Day: September 29, 2010

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 30 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 …


Letter Re: The Survival Mindset–Becoming Part of the Social Ecosystem

Hello James: In many ways, communities behave like biological organisms. They respond to foreign invaders like our bodies respond to the flu virus. They respond to “us” like our bodies respond to “us”. They may not actively nourish teeth, hair or fingernails, but they do not reject them either. One key aspect to creating community is to be visible before the balloon goes up. I run for exercise. I tend to wear the same kinds of outfit every time I run: a swim trunks and a brown tie-dyed shirt. My runs extend 8 miles out. Some Sundays I run home …


Letter Re: Aviation-Style Checklists for Survival, by Andy W.

In the 1940s, the accident rate among aircraft in the United States was horrendous, especially for small private aircraft. Many lives were lost and airplanes mangled due to often preventable causes. By the mid-1950s, the accident rates had dropped by 30-50%, depending on what numbers you look at. What happened to make such a dramatic change? The answer is the prevalent use of checklists for all phases of flight. Every aircraft today, from a tiny Cessna to a giant airliner, has checklist for every procedure from preflight inspection to securing the aircraft after parking. Checklists are important for a few …


Economics and Investing:

KAF pointed us to this: On the Secret Committee to Save the Euro, a Dangerous Divide Mike Williamson sent us this: Slideshow: The Most Taxed States in the U.S. G.G. suggested: Taleb Says Unawareness of Deficit Risk Has Him `Extremely Bearish’ on U.S. The latest from Dr. Housing Bubble: Palms Mar Vista correction. From $740,000 to $540,000 and still overpriced. The Westside of L.A. enters an accelerating correction. Items from The Economatrix: Why QE2 + QE Lite Mean that the Fed Will Purchase Almost $3 Trillion Treasurys and Set the Stage for the Monetary Endgame Banks Keep Failing, No End …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Dirk W. sent us this news story: The New Resource Wars: What if China Stops Exporting Rare Elements?    o o o The Heat Wave that Changed American History. (Thanks to “T-Moo” for the link.)    o o o Safecastle’s big sale ends tomorrow–Thursday, Sept. 30th. This is their last 25% off sale on Mountain House canned storage foods for 2010, with some free bonus items, depending on the size of your order. Safecastle also resumed stocking real canned butter, from Holland. Don’t miss out!    o o o EliteT sent this from CNN: Why is ‘food security’ sparking unrest? …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“War has taught me that each one of us contains every ingredient of the human recipe. By varying measure we are all cowards and brave men, thieves and honest men, selfish and selfless men, malingerers and champions, weasels and lions. The only question is how much of each attribute we allow- or force – to dominate our being.” – Eric L. Haney, Command Sergeant Major US Army, from his book “Inside Delta Force“