A Tale of Two Currencies, by Penrod Schofield

Will day to day economic transactions in America in the years ahead continue pretty much as they have for the last century or so, or will they change? In other words, what will ground-level finances look like in five or ten years—or possibly three or five years? To answer that question, at least to the extent that I’m able (I’m not a professional economist), I reviewed my own experience, and studied up a bit on history. The answer I came up with isn’t outlandish or apocalyptic, but it’s still not a pretty picture.

First, a bit about me: I’m in my early 50s, a retired military guy, a Christian in chronic need of forgiveness for my sins, living in a semi-rural area in the Midwest. I’ve been married for 27 years, and we have a 25-year-old disabled son whose care will be our responsibility for as long as we’re physically able to meet it.

As to the issue of TEOTWAWKI, I’m quasi-apocalyptarian (to coin a term) at best. I don’t think we’ll revert to the Dark Ages, but I do think we’re headed to roughly a world that my mother, who was born in 1925, would recognize from her childhood. I also think it’ll be a bumpy ride down, not a smooth one. My favorite commentator on this prospect is John Michael Greer at The Archdruid Report, who is often of two minds on the subject, or so it seems to me. (So am I.)

I should probably add that my wife, who’s an intelligent and reasonable person, thinks I’m a nut on the issue of TEOTWAWKI. She thinks our immediate future is going to be pretty placid, just like our immediate past. I hope and pray she’s right. But her view does nothing to change my responsibilities to my family.

Anyway, here goes:

What is Money?

Modern governments and citizens tend to view money differently. To governments, money is just a medium of exchange for commercial transactions. To citizens, money is both this and a reliable store of value. (This generalization has many exceptions, but is accurate enough to be useful as an analytical tool.)

In America, from about 1800 to 1913, the dollar served both these purposes well. Keeping a sack of dollars in your mattress created some risk of loss through theft, fire or other disaster, but was otherwise both rational and prudent. Paper dollars were redeemable for dollars made of gold or silver, and inflation during this period was virtually zero.

Starting in 1913, however, with the creation of the Federal Reserve Bank, things changed. Since then, dollars have met the government’s definition of money (a medium of exchange), but have met only half of citizens’ definition, in that dollars have not been a reliable store of value.

The dollar has lost 95 percent of its purchasing value since 1913, according to the St Louis Federal Reserve Bank. (Ironic source, huh?). Citizens haven’t been able to redeem paper dollars for gold since 1933, or for silver since 1964. And keeping sacks of dollars in your mattress has been a recipe for slow ruin.

Interestingly, though, the Fed has managed this erosion of purchasing power cleverly and gradually. With effective annual inflation typically between 2 and 3 percent, the dollar’s decline has escaped the notice of the vast majority of Americans—or, perhaps more accurately, this decline has not prompted widespread alarm or panic.

Also interestingly, most of the rest of the world has been just as complacent as we Americans have been. Throughout the globe, and particularly in the developing world, the dollar has become the basis of the underground economy, so much so that over half of the roughly 800 billion actual paper dollars estimated to be extant in the world are outside our borders. Is it possible that this phenomenon provides a clue as to our likely future?

Bad Money

It is well known, and often repeated among preppers, that every previous fiat currency in the history of the world has failed. While true, I don’t know that this observation is particularly illuminating or helpful in our day to day lives. What really matters is the pace of this failure, and the extent to which the failure is recognized by the citizenry. Moreover, that second factor (recognition by citizens of ongoing failure) has a strong effect on the first (pace of failure).

I’ve concluded that the pace of failure of a fiat currency is primarily a function of the prudence of the issuing government. The more imprudent the government, the faster the failure will proceed. “Imprudence” in this context refers to fiscal policy and tax policy. Specifically, any government that spends a lot of money it doesn’t have, or taxes its citizens at confiscatory rates, or both, absent some temporary crisis situation, is imprudent. Sound like any government you know?

But how do citizens recognize this imprudence? It’s tougher than it sounds—how does a fish know that it’s in water? I don’t know exactly what prompts people to conclude that their government is imprudent, and its currency at risk. But I think I do know what these citizens do once they reach that conclusion: they start using an alternative currency for some or most of their daily transactions.

This phenomenon is ubiquitous overseas. In many of the foreign lands I lived in or passed through while on active duty in the 1980s and 1990s, most of the foreign nationals I encountered were fully immersed in a dual-currency world. It was so much a part of their lives that they never gave it a second thought. They had one pocket full of whatever paper their own governments printed up as money, and one pocket full of dollars. And, given the choice, most wanted to conduct as many transactions as possible in dollars, not the other stuff.

Economists will tell you that a sizable so-called “underground” economy in a nation, whether in the local currency or an alternative, is primarily evidence of tax rates that are too high. Thus citizens seek to avoid that taxation by conducting their transactions “out of sight” of government. Current estimates of the American underground economy vary widely, but the mean seems to be about 20 percent of official GDP. In the United Sates, so far at least, our underground economy has used dollars, just like the above-ground operation. But I think that’s about to change.

Good Money

So, here’s my prediction: in the next five to ten years, and possibly sooner, we’ll see both here and worldwide a substantial and growing abandonment of fiat currencies for everyday transactions. Citizens will choose instead to use historically reliable stores of value: silver and gold. Since most routine transactions are relatively small, I think silver will be the preferred medium.

(I also think there’s a very good possibility that private ownership of gold money in America will be outlawed, just as it was during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Anyone who thinks that our government won’t do again what it’s done before is dreaming. But the world’s supply of silver is vastly bigger than that of gold, so the sheer logistics of confiscation make it substantially less likely.)

If I’m right, we’ll first see rising silver prices, and increasing investor preference for delivery of physical silver. Actually, based on some of the articles linked on this site in the recent past, we’re already seeing both. But to my mind, the real proof will be the first time that a plumber or electrician or other tradesman tells me “I’ll do the job for a hundred bucks—or a couple of silver American Eagles.” It hasn’t happened to me yet, but I bet it won’t be long.

So, do I have the courage of my convictions? Like most people, my answer is “Sort of.” We’ve bought some one-ounce silver bullion coins, both American and Canadian, but not as much as I’d like. There’s that little matter, mentioned earlier, of a certain someone who thinks that I’m a nut.

Letter Re: Advice on a Multipurpose Rifle

Dear Mr. Rawles:
In reading the responses to Criss K.’s question regarding a good multi-purpose rifle I was surprised to find no mention of the Savage 99. The later Model 99 can be found in .308 [Winchester] with a detachable box magazine and while “collector” grade rifles command a higher price, “shooter” grade rifles can generally be found for a very reasonable price. Granted, you can’t get high capacity magazines for these, but this lever action does address the problem of reload time and you get the power and availability of the .308 [Winchester] caliber. Thank you, – Will S.

Economics and Investing:

G.G. suggested: The Subprime Rhyme with U.S. Debt Debacle, by Michael Pento

Also from G.G.: Greek debt crisis offers preview of what awaits U.S.

RBS suggested this article: Drowning in home debt

Reader V.A.F. sent this: Freddie Mac Posts First Quarter Loss of $6.7 Billion, Asks Treasury for $10.6 Billion (Our tax dollars, funding our NINJA neighbors’ McMansion fanatsies.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Britain Must Cut Deficit Fast, Europe Warns

America at the Crossroads and the War on Gold

S&P to Gold Ratio: On Verge of 1.00 Breakdown

Auto Industry on Road to Recovery But Pace Slows

Federal Government Outpaces Private Sector in Job Creation

The Great Depression of the XXI Century

US Economy: Payrolls Jump By Most in Four Years

Debt Crisis: Panic on Wall Street, Stonewalling in Europe

Japan Injects $20 Billion to Calm Markets

Odds ‘n Sods:

This YouTube dramatization sounds like something out of SurvivalBlog, or a novel I once read wrote: The Economic Collapse. (Thank to David W. for the link.)

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Ash delays and reroutes trans-Atlantic flights. (Thanks to Mike M. for the link.)

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Mat in Tennessee suggested this: Getting Prepared for an Electromagnetic Pulse Attack. This is also apropos for massive Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) events.

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Allen M. flagged this: NetDISK multi-function NDAS – the ‘hack-proof’ drive

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 28 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 between $500 and $600, 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.), and D.) A 500 round case of Federal 5.56mm XM193 55 Grain FMJ ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $199 value, and includes free UPS shipping.

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, and B.) 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 28 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

This is an unusual writing contest entry. It is a letter that a SurvivalBlog reader wrote to his son, who attends college in a major city that could be the target of a terrorist nuclear attack.

Surviving a Nuclear Bomb, by Robert B.

A serious letter to my dear beloved son, Eric,

It is quite possible that the USA will soon experience a terrorist attack in the form of a nuclear detonation. The city just west of the University you are attending would be a high profile, terrorist “trophy” to attack.

If a nuclear detonation by terrorist occurs in that city, you will notice a bright flash of light and, then feel the blast wave a few seconds after. Although the University is somewhat distant and shielded by terrain from that city, train yourself to not look toward the flash and immediately duck behind a solid barrier. Expect glass to be flying from any windows and plug your ears. Once the blast wave passes note the time. Your goal is to be inside a fallout shelter within 40 minutes and with enough supplies to last 2 weeks. This will only be possible if you prepare in advance.

Given that your location is 25 miles east of that big city, and the prevailing winds blow east, lethal levels of radioactive fallout could begin falling on your campus within 50 minutes.

Right after the blast wave hits, a strong wind will start moving back toward ground zero. Depending on the size of the nuke, the reverse wind could be strong enough to knock down trees and people. If you are outside, you need to decide in the short 15 seconds between the blast wave passing and the reverse wind if, you can make it to a temporary safe place. If you are near a building, get in it. If you are in a building already, stay in it. If you are outside get away from tall trees. Wait for about three minutes for the wind to pass, then start for your dorm to get your packs. If it is a small detonation, the wind will be manageable. By this time you will have only 35 minutes left to shelter “Lock Down”.

To prepare before an event, pack your back pack with things like long lasting candles, matches, Bic [butane] lighters, flashlight with extra batteries, portable radio, first aid kit, basic medications, toilet paper, water bottles, bucket, washcloth, towel, bar soap, dust masks, gloves, duct tape, some basic tools or a mufti-tool, pry bar, hammer, small trash bags for making a toilet, big trash bags to wear as a fallout suit. As for nutrition, pack instant foods like oatmeal, trail mix, beef jerky, nutri-bars, raisins, nuts, dried fruit, vitamins, etc. You should still have the water filter, hatchet and sharp knife in the back pack from our last camping trip. There is already Potassium Iodate in your respirator kit I gave you. Do not pack more than one change of clothes except, underwear and socks. You will only need to change clothes if they get wet. . Get extra dust masks which will help the others who join you at the last minute. Be sure to include a sleeping bag or some warm bedding and something to read. Prepare to be in the shelter for 2 weeks minimum. Since you will be mostly sedentary, you can eat and drink on a small daily ration. Clean water will be more important than food. You will need to drink at least 2 liters a day.

Pack everything in two large trash bags, one inside the other, and keep them packed. You will not have enough time to pack everything and then get to the shelter within the remaining 35 minute window, so it is important to prepare your packs in advance .

Prepare with a team of other people who are of like mind. Keep your team small and, if an event happens, each team member can bring a few other persons with them to the shelter. Evaluate the capacity of the shelter and supplies to accommodate the final number of people. You can expect that number to grow during an event when people see that you have an effective plan in the process of implementation.

If a detonation occurs, there will not be enough time to try to contact each member of the team or to figure out what happened. If You hear a “boom” and all power goes out, assume it is a detonation and, everyone just shows up at the shelter area with their packs. A small detonation is just as deadly with fallout, even if you do not experience much flash, pressure wave or wind.

Inquire at the University Office about the fallout shelters and how well equipped they are. Do they have any windows and are they high up? How deep is it submerged below ground level and how thick are the walls? Are there toilets? Is there a water tap to a storage tank? Does the University have gravity water pressure from an elevated water tank? Usually the boiler rooms are well built and submerged below ground level. Decide which one your team will meet at and, what each team member will bring to it in the event of a detonation.

I would not rely on the Official Plan of Action from the University Administration Office. Even if they have a plan and, assuming they have considered and planned for this kind of situation, the effect of shock, panic and, lack of regular drills will make it non-effective. Remember lethal fallout could reach your area in less than 50 minutes. It may take them that long just to find out what happened and by then, it will be too late.

Evacuating the University in the event of a terrorist nuke is a big mistake. Most fallout at first is invisible. Latter it is mixed with ash that falls like snow. It is carried by upper winds which are faster than surface winds. Roads will be clogged with traffic, and they who are stuck there will not make it ahead of the fallout. The fallout is eventually going to travel down wind for more than 100 miles. Sooner than you think traffic will start getting heavy, so, traveling fast to a shelter will be the best decision depending on the wind direction.

With a compass, map and looking up at the clouds for a few minutes, you can tell if the wind is blowing from ground zero toward your location. To evacuate the area you would need to travel in a direction at a right angle of the wind direction blowing from ground zero. In your case, since you have large natural barriers north and south of the University, and you will not be able to outrun a fallout cloud going east, you should plan to head for the shelter.

Who has the keys to the shelters? If phones and radios do not work, how will you contact them? If the key cannot be found in time after a detonation, break the lock and get in. You will need the pry bar and hammer. Maybe you can use the selected shelter for a student film project. In that case you can get the keys and covertly make some copies of it for a few members of the group.

What do you think it will be like with several hundred people, most of them sick and dying in one crowded room, with little or no water, no bathroom, not enough air, no ma tresses, no lighting, and no effective leadership or medical care for two weeks? Any of the larger shelters that are easily access able to the greater population will be over crowded, under equipped and, they will probably let everyone in no matter how late and contaminated they are. Living in this condition may not be survivable, so, be somewhere else.

Select the smaller shelter like a boiler room or a more distant building basement and equip it yourselves. These more distant buildings will be less crowded and more manageable for your team. Locate and check the water spigots but, be aware that unless the system is gravity fed from a water tower, the water pressure will be decreasing to zero very quickly. If no water tower or if the tower is damaged from the blast, the water coming out of the tap will only be the amount that is still left in the pipes. If there are water spigots in the shelter area, you can stock up empty water bottles in a big plastic trash bag and fill them immediately upon arriving at the shelter. You should also keep four liters in one of your packs ready to go.

Look for any hot water tanks that supply showers or sinks, they usually have a drain tap at the bottom or on the pipe coming from the bottom of the tank. If you find one of these you will have plenty of drinking water. At first the water from this lower tap may be a rusty color. It is still okay to drink, it is just Iron which, you can let settle to the bottom of the water jug. Avoid using water from hot water heating systems for institutional building radiators or fire sprinkler systems that may contain antifreeze which, is poisonous. These pipes are usually labeled.

If the fallout shelter does not have a water tap, you should consider stocking it in advance with some water jugs. This will lessen the weight of your packs and reduce your tasks within the remaining 35 minute time window. You also do not want to be making more than one trip after a detonation to the shelter if, it is distant from your dorm. If the shelter is close to your dorm, you will be able to make a few trips. Practice now by timing these trips.

You can also establish an alternative location for a shelter. Maybe a basement area that can be barricaded easily. It needs to have at least 14 inches of solid masonry or concrete structure between you and the fallout that will be settling on the flat surfaces outside. Your shelter should be below ground level as much as possible. Radiation is also dampened by distance, especially when there are right angle corners between you and the radiation source outside. The more right angle corners consisting of solid masonry between you and the radiation source, the better. Select alternative shelter areas now, so, it does not have to become a panic decision latter.

You should have a few drills with your group. From the time the group leader calls everyone on the Mobile phone, how long does it take for everyone to go to their dorm, get stuff and go to the shelter?

Make sure group members keep the plan secret. Refer to shelter locations by a code name or letter. Before leaving your dorm for the shelter place a note on your door stating that the group is meeting at location “Alpha” . In this way, only members of your preparation group will know where to show up with the pre selected number of people.

The travel route to your selected shelter should not be a direct route so, people cannot figure out where you are going. If possible, take some detours around barrier objects like buildings and landscaping, keeping in mind the elapsed time since detonation.

For the shelter, if possible establish two separate areas; one primary area for those who show up on time and, a secondary area for those who show up late and who are contaminated. A slightly contaminated person will survive but, be sick. and, the more contaminated person will not live very long. Those who show up late, should not be admitted inside the primary shelter because of contaminating the healthy survivors. A secondary area within the building which is well shielded from the primary area like around the corner of a masonry wall or, a separate room should be used for contaminated people arriving late. If the shelter room is large enough, you can place them at one end of the room. In a boiler room they can be placed on the opposite side of the boiler. Boilers are made of thick, heavy iron and make a good radiation barrier. Consider how you can barricade the primary and secondary shelter entrances after everyone is in.

All backpacks for gear should be sealed in a trash bag for the trip to your shelter. If you get to the shelter late, before entering the primary shelter remove the trash bag cover from your gear which is inside another trash bag, then throw the clean bag with your stuff inside the shelter and discard the outer bag outside. This procedure keeps the inner bag from being contaminated by fallout. Then remove the trash bag covers from your pack and yourself and also discard the bags outside. Wash thoroughly all exposed skin with soap and water.

Be sure to wear the full face respirator I gave you beginning at about the 30 minute mark. You should be at the shelter by then. Wearing it too soon could draw attention from “wrong doers” who might want to take it from you. Remember that desperate people will do desperate things.

Anyone showing up late without wearing protective bags, and contaminated, strips off all outer clothing and cuts off as much of their hair that was exposed as possible. They do this inside the building but outside the primary shelter entrance. Carefully throw the contaminated cloths and dust mask outside. They are to wash down previously exposed skin with soap and water if, water is plentiful and, discard the towel outside. Then they can change into the extra clothes that you brought along in your sealed trash bags.

Once inside everyone should wear a fresh clean dust mask or respirator for at least three days, and after three days when briefly visiting the secondary area. Make a dust masks using cloth and duct tape if necessary. As people show up to the shelter, dispense the potassium iodate; first come, first served. Dosages are on the bottle I gave you in the respirator bag.

All contaminated people should be segregated from each other by some distance and according to their exposure i.e. the lateness of their arrival.. This procedure limits unnecessary exposure to the less contaminated people who are more likely to survive. Slightly contaminated people if, they are still alive in a few hours can wash down thoroughly again and, be integrated into the primary shelter area.

Consider what your fresh air needs will be. Fallout settles down toward the ground so, you can open a window or crack a door open after 48 hours has past, as long as it is not windy. Minimize your exposure to the outside radiation by staying away from windows, exterior doors and thin exterior walls. After two days it is permissible to open some more ventilation. The further away from the opening you are, the better. If the shelter is small or crowded, do not use candles for the first two days unless you can establish filtered ventilation. Using candles in enclosed spaces uses up your oxygen along with normal breathing so, you will need to consider this in balancing your ventilation needs with exposure to the fallout outside. It is better to suffer for 48 hours and wait than to risk unnecessary exposure.

The best situation apart from filtered ventilation, is a fallout shelter entrance which is located within a larger building like a gym or an auditorium. The larger building space acts as a secondary area outside the primary shelter and allows the fallout to settle far away from the shelter entrance. This makes it possible to open the shelter door for ventilation if the building glass remained intact during the blast wave. Many school gyms and auditoriums do not even have glass windows so check for this when selecting your shelter.

After two weeks you can carefully venture out beyond the shelter to set up an S.O.S. message for the military who will be looking for survivors. Before going outside, place plastic bags on your feet and tape securely with the duct tape. Use curtains or white sheets to spell out S.O.S. on the ground large enough to be seen from the air. Secure them from the wind with rocks or wood stakes you make with the hatchet. Make a white flag using a sheet and hang another white sheet out of an upper window facing the approaching road. Listen for rescue trucks or helicopters. Remember that a distress signal is to wave only one arm or a single white flag. Limit your exposure outside to only short and necessary visits. Remove the bags from your feet before reentering the shelter. Be careful not to respond to just anyone, make sure they are government rescue.

If a helicopter lands do not run out to meet it. The prop wash will be kicking up a lot of dust with some fallout into the air. Signal them from inside the building and let them come to you. Once rescued, you will be taken thru decontamination, given a physical and given new clothes to wear. The rescue unit will probably not allow you to bring your packs so, take anything valuable out with you in your pockets.

After all these years of camping and discussing survival scenarios with you and your brother, I’ve tried to prepare you the best way I know how. Now that you’re both adults, living independently, I hope some of it stuck.

You may not need to use any of this information and I hope it never becomes necessary but, it is better to be prepared now. You will not have time to prepare after an event if, it happens. You will only have time to act quickly. If it is never needed, you will all have learned and practiced survival skills that very few people in this world know. I

Letter Re: A British Ex-Pat’s View of the Ongoing Greek Tragedy

Hello again, James;

Greece is in the news rather a lot at the moment and none of said news appears very good. Debt, sinecure occupations, corruption (the infamous ‘fakiraki‘, or little brown envelope), bail-outs, strikes, riots, deaths. A downward spiral, if you believe all you read.

However, 99% of the news footage is from Athens and life away from the Capitol carries on pretty much as always. Here in the islands, the main pre-occupations are repairing the winter damage to the infrastructure and preparing for the hoped for influx of tourists.

Whilst the age-old occupations of farming and fishing continue, the main source of revenue for many Greek communities (in the islands particularly) is the yearly crop of pale-skinned northern Europeans who are disgorged from an endless stream of charter flights, in search of some much needed sunshine and R&R.

The tourist season extends approximately from Easter to the end of October, some seven months. For those employed in the tourist trade, this period is their sole opportunity to earn the year’s money. If one has worked and paid into the national insurance scheme (IKA), for two years, one is entitled to unemployment benefit over the winter months. It is sometimes as low as 30 euro a month. If one doesn’t have the requisite number of stamps, no benefit is paid.

To ensure sufficient funds to survive the year then, many of the Greek people involved in tourism have two or even three jobs during the season and 20 hour days, 7 days a week are frequently the norm throughout the tourist season. Whilst non-tourism related businesses often close their doors from around midday to about 5pm (the hottest part of the day, where temperatures can and do reach the mid to high 40s) tourist businesses are by necessity open throughout the day, often till the early hours. No siestas here.

In recent years the tourist trade has been hit by a variety of problems. The collapse of tour companies, the seemingly never-ending increase of ‘all-inclusive’ holidays and hotels (where the money is paid in the tourist’s home country and little, if anything reaches the local economy), the dire exchange rate (affects the non-EMU countries) and of course the recent unpronounceable Icelandic volcano’s attempts to ground Europe’s air traffic. One family run hotel, the owners of which are great friends of ours, during August 2009 suddenly lost their contract with their tour company. This led to large hotel having two couples in residence during the last two weeks of the month and similarly dire occupancy for the rest of the year. Not enough to pay the electricity bills, let alone living costs.

Flying in the face of the much-vaunted Greek complacency, the owners went it alone, advertised their wares independently and this year are fully booked, volcanism permitting.

Away from the tourist fleshpots, this is a lifestyle where you can still go out for the day and leave your house unlocked, your bag on the seat of your open top car and where violent crime is virtually unknown. Indeed some of the smaller islands have no police presence at all, as is the case in many of the villages throughout the many islands.

The only noticeable effects of the current crisis is the ever-increasing tax on goods (e.g. VAT now 23%, up from the previous 21% rate) and a similar increase in bureaucrats looking for novel ways to extract taxes from businesses and home-owners.

This is not to say that all the media hype is incorrect. The only time we have been issued receipts for anything is when shopping at the supermarket. Most everyone else does appear to like good, old-fashioned cash and always seem to have left the receipt book somewhere else. Similarly, the ‘fakiraki‘ or little brown envelope, is on occasion required to gain access to services – or so I am told!

Financial crises notwithstanding, life here is very different from life on the mainland, indeed it is very different from our previous life in the UK. We are completely off-grid, installing solar photovoltaics and wind turbines, collecting rain water for household and irrigation and attempting to turn a wild patch of land into a sustainable plot. What is on our side, is the fertility of the place. Three crops a year, plenty of rain and 300 sunshine days a year (average) with one or less days below freezing on an average year.

We’ve been trying out various forms of lighting, LED, olive-oil lamps, candle power, etc and are also experimenting with water collection, storage and filtration. SurvivalBlog is an invaluable resource for us and I’d like to say a hearty ‘thanks’ to Jim and all the contributors, from whom we’ve learned – and are continuing to learn – so much.

More on our adventure, and about a country relocation and its joys and pitfalls when the batteries have enough to supply the computer, or when we’re back on the mainland for a visit!

Keep up the great work James. SurvivalBlog is required reading these days!

Best, – Michael

Economics and Investing:

GG sent this: Inflation Worries Permeate U.S.

Also from G.G.: Nouriel Roubini: US faces inflation or default

Valerie F. sent us a link to a great Fox News interview with Ron Paul about the Greece-soon-to-be-USA problems.

Chad S. sent this: Trader’s typo may have triggered record Dow plunge

The latest Friday Follies: Bank closures in Minnesota and Florida.

Items from The Economatrix:

Moody’s Warning Portugal of Possible Debt Downgrade

Angela Merkel: EU Future At Stake in Greece Crisis

Chinese Markets Slide as Jitters Take Hold

Hundreds Seek to Fill Positions After Illegals Fired

UK Mortgage Lending Dives 83%

Three Die in Athens Riots Over Cutbacks, Debt Crisis

Consumer Borrowing Posts Unexpected Rise in March

Cheaper Gasoline May be Just Down the Road

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader D.R. pointed us to a news story with some serious implications: Fake Roadblocks in Houston, Texas.

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Several readers have mentioned that they’ve been impressed with their LifeSaver water filtration bottles. I just received a sample of one of the new LifeSaver filtration Jerry Cans. It looks absolutely bombproof. I can’t wait to try it!

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I heard about a web site with some useful field gear reviews: Canadian Wilderness Survival.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 28 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 between $500 and $600, 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.), and D.) A 500 round case of Federal 5.56mm XM193 55 Grain FMJ ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $199 value, and includes free UPS shipping.

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, and B.) 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 28 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Suburban Fish and Game, by J.J. in Arizona

I am new to SurvivalBlog and I am an amateur prepper beginning my trek to becoming self sufficient. My family and I live in the suburbs of the southwest Sonoran Desert. I am by no means an expert in this field and hope that this topic has not been covered by others.  There are so many topics and pages of fish and game that it will take me months to catch up on everything.

My family and I are planning on “buggin in” if the SHTF or the TEOTWAWKI occurs. Unless an NBC attack or exposure occurs here, we plan to ride out the Golden Horde in our home. If we need to leave our home, we will try and do so when it is less chaotic. I am not saying these plans are the best or that they are perfect. For my area, this may be the best we can do with our limited funds and resources.

In making our plans for our home and area, I began noticing the abundance of game in my neighborhood. Our house is located in a suburb several miles from the Sonoran Desert. This desert is the home to many different game animals and other resources.

Our neighborhood has quite the diversity of wild and semi-tame game. My hope is to share some of my thoughts with you on how I may be able to supplement my family’s meals and protein sources, even if only for a short time.

Within several blocks from my house are five separate man-made lakes or ponds. Throughout the year, these lakes are the home to many different species of fowl, fish, reptiles, and mammals. My front yard, although small, is also the home to several different species of game birds and small mammals.

To begin with, there is a large community of quail and dove living in refuge from hunters in the city. There are so many of them, they are seen year round in almost every yard and park. Every morning, I see two pairs of quail that live in our Bougainvillea bushes. Although they are not tame, I can approach them fairly easy before they run off. They may make an easy catch some day. I keep several boxes of bird shot in my house that may come in handy if I need to go hunting the dove and quail here. If I were to need to, I could possibly catch and raise several quail for food and/or eggs.

Several miles south of my location are ranches with farm animals. Aside from the obvious bovine and venison choices that may be left at these locations, there may also be a good supple of poultry living off the land if their owners flee the city. [JWR Adds: As previously noted in SurvivalBlog, the chances are slim that farms and ranches will be abandoned in anything short of a massive pandemic die-off. So any deer hunting on private land would have to be arranged well in advance. Otherwise, you stand a good chance of being shot, as a trespasser.] It is a bit of a hike but may turn out to be a fruitful hunt. Some of these chickens may be able to be caught and raised for meat and eggs.

One of the many birds living here and in most cities around the world is pigeons. Once again, they are fairly tame and can be approached easily before they scatter. They may make an easy target. They may not be as appetizing, but may save your life and that of your family. These birds may even be caught using traps and kept alive until a later time.

Living in the lakes I mentioned above are numerous species of waterfowl. There are at least five different species of ducks that live full time at my local lakes. They are very tame as they have been hand fed for many years by numerous families. Again, very approachable and possibly an easy target as they are accustomed to humans. They may even be able to be caught and raised for their eggs and/or meat. Their nests are made inside the numerous bushes alongside the lakes. These nests can be raided for eggs.

Several species of ducks that spend part of the year here are migratory, including Canadian Geese. As I write this, there are two Goose pairs with 3-5 goslings. These geese and ducks return here every year and lay their eggs. Their young remain here until they can fly and then return north with their parents. Goose parents are very protective. They may attack humans if they try to approach their young. You could possibly kill the parents for food and capture the young to raise for eggs and or meat. This may take more work than the tame ducks but a Canadian goose has a lot of meat. [JWR Adds: As previously noted in SurvivalBlog,consult your state Fish and Game laws before hunting or trapping.]

These lakes have several species of cranes that visit them regularly. I have never eaten a crane or thought about doing so. However, when protein sources become scarce, they may make delectable meals for a hungry family. The cranes are wilder than any other birds at the lake and a small rim fire rifle may be needed to hunt them before they flee when you arrive at the lake.

The five lakes in the green belt are full of 24-36” koi carp. These fish are semi-tame and will come to the surface and sides of the lake when you approach. They have become accustomed to being fed by the numerous visitors. A good fishing pole and bait would probably land you one of them fairly quickly. With a large enough hand net, you could probably scoop up one or two. I have not seen any other fish species in the lakes and fishing is prohibited there. That does not mean there are not any other fish there.

About a mile from my house is a city park. This park has another manmade lake. This lake is part of the “urban fishing program” and is regularly stocked with various game fish. Eventually, the levels of fish may dwindle, but until then a good fishing trip may be had with some good tackle and a pole.

I have also seen several aquatic turtles living and swimming in the waters of these lakes. They are very skittish and flee when they are spotted. Making and setting traps or snares may help to catch them.  I hear turtle meat is excellent.

I saved this part for last as many may not be able to stomach or think of eating some of the mammals I list here. However, when times get tough and meals are scarce, they may be the only thing that keeps you alive.

Some of the easier ones to think of are the many rabbits that live in my yard and neighborhood. There are so many of them, they are hit by cars daily. The cats cannot even keep their numbers down. Remember though, their meat is lacking in some vitamins so don’t make them your sole protein source. Aside from a rim fire rifle and bird shot shotgun rounds, they may be trapped, snared, and possibly kept in cages for future meals.

Because of the many green belts and parks here, there is a large community of squirrels and gophers along with other different rodent species. Some of these species may need to be sniped from a distance with a good rimfire or small centerfire rifle. However, traps, pitfalls, snares, and other means may be used to catch and/or hunt them. [JWR Adds: As previously noted in SurvivalBlog, consult your local ordinances on firearms use!]

Several of the more elusive mammals may also provide your family with some excellent proteins. Coyote and the raccoon all live inside the suburbs and are seen daily here. They tend to be more nocturnal but may be hunted using game calls, attracted to salt licks, or other food sources. Skunks, ring tail cats, and javelina also fall into this section and will make great meals if properly prepared.

Lastly, Hurricane Katrina showed us that many people leave their pets behind when they flee the city. These pets generally cannot fend for themselves and will eventually starve. It may be hard for some of us to think about, but when times get bad and we are facing a TEOTWAWKI, we may need to take advantage of these additional sources of protein. Most of these animals are very tame and may welcome a human. The SAS Survival Handbook says if your pet cannot provide for himself and is an extra mouth to feed, you may need to free him to allow him to find his own food or make him your next meal. [JWR Adds: As I’ve noted in my writings previously, “freeing” pets is not only cruel, but it might also turn them feral, where they will be a threat to both livestock and humans.]

These are just some of the ideas I have thought of as I drive through my area. There are some things to ponder before beginning any suburban hunt. If the area is still inhabited by other families, you may need to be careful while hunting. Know your backdrop and what’s beyond it. If there are still emergency services in your area, you may need to hunt more covertly. The local police may not be so happy about seeing you walking the streets shooting and hunting. A powerful scoped BB or pellet gun may come in handy as they may be able to kill many of these species and not give off a loud report alerting others of your activities.

Many have written that you should “make the animals come to you”. Why not set up salt licks or other animal feed stations that attract these animals to your yard, for easy hunting. Work smarter not harder. As these animals live in the city and the desert, they may have different diseases that could be passed onto you and your family. Make sure you cook the meat thoroughly and use clean preparation practices. My dad always told me to check the liver of small mammals. If it is spotted, don’t eat it and bury the animal.

Eventually the area you are hunting may be thinned out and you may need to expand your hunting grounds. That may be the time our family leaves the suburbs for our retreat or other location. Your specific location will yield different sources and quantities of game and or possible protein sources for your family. I highly suggest you plan now and see where you can search out possible game. Know where they are living and where they find food. If you have migratory animals in your area, know the seasons they will be arriving and leaving.

I hope this gives you some ideas of where to look for sources of food, even in the big cities.

Letter Re: Life of the Farm in Western Australia

Hi,
I have only started reading your web site recently and I must admit I am a little nonplussed. I am a farmer living on the far edge of the Western Australian Wheatbelt, 400 km from Perth (capitol city) and I grow a vegie garden, we buy food in bulk and have at least 6months in the pantry,being a farmer I have a rifle( I generally only use it to kill crook sheep and shoot rabbits), we have a 50 tree fruit orchard and preserve our own fruit, we are on the power grid but we do have a generator (lots of power failures) and I slaughter and dress my own animals. Also I am the last person in the district to milk a cow admittedly with a single stand milking machine. I am not a survivalist "nut", this is the way we live. If you live in an isolated area(and there are more isolated places then here) it pays to be prepared. Like keeping common size bearings on hand or always telling someone where you are going and when you will be back. I have found reading your web site interesting and very informative. In my opinion the best thing you can do to prepare for anything the world throws at you is to learn as many things as possible. You may not think knowing how concrete is made (and similar topics) is useful but you never know. You have a great blog site. – Helen