Day: October 6, 2008

Notes from JWR:

I’m pleased to announce that starting today a special “Pre-Election” sale price is now being offered on the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. It is being sold at 33% off the normal retail price! Sale pricing on the course is a rare occasion, so be sure to take advantage of it. This sale ends at midnight on Tuesday, November 4th (Election Day, in the U.S.) Today we present the first entry for Round 19 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include: First Prize: The writer of the best contributed article in the next 60 days will …


Sustainable Food Preservation, by Jen W.

A number of preparedness books and web sites talk about preserved food as part of an emergency food storage plan. There can be immense satisfaction in seeing the rows and rows of gleaming canning jars, full of autumn’s bounty. I’ve done it for years, and thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of my kitchen labor. But what happens when Mason jar lids (which are supposed to be used only once in canning) are no longer readily available? Unless you have the more expensive European canning jars, with the reusable rubber gasket, you may be out of luck. Or when you can’t spare …


Letter Re: The Afghan Walled Courtyard Design for Retreat Architecture

James, My daily internet traipsing brought me across a photoset of Afghan walled compounds. It seems that the basic unit of Afghan country life is the extended family, all of whom live within a 12 foot walled compound. Since Afghanistan has lacked real sovereignty for centuries, this seems to be the logical endpoint of the evolution of retreat/farms. Note that they are not unlike the early spanish missions in the American Southwest. – Isaac R.


Letter Re: In a Tight Spot with Long Distance Travel Plans

Jim, Thanks again for all you do. I am in a tight spot and need some good advice. I have to travel to the Washington, DC area this weekend for a two week class at a Federal facility. I have tried (unsuccessfully) to cancel my plans. This will put me thousands of miles from home and family during times of mounting crisis. Due to the areas draconian gun laws, and the classes location I will be unable to travel with a firearm. I have some loose family in the New York City area, but no other regional contacts. I plan …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I’ve recently had a lot of inquiries via e-mail, asking about bank runs, and the possibility of a national “bank holiday”. For many months I have warned that both are possible. Even mainstream news outlets like Forbes magazine are discussing it. But keep in mind that with the growing prevalence of online banking, your bank could get cleaned out by depositors without a queue of people forming in front of the bank. People can empty there accounts while sitting at the their home PCs, with fuzzy slippers on their feet. This is an invisible bank run. It is essentially what …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"When all is said and done, Civilizations do not fall because of the barbarians at the gates. Nor does a great city fall from the death wish of bored and morally bankrupt stewards presumably sworn to its defense. Civilizations fall only because each citizen of the city comes to accept that nothing can be done to rally and rebuild broken walls; that ground lost may never be recovered; and that greatness lived in our grandparents but not our grandchildren. Yes, our betters tell us these things daily. But that doesn’t mean we have to believe it.- Bill Whittle