Writing Contest Winners, and a New Prize

We’ve completed the judging for for Round 45 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize goes to Lockstich for Industrial Sewing Machines for Prepared Families which was posted on February 8, 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 of …


T.M. in Arkansas Book Review: A History of Warfare

A History of Warfare © 1993 by John Keegan Published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN: 0-394-58801-0            Available in paperback and eBook The copy I read is the first edition hardback. There are 64 photos and illustrations, a lengthy bibliography, 18 pages of notes, and a nicely done index. Recommended for both male and female high school students, and older. A History of Warfare was first published ten years ago, but has no expiration date as shown by now being available on your eBook reader. It is indeed timeless. The author gave us two dozen books in his career before …


Pat’s Product Review: Italian Gun Grease

In more than 45 years of shooting, I’ve tried just about every kind of lube and gun cleaner on the market. Some work a little better than others, and some don’t work very well at all. Anyone who is serious about taking care of their firearms, for self-defense, combat, military missions or survival, had better take very good care of their firearms. If you don’t properly care for your weapons, they will fail you, just when you need them the most. I couldn’t tell you the number of students who have trained under me, who have had their firearms fail …


Job Available Ranch/FarmTeam (Eastern Oregon Retreat)

[Editor’s Note: I’m posting this as a favor for one of my old consulting clients. I have visited this ranch, and I can attest that it is an amazing fully-equipped off-grid ranch with large acreage. This would be a great opportunity for an energetic couple that wants to live in the boonies but that cannot afford a retreat of their own.] Seeking two-person team for hard labor job running a remote ranch, dealing with cattle, grain farming, large garden, and ranch maintenance. Personal requirements: Stable relationship, no children at home, no smoking, drug use, drinking, or criminal history. We will …


Letter Re: Pre-Trib Rapture Doctrine and Preparedness

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Dear Mr. Rawles: I have been reading articles on your blog about the pretribulational rapture not being mentioned prior to 1800. I realize the writer is just ignorant of the facts. Someone needs to tell this guy the truth about the facts.   The pretribulational rapture was mentioned in Pseudo-Ephraem) in AD 373.  There are many other ancient writings dating back prior to 1800. These are mentioned in the easy to read book, “The Popular Handbook on the Rapture”. By Dr. Tim LaHaye, Dr. Thomas Ice, and Dr. Ed Hindson.     I am a Christian and I believe in the pretribulational rapture because it …


Recipe of the Week:

KAF’s Tamale Pie Serves 5 to 6 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 c yellow cornmeal 3 c boiling water 1 1/2 c cooked, ground, or shredded left over beef 2 c beef broth 2 cloves fresh minced, or 1/2 tsp. dried chopped garlic 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder salt to taste Boil the water in a medium sized pan. Sift the 1 tsp. salt and cornmeal gradually into the boiling water and cook, constantly stirring for 10 minutes. Set aside. In a bowl, mix cooked meat, and broth, add garlic, salt if needed, and chili powder. Line the sides and …


Economics and Investing:

Pipelines Can’t Handle North American Oil Boom Russia to ban cash transactions over $10,000 Jim Rogers: Put Your Money In Hard Assets, Especially Farmland and Agriculture Items from The Economatrix: Cyprus Bail-Out: Savers Will Be Raided To Save Euro In Future Crises, Says Eurozone Chief Fear & Loathing Grips Cyprus As ECB Hastens Debtline Eurozone Economy Now Expected To Sink Even Deeper Into Recession; Bank of Cyprus Chairman Quits As Heads Roll After Bail-Out Debacle


Odds ‘n Sods:

There has been a lot of chatter on the net about the call for an “‘Armed’ Peaceful March on Washington D.C. for July 4th”, as mentioned in the DC Clothesline blog. While I trust that the organizers are sincere, I believe that going armed would be unwise. Because open carry is banned in DC and because of the now mature facial recognition software, everyone who attends could face arrest at home — even weeks or months after the event. (And wearing masks is out of the question, because that is banned in D.C. too.) I strongly urge them to gather …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“…They were two perfectly insignificant and incapable individuals, whose existence is only rendered possible through the high organization of civilized crowds. Few men realize that their life, the very essence of their character, their capabilities and their audacities, are only the expression of their belief in the safety of their surroundings. The courage, the composure, the confidence; the emotions and principles; every great and every insignificant thought belongs not to the individual but to the crowd: to the crowd that believes blindly in the irresistible force of its institutions and of its morals, in the power of its police and …


Notes from JWR:

Today is celebrated as Resurrection Sunday. Christ is risen! — Today is the birthday of Dr. Walter E. Williams, a PhD. Economist and one of my heroes. He was born in 1936. — Today we present the last two entries for Round 45 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 …


So You Want to Become a Prepper — Now What?, by Daniel A.

History has shown that empires, nations, societies, and individuals all pass, and that the events of our lives can be, and oftentimes are, very uncertain.  About a year ago, my wife and I read the novel One Second After by William Forstchen.  While this book is a fictional account of a catastrophic event and the resulting collapse of civilized society, it may depict a disturbingly accurate account of events that could occur in a real-life catastrophe in the near future.  Reading this book resulted in a complete shift in our mindset and caused us to re-evaluate our pursuit of the …


Pre-Trib Rapture Doctrine and Preparedness, by P.H.

In my conversations in person and online as well as select daily readings including SurvivalBlog; it seems to me that there are a few very common themed roadblocks that people throw out as reasons why they can’t or don’t need to prepare or are unable to take their prepping to the next level. The four that come to mind are: 1)      My spouse doesn’t buy into the need to prepare 2)      We can’t afford to move 3)      God is in control; He will take care of us. 4)      Your prepping is actually a sign of a …


Two Letters Re: Things to Understand When Interacting With the Police

Dear Editor: In response to R.B. and his comments on “Things to Understand When Interacting With the Police,” I’d like to share “Some Things He Needs to Understand When Interacting With Civilians.” We’ve long abandoned the idea that the police are interested in helping us when they interact with us. We expect, for good reason, that any encounter with a police officer is going to be a reminder that right or wrong, he or she is a cop, they must be respected no matter how inhumane their behavior, and that any error on the part of the officer is inconsequential. …


Economics and Investing:

Necultchurny! The haircut news from Cyprus just got worse: “This morning Sky [News] reported that the levy on balances over €100,000 had now increased to 60%…” This now qualifies as full scale bank robbery. Ricky L. sent a link with some disturbing news: Fake 90% Silver U.S. Coins. Silver dollars are most often faked, but even smaller dominations should now be scrutinized. Bill Whittle: Canaries in Coal Mines You Will NEVER Look At MONEY The Same AGAIN. Items from The Economatrix: No Matter Outcome, Cyprus Crisis Is Blow To Business (And To Bank Customer Confidence Worldwide) International Monetary Fund (IMF) …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Joe K. suggested: Emergency Preparedness & Outdoor Adventure Planning Checklist o o o Americans Are Migrating To More Free Republican States. It is noteworthy that the study (see summary here) would have ranked Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana higher, except that “freedom” as they define it includes so-called “same sex marriage” and the freedom to use marijuana. This skewed their results. o o o F.G. suggested this vintage video that explains vacuum tube technology: AT&T Archives: Bottle of Magic o o o Ten Reasons Why Senators Should Vote Against the Gun Control Bribe-o-thon o o o Reader D.D. sen this link …