Notes from JWR:

The upgrade job is turning out to take longer than expected. SurvivalBlog, now with over 8,100 posts, has gotten too big for the old publishing system to handle. The archives are still mostly down, until we can work things out. WE hope to have everything up and running again soon. Merry Christmas! — I was recently interviewed by Cope Reynolds on The Shooting Bench Internet radio show. (Be sure to scroll through the extensive archives of their podcasts.) — Today we present another entry for Round 26 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize: A.) A course certificate from …




Prepping for Fishing in TEOTWAWKI, by W. in Atlanta

Much has been written in these pages and elsewhere about prepping for food: maintaining protein and caloric intake. Fish are an excellent source of protein, and will continue to be so under most post-SHTF scenarios. How does a person go about preparing to catch them, and convert them to food? I write this as someone who has had the good luck to have fished over the last fifty plus years in every continent but Australia, and survived, and who has designed and built hundreds of rods in pursuit of every conceivable species of fish using a wide range of techniques. …




Letter Re: Preparedness with Very Limited Resources

Jim:I don’t think you’re a fool. It is important to put yourself in this type of situation and test yourself. I live in rural Northern Michigan, it gets cold up here. Last winter I did exactly what you’re talking about. I walked down to the river behind my house (about a ½ mile) and stayed two nights without any gear. The only thing I had other than my clothes was a lighter. You should always have a way to make fire on you. Ironically smokers are more likely to make it through survival situations, simply because they always carry a …







Economics and Investing:

Treasury removes cap for Fannie and Freddie. (Thanks to Jeff R. for the link.) GG sent this piece in The New York Post by fellow near future novelist Ralph Peters: 2010: The year of bankrupt governments. (And coincidentally, Ralph and I have the same literary agent, Robert Gottlieb.) Items from The Economatrix: Shoppers Give Stores Last-Minute Sales Surge Jobless Claims, Goods Orders Signal Modest Rebound Stocks End Shortened Session at New 2009 Highs Mortgage Rates Inch Above 5% Congress Raises Debt Ceiling to $12.4 Trillion Ford Sells Volvo to China Geithner: Job Growth Should Resume By Springtime Britain Joins Italy …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Thanks to C.B. for sending the link to Joel Skousen’s recently updated web page on Strategic Relocation.    o o o F.G. sent a link to this story: In classic NIMBY behavior, Senator Diane Feinstein nixes solar, wind farms in the California desert.    o o o D.A.S. sent an article from Brownell’s on rust preventatives.




Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“God rest you merry Gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay; Remember Christ our Saviour, Was born on Christmas-day; To save our souls from Satan’s power, Which long time had gone astray: This brings Tydings of Comfort and Joy.” – from “Three New Carols for Christmas”, Wolverhampton, printed by J. Smart, circa 1760