Year: 2013

Economics and Investing:

Market anxiety: Stocks tank, CDS derivatives spike… Reader H.W. sent: Here’s How Much The Obamacare Penalty Tax Will Cost You… Mike Adams: Continued shutdown, paralyzed politicians reveal just how close the U.S. government is to total collapse We are also warned: McAfee: Exchanges Will Become Target Of Hackers And Identity Thieves The World Over US shutdown worries world media Items from The Economatrix: Government Shutdown: The Next Step In The Collapse Of The Dollar? Detroit Defaults On More Than $600 Million Of ‘Unsecured’ GO Bonds Postal Service Defaults On $5.6 Billion Payment


Odds ‘n Sods:

An early winter? Winter Storm Atlas Forecast: Snow to Impact Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Western Nebraska ?    o o o Reader “MM1” suggested this well-reasoned piece by Ross Gilmore: Living Off The Land: Delusions and Misconceptions About Hunting and Gathering    o o o H.L. was the first of several readers to send this: Fencing coach uses sword to foil robbery    o o o Dr. Koelker, SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor is offering some more Survival Medicine classes with suturing, casting, minor surgery, office labs, radiation threats, and much more. The dates are: October 18-20 and November 15-17, 2013. …



Notes from JWR:

Thanks for making the Book Bomb Day for my novel Expatriates a great success. The book peaked at #22 overall on Amazon, yesterday morning. There has been a delay in the release of the Kindle version of the novel in the UK, But it is available in the US, Canada, Ireland, and continental Europe. And while the downloadable version of the audiobook is not yet available, the MP3 CD-ROM can now be ordered. (The audio book was wonderfully narrated by Eric G. Dove.) Thanks for your patience, folks. — I was saddened to hear of the death of Tom Clancy, …


Thoughts on Preparedness, by Mom in the Colorado Rockies

Thoughts on Preparedness, by Mom in the Colorado Rockies Most of us have it down to a science on what we are going to do every morning. Wake up, grumble at the alarm clock, stagger in for coffee, etc. You know what time you need to leave to get to work on time, and maybe squeeze in a drive thru run for coffee or a breakfast biscuit. Muddle through the work day and pray for it to hurry by so you can fight traffic and get home in time for dinner, baths for the kids and vegetate in front of …


Letter Re: Basic Mechanics Skill and Knowing Vehicular Limitations

Dear JWR, Instead of a breaker bar, which while good to have is large and hard to store, I’ve found extendable lug nut wrenches to be the ideal compromise.  Easily twice as strong as the much thinner wrenches that come with the vehicle. The only caveat is that I’d recommend a long/deep wall socket that’s the precise size of your lugs to ensure you don’t damage and/or jam or lug nuts inside your socket… I’ve tried both the Torin (sold at Wal-Mart stores) and the Grizzly (sold by Amazon.com) with satisfactory success.  Both are over 20″ extended, and even slightly …


Economics and Investing:

The Dreaded D Word: Treasury taking final steps to avoid default Blackstone Investor Sees ‘Epic’ Credit Bubble Frequent contributor H.L. sent this: ‘It’s not life, it’s survival’: Crisis-hit Portuguese forced to live in communes Silk Road site and DPR’s Bitcoins seized. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Peter Schiff Was Right Part Deux: The “Taper” Edition Markets Are Crumbling All Around The World As Government Shutdown Gets Close This Will Create A Horrific Collapse That Will Shock The World


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader RBS mentioned a site with some great data on vacuum tubes: TubeBooks.org    o o o Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) spotted this: Mind Blown: Remote Control Sturmgewehr 44 In Syria    o o o What’s so special about John Moses Browning?    o o o Lee M. spotted this: Fifty Free Farmstead eBooks    o o o My novel Expatriates is now available for Nook e-reader owners.    o o o H.L. sent: Meanwhile in Sudan: Fuel riots, a hiring spree of ex-Soviet air mercenaries and preparations for war



Notes from JWR:

Both Amazon.com and BN.com have opened up their Expatriates pages for reviews. Once you’ve read the book, I would greatly appreciate reading your reviews there. One that was posted today by “JocelynP” appears to be from a troll. I’d appreciate seeing some more balanced and unbiased reviews. Thanks! — Today we present another entry for Round 48 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 …


Home Chicken Flock Management by B.D. in Tennessee

Chickens are one of the most important yet overlooked purchases in the preparedness world. Chickens are relatively low maintenance, a joy to watch, and they offer a significant return on investment for the backyard homestead and small farm. Because they will eat anything from table scraps to fish heads, they are also very economical pre-collapse. On average, most chicks cost around three dollars each purchased from local co-ops and feed stores. They can also be bought online for reasonable prices (shipping costs are high, however, due to Postal Service regulations) and delivered to your local post office. Chickens of a …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Paul B. sent a link to a “must read” article on Quantitative Easing and the velocity of money, wherein economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff of Boston University asks: Is Hyperinflation Just Around the Corner? Karl Denninger Goes Galt on His Tax Footprint: It’s Called Evolution, Gentlemen (Tickerforum Changes) A.M.B. sent: Government shutdown: Get up to speed in 20 questions Items from The Economatrix: The Job Situation Looks A Little Worse Here’s Why Unemployment Is Still At Unacceptable Levels US Is Broke, Can’t Afford To Raise The Debt Ceiling Says Schiff


Odds ‘n Sods:

One of the Ryans over at TSLRF gave Expatriates a solid positive review. I’ve also recently had a lot of podcast and talk radio interviews, and I have dozens more scheduled, because of the Expatriates book release. One that was particularly interesting was archived by Chris Martenson of Peak Prosperity. Another was with Rick Austin (Secrets of a Survivalist.) For the latter, click on the “September 29, 2013” show.    o o o There is a Self Reliance Expo scheduled in Denver, Colorado on October 4th and 5th. I won’t be there, but our Central Rockies Regional Editor (“L.K.O.”) plans …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed—where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once." – Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski


Expatriates Book Bomb Day Results

My latest novel, Expatriates, had its scheduled release today, (October 1, 2013.) Despite the book spine printing SNAFU, the book has been selling quite well. Here is a summary of how the hardback has tracked: September 22: #2,858 overall September 25: #2,335 overall September 27: #2,057 overall September 28: #1,339 overall September 30: #725 overall October 1, @ 6:30 AM, Pacific Time: #164 overall October 1, @ 8:30 AM, Pacific Time: #129 overall October 1, @ 9:30 AM, Pacific Time: #52 overall (and #6 in Political Thrillers) October 1, @ 3:00 PM, Pacific Time: #31 overall (and #3 in Political …