Letter Re: Positive Feedback on Safecastle

Hello Jim!
I hope things are great for you and your family. I just thought that I would take the time to provide you with another bit of positive support regarding one of your sponsors. Vic at Safecastle, LLC is a great person. In May, I made a large purchase from him. At the time of ordering, I received an excellent discount for being a survivalblog reader. In addition, Vic also took the time to answer each of my emails very quickly and provided me with an expected date of delivery. Sure enough, it turned out that Vic was “dead on!” The probable date of shipment turned out to be exactly right. I received the cases delivered right into my garage. It is with much admiration that I write this to notify others in the survivalblog community to order your Mountain House cases from Vic. He’s a great guy!
Also, thanks for making it possible for all of us to purchase your “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. I have gone ahead and purchased mine and hope that others will do so. All “Ten Cent Challenge” supporters like myself are encouraged to do this as another way of saying “thanks, Jim” for the helpful information that you provide to us all. While at it, hopefully more people will continue to support the blog by at least putting up the money asked for in your 10 Cent Challenge. Take care and thanks a lot for everything that you have done for the masses through your blog. – David M.

Odds ‘n Sods:

500 Chemical Warfare Shells Found in Iraq

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Study Says Earth’s Temperature at 400-Year High

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Jason in North Idaho recommended a good reference for those concerned about earthquakes

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Don’t forget that the sale on Montague Folding Paratrooper bikes from Safecastle ends on June 30th. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is is $695. The minimum advertised price (MAP) is $645. Safecastle is offering a much lower price, but only for this month. Anyone interested should e-mail Safecastle and identify themselves as a SurvivalBlog reader and request the special price. E-mail: jcrefuge@safecastle.net.

Note From JWR:

I just got off the phone with a long-time friend and SurvivalBlog reader from inside the UN building in New York. He is “covering” the current UN Small Arms Review Conference for us. Ostensibly he is a “note taker” for an un-named NGO. But I suspect his real mission is to see where he can score some cheap AK-47 or maybe a Dragunov the next time he is on an overseas vacation. (Just kidding.) Seriously, I’m looking forward to his reports. His first terse report is that the NRA et al are putting on a spirited protest out front. Meanwhile, from the delegates and staffers that he has talked to thusfar, some are openly zealous for disarming all civilians, while many others oppose such steps. He will be there taking notes for the next two weeks.

Thanks to Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing, we are adding a second place prize for the current round of our writing contest: a copy of my preparedness course, Speaking of which, be sure to place your order soon for a copy of the course at the special “SurvivalBlog Readers Only” introductory price. If you wait until after July 4th, the price will jump to $150!

Letter Re: Advice on Selecting a Battle Rifle

Dear Jim:
I was again reading in Boston’s Gun Bible and he was discussing the M1, M1A, and the M14 as excellent candidates for a “Main Battle Rifle” (MBR). Unfortunately, I am pretty much confused on these terms and have a few questions I’d like to ask.

1.) What are the differences between the M1, the M1A, and the M14?

2.) What do you feel are each’s strong and weak points?

3.) Which, if any, do you like as a MBR?

4.) If you don’t care for any of these, what do you recommend for a MBR?

Thanks for clearing all of this up. Baruch atah Yahweh Eloheinu Sincerely, – Dr. Sidney Zweibel

JWR Replies:

1.) You aren’t the only one that is confused! Here are the nomenclature basics: The M1 rifle was the U.S. Army’s primary battle rifle of WWII and the Korean conflict. It is chambered in .30-06 and uses a top-loading 8 round en bloc clip that ejects after the last round is fired. The U.S. M1 Rifle is not to be confused with the U.S. M1 Carbine, another semi-auto of the same era, which shoots a far less powerful .30 caliber pistol-class cartridge. The Army’s M14, introduced around 1959, is chambered in 7.62 mm NATO (dimensionally the same as 308 Winchester, but lower pressure than some soft nose hunting loads). The M14 uses a 20 round detachable magazine. It is selective fire (semi or full auto.) Thus, they are restricted “Class 3” machineguns in the U.S. This necessitates a $200 transfer tax and background check for the purchase process. Currently, transferable (pre-1986 registered) M14s are selling for $7,000+. (Congress weaseled in a “freeze” on new machineguns for civilians back in 1986. With supply frozen, prices have been rising ever since.) The M1A is a Springfield Armory semi-auto only (civilian) variant of the M14. They sell for around $900 to $1,500 depending on options. To add to the confusion, some M1A clones from other makers (such as Fulton Armory–another great brand) are sold under the designation M14, but these are semi-auto only. See Boston’s Gun Bible for details.

2.) The main advantage of the M1 Rifle is cost. My father and I got M1 Garands for $125 each through the DCM, back in 1982. But sadly, the days of those prices are gone. They can still sometimes be found used for $600 to $700. Service Grade M1s are available to rifle club or state rifle association members through the CMP for $550 plus $22.95 shipping. But you will get luck of the draw. (Sometimes you get a “minty” rifle, but other times you will get a “beater.”) The M1 is a bit slower to load that M14s and M1As. The biggest disadvantage is the limitation of the 8 round en bloc clip, which cannot be refilled while it is in the rifle. Thus, in a combat situation, once you have fired a couple of shots, the only way to reload the rifle is to fully unload it and insert a full clip. (In contrast, an M1A’s magazine can be kept “topped off” with 5 round stripper clips during a lull in firing, without having to remove the magazine.) Another drawback is that .30-06 ball ammo is more expensive than 7.62 NATO ball , since the surplus supplies of “Aught Six” ammo dried up long ago. All three rifles have similar weight, reliability, and accuracy. IMHO, the ergonomics of the M1 are not as good as the M1A or M14.

3.) and 4.) I like M1As. I owned them for 24 years. At one time I had five of them and they were the intended MBRs here at the Rawles Ranch. But given the current high price of spare M14 magazines and spare parts, I now prefer FALs or L1A1s. In 2003, I sold all of my M1As and bought five L1A1s. For the same money as I had invested in the five M1As with 10 magazines each (and a scope on only one of them), I now have 25 magazines per rifle, a scope on every rifle, and a huge array of spare L1A1 parts. Parenthetically, my preferred scope for .308 battle rifle is the Trijicon TA-11E ACOG . Again, see Boston’s Gun Bible for detailed descriptions of FALs and L1A1s. Another great resource are the archives and discussion boards at The FAL Files.

Three Letters Re: Shocking Facts About Wolves, by Steven UP

Jim,
It seems the wolf article has stirred up the animal lovers.The article really does describe the northwest Montana area between Trego and Eureka. Every hunter I talk with tells me how the wolves have destroyed the resident elk herd. And, despite hunter pressure of shoot + shovel + shut up the packs are growing. The second point I want to make is if you take one down do not approach and DO not take the cape. Most are [biochip] tagged and the chips are traceable. So if you pop one, just walk away. Lastly I would not worry about the misguided wolf lovers writing your advertisers. No one likes animals that attack children and pets. Their hate mail will not deter me from advertising with you, starting in July. BTW… Most of my clients feel the same way I do about predators. Kind Regards, – Rosie the Bull

 

James,
I know precious little about Wolves. But I do know by second hand information from other foresters here in northern Idaho as well as by surveys done that the wolf packs in northern Idaho are growing. They do not seem to be affecting deer and elk populations here yet, as we still see enough [tree] plantation browse that certain areas need to be replanted repeatedly . Wolf sightings are getting more common among folks in the majority of our work areas.
This is a recent newspaper article out of the Clearwater River Valley. [JWR Adds: This small town newspaper article from Kamiah, Idaho speaks volumes. BTW, this same article was mention by SurvivalBlog reader T.L.P.] There are a couple odd things like what is a hound hunter doing without a sidearm. But the world is full of different people, who can say. Hope this helps. BTW, here in St. Maries (Idaho) a favorite bumper sticker is “Canadian Wolves – Smoke a Pack a Day!” Thanks Much, – E.B.

 

And this one from Steven UP (the writer of the original article that started the flamefest)

Jim:
It is not surprising that my article on wolves drew some heavy e-mails. Okay, first let’s just look at some facts.
Do wolves attack people? Yes, they do. That is proven fact. Links were provides in the first article. Want more information? Check out Outdoor Life, March 2006 issue and read the article ” The Myth of wolves not attacking humans has been scattered.” You will read about a college student who was attacked and killed by a pack of wolves. If you really want to find out the truth, then track down where the myth that “North American Wolves have never attack people before” started. A real good read on how back in the 1970s a few elitists dismissed [wolf attacks] and claimed that all historical wolf attack were unreliable therefore they never happened. A new standard was set that stated that in order for it to be called a documented wolf attack the wolf had to be killed and tested for rabies. When wolves have attack people and the person has driven them off without killing them, then it is not a “documented” wolf attack.

Here is article that describes few more true wolf attacks (From different time periods.) Can you imagine the horror of that poor woman to have to watch her husband and son ripped to shreds and eating in front of her? Did you go to links provide and read the evidence? Here is a link.
Beginning in 1997, Carrie Schaefer did a study of Yellowstone wolf/elk interaction entitled “Spatial and Temporal Variation in Wintering Elk Abundance and Composition, and Wolf Response.” Among other things, her study revealed that areas of high wolf concentration inside Yellowstone had calf ratios dropping precipitously – 0 to 10 calves per 100, even while the ratio outside high wolf concentration areas remained at 46 calves per 100!

That is a fact. The Carrie Schaefer study proved that wolves where wiping out the elk calves. These are documented statistics: 0-10 calves per 100 survive in high wolf population areas. Outside high wolf concentration elk calves remained at 46 per 100 cow elk.
How can you you choose to ignore a Montana state biologist, when it simply doesn’t match your world view?

Next, see: http://www.aws.vcn.com/wolves_and_hunting.html. A wolf requires five to ten pounds of meat per day for survival, thus the wolf requires a considerable amount of meat in one year – nearly a ton of meat per year per wolf. A wolf is capable of consuming great quantities of meat, up to one fifth of its body weight, at one time. Thus, a wolf does not have to kill each day to survive.

Read the whole article. The facts are right there, from a qualified biologist.
See: http://www.aws.vcn.com/wildlife.html Warning: Gruesome pictures of deer ripped to shreds by wolves.http://nlrl.org/opinion%20articles/mtwolfpolicy.htm
The template for public policy regarding wolf management in Montana: Montana Senate passes House Joint Resolution 29 (HJ29), by a 46 to 4 majority – “Reservation of rights and remedies for wolf control“, submitted simultaneously in Idaho and Montana

For all you wolf lovers out there, please explain to me why do we need a law passed to give us permission to protect our dogs and livestock? The facts are right there to read.

With the powerful brainwashing tool of television, everyone believes they’re are wolf expert now days. They think the wolf is some mystical creature and none of the native American never hunted them. While it is true some tribes didn’t hunt the wolves. But most tribes did. If you read Geronimo’s autobiography he states that as a young Apache to reach adulthood a young man had to kill a wolf, a cougar or bear. What happens when you try to prove to people they have been brainwashed? They attack you because the television is more powerful than the written word.

The second letter stated. “Much of his ‘thesis’ is pure bunk, conjecture, speculation.” Again just because he lived in the U.P. longer that I did does not give him any special qualification. Everything I say was backed up with facts, unlike the rebuttals. I wrote to wake up people that have been lied to. The bottom line is that in some regions where they are abundant, the wolves are knocking the heck out of big game. Just because you drive in the U.P. does not make you qualified to say whether or not the deer population is getting wiped out. Because if you check you will find out that over 100,000 deer hunters quit last year. If you bother to check the game laws this year, they are allowing only one buck per hunter for the U.P. But it can’t be from the wolves that 100,000 hunters quit. Nope, can’t be. Lowering the human harvest of deer has nothing to do with wolves. Nope can’t be. So debunk the attacks on people I guess Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, and Reader’s Digest were all lying then, right? Conjecture, yep sure, Just ignore the Montana biologist that documented the wolves wiping out the elk calves. Yep, speculation on watching calves killed on farms. Yep can’t be the wolves, it has to be “bunk, conjecture, and speculation.”
In summary, here is a quick update to check the facts. Fact: Yes wolves attack people. Fact: Yes wolves attack livestock. Fact:: Yes wolves are wiping out the big game animals. Fact: Yes we all have been fed a pack of lies about wolf packs. You can all choose to ignore the facts, attack the author, attack the web site, and protest to everyone you’d like, but in the end the facts on wolves will still be the same.- Steven UP

Odds ‘n Sods:

The New York Times reports: Human-to-Human Infection by Bird Flu Virus Is Confirmed. With this news in mind, it is high time for families to get their logistics ready for an extended period of self-quarantine. Want help planning what you need? First, read my piece on how to survive an influenza pandemic. Next, get a copy of my “big box” preparedness course. Someday, you may be very glad that you did.

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The Pre-1899 Specialist just put their hand-picked Model 1893 Oberndorf Mauser rifles on sale, at just $159.95, (With bayonet and scabbard or $144.95 each if you buy two.) Sure beats paying Sportsman’s Guide $299 for one in rougher condition. I recommend that every SurvivalBlog reader buy one or two of these from The Pre-1899 Specialist, while they still have some left. No FFL is required for most locales. (Even California!)

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There is an interesting thread on The Claire Files about a 14 year suburban bunker-building project

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Backcountry.com (one of our Affiliate advertisers) is having a 4th of July Clearance Sale, with prices up to 60% off. If you place and order with any of our affiliates, SurvivalBlog will earn a modest commission.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." – Aristotle

Note From JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction (for a fully stocked M-17 Advanced Medical Bag/Rucksack) is at $255. Special thanks to the fine folks at Ready Made Resources, who kindly donated the kit. Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on the last day of June.

Today we present another article for Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. If you want a chance to win, start writing and e-mail us your article soon. Round 5 ends on July 31st.

A Survival Retreat for Under $1,000, By Wolverine

Call it a survival retreat, hunting cabin, or summer cottage, a place away from the crowds and turmoil of the cities is a dream most of us share. Some folks plan out a survival retreat in such detail that long-term storage, over lapping fields of fire, and fuel supplies are worked out. Others, like myself, approach it as a vacation spot that can be readily converted if need be to an alternate living location.
Back in the late 1960s my family had a small two-room cottage on a lake in northern Michigan. The cottage had no electricity, no running water, or no heat. What it did have is nostalgically called a “bath with a path.”
This cottage did however provide what we needed. A few steps from the back door was a pump with clean, clear, cool water. All that was needed was a strong arm and a few minutes to fill the bucket. Cool summer nights were warmed by the glow of the fuel oil lantern that was hung over the dinner table. This lantern produced enough light to fill the cottage and allow card games to be played well past a normal bedtime. The heat from the lantern warmed the place and fuel was cheap. Dinners were usually planned around the nightly campfire, but the old propane stove would serve if needed.
During those periods of time that my father was laid off from work we would spend a week or two stretch of time at the cottage. Living was easy and cheap. Fish from the lake provided many meals and nuts and berries from the woods around the place were gathered and baked into pies. Fall small game season produced meat and poultry in the form of rabbits, squirrels, pheasants and grouse. My Dad and I talked often about living up at the cottage if the world went to h**l in a hand basket.
After high school and moving into the world of college and working, my trips to the cottage were few and far between. Usually they were only to go up and help Dad secure the place from the last break in that occurred. Sadly, I let the cottage fall into neglect and vandals took care of the rest. Broken doors and windows let the weather in and after a few years the cottage became uninhabitable.
Mom kept the land after Dad’s passing and I started taking my sons there for a few weekend camping trips. Soon the idea of getting the cottage back in shape was talked about, but the northern winters did a good job of making the place beyond repair. The approach of Y2K and talk of chaos renewed my thoughts of a survival retreat. I discussed this with some buddies of mine and ideas of small barns to large military tents were discussed. Like the old saying about when all is said and done, there is more said than done, Y2K came and went and still nothing was done about the cottage.
One of the guys that I had discussed the ideas of a cabin in the woods with called one fall afternoon and suggested that I drive out to his campground and look at a travel trailer that they were giving away. Giving away, free for nothing, giving away? Yup, just make sure it is gone before Halloween.
My youngest son and I drove out and looked at the place. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. Although it was a 1955 travel trailer, the interior was clean and bright. The wood finish on the walls was unstained and the place showed signs of good upkeep. I drove home and talked the idea over with my wife and my Mom. The wife had to agree for us to take it, and my Mom had to let us put it on the lake. Both agreed, and my sons and I started planning on getting it up north.
My wife and I agreed that a budget of $500 was all right to spend. We knew that we couldn’t build a lawn barn to use up there for that much money.
Calls to find a mover to haul it north for us were made. Prices ranged from $700 to over $3,000. I was taken aback by this and did a total rethink. The guy that helped us find the trailer to begin with suggested I try the guy that moved his out to the campground he was at. That turned out to be a cold trail, but I did find a company in Indiana that was willing to do it for around $200, PROVIDING, I put new tires on it so that it would be pretty much guaranteed to make the trip.
They no longer make the same size tires for travel trailers that they made in 1955. After countless phone calls to any kind of a place I could think of I was referred to a place that dealt with a lot of farm equipment. They informed me that the size I wanted was no longer made but they did have a cross-reference tire that should work just fine. $135 later a pair of the tires were mine. The bad news was I needed them put on the rims and the rims were still on the trailer, 60 miles away. Several more phone calls to repair stores and a place was found that would put them on at the site, but the cost would be around $200.
Getting the tires on proved easier than anyone led me to believe. Even though they were old fashion split rims, the job took just under an hour and the cost was around $170. [JWR Adds: Always use a safety cage when working with split-rim wheels. If you don’t, they can be killers!] This put the cost of moving the retreat at the $500 level we had agreed would be reasonable for our budget. I was very pleased and at 11:30 in the morning I left the north central Ohio campground headed for northwestern Michigan.
Thankfully the trip was uneventful. Ben, the very nice driver that the transport company assigned to the job did an outstanding job of getting the trailer to the lake and spotting it where I wanted it. We had to chop out a couple of small trees to get it parked in the sheltered area I wanted, but the job went easy and we were done before darkness set in. The last act of the night was to finish putting the lock and hasp on the door of the trailer before I headed north to my friend’s cabin for the night. I figured it was easier to drive a little farther north and stay at a buddy’s cabin than make the long drive home.
Mediterranean, Southwestern, early American and assorted other styles of furniture are discussed in the finest design magazines. We settled on what my sister termed “early garage sale.” The propane stove came from a travel trailer that was being scrapped out. The chairs for the kitchen table came from the roadside garbage pickup in the neighborhood. The table was a gift from my sister’s basement. Some pots and pans and silverware came from the local Goodwill store. Two sets of bunk beds came from a buddy in the Reserves that worked for a college that was recycling the bunks they had in dorms. The picture pump for the well came in trade for some home repairs done for a neighbor down the street. All in all the cost of the retreat was under $600. Some expenses that will be incurred soon: a new coating on the roof to insure it stays water-resistant and plywood shutters to secure the windows during our absences.
We now have a three-season retreat that allows us to fish, swim, hike, and hunt in the outdoors. We can practice our survival skills, such as fire building and outdoors cooking, and not look like we are doing much more than having a family camp out.
We are away from crowds and turmoil of the city. Our friends and family think of it as our “vacation” home, but we know that in a time of crisis we have a survival retreat to go to, and under $1,000 cost.

Two Letters Re: Shocking Facts About Wolves, by Steven UP

James:
Steven UP’s article is self serving. He writes to stir up hysteria and emotions. Much of his “thesis” is pure bunk, conjecture, speculation. I am a former resident of the Upper Peninsula. I was born and raised there and lived in the U.P. for the first 40+ years of my life. While I live in nearby Wisconsin currently, I still regularly visit family and am currently looking for property in the U.P. for my retirement place. I resent this article by someone who has only been in the U.P. less than 15 years.
He is writing to try to win your prize for the contest, not to alert anyone to a mismanaged deer herd and/or a wolf population out of control in my opinion. Sincerely, – William

 

Jim:
As a regular vistor [sic] to your website and to your advertisers, I must say that the article on wolves so misleading and full of propaganda that I cannot believe that it was allowed to be on your website. I had up until this time thought that your website served a better mission then resorting to this type of onesided [sic],uneducated and totally biased opinions of a person who does not state any credentials on his suppossed [sic] authority of widlife [sic] biology. I myself am not an authority nor am I defender of wolves, however I am a person who believes in factual and unbiased reporting be it on your website or any type of media.
I would hope that in the future that your website does not again stray into this type of trash journalism.
Regards, – TD ______ PS: This email has also been sent to many of the advertisers on your website that I have done business with or have recommended to friends.

JWR Replies: I posted Steven UP’s article because in recent months several readers have mentioned that they consider feral dogs and wolves a potentially inimical threat in the event of TEOTWAWKI. Thus, it met my tests for both suitability and “on topic” blog applicability for posting. As space permits, I do my best to post every letter or article that is on topic (vis-a-vis survival, preparedness, or emerging threats.) I don’t attempt to muzzle SurvivalBlog readers or otherwise censor what they have to say, even when what they have to say is controversial or even when they are contrary to my own opinions. (Witness, for example, the recent letter that derided my Christian faith, and the politically incorrect letter from the employee on the Navajo Reservation.)

I’m sure that any article on such a controversial subject is bound to elicit contrary opinions. I am happy to post those, too. Including yours.

Letter Re: .50 BMG Rifles

Hello Jim,
After much research and test shooting several of the available conversions out there I finally decided upon the ALS [AR-15 lower] conversion. Darren Wardle in Oregon hand builds them in his factory on CNC [Computerized Numerical Control] equipment and test fires each upper for accuracy before shipping. Darren is a world class record holder in the FCSA and his work is first class. His price is very reasonable but the wait is [currently] almost a year. Worth it, in my opinion. – D.C.

Two Letters Re: The Current Ammo Shortage and Galloping Prices

Jim:
Perhaps it’s a regional thing, but there seems to be an ammunition shortage in the United States. Here in NY, 7.62×39 has doubled in price in the past year. It is to $200 per 1,000 when you can find it. At last weekend’s gun show only two of the 40 tables were selling 7.62×39 and one of those vendors only had 500 rds. The bad news is thus that it is too late to stock up on cheap 7.62×39. The good news is that your investment in ammo [already] on hand has doubled in value.

308[Winchester] is still available at $200 per 1,000 and up, depending on country of origin. A year ago I could find it for a few cents per cartridge less, but I think the time to stock up is now. One reason is that the military ammo is simply being used in Iraq and Afghanistan, so there is less surplus on the market. Another factor is the budding Chinese automotive industry absorbing every bit of metal they can buy. Copper wire has doubled in price in the past year. It is only reasonable to see this carry through to the raw materials for ammunition. So the price will be passed along to us even if the “shortage” is temporary prices are clearly rising.

I can see no downside to stocking up on the cartridges still available at reasonable prices. For instance, it is my personal policy to buy a 550 round box of 22 LR every time I’m in Wal-Mart. At $8.97 per 550 box that’s still under two cents per cartridge, including sales tax. I just don’t think prices will ever be lower. And with a 100+ year shelf life, how can you go wrong? Worst case – even in the unlikely event that my son and I don’t shoot it up during father/son backyard plinking sessions, I’m stocking a commodity for the next generation. Keep up the great work. May God bless you and yours, – Mike S.

 

God bless you Jim.
I just got back from a gun show here in the mid west and there were two over-riding topics of discussion among the dealers. First and foremost was that the cost of ammunition was going up. Soon. A case of .223 which was being sold at $219 will cost the dealer $250 just to stock it. Even if he sold it just to break even, that’s a noticeable jump. Certain ammo streams (South African .308 for example) are drying up. One dealer who sells flashlights, cases, knives etc, told me not to buy his stuff and go get my ammo. I thought your readers should know now is the time to buy ammo.
The second topic of conversation is that people were being cautious, that they had feelings of unease, that things were not as good as we’re being told it is. Add this to the bad wheat harvest projected and it equals Now is the time to get as prepared as you can. Just thought this might be of interest. – D.D.

Odds ‘n Sods:

David in Israel Recommends: An excellent idea is to buy several dozen “button compasses” and scatter them in the pockets of your gear. That way you will never be without a compass.

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Wow! Our global hit map (from ClustrMaps) is showing even better distribution this month. OBTW, I heard from Jake Stafford that the new “big box” preparedness course is selling well to readers in Europe and Australia. I’m glad to see that SurvivalBlog is so popular around the world.

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The BBC reports: A shooting war with Iran could triple the market price of oil.

 

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species… Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of.” – Stephen Hawking