Day: August 21, 2006


Two Letters Re: The Ethanol Debate

Jim: Regarding the following snippet in Odds ‘n Sods: As quoted by our friend Bill Bonner at The Daily Reckoning: writing in Fortune magazine, Lester Brown notes that ethanol is not only a waste of money, if taken up widely, it would actually mean starvation for many of the world’s poor people. “The grain required to fill a 25-gallon tank (with ethanol) would feed one person for a year,” Brown writes. I was under this impression too. Don’t get me wrong I think its a waste of time and resources, but ethanol doesn’t have to be [derived from] the grain. …


Letter Re: An Amazing Tale of Survival: Nine Months Adrift in the Pacific

Dear Jim, I think this would be a good story to link to on SurvivalBlog. Three fishermen survived on a 25 foot boat for nine months at sea, doing drastic things to ensure their survival. Two of the men on the boat died because they didn’t have the will to live (there were originally five on the boat.) As a sea kayaker who takes safety very seriously, it is a sobering story. Take care, – C.R.


Two Letters Re: EpiPen–Another Item for the Retreat Medical Kit

Sir, Excellent advice on the EpiPen, but its worth mentioning an adequate stock of Benadryl should also be on hand. The EpiPen treats the symptoms of anaphylactic shock but Benadryl or a similar antihistamine will treat the cause. (Which is of particular importance if a doctor is not available.) Bee stings are the most common culprit for anaphylaxis, but it can also be caused by food allergies, latex allergies, and others. Here is a site with some information on Benadryl, side effects and administration instructions Respectfully, – Patrick R   Jim: Epi can kill if not used correctly. The key …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader “Desert T” notes: “I came across this item at the Smith & Wesson web site while researching something else. Rather steep price, but I found the marketing strategy interesting.” JWR Adds: Just the ticket for traipsing around Alaska.    o o o I recently heard about an interesting vendor called Civil Defense Supplies. They stock and eclectic line of storage food, first aid gear, commo gear, night vision gear, 72 Hour Kits, and so forth. I should mention, however, that I have not yet done business with them.    o o o Reader Sid near Niagara Falls spotted a …