Year: 2013

Odds ‘n Sods:

There is lots of news about these revelations: NSA taps in to user data of Facebook, Google and others, secret files reveal and NSA Is Seizing Millions of Verizon Phone Records and Clapper denied NSA surveillance before Senate panel in March testimony. As I’ve mentioned before: Never consider anything you say on the phone or anything that you do on the Internet is “private.”    o o o Reader Joe K. suggested this new e-book: Locusts on the Horizon, authored by the Plan B Writers Alliance. It also comes highly recommended by Greg Ellifritz of  Active Response Training. It is …



Notes from JWR:

This is the last day of the big semi-annual sales on Mountain House long term storage foods at Ready Made Resources and Safecastle. Get your orders in before midnight! — Today we present another entry for Round 47 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 …


Developing a Scavenger Mindset, by Barry B.

It has been said that the most important thing about prepping and survival is having the appropriate mindset. A strong spiritual mindset will get you through many hardships.  The mindset that your survival is up to you, that the government will not be there to help you is also necessary.  Having a scavenging mindset is also important. Scavenging will be an important skill post SHTF.  A scavenging mindset means that you aren’t embarrassed by scavenging people’s trash piles, and that you see value in items that others deem as trash. Scavenging is not the same as picking in my view.  …


Letter Re: Canadian Officials Cast a Wider Net on Restricted Guns

Mr. Rawles, Two years ago, I wrote to you prior to the abolition of the Canadian Long Gun Registry about rumors that senior officials with the RCMP were conspiring to reclassify a large number of long guns. A major development has recently unfolded that I think merits attention to both your Canadian and American readers – as this could potentially set a major precedent pertaining to gun registration and confiscation.   There is a lot of drama and intrigue involved between some of the owners of businesses involved, and a more comprehensive explanation of the situation can be found here …


Economics and Investing:

S&P 500 Crash Warning: Margin Debt Surpasses 2007 Danger Levels The supply and demand math can’t be avoided: Summer Is Lyme Disease Season. The Price of the Drug to Treat It Just Exploded. Once again, those of us who wisely stocked up are sitting pretty. The Roubini – Faber Debate South African Rand Leads Emerging Market Rout. Rationalizing and pushing the debt limit: The academic battle to open the gates on unlimited digital debt monetization. G.G. suggested this: Nine reasons why the four-year-old US economic recovery is closer to awful than awesome Bread, butter, and food stamp economy: Is the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

GoldAndSilverOnline.com (one of our generous writing contest sponsors) has announced a special just for SurvivalBlog readers: Use discount code: survivalblog at checkout, and get free shipping on your entire order when purchasing two or more $10 face value rolls in pre-’65 quarters or four or more $5 face value rolls in pre-’65 in dimes.  This special offer is good only until June 30, 2013, and just one free shipment per customer.    o o o Bugging Out? There’s an app for that. The beta version of a free Bug Out Bag Checklist app is now available on the app stores: …



Notes from JWR:

The 6th of June is remembered for both D-Day and for the birth of Dieudonné Saive (born 1899.) He was the designer of many well-known firearms including the Browning Hi-Power, the FN49 and co-designer (along with Ernest Vervier) of the very popular FN-FAL rifle, which was issued to the militaries of more than 90 countries. — The semi-annual sales on Mountain House long term storage foods at Ready Made Resources and Safecastle are continuing for just two more days. Both companies are offering free shipping and discounts of 25% to 40%. Take note that Mountain House plans to significantly raise …


Prepping Saved My Dog’s Life, by L. Joseph Mountain

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Suddenly all chaos broke loose. For a second it sounded like an unknown dog had got inside the fence. I grabbed my staff and was out the door before anyone else could react. I was briefly reassured to see the fence was holding an unknown pit bull out but my pit bull was in full war mode. They were in fact fighting, trying to fight through the fence. Given enough time they would get through it, over it or under it. The hose was called for. Moving quickly but carefully I unwind some hose and return to see the Sheltie …


Michael Z. Williamson’s Commentary: Peak Oil Meets Yuppie Marketing

Over at the One Scythe Revolution web site, Peak Oil expert Richard Heinberg states that in order to continue to grow the same amount of food in the future, without the use of cheap oil, we will need 40-to-50 million farmers, farming 3-to-50 acres each, cultivated with hand tools. No, not like in the Middle Ages. We are talking about “appropriate technology” here. But let’s face it, “appropriate technology” is wielded by slaves. Masters wield guns. Slaves wield scythes. Here is quote: “One good scythe per farm, could revolutionize small-scale farming.” I kinda feel like this has already been done. …


Economics and Investing:

News headline from Wednesday: Markets Around The World Getting Smoked — Dow Falls Below 15,000 The mainstream investors catch on, belatedly: Gun collecting: Worthy investment or risky business? (Thanks to H.L. for the link.) Collapse Isn’t Coming -We’ve Already Begun (an interview with David Quintieri that highlights the derivatives timebomb.) Jim Kim of Fierce Finance asks: Is a credit bubble about to pop? Promises by one or more third party governments must have been made! Rhode Island-Based Firm Announces Bid For Massive Amount Of Outstanding Greek Debt U.K. gang steals $775,000 – on just ONE American Express Black card. Items …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The “Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course” is continuing to sell briskly, since it is now priced at less that $20. You’ll get immediate delivery, via digital download.    o o o Welcome to the circular firing squad: Liberals’ urge to self-destruction. And meanwhile: Hundreds of Gunowners Show up in Temple, Texas with Loaded Guns At the “Come and Take it” March. And in Colorado: Big Apple Bucks: Morse Tells Post He Hopes Bloomberg Sends Some More Money. How sweetly ironic, coming from a Governor who tweets: “I intend to fight this – we cannot allow outside interest groups to …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“When the oil stops, everything stops, nothing left in the fountain Nobody wants paper money son, so you just well stop countin’ Can you break the horse, can you light the fire, what’s that I beg your pardon You best start thinking where food comes from and I hope you tend a good garden Getting down on the mountain, getting down on the mountain Don’t wanna be around when the sh*t goes down I’ll be gettin on down the mountain When the truck don’t run, the bread don’t come, have a hard time finding petrol Water ain’t runnin’ in the …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 47 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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …