Notes from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 16 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win two valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificates. (Worth up to $4,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Round 16 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entries. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging. You may remember B.H. as one of the first …




Safe Food Handling, by B.H. in Western Washington

Safe food handling is critical for a healthy life in both good and bad times. As a former restaurant manager, I can tell you food safety or customer safety was priority number one. It’s hard to make money when you’ve killed your customers, which is the alternative to safe food handling. Death or severe illness is the unforgiving consequence to food borne illness. Food borne illnesses doesn’t just happen in restaurants it happens everywhere food is handled and prepared whether it’s during decadent affluence or full scale TEOTWAWKI. Please don’t confuse food poisoning with food borne illnesses. Chemicals, bacteria, or …




Two Letters Re: Getting from Point A to Point B

Mr. Editor, First, [E.I.D. presented] lots of good hints. I like the idea of getting good trail bikes and using them regularly to keep them and your self in shape. But I have long though the best comprise for distance, energy cost, and speed is a four cycle “road/trail” motor cycle. I emphasize four cycle so you don’t have to go looking for two cycle oil. Most get well over 200 MPG and have 2 gallon or larger tanks. That is a long ways. Most of the moped type things he suggests are two cycle engines. Not a good thing. …




Odds ‘n Sods:

SJC flagged this article: Wholesale prices soared in March. On a related note: I’m sure that you’ve noticed the recent spike in oil to an all-time high. The current retail food prices are based on roughly $80 per barrel oil. Part of food prices includes tractor time, fertilizer (which are primarily petrochemical, these days) and shipping costs. When you factor in $114 oil, further jumps in food prices seem inevitable. I hope that you’ve already stocked up. Ditto for filling your fuel storage tanks.    o o o James mention that this Wall Street Journal editorial is worth reading: Dollar …




Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for?" – William J. Bennett, lecture to the United States Naval Academy, November 24, 1997