The State Of Silver Bullion and Other Anomalous Events
Pierre M. sent: Numbness gives way to anger in Cyprus over bailout.
G.G. flagged this warning sign: Obama administration pushes banks to make home loans to people with weaker credit
Voting With their Feet: Beretta Leaves Maryland Because Of Stricter Gun Laws
Items from The Economatrix:
Former US Treasury Official: Fed Desperate To Save System
The Chart That Will Crash The Market
Signs of the times: As cities lay off police, frustrated neighborhoods turn to private cops. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)
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And yet another! Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) member and Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin was arrested yesterday for allegedly accepting bribes from an undercover FBI agent, as part of a wide-ranging federal corruption probe that netted six New York state politicians. Meanwhile, we read, about another MAIG member: Gun-Toting Mayor Charged in Sex Intimidation Case. He has now been formally booked for a long list of charges, but they missed discharging a firearm inside city limits. And apparently demanding sex at gunpoint is only considered attempted rape if the perpetrator is demanding heterosexual sex. (If his victim had been female, I think this would have been prosecuted differently. Why the double standard for homosexuals?)
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J.T. and Matt R. both sent this: The ATF Wants ‘Massive’ Online Database to Find Out Who Your Friends Are
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Allan Savory: How to green the world’s deserts and reverse climate change. He shows that well-managed herds of grazing animals prevent desertification. (Thanks to W.M.J. for the link.)
"But imagine this church: It is huge and is still numerically growing. People like it. The music is good. Whole extended families can be found within its membership. The people are welcoming. There are many exciting programs, and people are quickly enlisted into their support. And yet, the church, in trying to look like the world in order to win the world, has done a better job than it may have intended. It does not display the distinctively holy characteristics taught in the New Testament. Imagine such an apparently vigorous church being truly spiritually sick, with no remaining immune system to check and guard against wrong teaching or wrong living. Imagine Christians, knee-deep in recovery groups and sermons on brokenness and grace, being comforted in their sin but never confronted. Imagine those people, made in the image of God, being lost to sin because no one corrects them. Can you imagine such a church? Apart from the size, have I not described many of our American churches?" – Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, p. 172.
Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:
First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225.
Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) 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, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value. E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.
Round 46 ends on May 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.
About three years ago, my husband and I jumped in with both feet and decided to invest in emergency preparedness and survival skills. It’s been quite a journey, and we certainly have learned a lot. My husband’s main interests are in security and heating the home, while mine have been food storage and off grid cooking. We make a good team as we rely on each other’s strengths and abilities. Although we are not yet at the level we hope to be, we are a lot further down the road than where we once were. I recently taught a small class in emergency preparedness in my community. We live in an area that loses electrical power due to ice storms, high winds, and tornados. After hearing the tale of a neighbor who spent a miserable day and night following a snowstorm without heat or a way to cook, I asked a friend to help me teach a class to demonstrate several different ways to cook and light a home when the power is out. One of the methods we discussed was thermal cooking. What is thermal cooking? Let me give the example of cooking spaghetti. Sometimes after bringing a pot of water to boil and add the noodles, I turn off the heat, put on a lid, and let the retained heat cook the spaghetti. It only takes about five minutes more to cook the noodles this way than if the stove had been kept on high to boil the noodles. I like to do this in the summer to keep the kitchen cooler when temperatures soar.
The technology is not new. The pioneers practiced a form of thermal cooking called hay-box cooking. They put their Dutch ovens in boxes of hay, and their food cooked while they traveled. Margaret Mitchell (not to be confused with the author of “Gone With The Wind”) wrote a book a hundred years ago called “The Fireless Cookbook” which describes earlier forms of this method and how to make your own.
I also searched the Internet and found instructions on how to make different thermal cookers as well as some demonstrations of professionally made products. Although I thought it was a great idea, I decided to first try a do it yourself version of the cooker. It actually worked! I did a few experiments and was encouraged that this could be done so easily.
At our preparedness meeting, my friend brought her Saratoga Jacks thermal cooker to discuss. I had previously told her about Saratoga Jacks, and when she and her husband saw what it could do, they bought one. As her family is large, she chose the larger size, which cooks enough food for 6-10 people. After seeing it in person and hearing of her experiences (and how it fit into emergency preparedness), we ordered the smaller sized unit, which can cook food for 3-5 people. We saw an advantage of a professionally made model, and since I usually request preparedness items for my birthday, we bought one. We couldn’t be more pleased and plan to use it often.
How would a thermal cooker be a benefit to any family or small group? One of the first things that comes to mind is that in hotter climates (and especially with no air conditioning), you can cook a meal by bringing your food up to a boil in the inner stainless steel pot, pop it in the insulated base unit, and up to 8 hours later have hot food ready to serve. It definitely would keep the kitchen cooler if supper is started early in the day, therefore not heating up the kitchen in late afternoon.
Other than bringing the food up to a boil for a few minutes, no additional power is needed. You can leave home, have nothing plugged in, and return home to have a hot meal waiting for you. Anyone could easily benefit from thermal cooking on a daily basis!
One very nice feature is that the unit is small and portable. It can be taken in the car, boat, or even on a camping trip. You can avoid eating out when you travel because your food cooks while you drive. Even on vacation, if a small butane camp stove is used, you can cook up a meal in the morning before you leave to enjoy the day’s activities and have a hot meal ready to eat for supper.
I was secretly a little wary of the taste of the food cooked in the thermal cooker because I have not been a huge fan of crock pot cooking. I was pleased that you can brown meat, onions and spices on the stove before adding water, tomato sauce, or broth without dirtying another pot. This is a bit different than a traditional crock pot recipe where all ingredients are just tossed in. My first attempt was a vegetable beef soup, which was cooked to perfection in 5½ hours. It was much improved in flavor over the crock pot and the texture of the vegetables was excellent. And the temperature had only gone down from 212 to 180 degrees after 5½ hours, which was quite hot.
Some foods, like beans, require boiling for 20 minutes in order to completely soften and cook through. I also recommend that beans be soaked overnight prior to cooking them. This is so much easier than keeping a pot simmering for several hours, making sure that the water doesn’t boil out, and checking on it numerous times. Not to mention how much fuel would be used to keep the beans simmering for several hours.
I can see that I will want to use our thermal cooker on a daily/weekly basis from now on. I am currently re-working my regular and slow cooker recipes to adapt to my thermal cooker so I can use it to its full potential.
Both of the large and small units include an optional smaller pot that can be used in conjunction with a larger pot. Two different foods, such as a stew and rice, can be cooked at the same time. And as far as capacity, my small unit is listed for 3-5 people. Without the optional smaller pot in place, it holds about 19 cups. Depending on the meal, I think I could feed more than 5 people, especially if there were children.
Another nice feature is that a thermal cooker can also keep cold foods chilled. If you pop the steel pot into the fridge for a while, you can bring foods like potato salad and slaw to a picnic and keep them cold for hours until ready to serve.
One thing to keep in mind with the thermal cooker is that in order for it to retain its maximum heat, it must be filled completely full. Although you can cook smaller amounts, it doesn’t work as efficiently. The amount of people you are cooking for regularly would determine the size required. And they do urge you to have a food thermometer to check the temperature to make sure it is within the safe measure of no less than 145 degrees. If the food should get that cool, you would need to reheat to insure safety.
A couple of rules to follow are first, use only fresh or thawed ingredients so the unit will retain the maximum heat when in use. Second, no peaking! The heat will escape if you open and shut the unit. You must let the recipe cook the minimum amount of time before opening the lid. Once the minimum time is reached, then you can serve the food or simply let it sit for up to 8 hours.
In an actual emergency or grid down situation, the thermal cooker would be invaluable. Not only can it be used on a gas or electric stove or a wood cook stove, you can also use portable butane or propane camping stoves. And I was so excited when I learned that it can be used with a rocket stove (which I will be mentioning later in this article). The benefit of the thermal cooker is that it only uses enough fuel to bring ingredients up to a boil for a few minutes and then the meal is cooked without any additional fuel or tending – up to 8 hours later. This translates into less fuel to be gathered and stored. It also saves the family from tending a pot when other matters may need attention – especially in emergency situations.
I recommend that you watch a short video at SaratogaJacks.com which demonstrates how the unit is used. They were nice folks to deal with and shipped my order promptly. Although there are only a few recipes supplied, they did mention that they are working on publishing a full cookbook.
While my experience is with the Saratoga Jacks unit, there are several other brands available. You can read reviews on Amazon’s web site and decide which is best for you should you decide to purchase one. The price of the Saratoga Jacks is around $100 for the large size and $90 for the small. There was one brand that was about $65, but reviews were not as favorable because the steel pot that you cooked in had a very thin bottom, which people did not like. I did see other brands, but they were $200 and $275, which is much more expensive. For about the same amount of money, you could own the Saratoga Jacks thermal cooker and also a StoveTec rocket stove. In combination, they make an excellent investment in emergency preparedness.
The rocket stove is my other “must have” recommendation in emergency preparedness. In a previous article published by Survival Blog in May of 2012 “Teach Your Children Well,” I mentioned the rocket stove. And Pat Cascio did a nice review on the StoveTec for Survival Blog also in May of 2012 should you want to check out what he had to say. I personally own a 2 door deluxe StoveTec rocket stove which costs about $125, but there are other similar stoves on the market. Two that come to mind are the Grover and the Ecozoom.
Rocket stoves are being made and sent to third world countries to help provide people with safer and more economical cooking fires. The man who holds the patent to the stove’s design apparently allows different companies to manufacture the stoves to aid in humanitarian efforts. In parts of Africa, a woman may have to walk for hours just to find wood to cook the family’s meal. It is very dangerous for women to go beyond their own villages and opens them up to being assaulted. The rocket stove allows the same meal to be cooked with just a small amount of wood. In fact, the amount of wood used with the rocket stove is the amount of kindling used just to start a regular cooking fire. That’s quite a reduction in fuel!
Just like my thermal cooker, my rocket stove is not being saved for emergencies, but will be used spring through fall in cooking up delicious meals. As the stove is used outdoors, there are only a few days a month where I would use it in the winter. Thankfully, we have a woodstove in the house to cook on during the colder months should we lose power and not have the option of our regular kitchen stove.
I can use my rocket stove in several ways. I can simply put a stainless steel or cast iron pot, frying pan, or Dutch oven on the stove and efficiently cook a meal using a small amount of fuel. The rocket stove is so effective that food can be cooked with only 3-6 sticks that are about 14 inches long and an inch or two in diameter!
But what if I want to prepare something that needs to be simmered for several hours? My deluxe rocket stove has two doors that allow extended simmering time by closing the top door and using just the coals of the sticks that were used to bring the food up to a boil.
But what if I am not able to watch over the rocket stove because I need to do something else? That’s where the thermal cooker comes in. I can bring my food up to a boil in the inner stainless steel pot, using very little fuel, and then transfer the pot to the outer thermal unit to continue cooking for up to 8 hours, which would free me to do other things.
Two tips that I have found to be useful deals with the soot that occurs on the bottom of stainless steel pans. You can coat the pot or pan lightly with liquid soap so that the soot washes off more easily. You can also wrap the pot in aluminum foil on the bottom and sides so that the soot doesn’t get on the outside of the pot.
My rocket stove came equipped with a pot “skirt” to direct the heat up the sides of the pot and cook more efficiently. But I recently discovered that the StoveTec corporation has started manufacturing a steel pot called a Superpot that sits securely on the stove and helps avoid tipping the cooking pot over when stirring the contents. It is made to cook more efficiently than a regular pot because it has its own built-in pot skirt. It is easily cleaned inside and out, but the unique feature is that the bottom (which becomes blackened with soot) doesn’t have to be cleaned at all. Check out this nice video on this pot and an explanation of how rocket stoves work.
Because it was out of stock for a time, I was unable to order the Superpot from Stovetec when I needed it, so I looked into another company that sells StoveTec supplies. The Afterburner Stove Corporation has several really nice videos on YouTube that explains how the rocket stove works. Topics covered are how to quickly start a fire in the stove, how to fine tune the fuel amount to burn efficiently, how to clean it, what to do about any rust that may form on the cast iron top, how to fix it if you drop it, and two videos on where to get fuel all around your yard and neighborhood to use in the rocket stove. Since I had gained a lot of invaluable information from those videos, when I found out that they were selling the Superpot and had it in stock, I ordered from them. They have other educational videos filmed but need to be edited before publication. I will be looking forward to viewing them as I learned so much from the first ones. If you are interested in checking the videos out for yourself, go to afterburnerstoves.com.
You may ask why I would want to have to purchase two pots. The thermal cooker would be great to use on days that my fuel supply is low, I do not have time to tend a pot, if I need to leave home, or I want a meal to take with me. The Superpot is useful to bring larger amounts of food or water (almost 7½ quarts) to a boil quickly, which would be especially useful to feed a larger amount of people or sterilize water. It also has a safety feature that “holds” it on the rocket stove and isn’t likely to tip when stirring the pot, which could cause burns. I like to have options. As the Superpot was relatively inexpensive, about $60.00, I have added it to my supplies.
If you simply want to try out the technology of a thermal cooker or rocket stove without spending as much money, you could make either one very easily. There are various plans available for free on the Internet. However, if you have funds available, I recommend purchasing the StoveTec rocket stove and the Saratoga Jacks thermal cooker. The quality can’t be beat and you should get many years of service from them, regardless if there is any emergency need of them. I personally own both. I am not affiliated with these companies and am not receiving any compensation from them. I just believe in these products and wanted to share my experience with them.
My research of finding alternate cooking methods brought the Coleman Camp Oven to my attention. What do you do when you want to bake bread, muffins, biscuits, meat, or even lasagna? The camp oven can help. It is a metal box with a rack inside. It folds down flat when not in use. The oven can be used on an indoor wood stove, but it can also be used outdoors on camp stoves or the rocket stove. It is fairly inexpensive, about $35, and is completely portable.
I understand that the temperature gage on the oven is not very accurate, but purchasing an inexpensive oven thermometer that is placed inside will take out any guess work. The oven is not large, and you do need to have baking sheets and pans that will fit inside (8×8). Since this method is not as consistent as a home oven, some practice would be advised prior to actually relying on it. The reviews on Amazon were very helpful and gave several tips should you want to explore this option.
I urge Survival Blog readers to become proficient in using their emergency prep items, especially where meals are concerned. In an emergency situation or where power is out for weeks at a time, a good meal can give strength, courage, and boost morale. Take the time to fine tune your skills and recipes. They will be invaluable should disaster strike.
Some great points have been brought up by R.S. in a response to my original article. I appreciate the input and agree completely with the value of a true industrial machine while electricity is available. Nothing compares to a walking foot industrial for those heavy jobs that use materials such as thick leather, webbing and multiples layers of canvas. I should have mentioned that a household low-tech treadle would pale in comparison to a modern electric industrial machine.
I too, appreciate their capability for sewing heavy work. As luck would have it, I own and operate both a Consew 226R and a Singer 211G155 due to a family business that requires industrial sewing. My Consew 226R (R = reverse) is a lovely machine and I use it regularly but I must admit, I do prefer my older Singer 211 which does NOT have a reverse. Just sew-you-know, this is easily compensated for in an industrial application with a “looped” backtack sewing method. It is a technique that is strong, speedy and has been in use for many years. A looped backtack can also be applied when using a treadle which eliminates the need to rotate your project 180’ in order to lock your stitches.
The backtack process is pretty simple:
Sew to the end of your where you need to stop on your project, raise your needle and presser foot to the “up” positions. Pull your work toward you about 3/4” inch, drop your foot down and continue to sew. When you raise the presser foot up it releases the tension on top thread tensioner. This allows you the freedom to pull your fabric forward as needed and create a “looped backtack”. Be sure not to snip the loop when trimming threads!
My intention here is not to steer anyone away from an industrial machine when one is needed, but rather to point out the advantages of owning a Singer 66 treadle sewing machine in a grid-down environment. They are a general purpose all-around useful household machine at an affordable price. A used electric industrial sewing machine can cost from $600 on up, while the non-electric Singer 66 can generally be found for less than $300. While the Singer 66 treadle will certainly not sew heavy webbing or thick leather, I can tell you from personal experience that the fabrics/hides they will tolerate will surprise you. They have been home-tested for 80+ years, unlike any other machine on the market. As I mentioned in my original article, a Singer industrial treadle is also available (model 29-4) to those who want to sew heavier materials. Both will provide you with decades of reliability.
As a prepper, when comparing the later electric version of a Singer 66 to the earlier non-electric treadle version, the following must be considered:
1. No electricity required.
2. See No. 1!
3. The standard Singer 66 electric machine was equipped with .5 amp motor (the equivalent of .07 horsepower). This rating is determined with the motor running at full speed. In a nutshell, the Singer 66 electric motor is just plain weak when compared to the foot powered Singer 66 treadle which is the machine my article focused on.
4. Because of the low power of the motor at start-up, it does not achieve the same torque (at start-up) as a treadle does. Even though the heads are the same, a treadle uses mechanical leverage and pulleys to achieve its torque. The treadle’s needle has punching power within only a few revolutions. With the proper needle and a bit of coaxing, a low-tech treadle will sew a respectable two layers of soft suede or multiple layers of denim.
Did I mention that the Singer 66 treadle sewing machine requires no electricity?
Let’s get down to nuts & bolts. Comparing an electric industrial sewing machine to a household treadle is much like comparing apples to oranges. But, allow me to attempt to do this. Let’s list the advantages of industrial grade sewing machines – using the the two models I mentioned above, and which I own, as examples.
1. Both machines have powerful motors. The Consew has .33 hp and the Singer has 1/2 hp.
2. These particular industrial sewing machines have walking foots for grip which pull the fabric through and make quick work of heavy projects.
3. Both accept heavy gauge thread and needles. Both have high clearance for thick seams and an added feature is a presser foot/tension release knee lift to keep your hands free.
4. Both are wonderful machines, a joy to operate. I agree 100% with R.S. on the value of owning an electric industrial (or two).
Okay, so now back to speaking about the foot-powered Singer 66 treadle again….
A foot-powered Singer 66 treadle, (and household machines in general) have a spring that creates pressure on the presser foot. The presser foot clearance is of medium to low height, and you are limited in the number layers it will handle. In addition, a household machine is really designed for household use and should not be used with industrial gauge threads (or needles).
So what is my main reason for advocating that readers own a Singer 66? It will not leave you in the dark….when you need it most it will be there and in working condition.
I thank you once again for the opportunity to continue to share my passion for the antique Singer 66 treadle machine. It is my hope for all who read this will seriously consider owning a low-tech, highly reliable treadle. It may not sew everything you want to sew, but it is absolutely a superstar when no power is available. – T.J.G.
Familiar imagery? If The Fed Loses Money, It Can Just Print More
Tungsten Silver? Or More Salt in the Open Wound? (Thanks to Jeff L. for the link.)
Kevin S. sent: Instawallet Hacked: The company is suspending its services indefinitely, and will be refunding all balances of 50 Bitcoins or less.
Items from The Economatrix:
Kevin S. recommended this over at the JPFO site: Jim Crow Rides Again
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Pro-Gun Laws Gain Ground: Since Newtown Massacre, More States Ease Regulations Than Bolster Them. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.) And speaking of liberty and the lack thereof: “State Control”: What the UN Firearms Treaty Is All About. (Thanks to Jim W. for the latter link.)
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Over at Red State: The only gun infographic you’ll ever need.
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Worth noting: Camping Survival has dropped their price on sandbags by about 30%. As usual, SurvivalBlog readers can use coupon code “survivalblog” for an extra 5% off.
“And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him;
Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” – Mark 7:18-23 (KJV)
Do you have some favorite attributed quotes that relate to preparedness, individual liberty, or moral principles? Please e-mail them and they will likely be featured in our Quotes of the Day. (There are now nearly 2,800 quotation archived.)
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Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:
First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225.
Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) 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, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value. E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.
Round 46 ends on May 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.
Mr. Rawles:
I run a health care facility in a particular state. I’d prefer not to give away all details as I do have access to certain pharmaceutical supplies in the event of certain happenings due to my position in the local community. But I’ll be as specific as I can be in this forum in the hopes of shedding some light on a recent disaster exercise.
Local authorities from the state department of health teamed up with numerous statewide personnel from various agencies to conduct a disaster simulation recently that assumed an anthrax attack on the local populace. It can be debated here as to whether simulating an anthrax attack is the most useful scenario to plan for, or if an EMP or some other event might be more useful in terms of what is most likely to occur. But I can see where simulating an anthrax attack might also be similar to a significant pandemic event such as a strain of previously unknown flu/virus or a widespread outbreak of a known virus that may simply stop responding to traditional treatments.
Nevertheless, anthrax is what was decided the simulation would cover. Under the scenario, multiple health care facilities would receive supplies of the appropriate medications (cipro and doxycycline) and then distribute these to their employee’s and families. Also a number of other distribution points would be set up for the general public to receive various doses of the drugs. So, the simulation called for an attack to have taken place and then the main distribution point to be set up. The volunteers then went through the lines and “meds” were distributed to them. The simulation was fairly specific as forms were used by each volunteer and on each form was described the age of each family member, whether they could swallow pills, if anyone was under 90 pounds, etc. The exercise also assumed that certain people would be only Spanish speaking and provisions were made for them. Security was also a key aspect at the event. I saw at least 6-8 armed officers there, though in a building as large as what was used, I’d recommend triple that in an actual scenario as people would be quite panicked in all likelihood.
I’ll list what I saw as highlights of what was done well and I’ll also list a few thoughts as to some potential problem areas:
First..what went well..it was fairly well organized, especially given the fact that at least a couple hundred people were involved. Also, some very key players from around the state were there and brought a good bit of expertise to the table. The information about anthrax and the medications seemed to be fairly well understood by most of the workers. And everyone I interacted with was taking it seriously and trying to learn what they could learn.
Potential drawbacks or problem areas:
There are no guarantees that all of the ‘workers’ who would help staff such a distribution center would actually show up in a real scenario. Many might decide to hunker down with families or evacuate the general area if they thought the attack wasn’t widespread. Thus, what is the contingency for a lack of workers to help with distribution?
As I mentioned, I thought security assumptions were on the low side. They may simply have not had enough local resources free that day to send any more. And their ‘real’ plan may include a much more robust security team, but I can only judge what was visible at the recent exercise.
While I believe it is good to train and plan for various contingencies, I wonder at the regional/state/local level if the powers that be are doing dry runs of the more likely scenarios. Is it likely that someone could spread weaponized anthrax over a large area and infect a high number of people? I don’t know. I tend to think that some of these agencies, even if aware of EMPs, may not plan for it because deep down they know that there isn’t much planning that can be done due to the likely communications issues, transportation issues, and a general and fast breakdown of all society.
All in all, I’m glad to have some inside track knowledge of some of these planning strategies but as one observes a large scale exercise like this, it reminds you that it will be exceedingly different and difficult in an actual event and that we can’t be over-prepared in our personal plans at our home or retreat.
As you recommend many times over, conducting your own training for your family/team/trusted friends related to what each can or may need to do in an actual event is very important. Assuming you can read a book, article, blog, pamphlet, or watch a video and thus be prepared is very naïve. I believe you have to shake the dust off and actually get up and around and practice drills, scenarios, and events.
James Wesley:
A thought about securely storing valuables:
Have several hidden storage areas/caches with the bulk of your valuables and some smaller “bait” caches. If ever overwhelmed by thieves or the government, give up the smaller stashes to satisfy the varmints. In the case of registered firearms, a government grab will expect to find all the registered weapons and some associated ammo so it is imperative to acquire (legally) never registered weapons and ammo for the long term if you do not already have “free” weapons.
Of course in the case of thieves, the best option is vigorous self-defense.
Thanks much for SurvivalBlog. – Ed, The Lone Prepper
James:
I’d like to take exception to the recent article by M.S. on using augers to make plant holes. No professional would consider using an auger for planting. Augers compact and glaze the edge of the hole as they work their way down. While this is great for post holes, it’s a death sentence for the plant roots.
A far better and faster way is to use either a small backhoe or an articulated trencher that will cut a fan shaped hole. The spoil from the hole is broken up and now suitable for back fill.
Post-SHTF, a good quality fiberglass handle round point shovel is all that any realistic person would need.
As a post script, if you haven’t tried “Straw Bale Gardening” , it’s just a great way to grow food with minimal effort and maximum results. – Loren
JWR Replies: I have witnessed the glazing that you’ve mentioned in heavy clay soils. But in my experience is not a big issue in light loam soil. The “best of both worlds” approach is to use an auger to start a hole, and then finish it up by significantly widening its diameter with a shovel or clamshell post hole digger. This breaks up any areas that are compacted or glazed.
The “shovel only ” approach will work, but of course it is more time consuming. And by the way, good quality digging bar is a must when digging in rocky ground.
State auditor: California’s net worth at negative $127.2 billion
Mt. Gox under largest DDoS attack as bitcoin price surges
A Tipping Point In The Financial System
Reader Lance in Michigan wrote to chime in with this sign of the times: “Yesterday I went to our bank here to begin withdrawing excess reserves and was told to come back today. While there, a woman queued up at the teller window next to me was upset that they wanted to know what she was planning to do with the $20,000 she was withdrawing. My mere $7,500 didn’t solicit the same question. My teller commented: ‘Everyone seems to be taking large amounts all of a sudden.’ All the employee’s there seemed bewildered as to why this is happening.”
Speaking of preparedness for bank runs, I quizzed my own dear mother and learned that she never requested an ATM card for her largest account, at a her local bank. She plans to remedy that, post haste. Be ready, folks!
Items from The Economatrix:
Central Banks Gone Wild: Japan Raises Stakes In Losing Battle
Where US Economy Has, And Hasn’t, Recovered. [JWR’s Comment: Don’t let these platitudes fool you. The only reason that “Household Net Worth” has recovered is because the Fed has re-inflated the housing bubble by pushing interest rates down to absurd levels and more than tripled the monetary base since 2009. The Quantitative Easing monetization scheme is now directed at buying up Mortgaged Backed Securities. This is false prosperity, folks. The end game will be ugly. Inflation is a hidden form of taxation. In real terms, we are worse off than in 2009, and we now face the prospect of an enormous financial tsunami.
Reader R.B.S. was the first of several readers to send this: Colorado Democrat Doesn’t Understand High-Capacity Magazines Can Be Reloaded. This tells us something about the (ahem) caliber of those in Colorado’s ruling party… In my estimation Representative DeGette has put herself on a par with Congressman Hank Johnson, who was convinced that the island of Guam was floating like a raft and if it became too populated that it could capsize. Oh and speaking of geographic ignorance, let’s not forget Henry Waxman‘s brilliant understanding of the oceanic ice cap at the North Pole.
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A reminder that FreezeDryGuy.com is having a 25% Off Sale on All Mountain House #10 Cans from April 2nd to April 8th, 2013. Order soon.
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J.B.G. sent: New York Dad’s Pistol License Suspended Over Something His 10-Year-Old Son Said – and It Could Be 8 Years Before He Gets It Back. (The phrase “arbitrary and capricious enforcement” comes to mind…)
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J.D.D. sent: Invention of the day: A bladeless wind turbine