Month: December 2013

Notes from JWR:

Today is celebrated as Christmas, all around the world. December 25th is of course a seasonally convenient time for celebration, just after the Winter Solstice. Most Biblical scholars agree that Christ’s birth probably took place in the spring rather than in December. And his birth year was most likely in 4 BC. To clarify: The original year calculated by Dionysius Exiguus was in error. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote circa 70 AD about the reign of King Herod. He stated that Herod died 37 years after the Romans declared him King, and 34 years from the time he actually became …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:8-11 (KJV)


Notes from JWR:

It was just reported that Mikhail Kalashnikov died Monday, at age 94. — December 24th is the 14th Anniversary of when John Joe Gray’s legal troubles began. He and his family have been self-sufficiently holed up in their Texas ranch for 13 years, in defiance of a warrant for his arrest. This has been the longest personal standoff in American history, in which he has faced the administrations of four different county sheriffs. — Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,400+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) …


My Move to the American Redoubt, by Jason L.

The recent article The Benefits of a Homesteading Approach to Preparedness, by Chaya had much wisdom about moving before a crunch. There will not be time to prepare or get to know your surroundings if you wait. I have dreamed about moving to the American Redoubt for the last 3-4 years, however there were several things that prohibited me. I had a house payment and small business in Rural Northern Pa, I had a great job and family ties. I did not want to leave my father and small hobby farm. In December of last year my mother received news …


Letter Re: Open Carry, Concealed Carry and Gun Free School Zones

James, I’m writing to warn fellow SurvivalBlog readers that there is a huge proviso for those wishing to open carry firearms in states where it is lawful to do so. I recommend reading the Wikipedia page on Gun-Free School Zones Act (GFSZA) of 1990. Some key excerpts form that web page follow: Definitions Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(25) the term “school zone” means— (A) in, or on the grounds of, a public, parochial or private school; or (B) within a distance of 1,000 feet from the grounds of a public, parochial or private school. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(26) the term “school” …


News From The American Redoubt:

Strong Rules on Fracking in Wyoming Seen as Model    o o o In Idaho: Of Poker and Plunder: Commissarina Olson Strikes Again. [JWR Adds: I’ve addressed the Federal statute on Misprison of a Felony previously in SurvivalBlog. Any genuine jurisdiction over civilians in misprision cases is dubious, at best.]    o o o What Spokane wants from state lawmakers    o o o Idaho to sell furnishings from former governor’s mansion    o o o Eastern Oregon megaload trip – This 900,000 pound load should have already be in Canada, but it is moving slowly, because of bad weather.


Economics and Investing:

What Does the Price of Gold Do In Deflation? (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.) B.B. sent: The Federal Reserve Is Leveraged Roughly 70 Times Italy’s president fears violent insurrection in 2014 Andre D. sent a link to an opinion piece by Gordon Brown: Stumbling Toward the Next Crash. (Brown is a Labour Party member of the British Parliament a former Chancellor of the Exchequer and former Prime Minister.)


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that he gave unto them judges about the space …


Notes from JWR:

The ice storm at our Christmas vacation locale is continuing, so I’m again posting SurvivalBlog a day early, just in case. — Today, December 23, 2013, is the 100th anniversary of the exclusive private banking cartel known as The Federal Reserve. Please take a minute to read this piece: A Long-Term Look At Inflation. Clearly, the Federal Reserve has systematically robbed the American people of the value of their currency and savings, via currency inflation. My long-standing advice is to get your money out of Dollars and into tangibles like common caliber ammunition, silver, and productive farm land! I predict …


Book Review: Ankara Fever: Journeys

Ankara Fever: Journeys (Volume 1) ©2013 Brian S. Vinson available on Amazon Kindle or print ISBN: 978-1494377496   I recently read this novel and it made me think it might be a great book for those in our community who are trying to ‘wake up’ friends and family who are simply unwilling to wake up without a swift kick to the pants.   First off, Ankara Fever: Journeys is a book based on what would happen if a major pandemic broke out.  It follows two couples on their separate journeys to the same place.  One couple is Roger and Jennifer.  …


Pat’s Product Review: CRKT Redemption Knife

Back in the 1980s it seemed like every knife company was producing some sort of hollow handle “survival” knife, and the truth is, most were just junk – plain and simple. Oh sure, there were some good ones, however if you wanted a really good hollow handle survival knife, you had to go to one of the custom knife makers – and at that, there weren’t that many really producing this type of knife. I remember being at an auction one time in Colorado Springs, Colorado – and there was all manner of stuff up for auction. There was one …


Six Letters Re: A Contingency Bag for Frequent Air Travelers

Hey, Jim: I think we need some more collective thought on this. I’ve got more time in the air than most people–4,000+ hours as an Army helicopter pilot (where we wore a cleverly-stocked survival vest; alas, a lot of the contents would not pass TSA scrutiny), 2 million+ miles on Delta, and about that many more on defunct airlines (especially Eastern and TWA). Getting stuck somewhere could happen to me on a trip. Here’s some of my thinking (and I still need some help): It seems to me that anything important should be in the carry-on bag, not checked. Most …


Letter Re: Motorcycles and Their Role in Preparedness

Mr Rawles, I have read many articles and have seen many videos on motorcycles and their role in preparedness. While I agree with the views of most people on a majority of their points, I also disagree with them on some. Selection of a motorcycle and route planning are two key items that I think many people overlook. If I live in a rural community and I’ve traveled the off-road trails quite often then I have no problem selecting a Dirt-Bike, Dual-Sport or even an “Adventure” Bike. I however, like a lot of people live in Suburbia and work in …


Recipe of the Week:

R. in Colorado’s Strudel A lady of German ancestry at my church gave me a strudel recipe which had no measurements and can be varied according to what is on your pantry shelf.   I estimated and measured to replicate and came up with this basic recipe:   Chopped dried fruit – 1/2 cup of each: apricots, prunes (or what you have).   1 cup apples – fresh, dried or canned.   Rehydrate dried fruit in a small amount of water until soft.   You can use fresh apples. I used canned with the liquid, and mixed with the chopped …


Economics and Investing:

D.L.T. sent us this: The modern economy depends on dozens of obscure metals. What happens if we run out? Over at Sipsey Street Irregulars, some more evidence that ammunition was and still is a wise investment: Logistics: CMP advisory on .22 Long Rifle My old friend Conor recommended a BBC news segment about the little-publicized EB-5 Green Card program: Chinese investors ‘buying’ US green cards for $1Million. (Warning to dial-up users: The included video is launched automatically.) Of course the reverse side of that coin is found in countries like Panama, where American retirees are effectively buying residency for as …