Letter Re: The Jericho Television Series — A Review

Dear Jericho Staff,
So I’ve read others comments online about the TV show Jericho. I decided to watch it via the CBS.com web site and see if there was more value than my initial dismissal from the original pilot. My feelings are

On the one hand, it’s nice that someone had the guts to put a survival drama TV show on the air, in prime time, and have the guts to tell the more palatable survival-apocalyptic stories set here in the USA. Points for that. Each episode talks about a couple different survival problems. Each deals with a few new harsh realities for the population,

There’s more than a few minuses however, on the realism side. It took the heroes eight weeks to decide to form any defense against bandits. Eight long weeks. Nobody carries a handgun, no communications network is set up for a perimeter, and people are still wasting gasoline like nothing has changed. Is that how long a back supply of antidepressants they were working through? Their behavior is irrational and rational begins when the power goes out and the food starts to rot in the fridge, which is when the EMPs hit. So what have they been doing all this time?

Another question I have for them: the men don’t have beards, which means they can shave, which means that there’s hot water despite being grid down. The women wear makeup. Nobody complains about a lack of soap, or the stink of their neighbors. The blonde shows the same amount of roots at the beginning of the series as she does at the end. Wouldn’t women be letting that grow back out, or dye it one color for the sake of modesty, to prevent fights with the other women, all of whom feel self conscious about not having irreplaceable cosmetics and beauty products anymore? That particular event would make a good episode, dyeing their hair from blonde and other fancy colors to their real brown. I’m not holding my breath for that. They all wear clean clothes, and despite showing some pitiful examples of hand washing, nobody doing the washing looks angry, which when you hand wash, you definitely develop, particularly if you’re washing someone else’s clothes. Its hard work, irritating, and it does not lend to a kinder and gentler attitude.

Naturally, the children in this show are all retarded -sorry, developmentally disabled-. I’m not sure about you folks, but when a retarded child runs into a burning building to die, my first inclination is not to follow them in and join them in the Great Beyond. Darwin is our friend, and we should respect his wisdom. A child that wants to die that badly must be allowed to follow their fate. Of course, in the real world children don’t actually behave like that in a disaster. They usually have cooler heads than their parents do, and seem instinctively inclined to basic survivalism. They back away from the fire, sit down quietly somewhere safe, and wait until they’re needed or directed elsewhere. Real children are terrifyingly smart when it comes down to the basics, especially children who are mentally stressed with just a tad of shock. They’re like survival robots. 133,000 years of evolution did not go to waste. Adults could learn a lot from them.

The teenagers in this show are apparently retarded, too. Presumably, the authors have bad memories of high school and this is their revenge. It’s not well written revenge, sad to say. Few of the townspeople seem to have IQ’s over 90, nor be able to say more than “I want”, something any two year old can do. Rather than blame the actors, I’m going to put blame squarely on the writer(s) and director. I know it’s not possible to write characters smarter than you are, but the hero, Jake, isn’t much of a mental titan himself. Any fool willing to risk his life consistently because the other townspeople are too weak and too meek… well, he should be thinking about a few sick days. There’s a limit to kindness and he’s well past that line. When stupid people opt for stupid actions, and your authors aren’t smart enough to jump that idiocy and get into the meat of the problem, you slow down the progression of the plot and make the audience dismiss you as morons. You hurt yourselves writing this poorly. Compare this to a cheesy sci-fi remake like the new Battlestar Galactica. That has good dialogue which never falls into the “I’m explaining what I intend to do so you can be excited” cr*p Jericho keeps doing… Do I need to draw you a picture? The authors of Battlestar Galactica are from Star Trek, if you can believe it.

There are certain scenes in this story which really stick out. In episode 3, radioactive rain somehow removes the radioactivity. When the rain stops after a 12 hour storm, or less, they just walk out into the wet and there’s no problems. No iodine gas, no strontium 90, no thorium or cesium decaying and giving everyone fatal radiation poisoning. Nope. Somehow rainwater just cures radioisotopes. Is it because hiding underground for 14 days just isn’t sexy for their imported Hollywood stars? In episode 5, a Blackwater(equivalent) experienced combat veteran soldier sprays and prays with his only magazine of ammo out a window beyond effective range, twice. He hits one guy, and misses others he’s sworn he’d kill. Does anybody here believe that as plausible? Not I. In episode 7, an entire town of militia volunteers defends a bridge armed with shotguns (with a range of 70 yards) from a backstop of unreinforced cars at 125 yards distance from their roadblock and only one of them, the Smart Guy, owns a rifle and knows how to use it. Do you believe that? Not so much. Having lived in small towns, pretty much everybody owns and operates a deer rifle and a 200 yard head shot is easy, a matter of a few seconds effort. In the real world, 30 men armed with scoped deer rifles against 12 Blackwater troops standing without cover… that’s a very short fight. Seconds. Their armor won’t stop an ’06 or .270 bullet, and at 125 yards that’s not even a challenging head shot.

Which brings me to another point: are we honestly meant to believe these small town people don’t comprehend murder? Hoodlums threaten and they want to talk about it? Not any of the small towns I’ve known. Murder of hoodlums is the default answer. Talking is more of a courtesy than anything else. If it weren’t for threat of the sheriff making arrests, most small towns resolve hoodlums very quietly: shotgun, shovel, and silence. It’s in use today across the countryside. This is why I’m always on my best behavior around ranchers and farmers. Self preservation. With no sheriff, hoodlums get hung very publicly, and their carcasses stripped. The coffin maker stays busy. San Francisco, during the Gold Rush, had a well-earned reputation as a very rough town, where Vigilante justice hung all sorts of bad men, the day they’re caught, if not the hour. When I observe the hoodlums allowed to run around the mythical town of Jericho, and the lack of “Preventive Killing” to deal with these hoodlums… I think the authors are a tad weak in the head. At the very least those who are bullied, like the kid who owns the grocery store, would be killing a lot of these punks openly, and daring anyone to give him crap about it. He has the food. They can’t eat without him. He’s not killing everyone, just a murderer and I can easily see him being offered the right to do as he pleases. Not exactly Democracy, but the way the Mayor’s office works in this mythical town,

Like I said: points for making it at all, but don’t they think they should ask someone who gave it a little thought? Or even talk to someone in a small town so they don’t grossly mischaracterize the sort of brutal efficiency that actually exists, instead of the stupid tripe that passes for “characterization” in their TV drama? I dunno. For the sake of better ratings, maybe. Wouldn’t a more realistic drama sell better commercials dollar value, and keep the show on its stated date and time? They’ve invested in the sets, trained the crews, established their characters, trained their actors, gotten used to hauling in extras, and setup this machine to make money. They’ve also managed to mostly disgust the very people they’re trying to sell this tripe to: us. Fix your junk, guys. It’s really not that hard.
Sincerely, – InyoKern

Odds ‘n Sods:

From The New York Times: Mortgage Crisis Spirals, and Casualties Mount. I don’t hesitate to call the sub-prime lenders what they really are: contrapreneurs.

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S.F. in Hawaii sent this: N.Y. Amish Man Robbed At Gunpoint. Oddly, the goblins used a muzzleloader. That is most unusual. Hmmm… An anachronistic weapon chosen to prey on an anachronistic victim, I suppose. Good thing that they didn’t try this out West, where I’ve met a few men who wear Amish style beards (sans mustaches), but that regularly pack pistols.

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1-800 GET LENS (one of our Affiliate Advertisers) has announced a special sale through the end of March: free shipping and $5 off, on all orders of $149 or more. Use coupon code FIRST-18GH. And don’t forget that a revised Federal law extended the use of 2006 Flexible Spending Account funds through the end of March 2007.

Note from JWR:

Today we welcome a new international correspondent, Mr. “FerFAL”, in Argentina. See his Profile, below.(I will be adding this to the SurvivalBlog Profiles archive.)

Retreat Owner Profile: Mr & Mrs. “FerFAL” in Buenos Aires, Argentina

AGE: 28
SOs: Wife 30, 4 year old son
Currently living in the southern Buenos Aires suburbs in a 2 story masonry house with independent reinforced concrete structure.
The houses share walls to the left and right, all around the block, completely enclosing the back yards which are divided by walls or fences covered with libustrina plants. You lose some privacy (noises, loud parties) but you ensure a rather safe garden and back yard for the children to play in since the streets haven’t been safe for a while now, and no responsible adult lets his children play on the street these days.
BACKGROUND: My parents are both accountants, and emigrated to Spain after the 2001 crisis. Both my grandparents emigrated to Argentina from Spain, escaping civil war. Its is ironic that their children and grandchildren escape the country that once sheltered them, back to the country they ran away from but now, 50 years later, is one of the most powerful and prosperous countries in Europe.
There’s a lesson there. Countries fall and rise, always have and one has to admit the possibility of leaving it looking for greener pastures.
Due to my father’s work we moved a bit when I was a kid. First to USA (Boston), then back to Buenos Aires, then to Cordoba (an Argentina inner province) and then back to Buenos Aires again. Now, due to the consequences of the crisis, we are going to move as soon as I finish my studies, either to Spain or to the USA.

ANNUAL INCOME: About $20.000 USD, give or take. I manage some family investments and a small accountant office my parents left behind when they moved to Spain. I also teach Architecture Representation at the same University I attend to, but even though its been three years now since I started teaching, I don’t get paid for it. (ad honorem )
INVESTMENTS: None ( other than those owned by the family business that mostly consist of real estate) no money in bank accounts either. We only deposit money in our debit accounts just to take advantage of some discount, we deposit the money right before we use it, most of the time within the same week. We never leave money sitting in a bank account. After what happened, most people, including us, don’t trust banks with our money any more. It has become common for people to store cash in bank’s safety boxes, but even those are getting emptied due to some cases in which the private safes have been opened by government officials. (Against the constitutional right to privacy, and private property, of course.)
We have credit cards but we don’t use those either, we only keep them for emergencies.
We have a safe where we keep about 2,000 Pesos ($600 USD) and $1,000 USD just in case of an emergency, or someone getting kidnapped and needing ransom money fast ( express kidnapping).
PRESENT HOME: It’s a two story, mortar house. Double walls, 12 inch thick, and poured concrete flowerpots on the 2nd floor which provide nice bullet protection in the master bedroom.
3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 car garage, and a nice size backyard with a small swimming pool. The house has a 1000 liter reservoir water tank, central heating, air conditioning, and both city water and an electric pump well for the swimming pool.
Metal bars and grating on windows and backyard door, add a lot to the security of the house.
There’s also a 7 foot metal fence, topped with foot long spikes, right where the front garden meets the sidewalk. Breaking into this house is not easy, no one can do such a thing if we are inside the house, since it would take a lot of time and noise to do so.
We have cable, gas, electricity, and pay for private security ( kiosks with guards on each corner). Even though we have all services most of you know about, they are a bit different form what you may experience in First World countries.
Tap water is polluted, so we basically pay for contaminated water. We have a water filter and drink filtered water exclusively. We bought a 200 USD filter, with smaller filtering cups that get replaced every 2 or 3 months. I keep a year’s worth of cups, and the filter itself is good for another 2 years.(active carbon-ceramic-silver)
Power goes down occasionally, and during summer we have “dirty power” low voltage power, lights go dim, and most appliances don’t work properly. That’s why we keep lots of flashlights handy, along with regular batteries and rechargeable ones.

VEHICLES: The streets are in awful conditions, and the constant roadblocks by “piqueteros” are rough on cars. Some kind of small 4×4 is obviously preferable to a sedan car.
Cars are very expensive, about $20.000 to $50,000 USD. A used Suzuki Swift, one with 100,000 km, goes for $11,000 USD.
I have a Daewoo Lanos, and though I wished I had something better its relatively fast and small which is also good for running around the city, and getting out of tight spots. Spare parts are expensive and hard to get.
My car is set up with GNC, meaning it runs both on gas an natural compressed gas, big yellow tank in the trunk. I can switch to either one just by pushing a button, and I run for 100km with only $2.50 USD worth of compressed gas. It also allows me to keep the gas tank full at all times, using only GNC, and having the gas tank full for emergencies.
GNC is used by almost 60% of the cars in Argentina, more than any other country in the world, so there’s enough infrastructure (GNC stations, mechanics, parts) for our society to run on it.
It’s also interesting to note the burst of GNC after the 2001, after people found out that they couldn’t afford gasoline for their cars. Maybe other countries that suffer an economical collapse or fuel shortage will end up doing likewise.
FIREARMS BATTERY: I have several firearms and my collection is constantly changing. I went into a lot of effort to get the collector license that allows me to purchase box magazine fed, semi-auto centerfire rifles. The average citizen that gets a gun permit can only acquire handguns, shotguns and manual repeating arms, with the exception of 22 LR semi autos.
The great majority of shooters in this country don’t have this license ( has to be approved by the Senate, took over a year for it to get approved), few knew about it back when you could get one, so I know I’m terrible lucky when it comes to firearms, having more firepower than most Argentines could ever procure.
My main handgun is a Glock 31 in 357 sig. Ammo is expensive and hard to get, but it’s worth it in my opinion.
I have several other handguns, as back ups and chambered for more popular rounds, such as a Norinco 1911 45 ACP, a Llama 4 inch 357 magnum revolver, A Bersa Thunder 9mm, two 9mm Hi Powers.
For long arms I have: As a main rifle I have a FM [FN clone] FAL Para carbine, and a FMK3 9mm SMG. A Mossberg 500 with a 14 inch barrel and mounted 80 lumen light.
Ammo is extremely expensive. I have about 500 rounds of 308 and 7.62[mm NATO], over 1000 rounds of 9mm, most of it +P JHP and a few hundred 12 ga shells, most of it 00 buckshot.
9mm is my “core” battery round, that would feed my 9mm handguns and SMG.
I keep a few boxes for each other caliber.
I have been in a few “complicated” spots so far, and being armed and alert has made the difference for me in more than one occasion. In those occasions the mere presence of my gun has been enough to stop the threat, without the need of ever shooting anyone.
It doesn’t make any sense to plan on shooting hundreds of rounds and not getting any fire in return, so I also have a concealed body level II body armor vest which has provided a lot of piece of mind on several occasions. Specially when going into “tough” places or meeting with people I’m not so sure about. It’s one of my most precious possessions.
GARDENS: No gardens for me, just a lemon tree that provides lots of lemons and a laurel plant to spice up pasta. I could have a small orchard in my backyard if I wanted.

PETS AND LIVESTOCK: No livestock, just a Jack Russell. Good pet but not as good as a watch dog, though I must admit that for the last couple of days he’s been more vigilant and watchful. He’s just a one year old so maybe it was a maturity problem. I’d like to have a larger dog though, but since I’m planning to move soon it could be a problem.
COMMUNICATIONS: Cable modem internet, phone, and a couple of cell phones.
FOOD STORAGE: About 5 or 6 months worth of food. Most of it flavored rice, rice with dehydrated vegetables, canned meats, canned tuna, canned vegetables, soups, dry pasta, powdered milk, non lactose powdered milk for my son, smashed potatoes flakes, tomato sauce, tea, coffee, honey, sugar, salt and 30 5 liter bottles of water.
MEDICAL: Lots of medicines, several kinds of antibiotic, meds for my son, for treating gastritis, tape, dressings, band aids, disinfectants, ibuprofen, just to name a few. I also keep a nice supply of hand soap, disinfectant soap and cleaning products to insure hygiene inside the house. 3rd world countries are full of diseases due to the general poverty, so its important to prevent as much as possible.

HOBBIES: Shooting, collecting guns, reading, working out and watching a movie every now and then. Having a good time with my wife and playing with my son.
FUEL STORAGE: 30 liters in plastic cans, enough to get to the airport or out of the city, though I’m not planning on leaving my house during civil unrest, I’d rather “hold the fort” until I can leave.
WORST CASE SCENARIO (“WHEN THE BALLOON GOES UP”): Another December 2001 would be pretty bad, meaning anarchy, serious social unrest, looting and mobs invading privately owned homes. It happened before, I saw the mob just around the corner form my place so that’s something to worry about.
I’m also worried about our government being friends with Chavez, Evo Morales and Fidel, this county will end up like those socialist/communist if it continues to go in that direction.
MY SURVIVAL PLAN: We have already made up our minds about leaving. As far as I’m concerned, this country will only go down hill in the next few years, and the censorship and lies about things being better is downright scary. I’m sure this country will one day rise above the rest of Latin America, but not now. Many years will have to go by, and a lot of blood an bullets will be wasted before that day comes. I don’t want to take part of any of it.
So we have two make sure we are safe for the next couple of years, until we leave. This means being extra cautious and vigilant , bordering the paranoid line, to keep us all safe.
CONCLUSION: Prepare as well as you possibly can without turning it into a compulsive thing. I prepare to survive and live a rich life, not the other way around. I don’t live just to worry about the sky falling. The sky has already fallen for me and we’re still here. Things are bad, pretty bad if you want to torment yourself and research further into the corruption and violence in this country. We are still alive and we have each other. Millions of people have accepted this as their reality and decided to go on with their lives and try not to worry too much, many go as far as lying to themselves, denying the reality that surrounds them. We want to go on with our lives, but we don’t want to worry our brains out, nor will we go through life as blindfolded sheep that can’t see what’s in front of them. We simply accept the fact that this country has changed, and is now too dangerous, too corrupt, insecure and too primitive for the standard of life we look forward to, and we take the necessary measures, meaning we move out of it and start a life somewhere else.

Letter Re: Vasovagal Response

Jim,
I had an interesting experience yesterday. I assisted a friend who is a Physician’s Assistant (PA) in removing a Lymphoma (fatty tumor) from my wife’s back. An approximately 4″ long incision was required to excise the tumor. We also went almost an inch deep. Now I have seen the worst you can see as relates to the destruction of the human body in seven years as a volunteer fireman including a very nasty plane crash without feeling ill at all. I had never heard of a Vasovagal [syncope] response before but experienced it first hand during the surgery. About 15 minutes into it, I started to feel hot and cold at the same time and was sweating a cold sweat. I felt nausea and also light headed. I have felt this way before due to extreme low blood sugar if I have not eaten in a long time.

I realized that if I continued to stand there I was heading to the floor [in a faint] in the next few seconds. So I told the PA I had to sit down for a minute and I also grabbed a Pepsi (I [otherwise]never drink anything but diet soda) for the sugar boost. The PA explained the Vasovagal response and I thought this is a good thing to understand in a Schumeresque situation as it may very well rear its ugly head with little warning. Even those of us who have experienced stressful situations without this happening can have it occur. Makes taking a Combat Medicine class more of a priority for me now to better understand what I may encounter. Regards, – Ready Room

Odds ‘n Sods:

RBS sent use these three bits of economic Sturm und Drang: One Wall Street analyst predicts a 20% DJIA drop this quarter. Meanwhile, Goldman, Merrill Almost `Junk,’ Their Own Traders Say and Chinese Market Gold Rush Goes On

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A Federal Reserve economist recommends “rebasing” the face value of the U.S. penny to five cents, to reflect its increased intrinsic value, As I already pointed out in SurvivalBlog, a more logical solution is to knock a zero off the dollar.

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Reader AVS mentioned this “important safety tip ” video: Never smash a spray can of WD-40 lubricant. (Warning: one brief outburst of coarse language, and brief immolation.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

The following quote is often truncated in modern, politically correct school textbooks and hence cited out of context. Here is the longer version, to provide Patrick Henry’s full intent, including his recognition of God’s sovereignty: ” An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength but irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable–and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to extentuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace–but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! “- Patrick Henry

Notes from JWR:

The high bid is now at $330 in the current SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a brand new Schecter “Warthog” Electric Guitar. This is an awesome guitar decorated in a military aviation theme, from Schecter’s Tempest series. It has a $729 retail value. The auction ends March 15th. Just e-mail me your bid. Thanks!

Today we present another article submitted for Round 9 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I will again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. If you want a chance to win the contest, start writing and e-mail us your article. Round 9 will end on March 31st. Remember that the articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Fish Farming for Survival Protein, by J.D.

One of the requirements for long term survival is high quality protein. High on the list for many survivalists would be chicken eggs and rabbit meat. Of course one problem is having something available to feed the chickens or rabbits. I have been experimenting with another source that basically raises itself and is easily obtained. I am talking about fish. Here is a summary of my results after experimenting with my small pond:
In order to provide enough fish [with a “natural’ (not food supplemented) pond], count on 1 acre of pond per adult and perhaps 1/2 acre per child. Of course if you supplement this with chicken eggs or other sources, you can get by with less.
To start, it is best to begin with a clean slate. This means contacting your local fish and wildlife department and having them poison your pond with a temporary poison. This will remove all undesirable trash fish that will compete with your production. This step is optional, and I was successful without resorting to this method by overstocking my forage fish.
Next, consider the food pyramid. What you are doing is creating an ecosystem. At the bottom of your food pyramid are phytoplankton and bacteria. In order to boost their production, you can add a small amount of fertilizer to the pond. In a post-TEOTWAWKI scenario, this can include chicken manure. If your pond is murky, then this step is probably unnecessary.
The next level of the pyramid is zooplankton. After some research, I discovered the daphnia, also known as the water flea. These little critters feed on bacteria, but they are also one of the few organisms that feed on one-cell algae. The best place I discovered to buy them is from Dallas Discus. Google on “Dallas Discus Daphnia” to find their web site. They will ship daphnia to you direct. I purchased the 3 species starter culture for around $25. Daphnia also have a great feature. When the water temperature drops, they will lay eggs that will survive the winter. During warmer months they reproduce by live birth and increase at a geometric rate. I found a sheltered area of my pond that had a lot of water plants to introduce the daphnia.
Next on the list is forage fish. I used two species, the fathead minnow and the blue gill bream. The fathead minnow will get clobbered if put directly in a pond, so I put mine in the creek that feeds it. A good portion stayed in the creek, but clouds of minnows would periodically swim into the pond.
For forage, it is hard to beat the blue gill. These fish will spawn multiple times per year and will also reach eating size. Be careful and order only “native blue gill”, “non-hybrid blue gill”, or “copper nose bluegill”. Do not order “hybrid blue gill” or “hybrid bream/sunfish”. These will grow quickly, but they do not reproduce well. The copper nose bluegill is actually a sub species, and not a hybrid. They are great for the pond, however they should only be used in warmer areas. Native blue gill can be used in most of the U.S. and are even a popular fish to catch ice fishing in Minnesota. Another cold water forage fish to consider is the yellow perch. I do not have much experience with them, and can not comment on their use. One fish to avoid, however, is the crappy.
The red ear bream or shell cracker is another species of forage to consider. They will reach eating size also, and they eat different foods then the blue gill, such as snails. These should only be used in more southern areas however.
Finally there is the apex predator. These are needed to keep the bream population healthy, and they provide a lot of meat. For my pond I chose the large mouth bass, though the channel catfish is another alternative.
Stocking Rates: For a healthy population, stock 1,000 bream per 100 bass, per acre. So a typical stocking rate would be 800 native blue gill, 200 red ear bream, and 100 largemouth bass. You should also stock 10 pounds of fat head minnows. Put a few pounds in any creek or stream that feeds your pond, a few pounds in the vegetation, and the rest in the open water. The native bass will hammer the open water minnows, which will allow your new bream to find safer waters.
Harvesting: For harvesting, use the same ratio. Remove 10 bream for each bass you catch. The bream are easily caught using a cricket or worm on a hook. To prepare, cut off their heads and gut them. Remove the scales. Fry whole. Bass are best prepared by filleting them. Both species are excellent to eat with a very mild flavor.
After you stock your pond, you are finished. You really don’t have to do anything else. However, I have been able to increase my production by feeding my bream. It is best to use a 30% protein floating catfish pellet to do this, though I have had great success using Wally World kitten chow with the same protein content. Post-TEOTWAWKI, you can increase production by raising earthworms and feeding these to the fish. I have not done this yet, but I will try using grass clippings to feed the earthworms. The composted grass and worm casing mixture should make for an excellent additive to a vegetable garden.
My next experiment for this season is to try preserving the fish. I have not done this yet, but from what I have read, I will soak the fish for thirty minutes in a brine solution and then cold smoke for 12 hours. This would make for a good winter food supply, though bluegill can be caught year round, even via ice fishing. I have friends who stored smoked fish using regular canning methods and ate it all winter long.
Preparing a fish pond is an excellent option for a retreat that you can not permanently live in, since if you stock using the correct ratio, the pond will stay in balance and take care of itself. Your protein supply will be waiting for you after the Schumer hits the fan. Remember to stash a large supply of fishing gear including hooks and monofilament line. Also, a pellet gun [could potentially be useful] for removing unwanted herons. Note that this is currently illegal, so follow your local, state, and federal laws. – J.D.

JWR Adds: In my estimation it is a far more efficient use of resources (especially time) to install protective netting over your fish ponds, rather than guarding them against predators. Osprey, herons, egrets, kingfishers, and cormorants are relentless. They will wait until the days that you are away from home and then clean out your pond. Unless your pond is quite large, the expense of constructing net supports and buying netting is far outweighed by the value of the extra fish that you will harvest. Fish farming is great way to provide self-sufficiency and it can be very profitable. “The Werewolf” (SurvivalBlog’s correspondent in Brazil) is a fish farmer. He raises Tilapia. I know of one gent in Idaho that started out with one 20 foot diameter tank full of trout. He eventually added more and more tanks. He sells primarily to the restaurant market, shipping out the fish packed in boxes chilled with dry ice. His operation eventually grew so large that he and his family were spending several hours a day, seven days a week, just gutting fish. So he bought a $25,000 electric fish cleaning machine from Germany. You insert a whole fish head-first into the machine and it pops out the other end completely de-gutted and washed. That machine is quite a labor saver.

Letter Re: Notes on Gardening for Self-Sufficiency

James:
I’ve been enjoying reading your book “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation.” Growing and saving food is important: while I appreciate the necessity of stored food, and have a lot, as an ol’ West Tennessee farm boy with a lot of veggie gardening experience I’ve some comments on growing and saving food:

1. “Gardening When It Counts” is a must have book, great info on saving seeds!!!
2. Store all the 10-10-10 fertilizer one can.
3. Pole beans grown on tall corn is a very efficient way of getting a lot of food value for little effort. Last year I used “Bloody Butcher” heirloom dent corn as a support for my pole beans. This grows 9-10 ft high and has more prop roots than I’ve ever seen. I dry the shelled corn in the dehydrator, then store, and use for cornbread.
4. I’ve gone from canning to dehydrating. We now have three of the 9-tray Excalibur dehydrators. Last season I dehydrated about 185 lbs tomatoes. I store the dry veggies in glass canning jars, with as much of the air pumped out as I can. As compared to canning, the storage space/jar requirement is much less, the shelf life is much longer, and if the jars freeze, so what?
5. the book “Diet for a Small Planet” has great information on how to combine grains and legumes so that one gets the optimal mix of the eight essential amino acids. (I’m a retired Ph.D. biochemist)

Regards, – Doc Holladay

JWR Adds: Excalibur brand dehydrators are available from Ready Made Resources. (At their web site, search on the keyword “Excalibur”.) We have one these here at the Rawles Ranch. It has been in the family since the late 1970s, and it is still going strong. I highly recommend them.

Odds ‘n Sods:

I mentioned this about a year ago, but it bears repeating: By SOP, any firearm that comes out of our vault here at the Rawles Ranch is immediately loaded. Everyone in the family assumes that any gun seen anywhere here at the ranch is loaded at all times, and it is always treated as such. Avoiding any ambiguity helps reduce the chance of accidents.

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Michael Z. Williamson noted: a piece at Bloomberg.com that includes some useful background on silver supply/demand fundamentals: Artemis Hedge Fund Seeks $300 Million for Silver Boom

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Vic at Safecastle mentioned: “Stay plugged in no matter where you are with a cell phone ‘alert service’ that is the standard for many military, LEOs, government agencies of all stripes, etc., around the USA. Safecastle has arranged a discount of 50% off for a year’s subscription–12 months of coverage for a total of $23.94! You get comprehensive, well-placed weekly National Situation Updates (including Stratfor analysis every week) in your choice of text or audio formats to your cell phone or other device. Most importantly–in the event of an urgent development, you get instant notification. Plus you get the chance to subscribe to the full Stratfor intelligence advisory program at 50% off for a year. For more info or to sign up, see the AlertsUSA banner ad on our new Preparedness Ning site. Click on the banner, then at the bottom of their page, click on the 6-month “order now” link. On the next page, your promotional code to enter is “SAFE2007″. For that, you get 12 months of coverage, rather than the six months.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness — these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” – excerpted from George Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796

Note from JWR:

Thanks for all the recent book orders at my Cafe Press ordering page. I may be able to make a living at this, after all!

Letter Re: Crystal Radio Sets for TEOTWAWKI

Hi Jim,
Thinking about the need to catch local/regional info during a crisis and thought of the old time crystal radio sets to pick up AM radio. Many years ago kids used to build them at home or in Boy Scouts with locally available parts. Crystal radio sets are small, easy to build, easy to use, easy to repair, [JWR Adds: and just about EMP proof, if using a chunk of Galena (or piece of graphite pencil) as the detector, versus a modern germanium diode,] and require no power to operate them! While it seems that there are a lot of “hand crank powered” AM/FM radios about, what happens when they break? Can you fix it? With a crystal radio kit you can, because you built it in the first place. Crystal radio sets require a good long wire antenna, a decent earth ground and a quality ear phone to work properly. Some circuit designs are surprisingly sensitive and pick up far off stations very well. Kits are available for less than $20 from The Xtal Set Society And lots of useful crystal radio info can be found on Wikipedia.~6xddx6~