Hillbilly wannabe

Just like being a prepper isn’t a bad thing being termed a redneck or hillbilly shouldn’t be either. Lets look at each of these and you tell me who is better off? The suburbanite cube dweller watching on demand real housewives while eating at Mcdonalds to keep the kids quiet. Or the true self sufficient country dweller working the farm, watching the sun go down, and telling to kids to play with dirt and a stick, and they are happy about it.

The Appalachian American, aka hillbilly, aka redneck are for the most part self-sufficient. Typically they will live out in the sticks away from cities and services cities provide (police, fire, medical), stores, grocery etc. You rely on your family and neighbors. If you need something you make it, fix it, grow it, harvest it, process it or do it yourself. If you don’t know how to do something you either ask family/neighbors for assistance who teach you to do it, because they sure as hell won’t do it for you, or you figure it out on your own. Redneck engineering? It may not be pretty, but it works, did the job it was intended to do, cost little to nothing, and did it on their own.

Most can hunt, fish, forage, or grow their own food.

Most live simple lives without the need of TV, electronic gadgets, or other means of entertainment, spending, or waste.


Most have knowledge passed down from generation to generation about healing, medicines, and cures for what ails them. They know what plants are good for what. They don’t have many of the issues a lot of us do because they don’t eat all the chemicals and crap that we do.



Almost none accept or want government handouts.



Security isn’t as much of an issue because 99% of the time they are armed, can shoot better than most trained individuals, and people generally know not to mess with them. Country justice is a pretty good deterrent. That and there isn’t much worth stealing to most modern criminals. Because they live in a close community, know their neighbors, and friends/family are all over where they live, chances are if something goes on, either you know who did it, or someone you know, and it will get back to you.



Your family, friends, and neighbors are there for you in your time of need, as you are there for them. If a storm knocks down a few trees across the road and takes out power, they will have it cleaned, power back on, and business as usually before the city dwellers can even coordinate because of the levels of government, permits, etc. who is doing what, who is responsible for what. It just gets done.



You use the barter system and there is a code/honor system. You trust and respect each other.



If the entire financial/economic system collapsed tomorrow would it affect them? Probably not, just no more taxes on their land. So they just may benefit from it.



Pandemic, many are so isolated may not even reach them.



No water, most drink from wells, ponds, creeks, streams or rivers anyway. They grew up on this water, and are immune to anything living or present in the water.



Terrorist attack, too far and few between targets in the country. Not an issue. Most would look sideways at someone not from the area, and if the individual was viewed as a treat, would be dealt with. No tribunals, no asylum, no apologies for offending their country. Come to my home to do me and mine harm, and well al-Qaida we got a gravel pit/mine shaft with your name on it.



Food sources wiped out? Usually stocked up, and if not, can hunt, gather grow their own. (Book title same name by Jason Akers, Hunt Gather Grow, not calling Jason a hillibilly in a derogatory way)



No power, no worries, most do with little to no power to start.



OMG the internet is down….Most don’t even use it today, and in some cases even know what it is.



Look at you own lives, and could you do all that they do? Do you have the community, the know how? I cannot, but I wish I could, and am trying to educate myself to have a simpler life, a more self-reliant life, a more prepared life. I even say a better life. Would I give up the city, cube, stressed out life to live out in the country with good neighbors, friends and family. You bet.



So maybe before so many use redneck, hillbilly or other term in a derogatory way or look down our noses at them, we should look up to them as how really knows how to survive adversity and disasters.

I'll take a Jack and...

Written by Rick aka DH

So no this is not about Jack Daniels or any other type of alcohol. This is about Jack Spirko from The Survival Podcast (TSP). While getting ready for my job this morning for some reason I got a quote stuck in my head. I originally heard it in the movie Pulp Fiction. I used to just think it was interesting from the movie, but it was originally from the Bible. I am not a religious person, do not claim to be, and do not aim to offend others by this post. Here is the quote.

Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

I really thought about this and for some reason (maybe lack of sleep, maybe new found purpose) and probably because I have been listening to TSP from episode one again for about 12 hrs a day while in my cube and is just in the background. Here is what I got out of it today.

“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.” This is you surrounded by government, government policies, big corporations, and the millions of grasshoppers out there living on the handouts, welfare, credit cards etc. These are the people dragging down the country today and leaches and parasites of the country who feed on those that pay taxes and actually work for a living. This is you trying to live a better life, help others, and doing the right thing.

“Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness.” This is Jack, through the podcast, the forum, and the TSP community. Educating and leading others out of the dark of their ignorance of what all was going on. He, the community, and the forum do this without expecting anything in return. The Valley of darkness if what this country has become and the tough times that are approaching. More on what Jack and TSP has done for me and my family later.

“For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children.” Jack and the TSP community are all looking out for each other like family and constantly on the lookout for those lost in the darkness leading them to the light. I was lost, in debt, unprepared, unaware of my surroundings, unaware of what my government was doing. I was a grasshopper, I was a sheep.

“And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.” When one of us is done wrong by government, a right violated, yet another tax, a restriction placed, we all rally around the camp fire, gather strength, and we defend our rights. This may come in the form of a call campaign, e-mail, or just letting us all know either from the podcast, the forum, our blogs, or news media. We (the community) have now gained enough mass that it is no longer one or two voices, it is a crown of 50,000 or more as far as I can tell, and growing daily as more lost children are found.

“And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you." I mean no disrespect here to the religious people, but I took this as “You will know we are The People when we stand up and oppose you”. Others may see this as God, or whichever higher power you believe, is using you, Jack, etc. as an instrument of their will.

What has Jack and the TSP (referring to the TSP community and forum) done for me….

Without Jack and the TSP I would still be living as a grasshopper. I would still believe in debt, credit cards, and the belief that the government would save us no matter what.

Without Jack and the TSP I would have not started a blog, reaching out to other people and helping enlighten them. If I enlighten 3 people and each of them spread to three people. Now multiply this by 100, or 1000. How many more will wake up.

Without Jack and the TSP I would not be on my way to starting my own business and stop being one of the sheep in the cube farm working just to pay for the stuff I have. I would not have thought that I am more than a 9-5 button pusher in a cubicle.

Without Jack and the TSP I would have not found a community and family where I feel I belong. No judging, no assumptions, no guilt. Only support and help. You post something to the community and people you have never met, may never meet other than in cyberspace reach out offering to help, advice, information, understanding, and compassion.

Without Jack and the TSP I would be so far less educated than I was before. I have gained more REAL education here than any time spent at a university. Real life education and knowledge and it didn’t cost me a thing. Theoretical Physics or English Lit has no applications in much of my life today. But how to plant a garden, how to make my own food, how to power my own house I can use EVERY day.

Without Jack and the TSP I wouldn’t have my expanded my garden, build my aquaponics greenhouse, discovered permaculture, realized I could have back yard chickens in city limits, medicinal herbs, essential oils, and the list could go on.

Without Jack and the TSP I wouldn’t be heavily involved in my own prepper community, found my prepper store, ISD, or teach free classes to others on things I have learned. These classes have gotten me more friends, community involvement, sense of belonging, and pride in educating others on what I have learned.

Without Jack and the TSP I wouldn’t have built stronger bonds with my family as we all work to common goals of being more prepared. Relying on these bonds and preparations such that if something happens, we can rely on each other and our preparations to get us through just about anything.

Without Jack and the TSP I wouldn’t have applied, and gotten my LTCH (License to Carry a Handgun), and OC (open carry) regularly. Not to intimidate, not to make a spectacle or cause trouble, but to reach other people. To spark a conversation, and help educate others. Many in our area don’t know the rights, laws, or regulations. This led me to start a free class for “Intro to Firearms” to educate others. While it may not get them to carry or even become a gun owner, they are now educated, and more than likely will help oppose future attempts at firearm restrictions, or at the minimum, will not join the fight to further regulate.

Without Jack and the TSP I would still be a grasshopper, a sheep, an ignorant blip droning through the days, oblivious to what is around me.

This could go on, but this is just since January 2012. I wish I would have found it sooner, but making up for lost time and listening to back episodes. Of all the podcasts I am aware of TSP is the highest count number at 1000+.

So Thanks Jack and the TSP community. If you are already involved in TSP thanks, if you haven’t been yet, helpfully this will encourage you to do so.

www.thesurvivalpodcast.com

grasshopper = someone who is unaware, hasn't awakened yet. based on the fable the ant and the grasshopper.

Sheep = those that follow without question or understanding

TSP = The Survival Podcast

ISD = Indiana Self Defense (my local prepper store)

OC = Open Cary of firearms

CC = Concealed Carry of firearms

DH = Dear Husband

Ass Clowns = government in general who do dumb things

299 Days & Glen Tate II

So I managed to connect with the author of 299 Days, Glen Tate. He is giving Indiana Self Defense free bookmarks to hand out at the store. I am very grateful to him for this and we will be handing them out with every purchase. This is something you cannot buy or get anywhere that I am currently aware of. Thanks Glen and Prepper Press. Hopefully they will arrive for our next class at the store.

I have finished both books and am eagerly awaiting book 3 and 4 supposed to be out mid November. I am totally hooked. The whole family is, even the 10 year old loves the books.

These books made me think of things in a new light. I thought we were better prepared than most but showed me things I had not yet realized. It also made me start paying attention to the economics and financial situation around me. I went to the grocery store tonight (we only go once a month or longer and usually buy at restaurants supply in bulk) and realized how much food prices have gone up and continue to go up. I find myself saying literally out loud "I am not paying that much". Times are changing and I feel it is going to get worse.

I also think the book is good to have people read who are not all into the prepper world. I think it may open their eyes just ever so much. I think they are enlightening so much so I am putting the book and a reference into the free classes I give at ISD for "intro to prepping" and "getting your spouse or family on board". If you have read or checked the books out please do so.

HS432

All, if you want a free education in permaculture type in the above into iTunes university. 36 hour university course lecture on permaculture. I have watched it once and will watch it again because there is a ton if info and I didn't get some of the concepts until later in the course. Short as posted from phone. Sorry no links.

Power out...

So, big storm the other night and wind took out power. No worries. We cooked out on the grill. Home made pasta, with garlic, shrimp, butter sauce made on the grill. All the other neighbors forked out cash to go out to eat. Grasshoppers.... The ants had two tanks of gas, ate by oil lamp, and had a nice meal.

Shrimp...it's what's for dinner

Did you know you can store shrimp long term? Neither did we. So we got a deal 30 lbs of peeled, deveined shrimp 1/2 off. Great right? Well it was frozen and what if the freezer goes out? 30 lbs of stank fish smell. We used our google power and discovered you steam shrimp, dice them up, and dehydrate at 145 until dry. Boom, we got long term shrimp storage. Pop it in zip lock bag and into the freezer to push storage longer.

New classes/dates at ISD

Here are some new dates added to ISD FREE classes/discussions


Indy 1500
Come see Indiana Self defense at the Indy 1500. There will be special deals for the month of October.
October 19th, 20th and 21st. Indiana State Fairgrounds. www.indy1500.com

Intro to firearms

Have a spouse or family member afraid of firearms? Are you a new gun owner? Are you wanting to be a new gun owner? This class is for you. Intro to firearms is a back to basics about firearms, rights and laws. This class is designed for people who have never owned a firearm or their only experience is from the media or TV.
Indiana Self Defense.

Class starts at 4PM roughly 1-2 hr depending on how lively our discussion is.

8017 E Washington St
Indianapolis IN 46219

Bring a chair, there are a few at the store.
October 27th

Prepper Thanksgiving

Bring a dish using only your preps. Must be a stored, gathered, hunted item and how it was prepared. There are only so many ways you can fix rice and beans. Can you make biltong? Bring some. Can you dehydrate and make a stew/soup. Bring it. Don’t have a clue what to do or how to use you preps, come learn. Participation is requested but not required, even if it is making a pitcher of koolaid or hot chocolate.

November 1st at

Indiana Self Defense.

6 PM…ish.

8017 E Washington St
Indianapolis IN 46219

Bring a chair, there are a few at the store.

Prepping 001 Intro to prepping

New to prepping? Think prepping is one of “those” tin foil hat people? Come see the light. 20+ topics covered, along with tips, techniques, handouts, notes, web resources and great discussion and dialog. Meet some other like minded people and network. Spouse or significant other not on board? Maybe this will help. It is free and sell it as cheap entertainment for an afternoon.

Free class/discussion at

Indiana Self Defense.

Class starts at 4PM roughly 1-2 hr depending on how lively our discussion is.

8017 E Washington St
Indianapolis IN 46219

Bring a chair, there are a few at the store.

November 17th

Kids and Prepping
Are your kids ready to bug out? What do you pack for them? What do you tell them? What if something happens while you are at work? What is your plan? How to talk to them and not scare them? Do you kids know what to do in case of a fire? Do your kids know what to do if something happens to you? This is not a put fear in you type discussion. This is a cover you basis so you are prepared if something happens. Preparation is the best defense in an emergency situation.
Free class/discussion at

Indiana Self Defense.

Class starts at 6PM roughly 1-2 hr depending on how lively our discussion is.

8017 E Washington St
Indianapolis IN 46219

Bring a chair, there are a few at the store.

December 6th


Essential Oils AND Medicinal Herbs
If you missed out on the October date for Essential Oils, Mother Wolf Herbals aka BBK76858 will be offering the same presentation (with a few extras) and combining with medicinal herbs. Learn about essential oils and growing, harvesting, and using your own medicinal herbs. 2 for 1 deal and bonus it is a FREE class and discussion. Made possible by the generosity of Indiana Self Defense. Free hand outs, notes, resources, and as always active discussion.
Class starts at 4PM roughly 2-3 hr depending on how lively our discussion is.

8017 E Washington St
Indianapolis IN 46219

Bring a chair, there are a few at the store.
December 8th

Other upcoming classes/discussions
· Prepping with Kids
· Medical/First aid
· Gardening basics From apartment gardening to aquaponics
· Growing medicinal herbs
· Water purification and storage (repeat)
· Fire (repeat)
· BOB (Bug Out Bags) II follow up to the first class, bring your updates, new or revised bag.


Stay tuned for updates.