Year: 2016

Notes for Thursday – April 21, 2016

April 21st is Aggie Muster Day, for all Texas A&M Corps of Cadets graduates. Aggie Muster celebrations/meetings are held as far away as Japan, Germany, and Afghanistan. I should mention that Jim’s grandfather (a U.S. Army Cavalry LTC) was an Aggie–something mentioned so often that everyone in his family felt like de facto Aggies, too. Other than the officers that matriculate though West Point, the four institutions that seem to have the greatest ongoing esprit de corps for graduates are Texas A&M, The Citadel, Norwich University, and VMI. Jim felt almost obliged to include an Aggie character in his novels …


Project Management for Preppers- Part 1, by B.F.

Project management is the art of getting things done. “So what?” you may ask, “I have been getting things done all my life!” Well, that’s probably true, but the use of project management techniques can help ensure that you get things done on time and at the cost you allocated for the work. We all have more demands on our time than we have time available to accomplish those demands. Sometimes there are also external factors, such as weather, expiration of permits, and others, that can impact our need to get things done in a timely manner and to get …


Letter Re: Bug Out Bags for Dogs

SurvivalBlog reader K.D. wrote in to question the need for a BOB for a dog in TEOTWAWKI, believing that most dogs will be more of an OPSEC liability than anything else and envisions large packs of roaming dogs fending for themselves as they are abandoned by their owners. HJL’s Comment: While I might agree with your sentiment if it were to apply to the family pet (easily the vast majority of dogs today), it most certainly does not apply to what I would term “working” dogs. Working dogs are readily used by both police and military to handle dangerous situations. …


Economics and Investing:

United abandons ObamaCare in most States – P.S. o o o How Mainstream Econ Promotes Socialism o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Obamacare Latest: Insurers Flee Exchanges, Uninsured Rate Projected to Rise, Co-ops Failing (Townhall) Excerpt: “Let’s take a quick spin through some recent Obamacare-related headlines, shall we?” Another Payout for Obamacare Cronies (Government Waste Fraud and Abuse) Excerpt: “Contemporaneous documents show industry officials terrified they would miss the Obamacare train and eager to lock in favorable terms by sidling up to the negotiating table first.” $1.35B of Counterfeit Goods Seized in 2015 (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “The …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Feds building massive database of genomic data. Using the data pulled in by medical procedures, your right to privacy will be forfeited. Sure, the government protects your information…right up to the point where a hacker steals it or the alphabet agencies decide they want it. – P.S. o o o More Illegal Immigrants Convicted of Crimes At Large in the U.S. Than The Population of Pittsburgh – Sent in by B.B. o o o Another interesting property over on SurvivalRealty.com: The Family Prepper Inn o o o A great example of how Ham Radio is supposed to work: Radio Amateurs …



Notes for Wednesday – April 20, 2016

On April 20th, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, leased by BP, killed 11 workers and began spewing an estimated 200 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico for nearly three months, creating the worst known offshore oil spill. April 20th is also the day that we remember the victims of the Columbine High School tragedy, where two students stormed into a suburban high school in Littleton, Colorado in 1999, at lunch time with guns and explosives, killing 13 and wounding dozens more in what was, at the time, the nation’s deadliest school shooting. o …


Bug Out Bags for Dogs, by James from upstate NY

Bugging out is a plan during a disaster situation for most preppers, and most spend numerous hours planning out what items to put into their B.O.B (bug out bag). In the area of prepping, it seems that the natural focus in on having a bug out bag. You can picture in your mind the last disaster, whether it be natural or man-made, that you watched unfold on your nightly news and then envision you and your family leaving ahead of the undoubtedly numerous people who waited too long. Having a bug out bag for you and your family members is …


Letter Re: Comments on Savage Bolt Action Rifles

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The Savage I tested has a detachable magazine, and in the past Savage Arms has had some problems with these types of magazines simply falling out of a gun. I believe that Savage got it right with the AXIS II XP that I tested for this article. I had no problems with the magazine falling out of the gun. However, you are comparing apples to oranges when you talk about the Savage rifles with the built-in magazine. I have never had a problem with any Savage rifle with a built-in magazine in loading all the rounds into it without any …


Economics and Investing:

Items from Mr. Econocobas: Silver Heads for a Bull Market as Prices Rally to 10-Month High “This Will All Blow Up In The Fed’s Face,” Schiff Warns Peter Schiff: The Winter of Discontent Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Pensions for Public Servants to Force Government Failures (My Gov Cost) Excerpt: “The problem is surprisingly simple: States and cities overestimate returns on their pension fund investments, while systematically underfunding them.” Peabody Declares Bankruptcy, Could Leave Clean-Up Costs to Taxpayers (Taxpayers for Common Sense) Excerpt: “The company has a total of $2 billion in outstanding mine clean-up or reclamation liabilities, $1.4 …


Readers’ Recommendations of the Week:

SurvivalBlog reader T.D. writes in: “My family and I love watching the Hallmark Channel show, When Calls The Heart. It’s full of cheesy humor, Christian themes, and a fantastic old-time feel. Some may think it campy, but our whole family loves the show, and I’d imagine that many of your readers would enjoy it, as well.” o o o Faith-based movies recommended by DMS: Moondance Alexander, A Matter of Faith (evolution vs creationism), 90 Minutes in Heaven (true story), Alone Yet Not Alone (true story). Expecting a Miracle (hard to remember in these times. People south of our border have …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Readers in North Idaho, take note: On Thursday April 21st, there will be a free Jordan Page concert, sponsored by My Patriot Supply. It will be held from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., at the Sandpoint Events Center, 102 S. Euclid, Sandpoint, Idaho. Jordan Page is a lyrical American artist known as a leading voice of liberty, who performs a mixture of rock and folk music that has captivated American audiences. This free event is open to all ages, and it is a family friendly concert; My Patriot Supply will be handing out a free sample of their Macaroni and …



Notes for Tuesday – April 19, 2016

April 19th marks the multiple anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, known as “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”. This first battle, leading to our nation’s independence, was the then-dictator’s (United Kingdom King George III’s) failed attempt at “gun control”– an act being carried out in too many parts of our USA right now. This first gun control of the colonies was a failure, because of the will and determination of a small part of the population (about 3% actually fought for our independence actively, with many others supporting) to stand up to an oppressive, controlling government (England). …


The Side of the Road Is Not Just for Emergencies, by B.A.

I see many people on the side of the road. Many times it is as simple as a flat. Other times it is something that the driver cannot fix. What many people do not know is that your car is designed to shut down automatically should certain things go out of tolerance. This is to prevent damage to your engine or vehicle. Many of us are pre-programmed, too, to think that the car is a special device for which only a select few of us can open the hood and work our magic. That is not the truth. Sure, if …