Note from JWR:

An update on the big 25% off special on Mountain House and Alpine Aire freeze-dried foods in #10 cans, offered by Ready Made Resources: To do better than any competing offer, they are offering free shipping on case lots, and are including some free bonus items with each order. This is in accord with their long-standing “we will not be undersold” sales policy. This sale ends in just four days (on February 14th), so be sure to get your order in soon!




Letter Re: Gun Laws in Sweden

Hello, Mr Rawles! Thank you for a great and very useful blog. Thanks for your time and effort that makes for a good, bulky read every morning. On more then one occasion I´ve had to hurry to work because of the lengthy articles. It seems like you´re receiving letters about gun ownership from around the globe so I thought I´d share Sweden´s gun situation with you. Sweden has quite liberal gun laws for those who are determined, compared to many other European countries. Compared to the US it´s a hassle, of course, but no problem if you are focused. Sweden …




Letter Re: Diesel Motorcycles Coming to America?

Sir: Take a look at the E.V.A. Track Turbo Diesel Adventure Tourer Motorcycle. Here is a description from Motorcycle Daily: “The Dutch company E.V.A., builder of small diesel engines as well as an interesting two-wheel-drive system for motorcycles, intends to bring such a bike to market in Europe, and perhaps even the U.S.A. this year. It’s called the Track, and it may be just the bike to have for the apocalypse.” Here is a link to the E.V.A. company’s web site. 73s, – Steve




Letter Re: The Ozarks as a Retreat Locale

Mr. Rawles; The Ozark Mountains and the Ouachita Mountains are part of a very old series of mountains that runs from the Mississippi drainage to the Red River. This formation has been worn down to its present height by erosion and was more recently split by the Arkansas river. In addition to the generous growing season and precipitation you mentioned, many parts of this area have recoverable natural gas deposits and in is common for farms along the Arkansas river to have gas well heads. In addition to a monthly payment, many of these farms also enjoy free natural gas …




Odds ‘n Sods:

The recent fires in Australia with large loss of life and property underscore the need to have defensible space around buildings. There is one factor in the Australian bush fires is not common knowledge in the US: In extremely hot weather, some tree species found in Australia–such as eucalyptus–exude volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are extremely flammable. When the conditions are just right, this can cause a firestorm effect.    o o o Chris E. flagged this: Rep. Kanjorski: $550 Billion Disappeared in “Electronic Run on the Banks.” A key quote: “[if the Federal reserve had not acted] by two …