Month: November 2015

Letter: Unintended Exposure Through Bank Debit Cards

All, When giving an analysis of bank debit cards and the advantages and disadvantages of their use, we come across quite a bit of useful information. There is indeed a shift from the use of checks and cash towards debit cards. According to the Federal Reserve Payment Study (2013) “Over the years, payments have become increasingly card-based. Card use may have replaced check use for certain payments” (P.6). The use of cards is of great end use convenience to account holders as swiping a debit card is faster than writing checks. Debit cards are almost universally accepted in today’s market, …


Economics and Investing:

War on Cash: Here are the latest disturbing developments Sent in by D.S. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: Requiem for QE: Seeds Sown for Future Economic Troubles (Cato Institute) DC Settles Civil Forfeiture Suit for $855K (Forbes) Value of Civil Forfeitures Exceeds Burglaries (Zero Hedge) Rent Control Policies: Ineffective and Unjust (Washington Examiner) Restoring Federal Fiscal Sanity Requires New Approaches and Strong Leadership (Washington Examiner) Oil Production in North Dakota Falls YOY for First Time in 11 Years (Business Insider) A Billionaire’s Post-Apocalypse Shelter: Here It Is (Zero Hedge) Puerto Rico is Running Out of Options (Bloomberg) Greece …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From the desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large comes this link showing groundwater resources: New study maps Earth’s hidden groundwater for the first time o o o Four Dead, 1 Million Lose Power in Destructive Northwest Windstorm (Article and auto starting video) o o o Emphasizing the need for situational awareness, SurvivalBlog reader T.Z. sent in the link to this article on the Paris attacks: Paris attack witness says black Mercedes pulled up and shooters fired rifles from the hip o o o Only hours after “He who must not be named” taunted the GOP with being afraid …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“In third world countries a traffic stop can be made to ‘go away’ for ten bucks or so. In the good ol’ USA, land of the free and home of the brave, it’s an opportunity to take everything in your wallet, everything in your car and maybe the car too. No warrant, no charge, just straight up theft. Congress—the people’s representatives, ask ’em—thought this up. The Supreme Court says it’s legal because it’s the property being charged, not you. It’s a legal concept from Medieval times. Karma awaits, and it’s never disappointed.” – Ol’ Remus, writing again in The Woodpile …


Notes for Wednesday – November 18, 2015

On this day in 1978, Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones led hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in a remote part of the South American nation of Guyana. This incredibly tragic occurrence introduce the term “…drink the Kool-Aid” into our parlance, since poison-laced punch was the vehicle behind most of the deaths. This serves as a stark warning and reminder to those in the prepping/survivalist community who would join with like-minded friends under the leadership of a charismatic leader. Always know who you are following! o o o There were several mistakes in the …


Raising Angora Rabbits as Part of a Well-Prepared Homestead, by J.R.

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Previous Survivalblog articles have focused on raising meat rabbits as part of a well-prepped homestead. Raising multi-purpose angora rabbits takes this aspect of preparedness to the next level. I’ll start with a quick review of the benefits of raising meat rabbits and then transition into the advantages of raising angora rabbits. Rabbits are indeed the most efficient of domestic livestock in converting feed to growth, meaning that it takes less feed per pound of mass produced to grow them out than it does for other animals. They are manageable in an urban situation, even an apartment, where other livestock are …


Letter Re: .40 S&W

Hugh, I’m in agreement with the recent postings regarding .40 cal pistols. I have been shooting .40 for more than a decade now and am a firm believer. During the shortages I was still able to consistently locate ammunition, and as mentioned by another contributor you can swap parts out on the Glock easily. I carry a Glock 23 and run full power ammunition for daily carry, but when attending a Front Sight four day pistol course I dropped in a Storm Glock 19 barrel. The pistol functioned just as well on 9mm ammunition as it did with .40. After …


Economics and Investing:

The Government Netted $4.5 Billion in Cash, Cars and Houses – Sent in by B.B. o o o The remaking of an American housing bubble: Home prices are up 78 percent since 2000 and 30 percent since 2012. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: $195M Pension Payment May Derail Detroit’s Post Bankruptcy Recovery (Detroit Free Press) Blackstone: Now the World’s Largest Owner of Real Estate(Business Insider) China Welcomes IMF Backing to Make Yuan World Currency (Yahoo News) Japan Relapses Into Recession (Reuters) California: Study Finds Half of Illegal Immigrants Qualify for Medicaid Benefits(Fox News) 38% of All Comex Gold …



Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers recommended the excellent documentary: Midnight Ride: When Rogue Politicians Call For Martial Law o o o The count is now at 15 governors who have said they will reject the “refugees”. Obama faces insurrection – State governors are refusing to accept more refugees As a friend so aptly put it: “If you were given 10 grapes and told two of them were poison, and you couldn’t tell which two, would you eat any of them?” o o o The “Big Boys” have the tools, now “Jr Varsity” ISIS wants them too. Britain warns of ISIS plotting deadly cyberattacks …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“A hand from Washington will be stretched out and placed upon every man’s business; the eye of the Federal inspector will be in every man’s counting house… The law will of necessity have inquisitorial features, it will provide penalties, it will create complicated machinery. Under it men will be hailed into courts distant from their homes. Heavy fines imposed by distant and unfamiliar tribunals will constantly menace the tax payer. An army of Federal inspectors, spies and detectives will descend upon the state… Who of us who have had knowledge of the doings of the Federal officials in the Internal …


Notes for Tuesday – November 17, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 61 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value), A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. …


A Solid Solution On Securing Home Defense During A TEOTWAWKI Situation, by B.M.

Currently, I reside in a suburb about 40 miles outside of Chicago. It’s just far enough in my opinion to escape the madness should the SHTF. Nobody is going to walk 40 miles out of the city to my town. What would they achieve by doing this anyway? In any case, my personal bugout plan is to bug-in should a SHTF scenario develop. I live in a typical small suburban home with neighbors all around me. It is a typical suburban American block. I have thought through many scenarios that may present themselves during times of trouble, whether it’s that …


Letter Re: Infant Nutrition

Hello, After reading the infant nutrition article and several responses to it, I could not help it but add something to the discussion. Dental caries and especially childhood dental caries is the most widespread disease in United States. The science behind it is that it is a bacterial infection, meaning the cavities are caused by bacteria in the mouth. Kids are not born with that bacteria but acquire them during childhood. DNA testing has shown that in 90% of the infection cases, the source is the primary caretaker, mainly the mother. Ways of infection are sharing utensils, kissing on the …


News From The American Redoubt:

FBI investigating killing of Jack Yantis by Adams County deputies in Idaho o o o Idaho governor says feds should halt refugee program o o o But meanwhile, on the Left[ist] Coast: Washington State Governor Will Welcome Refugees o o o In Wyoming: Man dies when car deer comes through car’s windshield o o o Israeli airline carrying nearly 300 passengers makes emergency landing in Billings