Year: 2012


Notes from JWR:

Ulysses Press (one of my publishers) is nearing completion of the first-ever hardback edition of my novel “Patriots”. One of the book’s back cover blurbs will mention that there are now “150,000 copies in print.” (With the 10,000 copies in the first press run combined with the previous editions.) That new edition should be released in early November. — Today is the birthday of Matthew Henry (born 18 October 1662, died 22 June 1714. He was a Presbyterian minister and Bible scholar who lived primarily in Chester, England. Matthew Henry’s six-volume Exposition of the Old and New Testaments (1708–1710) is …


Starting From Nothing: Preparing Quickly, Efficiently and Cost-Consciously, by C.M.F.

My husband and I are new to the concept of prepping and self-sufficient living, having just begun the process in the last 30 to 60 days. Our journey when world events began to heat up in the Middle East and we started asking “what if” questions. Our ignorance means that we have a lot of learning, practicing and catching up to do. I am fairly confident that we are not the only ones to slowly become aware of the necessity of preparing. I thought that I would share what we have done to get started in the hopes that this …


Letter Re: An Interesting Hiding Place

James: Basically this product is a flush-mounted interchangeable decorative panel for kitchens and possibly other areas in the home. The panels can be purchased pre-made or created by the customer; the site shows options such as artwork and more substantial-appearing materials like ceramic tiles and mosaics. The panel has a push-to-release mechanism behind it, and the idea is that a homeowner can swap one panel for another as desired. The installation instructions explain the details. It isn’t designed as a hiding place, and there isn’t much room behind it as it is, but it would be fine for smaller items. …


Three Letters Re: Survival Uses For Stretch Wrap

Hi! I liked the article [by James M.] on pallet wrap. In it, the author mentioned that he wanted a source for narrower rolls of shrink wrap. I’m writing to mention that ULINE sells 2″-wide rolls. Regards, – Trysch JWR: This was an excellent, informative piece.  There is an additional use for this that Mr. M did not mention: My wife is a high school earth science and biology teacher who has her students build solar ovens every year using cardboard boxes, aluminum foil and shrink wrap.  The box is lined with aluminum foil and covered in shrink wrap.  The …


Economics and Investing:

Have you noticed that the spot price of platinum is now about $90 below the spot price of gold? This is a sign of major economic turmoil and is predictive of a very weak manufacturing sector in the year to come. This price inversion doesn’t happen very often, so when it does, take advantage of it, just as I did. I was recently able to pick up some 1/10th-ounce and 1/4-ounce slabbed U.S. Mint Liberty bullion platinum coins for just under the spot price of gold! But beware of fake Chinese platinum and gold coins that are now becoming commonplace! …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Tracey A. sent a link to an interesting piece on the new Winchester Segmented Slug.    o o o They keep getting smaller: Spy-Butterfly: Israel developing insect drone for indoor surveillance. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)    o o o Reader F.J. pointed out this piece: Assessing Doomsday: How Cyber War Could Attack U.S. Infrastructure    o o o D.B. sent: Armed posse patrols timber land in sheriff’s place    o o o NDAA critic stranded in Hawaii after turning up on no-fly list. JWR’s Comment: Is this the America where I was born and raised?



Notes from JWR:

The Articles for Deletion (AfD) debate about my novels “Survivors” and “Founders” is still raging over at Wikipedia. If you have experience with Wikipedia, then feel free to chime in politely, if you have an opinion one way or the other. — Today we present another entry for Round 43 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 …


Survival Uses For Stretch Wrap, by James M.

Not Saran Wrap, I’m talking about what is commonly referred to as pallet wrap. I thought there was no way possible that something as versatile and useful as stretch wrap could have been overlooked in the survival community, but after hours of searching it certainly looks that way. I’ve only found a few vague references to other possible uses for it. Today I hope to enlighten you and further prepare you for TEOTWAWKI. Firstly, it’s a lot of bang for your buck. You can pick up an 18 inch wide roll of stretch wrap that’s 1,500 feet long for less …


Letter Re: Iowa as a Retreat Locale

James Wesley: I just read something about why Iowa wasn’t considered as a retreat when TEOTWAWKI occurs. In your response you asked for feedback. I live in soutwestern Iowa. All along the western edge of Iowa in the Loess Hills region which extends from Missouri to Minnesots. This is a region that one could defend. Actually people in the Great Depression of the 1930s dug caves into the loess soil to live in. The soil is the best in the world and it is close to Omaha and Offutt Air Force base. We’re almost 200 miles north of Kansas city, …



Odds ‘n Sods:

Residents of North Dakota might find ths of interest: The GSA is auctioning off five Stanley Mickelsen Safeguard missile sites, with opening bids of $1. Go the GSA Auctions web page and enter “Stanley Mickelsen Safeguard Complex” in the search box. Fascinating.    o o o Health alert: Why you DON’T want ripped abs if you hope to survive the coming economic collapse    o o o B.B. sent: Desperation: Greece to Allow Sale of Expired Foods to Citizens.    o o o Tom B. in Oklahoma was the first of several readers to send an article about a new …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Some have asked whether our silver coins will disappear. The answer is very definitely no. Our present silver coins won’t disappear and they won’t even become rarities. We estimate that there are now 12 billion–I repeat, more than 12 billion silver dimes and quarters and half dollars that are now outstanding. We will make another billion before we halt production. And they will be used side-by-side with our new coins. Since the life of a silver coin is about 25 years, we expect our traditional silver coins to be with us in large numbers for a long, long time. If …


Notes from JWR:

2012 is the 60th anniversary of the founding of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (originally Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, LRL.) Lawrence Livermore is famous as the nation’s main nuclear weapons design center and is also home to a small American intelligence arm that tries to keep nukes out of the wrong hands. (Z Division.) I was born and raised in Livermore–the son of a scientist who worked at LLNL for three decades. My father, Donald Robert Rawles (1930-1985), operated and later managed the operation of several high energy particle accelerators. These included cyclotrons, linear accelerators, and a rotating target neutron source (RTNS-II.) …