Day: May 19, 2012

Note From JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 40 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Both of them are about childbirth. (There was a third, “Childbirth at Home, by J.C.”, but it was removed post facto because of a prior copyright.) The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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 C.) Two cases of …


Prepping and Unassisted Childbirth, by an American Dad

I never intended to be a homebirthing dad.  Our first child was born in the “normal” American way – in a hospital.  Physically, mom and baby came out fine.  But the scars from that experience still throb in our hearts many years later.  The impersonal way hospital staff treated us; the overactive use of clinical equipment, terms, and technology; the fact that I had to keep briefing incoming personnel on our birth plan (since apparently they didn’t take the time to actually talk to read the copies I had provided, or talk to one another); the fact that they ordered …


Home Childbirth — A Midwife’s View, by No Place Like Home

Our society today views childbirth as a sickness that can only be managed by “professionals” in the hospital.  Babies that might come out blue and unresponsive, possible hemorrhaging, and babies that get stuck in the birth canal are all things that deter families from having births at home.  These are real issues and should not be ignored, but they make up only a small percentage of birth outcomes.  The vast majority of women in the world can and do give birth safely at home.   As fellow survivalists, we understand that the government and media either hide statistics or distort them. …


Letter Re: Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants

JWR: The last posted letter correctly pointed out that Japanese Knotweed can be very invasive, although as a local farmer showed me, regular lawn mowing from the beginning of the season will keep it corralled within its allotted plot. It’s too invasive to just plant as a miscellaneous vegetable; its real value lies in a post-TEOTWAWKI world where powerful mediations are hard to come by.  Knotweed is the actual source of reversatrol, the natural phenol in red wine that adds years to your life despite lousy eating habits, keeps brain function sharp, and prevents all the nasty, chronic degenerative diseases …


Letter Re: The Exposed Backbone: The Risk of Cyber Attack

James: I too am a 25 year IT veteran with the last 14 years specializing in information security.  I am currently in process of completing a PhD in the field.  There is nothing that currently exists that can save us from the coming cyber attack that will devastate our infrastructure.  The security vulnerabilities are legion.  Our only hope is the Lord and using the good minds He gave us to become self-sufficient.  The vain attempts of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency has only resulted in a loss of our personal freedom and privacy.  The more I learn, the …


Economics and Investing:

Get Ready: We’re About To Have Another 2008-Style Crisis B.B. sent this: Cost of Greek Exit from Euro Put at $1 Trillion USD Spain falls into recession amid fears of eurozone bank run China’s Economic Slowdown Foreshadows Trouble for the U.S. Items from The Economatrix: Jimmy Rogers:  “Volume Is Not Going To Come Back.  We’ve Had A Great 30 Years.  That’s Not Going To Come Back!” TMFR Podcast #19:  Jim Willie. “Jim ties together today’s seemingly unrelated headlines of European sovereign debt, JPM hedging losses and paper gold price drops and ties them all together into a tidy little package …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The GSA is auctioning an offshore oil drilling platform that was later used for a lighthouse, on May 24th: Diamond Shoals Platform. 13 Miles offshore of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The opening bid is just $1. Here is a PDF with some details. (Thanks to John G. for the link.)    o o o Alaska man plans year on uninhabited island. (Thanks to J. McC. for the link.)    o o o I heard that CampingSurvival (one of our loyal advertisers) just received big shipments of both Mountain House foods in retort pouches and Heater Meals.    o o o …