Odds ‘n Sods:

The US Dollar Index has sagged below 80 for the past four trading days. When I last checked, it was at 79.42. (It currently takes a whopping $1.39 to buy a Euro.) As previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, this dollar weakness is a red flag. Obviously the international currency market sees lower interest rates ahead in the US. Be prepared for a full scale dollar crisis in the near future. Have you diversified into tangibles? (Gold, guns, and ground.) OBTW, have you noticed that the spot price of gold is now over $700 per ounce? On a related note: Oil hit …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Hoc erat in votis: modus agri non ita magnus, hortus ubi et tecto vicinus iugis aquae fons et paulum silvae super his foret." Translated: "This used to be among my prayers – a piece of land not so very large, which would contain a garden, and near the house an abundant spring of ever-flowing water, and beyond these a bit of wood." – Horace, Satires 2.6, "On the Sabine Farm"


Note from JWR:

The folks at Guardians of Jericho are gearing up for the Jericho Convention (“Jerichon”) in Oakley, Kansas this coming weekend (September 14th through 16th.) If you attend, be sure to look for folks that are wearing SurvivalBlog T-Shirts. I’ve heard that there will be at least a half a dozen SurvivalBlog readers there.


Letter Re: Advice on Police Department Trade-In Guns

Sir: What are your thoughts on the firearms that the various police department (PD) are trading in? From what I’m able to determine the service life of a firearm is just 6 years with police departments after that the firearms are either traded in to be sold to you and me or are destroyed. right now I’m seeing a lot of former police firearms hitting the market the S&W Model 10, 64, 5906, 4043, 4566, Sigma, Glock 22, Ruger P89, every brand of riotgun from the bigger names, and the Ruger Mini-14 GB. all for very reasonable prices, the pistols …


Letter Re: Thermos Cooking and Grass Control

JWR, While digging through a web page associated with Grandpappy’s SurvivalBlog article on making home-made-soap, I found some other interesting information. In particular I was reading about survival cooking on the run in this online short story. So I did a search on “Thermos cooking” and found that Kurt Saxon has published an online article about this topic. (I had looked at his front page before but hadn’t dug much further.) This may be a valuable item for a Bug-Out Bag (BOB) or a get-home-bag. Plus the aforementioned short story while maybe not written too well is chock full of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Inyokern mentioned: Trouble in southern Mexico continues with EPR blowing up a number of oil and gas pipelines.    o o o Quaesiveris sent us the link to this WorldNetDaily article: Warning says Iranian SCUD could do $771 billion damage–U.S. Rep.: ‘Rogue regimes, terrorists know about EMP, are working to acquire weapon’    o o o Reader RBS sent us two interesting links: From Bits of News: Economy in Bigger Trouble than Reported and from the BBC: US home woes ‘near-perfect storm’    o o o The WRSA has another high power rifle shooting clinic scheduled. This one is in …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"As every individual, therefore, endeavours as much as he can both to employ his capital in the support of domestic industry, and so to direct that industry that its produce may be of the greatest value; every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally, indeed, neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it. By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce …


Note from JWR:

Today is a sad date in American history. Unfortunately, Islamic extremism isn’t likely to go away anytime soon, so there could be many more such red letter days. Just be prepared, regardless of what the terrorists throw at us.


“Zeroing In” Your Bugout Bag, by SF in Hawaii

Last week my wife told me that another couple had gotten reservations at the cabins at Haleakela State Park for the Labor Day Weekend. We would hike across the crater floor, then down the Kaupo Gap. These are hard to come by and since we were invited, I felt we had to go. Great, a chance to try out my bug out bag. I gave my feet a liberal and prophylactic spraying of anti-fungal medication (a ritual I would end up doing every morning on that trip) and put on my Bug-Out Bag (BOB). Before we left, I unscrewed the …


Letter Re: Advice on Compact Solar-Powered Refrigerators for Insulin

Sir: I am a Type 2 diabetic. I think that diabetics like me, and even more so Type 1s (those with onset in childhood) will be at particular risk in the event of a catastrophe, whether it is localized, national, or global. What is your recommendation for a method to keep insulin refrigerated in a long term so-called “Grid Down” situation? A solar powered fridge? Thanks, – Ron in Alabama JWR Replies: I recommend the Engel brand 12 VDC refrigerators sold by Safecastle. A modest-size photovoltaic power system, such as the 520 watt 4-panel packaged “cabin” system produced by Ready …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Russell mentioned that The History Channel has started a news series: Mega Disasters.    o o o Kyle D. pointed us to this piece: The Western War Against Barbed Wire    o o o Reader Jon D. recommends the 1997 Reader’s Digest book: Back to Basics–How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills. (ISBN 0-89577-086-5). Jon notes: “Over 450 pages packed with diagrams and knowledge covering everything from building an outhouse to candle making.” Even though it is out of print, used copies can often be found through Amazon.com or on dreaded eBay.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“For six years, the Bush administration has kept America safe from another terrorist attack, allowing the Democrats to claim that the war on terrorism is a fraud, a “bumper sticker,” a sneaky ploy by a power-mad president to create an apocryphal enemy so he could spy on innocent librarians in Wisconsin. And that’s the view of the moderate Democrats. The rest of them think Bush was behind the 9/11 attacks.” – Ann Coulter


Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 12 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I will again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. Round 12 ends on September 30th. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.


Converting Diesel Vehicles to Run on Waste Vegetable Oil, by Polar Bear

When Rudolph Diesel invented his internal combustion engine, he used refined peanut oil as fuel. The reasoning behind it was that farmers could essentially grow their own fuel for their tractors. Diesel cars have been widely manufactured and used all over Europe, but never really caught on in the United States. Diesel pickup trucks and Big Rigs are common in the US, and are renowned for their torque and towing abilities. These rigs run on “Dinodiesel”-typical diesel fuel refined from petroleum. You may have heard of the term “Biodiesel.” Biodiesel is a type of diesel fuel made by taking vegetable …


Letter Re: Doing Versus Studying–Wherever You Live

I agree 100% with Fanderal in his recent article on “Doing Versus Studying”. I grew up helping with gardening and canning as a boy in southern Indiana. There is a tremendous difference between having helped (“Hold the bucket, son.”) and picking up the knife and beginning the slaughter of a 300 pound hog. I have spent the last 20 years raising my family in suburbia and have very fond memories of growing up in the country. Memories are not a substitute for practical hands on experience. The Millennium bug got me thinking about “What If” while the 9/11 events were …