Economics and Investing:

Reader Mike M. sent us a Porkchop Express report on some Big Trouble From Big China: Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, is being bought by Shuanghui–at $5 billion, this is the largest-ever planned buyout of an American company by China. Curious… IRS’s Shulman had more public White House visits than any Cabinet member 157 visits! Apparently the White House had some deep concern about taxes. Perhaps BHO felt deep anguish about assuring tax fairness, or…? Chart of the Day: Euro Unemployment Hits Its Worst Level Ever All Time Record Gold Transactions Reported By LBMA Items from The Economatrix: …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Tam, over at View From The Porch recommended this piece: Small Impact Tool Basics    o o o Doxycycline and Tetracycline Shortage Update    o o o Cheryl (aka The Economatrix) suggested this by Dave Hodges: Increasing Your Odds Of Survival    o o o Lisa Bedford (of the excellent The Survival Mom blog) has launched a radio network, with all female hosts.    o o o Global flight-path maps: Five interpretations. [JWR’s Note: Our ranch is blissfully situated in a little valley without any railroad tracks and that is not beneath any major air routes. There is a lot …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. For even when we were …


Note from JWR:

Ready Made Resources and Safecastle have both just launched semi-annual sales on Mountain House long term storage foods, with the maximum allowable discounts of 25% to 40%. Both are reputable companies that have been loyal SurvivalBlog advertisers and both are offering free shipping. So toss a coin, or pick the company closest to you, for the quickest shipping. These sales will run for only one week, so order soon. — Coloradans have some important paperwork to do. The state’s new magazine ban will go into effect in 30 days (on July 1, 2013.) Of particular note is the fact that …


Writing Contest Winners – Round 46

We’ve completed the judging for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize goes to Steven in Alabama for When Bugging Out is Not an Option: Hunkering Down with a Quadriplegic, which was posted on May 24, 2013. He will receive: 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 …


Two New SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Prizes

The generous sponsors of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest have helped make it a great success, and an ongoing source of tremendous knowledge for preparedness-minded families. My sincere thanks, both to the authors and the sponsors. We are pleased to announce that starting with Round 47, we have added two new prizes to the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The first is a couple of BirkSun.com photovoltaic backpacks. (One of their “Level”, and one “Atlas” model, both in black), with a combined value of $275. These two packs are now part of the First Prize package. BirkSun makes a novel product …


Letter Re: Stocking Heirloom Seeds, In Quantity

Hi Capt. Rawles, With spring gardening underway, I want to share something with your readers. If you are buying some heirloom seed packets, with the idea of being prepared, I want to warn you that most of these “packets” do not contain enough quantity to be a food source.  Most of the packets I have purchased contain only enough seed to get what I call a “start”. For example, some of the Golden Bantam Sweet Corn I purchased had only 8 ounces in a pack. I planted 2 packs to get two rows 150 feet long. This would provide several meals for …


Economics and Investing:

Big Dang Bubble, The Next Generation: New York Stock Exchange Margin Debt Hits A New Record, Surpasses 2007 Figures Ambrose-Evans Pritchard: No saviour in sight as world credit cycle rolls over. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.) Matt The Teacher sent: Why is Progressive Insurance Lying About their Spy Devices? Basel III: How The Bank For International Settlements Is Going To Help Bring Down The Global Economy Items from The Economatrix: Impending Financial Collapse–The Grand Finale:  Here Is What’s About To Happen To You Jim Willie:  Coming To A Climax With Gold At $7,000/Oz. US May Auto Sales Seen Shaking …


Odds ‘n Sods:

West Coast Police State Logic: California Senate approves seven gun control bills. They just keep coming: Background checks on ammo buyers, a ban on any semi-auto that can accept a detachable magazine, and an outright ban on 11+ round magazines? These yo-yos are channeling Josef Stalin. Oh, and meanwhile, here is some East Coast Police State Logic: New Jersey: Court Upholds Man Arrested For Visible Gun Case In Car. “Plain view” doctrine is well-established, but what if possession of the item in plain view is considered a right in one state, but a crime in another? So now, in Neu …



Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of George R. Stewart, a novelist, university professor and toponymist. He was born in 1895 and died August 22, 1980. In the preparedness community, he is best remembered as the author of the classic post-pandemic novel Earth Abides. — Safecastle’s semi-annual sale on Mountain House long term storage foods begins tomorrow (Saturday, June 1, 2013.) Today we present the final entry for Round 46 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.) …


Off Grid Cooking Solutions, Part 3, by V.W.

I have really come to enjoy researching and testing off grid cooking ideas and possibilities.  Last year I had purchased a few products that I felt were going to be the back bone of my preparedness efforts. Over this past winter, I began thinking that it was necessary to actually try out the ideas and suggestions from videos I had seen and articles I had read.  I ordered a few products to round out my supplies, and I became so enthusiastic with all the possibilities that I wrote “Off Grid Cooking Solutions, Part 1” and “Off Grid Cooking Solutions, Part …


Three Letters Re: Studying Guerilla Warfare Tactics

Dear Captain Rawles, I would like to thank Al H. for his letter on the importance of studying Guerrilla Warfare tactics and also for his mention of one of my book, Contact!: A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival There were two purposes in writing ‘Contact’: firstly, to pass on tactical self-defense information to aid the survival of law abiding prepper folks in a post-SHTF situation. The second was to give information on how to tactically fight a resistance campaign, although at the time I left some of the reasons for the tactics a little unsaid. Its all in there, …


Economics and Investing:

The inevitable Liberty Reserve case fallout: World’s Largest Bitcoin Exchange Announces That Anyone Depositing Currency Will Need To Be Verified. ( A hat tip to Jim W. for the link.) R.B.S. sent: Nine Worst Recession Ghost Towns in America. The bottom line is food: We Are Now One Year Away From Global Riots, Complex Systems Theorists Say. (Thanks to Bob G. for the link.) Andre D. sent: German Finance Minister Schaeuble Warns of Revolution Items from The Economatrix: There Is Now A 100% Chance Of A Market Collapse Basel III:  How The Bank For International Settlements Is Going To Help …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader J.W.B. sent this article: Two Letters Addressed To Mayor Bloomberg Found To Contain Ricin. JWR’s Comment: When politicians strenuously attempt to ban guns, a few disgruntled folks will try to ban politicians. When they do, they won’t necessarily use only guns to do so. Human bodies are fragile and there are many ways of bringing about their demise, such as: bombs, poisons, light aircraft, UAVs, VBIEDs, incendiaries, neurotoxins, hallucinogens and dissociatives, chemical weapons, radioisotopes, small arms, electrocution, drowning, archery, oxygen-displacing inert gasses (and other forms of asphyxia and atelectasis), rockets, blunt instruments, various medical procedure “accidents”, cellular-level dehydration agents, …