Day: December 4, 2013

Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of SurvivalBlog’s Back Country Editor, Mat Stein. This is also the birthday of Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, (born 1912) an AVG “Flying Tiger” volunteer pilot for the Chinese Nationalist government, WWII Marine Corps aviator, and Medal of Honor recipient. (He died January 11, 1988.) A proto-Redoubter, Pappy Boyington was born in Couer d’Alene Idaho and was raised in Spokane, Washington. The airport in Couer d’Alene is named in his honor. — Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,400+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) …


Our Daily Bread, by S.W.M.

Wheat, bread and wheat products are a staple among a majority of preppers. Yet improperly prepared bread can be problematic. Celiac disease and gluten intolerance is increasingly more common among Americans. Commercial breads are known to spike blood sugars after eating it, then causing blood sugars to crash, leaving the eater hungry and fatigued. This is a particular problem with diabetics. In a majority of diets bread is often one of the first items either restricted in the diet or removed altogether, due to its contribution to weight gain. From the internet post Naturally Leavened Bread by Jacques de Langre …


Letter Re: Using Pocket Hand Warmers for Storing Food in HDPE Buckets

Jim, A typical small chemical hand warmer packet [that employs an oxidation process] absorbs about 1.25 grams of O². (This was calculated from weighing on a lab scale.) So at 32 grams per mole for O² or 22.4 liters at standard temperature and pressure that is 32/22.4=1.4286 grams of O² per liter. Assuming O² in the air at 20%, a 5 gallon bucket (18.92 liters) would contain 1.4286 x 18.92 x 20% = 5.4 grams of O² It would take roughly 4 packets to absorb the O² in a 5 gallon HDPE bucket at 1.25 grams per packet if the …


Economics and Investing:

Which Currency Is Up Over 9000% This Year and Sells for Almost as Much as an Ounce of Gold? Easy money? $3 trillion headache on the way for corporations. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.) Greg P. sent: RBS admits decades of IT neglect after systems crash Items from The Economatrix: The New American Retirement Nightmare: Many Americans Find They Are Completely Unprepared For Retirement “We Are Playing Economic Russian Roulette” David Stockman Fears “Panic” When The “Lunatic” Fed “Loses Control”


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Adelphi University Center for Health Innovation national poll reveals that nearly half of U.S. adults do not have the resources and plans in place in the event of disaster.    o o o G.G. suggested: Decaying area of Detroit being transformed into the ‘world’s largest urban farm’    o o o Farmer builds a house for just £150 using materials he found in skips… and the current tenant pays their rent in milk.    o o o Defiant 76-year-old woman dies in shootout with gang of three who tried to rob her of bingo money