Notes from JWR:

Because my preparedness course is now out of print, we are substituting it with a new prize for this and subsequent rounds of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The new prize will be expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value. These products are American-made and designed to last for many years.

—

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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.

Fight and Survive–Warrior and Scholar, by D.W.

I observe that a good deal of survival related information is centered around gear, politics, guns, BOVs, BOLs, BOBs, how to plant a garden on the south slope of a rocky mountain in the wintertime using solar panels to warm up the non-hybrid seeds and so on ad nauseam.  Meanwhile the most basic, primary, and must-have survival skill is largely ignored.  What I’m referring to is personal, hand to hand self-defense.  Now I know what a lot of you are thinking, especially the CCW guys and gals out there.  “If someone messes with me I’ve got a surprise for ‘em.”  Concealed carry is a wonderful thing, but it should not be the sole method of self-defense.  “Defense in depth” is a phrase you should already be familiar with and it should apply to your person as well as your home.  As gear-laden as you may be there are times and situations where we have nothing but our hands, our brains, and our warrior spirit to protect ourselves and our loved ones.  What if you’re at the pool, the beach, the gym, a bank, a Federal Courthouse or walking to your car from work?  What if someone grabs a hold of you or sucker punches you before you can draw, flick off the safety, aim and squeeze the trigger?  What if you run out of ammo or there are multiple assailants or the tool just goes click instead of bang? 

You see what I’m getting at.  Not only is the ability to defend one’s self without weapons a vital skill, but the warrior mindset that comes with training your body to defend itself carries over to every single aspect of your daily life and survival preparations.  I can only speak from my own humble perspective, which is shaped by my experiences and which for brevity’s sake I’ll describe as many, varied and hard for even me to believe in the retelling of them.  I live very close to the Texas/Mexico border and have all my life.  Street fighting here is like the national pastime and I started as a white boy in public housing and rose to the top of the local scene. For a time I dedicated my life to martial arts and I was blessed to be able to train with some of the best martial artists in the country. 

The most important thing of course is not to get into a fight in the first place, especially without a weapon.  If this happens you have failed miserably and there’s a decent chance you’ll die or maybe spend the rest of your life with an IQ of 50, both of which have happened to people I know.  A lot of avoidance is common sense stuff, i.e. don’t get drunk in public, don’t drive aggressively, and don’t escalate a minor thing by mouthing off.  Hold your damned temper in other words.  Stay away from bad scenes and bad people.  If you’re attacked unprovoked and can’t flee you better have some training and forethought.  Some of you are naturally good fighters and will stand up well to the challenge.  Most will not without training and preparation.  Even I’m in the latter category and the most highly trained people still lose fights.  There is always somebody better, luckier or more devious so start training now and get your wife, kids and your mother involved.

You won’t learn what you need to know from this article or any DVD course.  Get into a gym, dojo, dojang or boxing ring and do it yesterday.  There’s no reason not to, Karate schools and boxing gyms are in every strip mall in the country it seems.  Every martial art has something to offer and you’re best trying a couple of them and seeing what you think is most practical for your age, gender, conditioning, etc…  It’s more about the teacher than the style so ask around and find someone who teaches practical self-defense.  Interview the instructor like he’s applying for a job not the other way around.  Stay away from these new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu dojos popping up everywhere unless they also teach a lot of striking.  Some grappling/wrestling training is important, but wrestling on the ground is only good for getting back on your feet and grabbing a weapon.  You can’t wrestle multiple opponents and you can’t wrestle even a single opponent with a knife so don’t try it.  You have to train to fight a larger stronger opponent and more than one of them so you need to approach self defense scientifically and logically.  There are no ancient Chinese secrets.  You must learn kinesiology and human anatomy and bilateral symmetry.  You have to learn to attack soft body targets with hard body weapons.  Learn how to throw a correct punch with the top of your hand in perfectly flat alignment with the top of the ulna using only your two front knuckles for impact.  Learn how to keep a fluid and moving 45 degree stance which opens up your weapons and closes off you targets.  Learn the correct parts of foot to kick with so you don’t break the darned thing.   Be practical about yourself and your limitations to begin with.  If you’re a 90 pound person with limited upper body strength then don’t waste your time training to stand and trade punches with a 250 pound gorilla.  Learn how to use your car keys or your two fingers to gouge out an eye and plan to bite carotid arteries and kick groins.  Find out what the Xiphoid Process is and how to exploit it.  You have to be serious about training and learn to weave it into your daily life. Remember that practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. 

Once you begin to do these things and learn how to better protect yourself I promise you will feel better protected than if you went out and bought ten of the latest whiz bang survival gadgets.  You will learn that the level of fitness you attain as well as the fundamental principles you learn will translate effortlessly and seamlessly into many other aspects of your life and survival preparations.  If you can shoot well then you will begin to shoot very well because shooting is a martial art in its purest sense.  The exact same principles of muscle memory, focus, elasticity, and environmental awareness apply to both shooting and fist fighting, which are essentially two versions of the same thing.  The exact same techniques you learn for unarmed self defense also translate into armed self defense with blades and blunt force weapons.  I’m a gear head like many of the rest of you and I’ve got the retreat, vehicles, larder and other things that are essential to emergency preparation, but I also have confidence that if I’m caught unawares and without all my gear, I can essentially take care of myself and that is priceless.

Now that I have hopefully convinced some of you that self defense training is a worthy addition to your survival/preparedness regimen allow me to add a few warnings.  Don’t jump into the deep end your first day.  Even though some simple and valuable things can be learned right away this is still a large undertaking and it will take time.  If you think you are going to be Bruce Lee or Matt Hughes right away you will only be disappointed and more likely to not stick with it.  Take your time, work on your basics over and over and enjoy the learning process.  Do not over train and injure yourself.  If you feel uncomfortable with the other students or the instructor at the school you chose just choose another one or get private lessons.  Oh yeah, don’t sign a contract right away for 6 months worth of lessons at some big flashy black belt factory.  The uglier and more informal a place is the more likely it is to be oriented towards practical self defense.  In fact, try boxing if you have a good gym near you.  I’ll take one good boxer over three Tae Kwon Do black belts any day because they train harder, they hit harder and they train to take hits.  I know we don’t all live in a large city with lots of options so just tailor this information to your situation.  If you are truly isolated then go ahead and get that DVD set, it’s still better than nothing.  If you have kids then by all means sign them up.  I promise you won’t regret it.  It is the discipline and self respect my martial arts training gave me that got me out of public housing as a kid and into the beautiful home I have now, no question.

As a last thought I would like to remind you that knowledge, once attained, does not rust, go rancid or get stolen. It is something which can be passed on to others, bartered, or sold in perpetuity.  Knowledge is the five loaves and two fishes in our survival pantry and with that said; Don’t you think it’s time to stock up?

Letter Re: Radio Communications and SIGINT

Jim,

I’ve been a follower of your writings since you wrote your shareware novel “The Gray Nineties“. After seeing some recent postings on SurvivalBlog regarding communications, I decided to write you.

I have been a licensed Amateur Radio Operator since 1984. Before that I was a “skip shooter” on the 11 meter band. My Army MOS was 13E. I’m presently a Certified Electronic Technician working in the Land Mobile Radio (LMR) industry.

Survivalists who use tactical radio communications, whether it is CB, MURS, FRS, marine band, or VHF/UHF ham, need to be aware of a police scanner technology called either “Signal Stalker” or “Close Call”. This is a near-field detection and intercept function that is available in inexpensive (under $200)  police scanners which allow almost instant (2 seconds or so) frequency determination and monitoring of radio signals. With handheld radios, this distance is about 1,000 feet. With high-power base stations, the range can reach a mile with the right antenna. It doesn’t matter where in the spectrum you try to hide, a COMINT operator with this readily-available technology will find you in a matter of seconds and in short order be listening to you.

Furthermore, even at extended distances, current police scanner technology is at about 100 channels per second. That means that a COMINT operator can scan through the entire 2 meter ham band in about eight seconds. I have a list of about a hundred common handheld VHF and UHF radio frequencies (including FRS, MURS, and GMRS) used by handheld radios. It takes a second to scan through them all with a regular police scanner.

I advise SurvivalBlog readers to look into finding surplus (Motorola) LMR radios that support encryption (DVP-XL or DES-XL) and the respective key loader. These radios can be programmed up with GMRS (UHF) or MURS (VHF) frequencies and used legally on those frequencies. When TSHTF, users can then turn on the encryption.

Other options include the use of Nextel/Sprint “Direct Talk”. This off-network communications mode uses frequency hopping on 900 MHz and won’t be picked up by police scanners. Motorola and Trisquare also make frequency hopping radios that operate on the license-free 900 MHz. band.

Letter Re: A Firewood Sawing Reality Check

Dear Mr. Rawles:
As a devoted prepper, I have been trying to be diligent in practicing what I preach.  This past weekend was a bit of an eye-opener for me and should be for most of my fellow travelers.  In anticipation of future gas shortages and the impossibility of maintaining reasonable security while running a chain saw, I recently purchased a one-man, 36 inch, made in Germany, crosscut saw.   Saturday morning, I spent a couple of hours building a sawbuck.  Then the education began.  

At this point, I need to interject that I’ve been burning wood for the past 30 years and typically cut (chainsaw), split (hand maul) and stack 12-to-14 face cords of hardwood per year.  I’m in good shape and used to hard work.  In fact I also put a truckload of hay in the barn and went horseback riding before putting the new saw to work.   I went into the hedgerow next to my pasture and took out a fairly small ash tree and a section of a dead cherry tree with my trusty Stihl gas chain saw. 

I then cut them in sections which would yield three or four stove-length logs and sawed these lengths by hand.  After an hour, I had produced maybe three armloads of wood.  My arms were sore and my grip was shot.  I woke up pretty stiff on Sunday morning but finished sawing up my “pile” later that afternoon.  The soreness worked out and I felt fine on Monday.  I also found that if I cut every third log with my left hand that I could keep from over fatiguing my arms.  Still, it became abundantly clear that supplying my home with heat in this manner will occupy an hour a day year round! 

Sawing firewood, in addition to gardening, caring for animals, hauling water and providing security will be more physically taxing than most people can imagine.   I don’t find many truly committed preppers as it is, but of those that I have encountered (mostly in tactical weapons training), I’ve only met one or two that would be up to the physical rigor.  This is no joke.  I would estimate that not one percent of the general population is doing anything to prep for TEOTWAWKI while maybe 10% of preppers are fit enough to see it through.  Gear and even knowledge will be of little use to the ones that collapse from exhaustion.  As Vince Lombardi said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”  That is truer for us than for the NFL players for whom he intended it. – F.M. in Western New York

Letter Re: Experience with Motorized Bicycles

JWR,
I discovered motorized bicycles last year after going from and $80,000 annual income a year to zero.

I first saw a kid riding one in Los Angeles and asked him where he got it and the details. Turned out that a distributor of these kits was located up the street from me. After much research and trial and error, I found a Diamondback beach cruiser full size bike from Dicks sporting goods with a front fork that had a gas shock, for less than $200 on sale.

I then purchased a kit online and followed the instructions. Needless to say it didn’t work right away.

After more reading on the troubleshooting section in the forum I upgraded to better chain, upgraded rear wheel and axle due to alignment issues and had a proper motor mount fabricated with rubber washers to reduce the vibration.

The result was a bike that I rode all over Indianapolis Indiana last fall.

I discovered that in Indiana, under 50 cc engines do not need a license to ride on the road. Downside was the 25 mph speed limit on these machines. My kit was 66 cc; but I never had anyone check it and the police pretty much ignored me.

I even used it on the bicycle trails, since the stock motor was so quiet, I would peddle along and occasionally when I wanted a burst of speed I would just pop the clutch and give it some gas.

I avoided running high speed on the nice paved and mostly unused trails to avoid unwanted attention. When the time came to use the streets, I was able to keep up with traffic doing a estimated 30-35 mph. Most automobile drivers were unaware that my bike was motorized and would pull risky maneuvers to get around me at times; even when I was dong the speed limit.

When cold weather came in the fall, I continued to use the bike till the first snow. The engine is two stroke gas; running 87 octane unleaded, an approximately 50-to-1 gas-oil mix and a dash of Marvel Mystery Oil to keep the engine from gumming up. Synthetic two cycle oil should not be used with these engines.

All new kits come with a catalytic converter in the muffler and should not smoke much if at all.

The engine is very simple mechanically. It is started by peddling the bike to about 5-7 mph with the clutch engaged and the carb choked. Release the clutch gently to start the engine spinning. Engine will start to fire after a few seconds and run a bit rough for a few hundred yards until the engine warms up. Do not give it any throttle until then. When the engine starts running smoothly, un-choke the carburetor and gently give it gas to accelerate. When the engine is fully warmed up you can make full speed.

To stop, press the kill switch that grounds out the spark to the frame, and engage clutch.

66 cc (advertised as the 80 cc model) engines are rated at 2.8 h.p. and will go up to 3.2-3.5 h.p. after being broken in.

Typical motor bicycles get between 50-150 m.p.g. depending on load, speed, driving habits etc. I am a rather big man and weigh close to 300 pounds (nearly all muscle). This kit engine moved me along on the flats at a good speed and a afternoon of fun riding used about a half gallon of gas. If you had to travel a long distance with only pocket change expenses or if inflation made auto driving very expensive then this would be a good way to go.

These motor kits can be adapted to tricycles, recumbent bikes, and can easily propel a combined weight of rider and cargo of more than 300 pounds.

For more information, see this motorized bicycle forum. Regards, – M.B.

Economics and Investing:

Marty Weiss: Warning: Muni Bond Chaos Imminent

The Fed’s Contrarian, With a Wary Eye on the Past

I found this sign of the times linked at The Drudge Report: Grave Robbers Steal 400 Urns From Cemetery

A big electronics retailer’s stock drops 14% in one day: Best Buy’s holiday fumble.

Items from The Economatrix:

Shoppers Shunning Credit Cards  

Roubini Sees Roots Of Next Crisis  

Eric Sprott’s Double-barreled Silver Issue  

Odds ‘n Sods:

David H. sent us this: The new hungry: College-educated, middle-class cope with food insecurity.

   o o o

Mullen: Risk of War Rising on Korean Peninsula. (Thanks to veteran content contributor KAF for the link.)

   o o o

Reader Paul G. sent this story about a Neighborhood Watch lapsing into Roy Bean-style vigilantism: In Mexico, a legal breakdown invites brutal justice.

   o o o

Life imitates art… This description of New Detroit by Mish Shedlock sounds like something out of Paul Verhoven’s Robocop movie: Detroit is Halting Garbage Pickup, Police Patrols in 20% of City: Expect Bankruptcy in 2011. Here is a quote: “In a futile attempt to stave off the inevitable (bankruptcy) one last time, Mayor Bing’s latest plan is to cutoff city services including road repairs, police patrols, street lights, and garbage collection, in 20% of Detroit…”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The creation of crimes after the commission of the fact, or, in other words, the subjecting of men to punishment for things which, when they were done, were breaches of no law, and the practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.” – The Federalist, #84 (Attributed to Alexander Hamilton)

Notes from JWR:

I noticed that we’ve just surpassed 25 million unique visits. Thanks for making SurvivalBlog such a huge success. Please continue to spread the word to family, friends, and co-workers. Just putting a small link to SurvivalBlog in your e-mail footer or on your blog or web page will greatly increase our visibility. Many thanks!

—

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 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.

Introduction to UV Air Treatment, by Michael M.

My interest in ultraviolet (UV) light systems began a number of years ago with the introduction of a UV system in the discharge effluent stream of water at the wastewater plant where I work. If it works in water I thought, then why not air! The removal of pathogens from the water was most impressive and a mystery, So I hit the books and the Internet to learn more.
 
Here is a light summary of what I learned:

The sun generates ultraviolet rays. These rays are natures way of purifying the air. When sun passes thru a prism it’s broken into its component colors, thus giving the colors of the rainbow. Each color in turn has it’s own wavelength.
Ultraviolet light has three specific wavelengths that have particular applications:

UV-A is the source of suntanned skin, With its relatively longer wavelength, can penetrate the atmosphere. Applications include tanning beds and treatment of some skin diseases.
UV-B is in the middle wavelength of the ultraviolet spectrum and has principally been used to treat skin diseases.
UV- C or short-wave ultraviolet radiation, is used to destroy bacteria and other biologic containments in the air, in liquids and on surfaces. This is the area of my interest and study and use!

X-rays, BTW, are adjacent to UV-C on the spectrum. (They have even shorter wavelength).

It should be noted that the aforementioned are not all of the wavelengths available. Certain short-wave UV energies can be created by specially designed UV lamps, such as Ozone.

I learned that for many years the medical industry has been using UV light to sanitize rooms and equipment.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends UV lamps for their germicidal effect.
Through firsthand lab testing, I have seen the effect UVC has on pathogens (bacteria) in water. It renders them sterile.

So How Does it Work?

Using UV lamps provide a much more powerful and concentrated effect of UV energy than can be found naturally.
UV-C rays break through the outer membrane of microbes like yeast, mold, bacteria, viruses, algae. When the radiation reaches the DNA of the microbe it causes modifications. The DNA then transmits incorrect codes, rendering the microbe sterile and thus unable to reproduce.

Many industries utilize this type of process. Understand that  I am not advocating that all microbes are being destroyed or sterilized in this unit! Only that through my use (Private and Professional) that I have seen a reduction in the overall colony count of microbial life forms. I use this system as just another line of defense in cleaner purer air. To put it into a simpler form, would you rather have to deal with hundreds of thousands of bacteria or hundreds?

My research found that UV light air purification systems were available and being used in schools, commercial  buildings, federal buildings, many places.
Now that you have a light understanding ( pun intended ) of Ultraviolet Light you can see how I put this information to use to help better protect all my loved ones.

How I Used UV
The ability to protect yourself and loved ones from biological intrusion is a many-layered thing we all are preparing for: chemical suits, positive pressure safe rooms, filter masks, OTC medications and prescriptions to name a few.
 
Never being satisfied with the amount of space in my safe room (NBC-protected), I decided to see if  I couldn’t incorporate a germicidal Ultraviolet Light System and positive pressure environment in my main living quarters to use as first line defense against poor air quality. I was off and running.

I knew since I constructed it, that my house was sealed exceptional well. Little did I know until I used a Slack tube manometer and did a static test with the air handler running and the house closed up tight. I had a negative pressure of .45″ water column vacuum. I concluded that I needed a fresh air return duct if I was going to use my air handler to try and pressurize the house.

My heating system uses a four speed motor (switchable) on the squirrel cage fan unit. All readings were taken with the fan set on a speed of med-high, resulting in a standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) rate of 1,170 cfm. My home has a combined cubic foot measurement of 4,940 cubic feet, thus resulting in the turnover rate of once every 4.2 minutes.

So, doing the math on the unit’s scfm capacity, and taking advantage of the variable speed motor I came up with a needed 60 to 75 sq. in fresh air duct to compensate for the tight construction [of my house] to bring my static pressure to 0. With full confidence in my math, I started. Next I needed filtration, HEPA filters of course. (I must state here that I’m working on a better filter arrangement than this but it’s sufficient for the time being). I installed one filter through the floor.

I then re-tested the static pressure. The static pressure in the house dropped to zero with one fresh air filter installed. The second took it to .2″ positive.

Here were my results:

  • One filter  = Equalized pressure       
  • Two filters  =.2″ positive pressure              
  • Three = .45″ +  positive pressure   

Things looked pretty good at this point. I installed a third filter and the pressure went to .45″ positive with the in house air return in the full-open position. However, I still had a few concerns about air return temperature through the heat exchanger of the unit during the winter. But I pushed on.
 
I took a pressure reading from the slack tube at this point from the outside ambient pressure against the inside pressure with the air return in the full-closed position.
My pressure system looks pretty good @   .35” positive pressure running state.
 
Next, after researching the various light systems available I decided on the Calutec Blue UV, 72 watt, 2 bulb system. The system was designed for a 2,000 square foot house, but I have only 1,200 square feet. Bulb replacement cost is $18 ea. and the manufacturer says yearly replacement is advisable. Through personal hands-on experience, I’ve found that UV lamp life is reduced significantly after about 5,000 hours and I plan to replace them at that time on my system.

Having a raised platform on my heating system the return air duct was the perfect location for installation. The unit looked easy to install and would give me all the protection I felt could be attained with any such system. The return air and the fresh make up air would both be treated by the UV system before exiting the duct work with the fresh air being run through a HEPA filter. There are various locations for the unit and each has its merits depending on [the climate and] the configuration of the individual’s system.

I received the unit.  I read the manual and then installed the unit. It was a very straightforward installation with minimal electrical work.

Safety Warnings
Here is a good point to tell you that UV-C light is nothing to play with:
NEVER expose eyes or skin to the UVC light from any source. Looking directly at UVC light can cause retina damage or even blindness. Only install unit in a closed area or duct system.
UV Lamps contain Mercury.  As a kid, 50 something years ago mercury was cool to play with. It is a wonder that many of us are alive today. Use all necessary precautions if exposed to possible Mercury contamination from a broken bulb or any mercury for that matter.

So that was that, just another line of defense added to an expanding arsenal of personal protection apparatus.

Avalanche Lily’s Bedside Book Pile

Since marrying Jim, I’ve started watching some of his collection of movies on DVD. Jim says that seeing them will help give me “a common frame of reference”. A few of them he even considers survivalist training films. I suppose that the endeavor will also keep me from giving him odd looks when he quotes lines from his favorite movies out of the blue.

Recently, I’ve watched:

  • Big Trouble in Little China. Parts of this movie really creeped me out. Yes, it seems John Carpenter (the same director who made The Thing) couldn’t resist including horror elements in even this supposed light-hearted comedy. I hated this movie! Let’s face it: Its a guy movie. Oh, and it is one of Jim’s favorites.
  • Blast From the Past. A hilarious film that requires some serious suspension of disbelief. (For example there were not thirty years worth of logistics squirreled away. That would have taken a pantry room at least ten times that size.) I really liked the clean and wholesome parts of it. It had one annoying gay character that was obviously added for the sake of political correctness. It is perhaps unintentional, but this movie makes a very strong case for homeschooling.
  • Buckaroo Banzai. It is a science fiction comedy cult classic that defies description. Jim says that to be fully appreciated, this film must be seen at least three times. I’ve only seen it once and unfortunately by coincidence, I had a very bad stomach ache during it, so I did not get to fully appreciate it at the time. Jim quotes this movie a lot (as much as I quote The Sound of Music :)). He even squeezed the line “So what, big deal” into the first chapter of his new novel. (It is the first sequel to “Patriots”, now in the final editing stages, and scheduled for release in about 10 months.) I need to watch the movie two more times, because frankly, Jim quotes it a lot and I’m not privy to these inside jokes. He just gets a blank stare out of me when he says: “What’s that watermelon doing there?”, or “Hey man, what’s in the pink box?”
  • Defiance. This movie was loosely based on the book by Nechama Tec. It shows (with some typical Hollywood embellishments) the true story of the Bielski partisans in Byelorussia, during World War II. This was an inspiring film and I do recommend it. But it has lots of bloodshed (cover your eyes, block your ears until those scenes are over), so it is not a movie for kids.
  • A Room with a View. Oh my goodness! Now this is movie that ladies can relate to. It is a costume drama/comedy. It has excellent acting, great location shooting in Italy, and a very witty storyline. (It is based on a great E.M. Forester novel.) It has some brief nudity (male nudity, I was surprised to see. In American films you never see fully naked guys!), so it is also not one for the kids.

We have some travel planned over Christmas, so that will give me a chance to delve back into my stack of books. I’ll have another update on my latest books, next week.

Letter Re: Ten Essential OTC Medications to Stockpile

Sir:
This was an excellent article.  I was on the right track but it was reassuring to see an M.D. confirm it.  Thanks.    I just wanted to pass along a warning of sorts as it relates to Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine) because I know Preppers like myself tend to have unusual shopping habits.  We not only buy a seemingly odd assortment of items all at once, but we probably buy them in larger quantities and with greater frequency than the average shopper.  This is simply for the fact we are stocking the products for future use rather than replenishing them as we use them.   Some people in society manufacture an illegal drug called methamphetamine and they use Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) as one of their primary ingredients. 

To help curb the production of the illegal drug many retailers across the nation now keep it locked up and require ID with signature to purchase it.  Some states have even passed laws which impose daily or weekly purchase limits of this cold remedy.  Legally purchasing a box or two under such tightly-controlled conditions will not put us at risk of being in trouble with the law, but buying more than a few primary “meth lab” ingredients in the same shopping trip can put us at risk of arrest.  According to Methpedia, some of these other ingredients needed for a meth lab are lithium batteries, steel wool (a great fire starter), starting fluid (ether), plastic storage containers, duct tape, coffee filters, aluminum foil, funnels, rubber (or surgical) tubing, thermos bottles, propane tanks, camp fuel, portable heat sources like hot plates and camp stoves, Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol, acetone (fingernail polish remover), sodium hydroxide (drain cleaner), salt, and cat litter.   It’s not easy to spot a meth lab operator on the street, but they need supplies to stay in business so they are most vulnerable when standing in the checkout aisle.  Store security staff are the tipsters who actively work with police to catch potential meth lab operators who are known to buy certain products repeatedly and frequently.  Unfortunately, Preppers also buy many of those same products repeatedly and frequently.   

If you (as an innocent Prepper) earn the attention of Store Security through your unique selection of purchases then they will start building a case file complete with credit card information gleaned from the cash registers and license plate numbers acquired with store security cameras.  Those cameras at the checkout will also be used to acquire an image of your physical appearance.  A simple phone call tip to the police could result in you being investigated by a city, county, or state-level police detective as being a possible meth lab operator.  What other purchases will your credit card reveal to an investigator?  Firearms?  Large quantities of ammunition?  Tactical gear?  If enough evidence exists, a search warrant could be obtained and served upon you.  How is it going to look when they find many of these “meth lab” ingredients stored in your home at quantities which far exceed what is “reasonable and customary” for the general population?   Law enforcement officers have also been trained to identify the makings of a meth lab when conducting traffic stops.  They will probably not be concerned with a box or two of Sudafed, but they will go on high alert if they see a certain combination of key ingredients in the back seat after a shopping trip.  If law enforcement has a reasonable suspicion to do so, based on the combinations and quantities of certain items being present in the vehicle, they can make an arrest under the charge of “intent to manufacture”.  In all likelihood, it would be difficult for them to convict an innocent Prepper having no prior criminal history based on such little evidence; yet the time in jail, loss of income, legal expenses, and tarnished criminal record could have a negative impact on preparation plans.  If a conviction were to be handed down by the courts then know it would be a felony which can severely impact freedom, including gun ownership rights.   

Be especially mindful of retailers who offer a plastic discount card which is scanned at the register.  Those discount cards often require a name and address be submitted by the card holder, meaning they know exactly who you are and where you live.  Every time the card is scanned the card holder is authorizing the recording of all their purchases.  The retailer uses this information to study the shopping habits of customers and to make legitimate business decisions, but law enforcement has been known to acquire and use this purchase history to investigate meth lab suspects.  If an innocent Prepper is falsely arrested for “intent to manufacture” following a routine traffic stop, law enforcement could easily obtain a conviction if the suspects recorded purchases includes a higher-than-normal purchase quantity and frequency of the items mentioned above.  Again, Preppers are at a disadvantage here because they often do buy these things in higher numbers and with greater frequency than the general population.    

If at all possible, when purchasing emergency supplies, don’t use discount cards which record the transaction and link it to you by name.  That information can later be used against you, even if you are innocent of all charges.    Use cash rather than credit card, debit cards, or personal checks.  Approach shopping just as you would “no impact camping”, meaning there should not be any evidence or paper trail  linking you by name to a particular purchase.    This becomes difficult if products are ordered online, but at least be aware the transaction is being recorded for long-term reference.  If you need, say, 4,000 rounds of .22 ammunition; then it might be a better idea to buy it with cash in smaller quantities from several stores over a longer period of time.  Likewise, if you need 500 Sudafed pills, consider buying them with cash as single-item purchases from several stores over a very long period of time.   When purchasing emergency supplies take care not to acquire too many of the above listed items in the same shopping trip.  The [“plain view”] contents of your shopping bag can be used against you during a traffic stop, so keep them covered up from prying eyes. – M.E.R.

Economics and Investing:

Ol’ Remus writes In Praise of Junk Silver.

Frequent content contributor John R. suggested this: Derivatives: The Quadrillion Dollar Financial Casino Completely Dominated By The Big International Banks

Paul W. mentioned: China Overbuilding to ‘Hit a Wall’: Chanos

The Human Toll of America’s New Ghost Towns. With its incredibly high foreclosure rate, Las Vegas has become the Poster Child of the housing bust.

New Madoff lawsuits seek $40 Billion …from banks and hedge funds.

Recession Lasting Until 2018 Is Worth Exploring: William Pesek

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks End Mixed Ahead Of Senate Vote On Tax Deal  

Oil Prices Settle Higher After OPEC Meeting  

Treasury Prices Get A Lift After Fed Buys Bonds (“Gee, if I pay my VISA bill with my Mastercard, then my financial problems will be solved!”) 

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard:  Eurozone In Bad Need Of An Undertaker  

Roger Weigand:  Phase Two Of This Greater Depression Begins Now

Odds ‘n Sods:

I recently mentioned the good news that my book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” is presently on sale at Amazon.com for just $6.98. But the bad news is that due to its popularity, they are limiting customers to just three copies per order.

   o o o

Reader Ben. S. sent a reminder for readers in the U.S.: Anyone enrolled in a Health Savings Account (HSA) should expend their set-aside funds for 2010 on OTC medical supplies before December 31st.

   o o o

My recent mention of the proposal to make the Model 1911 the State Gun of Utah inspired a SurvivalBlog reader in Tennessee to write his legislators, asking that the Barrett M82A1 .50 Caliber Rifle be proclaimed as the State Gun of Tennessee.

   o o o

Hooray! U.S. Health-Care Law Requirement Thrown Out by Judge

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If the Democrats believe Clinton’s tax increases led to a boom economy and Bush’s tax cuts destroyed the economy, why do they want to extend the Bush tax rates?” – Rush Limbaugh