A Rip Roaring Funny Blog

I am in such pain, it's just not fair... I have laughed until I hurt! If you have ever been curious about what tickles my funny bone, you have got to visit this blog http://thecookshack.blogspot.com/
Grab some tissues, don't say I didn't warn ya. :) Let me know what you think. There is some adult content, but Cookie warns ya ahead of time.



All written text and audio podcast from this blog are copyrighted and owned by Wretha unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved, You may download or copy for your own personal enjoyment., but please do not distribute (text or audio) without written permission.

Wretha,
properly pronounced wreetha (included for the text reader),

Thanks for visiting!

More Privacy Protection

More on privacy and those pesky Feedjit type sites.

I am still waging a battle against Feedjit and other sites such as Maploco, yes I do track my visitors, BUT the stats are not readily visible to everyone. I also have no problems with the owner of a site being able to privately track me while using their site. Public trackers are paramount to going into a store and over the door, for everyone to read it shows how you got to that store, the name of the town where you live, and where you went after you left the store. Not a pretty thought... I visit a LOT of blogs and other sites, I live in a very small community, I do not want the name of the town where I reside posted publicly on any website just because I visit the site, especially if it says where I came from and where I went after leaving. So I have tried many different ways to block these sites from being able to capture that information. Here is what I do now, and it seems to work.

I use Firefox as my browser, it allows me to use add-ons, one that is a favorite of mine is called "NoScript", this prevents active content from running on a site, if it's a site I trust, then I can click a button to allow active content to run, I can either choose individual content or allow everything to run. NoScript remembers what I have allowed and what I have blocked so I only have to mess with it the first time I visit a new site, after that it remembers. This has saved my butt from malicous or annoying content from messing with my computer. It's especially good when going to potentially "questionable" or high risk websites.

The next thing I added to my add-ons is called Adblock Plus, this also blocks things from running, though it's not proactive, you have to tell it what to block, and that's fine, I rely on NoScript to catch things first, then if something is particularly annoying (not necessarily an ad) then I run my cursor over it and if Adblock can block it, it shows a little tab that says "block", once I click on it, it's GONE, never to be seen again. I don't do this to block ads, as someone who uses advertising myself, I have no problem with ads, like I said, it works on more than just ads.

Next, I use a program called Avast, it's not part of the browser, it's an antivirus software and it's free. I have been using it for quite a while, when I noticed the other day a feature on it that allows you to block URLs. Well, I decided to try it out tonight, I put in *feedjit* and *maploco*, I was on a site that uses maploco, until now, nothing I did would block maploco from posting my town name. Until now... I put in those two URLs to be blocked, as soon as I refreshed the page, poof, the maploco icon was gone.

So, that is what I have so far, I will continue to look for problematic trackers that publicly show the name of my town when I visit and I will continue to look for ways to block them.



All written text and audio podcast from this blog are copyrighted and owned by Wretha unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved, You may download or copy for your own personal enjoyment., but please do not distribute (text or audio) without written permission.

Wretha,
properly pronounced wreetha (included for the text reader),

Thanks for visiting!

Grow Your Own Tobacco – Book Review

A while back, I had some trouble with the government about buying cigarettes from outside the country (USA), it is perfectly legal to order cigarettes for import into the USA for personal use. I assure you that the cigarettes I ordered WERE for personal use, I did not trade, sell, barter or in any other way distribute these cigarettes. After receiving a threatening letter from the Dept of Homeland Security, a very scary thing to find in your mailbox, especially for a law abiding citizen! I decided that I needed to find a better way to get smokes without having to pay an arm and a leg, or having the threat of the government over my head. I found an alternative way, it’s legal and it should be doable by nearly anyone.
Another note of interest, in the USA, the government is trying to make it illegal to buy cigarettes through the mail, so no matter what your source, whether you are buying overseas or buying domestically or from Native American reservations, if the powers that be have their way, this way of buying cigarettes is about to become illegal. So what can you do about this?

You can grow your own tobacco plants. I immediately started a search for information on how to grow your own, as well as how to process it to make a smokable product. It turns  out that there are not many sources with good info readily available on the internet. Fortunately I was able to find this source, it not only teaches you how to grow your own tobacco plants, but how and when to harvest, how to dry and cure your tobacco, and much, much more. Here is my review on this book. I hope to have a follow up interview with the author, when I have it, I’ll post a part 2 to this article. The link to the book can be found at the bottom of this article.


Growing Tobacco in the Home Garden
The Little Handbook
Review
As a smoker, you go out, you buy a carton or pack of cigarettes, (after you get over the sticker shock!), you open the cellophane, tear off the foil, you tap out a cigarette, you put it to your lips, you light it and inhale deeply. You fill your lungs with smoke and it’s good… or is it? What are you getting besides the nicotine your body craves? There is a whole laundry list of chemicals and toxins that you are also inhaling, what’s worse, these chemicals and toxins are not naturally found in the tobacco, these things are ADDED to the cigarettes by the cigarette companies. Why is that?

What if there was a better way? If you grow a vegetable garden or grow plants in containers, then you are already half way to a better and healthier way to smoke tobacco.  If you have been following my cigarette saga, then you already know the troubles I have had with the government about buying cigarettes overseas, so in an attempt to work around the problems, I investigated growing my own tobacco. It turns out that it is perfectly legal to grow your own as long as you are not selling, trading or bartering with the tobacco.

I found a seller on eBay who sells tobacco seeds and promptly ordered a set of 3 different types. I still didn’t know how to grow tobacco, how difficult (or easy) is it to grow? What are the best conditions to grow tobacco? How long do you allow it to grow, when do you harvest it? What do you do after that?

It turns out that the tobacco plant is fairly easy to grow, it is related to tomatoes, peppers and potatoes, it’s in the nightshade family, if your local conditions permit you to grow these plants, then you should be able to grow tobacco as well. But there are some steps that need to be taken to grow the best plants and know when to harvest them, and most importantly, to know how to dry and cure the leaves to get the most out of your tobacco plants.

I searched the internet and I found only one source that gives you step by step information on growing tobacco, everything from where to get your tobacco seeds, how to choose the varieties of tobacco plants to best suit what you want in a smoke and your growing zone, how to get the seeds started, how to transplant them, how to care for the plants (fertilizing, pest control…), when and how to harvest the leaves, how to dry and cure the leaves for the best quality in the finished tobacco.

This information is not a big dark secret, nor is it impossible to do, the hard part is just FINDING the information, the big cigarette companies don’t want you to know how this works. They have huge farms with proprietary processes, not to mention all the chemicals and garbage they add to the tobacco. Wouldn’t it just be better to grow tobacco in your own backyard or on your patio? Yes, you can grow tobacco in containers. It is a pretty, tropical plant with showy flowers and large leaves; many people grow it for purely decorative reasons. Another reason besides smoking to grow your own tobacco, it is used for natural, organic insect repellent in gardening.

I found a great illustrated eBook that explains all you need to know about growing your own tobacco plants.

Where to get your seeds
How  to start your tobacco plants
How to transplant them
The best conditions for them to grow
How and when to fertilize
Pest control
How and when to harvest the leaves
How, when and IF to prune
How to dry and cure the leaves for the best flavor
You will learn how to choose from the different varieties of tobacco
You will learn about the different blends of tobacco for flavor
What to do differently if you want to harvest the seeds for next year’s plants
How to troubleshoot common problems and issues

One question that many people ask is how many cigarettes or cartons worth of cigarettes will I get from one plant? This is a good question to ask as you will want to determine how many plants you need to grow to accommodate your personal smoking needs. You will learn the answer to this all important question within this eBook.

In this eBook you will find (table of contents)

1. Introduction to Tobacco
2. Different Types of Tobacco
3. Choosing Good Tobacco Seeds
4. Germinating Tobacco Seeds
5. Soil Types for Growing Tobacco
6. Planting Tobacco
7. Maintenance and Fertilization
8. Harvesting Tobacco
9. Drying and Curing Tobacco
10. Different Tobacco Uses
11. Interesting Facts about Tobacco

Thanks so much to Benjamin for sharing this invaluable information with us, I have searched high and low for the info contained in this eBook and so far, this is the only place where I have everything needed to grow your own tobacco plants and everything else involved in the process. With this information, you will save a lot of money by growing your own tobacco, not to mention the fact that the tobacco you grow is free of additives.

Disclaimer
I do not condone smoking or tobacco use in any form, if you are not a smoker or tobacco user, DO NOT START! I can’t emphasize that enough, there is no such thing as healthy tobacco use. If you are already a smoker or tobacco user, of legal age, then please consider growing your own, it is “healthier” for you in the fact that it will not contain additives or extra chemicals, you KNOW what is in the tobacco that you grow yourself.

I almost forgot to add, the author of this book is also including a free book on homebrewing your own alcohol, it’s an infomative book all about the ins and outs of homebrewing.
If you smoke cigarettes, you need the information in this book.

Click here to get your copy of this informative book.


Wretha

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Click here to read my book review process. 
Click here to see my other book reviews

Tarantula Videos

This is a tarantula that MMB found crawling on the skycastle, I can live with big spiders hanging around as long as they STAY OUTSIDE!




Wretha

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A Dog's Life

Click here to view these pictures larger

Bug Pictures

Mountain Man Bob has done more work on the Bug, it's paint job is now complete, at least for now, that is subject to change. The other thing he has been doing is working on the inside. He removed the back seat and I was amazed to see more air and rust than metal. The floorpans are nearly non-existent. MMB cut out the part over the transmission and replaced it with a sheet of aluminum, he cut it, bent it using a piece of railroad tie for an anvil and a rubber mallet. I helped by standing on the metal as he hit it. It is nearly a perfect fit. You can see a picture of one of my favorite magazines on the new metal, Mother Earth News. You can also see a copy of the book I am reviewing (I'm nearly done James, I promise!), it's called MAKESHIFT WORKSHOP SKILLS FOR SURVIVAL AND SELF-RELIANCE written by James Ballou.

The book can be found here:
http://paladinpress.com/product/1150/82

Click here to view these pictures larger

Wretha

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Chia Pets or Survival Food?

Remember those silly little Chia Pets? Little did we know then that those strange little seeds painted on those cheesy terracotta pots shaped like animals were actually GOOD for us... It turns out that they are, they are high in vitamins, minerals, loads of fiber and it's a better source of omega's than flax seeds are. It's supposed to be good for diabetics too, I will not repeat what I have read on line in the last hour or so, it's very easy to look up. Google Chia Seeds

Sept 13, 2009
In an attempt to eat better, in the past I started out eating psyllium husk for the fiber content. Honestly it was not pleasant, it never completely dissolved in water, it was like trying to drink sawdust and it contained no nutritional value. Then I discovered flaxseed. Unlike psyllium husk, flax seed contains nutrients, and a good taste to boot. I would buy the whole seeds and grind what I wanted to eat, I even considered growing my own flax to get fresher seeds but never actually did it. I recently stumbled upon chia seeds on line and it turns out that these little seeds are not only edible, they are extremely healthy, they are even better than flax seeds, that combined with the fact that they contain so much antioxidants, they do not go rancid (as fast) as flax seeds or other seeds in this category. Of course, like anything, they will eventually go rancid, but no where near as fast as other seeds.

So I went into town last week (gasp!) with the intent on going to our local whole foods type market. Sure enough, they carried the magical seeds, I was hoping they would have them in bulk, but they only seemed to carry them prepackaged. They had 2 different jars of seeds, one was better priced than the other so that's the one I chose, Upon getting it home, I took began breaking into the jar. First I had to get through the plastic ribbon they place around the lid. Got through that OK, next was the seal on the top of the jar, it didn't come off as easy. I finally got it open without spilling any of the seeds.

Inside the jar were the tiniest seeds, much smaller than flax seeds. They were also kind enough to include a scoop inside the jar. One scoop is one serving. You are supposed to put a scoop full of seeds into a glass of water, stir briskly, allow it to sit for a while, stir again then drink. The seeds do not play well with the water, at first... once you get the clumps mixed with the water, then it becomes magical. Each seed splits and absorbs water to make a little round gelatin blob.

I tried drinking it with plain water, it didn't taste bad, or good, in fact it really had no taste. I decided to put a spoon full of sugar in it (I know, that's not very nutritious...), that made it much easier to drink. It's recommended to chase it with another glass of water. Mountain Man Bob was trying to decide if it looked like fish eyes or fish eggs, leave it up to him to come up with something that gross... A friend suggested it was like tapioca pudding, double yuck, I detest tapioca pudding! Fortunately it is really not anything like those things.

I can say that it IS full of fiber, the next day I had one of the best and biggest, well lets just say I had a good movement. ;) Sorry if that's TMI... If you are having any sort of trouble in that area, I'd say that a helping of chia seeds and a glass of water, the following day you should not have that trouble.

I just finished a dose of chia seeds, this time I added a packet of EmergenC, it flavored the chia seed gel quite nicely and it's good for me. I think I'll be taking my chia seeds in this manner from now on.

Sept 14, 2009
Today I decided to grind up the chia seeds with my coffee/spice grinder. It's not necessary to do this, but I read that it makes for a smoother drink. I just tasted the ground chia seeds and water, it's not bad, it really has no flavor of its own, I could see adding this to smoothies or hot cereals and you would never know it was there. You can also add this to other foods, again there is a lot already written about this on line, I'll not repeat it here. I will add a packet of EmergenC for extra nutrients and flavor. I just drank the concoction and it's not bad, not bad at all. :) Especially for something that is healthy.

It also turns out that it grows in desert conditions very well, it likes full sun and low water, that's exactly what I have an abundance of. 

So for a survival food and a health food, it's high on the list, it doesn't go rancid, it's full of nutrients, antioxidants, omega 3s,  vitamins, minerals, fiber and too many other good things to list here. This might come in very handy in a TEOTWAWKI situation, if we are eating out of cans because we can't get fresh foods, then supplementing that with chia seeds and chia sprouts would go a long way to making us healthier during that time. I'm not waiting though, I'm doing it now for the health benefits. I would suggest buying whole seeds, not ground seeds or meal, it's not difficult to grind them yourself, it's also not necessary to grind them at all, just soak in water, flavor if you wish and drink.

If you can't find chia seeds where you live, or if you would like to support this site, you can order them here:
Chia Seeds



Wretha

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The Mystery Is Solved

I found it! Actually found it last night shortly after the first post about the stench permeating the air. I passed right by it so many times and never even considered that such an odor could be coming from this source. What is it you ask? A bowl of garlic chive seed heads. I had cut them last week to save the seeds and keep the seeds from falling in a place where I don't necessarily want garlic chives growing.

I cut these seed heads, placed them in a bowl to finish drying and set this by the sink. Mountain Man Bob thought the seeds may get splashed by the sink and he thought I might forget about them, so he set the bowl on the shelf behind my laptop. In the process of drying, the scent of the garlic chives got stronger and stronger, eventually turning into something unpleasant, almost rancid, dead smelling...

I took the bowl outside and put it on the deck. I wanted to wait until today to decide if that was really the source of the smell and it seems that the smell is gone. I briefly wondered if I should cover it, perhaps the mice or other critters might get into it, then I realized that with the smell these were giving off, I doubt anything would bother it, LOL. I am sooooo glad that we didn't have to resort to drastic measures to get rid of the odor or worse, have to live with it until it went away.

As Lindy aptly called the game, "What in the hell is that smell?", apparently her cats love this game, I'll be glad not to play that again any time soon. :)

Wretha

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Something Stinks....

... no I'm not going political on ya, something really does stink around here. I have been smelling it for a few days, at first I thought maybe I had left something in the sink that needed to go... well I cleaned out the sink extra good, it's not there, it's not coming up from the drain. It's been fairly low key, not too bad, I could smell it when I first walked in to the skycastle, but by the time I put my stuff down, I couldn't smell it anymore so I would forget about it. Well, tonight, it is strong, too strong to ignore. I have sniffed around all of my food stocks, under and behind everything, I can't pinpoint where this smell is coming from. I smell it strongest around my computer area, that's next to the food storage, I still can't find the source. I fear it may be a dead mouse in the wall... uuugggghhhh.

We have had a few mice living in the roof, with fall and cooler weather coming, the mice are looking for a warm and cozy place to overwinter. We have some traps set out where they have been walking around outside, so far there is no evidence that they have gotten inside, I believe that possibly one is dead in the wall though. I'll talk to Mountain Man Bob about it tomorrow. If there IS a dead mouse in the wall, I'm afraid we may have to let Nature take its course and allow it to mummify, hopefully this is the stinkiest it will get (crossing my fingers and pinching my nose). Getting behind this wall would be an all day job, we would have to take down all of the food stocks, take everything down over my computer, remove all of the shelves, then we would be able to remove the wall panels, then once we found the offending critter, the other half of the job would begin, putting everything back. Not something either one of us would be interested in doing.

We live in a pretty arid climate, hopefully the alleged mouse carcass will dry out quickly. I'll keep ya informed about the phantom odor and what I find.


Wretha

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Props To My Commentators

Congrats to my chattiest commentator, Seth! I have a new widget that shows the top 10 commentators on this blog. Thanks to each and every one of you for not only reading this blog, but taking the time to comment and letting me know your thoughts, asking questions and such.

Just scroll down on the right side of the screen (on the blog, can't see it in a reader), just below the "about me" block.

Thanks to

1. seth (21)
2. Mayberry (15)
3. TexasMan (13)
4. The Scavenger (9)
5. The Hermit (8)
6. Confessions of an Overworked Mom (8)
7. Ginger (8)
8. Dragon (7)
9. HermitJim (7)
10. Michael (6)

Thanks Creekmore for putting this on your blog for the rest of us to find. :)

Wretha

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