Year: 2012

Letter Re: Finding Virtue in Potatoes

Mr. Rawles, Regarding the letter Finding Virtue in Potatoes, by Anatoly, after reading the book, One Second After by W. R. Forstchen, in which the State of Florida sustains 100% casualties, with the inability to grow sustainable food as a major cause, I began researching viable crops to prevent such a catastrophe. After talking to locals, Ag Agents, and gardeners, the most recommended staple crops for Florida were corn, potatoes, and Seminole Pumpkins, in addition to the regular garden crops. But, it was also recommended to store as much wheat as possible, now, while the opportunity is there. Historically, corn …


Letter Re: A Home Purchasing Guide For Rookies

Mr. Rawles, In response to the article entitled A Home Purchasing Guide For Rookies, I feel compelled to set the record straight.  Before doing so, I want to thank you for your factual comments at the end of his letter. The purpose of my response is to ensure that Survival Blog readers get factual information that they can use in their decision making process.  The author of the article made some unfair and sweeping generalizations about Real Estate professionals in general.  Hopefully he will read and learn from the recent posts about logic and decision making.  Here is an outline …


Economics and Investing:

Former Hedge Fund Manager Warns Of ‘THE END GAME’ In Terrifying Presentation. (Thanks to Todd M. for the link.) Also from Todd: What if US gets downgraded again? B.B. sent this: Debt crisis: a $46 trillion problem comes sweeping in June 5, 1933: FDR takes United States off gold standard Items from The Economatrix: Many Unemployed Facing Early End to Benefits The Truth About Europe:  There is No Solution The Global Economy is Sitting on a Volcano.  What Happens Next? Steve Quayle Alert:  Acceleration of Financial Meltdown Can’t Be Stopped Zero Hedge: The Real Banking Crisis, Part II John Galta:  …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A good piece by Brandon Smith: The Realities of Choosing Your Survival Retreat Location    o o o “The Looting Started Right Away” – At Nigerian DC-10 Crash    o o o Another voice from industry, warning of systemic risk: The lights go out: What happens if the grid goes down?    o o o Wood Boilers. Woody Chain provides a reality check, for anyone considering buying an outdoor wood-fired home heating boiler.    o o o Scratch another country off your list of potential offshore retreat locales: Venezuela bans private gun ownership. This move is just another requisite step …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed, will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten.” – The character Syme, in 1984 by George Orwell


A Special Note on Simultaneous Blog Article Submissions

On two recent occasions, readers have without my knowledge sent me articles for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest that they had previously submitted elsewhere. In one of these cases, their article had already been posted. (At the new blog site SurvivingPrepper.com.) Once I became aware of their prior copyright, I quickly removed that article. (On my site, the article was titled “Childbirth at Home, by J.C.”) I must remind readers that they are bound by the contest rules and should feel constrained by common courtesy: Simultaneous submissions are not accepted! I greatly appreciate you contributing to the collective knowledge at …


Pat’s Product Review: M&M M10-762 Rifle

I’m a big fan of AK-47 style rifles. But I must mention that all the AK-47 style rifles presently sold in the US, are not genuine AK-47 assault rifles. Rather, they are semiautomatic versions of the famed Russian AK-47. Properly, an AK-47 is a select-fire (full auto) battle weapon. Still, no matter how I try to educate people on this, even gun shop owners, they still continue to call semi-auto versions an “AK-47.” So, to concede to the new terminology norm, we’ll just call these rifles AK-47s.   I still remember the first semi-auto AK-47that I I purchased, it was …


Letter Re: Evaluating Military Surplus Generator Sets Before Bidding at Auction

JWR, Thanks for the recent post mentioning GovLiquidation.com-listed auctions in response to a reader’s question about concertina wire. While browsing the site, I found lots of generator sets (“gensets“) offered and I am wondering if there are any caveats a buyer should be aware of before purchasing (besides the long drive to retrieve a purchase). Thanks for all you do for the SurvivalBlog community. – G.R. in Texas JWR Replies: Military surplus (“milsurp“) gensets are generally a bargain. But unfortunately, the days of incredibly cheap milsurp generator auctions is gone. This is because the scrap copper merchants will now be there …


Letter Re: A South Carolinian Seeking Retreat Locale Advice

Mr. Rawles,  I live in the Upstate area of South Carolina. Actually live in Spartanburg. Here is the info on my area, from Wikipedia:   “Spartanburg has a municipal population of 37,013 and an urban population of 145,058 at the 2010 census.[4] The Spartanburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, corresponding to Spartanburg County, had a population of 284,307 as of the 2010 census.[4] Spartanburg is the second-largest city in the greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Combined Statistical Area which had a population of 1,266,995 at the 2010 census.[4] It is part of a 10-county region of northwestern South Carolina known as “The Upstate,” and is located 98 miles (158 km) northwest of Columbia, 80 miles …


Letter Re: Details on the Rawles Ranch

Mr. Rawles: I’ve noticed that you haven’t mentioned many details about where you live, or much about your daily life, like most other blogs do. Just curious. – R.K. in Alabama JWR Replies: I try not to clutter my blog with daily minutiae. Since SurvivalBlog is intended to be educational, I try to stick to the preparedness issues at hand, as much as possible. That means downplaying politics and minimizing posts with detailed descriptions of what I’m eating, the eccentricities of our pets, my favorite music, and so forth. There are plenty of other blogs out there in the blogosphere …


Recipe of the Week:

Wiley’s Chuckwagon Pecan Pie Recipe Here’s a ranch favorite I love to take to potlucks and calf-ropings. No one has a clue that it’s main ingredient is Pinto Beans!             1 C mashed pinto beans (cooked, unseasoned and well done)             2 C sugar             4 eggs             1/4 lb butter             2 tbs molasses or dark corn syrup             2 tsp vanilla             1/2 tsp salt   Cream sugar and butter. Add well beaten eggs, molasses, and salt. Beat in well-mashed beans (that have been cooked, unseasoned and well done.) Pour into an unbaked pie shell. Pecans may be sprinkled …


Economics and Investing:

Monty Pelerin: Europe Will Trigger U.S. Frantically spending and monetizing, to delay the collapse: Debt Up $1.59 Trillion Under GOP House—More in 15 Months than First 97 Congresses Combined Greek Exit From Euro Seen Exposing Deposit-Guaranty Flaws The end game of global leveraged debt – double-digit percentage point market declines in Europe and Japan and the danger of refinancing debt with longer term debt. Over at TF Metals Report: Getting Real, Real Fast ‘Beware a rerun of the Great Panic of 2008’: Head of World Bank warns Europe is heading for ‘danger zone’ Items from The Economatrix: Oil Set For …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Thomas B. sent this amazingly informative graphic of the United States: 56 Years of Tornado Tracks. Once again, the American Redoubt region stands out as a true safe haven. (Note that the scale of the tracks is exaggerated and made more linear than actually occurred.)    o o o Seed for Security has announced a special promotion: A free pint of Winter Rye (approximately 13,280 seeds), and a free packet of Provider Green Beans (approximately 150 seeds), will be added free to every order over $45. This offer is available for only a limited time.    o o o Why …



Note From JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 41 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 $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any …