Paracord, MRE's, Knives and Hurricane Candles

Hi folks.
Once again I am drawn to doing more research on survival topics and that research takes me to eBay all too often. I may be the owner of a couple decks of survival cards and a set of 10 "Survival Knives". The cards are something I wanted for a while. The set of knives will be sold as part of a set of 10 Hurri-Can(TM) candles I am making. I have a roll of paracord that will be in the set. I am looking for 10 "army " cups that used to fit over canteens or substitute an empty(and cleaned) corned beef tin for it. In the tin or the cup I would cram some soup cubes, salt, pepper, tea,sugar, some hard candy and a few matches in zip-lock baggies. Space inside the can will be at a premium. About 2/3rds of the coffee can will be full of wax with 3 large wicks in it,spaced equidistant. a knife, the paracord and a bit of tinfoil, some clothes hanger wire, a space blanket, a micro LED flashlight and the "Cup" will be sealed inside. Did I tell you I also have 10 Space blankets coming? Holes are drilled near the top to allow air flow if a pot is set on the candle to boil water. The holes will be sealed with simple tape.I will have instructions taped to the outside. This could save a person or persons lives by providing most of what everyone needs. They need light and warmth, a way to disinfect water and some energy food to keep their spirits up. A nice cup of tea helps. If you car or truck is stuck in a ditch or snowbank and you do not want to leave the safely of the car, then heat and light are taken care of with the candle. If you had to move, you can take the candle with you by making a carrying handle out of the hanger wire. I will be pricing all the items and see what the bottom line is for this efficient "Kit-in-a-Can" (TM). Some people may be smart enough to store the can inside a slightly larger pot with a handle and store more food bars or tea or soup or instant coffee in between the two. If you are home and the power is cut off, you still have a way of cooking food and boiling water. It will keep you alive, but it will not heat your house. I think this is a good solution(not a perfect one, but what is?) to having a good kit you can just grab. I mentioned MRE's in the title because I have been looking for a cheaper Canadian supplier. I see alot of good prices down in the states and the price almost doubles when it crosses the border. That is not right. I can find and/or make my own substitutes for MRE's but that would be a big hassle and I know mine would probably not last as long as the real deal.

I got an email from a person who was looking into flashlights and came across a reference to an earlier entry I made when I studied a few different types and put a review of them up. I am glad that my hard work and the money I have spent in research has helped some people. If you have any feedback for me, that would be great. Any questions?

Michael J. Kaer

Blame Yuwie


Hi folks.
I have been busy(don't I start my blogs often that way?)with the past election here in Ontario. The green Party Has doubled once again what vote we got from last time. I know my friend voted green and I know my Mom voted Green and My Dad may have voted green.Those are important votes as far as I am concerned. Since about half the voters turned out to vote that would mean our votes count as double. The people who did not vote have no right to complain. Me, I have bitchin rights. The green party is NOT the marijuana party, but it would be the first to legalize pot and therefore get rid of all red tape surrounding the growing of hemp.We feel it is a waste of taxpayer's money to fund "The war on drugs". It has been proven it does not work and inflating the "Take" from every pot bust(IE: every plant is worth $1000.00 each,maybe if every little bit is sold by the joint...get real)only gets people in poverty to do something illegal in order to earn a living. I am not saying pot is harmless, I am only saying it SHOULD be in the same class as alcohol and sold as such.

Another thing I have been busy with is downloading all kinds of books and information on survival, popular mechanics, popular science and a few other tidbits. It takes a long time to read through some of this material,Time I could be spending on making money online to afford all the stuff I want for my retreat centre.

On another note I have also been busy on myspace, facebook and now Yuwie. The thing about Yuwie that keeps me going back and doing social stuff there is the fact that they PAY me to do what I was already doing on myspace and facebook. It is a no-brainer. If you have missed my famous rants-blame Yuwie.

Thats my story and I am sticking to it.

Michael J. Kaer
http://www.gomoreinfo.com/SIM/8402264
http://homeincomeportal.com/mibmy137/homeincome.htm
http://thesgrprogram.com/special.php?a_aid=14794
http://r.yuwie.com/michaelkaer

Hi folks.

Today in southern Ontario, it was what I call an M.C. day. That stands for minimal clothing. I have been running around mostly in a pair of baggy shorts. I did some garden work and fed the worms and pulled some weeds. I worked untill the mosquitoes came after me. that means I did all that in about an hour. The rest of the day I have been inside or out riding my bike on some chores. I was lucky some of the stores I had to go to had air conditioning. When I was next door at my Mom and Dad's house I looked at the outdoor thermometer. It read 100 degrees F. On top of that it has been very humid. We are expecting thunder storms in the next few days. How do I survive days like this? I eat very little and I do eat icecream, drink lots of juice and flavoured water and stay out of the sun as much as possible. I just took a hot bath, which helps me on days like this. I leave the bath water in the tub(I was only rinsing my body, not using any soap) so I feel ok with just letting it cool and jumping into it later tonight to cool down my body before bedtime. Right after I am done this, the fan is coming on. I want to know how you deal with days like this.
Ok. I am done, the fan can come on. HMMMMM!

Michael J. Kaer

Hi folks.We need to talk to the folks in power. We have a situation on this planet where a single plant could help save us, and the people in power would rather put more polution in the air and force global warming further than to sit down and rationally think this through. No amount of money (extreme though they may be) will gain them anything if they do not have a place to spend it. We only have this one planet(so far)(Mars will be exploited next) in which to live. If hemp was grown as a fuel crop and food crop and fibre crop all at the same time, we could feed everyone, clothe everyone and keep everyone warm AT A PROFIT!!!. There is a ton of money waiting to be made that will also help reduce the damage we have already made. Lets get this show on the road.Michael J. Kaer, Author of several small books on the topics of prosperity, health and what to use your money for.michaelkaer@yahoo.ca , www.mikesworms.com ,www.mjk-private-income.com, http://thesgrprogram.com/special.php?a_id=14794

Getting out of Dodge

I do have a bug-out kit. I no longer really have a place to bug-out to. Mom and Dad are selling the farm and moving in next door to me. I have been thinking about where I would go if I was forced to move. One part of me would say up a little further north or east where they have hills and the land is not so flat. Another thought came to me, what about living on the water? Live off a 30 ( or so) foot sailboat that you can eat, cook, sleep and has a head for washing and toilet. I further thought I would have to make a living( if money is no good, than trade for what I need). It would have to be skills I have that would be the best since the boat I would want would not be too big and would not have tons of cargo space. It would have to have some room for cargo or else I would not be able to get everything I wanted. I would consider this my plan "b". Any and all thoughts or comments on this idea would be gratefully received.

Michael J. Kaer
author of "What Money Can't Buy" available at www.mjk-private-income.com

The more I read the more I get ____________ ( fill in the blank)

Hi Folks.

Right now thee are so many different things going on, some good, some not good and some really bad when it comes to Global Warming, Peak Oil and war in general.Some are talking about all the other peaks we have to face, like peak water, peak soil, peak sustainable housing and others. The wars of the future will be over food , land and water( which by the way has been the basis for most wars in the past) only this time they will effect everybody. The whole planet. Everyone. Add in the plants and all the animals too. This is THE major time to get prepared. We have grown soft here in the west. Our lifes of luxury fed by the power of slaves in the form of oil and electric power have made us weak. We depend on them too much. We like our luxury. Heads up folks, enjoy it while you can. It is all going Bye Bye.

Every small act of conservation by someone in North America would be the same as about 25 people (more or less) conserving in poorer countries. Think about that. Think also that we may not stop global warming but we can slow it down or speed it up with what we do now ( that is assuming you believe as most scientists believe that humans are having an effect on the planet). Conserve now and often. That may give us some time to find new ways of living that will not kill most of the population off. We also need the time to learn new skills, and to adjust to these changes. Good luck.

Michael J. Kaer, author of "What Money Can't Buy" and other books.

Low - Tech

Low-tech items will be the wave of the future after a money and oil crash. Low-tech items are things you can make yourself or can make at the level of say, a blacksmith. They will be "Cottage Industry" items like food preserves, Bee's Wax candles, hand-woven cloth, butter and cheese, soap, apple cider, alcohol and other crafts. Some medium-tech items like Bicycle and hand-blown glass take more resources to produce and usually more than one person to make, so they will be worth alot more than the stuff you can make yourself. Higher-tech items will be interspersed with the low and medium-tech things. Things like PV panels and batteries and generators will have a still higher value, but will need a crew for maintainance/scrounging for parts/manufacturing parts. If you are an electrician or electronic technician, you will be a busy person. Learning to troubleshoot and fix simple electronic circuits or hook up PV panels correctly may be the only "Job" you do. Most others will be in the fields, tending animals and growing food. A good cook is worth alot, but keeping a few servers up and running on only power you can produce, will enable the survivors of a crash to store huge amounts of information. Getting that information onto paper will be a huge chore but well worth it.

Right now it would take weeks of constant printing on a printer to reproduce what I have on just my small desktop. Where and how would you store it after it is printed is a whole other issue.

I am trying to get out of debt and make part of this dream ( getting the servers) a reality while we still have the ability to ship things. I am working on my portal at Maximum Heavy Traffic to get the money together for this dream of mine. Anyone have a spare server laying around? Actually I am willing to take any and all PV panels and anything to do with solar power ( working or not) and use it to further this dream. I would even accept Bicycle generators. If you want to contribute in any way send me a shout by replying to this post.
Thanks.

Michael J. Kaer, author of "What Money Can't Buy"

What is important?

The basics are food, shelter, air, water and security. If I was a nomad I would be able to forage for all the food I need, the parts for a shelter, fuel for the fire, skins and fibres for clothes and boots and maybe make a knive out of a sharp rock or a fire-hardened stick. I am not a nomad. I have a house in a small city that needs to be fed fuel to keep me warm, electricty to communicate and provide me with water and other bills that must be paid. That requires money. I get money in several ways. I have some pension money coming in, I make a few bucks doing odd jobs and I make some money online.

click here for The Most Trusted Name in Home Income
I also get a cheque every month from SFI at Secrets of Internet Millionaires

All this gives me the freedom to do what I want when I want and still provide for bills. Without that freedom I would not be able to prepare myself for the future.
Good luck

Michael J. Kaer, Author of "What Money Can't Buy" at MJK - Private Income

My Space, My Lot and My Portal

I use Traffic exchanges like

TrafficSwarm
and
WebDawg to get people to come to this blog and to get to my Portal
Here
Or Here .

On my portal I have a store page made by Amazon that sells survival items.
Survival Stuff

I have a blog in My Space and I talk alot in My Lot. They get to hear what I am all about and the sometimes decide to see my blogs. I like the feeling of Community. Some of the questions people pose are silly, but some are deep. I enjoy a good laugh and those sites gave me that as well.

I would like to know who is reading this blog and my other blogs, so if it is not too inconvienient, could you drop a comment or send me an email? Thanks.

Michael J. Kaer, author of "What Money Can't Buy" at One of my sites

If I could believe the guys on the Agenda tonight, we are swimming in oil. I listened carefully when Peak Oil was mentioned and only one person really mentioned something close to truthfull ( as far as I know). They also squirmed a bit when the subject of climate change came up. It pays to be slippery.

Michael J. Kaer
http://maximumheavytraffic.com/mibmy137

Happy Birthday to me!

Last post for 2006

This has been a very scary ride this year. Normally I love rollarcoasters partially because I know I can get off at the end of the ride. This is one rollarcoaster we are all on and can't get off.

I have been building up my personal library and working on getting my house in order. I still have too high a debt load, but that is coming down slowly.
I am interested in what other people are doing. Please send me an email or leave a comment.

Happy New Year!

Michael J. Kaer
Author of "What Money Can't Buy"

The Power of Community
The CKOAP ( Chatham-Kent Oil Age Planning) group will be showing the film "the Power of Community at the Cultural Centre ,75 William st., Chatham,thursday nov. 30th at 7pm. The film is about Cuba and how they pulled together after all their oil supplies ran dry when the USSR fell apart. The Cuban people are a shining example of how we can all work together to survive.

I hope to see you there. I'm making the popcorn. Admission is free but we do take donations to help pay for the space.

Michael J. Kaer, author of "What Money Can't Buy"

Doom and Gloom

On the peak oil boards I contribute to often, a discussion has been going back and forth about Doom and Gloomers. Y2K was presented as a negative example of doom and gloom, since many people went overboard about that situation. The extremists took the general premise and ran with it. I think the problem was blown up out of proportion. Yes, there was valid concerns, but I see it as a non-event simply because a ton of money and manpower was thrown at the problem. It was a problem that had a solution; all it needed was the will to get it done.

A whole slew of companies started up to sell emergency equipment and supplies to the frightened masses. I am sure sales went sky high every time a news article about the problem was put out to the mass media. Bad news sells papers and TV timeslots. Many a geek made big bucks for not a lot of work by fixing the bugs.

Peak Oil is a whole different ball of wax. It is a problem that happens to coincide with global climate change and overpopulation issues. There are no easy solutions but there are some bugs that can be fixed. Everyone knows that a CF bulb uses less power to run than an incandescent bulb. Many people have switched out the old bulbs with new ones as the old bulbs burn out. That is one small step forward. Conservation is the obvious first step to the problem.

The problem is many people do not want to change their lifestyle. It is not in the best interest of big business (in the short term) to support lifestyle changes of less consumption. The economy shrinks and a smaller economy mean smaller profits or no profits. The problem is also that a lot of big corporations are under a lot of pressure to continue creating huge profits, so they make many (in my opinion) bad short term decisions that will maximize profits at the expense of the environment and people (and animals and plants).

Big business has raped and pillaged the earth of its raw resources for so long, they feel they have the right to continue. Even Governments seem powerless to stop the pillage since a business simply will pull up stakes after it has drained one area and move to another area or country where they can not be touched. They have a group of lawyers and bookkeepers whose job it is to keep people and governments from stopping their business. They have the money to bribe or manipulate suppliers, officials and law enforcement people to get their way. No government can stand against that. The current U.S. government actually seems to be in the pocket of big business and they are the ones muzzling the scientists who are trying to show their evidence. Since they are only concerned with short-term gain, they are not willing to look at the damage they are causing and in many cases actively stop others from pointing out the damage. Since they can not see past the next shareholders meeting they are blind. The whole economy is going to fall apart from within once the energy is no longer there to keep it going.




There is the crux of the problem – Energy! The economy needs lots of cheap energy to keep it rolling. We no longer have that cheap energy so no matter what the economy does it can not create a cheap energy source that matches the energy output of oil. I think the best we can do is to create as much renewable energy sources (wind and solar generators, geo-thermal, wave…) as possible as well as educate people about solar heaters and cookers and “Hay box” cookers. To stop a wide spread die off due to famine, also educate and encourage everyone to form community gardens and private gardens to supplement what the local farmers can provide.

The people who happen to point out the obvious conclusions of a possible mass scale die off are called Doomers and Gloomers. I guess I would be called one in that case. I am optimistic that we can avert a lot of the damage, but that would mean major voluntary changes from everyone. I do not see that happening in the west, in fact I see the opposite happening. There is still a ton of money to be made selling emergency supplies and I think everyone should have some extra supplies on hand for emergencies. Creating an atmosphere of fear will spur sales of such items and that is what I think happened with Y2K. Commonsense says you should be prepared for power outages, water contamination and food shortages. Insulating your home make sense so you and your stuff stays warmer I winter and cooler in summer, so you will not need as much energy to cool off or heat up. That will save you lots of money. The most efficient means of travel is the bicycle. It is even more efficient than walking. That is something that needs to be promoted in a large way. It also happens to be healthy and fun.

So what is going to happen when the economy tanks? Massive layoffs, massive hunger and money (fiat currency) will not be worth the paper it is printed on; those are the immediate outcomes of a market crash. Doom and Gloom -hell no- that is just reality. Learning skills to deal with barter in a no-money local economy is going to be a major mind shift for many. Instead of a dozen eggs = $2.19 it will
now be a dozen eggs = a bee’s wax candle or a couple of sewing needles or a bottle of apple juice…, a real market will be set up.

Are you able to feed and clothe and shelter yourselves right now? I could for the short term, but it would be difficult during the winter. I am not even close to self-supporting. I have a certain amount of supplies that I could stretch with forage from the countryside and fishing and the amount of clothes I have could last me several years. I just fixed up my house so it should be good for a while. I want more solar panels and I plan on building some solar heaters and cookers. The less fuel I use to heat my place the better. The less fuel I use to cook my food the better. The less fuel I use to get my food the better. I am counting on my many skills to barter with others for the things I will need to survive. Many things could be done at the government level to help me be more self-supporting. If they de-regulated the hemp industry, I could survive that much easier. Do I expect that to happen? No. Does that make me a doomer? No, It just means I have a realistic outlook as far as what I see governments willing to do. Governments do not like giving up power. What they want is more power.

Where does that leave us? In quite a pickle. We are going to have to grow down before we grow back up.

Michael J. Kaer
Author of "What Money Can't Buy"

Hi folks.

I have been so busy on the running on empty boards or ROE for short to get much writing done here. I am on ROE2, ROE3, ROEca and OWL ( old ways living) as well as others dedicated to alternative energy sources. Here is an update of what has been going on.
1) My house is nearly done. All they have left to do is put in the new furnace. Then the work of re-painting and getting rid of stuff and adding stuff begins. I had planned on doing something with my garage, but that did not happen.
2) My girlfriend's patio is now done along painting the front porch, fixing the front room and painting the bedroom door.
3) The CKOAP (Chatham-Kent Oil Age Planning) group is meeting on a regular basis and we just finished a SWOT of Chatham.
4) I have been buying supplies and so has my girlfriend. We have about 6 months worth of food. I have more months of liguid vitamins( I am aiming at having a year stocked up).
5) My Portal site is up and running. One of the gateway pages is http://maximumheavytraffic.com/mibmy137 . I am focussing on that site in my traffic exchanges that I am still using. The best one still is one of the older ones at http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?120579
6) 2 of my books are for sale online at http://www.mjk-private-income.com . Both are Peak Oil related, One directly and the other is a "How to" book on making Candles,Firestarters and Hobostove fuel cells.

I guess that is all for now.

Michael J. Kaer
Author of "What Money Can't Buy"

This is important stuff so I have put this rant in several places. Here it is.
Hi folks.
I just saw an older film, made in the 90's called "The Hemp Revolution"
Some of the claims made by the hemp activists are a little over the top, but I write that off as passion for their cause. They made many valid points, namely that Marijuana is still illegal even after many studies showing it should not be, because the drug enforcement crowd and the government( as well as banks and organized crime) make a ton of money on it. They also pointed out the reason is was made illegal in first place was because DuPont saw hemp as a threat to their new processes based on oil and coal. Farmers used to grow all fibre, food , medicine and fuel over a hundred years ago. The Big Oil boys have taken over everything to do with the farm and "Farmed " it out to the Pharm-a-cyst and factories, including food. Once Oil is not to be had, we will be forced to go back to the old ways. Hemp was a major player back then and it will be once more. Hemp has been written out of the history books the same way Tesla was. At the Smithsonian
Institute, all mention of hemp has been removed. The reason given was (maybe not exact quotes)" The children do not need to know about hemp; it will just confuse them" . That is just sick. How stupid do these people think our kids are? Sounds very "1984ish". Big Brother knows what is good for you and you can't argue against it if you do not know an alternative exists

That is my rant for today. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Michael J. Kaer in Canada
Author of "What Money Can't Buy" available at www.mjk-private-income.com and writer of myhemp.blogspot.com

Hi Folks.

I have come to the conclusion that I am a whimp. If I get a stuffy nose or sore throut that is enough to throw my whole day off. Yesterday we ( my girlfriend and I) visited a friend who just got out of the hospital. All the people in that household smoke. I have quit for a while so I got watery eyes and a stuffy nose and a sore throut this morning. I am waiting for the tea to steep and a Hall's type candy to sooth my throut. We are lucky that we have the stores and the infrastructure for me to have my petty sniffles easily taken care of. No one would question some thing as simple as a Hall's type candy (or even tea for that matter)not to be available when we demand it. After the big crash, there are going to times when those will not be available and someone will be making a substitute that will not taste as good or work as well. Tea and honey helps. In the future tea will be a luxury item and so will honey. Honey stores very well. Even if it crystalizes, it is still good. Tea does store but not near as well as honey. Most things do not store as well as honey! Stocking up on honey now while you can still get it in the stores would be a wise thing. I also plan on getting a large batch of tea bags and putting them in vacuum packed plastic. I have one of those foodsavers. They are highly recommended by the do-it-yourself homefood storage crowd. Vacuum sealing will keep the tea fresher longer. It also allows you to store more in a smaller space since you have taken all the air out. Instant coffee in the jar will last for years. Glass jars would be better than plastic, but you have to protect them. If you bought a case of them, leave them in the case. Sugar also stores well if it is sealed completely. These items are cheap in most cases, if bought in bulk. The one food item you must stock up on is salt.It is very cheap but you must have it in your diet.If you want spices, buy them whole and grind them as you use them. Herbs you can grow every year. Spices from distant places will be very expensive once again.

We are off to see Al Gore's movie tonight. I will tell you how it went in another post.
All for now.
Michael J. Kaer, Author of "What money Can't Buy"

Hi folks.
Yah, I know;I have not been around for a while. Summer gets like that. Here is a couple of update and then I think you may forgive me for not being around. 1) my house. My house is getting torn apart and put back together again. They have finished the bathroom and kitchen for the most part. They started on the roof today. I have new steel doors and a new electical system put in. They still have all the windows to do and the furnace.My house will be much safer and warmer, at the same time costing me less. I took my own advice about getting my house in order. 2) The CKOAP group is going to be showing a short movie about sustainable communities. 3) I have been very active on the Running on Empty yahoo groups. I have been both teaching and learning alot.

That is my excuse and I am sticking to it.
Michael J. Kaer - http://www.mikesworms.com amd http://www.mjk-private-income.com

Hi Folks.
Just a quick update for those who may be in the Chatham-Kent, Ontario area ( close to the Windsor/Detroit border and between them and London Ontario). We will be showing "The End Of Suburbia" at the local library on Queen street, Wed. May 31 at 7:00. The showing is free and we accept donations to further our work of getting the message out to more people. Thank you.

Michael J. Kaer, Owner of www.2bitpixel.com and www.mikesworms.com

P.O.P.



Peak Oil Plans

What are you going to do when your money cannot buy anything? You need a new M.O.E. (Medium Of Exchange). The problem is where do you start? You could start as small as trading a safety pin for a Band-Aid. You need an exchange to happen in order to get what you need. That is how we survive right now. A problem that could arise is in a society that just collapsed it’s economy, there will be some who decide to take what you have, using a gun or other means. First, you need a safe environment in order to have a true exchange. I plan on holing up as long as I can, not trading with others till I have too and then only with neighbours I trust.

A government person may declare that all the food and goods I worked hard to gather is now to be part of the collective, with no receipts for what is taken (stolen) and could turn around and accuse me of hoarding (It may be a capitol crime at that time). The best way to keep anything away from those who would steal them is to hide it. Caching, it is called. Usually burying something is involved. Another part to a cache is knowing how to protect the item in order to get it ready to be buried.

A good place to do bartering would be a central place that is open to all, like an open field or a park that has a centre stage to do the bartering from. A small fee from all the bartering parties in the form of food or other goods may be paid to personal police. Also a form of looking after the waste left over from the crowd would need to be picked up. A small fee for the use of the washroom may take care of waste management. If not, disease will break out quicker. People kicked out of their homes would be forced into tents and shacks. The barter spots would be the only place they could trade their skills or goods. How do you keep your stuff save if you are moving around? You can do like the gypsy’s and travel in a small wagon. Make sure the wagons can be locked well. In my case it may be riding my bike to the park with a trailer and a tent to set up a booth. I would avoid the use of the washroom, by urinating in a container and hauling the urine back with me to be used as fertilizer on my gardens. As far as solid waste, I would be working on a way to compost it to send it back to the soil. The air quality is not going to be great, but with no cars, it will be tolerable.

Many things will be shut down. Get that through your heads. Houses are going to be on fire because people will be doing stupid things to stay warm and there will be no firefighters. Neighbours will be forced to get along; or they are going to die. When I go to the marketplace I will want to bring one or more people with me to help out and watch my back. I would also like to have someone at my house to protect it. A time of lawlessness is going to be starting the second you can’t pay your police force. What are they going to do with people in jail? If I had the money now, I would sell all my useless toys and stock up on everything I need for a couple of years. I would then find a hiding place, maybe on an island, and just stay there for 2 or more years, till the worse of it was over. Right this second I do not have that option, so I am stuck where I am. I am praying we hold things together till this fall. I will have my house finished and that will give me time to find as much money as possible and stock up as much as I can. Good luck.
Michael J. Kaer, Owner of http://ww.2bitpixel.com and http://www.mikesworms.com

Hi folks.
First f2f meeting of the CKOAP group
At the first meeting we had a diverse lot of talents in only 5 members who could show up . I (Michael) was made acting Secretary since I brought my pad with me. Some of the resources between us where a farm and a bookstore and some of the talents included a Paramedic, a Grant and Propossal Writer, A Reflexologist, A Vegitarian, a Macrobiotic cook, a Medical Supply person, a worm farmer, a writer and a person who is going to get the Permaculture training. Not bad for such a small group. We tried to figure out what our best purpose was and we decided we wehere to be a practical think tank. Some one commented that was an oxymoron. Lance handed out alot of printed matter paid for out of his pocket, so if we get any donations or raise funds somehow, I will be the first one to vote he gets fully re-imbursed. Thanks goes out to The boxing club that lent use the space to hold the meeting. We decided we would aim for a monthly meeting and we could stay in touch by email. Some of the topics we kicked around was living off grid,organic food co-ops, seedbanking, finding out who the organic farmers are locally,hemp,the Chatham-Kent Community Strategic Plan, where to get face masks cheaply,a list of some of my blogs, and a little about my book, "What Money Can't Buy" and 2 other websites at http://livingeconomies.org and http://countmeout.ca . The meeting ran about an hour or so. The final word was about the movie "The End of Suburbia" showing at the library Wed. May 31 at 7:00 at 120 Queen Street, Chatham. Free addmission, donations accepted.

I am not sure if I posted this here, but someone on one of the groups asked me for some of the sources I use in my replys. Here is my reply
Hello Anyone reading this.

First off I have my own blogs at http://survival-list.blogspot.com, http://myhemp.blogspot.com and http://kaerpackage.blogspot.com . I also wrote several small books, two of them available online at http://www.mjk-private-income.com One is on Peak oil and the Chaos it causes and the other is a "How To" book on making Bee's wax candles, firestarters and hobostove fuelcells. I also have tons of downloads on a couple of disks and on my laptop to read through.

Here is a partial list of books I have on hand starting with shelter and energy

1)Earth Water Wind and Sun by D.S. Halacy,Jr.
2)Low-Cost,Energy-Efficient Shelter for the owner and builder edited by Eugene Eccli
3)The Harrowsmith Reader edited by James Lawrence
4)The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Capentry & Woodworking tools,terms & materials by Stanley Schuler
5)A popular science book- Formulas, methods, tips and data for home and workshop by Kenneth M. Swezey
6)Make and do the woodcraft way by J.G.Cone ( a scouting book)
7)Roughing It Easy- A unique ideabook for camping and cooking by Dian Thomas

Food
8)Grow It Indoors by Richard W. Langer
9)The nutribase Guide to Carbohydrates, Calories & Fat by Dr. Art Ulene
10)Encyclopedia od Organic Gardening by J.I. Rodale and Staff
11)The Hunter's Field Guide to the game birds animals of North America by Robert Elman

Medical
12)The A.M.A. Family Medical Guide - Random house
13)What Your Doctor Won't Tell You ( all about alternative medicine) by Jane Heimlich ( yes-wife to inventor of the Heimlich Maneuver)
14)How To Be Your Own Doctor (Sometimes) by Keith W. Sehnert,M.D. and Howard Eisenberg
15)Camping & Wilderness Survival by Paul Tawrell

Other
16)Home Gunsmithing Digest by Tommy L. Bish , edited by Jack Lewis
I hope that helps.
Michael J. Kaer, owner of www.2bitpixel.com and www.mikesworms.com