Year: 2011

Letter Re: Going Digital for Improved COMSEC

Dear Mr. Rawles, I was reading back in the archives on the DVD I purchased and found a lot of discussion regarding communications security.  I played with a form of Digital Voice, image and file transfer for HF which could link a number of retreats together with voice, pictures and digital files with a method which in my thinking would be very, very secure.  Have you ever looked at AOR USA‘s digital voice, image, and data modems using analog HF, VHF, or UHF SSB? A friend of mine here in my state purchased one and we ran a lot of …


Economics and Investing:

Kabuki financial theatre – Congress net worth up 15 percent from 2004 to 2010 while the average American sees their net worth decline by 8 percent in the same timeframe. Welcome to plutocrat USA. (It is good to know that our elected representatives are pure as the driven snow, and that they would never engage in felonious Insider Trading.) B.B. suggested this, over at Zero Hedge: Guest Post: A Run On The Global Banking System – How Close Are We? Items from The Economatrix: If a Global Recession is Not Looming, then Why Are Bailouts Flying Around Like The End …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Yesterday, I mentioned using a SOPA work-around: IP-Lookup.net. Today, I noticed that Ol’ Remus at The Woodpile Report had a link to something even better: a Firefox add-on called “DeSOPA”, that provides and offshore DNS (“dotted quad”) number lookup service, in case your favorite site’s domain name gets Borged by the FedGov and you get automagically redirected to a scary-looking FBI “anti-piracy” placeholder page. (I consider that just one notch below the classic “Big Brother” image.) And BTW, and unnamed SurvivalBlog reader who is a skilled software engineer is kindly creating a more robust variant of HTOIP–an application that converts …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The simple fact is, the government has to take resources from someone before it can dole them out to others. And this act of taking turns out to be economically destructive. It reduces the market’s incentives for entrepreneurs. The more you take from the productive members of society, the less productive they become. That’s the primary lesson of the history of socialism. Yet… many of our political leaders seem oblivious to this iron law of human nature.” – Porter Stansberry


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 38 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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 C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 …


Off Grid Waste Management and Sanitation, by Brother A.

Recently, due to financial considerations, we decided to end our garbage collection service. It wasn’t a large expense, but our budget is tighter than ever these days and with some planning we realized that it was actually a luxury, not a necessity. Besides, those of us who are preparing for the likely future of a breakdown in society shouldn’t really expect to have convenient curb waste disposal services, now should we? How were you planning on handling that day when it comes? You have 500 trash bags and you’re just going to stack bags of trash in some out-of-the-way corner …


Letter Re: Thefts of Bug Out Bags From Vehicles

Mr. Rawles; I have had several customers coming into my store, lately, that have had their windows smashed and their bug out bags taken. I encourage all to have something in their vehicle to survive in place or to get them home, but DON’T ADVERTISE IT by leaving it in plain sight in your vehicle, especially if there is a firearm or ammo inside. Put it in your trunk, floorboard with a dark colored cover or vehicle interior color cover over it, or in an area with tinted windows. Thieves are starting to get a clue that BOBs or G.O.O.D. …


Letter Re: Learning More Than Just Weak Hand and Shooting

James Wesley: Regarding the recent letter, “Learning More Than Just Weak Hand and Shooting”: As one who has been on crutches several times due to surgery, had my left arm in a cast three times, a broken ankle, had a concussion, and many sprains throughout my athletic years, I tell people that you don’t realize how much you do without thinking about it, and to think about it every day. Brushing your teeth, getting up and down from a toilet, taking a shower, going up and down stairs, working with tools, caring for your family (children, dogs, spouse) and friends, …


Economics and Investing:

B.B. recommended this at the Jim Rogers Blog: We Should Take The Pain Now And Not Wait Until The Market Forces The Pain On Us $15 Trillion, and counting: US Government Spiraled Deeper into Debt This Fiscal Year. (And that doesn’t include long term pension and interest obligations!) Yishai and several other readers sent this: Treasury plans for euro failure: The Government is considering plans to restrict the flow of money in and out of Britain to protect the economy in the event of a full-blown euro break-up. Yishai’s noted: “If I were British, I’d be trying to move some …


Odds ‘n Sods:

At least once a week, I get another one of those endlessly-forwarded e-mails about the “China buying up Idaho” rumor, with a note attached, to the effect of “Well, Jim, that destroys any hope for the American Redoubt…” That is balderdash! Not only was the “Chinese Invasion” an exaggerated tale, but the scheme was dead before it ever got started. Read this piece from The Idaho Statesman, and then this one. Please don’t let those wild rumors change you plans to move to any of the American Redoubt states.    o o o Rick. R. sent this: Health Story of the …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The founders wanted to set a high bar for the government to overcome in order to deprive an individual of life or liberty,” Paul, the libertarian congressman, said Monday in a weekly phone message to supporters. “To lower that bar is to endanger everyone. When the bar is low enough to include political enemies, our descent into totalitarianism is virtually assured. The Patriot Act, as bad as its violations against the Fourth Amendment was, was just one step down the slippery slope. The recently passed National Defense Authorization Act continues that slip into tyranny, and in fact, accelerates it significantly.” …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 38 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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 C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 …


Horse and Rider, by D.O.

After reading “Survivors: A Novel of the Coming Collapse”, I thought I would share a few experiences with horse ownership. I really enjoyed the book, a real page turner. And I wanted to weigh in on the techniques and experiences outlined in the book concerning horses. Let me first say that what was portrayed in Survivors is indeed real and doable, however the techniques and experiences in the book require a good deal of experience and training. For the beginning first time horse owner who isn’t sure how tight to cinch a saddle, I would say getting a horse to …


Letter Re: Learning More Than Just Weak Hand and Shooting

Mr. Rawles,  In many of your posts, and the posts on other sites, I see a recurring theme to practice with weapons using your “off-hand”, but I don’t see this same advice put out for any other activity. All right, so a bit of background: I’m a pretty hard-wired preparedness guy, I prep, I practice, and I thought I was pretty well covered for just about anything until just recently.   I was at work and while transiting from one area to another I slipped and slammed my hand in a large steel latching mechanism on one of the blast …


Economics and Investing:

Kevin K. forwarded this piece by Jim Willie: CME/COMEX Grant JPM Temporary Waiver for Reporting Positions Exceeding Speculative Limits Another nail in the coffin: Yen-Yuan Trade Plan to Cut Dollar Dependence of China, Japan. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) Callie sent this: MF’s Lagarde warns global economy threatened Also from Callie: Yuan hits all-time high Items from The Economatrix: Worse Than 2008 Mark Faber:  “I Am Convinced The Whole Derivatives Market Will Cease To Exist And Will Go To Zero Gold The Protector As Democracies Move Towards Totalitarianism Investors Lose Faith In Stocks As Billions Pour Out Of Funds