Odds ‘n Sods:

Daisy Luther of The Organic Prepper has released a 242-page book called “The Organic Canner”.

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From the Wranlerstar video blog: No More Broken Axe handles along with part 2.

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From SurvivalBlog reader T.G.: This is a link to a well done video providing an update on Ebola and, more particularly, the misinformation and obfuscation being promulgated by the CDC, et al.

I found it interesting that the video cited many of the same sources I cited in my previous writings on the subject. Some of you on this distribution were so kind as to publish that material; thank you. Others on this distribution have shown me kindness over the years and I thank you too. Still others on this distribution are in positions of influence and have the ability to reach a much wider audience than I. I ask you, especially, to please consider carefully what I’m saying.

As much as I enjoyed the video, it continues to ignore a very fundamental issue and that is that the respiratory “protection” cited in the CDC and WHO guidelines is inadequate, and dangerously so. In my articles, I drew attention to the disparity between the filter specifications and the size of the Ebola particle. Subsequent to writing those articles, I discovered a much more rigorous treatment of the topic which is, frankly, a far more credible resource. Here’s the latest updates from CIDRAP and Dr. Brosseau.

The significance of what I’m about to say cannot be overstated: By promulgating guidance for healthcare workers that is, at best, dubious, conditions are created that turn health care settings and their workers into a highly effective and efficient vector for transmitting the disease. When you feel dangerously ill, where do you turn? For most of us, it is to an emergency room. If the workers in that setting are unwittingly infected with the Ebola virus and are asymptomatic, even with an N95 mask on, they are able to infect people they come in contact with.

I have much more faith in theories of bureaucratic incompetence than in bureaucratic conspiracy. The inept are gifted at overlooking the extent of their incompetence. Either way, what they’re doing here is, as the video states, not merely negligent, it’s criminal.

I urge everyone to establish a reserve of water and food for yourselves, your families, and a little extra for others. A 3-month supply of each is within reason for most of us. Likewise, it is a good idea to get some personal protective equipment (PPE)– even the N95 mask or a cloth handkerchief is better than nothing. Tyvek suits, military surplus gas masks (with proper fit and up to date filter elements), rubber boots and rubber gloves, lots of duct tape, a small plastic children’s wading pool, a garden sprayer, and lots of unscented bleach provides a rather high level of protection and at minimal cost. Learning how to don and doff the suits, how to decontaminate the equipment, and learning some basic patient handling protocols is key.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Relax. They’re not going to kill us. They’re going to TRY and kill us. And that is a very different thing.” ? Steve Voake, The Dreamwalker’s Child

Notes for Sunday – December 07, 2014

On another Sunday morning, 73 years ago, America was caught sleeping. Then there was that September morning, in 2001. Let’s pray that nothing like those days ever happens again. – JWR

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For those who were not around in 1941, I recomend “Day of Infamy” , “At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor” or “Pearl Harbor An Illustrated History”. May we never forget.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 56 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 $448.95) 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 $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 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 Instituteis 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,
  9. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  10. 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. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208,
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 value).

Round 56 ends on January 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.

Biblical Prepping, by Frank C.

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One of the most difficult things about prepping is the occasional run-ins with family, friends, and others who openly mock or criticize your preparations for a future collapse. Many of these people even use Bible verses, or their own spin on the Scriptures, to defend themselves and go on the offensive against you. As soon as some of these people hear about your views or plans, many of them inevitably sniff at you and sneer, saying things like, “Don’t you think you’re being a bit fanatical about this?” or “Don’t you know things are going to get better?” or “The Bible speaks against greediness.” or “If you want to go through the tribulation, go ahead, but I’m going to get raptured up before any of this stuff happens!” and finally, “You have to have faith that God will take care of you, instead of all this mindless materialism!”

First of all, I’ve come to the conclusion that in most cases you’re better off, for OPSEC purposes, to not broadcast to the four winds or others about your prepping plans. If you run into a kindred spirit, reveal what you feel you need to, but be careful. We need to balance encouraging others to prepare with maintaining security. However, despite such precautions, especially with the upcoming holidays and family gatherings, some detail about your prepping may slip out, and some brother or sister or acquaintance is sure to make some snide remark about your survival practices. Or, it may even come out innocently enough in a discussion at work or at church when you make some mild comment about “being prepared,” which is instantly pounced upon and ridiculed by some self-appointed truth policeman.

I’ll never forget a discussion that took place a few years ago in my own church Sunday School class. The teacher, who had just concluded a study on the book of Revelation, and knowing my interest in “last days” events, asked me to teach a special class on what we can do to prepare for the future. I began by discussing Revelation, chapter 6, with the descriptions of the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” (the conqueror on the white horse, the red horse of war and uprisings, the black horse of famine, and the pale horse of war, famine, disease, and wild animals). I made the point that the world is in for some difficult times in the future, regardless of whether we call it a collapse or the great tribulation. I said that we should be prepared, both spiritually (having a right relationship with God) and also physically (by stocking up on food and water).

Suddenly, this classroom of previously mild-mannered adults exploded into a heated discussion about prepping. It was as if a match had ignited a pent-up powder keg of emotion. I would divide the class roughly into thirds. About one-third of the class mostly agreed with me, another third was quietly on the fence, but a very vocal third of the class yelled at me (and others) with a ferocity that I personally found to be disturbing. Among the comments were those found in the first paragraph of this article. A large basis of the anger was the belief on the part of most of the critics that God will supernaturally remove Christians from Earth before all these terrible events in Revelation (and Matthew 24) actually happen. This is a theoretical event, known as the pre-tribulation rapture.

I responded by politely reminding these hotheads that we just don’t know for sure when the rapture will happen, whether pre-, mid- or post-tribulation, so we might as well be ready for all of the above. Since the majority of the people in the class are “pre-tribbers”, my suggestions for preparation were met, in some cases, with outright hostility. It was as if someone had shaken the very foundations of their faith. To a degree, there could well be some truth to this. If these same people who doggedly refuse to store provisions for the future realize they actually will go through part or all of the tribulation, some of them may think they missed the rapture, and in their mind will think they are damned to hell for all eternity. They may end up losing all hope, resulting in a deep depression and abandoning their faith. (“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; ” [1 Timothy 4:1]) They may blame God for deserting them, though they were repeatedly warned, by people and in the Scriptures, to get ready. So, your attitude on prepping could actually become extremely important to your emotional and spiritual well-being in the future.

What about the claims that prepping is a form of materialism or greediness? Is there any Biblical proof of this? Personally, I feel a lot depends on where your heart is. If you are only prepping to hunker down and do nothing to help others for several years, then I would say you need to rethink your priorities. Obviously, you can’t help everyone, and to maintain OPSEC, you shouldn’t broadcast your intentions to someone who is potentially violent, but we are called to help our fellow man also. Even Jim Rawles, who has wisely and repeatedly preached about the importance of maintaining OPSEC in the future, included a scene in one of his novels about a bugout group who lets a small family of refugees join them. So, each refugee who shows up at your doorstep needs to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Some people will reveal their violent intentions immediately, and will need to be kept at arm’s length. Others may prove themselves over time. You may allow still others to join you, after prayer and discussion, in a short amount of time.

Still, the nagging question remains: Does the Bible support prepping or not? If so, how should we use our supplies? Actually, there are many verses that not only advocate prepping but severely scold those who don’t. For example, Proverbs 11:26 tells us, “people curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.” So, if you’re a prepper who stocks up on grain and other goods and get criticized for it, don’t feel so bad—human nature hasn’t changed in centuries! Notice the second part of the verse– that we should also be willing to sell, or possibly to barter. In some cases, we should even give some of our goods away. Verse 24 of that same chapter says, “one man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” So, by either selling, bartering, or in some cases freely giving, there are blessings of increase that God gives us somehow, somewhere. In what forms will these blessings come? They could be physical, material, or spiritual. These blessings could come in the form of protection from attack, increase, and protection of your harvest, your livestock, or more.

One of the most famous Bible stories related to prepping is that of Joseph. In Genesis 41, God enabled Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams of seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine. As a result, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of grain collection. Later on, when the famine hit, Joseph sold grain to both Egyptians and foreigners, including his father, Jacob, and his brothers. This enabled Joseph’s family to survive the difficult times. Therefore, we learn in this story that, in some cases, God actually warns us ahead of time about future famines and provides the solution to overcoming it, if we are wise enough to take action.

In fact, when it comes to prepping, the Bible specifically tells us to take action and not be lazy. Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” So, even the lowly ant is commended for storing food. How much more should we, who are created in God’s image, do? In contrast to the wise ant, the “sluggard,” or non-prepper is severely scolded: “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” (Proverbs 6:10-11). So, not only are preppers praised in the Bible, but non-preppers are described as the modern equivalent of lazy bums.

Notice also the reference to the ant storing up provisions during the summer. Summer represents a time of plenty, when food is readily available for storing. In the same sense, summer symbolizes “normal” times, when food is both readily available and can still be purchased for relatively reasonable prices. Right now, even though food prices have gone up quite a bit in the past year or two, there is still an opportunity for most of us to purchase extra food to put away for a rainy day. However, there is no guarantee how long this window of opportunity will last. At any moment, supermarkets could be closed or looted due to any number of events, such as economic collapse, riots, terrorist attacks, or pandemics.

Jesus himself told us, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. ” (John 9:4). This verse symbolizes truths on several levels, from spiritual to physical. Spiritually speaking, night is coming, when you need to be right with God before you die or the second coming, whichever comes first. You also need to be emotionally prepared for “night,” which could come in the form of an economic collapse, wars, uprisings, famine, disease, and other tribulation events. When it comes to physical preparation, though, keep in mind that night is also coming, when you won’t be able to buy groceries and other supplies any more. You may be able to buy and/or barter with another wise person who lives down the road from you. In so doing, you will help forge a bond of friendship with others in your community to help ensure your mutual survival.

In the future, community will become extremely important, as we all share our talents, and in some cases, resources to help ride out the wave of collapse and lawlessness that will sweep through the land. So, prepping also gives the added benefit of enlisting allies to help defend you and others, by either bartering or helping the needy, while maintaining OPSEC at the same time. So, the next time some sharp-tongued cynic mocks you for your prepping, quietly move on to what you are called to do to prepare for future events. The next time someone twists a Bible verse out of context to belittle your preparations, continue your physical and spiritual preparation for the dark days ahead, confident that the Scriptures actually back you up, and powerfully so. If more of us would simply prepare now, while it is day, we will have the opportunity to shine as a light of hope for multitudes of destitute and hopeless people in the coming night of tribulation.

Letter Re: Self Directed IRA

The topic of self directed IRAs has been one of great popularity on SurvivalBlog– especially the LLC IRA, whereby the individual can take home delivery of precious metals owned by the IRA and/or invest in almost anything he wants without approval or oversight.

  We offer this piece to provide clarification on the taxable nature of distributions as expressed in this recent letter.  It often makes sense for an individual to setup an LLC IRA to take his assets off grid, rather than take an often 50% tax hit on the entire account.  However, when retirement age is reached, how does one take distributions of these assets from the self-directed IRA?

Just to recap, a self-directed IRA is established when an individual wants to take control of the assets in his retirement account.  An LLC IRA is a type of self-directed IRA that adds another series of benefits to the account.  A few of the benefits include: legal asset protection, investment flexibility without approval from a trustee, and the framework allowing at home storage of certain precious metals.

  Once setup, the individual manages the LLC IRA investment company, including investment direction and storage of assets.  The trustee acts as a silent custodian, and the individual maintains complete checkbook control of the account.  At this point there is neither government oversight nor control of the assets.  It is up to the individual to stay within the law and ultimately report taxable distributions once they come due at retirement.  

Upon attaining age 59.5 taxable (assuming non-ROTH) distributions are allowable from the account, and at age 70.5 they become mandatory.  At either age the individual will begin taking assets out of the IRA and claiming them as personal property.  Typically, this is done in a schedule whereby a percentage of the account value or a fixed dollar value amount is withdrawn each year.  This is simple to plan, if the distributions will be in cash, but what if the LLC IRA owns real estate, physical precious metals under the mattress, or other tangible assets?

The important aspect to grasp here is title ownership.  Contrary to common belief, one can own a percentage of an asset shared with his IRA.  Think of it like this: Before distributions, the IRA owns 100% of the account.  Let’s say one plans to draw down the account by 10% per year.  After the first distribution, the individual owns 10% and the IRA maintains ownership of 90%.  After the second annual distribution, the individual owns 20% and the IRA owns 80%, and so on.  If the asset is a piece of real estate, the individual is merely changing the percentage of title ownership with each annual distribution.  The individual will claim each annual distribution as a taxable withdrawal of a dollar amount matching the percentage value of property which has changed hands.   In this example, the ownership of the account itself (or property) is changed each year via percentage distributions. 

Precious metals can be distributed in a slightly different manner.  Let’s assume that Mary has 10,000 ounces of silver buried in her garden, all of which are owned by her LLC IRA.  She just turned 70.5 and is now forced to take taxable distributions from her account.  At this point she must follow a schedule of annual distributions of a dollar amount, based on the value of her account each year at the time of distribution.  She will simply take the dollar amount of her required distribution and divide by the per-ounce spot price of silver and remove that many ounces from her LLC IRA stack and move them to her personal stack.  She has effectively changed the title ownership of those ounces she removed.  In this case, her IRA still owns 100% of the stack in her garden, only the stack will get smaller every year.

  People pursue the LLC IRA not for greater tax advantages, but for more control and flexibility with their retirement account.  If the fiat dollar system completely collapses, some argue that taxes will be the last thing of concern.  If government tyranny rises to a level never seen on our soil and IRA account confiscation begins, some say they’d rather be able to fight for what’s legally theirs rather than watch it be taken away with the click of a mouse. –  Will Lehr of Perpetual Assets

Economics and Investing:

Creator of ‘Liberty Dollar’ Sentenced to Home Detention

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Thanksgiving weekend sales fall 11%: NRF

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The New Depression: 5 Decades in the Making and No End in Sight

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

The Incredible Shrinking Incomes of Young Americans – A good article, but the author (like many) clearly misunderstands this to be a real recovery and thus is puzzled by this. They also don’t understand that falling prices, because of increased production, doesn’t cause a loss of jobs if we had a true, free market economy.

‘Near Perfect’ Indicator That Precedes Almost Every Stock Market Correction Is Flashing A Warning Signal

Odds ‘n Sods:

Austin Police Chief: ‘Spy on your neighbors, if they have guns turn them in’. – D.S.

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19 Signs That You Live In A Country That Has Gone Completely Insane. – H.L.

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Police Video: Judge obviously fails sobriety test – (The court still drops her DUI charges.)

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UK ‘Drifting Towards Police State’, Free Speech in Peril Says Top Cop. – G.P.

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San Francisco passes retail worker ‘bill of rights’ . – RBS

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, [which] shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” – Isaiah 62:6-7 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – December 06, 2014

Book Bomb Day is December 30, 2014: Tools for Survival: What You Need to Survive When You’re on Your Own

Now available for pre-ordering at Amazon.com, but I’d prefer that you wait for December 30th to order: Tools for Survival: What You Need to Survive When You’re on Your Own. This book is a guide to the selection, use, and care of tools. It will also be available as an e-book and audiobook. -JWR

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Today, we present another entry for Round 56 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 $448.95) 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 $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 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 Instituteis 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,
  9. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  10. 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. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208,
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 value).

Round 56 ends on January 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.

Prepping While Commuting To Work, by A Minute Man

I live on the megalopolis east coast in an old New England mill city. The large city near me is usually considered to be one of the five most expensive urban areas to live in America. I’m lucky; I have a job. My daily commute is about 15 miles from where I live, and it takes me about 40 minutes each way on a good day. This commute takes me through seven suburban cities, on the back roads as well as the main city streets. The local interstate is too gridlocked to use for the morning commute. Before you feel badly for me for my daily commute, let me tell you about the things that I see, pick up, and put in my pickup truck on my daily ride. As I like to say, every day is trash day somewhere!

These “Found” Items include:

  • Glass Wash Board (I hear that the “country” look is going out of style. Well, that may be true for some people. It was worth $35 when I went to the company that made its website. It was marked $10 with a yard sale tag. The glass is unbroken.)
  • Water Hoses (There are too many to collect. I see so many of these that I only even look at the rubber ones now. Vinyl isn’t final.)
  • Kids Wading Pools (These are around at the end of the summer, and they make good raised garden beds I’m told.
  • Flowerpots
  • Baseball Bats (One of mine is a Johnny Bench model; it could even be a collectible!)
  • Plastic Containers (many types)
  • Closet Maid Shelving
  • Plastic Picnic Coolers (I see too many to collect them all. A little cleanser and some bleach works wonders. Some people use them as storage or bury items in them.)
  • White 5-gallon Buckets (These old buckets are useful, as long as you’re not using them for food.)
  • Contractor-grade Wheelbarrow (It was rusty but usable.)
  • Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink (There’s nothing wrong with it. Someone was just upgrading.)
  • X-Country Skis/ Downhill Skis/ Sleds (no toboggans!)
  • Yard Tools (These include shovels, rakes, and handles.)
  • PVC Pipe
  • Windows
  • Gas Cans (with non-EPA approved nozzles that are easy to use and work)
  • Scrap Wood and Plywood
  • Yellow Mop Buckets with Wringer (These are multipurpose items, which could also could be part of my clothes washing machine someday.)
  • Wooden Clothes Hanging Racks
  • Popcorn Tins (These are usually seen in January and February, after the holidays. I line them with bubble wrap and use them as Faraday Cages. Some have cute puppies on the outside, too! These tins used to be larger in the past, but these will do.)
  • Canning Jars

I never drive out of my way. I’m not cruising around the neighborhoods looking for stuff, like the scrap metal collectors do. I’m just driving to work. I know what I need, and when I see something and it’s safe to stop to get it, I do so. It makes the commute much more enjoyable when you approach the ride each day with a treasure hunting “what–am-I-going–to-find–today” mental outlook. I also look for the yard sales signs and the For Sale/Sold signs on houses as clues to upcoming opportunities. Nothing feels better than to take an item off my list that I paid either nothing or very little for.

Some of you may find what I do to be distasteful. I don’t. I‘m not taking filthy or broken items, and I’m not digging around for anything. Nor am I making any mess. Most people leave the usable stuff off to the side. They know what they are doing, and they are trying to make it easy for people like me. If I see someone on the property, I ask them. I don’t assume. If I don’t see anyone, I always look at the house after loading up and say aloud, “Thank you.” One of the few (and, trust me, there are a lot of) responsible things that I have always done is recycle. This material is heading for a landfill, and there is nothing wrong with anything that I take except that the people who bought it got tired of it or now no longer have a use for it.

Understand too that my means to prepare for what I see coming down the road is limited. Currently, I’m alone on this ride, and there is only one very middle class paycheck coming in. By gathering the things that I may need in this manner, I have the resources that I need to buy other items and still have these preparations that I otherwise could not or would choose not to have. These other items can usually be found in grocery stores.

I’m sharing this with you not to boast on what I have but to perhaps give you some ideas how you too can prepare without taking out a second mortgage. I have read this website for years, and I would like to give back to it and to all of you for the knowledge and ideas that you’ve given to me.

Some of my Recent Yard Sale, Weapon Show, Antique Auction, and Flea Market finds include:

  • Brand new condition USGI MS65 Field Jacket in Woodland pattern – $20
  • Brand new, never used Coleman lantern with two new Coleman mantles in a Coleman plastic case- $5.00 (The case alone is worth $10, and the two new mantles are probably worth $2.50.)
  • Hand tools – Craftsman wrenches and screwdrivers – Nicholson files – $1.00 each
  • Scythe – $8 (It’s at least 100 years old. A little mineral oil on the wood and it’s beautiful. I won second place using it as part of my Halloween costume. I got a $30 coffee gift card as the prize. Want to guess what I went the party as? Perhaps it was a case of “art” imitating “life” one future day.)
  • Junk silver coins from flea market dealers – (They’re usually a bit over what I can get junk silver for online, but it’s a cash no-paper and I-can-see-the-coins transaction.)
  • Kelvar helmet – $30 (USGI issue. Yes, it’s a bit dorky, but it’s better to have and not need than the alternative. Also, next Halloween I could be G.I. Joe, and if I win a costume prize again, it’s free.)
  • National Guard digital camo pattern backpack – $5 (USGI and in really nice shape. After I washed it twice, the cigarette smell came out of it. A really great bug-out bag for that money. A similar one was about $25 – $30 in a recent catalog of a company that you might know. See “Lantern” above.)
  • Three, used, very good shape USGI Woodland Pattern shirts – $15 total (“These will be great for paintball,” said I when I bought them.)
  • Nylon woodland pattern poncho – $2 (There was no label, but the heavy duty grommets and the material it’s made of gives it away. It looks brand new. It sure looks and feels just like my USGI Vietnam era one. I wish the guy had 10 more.)
  • Three metal green (period) 50MM ammo cans – $10 each. (There were not a lot of stenciled military codes on the side. They look brand new. I’m not sure if they are USGI or not, but at that price I took them all. The plastic ones cost almost this much.)
  • Larger square ammo cans – $15 each. (You see these around from times to time. They are slightly larger than a milk crate with a gasket in the lid and a clamp on all four sides. They‘re usually light grey. I buy every one that I see. Like someone said to me about these cans, “Do you know how much it would cost to make these today?” Exactly. One thing about mil spec is that it’s made to military specifications for use in war and general mayhem.)
  • One-quart canteen covers – USGI – like new – $2 each.
  • USGI used canteen cup – $2
  • USGI Pistol belts – $5
  • Ammo holder with the two side pockets – $3. (USGI and in brand new condition. Go ask ALICE! They fit the 30 rounders or so I’m told, as I can’t have these magazines here.)
  • Two saws – A one man and a two man – $15 for both (They will look good “on the wall” of “the cabin” someday.)
  • Canning Jars – seven cases for $5 total
  • Large Ice tongs – $5 (These are about the same size that Curly takes a frozen Larry out of the back of the Hook, Line, and Sinker fish truck with.)
  • Dietz Kerosene Lantern – Little Wizard model. $7 (It might have been used once. The Little Wizard is one of the larger capacity models of the Dietz line. It had a red globe, but the Amish took care of that for me. Now I have a spare globe that I can use as a signal lamp if I ever have to climb a nearby steeple’s stairs for Act 2.)
  • Two 20” front bike wheels with inflated tires – $10 (They’re all ready for the garden cart I plan to make. The no-flat tire upgrade has some pluses and minuses. I usually find a can of Tire Slime at yard sales for a $1. I stopped collecting Tire Slime at four cans.)
  • Three brand new, USGI canteens with the gas mask straw holes in the top cover – $2 each. (The guy at the gun show said he was selling a lot of them. I wonder why?)
  • Blood Pressure Cuff – $7 used (I bought it for the medical kit.)
  • Alaskan Ulu knife with a wooden cutting board on one side and a chopping bowl on the other side – brand new in the box for $10 (A friend just came back from AK. He told me what this costs up there.)
  • Two brand new, black, Schwinn pannier bags that hook on to a rear bike carrier over the back wheel – $10 for the set (I had to cut the plastic and cardboard off the packing material to get them apart. These were on the ground next to the Ulu. I really loved that booth!)
  • Three USGI Woolen Blankets – $10 for all three blankets. (These were used but were in amazing shape. They are still inside my truck with the Hudson Bay Point blanket that I purchased for $65 at an antique shop. No fabric item comes inside my house unless it’s going straight to the washing machine and then into the dryer. It’s the dryer heat that will kill any little critters. With wool, this is harder to do, and dry cleaning shops are not very kind to a middle-class budget.)
  • Cans of spray paint in earth tones of green, brown, and tan. Also flat black – $1 per can (I buy as many of them as I see.)
  • Axes – $3-5 (Old steel is usually high carbon American-made steel.)
  • Cast iron 8” frying pan, new in the package -$4 (It was made in China; well, nothing is perfect.)
  • USGI Mosquito netting, yards of it – $2

Alas! Some items got away for various reasons.

What Got Away, included:

  • Two Peavey hooks (These were sold before I could get to the booth from the parking lot.)
  • Plastic wedges for tree cutting (The ones that I saw looked like they had a tree fall on them. What was I thinking?)
  • Gas cans (They are usually plastic, but I have seen a few metal ones too. There were no EPA nozzles on these either.)
  • Speaking of ALICE, there are too many packs and frames to count. How many can I have?
  • The Korean War era USGI packboards (They’re not very comfortable to wear but great to pack things, like chain saws and even small outboard motors. I saw one once for $5, and I passed on it. I still think about it. I need to buy the next one I see, if only so I can forgive myself.)
  • A Kelty pack and frame from the 1970’s, with an asking price of $10 (It was fire truck red, and the Kelty’s were never very waterproof, so I passed. In the day, these were $40-60 packs.)
  • Blue Enamel Canning Pot (I should have picked this up for the $5 that the auctioneer was asking.)
  • Two used, USGI Artic canteens with covers – $10.00 each (That’s half of the cheapest catalog price that I’ve ever seen.)
  • An 8 or 10 inch x 4” sharpening stone (I didn’t want to wait around for it to come up at the auction.)
  • There is a lot of usable, good, wooden furniture that gets tossed out weekly. The same is true with the resin yard furniture. I‘ve seen resin that looked brand new and was not a stained mess on the side of the road. I don’t touch cribs, mattresses, or upholstered furniture.
  • USGI woodland pattern pants– W 31-35 / Short (I see them, but they are either too used or are too expensive for my blood. Got any?)
  • Froe – a tool to make wooden shingles with (I’m on the hunt for one. I know what the Amish have and that they’re looking for it. Knowing the catalog prices of items really helps you and also knowing when to make “the buy” with confidence– early in the morning when it’s really cool or too warm, the seller might not have had his coffee yet and might not be sure of his price. This is how I got a drawknife for $10 that three people asked me to sell to them while I walked around the same field later that morning.)
  • Side handle police batons (These used to be everywhere in the catalogs; now they have vanished. I’d like to upgrade.)
  • Two used Thermo-Rest inflatable mattresses with a repair kit – $20.00 (They were orange; I have a few already.)

Final Thoughts

The people who are tossing or selling this material don’t see or don’t understand the value in what they are getting rid of, like we do. It’s just stuff they can make a buck or two on or get some clear space in the basement or the garage. As far as their prices go, they don’t read the same catalogs that we do. Let them keep their latest model smart phones, electric can openers, $40,000+ pickup trucks, and 55-inch TVs. They can sell me their Grandma’s old junk for pennies on the dollar or just let me take it away for them.

Look around and realize what’s happening. Always remember that even if you are able only to do a very little, what you are doing and understanding is more than 85% of the people among us are doing or care to even try to comprehend. I do not write this with superiority or glee but with concern and sadness.

Get set, get ready, be safe, and keep your top knot. Let us hope never to need many of the items we now gather or ever have to experience the future that appears to be looming. Also, whistle on your way to work.

Letter Re: How To Obtain Protein From Alternative Sources Without A Firearm

Just a note about small animals: Don’t count on them for the bulk of your diet.

Take for example crayfish: The calories for your effort may be very small. There are approximately 3.5 calories in a crayfish tail. (There’s more if you eat the head but not much more.) I’ve seen traps bring in around 50 crayfish on a good day. Therefore, for enough crayfish for a 350 calorie snack, you’ll need at least two traps, and that’s on a good day. Double that for average days.

If you want 1/4th of your calories of a family of four to be crawfish on a 3,000 calorie diet (I consider 3,000 a minimum, given the extra calories being expended during TEOTWAWKI), you need to catch 857 crayfish per day, using about 34 traps! When you also consider that you’ll also expend calories trapping and shelling almost 900 crawfish, it gets exhausting quick.

Also, pray your traps aren’t robbed.

Crawfish make a good food that can balance out the routine of your food rations. They also have a nice quantity of vitamins and minerals. Don’t count on them so much for your daily bread, but they do play a good role in your diet.

This just highlights the need to raise animals at home in addition to what you hunt in the wild.

C.D.V.

Economics and Investing:

JPMorgan Rushed to Hire Trader Who Suggested on His Resume That He Knew How to Game Electric Markets. – P.M.

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The Morality and Legality of Debt Jubilee

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

David Stockman: How The Federal Debt Went From $1 Trillion To $18 Trillion in 33 Years – Interesting since Stockman was the budget director the day we passed the $1 trillion mark.

Plummeting Oil Prices Could Destroy The Banks That Are Holding Trillions In Commodity Derivatives

It’s Official: America is Now No. 2

Odds ‘n Sods:

Use Enough Club: Golfer Killed by 12 foot ( 3.9m) Crocodile in South Africa Park. – T.P.

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Ukraine Goes Full Orwell, Unleashes “Ministry Of Truth”. – H.L.

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Birds to be trained to bring down drones?. – G.P.

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Americans Bought More Guns Than Flat Screen TV’s On Black Friday. – B.B.

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How police stripped ‘patriots’ of their guns and threatened them with arrest as they guarded businesses in Ferguson – but let rioters set fire to building after building. – T.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” Genesis 32:28 (KJV)