Day: November 29, 2010

Notes from JWR:

The Rawles Gets Your Ready Family Preparedness Course is only rarely offered at a discounted price. Until Monday December 13th, the publisher is running a special sale. Don’t miss out on the chance to get a copy for yourself, or to give one as a Christmas gift. — 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 …


The Disappearance of the Anasazi Explained, by Ben F.

Staring at the “Arrival: Imminent” message flashing on the screen of my Garmin Etrex, I stumbled into the canyon below the Banister Ruins cliff dwellings in Grand Gulch Utah at about midnight. I couldn’t be sure where I was, because darkness obscured the familiar landmark of the ruins. I dropped the 50-lb pack with 10 days of freeze-dried foods and other paraphernalia, marked the spot on the e-Trex GPS, and then tried to follow the shifting arrow to the spring that was supposed to be there.     Instead, I would confront an 800-year-old secret for which my technology would be no …


America’s Terrorism Problem Isn’t Domestic

SurvivalBlog reader R.F.J. sent me a link to a recent news account about the would-be Portland, Oregon bomber, Mohamud Osman Mohamed. Reading that article confirmed something that has been very clear to me for more than 20 years: America’s terrorism problem isn’t domestic. As others have already pointed out, the purveyors of terrorism in America and elsewhere are mostly Islamic Middle Eastern Men, predominately ages 18 to 30. All the leftist hand-wringers whine on endlessly about “fairness”, and decry that horrid “profiling.” But the latest incident in Portland is just another in a long, long, string of Islamic Middle Eastern …


Letter Re: Modern Motor Vehicle Reliability

I have worn many hats, but the one I wore the longest was as a 12-volt installer. You know, stereos, alarms, custom fabrication; think Unique Whips, but with less drama and more snow (I live in Canada). After working as a mechanic, it seemed a lot more interesting and enjoyable than getting filthy fixing other people’s problems.                 What I have learned during my years working on vehicles has led to a personal conviction: I will never rely on a newer vehicle. I have seen too many newer vehicles  brought in on a hook with no-start issues, no-shift issues, and …


Letter Re: Rifle Sling Recommendations

Dear Sir,   When you have some time, I’d like to hear your recommendations on the best sling option for L1A1 or FAL rifles (perhaps also for fixed stock and full length ARs). There seems to be a lot of ‘tacti-cool’ stuff out there, with a zillion buckles and straps to get in the way and strangle you. Single-point and 3-point are all the rage right now (as well as hip holsters and chest rigs), but it seems the old 2-point is still best for patrol and general carry. What do you use and/or recommend?   I’ve been leaning towards …


Two Letters Re: Dealing with Common Addictions–True Readiness for Disasters

Jim,   I enjoy SurvivalBlog and have started preparing. Food storage and making some sort of preparations had been in the back of my mind since January. Then the power went out here for six hours. I treated that as a sign and got started buying food and silver.   I do have to say though that while breaking costly addictions is a great plan, caffeine has more value than just the power to keep us awake and alert. I’m a Registerd Nurse, and in my research I read that Caffeine is related to theobromine, a bronchodilator used to treat …


Economics and Investing:

Lynn G. sent this: Seven Towns Where Land is Free John R. flagged this news item: IMF’s Dominique Strauss-Kahn wants fiscal and reform powers given to Europe Reader B.B. suggested this article: Debt commission co-chairman predicts ‘bloodbath’. B.B. also mentioned a Zero Hedge piece, where Tyler Durden asks: Are Expert Networks About To Be Exposed As The Ringleader In The Biggest Insider Trading Bust In History? Tam over at View From The Porch had some commentary about an article on modern day house squatters: Another step closer to Mad Max? John R. sent this commentary by Lawrence A. Hunter: Save …


Inflation Watch:

The latest official CPI figure: 0.2%. Yeah, right… (After some masterful hedonic adjustments and excluding “volatile” food and fuel–things that matter the most to consumers.) Reader P.T.R. notes: “I noticed that I needed to re-stock some Tang [freeze-dried orange juice powder].  At the store, I noted that it’s now sold in a larger container, so I thought ‘they’re trying to sell more product — the Large Economy Size ploy’.  It wasn’t until I got home and compared it to a canister That I had purchased a couple of years back that I saw the real differences.  The old container held 12.3 …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Long-time content contributor Chad S. sent this: People trampled at Target store as Black Friday mob rushes in. Chad’s comment: “I just saw this story, Jim. Can you imagine how bad this would be in a Schumer-hits-the-fan scenario, when people actually need stuff?”    o o o I’m already a fan of Glock re-set dry practice training triggers (like those produced by Southwest Shooting Authority. As I’ve previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, I prefer using these for dry fire, both for safety and so that you don’t get into the bad training habits that are created when you constantly rack the …