Odds ‘n Sods:

At least once a week, I get another one of those endlessly-forwarded e-mails about the “China buying up Idaho” rumor, with a note attached, to the effect of “Well, Jim, that destroys any hope for the American Redoubt…” That is balderdash! Not only was the “Chinese Invasion” an exaggerated tale, but the scheme was dead before it ever got started. Read this piece from The Idaho Statesman, and then this one. Please don’t let those wild rumors change you plans to move to any of the American Redoubt states.

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Rick. R. sent this: Health Story of the Year: Salt Vindicated

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KDD mentioned an interesting series of early Kodachrome images, titled: Dugout House, Pietown, New Mexico, 1940. JWR’s Comment: Obviously a clever and adaptive response to hard economic times,

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Avalanche Lily pointed me to a brief piece over at Survival Mom that mentions a source for miniature condiments and other products: Minimus is your emergency pack’s best friend. Coincidentally, mini bottles of Tabasco sauce were recently mentioned in SurvivalBlog–primarily as a barter item.) But remember: True preparedness emphasizes convenience packaging for bugout purposes, but make-it-yourself self-sufficiency once at your retreat.

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Tricia R. forwarded this headline from Chicago: Mentally ill flood ER as states cut services. JWR’s Comment: Just wait until antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs become unavailable, in a large scale disaster.