Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living
How prepared are we really? According to our guest on Off the Grid Radio today… not very. In fact, we have built-in defense mechanisms that seem to get in the way of accepting that our civilization is not only just three meals away from anarchy, but that government is not in any position to be able to help the citizenry much (if at all), when disaster strikes.
Join Bill Heid and Andrew Jones, co-founder of the World Disaster Report, as they discuss disaster preparedness as it pertains to individuals and communities. Andrew Jones is the co-author of Evacuation: A Family Guide for the 21st Century and Surviving Disaster Without Leaving Home.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:38 — 22.7MB)
View Text TranscriptionIn this episode: 
- Why government dependence is self-destructive…
- How “normalcy bias” keeps you from being prepared…
- Bringing people together to take charge of their own preparedness plans…
- How to become an asset to your community in terms of disaster assistance…
- And more…
How do we get Andrew to do a presentation in our area? I live in Marietta, GA.
Thanks
Daverette-
You can contact me directly at aejones911@gmail.com to schedule an interview.
Thanks for your interest,
Andy
Wow, an emergency preparedness fair, what a spectacular idea! We certainly need one here in Kona HI! Not sure if that would be possible, but I would love to know what would be involved in getting your program here.
Aloha,
Sue
Sue,
I was just in Hawaii, and would love to return. Please contact me directly at arjones@gmail.com with any questions or to schedule a a presentation.
Thanks,
Andy
Correction to e-mail, my email address is
Aejones911@gmail.com
Send me a message and we’ll talk.
Correction to e-mail, my email address is
Aejones911@gmail.com
Send me a message and I would love to talk.
-Andy
I have the same request as the one in the above post – is it possible to have Andrew do a presentation in our area? We live in Dallas, GA.
Ann,
Please contact me directly about scheduling a presentation at aejones@gmail.com.
Thanks for your interest and I look forward to speaking with you.
Andy
Preparion is the key. I enjoyed this informative talk this afternoon. so many more folks need to hear, learn and practice this truth. Havingfood, water and being strong in faith is the key. We need faith. There is a greater role for man. Be prepared. Be prepared. yes, step back and think about all of these things. These statements are so truth, so very truthful. I am grateful to hear this message, here in local rural south central Arkansas.
Pg. 18 – Talk South reported: In her new memoir, My extraordinary Ordinary Life, the actress Sissy Spacek counts her blessings. “ And Spacek rejects disposable glamour for genuine enthusiasm, and eschews Hollywood for farm life in Virginia, a place she calls her ‘refuge’. I loved cities. I do, but nature is my refuge. A bug hitting a screen on a summer night is music to me. The wind in the trees, the creek running full after a storm. All of those sounds are a choir that fills me up and calms me. It took me a long time to realize that.” GARDEN AND GUN MAGAZINE, May 2012
case in point– many more of our senior citizens need to get into gardening, seed saving,etc. to be prepared:
Li Tingpang, 78, grew tired of the planned activities in his senior residence in Harlem, so he found a neglected lot near the Harlem River Drive and began tilling a garden.
Mr. Li’s Guerrilla Garden
By COREY KILGANNON
LI TINGBANG, a 78-year-old Chinese immigrant who grew up on a farm in Canton Province, now known as Guangdong, was always a restless type. So three years ago, bored with the dance and mah-jongg classes given in the senior residence where he lives in Harlem, he decided he needed a garden.
yes, and more folks should get into this in the city and out in the woods in the future –Foraging Walk
Prospect ParkSunday, May 20th, 1 pm Grand Army Plaza entrance
Hello, Fellow Foragers!
It’s been a long while since I’ve been in touch about foraging in the NYC area. That said, I can assure you that I have been watching things closely, experimenting, tasting, communingŠ This year, things are coming out very early (I’ve already seen black locust blossoming and lamb’s quarters have been up for a couple of weeks!), so I’m anxious to get picking. I will be leading a foraging walk in Prospect Park on May 20th at 1 pm (meeting at the ‘gate’ at the entrance to the park across from the Arch at Grand Army Plaza). I am suggesting a donation of $10 – $15 for the instruction -but as always, no one will be turned away and all are welcome. All proceeds will go to the continuing campaign to end the use of rainforest wood by NYC agencies. I’ve encountered over 30 edible plants in Prospect Park but in my “Foraging 101″ walk I concentrate on common and easily-gathered edibles and ones that are easy to process and remember.Bring a notebook and plenty of (used!) plastic bags. I also recommend a camera; and, since the warblers are out binoculars for the (other) birders. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
Join Bill Heid and Andrew Jones, and I am glad I did get to hear these gentleman today!!!! 4 stars to both of them.
There is truly something wrong with our country, case in point:
The United States of Incarceration
by Ryan Sanders|May 15, 2012
The United States locks up too many people. Globally, the average incarceration rate is 125 prisoners per 100,000 people. The United States arrest rate is 743 per 100,000. This gives the U.S. the highest incarceration rate on Earth. A recent article in The Christian Century says America seems to enjoy locking people in prison. As the piece reveals, the U.S. has only six percent of the world’s population, but it has 25 percent of the world’s prisoners.
Sadly, most folks do not live for preparedness, case in point:
I knew him well–
National Park College professor, Dr. Van Melvin Davis passed away on April 29, 2012, in the arms of his wife and the hearts of his daughter, his sister and so many others. He was 68. Van’s proudest achievement was teaching history and political science at National Park Community College for nearly 38 years. He was an inspiring professor with a passion for all of the subjects he taught, most especially the Civil War and Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. He challenged his students daily and never hesitated to share his true feelings on the subject at hand. He also cared for his students deeply and shared joy in their successes as scholars and human beings. With his familiar beard and long, lanky legs, many Hot Springs residents will remember seeing him running around Whittington Park and other Hot Springs roadways.
He tackled over 60 marathons, including five times finishing the Boston Marathon and eight times defeating Pikes Peak. Van was also a dear friend to animals, often taking in strays, caring for the pets of sick friends and rescuing puppies from mills. He was a diehard Dodgers fan (even though they brought him much heartbreak!) and a lover of trains, bluegrass and rock music, good books, Cool Whip, jelly beans and (last but not least) frosty mugs of beer. More than anything, though, Van was a thoughtful, loving, funny and proud husband and father. Along with Charlotte, he was a shockingly good dancer, and the once-titleholder for Polka at Hot Springs Oktoberfest.
We need to live by faith!
Andrew and Bill are right on the money, case in point:
Qing Li, Ph.D., the assistant professor leading several of these studies, suggests that dense forest areas are more effective at boosting immunity than city parks and gardens. He also reports that phytoncide concentrations increase during summer growing seasons and decrease during the winter, although they are still present in tree trunks even when the trees are deciduous. Li further suggests that walks in the woods should be conducted at a leisurely pace. For stress reduction, he suggests four hours of walking, covering a generous 3 miles, or 2 hours walking about 1.5 miles. For cancer-protecting effects, he suggests regularly spending three days and two nights in a forested area. “Carry water and drink when you’re thirsty,” says Li. “Find a place that pleases you and sit and enjoy the scenery.” He adds that relaxing in a hot tub or spa counts as a perfect end to a day of forest bathing. Li foresees a future in which patients diagnosed with high blood pressure or hypertension may receive a forest bathing prescription, but counsels that shinrin-yoku is considered preventive, rather than therapeutic, medicine.
Forest Bathing
The Healing Power of a Walk in the Woods
Lastly, I will leave you readers with this:
Enhancing Nature’s Power
Ecopsychologist Michael Cohen, Ph.D., executive director of Project NatureConnect, adds, “If you want to increase the healing effect of being in nature, it helps to change the way you think and feel about connecting with it.” He has students repeat the word ‘unity’ as they encounter natural attractions—be it a tree, bird, brook or breeze—until they feel that they are part of nature, not separate… part of the healing wisdom of the planet. More, he states, “Sharing helps solidify the experience and opens you to greater personal healing.”