Source: http://FrugalDad.com

Defensive Gun Use of the Day: Utah CCW Holder Brings A Gun to A Knife Fight | The Truth About Guns.

Modern Home on 312spft.

So here we are, we’ve breached the $4 gas mark. How long before we reach $5? What’s more important, is that people understand that it ia not going to get any better, only worse. When you read reports of an economy that is getting better, or oil and gas prices recessing, just roll your eyes. It’s all garbage! If you have not at least thought about alternatives to gas, now is a great time.

Sweet Home 3D is the title I selected. Turns out it is available for Windows and Mac as well. Not only are there other library resources for additional furniture, Google Sketch-Up models can be used here as well. All free. Design your dream bunker, er, vacation home.

Now our goal is to start building our kit for general home use and to keep it in a toolbox or EMT style bag. We feel that by keeping everything in there with the exception of daily medications, we can become versed with what we have in our kit, rotate it accordingly and since we’ll even have band-aids in there, the youngest members of our family will even get some exposure to the kit as well.

So here are some ideas I had concerning a SHTF/bug-in scenario.

• Compile a collection of supplies based upon any good list.
•  Keep said supplies in an EMT bag, or quality plastic tool box.
• Get in the habit of going to this box for bandages and other first-aid items. This creates a familiarity with the box and keeps you in the know of your inventory.
• Let your kids get their bandages from the first-aid kit as well. If you children are familiar with it, they can aid or provide first-aid with some general knowledge.

Click here to view the embedded video.

First Impressions

I was fortunate enough to have two older laptops on which to test the new Zorin OS 5. The machines were a Dell Inspiron 1200 (which I am using to write this review) and an IBM ThinkPad R40. Zorin installed on both machines with out issue. At the time of the installation I did not have an internet connect on either laptop since I was planning to go wireless with them both, using a Cisco Aironet ABG card.

Dell Inspiron 1200. 768MB RAM, 1.4ghz Celeron processor, 80GB hard drive

The installation took about 20 minutes maybe. Either way it was much less than any Windows install I have ever performed. Upon first boot the system looks like any other Ubuntu/Debian install. Fairly clean and organized.

You Don’t have to Commit to Zorin – Try It First
Zorin can be downloaded and written to a CD or you can purchase a CD with the OS on it for a small price. Either way, you can boot you computer off that CD and try Zorin out before you install it on your computer. Another option is to install Zorin in a dual boot fashion. This means that when you turn your computer on, you could choose between Zorin and your existing OS. Both would like on the same hard drive, but be independent of each other.

Look and Feel

Zorin OS has a “look changer” that has some presets for “Windows XP”, “Windows 7” and “Linux GNOME”. The GNOME look is closest to the MacOS with the menus at the top of the screen. Each look, simply arranges the system menu to reflect the feel of the respective OS. I personally don’t have a strong preference. However I have noticed, the Win& look seems to duplicate some menu entries. The ability to change the look of the menu to something more native to what you are used to is a plus.

User Environment

The desktop customizations are similar to any other OS. By right clicking on the desktop you can access “Change Desktop Background”, where you can… well change the desktop back ground.

Power customization settings are familiar to the Microsoft family.

Security

Here is where Linux based operating systems excel. First of all let’s talk about virus infections. It is a myth that Linux systems cannot be infected. They certainly can. However since the majority of the world works on Microsoft based operating systems, virus programmers have no vested interest in infecting anything but MS products. More over, Linux, being open source (source code is freely available) means that more people/programmers are ever working to make Linux more and more secure. The very structure of the Linux core, make it very difficult to write viruses for. However there are anti-virus apps for Linux based operating systems.

Zorin OS has a firewall ready to go out of the box (System > Administration > Firewall Configuration). Software updates are pretty prompt (based upon my findings in Ubuntu).

User accounts created on the system do not have to share access with one another. And in fact one can encrypt their files to prevent easy access.

Interoperability

Here is where you will either feel completely comfortable or forget the whole deal. Out of the box Zorin was able to play an MP3 file with Banshee Media Player. I’ve yet to try using the sysme with a iPod, since I do not have an iPod. Youtube video was a slight bit jumpy, but remember that my system specs were low, but as soon as it started to buffer in a few seconds, it was on par with almost any other system I have. Video in avi and mkv formats played with ease.

Zorin OS 5 comes with Libre Office. This is office suite is an fork of OpenOffice, and is therefore still compatible with current Microsoft Office documents. While the interface isn’t as polished as MS Office, and some of the bells and whistle that MS offers, are not available in other suited. It is still a very strong contender in the arena and is often more than enough for the average or above average user. And it is completely free!

Applications

Out of the box you get a lot of applications. And with the Ubuntu Software Center (built-in), you have access to tons more free applications for virtually any need or desire. So the biggest question is, “Can I still use my Windows applications?” Generally speaking, no, you will not be able to. But there are painless alternatives. First of all, many of the Linux based apps, are compatible with files that you are currently using on your Windows PC. Second, often in situations where you are using the web for your email or Dropbox, the OS doesn’t matter.

The best way to determine what will work and what will not is to make a list of the apps that you are currently using check out the software center (using the LiveCD option) to see what they alternatives are.

All in all the Zorin OS is solid as it’s based upon Ubuntu (which is based upon Debian). This is a great alternative to those who are tired of the malware/spyware/viruses that are constantly infecting their Windows PCs. The system is snappy even on older hardware, making it perfect for reviving an old system that may be collecting dust. Where the system is to be your primary computer or one just for the kids, Zorin is a perfect package.

The Five Principles of Preparedness : American Preppers Network.