Day: May 11, 2011

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 34 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round 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 $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and …


How to Get Truly Prepared, by Ryan M.

There is a distinction between being ready and prepared. In my own personal journey I have found myself often in need of guidance. I know what it is to be prepared and what it means when you find out that you should have had or brought this or that. As a former US Marine and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) combat veteran I have done my fair share of getting both myself and others ready. Having lists of what is needed and training to be conducted was an asset that I had overlooked and perhaps even taken for granted. “Higher ups” …


Letter Re: Warning of Massive Solar Flares?

Jim: After reading several articles on EMP in the form of a CME/solar flare, my understanding is that we would have hours or even days in which to prepare for such an event. Although I imagine that a massive CME would still cause damage to our electrical grid, I would also think that many homes could be disconnected from the grid and electrical equipment shielded in metal containers before the CME reached us. Any thoughts? JWR Replies: Yes, there will be 12+ hours of warning, but do not depend entirely on the mass media. At times, they seem clueless about space …


Three Letters Re: The PTR91 Rifle

Dear Mr. Rawles, The five examples of PTR91 rifles in my “collection” are all fine pieces of work by Scorpion Arms (PTR-91) with numerous aftermarket and military accessories to make them more tactically friendly to the end user. I will agree that there is some ammunition that they do not like though not many (mine are early rifles with match barrels all). An important addition to Panhandle Ranchers comments regarding the ejection system is that you should NOT shoot from the driver’s side window of any vehicle with an HK family rifle. Each and every piece of brass will make …


Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s G.G. sent this: ‘Underwater’ Homeowners Rise to 28 Percent: Zillow. JWR’s Comment: Please don’t try to tell me that the U.S. housing market has “reached the bottom”. It will continue to deteriorate. The bottom won’t be reached until after hundreds of billions of dollars in bad debt unwinds. At this point, the only viable way for the government and the Federal Reserve banking cartel to extricate themselves from this morass is to inflate their way out. It will only be when houses start selling for more than they did in 2007 that the market will start to “turn around.” …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Other John B. mentioned the new Internet Gulag Museum.    o o o Jordan J. wrote to mention that he found a new iPhone app that identifies tree leaves by taking pictures on your phone.  Jordan noted: “It is currently limited to New York City and Washington DC trees, but should grow to a hold a much larger database.”    o o o Consumers and Investors Seek Protection With Guns and Gold. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)    o o o J. McC. forwarded this link: Techno Germans at Play.    o o o Then there’s our kind …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Civilizations rise, decay and die. Time, as the ancient Greeks argued, for individuals and for states is cyclical. As societies become more complex they become inevitably more precarious. They become increasingly vulnerable. And as they begin to break down there is a strange retreat by a terrified and confused population from reality, an inability to acknowledge the self-evident fragility and impending collapse. The elites at the end speak in phrases and jargon that do not correlate to reality. They retreat into isolated compounds, whether at the court at Versailles, the Forbidden City or modern palatial estates. The elites indulge in …