Day: June 3, 2011

Notes from JWR:

Starting Sunday June 5th, the new Radio Free Redoubt podcast will begin airing weekly. Please note that this is not my own podcast (so the views expressed do not necessarily reflect my own), but the folks who produce it seem sincere and level-headed. The podcast should provide a great forum for exchanging ideas–both for folks who already live in the American Redoubt, and for those that plan to relocate there. — Between now and mid-July, I’m wrapping up the writing of the second sequel to my novel “Patriots“. The already-completed first sequel (“Survivors”) is scheduled for release in October of …


Understanding Metric and Inch Bore Dimensions

I often have blog readers and consulting clients send me questions about firearms calibers. They are often confused, but this not always their fault. It is a confusing, complex, and often arcane topic. A lot of the facts that you will find are mere trivia, but since safety is an issue–(we mustn’t fire the incorrect ammo in our guns!)–it is important to study. To begin: Metric caliber designations are usually written with an “x” in the middle to distinguish the bore diameter and case length. For example, the 6.5×55 designation tells us that the cartridge uses a 6.5 mm bullet, …


Pat’s Product Reviews: Blackhawk Nightedge Knife

As I’ve mentioned numerous times in my knife articles, I like big knives. Big knives can accomplish more tasks than smaller knives can. And, in the case of using a fixed blade knife for survival purposes or military applications, I think bigger knives shine! However, keep in mind that, no single knife can accomplish all the tasks you may need a blade for. That’s why I carry several knives, as well as having fixed blade knives with long blades, as well as shorter blades. There is no “do it all” knife – you need several. If you are looking at …


Two Letters Re: Keeping Your Communications Private

Sir: After reading the recent SurvivalBlog article on “Keeping Your Communications Private” I went on eBay to see an endless variety of Flash drives that are very small and very camouflaged as to what they are. My wife and I will be going on a cruise later in the year and one of the cruise line’s suggestion is a flash drive to store copies of important documents.   I already do this for my BOB but I wanted something that we could carry that does not look like a flash drive. There were several options available at varying prices. I …


Economics and Investing:

You may recall Buckeye, Arizona, as the home of a couple of the fictional characters in my novel “Patriots“. (They are also featured in the sequel, “Survivors”, that will be released in October.) Here is a video that shows a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house built in 2006 currently on the market in Buckeye. Its price has dropped from $184,900 to just $39,900. Yikes! Prepare for More Money Printing: Analyst Reader G.P. suggested this from The Telegraph: The Bank of England’s astonishing escape from the financial crisis. SurvivalBlog’s G.G. sent this: Time To Celebrate The Recovery: Food Stamp Usage Hits Fresh Record …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Readers in Western Montana, northern Idaho and southern Alberta will find this of interest: There is a Flathead Preparedness Expo scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2011, in Kalispell, Montana. Guest speakers will include Pastor Chuck Baldwin, Sheriff Richard Mack, and Stewart Rhodes.    o o o A reminder that your original preparedness articles and videos (including all that you send to SurvivalBlog for posting) are eligible for Safecastle’s “Freedom Awards” contest, with $12,000 worth of prizes. SurvivalBlog’s editors are pleased to participate in the judging in this contest.    o o o Apparently this bad guy missed seeing the movie …