Note from JWR:

Today we are pleased to welcome our latest advertiser, Best Prices Storable Foods. They are located in Texas, but ship throughout the United States. They sell long term storage dehydrated foods, canned soft butter, canned soft cheese, canned meats, grain mills, water filters, diatomaceous earth, and much more. Please check out their products at their web site. As with all of our other advertisers, when contacting them please mention that you saw their ad at SurvivalBlog

Letter Re: Religious Versus Non-Religious Neighbors, Post-TEOTWAWKI

Mr. Rawles:
You were quoted as stating: “I’m often asked why I make such a ‘big deal’ about choosing conservative Christians, Messianic Jews, or Orthodox Jews for neighbors. The plain truth is that in a societal collapse there will be a veritable vacuum of law enforcement. In such times, with a few exceptions, it will only be the God fearing that will continue to be law abiding. Choose your neighborhood wisely.” Perhaps you might clarify for your non-believing readers what side you would place them on come TEOTWAWKI. For the sake of full disclosure? It seems to me that in an overwhelmingly religious nation such as this, it’s statistically the believers one should perhaps be concerned about. Let’s not confuse those suffering from “bad theology” with those lacking a theology. Otherwise an excellent site. Kind Regards, – James C.

JWR Replies: First, I don’t consider the U.S. an “overwhelmingly religious nation.” Perhaps it was in the 1950s. But not today. Less than 20% of Americans now attend church regularly. In the main, people that believe that they will be judged for their actions in the hereafter will be the people that you can trust more to remain law abiding, post-TEOTWAWKI. I don’t doubt that there are some non-religious people that have strong morals and reliable compunctions against engaging in theft and violence. In fact, I know lots of them. (Including my father in law, BTW.) All that I assert is that folks like you (presumably very moral, upstanding, and law abiding, but not religious–or perhaps subscribing to a non Judeo-Christian religion) are in the minority in our secular society as a whole. I assert that there is just a thin veneer of civilization, even in First World countries. Most people have weak morals and no compunctions about taking what they want if they think that nobody is looking. You ask “on what side” will I place them? As for folks that aren’t faithfully and outwardly religious (meaning: in a faith that includes a fear of God and the judgment to come) then I would have to know them for a substantially longer period of time to discern their moral values and trustworthiness.

As for theology, yes, I am a purist. I feel strongly convicted to speak up about bad doctrine (2 John 10). Why must I be so forthright and absolutist? Because I believe that bad doctrine is leading millions of people down the wrong path. Nothing can shake me from the conviction that men are saved only by faith in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9) and that faith in Christ is a pre-ordained gift. (Ephesians 1:4-5, 1 Peter 1:2, and John 1:12-13) Further, I believe that God’s elect come from all nations and races. (Matthew 28:19.) And, to reiterate a theme that I’ve stressed in previous posts, I fully intend to dispense charity post-TEOTWAWKI to everyone in need, regardless of their religion. I consider that my Christian duty.

Letter Re: Expedient Faraday Cage EMP Protection, and Satellite Radio in Emergency Alert Network?

Jim –
I have a a few questions for your readers regarding satellite radio (subscription-based services such as Sirius) if you would be kind enough to consider a posting.

But first, many thanks to E.H. and Sun Dog for their replies in regard to Faraday cages, their use, and construction. I think it particularly handy knowing that a microwave oven could make a pretty good Faraday cage, and now that I think about it, this makes perfect sense. For those of you that have built, or are in the process of building (or are considering building) hardened shelters, if you intend to include a microwave oven for cooking, so much the better. They way I look at it, anything that can serve two (or more) functions is great – especially where space is at a premium. I like microwave ovens for cooking as they are efficient enough to run off even a small solar system. For those of you just looking for a way to protect your valuable equipment from EMP, you might want to pick up an old non-functional unit from friend or as a “trash treasure” – after all, they need not be operable to work as a Faraday cage.

I have another question that I would like that I would like to throw out, this time regarding satellite radio. Is there an advantage to having satellite radio reception in a shelter environment? My thoughts are that even in a worst case scenario of protracted nuclear exchange, there will be radio and television stations that survive. But this does one little good if you are not in range, which in the case of AM, FM, or TV, is for all practical purposes, line of sight. On the other hand, a station broadcasting to a satellite. even from a remote (and therefore safe) location, could have the ability to reach out to vast areas. Does anyone know 1) the postulated result of nuclear war on the ability of satellites to function? 2) Is there a plan for the government to take over these airways (Satellite FM) in the case of an international incident to broadcast official reports? 3) Is there any obvious advantage of satellite radio over short wave, which will also be functional after such an exchange, albeit perhaps broadcasting from other areas of the world. Thanks, – REM

JWR Replies: Your suggestion about finding non-functional microwave ovens is a great idea. You just earned yourself a BFO (“Blinding flash of the obvious”) award. (A free autographed copy of my novel “Patriots”.) If you buy an oven that is a confirmed “DOA” be sure to snip off the power cord. That way there is no confusing it with a working oven, and you will also remove a potential “unintentional antenna” for EMP. If you live in a damp climate, seal up the interior (cooking compartment) vent holes with duct tape and throw in a large bag of silica gel desiccant with the radios. Rotate that once every couple of months, replacing it with a bag that has recently been dried out.

As for satellite radio: You’ve brought up a subject that is foreign to me, since I don;’t own one. However, I do know that XM is already set up for emergency broadcasting. It will soon be part of the U.S. Emergency Alert System (EAS)–the technological grandchild of the old U.S. CONELRAD system (circa 1953 to 1963). According to the latest Wikipedia entry: “Digital television, digital cable, XM Satellite Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio, Grendade, Worldspace, IBOC, DAB and digital radio broadcasters will be required to participate in EAS beginning December 31, 2006. DIRECTV, Dish Network, and Digital Broadcast Satellite will be required to participate beginning May 31, 2007. Video Dial Tone (OVS) will be required to participate beginning July 1, 2007.”

Perhaps some SurvivalBlog readers would like to chime in on the implications of these new broadcast technologies becoming part of the EAS.

Odds ‘n Sods:

The bidding is now up to $125 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a copy “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. The course was kindly donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on September 15th.

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An international climate panel revises global warming forecast: climate change now thought to be less severe.

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Reader S.F. in Hawaii e-mailed us: “The other day I received some bank notes (Marks) that I had ordered from a collector. These were from the Weimar Republic dating 1917 to 1923. I got them in the following denominations: 5 Marks, 10,000 Marks, 500,000 Marks, 1,000,000 Marks, 1,000,000,000 Marks, and 5,000,000,000 Marks. What I found interesting was that the 5 Mark note was a high quality paper, beautifully engraved with printing on both sides. Once they went to the million note and above, the note felt more like office paper, the engraving disappeared and it was only printed on one side. It looked and felt more like a grocery story coupon than a bank note. Just a thought: When your country’s currency starts to look like a raffle ticket at a local fundraiser, it’s time to divest.”

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We were saddened to hear that Steve Irwin a.k.a.”The Crocodile Hunter” was killed in a freak scuba diving diving accident. He was stung in the chest by a stingray. Steve will be missed. He really knew his way around the bush. Some of the risks that he took–especially with snakes and crocs—were downright foolhardy. But he did a lot to educate folks about wildlife (herpetology, in particular), conservation, and well-prepared outback trekking. It is ironic that he bought the farm doing something so mundane as just swimming near a stingray. Please keep his wife Terri and their children Bindi and Bob in your prayers.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Crikey, mate. You’re far safer dealing with crocodiles and western diamondback rattlesnakes than the executives and the producers and all those sharks in the big MGM building.” – The Late Steve Irwin

Letter Re: Corn for Food Storage Programs?

Hello Mr. Rawles :
I must say I love your blog and writings as they provide an invaluable service for like minded folks on preparedness!This email is in regards to the absence of dry corn or any corn other than popping corn in your excellent “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, I am wondering if corn is a viable storage food and if not, why? would it be because of short storage life or unsuitable packing methods to retain nutritive value? Or any other reason that I can’t imagine? While looking at the Provident Living site of the LDS they mention dry corn as a storage item but it is not mentioned even in passing in your “Rawles Gets You Ready” course is there some pertinent reason for this omission? Also when I received your course I “thought” I was disappointed with it after my initial viewing until I kept reading and rereading it and realized how great and enlightening it actually is, you certainly covered the most important issues and opened my eye’s to storage preparations with real food and a real life working man’s wages!! Trying to save for the year long pre-packaged storage item’s being sold by vendor’s can be disheartening, you made it viable, reachable and virtually painless. Thank you! – CL.

JWR Replies: Thanks for the positive feedback on the course. The omission of corn wasn’t an oversight. I didn’t mention corn because the “Rawles Gets You Ready” course was geared toward stocking up on items that you could find at your local Costco and/or grocery store. We wanted just about every food item mentioned in the course to be things that could be bought at a “Big Box” store, even at the 11th hour.

Corn is a valuable food to store, although it is not as versatile as wheat, nor does it store for nearly as long. Corn does store fairly well if its moisture content is low. Like wheat, once it is cracked or ground, its nutritive value starts to drop rapidly. Therefore you should buy your storage corn whole, and then grind it into corn meal in small batches, as needed.

I’ve found that the least expensive place to buy whole kernel corn is Walton Feed, in Montpelier, Idaho. Even lower prices are often available at your local feed store, but they don’t always have whole corn. (They generally order cracked corn, and cracked Corn Oat Barley (“COB”) blends–such as “sweet feed”, which has molasses added.) But if you ask, they can likely special order it for you, typically in 50 pound sacks. You would then have to re-pack it in food grade buckets, using the dry ice method described in the course. Note, however, that if you buy corn from any source except Walton’s or another major storage food vendor, be careful about the moisture content, which varies widely. Also, speaking of moisture, beware that mold is the greatest bugaboo with bulk corn. Never, ever, eat moldy corn! It can induce micotoxin poisoning that is potentially deadly!

Two Letters Re: Prussian Blue for Radioactive Isotope Exposure by P.H.

Dear Jim,
I have been reading your blog for a bit and I appreciate your flow of information. One thing I (finally) saw that should be added [to the commentary on Prussian Blue and Potassium Iodate] is the popular poison oak [and poison ivy and poison sumac] treatment called TECNU. It was originally created as a waterless decontamination for nuclear fallout. Just a minor but currently easy to obtain treatment. – Ferk

 

Dear Jim:
What B.F. is looking for is US Pharmacopoeia (USP) listed Prussian Blue. It is sold by prescription. Get a friendly doc to write a script for it and present the script to your local pharmacy. While your at it, make sure you have antibiotics for your stock. Otherwise, even a minor knife or gunshot wound can kill you. – S.F. in Hawaii

Odds ‘n Sods:

Back to school week: Refuting the argument that home schooling leaves children insufficiently “socialized.”

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The Intelligence Summit web site has some interesting analysis and commentary on emerging threats. Some of it qualifies as serious “Food for thought and grounds for further research” (FFTAGFFR).

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Richard from KT Ordnance sent a pointer to this interesting site on Kia (South Korean) military vehicles. He also bemoaned Jeep dropping the planned Gladiator 4WD Pickup from their product line queue, stating: “I’m sorry to see Daimler-Chrysler take such a short sighted view of Jeep’s future by killing off the only rig I have considered buying new in quite some time. They don’t seem to understand Jeep equals truck, not sissified SUVs.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"If ever time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." – Samuel Adams

Letter Re: Gangs and Escaped Convict Gang Members in TEOTWAWKI

James,
Please look up the Gang MS-13 who I understand are a Venezuelan controlled “Mafia” for drug running. These members don’t use guns, (for who knows what reason), they have chosen the Machete’ as their weapon of choice. In a post TEOTWAWKI situation, sizing up a danger by looking for a gun alone will not suffice. Keep your distance. All the more reason to have good firearm training. If it’s hand to hand, it’s probably too late. – The Wanderer

JWR Replies: I concur that gang members will be a significant threat in a post-TEOTWAWKI “law and order vacuum” (Just as a portrayed in my novel “Patriots.”) However, lest there be any misunderstanding I must emphasize that the race of the gang members is not an issue. I distrust all prison gang members, regardless of their race. Classify me as an “equal opportunity” gang-o-phobe. I consider The Aryan Brotherhood (a white prison gang) to be on an equal footing (just as much to be feared) as the Bloods, The Crips, MS-13, La Nuestra Familia, and the Mexican Mafia.

Be aware that in recent years many rural communities have intentionally sought local prison construction, with the goal of increasing employment in the community. (Jobs for prison guards, counselors, service industries, housing construction, and so forth.) When searching for retreat properties, I recommend that you avoid towns with nearby prisons! The last place that I want to be WTSHTF is in along the line of drift of an escaped prison gang.

Letter Re: The Hazards of Even Non-Recourse Loans

Just a heads-up, lots of folks in place like California where non-recourse loans are mandated by law (at least for homes) feel pretty smug, thinking that even if they get upside down on a mortgage they can walk away without repercussions. Bad news: the IRS considers the amount of the loan “forgiven” by the bank to be income. That means, to use California numbers, if you owe $500,000 on a house which sells at foreclosure for $200,000, you now owe income taxes on your $300,000 in income you just “received”.

Just a quick “report from the ground”, I live in western Oregon and I work closely with the real estate market. Homes are still selling here and there, but the inventory is building quickly and homes that last year would have sold in a week are sitting on the market for months, plus we’re starting to see some serious price reductions (this is in a very rural community, not one of the big cities). The biggest local builder just sold off his entire inventory of buildable lots and quit building “spec” homes, folks in the business can definitely tell how the wind is blowing. – Bill in Oregon

Re: Prussian Blue for Radioactive Isotope Exposure by P.H.

Mr. Rawles:
I have always felt that Prussian Blue [as mentioned in SurvivalBlog on August 27th] should be part of one’s system of NBC protection but never had the info needed to make it happen until P.H. kindly provided important details. I checked the link that was provided to obtain the powdered Ferric Ferrocyanide and noted that their web site indicates it is “made from Ferric Ferrocyanide”. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is chemically pure. I inquired, and they indicated they cannot confirm the chemical analysis as the product was obtained over ten years ago and don’t even know the manufacturer. Further searches were futile as chemical suppliers seem to be only selling wholesale to other industries. Does anyone know of a chemical supplier to the public of small amounts (a few ounces) of demonstrably clean Ferric Ferrocyanide? – B.F.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Rourke e-mailed us a link to a table of U.S. Metro home price changes: The level terrain before the precipice.

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Michael Z. Williamson sent a link to this handy reference page that gives the bullion content of older European coins. You never know what you might be offered in a Post-TEOTWAWKI, barter transaction–French “Roosters”, , British Sovereigns or perhaps even native gold nuggets… In the absence of the Internet and your local coin shop or jeweler, you must be the expert. Without this expertise, you may end up the victim of a swindle. So it is important to print out some hard copies of some key references like the page linked above. (And, for example, see Item #6 in my original TEOTWAWKI FAQ.). It might also be wise to buy and practice using an acid test kit for gold, and a touchstone. And needless to say, if you buy gold coins via mail order, be sure that they are from a reputable dealer like Swiss America.

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If you think that your state’s gun laws are sub-optimal then reading through California’s myriad laws should cheer you up. Reading through the California DOJ‘s web pages is like Alice stepping through the looking glass–with no hint of logic evident. My favorite is their recent ruling that Yugoslavian (“Zastava”) SKS carbines are classified as “destructive device” grenade launchers (a potential felony possession offense), simply because they have 22mm diameter flash hiders! Please don’t tell those idiotic legislators in GranolaLand (the Land of Fruits, Nuts, and Flakes) how many other rifle models there are that have combo flash hiders that can accept rifle grenades!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“`Get to your places!’ shouted the Queen in a voice of thunder, and people began running about in all directions, tumbling up against each other; however, they got settled down in a minute or two, and the game began. Alice thought she had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in her life; it was all ridges and furrows; the balls were live hedgehogs, the mallets live flamingoes, and the soldiers had to double themselves up and to stand on their hands and feet, to make the arches.
The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her flamingo: she succeeded in getting its body tucked away, comfortably enough, under her arm, with its legs hanging down, but generally, just as she had got its neck nicely straightened out, and was going to give the hedgehog a blow with its head, it would twist itself round and look up in her face, with such a puzzled expression that she could not help bursting out laughing: and when she had got its head down, and was going to begin again, it was very provoking to find that the hedgehog had unrolled itself, and was in the act of crawling away: besides all this, there was generally a ridge or furrow in the way wherever she wanted to send the hedgehog to, and, as the doubled-up soldiers were always getting up and walking off to other parts of the ground, Alice soon came to the conclusion that it was a very difficult game indeed.
The players all played at once without waiting for turns, quarrelling all the while, and fighting for the hedgehogs; and in a very short time the Queen was in a furious passion, and went stamping about, and shouting `Off with his head!’ or `Off with her head!’ about once in a minute.” – Lewis Carroll , Alice in Wonderland

Note from JWR:

The bidding is now at $115 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a copy “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. The course was kindly donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on September 15th.