Letter Re: Childbirth at Home, by J.C.

Dear Editor: There are a few errors in J.C.’s article posted 5/19/12. I am a registered nurse that has delivered many babies in hospital and in home and other emergency locations. My comments are in bold type. J.C. wrote:   Make sure to never pull on the baby’s head. Do apply gentle downward traction while someone pushes firmly down superior to mother’s pubic bone. This counter pressure is usually only done if there is a problem delivering the shoulders not as a routine intervention. Once the baby delivers the top shoulder, then release all pressure by everyone and tell mom …


Economics and Investing:

JPMorgan’s losses grow Massive Inflation Coming, Warns Donald Trump. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.) Ned M. suggested this: Geithner Comes Clean: “I Don’t Understand It” I found a link at The Drudge Report to this: $12,984–Increase in Debt Per Household Since First 2011 Bipartisan Spending Deal Items from The Economatrix: The $1.024 Billion Bank Run Why A Greek Exit From The Euro Would Mean The End Of The Eurozone Over 55 and Jobless, Americans Face Tough Hunt


Odds ‘n Sods:

Drugmakers weigh emergency supply plan for Greece    o o o Patrice Lewis of the excellent Rural Revolution blog posted her account of the recent Preparedness Expo in Colorado.    o o o Those gadgety folks at Uncrate posted this: Bug Out Bag: Everything that you need to survive and thrive in the Apocalypse, all stuffed conveniently into one pack. (Thanks to Greg P. for the link.)    o o o Tara McKelvey of The Wall Street Journal asks: Could We Trust an Army of Killer Robots?    o o o Pinellas residents flock to ‘Chickens 101’ to learn about …



Note From JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 40 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Both of them are about childbirth. (There was a third, “Childbirth at Home, by J.C.”, but it was removed post facto because of a prior copyright.) The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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 …


Prepping and Unassisted Childbirth, by an American Dad

I never intended to be a homebirthing dad.  Our first child was born in the “normal” American way – in a hospital.  Physically, mom and baby came out fine.  But the scars from that experience still throb in our hearts many years later.  The impersonal way hospital staff treated us; the overactive use of clinical equipment, terms, and technology; the fact that I had to keep briefing incoming personnel on our birth plan (since apparently they didn’t take the time to actually talk to read the copies I had provided, or talk to one another); the fact that they ordered …


Home Childbirth — A Midwife’s View, by No Place Like Home

Our society today views childbirth as a sickness that can only be managed by “professionals” in the hospital.  Babies that might come out blue and unresponsive, possible hemorrhaging, and babies that get stuck in the birth canal are all things that deter families from having births at home.  These are real issues and should not be ignored, but they make up only a small percentage of birth outcomes.  The vast majority of women in the world can and do give birth safely at home.   As fellow survivalists, we understand that the government and media either hide statistics or distort them. …


Letter Re: Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants

JWR: The last posted letter correctly pointed out that Japanese Knotweed can be very invasive, although as a local farmer showed me, regular lawn mowing from the beginning of the season will keep it corralled within its allotted plot. It’s too invasive to just plant as a miscellaneous vegetable; its real value lies in a post-TEOTWAWKI world where powerful mediations are hard to come by.  Knotweed is the actual source of reversatrol, the natural phenol in red wine that adds years to your life despite lousy eating habits, keeps brain function sharp, and prevents all the nasty, chronic degenerative diseases …


Letter Re: The Exposed Backbone: The Risk of Cyber Attack

James: I too am a 25 year IT veteran with the last 14 years specializing in information security.  I am currently in process of completing a PhD in the field.  There is nothing that currently exists that can save us from the coming cyber attack that will devastate our infrastructure.  The security vulnerabilities are legion.  Our only hope is the Lord and using the good minds He gave us to become self-sufficient.  The vain attempts of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency has only resulted in a loss of our personal freedom and privacy.  The more I learn, the …


Economics and Investing:

Get Ready: We’re About To Have Another 2008-Style Crisis B.B. sent this: Cost of Greek Exit from Euro Put at $1 Trillion USD Spain falls into recession amid fears of eurozone bank run China’s Economic Slowdown Foreshadows Trouble for the U.S. Items from The Economatrix: Jimmy Rogers:  “Volume Is Not Going To Come Back.  We’ve Had A Great 30 Years.  That’s Not Going To Come Back!” TMFR Podcast #19:  Jim Willie. “Jim ties together today’s seemingly unrelated headlines of European sovereign debt, JPM hedging losses and paper gold price drops and ties them all together into a tidy little package …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The GSA is auctioning an offshore oil drilling platform that was later used for a lighthouse, on May 24th: Diamond Shoals Platform. 13 Miles offshore of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The opening bid is just $1. Here is a PDF with some details. (Thanks to John G. for the link.)    o o o Alaska man plans year on uninhabited island. (Thanks to J. McC. for the link.)    o o o I heard that CampingSurvival (one of our loyal advertisers) just received big shipments of both Mountain House foods in retort pouches and Heater Meals.    o o o …



Notes From JWR:

One last reminder that a Self Reliance Expo will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 18th and 19th. There will be several SurvivalBlog advertisers there, including: Backwoods Home Magazine Pantry Paratus (they are offering a free gift for any readers of SurvivalBlog) Project Appleseed Shelf Reliance LPC Survival Please let them know where you’ve seen their ads. — Today we present two more entries for Round 40 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint …


The Exposed Backbone: The Risk of Cyber Attack by LockedGate

Computers are the exposed backbone of America’s infrastructure. They are new technology with big holes that is under attack from very skilled and motivated people who mean our country harm.  Yet, we trust them to provide almost every service our modern life requires. I’ve spent the last 13 years as a computer security expert for a large telecom, and I would like to convince you that today your family’s ability to survive is dependent on fragile and over-trusted systems. Preppers have historically had distrust for computing technology. Y2K was a real risk, but since it seemed to be overblown, a catastrophic computer-centric risk has fallen off …


How to Get the Most from Your Appleseed Experience by Louie in Ohio

Introductory Note: I am not an employee of RWVA, Appleseed Project or any company I might mention in this article. I am however a volunteer Instructor in Training for Appleseed. I receive no remuneration for my service. My introduction to the Appleseed Project was different, than for most SurvivalBlog .com readers. I have had an avid interest in firearms from the time my uncle came to live with us during my high school years. Uncle Dick had several rifles, shotguns and pistols (of which I have since inherited). My first after school job was at a hardware store that just …