Year: 2012

Economics and Investing:

A shadow inflation hits shoppers through economic sleight of hand: Inflation and the hidden side of finances. Reader B.B. sent this: CBO: Health law could cause as many as 20 Million to lose coverage Also from B.B.: Ann Barnhardt Schools – the real story about your health insurance yet another from B.B: Four large US banks fail stress tests Items from The Economatrix: US January Trade Gap Widens As Imports Hit Record High Broken Promises:  Pensions All Over America Are Being Savagely Cut Or Are Vanishing Completely Fed Nods To Better Economy, Mum On Next Move Savings Low, Worry High …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Daniel S. suggested: How to make a Millipede Survival Paracord Bracelet. This new weave is very quick to unbraid!    o o o Reader H.S. in Arkansas wrote to ask about a source of boxes to re-package loose (bulk-packed) eastern European military surplus 7.62x39mm from “spam cans” as a well as 7.62×51 NATO that has been de-linked. He said that he wants to be able to have it look presentable, for eventual barter and resale purposes, in attractive boxes. I immediately recommended RepackBox.com. I’ve personally used their products, and they are excellent. These very professional looking die-cut single-wall white cardboard …



Note from JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 39 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 …


Mobile Prepping, by D.W.

We are a mobile culture. The vast majority of us begin our day by getting into a vehicle and driving to work.  Some of us, once we reach work drive again to reach work details. We are accustomed to driving everywhere.  We drive to the store for groceries and supplies; we drive to schools, work, doctors, etc. When the SHTF most of us who live in a densely populated area are not going to be entirely comfortable just hunkering down where we live and hoping for the best.  Those that choose to bug-in in a suburban or urban environment are …


A Classical Education: The Greatest Educational Opportunity for Our Children by J. M.

My wife and I are preppers primarily for our children.  Though we have lived rich, full lives, they are not yet even adolescents.  If what we are prepping for happens, it will be this generation that will rebuild this nation to greatness.  We want them to be equipped intellectually and spiritually.  We want them to understand the influences of the Greeks, Romans and British that helped our Founding Fathers craft the greatest nation this planet has known.  I refuse to entrust America to those that do not understand these truths or those that are not up to the task. When …


Letter Re: A Parent’s Guide to Surviving School Rampage Shootings

James: I’m writing regarding A Parent’s Guide to Surviving School Rampage Shootings, by Greg Ellifritz. One important item I think that was missed was allowing any/all adults who choose to do so to be armed.  In the October, 1997 school shooting in Pearl, Mississippi an assistant principal ran to his car, got a gun, and stopped the episode.  Gun free zones give the criminal huge numbers of potential hostages and victims.   The presence of armed folks makes it a bit more difficult for the bad guys to prevail. – W.B.


Letter Re: After the Shooting

Mr. Rawles, Mr. Tupreco has made some salient points in his article on your actions and statements after a shooting to protect you and yours. However some of what he says is blatantly false, at least in my neck of the woods. I am a retired police officer who was involved in five separate instances of deadly force during my career so I think I speak with some experience that Mr. Tupreco lacks. He states that police officers are focused only on clearing cases so they will interrogate you with that frame of mind even if your use of deadly …


Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s G.G. flagged this ominous news: U.S. on Pace for $1 Trillion Deficit. [JWR Adds: Beware, the debt service costs will explode, once interest rates rise!] K.P. suggested this at Zero Hedge: Chris Martenson Interviews Robert Mish: Front-Line Evidence That We are Nowhere Near a Gold Bubble. [JWR Adds: Keep in mind that we are still staring down barrel of a big, albeit brief pullback in the precious metals and equities in next 30 days, as margin calls will likely cascade from CDS derivatives fallout. Buy on the dips!] Goldman Sachs director quits ‘morally bankrupt’ Wall Street bank. (Thanks to …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Ah, the amazing world of social networking. There are now niche web pages for every interest. I discovered that most states now have web pages specially tailored to help corrupt, gun-hating politicians keep track of their old friends, like this one. (To keep tabs on Bloomberg buddies like former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Now awaiting trial under a 38-charge felony indictment for an additional set of corruption charges, with a possible sentence of 30 years.) These sites are handy for planning future meet-ups and hang time. For example, this page will let you know that former Mayor Larry Langford has …



Notes from JWR:

This is the last day of Ready Made Resources’ sale on Mountain House canned freeze dried foods. They are offering 25% off and free shipping. The sale ends at midnight Eastern time, so order soon! — Today we present two more entries for Round 39 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 …


A Parent’s Guide to Surviving School Rampage Shootings, by Greg Ellifritz

I walked into the high school wearing two guns and a bullet resistant vest.  I had a rifle, six spare magazines, and a ballistic helmet stashed close by in my car.  It was Wednesday, April 21, 1999, the day after what had been the worst school shooting in United States history.  Two high school kids had just killed 12 of their fellow students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado.  The television was awash in the news coverage and everyone was scared. Parents, students, and teachers were worried about a copycat shooting in the town where I worked …


Family Planning, Post-TEOTWAWKI, by Lisa F.

Bring to mind one of the post-TEOTWAWKI scenarios you most frequently imagine, be it the after-effects of a worldwide flu pandemic, series of natural disasters, economic collapse, or nuclear war.  Is this a world into which you’d want to bring children?  At least for the short-term aftermath, I bet you wouldn’t.  Not while you may be on the move or actively defending your retreat or community from danger.  However…”birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it”…c’mon, sing along with me and Cole Porter…”let’s do it, let’s fall in love!”  As the song says, love is natural and …


Letter Re: After the Shooting

Dear JWR: In response to Tupreco’s After the Shooting submission in SurvivalBlog, I have two observations to offer:   1: None of the scenarios or situations in that essay reasonably described those I’ve encountered in the aftermath of three separate lethal force incidents. Happily, in two of those, there were multiple witnesses, so the situation was pretty far removed from the Home Alone scenarios so described in Tupreco’s thoughts. That is not to say that they aren’t valid, in some locales; just an observation that in some areas, things may not go nearly as simply as described; in others, the investigatory process …