Day: February 21, 2013

Notes from JWR:

This is the birthday of Group Captain Douglas Bader (born 1910, died 5 September 1982). Bader was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter ace during the Second World War. He lost his legs in a pre-war flying accident, but that didn’t stop him from re-entering the RAF when war broke out. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. Bader was eventually shot down and became a POW in Germany. Since the Luftwaffe ran its own POW camps, he became a celebrity with his captors. The Germans would …


Local Food and Energy from Top Lit Up Draft Micro-Gasification Stoves, by Doug B.

"Food and energy are the two keystones of any community economy anywhere on earth.   If we produce and distribute food and energy locally, we have the food, the energy and the money.   We establish the capacity to create and retain wealth in our community.   We put in place the two foundations of any human economy."  -David Yarrow. More and easier food and energy production immediately raise standards of living. Less time worrying about essentials, leaves more time to do everything else.  Do not overlook this simple truth in preparedness and future planning.  Top Lit Up Draft (TLUD) stove technology has …


Letter Re: The Water Filter Quest

JWR, I found the recent water filter article interesting and appreciate all the time Scott spent researching water filters.  I set up filters for missionaries in Third World countries and have found that plastic water containers can promote bacteria growth.  I believe there are two causes: 1. The plastic scratches when cleaning and provides a place for the nasties to attach and hide on the sides of the container, and 2. The container allows sunlight to enter which also encourages some types of bacteria.   Another problem with only using mechanical filtration is some viruses are physically impossible to filter …


Letter Re: A Newbie’s Perspective on Raising Chickens

Jim, I wanted to comment on this article.  I thought it was a great play by play of getting chickens and keeping them for eggs. Just a few comments about the article and some tips I’ve learned over the years (mistakes I made myself) that I figure could help Adventane and others reading the article.   1.  It’s common for a group of hens to find a preferred nest and use it as a community nest.  I commonly find two hens in the same nest.   2.  The crumbles are great for smaller birds but unfortunately for larger laying hens …


Economics and Investing:

The dip in spot silver is continuing. Silver was down to just $28.54 per troy ounce, the last time I checked. This is a great buying opportunity. Buy on the dips! The handwriting is on the wall for the U.S. penny and nickel: Minting Coins Cost U.S. Taxpayers $436 Million: Chart of the Day Reader Joe B. sent this: If the Euro Collapses, the Swiss Army Is Ready B.B. sent this: Peter Schiff: It’s Going To Hit The Fan During Obama’s Second Term Items from The Economatrix: Will We See $5 Gasoline This Year? Refinery Closures Send Gas To Near …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Build Your Own Emergency Phone Charger with Common Household Objects.    o o o Gun bill giving sheriff right to inspect homes pulled by Washington lawmakers. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)    o o o Reader Larry R. suggested CHIRP — a free, open-source tool for programming your amateur radio.    o o o Alex Jones reports: Gamechanger: Printable Gun Magazines. This technology is maturing much faster than I had anticipated. Visit Cody’s Wilson’s web site: DefCAD.org. “Download a magazine, today.” And after you do, please make a donation, via BitCoin or PayPal. The Powers That Be surely hate …