Two Letters Re: Stocking up on Prescription Medications

Jim: One more opinion on this, RARELY if EVER do medications cause ANY harm if taken past their expiration date. The only thing you MIGHT lose is some of the effectiveness of the particular drug. If they are stored in the oft-mentioned common sense fashion ( cool, dark, dessicant-added, etc.) meds are easily good for 5-10 years past their expiration date . I am a family doc with 27 years of experience in both the civilian and the military end of family medicine. Thank you for your daily dose of great information. – FLS   James: Your topic of stocking …


Letter Re: The Death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi = Increased Threat Level in CONUS?

Hi Jim, [Regarding press reports of the death of Iraqi terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq) in an intelligence-queued a bombing raid on his safe house.] You may have thought of this, but if you were a rabid terrorist leader, with assets it the USA, that were on the alert and ready to go. What better message to send to the infidel enemy than to have your death signal an attack? Make a statement about how long your reach is, and all that. Hit the enemy while he is celebrating. Heads up extra high for a …



Two Letters Re: Great Depression II What Will it Be Like?, by Buckshot

James: I read [Buckshot’s article Great Depression II What Will it Be Like? in] SurvivalBlog on Monday and kinda got depressed. Its really only my mother and me living together and she is very anti-survivalist in nature and ideology. I’m thinking that I could handle four or five raiders, but more then that I would be doomed I could never reload and fire fast enough. My mom wouldn’t help me at all and probably would actually hinder me….what would you do? The other thought was being burned out I have three fire extinguishers but can I fight the fire from …


Letter Re: On Training and Cross-Training with Unfamiliar Gear

Mr. Rawles, This weekend, I saw an excellent training strategy employed: trade equipment with your friends and see how well you do with it. Whether it’s a rifle/pistol match, where everyone has to use the same beater Remington 870 instead of the expensive “tactical” setup they brought, or having to set up and use someone else’s stove or tent on a camping trip, it makes sense. Having to make do with unfamiliar gear expands the range of situations you can deal with, and gives you confidence and general knowledge that you can apply later. You’ll also get ideas on how …


Letter Re: On Antique Mausers and Their Ammo

Dear Jim, The early Mausers and related rifles are excellent because of their frequent low price, durability and reliability, not to mention their potential value as antique non-weapons if manufactured before 1899. (As described in JWR’s FAQ on the subject.) The first of these is the [Model 1888] Commission Rifle, or Gewehr 88, which will be marked on the left side of the receiver with “Gew88” in German script. Much confusion and myth surrounds these fine rifles. Simplified: the early ones are only safe with commercially loaded ammo from US MAKERS. The later ones are marked “S” for “Spitzer” and …


Letter Re: Montague Folding Paratrooper Mountain Bikes

Mr. Rawles, In December as a Christmas present I bought two of Montague’s folding Paratrooper bikes, one for myself and one for my wife. I bought them for a few reasons, some of them are: a “G.O.O..D.” bike, to take along when we go camping, and for the anticipated NYC Subway strike that I was a part of. Temporally my wife can’t use hers since she’s pregnant with our first child 🙂 . Lately I just use mine for running errands around town and for dropping off and picking up my car from the mechanic. For that extra compactness I …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Fred the Valmet-meister says: “The skip is in!” on the 6 Meter Band. (Even all the way across the Atlantic.)    o o o Some commentary from Recombinomics on H5N1 mutations and human-to-human transmission    o o o SurvivalBlog reader A.K. recommended this article about the U.S. 1989 invasion of Panama. A.K. commented: “I’m not sure if I agree with her ultimate conclusion, but her account definitely offers something educational. Especially the way the neighborhoods banded together, the run on the groceries, and the lack of preparedness.”



Note from JWR:

As previously mentioned, Cheaper Than Dirt! has decided to cease its Affiliated Sales Program (with all of its affiliate web publishers), effective June 9th. If you’ve been dawdling on placing an order with Cheaper Than Dirt!, you now have just one full day left to get your order in and still have a commission on the sale credited to SurvivalBlog. Speaking of affiliate advertisers, we now have 160+ advertisers that can support SurvivalBlog if you patronize them. (But of course please give your business to our paid advertisers (in the scrolling right hand ad bar) first.) See our Affiliates page …


Are Your Neighbors Prepared? by Doc

I am more comfortable with neighbors who have food stored, means to prepare it, and who know how to grow food, as well as arms to protect themselves, first aid supplies, tools, and the many other things it takes to survive an emergency. Unfortunately, that is a very rare situation. I have a unique and privileged take on the problem, since I have been in more than a thousand homes. This is because, at various points in my life, I have been an apartment repairman, handyman, finish carpenter, electrician, cable TV repairman, as well as a volunteer for a non-profit …


Letter from Rourke Re: The Popping of the U.S. Housing Bubble

Dear Jim: I respectfully disagree that the housing “bubble has popped”. (You had written in Odds ‘n Sods: “Here in the U.S., the unsold house inventory backlog jumped to 565,000 in April. The housing bubble has popped. There are no more bidding wars for houses. Now its price cut after price cut. In the coastal markets, I anticipate a race to the bottom, most likely starting in September of Aught Six.”) Thankfully the air has been coming out very steadily of this overextended price balloon, without the blow-up or popping that could have occurred. As a Wall Street Journal article …



Odds ‘n Sods:

The folks at Box o’ Truth do some tests with shotguns, with very favorable results.    o o o UN convention could mean restrictions on home schooling in the U.S.    o o o When doing a search in The Wikipedia, I stumbled across this great piece that I remembered from my army training: The Standing Orders of Rogers Rangers, along with the more complete (and more historically correct) Plan of Discipline. Some things haven’t changed since the 1700s!