Q: What gold coins to buy? American Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, Chinese Panda, other?
A: Stick with the Eagles and Maple Leafs, their quality is high, and their acceptance level in the Americas is nearly universal--and this makes them easily exchanged. The South African Krugerrand is also well known and accepted, but to a lesser extent.
Q: Is jewelry a good buy?
A: I don’t buy jewelry for this reason: you’re paying for craftsmanship, not metal. When selling, expect to take a 20-80% hit when selling as metal.
Q: How do you make colloidal silver with silver coins?
A: I wouldn’t do it with coins, it blackens the silver (from oxidization) and makes its appearance poor.
I did make some colloidal silver water one time though, and I did it using a silver bullion round. I used a power supply that I think was used for a radio that converted 110VAC to about 9VDC by taking the output power wires, stripping the ends to accept alligator clips which were then attached to the bullion round. I then suspended the round in some distilled water in a large glass container (alligator clips above water), plugged in the power supply, and let it do its thing for about 12 hour.
Collapse Investing
by Doug Bell
The US National Debt is (officially guestimated anyway) $15 trillion, excluding intra-government holdings, (or $4.4 trillion). The U.S. Government takes in 60% of what it spends, and borrows the other 40%. That can’t, and won’t last long before the system collapses. Now if you are like me, you have read all the various books that are supposed to provide you with “THE SECRET” of how to survive the coming economic collapse/disaster/revolution/etc. Some of these were written back in the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, Y2K, or currently just out, and it is amazing to me how The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) will be totally bloodless and peaceful; at least according to these writers. Well, to be fair, these writers are basing their predictions on the Great Depression here in the U.S. and the German Great Depression where, yes, it was fairly calm and people still went to work.
I however, am basing my predictions on every time there has been a black-out/power outage in any major U.S. city in the last 40 years, any time some group feels “their” sports team didn’t do as well as they thought it should, or any time a group doesn’t like a court decision (Rodney King and OJ Simpson leap to mind), and they take to the streets to riot, burn and loot. In Greece the younger citizens didn’t say, “Well I guess we’ve got to tighten our belts”, they rioted and burned until the Greek Government finally had to put them down forcefully.
So what do I recommend for when the economic house of cards is collapsing around our heads? Well, first of all, no matter what happens, shelter, food and water come first, so it is always a good idea to have a three month supply of food on hand, and if possible, I recommend enough food, of the type you normally eat, for a year or more for each person. Plant a garden using heirloom plants so you can save the seeds from year to year. At least a gallon of water per day per person for at least a month, more is better. No matter what happens, you will need to eat, drink and produce more food to survive. Also since you will use these items anyway, you are not pouring good money down a “survivalist rat hole” where it will disappear forever.
What else would be a good short term SHTF investment? Well looking at the various disasters around the country/world, alcohol (booze) is always a viable trade item, as is tobacco (SHTF is no time to have a nicotine fit). Soap (which you can make yourself, so don’t think you will be the “Soap King” as one “survivalist” thought he would be, until I pointed that out to him), diapers, pens, pencils, paper are always in demand too. So much for short term emergency investing, what about long term?
Since you might well be without electricity, and since hand tools are always needed at the best of times, that’s next. A good set of high quality hand tools of all kinds are always helpful. Note: I said a GOOD SET of HIGH QUALITY tools. I once bought a cheap tire iron that had a “lifetime warranty” on it. I went to work on my old truck and bent the tire iron into a pretzel. So I took it back to the store and got a new one, which folded up like wet newspaper, and got another one, which twisted into a screw. This time when I want back, the woman behind the counter said: “You know, when my husband wants tools, he goes to Sears... Here’s your money back.” Sure there are better tools, at much higher prices than what Sears sells, but get the best you can and TRY them! If they break or wear out quickly, replace them while you still can and get quality tooling. By the way, Sears looks like it might not be around too much longer. The holding company of Sears and K-Mart is in bad shape, so if you want some Craftsman tools, you better buy now.
Self defense is next, and that means firearms. So what sort of firearms do you need? Well, in my opinion, you need a total of six firearms to ‘do it all’. A full-power battle rifle in .30-06, .308/7.62x51 NATO, 7mm or 8mm Mauser, .303 British, 7.62x54R, and so on, such as the M1 ‘Garand’ Rifle, M1A1/M14, FN-FAL, SMLE, Mauser, Mosin-Nagant, etc., etc. A carbine (so called “assault weapon”) in 7.62x39 or 223 Rem/5.56 NATO such as the AK-47, SKS, or AR-15. A good 20 gauge or 12 gauge shotgun,such as the Remington 870, Winchester 1200/1300, or Ithaca 37/87. A center-fire handgun in .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9mm Luger, such as the ‘Colt’ 1911/.45 Automatic and copies, Browning Hi-Power/P-35 and copies, Beretta 92 and copies, and various .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special/Magnum or .45 Colt revolvers. A good .22 rifle (too many good ones to mention) and a .22 handgun to match your center-fire handgun.
As to ammunition, I recommend at least 1,000 rounds PER FIREARM. More is better. There is no such thing as “too much ammo”. In fact I recommend that if it comes down to a choice of fewer guns and more ammunition, I go for more ammunition every time. Why? Simple, after any fight, guns will be piled up like cord wood and ammunition will be rarer than chickens with fangs. There is a name for a gun without ammunition... It’s called a “club’’! Also ammunition does NOT go down in value if cared for properly. In 2004 ammunition prices were 25% of what they are now.
Still not sure what to buy as far as guns and ammo or where to start? Well look at it like this, almost every household in the U.S. has a .22 rim-fire of some type in it. I bet even your anti-gun neighbor has a .22 stashed under the bed. So start there, get a good .22 rifle and LOTS of .22 ammunition. The .22 has the advantage of being (both firearms and ammunition) fairly inexpensive. .22 ammunition doesn’t cost a lot, doesn’t take up much room and is always in demand in every country in the world, so buying as much .22 ammunition as you can (5,000 rounds minimum, 10,000 is better) isn’t a bad idea. Recoil is non-existent with a .22 firearm, the noise from firing (called muzzle blast) is not excessive, although I HIGHLY recommend eye and hearing protection be used when firing ANY firearm, so learning to shoot well is both easy and inexpensive.
As to other investments, as “Uncle Bruce” Williams, the radio financial expert said, when asked about survival investing, “If you can’t eat it, shoot it, or make love to it, why do you want it?”
Well there you have it. The what, the why, and the how of survival investing. Better get started now, it is later than you think.
Revisiting CDC FLU Propaganda Absurdities
by Robert Scott Bell
What should you think when you see a headline like this: “CDC Readies Vaccine in Case of Swine Flu Pandemic ...the CDC has created a seed stock of a vaccine against the swine flu, which could be pushed into production should the number of cases jump significantly.”
Didn’t we get enough Guillain-Barre syndrome the first time around? Perhaps the CDC can unleash a new experimental vaccine to prevent a flu outbreak that threatens to kill fewer Americans than the vaccine will? Do we have collective Alzheimer’s or will enough people remember that government medical agencies do not have a great track record of dealing with viral outbreaks? During the Gerald Ford administration, more people were harmed by the Swine Flu vaccine than the actual Swine Flu.
In the wake of the government-fu
eled Swine Flu hysteria of 1976, over 4000 Americans claimed damages against the U.S. government (at a cost of $3.5B) and two thirds of those claims were for neurological disorders or deaths caused by the vaccine. It is believed that about 500 vaccine recipients developed Guillain-Barre syndrome (a crippling and potentially life-threatening neurological disorder) of which 300 have died, while the flu itself claimed the life of only one victim.*
Back in 2009 it was reported that “a ‘seed stock’ genetically matched to the new swine flu virus has been created by the U.S. Centers for Disease [Prevention and] Control, said Dr. Richard Besser, the agency’s acting director.” How is it that CDC could claim to be ready to go with a bizarre new multi-strain vaccine almost at the same moment of the hyped outbreak? Remember this headline from 2004?:
“CDC to mix avian, human flu viruses in pandemic study ..rather than waiting to see if nature spawns such a hybrid, US scientists are planning to try to breed one themselves—in the name of preparedness.”
Trust the CDC at your own risk.
Again in 2009 the headlines read: “...28 students of a local preparatory school tested positive for swine flu.”
Any serious events? No. According to authorities, symptoms were very mild. The experts claimed that the NY school kids were victimized by the same “deadly” virus, so why is it deadly in Mexico and not in NYC? Does H1N1 suddenly get weaker the moment it crosses the border from Mexico into the U.S.?
What did the the mayor of NYC say at the time?
“What we are seeing is an increase of the number of people worried about the flu, not people who have the flu.”
Let’s call that your first clue that the “Germ Theory” is not adequate in explaining what happens here, much less in Mexico each flu propaganda season. Once you understand the Law of the Terrain, it becomes apparent that it’s not the virus, but actually the host who is responsible for symptomatic severity.
“It’s the terrain, stupid.”
Medical collectivism or individual liberty?
There is an agenda in blaming the virus instead of placing even a modicum of responsibility on the viral host. Blaming the virus absolves the host of any responsibility for its state of health, or the lack thereof. Why is this important, you may ask? If you “get” the flu, you get to be a victim and can then submit yourself to some higher authority that claims it can save you from an unseen microbe, which is neither Republican or Democrat.
“Trust us. We’re from the government. We’ve seen it and it’s scary.”
Who would that sanctioned higher authority be? A licensed medical representative of the government. BIG GOVERNMENT and BIG PHARMA. That’s a BIG conflict of interest. A medical monopoly is both immoral and unconstitutional.
What of unlicensed, natural healers who regularly assist those in need of healing from “incurable” diseases? They’re not approved by government, so they don’t count, unless they get a prison number.
The question must be asked: Have we become a nation of wimps, only willing to act on information - viral or otherwise - as long as it’s approved by government? Please apologize to Thomas Jefferson if this is the case.
Benjamin Rush, physician to George Washington and signer of the Declaration of Independence warned us long ago:
“Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship to restrict the art of healing to one class of men and deny equal privileges to others; the Constitution of the Republic should make a special privilege for medical freedoms as well as religious freedom.”
Do we need a Declaration of Immunological Independence? Which part of the Constitution grants elected or unelected bureaucrats expertise in virology? Or allows for titles of nobility? And what kind of tools and fools will the bureaucratic oligarchy use to “protect” or treat you? If history is our alibi, then it will inevitably be pharmaceutical weapons of mass destruction delivered by licensed medical doctors. Do we need an example? Tamiflu has been medical gold as Taxpayers had their wealth transferred to Roche Pharmaceuticals by government fiat to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars to stockpile it.
Even if you are a fan of drugs and vaccines, it is hard to deny the collateral damage done in the name of public health or public good. Flu vaccine apologists will likely claim “that it is all for the public good” and “that you should be a good citizen, take the shot and shut up.” Is this really the new American ideal? Does anyone at the Department of Health and Human Services/FDA/CDC believe in individual liberty as a core principle?
I am not a group and neither are you. You are an individual, not a Borg. Collectivism is evil. The term; “public health” is actually a collectivist phrase used to herd individuals into groups for purposes of control. Will the media-hyped threat of a pandemic flu finally frighten Americans into accepting a socialist form of government?
Good hygiene and proper sanitation (the Law of the Terrain) remain critical, but those things were taught with great efficiency within religious institutions long before government supplanted the church as a new “compulsory” house of worship. Did you ever wonder why the CDC is so desperate to drum up support for flu shots and anti-viral drug sacraments each year? It’s more religion than science. Call it scientism.
Maybe they needed the Pentagon to unload its stockpile of Tamiflu before it expired? Just for the record, conquering the immune system is not a constitutional enumerated power of the Pentagon or any other branch or subdivision of the U.S. government, -Janet Napolitano and Barack Obama included. Immunological experts they are not. Wouldn’t it be nice if they stuck to defending the sovereignty of the United States?
In case they need reminding, the Second Amendment to the Constitution was not written for hunting purposes. It was written so that the people could be secure in their liberty, especially from tyrannical government. Whether the annual flu pandemic threat is real or not, it is secondary to the threat that government poses with every new declared state of emergency.
Even Benjamin Rush could not predict that the American Republic could be overthrown by a microbe, or the fear of one! It is important to note that the “rule of necessity” has no law, which means that with every declared emergency, the Constitution has less relevance. If this does not concern you, then by all means roll up your sleeve and take the shot.
Assault with a deadly weapon used to be against the law, before it got approved by the FDA. In reference to the ongoing threat of compulsory experimental vaccines, I’ll side with the words of my good friend and Constitutional scholar; Michael Badnarik - author of: “Good To Be King”:
“You bring the needle, I’ll bring the .45, and we’ll see who makes a bigger hole.”
Defending liberty in the face of tyranny - microbial, governmental or medical - was never going to be an easy task. In the face of H1N1, H3N2, H5N1 (or R2D2), don’t lose sight of the fact that what remains of individual liberty will be squashed by medical collectivism if we allow it.
Don’t let it happen. Health sovereignty is your birthright!
*Source: CBS “60 Minutes” report
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w41dbbA337o)
Robert Scott Bell is a homeopathic practitioner with a passion for health and healing unmatched by anybody in media. Each Sunday on http://www.gcnlive.com/and every weekday on the Natural News Radio Network Robert Scott Bell hosts the fastest two hours of healing information on radio, dealing with everyday health issues from the perspective of alternative/holistic health care. Empowering his listeners with healing principles that can aid in physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, economic and yes even political healing! The concept of nullification is a cornerstone of Robert’s radio show where he reveals ways in which you can restore health without government interference.
Collapse Medicine:
A Stitch In Time - Practical Suture Lab Part Two
by Joseph Alton, M.D. (aka Dr. Bones)
Last issue, we talked in depth about the vario
us methods of closing a wound. These methods include placing stitches (suturing), stapling skin, placing glue, and butterfly/steri-strip closures. We discussed how you must make a decision as to whether the wound is eligible for closure or if it is best to let it close by itself. As William Shakespeare might have said: “To stitch or not to stitch, that is the question”!
The natural process of allowing a wound to close by natural healing is called Granulation. This involves the body healing from the inside out. I’ll admit that the scar won’t be as pretty, but there are benefits to the granulation process: You will be able to look at the wound as it is healing, have better access for cleaning purposes, and improve your chances of not inadvertently worsening any infections.
There are a number of factors that will impact on the decision to close a wound or leave it open. Is it a simple laceration (straight thin cut on the skin) or is it an avulsion (areas of skin torn out, hanging flaps)? If the edges of the skin are so far apart that they cannot be stitched together without tearing from the pressure, leave it open. If the wound has been open for more than 8 hours, leave it open; bacteria has already had a good chance to colonize.
Clean, Simple Laceration? Close Wound
Infected Avulsion: Leave Open
If you’re certain the wound is clean, you should close it if it is long, deep or if it gapes open loosely. Remember that you should close deep wounds in layers, starting with the deepest area. This will prevent trapping dead air in your closure (dead air in the wound may lead to infection). Also, cuts over moving parts, such as the knee joint, will be more likely to require stitches to heal properly.
Suturing is best done by someone with experience, but you don’t get that kind of experience in your typical first responder course. Survival medical training teaches you to stabilize and transfer the patient to modern facilities, but what if there is no modern care available, as in a collapse? What if YOU are the end of the line when it comes to medical care? You’ll need to obtain the knowledge to be able to function effectively, and that means knowing how to close a wound. So I’ve put together a step-by-step laboratory session that you can practice at home.
Survivalist Anthologies Volume 1 Page 31