Year: 2014

Notes for Sunday – November 16, 2014

November 16th is the birthday of Michael D. Echanis (born 1950, died September 1978), a former United States Army Special Forces and 75th Ranger Battalion enlisted man. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with “V” device as a LRRP in the Vietnam War. He was born and raised in eastern Oregon. Echanis was killed while working for the CIA in Nicaragua in 1978 in a plane crash along with his colleague Charles Sanders and members of the Nicaraguan armed forces. There was conjecture that the plane was destroyed in flight by a saboteur’s bomb. JWR’s novel Survivors …


Preparing Game Meat For The Table, by Kestrel

As a hunter I’ve often heard the question, “Doesn’t ____ meat taste gamey?” I get this question from people who have never eaten game meat or from those who have eaten improperly-prepared game. The word “gamey”, to me, speaks of meat with a rotten flavor. I’ve had spoiled meat before, and it does indeed taste “gamey”. My usual response to the above question is that wild game just has a different, often stronger, flavor than the beef that we are used to in this country, but there is no reason it shouldn’t be delicious. In this article I will give …


Letter Re: Surviving Financial SHTF and Becoming Debt Free, by K.D.

HJL, KDs advice on getting out of debt and getting spending under control is spot on, but I am curious what KD and the SurvivalBlog editor recommend for retirement savings. Obviously silver and gold are vital components of any investment portfolio, as a hedge against the failure of currency, but these investments do not pay dividends and cannot be relied upon as a complete retirement plan. When investing for the auction price of a stock, as the mainstream foolishly recommends, I agree with SurvivalBlog that the stock market can be a dangerous store of wealth. However, if you approach investing …


Economics and Investing:

Weather, tight supplies drive U.S. cattle prices to new high o o o Winging it through retirement: 30 percent of Americans have no retirement savings. o o o The politics of housing: Why are many blue cities unaffordable to the middle class? o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: 24% Of Millennials “Expect” Student Loan Forgiveness – As someone with student loans, I understand the frustration of an highly overpriced “asset”, but this is insanity to even think this. Video: David Stockman Interview On Bloomberg TV: Congress Is In A Fiscal Coma—Do Not Disturb! Video: David Stockman Interview On Bloomberg …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A Recent Podcast: Survivalism As a Financial Plan: the Tactics for “Surviving the End of the World as We Know It” Applied to Modern Life – Interview with James Wesley, Rawles o o o Swiss Democracy: They listen to their people! What’s the matter with our country?? – Avalanche Lily o o o Krayton Kerns: God, Guns and Guts – Avalanche Lily o o o Your “Children Will Be Fined” If You Fail To Sign Up For Obamacare: People Are Going To Be In for A Shock. – B.B. o o o Water thievery on rise amid California drought. – …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.” Matthew 2:16-18 (KJV)


Notes for Saturday – November 15, 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 …


Surviving Financial SHTF and Becoming Debt Free, by K.D. – Part 2

Meanwhile, I made another spreadsheet. This spreadsheet listed everything we owned, and I do mean everything. Well, it included everything except our house. We were underwater and basically renting anyway. Since we were at war with the banks, everything was in the fight, including all of our preps, everything. After all, this was our SHTF situation to deal with. We prioritized our “stuff ” from 1-5. An item identified with a one was among the most useful to our survival, and those things that were least useful were given a five. We then began selling the items listed as fives …


Letter: Psychological Preparedness

Hugh, People often can accept and understand, mentally, some horrific issue they have experienced, and yet they cannot accept it psychologically. Police, who have been shot and survived, have been interviewed, and almost invariably they will state that they could not believe that someone was actually shooting at them. Mentally, they could see what was going on; they could see the gun and hear the shots, but psychologically, they simply could not comprehend that someone was actually shooting at them. I think the same psychological dynamic goes on in the whole collapse/economic depression scenario. You may have intelligent people who …


Economics and Investing:

ISIS Unveils Its New Gold-Backed Currency To Remove Itself From “The Oppressors’ Money System”. – B.B. o o o The Reverse Of Central Bank Gold Flows Spells The Death Of The Dollar o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: The Economic End Game Explained – This is a must read. Video: David Stockman Interview On Bloomberg TV: Reagan History Is Revisionist Mythology Foreclosures Spike as Banks Ramp Up Repossessions – I’ve lived next to a very nice unoccupied home for three years now, in a sought-after neighborhood, that has not even gone through the foreclosure process. These homes are all …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Flying stingray towers: Secret US spy program targeted Americans’ cellphones – D.M. o o o Allah Praised on House Floor. – J.R. o o o Why do you prep? How about record-breaking temperatures across the Northern States this year, in mid-November? Thursday: Burlington, Colorado: -10° Wednesday: Casper Wyoming: -27° Livingston, Montana: -21° o o o “Pure Arctic Outbreak”: Staying Warm During the Polar Vortex. – F.B. o o o Registration does lead to confiscation. – B.B.



Notes for Friday – November 14, 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 …


Surviving Financial SHTF and Becoming Debt Free, by K.D. – Part 1

We recently experienced our own financial SHTF situation. Well, that’s true, if you could call six years “recent”. Before I get into our situation, I think a little history would be appropriate. The wife and I had started prepping together in 2002. We actually were taking baby steps prior to that but when the economy trashed we went all in. I thought that was it. There was no way we, as a nation, could just print money and keep the ship afloat. Early in 2009, I realized we may actually have a bit more time. If every civilized country in …


Letter Re: Ebola Unafraid

Hugh, I appreciate and enjoyed ShepherdFarmerGeek’s article and follow-up on “Ebola Unafraid”. However, I think a word of caution is in order. In particular, Vitamins A, C, and E are frequently synthetic versions of the natural vitamins; they are produced in factories, and the vitamin supplements are typically laced with GMO’s that are involved with the manufacturing process. Vitamin C sold as “Ascorbic Acid” is actually a derivative of mold. I am not a doctor or even a nutritionist, but I have read enough to know that we should avoid the cheap forms of these vitamins. Vitamin D3 is safe …