Month: April 2016


Notes for Monday – April 11, 2016

April 11th is the birthday of John Milius, who was born in 1944. He both wrote the screenplays and directed the films Dillinger, The Wind and the Lion, Big Wednesday, Conan the Barbarian, Red Dawn, Farewell to the King, and Flight of the Intruder. He also wrote the screenplays of the first two Dirty Harry movies as well as the first draft of the screenplay for Patton (before Francis Ford Coppola turned it into a vaguely anti-war commentary laced with references to reincarnation). Milius is JWR’s favorite Hollywood writer and director, in part because he stands for everything that Hollywood …


How to Survive Workplace Violence , by SM

The office building where I work was recently the scene of workplace violence that ended in a murder-suicide. While company policies and security measures attempt to prevent such things, we all know that it is nearly impossible to stop people who are bent on destruction; rules and policies are simply ignored, and security can be circumvented. Like I did before this occurred, you may view workplace violence as something that happens somewhere else, maybe in large cities or in other states. But we experienced it in our community, at our workplace, so I want to remind SB readers that it …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Springfield Armory MC Operator 1911

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I first saw one of the very first Springfield Armory MC Operator 1911s at a gun shop in Idaho some years ago. The MC Stands for Marine Corps, and this particular 1911 was designed with the specs laid out based on what the US Marine Corps wanted in a 1911 for their special ops guys. It wasn’t until just recently that the Corps was even allowed to refer to their special ops guys by the term Special Operators! Like many in the military SpecOps community, they prefer the proven stopping power of the .45 ACP FMJ round in the 1911 …


Recipe of the Week: Stuffed Beef Bundles, by Mrs. Almand

Mr. Latimer, here is a recipe that I first made as a money-saver. It soon became a requested family favorite. Easy, delicious, and budget friendly. Ingredients: 1/3 cup evaporated milk 1 lb ground beef 1 cup packaged/homemade stuffing mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp catsup Directions: Combine milk and ground beef. Shape into 5 large (thin) patties. Prepare stuffing mix as per directions. Divide into 5 mounds of stuffing and place one on center of each patty. Draw meat up around the dressing to form a ball. Place balls, seam side down, in …


Letter Re: Google Maps Measurement

HJL, Google maps has a neat feature that lets you measure distances on their maps by zooming in to the features you want to measure, right-click over the point of the start of the measurement then select “measure distance” then left-click the next point of measurement. You can continue to add segments to the existing measurements or simply right-click again and select “Clear measurement” from the menu. This is handy to get rough range estimates to neighboring properties or terrestrial features that may aid in range finding. This does not mitigate the need to actually observe the landscape in person. …


Economics and Investing:

“The Greater Depression Has Started” – Comparing 1930s & Today – J.C. o o o Government Will Owe More Money Than Entire Economy Produces – G.G. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News The $1 Trillion Short Underlying Stocks’ Spring Awakening (Bloomberg) Excerpt: “Amid its biggest about-face in nine decades, a funny thing has happened in the U.S. stock market, where rather than loosen their grip bears have grown ever-more impassioned.” Obama Administration Pushes Banks to Make Home Loans to People with Weaker Credit (The Washington Post) Excerpt: “The Obama administration is engaged in a broad push to …



Notes for Sunday – April 10, 2016

10 April, 1796 is the birthday of James Jim Bowie, who died March 6, 1836 at the Battle of the Alamo. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 64 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 …


Crises Preparation- Part 3, by B1

Without Electricity If you have a portable generator and/or a whole house generator, that is great. However, how much fuel do you have to run it? Do you have enough set aside to last you several months? The less you run it, the longer it will last. You should only run it for the bare necessities. Do you honestly need lights? No. Invest in candles and lanterns. The generators should only be run at the bare minimum. They make noise and draw attention from criminals. They should only be run during the hours of less activity outside, so as not …


Remember Who You Should Fear- Part 1, by Sarah Latimer

Not long ago I attended a large, women’s conference for Bible believers with a diverse set of denominational, cultural, and social backgrounds. There, I heard a consistent undercurrent from the attendees as they spoke among themselves on end times, evil, uncertainty, failing economics, Islam, terrorism, failing education, and especially on politics. I’d identify their general focus by summing it up in a word– fear. Little was said about faith, hope, and confidence, though God was mentioned from time to time in the conversations I overheard. There was less joy apparent among believers in attendance than I can recall from any …


Letter: Copper 1-Ounce .999 Fine Rounds

JWR, One of the catalogs that I receive has been listing .999 copper rounds (1 1/2″ dia) for sale. All have designs cast into them, with some borrowing classic currency designs like the Morgan and Walking Liberty dollars, and others are more commemorative or political in nature. Are these worth purchasing as a medium of exchange along with the more widely known and accepted silver dollars and rounds? – T.S.G. JWR Replies: In my estimation those are just a sort of lame collector’s coin, with only marginal resale value. You would be paying up to 10 times the spot value …


Economics and Investing:

It’s the end of cash and all your purchases will now be tracked and stored. Fingerprints to be tested as ‘currency’ – DMS o o o James Rickards-Gold $10,000 to $50,000 per Ounce – G.G. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News US Factory Data Signals Further Slowdown in Economic Growth (Reuters) Excerpt: “The Commerce Department said on Monday new orders for manufactured goods declined 1.7 percent as demand fell broadly, reversing January’s downwardly revised 1.2 percent increase. Orders have declined in 14 of the last 19 months. They were previously reported to have increased 1.6 percent in …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Venezuela Burning “Venezuela is immolating itself, right now– hyperinflation is rampant, shortages of food and every other necessity are now a normal and ongoing conditions, violent crime is everywhere, kidnapping for profit is skyrocketing, and there are more murders per-capita per-month in Caracas than anywhere else in the world.” – JFJ o o o DSV sent in this link to 10 Thrifty Garden Hacks to Save Cash and Make Life Easier o o o CIA’s Venture Capital Arm Is Funding Skin Care Products That Collect DNA – Beauty Secrets of the Spies – Sent in by P.M. o o o …