Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Ask yourself, why do I hold some of my wealth in the form of money? The answer is, because you like the unique flexibility that only money can give you. If you have demand for money, it means that you have demand for purchasing power in the form of money. It is not a specific number of paper notes or weight of gold that you desire to hold – neither, by itself, does anything for you – but it is the spending flexibility that the monetary asset gives you, its exchange value, that you demand. From this, some powerful conclusions …


Notes from JWR:

Here in the States, today is set aside as a special day to thank God for his blessings upon us. — Today is also the birthday of the late Eugene M. Stoner. (Born, 1922, died April 24, 1997.) He is well-known to the shooting fraternity as the designer of the AR-7, AR-10, AR-15, AR-180, and Stoner 63. (The AR-15 was the basis of the M16 and all of its variants including the now ubiquitous M4 Carbine.) — Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) …


Guest Article: Reflections on Secession, by Partisan

Sure, I signed my state’s petition to secede.  (Coincidentally but not at all comparable, an ancestor signed the Ordnance of Secession of Georgia.)  Most people correctly realize that these petitions are symbolic of our frustration with and desire to reject federal statist policies affecting all 50 states.  Still, there are those who act as if these petitions are the spark that will somehow ignite nationwide revolt.  In and of themselves, these petitions are a circus detached from reality and they’re a distraction from a real solution. I believe that secession can be a real solution but, as you’ll see, it carries …


Letter Re: Preparations for a Long-Distance Commuter

Mr. Rawles, For those considering the purchase of winter tires, a good web site with demonstrations comparing the performance of different vehicle types (including all wheel drive) with and without these tires from the Rubber Association of Canada. Survival experts have also advised against consuming snow as a water source. Les Stroud, a Canadian survival expert, has demonstrated that if engaged in physical activity, such as walking, the consumption of snow when necessary is safe as metabolic heat offsets the cold snow. Some have survived in Arctic conditions doing this. However, it is still not safe when hunkered down. Best …


Economics and Investing:

An interesting perspective on calculating life insurance coverage or retirement savings: How long do you expect to be dead? Robert Fitzwilson: “History says that once set in motion, fiat money schemes cannot be reversed. Tragedy and collapse are the terminal destinations.” We Have a Shortage of Gold – Eric Sprott Items from The Economatrix: The Twinkie That Broke The Economy’s Back:  Just Two Weeks Since The Election And 100,000+ Jobs Lost US Treasury Secretary Geithner:  Lift Debt Ceiling To Infinity Greenspan On The Cliff:  This Leveraged Economy Was No Accident~Take The Deal~Recession Is Guaranteed Dollar Collapse Update:  7 of 10 …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Real Crimes of Genius: Not so Honest Abe?    o o o G.G. sent: House Tour: Laura And Matt LaVoie’s 120-Square-Foot Home In The Smokey Mountains Of North Carolina    o o o Joseph L. mentioned some new dual-wheel drive motorcycles. [JWR Adds: I’m more of a quad kinda guy. I don’t own a motorcycle, and thus avoid embarrassing myself.]    o o o Reader F.G. wrote to report that the Drone Wars have begun: Flying Camera From Animal Rights Group Shot Down at Pigeon Shoot



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 43 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 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 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any …


Preparations for a Long-Distance Commuter, by Darin P. in Michigan

Long-distance Commuters face challenges. I average 20 days at work per month.  During those days, I am away from home for 11.5 hours.   Unless the Crunch starts conveniently on a Saturday morning, before I can survive the end of the world as I know it I have to get home.      My daily commute carries me 35 miles each way.  Sometimes while sitting in traffic I’m reminded of real life – and fictional – disaster situations looking a lot like what I face each day; miles and miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic congestion.  The defining difference is this: My traffic jam eventually …


Letter Re: Can You Take To The Sky?

JWR, I have been reading you blog and the letters other people has written for a few weeks now. A friend of mine turned me on to your site. Thank you and everyone else for all you do. I have learned much over the past few weeks and look forward to learning more as time goes on.   I just read the letter post in September by Greg G., Can You Take to the Sky? Greg makes some very valid and interesting points in his letter. Like Greg, I am a licensed pilot. I studied at a local community college …


Economics and Investing:

Some stunning charts: Quantitative addiction and the allure of low interest rates – US paid $454 billion in interest payments alone in 2011. Equity in real estate for households cut in half. Negative Real Interest Rates Continue To Drive The Gold Price Miles in Indiana sent this from Ahead of the Herd: Nickel Mining Like its 1864–Nickel Sulphide Project Pipeline Empty Billions in bearer bonds could be lost due to Hurricane Sandy. (A hat tip to to Linda U. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Greenspan Warns Financial Markets Will Crash If US Can’t Solve Fiscal Cliff Problem Most …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The New York Times gets down and dirty a with prepping issues and the requisite OPSEC: How to Survive Societal Collapse in Suburbia. (The article briefly quotes JWR.)    o o o Scientific American: How Safe Are America’s 2.5 Million Miles of Pipelines?    o o o JRH Enterprises is celebrating their 20th Year in business with a big Black Friday sale that starts Wednesday. The sale includes new Third Generation+ Pinnacle Autogated  Mil Spec PVS-14s with real ITT tubes and a 5 year warranty as low as $2595. And PVS-14 Third Gen + Pinnacle Autogated “Upgraded” monoculars are available …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Even after the elite decamp there’ll be plenty of good eatin’ left on the carcass for the stay-behinds. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the somewhat less than elite. For one, their toadies in DC have been building Führerbunkers and stocking them with supplies and ammunition for the day when they’re toadies no more. Some of the toady’s toadies have retreats and plans of their own. They keep it quiet, unsurprisingly. Then it’s all against all, a spectre of flag-waving warlords and tribal strong men, of alliances and secessions, of fiefdoms and redoubts and contested regions. Everybody who wants to be …


Notes from JWR:

Ready Made Resources (our very first advertiser) has announced a Buy One, Give One (BOGO) product offering to benefit Christian Reformed Outreach, South Sudan (C.R.O.S.S.). The BOGO product offering is a 35 gram packet of CELOX wound coagulant. For each one that you buy, an identical one will be sent to distribute free of charge to villagers in South Sudan. I encourage other gear vendors to do likewise. Particularly needed are earth tone or Multicam magazine pouches (AK and HK-G3), canteens with covers, hydration packs, rifle slings, and rifle buttstock pouches. — Today is the birthday of Walter “Joe” Marm, …


Building a Super Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System, by Pretty in a Blue State

The Sawyer Squeeze filter has become very popular with backpackers. The filter threads onto a variety of soft-sided bottles and hydration packs. By squeezing a bottle or bladder of dirty water you generate the pressure to push the water thru the hollow fiber filter. Here’s one review. The biggest advantage of the Sawyer Squeeze filter is that it does not require a pump. This removes the potential mechanical failure of a pump and the hassle of tubing as you balance on the edge of a stream or lake. Just scoop up water, pour it into a bladder, and filter it …