Day: October 1, 2010

Notes from JWR:

This news story from U.S.A. Today sounds like something out of a novel I once read wrote: More families, friends move in together. They even refer to it as “doubling up.” A hat tip to Jeff S. for sending us the link. — We’ve completed the judging for Round 30 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. And the winners are… First Prize goes to Nomad Medic for the article: Dealing With Diarrhoeal Diseases, which was posted on Sept. 26, 2010. He will receive: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of …


Letter Re: Recommendation for Reunel Truck Bumpers

James Wesley: I live in a part of western Wyoming “where the deer and the antelope play.” Drivers around here often have deer collisions. There are so many collisions that “deer wreck” repairs are the main source of business for the local auto body shops. (And the standing joke here is, you aren’t a real citizen of the state until you’ve had your first deer wreck.) Because of this, it is pretty typical to see heavy-duty brushguard type bumpers on pickups and SUVs all around my region. But I heard from the local body shop that many of these bumpers …


Letter Re: Thoughts on Upcoming Quantitative Easing

Mister Rawles: As many of the SurvivalBlog readers and individuals who are on the inflation/deflation watch have noticed over the weekend is the rumor that the Federal Reserve will begin what is commonly referred to at this point as Quantitative Easing, Round 2 (or “QE2”) , Fed Will Boost Balance Sheet by $500 Billion . Why is this important for the average American? The opening of the novel “Patriots” lays out a scenario where the Federal Reserve begins to buy U.S. Treasury debt which spirals out of control leading to the implosion of the government. There should be warning lights …


Letter Re: Low Cost Merino Wool Clothing

Hello, I am very grateful for your web site/books and thought I could add a little something that I have been doing lately. I am a carpenter and usually end up building outside at some point during the winters, so I have tried a lot of different clothing options to stay warm and comfortable. The best solution for me has been Merino wool. It seems to me that since the mid-1990s that there has been a huge push from most retailers and advertisers to support man made synthetic fibers (recycled plastic fleece, polypropylene, acrylic, etc.) as insulating layers of clothing. …


Letter Re: The Psychological Trauma of a Home Burglary

Mr. Editor: Just about nine hours ago, my house was burglarized. My husband, three kids, and the dog is still asleep while I’m anxiously waiting for sunrise. Thank God we were not home but security of home is invaded. I’m scared, nervous, and unsure of the future. I tell myself to be strong for them but body is numbed and jelly-like. My kids and I came home from a school event around 7 P.M. yesterday evening. We all went straight to the kitchen for a snack. The house was at its usual state, toys scattered around, and the living room …


Letter Re: The Plan “B” Map

Sir: Regarding the comment in the The Plan "B" Map article about draining and filtering fire sprinkler systems for emergency drinking water: I’m definitely not an expert, and have only seen a few sprinkler systems purged, but the stuff coming out of those pipes is only loosely defined as “water”. The Fire Tech told me that some buildings have the original water in the fire sprinkler pipes dating back to when the system was installed, so it looks like motor oil coming out of those pipes. My office had the sprinkler system replaced, and it looked and smelled like sewer …


Economics and Investing:

Norman A. was the first of several readers to mention this: Ben Davies – The World Monetary Earthquake. Here is a quote: “Within a single week 25 nations have deliberately slashed the values of their currencies. Nothing quite comparable with this has ever happened before in the history of the world. This world monetary earthquake will carry many lessons.” B.B. sent this: U.S. Mint says it has run out of Buffalo gold coins Fred D. flagged this: Is Gold Going up or is it Just the Dollar Going Down? Job Experts Lose Jobs! (A hat tip to Jim P. for …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Water Use in Southwest Heads for a Day of Reckoning. (Thanks to SurvivalBlog’s Poet Laureate George Gordon for the link.)    o o o Mike the MD mentioned a piece in Backpacker magazine that has some simple but good first aid tips and common sense.    o o o B.B. recommended: GPS and the Police State We Inhabit: Living in Oceania