Month: November 2016

Notes for Wednesday – November 30, 2016

Please pray for the families in Gatlinburg and the other areas in the path of the current wildfires. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 67 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 …


A Non-Survivalist Survivalist, by L.F.

I enjoy a end-of-the-world movie just as well as the next guy and similarly to most of the “next guys”. I have no specific skills that any survivalist would find useful, such as making a fire with sticks, creating bio-diesel for fuel, or the ability to go stalk game to put on the supper table. I can shoot a gun, skin a squirrel, and fish. That is the extent of my quantifiable skill set. However, as a non-survivalist survivalist, I feel like I have many intangibles as far as ability to learn and am on the upside. I’ve learned over …


Letter Re: Safe Deposit Boxes

My mother was visiting me when she saw the post man deliver a certified mail gold coin delivery. She immediately said, “You should get a safe deposit box.” I tried to explain several things to her: 1) The Patriot Act from almost 14 or 15 years ago gives the federal government the legal right to open any safe deposit box and seize the contents, 2) FDR explained the rationale behind his 1933 bank holiday in the first fireside chat where the government seized precious metals, so “yes” it has happened here before, and 3) (here’s where my argument gets iffy.) …


Economics and Investing:

Greece Is Not India? Hellenic Banks Plan “Tax On Cash Withdrawals” To Combat Black Economy – DSV o o o Peak Silver & Continued Supply Deficits Warn Of Future Higher Prices o o o Venezuela Braces for Runaway Inflation As Merchants Weigh “Mountains of Cash” Instead Of Counting It – G.P. o o o Why It’s Important to Define Money Correctly o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Rodale’s Basic Organic Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Healthy Garden Gunsmithing the AR-15, The Bench Manual, by Patrick Sweeney Movies: God’s Not Dead Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition Television: Mossad 101 (In Hebrew, with English subtitles. Caution: Has some coarse language and immoral situations.) Available on Netflix. Person of Interest (Aired for five seasons.) Available on Netflix and also on DVD, from Amazon.com. Instructional Videos: Living Off the Grid is Harder Than You Think How To Butcher A Whole Loin Of Venison (Scott Rea) Magazines: Backwoods Home Concealed Carry Blogs: The Survival Mom Survival Cache Podcasts: The …


Odds ‘n Sods:

California the New Redoubt of Secessionism? o o o Dreams do come true… ENTIRE ROLL OF SILVER!!! | COIN ROLL HUNTING DREAM. (Skip forward to the 8-minute mark, if you don’t have time to watch the whole 18-minute video.) o o o WorldNetDaily reports: What do they know? Mega-rich preparing for disaster o o o How are teachers, school districts, and even the public at large supposed to deal with this? 85 languages spoken in Buffalo schools as ‘New Americans’ enter classrooms – Pat Cascio o o o Home invasion and lessons learned. Grab a cup of coffee and read …



Notes for Tuesday – November 29, 2016

Today is the birthday of Clive Staples (“C.S.”) Lewis, who was born in 1898 and died 22 November 1963. o o o The recent news about the death of former dictator Fidel Castro came as no surprise, since he had been in failing health for several years and his public appearances had become few and far between. Whenever I hear of the death of a totalitarian dictator, it always seems more fitting when they die at the hands of those that they’ve oppressed—as did Benito Mussolini, Nicolae Ceau?escu, and Muammar Gaddafi. Rightfully, brutal dictators should never die peacefully of geriatric …


Do-It-Yourself Ceramic Water Filter, by The Architect

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Years ago, while visiting the South American country of Peru, I was stunned to find that every drop of drinking water had to first be boiled, before it was considered safe to drink. In a country of 22 million people, I thought this an incredible waste of money and natural resources. There had to be a better way. On my return, I set out to design a cheap ceramic filter that could be easily constructed using simple components readily obtained from any hardware or box store. (As a side note, on one of my trips to Peru, I was a …


Letter Re: What is Your (HJL and JWR) Take on the Dakota Access Issue?

I’m having difficulty understanding the Dakota Access issue. What is your take on the situation? The reporting that I’ve seen has been scarce and one-sided. I thought I read that the initial proposed route was outside of sacred land, but the proposal was rejected. This prompted the police to intervene. Recently I saw the new route would go right through a large watershed area. Understandably the Indigenous People are concerned. Is this truly police overstepping their bounds and once again violating trust with Indigenous Peoples yet again? I’ve been in and out of the hospital recently, so if you covered …


News From The American Redoubt:

American Redoubt: Preparing for a societal storm (news television segment) One of the businesses mentioned in that news segment is Redoubt Surplus and Tactical, in Dalton Gardens, Idaho. o o o Here is another news segment, with the same theme: Preparing for the end of times in the Northwest—American Redoubt movement inspiring survivalists to buy property in remote areas. o o o And here is a follow-up interview with a back-to-the-land couple: New age homesteaders find freedom off the grid. Here is their web site: ThePreparedHomestead.org. (It includes a blog.)


Economics and Investing:

Who’s behind the war on cash? – DSV o o o November FOMC Minutes And Gold Price o o o Suckered Again: How Likely Is A OPEC Production Cut? The upcoming OPEC oil production meeting is once again moving markets, but investors would do well to remember the cartel’s history. o o o Wells Fargo Hit With Class Action Over Target-Date Funds o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.


Odds ‘n Sods:

Activists Excited About Future of Silencer Legislation – DSV o o o Truth is Stranger Than Fiction When It Comes to Pornography and Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs – D.L. o o o Pemmican – The Healthy Power Bar. o o o Dems REAL Strategy In Recounts: Undermine Donald Trump o o o Was The Ohio State Attack Terrorism? Suspect Was Abdul Artan