Vertigo - Home remedies

Had bad vertigo yesterday....so I figured this post would be the perfect thurs post.    I personally am taking meds for it now. But it does not always work.  But it got me to thinking what if something happens, the meds I am taken are a compound (which means they make them just for me). So it is not like anyone will have this med for trade. I had to start learning about how to handle it without the meds. 



 First I am going to start with what I found strangely works the best for me. ( I still need the meds but I can go without them form time to time when doing the 3 things below.)

- MAKE SURE TO STAY HYDRATED!!! At all times!!!!!!!!!

These eye exercises have been working like a charm! If you have vertigo I suggest this as the #1 best thing ever!!! And yes they seem corny!
-Eye exercises - I know this seems so lame, but I have severe vertigo and this is the one thing that stops a spell from happening.  Now it may take a bit of time, but better than being down for a few hours. And if you do this daily a few times basic vertigo may even go away.

 Also you have the standard moments for basic vertigo. Now these are even more lame but again they do help.

.
What are the Natural Remedies

There are several natural remedies to cure vertigo. I have tried everything and these are the ones that do help. Cure no, but help.

• Stay Hydrated- It is important to drink at least eight glasses of water. For a more effective vertigo remedy, soak a tablespoon of coriander seeds in a glass of water and leave overnight. The next morning, strain water and drink. Similarly a mixture of black pepper, lemon juice and salt water also helps. Another common natural remedy to cure vertigo is to soak almonds, pumpkin seeds, a tablespoon of poppy seeds, and three tablespoons of wheat. Leave these overnight. The following day grind this mixture into a fine powder, while frying some butter with half a spoon of cloves. Add the fine powder and a cup of milk to the pan and bring to a boil. Drink this once a day to help negate symptoms. 
•  Ginger-When taken during an attack, it is said to offset symptoms within minutes. (This is some I do use). good to have in your garden.
• Then you have Ginkgo Biloba- And it works great but it is not cheap and it is not something you can grow easily in many places 
• No Jerky Movements- If you have vertigo you all ready know this but it is worth stressing it. If you feel that feeling take it slow and start doing the eye exercises above. And grab a glass of water and sip on that.
• Focus- This is something that also helps me. A friend that was a bartender taught me this one. He said that when folks drank to much he would have them do this so that they would not get sick...and strangely it works for vertigo to. When you feel the onset of an attack, focus on a stationary object around you etc. Focusing on a fixed point sends visual cues to the brain, allowing it to balance appropriately, stopping the dizziness.
• Diet- Eat vitamins and protein rich foods. (now you know why I did this post on high protein foods Click Here).   In addition add shavings of lime (or lemon) peel to your salad. This helps combat the spinning sensation. Also avoid caffeine, chocolates, fried foods, iced teas, and excess salts.
• Breathing exercises and meditation also help.

 Also remember vertigo can be a sign of something else so see a doctor for it if it continues. 

And here is a pdf of things to lookout for Click here


 Ok my song for this post....tell me you did not see this one coming.  U2 - Vertigo

Monday Movie - Surviving Progress

Surviving Progress

Humanity's ascent is often measured by the speed of progress. But what if progress is actually spiraling us downwards, towards collapse? Ronald Wright, whose best-seller, A Short History Of Progress inspired SURVIVING PROGRESS, shows how past civilizations were destroyed by "progress traps" - alluring technologies and belief systems that serve immediate needs, but ransom the future. As pressure on the world's resources accelerates and financial elites bankrupt nations, can our globally-entwined civilization escape a final, catastrophic progress trap? With potent images and illuminating insights from thinkers who have probed our genes, our brains, and our social behaviour, this requiem to progress-as-usual also poses a challenge: to prove that making apes smarter isn't an evolutionary dead-end.
- Written by Producers of this documentary movie!

THE SUMMERY WAS TAKEN FROM THE WEBSITE IMDb!

Fantastic Friday! - DIY Solar Ice Maker

 

Every Friday I will be sharing a post that I came across on my journey's for the week.

One's that impress me with  information, ideas, or just a great read.

This weeks post is by The Good Survivalist 

A DYI SOLAR ICE MAKER PERFECT FOR THOSE TIMES WHEN 

THE POWER GOES OUT , OR OFF THE GRID

Now you can make ice for those times when your power goes out, or for off grid living, or you just want to save money on your electric bill.  This solar powered ice maker is fast, and easy to set up, and you’ll be making ice in no time flat. Once you have the parts all you really need to do is plug it in

Click Here for the how to

Song for this post is going to be  Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow

SEAWEED!!!!! Natures Power Bar

Back in my post about plants with protein Click Here I listed Seaweed...which is a plant, kinda. But it has 64.37 grams of protein!!!!


Here in New England we have a lot of Kelp (very high in iodine so never eat to much or it will mess with your thyroid). And kelp has a lower level of  mercury and arsenic toxicity than other sea plants and fish so I would say it is in the category of a power food.

 Here is a great site about Seaweeds and Kelp descriptions Clicks Here to know more about the different kinds.

It's shelf life is a few years when dried and it a great light weight protein to put in soups. And you can eat it dry like chips because it is salty.


 




Harvesting seaweed/kelp You can collect it along the shore line. Or you can find the inlets were it grows and harvest it from there. If you choose to collect it were it grows....then cut it of the roots..leaving a few inches...so that more can grow.

How to dry seaweed/kelp. Well in it a no brainier. more or less clean it in the ocean water so you have no sand on it and and put it on a drying rack. The drying rack should be built in such a way, keeping in mind that air should easily circulate through the seaweed to assure good ventilation and quick drying. Basiclly this is how to dehydrate seaweed.

Best to place it in a sunny place, If in a sunny place it will take 3 to 5 days to dry.

Other uses that make this such a great food

-You can make salt from it .  How to make kelp salt Click Here
- or even better you can just grate it and use it as a salt high protein spice.

Kelp can be a fantastic barter. So if you are along the shores take a walk on the beach and learn were your kelp and seaweed are growing and gathering up. Grab some to add to your stockpile.


Song for this post has to  be  "Octopus's Garden," The Beatles 

City Squirrels the meat you can eat.

The Other, other white meat

In many parts of the US eating squirrel is not uncommon...but to us city folk it is a stand off-ish kinda thing. We call them rats with fluffy tails . But in a survival situation squirrel is actually a viable meat to eat.

When I think of eating squirrel the first thing that comes to mind is rabies, diseases and parasites.  But it seems that we should be fine for the most part.  The USGS states "...parasite is of no public health significance and properly cooked meat from infected animals is safe to eat".
 But I personally would avoid any animal that appears to be sick to play it on the safe side.

 This is a great PDF  Click Here  written by the National Wildlife Health Center - USGS on "What meat you can eat"

Once you get that bad boy, then what......well here is a fantastic PDF on how to skin and gut them for eating.

How to butcher a squirrel PDF Click Here (PG13)

When reading all the info on them....I do not see that it taste like chicken anywhere...but if you marinade it well with some wild edibles you can have a tasty meal.

Song for this post has to be Primus -  Eyes of the Squirrel (love primus seen them half dozen times)

And now this song is stuck in my head!!!!  The Eyes of the Squirrel are watching!!!!!!! Sing along time!

Fantastic Friday! -A Preparedness Use for Old Hard Drives. Expand Your Digital Library & Resources!

Every Friday I will be sharing a post that I came across on my journey's for the week.

One's that impress me with  information, ideas, or just a great read. 

(This will not replace my Thank you page of links to people that have shared one of my posts. ) 

This weeks has to be this post wrtten by: Ed That Matters 

A Preparedness Use for Old Hard Drives. Expand Your Digital Library & Resources!

If you have an old computer, desktop or laptop, that is not working and just sitting gathering dust, then this article is for you!
Preppers believe in redundancy.  Most usually have backups to their backups.  At least, this is true when we are talking about water, food, medical supplies and ways to defend ourselves.  But do you have redundancy with your digital files?..........

Click Here to Learn more! and read the rest.  Excellent Post

Song for this post is going to be a classic Styx -- Mr. Roboto

Monday Movie - End Day

End Day

 Imagine waking up to the last day on Earth.

Inspired by the predictions of scientists, End Day creates apocalyptic scenarios that go beyond reality.  In a single hour explore five different fictional disasters, from a giant tsunami hitting New york to a deadly meteorite strike on Berlin. This is  a BBC production. Great watch!!!!!

Blackboard paint, why keep some on hand

Why would you want this as a SHTF prep? 

Simple, if things go sideways who is going to be making paper and pen's.

 now you can recycle existing paper Click here PDF
 But that is a lot of work for less important notes.

Just a little info about Blackboards Click Here

Now you can grab a can at the hardware store to have on hand or you can learn how to make it. 

How to make blackboard paint

- Paint (of any color or type) and some (you can make your own paint in hard times Click Here for  PDF)
- Non-Sanded Tile Grout  or plaster of paris (but a prepper side note Cement can be used to you can even take the time to ground down a small piece if sideways to make it)
- Simply mix 1 cup of paint and 2 Tablespoons of grout. 

AND
    you have chalkboard paint.  
 And sheet-rock is every where and makes excellent chalk.  

Even if you do not want to grab the ready made paint. Keep a jar of the grout or plaster in you prep's

The uses may not be at the top of must haves in a STHF situation, but a need to get the world back in order.

This can turn plywood into a :
 - School board 
 - Community board
- War board......(which reminds me of the walking dead when Morgan had a map on the wall).

- Even to mark reusable jars and containers

 

- Make smaller boards for kids 
- Make smaller ones to carry with you with directions or what ever list you may need, Even to just write down things you noticed  along the way 





Song for this post was a hard one to find so I got creative...blackboards = teachers = “Teach Me Tonight” by Amy Winehouse

Prepping vs Hoarding

 

Disclosure: When I first started prepping I was extremely unorganized. It took time to get everything in its own place. And I am sure that a lot of preppers are a bit unorganized at some level; but there is still a difference between hoarding and being an unorganized prepper.


My hoarding vs prepper encounter

I was asked this by a family member that came to my house to help me with a mold issue. 

And saw my stockpile. I asked him is it not all on shelves and organized?  Yes, look at the dates on the cans are they out dated or old? No..... then why would you call it hoarding?

I already had my answers in my head because I knew it was coming the moment I asked for the help

I told him that a hoarder was a person that compulsively  collected stuff along with that collecting they are unable to get rid of stuff.

I how ever am a prepper. When you come to my house did you ever think that I had all off this stuff stashed??  NO,  you did not because my living areas are livable. I have shelves in the basement for all my stuff. I have the closets packed to the brim but  they to are organized. 

I then said do you know why? 

I live in the city and if something happens all this stuff will have to be ready to move to YOUR HOUSE :) Which is the truth he would be the first person I would call. and or go to.

We had a great talk. I explained to him look at the stuff I have. Really.... lets take a look and I gave him a little tour of the shelves and the empty bins on the side ready to haul the stuff out. I showed him my medical stash and my little mini emergency kits for storms and power outages. My generators and my drum grill with all the parts inside it to convert it into a heating source.  I walked him in the yard and pointed out my reg garden and then I showed him my hidden garden growing among the brush. We had our coffee and got our white suits on and masks (which I had already because I am a prepper). And got to work on the mold.

Why am I sharing this.
Well because I have spoken with other preppers that get the same lines. Preppers are really hoarders, preppers are crazy paranoid people and the list goes on. But sometimes having the right answer can  change a persons views on it.And may even add another prepper to your community of preppers.

We are all preppers deep down inside.
I have found that a lot of people have a bit of prepper in them and never even realized it. From the housewife that clips coupons to save money and buys extra when it is on sale. To the "Green" people who reuse, recycle and garden or the recreational camper or fisherman. We all are preppers in our own ways, it is just sometimes called something else.




Helpful tip to educate people
I also find it is helpful to inform people that every state has a preparedness site. Click Here for that list with links. And when you look though these sites they more or less confirm that we are doing the right things. (well maybe on a grander level).

I have a few other suggestion on how to educate people about prepping here. Click Here

Sometimes having a few of these printed out helps Click Here   PDF Basic Preparedness 34 page booklet to help and teach people how to prepare. From FEMA's web site.

And here is a fantastic PDF book I came across to share with those who are skeptical 
How to Handle a Crisis PDF  Click Here
 This is a great PDF because it talks about simpler things like auto accident, hotel safety to chemical spills and attacks. I think it is a pretty neat book and it shows how being prepared should be part of every day life for so many unexpected reasons.

I plan on doing a post about how I did get organized. Hopeful it will have some helpful cheap hints. 


Ok the song for this post has to be AC/DC- Are you ready?

Monday Movie -MegaQuake Could Hit North America

UPDATE 01/16/2015: Connecticut has now had 12 earthquakes in the past 2 weeks. An unheard of thing around here.

Ok first post in a long time. And it is Monday so I am starting with a Monday Movie. I choose this one because in the past week my state has had 2 earth quakes. And the New England region is not known for having them.

MegaQuake Could Hit North America - BBC

  U.S. fears overdue 'megathrust' earthquake will trigger tsunami and decimate unprepared cities on north-west coast

Cascadia fault line has lain dormant for 300 years
Eruption could trigger tsunami, devastating seaside communities - and reach as far as Japan
The north-west coast of the U.S. could be devastated by a huge movement of undersea plates known as a 'megathrust' earthquake, scientists say.
A review of the dangers posed by the Juan de Fuca plate released in the wake of the Japanese quake has raised fears that the Pacific seaboard could be similarly ravaged.
The horrifying possibilities have been brought to light by data researched by the Active Tectonics and Seafloor Mapping Laboratory at Oregon State University.

  .

 

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Baby steps to a prepper community

It has been a crazy week...no blogging...hot local politics happening were I am at, and I am a very active person...so it has been crazy and exciting... not to mention trying to get garden plans going and end of year crap at the office....ugggggg.

I have a half dozen posts started and none finished!  Which also means that I have a half a dozen prepping things started that are not finished because I really do blog about what ever I am working on.

 But I keep getting interrupted by all the crap that is happening around us. Storms, killings, economy, it all really seems to be getting so urgent. The government is out of control, the people are out of control.  And then there is me....were do I stand in all this. Where do you stand in all of this? What if anything can we do to stop the madness. I can sit here screaming a c-span, complain on facebook or go out and make a little bit of a difference in my area and hope it spreads. I do this by my involvement in politics....but I have also been trying to get people to prep.

As preppers,  many of us are guarded about our prepping because we do not want the masses at our doors if something happens. BUT the more people that prep around you the safer you will be.

BUT HOW???



First idea was a fail..

• I first tried to get people excited about coupons and how to buy larger amounts when you can get a deal. I though the idea of saving money would get them rolling....but couponing and shopping for deals is a lot of work and they all lost interest fast. 

Second idea may just be working

 My inspiration is the local politician I am supporting.  He is not a prepper, degrees up the ying yang. And always trying to get the people of my city to be sustainable. Solar power, gardens, urban chickens, barter and trade, recycle, re purpose...  this is the way he lives (keep in mind this is an Ivy league grad who has worked for the government). The more people that do theses things the safer you will be. Very simple.

•  Saying I am a prepper and you need to get with it or you will not survive is just to doom and gloom for many. But what if you tried saying the price of food is getting costly...if you grow tomato's I will grow cucumbers and trade with you. It is a small thing, very little pressure and they are more likely to plant a few other things.
•  Make sure to swing by check out their gardens or in these winter months help them get their seeds started...I am doing the winter sowing...no real work in that and I have two others that are trying it....(because they want there kids to eat better...hey what ever angle works right).
• And if we can get Joe to grow peppers we can trade with him. This is a simple way to start a prepper community without people realizing that they are doing that. And it is not as overwhelming as saying you need a 100 cans of this and 200 gallons of water and 300 rolls of toilet paper. 
• Every spring and fall I help do a community BBQ's. Education in small steps, in larger groups helps to. We have had a recycle magician (actually he the head of the recycling department  at the local university) BUT he is amazing and makes re purpose and recycling fun for all. We had another university worker come in and teach fire starting and other survival skills. At other events in my area they teach canoeing and plant identification. ALL BEGINNER prepping skills. And if you contact local schools and organizations you may just find a teacher willing to do a fun presentation to your community for free.
• This year I will be teaching local weeds for eating and medicine. 
• Added note: we even have a new trade group the seniors of my city started. They trade skills for skills or products...plumbing for painting, electrical for garden food ect.  They started it to stretch there budgets and it took off. 

I know all this seems like a waste of time, but I truly think that everyone is a bit of a prepper, we are just in a more advanced level than them. 

We have to use what is happening around us to get people interested. EX: Florida...people there are preppers to some extent for hurricanes, areas with tornado's are ready for that.  I have a chemical plant near me and used that to teach many in my community how to make a safe room if a spill happens. I know what doors I can knock on and be safe if a spill happens. ( which no big ones have in all these years but better to be preppered)

Well now I am rambling... share with people get them started small and that may make all the difference in times of crisis.

The song I have to use for this post is..."Join Together" - The Who!!!

Fusion Centers?

 Fusion Centers, truth or fiction? You be the judge.


I was watching movies for my Monday Movie post and came across this video

So as I watched it and wanted to know where the one in my area might be. It is a few blocks from me. I know people that work there and can not say that they in any way  go with the facts presented in this video.  It is a small FBI building.  In an Ivy league city;  I honestly was always concerned with the fact that it is so small.

But as I dug a little deeper I came across this story from the Washington Post,  Click Here stating my state is way up there in the spending on this???? what??? As I read this story and got towards the bottom and saw Bridgeport Resident Agency (FBI)  and other searches show several others in my state BUT I can not find an address for any of them? (UPDATE: the address are now there).  They are FBI offices, when goggling the area I do not see anything to large to be considered a camp. But a friend (non prepper) greeny did point out the the one near me has a ramp for vehicles to go under ground and they do own the giant lot across the street. So who know's could it be under the buildings?? And yes like in the video, it is right next to train tracks.  I love a mystery.

  

But here is the under ground doors??? for such a tiny building??

Do I agree with the film above....not really sure. But it was interesting to learn that this is in my state in a big way.


I am going to post one of my favorite less popular songs by a protest band. Ryan Harvey (Riot Folks) Cointelpro