Day: March 27, 2011

Note from JWR:

Today we present another three entries for Round 33 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: 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 $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady …


The Struggle for Meat After TEOTWAWKI, by N.N.R.

Every day most of us in the U.S. have access to whatever we desire to eat whenever we want to eat it. We eat eggs for breakfast, chicken at any meal, and beef or pork as our dinner, nightly. There is no work or sacrifice in ordering a burger or chicken fingers. It would be very different after TEOTWAWKI. One of the hardest things to do in a homesteading situation will be getting enough protein. We live in a meat eating society. Do the math on your daily intake of meat.  We eat two eggs and bacon or ham for …


Your First Step into Gardening with Raised Beds, by H.R.

Up until last year, I had never had a garden or even worked in one for that matter.  I decided to start one because of the rising problems with chemicals and pesticide risks that are being put on vegetables, not to mention how much the cost going up.  We started off small with one raised garden box. (The soil is harsh here).  What I mean by small is that we started with a 4 ft x 8 ft x 14 in. deep bed.  By going 14 inches deep we could ensure that we would have plenty of good soil to …


Inner Strength: The Psychology of Survival, by J.S.F.

What I would like to discuss today is the amazing power of the brain and our ability to live inwardly. What we do with information and external stimuli, and how that relates to our outlook on life, liberty and our pursuit of happiness. The ability to discover how we perceive the world, and how that controls our actions is crucial to our well being now, and when or if the Schumer hits the fan. (God forbid.) If we are truly serious about surviving I believe this (much ignored) topic of survival psychology to be most beneficial in this time of …


Letter Re: Upcoming Berkey Water Filter Price Increases

Captain Rawles,   I recently purchased my Berkey filtration system and when I completed this process I was informed that on April 15, 2011, Berkey will be raising the prices of their systems approximately 25-30% across the board.  They are also going to prohibit their Authorized Dealers from giving away the freebies that they advertise now.  Ever since Hurricane Katrina they have been running about 5-7 days out before they ship, but with the issue in Japan they can be running a month out.  This is because they cannot keep up with demand.  Their stainless steel systems are manufactured in …


Letter Re: Stockpiling Nickels

Dear James Wesley, I have been wanting to get to a bank to make arrangements to buy nickels and pennies, but my normal workday and duties prevent me.  Today I was finally able to do so. I was told that the pennies came in “boxes” of $25 and the nickels in “boxes” of $100.  The banker said he had to check on a recent fee hike. He came back with an a $0.20 per roll delivery fee. But then he offered a “free” alternative.  Their coin counting machine bags [loose] pennies with $50 in a full bag and $200 of …


Economics and Investing:

John Rubino: Commercial Real Estate on Borrowed Time? John R. suggested this piece by Bob Chapman: The Road of Inflation Will Only End in Tears G.G. flagged this: Moody’s Warns Britain Over Triple-A Credit Rating Also from G.G.: Unsustainable budget threatens nation. Items from The Economatrix: $105 Oil:  It’s The Perfect Storm Central Banks Shedding Dollars, Buying Gold   Silver Surges Over $37.25 on Way to Record $50, Gold to $5,000 in 3 To 4 Years? Sprott Putting Clients in Gold and Silver Ahead of Prolonged Global Uncertainty   Gold Rises To Record; Copper Rallies Metals Stocks “Instead of looking …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I was disappointed to hear that Matt Savinar shut down his Life After the Oil Crash (LATOC) web site after apparently deciding that astrology was more important to him. Somehow, this reminds me of Boston T. Party recounting (in his much-recommended book Boston’s Gun Bible) about how he once bought a nearly new AR-15 at a gun show. When he asked the seller his motivation, the man replied that he needed the cash to buy a Jet-Ski. Reader Nancy T. reports that many of the people who were involved with the LATOC Forums have moved to the Silent Country Forums. …