Alphie sent us this: “Adding Insult to Injury Department ” news story: Lost your home? You may owe IRS o o o Homebuilders: Lennar’s Loss Deepens the Pain o o o DV sent us this item: Bird flu virus mutating into human-unfriendly form. The article begins: “The H5N1 bird flu virus has mutated to infect people more easily, although it still has not transformed into a pandemic strain, researchers said…” o o o Found at the Drudge Report: Adventurer ends 13-year human-powered world trip
"In a mature society, civil servant is semantically equal to civil master." – Robert A. Heinlein
Today we are pleased to feature an excerpt from the published science fiction novel “The Weapon” by Michael Z. Williamson. You will recognize Michael’s name as a frequent content contributor to SurvivalBlog. The following biography is courtesy of Wikipedia: Williamson “was born in England, but his family emigrated to Canada, then the United States in 1978. He has served over 20 years in the United States military, in one form or another. Williamson’s first book, Freehold, was released in January 2004. The novel is set in a future wherein the UN is a Socialist empire. Williamson’s next novel, The Hero, …
That night I left. I had to abandon most of what I had acquired. I took all the baby clothes and formula I could manage. I grabbed the Dr. Seuss book. One bottle of whiskey would work as trade goods. I had the clothes on my back, extra underwear and shirt. The little remaining ID and a few cash cards would have to do me. I was in quandary over the food. If I left it, it might be taken as a bribe, or used as evidence against me. If I burned it, it would be obvious. I couldn’t think …
Sam M. sent us this: CIBC Economist: $100 Oil by End of ’08–Expert: Oil Prices Set to Hit $100 by End of ’08, and Will Likely Stay at Triple-Digit Level. Perhaps the “alarmist” Peak Oil crowd was not far from the mark. o o o A hat tip to Ben L. for forwarding us this article link: Tamiflu may create resistant bird flu o o o The folks at SHTF Daily linked to a great primer on sound, specie-backed money being replaced by fiat currency: The Rule of Planned Money o o o Chuck suggested ED-Day–Dead Sydney, …
"If a man neglects to enforce his rights, he cannot complain if, after a while, the law follows his example." – Oliver Wendell Holmes
We are pleased to have so many new SurvivalBlog readers, worldwide. (See our “ClustrMap” hit maps.) A special welcome to our many new readers in Central and South America. ¡Hola!
Jim, You know we respect you. You’re at the top of the survivalist food chain because of your relevant knowledge and for your impeccable integrity. Those qualities draw respectful, serious readers to SurvivalBlog, and their contributions, in turn, to the cause of preparedness and your blog’s content are first rate as well. Needless to say, we’re very pleased that Safecastle is associated with you and can help sponsor the work you’re doing for the folks of this nation. You know that Safecastle is all about crisis preparedness. For most folks, they know us by our Buyers Club (that club ad …
Greetings Jim, Here is a link for gathering statistical intelligence on an area one may want to relocate to for a retreat or to use to plot an escape route. This site gives a quick thumbnail reference of demographics, economic and social indicators etc. for further research or to locate areas to avoid that you may not be familiar with. Plug in the ZIP code for the area of interest and you will get information on the area as well as adjacent area ZIP codes along with an additional tool to compare up to twenty other ZIP codes of your …
Jim, Here is an article describing the challenges associated with betavoltaic batteries. The recent buzz over the 30 year battery, while intriguing, is overly optimistic. As stated in the article I linked to, betavoltaics currently have low efficiency, require heavy shielding, and the energy absorption media tends to degrade due to the high energy bombardment. I think it would be great if they could overcome these issues, but it looks like it may be 30 years before we see anything like a 30 year battery. – Mark D. in Utah Mr Rawles, Firstly I would like to say that after …
Realities and Compromises While Retreat Shopping Over the summer I was blessed to meet a lot of fellow SurvivalBlog readers here in north Idaho. Most, if not all, made several drastic changes to their retreat shopping list either during or right after their trip here. Most notably, the changes made most often were: Distance to a sizeable town/economic base, the parcel size (acres), and access to the parcel. It’s important to realize that once you take in the enormity of the locale you have chosen to relocate to that these factors become the number one issue in a search. There …
Pending Home Sales Index Hits Record Low o o o From Newsweek‘s Daniel Gross: There’s No Inflation (If You Ignore Facts) o o o Green Mountain Gear has found a limited supply of some more original German HK91/G3 alloy magazines. This new batch is in new-in-the-wrapper condition. These are in the original factory wrappers, with factory labels and anti-corrosion paper strips on the followers. (Just as they left the factory in the 1960s.) They don’t come any better than this. o o o DV and David L. both suggested this article: Dollar’s double blow from Vietnam and Qatar
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." – Letter from the Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina
After my recent gun show trip to Montana, I have added a few new items to my catalog page, including a scarce special order takedown Winchester Model 1894 .30-30 short rifle that was made in 1896, and a scarce special order 5″ barrel S&W Safety Hammerless (“Lemon Squeezer”) Third Model .38 S&W revolver that was made around 1891. For residents of most of the United States, both of these antique guns can be shipped directly to your doorstep, with no FFL paperwork!
Mr. Editor: Why on earth do you place such a strong emphasis on gold “in hand” as opposed to gold [mining] stocks? From what I’ve read, gold may soon double or triple [in price], but gold mining stocks like Barrick and Newmont are set to go up 5x to 7x. I think that you’ll be missing the boat as this bull market in [precious] metals continues. I feel sorry for you, pal. – Pete in Tampa JWR Replies: I recommend buying (and personally holding) physical gold rather than gold stocks for three reasons: safety, safety, and safety: The first “safety” …