Odds ‘n Sods:

J.R. in Illinois was one of several readers to mention The Census Dotmap. It can be zoomed in to see individual families. If nothing else, it certainly confirms the light population density of The American Redoubt. There is lots of elbow room here!    o o o Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein To Introduce “Assault Weapons” Ban On Thursday. Needless to say, this is a good time to contact your senators and say NO WAY to civilian disarmament. Be sure to mention that magazines and ammunition have the same Constitutional protection. There is no room for “accommodation” or “compromise” on a …



Notes from JWR:

January 23rd is the birthday of John Moses Browning, (born 1855) the brilliant designer of dozens of guns including the M1911 pistol, Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), and the venerable M2 .50 Caliber Machinegun. The latter is still in service in at least 95 countries. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it is still in service in 2100. — Today we present another entry for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate …


Self Defense When Your Options are Limited, by L.J.

It started with a pirate story. I was chatting up an old sea captain and asking how folks might take countermeasure against the threat of pirates (think Somali-like, not Disney-like).  He explained that most pirating these days in North and South American waters is either drug related or opportunistic.  To avoid the former, avoid anything associated with the drug trade.  To avoid the latter, harden your target a little bit.  I was particularly interested in the non-firearms related aspects of this, since when cruising on the ocean, many ports of call are in countries with less than friendly firearms laws.  …


Letter Re: Four-Tier Survival for the Newbie

James, Thanks so much for all you and your family do to keep survivalblog.com going. It is a daily read for me. Upon reading “Four-Tier Survival for the Newbie,” I reminisced about what my father would say to me while I was initially preparing my bug-out bag:  “Son, you are preparing for luxury. Back when I was a boy during the Depression we used to go out camping with just the clothes on our backs, our pocket knife and a potato in our pocket. We took a potato ’cause we generally couldn’t ‘find’ potatoes.” Being in my mid-fifties now, I …


Economics and Investing:

Are we missing critical inflation data with the CPI? How the government over time has altered the CPI to under report inflation. Ben Stein on money, gridlock & more. Stein says the budget deficit will continue to grow “…until it eats us all alive.” Whither Japan Stocks and Bonds: Are Kyle Bass and Martin Feldstein Right? Is Market Collapse Ahead? Items from The Economatrix: Karl Denninger:  US Credit Rating Downgrade 2013 As 2013 Begins, Global Economy Still At Risk Of Collapse And The Downside Risks Are Gathering Force 37 Statistics Which Show How Four Years Of Obama Have Wrecked The …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Blog reader H.L. suggested this essay by Dr. Thomas Sowell: Do Gun Control Laws Control Guns?    o o o NASA Warns Earth May Be Entering a Period of “Global Cooling” (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)    o o o When the police can’t cope, the people will: In Mexico, self-defense squads battle violence



Notes from JWR:

This is anniversary of the heroic death of USAF Capt. Lance Sijan. Though he was severely injured, he evaded capture for an amazing 46 days after ejecting from his F-4 Phantom over North Vietnam. He was eventually captured and tortured. He died on January 22, 1968 in Hanoi. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. — Today we present another two entries for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate …


Packing Horses and Mules, by R.S.

In today’s world most people will never pack an animal to move their goods from point A to point B. However it wasn’t that long ago that animal power was the primary land transport system. In a grid down scenario it may return if only briefly. I offer this article only as an introduction, or primer with a few “how to’s” and a few “how not to’s”. If only one piece of knowledge stays with you, it could be very beneficial.   Many of the things I will cover are the basic principles of packing.  Some of the knowledge may …


Is it Evolution or an Alternative Semi-Auto Personal Defense Rifle?, by Racker

Once again, we have people using a tragedy to push personal agendas; they have little respect for the victims of those tragedies or their respective families and friends. These kinds of people maneuver to develop hysteria to use like a blanket masking their real intent and many of them have been sitting on the edge of their seats with prepared slogans and programs awaiting such tragic opportunities (i.e., “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” – Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s current Mayor and President Obama’s former Chief of Staff and mouthpiece). Meanwhile, as citizens and as proper planners, …


News From The American Redoubt:

In Wyoming: Supercomputer Opening Caps Years of Effort    o o o Buck Knives has completed their relocation to Post Falls, Idaho. They now offer tours of their factory.    o o o Idaho’s minimum wage now even lower than neighboring states    o o o Reader R.B.S. forwarded a link to an Idaho job that you probably won’t see elsewhere. Oh, but this might explain it: Sage grouse protection plan would set aside 1.7 million acres in West.


Economics and Investing:

Blog reader Paul C. sent: Mickelson plans ‘drastic changes’ in response to tax hikes. (Effectively a 63% tax rate, for high income earners, in California.) Pacific Group to Convert 1/3 of Hedge-Fund Assets to Gold Obama’s New ‘Pay as You Earn’ Plan a Windfall for MBAs. Items from The Economatrix: A Look Inside The Fed On Verge Of Crisis America Should Declare Bankruptcy


Odds ‘n Sods:

Joe Ordinary Voortrekker sent some news from South Africa, where sadly a private citizen owning more than 200 rounds of loaded ammunition of any one caliber is illegal: Ammunition, food and medical supplies found in Sasolburg house    o o o And, lest we comfortably feel “Oh, but it can never happen here”, consider: When Citizen Vigilantes Busted Food Hoarders    o o o Steve H. pointed me to one of SouthernPrepper1’s videos, wherein he embraces MURS band radios and DakotaAlerts, for retreat security.    o o o Slate: Earth May Have Been Hit by a Gamma Ray Burst 1,200 …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“How complacent we become when we sit secure, hedged round by laws and protections a government may provide!  How soon we forget that but for these governments and laws, there would be naught but savagery, brutality and starvation! For our age-old enemies await us always, just beyond our thin walls.  Hunger, thirst and cold lie waiting there, and forever among us are those would loot, rape and maim, rather than behave as civilized men. If we sit secure this hour, this day, it is because the thin walls of the law stand between us and evil.” – Louis L’Amour, Fair …