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


Odds ‘n Sods:

Once again, the American Redoubt shines, as a safe place to live: Firearm-related crimes interactive map.    o o o S.D. sent: Meet the Zetros: Apocalypse-Ready Motorhome    o o o Reader C.K. wrote to mention an illuminating article about the Red Dawn remake controversy: Libertas Sees the ‘Uncensored’ Version of MGM’s New Red Dawn    o o o G.G. was the first of several readers to send this: As Federal Crime List Grows, Threshold of Guilt Declines    o o o The Federal Reserve Plans to Identify “Key Bloggers” and Monitor Billions of Conversations. So not only does the …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Waking up at the start of the end of the world, But it’s feeling just like every other morning before, Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it’s gone, The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour And I started staring at the passengers who’re waving goodbye Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time? I believe the world is burning to the ground Oh well I guess we’re gonna find out Let’s see how far we’ve come Let’s see how far we’ve come Well I believe …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 36 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: 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.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) …