Month: September 2014

Notes for Friday – September 19, 2014

On September 19th, 1778, the Continental Congress passed the first budget of the United States. While the budget may have passed, the states responded poorly to the call for taxes to fund the government, and the government resorted to printing paper money to cover debts. In effect, the first budget was a failure, due in large part to the states not responding to the demands of Congress and the depreciation of fiat paper money. Are we talking about 1778 or 2014 here? Also, on this date in 1796, George Washington addressed the nation in his farewell address as president. o …


Challenge of Prepping, by R.W.

How My Insights Have Changed With Time I became interested in prepping and survival 12 years ago. It wasn’t so much an event or reading about survival, it was what I believe was a message from God. I was 49 years old and had just finished leading a Bible study in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. On the way home, my wife and I stopped at a Dairy Queen for our usual weekend treat. It was a beautiful, summer day with lots of white summer clouds floating by. As we finished and were sitting there enjoying the beautiful downtown skyline …


Letter Re: Septic Systems

Mr. Hugh, My house was built in 1978. I don’t know if you would consider it “modern”. It is built on a concrete slab with brick veneer and is air conditioned. I noticed in your comments about things going into the septic tank, especially water from the washing machine. This a source of major problems for septic systems. When my plumber stubbed out the sewer drain lines there were three. He offered me some good advice, which I followed. The larger 4-inch line I ran to my septic tank, which was the waste from my toilets, bath tub/shower, and lavatories. …


Economics and Investing:

America’s Big Bet On Natural Gas And Big Short On Coal. – J.S. o o o The Collapse of the Concept of Fiat Currency o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: The Fed’s Laughable GDP “Forecast” Just Got Even Funnier Fed Officials Predict Fed Funds Rate to Rise to 1.375% End-2015 Fed Keeps ‘Considerable Time’ Pledge as Growth ‘Moderate’ Europe’s Winners and Losers from Russia Trouble


Odds ‘n Sods:

This interview with Russian hardliner Federov (a Deputy of the State Duma) is most revealing on several levels, especially vis-a-vis the dollar-tied Central Bank of the Russian Federation. Clearly, the great game continues: The Purge is coming. Evgeny Fedorov Federov covers a lot of ground in this interview, perhaps tipping his hand more than he intended. A transcript can be found online. Parenthetically, if Federov’s prediction is correct, then look for an announcement of the nationalization (or perhaps a “dissolution” or “reorganization”) of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the issue of a gold-baked ruble as the catalyzing …



Notes for Thursday – September 18, 2014

The 18th of September is Chilean Independence Day. On this day, in 1810, Chile declared independence from Spain. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,100+ 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), 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, DRD Tactical …


Multi-Species Rotational Grazing to Maximize Food and Income in a TEOTWAWKI World, by J.B.

When new preppers begin planning their retreat or bug-out location they often first visualize an abundant garden, overflowing with fruit and vegetables, and focus their food production efforts on learning to garden. This is a wise approach indeed, but perhaps a disproportionate level of attention is paid solely to the labor-intensive task of annual gardening, which produces primarily carbohydrates, versus the less labor-intensive task of livestock grazing, which produces a perennial supply of primarily protein, fat, and pelts (if desired). Also, unlike most plants, protein derived from animals is complete and includes all nine essential amino acids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_protein). Now, please …


Letter: Ebola and Hajj

Last year more than two million Muslims from all over the world performed hajj, or travel to Mecca, to participate in the Muslim rituals there. People are in close contact, often shoulder to shoulder and even stepping on each other, for several days as they go through several rituals of hajj. When the hajj is over, these people return to their homes in dozens of countries across the globe. This year 70,000 Nigerians will travel to Mecca, despite that country having more than a dozen confirmed cases of Ebola Zaire, with over 300 suspected of exposure to the deadly virus. …


Economics and Investing:

The NEXT Reserve Currency o o o Why King Coal Will Keep Its Crown. – J.S. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Fed Officials Predict Fed Funds Rate to Rise to 1.375% End-2015 Fed Keeps ‘Considerable Time’ Pledge as Growth ‘Moderate’ Europe’s Winners and Losers from Russia Trouble Food-Stamp Enrollment In Illinois Outpaces Job Creation By Nearly 2-to-1


Odds ‘n Sods:

Ol’ Remus at WoodpileReport.com noted: “In the dull light of the woods, crisp new cammies are easier to spot than the somewhat faded cammies typical of military surplus. And Flecktarn may be slightly less visible than Woodland.” JWR Adds: But be careful not to buy any camouflage uniforms that have ever been starched, since that makes them reflective to infrared (IR.) And likewise, it is best to launder your field clothing with a mild detergent such as Woolite, since using a detergent with any “whitening” or “brightening” will make you stand out quite noticeably to users of FLIRs and night …



Notes for Wednesday – September 17, 2014

Today, September 17th, we celebrate Constitution Day in these United States. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,100+ 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), 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, DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet …


Two Forever Foods, by Northern Forager

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Disclaimer: The author and SurvivalBlog take no responsibility for the information or use of information resulting in or from the following article. This article is intended for informational purposes only. There is a world of food that exists outside of the supermarket– types of food that people who only get their food from stores never see or learn about. In my effort of sustainable and self-reliant living, I have become an advocate and convert to the idea of eating local plants in the area where I live, even to the point of eating “weeds”. Doing the same will greatly improve …


Letter Re: What Retail Might Look Like at TEOTWAWKI

Dear Sir, I feel like I have some insight to add to Jacob’s post about what retail may look like post disaster. I manage a warehouse for a DSD (direct store delivery) company. Here’s just a little bit of insight into what that is, since not everyone knows how stores get their merchandise: Many items are not stocked by the stores themselves. They never go through their own distribution network. Instead, companies (bread, snacks, soda, beer, pizza, et cetera) manage their own distribution and have their own trucks go to the store. We handle our own product from raw materials …