Day: December 16, 2015

Notes for Wednesday – December 16, 2015

December 16th, 1928, was the birthday of Philip K. Dick, who died March 2, 1982. He penned a remarkable number of sci-fi novels and novellas that have been adapted into movies, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Screamers, Impostor, Minority Report, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, Next, and The Adjustment Bureau. Though he had a troubled personal life (with drug use and several failed marriages), his captivating books certainly had a knack for envisioning potential futures. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 62 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round …


Normalcy Bias, by KR in TN

Most people I know enjoy a little adventure. While it may not be sky diving, even the more reserved, quiet spirits appreciate a change of pace. Some get their kicks from visiting the mouse at his Magic Kingdom, while others get it from a morning in the tree stand or an afternoon under the hood. Regardless of what they do, folks like to break up the monotony of the daily grind. Doing the same ole’ same ole’ gets old, but the day to day life we live is what we’ve come to expect. Yesterday was the same as the day …


Letter: Good Idea for BOB Water

Hugh, I thought I’d seen it all. Well, at my age I have seen most of it, but it’s not often I see a prep idea I haven’t seen before AND that makes this much sense. Access to water is one of the very top preps. Many places you will see an outside water faucet (aka hose bib or sillcock). But the owner has removed the handle so only he can use it. It’s a deep hole and very difficult to manipulate without the proper handle or tool, which is by design. Enter the 4-way Sillcock Key. It’s $8.50 from …


Economics and Investing:

Big Banks Caught Using Credit Default Swaps To Destroy Nations o o o Silver: Until Paper Currencies Stop Losing Value o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: U.S. News Janet Yellen: An Orthodox Economist in Unorthodox Times (Reuters) Commentary: Brief, easily readable, a good overview as we approach the coming announcement with the Federal Reserve’s decision regarding a rate hike. This article revisits the idea that old models may no longer work to evaluate current conditions and the uncertain environment in which decisions will be made. Fannie and Freddie’s Propoganda War (Wall Street Journal) Bubble Watch: No Down Payment Jumbo …


Odds ‘n Sods:

For readers who’d like to get a glimpse of what the terrain, weather, and people are like in the Ilemi Triangle (the main locale of my latest novel, Land of Promise), I recommend a YouTube video narrated by a C-130 Hercules pilot who was based out of Lokichoggio, Kenya: A Postcard From Loki. – JWR o o o This video clip from Homeland pretty well sums up just how extremely devoted the jihadis are to setting up an Islamic Caliphate: Quinn from Homeland Understands the Problem – JWR o o o For those following the Infrared camoflauge technology, SurvivalBlog reader …