Month: May 2006

Letter Re: Discontinued BayGen Clock Drive Radios

1

Mr. Rawles, Some of your readers may have the BayGen Freeplay [hand crank clock drive] AM/FM/SW radio that they are saving for that “rainy day”, or may be new to the emergency preparedness mindset and looking for a similar wind up radio. I purchased my Bay Gen about six years ago for around $100 and used it about that many (100) hours. A few weeks ago the mechanism that regulates the internal generator speed started to deteriorate, then went completely out. I contacted the manufacturer/distributor and they referred me to Dixie Sales Co., the US distributor. I was informed by …


Letter Re: Withdrawing My Retreat Real Estate Ad — I’m Moving Overseas

  Jim, I regret the withdrawal of my advertising but I can no longer do it because the housing bubble has burst and this is not a good time to buy any real estate. I would urge your readers to consider renting and investing heavily in precious metals, including FMJ. I am calling the ball and making plans to leave the country possibly in the next 6-to-12 months. The dollar is in a fatal spiral and all dollar-denominated assets are in a freefall. There is no stepping away from the financial ruin the politicians and a willing sheeple have visited …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader R.B.S. told us about a great new site that covers Second Amendment issues: Firearms News. They also host a very useful directory of links to firearms-related web site links. o o o A reader told me that he saw SurvivalBlog mentioned in the description for a current eBay auction of a CRKT tanto point folding knife. o o o The New Euro-denominated Oil Bourse: Iran signs its own death warrant. o o o NoNAIS.org has a very good article about NAIS implementation: Mafia Style “Voluntary”



Note From JWR:

Get your entries in soon for Round 4 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. The deadline for entries for Round 4 is May 31, 2006.


Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Silver

You may have read in recent years that both Microsoft’s president Bill Gates and Berkshire Hathaway (founded and still led by Warren Buffet) acquired large hoards of physical silver when silver prices neared their low ebb in the late 1990s first few years of this decade. Bill Gates purchased at least $10 million worth, with his “personal investment money.” Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway bought 129.7 million ounces. According to published accounts, the latter bought their silver at $4.40 per ounce, in 1997. The recent news on Wall Street is that Berkshire Hathaway has quietly sold off their silver position in the …


Letter Re: Lister Engines for Power Generation

James: A site to be mentioned when it comes to slow speed diesels and the like is www.utterpower.com. I agree with the site linked – getting one of these small diesel engines is the hardest part in the process. Both the lister types and the small horizontal diesels (made in mainland China) appear on eBay.com from anywhere from $375 to $2000. Shipping is also a bit of a bear due to the high weights; [since] lots of cast iron is used on these. – Rick L.


Letter Re: Selecting the Right Size Home Backup Generator

Jim: In response to the question about generator sizing, obviously it depends on how much you want to run. This also determines how much fuel you will burn. I don’t have the money for a 15KW whole house generator so I did things on the cheap. Hopefully my “system” will help with some ideas or trigger your own I have a 5KW “portable” gas model. Nothing fancy, fixed RPM, with a 5 gallon top tank. After several hurricane related power outages, I live on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, I have developed a good system for me. My house is …


Letter from Mr. Bravo Re: What Use is a Penny?

Jim, A few weeks back, you covered the issue of pennies being more costly to produce than they are worth. Here is my Quixotic take on the issue: Based on historical precedent, currency/coinage reform is overdue. The half-cent was discontinued in 1857, when it was worth ten cents in today’s inflation adjusted dollars! Source: Historical Statistics of the United States. (USGPO, 1975), Statistical Abstracts of the United States. That means that the smallest monetary unit at the time was worth $0.20 in today’s value. And a $100 bill (gold certificate) in 1863 had a value equal to nearly $2,000. A …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Fuel Bank Offers “Locked In” Price for Gasoline. Meanwhile, Forbes reports,Venezuela Tacks on a New Oil Tax o o o Ken Timmerman reports: Iran prepares al Qiyamah (“Judgment Day”) Terrorist Vengeance Attack Plan o o o Zimbabwe: A Nation of Millionaires–Where $10 USD buys over $1 million in Zimbabwean toilet paper. o o o SurvivalBlog reader “John Z.” mentioned a recent CNN segment about a survival school that’s offered in Virginia. After watching this clip, his conclusion was that Buckshot could offer a better much course that would include survival skills such traps, snares, and skinning game. o o o …



Note from JWR:

You may have noticed that we now have 27 advertisers. That is gratifying, but it isn’t quite enough to keep us afloat. To supplement the income from paid advertising, we have added a number of affiliate advertisers, way down at the bottom of our blog page. (If these aren’t visible to you, then click your browser’s Reload button.) Please shop with our our paid advertisers, first. (See the scrolling ads in the right hand bar.) But if they don’t have exactly what you are looking for, then you can use the links provided to shop with our affiliate advertisers. (SurvivalBlog …


Letter Re: Selecting the Right Size Home Backup Generator

Jim, The folks out there have some good information re. electrical considerations, codes and such for installing a hookup for a generator for the home. However, unless I missed a post, no one has mentioned how big a generator one may need to power essentials to get by comfortably in a grid down situation for the short term, at least. My family and I live in the eastern US and we are prone to power outages from hurricanes, ice storms and to a lesser extent tornados and heavy snowfall. Since moving to a rural area out near the end of …


Two Letters Re: Folding Fighting/Utility Knife Recommendations?

James: Regarding the recent posts, I want to make a few posts about folding knives. First, while larger folders are definitely better for larger tasks and of course for self-defense, One needs to take time to learn what is legal to carry in their state. My state, for example, only allows a maximum blade length of 3.5 inches. I follow the law, but carry TWO such folders. It would be a massive hassle to get in trouble with an overly zealous police officer. Better to be sure, and know the law. As for folders, I like several Spydercos, such as …


Odds ‘n Sods:

WorldNetDaily reports a TS/SCI Bush Administration briefing to key congressman: North Korea is attempting to weaponize the Asian Avian Flu o o o Oceans in Hurricane Alley Heat Up o o o David in Israel recommended this interesting piece on The Solar Storm of 1859 o o o CNN Reports: Asian Avian Flu Could be Worse than a Terrorist Attack o o o “Hurricane Katrina Effect” Blamed for Rise in Houston Murder Rate