Year: 2014

Notes for Saturday – September 27, 2014

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 upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hardcase to go with your …


Beekeeping for Long-term Self Sufficiency, by T.D.

Several years ago I was introduced to a book called Passport to Survival written by Esther Dickey. This book elaborates on how you can provide for all the essential nutritional needs for you and your family with just four basic ingredients– wheat, powdered milk, honey, and salt. As I thought about these four items, I realized that I had it within my power to provide for one of these four items without much change in my lifestyle and without an excess of effort. I live in the city, so growing more than just a few handfuls of wheat in my …


Letter Re: Monitored Frequencies

Hugh, Mr. TV asked if government agencies monitored some frequencies 24/7. I am an Army Aviator and can tell you that 121.5 VHF is monitored by every aircraft in the U.S. (not just military). The VHF radios in aircraft are designed to automatically receive 121.5, and it will broadcast into the ears of the pilot regardless of currently tuned frequency. Example: I have a tower freq tuned (119.325) and if someone broadcasts over 121.5, I will hear it, but in order to respond, I would have to tune my own radio to 121.5. The same is true for aircraft with …


Economics and Investing:

1 in 4 Americans 25-54 Not Working. – G.G. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Treasuries Gain on Jobless Claims Amid Demand for Yield U.S. Durable Goods Orders Fall 18.2% in August Is Student Loan Debt Hurting the Housing Recovery?– This is far from the only issue, but it is an issue. Bearish Housing Bets Building on Interest Rate Concerns


Odds ‘n Sods:

One cost of war: U.S. blowing up its own Humvees. – RBS o o o How Gun Control Made England The ‘Most Violent Country In Europe’. – JBG o o o The Number One Threat to the US Above Terrorism. – T.P. o o o Illegal children brought into the country apparently brought this virus in: Virus probed in paralysis cases in 9 Colorado kids – P.M. o o o Woman beheaded at Oklahoma workplace. – T.P. The first reports about this violent act avoided the issue that it was related to Islam, even though it was readily apparent. I …



Notes for Friday – September 26, 2014

The 26th of September is the birthday of the late Jack LaLanne, who was born in 1914 and who died January 23, 2011. 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 …


Ten Ways that Purchasing an Older Home is Helping Us to Prepare, by C.F.

When we first purchased our home less than three years ago, it was a charming four bedroom, two bathroom, Dutch colonial bungalow, built in 1920. It was a complete flip, featuring laminate flooring, faux granite countertops, and some, shall we say, interesting additions and subtractions. What I mean by this is that we had a few new walls where there used to not be any and a few original walls that were taken down or partially removed. The home advertised new carpeting, flooring, windows, and siding. Most importantly for us, though, it came with new plumbing, electricity, and mechanicals. The …


Letter Re: Protecting Your Home, BOL, and Supplies from Pests

Hugh, Regarding Protecting Your Home, BOL, and Supplies from Pests, A cheap mousetrap can be made from a 5-gallon bucket, some sweet feed (molasses and grain), and a board. Take your 5-gallon bucket, add some sweet feed, and use the board as a ramp for the mice. The mice will climb up the board and jump into the bucket. Once in, they can’t get out. There can only be one mouse in the bucket, otherwise they kill and eat each other. The wonderful smell of the molasses will draw the mice in quickly. I’ve seen eight mice in the bucket …


Economics and Investing:

Tax Man Uses Drones to Root Out Wealthy Tax Evaders o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Standard & Poor’s Warns on Germany Triggering the Next Debt Crisis, Investors Would Lose their Shirts Bubble Finance At Work: Asset Inflation For The 1% This Is About As Good As Things Are Going To Get For The Middle Class – And It’s Not That Good Silver Tumbles To 4 Year Lows As Massive Sell Order Hits At Market Open


Odds ‘n Sods:

Eric Holder To Step Down As Attorney General. JWR’s Comments: Only National Pravda Radio (NPR) could couch Holder’s departure in such glowing terms and avoid any specific mention of the many impeachable scandals that the man got himself into, including the Fast and Furious gunrunning plot. Holder should be serving a long stretch in a federal pen, rather than collecting a federal retirement check. o o o Miss a Payment? Good Luck Moving That Car – T.P. o o o 11-Year-Old Girl Saves Mother’s Life By Shooting Violent Intruder Multiple Times. – J.W. o o o For Gun Shop Owners, …


Hughs Quote of the Day:

“Five-hundred channels and there ain’t much on tonight Except reality shows about some folk’s so-called lives A pretty girl cries ’cause she don’t get a rose But she’ll find love next year on her own show And they call that real Real is a hand you hold fifty-seven years Real is a band of gold tremblin’ with fear It’s the first long tear down an old man’s face, watchin’ his angel slippin’ away His heart’s so broke, it’s never gonna heal I call that real Where I live, housewives don’t act like that And the survivors are farmers in John …


Notes for Thursday – September 25, 2014

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 upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hardcase to go with your …


Communications for When SHTF, by N.M.

Communications is a key element in our everyday lives. If you don’t believe me, try going a whole day with no cell phone, Internet, television, or any other means of communications (COMMS). So it stands to reason that having COMMS, when SHTF, is essential to gaining intelligence (COMINT), the safety and security of your family, keeping informed, and keeping at least one step ahead of anybody with bad intentions. Like any skill, it is essential to practice; that means practicing before SHTF, so that you have the necessary skills. While most of the communications methods discussed in this article are …


Two Letters Re: Covert Communications

Hugh, Reading H.R.’s correction on the Covert Communication article I must correct him. He cites 146.00MHz as the National Calling Frequency. That is incorrect. The generally agreed upon simplex frequency (there is no law or regulation requiring the use of any frequency as a National Calling Frequency) for calling others known and/or unknown is 146.52MHz. Do a Google search for “amateur radio national simplex frequency” and navigate to any of the top five or ten citations and you will find that 146.52 is listed in each as the 2 meter national simplex frequency. (There are many National Simplex Frequencies on …