Year: 2011

Letter Re: Urban Evacuation–When The Plan is No Plan At All

Dear Jim: I am writing in response to the recent posting entitled: Urban Evacuation–When The Plan is No Plan At All. Several years ago when driving North out of Baltimore City, I noticed some blue and white signs which said:  “Emergency Evacuation Route”  They had a big blue arrow pointing North and nothing else.  The next time we were in the City I began looking for the signs.  I found them and began following them all the way.  They ran for miles out of the heart of the City and then just stopped … somewhere near the City line.  But, …


Economics and Investing:

Fed Now Largest Owner of U.S. Government Debt—Surpassing China. (Of $15 Trillion worth of debt, now 11% of that much, or $1.67 trillion.) Ann H. sent this: States that Will Suffer the Most in the Event of a EU Collapse. (Yet again, The American Redoubt is looking better and better! ) Why Kyle Bass Hoards Nickels. (Thanks to K.M. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Jumbo Mortgages May Be Next in Line to Default I Dumped My Bank The Assault On Financial Privacy Goes Parabolic European debt crisis drives gold rush


Odds ‘n Sods:

Kevin P. sent an article about another arrest for an already disgraced member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) “crime fighting” pressure group. Since so many mayors from Michael Bloomberg’s group are either under indictment or have already been convicted on a plethora of felony and lesser charges, I propose that we form our own lobbying group. Since Mayor Bloomberg has proposed such cockamamie legislation, I think that we should call our new group Citizens Against Criminal Anti-freedom Mayors And Mayors In Exile (CACAMAMIE).    o o o Reader George S. notes: ” You know those $10 keychain cameras? …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 37 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.) …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Nothing is left, nothing, for future times To add to the full catalogue of crimes; The baffled sons must feel the same desires, And act the same mad follies as their sires. Vice has attained its zenith.” – Juvenal, Satires 1. (As quoted in The Treasury of David: Spurgeon’s Classic Work on the Psalms p. 14.)



Get Informed, by Todd X.

I still remember the conversation.  I was a freshman in high school, but I had the idea of  taking auto mechanics during summer school.  Dad told me that he would always pay for me to take a class because in the end, knowledge can never be taken away from you.  I didn’t take the class. I can’t remember why.  But his statement and philosophy has stayed with me forever.  Although it sounds cheesy, I consider myself a lifelong learner.  So, when I entered the world of prepping, I combined my love of learning with what I know of technology and …


Letter Re: Guns for a Tight Budget Minimalist Survivalist

James Wesley: I agree wholeheartedly with your recommendation to seek affordable training through the Appleseed program. My wife and I were privileged to participate in the Appleseed event presented at the NRA Whittington Center a couple of years ago, and found it to be excellent marksmanship and safety training as well as a wonderful historical learning experience. At the end of the program, the range master told the story of a “dangerous old man” in the Revolution, and presented Rifleman patches to me and another “seasoned citizen”. One of the many Boy Scouts in attendance blurted out: “Wow, look, two …


Letter Re: The Information Snowball

Mr. Rawles, Thank you for your blog site. Sorry to add to the “snowball” burden but when building a library make sure the paper used is not acid-based or in a few years it will all turn to dust. Use alkaline paper or “Archival” paper only. This will make the information available for many generations. See the Wikipedia article discussing the matter. Numerous companies sell their alkaline and archival paper on-line and it is available in larger office stores. Also a chemical test pen is available that will test whether a given sheet of paper is acid or alkaline is …


Economics and Investing:

More Friday FDIC Follies: Regulators close small banks in Iowa, Louisiana for total of 90 bank failures in 2011 Debt Crisis Contagion: The Euro Zone’s Deadly Domino Effect It’s All About Gold Now How Can The America People Ever Trust Congress Again After Learning Of The Rampant Insider Trading That Has Been Going On? Items from The Economatrix: Real Estate:  Why Home Prices Won’t Bottom Out Paul Drockton: MF Global and Derivatives Disinformation Student Loan Default Rates Surging Largely Due to For-Profit College Expansion Foreclosure Crisis Only Halfway Over


Odds ‘n Sods:

My old friend Rob L. wrote to mention: “A reminder to pass on to your readers in the U.S. that they only have about six weeks left to purchase Primatene Mist Inhaler(s) over the counter. After December 31, 2011 they will no longer be sold [even with a prescription.] As most of you know, this is an Epinephrine inhaler and can be used for any type of anaphylaxis. Cost is around $21.” JWR Adds: Other inhalers still on the market will require a prescription. Am I now to feel safer on January 1st, knowing that there is an infinitesimally smaller …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 37 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.) …


The Information Snowball, by Scott T.

My wife and I have just recently started prepping (about a year now) and were amazed to find out how little we knew, in regards to living a self sustaining lifestyle/homesteading.  We had recently moved from our big house in the suburbs where farm animals weren’t allowed, to a secluded 5 acre parcel just outside of a small rural town. We, in this troubled time are in the midst of trying to build a cabin (cash as we go) while preparing for The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI).  We started storing food while learning to garden …


Letter Re: Urban Evacuation–When The Plan is No Plan At All

Hi, Jim, I had a very interesting conversation earlier this week in which I learned that Arizona emergency planners are no longer planning any type of evacuation for the city of Phoenix.  It is simply an impossible task.  Where on earth do you put some four million people (greater Phoenix area population) and how do you get them there?  I wonder what other cities/municipalities have officials who have made the same decision?  It would behoove all survival minded people to take a very hard and honest look at their own cities and towns and put themselves in the place of …