Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“While complying can be an effective strategy for physical survival, it’s a lousy one for personal fulfillment. Living a satisfying life requires more than simply meeting the demands of those in control. Yet in our offices and our classrooms we have way too much compliance and way too little engagement. The former might get you through the day, but only the latter will get you through the night.” ? Daniel H. Pink

Survival: Are We Aware Enough?, by S.S.

There is a common theme in most of the dystopian, post-apocolyptic, zombie, killer virus, alien invasion novels that goes unnoticed by many reviewers and readers alike. Perusal of the vast survivalist and prepper websites out there shows few articles or references made to this theme. Yet, it remains the most fundamental aspect of survival– self-awareness. I mean that no matter how many gadgets, survival kits, food kits, and weapons you have, if you are not mindful of how you will react to fear, sadness, loneliness, and loss, your survival is threatened.

Sam Sisavath has written a wonderfully entertaining book on a version of the zombie apocalypse that carries throughout it one theme– “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” I take from this not only to have the right tools for survival but to increase your self-awareness. Unfortunately, in the good ole’ USA, survival preparation has fallen victim to commercialism, and so we seek out the “stuff” to protect ourselves. However, no amount of weaponry or supplies will matter, should you be unprepared to evaluate situations, formulate a plan, and be aware of what may go wrong, and it doesn’t end there. One’s awareness has to focus internally, on what you will think and feel in times that are scary and threatening to you and your loved ones.

Awareness comes in many forms. Awareness of one’s surroundings, including physical, situational, and political, is perhaps what is taught most in many survivalist courses and books. These are critical to dealing with threats, both minor and major. What is often missed in teaching awareness is how we will emotionally react to these threats. We are so lucky in 2015 in the U.S. to have relatively significant means by which to live and prosper. Compared to most countries, our ability to eat, sleep, find resources, and thrive is very easy, even for people at lower income levels. So, I ask these questions to you: What part of your life will be most affected if the power grid fails? What will you miss most about your life should a nuclear accident occur? Is it the Internet? Is it your favorite burger? These are small questions, and they may not seem important relative to whether you have sufficient iodine tablets for water purification, but this leads me to the most important aspect of awareness– self-awareness.

Please forgive the remainder of this essay, as I will delve into more philosophy than tactics. However, I feel that this hits at the fundamental problem with a survivalist philosophy. Self-awareness is the most underestimated aspect of life. We live in a world where our motivations and desires derive from many different sources. This is based largely on how we were raised. Many of us turn to religion for answers regarding what we should seek from our lives and how we should judge our own and others’ actions. Some of us find those answers in different philosophical traditions. Some of us rely more on our own intuition. How ever we have formed our life philosophy and how we make decisions, both large and small, relies on that philosophy to carry us.

Remember, however, that our philosophy is based on the challenges we have encountered in our lives. So, if we were raised in a Christian ethic with few encounters with violence, illness, or struggle, our philosophy may be vastly different than that of the atheist who has dealt with violence on an almost daily basis. The choices we have made regarding career, family, money, housing, transportation, and more are all shaped by this life philosophy whether we admit it or not.

So what? What does this matter when the situation changes? Many survivalist writers and bloggers have stated plainly that the survival instinct trumps any life philosophy, because we will revert to more animalistic tendencies. Perhaps, but take a minute to think of your family. Many of us who appreciate the possible threats to our comfortable American life have spouses or family members who think we are “crazy” or “reactionary”. Where does this reaction come from? Likely it is from fear, fear of a world that is violent and unforgiving. Perhaps it is fear of discomfort without the luxuries of modern American life. I will argue that it comes from a lack of self-awareness. Let’s return to the question, what will I miss most in a world without power? For those who deny the survivalist philosophy, I argue that they cannot ask that question because they fear they will not be able to live in a such a world. In a world of discomfort and violence, the life philosophy you have created with those comforts will likely fall apart, and for many people that will challenge their very core beliefs.

So what really fuels our survival? Self-awareness will guide you through the most trying of times. I am not writing this from any religious or philosophical point of view, except to say that when all semblance of modern society is gone, how will you react? I don’t mean tactically; I mean how will you react to fear, to sadness, to isolation, to threats from people you trust, and to feelings of hopelessness. Because in modern society, where we can suppress our reactions to the most dire situations with a latte or a beer, we are often able to avoid challenging our most basic human emotions. We are different from animals, and it is our reason and intellect that is most at threat in a survival situation, even if we can physically survive on beef jerky and rainwater.

Our preparations are necessary. Learning tactics for finding food, surviving environmental and human threats, and rebuilding necessary infrastructure are vitally important. However, this preparation assumes that we are emotionally stable and motivated to do so. While survivalist courses and even many of our experiences in life have given us tastes of deprivation, both physical and emotional, many of us are lucky to return to the comfortable life. Have we all thought about the scenario where that comfortable life is gone? Where we can’t call our loved ones in another state to “check in”? Where our sons and daughters who are away at school are no longer in contact and we don’t know if they are alive or dead? No matter how big our bunker is, are we prepared emotionally for the loss of our family?

I don’t pretend to know the answer, but I think about this often. I love my family more than anything on this earth. If I were to be without them, could I survive? If my children were without me or their mother, could they survive? Would any of us be self-aware enough to understand our sadness or loss and to keep going despite little hope of a return to “normal society?” Do we intend to suppress our emotional response to survival situations, only to have that emotional response present itself at the wrong time? Faced with a true threat to our family or ourselves, will we be able to truly disregard our humanity and kill another person? These questions are central to survival, and our modern life has allowed us the luxury of avoiding them.

All of us have dealt with loss in one form or another in our lives, so I don’t mean to imply that we are incapable of dealing with it, but we have done so in a comfortable society and environment without imminent threat. In a world where those comforts are gone, will we still have the fortitude to manage our emotions and maintain a level head? Unfortunately, many of the situations I describe above we will not ever face in today’s modern society, and so if we don’t ask these difficult questions we may never be prepared.

I don’t have the answers for these questions, but in our worst case scenarios we will inevitably face them. Perhaps answers exist in religious doctrines. Perhaps philosophical tenets will provide guidance. Above all, preparation for a chaotic and violent world requires emotional preparation, if not only for you then for your family. If you have not thought about this, please do, because your survival depends on it.

Buck Knives Model 245 MWG, by Pat Cascio

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You probably won’t find the new fixed blade Buck Model 245 MWG on the Buck® Knives Official Website list of their Hunting and Tactical Knives just yet, because it is so new; I received one of the first samples. Sure, a month or two ago, many websites released a press release– the same I received– on the Model 245 MWG Buck knife, but these sites do an injustice to the product and the reader, if you ask me, by simply posting a press release without actually testing the product.

Everyone is probably familiar with the most famous Buck folding knife on the market– their Model 110. I know a lot of folks in the knife industry, and I’m told that a very good knife design has a life of about three years. That means the buying public typically stops buying that knife design for whatever reason within that timeframe. The Model 110 started out in 1963. Yes, you read that right. It was in 1963, and this folding knife is still going strong. To be sure, the Model 110 is the most copied lock-back folding knife in the world, bar none! Many uninformed folks, who see any type of large, lock-back folding knife, will refer to it as “a Buck”. As many folks claim that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, if that’s true, then Buck Knives has been flattered for more than 50 years on the Model 110 alone. I won’t even go into some of Buck’s fixed blade hunting knives, which also have been copied by many companies.

There is some conjecture as to when “Buck Knives” actually started. I’ve gone ’round and ’round with one magazine editor about this. (I won’t mention his name, though.) Buck Knives claims they started in 1902, when Hoytt Buck made his first knife. Some claim Buck Knives didn’t start until WWII, when the call went out for folders and fixed blade knives for our troops. Some say Buck Knives started after WWI, and some say it didn’t really start until the 1960s. Look, if I started making knives 20 years ago and just today started calling myself “Cascio Custom Knives”, I would claim that even though I didn’t actually call myself a “company” I was still making knives 20 years ago. So, if Buck Knives says they started in 1902, that’s fine with me. Take the argument up with Buck and not with me. In the end, does it really matter when Buck Knives got their start?

I’m sure that many SurvivalBlog readers are big fans of the original “Red Dawn” movie, where a group of teens fight in WWIII as guerrillas, but did you really catch that when the group was evacuating the town and stopped at the gas station/general store before heading to the mountains some of them grabbed some Buck Knives? “Jed” is seen carrying a folding knife on his belt in most of the movie, and I’m guessing it was a Buck Knives Model 110.

We all remember the various “Rambo” movies; in each one, “John Rambo” is seen carrying various types of large knives. In the first several movies, he carries different hollow handle survival knives. Well, Buck Knives jumped on that bandwagon with their over version that they called the “Buckmaster”. To be sure, it was probably one of the heaviest and stoutest hollow handle survival knives on the market. It wasn’t some cheap, plastic, hollow handle, piece of junk from China.

Many folks don’t know that the M9 Bayonet was marketed by Buck Knives, and it’s very popular with our men and women in uniform. Buck sold more than 300,000 of these stout bayonets, too. Now, they are copied by many companies, though most are pure junk!

In 2005 Buck Knives moved from San Diego, CA to Post Falls, Idaho, and I did a feature story on the move and the new company for Knives Illustrated magazine. Buck lost some employees in the move, and that is understandable, as it’s hard to uproot a family and make that kind of a move.

One thing you will notice about Buck Knives is that they don’t release a lot of new knife designs each year, like many other knife companies do. It’s for good reason; they have some rock-solid designs that keep selling year-after-year. You don’t “fix” what’s not broken, and that brings us to the Buck Model 245 MWG fixed blade knife.

The Buck Model 245 MWG is being produced by Buck Knives in honor of Special Warfare Operator, First Class, SEAL Matthew J. Leathers, who was a highly decorated combat veteran, including the Bronze Star. Leathers was lost at sea in an open water ocean training exercise.

Leathers designed a small fixed blade knife that he made by hand from coil springs from beat up Hummers, and he found a way to temper the steel blades using an old mailbox. His small fixed blade knife was always in demand from other SEALs, too. Needless to say, it was no small task producing the knives, by hand, one at a time, but Leathers did his best to meet demand. Buck Knives entered into an agreement with Tim Leathers, Matt’s father, to produce the Model 245 MWG, and Buck is more than honored to offer this knife to the public. Also, a portion of the sale of each knife goes to the Navy SEAL Foundation.

So, a little more history on the Buck Model 245 MWG is in order. The Model number comes from Matt’s SEAL Team BUDs class he graduated from– Class 245. (This is always a great way to catch phonies who claim they were Navy SEALs: Ask them what SEAL class they graduated from. Most will tell you they were with SEAL Team 6, which is one of the best known. So, that will readily tell you that they aren’t the real deal. They have no idea what you asked them, when asked what “class” number they were in.)

The “MWG” in the model of the knife refers to “Matt Would Go”. That comes from Matt’s courage and devotion to duty. When the chips were down, the team knew they could always count on Leather, because no matter the job “Matt Would Go.” The term was coined by the leadership of the SEAL Delivery Team One Delivery Vehicle in recognition of Matt’s courage.

I’ve spent a lot of time on the history of Buck Knives, and I touched on how the Model 245 MWG model came about. I believe this is important, and I’ll do some more in-depth research and testing on products in the future for SurvivalBlog. I believe many readers want to know the “skinny” on some products, the company, and the folks who developed certain products.

A close look at the Buck Model 245 MWG is certainly in order. In 1993, Buck Knives started using 420HC steel for their blades, and they also changed the grind on their knives, so they were easier to re-sharpen. If it’s one thing they were known for, it was super-sharp knives that held an edge forever, or so it seemed, but the knife blades were very hard to re-sharpen by many consumers. So, Buck left 425M stainless steel and went to 420HC with the new grind. Well, the 245 MWG is made out of 5160 steel and has a black powder coating on the blade to resist rust. The blade is clip point, and the handle material is made out of multi-colored Micarta, which is some tough stuff, to be sure. The blade is right at 4″ long, and it was sharp. While sitting on my desk, I happened to bump the pinky finger on my left hand against the blade, thinking nothing of it, until a minute later when my wife asked why my hand was all bloody. I didn’t realize I was cut, because the blade was so sharp. A hazard of testing knives is sometimes getting cut. It’s been more than a dozen years since I last cut myself testing a knife; that time resulting in a visit to the ER.

We have a lanyard hole on the butt of the 245 MWG but no lanyard. I hope Buck sees the error of their ways and includes a lanyard in the future. If not, it’s no big deal to attach some 550 para cord for your own lanyard. The butt is also somewhat pointed, to be used as a striking weapon; it makes someone stop and think if you happen to hit them along a nerve and paralyze an arm or hand. We also have a very nice Kydex sheath, molded expertly to the 245 MWG. It’s the best molding I’ve seen on any knife with a Kydex sheath, and it has a Tec-Lok that can be attached several different ways for vertical or horizontal carry on the belt or a tactical MOLLE vest.

I used the Model 245 MWG all around my homestead for a week, including in the kitchen and opening UPS/FedEx packages. I stabbed it into stacked cardboard, up to the handle; I had no problem. I chopped some dormant blackberry vines, and it make quick work of them. The handle design is expertly designed with finger grooves placed just where your fingers fall on the handle as you grasp it. Needless to say, I never once had to stop and re-sharpen the knife, and I put it to work… a lot! We also have some “friction” grooves strategically placed on the blade and the handle, too. There isn’t a single thing I would change on the 245 MWG; it’s “that” good!

Buck Knives doesn’t have this knife on their website just yet, but here is a link to the knife with a picture of it…

Quality NEVER comes cheap, and you only have to buy quality once. The 245 MWG retails for $245.00, and I’m predicting it will be a very hot seller for Buck Knives. It is a real tribute to a fallen SEAL hero, and don’t forget, a portion of the proceeds go to a good cause. So, if you’re in the market for a totally outstanding fixed blade knife for survival, camp chores, everyday chores, or to add to your collection, take a close look at the new Buck Knives Model 245 MWG!

Remember, you read about it first on SurvivalBlog!

Pat Cascio, SurvivalBlog Product Review Editor Emeritus

Recipe of the Week: Poor Man’s Casserole, by J.T.

I don’t measure when I cook. I never have. I “eye” it. It’s what makes dinner so great! This is a simple recipe I dubbed “Poor Man’s Casserole” one evening years ago. I hardly had anything left in the cupboards, and I was living paycheck to paycheck. Since then, I’m more prepared.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box of au gratin or scalloped potatoes mix
  • milk/butter/water as indicated on potato mix box
  • 1 can of your favorite vegetable, drained
  • 1 roll of your favorite kielbasa or sausage (or whatever meat you have on hand, as this is poor man’s casserole)
  • thyme, rosemary, oregano, and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Follow instructions on potato mix box. (If you choose to make taters from scratch, follow your recipe.)
  2. Add drained can (or fresh veggies) and meat of choice, unless you want it vegetarian style, to your casserole.
  3. Place casserole in oven, per box instructions. About 10 minutes before casserole is to be finished, sprinkle herbs/spices (thyme, rosemary, oregano, and black pepper) over the top. Continue baking the full time.
  4. Let stand for a few minutes to thicken. Enjoy. Serves amount indicated on box– usually 4 or 5 servings.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: EMP-Hardened Ham Radio Communications, by PrepperDoc

Being a prepper and a Ham I found the article “EMP-Hardened Ham Radio Communications” by PrepperDoc very interesting but also somewhat over my head with regard to tubes and the like, so I put it out to more experienced members of our ARC (amateur radio club) for comment. The response from one Ham is not a slam but rather additional information for the like-minded. “There was no mention of electrolytic caps and the frequent need to replace them when using older gear. Also, tube rigs are power hogs; where are you going to get the power? Alternate power sources (inverter generators, solar panels, charge controllers) all have solid state elements and are likely to be damaged. A better solution might be to keep some low power gear in a Faraday cage along with a small solar charger and battery.” Regards, – E.G.

Economics and Investing:

Shale Oil Production Will Fall 600,000 Barrels Per Day By June

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The California renting tsunami: In the last ten years California has gained nearly 1 million renter households while seeing a decline in the homeownership rate.

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Start preparing now, this economic collapse is inevitable and isn’t far. It might be worse than the Great Depression.

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Lord Rothschild Warns Investors: Geopolitical Situation Most Dangerous Since WWII

Notes for Sunday – March 08, 2015

March 8th is the birthday of Elmer Keith (born 1899, died February 12, 1984).

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Today, we present another entry for Round 57 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less then 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),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. 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 FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, 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,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. *Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 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 57 ends on March 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.

Accommodations for the Dietary Requirements of Infants, by L.C.

Infants have specific nutritive needs that at the present moment may be met in two ways: breast milk and formula. In a collapse or post-collapse scenario, the supply of formula may dry up and no longer be an option. There are several strategies to cope with this as well as breastfeeding supplies that can easily be acquired now.

I’m the mother of five kids under the age of six with the youngest being six weeks old, so for the past six years I’ve been pregnant, nursing, or both. I breastfed my first four exclusively, until we started solids between 6-7 months of age, but I continued breastfeeding until their first birthday. My newest little girl has been struggling to gain weight, so at the doctor’s advice we’ve been supplementing with an ounce of formula after every breastfeeding session, which is every two hours during the day and every three hours at night. She is making progress, but it is slow. I have no affiliation with any of the companies of the products I mention, but I have personally found them very useful.

If you anticipate that you might be needing to provide for the future needs of an infant, please understand that having a few cans of formula isn’t sufficient. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t store some for that “just in case” scenario, but it is a stop gap measure that will run out quickly. The healthy newborn infant needs approximately *120 kcal/kg/day (1)* to gain weight at the desired rate *of 15-30 gm per day*. Both infant formula and breast milk have the same average calories per ounce: 20 kcal/ounce. (Note: 30 ml=1 ounce; 2.2 lb =1 kg) So, for an 8 lb baby: 8/2.2= 3.64kg; 3.64kg x 120 kcal/kg = 436kcal; 436kcal / 20 kcal/oz = 21.8 oz daily

A measurement of 8.8 grams of formula makes 2 ounces, so my 8 lb baby would take 96 gram of formula a day. That means that a 22.2 oz (629 g) container of formula, which costs $26, would only last my baby 6½ days, and that changes daily to be even less time as my baby gains weight.

With this in mind, the best and possibly only option for babies in a post-collapse world will be breastfeeding. In order to make the transition from the bottle back to the breast will take some work, strategy, and perhaps thinking outside the box for many mothers, their infants, and their families.

As I see it, there are two overarching strategies for a return to breast milk:

  1. The mother re-attempts to nurse her child. (“Relactation” is the term for beginning to breastfeed again after a period of not breastfeeding), or
  2. Another, lactating woman “wet nurses” the child.

Relactation

In a collapse scenario, there will still be women out there who have made it their life’s work to help other women breastfeed successfully. These are lactation consultants and La Leche League leaders and volunteers. Making contact with them and seeking out their wisdom and experience would be enormously helpful for the process of relactation. They have seen and helped hundreds, if not thousands, of moms struggle with breastfeeding, and they have an arsenal of tips and tricks to get it to work. Compiling a list now of local contacts would be a good idea. This list could also include the contact information of doulas, midwives, and the maternity ward of a local hospital or birthing center. Where possible, get addresses as well.

“Nature is a very clever thing. Breast stimulation alone sends important hormonal signals to switch milk production back on. It is a common misconception that once a woman’s milk has ‘dried up’ she is no longer able to breastfeed. But this needn’t be the case, in fact, some grandmothers have been known to relactate in order to feed their grandchildren.” (2)

In stimulating the production of milk, a pump is crucial. This hand pump doesn’t require electricity and is very highly reviewed. (I have one, and I love mine more than the electric pump I have.) In addition to helping increase supply, it is easier for a baby to take milk from a bottle than a breast, so a hand pump would make easy work of filling up bottles to help feed babies who have trouble latching, difficulty sucking, or poor transfer of milk.

A supplemental nursing system (SNS) can also be useful to train a baby to take the breast. It works by providing a supplement through a tube that is taped to the breast so that the baby breastfeeds and formula feeds simultaneously. It stimulates the mother’s body to produce more milk, gets baby used to the breast, and gives as much supplement as is needed in addition to the breast milk.

Nipple cream such as Lansinoh lanolin ointment or Medela’s lanolin nipple cream is crucial for helping heal sore nipples if baby has had a bad latch or two. The good thing about these creams is that they are safe for baby to ingest, so there is no need to wash them off before feeding.

A nipple shield is also something that can come in useful, if baby is having difficulty latching. (I’ve never used one myself, but I have known close friends who used them with success.)

The three main reasons breastfeeding doesn’t work out for moms are issues with:

  • the establishment of a robust milk supply,
  • effective attachment (latch-on and transfer of milk), and
  • maternal confidence.

“These are the three most common issues, accounting for the largest drop off in breastfeeding, which occurs within the first several post-partum weeks.” (3)

So far we have addressed the first two issues, but in all of this, it is important to encourage the mom as much as possible, and give her support in whatever way you can: emotionally, helping reduce her other responsibilities (cook a meal for her, help watch her other kids, help clean) and get her a glass of water. Spiritual support shouldn’t be overlooked either; let her know you are praying for her and baby.

In considering maternal confidence, one very significant thing that can be done is to give her the perception that she has a degree of control over the situation, that you trust her maternal instincts, and encourage her to trust them as well. This might mean that even though you might be the patriarch of the group and have amassed knowledge and supplies to help her feed her infant, you discern that all of this nursing advice might be best received by the mother if it doesn’t come from the leader or his wife with a strong personality; maybe this information had better reach her through her sister or another gentle but empowering woman of the group. It is about her making the decisions and struggling with the challenges of feeding her infant; the more she arrives there on her own, the more confidence she will gain. That woman providing her with information might also help her recognize the progress she is making; all progress is good progress as she helps baby back to the breast.

Wet Nurse

In most situations, option A would be the best course of action, but if for whatever reason option B is necessary, then locating a suitable wet nurse becomes the first challenge. (Keeping in mind that suitability includes not only a willingness but also integrity, health, and physical proximity.)

Some places to begin searching for a lactating mom might be:

  • A local breastfeeding support group (“breastfeeding is beautiful” or BIB is one nearby to where I live, but your local hospital/maternity ward would have that information) or La Leche League chapters
  • Church- young families at your church who might have babies or friends with babies. The added benefit of sourcing a wet nurse through a church community is a level of moral accountability. Perhaps looking into other local churches might be helpful too; some Christian churches do infant baptisms, christenings, and/or dedications, and the bulletins of these churches might list these infants.
  • Local newspapers might have birth announcements
  • Midwives, doulas, maternity nurses, and pediatricians might know of somebody and be able to make a recommendation.

The second challenge becomes working out acceptable terms for both parties, including remuneration for the nursing mother, a schedule, and perhaps a change in living arrangements to accommodate the necessary proximity. How all of this influences the larger family and group’s movements and allocation of supplies becomes a legitimate question that would need to be addressed.

In times past, having a wet nurse wasn’t taboo, as it is now. One of the additional challenges of this course of action may be emotionally getting over the awkwardness of the situation as it exists to our modern sensibilities.

On the flip side of this whole conversation is the potential that an already nursing mom has to help another mom out. It might be that breastfeeding becomes an asset to barter with or an opportunity for charitable giving. Either way, recognizing the life-nurturing capability that a breastfeeding woman has, and its vital importance to the health and well being of an infant is something worth considering. It’s value will only increase as other feeding possibilities become unavailable.

It is not without reason that artists would personify the virtue of charity as a breastfeeding mother, as it is a true gift of self and life to the smallest and most vulnerable human among us.

P.S. Not totally related to the topic of feeding but to babies in general, it is, in my opinion, useful to have extra receiving blankets for swaddling and burping, extra hats, socks, and warm fleecy onesies. All are useful for keeping baby warm and comfortable. In colder weather I have my baby sleep in layers and a warm, outer fleecy jacket onesie rather than use blankets in the crib. Also, consider a white noise machine, fan, or even a CD of white noise to help baby settle. My favorite parenting book for moms of infants is The Baby Whisperer. Two important topics she discusses are: getting baby on a rhythm of eat, activity, sleep (repeat), and how to read their cues to transition from one to the next; and “begin as you wish to go on”, meaning that if you want your baby to learn to sleep in their crib, you stop holding them while they sleep and begin now to do what you wish to do in the future.

References:

(1) http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/pub/peds-nutrition/targets-for-initiation/reqstable1.html

(2)http://abm.me.uk/restarting-breastfeeding-after-a-gap/

(3)http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/PMGs.html

Letter Re: What’s the Story Behind ATF “Banning” 5.56mm Ammo?

Jim and Hugh,

Here is an excerpt from one of the two letters I received from my Democratic Representative:

Thank you for contacting me with your concern about a rumor regarding the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) proposed regulations on 5.56×45 SS109/M855 “green tip” ammunition. This is a very important issue, and I am glad for the chance to respond.

This response irked me as it refers to the ATF ban as a rumor. Rumor!?! It’s new policy, it’s real, and what he said was as bad as saying, “Let me give you the facts on this “conspiracy theory” about the BATFE. What is being said is insulting. The rumor is that this ammo is armor piercing, yet it wasn’t last year. It makes zero sense. So what if it’s being used in pistols. The 2A says “shall not be infringed”. Doesn’t this fit the definition of “infringed” to a tee? How is removing a common ammo defending my rights to self defense. Oh, and not allowing comment on that removal of rights? Doesn’t seem legit there too…

From what I now understand, the ATF made its decision with no public approval and should be sued out of existence. The link [see Ods ‘n Sods] proves they decided to do this in January when they printed their new rules, creating a policy backed by the current regime. It’s a show now to ask for public comment, but nothing commented is going to make them re-print their list of blacklisted ammo, arms, and go back on the policy they are pushing.

I believe that calling congressmen or emailing them serves as useless public kabuki. It’s so far after the fact of action that it doesn’t matter all that much. The usual Bohner-speak will come up, “Ah, yeah, we tried really hard to fight for your 2A rights, but we lost again by a few votes.” (You can replace 2A with Obamacare, or whatever keyword you want.)

I used the NRA site to contact all of them, and as usual the politicians will claim to be fighting for my rights (or something like that, as this guy suggested in response to my initial email). Meanwhile, he’ll be totally okay with violating my rights to keep a group safe and making me into a criminal because he doesn’t agree with firearm ownership being a RIGHT. (By nature of police work, it’s unsafe. Nothing banned is going to stop criminals from harming police; it’s pure stupidity to believe banning something will keep criminals from being criminals.) In the videos I’ve seen for police training, the criminal had a pistol holding 15 rounds, which they legally weren’t allowed to possess, the 15-rd mag, the hollow point bullets, and were robbing the corner gas station. Not one of those laws prevented anything a criminal took part in.)

At this point, it’s not even a bait and switch; it’s what I’d consider another assault on ownership of bullets for a rifle the feds want banned. Since they couldn’t legally ban the rifle, they are taking the ammo off the shelves by outlawing its ownership in civilian hands.

What I would also hope is that some people who would continue to sell this ammo and produce it sell it locally in states that have laws, thus preempting the ATF from taking action against the sellers. The last step of this should be that people on juries “nullify” this law, which is just policy pushed by the ATF. Would it be a great idea to open a class action lawsuit on the BATF for all AR-15 owners, since they are in fact violating our 2A rights with a POLICY rather than a LAW?

It is offensive that yet again people with guns are threatening the rights of gun owners. Yet again, there is the threat of fines levied, possessions stolen, and lethal force being used against gun owners by the un-lawful ATF. Not one place in the Constitution validates their existence.

More people should be angry and speaking out over yet another intrusion against our rights. So I’m writing this because I don’t want to find that in 10 years down the road rifles, pistols, and shotguns in the USA are banned and I sat back and did nothing at all, like what happened in the UK. Being a gun owner, this is forcing me to voice my opinion and tell others to join the NRA, join the GOA, join the JPFO and any group that will stop the rights from being ripped away from the people. Okay, if anything I’ve said here is wrong, please set me straight; I don’t want to discredit gun owners, but I am pointing out that what is being done is a lawless power grab that needs to be addressed in Congress; if they won’t do it, then it needs to be done from the jury box, and everyone knows what’s after that if they fail. – M.F.

Economics and Investing:

Jim Willie: As Long As This Debt Based Fiat Currency System Continues With QE, Etc Interest Rates Will NEVER Rise Again Until Everything Blows Up And Collapses.

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“Monetary System, World Order We’ve Had Since 1940s Is Collapsing” Warns Richard Maybury . – B.B.

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Hallelujah! – Unemployment Plunges Due to 354,000 Americans Leaving the Workforce

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Video: Vacationer in chief: Tens of millions spent on 38 Obama holidays

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38 (KJV)