Letter Re: The Sling Shot Channel

Sir:
I think you might enjoy Jörg Sprave’s slingshot channel on Youtube.com. His videos on his home made slingshot weapons, I mean he is something else!!  he has a slingshot rifle with scope, a pump action repeating slingshot sort a rifle or pistol device, one that shoots machetes (yikes!!!) and a cannon slingshot, etc, etc, etc.  I like the pump action job.  He even has a tutorial video on how he makes it.  He shoots .50 caliber lead balls and I think it is comparable  to  a firearm for knock down power and penetration.  he tests it on ballistics jell and it is impressive.  I think you will enjoy looking at his videos, just type in Joerg Sprave in the search engine at Youtube.com and he has his own “Sling Shot Channel”.  – Darrella

Letter Re: Long term Survival Electronics Storage, Tin Whiskering and RoHS Compliance

James,
Your readers that store modern electronics long term should be aware of this. There is a problem with all modern electronics that are RoHS compliant. RoHS stands for Reduction of Hazardous Substances. One of its
requirements mandates the use of lead free solder in all consumer electronics. This started in Europe and subsequently adopted here in order for the US to sell products outside this country.

There is a physical process know as tin whiskering, where by tin will grow microscopic metallic whiskers. See NASA’s web site for extensive research and information. Please do your research on this and learn.

The lead in solder somehow inhibits the tins from growing, explaining why is beyond the scope of this article, read the NASA research, the growth mechanisms still remain unknown. There are a few US (and the US only) industries that do not comply with the lead free solder due to reliability concerns, such as NASA space hardware, aviation primary flight computers etc., US military hardware, life critical electronics in hospitals to name a few. They state that the people’s lives that depend on these devices outweigh the small lead quantity in the solder.

The tin will grow whiskers regardless if the electronics are powered or in storage or not. I have seen computer electronic failures caused by tin whiskers in as little as six months. The smaller the distance between leads, components etc. the shorter the devices life may be. This is an unpredictable physical effect. This information should be kept in mind when storing anything that bears the RoHS certification. I am not saying
everything will fail, but the long term reliability is affected. Could you imagine a deep space probe half way to Pluto failing do to a tin whisker? I fought this battle almost weekly when I worked for General Electric
Aviation. GE makes high reliability aircraft electronics and is under pressure from within to become RoHS compliant, I fought for the reliability and always had the support of the FAA, Boeing etc. I finally left due to the poor ethics and hypocrisy within the leadership team at GE. Life and safety outweighs all else. I cannot go against the word of God or my personal ethics toward my fellow man.

Basically if you have a large amount of material in an electronic format you do not want to loose in the long term, the first choice is to print a copy, if that is not an option then see if you can find an older computer, you may have to fix it, upgrade the software etc. to read the format you have data stored in, that was made before RoHS compliance was mandated here. They may be hard to find but if you find one it usually can be obtained for free. You do not want to be in a TEOTWAWKI situation with all your books including your Bible in your Kindle, Nook, etc, and have a tin whisker failure. Yes books take space but I have books my mom gave me that are over 100 years old and while fragile I can read them, so I allocate the space. Some of these books are even are kept in buckets with Gamma Seal lids, because of silverfish infestations in my neighborhood

James, again thank you for all you go and God Bless. – Jimmy in California

Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s G.G. sent this: Census: Housing bust worst since Great Depression

Der Speigel asks: What Options Are Left for the Common Currency?

EU delays summit to have more time to finalize plans for Greece, banks, bailout fund

John R. mentioned this by Marty Weiss: Seven Major Advance Warnings

Nine Ways Supermarkets Suck You In

R.C. sent this: Colorado empties popular lake to pay its water bill

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks Jump on European Pledge to Help Banks

Oil Rises to Two-Week High

Occupy America: Protests Against Wall Street and Inequality Hit 70 Cities

Odds ‘n Sods:

If you don’t already have a copy, then I highly recommend that you get the book The Prepared Family Guide to Uncommon Diseases. (The author is “Enola Gay” of the excellent Paratus Familia blog.) Some of the diseases described may become a lot more common, in the a major grid-down disaster, because sanitation will likely be pitiful–especially in the cities and suburbs. So get a copy for your bookshelf. Oh, and I’ve got to mention: Ironically, just a few months after publishing the book, the author’s own family contracted an uncommon disease: Whooping Cough. After this happened, Enola Gay quipped: “It is not our intention to personally test each disease mentioned in my book.”

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California bans carrying even unloaded guns in public. Oh, and speaking of The Mickey Mouse State: California Okays student aid for illegal immigrants. And: New California law lets 12-year-olds consent to preventive care for sexually transmitted diseases, without parental notification. If you live there, then flee! Vote with your feet, and move to The American Redoubt. California is now a lost cause, both demographically and politically. (Thanks to G.G. and F.G. for the links.)

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P.R.D. liked this one: The buck stopped here: Town of Ithaca man confronts panicked deer inside his workshop

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Grace H. suggested this gospel-rock music: “Shelter Me“, sung by Tab Benoit, from the album, Power Of The Pontchartrain. (Lyrics by Buddy and Judy Miller.) I prefer traditional hymns, but your mileage may vary. You will recognize it as the theme music to the recently-mentioned “Sons of Guns” television show about a Baton Rogue custom gun maker.

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The New York Times profiles an urban homesteader: Back to the Land, Reluctantly

Pat’s Product Review: “Commence Fire” Emergency Stove

Way back in 1979, when my wife and I were first married, I was working two full-time jobs to make ends meet. My wife, who had just graduated from college with a degree in elementary education, couldn’t find work. One job I worked consisted of working three 12-hour shifts on Friday , Saturday and Sunday. I was working for a security company, and my job was to patrol an industrial park. That job wasn’t too bad, as most of the patrolling took place in my vehicle – just driving around the industrial park, and checking for trespassers, and ensuring doors were locked.

The other job I worked – that was a tough one – but the pay was outstanding. I was making $10 per hour – and back then, the rate of pay was something like $3.75 per hour for most jobs. This was another security position, with a bit of a twist. I had worked with K-9s before, and also trained them for personal protection. On this job, I worked Monday-Thursday, from sunset until sunrise. What we did was handle the outside perimeter security around the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant, that was about 50-miles outside of Portland, Oregon. As if it wasn’t bad enough, having to drive over 50-miles to work, then 50-miles back home, after a long, long night. We also had to pick-up our K-9 partners along the way, and at the end of the shift, take our K-9s back to the kennels and feed and water ’em.

In 1979, we didn’t have waterproof clothing or footwear. Oh sure, we had rubber overboots, the ol’ “galoshes” as we used to call ’em. However, wearing those things all night long, made your feet sweat, and it was the same as if you weren’t wearing waterproof boots – your feet were soaked from the sweat. Same goes for your clothing–there was no such thing as Gore-Tex back in those days. I tried wearing a waterproof rain suit – and once again, the perspiration couldn’t escape and your clothing was soaked by the end of your shift. I switched to a military poncho later on. That helped – a bit.

I worked with a Doberman as my K-9 partner, and they don’t have heavy coats, like German Shepherds do. So, about halfway through the night, these dogs would start shivering, and we had no way to warm the dogs. We patrolled all night long, through the woods and around the outside of the perimeter fence. It certainly made for a long, cold and wet night. A Thermos of coffee or tea helped take the chill off – at times. Still, no matter how hard I, and the other officers tried to stay warm, we just couldn’t. We were always wet and cold – and this was during the Fall – and we get a lot of rain in [Western] Oregon in the Fall (and Winter) months.

These days, we have Gore-Tex lined boots and clothing, to help keep us dry and warm in the wettest conditions. Gore-Tex also helps wick away perspiration, keeping us nice and dry. I would have given anything to have some of today’s water-proof clothing and boots back then.

Enter one of those “Gee, why didn’t I think of that?” inventions – the “Commence Fire” emergency stove. I received a sample of the Commence Fire for test and evaluation for this article, and I must say, I was totally impressed with it. It is so simple, yet such a great idea! Now, obviously , the Commence Fire, isn’t a backpacking stove, it weighs too much, at around 20 lbs. However, it’s a great item to have at your hunting camp, or in your emergency supplies, for those just-in-case situations, where you need quick and instant heat, and a very intense heat.

What we have with the Commence Fire emergency stove is a black, 5-gallon can, with a lid. There are also holes drilled around the top side of the stove for ventilation. On the top of the Commence Fire, there is a hole, that has a chimney that you pull out. Inside the chimney is the fire starter material, water-proof matches, a couple metal cups, a few boxes of water and tea. Inside the Commence Fire canister, you’ll find wood pellets.

The whole idea behind the Commence Fire stove is for a quick and hot fire – when you need it most. The Commence Fire was originally designed as a one-time-use item. However, testing has shown that it held up in good shape for more than 10-12 uses. You can buy refill packs for additional uses.

Now, you can go to the Commence Fire web site and read all the technical stuff behind this invention if you’re interested in knowing how it all came about. It’s worth the time to look at the web site, and watch the video on how to use the stove. This unit operates backwards from most fires/stoves, in that, it uses the “top lit up draft” also called “self-feeding.”

Inside the stove there are hardwood pellets, as already mentioned, with tinder/firestarter layer on top. They also use Excelsior wood shavings lightly coated with paraffin on top to ignite it all. Sounds more complicated than it really is. The main fire burns from the top down, creating a smoky gas called “producer” gas, which is burned in a second extremely hot (1,200 degrees Fahrenheit ) fire on top, that completely burns up all the smoke for a super efficient, no-visible-smoke fire. Well, there is a tiny bit of smoke when you first start the stove, but inside of a minute or two, there is no smoke, just a super hot fire burning inside.

You can then take your water boxes, and put the water into the provided cups, with a tea bag, and inside of a few minutes, your water in boiling, and you have a nice, warm cup of tea. You could also substitute instant coffee or bouillon cubes for a soup broth. And, this stove’s top gets extremely hot – so you could also cook on it, if you had a mess kit, or place a trout or other meat right on top of the stove and it will cook-up for you faster than you can believe it.

I waited until our Fall rains started here in Western Oregon, in order to really give the Commence Fire a good work out. It only took a minute or two, to get the stove up and running and a hot fire going. It a pouring rain, the stove stayed “dry” in that, as soon as the rain drops hit the stove, they evaporated instantly – we’re talking a hot fire – that will burn from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. You can also add some dry pieces of wood to the fire by dropping ’em down the chimney, for a fire that will last a little longer.

I would have given just about anything to have the Commence Fire, when I was patrolling around that nuke plant all night long, in the cold and rain. It would have made a big difference between being cold and wet all night long, and having a chance to warm myself and my K-9 partner, making the long, wet nights more comfortable. I could have easily hauled the Commence Fire unit to my patrol area, and simply kept it out there all week long, and recharged it nightly for an opportunity to warm myself. It would have made a big difference and made that job a lot more tolerable–both for myself and my K-9 partner.

Now, the Commence Fire doesn’t come cheap, but it could be a real life saver and blessing, when you need a hot fire in a hurry. The unit retails for $99 plus shipping. And, you can purchase recharge kits for $19.95 each. And, as I said, you can add some small branches to extend the fire once your pellets start to burn down.

Believe me, I would have loved to have had this emergency stove when I was out in the woods all night long, in the cold and wet rain with my K-9 partner. I think the Commence Fire would be a great thing to have around your hunting camp, and to keep in your emergency supplies. You can’t honestly appreciate this type of invention until you are really cold and wet – then you’d be willing to pay just about anything for this sort of hot fire. It’s a very good idea, and this is a new company. Check out their web site, and watch the Commence Fire in action.

As I said, it one of those “Gee, why didn’t I think of that?” ideas. – Pat Cascio, SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor

Disclaimer (per FTC File No. P034520): I accept cash-paid advertising. The makers of the Commence Fire stove are not SurvivalBlog advertisers. They did provide Pat with one stove to test and evaluate and they recently began providing one free stove as a prize for our writing contest, but that had no bearing on my decision to run this review, nor did it have any bearing on the content of Pat’s review, and in fact Pat had already written the review before the company’s decision become a contest sponsor, and this will be the first time that they will see the review. To the best of my knowledge, as of the date of this posting, the maker and none of my advertisers that sell the products mentioned in this article or contest sponsors have solicited me or paid me to write any reviews or endorsements, nor have they provided me any free or reduced-price gear in exchange for any reviews or endorsements. I am not a stock holder in any company.

Letter Re: Obsolescence in American Coinage

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I read your article about US coinage and the opportunity to save nickels.  I must admit that your post about nickels is the first thing I linked to and that it introduced me to the many other valuable and useful topics on your blog.

I have two concerns about modern coinage.  The first is obvious and refers to the decreasing value of the coins themselves.  The penny is now essentially worthless and should be abolished.  We spend time making change.  We spend money creating, transporting counting and wrapping them.  Our tax dollar could be better used.  The nickel too should be phased out and its time to own up to the fact that the dime is the new penny.  In fact, using the Westegg inflation calculator we can see that a dime in 1947 was worth a penny in 2010.  (Unless of course you want to consider that in 1947 that dime was composed of 90% silver and so a dime from 1947 is now worth about $2.31 according to Coinflation.com.

My second concern is that the government has persistently changed the currency itself.  We have to pay someone to design the coin, approve the design (bureaucrat), engineer the dyes, et cetera.  This too is a waste of the Taxpayer’s money.  Moreover, because the designs are unfamiliar it takes store keepers extra time to simply identify whether a coin is a nickel or a quarter and doubtless there are more errors made.  I find the change itself though insidious.  I think the great thing about US currency was its stability.  It never really changed.  It reflected that our economy was stable.  It conveyed that the money was permanent and worthwhile because it was US currency.  Now there is a sense that the money is worthwhile because it is a collector’s item.  People want to get all 50 states or see Thomas Jefferson from every conceivable angle.

Every country has its great values and its great symbols.  Our country has the Statue of Liberty for example.  But because we are a great country we should maintain our currency as a great symbol.  We don’t dress the Statue of Liberty up in an elf costume at Christmas and neither should we be dressing up our quarters, and then nickels and then pennies.

As a last thought, how about converting the dollar (with an average life span 18-to-22 months) to a silver coin?  The only problem is that it would weigh 1/32 of an ounce (which means it would be about 1/3 the size of a dime) – Bruce in Pennsylvania

JWR Replies: One alternative to dropping the penny and nickel from circulation would be redenomination–issuing new paper dollars with one or even two zeroes lopped off. The old paper dollars would be exchanged under a mandatory swap (most likely with a 90 day time limit before the old bills were repudiated inside the U.S., and considerably longer allowed abroad–perhaps 18 months.) Wages, prices, and bank balances would all be re-valued overnight. But the old coinage would continue to circulate at face value. Several countries have dropped one, two, three, or even four zeros this in the past 50 years, often without too much drama. (Such as in Turkey, Israel, Romania, et cetera.) Although redenomination would be a sign of surrender to chronic inflation and one of those Les Empereur Sans Culottes junctures in the history of our nation, a currency recall would have some merit. I predict that the new valuation would cause a short term economic boom as everything would suddenly appear “inexpensive.” (With just one zero removed, a gallon of gas would be 36 cents, instead of $3.60, and a Snickers bar would be 10 cents instead of a dollar. Even the lowly penny would again have some genuine value. (There would again be “Penny Candy”.)

Dropping two zeros would allow the issuance of new silver coinage. (The silver in a pre-1965 silver half dollar is currently worth around $15.00, but with a New Dollar–with two zeros removed–the silver in the 50 cent coin would only be valued at 15 cents. But I suppose it might seem quite strange to see gasoline priced at 3.6 cents per gallon.

And, needless to say, a paper currency swap would also make those of us that have been stockpiling nickels very happy.

A Remembrance Gathering for Jan LeBaron

As many of you know, Jan LeBaron, proprietress of Healthy Harvest, died suddenly on September 18th.  Jan touched each of our lives in a unique way through her friendship and her work at Healthy Harvest.  In order to honor her and have an opportunity for closure due to her untimely death, a small group of us decided to organize a simple event for those who would like to gather and reminisce about Jan.  This may also be a great networking opportunity as Jan was always encouraging people to connect and network with new people.   Whether you were an acquaintance or a friend, please join us for an evening of visiting and reminiscing about Jan.  There will be a potluck gathering in the gymnasium at Crossroads Community Church, 7708 NE 78th Street, Vancouver, Washington on Sunday, October 16th at 5:00pm.  If your last name begins with A-M please bring a main dish to share.  If your last name begins with N-Z please bring a salad or dessert to share.  Beverages and plates/utensils/cups will be provided. Please forward this e-mail to any of your contacts who knew Jan, and ask them to do the same, so that we can spread the word. To obtain a head count, please RSVP the number of people attending via e-mail to: froggyfriend23@yahoo.com  

Letter Re: Re: Making Your Range Time Real Time — Train as You Fight

James:
H.R. here, to follow-up to one of the responses to my article:

In no way do I divert from the baseline of “Shoot, Move and Communicate”.  They are the very core for any affective operation.  If you take any or all of the three capabilities out of the mix than you have severely disrupted any operation!

There is a core concept to everything that should be thought about in anything that life throws at you…Crawl, Walk, Run.  When shooting you must make sure that you can complete a “Phase” before you move to the next one!  Let me break down what I feel is a complete graduation from each “Phase”.  I am strict in the way I expect my members to perform because I am putting my life in their hands and their lives in mine.  If there is any one failure then there is a potential life lost!

Note: All members advance together!  If anyone fails to complete the following tasks the whole group is held back.  “You are only as strong as your weakest member”.  Members that complete the tasks help out the members that do not until everyone completes the tasks.  ANY round out of the suggested zones is considered to be a failure and the task must be run again.

Crawl Phase:

  1. With Pistol and Battle Rifle, each member has 10 seconds to place 10 rounds in the 9 ring from 5 yards with a Winchester target from Wal-Mart SKU# 2905737004.
  2. Same as above, 15 seconds from 10 yards.
  3. Same as above, 20 seconds from 15 yards.
  4. With each, Pistol and Battle Rifle, from the ready, fire 2 rounds for 3x IPSC targets.  Impact must strike within the upper ½ of the A zone given 10 seconds from 5 yards. (2 ft. spread from edge to edge of targets).  Half of the El Presidente drill.
  5. Same as above, 15 seconds from 10 yards.
  6. Same as above, 20 seconds from 15 yards.
  7. With Battle Rifle at the ready, each member has 10 seconds to place 3 rounds in the upper ½ of the A zone of an IPSC target then transition to Pistol and fire 3 rounds in same zone.  This is done from 5 yards.
  8. Same as above, 15 seconds from 10 yards.
  9. Same as above, 20 seconds from 15 yards.
  10. With Battle Rifle, Iron Sights, each member has 10 seconds to place 3 out of 5 rounds in the RED of the Winchester #2905737004 target from Wal-Mart at 15 yards.
  11. Same as above, 20 seconds, 3 out of 5 from 25 yards.
  12. With Battle Rifle, Optics, each member has 7 seconds to place 3 out of 5 rounds in the RED of the Winchester #2905737004 target from Wal-Mart at 15 yards.
  13. Same as above, 10 seconds, 3 out of 5 from 25 yards.

Walk Phase:

  1. Same as Crawl Phase 1-3 with 5 seconds less for event 1, 10 seconds less for event 2 and 15 seconds less for event 3.  Target is replaced with IPSC target and rounds must impact the upper ¼ of the A zone.
  2. With Pistol and Battle Rifle, run a failure drill (2 rounds to the chest and one to the head) on 3x IPSC targets (2 ft. apart edge to edge) and all chest rounds must be in the upper ¼ of the A zone and the head round must be in the perforated rectangle (considered to be the A zone for the head).  At 5 yards, each member has 10 seconds with Battle Rifle and 15 seconds with Pistol.
  3. Same as above, 12 seconds, 20 seconds from 10 yards.
  4. Same as above, 15 seconds, 25 seconds from 15 yards.
  5. With Pistol and Battle Rifle, each member starts with their back to the target and at the sound of the buzzer must turn and place 3 rounds, center mass (X and 10 ring) on a FBI Silhouette target within 5 seconds from 5 yards.
  6. Same as above, 10 seconds from 10 yards.
  7. Same as above, 15 seconds from 15 yards.
  8. With Battle Rifle, while walking straightforward, place 2 rounds per 3x IPSC targets in upper ¼ of the A zone and repeat until member reaches 5 yard line.  Once at the 5 yard line, each member must place one round in the head per IPSC target.
  9. With Pistol, start at the 10 yards line.  Walk straightforward to the 5 yard line while placing 2 rounds in the upper ½ of the A zone of 3x IPSC targets.  Once at the 5 yard line, place one round in the head per IPSC target.

Run Phase:

  1. Same as Walk Phase 1-9 but targets are replaced with life-like paper targets and all rounds must impact the kill zone (equivalent to the upper ¼ of an IPSC target).  I would stay away from hostage targets for this drill.
  2. With Battle Rifle, from behind cover #1 (shooter cannot see the targets), at the sound of the buzzer lean out (keeping your body behind cover) and place 3 rounds in each of 3x life like paper targets and then run to cover #2 (remember to put your safety on before you move).  At cover #2 place 3 rounds in each 3x life like paper target.  All shots must be kill zone shots.  This drill starts at the 25 yard line (cover #1) with cover #2 at 15 yards and there is no time limit. I would stay away from hostage targets for this drill.
  3. Same as above now add 2x targets to be shot while moving from cover #1 to cover #2, 2 shots per target while on the move. I would stay away from hostage targets for this drill.
  4. With Pistol and Battle Rifle, from the 7 yard line, eliminate the hostage taker with one shot to the A zone of the head within 2 seconds.  You will only get one shot … make it count!
  5. With Pistol and Battle Rifle, place 3 out of 5 rounds in the RED of the Winchester #2905737004 target from Wal-Mart while shooting one handed.
  6. With Pistol, run the El Presidente drill with one hand. (2 rounds per 3x targets [I suggest life like paper targets], reload one handed also and run it again)  I would also suggest only loading 6 rounds in the magazine so that the gun is dry when you do your reload.  Run it for time and try to improve your best.
  7. With Pistol and Battle Rifle, run the El Presidente drill off handed (opposite hand).
  8. Same as above but one handed.

Rifles are zeroed on Winchester targets SKU# 2905737008.  Reason for zeroing on a square grid target is because the grid lines make 1” squares or 1 MOA.  Most of the optics that you buy today is adjusted in 1/4 MOA.  Which it takes 4 clicks to make 1 MOA.  This is calculated at 100 yards.

These are just some of the drills that we run.  There are many more that I have created that we continually work on.  All of these drills are run from 25 yards and closer.  We also do the “Run” phase from 50 and 100 yards.  We also add other variables in the mix; body armor, “dummy rounds and the “9 Hole Rifle Drill” We enjoy shooting to begin with so it becomes a bit of a competition to better each other.  We all know in the back of our minds that we may very well have to use these skills some day to save our very lives so we are all very serious on the range.

If you have the land and a little cash to spare, I suggest getting some old cars, car doors, all with the glass intact, to see how your bullet react when shot them from different angles.  Also you can study the cars and see just where you need to be, when using it for cover, to put as much material between you and your attacker(s).  And yes, the 9 hole drill will help you when shooting from behind a car.  All those odd angles are put in there for a reason. Happy Shooting, – H.R.

Economics and Investing:

Gold Investing: Detailing Gold’s Wild Q3
 
Silver Futures Auction Market Perspective

For those of us that like to track precious metals price ratios, Jerry T. recommended these charts.

Steve R. sent this: Holiday Retail Sales Set To Slide Amid High Unemployment and Low Consumer Confidence

G.G. flagged this: A job is becoming a dim memory for many unemployed

Used Car Dealer Becomes a Horse Trader

John R. sent us these items:

World facing worst financial crisis in history, Bank of England Governor says – The Telegraph

Economic Apocalypse Goes Mainstream: Meltdown In Two To Three Weeks; It Will Spread Everywhere; Most Serious Financial Crisis Ever; Worse Than Great Depression (Mac Slavo)
 
BBC Does It Again: “In The Absence Of A Credible Plan We Will Have A Global Financial Meltdown In Two To Three Weeks” (Zero Hedge)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Dan T. sent this news story from Colorado: Welder goes into the Armageddon business.

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I just finished reading the near-future action adventure novel Castigo Cay, by Matt Bracken. It was a great read and I highly recommended it. Bracken is really hitting his stride as a novelist. As with his previous novels, you will also find that there are some useful tips woven into the storyline. Although there were some adult situations described in the novel, the author refrained from obscenity or and vulgarity beyond a few coarse words. (But given the violent situations, it is not a novel for kids or teenagers!) Without giving away any of the story, I can say that Castigo Cay a very well-crafted action yarn, that is thought provoking, especially regarding our personal liberty in the near future. Again, I highly recommend the novel!

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Your tax dollars at work: Fast and Furious weapons were found in Mexico cartel enforcer’s home. And then there’s the journalists that never got the word, or have conveniently chosen to ignore it: Smuggled U.S. ammo feeds drug wars. (Note that there is not one mention of the Fast and Furious–a.k.a. “Gunwalker”–scandal in the latter article.) This reminds me of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”. (Thanks to James K. for the latter link.)

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TTabs just posted another great video, shot this past Saturday evening, flying over the northwestern Palouse Hills (south of Cheney and Spokane Washington) : One October Evening – Trike Flying. He captured some images of gorgeous scenery and great flying. Low level flying is the best way to see and appreciate the undulating hills of the Palouse. BTW, ground effect flying is not for novices! (The two pilots have each logged thousands of hours of flying time.)

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My Inner Gun Nut would love to be in Tripoli, right now. When you scroll down, don’t miss Photo #15: the shot of the guys pulling brand new early-production FALs out of the factory styrofoam. To die for…

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusions of counsel, until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong – these are the features that constitute the endless repetition of history." – Winston Churchill

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 37 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) 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, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) 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.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 37 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Another Perspective on Dairy Goats, by Milkmaid

My foray into the world of self-sufficiency began with two animals and a dream: two Nubian dairy goats, to be exact, and a whole load of criticism and laughter from those who thought I was crazy! “What do you know about raising goats?” , and “Why bother, isn’t it easier to just go buy milk at the store” Smirk, smirk. Little did they realize, this made me ever more determined to have the last laugh.

My husband was grudgingly tolerant, and my children were excited and blindly trusting their mother to know exactly what she was doing. After all my thorough research I jumped in feet first….and fell. And fell and fell again. But, after some blood, sweat, and tears I believe I have learned a lot and would like to share what wisdom I have gained with those who might be considering the dairy goat as a fresh milk source for their family.

Goats are an excellent choice for family dairy needs! They are intelligent, inquisitive creatures and they each have their own unique personality. Some have endeared themselves to me more than others and I am only a tad ashamed to say that I have my favorites. Most of my does (females) weigh around 130 pounds, and are easily handled by both myself and my small children. Their senses are sharp, and they are curious to a fault. I have one particular doe who will refuse to hop on her milk stand when I have swept the floor underneath it, because she knows something is different.

In comparison to a family cow, goats are much smaller, and obviously require less feed. They are less intimidating than a cow, and again easily handled by children. The only exception to this would be the buck (an intact male goat). Bucks can grow quite large, and some become aggressive or try to show dominance. We have a rather large buck on our property with enormous horns, and my children are strictly forbidden to go into his pen.

Goat’s milk, if handled properly, is delicious. It is not “goaty”, bitter, or distasteful. It is creamy, sweet goodness, and is good for you! Goat’s milk is easily digested, and some folks who cannot tolerate cow’s milk will have an easier time with goat’s milk. Please do yourself a favor and never judge fresh goat’s milk by the vile concoction in the can at the store.

I will only briefly touch on the subject of pasteurization. I believe this is a personal choice, and I do not believe there is a right or wrong choice. Please do your research and make an informed decision regarding what is best for your family. Regardless, your milk will need to be filtered before drinking. Filtering will ensure that any bits of dirt or hair will be removed from your milk. I use milk filters bought from a dairy supply catalog (Hoegger’s, Jeffers or Caprine Supply). I have personally tried using coffee filters and several layers of cheesecloth and those methods did not go over well for me. If you choose to pasteurize, it can be done stovetop with a stainless steel double boiler, or you can purchase a pasteurizer. You will need a thermometer if you go the stovetop route. I use a simple candy thermometer, but there are dairy thermometers available for purchase. Dairy thermometers come in handy if you so choose to try your hand at making cheese! In reference to raw milk please check with your individual state’s laws and regulations. In many states it is legal to drink raw milk [produced by your own goats] but illegal to sell it. Again, please do your research and try to be respectful of others personal decisions.

That said, I would like to provide readers with some insight that I wish I had had when I started out. I love and respect my goats for being providers(of milk or meat), however, should you choose to neglect or abuse them do not expect much in the way of getting anything back.

1. You will become a doctor. You must learn your goat’s body language, and recognize immediately what might be “off” behavior. Once a goat is obviously very sick, I would say you have about 24 hrs. to diagnose them or have them seen by a vet, or you will likely end up with a dead animal. There is a saying “A sick goat is a dead goat”. Most of goat care is focused on prevention, because once a catastrophic illness hits, very rarely will a goat pull out and be “normal”.

2. Do not expect to find a vet easily or at the last minute. Waiting until your goat is in the throes of a difficult birth, or until they are off feed running a fever are NOT the time to try to find a veterinarian. First of all, veterinarians who are well versed in goat care, or even those who will give it a half-hearted attempt are in incredible short supply. For reasons unbeknownst to me telling a vet that you have a goat is like telling them the black plague has infected your household. Most vets do not want to even talk to you-I have, in fact, had vets actually hang up on me when I mention the word “goat”. I have been so lucky to find a wonderful veterinarian who actually has been spot-on with most of my goats vet needs. It took me five years to find him. Until then I had to read everything I could get my hands on regarding goat care, illness, disease, etc. I wrote everything down in a “goat notebook”, and wrote down vaccines, antidotes, medications, side effects, common diseases, etc. I learned to recognize symptoms and make decisions quickly. There will be times when you just have to guess and hope you’re right, when death is imminent. Do not feel guilty for this, it is part of the trials of raising livestock.

3. Goats will not eat tin cans (although they may nibble on them out of curiosity). In all reality, goats are pretty picky eaters. They are small ruminants, meaning they have a four chambered stomach. They need roughage(hay, pasture, weeds, tree leaves) to maintain a healthy rumen. They love to browse, but will do very well grazing on pasture like a cow or a horse. Growing kids and lactating mothers are benefited by a grain ration. I use a loose grain mix with 16% protein mixed at my local grain elevator. Please do not overfeed grain or let children feed them grain unless you are certain they will not overfeed them. Grain can be measured or weighed, but if consumed in massive quantities can cause death by acidosis. Regular over-usage will result in fat goats which causes difficult births and overall unthriftiness. This can also cause susceptibility to goat polio, which I can tell you first hand is a heartbreaking disease. Goats also need certain minerals to maintain good health. There are minerals in block form, loose mixes, or you can even mix your own if you are so inclined. Please educate yourself by reading as much information as you can on maintaining a healthy rumen for your goats – it is vital to their well-being. In my experience the local extension office and 4-H manuals have been very informative!

4. Buy a good book or two. This is something I wish had done years ago before writing down enough information to write a book myself!

5. Goats require a certain amount of dedication and perseverance. You will have to milk every day. If you cannot commit to this please save yourself the trouble of purchasing any dairy animals. You will also have to learn to give your own vaccinations, trim hooves regularly, assist with birth, deworm them regularly, provide fresh water and food daily, and much more. You will watch them give birth and you will eventually watch some of them die. You may even have to shoot them (or have hubby do it) if they are suffering. In a large herd euthanasia is not a realistic option.

6. Learning to milk will bring frustration and tears. Please do not give up-it is worth it. It will come naturally over time. I did have days that I ran from the barn kicking whatever happened to get in my way, tears streaming from my face, ready to commit a mass murder of those *!#! Goats. You will cry over spilt milk! Or at least feel a tinge of joy at the prospect of committing physical violence against those stubborn creatures!

Remember, just as a new nursing mother cannot “let down” her milk if she is anxious, or in pain. If her baby screams in frustration, she will tense up and the whole thing goes down from there. A goat will sense your nervousness or frustration, or even your anger. The best bet is to try to stay calm even if you must walk away for a few minutes and come back. Learning to milk my Jersey cow was one of the worst times in my life. I know now it was because I was deathly afraid of getting my head bashed in every time I put my face next to those enormous legs. My cow knew this-knew I was afraid, and she decided to become “boss”. Another reason to never let your livestock dominate you. If they refuse to back down, even after time, they become a danger to you and yours, and I would recommend sending them to slaughter.
Milking can become very relaxing as you get better and better at it. Music helps, too. Milking should always be done in a stainless steel bowl/pail and all your milking supplies meticulously washed after each milking. There are commercial washes you can buy, although I think Clorox and soap and water work pretty well. After time your equipment may develop a residue of sorts called “milkstone”, and you can also buy cleaner to take care of that.

Please don’t let this deter you. My six year old can milk (until her little hands get tired!). As with any new skill, it takes practice. One more thing-if your hand muscles tire even after you master milking, or you have arthritis, there are many kinds of milking machines out there. Some are even just simplistic pumps, similar to a breast pump.

7. Most of your does (females) will need to be bred once a year to keep a steady supply of milk. Many people who choose not to keep a buck for this purpose can usually find someone in their vicinity who is willing to let their buck “service” your doe for a small fee. You will need to do this when your does go into heat. Watch for these heat signs-Excessive bleating, tail wagging (called flagging), swollen, red vulva, discharge, riding other does. Some will display all, some, or none of these behaviors. One of my does has a few hour window where she will stand to be mounted by a buck. This is called “standing heat”, and sometimes it’s difficult to catch! Some breeds of dairy goats will go into heat year round, some only in season (usually September to March).

If you decide to keep [an intact] buck he will grow big and usually pretty stinky! He will urinate on himself, and do some pretty obscene things! A buck needs care as well, so even though it is difficult sometimes, please don’t neglect him. Hoof trimming is an area where bucks often get neglected. Who wants to pick up that smelly, urine soaked leg? I always enlist my husband’s help in dealing with my buck, especially if he is in rut. Please don’t ever turn your back on a buck in rut. That is unwise at best, dangerous or deadly at worst.

8. Have an idea beforehand what you want to do with your surplus goats. It is always exciting when kids are born, but then you have to figure out what to do with those boys. It is not realistic to think you will be able to keep them all. Yes, they are adorable when little, but they grow quickly.

Castration can be done in a few different ways. There is banding, which is simply placing a string latex band around the testicles with an Elastrator–a tool designed for that purpose. This will of course cut off circulation and cause the testicles to go necrotic and fall off after some time. If done too early, you risk the urethra not maturing enough and susceptibility to bladder stones. If done too late, it will be agonizing for your goat. I know this because it happened to me recently and after watching said goat literally screaming and writhing on the ground, I had to cut the band off. Now I have a young buckling trying to breed all his sisters, and I have to rid myself of him ASAP. He will either be sold to slaughter or will go in our own freezer. This was a huge mistake on my part, but being the softie that I am, I could not bear to see an animal in so much pain. This method seems to me more torturous as time goes by and I can hardly bear to do it anymore.

Another method is to find and crush the cords carrying the sperm to the testes using a tool called a burdizzo. This involves no blood and is considered a “closed” castration. I have no personal experience with this tool however there is a lot of support for it on the Internet.

The last option is surgical castration which , in my opinion, is not a feasible option for most folks, considering the price tag. A lot of people are in support of keeping a wether (castrated male goat), as a pet. In my experience they are sweet and wonderful for about two years. Then it seems that this would be about the time a buckling would be coming into maturity, and they get some dominance issues. I have known many goat people who have sweet and loving wethers. This has just not been the case for me. Your excess males can be sold for meat or 4-H projects, or as pets. It will be a decision you will have to contend with.

9. Last of all, try to find “goat people” to help you out especially the first few years. There were many times when I called upon others who knew way more than I did. I even called some late at night in desperation. They will be your best support system!

In closing, all of this may seem intimidating, but as with anything new you will find what works for you. As raising my own “kids”, it has been a challenging , yet rewarding experience. And I promise you, you’ll never see any sight more joyful than children playing with all their new “babies”. It doesn’t get any sweeter than that!