China Vows To Refrain From “Mega Economic Stimulus” As ‘Two Sessions’ Begins – H.L.
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Boomer Parents and their Millennial Kids: Study Regarding Care and Finances
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6 Steps Toward a More Sane Economic Policy
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Gold Drops On Stronger Dollar And Higher Equity Prices
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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.
North Korea launched four ballistic missiles – C.L.
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HERE IS THE PROOF! Obama Wiretapping on President Trump
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SurvivalBlog reader NSD sent in the link to Dr, Viera who has an extensive set of writings on the militia. This is worth a look.
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Podcast: George Zimmerman And Don West. I can certainly understand no one liking Zimmerman much; but the man who successfully defended him in court is probably worth hearing. – T.J.
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“I want to make it clear that if you are just wanting to bolt on a bunch of stuff to a rifle because of the perceived ‘cool’ factor, or you are wanting to collect all the likes on the latest social media app–cool, rock on. If tactical dress up is you game-dude go play to your heart’s content. However, you cannot do that, and at the same time trick yourself into believing that you are preparing for serious self-defense. In my experience, and mine only, I have been much more satisfied shooting a basic gun properly, after going to learn from top notch instructors, than I had been in the past, with cooler gadgets and little knowledge and no formal training. On many occasions I have sold guns to fund a trip to a class, and to date I have not had a single regret about any of those sales. In other words: Instead of spending so much money on hardware, we should instead make it a priority to invest in ourselves, an investment that brings highly desirable returns.” – Nate Osborne, writing in the P&S blog
Today is the birthday of Momofuku Ando (born, 1910) the Taiwanese-Japanese inventor of instant noodles and Cup-O-Noodles, born in Wu Baifu, Taiwan. (He died in 2007.) His inventions have saved counted thousands of American college students from starvation.
This is also the birthday of Howard Pyle (1853-1911), an influential American book illustrator, painter, and author. He was the mentor of many great American artists, including Thornton Oakley, Frank E. Schoonover, Allen Tupper True, and of course N.C. Wyeth.
I’m continuing my journey to consider some of the pantry basics (beyond meat, eggs, dairy, grains, fruits, and vegetables) that I will want to have available in the event of TEOTWAWKI. I am resolved that I will ideally be able to make or grow these items myself, but in researching them I know I may find it necessary to either store them indefinitely in large quantity and have some alternatives available, and/or have a local/regional source for obtaining in barter.
Quite honestly, this journey has caused me to dig deeper in some areas than I’d expected to go. Additionally, I am very happy that a few of you in our SurvivalBlog community have written to share your depth of experience and personal perspective on these items. I’m definitely intrigued with the idea of continuously maintaining and exclusively using starter dough instead of dry yeast. I have not converted many recipes yet and think this will be an undertaking. However, it sounds like not only a practical idea in the event of TEOTWAWKI, but a healthful solution for current times.
So in addition to last week’s Household Basics Part 4 on yeast, in Part 1, I’ve dug deep into the use, science, history, manufacturing, and storage of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and concluded that I will need to store it until the mines for soda ash are activated and some basic manufacturing and distribution of baking soda begun again. I also learned that there are a few alternatives to baking soda, though they’re far from ideal. Pearlash (potassium carbonate) is one of those. The website of King Arthur Bread provides some history of pearlash as well as baking powder. In Part 2 of this series, I shared some of the health benefits and methods for making vinegar, particularly apple cider vinegar.
In my research I’ve come across the writings of many adventurers who are making exotic vinegars or unusual homegrown yeast breads. I’m inspired and quite hopeful that should we find ourselves in a situation where our local store shelves are bare that my family will be supplied with vinegar and yeast breads, as long as I can grow or obtain adequate fruits and grains, obtain water, and have the necessary tools and temperatures, including a high-temperature oven of some kind. That oven may be a campfire oven, but I own one of those, and I know how to use it. Do you remember my apple pie I baked in the camp oven last fall and wrote about? It was delicious! Breads are no problem in it either.
So, now I’m continuing to think about the basics that go beyond what we normally think of as “food”. This week my son and I were trying some new exotic recipes, as we enjoy food from all over the world. This European recipe that he had found called simply for “seasoning” in the list of ingredients, without any measurement indicated. For a second, we paused, before realizing that the recipe’s creator was referring to the very basic seasonings of salt and pepper.
Salt is so much more than a seasoning though. Salt is useful in curing meat and in pickling as well as other uses. All over the house, it is useful in cleaning as a scouring compound. Kosher salt or another coarsely ground salt is the best way to clean your seasoned cast iron skillet without removing the seasoning. If you get a rust stain on a cloth or clothing or even on your sink or tub, pour some lemon juice on it and then some salt to make a paste and let it sit for awhile before scrubbing. This combination gets rid of it or certainly lightens it considerably.
In looking at salt, I’m shocked to discover that there are so many different kinds within the various categories of salt. In addition to the more common iodized, table, Kosher, and sea salts, there are the pickling salts, course salts, and rock salts. However, there are also sour salts, with many purposes but also to add more “sour” flavor to sour dough bread, and colored salts, like the popular Himalayan pink with its trace minerals, as well as the expensive Celtic salts, such as Fleur de Sel of France, which is considered to be the finest of all salts and sells for about $26 per pound or more. There are other salts, too.
In modern times, there are two main methods for obtaining salt in mass production– evaporation from sea water and mining it. The majority of salts are obtained through mining, and the process most commonly used is hydraulic mining. Hydraulic mining involves pumping water, usually with pressure, deep into the Earth and using the water to dissolve salt deposits. As the salt dissolves into the water, a salt brine is created, and this brine is then pumped to the surface and evaporated to leave the salt. Sometimes, there is a treatment performed on the brine prior to evaporation that reduces mineral content and produce a very clean salt.
In some areas of the world, salt water accumulates during wet seasons and dries during the hot time of year, leaving salt in the dry lake bed. Also, there are some areas that were in salt water in ancient history but not now, leaving salt deposits far from the ocean shore. Apparently, the French Fleur de Sel, which means “flower of salt”, is produced in the salt marshes along the coast of France. Some of these marshes only produce a few pounds per day, and these salts must be collected by hand, as they are formed in a delicate crust. According to InfoGalactic, Portugal is participating in this production also.
Before the invention of salt mining, Portugal’s sea salt production helped to solidify its place as a world power.[17] However, when mechanical salt mining made salt inexpensive, demand for Portugal’s sea salt dropped due to its expense. For centuries flor de sal was scraped away and either discarded or given to workers, as its presence disturbed the evaporation that was creating the sea salt underneath.[20] The process of harvesting flor de sal for sale was reintroduced in 1997 by Necton, with a grant to develop ways to capitalize Portugal’s natural resources.[5] Necton’s flor de sal is whiter than the fleur de sel from Guérande, and is said to have the more robust flavor of the Atlantic as opposed to Guérande’s milder North Sea flavor.[21] Due to Portugal’s laws regarding the grading of salt, Necton’s flor de sal is exported to France and marketed by companies who also market fleur de sel.
If kept clean and dry, salt stores forever. So, since I do not live along sea water, where I would otherwise be able to draw water and evaporate it to collect salt, nor do I live along a dry salt bed, I am choosing to stock pile salt in large quantities and in various types. I keep Kosher salt for drawing blood out of and seasoning some meats as well as a course salt for cleaning. I keep a fine grind sea salt for baking (and for the chlorine generator) because it does not contain iodine, which inhibits yeast growth and activity in bread. I keep Himalayan pink course salt for seasoning because of the value of trace minerals. I, of course, keep the basic staple iodized table salt, and I keep seasoned salt because it enables me to have good flavor on meat without too much sodium, as we are watching our cholesterol in this family as a preventative due to ancestral health history. I also have sour salt/citric acid for preservation and cooking, too. It is important to buy these by the pound and have many pounds, in the event that our stores are closed permanently and we cannot get more. Just be sure to put them inside an airtight container for long-term storage.
Salt is necessary for good textured breads, and iodine is necessary for good health. Many of our sources of iodine other than iodized salt are based on access to salt water foods, such as sea weed, shrimp, tuna, and so forth, though yogurt, milk, and eggs have a significant amount, too. Still, I plan on having a large supply of iodized salt available as well as other salts to last for years.
The other seasoning, pepper, is simply a seasoning. I don’t know of any other use for it. However, we laugh around here that it goes on everything except for dessert, cereal, and most beverages. Someone, marveling at how much black pepper Hugh used and that he seemed to use it on everything, asked him if he used pepper in milk products. His answer was, “Yes; I use it on cottage cheese all of the time, and that’s milk isn’t it?” We chuckled. He did admit that he doesn’t put black pepper on his ice cream or really any dessert for that matter. But it got me to thinking about the need to have black pepper in supply. I can stock pile it, as it basically last forever, too, if stored in a vacuum. However, I’ve investigated and am pleased to learn that I can grow black peppercorns. I’m planning on doing just that!
I’ve learned that I can grow them indoors in pots. They grow as vines in shade and moist soil and require warm temperatures year around. I can provide that with a large pot and a good solid climbing trellis. I’m going to continue to keep my stock pile, but I’ll augment it with homegrown peppercorns, as I’m able. I suspect it will take a few years though before I see a harvest. Still, I will be patient and know that I’m working toward a goal. It will be worth it to have one more self sustaining basic under my belt! Maybe you will want to consider this, too. There are black pepper seeds available from a variety of suppliers, and in the warmer months there are sometimes plants for sale. You might want to keep an eye out for a plant in June or July, when it will be safe to ship a tropical plant without fear of cold damage.
So, we’ve got the ole salt and pepper dealt with. There are many herbs and spices that can be grown and stock piled. I encourage you to look at your own pantry and see what you use all of the time and figure out how you can grow these. If you cannot, then you need to build a large supply. If you can grow them, then you should consider doing so now and practicing to learn what is required. It just isn’t as easy as I first thought, and there are so many factors to consider– garden planning, soil preparation, water, seed, weather, insects, invaders (birds, animals, two-legged), weeding, fertilizing, harvesting, processing, seed collection, mulching. Use SurvivalBlog’s improved search using the phrase “growing herbs”, and you’ll find a wealth of information from former contributing writers of the SurvivalBlog community on the subject.
I wish you well, until we meet again on SurvivalBlog!
Hugh,
The article “Proposed Executive Order Designating Certain Rifles for ‘Militia Purposes’ – G.G” is a big truckload of B.S. We, the people, don’t need an Executive Order. We have a Constitution that reads, “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” That part of our sacred document does not limit the militia to Made in USA AR-15’s! If you think that we will give up our imported firearms, then you are crazy! It is just another communist utopian gun control trick. Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing! – Big D
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HJL,
I’m not particularly convinced of the authenticity of this purported draft of an EO. That said, the United States Code does provide an extension of the age to 65 for honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces. Title 10 of the USC does not supersede the U.S. Constitution, which does not specify limits to membership of the well regulated militia (or, for that matter, bayonet lugs, magazine capacities, et cetera). A law that contradicts the U.S. Constitution is unconstitutional at its inception. Let your conscience be your guide. – Doc Raydio
Web Bot, Bitcoin & The Comex Are All Screaming: “Hyperinflation!” – H.L.
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Russian arms company “Molot” ( VEPR ) is Bankrupt and will be Sold – T.P.
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Pepsi lays off 80-100 workers in Philadelphia, blaming soda tax – RBS
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Draghi’s Dilemma: Eurozone Inflation Hits 2% with Italy on Bond Life Support
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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.
GMO Potatoes Will Hit Stores and Restaurants Soon – If They Haven’t Already – DSV
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“Organic” Foods From China? Buyer Beware! – H.L.
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Obama’s Bullet Ban immediately overturned! Trump’s team scraps Obama-era ban on lead bullets – DSV
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“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” – Matthew 6:1-4 (KJV)
Today is the birthday of James Ellroy (b. 1948), an American noir novelist. He authored L.A. Confidential, which later became a popular film.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 69 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 69 ends on March 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.
Even a casual glimpse at the headlines will confirm the continued descent of our society into immorality. Violence, illicit drugs, abortion, and the continued assault on the family are not only common place but are being actively sought as acceptable behavior by vast numbers of the public. Politicians are running to their defense, and legislation is following. The decline is steep. It is real, and it will continue.
Revelation 1:1 tells us that these, “things must come to pass.” John doesn’t say that it might come to pass or even that it should come to pass but that it must. The Lord Jesus will return, and we are more likely to experience that return than any generation before us. If you’re reading this then you’ve likely spent a considerable amount of time and money preparing for any of a number of TEOTWAWKI scenarios. Whatever that end may be, I can tell you one thing for sure; there’s only one thing that will matter when the end comes, and that is whether or not you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
So, as you prepare your home for whatever may come, I pray you’ll prepare your heart as well, and while you’re at it, equip yourself to bring as many with you into the kingdom as possible. You may not be able to feed your neighbors or provide for them in an emergency, but you can help in securing their eternal destiny. Nothing could be more valuable!
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…” – John 15:16
“Because I said so.” – My dad
As a child, one of my least favorite phrases was “because I said so.” My dad would tell me to mow the grass. When I’d ask why, the answer was always, “Because I said so.” It is no coincidence that this phrase sits no better with me in adulthood than it did as a child.
When confronted with the task of evangelism, many Christians basically ask, “Why should I?” The answer is quite simple, “Because God said so.” As in our childhood, we grumble, unhappy that we have to do something we don’t want to do and begrudgingly go about the task, or worse yet, we don’t do it at all. Our grumbling is displeasing to the Father in both cases.
Recently as I read through the book of Matthew, something jumped out at me that I had never seen before. I had read this particular passage many times before, but I never fully understood it until that moment. In Matthew 4, Jesus is calling His disciples for the first time. He set about the task of choosing the men whom He would call friends and that He would teach and disciple throughout the rest of His life.
The very first words He ever spoke to them were, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” It’s so simple; I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier. He didn’t say, “Come, follow me and I’ll make you a good person,” or “Come, follow me and I’ll teach you how to be religious.” He basically said come, follow me, and I’ll teach you how to be an evangelist.
In this context, this verse has three important parts. The first part contains the words, “Come, follow me.” Jesus has never asked us to do anything without His assistance or example. The word “follow” literally means, to go after or proceed behind. Jesus spent His life sharing Himself with people. As we become like Him, it should be our pursuit to be like Him in every way, specifically in sharing Him with people.
The second phrase is, “and I will make you.” Jesus isn’t saying that He will force us to do this but rather He will craft us to do this. He is implying that He will show us how to do it if we submit ourselves to His good and perfect will. Our life’s pursuit is to become like Him and glorify Him. However, on our own, we are incapable of any good. It is only through the redeeming power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we are filled with the Holy Spirit and begin the process of sanctification. Thorough our submission to His will, we can be formed into the person that He created us to be. Whether you like it or not, evangelism is part of the character He is creating in you.
The final part of this verse, “fishers of men,” uses an interesting analogy to the situation in which the disciples found themselves. Fishing was an integral part of my childhood. I spent many evenings and weekends fishing with my dad and grandpa. We lived on the water for several years and even went fishing on vacations. Our family fished a lot. From an early age, I was taught that in order to be a good fisherman, several things were required. First, you have to be patient. You are not going to catch a fish on every cast. Second, you have to be smarter than the fish. Third, you are going to get dirty. Fourth, you are not always going to catch the fish you are fishing for. Fifth, always be ready; you never know when the fish are going to bite. And finally, it is always more fun to fish with a friend.
Having majored in marketing in college and having spent many years in the business world, I’ve taken several courses on public speaking. In each of those courses, the instructors will tell you the basics of giving a good speech or presentation. Here are the three basic keys to getting your point across:
1. Tell them what you’re going to tell them.
2. Tell them.
3. Tell them what you told them.
We’ve already discussed the first thing that Jesus told his disciples. It is significant that the very first words Jesus ever speaks to His disciple’s concerns evangelism. Let’s look at how He, “tells them what He told them.”
It stands to reason that the last thing you tell someone is what they are going to remember most. At the end of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus has already been crucified, has come back to life, and is now speaking to His disciples for the last time. Thomas has seen the wounds, Christ’s deity is confirmed, and He is giving them some final instructions before He returns to heaven for the last time before the glorious appearing. In His final words to His disciples in Matthew 28:19, Jesus says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
This passage has been a bastion of evangelists and missionaries for centuries. They are the parting words of our Lord and Savior. We hang on them, recite them, and, for most Christians, completely ignore them. Why is it different with evangelism? We see what God has to say about keeping his commands in John 14:21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” Are you walking in obedience to His commands? Or are you hiding behind weak excuses like, “Evangelism isn’t my gift.”
In large part, we are hindered by fear. Baptism and communion take place in the friendly confines of your church, among like-minded people. Evangelism takes place on the front lines of the battle. In all honesty, I’m fearful every time I share the gospel. I fear my own inadequacies and limitations. I fear rejection. I think sometimes I am standing in fear of the presence of the Lord, and I’m not alone. I’ve always been amazed at people’s reactions in the Scriptures and to the presence of heavenly beings. Have you noticed the first words out of the angel’s mouths most of the time they appear? “Don’t be afraid!” It’s the most commonly given command in scripture. Yet we continue to hide in fear. Adam hid from God. Elijah hid from Jezebel. Moses’ mother hid him in a basket. When we walk in obedience to the commands that God has given us to make Him known, we don’t walk alone. We walk hand in hand with the God of the universe, and that can be comforting, exhilarating, and scary all at the same time.
The normally brash Peter was scared before he got out of the boat and then got scared again when he saw the wind. He must have been thinking “Remind me again why I am doing this.” We often need reminding as well.
Around the time our oldest son was born I would often leave the house when it was time for him to sleep. My wife was convinced that the smallest of noises would wake him, and so I was typically banned to the backyard. After several backyard projects, I decided to go to the golf course. Normally I would go with friends, but I was off work on this particular day and ended up playing with another guy that was out by himself.
We were having a nice time from the start. He was a little old guy, who looked like he played five times a week and thought about it the other two days. He didn’t hit it very far, but he hit straight as an arrow. We made our way to the first green, and, of course, his ball was closer to the hole than mine. He picked up his ball, and I putted. Two putts later it was his turn. Instead, he simply walked off the green. I was a little puzzled but let it go and moved on. After a few holes of the same behavior, it was killing me and I had to ask.
“Okay, Joe,” I said a little perturbed but mostly curious, “You’re scoring a whole lot better than me, but I could probably make a game of it if you would putt.” Joe chuckled and said, “Why would I want to screw up a perfectly good round of golf by putting?” And that was that. Joe didn’t want to putt, because he wasn’t any good at it. He had simply eliminated the part of his game that he didn’t like or wasn’t good at it. He was content to simply do the things he liked to do. It didn’t concern him that he wasn’t playing the game the way it was supposed to be played. He was playing for his own enjoyment, not mine or anyone else’s.
I know a lot of Joes. They sit beside me at church, at work, and sometimes even in my chair. They are the ones that are playing by their own rules, content to do only the comfortable parts and happy to stick with what is easy for them. Why screw up a perfectly good Christian walk by evangelizing? I’m not any good at it. I don’t enjoy it. Someone else is surely better at it than I am. It’s not my gift. Let them do it.
It’s time I let you in on a little secret: you have to putt. You don’t get a choice. If you are truly living a life committed to God, He sets the rules. I couldn’t putt for Joe and no one else can evangelize for you. Your round is incomplete if you don’t putt. It is unfinished. Your scorecard is false.
Here’s the real kicker, and those of you who play golf will understand. There’s more joy in sinking a putt than in any other part of golf. Maybe you hit the ball a mile off the tee, but until you drop that thirty foot putt for birdie it doesn’t count. Few joys rival that of leading someone to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Just as the putt is critical in golf, evangelism is a critical component in our spiritual life.
It is so important to God that his Son used His first and last words to His disciples to say that we need to be an evangelist for the cause of Christ. He said He would set the example, and He did. He said He will show us how, and He will. But yet, we still grumble. Children, all you need to know is that you should do it because He said so.
Gentlemen,
The problem with this proposed executive order is that it refers to members of the “militia” rather than the citizenry.
The militia is defined under law as follows:
(a)The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are—
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.
Could this not be used to restrict ownership of arms (by some weasel) based on a person being over 45 years of age?
Perhaps a lawyer could weigh in?
A disaster in the making: Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation Running Out Of Cash, Millions Affected – H.L.
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Systems down all Thursday afternoon for multiple banks in Texas – S.L.
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Bank Of America Sets A Date For The Market’s “Great Fall” – B.B.
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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.
Surge in human cases of deadly bird flu is prompting alarm – T.P.
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Nope – no bias here: 11 Ways Rural Life Is Hazardous to Your Health – T.P.
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Civil War II – The left throws a tempertantrum. – B.B.
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An interesting find on InfoGalactic: National Redoubt (Switzerland) – DMS
“They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it. You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it. You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.
“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.” Exodus 25:10-22 (KJV)
