Louisiana Preppers Network

Sometimes it seems overwellming

2012-03-17T08:22:00.002-06:00

The title says it all,So much to do and so little time. And to make it worse when you have to commute 100 miles round trip 6 days a week it doesn't leave much time for anything else. When you want to be prepared it definitely takes EFFORT. With the wife working now It's pretty much all on me.I sure got used to her taking care of the garden and feeding the animals.But like anything else you have to put in the effort to get it done or you have no one else to blame when the shtf and you don't have it together.I just caught a sale on chicken leg quarters foe 50 cents a pound so I bought 40 pounds.But now the fun begins,I had to break it down,vacuum seal in 8 piece packs and get them stored in the freezer. I keep a supply of frozen food for the hurricane season. The food stash is coming along well.I have about 50lbs of deer meat and about 30 lbs of deer sausage,a couple of pork roast,1\2 dozen rib eyes. 1\2 dozen rabbits, and a little fish in there as well.Speaking of rabbits I'm expecting 2 does to have a litter that's due in a week(more work). Also need to go to my buddies pond and catch a bucket of white perch as well.I won't eat any thing from salt water since the BP fiasco. Also I have trees that must be trimmed soon so i don't have shingle damage from wind.Also this debris must be placed in the burn pile and burned.My solar setup for the freezer is doing well I just need to get the extra set of panels out of the box and mounted and tied in so I have plenty of juice to keep that freezer running during the summer. The transmission went out on the truck last week and I think I'm gonna let my buddy with the pond have it for spare parts, he offered me $500 for it and I can put that money into my Bike.The way gas is going I will probably need to ride it some this summer.Also I need to come up with a new chicken coup this year(quick) as my present one is getting rotten and will not stand up to a storm.I also will be looking for about 25 chicks soon as the dog's got a hold of my 2 best layers. and the one I have left can not put out enough for the 2 of us to eat eggs everyday.Also the tomato plants I potted last week will need to go in the ground soon as well as a few more veggies i have in mind.Like I said EFFORT. well that's all i have time to write about now I have to get to work,Prep on......

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We have moved to Wordpress

2012-02-26T11:01:00.002-06:00

Please update your links and bookmarks. Our new site is located at www.Louisiana.PreppersNetwork.com

Time to prep for spring

2012-02-08T10:48:00.002-06:00

With the mild winter we are experiencing now is a great time to get ready for spring.Pleasant weather to get the soil ready in the garden,equipment maintenance,& odd jobs around the house.I don't waste my time watching tv or parting,I know when hurricane season comes I will be ready, not running around like a chicken with my head cut off.Supplies are available now,Plants are becoming available so it's time to get it done.Now is not the time to be lazy,get your work done now, besides we know something will come up that we didn't count on and if your work is done you can get it taken care of promptly without putting off necessary task.get prepping while the time is right or get left behind...........

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Uncomfortable or Complacent?

2012-01-31T22:02:00.002-06:00

By CCCooper

By now, most of you have come to know that 99.99% of my posts are about prepping, getting mentally and physically ready to deal with as many different situations or scenarios that may happen.

I've posted about the why's and why nots. I've shared lists, other websites, articles on finance, the federal government, economics, delivery systems, natural disasters, etc... The list is long and varied.

I have come to a few conclusions that I would like to share.

1. Most people are clueless. The very large majority out there are consumed with their day to day routine (rut) and 2 weeks vacation a year. Haven't been taught to expect anything else. 40-50 hrs a week.Livin' check to check. Yet, cable TV, 2 cars, credit card debt, big screen TV, latest smart phone, and 2 days worth of food in their house. Sound familliar?

2. Some people are "almost" prepared. Through blind luck, good parents, or geographical location, these people have some sense and deep down are troubled in ways that they can't explain.

3. A smaller number of people are awake and aware yet are still struggling with a full commitment to preparing for the future. They are hesitant and seem to be taking a long time to get fully on board. They have moments of clarity and realize that they are behind the power curve and start to take steps to correct their situation. They are well read and understand clearly the need and necessity, just can't seem to make that final leap.

4. There is another group out there that seem to make it their mission in life to refute the obvious. "Its Bushes Fault" "The Republicans are the problem" "They (the government) won't allow a collapse to happen" "We are just in a slump; Its getting better" "I'm doing OK so everything else is OK, too" "If the Rich would just pay their fair share" "Obama just needs 4 more years". Yes, to me it is delusion of the highest order, but they are out there.

5. Another group is the one that is similar to the OWS protesters, but less motivation. College students across the nation are mostly unemployed and extremely clueless. And, they have quasi-socialist ideas and ideals.Self-explanatory.

6. Then, there is the group out there that seems to be in the minority. Those that know the Constitution, have READ the Constitution. People that truly understand the meaning of Freedom and Liberty. Folks that are self-reliant,understand personal responsibility, and realize that change of the worst kind is headed our way. "What you know, you can't explain. But you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong. You don't know what it is, but it's there. Like a splinter in your mind -- driving you mad." These people never hesitated to take the Red Pill

Can Openers – Conventional Wisdom Is Wrong

2012-01-29T22:17:00.000-06:00

By daaswampman

Can Openers – Conventional Wisdom Is Wrong

How many times have I read on Prepper sites about how important it is to have an all metal can opener. They generally go on about how durable they are and how they will last forever. I have seen this miracle advertised in many Prepper catalogs for around ten dollars. All are about the same, all metal, swing arm and opens the top of the can. This conventional and accepted wisdom is wrong.

A conventional can opener opens by cutting the metal lid through the top. Yes we should always wash the can before opening and the can opener between uses, but could you in an emergency? The top is generally the dirtiest part of the can as it easily collects dust and anything else that may have been on it. The blade usually contacts the cans contents as the can is being opened and the sharp edged lid falls in. The can opener itself is not easily cleaned between uses due to the blade and gears. Ever consider what might be getting into your food such as metal shavings or coatings that have been applied to the inside or outside of the can?

In the 1980’s they came out with a side can opener or sometimes called a smooth edge can opener the eliminates all of these problems. It cuts from the side of the can (usually cleaner). The blade does not contact the food and the lid cannot fall into the can. Costs less than ten dollars at Wally World.

I have not seen an all metal one, but my first one is perhaps 25 years old and still works perfectly – black plastic and all. It may not survive a direct blast, 20 years in direct sunlight or dampness, but neither will any cans. It is always a good idea to have several backups. I have two side openers and an old top opener in each location.

This is a case where they built a better mousetrap and nobody noticed. DaaSwampman

Awakening to Awareness

2012-01-22T21:09:00.000-06:00

By CCCooper

It has been said that the first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have one. OK.
Problem. My house may burn down. I research and compare prices and service. I buy Homeowners insurance in case my house burns. One step better. I also have smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. I also have a plan to get everyone out of the house and a specific rally point where we will all meet to get a head count. Problem. Addressed. Plan implemented and known by all. Worked out great. Most folks would whole heartedly agree with the above statements, right? Now I present another problem. I may have a need one day to protect my family. Possibly an intruder, a wild animal, a looter, a riot, a carjacker, etc. You get the point. Some person or thing that will willingly harm my family or loved ones. Solution? Mine is a gun. I practice to become proficient. I inform my family. I practice some more. And remember, when seconds count, a policeman will be there to protect and serve in a few minutes. I also improved on this plan. So, I am ready to protect my family in time of need.

The same analogy works with Health Insurance, Car Insurance, etc.

Problem. Our delivery systems are fragile. Food prices keep rising. The dollar is no longer worth a dollar. The Federal Government routinely ignores the Constitution. Entitlement programs are out of control. More than 50% of Americans are on some form of Government Assistance. The national debt is over 15 TRILLION DOLLARS. The chance of an economic collapse or other disaster is very high. Solution? Research is needed. A plan to address potential or likely scenarios. The basics must be covered. Beans, Bullets, Bandaids. How will I feed my family if there is no access to a grocery store? Where will I get water if it no longer comes from the tap? How will I see in the dark if the electricity is out for a long period of time?

The research will lead you to websites and books on many different subjects. With the proper mindset, you will learn to look at your life, and responsibilities, in a much different light.
Problem addressed. The solution will be on-going. The size and scope of your preperations will grow over time. Ask questions, but to the right people. Utilize the American Prepper Network and its forums on many topics and subject matter. Congratulations. The journey as an awake and aware prepper is just begining.

Something to think about.

2012-01-17T15:51:00.000-06:00

By CCCooper

With most stores getting their deliveries on a daily basis, our supply lines are very vulnerable to interruption. As a resident of the Gulf Coast, I experienced first hand what it is like when the majority fail to plan for such an event. No water, no food, no fuel, no means of communication and no plan. Many stores were cash only; credit cards were worthless. Traffic backed up for miles because very few had alternate routes planned. With the condition of our economy, government bureaucracy, and jobs being scarce, a small event could snowball into something that has nationwide affect.

Most modern-day urban/suburban preppers/survivalist have a G.O.O.D plan (get out of dodge) and a pre-packed bug out bag. Primary and secondary routes mapped and sufficient beans, bullets, and band aids to last a significant time. The large majority,however, will be like sheep with no shepherd, wandering aimlessly waiting for Big Brother to bail them out...again. And when Big Brother fails...again...to show up in a timely manner, those that do have the necessities of life will stand out. Take that into consideration when planning for those types of scenarios.

DON'T STAND OUT! Practice operational security. Stay under the radar. Do not try to be the saviour of the block or your neighborhood. Stay focused, work the plan, and survive to care for your family and those dependent on you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-25T13:02:00.002-06:00

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Our senators sold us out......Again

2011-12-01T19:06:00.003-06:00

Thanks to Senators Vitter & Landrieu for helping to pass the law that will enable the government to lock us up and throw away the key....with out even being tried in court.Well I know you 2 are deeply entrenched in our politics but I would vote for Elmer Fudd before I voted for either of you scoundrels again. I'm done with this state I'm outta here first chance I get.Hopefully I can find a piece of the woods you wont be interested in..In another state...Build me a shack...and live out my last days without having to hear your name or see your faces ever again.

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prepper mindset

2011-11-06T17:28:00.002-06:00

Some interesting and true clips for the oath keepers blog:
The cold hard truth is, much of our country is completely unprepared for a crisis of any considerable proportion.The likelihood of social unrest and the long term implosion of our financial system is greater today than it has been in any other era of American history.
The eventuality of collapse is not the issue. Though America today has zero room to maneuver as far as inflationary printing and debt based spending are concerned, and economic instability is inevitable according to the fundamentals regardless of any practical or impractical political measures that could be introduced, the crisis is not our focus. Our focus is, and always has been, independence and self reliance regardless of the circumstances. Through national prosperity, or national pain, the key to survival is to never make assumptions. To never count on your environment to remain hospitable. To keep catastrophe in mind, even if others around you do not.
One vital aspect of survival that often goes unaccounted for by even the most astute preppers, however, is the issue of community. When the last vestiges of normal society crumble, will you be surrounded by friends, or foes?When the going gets brutal, who will have the guts to stand firm, who will run, and who will stab us right in the back if they get the chance?
The smart prepper understands well that going it alone is not an option, at least not for the long term. Thus, we are required to build relationships with those who live near us. If we cannot find enough like-minded souls in our immediate vicinity, then we must relocate to a place where this process is more viable (at least, if we want to survive). Staying put, wrapped in a web of tract homes or city dwellings filled with dangerously unaware and unprepared people is not an intelligent post collapse strategy. Retreat planning without proper group support and indigenous support is not only a logistical nightmare but a surefire avenue to discomfort of the terminal variety.

Think carefully about the kinds of people you want to have around you in the wake of disaster, and the community you plan to participate in after the smoke has cleared. The decisions you make now may be the kind you are stuck with for quite some time through events that will test your endurance and your very spirit. The more friendships we forge today with those who are prepared not just in supply, but in mind, the safer we will all be tomorrow. The company we keep in the days ahead is not a factor to be taken lightly

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Interesting thoughts on this generation

2011-10-28T16:51:00.002-06:00

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Working on meat stash for the coming rough times

2011-10-01T08:22:00.003-06:00

As part of my self sufficiency plan now that the weather is cooling off a bit it is time to get some rabbits breeding and get some meat in the freezer.I just harvested my first litter of 4 month old bunnies and it was a nice addition to my freezer stash.I will breed 2 does for now and once those litters are about a month old I'll breed 2 more and that should get me way ahead of the game for getting stocked up for next hurricane season. I still have about a dozen left from last year after a couple of grilling sessions and treating some friends who are fond of my furry lil friends.
The cooler weather will also break loose the fishing in my friends 2 ponds so I will try and load up on those Tomorrow and the next couple of weekends.Last I checked fish was going for 5 or 6 bucks a pound so this will be a great help on the pocketbook.I love Perch and I know these aren't contaminated like the fish in the gulf or the pearl river that is recovering from a chemical spill a month or so ago.That's if they even have any fish left after the fish kill.
I noticed that Boston Butt pork roast is on sale at Rouse's for a buck a pound so I will stop and buy 20 or 30 lbs on the way home.
Well that's it for now .Don't be left out Get a Plan And get to it..............

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My thoughts on the recent California blackout

2011-09-11T01:27:00.005-06:00

It seems like a lot of people got caught by surprise by the recent power outage in California. Millions of people all of a sudden had a big WTF moment with no warning. A little prep would have went a LONG way. I am listing my thoughts on how my preps would have done in this scenario.

1) Cash –no ATM / no bank-if you don’t have cash you can’t play the game. I know times are tight and I’m as broke as anybody but I have $100 stashed for essentials that doesn’t get touched for anything but a shtf event.

2) Gas-I have at least ½ tank of gas in my car at all times to make sure I can get home from where ever I may be in the course of my day. I also have 15 gallons of treated gas stashed for the generator at all times. More if it’s Hurricane season.

3) Freezers- I have 2 small chest freezers- 1 inside the house -1 in the shed. If I don’t have them full of food then they are full of 2 liter pop bottles full of water. These machines are very efficient. If they are full they hardly run at all. You also have the benefit of ready-made ice and when defrosted fresh drinking water. so you are killing a lot of birds with one stone.

4) Cooking- The pit is on the porch with a stashed propane tank in the shed in addition to the 2 tanks that I rotate out for normal use so no problems there.

5) Emergency power & lighting-It is here that forethought really pays off. I have a Portable battery backup with 1500-watt inverter to run my back up lighting in the house as well as a small am/fm radio. . My lighting set up consist of 3 lamps with 15 watt compact florescent bulbs. I also have a small 7 inch digital TV. So altogether I have a 60 watt draw with all the light and communications I need. If the outage is extended I can run the freezer off and on a couple of times a day to keep everything frozen. In addition in the shed I have a separate 750 watt system that will keep that freezer operating. And of course a small solar panel array to keep things charged up if the outage is extended. The generator will be run only when necessary for security reasons.

6) Food –The usual 90 day prepper supply of canned goods& & essentials I keep for tough times.

7)Security- 45 on my hip with the shotgun handy in case anybody gets stupid.Pit bull and Shepard in the yard on patrol

So as you can see if you are prepared things like this blackout are hardly even a inconvenience if you are ready for them. I don’t feel like I’m ready for the end of the world yet but getting prepped doesn’t happen overnight. It took me awhile to accumulate these supplies & equipment on a shoestring budget but I am constantly thinking about what I need and try and squeeze in something every payday that will advance my preps.
Bottom line is get a plan together & get working on it so these things are minor
and a non event for you.Scrambling around with the rest of the sheeple in a event just makes a big deal out of a small inconvenience and puts you at risk fighting with the mass of people over dwindling supplies. prep on...........

It's good to be prepared

2011-09-05T14:13:00.002-06:00

I can't put into words how good it felt to be ready for this storm.No worrying about running out at the last minute to get supplies.I'm ready at a moments notice for any storm that comes my way.By God's grace I escaped any variables that were beyond my control.But My wife and I did our part any were completely independent from needing the Government to come to our rescue.I hope all who read this made out the same.
Prep on for the next event.......................

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Here comes Lee

2011-09-02T15:59:00.003-06:00

Now is when it pays off to be a prepper.If you need supplies you will have to goand fight with the Hoards for supplies and wish for the best.Lucky for us that this is gonna be a low intensity storm so any disruptions should be minimal.It will be a rain event and widespread flooding is expected.So if your house is up off the ground you should be OK to stay at home.That doesn't mean it won't be inconvenient. There will probably be power loss due to downed trees and such but after what we went through post Katrina you should know to depend on yourself.If not well some people never learn and you will have to wait until repairs can be made or maybe Uncle Sugar will come by and give you a hand.I don't want to be waiting on anyone. I have everything that I need on hand-and it is no accident.Been here done that.Wise up or do without.
prep on......................

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Were still lucky with storms so far

2011-08-26T16:13:00.003-06:00

Well with the high pressure system that's been parked over us all summer the benefit is that it won't let any Hurricanes come our way.but I'm betting that won't last forever so go over your prep list and be ready so you don't have to fight with the sheep over supplies.

After further consideration I decided to hook up both batteries to the shed's solar set up.That way both are charged for free & ready to go at all times.If I need it for the portable power cart it is easy enough to take down & install .I'm not going to install the other solar panels until after hurricane season so it will be less to take down & store .It probably seems like a pain but the damage sustained during a storm from tree branches is substantial .Believe me I've been through it and I'm gonna need them more after the storm has passed than now.Get your act together because Mother nature could swing by any time prep on..............

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Can you survive if you're YOYO? | phones, yoyo, power - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

2011-08-24T19:40:00.000-06:00

Can you survive if you're YOYO? | phones, yoyo, power - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

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Hurricane preps before the storm

2011-08-22T22:26:00.003-06:00

James Rawles had a good article on a Hurricane checklist that I think is worth viewing.Check it out at-http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/08/letter_re_hurricane_preparedne_1.html

Prep on...................................

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Anonymous Call t Leads to Raid on Colorado Woman’s Rabbit Farm

2011-08-17T09:51:00.003-06:00

Debe Bell will probably never forget Thursday, July 21. It was the day she found herself surrounded by people from her local law enforcement agency, and they weren’t there to help.An anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline tip led animal control officers from the Jefferson County (Colo.) Sheriff’s Office to descend upon Bell’s one-acre farm at about 10:30 that morning and, before the day was over, remove nearly 200 rabbits from the property. The 59 year old was being accused of 24 misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals, including charges that she somehow mistreated two meat rabbits already inside her freezer.
When Bell, 59, woke to begin that day almost three weeks ago, she had no idea government agents would soon swoop down on her tiny farm and effectively put an end to the pursuit of happiness in which she had been engaged for more than 25 years.

An instructor and lab coordinator at Metropolitan State College in Denver, Bell was in Boulder doing research when she was interrupted around 1 p.m.

“My neighbor called and said, ‘They’re seizing your animals! You need to get home!’” Bell recalled.Upon arriving home at about 1:40 p.m., she found the animal control officers being unreasonable and milling about on her property — without a search warrant. The “salt in the wound” that the situation had become was the fact that the sheriff’s office officials were accompanied by volunteers from the local branch of the House Rabbit Society — a nationwide group comprised of people who, according to Bell, think rabbits need to be raised like small children.

Much “discussion” took place during the day and, when the animal control officers told Bell she had “too many animals for your zoning,” she begged to differ.

“No, you need to check your zoning regulations,” she told them. “I moved in before you changed the zoning. I can have as many animals as I want. I have more than an acre. I’m zoned A-2.”

Apparently stumped by her knowledge of the local zoning, she said they told her they would set the zoning issue aside.

When she told them her business was a livestock operation, they told her they disagreed and began to push the proverbial envelope.

Bell said one officer told her, “We found a dead rabbit,” and acted as if that was the “nail in the coffin” for his case. She responded bluntly, saying, “Rabbits die” — a fact she learned while growing up in Central Texas, where everybody is aware of that fact.That prompted the officer in charge to tell Bell her rabbits were going to be seized, spayed or neutered, and then put up for adoption.

“What for?” Bell asked.

Instead of answering her directly, the officer responded to her question with one of his own.

“When was the last time you were in the barn?”

“This morning at 5 o’clock when I watered them,” Bell answered.

“Well, they have no water,” the officer countered.

“They’re fine,” Bell replied. “They have a swamp cooler and three fans.”
At that point, Bell said, the officers had been in her barn for more than three hours, had opened up the doors, messed with the barn’s water system and had, effectively, turned off the water to the swamp cooler.

When their often-heated conversation turned to the temperature inside the barn, Bell said she told the officer that her barn’s cooling system could not keep up if it had to air condition the back yard where the outdoor temperature was 94 degrees. That prompted more than one officer to literally scream at her, saying, “It’s 84 degrees in there!”

“Yeah,” Bell replied, stunned that the officers were apparently concerned about rabbits suffering in 84-degree heat.

When the officer asked if she had any idea how many animals she had, she answered, “One-hundred sixty-three and probably 19 or 20 babies.”

Bell said she went a step further by telling the officer she could tell him the location of every animal in that barn. In addition, she told him the cages were tagged, numbered and sexed — with either pink tape or blue tape on them — and that she knew each rabbit in that barn by name.

Though officers couldn’t have overlooked the fact that the rabbit enclosures were clean and the barn was equipped with cooling, fly-control and watering systems, Bell said they seemed intent on making sure she didn’t do anything crazy to get in their way.

Bell said she wasn’t allowed to move, was threatened with being arrested at least four times, could not go inside her barn and, if she wanted to go anywhere else, had to ask officers for permission.

When Bell told one of the four sheriff’s deputies on scene that she wasn’t comfortable with House Rabbit Society members being on her property, she said the deputy looked her in the eye and said, “It is what it is.”

Hoping to document her experience, Bell said she took three photos — two of which appear above — of the area around her barn. Soon after, she was told by a sheriff’s deputy, under threat of arrest, that she had better stop.

“They told me four, five or six times (that) they were taking the animals no matter what,” Bell said, noting that she pointed out to them several times that there was nothing wrong with the animals or the conditions in which they were living.

When an officer told Bell the rabbits were living in “deplorable conditions,” she told him he was wrong.

“They are not living in deplorable conditions,” she said. “Their cages are clean. The trays are underneath them. We’re cleaning this weekend.”

Bell went on to explain to the officer that kids from the local 4-H organization who are involved in raising rabbits come out every weekend to help clean cages and do other things related to the care of the rabbits.
$24,000 Per Month

Several times during the day, animal control officers approached Bell and asked her to sign the rabbits over to them. When she asked what it was going to cost her if she didn’t, their reply stunned her.

“They said, ‘Five dollars a day per rabbit,’” Bell recalled, “and I said, ‘That’s $815 per day. Take ‘em! I can’t afford that.”

As a result of recently putting two boys through Colorado State University, Bell said, she told the officers she has a “mountain of debt” already and could not afford more than $24,000 per month — for a minimum of one month. The entire herd of rabbits was worth only $17,000.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., Bell said, a sheriff’s deputy arrived with the long-awaited search warrant and, within a half hour, the assembled animal control officers and volunteers began hauling out the rabbits in an effort that lasted about four hours.

The ‘Official’ Story

When I contacted sheriff’s office spokesperson Mark Techmeyer by phone early Tuesday afternoon, he explained how an anonymous tip led to his agency obtaining a search warrant.

“They reacted on a Crime Stoppers tip and went out there, and they saw what they believed to be some issues,” Techmeyer said. “Then they were able to take that information back to the judge and get a warrant issued.”

Thanks to a new Crime Stoppers program launched in June 2011, he said, individuals can call a statewide animal abuse hotline and, while remaining anonymous, can report cases of suspected animal abuse.
Rabbit Experts?

While I had him on the phone, I asked Techmeyer if any of the employees at the sheriff’s animal control division were rabbit experts, Techmeyer never answered the question. Instead, he quibbled, saying, “That depends upon how you define ‘experts,’” and then changed the subject.

None of the animal control employees — or the volunteers accompanying them — knew much about rabbits, according to Bell. In fact, she said the rabbits were severely mishandled during their removal.

For instance, 10-day-old babies “still in a nest box with their mommy” were wrapped in a towel and placed inside a cat crate and stood their mother on top of them.

“I looked at ‘em and I said, ‘You just issued a death sentence for those babies,’” Bell said, explaining that the mother would stomp the babies.

In response, the sheriff’s office employee said, “That’s their mom. Why would she do that?”

“Because they’re rabbits,” Bell replied.

“They loaded them in cardboard boxes, put them in a horse trailer and hauled them off to the fairgrounds,” Bell said, “where they housed them in a concrete, non-air conditioned horse stall barn.”

In addition to being placed in a hot environment, Bell said, her rabbits were placed in dog and cat crates with solid-bottom floors, meaning, “The minute they urinate, they’re standing in their own urine.”
The Next Step

Asked what her next step might be, Bell said her attorney, Elizabeth Kearney of Burthoud, Colo., has written several letters on her behalf, trying to get a meeting with Scott Storey, the district attorney for Jefferson and Gilpin Counties, but “keeps hitting brick walls.”

“They don’t want to return her calls,” she said. “They don’t want to talk to her.”

In addition, Bell said, sheriff’s office officials will not provide any information to Bell about the condition of her rabbits and will not allow her veterinarian of nearly 25 years to examine them.

Why might that be? Bell thinks she knows the answer.

“I think, honestly, they dug themselves a deep hole,” she said, “and they don’t quite know how to crawl out of it.”

“They’ve destroyed me emotionally, socially and professionally,” Bell said, listing numerous ways in which local animal rights activists have publicized information about the case in an effort to make her and her four children — all adults who haven’t lived under her roof for several years — look bad. But that’s not all.

“They’ve made 4-H kids all across Colorado just sob,” she said, “because I am their 4-H connection.”

Bell noted that 12 of the seized rabbits belong to 4-H kids who were planning to show them at upcoming fairs — two at the Jefferson County Fair that begins Thursday and the remaining 10 at the Colorado State Fair which runs from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5 in Pueblo.
Rabbit raisers in Colorado are so scared they might suffer the same fate as Six Bells Farm, Bell said, that many are not going to show their animals at the Colorado State Fair. The shortage of participants at this year’s Small Animals Show is so severe that officials extended the deadline for entry and, in order to prevent animal rights activists from collecting the names of rabbit owners, officials are planning to not display the names of rabbit owners alongside their rabbits.

“I would hope the entire United States would get involved in this,” Bell said, “because this is a group of people that have gotten away with this crap once or twice and they’re just continuing.

“Because they’ve been given the power erroneously once, they’re taking it more and more,” she continued, “and they’re gonna chase farmers out.”
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Pollution update

2011-08-17T00:52:00.003-06:00

A local sportsman writer reported today that where the Pearl river drains in to the Rigolets pass was definitely a black discolored water with a stinky chemical smell.No notice of dead fish yet but it's early.I'm sure it will affect the crabs & fish.A real disaster for sure.No mention of anything being done for cleanup except that they have shut down the paper mill.So I guess for the cost of Big Business we will continue to destroy the environment .
and from the Times Picayune:

St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis has declared a state of emergency following a fish kill that has affected up to 50 miles of the Pearl River.

The declaration allows the parish to apply for state assistance, according to a news release issued late Tuesday.

“Acting upon direction of the LA Department of Health and Hospitals, it is ordered that no citizens should swim, wade, fish or come in contact with waterways in the Pearl River watershed, including its tributaries,” the news release said.

It also advised that no one eat, handle or collect fish or shellfish from those waters and that pets be kept from the water.

Though the state Department of Environmental Quality has not officially provided a cause of the fish kill, a Bogalusa paper mill owned by the Austin, Texas-based company Temple-Inland has admitted a wastewater discharge into the river shortly before the fish kill occurred.

"Last week, an unknown substance entered the Pearl River near the paper mill in Bogalusa in Washington Parish,” the parish news release said. “The river began turning black and fish began to die. The discharge area is not 40-50 miles long reaching from south of Bogalusa to the Rigolets Bridge. The black area is moving southward slowly. Fish and shellfish are being killed by the substance.”

Drinking water has not been affected by the wastewater discharge or the fish kill, parish officials said.

The parish also advised anyone who comes in contact with the water and experiences illness such as skin irritation or infections, upset stomach or sore throat or breathing difficulties should seek medical help right away.

I only believe half of what I see & nothing of what they say.Sorry I just don't trust em . Stay away and only eat fish from a pond is my advise.
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Pearl River is Toast

2011-08-16T03:49:00.004-06:00

So if it wasn't bad enough that the gulf is polluted now the Pearl River is Toast.
Something has caused thousands of fish and wildlife to die in Pearl River near Bogalusa.

The state Department of Environmental Quality is investigating the cause of these wildlife deaths, which one department scientist called "quite extensive."

"It's a pretty significant fish kill," said Jeff Dauzat, an environmental scientist with DEQ. "We're still investigating to determine the cause."

Dauzat said the number of deaths in one area is unusual for the river.

"For this location, it's uncommon, and it's quite extensive. We're talking thousands of fish," he said.

Dauzat said his department doesn't think whatever has caused these deaths poses a significant risk for humans, but advised people to stay away from the river until their department knows more.
WWL-TV reported that the fish kill may be the after-effects of a discharge from a paper plant in Bogalusa.

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What the Hell is gonna happen next?

Testing of seafood from the gulf

2011-08-16T03:27:00.002-06:00

I haven't been eating any seafood from the gulf since the spill but now I have come across this report from a independent source./leanweb.org/our-work/water/bp-oil-spill/seafood-safety/bp-oil-spill-seafood-sampling-project-results-overview

BP Oil Spill Seafood Sampling Project Results Overview

n response to the BP Oil Disaster, the Lower Mississippi River Keeper (LMRK), Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN), and Subra Company have performed monitoring, sampling and analysis of the environment and seafood in the coastal estuaries and wetlands of Louisiana. Monitoring of the environmental and human health impacts were initiated immediately following the Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting crude oil spill on April 20, 2010. Physical and chemical field sampling and analysis of the wetlands and ecosystems, along the coast of Louisiana, were initiated on August 2, 2010. The field sampling has been performed and continues to be performed on an ongoing basis since August 2, 2010, from Atchafalaya Bay eastward to the Louisiana/Mississippi state line.

Results of sampling performed by the Lower Mississippi River Keeper from Atchafalaya Bay eastward to the Louisiana/Mississippi state line, in the Gulf of Mexico coastal areas of Louisiana.
January 3rd 2011

by Wilma Subra
Subra Company

Paul Orr
Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper
ichael Orr
Louisiana Environmental Action Network

In response to the BP Oil Disaster, the Lower Mississippi River Keeper (LMRK), Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN), and Subra Company have performed monitoring, sampling and analysis of the environment and seafood in the coastal estuaries and wetlands of Louisiana. Monitoring of the environmental and human health impacts were initiated immediately following the Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting crude oil spill on April 20, 2010. Physical and chemical field sampling and analysis of the wetlands and ecosystems, along the coast of Louisiana, were initiated on August 2, 2010. The field sampling has been performed and continues to be performed on an ongoing basis since August 2, 2010, from Atchafalaya Bay eastward to the Louisiana/Mississippi state line.

Wetlands and Ecosystem Soil/Sediment

The wetlands and ecosystem soil/sediment from Atchafalaya Bay eastward to the Louisiana/Mississippi state line contained 6 to 89 individual Alkylated Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons (ORO) up to 11,600 mg/kg (1.16%) which corresponded to the fingerprint of the BP Louisiana Sweet Crude.

Sixty percent of the soil/sediment samples had up to 18 PAHs in excess of the Marine Sediment Screening Levels. Soil/Sediment samples to date from Atchafalaya Bay, Brenton Sound and Baptiste Collette Bayou exceeded the Marine Sediment Screening Levels for Alkylated PAHs. The soil/sediment from Baptiste Collette Bayou had the largest number of Alkylated PAHs (89) and also exceeded the Arsenic Marine Sediment Screening Levels. Red Fish Bay in the Mississippi River delta had the largest number of Alkylated PAHs in excess of the Marine Sediment Screening Levels (18) and the largest concentration of Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons (1.16%). All of the areas sampled had soil/sediments contaminated with Alkylated PAHs and Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons.

Tissue

Alkylated PAHs were and continue to be detected in aquatic seafood species from the wetlands and estuaries along the Louisiana coast from Atchafalaya Bay eastward to the Louisiana/Mississippi border.

Oyster

Oyster samples have contaminated with up to 8,815 to 12,500 mg/kg Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons. The oyster samples have also contained up the 4 Alkylated PAHs, Fluoranthene, Naphthalene, Phenanthrene, and Pyrene in concentrations of 1.4 to 63 ug/kg.

Blue Crab

Blue crab samples have contained up to 2,230 to 3,583 mg/kg Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons and up to 4 Alkylated PAHs, Fluoranthene, Naphthalene, Phenanthrene and Pyrene in concentrations from 84.6 to 162 ug/kg.

Shrimp

Shrimp samples have contained up to 8,356 mg/kg Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons and 5 Alkylated PAHs, Anthracene, Fluoranthene, Naphthalene, Phenanthrene and Pyrene up to 69.4 ug/kg.

Mussel

A mussel sample was contaminated with 6,900 mg/kg Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons and the Alkylated PAHs Anthracene, 2-Methylnaphthalene, Naphthalene, and Phenanthrene at a total concentration of 386 ug/kg.

Fish, Crab and Snail

Samples of fin fish, fiddler crab, hermit crab and snail contained up to 21,575 mg/kg Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons and the Alkylated PAH Phenanthrene.

Summary

Wetlands and ecosystem soil/sediment samples and aquatic tissue samples from all areas sampled contained Alkylated PAHs and Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons. A number of additional tissue samples are currently being analyzed and will be reported in the near future.

I won't even go in the water anymore

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BP protest in New Orleans

2011-08-16T03:20:00.001-06:00

This wasn't covered by any local media I wonder why?

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So now we are offically terriorist

2011-08-11T19:31:00.003-06:00

If you have any of the items below you might be a terrorist…. at least the FBI seems to think so…..

According to an article over at the Oathkeepers the FBI has been asking military surplus store owners to spy and collect information on people that would normally fall under the prepper category.

fbiThe FBI has been handing out literature, entitled “Communities Against Terrorism: Potential Indicators of Terrorist Activities Related to Military Surplus Stores” that instructs the store owners to:

Keep records on those buying suspicious items ( MRE’s Flashlights, Gas Masks and High capacity magazines) All of which last time I check are perfectly legal to buy
Require valid Identification from all new customers.
Ask questions and gather information from customers.
To consider the following people extremely suspicious… those that wish to remain anonymous or want privacy, those who are extremely religious or even those who pay with cash.

A similar flyer has been distributed to gun stores throughout the United States as the FBI is apparently looking to crack down on those dangerous preppers.

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They aren't laughing any more

2011-08-11T04:02:00.001-06:00

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