Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Tim L. suggested economist Roger Garrison’s lecture (MP3 file) titled “The Great Depression”. Time notes: “It is very illuminating since it explains why booms and busts happen and also why the Great Depression was much worse than it had to be.”    o o o David B. recommend this brief but telling article: Outrage in New Hampshire Over Power Outages    o o o Ron S. pointed us to a great post by Mike Vanderboegh on the importance of having enough ammo for an extended firefight close at hand, already on stripper clips. Those should of course be stored …



Note from JWR:

My special thanks to Jim in Ohio, who sent a multi-year “catch up” Ten Cent Challenge subscription payment in the form of a 1/2 ounce gold American Eagle coin. Thanks also to Chuck in Georgia, who sent a $300 contribution. That was very kind of both of you!


Two Letters Re: Firewalls, Anonymity, and SurvivalBlog

Dear Mr. Rawles As a network administrator, I spend a fair amount of time making sure my end users cannot access certain web sites from company computers and data lines. I try to make sure we don’t get too draconian in our filtering practices, I do my best to make sure that not streaming audio or video, social networking sites, or other time killers make their way through the network. Recently, a friend of mine told me about a tool called JanusVM, a combination of Internet anonymity tools (TOR, PRIVoxy, Squid, and VPN) that runs in a virtual machine. You …


Four Letters Re: Survival Dentistry, by The Army Dentist

Sir: At the conclusion of his article, the Army Dentist says, “I think this can at least organize a discussion or be a good stimulus for questions.” So (if it’s somehow possible to do this in SurvivalBlog format) I’d like to ask him, In case of an irreversible pulpitis or abscess, if professional dental care is not available, then what are the best tools and techniques to perform a “home extraction”? And how about anesthetics? – Charley S.   Hi Jim, The Survival Dentistry article by The Army Dentist is a very informative and important piece. Home dental care i.e., …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Vice-President Elect Joe Biden: US Economy in Danger of “Totally Tanking’. His solution? More “stimulus”. Just as I warned, the Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB) will continue to grow to gargantuan proportions that will inevitably spawn stagflation. Mark my words: Deflation in the short term, and mass inflation in the long term will be the hallmarks of the emerging Second Great Depression. Oh, speaking of inflation, SurvivalBlog reader Bill N. sent us this propaganda piece from the 1930s, archived on YouTube. Back then, just $4 billion was considered a massive economic stimulus. My, my! How times have changed.    o …



Note from JWR:

Today we present a guest editorial by the well-known global economics analyst J.R. Nyquist. I’ve always found his writings captivating. His archives hold some real treasures. This particular article meshes nicely with my observations on the fragility of our modern technological society.


Specialization and Decline, by J. R. Nyquist

Years ago, when the West entered onto a path of decadence, it became fashionable to deny the historical consequences of permissiveness and bad behavior. As the old standards fell away, new standards of “tolerance” and “acceptance” took hold. With the fall of colonial empires and the upsurge of student radicalism in the sixties, the notion of “barbarians at the gates” became outdated. Heaven forbid that anyone should be described as a “barbarian” or as “uncivilized.” The idea that some peoples were more advanced, that some civilizations had more to offer, was no longer an acceptable way to talk. The fall …


Two Letters Re: Comparing the Big Three Battle Rifle Chamberings in the United States

Jim, [Regarding the tangent on pistol ammo that got started with the battle rifle cartridge discussion,].I just thought I’d point out for your readers that while it is indeed important to select a common caliber (for rifle or handgun) and one that fits your role/terrain/group, if weaponry isn’t your forte, don’t get paralyzed with “I have to pick the best caliber or I’m unprepared.” I know people who “think it to death” and never purchase anything because that “perfect” caliber isn’t in stock or they can’t make up their mind. Remember that it’s the user that makes the difference. You …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A reader mentioned a very useful new blog on Survival cooking, recipes and menu-planning. It looks worthy of bookmarking.    o o o I heard from the wife of an active duty Marine that starting last week, SurvivalBlog’s URL has been universally blocked by the US DOD‘s Navy and Marine Corps Internet (NMCI). I find it ironic that my blog is currently not blocked by Red China’s notorious “Great Firewall of China“, but it is now blocked to so many US servicemen. This is particularly difficult for Navy sailors aboard ship, who needless to say have few Internet access alternatives. …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any bands of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States." – Noah Webster, "An Examination into the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution," 1787, in Paul Ford, ed., Pamphlets on the Constitution of the United States, p. 56 (New York, 1888).


Notes from JWR:

Today is the last day of Safecastle’s special 25% off sale for Mountain House canned freeze dries foods. Get you order in, ASAP! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $1,000. The auction is for a large mixed lot that includes: 1.) A large “be ready to barter” box of full-capacity gun magazines, from the JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original FN of Belgium-made FN-FAL alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (a mix of Simmonds & Colt made) alloy …


Survival Dentistry, by The Army Dentist

Dentistry may be one of the least exciting topics under preparedness. You will never see a television show on the daily life and death struggles in a dental office and you won’t find too many stories “from the front” on the dental team. But a dental emergency can quickly complicate or even bring to a standstill, daily living and tasks. In a SHTF scenario, this is not something you want to deal with. The confederate army was the first army to recognize this and fielded a dentist for their troops. In Vietnam, dental disease accounted for 11% of Disease and …


Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Mosin Nagant Rifles

Jim, At the risk of pestering you, I was curious about your opinion of Mosin Nagant rifles. I have seen them advertised on J&G Sales for anywhere from $69 to $199, with folding bayonets. The advertised condition is “very good”. What do you think? It appears that there is pretty widespread availability of 7.62x54r ammo for this weapon as well. Thanks, – MAJ Kevin X., USAR Kevin: Here is brief response. (I get 60+ e-mails per day, so forgive my brevity): I do like the Finn M39 Mosin rifles –some of which are available on pre-1899 antique actions–but the little …