Month: March 2013

Recipe of the Week:

Tina M.’s Mashed Potato Soup   28 cups potato flakes 10 cups dry milk 1 1/4 cups chicken bouillon (smash the cubes) 5 teaspoons celery seed (heaping) 2 teaspoons pepper 5 teaspoons parsley (heaping) 5 teaspoons chives (heaping)   Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, blend well.  Store in an airtight container.   Serving instructions: Place 1/2 cup soup mix in a soup bowl or mug.  Add 1 cup boiling water and stir until smooth.  Let soup stand 1-2 minutes to thicken. Useful Recipe and Cooking Links: A Creamy Potato Soup recipe Easy Potato Soup Mashed Potato Flakes Recipe …


Economics and Investing:

Denouement of the “austerity” measures in Euope’s southern tier: The planned seizure of of up to 9.9% of bank account holdings in Cyprus (and the revelation that Germany and IMF’s initially demanded 40%) revealed a paradigm shift: banksters and bureaucrats are no longer bound by a core tenet of the Social Contract. While for years most of us meekly went along with gradually increasing taxes, we had the solace that one thing was sacrosanct: We only pay taxes on our earnings ONCE. Apparently, this is no longer true. (Yes, Mojo Nixon was right, albeit crude and premature.) My oft-repeated advice: …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Jeff H. sent: Guns & Ammo Ranks the Best States for Gun Owners in 2013.    o o o Some inevitable news, from New York State: Silver Creek man becomes first arrest under new gun laws. (If the 2nd Amendment doesn’t apply to modern firearms like the AR-15, then the 1st Amendment doesn’t apply to modern media like television and the Internet.)    o o o Seed for Security is offering their Seed Saving Guide, with the purchase of each Super Survival Pack. This guide includes instructions on how to save corn, bean, Pea, winter squash, pumpkin, spinach, tomato, …



Notes from JWR:

March 17th is the birthday of Józef Franczak (born 1917, died 21 October 1963.) He was a Polish Army Corporal who fought in the World War II resistance against the invading Germans. He then carried on after the war, fighting against the occupying Soviets and their Polish communist stooges. Eventually he was one of the last of the Cursed Soldiers resistance in Poland. His nom de guerre was “Lalek.” — Today we present another two entries for Round 45 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, …


The Commerce Model of Prepping: A Personal Re-Evaluation, by B.H. in North Idaho

Introduction: Over the years since I first read the novel Patriots by James Rawles and made the decision to embrace prepping my idea of prepping has changed.  It started when I recognized that friends, acquaintances and strangers all had varying ideas and degrees of preparedness even within very similar prepping models.  The greatest characteristic of Survivalblog.com is that there is something for everyone presented in articles and information.  Regardless of your station you’ll find information pertinent to your specific situation to help you improve your own preparedness level. I realized that my own prepping mindset was slowly shifting over time …


Solar Storms: Their Impact and How to Prepare, By Tamara W.

Solar [coronal] mass ejections occur most frequently at the peak of the 11 year solar cycle.  Statistics show that Earth will get a direct hit from a major solar mass ejection every about every 500 years. This estimate comes from the number of solar mass ejections we see and frequency. Now figure in the size of the Earth versus the size of the solar mass ejection. The calculation is similar to the odds of a pin landing on a particular point on a globe, except Earth is the pin and the globe is the sun. In the end, we can …


Letter Re: Beginning Bee Keeping

Dear Mr. Rawles, A.N. presented some excellent overall information in Beginning Bee Keeping, but a few additions are in order: A nuc is not just a screened package of bees but rather is a nucleus colony, usually of 5 or fewer frames.  It is a working colony complete with drawn comb, brood, pollen stores and honey, often with a new queen.  For those thinking about jumping into bees, it is a great hobby, but not an easy one.  Most new beekeepers do not last past the third year, often discouraged due to repeated bee losses.  There are lots of tricks …


Economics and Investing:

Ryan warns of financial collapse over debt, urges Congress to avert ‘moral failure’ Cypriot bank customers get fleeced: Europe Announces Stunning Bailout For Cyprus — Bank Depositors To Get Instant 10% Tax Before Banks Reopen This Week. (Beware, this could happen in other countries–even our own! Thanks to Andre D. and the other readers that sent this link.) And, inevitably, we read: Cash machines emptied across Cyprus after savers learn 10 billion euro bailout agreement includes levy on all bank accounts. (Thanks to Tim R. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Housing Foreclosures Start To “Flare Up” Again Private …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The folks at Pantry Paratus wrote to mention that thusfar they have raised $3,312 for Christian Reformed Outreach, South Sudan Ministries (C.R.O.S.S.) And of course the recent C.R.O.S.S. benefit auction of a PVS-14 Gen 3+ Night Vision Scope brought in $3,900 in one felled swoop. Special thanks to Ready Made Resources and Night Ops Tactical, who split the wholesale cost of that scope.    o o o G.G. sent: SWAT officer attracts ridicule after he’s pictured with his rifle sight on backwards. (Gee, if they can’t cure s”stupid” with training, then perhaps with an equipment retrofit.) The scary thing is, …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“[Let] love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. [Be] of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be …


Notes from JWR:

Emergency Essentials has begun their semi-annual Mountain House Sale.  All Mountain House cans are priced 20-25% off.  The sale is for one week only, ending the night of March 21st at midnight.    — Today we present another entry for Round 45 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) 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 …


Beginning Bee Keeping, by A.B.

I always planned to have a bee hive someday but someday had not come until I mentioned my interest to a friend who promptly told me he was splitting a hive (taking a few hundred bees out to prevent them from feeling over crowded) in one week and that he would share the “split” (a couple pf hundred bees) with me.  I promptly ran to the library and checked out three books on bee keeping.  Many questions and concerns kept floating around in my mind, a few of which included:  I know nothing about bees!, What equipment do I need …


Letter Re: Advice on Retreat Properties in Southwestern Oregon

Dear Mr. Rawles, We relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area at the end of 2012 to southern Oregon, as I was able to find a job with [deleted for OPSEC] in Medford. We have been spending part of each weekend looking for a retreat property, while renting a modest home in town. We were even under contract for a lot outside of Jacksonville, but the well produced just 0.16 gallon per minute and other wells surrounding were over 400 feet and were also low producers, Oregon has plenty of water not to struggle with that unknown outcome of re-drilling. …


Letter Re: Taxes for Millionaires: Food For Thought

Jim, How many times has the President said that we need to raise taxes on those making more than $1 million per annum? Some believe that the government will also confiscate gold and silver. As many know, our government already confiscated gold in America, circa 1933. Even so, collectable coins were exempt, which is reason enough to own gold/silver coins that have value beyond the base metal – a discussion topic for another day.   Many of us at retirement age receive some form of retirement income from the federal government. Some receive disability pay as well, but the feds …