Month: September 2016

Notes for Friday – September 30, 2016

Vic at Safecastle says, “It feels like we’re all about to enter the whirlwind. Tie it all down fast and while you’re at it, get in some Mountain House foods–in 30-year cans or 30-year pouches–at the discounts of up to 46% with FREE shipping.” Safecastle’s MH sale ends Friday, September 30. Today, we present another entry for Round 66 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 …


Live Your Survival and Gain Sufficiency-Part 1, by E.M.

Self-sufficiency – noun: the state of not requiring any aid, support, or interaction, for survival; it is therefore a type of personal or collective independence. Survival – [s?r?v?v?l] – noun: the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.[1] In our day-to-day world, there are varied degrees of survival required of us. This is true simply because there are wide-ranging degrees of threat that we face. And in today’s economic death spiral of Keynesian Economics[2], politically corrupt leadership, and a war torn world, many are already beginning to experience …


Letter Re: Differences Between Combustible Gases

James, Hugh, Before someone gets hurt or blows themselves up, here are some more details on the gases in question. Natural gas is produced primarily from high pressure gas deposits deep within the earth, and to a lesser extent as a byproduct of oil production. Natural gas is what is provided to most homes that are connected to a gas main, served by a gas company. Natural gas is primarily Methane gas, with a formula of CH4, or one Carbon atom with four Hydrogen atoms. Methane has the disadvantage that it cannot be liquefied by compression. Natural gas must either …


Economics and Investing:

The Top Four Precious Metals: Which Will Be The Best Investments During The Next Financial Crash o o o Reader GJM sent in these links about Deutsche Bank: Stocks Are Crashing – Led By Banks The Run Begins: Deutsche Bank Hedge Fund Clients Withdraw Excess Cash Major Dollar Shortage Exposed In Europe As Deutsche Bank Contagion Spreads Some Deutsche Bank Clients Reduce Collateral on Trades Stock Quote: Deutsche Bank AG Now, to start watching the VIX…multiple times a day. (And to start stockpiling everything you’d want if you knew you were about to wake up in about 480 AD. o …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Leaked memo: Refugees vet themselves – B.B. o o o Immigration Policy Favors Illegals Over Citizens – B.B. o o o Dangerous Crossroads: Both Russia and America Prepare for Nuclear War? – D.R. o o o Analysis: Is it lawful self-defense to “run down” rioters surrounding your vehicle? – P.S. o o o Twin tornadoes cause of state-wide blackout in South Australia – A.S.


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” – Robert Heinlein


Notes for Thursday – September 29, 2016

September 29th, 1881, is the birthday of Ludwig von Mises (born 1881, died October 10, 1973). o o o SurvivalBlog just learned that Bill Mollison passed away in Hobart, Tasmania, Austrailia at the age of 88. Together with Davide Holmgren, he developed what we now call Permaculture, a holistic way of farming, changing the lives of millions around the world o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 66 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. …


The Art and Practice of OPSEC, by T.H.

What is it? We often hear the term OPSEC, also know as Operations Security (not Operational Security), but few people actually know what it really means. When asked they often say, “It means not talking about what you are doing.” Or, they may say, “It means staying gray.” This is an extremely simplistic view of the program and fails to incorporate the nuances and methodology of the process. The concept is nothing new. In the fifth century BCE, Sun Tzu wrote, “If I am able to determine the enemy’s dispositions while at the same time I conceal my own, then …


Letter: Use Even More Caution Putting Personal Information Out There

HJL, A study by the RAND Corporation, published in the Journal of Cybersecurity, looked at the frequency and cost of IT security failures in U.S. businesses and found that the cost of a break-in is much lower than thought, typically around $200,000 per case. With top-shelf security systems costing a lot more than that, not beefing up security looks in some ways like a smart business decision. “I’ve spent my life in security and everyone expects firms to invest more and more,” the report’s author Sasha Romanosky told The Reg. “But maybe firms are making rational investments and we shouldn’t …


Economics and Investing:

There are huge implications to society if this forecast is even partially correct. Men Without Work. – P.S. o o o As Heavy-Truck Sales Go, So Goes the Economy – G.G. o o o 44 Percent Hike in Taxes Covers Obama-Era Debt – B.B. o o o 8M Americans Paid $1.7 Billion For Not Having Obamacare – B.B. o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.


Odds ‘n Sods:

At Senate hearing, US State Department refuses to say how many Syrians in next year’s flow – B.B. o o o Refugees from all 50 states in DC today lobbying for more $$$ and more refugees – B.B. o o o Secret Report: Terrorists Running Wild Within U.S. Borders – V.E. o o o Solar storm heading towards Earth threatening to break your Sky TV and mobile phones – G.G. o o o Used Coffee Grounds Can Clean Contaminated Water – S.B. – D.S.



Notes for Wednesday – September 28, 2016

Today, we present another entry for Round 66 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 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. …


Prepping Mindset: The New Normal, by D.V.

I am a one year oral cancer survivor. I survived a 13 hour operation that included removing my lower right jaw and replacing it with the tip of my shoulder blade. My operation is called a lateral neck dissection, and it sounds nicer than it felt! The lining of my cheek received a living tissue transplant from the same shoulder area. I had a tracheotomy and couldn’t speak. During the “cut, burn, and poison” treatment, I was connected to a feeding tube for four months. Months of treatment and physical therapy have helped me survive, but I am still discovering …


Two Letters Re: Differences Between Combustible Gases

HJL, I read the article on combustible gases. You have to be very careful with the cheap conversion kits to propane for generators; almost every one of the cheap ones do not have a device to cut off the propane if the engine stops. Like loss of spark or low oil, it will keep pouring propane into the Gen set. I have been a mechanic since 1967, and these cheap kits are very dangerous. I have seen several cause explosions. – B.L. o o o Sir, I just finished reading the post about different kinds of gas and saw some …