Day: January 15, 2008

Note from JWR:

This is the last day in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction. The bidding is now at $540. The auction is for a scarce original 1980s-vintage Heckler und Koch 19mm Emergency Flare Launcher (EFL) aka “Notsignalgerät“ from my personal collection. It comes with three magazines and 28 scarce original German 19mm flares–10 red, 10 white, and 8 green. Together, this package is worth at least $400. It is not classified as a “firearm” under Federal law. (Consult your state and local laws before bidding.) Sorry, no overseas bids will be accepted for this auction. Please e-mail us your bids, in $10 …


The Countrywide Bailout and the Macroeconomic Picture

As I mentioned a few days ago, Bank of America (BofA) is buying out troubled Countrywide Financial (a home mortgage lender) for more than $4 Billion, and taxpayers are going to help them finance the buyout. This is good news for Countrywide (whose CEO is being given a ludicrous $110 million going away present), but bad news for the economy as a whole, and for taxpayers. I should mention that it has been rumored that BofA felt obliged to acquire Countrywide, because the two firms had some large derivatives contracts, and if Countrywide had folded, BofA would have to write-off …


Snap Shooting Skills, By Robert R.

Snap shooting is something I learned a few years ago that can make one well trained, aggressive shooter, able to defeat many lesser-trained opponents. The idea of snap shooting is to present as small a target as possible while quickly peeking out and delivering accurate fire, and then returning to your cover. In the movies you always see the bad guy will put his back against a corner, using it for cover. He then turns the corner, exposing his entire body, raises his weapon to take aim, and is promptly shot dead by the good guy. Snap shooting aims to …


Letter Re: Home Defense Tactics for the Disabled and the Infirmed

Dear Jim, I want to endorse Flashlight Outlet who has provided great products, prices and customer service. Larry helped me track a missing package I sent to Hawaii, and offered to replace it if it didn’t show up (it did). My new acquisition is the OLight T20. I wanted something as bright as my Surefire, but to be able to dial it down when I didn’t need quite that much light. The OLight T20 is even brighter than the Surefire [when set] at max, 160 lumens, with four times the battery life with the same C123s (90 minutes vs 20 …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Novovirus reaches epidemic levels in England. I strongly recommend that SurvivalBlog readers prepare themselves for when this virus flares up in the US and Canada, especially if you have any infant, elderly, or otherwise “at risk” folks living under your roof. Stock up, be ready to self-quarantine, and if you must go out to work and to shop, then be prepared to decontaminate yourself.each time that you re-enter your home. If nothing else, practicing with these measures will leave you well-prepared for any eventual influenza pandemic that is spread by casual contact.    o o o I noticed that yesterday …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The uncontested absurdities of today are the accepted slogans of tomorrow. They come to be accepted by degrees, by precedent, by implication, by erosion, by default, by dint of constant pressure on one side and constant retreat on the other – until the day when they are suddenly declared to be the country’s official ideology.” – Ayn Rand