
Speaking of LTS food and cooking, I called Blue Ridge Co-op yesterday to arrange to have our propane tank topped off. When they delivered and installed the tank last December, they were out of the 250-gallon tanks so they installed a 325-gallon tank instead. They fill propane tanks to 80% of nominal capacity and they deliver the tank already filled. Our 325-gallon tank holds 260 gallons, but instead of filling it to 260 gallons they filled it to the 200-gallon level appropriate for a 250-gallon tank because their computer wouldn’t let them transfer any more than 200 gallons into what it thought was a 250-gallon tank. So we’re currently at 200 gallons less however much we’ve used for the propane cooktop since December. I’m guessing that’s maybe 20 gallons, so topping it off should be maybe 80 gallons worth. Running the largest burner in our cooktop for an hour or so per day should consume about one gallon per week, which means a full tank of 260 gallons is about five years’ worth. Even in a long-term emergency we should be good for at least a full year, and probably two, assuming we’re cooking for more than just the two of us plus Colin. And, of course, in that situation, we’d also be using solar ovens heavily to minimize propane use.
I see that Japan has about 70,000 citizens currently in South Korea and the government is taking steps to evacuate them back to Japan. And the Hawaii state legislature is concerned about North Korean launching a nuclear attack on the islands. Hawaii formerly maintained a strong shelter and civil-defense program, but allowed it to lapse from lack of funding. The last time shelters were inspected, food stocks replaced, and so on was in 1985. A legislative committee has unanimously recommended that the shelters be updated and emergency supplies replaced.
Even assuming funding is made available, doing what needs to be done will take months. My take is that doing so is a good idea, although I think the probability of the Norks launching a nuclear attack is nearly zero. Not that they wouldn’t do so if they could, but just as military leaders must act on an enemy’s capabilities rather than his perceived intentions, there are times when action should be taken on perceived enemy intentions rather than perceived capabilities. In other words, if we think the enemy intends to attack OR is capable of attacking, we should take steps accordingly. Hawaii is particularly vulnerable because it imports most of its food.
* * * * *
For those of you who are still planning your garden, got a couple of links in my RSS link for Countryside Network. The straw bale gardening one I have linked before, but the DIY self-watering planter link is new to me. Hope these are interesting to someone.
Straw Bale Gardening:
http://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/gardening/container-gardening/straw-bale-gardening-instructions-and-how-it-works/
DIY Self-Watering Planters:
http://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/gardening/container-gardening/self-watering-planters-diy-containers-to-combat-drought/
I now return you to World Conflict and Craziness 😉
WRT Hawaii and disaster planning, reading the comments over a couple years on another blog, they seem to have their heads in their alimentary tract.
They are subject to all kinds of natural disaster, but don’t have good power, water, or other disaster resources. Of course, the posters do, to take up the slack and out of a sense of self preservation.
This is the way it should be, no one cares about you like you do, and you can never rely on the state for help.
Given the state’s mandate to backstop their citizens’ efforts, there should be more resources put in place.
I’m pretty sure that by the time contracts are let, and fulfilled, any problems with NORKs will be long past. Net gain for the citizens though, just not for the current issues.
n
If your LTS food storage goal is a one-year supply, you should probably have at least 100 pounds of rice per person stored.
We had bug problems with the last two bags of Kirkland Jasmine rice we purchased at Costco. The Asian markets are generally better options for bulk rice, often cheaper and fresher than the warehouse clubs. “Elephant” brand Jasmine is usually reliable.
Regular access to Uwajimaya is one of the few things I miss about the Northwest.
We’ve never had a problem with Costco white rice, which is all we buy other than Augason 26-pound buckets of brown rice. We repackage the white rice in 2-liter bottles with oxygen absorbers, where it’ll remain good for decades. Brown rice supposedly has a much shorter shelf life, as little as one year according to some sources, but I suspect that’s bogus. Augason is extremely conservative on shelf-lives, and they rate their brown rice at 7 years.
The TV market has been changing but this one is a real change
http://www.businessinsider.com/sports-free-cable-tv-bundles-2017-4
My guess is the big money will stop it.
43 here and pahtly sunny, with rain and showers for the rest of the week until possible sun on Friday. Out to do yard cleanup and a dump run.
On the rainy days, assuming steady downpours, I’ll be inside doing more cleanup ops and ongoing projects. Gun club meeting tomorrow night and vets group on Thursday, and otherwise little contact with actual human beans other than neighbors and at the post office and store.
69F and raining here. Just over an inch since midnight.
Headed out of town for mandatory travel tomorrow. Hate being away from kids and home but not much choice in this one.
Headed somewhere way out on the edge, and separated from any way home except by ocean or air. Really don’t want a John Ringo story coming true while I’m in the area of his zombie novels.
Gonna be stressful.
Will try to enjoy, and relax. I’ve got some good ignoring skills. Still.
n
Best wishes on your travels, Mr. nick; bring what ya can for defensive uses and watch yer six, like you do anyway, and a fine job of it, too.
If possible, try to keep us posted on how things pan out.
Breeze picking up a little here and the sun is still out so I’m on the outside to-do list for a while.
Good luck, Mr. Nick.
I’m flying off to Seattle, Yakima, San Jose, Gilroy (CA) and drive back in a one way rental to Vegas with MrsAtoz starting Thursday. Lots of driving to little burgs on this trip. Keynotes and workshops at these places.
Hawaii is particularly vulnerable because it imports most of its food.
Hawaii also imports 100% of its gasoline, diesel, and propane now. The last refinery in Hawaii was shut down last year.
We’ve never had a problem with Costco white rice, which is all we buy other than Augason 26-pound buckets of brown rice.
Domestic vs. imported might be the issue or possibly the port of origin. We never had a problem with Costco rice in the Northwest, but the bug issue didn’t start in Texas until last year.
Brown rice supposedly has a much shorter shelf life, as little as one year according to some sources, but I suspect that’s bogus.
I’d spot check the brown rice if you’re not putting oxygen absorbers into the buckets. We like to use Alton Brown’s dead simple Baked Brown Rice recipe (linked below), but the brand we prefer for the recipe, Nishiki, has a very short shelf life, often going rancid after just 6-8 weeks.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/
That reminds me — I need to resume experiments with our completely mechanical Korean rice pot.
Boiling wotta and then 375 for an HOUR??
Sounds more like browned rice instead of brown rice.
Rancidity is a matter of opinion anyway. Lots of people pay big bucks for products that are intentionally allowed to go rancid, in particularly cheeses.
Rancid rice, however, is not to most peoples’ taste; it gets moldy real fast after that. And brown rice baked into a brick is probably useful if you make a whole chit-ton of them. 375 for a whole hour after pouring boiling water on them? Don’t sound right at all; in my admittedly limited experience of cooking (half a century or so), simply pouring boiling water on that amount of rice and letting it sit for a half-hour will do the job.
Hawaii also imports 100% of its gasoline, diesel, and propane now. The last refinery in Hawaii was shut down last year.
When I was stationed in Hawaii in the early 70’s there was a dock workers strike. Almost anything coming in to the islands were no longer. Of particular concern was toilet paper. The USAF was flying in planes full of the stuff for the various military bases. What normally sold for $0.15 a roll was now selling for $0.50 a roll on the less than legitimate market. Six rolls would get a decent meal on one of the roach coach eateries (really good food actually).
Don’t remember much about gas other than it was $0.50 a gallon while still costing $0.25 on the mainland. I don’t remember the price going up as I was not driving much during that time. I suppose the price did rise.
Milk was OK as that was a local product. Fruit was not a problem, meat was not a problem.
The islands were interesting for TV as this was before large scale satellite use. TV shows were shipped over on tapes and were generally a week late. Shows just started around 8:00 PM or whatever their start time was scheduled. A few minutes before or after was no big deal as there was no network timing considerations. During the strike there were a lot of reruns and network shows that aired in the states during the strike never did make it to the islands.
Anyway, I sold several rolls of toilet paper to some of the GS workers. Some of them would just take the rolls from the bathrooms on base and take the rolls home. I saw many leaving my facility with a roll or two in their bags. The strike was some serious shit for these people.
“The strike was some serious shit for these people.”
That was pretty crappy, Mr. Ray, but hell, you win the innernet for today, so fah.
Boiling wotta and then 375 for an HOUR??
Brown rice is really tough to cook properly without one of the new fancy rice pots. The recipe is time consuming but designed to produce consistent results every time it is applied.
Almost anything coming in to the islands were no longer. Of particular concern was toilet paper.
Were people still jittery from the toilet paper shortage Johnny Carson started?
Four dead in Fresno. Cops should have put one through the guy’s piehole.
Aloha Snackbar!
“Cops should have put one through the guy’s piehole.”
Roger that! Why are my tax dollars used to house and feed these scum in the slammer while their public defenders live off your tax dollars?
We really do need to be careful what we wish for.
The short grain brown rice does take longer to cook than most varieties. I’ve been putting it in boiling water, covering, and turning to low for about 45 minutes, which has worked well for years. Other varieties take as little as 20-25 minutes following the same procedure. I use a heaping cup (1 1/4 cup or so) of rice to two cups of water.
More on the “alt-lite” and “alt-right” factions bitch-slapping the antifa asswipes out at Moscow-1950-on-the-Bay:
http://thezman.com/wordpress/?p=10054
Maybe things will escalate and it will be a sporty summer in the cities.
Guys like the one in Fresno are sure helping to escalate shit here; keep it up, assholes.
And for petesakes, don’t put provocative stickers on your rides, amigos:
http://www.thedailysheeple.com/there-will-be-blood-left-prepares-for-war-after-berkeley-beat-down-combat-training-better-equipment-guns_042017
Why ask for trouble???
Plus, of course, avoid cities, crowds, and “events.”
[snip] their public defenders live off your tax dollars? [snip]
The role of the public defender is, in large part, to make sure that the police, prosecutors, and judges obey the rules! Like, for example, when the Chicago Airport Police rough someone up for no particular reason. Or when a prosecutor calls the attorney, on the morning of a case, and says “Oh by the way we have a dashcam video of the drunk stop that we forgot to mention in discovery.” And on and on and on and on …
Were people still jittery from the toilet paper shortage Johnny Carson started?
I think I was gone by then, relocated to other destinations. Hawaii was OK for a couple of months. Then I got to the point where I could not wait to get off that rock.
” Like, for example, when the Chicago Airport Police rough someone up for no particular reason.”
Completely absurd! When the Chicago cops rough someone up, like Dr. Dao, there are no end of private lawyers ready to sue the city on a contingency percentage basis and no upfront retainer. No public defenders assigned to Dr. Dao as he has been charged with nothing.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they charged him with failure to obey, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, trespassing, theft of service, and whatever else they can think up.
n
Wouldn’t United have to go along with that level of prosecution? And wouldn’t other passengers have to be brought in as witnesses? How does the innernet coverage of the event affect any prosecutorial decisions?
What about a witness who feared for for his or her safety and that of their child/ren and there was zero trigger warning and no safe space to retreat to? Sue United? Sue the city of Chicago?
Muh feelz are all messed up now over this; time to stock up on protein and carbs.
Suck it Border Collies!
Sask. ranchers stunned as beaver herds 150 cattle
[snip] Dr. Dao as he has been charged with nothing. [snip]
And probably won’t be. If however, his name was Quinzell Lipshitz, and his arrest hadn’t been documented on a variety of video cameras, you can bet your azz he would have been charged.
“And probably won’t be. If however, his name was Quinzell Lipshitz, and his arrest hadn’t been documented on a variety of video cameras, you can bet your azz he would have been charged.”
YUUUP! I always prefer speculative conjecture when hard & fast, historical facts cannot be cited!
Roger that, Good Buddy, 10-4, Over and Out!
Apparently the good doctor has had interactions with Authority before. Like meeting guys in hotel rooms for mutual fun and selling/giving them prescription drugs. None of my business, of course, but it’s been dredged up.
And some children lured with food and then blown up by the terrorist scum we’re giving arms and support to in order to topple the murderous dictator Assad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xIXiSq3K_c
So when’s the next missile attack? Oh wait–it’s our guys doing the murdering. And our tax dollars.
Yup, my tax dollars and yours just paid for the butchering of 80 kids in Syria. Where’s the fucking outrage? Where’s CNN, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, et. al.?
Headed to the Virgin Isles manana. Commenting will probably be sporadic and light, and full of autocorrect issues from the phone.
Fingers crossed the world stays together until I get back. I really don’t want to learn how to pilot a stolen boat all the way home….
nick
Have a great time on the beaches, Mr. nick, and don’t get caught looking at hotties in skimpy bikinis or your neck may get snapped or a bottle smashed over your head. That shouldn’t happen to you there; if you want that stuff done, just wear a Make America Great Again Trump hat and walk around Beserkely, CA or Manhattan or Cambridge, MA.
Unless a comet hits the planet like a bullet striking an apple, the world will probably stay together at least until you get back.
But what fun it would be to steal a boat and sail home through the Caribbean and then the world’s largest hot tub. From Galveston or somewhere, overland back to the beeyooteeful Greater Houston Metro Statistical Area; ¿Hablas español, señor?
For more info and intel on SHTF sailing and boating, see Mssrs. Matt Bracken and Dmitri Orlov.
Until then, have a safe trip and watch your six at all times and we’ll be thinkin’ of ya on the board here in general and up here in beeyooteeful Retroville, Vermont.
Enjoy the VI, Mr. Nick. All will be well.
Thanks all, time to go….
n
[snip] hard & fast, historical facts cannot be cited! [snip]
We had a case here last week. Assuming the news reports to be correct, a crime was indeed committed, as two people were shot & wounded. The police stopped a car just down the road and arrested everyone in the car. One of the arrestees was charged with resisting arrest, and nothing else. The police are only your friends when they want to be.