Year: 2006

Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 7 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. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. If you want a chance to win Round 7, start writing and e-mail us your article. Round 7 will end on November 30th. Remember that the articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.


Herbal Survival Medicine by KLS in Ohio

Here in the U.S. we have grown up in an age where hospitals and family clinics are an accepted, common place necessity. Our medical professionals with their full range of antibiotics have the best triage training in the world. If you’re in a car accident in the U.S. you are most likely to survive if you make it to a hospital. They’ll fix you right up! But they aren’t well equipped in preventing disease. As in Jim’s novel “Patriots” when the character ‘Mary’ used herbs such as Comfrey to treat their wounded, we may not have access to modern medicines …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I recently drove down most of the length of Idaho on Highway 95. Many of the Idaho stretches of this highway would be classified as a “secondary road” in most other states. But it is Idaho’s only north-south corridor–the equivalent of California’s Highway 5. It connects two economically distinct regions. Southern Idaho is economically tied to the humble potato, and adjoining Utah. It is on Mountain Time. Northern Idaho is economically tied to logging and to the easternmost portions of adjoining Oregon and Washington. It is on Pacific Time. Highway 95 is so pitifully under-engineered that it earned the nickname …




Letter Re: Conjecture on North Korea’s Intentions

Mr. Rawles: In looking at the situation that has unfolded over the past month in North Korea, I see two possible paths that North Korea could be headed towards. Path one is the atypical playground bully turned armed robber who has become accustomed to people putting up their hands when confronted, only he has had the misfortune to run into someone who has attended a Front Sight course and carries a full frame 1911… ’nuff said. The game is up, and the robber just soiled his boxers. If this is the case, we won’t be having any more trouble from …


Letter Re: Handgun Caliber Selection–Advice on .357 SIG and .40 S&W?

Jim: Had any experience with .40 S&W and .357 SIG? I’m trying out a .40sw conversion and a .357 SIG conversion for my KelTec P-11. Oughta be wild with a 14 ounce frame handgun. Just wondered if you’d shot either and what your thoughts were. I know, they are both uncommon calibers. But this is just for funsies. I am still mainly .22,.45, .223, .308 & 12 gauge. I’m just doing this on a lark. Gotta do a lark once in awhile to keep the perspective. Neat thing about the KelTec. (A cheap but well built gun) is to change …


Odds ‘n Sods:

President Bush signs the bill authorizing funding for the construction of a sensor-laden fence on the Mexican border.    o o o Iran plans to expand its nuclear fuel processing capabilities. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice Urges “Immediate” Sanctions    o o o Bumper sticker seen near Salmon, Idaho: “I Come From a Long Line of Helicopter Loggers”


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"If a thing is old, it is a sign that it was fit to live. Old families, old customs, old styles survive because they are fit to survive. The guarantee of continuity is quality. Submerge the good in a flood of the new, and good will come back to join the good which the new brings with it. Old-fashioned hospitality, old-fashioned politeness, old-fashioned honor in business had qualities of survival. These will come back." – Eddie Rickenbacker


Note From JWR:

A gent e-mailed to ask me why I put so many acronyms and terms in my blog glossary–including “ones like AC, DC, AM, FM, and GPS. Those are obvious to anyone.” The reason is that there are SurvivalBlog readers all over the planet, some of whom have learned English as a second language. They don’t all share the American penchant for acronyms. Sorry if this overkill makes glossary seem too voluminous or if it appears that I link acronyms excessively to the glossary.


Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Kernel Corn Storage

Hello Mr. Rawles, I was wondering if you could give me and your readers more info on whole kernel corn storage/nutritive value after storage and storage life given packing and conditions (weather)? I was also going to inquire about the different wheat’s and their differences but you have answered that already thanks, I would however like to know which mylar bags to use for better protection against the humid and high temp weather in my area (4 mil versus 8 mil thickness) if it matters at all? I don’t think the plastic bag route mentioned in your excellent “Rawles Gets …


Letter Re: A Useful Reference on Amateur Radio Band Designations

Jim, Here is a useful link for a free, downloadable, “.pdf ” format, frequency allocation chart. It is located on the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) web site. It delineates the U.S. amateur bands and their assigned usages from 1.8 MHz to 1.3 GHz. Regards, – Joe from Tennessee JWR Replies: Thanks for sending that link. The radio band designations can be confusing to folks who are newcomers to the short wave listening and amateur radio worlds. I highly recommend that all SurvivalBlog readers at the very minimum buy themselves a short wave radio and a multi-band police scanner, and …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Sales of Existing U.S. Homes Fall: “The median price of a single-family home fell to $219,800 last month, a drop of 2.5 percent from the price in September 2005. That was the biggest year-over-year price decline in records going back nearly four decades.” I’ve been warning SurvivalBlog readers about this since I first started the blog, back in August of 2005. Buckle your seatbelts, folks! We are about to witness the part of the roller coaster ride when everyone screams. (So far all that we’ve heard have been a few nervous whimpers.)    o o o Vic at Safecastle mentioned …



Note From JWR:

I still have room for a few more Retreat Owner Profiles. I’d particularly appreciate reading profiles from overseas readers. If you “live the life”, just write your own profile (following the same format as the other profiles, and answering the same questions) and e-mail it to us. Just be sure to fictionalize things slightly (especially geographic details), to preserve your anonymity.