Economics and Investing:

Reader C.C.V. sent this: U.S. Payrolls Grew 244,000 in April; Unemployment at 9%. JWR Adds: “the recovery is cooling” they claim. I ask: What recovery? All that I’ve seen is a brief blip, caused by a massive infusion of Funny Money. (The monetization dubbed “Quantitative Easing”.)

Chris Martenson interviews Addison Wiggin: We Can’t Afford the Solutions Needed To Reverse Our Decline

I noticed an interesting article over at Fierce Finance: Goldman Sachs prodigy quits

KAF sent this: Fannie Mae has asked the government Friday for an additional $8.5 billion in aid. (It lost $8.7 billion in the first three months of the year.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Banks Adding Treasuries Signal Lower Confidence In Recovery

Strong April is Retailer’s Easter Present

Unemployment Applications Hit Eight-Month High

Businesses Now Hiring At Fastest Pace Since 2006

Consumers Borrowed More On Credit Cards In March

Stocks Rally As Hiring Spree Surprises Wall Street

Gas Price To Drop As Oil Joins Commodities Plunge

Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers mentioned this article about a stranded couple out in the Owyhee country: Search continues for missing Canadian man. Reader R.B.S. had these comments: “Tonight’s local newscast (Boise) had some good news for this lady. Finally located after several weeks. She survived with some rationed granola and water from a nearby stream.  Sadly, I fear the husband did not fare so well on his own, having set out to find a nearby road to get help.  This part of the world is rugged and unforgiving especially to those unfamiliar with its rapidly changing weather conditions and geography.  Hopefully someone will learn something from their survival experiences unfolding in this news story.” JWR Adds: For readers not familiar with the ION region: it is truly one of the most remote regions in the Lower 48 States. FWIW, the town of Jarbidge is on my list of potential retreat locales. For further insight on the region, read the book Outlaw, a biography of the notorious outlaw trapper Claude Dallas.

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Sunspots more active than for 8,000 years. Are you ready for a major coronal mass ejection (CME) event? That could drop the power grids for an extended period. Live self-sufficiently. Stock up. Shield your spare radios in Faraday cans. Buy a spare charge controller for your alternative energy system, and store is shielded , too!

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I just heard that after a long delay, Camping Survival received another small shipment of canned butter, from New Zealand. Stock up, before it sells out!

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River flooding begins to “wrap arms” around Memphis.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The biggest story in the market is the currency crash right now occurring in the US, I think a lot of people are debating whether it is in fact a currency crash.” – Keith McCullough, CEO of Hedgeye Risk Management, in an April, 2011 CNBC interview.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two two entries for Round 34 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 34 ends on May 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.

A Real World Test of My Preparations, by Daisy in Canada

Last week my city was taken by surprise by a terrible windstorm.  There were some weather warnings but nothing prepared residents for what would come.  Winds reached 110 km per hour and the damage to property was extensive.  Several people lost their lives due to flying debris and downed power lines.  While some were without power for only a couple of hours, others were without for up to a week.  Although we got our power back after 48 hours, we still suffered sporadic outages for two more days.

It was with a completely different attitude that I met this storm.  Before I began prepping, I would have been woefully unprepared and getting through the ordeal would have meant getting in my car and driving somewhere to stay with someone who was unaffected.  Of course, how I would have found that elusive place would have meant driving until I saw lights on, since our phones and internet didn’t work either.  This time I looked at it as a “dry run” for something bigger.

It was really interesting to “test” our preps and see where improvements were needed.  We only started preparing a few months ago but have thrown ourselves into it wholeheartedly.  Here is what we did and what we learned:

Candles: We had a great supply of candles laid in. Unfortunately, they were all over the house in various places. If you can’t find them in the dark, they aren’t very useful.  Now I’ve placed candles in every decorative holder in the house and stored the extras all in one easily accessible place. I’ve stashed a box of matches in every room as well, protected from dampness in Ziploc bags.

Food: We have tons of it and most of it does not need electricity for safe storage. Unfortunately, most of it does require cooking and we had not yet purchased a method for doing so. Now I’ve purchased a little hibachi that can use charcoal or a mix of wood and charcoal. I’ve also begun to purchase more stuff that can be eaten immediately: peanut butter, crackers, pudding cups, canned fruit, etc. Also, we learned baked beans from a can aren’t horrible at room temperature but soup is disgusting at room temperature. I ended up purchasing two meals out in the one small area of town that was not affected. We would have remained far safer if we had stayed at home, because the streets were perilous with falling trees and downed power lines.  Those who died all passed away when they were away from home.

Refrigerated items: We did not open our deep freeze the entire time the power was out so things in there fared perfectly. Most of the things in the refrigerator had to be thrown out, though. Luckily there wasn’t a lot: a little bit of milk, some leftovers, half a head of cabbage and some sautéed mushrooms. Next time, we will concentrate on the items in the fridge first. Things from the fridge could have been moved to a cooler and stored with the ice from the freezer to have lasted longer.

Water: We had water, even though we ran out of hot water pretty quickly. I was pleased that we had stored a lot of water in the attic, as some places in town had no water.  I still plan to continue increasing our stored water on a weekly basis.

The Unexpected: Something I was totally unprepared for was a quick emergency repair.  Our kitchen window imploded in the high wind and my makeshift cardboard repair was not the sturdiest. I’m going to get some good duct tape and some plywood in various sizes for that type of repair. If it had been a winter blizzard, the broken window would have been disastrous.

Neighbours:  We checked on our elderly neighbours several times and were able to bring them something to eat and make sure they had everything they needed.  We also gave them some candles, holders and matches. Next time it would be nice to be able to offer them a hot meal.

Entertainment:  Our enormous piles of books certainly came in handy, as did our supply of board games and card games.  My youngest child (10) is not as much of a reader as my oldest daughter (15) and I, so we had to listen to “I’m bored” about 10,041 more times than I would have preferred.  I found some interesting picture books and some craft books at a yard sale that I’ve hidden away to be brought out at a later time for the novelty value.  I’ve also organized her things in a way that it will be easier to find something to do when there is minimal light.

Communication:  A true family disaster was narrowly averted.  My youngest was home from school with a sore throat and a fever.  The high winds howling around the house and the tree that fell outside terrified her.  Suddenly the power went out and I was at work.  My power at work did not go out at the same time, so I was unaware of what had happened.  The phone lines at the house went down also.  My daughter panicked and decided to walk to my workplace.  It is very close to home, but the weather was far too treacherous for a child to be out walking around.  She stopped at a convenience store and the kind woman there would not allow her to continue her trek.  She was able to get her a ride to my workplace and all was well. My oldest daughter gets bussed to school in a different city.  I had no communication with her all day.  This situation definitely brought to the forefront the need to prepare my children and make a plan to reunite in the event of some type of catastrophe.  I stressed to them both the importance of staying put if they are at home, and the importance of getting home if they are away.  We’ve now planned routes home for them so I would know where to begin looking for them if something happened.  I also bought a rotary phone that does not require electricity at the Goodwill store.  We’ve planned “safe places” in case they cannot get home.  I realized the importance of knowing where to look for the girls.

Security:  Fortunately, there was no need for increased security during this storm and subsequent power outage.  We were careful to keep the door locked and the blinds pulled in the evening.  I explained to the girls that there was no point in advertising that we were better prepared with lighting than most.  I did begin to give more thought to a world in which the police are not a phone call away, however. Because of strict gun-control laws here in Canada, we have no firearms.  It makes me feel very vulnerable, as I grew up in a household were guns were part of the interior decor. It’s not a situation I can change so in the interest of making the best of my situation, I have attempted to do my best to provide us with security and protection. We do have bear spray, which is basically mace for bears (sold at hunting and camping stores).  I’ve invested in a few more cans of this to stash around the house.  As well, the girls and I discussed regular household items that could make useful weapons in a crunch.  I’ve applied to take the required class to be able to own guns here and my oldest daughter plans to attend with me.  I’ve also done some research to discover that small air guns like BB guns are readily available and inexpensive.  Although they are not at all powerful, they are better than nothing and might even serve as a deterrent, here in a place where most people are very unfamiliar with firearms.  Finally, I’m going to install a new frame around my front door to allow it to withstand an attempt to burst in.  While it isn’t foolproof, a much more concentrated effort would be required to break through the door.

My kids think I am slightly less crazy now, after seeing the value of the preparations that we had in place.  We had talked a lot about preparing after the horrible situation in Japan and after hearing recently from our family members back in Arkansas, who were flooded into their homes for over a week.  After our brief experience, the girls are applying the lessons we learned.  When shopping, they excitedly point out things that would not require cooking.  They also look at second-hand shopping in a whole different way, thinking of the usefulness of an item in a world without power.  The episode has increased their critical thinking and problem solving skills, while also heightening their awareness of how things can change in an instant.

Our little disaster was nothing in comparison to the issues going on in the Southeastern US, or Japan, but it was eye-opening. I think we will be far better prepared the next time around. We will be able to stay safely at home and off the perilous streets. We have been able to identify many of our weak points on this trial run. The difference between us and the other people going through this?  We will use this experience to fill in all of the gaps that we discovered in our preparations.  I have a list of things that we must acquire as quickly as possible and a list of things that would just be nice to have.  This experience has deepened my determination to care for my children no matter what life throws at us.

One Week’s Worth — Examining the Ethics of Preparedness, by J.L.

James has a family of two which include his wife and four year old son. He loves them both very much and would do anything to see to their well being. Given the recent events in Haiti, Thailand and most notably Japan, James has decided to prepare himself and his family for a natural disaster. Living in the Southern California area, he has focused his preparation for an earthquake and possible tsunami. In his home he keeps enough canned food and fresh water for his family to survive for at least one week. This week long time frame is about the length of time it would take for emergency services to come to grips with a major disaster and restore some form of normalcy. Various forms of equipment are included in his survival kit that include basic hand tools, water filters, sleeping bags and tents should the need to vacate his residence become a necessity. He has also instructed his wife to keep at least a half a tank of gas in her car at all times and that an emergency kit be kept in the car as well.

James has shared his efforts with close friends and has advised them to prepare themselves for a natural disaster along the same lines as he has taken. After all, it does not cost much and takes little imagination to prepare for the worst. The advice given by James is met with skepticism and is really not given much more thought by his friends.

On a Friday night at just past 10 PM the worst happens. An earthquake in the range of 8.7 hits the Southern California area. Subsequent to this a large tidal force makes its way to the coast of Southern California and Baja as the quake was centered offshore. After shutting of the gas and power lines to his house and making sure his family is safe and uninjured, James takes stock of the situation. The house is still standing and safe, emergency rations and equipment are undamaged and accessible and the cars are in perfect working order. Without power and without information, James turns on his battery powered radio and learns the magnitude of the quake and that the low lying areas off the coast have been flooded by a tsunami. Luckily, James and his family live on top of a mesa that overlooks the swelling seas. A few hours after the quake with candles burning, James looks at his sleeping family and counts his blessings. Just then a knock come at his front door. Rising to answer it, James expects to see a uniformed officer or fireman. Instead he is greeted by a close friend and his family. At the threshold, his friend tells him that his house was washed away in the flood and that he barely had time to throw his wife and child in the car and make it to high ground. This friend did not follow the advice about preparing for a natural disaster and came to James’ door for help. The friend knew that James was prepared and looked for a reprieve from the ensuing disaster. James told his friend that he had few supplies and that he should take his family to a shelter. James told him where the shelter was and told him to drive there as they could provide real relief and medical assistance. The friend came to James’ house with a car that had less gas in it than a lawn mower and barely made it to his front door. They would surely not make it the twenty miles inland to the nearest shelter. James’ friends asked for an open door and help.

Dilemma: Should James let his friend and his family into his home?

Given the situation, let us identify the people involved. James, his wife and four year old son along with his friend , his wife and three year old son. All of them have something to lose. There are no neighbors, police, rescue workers or resources of interested to speak of. Just the six of these players and the situation that they are in are all that are involved.

James has a few ways to look at this situation that could help guide him to making the right choice. From a teleological standpoint, this case has many variables that could be considered. Let us assume that James simply has food and supplies for his family for one week only and that for whatever reason outside help from anyone is absent for the period of one week. Also assume that no other help is available to his friend and his family in the immediate area. Given that James has the choice of either letting his friends in his home or turning them away.

If James lets his friends in a few things are going to happen. By doubling the amount of persons in his home to look after his food, water and supplies basically get cut by 50 percent. This means that his supply window has become three and one half days instead of the comfortable seven days. This could mean that after the fourth day he, his family and friends would be without food or water. While the adults could make it another three days without supplies the children certainly could not. Moreover, in their weakened condition on days four through seven, fighting off looters and taking care of unforeseen events could become difficult. While the entire unit would be flush with supplies for the first three days, the last four days would be met with hardship and possible death to some or all of the members. This option seems a tough path to follow as James prepared to take care of his family while the other family did not even with warnings from James.

Alternately, James could simply turn his friend and family away. This would mean that James and his family could comfortably survive until services were restored. However, shutting the door on his friend and family would mean that they would be out of doors on their own, on foot, with no food or water. With no real survival training and with a three year old child in tow, it would seem that they have little chance of making it twenty miles to the nearest aid station. In reality, James friend and his family would meet serious trials on their way to the aid station. These trials would most likely be too much for he and his family to handle. James knows that by closing his door to them that it would mean almost certain death for at least one member, if not all members, of his friend and family.

In this situation, given that James thinks that by closing his door to his friend and his family they would have a chance, it is important to explore what James is required to do by law. There really is no rule that says that James must open his door to his friend. All of the food, water and equipment that James has are his and he is free to do with them what he wants. No law forbids him from closing his door. He has the right to protect what is his and given the situation has the right to vigorously protect what is his. The concept of justice in this area is interesting though. James would, of course, hope that his friend would open his door if the tables were turned. With that, James advised his friend to prepare for such an event and asked for no favors. James really has done all he could for his friend up to this point. No debt is due to his friend. No favors to be cashed in.

James knows that he could simply shut his door to his friend. He knows that he is well within his rights to do so and knows that he would guarantee that his family would survive the next week. He also knows that his friend and his family would endure incredible hardship. James must now look into himself and demonstrate what kind of a man that he is. In this moment, all of the character of his being will be demonstrated.

By taking another look at the concept of justice, James’ could do a few things. Justice really is doing to others what they deserve. James warned his friend to take care of preparations in case of a disaster. He advised his friend that with just a little forethought and planning that he could provide for his family when the unthinkable happens. From this view point it is apparent that James’ friend is going to get what he deserves. On the other hand, it would be hard to imagine that he and his family deserve to be let out in the cold under such dire circumstances. He and his family would surely meet with hardships that most could not endure and it is very possible that someone could become hurt, injured or even die. James’ friend has done nothing to him that would warrant that type of justice. James’ friend and his family do not deserve to be put in a situation that could result in death.

However, is it justice for James to let these people into his home knowing full well that he is now putting his family in danger by cutting their supplies in half? James and his family deserve to be taken care of because preparations were made at no cost to anyone. James did it all on his own and took no favors.

In interesting aspect of this dilemma is that James believes in God. He is what most would call a religious man. James also knows that to be holy he must act as Jesus would have acted. James must also act as Jesus would because he wants to not because he has to. He also knows that his longing to be holy makes him accountable for his actions. James needs to act with moral purity (Hill, 26-28). A holy man trying to emulate Jesus would not turn his back on someone in need, especially a friend.

Love is another concept that James has to come to grips with. The people knocking on James’ door are friends. A positive relationship has been created between them. Closing his door to them would not be an act of love. James needs to take care of his friends not because he has to but because it would be an expression of love. Turning his friends away might cause them to meet with hardship and death. With that, James needs to be empathetic to his friends and imagine what it would be like to be standing outside in the middle of a disaster zone with your family (Hill, 53-56). No food, no water and only one hope. This hope is that you will let them in and take care of them.

What of the love for James’ family? James surely has love for his family. In this instance he prepared to take care of them. He took pains to make sure that they were safe in the face of an emergency. It would not seem a very loving thing to do to take three and a half days worth of food away from his family. Because by letting his friend in, that is what James will do. By expressing love for his friend and empathizing with his predicament, James must to consider the effect on his family. He must place himself in his families’ shoes and see things from their perspective. At once his family felt safe knowing that everything was taken care of and that they would survive this disaster. With the knock at the door the possibility of survival potentially just got cut in half. James’ family does not feel as safe as they did and James knows that. If James is to express love to his family he must take care of them. If James lets his friend in, he is placing his family in danger. Putting his family in harm’s way is no expression of love.

James faces another subject for thought when it comes to making a decision about what to do about his friends at the door. James knows that he has a duty to care for his family. He cares greatly for them and does whatever he needs to do to make sure they are safe. After all, they are the closest thing to him. Close to are his neighbors and friends. James must exhibit the same caring for his neighbors and friends that he does for his family. This ethics of care demands that James care for the well being of those near to him (Velasquez, 59-60). This includes his family, neighbors and friends. James’ character is made up of all the experiences in his life. His character is crafted by the inputs from his family, friends and neighbors. His character is defined by his religious beliefs. In ignoring the ethics of care in this situation, James is ignoring everything that he has learned in his life and the definitions of his character. James has a duty to care for those around him and failing that would be to fail his own character.

This ethics of care brings up an interesting question. Just how many friends and neighbors does James let into his home? There will come a point when all that he has prepared for will be consumed in just a few hours if he opens his doors to everyone. Knowing that his resources are finite James would have to make some choices. Is one neighbor better than another? Is one friend’s life worth more than another? How much food will he take out of his family’s mouth to feed those around him?

James could turn away everyone that comes to his door. He has the right and reason to. The more people that he lets into his home the less time his family has to survive. James is normally a caring and virtuous individual. He gives of himself and of his time to his friends, neighbors and family. He is also active in the community and always has a kind word to say to anyone he encounters. Thrust into the situation that he is in James rationalizes that in this situation that it is alright to show some cruelty with the excuse that if he cares and lets his friend in that it will take away from his family. Surely no one could fault him for that. Given the circumstances he is well in the right to turn his friend away and put his caring nature completely towards his family.
While this rational is not necessarily wrong, it does bring up the concept of dual morality. James is normally a caring and loving person for all people and things. As a God fearing man he knows that this reasoning for turning his friend and his family away is fundamentally flawed. He would demonstrate a dual morality by insisting that he is a caring man normally but in this instance he has the right not to be. This thinking is ethically flawed. If James is in fact a religious person then his dual morality is attacking the basis of his belief system (Hill, 71-74).

Weighing all of the facts together and looking at all of the pros and cons of this dilemma, James decides to let his friend and family in. This decision was not made lightly. From a cost benefit stand point only it is clear that by letting his friend in that James’ family would be put into danger. James also has no law stating that he must open his door to his friend. No disaster rule exists that makes it a duty of James to open his door as well. Rule of rights also tells James that his friend has no claim to his preparations as he did not help in the construction of this kit and that none of the equipment James has is borrowed from his friend and that his friend has no contractual right to any of James’ equipment. James also could claim that his friend is getting what he deserves by being left out of James home because his friend was advised to create a disaster kit and emergency plan.

However, James is a man of character. He knows that while a view of justice tells him that his friend would get what he deserves by not listening to James in the first place, he knows that his friend has done him no harm. His friend made no demands of James but simply asked for help. Looking at justice from another angle shows James that no one deserves to be put in a situation where severe hardship would be endured. James can see how by letting his friend find his own way is no justice at all.

Further, James decides that he needs to show an ethic of care here. He needs to ensure for the well being of those around him. These people are his friends and James is duty bound to take care of them. James also has a duty to his family as well. James must balance what he gives to his friend and what he needs to provide to his family. James decides that only the rations that were intended for him should go to his friend and his family. In this way James is taking care of his friend and taking care of his own family.

This rationing method also answers the question as to how many people James would ultimately let into his home. What if another friend or a stranger came calling for help? In that instance James can only give what he has. He can give from himself but cannot take from the mouths of his family.

The decision to let his friend in is also influenced by holiness. James is trying to walk in the same path that Jesus did. James is trying to emulate Him in as many ways as he can. James knows that Jesus would never turn away someone in need and especially a friend.

This holiness also brings up the question of dual morality. James knows that he is a caring man and that he cannot put that caring away in certain situations. By doing so, it would undermine the entire idea of ethical behavior. James stands on the pillars of holiness, justice and love. To act with a dual morality base would weaken the very foundation of what makes up James’ character and ethical thought (Hill, 16). 

In the end James’ ethical dilemma comes down to a question of his character. Justice, holiness and love as well as an ethic of care outweigh the cost and rules in this case. James knows that his decision could save some lives, add comfort to a friend in need and will shape his entire ethical life. James is also showing a positive example to his family and to his friend. If everyone could learn by this example there would be much less pain and suffering in the world. In the end, it is just a few days of food that is coming out of James’ mouth. James can take comfort in knowing that his good deeds and ethical reasoning will keep him fully nourished during this dark time.

References:
Hill, Alexander. Just Business. Second Edition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press., 2008
Velasquez, Manuel. Business Ethics Concepts and Cases. Sixth Edition. Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. 2006

Economics and Investing:

Reader Fred Z. sent this: No Accounting for Benefits: Our taxes barely cover our social-welfare programs; everything else is on credit.

KAF suggested this piece over at Zero Hedge: CME Margin Hike Is 4th AND 5th – Charting The Parabolic Rise In CME Silver Margin Hikes

How the Fed triggered the Arab Spring uprisings in two easy graphs. (SurvivalBlog’s Poet Laureate G.G. sent the link.)

Troy H. recommended a recent newsletter, wherein Jeremy Grantham gets downright Malthusian.

Items from The Economatrix:

China Said May Buy $1 Trillion in Gold

US Service Sector Expanded at Much Slower Pace

Economic Stress Drops to 3-Month Low

Rise in Layoffs, Gas Prices Cloud Hiring Outlook

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Mike E. wrote to mention: “I recommend the show on TLC called Extreme Couponing. I have watched shows where a lady bought $640 worth of groceries and with her coupons it ended up costing $6.43. Currently I’m watching one that he had $870 in purchases and the buyer got it all free. This individual has a whole basement full of stuff, but he gives it all to charity. It is worth watching to encourage you on ways that you can  stock up on supplies for pennies on the dollar. The only problem I see is when you walk out with five shopping carts of stuff and it only cost you 10 bucks, people will talk. That is bad personal security.”

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SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio designs knives, and several are already being produced by various knife companies or custom knife makers. Pat recently mentioned in an e-mail: “I had one particular fixed blade knife design that I came up with many years ago. I searched high and low, for a custom knife maker to produce my design, to my specifications. However, as is the case with many custom knife makers, they are more into artsy and collectible type of knives, and they wanted to make “my” design, “their” way. I discussed my design with Brian Wagner of Okuden knives and with Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT). Wagner collaborated with me on the design – with a few improvements. He’s a maker, and I’m a designer, and he came up with some good ideas. Right now, it appears that our collaboration will appear in the 2012 line-up at CRKT, as a factory made knife. We’re still waiting on final word, however it’s all looking good.   My goal, in designing this particular fixed blade fighting knife (which is called the OC-1) was to come up with a fighting knife, that could be produced at an affordable price, for our men and women in uniform. I think we’ll be able to achieve that goal with CRKT producing the knife in a factory version. So, stay tuned.”

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Mike L. sent this gem: Burnt-out blender + broken bicycle = Survival blender.

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D.C. Residents Unable to Purchase Handguns After Sole Dealer Seeks New Office. My Inner Libertarian tells me we need a Weapon Shops of Isher culture–with private, unlicensed gun shops scattered far and wide.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13-17 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 34 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 34 ends on May 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.

There is No Magic Wand, by Grace H.

Some of the very earliest memories I have of wanting to be a good prepper come from stories about my Scottish grandmother.  They lived in Sunderland, England, during both World Wars, had eight living children, were poor as church mice, and fed anyone who was in need because of the bombing raids.  Apparently, her theory was to add more water to the soup pot and another cup of barley.  My Dad told me that she said that the sign of a good housewife is a well-stocked pantry, ready for all emergencies.  

As a child I read First Aid manuals for fun.  During my avid reading I stumbled across Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson. Even in such great books and movies like Cold Mountain and Cast Away and Cold Mountain and in the recent television shows like Lost and Jericho, there was always an almost magical way of escape:  a box washed up on the shore, a stash no one had discovered, bullets, food, skills, all just appeared out of thin air.  But … I am a realist, or at least try to be.  What if our lives as we now live them suddenly end (just think tsunami or tornadoes this year), and we can never return to the way things used to be?   In real emergencies, there is no magic wand, no National Guard to rescue us off the beach, no divine drop of supplies from the skies complete with chocolate, and no game we can play with rewards for winning.  That’s just not how real life works.  

I’ve developed the habit of asking:  “If XYZ happens and I am used to using ABC, what will I use when that needs replacing.”  Many are starting to think about batteries and such.  But, there are so many other areas that require thought.   This week after much difficulty, I purchased surplus military rectal thermometers.  Why?  All my new thermometers in the medicine cabinet require batteries that are now dead.  How can I take anyone’s temperature if they are ill and there is no operational thermometer?  And, just where do I find those little batteries?  Old-fashioned thermometers work well and last forever if cared for properly.  However, be prepared for a surprise – they are getting very hard to find.  

Okay, I’ve got a gas stove, a convertible grill, a gasoline camp stove, a butane cook stove, and propane.  What happens if I can’t obtain gas, kerosene, butane, etc.?  I know how to cook over an open campfire and how to make a “stove” outside which will burn whatever I have on hand for fuel.  I’ve even made a stove out of a big tin can using paper and twigs for fuel.  Great for the summer, but what if it’s raining?   We have gasoline lanterns, butane lanterns and candles running out of the ears.  Flashlights are in every room on every corner with batteries by the bucket.  No gas, no butane?  I can make candles and learned how to make a lamp using any kind of fuel from kerosene to olive oil to bacon grease.   

I make my own clothing, but what happens if a belt breaks on the machine?  Do I have a replacement?  Do I have a proper stash of fabric?  Do I have all the thread and supplies that I will need?  What about all that yarn I’m always using?  My grandmother unraveled old wool sweaters and re-knit them.  The newer yarns tend to mat and will probably not unravel well.  Sure I can go out and purchase a stash of underwear, socks, etc., but what happens when they wear out, or are lost, stolen, or destroyed?   How about your car, truck, tractor, or whatever?  Do you have all the oil, belts, hoses, lubes and antifreeze you will need for the next XX years?  Better yet, do you have a simple vehicle, which will allow you to maintain it, … and, do you have the tools necessary to repair it.  Are you prepared to make simple parts or have a friend who can make simple parts?   What happens if there is no electricity?  Your MIG or TIG welder, as nice as it is, will make a very large paperweight.  Using a diesel welder?  Do you have a supply of fuel?  Got welding [gasses] tanks?  Good!  But when they run out, you’d better know how to do crude forge welding the old fashioned way.  

Can you make a meal without your mix master?  Think about a good manual egg beater (they are surprisingly expensive), stainless steel whisks and wooden spoons.  Forget your food processor.  Get a mandolin slicer, a shredder, and several really good knives, which take up a great deal less space.  

You’ve got your Big Berkey.  Good!  Now, how much water will you need every day to just do the ordinary things like hand washing, tooth brushing, food preparation, cooking, bathing, flushing toilets?  Don’t know?  You will be surprised.  After a week of frozen pipes one winter, we found that for a family of four we needed a minimum of 15 gallons per day – and that was without proper baths or washing clothes.  Where will you get your water?  Yes, we have two storage barrels, etc., but they would empty very quickly if drained of 15 gallons per day.  Where is the closest water supply and how will I get it home?  Water is very heavy (8.345 pounds per gallon).  How many gallons can I carry?  Do I have something in which to transport – preferably something with wheels?   We’ve got two lawnmowers:  one which is a simple, old gas-driven one and the other is a push mower.  The trick with a push mower is to keep it adjusted and sharpened.  Do you know how adjust and sharpen, and do you have the tools?  Remember, shovels, hoes, knives and other tools also need sharpening from time to time.  

My Mom always saved her mayonnaise jars for canning and never had a problem.  Don’t do it!  The new jars are very thin, and the bottoms of the jars will shear off when they hit the boiling water.  Don’t ask how I know this or how many peaches were lost.  Do save your smaller jars with standard mouths for jams and jellies or for storage of other goods such as herbs, dehydrated foodstuffs.  Save depleting your good canning lids by using paraffin on preserves.  The paraffin wax can be saved and reused year after year.  The canning lids (unless you buy the new lifetime ones) are one-time-only.  How will you replace them when you run out?   Simple hygiene may become an acute problem.  What happens when the soap, shampoo, deodorant run out?  Do you know the substitutes for toothpaste?  What about those bulky storage items:  sanitary napkins and toilet paper?  Well, perhaps it’s time to make some out of old sheets, tee shirts, diapers, flannel, etc.  They can be soaked, boiled in vinegar water and reused for years.  As for toilet paper, I do prefer Charmin, but the outhouse on the farm came equipped with a Sears catalog.  The secret is taking a sheet and scrubbing it between your hands until it’s very soft.  Works well.  When the catalog is gone, then what?   And, how can I contain and dispose of all the waste we humans generate?  Just think what happened in the stadium in New Orleans after Katrina or garbage strikes in Toronto in 2009!  Help finally came, but reality says it probably will not come if SHTF as predicted.   Most folks today are tied to some sort of computer.  There are computers in everything!  What happens if everything electronic stops?  Cell phones – gone.  Computers – gone.  MapQuest – gone.  E-books – gone.  Then, what will we do?   If you do not have a library of real books on everything imaginable, the information will not be accessible to you.  If you do not have a hoard of quality maps, you will be trying to travel by Braille.   

And, if something disastrous happens, it will happen pretty much without warning.  You may not have time to “bug out”.  Your transportation could well be Shank’s Mare or a bike.  We’ve got an old VW Beetle – no electronics, great mileage, easy to maintain – which will be good almost anywhere we end up.  Are you prepared to stay where you are?  If not, get gone now because there is a very good chance you will be stuck where you are.  My niece was told to evacuate in front of a hurricane in South Carolina; they were stuck in an enormous traffic jam for hours and saw many just stuck because they were out of gas.  Don’t plan on leaving town with everyone else.   If we become lax, Proverbs 24:33-34 will rule:  “I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty (disaster) will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”  

I could go on forever, but this is just to get you thinking in other areas.  If you need something on a regular basis, how will you supply it?  How will you replace it?  Begin to think about substitutes and then substitutes for the substitutes.  Remember, there is no hidden stash.  You may be totally on your own.  Take classes, read books, watch instructional videos.  Learning how to do things is just so much fun.  Then, use those “new” skills and tools regularly so they become part of the routine of your life.  Teach them to your children and grandchildren and anyone else who will listen.  Your efforts will not be wasted.  

Food for Thought:  Proverbs 6:6-8 “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!  It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” Luke:  14:28-32 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’  Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?  If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.”

Letter Re: Grow Your Own Sourdough Starter

Hello,
Sourdough is indeed not only a solution to not having yeast to make bread, it is superior. I would like to offer some help to get started in this quickly. For me the learning curve was steep, but now I can easily make sourdough from scratch, with no mail order starter. Obviously if there comes a time when you can not mail order starter, such a skill could serve you well.

First, the idea that yeasts are floating around in the air, and form the foundation for fermenting sourdough is an old wives tale. Natural yeasts and probiotics occur on plants naturally as they grow, and the less modern synthetic farming or gardening done to your wheat, herbs/vegetables, or fruits the better for your fermentation, as well as your gut. Probiotics are very important for health. In an extreme case, if your intestinal flora dies, you die. The floating yeast being the way sourdough gets started myth is the reason you are told to put a cloth over the would-be starter. The idea is the keep dirt out, but let yeast in. I never do this. In fact, I make my starter in sealed canning jars. It works great.

I would like to put this in a larger context. Preparing for bad health is a bad idea. When you compromise, and store white rice, or other bulk death, you are skewing the calorie to life-giving-nutrition ratio strongly unfavorably against your family and yourself. I have heard many excuses for doing such madness as making half “white”/ whole wheat bread. If you take this to an extreme you could just store white sugar only for calories alone. As far as making bread, it is not easier to add white flour to the plan to somehow make things easier. It is ignorant and simply inaccurate. Also without going into depth consider the fact that so many people have “gluten intolerance”. This is because, again, people alter the natural ratio of wheat parts. Adding gluten is standard “industry” procedure. People get far too much gluten, and thus get messed up. Gluten is like glue. If you ignore this, and keep eating gluten white bread with all the other odd chemical additives, or such like, you are going to end up with digestive problems.

Sourdough is the ancient, natural, biblical way to make bread. It would be best to grind your own grain eventually if you can not do this yet. Making sourdough bread makes the bread more nutritious and bio-available, and gets rid of enzyme binding phytates. You basically cannot buy this bread in stores. Sourdough makes more nutrition available to your body.

“Parts of a sourdough are used as storage leaven for new sourdoughs.”

The Food Encyclopedia notes: “The culture is continually fed to increase its volume and leavening strength until there is enough starter (levain) to leaven a batch of dough with enough left over to perpetuate the culture.”

I’ll include some quotes from the Bible:

“And the people took their dough before it was leavened…” – Exodus 12:34

“… and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.”Psalm 104:15

When man makes white flour out of the whole grain, they are throwing away precious gifts from God. They discard the germ and bran, which are loaded with nutrition. As the Bible says, bread strengthens man’s heart. However, not after man perverts the flour. In the modern industrial age when white flour started to be used on a wide scale, heart attacks increased rapidly. After studying the problem a few poor vitamin supplements were added back to white flour, by law. However this only helped a very little. We need the food ecology of God our creator.

“Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” – Matthew 13:33

“Give us day by day our daily bread.” – Luke 11:3

Regards, – Dash

Economics and Investing:

I found this article linked at The Drudge Report: Food Prices Rise to Near-Record as Inflation Accelerates

John R. recommended a piece by Martin A. Armstrong: The Next Wave

B.B. sent this: Mexican Central Bank Quietly Buys 100 Tons of Gold

Jim Rogers: Oil Price Will Keep Rising; Silver to Fall

Debt-Ceiling Brinksmanship: Treasury Will Hit Legal Limit When It Borrows $13.86 Billion More

Items from The Economatrix:

Any Chance of Gold Confiscation?

Precious Metals vs. The USD

10 States Where Pensions are Running Out of Money

US Dollar Crash Warned May Be Underway

Fresh US Dollar Slide Rekindles Pre-Crisis Angst

Odds ‘n Sods:

Readers in Canada will find this of interest: Pulling The Trigger on C-68. (Thanks to Richard S. for the tip.)

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I just bought another scope from EuroOptic.com. Twice now, they’ve really impressed me with their customer service. They sell a wide range of scopes and some long range rifles. I recommend them.

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F.G. spotted a piece by one of my favorite libertarian commentators, Vin Suprynowicz: An alien in my own land.

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W.W. sent a link to a video that I missed when it was first released: Obama Birth Certificate Faked In Adobe Illustrator – Official Proof 1 ( Layers )

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Jonathan S. send a news story about Big Brother flexing his muscles: Feds Demand Firefox Remove Add-On That Redirects Seized Domains. Speaking of such things, please make note of our IP address. (Please save it, as a backup, in your web browser’s “Favorites” or “Bookmarks”. )

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“[Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” – Hebrews 13:5-6 (KJV)