Letter Re: Bugs in the Pantry

Mr. Rawles, I’m new to prepping. But for some time now, when I go to Costco, I pick up peanut butter, a bag of rice, or a bag of beans to toss in the closet. I really like storing wheat, because it seems to have a much longer shelf life, but it is a little harder to find than rice. I figure I’ve probably got about nine months to a year worth of food for myself now. I know that the bugs will get into it eventually, and I’ll throw a bunch out and start over. I’ve been examining rice …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Ben M. mentioned: World Bank sees even worse slump. All the recent talk of a “nascent recovery” is balderdash. China’s Commodity Buying Spree. Well, gosh , if given the choice between dollar-denominated paper assets and buying useful tangibles, which would you choose? Jim B. sent us a link to an essay titled The Coming Economic Collapse, by Graham Summers. “To give you an idea of how big a problem these deficits are, consider that the US government could tax its citizens 100% of their earnings and not have a balanced budget.” From the Dr. Housing Bubble blog: Foreclosure Reality …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The saber-rattling continues. We read: US Raptors Deployed to Japan, and (some crude gray propaganda from North Korea)Nuclear War Is Kim Jong-il’s Game Plan and, US General: North Korea, Iran Joined on Missile Work, and South Korea sends more troops to North Korea border.    o o o Glenn Reynolds posted this over at Instapundit: Mark Steyn on William Forstchen’s One Second After. Why worry about an EMP attack?    o o o FG. sent this: Rural Michigan counties turn failing paved roads back to gravel. F.G.’s comment: “Don’t swap out that truck for a gas sipping micro car just …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“No one realized how bad the economy was. The projections, in fact, turned out to be worse. But we took the mainstream model as to what we thought — and everyone else thought — the unemployment rate would be.” – Vice President Joseph Biden, June 14, 2009 (Backing away from the BHO Administration’s estimate that “stimulus” funds could “create or save” 3.5 million jobs, instead now promising just 600,000 by the end of the summer.)


Letter Re: Three Abstracts on Public Health in Ghettos During the WWII Holocaust

James, In light of the recent shooting by a Nazi whacko in Washington at the Holocaust Museum, I think it is important that we remember the victims and impact of a totalitarian government deliberately starving, looting, and otherwise dehumanizing its citizens. (The articles were published in Hebrew but the following abstracts are in English) – Yorrie in Pennsylvania (a retired physician) Clinical Manifestations of "Hunger Disease" Among Children in the Ghettos During the Holocaust Hercshlag-Elkayam O, Even L, Shasha SM. Western Galilee Hospital, Nahariya, Israel. The harsh life in the ghettos were characterized by overcrowding, shortage of supplies (e.g. money, …


Letter Re: Sprouting is Key to Good Nutrition in TEOTWAWKI

James, I am a fan of sprouting, but I have to disagree with Roxanne on a few points: The idea that the human body needs external enzymes from raw food and that we will ‘run out of them if we eat cooked food’ is a food myth that traces it’s origin to the natural hygienists of the last century, along with the idea that you can live forever if your colon is clean. Humans have been cooking food since we discovered fire. Our pancreases are bigger and we do suffer plenty of diseases wild animals don’t and yes, eating some …


Influenza Pandemic Update:

Don’t Worry, It’s Just a Pandemic Just redefining it so there is no panic. Symptoms of Swine Flu and What to Do Delayed Pandemic Phase 6 Designation Raises Pandemic Concerns “The parallels between the 2009 pandemic and the 1918 pandemic are striking; Both began as a mild infection in the spring and targeted previously healthy young adults. In the fall of 1918, the virus was much more deadly, leading to the death of 20-50 million people, most of which were previously healthy young adults….the two-month delay in the pandemic [phase] 6 declaration may prove to be quite hazardous to the …


Economics and Investing:

From frequent content contributor KAF: Federal Deficit Soars to May Record of $189.7 Billion D.S. mentioned an interesting piece on the decline of collective net worth, over at Michael Panzner’s blog: The Big Wipeout Items from The Economatrix with an Emphasis on the Ponte Chiasso Bond Smuggling Case: 2 Japanese Carrying $134 Billion In U.S. Bonds Detained In Italy. “In a suitcase were 249 bonds of the ‘Federal Reserve‘ American in the nominal value of 500 million each, and 10 ‘ bond Kennedy ‘ of the nominal value of $ 1 billion each, in addition to what is described as …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The full length version of this show: Bizarre Foods Survival Special will air on Tuesday, June 16th, at 10 p.m. Eastern/Pacific time, and immediately after (11pm ET) Andrew will be doing a live chat with viewers.    o o o F.G. sent this: Round Up Hate-Promoters Now, Before Any More Holocaust Museum Attacks. I don’t suppose that there is any point in mentioning the deep irony of this to the author. (After all, the reason that a Holocaust Museum even exists is that some seven decades ago, a national government went along with public demands that certain people be “rounded …



Note from JWR:

Today we present a guest article from one of our most loyal advertisers. You will note that I post very few articles from advertisers, but when one like this comes along that provides useful and practical information, I don’t hesitate. Also please note that our advertisers are not eligible to participate in the SurvivalBlog Nonfiction Writing Contest.


Sprouting is Key to Good Nutrition in TEOTWAWKI

If you were to take an inventory of all your preparedness supplies, would you feel quite confident that you are in fact “ready”? Your supplies might include a good, well thought out long-term, food storage program, complete with a variety of dehydrated and freeze-dried legumes, grains, vegetable, fruits, dairy and meats. If you’ve gotten this far, you are to be commended for taking two giant steps toward emergency preparedness. But have you also considered the very process by which these foods are preserved to give you the benefit of long-term food storage? Did you know that both the dehydrating and …


Letter Re: Breeding Guinea Pigs as a Protein Source?

Hi Jim; I remember reading a “review” from a survival-minded individual who raised some Guinea Pigs (cavies) as a test case for survival situations. It took some searching, but I found it on the excellent Alpha Rubicon Web site. While I was searching for it, I stumbled upon some other sources of information as well: An article on the pros and cons of cavies as a meat source, from the book “Microlivestock” And here’s an article (in PDF) on cavies for meat production. And an older article about Peruvian Guinea Pig meat production. I love this line: “Today, churches in …



Economics and Investing:

Jack B. sent a link to a brilliant little essay by “Innocent Bystander”, posted over at The Silver Bear Café, titled Economics. From Greg J.: US government seeks to rein in executive pay. Greg asks: “When will this stop? If the Benevolent State can declare both a minimum wage and a maximum salary, then what is to stop them from controlling all wages? This is madness! “Punishing” the rich will just push funds and eventually people and entire corporations offshore. As you’ve mentioned in SurvivalBlog, wage and price controls have an ugly history. They’re indiscriminate. They’re ineffective. They’re anti-freedom. And …