Notes from JWR:

Naish Piazza very graciously just sent me a double-helping of Front Sight course certificates. So the writer of the best non-fiction article for SurvivalBlog’s non-fiction writing contest will now win two of the valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificates. (So this top prize is now worth up to $4,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Round 16 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entries. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will …


Working Dogs and Horses in Bug Out and Retreat Planning, by TD

I have adopted many animals over the years and come to realize that sometimes you do get great things for free, other times you get hurt. How do you pick the right animals for you and your family? Do you get an animal just to suit one purpose or do you get a mutt that will hopefully fit the bill? How do you choose the right one? Dogs For dogs, first talk to someone who has the breed of dog you are most interested in and find out about inherent defects and temperament problems. If you have kids or grandkids …


Letter Re: Cashing Out of a Retirement Fund and Buying a Retreat Without a Tax Bite?

Mr, Rawles, Greeting from Kentucky. I read your page very often, and have been doing so even more so lately. I read the articles, and your concerns of what is going on, and what you think will happen in the future of this great country. I try to look around and see my daily routine with family, church, work and normal everyday activities and say “no, no this can’t be happening.” Just look around! Everybody is so oblivious, everything continues as it always has, I don’t see the worry on anybody’s faces, much less in their actions. So I keep …


More About Front Sight’s New “Get a Gun” Training and Gear Offer

Naish Piazza, the director of Front Sight sent me some of the frequently asked questions about the “Get a Gun” training and gear package offer that I mentioned in SurvivalBlog last week. 1.) What kind of Springfield Armory XD Pistol is given away in this offer? A Standard Model 4″ Barrel XD in your choice of 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP. The perfect balance for good gun handling, power, speed and concealability. 2.) Is it 4 days or 5 days of training at Front Sight? You attend Front Sight’s flagship Four Day Defensive Handgun Course, the course everyone raves …


Letter Re: Sign of the Times–An Ambulance Service Shuts Down

Howdy; My name is Ed and I am a paramedic in central Mississippi. Last month a private ambulance service shut down with only eight hours notice that they would stop operations, leaving 26 counties without 911 Emergency Medical Service (EMS). Other local providers and services were able to help provide coverage. But this is difficult with increasing fuel cost, the ongoing War on Terror and overseas deployments, shortages of personnel and lack of payments from medicare and medicaid and people without any coverage. These are all are driving the remaining ambulance providers out of business. Be safe out there! – …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The magic credit tap is turned off: Citigroup, Wells Fargo May Loan Less After Downgrades Meanwhile, we read: Fed members worried about deep recession   o o o A reader mentioned that Cme Brew is offering a special “stock up” price of $168 (plus shipping) for 50 pounds of current crop, gourmet Arabica coffee beans for home roasting. These beans will store for up to three years. They also have bulk teas in 1 kilo (2.2 lbs.) glass lined, heat sealed bags. Chun Mee, and Special Gunpowder “Temple of Heaven” green teas are $22 per kilo, plus shipping. Each kilo …



Notes from JWR:

I dislike the way that the New York Times often posts articles as a teaser for only the first 24 hours of publication, and then requires a registered “free” subscription. (Grumble, grumble.) If the NYT site link stops working, then here is a site that has re-posted Sunday’s “Duck and Cover: It’s the New Survivalism” article, although it is sans the original links.


Letter Re: Horse Breeding Now, and in the Future

Jim, I wanted your opinion on something. I raise Quarter horses, mostly show prospects and have done this for a lifetime. I own the stallion, I do the breeding of my own mares and ship [straws of frozen] semen all over the country for others. I also train outside horses for a living. As you well know the horse economy like everything else is going down the tubes. I have been down sizing for the past three years as the Holy Spirit has prompted [my string] going [down] from 60 to 30. I did not breed any of my mares …


Letter Re: Retreat Livestock Guardians

Hello, This is in response to TDs’ article on Retreat Livestock Guardians. My wife and I left the computer industry about 10 years ago and established our little retreat in N.E. Texas. We have 60 acres with a stream, couple of livestock ponds, well, and a cistern. We presently have as livestock: Boer goats, horses, donkeys – (both standard and what is called Giant), pigs, ducks, and chickens. And of course several cats. Cats keep the snakes, tarantulas, rodents, and other small nuisances away from the house and barns. Why I am writing is because when we moved out here …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Remember how I predicted that the global credit crisis would spawn a wave of forced buy-outs, mergers, acquisitions, and liquidations? Here is news of another one: Washington Mutual close to $5 billion deal with TPG, others. Be prepared for more mergers, many of which will be cases of “strange bedfellows” involving credit unions, pension funds, and perhaps even cities (municipal bonds). Derivatives contract defaults will indeed force some very odd partnerships and salvage operations. If managers’ only options are bankruptcy or buying out the counterparty to a derivative, then guess which they will choose?    o o o Frequent contributor …



Notes from JWR:

Thanks for all the many positive comments about the New York Times article (Sunday, April 6, 2008), titled “Duck and Cover: It’s the New Survivalism”, where I was quoted. The article has helped generate lots of extra first-time visits to SurvivalBlog. (An amazing 12,003 unique visits on Sunday, which is usually our slowest day of the week!) To all you newbies that want a quick start: Read the “About” page, and then read my first few weeks of posts from 2005, starting at the bottom of the page and working your way up. The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog …


Letter Re: Some Garden Plot Surprises Revealed Beneath Receding Snow

Mr. Editor: This spring is turning into a “yard and garden” wake up call. This winter is the first one I can remember in 29 years of owning this property where there was so much snow that the ground has been completely covered since the beginning of December until now [(early April)]. I still have shady spots with 18 to 24″ today. It is melting but it going to take a while. The piles by my driveway will be there until June. But [as the snow has receded] the thing we are finding is that the rabbits, mice and other …


Three Letters Re: Advanced Medical Care and Transport After TEOTWAWKI

James, [Regarding the letter from DS in Wisconsin:] Maybe and I mean maybe there would be someone to care for a injured or sick member of your retreat group or a doctor or nurse to look at them, probably not. If you have the gas to get them there. If you can leave enough security at the retreat and enough security to take with you. Remember, this is The End of the World as we Know It (TEOTWAWKI). There are several books that should be in a medical library you might already have them: Where There is No Doctor, Where …