Year: 2015


Notes for Tuesday – October 20, 2015

October 20th is the birthday of actor Viggo Mortensen (born 1958.) He lives somewhere in the American Redoubt. On his ranch is his horse-for-life– “TJ”– who is one of the five paint horses used in the filming of the movie Hidalgo. This is also the birthday of “fast and fancy” shootist Ed McGivern (born 1874, died December 12, 1957). He was born in Nebraska but was a long-time resident of Butte, Montana. o o o 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 …


Solar Power Crash Course, by K.K.

2

First, this article is for entertainment purposes only. I have used all this equipment in the ways I describe, but I am not a licensed electrician. I am professionally trained in off-grid solar electric systems and have installed, consulted on, or maintained hundreds of systems, the most remote of which were in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. I do not advise setting up your own PV system without consulting an experienced and knowledgeable source. After perusing the survivalblog archives for new ideas and methods in off-grid solar, and finding very little at all in the way of solar power …


Letter Re: Rawles Voyager Knife

Mr. Rawles, I thought I would write a quick thank you to all of you over at SurvivalBlog.com. After reading the reviews and letters concerning the knife, I decided to purchase it. So I went over to the coldsteel.com website and had it in my basket ready to check out and pay for it, but a little nagging thought wouldn’t leave. “I didn’t see if there was another reputable place I could get it.” So, I went back to the review and noticed a link to LTSpecPro, so I clicked and low and behold the knife was $30 less. I …


News From The American Redoubt:

Hundreds gather to remember the life of Dr. Pam Bird (Wife of the late Dr. Forrest Bird.) o o o SurvivalBlog reader C.T. sent in the link to this Video (The Blaze) showing that there are political plans to increase the Muslim population in Idaho. It’s a bit dated, but the residents need to stay alert about these political moves. o o o Grizzly cub struck and killed by vehicle south of Ronan (Ronan, Montana) o o o Don’t let developer rob us of our beautiful property (Wyoming)


Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog reader sent in this link: L. TODD WOOD: The day China says its currency is backed by gold (Washingtion Times) o o o Meanwhile, China’s Selling Tons of U.S. Debt. Americans Couldn’t Care Less. (Bloomberg) Sent in by G.P.) o o o Items from the Economics Team: US banks build defenses against downturn (Financial Times – Requires login) Obamacare’s Latest Casualty: Largest Colorado Exchange Abruptly Collapses (Zero Hedge) Public Remains Wary of Federal Government’s Power (Gallup)


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader Dan sent in this article: Refugees Over Run Germany, From an Expat’s Prospective (Prepardnessadvice.com) o o o Even Sweden is close to collapse, due to the wave of migrants that just keep coming, according to this article sent in by J.C. o o o SurvivalBlog reader P.M. sent in the link to this article on R.T. explaining how America is a bomb waiting to explode. o o o Lucky Gunner has posted an article comparing more than 115 handgun loads tested in Ballistic Gel. It’s the test you always wanted to do but didn’t have the funds for. …



Notes for Monday – October 19, 2015

19 October is the birthday of three notables– the late Alexander Zeisal “Zus” Bielski (born 1912), investor Jim Rogers (born 1942), and James Howard Kunstler (born 1948). Kunstler is well known to SurvivalBlog readers as the author of the novel World Made by Hand and the nonfiction book The Long Emergency. A fictionalized portrayal of Zus Bielski is seen in the movie Defiance. This movie was loosely based on the excellent book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec. o o o October 19th also marks the anniversary of Operation Gatling; the “Green Leader” raid in which Rhodesia attacked ZIPRA …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Tristar L120 9mm CZ-75 (clone-esque)

For many years, I longed for an original CZ-75, but alas there weren’t very many in the USA back in the 1970s, and the few that could be found were high priced, to say the least. Then, we had the sorta clones, imported from Italy, including Tanfoglio and FIE. It was a hit or miss proposition whether you got one that worked, and they were a decocker model. I wanted a CZ-75 (clone-ish) that I could carry “cocked ‘n locked”. Then along came an almost dead-ringer for the CZ-75, imported from Switzerland, if I recall correctly! I don’t recall the …


Recipe of the Week: Morning Muffins, by C.S.

Ingredients: 2 eggs ¾ cup vegetable oil 2 tsp. vanilla 2 cups flour 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. salt 1 ½ cups shredded carrots (2-3 medium) 1 cup shredded peeled apples ½ cup coconut ½ cup raisins ¾ cup sliced almonds, divided Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Paper or spray 18 regular sized muffin cups. Prepare the carrots and apple and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla. Add flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in …


Letter: A Few Random Thoughts

Hugh, Here are some random thoughts on more outdoor work than usual when water is precious: Stock talcum powder, no-rinse washes, Lubriderm (or generic) hand lotion, lip balm. More on non-power tools: Get lots of can openers, because they all fail, older U.S.-made ones from yard sales will last longer; stock U.S.-made GI versions as backup because they always work. Egg beaters and hand drills with an idler gear on the back side are more durable, not just from the support but because they are better quality to begin with. Antique shops are high $ place to shop for hand …


Economics and Investing:

This Is How Bad It Is: “The World Must Create 5 Million Jobs a Month Just to Prevent the Situation from Getting Worse” (SHTF Plan) Sent in by B.B. o o o Items from The Economics Team: Signal of Global Trade Collapse Coming From India (Zero Hedge) The Scoop on When You Can Expect Your Stuff to Break (Frugal Living) Glencore Watch: Glencore Plans More Debt Cuts (Wall Street Journal) Bank Securities Analysts Cheating on Tests? It can’t be! (Bloomberg) Rich Nations Lose Emerging Markets Motor (Wall Street Journal) This is an interesting article (and short read) which should give …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large sent in this report on a comparison and analysis of 5.56mm and 7.62mm with several intermediate caliber cartridges and their effectiveness stating “This supports my previously stated hypothesis and prediction that intermediate calibers would do away with 7.62mm, possibly before replacing 5.56mm. “Though I would be leery of the commentary from Program Executive Office Soldier and their love for ‘universal’ solutions to distinct environments, given that their previous effort along those lines was the “universal” camouflage now being dumped as a complete failure.” o o o As the flood of Middle Eastern Refugees continues …