Welcome to Sammuab’dibs’ Secret Garden.

Hear the words of Sammuabdib, and grow in wisdom.

Hello readers I have recently received a request to elucidate a matter pertaining to the activity of covert gardening. My first assumption was that this person must grow very valuable plants; perhaps prize winning tulips. In short, it seemed like a worthwhile cause; so I agreed to elucidate the matter. So, this one goes out to my friend in Florida. I hope this helps.

Gardening is such a noble endeavor. It allows a person to see the rewards of their toil and taste the fruits of their patience in a very literal sense. To me the process is astounding.

Therefore, what would it take to make this truly grand?

My answer would be to have it at your disposal, and no one else’s. Meaning, that if you have a field full of corn; chances are that animals may eat it. Alternatively, if you grow prizewinning tulips; they may be stolen if let in view.

So I ponder the question, of what might eliminate that risk?

The answer would be to grow in your own private space. Everyone has preferences on where a garden is best situated. Some say a closet, another say the basement, still others swear by the great out doors. However if you were growing a valuable plant like tulips, you may have a large investment tied up into stock.

It is best to protect them at all cost.

What I would do to lessen the odds of having my garden pre-maturely harvested by someone other than myself; would be to place it away from my home.

For example, if you live in a rural setting you could utilize some of the surrounding property. If I were personally going to do this, I think I would take the time to do it in style. This is what I would do.

Find a Space

First, I would locate a piece of rural property to which I would have ready access. Upon selecting a suitable area (Preferably a gently sloped wooded hill) ,I would acquire a bobcat of other suitable earth moving equipment to excavate a pre- determined block of earth from the hillside.

After doing so, I would level the area, pour a rebar enforced concrete pad, and allow curing.

Next, I would acquire a used semi tractor-trailer.

After doing so; I would back it into the aforementioned excavation site, deflate the tires and bring the whole of the trailer to a level point on the concrete pad.

At this time, I would set up an air exchange ventilation ductwork and waterproof the exterior of the trailer using commercially available sealants, such as marine adhesives.

From there, the next step would be to weld a pipe large enough for a man to crawl down, and install a ladder inside of it.

After this has been done, the next step would be to cover the trailer with a cage of rebar-enforced concrete. This will allow the trailer to stand against the scourge of expansive clay soils.

After this, cover the concrete encased trailer with earth ,covering it entirely;except for the pipe that will serve as the entrance, and the air exchange vents.

After concealing the trailer with earth, the next step would be to acquire aged lumber, and build a small shed large enough to house the entrance to the garden.

From there, the idea would be to disguise the entrance as a defunct contaminated well. I would cover the entrance with a lockable lid and include an overhanging crank, complete with a chain overhanging the well.

To finish off the illusion it is always good to place a biohazard sign on the lid stating that the water is undrinkable and contains harmful bacteria.

Let there be Light

From this point, you will start building your underground garden. In order to do so you will need power and a growing station.

Power for the purposes of this green house must be secretive as well. To supply power to the garden without tapping into state governed power as distributed by your regional electric company will require more effort; however, it can be done.

For example: Electrical outlets could be added during the installation of the duct work ,and then the power lines would be attached to portable generators located elsewhere. However, they are loud, and use gasoline (which is not getting any cheaper).

Another way would involve using 12-volt batteries, Battery chargers and AC power inverters.

The idea would be that everything inside the garden runs off battery power. However to accomplish this would require several (20-30) 12 volt batteries, (15) chargers and an undetermined amount of inverters.

The batteries would have to be switched-out and recharged elsewhere on a continual basis, and would be labor intensive in that aspect; however, they would not require traceable power lines that could lead to the garden.

Then after power has been installed I would add a ventilation fan, low consumption, high lumen growing lights, small water pumps and timers.

Subterranean Arcadia

To produce an ideal growing environment I have chosen the Nutrient Film Technique. It works by using a series of channels to provide continuous water movement, nitrogen and oxygen, in addition to the minerals the plant needs to flourish.

The water inside the channels only needs to be 1mm in depth. This results in a film of nutrients and water that feeds the plant. Which is excellent news; because, water also must be carried in to preserve the gardens secret location.

Here is an excellent source of info from Hydromasta.com

“In order to have the roots in contact with the nutrient, the solution is pumped from a tank up to the feed-line and injected into the ends of the gully via micro tubes, two to each gully. The reason for this is that in the event of one blocking, the plants' will still receive some flow of solution. Once inside the gully the nutrient solution moves slowly along the channel and the plants pick it up through capillary action. Upon reaching the end of the gully, the solution is collected in a drain box and returned back to the tank, to be re-circulated, back to the plants.

With N.F.T systems, it is very important to check nutrient and ph levels regularly. This can be done by an electronic meter, which does both functions, or alternatively nutrient solution can be replaced on a weekly basis. Flow rates in N.F.T systems are usually 750ml to 1 liter per minute with the slope of 1:40 (1:40 = 25mm drop every meter). To check this, take a one or two-liter bottle, take the two micro tubes out of the gully and start filling the bottle, and it should take one minute to fill to the half mark on the bottle. Adjustments can be made at the bypass tap at the pump, opening will reduce pressure and closing will increase pressure. The bypass water will also help oxygenate the nutrient solution.

Gully size is largely dependant on what crop is grown and the size and length of the crop cycle will decide this. For example, most lettuce varieties use the 100mm x 50mm channel as lettuce has a short crop time so it doesn't require a large rootzone area. Strawberries, herbs and lower crop types would require the 150mm x 85mm gully because they have a larger rootzone and longer crop cycle. The third size using the N.F.T principle is the 250mm x 85mm size which is suited mainly to vine type crops like tomatoes, cucumbers or crops with large root systems.

Another upside to using tis method is that N.F.T systems are that large amounts of growing medium is not needed. In short, it, reduces your overall operating costs, and lessens the turnaround time for each crop.

There are very few problems with this system, but the main things to watch out for are root zone diseases like Pythium (root-rot). This occurs when the roots of the plant get too large for the gully and start to dam it up, resulting in waterlogged roots. The cells of the root system start to die from lack of oxygen and roots will start to go brown and the plant will yellow off. So it is important to choose the right gully size for the right plant. In larger NFT systems, a venturi is used to increase oxygen levels by using the bypass of the pump to draw in fresh air that is then pumped into the tank. “

So there you have it my friends, all the knowledge you need to help you get on the path to your own secret garden. From this point, the only thing that will readily give away your secret will be you. I hope no one finds your tulips.

Sammuab’dib

How to Save your Bacon after the Downfall of Society.

Hello readers.

Recently, a friend asked me what I would propose to do if civilized society breaks down. Meaning that through some external event (asteroid impact, polar shift, nuclear war, collapse of global infrastructure, etc), society crumbles in to factioned city states which leaves scarcity, lawlessness and a very real threat of nuclear war hanging over the heads of the survivors ,much like the sword of Damocles.

Upon thinking about it, I offered this very prolonged description of what I might do at that time. However, I must state that this scenario assumes the United States government is fallen and that the rule of law is dissolved. It also assumes that I am able to acquire the resources fast enough and have no difficulties transporting them to the desired location, and finally it assumes that all parties are willing to work towards the plan. However, despite my vivid imagination, it would be much more likely that I would die in the process. However, this is for entertainment purposes, so who cares.

This is how I would do it.

Step #1 -- Lining up my Ducks

At this point in history, people will be eager to be lead by who ever has the ability to feed and protect them, and their loved ones. So gathering willing candidates should not be a problem. The first step would be acquiring vital resources in my locality (By negotiation, theft and by force if necessary). This would include food and water, transportation, fuel, weapons, and medical supplies. In addition to the material supplies, highly skilled people such as doctors, educators, engineers, pilots/equipment operators and scientist of every stripe would also be recruited into the endeavor; as their presence would become vital to my long-term goals.

Step #2 -- Sammuab’dib’s, Long March to the Sea

After acquiring the needed supplies and transportation, the goal would be to form a convoy to travel to a surviving seaport and acquire the rest of the larger supplies needed for building and maintaining a settlement large enough to house 50,000 people for fifty years.

These would include materials necessary to build and maintain Geo Thermal electrical stations, water processing/treatment plants, hospitals, Fuel storage, Various Research Laboratories, Manufacturing and Fabrication Facilities, Earth moving/evacuation Equipment, Residential Quarters, Helipad, Communications arrays, Arboretums’, Green houses, Mining equipment /explosives, Chemical processing/Storage etc. Suffice it to say, millions of tons of supplies will be needed. Unfortunately, as before, most of this would have to be acquired at the end of a gun. However, since people are vital to making the great plan work, the olive branch would always be offered first. After all, if given a choice, many people want what is best for their family. Offer them a ticket out of hell, and they will most likely accept.

Then after people and all the needed materials are acquired, they will be loaded onto cruise ships, fishing boats, icebreakers, tugboats, crane ships and many, many cargo ships. From there, we will sail south.

Step #3 – Let us call it, Rapture.

Once we leave the former United States our course will take us to the most remote, barren and inhospitable place on the planet…Antarctica. Specifically, the Ross Ice Shelf, and more specifically, Mt Erebus.

The reason I choose this location is that it has vast amounts of potable water,it is isolated from the rest of the world, it has an extremely hostile climate that discourages visitors ,and it is geologically stable. So ,when the world starts falling apart and nuclear devastation sends the worlds populace back into the Stone Age; perhaps living in a structurally reinforced city beneath a mountain at the bottom of the world will be the safest place on earth to be?

Once there we will approach McMurdo base and if there are still survivors, we will offer them a chance to join. We will then utilize the existing facilities, and then build additional facilities to house the populace as needed. While we are doing this, we will then start planning our base infrastructure ,and where and how, to tap the geothermal power from the volcano (Yes, Mt Erebus is an active Volcano). Geothermal heat from Mt Erebus will be used to power all the facilities within the city. Then after we complete our analysis of the area, we would start the building of the underground city that will be the home to 50,000 people.

Which leads to the question of what would people call their new home? Recently, I played a video game called Bio Shock, and really liked it. The game is set in a failing undersea utopia called Rapture. What a perfect name that would be for a city built by those who fled a dying land to build a Shangri-La at the bottom of the earth.

The city would largely be a collection of vast arboretums and green houses used to produce food, oxygen, natural pharmaceuticals, and chemicals; as well as give the residents a place to walk and relax. In addition the city would have sections for Residential units, Manufacturing/Fabricating, Scientific research and Chemical/Synthetics productions, Medical wing, Knowledge center (schools, library ), Administrative/Expeditionary Wing(communications, field operations),Warehouses, Weapons Arsenal, Water/Waste water pumping/processing, Recreation Promenades (swimming pools, athletic courts, weights ,movie theaters, pubs, etc),Geothermal power plants and several other facilities I have not mentioned. In short, Rapture would be of an enormous size and unlike anything ever attempted.

After 10 years of living on supplies and indigeonous resources, Rapture would be a self-sustaining colony, and able to start on the true mission that spawned its creation. That mission is to return to the world after the smoke has cleared, and to pull it back from the Stone Age by educating the remnants of mankind.

That would mean that as a citizen of Rapture, a person would have to commit a great deal of time to education and application within their field. They would have to become masters of the technologies that they would have to teach others. With this will come amazing leaps in technology and science; we will be those who lead the remaining peoples of earth out of darkness and into a golden age of knowledge.

Hear the words of Sammuabdib, and drink from the fountain of knowledge

So there you have it my friends. It may not be a perfect plan but at least I have one!

Hello Readers,

I am reaching out to all my readers today in hope that I can persuade you to visit my blog and comment on one of my various blogs (I have many).

Today, marks the first day of my comment drive !

I am curious just how many people will visit and leave their two cents; I love the feedback. All I ask is that you please be polite in your comments. In addition, if you are on my friends list, feel free to leave a testimonial about my blog.

Thanks for listening out there. I cannot wait to hear from you.

Best Wishes,

Sammuab’dib

How to cope with a Hangover

Dedicated to Brother Darkness

Hear the words of Sammuab’dib and grow in wisdom.

Since people first became aware of alcohol and its deleterious effects, there has always been the ever -present by-product of alcohol consumption called the Hangover.

The hangover is the result of dehydration associated with the ingestion of alcohol; a byproduct of the fungal/ bacterial metabolization of sugars. As of this date, there has never been a successful attempt to eradicate the common hangover. The key is in prevention.In all honesty, it is better not to drink. It is a sloppy buzz that is difficult for many to control. However, there are things that one could consider when attempting to reduce the symptoms of a hangover.

Preventive actions taken before drinking.

Eat Something Filling.

To slow the absorption of alcohol into your blood stream it is always a smart idea to eat a filling meal before consumption; preferably one with a high starch content. .e.g.(pasta).Of course, most places that offer alcohol also offer snacks or food of some type. The important thing is to keep your stomach full of food. Consumption of alcohol on an empty stomach will undoubtedly cut the party short.

Drink water, lots of water.
Consuming at least one quart of water or electrolyte fortified fluids before you pick up that first drink. This will help divert some of the alcohol that will soon be purging the fluid from your body tissues.

Preventive actions taken during drinking.

Limit your consumption.
As a rule; never exceed one alcoholic beverage per hour and be consistent with what you drink. Do not switch up brands every drink; this will only serve to make you sick. Pick one, and make it your drink for the rest of the evening.

Consider what you will be drinking.
Many alcoholic beverages have the alcohol content listed on the label. Choose the weaker ones; It will make the party last much longer. Stay away from dark colored liquors and deep red wines. These tend to be high in tannins, alcohol and other hangover inducing impurities. In addition, when dealing with alcohol keep in mind in does not necessarily have to be expensive to be potent. In many cases, the cheapest items have the most alcohol (Consider Malt Liquor).

Drink water, lots of water
Once again I will emphasize the need to consume liquids. Spacing out your alcoholic drinks with hydrative drinks will help the liver do its job. Alcohol is classified as a diuretic, and purges more fluids from bodily tissues than it contributes. This in turn impedes the livers ability to rid the body of the toxins(alcohol).In short, you get really smashed, really fast, and wake up with a hangover.

Preventive actions taken after drinking.

Drink water, lots of water
Right about now, I must be sounding like I am harping on the whole water drinking business; however, I just cannot overstate its key role in hangover prevention. Just remember, water in, water out. A smart move would be to have several large bottles of electrolyte fortified sports drinks available to you as soon as you arrived home. Make sure you drink at least 1-2 before trying to sleep.

Put food into your body.
Alcohol flushes protein globulin and sugars from your body and leaves the immune system weakened. It is imperative that food be eaten after a drinking session to help speed recovery from the alcohol.

Re-nourish your body
Alcohol has the additional effect of stripping vitamins and minerals from your body; apart from the obvious loss of water(Multiple bathroom trips).Take a good quality multivitamin after eating.

Words of Wisdom

The one way to be free of hangovers is not to consume alcohol. However, if you must drink do so with dignity. Do not become a drunken thug looking to pick fights, or the bar room slut looking for fun with anybody. Drink at home and invite friends over that you can trust. It is cheaper, safer and keeps people out of the jail, or even the morgue. So hear my words of wisdom and keep the consumption to a minimum and in a secure location. Please be safe.

Hear the words of Sammuab’dib, and drink from the fountain of wisdom.

Sammuab’dib