Six Letters Re: Thinking About Weapons

James, I agree with your critiques of Jon W.’s article, so I won’t belabor those points.  There are a couple of points Jon makes that I would like to add to:   First, since Jon is taking a very practical approach to the weapon consideration and refers to his family, and to the possibility of fleeing with what you can carry, my response will continue in that direction.  I’ve considered weapon choice very much and come to some of the same conclusions. However, I personally disagree with the AR as the only platform.  AKs are extremely common in the united …


Economics and Investing:

F.G. flagged this from The Wall Street Journal: House Is Gone but the Debt Lives On Max Keiser provides some manic comments on the European debt crisis, the Euro, bailouts, the ECB, the Fed and the potential loss of sovereignty for some nations on the European periphery. CNN: Forecast says double-dip recession is imminent. (Thanks to C.D.V. for the link.) Jonathan B. sent this: How to Stop a Second Great Depression. (Note that this is coming from globalist billionaire George Soros, so don’t be surprised to see “more government” as the proffered solution.) John R. sent the link to this interesting …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Gun crime continues to decrease, despite increase in gun sales. ‘ Here is a brief quote: “The FBI recently released its Crime in The United States statistics for 2010. Overall, murders in the U.S. have decreased steadily since 2006, dropping from 15,087 to 12,996. Firearms murders — which made up 67 percent of all murders in the U.S. in 2010 — have followed this trend, decreasing by 14 percent.” The statists don’t like hearing that “More guns equal less crime”, but facts are facts.    o o o Generator Sales Surge After Recent Wave of Storms. (Thanks to K.A.F. for …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then] cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: …


SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Prize Winners

We’ve completed the judging. The winner of First Prize in Round 36 of the SurvivalBlog writing contest is being awarded to David J. for: Small Scale Alternative Energy in Suburbia which was posted on September 22, 2011. As his prizes, he will receive: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) …


Preventing and Surviving Rape in TEOTWAWKI, by Dr. Bob

This is not a happy topic.  At an e-mailer’s request and already on my mind, we will review some cold hard facts about a very uncomfortable subject matter.  Nearly every post-collapse movie or book that is produced will touch on the reality that criminals resort quickly to raping people.  It’s just what they do…that is the reality. It can bee seen in fictional dystopian movies: The Road Warrior, The Book of Eli (one of my favorites), A Clockwork Orange (one of the most disturbing rape scenes), and others reference the increase in rapes with the breakdown of society.  This is also …


Letter Re: Tinder and Fire Ignition Options

Jim: SurvivalBlog reader "Entropy" recently wrote a great article about building a fire in a post collapse world and being a Scoutmaster for 18 years it is a lot of fun teaching scouts how to make one.  Seeing the look in their eyes as they get their first fire built in the outdoors using no matches is a great experience.  As a matter of fact, in winter camps where the ground is not frozen I like to use a trench fire pit with rocks in it, then bury it and sleep on top for a very cozy and warm night. …


Economics and Investing:

Doug Casey Answers The Hard Questions About Hard Times The latest economics animation by Omid Malekan is great: Inflation Explained. (The closing line was priceless: “In a world where cartoon bears on YouTube are the most reliable source of information, anything is possible.”) A bit of confirmation for one of my predictions in 2005 that was then called “alarmist”: No Rise in Home Prices until 2020: Bankers Items from The Economatrix: “Massive Jobs Shortfall” Predicted For Global Economy Fed Dissenter Says Latest Step Won’t Help The Economy Cash Is King No More, Gold Reigns Financial “Cataclysm” To Come; Gold To …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From October 3rd through October 5th, Ready Made Resources is offering a 25% discount on case lots of Mountain House storage foods and free shipping. They will also include a free copy of my novel “Survivors” with any orders over $500. (This also includes food packages.)    o o o I coined the term UAV-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (UAVIED) five years ago, in anticipation of a new terrorist threat. Unfortunately, my prediction has come true: Massachusetts Man Plotted to Blow Up Pentagon, U.S. Capitol Using Model Plane, Feds Say. (Thanks to Joey G. for the link.)    o o o …



Notes from JWR:

A reminder that next Tuesday (October 4th) is Book Bomb Day for my new novel “Survivors”. If you have a blog of your own, brief mentions of the book release with links to my Writings Page would be greatly appreciated. Please wait until Tuesday to place your order. That way the book will have a better chance of climbing up to the Top 20 in Amazon.com’s overall sales ranking. Thanks! — Today we present the last two entries for Round 36 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A course certificate from …


Family Planning WTSHTF, by N.S.

Everyone wants to be able to take care of the family When The Schumer Hits The Fan (WTSHTF).  We have all read dozens of articles about how to garden, store food, keep seeds, protect our homes, and generally go about the living of life day-to-day.  We’ve heard the mantra: Life after the TSHTF is not for the faint of heart, nor the easily-grossed-out.  We’ve also seen a few that go into detail on how to prepare medically for disaster.  While all of us will be working hard to provide for our families and keep them safe, we also need to …


Thinking About Weapons, by Jon W.

“Just think–it may be a new experience.”  For many of us “just thinking” may indeed be a new experience if it means making TEOTWAWKI survival choices purposefully and rationally,  We need to apply that quote and really think before deciding what and how much to buy as part of our survival plan. This is especially true when it comes to choosing firearms because they are our primary survival weapons. Calm and logical thought processes are vital to selecting tools key to surviving in an “end of the world as we know it” scenario.  But the advice many give about selecting firearms seems …


Letter Re: U.S. Air Force Final Phase Out of BDU Uniforms

Jim, Woodland pattern battle dress uniforms (BDUs) were phased out by the Army years ago, but the U.S. Air Force has allowed their personnel to wear them longer, even as they transitioned to other camo pattern uniforms.  Final BDU phase out for the Air Force is reported to be November 1st, 2011, so the availability of this used gear will continue to taper off, even in base thrift stores.  Note that with two forms of identification, most Americans can access a base to visit a thrift store.  Military base thrift stores are usually operated as private, charitable organizations and have limited …


Economics and Investing:

Chris Martenson: The Economy Is on The Ropes and Going Down–We are down to the wire in terms of time to prepare Miek F. flagged this bit of Agenda 21-style nuttery: Gas Tax Should Yield to Mile Fee as Cars Evolve: James M. Whitty Items from The Economatrix: Tightening The Noose:  France Bans Cash Sales of Silver & Gold Over $600 Wall-Street Protestors:  Over-educated, Under-employed, Angry Geithner Plan For Europe Last Chance For Catastrophe Consumer Confidence Remains Weak In September Stocks Rise For Third Day On Optimism About Europe