Day: October 22, 2009

Note from JWR:

Today we present an entry for Round 25 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. You may recognize the author’s pen name, as he has recently contributed several informative letters on vacuum tube generation radios to SurvivalBlog First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) and C.) …


Lessons Learned from Hurricanes Ike, Rita, and Katrina, by TiredTubes

In September, 2008, Hurricane Ike–a Category 4 hurricane–pounded the Gulf Coast of the southern US. Some coastal communities like Crystal Beach no longer really exist. Inland, life was severely disrupted. For those of us on the South Coast hurricanes are a frequent reality. We were quite well prepared, but used the disruptions and dislocations as a test and opportunity to tune up our preparations. 1. Be ready to help others and to accept help We didn’t need much during Ike, but the power went out before a neighbor finished boarding up his house. My 1 KW inverter, hooked up to …


Letter Re: Lamar Alexander’s Solar Homesteading E-Book

Jim- Your recent link to an item in the Preparedness Forum (100 things that go first…) led me to other parts of the forum where I found a link to Lamar Alexander’s Solar Homesteading e-book. Besides the videos/pictures etc. an e-book is offered for $5. What a bargain! It is full of useful practical ideas, for example: a barrel-in-a-barrel digester that he uses to fuel his gasoline generator which he had converted to run on natural gas; how to dig a “driven-point” well; a solar dishwasher. And on and on. Your readers will want to get this e-book! BTW, I …


Comments from Michael Z. Williamson Re: Storing Food in Commercial Storage Spaces?

Dear Jim, Several years ago my wife and I were resident managers of a self-storage facility. Here are some useful facts: Check them out first with the Better Business Bureau. The company we worked for, sad to say, was and still is rated very poorly for failing to respond to customer complaints. They operated on a model of “Get every penny they have.” The rent was reasonable, and we were on site as “Security” with the usual corporate garbage that we never have anything resembling a weapon in the office or on duty. The problem came with late fees. As …



Economics and Investing:

Charles Hugh’ Smith’s assessment: Why We’ll See Stimulus 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 (and so on), until The Great Implosion Reader Aaron C. suggested: 20 reasons America has lost its soul and collapse is inevitable Experts warn of ‘deluge’ of insolvencies to come in the UK K.T. sent this video link: The Goldman Sachs Profitability Magic Trick. After some travel, Peter Schiff is back to videoblogging. Items from The Economatrix: 40% of Working-Age Californians Jobless Treasuries Show No Lost Appetite as Dollar Declines Hollywood Film Output Likely to Fall By One-Third Fannie, Freddie Common Shares Worthless, Says KBW Einhorn Bets on …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Damon spotted and interesting web article on Everlasting Yeast.    o o o Reader JDT suggested the SOG Fusion Spirit Knife/Spear Head as a tool to have on hand for worst-case, long-term situations.    o o o Matt R. mentioned a new computer game called “I am Alive” that will be released next year.    o o o Ready Made Resources has added to their catalog some new premium albacore and salmon products with a minimum seven year shelf life.