Notes from JWR:

Your last day to bid! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $1,500. Get your bid in by midnight, eastern time, tonight. The auction is for a large mixed lot that includes: 1.) A large “be ready to barter” box of full-capacity gun magazines, from the JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original FN of Belgium-made FN-FAL alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (a mix of Simmonds & Colt made) alloy 20 round magazines, and 2 – New and very …




Hurricane Lessons Learned and Some Advice on Getting Prepared, by Ken on the Gulf Coast

Sometimes it is not an option to relocate so you have to get prepared wherever you are located. I am located on the Gulf Coast 60 short miles from New Orleans, Louisiana. We were ground zero for Hurricane Katrina, so I have a first hand experience of what can happen I will describe some things that I did right and some things that I did wrong. We were unable to relocate to a place like Idaho as we had elderly parents who could not and probably would not relocate to a more appropriate survival area. My mother was born in …




Four Letters Re: The Thin Blue Line

JWR, [In his article “The Thin Blue Line”,] Deputy W. makes a very good observation about the tipping point when law enforcement retreats to protect their own families. This situation has occurred twice in recent history here in the U.S., during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles in 1992 and most recently in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina. I lived through the riots in L.A., as well as two earthquakes and would like to share some of what I learned from this experience. The fact I want to impress on SurvivalBlog readers is that they will …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Eric sent us this: Prices for rooftop solar systems fall as supply grows    o o o “OffGrid”, James S., and KAF were the first of more than 10 readers that flagged this: U.S. military report warns ‘sudden collapse’ of Mexico is possible. Speaking of emerging threats, Semperfiwife sent this Newsweek piece: Bob Graham talks about the possible nature and likelihood of a WMD terrorist attack over the next few years.    o o o From FloridaGuy: Detroit’s credit rating downgraded to junk bond status    o o o Nick sent this: The New Paranoia: Hedge-Funders Are Bullish on Gold, …




Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“What we as a nation have done recently is eat the seeds and kill off the game which is necessary to regenerate surplus in the future. We have consumed our future surplus. This is essentially why the Coming Depression will not end in 2009 or 2012–we as a nation have consumed our future surplus via stupendous deficits and the stupendous interest payments which must be paid out of future surpluses.” – Charles Hugh Smith