Month: July 2010

Odds ‘n Sods:

Chris in Virginia sent a link to a site with information on oil presses. Chris notes: “The ability from seeds grown on your own property should be of interest to many who want independence. Based on the data provided on line, a patch of sunflowers could provide significant amounts of oil for both culinary and fuel usage.”    o o o JRH Enterprises is sponsoring started a new survival message board/forum: SurvivalAndPreparedness.com. Check it out!    o o o Reader J.S. mentioned that even Yahoo now recommends stocking up. J.S. notes: “The comments following are even more enlightening.”    o …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to enslave men by force, socialism—by vote. It is merely the difference between murder and suicide." – Ayn Rand, “Foreign Policy Drains U.S. of Main Weapon,” The Los Angeles Times, Sept. 9, 1962


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 …


An Alternative Approach to Lists For Beginning Preppers, by Margaret G.

All preppers rely on lists to a greater or lesser degree and each person’s list will be different according to the length of time they have been prepping, their location, their climate, their family needs and their financial situation. For those who are relatively new to prepping – better late than never – the amount of “stuff” needed to survive can be daunting and it can lead to purchases or acquisitions made on an ad hoc basis and without a great deal of thought. One way of getting rid of the feeling of being overwhelmed is to start small. Make …


Three Letters Re: Riots and Civil Unrest in America

James Wesley: BB in California was spot on with his assessment of the 1992 riots and I doubt that will be the last time we will see such an uprising. One thing B.B. didn’t mention was the ripple affect to other parts of the LA area and around the nation. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this will never happen in your area. I worked 20 miles east of downtown and lived another 20 miles further east – 40 miles from downtown, in a nice neighborhood. Even though I was a prepper way back then, I felt after the first …


Economics and Investing:

B.B. was the first of several readers to mention this item: US financial system support up $700 billion in past year-watchdog. “Total US government financial system support seen at $3.7 trillion.” Yikes! Brett G. sent this one: How to Upgrade an Old Phone into a Porsche. M.E.W. spotted this: Why Are Banks Withholding Highend Repossessions Over $300,000 From the Market? G.G. suggested the latest from The Mogambo Guru (Richard Daughty): Raising Taxes to Combat Recession: The Ultimate Fiscal Folly Items from The Economatrix: Stocks Drop as Bernanke Warns of Uncertain Economy Firms Want to Rehire, Skilled Workers Scarce Cities Rent …


Odds ‘n Sods:

B.B. wrote to tell us that the second season of The Colony will air this summer on The Discovery Channel, starting July 27th.    o o o Reader J.F.R. mentioned these: Spiral Eye Needles    o o o K.S. sent this: PC giant warns of hardware trojan horse



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 …


Riots and Civil Unrest in America, by B.B. in California

I am writing this article not to glorify what I have seen, but perhaps to make some of you think about some unknowns.  I am a U.S. Army veteran who served in the 1980s, and when I honorably discharged I was recruited into law enforcement at a termination of service briefing at Fort Irwin, California.  From there I went into law enforcement in Los Angeles for over 20 years and never looked back.  I am writing this article because many people are writing about living through and how to survive civil unrest (I am sorry, a riot is a riot …


Letter Re: An Arms and Armor Maker Recommendation

Sir: I recommend that you and your readers look into Windlass Steelcrafts, a company with a wide range of hand-weaponry, armor, etc., from ancient to modern. Most swords, for example, on the market are soft stainless steel. This company provides swords made from a variety of steel, including layered, high carbon, Damascus steel. These people make real weapons: “Its founder, Mr. V. P. Windlass set up this manufacturing plant to supply the British Gurkha regiments with Kukris, their main sidearm weapon.” Here is information on how they manufacture swords. Some examples of their weaponry: A Damascus Viking Sword Erbach Sword …


Economics and Investing:

Dormant accounts to fund ‘big society’ bank. (A hat tip to Chris P for the link.) Norman A. mentioned: King World News interviewed John Williams of ShadowStats. Anthony M. sent this item: Nearly half of North Carolina’s state-chartered banks ‘troubled’ Items from The Economatrix: The Real US Unemployment Rate Could Be 25% Or More US Consumer Confidence Slides To Lowest In A Year The Geography of a Recession (Now updated through May, 2010) Stocks Slump on Weak Revenue for Goldman, IBM Home Construction Sinks to Lowest Level Since October Desperate Retailers Push Christmas in Summertime


Odds ‘n Sods:

Greg M. spotted an article that underlines the vulnerability of SCADA systems: New virus targets industrial secrets    o o o The folks at Ready Made Resources now have a special sale in progress on a very small quantity of full mil-spec AN/PVS-14 Gen 3+ weapons sight monoculars. These are autogated and complete with military issue monocular head mounts, manuals, sacrificial lenses, mil-spec soft nylon carry cases, et cetera. The price is just $2,995, which is less than most dealers charge for a standard Gen 3 scope. (And again, these are the much more sought after Gen 3+ variety.) I …



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 …