Year: 2013

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


Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of USMC Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly (born 1873, died April 27, 1937.) He was one of only nineteen men (including seven Marines) to twice receive the Medal of Honor. — This is also the birthday of Corporal John Alan Coey (died 19 July 1975.) He was the first American volunteer killed in Rhodesia’s Bush War. — Today we present a guest article from journalist Chuck Holton. SurvivalBlog readers will recognize Chuck’s name from the recent segment that he produced about The American Redoubt, for The 700 Club, on CBN.


My Experience in Expatriating to Panama, by Chuck Holton

Our family moved out of the United States in January of 2013, and so JWR’s novel “Expatriates” has been a particularly interesting read for us.  The kids are enjoying it, too. I want to share some of our experiences as expats which I believe will be helpful for your readers. The water got too hot for us on November 6, 2012.  I’m a reporter for the Christian Broadcasting Network, and was in Detroit covering the election.  What I saw there was the last straw in a long series of insults and injuries.     Detroit is the poster child for …


American Liberty at the Crossroads: Do We Sit By and Watch, or Do We Show Up and Fight?

SurvivalBlog reader B.B. suggested this piece by Mark Steyn: The Drift toward Despotism. And joining the chorus, even more stridently: The Creeping Police State. Soon after sending those links, B.B. sent this brilliant essay from Daren Jonescu: The Progressive Degradation of Freedom. Reading Jonescu’s cogent words crystallized a nascent theory that had been nagging me for a decade. It is this: America’s systemic reaction to the unspeakable horror of the 9/11 attacks was to “protect” ourselves by planting the seeds for a police state that will eventually strangle the freedom that we grew up cherishing. Each incremental step seems toward …


Two Letters Re: Refurbishing Dead Gasoline

Jim, Here are some additional thoughts in regard to the letter, “Refurbishing Dead Gasoline”, from my perspective as an oil refinery chemist:   Gasoline is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, and there are many different flammable materials that can be blended to achieve the desired specifications.   In regard to vapor pressure of U.S. gasoline blends, a mixture resulting in about 15 psi Reid vapor pressure is ideal for winter conditions, and a mixture resulting in about 7 psi Reid vapor pressure is ideal for summer conditions.   The gasoline blend should exhibit enough vapor pressure for ignition to occur …


News From The American Redoubt:

Kyle T. mentioned that he found on Craigslist: “…a complete business for someone to buy in Idaho if they are interested in blacksmithing.  The listing is entitled  “Blacksmith, wheelwright shop complete (Nampa, Idaho)”  Things like this don’t come every day!”    o o o I recently heard some details from a reader about Obadiah’s Woodstoves, in Troy, Montana. They have great prices, a huge selection, and top notch customer service. They sell nationwide.    o o o With friends like this, who needs enemies? New Jersey governor coming to North Idaho.    o o o Although it obviously comes from …


Economics and Investing:

Whopping 932,000 Americans Drop Out Of Labor Force In October; Participation Rate Drops To Fresh 35 Year Low Congress Passes Bill To Remove Derivatives Regulations That Were Just Put In Place Why The U.S. Dollar Is In Trouble Items from The Economatrix: Which America Do You Live In? – 21 Hard To Believe Facts About “Wealthy America” And “Poor America” October Mortgage Purchase Applications Collapse To Decade Lows Congress Sells Out To Wall Street, Again


Odds ‘n Sods:

More bad news from the P.I.: Typhoon that smashed houses to smithereens: Full horror of destruction in Philippines revealed as rescue workers says two thirds of dead are children. We also read: The Chaos After the Super Typhoon. And the president has declared a national calamity amid widespread looting. If you want to help with the relief effort, please don’t send contributions to the bloated, top-heavy charities like the Red Cross. Instead, please send your donations to any of the dozens of small charities that have had a long-established presence in the country.    o o o Reader M.P. in …



Notes from JWR:

In recognition of Veteran’s Day, I must mention this article: World War II’s surviving Doolittle Raiders make final toast. — My book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” is now available in a Romanian translation (“Ghid De Supravietuire“) from Editura Paralela 45 in Bucharest. I was pleased to hear that it was translated by Ioan Es. Pop. (Mr. Pop is a famous poet, translator, and academic in Romania.) So now the book is now available in seven editions: American English, British English, German, Spanish, French, Bulgarian, and Romanian. Translations to several other languages are …


T.M.’s Book Review: The Liberation Trilogy by Rick Atkinson

This is actually three books telling one story that is pertinent to preppers. An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 © 2002  ISBN: 0-8050-6288-2    681 pages The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 © 2007  ISBN: 0-8050-6289-0    791 pages The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 © 2013  ISBN: 978-0-8050-6290-8    877 pages All three volumes have excellent maps, indexes, bibliography, and a flawed endnote system. All three volumes are published by Henry Holt and Co. in New York City, NY All three volumes are available at your favorite bookseller …


Pat’s Product Review: Eberlestock F4M Terminator Backpack

When I was young – quite young – I had a serious thirst for adventure, and I was always undertaking something dangerous – many called it “stupid” or “foolhardy” as I recall. I was very independent (still am) and many also used the term “hard-headed” to describe me and some of my exploits. It’s okay, I believe everyone should follow their heart and their dreams, when possible. Which leads me to my youngest daughter, who just got out of the US Army – where she served as a Combat Medic. Now, those who know me, especially from the past, know …


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

Dear Mr. R.: Why don’t you include Utah in your American Redoubt states? I’m asking because we’re right next door [to the Redoubt region] and Utah seems so much like the Redoubt states in so many ways. Just curious. – L.W.J. JWR Replies: Although Utah’s crime rate, taxes, and insurance rates are low and family food storage is quite popular there, the state has several distinct drawbacks. They include: Utah is is not an open carry state. A government-issued permit is required to carry a fully-loaded gun openly. I find that abhorrent. Utah is a predominantly desert state. In the …


Letter Re: Refurbishing Dead Gasoline

JWR, The shelf life of gasoline is one of the lurking problems with the prepper community. With this short article I will show you a simple process to take that lifeless gas and make it usable again. One of the issues with very old (several years) gas is the formation of deposits and gum via oxidation. Ethanol doesn’t help either, except to line the pockets of the Ethanol Lobby. Another issue is water absorption over time. Gasoline is not one cut of hydrocarbons, but a mixture of light and heavy fuels. Over time the lighter elements [“fractions”] evaporate, leaving a …