Letter Re: Canned Food Alternatives

Hugh, I started “doing this” in 1979 when I took a class taught by Ron Hood through UCLA extension. Below is the best advice on food storage I’ve seen or heard, and none are paid endorsements; they’re just my opinion: A video by Wendy De Witt entitled “Sensible Food Storage”. The first 22+ minutes are on food storage; the other 35 minutes are on equipment. I believe it is the easiest, most commonsense, and cost-effective method. Also, here is the link to her free doc. Additionally, this woman has a series of ten or more videos on dehydrating that are …


Economics and Investing:

How retirement plans vastly underestimate inflation. – G.G. o o o CEO of Gallup calls jobless rate ‘big lie’ created by White House, Wall Street, media. – M.S. o o o Arizona panel OKs gold, silver as legal tender. – D.S. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Peter Schiff – The Bravado of Borrowers Video: Peter Schiff – Quantitative Easing 4 Will Send Gold toward New Highs


Odds ‘n Sods:

ALERT! Hackers hit 80 million people. – D.S. o o o Octopus robot makes waves with ultra-fast propulsion. – P.M. o o o So, if there are no Ebola cases in the U.S., why so many treatment centers? I can only guess the U.S. news media has been ordered not to report on Ebola anymore… – D.E. o o o Harry Reid’s Brother Gun-Toting Brother Arrested For DUI, Assaulting Cop. – T.P. o o o Antipsychotic meds prompt zombie-like state among patients. – D.S.



Notes for Thursday – February 05, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 57 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), 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, DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with …


Letter Re: Saving Coins

JWR, I would like some information on saving coins. I have been going through my coins and want some clarity on what to save. I have saved all pennies, nickels, quarters, dimes, and so forth from the years 1940 to 1999. Those from 2000 to present have been taken to the bank. Is this correct or should I be saving nickels and quarters from 2000 to present also? It is amazing how much change a person can accumulate and the amount of older money that is in the system right now. – D.D. JWR responds: There is no significance to …


Economics and Investing:

Interview: The Utter Lack of Dissent with Craig Hemke aka Turd Ferguson o o o Obama’s New Budget Does Stricken Oil And Gas Industries No Favors o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: U.S. Factory Orders Fall Sharply, Decline Broad-Based – “New orders for U.S. factory goods fell for a fifth straight month.” Gallup CEO: “America’s 5.6% Unempoyment Is One Big Lie” Negative Yield Bonds: Here’s Who’s Buying ECB Pulls The Trigger: Blocks Funding To Greece – Full Statement


Odds ‘n Sods:

CJL Enterprize has a new shipment of Tall .50 Ammo Cans and 25mm Hard Plastic Carry Cases. o o o SurvivalBlog reader T.P. noted that his local Radio Shack has many goods marked at 75% off and that the shelves looked like a tornado had blown through. Radio Shack stock has apparently been delisted. If you’re looking for simple electronic parts, you may need to stock up now. o o o Cop Who Held Wife & Children at Gunpoint in Standoff With Police, Gets to Stay a Cop. Unbelievable! – T.P. o o o From the BBC: How to survive …



Notes for Wednesday – February 04, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 57 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), 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, DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with …


Letter Re: Emergency Lighting

Good afternoon, Hugh, Two recent experiences drive me to write– a recent overnight house guest and a link today on Instapundit about surviving disaster (http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150128-how-to-survive-a-disaster). My house guest commented on the number of my night lights and the fact that I have a floor lamp powered by a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), which is a “battery backup” typically used for computers. First, the night lights are what I prefer to call “target identification lights”. They’re not used just in the bathrooms; they are positioned to ensure anyone moving through the house must either cast a shadow or be silhouetted. This …


Economics and Investing:

The Legacy of Debt: Interest Costs Poised to Surpass Defense and Nondefense Discretionary Spending. – G.G. o o o The largest bracket of tax payers in the United States is made up by those making $15,000 a year or less: Half of all federal taxes paid by those making $250,000 or more. Sample $50,000 budget. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Worker Pay in U.S. Rose at a Slower Pace in Fourth Quarter Why Central Bankers Around The World Have Lost Control David Stockman: History In the Balance: Why Greece Must Repudiate Its “Banker Bailout” Debts And Exit The …



Odds ‘n Sods:

Spokane Washington’s Spokesman Review newspaper recently ran an interview with JWR: Always Prepared. o o o 8 Unexpected Uses for a Mountain House Pouch . – J.C. o o o SurvivalBlog reader D.S. sent in this link about 4 big retailers accused of selling herbal formulas containing no herbs. This size of the “fraud” is scary and begs the question of who can you trust when buying these items? If you have a “safe” supplier, we would love to hear about it. o o o It’s always good to go over the basics. K.W. sent in these two links on …