Notes for Friday – September 16, 2016

September 16th is the birthday of “Mad Jack” Churchill (1906-1996), who was a true eccentric. He went to war in WWII armed with a broadsword and a longbow. (The latter was successfully used to dispatch several German soldiers.) He later became a devoted surfer. What a guy. 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. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded …




Bitcoins Are Now Available for Anyone to Buy, by G.S.

I saw an article today announcing PayPal will be accepting Bitcoins (BC) in the future through a BC payment platform called Coinbase. I am using Ebay sales to fund my preparations and supplement my income, so I already have a significant online signature. (I know, I know.) Many of you may be using Ebay and PayPal as well, so you may be interested in how you would also accept Bitcoins for your sales or purchases. Others out there might be interested in investing in Bitcoins, and Coinbase makes that possible for all on a limited scale. You may be interested …




Letter Re: Clayton Moore

Hugh, Regarding your top note on September 14th, this was an interesting story on The Lone Ranger and Houston. I worked for the Houston Post Newspaper at the time when this happened. A Southwest Airlines baggage handler stole his luggage, guns, and all. It was a slow news day I guess, so every newspaper and TV station covered it. The city of Houston had probably half the city detectives out looking for the luggage. The mayor, the governor, everybody was in an uproar. The governor even sent out some Texas Rangers to help on the case. Some years later I …




Economics and Investing:

The Hidden Costs Of Obama’s Cheap Gas. President Obama graciously thanked himself for cheap gasoline at a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but he may be exaggerating just how popular cheap gasoline is. o o o The US has signaled support for digital currencies – B.B. o o o Former Treasury Secretary says banks may be riskier now than in the 2008 crisis o o o Bayer Clinches $66 Billion Deal For Monsanto That Could Reshape The Farming Industry – RBS o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Missouri Gets Constitutional Carry! Missouri legislature votes to override governor’s veto. – R.H. o o o What Hypocrisy? Mexico Announces Plans for GREAT WALL on Southern Border with Central America – B.B. o o o The US War On Terror Has Cost $5 Trillion And Increased Terrorism By 6,500% – G.S. o o o FBI director makes surprising security confession and warning – DSV o o o What Is the FBI Hiding? – H.L.







Notes for Thursday – September 15, 2016

On this day in 1944, the U.S. 1st Marine Division lands on the island of Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands in the Pacific, as part of a larger operation to provide support for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who was preparing to invade the Philippines. Within one week of the invasion, the Marines lost 4,000 men. By the time it was all over, that number would surpass 9,000. The Japanese lost more than 13,000 men. Flamethrowers and bombs finally subdued the island for the Americans, but it all proved pointless. MacArthur invaded the Philippines without need of Army or Marine protection …




Quick Reference Manual Regarding Disaster Survival and Recovery on the Road- Part 2, by J.P.R.

C. MASSIVE EMP (ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSE) ELECTRICAL FAILURE Identify Level of Failure The power grid is down Your cell phone is dead Your land line may not work Most electronic devices do not work or are impaired Your car will not start or stopped running Airplanes are falling from the sky Small fires or explosions may be observed This is a different event than a regular power failure. In this case, the power grid and many electronic devices have been permanently damaged. This is more serious than a power grid failure, depending on whether it is in a small or large …




Letter Re: Offensive Against ISIS

Hugh, Regarding ysterday’s posted story: Another potential mass shooter at the Oregon Clackamas Mall turned the long gun on himself, after killing two, when confronted by one civilian armed with a pistol. With a new administration, if we can stop subsidizing those of the do-nothing immigrants with undeserved and costly welfare, many of them will self-deport. Also, fewer of that type would come in the first place. They have no reason to assimilate if they don’t have to work. Why are you and I financing this? Syrian refugees are not only potentially very dangerous, but our government is purposely not …




Economics and Investing:

Here’s a great example of how they’ll default on Social Security o o o The Gold To Housing Ratio As A Valuation Indicator o o o Venezuela’s “Death Spiral” – B.B. o o o Forget Alpha: Billionaires Deliver Bedlam Warnings Instead! – B.H. o o o CRUSH THE STREET: SRSrocco, Will We See A 10/1 Gold-Silver Price Ratio? o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.




Odds ‘n Sods:

You know that Facebook holds to much power over your life when you have to sue your parents to get them to remove embarrassing childhood photographs of you – all 500 of them. Woman sues parents for sharing embarrassing childhood photos – DSV o o o FBI Director says to cover up your webcam – P.S. o o o State Dept: ‘Senate must ratify UN Arms Trade Treaty for it to be legal.’ – H.L. o o o If Islamic terrorists don’t scare you, Tuberculosis should! – B.B. o o o Gun Rights Group Sues Veteran Journalist Katie Couric for …







Notes for Wednesday – September 14, 2016

Today is the birthday of actor Clayton Moore (1914–1999). His name is almost synonymous with Lone Ranger. It is also the birthday of James Wilson, a lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence (1742 – 1798). 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. 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 …




Taking the Offensive Against ISIS: A Historical View- Part 2, by S.G. in Florida

Bret Stephens in the Wall Street Journal recently identified political beliefs that are endangering Europe.iii Mr. Stephens should have broadened his view to the West in general. Piggybacking on his ideas, the first thing that the West must do is recognize that there is something in the West worth preserving. It requires a great unlearning of the political mythologies on which modern society is ingesting. Among those mythologies: that the relative peace of the post-World War II world is the result of a postwar moral commitment to peace rather than a Paz-Americana; that Christianity is of merely historical importance rather …




Letter Re: Fireproof Safes

Hugh: I did some consulting for a well-known gun safe manufacturer. They make a premium product, and their clients never suffered loss due to either break-in or fire damage. The only heat resistant insulation they used was common sheetrock. They used multiple layers with offset corners and edges, similar to the wall between living space and garage in a modern home. They did not tape or use any mud, just a snug fit. It seems reasonable that the heat resistance of an ordinary inexpensive safe could be enhanced by fabricating a welded enclosure insulated with sheetrock and inserting the safe …