Month: April 2009

Three Letters Re: Some Practical Lessons with Daily Concealed Carry

Jim, I thought your reader “D” in North Carolina had some very good observations on daily carry. In particular the mindset advice was solid. I would like to point out that despite the majority of his info being spot-on, I have to take a different perspective on his “fifth lesson.” First, it’s your choice who you choose to tell that you’re carrying, I’m not trying to tell your readers what to do specifically, but rather I’m trying to shed more light on the topic. It’s actually beneficial if some people know you carry (that you trust) as they will likely …


Economics and Investing:

Laura H. suggested this WND article: Families learning of $163,000 tax ‘bomb’, Economics prof says deficits heading toward ‘banana republic levels’ From reader AC: Social Security Surplus Already Gone Reader Jon M. flagged this, over at Seeking Alpha: Did the ECB Save COMEX from Gold Default? Items from The Economatrix: Congress, Bankers Just Don’t Get It “Changing the way you account for losses on bad assets doesn’t mean the losses have gone away. If anything, the obfuscation of those losses will drive investors away because balance sheets in the financial sector will become more opaque.” What to Buy Before the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

David B. sent this from a Texas newspaper: Dallas-Fort Worth’s ‘modern survivalists’ are ready for layoffs — or war    o o o After an 18 year hiatus, during which prices rose from $700 to $4,000, the Steyr AUG A3 has finally hit the US market in a rail-topped US-made variation. The first few have already been popping up on Buddy’s Board and GunBroker.com. My advice: By one or more, if only as an investment. There may be very few sold before another Federal “assault on our rights” ban is enacted, and hence they will likely double in price.    …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It is upon a reckless people: squalid in their demeanor, stupid and arrogant in their politics, economics and military matters; sleazy in their popular culture the savage judgment of history will be rendered. The verdict will be guilty. The penalty will be death, for the people, the institutions and culture which so openly mocks all that is just and true and good about the American Republic. Like Rome, we have replaced Republic with Empire and, like Rome, we will pay the economic price for our folly.” – Doug McIntosh, “The Economic Farce is Ending”, June 5, 2005


Note from JWR:

Just three days to the Book Bomb Day! This is a reminder to please wait until Wednesday, April 8th to order your copy of the new edition of “Patriots”. That will be our “Book Bomb” day. By delaying orders until then, we hope to drive the book’s Amazon sales rank into the top 100. Many thanks for making the new edition a success.


Letter Re: A Short Term Home Evacuation Taught Some Lessons

Sir, Thanks for SurvivalBlog and the efforts you put into it. I have read your online information over the years, going back to just before Y2K. Your insights, common sense and information diversity are great indicators of what it means to prep, get prepped and maintain. I have a few of your books, and have used your information and insights to help get my brother and his family started on preps. Recently, I experienced a situation that required evacuation and relocation on a personal/ family level. In our utility area, where the washer and dryer are, we had a fire. …


Letter Re: The Challenges of Prepping While on Active Duty Military Service

Hi, I just finished reading the Profile on Mr. & Mrs. India. I had planned to write earlier and this truly motivated me. I am in the military with 24 years in. I discovered your web site last spring and have been a dedicated reader. I have learned so much. Unfortunately right after I discovered your site I was transferred overseas. I am almost midway my tour but have been very frustrated in that so much of what I could do in terms of preparation is hampered by being overseas. Ordering staples for the pantry is the easiest thing I …


Economics and Investing:

Courtesy of reader D.D.: Faint signs the economy has a pulse? Better-than-expected factory orders, but job market still a worry. From G.G.: U.K. News: Interest Rates Set to Soar, Warns Bank’s Chief Economist M.A.M. suggested a piece that was linked at the Naked Capitalism blog: On the Urgency of Restructuring Bank and Mortgage Debt, and of Abandoning Toxic Asset Purchases. (Hussman’s approach is a bit interventionist for my taste, but at least it underscores the broad implications of the current crisis.) In my view, malinvestment must be worked out the system naturally, through bankruptcies. The fractional reserve credit system and …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From Cheryl: 2012 May Bring the Perfect Storm: Solar Flares, Systems Collapse    o o o Oni sent us a link to a follow-up story about those $20 gold pieces is Utah: Woman suspected of stealing gold coins arrested. So now the sin count is up to three: A bank teller’s covetousness, FDR’s grand larceny, and a woman’s thievery.    o o o Canada Moves to End Gun Control, Calling it an Ineffective Measure Against Crime. (Thanks to KT for the link.)    o o o Fitzy in Pennsylvania mentioned this YouTube video clip from a very bright young man …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"…and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." – Daniel 12:1-3 (KJV)


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include: First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value! Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for …


Is it Enough?, by Axman

I remember the Great Gas Crises of the 1950s. I filled several metal five-gallon cans with gas and put them behind the seat of my 1941 Plymouth 6-cylinder Business Coupe. I got 21 miles per gallon with that peppy little car! When Kennedy’s Cuban Missile Crises came about I dug a foxhole in my Mother’s back yard — which she later filled in and used as a flower bed. Then the Cold War with Russia, where we rattled ballistic missiles at each other. I actually built an above-ground fallout shelter out of a retired metal dumpster and a piece of …


Letter Re: Some Practical Lessons From Daily Concealed Carry

Jim, I am on my third concealed carry license and have been carrying at least one concealed weapon every day for about 15 years. I have learned a number of lessons I thought I would share with AceHigh and any other recent CCLs holders among your readers. First, choose a gun you can carry all the time because a small gun in your hand is worth two big guns back in your safe. Wearing a gun only sometimes means that you will sometimes be unprepared. Wouldn’t you feel really stupid I the one time you needed your gun you didn’t …


Two Letters Re: Bug Out Vehicle Cooling Systems for Extreme Emergencies

Jim, In his recent contribution, “The Oddshot” stated that leaving a thermostat out of an engine is an unacceptable option: “So why not just leave the thermostat and blanking sleeve out entirely? Because the water will flow, unrestricted, and very fast through the engine and radiator. Too fast to pick up the heat from inside the engine, too fast to get cooled off in the radiator.” I mean no offense to him, but this is an incorrect assertion. A coolant can never flow “too fast to pick up heat” or “too fast to get cooled off”. It is true that …


Economics and Investing:

Now this is downright sinful: Woman Cashes in Rare U.S. Double Eagle $20 Gold Coins for Face Value. I’m glad to see that the bank teller was fired. Parenthetically, it has now been 76 year since gold coins were taken out of public circulation in the US. At the time, the difference between he value of a $20 bill and a $20 gold piece was small. But today, the enormity of FDR‘s grand larceny scheme is apparent. Perhaps that is the greater sin that should have been highlighted in this news article. (Thanks, BTW, to Josh for the link.) D.D. …