Month: April 2008

Odds ‘n Sods:

For several months I’ve been pointing to the Federal Reserve’s data on bank reserves. The latest numbers are downright frightening. In particular, see the bottom of the “Non-borrowed Reserves” column. (Thanks to “Tanker” for alerting me to the latest update to the Fed data.) OBTW, don’t miss this article: US banks Citigroup and Merrill Lynch reveal fresh $15bn loss    o o o The latest addition to my blog roll is Target Rich Environment. I found this blog both humorous and insightful.    o o o I noticed that the folks at Green Mountain Gear have expanded their product line …



Notes from JWR:

A SurvivalBlog reader in Iraq e-mailed me to mention that the Wikipedia page “James Wesley Rawles” has been proposed for deletion. If you have experience with Wikipedia and have an opinion one way or the other, then please post your comments. (Needless to say, I can’t comment there personally, or it would be a conflict of interest.) If you do post, please be civil! The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction (which tomorrow night) is now at $260. This auction is for four items: a MURS Alert Base station, a MURS Alert Hand-held transceiver, an earbud, and a …


Letter Re: The Importance of Acquiring and Learning to Use Traditional Tools

Jim, For those readers that have livestock they need to prepare for the day when hydrocarbon fuel may not be available for tractors. I would suggest a buck rake and a pull-behind sickle mower that a horse could pull. It beats cutting hay by hand. These items can often be picked up at farm and ranch auctions. Enough hay can be put up for a few cows, horses and sheep for the winter months when snow may cover grazing ground. I would recommend a treadle sewing machine. Clothes will need to be mended and taken care of until society gets …


Letter Re: Advice on Post-WTSHTF Weather Forecasting and Barometers

Sir: I just realized that if the Schumer impacts the oscillator that we won’t have a clue about upcoming weather without the National Weather Service. Being able to predict future weather will be very important for gardening, hay cutting, and on and on. What do you recommend? A barometer? Thx, – Barry JWR Replies: A barometer is indeed the most important forecasting tool. Luckily, they are fairly easy to find in second hand stores. Make sure that you get one with a finely-gradated scale and with a proper elevation offset adjustment in the back. (If you live at high elevation–such …


Letter Re: Getting Physical with Silver Futures Contracts

Jim, Congratulations on the continuing success of your blog site. I think your readers would like some information regarding physical delivery of silver from futures contracts. I’ve never done this, or even known anyone who has, but it seems rational nowadays. One question I have is what type of mark or assay comes with, say, a 1,000 ounce delivery. I also think many readers are interested in questions of how to plan “getting tangible” with their retirement accounts, by which I mean no paper. I know I have to think about this quite seriously. Felicitations, – Patrick (an American Ex-Pat …


Letter Re: Using Dry Chlorine for Water Treatment

Jim:: To answer Steve W.’s question: “How much dry chlorine would be needed to make a one gallon batch of standard 5.25% chlorine bleach?”: In the conversion of dry hypochlorite to liquid (bleach), since all the percentages are by weight, it is easy to calculate the amount needed to reconstitute 5.25% hypochlorite bleach. Since dry is about 55% active, it should be diluted roughly 10-fold by weight (one pound to 10 pounds water). So, you would need 8/10 pound or about 12 ounces per gallon of reconstituted liquid bleach. Then the standard formulas could be applied for the final mixing …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Frank in Arizona wrote to ask me how much longer Front Sight’s “Get a Gun” training and gear package offer will still be available. From what I’ve heard, it won’t be very long, since Front Sight is running this promotion at near their cost. Don’t dawdle on this and miss out, folks! I can’t think of a better purpose for your upcoming Federal tax “economic stimulus” check. Those checks (for up to $1,200 per married couple) will be mailed out starting in May, so you might want to employ your credit card, in advance! If Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer …



Notes from JWR:

Today, after church, I plan to do some target shooting with my kids. I guess I’m just a conservative dinosaur, “clinging to guns and religion.” Be sure to take a look at the many new listings at SurvivalRealty.com, particularly in Idaho and North Carolina.


Letter Re: Scottish Highland: The Ideal Choice for Survival Beef Cattle

Yesterday, as I sat up in the warm spring sunshine in one of our hilltop pastures watching a newborn Scottish Highland calf interact with its mother, my thoughts drifted back to all the reasons behind our initial decision to choose this breed ten years ago. Given our experience since then, I have to conclude that it was an excellent decision, and one which I think would benefit your readers. We raise registered Scottish Highland cattle because we like the qualities of this breed over all others. Esthetically, they are impressive, with long, shaggy hair and sweeping horns. While those horns …


Letter Re: A Severe Storm Provides a Valuable Lesson

Hi Jim, I’m a long time reader. I wanted to relate to you a recent experience I had, which may be of value to SurvivalBlog readers. I live in a state that is prone to tornados and severe weather. We recently had a storm tear through our area, causing several million dollars in damage across much of the state, my neighborhood notwithstanding. My wife and I went to bed Wednesday evening, expecting only scattered thunderstorms. What we awoke to at 3:30am was much, much more than a thunderstorm. As I looked out our bedroom’s open window, I saw and heard …


Letter Re: Advice on Home School Curriculum Resources

Dear Editor: We are fed up with the public schools. At the end of the current school year, we plan to pull our children out of public school and homeschool them. What curriculum do you recommend? Thanks, – W.J.   The Memsahib Replies: It is difficult to recommend just one brand or type of curriculum. There are many different learning styles as well different teaching styles. We really like using materials that have a Christian perspective such as . We use the Alpha Omega course books as our core curriculum. But, I also enjoy pulling in other resources to reinforce …


Odds ‘n Sods:

More fallout from the global liquidity crisis: GE Plunges as Profit Misses Estimates, Forecast Cut, and Airlines Face New Cash Challenge, and G7 Economic Powers Endorse Plan to Try to Avert Financial Crises. There will be far, far more fallout in the months to come, as the numerous industries and even national governments are starved for cash.    o o o Rick M. suggested an excellent article by attorney Ellen Brown: Credit Default Swaps: Derivative Disaster Du Jour. Her article keys in nicely with the background piece that I wrote more than two years ago: Derivatives–The Mystery Man Who’ll Break …