Year: 2013

Economics and Investing:

A new CATO Institute study found that a mother in New York State with two children is eligible for $38,004 in welfare benefits–which is greater than the annual salary of a first-year New York school teacher. Note where Idaho falls in the benefits spectrum. (Idaho certainly can’t be faulted for “encouraging multi-generational dependency.” (Thanks to John in Washington for the link.) G.G. sent: $2,001,093,000,000: Fed’s Ownership of U.S. Debt Breaks $2Trillion for First Time. Items from The Economatrix: Stars Aligned For “Serious” Stock Correction Dave Hodges:  Escape From Wall Street Cramer:  Giant Reset Looming For Markets


Odds ‘n Sods:

Colorado Counties Vote on Forming a New State. (If they are successful, I will certainly expand the American Redoubt!)    o o o Anyone who owns a 26.5mm flare gun (either a flare pistol or one of the big RV-85 shoulder-fired flare launchers) should consider getting one of these new ATF-approved goodies: Sub-Caliber Device for .45 Colt or .410 shotshells. Kennesaw Cannon also makes one that shoots .22LR. (Of course consult your state and local laws before ordering either model.) These inserts are sold by a number of Internet/mailorder firms, including Cheaper Than Dirt.    o o o Maine Bill …



Notes from JWR:

Happy birthday to former Congressman Ron Paul. (Born 1935.) I commend Dr. Paul for fighting the good fight for so many years. — 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 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.) …


Water: PV-Powered Water Pumping and Storage, by A. Haggard H. Rider

All sources of preparedness information stress the importance of water. Without water everything else is put at risk. You cannot drink bullets, beans do not have a lot of moisture and sucking on a bandage will not help. The ideal situation is to have some form of safe running water on your property. But what if you don’t? Hopefully you have a well, but if your electric goes out your pump will not work. A hand pump will work, but it takes a lot of energy to get that water, and then you have the situation of Operational Security (OPSEC) …


Two Letters Re: Extending Your Vehicle’s Driving Range, Without Cost

Hello Mr. Rawles, Some thoughts on the recent post on Pulse and Glide driving (PGD), taking for granted that safety is always more important than fuel economy, and not considering any survivalist aspects: I don’t doubt the core claim made by Steven B. – that his use of PGD has reduced his fuel consumption. I am, however, skeptical about some of the other statements made in support. I note that while my comments are based on my experience as an engineer and physicist, I have not done any tests of PGD versus other driving styles. If an actual automotive engineer …


News From The American Redoubt:

If population density is proportional to relative safety in a societal collapse, then the American Redoubt would fare very well. Note that around 90% of Oregon ‘s population and 80% of Washington‘s population is west of the Cascades, which means outside of the Redoubt. If they were considered separate states (as they really should be), Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon would probably be ranked just above and just below Idaho. Here is the big picture. (That map also makes it clear why I picked the Four Corners Region as one of the locales for “Survivors: A Novel of the Coming …


Economics and Investing:

Reader H.L. sent: China Gobbling Up Wheat, as US Exports to Nation Soar Where the Housing Recovery Is Strongest and Weakest Buy Gold Now That Soros & Paulson Are Done Liquidating, Says Analyst Bill O’Neill Items from The Economatrix: How Bad Can Things Get? Obamacare Rate Calculator The Most Important Number For The Market: 2.75%


Odds ‘n Sods:

Yesterday I mentioned needing Anderson Power Pole adapters for cigarette lighter plugs and jacks. Several readers promptly wrote to tell me about two companies that already make them: Quicksilver Radio and Powerwerx. (The latter has a huge variety of DC power products.)    o o o Here is a small company in Huntersville, North Carolina that was started by a retired Navy man who is now a Christian missionary, to help with his retirement: ThriftyPrepperMall.com    o o o While doing some research for my now nearly complete “Rawles on Tools” book (for Penguin Books, scheduled for release in May …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"A system of capitalism presumes sound money, not fiat money manipulated by a central bank. Capitalism cherishes voluntary contracts and interest rates that are determined by savings, not credit creation by a central bank. It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking." – Former Congressman Dr. Ron Paul



Seeking Input for My Next Novel: Liberators

The third sequel to Patriots, titled Expatriates: A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse, will be released on October 1st. Meanwhile, I’m already writing the fourth sequel to my novel Patriots, which will be titled Liberators. This novel will be set primarily set near Bella Coola, British Columbia, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord(JBLM) , Washington, and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Anyone who has recently lived in those regions is invited to chime in. I’d really like to add some local color–including local history, flora and fauna, and geographical quirks. Liberators will also have a strong emphasis on guerilla and …


Wouldn’t it be Great if Someone Made… (A List of Needful Gear)

I love dropping hints. Wouldn’t it be great if someone made any of the following products? (Some of these might already exist.) A set of stencils designed for camouflage spray-painting rifles and other field gear to replicate popular camouflage patterns, such as Woodland pattern. Custom checkered wooden grips or molded checkered plastic grips at a comfortable Glock/1911 grip angle, to solve a problem that has existed since 1896. A Kydex holster that would fit a HK 26.5mm flare pistol. Kydex belt pouches shaped to fit all of the most popular Leatherman tool models. Kydex belt pouches for FN FiveSeven pistol …


Pat’s Product Review: Solarbag Water Purifier

Sometimes, I’m just beating my head against the wall, when it comes to trying to explain to some folks, how important it is to have a source of clean, pure drinking water. I have an old friend back in Chicago – we’ve known each other since 1975, and it is just impossible to make her understand that, in due time, the water from her faucets will stop running, and what will she do when that happens? I’ve tried to get her to store a couple of the large blue water containers, that the big box stores carry, all to no …


Letter Re: Rabbits for a Stable (and Staple) Protein Source

Hello, I enjoyed the recent blog article Rabbits for a Stable (and Staple) Protein Source, by S.F.D. in West Virginia.  With all the rabbits running around this year I have been thinking about giving this a try.  I had a couple of questions after reading though and hope you or S.F.D. can answer them.   1. Food pellets won’t be readily available after the stores shut down.  What would you recommend for easily replenishable year-round rabbit food? 2. The temperature swings here in the South between seasons can be drastic.  Is there special care needed in extreme cold or heat? 3. Is there …