Day: August 22, 2011

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 36 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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) …


Some Observations on Non-Electric Lighting, by Ron B.

INTRODUCTION I began work in Toronto on August 1, 2003.  The lights went out three weeks later.  The entire Northeast was dark for several days. The company had provided us with three months of free housing.  By my standards it was quite posh ¾ pool privileges, chandeliers, weekly maid service.  But we knew nobody, had little food in the cupboard, and no local currency.  (Then again the cash registers didn’t work anyway.)  When the sun went down it got dark and stayed dark.  We had no light of any kind.  Granted, the two huge candlesticks on the mantle were a …


Small World Department: Image of JWR’s Ferret Scout Car Used for Gray Propaganda

As editor of SurvivalBlog I’ve had a number of “Small World Department” coincidences occur in the past six years. Most of these have been chance meetings with blog readers and mutual acquaintances, everywhere from Reno, Nevada to as far away as Switzerland. But the latest coincidence is absolutely astounding: As you may already be aware, the Russian FSB produces some gray propaganda under the pen name “Sorcha Faal.” Their department’s most recent bit of hyperbolic dezinformatsaya was in an article over at the fairly wacky “What Does It Mean?” web site. (The web site uses the dotted quad address: 207.58.165.85 …


Letter Re: Hurricane Preparedness Steps

Jim: Now is the time for those in the Southeastern United States to check their preparations for hurricanes.  Below is a list of steps I go through anytime there is a hint of a potential storm.  These steps were derived from past experiences and lessons I have learned from other Survivalblog.com posts.  I do this prep so as not to get caught up in panicked crowds on the days immediately preceding the storm.  Should the storm not hit me directly I consider this prepping chance to practice and shore up my supplies. 7 Days Out 1)    Water (1 or 5 …


Economics and Investing:

Getting ready for a wave of coal-plant shutdowns. (Thanks to KAF for the link.) Pierre M. suggested this: Trouble in Paradise Strength of Swiss Franc Roils Saint-Tropez and Other Cities Across Europe John R. kindly sent us a raft of links: The Root Causes of the Global Financial Crisis (Bob Chapman)   Bernanke’s last resort: Start dancing? (Paul R. La Monica)   Plosser calls Fed’s low rate pledge “inappropriate”     Europe’s banks could break us all Bill Fleckenstein The Bailout Isn’t Working Bank of America is the canary in the coal mine U.S. Treasury Hidden Trickery in Mortgage Backed Security Recoveries …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Mike Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large) wrote to mention that September 6th is “Book Bomb Day” for his novel Rogue. It is the sequel to The Weapon. It has: “Some violence, some harsh language, and very few sexual references.” You can read some advance chapters here. Let’s lift Mike’s new book into Amazon’s Top 20! By the way, Mike will be signing books at Uncle Hugo’s book store on September 10th, 2011, including the signature edition of Rogue.  Uncle Hugo’s is Mike’s preferred outlet for sales ranking.  Also, Mike’s new Freehold series adventure story (with minimal adult content in the …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Alas, Babylon was a private, a family signal. When they were boys, he and Mark used to sneak up to the back of the First Afro-Repose Baptist Church on Sunday nights to hear Preacher Henry calling down hell-fire and damnation on the sinners in the big cities. Preacher Henry always took his text out of the Revelation of St. John. It seemed like he ended every lurid verse with, “Alas, Babylon!” in a voice so resonant you could feel it, if you rested your fingertips gently on the warped pine boards of the church. Randy and Mark would crouch under …