Two Letters Re: Force Multipliers for Retreat Groups

Sir, The recent Force Multipliers article was a good read, as was OSOM’s follow-up letter. Your comment about the Magic Cube flash cubes is a good one. I’m ashamed I didn’t think of that one myself. One of my concerns is the amount of electronic gear that seems to go into play in some of our TEOTWAWKI preparations. If you look at the logistics tail of the US Military you will find that a soldier uses his weight in batteries very quickly in the field. A big problem (as I understand it from my reading) is keeping our guys supplied …


Economics and Investing:

After much foot dragging, the Federal Reserve banking cartel finally fessed up to lavishing $3.3 trillion in new liquidity and in excess of $9 trillion in “short term” loans. But in doing so, they soft-pedaled the fact that a good portion of that was used to bailing out soured or failed mortgage-backed securities (MBS) derivatives contracts. Gee, even the biggest casino in the world can get insurance, these days. But I suspect that the next derivatives meltdown will be so big that it will bring down the global financial system. C.D.V. suggested this article: Any Talk of Recovery is False. …


Inflation Watch:

Santelli: Clarity From Fed? No. Inflation? Yes. ShadowStats: Hyperinflation Special Report (Recently updated)  China’s inflation rises at fastest pace in two years The CPI Is Broken. Here’s Why. “Food prices rise sharply – and there’s more to come” Bloomberg’s “Chart Of The Day” Warns of Coming Surge in Wheat, Corn Prices   


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader N.I.M. mentioned: Health Disaster Preparedness Rankings by State. N.I.M. ‘s comment: “Now if we could only get a ranking for overall preparedness.”    o o o Rural America gets even more sparsely populated. Most thinly populated counties in the U.S. continued to lose residents in the last decade, new census data show. December 15, 2010| By Doug Smith and Richard Fausset, Los Angeles Times. The article begins: “The majority of the nation’s sparsely populated rural counties lost even more residents in the last decade, though some of the counties — particularly those in the Mountain West — saw population …



Notes from JWR:

SurvivalBlog reader Edward P. very kindly created a new version of the SurvivalBlog Glossary that is much easier to navigate. (Much less scrolling!) Many Thanks, Ed! — Today we present another two entries for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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, …


Crisis Mode and Effects Analysis, by Scott B.

In survivaldom there are countless potential crises to consider, ranging from a limited local flood to massive global nuclear conflict, and anything in between.  For the newcomer to the prepper/survivor mindset, as well as for those who have begun the journey to preparedness, the range and scope of calamities to consider can be overwhelming.  How does one weigh the need to keep fresh baby formula or insulin available while recognizing that unprotected electronics could become useless after an EMP event?  What good is frozen food if there is no electricity available?  Countless tradeoffs and prioritization must occur, but how does …


Letter Re: Lower Power DC Lighting

James Wesley: I am writing by the light of a post-apocalyptic reading lamp I just constructed. From a string of LED Christmas lights, I removed two sections of just three LEDs each. To each of these I attached in series a single 100 Ohm resistor from the parts bin at Radio Shack. A goose-neck work light provided a good reflector and glare control. I cut the plug off the other end and crimped on the connectors appropriate to my battery. The battery was salvaged from a defunct computer UPS. They are common to alarm systems and are not expensive new. …


Economics and Investing:

Citigroup: Dollar May Drop 11 Percent in 2011 as Treasurys Fall. (A tip of the hat to Brett G. for the link.) Katrine recommended this over at The End Of The The American Dream blog: 16 Nightmarish Economic Trends To Watch Carefully Tipping Point: 25 Signs That The Coming Financial Collapse Is Now Closer Then Ever. (Kudos to Tim E. for sending the link.) Florida ATM Spits Out Gold, Not Cash. But you’ve got to wonder about the mark-up… (Thanks to Steve P. for the link.) Still more FDIC Friday Follies, as six more banks bite the dust: Regulators close …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Of concern to readers in the U.S.: ATF to Require Multiple Sales Reports for Long Guns. Perhaps the Feds ought to police their own ranks, first. They seem to have some bad apples, some of whom have gone into “We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Badges” (WDNNSB) mode. For example, take John Thomas Shipley, a rogue FBI agent in El Paso, Texas. Here is a quote: “A federal judge in August hit him with a two-year prison term for selling guns illegally. ATF agents had traced back to him a .50-caliber rifle that was used in a drug cartel shootout in …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge …


Letter Re: Little Life Lessons in Crisis Management

Mr. Rawles,   I’d like to share some things that happened yesterday at work to really hit home the basics.  (I’m looking to start my own crisis management firm so these really sunk in for me.)  You wouldn’t think of a Library as a hub for disaster, but naturally it just follows people.  Or at least when there are people around, an occurrence becomes a disaster (tree in the woods?).  No place is “safe” from everything.   1) First Aid Kits — This seems so basic to any of us that we would dismiss minor cuts and scrapes from bearing any seriousness.  “No stitches? No problem.”  …


Two Letters Re: New Data on Nuclear War Survival

Mr. Rawles, The U.S. government has released new advice for what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. What’s really disturbing is that with the low protection factors cited, someone essentially needs to come and rescue. On the plus side at least they’re thinking about what ought to be done. – Jake in Massachusetts Dear Editor: It shouldn’t come as a surprise to SurvivalBlog readers but the newest research in the June 2010 document, “Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation” concludes that rate of survival to a nuclear disaster climbs if people shelter in place. I …


Letter Re: Using Wild Yarrow

The Wild Yarrow, Achillea Millefolium, also known as Milfoil, Soldiers woundwort, Nose Bleed Weed, Sanguinary, and Devil’s Nettle is a very useful medicinal herb.       Growing Wild Yarrow: This plant makes a wonderful addendum to a domestic garden in the Spring. Although now cultivated and available everywhere in nurseries, there is still a quaint but practical feeling to include a wild species in a domestic garden for a feel of times past. Red and yellow varieties are used as ornamentals, but by far the most common variety is white. I think the colors are hybrids of the wild white species. Some cautions …