Russia reportedly continues to hit Ukraine with deadly strikes after President Donald Trump issues a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin. A group of religious parents sue their school district over their children’s forced exposure to LGBTQ content. And, the White House is warning parents and teens about the rise in child exploitation, enlisting the help of country music star John Rich. It’s Friday, April 25, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below: Russia Bombs Ukraine, Frustrates Peace Efforts (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Topline: Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital with a series of missiles and drones on Thursday, and according to CNN, inflicted another round of strikes on Friday. The surprise attacks have derailed United States-led ceasefire negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Thursday’s attack on Kyiv left at least a dozen dead and dozens more wounded, and also killed what momentum there was toward a ceasefire. The following night, Moscow reportedly launched another round, killing at least eight more people. Before the attacks, the White House had sounded optimistic about a deal, but after Russia’s Thursday attacks, the President appeared much less sanguine. TRUMP: We’re in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired, and I was not happy with it… REPORTER: …If the bombs keep falling, will you consider additional sanctions for Russia, or what will you do? TRUMP: I’d rather answer that question in a week, I want to see if we can have a deal. No reason to answer it now, but I won’t be happy, let’s put it that way. Things will happen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been willing to work with the United States on peace terms – more willing since his disastrous White House meeting in February. Since then, Zelensky has agreed to sign a minerals deal with the United States, and last month, he said Ukraine would agree to a full ceasefire to set up peace negotiations. But Moscow never bought in – all they could agree to was a 30 day pause on attacks against energy infrastructure. Over the weekend, diplomats released a proposed peace deal constructed by the United States and Europe that recognized Russian control of Crimea and accepted Russia’s control of land in Ukraine’s east. It would also ban Ukraine from NATO membership and start the United States and Russia on a path of economic normalization – with all sanctions lifted from Russia. The proposal didn’t set limits on Ukraine’s military – something Moscow had wanted – and it included the minerals deal with the United States. Notably, it did not include any security guarantees from either the United States or Europe for Ukraine. Vice President JD Vance called it a “very fair proposal.” Zelensky has already said that giving any occupied territory over to the Russians would be a red line. Zelensky has also taken issue with how the Trump administration has approached the negotiating table. “We would like to have this common understanding that Russia is the aggressor, not [Ukraine],” Zelensky told Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro in an interview this week. SCOTUS Hears Case On Religious Opt-Outs From LGBTQ Curriculum (Photo by OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images) Topline: The Supreme Court looks poised to rule in favor of religious parents who want the right to opt their kids out of LGBTQ material at school. In 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland’s largest school district, introduced a new gender and sexuality curriculum. At first, they allowed parents to opt their kids out, but then, the school district decided it was too difficult to allow opt outs and made attendance mandatory. In response, a group of parents that included Muslims, Catholics, and a Ukrainian Orthodox Christian brought a case against the school district. One of the books in the new curriculum is called “Prince and Knight,” about a prince who rejects princesses and falls in love with a knight. Another book is called “Born Ready” about a boy named Penelope, and another book tells the story of a girl attending her uncle’s same-sex wedding, and yet another book is called “Pride Puppy” about a puppy who gets lost during a Pride parade. “They can keep the books,” one plaintiff said on the steps of the Supreme Court. “They can read it to their children if there are parents who feel this is appropriate for their 3-year-old, 4-year-old and elementary kids, they can teach it to them, but we don’t think it’s right. We don’t want it read to our kids.” The more conservative justices seemed highly skeptical of the school district’s arguments. Justice Brett Kavanaugh quizzed the lawyer for the school superintendent about why it’s supposedly too hard to let parents opt out their children from reading LGBTQ books in class. “The plaintiffs here are not asking the school to change its curriculum. They’re just saying look, we want out. Why isn’t that feasible?” Even some of the usual critics seemed sympathetic to parents in this case. Teachers union boss Randi Weingarten of the ​​American Federation of Teachers admitted she would not actually recommend these books to elementary schoolers, although she still called for “inclusivity.” John Rich Promotes Awareness Of Sextortion (Photo by dashu83 via Getty Images) Topline: Country music star and entrepreneur John Rich has teamed up with the Department of Homeland Security to warn Americans about the dangers of child sexual extortion. The Department of Homeland Security has a campaign called “Know2Protect” – you can find that on the DHS website. Its goal is to raise national public awareness about a rapidly growing crime called sexual extortion – also known as sextortion. Sextortion is when a predator coerces or tricks a minor into sending them sexually explicit images or video footage, and then threatens to release that material unless the minor either produces additional explicit content or gives them money. A Daily Wire investigation covered this topic in-depth earlier this month, but in summary, there were 36 million reports of suspected online child exploitation in 2023 alone. John Rich is amplifying DHS’ awareness effort. The country star heard about sextortion a few months ago, after his wife and 15-year-old son attended a related talk from DHI Special Agent Dennis Fetting. Immediately, Rich reached out to DHS with ideas to get out something more accessible to the public. This week, Rich, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and Agent Fetting hosted a livestream event on sextortion. It was reposted online by President Trump, and so far, it has racked up millions of views. “I’m fully aware of the dangers that are out there for our kids right now,” Rich said. “They are being targeted on apps, video games, social media – places you would never dream of, like innocent sounding games like Roblox, Minecraft, things like that, where predators are acting like they’re another kid and they’re creating a relationship with your kid, and then they lower the boom, then they start to extort and extort. They do everything from force the kids to send nude pictures of themselves, to take pictures of their parents’ credit cards front and back so they can extort money. They threaten them with killing their family, burning their house down, posting the pictures all online. It results in kids, some of them becoming suicidal – it’s a major, major problem. So to me, millions of parents needed to hear about this.”

The state of Washington, which does not officially recognize Easter or Yom Kippur as state holidays, became the first state in the nation to recognize the two Islamic holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as unpaid state-recognized holidays when Democrat Governor Bob Ferguson signed the legislation into law this month. “Senate Bill 5106, sponsored by Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma), adds both Eid holidays to a list of 20 other state holidays. Rep. Osman Salahuddin (D-Redmond) sponsored the companion bill,” Ferguson’s website stated. “The new law does not establish Eid holidays as paid holidays, but rather adds them to the state’s list of recognized observances, similar to Lunar New Year or Billy Frank Jr. Day.” “This bill is historic. Washington is now the first state to recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays,” Ferguson boasted on Facebook. According to the Washington state legislature’s website, other unpaid holidays officially recognized by the state include: The thirteenth day of January, recognized as Korean-American Day; The twelfth day of October, recognized as Columbus Day; The ninth day of April, recognized as Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day; The twenty-sixth day of January, recognized as Washington Army and Air National Guard Day; The seventh day of August, recognized as Purple Heart Recipient Recognition Day; The second Sunday in October, recognized as Washington State Children’s Day; The sixteenth day of April, recognized as Mother Joseph Day; The fourth day of September, recognized as Marcus Whitman Day; The seventh day of December, recognized as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day; The twenty-seventh day of July, recognized as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day; The nineteenth day of February, recognized as Civil Liberties Day of Remembrance; The thirtieth day of March, recognized as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day; The eleventh day of January, recognized as Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The thirty-first day of March, recognized as Cesar Chavez Day; The tenth day of April, recognized as Dolores Huerta Day; The fourth Saturday of September, recognized as Public Lands Day; The eighteenth day of December, recognized as Blood Donor Day; The fifteenth day of May, recognized as Water Safety Day; The ninth day of March, recognized as Billy Frank Jr. Day  

Monty is a huge black doggo of unknown lineage. He appears to be mostly black Labrador with a smidgen of pit bull and other Heinz57 ingredients. Not that it matters. He is full of love and he makes his mom Holly happy. If there is one downfall to this awesome dog, it’s that he will scream like he’s facing Jason Vorhees when Holly throws his ball. Not joking. @hollymorg So funny I can’t cope ♬ original sound – holly Screaming as he runs to fetch the ball, it sounds like Freddie Kruger might have joined Jason in the chase. It makes Holly and all fans her laugh. Believe it or not, Monty isn’t the only dog who has a scream that sounds like he is running from something terrible. Mo is an American Staffordshire terrier who screams whenever he is in the car. He’s not afraid. Mo just likes to scream because he is happy. Kristen found Mo as a stray. He walked right up to her. Laws required her to turn the animal over to the shelter for 72 hours. When no one came to claim Mo, he went home with Kristen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mo The Screaming Staffy (@mothescreamingstaffy) Mo was featured by the Dodo for his unique vocal expressions. While it is common for smaller dogs like Frenchies to scream, it is rare for larger dogs to develop this habit. But Mo and Monty aren’t the only screamers out there. Forrest is an Aussie and he’s a BIG screamer. As he was approaching a dock with his mom, you can almost hear him scream, “YESSSSS! DOCKKK!!” He is pulling with all his might against his collar and leash. @forfinnandforrest always gotta scream for the dock #petsoftiktok #dog #dogsoftiktok #funny #foryoupageofficiall #foryoupage #cute #aussie #aussiesdoingthings #australianshepherd #dockdiving #dogsport #trending #pinkponyclub #scream #dogs #puppy #puppytiktok ♬ original sound – Teddy with Thumbs These dogs could be a voice actor in a scream flick. It isn’t hard to picture them being chased by zombies. Please share. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here and here. The post Dog’s Hysterical Reaction To Mom Throwing The Ball Is Straight Out Of A Horror Movie appeared first on InspireMore.

'His 1st loyalty is to the expert class, the truth is irrelevant'

'The results speak for themselves'

Dear readers, by now, I believe we could fill whole books with the things we think are granted. The multitude of products in our daily lives is made possible by a complex system of interconnected industries. Notably, glues, adhesives, and sealants serve as essential materials for countless applications. All of us DIY people know it. It’s widely understood that, in a worst-case scenario occurring within the next ten years, or possibly sooner, based on what I saw last year, current stockpiles will be depleted rapidly. The facilities required to produce these items are incredibly complex, relying on an extensive network of interconnected sub-branches within the petrochemical industry. While returning to traditional methods holds appeal for those who experienced the craftsmanship of hand-made boots in the 1960s, 1970s, or even the 1980s, modern industry, much of it now based overseas, has taken over these specialized areas…with the known impacts on the price (and the quality). Consequently, should future manufacturing lines face significant disruption due to a major global event, such as a potential extended conflict, we would find ourselves woefully unprepared to bind even the simplest objects. The ready availability of glues and sealants, a convenience we currently take for granted, would become nothing but a forgotten luxury. Scarcity shows up in unexpected places. Mind you, the inspiration behind advocating for this article comes from my personal experiences with scarcity in Venezuela over the past several years. This isn’t just a theoretical concern; it mirrors the hardships we faced once access to essential items became limited or disappeared entirely. We witnessed firsthand the fragility of supply chains and the impact of economic instability on the availability of seemingly mundane products. What many in more stable economies might take for granted – a simple tube of glue to fix a broken item, a reliable sealant to weatherproof a home repair – can become increasingly difficult to obtain and, at times, completely unavailable, in a blink. How do I know this? Because we lived it. By now, you should know that we have experienced shortages of food, medicine, household goods, and crucial construction materials in this country. Things have changed, with all sorts of imported products, as our national industry is (almost) kaput except for a few exceptions, but people barely can afford what they need. That’s why there is an excess of products. I was getting some tint for a wooden piece I was cutting on my CNC machine when one employee told me that there was a time when even wood glue was rationed. This prolonged crisis has fostered a deep understanding of the importance of resourcefulness and the need to extend the lifespan of everything we have. It has forced us to adopt a mindset of “making things work with less” and maximizing the utility of every item. The inability to easily replace things amplifies the importance of keeping what we have in good working order for as long as possible. The Importance of Stockpiling Adhesives and Sealants Therefore, I hope that an article dedicated to glues, adhesives, and sealants will serve as a practical guide to preserve them, drawing on knowledge and techniques that can help extend the life of these vital materials. This isn’t just about saving money; it’s about building resilience to face potential future shortages. My experience in Venezuela worked to indicate to me how critical the role these often-overlooked items play, and the impact their scarcity can have. Once this scarcity settles, the trend will be toward recovering long-lost skills and the rudimentary materials our ancestors relied upon. Here is where the ones with access to new technologies developed in the last 25 years will have an edge. For instance, if you own a 3D printer and are skilled enough to use it for valve cover gaskets, you are one step ahead. You will be able to optimize your design, and can even become a provider. The Challenges of Remote Living Living in a remote rural area, far from urban centers, presents unique challenges when maintaining and repairing essential items. From shoes and machinery to vehicles and household appliances, the ability to quickly and effectively fix things is crucial for self-sufficiency and survival. In such environments, having a well-stocked supply of adhesives and sealants is not just a convenience; it’s a necessity. Remote rural living (which will be one of the compromises with comfort that will have to do, once the moment comes) often means limited access to stores and repair services. A trip to the nearest town for a tube of glue or a replacement gasket can take hours, if not days, and may be hindered by weather conditions or road closures. This level of isolation underscores the importance of being prepared for any eventuality, including unexpected breakdowns and the need for immediate repairs. The Versatility of Adhesives and Sealants Adhesives and sealants are incredibly versatile tools that work to fix a wide range of items. From mending torn leather boots and patching punctured tires to sealing leaky pipes and repairing broken machinery parts, water tanks, and sheds, these products offer a quick and effective solution for countless repair needs. When stocking up on adhesives and sealants, you need to consider the specific needs of your rural environment. There is no “one size fits all” here. Bonus tip: If you intend to build a camper trailer, avoid openings on the roof where you may need sealant in a few more years. Use the sides instead, as their heat signature is much lower and easier to conceal. Some essential items to include are: Super glue (cyanoacrylate): A fast-acting adhesive that bonds to different materials, including plastics, rubber, and metal. Epoxy: A two-part adhesive that creates a strong, durable bond on almost any surface, including wood, metal, concrete, and ceramics. Contact cement: A flexible adhesive that bonds instantly on contact, ideal for repairing leather, rubber, and fabrics. Silicone sealant: A waterproof and heat-resistant sealant that can seal gaps and cracks around windows, doors, pipes, and other surfaces. Threadlocker: An anaerobic adhesive that prevents nuts and bolts from loosening due to vibration, essential for maintaining machinery and vehicles. Inevitable if you want, for some modern machinery that demands it in the workshop manual. Rubber cement: A flexible adhesive that bonds well to paper, cardboard, and other lightweight materials, for crafting and general repairs. Patch kits: Pre-packaged kits containing patches and adhesive for repairing punctures in tires, inner tubes, and inflatable items. Proper Storage for Longevity – Maintenance Conditions and Estimated Shelf Life Super Glue (Cyanoacrylate):Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep the container tightly closed to prevent air from hardening it. Estimated shelf life: 6-12 months. Epoxy:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, avoiding extreme temperatures. Ensure components A and B are tightly sealed. Estimated shelf life: 12-24 months. Contact Cement:Conditions: Store in a cool, well-ventilated area, away from heat sources and flames. Keep the container tightly closed. Estimated shelf life: 12-18 months. Silicone Sealant:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, avoiding freezing. Keep the tube sealed or with the nozzle capped. Estimated shelf life: 12-36 months. Threadlocker:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep the container tightly closed. Estimated shelf life: 12-24 months. Rubber Cement:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources. Keep the container closed to prevent evaporation. Estimated shelf life: 6-12 months. Patch Kits:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, protecting the adhesive from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Estimated shelf life: 12-24 months. General Considerations Temperature: Most adhesives and sealants prefer temperatures between 15°C and 25°C (59°F and 77°F). Humidity: High humidity can negatively affect some adhesives. Air Exposure: Air can harden or thicken many products. Keep containers tightly closed. We can´t explain how important this is. The air down here is so humid that damages your product even before the expiration date. Modern chemicals are not designed for long-term storage and in the industry, I saw industrial bonding agents going bad, even though they were stored in a conditioned shipping container. If you have a vacuum sealer machine, go for it! Shelf life: Be aware of the shelf life of each product and replace them as needed. This is a good research topic, indeed. I‘d love to know if some product out there, maybe with two or three components is highly shelf-stable in time. I know that nowadays there are products with remarkable capabilities but don’t have first-hand information about this parameter, and the industrial products are cost-prohibitive. Organization: Store your adhesives and sealants in a well-organized manner, so you can easily find what you need when you need it. Beyond Repairs: Creative Uses for Adhesives and Sealants In addition to their practical uses for repairs, adhesives, and sealants can be used creatively in a rural setting. For example: Creating custom gaskets and seals for machinery and equipment. (I’m going to expand a little about this soon enough) Repairing and reinforcing tools and equipment handles. I’m sick and tired of seeing poorly repaired handles. This can lead to injuries and we can’t afford this when medical attention is uncertain. Crafting and building projects, such as chicken coops, feeders, and other production structures. Sealing and waterproofing containers, windows, door jams, and gaps in storage areas to keep insects and rodents out. Generally speaking, solvent-free two-component epoxy glues, stored in sealed containers under proper conditions (without extreme temperatures or air exposure), have a good shelf life. While over time the resin might crystallize or the hardener might turn yellowish, this does not necessarily affect their performance. However, if the material is older than a year, it’s recommended to do a test cure to ensure it still works correctly. Some manufacturers suggest a reference shelf life of about 24 months to guarantee optimal quality, but theoretically, if the components remain isolated and in good condition, they could last longer. However, getting accurate numbers for a shelf life here is uphill. Mind you, mankind made it without these chemicals for a long time; with the current knowledge database, there is much we can do, given the need. Rest assured, I will be working in the future to expand this topic. I extend our sincere gratitude to those sending donations; your generous support is essential in helping our family through this time. Now let’s see your comments! Stay safe, and keep tuned! J. What about you? Are there other adhesives that you use frequently? Do you agree with Jose’s suggestions? Let’s talk about it in the comments section. About Jose Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has an old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Jose and his younger kid are currently back in Venezuela, after the intention of setting up a new life in another country didn’t  go well. The SARSCOV2 re-shaped the labor market and South American economy so he decided to give it a try to homestead in the mountains, and make a living as best as possible. But this time in his own land, and surrounded by family, friends and acquaintances, with all the gear and equipment collected, as the initial plan was.  Follow Jose on YouTube and gain access to his exclusive content on Patreon. Donations: paypal.me/JoseM151 The post The Importance of Glue and Adhesives in Your Stockpile appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

In statehouses across the country, legislators, policy analysts, and commentators are all asking: “Could (or should) we have a Department of Government Efficiency in state government like Donald Trump just created?” To be candid, part of the biggest obstacle I’ve come across with a state version of DOGE is that too few people can break the concept away from Elon Musk. To be clear, you don’t have to find a person who no one ever invited to parties in high school but who everyone wanted to copy homework from to head it up. Case in point: Virginia’s Office of Regulatory Management. According to a story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on April 21, the reforms that the Office of Regulatory Management already has enacted saved Virginia $105 million just in procurement costs alone. Reforms included streamlining permitting, application, and reimbursement processes for businesses, among many other reforms. Caleb Taylor, policy director for the Virginia Institute for Public Policy told The Daily Signal that, like the Department of Government Efficiency’s origins tracing back to an agency originally created to fix the failed rollout of Obamacare’s healthcare.gov website during the Obama administration, Virginia’s Office of Regulatory Management started as a pilot program under Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam. “[Gov. Northam’s pilot program] was actually a really good program. It worked really well. … So, we started talking about, How can we expand this? And we went through a number of different iterations. What we didn’t realize, and maybe we should have, was how wildly successful the office was going to be, and I give a lot of credit to that, to the governor.” Reeve Bull is “Virginia’s Elon Musk,” better known as the director of the Office of Regulatory Management. He receives much of the credit but often deflects it to the government departments that he says self-identify where savings can be found—either through more efficient processes or streamlined policies. Taylor points out that much of the costs and regulations that strangle job creation are not federal. “The states have a lot more regulatory power than most people realize. The problem is that internal to the agencies, to the regulatory agencies at the state level—any level—there is a perverse incentive to continue regulating. And so, we end up with what’s called regulatory accumulation, and this is a problem in every single state.” He adds that this accumulation has a particularly bad side effect: “We’ve got regulations that, there’ll be a regulation in the Energy Department and a regulation of the Environmental Quality Department that directly oppose one another. And if you’re compliant with one regulation, you’re not compliant with another.” In real world figures, the amount of money that’s being spent on compliance costs for the average Virginian who wants to start a business, get a business license, build a home, build a shopping center, or whatever, is significant. Since its creation, through its permitting and other reforms, the Office of Regulatory Management has been able to, for example, decrease the cost for a builder to build a house in the state by $24,000 before a shovel is ever put into the ground. Taylor insists that the regulators are the ones driving this change and don’t necessarily need external incentives, based on research done  by Dr. James Broughel, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Broughel wrote a policy paper for the Virginia Institute for Public Policy,  “The Virginia Model of Regulatory Reform: A Roadmap for Success.” In it, he argues: “Fundamentally, the No. 1 thing that regulators are supposed to do beyond making the regulations is enforcing them. They’re the investigators. They’re the ones that are paying attention to whether you’re not licensed, or they’re the ones that are paying attention to if you’re polluting the river with your building project, or something like that. So, these are the guys that are doing that work. “And when this [work] becomes so much more concise, that job becomes so much easier. And so, it creates this opportunity, I think, for the agencies. And we’ve seen this in a number of different places, not just in the United States, but in Canada and elsewhere like Japan, as well.” So, in practice, when encouraged to look, regulators are more adept at finding the overlapping and contradictory rules for their agencies to remove. So yes, Virginia, there is a DOGE Claus. You just may not have heard of him because he has been busy saving you money. The post Virginia’s ‘DOGE’ Saves Taxpayers Millions appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Dear readers, by now, I believe we could fill whole books with the things we think are granted. The multitude of products in our daily lives is made possible by a complex system of interconnected industries. Notably, glues, adhesives, and sealants serve as essential materials for countless applications. All of us DIY people know it. It’s widely understood that, in a worst-case scenario occurring within the next ten years, or possibly sooner, based on what I saw last year, current stockpiles will be depleted rapidly. The facilities required to produce these items are incredibly complex, relying on an extensive network of interconnected sub-branches within the petrochemical industry. While returning to traditional methods holds appeal for those who experienced the craftsmanship of hand-made boots in the 1960s, 1970s, or even the 1980s, modern industry, much of it now based overseas, has taken over these specialized areas…with the known impacts on the price (and the quality). Consequently, should future manufacturing lines face significant disruption due to a major global event, such as a potential extended conflict, we would find ourselves woefully unprepared to bind even the simplest objects. The ready availability of glues and sealants, a convenience we currently take for granted, would become nothing but a forgotten luxury. Scarcity shows up in unexpected places. Mind you, the inspiration behind advocating for this article comes from my personal experiences with scarcity in Venezuela over the past several years. This isn’t just a theoretical concern; it mirrors the hardships we faced once access to essential items became limited or disappeared entirely. We witnessed firsthand the fragility of supply chains and the impact of economic instability on the availability of seemingly mundane products. What many in more stable economies might take for granted – a simple tube of glue to fix a broken item, a reliable sealant to weatherproof a home repair – can become increasingly difficult to obtain and, at times, completely unavailable, in a blink. How do I know this? Because we lived it. By now, you should know that we have experienced shortages of food, medicine, household goods, and crucial construction materials in this country. Things have changed, with all sorts of imported products, as our national industry is (almost) kaput except for a few exceptions, but people barely can afford what they need. That’s why there is an excess of products. I was getting some tint for a wooden piece I was cutting on my CNC machine when one employee told me that there was a time when even wood glue was rationed. This prolonged crisis has fostered a deep understanding of the importance of resourcefulness and the need to extend the lifespan of everything we have. It has forced us to adopt a mindset of “making things work with less” and maximizing the utility of every item. The inability to easily replace things amplifies the importance of keeping what we have in good working order for as long as possible. The Importance of Stockpiling Adhesives and Sealants Therefore, I hope that an article dedicated to glues, adhesives, and sealants will serve as a practical guide to preserve them, drawing on knowledge and techniques that can help extend the life of these vital materials. This isn’t just about saving money; it’s about building resilience to face potential future shortages. My experience in Venezuela worked to indicate to me how critical the role these often-overlooked items play, and the impact their scarcity can have. Once this scarcity settles, the trend will be toward recovering long-lost skills and the rudimentary materials our ancestors relied upon. Here is where the ones with access to new technologies developed in the last 25 years will have an edge. For instance, if you own a 3D printer and are skilled enough to use it for valve cover gaskets, you are one step ahead. You will be able to optimize your design, and can even become a provider. The Challenges of Remote Living Living in a remote rural area, far from urban centers, presents unique challenges when maintaining and repairing essential items. From shoes and machinery to vehicles and household appliances, the ability to quickly and effectively fix things is crucial for self-sufficiency and survival. In such environments, having a well-stocked supply of adhesives and sealants is not just a convenience; it’s a necessity. Remote rural living (which will be one of the compromises with comfort that will have to do, once the moment comes) often means limited access to stores and repair services. A trip to the nearest town for a tube of glue or a replacement gasket can take hours, if not days, and may be hindered by weather conditions or road closures. This level of isolation underscores the importance of being prepared for any eventuality, including unexpected breakdowns and the need for immediate repairs. The Versatility of Adhesives and Sealants Adhesives and sealants are incredibly versatile tools that work to fix a wide range of items. From mending torn leather boots and patching punctured tires to sealing leaky pipes and repairing broken machinery parts, water tanks, and sheds, these products offer a quick and effective solution for countless repair needs. When stocking up on adhesives and sealants, you need to consider the specific needs of your rural environment. There is no “one size fits all” here. Bonus tip: If you intend to build a camper trailer, avoid openings on the roof where you may need sealant in a few more years. Use the sides instead, as their heat signature is much lower and easier to conceal. Some essential items to include are: Super glue (cyanoacrylate): A fast-acting adhesive that bonds to different materials, including plastics, rubber, and metal. Epoxy: A two-part adhesive that creates a strong, durable bond on almost any surface, including wood, metal, concrete, and ceramics. Contact cement: A flexible adhesive that bonds instantly on contact, ideal for repairing leather, rubber, and fabrics. Silicone sealant: A waterproof and heat-resistant sealant that can seal gaps and cracks around windows, doors, pipes, and other surfaces. Threadlocker: An anaerobic adhesive that prevents nuts and bolts from loosening due to vibration, essential for maintaining machinery and vehicles. Inevitable if you want, for some modern machinery that demands it in the workshop manual. Rubber cement: A flexible adhesive that bonds well to paper, cardboard, and other lightweight materials, for crafting and general repairs. Patch kits: Pre-packaged kits containing patches and adhesive for repairing punctures in tires, inner tubes, and inflatable items. Proper Storage for Longevity – Maintenance Conditions and Estimated Shelf Life Super Glue (Cyanoacrylate):Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep the container tightly closed to prevent air from hardening it. Estimated shelf life: 6-12 months. Epoxy:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, avoiding extreme temperatures. Ensure components A and B are tightly sealed. Estimated shelf life: 12-24 months. Contact Cement:Conditions: Store in a cool, well-ventilated area, away from heat sources and flames. Keep the container tightly closed. Estimated shelf life: 12-18 months. Silicone Sealant:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, avoiding freezing. Keep the tube sealed or with the nozzle capped. Estimated shelf life: 12-36 months. Threadlocker:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep the container tightly closed. Estimated shelf life: 12-24 months. Rubber Cement:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources. Keep the container closed to prevent evaporation. Estimated shelf life: 6-12 months. Patch Kits:Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place, protecting the adhesive from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Estimated shelf life: 12-24 months. General Considerations Temperature: Most adhesives and sealants prefer temperatures between 15°C and 25°C (59°F and 77°F). Humidity: High humidity can negatively affect some adhesives. Air Exposure: Air can harden or thicken many products. Keep containers tightly closed. We can´t explain how important this is. The air down here is so humid that damages your product even before the expiration date. Modern chemicals are not designed for long-term storage and in the industry, I saw industrial bonding agents going bad, even though they were stored in a conditioned shipping container. If you have a vacuum sealer machine, go for it! Shelf life: Be aware of the shelf life of each product and replace them as needed. This is a good research topic, indeed. I‘d love to know if some product out there, maybe with two or three components is highly shelf-stable in time. I know that nowadays there are products with remarkable capabilities but don’t have first-hand information about this parameter, and the industrial products are cost-prohibitive. Organization: Store your adhesives and sealants in a well-organized manner, so you can easily find what you need when you need it. Beyond Repairs: Creative Uses for Adhesives and Sealants In addition to their practical uses for repairs, adhesives, and sealants can be used creatively in a rural setting. For example: Creating custom gaskets and seals for machinery and equipment. (I’m going to expand a little about this soon enough) Repairing and reinforcing tools and equipment handles. I’m sick and tired of seeing poorly repaired handles. This can lead to injuries and we can’t afford this when medical attention is uncertain. Crafting and building projects, such as chicken coops, feeders, and other production structures. Sealing and waterproofing containers, windows, door jams, and gaps in storage areas to keep insects and rodents out. Generally speaking, solvent-free two-component epoxy glues, stored in sealed containers under proper conditions (without extreme temperatures or air exposure), have a good shelf life. While over time the resin might crystallize or the hardener might turn yellowish, this does not necessarily affect their performance. However, if the material is older than a year, it’s recommended to do a test cure to ensure it still works correctly. Some manufacturers suggest a reference shelf life of about 24 months to guarantee optimal quality, but theoretically, if the components remain isolated and in good condition, they could last longer. However, getting accurate numbers for a shelf life here is uphill. Mind you, mankind made it without these chemicals for a long time; with the current knowledge database, there is much we can do, given the need. Rest assured, I will be working in the future to expand this topic. I extend our sincere gratitude to those sending donations; your generous support is essential in helping our family through this time. Now let’s see your comments! Stay safe, and keep tuned! J. What about you? Are there other adhesives that you use frequently? Do you agree with Jose’s suggestions? Let’s talk about it in the comments section. About Jose Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has an old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Jose and his younger kid are currently back in Venezuela, after the intention of setting up a new life in another country didn’t  go well. The SARSCOV2 re-shaped the labor market and South American economy so he decided to give it a try to homestead in the mountains, and make a living as best as possible. But this time in his own land, and surrounded by family, friends and acquaintances, with all the gear and equipment collected, as the initial plan was.  Follow Jose on YouTube and gain access to his exclusive content on Patreon. Donations: paypal.me/JoseM151 The post The Importance of Glue and Adhesives in Your Stockpile appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

Ron Vitiello, a longtime immigration enforcement official, reflected on the significant failures that took place under former President Joe Biden's administration during an exclusive interview with Blaze News senior politics editor Christopher Bedford on Thursday. Vitiello has spent decades dedicated to protecting America's borders, most recently serving as acting director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during President Donald Trump's first term and now as a senior adviser to Customs and Border Protection during his second term. Witnessing the contrast in immigration policy across different administrations, Vitiello tells Bedford that having Trump back in office after Biden is like night and day. "It's clear that during the Biden administration, uncontrolled border was their goal, right?" Vitiello told Bedford. "We had an invasion unlike we've seen before." 'Alejandro Mayorkas, as the secretary, watched what happened under the Trump administration, takes over as the secretary, and tears down all the things that were working for the previous four years. So they knew exactly what they were doing.'"If you just used government numbers, and I know we're all a little bit skeptical of those numbers, but using Biden's own published numbers in public, 11 million encounters by CBP at the immediate border during the four years of the Biden administration," Vitiello added. "That doesn't count the number of people they abused the parole system to fly into the United States, which weren't seen by law enforcement agents at the line where people would be responsible for vetting them and making sure they weren't a threat to public safety."Another weak point for the Biden administration was the influx of migrant "gotaways," which are illegal aliens who are never apprehended or deported after entering the country. Vitiello said that the increase in these migrant "gotaways" was the Biden-era exploitation of the CBP One app, which aided illegal immigration. Now under Trump's leadership, the DHS introduced the CBP Home app, which instead helps illegal aliens to self-deport. The bottom line, Vitiello points out, is that the Biden administration and the agencies he led were actively and knowingly facilitating illegal immigration. "The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, was the previous deputy secretary under the Obama administration when Joe Biden was the vice president," Vitiello said. "And during the 2014 surge when I was still a government employee, we made recommendations to the Homeland Security office of the secretary and the deputy secretary on how to fix the surge that was going on in 2014.""They put those recommendations that we gave — myself, Tom Homan, and others — they took those recommendations and put them in place to reduce the number of people that were coming across the border illegally," Vitiello added. "Those steps worked, and we had better outcomes. Other things happened since, but they knew how to fix it, and Alejandro Mayorkas, as the secretary, watched what happened under the Trump administration, takes over as the secretary, and tears down all the things that were working for the previous four years. So they knew exactly what they were doing." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!