KT flagged this: FedEx Chart Means Double-Dip for Economy
From GG: ‘Black Swan’ Author Concerned About Hyperinflation
Also from GG: Buyers for Puerto Rico Banks? FDIC Has Three Institutions to Sell; Downside Is They May All Need Capital
Items from The Economatrix:
Reader Mark P. sent this: Busy bees, but hives are besieged, diseased; Scientists struggle to find cause — and fix — for colony collapse disorder. One particularly troubling quote: “We are close to the margin” of a viable ratio of pollinators to crops, he said. “It’s amazing to me how close we are to that line.” 1/3 of US crops are increasingly at risk from this problem as they depend on honeybees for pollination.
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J.D. in Virginia found this item: Backyard Bunnies Are the New Urban Chickens
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Jason M. sent us a link to a video of a genuine character somewhere in the Deep South that demonstrates how to catch snapping turtles, by hand.
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Software Turns Your Cell Phone Against You. As previously mentioned, the only way to be absolutely sure that your cell phone can’t be used for tracking or eavesdropping is to remove the battery. (A hat tip to Brian B for the link. )
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SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson sent us a link to this article: Army drops bayonets, busts abs in training revamp. Mike’s comment: “They are stupidly dropping bayonet drills, which promote aggressiveness and are a useful combat skill. While one need not spend boatloads of time on it. Boxing is another thing they should use to promote aggressiveness.”
"Tears are the silent language of grief." – Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet)
For those who missed it, my recent lengthy radio interview with George Noory on Coast-to-Coast AM is now available on YouTube.
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Today we present another entry for Round 27 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 HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Luger, 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $249 value.
Second Prize: 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 $350.
Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.
Round 27 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
By definition survival preparedness means attaining the state of having been made ready to outlive another person, thing, or event. Years pass by reminding us that life is short and meant to be enjoyed. People concentrate on material items but often overlook factors involved in determining the comfort level of a new living situation. A true self assessment now will determine whether life is barely survivable or comfortable.
People forget how the mind body element affects lifestyle changes. It is important to assess your actions before a situation takes away your ability to feed the habits that control you. Reflect on the past week of your life. How much of your day do you sit? If you add up the time spent watching television, typing on a computer, reading, driving a vehicle, and sleeping, you will see that a lack of movement outweighs your time spent participating in physical activities.
Now imagine how long you would spend sitting in a survival situation? Could we chop enough wood to heat a house? When was the last time we walked several miles to reach our destination? Do we produce gardens without a motorized tiller, or tend to the weeds on a daily basis without experiencing back pain? Would working our muscles on a daily basis result in overstrained and dehydrated bodies? What about the other people we are sharing our lives with? Could they carry their weight in a survival situation or would we have to find a way to carry the weight for them?
Today should be the day that we start training our muscles for additional activity that our bodies may encounter in the future. Changing our sedentary lifestyle and keeping our bodies hydrated plays an important role in body performance and repair. The ability to perform tasks and awaken the next day feeling refreshed will increase our quality of life whether our living situation changes or stays the same.
Another fact that should encourage us to start moving deals with the medicines we put into our bodies. Diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol affect our health. Many times obesity and being unfit initiate the disease which invades our systems. In this day we depend on medicines to fix our broken parts. I have been fortunate to control my diabetes through diet and exercise, but I must consider the facts that medicines may not be as easily available in the future. Becoming physically fit now will help to ward off or slow down illnesses that require medication as treatment. We must realize that some medicines may not be available or may be too expensive to purchase in the days ahead.
Upon waking do you automatically reach for a cup of coffee, cigarette, or cup of tea? Throughout the day how many times do chocolate bars or sodas pass by your lips? An addiction to caffeinated items or nicotine wreaks havoc on the mind and body when abruptly cut from the system. Withdrawal symptoms cause even the strongest person to feel like they are losing their sanity if not ready to battle the changes attacking their body.
I encountered the physical, psychological, and mental pains when we moved to a remote island in Alaska. Living 30 minutes from town by plane or three hours by boat meant groceries arrived once in a two week period. I decided that this would be the time to quit smoking. I flew in feeling confident. Bite the bullet, go cold turkey, dispose of a habit I hated but never conquered. In this situation failure would not be an option. How could I smoke if there were no cigarettes and no way to purchase a pack?
Less than 24 hours passed before the withdrawal effects began choking the confidence from me. Chest pains, headaches, dizziness attacked my body. Unfortunately for my family this was the least painful part of my experiment. The moodiness, irritability, and depression arrived. I turned from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde. No one was safe from my wrath. I hid in the house, flipping from a rabid dog to a tearful mess. I could not think, or focus on anything. I had become irrational over giving up a habit I hated because of the control it had on my body.
You may not smoke cigarettes, but it is time to assess the caffeine and other chemicals you put in your body on a daily basis. Try going one day without any exposure to your habit or addiction. Then take a good look at how it affects you physically, psychologically, and emotionally. If it were erased from your life without any warning could you live with yourself? Could other people live with you?
When it comes to entertainment how much of the digital age controls your pleasure? In survival, quality of life must be rediscovered. We must relearn to use our bodies and minds in ways that we either have not used in a long time, or as in our children’s cases, never had to use. If a family chose to turn off the television, computers, and radio for one week, they could learn a lot about themselves and the people they live with.
We must find ways to be entertained by low tech ways. Reading books, playing cards board games, or talking to each other can become alternate choices for entertainment. Our first month living in remote Alaska taught us that without television, evening hours seemed to increase. We found ourselves going to bed several hours earlier when there was no computer or television to occupy our minds. Spending those evenings without using technology we learned to entertain ourselves, and it revealed how much time we had to communicate with each other. We no longer whined about not having any time to talk; now we found ourselves sitting in silence searching for things to talk about.
A positive attitude and a curious nature can ease the shock if technology is removed from one’s lifestyle. Is your glass half full or half empty? Finding something good in negative or stressful situations can bring about some peace to help get you through. A curious nature can open up the world in unexpected ways. Learning something new can encourage you to want to learn more.
As a parent when my child would refuse to try something new I would ask them how they knew they disliked it if they had never tried it. As adults we need to remember that also. Sometimes stuck in a rut we forget that trying something we have never done may give us joys we never dreamed of experiencing.
The next time you look at a flower, or a butterfly, or ladybug; stop. Observe the movements, or colors, or the small parts that make up this living item. If we are lucky it will bring back the child-like side in us where our mouths drop open in awe at the beauty in front of us. Letting ourselves experience life through the eyes or our hidden child can make life a bit easier to handle. We have to remember to ask ourselves one question when stuck in a bad situation. If I died tomorrow would this have been worth getting upset over? If the answer is no then take a deep breath and move on.
Beauty brought out by our curious nature and positive attitude does bring us around to one more point that is important in keeping a strong mental outlook on lifestyle changes.
Faith
Practicing and studying your faith now will increase the level of comfort in a survival situation. Having a belief in a higher power can give people strength when all seems lost and will provide the hope needed to make life feel safe and secure.
These are the things we should force ourselves to look at when preparing for a survival situation. Could you survive days of physical labor, cooking from scratch, gardening for your food, chopping wood, carrying water, lack of entertainment from televisions, computers, and radios or walking for miles to get to your destination? Are you physically and psychologically strong enough to survive without being stopped by cramping muscles, irritable mood swings, or boredom and depression? Are you prepared to keep a positive outlook alive to survive in a world where most people of today would find it unbearable, and be strong enough to repeat the process tomorrow? These are some items we need to focus on and realize that accomplishing them are as much of a necessity as having enough food, water and protective shelter so that we not only stay alive but are able to live our lives. Making the most of each day whether in today’s world or tomorrows depends on us deciding the level of comfort we want to experience and how determined we are to change now for a comfortable quality of life in the future.
The three conventional survival necessities are water, food, and shelter. Preparing yourself mentally, physically and emotionally will allow you to use these three basics to give you a life worthy of living. I challenge everyone to take a true self assessment and add your own well being as a necessity in preparation.
Howzit J.R.,
I’m a newbie groupie to your site, now on a daily basis. I’m going through the archives, year by year, and am compiling useful info for my situation. I’ve realized that at some point, due to the number of visitors to your site, [voluntary] membership dues may be necessary, just to support the technical requirements of having it. No problemo. I’ve never seen anything like the SurvivalBlog site, so my dues are in-bound.
I’ve seen previous posts about the tsunami warning in Hawai‘i, but not from a local resident perspective. I’ll give you mine.
I live on Kaua‘i, in a flood and tsunami inundation zone. I work in the County Planning Department, and am very familiar with the geographical issues of where I live. I also am a Hurricane Iniki survivor, so I know of what I speak. The service you provide, if taken seriously, can be a matter of life and death, comfort and survival…or not.
My son woke me up at 5.30 a.m. and told me about the warning sirens which were to go off at 6.00 a.m., and that if a tsunami did occur, it would be at 11.00. I immediately thought “Wow, I got plenty of time to pack the truck” I woke up the wife, gave her the scoops, and told her to start packing. For me, I already had bugout bags and containers already prepped based on when I first started into your SurvivalBlog columns several months ago. I told my 21 year-old son and wife back then that it would be a good idea to pack a bugout bag just in case. Of course, they laughed, and ignored me. No problem, I did my prep. My wife packs a carry-on suitcase with clothes and says she’s going into L‘hu‘e to her work place, which is centrally located on the island. Then I notice the size of her bugout bag, and ask “That’s all you’re taking?” She replies, if we lose the house, I’ll just buy what I need. I really did have to control my face muscles – I told her okay, I’ll catch up with you once I secure the house. Yeah, I know, I know.
I didn’t need to join the gas parade as my truck was full, but my son did. That took him 45 minutes in line. He also filled up an extra 5 gallon container. I didn’t need to join the parade at the food markets either, as I was already prepared. Ah, the luxuries of being prepared.
Once my wife is gone, the first thing I load onto my truck are my most prized possessions. My four best longboard surfboards, period. What can I say? I’m a surfer! OBTW, I did the same thing before Hurricane Iniki squatted on Kaua‘i in 1992 – I took my entire quiver of 8 surfboards and stashed them under my neighbor’s house which was a post and pier construction with a height of three feet off the ground, tying them together two at a time with strips of rubber cut from tire inner tubes, then rubberizing the gate. Of course I knew that if the house blew, my boards would also go, but I had no other place to secure them.
My long guns went into a hardcover traveling case for golf clubs. Those cases are really good, and they’re weather proof. I was intending to have one pistol under the drivers seat, an M1 Garand and Mini-30 with scope behind the driver’s seat, and 12 gauge shotgun besides me, covered by a jacket and towel. No one else would be traveling with me besides my dog. On the floor in the cab were three ammo cans of nickels (2), and metal valuables (1) (gold, junk silver, Rolex watch, and baht chains). On the passenger’s seat was a waterproof container of important papers.
In the bed of my truck: MREs; a container of all the canned foods in the kitchen; cooler of containers of water; bag of rice; 2 pots for cooking; the golf traveling case; containers of ammo (7.62×39, .30-06, .308, and various pistol calibers); a bugout container of tarps, ropes, bungie cords, candles, matches, propane containers and stoves, etc; a bugout bag of clothes, jackets, boots, socks, blanket, slippers, gloves, etc. (Yes, I had an extra set for the son and wife.); my spearfishing/diving bag, including 2 riffe spearguns; a container of dog food with water and food bowls.
In my son’s truck were two bugout containers of tools, more tarps, tents, ropes, MREs, etc. He carried his .30-30 and 20 gauge with ammo. He also packed his Kawasaki dirt bike for alternative transportation, with extra gas and oil.
It took 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete the loading. We backed up the vehicles and positioned them towards the street, ready to go….we checked our neighbors to see what their choices and status was, and it was now 8.00 a.m. Those who were gone, were gone. There were three families that were going to remain – two of us were watching the television reports – we knew if anything hit Hilo on the Big Island, it would take [another] 30 minutes to hit Kaua‘i – so we had the cushion. I changed my plans – rather than an immediate evac (which the low lying coastal communities were doing in full force), I was going to stay to the very last minute because I knew there would be a potential for looting of evacuated communities (which the news began reporting several hours later), and because we had access to real time intel (the televisions and radios), and I did not want to join that evac parade if I didn’t have to. My son was hesitant at first, but then realized the logic. Of course my mom and dad, daughter, and wife, who were all in safe zones, were texting and calling asking where we were. I just stopped answering the cell phone.
About 10.00, I decided to cook a steak and eggs breakfast for my son and I, on the premise we may as well eat a good one because if it gets hectic at around 11.00, we may as well not be hungry too. That was a great meal!
From the projected impact time, to 12.00, we had the television and radio on. And thank the Lord, nothing happened, this time around. The volume of traffic coming from the mountain back to the coastline was bumper to bumper for 1-2 hours. I’m so glad I wasn’t in that parade.
Lessons learned: 1) The ammo cans of nickels are not a survival necessity. 2) There are different evac scenarios that may require different items 3) I’ve got to get my load and evac time down considerably. Under 30 minutes means an earthquake closer to home. This means I’ve got to better centralize those bugout containers in one or two areas of the house and garage. At least my son is aware of these containers.
I’ve just scored two army cots – these will be essential items for the next time. My immediate needs are basically water purification and replacement filters.
Sensei, you rock! – Longboards Rule
James Wesley:
On the palm stick topic — I might add that a mountaineering carabiner
Jim,
Here are a few more references for the Koppo stick:
The Martialist on Pocket Sticks
The Martialist on Koppo Wraps
The Martialist – More Comments on Koppo Wraps
The FMA Blog on Pasaks
BTW, with a koppo, I recommend that you put both loose ends of the cord through the loop going in opposite directions to better hide the knot.
I carry my LED “flashlight” in a belt sheath on my weak side for easy access. – Rick H.
Thanks to Tom W. for sending this link: Fiscal Crises Hit Closer to Home; States and localities face burgeoning deficits; next phase in debt-deflation?
Ben M. suggested this New York Times link: Junk Bond Avalanche Looms for Credit Markets.
Several folks sent this link: Rising food prices may start with seeds
Items from The Economatrix:
Gold, Silver and Oil: Buying the Essentials in Tough Markets
Fed May Hint at How Long the Rates Will Stay Low
What Credit Card Pay-offs? Consumers are Dumping Debt!
IRS: Get Tax Relief if Lender Forgives Part of Home Debt
Housing Construction Drops 5.9% in February
Stocks Rise After Fed Pledges to Keep Rates Low
Oil Settles Near $82 as Fed Keeps Rates Low
Gold Supported by Geopolitical and Sovereign Risks as S&P and Moody’s Warn US
I have long been an advocate of folding bicycles as a Get Out of Dodge Option, especially for folks that regularly commute into an urban area. The Montague and SwissBike folding bicycles sold sold by SafeCastle are probably the best bet in the U.S. and Canada. But in the UK, the more expensive–and even more compact–Brompton brand might be a viable alternative.
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Larry M. suggested this essay by a commentator who has “connected the dots” regarding multi-generational TEOTWAWKI: How Many Shoes? by Tom Baugh. It will take traditional self-reliant skills, not just a pile of stuff to pull through a lengthy societal collapse.
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Reader P.E.D. liked USA Today‘s recent piece on modern-day ghost towns.
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James K. suggested the recent Instructables piece on hand-spinning wool. (As previously mentioned in the blog, we recommend that you join a local Fiber Guild to get hands-on instruction.)
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Chad S. sent this: Indiana government positions surpass factory jobs. Chad’s tongue-in-cheek comment: “I’m starting to think I should get a government job so I can have job security. At least the money will never run out, right?”
"Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason." – Jerry Seinfeld
Check out the several new retreat property listings that have recently been added to our spin-off web site, SurvivalRealty.com
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I owe an apology to Fernando “FerFAL” Aquirre, the editor of the Surviving in Argentina blog. In a recent radio interview, I made reference to some of his comments in the Minion Report Forums, that I had construed as anti-semitic. He e-mailed me yesterday to clarify that he is not an anti-semite, but rather that he is only opposed to Nationalist Zionism. He explained: “I don’t agree with Israel’s foreign policy, which was led until recently by violent Zionist extremists.” He also clarified: “I don’t believe one ethnicity or religion implies superiority over others and I don’t discriminate people because of their last name, skin color or religious belief.” I was glad to hear that.
Sir,
Having lived in the northeastern corner of the state for the past 16 years (retired from the Air Force in 1994), I can give you some accurate information about the area for your readers who are considering moving to a retreat area.
The northeast is a very sparsely populated part of the state. I live in Washington county which has an area of some two million plus acres but only has about 5,000 or so people living here. The area is mainly in farming and ranching, and the far eastern part of this corner of the state is located on top of the Ogallala Aquifer. Wells are generally required for access to water, and land is readily available for purchase (dry land around $500 per acre, irrigated at around $750 per acre right now). The state is a “will issue” for concealed carry permits, and many of the residents are hunters.
The nearest large city in this area is Sterling (pop. about 15,000) and it does have a medium security prison on the edge of town. Otherwise, the only big cities are up on the front range (Denver, Greeley, etc).
Schools are small, teachers are always in demand (not sure of pay but it’s not very high) and the general quality is high, especially compared to the front range. Employment is still fairly good out here but getting worse as we slip further into the Second Great Depression. Major employers are transportation (truck drivers) and agricultural. Game is fairly plentiful (pheasant, deer, some quail and turkey,) and the neighbors out here, while a bit clannish are friendly and helpful if you don’t have a big city attitude!
The weather here can be a pain at times, but generally the winters are relatively mild (expect below zero weather for mid-winter, but not consistently) and the growing season extends from late April/early May (time for putting peas in the ground) to late September although snow has been known to fall as early as mid September. We’ve just recently come out of a 10 year drought, and precipitation is back to normal for the area (meaning dry land farming crops will generally work, but gardens need irrigation). Hope this might help a bit for your readers out there. Thanks and good luck! – S.C. in Washington County, Colorado
James:
I have been reading SurvivalBlog for some time and have read your novel “Patriots“ and now reading “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It”. Great job and love your work. I work as a SCADA programmer for water, waste water and power plants and was wondering if you had some background on this. I know you are somewhat hard on the system as an overall and it is well aimed. Most of the programs and programmer I am around take much care as possible to keep the Windows based computer as a window into the system only. We use Industrial based control known as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC). These are not based on the Windows platform and need a specialized programs to view and change them. I’m not saying some one can’t get into the system but it would be hard for anyone except with the software and a great deal of knowledge. We also make a special effort to always have a manual backup system that does not require the PLC to operate. Most of the Electrical Substations and power plants that I have been around the controls are so old that they are mostly “monitor only”. When we program a new substation, the SCADA Computer does not make any decisions. Its only [made] by an operator interface and the trip and re-close is done be a relay, which is now electronic. (The old relays were magnetic, but with anything put in or changed in the 20 years would most likely be electronic.) There has been a move in the last few years to get away from the PLC and move to something we call Soft Logic. This is where the code is run on a Windows based computer. We have resisted because of the [inadequate] reliability of it and the threat of viruses and [the lack of] security of the Window- based platform.
I love your work and was just wondering where you knowledge came from on this subject? My family is buying into the survival thought process and it has made my road a lot easier to be prepared, I am a pastor of a small church and they sometimes look at me a little funny, but I have the family starting on the right track. Keep up the good work.
Luke 22:35-38 (NKJV)
35 And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.”
36 Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.
37 For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”
38 So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”
It is time to sell our Garment and buy a sword until Jesus tells us we have enough. – J.M., Pastor and SCADA Programmer
Mr. Rawles,
I hope most readers that are considering building underground shelters that are 16′ by 20′ with a 6″ cap or roof, hire the expertise of a registered structural engineer. The design of an underground structure that have a 6″ cap or ceiling as proposed by Jim O., with 1/2″ rebar is not to be considered heavily reinforced by any means, and would probably be not to any CRSI design standards, unless it is braced underneath with several columns. It does not really matter if a house sets on top or several feet of earth, when properly designed.
I am not an engineer but I did hired a reputable structural engineer to design my underground room which is not connected to the house, as any fire which could occur would have the possibility of evacuating any air in the structure.This potential exists even with ventilation. My room is approximately 12′ by 18′ and has an 8′ ceiling. The roof or ceiling is composed of 12″ concrete with two layers of 3/4″ rebar at 9″ on centers. Concrete is of five sack [per cubic yard] design mix. The walls are 10″ thick with 1/2″ rebar 9″ on center, the floor is 12″ with 5/8″ rebar 12″ on centers. The ceiling is freestanding without any interior support.
Any design with 3/8″ steel or even 1/2″ steel for an underground shelter to support any differential movement or possibly seismic activity would in my opinion be totally insufficient in design and to proceed would be negligent without professional design. Otherwise, the result could be none other than a large concrete coffin vault.
I am a retired commercial contractor with a degree in architectural engineering. I have closed my company this year after being in business for 62 years. People please, consult with a structural engineer. I stress “Structural” as not all engineers are the same, as doctors and lawyers. All have specialties.
Otherwise, article is excellent and informative. – O.T.
Several readers mentioned this: Social Security to start cashing Uncle Sam’s IOUs. This does not bode well. The most telling statement is in the sixth paragraph. In summary, we’ll be borrowing from foreigners to pay our Social Security benefits. This article certainly makes it clear that Al Gore’s “Lock Box” rhetoric during a presidential campaign a few years back was absolute nonsense. Congress has been busily spending your Social Security “contributions”, for many years. Here is a quote from the article: “In all, the agency has about $2.5 trillion in bonds, all backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.” Doesn’t that give you a warm, fuzzy feeling? L’empereur est sans culottes.
GG sent this: Ratings agency warns on US public finances. L’empereur est sans culottes.
Reader H.J. sent this: Another Record Month of Red Ink: Government Racked Up Record Monthly Deficit of $220 Billion in February. L’empereur est sans culottes.
Frank. L. flagged this: Is There Gold in Fort Knox? L’empereur est sans culottes.
From Darryl Robert Schoon: Will the US Devalue the Dollar? L’empereur est sans culottes.
Items from The Economatrix:
Stocks Fall On Concern About US Credit Rating
Industrial Production Rises 0.1% in February
Oil Falls Near $79 On US Crude Demand Worries