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Good Morning All -

Nice day, isn't it? Just a few comments in general. For those thinking of burning plastic in the wood stove, there are things to be aware of. 1) some plastics when burned give off syanide gas and is deadly if not contained from seaping into the open air. Regardless of using an airtight stove, you may still be ejecting the gas into your neighbors lungs, and I really don't think you would want to do that. Check to see which plastics have this risk. A call to the poison control center nearest you could probably give you the answers, or better yet, call you fire dept. They have to know. It's their job. 2) Paper and plastic, as well as treated wood, produce high amounts of creosote in the chimney. Be aware of that if you don't own your own chimney broom for cleaning periodicly. You certainly don't need a chimney fire. Also realize that high-water content logs, such as uncured cottonwood, poplar or willow also produces heavy creosote. It takes approx. one year to cure wood for water content.

If you want to know about solar flare activity and possibilities, go to www.millenngroup.com and check them out. They know, they have links to other info, or check out the www.sightings.com site. All sorts of articles by authorities come through there. You don't have to believe everything you read, but when it's documented, it gives you pause for thought. The millenngroup will even send you a periodic report on activity if you sign up for it.

Recognize the inherent problems with garbage disposal has to do with regional climate conditions. Here in AZ cans takes hundreds of years to rust away in the ground. Take it from me. Our land used to be the local dump over a hundred years ago and we dig up rusted cans every day and they're far from ready to disolve. Moister climates produce faster results. Composting for feeding the livestock does take care of most kitchen gleanings. Be aware, though, that to give chickens onions or garlic taints the eggs. They're still edible, just not palatable. Most good sized glass jars with lids can be used for storing dehydrated veggies and fruits. Mayonaise jars are good for this. Big plastic jugs and 2-litre soda bottles can be used to water plants in your garden. Place the jar open end down between two plants about six-eight inches into the soil. Having put a larger hole in the bottom end, fill with hose, watering can, whatever and let gravity do the rest. It saves water. There's less evap, and the roots get the water they need immediately without having to wait. Milk jugs work great by putting fairly small holes in the bottom and burying it right side up between plants. Don't forget rain barrels, folks. God gives us the water, we just have to be smart enough to save it. City water just doesn't do the smae job as rain water. Filtered and treated it works for people, too. If you're going to use cans strung for security alarms (a tried and true practice), please don't get trigger happy. The noise could be just the wind or a squirrel or other wildlife. Why waste the shell?

Also, for those of you who are wondering, with regards to tresspassing laws, if your property is posted with No Tresspassing signs (check your local laws for distance between signs for legitamacy because it differs from state to state), no including police, can legally come onto that property without permission. Once inside that fence without permission the person is fair game. Our sheriff told us that and when asked what his people would do if someone killed someone coming onto posted property in a crisis such as Y2K, his response was that "It's the damndest case of suicide he ever saw." Don't misunderstand. I'm NOT advocating violence. Far from it. I'm such a pacifist, I have trouble killing a spider. All I'm saying for those out there is that you understand that you might be the tresspasser. Think about it and know how some laws affect you. You might think a neighbor is ill because you haven't seen them in a while. They've simply been laying low trying to be inconspicuous. It's after dark, they're afraid, you get shot. It's possible because it's happened from time to time in various places. With no other means of communication (phones might be out in your area), how else to you check on people's welfare? Just a thought to ponder.

Have a good one today. It's beautiful here and I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Claudette



-- Claudette Young (laclaud@cybertrails.com), September 10, 1999

Answers

For a daily x-ray photo of the sun, you can also go to: ftp://hoffa.gi.alaska.edu/pub/yohkoh/dailysxt.gif

And one thought...if you're going over to check on a neighbor, or entering someone's property for any reason, what about calling out, saying who you are, and why you're there?

A "rainbarrel" can be made from something as simple as a new 35 gallon plastic trash can, with a lid. Cut a hole in the lid large enough for the downspout on your roof gutter to fit, and arrange the downspout so that when it rains, the water collected on your roof runs right into the trash can. You might want to have several lined up, so that as one trash can fills up, you can move the spout to the next one.

This water can certainly be used to water the garden, and could in an emergency be used for washing up and drinking, if you filtered it,and/or boiled it.

It'd be a good idea to clean out your gutters when you set this all up, as they tend to get full of leaves, and other trash.

It's important to filter and treat this water, if you need to drink it, but in a crisis, it could be better than no water. Of course, for those of you living where it will be very cold in January, this probably won't work until spring...I'd suggest having some bottled water stored to drink until the spring rain comes.

-- Margo (margos.corner@mailcity.com), September 10, 1999.


Hubby works at a landfill. When I asked him if they sort the plastic, etc. for toxinx before incinerating he just looked at me!! They incinerate per EPA standards and for a large portion of Florida.

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), September 15, 1999.

Claudette,

It is unfortunate that your sheriff gave you such an irresponsible answer. Homicide would never (with exception listed below) be justifiable against a person guilty of Second Degree Trespassing (First Degree would be entry into your dwelling, for instance, Second Degree would be trespass upon your property, per your discription).

Reference Gen. Statues in my state: the Homicide, as related to Second Degree Trespass, could even be considered as a murder in the first degree... "A murder which shall be perpetrated by means of poison, lying in wait, imprisonment, (snip), or by any other kind of willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing, (snip) shall be deemed to be murder in the first degree, a Class A felony." Snips where lists of other situations of homicides committed during rape, burglary, etc., and not pertinent to this discussion.

Of course, with y2k, things may change, or course, these are the statutes as they stand now. Perhaps I can locate something relevent to such cases under martial law or state of emergency situations (this State Statues Book is very large and the table of contents is very general)

First Degree entry, such as burglary, by statute (snip)"occupant...justified in using any degree of force that the occupant reasonably believes is necessary, including deadly force" (snip). Guildlines being based on what a "reasonable person would do in such cases." These statutes very GREATLY from state to state. Basically, though, if a person enters your home, you would be found in favor in the courts. However, if the prepetrator turned out to be an unarmed 10 year old desiring your VCR, well...good luck.

Very generally speaking, unless there is a perceived threat of physical harm to yourself or other persons, deadly force is not justifiable against a person committing Second Degree Trespass. Exceptions exist, such as former threat, (perhaps stalking, threats of harm) in which case you anticipated harm and acted "resonably" under the circumstances. Obviously, those variables are too great to generalize here. I believe herein, though, may lie reference to y2k; i.e., looters common in area, but still a stretch to include Second Degree Trespass as a rule. However, in my layman's thinking, this would be the only possible defense your attorney could use.

Of course, your local D.A. may choose not to prosecute you, or opt for a lesser charge, or indeed raise the original charge, based on circumstances, but the family could still open a civil proceeding (like O.J's case). However, the decision to prosecute is the District Attorney's call, not the sheriffs, though he may have some influence. The sheriff would be required to issue a charge (warrent)in this instance, and he would. This I promise you. He would not set himself up for prosecution by helping you prepetuate the "suicide" story.

By Statute: "Assault with a firearm or deadly weapon upon a goverenment officer or employee," (snip...listing state, county, town, officers, etc) "in the performance of his duties, is a Class F felony."

It is beyond me to interpret "performance of duties", officer identifying themselves, etc., but at present the courts rule in favor of the officer's right. With official abuses of authority becoming more frequent, this may change.

However, based on reference to Second Degree Trespassing, I don't think so. In its simplest explaination, how would a deputy issue a person a court summons based on your land being "posted"?

No trespass posting regulations, by my state's statute, my words for simplicity: Signs of 120 square inches, conspicuously posted, not more than 200 yards apart, close to and along the boundaries. At least one sign on each side of property and at corners. If your property includes a stream, river, lake, and in relation to preventing fishing, shoreline must be posted not more than 200 yards apart.

I am only interpreting this as I read it. Any errors, I hope someone will correct me on. And each state is different. For instance, retrival of livestock here is not considered trespass, and no permission is necessary. Likewise, if a water way on your property is stocked by the state with game fish, you can not forbid fishing on your property.

If you do some searching, you will be able to find your states general statutes online. Perhaps a search using "laws and your states name" or "statutes and your states name".

Of course none of this helps you if you are the one checking on the neighbor does it?

Best to all...

-- Lilly (homesteader145@yahoo.com), November 05, 1999.


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