Month: March 2007

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We don’t raise any corn on the farm but prices for wheat and barley have risen because the corn previously used for livestock feed is being pulled off the market for ethanol. Cattle, sheep, and pigs will eat chopped barley and wheat as well as corn so wheat is now at something like a 30 year high. Ignoring for now the fact that it’s not an all time high, that 30+ years ago wheat sold for more than it does today, we realize that there might be an increase in prosperity of some farmers in the near future. Some people …


Notes from JWR:

You may have heard on the news about a southern California man that was put under 72-hour psychiatric observation when it was found that he owned 100 guns and allegedly had (by rough estimate) 1 million rounds of ammunition stored in his home. The house also featured a secret escape tunnel. My favorite quote from the dimwit television reporter: “Wow! He has … …about a million machinegun bullets.” The headline referred to it as a “massive weapons cache.” BTW, I am dubious about the pile of ammunition boxes and cans that they showed. It looked big enough to contain no …


Letter Re: Recommendations on FAL and L1A1 Manufacturers and Custom Builders

Jim, In the 2/23/07 blog, you replied to Stephen D. that: “If I ever hear shooting nearby and have my choice of grabbing either an AR-15 or FAL, then I’ll grab the FAL.” Would you please recommend/suggest a brand name of a FAL type rifle that is currently available in the U.S.? I read your FAL FAQ, but didn’t see any brand references. I’ve researched from the Century “cobbled togethers” to the “new” DSA’s, etc. I know there is a huge price range, but I am mainly interested in reliability (and accuracy, of course). Also, will FAL’s perform equally well …


Two Letters Re: Kanban: America’s Ubiquitous “Just in Time” Inventory System–A Fragile House of Cards

Jim, I recently shared “Letter Re: Propane Shortage and Rationing in the Frigid U.S. Northeast” with several friends. Surprisingly, a new friend who does not know that I am into “Prepping”, sent back the following. – Douglas in C. in Connecticut Hi Douglas, I work in the grocery industry. I can tell you first-hand that this industry (as most others) has expended incredible amounts of time and energy over the last 20 years into streamlining the supply chain. More than anything else, this means reduction of inventory held within the system – starting with the raw materials on the manufacturing …


Letter Re: The “Third Way” Approach–A Forward Base En Route to a Remote Survival Retreat

Hi Jim, While I value your insights on location, I think you have overlooked one possibility. That is to have your final destination be some 300+ miles away from any major metropolitan areas as you so aptly describe, but then I would add for those people who feel that they need it, a forward base of operations. This would consist of a small cabin, rental unit, or lot with a trailer and a storage shed that would be used as a forward base of operations and a leaping off point to go to their final destination. It would be located …


Odds ‘n Sods

Chuck G. (a regular content contributor) sent us this: The Plunge Protection Team gears up for a possible derivatives crisis. I’ve warned you about derivatives, so don’t be surprised when you see trillions of dollars get wiped out, overnight.   o o o SurvivalBlog reader Doc Holladay notes: “The wife of a fellow doomer buddy has a booming business as a professional seamstress doing alterations. I opine that her livelihood is pretty secure, as she is covered up in work. I’ve four of the treadle sewing machines I’ve refurbished. The old Singer treadle sewing machines use the same bobbins as …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If there were no such thing in this world as becoming surety, if the free lending portrayed in the gospel were the general practice, and if only hard cash or wares on hand were exchanged in trade, then the greatest and most harmful dangers and faults and failings of trade and commerce would be well out of the way. It would then be easy to engage in all sorts of business enterprises, and the other sinful faults of trade could the more readily be prevented. If there were none of this becoming surety and this lending without risk, many a …


Notes from JWR:

We had a couple of brief snow flurries this morning, but this afternoon it cleared up and we then had a beautiful sunset, with Alpenglühen on the Unnamed Mountain east of the valley. The sight was spectacular. We thank God for the blessing of living here. I’ve updated my Cafe Press ordering page. There, you can order copies of both “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation”, and “The Best of the Blog” book as well as SurvivalBlog logo hats, T-Shirts, coffee mugs, et cetera. (BTW, I couldn’t resist injecting a bit of humor into the product descriptions. My apologies to Linda …


The Price of Home Security: You Can Pay a Little Now, or Pay Much More, Later

I’m often amazed to hear some of my relatively wealthy consulting clients tell me that they don’t own a home gun vault or safe room. I ask why not, and they make excuses like: “I’ve been too busy at my job to shop for one” or, “A gun vault is too heavy to move, and I seem to move every three years”, or “vaults are too expensive.” Yes, they are expensive but not nearly as expensive as having some of your key survival tools stolen. In essence, you can pay a little now, or pay much more, later. A burglary …


Letter Re: Total Burden of State Taxes

Mr. Rawles, I reviewed the article from MSN Money regarding property taxes by state, mentioned by “J Eagle”. I could not help to look at Alabama because that is my home state. Unfortunately, I am not there now. However, property tax is low in Alabama but they have a 5% personal income tax and sales tax is charged on everything one purchases. This includes big ticket items such as cars and tractors (at a reduced rate from normal sales tax) to basic necessities (food, clothing, guns and ammunition at the normal sales tax rate). They also charge the pharmacies a …


Letter Re: Lessons From an Unexpected Grid Down Weekend

Hi Jim, We just had a bout with Mother Nature and lost power which appeared at first to be for some time. I am happy to report that my “list” generated from this un-expected “grid-down” weekend was very very very short. I attribute this success and wonderful feeling to what I have gleaned from your publications, SurvivalBlog, and a few very good friends! We were without power for about 40 hours and really only had two “needs”. I was actually “disappointed” when the power came back on. J Oh, and we did not use the power generation until hour 38 …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A warning from veteran economic analyst Harry Shultz, by way of BULL!, (Not Bull)   o o o Desert T . mentioned this New York Times article on honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).    o o o Today we welcome our newest banner advertiser, East Tennessee Sterilizer Service. This company sells state of the art reverse osmosis water purifiers, and has some very hard to find medical equipment at great prices. They even have a few ultra cold medical freezers, which are only rarely found on the surplus market. Give them a call at: (423) 295-4531.



Notes from JWR:

I was pleased to see the new Wikipedia page on Antique Guns. It includes digests on the laws concerning antque guns for the U.S, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Norway. And one of the authors kindly included links to a couple of my FAQs, as well as a link to a long-time SurvivalBlog advertiser: The Pre-1899 Specialist. I highly recommend that every well-prepared family’s firearms battery should include a few cartridge guns from the 1890s, chambered in calibers that are still factory produced. Why? If the Democrats ever control both the White House and Congress (which looks all too likely, …


Bear Country Basics, by “SNO” in Alaska

Many times when we think of survival skills, our minds turn to the most exotic and specialized of skills. When reading on Survivalblog about this writing assignment I fell victim to this same tendency. My initial idea was to write an article on the construction and operation of a fish wheel, commonly used here in my home state of Alaska, and a tool of great value in a survival/retreat situation. But the detail and complexity of such writing is more involved that practical for this forum. So rather than try and explain some intricate and complex device or skill, that …