Odds ‘n Sods:

Walter at NoNAIS.org mentioned a device under development that would destroy RFID tags. Keep in mind that if the USDA thinks that you are purposely disabling your livestock’s tags they will give you $1,000 fine if and when NAIS registration becomes mandatory.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader Sid recommends the Wunderground.com weather web site. He says that it is more comprehensive than its competitors. My first impression is that it does a great job of fusing weather data from multiple sources, including weather radars.    o o o Planning to stock up on lantern batteries? Get the Eveready Energizer …



Note From JWR:

I heard from Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing that the first big batch of copies of the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course have now been printed and the accompanying audio CDs have be “burned.” The course binders will be assembled and mailed soon–starting later this week. All of the copies that are going to U.S. addresses are being mailed via Priority Mail, so you should have them within about a week. Thanks for your patience!


Letter Re: Another Recommendation for the Survival and Austere Medicine e-Text

Mr. Rawles, The subject of survival medicine is one which you touched upon in your novel “Patriots” (nicely done, I might add) as well as occasionally via letters to your blog. All well and good but far less than the subject merits insofar as it may weigh into our collective futures. If I may be so bold I’d like to suggest that it be given at least as much attention as the nifty gadgets readers are often eager to promote. You may or not be aware of a relatively new book on the subject, perhaps the first if not the …


Two Letters Re: Push or Pull Carts For All-Terrain Hauling

Hi James, Thanks for the very useful letter about the All Terrain Carts. There are lots of things to think about after reading your article; I had some thoughts to add. I like the input you had about storing liquids, etc… In the tubing of your frames for these carts. A very likely necessity IMHO. I would hate to cart 20 gallons of water 90% of the way home, and spill 1?2 of it before you get there! In the article, the web links to the different types of carts all have inferior wheels as a week link unless you …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Israeli Defense Force Issues an “Order 8” Call-Up of Citizen Soldiers.    o o o A new electric car is hitting the U.S. market with a splash.”[W]ith the backing of PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, Google’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and ex-eBay chief Jeff Skoll, [Martin Eberhard] has created Silicon Valley’s first real auto company.”    o o o The naive residents of Memphis, Tennessee prove themselves to be sheeple.    o o o Jay in Florida mentioned this article: Feral dog packs attack Australian farmers.  


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Freedom is not empowerment. Empowerment is what the Serbs have in Bosnia. Anybody can grab a gun and be empowered. It’s not entitlement. An entitlement is what people on welfare get, and how free are they? It’s not an endlessly expanding list of rights — the ‘right’ to education, the ‘right’ to health care, the ‘right’ to food and housing. That’s not freedom, that’s dependency. Those aren’t rights, those are the rations of slavery — hay and a barn for human cattle. There’s only one basic human right, the right to do as you da*n well please. And with it …



Eight Letters Re: Selecting a Martial Art and a Dojo

Hi Jim and Family, Many, many years ago I was an assistant martial arts instructor. I had studied several Chinese styles along with Japanese Kendo. I was making inquiries about instruction in my area for my daughter after being out of that area of study for over 30 years. The self defense instructor I was talking to said that for the best ‘out of the gate’ use of martial arts for practical street self defense was Ju-Jitsu, but to watch the style you want to learn. Basically the styles of Ju-Jitsu are quite similar but some are less suited for …


Letter Re: “Ed’s Red” Mix-It Yourself Firearms Bore Cleaning Solvent

Dear Jim, WD-40 is a poor lubricant and a lousy gun cleaning solvent. (“WD,” incidentally, means “water displacing.”) While it may have some utility in removing moisture, that’s about where it’s value ends. Aside from being a poor lubricant, it also tends to oxidize and gum in short order, making it a poor choice. Anyone interested in bore solvents should consider making a gallon of “Ed’s Red.” (C.E. “Ed” Harris was a chemist and technical editor for the NRA’s American Rifleman magazine. He devised a modern equivalent to the old Frankfort Arsenal Nitro-solvent Gun Cleaner No. 18. as detailed on …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I just noticed that WhataCountry.com (not one of our advertisers, but a very reputable firm that I’ve done biz with for 15 + years) currently has reconditioned AN/PVS-2 Starlight night vision scopes on sale for just $476 each. The PVS-2 is an older bulky design, but genuinely “bomb proof.” When you call, tell Yasha that Jim Rawles sent you.    o o o The inventory of unsold houses in Phoenix, Arizona is now at 50,000 and climbing. For comparison, in January of Aught Five, the inventory was only around 5,000. I predict that house prices in the English speaking world …




Letter Re: Source for Gardening Books

Jim, This site has a lot of how too books on many subjects and I have found their books too be first rate. http://www.storey.com/ In particular for vegetable gardening these two. Seed Sowing and Saving. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible Even after 30+ years of gardening and 10 years with a greenhouse this is the book I still read in the winter getting ready and refer too all summer long. With the new bigger greenhouse and a small coal stove this coming winter will be the first time I will try to grow food all winter long. It will be fun …


Letter Re: Chain Link Fences for Incremental Retreat Security

Mr. Rawles, Recently the I had the occasion to put in a new chain link fence on my property and while I would have preferred something in the 8-to-10 foot range negotiations with my wife led me to use a more standard fence size of waist high. After calling to get quotes for an install to compare what it would cost me doing it vs. professionals I made my trip to the local Non super store hardware store. While purchasing the components the fine elderly gentleman gave me some pointers and repeatedly pressed upon me the importance of installing the …