Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 35 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 Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 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.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, 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.

An Urban Camouflage Get Home Bag, by K.S.

As I live and work in a small city, and do not have a survival retreat to bail out to, over the years I have been giving much thought into how I would get home should an EMP or CME strand me away from home. I have looked at others suggestions such as small backpacks or laptop cases. I have read the debates as to what to wear to blend in while making your way home. I have had a few get home bags (GHBs) that held the things I needed, but I felt that they would look out of place with some of the areas I would have to go through while making my way home, and the clothes that would be invisible in one neighborhood would get noticed in another. What to do?

Then last weekend, while browsing yard sales, I saw something that gave me the best idea yet. The woman was selling off some of her son’s old stuff. A set of motorcycle street leathers, some ice hockey gear, a few karate gis, all in one size larger than I wear. But the things that got my attention, and gave me my idea, were the baseball things. You see, I live in Florida where most outdoor sports are played all year round. I asked the woman why she was selling her sons stuff and she told me that he had moved out of state. After a little haggling, I purchased two button up team jerseys (a company logo that he worked for while in college), a matching warm-up jacket, two hats, a bat, a batting helmet, a glove and an equipment bag, all of which were well broken in. In actuality, the only items I was interested in were the jerseys, the hats and the equipment bag. What could I do with these you ask? Read on.

Picture this, you are a bad guy. The electricity has gone out, your vehicle won’t run, it’s the middle of the afternoon and it’s starting to get hot. You see three separate, middle-aged, slightly overweight guys walking through your territory. The first guy is wearing a polo shirt (untucked) and khakis carrying a laptop case, obviously a business type trying to get home. The second guy is wearing an earthy green shirt (also untucked), dark tan pants and boots carrying a backpack, maybe an older student type? The third guy is wearing a baseball shirt (untucked and unbuttoned) and hat, red clay stained jeans, sneakers and carrying a well used baseball equipment bag slung across his shoulder, obviously he’s been playing/practicing with his company team and is just trying to get home. Now, as the bad guy, what are your thoughts about the three trespassers in your territory? Remember, the power has only been out a short period of time and your do not yet realize that the SHTF. Maybe you think something along these lines.

The first guy appears to be a businessman. Businessmen usually carry plenty of money/credit cards. He’s carrying a laptop case. A laptop case holds a laptop. Laptops are worth money. Businessmen also have expensive cell phones. Beat up the out of shape business man, steal and sell the laptop and cell phone. Buy drugs and/or booze with the money and/or credit cards.
The second guy is possibly an older student. Students usually laptops, textbooks and cell phones. Laptops, textbooks and cell phones are worth money. Beat up the overweight student, steal his stuff, sell the laptop, books and cell phone. Buy drugs and/or booze.

The third guy has obviously been playing baseball. Even though he is overweight, he plays baseball and may be able to put up a fight. Baseball equipment bags usually hold baseball bats, so he probably has a weapon to fight back with. Baseball equipment bags usually contain a glove, some socks, maybe a helmet and maybe a water bottle. No laptop. Maybe he has a cell phone. Maybe he has a few bucks I his pocket. Is the chance that he may have a cell phone or a few dollars worth the risk that he could injure me seriously? No, let’s go get the other two and leave this one alone, it’s just not worth the risk.

Now as someone that is a regular reader here now from the descriptions given, things are not as easy for the bad guy as they first appear. In each case, I have given a description of the three most popular versions of urban camo. Now, let’s take a look at the mistake the bad guy made by trying to tackle each of the “victims.”

“The Businessman.” Of course the biggest clue to the bad guy’s mistake is the untucked polo. This version of urban camo has the “victim” carrying a Glock 23 under the shirt. His get home bag (GHB) contains a folded Kel-Tec Sub-2000 set up for Glock 22 magazines, along with several spare mags, in addition to other survival supplies. He is an Army vet, has attended some firearms training classes. As an easy victim, the bad guy will be in for a rude awakening when he chooses to attack this “soft” target. As for the camo doing its job of making the person blend in, I feel that it would actually make him a more inviting target in certain neighborhoods.

“The Student.” Once again, the untucked shirt is the give-away. In this case, he is carrying the same sidearm. In the backpack, the same Kel-Tec Sub-2000 along with a few more extra mags. There are also a few more survival items.  He is the same guy as the businessman, just a different approach to urban camouflage. I feel that this “student” approach is also not the best approach to urban camo but that it is at least a little bit better.

The biggest difference between the “student” and the “businessman,” is that the “student” appearance is more likely to elicit a “he possibly has” train of thought amongst bad guys, where the “businessman” approach gives the bad guys a “he has” thought process. In either case, the bad guys will more than likely attack the “victims” to obtain what they think will bring them money.
Herein lies the beauty of the “baseball player” camouflage that I have set up.

“The Baseball Player.” Again the clue is the untucked shirt. But in this case, the shirt is also unbuttoned, with the strap from the equipment bag holding the shirt closed against his chest. By having the shirt unbuttoned, it makes it a little bit easier to clear it to draw a weapon, also in this case a Glock 23. The biggest difference is what the GHB contains. In addition to the standard items one would find in a GHB, I have placed a surplus Infantry Fighting Vest, complete with six 30-round PMags, two empty one quart canteens, four Glock 22 mags, and 20 rounds of 12 gauge shells. I also have my AR-15 laid on top of the vest in the main compartment with a full magazine in the mag well. In the compartment where people normally keep their bats, I have a Remington 870 riot gun with a top folding stock and extended mag tube. To keep the pistol grip right up against the zipper, I have placed a small bag with extra socks and t-shirts in it tucked down at the bottom. I have placed padding on the bag carry strap to make it easier to carry long distances, and cut the strap at the middle of my chest and installed a quick release buckle in case I need to drop it quickly. You may be thinking that I do not really need to carry the shotgun with me, but it doesn’t really add that much weight compared to the psychological intimidation it would bring if I were to ever pull it out. My thinking is that during the first few hours of a major of a major catastrophe, most bad guys would not bother the “baseball player” just trying to get home as he would not have much worthwhile on him.

As I write this, this bag is sitting in the trunk of my car, along with a case of water to fill the canteens before abandoning it.  Sitting on top of the bag is a pair of “dirty” sneakers, “dirty” jeans, “dirty” button up jersey, three quarter sleeve Under Armor t-shirt, the warm-up jacket and well worn baseball cap. In order to make everything “dirty,” I took the clean items to a baseball field after a rainstorm and dragged them on the ground a little bit, then hung them up to dry. Once they were dry, I gave them a good whack to knock off the clumps of dirt, the result looks like they were recently played in.

You may wonder how well this would work in real life. Well, let me tell you, it works great. I tested the setup this weekend by having a friend drop me off at work then walking home dressed as described. I used the shortest route possible, which I would not use in a real situation, as it took me through a rough section of town. With two exceptions, I made it home without even speaking to anyone. Both exceptions occurred in the rough section of town. The first was when a police officer stopped and asked if I needed any help. I thanked him and told him I was just getting my exercise on the way home. He said okay and went about his work. The second occasion was when I was passing a house with the owner working out front in her yard. She stopped me and asked if I would like a cold glass of tea, I thanked her and said that I was trying to catch the bus at the stop just down the street, and moved on. It took me a little longer to get home than I thought it would, but nothing happened to speak of. Even the officer did not seem to notice that I was carrying, and I do have a permit. I am glad that I put the padding on the strap before I made this trial run, as I think it would have started bothering me before I made it home.

Is my setup the best possible way to go? It is for me but maybe not for your situation. Are there better ways of setting up this rig? Probably, and I will continue to play with this to see if I can work it better. Mostly I just wanted to get this out there to give others an idea as to how to take something not readily thought of, and turn it into something useful.

Letter Re: Web-Based Soil Survey Maps as a Resource for Retreat Selection

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I came across this web site: SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey. Its purpose is to allow users to access NRCS and NCSS 1:24,000 scale detailed soil survey data (SSURGO) in many parts of the lower 48 states. Where this data is not yet available, 1:250,000 scale generalized soils data (STATSGO) can be accessed instead. (In Arizona, California, and Nevada only.) An interactive map interface allows for panning and zooming, with highways, streets, and aerial photos to assist navigation.

This could be useful for those considering relocation, as soil make-up and condition should be a consideration for any homestead.

I enjoy the blog, keep up the good work.

Sincerely, – Ezmerelda

JWR Replies: Thank you, thank you! That is an incredibly useful web site. I strongly recommend that SurvivalBlog readers delve into that data, especially via the Google Earth Interface overlay. I was stunned to see that even the very remote Rawles Ranch was included in the 1:24,000 scale soil survey map. The demarcations between soil types was surprisingly accurate. Being able to see it integrated with a Google Earth kmz was sweet icing on the cake! This soil taxonomy data is invaluable in selecting retreat properties! OBTW, you’ve just earned yourself a $30 Amazon gift certificate as a special SurvivalBlog editor’s award.

Letter Re: Stocking Up on Nickels

Mr. Rawles,  
After packing many rolls of nickels in .30 caliber ammo cans, I now use a much quicker storage method. Specifically, I discovered that I can place five cardboard boxes of nickels that I buy from the bank ($500) directly into one 20 mm ammo can. The five cardboard boxes fit perfectly in the can, with no extra room. I can load each can in only 1-2 minutes. The packed cans are heavy (maybe 115-120 pounds), and therefore difficult to move. So I usually position each can where I plan to store it before placing the boxes in it. I bought a bunch of 20 mm cans at a local gun show for $8 each.

Incidentally, I’ve also found 20 mm ammo cans to be a convenient size for storing bulk ammo that I do not plan to move.  Keep up the good work.  – M. on the East Coast

Economics and Investing:

J.D.D. recommended this excellent video clip: Must See Tom Woods Speech. Woods is a very entertaining and thought-provoking speaker.

Matt R. sent this: Will Germany and France stave off a Greek default?

My Big Fat Greek Debt Default: Greece, the Global Perspective. (Thanks to Kostas for the link.)

Courtesy of Pierre M.: Taxpayers Dollars Still Bailing Out Banks

G.G. flagged this: Falling from housing peak: John McMonigle’s ride

Items from The Economatrix:

Consumers Borrowed More For 7th Straight Month

Companies Pulled Back On Job Postings In April

Stock Indexes Fall For 5th Straight Day

OPEC Split Over Increasing Oil Production

Oil Holds Steady Ahead of OPEC Meeting; Gas Lower

Odds ‘n Sods:

Here come the CMEs: Sun Unleashes ‘Spectacular’ & Powerful Eruption. Oh, and speaking of CMEs: NASA’s Solar Shield to Protect Power Grids From Sun Storms

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F.J. mentioned this over at Instructables: Paracord Strap Wrap. (That is just one example of the dozens of preparedness-oriented how-to project articles you’ll find there.)

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California, the state built on gold prospecting, is set to outlaw … gold prospecting. (Thanks to G.P. for the link.)

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SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio wrote to give an update on the OC-1 knife that he designed, in collaboration with custom knife maker Brian Wagner. Pat reports: “We were in talks with CRKT to produce a factory version with them. However, the collaboration didn’t work out on this design but we are making a new fixed blade fighting knife that CRKT will probably produce, called the OC-2. I don’t have a sample in-hand, yet – but hope to in about a month.   In the meantime, the OC-1 can be had in a custom, hand made version from Brian Wagner of Okuden Knives for $350 if any SurvivalBlog readers are interested. Brian doesn’t have any in-stock at the moment, but will have some on-hand very soon. So, if any SurvivalBlog readers are interested in owning a custom version of the OC-1 they should contact Brian Wagner at: (253) 906-5306. He will also have photos of the OC-1 available if anyone wants to see what they look like.”

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M.M. suggested this interesting albeit biased piece: A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself. (In case you might be wondering: Yes, I’m one of those global warming deniers, and some think I should be tattooed for it.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We have states, with 10th Amendments rights, which can be converted into “safe havens”; financially, politically, and socially protected areas of the U.S. where independent citizens can congregate that provide shelter and mutual defense from the chaos that collapse imposes.” – Brandon Smith, Editor of Alt-Market

Notes from JWR:

Today (June 7, 2011) is Book Bomb Day for the new book The Simplicity Primer, by Patrice Lewis. We highly recommended her book. It should be fun to watch the Amazon rankings, as the day progresses. (For comparison, it was ranked around #16,000 on Monday.)

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The first article today is a product review written by SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large, Michael Z. Williamson. “Mad Mike” is a renaissance man: He’s a science fiction writer, firearms expert, a graphic designer, bladesmith, sport parachutist, martial artist, world traveler, and a historical re-enactor. Mike was Born in Birkenhead, England, but is a naturalized U.S. Citizen and now living in Indiana. He has served many years in the U.S. Air Force, most recently in the Air Force Reserve. This included a deployment to the Middle East. Mike’s many interests have kept him very busy, and he now has more than a dozen books and anthologized short stories in print, from four publishers. Most recently, Mike introduced his very popular WWF parody T-Shirt design. You can order yours, directly from Mike. I plan to wear one to public events, just to enjoy watching the Birkenstock Crowd do double takes. (For anyone that might be unfamiliar: Depending on context, “WWF” is an acronym for both World Wildlife Fund and the World Wrestling Federation–later changed to the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

Product Review: Rock River Arms PDS Piston Driven Carbine

The PDS is Rock River Arms’ entry into the piston AR market.  I’ve never been enthusiastic about this concept, but Rock River Arms (RRA) put some serious design thought into this weapon, and the results are impressive. Here are some pictures.

Starting at the rear, it has a side-folding stock, because the recoil system isn’t in a receiver extension inside it.  This is a significant advantage for transport and carry.  The folder mechanism does take a bit of getting used to.  It requires lifting the stock out of a deep detent.  It locks solidly in place open or closed, and has a 6 position stock.  As the stock tube is not needed for a recoil mechanism, it contains a storage section with a threaded cap, bit enough to take a rod, cleaning tools, and small maintenance tools and spare parts.  This is a big plus for a gun that sees real use.

The two stage proprietary trigger is crisp and reliable.  The test gun broke cleanly at about 6 lbs.  It was very consistent and comfortable.  The major difference on the controls is that the charging handle is a forward type, like the German H&K G3.  It is ambidextrous, non-reciprocating, and folds flat on closing.  It is reliable, but does take a bit of strength to work.  Smaller shooters and females had trouble, but could manage with effort.  The grip is a Hogue model, with good texture.

Takedown starts as with any AR, and once the receiver halves are open, the recoil mechanism is pulled down and out.  This removes the operating rod, bolt carrier and bolt in one unit.  It’s elegantly simple.

The receiver top is elevated slightly over standard ARs, because it contains the recoil mechanism.  This puts it at a very comfortable height for most sighting systems—a riser is not needed.  It is a monolithic rail for mounting sequenced optics.

The handguard is a bit odd looking and feeling, but very solidly mounted and useful. There is also an optional railed handguard.

The gas system has two settings, and the operator is cautioned not to use a suppressor with this weapon.  A different gas block is in production for that purpose.  Recoil is somewhat brisker than a gas impingement system due to the greater operating mass, but is not uncomfortable.  The bottom of the gas block includes a 1″ rail for accessory mounting.  The gas block is very solidly mounted.  I did not attempt to dismount it to examine it.  Generally, pins are preferred to screws, but as it does not protrude far, and does not mount a bayonet, the heavy construction and machine screws are plenty.

We tested using several brands of ammunition, with an Aimpoint sight mounted, shooting over a sandbag.  All the major commercial brands remained under 2.5″ at 100 yards, in 10 shot groups.  Best group was 1.55″.  Weather was 50 degrees F, 75% humidity, still air, at approximately 300 feet elevation.  Keep in mind, this was with combat optics and sandbag, not a mounted weapon and scope.

The only stoppage was a double feed, attributed to a bad magazine, as the same problem occurred with another gun with that magazine.  After 500 rounds, the mechanism was clean, and the bore only needed a pull through with a Boresnake for cleaning.  That’s certainly a big plus.  The receiver remained cool, and there was very little oil evaporation.

The PDS comes with a magazine, a simple to read instruction manual, and a hard case. MSRP is $1,685 as tested, which makes it only slightly pricier than a high-end standard AR. – Michael Z. Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor at Large.

JWR Adds: It is likely that there will be a shakeout among the many new competing gas piston AR-15 upper designs. Beware that these are proprietary designs, and hence their parts do not interchange. It may take a few years before just two or three technologically superior and market-dominant designs emerge. Other designs–most likely from small makers–will just be a “flash in the pan” that will go out of production. Sadly, I’ve heard that Walt Langendorfer‘s excellent Rhino design (patented in 1981 and unquestionably “first to market”) is now out of production. As with the famous Betamax versus VHS war (where unfortunately the superior and more compact design lost out) this will leave some owners without any available repair parts. So beware. I anticipate that it will be designs from a few major makers (such as POF-USA, Ruger, and RRA) that will predominate. The HK 416 is a great design, but I suspect that few will of them ever make their way to civilian hands–at least at a reasonable price. The bottom line: If you buy a piston upper, don’t sell off your original gas-impingement AR upper. Someday you might need it. And, as Mike mentioned in a recent e-mail “One point to remember is that a gas impingement gun with a damaged gas system becomes a straight pull bolt action rifle.  A piston gun with damage to tube or piston locks up and becomes a very expensive club.  The type of gun you choose is very much a reflection of the environment you may operate in, and your intended purposes.”

Two Letters Re: Extreme Coupon Prepping

Sir:
I just wanted to add a few comments to Y.M.’s extreme couponing prepping article.

Shoppers fall into three categories: 1 ) the busy, unplanned shopper, 2 )  the rookie shopper and 3 ) the Olympian. The busy shopper just runs in the store and buys whatever is there. The rookie saves 10-20% and the Olympian saves about 80-90 %.

I am definitely in the rookie category. I can save 20-40 % by just shopping the front and back page of the store’s weekly circular. Also if  you cook and do not eat out of boxes, you have additional savings. My family always saved by buying sale items in quantity to last us until well past the next time that item goes on sale again. Also eating what is on sale and in season and having a freezer will decrease your food bill.  Good management of your refrigerator and leftovers can save any family 25 %, because that is how much food the average family tosses out from waste. You know those unidentified containers in the back of the refrigerator that turn into another life form from neglect ?

 Deciding to extreme coupon, I searched “matchups”  for the date the Sunday coupons come out. You will find multiple web sites with listings of the various stores  with their sales and the coupons that match from the Sunday inserts and the date of those inserts. It does take time to match these up, and then not get tripped up in the stores ‘s rules. Some stores do not take online printed coupons, others do. Some will not take multiple coupons on an item. Some allow you to load up coupon savings on your store card, but will not allow you to add a manufacturer coupon with it. There maybe a limit on the number of items with coupons that you can ring up on a single transaction.  Rules, rules, rules.

There are savings to be had, but you have to do your homework. The sales and coupons cycle and repeat at varying intervals. It would seem that some items like detergent, diapers and body wash have many opportunities for saving and others are more seasonal.

I found out how much of a rookie I was, when I walked my grocery aisle for soaps and shampoos and ran into a real Olympian. She was so gracious and helpful. Trying to stay undercover, I try to not buy great piles of things and usually only use a few coupons. These people have notebooks with them and buy everything in quantities of 10 or 20. They even go above the matchup information on the web. For instance, they will cruise the aisles and find items with a Close Out sticker. Then marry that with a coupon that they remember that they had six weeks ago. They found bar soap and deodorant on close out and with the coupons the items ended up costing a few cents. Amazing.

Sources for coupons are bidding online and grocery stores sell papers in double packets. There is even a web site that will tell you which Sunday papers have coupons in them . Just search Redplum and smart source insert schedule.

It would be a great way to stock up you church’s food pantry and some of your own. This is a wonderful skill if  you  don’t let it get the best of you. Be sure to have clear goals formulated.  Some of the people on the extreme couponing program seem to accumulate items that they could not possibly use before it expired. The psychology of coupons is complex. Companies distribute coupons to introduce a new product, increase sales, encourage purchase of other items on the shopping trip and find new markets. Be careful that the gratification of using coupons is not causing you to purchase something that you really do not need or never would have purchased in the first place. Coupons can make you feel like you have “saved money”.
Also count the cost of the amount of time it takes to find, collect, clip, sort, and file coupons, also to evaluate the deal and carry out the purchase.

The take home lesson is : Couponing is good for saving money on short term items, so you can invest in the foods with 20-30 year shelf life. Continue prepping and keep the faith. – C.S.

 

JWR:
This is feedback for the article on “Extreme Coupon Prepping” by Y.M.

I have been hearing a lot lately about people saving hundreds or thousands of dollars by clipping coupons.  After reading the article I took some time and perused the sites mentioned: Krazy Coupon Lady, Redplum, Smartsource and coupons.com.  All of these sites are fine for people who 1. Buy whatever is being marketed (including lots of pre-packaged food) and 2. Require lots of maintenance items (various shampoos of the month, specialty vitamins, dog treats, air fresheners, contact lens solution, etc.). A possible third category would be people who just enjoy trying new things because a coupon implies they are saving money. 

As the head shopper for a healthy family of five, I spend an average of $700/month on groceries.  I cook every meal mostly from scratch and tend to buy the same inexpensive household items all the time (e.g. generic laundry detergent, store-brand dishwasher soap, inexpensive Dial soap and inexpensive V05 shampoo/conditioner).  After looking through the sites and seeing the thousands of items they are trying to ply us with coupons for, I came to the conclusion that I would not and could not take advantage of 99.9% of the coupons out there. 

I would feel a lot like our government trying to “spend myself to savings” using most of these coupons.  There are almost never any coupons for staple items (meat, vegetables, fruits, grains) except in over-salted over-processed “convenient” packages.  Saving $1.50 on scented candles or $5.00 off a Justin Bieber DVD does absolutely nothing for my bottom line.  Frankly, I would rather see articles about how to save money on staple items, for those of us who refuse to be “junk food junkies”.

Thanks and keep up the great work.  SurvivalBlog is a great and informative site! – Peter W.

Letter Re: Mag-Lite D Cell LED Flashlights

Good Morning, Jim,
I just wanted to pass on this information.  We bought a black Mag-Lite 2D Cell LED Flashlight from Wal-Mart for $33.88 a couple of weeks ago.[JWR Adds: I’ve seen the same 2-D Cell LED Mag-Lite advertised for a low as $20.88 at Amazon.com.]

I would like to highly recommend this light as an inexpensive item to have in your kit.  It provides 114 lumens with an adjustable focus and effective lighting up to 298 meters. I can light up my driveway all the way to the bottom, approx. 125 feet. It is available in several colors including black, gray and camouflage. We like it so well that we bought another one for our primary vehicle. – A.K.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Bill H. sent: 10 states most at risk of disaster. Bill noted: “None of the Redoubt States are included [in the top ten list]. This is another reason why my family and I are making plans to relocate there.”

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Lynn G. sent this troubling news headline from England: Food chain at risk of being poisoned by terrorist groups

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As documented in the Sipsey Street Irregulars blog, more details have emerged in the ATF’s Gunwalker scandal.

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More environmentalist hand-wringing: Could the Net be killing the planet one web search at a time? This must be some kind of joke. Common sense dictates that staying at home reduces one’s carbon footprint, whereas going out a doing things like driving your car to a restaurant or to a ball game you are then perceived as a overusing carbon. (Whenever some one slaughters trees, unearths coal, slays cattle, and pumps more of a black gooey substance out the ground,or indirectly causes anyone to do so. The shame, the guilt, the horror! ) Oh, and parenthetically, if they want to hug trees, they should do so only in their own back yards, or virtually hug a California Redwood tree, via the Internet. Traveling by car to a park burns fossil fuels.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If every person has the right to defend–even by force–his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect these rights constantly.” – Frederick Bastiat, The Law