Letter Re: A Practical Tip on Using Roof Catchment Rainwater

Mr. Rawles- I sincerely appreciate your site and all of your efforts. In researching rain water collection recently, I came across a manual on rain water harvesting published by the Texas Water Development Board. While some of the data is Texas-specific, I found the overall information and descriptions of various harvesting systems to be extremely helpful. I suspect some of your readers may as well. In addition, I have received notice from the good folks at Safecastle that their next Mountain House [long term storage food] sale will take place between May 23 and June 5 and will include a …


Letter Re: “Patriots” Book Sighting in Downtown Chicago

Just an update on your book from here behind enemy lines in Chicago. I ride the “EL” [elevated railway] to work each day and on Monday saw a man reading your novel “Patriots” . I asked where he purchased it, expecting the answer to be Amazon, and was stunned when he said that he picked it up at Borders on State Street in downtown Chicago. I wandered over to the store at lunchtime and, lo and behold, there were two copies in the the new “Mystery and Thrillers” section right next to Ian Rankin’s latest book. There were plenty of …



Economics and Investing:

Greg C. mentioned some commentary by Howard Rich: The United Fiefdoms of America. “For the first time ever, federal aid – not property, sales or income tax – is the top revenue source for state budgets, the paper reported.” GG flagged this by Karl Denninger: Nothing Suggests We’re Anywhere Near the Bottom CJB suggested this article: Social security to run out of money… And, in a disturbing echo, GG suggested this: Medicare already in the red Items from The Economatrix: Social Security and Medicare Worsens (since yesterday’s article) “The trust funds — which exist in paper form in a filing …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Any of our readers living in Norway (and Norwegian ex-pats) will want to bookmark this blog: Ingen fare…Undergangen er skremmende nær!    o o o More about Pakistan, the Taliban, and The Bomb: Experts predict Pakistan’s collapse. Speaking of Pakistan, here is a prime example of lack of planning and lack of the survivalist mindset: Pakistan’s ‘displaced deluge’. Do your best to never be a “refugee ” It is just one short step away from “casualty statistic.” (Thanks to Ben M. for the second link.)    o o o Tamara mentioned that the National Rifle Association (NRA) is continuing their …



Note from JWR:

Just three days left to bid! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction. is now at $1,100. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes: 1.) A Three-Color Desert Camo Interceptor OTV (Outer Tactical Vest) size XL only, and a spare Woodland camouflage outer shell, kindly donated by BulletProofME.com. These items have a combined retail value of $960! 2.) A vehicle detection system, which includes: one MURS Alert Probe Sensor (MAPS) with 50 foot probe cable and one MURS Alert Hand Held (M538-HT) transceiver. The MAPS unit’s probe can be covertly installed under the surface of a …


Letter Re: That Post Die-Off Fragrance

I have read many [preparedness-oriented] web pages and other scenarios of the impending collapse as they see it. A common theme in most of them is there will be a sudden and short lived phase of total chaos. In your novel “Patriots” I remember the couple who took to a storm drain while the blood ran in the streets overhead. So let’s say we are unfortunate enough that this really does happen, and at least half the people on the planet get wiped out in short order. Meanwhile, the other half can do nothing more than fight, run, and hunker …


Letter Re: Food Storage–Will People Ever Learn?

Hello Jim, Of [your oft-mention triad a of] Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, I want to share some thoughts about the “Beans” category I read that a lot of folks prepping for the future. That’s great, we all should. The day after Hurricane Ike, I saw people in huge lines to get into grocery stores, hours of waiting. The day after! They did not even have one day worth of food in their homes. Then I read lots of info and blogs about people getting their emergency supply of food stored. There is a place for the MREs, beef jerky and all …


Letter Re: Ideas for Home-Based Businesses?

Mr Rawles, I am brand new to this mindset so I hope the that my questions are not redundant. I am a self-employed construction worker in Idaho. I would really like to start prepping and stockpiling. Do you have any suggestions as to a home based business that might prove fruitful? I appreciate your time. – Micah JWR Replies: I have posted several lists and commentary on suggested home-based business ideas. Just search through the “Self Employment and Home-Based Businesses” posting category, starting at the bottom,a nd work you way up. In today’s economy, especially with the prospect of an …



Economics and Investing:

White House forecasts higher budget deficit: ” …a $1.75 trillion deficit, or 12.3 percent of GDP.” Skip sent me this: Is America About to Go Broke? WSJ Video: Dow 4,000 Still in the Cards (Thanks to Chris for the link.) From Greg: Commodities – Shortages stir coffee and sugar prices From Tom S.: Where are Argentina’s coins? Items from The Economatrix: US Red Ink Rises Even Higher, $1.8 Trillion The Federal government will have to borrow nearly 50 cents for every dollar it spends Chinese Deflation Picks Up Speed Local UK Governments Lose 2.5 Billion Income Enjoy The “Rally”…Sucker Punch …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Cheryl sent this: How Gardening Became Fashionable Again    o o o Also courtesy of Cheryl: USA Today Poll: 96% Affirm 2nd Amendment    o o o Now that I’ve successfully met my manuscript deadline with Penguin Books, I can come up for air. For the first time in many weeks, I’ll have the time for some quasi-recreational reading. I’m about to begin 7 Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century. (Yes, I’ll post a review.)    o o o Mike Williamson (our Editor at Large) mentioned that Survivalblog advertiser Shelf Reliance now has a “monthly …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“All over the world, interest rates have been cut and budgets padded. France’s deficit is running at 8% of GDP. England is running a deficit of more than 12% of GDP. And the U.S. is mobilizing as if it had been attacked by Martians. On the credit side, the feds have cut rates more than ever before, for a monetary boost equivalent to 18% of GDP, according to Grant. As to spending, $13 trillion has been pledged…an amount equivalent to a full year’s annual output of the United States of America. This response is three times more (adjusted to today’s …


Notes from JWR:

Any SurvivalBloggers with a Kindle Reader may be interested to know that there is now a Kindle edition of my novel “Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse“ available. Today’s first article comes from frequent SurvivalBlog content contributor “OSOM.”. His moniker, by the way, is an acronym for “Out of sight, out of mind.”