Year: 2014


Notes for Friday – October 17, 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 …


Preserving Western Culture After TEOTWAWKI, by Professor P

Walter Miller’s sci-fi masterpiece, A Canticle for Leibowitz, envisions a nuclear apocalypse that wipes out the 20th century world, leaving the few survivors in a pretty hard core TEOTWAWKI situation. Many of the survivors blame the technological horror on human learning, rather than on human sinfulness, and band together to destroy all remnants of western culture. They burn books, and they burn the people who try to preserve them, including Isaac Leibowitz– a major “booklegger”. Leibowitz had organized a group of men into a new monastic order that smuggled books to the relative safety of their monastery, where they copied …


Leter Re: A Few Thoughts on Water Storage

Editor, After reading a recent article on SurvivalBlog about keeping stored water clean, I thought I’d mention my experience with that. While living in the Colorado mountains, my water source was from a short stream running from a spring. This filtered water was pumped into a 1,000-gallon tank in my basement. All surface water is subject to some contamination, but in all the years it was used it never gave me any problems. I finally had it tested, and the bacteria count was some 50 times what was allowed. After that test, I figured I was living on borrowed time …


Economics & investing:

Introducing Home delivery of IRA Gold or Silver Eagle Coins with Perpetual Assets LLC IRA program o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Empire State Manufacturing Index Slows Sharply in October Walmart Cuts Sales Outlook for Fiscal 2015 Markets on Edge After Worst Turmoil in Four Years 9 Ominous Signals Coming From The Financial Markets That We Have Not Seen In Years


Odds ‘n Sods:

So, you like that flashlight app on your phone? Snoopwall Flashlight Apps Threat Assessment Report. – P.M. o o o Growing concerns over ‘in the air’ transmission of Ebola. – P.S. o o o An interesting site that may help you plan a bug-out route.http://hazmat.globalincidentmap.com/map.php. – JFJ o o o CDC considers adding names of health workers monitored for Ebola to no-fly list. – T.P. o o o The Pompous Prognostications Of “Permanently High Plateau” Prophets. J.W.



Notes for Thursday, October 16, 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 …


Post-Civilization Smithing, by THS

If I had to choose one tool or piece of gear for survival, a knife would be on the top of my list. A knife can be used to make fires, shelters, weapons, traps, and most of the things needed for survival. With a few tools and some practice, anyone can have a workable knife (or chisel, hook, hinge, or any number of other tools and hardware) in a few hours of work. Besides the usefulness of the self-fashioned tool, it will bring a great amount of satisfaction and pride. The skill of blacksmithing will also put you in a …


Letter Re: Scot’s Product Review: CMMG .22 LR Conversion for AR-15

Scot, Regarding the review, I have used an Attichison kit since the mid-70’s. (Yes, my first AR was bought over the counter in ’71, serial number under 20,000.) I have been satisfied with performance and accuracy. The CMMG is nearly identical so far I can tell on cursory examination, and I sold probably hundreds in retail and can’t recall any being returned or complained about. They save money, provide opportunity to train in places where .223 might prove problematic, and overall perform as they ought. I must confess to taking out a huge Norwegian Wharf Rat in my home in …


Economics & Investing:

Americans face post-foreclosure hell as wages garnished, assets seized. – G.G. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Weak Economic Data Slams Wall Street Time to Reduce Reliance on the Dollar: Russia PM Greek Bonds Extend Selloff, Pushing Yield Up Most in 15 Months U.S. Retail Sales Drop: A Cautionary Sign on Consumer Demand


Odds ‘n Sods:

Shutdown: A Single Ebola Patient Has Overwhelmed The System: Dallas Hospital Forced To Close Emergency Room. – H.L. o o o Tiny Box Promises To Keep You Anonymous On The Internet. – G.P. o o o When Holding An Orphaned Baby Can Mean Contracting Ebola. – T.P. o o o America’s Ebola crisis is made worse by the people in charge. Dr. Thomas Frieden was Mayor Bloomberg’s Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from 2002–2009 and enforced the mayor’s trans-fat, 16-ounce soda, smoking, and salt bans. CDC Director Tom Frieden faces rising tide of …



Notes for Wednesday, October 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 …


A National Guardsman’s Experiences During Hurricane Sandy, by FDO

I’ll give you a little background about me. I was born, raised, and am currently living in New England. I have a B.A. in History and have just begun work on my M.A. in the same field of study. This past June marked four years in the National Guard, and I received my commission as a Field Artillery officer (13A) in 2013. Currently, I serve as a Battery Fire Direction Officer and am a graduate of Field Artillery Basic Officer Leader’s Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and the U.S. Army’s Air Assault School. I have been reading the blog for …