Letter Re: The Federal Reserve’s Inauspicious 100th Anniversary

Captain Rawles, The inflation calculator that you linked to is way off. If you punch in five cents it returns $1.16. [JWR Adds: This is because their calculator uses "official" CPI data, which is badly skewed.]   In 1913 it cost five cents for a loaf of bread. I would love to find a store that sells a loaf of bread for $1.16 today.   Being a master of Excel, I played around with this a few months ago. It turns out that a loaf of bread costs about $4.00. An increase from five cents to four dollars is an …


Three Letters Re: How Racially Tolerant is the American Redoubt?

Captain Rawles, I am one of those people that the liberals like to call a racist because I am outspoken about my hatred of the Muslim anti-American criminal in the Whitehouse. In 2000 I voted for Alan Keyes. In 2004 he wasn’t on the ballot so I wrote him in. If Dr. Benjamin Carson decides to run, I will very likely vote for him too. LTC Alan West is one of my heroes. I read the editorials of Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, and Ellis Washington every week without fail. I consider them to be extremely intelligent and honorable.   If …


Letter Re: Nursing an Infectious/Infected Patient Post-Collapse

James: While the article Nursing an Infectious/Infected Patient Post-Collapse, by P.C., RN, shares some common methods of treatment for general conceptual care of some common childhood diseases of infectious patients, it does not consider that in the treatment of diseases without available treatment of antibiotics, of diseases that are airborne and highly contagious, like Tuberculosis, SARS, Pertussis, or the Blood borne pathogens like Ebola, Active Hepatitis B, C or D, HIV PCP (Pneumocystis Pneumonia) or Ebola. In these cases you do not want an open window to be allowing any escaping infectious droplets. Use of an airflow HEPA filtration system …


News From The American Redoubt:

Here is an interesting new underground storage shelter made by a company on the Montana/Idaho state line: NotaBunker.com. They have a PDF brochure available. They are offering free shipping in a 200 mile radius of Heron, Montana.    o o o The Washington state legislature opting for Full Californication? A 47.5 cent per gallon fuel tax? (More reasons for Washington’s eastern counties to spilt off and form their own state!)    o o o Oregon legislators clone Washington’s bad law: Is Oregon writing the Worst. Gun. Law. Evah? (If this passes, it will be the queue for Oregon’s counties east …


Economics and Investing:

The High Burden of State and Federal Capital Gains Taxes. (California’s new combined rate us a whopping 33%. Ouch!) Report: United States lost 11,630 farms in 2012 What European Recovery? Unemployment at record high and debt only keeps reaching more unsustainable levels. Italy’s Debt to GDP crosses 125 percent. Items from The Economatrix: The Trigger Has Been Pulled, The Crash Has Begun, How Are Things Going To Play Out Are We Headed Toward An Economic Collapse? Preparing For A Financial Armageddon Moody’s Cuts UK Credit Rating One Notch To Aa1 US Consumers Hit By Payroll Taxes, Rising Gas Prices: Up …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Camping Survival is running their semi-annual sale on Mountain House foods. They are offering 25% off #10 cans and kits, and 15% off all pouches. The last day of the sale is March 1st, so order soon!    o o o Several readers sent this: Do you live in a state that still holds high regard for the Second Amendment? (Let the Brady Anti-Gun Organization Help You Choose a Retreat State.)    o o o Nathan Haddad’s legal defense fund has now raised more than $40,000. Please support this worthy cause.    o o o Chinese Hackers Have A Weapon …



Notes from JWR:

Today is the 234th anniversary of the British surrender following the Battle of Vincennes at Fort Sackville in what is now Indiana. This 1779 battle is is notable for at least four reasons: The actions of Colonel Clark and his company-strength unit of men endured considerable hardship in a surprise march across the flooded and frozen Illinois prairie and yet defeated a numerically superior and fortified enemy force with small arms, primarily rifle fire alone; the flatboat carrying artillery support from Fort Pitt/Pittsburgh down the Ohio River and up the Wabash failed to arrive in time for Clark’s attack and …


Back From South Sudan — A C.R.O.S.S. Ministries Update from Micah Wood

I am blessed. It was very apparent during the trip that I had many people, and people fervently praying for me and that they were praying to a holy and sovereign God who answered. So thank you. And my wife thanks you too!  To elaborate, it was frankly terrifying leaving my family in Idaho and going to a country half way round the world that had so many unknowns and is reported to be overly violent… not knowing if I would come back or not. But we serve an awesome God. In Him I put my trust and got on …


Announcing the Auction of a PVS-14 Gen 3+ Night Vision Scope to Benefit C.R.O.S.S. Ministries

Today we begin a benefit auction of a brand new AN/PVS-14 Gen 3+ Night Vision Scope. All proceeds (100% of your bid) will be donated to C.R.O.S.S. Ministries. (A very worthy Christian ministry that is sharing the Gospel of Christ in South Sudan. Their outreach method is unique: They are teaching rural villagers tactical marksmanship, water treatment, and firefighting skills, free of charge.) The monocular is one of these. (The same model that we use here at the Rawles Ranch.) These night vision scopes normally retail for around $3,600. (Although Ready Made Resources sells them at the discounted price of …


The Federal Reserve’s Inauspicious 100th Anniversary

The year 2013 marks one significant anniversary that will probably be soft-pedaled by the mass media: December 23, 2013 will be the 100th anniversary of the exclusive private banking cartel known as The Federal Reserve–America’s central bank. I detest this organization. It isn’t Federal (not any more “Federal” than Federal Express), and it has no real Reserves. Lex Mala, Lex Nulla The Federal Reserve Act was improperly implemented as an act of congress. Properly, it should have been promulgated as a Constitutional amendment. Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution dictates: “No state shall make anything but gold and …


Pat’s Product Review: Maxxeon WorkStar 2000

Way back before computers completely took over our lives, life seemed a lot simpler. If it were up to me, I’d live without computers, microprocessors, cell phones, texting, e-mails and tweets (whatever that is). I long for the time when cars were more simple to work on, I used to love tinkering with my own cars, improving on them, repairing them, and just playing around with them. Heck, I even worked as a dune buggy mechanic in Hawaii for a time. Today, with all the computers running cars and trucks, I can’t hardly figure out anything on new vehicles, you …


Letter Re: Non-Hybrid Seeds at COSTCO Stores

Jim, While perusing the Costco web site, I noted that Costco is now stocking “Preparedness Storage Non-GMO Garden Seeds” — and they’re non-hybridized, which makes them good for saving seed in a true survival situation. The bucket contains 24 varieties of seeds, including the “usual suspects” like corn, peas, tomatoes, and carrots as well as some more unusual plants like eggplant, swiss chard, cabbage and kohlrabi. Just finding it interesting that it seems like prepping has gone totally mainstream, and that Costco is leading the charge! Best, – S.J. JWR Replies: In my Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course, I describe …


Letter Re: So-Called Totally Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in South Africa

Sir: Regarding your recent link to the US News article: “Doctors Struggling to Fight ‘Totally Drug-Resistant’ Tuberculosis in South Africa”, I would like to comment.   As an infectious diseases research scientist with a specialty in tuberculosis (TB) the term “Totally Drug Resistant” peaked my interest, considering the World Health Organization (WHO) does not recognize this term.  To express the resistance to anti-TB drugs, we use very precise terms, where multidrug resistance (MDR-) represents resistance to two specific drugs, isoniazid and rifampin, and extensively-drug resistance (XDR-) is resistance to any of the second line drugs and one of the injectable …


Letter Re: Bitcoin Update

Mr. Rawles, Thank you for your site and all that you do.  I haven’t seen anyone mention on Survivalblog the recent price rise in Bitcoin.  It is a good time to turn any coins into tangible items.  I would like to recommend Fastcash4bitcoins.com I used the service for the first time about two weeks ago just to see if it was for real I selected the pay me with a check option and was paid out on 5 bitcoins.  I can happily say I received and cashed the check three days later.  Now that I had some more confidence in …