Just An Angry Man

I've been angry lately.  More than normal.  I seem to have difficulty ignoring the almost constant flow of utter insanity that comes out of the various media outlets I follow.

I get pissed off when King Barry holds a press conference telling us how he's such a stud for killing Gadaffi in Libya.  Huh?  I thought we weren't there, it was NATO, blah, blah, blah.  Yet there he is, damned near carrying his, "Mission Accomplished" banner.

I get pissed off when the Main Stream Media fawns over the Occupy folks.  They excuse their filth, their law-breaking, their anarchy-driven message, their anti-Semitism.  We Tea Partiers followed the law, left our meeting places cleaner than we found them, and were simply demanding a return to Constitutional principals.  We're painted as out-of-touch haters, racists and elites.

I get pissed off when ass-hats like Russell Simmons and Warren Buffett act as champions to Tax The Rich, yet when cornered with the question, "Why don't you just write the government a bigger check?", they shine you on, and the press lets them get away with it.  Simmons was on Al Sharpton's radio program this past weekend, and said he wouldn't give more money to the government because they'll piss it away in the "War Machine".  No shit, Sherlock.  And on the Welfare Machine.  And the Regulatory Machine.  And the Protect Unions Machine.

Much of this, I can slough off.  Then there's stuff like this.

Here in Northern California is a city named Richmond.  It's an armpit.  It always has been, at least in my lifetime.  When you have to drive through Richmond, you do so quickly, with your windows up and doors locked.

Needless to say, they've got gang problems.  Want to hear their latest "idea" on how to cure the problem?

Pay them off.

Yep, if you're a gang member and you agree not to shoot anyone, you can sashay your ass down to City Hall and pick up an "atta boy!" check.

Let that settle into your brain:  If you're a criminal, we'll pay you not to commit a crime.

Someone want to tell me how you audit/verify that?  If they're still writing checks, that must mean that all gang crime is gone, right?  My BP shot up 40 point just thinking about that...

Anyways, it seems that the scheduling secretary messed up, and two rival gangs showed up for the payoffs at the same time.  Oops.  These criminals all got into a fist fight [link].   (I wonder if they still got their checks?)

Seven men from different parts of the city brawled in a third-floor suite that houses the city’s Office of Neighborhood Safety around 12:30 p.m. Friday, department director Devone Boggan said.

He said all of the men involved in the melee are enrolled in the office’s “Operation Peacemaker” fellowship and happened to show up at the office at Richmond’s Civic Center at the same time unexpectedly.

Operation Peacemaker?!  THAT got milk shooting out of my nose!  My version of Operation Peacemaker would be arming all citizens with the namesake single-action revolver...

If the insanity of this payoff program isn't enough, look at the response after this fight.  You MUST watch the video on the page above.  The SOB director is one of those smug bastards that riddle government.  He actually gave his staff instructions to NOT cooperate with police to identify the punks that destroyed tax-payer financed property.

They destroyed property, broke the rules for the program, left the scene of a crime, and the director of the program wants to turn a blind eye.

Why isn't he in jail for Obstruction of Justice?

You know what?  If I lived in Richmond, I could actually get behind a program that provided anger management, and other skills to gang members (run by a private charity, of course).  You can attend the classes for free, or even attend one-on-one counceling sessions.  But I sure as hell wouldn't set up the program to give these bangers money to pay for this stuff.  Does anyone actually believe they're going to spend the money on classes?  Really?
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Hey, didya hear where the country's most affluent citizens now live?  No, it's not Richmond, but the idea is the same.  Washington, DC citizens are now richer than those in Silicon Valley [link] -

The report shows that the National Capital Region edged out Silicon Valley to become the most affluent U.S. metropolitan areas. The typical Washington metro household earned $84,523 in 2010, compared to a national median income of $50,046. Income in the D.C. area registered a 0.8 percent drop, but that didn’t faze government bureaucrats, who kept getting automatic raises. For federal workers, total compensation with benefits jumped 3 percent in 2010 to an incredible $126,369. A separate study showed that nationwide, inflation-adjusted median household income fell 6.7 percent between June 2009 and June 2011. Figures like this feed the perception that government personnel are no longer public servants but a self-serving, privileged class.

How'd you spend YOUR 3% raise?  You got one, right?

I just want to vomit.  You will make more money sucking off the public teat than going out and inventing something.  Creating something.  Manufacturing something.

How do you say, "Take us now, we're ready for the plucking," in Mandarin?
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Filed under, "You're too stupid to know any better" -

These liberals who spout the, "Tax the rich" pablum drive me crazy.  Now, I'm not rich.  I'm not even close.  I don't even know any rich folks, but that's beside the point.

These liberals, like this idiot Paul Krugman,  refuse to tell the whole story when they get on their "Fair Share" bandwagon.  I think the rich would be happy as all hell to just pay their fair share.  What those like Krugman always leave out of their speel is this:

The top 1% earn 20% of all income in the US.  They PAY 38% of the taxes.  Basically, they pay DOUBLE their fair share.

Instead, this is what we hear [link] -

According to new estimates by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, one-fourth of those with incomes of more than $1 million a year pay income and payroll tax of 12.6 percent of their income or less, putting their tax burden below that of many in the middle class.

Most puddin' heads read that and want to riot in the streets. Economic Justice For All!!

What Krugman left out was the other 3/4 of those with incomes over $1m and their grotesque burden. Apparently, they need better accountants.

And, of course, he left out the fact that over 50% of Americans pay NO income tax whatsoever. Guess who's making up the difference. Look in the mirror...
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More, "Too stupid..." stuff -

In 16 states around the country, it is legal to grow, possess and smoke "Medical Marijuana".  The federal government has no Constitutional power to limit intrastate commerce, or to restrict what people choose to put in their bodies, so the states can do as they wish in this regards.

LOL!  Sorry, I slipped into a fantasy sequence for a second there.

Anyways, the feds are flexing their muscles for their highly successful War On Drugs campaign (again, LOL).  They're cracking down on growers and dispensaries.  Big time [link] -

Across the Central District of California, which stretches from Santa Barbara to San Bernardino counties, many of the 38 clinics have closed because landlords, threatened with criminal charges or seizure of their assets, were given just 14 days to evict their clients, a period that expires Friday. Other districts in California gave pot dispensaries more time to comply.

These bastards drag out their tired old reasoning:  It's a gateway drug, it's bad for kids, it's a scourage on America, blah, blah, blah.

So what?  No one is forcing you to smoke pot.  I ask all Anti-Druggers the same question:  If pot/meth/coke/heroin were suddenly re-legalized, would you try it the next day?  Me neither.  I'm not stupid.  And the stupid people can already obtain whatever drugs they want, but they have to get them from illegal sources.

The real reason, of course, is that the War On Drugs is the Narco Cops Full Employment Act.  They'd have to give up all of their cool gear if pot were suddenly re-legalized.  The prison unions, as well, would suddenly find their members out of work if you had a sudden drop in inmates.  We just can't have that, now, can we?
Illegaly distilling your own alcohol is even more insane - if that's even possible.  You are not allowed to take a bunch of legal ingredients - water, sugar and yeast - combine them to make alcohol, which is also legal.  Then take that low-grade alcohol and distill it to make stronger alcohol - which is also legal to purchase, possess and consume.

You can go to the store and buy it, but you can't make it yourself.  The BS reasoning is that you're too stupid to make it right, and you'll end up blind or dead.  We all know the real reason - taxation.

Let the stupid people abuse drugs and alcohol, like they do right now.  Some will die, some will ruin their lives, some will see the error of their ways and straighten up.  The key is, you must let the people feel the consequences of their decisions.  No government bail-outs.

Regardless, our society will be more free, and better off.  We'll have smaller government, smaller jails, and examples to show children of, "That's what happens to you when you abuse drugs."

Win, win, win.  Unless you're a big government proponent with cool tactical gear.

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Images of America

Coming to a town near you.  This happens to be in Sacramento, Ca -




Can someone again explain to me how a woman is supposed to protect herself against 3 young males unless she has a gun?  And how you're supposed to do that in a state where your ability to be granted permission to protect yourself is at the whim of an elected official?

Did you notice the real stud - the guy who threw the left-hook that put her down?  He had a work badge around his neck.  On one site, someone made note that it was an Apple, Inc., access badge (they've got a plant in close-by Elk Grove).

So, it's not like they were doing this for money.  It was sport.

Put those rabid dogs down.
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I found this simple little line in a bigger article on the "Occupy" protests -

Five other people wearing masks were arrested as demonstrators marched through Manhattan to Times Square.

WTF?  How can you arrest people for wearing masks?  What might be the charge?  Flagrantly wearing a mask while exercising your First Amendment rights?

Was this mask-wearer arrested as well?

I'm pretty sure the motto - if not the expected "tone" -  of police departments is, "To Protect and Serve,"  not "Supress and Intimidate".

Hey, with Holloween coming up, NYC has got to be a fun place.  Venture outside with a scary mask, end up in the joint.  That's if you're able to navigate your way through the maze of checkpoints. 

Nice... if you like a police state.
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More California insanity.  Did ya hear?  The youth drug epidemic has been solved.  We're banning gloves.  Really.

You've got to listen to this puddin' head.  THIS is the face of California politics.





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No pix:  I'm liking Herman Cain alot.  My one concern is one of the "9's" in his 9-9-9 plan.  The one that establishes a national sales tax.

If those maggots in DC get the national sales tax, we be screwed.  Pelosi & Company will melt into a hot pool of Commie Love - and it would have been handed to them by someone who appears to be a decent guy. 

Any hope of keeping the Commerce Clause contained to its stated limits - sales between states and with other countries - will be forever lost.  The Clause has already been used and abused, and this would simply render it irrelevant.
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If I haven't already pissed you off with my heartless callousness, this should put you over the edge.

I have this personality flaw:  I genuinely believe that I'm responsible for myself.  I know, I know, it's out of touch with today's times, but it is who I am.

I think this should apply to everyone.  If I make a mistake, it's up to me to fix it.  If I make a correct decision, I get to benefit from it.  It's simple.  Some might say simplistic, but I can live with that.

There are others that don't agree with me.  Most vote Democrat.  That's painting with a broad brush, but I've found it to be generally true.

It is their belief that we're all responsible for each other.  Shared sacrifice.  Economic/social/gender justice.

In short, socialism/communism.

I found this site [link] that has pictures of folks participating in the Occupy (fill in city name) protests (have you heard - they're not 'protesters' they're 'occupants' - LOL).  I was scanning the pix, and getting more and more pissed off as I proceeded. 

Take this one, for instance (click to enlarge) -

Here's some Tough Love from ol' Uncle Chief Instructor -

1. You got a Masters in something for which there's no demand?  You DID do some sort of market survey before you went to school, right?  You didn't go get one of those unmarketable degrees like 'ethnic studies' or 'protest dogma' or 'gender studies' did you?  Ah, cupcake, you've been led down the liberal garden path.  Lots of jobs for accountants, sales, marketing and the like.  Ain't as sexy or as interesting while chattin' up your buds at a bong-fest, but it helps keep meat on your bones.
2. Landmark research?  4.0 GPA?  LOL, BFD!  What can you DO to earn my business money?  It doesn't sound like you can DO anything (other than whine).
3. Can't find a job?  Naw, WON'T find a job is more like it.  Craig's List is full of jobs.  Maybe not the one you had dreamed about as you closed your eyes and clicked your ruby-clad heels, but they're there.  Take one, today, build some marketable skills, build some contacts, and become an adult.
4. $92K in loans for a degree that didn't provide you with skills the market demands?  Hmm, maybe you're too stupid to get a job.  YOU SPENT NEARLY $100,000 ON SOMETHING YOU LIKE BUT CAN'T SELL?!  Let that sink in, then go out and get any job you can land.  Today!  YOU can't be too picky.
5. You want to do what you studied to do.... ain't that sweet.  I want to sit around the pool all day sipping Jack and Coke while I [REDACTED CONTENT].  Guess what, cupcake?  Ain't gonna happen as long as I want to provide for myself and my family.  Sucks, huh?
6. Finally, contact Jesse Jackson, Jr.  He has proposed that the government pay all 15 million unemployed people $40,000 per year to do stuff we need.  Like cleaning up parks and stuff.  I'll bet if you asked really sweetly, he'd see if he could get your college debt eliminated as well.  The nice Democrats are like that.

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1. See above.
2. 42 hours a week?  Let's see.... the last time I worked 42 hours a week was ...... NEVER!  Princess, would things be better if you could work, say, 20 hours a week and make a couple million a year?  I hope you've got a hell of a fastball, and a wicked slider.  Otherwise, get your ass out of your mom's basement and get another job.  Ask for some OT.  REDUCE your spending (THERE'S a radical concept, huh?).  Become self-reliant as soon as is possible.
3. Hug and kiss your mom.

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1. Hey, at least you don't have $92k in college bills!
2. OK, do this:  Take this nickel.  Hold it between your knees, only removing it when you need to pee or poo.  Viola!  No more babies!
3. If you REALLY love that soon-to-be-baby, you'll give it up for adoption.  You can't take care of yourself, let alone another human being.  Both you and your baby will then have a chance to be positive, contributing members of society.

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Funny How It All Came Together

I had mentioned in my last post that the Occupy Wall Street folks need to be focused.  They're trying to pattern themselves after the Tea Party movement, which is laser-focused:  Lower taxes and smaller government.

I saw 3 different "spokespersons" be asked the same question late last week, and they all had basically the same answer. "What are you trying to accomplish?  What are your goals?"  All three of them - San Francisco, DC and somewhere else basically said, "We don't know (WTF?!)  We've got a communications dude that will be figuring it out for us."

After the first one, I thought it was a joke.  Really?  You're out protesting, but you don't know why?  But it appeared as though it was the rule, and not the exception.
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They appear to now have more focus - they hate banks and Wall Street - but there's no agenda or end-game.  Some commie type guy called a radio station Sunday night, and the host was giving him all the rope he needed to hang himself.

"So.  Let's say you're successful, and you're able to shut down, oh, Bank Of America.  How will your life be better?"  Queue crickets chirping.

After the bilge water between his ears caught an electrical signal, he went back into the pre-planned rant against the banks, their evil white executives, blah, blah, blah.

The hostess tossed him another question:  "If you're able to shut down B of A, what will you tell the hundreds of thousands of employees that will have lost their jobs?"  More crickets.  Then rage.

This REALLY pissed him off.  He went into this hyper-wired rant about how "the people" would start a bank that was fair and equitable, and not have any profit, and blah, blah, blah.  It sounded like he envisioned a commune credit union that did business out of a cash drawer picked up at Office Depot.

The hostess noted that that would require Congress to re-write all of the banking laws, including those just force fed to us by the Dodd-Frank banking reform - the same laws that cut some fees banks were charging, so they just made new fees, and that's what you're out here protesting?  He was unclear on the concept.

Then, the hostess just got plain cruel.  She questioned the role of government.  Big government.  "And really, shouldn't you protesters be hammering the government, and not the banks, since it was the government that made the decision to give the banks the bailouts?"

I believe I heard his head explode on air.  A good time was had by all.
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Ooops.  It seems that some of this "spontaneous," grassroots, "of, by and for the people", protesting isn't quite so.  It seems that some of them are being paid to be there...

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1207109585001/wall-street-protestors-getting-paid/?intcmp=obinsite

Hey, at least it's kinda, sorta helping with the unemployment problem, huh?  The Tea Party organizers are just cheap, I guess.

Funny how I missed this story on the network TV news shows.  I'm sure if there had been paid Tea Partiers it wouldn't have made the news either....
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Did you hear what Governor Jerry "MoonBeam" Brown did here in California?  It's now illegal to get a tan, but if you're illegal, you can go to college.

Yep, if you're under 18, you can no longer go to a tanning salon.  The decision isn't up to you or your parents - the state knows best.  My guess is that going to the beach - unless you're in a burka - will soon be illegal as well.

But there is good news if you're here in California illegally:  You can now get government-paid financial support to go to college.  Isn't that special?  You're here breaking the law, so we heap benefits on you.

I sure am glad we're using up our state surplus on these high-minded programs.  We've got a surplus, right?
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That festering piece of Brown shit (sorry, I'm pissed off) also signed a bill making open carry illegal,.

All for good reason, though -

"We view the open carrying of unloaded handguns as a threat to the safety of the communities we police and the safety of our officers," said David L. Maggard, Jr., president of the California Police Chiefs Association.

Really, Dave? You want to explain that one? How in God's Name could it be a threat to the community by someone carrying an UNLOADED GUN?  Of course, there's an exemption... for police officers.

We're their boss, right?  Not the other way around?  Yet they've got more rights (again) than we do.  Hmm.

Not to leave good enough alone, Brown also signed a bill requiring the state to keep records of long gun purchases.

The justification for that one?

In a message accompanying the signed bill, AB809 by Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, Brown wrote, "Since the state already retains handgun purchaser information, I see no reason why the state should not also retain information pertaining to the sale of long guns."

Hey, we're already invading your privacy, why not do a little bit more, huh? What's the harm?
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I think I've known in my heart that I would eventually be leaving this state.  I've worked very hard to come up with alternatives.  Many of the more rural areas are less restrictive with gun laws, and we could just move there.

What is not changing is the insanity in Sacramento.  This over-arching need to spend money we just don't have.  This insane belief that we must be "moral and compassionate" and turn a blind eye to laws that are mean to people that are here illegally, or whom choose to "make a living" by not working.

I called one of my brothers yesterday and said that my own personal "line in the sand" had been crossed.  The event was something I had witnessed a hundred times before, but this time, it was one of those "Perfect Storm" moments.  More newly legislated state spending, more newly legislated reduction in personal liberty, and witnessing the result of this mind-set.  It dawned on me that California will NEVER change.  Never.  I just won't play any more.

Death By A Thousand Cuts has finally bled me out.

The event I witnessed was three generations  of women buying receiving food.  On my dime.  Grandma, mom and sissy, each with their own cart, each in turn pulling out their various forms of government script.  Mom and sissy each had cell phones plastered to their heads.  All three were adorned in beautiful clothes, each had newly quaffed hair and spiffed up nails.

What none of them had was an ounce of shame.  There was no attempt to cast their eyes away from the glare they were getting from me.  To the contrary.  Their look was one of, "I'm entitled."

After they had bagged their bounty, they all proceeded to the section of the store where cigarettes and alcohol are sold.  I bagged up, and went to my car and waited.  Grandma and sissy cooled their heels at the curb while mom went and got the car.  A few minutes later, she pulled up in a late model SUV.  The hatch was popped, the bounty was secured, and off they went.

I felt the life drain from me.
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I've lived my entire 52 years in California.  My entire family lives here.  I've worked hard to find a way to stay here to stay close - "Maybe I can move to XYZ county and it won't be quite so bad."

Well, it's just not going to work.  The political pandering will continue.  The welfare state will expand.  Personal liberty will be reduced.  I know all of this as fact.

This state has a terminal cancer.  No amount of chemo or surgery can help. The model we've built is one of parent and child.  The state, as the parent, is dying.  The children are being stuck with the hospital bill.  Some of the kids are furiously working to pay the bills.  Some of the kids are stealing the parent's meds.  More and more, kids like me recognize the parent is terminal, and withdraw.

We're sad.  We remember how lively and vibrant our parent used to be  We wonder if there was something we could have done differently.

But the parent has no chance of recovery.  Death in imminent.  We only hope it happens quickly.

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Money Grab, Preps With Leftovers, Caveman!

Debit card charges. Bank of America is now going to charge customers a $5 fee to use their debit cards each month.  This is just like banks did with ATM cards.  They get you addicted to using them, then they start affixing fees to access your money - even though it's MUCH less expensive for them to deliver the cash via a machine instead of a human teller.  

Bank of New York, I believe, is now charging customers a service fee for making deposits.  Why dat?  They can't make any money lending it out - in fact, it costs them money, as they must pay the FDIC insurance fee.  No one is borrowing money - regardless of how low the interest rates might be - so they've got to make it up by charging you to warehouse your own money.

Do you need more reason to take your money out of the bank?
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Occupy Wall Street protesters:  Growing, and spreading [link].

Gotta say, I agree with the general premise, but they need focus.  Too many folks with differing causes.  Stay focused on the banks and the bailouts, and they'll get some popular support.

As Ol' Remus says, "Stay away from crowds."  So far, the protests have focused mainly on cities with Federal Reserve Bank branches.  The SF Fed is located right next to the first BART (subway) station that enters San Francisco.  If their protest spread to the BART station, business in SF would be seriously hindered.  This same line goes all the way to the SF airport as well, so that could mess things up as well.

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Made up a batch of cream cheese with some fresh milk that was on its way to not being fresh any longer.  In the past, I've made a non-rennet cheese out of non-fat dry milk that was getting a bit gamey ["Gettin' Cheesy" link].  This time, I made it out of some fresh 2% milk that was a week past it's expiration date (still smelled and tasted great).

I brought about 3/4 of a gallon up to 180F, and added 2 tbs of white vinegar, gave it a stir, and..... nuthin'.  It wouldn't break into the curds and whey.  I eventually added another tbs and turned the heat back on and it broke up very nicely.

It was MUCH softer than the dried milk stuff.  I'm guessing that was because of the added fat.  I poured it into a cheesecloth-lined colander, where I rinsed out the vinegar with warm water.  I let that drain a bit more, and decided I was going to make a cream cheese of sorts.

I added dehydrated onions, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and perhaps a quarter cup of milk and stirred it all up.  Awesome!  I filled up some ramekins with the cheese spread, and it will adorn my morning bagels over the coming weeks.
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I made up some killer Asian-style spare ribs this weekend.  Knowing I'd have lots left over (I have difficulty not cooking for an Army, even though it's just me and my wife!), I decided to do some prepping with beans and the leftover ribs.  I reserved the excess marinade, plus the drippings from the ribs (I cooked them in the oven).  The marinade was a homemade teriyaki sauce.

First up, I took my overnight-soaked beans (4lbs dry), added them to a pot with sauted onions and carrots.  I covered them with water to about an inch over the beans.  I then poured in the reserved marinade (about 1 1/2 cups) and let the beans soak in some of the flavor.  I brought the beans to a boil and let them go for about 45 minutes.

While this was happening, I got my canner, jars, lids and rings ready, and started taking the meat off the ribs.  I ended up with about 3 cups of shredded meat.  I broke this into 10 piles (my canner holds 10 pints).

I pulled the 10 jars from the canner (where they were in 180F water) and put one pile of meat into each.  I then filled each jar with beans to within an inch of the rim.  The jars were then filled to within a half inch of the rim with the bean broth.

Ten pounds pressure for 75 minutes, and I have ten pints of Asian BBQ beans on the shelf!
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I still had a butt-load of beans left.  I cooked them - without meat - for another 4 hours or so.  I then followed  the dehydrating process outlined in a post I did way back in 2009 ("Dehydrating Beans" [link]).

When I did the beans for the post in 2009, they were unflavored.  This batch has the Asian BBQ flavoring, and are very, very good.  Two thumbs up!

They'll go with the rest of my Just Add Water [link] preps.
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You know how to make a great teriyaki sauce, right?  Equal parts soy sauce and sweet - brown or white sugar, or honey - is the key.  Then I usually add some orange juice, grated ginger, Chinese Five Spice and some hot chile/garlic paste.

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Hey, did you see the mini-documentary, "I, Caveman [link]" last night?  Pretty damned interesting.

Basically, it was about 10 regular folks to go out into the wilds of Colorado for 10 days.  They can only use the tools of the caveman to survive.  They were given two days worth of water, caveman clothes, and a shelter (they also got a two day survival course prior to being set out on their own).

Good Lord, are we a soft bunch of humans.  The main thing I got from it was, in the event of a societal break-down where we are forced to form small groups for mutual benefit, the first rule will be, "Don't work?  Don't eat!"

Spoiler Alert!  The scientists that were watching these folks realized they had little or no chance of supplying themselves with enough protein.  They introduced one of the first primitive weapons, something called an "atlatl".  It's a dart/arrow flinging contraption.

Somehow, these folks brought down a bull elk with this thing.  Holy crap!

A magazine called, "Make" has a PDF of an article [link] that includes instructions and diagrams for making one of these things, their darts and how to use it.  Pretty cool...
 

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com