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Practice Time – Survivopedia

Survival, as we discuss it in the prepping and survival community, is a complex task, using many skills that the average person today couldn’t perform if their life depended on it. How many times have you seen a non-prepper try to start a fire, all to no avail? I had a neighbor once, who went through an entire container of charcoal lighter fluid and couldn’t understand why the fire wouldn’t stay lit. He literally had no idea that the flames were supposed to die down, leaving the coals glowing cherry red.

I’ve seen much scarier things in regards to drinking water; where people thought that as long as the water was clear, it was safe to drink. That’s what I learned in Cub Scouts, several decades ago. I sure hope they’ve changed their training since then. It might have been one thing for Napoleon to think that, back in the early 1800s; but back then, they had no idea of microbiology.

As we all know, the life we live today is far removed from the basic necessities of survival. That’s why it’s not only important that we learn survival skills, but practice them to the point where they become second nature. When the time comes that we need to use those skills, we won’t have time to look up how to do it and there probably won’t be internet access, to look them up with.

But just how do we fit practice into our busy lives? Between work, running our kids to their activities and all the other responsibilities of life, it seems like trying to fit survival training into the schedule is a nice wish… but that’s about as far as it gets for many of us.

Trust me, I understand the challenge; I face it too. That’s why I have to make a point of fitting survival training into my own schedule. The more I do, the more I find it easier to do. Not only that, I find that I have an improved quality of life.

Weekend Camping is Great

One of the best tools you can find for practicing basic survival skills is going camping. Of course, a lot depends on just what sort of camping you do. “Glamping” isn’t going to teach you much or give you many chances to practice your skills; neither is camping in a recreational vehicle. I know, I lived in a motorhome for nine years and there wasn’t much camping involved. Rather, you need to go tent camping.

The other extreme isn’t going to be very useful either. If you schedule a weekend camping trip where everyone in the family has to build their own shelter and catch their own food, you’re likely to have a resentful bunch of campers. You’ll be a whole lot better off taking a number of trips, where you’re concentrating on one or two skills during each trip. Make the rest of the time enjoyable, so that your family will want to continue going with…

EPIC, Coalition Call for Hearings on FISA Section 702, Broader Surveillance Reform

EPIC has joined a coalition of civil society organizations in writing a letter to the chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, as well as the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, urging them to hold hearings on the need to reform FISA Section 702 and other government surveillance authorities. The coalition noted revelations in congressional hearings last week that Rep. Darin LaHood believed he was the congressperson whose information was unlawfully queried by the FBI in Section 702 databases, as well as FBI Director Wray’s admission that the FBI had purchased commercially available mobile phone geolocation data. In the letter, the coalition urged Congress to act boldly to reform Section 702 and related surveillance authorities to protect Americans’ privacy.

EPIC recently published several posts—including one on backdoor searches—as part of a new blog series focused on explaining Section 702 and the need to reform it. EPIC has also urged the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to recommend prohibiting warrantless backdoor searches and has joined a coalition of civil liberties groups proposing broader reform to Section 702.

Can You Eat Mice in an Emergency?

Are you hungry for mice? Probably not.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t eat them in an emergency. Not only are mice edible, but they’re also packed with protein and micronutrients.

Munching on mice might freak you out, but there’s no need to panic. If you’re willing to open your mind and whip out your chef skills, these little rodents can be downright delicious.

Is Mouse Meat Safe to Eat?

Many people are prejudiced when it comes to eating rodents. It’s true that mice cancarry dangerous illnesses like hantavirus and toxoplasmosis. However, this doesn’t automatically rule them out as a food source. As long as you’re careful, you should be able to eat mice without issue.

Check out Michelin-star Chef Heston Blumenthal’s thoughts on mice as culturally taboo and learn what happens when people overcome their fear of trying new things.

Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it. People around the globe regularly eat mice, and many experts agree that rodent farming could be a sustainable solution to world hunger issues.

Eating mice that are raiding your garden can eliminate the pest problem and save your crops. And since mice populate so quickly, it isn’t really that far-fetched to consider raising them for food.

However, you probably don’t want to dive into a full-scale mouse farm yet. If you’re simply seeking some emergency sustenance on the fly, the first step is choosing edible mice from the local populace.

Choosing Edible Mice

The concept of eating mice is foreign to us, so it’s scary. But just because your local grocery store doesn’t sell them doesn’t mean you can’t eat them. In many regions, mice are sold in the supermarket. However, these aren’t the same mice you’d find festering in a New York City dumpster.

So, what’s the difference? The rodents’ diet.

You are what you eat. Mice that live in cities hang around trash cans for free food. They may nest in sewers to stay warm and protected. As they live in filth and eat garbage, they pick up diseases. Essentially, they become garbage themselves—you don’t want to eat that.

Furthermore, city mice live in large colonies. If their population gets too large or they experience a food shortage, mice will resort to cannibalism and eat each other’s corpses. Cannibalism-related illnesses are known as prion diseases and can be spread from animals to humans, so eating city mice is a big no-no.

Field and farm mice are a much safer bet. They usually eat a healthy diet of grain, seeds, fruit, and berries. They don’t nest in sewers, so there’s less risk of waste-borne pathogens.

Country mice also have more space and safety to grow their colonies. Predators cull their population naturally, keeping the colony small and sustainable. Because of this, they are less likely to…

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The Best of 2015: What America Ate, Drank, & Saw | Homesteading Simple Self Sufficient Off-The-Grid

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Celebrating Sunshine Week with Some EPIC Open Government Wins

On Freedom of Information Day, which coincides with the birthday of James Madison, principal drafter of the U.S. Constitution and a key advocate for open government, EPIC is highlighting some open government wins from the past year. EPIC publishes a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gallery featuring our open government successes each year during Sunshine Week, a week promoting open government and transparency.

The Importance of FOIA & Why Sunshine the Best Disinfectant

The Freedom of Information Act and other state sunshine laws establish a legal right for individuals to obtain records in the possession of government agencies. Open records laws are critical for the functioning of democratic government because they help ensure that the public is fully informed about matters of public concern. Open government laws have often helped uncover fraud, waste, and abuse in federal, state, and local government.

A hallmark of many of the surveillance programs and tools adopted by government agencies is a disregard for public accountability. As the government seeks to expand its power to collect and exploit information about individuals, it increasingly hides that power behind a wall of secrecy. Congress has long recognized this tendency in the Executive Branch and sought to limit government secrecy by creating legal obligations of openness under the FOIA and the Privacy Act of 1974. EPIC has used these open government laws—along with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the E-Government Act of 2002, and state open government laws—to enable public oversight of key government activities.

EPIC’s Recent Open Government Highlights

EPIC’s open government work over the past year has resulted in disclosure of critical information about the activities of state and federal agencies. Through amicus briefs, public comments, and FOIA requests, we have been shaping public policy and court precedent that enables greater transparency and government oversight.

EPIC Urged Administrative Conference to Recommend Sweeping Open Government Reforms

In July 2022, EPIC submitted comments to the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) urging the agency to endorse numerous fixes to the Freedom of Information Act, E-Government Act of 2002, and Federal Advisory Committee Act that would require federal agencies to disclose more records and make those records easier to access. ACUS is an independent federal agency focused on improving federal agency processes and procedures.

EPIC specifically pushed ACUS to adopt a broad interpretation of what it means to be “agency legal materials” that is consistent with the purpose of federal open records laws. In its comments, EPIC highlighted three main challenges in accessing agency legal materials: (1) agencies’ failure to produce documents in a timely manner; (2) agencies’ lack of resources to process FOIA requests; and (3) agencies’ overuse of FOIA exemptions and failure to properly scope searches. EPIC also identified key types of documents that agencies should release for public knowledge on a regular basis, including OLC legal opinions, privacy threshold analyses, standard operating procedure documents, and memoranda of agreement or understanding. EPIC also recommended several amendments to relevant open government…

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17 New Year Smoothie Recipes For A Healthy Start

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What the FCC’s Safe Connections Rule Must Get Right to Support Survivors of Domestic Violence

On February 16th, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency responsible for regulating phone companies, voted to begin its rulemaking to support survivors of domestic abuse and other related crimes, as required by the Safe Connections Act, with the corresponding Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register on March 13, 2023. EPIC and the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) worked with a coalition of research, direct service, and advocacy organizations to provide comments to inform this rulemaking process.

Domestic violence and sexual assault are pervasive, life-threatening crimes affecting millions of individuals across the United States regardless of age, gender, economic status, race, religion or education level. Survivors of domestic violence have endured or continue to endure a highly traumatic experience. Despite this trauma, and on top of daily responsibilities, survivors are simultaneously figuring out multiple, vitally important concerns, such as how to keep physically safe, how to establish financial independence, how to find stable housing, how to protect their children or pets or other loved ones, and more. They often are not believed about the abuse they have experienced, even by law enforcement. Personal safety and economic security are inextricably linked for survivors of domestic violence. Survivors of color and immigrant survivors in particular face increased barriers to accessing safety and services. Additionally, while support systems should have the best interests of survivors in mind, there is no universal experience of getting away from an abuser, nor of establishing safety and stability.

Consequently, a program designed to support survivors of domestic violence should emphasize ease of access by program participants, should respect the agency of program participants, and should prioritize increasing program utilization rather than safeguarding against possible fraud. Fraud prevention measures in particular can require proofs of identification, of financial hardship, and/or of survivor status that may be difficult or re-traumatizing for a survivor to obtain or be required to provide. The FCC should not let speculations about possible misuse preemptively create barriers to survivors enrolling in this important program. Additionally, because abusers use various methods of surveillance and coercion to victimize survivors, and may have connections within law enforcement organizations (or may be law enforcement officers themselves), it is in the interests of survivor safety that programs minimize the amount of data collected and shared about survivors served.

The Commission’s NPRM, approved unanimously on February 16, considers how to implement the three provisions of the Safe Connections Act:

separating a survivor’s phone line or an abuser’s line if on a multi-line or shared plan (such as a family plan);
making it easier for survivors to make use of the FCC’s reduced-cost phone service program (Lifeline) or internet service program (Affordable Connectivity Program); and
ensuring the privacy of calls and texts to hotlines, shelters, and other emergency assistance resources by removing them from monthly phone bills and other customer-facing materials.

In its NPRM the FCC also considers how it might prevent and address other methods of attempted surveillance and…

Farm Storehouse: 8 Products For The Farm & Garden

Burro Buddy Wheelbarrow Caddy

Forgo multiple trips to the garage or shed with this plastic organizer that can hold short- and long-handled tools and a drink—as well as a cell phone or other electronics in a water-resistant compartment, all while letting you use the full capacity of your wheelbarrow.

Rocky Mountain Goods Flat Soaker Hose

The double-layered Rocky Mountain Goods Flat Soaker Hose has a lifetime warranty and conserves up to 70 percent of water by delivering it directly to roots and avoiding evaporation.

Gourmet Colorful Carrots

This blend of gourmet colorful carrots will be a sight to behold at harvest time. Suitable for baby veggies or full-sized roots, this 15-foot seed tape has correctly-spaced seeds of five different carrot varieties: Atomic Red, Cosmic Purple, Solar Yellow, Lunar White and Bambino.

Seed Starting Tray

Start seeds successfully year after year with this leakproof, galvanized steel tray. With 24 individual cells, bring the ready-to-transplant seedlings to the garden and leave the others undisturbed.

Water-Resistant Work Gloves

The Wells Lamont Style 3207 HydraHyde water-resistant leather palm work gloves combine the hardiness of leather and the flexibility and breathability of spandex. Reinforced fingertips and knuckles offer extra protection and wear.

Bahco Secateurs

Turn heavy pruning of shrubs, small trees and vineyards into light work with the cordless, battery-powered secateurs with steel blades that can cut vegetation up to 32 millimeters in diameter on a 6-hour battery.

Seed Tin

Drawing inspiration from the Seed House at Fordhook Farms in Pennsylvania, the tin fits standard-sized seed packets. A coated-metal interior and bottom ensure an airtight seal.

CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator

The CobraHead Long Handle Weeder and Cultivator garden tool allow you to stand up straight while gardening or weeding. Available in three lengths, the blade shape and angle allows it to cut hard soil and work in uneven or tight spaces.

Bidets for Preppers: An Alternative To TP

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(Psst: The FTC wants me to remind you that this website contains affiliate links. That means if you make a purchase from a link you click on, I might receive a small commission. This does not increase the price you’ll pay for that item nor does it decrease the awesomeness of the item. ~ Daisy)

Okay. So, frequent followers of TOP know I usually post articles about marksmanship or other related items, air rifles, OPSEC in a big city, and water use.

But today, let’s talk about something we all do, and that is poo.

Do you recall the great toilet paper panic grab of 2021 when the COVID lockdowns were first enacted? A woman at a big box store purchasing an entire pallet of TP? Even fights breaking out over a four-pack of TP? If it were not for the fact it was actually happening, you would have thought it was toilet humor or an odd episode of The Twilight Zone.

But have you ever actually considered how much TP you use on a daily basis for that basic bodily function?

Pre-COVID lockdowns, my parents were enjoying retirement by traveling the world. While in Europe, they stayed at a hotel that had something rather unique by American terms, a bidet. Without going into gross details, they were sold. So much they installed two in their own home.

I went to visit them last year and, after some trial and error (more trial than error, thankfully) I, too, was sold.

What are the advantages of a bidet, you ask?

Well, a real reduction in TP usage. Depending on the type of bidet you get, you could actually eliminate the need for TP at all. No kidding, some have warm air driers.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking,

“1stMarineJarHead, what if the grid fails?”

From my research, most bidets’ basic function of nozzle spray is dependent on water pressure. Other features will cease to function as they are dependent on the grid.

The one I have currently installed is non-dependent on the grid. Just water pressure. If you get your water from a well, you can still get water pressure from your well with a few water checks and PVC or PEX pipe (YouTube has a number of videos on the topic).

On city water? Okay, you might be up S**T Creek without a paddle. The grid is down, and nothing in coming out of the faucet, let alone the toilet flush mechanism. (I can tell you this from experience, one 5-gallon bucket of water is good for about two flushes of a toilet). Yeah, after a week or two, imagine the smell. Then will people resort to dumping their waste into the streets?

The one I have replaces the original toilet seat. It is non-electric, non-heated water. Goes right off…

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