Two Letters Re: The Ethanol Debate

Jim: Regarding the following snippet in Odds ‘n Sods: As quoted by our friend Bill Bonner at The Daily Reckoning: writing in Fortune magazine, Lester Brown notes that ethanol is not only a waste of money, if taken up widely, it would actually mean starvation for many of the world’s poor people. “The grain required to fill a 25-gallon tank (with ethanol) would feed one person for a year,” Brown writes. I was under this impression too. Don’t get me wrong I think its a waste of time and resources, but ethanol doesn’t have to be [derived from] the grain. …


Letter Re: An Amazing Tale of Survival: Nine Months Adrift in the Pacific

Dear Jim, I think this would be a good story to link to on SurvivalBlog. Three fishermen survived on a 25 foot boat for nine months at sea, doing drastic things to ensure their survival. Two of the men on the boat died because they didn’t have the will to live (there were originally five on the boat.) As a sea kayaker who takes safety very seriously, it is a sobering story. Take care, – C.R.


Two Letters Re: EpiPen–Another Item for the Retreat Medical Kit

Sir, Excellent advice on the EpiPen, but its worth mentioning an adequate stock of Benadryl should also be on hand. The EpiPen treats the symptoms of anaphylactic shock but Benadryl or a similar antihistamine will treat the cause. (Which is of particular importance if a doctor is not available.) Bee stings are the most common culprit for anaphylaxis, but it can also be caused by food allergies, latex allergies, and others. Here is a site with some information on Benadryl, side effects and administration instructions Respectfully, – Patrick R   Jim: Epi can kill if not used correctly. The key …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader “Desert T” notes: “I came across this item at the Smith & Wesson web site while researching something else. Rather steep price, but I found the marketing strategy interesting.” JWR Adds: Just the ticket for traipsing around Alaska.    o o o I recently heard about an interesting vendor called Civil Defense Supplies. They stock and eclectic line of storage food, first aid gear, commo gear, night vision gear, 72 Hour Kits, and so forth. I should mention, however, that I have not yet done business with them.    o o o Reader Sid near Niagara Falls spotted a …



Letter Re: Retreat Locale Recommendations in Texas

James A couple of comments about K.A.D.’s Retreat Locales in Texas. (posted August 17th.) I largely concur with his well thought-out findings, though the recommended counties in the Hill Country such as Gillespie and Kerr have seen a huge increase in population in recent years, along with corresponding increases in land prices. A much better area, in my view, is further north and west, with far lower populations. But water is key in any part of the state west of I-35; with it, the area approaches ideal; without it, you’ll find yourself living in a desert. There are springs, but …


Two Letters Re: “Ural” Russian Motorcycles with Sidecars

Jim, I have been riding BMW motorcycles for about 10 years. I have seen a few of those Urals around, and every one with first hand knowledge says they are not as dependable as the Beemers. But– the design is pretty simple, and they are not hard to work on. My Beemer has 86 K miles on it, and I had to replace a starter, and a coil. That’s it. I guess the big question with the Ural is, does it have points ignition, or electronic? This would be my first concern, now. I have been entertaining the idea of …


Letter Re: EpiPen–Another Item for the Retreat Medical Kit

Hi Jim, Our son-in-law was stung by a bee or wasp last night as he was mowing. One time behind the ear. He had a severe reaction to the sting. This is the first time that this has ever happened. Emergency room and three more days of treatments. The doctor gave him a prescription for an EpiPen to self administer in case it happens again. I keep bees (no, mine didn’t get him) so I keep one around “just in case”. Now I am of the opinion that several of these should should be a part of every preparanoids medical …


Odds ‘n Sods:

When I was doing some recent research for a consulting client, I found this interesting land development in the White Mountains of Nevada. The land is being sold near Dyer, Nevada, not too far from Bishop, California. (But safely across the state line, in the tax haven of Nevada.) The unusual thing about this property is that some of the parcels have frontage on a year-round creek. That is a real rarity in Nevada. They are asking $100,000 for a 10 acre chunk with creek frontage. The gent that I talked with (Mike Levin) said that they plan to sell …



Note From #1 Son:

Great news! The Vermont NAIS equivalent program has been stopped. Premises registration is no longer mandatory in Vermont. Keep in mind, however, that the National Animal Identification System is still scheduled to become mandatory. Write your congressmen now! There are frequent updates on NAIS at NoNAIS.org. For general background, see our NAIS page.


Letter Re: Uses for CONEXes at a Retreat

Jim, You mention using CONEX overseas shipping containers as an improvised house. I have been planning on putting two 40′ containers parallel to each other, cut some openings between containers (to “open” up some room) and cutting holes for windows/doors-using the cut outs as shutters over the windows/doors. I bought “one way” containers as they are near perfect, not 7-to-9 year olds being sold cheaper-with holes, dents, rust and doors that won’t open. Forest fire and theft were my reasons for using all metal outside. Do you or any of your readers have any suggestions before I light the cutting …


Letter Re: Advice on Military Surplus .308 Ammo

Dear Jim: Recently several of us were having a discussion about the best .308 ammo available these days. I had recently bought some South African mil-spec stuff, but somebody thought that it might be of questionable quality. 1.) What do you think of South African 7.62 ( or any of the mil-spec) as far as quality ammo vs. other brands? 2.) The South African stuff is 147 grain. What grain .308 / 7.62 bullet do you like for your MBR? Thanks for you response. B’Shem Moshiach Yahshua (In the Name of Messiah Yahshua) – Dr. Sidney Zweibel P.S.: I loaned …