Year: 2009

“Cross-wire” Your Home Heating and Save Money, by Ted B.

This article explains one way that you can configure a hybrid heating system for your house in a Schumeresque environment, but it is also potentially a way to cut your heating bills before TSHTF, depending on the prices of various heating fuels in your area. We live in North Idaho, in a house that would be better suited in Hawaii.  It’s watertight but mostly a heat sieve.  Each of the last few years as the propane prices jumped each winter, we ended up getting hit with astronomical bills to keep the inside of our rather large home livable in outdoor …


Letter Re: The Fabric of Our Lives

Mr. Rawles, I took a textiles class while in college. This is a subject I recommend to anyone, as it is very interesting, and more useful than you would think (our textbook was Textiles by Sara J. Kadolph if anyone is interested). One of the things I learned is that fabric should not be stored in plastic or next to cardboard or wood. The chemicals or natural acids will be absorbed by the fabric and deteriorate it. The best way to store fabric is to wrap it in cotton (I use an old pillowcase), and of course keep it in …


Two Letters Re: Sources for Food Grade Buckets

Greetings JR- Regarding the discussion on the mother lode of seed buckets: Be aware that seeds meant to be placed in the ground are almost always treated by industrial seed firms with a pesticide that is designed to protect the seed and give it a greater chance of making it out of the ground from such enemies as rodents, weeds and fungus’ etc. For the same reason you don’t want to eat seed grains if they are treated as seed materials, you might want to make sure that you are able to adequately wash or remove the pesticides that might …



Economics and Investing:

Bobbi-Sue mentioned an extensive Niall Ferguson interview. Bobbi-Sue’s comment: “Ferguson is still bearish based on historical norms and a few of his other popular ideas such as the China/America dance.” From Damon S.: Dubai Debt Woes Turn Ugly After It Seeks Standstill Deal Items from The Economatrix: FDIC Rescue Fund Slides into the Red Washington Post Closing All US Bureaus Outside of DC Britain Has Run Out of Money Cold Turkey Thanksgiving 2009 The Day The Dollar Died (Part 4–Arrogance of the Gods)


Odds ‘n Sods:

M.K. sent a link to a piece on potassium iodide (KI) that ran on NPR. By the way, KI and KI03 are sold by several SurvivalBlog advertisers.    o o o Joe Ordinary sent a link to footage of a large meteor that went over South Africa late Saturday evening. Listening to eyewitness accounts it was seen from as far away as Maputo (in Mozambique) Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. The meteor was traveling northwest and was presumed to have landed beyond the Botswana border. This video footage was taken approx 350 kilometers from the border.    o o o The …




Two Letters Re: Sources for Food Grade Buckets

Mr. Rawles, I’m glad that I bought the “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course! It has a ton of great information. I followed one piece of advice in the course, and I struck pay dirt: I went to three local bakeries (one was actually part of a supermarket). All three had food grade buckets available. At two of these bakeries, I got charged just $1 each for five gallon buckets with lids. Most of them had already been cleaned. They also threw in a few extra [bucket]s with no lids, for free. And at the other bakery, the buckets …


Letter Re: The Fabric of Our Lives

Mr. Rawles; Spinning and weaving are certainly not lost arts. I know many women and some men who spin, and some who also weave. Spinning wheels and lessons are available in many cities, and there are active spinning and weaving guilds. Cards, wheels and looms can also be ordered online, and there are YouTube videos demonstrating the various processes. It is true spinning is more difficult to learn than knitting, and requires a larger initial investment in equipment. The cheapest spinning wheels start at around $200, from Babe’s Fiber Garden. (I have not used one of these so I cannot …


Eight Letters Re: Mountain Money Isn’t

Hi Jim, May your family count your blessings during this holiday time of the year. Being the first after losing a loved one. We all make that trip eventually. If the time was spent in a good fruitful life, then their are no regrets. Peace be with you and your family. I was in the Peace Corps in West Africa, The Sahel. This was the southern portion of the Sahara Desert. Water was plentiful but had to be drawn from 60 to 80 ft. deep wells by hand. Then transported in containers to or throughout the village. It was labor …


Economics and Investing:

A news item flagged by GG: IMF: Banks Still Hiding Half of Their Actual Losses; $1.5 trillion in bad debt on bank balance sheets, and losses on these bad loans still threaten the solvency of many institutions. From El Jefe Jeff E.: One in Four Borrowers Is Underwater Also from Jeff E.: FDIC Reports 552 ‘Problem Banks’ As of Sept. 30, 2009 Items from The Economatrix: IMF Warns Second Bailout Would Threaten Democracy Wave of Debt Payments Facing US Cities Wall Street Pummels US Cities Over Billions in Fees on Investments Gone Bad More Bankruptcy Cases Filed Rates on 30-Year …




Note from JWR:

JRH Enterprises is having their fourth annual “Black Friday” sale, which includes brand new Generation 3 AN/PVS-14 Starlight night vision scopes for $2,995, complete with the factory data card. I should mention that I personally purchased one of these units from them, and I love it. It is very versatile, since it can be used as a weapon sight (lined up behind a Aimpoint Comp M3), or with the flip of a throw lever be used hand-held, and then with the provided head mount it can be used as a hands-free monocular. The quick detach and consistent return to zero …