Day: June 25, 2010

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 29 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include: 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.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of …


A Survival Suburban Homestead: A Prepper’s Twist on the Homestead Movement – Pt. 1, by D.M.T.

Swimming in a Sea of Humanity A homestead will not survive isolated in a sea of desperate humanity.  Nor will man survive in a desert void of it.  For many of us surviving in place (the suburbs) is going to be a fact.  With it carries tremendous risk and dangers yet imbedded within it, also a cornucopia of resources and individuals with critical skill sets and life saving knowledge.  Unlike urban areas, there is a small enough degree of separation between people, enough so to actually define and scratch out a living independently.  Current Homesteaders have proven it is possible …


Letter Re: Learning From an OPSEC Failure

Letter Re: Learning from an OPSEC Failure Hello Mr. Rawles, The shopper who had a badoperational security (OPSEC) experience at the grocery store is not alone. Here in Canada I had the same thing happen to me in a slightly different way. It was a tax free weekend at a major store and I stocked up on everything subject to both provincial (state) and federal sales tax. Big (12%) savings on every item that wasn’t food. I provision a family of seven, I wait for these weekends. For the first time I noticed I was stared at by other shoppers …


Letter Re: Some Experiences With Propane and White Gas Campstoves

James, I am a Scout Master in a local Boy Scout troop. After years of camping with Scouts it has become apparent to me that most propane camp stoves have a very short life span, even the name brand units. They work great for the occasionally camp out but they start leaking around the connections and they are not field serviceable. Many years ago, I was given an old Coleman white gas stove. I cleaned it up and have used it extensively over the last 30 years. Other than replacing the few parts, which are field serviceable, the stove is …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. mentioned a Rear Clear Markets video clip that echoes something that I’ve been stressing for several years: Legendary investor Jim Rogers says that silver is an attractive commodity while gold remains at an all-time high. Courtesy of Brian B. comes this link: The US is Pushing Its Debt Towards a $57 Trillion Hole Yishai sent us this (by way of Glenn at Instapundit): Don’t Fear Inflation, if It Comes. (Oh, really? I guess he’s never visited Zimbabwe…) Brian H. flagegd this: China’s Desert Ghost City Shows Property `Madness’ Persists U.S. May Follow Britain’s Lead and Pass Bank Tax. Oh, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Jamie D. mentioned that the government’s own documents show that the FSA program’s food warehouses are effectively empty. Jamie notes: “Government still hasn’t begun to replenish actual reserves of food. This is mandated, funded, and empty. If the gulf disaster results in toxic rains that impact crops, the government will have no reserves of wheat, corn, soy, et cetera.”    o o o Chavez pushes Venezuela into food war. (Thanks to Matt D. for the link.)    o o o G.G. flagged this: Knoxville City Council approves backyard chickens    o o o Keith B. spotted this: Brazil to …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It has always seemed strange to me… the things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second." – John Steinbeck