Year: 2009

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 …


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

So you plan on growing your own food in times of need. Here are some facts to bear in mind: 1) your garden is not just what you have in your tilled yard, greenhouse and cold frame; 2) prepare yourself physically for this way of life and diet; 3) organic gardening/farming will be the only kind of farming in the future; and 4) go native. Local food gathering and native plants are an essential aspect of a long-term, sustainable food supply. What grows in your area that can be eaten or used as a medicine? The most common edible plants …


Letter Re: Bank Walkaways–Banks Intentionally Not Fully Foreclosing?

James Wesley, I just read an ad on Craigslist explaining some sad stories for individuals on “Bank walk aways” . See BankWalkaways.com for more. It appears that [some] banks are intentionally not auctioning off properties foreclosed on and leaving the titles (… legal responsibility, liabilities, etc.) in the original record holder’s name. Down the road these vacant properties are vandalized, looted, burned etc., then the city comes a callin’ for the “homeowner” to fund the repairs / demolition. This is outrageous if this is true! Thanks are hardly enough for the wake up call you’ve given me through your book …


Economics and Investing:

U.S. Government to Loan Brazil’s Petrobras $10 Billion. This supercedes the old offer of $2 billion. Oh, but wait a minute! So if the BHO administration favors offshore drilling in US coastal waters, then why is this money going to Petrobras-Brazil instead of to US companies? Sue C. spotted this one: Dollar Falls to Lowest Versus Euro in 2009 as Stocks Rally And from A.C.: Schiff: Rising Gold Signals Inflation Items from The Economatrix: Gary North: Deflation, Inflation, Stagflation, Mass Inflation, Hyperinflation: Which One Will Get Us First? Obama Says US Still Faces Complex Economic Crisis Federal Reserve Saved Us …


Odds ‘n Sods:

New frugality is the new normal, by necessity; Even if shoppers’ willingness to spend returns, ability likely to be constrained for years    o o o 1,000,000+ Guns Added to American Homes in August    o o o GG flagged this: Rejecting Tech, Some Opting for Human Power    o o o Gary Marbut gets his five minutes of fame on CNN: 2009 HB 246 Montana Made Firearms Bill


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens…. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose." – John Maynard Keynes


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 …


Preparing for Uncertain Times–A Simple Guide to Getting Ready, by Mr. and Mrs. Joe Patriot

Introduction Imagine this situation: All of the media outlets have gone to commercial-free coverage. They are reporting that the Dow has dropped 2,000 points and trading has been suspended on Wall Street. The Chinese, along with other countries have transferred their reserves from the US Dollar. Oil futures climb $50 a barrel in hours. A national bank holiday shuts down the financial system on Main Street. Within 24 hours the grocery stores are cleared out of all food stocks. The gas pumps dry up in 12 hours. Trucks delivering goods are stuck at truck stops waiting on fuel that may …


Letter Re: Thoughts on Shedding Bad Habits, and Developing Good Ones

Hello Mr Rawles, In response to Jane L.’s letter on shedding bad habits posted on September 3rd, it is admirable she has identified things in her life she can move away from for a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle. I would like to caution her, as well as others, that preparedness and survivalism is not an activity one does for a few weeks, and “is ready”. It is a lifestyle changing activity that probably reaches every facet of life, changing many things all at once. Don’t burn out on it. Things like the glass of wine, some breath mints or …