Odds ‘n Sods:

Here is a clever new product, from Israel: The Recover Grip and Rail “skin.” Note: These won’t be available until after SHOT Show but you can pre-order.    o o o Gregg P. mentioned this great example of trans-national dependencies and the JIT food supply chain: Map shows what it takes to make one single jar of Nutella    o o o K.T. recommended this great reference site: Exterior Ballistics    o o o I’ve warned you about Common Core. Beware the “New New Math” in CC math textbooks. (I suppose these should be called “Al Gore Rhythms,” since Gore …



Note from JWR:

Today is the birthday of Philip K. Dick (born 1928, died March 2, 1982.) He penned a remarkable number of sci-fi novels and novellas that have been adapted into movies including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Screamers, Impostor, Minority Report, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, Next, and The Adjustment Bureau. Though he had a troubled personal life (with drug use and several failed marriages), his captivating books certainly had a knack for envisioning potential futures.


Precious Metals — 2013 Year in Review, by Steven Cochran

This year saw a battle for the direction of precious metals waged between speculators and short-term “paper gold” traders in the West, against record-breaking physical demand in the East. That physical demand from Asia reached new highs in 2013, underpinning a market that saw the outflows from precious metals ETFs eagerly snapped up by the Chinese and Indians. Gold and silver ended the year about where they ended 2010, while platinum was down only slightly from 2012. Palladium was the big performer, doing even better in 2013 than last year, but not as well as the all-time high reached in …


Pat’s Product Review: CMMG Mk9 T 9mm M4 Carbine

Every once in a while, I’m fortunate, in that, I get a gun sample, that no one else has, and when that happens, I jump on testing it, and follow-up with an article. Such is the case with the new CMMG Mk9 T – and you won’t find this one on their web site yet, it’s not due to be released until the SHOT Show at the end of January 2014. I’ve owned a couple of the CMMG M4gery carbines over the years, and I still have one, and found them to be great shooters, and priced below what other …


Letter Re: Which Ammo to Stockpile?

Dear Sir, When stockpiling ammo, should one focus on FMJ and soft nose/hollow points or FMJ only?  FMJ is a better value per bullet, plus it’s supposed to be a lot more accurate and reliable than SP/HP, but of course, it sometimes comes at the cost of stopping power. I’m packing a semi-auto in 308/7.62×51, and to my knowledge, there haven’t been many complaints about the stopping power of the 7.62×51 ball cartridge in military circles; many complaints come mainly from the kick and weight.  Add to that the fact that after TEOTWAWKI, shooting through cover and mass fire will …


Letter Re: Taking My Taxes Personally

James Wesley, My wife needed a new car (SUV to be exact), and that got me looking into the fiscal situation in detail to come up with a price range. I first detailed the expense side of the balance sheet down to monthly average activities and dining out costs, but my world was shaken when I looked at the income totals. Like a growing number of men, my wife makes more than me, her career being much more in demand these days. This I knew from the start; we’re not that far off but there is, as the left would …



Recipe of the Week:

S.A.’s Chicken Casserole While there are multitudes of chicken casserole recipes out there, this is my version which is very flavorful and a crowd pleaser. I remain convinced that in the future we may be eating lots of soups and casseroles which can easily be extended so people don’t feel deprived. Some may say that this recipe has lots of preservatives, salt, fats, and such. I maintain when we are living in harder times, those characteristics may not be considered such bad things. Serves 4-6 1 cup chicken, cooked, de-boned, and cut into small pieces, about 1 breast 1 can …


Economics and Investing:

Reader H.L. sent: While the White House and Senate Democrats hammered guns and gun rights during 2013, investors put their money into gun company stocks and garnered “incredible returns.” Items from The Economatrix: Must-Know: Minimum Wage of $7.25 Isn’t As Low As People May Think US Wholesale Stockpiles Grow 1.4 Pct. In October Why Natural Gas Prices Jumped On The Latest Inventory Report


Odds ‘n Sods:

J.B.B. sent a link to some fascinating maps and data: Rural Character in america’s Metropolitan Areas. (79% of US population is classified as Urban.)    o o o Reader D.K.C. mentioned some apparently bad news for both ranchers and preppers: F.D.A. Restricts Antibiotics Use for Livestock    o o o Colorado police arrested a man for open carry and now they’re going to pay    o o o Reason to leave #1,383,622: New York City Board of Health approves mandatory flu shots for kids    o o o The Tally: State Gun Laws Enacted in the Year Since Newtown. (Thanks …



Notes from JWR:

December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. I encourage my American readers to gather publicly and read the Bill of Rights aloud. This is also the birthday of Uziel “Uzi” Gal (born Gotthard Glas) in Weimar, Germany in 1923. According to his Wikipedia biography, when the Nazis came to power in 1933 his family “…moved first to England and later, in 1936, to Kibbutz Yagur in the British Mandate of Palestine where he changed his name to Uziel Gal. In 1943, he was arrested for illegally carrying a gun and sentenced to six years in prison. However, he was pardoned …


Still Living in Defiance, by Tim B.

I frequently read about varying doomsday scenarios.  Everything from a total collapse of the economy, to super-storms, to EMP attacks, and lately even dubious writings about life in a post-antibiotic world.  While the odds are not in favor of one devastating event that ends the world as we know it and plunges us into a repeat of the Dark Ages, there is still the possibility that something like a surprise EMP attack or an unexpected asteroid impact could wipe out most of humanity.  There’s always that “What if…?”  Before I go any farther, however, let me offer this strong disclaimer:  …


Letter Re: More Bureaucratic Over-Reach

Sir, The faceless “bureaucratocracy” strikes yet again, threatening to condemn an off-grid homeowner for allegedly violating an “international property maintenance code” due to lack of running water and electricity – even though neither utility is specified in said international property maintenance code.  How does an international code apply within the confines of an incorporated entity like the City of Cape Coral (which has its own building codes adopted pursuant to its own ordinance procedures)?  And now the city has graciously indicated that, if the homeowner can prove she can “sustain herself” without these utilities, they “might be able to reach …