Year: 2011

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Since it’s not considered polite, and surely not politically-correct to come out and actually say that greed gets wonderful things done, let me go through a few of the millions of examples of the benefits of people trying to get more for themselves. There’s probably widespread agreement that it’s a wonderful thing that most of us own cars. Is there anyone who believes that the reason we have cars is because Detroit assembly line workers care about us? It’s also wonderful that Texas cattle ranchers make the sacrifices of time and effort caring for steer so that New Yorkers can …


Note from JWR:

Today is Martin Luther King Day in The United States. While his civil rights goals were admirable, he was a documented chronic plagiarist. Because of that mar on his record, I don’t think that he is worthy of remembrance for a national holiday. My suggestion is that the holiday be replaced with Dr. Walter E. Williams Day. In my estimation, he is a man that is much more worthy of admiration. In his honor, all of SurvivalBlog’s Quotes of the Day for this week will be quotes from Dr. Williams.


Pending Magazine Ban Legislation in the U.S.

Just as I anticipated, in the wake of the Tucson shootings, the mainstream media and the congresscritters are on the war path! Mayor Bloomberg has the propaganda machine running overdrive with this week’s Bloomberg Businessweek cover story.  The cover of the Jan. 17, 2011 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek is midnight black with nothing but a Glock 19 pictured and the words “The Killing Machine” in white boldly superimposed over the gun.  The article summary states “America’s Gun – How Glock became the weapon of choice for U.S. cops, gun enthusiasts, and mass killers/psychopaths like alleged Tucson gunman Jared Loughner.” A recent …


Letter Re: Observations on Atlanta’s January 2011 Ice Storm

Hi JWR: One of the parts of SurvivalBlog that I enjoy the most is when folks contribute their real life experiences after going through some sort of hardship. Reading the examples from others helps me to fine tune my preps. Let me participate by providing my observations from the ice storm, amusingly titled Snowpocalypse 2011, that hit Atlanta recently. The roads were impassible due to the city’s lack of snow removal equipment, and pretty much the entire city was stranded in their houses. What would’ve been a blip of a storm in the north ended up crippling this city, and …


Letter Re: Resources for Preppers in South Africa

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Dear Editor: This letter is a primer for new preppers in South Africa. The reason for this is simple, we don’t have the equivalent of a SurvivalBlog in South Africa and our family and confidants have had to find out the hard way where and what to buy. (Subtle hint to a South Africa-based prepper looking for a home business) That said, this is not to be considered a definitive resource for the South Africa prepper, it is a list of known suppliers to us that we have purchased from, specifically for reasons of preparing. We have never had a …


Economics and Investing:

A chart published by The Financial Times says it all: America: Paydown problems You’re insane if you don’t own gold, investors told Muni Bonds Crashing For Third Straight Day, And This Is The Worst Yet. (A hat tip to Yishai for the link.) John R. sent this by Gonzalo Lira: Why Democracies Will Always Go Bankrupt The Latest Gold Fraud Bombshell: Canada’s Only Bullion Bank Gold Vault Is Practically Empty. (Thanks to Michael H. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: At Least 10 States Have Introduced Gold-As-Currency Bills Industrial Production Rises By Most in Five Months   Holiday Spending …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Pierre M. sent a link to a fascinating blog written by a wife and mother who lives deep in the interior of Alaska: The Last Frontier. Their main access to the outside world is via bush pilot flights. The blog is posted only sporadically, since they have to fly in the gasoline to run their generator. Now that is remote!    o o o Leading computer expert warns of cyber attack on National Grid. (Thanks to Dave B. for the link.)    o o o From Chris S. comes a news account of YOYO time: Brazil Mudslide Survivors Carry Food, …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The essence of exchange is the transfer of title. Here’s the essence of what happens when I buy a gallon of milk from my grocer. I tell him that I hold title to these three dollars and he holds title to the gallon of milk. Then, I offer: If you transfer your title to that gallon of milk, I will transfer title to these three dollars. Whenever there’s voluntary exchange, the only clear conclusion that a third party can make is that both parties, in their opinion, perceived themselves as better off as a result of the exchange; otherwise, they …



Medical Quarantine — Protecting Your Family from Infection, by Dr. Cynthia Koelker

Plague.  Yellow fever.  Cholera.  Diphtheria.   Diseases which evoke images of death and despair.   Though less likely to transmit a fatal illness, would you open your door to someone with hepatitis, strep throat, or methacillin-resistant staph?  What about a person suffering from vomiting, diarrhea, a cough, or lice, or a fever?  Are you immune to measles, polio, and whooping cough – and would you even recognize these conditions?  How will you know if someone is going to come down with influenza in the next day or two? Before antibiotics, before anti-virals, before immune globulin, societies used quarantines to protect their populations.  …


Letter Re: Firsthand Experiences in the Australian Floods

James, I would like to bring you and your readers a synopsis of the floods in Australia and their probable scenarios; firstly I have a first hand view through sandbagging and seeing friends through rising floodwaters, so I have a strong viewpoint. Around where we were in Brisbane east side , the water rose very quickly, the house where our friend  is on a flat concrete slab, the water rose within 2 hours about 3 feet ! The house was saved along with much prayer. It is estimated that seven billion tons of water has been dumped on Queensland ! …


Economics and Investing:

Cost to Make Penny and Nickel Rises for US Mint. It now costs the U.S. Mint 9.22 cents to produce a nickel! Build your pile now, before the coin composition changes! (If you dawdle, then you’ll have to sort coins. And once the base metal value exceeds 2x face value, nickels will be driven out of circulation by the general public.) Illinois Lawmakers Pass 66 Percent Income Tax Increase Ben S. was the first of several readers to send this: Housing Market Slips Into Depression Territory Items from The Economatrix: S&P, Moodys Both Warn On US Credit Hard Times In …


Odds ‘n Sods:

#1 Son forwarded me this: In Nuclear Silos, Death Wears a Snuggie    o o o Some news from Israel for the Orchestrated Institutional Stupidity Department: IDF collecting settlers’ weapons    o o o Avalanche Lily flagged this one: “Food riots in America? You’re crazy…”    o o o P.J. sent this: Living large: Home going up in Highlandville to be one of country’s largest. This “one-family house” has some veeeery interesting specifications.



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 32 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 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 $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge …