Year: 2016

Notes for Thursday – April 14, 2016

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 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. …


A Digital Library in a Grid-Down World, by J.G.

Since you are reading this online, nothing bad has happened yet to the grid. The walk from dependency on modern culture and conveniences to preparedness is ongoing. The naïve and nihilists are doing little to prepare for what we hope never happens. The rest of us are on a continuum of awareness and readiness. Today, we take the power grid as a given. Virtually all apocalyptic scenarios involve loss of power and electricity, sooner if not later. There are plenty of articles stating the absolute need for clean water, food, shelter, and security. This is not in dispute. We all …


Letter Re: Backup Electric Power Design Considerations

Editor, I found KK’s recent letter interesting in that he, as an experienced solar installer, recommends DC coupled systems. In particular, I would like him to expand on how his clients cope with using DC rather than AC on their properties and how and where they buy DC appliances, tools, pumps, et cetera. I understand that battery-powered electronics and tools are ubiquitous and well tested, but in general the batteries have voltages from 1.5 to 18 volts or so and the chargers accommodate that by plugging into 110 volt AC. Do his clients use small point load inverters for this? …


Economics and Investing:

US faces ‘disastrous’ $3.4tn pension funding hole o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: U.S. Runs $108 Billion Budget Deficit in March, Treasury Says Video: The April Emergency The Fed Doesn’t Want You To Know About – Mike Maloney – Interesting take.. Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Auditor: Government Will Owe More than Entire Economy Produces (Washington Free Beacon) Excerpt: “The audit also called into question the reliability of the government’s financial statements.” “Mr. Social Security” Indicted in $600 Million Disability Fraud Scheme (Washington Free Beacon) Excerpt: “The defendants are charged with designing an intricate scheme, using their expertise …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Just 8 Miles Outside Texas Border, This Islamic Camp Exists – Guess Who Aids Them – Sent in by B.B. o o o Two court rulings that send a disturbing message: Florida Court Gives Police Right To Detain Innocent Passengers – Sent in by RBS Court Rules Police Can Legally Make Up Lies to Pull People Over to Fish for Criminal Behavior – Sent in by Mr. Natural o o o Skynet, here we come: Russia Building Nuclear-Armed Drone Submarine – DMS o o o Surveillance cameras sold on Amazon infected with malware. It pays to know your sources. The …



Notes for Wednesday – April 13, 2016

April 13, 1743 is the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. (He died on July 4, 1826, just a few hours before the death of John Adams. How patriotic of both of them to pass away on the Fourth of July.) 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 …


Lessons Of Real Life Bug-Out Circa 1944, by Grazu44

As long as I can remember, my father was prepared for the unexpected. I thought it was because he purchased a series of unreliable Chrysler products in the 70’s and 80’s that consistently broke down. (MOPAR– the name of Chrysler’s Parts Division– became an acronym in our house for “Moments Of Power Are Rare”). The fact of the matter was that my father “bugged out” of his native Lithuania with his family at the age of 14. Following World War II, he and his family were placed in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp for native Lithuanians in what would become …


Letter Re: How to Survive Workplace Violence

Dear Hugh, I would like to thank SM for useful comments that we should all think about in this day and age. I’ve actually been putting more thought into the subject of “workplace violence”, including the dreaded “active shooter” scenario, because my employer has recently implemented mandatory training for dealing with this event as well as a drill or two. Though the risk of such a tragedy remains low, it would seem that my employer feels that the risk is significant enough to justify the expense of such training. Though they would seem gravely concerned about our well-being, it is …


Economics and Investing:

Why Obama is forgiving the student loans of nearly 400,000 people – G.G. o o o The education and employment myth: Almost two-thirds of people in the labor force do not have a college degree. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News US Government Banking Program Facilitates Remittances to Mexico (Judicial Watch) Excerpt: “The program is called “Directo a Mexico” (Direct to Mexico) and the Federal Reserve, the government agency that serves as the nation’s central bank, launched it nearly a decade ago.” The Salary Needed to Buy a Home in 27 Different US Cities (Visual Capitalist) Excerpt: …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Reader S.T. writes in to recommend The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Slavomir Rawicz (The Lyons Press; 1997). It’s about seven men who escaped a Russian labor camp after WWII and walked more than a thousand miles to freedom in British India, a journey on foot through some of the most inhospitable conditions on Earth. It was made into a movie a few years ago with the title something like “The Way Home”. I highly recommend the book over the movie. o o o Reader S.B. suggested Red Sky in Mourning: A True Story …


Odds ‘n Sods:

APPROPRIATE THIS! The Social Justice Warriors – the first warriors to faint at the sight of a penknife – have a new weapon to show off their unearned moral superiority: CULTURAL APPROPRIATION, where mainstream culture steals from minorities without being “authentic.” Surprisingly Bill Whittle agrees with this and has a list of grievances all his own. Link sent in by B.B. o o o Learning what not to do at a gun range by example – video: Don’t do this! o o o Can’t afford a Berkey? DIY Ceramic Water Filter Kits, Revisited – Sent in by DMS o o …



Notes for Tuesday – April 12, 2016

April 12th is the birthday of the late novelist Tom Clancy (born 1947, died October 1, 2013). It was Clancy who almost single-handedly created the modern techno-thriller genre. Coincidentally, Tom Clancy’s first literary agent was JWR’s agent, Robert Gottlieb. o o o A Reminder: Please remember to mention SurvivalBlog, whenever you shop with any of our advertisers or with any of the prize sponsors of the SurvivalBlog Nonfiction Writing Contest. Thanks! – JWR o o o Ready Made Resources is now carrying The Trekker™, a portable water purification system capable of producing 1 gallon per minute of safe drinking water …


The Efficacy of Gun Control, by B.W.

Plato purportedly said, “Only the dead have seen the end of war,” and in many ways he was correct. Violence has been a constant throughout recorded history, and it continues to plague humanity. In fact, perhaps the only significant change is our growing expertise and efficiency. The invention of the firearm in 13th century China marked a turning point in state-sponsored warfare and interpersonal violence. Black powder in conjunction with a simple machine and projectile enabled the relatively unskilled and weaker combatant to create parity with a group who possessed superior strength. For better or worse, politics had irrevocably changed. …