Early twin carb Knuck in VL Frame

Early twin carb Knuck in VL Frame
This is a fine example of KNUCKIN FUTTY! An early Bonneville Lakester sportin' a dual carb Knuck in a VL frame!! Gotta Love It!!!!

Friday, December 9, 2016

My Greatest Fear...

My Greatest Fear...
by Garand69
12/09/16

Well, Hillary Clinton has become irrelevant! Woo Hoo!! But what is in store for us now?? Societal collapse comes in many colors and its causes a thousand more. While there are some easy to dream up situations, like say an EMP attack from Iran or the NORKs, what about the more convoluted paths to collapse??

Currently the Stock Market is blazing its way up the record charts, that has me very nervous. Why? Because markets don't crash on the bottom. Also, there is plenty of proof out there to suggest that it is easily manipulated, another words, they don't crash by themeselves.

In 1999, economist Paul Krugman was critical of Soros's effect on financial markets.

"[N]obody who has read a business magazine in the last few years can be unaware that these days there really are investors who not only move money in anticipation of a currency crisis, but actually do their best to trigger that crisis for fun and profit. These new actors on the scene do not yet have a standard name; my proposed term is 'Soroi'." Readmore
George Soros, the man that “Broke the Bank of England” has been involved in the manipulation of the markets and currencies for a long time. He was heavily involved in messing up the market even worse than it was during the Housing Collapse...
The collapse in the American stock markets was a calamity for the campaign of John McCain. In September, McCain was running strongly against Barack Obama. Some polls had him leading Barack Obama by 3 percent before the market broke. By October 7th, Obama had taken the lead across America. What changed in one month? The trigger was the market crash. Who pulled the trigger and why? Who benefited?”

During the collapse of the stock market, noted Wall Street commentator and CNBC star James Cramer noted that traditional short-sellers were not as active as one might expected ("regular short sellers are not doing this" and "traditional short sellers are not active" and "are not so patriotic that they would be doing this"), and said that his sources have mentioned that "financial terrorism" may be at work.”
Read more:


Back in 2008 Anne Applebaum penned an article titled The Iceland Syndrome in the Washington Post. It began with this...

Imagine this scenario: In a medium-size European country -- call it Country X -- the bank regulators hold an ordinary meeting. These being extraordinary times, the regulators discuss the health of various banks, including the country's largest -- call it Bank Y -- which is owned by an even larger Italian financial group. Last spring, Bank Y, which is perfectly healthy, transferred a large sum to its now somewhat-less-healthy Italian parent; since this is nothing unusual, the regulators drop the subject and move on.


The following day, the matter is reported in a marginal, far-right newspaper in somewhat different terms: "A billion dollars transferred to Italy! Country X's hard-earned money going abroad!" Within hours, as if on cue, everyone starts selling shares in Bank Y, whose stock price plunges. So does the rest of Country X's smallish stock market. So does Country X's currency. Within a few more hours, Country X is calling for an international bailout, the IMF is on the phone and the government is wobbling.


Except for that final sentence -- there was no international bailout or call to the International Monetary Fund, and the government is fine -- that is a brief description of something that happened last week to one of Poland's largest banks. A real meeting, followed by an unsubstantiated rumor in a dodgy newspaper, and a bunch of nervous investors started selling. Shares in the bank collapsed by the largest margin in its history; for one ugly day, they dragged down the rest of the Polish stock market and currency as well. ”


She finishes her article up with...


If you wanted to destabilize a country, wouldn't this be an excellent time to do it? If Country X's stock market can crash after the publication of a single article in an obscure newspaper, think what might happen if someone conducted a systematic campaign against Country X. And if you can imagine this, so can others.
All governments have enemies, internal and external, or at least are faced with elements that do not wish them well: the political opposition, the country next door, the former imperial power. For someone, there will always be the temptation to bring down the government, destabilize the country and thus create political chaos.
Even when there hasn't been political meddling, someone else will suspect that it has occurred, anyway. Here, then, is a prediction: Political instability will follow economic instability like night follows day.”
Read more: 

Ok, that's all water under the bridge right?? Well lets keep that thought playing in your head as background music while you think about the next little tidbit... Were you paying attention to Team O's Quantitative Easing Program??? I stopped counting them after QE4 because it was essentially QE-Infinity. Where were they pumping the freshly printed, or more accurately, digitally created USD's??? The Stock Market.

How many USD's did they prop up the market with???
Byron Wein of the Blackstone Group says...

Even though we’ve seen company earnings more than double between 2009 and 2014, there has been concern that the market rally has largely been driven by so-called easy money the Fed supplied through its bond-buying program, or quantitative easing.”

Wien quantifies its contribution:

It took the Fed 95 years to build up a balance sheet of $1 trillion and only six years to go from there to the present level. The Federal Reserve was providing this stimulus to improve the growth of the economy, but it is my view that three quarters of the money injected into the system through the purchase of bonds went into financial assets pushing stock prices up and keeping yields low. If I am right, the Fed contributed almost $3 trillion (some may have gone into bonds) to the $13 trillion rise in the stock market appreciation from the 2009 low to the current level, earnings increases explained $9 trillion (1.5 x $6 trillion) and other factors accounted for $1 trillion. You could argue that the monetary stimulus financed the multiple expansion in this cycle.Read More 

Now think about that for a minute, 3 TRILLION dollars was pumped into the Stock Market to prop it up. The market has since gone wild, What is that 3trl worth now?? Who is in control of that 3trl?. What would happen if that 3trl plus all of it's gains were pulled out of the Market on January 20th or some other opportune time?

Now what has the diabolical George Soros been doing all this year?? He has been dumping Stocks and buying Gold. So have the Central banks. What do they know?? Are they figuring on a simple natural “Market Correction” which would be damaging enough. Or is it possible there was a back up plan to a Clinton loss?? Or something I am also a firm believer in, the powers that be on the Left maybe never had any intention of winning the 2016 election, which would explain why they put the person with the most beatable background into that position.

Now, how do you get back into power as quickly as possible?? You destroy the economy. In 2 years they could easily regain the House and Senate if the Economy crashed. If that happened, they could easily curb any positive progress and easily put 100% of the blame on Trump. Therefore walking into the Whitehouse in 2020 with ease.

That is my primary nightmare right now... Sure WWIII is also high on the list, but Economic Collapse is the most likely in my opinion, and the “Powers that be”, definitely have a plan.


DO YOU??

Wednesday, December 24, 2014


Meltdown Drags!!!!!
6th annual vintage drag meet
July 17-19 2015
Byron Dragway, Byron Illinois


Well the date is set and Pre-Registration is upon us! If you love Vintage drag racing this is it folks!! Both Cars, rails, as well as Motorcycles from 1966 and earlier will be there.

The fine folks that run this are a group of like minded guys and gals that simply want to recreate a specific time in drag racing history.  "We choose 1966 and older for cars and that is the era we want to focus on.  A time when gassers were king!"  



For Motorcycles, they are a bit more open on years, BUT the "Look" needs to be there, borrowed from Vintage Drag Bikes FB page.. "I had a man call about rules for vintage Dragbikes again. I told him my opinion of what it should be. First vintage is vintage, meaning period correct 4'' tire, stock cases, stock heads any mods OK. Hand clutch,foot shift, no wheelie bar. Fuel or gas. Bikes that have vintage engines but run wheelie bar, air shift but stay with 4'' tire I call mod. vintage."

Vintage racing is an incredible piece of living history. Instead of collecting dust in some barn or worse, these machines have been saved and kept on the track for all to see how it was once done in a time of imagination and innovation!! Come on out and show your support or even better, get that Vintage Dragbike running and come out and have some fun!!!


Here is a fine example, Asshole's Garage Knucklehead Vintage Dragbike

For more information follow these links to Meltdown Drags as well as Vintage Dragbike Racing on Facebook 


"MELTDOWN DRAGS MONTAGE" 2014 CAR SHOW~PITS-STAGING at BYRON



Monday, March 3, 2014

Today's Knuckin Futty Spotlight.....





The restoration of Vintage Racers, whether its cars, boats, planes, or motorcycles has always piqued my interest. Racers have a unique problem vs. other items of vintage, they are often destroyed during competition, or cannibalized and updated to remain competitive in future seasons destroying their original configuration. When they are no longer competitive, they are essentially useless, and the now outdated “one-off” performance parts available at the time are very hard to find even if they were commercially produced. Because of this increased difficulty, going down this path can indeed drive you knuckin futty!!





Just like all of the early transportation industries, at the turn of the century Racers led the way when it came to innovation in the motorcycle industry. This is when racing was extremely dangerous. Race cars of the day like Ford's famous, Barney Oldfield piloted, 999 had a wooden frame and a tiller style steering wheel and certainly no rollcage. Board Track motorcycle racers of the day had no brakes and riders wore, by today's standards, no protective gear. A wipe out on a board track was often accompanied by foot long wood slivers penetrating your body if you were lucky, or death. Many sporting events and types of racing disappear over time do to lack of attendance, this was not the case with board track racing, it was the deaths of riders.



Motorcycle board track racing was the deadliest form of racing in the history of motorsports. Hundreds of lives were lost, both racers and spectators, during the relatively short-lived era of the boards. Yet in spite of, or perhaps partly because of, the dangers, motorcycle board track racing in the 1910s was one of the most popular spectator sports in America. Races attracted crowds of up to 10,000 fans. Young riders knew of the dangers, but chose to ignore them because the payoffs were so lucrative. Top racers could make $20,000 per year racing the board tracks, nearly a half-million dollars in today’s currency.”




Today's spotlight is about the re-creation of a Board Track Racer, an OHC Excelsior! What many modern Motorcycle enthusiasts do not realize is that there is really nothing new in motorcycles. The very earliest examples of motorcycle racers had many of the so-called modern performance features. 4 Cams, 2 Cams, 4 valves per cylinder, Overhead Cams, you know... all those performance buzz words used by today's motorcycle manufactures. The only thing that held these designs back, back in the day was metallurgy and manufacturing techniques available to the talented tinkerers, mechanics, and engineers of the day.


The Excelsior brand was built in Chicago, IL and used frames built by Schwinn. They were fast in the day and it did not take long for them to start breaking records.



On December 30th, 1912, Humiston circled the banked one-mile oval on his direct-drive Excelsior in 36 seconds flat, to become the first motorcyclist in the world "officially" timed at 100 mph. One week after his milestone accomplishment, "The Humiston Comet," (as he was promptly nicknamed by the press) surpassed DeRosier's record for 100 miles, trimming nearly seven and a half minutes from the fatally injured rider's best time.

Excelsior had won the race to the magic 100 mph mark and they had smashed the Indian-held record for the 100-mile distance as well. The publicity was enormous. Every school boy in America knew that a man had traveled at 100 miles per hour on a motorcycle, and that he had accomplished this feat on an Excelsior built in Chicago.”

Think about that for a moment.... for those of us who have exceeded 100mph on modern motorcycles, how fast would you be willing to push an old Board Tracker??? An engine on a glorified bicycle frame, sans brakes or protective gear, running around a steeply banked track made of wood... THINK ABOUT IT!! Absolutely knuckin futty!!

Well Excelsior, just like any company with a quality racing program did not rest on its laurels, it continued to innovate. That innovation led to the Bevel Drive OHC Racer. Overhead cams are quite common today, back then not so much, and how to drive the camshafts was another thing entirely. Excelsior chose a beveled gear drive arrangement, and it worked.

This particular OHC Racer however was short lived, and it was over before it could make its mark. The program died with it's best rider, board track racer Bob Perry on January 2, 1920. Bob Perry was close family friend of Ignaz Schwinn, owner of both Schwinn Bicycles and Excelsior. Upon hearing about the death of his friend, Ignaz destroyed the remaining OHC Excelsior's leaving nothing but a few photographs as evidence of the innovative and significantly historical racing machine's existence.


This is where this story takes an incredible turn, the re-creation of a Racing Legend, based only on photos and intuition using modern metals and manufacturing. You think you have seen art? Maybe you have seen restorations that are amazing with flawless repairs and paint that brings the project to better than new status.. What about fabrication? Have you seen some great fabricators that can see something in their head, fire up a welder or get in front of an english wheel and BAM! there it is? How about talented machinists that can create impossible things out of a chunk of metal???

Well, here is an absolute work of art, that is not only functional, but is as close as possible to the original as you can get without using a single original part. Here is the Excelsior Bevel Drive OHC Racer re-created by Paul Brodie of Flashback Fabrications.



If you admire those that take the time to restore and revive vintage racers, please take the time to check out his blog and follow along as he recreates an incredible piece of Motorcycle Racing History. Not only did he build these from scratch, he also put the engine in a modern chassis to race in vintage road racing classes so that he could iron out the engine and make necessary changes for durability, just like they would have done back in the day of factory board track racers!! Talk about Knuckin Futty!!!


Here is a link to follow to Flashback Fabrications Blog,  There are tons of quality photos to drool over, and if that was interesting, please check out the other links provided about Board Track Racing.

Thank you for re-creating and preserving history Paul Brodie!!!

Dan Hendrickson

"Thrillsand Funerals": Researching the Board Track Era of Motorcycle Racing in America's Historical Newspapers, by Larry Lawrence

Pioneersof American Motorcycle Racing, by Daniel K. Statnekov




Sunday, February 23, 2014



AMA Pro Racing Releases 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 3, 2013) - AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce the complete AMA Pro Flat Track schedule for the upcoming 2014 season; an agenda that includes 16 rounds featuring non-stop entertainment and thrilling motorcycle racing action from the AMA Pro Grand National Championship (GNC) and AMA Pro Singles classes.

"We're excited to be announcing the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule today," said Michael Gentry, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "AMA Pro Flat Track is America's original extreme sport, and we're looking forward to watching our riders thrill crowds across the country during another action-packed season of racing in 2014."

Of the 16 races scheduled as part of the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track calendar, the GNC Expert Singles will compete at four of the rounds, broken down into two Short Tracks and two TTs, while the thundering GNC Expert Twins will contest the remaining 12 rounds, consisting of six Half-Mile and six Mile tracks. Fans can also expect to watch the sport's finest up-and-coming talent battle for fame and glory in Pro Singles races at the majority of the events.

On March 13 and 14, 2014, DAYTONA Flat Track will once again play host to the AMA Pro Flat Track opener as the series kicks off the 2014 season with a doubleheader on the quarter-mile lime rock track located just outside Daytona International Speedway's west banking. At the 2013 season opener in Daytona Beach, Fla., fans witnessed four riders claim their first career victories at the professional level in dramatic fashion.

Next up, the series will make its first annual stop in Springfield, Ill. for the Springfield Mile on May 25, 2014 and will return again to the legendary venue on August 31, 2014 for the second go-around. Last season, Brandon Robinson made his money at Springfield, earning two convincing victories in a crucial late-season doubleheader weekend.

The series will head to Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa on June 15, 2014 for Round 4. Kenny Coolbeth earned a split-second victory at the Knoxville Half-Mile in 2012 over then defending champion Jake Johnson. After taking a break from the Marion County venue in 2013, the series is scheduled to return to Knoxville Raceway in 2014 to run in conjunction with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series and provide the same exhilarating action that it does everywhere else.

Round 5 of AMA Pro Flat Track will take place at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio for the Lima Half-Mile on June 28, 2014. Dating back to 1984, AMA Pro Flat Track has made the trek to Lima to take on the pea-gravel circuit and the 2014 event should be another weekend filled with exciting racing.

It wouldn't be a normal 4th of July weekend without AMA Pro Flat Track racing in Hagerstown, Md. The series is set to roll out the thundering twin-cylinder motorcycles on July 5, 2014 at Hagerstown Speedway for the Hagerstown Half-Mile. Eventual 2013 Grand National ChampionBrad Baker earned his first win at the GNC Expert level at Hagerstown last season and will look to have similar success following America's Independence Day in 2014.

The first west coast tour begins on July 19, 2014 with a Half-Mile event at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. The venue will serve as the first time that AMA Pro Flat Track tires will have touched this particular soil and the event will be hosted by a new promoter.

On July 26, 2014, the series will make its second west coast appearance at the famous Sacramento Mile in Sacramento, Calif. Last season, Bryan Smith recorded his first of two wins on the year at the Cal Expo and the Flint, Mich. product will look to continue his success on mile-long tracks when the series returns to Sacramento in 2014.

The first TT event will take place at Castle Rock Race Park in Castle Rock, Wash. for the Castle Rock TT on August 2, 2014. Jeffrey Carver recorded his lone win of the season last year in AMA Pro Expert Singles competition as he crossed the stripe a little over a second ahead of second-place finisher and 2012 Grand National Champion Jared Mees.

Next up, the series heads to Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, S.D. for the Sturgis Half-Mile on August 5, 2014, run in conjunction with the largest annual bike rally in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts will flock to the 74th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and the timing couldn't be any better with the Grand National Championship coming to town in the midst of all the excitement.

The Indy Mile at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind., returns to the 2014 schedule on August 8, 2014 and the event will once again coincide with both the Indiana State Fair and MotoGP's state-side return for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indy Mile will run on a Friday this year as opposed to the usual Saturday night that it has in the past.

Next up is the second and final TT of the season, and the granddaddy of them all, scheduled for August 17, 2014 at Peoria Race Park in Peoria, Ill. Henry Wiles has owned the Peoria TT for nearly an entire decade and he will look to collect his 10th win at the Midwest venue next season. The Peoria TT has been a staple on the Grand National circuit since 1947 and still packs the hillsides with spectators eager to watch the high-flying singles takes to the track.

After a successful inauguration to the Grand National scene last season, Colonial Downs will host Round 13 of the AMA Pro Flat Track schedule on August 23, 2014. The 1.25 mile-long circuit, located in New Kent, Va., measures in as the largest track on the schedule and will surely provide for some thrilling racing action.

Following the second Springfield Mile event on Labor Day weekend, the season wraps up with two final bouts on the west coast with the Santa Rosa Mile in Santa Rosa, Calif. on September 28, 2014 and the Flat Track Season Finale on October 11, 2014 at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. These two races proved to be critical at the tail-end of last season, as Brad Baker,Bryan Smith and Brandon Robinson were neck-and-neck going down the homestretch of 2013. In the end it was Baker who sealed the final victory at Pomona to cap off an amazing season and capture the coveted No. 1 plate.

Complete 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule
1. March 13 - Daytona Flat Track I, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2. March 14 - Daytona Flat Track II, Daytona Beach, Fla.
3. May 25 - Springfield Mile I, Springfield, Ill.
4. June 15 - Knoxville Half-Mile, Knoxville, Iowa
5. June 28 - Lima Half-Mile, Lima, Ohio
6. July 5 - Hagerstown Half-Mile, Hagerstown, Md.
7. July 19 - Grays Harbor Half-Mile, Elma, Wash.
8. July 26 - Sacramento Mile, Sacramento, Calif.
9. August 2 - Castle Rock TT, Castle Rock, Wash.
10. August 5 - Sturgis Half-Mile, Rapid City, S.D.
11. August 8 - Indy Mile, Indianapolis, Ind.
12. August 17 - Peoria TT, Peoria, Ill.
13. August 23 - Colonial Downs Mile, New Kent, Va.
14. August 31 - Springfield Mile II, Springfield, Ill.
15. September 28 - Santa Rosa Mile, Santa Rosa, Calif.
16. October 11 - Flat Track Season Finale, Pomona, Calif.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014



Dates set for second season of NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series
Wednesday,November 13, 2013
http://www.nhra.com/
The second season dates for the wildly popular NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series have been announced for 2014 by officials from NHRA and Harley-Davidson. The series will thrill fans of high-energy motorcycle racing with 10 races in the coming season.

The NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series will compete at tracks across the country and will hold at least one race in each of the seven NHRA divisions. The events will take place in conjunction with NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events with the Top Fuel Harley category featured at two NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events, the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway and the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
These thrilling two-wheeled machines will race at two new tracks in 2014 as they visit Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Md., and Rocky Mountain Raceways outside of Salt Lake City.

Doug Horne will attempt to defend his crown in Top Fuel Harley that he secured in the inaugural season. Top Fuel Harley, Pro Fuel Harley (formally Pro Drag), Pro Gas, Draggin’ Bagger, Street Pro, and Hot Street will all take to the track during the course of an event weekend.

An updated rulebook and a follow-up announcement will be released, shortly as NHRA finalizes the program and class structure.

The racers will vie for an exclusive NHRA Wally Trophy awarded to winners in each category during winner circle activities.   The season-ending champion in Top Fuel Harley will receive a specially designed Wally Trophy as well as a year-end bonus. The best seven of 10 races will count for points toward the year-end championship.
"Our partnership with the NHRA for the NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series has been a great success and has exceeded our goals of  increasing the visibility of Sportsman Harley drag racers at venues across the country and shining a spotlight on our Screamin' Eagle performance products that help our customers showcase their speed and talent to new audiences," said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Kris Schoonover. "We look forward keeping that momentum going strong into next year."

2014 NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series Schedule
March 7-9
Royal Purple Raceway Schedule
Houston
April 4-6
Virginia Motorsports Park
Petersburg, Va.
April 25-27
Royal Purple Raceway (Top Fuel only)
Houston
May 16-18
Summit Motorsports Park
Norwalk, Ohio
June 6-8
Mission Raceway
Mission, B.C.
June 13-15
Bristol Dragway (Top Fuel only)
Bristol, Tenn.
June 13-15
Bandimere Speedway (Non-Top Fuel Event)
Morrison, Co.
June 20-21
Bristol Dragway (Non-Top Fuel Event)
Bristol, Tenn.
July 18-20
National Trail Raceway
Hebron, Ohio
Aug. 15-17
Cecil County Dragway
Rising Sun, Maryland
Sept. 26-28
Rocky Mountain Raceways
West Valley, Utah
Nov. 6-9
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas



Thursday, April 19, 2012

11 Score and 17 years ago, The Birth of the American Spirit was witnessed...



by Dan Hendrickson
04/19/2012

April 19th, 1775

On that fateful day, that unfortunately most Public School students are taught little about, an amazing thing was created, the American Spirit. While it is true that the colonies had been around for quite awhile, centuries even in some areas, American Spirit was not created until April 19th, 1775. That was the first time, Freedom and Liberty minded individuals from all classes of society and race coalesced together and not only held their line in the sand, but drove the British Army all the way back to Boston.

Colonists were by nature a fairly hardy and free spirited folk. The Continent literally oozed Freedom. For the folks who bravely boarded a ship and crossed an ocean, their purpose was solely the chance of Freedom to start fresh and live their lives as they saw fit. It was a journey that could be anywhere from 1 ½ months to 5-6 months long depending on conditions (National Weather Service? What's that??), living on salted and dried meats and limited water supply in disgustingly filthy conditions. How many of today's teens and twenty somethings would take that risk for Freedom? (sorry kids, intentionally living as scum at an occupy rally doesn't count, you can always walk away and go home to mommy)

Then you had those born in the Colonies. Even those born to wealthy Merchant parents were far more hardened than those of similar status in England. Life was tough in the Colonies because of the dependance on England and other Countries, and you lived literally next door to the wilderness full of dangerous animals, Indians and all, but it was still far more Free than anywhere else, and with a good work ethic and determination, you could be what you wanted to be.

On April 19, 1775, something happened that would change the mindset of the Colonists forever, not one but two lines in the sand were crossed. After several years of protesting tyranny, the small minority of rabble were starting to really aggravate Ole' King George. As he became more and more angered, he ratcheted up the tyranny. On that day, the British Army, 700 strong, marched to Concord to seize weapons and powder and destroy anything else capable of aiding a rebellion.

As you all know I hope, the British were delayed slightly in Lexington by the Local Militia led by Captain Parker. However, the militia was greatly out numbered and when they were ordered to disperse by the British, Parker was having some second thoughts. He wasn't ready to flip that switch and go from a second class British subject to a Felon to be hanged on the spot. When he ordered the Militia to Stand down, most did, but then that Famous “Shot heard round the World” was fired. The line that the Citizens of Lexington had drawn in the sand had now been crossed, but unfortunately they lost this skirmish. Eight Massachusetts men were killed and ten were wounded, The British shouted 3 “HUZZAHS!” and the 700 man column marched on towards Concord.

Concord had more time to prepare thanks to Dr Samuel Prescott. See the Poem doesn't tell the whole story about Paul Revere's Ride. Paul Revere and William Dawes never made it to Concord, but by luck, planning or maybe pure providence, they ran into Dr. Prescott who was on his way home from courting his fiancee Miss Mulliken. When the three were captured by a British Patrol outside of Lexington, Dr. Prescott managed to escape whereas Revere lost his horse Brown Beauty and Dawes decided he was done warning the countryside for the day. Without Dr. Prescott and the dozens of other pre-planned alarm riders joining in, who knows how things would have turned out.

What about that other line in the Sand that was crossed that day? Well after Concord and the Skirmish at the North Bridge the British retreat to Boston began. So far the British had fired first in both skirmishes. That would give the colonists involved a little slack. Sure there would be some hangings and a few examples to be made, but there would not have been war, the vast majority did not want war. But at Merriam's Corner's the line the King's sand would be crossed.

As the militia's followed the British Column in their retreat, the rear guard of the British were getting nervous. At Merriam's Corner they turned and faced the militia and prepared to fire. Unbeknownst to them, a militia unit had gathered along the side of the road at a very advantageous position. The militia asked themselves, do we stand here and watch as our countrymen are killed, or do we fire? They fired and the surprise broadside attack was very effective, and that was the first time that the colonists fired a volley into British Ranks first.

At that moment an incredible thing happened. In a massive cataclysmic yet ethereal reaction, American Spirit was created. While the Revolution was actually fought by very few, the American Spirit spreading across the land touched the hearts and minds of the Americans. All classes of wealth, race, and gender came together for a common goal and took part in winning American Independence.

As Revolutions go, it was a very clean war. It wasn't about the Government isn't doing enough, it was about the Government is doing too much. They sought Freedom and Liberty, and nothing more. The French Revolution a few years later was simply about butchering and murdering the ruling class and replacing them with a dictatorship. Yet today, the media cheers the French Revolution and calls our Founders terrorists.

My how we have fallen as a Nation......

American Spirit, since it's initial creation is much like energy. As you all know, energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only be concentrated or dissipated. Dissipation is exactly what has happened to the American Spirit. Years of socialist/communist Indoctrination have Americans believing Unions are “Pro-American” and not Communist at all. They believe Government regulation is needed because all of their comrades... er I mean friends and family cannot be trusted to do the right thing. That making a profit is some how bad and that taking from those who work and giving to those who do not is some how noble.

The American Dream that has existed since the first colonies were settled, the dream that Freedom and Liberty combined with personal responsibility and a good work ethic can make ANYTHING possible has been replaced with a mentality that winning the Lottery or “scoring a big settlement” is the only way to wealth and prosperity.

We have a “Campaigner in Chief” who's only hope for re-election is built on pitting all classes of wealth, gender, race, and religion against one another. The exact opposite to what brought our young Nation together 237 years ago today.

Learn the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Ideals that made our Nation the greatest on earth. Learn about Freedom & Liberty's enemies and what has been done to drop Lady Liberty to her knees. Then teach your friends, and your Family. Time is running out, four more years of this and it's over.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Preparedness on a Tight Budget, Part 1



Preparedness on a Tight Budget, Part 1
by Dan Hendrickson
(Garand69)

The first thing you want to do is relax and take a breath. Why? Because your on limited funds, you cannot afford to waste money on a panic purchase. A panic purchase of an important item while not a total loss, costs you money. Slow down and wait for a sale, and of course keep an eye on the classifieds for used but serviceable items that you need. For now lets take a look at the necessities of surviving in general.....

Mindset-Knowledge-Skills-Water-Food-Shelter.

Some will disagree with the order above or even may want to reduce that to simply water-food-shelter, or even add more to that, BUT the first three are FREE to nearly FREE, and without them long-term survival will not be viable. With them, you will be able to improvise, adapt and overcome, even if you are separated from your planned water-food-shelter preparations.

Mindset-

This is the #1 most important thing to develop. You have to have the drive and determination to survive anything! You NEVER give up!! This of course is absolutely FREE, and can be improved with a judicial dose of confidence, confidence that will be developed while working on the next 2 necessities.

Knowledge-

Without Knowledge your done, so learn about the subject the best that you can. While you could pay a bunch of money to go to a survival school, the reality is that you can learn an awful lot for FREE or near FREE. If your reading this, your obviously on the internet, so start surfing!!! Another great source of info, Boy Scout Handbooks, the older the better. You can often find these at resale shops and thrift stores CHEAP! Go through all of the lessons and you will be way ahead of the game when it comes to surviving. While I prefer a book in my hands, there is a FREE online version of the handbook that you can find here... http://www.bsahandbook.org/

What do you need to know? Anything that involves the acquisition, preparation, and preservation of Water-Food-Shelter in a TSHTF situation.

Skills-

You can “book learn” yourself all you want, but if your not applying that “learnin'” in practical training exercises, when the chips are down, you will fail. Your first failure in the field will put a ding into your confidence, and confidence directly effects Mindset! Again, you could pay someone to teach you this stuff, or you could apply your new found knowledge on a regular basis until you master it.

Become a “Weekend Warrior”. Pick at least 1 week, preferably more, every month and use that weekend to apply your new knowledge. Camping is a perfect training opportunity and if you have friends and family involved, it can be a great Team Building Exercise. Camping can be as simple as your backyard, or as you become more proficient with your skills, the middle of nowhere. Try a weekend without “power” and camp inside using ZERO electricity or grid supplied fuel sources such as natural gas or fuel oil. Once you master that, go for the whole week without power.

Use lists to organize and track your Training. It could look something like this....

Water-
a. Acquisition … Find/Collect water + fuel for sterilization
b. Preparation …. make the water safe to drink, filter and make a fire to boil water.
c. Preservation …. properly store water for later use
Food-
a. Acquisition … Grow, Gather, Hunt, Trap food + fuel for preparation.
b. Preparation …. Safe preparation of wild foods, field dressing game, etc. making fire
c. Preservation..... preserving the excess. Canning, smoking, drying. Secure storage animals (2 and 4 legged)
Shelter-
a. Acquisition …. finding materials to work with, or secure an existing shelter + Fuel for Heat.
b. Preparation …. building an improvised shelter/making an existing shelter safe and defensible + making fire.
c. Preservation.... routine maintenance, especially with an improvised shelter. And developing a defense strategy.


Notice that I brought up Fire more than once. You should have at least 3 methods to make fire, and be proficient in all of them!!!! Practice it all the time in both ideal situations as well as in wet raining weather.

One thing I have not brought up yet is First Aid. First Aid is kinda out of order. They call it “First Aid” because it is supposed to be the “First” thing you do after an injury. You can look at this a couple of ways, but the best First Aid is the avoidance of injury in the first place. SLOW DOWN-DON'T RUSH THINGS-HYGEINE! When using knives and other tools, PAY ATTENTION!! It isn't called “Last Aid”, so that means that “First Aid” is simply what you need to do to keep the injured alive long enough to get them to a real doctor with access to real medical supplies and medicines. Avoidance of injury is the key. In a Survival situation you may not have access to antibiotics at all, or any of the other wonderful miracles that you can find in the modern emergency room.

All of the above is the Foundation to Preparedness. It is for the “Worst case scenario”, and if you start with that, you will be way ahead of the game if TSHTF in an inopportune an inconvenient manner (like it ALWAYS does). In a “Best Case” Survival scenario, you would never be separated from your supplies and preparations, and the emergency would never last longer than 72hrs.

Stay Tuned for Part 2.



Sunday, March 18, 2012

HEADS UP!!! Obama Executive Order Greasing the Slope

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary

Executive Order -- National Defense Resources Preparedness

EXECUTIVE ORDER
NATIONAL DEFENSE RESOURCES PREPAREDNESS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2061 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

PART I  -  PURPOSE, POLICY, AND IMPLEMENTATION

Section 101Purpose.  This order delegates authorities and addresses national defense resource policies and programs under the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (the "Act").

Sec. 102Policy.  The United States must have an industrial and technological base capable of meeting national defense requirements and capable of contributing to the technological superiority of its national defense equipment in peacetime and in times of national emergency.  The domestic industrial and technological base is the foundation for national defense preparedness.  The authorities provided in the Act shall be used to strengthen this base and to ensure it is capable of responding to the national defense needs of the United States.

Sec. 103General Functions.  Executive departments and agencies (agencies) responsible for plans and programs relating to national defense (as defined in section 801(j) of this order), or for resources and services needed to support such plans and programs, shall:
(a)  identify requirements for the full spectrum of emergencies, including essential military and civilian demand;
(b)  assess on an ongoing basis the capability of the domestic industrial and technological base to satisfy requirements in peacetime and times of national emergency, specifically evaluating the availability of the most critical resource and production sources, including subcontractors and suppliers, materials, skilled labor, and professional and technical personnel;
(c)  be prepared, in the event of a potential threat to the security of the United States, to take actions necessary to ensure the availability of adequate resources and production capability, including services and critical technology, for national defense requirements;
(d)  improve the efficiency and responsiveness of the domestic industrial base to support national defense requirements; and
(e)  foster cooperation between the defense and commercial sectors for research and development and for acquisition of materials, services, components, and equipment to enhance industrial base efficiency and responsiveness.

Sec. 104Implementation.  (a)  The National Security Council and Homeland Security Council, in conjunction with the National Economic Council, shall serve as the integrated policymaking forum for consideration and formulation of national defense resource preparedness policy and shall make recommendations to the President on the use of authorities under the Act.

(b)  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall:

(1)  advise the President on issues of national defense resource preparedness and on the use of the authorities and functions delegated by this order;

(2)  provide for the central coordination of the plans and programs incident to authorities and functions delegated under this order, and provide guidance to agencies assigned functions under this order, developed in consultation with such agencies; and

(3)  report to the President periodically concerning all program activities conducted pursuant to this order.

(c)  The Defense Production Act Committee, described in section 701 of this order, shall:

(1)  in a manner consistent with section 2(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2062(b), advise the President through the Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy on the effective use of the authorities under the Act; and

(2)  prepare and coordinate an annual report to the Congress pursuant to section 722(d) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2171(d).

(d)  The Secretary of Commerce, in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and other agencies, shall:

(1)  analyze potential effects of national emergencies on actual production capability, taking into account the entire production system, including shortages of resources, and develop recommended preparedness measures to strengthen capabilities for production increases in national emergencies; and

(2)  perform industry analyses to assess capabilities of the industrial base to support the national defense, and develop policy recommendations to improve the international competitiveness of specific domestic industries and their abilities to meet national defense program needs.

PART II  -  PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATIONS

Sec. 201Priorities and Allocations Authorities.  (a)  The authority of the President conferred by section 101 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071, to require acceptance and priority performance of contracts or orders (other than contracts of employment) to promote the national defense over performance of any other contracts or orders, and to allocate materials, services, and facilities as deemed necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense, is delegated to the following agency heads:

(1)  the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to food resources, food resource facilities, livestock resources, veterinary resources, plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment and commercial fertilizer;

(2)  the Secretary of Energy with respect to all forms of energy;

(3)  the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to health resources;

(4)  the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all forms of civil transportation;

(5)  the Secretary of Defense with respect to water resources; and

(6)  the Secretary of Commerce with respect to all other materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials.

(b)  The Secretary of each agency delegated authority under subsection (a) of this section (resource departments) shall plan for and issue regulations to prioritize and allocate resources and establish standards and procedures by which the authority shall be used to promote the national defense, under both emergency and non-emergency conditions.  Each Secretary shall authorize the heads of other agencies, as appropriate, to place priority ratings on contracts and orders for materials, services, and facilities needed in support of programs approved under section 202 of this order.

(c)  Each resource department shall act, as necessary and appropriate, upon requests for special priorities assistance, as defined by section 801(l) of this order, in a time frame consistent with the urgency of the need at hand.  In situations where there are competing program requirements for limited resources, the resource department shall consult with the Secretary who made the required determination under section 202 of this order.  Such Secretary shall coordinate with and identify for the resource department which program requirements to prioritize on the basis of operational urgency.  In situations involving more than one Secretary making such a required determination under section 202 of this order, the Secretaries shall coordinate with and identify for the resource department which program requirements should receive priority on the basis of operational urgency.

(d)  If agreement cannot be reached between two such Secretaries, then the issue shall be referred to the President through the Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.

(e)  The Secretary of each resource department, when necessary, shall make the finding required under section 101(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(b).  This finding shall be submitted for the President's approval through the Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.  Upon such approval, the Secretary of the resource department that made the finding may use the authority of section 101(a) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(a), to control the general distribution of any material (including applicable services) in the civilian market.

Sec. 202Determinations.  Except as provided in section 201(e) of this order, the authority delegated by section 201 of this order may be used only to support programs that have been determined in writing as necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense:

(a)  by the Secretary of Defense with respect to military production and construction, military assistance to foreign nations, military use of civil transportation, stockpiles managed by the Department of Defense, space, and directly related activities;

(b)  by the Secretary of Energy with respect to energy production and construction, distribution and use, and directly related activities; and

(c)  by the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to all other national defense programs, including civil defense and continuity of Government.

Sec. 203Maximizing Domestic Energy Supplies.  The authorities of the President under section 101(c)(1) (2) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(c)(1) (2), are delegated to the Secretary of Commerce, with the exception that the authority to make findings that materials (including equipment), services, and facilities are critical and essential, as described in section 101(c)(2)(A) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(c)(2)(A), is delegated to the Secretary of Energy.

Sec. 204Chemical and Biological Warfare.  The authority of the President conferred by section 104(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2074(b), is delegated to the Secretary of Defense.  This authority may not be further delegated by the Secretary.

PART III  -  EXPANSION OF PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY AND SUPPLY

Sec. 301Loan Guarantees.  (a)  To reduce current or projected shortfalls of resources, critical technology items, or materials essential for the national defense, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense, as defined in section 801(h) of this order, is authorized pursuant to section 301 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2091, to guarantee loans by private institutions.

(b)  Each guaranteeing agency is designated and authorized to:  (1) act as fiscal agent in the making of its own guarantee contracts and in otherwise carrying out the purposes of section 301 of the Act; and (2) contract with any Federal Reserve Bank to assist the agency in serving as fiscal agent.

(c)  Terms and conditions of guarantees under this authority shall be determined in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  The guaranteeing agency is authorized, following such consultation, to prescribe:  (1) either specifically or by maximum limits or otherwise, rates of interest, guarantee and commitment fees, and other charges which may be made in connection with such guarantee contracts; and (2) regulations governing the forms and procedures (which shall be uniform to the extent practicable) to be utilized in connection therewith.

Sec. 302Loans.  To reduce current or projected shortfalls of resources, critical technology items, or materials essential for the national defense, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 302 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2092, to make loans thereunder.  Terms and conditions of loans under this authority shall be determined in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of OMB.

Sec. 303Additional Authorities.  (a)  To create, maintain, protect, expand, or restore domestic industrial base capabilities essential for the national defense, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 303 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093, to make provision for purchases of, or commitments to purchase, an industrial resource or a critical technology item for Government use or resale, and to make provision for the development of production capabilities, and for the increased use of emerging technologies in security program applications, and to enable rapid transition of emerging technologies.

(b)  Materials acquired under section 303 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093, that exceed the needs of the programs under the Act may be transferred to the National Defense Stockpile, if, in the judgment of the Secretary of Defense as the National Defense Stockpile Manager, such transfers are in the public interest.

Sec. 304Subsidy Payments.  To ensure the supply of raw or nonprocessed materials from high cost sources, or to ensure maximum production or supply in any area at stable prices of any materials in light of a temporary increase in transportation cost, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 303(c) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(c), to make subsidy payments, after consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of OMB.

Sec. 305Determinations and Findings.  (a)  Pursuant to budget authority provided by an appropriations act in advance for credit assistance under section 301 or 302 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2091, 2092, and consistent with the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, as amended (FCRA), 2 U.S.C. 661 et seq., the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority to make the determinations set forth in sections 301(a)(2) and 302(b)(2) of the Act, in consultation with the Secretary making the required determination under section 202 of this order; provided, that such determinations shall be made after due consideration of the provisions of OMB Circular A 129 and the credit subsidy score for the relevant loan or loan guarantee as approved by OMB pursuant to FCRA
.
(b)  Other than any determination by the President under section 303(a)(7)(b) of the Act, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority to make the required determinations, judgments, certifications, findings, and notifications defined under section 303 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093, in consultation with the Secretary making the required determination under section 202 of this order.

Sec. 306Strategic and Critical Materials.  The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of the Interior in consultation with the Secretary of Defense as the National Defense Stockpile Manager, are each delegated the authority of the President under section 303(a)(1)(B) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(a)(1)(B), to encourage the exploration, development, and mining of strategic and critical materials and other materials.

Sec. 307Substitutes.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 303(g) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(g), to make provision for the development of substitutes for strategic and critical materials, critical components, critical technology items, and other resources to aid the national defense.

Sec. 308Government-Owned Equipment.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 303(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(e), to:

(a)  procure and install additional equipment, facilities, processes, or improvements to plants, factories, and other industrial facilities owned by the Federal Government and to procure and install Government owned equipment in plants, factories, or other industrial facilities owned by private persons;

(b)  provide for the modification or expansion of privately owned facilities, including the modification or improvement of production processes, when taking actions under sections 301, 302, or 303 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2091, 2092, 2093; and

(c)  sell or otherwise transfer equipment owned by the Federal Government and installed under section 303(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(e), to the owners of such plants, factories, or other industrial facilities.

Sec. 309Defense Production Act Fund.  The Secretary of Defense is designated the Defense Production Act Fund Manager, in accordance with section 304(f) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2094(f), and shall carry out the duties specified in section 304 of the Act, in consultation with the agency heads having approved, and appropriated funds for, projects under title III of the Act.

Sec. 310Critical Items.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 107(b)(1) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2077(b)(1), to take appropriate action to ensure that critical components, critical technology items, essential materials, and industrial resources are available from reliable sources when needed to meet defense requirements during peacetime, graduated mobilization, and national emergency.  Appropriate action may include restricting contract solicitations to reliable sources, restricting contract solicitations to domestic sources (pursuant to statutory authority), stockpiling critical components, and developing substitutes for critical components or critical technology items.

Sec. 311Strengthening Domestic Capability.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 107(a) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2077(a), to utilize the authority of title III of the Act or any other provision of law to provide appropriate incentives to develop, maintain, modernize, restore, and expand the productive capacities of domestic sources for critical components, critical technology items, materials, and industrial resources essential for the execution of the national security strategy of the United States.

Sec. 312Modernization of Equipment.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense, in accordance with section 108(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2078(b), may utilize the authority of title III of the Act to guarantee the purchase or lease of advance manufacturing equipment, and any related services with respect to any such equipment for purposes of the Act.  In considering title III projects, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense shall provide a strong preference for proposals submitted by a small business supplier or subcontractor in accordance with section 108(b)(2) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2078(b)(2).

PART IV  -  VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Sec. 401Delegations.  The authority of the President under sections 708(c) and (d) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2158(c), (d), is delegated to the heads of agencies otherwise delegated authority under this order.  The status of the use of such delegations shall be furnished to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Sec. 402Advisory Committees.  The authority of the President under section 708(d) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2158(d), and delegated in section 401 of this order (relating to establishment of advisory committees) shall be exercised only after consultation with, and in accordance with, guidelines and procedures established by the Administrator of General Services.

Sec. 403Regulations.  The Secretary of Homeland Security, after approval of the Attorney General, and after consultation by the Attorney General with the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, shall promulgate rules pursuant to section 708(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2158(e), incorporating standards and procedures by which voluntary agreements and plans of action may be developed and carried out.  Such rules may be adopted by other agencies to fulfill the rulemaking requirement of section 708(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2158(e).

PART V  -  EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONNEL

Sec. 501National Defense Executive Reserve.  (a) In accordance with section 710(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2160(e), there is established in the executive branch a National Defense Executive Reserve (NDER) composed of persons of recognized expertise from various segments of the private sector and from Government (except full time Federal employees) for training for employment in executive positions in the Federal Government in the event of a national defense emergency.

(b)  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue necessary guidance for the NDER program, including appropriate guidance for establishment, recruitment, training, monitoring, and activation of NDER units and shall be responsible for the overall coordination of the NDER program.  The authority of the President under section 710(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2160(e), to determine periods of national defense emergency is delegated to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

(c)  The head of any agency may implement section 501(a) of this order with respect to NDER operations in such agency.

(d)  The head of each agency with an NDER unit may exercise the authority under section 703 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2153, to employ civilian personnel when activating all or a part of its NDER unit.  The exercise of this authority shall be subject to the provisions of sections 501(e) and (f) of this order and shall not be redelegated.

(e)  The head of an agency may activate an NDER unit, in whole or in part, upon the written determination of the Secretary of Homeland Security that an emergency affecting the national defense exists and that the activation of the unit is necessary to carry out the emergency program functions of the agency.

(f)  Prior to activating the NDER unit, the head of the agency shall notify, in writing, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism of the impending activation.
Sec. 502Consultants.  The head of each agency otherwise delegated functions under this order is delegated the authority of the President under sections 710(b) and (c) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2160(b), (c), to employ persons of outstanding experience and ability without compensation and to employ experts, consultants, or organizations.  The authority delegated by this section may not be redelegated.

PART VI  -  LABOR REQUIREMENTS

Sec. 601Secretary of Labor.  (a)  The Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the heads of other agencies, as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Labor, shall:
(1)  collect and maintain data necessary to make a continuing appraisal of the Nation's workforce needs for purposes of national defense;

(2)  upon request by the Director of Selective Service, and in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, assist the Director of Selective Service in development of policies regulating the induction and deferment of persons for duty in the armed services;

(3)  upon request from the head of an agency with authority under this order, consult with that agency with respect to:  (i) the effect of contemplated actions on labor demand and utilization; (ii) the relation of labor demand to materials and facilities requirements; and (iii) such other matters as will assist in making the exercise of priority and allocations functions consistent with effective utilization and distribution of labor;

(4)  upon request from the head of an agency with authority under this order:  (i) formulate plans, programs, and policies for meeting the labor requirements of actions to be taken for national defense purposes; and (ii) estimate training needs to help address national defense requirements and promote necessary and appropriate training programs; and

(5)  develop and implement an effective labor management relations policy to support the activities and programs under this order, with the cooperation of other agencies as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Labor, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the National Mediation Board, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

(b)  All agencies shall cooperate with the Secretary of Labor, upon request, for the purposes of this section, to the extent permitted by law.

PART VII  -  DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT COMMITTEE

Sec. 701The Defense Production Act Committee.  (a)  The Defense Production Act Committee (Committee) shall be composed of the following members, in accordance with section 722(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2171(b):
(1)   The Secretary of State;
(2)   The Secretary of the Treasury;
(3)   The Secretary of Defense;
(4)   The Attorney General;
(5)   The Secretary of the Interior;
(6)   The Secretary of Agriculture;
(7)   The Secretary of Commerce;
(8)   The Secretary of Labor;
(9)   The Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(10)  The Secretary of Transportation;
(11)  The Secretary of Energy;
(12)  The Secretary of Homeland Security; 
(13)  The Director of National Intelligence;
(14)  The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency;
(15)  The Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;
(16)  The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and
(17)  The Administrator of General Services.

(b)  The Director of OMB and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall be invited to participate in all Committee meetings and activities in an advisory role.  The Chairperson, as designated by the President pursuant to section 722 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2171, may invite the heads of other agencies or offices to participate in Committee meetings and activities in an advisory role, as appropriate.
Sec. 702Offsets.  The Secretary of Commerce shall prepare and submit to the Congress the annual report required by section 723 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2172, in consultation with the Secretaries of State, the Treasury, Defense, and Labor, the United States Trade Representative, the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads of other agencies as appropriate.  The heads of agencies shall provide the Secretary of Commerce with such information as may be necessary for the effective performance of this function.

PART VIII  -  GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 801Definitions.  In addition to the definitions in section 702 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2152, the following definitions apply throughout this order:
(a)  "Civil transportation" includes movement of persons and property by all modes of transportation in interstate, intrastate, or foreign commerce within the United States, its territories and possessions, and the District of Columbia, and related public storage and warehousing, ports, services, equipment and facilities, such as transportation carrier shop and repair facilities.  "Civil transportation" also shall include direction, control, and coordination of civil transportation capacity regardless of ownership.  "Civil transportation" shall not include transportation owned or controlled by the Department of Defense, use of petroleum and gas pipelines, and coal slurry pipelines used only to supply energy production facilities directly.

(b)  "Energy" means all forms of energy including petroleum, gas (both natural and manufactured), electricity, solid fuels (including all forms of coal, coke, coal chemicals, coal liquification, and coal gasification), solar, wind, other types of renewable energy, atomic energy, and the production, conservation, use, control, and distribution (including pipelines) of all of these forms of energy.

(c)  "Farm equipment" means equipment, machinery, and repair parts manufactured for use on farms in connection with the production or preparation for market use of food resources.

(d)  "Fertilizer" means any product or combination of products that contain one or more of the elements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for use as a plant nutrient.

(e)  "Food resources" means all commodities and products, (simple, mixed, or compound), or complements to such commodities or products, that are capable of being ingested by either human beings or animals, irrespective of other uses to which such commodities or products may be put, at all stages of processing from the raw commodity to the products thereof in vendible form for human or animal consumption.  "Food resources" also means potable water packaged in commercially marketable containers, all starches, sugars, vegetable and animal or marine fats and oils, seed, cotton, hemp, and flax fiber, but does not mean any such material after it loses its identity as an agricultural commodity or agricultural product.

(f)  "Food resource facilities" means plants, machinery, vehicles (including on farm), and other facilities required for the production, processing, distribution, and storage (including cold storage) of food resources, and for the domestic distribution of farm equipment and fertilizer (excluding transportation thereof).

(g)  "Functions" include powers, duties, authority, responsibilities, and discretion.

(h)  "Head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense" means the heads of the Departments of State, Justice, the Interior, and Homeland Security, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the General Services Administration, and all other agencies with authority delegated under section 201 of this order.

(i)  "Health resources" means drugs, biological products, medical devices, materials, facilities, health supplies, services and equipment required to diagnose, mitigate or prevent the impairment of, improve, treat, cure, or restore the physical or mental health conditions of the population.

(j)  "National defense" means programs for military and energy production or construction, military or critical infrastructure assistance to any foreign nation, homeland security, stockpiling, space, and any directly related activity.  Such term includes emergency preparedness activities conducted pursuant to title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5195 et seq., and critical infrastructure protection and restoration.

(k)  "Offsets" means compensation practices required as a condition of purchase in either government to government or commercial sales of defense articles and/or defense services as defined by the Arms Export Control Act, 22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq., and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, 22 C.F.R. 120.1 130.17.

(l)  "Special priorities assistance" means action by resource departments to assist with expediting deliveries, placing rated orders, locating suppliers, resolving production or delivery conflicts between various rated orders, addressing problems that arise in the fulfillment of a rated order or other action authorized by a delegated agency, and determining the validity of rated orders.

(m)  "Strategic and critical materials" means materials (including energy) that (1) would be needed to supply the military, industrial, and essential civilian needs of the United States during a national emergency, and (2) are not found or produced in the United States in sufficient quantities to meet such need and are vulnerable to the termination or reduction of the availability of the material.

(n)  "Water resources" means all usable water, from all sources, within the jurisdiction of the United States, that can be managed, controlled, and allocated to meet emergency requirements, except "water resources" does not include usable water that qualifies as "food resources."

Sec. 802General.  (a)  Except as otherwise provided in section 802(c) of this order, the authorities vested in the President by title VII of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2151 et seq., are delegated to the head of each agency in carrying out the delegated authorities under the Act and this order, by the Secretary of Labor in carrying out part VI of this order, and by the Secretary of the Treasury in exercising the functions assigned in Executive Order 11858, as amended.

(b)  The authorities that may be exercised and performed pursuant to section 802(a) of this order shall include:
(1)  the power to redelegate authorities, and to authorize the successive redelegation of authorities to agencies, officers, and employees of the Government; and
(2)  the power of subpoena under section 705 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2155, with respect to (i) authorities delegated in parts II, III, and section 702 of this order, and (ii) the functions assigned to the Secretary of the Treasury in Executive Order 11858, as amended, provided that the subpoena power referenced in subsections (i) and (ii) shall be utilized only after the scope and purpose of the investigation, inspection, or inquiry to which the subpoena relates have been defined either by the appropriate officer identified in section 802(a) of this order or by such other person or persons as the officer shall designate.

(c)  Excluded from the authorities delegated by section 802(a) of this order are authorities delegated by parts IV and V of this order, authorities in section 721 and 722 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2170 2171, and the authority with respect to fixing compensation under section 703 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2153.

Sec. 803Authority.  (a)  Executive Order 12919 of June 3, 1994, and sections 401(3) (4) of Executive Order 12656 of November 18, 1988, are revoked.  All other previously issued orders, regulations, rulings, certificates, directives, and other actions relating to any function affected by this order shall remain in effect except as they are inconsistent with this order or are subsequently amended or revoked under proper authority.  Nothing in this order shall affect the validity or force of anything done under previous delegations or other assignment of authority under the Act.

(b)  Nothing in this order shall affect the authorities assigned under Executive Order 11858 of May 7, 1975, as amended, except as provided in section 802 of this order.

(c)  Nothing in this order shall affect the authorities assigned under Executive Order 12472 of April 3, 1984, as amended.

Sec. 804General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect functions of the Director of OMB relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
         March 16, 2012.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/16/executive-order-national-defense-resources-preparedness