The Big Picture on Gold, Silver, Real Estate, and the U.S. Dollar

I have come to the conclusion that the nascent implosion of the U.S. residential real estate bubble is going to have some far-reaching macroeconomic consequences. We are just starting to see the beginning of the real estate collapse. The adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) reset clock is ticking, and the home foreclosure rate is just starting to spike. I predict that in just three or four months, the housing market collapse will be just as big a news story as the Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980s. There will be plenty of hand wringing and finger pointing. The lenders that …


Letter Re: Potential Range of Nuclear Weapon EMP?

Mr. Rawles: I’m confused. Some things that I’ve read say that the maximum range of [nuclear weapon electromagnetic pulse] EMP is about 60 miles, but others say 200 or 250 miles. Which of them is right? Wouldn’t a terrorist bomb at ground level have shorter range EMP than a nuke touched off at high altitude or low orbit? (With a wider horizon.) Thanks, – Lance in Nebraska JWR Replies: You aren’t the first SurvivalBlog reader to ask about the greatest potential effective range of an EMP-optimized nuclear detonation. I first discussed this in SurvivalBlog back in October of 2005. The …


Letter Re: The 1898 Threshold for “Antique” Gun Exemption in the U.S.

Mr. Rawles: I have read your FAQ about Pre-1899 firearms being classified as antiques and exempt from some of the Federal regulations. The 1894 Winchester 30-30 serial number exempt at that time [that you wrote the FAQ] was below 147685. Mine carries serial # 165559. Would it now be exempt since it is [now] 2007? Thank you, – Eleanor JWR Replies: Sorry, but the “antique” threshold has been frozen at Dec. 31, 1898, ever since passage of the U.S. Gun Control Act of 1968. That defies common sense, but that is the law in the United States. The frozen legal …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From RBS: The history behind “political correctness”    o o o Survivalist.com has a fascinating links page on various disasters   o o o RCP sent us this, but it hardly comes as a surprise: Japan is considering selling some of its US Dollar reserves.    o o o I heard that J&G Sales in Arizona has some .303 British surplus ammo now in stock. It is POF surplus ammo, with a FMJ bullet, brass case, packed in 32 round boxes or 768 round cases.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them, and these will continue till they have been resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress." – Frederick Douglass


Notes from JWR:

We recently traveled to California. I was shocked to see the exorbitant gas prices there. ($3.65 for a gallon.) After having lived in the hinterboonies for so long, I was also alarmed to see the prevailing high prices of other goods and services, like $24 for a haircut and $4.35 for a loaf of bread. A very minor repair on our SUV cost us $525. The dealership charged $125 per hour as their shop labor rate! Since we towed our a trailer down there, we were also aggravated by California’s strictly-enforced 55 mile-per-hour speed limit for vehicles towing trailers. Isn’t …


The Most Important Lesson, by Mr. Yankee

Like most, as a young hunter I longed for my first buck. I didn’t take a deer the first season despite numerous sightings. The deer were there. I just couldn’t seem to get a clear shot. I saw only tails, or running deer instead of still deer offering their shoulders to me. As the second season opened, I wondered if I should take shots that I was not 100% sure of. I had a tag for antlered deer only, so I would at least have to make sure that the deer was a buck before I pulled the trigger. I …


Letter Re: Privacy from Google’s Prying Eyes

Dear Jim: You don’t have to be a “Secret Squirrel” to be concerned about Google tracking your online searching. Here is a quick and easy way to use Google but not get tracked: http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm The following is a quote from their site: “Not only does Google scrape much of the web, but they keep records of who searches for what. If information about your searching is accessible by cookie ID or by your IP address, it is subject to subpoena. This is a violation of your privacy. Someday Google’s data retention practices will be regulated, because Google is too arrogant …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Simon M. noticed a cool “Bulletproof Urban Assault Vehicle on Commander Zero’s blog. The Commander ‘s wry comment: “Try not to think what a vehicle made out of 3/16″ sheet steel weighs and what it’ll do to your engine and suspension. Especially your suspension of disbelief since this thing wouldn’t stop a .223. Points for style though.”    o o o Jay in Florida mentioned a fascinating thread over at the S&W Forums on what happens to bullet hit bodies by a LEO Medical Morgue examiner. Quite valuable information.   o o o Its no wonder that the liberal do-gooders …



Note from JWR:

A reminder for those of you that already have copies of my recent non-fiction books printed before early April. Please update them with our new mail forwarding address. See page 207 of Rawles on Retreats and Relocation (Appendix B) and page 239 of SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog – Volume 1 (Appendix A)–they should both get penned with this new mail forwarding address: James Wesley, Rawles c/o Elk Creek Company P.O. Box 303 Moyie Springs, Idaho 83845 USA I have already updated the electronic master copies at Cafe Press, (the print-on-demand publisher), so any copies that were ordered after …


Letter Re: Question on Sizing a New Garden

Sir: How much square footage should I fence off (to protect from deer) for a [self-sufficiency] vegetable garden for my family of five? Thank You Sir, – P.L., near Eugene, Oregon JWR Replies: As a scant minimum, I’d recommend a 25′ x 30′ garden plot. By using French Intensive (double dug) or Square Foot Gardening techniques, you can get a huge yield out of that much garden space. But if you have the acreage available and can afford the extra fencing material, then by all means make your fenced garden plot two or three times that size. This has several …


Letter Re: Holster Recommendations

Hi Jim: I plan to open carry in my new county here in Colorado, and I’m looking for a vendor that sells attractive leather shooter’s belts and nice leather holsters for M1911s and Glocks. Do you have any preferred vendors/manufacturers you can recommend? I’ve only ever carried [pistols] on [military] Load Bearing Equipment (LBE) so this semi-casual leather belt open carry thing is very new to me, as is the civilian gun culture 🙂 – Eric JWR Replies: We mainly carry Kydex Blade-Tech brand holsters and mag pouches here at the Rawles Ranch. And for the most part we use …


Letter Re: Advice on Where to Learn Practical, Tactical Skills

Sir: USRSOG conducts a civilian S.E.R.E. (Search Evasion Rescue & Escape) class once a year. They teach primitive fire-building, Evasion techniques, field camouflage techniques, some plant identification, hand-to-hand [fighting] techniques, natural cordage making, [flint] knapping and a bunch of other things like primitive shelter making. These guys are hardcore and I’m blessed to have known them and took their class last year. This year’s class is April 27-28-29 and I think there is still time for any last minute sign-ups but your readers will need to contact them right away. Students also need proof that they are right with the …


Letter Re: Advice on Storing E85 Ethanol Fuel

Jim: I’m sorry, but that Wikipedia article gave you bad information. It’s describing the situation for E10, not E85. You’ll note it doesn’t give you a reference to a study backing up this analysis. On the other hand, this Wikipedia.page does: Ethanol Fuel Mixtures The key graph is on page 32 of that reference Similar graphs and conclusions agreeing that the sensitivity to phase separation declines as the percentage of ethanol increases are available elsewhere: From the US EPA From Cim-tek Regards, – PNG JWR Replies: Thanks for correcting my error. My humble apologies for not researching my reply more …