Day: February 2, 2015

Notes for Monday – February 02, 2015

February 2nd is the birthday of Ayn Rand (born Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum in 1905, died March 6, 1982). She is of course remembered for her novel Atlas Shrugged, which is considered a Libertarian classic. While we sharply disagree with her views on religion (since she was an atheist), we admire both her skill as a writer and her ability to articulate some core precepts of human liberty. o o o SurvivalBlog welcomes two new prize sponsors starting with Round 57 of the Writing Contest: In the first prize awards is a Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest …


Round 56 Non-Fiction Writing Contest Winners Announced!

First prize goes to I.S. for “Motorizing a Country Living Grain Mill for 12-volt Battery and Solar – Part 1” & “Part 2”, which were posted on January 21st and 22nd. He will receive the following prizes: 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 …


January In Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and silver and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers. Gold had a wild ride to start the year, with plenty of economic and political turmoil to power the roller coaster price action. We saw prices move from $1,170 to $1,305, as turmoil rocked Europe, only to crash back to near $1,250 after a Federal Reserve policy meeting that the market makers deemed hawkish. Even so, gold had its …


Scot’s Product Review: Panteao Productions Make Ready to Survive Video Series

I recently reviewed a couple of videos on weapons craft from Panteao Productions and found them quite useful. Panteao recently released its first three videos in a series on survival. The press release says they will have a total of thirteen videos, which are to be released over the next few months, to cover the full range of survival topics, from weapons to medicinal plants. One of the things that impressed me about the first two videos I watched was the quality of the instructors– Bill Jeans and Freddie Blish. The survival videos use five instructors, all of whom have …


Recipe of the Week: Taco Soup, by C.H.

I’m from upstate NY, and I love Survivalblog! This is a great recipe for camping or at home. It is very easy and requires almost no prep. Ingredients: 1 lb. ground beef 1 can corn, undrained 1 can black beans, undrained 1 can red beans, undrained 1 package taco mix 1 package dry ranch dressing mix, such as Hidden Valley Directions: Brown meat; drain grease. Dump meat, corn, beans, and dry mixes into a saucepan. (Be sure not to drain canned vegetables). Add water to desired consistency. That’s it. Tastes great! o o o Do you have a favorite recipe …


Letter Re: Keeping Lawmen at Fishbowl Distance

JWR, I wholeheartedly agree with your prescription for law enforcement encounters, but I would add that if the lawmen persist and detain you, your first response should be to ask for an attorney. Without affirmative invocation of your right to an attorney, the questioning will drag on and on. When you request an attorney, they must immediately stop questioning you. However, do not expect an attorney to come waltzing through the door; if you are under arrest, it may take 24-48 hours for you to see one at first appearance, and even then it may be for only a moment. …


Economics and Investing:

More homeless camps are appearing beyond downtown L.A.’s skid row. – JMC o o o How screwed up is the world when savers have to pay banks to keep their deposits and those same banks turn around and pay debtors on their mortgages? This will end badly. – A.M. o o o Dublin Anti-Water Tax Protests Bring City To A Halt. – H.L. o o o Second Bank Failure of 2015 – Highland Community Bank in Illinois. – G.G. o o o Arctic Oil On Life Support


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Curious Dramas of Bowe Bergdahl. – RBS o o o Anoka-Hennepin Schools May Start Depression Screenings – D.S. o o o Venezuela troops to use lethal force at protests. – H.L. o o o Police Dept. Lobby – a great place to buy an un-papered gun. – T.P. o o o Super-cookie crumbles: Verizon vows to kill off HATED zombie stalkers. – G.G.