Month: December 2013

Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of Dr. Cynthia Koelker, SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor. — This is also the birthday of Frederick Selous (born 1851, died 4 January 1917.) — Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,700+ worth of 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 government teams.) Three day …


Diabetics in Disasters, by Meir L.

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and I do not have anything to do with the medical field. This is strictly my personal experiences, and the following does not constitute medical advice.)   Introduction As an 18 year old type 1 diabetic, I am a very active person. I enjoy hiking, biking, climbing, etc. Two years ago, in September of 2011, I started going to the bathroom a lot, drinking like crazy,  becoming very fatigued, and feeling poorly much of the time. Since I am related to multiple Type 1 diabetics, I knew the signs of a developing diabetic, and …


Letter Re: Use of the Title Architect

James, You have recently run two posts (my article and D.C.’s reply letter) and have dug into the ugly underbelly of the building design world. I think there needs to be some clarification of D.C.’s points.  I will dissect it to indicate that this is the type of person that I would describe as an “elitist” and they are why we are in the predicament that we are in right now in this country.  I mean simply stated: Why would using the term “architectural, Architect, or Architecture” be a misdemeanor?  Sounds like a little government overreach to me.  First things …


News From The American Redoubt:

Spokane man falls from rooftop while taunting negotiators    o o o I just learned from reader Jason P. that a great small family business is up for sale: Bullpacs.com. Jason says: “They make a nearly indestructible pack frame the even works with a USGI ALICE pack. I have nothing but good things to say about their frames and their customer service. They are located in Lewiston, Idaho. I thought one of your readers might be interested in this for a home business.”    o o o From North Idaho: Some politicians see fit to support our constitutional rights    …



Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Debra P. suggested a good article on medieval agricultural planting cycles    o o os Reader J.B.G. sent this sad news from one of the eastern Nanny States: Connecticut Gun Owners Wait in Line to Do Something Many Gun Owners Hope They Never Have To. My congratulations to the men who didn’t line up to register their birthright for future confiscation. Non-compliance with the unconstitutional new law will undoubtedly be rampant. Le mala, lex nulla!    o o o Super hoarders of Utah: Inside the huge warehouses used to store food as Mormon faith fuels state’s insatiable desire for …




Review of 2013 Self-Reliance Expo, Denver, Colorado, by L.K.O.

The National Self Reliance Organization (NSRO) sponsors the Self-Reliance Expos. The expo returned this year to Denver, Colorado on October 4-5, 2013. I also toured the prior Denver Self-Reliance Expo on Sep. 16-17, 2011 here and one last year (May 18-19, 2012) in Colorado Springs. Prior expos have been held in Salt Lake City, Utah (October 7-8, 2011), and during 2012 at Dallas, TX (July 27-28), Hickory, North Carolina (September 14-15) and Mesa, Arizona (October 26-27). Upcoming expos in 2014 will be held in Mesquite, Texas and back in Denver, Colorado. The next upcoming expo is featured here. As usual, several of the vendors at the expo were SurvivalBlog advertisers. d Multiple …


Precious Metals Month in Review: December 2013, by Steven Cochran

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins. Every month, we’ll take a look at the “month that was” in precious metals, covering everything from price action, to the information that’s driving the numbers. December in Precious Metals December is traditionally a slow month for precious metals, and the second-best month for stocks. This trend was amplified this year, as we saw lots of good economic reports from Europe, China, and the U.S. The stock markets, already hitting highs fueled by central bank money printing, sucked cash out of bonds and the precious metals …


Pat’s Product Review: Warrior Trail Training Body Armor

Many firearms instructors, myself included, have a saying that goes something like this “train the way you fight.” Meaning that, if you’re training isn’t related to real-life scenarios, you’re doing something wrong. Outside of my basic NRA handgun classes, my other (limited) firearms training classes are geared to real-life training. When on the range, we don’t train you to stand there, squared off to a target, at a pre-determined range, and just stand there and shoot. No! Instead, my training consists of on-the-move training, as well as firing at a 180-degree area. We shoot right to left, and front to …


Harry’s Book Review: Emotional Intelligence

Book Title: Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ Author: Daniel Goleman Copyright Date: 1995 Publisher: Bantam ISBN: 978-0553383713 Audio, e-book or foreign translation available:  Audio and Kindle available Suitable for children: No.  Reads much like a college text book.  Not quite as dry, but not a book for a child. Let me open with the qualifier that this book does not match the normal criteria for the books I typically review for SurvivalBlog.  I sincerely doubt Daniel Goleman ever had this audience in mind.  However, I think many in this audience would be well served by reading …


Letter Re: Cryptocoins and Prepping

James, The more I learn about cryptocurrency, the more it reveals itself as a Godsend that could save us all from the tyranny of a central bank manipulated currency. I see this now as a revolution in civilization itself, nothing short of what penicillin or the internet has meant to us. It is new and undiscovered, just as America was in its beginnings, it is an unfolding wonderment. When Bitcoin was starting up a few years ago, I fooled around with it on my computer trying to mine some coins, but it became apparent that I needed a lot more …



Letter Re: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure for TEOTWAWKI

James, K.M. in Ohio’s post “Ounce of Prevention…” warns that “If the needles are 1 per hole, that’s NOT Pine” is not true. The warning about Fir needles being toxic is valid, but there are one needle pines. The state tree of Nevada is the Single Leaf Pinyon, Pinus monophylla. It is found almost exclusively in The Great Basin with two subspecies in California and Arizona. Besides the needles being a source of vitamin C as with other pines, it produces nutritious and delicious pine nuts. (It also makes the perfectly shaped Christmas tree!) – David in Carson City, Nevada