Day: July 15, 2008

Notes from JWR:

The Memsahib had a serious mishap here at the Rawles Ranch and will require surgery. We’ve chalked it up to being part of life, living and working with horses. We would appreciate your prayers. OBTW, because of her surgery I may be a bit sporadic about making SurvivalBlog posts for a few days, starting either Friday or Saturday. Thanks for your patience. Will there be more bank failures and bank runs? You betcha. IndyMac was just the first big one. (And it was, in fact, the second largest bank failure in US history.) I have been warning about the threat …


Letter Re: Rampant Inflation in Steel Products

Dear Jim, According to the Federal government, the consumer price index (all items less food and energy) rose just 2.4% since May, 2007. If that’s the case, then I wonder why the [modular steel] cattle panels down at the local farm supply went from $12.99 on May 20, to $18.99 on June 12, and are priced at $27.99 today. That’s a whopping 125% price increase in just 60 days. Call me curious, – Dutch in Wyoming JWR Replies: I hope that SurvivalBlog readers took the advice that I posted back on May 19th. It bears repeating: “Of immediate concern is …


Letter Re: Marginal Cartridges Without Proper Placement Fail to Stop an Aggressor

Sir, If you ever wanted graphic proof of the lethal supremacy of the 7.62mm NATO round over the 5.56mm, a recent thread from M4Carbine.net is the argument stopper! (Be forewarned, these documents have graphic pictures of the wounds to the deceased Bad Guy taken at the Coroner’s.) This FBI study of a police and SWAT shooting incident shows in graphic clarity why training (shot placement under stress) and superior ballistics are so important in a fire fight, especially a fight where your aggressor is determined and motivated for the fight. The subject (a determined street thug) took more than 17 …


Letter Re: Novel Recommendation–“Solar Flare” by Larry Burkett

Mr. Rawles, I have read your novel Patriots and passed it along to several people that I know. Most of them now own their own copy as well and it has been a big boost in helping them see the need for making preparations for the times ahead. It is with great interest that I have read the recent discussions about solar flares on the blog. The novel that first piqued my interest in survival and preparedness was the book Solar Flare by Strategic Air Command veteran and former NASA employee Larry Burkett. The premise of the novel is an …


Odds ‘n Sods:

KAF sent us this follow-up article about the recent IndyMac bank run and closure: Chuck Schumer, bank killer. OBTW, I stand by my prediction (since 2007) that there will soon be widespread bank failures and runs. The global credit collapse has made them inevitable. JWR’s recommendation: Check up on your bank’s safety rating. Spread out your risk between institutions by opening numerous smaller accounts, and keep extra cash on hand! For many years, I have recommended Weiss Ratings (now part of TheStreet.com) as an information source for judging the safety of banks and insurers, for my consulting clients. Marty Weiss …