Day: February 25, 2009

Note from JWR:

I am pleased to report that we’ve surpassed the 7 million unique visits threshold, and we now get an average of 128,200 unique visits per week. Thanks for making SurvivalBlog such a huge success. Please keep spreading the word! Keep in mind that you can send links to individual articles and letters posted in SurvivalBlog, simply by clicking on the “Permalink” text below any SurvivalBlog item. Then copy and paste that Permalink URL (from your navigation bar) into an e-mail, a forum post, a web page, or into your own blog. We also have an RSS feed available. (Just click …


Making the Transition to Country Life, by Bois d’Arc

Many readers of Survival Blog are either in the process of moving to a lightly populated area or actively planning to bugout to such an area when the balloon goes up. Twenty years ago I moved from the edge of a large city to a fairly remote property, and have been quietly setting up the doomstead and perfecting skills ever since. In the process, I became part of the fabric of country life here and have learned some valuable lessons which may benefit the rookie country dweller. Most full-time country residents are descendents of frontiersmen who ventured into the wilderness …



A Know-Nothing Gun Buyer Illustrates a Fatally-Flawed Approach to Preparedness

Introductory Note from JWR: The following was posted at the Mike’s Madhouse forum, one of the Baen’s Bar Forums. (This is the forum moderated by SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large, Michael Z. Williamson.) It illustrates how incredibly naive some newbie gun owners can be. It also underscores a couple of my oft-repeated mantras: Survival is not about gadgets. It is about skills. And, tools without training are almost useless. Owning a gun doesn’t make someone a “shooter” any more than owning a surfboard makes someone a surfer. Reading this letter made me laugh hysterically, but it also made me sad to …


Economics and Investing:

Steven L. sent this bit of good economic news: Cabela’s shares surge on gun sales Eric S. sent this snippet from Bloomberg : “Gold is likely to more than quadruple from the current level of $986 per ounce currently to $3,500 in 2010, he said.” Reader “Jericho Jo” flagged this article from New Zealand: European chiefs propose global rules (for world economies). A quote: “Even the global crisis and a change of Administration may not be enough to convince the US to hand over its autonomy.”I see the US as wary of giving away powers of oversight and regulation,” said …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Thanks to Bryce L. for sending this: Expert: Climate Change Could Mean ‘Extended World War’. There is a huge divergence of opinion on this issue. But consider that even if there is no climate change, government over-reaction or misdirected “solutions” could cause some serious problems.    o o o This is one of those risks’ that I was warning about: Arkansas Times Publishes List of Arkansas State Concealed Carry Holders. (A hat tip to Scotty and Stacie in Arkansas for the link.)    o o o Pete in Florida sent the link to this piece by Glenn Beck; We Surround …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"He that suffers his life to be taken from him by one that hath no authority for that purpose, when he might preserve it by defense, incurs the Guilt of self murder since God hath enjoined him to seek the continuance of his life, and Nature itself teaches every creature to defend itself." – From a 1747 sermon given in Philadelphia, as quoted by C. Asbury in The Right to Keep and Bear Arms in America: The Origins and Application of the Second Amendment to the Constitution, (an unpublished doctoral thesis in history, available at University of Michigan Graduate Library), …