Day: February 1, 2013

Announcing Writing Contest Prize Winners and a New Grand Prize

We ‘ve completed the judging for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. But before announcing winners, I have a special announcement: The Gunsite Academy–The first and best of America’s large scale shooting schools–has kindly donated a Three Day Course Certificate (good for any one, two, or three course with a value up to $1,195) for Round 45 and subsequent writing contest rounds. This course certificate is being added to the First Prize package. This brings the value of the First Prize package to $3,090 and the combined value of the top three prize packages to $7,485. (Note that …


Letter Re: LEPCs Show That Help Won’t Be Coming

Mr. Rawles, Here is my take on the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for my hometown. At risk of preaching to the choir, the Government isn’t coming to help you. We all have seen the horrific images of hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and how the Government response is woefully inadequate to help people after these large scale disasters. And in many cases, our current government uses these disasters to further tread on our collective liberty. The quote “Never let a crisis go to waste” leaps to mind. It occurred to me that the government is really made up of people, …


Letter Re: Personal Debt Levels

Dear Mr. Rawles,  I have read Patriots and am working on (from the library) your three other books.  I have a great group I am connected with and all are reading your material.  Also, I have the book Strategic Relocation–North American Guide to Safe Places by Joel and Andrew Skousen.  I really appreciate all your advice and tips and have been working as best I can to prepare.  My question revolves around how crucial you think it would be for  me to pay off as much debt as possible before the coming collapse or whatever comes?    I am struggling with balancing paying a credit card …


Letter Re: Unarmed Defense in the Apocalypse

Mr. Rawles, I just read the excellent article you posted by Tony C. The only thing I would add (and you can’t always cover everything, so this is not derogatory towards Tony C. in any way) is this: If you do want to educate yourself in any martial art, please do as much research of the facility that you want to take it from as you do in research for your firearms. This does not mean go around and ask the people that take it there if they like it. Their only experience may be of that one place. I am …


Letter Re: Sugar and Spice Will Always Be Nice

In the interest of honest and complete coverage of the topic, I’d like to clarify and expand upon the comments made by a contributor about the "brown sugar" typically marketed in the United States and Canada.   Brown Sugar is indeed just white sugar with molasses added to it. But what is not clear to most people is that molasses is what is left over when you refine sugar cane or sugar beets into white sugar.   Some sugars labeled “turbinado” or “demerara” sugars are made from partially refined sugar-juice that have had some of the water driven off by …


Economics and Investing:

The 8 Retailers That Will Close the Most Stores in 2013 Tax Foundation: Americans Pay 17.2% in Cell Phone Taxes Items from The Economatrix: US Debt Headed Toward 200 Percent of GDP Even After “Fiscal Cliff” Deal US Rating Still At Risk Despite Reduced Threats From DC Triple-Digit Oil In Sight As Economy Heals


Odds ‘n Sods:

An interesting design: Paracord Belt with Carabiner Buckle and D-Ring    o o o An honored veteran who has been in the Warrior Games (for wounded servicemen) gets treated like dirt because of New York’s absurd magazine ban. When politicians ban plastic boxes and sheet metal boxes–turning them into potential felonies–something has gone very wrong with America. Please support Nate Haddad’s legal defense fund.    o o o Google unveils detailed map of North Korea–The map is a culmination of years of data collected from “citizen cartographers”    o o o Backyard Farming Gets Fancy: High-End ‘Homesteaders’ Want Pricey, Stylish …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Religion is a most cheerful and thing to practice, but a most sad and melancholy thing to neglect. The government of God in the soul is a government which regulates, but does not enslave. If we seriously consider what religion is, we shall find the saying of the wise King Solomon to be unexceptionably true: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” The idea that religion is a kind of slavery, to which none can submit without sacrificing the natural enjoyments of life, has ever been the greatest hindrance to its advancement among mankind. How …