Do I really have to do this?

Why would anyone in their right mind start blogging about anything.  Oh, key words, "right mind".  Somewhere on the internet, there is someone right now, doing this same thing and people are actually reading it.  Why?  Because, someone wants to know.  I have been asked numerous times to answer questions about topics, from Ham Radio, Computers, Cars, Plumbing, Electric, etc.  Is there a stamp on my head that says, "Search for information here."  Not that I mind being a repository of useless information, but at some point you ask yourself, "If I know so much, why am I not rich?"  Well, because everything I know is a random mix of actual hands on experience, and internet searches, and real classroom knowledge.  Putting it all together is like building a puzzle with no picture on the front.  You can't tell what it is until you put it all together.  Back to the point, why am I not rich, or at least well off?  I have no sense of business.  I am the worst organized person in the world.

Intelligence is overrated.  What matters is documentation.  If it isn't on paper it doesn't count.  Had I not quit school in the 12th grade, because I was bored, I would have gotten a diploma.  So ten years later I decided to go back and get it.  Now it isn't worth the paper it was printed on.  You need a degree from a place of higher learning in order to be taken seriously.  I have tons of certificates and diploma's, and achievements, from FEMA, the Department of The Military, The National Weather Service, The State of Tennessee...  Speaking of the State of Tennessee, I have a certification as a Children's Services Councilor.  I got it because I went to work as a maintenance man in a youth detention center.  So documentation means nothing either!

How does one go about putting pieces of random information and certification to use?  Well, you pick out what is pertinent, and put it with what you know, and find a way to link the two together.   If you are like me it all amounts to squat!  There is one job I am qualified for and someone else has it.  One job I could actually do and enjoy it.  In this county, you have to wait for someone to die or retire, and then you have to wait on a change of politicians, to even consider applying for that job.  Yes, I burned some bridges, and that leaves me out on a limb, with a bundle of paper.

Do you wait for the right moment to present it's self, or do you try to insert yourself in a position that makes you useful.  I decided to become useful to someone, anyone.  Doing pro bono work for government agencies,  and people in leadership positions.  Oh, now they have found out that I am useful...  well alrighty then, my foot is in the door.  Let's find out if I can keep my foot in the door.  Time to start showing them what I can do.  

Snow Day!

Howdy Folks, well we got an itsy bit of snow here in Tennessee, and everybody was going nuts.  Why do people go to the store and buy bread and milk, when it snows.  I need some steaks, charcoal, and lots of lighter fluid, just in case I have to pour it in my kerosene heater.  I have all this camping equipment that only gets used in the spring and fall because it's too dang hot in the middle of summer.  Charcoal lighter is good for all sorts of things.  You know those tiki torches that folks use during the summer to keep mosquito's away, well if you need some light, you can fill them up with charcoal lighter and use them, with out the citronella smell.   Another good thing to have on hand if your power goes out and you don't have a gas cook top, is a small propane camp stove.
I have a one burner, and you can make coffee in the old percolator, or scramble some egg's if you get hungry.  Another good thing to keep on hand is a marine or gel cell battery,  in case you have to jump start your own car!
Make sure you keep it charged up though!  Keep some extra clothes in your car, just in case you get wet, and it's freezing outside.  If you have room keep an old blanket for emergencies.  Ya know, back to propane appliances, a propane lantern is great to have too, they give off a lot of light.  I like propane better than the old camp fuel type, because you can store the containers easier, and don't have to worry about spills.  I saw a device online the other day to refill those small propane bottles from a tank like you use for your grill.  If I find it again I'll post a link, but I bet you can Google it!  Around here power outages aren't just a random inconvenience, they are a fact of life.  I gotta have my coffee, so I keep those propane bottles on hand year round.  Just keep 'em in a dry place so the bottles don't rust, otherwise, you can get a leak, and there is a lot of gas in those things.  Oh, and get a cheap power inverter, you can power a laptop, or a radio, even small power tools from those things.  Wal-mart has them starting at about $40 and up.  A good one will cost close to a hundred bucks, but you can run a flat screen TV on it. Just make sure you have you engine running.  Mine has an automatic shut off, so you don't kill your battery.  You can get 'em to plug into a lighter socket, or clip right on to your battery terminals.    That's all I got fer ya tonight.  If ya want more emergency survival tips, comment on my post, or find me on Facebook.
later, Dwayne KD4KDF

Ramblings

Well, I finally broke down and did the stupidest thing ever!  I started a BLOG? Will anyone ever read this stuff? Who knows, but every now and then, I do come up with some idea's that even surprise me.  I am currently in the process of planning a meeting in February for our District ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) group.  I am the District 1 Emergency Coordinator, which covers 6 counties in west Tennessee.  (Shelby, Haywood, Crockett, Lauderdale, Tipton, and Fayette) "What does that even mean", you ask?  Well I coordinate ham radio operators, who volunteer to provide communications support in the event of an emergency.  It's mostly about keeping up with a list of people who can drag out their equipment and get on the air, to provide communications, when nothing else is working.  Lets say for example a major earthquake, or an ice storm, where power, phone, and internet service are out of order.  If your family was trying to find out if you were alive, we would be the ones, relaying that information out to someone who had phone or internet capabilities, so that we could contact your family members, and tell them you were ok.

What else?  Well, stay tuned.  I have more.