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With our newly elected President Elect Barack Obama, I'm hoping that we can all communicate and get along to unite this country towards a common good! That we don't become tax burdened by giving handouts to those too lazy to work. That small businesses can continue to thrive and give jobs to the hard working. That our investment world become active and profutable and that the credit squeeze will loosen.

familiesstaysafe: Lose Money in the Latest Govt Takeovers?#links

familiesstaysafe: Lose Money in the Latest Govt Takeovers?#links

Lose Money in the Latest Govt Takeovers?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were large parts of many of our IRA's and 401k's! What does Congress care about our losses in our personal accounts? What if we only have a few years left to our retirement? What if we have lost a good percentage of our accounts do to these takeovers? Does the wealthy Congress care about our Retirements? I very much doubt it because they are receiving millions from Lobbyists of every flavor! Try the Investors Business Daily and their formula for success system. We can't really trust a huge fund manager to ensure the growth of our hard earned retirement savings! Try it out, it only take a few minutes a day to track the best investments. Take Charge of your money! Start Today!

Emergency Generators-Hurricane IKE

It may have been a good idea to search for an Emergency Generator before the storm and be prepared but most of us are not that good at thinking ahead or just dont have the extra cash for a short outage. I know that my family went without electricity for about 3 weeks in the Richmond area in 2003 about this time. If you knew that you would be without electric power for an extended period of time like 3-4 weeks then even putting a generator on your credit card might be better than suffering for that period of time. Im including some generator descriptions from Northern Tool-just click on the sidebar/banner for Northern Tool for more.





Residential Standby Systems
An emergency home standby generator system can automatically restore power to your house in about 20 seconds. When the power goes out, the generator automatically starts and continues to run until power is restored. You can choose a generator that delivers enough power for the entire house (including air conditioning) or go with a smaller unit and power a few selected circuits, like the refrigerator, sump pump, furnace fan and several lights for basic survival.
These all-weather generators are installed outside the home and are wired through an automatic transfer switch (sold separately) to the main electrical panel. The use of an automatic transfer switch is required when generators are connected to home wiring.
Home standby systems can be fueled by natural gas, LP gas or diesel fuel. Many models can be connected to the home's natural gas line, eliminating the need to fill fuel tanks. Standby system capacities range from 6,000 Watts up to 40,000 Watts and more, and start automatically-even if you are not home.



"Portable Generators for Emergency Power
The most economical way to supply power during a power outage is to use a portable generator of the appropriate wattage for your needs (at least 4000 Watts for starters) and run extension cords into the house to power chosen appliances. A safer system is to have an electrician install a power transfer switch, connected to the house's main electrical panel. Just fire up the generator, run a single extension cord into the transfer switch and power the circuits you need through the main circuit breaker. This eliminates the risk of electrical “back feed” injuring utility workers repairing downed power lines.
A small portable gasoline-powered electric generator can provide power for TVs, small kitchen appliances, hair dryers, power tools, lights and other comforts of civilization when you are out roughing it in the woods.
Portable generators can be put to work on construction sites that have no electrical service, providing clean, reliable power to operate saws, drills, air compressors, heaters, paint sprayers and other AC-powered tools. Most are gasoline-powered, a few run on diesel, and some models have multi-fuel capabilities, running on gasoline, propane or natural gas. These are generally full-featured machines with engine idle control, GFCI receptacles and 120 Volt full power switch.



Commercial Standby Systems
If you have a business that simply can't be without power or you have no existing source of electrical power for your home or business, you will need an industrial generator. These are typically stationary, heavy-duty units that generate single (120 Volt) or three-phase (120, 240 or 480 Volt) power. These massive systems are powered by water-cooled diesel engines, with some models generating up to 200 KW (200,000 Watts) of power. With the use of an automatic transfer switch, these generators can serve as backup power for large commercial or industrial operations, such as nursing homes, refrigeration operations, farms, large buildings and other businesses that can't go without power due to an outage.

How Many Watts Will Your Generator Need to Produce?

Simple Plug-in Tester Gives Quick, Accurate Digital Readouts of Watt or Amp Usage
Use for refrigerators, dehumidifiers, space heaters, microwaves, holiday lighting, coffeemakers, hair dryers and more. Essential for calculating power needs for home transfer switches and emergency generator needs.
More Info
Add up the wattage of tools, appliances and motors you want to run at the same time. Then select a generator with the RUNNING wattage rating to match or exceed the total load. Keep in mind that tools and appliances with electric motors require additional tool/appliance SURGE wattage at startup that can be double or triple the normal running wattage requirement. Look at the surge watts required and make sure you choose a generator with enough additional wattage to start them. Keep in mind that you typically are not starting more than half of the items at the same time.
Most home appliances and power tools are 120 Volts; larger appliances like electric stoves and clothes dryers may be 240 Volts. Generator power is measured in Watts: Amps x Volts = Watts
You can use our Wattage Chart to estimate the wattages of the tools, appliances and motors you will be operating at the same time. Wattage noted below are approximates only; please refer to tool or appliance itself for specific wattage required or order our easy-to-use tester below.
Wattage Chart

Running Wattage Required
Surge Wattage Required at Startup
Household/RV
Coffee Maker
1750
0
Dishwasher: Cool/Dry
700
1400
Electric Fry Pan
1300
0
Electric Range: 8in. Element
2100
0
625W Microwave
625
800
Refrigerator or Freezer
700
2200
Automatic Washer
1150
2300
Electric Clothes Dryer
5750
1800
Furnace Fan (Gas or fuel oil): 1/8 HP
300
500
Furnace Fan (Gas or fuel oil): 1/6 HP
500
750
Furnace Fan (Gas or fuel oil): 1/4 HP
600
1000
Furnace Fan (Gas or fuel oil): 1/3 HP
700
1400
Furnace Fan (Gas or fuel oil): 1/2 HP
875
2350
Lights
As indicated on bulb
0
Radio
50-200
0
Sump Pump: 1/3 HP
800
1300
Sump Pump: 1/2 HP
1050
2150
Color Television
300
0
RV Air Conditioner: 13,500 BTU
1500
2200
Room Air Conditioner: 10,000 BTU
1500
2200
Central Air Conditioner (for 2200 sq. ft. home*)
10,000
11,250
Small Appliance
200
1700

Lest We Forget! 9-11-01

I was in a patrol car on 9-11-01 and one woman in particular was so terrified that she pulled up to our car in the median and started crying because she thought a terrorist was following her and was going to do her harm. It turned out of course that this was not the case but everyone’s emotions were raw on the days and weeks that followed and we became closer to strangers and neighbors and many spent more time praying in church. At the age of 52 I went to Iraq as a Contractor for the DIA because of the same patriotism that I felt in 1971 when I joined the Army and went to Vietnam. Hopefully we wont forget! When I was in Iraq I had several chances to ask interpreters that we were using from Iraq that were US citizens, if we were making a difference and all replied that they were so thankful and appreciative for our service. Stay Safe and take care of your families in an emergency!

Where to GO and How to Get There

Suppose that there is a Terrorist attack using Chem /Bio or Nuclear materials? Hopefully you have your Protective or Escape Mask ready for yourself and family. Do you have a place where you can meet your family and friends preplanned in case of an attack? Is it away from built up areas that may be targets for attack? Do you have a route through back roads mapped out and someplace that has food, shelter and equipment that can sustain you and your family for some period of time. Maybe a prestocked cabin in a rural area that has emergency generator power, propane gas stove and lighting that doesnt depend on electricity. Also you may want to look at buying chemical toilets in case water supplies are damaged. Those wind up radios and flashlights come in handy also. Of course some weapons to include handguns, rifle, shotgun and ammunition in case of looters or criminals. Communications by landline and cellphone may be disrupted as well so HF/VHF portable radios to communicate with loved ones could also be useful set to prearranged frquencies. All these items must be stored and ready to go ahead of time because if electricity is down then most stores, banks and gas stations will become inoperable. Have cash in small bills on hand also. Any comments? Feel free to fill in things that I may have missed!

CBRNE Danger from Terrorists in Northern Virginia Metro Area

Its 2008, 7 years since 9-11 and the terrible attacks against us at the Pentagon and New York City! How could we have imagined that we would be attacked inside our previously untouched haven of the United States? Do you think its all over? Is the danger to our infrastructure and way of life finished? Dont count on it! Just be prepared to get your your family to safety and protect yourselves!

What are your plans for relocation? Where and how will you go to an area of safety if your neighborhood becomes contaminated? Have you talked to your extended family about a meeting place in case of an incident that knocks out all communications, electricity and gas supplies?

Do you know anything about "Prevailing Winds" and "Plumes" from a nuclear event and where you should not be living in case of attack?

Why do you think many Federal Agencies are moving outside of the 50 mile radius of Washington DC and relocating headquarters? Many agencies are going to the I-81 and Winchester areas.

Make your plans now! Be prepared! Dont count on your government to protect you!

Your comments are appreciated as always.