Month: November 2013

Notes from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $8,500+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) 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.) …


War Games, by Phil S.

The United States Military tests its capabilities and preparedness by exercising its systems, soldiers and supply chains in war games. [These include field training exercises (FTXes), Command Post Exercises (CPXes), and Mobilization Exercises (MOBEXes), Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercises (EDREs) and more.]  These war games are used to ensure that their personnel is trained and fit, that the hardware of every sort works as it was intended to work and that in times of duress their supply chain will provide the fighting men at the front what supplies they need in order to be victorious.  I have extended my preparations for …


Letter Re: Why Is Utah Not in the American Redoubt?

James, All your points regarding Utah being unsuitable [for inclusion as an American Redoubt state] are well taken, I would add only a few items and clarify one statement; The plain fact is the Mormon [LDS] church controls the political and economic conditions within the state and they have always wanted to expand that control to a national level. The majority follow (in my view) a completely wrong religious doctrine, in that they practice the corporate teachings of their church, which has very little to do with the Bible. I would also say when push comes to shove 99.9% of …


Letter Re: In Extremis, Compunctions Dwindle

Sir, I know that seeing this attitude is not news to you, but I read this article and thought it may be helpful for the SurvivalBlog readers as reinforces what you and others have long said: that all bets are off in regards to morality and standards by the average Joe who has gone without food for a few days. This tale of post-Typhoon Yolanda includes the gripping quote: “I am a decent person. But if you have not eaten in three days, you do shameful things to survive.”  In any event, I thought you might find the link useful. Thank …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Mark J. mentioned a Silver and Gold Payment Calculator. This is a very handy site for calculating gold and silver coin transactions Starved of gold, Indians may import record volumes of silver IEA: Shale Boom is Only Temporary, we’ll Soon be Relying on Middle East Again Items from The Economatrix: Jim Willie:  Gold Fever: Coming Global Currency Reset Will Double Gold Overnight! 10 Facts About The Growing Unemployment Crisis In America That Will Blow Your Mind We’re in a worse position than in 2008: Marc Faber


Odds ‘n Sods:

Since Toronto’s Mayor Ford is such an out of control individual that I recommend he be nominated for honorary membership in Mayor Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns Gang. He would fit right in.    o o o Safecastle is continuing their last Mountain House cans sale of the year, with maximum allowable discounts, free shipping, and some special loyalty reward bonuses for buyers club members. The sale ends on November 20, 2013.    o o o Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) spotted this: Dressed to not kill: Garrison Bespoke’s bullet-proof business suit    o o o Saudi nuclear …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Not he alone, nor the family that gathers at his table – But all men everywhere, fighting for Freedom’s cause, Are richer for his work. For the food he does not buy is theirs to have… In camps, in ships on every bloody sea, On battle fronts where food is life itself…. And in those dark and hungry lands now being freed – Where food is more than life… Where food means tyranny’s long hoped for end. The seeds of Victory are planted in his garden…" – An unattributed poem engraved on statue dedicated to World War II Victory Gardeners


Notes from JWR:

The central Philippines have been completely devastated by typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. I heard from a reader there that even some islands that were a hundred miles away from the path of the center of the storm may be without power for several more weeks. This will surely trigger a major public health crisis. Please pray fervently and give generously. Oh, and I didn’t see this political spin coming, but this news article from Disarmed Old England certainly fits in with the globalist/statist agenda: Typhoon Haiyan: gun culture of the Philippines hinders relief efforts. (Thanks to reader J.B.G. for the link.)


Your Retreat’s Privy, by Stephanie M.

Have you considered an outhouse/privy as part of your preparedness plan? If you could no longer flush your toilet because you were having plumbing problems,   or your commercial water supply was cut off and you didn’t want to use your water stores for flushing, do you have a good backup plan,practical even for long term? Going in a bucket with a toilet seat attached to it in your bathroom is one option, but then you have to keep dumping it somewhere. This doesn’t seem like a good long term plan to me. Now, if you happen to have a …


Letter Re: Advice on Buying Legislatively Resilient Guns

James, As a daily reader of your blog, I’ve read over and over again about how Pre-1899 guns are legal. The Internet is full of such advise dating back a long time. However, I still fail to see how that would add much protection against confiscation. The ATF has seized Airsoft guns and police confiscated muzzleloaders from one home in my area after one resident (who was not the owner of the weapons!) was arrested there. The list goes on from there and contains nothing that shows that law enforcement makes any distinction between antiques and modern guns. I believe …



Letter Re: Remembering Dear Aunt Flow

Dear Editor, I really do appreciate Kali for bring up our Dear Aunt Flow because is something I don’t think a lot of women have thought about. I did want to bring up a concern I have about using tampons and menstrual cups that I don’t think has been brought up yet which is the risk of toxic shock syndrome. From what I remember learning in nursing school it’s basically when bacteria gets introduced into a dark moist place in the body is allowed to grow and gets into the bloodstream  through thin skin and becomes life threatening. I’ve heard …


Economics and Investing:

I noticed that spot silver just took a dip to below $21 per ounce. For those who don’t dollar cost average, this would be a good time to make a purchase. From OSU’s Socratic Club: A couple of good illustrations of the perils of socialism. G.G. suggested: Larry Kotlikoff Asks “Is Hyperinflation Around The Corner? By way of Ol’ Remus (who is now back to regular weekly posts): 36 Times Obama Said You Could Keep Your Health Care Plan Items from The Economatrix: Huge Cracks In US Financial Fortress, Petro-Dollar Final Death Throes U.S. Unfunded Liabilities: The Coming Big Squeeze …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Bruce Z. suggested a free and fairly comprehensive wiki-like source for PDFs of U.S. Army electronics manuals: Radio Nerds. Seeing the RC-292 and “Turkey Thirty” antenna manuals brought back some fond memories. (By the time I left the ASA, we were using the fairly advanced Watkins-Johnson AN/PRD-11 with an H-Adcock antenna.) I was also thrilled to a see page dedicated to my all-time favorite HF receiver, the R-390A. To start, SurvivalBlog readers should all save copies of the TA-1 and TA-312 field telephone manuals.    o o o Filipino policemen feel powerless against the of waves of Tacloban looters.    …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"One of the most dangerous errors is that civilization is automatically bound to increase and spread.  The lesson of history is the opposite; civilization is a rarity, attained with difficulty and easily lost.  The normal state of humanity is barbarism, just as the normal surface of the planet is salt water.  Land looms large in our imagination and civilization in history books, only because sea and savagery are to us less interesting." – C.S. Lewis