Year: 2015

Attaining Food in Urban Locations (From Land and Sea)- Part 1, by Cracker Makk

If it has hair, feathers, or scales, it is edible. In the desperate times that lay ahead, people are going to have to make a choice. They’ll either become self-sufficient and revert back to the practices of our ancestors (the hunter/gatherers) or stand there with their hand out and wait for something that isn’t coming. You need to learn how to keep your body nourished and feed the ones you love. The truth is there are food sources everywhere around us that are easily obtainable with a little patience and technical know-how. However, many people in this country have become …



News From The American Redoubt:

Feds extend comment period on plan to close areas to mining. – Sent in by RBS o o o You will struggle reading this poorly written article, but it contains important information about Montana Ranchers acting as frontline guards, watching the Canadian border for illegal crossings. o o o Car insurance study settles it: Montana has worst drivers And this article from 2001 provides some background: Montana: No Speed Limit Safety Paradox o o o Spokane: Some continue to feel affects of windstorm damage o o o Idaho: Ex-elk ranch employee charged with stealing elk semen o o o 1st …


Economics and Investing:

IMF to make Chinese yuan reserve currency in historic move – Sent in by G.G. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: China’s Yuan Approved by IMF for Special Basket Currencies– My question is, say the Yuan makes up 10% of the SDR, where does that 10% come from? The U.S. Dollar or who? How does that effect that currency(s) that is reduced? Hyperinflation Watch: Kazakhstan Unveils New 20,000 Tenge Banknote Items from Professor Preponomics: Negative Interest Rates in Switzerland Have Economists Proposing Scary Scenarios: Should Cash Be Abolished? (Business Insider) Trouble is Brewing in the Paper Markets for Gold …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Slaves sold for $10: Yazidi Women Tell of Rape and Enslavement at Hands of ISIS o o o Reader D.S. sent in this article profiling the abusive nature of the nations healthcare when it comes to employees who don’t comply with mandatory flu shots which are highly controversial. o o o Along those same lines, here is an example where the government is now mandating vaccines containing mercury in children and exempting the producers and health workers from any and all consequences…All in the name of child safety. o o o In Sweden, 14,000 illegal immigrants disappear without trace. Meanwhile: …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Your personal philosophy is more important for you than mine! You are the master of your own life and if you don’t agree with my views, great, define, understand and implement your own. The biggest thing you can do is understand that you are in control of your life and that what you do matters. Those two factors have the greatest impact on individual survival across every demographic you can imagine.” – Jack Spirko of Survival Podcast


Notes for Monday – November 30, 2015

Just one more day ’til the release of “Land of Promise”! Tomorrow (December 1st) is the day to order your copies of either the Kindle edition or the trade paperback! o o o I was saddened to hear of the passing of economist Richard Russell, at age 91. His Dow Theory Letters newsletter had been published since 1958. I started reading his newsletter back in 1987. Our condolences to his family. He coined the phrase: “The trend is your friend.” His market analysis was always sound, and he never lost sight of the importance of maintaining what he called a …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Springfield Armory XDm Compact .40 S&W

Make no mistake, I’m a huge fan of Springfield Armory firearms– all of them. When the XD handgun first came out, I picked one up; it was in .40S&W. At first appearance, it looked very much Glock-ish to my way of thinking. However, once home, I tore the gun down and examined it. While some of the parts look like Glock parts, none of them will interchange with a Glock. None! Something very rare for me is to carry any one particular handgun for two years, which is what I did with the XD .40, only changing to a different …


Recipe of the Week: Christmas Cheese Ball, by L.H.

This one is a super simple recipe that has stood the test of time. Everyone was making it in the late 70’s/early 80’s, and we’re still making it and delighting company and get-togethers all these years later. Ingredients: 2 blocks (8 oz. ea.) cream cheese 1 bunch green onions, minced 1 small pkg. (7 oz., or 1/2 of a 16-oz. pkg.) ham lunchmeat, diced small generous dash of Accent (optional) 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans snack crackers Directions: In mixing bowl combine cream cheese, onions, ham lunchmeat bits, and Accent (if using). Mash well with hands or spoons, and shape …


Letter: Hoarding Silver, Gold and Diamonds

Hugh, I remember when I was young and would sit for hours listening to the depression stories that the old people would tell. One thing that stuck in my mind was that the only time that precious metals or stones were worth much was during times of plenty when you could buy products with them. I watched my grandfather open his safe from time to time, and he would show me the gold and diamonds he had in it from years ago. Seems that when urban dwellers who were rich ran out of food, they would come to trade and …


Economics and Investing:

Items from Professor Preponomics: Thanksgiving is a Celebration of Free Enterprise (Mises Institute) 1200 American Works Training Their Foreign Replacements (Breitbart) Why Federal Funds Pay for Empty Flights Out of Maryland and Virginia (Taxpayers for Common Sense) The Price of Copper May Hinge on a Single Precious Resource: Water (Market Watch) Feds Spend $460,809 Watching Preschoolers Outdoors (Washington Free Beacon) Debt Under Obama Up $8T (CNS News) Here Comes the $1 Letter (Business Insider) CoreLogic: Falling House Prices in Sydney and Melbourne Could Open the Way for a Rate Cut (Business Insider) UK Oil Industry ‘to Face a Wave of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Do our politicians not study history anymore? Do they think that they can flippantly navigate through the dangers without consequence? Does anybody remember the powder-keg of world events that led to World War I? Turkey Blockades Russian Shipping, Black Sea Fleet Completely Cut off o o o Video: 1000W LED Flashlight – Worlds Brightest (90,000 Lumens) – Sent in by T.R. o o o Reader T.Z sent in the link for this neat tool: For those who own a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer, this Flush Kit can greatly simplify the process of flushing the pump and changing the oil. (Video) …



Notes for Sunday – November 29, 2015

Today is the birthday of Clive Staples (“C.S.”) Lewis, who was born in 1898 and died 22 November 1963. o o o 2 more days ’til the release of “Land of Promise”! As tempting as it is to pre-order, holding off until December 1st to order both the trade paperback and the Kindle edition will help with their placement in the Bestseller lists, which in turn will create publicity. Don’t forget, if you have already read a draft copy, please leave a review at Amazon.com (now available on the trade paperback page.)


Change Your Clocks and Change Your Batteries, Water, Et Cetera, by R.C.

This time of year we must change our clocks, fall back or spring forward. As a retired firefighter and EMT, I take this seriously. If your smoke detectors are over 10 years old, please change the unit. This twice a year rotation also offers us a chance to rotate other items we have stored in our preps. It is important to have someone verify that you have rotated your stocks, like a group check off or a family weekend project. Fuel First is the gasoline. Every six months you can dump the 5-gallon containers into your truck. Luckily, I had …