Notes from JWR:

And the winner is… We’ve completed the judging for Round 27 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The judging was very difficult, since there were dozens of great articles submitted! First Prize goes to Dan in Oklahoma for his four part article: The Home Foundry, Metal Casting, that was posted in February, 2010. He will receive all the of the following: 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 between $500 and $600, and …


Letter Re: Gold and Silver Equal Future Purchasing Power

Jim Wesley: Today it is as difficult for a person to fathom gold at $5,000 per ounce as it was for a person to fathom $1,000 per ounce back in 2002.  After all, hold a Krugerrand, in your hand and try to imagine it being worth the purchasing power of $5,000 – enough to buy a good running, nice looking used car.   Dollar predictions of gold are naturally what a prudent investor considers — today’s Internet articles find predictions ranging from “headed  back down to $500” to “heading up to $6,500 in the coming years”.  I must admit, I have …


Letter Re: Advice on Pistol Holsters

JWR, I have been perusing the articles on SurvivalBlog.com on assembling a set of web gear. The part I am stuck on is selecting a holster. I have an LC-2 web belt that I want to put the holster on, which requires a holster that can be strapped on to the belt since most holster loops won’t slip over the plastic buckle. I’ve looked at the [Bianchi] M12 holster that is issued by the US armed forces for the [Beretta] M9 [and M1911], which is designed to strap onto the LC-2 belt. I also read on your site that you …


Two Letters Re: Some Home Chemistry Tricks of the Trade

James, Just a quick note. [In his article on home chemistry,] RPM suggests acquiring some Pyrex measuring cups and bowls for handling hot liquids & mixtures. Pyrex is no longer made from the low thermal expansion Borosilicate laboratory glass. The trademark name was sold to a Chinese firm and the glassware is now made from regular soda lime glass [you can tell from it’s bluish tint] – and may shatter from rapid changes in temperature. People around the country are being injured from the “new” Pyrex as it literally explodes on their stovetops. This is corporate greed at it’s finest! …


Economics and Investing:

Mike M. sent this article on The Greece Crisis, American Style: State Debt Woes Grow Too Big to Camouflage Thanks to Damon for sending this: Morgan Stanley: The Rally Is Near Its End The dollar’s danger: A debt-driven collapse? (A hat tip to GG for the link.) Also from GG: Housing market’s recovery appears at risk Items from The Economatrix: Central Banks Stashing Away Gold at a Brisk Pace America: Prepare for an Avalanche of New Taxes An Economic Puzzle Bernanke Can’t Solve Oil Rises Near $84 with Weak Dollar


Odds ‘n Sods:

J.K. sent this article that gave me a bit of Northern Exposure reminiscence: Move to Northern Minnesota and get $240k? J.K.’s comment: “Unfortunately you have to be a dentist. If I was one I’d be ‘chomping’ at this opportunity.”    o o o Ron. R. sent this: The kitchen is my closet; Meet the kitchenistas — New Yorkers who store their clothes in ovens and fridges. Ron’s terse comment on this ingrained lack of preparedness: “It won’t end well in Manhattan.”    o o o The DVD of seasons 1 and 2 of the British post-pandemic television series “Survivors” will …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 27 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of …


Some Home Chemistry Tricks of the Trade, by RPM

Chemistry.  Say the word, and the average survivalist might cringe.  It brings up memories of a boring teacher in high school, or images of mad scientist lab with all sorts of beakers and tubes and glassware or long complicated formulas with strange symbols. In reality, chemistry can help every survivalist have an ace up their sleeve. It’s just a matter of knowing a few tricks of the trade.  You don’t have to know how to build a rifle to fire it well, or how to run a large farm to have a garden.  It’s a matter of fundamentals, of simple …


Letter Re: Passport to Worldband–2009 Will be the Last Edition

James: A heads-up for your readers: It has been announced that the 2009 edition of the book Passport to World Band Radio will be the last. I just bought one from the company that published it. They’re still in stock and significantly less expensive than the storefronts who still carry it at Amazon. – Del JWR Replies: Thanks for sending that news. That is disappointing, since the book is a great reference, especially the broadcast schedules. The frequency charts are bit less perishable, but I’ll be sad to miss out on the updates. I’m confident the on-line references will fill …


Letter Re: Curbside Bulk Item Pick-Up Days

Hi, I just wanted to remind people that in some areas of the US with spring, there also comes curbside bulk item pick-up via local town and city trash service. This can provide a wealth of items from the trash of others. I have gotten so many things from this that I cannot even begin to list them all. Everything from children’s toys to hand tools to gas powered equipment such as mowers, tillers, snow-blowers, etc. Many of the items were in excellent shape and required only a clean-up. Others require a bit more work but can easily be made …


Economics and Investing:

Four readers sent me this blog piece: The RentenDollar: A conspiracy theory OR Please tell me where I’m wrong Asian Ocean Carriers Slashed Fleets GG sent this: Sell-off in US Treasuries raises sovereign debt fears;Investors are braced for a further sell-off in US Treasuries after dramatic moves last week raised fears that the surfeit of US government debt is starting to saturate bond markets. Items from The Economatrix: Treasuries Find Greenspan’s Canary Fainting in Mine MGM Bankruptcy Likely World Stocks Up on China Earnings, Greece Plan Not Hiring (In California) Consumers Slowly Show Signs of Springing Back Benchmark Crude Holds …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Talkeetna Patriot found an interesting thread about constructing a hybrid ALICE/MOLLE bag.    o o o Cheryl sent this: Swine Flu Season Not Over, Warn Health Officials    o o o The leftist CNN is in hot water, after grossly under-reporting the size of the March 27th Tea Party Express gathering in Searchlight, Nevada. They described it as “hundreds of people or at least dozens of people” of people. Many more reliable accounts said that there were at least 10,000 people there. The Mainstream Media has obviously developed a bad case of myopia.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: ‘We the People.’ ‘We the People’ tell the government what to do; it doesn’t tell us. ‘We the People’ are the driver; the government is the car, and we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world’s constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which ‘We the People’ tell the government what it is allowed to do. ‘We …