Odds ‘n Sods:

Cheryl sent us two items on the continuing big sales runs on guns, ammunition, reloading components,and magazines: The New US Arms Race: Americans stick to their guns as firearms sales soar and Guns And Ammo Availability Overview. JWR Adds: OBTW, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mr. Herman included a mention of my novel “Patriots” in his article.

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Reader Rob A. sent some more insanity from Nanny State Britannia: Family of father stabbed to death by three thugs is denied compensation… because he tried to fight back

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“Snow Hater” sent this: Rampaging Buffalo Killed with a .223 Carbine. Snow Hater’s comment: “A St. Joseph, Michigan police officer was able to dispatch a 400 pound buffalo with is AR-15 patrol carbine. It took 12 rounds through the chest and dropped 10 feet from the officer.” JWR’s comment: Awwww! At just 400 pounds, the poor thing was just a little baby calf! If it had been an adult bull, it might have taken several rounds of .308 to do the job.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it." – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Note from JWR:

This is the last day to bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction.The high bid is now at $2,510. This auction ends at midnight (eastern time) tonight, April 15th. It is for a large mixed lot, which includes::

1.) A Warrior Aid and Litter Kit, donated by Ready Made Resources. This is an advanced medic kit package that includes a Talon II 90C folding-handle collapsible litter, which normally retails for $560, just by itself. This truly a “full up” tactical trauma kit! This sophisticated medic kit normally retails for $1,500.

2.) A “be ready to barter” box of 26 full-capacity firearms magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 4 – Brand new “smoke gray” polymer original Bulgarian 40 rd. AK-47 magazines, 10 – brand new AR-15/M16 USGI black Teflon coated alloy 30 round magazines with stainless steel springs and the latest gray anti-tilt followers, 6 – new condition original USGI M14/M1A 20 round parkerized steel magazines, from CMI (the current military prime contractor) 6 – new condition original Glock Model 20 (10mm) 15 round pistol magazines–the latest production type with “SF” front magazine catch notch . All of these magazines are of recent manufacture (and hence are NOT legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $750, in today’s market. Note: If you live in a state where full capacity magazines are banned, then you must choose to: refrain from bidding, or designate a recipient in an unrestricted state, or re-donate the magazines for a subsequent auction.

3.) A large Bury ‘Em Tube (# 6L, 43″ x 6″ with a 5.1 gallon capacity), donated by Safecastle. (a $199.95 retail value)

4.) A NukAlert compact radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value). 

5.) An OPTIMUS Terra Cookset for backpacking, tent camping or even WTSHTF, donated by Safecastle. It includes the ultra-compact Crux stove, plus a special small cookset–all very portable and lightweight. (Fuel canister not included.) (a $95 retail value)

6.) A fresh, sealed case of full mil-spec MRE rations with ration heaters, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com. (a $94.95 value)

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $2,800. Again, this auction ends at midnight on April 15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.

Letter Re: The Importance of Spare Parts and Maintenance for Preparedness

James Wesley:
One subject that I think is under rated in preparedness discussions is spare parts. We all are focused on our armaments and basic survival materials to the detriment of being able to continue to use our tools and equipment when they inevitably break. Even in the best-case scenario of a sever depression spare parts will be often unavailable through normal channels. A good example of this is to be found in cars. When I was young in the ‘50s and early ‘60s there was an abundance of cars made in the late ‘20s and ‘30s in remarkably good shape that were shoved into barns because of breakdowns, often minor, for which parts were not available during the depression. These cars were hauled out by enterprising young men returning from WWII and Korea and turned into hot rods or just driven into the ground when parts again became available in the ‘50s. As our economic system becomes ever more complex and specialized, and as that built in disaster of “just in time” production and distribution is used more and more, the inevitability of interruptions in materials and basic goods becomes even more probable. Having spent a lifetime living on farms, and particularly here in the western Upper Peninsula (“U.P.“) of Michigan where the nearest farm supply stores are down in Wisconsin a day’s drive away, I have developed an acute appreciation of the necessity of having a good inventory of parts on hand. So combine a disruption in supply with a remote refuge location and the problem could become insurmountable and be very inconvenient if not life threatening. So think in terms of two different plans: parts and maintenance.

Spare Parts
In the parts department do you have spare wicks and globes for your oil lamps? And lots and lots of mantles for gas lights which I do not recommend for the reason that they are so fragile that bugs break them. Do you have extra leathers for your water pumps? And handles for your axes, splitting mauls, hammers and saws? These have a way of getting broke when used with regularity; particularly when you are tired or exhausted which we will be if we are in this situation. I heat with wood and do not own a wood splitter. I do it by hand and have never broken a maul handle except at the end of the day when I am tired and miss the block of wood with the head and hit it with the handle. So count on breaking things when you are tired or in a hurry. Do you have extra chains for your chain saw and blades for your bow saw. A good bow saw [or bucksaw] is definitely a tool to have if gasoline is scarce or unavailable, or if you want to cut wood without attracting attention. And do you have the files and sharpening stones to keep them sharp by hand and the teeth properly set? You might also want to practice these skills because they are skills. And boot laces, gloves, wool socks and other warm and durable clothing that you do not often use and replace but that will become something that you will use every day under adverse conditions. Anyway you get the point. Stock up on daily used items. For instance, last week the local hardware store had leather palmed work gloves on sale at two pairs for a buck so I bought 50 pairs. I’ll use them eventually even if nothing goes wrong, and if it does I’m covered and I’ll have some great bartering material. Buy what you know you will need and may be able to trade to those less provident.

Maintenance|
Maintenance is always a neglected area of planning. Most people are poor at maintenance as a matter of course and some cannot even seem to consider it. Look at your home, equipment and tools and determine what you need to do to keep it working, particularly under adverse conditions. Do you have the tools, manuals and knowledge to fix things. Is your shop supplied with lubricants and grease to keep the place running. My granddad liked to say “grease and oil are cheap and parts and labor are expensive”, During the 1980s I was a Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court and I handled most of the farm cases here in the U.P. because I knew the business and could milk cows. One of the things that struck me most was the almost universal lack of grease guns on these bankrupt farms. It changed my feelings about my fellow farmers plight to a great degree in many cases. A lack of daily maintenance is a precondition to disaster. I own a lot of old equipment that gets used hard, but it is well maintained and seldom breaks down because of grease, oil and general maintenance. And maintenance of the area around you is also important. Recently a most excellent article was posted in SurvivalBlog dealing with keeping the place neat and clean. It is well worth re-reading and considering. A neat environment helps keep you safe from injury and has an important psychological component. Which leads to another point about neatness. Keep your stored goods organized so you can find them. Plastic bins and totes with labels make things easy to find and protects them from vermin, dirt and corrosion and makes taking inventory a snap.

So get the spare parts you will need, and some to trade, and get them organized. And maintain your home, tools, equipment, mind, body, marriage and family and we will get through this time to come. And if we are wrong about the future we will still be the better for it. – Ken S.

Letter Re: Recommendation for Kinder Goats

Hi
First, I just wanted to say I loved “Patriots” and have given it away to many of my friends and adult children.

Concerning “Livestock for Survival, by Bobbi A.” Most people are not aware of a small meat/dairy goat called the Kinder [, spoken “Kin-dur”.] It was developed over 30 years ago and has gained great success in competing against it’s larger cousins. This little goat will produce a gallon of milk a day, is much more feed efficient than other breeds, is small so easy to handle (especially the bucks) and is stocky so makes for better meat than the other dairy breeds. Another advantage over other breeds is that the Kinder will breed all year long so you can rotate your milking does and always have plenty of milk. The milk is also higher in protein and butterfat so better for making cheese. This little goat was developed for the small farmstead. The primary lady behind this breed is a long time prepper and has always believed the Kinder will get the job done when other goats fail. For further information, see KinderGoat.com or contact Pat Showalter, primary founder and president of the Kinder Goat Breeder’s Association at kinderzed@aol.com. And thanks for all you do. – Jan H.

Economics and Investing:

Reader HPD: suggested this piece by Mish Shedlock: Nationwide Tax Revolt is Coming

Dave (at Captain Dave’s) mentioned an interesting article on Why our current credit crisis mirrors Weimar, over at the Seeking Alpha site.

G.G. sent us this: Bernanke sees signs of economic stability “I can assure you that monetary policy-makers are fully committed to acting as needed to withdraw on a timely basis the extraordinary support now being provided to the economy, and we are confidence in our ability to do so,” Bernanke said in remarks prepared for delivery at Morehouse College in Atlanta.” G.G.’s comment: “Of course, remember this is also the guy who said that the $700 billion bailout in September, 2008 was all that was going to be needed to stabilize everything. How well did that work out?” JWR’s comment: Once mass inflation begins, it will become self-perpetuating. Bernanke is delusional if he thinks that he can stop it quickly. The expectation of continuing inflation can be a very powerful force in the marketplace.

Items from The Economatrix:

AIG in Spotlight Over Derivatives “The unit that all but destroyed AIG has failed to sign up for the overhaul of the global derivatives market.”

Obama Tempers Optimism with Reality on Economy

Surge in Delinquent Taxpayers

Martin Weiss: Major Announcement [JWR Adds: I recommend Marty’s book: The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide ]

Oil Drops Below $50 as Forecast Cut

Credit Suisse to Close US Customers Accounts

Celente Calls for “Revolution” as the Only Solution

Moody’s Downgrades the Entire Country “Every municipal debt issuer is now suspect and shaky.”

Wall Street Stars Beginning to Scatter

Older Borrowers, Out in the Cold

Super Hyperinflation Coming Soon

San Diego Tea Party Monitored by Government

Odds ‘n Sods:

Jasper sent this from the Sydney Morning Herald: Warning that Pakistan is in danger of collapse within months. The prospect of a country armed with nuclear bombs falling to Islamic extremists is troubling, to say the least!
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Cheryl flagged this: Why You Should Carry a Gun

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HPD sent and item from the Bangor [Maine] Daily News: Woodworker crafts furniture to die for. HPD’s comment: “Do-it-yourself funerals at home will be a necessity in a TEOTWAWKI situation.”

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Texas Governor Perry Backs Resolution Affirming Texas’ Sovereignty Under 10th Amendment. (A tip of the ten-gallon cowboy hat to Larry B. for the link.) In other state sovereignty news, Montana’s HB 246 (the “made in Montana” exemption gun law, a.k.a. the “Montana Firearms Freedom Act”) passed by the Montana House and Senate–now before the Governor for signature. And yet another sovereignty bill passed in Idaho and is awaiting that state’s Governor. (Thanks to Larry W. up in Montana for the link.)

Note from JWR:

Just one day left to bid! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at 1,860. This auction ends on April 15th. It is for a large mixed lot, which includes::

1.) A Warrior Aid and Litter Kit, donated by Ready Made Resources. This is an advanced medic kit package that includes a Talon II 90C folding handle collapsible litter, which normally retails for $560, just by itself. This truly a “full up” tactical trauma kit! This sophisticated medic kit normally retails for $1,500.

2.) A “be ready to barter” box of 26 full-capacity firearms magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 4 – Brand new “smoke gray” polymer original Bulgarian 40 rd. AK-47 magazines, 10 – brand new AR-15/M16 USGI black Teflon coated alloy 30 round magazines with stainless steel springs and the latest gray anti-tilt followers, 6 – new condition original USGI M14/M1A 20 round parkerized steel magazines, from CMI (the current military prime contractor) 6 – new condition original Glock Model 20 (10mm) 15 round pistol magazines–the latest production type with “SF” front magazine catch notch . All of these magazines are of recent manufacture (and hence are NOT legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $750, in today’s market. Note: If you live in a state where full capacity magazines are banned, then you must choose to: refrain from bidding, or designate a recipient in an unrestricted state, or re-donate the magazines for a subsequent auction.

3.) A large Bury ‘Em Tube (# 6L, 43″ x 6″ with a 5.1 gallon capacity), donated by Safecastle. (a $199.95 retail value)

4.) A NukAlert compact radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value). 

5.) An OPTIMUS Terra Cookset for backpacking, tent camping or even WTSHTF, donated by Safecastle. It includes the ultra-compact Crux stove, plus a special small cookset–all very portable and lightweight. (Fuel canister not included.) (a $95 retail value)

6.) A fresh, sealed case of full mil-spec MRE rations with ration heaters, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com. (a $94.95 value)

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $2,800. This auction ends on April 15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.

From The Werewolf: New Flex Fuel Ethanol Motorcycle Now Available in Brazil

Jim,
I´m very proud of the new Honda´s motorcycle in the Brazilian market:he first full “flex fuel” bike in the world! You can use gas and alcohol, in almost any ratio. (Well, on cold days, you´ll need 20% gasoline minimum to start the engine…). It´s the ultimate survival bike! I know you don´t read Portuguese, but here is the link. And here is an article about it in English: Honda CG150 TITAN MIX: world’s first flex-fuel motorcycle.

Best Regards, – The Werewolf in Brazil

Letter Re: Offshore G.O.O.D.–Do You Have Your Papers?

We all know that many Jews saw the handwriting on the wall in a pre-WWII Germany, but failed to leave, or could they not leave? There was obviously a window of opportunity for most to leave but why did so many miss it? Some were not wealthy, but were able to escape. Some had the money, so why could they not leave? If one only has a few moments in which to leave a foreign country, is the house in order? My sister dwelled on this problem and then looked at her own family. She was the only one with a passport. Consider:

  • How many families in Jewish families in Germany had passports or visas?
  • How many parents had passports, but not for their [late teenage] children?
  • How many had no passports?
  • How many had the currency of the country they wished to flee to?
  • How many had sufficient sums of the foreign currency?
  • How long does it take to get a passport in your country?
  • How long does it take to get a visa to the place to where you wish to flee?

After asking these questions, another reason why many Jews did not leave WWII Germany becomes obvious: they could not leave! Not enough paperwork, or no paperwork.

King Solomon said “there is nothing new under the sun”, so what was done in Germany has been done in other countries to keep a population “in” before that same government would eliminate it. The pattern and signs should be the same.

In most large countries like the U.S., folks have a place to go where the government may not be able to reach, but in smaller countries this may not be the case. In summary, it might be a good idea for every family member to have a passport. (At least for those live in an area where the government can reach it’s tentacles to every corner of the country, like in WWII Germany). Even Joseph had to flee with his wife and son to get away from King Herod! Furthermore, in the US, what if you wanted to flee to Canada? Or in Canada, what if you wanted to flee to the U.S.?

Lastly, consider that some countries will not allow entry without certain vaccinations. So if a family is to have a plan B or plan C bug out emigration plan, then that plan needs to include the vaccination requirements for that country. – Rick B.

Letter Re: Highly Productive Home Gardens

Jim,

Take a look at the YouTube videos on the Dervaes family. These folks are a bit granola crunching and leftist/idealistic for me, but there is a great deal to be learned from their efforts. 6,000 pounds of produce from 5,000 square feet of yard is pretty impressive. Admittedly, they have a 365-day growing season and no deer to worry about, but we are adapting the strategies for our own situation. I do agree with them that producing your own food is a profoundly subversive act. If the link does not work work just go to YouTube and then search “Dervaes family”.

Also, I have lately been listening to the daily offerings from The Survival Podcast, which I burn to CD or load on my MP3 player to listen at my leisure.

Letter Re: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Reinforcing Your Retreat for Long Term Survival on the Cheap

Jim
Concerning the article by Q.T. about fence building. A good book on the subject is, “Fences, Gates, and Bridges, and How to Make Them” by George Martin. It includes a longer and more complete explanation, and pictures, of the plash method of fence building.

…And a caution!
Be careful what plants you choose for building your fences. It can have unintended consequences. Fifty years ago, the local County Agriculture Agents recommended to all the farmers around here, that we plant multiflora rose bushes. The agents said the roses were cheap, would grow fast and they would form an impenetrable barrier for livestock. They were exactly right on all counts. But, what none of us realized at the time was that they also produce thousands of hips that the birds like to eat, but don’t digest. Within a few short years there were roses everywhere. ..Roses that will puncture the toughest tractor tire, are really hard to kill and will grow fifty feet tall.

Russian olive is another cheap to buy, fast growing fence plant that will also spread in ways you won’t like. So be careful and choose wisely. – Jim Fry, Curator, Museum of Western Reserve Farms & Equipment, Ohio

Economics and Investing:

G.G. sent a link to a piece in The Financial Times about the threat of mass inflation: Germany warns on ‘crisis after crisis’ “‘I am concerned that the countermeasures we are seeing around the world, financed by enormous amounts of debts, could be paving the road to the next crisis,’ Mr Steinbrück told Bild, a tabloid daily.”

G.G. also forwarded a link to a Barron’s article: The Lessons of the Savings-and-Loan Crisis: “The current bank scandal dwarfs the 1980s savings-and-loan crisis — and could destroy the Obama presidency.The scale of fraud is immense.” “This whole bank scandal makes Teapot Dome [of the 1920s] look like some kid’s doll set… With most of America’s biggest banks insolvent, you have, in essence, a multi-trillion dollar cover-up by publicly traded entities, which amounts to felony securities fraud on a massive scale.”

KAF suggested How to Haggle and Save: Five Key Moves, at SmartMoney.com

Items from The Economatrix:

GM Shares Tumble as Fears of Bankruptcy Grow

Toyota Expecting $5B Annual Loss

Scenes From the Great Depression

The Financial War Against Iceland Defeated by debt, are we next?

Demand for Oil Drops as Outlook for G-7 Remains Grim

Do Economists Know Any More Than the Rest of Us?

China Slows Purchase of US and Other Bonds

Lew Rockwell: Bailout Bonds?

Longer Unemployment for Those 45 and Up

Odds ‘n Sods:

M.P. suggested a web site that describes an innovative self-watering and water efficient tomato growing system. “It is estimated that this system uses 75% less water than in-ground planting, a potentially huge benefit when the power goes out for good. Plans for building the device are given in both PDF and video format.”

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Signs of the times: Reader Andy H. sent us this excerpt from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Bulletin:

SOLD OUT – 415-CN. As a result over 9,000 orders already in [the] Estore and the many hundreds of other orders (received through the mail and via phone) that have not yet been entered into our system, and the number of orders estimated to already be in the mail coming our way, we have posted item 415-CN as sold out and removed it from the Estore. M2 [.30-06] Ball, [Greek Military Surplus] HXP, 240 rounds in 20 round cartons, in spam cans. We will be able to fill all orders already received and in the pipeline.

.30-06 M2 BALL PURCHASE LIMITS ESTABLISHED. Effective immediately, CMP is setting a purchase limit for items 407-CAN (.30-06 M2 Ball, HXP, clipped, in spam cans) and 407DCAN (.30-06 M2 Ball, clipped, in .30 cal ammo can). The new purchase limit is total of 10 cans of HXP ammo per year, per customer, regardless of item numbers ordered.

ORDER BACKLOG. For the past six months, the number of orders received by CMP for rifles, ammunition, and all other products has been unprecedented. As of today, 10 April 2009, our Sales Order Processing Dept is up to processing /shipping orders received at the end of Jan 2009, with several thousand orders still to go for Feb and Mar. Because of the large volume of orders that we continue to receive daily in the mail and through the Estore, customers should not expect any acknowledgment of our receiving orders for 30-45 days after mailing the order, and should not expect delivery for 90-120 days from placing an order. We ask our customers to bear with us. We will eventually recover from this surge. The CMP staff thanks you for your support and patience.

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KAF spotted this at CNN: Poll: Fewer Americans support stricter gun control laws