Month: January 2015

Economics and Investing:

The Deflationary Myth o o o No Proof JPMorgan Not the Big Buyer of Silver Eagles. – K.W. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: US to Cut Off Food Stamps for One Million Next Year – This is part of the massive invisible “bread line” that we don’t see but is every bit as long as the lines in the Great Depression. Let’s see how this goes over… 3 in 5 Americans Don’t Have Enough Savings to Pay for Unexpected Expenses Mortgage Apps Plunge 9.1% Over Two-Week Period $200 Billon in Debt Looms over American Oil and Gas


Odds ‘n Sods:

Again showing that the human link is often the weakest in any security. Young mother let terrorists into Charlie Hebdo building after threat against daughter. – P.M. o o o Welcome to the Matrix: Enslaved by Technology and the Internet of Things. – B.B. o o o Harvard Professor explains America in 90 seconds. – C.T. Hugh adds: While the premise of the clip sounds good and my initial thought is to agree with it, I can’t help but wonder if that isn’t part of the problem. I will always remember the story told to me in my youth of …



Notes for Thursday – January 08, 2015

On this day, in 1835, the U.S. National Debt reached zero for the first and only time. This is also the birthday of the late Algis Budrys (born 1931, died June 9, 2008). He was the Lithuanian-American science fiction author who wrote the classic survivalist novel Some Will Not Die. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 56 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 …


Getting By In Wyoming, by DBF

Retiring back in Wyoming, where I grew up, has been a real blessing. I had way too much of living in cities during my thirty years with the military. I think a lot of folks out here could be called preppers, but for us it is just the smart way to do things. We don’t have to wait for the system to collapse; every year the weather, or some other thing, has us getting by on our own. We use a lot of the techniques discussed on SurvivalBlog, and there are a few others I’ll list here that you might …


Letter Re: Prepper Digital Security

Hugh, Just wanted to bring up a point about a couple of the letters to the editor. The article was meant as a primer as to steps that can be taken to digitally secure your data. There is no such thing as a 100% secure data system. It sounds good, but it is unrealistic. With that said, however, you can make it take such an inordinate amount of time to get to the data as to be “virtually” 100%. That is also the premise of DiD (Defense in Depth). You are employing a multi-layer shell of encryption and segmentation around …


Economics and Investing:

Seven Reasons To Be Fearful o o o You Are Being Lied To – The West Is In Bad Shape, Particularly The United States. – B.B o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Recipe for Disaster: Why Velocity is Inflation’s Most Dangerous Ingredient 10 Year Treasury Yield below 2% The $300B Elephant In The Acropolis: The Greeks Can’t Pay, Euro Politicians Are Afraid To Forgive Bill Gross Says the Good Times Are Over


Odds ‘n Sods:

The RS-6 Radio Set. – RBS o o o We Are Entering An Era Of Shattered Illusions. – A.P. o o o N.H. Police Officer’s Colt M4 Carbine is “Lost”. – T.P. “The officer was dispatched to several calls after leaving the parking lot and believes the bag containing the rifle fell off of the trunk as he left the parking lot.” o o o VA Offers ‘Free Gun Locks’ in Exchange for Owners’ Info, Addresses & # of Guns Owned. – RBS o o o An update on Avalanche Lily’s suggestion yesterday: The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics By Francis …



Notes for Wednesday – January 07, 2015

This is the birthday of several notables: Senator Rand Paul (born 1963), Cresson Kearny(born 1914, died December 18, 2003), and Bent Faurschou-Hviid, known as The Flame (born 1921, died October 18, 1944). The Flame was a red-haired Danish resistance fighter in the Holger Danske Group during World War II. His exploits were dramatized in the movie Flame and Citron. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 56 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 …


Car Emergency Kit, by Z.M.

The holidays are just over, and that means that many of you probably spent at least a few hours out on the road. Going to visit family is always a blast, but the journey doesn’t always tend to be this way. Life happens. Cars break down, traffic jams block roads, and blizzards can leave you stranded. Are you prepared for a similar situation? Just being stuck by the roadside by yourself can be bad enough, but can you imagine going through this with your spouse and/or kids? If this situation happened, would you have prepared enough to make sure that …


Letter Re: Lessons on Prepping From an Afghanistan Deployment, by A.K.

Hugh, I’m always glad to hear stories from fellow Marines on your blog. Having served as a combat Marine in Fallujah (2004), I can appreciate the lessons he’s disseminating and vouch for their effectiveness. However, there is one detail I want to clarify to your readers: The 9mm is not a bad round. It’s actually quite an effective round with the right bullet. The military is restricted to using mostly ball type ammunition, due to the obsolete Hague Convention, and 9mm ball is, unequivocally, a terrible round for stopping humans. It’s great for light barrier penetration and target shooting, and …


Economics and Investing:

Review of the 2014 Bank Failures and Their Effects on Depositors. – G.G. o o o Jeff Gundlach: Something Is Not Right; Concerned About Health Of The Economy & Financial System o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: German Savers Brace for $2.3 Trillion ECB Question Jim Rickards Says the Fed is Bluffing About Raising Interest Rates in 2015 Hedge Funds Resume Bullish Gold Bets as Greece Vote Looms The ECB “Leaks” Its 3 QE Choices



Odds ‘n Sods:

Living on the edge. Proof that living on the edge can be done for a very long time. Important to note how important faith is in such a situation. – S.D. o o o Former Marine Shocks Crowd By Singing Forgotten Verse Of Star Spangled Banner. – Avalanche Lily o o o Top five emergency first aid items you probably didn’t even realize were medicine. – D.S. o o o Connecticut Gun Confiscation Letters Now Confirmed By Fox. – F.B. o o o The Most Amazing Hubble Image Ever. – C.M.