Spinners, Weavers, and Sheep Ranchers take note: The Annual Black Sheep Gathering is scheduled for June 23-25, 2017 at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, Oregon.
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The Northwest Preparedness Expo is calendared for May 6, 2017, in Prosser, Washington
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A Storm is Coming: Preppers Must Stay Vigilant in 2017
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Signs of the times: Germany Considers Fining Facebook $522,000 Per Fake News Item
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Star Parker: Obama Abandons Israel
“And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” – Genesis 41:15-16 (KJV)
December 30, 1865 was the birthday of Rudyard Kipling. I should mention that his writings about Afghanistan have sparked a modern-day revival of interest in Kipling among British, Australian, and American officers and NCOs deployed to Afghanistan.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 68 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 68 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
In post-Columbian Europe, imported or greenhouse pineapples were a symbol of wealth, often being used for decoration rather than being eaten. Now, imagine a world gone crazy, where even the canned pineapple is only a memory. For those of us who are well-stocked and even have a garden, the loss of trucking and worldwide shipping means a lot of fruits, especially tropical ones, will be simply a memory, kind of like how generations ago received oranges at Christmas as treats. Citrus fruits are not too much of a stretch in parts of the U.S., but pineapples will be rare. What is a fresh pineapple, something otherwise impossible to get, going to be worth?
Now imagine that you have a dozen (or more) of these things ripening every six months. Don’t forget the TEOTWAWKI value of fresh tropical fruit—what a precious commodity it could be. Pineapple has several health benefits beyond Vitamin C. It can help inflammation, regulate blood pressure, and ease arthritis. With a greenhouse or in a warm climate, you can grow your own pineapples. Pineapples take forever (up to two or three years) to fully mature, so get started now!
One of the ordinary benefits to growing your pineapples is that you can pick them at the peak of their freshness. They are usually picked about two weeks before you receive them in the grocery store and are often still in the green state they were picked in. Pineapples don’t ripen once they are picked, at least naturally. By contrast, the home grown pineapple you are picking is a golden pineapple taken directly off the stalk. Truly ripe pineapple has the sweetest, least tart flavor you can imagine.
Most people don’t even know how a pineapple grows, and they imagine pineapple trees or something outlandish. In reality, they are a plant about three feet high and wide that look like giant versions of the fruit’s green, leafy top. The fruit grows out of the top or from suckers on the side. This misunderstanding about pineapples leads to bad growing instructions that you basically cut the fleshy top of the fruit off and dunk it in water. This causes the flesh to rot and the leaves die. The actual method is slightly more complicated.
You’ll start with a standard grocery store pineapple; mine are Del Monte Gold, but don’t tell Del Monte that. The greener (unripe) the pineapple, the better, as you want to select one with healthy, dark green leaves. Remember, you’re growing pineapples, not buying it primarily to eat. Older and browner tops don’t grow very well. Stick your hand into the top of the pineapple, weaving your fingers into the leaves like you were grasping a handful of hair. Twist the top, don’t pull, in a circular motion around until it separates. With slight back pressure, it should come off in less than 360°.
Now place the top on its side and cut about 3/8ths to half an inch off the very bottom of the top. A serrated knife will cut right through the leaves. Carefully prune off any leaves that are not firmly attached to the stem, but leave as many leaves as possible (a dozen are ideal, but more as well as just a few large leaves will work too). You will want not much more than half an inch of the ridged stem exposed. The bottom of the stem should have a ring of light brown dots along the perimeter. These will become the roots.
At this stage, you can choose to dry out the top for 1-2 days to ensure it takes up water. You can also choose to skip this step; I’ve tried both drying and skipping with good results. Place the exposed portion of the stem in the water until most if it is submerged; the less, the better, but this is an art, not a science. You want it to take up water but not be so deep that it begins to absorb water and rot. I personally use a jam jar (12oz) because the opening is often narrow enough to support the plant by the leaves. The easiest method is to just adjust the water level. Change the water weekly and add as necessary. Don’t be surprised if the water gets scummy, cloudy, or the stem itself looks a little brown. Ensure the plant gets good sunlight and is kept at room temperature.
After a few weeks to a month, you will have long white roots growing from the bottom of the stem. I personally wait until the roots touch bottom before planting, but shorter roots are okay. Plant it in a medium sized pot using cactus soil and a gravel/pebble bottom if you can. You will want to wait about six months to a year (seriously!) for it to grow to the size of a houseplant before planting it in-ground. Alternatively, you can replant it to a much larger pot or leave it in a small pot, but if it does not have room to grow to bush size, it will be ornamental only.
Planting a pineapple in the ground is something strictly for frost-free zones. USDA Hardiness Zone 10 is the coldest you can grow it outside. In colder zones, it must come inside in winter or on cold nights. For my potted pineapples in the desert, the nights where the low 50s flirt with the high 40s are too chancy for me, and I take the pots inside. The English used to heat their pineapple greenhouses with a special stove. Those in the Redoubt must grow pineapples in pots or greenhouses, whereas coastal Californians south of San Francisco, anyone along the Gulf, or in Florida can grow them in-ground. The ground holds heat better than a pot.
Las Vegas? Phoenix? Forget it; it’s too cold in winter. Repeated exposure to low temperatures will kill the plant. Pineapples do okay in the heat, as long as they are well-watered and not blasted by direct sunlight all day. Watch that your garden or greenhouse doesn’t get too hot; two 80 degree days cooked my pineapples in a plastic greenhouse. If the leaves lighten up or brown slightly but otherwise appears healthy and growth continues, it should be fine.
Pineapples are rather like cactuses in many respects. In fact, they should be planted in sandy cactus soil, although well-drained, neutral or slightly acidic soil will do. They do not require frequent watering, but too little water will hinder proper fruit development. A light hosing once a week will do it in most temperate climates. Be sure to get some water inside the leaves as. Like many Bromeliads, the leaves are designed to conduct water to the plant itself.
You’ve waited two to three years and now you have this giant, spiky shrub in your yard. Don’t be afraid to prune the dead leaves; they will pull off with a gentle tug. The pineapple will flower and develop into a fruit by fusing the individual buds together. You’ve got a few months to go before it’s a ripe fruit. When it’s golden, twist it off or loosen it and cut with a sharp knife.
Your first fruit will probably be fairly small (though tasty); however, in less than a year, you will get suckers, known as ratoons, growing up from the side of the original plant. As the original plant withers, the ratoons, usually two to four, will grow into large, grocery store sized fruits. The ratoon suckers and fruit develop faster than the original plant did, sometimes as fast as six months. In optimal conditions, you can expect multiple “generations” of ratoons, producing fruit for several years.
Ripe pineapple rots quickly. When it’s about ripe, keep a close eye on it, and if in doubt, pick early and refrigerate. Eventually, the original plant will “give out” and wither or stop producing. I haven’t reached that point yet. Even this is not a problem, because the fruit can be used to create even more new plants. However, start rooting and planting early!
To slice the fruit, buy a stainless steel (not plastic) pineapple corer and slicer. Save yourself the time and trouble from cutting it into large chunks with a knife. Pineapple can be canned as cubes, slices, or rings. It does require a sugar syrup to be made to can the pineapple in. You can also dehydrate it, freeze dry it, or freeze the juice concentrate.
Warning: The leaf tips are sharply pointed and, depending on the variety, can be barbed. As the plants grow, the leaves become stiffer and more dangerous. You may want to put them up away from little kids and pets or cut off the sharp tips. This is especially helpful in greenhouses or the houseplant stage. Trimming will not hurt the plants as long as most of the leaves are intact.
Pineapples make excellent defensive shrubbery, just like cactus, which can be planted as companions to pineapple. If you are someplace where you can grow them outside in the ground, a dense hedge of pineapple plants will make a formidable barrier. Just imagine a looter, clad in shorts and a t-shirt walking, into the Pineapple Wall, because without night vision they look just like decorative shrubs. Even in pants, densely packed plants (say four deep) can make an uncomfortable obstacle. If a looter falls just right, he might lose an eye, but he will certainly be scratched and cut. Hidden foot snares can be added to guarantee anyone trying to make it through doesn’t do so successfully.
HJL,
Regarding “Localism”, the hard, cold facts are that whatever significantly disrupts society to the point of power-grid collapse will induce major chaos, loss of life, loss of comfort, loss of wealth, and loss of security. A moral people (which our nation is not) must be governed by law, even in the absence of external government. Self-control is the foundation of civilization and must be based on a generally-acknowledged code of ethics. For past centuries, the Bible and Ten Commandments formed the platform for society. Now, not even the churches will acknowledge these authorities, let alone the Darwinists. The most disturbing point of this article, is the “ruthless suppression” of all “competing militias”. This is the end of freedom, because it will mean the disarmament or death of anyone who refuses to submit to the local Nimrod. However, in a society where Divine law is rejected, the law of force must rule. When desire is the highest law, whoever is strongest will destroy all others. Society will degenerate into a horde of robbers and assassins. This is “Natural Law”.
The 14-Year Record of the Baltic Dry Index
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Ten Commandments for Buying Gold and Silver
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Dollar Euphoria And Gold Price
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2016: A Year For Contrarians…2017 Shaping Up That Way As Well
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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.
Wranglerstar Video: The Super Snowplow and Log Grapple Delivery
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Total Survivalist: 2016 New Years Resolutions Final Review
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Claire Wolfe: John Lott “reviews” the box-office flop, Miss Sloane
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“Lines Out The Door”: How Americans Respond When Liberal States Restrict Their Gun Rights
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A consulting client recently asked me for advice on how to keep his sets of web gear and MOLLE plate carriers organized and handy for transport. My solution: Use military pilot helmet bags. Tag them with the model of firearm(s) that they are carrying gear for, such as “PTR91 + Glock 30”.
“Taxation of earnings from labor is on a par with forced labor. Seizing the results of someone’s labor is equivalent to seizing hours from him and directing him to carry on various activities.” – Robert Nozick
One of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history was actually perpetuated by the Federal Government itself on December 29th, 1890, on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. While unconstitutionally disarming the people, the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment opened fire on men, women, and children, killing over 150 Indians, nearly half of which were women and children. Another 50 or so were wounded, some dying later from those wounds. The officers lost control of their men, and some were recorded as fanning out and finishing off the wounded. Wounded Knee stands as a prime example of why the Second Amendment exists.
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Ready Made Resources is giving away a $500 Ham radio package and course with the purchase of a one year Mountain House Food package (in addition to the already discounted price.) It’s a good time to fill in this hole in your preps if you need it.
Lost in the media coverage of the elections is that the Trump administration presents an opportunity for strategic cooperation between the U.S. and Russia that would not had been available if Hillary Clinton had been elected. Despite this opening, the challenges confronting such cooperation are many and formidable.
Trump fits the alpha male Russian stereotype: he is a strong leader, brash, displays some recklessness, has a beautiful trophy foreign wife, is a multi-billionaire with a gold-plated apartment, is a relentless self-promoter with a big ego, and is a BS artist but has been successful (so far). Those traits alone will make it much easier to broker deals. In contrast, President Obama was all the opposite. He displayed an innate weakness and was fearful of confrontations. Often unmentioned is the fact that there remains a bias against people of color in Russia and especially in the hierarchy. Thus, the personal attributes of the incoming American administration provide for an opportunity to recast U.S.-Russian relations.
One thing that confounds Americans is that NATO is portrayed by the Kremlin as an aggressor and a major threat to Russia. The Kremlin views America as the only world power that could possibly topple the Kremlin. Of course, Westerners know that the Kremlin is doing exactly what they are accusing the West of doing: using fear to control the population and to keep the Kremlin leadership in power. Everyday Russians are not concerned about NATO but at the same time are consumed by the 24/7 state controlled news from the Kremlin related to the threat from America. To understand this, it must be understood that the Kremlin regime views NATO as a political threat and not a military threat. The Kremlin would re-take ex-satellites if they could pull it off. The whole idea behind NATO is for Russia to be restrained from military expansion. There is simply too much opposition from Eastern Europe who are both EU and NATO members for any forced reincorporation to occur. Americans see the fears from Russians about NATO or America as some kind of military threat as disconnected from reality. Of course, if Russia were to attack the Baltic States, then military confrontation would be automatic, but absent such a Russia attack, the likelihood of NATO military attack on Russia is farcical. But it is the political side that explains why the Russians fear NATO expansion. Countries that “go NATO” are more than likely to also become democratic governments.
There are significant barriers to improved U.S.-Russian ties. Recent history has taught the Russians not to trust the American position, and the Russian leadership has a memory. For example, when Putin was first elected, NATO decided they could prove that NATO was not a threat to Russia by agreeing to allowing the Russians to have some standing at NATO meetings. When Putin attended a NATO conference shortly thereafter, a senior U.S. official publically and openly blasted him for all his sins and predecessors. That was followed closely thereafter by American intervention in Serbia, whom Russia supported against a Muslim population. This intervention was especially damaging for U.S.-Russian relations, not just because Russia has seen Serbia as a historic ally but also because it came after when President Clinton gave Russia assurances that such intervention would not be done. This was viewed in Russia as a reach out to the West with good faith, and the response was seen as minimization and humiliation. After that botched opening, Russia has withdrawn from the West and taken a hardline that continues to the present.
Another angle that is unknown in the U.S. is that the Hillary Clinton-led State Department invested time, resources, and money attempting to defeat Putin in 2011-2012. It remains unreported in the media, but in 2012 the U.S. Department of State held a large teleconference comprised of U.S. Department of State employees in Washington DC. The topic was how to support dissent in Russia. Also during this time, the Clinton Department of State sponsored personal, one-on-one visits with naive State department staffers who met with the most visible dissidents in several major Russian cities to encourage them and provide support. These State Department supported dissidents opposed Putin’s re-election and supported regime change. After this interference and post-election, Putin barred all NGOs receiving Western funds and even shut down apolitical humanitarian Western NGOs working in Russia that were helping a lot of people (such as the Red Cross). The scope of this Sec. Clinton blunder has been major but has remained largely unreported. The takeaway from all of this is that the American side has earned the distrust of Russia.
Despite this recent history, there are several world challenges where the U.S. and Russia agree. Both the U.S. and Russia are confronting the common enemy of Islamic expansion. Both Trump and Putin show outward signs that they understand this common interest and that both countries should be on the same page with them in that fight. Unfortunately, the Western elites are trapped in a cold war mentality and have trouble breaking out of that box. Trump’s “drain the swamp” mind set may result in a more realistic view of what is going on in Russia and the world. The so-called Arab Spring, which has turned into a bonanza for Islamic radicals, is viewed by the Kremlin as a direct political threat. The Kremlin is concerned that could create a “Red Square Spring”. NATO expansion also means EU expansion. With the suicidal immigration policies of the EU and especially their old enemy Germany, EU expansion brings Arab Spring movements closer to the Kremlin. This factor adds fuel to the continual anti-NATO propaganda campaign.
The economic factor is also important. During the last five years, Russian has dropped from the 4th largest economy to 14th. The economic situation in Russia is dire. They need the sanctions removed and realize oil is not going back to the halcyon days. This suggests that America needs to focus more on Russia’s domestic problems and work to strengthen U.S.-Russia relations, which means the potential of economic relief in Russia. Trump will have problems with the EU, if he tries to normalize relations with Russia by reducing or removing sanctions. Russian policy will be an early test of Trump’s international acumen. On the other side, Putin has a difficult position keeping competing oligarches pacified inside the Kremlin while holding together the huge Russian geographical area with hundreds of ethic groups.
The fire starter recommendations are all good, and they do work. This article is not intended to take away from those talented writers, but I did want to write something that may provide an alternative that takes little prep time, zero storage considerations, is light weight, works in wet conditions, and can be started with one strike of a ferrocerium rod. If you are familiar with Fat wood and building a good pyre, skip down to the 4th paragraph.
I have started fires with a Bow and Spindle, Cotton Ball and Petroleum jelly, char cloth, 9-volt battery and steel wool, bic lighters, magnifying glass, matches, kerosene et cetera. Having knowledge of multiple ways of starting a file adheres to the redundancies theory. But even with GAS (strongly discouraged), you have to create the conditions that promote the transferring of the flame from the initial ignition to your high quantity of surface area. Creating the quantity of surface areas is simply gathering small sticks to be placed in close proximity of the source of the initial ignition regardless of which ignition method is used. Then using slightly larger sticks on top of the initial small sticks and gradually increase the size until you are at standard firewood size material.
The alternative I am referring to is from the core of pine trees. It has many names such as fat wood, fat lighter, lighter wood, Pine knot, heart pine, et cetera. Dead pine trees have a resin saturated heart at the center of the tree, the stump, the tap root, and even joints where limbs intersect. Most resinous pine trees produce fat wood to some level. In the southern states, it is more common with the long leaf pine and Virginia Pine. Sometimes, you may even find a deposit of pine pitch where a tree was injured and the resin builds in one area on the exterior of a living tree. This pitch is highly flammable and will produce a thick black smoke similar to burning rubber.
If you are using a ferro rod, you will want to create a quantity of surface area to receive the sparks and ignite the fat wood. Fat wood can be scraped by holding your knife at a 90 degree angle to the wood and repeatedly scraping the surface. This will produce a pile of shavings, which look more like tan snow than wood. You only need a very small amount to ignite, but the art is in being able to transfer the flame to other combustible material before the flame consumes the pine pitch material. You can slice off slivers of the fat lighter and position them to catch fire as well, so the life of the flame will be extended.
Now you are ready to strike this material to make a flame. The material in the image above will burn for about 45 seconds. At this point, use your preferred method of building a pyre. Some build the pyre and provide room for the flame source to be inserted. My preferred method is to have the material set next to the fire ring and place the kindling over the flame starting with the smallest, to the largest pieces. Definition: Tinder is what you use to receive the spark and create the flame; kindling is larger than tinder and is used to expand the fire. Feel free to comment on this, as I have heard folks state the opposite.
Caveats:
The reasons why I like fat lighter:
India Fears Run on Banks: Capital Controls and Withdrawal Limits to Continue
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How Interest Rates Affect Time Preference — and Vice Versa
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Surging US Dollar In 2017 Could Be A Catalyst For Gold Bottom
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Key Market In Major Trouble As Banks Now Have Near-All-Time Record Short Positions
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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.
Tober’s Traditions (one of the new SurvivalBlog Writing Contest sponsors) asked us to post the answers to some repeated inquires they’ve had over their products from SurvivalBlog Readers:
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Climate change expert sentenced to 32 months for fraud, says lying was a ‘rush’ – P.M.
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The Lie-Detecting Security Kiosk of the Future – Aside from the obvious issues of AI determining truth, one has to wonder who comes up with these names: Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessments in Real Time (AVATAR) – DSV
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More cases! Mumps spreads on college campuses – W.C.
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“Two things are infinite, as far as we know – the universe and human stupidity.” – Albert Einstein
December 28, 1793 is the day that Thomas Paine was arrested in France for treason. The charges against him were never fully detailed, but he was tried in absentia on December 26 and convicted. Best known as the author of Common Sense, he moved to Paris to be part of the French revolution. Initially welcomed, the tide soon turned against him, because he was opposed to the death penalty, and the French revolutionaries were sending hundreds to the guillotine.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 68 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 68 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.