Avalanche Lily’s Bedside Book Pile

Here are the current top-most items on my perpetual bedside pile:

  • I finished reading The Rancher Takes a Wife. (That I described in a previous column.) What a great book! The last part of the story told of some extreme difficulties that Pan (Rich’s friend and business partner) and his wife went through up at the Home Ranch 200 miles from the nearest town. It was a true test of strength and stamina. I won’t tell any more, so as not to give the story away. I highly recommend folks reading these books. I still have to read Richmond Hobson’s second book, Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy, which I had skipped. (I was anxious to read about Rich’s courtship and marriage in his third book.)
  • Jim just watched a DVD on Model 1911 pistol detail disassembly and cleaning, featuring master pistolsmith Teddy Jacobson. Jim really liked its thoroughness and the close-up photography. Teddy Jacobson really knows his stuff and he positively exudes his decades of knowledge in his videos. There are now 23 videos in the series, and Jim highly recommends them. Some of the models covered in the series include Glock pistols, SIG pistols, and S&W revolvers.
  • The next video I plan to watch is the Backyard Food Production DVD. Jim watched it before we got married, but I haven’t yet seen it.
  • I just started skimming through a couple of books, edited by Abigail R. Gehring, released in 2009 and 2010 by Skyhorse Publishing. They are titled: Homesteading and Self-Sufficiency. They are are chock full of beautifully detailed photos. More later.

Economics and Investing:

Authoritarian governments start stockpiling food to fight public anger

Nearly 11 Percent of US Houses Empty (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

Bank of America dealt another foreclosure blow in Nevada

Items from The Economatrix:

Energy Stocks Push Indexes Higher  

Oil Prices Rise on Egypt Unrest, Brent Tops $100  

Consumer Spending Up 0.7% In December  

Egypt’s Economy Hurt as Travelers Avoid The Unrest  

World Stocks Fall on Egypt Turmoil  

Gold Premiums Highest Since 2004; China Stock Up

Odds ‘n Sods:

Detroit Police Department Shooting Video Released. Note that the perp dives head first over the counter to get an advantageous shooting angle. Watching that, something tells me that he might have been high on cocaine or some other illicit drug.

   o o o

Reader Larry L. mentioned Sail Mail.  Cruisers all over the world send and receive e-mail wirelessly by using a Pactor modem on their SSB ham radios.  It is slow does not allow graphics, but it works!

   o o o

R.M. let us know that there is an iPhone app that will let you receive rapid notification of major solar events.

   o o o

Please pray for peace, safety, and a good government for the people of Egypt. The news reports look troubling, like this one: Egyptians stock up on food, water as protests rage, and this one: Egypt Rapidly Running Out of Food.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Jimmy Carter will go down in American history as `the president who lost Iran,’ which during his term went from being a major strategic ally of the United States to being the revolutionary Islamic republic. Barack Obama will be remembered as the president who `lost’ Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt, and during whose tenure America’s alliances in the Middle East crumbled.”- Aluf Benn in the daily Haaretz.

Notes from JWR:

The recent news headlines from Egypt show a similarity to many of the TEOTWAWKI predictions we’ve seen mentioned in SurvivalBlog. In the past three days, we have witnessed: an interruption of communications, chaos and looting on city streets, those who are in-the-know quickly and quietly Getting Out of Dodge, many policemen staying in their stations or even at home to protect their own families, mass prison escapes, neighbors teaming up in ad hoc teams to protect lives and property, and the military either unable or unwilling to step in to stop most crimes. The Egyptian food-price-protests-turned-revolution should be a lesson to us.

—

Today we present the final two entries for Round 32 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 $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) 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 33 begins tomorrow and ends on March 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.

Earthships: Sustainable Living for TEOTWAWKI, by Sgt. P.

How much did the average home owner in the United States pay for utilities last month?  Last Year?  How much will they pay for utilities by the time they pay off their mortgage?  If they averaged $250 per month in utilities, which is below the national average of “$264.33 per month” (Statistic quoted by White Fence) the answer is shocking.  With the average home loan lasting 30 years, without taking into consideration rising costs, utilities would be $90,000!  For that amount of money this homeowner could put one child through a four year-degree at a very nice university.  What if I could explain how to build a home that would have little or no utility costs and cost the same or less to build as a conventional home?  I think that everyone should consider living in a growing architectural design called an Earthship because it will provide housing to live sustainably with no utility bills, ever.

There is an Earthship community where people live and work on their own property; and share labor and food with each other.  “Stacked up in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Taos, New Mexico, is a community of ‘Earthship’ houses, a pioneer of the Rural Earthship Alternative Community Habitat (R.E.A.C.H.) concept.  Earthships incorporate walls made of discarded vehicle tires, rammed earth and concrete, systems for recycling water and waste, solar technology, and a design that reflects the local adobe vernacular. Designed by architect Michael Reynolds (who lives in the one at the top), they are almost entirely self-sufficient in energy” (2010, Martin Bond).  Whatever a household does not grow or raise themselves they trade with another households that do; back and forth until everyone in the community has everything they need.  Communities such as this one are popping up all over the world. 
Earthship homes are designed to be self contained living units with the construction being out of various recycled materials.  The load-bearing walls are made of counter-stacked, earth-packed, used tires much like a brick wall, only much wider.  “The major structural building component of the Earthship is recycled automobile tires filled with compacted earth to form a rammed earth brick encased in steel belted rubber. This brick and the resulting (load) bearing walls it forms are virtually indestructible” (2010, Earthship Biotecture 1).  These tires can usually be acquired free from local tire companies because the companies have to pay to have them removed so they will happily give them away, ultimately saving them money.  Aluminum soda or beer cans can be acquired free and are used as bricks for interior, non-load bearing walls.  Glass wine or liquor bottles are cut with a wet-saw and placed end-to-end inside non-load bearing walls.  This allows light to shine through, creating beautiful kaleidoscope effects inside the home.  Once the home is complete, the owner can immediately start growing their own food and raising their own meat to supply themselves with the basic sustenance of life.  Because the building will supply the owner with clean drinking water, electricity and comfortable temperature control, there is no need for exterior supplied utilities.  This means the owner has no bills to speak of except the occasional trip to the grocery store for what the Earthship itself cannot provide the owner and propane for backup hot water generation.

Earthships also provide their owners with the three basic needs in life; shelter, food and water.  Additionally, they can provide income if wanted.  If everyone in the United States lived in an Earthship, this country would no longer be dependent on food and fossil fuels imported from all over the world, or huge water and waste treatment plants, run by the government.  This would also eliminate huge corporations controlling public utilities and deciding how much they want the populous to pay for their basic essentials of life.
           
Earthships are normally built on the downhill slope of a south facing hill but this is not a necessity; a level plot is sufficient.  The “hill” design is so the main structure of the home is underground, keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter; and the southern face of the home is almost completely made of windows.   These south facing windows allow the sun to heat the walls and floors.  This keeps the temperature in the home comfortable during the winter time when the sun is low in the sky as well as bringing in natural light for the plant life year around.  The average temperature in an Earthship is 70 degrees, year-round.  This temperature is controlled by the occupant through various means built-in at the time of construction.  Vent tubes placed inside of the uphill section of the construction near the floor bring in air from behind and above the home; the air cools as it passes through the earth.  Skylight vents in the ceiling also allow hot air to escape upwards and bring in cool air from the front of the house through windows that open.  This cools the home during the summer and also allows various insects to enter the greenhouse area and pollinate the plant life.  Closing these vents during the winter eliminates this cooling effect allowing the sun to warm the home.  This is an extremely efficient form of heating and cooling, requiring no outside power whatsoever. 
           
Earthships also supply their owners with an abundant amount of fresh water from rainfall, even in very arid climates.  The water collected is then used four times.  Runoff from rain collects in a cistern where it is cycles through a copper pipe to keep bacteria from growing.  When the inhabitant requires water, it is run through a filtration system to make it cleaner than most municipal water supplies.  “Earthship Biotecture has created a board that contains a series of filters and a pump that does this.  They call it the Water Organization Module” (2010, Earthship Biotecture 2).   The first use of the water is for various household duties including drinking, cooking, washing dishes, and taking showers.  This converts clean water into gray water.  Gray water is then recycled the second time by being pumped into the in-home garden where it feeds the plants that will feed the inhabitants.  This is completely safe because no human waste has been introduced into the soil.  Once the water settles down at the low end of the planter system, it is then pumped to a holding tank where it waits to be recycled for the third time to fill the toilets.  Water used to flush the toilets is now considered black water.  The black water is pumped outside where it collects into one of two types of water treatment areas.  The most common is an ordinary septic tank.  Bacteria in the septic tank break down the human waste and the leftover liquid is fed into the ground through a leach field.  “The septic tank contains baffles that prevent any scum that floats to the surface and sludge that settles to the bottom from passing out of the tank. The gases that are generated vent to the atmosphere via the plumbing vent system. From the septic tank, the segregated and relatively clear liquid flows into a small distribution box where it is then metered out to several perforated pipes” (2010, InspectAPedia.com). 

This type of single-home sewage treatment is used worldwide in areas not connected to sewer systems.  The other type of black water treatment is a self-contained flower garden where the black water feeds into a large area of plants, not suitable for human consumption completing the fourth phase of recycling.  This area is completely sealed so no sewage can leak into the surrounding ground and water table.  These plants soak up the water and treat it through natural processes of bacteria and decay.  Animals can eat this grass, bee’s can pollinate the flowers and these animals can be used for food and the bees, of course, produce honey.  This is completely natural as the black water being recycled through the earth and then through the plants, makes it safe for the animals to eat the plants, and ultimately, humans to eat the animals.  Human food cannot be produced this way, because our digestive system does not break down waste as well as the animals digestive system does. 

Sunlight and wind are utilized through photovoltaic panels and wind generators to produce the electricity needed to power the home.  A bank of 12 volt batteries are used to store the electricity produced by these sources and the home mainly runs on fixtures and appliances designed to run on direct current or DC.  An inverter converts the DC into alternating current (AC) for appliances that require AC.  To send power through power lines over long distances requires AC; that is why alternating current is the world standard.  DC is actually much more efficient when power is not required to travel long distances.  Modern Earthships have all the amenities of any home built from conventional means including large screen televisions and high speed Internet.  Propane can also be used for refrigeration or an alternate hot water source.

It takes approximately one-year for the food growth cycle to become established and the home owner accustomed to it.  Once these factors are in harmony with each other; the balance of food production versus use, the owner will incur very minimal monthly food costs.  Earthship inhabitants can teach these methods of living to their children who can either choose to live in their parents Earthship or build one of their own.  The entire process is self-sustaining and continually replenishing itself; thus an Earthship could provide all the basic needs of an entire family.

The cost comparison from conventional home construction and Earthship construction can vary from much lower to much higher than conventional construction depending on how much the owner wants to put into their Earthship.  Earthship architecture keeps the up front cost of construction to a bare minimum because most of the structural materials are either free or very cheap.  Some owners have even built Earthships with no mortgage after completion.  Those building Earthships can rack up expense very quickly with the purchase of the water treatment units and the power generation systems.  Most builders of Earthships choose to save money by building their own wind generators and solar panels, whereas others purchase top-of-the-line, most expensive components saving time and workload. 

When one considers how much money an average homeowner will spend in utilities throughout the length of their mortgage, I believe that everyone should consider building an Earthship.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have no bills to speak of?  Earthships are self-sustaining and for this reason are fast becoming a more main stream option, attracting people from all walks of life.  Imagine never paying utilities, well into your retirement age.  My wife and I are looking for land to build our own Earthship, you should consider joining us.

References and Illustrations:

Blue Rock Station.
           
Earthship Biotecture 1.
           
Earthship Biotecture 2.
           
GreenHomeBuilding.com

Home Quotient. “Food Production”
           
Home Quotient. “Windows”
           
InspectAPedia.com.

Low Carbon Trust. “Photovoltaic & Solar Hot Water”

Specialist Stock. (Specialist Stock photo by Martin Bond used with special
permission via e-mail.)

The Open End. “Phoenix Bath”

The Practical Environmentalist. “Earthship Walls”

WhiteFence.com.

Prepared? I Hope So, by C.W. in Arizona

Those of us who wish to be prepared for whatever may lay ahead, are always faced with unique situations and challenges.  Those challenges may include such things as: lack of funds, a difficult location, non-supportive or elderly or disabled family members, your age or stage in life, etc. The list goes on and on. However, is it imperative to find solutions and make plans?  I think so! 

While my situation is a little unusual, I count myself as truly blessed to be one of those individuals who knows the time to be prepared is now, rather than later.  I am not about to be deterred or overwhelmed.  I do not want to face these challenging times without a plan. Neither should you. 

The questions you ask now may be the key to your successes later.  I knew I needed to have a plan or plans that I could realistically attempt to implement.  I began by making an assessment of my situation; then formulating several plans along with a variety of solutions including skills and preps that could work for my unique circumstances.   While my needs will be quite different from yours, the process of forming the plans will be easy to follow.   If I can do it, you can do it.

My circumstances are as follows:  I am a 59 year old female…wife, mother of two sons ages 26 and 36, grandmother of five, and a retiree from the teaching profession.   

My husband and I purchased a second home about six years ago where we could spend warm winters prior to and during our full retirement.  Our thinking being that the prices were going to continue to rise rather than decline.  Oh, wow, were we wrong!  Since my retirement, I have been spending the winter months at the second home in the warmer climate.  My husband who is self-employed could do the same, but has chosen to reside in the colder climate during the winter months and remain involved with our business. The youngest son resides in the same state as dad and is a full-time student/part-time employee.  The oldest son is self-employed and lives in a very large state in the south with his wife and five children. Okay, my circumstances are not really a problem so far, just somewhat unique.

Challenges are as follows:

Differences of opinion exist within the family:  I know the times are changing!  My oldest son knows the times are changing!  We are both spending our time and resources seriously preparing for the very difficult times that we believe are ahead of us.  Husband and younger son think the two of us are way off base and have done little or nothing with regard to preparing for what is ahead. 

Do I bug in or bug out?  Bugging in will mean being alone without a support system, in a city of 3 to 4 million “sheeple.”  Bugging out will mean driving across country alone in what could be difficult circumstances, for a distance of 1200 to 1800 miles, to get to family.

Do I travel 1,200 miles… to my older son’s home in a conservative state where he is quite prepared to take care of and defend his family and their home; knowing full well that I could become an additional burden to the already large family?  He and his wife are hoping that I will join them.

Do I attempt to make the 1,800 mile trip back to my husband and younger son, which happens to be in a fairly liberal state with much more extreme weather conditions; only to find that there have been no provisions put aside or preparations made for difficult times ahead?  For heaven’s sake, they don’t see the train wreck coming!

What am I preparing for? I am preparing for anything and everything that is not the norm; whatever, whenever, or wherever that may be.

Here is what I have done so far or possible solutions for potential challenges:

  1.  I maintain a three to six month’s storage of foods that I eat regularly. These foods can and usually are taken with me when I make my seasonal shift from one location to another.
  2. I have purchased a S&W .38 revolver with Crimson trace laser, an S&W Bodyguard with laser, a Ruger 10/22, and a Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle, each of which are stainless steel with synthetic stocks and easy to maintain.  I have a nice supply of ammo.
  3. I obtained my concealed carry weapon’s permit for two states; the third state recognizes one of the acquired permits.
  4. I made the change from driving a small luxury car to a nice 6.2 liter crew cab pick-up truck.  Yes, it takes more fuel, but it is safer and more capable of being driven under difficult weather or road conditions.
  5. I purchased a very quiet used Honda generator that only had logged 10 hours of use from a relative who needed the money. That was an awesome deal at half the price of a new one.
  6. I purchased a half dozen fuel containers, which I can fill within minutes.  I am getting closer to filling and rotating on a regular basis.  I do have Sta-Bil in my preps.  I have also calculated the amount of fuel it will take to get to the shortest destination.
  7. I purchased a Coleman Dual Fuel Camp Stove and keep fuel on hand.
  8. Since I live in a desert climate, water storage is a must.  I always maintain a good supply in transportable containers.
  9. I keep a nice amount of cash on hand and also have a good amount of Silver Eagles as back up.
  10. I keep all documents including my passport in a ‘grab and go bag’ along with a good B.O.B. filled with cold weather clothing and survival gear.
  11. I purchased a good quality sleeping bag, which is also included in the B.O.B.
  12. I have made a very serious attempt to acquire new and used books, which I feel would be quite useful if the internet becomes unavailable.
  13. I read survivalblog.com daily and always monitor world events via real and preferred radio or television stations.
  14. I have made a commitment to read The Bible daily, as well as other very informative books.
  15. I do take medications on a daily basis, and make purchases through a national chain.  Because the insurance does not want to allow more than a 30 day supply per renewal, I am considering larger purchases through Canada.  This is not my preference, but may be my only way of obtaining a supply that would last for more than one month per renewal.

Did all of this happen overnight?  Absolutely not! I first evaluated and prioritized! I have since acquired the skills and preps over the past two years as my money would allow.
Do I have all of the answers?  Heavens no! However, knowing that I have acquired some new skills and new useful items, gives me more confidence that I will be prepared for the coming changes.  I simply pray I will know what to do and where to go when the time comes that I must make that decision. 
 
Are you prepared?  I hope so!  If not, and you have been waiting for a nudge to move forward with your plan, consider this article to be that nudge.  Don’t plan to fail, because you failed to plan.  What are the possible challenges you and your family may be facing in a natural or man-made disaster or event?  Come up with solutions and set your goals to be accomplished within a realistic time period.  Face one challenge at a time, and get to it!  Time may be running out!

Letter Re: First Aid Kits Are Not Enough

I have been a prepper for a while and I have always regarded my current location in rural West Virginia a safe place for WTSHTF. However I failed to recognize it’s vulnerabilities in the time before that happens. To set the stage I live just west of the Shenandoah Valley, the nearest hospital is 20 miles away over a mountain chain in Virginia, a 45 minute drive during good weather. It had been snowing for two days and this route happened to be closed to all but emergency vehicles. The other hospital was a two hour drive away, again, snowed in. Our county had two ambulances, one was in a volunteer fire department (They had no established fire department) the other roamed the county seat, which was 12 miles away over another ridge of mountains.

My wife was cooking and my two children were in their rooms playing. It was at this time that I learned a valuable lesson about first aid kits and how unprepared they actually leave you.

My wife, through some slip and catch routine caught the business end of a carving knife just below the inside of her elbow. The cut was about 2.5 inches long and about a ¼ inch deep. Now that doesn’t sound like a lot but when you are looking at tendons, fat and blood vessels it’s more than enough.

Confident of my first aid kit and training I immediately sat her down and told her to raise her arm. Unfortunately due to the location of the gash, this was unbearably painful for my wife. I opened our medical kit, which I thought was of substantial size, and donned sterile gloves, and opened a pair of gauze pads. I had her hold this on the cut while I called 911 and checked in on the kids. The kids were fine, the ambulance was busy. Busy? Apparently someone had caught their living room on fire and the incident occupied both ambulances which would be unavailable for the next four hours while trudging through the night behind a snowplow to the nearest hospital. Not to mention a plethora of people had been caught in the weather trying to drive.

The severity of that situation did not dawn on me until after the incident. I set the phone down near us as I replaced the dripping bandages. The blood was clotting but it still oozed out of cut. I placed four bandages on and wrapped a triangle bandage and had her lay down so her arm would be slightly elevated above her heart.

For those that do not know when skin is cut that deep it pulls away from itself, all in all the center most opening was nearly ½ inch wide showing more anatomy that I was comfortable with. Upon changing the bandage the third time the blood had stopped and it was clotted enough to allow me to use a small iodine wipe around the cut, careful not to get it into the mound I tried to clean up the blood as best as I could. My wife, now shivering from slight shock of the incident was nauseous and dizzy. I took appropriate actions and assured her everything was going to be fine.(I myself had doubts about this)

It was 9 p.m. when I ran out of bandages. In four hours I had gone through three boxes of gauze as the wound wept, the ‘dull thudding pain’ also taking it’s toll on the medication we had in the kit. I called once more, and said my wife was fine and only needed stitches, and maybe some pain medication. I was told the ambulances were on their way back but someone else had literally slid of the side of the mountain and they were having to Triage people for an ambulance. That sent a chill down my spine. “I’m very sorry sir, but you will be given a call as soon as another emergency vehicle is available.”

I looked at my wife and made the decision to go to the gas station four miles down the road and buy as many sterile pads that they had. The trip took an hour. Luckily halfway through going there I heard the heavy scraping of a snowplow as he rushed through, I pulled into someone’s driveway and let him pass before continuing. I bought the bandages: 8 boxes gauze/ 2 boxes super absorbent gauze non-stick pads. As I made my way back on the uncleared lane, I slid off the road or into the oncoming lane (which was plowed) multiple times. Luckily I made it back in one piece and so did the vehicle. The bandages were replaced and luckily all was good. I double checked her wound before calling the emergency line again and informing them to take us off of the ‘Ambulatory Triage’ list.

It was four days before I could take my wife to the hospital who said she was lucky it was not infected and it would have required stitches had she come in that night. At that point it had closed up and scabbed over enough for them to need only give her some penicillin to ward off any infection and some painkillers.

So in hind sight now I had to ask myself some serious questions…

What if she had cut a tendon or a major artery, would they have diverted an ambulance to our house when someone’s vehicle had flipped off the road? Would my wife have been ‘triaged’ over a smoke inhalation victim?

What if I had gotten stuck in the snow or worse, wrecked as many did that night and was left stranded as I got my wife her bandages? Was I prepared to walk through that kind of weather? Was it a good decision to risk it for bandages and leave my wife alone handicap with two children?

What if the gas station was closed? What if they didn’t even carry medical supplies? What if it had gotten infected early on? What if I had cut myself, did my wife know how to properly care for a wound? Would the situation have been more severe had my children been the victim? I asked these and many other questions after this event and have made adjustments accordingly.

We now have an ample stock of medical supplies (As in hundreds of each ‘basic’ necessity in a first aid kit.), my wife has been to a basic fist aid and CPR class and I am working to educate her to the level of first aid that I am at, the children too, are learning. Remember the lesson here is modern medical kits are designed for the 30 minutes to an hour between the incident and the time the ambulance arrives or you arrive to hospital. Not for extended use.

Replacing the pads as often as I did, I’m sure, is what saved it from infection for as long as it did, all together over 100 pads were used, 2 triangle bandages and 2 rolls of medical tape, three dozen iodine/alcohol wipes, even more pairs of latex gloves, and that’s for just one cut for four days.

Take heed that in TEOTWAWKI there are no drugstores or gas stations down the road, you not only have to cover the wound but you have to maintain it until it heals properly. I highly recommend buying massive quantities of gauze and other ‘basic’ medical supplies.

Learn from my experience and don’t ever think it won’t happen to you before TEOTWAWKI. You can never be prepared enough. Regards,- I.S.

Three Letters Re: Bypassing the Internet Kill Switch

Hello Mr. Rawles!
Long time reader here, but had taken a break from most blogs for almost a year as I focused on generating alternative sources of income. I have an important question for you. How will we access the Internet after the government shuts off “the switch“? Would we still have access via dial up possibly? I’m on broadband now and its been a long time since I’ve used dial up service. I’ve used Ubuntu Linux the past 4, almost 5 years now and I know many old dial up modems do not work well in Linux/ (At least the inexpensive winmodems don’t work well.) Of course, some brand name modems still work great. I’ve have been recently re-watching the Jericho television series to get some ideas of life after the SHTF. My wife from Ukraine says collapse is at USA’s doorstep with all the telltale signs). In the show Jericho, Robert Hawkins continues to use a government computer even after an EMP and mention is made the Internet was designed to be able to survive a nuclear war. What about a Presidential kill switch? In any case, I was thinking of getting to know dial up again. Are there still BBS (bulletin board systems) out there? Should I even consider looking into dial up or am I wasting my time? Regards, – Dave in Southern California

James Wesley,
Take a look at the Open Mesh web site. The content of that site is a bit heavy-technical going in places but useful, given: A.) Egypt’s recent actions, and B.) the current[ly pending] Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) legislation in Congress to give the White House the power to shut down chunks of the Internet in times of “national emergency.”

I’m a frequent reader who appreciates your hard work in making people more aware. – Rick W.

JWR:
I believe that some TEOTWAWKI-prepping “good” will come out of the recent developments in Egypt. See this recent PC World article: Get Internet Access When Your Government Shuts It Down Does your government have an Internet kill-switch? Read our guide to Guerrilla Networking and be prepared for when the lines get cut. I’m even thinking of a “neighborhood intercom”! – The Other J.R.

JWR Replies: I concur that it is important to develop some alternatives in anticipation of draconian government actions. Yishai mentioned another good article with it own little wiki: Communicate if Your Government Shuts Off Your Internet.

Since SurvivalBlog might someday be deemed politically incorrect–either by malicious hackers, our by own government, or by a foreign government, we are developing some countermeasures:

A.) As a first step, a couple of months ago we began publicizing our IP address (It is: 64.92.111.122) I got a chuckle when I saw a wannabe blog quickly follow suit.

B.) The next logical step will be to set up an offshore SurvivalBlog mirror server that will be automagically backed up every 24 hours. (Does anyone have some inexpensive server space available?)

C.) Lastly, I hope to find a used satellite phone with modem capability, “just in case.” (Perhaps Iridium…) But even buying used equipment, they seem quite expensive. Ditto for the cost of calls and modem connect time.

Letter Re: The Caliber of SurvivalBlog Advertisers

Sir:
Just a short note to provide feedback on your advertisers. First, as a retired engineer who always dealt with verifiable data, I am always initially skeptical of product claims and hype. However, since I have, over the years, started buying materiel, I have found that your advertisers provide not only great products, but also outstanding service.

I now have come to trust any company I see on SurvivalBlog. Looking back, I have spent approximate $14,000 in the last three years getting my family prepared. From your advertisers, I have purchased books, seeds, food, gear, water filters, barrels, grain mills, wheat berries, etc. I have never encountered any problems with any of your advertisers when I have had the need to call for additional information. I received nothing but outstanding customer service.

Today I purchased a Tri-Fuel conversion kit for my Generac generator from the company mentioned in a recent post. I had been looking for two years for the correct one.

Your site, while it has valuable information and hands on application data, is also a valuable source for saving time in finding the right material for specific uses and situations. As far as I and my family are concerned, SurvivalBlog.com has become a national asset … so (tongue in cheek), be careful. The Feds have been known to take over national assets.

Warm Regards, – Marc N. in Alabama

Economics and Investing:

Egypt and Tunisia usher in the new era of global food revolutions

G.G. flagged a piece by veteran investing guru Richard Russell (of Dow Theory fame): The Dollar Has Lost All Stability And Is Ready For A Crash

B.B. sent this: Why the Smart Money is Trading Dollar Bills for Hard Assets

Items from The Economatrix:

All 100 Oz. Bars of Silver Gone in a Matter of Days

Davos 2011: Roubini Says G-20 Has Become G-0  

America Faces Biggest Deficit in History  

Federal Reserve Concerned Over US Job Creation  

UK Retailers Cut 10,000 Jobs Last Month  

Will Gold, Silver & Oil Prices Soar on Social Unrest in the Middle East?  (Yes, Yes, and Yes)  

Alan Greenspan Entertains Metal Standard, Again

Inflation Watch:

Rocky Mountain Power asks for 13.7% rate hike

Reader Steve C. pointed us to a blog written by Barry Ritchie, a missionary in Honduras. Ritchie mentions that staple foods like rice and beans have nearly quadrupled just in the past year. Steve’s comment: “Food inflation is most certainly on the rise, and apparently even faster in those areas where folks can even less afford the increase.”

The Downsizing of America:  Manufacturers Learn Creative Methods of Repackaging Inflation  

Odds ‘n Sods:

Here is a must read piece by Dr. Gary North on family relocation when war is on the way: Moving How Far Out?

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A company is offering a unique “Multi-Lens TEOTWAWKI Vision System“. These unisex eyeglasses includes complete sets of left and right scratch resistant prescription lens ranging in fine diopter increments from – 1.0 up to – 5.0 diopters.

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Here it comes, just as I warned: BATFE Study On The Importability Of Certain Shotguns. I believe that it was no coincidence that the ATF document featured a picture of a Saiga 12 shotgun. That is the one that has them feeling antsy. They are presently having a “public comment period.” Please politely let the ATF know two things: 1.) The Second Amendment has nothing to  do with “sporting” guns or hunting ducks. Rather, it preserves our right to own paramilitary (“militia”) firearms. and 2.) Detachable magazine shotguns such as the Saiga 12 gauge are indeed popular for sporting shotgun “Three Gun Match” events.

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Davey in Michigan notes that the February 2011 issue of Sky and Telescope has some interesting articles concerning the Sun, the upcoming solar cycle maximum, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and the possible implications that such events would have upon the national power grids and high technology hardware.

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‘Death by GPS’ in desert. (Thanks to Skip T. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If only I had some grease I could fix some kind of a light,” Ma considered. “We didn’t lack for light when I was a girl, before this newfangled kerosene was ever heard of.”   “That’s so,” said Pa. “These times are too progressive. Everything has changed too fast. Railroads and telegraph and kerosene and coal stoves – they’re good things to have, but trouble is, folks get to depend on ’em.”  – Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Long Winter (Which describes the harsh winter of 1880-1881 in the Dakotas.)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 32 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 $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) 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 32 ends on January 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.