Year: 2013

Notes from JWR:

The C.R.O.S.S. benefit auction for a PVS-14 night vision monocular has ended. See details in the Auction Recap, below. — Today we present another entry for Round 45 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The 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 …


Getting Prescription Drugs for TEOTWAWKI, by Sara Sue

It was quite a shocker when I couldn’t get my husband’s heart medication prescriptions filled in January.  After numerous phone calls to our pharmaceutical insurer, I finally found someone who assessed and fixed the problem, but it took over 6 weeks to get his prescriptions filled.  (Fortunately, I had stocked up last year, so he wasn’t completely out of his medications.  Stocking up was not intentional.  The insurer accidentally sent twice the amount requested and when I called to let them know, they said not to worry about it and they would stop the auto-refill feature).  As to why my …


Living in The Age of Sequestration

I’ve observed that we are now living in The Age of Sequestration, in many senses of the word. First, and most noticeably, is all mass media talk about the Federal Budget Sequestration. Despite all of the hoopla and handwringing, it is actually just a token decrease to an already enormously bloated budget. Second, is the forced sequestration of some Bad People. You’ve probably heard the latest news: following a lengthy jury sequestration former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilppatrick was found guilty. But his upcoming sequestration is hardly a news flash. Everyone knew he was a crook and this is of course …


Four Letters Re: The Human Appendix

Mr. Rawles: I am writing to address some of the questions in the letter on The Human Appendix. I am a physician who works at a large academic center. Regarding The letter writer’s questions, an inflamed appendix is not uncommon (This is know as appendicitis), and removal of the appendix is one of the simplest surgery’s we perform in modern medicine. It is unclear why the inflammation occurs, but if untreated it can be fatal. The appendix was historically thought to be a vestigial organ (useless), or an immune presenting organ ( i.e.: helps the immune system fight off infections). …


Letter Re: Fire: Your Partner in Survival

Dear JWR: The excellent article, “Fire: Your Partner in Survival, by Pledger” mentioned the BTU ratings of certain trees. Wanting to know a bit more, I did some searching and found a chart of the BTU ratings of various types of wood. On another note, Pledger’s reference to a cord as 4×8 feet by 16 inches threw me. I looked it up and found that a “full cord” measures 4x4x8 feet, which is the number I was familiar with, ranging from 80 to 100 cubic feet stacked. The web site I found uses 90 cubic feet for its BTU ratings. …


Auction Recap: PVS-14 Gen 3+ Night Vision Scope to Benefit C.R.O.S.S. Ministries

Reader M.V. was the final high bidder in the auction AN/PVS-14 Gen 3+ Night Vision Scope, with his very generous bid of $3,900. All proceeds (100%) will be donated to C.R.O.S.S. Ministries. (A very worthy Christian ministry that is sharing the Gospel of Christ in South Sudan. Their outreach method is unique: They are teaching rural villagers tactical marksmanship, water purification, and firefighting skills, free of charge.) The monocular is one of these. (The same model that we use here at the Rawles Ranch.) These night vision scopes normally retail for around $3,600. (Although Ready Made Resources sells them at …


News From The American Redoubt:

Gunwerks in Burlington, Wyoming has introduced several new products and they now offer a ballistics calculator, but their phenomenally accurate long range rifles are still their forte. Their long range shooting courses have been taught in Wyoming, Utah, West Virginia, Texas, and Canada.    o o o Larry Pratt will be speaking at two southern Idaho Patriots Night events! Friday, March 22, 2013 at the Nampa Civic Center, 311 Third Street South, Nampa, 6:00 p.m. Social Hour/Meet and Greet, 7:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker Larry Pratt followed by Q&A. Admission is $5.00 for Club members (Parma Rod and Gun Club, Nampa …


Economics and Investing:

Bitcoin Reaches Half Billion Dollar Market Capitalization B.B. sent: Jim Rogers: We’re Wiping Out The Savings Class Globally, To Terrible Consequence And A.K.H. suggested this (also at Zero Hedge): Fed Injects Record $100 Billion Cash Into Foreign Banks Operating In The US In Past Week Items from The Economatrix: A Year Of Improving Payroll Growth Starts Tomorrow ECRI Still Insists We’re In A Recession–We Just Don’t Know It Yet ECRI’s Achuthan:  US Recession Began In Mid-2012


Odds ‘n Sods:

How to Use a [BUSTED] Cell Phone to Meet 5 Basic Survival Needs. (Thanks to Otter for the link.)    o o o G.G. flagged this: UPDATE: Number Of U.S. Gun Makers Refusing Sales To Gov’t In ‘Firearms Equality Movement’ Triples In Two Weeks    o o o Reese Case: Prosecution Appeals Judge Brack’s Decision    o o o According to the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arm (CCRKBA), you should be aware of five pieces of pending Federal gun legislation: • H.R. 138 would ban transfer or possession of standard-capacity magazines, targeting those that hold …




Auction Update: PVS-14 Gen 3+ Night Vision Scope to Benefit C.R.O.S.S. Ministries

CURRENT BID is $3,900. (Generously bid by Reader M.V.) Hit reload to see any updates to this post made this evening. This is the last day of the benefit auction of a brand new AN/PVS-14 Gen 3+ Night Vision Scope. All proceeds (100% of your bid) will be donated to C.R.O.S.S. Ministries. (A very worthy Christian ministry that is sharing the Gospel of Christ in South Sudan. Their outreach method is unique: They are teaching rural villagers tactical marksmanship, water purification, and firefighting skills, free of charge.) The monocular is one of these. (The same model that we use here …


Pat’s Product Review: Bear & Son Damascus Hunter

Awhile back, I tested some automatic folding knives from Bear Ops, which is a division of Bear & Son Cutlery and was favorably impressed with the little tactical folders. Now, while I sincerely enjoy all the new types of stainless steel blade materials used on knives these days, I’ve always been fascinated with Damascus steel. Bear & Son is one of the few commercial knife manufacturers offering knives with Damascus blades. What we have in Damascus steel is a combination of different steels with different properties, that is hammer forged and folded back onto itself, to give you blades with …


Letter Re: Micro-Gasification Stoves – Taking it to the Next Level

Jim: Thanks again for the recent posting on my piece: Local Food and Energy from Top Lit Up Draft Micro-Gasification Stove. That was much appreciated! Are you tracking woodgas powered vehicles? You may have heard of it from WWII stories and FEMA manual. The old systems worked in emergencies, but were not really practical for long term use. Wayne Keith has a new book just out on practical applications, Have Wood Will Travel. In it are detailed instructions for building, operating, and maintaining a modern woodgas powered vehicle. Wayne has tinkered his way into the first system that is practical …


Letter Re: The Human Appendix

Sir: I have a medical question that I thought that maybe you could forward to Dr. Cynthia Koelker, your Medical Editor, on perhaps she could write an article.   My appendix was enflamed recently and they performed emergency surgery to remove it before it burst. My doctor said that his granddad, also a doctor, performed preventative surgery to remove his daughter’s (my doctor’s mom’s) appendix. He said that there is really no purpose for the appendix except to get infected and inflamed and burst. I agree that he is probably correct in this day and age, but when I asked …