Odds ‘n Sods:

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I wished someone commercially made a soft start power box for radios that use vacuum tubes. Now I’ve been told there already is such a product, made by the folks at Electric Radio Magazine. Such a device will likely pay for itself in just a few years, given the inflated price of tubes. (Have you priced a replacement 1L6 Pentagrid tube, or a Magic Eye tuning tube recently?)    o o o Here is a good message: Why I’m a Republican. Sadly, however, the Republican Party’s leadership has now embraced statist socialism. …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” – Psalm 33:10-12 (KJV)


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …


Direction of Force: Working Safely Now and at TEOTWAWKI, by Arizona Slim

We all accept basic firearms safety rules and know that if we were able to carry them out flawlessly, there would be no such thing as an unintended injury or what we pitifully refer to as an “accidental” discharge. [JWR Adds: Properly, this is termed a Negligent Discharge.] There is another much more broad concept that, if we can also just hone it to a fine edge, we can employ it across a broad array of activities to greatly reduce the chance of damage, injuries and even death. Activities as diverse as cutting a project out of construction paper, opening …


A Special C.R.O.S.S. Ministries Announcement: On Hiatus

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers, Greetings from the C.R.O.S.S. Ministry family, the Woods! Many and great thanks to those of you who have spent time before God praying for the ministry God placed before us, pray for us, and praying for guidance about how/when to minister to those in South Sudan. Thanks to those of you who donated financially and may God return to you abundantly more than you gave! God has worked greatly in us while pursuing the mission field in South Sudan. He has stretched, taught, corrected, edified and simply put, grown us in Christ through this process. We have …


Two Letters Re: Preserving a Digital Library

James, Regarding the article “Preserving a Digital Library” written by “H335”: Windows XP requires [remote] activation [from a Microsoft server]! If XP runs at all after a fresh install, it’ll only be for a few days.  If you find yourself reloading XP on a computer in any sort of a grid-down situation, you’re not going to be calling up Microsoft to get your fresh install of XP activated.  Without activation, you can’t even log in to Windows XP. If you want to run a Microsoft operating system, I’d suggest Windows 7.  I’ve been running a copy unactivated on a laptop …


Economics and Investing:

More details on Mulligan Mint ‘s legal troubles with Republic Metals have emerged in a recent motion before the court, for a writ of attachment. Once again, I don’t recommend placing any orders with Mulligan Mint–at least not until they are free of these potentially show-stopping legal encumbrances. Reader Allen C. sent: Why Incomes Could Fall For the Next 30 Years. When is theft not considered theft? When a national government does it, on a grand scale: Poland reduces public debt through pension funds overhaul. (Thanks to John N. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: A new contagion is …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Nick R. mentioned that the price of .308 ball ammo is now back below $700 per thousand. (It was at least $1 per round, in January.) Is the ammo drought finally ending? Even .22 LR is coming back down in price. (For a while there, I thought that Walton Creel would have to give up his life as an artist.)    o o o My friend Terry H. mentioned another pistol recall. This time it is the S&W M&P Shield.    o o o The American Redoubt may be growing: State of Jefferson: Board votes for separation    o …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …


Preserving a Digital Library, by H335

Many articles have been written on preserving food, weapons, ammo, and various other perishables. While there are also many articles regarding the preservation of digital information, rarely do I see one written with the thought that perhaps the infrastructure itself might no longer be intact. This article will address several key areas, including equipment, media, printing and reproduction, testing, and backups. While books and print materials are critical to maintain, electronics can be preserved and protected even against a Carrington Event or EMP weapon. My approach here is Keep It Simple As Possible (KISAP). The more technologically savvy may argue …


Letter Re: Beware of Fake Cold Steel and Trijicon Products

Dear JWR, I was just surfing the Internet and found a site selling a lot of fake goods, called DHGate.com. How about a supposed Cold Steel Trail Master for under $20? Seeing these fakes makes me glad that I got all that I’ll need years ago–long before the risk of buying fakes. I think that there should be a loud warning put out about this. Here is a link to their fake Cold Steel knives.   They also have fake Trijicon scopes for sale.   Beware! – Simon M.


Economics and Investing:

Ol’ Remus of The Woodpile Report pointed me to this piece by Michael Pento: Will the Last Person to Leave the Treasury Market Please Turn Out the Lights? Pento’s piece begins: “Wall Street and Washington love to spread fables that facilitate feelings of bliss among the investing public. For example, recall in 2005 when they inculcated to consumers the notion that home prices have never, and will never, fall on a national basis. We all know how that story turned out. Along with their belief that real estate prices couldn’t fall, is one of their favorite conciliatory mantras that still …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Jim T. mentioned that there is a very lively discussion going on over at Surivivalistboards about how to make friends or enemies with your neighbors at your newly-acquired retreat.  Is is very easy to tell who is from the city and who is from the country, from the responses. I think some city folks need to be educated on how things work in the country.    o o o Readers H.L. and B.B. both sent: Illinois State Police Begin Registering Concealed Carry Instructors. [JWR’s Comment: “I hate Illinois Nazis.”]    o o o As I mentioned before, for National …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Civilization, as we know it, is largely the creation of psychopaths. All civilizations, our own included, have been built on slavery and mass murder. Psychopaths have played a disproportionate role in the development of civilization, because they are hard-wired to lie, kill, cheat, steal, torture, manipulate, and generally inflict great suffering on other humans without feeling any remorse, in order to establish their own sense of security through domination." – Andrzej Lobaczewski, in "Political Ponerology: A science on the nature of evil adjusted for political purposes"