Month: October 2009


Notes from JWR:

The demand for my new nonfiction book has been so strong that Penguin Books has increased their printing orders twice in the past 48 hours. They now expect to have a total of 50,000 copies in print by the middle of October. Amazon.com has ordered so many copies that they’ve been able to drop their retail price to just $9.35 each. — Today we present the first entry for Round 25 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 …


Applying For a Non-Resident Concealed Carry Weapons Permit/License, by Sgt. Survival

For millions of law-abiding gun owners, the ability to legally carry a concealed firearm is available to them in the form of a Concealed Carry Weapon Permit/License issued by their home state. However, for millions of other gun owners, that right is either severely restricted by “May Issue” states (like California, New York, New Jersey and several others) or flat-out impossible in the two remaining “Non-Issue” states, Illinois and Wisconsin. It is in the latter that I find myself. Due to work and family commitments, I have spent most of my life entrenched in that bastion of liberalism, just outside …


Letter Re: Putting the Fats Back Into Non-Fat Powdered Milk

In regards to the letter on powdered milk, the method described in the web site works, but does not produce milk that tastes very good (depending on the oil used). Growing up all over the world we often were in places where tuberculosis (TB) was endemic in the cattle populations. As a result you could not drink milk but could drink/eat yogurt based products (the process of conversion to yogurt will kill off the TB). Of course to this day I always test positive for TB because I ate the yogurt — even though I don’t have it — as …


Two Letters Re: Older Technology Radio Receivers (Original Thread Title Was: Crystal Radios)

Mr. Rawles; I have been monitoring the latest posts on vintage radios–pro and con–and decided to offer more information and a possible solution for SurvivalBlog readers considering vintage electronics. M.E. is spot on in his post about the relatively anemic performance of crystal radios versus superheterodyne (as all “American Fiver” sets are known) tube radios. The biggest issue with crystal sets is their absolute lack of range. During a severe crisis, local radio stations will most likely be forced to regurgitate propaganda resulting in little, if any, useful information. As is generally known, news from afar (Canada, Australia, Europe, etc) …



Economics and Investing:

Reader DLF spotted this: Detroit: Too broke to bury their dead Foreclosure Rate Rises 17 Percent. (Thanks to The Other Chris for the link.) A residential real estate shadow inventory case study. Items from The Economatrix: Manufacturing, Employment Pounds Stocks Jobs and Manufacturing Suggest Slow Recovery Banks Trim Use of Emergency Fed Programs September US Auto Sales Fall Amid Clunkers Letdown Natural Gas Tumbles with Most Ever in Storage Unprecedented US Corporate Defaults Seen for 2009 [JWR’s comment: So where is the “recovery” that the CNBC cheering section keeps talking about? I think that a recovery around 2022 may be …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Ammo Rationing at Wal-Mart as Panic Buying Sweeps US    o o o Signs of the times in small-town America: Layoffs, lost cruisers: Problems grow for sheriff. Here is a key quote: “‘We will be a lawless society,’ worries Angela Greenwell, a county board member, fearing the latest trouble ‘basically has neutered the sheriff’s department.’”    o o o Los Angeles Times reporter Matthew Brown digs in to the conflicting reports coming out of Hardin, Montana: California entrepreneur promising to revitalize rural Montana town has checkered past. This just gets curiouser and curiouser.    o o o Reader Phil E. …


#1 Son’s Quote of the Day:

“Modern military planners often talk in terms of “threat spirals” when a given threat escalates and inspires a defensive countermeasure. Ideally you should anticipate your opponent’s next escalation and take countermeasures, insulating yourself from the future threat.” – James Wesley, Rawles, discussing recent trends in home invasion robberies in “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times”


Notes from JWR:

My sincere thanks for making the Book Bomb Day a great success! When I last checked, my new book was ranked at #4 in Amazon.com’s overall book rankings. Only the new Dan Brown novel, the upcoming Sarah Palin book, and Glenn Beck’s book are ranked higher. How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It is also ranked #1 in the Survival Skills category, #1 in the Technology & Society category, #1 in the General & Reference category, and #2 in nonfiction books. Thanks again! At this rate, the publisher will soon have to order a second …


Writing Contest Winners – Round 24

We’ve completed the judging! The first prize winner for Round 24 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest is”Old Dog” , for his article “Grub and Gear–Lessons Learned from an Alaskan Trapper”. He will receive: 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 entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) The second prize winner is Brad T. for …


Letter Re: Putting the Fats Back Into Non-Fat Powdered Milk

Hello Mr. Rawles, Here is a link to Chow How that I thought some of your readers might wish to print out and add to their preparedness manuals. It tells you how to add the fats back to powdered milk (with oil) to make whole milk. It is important that toddlers have the fat for proper brain growth. It would also be a good idea for pregnant women to have the extra fats. Hope this link is helpful to some of your readers. Sincerely, ~ Garnet


Two Letters Re: Crystal Radios

JWR, While the concept and idea of a Crystal Radio for TEOTWAWKI (no battery or external power) sounds ideal, in practice the execution leaves much to be desired. Many ignore the fact that if a grid down situation occurs (or worse an EMP attack) that most radio stations in the affected area will be down and out for the count. In a best case scenario if the transmitting station’s components aren’t damaged, how long will their source of backup power stay up? Many modern stations rely on satellite feeds or long line telephone circuits for their program materials to be …


Economics and Investing:

A Year Later, TARP Inspector General Barofsky Sees a ‘Far More Dangerous’ Financial Situation Officials: Fed will need to boost rates quickly. (Thanks to El Jefe Jeff E. for the link.) Bob G. sent the link to this Wall Street Journal piece: Plenty More Bank Losses Expected Globally; Additional $1.5 Trillion in Write-Downs Forecast by End of 2010 Account overdrawn: FDIC Fund Goes Negative. Although the US Treasury is the guarantor of last resort, it now won’t take much to trigger bank runs. (A hat tip to K.T. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Hard Times Good for Your …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Damon flagged a good essay by Claire Wolfe, over at Backwoods Home: Circle of friends The importance of other people in our preparedness plans    o o o Andrew H. wrote to mention that the US Government Printing Office (GPO) finally has the Special Forces Medical Handbook back in stock.    o o o Eric S. noted this Popular Mechanics article; Highly Productive, Low-Stress Animals You Can Raise at Home    o o o Nanny State Britannia Update: Barmy Britain through the looking glass    o o o FG found this: Internet overtakes television to become biggest advertising sector in …