Letter Re: Weapons-Based Martial Arts for Survival

James: If you are going to carry a weapon, in many jurisdictions within CONUS, it doesn’t matter if it is a pistol, knife, or brass knuckles, all are illegal to carry concealed without a permit. (These laws vary widely, depending on blade length regulations, and so forth.) In fact, in some jurisdictions such as California, concealed carry of a “martial arts weapons” (Liberal oxymoron–aren’t weapons martial by definition?) is a felony, but having a Glock tucked into your waistband is a “Class A” misdemeanor [for the first offense.] Therefore, if you are going to carry, then why not carry something truly …


Recipe of the Week:

Big Ben’s Chicken Asparagus Rice Casserole Sometimes spontaneity can yield a pretty good result.  This recipe was thought up on the spot at fish camp one night, and the result was a quickly emptied  pot.  3 cups Jasmine white rice 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves 2 lbs fresh asparagus spears 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese   Combine rice and 6 cups water.  Mix in soups and chicken breasts.  Cover and bake for 1 hour on low heat (275-to-325 degrees F), stirring …


Economics and Investing:

Starting life in the negative net worth column. What the Fed does not want you to know about American net worth figures. Dr Gary North: Panic in the New World Order Yet another reason to keep a cash reserve at home: Millions affected by Natwest online glitch The USD Trap Is Closing: Dollar Exclusion Zone Crosses The Pacific As Brazil Signs China Currency Swap Forget the PIIGS, the EU as a Whole is Insolvent Items from The Economatrix: Welcome To Doomsday, Warns Wall Street Seer Why Doesn’t The Stock Market Reflect The Imminent Global Depression? Why Gas Prices Are Headed …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Bill Buppert’s new e-book ZeroGov: Limited Government, Unicorns and Other Mythological Creatures is now available quite inexpensively, via Amazon.com. This is a collection of Buppert’s essays since 2003. Several of his essays deal with family preparedness. I highly recommend it.    o o o The latest scandal in the District of Criminals (DC): Fast and Furious, Executive Privilege, and a Suspected Cover-Up    o o o Over at Mac Slavo’s SHTFPlan blog: Here it is: An effective plan to convince your loved ones to prepare    o o o Phoenix boy, 14, shoots armed intruder while watching three younger siblings.



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 41 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 …


Emergency Response Preparedness Pre- and Post-TEOTWAWKI, by D.C.M. in Colorado

I recently witnessed an accident that gave me great insight into what it means to be prepared for an emergency situation and what it will mean post-TEOTWAWKI, when you cannot dial 9-1-1.  It was important for me to evaluate the situation afterwards and to share the lessons I learned with others.  I have numbered the main lessons that can be learned from my situation and I hope you will find a thing or two that might be helpful to you in the future.   I was driving from Denver to Vail after work on a Friday this past May.  Less …


Making Assumptions, by Mudflap

Prepping is full of assumptions.  We prepare because we assume that something could go wrong in our lives and that it is our own responsibility to take steps to assure that we come out smelling like roses.  Others don’t prepare because they assume that nothing could go wrong in their lives and that someone else will take care of them.  We buy long term storage food because we assume that there will be a food shortage in the future.  Others barely have enough food in the pantry because they assume the pizza place will always be able to deliver and …


Letter Re: Linking Up With Local Ham Radio Operators

James, I’m in the process of gearing up my ham radio capabilities, as well as trying to coordinate with my neighbors.  I was listening to today’s podcast from survivalpodcast.com and they mentioned a web site called radioreference.com as a method of identifying what radio frequencies your local government entities operate on.  While I was on that site, I was excited to find an amateur radio search link where you can do a search of ham licensees, by ZIP code. I looked up my zip code and was amazed at the number of ham operators listed there.  By registering on the …


Letter Re: Home Computer Security Tips

Hi James, I heard your recent radio interview with Alex Jones. It it you mentioned Darknets [such as Tor] and IP addresses. I happen to use the following tools for security. Perhaps they will be of use to SurvivalBlog readers: To make it easy to find IP addresses, I use ShowIP. This is a little tool add-on to Firefox and works a treat, makes saving favorite web site numeric addresses a breeze. Private VPN tunneling:  Normally this is difficult to say the least, by TunnelBlick is great, easy to use, and I use RiseUp for both secure anonymous e-mail and …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Rhonda T. sent this: Greek citizens: ‘Family is all that is holding us together. But it can’t last, people are getting tired’ B.B. recommended this over at Zero Hedge: Guest Post: Abandoning Ship – The Eurozone Is Failing At An Accelerating Rate Also from B.B. and link to a video: Jonathan Roth of Cambridge House Live Interviews Peter Schiff at the World Resource Investment Conference in Vancouver How You’re Getting Fooled By Inflation Items from The Economatrix: Hyperinflation, Deflation, and Currency Wars Italian PM Warns: We Have A Week To Save The Eurozone Social Security In America:  Writing Off …


Odds ‘n Sods:

M.E.W. spotted this: India Confronts ‘Untreatable’ Tuberculosis    o o o Here is a video that sums up my reply to all those who claim that my children are “deprived of social interaction” by being homeschooled. Is this the crucial “socialization” that they are lacking? If so, then I’m glad that they are missing out.    o o o After a long delay while the manufacturer’s supplies were tight, Camping Survival finally has some WaterBOB bathtub water containment systems back in stock.    o o o Kevin S. spotted this: Brace for the Apocalypse! Surviving the Worst in an Inland …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 41 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 …


TEOTWAWKI is Now — Prepping Drama Queen Style, by Laura H.

As a theater teacher and director I am primed for drama.  I hunger for it.  But what to do while waiting for the aliens to land, the dollar to collapse, the bombs to start flying, or Yellowstone to have its say?  I have always told my actors, don’t rehearse it, do it.  After all, preparation is important, but performing is better.  Act as if you have an audience now and do it the way you will perform it.   I am new to this “prepping” phenomenon.  It can be an overwhelming, and for some of my friends, an inexplicable thing.  So …