Letter: Staying Put in a Chicago Apartment?

Hello, I love the website but having difficulties. I live in an urban environment, in a good town but near a rough section of Chicago…which causes crime to seep into our borders (theft a huge problem). I live in an apartment, with limited storage space….limited space in general. So much seems geared to those who live in a bit more suburban or rural communities. I want to be prepared but overwhelmed is an understatement, as well as feeling stymied by many factors outside of my control, i.e. space and lack of land. I have looked through the archives, perhaps not …


Economics and Investing:

More on the Penny and Nickle: Penny and Nickel Mentioned in Obama’s 2015 Budget Items from The Economatrix: ADP: Mediocre Job Growth Continues We’re Going to be Hit with a Tsunami of Inflation-Peter Schiff Never leave home generation: Household formation goes negative year-over-year at steepest rate since recession ended in 2009. February Payrolls 175K, Beat Expectations Of 149K, Unemployment Rate Rises To 6.7%


Odds ‘n Sods:

Video: For those that love the Mosin rifle: The winter war 1939 – F.S. o o o Every where you turn, somebody wants to know what you’re doing. The NSA, Corporations and now:Warrantless Spying Is Becoming The Status Quo At Local Police Department o o o In a sad statement on the current morals of people: Redwood park closes road to deter burl poachers o o o Prepping is big business and CWalton on survivor.com has posted an article that shows an excellent example of how you should do your homework before participating or purchasing from any company dealing with …



Notes from HJL:

March 9th is the birthday of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man to ever travel in space. (Born 9 March 1934, died 27 March 1968 in the crash of a MiG-15-UTI fighter.) o o o 3 Ways to Make Your Portfolio Inflation-Proof JWR’s tangible investing strategy: Want to know an asset class that’s almost a surefire winner for the next five years? It’s razor blades. See the full article. Also: Guns, Ammo And Other Great Ways To Fight Inflation. – Frost o o o Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ …


How To Prepare Yourself For Cold Weather, by Prepared in Maine

I’ve been hearing a lot from friends and family in southern latitudes who are dealing with the cold. My lifetime of experience, living and working outdoors in northern Maine, has taught me that cold weather gear need not be expensive or complicated. Living in a cold climate does require some thought and preparation, but with a bit of both you can equip yourself and your beloved ones for cold weather so that you can not only survive but work and be comfortable. I don’t represent or have any interest in any of the companies listed. I cite brand names only …


Letter Re: Animal-Grade Grains and Bugs

Hello Hugh. With regard to your comment about animal-grade grains and bugs, I had the same problem several years ago and I have found a very effective solution. In fact, before I found a solution the weevils were so bad that when I was near the bags of grain I could hear them rattling around in there and they quickly spread everywhere. I store many bags of corn, chicken scratch, and barley without so much as a single bug now. The solution is diatomaceous earth. Bugs hate it. In fact weevils and moths simply cannot live with it. Fleas and …


Letter Re: Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment of the Flu Virus

Hugh, Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment of the Flu Virus was an excellent article by JJE. Research has suggested that a Vitamin D deficiency *may* make people more susceptible to respiratory illness. “…Ultraviolet radiation (either from artificial sources or from sunlight) reduces the incidence of viral respiratory infections, as does cod liver oil (which contains vitamin D)…” With regard to Vitamin D supplementation: “…it may be prudent to maintain wintertime 25(OH)D at concentrations achieved in nature by summertime sun exposure (50 ng/ml)…the dosage will depend upon age, latitude, season, skin type, body weight, sun exposure, and pre-existing 25(OH)D levels… Administration of …


Two Letters Re: Why Your Family Will NOT Survive the Economic Collapse

Hugh, I don’t comment ever. I have been following Jim’s site for over three years now. It’s the first thing I view most mornings. I yelled to my wife, “Honey you won’t believe what’s posted,” and I read the post to her. We both agreed with A.Y. to turn off the boob tube! I turned it off in the 80’s. I was sick of the garbage on it. I would love to see more posts concerning this topic. – M.S. o o o Hugh, Why Your Family Will NOT Survive the Economic Collapse, by A.Y. is the best article I’ve …


Economics and Investing:

This map only has data from 1999 and 2009 but is surprising nonetheless: The Geography of Government Benefits. It’s very easy to compare 1999 to 2009 and see just how much government assistance has grown. – Skyrat Items from The Economatrix: Three-Month Low In U.S. Jobless Claims Offers Hope For Labor Market US Applications For Jobless Aid Reach 3-Month Low Stock and housing gains put US net worth at record What Costco Is Saying About The Economy


Odds ‘n Sods:

In an update on the article related to asthma medication, A New Twist on a Live-Saving Medicine ,from SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor, posted January, 2013, Dr. Koelker submitted the following: “As of February 26, 2014 the FDA advisory panel has recommended against the release of a replacement for Primatene Mist. Though the majority of panel members considered the medication effective, they expressed concern about safety issues, including inaccuracy of dosing, clogging of the device, side-effects, and the risks of self-diagnosis and self-medication. The FDA is not bound by the panel’s recommendations, but generally does follow the advice of the advisory committee. …



Notes from HJL:

Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: 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, Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value), A $300 gift certificate …


SHTF Lessons From Venezuela, by CSR

I am an avid reader and have not attempted to contribute to this fine blog because I personally had little to offer from the perspective of knowledge or skills that many more knowledgeable individuals have already contributed. However, as I have been closely monitoring the current events in Venezuela I realized that this is an area where I have knowledge and skills that many others don’t. Also, there is a great deal about these events that,in my opinion, correlate to the United States’ political and economic directions and possible outcomes. The people of Venezuela are learning lessons the hard way. …


Letter: Google Replacement

Hugh, I have switched from Google to Startpage.com as my search engine to gain some privacy on the web. Is there anyone providing an email service that would get me away from the eyes of gmail? I am sure most of your readers would appreciate the same information if you know of any resources. Hugh Replies: Currently, one of the best places you can start with is https://prism-break.org. They list services and programs that are open-sourced and free from spying eyes. They will also tell you the weaknesses of any as they become known. It didn’t take them long at …