Creases in ballot have no effect on vote counting in that particular jurisdiction, according to local officials

When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, lava incinerated anything living for miles around. As an experiment, scientists dropped gophers onto parts of the scorched mountain for only 24 hours. The benefits from that single day were undeniable—and still visible 40 years later. Once the blistering blast of ash and debris cooled, scientists theorized that […] The post Gophers Brought Mount St. Helens Back to Life in a Single Day–Following Devastating Eruption appeared first on Good News Network.

Things are tough in America right now. Many of us are forced to reallocate our money from one necessity to another and often, the thing that suffers first is our diets. If times are tight, you might find this article helpful. It’s a meal plan created from recipes and strategies in my new paperback, What to Eat When You’re Broke. We released this in PDF format recently and readers loved it. We got so many requests to put it in hard copy format that we couldn’t say no! So, it’s available on Amazon now as a paperback. The recipes in this article are all included in the book, which I’m selling just above cost. I hope you enjoy it, and please, give us a review on Amazon to help more people to see it when they’re searching for a way to feed their family during difficult times. Flat Broke Meal Plan This meal plan is per person per week. Multiply it by the number of people in your family. I’ve tried to make it as varied as possible, and there are a few things included that are not the cheapest on the market. They’ve been added for nutrient value. Obviously, if there are allergies or foods that your family won’t eat, feel free to substitute. I shouldn’t need to say this, but it’s impossible to write one meal plan that will work for every single reader. If you are vegan, gluten-free, diabetic, suffer from food allergies, eat keto, or strictly follow a particular nutritional lifestyle, this may not work for you. With that being said, let’s look at our menu! Stars * indicate that the full recipe is available in the book and you might also have your own recipes for these items. Breakfast Day 1: Oatmeal with brown sugar and banana Day 2: Cornbread* with butter and jam Day 3: Leftover cornbread, sliced and heated with a butter and brown sugar drizzle Day 4: Peanut butter and crackers, apple Day 5: Rice cooked with milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon Day 6: Biscuits and gravy* Day 7: Scrambled eggs and toast OR homemade pancakes with fruit Lunch Day 1: PB&J, apple Day 2: Pasta salad with tuna* (or canned chicken) Day 3: Bean burrito Day 4: Tomato soup* and crackers Day 5: Cold peanut butter noodles with shredded cabbage* Day 6: Tortilla pizzas* Day 7: Leftovers Dinner Day 1: Beef and vegetable soup* with frybread* Day 2: Baked beans with mac and cheese (canned and boxed easy meal for busy days) Day 3: Fried Gnocchi* with canned marinara sauce Day 4: Crockpot white chicken chili* Day 5: Pasta with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese (add ground meat if it’s in the budget) Day 6: Homemade pizza* Day 7: Ham (slice an inexpensive canned ham or picnic ham and use the leftover for split pea soup), scalloped potatoes*, Christmas beans* Six quick tips Here are some ideas to make the meals more filling if this menu leaves you feeling hungry. 1.) Just add bread – whether it’s toast from grocery-store sliced bread, fresh homemade bread, frybread, or cornbread, adding some bread for sopping up sauces and broth makes meals feel more satisfying. 2.) Add more carbs – rice or pasta makes everything go a bit further. 3.) Add beans for more protein. When you’re making soup or chili, add one more can of beans to the pot. 4.) Baked potatoes make everything better. Looking for a cheap, filling, and tasty side? You can’t beat a baked potato. Top it with butter, sour cream or plain yogurt, and chopped green onion. Eating the skin adds fiber and other nutrients to your diet. 5.) Add cheap fruit. Bananas and bagged apples tend to be the least expensive fruit. Add one serving per meal to make it more filling and finish off on a sweeter note. 6.) Focus most of your money on one meal per day. If you fill up on less expensive items for breakfast and lunch, you can swing a better and more filling dinner. This menu assumes that you probably have the basics in your kitchen, such as seasonings, spices, sugar, and cooking oil. In fact, you probably have much more than that. When I’ve reverted to this menu I am generally able to get very minimal groceries because I have plenty of canned goods and dry goods in my pantry. This just provides me with a great way to use them! Don’t miss out on the paperback! I really believe that this book can help you (or someone you know who needs it) to get through hard times. In it, I share many of the strategies that allowed me to keep my children fed when I was a flat-broke single mama. Those times were difficult indeed, but my girls actually look back on that food and consider it their comfort food today. Most of the recipes require little in the way of hands-on time, because, in addition to being broke, I was also working full time, then chauffeuring my daughters to various places after I got off work.  I had a household to manage alone, laundry to do, and other requirements on my time so spending hours in the kitchen simply wasn’t an option. If you have more time, you can cut even more money off these recipes by making each component from scratch. Here’s the table of contents. I tried to make the book a lot of fun!   Introduction Frugalicious Philosophies Flat Broke Grocery Shopping Basic Batches Ultimate Frugal Formulas Cheap Eats Pantry Raid What a Crock Food with a Future Love Your Leftovers Seasonal Savings Lazy ala Daisy About the Author I hope you enjoy What to Eat When You’re Broke! Thank you so very much for your support. What about you? What do you eat when money is tight? Share your tastiest and most frugal meal ideas in the comments! The post Rock-Bottom Meal Plan for Those Weeks When Money Is Tight appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

Dragonflies have been on the Earth long before humans appeared. Their adaptability and resilience have kept them going over the centuries and today they're found on every continent but Antarctica. These fascinating insects have some truly amazing traits, like regulating their own body temperature and the ability to see in slow-motion. Let's take a closer look at dragonflies and what makes them so... Source

Released in 1992, Reservoir Dogs is an independent crime film and director Quentin Tarantino's feature-length debut. The film follows a group of career criminals who find themselves at odds after a diamond robbery goes horribly wrong. The film shows what occurs both before and after the heist, but not actually the heist itself. Today, the movie is considered to be a classic. Well-received upon its... Source

Follow this homemade pepper spray tutorial for a cheap and effective self-defense weapon that you can always have on hand that's made from pantry staples. Easy DIY Homemade Pepper Spray For Self Protection For anyone who values their safety, it's important to consider self-defense strategies to protect yourself in a time of danger. While some may choose to learn physical protection strategies like tae kwon do or judo, not everyone has the time to squeeze in a daily lesson. When you're forced to choose between fight and flight, it's always good to have a backup on hand! Although they can be a bit pricey, store-bought tasers and pepper sprays can help protect you in times of need. For those of you who are up for a challenge, try one of the most inexpensive self-defense weapons you can make yourself – DIY pepper spray. A Word of Caution Please use caution when making your own pepper spray! This is a highly irritable natural weapon. We recommend the following: Wear protective gear like gloves and goggles. Prepare the pepper spray in a well-ventilated area. Always be alert and don't spill or spray on yourself. Have Asthma? Don't make this. If the solution comes into contact with eyes, flush eyes IMMEDIATELY for 15-20 minutes in running water. Make at your own risk* Pepper Spray Ingredients You'll need the following 6 things to make pepper spray: Ground Pepper Alcohol Rubbing Alcohol Spray Bottle Small Mixing Bowl Coffee Filter Details as follows… Pick Your Pepper You can use fresh, dried, or powdered pepper — it all works. Here's the breakdown… Choose 1 of the following: Powdered Cayenne Pepper – 2 tbsp Fresh or Dried Pepper – 15-20 pieces should make 2 tbsp ground up Powdered cayenne pepper is a great choice to include as it can be incredibly irritating to the eyes. For an added punch, grind up the whole pepper to release its natural oils. Check out this tutorial on how to grow your own pepper plant if you'd like to create your own supply! Alcohol Alcohol is an essential part in making your pepper spray. It acts as a solvent and bonds with the pepper to release the capsaicin found in peppers. While rubbing alcohol is recommended, vodka will also work if you have on hand. Adding this stinging ingredient will also allow your spray to last longer – up to 2 months. Baby Oil or Vegetable Oil There's a secret ingredient in creating pepper spray — oil. Baby oil or vegetable oil will make the spray adhere to the attacker's clothing and skin. Add one tablespoon of oil for every two tablespoons of pepper. The recipe we're using today calls for 4 tbsp of baby oil. Ok, so now you've gathered your ingredients. Here's what to do next… Homemade Pepper Spray Steps: 2 tbsp pepper – Start with your pepper in a small mixing bowl Rubbing alcohol – Slowly add the rubbing alcohol to the pepper until pepper is completely submerged. Stir well to activate and combine. 4 tbsp baby oil – Slowly add the oil into the solution. Stir well to activate and combine. Let the mixture sit in a cool dry place overnight so the ingredients can fully fuse. Filter – After leaving your pepper spray mixture overnight, filter it to remove sediments that could clog your nozzle. Spray bottle – Prepare a clean and empty spray bottle, add the filtered pepper spray solution. Screw cap on tightly! TIP: Dress up your pepper spray bottle distinctively so you'll know which one is it when you have to use it for an emergency. With just a few household items and your DIY skills, you'll now have a natural weapon on hand in case you freeze up when trying to remember those taekwondo moves. If you're looking to make your pepper spray extra potent, try adding additional irritants such as lemon, garlic, or black pepper. For the most effective use of your spray, be sure to practice your aim and remain conscious of your surroundings.   Not sure how to properly use pepper spray? Check out this video for best practices: Have you tried making a pepper spray on your own? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! Read this next: Top 5 Knife Making Tutorials Follow us on Instagram, twitter, pinterest, and facebook!

A little brown dog’s story is breaking hearts after a local rescue in Fresno, California shares his story of loyalty and heartbreak. According to YourCentralValley, Mel Garcia, owner of the local rescue Mel’s Mutts, heard of Canelo the dog’s story before being able to rescue her. She tells the news outlet that she heard about Canelo because she often receives emails and messages from other shelters about dogs who are at risk or have issues. “[Canelo] was found in a car with his owner, his deceased owner.” Garcia reveals. Garcia further explains the little brown dog’s backstory. According to her, Canelo’s owner was an unhoused, undocumented immigrant known to park his van outside an auto parts store in Fresno. One day, the workers at the store noticed that the van hadn’t moved all day. They then decided to call for a wellness check. When the police arrived, they found that the man, Canelo’s owner, has passed away, with Canelo by his side. Garcia said, “He was, not very friendly. He was trying to bite everybody.” @mellsmutts ? This is Canelo…. he was found in a car protecting his owner who had died. I truly wish I could take all of his sadness away. I spent all day making calls, and messaging people, police, even the business that called in the welfare check when the owner died. I found out Canelo was truly loved by his elderly owner and I promise I will do my best to help Canelo the way I would want someone to help my dogs if the same thing happened to me ? #mellsmutts #canelo #heartbroken #dogsarebetterthanhumans #dogslove #FaithfulToTheEnd #dogrescue #ilovemydog #Fresno #RIP #heartbroken #granvillehomeofhope #igotyou ♬ Sad Music – Max-Music “It wasn’t until we actually got him to our vet’s office that we saw how shut down he was and how very scared he was,” Garcia reveals. Further tests reveals that Canelo was in visible shock and devastation over his owner’s death. But Garcia also reveals that despite his owner’s living condition, Canelo was healthy and was clearly given the attention and care he needed. “The owner has to have been a kind person that cared for him, to have had him for so long,” Garcia said. “For somebody to go and reclaim their dog, microchip them and all that, they cared for him.” According to Garcia, Canelo’s owner suffered from a heart attack. But the heartbreak for little Canelo didn’t end there. Garcia said that Canelo’s owner didn’t have any next of kin, which left the little dog all alone. After the dog had some time to decompress, his loveable attitude is finally showing. Now, Garcia, with Mel’s Mutts, is working to get him fixed and decompress a little more. After that, Garcia will soon be placing Canelo up for adoption so he can have his forever home. “We don’t know how long he was unhoused, but he kept his dog with him to the end and his dog stayed with him until the end,” Garcia said.  “If that happened to me with my dogs, I would want somebody to treat my dogs just as kind and understand what they had been through.” With Mel’s Mutts, Garcia is able to help stray, unwanted, and homeless dogs like Canelo. Furthermore, she also offers education and assistance with spay and neuter services.

Birds are real, but these ones are a little different.

What are the Stalker 2 anomalies? While you’re on your travels in The Zone, there are plenty of things that might want to relieve you of your head; monstrosities and other humans may seem initially like the most direct threat, and in some cases, you’d be right, but there is another, often unseen danger, anomalies. The Stalker 2 release date is right around the corner, and after several delays and what feels like a lifetime of waiting, we’re finally gearing up to take on The Zone once more. Taking a host of Stalker 2 weapons on your journey is a start, and though they'll protect you against some threats, what do you do when you come face to face with a Stalker 2 anomaly? Continue reading Stalker 2 anomalies explained MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best apocalypse games, Stalker 2 release date, Best survival games

The longer I play and write about videogames, the more I feel like they can often be separated into two types: you have games that are driven by intricate and smart mechanics, and games that have great aesthetics and atmosphere. Personally, I prefer the latter type. I don’t care if something is simple or even repetitive to play, just so long as it looks good and the mood is right. But the greatest games do both. Mixing the granular strategy of FTL, the colorful, pixel style revived by Sea of Stars, and the road trip overtones and turn-based encounters of classic Fallout, Keep Driving is the greatest RPG I’ve played in 2024, and available to try right now. Continue reading Keep Driving is the greatest RPG I’ve played this year, and you can try it free MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Best racing games, Best indie games