M.D. CREEKMORE

You are here: Home / Archives for Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Here you will find articles that don't fall into another category (or that I forgot to assign a category to), so look out you might find anything here!

The Quintessential Dress Shoe

[pullquote cite=”Theme.co” type=”right”]ETHOS is an organized, responsive design that is perfect for newspaper and magazine sites.[/pullquote]
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he folks here at Themeco are passionate about WordPress and pushing it to the limits both in terms of functionality and design. While we like to be on the cutting edge, we believe there is a difference between trend and innovation, and that it’s our job to figure out which is which. Instead of creating just another WordPress Theme, we set out to do something different. After all, who wants to be like everyone else?
[pullquote cite=”Theme.co” type=”left”]The post carousel in ETHOS allows you to display important content right off the bat.[/pullquote]
Imagine being able to buy a theme that had multiple unique designs built right into it. [highlight]We call these individual designs Stacks, and they provide you with completely unique website designs built into the powerful X theme[/highlight]. Each Stack has its own look and feel allowing you to create virtually any “look” you desire. Next, imagine each Stack was expertly crafted by leading industry professionals adhering to all the best development and business practices so as to not only give you a nice looking site but one that is optimized for performance, search engine visibility, and built with all the latest features and functionality.
Finally, imagine that you were also provided with unprecedented controls that allowed you, with the simple click of the mouse, to make an endless amount of adjustments to your site. Want the header fixed and huge on the left? No problem. Want it floating and skinny at the top? You bet. Want the max width of your site to be only 500 pixels? You got it. How about a cool textured background or image? Absolutely!

Live Editing With X

[pullquote cite=”Theme.co” type=”right”]The ETHOS Stack allows you to instantly filter different categories on the blog index for quick access to your content.[/pullquote]
The WordPress Customizer is a new and exciting feature that combines theme options with the ability to live preview those changes before saving them. Do you ever get tired of reloading a page to see the results of your customization by constantly clicking back and forth? Those days are over! With X and the WordPress Customizer, you’ll see every change while not affecting the live version of your site. It doesn’t matter if you change colors, layout type, text, or images, everything will be reflected back to you, giving you the choice to publish those changes or simply return to your old version.
The inclusion of the WordPress Customizer in X is an exciting one as it keeps our theme free of “code bloat” by not having to include an additional admin panel. Ultimately, this all means that we’re using native features maintained and updated by the core WordPress team and bringing you the latest and greatest features WordPress has to offer. Get ready for the most enjoyable WordPress customization environment you’ll ever experience.
[pullquote cite=”Theme.co” type=”left”]With multiple feature options, ETHOS allows you to mix and match the prominence of each post. Tell me more.[/pullquote]
Responsive Design is a must these days. Having a proper appearance on devices like tablets and smartphone can be important when trying to get new customers or keep your visitors attention. A lot of people only have time to check out things when they are traveling so it makes sense to have your site optimized for every possible kind of device. With X, you can rest assured that no matter what device people access your site from, it will always look pixel perfect.
DID YOU KNOW: All Stacks are included with your purchase of X, so be sure to check out the Integrity, Renew, and Icon demos as well. It’s hard to believe that all of these looks can be accomplished with just one theme, but that is the beauty of X. Pick up your copy today and discover why X is the most popular new product on ThemeForest.
[share title=”Share this Post” facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true”]

The Must Have Shoes Of The Season?

[blockquote type=”right”]ETHOS is an organized, responsive design perfect for newspaper and magazine sites.[/blockquote]
The folks here at Themeco are passionate about WordPress and pushing it to the limits both in terms of functionality and design. While we like to be on the cutting edge, we believe there is a difference between trend and innovation, and that it’s our job to figure out which is which. Instead of creating just another WordPress Theme, we set out to do something different. After all, who wants to be like everyone else?
Imagine being able to buy a theme that had multiple unique designs built right into it. We call these individual designs Stacks, and they provide you with completely unique website designs built into the powerful X theme. Each Stack has its own look and feel allowing you to create virtually any “look” you desire. Next, imagine each Stack was expertly crafted by leading industry professionals adhering to all the best development and business practices so as to not only give you a nice looking site but one that is optimized for performance, search engine visibility, and built with all the latest features and functionality.
[blockquote type=”left”]The post carousel in ETHOS allows you to display important content right off the bat.[/blockquote]
Finally, imagine that you were also provided with unprecedented controls that allowed you, with the simple click of the mouse, to make an endless amount of adjustments to your site. Want the header fixed and huge on the left? No problem. Want it floating and skinny at the top? You bet. Want the max width of your site to be only 500 pixels? You got it. How about a cool textured background or image? Absolutely!

Live Editing With X

The WordPress Customizer is a new and exciting feature that combines theme options with the ability to live preview those changes before saving them. Do you ever get tired of reloading a page to see the results of your customization by constantly clicking back and forth? Those days are over! With X and the WordPress Customizer, you’ll see every change while not affecting the live version of your site. It doesn’t matter if you change colors, layout type, text, or images, everything will be reflected back to you, giving you the choice to publish those changes or simply return to your old version.
[blockquote type=”right”]Instantly filter different categories on the blog index for quick access to your content.[/blockquote]
The inclusion of the WordPress Customizer in X is an exciting one as it keeps our theme free of “code bloat” by not having to include an additional admin panel. Ultimately, this all means that we’re using native features maintained and updated by the core WordPress team and bringing you the latest and greatest features WordPress has to offer. Get ready for the most enjoyable WordPress customization environment you’ll ever experience.
Responsive Design is a must these days. Having a proper appearance on devices like tablets and smartphone can be important when trying to get new customers or keep your visitors attention. A lot of people only have time to check out things when they are traveling so it makes sense to have your site optimized for every possible kind of device. With X, you can rest assured that no matter what device people access your site from, it will always look pixel perfect.
[blockquote type=”left”]With multiple feature options, you can mix and match the prominence of each post.[/blockquote]
DID YOU KNOW: All Stacks are included with your purchase of X, so be sure to check out the Integrity, Renew, and Icon demos as well. It’s hard to believe that all of these looks can be accomplished with just one theme, but that is the beauty of X. Pick up your copy today and discover why X is the most popular new product on ThemeForest.
[share title=”Share this Post” facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true”]

New Airport Opens In Space

The folks here at Themeco are passionate about WordPress and pushing it to the limits both in terms of functionality and design. While we like to be on the cutting edge, we believe there is a difference between trend and innovation, and that it’s our job to figure out which is which. Instead of creating just another WordPress Theme, we set out to do something different. After all, who wants to be like everyone else?
Imagine being able to buy a theme that had multiple unique designs built right into it. We call these individual designs Stacks, and they provide you with completely unique website designs built into the powerful X theme. Each Stack has its own look and feel allowing you to create virtually any “look” you desire. Next, imagine each Stack was expertly crafted by leading industry professionals adhering to all the best development and business practices so as to not only give you a nice looking site but one that is optimized for performance, search engine visibility, and built with all the latest features and functionality.
[line]
Finally, imagine that you were also provided with unprecedented controls that allowed you, with the simple click of the mouse, to make an endless amount of adjustments to your site. Want the header fixed and huge on the left? No problem. Want it floating and skinny at the top? You bet. Want the max width of your site to be only 500 pixels? You got it. How about a cool textured background or image? Absolutely!

Live Editing With X

The WordPress Customizer is a new and exciting feature that combines theme options with the ability to live preview those changes before saving them. Do you ever get tired of reloading a page to see the results of your customization by constantly clicking back and forth? Those days are over! With X and the WordPress Customizer, you’ll see every change while not affecting the live version of your site. It doesn’t matter if you change colors, layout type, text, or images, everything will be reflected back to you, giving you the choice to publish those changes or simply return to your old version.
The inclusion of the WordPress Customizer in X is an exciting one as it keeps our theme free of “code bloat” by not having to include an additional admin panel. Ultimately, this all means that we’re using native features maintained and updated by the core WordPress team and bringing you the latest and greatest features WordPress has to offer. Get ready for the most enjoyable WordPress customization environment you’ll ever experience.
[line]
Responsive Design is a must these days. Having a proper appearance on devices like tablets and smartphone can be important when trying to get new customers or keep your visitors attention. A lot of people only have time to check out things when they are traveling so it makes sense to have your site optimized for every possible kind of device. With X, you can rest assured that no matter what device people access your site from, it will always look pixel perfect.
DID YOU KNOW: All Stacks are included with your purchase of X, so be sure to check out the Integrity, Renew, and Icon demos as well. It’s hard to believe that all of these looks can be accomplished with just one theme, but that is the beauty of X. Pick up your copy today and discover why X is the most popular new product on ThemeForest.
[share title=”Share this Post” facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true”]

How To Write A Children’s Book

With several dozen of the best looking Shortcodes around, we wanted to give you a sample of the many high-end Shortcodes built into X. Don’t forget that each Stack has EACH Shortcode styled uniquely so that when using that Stack you have a truly end to end design. 

[custom_headline type=”left” style=”margin-top: 45px;” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]Image Frame, Tooltips, Popovers & 3D Button [/custom_headline]
[image src=”https://mdcreekmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/x-popover-tooltip-example.jpg” float=”left” type=”thumbnail” link=”true” href=”#example” alt=”Example” title=”Check Me Out!” info=”tooltip” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover”] Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” title=”Yeah, tooltip time!”]Donec sed[/extra] odio dui. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”right” info_trigger=”hover” title=”Yeah, tooltip time!”]Cras justo odio[/extra], dapibus ac facilisis in, egestas eget quam. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”left” info_trigger=”hover” title=”Yeah, tooltip time!”]Curabitur blandit[/extra] tempus porttitor. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatis vestibulum. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”bottom” info_trigger=”hover” title=”Yeah, tooltip time!”]Cum sociis[/extra] natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet.
[button style=”margin-bottom: 1.313em;” href=”#example” title=”I told you so!” circle=”true” info=”tooltip” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” block=”true”]You Can Even Add Popovers and Tooltips to Me![/button]
[image src=”https://mdcreekmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/x-popover-tooltip-example.jpg” float=”right” type=”thumbnail” link=”true” href=”#example” alt=”Example” title=”Check Me Out!” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Enter in some more information here.”] Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucib Lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Vivamus sagittis lacus [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Place a little extra content in here for informational purposes.” title=”Yeah, popover time!”]vel augue[/extra] laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Donec sed odio dui. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Cras justo odio, dapibus ac facilisis in, [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”popover” info_place=”right” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Place a little extra content in here for informational purposes.” title=”Yeah, popover time!”]egestas eget quam[/extra]. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”popover” info_place=”left” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Place a little extra content in here for informational purposes.” title=”Yeah, popover time!”]Curabitur blandit[/extra] tempus porttitor. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatis vestibulum. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”popover” info_place=”bottom” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Place a little extra content in here for informational purposes.” title=”Yeah, popover time!”]Cum sociis[/extra] natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere.
[custom_headline type=”left” style=”margin-top: 45px;” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]Table of Contents & Icon List[/custom_headline]
[toc type=”left”] [toc_item title=”1. Introduction” page=”1″] [toc_item title=”2. More Information” page=”2″] [toc_item title=”3. Even More Information” page=”3″] [/toc]
The Table of Contents shortcode available in X offers up some incredible SEO benefits to your standard posts and pages. It’s easy enough to paginate individual posts or pages in WordPress using the <!--nextpage--> code in the editor, but it doesn’t provide any real engaging way for your visitors to know what they’re in for as they click through to the next post. That’s where the Table of Contents shortcode comes in.
Simply add this to each of your “pages” after your <!--nextpage--> breaks and input the titles of each section in your article. What you’re left with is a thoroughly engaging, easy to navigate post structure that has been proven to increase visitor retention and keep their attention (all things Google loves).
You can easily add the Table of Contents shortcode to the left or right of your post content, or have it go full width, which is great for placing at the bottom of your posts to remind visitors of what sections are left. Click through on the table of contents shortcode above to go through to the next page and see the shortcode in action!
[icon_list]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]This[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]is[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]a[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]icon[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]list[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]Chose from over 300 icons. [/icon_list_item]
[/icon_list]
[custom_headline type=”left” style=”margin-top: 45px;” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]Responsive Visibility, Pricing Tables, Content Bands, & Entry Share[/custom_headline]
With responsive visibility, you can easily show or hide various pieces of information with different groups of visitors viewing your site on a wide array of devices. Want to put a video on desktop but only text on tablet and mobile? No problem. Go ahead and resize your browser window to see how different messages are displayed below for different screen sizes (Note: We also used another one of our Shortcodes, Responsive Video, to make the video look great and respond for the desktop message).
[visibility type=”visible-desktop”]
[alert type=”muted” heading=”Desktop Message”]I’m only for the larger screens. Since there’s more room, I can take a little more space. Resize me!
[gap size=”1em”]
[x_video_embed style=”margin-bottom: 0;”][/x_video_embed][/alert]
[/visibility]
[visibility type=”visible-tablet”]
[alert type=”muted” heading=”Tablet Message”]I’m only for the medium sized screens. There a little less room here, so try and shorten things up a bit, but don’t worry, you don’t have to fret too much over the length of your message just yet.[/alert]
[/visibility]
[visibility type=”visible-phone”]
[alert type=”muted” heading=”Phone Message”]I’m only for the smallest screens. Try and keep things short and sweet here.[/alert]
[/visibility]
[gap size=”40px”]
[pricing_table columns=”3″][pricing_table_column title=”Basic” currency=”$” price=”39″ interval=”Per Month”][icon_list][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Widgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Wadgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Wodgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”times” style=”color: red;”]Gizmos[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”times” style=”color: red;”]Contraptions[/icon_list_item][/icon_list][button shape=”rounded” href=”#example” title=”Example”]Sign Up Today![/button]
[/pricing_table_column][pricing_table_column featured=”true” featured_sub=”Featured” title=”Plus” currency=”$” price=”59″ interval=”Per Month”][icon_list][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Widgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Wadgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Wodgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Gizmos[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”times” style=”color: red;”]Contraptions[/icon_list_item][/icon_list][button shape=”rounded” size=”x-large” href=”#example” title=”Example”]Sign Up Today![/button]
[/pricing_table_column][pricing_table_column title=”Premium” currency=”$” price=”89″ interval=”Per Month”][icon_list][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Widgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Wadgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Wodgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Gizmos[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Contraptions[/icon_list_item][/icon_list][button shape=”rounded” href=”#example” title=”Example”]Sign Up Today![/button]
[/pricing_table_column][/pricing_table]
[gap size=”40px”]
[content_band style=”color: #333;” bg_color=”#ffddea” border=”both”][container][custom_headline style=”margin-top: 0;” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h3″]Cool Headline[/custom_headline]

Great for a call to action or important information, these Content Bands will help you be truly creative with how your content is presented.

[/container][/content_band]
[content_band bg_pattern=”https://mdcreekmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/x-bg-maze.png” border=”both”][container][custom_headline style=”margin-top: 0;” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h3″]Cool Headline[/custom_headline]

Great for a call to action or important information, these Content Bands will help you be truly creative with how your content is presented.

[/container][/content_band]
[content_band style=”color: #fff;” bg_image=”https://mdcreekmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/x-bg-flowers.jpg” border=”both”][container][custom_headline style=”margin-top: 0; color: #fff;” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h3″]Cool Headline[/custom_headline]

Great for a call to action or important information, these Content Bands will help you be truly creative with how your content is presented.

[/container][/content_band]
[share facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true”]
[custom_headline type=”left” style=”margin-top: 45px;” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]Over Three Dozen Shortcodes Included When You Buy X Today[/custom_headline]
While just a sample, hopefully this give you a small window into how we think about Shortcodes. Instead of just creating the basic ones (which we did and you have access to them as well), we wanted to take it a step further by providing some really useful business and marketing oriented solutions like Table of Contents and Responsive Visibility. As a customer of X, you not only get instant access to our entire Shortcode library, you’ll also have access to all future Shortcodes we develop in future releases.

Secret Bridge Discovered In New York

[pullquote cite=”Theme.co” type=”right”]ETHOS is an organized, responsive design that is perfect for newspaper and magazine sites.[/pullquote]
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he folks here at Themeco are passionate about WordPress and pushing it to the limits both in terms of functionality and design. While we like to be on the cutting edge, we believe there is a difference between trend and innovation, and that it’s our job to figure out which is which. Instead of creating just another WordPress Theme, we set out to do something different. After all, who wants to be like everyone else?
[pullquote cite=”Theme.co” type=”left”]The post carousel in ETHOS allows you to display important content right off the bat.[/pullquote]
Imagine being able to buy a theme that had multiple unique designs built right into it. [highlight]We call these individual designs Stacks, and they provide you with completely unique website designs built into the powerful X theme[/highlight]. Each Stack has its own look and feel allowing you to create virtually any “look” you desire. Next, imagine each Stack was expertly crafted by leading industry professionals adhering to all the best development and business practices so as to not only give you a nice looking site but one that is optimized for performance, search engine visibility, and built with all the latest features and functionality.
Finally, imagine that you were also provided with unprecedented controls that allowed you, with the simple click of the mouse, to make an endless amount of adjustments to your site. Want the header fixed and huge on the left? No problem. Want it floating and skinny at the top? You bet. Want the max width of your site to be only 500 pixels? You got it. How about a cool textured background or image? Absolutely!

Live Editing With X

[pullquote cite=”Theme.co” type=”right”]The ETHOS Stack allows you to instantly filter different categories on the blog index for quick access to your content.[/pullquote]
The WordPress Customizer is a new and exciting feature that combines theme options with the ability to live preview those changes before saving them. Do you ever get tired of reloading a page to see the results of your customization by constantly clicking back and forth? Those days are over! With X and the WordPress Customizer, you’ll see every change while not affecting the live version of your site. It doesn’t matter if you change colors, layout type, text, or images, everything will be reflected back to you, giving you the choice to publish those changes or simply return to your old version.
The inclusion of the WordPress Customizer in X is an exciting one as it keeps our theme free of “code bloat” by not having to include an additional admin panel. Ultimately, this all means that we’re using native features maintained and updated by the core WordPress team and bringing you the latest and greatest features WordPress has to offer. Get ready for the most enjoyable WordPress customization environment you’ll ever experience.
[pullquote cite=”Theme.co” type=”left”]With multiple feature options, ETHOS allows you to mix and match the prominence of each post. Tell me more.[/pullquote]
Responsive Design is a must these days. Having a proper appearance on devices like tablets and smartphone can be important when trying to get new customers or keep your visitors attention. A lot of people only have time to check out things when they are traveling so it makes sense to have your site optimized for every possible kind of device. With X, you can rest assured that no matter what device people access your site from, it will always look pixel perfect.
DID YOU KNOW: All Stacks are included with your purchase of X, so be sure to check out the Integrity, Renew, and Icon demos as well. It’s hard to believe that all of these looks can be accomplished with just one theme, but that is the beauty of X. Pick up your copy today and discover why X is the most popular new product on ThemeForest.
[share title=”Share this Post” facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true”]

The Boardwalk

[blockquote type=”right”]ETHOS is an organized, responsive design perfect for newspaper and magazine sites.[/blockquote]
The folks here at Themeco are passionate about WordPress and pushing it to the limits both in terms of functionality and design. While we like to be on the cutting edge, we believe there is a difference between trend and innovation, and that it’s our job to figure out which is which. Instead of creating just another WordPress Theme, we set out to do something different. After all, who wants to be like everyone else?
Imagine being able to buy a theme that had multiple unique designs built right into it. We call these individual designs Stacks, and they provide you with completely unique website designs built into the powerful X theme. Each Stack has its own look and feel allowing you to create virtually any “look” you desire. Next, imagine each Stack was expertly crafted by leading industry professionals adhering to all the best development and business practices so as to not only give you a nice looking site but one that is optimized for performance, search engine visibility, and built with all the latest features and functionality.
[blockquote type=”left”]The post carousel in ETHOS allows you to display important content right off the bat.[/blockquote]
Finally, imagine that you were also provided with unprecedented controls that allowed you, with the simple click of the mouse, to make an endless amount of adjustments to your site. Want the header fixed and huge on the left? No problem. Want it floating and skinny at the top? You bet. Want the max width of your site to be only 500 pixels? You got it. How about a cool textured background or image? Absolutely!

Live Editing With X

The WordPress Customizer is a new and exciting feature that combines theme options with the ability to live preview those changes before saving them. Do you ever get tired of reloading a page to see the results of your customization by constantly clicking back and forth? Those days are over! With X and the WordPress Customizer, you’ll see every change while not affecting the live version of your site. It doesn’t matter if you change colors, layout type, text, or images, everything will be reflected back to you, giving you the choice to publish those changes or simply return to your old version.
[blockquote type=”right”]Instantly filter different categories on the blog index for quick access to your content.[/blockquote]
The inclusion of the WordPress Customizer in X is an exciting one as it keeps our theme free of “code bloat” by not having to include an additional admin panel. Ultimately, this all means that we’re using native features maintained and updated by the core WordPress team and bringing you the latest and greatest features WordPress has to offer. Get ready for the most enjoyable WordPress customization environment you’ll ever experience.
Responsive Design is a must these days. Having a proper appearance on devices like tablets and smartphone can be important when trying to get new customers or keep your visitors attention. A lot of people only have time to check out things when they are traveling so it makes sense to have your site optimized for every possible kind of device. With X, you can rest assured that no matter what device people access your site from, it will always look pixel perfect.
[blockquote type=”left”]With multiple feature options, you can mix and match the prominence of each post.[/blockquote]
DID YOU KNOW: All Stacks are included with your purchase of X, so be sure to check out the Integrity, Renew, and Icon demos as well. It’s hard to believe that all of these looks can be accomplished with just one theme, but that is the beauty of X. Pick up your copy today and discover why X is the most popular new product on ThemeForest.
[share title=”Share this Post” facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true”]

Developer Purchases Other Theme & Gets Punched In The Face By Client

The folks here at Themeco are passionate about WordPress and pushing it to the limits both in terms of functionality and design. While we like to be on the cutting edge, we believe there is a difference between trend and innovation, and that it’s our job to figure out which is which. Instead of creating just another WordPress Theme, we set out to do something different. After all, who wants to be like everyone else?
Imagine being able to buy a theme that had multiple unique designs built right into it. We call these individual designs Stacks, and they provide you with completely unique website designs built into the powerful X theme. Each Stack has its own look and feel allowing you to create virtually any “look” you desire. Next, imagine each Stack was expertly crafted by leading industry professionals adhering to all the best development and business practices so as to not only give you a nice looking site but one that is optimized for performance, search engine visibility, and built with all the latest features and functionality.
[line]
Finally, imagine that you were also provided with unprecedented controls that allowed you, with the simple click of the mouse, to make an endless amount of adjustments to your site. Want the header fixed and huge on the left? No problem. Want it floating and skinny at the top? You bet. Want the max width of your site to be only 500 pixels? You got it. How about a cool textured background or image? Absolutely!

Live Editing With X

The WordPress Customizer is a new and exciting feature that combines theme options with the ability to live preview those changes before saving them. Do you ever get tired of reloading a page to see the results of your customization by constantly clicking back and forth? Those days are over! With X and the WordPress Customizer, you’ll see every change while not affecting the live version of your site. It doesn’t matter if you change colors, layout type, text, or images, everything will be reflected back to you, giving you the choice to publish those changes or simply return to your old version.
The inclusion of the WordPress Customizer in X is an exciting one as it keeps our theme free of “code bloat” by not having to include an additional admin panel. Ultimately, this all means that we’re using native features maintained and updated by the core WordPress team and bringing you the latest and greatest features WordPress has to offer. Get ready for the most enjoyable WordPress customization environment you’ll ever experience.
[line]
Responsive Design is a must these days. Having a proper appearance on devices like tablets and smartphone can be important when trying to get new customers or keep your visitors attention. A lot of people only have time to check out things when they are traveling so it makes sense to have your site optimized for every possible kind of device. With X, you can rest assured that no matter what device people access your site from, it will always look pixel perfect.
DID YOU KNOW: All Stacks are included with your purchase of X, so be sure to check out the Integrity, Renew, and Icon demos as well. It’s hard to believe that all of these looks can be accomplished with just one theme, but that is the beauty of X. Pick up your copy today and discover why X is the most popular new product on ThemeForest.
[share title=”Share this Post” facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true”]

The Banjo Strikes Back

With several dozen of the best looking Shortcodes around, we wanted to give you a sample of the many high-end Shortcodes built into X. Don’t forget that each Stack has EACH Shortcode styled uniquely so that when using that Stack you have a truly end to end design. 

[custom_headline type=”left” style=”margin-top: 45px;” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]Image Frame, Tooltips, Popovers & 3D Button [/custom_headline]
[image src=”https://mdcreekmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/x-popover-tooltip-example.jpg” float=”left” type=”thumbnail” link=”true” href=”#example” alt=”Example” title=”Check Me Out!” info=”tooltip” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover”] Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” title=”Yeah, tooltip time!”]Donec sed[/extra] odio dui. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”right” info_trigger=”hover” title=”Yeah, tooltip time!”]Cras justo odio[/extra], dapibus ac facilisis in, egestas eget quam. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”left” info_trigger=”hover” title=”Yeah, tooltip time!”]Curabitur blandit[/extra] tempus porttitor. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatis vestibulum. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”bottom” info_trigger=”hover” title=”Yeah, tooltip time!”]Cum sociis[/extra] natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet.
[button style=”margin-bottom: 1.313em;” href=”#example” title=”I told you so!” circle=”true” info=”tooltip” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” block=”true”]You Can Even Add Popovers and Tooltips to Me![/button]
[image src=”https://mdcreekmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/x-popover-tooltip-example.jpg” float=”right” type=”thumbnail” link=”true” href=”#example” alt=”Example” title=”Check Me Out!” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Enter in some more information here.”] Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucib Lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Vivamus sagittis lacus [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Place a little extra content in here for informational purposes.” title=”Yeah, popover time!”]vel augue[/extra] laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Donec sed odio dui. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Cras justo odio, dapibus ac facilisis in, [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”popover” info_place=”right” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Place a little extra content in here for informational purposes.” title=”Yeah, popover time!”]egestas eget quam[/extra]. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”popover” info_place=”left” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Place a little extra content in here for informational purposes.” title=”Yeah, popover time!”]Curabitur blandit[/extra] tempus porttitor. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatis vestibulum. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. [extra href=”#example” target=”_blank” info=”popover” info_place=”bottom” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Place a little extra content in here for informational purposes.” title=”Yeah, popover time!”]Cum sociis[/extra] natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere.
[custom_headline type=”left” style=”margin-top: 45px;” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]Table of Contents & Icon List[/custom_headline]
[toc type=”left”] [toc_item title=”1. Introduction” page=”1″] [toc_item title=”2. More Information” page=”2″] [toc_item title=”3. Even More Information” page=”3″] [/toc]
The Table of Contents shortcode available in X offers up some incredible SEO benefits to your standard posts and pages. It’s easy enough to paginate individual posts or pages in WordPress using the <!--nextpage--> code in the editor, but it doesn’t provide any real engaging way for your visitors to know what they’re in for as they click through to the next post. That’s where the Table of Contents shortcode comes in.
Simply add this to each of your “pages” after your <!--nextpage--> breaks and input the titles of each section in your article. What you’re left with is a thoroughly engaging, easy to navigate post structure that has been proven to increase visitor retention and keep their attention (all things Google loves).
You can easily add the Table of Contents shortcode to the left or right of your post content, or have it go full width, which is great for placing at the bottom of your posts to remind visitors of what sections are left. Click through on the table of contents shortcode above to go through to the next page and see the shortcode in action!
[icon_list]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]This[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]is[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]a[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]icon[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]list[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”chevron-circle-right”]Chose from over 300 icons. [/icon_list_item]
[/icon_list]
[custom_headline type=”left” style=”margin-top: 45px;” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]Responsive Visibility, Pricing Tables, Content Bands, & Entry Share[/custom_headline]
With responsive visibility, you can easily show or hide various pieces of information with different groups of visitors viewing your site on a wide array of devices. Want to put a video on desktop but only text on tablet and mobile? No problem. Go ahead and resize your browser window to see how different messages are displayed below for different screen sizes (Note: We also used another one of our Shortcodes, Responsive Video, to make the video look great and respond for the desktop message).
[visibility type=”visible-desktop”]
[alert type=”muted” heading=”Desktop Message”]I’m only for the larger screens. Since there’s more room, I can take a little more space. Resize me!
[gap size=”1em”]
[x_video_embed style=”margin-bottom: 0;”][/x_video_embed][/alert]
[/visibility]
[visibility type=”visible-tablet”]
[alert type=”muted” heading=”Tablet Message”]I’m only for the medium sized screens. There a little less room here, so try and shorten things up a bit, but don’t worry, you don’t have to fret too much over the length of your message just yet.[/alert]
[/visibility]
[visibility type=”visible-phone”]
[alert type=”muted” heading=”Phone Message”]I’m only for the smallest screens. Try and keep things short and sweet here.[/alert]
[/visibility]
[gap size=”40px”]
[pricing_table columns=”3″][pricing_table_column title=”Basic” currency=”$” price=”39″ interval=”Per Month”][icon_list][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Widgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Wadgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Wodgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”times” style=”color: red;”]Gizmos[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”times” style=”color: red;”]Contraptions[/icon_list_item][/icon_list][button shape=”rounded” href=”#example” title=”Example”]Sign Up Today![/button]
[/pricing_table_column][pricing_table_column featured=”true” featured_sub=”Featured” title=”Plus” currency=”$” price=”59″ interval=”Per Month”][icon_list][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Widgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Wadgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Wodgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Gizmos[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”times” style=”color: red;”]Contraptions[/icon_list_item][/icon_list][button shape=”rounded” size=”x-large” href=”#example” title=”Example”]Sign Up Today![/button]
[/pricing_table_column][pricing_table_column title=”Premium” currency=”$” price=”89″ interval=”Per Month”][icon_list][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Widgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]All Wadgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Wodgets[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Gizmos[/icon_list_item][icon_list_item type=”check”]Contraptions[/icon_list_item][/icon_list][button shape=”rounded” href=”#example” title=”Example”]Sign Up Today![/button]
[/pricing_table_column][/pricing_table]
[gap size=”40px”]
[content_band style=”color: #333;” bg_color=”#ffddea” border=”both”][container][custom_headline style=”margin-top: 0;” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h3″]Cool Headline[/custom_headline]

Great for a call to action or important information, these Content Bands will help you be truly creative with how your content is presented.

[/container][/content_band]
[content_band bg_pattern=”https://mdcreekmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/x-bg-maze.png” border=”both”][container][custom_headline style=”margin-top: 0;” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h3″]Cool Headline[/custom_headline]

Great for a call to action or important information, these Content Bands will help you be truly creative with how your content is presented.

[/container][/content_band]
[content_band style=”color: #fff;” bg_image=”https://mdcreekmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/x-bg-flowers.jpg” border=”both”][container][custom_headline style=”margin-top: 0; color: #fff;” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h3″]Cool Headline[/custom_headline]

Great for a call to action or important information, these Content Bands will help you be truly creative with how your content is presented.

[/container][/content_band]
[share facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true”]
[custom_headline type=”left” style=”margin-top: 45px;” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]Over Three Dozen Shortcodes Included When You Buy X Today[/custom_headline]
While just a sample, hopefully this give you a small window into how we think about Shortcodes. Instead of just creating the basic ones (which we did and you have access to them as well), we wanted to take it a step further by providing some really useful business and marketing oriented solutions like Table of Contents and Responsive Visibility. As a customer of X, you not only get instant access to our entire Shortcode library, you’ll also have access to all future Shortcodes we develop in future releases.

What Does Don’t Tread on Me Mean? (It’s Shocking!)

don’t tread on me flag meaning
DON’T TREAD ON ME – THE GADSDEN FLAG AND IT’S MEANING

BY JESSE MATHEWSON

What Does Don’t Tread on Me and the Gadsen Flag Mean Today? Of the many slogans that have been socially adopted by some as a banner, and others as the new evil to kill, the line, “Don’t tread on me” is easily among the top ten over the past few years. To find out what the Don’t Tread on Me Flags Meaning today we need first take a look at where it came from, and why.

The idea promoted with the Gadsen Flag and the Don’t Tread on Me phrase is simple, “leave me alone to live in peace, to do what I do best, and as long as my actions do not cause physical harm to others there is no need for your intervention. It is about free will, personal choice, and freedom without rulers or government overloads. It has nothing to do with race or religion and everything to to with maximum freedom and limited government. 

Rattlesnakes, in this case, the eastern diamondback and the timber rattlesnake, were both abundant in North America, and something not found in Great Britain. Benjamin Franklin made many references to rattlesnakes in his commentaries, published from 1751 onward.

In 1754 he published the woodcut of a snake cut into 8 sections with the message, “JOIN or DIE”. Fast forward 21 years and we were on the cusp of a civil war with England.

Contrary to what has been taught for decades in the United States, our war with England was, in fact, a rebellion. Christopher Gadsden designed the Gadsden flag in 1775, this is what we think of today when we hear the phrase, “Don’t tread on me”.

This was the year before the declaration of independence was signed. As a firm believer in the natural rights of man*, I choose to see the benefit of separating from the state of England.

Department of Army EmblemIn 1778 the United States Congress began using the War Office Seal, which was replaced in 1947 for the official document used by the Department of Army Emblem, pictured here. As you can see, the rattlesnake, like the bald eagle and the lone pine tree, features heavily in our history and documentation.

Current day versions of the Gadsden flag can be traced to the Tea Party movement, another maligned movement based in a misrepresented historical ideal.

One article from 2016 says, “The snake, it turns out, was something of a Colonial-era meme, evidently originated by Benjamin Franklin. In 1751, Franklin made the satirical suggestion that the colonies might repay the Crown for shipping convicts to America by distributing rattlesnakes around England, “particularly in the Gardens of the Prime Ministers, the Lords of Trade and Members of Parliament; for to them we are most particularly obliged.” (Walker, 2016) Modern “educated” writers who cannot be bothered to search further than Wikipedia are in fact the reason why, in our current day and age, any use of the Gadsden flag is seen as hateful by the left – or worse, as supportive of yet more government by the right.

These people use just enough verifiable information that no one questions the veracity of their stories, tweets, and posts.

England and more specifically the East India Trading Company-owned or controlled the original 13 colonies, as well as lands spanning what is currently Canada. The colonists had, for many years, dealing with everything from forced conscription in the English naval forces, to forced eviction from homes built and land farmed for years. In addition to these things, there were many instances of the quartering of English troops in colonial residences without any real recompense.

✔️CHECK OUT THIS HUGE SELECTION OF DON’T TREAD ON ME PATCHES AT AMAZON.COM

All of this was done under the color of law and for the colonists’ “own good”. The reasoning was the same as what we are given today when taxes are raised, levies are sought, and new wars and conflicts entered into. “Your safety, the safety of (English) interests abroad and the furthering of (English) influence around the globe!”

For 258 years the East India Trading company literally ruled the world, and it was all done under English laws and rules. (Rittman, n.d.)

The use of symbols was especially important at a time when many people were not able to read and write effectively. By using figures such as rattlesnakes and bald eagles, these uniquely American animals, the colonial civilians could cling to something that was theirs, and that did not stem from the King or company controlling the leaders of the “civilized” world.

What Does The Don't Tread on Me Snake Mean
What Does The Don’t Tread on Me Snake Mean?

It should be noted that the idea of slavery as an institution and means of profit was originated by Spain, England, and the East India Trading Company. (Please note that while the East India Trading Company is also known as the British East India Trading Company, and the Dutch East India Trading Company, it was originated and founded in London in 1600) The symbol of the rattlesnake was specifically meant to offer a warning to England. A rattlesnake that is stepped on bites in every case.

This is obviously dangerous to the person doing the stepping, hence the term, “Don’t tread on me,” it was meant to convey this warning in terms that even the farmers and working man could understand.

So What Does Don’t Tread on Me Mean?

Over the past few years, we have seen extremes, more so than ever before. These extremes are a result of people being classified, labeled, and marginalized by mainstream media and politicians alike.

In our modern society, thanks to endless loops of 15-second sound-bytes and directed social media outbursts, we see even more people becoming disillusioned with the status quo.

On a personal note, the past few years have been difficult beyond any other years before in my life. The hatred is being stoked to further divide the population, much like what happened in France prior to their revolution, and here in the United States prior to ours.

This has led to people using old slogans and catchphrases to promote alternatives to the status quo. “Don’t tread on me” is just such a slogan. I embrace this slogan though I do not embrace all who use it. This is extremely important to understand.

Americans, and humans in general love to use others to validate their beliefs. There are those of us who realize that only the facts matter in the end. This means that in some respects we have to understand that the data is simply that, data.

There is a current phrase being used, “Big Data”. I see this phrase for what it is, the philosophical ramblings of Political Science majors who have no concept of facts outside of how they may prop up their positions.

1778 20 dollar bill from Georgia
1778 20 dollar bill from Georgia

Consider this, in recent decades, this country has been in a state of upheaval. Financial destruction, millions of hard-working Americans jobless, increasing inflation, and hundreds of new laws and protest organizations. Certainly, there is blame to go around, and it should be directed at each of us. We are to blame for our own life decisions and approaches.

This being said, when you have a government that cannot listen to the people, or people who are more interested in emotional outbursts than facts, these slogans and their history become that much more important! I will not blame a single man or woman, but rather a mindset that infects and affects all of us.

This malaise and division are embraced and promoted by those in control as well as many who prop them up with financial and “moral” support.

The modern usage of this term was meant to generate a sense of patriotic furor and has been associated with the Tea Party movement, a more recent movement originally designed to protest extremely high taxes and government overreach, but which was co-opted and devolved into mainstream political infighting.

Between the mainstream media (all sides), and political finagling (on all sides), what could have been a positive thing was subverted, perverted, and eventually demonized by many Americans – simply due to ignorance being given platform over facts.

Commodore Hopkins
Commodore Hopkins

In looking at the history of the Gadsen flag in use we find that the first to use it was Commander Esek Hopkins, the first “admiral” of the newly formed naval forces. He was widely known to have not been enamored with Washington and other “leaders” of that time.

He was, however, an active privateer prior to, and during, the Revolutionary War. In his words, “the two new ships are Launched & will be soon ready if men could be had.” (Hopkins, 1776) He was speaking about the fact that Washington and Gates were requisitioning all the men and not leaving any to man the newly formed fleet.

Washington later sacked him, many believe this was a result of Hopkins inability to hold his tongue when someone was doing something he saw as stupid.

When using historical symbols, my personal approach is to learn as much as I can about them and to absorb the real history surrounding them. This is a reason I have not adopted the rather common “Molon Labe” phrase. In the case of the “Don’t tread on me” flag, it was brightly colored and easy to read.

Also, over the ocean in a sailing craft where it could take an entire day or longer for one ship to overtake another, this allowed for a sense of dread to build and to be felt by the crew of ships being overtaken.

Modern times have seen a resurgence in the use of this flag and phrase, and while many who fly it are a part of the failed Tea Party movement, many others, like myself, have and fly this flag as a symbol against tyranny.

Tyranny is quite simply, “oppressive power”, which can be applied to the approaches used by modern media, activists, and politicians alike. Thomas Jefferson once said, “for I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” (Jefferson, 1800) In my personal study of the founders** I embraced the writings of Jefferson, Paine, Henry, Mason, Lee, Yates, Singletary, Warren, Clinton, Smith, Fenner, Martin, Samuel Adams, and Monroe as well as others seen to be Anti-Federalists or from who the Anti-Federalists drew their inspiration.

How does this apply to the phrase, “Don’t tread on me”?

The idea promoted with this flag and phrase is simple, “leave me alone to live in peace, to do what I do best, and as long as my actions do not cause physical harm to others there is no need for your intervention.

Christopher Gadsden, the author of the phrase, made clear his intent to represent an idea to the British overlords at the time when he penned this phrase, attached as it was to a coiled rattlesnake.

It seems quite obvious that he believed very strongly in the real separation between England and the colonies, and that his loyalty was also very much in the colonies with his family, friends, and those who wished to see us free of the grip of the corporate overlords of the East India Trading Company and England.

Interestingly, there is not much known about this individual, and I have searched everywhere I have access to. Feel free to write a comment below with any links or books that may have additional information on him.

Metallica – “Don’t Tread On Me”

So there you have it, the modern use of “Don’t tread on me”, as well as its history – and my somewhat anemic commentary. If you have any added information or knowledge in this arena, comment below. I learn from what others share with me, and from what I study and research. While I feel confident that my knowledge in this arena is extensive, there is always more to learn.

Thank you for reading, and of course, commenting and sharing.

*When I use the term “man” I am referring to humankind as a whole, using the classic sense of the word.

**There were 3 sets of founders, first you have the Declaration authors than the drafters of the Articles of Confederation and lastly the Constitution drafters. These individuals are not the same though there is some minor crossover between them, many of the original Declaration signatories rebelled against the passage of the Constitution, and some of them were very vocal in their belief that this “document” would be a problem in the future.

Here are some of my favorite prepping gear

Thank you for investing your time in this article, and I sincerely hope it has provided valuable insights to strengthen your survival preparedness. As a survivalist, I make use of a variety of tools and gear, many of which have proven to be indispensable in my journey. Here, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite survival gear, which I believe you will find beneficial as well.

These are affiliate links, meaning if you decide to use any of them, I’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you. However, I assure you that these recommendations come from personal experience – these are the exact tools I trust, use, and confidently recommend to everyone, including my own family.

  1. Long-Term Food Storage: ‘My Patriot Supply‘ is my top choice for emergency food supplies. Their selection caters to long-term storage needs, ensuring you’re always prepared.
  2. Water Filter: Clean, safe drinking water is a priority in any situation. This water filter has served me well, and I trust it will for you too.
  3. Versatile Cooking Solution: The Zoom Versa Cook Stove is a reliable, versatile cooking solution perfect for outdoor and survival scenarios.

I’ve compiled an extensive, frequently updated list of my top survival gear recommendations for your convenience. Equip yourself with the best and latest gear here.

Remember, true survival isn’t merely about making it through – it’s about effectively navigating and thriving in challenging circumstances. Equip yourself well, stay informed, and always be prepared.

Ways to Save Money on a Tight Budget

Ways to Save Money on a Tight Budget

by Jim M

With the cost of everything going up and the future uncertain, stretching your resources and re-purposing items becomes more of a necessity. I am always looking for new ways to get the “max for the minimum.”

Some recent posts here reminded me of some of these things. My grandparents and parents were a young family when the great depression hit. What kinds of things did they do to make ends meet when things were expensive or scarce?

Unfortunately, many of them who went through this period in time are no longer with us. However, I remember a few things they did or heard of them doing, that now, looking back, were obviously brought about by the times they lived in. Even after times improved somewhat, some still stuck to certain ways of doing things. Old habits are hard to break.

Hunting and gardening were basically a given back then. Most everyone outside the city limits did one or both of this along with bartering services for goods. A little carpentry or plumbing work for a couple of chickens.

I remember my grandfather mixing his old used motor oil with a little bit of kerosene and spraying the underside and inner fender wells of his pick up truck just before winter. He claimed it helped protect the truck from incurring rust damage over the winter months. Getting more serviceable years out of the truck.

I am sure environmentalists would have a cow over this nowadays, but it was a way of taking something that didn’t appear to have any usefulness left, and yet, finding one more use for it. The county used to spray old used oil to keep the dust down on dirt roads during the spring and summer months. Don’t see that happening anymore.

My grandfather saved some wood ashes from his fireplace to sprinkle around his tomato plants in the garden. He claimed it brought more blooms, thus more tomatoes during the growing season.

My grandmother would take apples and make pie filling and apple sauce. She would then take the wasted apple skins and apple cores and boil them down in water to get enough juice to make apple jelly. Finally using the old boiled down skins and cores to slop the pigs along with other scraps.

That was really getting some serious mileage out of your apples. I am sure such things as corn cob jelly and jello came from the same kind of frugal thinking of, “If I could just find one more use for this material.” My grandmother never threw a tea bag out after only “one” use. She also used up every last bit of an orange. Eat the orange, use the zest of the skin in baking and boil the pithy part of the skin to give the kitchen a nice aroma.

I had uncles who made hard cider during prohibition and would play cards all night on the weekends. That was long before my time but seems they still knew how to have a good time even when things were tough. God bless them.

My parents had the 1970’s to deal with, huge interest rates on mortgages, gas lines, inflation, and crazy tax rates. My dad worked his hind end off and made pretty decent money. But by the time he paid for the weekly and monthly expenses, it sure didn’t seem that way.

Christmas was the time of year when me and my brothers would get new blue jeans. My mom would take the brand new jeans and wash them on a low load setting to get as much of the blue dye out of the new jeans. Before the washer would spin that water out, she would remove the new jeans and put any of our old faded jeans that still fit along with jean jackets in the dyed water to soak overnight. Gave old jeans and jackets a “little” darker blue look.

How about an old wire clothes hanger as an emergency exhaust hanger for your car. Works in a pinch to get the muffler from dragging on the road. Unfortunately, most clothes hangers they are making now are plastic.

A friend of mine has used old pinewood pallets to build cold frames. The wood was free and if you get a couple or a few years use out of it, all the better.

My brother-in-law reloads his own ammo.

Old newspapers can be used for a weed barrier in the garden, gift wrap and I would dare say make a good candidate for emergency toilet paper if cut or torn down into smaller sheets. So would old telephone book pages.

I have also seen some recipes on the net for making logs to burn made with old newspapers. We keep some around to start fires. Anyone remember the old Readers Digest Christmas Trees? They would fold the pages of a Readers Digest a certain way and spray paint and decorate them to look like a Christmas Tree.

I have the tank to an old shop vac that I use as a waste can next to my workbench in the basement. The motor is long gone but still found a use for the tank.

I have found that a simple tarp has many uses other than covering woodpiles. I have seen them used to stop a leaking roof until better weather comes along to address the problem properly. I have taken an old tarp that was starting to fray and cut a section out big enough to cover the windshield on my work car.

It sits out in the weather and this piece of tarp can be removed in the morning along with the frost. Now I don’t have to scrape ice or run the defroster for 10 minutes before I leave during the cold months.

Saves me some time and a little gas money too. Word to the wise. Don’t put it on the car when they are forecasting freezing rain. Not nearly as easy to remove. I am sure tarps can be used for a temporary shelter in a survival situation.

A couple of years ago, I saw a man on TV claiming that he shaved an entire year with just one disposable razor. AN ENTIRE YEAR! He claimed that leaving the razor wet after you use it is what dulls the razor. The water deteriorates the sharp edge on the blade.

This sounded crazy to me so I decided to try this out. I did not get the same results this guy did by far, however, I will get through this year using a total of 5 replacement blades on my razor. This is based on shaving twice a week, not every day. Get your whiskers soft with hot water, use a shot of liquid hand soap to lather up and shave as normal. I believe the actual cutting of the whiskers is what dulls the blade, not the water.

So getting the whiskers as soft as possible with hot water and the lubrication of the hand soap is what helps keep the razor sharper for longer. Why are replacement razor blades so expensive? Don’t they mass produce these things by the billions?

My boss has been bringing me in empty plastic jugs that contained cat litter. They have the 2 HDPE marking on the bottom. So far, I have used these to store rainwater that we use on our garden. The jugs he brings me hold about 2.6 gallons of liquid. I have even taken old motor oil to Walmart for collection in these jugs. I’m sure there are probably many other uses for these.

We use old baby food jars to store herbs we grew in the garden. The really small jars (2 or 4 ounces?) are really good for this. I also keep my hardware sorted and orderly at the workbench with the larger jars. Kids have used them to make endless crafts, too.

We reuse storage bags when possible.

I use some of the leaves that come down in the fall to pack in my basement window wells. The basement windows are a cheap, thin glass window. And they are below ground level thus the wells on the outside. I pack these wells as tight as I can with dried leaves during the winter.

It keeps heat from wicking out the thin glass, acting as an insulator and deadens the sound from outside. In the spring. I remove the leaves, bag them with the mulching mower and till them into the garden.

I even heard of people using dried tree leaves as insulation during the depression to keep the lower floor of their homes warm. Surrounding the house with a temporary snow-type fencing and filling the void between the house and the fence with dried tree leaves. Then removing the fence and leaves in the spring.

With each passing generation, we lose a little bit of useful knowledge and common sense that was gained by the times in which they lived. I’m not sure of the severity of what’s coming, but I feel some of what they did could serve us well in days ahead.

I am very interested in finding out what you, the readers, could share about what you do and what your relatives did many years ago to cope and survive in uncertain times and stretch what resources are available to the max.

Is There a National Concealed Carry License?

What is the national concealed carry qualification? 

Graphic By Jeff Dege

In 2004 the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) was enacted in the United States. This law allows to classes of persons, the qualified Law Enforcement officer” and the “qualified retired or separated Law Enforcement officer” to carry a concealed firearm in any jurisdiction in the United States or United States Territories, regardless of state or local laws with minor exceptions.

At this time this is the only national carry or national concealed carry law on the books. It should be noted that this article is not meant to offer legal advice merely to allow others to better understand LEOSA and national carry restrictions or allowances.

This article is meant to clarify what is legally allowed and not allowed for the qualified, or qualified separated or retired Law Enforcement that may be reading this article. Additionally, the article is meant to explain what it takes to maintain and keep as well as use the LEOSA permit.

Here is the law paraphrased, “Notwithstanding any other provision of the law of any State or any political subdivision thereof, an individual who is a qualified law enforcement officer and who is carrying the identification required by subsection (d) may carry a concealed firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce…” (LII / Legal Information Institute, 2004)

So what is a qualified law enforcement person? In most states, commonwealths and territories have codified Law Enforcement training centers. These are known as P.O.S.T. or Peace Officer Standards and Training. While some locations within the United States have differing qualifications for firearms training, these differences are relatively minor.

A qualified Law Enforcement person is one that is active duty with no behavioral or legal restrictions or who has served 10 years or more as a federal, state or local POST certified or federally certified law enforcement officer.

If you search this term in your browser replacing your state with your states name, “(your state) LE POST” it will pull up information on your state’s qualifications. For non LE concealed carriers if you can train and pass a verified course of fire for your states LE POST qualifications this can be beneficial if you have to use deadly force in defense of self.

I suggest getting the target you passed on signed by a range master on duty who can verify you passed it and whichever instructor or other person attended, a minimum of two witnesses for legal reasons, sign, and date!

Legally this law has seemed some blowback, specifically in New York state, the District of Columbia and California. Thankfully, each case saw the defendants who were, in fact, Law Enforcement officers or agents cleared and has set precedents supporting the initial LEOSA law.

In 2006 Arthur Rodriguez a Pennsylvania Court Constable was found in a New York court ruling to qualify for protection under LEOSA. In 2012 Barbusin a special police officer of the District of Columbia Protective Services Police Department was found to have satisfied the LEOSA’s broad definition for qualified law enforcement.

In 2008 a Coast Guard reservist named Booth was found to be a law enforcement officer and his rights were upheld in a ruling in, surprise, surprise, New York again. The ruling stated that his job was to “prevent, detect and enforce federal law” as a coast guard serviceman. California arrested Jose Diaz in 2007 for having a loaded firearm in his vehicle in San Fernando.

The charges were dismissed and the subsequent lawsuit filed for violation of civil rights was settled outside of court by the city, the city redrafted the police training standards on LEOSA. (Baranowski, 2014)

Directly quoting the article – Does the LEOSA carry law apply to you, “On Jan. 2, 2013, LEOSA was amended to specifically allow for active and “retired” (as defined by LEOSA) military and DOD police and law enforcement officers with UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) apprehension authority to qualify for the statute; however, also hidden within the amendment was language mandating that all QLEOs now carry a photographic ID that “identifies the employee as a police or law enforcement officer of the agency,” and that QRLEOs carry a photographic ID “that identifies the person as having been employed as a police or law enforcement officer.” (Baranowski, 2014) If you go to the LEOSA website they offer the ability to easily sign up for a national carry identification card allowing ease of use and carry. Click here, LEOSA, and make sure to read it and ask them questions as needed.

Another solid resource is found on PoliceOne under LEOSA. As a civilian who has trained and taught Law Enforcement and various military over the course of two decades I can say that PoliceOne authors are almost all slanted away from law-abiding civilian carry.

Given that law-abiding civilian carriers outnumber every other demographic that carries it may be a beneficial idea to work with us rather than join the loud cries against our carrying.

Obviously, not all civilians are trained well enough to carry in a trustworthy manner, however, during my training of law enforcement and military over the years it is no small wonder that friendly fire is a rather high statistic there as well.

Training is essential whenever deadly force is prepared for in any way. I would suggest that training be increased if you plan in carrying regularly. Never relax completely, never let your guard down to your own potential missteps and more importantly live in yellow, relaxed but aware.

It is not a negative and given statistical evidence that the largest percentage of incidents occur close to your home, this is a reason to be more aware of your actions when at home.

This leads into the current desire for law-abiding civilians who are wanting a national carry law to be enacted. Given the current political climate, a national carry law would be at best a two-edged sword with the handle of the sword also being a blade.

National carry would allow a much easier time collecting data on law-abiding carriers, currently, data is collated at a national level using the background checks performed at the time of purchase as well as the various state-issued permits.

Regardless of what is said, all of this data is collected. What is not done at this time is keeping it all in one database. Between social media, digital communication, and the various state and federal steps needed for law-abiding firearms ownership most of the firearms bought and sold over the past three or four decades can be quickly and easily traced through purchasers and even past that level if the firearm was sold to others.

National carry could be easily used to come down on law-abiding citizens who carry for self-defense if the political winds changed more than they already have. Currently, there are many very vocal people who disparage law-abiding carry, even though not a single law-abiding person has ever committed a crime using a firearm. After all, the very nature of the term precludes the commission of crimes.

In addition to the political issues, there are the media and social media pushed emotional views based on spurious lackadaisical “truths” which have been promoted as “facts.” Some of these are, gun owners are more likely to commit crimes, etc. et, al., promoted by any town and the Brady camp. The real facts are simple, criminals do not care if you are black, white, red, female, male, trans, gay, straight or a horse. If you have what they believe they should have, they will commit crimes against you.

Certainly depending on areas and demographics, some demographics are more likely to commit crimes. However, when you look at the facts you will quickly find that the myths behind mass murder and or mass shootings are just that.

Myths and the reality is every single one of the individuals who committed one of these crimes was bat shit crazy insane. And yes, mass murder occurs and has occurred more frequently with much higher body counts in many nations in Europe, Asia, and even Africa than in the United States.

What you will not find as often outside of the United States is the use of firearms to prevent mass violence, or to stop it. In fact, outside the United States and in fact in many states in the United States people have become the equivalent of sheep, they bleat and complain making an awful racket and have lost almost all ability to care for themselves in any real manner.

If you can carry legally, do so, regardless of your status as a privileged badge carrier or not. If you cannot carry legally, move. I have not found a single instance of voting or political action that does not negatively affect far more people than it helps. This is why I say move. I understand that many readers regardless of side they support will rabidly state their objections.

However, none can rationally argue that I am incorrect. As I am not insane, I choose to personally not repeat the same actions endlessly in a futile hope that it will somehow make life better. Rather, I have dedicated my life to raising my children, training and being prepared as best I can.

I hope you also consider investing as much time in your children as you may invest in your social media accounts. (It should be noted I do not have social media accounts, I do have social interactions in person with others as well as gardens, children, animals and the regular constant acquisition of more knowledge which I than put into practice, something so many walking dictionaries fail to do.)

If you enjoyed this article or have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below!

Free the mind and the body will follow…

Jesse Mathewson BSCJA et, al.,

520 249 8495