Nollej

6 Trees Every Survivalist Should Know & Why Now is a good time to go out and flag the following six trees before the leaves drop (except the pine).  Revisit them in the winter and learn how to ID them by the bark alone.  Then again in the Spring with the buds and new leaves. Another Important Tree [.....] White oaks have rounded leaf lobes instead of pointed ones like red oaks. Contrary to popular belief, acorns are edible. I like white oak acorns better because it seems they are less bitter and it takes less effort to leach out the tannic acid (which causes this bitterness) to become more palatable. An abundance of acorns in mid-summer makes the oak family almost impossible to misidentify. Oaks are some of the largest trees in the forest. I have many white oaks at Willow Haven that are over 100 feet tall and easily 3-4 feet in diameter. White oak survival uses: Acorns (after leaching out the tannic acid) can be ground and used as flour to make acorn bread Tannic acid (which can be extracted by boiling or leaching acorns and/or inner oak bark and twigs) is anti-bacterial. I’ve used it as an antiseptic wash before and have heard of it being used to quell diarrhea. Acorns can be used a trap bait for squirrel and other small game animals Can tan leather using the tannic acid found in bark, acorns and wood Oak is a very hard wood that is good for ax handles, digging sticks and shelter frameworks When dried, the white oak flowers make suitable tinder bundles and can be found in great abundance certain times of the year [etc] This is one of those things that appeal to the Boy Scout in me.  Sadly, there is just so much room left in my attic,  and so much wanting to be kept.  Still, the salesman in me insists that I passthis along.  You're welcome.

30-30

Just because stuff

30 things 23. Running a spoon under hot water, then placing it on a mosquito bite, will instantly stop the itching. I feel sad for all of the summers I didn't know this. With that preamble out of the way, here are 30 Life Lessons that this freshly-minted 30-year-old, Daughter Jarlsberg, who celebrated her 30th birthday yesterday, has picked up along her journey so far. Let us all learn from her wisdom... 1. Nothing good ever comes from clowns. 2. Never try to blackmail a murderer. 3. Have a flashlight in every room - you never know where you're going to be when the lights go out. 4. You can microwave regular oatmeal just like instant oatmeal. 5. Someone doesn't have to be a bad person to still be bad news. 6. Understand statistics - otherwise people will lie to you with facts. 7. Understand personal finance. 8. If you're going to speed when driving, make sure someone else is going faster than you. That's who the police will pull over. 9. Driving and competitiveness should have nothing to do with each other. Let the angry speed demons pass you.  My personal zen-like phrase is "be the rock in the river." 10. Life is too short for cheap, crappy toilet paper. 11. One's living space should be both tidy and expressive of your life and personality. This ensures that, when you are murdered, the forensics team and investigators will be able to get a clear picture of your circumstances and thus more likely to catch the killer. 12. Large groups of women can quickly turn into war zones about nothing. 13. There are more sociopaths in the world than you would think. 14. All Christmas lights are beautiful. 15. Prolonged self-pity is a form of narcissism. 16. There is a very tight correlation between parents who refuse to discipline their precious babies and parents that get easily, easily offended. 17. You can generally identify these parents before even meeting them by hearing the 'creative' names of their children. I'm looking at you, Camelot. 18. Even when they make you crazy, having a dog keeps you sane. 19. Stick up for people being bullied. You'll probably end up being bullied too, but no one should have to feel isolated and alone. 20. Very few people tolerate someone making a constant stream of puns. Keep them close and cherish them. 21. Ramen stops being cheap when you have to buy heartburn medicine to go with it. 22. Beware the quiet ones - they are the ones who, when pushed too hard, will lose their minds with rage. As the quiet one, I admit to relishing the look of absolute, pants-staining terror on the faces of those who didn't see it coming. I'm looking at you, jocks who threw french fries at me. ONCE. 23. Running a spoon under hot water, then placing it on a mosquito bite, will instantly stop the itching. I feel sad for all of the summers I didn't know this. 24. Compatibility with your co-workers makes up to 99% of your job satisfaction. 25. Wear comfortable, practical shoes. You never know when the zombie apocalypse will start, and trying to run in strappy stiletto heels is a recipe for disaster. 26. Don't try to hide mistakes. It just makes things harder for everyone. 27. It's nice to have your own theme song. Mine is Academic Festival Overture by Brahms. 28. Never underestimate Japan's power to screw with your mind. 29. Life doesn't owe you a thing. 30. Sometimes, when you get stuck in a routine, it feels like your life is being lived for you. Those are the times to do something a little different - it reminds you that your life is yours.  So yeah, I am going to get that third ear piercing! Sorry Mom and Dad! skoonj

Hanky Panky?

I'm not a detective, but ... Hey There!

Too many people

There's too many people But that in no way excuses ISIS, or OBAMA

Obama's Pooch

Boehner’s Obamacare-related investments trace back to 2009, when the Obama administration was pushing the Affordable Health Care Act through Congress. Hey There!