Day: October 6, 2012

Notes from JWR:

Happy Birthday to science fiction author David Brin. (Born October 6,1950.) He wrote The Postman, a great novel that was later loosely adapted into a passable movie by Kevin Costner. — Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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 …


Guarding Your Mental and Emotional Health, by C.T.M.

One aspect of our lives that can take us out and render even the most prepared of preppers useless is our mental health. Very few people have ever experienced a long duration high stress environment to test their mental strength. The incredible men and women of the military may be among the elite few who can attest to how their mental health might survive in a post TEOTWAWKI environment. Police, first responders, EMS personnel, and firefighters may have a glimpse into what it takes to survive mentally in high stress environments; however, those stressful events, even the most complicated are …


Two Letters Re: Grow Your Own Nutrient Dense Fruits and Vegetables

James, You are correct about the risks of only using a wood mulch in gardening.  In his book Gardening When It Counts, Steve Solomon discusses the normal carbon/nitrogen ratio in soil — 12:1 — and compares that to various fertilizers.  Woody products such as tree bark can have C/N ratios in excess of 100:1, causing "nitrogen robbing": the nitrogen already in the soil is retained by soil microbes until the wood decomposes and the excess carbon is burnt off, leaving even less nitrogen for the plants in the meantime.  As you mention, it can take years for wood to decompose, leaving the …


Economics and Investing:

Why Ben Bernanke Is Setting The Stage For Another Housing Crash   How QE3 and Higher Inflation Are Part of The Fed’s Master Plan 15 minutes of fun: CNBC: Jim Rogers vs. Marc Faber Items from The Economatrix: Gold Hits Record High In Euros And It’s Setting Up For Another Rally Top CEOs:  Fiscal Cliff Is Hurting Job Growth Fiscal Cliff Could Cost US Households An Extra US $3,446 In Taxes Bernanke Seeks Gains For Stocks In Push For Jobs Gold Fields Tells Miners To Pack And Go


Odds ‘n Sods:

R.B.S. mentioned: Hay thefts and intentional intrusive grazing in New Mexico.    o o o Bob G. suggested: The Grey Man approach to personal protection    o o o Reader Joe K. spotted this: Emergency uses for Paracord    o o o Do you carry a gun openly? What are your legal rights during a police stop?    o o o Do you carry concealed and/or in your car? Be aware of “Must Inform Officer” state laws. (No such laws in any of the American Redoubt states, where the gendarmes all rightly assume that most of the vehicles they pull …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God [is] my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ [feet], and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.” – Habakkuk 3: 17-19 …