Month: June 2006

Note From JWR:

As you’ve probably heard, my novel “Patriots” has been out of print since late 2004 when the publisher went out of business. In the past year, prices for the book have risen to the range of $35 to $70 plus postage for even used copies. I am pleased to report that I found a dealer that still had a few cases left, and I was able to buy some of them from him. For a limited time, I am offering autographed copies for $35 each, or $32 each if you buy three or more, or $30 each if you buy …


Letter from David in Israel Re: Expected Near Future Prices for Precious Metals

James: Just a hint to my SurvivalBlog friends, if I had cash in the USA, then I would start buying gold now, and continuing to dollar cost average into the market since it may still go lower than Au @ $600 and Ag @ $11.02. Both are good investments for long term hedge/wealth preservation. Proviso for the record: I would never make a suggestion or advise in financial matters since that carries personal legal risk. I suspect that we are witnessing the final metals manipulation before Euro conversion of some oil trading and inflation driven dollar devaluation. Do some web …


Three Letters Re: Updated Nuclear Weapon Targeting Data?

Jim: Perhaps this will be a good point from which to begin your research: Projected US Casualties and Destruction of US Medical Services From Attacks by Russian Nuclear Forces Regards, – Christian W.   Jim, The short answer is that most of the targeting information on the old 1960s era maps that Bruce Beach incorporated in his book are still valid. Sure, the Russians and the Chinese know what sites are decommissioned and not worth wasting a nuke. Critical infrastructure (dams, oil and gas fields with storage facilities, large grain silos, food distribution warehouses, etc) is targeted by enhanced radiation …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A report from Boston, Massachusetts about another futile gun buy-up program (I refuse to call them “buy-backs” since the government agencies and/or liberal do-gooders never owned these civilian guns.) Does anyone honestly believe that criminals are turning in their guns under these programs? This is just more liberal feel-good politics. How nauseating.    o o o Bubblewatch: 10 Cities Where House Prices Will Deflate. Also, don’t miss John Rubino’s commentary on the expected ugly denouement of the U.S. bubble.(As quoted at Financialsense.com.)    o o o Doc at www.bigsecrets.cc spotted an article about some of the current desperate measures to …



Note From JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. If you want a chance to win, start writing and e-mail us your article soon. Round 5 ends on July 31st.


Practical Skills for Surviving TEOTWAWKI, by Free Rifleman

In our circle of survivalist friends we need hard skills. Just knowing that the proverbial Schumer is going to hit the fan is not enough. Depending on the severity, preparing for the worst-case scenario may involve a library of skills. Being diverse on skill sets is an advantage. My own list of skill sets are diverse, the advantage is, realizing it is never diverse enough and constantly branching out. Very few Electricians are Gunsmiths. Very few Farmers are Paramedics. Very few Chemists are Ranchers, and so on. To maintain an even balance of capabilities, I have taken the liberty to …



Letter Re: The “Sell Your House and Rent it Back” Option in a Falling House Market

James: In a recent e-mail, you suggested considering selling my house and renting for a period of time, or at least until the real estate bubble stabilized. [JWR’s replies are in-line, in bold text.] 1.) Do you still recommend doing this? Yes, if you are living in a bubble region that is likely to see steep house price declines. The big question now is: can you find someone willing to do this? A year ago or even just six months ago, it would have been fairly easy, since the market was still rising. Now, with prices falling, it might be …


Letter Re: Licensing Requirements for FRS Versus GMRS Radio Transmission

Dear Jim: I recently purchased a Motorola SX 700 Radio. Inside the package is a notice regarding [U.S.] Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensing. It states that if you operate on GMRS frequencies you need a license from the FCC. Channels 1-7 and 15-22 are GMRS. What about channels 8-14? Do I need this license? Or can I use Channels 8-14? Thanks. – J.H. JWR Replies: Your assumption was correct. No license is required in the U.S. for transmitting on Family Radio Service (FRS) channels. (Channels 8 to 14). But you must have a GMRS license issued by the FCC to …


Letter Re: “Power Up”–A Useful Reference on Battery Conversions for Military Electronics

James, You need to take a look at this link. It is an online version of a very rare book (Power Up) that shows how to make standard battery conversions of many military items, something that could come in handy one of these days. Best Regards, – Jim K. JWR Replies: This link works well in Firefox, but Netscape some other browsers have conflicts, so you may have to turn off Java to see this page properly. Once there, click on the link for any particular piece of military equipment. This is indeed a great reference!


Letter Re: Are Your Neighbors Prepared? by Doc

Mr. Rawles: One point to note with Doc’s observations as a home repairman. I had my hot water heater short last week. If a repairman had come to my home, he would have walked past my garden and wood pile, had to go down the stairs past one ammo cache and rifle, 12 cases of Mason jars, around bags of old clothes waiting to be used for quilts, past various toolboxes, a chest freezer, lanterns, a grain mill and workbench, et cetera. But, instead, I went to the hardware store, bought a thermostat, and made the repair myself. I would …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Al Jazeera (not well known for unbiased reporting) comments on Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and Syria–all making distinct moves away from the U.S. Dollar.    o o o Michael Z. Williamson pointed us to a Box 0′ Truth evaluation .223 and .308 versus body armor. As I often say, a handgun is just a portable tool to buy time to get you back to your rifle.    o o o Back to the Bunker: The Washington Post reports on FEMA’s Continuity of Government (COG) plans.     



Note From JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up up to $2,000!) If you want a chance to win, start writing and e-mail us your article soon. Round 5 ends on July 31st.