You Can Help Make If It Hits The Fan Better
I really enjoyed writing last night's post about silver in response to a reader question. One of the reasons I do the blog is to try and help people. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to send them to me on email or on the Facebook page. You can be as anonymous or as public as you want.
If you have any particular skill, experience or knowledge that you want to share, I'd love to put out a guest post from you. Just type it up and send it to me in an email. If you want to promote your own blog or business, include a link in your post and I'll be glad to help get your word out.
You Can Help Get The Word Out About If It Hits The Fan
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Thanks!
8/17/12
8/16/12
Hi Yo Ag
Stocking Up On Silver
First, a disclaimer... I am not a silver expert. I am not a financial advisor. I'm simply providing information here based on research and personal experience. If you lose your retirement fund, it's not my fault. However, if you make a butt load of profit, I would not be against getting a cut of it ;-)
A reader sent me an email asking about buying silver. He had ordered a couple of Canadian Maples from a dealer in Florida, thinking that as .9999 pure, it would be better than all the other .999 pure. He was wondering if he made a good investment and if he should continue that route, or if he should try other types of silver.
If I was in his shoes...
First, why do I want to buy silver? As an investment to turn over into cash when the price goes up? To hold long term to protect my money against inflation? For after TEOTWAWKI to use as barter? Because it's neat looking and I like it? All of these are legitimate reasons, but all have pros and cons. If an investment, can you stand the risk if the price goes down? The spot price as I write this is about $28.17 an ounce. From 1990 to about 2002, silver bounced around the $4-$5 range for the most part. The record high was on Jan. 18, 1980 and did not come close again until Apr. 28, 2011. Both were in the $49 range . If I was using silver as an investment, I wouldn't try to time the market or buy low and sell high. I'd either buy on dips and hold... and hold... and hold... and hold... or I would buy a set amount each month, whether $20 or $2,000, and hold, hold, hold. I also would not put all my eggs in one basket. I'd limit my precious metals to about 10-20% of my investment or savings dollars. SHTF barter silver has it's own concerns... Do I have all of my other preps up to speed? I can't eat silver. I can't patch a wound with it. I can't shoot it (unless I'm casting bullets for werewolves or vampires). Do I have other things for barter? Toiletries, food, airplane bottles of Jim Beam...that type of thing. Am I out of debt? All are important questions to ask before I start buying silver for barter or SHTF living. If I am in the right position to do so, I'd want to diversify my silver. Some junk silver (pre-1965 U.S. coins), some American Eagles, some mint rounds and bars, some marked industrial silver, some silver grain or shot, perhaps some 10 oz. and 100 oz. bars, some cool private maker rounds or bars... all have their own particular potential uses and benefits.
The second thing I would consider is to look at everything in the price whether buying mail order, the local metal shop, or off of eBay. Include sales tax (I know, it seems stupid to pay a sales tax to buy money, but that's the rule, around here at least), shipping charges, and gas costs if I have to drive out of my way to a local shop. The local metal shops have the benefit of paying with cash and no records, and maybe some negotiation wiggle room. With more and more of the "we buy your gold and silver" shops popping up in every town, I can certainly shop around for the best deal. On eBay, I can often get good deals on junk silver coins, sometimes paying below spot with free shipping. With mail order from a big name dealer, I can get quantities that can often not be found at a local shop.
One of the handiest resources I've found is the melt value coin list and calculator at Coinflation. It's great for knowing how much to bid or offer, and making sure you don't get screwed by a less than honorable dealer. Ten dimes, four quarters, two half-dollars all equal the same melt value - .715 ounces per dollar of face value. A silver dollar is actually a little higher at .734 ounces of silver each. These coins are not easily found, but I typically get a couple of dimes or a quarter in change every year. If I worked in a business running a cash register, I'd be sure to always have some spare change in my pocket to swap out with any silver coins that a customer paid with. If I owned a bubble gum or snack or drink machine concession, I'd really check all my revenue close before I took it to the bank. I also check those Coinstar machines at the grocery store. The machines will kick out silver coins, and anyone goofy enough to pay a 10% surcharge for cashing in change will often just leave the coins there thinking that they were too worn or dirty to be worth picking up.
APMEX sells every imaginable type of silver that you could want to diversify your holdings. If I want junk silver, they have it from $1 face value ($22.73) to $1,000 face value ($20,906.60). Old silver dollars are $28.38 each. If I had $15,895 I could buy a 500 coin megabox of Silver Eagles. For as little as $2,899 I can get a 100 oz. bar. That sounds huge, but it is really only about 6.5 pounds. They sell BB sized silver shot in bags ranging from 10 oz. ($299.70) to 25 kilograms ($23,525.76).
If I wanted to actually use my silver, I like the American Open Currency Standard which organizes silver trade and barter. They sell their own AOCS precious metal medallions and work with the Free Lakota Bank as well.
Silver has historic value, industrial value, monetary value, and it can be a great way to store wealth. If it is right for you, do your research, and don't let a huckster take advantage of you. I hope some of the information and resources here tonight can help you do that.
First, a disclaimer... I am not a silver expert. I am not a financial advisor. I'm simply providing information here based on research and personal experience. If you lose your retirement fund, it's not my fault. However, if you make a butt load of profit, I would not be against getting a cut of it ;-)
A reader sent me an email asking about buying silver. He had ordered a couple of Canadian Maples from a dealer in Florida, thinking that as .9999 pure, it would be better than all the other .999 pure. He was wondering if he made a good investment and if he should continue that route, or if he should try other types of silver.
If I was in his shoes...
First, why do I want to buy silver? As an investment to turn over into cash when the price goes up? To hold long term to protect my money against inflation? For after TEOTWAWKI to use as barter? Because it's neat looking and I like it? All of these are legitimate reasons, but all have pros and cons. If an investment, can you stand the risk if the price goes down? The spot price as I write this is about $28.17 an ounce. From 1990 to about 2002, silver bounced around the $4-$5 range for the most part. The record high was on Jan. 18, 1980 and did not come close again until Apr. 28, 2011. Both were in the $49 range . If I was using silver as an investment, I wouldn't try to time the market or buy low and sell high. I'd either buy on dips and hold... and hold... and hold... and hold... or I would buy a set amount each month, whether $20 or $2,000, and hold, hold, hold. I also would not put all my eggs in one basket. I'd limit my precious metals to about 10-20% of my investment or savings dollars. SHTF barter silver has it's own concerns... Do I have all of my other preps up to speed? I can't eat silver. I can't patch a wound with it. I can't shoot it (unless I'm casting bullets for werewolves or vampires). Do I have other things for barter? Toiletries, food, airplane bottles of Jim Beam...that type of thing. Am I out of debt? All are important questions to ask before I start buying silver for barter or SHTF living. If I am in the right position to do so, I'd want to diversify my silver. Some junk silver (pre-1965 U.S. coins), some American Eagles, some mint rounds and bars, some marked industrial silver, some silver grain or shot, perhaps some 10 oz. and 100 oz. bars, some cool private maker rounds or bars... all have their own particular potential uses and benefits.
The second thing I would consider is to look at everything in the price whether buying mail order, the local metal shop, or off of eBay. Include sales tax (I know, it seems stupid to pay a sales tax to buy money, but that's the rule, around here at least), shipping charges, and gas costs if I have to drive out of my way to a local shop. The local metal shops have the benefit of paying with cash and no records, and maybe some negotiation wiggle room. With more and more of the "we buy your gold and silver" shops popping up in every town, I can certainly shop around for the best deal. On eBay, I can often get good deals on junk silver coins, sometimes paying below spot with free shipping. With mail order from a big name dealer, I can get quantities that can often not be found at a local shop.
One of the handiest resources I've found is the melt value coin list and calculator at Coinflation. It's great for knowing how much to bid or offer, and making sure you don't get screwed by a less than honorable dealer. Ten dimes, four quarters, two half-dollars all equal the same melt value - .715 ounces per dollar of face value. A silver dollar is actually a little higher at .734 ounces of silver each. These coins are not easily found, but I typically get a couple of dimes or a quarter in change every year. If I worked in a business running a cash register, I'd be sure to always have some spare change in my pocket to swap out with any silver coins that a customer paid with. If I owned a bubble gum or snack or drink machine concession, I'd really check all my revenue close before I took it to the bank. I also check those Coinstar machines at the grocery store. The machines will kick out silver coins, and anyone goofy enough to pay a 10% surcharge for cashing in change will often just leave the coins there thinking that they were too worn or dirty to be worth picking up.
APMEX sells every imaginable type of silver that you could want to diversify your holdings. If I want junk silver, they have it from $1 face value ($22.73) to $1,000 face value ($20,906.60). Old silver dollars are $28.38 each. If I had $15,895 I could buy a 500 coin megabox of Silver Eagles. For as little as $2,899 I can get a 100 oz. bar. That sounds huge, but it is really only about 6.5 pounds. They sell BB sized silver shot in bags ranging from 10 oz. ($299.70) to 25 kilograms ($23,525.76).
If I wanted to actually use my silver, I like the American Open Currency Standard which organizes silver trade and barter. They sell their own AOCS precious metal medallions and work with the Free Lakota Bank as well.
Silver has historic value, industrial value, monetary value, and it can be a great way to store wealth. If it is right for you, do your research, and don't let a huckster take advantage of you. I hope some of the information and resources here tonight can help you do that.
8/15/12
Homemade Cleanser Recipes
Something Different
I met a nice lady at the LDS Preparedness Fair last weekend. She runs the blog, Blanco's Bows where she puts up recipes, sales, thrifty living suggestions and craft ideas. At the fair, she was showing a bunch of home made cleaners and disinfectants. She had directions for making them printed out for fair goers, and also put them out on her blog this week here. She was kind enough to let me share a couple of them with you, but for the other 22 of them, you'll need to visit her blog. When you do, please leave her a comment telling her that you came from If It Hits The Fan.
Homemade insect repellent
If you are making large amounts of insect repellent, a good rule of thumb is to mix the repellent so it's 5-10% essential oil, so mix 1 part essential oil with 10-20 parts carrier oil or alcohol. For a smaller batch use:
Natural Shampoo
Give Blanco's Bows a visit and see if you pick up a couple of tips you can use.
I met a nice lady at the LDS Preparedness Fair last weekend. She runs the blog, Blanco's Bows where she puts up recipes, sales, thrifty living suggestions and craft ideas. At the fair, she was showing a bunch of home made cleaners and disinfectants. She had directions for making them printed out for fair goers, and also put them out on her blog this week here. She was kind enough to let me share a couple of them with you, but for the other 22 of them, you'll need to visit her blog. When you do, please leave her a comment telling her that you came from If It Hits The Fan.
Homemade insect repellent
If you are making large amounts of insect repellent, a good rule of thumb is to mix the repellent so it's 5-10% essential oil, so mix 1 part essential oil with 10-20 parts carrier oil or alcohol. For a smaller batch use:
- 10-25 drops (total) of essential oils
- 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil or alcohol
- cinnamon oil (mosquitoes)
- lemon eucalyptus or regular eucalyptus oil (mosquitoes, ticks, and lice)
- citronella oil (mosquitoes and biting flies)
- castor oil (mosquitoes)
- orange oil (fleas)
- rose geranium (ticks and lice)
- olive oil
- sunflower oil
- coconut oil
- shea butter
- witch hazel
- vodka
Natural Shampoo
- 2 cups liquid Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap (I used the citrus orange)
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Give Blanco's Bows a visit and see if you pick up a couple of tips you can use.
Back To Normal Tonight
Had some unavoidable issues come up the past two evenings and was not able to get any posts up for you. I'll be back tonight with great If It Hits The Fan content.
Thanks for the patience.
Thanks for the patience.
8/12/12
Spend Now - Save Later
Taking Advantage of Opportunities
Many of us use opportunity buys to stock up on food and toiletries. Timing purchases to meet the sale or coupon cycle. If you are in position to take advantage of it, the same principle can used for larger purchases as well.
I visited a friend recently. He's a prepper. A couple of years ago he got tired of spending up to $4,000 a year on propane for his furnace, so he bought a used woodstove and installed it. Since then, he's figured out that he uses about five cords a winter, and maintains a pretty good stack out back. He cuts some deadfall at friend's and family's houses, and buys some from a guy who delivers it in a dump truck. He gets a lot of his exercise cutting and stacking.
He's been paying $180 a cord, but his supplier wanted to get rid of seven cords of last year's wood and let him have it for $100 a cord. It hasn't even finished curing and drying yet, so it will be good to go for at least another couple of years. He had about three cords all stacked up already, so now he has a full two year's worth ready to go. He did some calculations, and this $700 investment means that based on BTUs, the heat that would have cost him $4 with propane is going to cost him 26 cents for the next two years. I know he's glad he was able to take advantage of the opportunity.
While visiting with him, we talked about health and fitness for a while. I'm fighting the battle to get myself back in "fighting" shape, and my friend has really made some positive changes in his levels over the past couple of years. He suggested some supplement packs from GNC that he uses. I went to GNC today and found them with a regular price of $49.99 for 30 days, but on sale for $39.99, a 20% savings. The sale goes until Aug. 27, so here's my plan. I'll start taking them and make sure it all works with me. If everything seems to be going right, on the 27th, I'll go buy two more packs. When those are gone, I'll need to pay full price. But, knowing that they are on sale now, I'm guessing that they go on sale on a regular basis, perhaps every four or six months or so. I'll continue buying, putting aside an extra pack when I can, but when they go on sale I'll be able to by several more. Over the course of a year or so, I'll get to the point where I have plenty put back, and I'll time my purchases to take advantage of the sale cycle. It will ultimately save me $120 a year. Not a tremendous amount, but it's a few extra cans of freeze dried food, some more ammo, or some first aid equipment.
Many of us use opportunity buys to stock up on food and toiletries. Timing purchases to meet the sale or coupon cycle. If you are in position to take advantage of it, the same principle can used for larger purchases as well.
I visited a friend recently. He's a prepper. A couple of years ago he got tired of spending up to $4,000 a year on propane for his furnace, so he bought a used woodstove and installed it. Since then, he's figured out that he uses about five cords a winter, and maintains a pretty good stack out back. He cuts some deadfall at friend's and family's houses, and buys some from a guy who delivers it in a dump truck. He gets a lot of his exercise cutting and stacking.
He's been paying $180 a cord, but his supplier wanted to get rid of seven cords of last year's wood and let him have it for $100 a cord. It hasn't even finished curing and drying yet, so it will be good to go for at least another couple of years. He had about three cords all stacked up already, so now he has a full two year's worth ready to go. He did some calculations, and this $700 investment means that based on BTUs, the heat that would have cost him $4 with propane is going to cost him 26 cents for the next two years. I know he's glad he was able to take advantage of the opportunity.
While visiting with him, we talked about health and fitness for a while. I'm fighting the battle to get myself back in "fighting" shape, and my friend has really made some positive changes in his levels over the past couple of years. He suggested some supplement packs from GNC that he uses. I went to GNC today and found them with a regular price of $49.99 for 30 days, but on sale for $39.99, a 20% savings. The sale goes until Aug. 27, so here's my plan. I'll start taking them and make sure it all works with me. If everything seems to be going right, on the 27th, I'll go buy two more packs. When those are gone, I'll need to pay full price. But, knowing that they are on sale now, I'm guessing that they go on sale on a regular basis, perhaps every four or six months or so. I'll continue buying, putting aside an extra pack when I can, but when they go on sale I'll be able to by several more. Over the course of a year or so, I'll get to the point where I have plenty put back, and I'll time my purchases to take advantage of the sale cycle. It will ultimately save me $120 a year. Not a tremendous amount, but it's a few extra cans of freeze dried food, some more ammo, or some first aid equipment.
8/11/12
Newport News LDS Preparedness Fair
If The LDS Church in Your Area Does One, Take a Bunch of Folks!
Read all the way through for a great discount code from a new friend of If It Hits The Fan.
I went to today's Preparedness Fair at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in Newport News, Va., not really knowing what to expect. All I had seen was a flyer... no website, no personal recommendations... just a flyer. Knowing what the LDS church believes and promotes about preparedness, I figured it would be worth checking out. I thought it might be a similar format to the local Survivor Day seminars I went to last January, with a series of speakers addressing an auditorium. It was much better.
As I pulled in to a full parking lot, I saw part of it roped off with a some folks out there with tables set up and some displays. I hoped that wasn't all there was. I then saw signs pointing inside and when I went in, I was greeted at the lobby by a nice young couple that gave me a door prize ticket. I went into the gymnasium where I saw it ringed with tables and two more rows of tables in the middle. I did the "gun show circuit" and started moving from table to table.
At each table, there was a person or two and some items on display. Most of the tables were staffed by church members with a particular interest or skill in that table's topic. Nobody was selling anything or giving a canned lecture, it was just conversation with questions and each table had a flyer or two to take on that table's subject.
The tables were: Short term food storage, #10 cans canning, Financial preparedness, Water storage, Water purification, Survival Cove Foods, Geneology, Raised bed gardening, Container gardening, Dehydrating, Thrive/Shelf Reliance, Sewing, Red Cross, Police community services, Sheriff's office child fingerprinting, Honeybees, 72-hour kits, Homemade disinfectants and cleaners, Couponing, HAM radio, CERT, Peninsula Agency on Aging, Grain grinding & food canning, EMP events, more 72 hour kits, Family disaster planning, U.S. Coast Guard, Year supply of food storage, Preparing the home for disaster, and Solar cooking and rocket mass stoves.
Outside, displayers featured: Chainsaw safety, Generators and power inverters, Vehicle emergencies and maintenance, Suburban livestock, Sprouting, and alternative cooking devices.
I met some very nice people who just wanted to help their fellow citizens learn and be prepared for disaster. One gentleman I spoke with named Jack Chase had to live with his family for two years on his storage foods back in the early 70s when he was out of work recovering from being stabbed in the gut. He runs a charity called The Needs Network that helps out people with food, clothes and furniture. He also operates Chef Noah and provides a ton of free information on his website and on a CD Rom he was giving out with information such as the LDS Preparedness Manual, the FEMA Are You Ready book, and many other open source documents. I'll be going through the CD Rom looking for information to share with you over the next few days. He also had a couple of toilet paper alcohol stoves out (you can read about them here) He had a penny taped to the lid, and I asked what the significance was, expecting something about the chemical reaction of copper or an old Mormon tradition or something. He does it so that you always have something with which you can pry off the lid... a real "duh" moment for me. Check out both of his sites, The Needs Network and Chef Noah, and please consider making a donation to The Needs Network if you can. I will do so myself.
A couple that had their home 72-hour kit on display was also giving out some things. They had a nice kit showing with all of the basics covered and organized into small, clear bags. Clothes, food, shelter, water purification, first aid etc... They keep it in one of those large plastic military shipping crates. They were giving out little bags with the type of thing that I encourage keeping in your barter larder for charity... hotel soap, tissues, and a toothbrush. They had another bag labeled as the Hy-Pak Crew Pack that has a couple of paper towels, some toilet paper, and some alcohol wipes - the type of thing that a person who has lost everything would be glad to have to "freshen up" a bit after a disaster.
I was particularly interested to meet the folks from Survival Cave Foods (corrected link). Survival Cave is a long term food storage company based right here in Virginia. I had never heard of them before, but I like what I see so far. They had some samples out in one of those triple crock pot things. First was thecream of mushroom broccolli cheese (I need to take getter notes) soup from their freeze dried menu collection. These are a wide variety of entrees, sides, drinks and desserts that are in small serving foil pouches with oxygen absorbers, all stored in stackable square buckets. The soup was pretty tasty, but a little runny - I'd probably use a little less water. In the other two pots were from their canned meat collection. This is ready to eat meat, packed then cooked in the can. It contains nothing except the meat and a touch of salt. If you look at a can of chicken from your grocery store, you'll probably see a lot of things that you can't pronounce and have no idea what they are for. Survival Cave meats have meat and salt... that's it. The juices come from cooking the meat in the can - no water is added. The beef was shredded, and would be ideal for shepherd's pie, pot pie, quesadillas, or other recipes. It was very tasty and great consistency. The chicken was similar. They had spiced it up a bit with a regular old fajita spice and it was also tasty with a great consistency. It would be very nice for a chicken salad recipe.
They had a special promotion going for the fair, and told me that I could share it with you. Go to their site and place your order in the next 13 days, and use the discount code: PLAN and get 10% off your order. Please tell them that you heard about them here at If It Hits The Fan.
This Preparedness Fair was a great way for the LDS folks to introduce prepping to people who may not have put any thought into it yet. During the two hours or so that I was there, there were a couple of hundred people passing through. Give your local LDS church a call and ask if they ever do anything similar. It might even be an opportunity for you to pass on some of your skills or knowledge.
Read all the way through for a great discount code from a new friend of If It Hits The Fan.
I went to today's Preparedness Fair at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in Newport News, Va., not really knowing what to expect. All I had seen was a flyer... no website, no personal recommendations... just a flyer. Knowing what the LDS church believes and promotes about preparedness, I figured it would be worth checking out. I thought it might be a similar format to the local Survivor Day seminars I went to last January, with a series of speakers addressing an auditorium. It was much better.
As I pulled in to a full parking lot, I saw part of it roped off with a some folks out there with tables set up and some displays. I hoped that wasn't all there was. I then saw signs pointing inside and when I went in, I was greeted at the lobby by a nice young couple that gave me a door prize ticket. I went into the gymnasium where I saw it ringed with tables and two more rows of tables in the middle. I did the "gun show circuit" and started moving from table to table.
At each table, there was a person or two and some items on display. Most of the tables were staffed by church members with a particular interest or skill in that table's topic. Nobody was selling anything or giving a canned lecture, it was just conversation with questions and each table had a flyer or two to take on that table's subject.
The tables were: Short term food storage, #10 cans canning, Financial preparedness, Water storage, Water purification, Survival Cove Foods, Geneology, Raised bed gardening, Container gardening, Dehydrating, Thrive/Shelf Reliance, Sewing, Red Cross, Police community services, Sheriff's office child fingerprinting, Honeybees, 72-hour kits, Homemade disinfectants and cleaners, Couponing, HAM radio, CERT, Peninsula Agency on Aging, Grain grinding & food canning, EMP events, more 72 hour kits, Family disaster planning, U.S. Coast Guard, Year supply of food storage, Preparing the home for disaster, and Solar cooking and rocket mass stoves.
Outside, displayers featured: Chainsaw safety, Generators and power inverters, Vehicle emergencies and maintenance, Suburban livestock, Sprouting, and alternative cooking devices.
I met some very nice people who just wanted to help their fellow citizens learn and be prepared for disaster. One gentleman I spoke with named Jack Chase had to live with his family for two years on his storage foods back in the early 70s when he was out of work recovering from being stabbed in the gut. He runs a charity called The Needs Network that helps out people with food, clothes and furniture. He also operates Chef Noah and provides a ton of free information on his website and on a CD Rom he was giving out with information such as the LDS Preparedness Manual, the FEMA Are You Ready book, and many other open source documents. I'll be going through the CD Rom looking for information to share with you over the next few days. He also had a couple of toilet paper alcohol stoves out (you can read about them here) He had a penny taped to the lid, and I asked what the significance was, expecting something about the chemical reaction of copper or an old Mormon tradition or something. He does it so that you always have something with which you can pry off the lid... a real "duh" moment for me. Check out both of his sites, The Needs Network and Chef Noah, and please consider making a donation to The Needs Network if you can. I will do so myself.
A couple that had their home 72-hour kit on display was also giving out some things. They had a nice kit showing with all of the basics covered and organized into small, clear bags. Clothes, food, shelter, water purification, first aid etc... They keep it in one of those large plastic military shipping crates. They were giving out little bags with the type of thing that I encourage keeping in your barter larder for charity... hotel soap, tissues, and a toothbrush. They had another bag labeled as the Hy-Pak Crew Pack that has a couple of paper towels, some toilet paper, and some alcohol wipes - the type of thing that a person who has lost everything would be glad to have to "freshen up" a bit after a disaster.
I was particularly interested to meet the folks from Survival Cave Foods (corrected link). Survival Cave is a long term food storage company based right here in Virginia. I had never heard of them before, but I like what I see so far. They had some samples out in one of those triple crock pot things. First was the
They had a special promotion going for the fair, and told me that I could share it with you. Go to their site and place your order in the next 13 days, and use the discount code: PLAN and get 10% off your order. Please tell them that you heard about them here at If It Hits The Fan.
This Preparedness Fair was a great way for the LDS folks to introduce prepping to people who may not have put any thought into it yet. During the two hours or so that I was there, there were a couple of hundred people passing through. Give your local LDS church a call and ask if they ever do anything similar. It might even be an opportunity for you to pass on some of your skills or knowledge.
8/10/12
News Notes
Is The Revolution Coming?
This Washington Times editorial takes a look at a recently released Army contingency plan for using force against "tea party" activists who have taken over a South Carolina town.
Here is the actual document from the Army's TRADOC command that outlines what they see the Army doing between 2016 and 2028. Part of it specifically deals with "homeland security" actions that are currently outlawed under the Posse Commitatus acts.
Think The Economy Is Getting Better?
Reuters put out this story that reveals that five of the largest banks in the US were told by Federal Reserve regulators to make plans for dealing with their own collapse, without government help. This all came to light from a FOIA request that the Fed answered with more than 5,100 pages of redacted information.
I have a relative that retired as the CEO of a pretty large regional, multi-state bank in another part of the country. In a note, I wished him well in his retirement and semi-tongue in cheek mentioned that it was a good time to get out of the banking business... before the revolution started. I've since heard through second hand information that he and his wife may have left the big city and moved to a very small town in a rural area of another state where they have no familial or other connections. If true, that could be a further indicator that things are much worse than we are led (or allowed) to believe.
Another Mass Killing
I'm sure you know about the 19 Christians that were killed this past Monday as they gathered in the Deeper Life Church for Bible study... by the three men who wielded full-automatic AK47s while a fourth cut the power to the church? Oh, you hadn't heard about it? Neither had I until I stumbled on the story accidentally. Seems it just isn't much of a news story when it happens in Nigeria and it doesn't fit the mold of what "THEY" want us to know.
This Washington Times editorial takes a look at a recently released Army contingency plan for using force against "tea party" activists who have taken over a South Carolina town.
Here is the actual document from the Army's TRADOC command that outlines what they see the Army doing between 2016 and 2028. Part of it specifically deals with "homeland security" actions that are currently outlawed under the Posse Commitatus acts.
Think The Economy Is Getting Better?
Reuters put out this story that reveals that five of the largest banks in the US were told by Federal Reserve regulators to make plans for dealing with their own collapse, without government help. This all came to light from a FOIA request that the Fed answered with more than 5,100 pages of redacted information.
I have a relative that retired as the CEO of a pretty large regional, multi-state bank in another part of the country. In a note, I wished him well in his retirement and semi-tongue in cheek mentioned that it was a good time to get out of the banking business... before the revolution started. I've since heard through second hand information that he and his wife may have left the big city and moved to a very small town in a rural area of another state where they have no familial or other connections. If true, that could be a further indicator that things are much worse than we are led (or allowed) to believe.
Another Mass Killing
I'm sure you know about the 19 Christians that were killed this past Monday as they gathered in the Deeper Life Church for Bible study... by the three men who wielded full-automatic AK47s while a fourth cut the power to the church? Oh, you hadn't heard about it? Neither had I until I stumbled on the story accidentally. Seems it just isn't much of a news story when it happens in Nigeria and it doesn't fit the mold of what "THEY" want us to know.
8/9/12
Gun Stuff
Snake Charmer
Do you remember the Snake Charmer? It was a little single shot .410 shotgun with a black plastic partial stock so that it just barely met the legal minimum length of 26" and the stock had a sliding cover that held four .410 shells at the ready. They used to sell for about $79 and I always thought they were cool, but never got around to getting one. NEF makes one these days, but the stock is different and it just doesn't have the same cool factor for me.
Anyway, yesterday while I was on lunch break from my FEMA class in Norfolk, I stopped in at a nearby gun shop. It was one of those hole in the wall shops that had been there for years, and it looked like the bad neighborhood had grown up around the shop, but the owner was too stubborn to leave. As I looked around the shop, I saw some great used guns, and a small selection of new ones. Throughout the middle of the store was a crazy pile of gun cases, accessories, and other odds and ends. Then I saw it... not the new NEF version, but an original Snake Charmer. He got it down for me and I checked it out. It was in really nice shape, but it didn't have a price tag on it. He pulled up his computer, and at first I assumed he was checking his records, but I later figured he was looking on Auction Arms or a similar site. He then announced the price as $229?!?!?! I told him I'd think about it overnight. I can't imagine he has more than $50 in it and it had been in the shop so long that he had to look it up. I'd have been real tempted to snatch it up for $100 or $125 max, but $229... not a chance. It would be great to have in a scabbard on the side of the lawn tractor.
Top Shot Speaks Out
The winner of last season's Top Shot, Dustin Ellermann, recently put out a great essay on the Texas Fish & Game website on the politics of guns, offering sarcastic advice to politicians and media types who want to ban our guns. Unfortunately, some seem to be taking his advice. Give it a read here.
Do you remember the Snake Charmer? It was a little single shot .410 shotgun with a black plastic partial stock so that it just barely met the legal minimum length of 26" and the stock had a sliding cover that held four .410 shells at the ready. They used to sell for about $79 and I always thought they were cool, but never got around to getting one. NEF makes one these days, but the stock is different and it just doesn't have the same cool factor for me.
Anyway, yesterday while I was on lunch break from my FEMA class in Norfolk, I stopped in at a nearby gun shop. It was one of those hole in the wall shops that had been there for years, and it looked like the bad neighborhood had grown up around the shop, but the owner was too stubborn to leave. As I looked around the shop, I saw some great used guns, and a small selection of new ones. Throughout the middle of the store was a crazy pile of gun cases, accessories, and other odds and ends. Then I saw it... not the new NEF version, but an original Snake Charmer. He got it down for me and I checked it out. It was in really nice shape, but it didn't have a price tag on it. He pulled up his computer, and at first I assumed he was checking his records, but I later figured he was looking on Auction Arms or a similar site. He then announced the price as $229?!?!?! I told him I'd think about it overnight. I can't imagine he has more than $50 in it and it had been in the shop so long that he had to look it up. I'd have been real tempted to snatch it up for $100 or $125 max, but $229... not a chance. It would be great to have in a scabbard on the side of the lawn tractor.
Top Shot Speaks Out
The winner of last season's Top Shot, Dustin Ellermann, recently put out a great essay on the Texas Fish & Game website on the politics of guns, offering sarcastic advice to politicians and media types who want to ban our guns. Unfortunately, some seem to be taking his advice. Give it a read here.
8/8/12
Media Roundup
Useful Apps
I added three free apps to my iPhone today that might be of interest to you.
First is the Alex Jones Show app. I have a long commute each day and typically listen to The Survival Podcast, and recently added Dave Ramsey and Alex Jones to my lineup. Alex Jones is an interesting show. He definitely sees a conspiracy behind every corner and in every shadow... but is he wrong? I think he is on the right track with a lot of things, but carries it over the edge for entertainment purposes... but I really don't know. I wouldn't put it past the powers that be for him to be accurate more often than not. I used to listen to Art Bell on midnight shifts, and Alex Jones kind of reminds me of him in attitude if not in volume and tone. Anyway, the app gives free access to the previous day's radio show, anytime you want to hear it.
Next up, I put on a FEMA app (it's right next to the Alex Jones app - do you think he felt a disturbance in the force when I did that?). The app is pretty basic information, but it would be great for your friends or family that aren't preppers, but you are trying to get them on board. This is a good baby step. The app has disaster safety tips, a list for building a 72 hr. kit, instructions on applying for assistance after a disaster, maps to local emergency shelters, links to FEMA online media, and information on volunteering or donating before or after a disaster.
Finally, I downloaded Relief Central from Unbound Ministries. This app is intended for folks who are going on relief or mission work trips to countries that have been through disaster or other problems. It is also useful for helping prepare for any international travel. It has direct links to the CIA World Factbook, a Field Operations Guide for disaster relief, and the CDC Yellow Book with risks for malaria and yellow fever by country. I don't foresee much use for this for myself, but I have a couple friends currently in other countries who could have made use of it.
I "Heart" Radio is an app I've had for quite a while. It allows you to listen live to many radio stations around the country, or you can set up your own personal "station" with whatever genre of music you happen to favor. I've been using it to listen to the Cigar Dave radio show on Saturdays, but this week found that Dave Ramsey has begun his own channel where the continually rebroadcast the previous day's radio show.
Dillon Blue Press
Do you get the Dillon Blue Press? It is a free digest-sized magazine put out by the Dillon Reloading folks. Most of it is ads for their various great products, but each issue also includes a couple of interesting articles. I got the current issue today and opened it up to find what is probably one of Jerry Ahern's last articles... on the Walther P-38. I learned a few things from it that I didn't know. You can find out more about the Blue Press here.
I added three free apps to my iPhone today that might be of interest to you.
First is the Alex Jones Show app. I have a long commute each day and typically listen to The Survival Podcast, and recently added Dave Ramsey and Alex Jones to my lineup. Alex Jones is an interesting show. He definitely sees a conspiracy behind every corner and in every shadow... but is he wrong? I think he is on the right track with a lot of things, but carries it over the edge for entertainment purposes... but I really don't know. I wouldn't put it past the powers that be for him to be accurate more often than not. I used to listen to Art Bell on midnight shifts, and Alex Jones kind of reminds me of him in attitude if not in volume and tone. Anyway, the app gives free access to the previous day's radio show, anytime you want to hear it.
Next up, I put on a FEMA app (it's right next to the Alex Jones app - do you think he felt a disturbance in the force when I did that?). The app is pretty basic information, but it would be great for your friends or family that aren't preppers, but you are trying to get them on board. This is a good baby step. The app has disaster safety tips, a list for building a 72 hr. kit, instructions on applying for assistance after a disaster, maps to local emergency shelters, links to FEMA online media, and information on volunteering or donating before or after a disaster.
Finally, I downloaded Relief Central from Unbound Ministries. This app is intended for folks who are going on relief or mission work trips to countries that have been through disaster or other problems. It is also useful for helping prepare for any international travel. It has direct links to the CIA World Factbook, a Field Operations Guide for disaster relief, and the CDC Yellow Book with risks for malaria and yellow fever by country. I don't foresee much use for this for myself, but I have a couple friends currently in other countries who could have made use of it.
I "Heart" Radio is an app I've had for quite a while. It allows you to listen live to many radio stations around the country, or you can set up your own personal "station" with whatever genre of music you happen to favor. I've been using it to listen to the Cigar Dave radio show on Saturdays, but this week found that Dave Ramsey has begun his own channel where the continually rebroadcast the previous day's radio show.
Dillon Blue Press
Do you get the Dillon Blue Press? It is a free digest-sized magazine put out by the Dillon Reloading folks. Most of it is ads for their various great products, but each issue also includes a couple of interesting articles. I got the current issue today and opened it up to find what is probably one of Jerry Ahern's last articles... on the Walther P-38. I learned a few things from it that I didn't know. You can find out more about the Blue Press here.
8/7/12
FEMA Ain't All Bad
This Is What FEMA Is Supposed To Do
I spent today in a FEMA class on Public Assistance Eligibility. Back in the day, I always thought of FEMA as the federal agency that served to help local governments get their infrastructure and public operations back up after a massive disaster that overcomes the locality's abilities. Not to pay for uninsured homeowners to get their roof repaired or for a private business to buy a generator after a storm because they are too trifling to get one ahead of time. And certainly not to establish "camps" and manage martial law.
Anyway, this class was for local governments and political entities to learn how to correctly apply for federal assistance in rebuilding destroyed schools, washed out bridges, and overtime and bulldozer rental for debris removal. It was a dry subject but pretty informative and could be useful in my regular job.
The next two days will be classes on Debris Management... wish me luck (and lots of caffeine)!
I spent today in a FEMA class on Public Assistance Eligibility. Back in the day, I always thought of FEMA as the federal agency that served to help local governments get their infrastructure and public operations back up after a massive disaster that overcomes the locality's abilities. Not to pay for uninsured homeowners to get their roof repaired or for a private business to buy a generator after a storm because they are too trifling to get one ahead of time. And certainly not to establish "camps" and manage martial law.
Anyway, this class was for local governments and political entities to learn how to correctly apply for federal assistance in rebuilding destroyed schools, washed out bridges, and overtime and bulldozer rental for debris removal. It was a dry subject but pretty informative and could be useful in my regular job.
The next two days will be classes on Debris Management... wish me luck (and lots of caffeine)!
8/6/12
Prepper Ponderings
Did You Hear About The Latest Mass Shooting?
No, not the one that meets what the media and the powers that be want us to think about mass shootings. The one late Saturday night where a woman tried to gun down a group getting off of a Detroit riverboat casino and only seven people got shot.
The media are spinning the Wisconsin one big time, trying to make hay with it coming on the back of Aurora. I told my wife when it happened that I bet it ended up being a veteran who did not get an honorable discharge, was a racist, and got the Sikhs mixed up with Muslims. The only place I got it wrong was I predicted an "assault weapon," but this freak just used a single 9mm pistol and changed magazines several times. It all seems a little too convenient... a veteran (albeit not a combat vet, and received an other than honorable discharge), so Homeland Security has already said that we are prime candidates for domestic terrorism... a racist, that Southern Poverty Law Center claims to have been tracking for over 10 years, but they base that on his white supremacy rock band that he did not start until 2005 and that "he attempted to make a purchase" from a racist organization before that... he used a "legally purchased" 9mm pistol, despite having a couple of misdemeanor convictions... unlike the Giffords shooting and Aurora, he did not use an "evil, high capacity" 32-rnd Glock magazine, he apparently used several standard capacity magazines, and rapidly changed them - which I'm sure will be spun into the need to include all semi-autos in any future "assault weapon" ban
Maybe I'm paranoid or reading too much into this, but the dots connect. Once is happenstance, twice coincidence, third time is enemy action. Keep alert out there folks and stay vigilant about what is going on in the state house, congress and the White House.
What's Up With The Silly Grip?
Here's a video that the city of Houston has put out about surviving a workplace shooting. I guess the basic information they present is good for the sheep out there who are not prepared, armed, or aware. I don't present it here to give you information. I want you to notice two things... at 59 seconds, the killer simply ignores the sign on the door barring concealed weapons - how dare he? Now he's going to get a trespassing charge slapped on him - that'll teach him... and at 4:32 this new way of carrying a carbine at high ready with the stock barely on the shoulder, no cheek weld, no sight picture, and a loose, limp grasp on the pistol grip. I started seeing this a couple of years ago, but it is becoming more and more prevalent. I asked a friend "in the business" about it today and he had no explanation for why some do it that way.
Surviving Gunshot Wounds
Of all places, Business Insider just had an article on surviving gunshot wounds. It is all in the medical technology and response. One of the few benefits of war is terrific advances in trauma medicine. Ever seen a Civil War doctor's bag? It's no wonder Stonewall Jackson died from getting shot in the arm.
No, not the one that meets what the media and the powers that be want us to think about mass shootings. The one late Saturday night where a woman tried to gun down a group getting off of a Detroit riverboat casino and only seven people got shot.
The media are spinning the Wisconsin one big time, trying to make hay with it coming on the back of Aurora. I told my wife when it happened that I bet it ended up being a veteran who did not get an honorable discharge, was a racist, and got the Sikhs mixed up with Muslims. The only place I got it wrong was I predicted an "assault weapon," but this freak just used a single 9mm pistol and changed magazines several times. It all seems a little too convenient... a veteran (albeit not a combat vet, and received an other than honorable discharge), so Homeland Security has already said that we are prime candidates for domestic terrorism... a racist, that Southern Poverty Law Center claims to have been tracking for over 10 years, but they base that on his white supremacy rock band that he did not start until 2005 and that "he attempted to make a purchase" from a racist organization before that... he used a "legally purchased" 9mm pistol, despite having a couple of misdemeanor convictions... unlike the Giffords shooting and Aurora, he did not use an "evil, high capacity" 32-rnd Glock magazine, he apparently used several standard capacity magazines, and rapidly changed them - which I'm sure will be spun into the need to include all semi-autos in any future "assault weapon" ban
Maybe I'm paranoid or reading too much into this, but the dots connect. Once is happenstance, twice coincidence, third time is enemy action. Keep alert out there folks and stay vigilant about what is going on in the state house, congress and the White House.
What's Up With The Silly Grip?
Here's a video that the city of Houston has put out about surviving a workplace shooting. I guess the basic information they present is good for the sheep out there who are not prepared, armed, or aware. I don't present it here to give you information. I want you to notice two things... at 59 seconds, the killer simply ignores the sign on the door barring concealed weapons - how dare he? Now he's going to get a trespassing charge slapped on him - that'll teach him... and at 4:32 this new way of carrying a carbine at high ready with the stock barely on the shoulder, no cheek weld, no sight picture, and a loose, limp grasp on the pistol grip. I started seeing this a couple of years ago, but it is becoming more and more prevalent. I asked a friend "in the business" about it today and he had no explanation for why some do it that way.
Surviving Gunshot Wounds
Of all places, Business Insider just had an article on surviving gunshot wounds. It is all in the medical technology and response. One of the few benefits of war is terrific advances in trauma medicine. Ever seen a Civil War doctor's bag? It's no wonder Stonewall Jackson died from getting shot in the arm.
8/5/12
Book Review: Holding Their Own
Holding Their Own – A Story of Survival, by Joe Nobody, Prepper Press, 2011 ($14.95)
Joe Nobody is the nom de plume for a survival and preparedness author who has written “Holding Your Ground," (reviewed by me here) "Without Rule of Law,”and “The TEOTWAWKI Tuxedo” non-fiction books. "Holding Their Own" is his first fiction effort.
Here is his bio from his Amazon author’s page:
Joe Nobody (pen name for the author who wishes to keep his identity confidential) has provided systems, consulting and training for the U.S. Army, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Naval Research, United States Border Patrol as well as several private firms and government agencies which cannot be disclosed.
He is currently active in this area and for the security of his family and ongoing business, wishes to remain anonymous.
He has over 30 years of competitive shooting experience, including IPSC, NRA, and other related organizations. He has been a firearms instructor and consultant for over 30 years and holds the rights to a United States Patent for a firearms modification.
Joe initially became involved in helping private citizens "prepare" at the request of his students and clients. A conscientious instructor, he would always inquire as to why they wanted to learn certain skills or techniques and often the response was to prepare for more than just simple home invasion or self-defense. If you ask Joe what his greatest attribute is, he will tell you he is a "problem solver" and uses his formal education in Systems Engineering to this end.
"Holding Their Own" is a in the same line as the classic, "Alas, Babylon;" "One Second After;" and "Patriots". There is a pretty regular guy, a deteriorating world, and the hero becomes more than a regular guy as he leads his family and community through the troubles.
In this story, Bishop is a civilian contractor doing security work for an oil company after a stint in the Army. A crumbling economy is exacerbated by a series of coordinated terrorist attacks on a massive scale that leads the nation into despair and partial anarchy. Bishop and his wife, Terri, first try hunkering down in their Houston neighborhood, but a declaration of martial law leads them to want to bug out to a retreat they have established in the West Texas desert mountains.
Most of the book deals with how they bug out, logistical problems, and good and bad guys that they encounter along the way. In one gunfight, Bishop is seriously wounded and the author does it realistically. In many survival novels, someone gets shot, but as the Black Knight in Monty Python might say, “it’s just a flesh wound.” Bishop actually becomes severely injured and his life is on the line. Fortunately, Terri uses some field medical books and improvised instruments to stabilize him and get him on the road to recovery. In a number of scenes, the author uses real-world information from other resources, as well as things I read about in his “Holding Your Ground” to educate the reader while entertaining.
After a long and arduous journey, Bishop and Terri make it to a small town not too far from their isolated retreat. There, they encounter a group of bandits that has taken up residency in the town and are keeping the citizens on edge. This leads to the end of the novel and sets the stage for "Holding Their Own II – The Independents." I’ll be reviewing that in the coming week for you.
Joe Nobody hit a home run with "Holding Their Own." It is well written, fairly plausible, and keeps the reader turning the pages to see what happens next. On top of that, if you are not careful, you’ll also learn a thing or two that will help you in your own preparedness efforts.
This book was given to me by the publisher to review.
Joe Nobody is the nom de plume for a survival and preparedness author who has written “Holding Your Ground," (reviewed by me here) "Without Rule of Law,”and “The TEOTWAWKI Tuxedo” non-fiction books. "Holding Their Own" is his first fiction effort.
Here is his bio from his Amazon author’s page:
Joe Nobody (pen name for the author who wishes to keep his identity confidential) has provided systems, consulting and training for the U.S. Army, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Naval Research, United States Border Patrol as well as several private firms and government agencies which cannot be disclosed.
He is currently active in this area and for the security of his family and ongoing business, wishes to remain anonymous.
He has over 30 years of competitive shooting experience, including IPSC, NRA, and other related organizations. He has been a firearms instructor and consultant for over 30 years and holds the rights to a United States Patent for a firearms modification.
Joe initially became involved in helping private citizens "prepare" at the request of his students and clients. A conscientious instructor, he would always inquire as to why they wanted to learn certain skills or techniques and often the response was to prepare for more than just simple home invasion or self-defense. If you ask Joe what his greatest attribute is, he will tell you he is a "problem solver" and uses his formal education in Systems Engineering to this end.
"Holding Their Own" is a in the same line as the classic, "Alas, Babylon;" "One Second After;" and "Patriots". There is a pretty regular guy, a deteriorating world, and the hero becomes more than a regular guy as he leads his family and community through the troubles.
In this story, Bishop is a civilian contractor doing security work for an oil company after a stint in the Army. A crumbling economy is exacerbated by a series of coordinated terrorist attacks on a massive scale that leads the nation into despair and partial anarchy. Bishop and his wife, Terri, first try hunkering down in their Houston neighborhood, but a declaration of martial law leads them to want to bug out to a retreat they have established in the West Texas desert mountains.
Most of the book deals with how they bug out, logistical problems, and good and bad guys that they encounter along the way. In one gunfight, Bishop is seriously wounded and the author does it realistically. In many survival novels, someone gets shot, but as the Black Knight in Monty Python might say, “it’s just a flesh wound.” Bishop actually becomes severely injured and his life is on the line. Fortunately, Terri uses some field medical books and improvised instruments to stabilize him and get him on the road to recovery. In a number of scenes, the author uses real-world information from other resources, as well as things I read about in his “Holding Your Ground” to educate the reader while entertaining.
After a long and arduous journey, Bishop and Terri make it to a small town not too far from their isolated retreat. There, they encounter a group of bandits that has taken up residency in the town and are keeping the citizens on edge. This leads to the end of the novel and sets the stage for "Holding Their Own II – The Independents." I’ll be reviewing that in the coming week for you.
Joe Nobody hit a home run with "Holding Their Own." It is well written, fairly plausible, and keeps the reader turning the pages to see what happens next. On top of that, if you are not careful, you’ll also learn a thing or two that will help you in your own preparedness efforts.
This book was given to me by the publisher to review.
8/4/12
Trip To The Farmers' Market
Ashland, Va. Farmers' Market
This morning, we made the trip to the weekly farmers' market in the town of Ashland, about 30 miles from where we live. During the winter, I had visited what they call the renegade or outlaw or something like that market where a couple of meat vendors set up for a few hours every other weekend in the off season. This was my first time going to a full fledged market.
They set up in a small grassy area behind the town hall. There were probably two dozen tents. Most selling your usual tomatoes, squashes and zucchinis, but quite a few had exotics like miniature striped eggplant and giant Iraqi eggplants, different types of squashes, and a number of melons. At some farmers' markets, you get a dude who drives his stakebed pickup down to North Carolina each week and comes back with bushels of green beans and watermelons. At this market, all were locally grown by the people who were selling them.
Several farms had pastured chicken eggs, and others had different meats. We ended up buying a bunch of grassfed, pastured beef, some free range chicken, and a pack of sweet Italian sausages from two different farms. We also got a nice bag of zucchinis and a pack of raspberries. I picked up two sugar baby watermelons, then had to call the police...
You see, back in 98 or 99, when I was living in a rented farmhouse, the landlord lived next door. One day he brought us over two sugar baby watermelons... one for me and one for my roommate. I've never been a huge fan of watermelon and had never even heard of a sugar baby. A couple days later I tried mine and it was the best thing I had tasted in a long time. In fact, I liked it so much I also ate my roommate's. He came home from work that afternoon with a hankering for his sugar baby only to find that I had eaten it. Over the past 13-14 years, we've stayed close friends, but from time to time he jokingly brings up his sugar baby that I stole. Fast forward to today. He is a police officer in Ashland. When I found some nice looking sugar babies, I bought two and the called him on his cell phone to see if he was working this morning. He said he was, so I told him to come by the market because I had something for him. We waited for him at the Jeep, and when he walked up, I thrust a plastic bag holding a melon at him and loudly said, "The feud ends, NOW!" He immediately knew that I bought him a sugar baby, but I imagine to a tongue wagging, small town gossip gal, it might have looked like I was handing a cop a head in a bag and telling him I had killed my neighbor or something. As my wife said when I told her that, it's fun in my world.
Anyway, if you haven't checked out your nearest farmers' market, you ought to give it a try. According to the USDA, last year there were over 7,100 farmers' markets in the US, an increase of 17% from 2010. You can use this search tool to find a market near you with the products you want.
This morning, we made the trip to the weekly farmers' market in the town of Ashland, about 30 miles from where we live. During the winter, I had visited what they call the renegade or outlaw or something like that market where a couple of meat vendors set up for a few hours every other weekend in the off season. This was my first time going to a full fledged market.
They set up in a small grassy area behind the town hall. There were probably two dozen tents. Most selling your usual tomatoes, squashes and zucchinis, but quite a few had exotics like miniature striped eggplant and giant Iraqi eggplants, different types of squashes, and a number of melons. At some farmers' markets, you get a dude who drives his stakebed pickup down to North Carolina each week and comes back with bushels of green beans and watermelons. At this market, all were locally grown by the people who were selling them.
Several farms had pastured chicken eggs, and others had different meats. We ended up buying a bunch of grassfed, pastured beef, some free range chicken, and a pack of sweet Italian sausages from two different farms. We also got a nice bag of zucchinis and a pack of raspberries. I picked up two sugar baby watermelons, then had to call the police...
You see, back in 98 or 99, when I was living in a rented farmhouse, the landlord lived next door. One day he brought us over two sugar baby watermelons... one for me and one for my roommate. I've never been a huge fan of watermelon and had never even heard of a sugar baby. A couple days later I tried mine and it was the best thing I had tasted in a long time. In fact, I liked it so much I also ate my roommate's. He came home from work that afternoon with a hankering for his sugar baby only to find that I had eaten it. Over the past 13-14 years, we've stayed close friends, but from time to time he jokingly brings up his sugar baby that I stole. Fast forward to today. He is a police officer in Ashland. When I found some nice looking sugar babies, I bought two and the called him on his cell phone to see if he was working this morning. He said he was, so I told him to come by the market because I had something for him. We waited for him at the Jeep, and when he walked up, I thrust a plastic bag holding a melon at him and loudly said, "The feud ends, NOW!" He immediately knew that I bought him a sugar baby, but I imagine to a tongue wagging, small town gossip gal, it might have looked like I was handing a cop a head in a bag and telling him I had killed my neighbor or something. As my wife said when I told her that, it's fun in my world.
Anyway, if you haven't checked out your nearest farmers' market, you ought to give it a try. According to the USDA, last year there were over 7,100 farmers' markets in the US, an increase of 17% from 2010. You can use this search tool to find a market near you with the products you want.
8/3/12
August Specials
Help Support If It Hits The Fan
When you buy from Emergency Essentials, I'd really appreciate it if you would use the link on their ad in the top right of the blog here. Doing so will get me a small commission and not cost you anything extra. It's a win for both of us!
I got the August Emergency Essentials catalog in the mail today, and they have some great deals.
Provident Pantry Freeze Dried Strawberry Slices $14.99 ($14.49 for 6 or more)
Katadyn Combi Micro Filter $149.99 (31% off regular price) - I've had a regular Combi Filter for about 15 years and love it. Easy to use and great tasting, pure clean water when out in the boonies.
Several different brands and flavors of emergency food bars (sometime called lifeboat bars) for about a third off
Great savings on metalized storage bags, Gamma Seal bucket lids and oxygen absorbers are all marked down
The AutoBuddy Emergency Light is over half off -I did a review of this cool product back in December of 2010 - the current sale price is even lower than it cost back then.
Quick Clot in two different sizes are on sale - I had to do an unexpected review of Quick Clot in Oct. of 2011 when I cut the tip of my thumb off with a mandoline slicer.
If you are getting ready to start canning your harvest, they have several different stainless steel canning pots on sale
There are plenty of other great things on sale this month. Use my link and see if they have anything you need for your larder. Thanks!
When you buy from Emergency Essentials, I'd really appreciate it if you would use the link on their ad in the top right of the blog here. Doing so will get me a small commission and not cost you anything extra. It's a win for both of us!
I got the August Emergency Essentials catalog in the mail today, and they have some great deals.
Provident Pantry Freeze Dried Strawberry Slices $14.99 ($14.49 for 6 or more)
Katadyn Combi Micro Filter $149.99 (31% off regular price) - I've had a regular Combi Filter for about 15 years and love it. Easy to use and great tasting, pure clean water when out in the boonies.
Several different brands and flavors of emergency food bars (sometime called lifeboat bars) for about a third off
Great savings on metalized storage bags, Gamma Seal bucket lids and oxygen absorbers are all marked down
The AutoBuddy Emergency Light is over half off -I did a review of this cool product back in December of 2010 - the current sale price is even lower than it cost back then.
Quick Clot in two different sizes are on sale - I had to do an unexpected review of Quick Clot in Oct. of 2011 when I cut the tip of my thumb off with a mandoline slicer.
If you are getting ready to start canning your harvest, they have several different stainless steel canning pots on sale
There are plenty of other great things on sale this month. Use my link and see if they have anything you need for your larder. Thanks!
8/2/12
Ernesto, Mi Amigo
![[Image of 5-day forecast and coastal areas under a warning or a watch]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_ubMjOY7f4MV0pa1xHON6TCgSunWXqO1KZdSTWdPsv82UX3tUtWT4hVPaMFwGuDjsUYBymTDhg6iY8ptbzpfTqO6eEg1GPq1HSoXoGOyZBkVyJiEAdTfenpgAJBQWbYTcEiwOw1DL2INGxYRJbnk_GOYwz7fv-xMaiC=s0-d)
He's Developing Faster Than Expected
Well, it's that time of year again for those of us in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast U.S. - Hurricanes are coming. Ernesto was Tropical Depression 5, and was expected to become a tropical storm this weekend. He's developed quicker, and looks to be a full blown hurricane by Monday. He doesn't look like much of a threat to the U.S., but we really won't know if he'll head up through the Gulf until later.
So it's hurricane season... it happens every year. If you are prepared in general, you really don't need to do anything specific for hurricane season. If there is a storm heading for your area in a couple of days, you need to do some last minute things such as securing lawn furniture, cleaning gutters, and topping off fuel supplies, but the biggest priority for the whole season is just staying aware.
I check the National Hurricane Center every couple of days until a Tropical Depression forms, then I check daily or more frequently depending on where it is.
I work in a coastal city, and just picked up one of the local TV station's annual giveaway hurricane guide at a grocery store down there. It's a free 20 page magazine with checklists, storm planning and response information, a tracking chart, evacuation routes, flood maps, and advertisements for various businesses that might be of interest to someone prepping for a hurricane. I'm sure stations in most hurricane areas produce something similar.
My wife found a new app today that looks to be a good thing to have. The Red Cross has developed this Hurricane App for iPhone and Android. I just tried to download it on my iPhone, but it needs iOS 4.3 and I don't have that. I need to mess around with the phone to update the iOS.
The Red Cross App has information here... and includes these features
- One touch “I’m safe” messaging that allows users to broadcast reassurance to family and friends via social media outlets that they are out of harm’s way
- Location-based NOAA weather alerts for the United States and its territories users can share on social networks
- Remote monitoring of personalized weather alerts where family and friends reside
- Locations of open Red Cross shelters
- Simple steps and checklists people can use to create a family emergency plan
- Preloaded content that gives users instant access to critical action steps even without mobile connectivity
- Toolkit with flashlight, strobe light and audible alarm
- Badges users can earn through interactive quizzes and share on social networks
8/1/12
What Would Happen...
...If Half The Country Lost Power?
Did you see the story about the two massive power outages in India the other day? India has about 1.2 billion people, and over half of them, 670 million, were without power. Reports today indicate that the failure was the result of a "technical snag" and infrastructure being "a mess."
Irrespective of the cause, what would happen if 150 million Americans lost power, even if just for a few days? That would be roughly the states along the East Coast and the Great Lakes... centers of finance, government, media and manufacturing. Plenty of dense, heavily populated metropolitan areas, but also lots rural agricultural land.
I would imagine that the folks reading If It Hits The Fan would easily be able to make it through three or four days without power. But what about the people in those cities, and the cascading effects on the economy from everything being shut down? What about the groceries that would be lost in the stores? The lack of information from the local radio and TV stations not being able to maintain generated power that long? People unable to access ATMs or credit card machines... Restaurants being unable to cook food... Gas stations being unable to pump food... Public works, garbage trucks, police cars and fire trucks being unable to refuel or maintain communications without fuel for backup generators... Airports shutting down... Schools and businesses shutting down... Alarm systems being down... Hospitals running out of backup generator fuel...
When I posed this question on Facebook, a couple of folks said they would just Bug In and ride it out. I really don't know any other way. I'd run our generators (very secured) and with satellite TV, we could get information from outside of the affected area. I would be very concerned about crime, but much more so if we were closer in to the city. Out here in the country, it would still be a threat, but we would be home and I don't see this situation spawning roving hordes getting this far... they'd be to busy in the city.
I don't think this scenario is very far fetched. There have been widespread power outages in the US before, just not THAT wide... but as interconnected as the national grid is, it could happen. For the prepared, it would not be that much different than a regular multi-day outage from a storm or something. For the unprepared, it would cause panic and overreaction because of the loss of services and lack of information.
Just another thing to consider as we prepare.
Did you see the story about the two massive power outages in India the other day? India has about 1.2 billion people, and over half of them, 670 million, were without power. Reports today indicate that the failure was the result of a "technical snag" and infrastructure being "a mess."
Irrespective of the cause, what would happen if 150 million Americans lost power, even if just for a few days? That would be roughly the states along the East Coast and the Great Lakes... centers of finance, government, media and manufacturing. Plenty of dense, heavily populated metropolitan areas, but also lots rural agricultural land.
I would imagine that the folks reading If It Hits The Fan would easily be able to make it through three or four days without power. But what about the people in those cities, and the cascading effects on the economy from everything being shut down? What about the groceries that would be lost in the stores? The lack of information from the local radio and TV stations not being able to maintain generated power that long? People unable to access ATMs or credit card machines... Restaurants being unable to cook food... Gas stations being unable to pump food... Public works, garbage trucks, police cars and fire trucks being unable to refuel or maintain communications without fuel for backup generators... Airports shutting down... Schools and businesses shutting down... Alarm systems being down... Hospitals running out of backup generator fuel...
When I posed this question on Facebook, a couple of folks said they would just Bug In and ride it out. I really don't know any other way. I'd run our generators (very secured) and with satellite TV, we could get information from outside of the affected area. I would be very concerned about crime, but much more so if we were closer in to the city. Out here in the country, it would still be a threat, but we would be home and I don't see this situation spawning roving hordes getting this far... they'd be to busy in the city.
I don't think this scenario is very far fetched. There have been widespread power outages in the US before, just not THAT wide... but as interconnected as the national grid is, it could happen. For the prepared, it would not be that much different than a regular multi-day outage from a storm or something. For the unprepared, it would cause panic and overreaction because of the loss of services and lack of information.
Just another thing to consider as we prepare.
7/31/12
Monthly Task Reminders
Tomorrow's The First Of The Month
Have you...
Test run your generator?
Rotated you gasoline stores?
Tested your smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors?
Checked your household and vehicle fire extinguishers?
Given your dog his heart worm pill and flea/tick treatment?
Changed your HVAC filters?
Test run all your small engine equipment?
Checked the tires, belts, hoses and filters on your vehicles?
Thanks For A Record Month!
Thanks to all who stopped by for the first time and then stuck around! July of 2012 was our best month ever with over 16,200 visits. We also are at 667 Facebook fans. My readers are the best!
Have you...
Test run your generator?
Rotated you gasoline stores?
Tested your smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors?
Checked your household and vehicle fire extinguishers?
Given your dog his heart worm pill and flea/tick treatment?
Changed your HVAC filters?
Test run all your small engine equipment?
Checked the tires, belts, hoses and filters on your vehicles?
Thanks For A Record Month!
Thanks to all who stopped by for the first time and then stuck around! July of 2012 was our best month ever with over 16,200 visits. We also are at 667 Facebook fans. My readers are the best!
7/30/12
Free Gun & Gear Giveaways
.300 Blackout Upper
The .300 Blackout is the latest and greatest in AR15 technology. The .300 round is essentially a 5.56 that has been necked down and out to take a 200+ grain .30 caliber bullet. This gives you roughly 7.62x51 ballistics with everything except the barrel and chamber the same as standard 5.56 ARs. I've fondled one, but have yet to shoot it (hopefully after the state rifle range reopens in Sept.).
The gang at gun review website, http://www.fourguysguns.com/ are giving away a .300 Blackout upper, along with a bunch of other great gear. Go to thier website and follow the instructions (you need to have a Facebook account) and enter once a day.
Riot Shotgun
Grim Industry is giving away a riot gun. Go to their Facebook page and follow the instructions to enter.
Massive Gear Collection
ISurvivedTheZombies is giving away a huge collection of gear to celebrate reaching 10,000 fans on Facebook. Go to their FB page to enter.
If you are on FB, there are always great gear giveaways going on. Of course, don't forget to like If It Hits The Fan's FB page. I'm planning a giveaway when we reach 750 and 1,000 fans, so please tell your friends too!
The .300 Blackout is the latest and greatest in AR15 technology. The .300 round is essentially a 5.56 that has been necked down and out to take a 200+ grain .30 caliber bullet. This gives you roughly 7.62x51 ballistics with everything except the barrel and chamber the same as standard 5.56 ARs. I've fondled one, but have yet to shoot it (hopefully after the state rifle range reopens in Sept.).
The gang at gun review website, http://www.fourguysguns.com/ are giving away a .300 Blackout upper, along with a bunch of other great gear. Go to thier website and follow the instructions (you need to have a Facebook account) and enter once a day.
Riot Shotgun
Grim Industry is giving away a riot gun. Go to their Facebook page and follow the instructions to enter.
Massive Gear Collection
ISurvivedTheZombies is giving away a huge collection of gear to celebrate reaching 10,000 fans on Facebook. Go to their FB page to enter.
If you are on FB, there are always great gear giveaways going on. Of course, don't forget to like If It Hits The Fan's FB page. I'm planning a giveaway when we reach 750 and 1,000 fans, so please tell your friends too!
7/29/12
Prepper Ponderings
More Jerry Ahern
I thought I'd pass on some links to other tributes or past interviews with Jerry.
Modern Survival Online Interview
Brian Drake Interview
Survival Weekly Tribute
K9 First Aid
Two weeks ago, our dog, Louis, was in the back yard with me when I noticed he was carrying is left rear leg up and "tri-podding." He's limped in the past, so we didn't think too much of it, and gave him a baby aspirin for a couple of days. When it didn't get any better I took him to the vet where he was diagnosed with a torn ACL. We had a choice of keeping him crated and off of it for months, and probable healing after 6 - 8 months, or going in for surgery with a healing time of 2 - 3 months and much less confinement.
This past Tuesday, he went in for the surgery and about $1,000 later, is pretty pitiful right now. It got me to thinking, what would we have done if we were in the middle of a long term SHTF situation? If it was a more personal one, and we couldn't afford it or if it was a widespread one and there just wasn't major medical treatment available? Louis is not only a beloved family pet, but he is also a part of our home's defense, serving as an alarm for people coming on the property.
Merck has two free on-line manuals. One for pet owners and one for veterinarians. Might be a good idea to download or print out some of the pertinent sections. Does anyone have any other free or low-cost resources?
A Classic Title Returns
So I'm pushing my cart (the small cart without a baby seat - but that's another story) through the Food Lion and as I passed the magazine rack, I had to do a double take. There it was, a blast from the past, American Survival Guide. ASG was a staple of my youth, from the early 80's up through Y2K before the magazine went out of business. I was even a photographer and uncredited co-writer for an article in the mid 90s.
The new ASG is put out by Gun World magazine, and other than the title seems to have no relation to the original. It looks like it is starting off as a quarterly, and the cover price is $8.99. It's very glossy and many of the articles and features are set up with lots of graphics, bullet points, and smaller sub-articles... very much like a Men's Health or similar magazine. Sections include Urban, Wilderness and General Preparedness, along with a number of Buyer's Guides and some columns. The only name I recognize among the editorial staff and contributors is Cody Lundin. I have an original ASG with an article about Cody and his aboriginal survival school in Arizona.
I haven't done more than skim the magazine yet, but will give it a thorough reading this week. I really hope it lives up the name, American Survival Guide, and that it becomes a regular, monthly magazine. If it is well done, there will be a market for it.
I thought I'd pass on some links to other tributes or past interviews with Jerry.
Modern Survival Online Interview
Brian Drake Interview
Survival Weekly Tribute
K9 First Aid
Two weeks ago, our dog, Louis, was in the back yard with me when I noticed he was carrying is left rear leg up and "tri-podding." He's limped in the past, so we didn't think too much of it, and gave him a baby aspirin for a couple of days. When it didn't get any better I took him to the vet where he was diagnosed with a torn ACL. We had a choice of keeping him crated and off of it for months, and probable healing after 6 - 8 months, or going in for surgery with a healing time of 2 - 3 months and much less confinement.
This past Tuesday, he went in for the surgery and about $1,000 later, is pretty pitiful right now. It got me to thinking, what would we have done if we were in the middle of a long term SHTF situation? If it was a more personal one, and we couldn't afford it or if it was a widespread one and there just wasn't major medical treatment available? Louis is not only a beloved family pet, but he is also a part of our home's defense, serving as an alarm for people coming on the property.
Merck has two free on-line manuals. One for pet owners and one for veterinarians. Might be a good idea to download or print out some of the pertinent sections. Does anyone have any other free or low-cost resources?
A Classic Title Returns
So I'm pushing my cart (the small cart without a baby seat - but that's another story) through the Food Lion and as I passed the magazine rack, I had to do a double take. There it was, a blast from the past, American Survival Guide. ASG was a staple of my youth, from the early 80's up through Y2K before the magazine went out of business. I was even a photographer and uncredited co-writer for an article in the mid 90s.
The new ASG is put out by Gun World magazine, and other than the title seems to have no relation to the original. It looks like it is starting off as a quarterly, and the cover price is $8.99. It's very glossy and many of the articles and features are set up with lots of graphics, bullet points, and smaller sub-articles... very much like a Men's Health or similar magazine. Sections include Urban, Wilderness and General Preparedness, along with a number of Buyer's Guides and some columns. The only name I recognize among the editorial staff and contributors is Cody Lundin. I have an original ASG with an article about Cody and his aboriginal survival school in Arizona.
I haven't done more than skim the magazine yet, but will give it a thorough reading this week. I really hope it lives up the name, American Survival Guide, and that it becomes a regular, monthly magazine. If it is well done, there will be a market for it.
7/28/12
Book Review: Unbroken
Unbroken - A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand
Unbroken is not survival fiction. There are no zombies, EMPs, or an economic collapse. There are two nuclear explosions. This is the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic track star was in a B-24 crash in the Pacific, survived 47 days adrift in a life raft before being captured by the Japanese. He was held as a special, unregistered prisoner of war for over two years, and subjected to unbelievable torture and deprivations.
The book is well written, and is a true page turner as exciting as any adventure novel. I knocked out the roughly 400 hardbound pages in about 5 nights of reading in bed. It was really hard to put down. As a prepper, the biggest message I got out of this book is that the human spirit is probably your most important survival tool. All the guns, gear, food and stuff will be useless if you lose the will to go on.
I'm not going to go into the story itself, to do so would really take away from it. Just suffice it to say that what Louie went through was truly amazing, and I highly recommend this book.
Two Other WWII Survival Stories
One reason that Unbroken resonated so greatly with me was that I used to know two men who's combined experiences were similar to Louie's.
When I was a kid, my folks had a friend named Jaguar John. He was a free spirit, a WWII veteran with a shady past, a wild mane of gray hair and a beard, a talent for abstract art, a wooden leg, and, as his name suggests, a penchant for classic Jaguar cars. Jaguar John was larger than life and his story would make a great book or movie. He lost his leg as a tailgunner in a Pacific bomber, and spent several days adrift in a raft. Some years later, in the late 50s or early 60s, he supposedly escaped from a Mexican jail after being locked up down there for being engaged in the business of... "herbal" remedies. He left behind a mint condition antique Jaguar in a Mexican garage.
We had a sailboat when I was a kid, and I remember one Independence Day, probably '78 or '79, and we had about 20 people on our boat, sailing alongside a friend who had another 25 or so on his boat. Keep in mind that both boats were under sail, and probably 50-75 feet apart. I was up on the forward deck with several folks, including Jaguar John. All of a sudden, that crazy son of a gun stands up, pulls off his wooden leg and hands it to me. He then stripped naked and dove into the bay. He swam across to the other boat and grabbed ahold to a line that was tossed down to him, climbed aboard and popped open another cold beer. That's the type of thing that really makes an impression on a 10 year old kid.
We had a local Saturday morning kid's show here called "Jack and the Jukebox." A little educational, a little entertaining... an aging hippie with his anthropomorphic jukebox taught kids life lessons. Imagine my surprise one morning to turn on "Jack" and see my pal, Jaguar John as the special guest, playing his harmonica with Jack. Jaguar John's hard living caught up to him and he has been dead for many years now.
The other man was a former co-worker, Bill Delaney. I once wrote an article for our department newsletter about Bill, a Marine veteran of WWII and Korea. Wish I could still get my hands on it.
Bill was captured by the Japanese in the Philippines and was in the lesser-known Second Bataan Death March in May of '42. He survived the forced march with his fellow Marines being bayoneted for sport, and head shot for falling behind. On the ship to Japan, he was on deck trying to signal to US planes that Americans were on board in hopes of not being sunk. Once in Japan, he was subjected to beatings, starvation diet, constant illness, and being slave labor in a Mitsubishi factory. Bill was about 6'4" and when he was freed at the end of the war, he weighed about 90 pounds. Bill recovered and stayed in the Corps, later serving as a Drill Instructor on Parris Island and going to war again in Korea where he survived the "Frozen Chosin" Chosin Reservoir campaign. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Bill worked another full career in the post office. After his second retirement, he worked part time for us watching camera monitors. Bill folded his long, lanky frame into a VW Beetle, but refused to drive a Japanese car. Last I heard, he and his wife moved to Florida, and I would guess he has probably passed away by now.
Louis Zamperini, Jaguar John, and Bill Delaney... three men of the Greatest Generation who used their mental toughness and spirit as the ultimate survival tool in circumstances that most of us couldn't even imagine.
Unbroken is not survival fiction. There are no zombies, EMPs, or an economic collapse. There are two nuclear explosions. This is the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic track star was in a B-24 crash in the Pacific, survived 47 days adrift in a life raft before being captured by the Japanese. He was held as a special, unregistered prisoner of war for over two years, and subjected to unbelievable torture and deprivations.
The book is well written, and is a true page turner as exciting as any adventure novel. I knocked out the roughly 400 hardbound pages in about 5 nights of reading in bed. It was really hard to put down. As a prepper, the biggest message I got out of this book is that the human spirit is probably your most important survival tool. All the guns, gear, food and stuff will be useless if you lose the will to go on.
I'm not going to go into the story itself, to do so would really take away from it. Just suffice it to say that what Louie went through was truly amazing, and I highly recommend this book.
Two Other WWII Survival Stories
One reason that Unbroken resonated so greatly with me was that I used to know two men who's combined experiences were similar to Louie's.
When I was a kid, my folks had a friend named Jaguar John. He was a free spirit, a WWII veteran with a shady past, a wild mane of gray hair and a beard, a talent for abstract art, a wooden leg, and, as his name suggests, a penchant for classic Jaguar cars. Jaguar John was larger than life and his story would make a great book or movie. He lost his leg as a tailgunner in a Pacific bomber, and spent several days adrift in a raft. Some years later, in the late 50s or early 60s, he supposedly escaped from a Mexican jail after being locked up down there for being engaged in the business of... "herbal" remedies. He left behind a mint condition antique Jaguar in a Mexican garage.
We had a sailboat when I was a kid, and I remember one Independence Day, probably '78 or '79, and we had about 20 people on our boat, sailing alongside a friend who had another 25 or so on his boat. Keep in mind that both boats were under sail, and probably 50-75 feet apart. I was up on the forward deck with several folks, including Jaguar John. All of a sudden, that crazy son of a gun stands up, pulls off his wooden leg and hands it to me. He then stripped naked and dove into the bay. He swam across to the other boat and grabbed ahold to a line that was tossed down to him, climbed aboard and popped open another cold beer. That's the type of thing that really makes an impression on a 10 year old kid.
We had a local Saturday morning kid's show here called "Jack and the Jukebox." A little educational, a little entertaining... an aging hippie with his anthropomorphic jukebox taught kids life lessons. Imagine my surprise one morning to turn on "Jack" and see my pal, Jaguar John as the special guest, playing his harmonica with Jack. Jaguar John's hard living caught up to him and he has been dead for many years now.
The other man was a former co-worker, Bill Delaney. I once wrote an article for our department newsletter about Bill, a Marine veteran of WWII and Korea. Wish I could still get my hands on it.
Bill was captured by the Japanese in the Philippines and was in the lesser-known Second Bataan Death March in May of '42. He survived the forced march with his fellow Marines being bayoneted for sport, and head shot for falling behind. On the ship to Japan, he was on deck trying to signal to US planes that Americans were on board in hopes of not being sunk. Once in Japan, he was subjected to beatings, starvation diet, constant illness, and being slave labor in a Mitsubishi factory. Bill was about 6'4" and when he was freed at the end of the war, he weighed about 90 pounds. Bill recovered and stayed in the Corps, later serving as a Drill Instructor on Parris Island and going to war again in Korea where he survived the "Frozen Chosin" Chosin Reservoir campaign. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Bill worked another full career in the post office. After his second retirement, he worked part time for us watching camera monitors. Bill folded his long, lanky frame into a VW Beetle, but refused to drive a Japanese car. Last I heard, he and his wife moved to Florida, and I would guess he has probably passed away by now.
Louis Zamperini, Jaguar John, and Bill Delaney... three men of the Greatest Generation who used their mental toughness and spirit as the ultimate survival tool in circumstances that most of us couldn't even imagine.
7/26/12
Guest Post: Food Storage
A Guest Post from Harper
Food Storage for a Safe, Worry-Free Future
Having a food supply in case of emergency or hard times is essential in the world today. There is so much uncertainty about the future. You can never know when a natural disaster, major war, crop failure, economic collapse or other calamity will strike, affecting you and your family. The only thing you can do is be prepared. Let’s face it, we are currently living in a world of peace and plenty. You have no trouble accessing food and other basic needs. But this could change suddenly. Times could truly get hard, and the best thing you could do now is be prepared.
Let’s face it, having an adequate supply of food storage in case of an emergency is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Our current climate of prosperity, peace, and plenty is tenuous and fragile at best. It is foolish to assume that nothing bad will ever happen. Think about it. What would happen if a large-scale disaster closed the supermarkets where you live? How long would you be able to feed yourself and the other members of your family? How long would you last? What would you do if help didn’t come for months?
These are not far-fetched, purely hypothetical questions. Natural disasters, economic crises, and violent wars frequently thrust millions of people into these conditions. Disasters of this magnitude occur virtually every year, and you never know who will be affected next.
Various government agencies recommend having a food storage supply of up to one year for your family, in case of a truly cataclysmic local or world event. Of course, it is very difficult to purchase six months or an entire year’s supply of food all at once. The best way to prepare yourself for the worst is to prepare consistently and gradually. You can gradually build up your food storage supplies to safe levels in a matter of months or years, depending on your circumstances. For example, one can easily acquire a year’s supply of food storage in only six years by buying a month’s worth of food storage every six months. In matters as important as an emergency food supply, constant, consistent preparation is best.
There are many places to buy good, long-lasting food storage products. One that I recommend is shelfreliance.com. Shelf Reliance sells high quality, flavorful food with an extremely long shelf life. They also sell food storage organizers and rotation systems, as well as emergency preparedness kits packed with supplies that are essential during a short-term natural disaster such as a flood, hurricane, or minor earthquake. Shelf reliance is also an excellent choice because 5% of the company’s food storage profits go to charity, helping starving people all around the globe.
No one knows what the future holds. If hard times should come, do not be among those who wish they had done more to prepare. Don’t let your family go hungry. Be prepared. Begin collecting food stores now. Ensure your family’s safety no matter what happens.
Food Storage for a Safe, Worry-Free Future
Having a food supply in case of emergency or hard times is essential in the world today. There is so much uncertainty about the future. You can never know when a natural disaster, major war, crop failure, economic collapse or other calamity will strike, affecting you and your family. The only thing you can do is be prepared. Let’s face it, we are currently living in a world of peace and plenty. You have no trouble accessing food and other basic needs. But this could change suddenly. Times could truly get hard, and the best thing you could do now is be prepared.
Let’s face it, having an adequate supply of food storage in case of an emergency is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Our current climate of prosperity, peace, and plenty is tenuous and fragile at best. It is foolish to assume that nothing bad will ever happen. Think about it. What would happen if a large-scale disaster closed the supermarkets where you live? How long would you be able to feed yourself and the other members of your family? How long would you last? What would you do if help didn’t come for months?
These are not far-fetched, purely hypothetical questions. Natural disasters, economic crises, and violent wars frequently thrust millions of people into these conditions. Disasters of this magnitude occur virtually every year, and you never know who will be affected next.
Various government agencies recommend having a food storage supply of up to one year for your family, in case of a truly cataclysmic local or world event. Of course, it is very difficult to purchase six months or an entire year’s supply of food all at once. The best way to prepare yourself for the worst is to prepare consistently and gradually. You can gradually build up your food storage supplies to safe levels in a matter of months or years, depending on your circumstances. For example, one can easily acquire a year’s supply of food storage in only six years by buying a month’s worth of food storage every six months. In matters as important as an emergency food supply, constant, consistent preparation is best.
There are many places to buy good, long-lasting food storage products. One that I recommend is shelfreliance.com. Shelf Reliance sells high quality, flavorful food with an extremely long shelf life. They also sell food storage organizers and rotation systems, as well as emergency preparedness kits packed with supplies that are essential during a short-term natural disaster such as a flood, hurricane, or minor earthquake. Shelf reliance is also an excellent choice because 5% of the company’s food storage profits go to charity, helping starving people all around the globe.
No one knows what the future holds. If hard times should come, do not be among those who wish they had done more to prepare. Don’t let your family go hungry. Be prepared. Begin collecting food stores now. Ensure your family’s safety no matter what happens.
7/25/12
Tribute to Jerry Ahern
Rest in Peace, Jerry... and Thanks for Decades of Great Writing
Back in the early 80's, there were two writers that really got me in to survivalism. One was Mel Tappan with his tome, Survival Guns, which I checked out of the library dozens of times over several years. The other was Jerry Ahern, best known as the author of the series of novels, The Survivalist.
The Survivalist was "men's adventure," science fiction, and survival skills training all rolled into one. Jerry wrote as someone who truly understood the guns and gear that his vivid characters used. The protagonist, John Thomas Rourke, was instantly recognizable with his Ray-Ban Aviators, blue chambray shirt, blue jeans, USGI leather combat boots and battered, leather bomber jacket. In his double Alessi shoulder rig, Rourke carried a pair of twin Detonics Combat Masters with extra mags on his belt in a Milt Sparks Six-Pack and in the musette bag slung over his shoulder. The Metalifed and Mag-na-ported Colt Python on his hip was joined by the A.G. Russel black chrome Sting 1A at the small of his back. He rode a black Harley Davidson Low-Rider and told time with a Rolex Submariner. Rourke was everything a teen aged boy could hope to be... doctor, CIA agent, survival expert... with unbelievable skills. Jerry could spin a heck of a good yarn with amazing descriptions and details.
I devoured The Survivalist stories as they came out for well over a decade. To this day, I still have part of the series and reread them every now and then.
Jerry also authored dozens of other novels, both series and one-offs. He was a prolific magazine writer, with thousands of articles in gun, survival and knife magazines, as well as a monthly column in the Dillon Blue Press.
Among his more recent books were the time-travel adventure, "Written In Time" and the how-to book, "Survive!: The Disaster Crisis and Emergency Handbook."
In the past couple of years, I got to know Jerry a little bit on Facebook where he interacted with folks on his personal page, as well as in a group dedicated to fans of The Survivalist. A few months ago, his daughter came on his page and told everyone that Jerry had taken ill, but that he was fighting. Today his family announced that yesterday he lost his battle with cancer. He taught thousands how to survive everything from a flood to a nuclear war, but he met his match. I always meant to see if I could send him a couple of books to autograph, but I never got around to it. I really wish I had.
Jerry was devoted to his family, including his wife of 43 years, Sharon. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. The survival/prepper community has lost a legendary leader, but they have lost a loved one. I thank them for sharing him with us for so many years and for the positive influance he has had on the past 30 years of my life.
Jerry's Obituary
Send a Message to the Family
 |
| Jerry Ahern 1946-2012 |
Back in the early 80's, there were two writers that really got me in to survivalism. One was Mel Tappan with his tome, Survival Guns, which I checked out of the library dozens of times over several years. The other was Jerry Ahern, best known as the author of the series of novels, The Survivalist.
The Survivalist was "men's adventure," science fiction, and survival skills training all rolled into one. Jerry wrote as someone who truly understood the guns and gear that his vivid characters used. The protagonist, John Thomas Rourke, was instantly recognizable with his Ray-Ban Aviators, blue chambray shirt, blue jeans, USGI leather combat boots and battered, leather bomber jacket. In his double Alessi shoulder rig, Rourke carried a pair of twin Detonics Combat Masters with extra mags on his belt in a Milt Sparks Six-Pack and in the musette bag slung over his shoulder. The Metalifed and Mag-na-ported Colt Python on his hip was joined by the A.G. Russel black chrome Sting 1A at the small of his back. He rode a black Harley Davidson Low-Rider and told time with a Rolex Submariner. Rourke was everything a teen aged boy could hope to be... doctor, CIA agent, survival expert... with unbelievable skills. Jerry could spin a heck of a good yarn with amazing descriptions and details.
I devoured The Survivalist stories as they came out for well over a decade. To this day, I still have part of the series and reread them every now and then.
Jerry also authored dozens of other novels, both series and one-offs. He was a prolific magazine writer, with thousands of articles in gun, survival and knife magazines, as well as a monthly column in the Dillon Blue Press.
Among his more recent books were the time-travel adventure, "Written In Time" and the how-to book, "Survive!: The Disaster Crisis and Emergency Handbook."
In the past couple of years, I got to know Jerry a little bit on Facebook where he interacted with folks on his personal page, as well as in a group dedicated to fans of The Survivalist. A few months ago, his daughter came on his page and told everyone that Jerry had taken ill, but that he was fighting. Today his family announced that yesterday he lost his battle with cancer. He taught thousands how to survive everything from a flood to a nuclear war, but he met his match. I always meant to see if I could send him a couple of books to autograph, but I never got around to it. I really wish I had.
Jerry was devoted to his family, including his wife of 43 years, Sharon. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. The survival/prepper community has lost a legendary leader, but they have lost a loved one. I thank them for sharing him with us for so many years and for the positive influance he has had on the past 30 years of my life.
Jerry's Obituary
Send a Message to the Family
7/24/12
Another Free Book
Disaster Ready People
This company, Firestorm, is a business continuity consulting firm, that also promotes personal disaster preparedness and planning.
On their website, they offer a free download of their book, Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America. I have not had a chance to read it, but after a quick skim, it looks like good, basic introductory information for a novice or beginning prepper, or for a good way to introduce the subject to friends and family.
This company, Firestorm, is a business continuity consulting firm, that also promotes personal disaster preparedness and planning.
On their website, they offer a free download of their book, Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America. I have not had a chance to read it, but after a quick skim, it looks like good, basic introductory information for a novice or beginning prepper, or for a good way to introduce the subject to friends and family.
7/23/12
New Documents in the Library
More Free Library Resources
I've added some new documents to the Library Resource page.
In the Terrorism Awareness and Defense section, I've added a Dept. of Homeland Security document entitled, Performance Venues: Indicators of Violence and Protective Measures. This document has been out for a while, but DHS just republicized it in response to the Aurora theater killings. Not a whole lot of useful information in it, but you might glean a nugget or two. If your boss at work expresses concern about planning for an active shooter, then you can give him this and look like Johnny on the spot.
I've added a section entitled Crime Prevention and put the first document in it, The Little Black Book of Scams. This booklet was put out by our friends from the Great White North in Canada. It outlines different mail, internet and phone scams that are out there. It would be great to print and share with that older relative who might be a prime candidate to be a scam victim.
In the General Preparedness Information section I've updated the link for the latest edition of the LDS Preparedness Manual. It is newly updated and expanded with tons of great information. It has some LDS theological information in it, but the vast majority of it is useful to any (or even no) religion. This is the only link on the Library Resources Page that goes to a site that I do not control.
Free Herb Book
I found this fee guide to herbal medicinals today thanks to Survival Mom. It is available as a free Kindle download on Amazon. You don't need a Kindle, you can download a Kindle reader app to your smart phone, iPad, or regular computer. I've started skimming it, and it looks like a really useful guide... and you can't beat the price. I don't know how long it will be free, so snap it up ASAP!
I've added some new documents to the Library Resource page.
In the Terrorism Awareness and Defense section, I've added a Dept. of Homeland Security document entitled, Performance Venues: Indicators of Violence and Protective Measures. This document has been out for a while, but DHS just republicized it in response to the Aurora theater killings. Not a whole lot of useful information in it, but you might glean a nugget or two. If your boss at work expresses concern about planning for an active shooter, then you can give him this and look like Johnny on the spot.
I've added a section entitled Crime Prevention and put the first document in it, The Little Black Book of Scams. This booklet was put out by our friends from the Great White North in Canada. It outlines different mail, internet and phone scams that are out there. It would be great to print and share with that older relative who might be a prime candidate to be a scam victim.
In the General Preparedness Information section I've updated the link for the latest edition of the LDS Preparedness Manual. It is newly updated and expanded with tons of great information. It has some LDS theological information in it, but the vast majority of it is useful to any (or even no) religion. This is the only link on the Library Resources Page that goes to a site that I do not control.
Free Herb Book
I found this fee guide to herbal medicinals today thanks to Survival Mom. It is available as a free Kindle download on Amazon. You don't need a Kindle, you can download a Kindle reader app to your smart phone, iPad, or regular computer. I've started skimming it, and it looks like a really useful guide... and you can't beat the price. I don't know how long it will be free, so snap it up ASAP!
7/22/12
Some New Friends
More Blogs To Check Out
There are a ton of prepper/self-reliance/survival blogs and websites out there. Most of us don't have the luxury of time enough to check out dozens of them each day. I have a few that I visit nearly every day, and a handful more that I check out every week or so. There are a bunch of others that I look at every now and then.
I really hope that If It Hits The Fan is one of your daily, or at least weekly visits. Here are a couple more sites that I have recently become acquainted with that you ought to check out and see if they meet your needs.
Backdoor Survival is done by Gaye, up in the San Juan Islands region of Washington state. She offers a lot of great information from a woman's perspective, but plenty that is also of use to men. One of her recent posts that I have enjoyed reading is "Getting Started With Handguns Is Not For Wimps."
Off-Grid Survival is by Rob, a guy experienced in wilderness survival, HAM radio, and the martial arts. He has a great layout to his site, and a combination of his own articles and news links. I enjoyed his recent post on "Flash Mobs."
I've added both of these to my "Links I Like" page.
Why Have We Developed A Passive Society
This morning Prison Planet (Alex Jones' site) had a great editorial on the passivity of the crowd in the Aurora theater massacre.
Call For Guest Posts
As I mentioned last night, I'd love to get some guest posts from anyone who has attended any type of survival training or school, telling us about it and reviewing it in case some other readers might want to attend. I'd also like to get guest posts from anyone who has attended an Appleseed event or who has used the services of an LDS Cannery. If you'd like to write up your experiences about these (or really, any other subject that you think our readers might enjoy - product or gun reviews, how you became a prepper, how you set up your BOB or BOV, etc...) please send them to me here.
There are a ton of prepper/self-reliance/survival blogs and websites out there. Most of us don't have the luxury of time enough to check out dozens of them each day. I have a few that I visit nearly every day, and a handful more that I check out every week or so. There are a bunch of others that I look at every now and then.
I really hope that If It Hits The Fan is one of your daily, or at least weekly visits. Here are a couple more sites that I have recently become acquainted with that you ought to check out and see if they meet your needs.
Backdoor Survival is done by Gaye, up in the San Juan Islands region of Washington state. She offers a lot of great information from a woman's perspective, but plenty that is also of use to men. One of her recent posts that I have enjoyed reading is "Getting Started With Handguns Is Not For Wimps."
Off-Grid Survival is by Rob, a guy experienced in wilderness survival, HAM radio, and the martial arts. He has a great layout to his site, and a combination of his own articles and news links. I enjoyed his recent post on "Flash Mobs."
I've added both of these to my "Links I Like" page.
Why Have We Developed A Passive Society
This morning Prison Planet (Alex Jones' site) had a great editorial on the passivity of the crowd in the Aurora theater massacre.
Call For Guest Posts
As I mentioned last night, I'd love to get some guest posts from anyone who has attended any type of survival training or school, telling us about it and reviewing it in case some other readers might want to attend. I'd also like to get guest posts from anyone who has attended an Appleseed event or who has used the services of an LDS Cannery. If you'd like to write up your experiences about these (or really, any other subject that you think our readers might enjoy - product or gun reviews, how you became a prepper, how you set up your BOB or BOV, etc...) please send them to me here.
7/21/12
One For The Ladies
Women's Outdoor Weekend
I was asked to share this information with you all. I don't know these folks personally, and have no first hand experience with them. This course looks like it would be very interesting for a woman who is gaining an interest in the outdoors or wilderness survival. Looking at their website, it looks like they have a ton of experience to share and pass on.
Their website is at TrackingSurvival.com Edited to give a better website: http://www.trackingsurvival.com/W.%20O.%20W..htm
If any of you go to this class (or any other survival school, firearms course, etc...) I'd love to get a guest post from you reviewing the course and sharing your new found knowledge.
I was asked to share this information with you all. I don't know these folks personally, and have no first hand experience with them. This course looks like it would be very interesting for a woman who is gaining an interest in the outdoors or wilderness survival. Looking at their website, it looks like they have a ton of experience to share and pass on.
Their website is at TrackingSurvival.com Edited to give a better website: http://www.trackingsurvival.com/W.%20O.%20W..htm
If any of you go to this class (or any other survival school, firearms course, etc...) I'd love to get a guest post from you reviewing the course and sharing your new found knowledge.
7/20/12
Sheepdogs
Could It Be Prevented?
I'd first like to offer up prayers to the victims and their families in the Aurora theater attack. I pray the wounded can find strength and healing and that the families of those killed can find peace.
This type of attack cannot be prevented. The threat of a determined lone killer cannot be eliminated in advance. He CAN be stopped. The number of victims CAN be minimized.
I'm not going to sit here and claim that one armed citizen WOULD have saved lives and prevented dozens of injuries. But I will guarantee that one COULD have.
Sheepdogs, Sheep and Wolves
I have had the honor of hearing Lt. Col. Dave Grossman speak on two different occasions. If you are not familiar with him, he is the author of On Killing, a study of the psychology of killing... both the kind perpetrated by evil doers and that done by the protectors.
Col. Grossman promotes the idea of the sheepdog...
I'd first like to offer up prayers to the victims and their families in the Aurora theater attack. I pray the wounded can find strength and healing and that the families of those killed can find peace.
This type of attack cannot be prevented. The threat of a determined lone killer cannot be eliminated in advance. He CAN be stopped. The number of victims CAN be minimized.
I'm not going to sit here and claim that one armed citizen WOULD have saved lives and prevented dozens of injuries. But I will guarantee that one COULD have.
Sheepdogs, Sheep and Wolves
I have had the honor of hearing Lt. Col. Dave Grossman speak on two different occasions. If you are not familiar with him, he is the author of On Killing, a study of the psychology of killing... both the kind perpetrated by evil doers and that done by the protectors.
Col. Grossman promotes the idea of the sheepdog...
"One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: 'Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident...Then there are the wolves,' the old war veteran said, 'and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy.' Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? ...You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial...Then there are sheepdogs,' he went on, 'and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.'"
Col. Grossman further promotes the idea that those who are sheepdogs, whether by nature or by training, have a duty to carry the tools to be an effective protector. It is immoral to be able to protect, but to be unwilling to do so.
If you are legally able to carry a gun in public, don't you have the moral obligation to do so to protect yourself, your family, and other innocents if possible? You may not have an opportunity to engage the target, but you might.
Attacks can happen anywhere at any time. We can't hide out and never go in a public place. The best we can do is stay aware of our surroundings, leave a dangerous or questionable situation if we can, and fight back with explosive violence if we need to.
Be a sheepdog.
7/19/12
Big Brother Is Up
Did The Balloon Go Up?
Today I went to day one of a two day homeland security symposium. It was pretty interesting, and I'll share some of what I learn this weekend.
When I got there, I saw this overhead
Skynet sound familiar? That's the name of the artificial intelligence that ends up taking over the world, enslaving humans, and sending the Terminator back in time to kill Sarah Connor. The company wouldn't have done that on purpose... would they?
Today I went to day one of a two day homeland security symposium. It was pretty interesting, and I'll share some of what I learn this weekend.
When I got there, I saw this overhead
Of course, my immediate thought was that "the balloon went up" and the SHTF. Then I figured that we were on a college campus, so it was probably something to do with a new student ort or something.
But then, inside the symposium, I'm checking out the vendors and sponsors and I see these
Seems that the innocent looking balloon was actually an unmanned aerial surveillance device.
It will broadcast images for 10 hours by battery, or indefinitely while tethered to power. The images were not great, jumping as the balloon was buffeted by the wind, but it could zoom in pretty tight. The images were also in black and white, and almost appeared to be like looking through some night vision.
Edited 7/20/12 - I got this shot today, it seems as if the camera can take high res color shots as well
But the point isn't how good they are, it is the fact that there is yet another method of keeping an eye on folks. I could see legitimate use for this type of thing at a state fair or a festival or something where they could use it for crowd safety and management. I could also see some illegal search and seizure uses for it. Got a tall privacy fence so folks can't see into your property from the road? They could just launch this over your land and take a peek while you are at work. Maybe you have a long wooded driveway and no trespassing signs, but no fence. They could send this up to see what you are up to. Yeah, it is a balloon, and a well placed piece of lead will probably bring it down, but I imagine they'll have some law on the books to really hammer you if you do that.
Perhaps the most disturbing thing about it is the name of the company.
Skynet sound familiar? That's the name of the artificial intelligence that ends up taking over the world, enslaving humans, and sending the Terminator back in time to kill Sarah Connor. The company wouldn't have done that on purpose... would they?
7/18/12
News Notes
Storage Food Smack Down
I got an email last night from a public relations firm discussing a new study released by Mountain House that allegedly showed that their products had far less oxygen in them than Wise Food Storage products. The email had a chart and everything.
Now, for a time in my misspent youth, I studied advertising and PR in college and did an internship with a marketing firm. I looked at this information from that standpoint... Why were they focusing solely on Wise? Why not look at other storage food manufacturers? Who did the testing, and what is their background? Why test (or report) only on oxygen levels? Was this comparing apples to apples or to oranges? In short, it just struck me as "funny."
Two of my sponsors, Directive 21 and Essential Packs, are Wise Food Storage dealers. I gave Jeff "The Berkey Guy" Gleason of Directive 21 a call, and he told me that Wise had responded and that he had the information on the blog at his site. Instead of me interviewing him and redoing what has already been done, I'll just link to the information that he posted, which includes the press releases both from Mountain House and from Wise. I'd encourage you to check out the information for yourself. As for me, I have some Wise in my food storage and I plan to have more in the future.
Crazy Critters
It's been bad enough lately that we've had to be on the lookout for face eating bath salt zombies, but there has been a rash of bizarre animal attacks over the past couple days too.
Maryland woman attacked by rabid deer
Oregon man gets the plague from a cat
Virginia girls attacked by a beaver
Alligator on the loose in Detroit River
SC Wind Tunnel
This giant wind tunnel in South Carolina is used to subject building materials and styles to simulated natural disasters ranging from hurricanes to fires to hail storms.
I got an email last night from a public relations firm discussing a new study released by Mountain House that allegedly showed that their products had far less oxygen in them than Wise Food Storage products. The email had a chart and everything.
Now, for a time in my misspent youth, I studied advertising and PR in college and did an internship with a marketing firm. I looked at this information from that standpoint... Why were they focusing solely on Wise? Why not look at other storage food manufacturers? Who did the testing, and what is their background? Why test (or report) only on oxygen levels? Was this comparing apples to apples or to oranges? In short, it just struck me as "funny."
Two of my sponsors, Directive 21 and Essential Packs, are Wise Food Storage dealers. I gave Jeff "The Berkey Guy" Gleason of Directive 21 a call, and he told me that Wise had responded and that he had the information on the blog at his site. Instead of me interviewing him and redoing what has already been done, I'll just link to the information that he posted, which includes the press releases both from Mountain House and from Wise. I'd encourage you to check out the information for yourself. As for me, I have some Wise in my food storage and I plan to have more in the future.
Crazy Critters
It's been bad enough lately that we've had to be on the lookout for face eating bath salt zombies, but there has been a rash of bizarre animal attacks over the past couple days too.
Maryland woman attacked by rabid deer
Oregon man gets the plague from a cat
Virginia girls attacked by a beaver
Alligator on the loose in Detroit River
SC Wind Tunnel
This giant wind tunnel in South Carolina is used to subject building materials and styles to simulated natural disasters ranging from hurricanes to fires to hail storms.
7/17/12
A Look Back In Time
Survival Self-Test
I was going through some old survival magazines today, and thought it might be fun to do the Survival Self-Test from the November 1983 issue of Survival Guide (the predecessor of American Survival Guide).
1. In fitting an axe handle to an axe head, you should use:
a. soft pine wedges and boiled linseed oil.
b. wood screws and epoxy glue.
c. bolts and glycerin.
d. oak wedges and water.
2. At 0 degrees Fahrenheit and wind velocity of 40 mph, the wind chill is:
a. -3 degrees F.
b. -5 degrees F.
c -35 degrees F.
d. -53 degrees F.
3. In a beehive, the super is:
a. where the queen lays eggs.
b. where workers make honey, but the queen is excluded.
c. where drones live until they fertilize a new queen.
d. where the new queen is reared to maturity.
4. When practicing practical pistol shooting, fire:
a. only one round at each target you engage.
b. two rounds at each target you engage.
c. three rounds at each target you engage.
d. four rounds at each target you engage.
5. Hiding keys outside your home:
a. helps prevent lockouts.
b. should be done carefully.
c. is an invitation to burglars.
d. will fool burglars.
6. In a tactical situation where silence is required, the hand signal "thumbs up" means:
a. yes or affirmative.
b. no or negative.
c. look or observe.
d. hear or listen.
7. The best emergency treatment for minor frostbite:
a. is to rub the affected area with leaves.
b. is to rub the affected area with snow.
c. is to thaw the affected area with 105 - 110 degree F water.
d. is to bundle the affected area in warm woolens.
8. In an urban survival situation:
a. you are in no danger from an attack launched from hundreds of yards away.
b. you have plenty of time to escape and hide.
c. you may be threatened by long-range weapons and have no time to hide.
d. looters will always be bound by the Geneva Convention.
9. You are driving through an unfamiliar big city. You should:
a. keep your windows rolled down so you can ask directions.
b. keep packages visible on the seat so you won't lose them.
c. keep your doors and windows locked.
d. keep your lights on to prevent accidents.
10. You are forced into hand-to-hand combat with an adversary. You should immediately attempt to land a blow on:
a. his groin.
b. his jaw.
c. his eyes.
d. his nose.
11. Hypoxia is a lack of sufficient oxygen available to the body cells. It is most commonly accompanied by:
a. sweating and increased breathing rate.
b. light-headedness, dizziness, tingling and warm sensations.
c. all of the above.
d. none of the above.
12. In weatherman's parlance, a trough is:
a. an elongated area of high atmospheric pressure, extending from the center of a high pressure system.
b. an elongated area of low atmospheric pressure, extending from the center of a low pressure system.
c. an elongated area of low atmospheric pressure, extending from the center of a high pressure system.
d. an elongated area of high atmospheric pressure, extending from the center of a low pressure system.
13. Radiation sickness:
a. makes infections more likely and harder to treat.
b. kills viruses and bacteria, so infections are less likely.
c. is always fatal.
d. is more harmful to adults than to children.
14. Alpha, beta and gamma carotene:
a. are radioactive particles.
b. are measurable with a dosimeter.
c. cannot be detected in humans.
d. are provitamins that may be converted into vitamin A in the body.
15. The best way to win a fight is to:
a. avoid it.
b. employ superior firepower.
c. use sniping and stealth tactics.
d. surround the enemy.
16. Fungi in stored grain:
a. is harmless to humans.
b. indicates poor storage conditions.
c. has no effect on pigs and chickens that eat it.
d. does not attack the germ.
17. A woman who lives in an apartment alone should:
a. list her last name and initial of her first name in the telephone directory.
b. open the door when the doorbell rings.
c. get on an elevator with a strange man.
d. not carry a weapon.
18. Skunk cabbage is:
a. totally inedible.
b. poisonous.
c. a natural herb, good for hay fever.
d. a provider of edible roots.
19. The Soviet Kalashnikov automatic rifle will accept:
a. American .223 ammo.
b. American .30-06 ammo.
c. Israeli 9mm ammo.
d. Egyptian 7.62 ammo.
20. If you are fishing in the ocean and catch a spiny fish, you should:
a. handle it with care.
b. not touch it as those spines may be poisonous.
c. carefully skin the fish, avoiding the spines.
d. throw it back.
Answers
1 - A
2 - D
3 - B
4- B
5 - C
6 - A
7 - C
8 - C
9 - C
10 - D
11-C
12 - B
13 - A
14 - D
15 - A
16 - B
17 - A
18 - D
19 - D
20 - B
How'd you do?
In other 1983 news...
The H&K 94A3 (semi-auto version of the MP5 submachine gun) got a great review. The Man-Pack was a portable solar panel that folded down to 9 x 5 inches and would provide 800 milliamps at 13 volts. It cost a mere $795 (a similar, but more efficient and smaller product is available these days for $149). There is an interesting article on the storage life of various medications. Need to tune up your Mini-14? They've got the scoop for you. There's a piece of feral dogs. For wilderness survival skills, there is a cool way to make a "hot rock bed." The back cover ad is for the H&K P7 pistol, with a MSRP of $599. A quick check of GunsAmerica finds several available for between $1,150 and $1,250. Looks like solar technology would have been an awful investment, but quality firearms always are. And no look at an old magazine would be complete without a comment on how cool (or unusual) the old ads were.
I was going through some old survival magazines today, and thought it might be fun to do the Survival Self-Test from the November 1983 issue of Survival Guide (the predecessor of American Survival Guide).
1. In fitting an axe handle to an axe head, you should use:
a. soft pine wedges and boiled linseed oil.
b. wood screws and epoxy glue.
c. bolts and glycerin.
d. oak wedges and water.
2. At 0 degrees Fahrenheit and wind velocity of 40 mph, the wind chill is:
a. -3 degrees F.
b. -5 degrees F.
c -35 degrees F.
d. -53 degrees F.
3. In a beehive, the super is:
a. where the queen lays eggs.
b. where workers make honey, but the queen is excluded.
c. where drones live until they fertilize a new queen.
d. where the new queen is reared to maturity.
4. When practicing practical pistol shooting, fire:
a. only one round at each target you engage.
b. two rounds at each target you engage.
c. three rounds at each target you engage.
d. four rounds at each target you engage.
5. Hiding keys outside your home:
a. helps prevent lockouts.
b. should be done carefully.
c. is an invitation to burglars.
d. will fool burglars.
6. In a tactical situation where silence is required, the hand signal "thumbs up" means:
a. yes or affirmative.
b. no or negative.
c. look or observe.
d. hear or listen.
7. The best emergency treatment for minor frostbite:
a. is to rub the affected area with leaves.
b. is to rub the affected area with snow.
c. is to thaw the affected area with 105 - 110 degree F water.
d. is to bundle the affected area in warm woolens.
8. In an urban survival situation:
a. you are in no danger from an attack launched from hundreds of yards away.
b. you have plenty of time to escape and hide.
c. you may be threatened by long-range weapons and have no time to hide.
d. looters will always be bound by the Geneva Convention.
9. You are driving through an unfamiliar big city. You should:
a. keep your windows rolled down so you can ask directions.
b. keep packages visible on the seat so you won't lose them.
c. keep your doors and windows locked.
d. keep your lights on to prevent accidents.
10. You are forced into hand-to-hand combat with an adversary. You should immediately attempt to land a blow on:
a. his groin.
b. his jaw.
c. his eyes.
d. his nose.
11. Hypoxia is a lack of sufficient oxygen available to the body cells. It is most commonly accompanied by:
a. sweating and increased breathing rate.
b. light-headedness, dizziness, tingling and warm sensations.
c. all of the above.
d. none of the above.
12. In weatherman's parlance, a trough is:
a. an elongated area of high atmospheric pressure, extending from the center of a high pressure system.
b. an elongated area of low atmospheric pressure, extending from the center of a low pressure system.
c. an elongated area of low atmospheric pressure, extending from the center of a high pressure system.
d. an elongated area of high atmospheric pressure, extending from the center of a low pressure system.
13. Radiation sickness:
a. makes infections more likely and harder to treat.
b. kills viruses and bacteria, so infections are less likely.
c. is always fatal.
d. is more harmful to adults than to children.
14. Alpha, beta and gamma carotene:
a. are radioactive particles.
b. are measurable with a dosimeter.
c. cannot be detected in humans.
d. are provitamins that may be converted into vitamin A in the body.
15. The best way to win a fight is to:
a. avoid it.
b. employ superior firepower.
c. use sniping and stealth tactics.
d. surround the enemy.
16. Fungi in stored grain:
a. is harmless to humans.
b. indicates poor storage conditions.
c. has no effect on pigs and chickens that eat it.
d. does not attack the germ.
17. A woman who lives in an apartment alone should:
a. list her last name and initial of her first name in the telephone directory.
b. open the door when the doorbell rings.
c. get on an elevator with a strange man.
d. not carry a weapon.
18. Skunk cabbage is:
a. totally inedible.
b. poisonous.
c. a natural herb, good for hay fever.
d. a provider of edible roots.
19. The Soviet Kalashnikov automatic rifle will accept:
a. American .223 ammo.
b. American .30-06 ammo.
c. Israeli 9mm ammo.
d. Egyptian 7.62 ammo.
20. If you are fishing in the ocean and catch a spiny fish, you should:
a. handle it with care.
b. not touch it as those spines may be poisonous.
c. carefully skin the fish, avoiding the spines.
d. throw it back.
Answers
1 - A
2 - D
3 - B
4- B
5 - C
6 - A
7 - C
8 - C
9 - C
10 - D
11-C
12 - B
13 - A
14 - D
15 - A
16 - B
17 - A
18 - D
19 - D
20 - B
How'd you do?
In other 1983 news...
The H&K 94A3 (semi-auto version of the MP5 submachine gun) got a great review. The Man-Pack was a portable solar panel that folded down to 9 x 5 inches and would provide 800 milliamps at 13 volts. It cost a mere $795 (a similar, but more efficient and smaller product is available these days for $149). There is an interesting article on the storage life of various medications. Need to tune up your Mini-14? They've got the scoop for you. There's a piece of feral dogs. For wilderness survival skills, there is a cool way to make a "hot rock bed." The back cover ad is for the H&K P7 pistol, with a MSRP of $599. A quick check of GunsAmerica finds several available for between $1,150 and $1,250. Looks like solar technology would have been an awful investment, but quality firearms always are. And no look at an old magazine would be complete without a comment on how cool (or unusual) the old ads were.
7/16/12
Disaster Preparedness Fair
Free For Folks In The Tidewater Area of Virginia
I saw this flyer today advertising a free Disaster Preparedness Fair that the LDS church is putting on in Newport News, Virginia on Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
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In addition to free admission they will have door prizes. Topics covered include: 72-hour Emergency Kits; Long & Short Term Food Storage; Water Storage & Purification; Family Disaster Plans; Canning/Preserving; Gardening; Suburban Livestock; First Aid; Couponing; Document Handling; Financial Preparedness; Cooking & Lighting w/o Power; Generators; and Outdoor Demonstrations
It looks like they have some great topics, and a little more focused on overall self-sufficiency and preparedness than the county "Survivor Day" seminar that I went to this past winter.
I'm planning to attend with an old friend. I'd love to meet some If It Hits The Fan readers if you are in the area and will also attend. I'll bring it up again when we are a couple of days out. I've tried calling the church for a website or contact person or something, but no one answered. I'll keep trying and see if I can donate a couple of our If It Hits The Fan Survival Wrist Straps to the door prizes.
I saw this flyer today advertising a free Disaster Preparedness Fair that the LDS church is putting on in Newport News, Virginia on Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
It looks like they have some great topics, and a little more focused on overall self-sufficiency and preparedness than the county "Survivor Day" seminar that I went to this past winter.
I'm planning to attend with an old friend. I'd love to meet some If It Hits The Fan readers if you are in the area and will also attend. I'll bring it up again when we are a couple of days out. I've tried calling the church for a website or contact person or something, but no one answered. I'll keep trying and see if I can donate a couple of our If It Hits The Fan Survival Wrist Straps to the door prizes.
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