Day: July 30, 2007

Note from JWR:

Today we welcome our three latest Affiliate advertisers: All-Battery.com (NiMH, NiCd, and Lithium Ion batteries and battery packs), HurricaneStore.com (NOAA weather radios, 72-hour kits, LED flashlights, et cetera) and  Pyramid Air (precision air rifles, pistols, Airsoft guns, paint ball guns, and accessories.) Whenever you patronize our affiliates using our links when you order, we get a little piece of the action to help support SurvivalBlog. I should also mention: Please patronize our paid advertisers (in the scrolling side bar) first. But if they don’t have what you need, then take a look at our Affiliate advertisers’ web sites.


A Second Income–A Key Goal for Family Preparedness

I often encourage folks that are preparedness-minded to develop a second income stream. Why is this important? “Living off the land” style self sufficiently is an admirable and commendable goal. But even if you are living truly “debt free”, you will still have property taxes to pay. That means that you will need at least a modest recession/depression proof revenue stream in the event that you lose your primary job. Let me underscore this point with a bit of Rawles family history: My family came out west by covered wagon in the 1850s. They soon after set up a sheep …


Letter Re: The Pension Gamble: Cash In or Stand Pat?

Dear JWR and SurvivalBlog Faithful: Here is a dilemma that I may encounter soon and one that other Survivalblog readers may face as well. I work for the state (which is in dire fiscal condition) and face a possible layoff later this year. When and if this layoff occurs, I will have the opportunity to cash out my pension fund, which after penalties and taxes, would amount to about $50,000—a tidy sum indeed considering I have no other savings except for 4-1?2 ounces of gold and several hundred dollars (face value) in silver coins (thanks to SurvivalBlog’s admonitions and a …


Letter Re: The Global Vitamin C Shortage Underscores Dependence on Red China

James, Here is an article I found describing a shortage of vitamin C due to production cutbacks in China. The following are two quotes from the article: “New York and Beijing – A sharp rise in the international price of vitamin C is focusing fresh attention on the risks of the world’s growing dependence on China for essential food supplies and additives. China, which exports more than 80 percent of the world’s ascorbic acid – also known as vitamin C and a key food preservative – appears to have cut production over the past several months, pushing prices up by …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A brief follow-up to my July 10th post mentioning that iodine crystals and iodine solutions over 3% will be restricted in the U.S.: I just heard from my NAIS grassroots contacts that the DEA regulation will be implemented as of August 1st. That will mean that any of these products that are not already in the retail supply chain will be restricted. So this is your last chance to stock up on Polar Pure iodine crystals. I heard that Ready Made Resources only has about 275 bottles left in stock. They also have some one quart bottles of 10% Betadine …