Letter Re: Suburban Preps on Long Island, New York

Hi All,
I’d like to contribute some details on my preparations in a region where tricky geography, difficult society, and extremely difficult legal issues can make planning difficult. As for tricky geography, Long Island is essentially a 100-mile long 23-mile wide (at its very widest) ‘no outlet’ roadway prison stuffed with nearly 8 million people. Take a peek at the Wikipedia page about the island to get the idea. We are east of New York City with its 50 million people in the immediate 35 mile radius. When things get Schumeresque – there is very little most residents will be able to do except flee or misbehave. I expect lots of both. I expect that anyone close to the city will flee West over the crossings, and many will flee east to somewhat less populated areas. The suburban sprawl will become untenable quickly without outside intervention – which scares me even more than unrest.

That said there are some regions that can be found that offer some protection. Were my family not near such a region we would already have left. We plan on leaving within the year in any event.

When I mention difficult society – this is an integrated area consisting of de-facto segregated communities (realistically, just look at the make-up of public schools and see that it determines what your community make up is like in most areas). There is a mix of illegal aliens, poor, working class and upper class residents mainly divisible by determining distance to the coastline. A satellite view of the region can show how crowded the neighborhoods are. Even the ‘middle class’ to ‘upper class’ neighborhoods have homes generally on less than 1/2 acre. If you are fortunate enough to live near the coastlines – you are surrounded by upper-middle or wealthy neighbors – and although I hate to generalize, I will. Most of them work in offices in New York City and push paper for a living. Therefore they couldn’t change a tire on their BMW if their lives depended on it. These people are completely unprepared. Good honest middle class, working class and more modest people in the area are much more capable of self sufficiency but are in such proximity to one another that during a crisis I can’t imagine things going smoothly. They are also unprepared.

As for legal difficulties – pistol licensing on long island is insane – a ‘sportsman’ license takes 6-9 months to get, costs hundreds and doesn’t entitle you to carry. You can be disapproved for vague reasons.

A pistol license is not required for long guns on Long Island, however you have onerous laws to comply with to bring a rifle west of Nassau County. New York State effectively extended the [expired Federal] assault weapons ban. Pre-[1994] ban rifles and magazines are pricey.

My preps follow a certain proviso – we have to bug in. There is no reasonable way for our family to bug out at the onset or during a crisis. We have very small children and the logistics of safely bugging out are nearly impossible. Luckily, we are in an area that is likely to be bypassed by the horde due to great geography. We are also in a defensible area that can be blocked off to vehicle traffic with 24 hour neighborhood cooperation.

As for preps – food, water, shelter, heat and protection are primary, followed by general supplies and niceties.

FOOD: We have a one year supply for our family plus several unexpected knocks at the door. It is comprised of 6 gallon food grade buckets, Mylar lined C02 evacuated oxygen absorbed Rice, Beans, Red Wheat, Oats and Corn, with a huge emphasis on rice because it is so available now. I’ve laid in buckets of additional honey, sugar, salt, and long shelf life groceries including various pasta, canned tuna, and much more. There is a large emphasis on white rice. I also stored Ziploc freezer baggies on top of the mylar bags so that I can readily distribute packs of rice as charity. We also have several cases of freeze dried meats, veggies and fruit – although the storage generally favors carbs and protein. I consider the vermin proof buckets in my basement our ‘strategic’ food supply. In addition we have a substantial MRE supply – for protein to balance out the rice. I favor purchasing cases of meat only entrees like meatloaf, meatballs in sauce, sloppy joe, etc – to put atop the rice or pasta. This system works for me – but has some drawbacks. When the rice comes within a year of my protected expiration ( I’m banking on eight years of storage life ) I will have to donate the entire lot and likely restart. I would love to find us in that position in eight years because it means we forestalled the crisis. I think trouble cometh within 12-18 months or sooner.

We also have tactical MRE bins with complete MRE meals. Also I have a large supply of MRE crackers, peanut butter, cheese spread etc – because they make great highly transportable and mostly complete meals in themselves. With little kids I need some variety so I’ve stored deserts and sweets too. Our food stores are located in three different parts of the house as well.

WATER: On city water – our initial plan is to store as much water as the situation allows – in our bathtubs using hurricane liners I’ve purchased. We also have several dozen cases of bottled water and 6 5 gallon coleman camping containers which I rotate every three months. We have purification tablets, a Katadyn pocket, and … a 13 foot 2800 gallon swimming pool which can be used as a tank. When covered it stores nearly 18 thousand pounds of water. Furthermore I’ve set up rain barrels at the gutters on the high side of the house. We also have a bucket of pool shock. There is a well on our property and I can get to the water with a rope and bullet bucket but have not tested it or the water yet.

SHELTER: We have good trees on the property and a wood stove – as well as a backup I got on ebay. That provides heat and cooking as well. Additional stove rope seals, compound and venting pipe have been stored as well.

PROTECTION: After much thought, I got a pistol license on Long Island. I’m fearful of knocks at my door when TSHTF from the police to collect my guns (.45, 9mm and .22) – but I will just have to take that risk. As for long guns – an AR-15 with Eotech 557 and 4x fts magnifier, a POF .308 with a 4-12x scope, a Remington 700 in .308, my trusty Benelli nova shotgun, and a Marlin Papoose .22. Several extra boxes of ammo are stored. Furthermore – I have several guns in place that I envision for my neighbors in time of need including an SKS and some pistol caliber carbines. I do try to gently nudge some neighbors to prepare – but not too often and not too hard. I don’t want to stand out too much–that is OPSEC.

GENERAL SUPPLIES: Gasoline preserved with Sta-Bil. It is rotated for cars and the generator. Also we keep our cars’ fuel tanks at least 3/4 full as a rule since 9-11. For solar power I’ve rigged up a small solution – as we are on a tight budget. Essentially 750 watt inverters powered by two deep cycle marine batteries charged by two 80 watt solar panels and a charge controller. This gives us power for light, comms, battery charging, the fan on the wood stove, and a touch more.

Two sets of FRS radios – one set in an ammo can, in case of EMP.

A multitude of NiMH batteries, chargers for both 110 VAC and especially 12 volt [DC to DC charging]. A multitude of disposable batteries of all types.

Medical supplies suitable to my situation. I won’t provide detail, but suffice it to say I keep everything from antibiotics to anti-radiation thyroid [KIO3] pills for the kids.

Hand tools of reasonable quality and many kinds and repair materials, plastic sheeting, duct tape and screen material.

Non-hybrid seeds, gardening supplies and tools, and fencing materials to keep the deer and other critters out.

LAPTOP COMPUTERS – can be powered by solar for education and entertainment. CD-ROMs and other media for the same purpose.

BOOKS – I’ve bought plenty, including The Encyclopedia of Country Living . I’m presently drooling over my copy of Rawles on Retreats and Relocation.

CAMPING SUPPLIES – Speaks for itself. Loads of these for fun and emergency.

INVESTMENTS: Silver and Gold – well – I agree they are important but cannot afford that yet. Perhaps during the crisis I can trade silver from other people in exchange for food, batteries and other things in barter.

FAITH: Loads of it. As a Jew from Long Island I keep to the first testament and don’t eat pork. I do believe. I love G-d. I know that HE is the Giver of the Law. And I do my best to either obey or atone.

It is noteworthy that the world would not be in this mess if we followed His Commandments. Even following most of those ten would likely keep the planet out of trouble …

Well, that is about it. In this area I believe that any further large scale prepping is not warranted and not the best investment. I also want to keep the entire setup as portable as possible. When we move – I believe I can trailer most of my logistics to our new home. I can really delve into self sufficiency at that point.

Warmest Regards from New York, – David

Economics and Investing:

Fake Silver Coins/Bars/Ingots ARE on the market in U.S.! This includes some useful videos with tests for fakes. (Thanks to Nic for the link.)

Reader “Firecracker” notes: Paul Krugman (Nobel prize-winning Princeton economist) recently spoke to students at The University of Oklahoma.  The local paper had a very short article about his speech. The last line in the article sums it up pretty well: “We’re eating our seed corn,” he said. “We are very far from being over the financial crisis.”

Items from The Economatrix:

Royal Canadian Mint Now Saying It’s Difficult Securing Silver  

War, Martial Law, And The Economic Crisis  

What You Need To Know About Buying Silver Today

Gold $2,300, Silver $150 and Looming Stock Market Crash  

Inflation Watch:

Middle East Mirrors Great Inflation Revolutions Since 1200 A.D. (Thanks to Mark G. for the link.)

Bobbi, South Dakota notes: “Six weeks ago, I could buy canned Progresso brand soup (ready to eat) for $1 per can. Yesterday it was $2.29. Gasoline (10% ethanol) was $3.06 four days ago. It is now $3.36. The “Cheap” white bread was regularly on sale for $.79 for a 24 ounce loaf. Now it is $.99 (as a “Hot Buy”) for a 16 ounce loaf. Navel oranges are still $.78/lb, but those in the latest batch are very small and even slightly green. Cucumbers and peppers are $1 each, head lettuce is almost $2 per head, and tomatoes are out of our family’s reach at upwards of $3/lb. Thankfully we have lots of garden space and plenty of seed!”

China’s Inflation Exceeds Target for Fourth Month, Adding Rates Pressure.

Thousands protest against high food prices in Delhi

Frequent content contributor C.D.V. sent this: Stagflation 2011: Why It Is Here And Why It Is Going To Be Very Painful

Odds ‘n Sods:

F.G. sent this: Census: Near-record level of US counties dying. JWR Adds: Of course some of the mentioned “dying” counties in the northern plains states that are de-populating might actually make good retreat locales. Low population density has its advantages!

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Randy F. sent a link showing that CBS News is finally catching on: Gunrunning scandal uncovered at the ATF. (But of course they don’t tell the whole sordid story.) Here is a bit of background on why the BATFE conspirators felt they needed to boost their “traced to U.S. gun shows” numbers: WikiLeaks exposes true origins of Mexican cartels’ weaponry (Hint: It’s not due to the “mythical” gun show loophole). Oh, and for the unvarnished truth on the scandal, read this: “Project Gunwalker” scandal is breaking wide open. The actions of the BATFE are absolutely despicable. For law enforcement officers to become law breakers for the sake of justifying their own budget is reprehensible. That rogue agency should be shut down!

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Joe Huffman (of The View From North Idaho blog) discusses the poor prospects for any attempt to step back to traditional agriculture: We cannot go back.

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Jon in New York sent this tale of liberal urban angst: A climate-change activist prepares for the worst.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Our obligation to promote the public good extends as much to the opposing every exertion of arbitrary power that is injurious to the state as it does to the submitting to good and wholesome laws. No man, therefore, can be a good member of the community that is not as zealous to oppose tyranny, as he is ready to obey magistracy.” Reverend Samuel West (1730-1807) Colonial Preacher and Patriot

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 33 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 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 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 33 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.

Experience in an Ice Storm, by C.V.Z.

During the winter of 2007 Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado had a major winter event in the form of a blizzard and a wide ranging ice storm.

Saturday morning came and no weather, by that afternoon, Eastern Colorado and Western, Kansas was in a full blizzard and ice storm. Within hours the ice was over 3 inches thick on power lines and was popping power poles in every direction. Then the wind picked up and we went black and quiet. The storm took down cell towers, radio towers, internet towers, emergency communication towers.

The small rural communities were shut down. No vehicle gas, no grocery store, no trading at all. Everything was closed, banks, grocery stores, and convenience stores. They had no electricity.  They had no way of selling anything.

We work in agriculture, so we had to be prepared. We are also home canners and put up a years worth of food in jars and our freezers. Our town was able to keep the water on because of diesel engines. They were also able to keep our sewer on because of diesel generators. We were able to cook because of propane grills. We were cold in our homes.

There was a shelter opened with generator heat, but no blankets, beds, or toilet paper, they asked that you bring your own. They also asked that you clean out your refrigerator and bring it to the shelter for food for the group that was there. We were trapped in an 8 mile radius because of down power lines on the highways. We were stuck for 3 days and went without electricity for seven days.

Means of communication was almost non existent. We did not know about the shelter which was two blocks from our home because we were able to still work with generator power, and it was warmer at work than home. There was no central communication in our town. We had no idea what was going on in the world, our town or our area. We did not know how long we were going to be without electricity. Cell phones did not work; radio was out in our area. We had no land line phone or Internet. Our news was received at the post office window from handwritten posts. Most of those were people looking for other people or looking for firewood or a generator.

One day we came home from work and noticed everyone on our block had a new gas generator. We asked the neighbors where they got theirs and found out our county commissioners had asked a large box store to send two semi loads of generators to our county. They sold them at the courthouse steps, first come with $1,200 plus tax, no checks or credit cards accepted.  We didn’t get one; they were gone by the time we got home from work. Many people did not have a five gallon gas can and there was no where to get gas as all the pumps were down. Our local farm coop brought out their bulk fuel truck to help fill the gas cans. Cash only and only five gallons at a time.

It took over four years for our electric company to finish replacing electric poles.  Our electricity comes from a coal fired plant and with the blizzard, the train tracks were shut down for three days. It was a good thing that the electricity was off or they would have run out of coal. No trains across Western Kansas or Eastern Colorado for three days. No freight, no passengers, no movement.

When the local grocery store reopened, they had to close the next day because the store had a run on fresh vegetables, meats, water and most everything else. Milk was gone in ten minutes; people were hoarding thinking it was going to happen again tomorrow. The store was empty faster than a truck could get in to replenish the store shelves.

What did we do for seven days? I cooked on the propane grill with my cast iron cookware. We pulled out every quilt we owned and piled it on our beds. We had a battery operated clock and we used our kerosene lanterns. We rounded up our flashlights and ate our food that had been canned in the summer. We got cold, took hot showers and dived under the covers. We got tired of being cold and we called around to find a hotel room even if it was 150 miles away, they were all full. We went to work and did our jobs.  We were paid electronically, but could not find out if it actually made it to the bank or not. We had no way of getting cash. We stayed at home and did not go to the shelter as it may have been warm, but who wants to sleep on a concrete floor with people they don’t know. We tried to find a radio station, use our cell phones, find a newspaper and waited for the electric company. We watched as our trees were trimmed off the electric lines and watched as most all of our trees fell over with the ice. We were lucky our small town was able to keep on our water. Our pipes did not freeze. We communicated with our neighbors. We gave food to those who had none. We thanked God for heat on night six from a very expensive rented generator. We told our kids to remember this storm and always be prepared. We found out we rely on electricity way too much.

We now keep our gas cans and propane bottles full. We installed a wood stove and keep firewood. We have a gas generator for the freezers and refrigerator. We keep water on hand. We continue to can our garden and can up meats and other items. We continually work to have our life as it is with electricity even if we have no electricity.  We keep cash on hand as well as dry good items, like flour, popcorn and toilet paper. We are working to have two years of supplies.

Did FEMA ever show up?  Yes, eight days after the storm, and that was after electricity was restored to our town.  Did the National Guard show up?  Yes, four days into it with cases of water for the residents. They gave one case of water to each household that they could get to. The National Guard stayed at our high school for three weeks, there was no school in session. They patrolled our town day and night, they helped with people rescue, water distribution and passing out information.

Many people in the county were out of electricity for over a month. They were able to survive because they still live off the land and depend on their selves to help themselves.

The two things we learned during these seven days were: we had a lack of communication locally and world wide, and lack of heat. We installed a wood cook stove and are looking into other means of communication.

There was no run on the gas pumps or the stores in our small town because there was no way to exchange money for product. When electricity came on in the large regional town, everyone that could get to town was there. Then there was a run, everyone was looking for the same thing. The first to go was small propane bottles for gas grills. The next thing to go were all forms of heat, generators, inverters, gas cooking and heating stoves, wood for fireplaces, extension cords and accessories, batteries, matches, small electric heaters to hook up to generators. Other things like, flashlights, toilet paper, ice scrapers, gloves, blankets, cast iron skillets, metal spatulas, kerosene lanterns, hand can openers, crackers, popcorn, soda, cheese in a can, bottled water, paper items, bread and lunch meat. The large grocery store had no electricity for three days, but because people were hungry they bought what they could and then complained that it was spoiled, the milk, cheese and meats were not good, they had no refrigeration for three days, but people still bought the items. People complained that the shelves were empty even though they knew there was no transportation for three days, in or out.

When electricity was restored to our one regional town, people from three different states came from far and wide, which meant people were driving 100’s of miles to come to this one town. Vehicle gas was in short supply; firewood went for a premium in a few tree country. Batteries were non existent. There were lines at the fast food restaurants, and banks, water and ammo disappeared. Three days and people were hungry, cold and wanted a change.

There were also those who wanted someone, anyone, to come fix this problem and give them food, water, and heat. They didn’t care who it was, they just wanted their life as it was before the storm and only in their home. They would not go to a shelter, but expected someone to provide them with their lifestyle. They had no provisions.

Hospitals, long term care homes, prisons, sheriff departments, all were on generator power. Schools were not in session. Businesses were closed; city and county offices were closed. Banks and ATMs were closed. Convenience stores, gas pumps, grocery stores, restaurants, closed. No pizza delivery. No street lights, no noise, just dark silence.

The amount of reliance we have on electricity is amazing.

Two Letters Re: A Bank Run Reality Check

Dear Mr. Rawles,

While the quantity of FRN currency and coins on hand at a bank branch certainly makes or breaks one’s ability to withdraw one’s funds in a “run” situation, the overriding factor of which most depositors are completely unaware is that only checking accounts are “demand” accounts, meaning that you have a legal and immediate right to all of your money when you demand it. If you read the account disclosure fine print for your certificate of deposit (CD) or savings account, you will find that the bank is under no obligation to return your money when you ask for it, but only within the number of days specified in the account agreement (contract).

In practice a good bank will make every effort to return your funds when you request them, but in the case of a bank run or other situation that leaves them short of cash or even actual funds, the provision buys them with the time to acquire what they need to repay you from another bank or ultimately from the Federal Reserve.

So if you are concerned about being able to get your money out of the bank in a pinch, you need to keep it in a checking account. In that case even if your bank lacks the cash to honor your check you at least have the alternative of trying to cash it somewhere else. Above all, stay vigilant: Better to be a month too early than a day too late. Cheers, – Kevin W.

 

James,
One of the best plans is to have money stored at your home, retreat, vehicle. Understandably not everyone is in a position to do this but something is better than nothing. I would recommend 100 of each of the bills. 100 x $1 ($100) 100 x $5 ($500) 100 x $10 ($1,000) 1000 x $20 ($2,000) plus $200 in coins. This creates a total of $3,800. This may seem a significant amount however WSHTF this frees up valuable time to get on the highways, escape the city and head to wherever it is you have planned. You won’t have to try and get money from the bank or have to worry about paying increased gas prices along the way and it may help bribe your way through a road block. Just think what it is going to be like with millions of people across the country/world trying to get access to their money. The banks will simply close up and ration the amount you can have, if any at all.   – L.H.

Letter Re: Storing Spare Vehicle CPUs for EMP Preparedness

Mr. Rawles,  
I recently have been going through the PCM/ECM/ECU vehicle engine/transmission control module nightmare. And it is a nightmare. Dealers typically won’t warrantee or allow return/refund on the vehicle computers unless they perform the diagnostics first. That’s a couple hundred bucks right there, before you get to buying the computer – which in my case for a 10 year old truck was $480, before sales tax. Then you have the labor to install it. Oh, and only the dealer can program it.  

So I started snooping around on Google.  Using the search terms “remanufactured PCM” and “remanufactured ECM” I found dozens of links to companies which sell preprogrammed vehicle computers [from wrecking yards] for all makes and models. And they are “plug and play”.  Meaning that a reasonably able person could put one in themselves.   And the prices seem to run about $150, rather than $500 or more.   All the caveats posted by earlier contributors about multiple computers on a vehicle, and other factors, still apply.   I only wanted to point out that there are other sources besides the dealers.  And their return policies, warrantees, and delivery beat the pants off the dealers to boot!   As always, caveat emptor – perform your own due diligence- YMMV.  – The Homesick Idahoan (Still behind enemy lines)

Letter Re: Forever Preps – Preparations You Can Buy Once, and Have Forever

JWR,
Thanks and God Bless for your wonderful blog. You do mankind a great good every day your site is up and passing information to the masses. Please keep it coming.

I find it a rare and surprising occurrence when my real world work experience and professional knowledge actually prove some use to the on-going threads found at SurvivalBlog. Since I’m a career Maitre’ de in fine dining restaurants, it really isn’t surprising; I seriously doubt anyone will be worried about wine vintages or the proper service of escargot after TSHTF. However I was pleasantly surprised after I read Andrew D.’s post on Forever Preps. I found his info extremely helpful, since I quickly added a few amendments to my master prep list, with many valuable links.

I must disagree with Andrew on his candle substitute option, the paraffin oil cartridges. I have chosen, purchased, and used dozens of varieties of paraffin oil cartridges, and the lamps that burn them, throughout my 25 year career and in my experience they would be next to useless in a survival situation. They work well for what they are, which is a simple light source used to provide ambiance. They give virtually no use-able light and generate very, very, little heat. Mainly, because they are not meant to do so and they cannot be opened or adjusted, since the tiny wick is part of the sealed self contained unit. I once had to purchase small penlights for my entire waitstaff due to the ineffectiveness of these items with dim room lights, much less total darkness. These units are inexpensive, well sized and store well, but unless you can rig an alternate adjustable wick, which I don’t recommend, or transfer the oil to a proper lamp or lantern, I can’t see recommending this over candles or larger containers of oil. You don’t need the extra bother. However, I still trust candles as the ultimate back-up lighting. I live in the deep south and have also had candles melt to nothing in storage, so I tried a trick from a local candy vendor. This guy makes and sells Roman candy, i.e. taffy, from a horse drawn carriage even during the hottest summer days. To keep the candy from sticking and mal-forming when it’s soft from the heat, he would roll a stick in several layers of over-sized waxed paper and simply twist the ends. I tried this and it works well for tall candles and tapers. However the larger and detailed candles may mal-form a bit upon hardening and lose details. Plastic wrap will also work, however it may stick to the re-hardened candle a bit. Thanks. – W.N.

SurvivalBlog Receives the Stylish Blogger Award

I was tickled to see that SurvivalBlog was named as a recipient of a Stylish Blogger award by Judy of the Consent of the Governed blog.

This is a great exercise in fun and mutual back-scratching. Of course, as with any of these blog awards, there are rules. The “rules” that come along with this award designation are (1) I must divulge seven things about myself, and then (2) pay the Stylish Blogger Award forward to fifteen other blogs.

So here are seven things about me…

1.) I’m so secretive about the location of the Rawles Ranch that many of my friends don’t know where it is. Nor my literary agent. Nor my book editors. Nor the movie and television producers. They simply don’t have a “need to know” unless they come to visit. (And if you are wondering, no, I don’t make them wear blindfolds.)

2.) I have a mania for collecting and restoring 1930s to 1950s vintage All-American Five vacuum tube AM-Shortwave radios that can operate on both AC and DC.

3.) I no longer rent table space at gun shows. But I still prowl the aisles at shows as far away as the SAR show in southern Arizona.

4.) Our family has a morning Bible study six days a week. I have found that it is an edifying way to both educate my children Biblically, add to my own knowledge, solidify our relationships, and prepare ourselves for turbulent coming events.

5.) I watch the movies Big Trouble in Little China and Groundhog Day at least once a year.

6.) Many of the plot details and the dialogue in my novels come to me in dreams. When get to a point where I’m stuck in writing, I just suggest to myself that I dream it, that night.

7.) I cannot ice skate or roller skate. (Thankfully, that is rarely required as a survival skill.)

Here are my Stylish Blogger Award honorees (in no particular order):

Economics and Investing:

A new age of uncertainty: Why Arab turmoil could mean an orgy of bloodletting and rocketing oil prices rather than a Utopian world order. (A hat tip to J.B.G. for the link.)

K.A.F.send us a story about “voting with their feet”: Irish Remedy for Hard Times: Leaving

U.S. crop boom not enough to rebuild thin supplies. (Thanks to Nick F. for the link.)

Natural Gas: A Cure for America’s Crazy Oil Addiction

Items from The Economatrix:

Regulators Close Small Illinois Bank; Makes 23 in 2011  

State and Local Budget Cuts are Slowing US Economy  

Oil Prices Spike to $103 then Drop Back

Odds ‘n Sods:

Old snipers never die. They just get better equipment.

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Reader Joe V. notes: Info World (via Ask Woody) revealed that solid state flash drives are nearly impossible to erase.  Joe’s comment: “I guess that means ‘hammer time.'”

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Mark H. mentioned the Time Travel Cheat Sheet. (That information would of course also be useful for a total TEOTWAWKI.)

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Luke in Pennsylvania sent a link to the U.S. Army’s Preventative Maintenance magazine searchable database. Luke says: “It’s usefulness in supplying relevant information depends upon your choice of search terms. For example with the right words, I found articles on: M4 bolt lug shearing and M14 maintenance.

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Jonesey in Alberta, Canada alerted us to an article that underscores the need for rural retreat security: 5,000 pigeons stolen from Fraser Valley farms

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. ” – Jeremiah 21:8-10 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

I’m scheduled for a one hour interview with call-in questions from listeners tomorrow (Sunday, February 27th) with Michael Ruppert’s Lifeboat Hour radio show at 9 p.m. eastern time. Please feel free to call in to the show if you have any preparedness questions that would be of interest to the majority of listeners. If you miss hearing the show, it will be available post facto as a downloadable podcast.