Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,700+ 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.) B.) 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, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) …


The Joys of Prepping, by V.R.

Who said prepping couldn’t be fun?   Granted, prepping is something that should be taken seriously, but in our journey to prepare for a possible eventual catastrophe we can enjoy the ride.  I think of it as setting up home, going camping and uniting the family all wrapped up in one.  In my eagerness and urgent desire to see friends and family prepare for an oncoming disaster, either natural or manmade, I feel like I have frightened or overloaded them into inaction.  Discouraged by my lack of persuasion I was reminded of one of Aesop’s fables where the Sun and the …


Letter Re: Settlement Based on Watershed Regions

James Wesley, Here is a link to an interesting map showing what the US might look like if John Wesley Powell’s ideas of settlement districts based on watersheds were applied to all state boundaries. Powell recognized that water issues would be an ongoing problem for westward expansion and published his strategy in the 1879 paper, “A Report on the Arid Regions of the United States, with a More Detailed Account of the Lands of Utah”.  He was greatly influenced by Mormon settlers’ management of water resources. – C.J.


Letter Re: Diabetics in Disasters

Jim, A quick note about regular insulin (either Novolin R or Humulin R):  it is considered a fast acting insulin, which is different from a rapid acting insulin.  From Diabetes.org – The rapid acting insulins, Humalog, Novolog and Apidra, "begin to work about 15 minutes after injection, peak in about 1 hour, and continue to work for 2 to 4 hours.  Regular (or short-acting) insulin usually reaches the bloodstream within 30 minutes after injection, peaks anywhere from 2 to 3 hours after injection, and is effective for approximately 3 to 6 hours." This may not be a huge difference, but …


Two Letters Re: Want To Raise Pigs?

Jim, Regarding feed sources for home-raised pigs: Many supermarket chains will gladly “donate” outdated or overripe fruits, vegetables, and cheeses, due to the cost of container disposal. This often includes apples,  melons, citrus, tomatoes, avocados, and even prepackaged salad greens, berries and herbs.  Even a relatively small store will have 2-3 trash cans full, daily. They may even provide containers if they are emptied on a regular basis and kept clean.  Commercial bakeries and baked goods outlets often provide bear hunters with barrels of donuts, snack cakes, and breads during hunting season.  Ask them if you can take care of …


Economics and Investing:

Some more sad “Bad OPSEC” news from Australia: Bullion worth $200,000 stolen from Brisbane home of war veteran by thieves using wheelie bin Company makes good on leaving Colorado over gun laws: Colorado gun accessories maker Magpul moving to Wyoming, Texas because of new gun laws Items from The Economatrix: Retail Traffic Plunges By “Staggering” 21% In Week Before Christmas Comparing the inflated cost of living today from 1938 to 2013: How the US Dollar has lost incredible purchasing power since 1938. How does an America with no middle class look like? Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects top two …


Odds ‘n Sods:

‘Looks Like Weimar Germany’: The Viral Photo Out of Connecticut That’s Giving Some Gun Owners Chills . (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)    o o o Shipping companies largely silent on NSA intercepting packages    o o o Another one of Former Mayor Bloomberg’s MAIG members is sentenced: “Filthy Filner” Sentenced For Sexual Harassment.    o o o A fascinating video: AK-47 Underwater at 27,450 frames per second    o o o F.J. suggested this at Instructables: How To Make A Knife



Notes from JWR:

Please pray for John Mosby and his wife. They just lost their newborn son. — Now that Mayor Bloomberg is a former mayor, my New Year’s Wish is that he fades into obscruity and irrelevancy, and that he and his group of criminal gun grabbers become the national laughingstock. — Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,700+ 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.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. …


Hydroponics: An Update, by D.P.

Today I have an update for you on my hydroponics adventures. The system has been up and running all season (April 20 – November 1) so there is a lot of information to be shared. The system currently includes 12 beds – 4 outdoors and 8 in a greenhouse – for a total surface area of 56 sq.ft (~ 5.5 m2). An in-depth description of the system was published last year on Survivalblog. I made only 1 substantial change since then and that is in the way the polyethylene drain pipes are connected to the beds. The connections need to …


Letter Re: The Bakken Oil Development has Ended the Peak Oil Debate

Dear JWR: I’m sitting in Western North Dakota atop a sea of oil.  We are producing barrels of oil in numbers that could not be imagined less than six years ago.  Natural gas production is soaring.  Why?  Fracking.  Geologists have determined that world-wide natural gas production, with fracking could produce enough for hundreds of years usage. When I was growing up here in the 1960s, after the boom of the 1950s, experts said we were never going to discover any more oil.  The boom of the 1970s proved that wrong.  Then in the 1980s, it was all over but the …


Economics and Investing:

Cuba economic reforms felt at the dinner table. (Thanks to James W. for the link.) The hidden costs of ObamaCare Items from The Economatrix: On This Day In History, Gas Prices Have Never Been Higher November Durable Goods Jump, Driven By Abnormal Seasonal Adjustments Mortgage Applications Down 66% From Highs To New 13-Year Low


Odds ‘n Sods:

Suzanne G. spotted this at Forbes: Nemesis Camouflage Conceals Body Heat From Thermal Sensors    o o o Reader Jim M. suggested this compendium: 100+ Heirloom Seed Suppliers.    o o o Retired General: Americans Must Confront Obama’s Tyranny    o o o It’s not just your phone calls – it’s YOU they are listening to