Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 31 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 …




Tell No One, by Mary F.

I left the city earlier this year, and have settled in on property that my grandmother bought 70 years ago. I work from home, in the arts, doing publicity, proofreading, and copy-editing. I have a very quiet life, very private, a few good friends, a deep knowledge of the region. I rarely go more than five miles from home. The world frightens me much more than it did when I was younger and stronger and living in the big scary city. Havoc, it seems, has already been cried, and it’s not out of the question that the dogs of war …




Letter Re: Inexpensive and Face Value Sources for Silver Coins

Sir, First, from one veteran to another, let me thank you, like so many others, for this outstanding blog. I would like to share my experiences with my like-minded brothers and sisters in the hopes that they too can fill their coffers of coins and silver bullion for free or pretty darn close to it. We most certainly all know the importance of tangible assets at this critical juncture in our Nation’s history. But with upward trend of gold and silver as of late, who wants to pay $23 or more for one ounce of silver? Not me. So I …




Economics and Investing:

Reader Bill R. liked this piece by Brett Arends: The Great Mortgage Mystery. The article begins: “The big question from the mortgage meltdown isn’t why so many distressed homeowners are defaulting on their loans. It’s why any of them are still making payments.” Oh, and FYI, here is a list of non recourse (“mortgage walkaway”) states. 27 Signs That The Standard Of Living For America’s Middle Class Is Dropping Like A Rock Siggy recommend this white paper from QB Asset Management: Who is John Galt? Susan H. sent this: The 19 Countries Most Likely to Default: Ireland Surges Higher Frightening …




Odds ‘n Sods:

I heard about RemedyLink.com, a small pharmaceutical manufacturer produces EDTA suppositories for heavy metal chelation. They offer a 50% discount for folks that identify themselves as SurvivalBlog readers. To get the 50% off, customers will have to phone them, since the web site isn’t set up for that sort of deep discount.    o o o Just a sign of the budget crunch times, or Anarchy, USA? In Multnomah County, Oregon (which includes the city of Portland), the county district attorney said that “low-level crimes” such as shoplifting, trespassing, and disorderly conduct will no longer be prosecuted due to budget …




Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The view which defines liberty as the mere ‘absence of restraint’ may be well-meaning, but this is the best one can say about it. It is a definition which permits, and even encourages, the substance of liberty to leak away. It undermines the sanctity of the person and property, it ignores the moral order, and it undermines the system of contracts. The truly free man is not a captive of his impulses; he controls his own actions so as not to impair the equal rights of others to their persons and their property; he is constrained by moral considerations; and …