Notes from HJL:

Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  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. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand,
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589.
  3. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  4. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P .),
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  8. EP Lowers, makers of 80% complete fiber composite polymer lowers for the AR-15 rifles, is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepperis providing a $500 gift certificate.

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. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. 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.

Round 51 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.

Econ 101 for Open Eyes, by Little Fish

It has been interesting following the various offerings on this blog having to do with economics, physical possession of precious metals (PMs), IRAs, and such. I believe I have some things to add to the conversation that I have not seen mentioned before and that may be of interest to “preppers”.

By way of introduction I consider myself a “survivalist.” I have a degree in Business Economics from a major university. Furthermore, I have been working in the world of banking/finance for the past 30 years. What I am about to offer does not constitute investment or tax advice, rather it’s my view of things from my little corner of the world. I have nothing to sell and no affilition with anyone who does. We may disagree on some terminology or exact numbers, so it is my hope that we can focus on the big picture and what it paints rather than disputed minutia.

How is the economy really doing?

The debt this country now carries, as well as the debt of most civilized countries of the world, not to mention the unfunded liabilities cannot be repaid, ever! Since the near collapse of 2007-2008, the stock market has been fueled (pumped up) by the flow of printed money (Quantitative Easing 1, 2, 3, and 4; operation twist; bail outs; et cetera) rather than by corporate earnings. The money isn’t really even printed any more; it’s electronic.

Allow me to explain how Quantitative Easing (QE) works. We have recently been functioning with both QE 3 and QE 4 running simultaneously to the tune of $85 billion per month. The “tapering” down that has recently occurred represents $10 billion per month. So, between the two we are now at $75 billion per month. The mechanics of that are this: Every month the U.S. Treasury (UST) electronically creates (out of thin air) $85 billion (or $75 billion at the moment) U.S. dollars. They wire this amount to a private entity, known as the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Federal Reserve then uses part of that money to buy U.S. treasuries (back from the U.S. Treasury) and part goes to large banks to buy troubled mortgage-backed securities from them. The Federal Reserve then owns those investments. When the banks “sell” their assets to the Federal Reserve, they take billions of dollars a month in cash that they are supposed to be lending out to stimulate the economy, yet large amounts end up going to buy stocks. Those “inflows” are why the stock market went up for several years in a row.

If you didn’t follow that explanation, let me make it simpler. The U.S. Treasury uses computers to digitally create “money,” then wires it to the Federal Reserve, who uses that “money” to buy bonds that the UST is selling. Thereby, the UST gets the “money” back for “selling” the bonds all to keep the government afloat. If you or I did that, we would be put in jail in short order and rightly so.

Now let’s look at the cumulative effect of this. Let’s set aside all the bailouts– Fannie, Freddie, AIG, GM, and so on. Let’s set aside QE 1, QE 2, operation twist, and so on. We also will set aside the debt going into 2007. Aside from all the previously mentioned financial manipulations and indebtedness, QE 3 has been running for 15 months and QE 4 for 12 month. So, that is approximately $1.170 Trillion dollars “printed” to prop up our government in just the last 15 months! Wait, there is more (and you thought there was a “recovery”).

Where did that $1.170 trillion dollars go? It is part of the investment portfolio of bonds and mortgages that the Fed owns, right? The Fed receives interest and principal payments for maturities of those bonds every month (just as you would if you owned them). How much is that? I don’t know for sure, but the Fed just recently announced that their total portfolio is about $4 trillion. While we don’t know what their average yield is, what percentage of the portfolio is “nonperforming”? My guess is that their entire portfolio brings in about $60 BILLION in income and maturities PER MONTH! (I believe that estimate to be on the low side.)

What does the Fed do with that money? They buy more U.S. Treasuries. Let’s add that to the mix $60B + $85B = $145B. Right! It is taking $145 BILLION DOLLARS PER MONTH to keep the wheels on. That is approximately (just shy of) $2 TRILLION DOLLARS that has been “printed” in the last 15 months, just to prop up our government. This, of course, is in addition to tax receipts and bond sales to entities other than the Fed.

Why are some people “defunding” retirement accounts?

For one reason the “math” above scares the dickens out of them.

I believe that with the flip of a switch, the government could “nationalize” all IRA’s, 401k’s, 403b’s, and so on. Possibly, you’re the optimist of the family, and you don’t think the government is going to steal your retirement funds. You think “they” are going to turn this ship around without an economic collapse. With that outlook, why then have money in an IRA account? The answer is “deferral,” meaning you are deferring the payment of taxes due on those assets to a later date. So, by not paying the taxes now, you have more money in the account and invested.

When talking about traditional IRA’s, what I tell people (no matter what their age) is not to think it’s all yours; it’s not. You have a partner in that account by the name of Uncle Sam. Part of the assets belong to you and part belong to Uncle Sam. Your job is to figure out how to buy out your “partner” as cheaply as possible.

In accounting language, we “recognize” there is a tax liability associated with the money in our IRA, but we choose to not “realize” it until a later date. Again, why? Well historically, the assumptions to that decision are 1) that when we retire (stop drawing a paycheck) and start taking income from the IRA, our marginal tax rate will be lower than it was when we were working, so we will get by with paying less tax on the distributions, and 2) that inflation will stay more or less the same. The “economic real rate of return” is your gains on investment minus taxes and inflation. So, say your IRA gains 8% in a year. It’s growing tax deferred (no taxes now) and inflation is 3%. Your economic real rate of return is 5% (8% minus 3%). Make sense?

How does this “blow up”?

  1. If things keep humming along and TPTB can keep things cobbled together, the only option to pay debt is to raise taxes. We are not going to “grow” our way out of this. My friend, who emigrated from Finland, told me that when he left he was paying taxes at the 85% marginal bracket. Here in the U.S., if you take an IRA withdrawal now and pay 30% in taxes, you obviously keep 70%. However, if in ten years you would pay 60% in taxes, then by taking your money out now and buying out “your partner” now, you would be WAY ahead. If things stay together, tax rates will go up. Conventional wisdom is to plan that, at worst, when you retire your withdrawals will be taxed at the same rate as when you were working. Nobody wants to get their head around the possibility of tax rates being double (or more) in ten or fifteen years.
  2. Inflation. Let’s say that the money supply is five trillion U.S. dollars. Then, five trillion more dollars are printed. Since dollars are only backed by “the full faith and credit of the U.S. government” rather than gold, the value of the existing dollars in circulation is cut in half. That leads to inflation. To say it another way, “the time value of money” means dollars today are worth more than dollars will be tomorrow, even in normal inflation. However, with inflation of 25% per year, a candy bar costing a buck at the beginning of the year can be purchased in a quantity of 100 with $100. At the end of the year that same $100 will buy only 75 candy bars. The dollars at the beginning of the year were more valuable than the ones at the end of the year. Dollars that you withdraw from an IRA today will have more purchasing power than dollars you withdraw later. You might reply that that is okay because the money in your IRA is invested and growing. That’s fine, but they could be invested and growing outside an IRA account also, with no partner to take a portion of all of your gains.

When you take the pieces of paper known as dollars and convert them to hard assets that store value (not to mention that can go up or cost more later), it can be a good investment. I did this with dog food. We purchased a year’s worth of dog food at first and tracked it. The inflation of dog food that year ran 16%. So by purchasing it in advance, our “internal rate of return” was 16%, with the only risk being if it got infested or for some reason couldn’t be used. That’s a pretty low risk proposition for that rate of return.

Roth IRA Conversion

Some people with traditional IRA’s are eligible to convert them to Roth IRA’s. You pay taxes when you convert, so you succeed at buying out your partner, but typically they are not suited to physical possession.

10% Penalty for Early Withdrawal

In my mind that penalty is simply the cost of playing the game. If the asset is only “recognized,” then it is merely on paper. You have to “realize” it in order to take possession (save the IRA LLC referenced below). The taxes (as above) were not created by taking a distribution; they have always been there. You just decided to buy out your partner now. Alternatively, you can look at the 10% penalty as insurance that you will always have control of those assets.

What about the IRA LLC vehicle that was mentioned in Will Lehr’s recent blog article, I will admit to only knowing as much about the subject as he and his web site provides. It’s an interesting concept and would seem to be most beneficial to investors with large IRA balances. That way you could justify the upfront legal fees. I agree that if you start defunding an IRA with multiple six figure balances, you are going to experience tax bracket “creep” and get hit awfully hard with taxes. My philosophy on that is that if you are not paying taxes or are in the 15% marginal tax bracket and you have an IRA, you should absolutely be taking distributions to fill up the 15% “bucket,” at a minimum. Don’t ever expect to get off paying taxes at a rate of less than 15%.

What I like about the IRA LLC vehicle is that it is:

  1. Invested in Precious Metals, and
  2. Allows for physical possession without taxation. Remember if you can’t touch it, stack it, and count it, then you don’t own it.

My concerns would be:

  1. That is a pretty rare and sophisticated way to manage IRA assets, and this creates some questions that I don’t have answers for. Would the IRS view that as “hiding” or attempting to “hide” assets? Wouldn’t the IRS then know that you have PM’s in your possession?
  2. In the IRA LLC, you have not “bought out” your partner Uncle Sam. If you do very well and double your money, you have just doubled “Uncle Sam’s” take also. If tax rates go up in the future, you take the hit for that.

After a review of their web site, here are my thoughts, considerations, and unanswered questions regarding the IRA LLC:

  1. Are you required to purchase your PM’s from Perpetual Assets? I would guess, yes.
  2. I noted that as of this writing, their commission charges for a one ounce Gold Eagle is 5.2%. I personally don’t think that is out of line, but it is a factor to consider. If you have to purchase your PM’s from them, then the fees/costs were not fully disclosed.
  3. Do you have to sell to them?
  4. Is there also a charge to sell?
  5. Are there charges, other than shipping, for taking physical possession?

In fairness Mr. Lehr said up front, “This platform has its pros and cons”.

I hope my thoughts and observations will be helpful. I recognize they are certainly a departure from what the main stream financial media is spoon feeding the sheeple.

Good luck and God bless.

Letter Re: Setting Up a Sickroom

Sir:
The author of “Setting Up a Sickroom” provided much valuable information. One tip, however, is not supported by the last 30 years of medical evidence. Side rails on a bed are known to double the incidence of falls in health care facilities, and these falls result in greater injury. The evidence is so compelling that hospital accreditation agencies will ask for corrective action, if they find indiscriminate use of bed side rails. Delirious or demented people who are intent on exiting the bed unassisted will do so, and they have more to trip them up, turn them upside down, and farther to fall with side rails. One of the most common reasons for sick people to try to get up on their own is a full bladder. Offering a means of toileting every couple of hours reduces more falls than side rails on the bed.

I am a geriatric physician (either way you interpret the term), who has studied this issue and participated in countless root-cause analyses of hospital fall incidents. Regards, – Kris

Hugh Replies: It’s important to remember that much of the research that we see regarding this kind of thing is targeted towards institutions and the problems they tend to have with staffing. Side rails can be critical in keeping a patient from rolling out of bed. However, if you have a patient that wants out of bed and no one is there to help them, they will crawl over the side rail. That’s where the accidents happen. Is the siderail really the problem? Or is it the lack of attention to the patient. Institutions, like hospitals and nursing homes, tend to run staffing on the ragged edge of what’s acceptable, and they make decisions based upon lawsuits. As a firefighter, I am appalled that we are losing access to our backboards. When we suspect neck/back injury, we board the patient for extraction and transportation. Upon arrival at the ER, we transfer custody of the patient to the ER staff. I do not want to disparage the staffing at hospitals, but if the patient is receiving damage because they spend 10 hours strapped to the backboard, is that really the fault of the EMT/fire personnel? Yet, because patients have sued over such damage, we will soon lose the ability to use backboards. Yes, statistically, the backboards do damage, but it’s because of misuse rather than proper use. Sometimes I wonder if the suits who make the decisions have ever seen (let alone participated in) removing a patient from the bottom of a 20 foot deep ravine.

As we set up our own emergency/medical stations, we should make decisions based upon sound practice, good medicine, and common sense rather than lawsuits. It’s not enough just to set up a sickroom, but we need to have procedures in place that make sure those who must utilize those facilities receive adequate care. If your patient is receiving the care they need, there should be no need for them to climb out of bed over side rails by themselves. Likewise, if you are misusing a side rail to keep a lucid patient in bed, you really need to change your procedures.

Letter: Night Soil

In a total grid down situation, night soil (fertilizer from human feces) will once again become a valuable trade commodity. None the less, I have estimated that a hill of corn needs about the daily output of two adults to obtain a good crop. This was based on the dried remains of one hound dog. I had to do something with the mess out in the yard, and burying it under a hill of corn grew a crop. This corn was planted on almost pure sandy ground. More of course would most likely work. NE Utah water tends to be the limiting factor. About 365 cat holes out in the patch could keep a small family alive. How you get it there, I leave to you to figure out. A 5-gallon pail with a seat is my plan. Corn still is one of the higher calorie crops that can be planted, grown, and harvested with pure hand tools. Do look up Nixtamalization using wood ash. The corn patch will not be used for root crops and would go into a legume type rotation before I plan to eat root crops or those that might come in close contact with the soil. For another aspect, look up the Three Sisters from the Native American cultures. From my reading the Natives would not use any type of manure because it affected the taste of the corn. Also Google Painted Mountain Corn. Once you taste corn bread made from Indian Corn, you say, “Yummy.” – CM

HJL Replies: Please see the many warnings in SurvivalBlog’s archives on using human fertilizer (night soil) for plants that are to be used for human consumption. Also, any night soil used for ornamental plants should be thoroughly composted before using and buried at least six inches deep.

Economics and Investing:

Personal income faces first year-over-year drop since recession ended: As incomes collapse, spending via consumer credit begins to increase. – GLC

o o o

Bitcoin has taken a blow recently as Mt. Gox, once the worlds biggest bitcoin exchange has stopped trading.

Items from The Economatrix:

Jim Willie: We Are Well Past the 11th Hour, The Global Currency Reset Looms!

This Will Stun The World & Bring Chaos To Global Markets

Gov Report: Up To ONE MILLION Jobs Will Be Lost Due to Minimum Wage Hike

Global Economy Collapses Despite 4th “Warmest” January On Record

Odds ‘n Sods:

RBK sent in a link to this set of maps. Agenda 21 and NWO plans for USA by 2050.

o o o

Along with the draught in the Southwest and the draining of the Ogallala Aquifer, it seems Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida are fighting over water.

o o o

RBS sent in this link to Why I want a microchip implant. Having a family member with Alzheimers, I understand why you might want one of these, but this guy is just nuts. Next thing you know, there will be a bill to make you implant one for your shiny new Aramtix.

o o o

Vvego International has announced their new T-1 Boot Blade that looks pretty interesting. It doesn’t look a a standard blade and you can wear more places than just your boot.

o o o

M.A. sent in this link: Florida City Threatens Woman For Living Off the Grid. Apparently, you are only considered livable if you have running water and electricity and it doesn’t count unless you purchase them from the City.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of somebody, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.” – President Woodrow Wilson, “The New Freedom”, p. 5.

Notes from HJL:

Don’t forget that JRH Enterprises is having a sale on their New PVS14 Gen 3+ Pinnacle Autogated ITT Night vision units with a 10 YEAR warranty for $2,595.00. In addition to the standard accessories, they are throwing in a weapons mount and a light Interference Filter (LIF) at no additional charge.

o o o

Also, an announcement from Ready Made Resources. For the remainder of this week, they will honor the 15 dimes per $100 in Mountain House Foods. After this week, they will go to 13 dimes per $100 due to the rising silver prices. (15 dimes are equivalent to $26.40)

o o o

Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  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. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand,
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589.
  3. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  4. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P .),
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  8. EP Lowers, makers of 80% complete fiber composite polymer lowers for the AR-15 rifles, is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  9. Autrey’s Armory — specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepperis providing a $500 gift certificate.

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. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. 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.

Round 51 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.

Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment of the Flu Virus, by JJE

Viruses are hitchhikers, and they love us. They love everything about us. We provide the perfect environment for them; we are warm, cozy, and moist, and we transport them exactly where they want to be. As my mother would say, we are the “Hostess with the Mostest”. Some viruses even like the same foods and drinks (water) that we like. They are sneaky little buggers. We hardly know they are there. However, with the right precautions and awareness, we can protect ourselves and others by preventing transmission and treating an infection properly. I would love to talk about how to treat and avoid every viral and bacterial infection to prepare you for when the SHTF, but to honor this flu season I will mainly talk about transmission and treatment of Influenza A, B, and C (also known as the flu). I am a Registered Nurse, and every other patient I currently treat has the flu. I will talk about the chain of events that lead to virus transmission, routes of transmission, how to treat viruses (such as the flu for when the “what if” happens without modern day medicine), and the use of herbal teas for SHTF medical care.

Transmission of a virus is a very simple yet vigorous cycle. To stop the transmission, you simply break a link in the chain of events. The transmission of a virus, such as the flu involves the following stages:

  1. Escape from the host or reservoir of infection,
  2. Transport to the new host,
  3. Entry to the new host, and
  4. Escape from the new host.

On a typical day, you head into work. You open the door to your building, wave at coworkers as you pass by, and make your way to your office, where you will sit and enjoy your coffee and quick breakfast before your busy day begins. Today, you will be interviewing a few new potential employees, and the first should be arriving shortly. (At this point, enough has been said. You have had no physical contact with a person yet, and no one has sneezed or coughed directly in your face. That would be way too obvious. Is the chain of events obvious yet? Let’s continue.) Not much time passes before your first interviewee shows up early and prudent. You shake hands and offer them a seat.

  1. Escape from the host or reservoir of infection: The person who opened the door to your building right before you has mild cold/flu symptoms, a runny nose, and a sore throat. They will probably call in sick tomorrow.
  2. Transport to the new host: You grabbed that door handle.
  3. Entry to the new host: Without washing your hands, you ate your breakfast or maybe you simply rubbed your eyes, because you are still half asleep and let’s face it, it’s a Monday.
  4. Escape from the new host: You shook hands with your interviewee and gave them an offer they were not quite expecting.

A person who is infected with the flu can spread it up to six feet away. This is a significant distance. A droplet from a sneeze or cough must simply be inhaled into the lungs or land in the mouth or nose of its new host. The flu is most commonly transmitted via a droplet route (we will discuss shortly) and is less commonly transmitted via a vector (door knob).

The flu is a highly contagious disease. It can be spread when you inhale infected droplets (from an infected person sneezing or coughing) or have direct contact with an infected person’s secretions (kissing, touching, sharing utensils, and cups). You can also collect the flu virus with your hands by touching smooth surfaces, such as doorknobs, handles, TV remotes, computers, phones, et cetera. When you then touch your hands to your nose, eyes, or mouth the virus is absorbed, and it gets right where it wants to be. The flu virus can live on a hard surface (such as those mentioned above) for 2-8 hours. This is a significant amount of time for a virus to live without a host! Just think of all those doorknobs and shopping carts! So, here is my number one rule: Stop touching your face and use hand sanitizer.

A common misunderstanding is that the winter weather brings on the flu. This is in fact not true. The flu season does commonly occur in the winter, but this is due to other factors and not weather related. The flu virus will survive suspended in air longer when there is less humidity. In the winter months, there tends to be less humidity to indoor air (compared to outdoor air) this gives the virus a longer opportunity to complete its mission. A simple humidifier and circulating the air in your home may help. Secondly, in the winter people spend more time indoors and have closer contact with others, therefore, increasing the likelihood of spreading a virus such as the flu.

For the sake of being thorough, I will briefly discuss what viruses cause the flu. The flu is different than a cold. A cold can be caused by hundreds of different viruses, whereas the flu is caused by Influenza A, B, or C. Influenza A and B are responsible for most of the flu epidemics, whereas influenza C is usually more mild and causes minor respiratory symptoms. The flu vaccine is created based off of Influenza A and B, while there is no vaccine for influenza C. Influenza A can be circulated between animals and humans, whereas influenza B usually circulates only among humans. You are probably thinking, “Wait, isn’t there a new flu each year?” Yes, your thoughts are right. Based on the viruses’ chemical structures, they are then categorized into influenza A, B, or C.

So, let’s just say that you are standing in a line at the grocery store, and the person behind you is coughing and has a poor attempt to completely cover their cough. Or, maybe you are sitting on a bus, and your bus-neighbor sneezes without warning. You think that you can hold your breath or turn away, but most likely it’s too late. Flu symptoms will usually appear within one to four days of infection. This is a pretty decent incubation period. By this time, you’ve completely forgotten about the grocery line or bus stranger, BUT most people infected with the flu are contagious one day before their symptoms even appear. Those sneaky little viruses! They have begun plotting their way into their new host before you even have a clue and means to stop them. (This is why hand and respiratory hygiene is key even when there is no sign of infection.) Now you are infected, and you are probably experiencing the classic flu symptoms:

  • A fever 100 degrees or higher or simply feeling feverish (but NOT everyone with the flu gets a fever),
  • Runny/stuffy nose,
  • Sore throat,
  • Body aches/chills/headache, and
  • Nausea/vomiting/diarrhea. (These symptoms are most common in children and not a typical symptom of the flu among adults. Keep in mind that the flu is a respiratory disease, not a stomach or intestinal bug).

If you remember anything from reading this article, remember this: Once infected with the flu virus, you are contagious for up to seven days! It is a misconception that if you are no longer running a fever, then you must not be contagious. This is not true! So, forget what your mother, grandmother, or whoever told you about that. Children can be contagious with the flu for even longer than seven days. As a matter of fact, you can be contagious and carry the flu virus without any symptoms at all, and you can still transmit the virus to other people.

Those infected with the flu generally take 1-2 weeks to recover. Some people, such as the geriatric population, will develop complication such as pneumonia as a result of the flu. This could be a life-threatening condition. Pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections are examples of complications from flu. The flu can make chronic health problems worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks while they have the flu, and people with chronic congestive heart failure may experience a worsening of this condition that is triggered by the flu.

Influenza viruses can be destroyed by heat (167-212°F [75-100°C]). In addition, several chemical germicides, including chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, detergents (soap), iodine-based antiseptics, and alcohols are effective against influenza viruses. For example, alcohol-based hand rubs can be used in the absence of soap and water for hand washing.

According to the CDC, between the years 2009-2010, the H1N1 (swine flu) virus hit the United States. The very first case was documented on April 15, 2009. Eleven days later it was declared a public health emergency, and vaccines were being created and then shortly distributed. Thereafter in the U.S., they estimated 8,000-18,000 deaths related to the H1N1. Imagine if they hadn’t created a vaccine? What if the “what if” happens, and there is no means of creating or distributing a vaccine for such a pandemic. We would be looking at a situation quite like the Spanish flu back in 1918, which was a worldwide pandemic that killed an estimated 50 million people. Our reliance on modern day medicine, vaccines, and antibiotics will be a pitfall once the SHTF and a worldwide pandemic strikes.

So how can we prevent and treat those infected with a flu virus, without hospitalization or vaccination? Simple, we resort back to the tried and true basic care– taking proper contact and airborne precautions to minimize exposure.

  1. Keep the person with the flu in a separate room. This will help keep the other family members from getting the flu. Try to give the sick person their own room. If there are two sick people, they can share a room and share a bathroom. Do not let the sick person share cups, towels, linens, et cetera. Keep a good air flow in the room. Occasionally open the window for fresh air to circulate. Things that you should keep in the sick room and not remove are:
    1. Tissues,
    2. A trashcan with a lid and a plastic bag,
    3. Plenty of water (possibly a squeezable bottle or a cup with a straw for those too weak to sit up),
    4. Thermometer,
    5. Humidifier (the extra moisture will make it easier for the person to breathe),
    6. Facemasks (when the sick person leaves the room, they should be wearing a mask to protect others),
    7. If the “What if” happens:
      1. It is especially crucial to keep the sick person isolated and separate from your group.
      2. Protect the sick person from outside elements by placing them in a separate tent, if housing is not available. Keep them warm, dry, and off of the ground.
      3. Remove bodily waste, and bury it far away from the rest of the group.
      4. Boil any items, that the sick person has used, for at least 20 minutes.
      5. If the sick person remains in a tent, it is still important to circulate air, by occasionally opening a tent window to let fresh air in.
      6. Keep the sick person warm using hot heavy rocks placed on a fire. Place the rocks into a Dutch oven to heat the tent. Create a humidifier by pouring water over the hot rocks.
  2. Treating symptoms of the sick person:
    1. Fever: If medications are available, such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen, or if using herbal remedies, keep a medication log for when doses were given. Always treat the fever. This will make the person feel better, and they may be able to get more rest. Bringing down a fever may also avoid febrile seizures, which are most common in children. Tylenol and Ibuprofen may not always bring a fever down, but should take effect within 30-45 minutes. In addition to using medications to treat a fever, there other steps to take:
      1. Put a cool damp washcloth over their forehead,
      2. Wash their arms and body with a cool damp cloth,
      3. Put the person in a slightly warm bath,
      4. Give them herbal tea– Lemon Balm tea and Yarrow tea promote sweating, which can break the fever,
      5. Give them Catnip and Ginger tea, which can relieve fever, and
      6. Treat chills that may be associated with a fever by:
        1. Providing the sick person with a light blanket,
        2. Bathing in warm water containing Epson salts (to sooth sore muscles),
        3. Providing willow bark, peppermint, ginger, and/or rosemary, which have pain-relieving properties,
        4. Serving Chamomile tea, which can help calm the body.
    2. A Sore throat:
      1. Tylenol or Ibuprofen for the pain,
      2. Ice chips or frozen popsicles,
      3. Salt water gargle then spit it out,
      4. Fennel tea will reduce fever and sooth a sore throat and upset stomach, and
      5. Ginger, Tilden flower, and sage teas will sooth sore throats. (Sage tea is also a natural antiseptic and antibacterial.)
    3. A cough: As a nurse I cannot stress enough that coughing will help break up mucus and congestion, and will make the sick person feel better. Encourage coughing. A dry cough (no mucus production, usually a hacking sound) will be irritating to the airway, throat, and chest. Treating a dry cough will make the person feel better, so provide the following:
      1. A humidifier,
      2. Hard candy to suck on, and
      3. Inhalation of chamomile, eucalyptus, or thyme, which will help loosen mucus and sooth the respiratory passageways.
    4. Congestion:
      1. A warm washcloth to the face for sinus pain,
      2. Peppermint tea can stimulate mucus flow,
      3. Cayenne pepper added to juices or soups can help break up mucus, and
      4. Licorice root is a natural expectorant and is also an anti-inflammatory.
    5. Upset stomach:
      1. Offer plain foods,
      2. Clear liquids,
      3. Valerian root tea and ginger tea, which will help sooth an upset stomach,
      4. Goldenseal tea, which boosts the immune system and treats diarrhea,
      5. Cinnamon tea, which may also stop vomiting and relieve nausea.
  3. Cleaning up after the sick person:
    1. If means of doing laundry in a washer and dryer are available, then wash laundry with soap on a hot setting. Remember to hold linen away from yourself and wash your hands! It is alright to wash the sick person’s laundry with the laundry of other family members.
    2. Cleaning dishes: Dishes can be washed with normal soap and water. To sterilize, again you must boil for at least 20 minutes.
    3. As mentioned above, alcohol is a good disinfectant to kill the flu virus. I recommend keeping an abundant supply of rubbing alcohol for sterilizing the sick room.
  4. It is crucial that the sick person remains hydrated. The person infected with the flu will be at an increased risk for fluid loss due to vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, fever, and mucus production. The individual must “push” more fluids than usual. In the case that the person becomes dehydrated, here is a simple electrolyte solution:
    1. 1 liter potable water
    2. ½ teaspoonp salt
    3. ¼ teaspoon salt substitute (KCL)
    4. ½ teaspoon baking soda, and
    5. 2-3 Tablespoon sugar or honey.
    6. Crushed vitamins can also be added.
    7. NOTE for treating kids: Cut the additives in half.
  5. Protect yourself while caring for a person with the flu. Wear a mask and wash hands often. For immune boosting and antiviral herbs, try taking:
    1. Echinacea,
    2. Elderberry,
    3. Garlic,
    4. Asian Ginseng, and/or
    5. Wild Indigo.

Remember, the best treatment for the flu is prevention. Cut a link in the chain of transmission and show those bugs who is boss. Most of the time common colds and flus are taken lightly, especially by those healthy young individuals. In a “What if” situation, prevention could be the key between life and death of those who you love. Protect yourself and your family, and start this flu season.

Four Letters Re: Rechargeable Batteries and a Solar Charger

Sir,

I have used Battery Junction for many years and am happy with their product and service. Below is what I use.

I use these batteries daily and have for over three years. I have no affiliation with this company. Thank you for the work you do. Respectfully, – L.G.

o o o

Hugh,

Reading the Rechargeable Batteries and a Solar Charger, I was glad to see the Eneloop recommendation, as I’ve been using those since 2006 myself and plain old Sanyo NiMH since the 90’s. However, you then recommended the Energizer 15-minute battery cooker. Notice I don’t call it a charger, since charging seems to be a secondary goal behind cooking your batteries. Basically, it’s one of the worst chargers out there. The current selling version seems to not be as bad as earlier ones but is still too fast and harmful to the long life of your batteries. There are some who like to push the envelope and will monitor the charging batteries with expensive temperature sensors and fans to dissipate the heat, but that is not something you want to mess with for survival situations. If you want a good charger, you need to look at Maha or LaCross. Occasionally, other brands will put out decent chargers, but you have to research and look for the good models. – E.N.

o o o

Hugh,

Just a thought on the really neat charger, Maha PowerEx MH-C800S. It’s really neat BUT…

Even though it can be used on worldwide voltage with a plug converter, it has a drawback. For right now, it’s great, but if we have upsets, it isn’t easily run on 12VDC. The power supply uses a DIN connector to power the unit; they’re not very convenient to convert or adapt. I looked at all the tech specs but couldn’t find out what the wall wartoutput voltage was.

As I said above, I ONLY use chargers that run off of 12VDC or use a wall wart power supply that provides 12 Volts DC. AC is not forever and is hard to make in uncivilized times/arenas. This is just my two cents worth. YMMV.

Best regards all – The Army Aviator

o o o

Hugh,

I have personally owned and used the Powerex MH-C800S Eight Cell Smart Charger (for 2 years now) and can attest to its excellence. Once a month, over the course of 2-3 days, I rotate approximately 275 AA and AAA batteries through the charger to keep them fresh. Once I complete my modest solar array, I’ll add three more of these chargers to the mix. Standard night vision devices and, especially, thermal units go through batteries rather quickly. This charger removes the “guess work” regarding your batteries. – P.C.

Letter: Clorox Changed Formula

Hi Hugh,

Is the new Clorox Concentrated, splash-less bleach still recommended for purifying water? I can’t find the Clorox I bought for years. It seems all bleach is now concentrated. I am reading the blog this morning and people talking about bleaching their water (as we are taught to do). Well, it just occurred to me that the 3-pack Clorox that I bought from Sam’s Club awhile ago has not been doing the job it normally does. Yes, I know that they now have lemon and lavender, but I stay away from those. What I bought was the new “concentrated” splash-less regular bleach. I can’t smell the bleach in it. I cannot find the old Clorox that I bought before, not even in Walmart. Believe me when I tell you that the rags I wash do not come out clean the way they used to. I bleach my shower tile also, and that has not come out the way it did with the old Clorox. I called the company and talked to their service department. They said that people had complained about the smell, so they changed the formula but that it should still have the same cleaning power. I told them that with my repeated use of the old Clorox and now this new formula, there is a big difference and that I was not happy with the change. I went to Walmart and bought their “Great Value” brand. It says it is concentrated, but I can smell the bleach in it, and it works better than the new Clorox, concentrated version. Does anyone know what is going on in the bleach prepping world? Thanks for your time, – NM

Hugh Replies: A Google search reveals a dizzying array of information regarding the formula change but no definitive answers. It seems they changed the formula sometime in 2009 to contain a high percentage of sodium hypochlorite, in an effort to reduce the amount of chlorine shipped by rail (and the associated hazards and legalities). Clorox claims their new formula contains a higher percentage of Chlorine to reduce packaging costs. You are apparently not the only person who has noticed a reduction in its effectiveness as a cleaning product. However, I’m going to have to put this question to our readers.

News from the American Redoubt:

Idaho has a Privileged Poacher on the Police Payroll in another case of “those who are exempt from the laws they supposedly uphold”.

o o o

Sent in by RBS – Magic Valley officer shoots family dog. This is an issue that seems to be getting out of control nationwide. In some cases, homeowners are not managing their dogs appropriately, and in others officers are too quick to kill the animals, knowing that they will be protected by procedures. As budgetary constraints continue to force municipalities to tighten up, expect to see more of the same.

o o o

The Wyoming House passed a bill to allow guns in schools. This is not the only such bill on the table. Currently, this bill is only about school employees. We’ll see where this one goes. – F.B.

Economics and Investing:

Polar Vortex hits California housing market: California home sales fall over 10 percent on an annual basis. 2014 off to a drought in real estate.

o o o

Comparing the inflated cost of living today from 1950 to 2014:How declining purchasing power has hurt the middle class since 1950.

Items from The Economatrix:

Return of Goldilocks Economy Means A Weaker USD, But Beware The 3 Bears

U.S. Economy Weather Impact Narrative Getting Confusing