Month: September 2009

Odds ‘n Sods:

Earlier this year, SurvivalBlog reader David Wendell launched a video blog on bushcraft skills call Bushcraft On Fire. He has already posted more than 80 practical “how-to” video segments, and has gathered more than 1,100 subscribers. I recommend subscribing. Good stuff!    o o o Reader Jeremy N. mentioned that there are some great storm surge survival tips in Dr. Jeff Masters’ WunderBlog: Tropical Storm Fred is born; storm surge survival misconceptions    o o o Sept. 11th Coast Guard Training Exercises Spark Confusion in D.C.    o o o Thanks to Craig W, for this PDF: M4/M4A1 Carbine Reliability …



Notes from JWR:

This is the day we remember the 2,975 Americans that died as a result of the September 11, 2001 Islamist terrorist attacks (2,751 of them at the World Trade Center). We must remain vigilant and well-prepared, both individually, and as a nation. If you don’t yet have your logistics together, and haven’t yet got the requisite training, then you’re way behind he power curve. — Today we present another entry for Round 24 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian …


One Woman’s View of Budget Preparedness, by Lisa L.

I wanted to write something for the contest for other ladies with children were in the same situation with wanting to be more prepared but not having the means to do so like the books recommend. I’ve had my frustrations but I’ve learned and bought gradually and wanted to share. 🙂 It always upsets me when I hear in the media or from people their point of view that people are helpless due to their income level. This is what I’ve learned so far, how to cook with wheat, stockpiling shampoo for very little and ways to acquire some supplies …


Four Letters Re: Prepare to Garden Like Your Life Depends on It, by Prepared in Maine

Dear Editor I would suggest The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Edward C. Smith and The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control edited by Barbara W. Ellis and Fern Marshall Bradley. These books both recommend Neem Seed Oil for insect control. [After looking locally.] I found that one must order it online. Regards, – Glennis Mr Rawles, In my humble opinion, many blog readers haven’t got a clue about gardening/farming without artificial/soil depleting chemicals. The reason “commercial” farmers must use these items is due to their monoculture crops grown in the same thousand + acre plots year after …


Economics and Investing:

This piece, sent to us by Damon S., should come as no surprise to SurvivalBlog readers: The Dollar Collapses; Commodities, stocks and foreign currencies all rise as investors sell dollars. As I’ve stated before, the magic number to watch for on the US Dollar Index (USDI) is 72. The territory south of 72 is terra incognita. “There Be Dragons.” Phil G. sent this: Swiss topple U.S. as most competitive economy U.S. ‘unlikely’ to recoup auto outlay, panel finds Lack health coverage? You may pay; “Americans would be fined up to $3,800 for failing to buy health insurance under a plan …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I just heard that my writings were mentioned on page 60 of the latest issue of Popular Mechanics magazine. It had been 10 years since they last mentioned me. To get more PM ink, I suppose that I need to write more about gadgety stuff in SurvivalBlog.    o o o Flesh-eating Superbug Killed Dad in Just Four Hours    o o o Huge Solar Storm Could Hit Earth Again    o o o Super-soldier exoskeletons ready for troop tests in 2010. (Thanks to FG for the link.)


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It will not be quick and it will not be easy. Our adversaries are not one or two terrorist leaders, or even a single terrorist organization or network. It’s a broad network of individuals and organizations that are determined to terrorize and, in so doing, to deny us the very essence of what we are: free people. They don’t live in Antarctica. They work, they train and they plan in countries. They’re benefiting from the support of governments. They’re benefiting from the support of non-governmental organizations that are either actively supporting them with money, intelligence and weapons or allowing them …


Letter Re: Living in the Time After TEOTWAWKI

Dear Mr. Rawles, I think there is a blind spot in a lot of preparedness/survivalist writing that I would like to address. There are a number of sites which do a good to excellent job of getting the word out about the nuts-and-bolts of getting prepared to allow a family to get through a short term emergency, and there are sites which encourages us to get a retreat in farm country. However, I have not seen anyone talk about how we will boot strap ourselves to back towards some sort of village life and civil society[, in the event of …


Letter Re: A Practical Use for Post-1982 US Zinc Pennies

Dear Mr. Rawles, I was reading the post on Survivalblog regarding “A Practical Use for Post-1982 U.S. Zinc Pennies.” You may want to remind your readers that in December 2006, the U.S. Mint announced a regulation making it illegal to melt cents and nickels. While this regulation was obviously aimed at large-scale melters and not us “little guys,” the fact remains that the Mint considers the melting of these small-denomination coins illegal, and punishable by up to a $10,000 fine or up to five years in prison. Of course, the feds won’t necessarily know if you or I are melting …


Letter Re: Prepare to Garden Like Your Life Depends on It, by Prepared in Maine

Mr. Editor,: If one was truly going to “Prepare to Garden Like Your Life Depends on It” I would never rely 100% on organic farming unless it was as a last resort Personally I wouldn’t rely on it anymore then compost and manure, if it was free and available (Do you deliver?) I work in agriculture and during growing season, I see organic crop failures, and these are professional farmers. Could you afford to loose 25-80% of your crop, or how about 100 percent? Organic growers are operating at a huge disadvantage using “organic pesticides” with many that just don’t …


Economics and Investing:

The latest weekly commentary and podcast from Don McAlvany: ECOSPASM: Inflation, Deflation, & Stagflation in One From DD: Is Buffett worried about stocks? Regular contributor Karen H. sent these news bits: Currency Crash Possible Wealthy Families Face Bankruptcy on Real Estate Crash Dollar Falls to Lowest in Almost Year on Borrowing Costs Items from The Economatrix: Lew Rockwell: The Great Fakeroo Recovery Backlash Against Banks Growing over Mortgage Modifications Study: 2 Out of 5 Working-Age Californians Jobless Post Office Closures Threats Adds Woes to Property Market Reality Excluded (The Mogambo Guru) Dollar’s Fate Written In History


Often-Overlooked Readiness: Preparing for Joy, by Carla

This article from Virginia was picked up by our local newspaper: Fed-up Smokers Grow Own Tobacco    o o o Yet another use for baling twine: The Baling Twine Knife    o o o Reader “Yankee Doodle” sent this: The vegetable gardeners of Havana.    o o o If you’ve ever wondered how you can archive the educational videos you find online: How to Download and Save YouTube Videos to Your Computer    o o o Wired magazine: ‘E-Bomb’ Doomsday Conference. (A tip of the hat to Tom R. for the link.)


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“When a man spends his own money to buy something for himself, he is very careful about how much he spends and how he spends it. When a man spends his own money to buy something for someone else, he is still very careful about how much he spends, but somewhat less what he spends it on. When a man spends someone else’s money to buy something for himself, he is very careful about what he buys, but doesn’t care at all how much he spends. And when a man spends someone else’s money on someone else, he doesn’t care …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 24 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) and C.)A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.) Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret …