Month: February 2016

Letter Re: Making a Last Run

Hugh, I just wanted to add a tidbit to the article of making a last run when the SHTF by GMJ. Though this was a well written and well thought-out article and most obvious a great tool for the newbie to the art of survival, for me and my family we will not be in need of one last run. Because of all of us being a great student of this business we have benefited greatly from the steps outlined by our fellow survivalists. So for the new comer to this important scene of preparedness, you might want to pay …


Economics and Investing:

Genius: FATCA has brought in just $13.5 billion in revenue on a cost of $1 trillion o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Investors ‘Go Bananas’ for Gold Bars as Global Stock Markets Tumble – Getting more serious by the day. Yellen on Negative Rates: ‘We Wouldn’t Take Those Off the Table’ – You bet your biscuits, negative rates are not off the table. However, they have painted themselves in a corner, without an “event” that provides the cover to say, “Well things were going great until XYZ event, which was totally unforeseen and unpredictable.” Items from Professor Preponomics: US …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Hooray! We’ve surpassed 80 million unique visits! Thanks for your loyal readership of SurvivalBlog. Please continue to spread the word via our Link to Us page, and we are now listed on Top Prepper Sites. Make sure you cast a vote there so that others will know where to get the most reliable and practical information. We appreciate your support! o o o From the desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large: It is very important, if one must use Facebook or other social media, that one NOT put personal information such as phone number, address, or birthday on …



Notes for Thursday – February 11, 2016

February 11th is the birthday of the late Burt Blumert (born February 11, 1929 in New York City, died March 30, 2009). He once owned Camino Coin Company (as did Dr. Ron Paul). JWR was a Camino Coin Company customer, starting back in the late 1980s, and can remember Burt personally helping him dolly out his first purchase of 100-ounce Englehard bars. That was back when they cost just $580 each. Those were the days! o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 63 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this …


Making Sense of What You Hear- Part 2, by Hal2000

It would take thousands of words and dozens of illustrations to explain trunked radio systems. So, we will look at the thirty thousand foot level. What the communications industry did was to take lots of frequencies, lots of transmitters and receivers, and lots of computers to allow lots of users access to communications. They did what the cell phone industry did. For a large metropolitan area, they would build a dozen or so transmitter and receiver sites and connect them together with fiber optics and computers. This system would consist of anywhere from 5 to 35 frequencies, depending on the …


Letter Re: Constitutional Carry

Hugh, I noted the entry in SurvivalBlog.com today about Idaho seeking passage of a “Constitutional Carry” bill. Here in West Virginia, with great grassroots mail, email, and phone support, as well as attendance at the capitol in Charleston, a similar bill passed last year in both the House and Senate, only to be vetoed by the governor in the final week of the legislative session, leaving “no time” to override the veto. This year the measure got an earlier start, and hopefully we will get it passed and manage to override the promised veto in time for the end of …


Economics and Investing:

What does Wal-Mart owe the towns it leaves? 9 experts weigh in – There are a variety of opinions, but the bottom line really is that Walmart does not owe the community anything. Smaller businesses were driven under because the community chose to save a few bucks. It is the community itself that bears the responsibility. – RBS o o o CEO of shipping giant Maersk says economy is “worse than 2008” TRUNEWS with Rick Wiles – RBS o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Fed’s Yellen Says Global Risks Could Pose US Growth Threats (Reuters) Excerpt: “But …


Odds ‘n Sods:

FBI surrounds last occupiers at Malheur Wildlife Refuge – RBS o o o SurvivalBlog reader JFJ sent in this article for deposit into your own SHTF reservoir of knowledge: Finding a winch anchor where there is none. o o o 3-in-1 ‘wearable shelter’ for Syrian refugees – While “invented” with the Syrian refugees in mind, this garment shows some promise as an item in a BOB. – G.P. o o o Patriots may be faced with being placed on a red, blue, or white list, but if you are a Muslim terrorist you can rest easy. Obama DHS scrubs records …



Notes for Wednesday – February 10, 2016

February 10th is the birthday of Zvi Zvika Greengold (born 1952), a Centurion tank commander who was one of Israel’s most notable heroes of the Yom Kippur War. He was awarded the Medal of Valor. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 63 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 …


Making Sense of What You Hear- Part 1, by Hal2000

Knowledge is power. At least that is how the saying goes. For the sake of this discussion let us consider knowledge to be synonymous with information. When it hits the fan, where do you plan to get your information? I want to make you aware of all the information available via radio. I don’t mean the AM and FM radios in your home and car. These will most likely be spewing forth whatever the government line is for the day. I am talking about police scanners, shortwave radios, and amateur or Ham radio. I know some are going to think …


Two Letters Re: Bug Out Boats

Hugh, I don’t know if this is the kind of information you like to pass along. A coworker was planning to live on a sailboat. My brother had lived on a sailboat for a year, so I asked him for suggestions. His advice to help prepare you for the experience: Buy a good shredder and set it up beside your basement entrance. On Friday, shred your paycheck on your way into the basement. Huddle in a cramped corner, preferably under a leaky pipe. Don’t come out until the end of the weekend. – S.R. o o o Hugh I have …


Economics and Investing:

Fed May Lack Legal Authority for Negative Rates: 2010 Memo – G.P. o o o Collapsing America: America’s Infrastructure Decaying Into 3rd World Status. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News 2016’s Economy Begins with a Whimper (Mises) Excerpt: “During many Fed tightenings, the stock market and overall economy improved for years afterward because the Fed stimulus had actually brought a temporary form of economic recovery. But rarely, if ever, has the mood turned dark so fast after the Fed officially announced that the recovery is sound and the life support can be removed.” Puerto Rico Emergency Fiscal …


Readers’ Recommendations of the Week:

Three books recommended by SurvivalBlog reader T.A. The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston Demon in the Freezer: A True Story by Richard Preston Triple Cross: How bin Laden’s Master Spy Penetrated the CIA, the Green Berets, and the FBI by Peter Lance o o o SurvivalBlog reader L.P. recommended “A Boy Ten Feet Tall” by W.H. Canaway. It’s a story about a young boy who loses his parents in an air raid in Suez and sets out on his own to find his aunt, who lives in Durban. He …