Year: 2011

Economics and Investing:

Markets Fret About Euro ‘Slow-Motion Car Crash’ U.S. Debt Ceiling Is Like ‘Playing With a Tactical Nuclear Weapon’: Former Comptroller General L.M.W. sent this: Why a Hedge Fund Comprised of Junior Congressional Democrats Should Outperform the Market By 9%. L.M.W.’s comment: “I’ll bet you didn’t know that it’s legal for Congresscritters and Senators to use inside information to play the stock market. Did you? Yes, indeed, acting on inside information, which would get anyone else caught doing it arrested and charged with a felony, is perfectly legal for the people who write the rules. Interestingly, junior Democrats seem to be …


Odds ‘n Sods:

F.G. mentioned this news article about institutionalized school test cheating from New York City: Teachers hostage to ‘success’    o o o Several readers sent this bit of Nanny State news: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning    o o o Married Couples Are No Longer a Majority, Census Finds. (SurvivalBlog’s G.G. sent the link.)    o o o J.D.D. flagged this bit of news: Five People Arrested in D.C. for Dancing At U.S. Monument



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 …


Suggestions From a 2 for 1 Prepper, by M.M.

I especially liked the February, 2001 SurvivalBlog article about Forever Preps. I now have enough salt to last me forever in Mylar lined buckets. That includes regular salt for salt curing. I need saltpeter. I have dry bleach, hand tools, skills, and Jesus. I’m working on the rest. As a matter of fact, within my extended family we have four medical people, a fireman, a teacher, a banker, an accountant, HVAC technician, mechanic, farmer, baker, trucker, engineers—we don’t exactly have a butcher or candlestick maker, but my son tends to his own deer and fish and I have made plenty …


Getting Out of Dodge: High Time to Relocate to a Rural Area

This post will be brief, and pointed. I’ve written on this topic before, but I feel convicted to repeat the warning: The time to relocate to a lightly-populated rural region is now. SurvivalBlog reader Larry C. recently sent this web page link: Congressman Roscoe Bartlett Warns: ‘Those Who Can, Should Move Their Families Out of the City. That article includes a link the excellent two-hour Urban Danger documentary. It correctly identifies the nation’s power grids as the lynchpin. Please watch that documentary, and pray about relocating to the American Redoubt. If you feel convicted to move, then don’t hesitate. Move …


Pat’s Product Reviews: Rossi Rio Grande .30-30

Those of you old enough, like myself, who grew-up in the 1950s and 1960s, saw a lot of television Westerns. Today’s youth call guys who play sports “heroes” and many, not all, of them, give sports a bad name, for their behavior off the field. Two of the things I liked about television Westerns, and Westerns on the silver screen, were the ol’ fashion Single Action Army revolvers, and the lever-action rifles most gunfighters and good guys carried and used. I still remember my first lever-action rifle – it was a Daisy Red Rider BB gun, and I’m sure I …


Letter Re: Thoughts of Storm Shelters

James Wesley: When I constructed my home six years ago I decided to add a storm shelter in a surprising location (at least for me). I noticed the front stoop and porch already had a full foundation and adjoining basement wall and I only needed to add a single additional wall to create a reinforced concrete bunker with concrete roof, at minimal cost. I also included a 2’x3′ opening into the basement that provided access to the concrete bunker. Although the inside area isn’t large (4′ x 8′) it is completely surrounded by 8″ of reinforced concrete that could survive any tornado. I …


Two Letters Re: Maps Can Save Your Life

Two Letters Re: Maps Can Save Your Life Jim, My Topo is a web site where you can get custom topographic or aerial view maps centered on whatever point you want.  The laminated ones are good quality (I haven’t seen their other offerings up close).  Seems like it might be useful. Sincerely, – Colby M. Jim: At http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/ you can download a digital copy of  maps in whatever scale you want and with whatever information you want for free. You will need to print it out yourself or take it to someone who has a plotter to print the large …


Economics and Investing:

USPS warns of default on retiree benefits. Recession-proof waste management industry: Down in the dumps. (Thanks to Haiti Guy for the link.) Comin’ this summer… $5 gas Items from The Economatrix: US Consumers in Spending Retreat 20 Questions to Ask Anyone Foolish Enough to Believe the Economic Crisis is Over Second Biggest Weekly Drop Ever in Treasurys Held in the Fed’s Custodial Account as Foreigners Dump Why Gold is Going Higher


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Robert R. alerted me to this “must read” article: Guns Stolen in Violent Gilroy [California] Home Invasion Found. Robert noted: “The man was assaulted and bound as he arrived home at 9 p.m.  They struck when they could hide in the darkness near his home, when he was most vulnerable (exiting his vehicle/entering home).  One of the suspects knew the man and was his neighbor.  Good OPSEC and situational awareness are very important in preventing crimes.  Good lighting around the home and cutting down on any vegetation where someone could hide is a good measure to take to prevent …



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 …


Maps Can Save Your Life, by S.B.

How often have you heard yourself or others along with you on a road trip mutter four letter words when your GPS unit directs you to a road that isn’t there?  Or worse yet, you end up on a trail in the wilderness that your brand new hand held GPS unit does not have on it?  The next question that comes to mind is, where am I and how do I get to where I need to go?  In the best of circumstances there are detour signs and friendly road side workers that can direct you back to a known …


Letter Re: Thoughts of Storm Shelters

Dear JWR: First let me say I don’t consider myself a expert.  However I have studied on the subject and would like put  forth what I have gleaned from my research. 1 Weather patterns shift.  When I was a kid in Louisiana  you never heard of a tornado’s there.  Now they are commonplace. 2 Stick built houses (2 by 4 construction) and trailers cannot stand up to even a weak twister. 3 Even in a weak storm the flying debris is deadly. I also found out that a large numbers of deaths were caused by this lethal debris as people …