Year: 2007

Two Letters Re Converting A Gasoline Engine Generator Set to Propane

Hi Jim, Regarding the thread on converting generators to propane, last year I installed a tri-fuel conversion kit on my 7.5 KW generator, that has a Honda engine. [Since the conversion] it works perfectly and [the conversion kit] was very easy to install. If the [grid] power goes out, I can switch it to the piped-in natural gas and if that goes out, I can either use propane or gasoline. I also got an inexpensive solar trickle charger and connected that to the battery, so that the battery is always fully charged. Best Regards, – Kurt JWR Replies: I consider …


Letter Re: Kanban: America’s Ubiquitous “Just in Time” Inventory System–A Fragile House of Cards

Jim, Having both worked in a hospital and worked for hospitals for the last 18 years I must loudly concur with “Mike the MD in Missouri”. As a service specialist in an un-named Level 1 trauma center I had access to almost every inch of the facility(s) including the warehouses where we stored our unused equipment and all the patient care products. Naturally I was able to assess the on hand stock versus the use and replenish rates at a glance. I was always amazed at how little there actually was for a hospital in a city of 150,000 people. …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Readers Scott S. and Gokuryu both mentioned this article: Saudi-Based Al Qaeda Group Calls for Attacks on Oil Facilities Worldwide to Cut Off Flow to U.S.   o o o “The Werewolf”–our correspondent in Brazil–sent us this bit of emerging technology: Pinpointing land mines with ultrasound beams.    o o o RCP mentioned this article: Grocers Prep For Pandemic Run On Food



Notes from JWR:

Notes from JWR: My only comment on the recent tragedy in Salt Lake City (where Sulejman Talovic, an 18-year-old Bosnian Muslim refugee ran amok with a shotgun and a .38 wheelgun) is that if we had a better armed citizenry, this madman would have been stopped much more quickly. (Probably long before he could have shot ten people.) I have no doubt that the gun grabbers will try to capitalize on this sad event. But they don’t have an intellectual leg to stand on. Madmen will always be able to get hold of weapons, regardless of how many gun laws …


Two Letters Re: Pondering Some Personal Consequences of Global Climate Change

Dear Jim and Family, Wow, people sure are getting worked up and personal about climate change aren’t they? I agree that as survivalists we should do our best to plan for reasonable emergencies. Cold weather gear in Central America? Probably not. A larger cistern system than you think you need in the desert or great plains? A good idea. Why? Climate change, whether caused by man or not, makes for changing rainfall patterns. Maybe heavier so your soil gets waterlogged and you get unexpected floods. In Hawaii this may mean more hurricanes. Or maybe Hawaii turns into a desert island …


Letter Re: Supporting SurvivalBlog

On the Yahoo discussion group survivalretreat, the other two moderators and I recently posted a very boiled down and simple philosophy: “The more who prepare, and the better they each prepare, the better off we all are. We welcome people to join us as survivalists.” I hope this is your attitude as a survivalist, and if you think about it, wouldn’t this be an incredibly wise policy for any government to take. It would make its citizenship stronger, less needy, and more resilient to against any catastrophe or hard times. The best part is, it’s free. This is merely information, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Alfie Omega recommended some very sobering observations from Peak Oil guru James Howard Kunstler. Yes, he’s coming from a left-of center political perspective, and the timing of Hubbert’s Peak may be decades (or more) premature, but this is still worth pondering.   o o os Those RFID chips just keep getting smaller and more numerous. Now Hitachi has announced a nascent RFID dust.    o o o JB in Tennessee spotted a disposable toothbrush with self-dispensing toothpaste in the handle called Fresh ‘n Go. JB notes: “It is advertised as good for about two weeks use, but I find …



Note from JWR:

The first piece today is from a SurvivalBlog reader that took the Four Day Defensive Handgun course at Front Sight, outside Pahrump, Nevada. (Just under 40 miles from Las Vegas.) The Memsahib and I have taken the same course there, and we can attest that the trainers are excellent and that already well-experienced shooters will return from the course at a much higher plateau of skill and confidence with a firearm. There is no macho posturing, no shouting, and no belittling of students at Front Sight. Just very courteous instruction from some of the very best in the business. I …


A SurvivalBlog Reader’s Four Days at Front Sight, by S.F. in Hawaii

I recently returned from a four day handgun course at Front Sight, courtesy of SurvivalBlog’s writing contest. Upon arriving I made a quick headcount of the handgun class. ~50 students, 10 female and 40 male. Mostly 30 to 50 year olds but a few teenagers and 60 year olds as well. The first pleasant surprise was how safe and peaceful I felt in a location where I was surrounded by absolute strangers all of whom had a gun in plain sight on a holster. I’ve never been around so many armed people and never felt so comfortable either. Crime in …


Letter Re: Kanban: America’s Ubiquitous “Just in Time” Inventory System–A Fragile House of Cards

James: This “just in time” thinking has transformed the medical industry, especially hospitals. The “Central Supply” or stockpile in hospitals has disappeared and in its place are vendors with same day and next day shipping. This includes band-aids, medications, ventilators, equipment etc. In the business setting it makes sense, but in the medical setting it often falters on a day to day basis. In a crisis medical event, surge capacity is limited to how fast the vendors can respond. In a contained disaster, vendors can shift needed supplies to a hospital in as little as several hours. But, in a …



Two Letters Re: The Jericho Television Series Returns With New Episodes

Hi Jim: Hit the nail on the head didn’t you? Jericho is nothing more than the standard protagonist/antagonist Hollywood pipe dream of heroes coming out of the woodwork to save the day. I certainly hope no one is seriously considering this show as a realistic depiction of life after “the pulse”. Rather, I compare this show to the “Dark Angel ” series, i.e. for network TV, fairly good science fiction with almost nothing based in fact. Actually, I retract that statement. As far as depicting the scenario after an EMP event; the “Dark Angel” series was quite a bit more …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader CM flagged this piece: Flu pandemic could choke ‘Net, force usage restrictions. CM’s comments: “I came across this article in LinuxWorld and thought it meshed very well with your thoughts on lean supply systems. Everything’s great when the critical people continue to show up to work and system disruption or damage can be limited. As the article states, no one can war game out exactly what those critical people will actually do in a real Crunch.”   o o o David in Israel recommended this inspiring story of survival, from World War II.    o o o Mike F. …