Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Prepper's Pantry: Garlic Cheese Biscuits

I saw these tasty treats mentioned online, but when I tried to go back, I couldn't find the source. I decided to try my hand at making them myself, based on what I remembered of the description.

While I made mine from fresh ingredients, nearly every component of this recipe can be found in a well-stocked prepper's pantry. 
  • Harder cheeses, if prepared properly, can last without refrigeration for quite a while. 
  • Canned cheeses are also available, and they have shelf lives measured in years. 
  • The same is true for butter. 
  • Jarred crushed garlic, if unopened and stored in a cool dark place, can last quite a while, and powdered garlic lasts even longer.
  • Home-made biscuit dough can be used, though the article I read called for the pre-made kind found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
I've made these biscuits twice now, once with each type of dough. A lesson I learned was not rolling the home-made kind too thin.

Once the dough is prepared, assembly can begin.

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Ingredients

  • Biscuit dough
  • Cheese, cubed or shredded
  • Garlic, crushed
  • Butter

Recipe

  1. Roll the biscuit dough no less than ½" thick and cut into 3" rounds.
  2. Place approximately ½ teaspoon of butter in the middle of the dough.
  3. Add preferred cheese, enough to cover the butter. (I used mozzarella.)
  4. Add ½ teaspoon or so of crushed garlic.
  5. Carefully fold the dough over the contents and pinch closed.
  6. Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Don't be concerned if some of the biscuits open during baking.

If desired, drizzle with melted butter, and serve while still warm. 

Biscuit rounds cut and rolled out with filling added

Folded over and ready for the oven

Out of the oven and ready to serve


These biscuit can be reheated... if there are any left over, that is. 

Enjoy!

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Immersion Heaters

Not actually Erin.
Used with permission.
There are times when you lose hot water but still have some kind of electricity: when your water heater breaks; after a disaster like a hurricane where utilities are down but battery backups powered by solar panels provide you with power; or you're car camping and want a hot cup of coffee, but don't have the time or energy to make a fire to boil water. 

Regardless of the specifics, it's not an improbable, edge-case situation to need hot water and still have power, and in those cases the immersion heater shines. Invented in 1924, an immersion heater is little more than a shielded metal coil that quickly heats up from the electricity running through it from a conventional wall socket, and just as quickly cools to the touch when unplugged. It is fast, efficient, and far more portable and convenient than heating water in a kettle or over a fire. 

I bought this 300W immersion heater for $16.50 on Amazon, and I use it to heat a cup of water for rinsing my teeth after brushing (my teeth are sensitive to cold water) rather than wasting water by letting the faucet run until hot water arrives from the other side of the house. 

https://amzn.to/3CzsFIf

I don't need the water to be very hot, so a minute is all it takes for it to go from 70° at the tap to 100° in my 12 oz. (1.5 cups) mug.* This is less time than it takes me to brush my teeth, so when the water is hot enough (through practice I can determine this based on the amount of bubbles on the heating element and confirmed with touching the water with a finger) I unplug the heater to allow it to cool. When I'm finished brushing and ready to rinse, the heater is cool to the touch and can  safely be removed and placed on a towel to dry. 

* I haven't needed to boil water with it yet, but I can tell you that after 2.5 minutes the water is 125° and that's hotter than anything I'd like to drink. 

It's essential that you always immerse the heater in water before plugging it in, and submerge as much of the heating element as possible. If you hear the sound of something boiling over, too much of the element is uncovered, so add more water or push the heater deeper if possible. 

It's also essential to always unplug the immersion heater and let it cool off in the water, even if that water is boiling, for 30 seconds before it is safe to remove. Doing otherwise could result in burns to yourself or heat damage to objects. 

I would only use an immersion heater in glass, Pyrex, or similar materials. A metal container could result in burns from touching it if the water reaches boiling, and I would be concerned about the heating element melting a plastic cup. 

https://amzn.to/3CzsFIf


If you are a car camper, long haul trucker, or just want to warm your coffee during a long commute, there is also a 12V DC version (currently $11 on Amazon) which uses a standard automobile power port. Again, be mindful to prevent burns or scalds. 

https://amzn.to/3ANu4uf



Larger immersion heaters also exist, suitable for heating up buckets or even bathtubs full of water. After being very happy with my cup-size heater, I bought this larger heater for $25 on Amazon.

https://amzn.to/48QEVQL


I haven't tested this one yet because I haven't needed to use it; my planned use case is if I need a lot of hot water post-hurricane, and I will use a battery bank to power it. Given its efficiency, and that I very much doubt I'll need to boil gallons of water at a time, using this heater shouldn't drain my battery too much and I ought to be able to recharge whatever is lost via solar panels. 

https://amzn.to/48QEVQL


As with the smaller unit above, observe the safety protocol of fully immersing the heater before plugging it in, only use it in a safe container, and always unplug it and allow it to cool before removing it. 

Despite being 100 year old technology and a niche product, an immersion heater deserves a place in any prepper's supplies to provide fast, efficient, convenient, and smokeless hot water practically on demand. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Prepper's Pantry: Cooking in the Dark

In a previous article, I talked about different choices for power free ingredient prep. However, this does us only so much good unless we are also able to cook without power. Thankfully, there are a number of different options available to us for this process as well. While some of these alternatives are more accessible for those living in a less urban environment, there should be something available for everyone.

WARNING: several of these methods can produce dangerous combustion residue, such as carbon monoxide, and should never be used indoors.

Whether running off propane or natural gas, a traditional non-electric stove can usually still be used during a power outage. Some of the more modern versions of this appliance may be encumbered by computerized controls (such as touch pads) that limit their utility; however, if there are manual knobs to turn on gas to the burners and matches to light them, then cooking can commence.

Traditional Gas Oven


While this process may not work for activating the oven, many meals can be prepared solely on the stovetop. Just make sure the gas is properly turned off when cooking is done.

Grills
Available in sizes from large to small, and fueled by either charcoal or propane, grills are the next option to discuss. While generally not viable for apartment dwellers (unless they have a balcony or access to a park or other common area), there are a wide variety of choices in this area.

Small cast iron charcoal grills, commonly called hibachi, are the most basic example of this category. Don't let their minimal size mislead you; they can certainly be used to prepare full meals.

Classic Hibachi Style Grill


From here, grills move up in size and expense. Next up are the traditional Weber Buoy or Kettle style charcoal grills and similar designs. There are a variety of options, capacities, and accessories to choose from with these grills.



Propane grills have really taken off over the past few decades, and there are a dizzying variety of sizes, styles, options, and accessories available in this area.


Camp Stoves
On a related (but much more portable) note are classic camp stoves. These come in many sizes, from small enough to perch on top of a small fuel canister...



...to large enough for heating two pots at the same time. These days, most run on propane, but there are other options as well, such as butane.



An even more compact version of the camp stove concept is the small, folding Esbit-type pocket stoves, which are designed to be run off fuel tablets. However, they also can use twigs or even small candles in a pinch.


Fire Pits
For those with appropriate space and zoning, another possibility is a fire pit, either as a permanent emplacement or a free-standing unit.

The Author's Backyard Fire Pit


If you plan on going this route, some sort of grate or pot hanger should be purchased to simplify cooking over an open fire.

Folding Cooking Grate




There are even fire pits on the market that come with cooking surfaces included.



These are just some of the available considerations for cooking when electricity isn't available.

Regardless which option is used, it's always a good idea to have some sort of fire suppression system on hand in case of accidents or emergencies. 

Have fun, and cook safely.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Rope as Cordage

In any “survival packing list” worth a darn you’ll see “cordage” listed as an essential. Even if you aren’t roughing it in the wilderness, having rope and cordage on hand can be a real asset in a disaster or disruption of normal life.

Some quick background information:

  • Cordage is twine and string, useful for small tasks.
  • Rope is bigger than cordage in all dimensions.
  • There are two types of rope, static and dynamic. This simply means one (static) stretches less than 5% of its length under load, and the other (dynamic) stretches more than that. 
  • Both types have a broad range of uses, but when the power is out, sometimes having rope on hand is the difference between waiting for someone else to solve your problem, or being able to do it yourself. 
  • Static ropes are generally used for climbing, rappelling, and other activities where humans are going up and down the ropes. 
  • The cheapest, most readily available rope worth having on hand is dynamic, and made from synthetic fiber, 3/8th of an inch in diameter. 
You can do a lot with dynamic rope, from simply tying things together to creating a simple pully system using household hardware items like eye bolts and carabiners. I generally like to have one or two lengths of this type on hand, although the last two times I used up my stash it was just to teach youngsters how to tie knots. You can get 100 feet of it for about $6 at Home Depot, and essentially the same stuff at Lowes.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Hardware-Chains-Ropes-Rope/3-8-inch/N-5yc1vZc2grZ1z1slt3 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, one of the problems we had was a massive amount of downed trees, leading to a lot of chainsaw and tree removal work. One tree dropped right over my neighbors' deck, and the problem became how to remove the tree without having all the weight of the trunk fall on his deck. Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on how you see it), my neighbor was able to arrange for a professional to remove the trunk with heavy machinery before I had another weekend free to help him finish the job (which is a huge plug for having a solid Homeowner's insurance policy).

That neighbor and I had already used a bunch of rope to control the fall of tree limbs as I limbed the big beech tree. I tossed the rope over a limb using a weight (small sandbags work great for this), then tied a safe knot around the rope, and neighbor tied the other end to his lawn tractor. He would apply tension with the lawn tractor, and I would chainsaw the limb, letting him pull the limbs away from over his fence so they landed safely on the lawn. A six dollar rope saved hundreds of dollars in fence repair.

I’ve since found commercial block and tackle pulley systems available for very moderate prices (this one costs about the same as a few eye bolts, plus high strength snap-over carabiners, and I think I'll purchase one for the next time I have to teach kids about simple machines (levers, incline planes, and pulleys).

https://amzn.to/4hKjQeD

One other use of cordage was helping another friend cut through the downed forest to get to his shed where they stored their animal feed. When we got to the shed, it was crushed, but my buddy had a come-along and a bunch of 550 cord. In order to not snap the cord, I wrapped it around the fallen tree trunk about a dozen times to distribute the pressure over multiple strands, and that worked fine to pull the fallen oak off the shed enough to retrieve the animal feed so they could keep their farm running.

Finally, knots. You should know how to tie a square knot, and a bowline. These two knots cover the vast majority of practical rope and cordage uses you will encounter in an emergency, or a camping trip. Yes there may be more appropriate knots for tying down a rain fly over a tent, but you can get it done with square and bowline knots. 

There is a lot more information about the different types of rope out there: braided, double braided, twisted, natural fiber, kernmantle, etc. There are a lot more knots, and a lot more potential pulley setups. There are many better ropes than a 3/8” polypropylene rope, but I found that the cheap 3/8th polypropylene, as well as non-milspec 550 cord, served perfectly well in disaster response. 

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Prepper's Pantry: Manual Kitchen Tools

One of the things my wife and I try to prepare for is loss of power. Whether that's by having a generator, solar panels, flashlights, candles, oil lamps, or a combination of options, we have plans. If the outage is extended, some of those alternatives may become issues. For example, how much fuel do we have for our generator?

Since the triangle of immediate survival involves food, potable water, and shelter, those are the places to look for energy savings. A relatively easy one can be in our food prep tools. Our grandparents or great grandparents got along with few, or even no, powered kitchen tools. We can still learn something from their example.

The basic categories of ingredient preparation are cutting, chopping, slicing, grinding, and mixing. All of these can be done with basic tools; however, there are still labor saving options that don't require electricity.

Cutting is the easiest to address, as everyone should have a selection of kitchen knives. In a bug out situation, we should still have a few knives in our preps. Though I have quite a few cutting implements in my kitchen, the two I find myself using most often are a 3.5" paring knife and an 8" chef's knife.

The Author's two favorite kitchen knives


Though somewhat limited to firmer foods, a chopping alternative is a hand-powered vegetable chopper. These can allow for quicker dicing than most people are comfortable doing with a knife.

The Author's KitchenAid brand chopper


A Mandoline works quite well for rapid slicing of vegetables and harder cheeses. It has more cutting options than the chopper, though with greater risk of injury if used improperly.

A basic Mandoline with blades and hand protector


Along similar lines, but safer, there are graters and shredders of various types. I prefer one of the self-contained units with different cutting inserts.

The Author's food grater


When grinding and straining cooked or soft foods, like tomatoes, nothing in my experience beats a hand-cranked food mill. Some, like mine, are very basic units, but others come with replaceable disks for different output sizes.

The Author's vintage Foley Food Mill


An old-fashioned manual meat grinder, while heavy and often relatively expensive, can handle practically anything that fits down its gullet.

The Author's classic meat grinder


Finally we have the classic egg-beater type mixer, a fixture in 1960s TV sitcom kitchens. Despite its age, it's very useful for its intended purpose. Anything from dry baking mix, batter, and puddings, to sauces and even eggs, fall within its capabilities.

A modern, but traditional, Egg-Beater


There are numerous other manual kitchen tools, but this selection covers all of the basic operations for ingredients preparation. While these items can still be purchased new, keep an eye out at local thrift shops and yard sales where they can frequently be found for pennies on the dollar. That's where I bought most of my kitchen gadgets shown above.

Good luck, and good eating.

Friday, October 25, 2024

Win the Battle, Lose the war? The SUDA Loop

This is definitely not a typical Blue Collar Prepping article. Instead, there will be a fair bit of military history and theory, which will then be tied into prepping at the end. 
 
The history of maneuver warfare theory is long, storied and ancient. From the “weighted flank” used by the Thebans at the Battle of Leuctra to the guerilla tactics of Francis the Swamp Fox Marion, from the battlefield genius of Napoleon to the blitzkrieg of WW2, every generation has adopted new technologies and abandoned previous orthodox military doctrine. It was in the skies of Korea that Colonel John Boyd developed his intuition about the nature of air to air combat, something that would require him to go back to school to earn an engineering degree and create Boyd’s Energy Maneuverability theory. A few years after BEM was accepted (it helped design the F-15, F-16, and F-18 fighter jets), its principles were modified into the OODA Loop to explain how information processing could enhance ground combat operations.
 
Colonel John R. Boyd (Wikimedia Commons)

As far as I can find through research, the OODA Loop really dates to a 1995 brief Col. Boyd delivered as a model for a decision cycle, although Boyd's earlier works support that brief. Note that the OODA Loop, as a construct, is designed to “win an engagement.” Whether that be a jet fighter on jet fighter engagement, or a ground combat maneuver force engagement, the side that correctly understands the situation faster than the other, and makes higher quality decisions faster, is more likely to create an outcome in their favor where, eventually, the other side's decisions cannot change the outcome.

In the wake of Desert Storm, in 1995 the US Army and USMC were facing massive troop and budget cuts from the Clinton administration (the “peace dividend” from the fall of the USSR). The previous strategic operating doctrines, of AirLand Battle and Active Defense before it, were coming up as too costly in the shrinking DOD budget. The OODA Loop concept, as applied to maneuver warfare, looked very promising to create a situation where the Army and Marine Corps could “do more with less.”

Experiments in the years that followed, such as the Force XXI project conducted by the 4th Infantry Division, proved the value of intelligence- and information-driven operations. Simply by adding surveillance drones to the 4th Infantry Division, the unit was able to more effectively use artillery to shape the battlefield deeply, and was able to reduce the M1 Abrams quick reaction force size by 25% as proven across multiple exercises at the National Training Center. (Citation: I was there for two of those exercises.)

As a result, the OODA Loop found its way into the white papers, doctrine, and buzzwords of military professionals for multiple generations, and we didn’t really win any wars using it. We won a lot of battles; we could, and did, fight like demons. General Stanley McChrystal, in his role as Special Operations Afghanistan commander, expanded upon the concept with his F3EA special operations targeting methodology of “Find, Fix, Finish, Exploit, Assess” process, where rapidly executing raids to collect information that would be rapidly exploited to uncover the next target for a raid. The F3EA methodology was as accurate as flipping a coin, never really breaking much above the 50% accuracy level. Trying to combine “violence of action” with “deliberate information processing” was an operational failure as the violence outpaced analysis quite rapidly.

I should note that not all military thinkers were completely enamored with the OODA Loop. Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster wrote a very informative paper in 2006 about how the proliferation of sensors and drones to create a “transparent battlefield” would result in tactical successes and strategic failure. McMaster was correct: war is still very much a human endeavor, and a political one at that.

Where does this leave the OODA loop? Is it a deep insight into the nature of how to win tactically? Well, yes, but it never was about winning a war, or solving problems where the enemy isn’t some other human trying to harm you. If you want to get better at defensive pistol work, training to draw and fire from your concealed holster is going to help you shorten your OODA Loop. If you want to learn how to outfight someone attacking you, consistently train in kickboxing and grappling and you’ll have an almost magical advantage simply because you can see openings faster, and your body has the muscle memory to execute almost without thought. But surviving or “winning a fight” isn’t always the goal, especially when the threat isn’t violence.

An alternate model, one designed deliberately to avoid repeating our strategic failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, is the “Sense, Understand, Decide, Act” or SUDA Loop model. Rather than observing a threat, the first step is simply to sense the environment and find out what is really going on (or not going on, as the case may be). Once the environment is sufficiently mapped out, then understanding of key players, resources, and grievances can be processed into understanding.  Once you understand the actual problems, you can decide on what to address first, second, etc., and then begin to act on your plan. You then sense the environment again to see if your actions are creating the changes you want.  

The SUDA Loop is simply a modern twist on what others have done before, such as Doctor John Snow and the Broad Street well pump handle removal in 1854 to stop a Cholera outbreak in London.  He sensed the environment by mapping out where people were getting sick; once he understood the data set enough to identify the epicenter he decided to remove the well pump handle. After the well pump handle was removed, new cases of cholera stopped, and he continued tracking that data to show his action achieved the desired outcome.  

My final point here isn’t that the OODA Loop is bad, only that it should not be applied to big problems. If it is a violent encounter, having the tighter, quicker OODA Loop is a serious tactical advantage, and you should train your body accordingly. But if it isn’t a violent encounter, but instead an earthquake or hurricane, then using a more deliberate model like SUDA seems more appropriate to making things better in the aftermath, such as which of your tribe is still connected to the Internet, who has what resources to share, who needs resources, etc. Sensing your operational environment helps you understand what you can do, what needs to be done, and prioritize the work.   

One of the more quotable Generals I worked with before I retired constantly told his staff, “Be quick to think, slow to plan.” What he was hammering home was the need to get your brain involved with understanding the situation and problems before trying to slap some doctrinal answer on paper. Military history is full of units who received completely worthless orders because the higher headquarters didn’t understand the operational reality. As a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, I assure you that is still very recent history indeed.

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Product Review: the Pandora PB-3

In previous posts I've gone over different types of optics and the methods and techniques for mounting and sighting them.  While attending the GOA GOALS Expo, I got to meet Garrett Shuck, director of sales for Lead & Steel, and some members of his team. They were more than willing to spend some time talking about their products with me. After the Expo ended, I reached out and he agreed to send me an item for testing and evaluation. Not only did they send me an optic, the Pandora PB-3, they also included a riser adaptor for use on any Picatinny rail equipped firearm.

Specifications
The Pandora PB-3 ($350 to $630, depending on options) is a non-magnified, heavy duty, large window, red dot optic. It has 7 daylight and 3 night vision brightness settings for the 3 MOA reticle. It's powered by a single 3 volt CR2032 button battery, which is capable of over 30,000 hours runtime, depending on brightness setting.  

The Lead & Steel Pandora PB-3

 
The Pandora PB-3 is available in both Flat Dark Earth and Jade anodizing. The one they sent me was Jade, and it's a very attractive color. The PB-3 can be ordered with any of half a dozen adaptor plates, including Glock MOS, M&P CORE, and CZ P-10.

The weight of the unit is 2.3 ounces, which is light for the size and durability. It's about two inches long, an inch and a third wide, and just over an inch tall (52.5 by 34 by 30 mm). The objective lens is 22 by 17 millimeters and provides a nice wide field of view.

Business end of the PB-3 mounted on the Author's Ghost 19
 
Operation
Movement of the dot is via traditional windage and elevation screws on the right side and top of the unit. They each have 100 MOA range of adjustment, which should cover all but the most crooked mounting setups.

Brightness is controlled by two buttons on top of the optic. Pressing either button will turn the unit on, and holding down the up button for three seconds will turn it off. The PB-3 will remember the last brightness setting when power cycled.

Installation 
As with most other red dot optics, installation is done by loosening the mounting screw, positioning it on the cross bar of the ACRO mounting plate, then snugging the screw firmly, without over tightening.

While the firearms industry and red dot makers haven't settled on a single pistol optic cut standard yet, there's a lot to be said for the Aimpoint ACRO design. It's sort of like a low profile Picatinny rail, and is amenable to quick detach bases.

There were no issues mounting it either on the adapter plate for my Ghost 19 or using the provided riser on my Smith & Wesson FPC.

Profile view of the PB-3 mounted on the Author's Ghost-19
 
Testing
All shooting was done on reduced scale B-29 silhouette targets.

After getting used to the adjustments, sighting it in was no problem. The pistol only took six rounds, one of which was a flyer that was my fault. Once this was done, I was able to put 19 more rounds into one largish hole at around five yards offhand.

Handgun sight-in at five yards


The FPC was even easier. At approximately eight yards, all twenty five rounds made one ragged hole. It almost felt like cheating.

PCC at eight yards


Due to the wide sight window and large field of view, I had almost no issue finding the dot on either platform. With some practice, I can see this being an extremely fast as well as accurate optic.

Pros
The PB-3 has many positive features:
  1. Mounting it to a firearm is quick and easy.
  2. It has simple controls.
  3. Adjustments are straightforward and positive.
  4. The battery can be accessed without removing the optic from the firearm.
  5. When removed and replaced on the same firearm, the sight maintained zero.
  6. Even with my astigmatism, I was able to find a brightness level that wasn't all flare and fuzz.
  7. The unit appears to be extremely rugged.
Cons
There are only a few things that might be considered cons:

No Shake Awake
Lead & Steel elected to not include a Shake Awake feature* on this model. This does keep the price down and makes for a more rugged product; however, for use on a defensive firearm, I consider that feature something of a must-have. 

The optic could be kept on all the time, but that reduces battery life. However, at the advertised 30,000 hours of run time, that adds up to almost three and a half years, so this one might be a wash. 

* Shake Awake is a feature where the optic is in a very low power mode when at rest, but if moved suddenly (such as when drawn from a holster) it immediately returns to full power operation. After a set time of lack of motion, it returns to the very low power mode.

Size
While the Pandora seems a bit large and on the blocky side for handgun use compared to some of the other options currently on the market, that's the price paid for a red dot that's designed to take the punishment of riding in a holster day after day.

Reticle
Finally, there's only one reticle configuration, and the dot only comes in red.

Rating: 9 out of 10
The Lead & Steel Pandora PB-3 is a well-designed, robust, relatively cost-effective red dot. It's certainly on my short list for future purchases, and I'll be disappointed when I have to return the test unit. The only reason I didn't give it a perfect score is because of its lack of a Shake Awake feature.


Miscellaneous
The Pandora PB-3 comes well-packaged in a fitted foam lined box and includes the optic, a battery, lens wipe, Allen wrench, and a QR code to access the user guide. For those who prefer a more traditional process, the manual can also be downloaded as a PDF via their website.

As with all Lead and Steel products, the Pandora PB-3 comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty which promises the products will be free from manufacturing defects in material and workmanship (including electronics) under normal use for a lifetime. In case of failure, Lead and Steel will either repair or replace the product (determined by them) with a comparable product, free-of-charge.


Update
Garrett read this post and let me know about some changes, specifically their patent-pending AuraWake feature, their version of shake awake technology. While in the circle dot configuration, the accelerometer only affects the outer 65 MOA ring, but leaves the center dot illuminated. Since the ring is the biggest battery drain, this considerably improves battery life, but the dot is untouched. This configuration helps avoid potential failure points common with accelerometers in optics. The AuraWake feature is currently on their Promethean LP-1 optic, and will be in future versions of the Pandora PB-3.

Finally, Garrett is no longer director of sales, having been promoted to Vice President of  Lead & Steel. Congratulations, Garrett!

The Fine Print


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial- No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Creative Commons License


Erin Palette is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.