Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s G.G. flagged this ominous news: U.S. on Pace for $1 Trillion Deficit. [JWR Adds: Beware, the debt service costs will explode, once interest rates rise!] K.P. suggested this at Zero Hedge: Chris Martenson Interviews Robert Mish: Front-Line Evidence That We are Nowhere Near a Gold Bubble. [JWR Adds: Keep in mind that we are still staring down barrel of a big, albeit brief pullback in the precious metals and equities in next 30 days, as margin calls will likely cascade from CDS derivatives fallout. Buy on the dips!] Goldman Sachs director quits ‘morally bankrupt’ Wall Street bank. (Thanks to …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Ah, the amazing world of social networking. There are now niche web pages for every interest. I discovered that most states now have web pages specially tailored to help corrupt, gun-hating politicians keep track of their old friends, like this one. (To keep tabs on Bloomberg buddies like former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Now awaiting trial under a 38-charge felony indictment for an additional set of corruption charges, with a possible sentence of 30 years.) These sites are handy for planning future meet-ups and hang time. For example, this page will let you know that former Mayor Larry Langford has …



Notes from JWR:

This is the last day of Ready Made Resources’ sale on Mountain House canned freeze dried foods. They are offering 25% off and free shipping. The sale ends at midnight Eastern time, so order soon! — Today we present two more entries for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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 …


A Parent’s Guide to Surviving School Rampage Shootings, by Greg Ellifritz

I walked into the high school wearing two guns and a bullet resistant vest.  I had a rifle, six spare magazines, and a ballistic helmet stashed close by in my car.  It was Wednesday, April 21, 1999, the day after what had been the worst school shooting in United States history.  Two high school kids had just killed 12 of their fellow students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado.  The television was awash in the news coverage and everyone was scared. Parents, students, and teachers were worried about a copycat shooting in the town where I worked …


Family Planning, Post-TEOTWAWKI, by Lisa F.

Bring to mind one of the post-TEOTWAWKI scenarios you most frequently imagine, be it the after-effects of a worldwide flu pandemic, series of natural disasters, economic collapse, or nuclear war.  Is this a world into which you’d want to bring children?  At least for the short-term aftermath, I bet you wouldn’t.  Not while you may be on the move or actively defending your retreat or community from danger.  However…”birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it”…c’mon, sing along with me and Cole Porter…”let’s do it, let’s fall in love!”  As the song says, love is natural and …


Letter Re: After the Shooting

Dear JWR: In response to Tupreco’s After the Shooting submission in SurvivalBlog, I have two observations to offer:   1: None of the scenarios or situations in that essay reasonably described those I’ve encountered in the aftermath of three separate lethal force incidents. Happily, in two of those, there were multiple witnesses, so the situation was pretty far removed from the Home Alone scenarios so described in Tupreco’s thoughts. That is not to say that they aren’t valid, in some locales; just an observation that in some areas, things may not go nearly as simply as described; in others, the investigatory process …


Two Letters Re: Pat’s Product Review: SIG Sauer P226 MK25

Mr. Rawles,  A couple points of interest regarding Pat’s article on the P226.  I’ve owned a P226 Extreme for over a year now, and I love it.  Pat’s review was dead on in analyzing the gun’s performance.  As for the Mecgar magazines and their apparently magical ability to fit three extra rounds in practically the same space, the trick is in the construction of the follower and length of the spring.  Mecgar played a clever trick on geometry that allows the follower to seat farther down the body of the magazine on top of the fully compressed spring when it’s …


Economics and Investing:

K.P. sent a link to a guest post by Jeff Clarke of Casey Research, over at Zero Hedge: Time to Accumulate Gold and Silver? Uncle Sam’s Teaser Rate: Low interest rates disguise the federal debt bomb. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) J.K. in Florida sent this: Trade Issues with China Flare Anew Items from The Economatrix: Warning of “Real” Anger at Banks Greek Debt Swap Could Be Short-lived Reprieve Alert From European Investment Banker Handicapping The Collapse


Odds ‘n Sods:

J.K. sent this: Three American Redoubt Cities Top List of America’s Top Micropolitan Areas: Bozeman, Helena and Gillette    o o o And speaking of Bozeman: Urban chickens not causing flap    o o o A bit of bad news: I’ve heard that SI Defense as well as CMMG have both dropped production of their AR-10 variants that could use ubiquitous HK G3 magazines. Oh well, Plan B will be for me to buy a few Rock River LAR-8s. Those are AR-10 variants that can use L1A1 and FAL magazines. That way, I’d have AR-10 magazine commonality with my L1A1s …



Notes from JWR:

Today is the official release day for Lisa Bedford’s first book: Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios. It is well worth getting a copy. (My wife Avalanche Lily has read it, and she loved it.) — Today we present two more entries for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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 …


After the Shooting, by Tupreco

Your bedside clock says 3:40 a.m. You have just awakened to a sound like breaking glass.  You pick up the phone to call 911 but the line is dead.  It’s dark in the house and you ease out of bed to retrieve your handgun from the closet safe just as you have practiced dozens of times.  You wait inside your bedroom door with your ear straining to hear. Someone is down the hall sliding something on the tile.    At that instant, the 30-second delay on your security system expires and the alarm begins to peal.  Another crash in the living …


Stuff Hits the Fan 101, by Mrs. S.

I grew up in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. I was raised by a single mother who didn’t have time for much besides working to pay bills. I wasn’t lucky enough to grow up on a farm or learn canning or learn any useful survival/life skills besides how to cook Hamburger Helper and I was doing that at the ripe old age of 10. I did become a pro at making stew though and I could probably tell you 101 ways to use pasta. And thanks to my grandmother I could even crochet you a scarf if you’re lucky and …


Economics and Investing:

Ian R. flagged this must-read piece by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Global liquidity peak spells trouble for late 2012. Bruce Krasting: America is Using Tricks to Hide a Debt Crisis Worse than Greece Bill Whittle: The Vote Pump Lee M. sent this: Banks foreclosing on churches in record numbers Another incipient muni bankruptcy: Stockton residents watch their port city slip away: “Within three months, the Central Valley city of 300,000 could become the nation’s largest municipality to file for bankruptcy…”