Month: May 2015

Letter Re: An Emergency Hand Pump For A Well, by C.P.

HJL, Hi, this article sounds good, but I have a couple of questions about construction of the well pump described. Is the mentioned diagram available for the design of the 1&1/4″ assembly above the well cap? Also, I’m surprised there isn’t a seal or check valve on the bottom of the piston. Is this to simplify design, by sacrificing efficiency? Would the gpm and maximum pumping depth increase if these were included in the design? The idea fills a need for many preppers. We just need more info. – J.J. HJL Responds: We sent the request on to the author, …


Economics and Investing:

Two CEOs in one day…. Snapchat and Red Hat: Tech bubble will end badly o o o Why Russia Is On A Gold Buying Spree o o o IRS hacked, 100,000 taxpayers exposed o o o Meet the BLICS – New Source for Phony Dollar Support – By Jim Willie o o o Something BIG Is About To Happen To Silver o o o Greece Owes $1.2 Billion To Drugmakers As Government Can No Longer Afford Basic Medical Supplies. – H.L.


Odds ‘n Sods:

Sephardic Jews Leave Turkey for Spain Fleeing ‘Unnerving’ Wave of Anti-Semitism. – H.L. o o o Over at Commander Zero’s blog: Thoughts on the PTR-91 o o o Thanks to SurvivalBlog reader T.P. I haven’t seen anything this ridiculous since I sold my .50AE Desert Eagle, but it sure does look fun! – Video: Dual, Double bbl. .45’s….. in slow motion ! o o o Bill Gates just described his biggest fear — and it could kill 33 million people in less than a year. – G.P. o o o New Media ( anti-Google, anti Collective, anti-Shills ) Web Browser. …



Notes for Thursday – May 28, 2015

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large) has had his latest science fiction novel released by Baen Books. This one is titled A Long Time Until Now. It is a time travel tale, with an interesting twist. SurvivalBlog readers should find it of particular interest, because the protagonists are thrust into an extremely austere environment with NO infrastructure, so they need to almost entirely improvise their sustenance and defenses. So this is both an exciting read, and it’s educational. Great reading! – JWR o o o The World’s Unraveling: Are You Ready? Don’t forget Safecastle’s Mountain House Food Sale with …


Becoming A Warrior At Gunsite Academy, by J.H.

I had dreams of becoming an armed warrior at a very young age. My father and my uncle put a .22 rifle in my hands after I joined the Boy Scouts, and they asked that I go with them through the woods along the Cahaba River in Shelby County, Alabama. They cared less about sports and preferred that I learn how to survive in a non-urban/non-suburban environment. I believe they were interested in passing along family history as much as anything else. They told me how my ancestors, mainly my great-grandfathers, survived as warriors when they fought in the American …


Letter: Nickels Strategy

JWR/HJL, Here’s a nickel accumulation strategy that might be useful to SB readers building their piles. Instead of asking the bank teller for loose rolls, I have switched to $100 boxes. I get no eye-rolls from the tellers; they just walk to the vault and pick up a box. Boxes are not especially durable, but a few wraps of duct or strapping tape take care of that. Our local banks may be friendlier than some, but I have never been charged a fee for loose rolls or boxes. – AAA/Another Army Aviator


Economics and Investing:

Venezuela’s Currency Collapsing as U.S. Companies Announce They Will Only Accept U.S. Dollars. – JBG o o o The Stress Index indicated a bottom in the gold and silver markets in March of 2015. – GC o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: China Blows Its Debt Bubble Bigger Yuan Now Most-Used in Asia for Payments to China, Swift Says Bloomberg, China and $64,000 Gold Greece Risk Timeline — Why July 20 Matters Most – Interesting data


Odds ‘n Sods:

Krayton Kerns: Lessons of the Dirt Pile. – Avalanche Lily o o o An interview with JWR on SGT Report was just posted dealing with the impending collapse of the U.S. economy and the treason within our own government which has led to the fast-tracking of the secretive TPP. o o o Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large, presented us with this fascinating look from a historians perspective at “natural” diets. o o o Remember, this is with plenty of food, and open gas stations. – T.P. 56 shot, 12 killed in violent Memorial Day weekend in Chicago 28 people …



Notes for Wednesday – May 27, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 58 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 hard case to go with …


Surviving Science, by Funtripmom

What happens if you decide to homeschool and you failed science class, not just one science class but practically all of them? On the other hand, what happens if you decide to homeschool and you got an “A” in chemistry, but you never did anything to merit that grade, and therefore you don’t know the first thing about chemistry? That about sums up my science class record. I either didn’t do very well or I passed with flying colors all to the tune of helping the teacher grade papers. At the time I loved it. I thought, “This is grand! …


Letter: Ham Radio Classes

Hello James, and Hugh, and readers I just finished teaching my second Ham radio class for this year, with four licensees in each– two general and two tech. I teach general and tech at the same time, with emphasis on tech, and I encourage extra study on the general with questions and instruction for each being answered for each class. My classes usually go for 10 or 12 Saturday mornings 0900-1200 or until we exhaust the teacher, whichever comes first. I just found out last Tuesday that I have seven more students who want me to teach another class. Whew! …


Economics and Investing:

Is The 505 Trillion Dollar Interest Rate Derivatives Bubble In Imminent Jeopardy? – B.B. o o o Suicidal Credit-Based Money System o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Video: David Stockman On Fox: How Washington Is Sowing The Whirlwind Bring Your Own Bed Sheets—–Athens Has Strip-Mined Every Dime Of Cash From Greece’s Health Care System – The Greek government is delusional thinking that its socialist agenda of government run healthcare is going to function in an already bankrupt country. Greece Hasn’t Got the Money to Make June IMF Repayment – While the situation is getting dire, I still expect a …