Jim
Hello!
Some time ago, I read a post on SurvivalBlog about the HESCO bastions. Very interesting. I follow another blog here [in Brazil] , and one of the bloggers tell me about the huge fertilizer bags that he uses at his farm. (It is a [large scale] soy bean farm). Each bag is of one of one ton capacity. And he tells me that this bags are thrown away after use. Well, I think it´s a good source of almost free HESCO bastion equivalents. – The Werewolf (SurvivalBlog’s correspondent in Brazil)
Reader Benjamin H. wanted to remind folks that there are two types of deflation, and to that end he sent us a link to a great piece over ar iTulip: Debt Deflation versus Goods Price Deflation.
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Pete in New Hampshire sent this news that will be of interest to diabetics: Lifescan is giving away their new One Touch Ultra Slim [blood glucose] meters. Pete writes: ” People can always use a back up meter, and free ones are even better. Of course they will need acquire the test strips to go along with it.ia
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Here is some of the latest economic news: Reader G.G. mentioned that some economists quoted by Financial Week concur with my prediction: Inflation starter? Foreign buyers no longer binging on long-term U.S. debt With financing of deficits in doubt as spending rises, deflation could quickly turn into runaway price increases, say economists Next, thanks to Jeff B. for this: Earnings, economy – here comes ‘terrible’, The week ahead: Investors gear up for a deluge of weak earnings and the biggest plunge in GDP in 26 years.
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Trent H. sent us this news of pending legislation from the state with the “Live Free or Die” bravado license plates: The Licensing of Horses in New Hampshire
“Americans who are in the bottom 10th of income distribution live better today than kings lived in 1800. They have better health care, cheaper entertainment, cheaper books, longer life expectancy, air conditioning, central heating, and much more. This has come as a result of the private property system, the future-orientation of a broad mass of savers, and the willingness of entrepreneurs to invest their time and money to meet the wants of consumers in the future.” – Dr. Gary North
Jim:
I’m a SurvivalBlog reader in Australia. I want to describe the current situation for Australian gun owners, but first a bit of background information is needed to compare then and now: I grew up in Australia in the 1960s. My parents came here in the 1950s from a war torn Europe to have a better life here in a climate away from the cold and starving masses in Europe after the war, the so called “gun culture” in Australia was very free then, you could go on public transport with a 22 rifle tucked under your arm after a days shooting on the range or from shooting rabbits on many small acres dotted around the big cities, no one accosted you or thought anything about it, people chatted to you and asked how the says hunt went.
Driving through country areas was an experience! lot’s of people had gun racks in their back window of their pick-ups, and it was common to go out and bag 50 or 60 rabbits in a young boys lazy afternoon.
I grew up being the proud owner of a Remington 22 pump action at 13, and have owned many guns over the years, to have a license then was a mere formality and paying a small fee, up till 1998 in Australia you could legally own pump actions, semi autos and lever guns of all types, AR-15s and FN-FALs were very common along with AK copies, SKSes, etc.
That has all gone and an entire era has disappeared. Today in Australia, you pay a fee of AUS$200 for three years, then pay a another $30 to transfer a firearm to your name before you buy one you like, the ammo must be stored away from the gun and you must have a approved steel safe suitably bolted to a brick or concrete floor/wall, now you must have the police inspect your beloved new toy and of course its registered!, also you must have the ammunition pertaining only to the guns you have in your safe, heaven help you if its different from your guns.
The Police have the authority to randomly inspect your car while out on a hunting trip and often can and do searches of your vehicle to or from a hunting area, needless to say semi-autos are verboten! And our own version of Handgun Control, Inc (Yes we have those fools here too !) constantly screech about the “gun culture” in the US, (I lived in the USA for several years and thoroughly enjoyed my time there and most enjoyed the freedom to carry a handgun there. And I understand if it was not for the American servicemen we would be speaking Japanese, that must always be remembered ).
Australia is not what it once was, now it’s a benign dictatorship. (Those are harsh words but true never the less ) Both the main parties support the strict system we have, in truth real freedom to possess firearms for self defense purposes has never occurred,. The Police here have all the best equipment, the unlimited budgets and power and backing of the state, there really isn’t much difference between the thugs of Nazi Germany and now. Did you know Australia has one of the highest rates of home invasion in the western world ? (It ranks about 5th or 6th )
Now the precursor for all the anti-gun push was supposedly a man called Martin Bryant who many claim shot and killed 35 people.
“No action can really be understood apart from motive which prompted it.” Arthur Schopenhauer. 1851.
For the record, Martin Bryant never had a trial by jury, he received a pre-sentencing hearing and all files pertaining to his case have been locked up under an act of secrecy for 30+ years. Now I ask are they the actions of open and honest Government? Jim, in my mind there is no question that this was deliberately foisted on the Australian people to facilitate disarmament, Australia today is a poorer place, both morally, spiritually and physically. To own a rifle today will set you back quite a large sum of money and the costs are onerous, for example to buy common 22 [rimfire] ammunition will set you back AUS$700 for 5,000 rounds! and the costs keep going up (never down ) woe to you if you shoot and intruder in your home, all the onus is on you to prove your innocence, in all probability you will lose all you own to get a win in the courts.
I subscribe to what the US Constitution stated. The Founding Fathers envisioned a peaceful country without foreign involvement or even a standing army, so the Constitution states that appropriations for the army can’t exceed two years (Article I, Section 8). Alas, our Constitution has been ineffective in curbing the war racket. Unfortunately, the US seems to be heading toward monarchy. No standing armies for Australia or the USA…….my country is involved in two wars now, Australia has no place in Iraq or Afghanistan, period end of story! I will protect my family, my wife, my children, but not foreign interests or oil politics. To that end I prepare my family
By the way I want to state as a born again fundamentalist Christian, I see firearms as a God given right and most definitely not a “sport”. Since when is owning a gun [to defend life and liberty] a sport? If it’s a sport it can be legalized away (which is exactly what has happened in this country), there were over 1 million firearms owners in this country, but you know something? no one voted the lying self serving politicians out over the issue!
On a final note, I would have to say that if there is in the US about 360,000 people in the survivalist movement, over here the number can be counted in as few as 20,000, a tiny number, even fewer in the Christian circles I travel in , I find that saddening as most Christians here as anti gun and handgun inc, we are marching to abyss , but I for one wont go down without doing my bit to prepare my family for what’s ahead. Regards – Alan C.
Jim:
My mainstream friends feel sorry for me. According to them, I live in a world of fear rather than hope. What they don’t understand is that I enjoy the preparedness lifestyle. While they are out shopping for shoes and designer jackets, I’m buying fruit and nut trees and learning how to graft and manage an orchard. While they are at home watching millionaire athletes compete on television, I’m doing 100 reps up and down my stairs with kettle weights building my stamina. While they are watching a movie, I’m learning how to fix my car, weld, set up a photovoltaic system and operate a ham radio. While they are at a restaurant, I’m learning how to can, smoke, bake and pickle.
There has always been a small section of society that craves adventure and learning. We were the ones that got on the ships for the new world 500 years ago. We were the ones that crossed the continent 200 years ago. We are the ones that will one day venture into space to populate new worlds. Why do I prep? It’s not just because I see the potential for mass societal upheavals, but because of the challenge. I like to learn. I do it because I enjoy the satisfaction of mastering new skills and being independent. – SF in Hawaii
Jim:
The gentleman that wrote to say that he wants to rent his property out for bugout situations should read the [first hand] observations posted on [the aftermath of Hurricane] Katrina. [This was written by someone that sheltered dozens of people]: Thoughts On Disaster Survival. Regards, – Bill N.
Just when we thought the economic headlines couldn’t get much worse, Mark P. for spotting this: Downturn accelerates as it circles the globe: Economies worse off than analysts predicted just weeks ago. And Paul A. sent this grim deflationary prediction from Mish Shedlock: Extreme Leverage In Reverse Portends Global Systemic Crash. Whether the incipient crash is deflationary, or inflationary, or a whipsaw of sharp deflation followed by sharp inflation (which is my personal prediction), you should get you beans, bullets, and Band-Aids together and stand ready!
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Mike W. sent us this “must read” piece from NASA on Severe Solar Storms, Power Grids, and the Web of Interdependent Systems
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Trent flagged this: Citigroup, Bank of America May Look ‘Nationalized’. And Cheryl sent us all these items: “Bad Bank,” Bad News — How Big is Britain’s Toxic Debt? — Britain on Brink of Depression — Lights Go Out Across Britain as Recession Hits Home — The Fed: Life After Zero — Shipping Rates Hit Zero as Trade Sinks — China Prepares for Year of the Slump — Britain May Seek IMF Bailout — Fears Confirmed: Recession Fuels Crime Surge — Iceland Government on Verge of Collapse — Jobless Claims Surge, Housing Starts Tumble — Code Red: Economy in Collapse — JP Morgan Chief Says Worst of the Crisis Still to Come — Special Forces Rescue Icelandic PM from Furious Credit Crunch Rioters — Stores Closing in 2009
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For the “It Comes as No Surprise to Us” Department, SurvivalBlog reader Florida Guy forwarded this article: Bad Times Spur a Flight to Jobs Viewed as Safe. (FWIW, I’ve been cautioning about the need for recession-proof income streams for years! It is not too late to launch a home-based business. And it just might turn out to be your ticket to making a good living out in the hinterboonies.)
“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”
– Lamentations 3:22-26 (King James Version)
The current high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is at $810. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes::
1.) A “be ready to barter” box of 36 full-capacity gun magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original Austrian FN-FAL steel 20 round magazines, with cartridge counter holes, 10 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (all Colt made!) alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Excellent condition original Glock Model 19 9mm 15 round pistol magazines (early type, with “U” notch), and 2 – New and very scarce original FN (Belgian-made) US M1/M2 Carbine blued steel 30 round magazines (marked “AYP”) . All of these magazines are of pre-1994 manufacture (and hence legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $710, 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.
2. ) A brand new-in-box Hot Jaw Bag Sealer and a box of 10 Mylar bags . (Every retreat group should have one these, since they are a tremendous labor saver!) This is a $200 retail value, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.
3.) A huge lot of DVDs, CD-ROMs and hard copy nuclear survival/self-sufficiency references (a $300+ value) donated by Richard Fleetwood of www.SurvivalCD.com
4.) A NukAlert compact radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value).
5.) A gift certificate for $100 worth of books, courtesy of Back 40 Books.
6.) A case of 12 cans of recent production nitrogen-packed storage granola (mixed varieties) This is a $96 retail value, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com.
Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $1,565.
This auction ends on February 15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.
James,
I finally have my bugout location found and purchased. Plan to start building a small home there later this year. Cabin first, house will wait till I see how the economy runs. On the east coast, as I have family here and really don’t want to leave this area. I am outside a small town, on a dirt road off a local rural highway. I have near nine acres of woods and one acre of pasture (garden and orchard) space. One acre of the land is separated from the rest by a four foot wide surface creek. It has a nice cleared area I plan to develop into a picnic area at the creek. The majority of the land is heavily wooded.
I am considering offering the space as an overnight primitive camping stop for bugout travelers. One night to one week maximum. You know, rest up and recoup or reunite with stragglers while en route. Good idea or no?
How should I let fellow survivalists know about the location? I would have to meet traveler in some nearby town to get to know before showing them the location, for personal security.
Or should I hole up on my land and let everyone else fend for themselves? Your thoughts are appreciated, either as an e-mail or a post on your blog. Thanks, – S. in Alabama
JWR Replies: I can foresee a few potential problems with your plan:
First: Vetting someone for suitability and trustworthiness for such an arrangement is time consuming. Unless you could properly vet someone before they were told the exact location of your retreat, then it would be a huge OPSEC risk. Worst case: Your retreat ends up on some outlaw motorcycle gang’s “shopping list.”
Second: If anyone asks if they can cache supplies at your retreat, there could be legal implications, especially if they are less than honest about what they are burying on your property. (I’ve heard a couple of horror stories from consulting clients about the antics of some their erstwhile “friends” that turned out to be flakes or criminals.)
Third: In times of Deep Drama, it might be difficult to persuade “stay-overs” to abide by their contractual obligation to move on. (I can just hear the whining: “But I’m sick with the flu”. or, “But my wife has a badly sprained ankle and can’t walk…”, or, “I’m not leaving until my brother arrives. We’re supposed to meet-up here.”)
Fourth: “Signing-up” a large number of stay-overs is an egregious violation of the “need to know” rule. Each person that is told about the retreat location represents one more person that could get careless and blather or boast of it to friends. Repeat that risk 20 or 30 rimes, and sure enough, on TEOTWAWKI+ 1 or TEOTWAWKI+2 you’ll wake up in the morning to find that a hundred tents have sprouted in your pasture, most of which will be occupied by newcomers that you know nothing about. (This factor, BTW, is why The Memsahib and I have taken some extreme measures in guarding the location of our year-round retreat.)
In summation, I think that such an arrangement is more trouble than it is worth. To do it right would requite plenty of vetting. And if you are going to that much trouble, then it might as well be to approve someone that will be a full-fledged member of your retreat group.
Sir;
I thought that your readers would be interested in this link to a blog where this woman’s grandfather engineered plans to make canned food storage bins out of cardboard! She says they are going on 13 years of use. She has the free PDF of plans for them on her site .I’m having my husband make me a few of these!
Thanks for all that you do! – A. in Texas
Mister Rawles,
My husband and I have two editions of “Patriots“, both heavily highlighted. I shudder to think that your books sounds all too prophetic about now.
I’ve seen you reference The Appleseed Program [of rifle matches and clinics] on your web site, but I can’t determine if you have ever been to one of our events. If you haven’t, it is truly worth the time, since we are about more than just marksmanship. That is just the hook to get people to come.
We teach the history of the beginning of the Revolutionary War and the mindset of the people involved. Somehow Appleseed changes people. It gets people off their rears to come and it gets prompts many to take up the call to spread the word of involvement. It gets people thinking. Appleseed has given me hope that there are good committed people out there and that with them, not all of America is lost. It has also proven to be an excellent way to meet like minded people. If the worst comes to pass, I have the marksmanship skills to survive and I now know many others who do as well.
My husband and I are new instructors, as we have taken up the call. We are involved in teaching in the Southwest, but there are classes around the country, so everyone should be able to find one relatively close by. The training is highly effective and I have yet to see anyone, even experts, leave without some new skills.
Sincerely Yours, – G.F.in New Mexico
Hello Jim,
A little follow up to MJM’s article on basic marksmanship. He is 100% spot on. The fundamentals and basics of marksmanship are the foundation that all shooting is built on. I would recommend seeking out NRA high power competition to improve their rifle shooting skills. High power shooters are always looking for new people and welcome them with open arms and are willing to teach. Plus the matches are just plain fun and gives you goals to strive for and measure your progress against. Also don’t forget Fred’s Appleseed program as well. Take care, – Jeff in Ohio
Here is a round-up of grim economic tidings from England: Scotty found this one from The Times of London (online edition): World Agenda: riots in Iceland, Latvia and Bulgaria are a sign of things to come. And Jack B. found this: Britain on the brink of an economic depression, say experts. And still more bad news from the UK, by way of reader G.G.: Confident tone as UK bond sale nears. (They admit that the risk of a government bond auction failing–where the amount of money raised falls short of its target–has increased.) And Luddite Jean sent this: Gordon Brown admits: ‘I never saw it coming,’ as figures confirm we’re in the worst recession for 28 years: (Jean notes: “How on earth a Chancellor of the Exchequer and then Prime Minister didn’t see this coming, I’ll never know. 18 months ago, I was predicting a sharp downturn and possible recession – family and friends thought I was crazy, but I prepared for it just the same. Now I have a business which is doing well, and should continue to survive through a recession and depression. The goods I hold will be in great demand if we reach TEOTWAWKI. When I found your web site in the latter part of last year, it reassured me that I wasn’t the only ‘crazy’ person on the planet!”) Also from Jean: UK ‘could run out of money very soon’ warns Cameron amid fears of 70s-style IMF bail-out.
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Evan sent this, as an example of very bad OPSEC: Deadly weapons found in storage unit.With some more details, reader L.D. sent us this link: Man accused of keeping weapons cache in Bellevue [, Washington] storage. Gee, I guess that this shows that skill as a machinist does not necessarily also engender the ability to mark a calendar with a storage contract expiration date. One correction to the television news report: It described the demi-blocks of C4 as “armed and unstable”. But there were no blasting caps, fuses or wires visible in the photo. So I think the description was a bit of hyperbole. But regardless, this guy is going to be in deep legal trouble. As I advise my consulting clients: Do NOT risk a long stretch in prison, just for the sake a of gun that shoots faster. Either buy registered Class 3s, or just skip it. You can wiggle your trigger finger nearly as fast as full auto, anyway…
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Thanks to Mr. Yankee for sending this: As Food Costs Rise, Is Government Being Straight About Inflation?
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Bill N. mentioned a Thermite emergency fire starter.
"The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger,
since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently;
but he is willing, in great crises to give even his life–
knowing that under certain conditions it is not worthwhile to live." – Aristotle (B.C. 384-322)
I posted “E.”‘s letter on “Gray Man” survival strategies without comment, because I knew that he’d be sure to get and earful without me having to chime in.) Just as I anticipated, his letter elicited many strongly-worded letters of disagreement. For the sake of brevity, I have posted just a sampling: