Month: April 2014

Notes from HJL:

We survived another April Fools Day. When you deal with the subjects that we deal with, it is sometimes difficult to tell truth from fiction, and I’m glad that’s over with now. While I found most of the jokes in very poor taste, I did enjoy this one video: Tactical Assault Staple Gun. Thank you P.S. for that link. o o o Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three …


A Multi-Faceted Approach to Post-Disaster Information Gathering, by D.C.

In a post-disaster scenario, good information will equate to life, while bad information or a lack of information could lead to death. I have recently been discussing the issue of post-disaster information gathering with many Christian/Patriot/Prepper friends of mine. We came to the consensus that while information on this specific topic is widely available, it is scattered around in different places, and we have not seen one definitive source that covers all the bases of effective information gathering. It is my intention to write this article in a way that a person that is anywhere on their prepper journey may …


Letter Re: Cheese Making

Hello, I just had a few questions regarding the article on cheese making. When storing, what tool do people use to check the percentage of humidity? Also, how do you increase/ decrease humidity? Do you use the same batch of wash or do you need to make a new batch each time? Do you just store the wash in a plastic bucket at room temperature? In a grid down, what can one use as a culture or b.linen if you can’t buy one? Thank you, – K.W. T.Y. Replies: Dear Reader, Thanks for the excellent questions! For monitoring humidity, I …


Economics and Investing:

Market Uptrend Intact as U.S. Stocks Climb To New All-Time Highs What Does Declining Gasoline Consumption Mean? We are being lied to by the mass media. The much-vaunted “recovery” is smoke and mirrors, created by QE. Stocks are going up but in part because of the decline of the U.S. dollar as a currency unit. Welcome to the Mushroom Growth Recovery: Where the American people are being kept in the dark and fed horse manure. – JWR o o o Items from The Economatrix: We Are Nearing The Dawn Of A New Economic World Order The Odds Are Never In …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Big [Hypocritical] Trouble in Little China: For those who are interested, here is a link to the 137-page indictment of umpteen co-conspirators on the drugs and a gun trafficking ring that involved California Sate Senator Leland Yee. Not surprisingly, Yee didn’t spend one night in jail before being allowed to post a hefty bail. Yet another “Gun Control” advocate who has gun problems of his own. o o o Don’t forget the Self Reliance Expo featuring Les Stroud on April 4-5 at the Mesquite Convention Center. More information can be obtained at http://www.SelfRelianceExpo.com o o o Venezuela issues ID cards …



Notes from HJL:

Today we present the first entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), 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 onPoint courses normally cost $795, Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value), A $300 gift …


Low Moisture Aged Cheese – Hard Food for Hard Times, by T.Y

Loyal readers of SurvivalBlog are likely well versed on the importance of food preservation and storage. Many of you have been practicing preparedness for some time and perhaps you are equally skilled in the art of water bath and pressure canning, dehydrating and meat curing. If you’re adventurous, you may even have experience making cheese. However, I suspect that most readers have not ventured far into cheese making and, those who have taken the plunge, have likely experimented with softer/fresh cheeses such as mozzarella, chèvre, ricotta and perhaps even camembert. Indeed, these are the cheese varieties that most aspiring cheese …


Letter Re: Picking a Primary Residence Location for Preparedness-Minded People

Sirs: Although the “retreat location” criteria has a sound basis and the stated criteria are good, just like buying a ticket on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, there is a serious overlooked flaw in the plan, which is the nearness to locals that are potential missile targets, such as Whiteman AFB in Missouri and Malmstrom AFB in Montana. One should not evacuate/relocate to an otherwise good area then find yourself downwind of a potential NUDET. As a former SAC pilot during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, I well know that things can get out of hand rather quickly, …


Letter: Russian Takeover in Ukraine

Dear Hugh, I am surprised that you did not touch on the tactics used by the Russians in the recent annex of Crimea. One of the first things the Russians shut down was the local Internet and cell phone communication. They were able to isolate the area from communications in and out. I thought CB and Ham radios were a thing of the past, but after seeing what happened in the Ukraine I am looking to set up a base CB in my home and a mobile in my Jeep. For Jeep owners, there are numerous after-market CB kits available …


Economics and Investing:

Why Are The Chinese Buying Real Estate All Over America o o o Items from The Economatrix: The Looming Retirement Train Wreck: Pension Issues, Lack Of Retirement Savings, And Extending The Date Of Retirement All Part Of The Current Economic Future. <<a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.marketwatch.com/story/yellen-feds-extraordinary-aid-to-last-for-some-time-2014-03-31-10103729″>Yellen: Economy’s Recovery Feels Like Recession To Many Mark Faber: The Old World Order Is Over $4 Trillion In “Fake” Euro Bonds Seized At Vatican Bank Martin Armstrong Warns This Is The Age Of Civil Unrest


Odds ‘n Sods:

US Farmers Face Planting Issues as Cold, Drought Linger o o o Is Alaska’s Jury Nullification Bill in Line With Founders’ View? o o o Whether you vaccinate or not, we have a problem. We have people suggesting that it’s the government’s place to tell us what’s best for our children. A Parent’s Response to The New York Time’s ‘Eliminate Vaccine Exemptions’ Goes Viral – H.L. o o o Video: Man found guilty after carrying replica bullets – T.J. o o o More information on the Montana ammo casing processor: Montana ammo casing processor raid recalls warnings of anti-gun agenda …



Notes from HJL:

April 1st is both April Fool’s Day and (unofficially) Molly Ivins Day. The latter refers to this key verse: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1 KJV) April 1st, 1886 was the birthday of Arthur W. Pink (died 15 July 1952), who was a English Christian evangelist and excellent Reformed Biblical scholar. It was his meticulously referenced arguments in his book The Soverignty of God that first convinced me of the truth of the doctrine of Election. o o o No foolin’, the Product Review Editor position at SurvivalBlog has been filled. We sincerely …


Introducing SurvivalBlog’s New Product Review Editor

I am pleased to announce that SurvivalBlog has selected Scot Frank Eire (a pen name) as our new Product Review Editor. He is a perfect fit for the blog, both editorially, experientially, and in personality. For those that are curious, his pen name is a play on Scotts Irish as well as working in “Frank” from the Frankish tribes the city of Frankfurt is named for. Frankfurt is where his family was based in the mid-18th century. Here are a few details about Scot: He has spent the bulk of his career in Newspaper publishing as both a photographer and …