Year: 2014

Notes for Tuesday – November 18, 2014

Today, we present another entry for Round 55 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ 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 upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hardcase to go with your …


The Costs of Survival, by F.R.

For many, the costs involved in preparing for any kind of emergency, whether man made or natural, is too high for most people to afford. It can be expensive to accumulate the things that would be necessary to give us some options in an emergency situation. I have always been cost conscious and have striven to get the most for my money, so this struggle is not new to me. Even if we had lots of money, it is still wise to try and get the most bang for our buck. When I first started preparing, I made some purchases …


Letter Re: Retirement Recommendations

Response to D.R., I am in no way qualified to make retirement recommendations for anyone other than myself. In fact, now that we are debt free I enlisted the help of a financial advisor for just that reason. I should clarify a bit concerning our 401K accounts. When I said in the article, “We pulled our money out of the market” we actually just pulled out of equities. We parked the funds in a savings account within our 401K plan, but we actually re-entered equities in 2010. The appreciation of those funds helped us in our war immensely. As for …


News From The American Redoubt:

Police Deny Responsibility After Stingray Cell Phone Tracker Discovered in Idaho. – RBS o o o Wyoming authorities warn of dangerous wildlife predator on the loose . – T.J. o o o ‘Swirling mass’ of 68 cats found in eastern Oregon van. Any chance that the van owner is related to the guy with the car trunk full of rabbits? o o o Wyoming: Lawmakers back privacy constitutional amendment o o o This Lewiston Tribune story was featured by the AP wire service: Men charged after Idaho Fish and Game truck taken (I was sort of believing their story until …


Economics and Investing:

GAO: IRS Lacks Adequate Internal Controls. – PLC o o o How Much Interest Has Your Food “Bank” Earned This Year? o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Marc ‘Dr. Doom’ Faber: I will soon be proven right Japan’s Slip into Surprise Recession Paves Way for Tax Delay, Snap Poll Japan Unexpectedly Enters Recession as Abe Weighs Tax: Economy


Odds ‘n Sods:

Warning: Tungsten Counterfeit Gold Coins o o o Notorious ‘White Widow’ terrorist ‘shot dead by Russian sniper’. – T.P. o o o Ferguson Protest Group Releases List of Targets, Including: Anheuser Busch, Boeing, Emerson Electric, Airport. – B.B. o o o Billions Of Taxpayer Dollars Are Spent … Collecting Taxes. – B.B. o o o With goods scarce in Caracas’s stores, street sales boom and officials glower. – G.P.




Guest Post: Finding Employment In The Redoubt, by S.M.

This article is intended to help provide information on finding employment in the American Redoubt states. I have attempted to gather as much information as possible and group it together by categories. I have provided many links to human resources websites and state job service sites. Once at that link, the rest is up to you. WYOMING Wyoming at Work This is the State of Wyoming’s job service. You can look up jobs by the area, zip code, type of employment, or even the whole state. Some of the jobs listed will have the information on how to apply. Other …


Scot’s Product Review: S&K Scope Mounts, LLC

I have been growing more and more fascinated with older military rifles. You can often find them at good prices, and they are legal even in some restrictive locales. Most of them are bolt actions, and some of them are better made than most current production rifles. It is tough to beat a Mauser 98 or Springfield, and the Enfield is no slouch either. The venerable Mosin Nagant is certainly capable, and the M1 Garand is one of my all-time favorite rifles. They almost always come in cartridges that are excellent for hunting medium game in the U.S. or for …


Recipe of the Week: Easy Southwest Dump Soup, by M.

When my family of farm hands come in from a day of work, they like this hardy soup served with (or over) tortilla chips, cornbread, or even warmed-over biscuits. I usually serve it with a big, green salad or with some steamed broccoli. I like it for three reasons– it’s tasty, easy, and economical, in that it helps stretch my costly ground beef! I can start it after lunch in the crock pot and go about my business for a couple of hours in the afternoon. (NOTE: For a large group, Costco sells the BIG cans of Ranch-style beans, so …


Letter Re: Preparing Game Meat For The Table

Greetings, I read this article with interest and found it full of good information. However, there are a couple of points that I was concerned with and feel compelled to share my opinion as well. I am concerned by the statement that game meat fat should be removed and is “nasty”. I feed my family strictly subsistence caught meat and fish. Yes, a bear eating salmon will smell of salmon; however, a bear eating berries will have delicious meat. The vast majority of the time, the fat on moose, caribou, bear, muskox, deer, goat, and other animals is not “nasty”. …


Economics and Investing:

Report: 25 Percent Of Connecticut Households Above Federal Poverty Level But Struggle To Meet Basic Needs. – G.G. (Free registration required to read the article. Don’t violate OPSEC.) o o o Nearly half of Florida households are struggling financially, United Way reports. – G.G. o o o Turkey production down, wholesale prices up . – M.M. o o o Borrowers, Beware: The Robo-signers Aren’t Finished Yet. – G.G. o o o Gold shortage worst in over a decade


Odds ‘n Sods:

70 years ago, the Minnesota Starvation Experiment changed lives . – K.C. It’s an interesting read and something to consider in a societal breakdown. o o o Is Mexico becoming a failed state?. – G.P. o o o Cops cuff, detain man for having legal guns. – B.B. o o o Police will start carrying firearms with smart tracking technology. – D.S. o o o Not really survival related, but it’s pretty amazing to watch: Treacherous Rotary Naval Aircraft Operation. – RBS