Two Letters Re: Sources for Food Grade Buckets

Mr. Rawles,

I’m glad that I bought the “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course! It has a ton of great information. I followed one piece of advice in the course, and I struck pay dirt: I went to three local bakeries (one was actually part of a supermarket). All three had food grade buckets available. At two of these bakeries, I got charged just $1 each for five gallon buckets with lids. Most of them had already been cleaned. They also threw in a few extra [bucket]s with no lids, for free. And at the other bakery, the buckets and lids were absolutely free. “Just remember us, if you ever want to order a cake,” was all they asked in return.

Thanks again for putting the preparedness course together. When I first ordered it, the price seemed high, but it is now plain to me that having it is going to save me and my wife thousands of dollars. Thanks for all that you do with your blog and books. It is nice to see that you still offer all the stuff in your archives, free. You are a saint. God Bless, – P.D.K. in Cleveland

Dear James,
Many of SurvivalBlog readers look for or mention places to find food grade buckets for their long-term food storage needs. I have tried many of them myself (supermarket deli’s, ice cream parlors etc.) with some success, however one place I recently found via a Craigslist posting ended up to be my new “motherload” source for these buckets. It was a local vegetable farm. Unbeknownst to me, the seeds to plant various crops just so happen to come in bulk quantity in either five or six gallon plastic HDPE #2 food-grade buckets with rubber gasket lids and sturdy metal handles. I paid the farmer one dollar for each bucket, including the lid. The buckets were dusty but clean, had no traces of any odors, and a quick wash and rinse with soap and water was all it took to prepare them. The farmer told me that he had over a hundred available, with many more to come during the planting season. He said that most all of the local farmers had so many buckets that they just ended up throwing them away in the recycle bin. He told me that his young daughter had suggested trying Craigslist. He told me to stop by at anytime if I needed any more (which, rest assured, I will).

With the price of these same buckets going anywhere from five to eight dollars (plus shipping) on e-bay and other sources, one only have to make a few enquiries at any local produce farms. You may end up be pleasantly surprised.

Wishing you and all of survivalblog.com readers a happy and Holy holiday. The late Memsahib, your family and your good self will be in my prayers. – Bill M.

Letter Re: The Fabric of Our Lives

Mr. Rawles;
Spinning and weaving are certainly not lost arts. I know many women and some men who spin, and some who also weave. Spinning wheels and lessons are available in many cities, and there are active spinning and weaving guilds. Cards, wheels and looms can also be ordered online, and there are YouTube videos demonstrating the various processes.

It is true spinning is more difficult to learn than knitting, and requires a larger initial investment in equipment. The cheapest spinning wheels start at around $200, from Babe’s Fiber Garden. (I have not used one of these so I cannot comment on how well they work, but I know they have been selling them for ten or twelve years.) It is also possible to make your own spinning wheel from directions available on the internet. The basic principles are not that difficult. [JWR Adds: In my family’s experience, rather than buying a low-end wheel, it is best to look for a used name-brand spinning wheel, such as an Ashford or a Louet. These can often be found for under $250 if you watch Craigslist diligently.]

As to whether spinning is practical as a survival skill—well, maybe. It is time-consuming, especially if you start with preparation of the fleece itself. However, once the yarn is spun, knitting or weaving it goes much faster. But hand spun or at least hand knit wool socks, gloves, mittens, hats, and sweaters are a great comfort, so there is that to consider, too.

As much as I love spinning, knitting, and weaving (I am still very much a novice at weaving), I do think it would be more practical to lay in a supply of yarn, cloth, thread, needles, scissors, pins, etc. (Don’t forget sewing machine oil!) Bear in mind that cloth deteriorates with time and cannot be expected to last forever on the shelf. The fibers will weaken and the cloth will rip or fray when you finally try to use it.

If one anticipates having to do without electricity, treadle sewing machines in working order may still be found in some places. There are also hand-cranked sewing machines, from the British Isles , available on e-bay. I bought one a year ago and am very pleased with it. If I had the right set-up, it could be converted to foot treadle operation, which would be even nicer. There are instructions available on the Internet for repairing sewing machine—search for “how to repair a sewing machine,” or “how to repair a treadle sewing machine.” It would be a good idea to locate a set of instructions and print them out to have them available any time in the future.

My condolences on the loss of your dear wife. The thought of her Ashford wheels standing silent is a very sad one. Sincerely, – Kathie C.

 

Mr Rawles:
I read with interest the article about the fabric of our life and it got me to thinking about my own sewing. I learned to sew when I was in the 7th grade. I sewed on my grandmother’s treadle sewing machine. I still have that machine along with my mother’s and my own sewing machines. For those of you that don’t sew -You Can Learn. This goes for you men as well. Through out history it was the man that was the tailor. There are classes at places like Joann’s Fabrics. Most places that sell sewing machines have sewing classes to teach the basics. Adult Education many times will have classes on things like sewing and knitting. If you contact places that sell fabrics they can direct to places to learn. There are a number of books that can show you the techniques. I like the Singer series of books but there are others out there as well.

Like most women that sew, I have the “fabric stash” and lots of sewing notions. I decided to take a look at what I have and what I needed more of. For men, I have patterns to make basic collared and cuffed long sleeve shirts, pants, men’s underwear, casual jackets, tee shirts and pajamas. For women, there are patterns for blouses, skirts, pants, jackets, bras and pajamas. As all our kids are grown, I don’t have too many patterns for children but children would need the same types of clothing in sizes for them. I like the multi size patterns and just trace out the size I need while leaving the pattern intact. I buy a bolt of tracing pellon (a thin polyester fabric) just for this. After assessing my fabric stash I think every one should have a bolt of white cotton sheeting (it is a little more substantial than regular muslin) It can be used for a wide variety of items and could be dyed to what ever color that you want. You could use Rit Dye or try your hand at natural plant dyes. There are lots of books out there to guide you. A bolt of denim is great for pants and light jackets. A bolt of cotton knit for underwear and tee shirts. If you get a bolt of white cotton knit you can have a lot of fun tie dying it for your tee shirts. A bolt of polyester fleece can make jackets, hats and I like to use it for warm pajamas. You could also use the fleece to line a jacket or pants to have something warmer for winter. A bolt of flannel can be used for shirts and pajamas.

For notions you will need zippers and buttons, snaps or Velcro. I like the no sew jean buttons that you hammer in like rivets. Lots of thread especially in black and white. Elastics for pants and underwear waist bands and wrist openings. The plastic snap buckles and webbing are great for pants self belts. Plush elastic and plastic parts for bras. The hook and eye part and plastic parts can be recycled from your older bras if they are still in good condition. You can order bra patterns and notions online from places like So Sassy Fabrics. Bias tapes in the single and double fold. Make sure that you have lots of needles for hand sewing as well as your sewing machine. It is a good idea to have lots of straight pins and safety pins and several pairs of scissors and tape measures. Interfacing is used on lots of thing like collars and cuffs. If you check out the back of your sewing patterns they always list the notions that you will need and when you see the same things listed over and over again you will know what you need to stock up on. For those that have not tried sewing give it a chance you might find that it is not as hard as you thought. Best Regards – Glennis

Eight Letters Re: Mountain Money Isn’t

Hi Jim,

May your family count your blessings during this holiday time of the year. Being the first after losing a loved one. We all make that trip eventually. If the time was spent in a good fruitful life, then their are no regrets. Peace be with you and your family.

I was in the Peace Corps in West Africa, The Sahel. This was the southern portion of the Sahara Desert. Water was plentiful but had to be drawn from 60 to 80 ft. deep wells by hand. Then transported in containers to or throughout the village. It was labor intensive. Water was the most critical item for everyday existence.

No one in the native population living in the bush used toilet paper. It was the left hand wipe and clean off in the sand.

Water drawn from the well was not used by the natives for body washing. They just could not afford that kind of labor. Nearly all of the adult men were gone to neighboring countries to work. The women were left to do the manual labor.

Viruses abounded in this area.
Once I was deathly sick with massive diarrhea and massive vomiting simultaneously for six hours. The Peace Corps doctor told me I had UAV: “Unidentified African virus”I learned my lesson. Extreme cleanliness had to be the norm.

Staying healthy was the most important thing you did each day in terms of time. No shortcuts. This activity to transport, purify water and cook meals that were not contaminated took 60% to 80% of my time each day. Exposure to viruses, bacteria, skin parasites and internal parasites and insect vectors was vast. Both subtropical and tropical diseases were present including malaria. Because I had taken classes in bacteriology and microbiology during my college trials I was aware of the potential for infection. I was extra careful.

Cleaning yourself rectally with your hand was inviting exposure to a plethora of sickness. My answer was to use a rubber glove and soft cotton cloth. Then sterilize the glove in water and Clorox.
Wash the cloth in warm soapy water and sterilize it also for reuse. I kept dozens of these cloths in case the trots returned. Note: the bleach was not that brand name since it was a French product. I don’t recall the name of it now but it was the same [hypochlorite bleach sold] as Clorox.

This method worked well for me. I stayed healthy during most of my time as a Peace Corps volunteer. But I was told that the greatest infectious problem among the Peace Corps in this country was sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

I was the only person in our group [46] of Peace Corps volunteers to bring with me pairs of work and rubber gloves. Also among the few that showed up for transport to Africa without a Western style suit and street shoes. Instead I brought a kit of tools, an 18″ Ontario machete, a large Buck knife and a good compass. Being raised partially on a farm by extended family I knew about gloves, tools, boots and such. Most of the Peace Corps people in my group came from the far east coast ivy league universities. They for the most part were helpless outside a modern house without water, electricity, phones, television and air conditioning. For this they suffered and were not prepared for life in the bush.

I was all of 44 and the third oldest in the group. But I was the best prepared of all of them for the bush.

Learn to solve problems using the simple principle: Complexity is time and intense maintenance. Avoid creating problems that are greater than the one you are to solve. Use what you have and improvise. Above all else, engage brain and think.

I read your site every day. Cordially, – J.W.C.

Sir:
As a member of the military, I’ve spent a lot of time in cultures where toilet paper is uncommon, like writer E.B.G. I’m deployed to one as I write this. But before I agree not using toilet paper and instead using your hand and water is a practical alternative for Western preppers, I would point out one key issue. In most of those cultures, the left hand is considered unclean and unfit for almost any other use. It’s not hard to deduce the very practical reason behind this- and this “one-handed” society is not something many of us adapt to very well. – Todd in Baghdad

Mr. Editor,
There’s no need to clean your backside with your hand. Just use an ordinary kitchen sink sprayer to clean yourself after using the toilet. Come on people, this isn’t that hard!
Regards, – Owen G.

Sir:
While I agree hot water and soap would be a sanitary alternative to toilet paper (TP); a bucket of cold water sitting next to the toilet does not. Even with toilet paper (TP), the lack of hot water and soap is of concern in light of limiting disease transfer. I’ll stick to stocking TP; it is relatively cheap, and while space is always a concern, TP can be stored just about anywhere that is not wet. God Bless,- Eric G.

Mr. Rawles-
E.B.G. mentioned a method of cleaning up after a bowel movement that, as you noted, would not be an ideal choice. Here in the south the old timers kept a basket of corn cobs or a Sears and Roebuck catalog in the privy to use in place of toilet paper. If you shell your own corn the cobs would be available and while it would not rate up there with Charmin’ for comfort some of that junk mail could be used. The junk mail won’t last after the SHTF but you can conserve toilet paper while it does. Don’t forget old phone books, too. – Gordon in Georgia, a former ASA 98C

JWR:
Well, I’m not quite ready to use the old left hand for that.. but I did buy a bidet. it was less than $30 on eBay. its plastic and connects right on the [toilet] seat. the wife doesn’t like it. But I bet she will reconsider when the TP runs out. My eight year old son thinks its lots of fun, I just have to watch him so he doesn’t make it hit the wall on the other side of the bathroom. – Brad S.

James,
I grew up in good old USA. I traveled to the Philippines after High School. They sell toilet paper in the stores and we bought some, of course.

It wasn’t until later that summer that I forgot to bring some toilet paper with me once when we went to the mall. (Yes the malls do not have any toilet paper, it is a “bring it yourself” world). Luckily I happened to pick the stall that had a scoop and a bucket with water. I had no choice but to use the water “the way the natives do”.

After this experience, and it was quite a learning experience, I learned to use a good amount of water and to splash it around really well. Only after I used 1-2 scoops and splashed it around well did I then touch anything with the 3rd and 4th scoops of water. Usually after the first one or two scoops there is hardly anything left.

I happen to be lucky this day and the bathroom had soap. They don’t always have soap but I guess it was fortunate for me that they did.

Would you believe it that I actually felt cleaner using water rather than toilet paper? It is true, it feels much cleaner. My wife and I joke that we will buy a bunch of toilet paper and then hold it for a while if/when the SHTF. We’ll then sell it for a premium while we use soap and water.

Anyhow, if you have never tried it then at least try it for a few days and learn to use it. Remember, you always have soap and you can always clean up. It may be a skill that will come in handy in the future.

Take care, – KP

Dear Jim,
When my daughter was growing up, some of our favourite home-school activities were our history ‘lessons’. We didn’t just read about it, we would spend a week or so actually living as if we were in a particular period of history. It was a great educational experience for all of us and went some way towards preparation to cope with possible primitive situations. My daughter is now quite at home making soap, paper, gathering herbs and a myriad of other low-tech activities.

One thing we discovered during these enactments is that the Roman method of cleaning one’s nether regions – a small sponge on a stick kept in disinfected water – was particularly effective and not unpleasant. We kept several small sponges in a bucket and the used ones would be washed at the end of each day. Natural sponges or artificial baby sponges are the kindest on your rear. This is probably more acceptable to First-Worlders than the hand and water method and requires less storage space than cart-loads of toilet paper. For the record, I store both paper and sponges!

Praying for you all. Blessings, – Luddite Jean in England

Economics and Investing:

A news item flagged by GG: IMF: Banks Still Hiding Half of Their Actual Losses; $1.5 trillion in bad debt on bank balance sheets, and losses on these bad loans still threaten the solvency of many institutions.

From El Jefe Jeff E.: One in Four Borrowers Is Underwater

Also from Jeff E.: FDIC Reports 552 ‘Problem Banks’ As of Sept. 30, 2009

Items from The Economatrix:

IMF Warns Second Bailout Would Threaten Democracy

Wave of Debt Payments Facing US Cities

Wall Street Pummels US Cities Over Billions in Fees on Investments Gone Bad

More Bankruptcy Cases Filed

Rates on 30-Year Mortgages Sink, Match Record Low

India Plans to Buy More Gold from IMF

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government — lest it come to dominate our lives and interests." – Patrick Henry

Note from JWR:

JRH Enterprises is having their fourth annual “Black Friday” sale, which includes brand new Generation 3 AN/PVS-14 Starlight night vision scopes for $2,995, complete with the factory data card. I should mention that I personally purchased one of these units from them, and I love it. It is very versatile, since it can be used as a weapon sight (lined up behind a Aimpoint Comp M3), or with the flip of a throw lever be used hand-held, and then with the provided head mount it can be used as a hands-free monocular. The quick detach and consistent return to zero feature has turned my dedicated night-fighting rifle into a true day/night rifle. This is the Hotel Sierra set-up!

Letter Re: Generator Experiences During a Recent Nor’easter

Greetings Mr. Rawles,
I just wanted to pass along a quick reminder to your readers who took the time and expense to buy a backup generator, but haven’t taken the time to periodically test and maintain it. Here in southeastern Virginia, we are still recovering from what was called the “Atlantic Assault” by the hyperventilating reporters on the Weather Channel. To be fair, though, this was indeed a whopper of a Nor’easter that gave us flooding only a foot or so less than Hurricane Isabel in 2003. We lost power the evening of November 12, but luckily got it back 29 hours later even though we were told to expect several more days of grid-down living. But here’s the kicker: on my street, only two of the four houses with generators could get them started. Of three other friends I checked with after the storm, there was one other [like me] that could not start his generator. So what’s going on?

As many boaters unfortunately have also discovered, infrequently used engines are suffering significant damage to their carburetors from the ethanol in our gasoline supply. Extra precautions to completely drain fuel tanks, fuel lines, and carburetor float bowls are absolutely essential before putting the generator away for storage. Ask me how I know…

I was also guilty of insufficient testing and maintenance, but I discovered my mistake well before this storm. In early June I pulled my generator out for its yearly testing at the beginning of hurricane season. Yes, I know. Testing my backup power source only once per year was pretty stupid. Anyway, no amount of cord-pulling or carburetor cleaning would induce my generator to start. The gasoline had stabilizer in it, and even draining the old gas and using fresh didn’t help. I eventually got tired of messing with it, and I bought a replacement carburetor via eBay for $70. After installing the new carburetor, along with a new in-line fuel filter from the marine parts store, the generator started on the second pull and ran like new.

I now have a standard monthly testing cycle for my generator that runs it under load for about half an hour. I also have a standard routine for servicing my generator after each use. This routine includes draining the fuel tank, pulling and draining the fuel lines, and fully draining the float bowl of the carburetor. I even leave the lid off the fuel tank for a few hours — in a well-ventilated space — to let it completely air dry. And I also have a new schedule for changing the engine oil. During heavy use, I change the oil every once three days (about 50 hours) of operation. Otherwise, I just change it once per year. Remember that oil is cheap and it’s the life-blood of a small air-cooled engine.

So my generator was one of the ones that worked during the recent storm, and I was able to run 12-gauge extension cords to two of my neighbors to keep their refrigerators running, too. It was nice to be in the position of being able to help others rather than needing help myself. I hope your readers can learn from my mistakes and how I corrected them. – Mike in Virginia

Letter Re: A Tip on Egg Organization

Good Day JWR,
My prayers continue daily for you, and for your son’s hearts healing at the loss of Memsahib. May you find some fraction of reciprocal solace and warmth from the Thanksgiving Blessings from God for the many hundreds of thousands of lives that you have enriched with your blog and books. Thanksgivings to you JWR for what you have done and do so very well, by providing this valuable multi-national information highway of connectedness on survival and preparedness!

Here is my organizational tip of the week I would like to share. We have free range poultry and very rogue ducks and geese. The chickens and guineas are pretty reliable about returning to the coop for their egg “layoff”. However, our many hen ducks just roam and lay where ever they get the urge to do so. Most of their eggs are used for baking and if I don’t check the property for newly made nests with eggs every day or so, I end up with occasional bad, rotten eggs in my mixing bowl, because I have lost track of the age of the eggs. This is a smell you are likely not wanting inside your kitchen! Phewy! Always break eggs, one at a time, in a separate bowl before adding them to your other ingredients.

To help me organize and pull these piles of eggs for sorting in this order for my use: for eating,(the freshest), for incubating under a surrogate brooder, (the next in oldest date and these get marked with the date with a wax china marker pencil before getting placed under the surrogate), and then those which are past hatching (after 35 days) and end up in the compost pile. What I use now as nest place markers, is a saved and placed used and cleaned styrofoam plate or used aluminum pie pan (these are long term reusable) which have been marked and dated with a fine tip marker onto a piece of masking tape on the outer rim of the plate where it can be seen easily once filled with eggs, the actual date that I set it on the ground and place it under the surrounded pile of leaves and plucked out down and pin feathers. Then when I am scratching my head, two or three weeks later, wondering when this pile was layed, I have a reference to refer to and do not have to toss all the eggs in the composter. Those eggs that are freshest, by the way, are usually on the top and to the back, and are still warm to the touch hours after being laid.

Those eggs that a broody hen has pushed or rolled away from the nest, you can go ahead and remove and place in the compost pile. She knows that the egg is not viable for hatching.
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Also, another tip for barnyard time savings: Keep your old egg cartons out by the hen house. Instead of transferring the eggs twice, from the nest to the basket and then to a bowl or carton, just pull the fresh eggs and place them straight into a carton, mark the date on a piece of masking tape on the end of the carton for easy viewing. Eggs that I donate to charity, or sell to neighbors and friends, I ask them to please return my cartons cleaned for reuse and recycling again. May all Have a Blessed Thanksgiving Day! – KAF

Letter Re: B&M Baked Beans and Canned Bread

Jim,
Being born and raised in Maine, I was introduced to B&M baked beans at a young age. Beans and brown bread were our standard fare on Saturday nights for many years. Over the years, I have grown increasingly fond of them, although harder to find in the Midwest – they seem to get crowded off many grocery store shelves in favor of lesser rivals.

In particular, I love B&M brown bread (with or without raisins) – rich, moist dense bread made with molasses and packaged in a can. It is heated inside the can (hint: slice it cold, before heating). A pat (or two) of real butter melting on it makes the meal complete.

From a preparedness perspective, both the beans (available in glass jars or cans) and brown bread are a treasure. The manufacturer confirms (below) that their standard freshness shelf life is three years from date of manufacture (longer is still good, I’m sure). Given that we regularly eat it, there is no problem adding this to our “rotation”. And in the case of distress, we have the ability to heat the meal right in the can – the original MRE.

When I had trouble finding B&M at my local grocer, I wrote the B&G Foods and purchased several cases directly from their distribution group.

Blessings and love to you and your family. – BeePaw

Economics and Investing:

GG sent this: A Mad Rush as Gold Bugs Get the Boot

FAF sent this from Fox News: Economic Growth Revised Down in 3rd Quarter

From El Jefe Jeff E.: Stocks, Oil Drop After U.S. Consumer Spending Trails Forecasts

Items from The Economatrix:

Crude Prices Sink Down Near $76

Reports on Consumer Confidence, GDP Tug at Stocks

Banks Earn $2.8 Billion in 3Q, Insurance in Red

Reports on GDP and Consumers Signal Modest Rebound

Fed Under Fire as Public Anger Mounts

Goldman Sachs and US Demise

Wall Street Plays Hardball

Restaurants Brace for a Sour Season as Consumers Lose Appetite for Dining Out

PBS: Ten Trillion and Counting

Most Global Banks are Still Unsafe, Warns S&P

Odds ‘n Sods:

Real estate bust opens doors for parties at vacant houses. (Thanks to GG for the link.)

   o o o

Reader Ken S. wrote to mention: “I have also been diving construction dumpsters at various construction sites for excess building materials. You’d be shocked at what a construction hand will throw away. It’s just another way to survive this worsening economy and put stacks of building materials in my storage shed.”

   o o o

Courtesy of reader HPD comes another Nanny State Britannia Update: British police arrest people ‘just for the DNA’; More than three-quarters of young black men are on system, watchdog says

Note from JWR:

A reminder that the special two-week 25% off sale on canned Mountain House foods at Ready Made Resources ends in less than a week. They are offering free shipping on full (“unbroken”) cases lots. But because of the higher handling costs, if you “mix and match” cans within cases, shipping will be charged.

Letter Re: A SurvivalBlogger Reviews Roland Emmerich’s 2012

Jim:
I saw [Roland Emmerich’s new movie] 2012, the movie and must say it failed to live up to my hopes. It depended little on Mayan predictions and the coming of Planet X or Niburu but instead on some very iffy particle physics, the rapid heating of Earth’s interior due to an intense neutrino flux from an immense solar flare, the “largest ever recorded.”

Never mind that a flare that size would have fried all grids, chips, and transistors and reset civilization back to the early iron age due to Carrington Effect. Nobody would have known what the hell was going on because communications would be kaput. But in the movie cell phones, Internet and television were fully functional until the earth gave way beneath them or volcanic blasts engulfed them.

I wasn’t looking for good science fiction though, just stunning special effects, and I thought the inclusion of Niburu would have presented some great possibilities: approaching extra-systemic planet causing miles-high tides, polar ice fields deposited on Europe, supersonic winds stripping Earth’s surface down to bedrock, and so on. It could have been downright Velikovskian. And the material was right there for the taking; Niburu is the Web favorite of the more ardent 2012 speculation.

Instead we were treated to one car chase after another, except the chasing car was the fragmenting, tilting, erupting landscape/seascape and the fleeing vehicle was alternately a limousine, a motor home, a small prop executive plane, a Russian cargo jet, and finally a Chinese-built “ark” that narrowly escapes going accordion on the north face of Everest.

The massive inundations for which the arks (4-6 of them maybe) were presciently and speedily built were not caused by the slippage of the Earth’s crust mentioned in the movie, but instead were giant tsunamis produced by powerful earthquakes. Fill a cookie sheet with water then jerk the cookie sheet across the counter. Inertia will keep most of the water where it is, flooding the counter. That’s crustal shift; oceans stay where they are while land mass moves, causing wholesale landmass inundation. The 10.5 magnitude undersea quakes blamed in the movie would be woefully insufficient in my opinion. A very large region of ocean floor would have to experience sudden, huge, tilting uplift to move the amount of water required to flood the Himalayas if crustal shift were not the cause.

Well, I suppose on the bright side there yet remains the opportunity to produce a film based on Velikovsky’s “Worlds in Collision” with all the effects I was hoping for. They had better hurry it along though. 2012 is not far off . Regards, – Jim McC

JWR Replies: Upon seeing the promotional trailer for 2012, My #2 Son’s droll comment was “I don’t think the script writer likes America’s landmarks.” Prepare to munch some popcorn at this blockbuster thrill ride, but don’t expect to learn many practical survival tips from this film. For that, get a copy of the Jeremiah Johnson DVD.