Year: 2011

Three Letters Re: Lessons Learned From a Recent California Power Outage

Dear Jim Yesterday at about 4:00 p.m. there was a massive power outage in the southwest. All of San Diego County And other parts of Southern California were without power for almost 12 hours some still are. I learned a few very good lessons from this experience. I do consider myself a prepper but am limited to how much I can store because I live in an apartment. I had concentrated on food, water, and defense measures for the long run, but had completely ignored some more immediate short term supplies. First and foremost, I overlooked cash. I have been …


Letter Re: Letter Re: An Early Baby Boomer’s Bug Out Bags

Jim: The type of flexible bandages [that were recently mentioned in a follow-up letter to “An Early Baby Boomer’s Bug Out Bag”] can be ordered through Schneider’s Tack Company for about $.99 apiece, in boxes of 18.  I use these all the time and they are great for all sorts of emergency fixes as well as wound care.  The rolls available at the drug stores can run $3.00 or more. Just order Vet Flex bandages, item # 30955, for a case.  SurvivalBlog is the best web site ever. – Kate in Colorado


Economics and Investing:

Cue the the Gianini Requiem: Reports: Bank of America to shutter 600 branches Another Sob Story: Saab to appeal creditor protection rejection. Who would have ever thought that Saab would be bailed out by China? John R. suggested this over at Zero Hedge: ECBCTRL+P: The Next Steps In The European Implosion. The piece begins: “Wondering what is next for Europe? Don’t be. With Jurgen Stark, aka the last real hawk at the ECB, gone, here comes ‘the printing.’” Items from The Economatrix: Fed Says 12 Regions Grew Modestly this Summer The Worst is Yet to Come Only Precious Metals Can …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) sent word of some science fiction becoming science fact: Where Kevlar Fails, a Liquid Succeeds    o o o K.A.F. also sent this: Military, CIA shun 9/11 panel on covert operations. [JWR’s Comment: Yes, but look who has been tapped to be the new DCI. They times, they are a-changin’, at Langley.]    o o o A useful piece, over at Daily Finance: How Much Cash Would You Need After a Terrorist Attack?    o o o While the rest of the States continue to make progress, the California legislature tries a step …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock [that] is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, [and] a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given [me] the heritage of those that fear thy name. Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: [and] his years as many generations. …


Notes from JWR:

A fan of my novel “Patriots” just produced an amazing five-minute ultralight flying video that is available free, via YouTube. Kudos! This gent shot some great footage that really captures the look and feel of some of the key locales in my novel. And in it you can see how pretty the Palouse Hills region is at harvest time. It is a High Definition (HD) video, so be sure to watch it at “full screen” size. I suppose that with the publicity of my blog, my books, this video and Radio Free Redoubt, the web traffic to SurvivalRealty.com will increase. …


Prepping: It’s Not Just for TEOTWAWKI, by Choctaw Prepper

In this day and age of being able to go to a store and get practically anything you would ever need or want, the concept of preparing for a disaster escapes some individuals.  The time of “Victory Gardens” and canning your surplus vegetables and fruits have fallen by the way side in our current culture.  Our society sees people storing vast amounts of food and supplies as paranoid because they are simply not accustomed with the practice, nor do they see the need.  Most people cannot conceive the idea that they can be left without food or water, or that …


Letter Re: CONEX Shipping Containers as Faraday Enclosures?

Hi Jim, and Readers, I read the piece about using a CONEX as a Faraday cage,  I made some RF measurements using a 2-meter handheld, and a small portable Sangean ATS-909 receiver quite a while back with that very subject in mind. I have an S-250 RATT Rig shelter also.  I don’t think you can really beat the S-250 shelter, with any other readily available equipment.  But in a pinch even the CONEX will work relatively well for EMI, EMP, and TEMPEST. The reduction of signals even with the wooden floor is  enough to help even with no EMI gasketing on the …


Letter Re: Making Your Range Time Real Time — Train as You’ll Fight!

Dear Sir, I’ve been a fan ever since I read your novel “Patriots” a couple of years ago.  I’d like to point out that with regard to the “Making Your Range Time Real Time – Train as You’ll Fight!” post, the ability to shoot and move and to shoot while moving should be included in your training.  Furthermore, the use of cover versus concealment should be included.   I bring this up because for years in federal law enforcement we qualified every three months, we did use silhouette targets, but all the shooting was done from a static position at varying …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. sent: Many baby boomers don’t plan to leave their children an inheritance Sunoco to Quit Oil Refining Business. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.) Stock Market Crash 1929, Mystery Unraveled? (The text is also available in the Dutch edition.) Items from The Economatrix: Millions of Americans Living in Long-Stay Motels Europe Stocks in Big Monday Drop US Postal Service Near Default The US Jobs Crisis Worsens Zoellick Warns of New Danger for Global Economy


Odds ‘n Sods:

Here’s one of those “clash of cultures” articles, datelined Ogden, Utah: Police called after man butchers cow in his driveway. What does the 9-11 caller want their kids to think? That beef comes from the store in neat little plastic packages, with a foam tray underneath? Momma cows don’t give birth to packaged beef. To quote a marketing slogan: Beef: Its what’s for dinner. But somebody has to gut the critter first.    o o o On the lighter side. Jeff H. liked this one: Bear Goes Joyriding in Family’s Prius. This might have happened because the Toyota Prius has …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If that (extensive printing of money) doesn’t weaken a currency, I don’t know what will. Extensive printing of money — get it from me, I have got experience in that so if there is something that I can teach the world as free advice to the US and those countries that are relying on the printing press is — Don’t do it!” – Dr. Gideon Gono, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. (As quoted July 21, 2011, at the Independent Dialogue sponsored by the Zimbabwe Independent in Harare, while responding to questions about when the country was likely to …


Notes from JWR:

Today (September 8, 2011), is the last day of Safecastle’s 25% sale on Mountain House freeze-dried long term storage foods in cans (and pouches, too). Place your order before the sale ends! — 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 …


Making Your Range Time Real Time — Train as You’ll Fight!, by H.R.

When you go to the range, whether it is in your or a friends backyard, at a local indoor or outdoor range how do you practice?  What do you practice?  Do you just put lead downrange as fast as you can in hopes that it hits the target because people are around and you want to sound like you know what you are doing (this is way more common than you might think)?  There are some things that I would like to put out to everyone that I hope can help you out in your range training. There are many …


Letter Re: An Early Baby Boomer’s Bug Out Bag

Mr. Rawles,  I am a long time reader and prepper, first time letter writer, Army Nurse Corps veteran.  Your ministry has personally blessed my family of six in numerous way. I thank you, your sons and daughters, your late wife (The Memsahib) and you new wife Avalanche Lily for mentoring all of us.  As a registered nurse, I read this latest article with great interest and wanted to add some information regarding the bandages and dressings that were recommended in this letter.  Jen L. wrote “Whenever you go to physical therapy or to donate blood, they give you those bright …