The Night I Became a Community Organizer, by Sergeant Dad

We started “Prepping” the day I was issued my DD-214 from the 2nd Marine Air Wing back in 1970. Even way back then the writing was on the wall if you cared enough to take a hard look and pay attention.   The VietNam War was pulling this country apart. “So you don’t believe, we’re on the Eve of Destruction?” We swallowed John Prine’s antidote, hook, line and sinker. “Blow up your TV, throw away your paper Go to the country, build you a home Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches Try an find Jesus on your …


Letter Re: Basic Mechanics Skills and Knowing Vehicular Limitations

James, Thank you for your contributions on SurvivalBlog. I read with interest the article on basic mechanical skills.  Changing a tire can be a difficult process,  last summer I had a blow out on a 100 degree day, found that changing a tire in the severe heat was a difficult task  and for an older man, and possibly dangerous.   I decided to decide to find a workable solution for this problem. At first I tried the 12 volt DC impact wrenches but found them unsatisfactory. My solution was to take a 1,700 watt inverter that I placed in a tool box …


Economics and Investing:

Alex G. sent: Why Quantitative Easing Is Not Working Eric Sprott Exclusive: The Fed Has Lost Control of the Bond Market!   Items from The Economatrix: This Will End In Catastrophic Collapse & Tragedy For The West Consumer Confidence Drops Most In 6 Months To 4 Month Low Making $100,000? Then Flipping Burgers May Be In Your Future


Odds ‘n Sods:

A traitorous act! Kerry Signs UN Arms Trade Treaty — Civilian Disarmament Advancing    o o o Loyal content contributor RBS spotted this on Craigslist: Brand New Atlas Survival Shelter – $105000 (Council, Idaho)    o o o Leslie in New Mexico mentioned: Reese Case: Date Set for the Appeal    o o o Why Revolution is axing the storyline that drove the entire 1st season. In an Orwellian lexicon shift, the “Patriots” are now the designated evil villains! (Last season it was a “Militia.”) The first season had rather lame acting and implausible situations. To suffer through the 2nd …



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 …


Bugging Out of the City with Your Family, by O. Dog

The never-ending threat of the TEOTWAWKI looms in the depth of all of our minds.  My work experience lays primarily in public safety, government peroration to emergency response, tactical team assaults, gang mentality and survival, logistics and law enforcement radio communication.  My personal experience is very broad beginning with my first job at age 15, working continuously through college, being married for the past 16 years to my “high school sweetheart” and raising three young children.  I have been validated in court as an expert in several fields regarding gangs, firearms and narcotics.  I would like to share with you …


Four Letters Re: Natural Gas Powered Generators in a Disaster–Their Compressors, and Yours

Captain Rawles, I saw the disagreement from the former natural gas industry gent located in Texas about your grid assertions as they relate to potential natural gas outages. Two years ago in Northern New Mexico there was a multi-day natural gas outage to 30,000 homes and it was due to precautionary measures from Texas, caused by rolling blackouts.  New Mexico made the decision to keep the population centers pressurized since it would be more difficult to get the pressure back up in those areas compared to the smaller yet more remote pipelines in the northern part of the state.  I …


Economics and Investing:

Financial Betrayal – Collapse Assured H.L. sent: Wild Hogs Roam Streets, Scare People Near Atlanta Anthony M. forwarded this link: The Fed’s ‘hidden agenda’ behind money-printing. Here is the crux of it: “The CBO estimates that by 2020 total debt held by the public will be $16.6 trillion as a result of the rising accumulated debt. Do the math: If we were to pay an average interest rate on our debt of 5.7 percent, rather than the 2.4 percent we pay today, in 2020 our debt service cost will be about $930 billion. Now compare that to the amount the Internal …


Odds ‘n Sods:

G.G. sent this: Modoc County joins Siskiyou in state of Jefferson bid for secession    o o o Jeff Soyer of the Alphecca blog has posted a positive review of my soon to be released novel, Expatriates. And BTW, I just noticed that GoodReads and ChristianBook.com have both opened up their Expatriates pages for reviews. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone who has already read an advance copy would post their review at those sites. (Meanwhile, reviews are still temporarily blocked on the Amazon.com and BN.com sites until the October 1st release date.)    o o o Hollywood’s New …



Notes from JWR:

The Age of Deception and Betrayal continues: Kerry signs UN arms treaty, senators threaten to block it. For the BHO regime to have proceeded with this–even though there was clearly no majority support in the Senate–was despicable. Meanwhile, there was a cloture vote cut off Senator Ted Cruz’s filibuster of the Obamacare Continuing Resolution. This is beyond sad. — September 26th is the birthday of the late Jack LaLanne. (Born 1914, died January 23, 2011.) His feats of strength were amazing. And he was just 5’6″ tall. — Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction …


Getting Out After a Trigger Event, by Paul H.

Despite years of reading valid arguments for moving to the American Redoubt or other remote area, of the hundreds of preppers I’ve met I can count on one hand those who made the move and most of those were retired.  I meet relatively few preppers living at a secluded retreat, a few with secondary retreats, many planning to bug out to property they do not own (hopefully by agreement), and the majority still living in and around cities with no alternative plan to shelter in place.  Only one of those four types I just described is unlikely to be on …


Letter Re: Airsoft: Effective Firearm and Tactical Training for Adults and Children

James, Just wanted to amplify the recent contribution on Airsoft which focused mainly on Airsoft battle rifle emulations. Our concealed carry instructor had mention Airsoft handguns as CQB/indoor training and drill options. In particular he thought well of the “GreenGas” Blowback emulations of semi-auto handguns. I filed this under someday and didn’t begin to investigate Airsoft handguns until the recent spike in ammo prices.  The propellant, Green Gas, is propane with a bit of silicon oil added for a lubricant. Adapters are available so you may use larger (lantern and torch size) propane tanks which are more economical.You can purchase …


Economics and Investing:

Reader H.L. suggested this over at Zero Hedge: It Begins: Monte Paschi “Bails In” Bondholders, Halts $650 Million In Coupon Payments James Rickards: “When The International Monetary System Collapses—It’s Going To Be About How Much Gold You Have” Items from The Economatrix: Walmart Holiday Hiring To Outpace US Retail Industry “Dr. Doom” Roubini Makes Case FOR The U.S. Economy Why I’m Not Buying The Market’s Blind Optimism