Something in the Water- Part 2, by J.R.

Copper

Like iron, copper is an essential element in a person’s diet. Too much copper, however, can cause health problems, as it accumulates primarily in the liver and kidneys. Like the current issue with lead in the water supply in Flint, Michigan, copper in drinking water can come from corrosion of copper pipes. Flushing the tap for 30 to 45 seconds can reduce the copper that has accumulated when the plumbing is not in use. Reverse osmosis or ion exchange are effective at reducing excessive copper from water.

Lead

The recent events in Flint, Michigan have raised awareness of problems with our nation’s aging infrastructure and the increasing costs of providing safe drinking water. What is often forgotten is that lead can also be found in private wells. Very few, if any, states require monitoring for lead in private wells. As more people leave the regulated environments of cities and towns looking for their own Redoubts, they need to be aware they alone are responsible for determining the potability of their water. Many small towns across the nation have a legacy of mining, and groundwater may have naturally high levels of many heavy metals. Health effects in children from exposure to lead are well documented, resulting in behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, and slowed growth. In pregnant women, lead can cross the placental barrier, exposing the fetus to lead. This can result in reduced growth of the fetus and premature birth. Lead can also be transmitted through breast milk. Lead is also harmful to adults, leading to cardiovascular effects, decreased kidney function, and reproductive problems in both men and women. As with other heavy metals, treatment via reverse osmosis or ion exchange effectively reduce lead levels in water.

Arsenic

Here again, we see a contaminate that is widespread, has known health effects, and yet seems to catch everyone unaware when it shows up in their system. A recent article is just the tip of the iceberg. A 2013 NY Times blog discussed new evidence that levels of arsenic much lower than previously thought are responsible for chronic health effects, including respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancers of the skin, bladder, and lungs. Arsenic interferes with the normal function of immune cells. There are no known health benefits of arsenic. Water suppliers are required to meet the standard of 10 ppb for arsenic in drinking water, but many areas don’t even require monitoring for arsenic, which is found at levels up to 500 ppb in some areas of the U.S. It is estimated that about 13 million people get drinking water from private wells with arsenic levels above the federal standard. Besides naturally occurring arsenic, shallow aquifers in land dominated by orchards may have become contaminated by past agricultural practices. Arsenic in wells is generally in either the +3 or +5 form. In more shallow aquifers with higher levels of oxygen, arsenic will usually exist as arsenate, (As+5). In deeper, anaerobic ground waters, arsenic usually occurs as arsenite, (As+3). In the pH range of 4 to 10, the predominant As (+3) compound is neutral in charge, while As (+5) species are negatively charged. This is important because the +3 is very difficult to remove from water and must be oxidized to the +5 form before it can be removed. Chlorine is the most readily available oxidant for home water treatment. Reverse Osmosis is not reliable for removing As +3 from water. Anion exchange units exchange the arsenic for chloride. These systems are generally used to treat water for the entire house and generally require little maintenance. There are other treatment options available, and you should consult with your local water treatment expert to determine the best system for your needs.

Uranium

Like arsenic, uranium is widespread, and private wells generally have no testing requirements. Long-term consumption of water with elevated levels of uranium can damage kidneys and is associated with elevated risks for various cancers and both developmental and reproductive effects. The health risk is through ingestion (drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth), so activities such as bathing, handwashing, and clothes washing are not risk factors. Using water with elevated levels of uranium (or other heavy metals) on gardens with root crops or leafy greens is not recommended. Radon is a decay product of uranium. If you are in an area that requires radon mitigation and you get your water from a private well, you should test your water. If your water has tested high in uranium, you should test for radon if it’s not already mitigated due to building codes. Since you don’t need to treat all your water (only that which is used for cooking or drinking), a suitable water filter is an inexpensive work-around. Reverse osmosis is a more expensive alternative and removes a high percentage of all impurities (and minerals) from water. Like arsenic, uranium is generally found in the anionic form in water, so standard cation exchange resins are ineffective in removing it from the water.

Pesticides and Herbicides

These organic compounds, while used extensively across agricultural lands worldwide, are rarely found at levels above regulatory limits in groundwater. Exposure to these chemicals cause increased risk of cancer, liver damage, stomach problems, reproductive issues, and more. Activated carbon filters are usually effective for removing these contaminates.

My well is fouled, now what?

First, remember your water is your home’s lifeblood. Do not take actions beyond your capabilities, or you may make things worse. There are qualified well and water treatment professionals. That being said, do not be oversold. If you need to treat all your water, then you need a whole house system. If you need only to treat water for consumption, then a simple water filter or reverse osmosis system should suffice. Refer to the table below for test results from one testing lab for simple gravity water filtration systems. Finally, do not forget about your pets or livestock. They are at risk to the same pollutants as we are.

Percent reductions for selected metals for popular filters

filterresults

Letter Re: Dealing with Troubled Teens

Hugh,

Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them. Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children; Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood. – Psalm 144:5-8

Taking in troubled teens, in the best of times, is a full-blown battle. In times of unrest, it seems like the equivalent of taking prisoners, and you need a prison.

How important it is for parents to heed the counsels of God’s word and train up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Teens will have their troubles, but a proper training in childhood will make these challenges a thousand times easier to conquer.

Unlike the teaching of modern psychology, children must be compelled to obey. Otherwise, they will never truly submit to proper authority, even in prison and death. Secondly, they must be taught to think and act for themselves, within the framework of the laws of nature and nature’s God. They must be taught to make a clear distinction between the word of man, which is but a transient sound, and the word of God, which creates worlds and by which all things consist.

It is far kinder to correct the small child, curbing rebellion and evil temper, than to allow these things to go on and end at the hand of the executioner after creating untold misery, wasting a life that could be a glory to God and highly productive in society. – C.F.

Economics and Investing:

Foreign selling of U.S. Treasuries in April was most since 1978: data

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The Ongoing Intellectual Love Affair With The Myth Of The Downtrodden Worker

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Scared investors flee to cash at highest levels since 2001

15 Facts About The Imploding U.S. Economy That The Mainstream Media Doesn’t Want You To See

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Officials: Orlando Terrorist Used Sig Sauer MCX Rifle, Not an AR-15.

(But the lefties will surely keep on hatin’ on the AR-15 family of rifles. Not that they understand the difference between a gas tube impingement design and a gas piston. And they hate rifles with wooden stock furniture nearly as much as they do those with black plastic furniture. But of course these are the same folks who still don’t seem to understand the distinction between semi-auto and selective fire rifles. Just sayin’… – JWR)

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NH House Becomes First In US To Pass Bill To Inform Jurors Of Right To Deem Government Unjust – Western States need to follow suit to prevent hostile Federal & State agency thefts of lands, water, and mineral rights. – C.T.

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Muslim attack on flag-waving American family remains mystery. FBI ‘looking into’ possible hate crime but fails to even contact victims – M.R.

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Heroic student tackles and disarms university gunman – From two years ago but totally relevant to Orlando or anywhere else for that matter. – A.S.

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A Nation Adrift – B.B.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists.” – Ernest Hemingway, Notes on the Next War

Notes for Thursday – June 16, 2016

Don’t forget that we are still running the SurvivalBlog Writing Contest. If you have an article you would like to submit to the contest, finish it up and email it to SurvivalBlog. If you haven’t read the list of prizes that are going to the top winners, you should take the time to read them below. Remember, if you have won the contest before and it has been longer than a year, you can enter and be eligible again. Past winners of the Honorable Mention prizes can enter the contest any time.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 65 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 65 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Something in the Water- Part 1, by J.R.

After years of dreaming, planning, saving, and sweating, you are finally ready to leave occupied territory and make your move to the American Redoubt. You have poured over maps, studied census data, consulted with real estate professionals, and talked to county planning and assessors offices. You now are down to your short list, but what about the water supply? Water can make or break your new homestead. “It’s no problem,” you say. You checked the well logs, and the general area has good producing wells of reasonable depth, or your selected property already has a well.

What is a Well Log

Well logs are a record made by the well driller during well construction. These are usually filed with the state’s regulating agency. These logs record vital information, including well depth, static level (the top of the water in the well), and often the estimated gallons per minute the well will produce. Well depths and the material being drilled through are vital information, if you need to diagnose water quality issues. Below is a portion of a well log.

Note: The information presented in this article generally applies to drilled wells. Springs, seeps and other surface water sources are often regulated different than wells. While domestic wells are typically exempted from obtaining a formal water right, you likely need to acquire a water right to develop springs and other surface water sources (lakes, rivers, and streams) for domestic use. Please, check with your local permitting entities before making withdrawals from surface water. Even a pipe from a stream to your animal watering trough may require a permit or water right.

Shallow and/or dug wells may have different requirements too. There is more to wells than how much water they produce. The water must be fit for consumption or treatable in a cost effective manner. Western states have different requirements for certifying usability of domestic water, and these requirements may vary between counties. Generally though, the regulations are minimal and regulating agencies are quick to remind you that you are ultimately responsible to determine the suitability of your well water.

Recent developments in the heart of the Redoubt have focused attention on potential unseen hazards with private and potentially even small public water supplies. (See article “Welling Concerns”, Flathead Beacon, 1/13/2016)

Anything found in your water besides, well, water (H2O) is deemed a contaminant. Contaminants don’t necessarily mean your water poses a health risk; some, like copper and zinc, are essential to good health in small amounts but may be toxic at high concentrations. Other elements, like calcium and potassium, are beneficial to health, and some companies add them to bottled water to improve taste. This article will discuss three categories of contaminates that affect well water.

Physical Contaminants

While many factors may impact the physical properties (color, odor, taste, and/or turbidity) of water, physical contaminants generally refer to sediment and organic matter suspended in the water. Shallow groundwater, surface water intrusion into your well, a damaged or missing well casing, or changes in your groundwater level can all lead to physical contaminates in water. This type of contamination can usually be resolved through physical methods, such as filtration or settling.

Biological Contaminants

These are organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoan, and parasites. These contaminants are typically addressed by the regulating agencies by way of a requirement to test total coliform bacteria in newly commissioned wells and upon transfer of property title. It is generally recommended that private well owners perform this test occasionally to protect against water-borne disease. A successful test confirms the absence of coliform bacteria in the water. While not all coliform bacteria originate from warm blooded animals, the coliform group generally indicates water that is unsanitary and potentially unsafe.

Fecal coliform, escherichia coliform, fecal streptococci, and enterococci are the most common types of coliform bacteria. Klebsiella bacteria are naturally occurring in soil, water, and vegetation. They can generate a false positive for fecal coliform under some test conditions.

Nuisance organisms, generally iron and sulfur bacteria, cause slimes, odor, and staining. Algae can cause offensive musty odors and nuisance growths. Fungi are often associated with taste and odor issues.

Pathogenic bacteria, such as salmonella, legionella, mycobacteria, and campylobacter are responsible for waterborne diseases. While many are not discernable with coliform tests, they rarely exist in environments free from coliform bacteria.

Enteric viruses are passed from digestive systems of infected organisms. Like pathogenic bacteria, they occur at concentrations much lower than coliforms, but infections can be produced with very few viruses. Pathogenic protozoa, such as Giardia (beaver fever) and Cryptosporidium, are common in unfiltered surface water. The cysts from this group of contaminates may be somewhat resistant to chlorine, so proper filters or boiling is recommended.

Chemical Contaminants

Chemical contaminants may be natural or man made. While there are areas with high levels of naturally occurring elements, such as arsenic or uranium, most groundwater with excessive chemical contaminants can be traced back to human activities. High levels of nitrate often trace back to agricultural practices, metals from mining operations, and pesticides and herbicides from orchards or row crops . These are just a few examples.

Nitrates

Elevated nitrate levels occur in groundwater across a wide expanse of the Redoubt. Wells can get contaminated in areas with a history of unregulated or poorly regulated agricultural practices, poorly functioning septic tanks, decomposition of plant matter, or erosion from natural deposits. Water with high nitrate levels is unsafe for pregnant and lactating females to drink and infants below six months old, due to nitrates interference with the ability of infants blood to carry oxygen. It is also linked to birth defects and miscarriages. Along with bacteria, nitrate testing is a requirement in many jurisdictions.

Hardness

Hardness, originally understood to be the capacity of water to precipitate soap, is the quantity of calcium and magnesium in water. While not a health concern, hard water can lead to mineral buildup in hot water heaters and coffee makers and residue on dishes after going through automatic dish washers. (Hopefully, these issues are not on your list of concerns for TEOTWAWKI.) One legitimate concern is that it takes more soap to get things clean with hard water. Water softeners are standard household fixtures in many parts of the country. Grid down, maintaining water treatment systems might prove problematic, but appropriate technology should become available in critical areas.

Iron

Iron in drinking water is not a health hazard; in fact, it is essential to good health, as iron helps transport oxygen in the blood. However, too much or the wrong kind of iron can be a nuisance. As little as 0.3 ppm can cause water to turn a reddish brown color. Iron is usually found in the ferrous, or reduced, form in well water, as there is little oxygen present. This form of iron can give water a disagreeable metallic taste. It can also cause vegetables cooked in the water to appear dark. When exposed to air, whether in a reservoir, pressure tank, or toilet bowl, the iron is oxidized to the ferric form. Water will become rusty as the deposits break off from the insides of pipes. The tell-tail reddish-brown stain can show up on buildings, plumbing fixtures, and even in laundry. Over time, metal pipes can become clogged. Finally, certain strains of bacteria “eat” iron and leave behind a residue that can cause an offensive odor. Treatment methods include aeration and filtration, manganese greens, and filtration, or catalytic filtration for ferrous iron treatment, and chlorination for iron bacteria.

Letter Re: Dealing with Troubled Teens in a Post-Collapse World

HJL,

In response to the question “Let them in or not?” in “Dealing with Troubled Teens in a Post-Collapse World- Part 1”, do yourself a favor and answer “NO!” to that question. Dealing with a “troubled teen” when the child is your own is one thing. Voluntarily inviting that kind of volatility into an already bad situation is sheer insanity! Not only will the child not listen to you, you run the risk of an “authority conflict” between you and the child’s parents. This will affect everyone under your roof and could spell disaster for all. Reaching out to others in a SHTF scenario is all well and good. Sometimes though, you have to close the watertight door in order to save the ship, even if someone you love is on the wrong side of it. – PH

Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog reader A.S. sent in these two links profiling dead malls across America. Wow, what an economic recovery the Feds have wrought!

Completely Surreal Photos Of America’s Abandoned Malls

The death of the American mall

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Glitters, but Not Gold: Fake Gold and Silver Coins ‘Flooding’ Market – DSV

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Video: Peter Schiff – It’s Gonna Be Awful!

Venezuelans Barter Diapers for Food on Smartphones

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Murphy’s Law: What You Ignore Will Kill You – Sent in by S.G.

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Terror watch list takes center stage among gun-control proposals

JWR’s Comment: As I’ve noted before in SurvivalBlog, the Terror Watch List and the No Fly List are both horribly flawed, with tens of thousands of false positives! Contact your congresscritters and tell them NO WAY and to not weasel into some sort of compromise with the liberal Democrats!

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BREAKING. FBI Director Jamey Comey “Confused” About Motives Of Orlando Shooter (VIDEO) – B.B.

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Orlando victims died because they were unarmed, not because they were gay – DSV

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From SurvivalBlog Reader J.H. – Once again the Propaganda Ministers of Hitler are at it again. “In Washington, Obama said of Muslim-Americans: ‘Are we going to start subjecting them to special surveillance? Are we going to discriminate against them because of their faith?’” I might point out that the Obama Administration could be conceived as doing just that. This PDF subjected Christians/Conservatives to special surveillance by law enforcement. But that is not the main point, because what is disheartening in all of this is when Coptic Christians were beheaded in Egypt by radical Islamists there was no word from the Oval Office, but when the GLBTB (gay, lesbian, bestiality, transgender, and bisexual) are up against the same radical Islamists the Oval Office is quick to note “this is an act of hate” and then jumps right into the gun control bandwagon. Folks, the 2nd Amendment is for Americans– people who love this country– and is not on the chopping block from some Liberal in high command who wants to resettle myriad Muslims from Syria to have access to the same 2nd Amendment and abuse it.

Notes for Wednesday – June 15, 2016

Following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, or “Great Charter”, on this day in 1215AD. This document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and maintain the nation’s laws. Although it was more a reactionary than a progressive document, the Magna Carta was seen as a cornerstone in the development of democratic England by later generations.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 65 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 65 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Dealing with Troubled Teens in a Post-Collapse World- Part 2, by Credo in Deum

Aside from sexually-related conversation, which is discouraged in the classroom, food is probably the number one topic of interest among juvenile inmates. After assignments are collected and they are conversing in the few minutes of free time before an officer comes to escort them out, these juveniles endlessly talk about what will be their first meal after they get released from jail. Needless to say, they’re not too thrilled with the bland institutional food they get. Burritos, burgers, cakes, cookies, and candy are among the delectable delicacies that they can’t wait to sink their teeth into. Imagine what things will be like in a post-collapse world, with gangs of hungry, vicious teenaged and adult criminals roaming the highways and byways in search of not only their dream meal but any meal. They will mercilessly attack and sometimes even kill anyone who gets in their way. It is all the more reason to be extra cautious about anyone you let into your close circle of survival friends.

Dealing with assaults

Assaults are a common occurrence in juvenile hall. Fights have broken out between juvenile inmates, and teachers have been assaulted. I got a call to sub in a classroom not too long ago, where a nearly 18-year-old inmate threw a heavy textbook at the teacher, opening up a gash in his forehead that required stitches.

I heard about another assault recently when two juveniles teamed up to “jump” another teen during lunch time. What this means is that if there is a teen or other person in your bug-out group who has this type of criminal mindset, don’t be surprised if he or she assaults someone else with absolutely no warning. If you find someone like this in your midst, you will need to be extra vigilant, even to the point of establishing a boundary area that is strictly forbidden to be crossed, a nighttime boundary, or as mentioned earlier, expulsion from the group.

Peer pressure

Another important factor that strongly influences teenagers is peer pressure. With a normal group of teens, it may be pressure or a dare to jump off the high dive at the public pool. With teen criminals, the pressure and dares become much more dangerous.

If you have a group of teens at your bug-in or bug-out location, be prepared for the strong possibility that peer pressure could creep in. If those in your leadership are wise, they will re-direct this peer pressure in a positive direction. Maybe they can have the teens compete in the areas of “best lookout”, “best gardener”, or best in some other survival area. However, be wary of the tell-tale signs of someone being bullied: introverted, withdrawn behavior, anger, or frequently in girls they will also cut themselves.

Teens and weapons

Under no circumstances should teens be allowed to handle weapons, unless they have a safe history of doing so and have shown responsible behavior in the past. In fact, this also goes for any adults. Anyone using weapons has to first show they are responsible and trusted and also be properly trained. Also, be on the lookout for any unauthorized person who is in the habit of using any object as a weapon, even if they claim it is for “defending” himself or herself. I mentioned earlier how teen criminals routinely sharpen various objects to use as a “shank”. If you notice a teen with a shank or any object that could be used as a weapon, it will probably need to be confiscated. If they object, this is further indication they may have plans to use it in a violent manner, perhaps against you or other trusted members of your group. On the other hand, if a teen wit,h a violent past has shown true repentance and change over a period of time, you may need to arm him or her to defend the property from any outside threats. However, this is a judgment call and needs to be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Dealing with conflict

I mentioned earlier that fights and assaults are a common occurrence in juvenile hall. In a post-collapse world, people will react in different ways. Some will sober up and endure hardship, grateful to have a meal and protection given to them by you and others in your group. Others will act the same as before, and many teens who will be forced to do work they highly dislike may react with hostility towards each other and towards those in charge.

A lot of fights break out simply because one teen continues to badger or bully another, calling them derogatory names or mocking the way he or she looks or acts. The bully may accuse the other teen of kissing up to the leadership, or accuse him or her of getting special favors. As a leader of your group, you need to be aware of these and other red flags, and deal with them swiftly and severely. I mentioned earlier boundary lines.

If a bully has been warned and continued to bother or threaten others, there could be a series of punishments, ranging from exclusion from the rest of the group for a limited time, assignment of extra weeding or other tasks, a designated boundary not to be crossed, or, in extreme examples, banishment from the group. Does this sound extreme? No, this is roughly similar to what we do in our pre-collapse society. A bully or other troubled teen could even be assigned a type of probation officer, who will meet with the teen weekly or maybe even daily to establish goals to be reached and to encourage positive behavior.

Many troubled teens can and do respond well to positive reinforcement, in spite of their background. It is up to you to be a positive role model and influence in their lives, while at the same time being on your guard. When these young people know that someone actually cares for them, many of them do have a change of heart. Unfortunately, many of them don’t. However, at the very least, we can do our part to help them to become the young men and women God designed them to be, to fulfill their potential, and become a productive member of your group.

Spiritual Aspect

Finally, no discussion of troubled teens would be complete without mentioning the spiritual benefit to be derived from attending daily devotions, Bible studies, and church services. Many teens and adults have truly turned their lives around through the power of God, helping them to overcome their various behavioral issues. After all, our goal is not to lose anyone but to give everyone a real chance to transform themselves and become a productive, trusted member of your group, and, on the spiritual side, to receive eternal life in heaven. We need to be firm, but we also need to be fair. I really do think that we have the awesome opportunity to help so many of our young people make a change for the better in the midst of an otherwise frightening and dangerous post-collapse world, and to help others to do so. In so doing, we will undoubtedly participate in the great revival referred to by the prophet Joel, to happen in these last days:

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…” (Joel 2:28)

Letters Re: “The Deadliest Shooting in U.S. History”

Several SurvivalBlog readers wrote in concerning the top note yesterday about CBS’ claim that Orlando was the “deadliest” shooting. CBS really missed the mark with that claim, underscoring the mainstream media’s inability to do even the most basic research and their inability to correct or retract bad information. This is by no means an all encompassing list, and the main reason for posting it is to underscore that the worst atrocities and mass killings were perpetrated mostly by government entities and/or targeting those least capable of defending themselves.

  1. The 17th century has multiple massacres against Native Americans that easily exceed the carnage of Orlando. Native American history is also part of American History.
  2. The Colfax Massacre (1873): White Democrats armed with rifles and a small cannon overpowered the Republican freedmen and state militia trying to control the Grant Parish courthouse in Colfax. Estimates of the number of dead vary and are hard to determine, due to bodies being thrown into the river, but are somewhere between 62 and 153. Nearly 50 were killed after being held prisoner for several hours.
  3. Wounded Knee Massacre (1890): Previously mentioned, and the number of fatalities is somewhere between 150 and 300.
  4. The Tulsa Race Riot (1921): A large scale, racially-motivated conflict where a group of whites attacked the black community of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fatality estimates are between 55 and 300, though the official number was 39. Thirty-five city blocks were destroyed, leaving an estimated 10,000 blacks homeless.
  5. The Marias Massacre/Baker Massacre/Piegan Massacre (1870): The massacre of a friendly band of Piegan Blackfeet Indians by the United States Army. About 200 Indians were killed, mostly women, children, and elderly men. Fifty of the victims were children under 12 years old.
  6. The Mountain Meadows Massacre (1857): A series of attacks on the Baker-Fancher emigrant wagon train at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah by the Utah Territorial Militia from the Iron County district, together with some Paiute Indians. Approximately 120 men, women, and children were killed. Only children younger than seven were spared.
  7. The Davidian Massacre (1993): A siege and subsequent massacre of the religious group Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas by a joint operation of federal and Texas state law enforcement that resulted in the death of 81 men, women, and children. Video evidence exists of operators firing automatic weapons at the compound, keeping the occupants pinned down inside as it burned to the ground.

If you are of the mind that the military or federal government will never fire upon or attack its own citizens, this should be a stark reminder that it has happened in the past, is happening now, and will happen in the future. All that is required to gain the participation of military/federal/state/local authorities or any civilian individual is to demonize or dehumanize you as a target.

The only effective way to keep massacres like this from happening is to make it so painful for the perpetrators to continue that they lose all desire to continue. Fight back aggressively!

“Never give up! Never surrender!” – Tim Allen as Jason Nesmith in Galaxy Quest

Economics and Investing:

German 10-year sovereign bond yields turn negative for first time

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Backing up the SurvivalBlog position of making sure your basics are covered before spending on PMs: Venezuela, and why Gold and Barter Items are Terrible Preps – P.S.

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Keynesian Triumph: Americans Are Broke – B.B.

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Why The Biggest Investors Are Praying For A Market Crash

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