Skulls and Paper

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I'm still furiously plugging away at getting Smithee ready for print! Garvin had the idea of making a variant limited edition cover, so I made that. I made the actual How-To-Spin-Yarn instructions that will ONLY be found in the print edition. I figured out how to layout the pages in the correct order for printing. Plus, throw in a couple traumatic (to me) dental appointments involving a double root canal to make for unproductive days recovering, and here we are.

I just happened to pick up a free comic day reprint of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the quarter drawer and was reading the saga of in the intro of how that came to be and got ramped up all over again to be publishing my little survival tome. In my book, I want not only to appeal to Zombie fans in general, but also to those looking for real life information that could theoretically be used in the event of needing to know this stuff.

 Speaking of real life - and diatomaceous earth - I have a new theory as to why it messed up my dog. In studying bladder stones in dogs, it seems that when the urine PH becomes alkaline, it promotes stones. And wouldn't you know it, that stuff alkalizes the PH of urine. Plus, part of her home-made diet was sweet potatoes -which are high in Oxalate's (stone forming material), not to mention a home-made diet rich in vegetables can also be alkalizing. Little did I know! To compensate, I give her vitamin C and Cranberry pills to tip the balance back towards acidic.

Diatomaceous Earth - what you need to know!

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I thought I would impart an update on my using Diatomaceous Earth. As it turns out, if you google the side effects of using Silica suppliments (Diatomaceous Earth is Silica), you will find side effect warnings all the advocates of Diatomaceous Earth never seem to mention.
Here are some results of my search:
Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for silica
Vital Health Zone
Some of the possible side effects are

Silica can lower your blood sugar levels, which can be particularly dangerous if you have diabetes.

Silica acts as a diuretic, so you shouldn't take it if you take water pills. Combining silica with other diuretics can lead to dehydration and dangerously low levels of potassium.

Taking silica with chromium supplements or herbs that contain chromium, such as brewer's yeast and bilberry, can increase your risk of chromium poisoning.

Long-term use or very high doses of horsetail (or silica) supplements have caused irreversible kidney damage, especially in people with existing kidney or heart disease. People with eodema should also not take silica (or horsetail) supplements.
I bring this up because my dog developed a uriniary tract infection as a result of getting DE. For that reason I wanted to get some of this information out because you generally won't find these cautions when you read about the wonders of DE. I didn't realize what was going on with my dog at first. In retrospect I wished I had heeded the signs sooner. But you know, denial is alot more fun!

Into The night update

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OK, I' still working on the print version of the Ware-Wolf story. In the Meantime, I'm trying out new drawing techniques. I did this one in pen and Ink, and reversed it for an even cooler look.

Being Smithee, I love learning about new and interesting survival stuff. This week I learned about

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH.

It is a white powder that is actually microscopic marine fossils. My dog is having what could be worm related symptoms, and I wanted a non-pesticide solution that wouldn't hurt my dog if I'm wrong. So I came upon this stuff. It is also supposed to kill bugs, another thing I'm testing out. I got some yesterday and me and the dog are guinea pigs. Yes, I took some too. For humans, it is supposed to be de-detoxifying. I took a tablespoon in a smoothie before bed. I woke up with a dry throat, but that went away. Also, a slightly sick overall body feeling, which was also temporary. If you read the link above it talks about the body reacting to the detoxification effects. I think is what it was. Today I took some and I feel fine. I can tell you it also make nice solid stools.Ewww! Hey - you asked!

I have read it is also used in water filters because of it's highly porous nature and ability to absorb bacteria and pollutants.

The only precautions I read of is don't breath the dust and don't let it sit on your skin too long since also has the ability to absorb moisture. I have laid some down for the bugs, and I am starting to see dead bugs near by.They say it takes 24-72 hours for it to totally do it's number on bugs. I also hear legends of the stuff being something snakes won't cross over, and they guy at the hardware store said he put some in his garden, and hasn't had bugs since. Please note there are different grades of the stuff. NEVER use the common hardware store variety for consumption. It's cooked and has become bad for you. Plus, there are other varietys you'll find at the hardware store that contain 28% OTHER ingrediants. Nope, I wouldn't use that either! The real deal is 100% DE. and is safe for human and animal consumption.

Oh, by the way I unintentionally repeated this post on Plutonium. I quess readers of both blogs will get informed, eh?