Year: 2016


Notes for Tuesday – March 29, 2016

This is the birthday of the gifted electronic and orchestral musician Vangelis (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou). o o o Safecastle is running a timely sale on all Mountain House food in #10 cans and in pouches. Discount prices are as much as 46% off, shipping is included, and club members earn reward points on all purchases. o o o Don’t forget that Camping Survival’s Grand Opening is this Friday, April 1, 2016 at 9:00am. No foolin’! If you are in the area of Sanford, North Carolina, be sure to stop by and see them. o o o Today, we present another …


You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can’t Tuna Fish, by K.Y.

Consider the aftermath of a societal breakdown, not only in terms of survival but in the quality of life issues that make surviving worthwhile. Most likely, the arts and entertainment aspects of a post-breakdown world will be radically changed– no more television, movies, large-scale concerts, or computer-generated games. We will default to a simpler era, where folks made their own entertainment and personal interaction defined the process of a meaningful life. And in a hard-scrabble existence– after the farming, hunting, homesteading, defending, procuring the basics of life-after-disaster– there will eventually need to be something more. There will need to be …


Letter Re: Prepaid Phones

HJL, Yes, criminals use prepaid phones, but patriots do too. I have been using a monthly, no contract, prepaid phone for over 15 years. Why? Because I do not like contracts, hidden fees, data charges, et cetera. I use Virgin Mobile. For $35 a month, I get unlimited calls, messaging, and Internet. There are no hidden fees or surprise charges, and I do not have to surrender my personal information or SSN. I like having to NOT give up my personal information every chance I get. So, understand, it’s not just criminals who use these phones; it’s also the poor …


News From The American Redoubt:

The indictment count for the Malheur protests is now up to 26 defendants, and for the Bunkerville, Nevada protests now 19 defendants. (Some of those overlap, with the same folks getting charged for their involvement in both incidents.) The so-called “final indictee” of Malheur is said to be Jake Ryan, of Plains, Montana. (But some observers have voiced doubts about the eventual number of people who will be indicted for the Bunkerville protests, claiming that additional sealed indictments have been prepared.) The wording of the formerly-sealed Malheur indictments has numerous Federal conspiracy and other charges that if convicted and served …


Economics and Investing:

Items from Mr. Econocobas: Peter Schiff- Two Down Two to Go. Video: Stockman CNBC Interview: Dead Cat Bounce Over, Bury The Cat! Items from Professor Preponomics: US News CCAGW Commends Chairman Hatch for Launching Investigation into Green Energy Grants (Citizens Against Government Waste) Excerpt: “A significant number of the recipients were either demonstrably financially unstable, and therefore too high-risk to receive taxpayer money, or already adequately well-funded by private capital and undeserving of taxpayer largesse.” This story is also being developed by the Wall Street Journal. The following report was posted to Market Watch: Senator Probes $25 Billion in Federal …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Update on Video clears Texas man of assaulting cop—did police commit perjury? JWR’s Comment: This video shows the importance of having both dashcam video cameras and home security video cameras. FYI, I bought pairs of Z-Edge Z3 Full HD dashcams for my vehicles. One faces forward and the other faces toward me and driver’s side window. These cameras come with 32 GB cards and continuously loop three hours of video and audio. The audio can be muted with one button press, for privacy. I also highly recommend getting LOREX webcam sets for your home. Make sure that one camera covers …



Notes for Monday – March 28, 2016

This is the birthday of Marlin Perkins, of Carthage Missouri. He is remembered as the television host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. He was born in 1905. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 63 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, …


Esee-4, by Pat Cascio

My long-time friend and fellow gun writer, John Taffin, has been on a life-long search for what he calls the “Perfect Packin’ Pistol”, and it has been a long but fun search for him. I suspect that each and every one of us has also been on that search, even if we didn’t know it or want to admit it. There is that “one” handgun that we all are searching for– that one handgun that will fulfill every chore we’d need it for. I’m sure there is a Perfect Packin’ Pistol for each and every one of us, but the …


The World Through Pink-Colored Glasses: Wikipedia’s Leftist Editorial Distortions

Wikipedia, launched in 2001, now has more than 39 million articles. It is now informally used by millions of students as a reference by students and journalists—usually as the starting point for researching nearly any topic. Wikipedia’s entries are given great weight by search engines, such as Google, placing their articles at the top of search rankings. In the 21st Century Internet age, one can safely say: All Roads Lead to Wikipedia. Most SurvivalBlog readers have noticed that I refer to Wikipedia as LeftistAgendapedia. I do so for good reason, as a I will explain in this essay. Because it …


Recipe of the Week: Smoky Brisket

Ingredients: 3 to 4 lbs. lean beef 1 Tbsp smoke-flavored salt 2 medium onions, sliced 1 tsp celery seed 1 Tbsp mustard seed ½ tsp pepper 1 (12 oz) bottle chili sauce Directions: Sprinkle both sides of meat with smoke-flavored salt. Arrange onion slices in bottom of slow-cooking pot. Top with meat. Combine celery seed, mustard seed, pepper, and chili sauce. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, or until tender. Makes 8 to 10 servings. o o o Useful Recipe and Cooking Links: Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of …


Letter Re: Sharp Shooter 22LR Reloader

Dear Sir, I have to throw my two cents in the ring on the 22LR reloader. Actually, there is a very good and available alternative. I love the 22LR. So, when the shortage of ammo hit, I searched for and found the near perfect solution! Voila’! It’s the .22 Hornet. This centerfire cartridge can be loaded for same velocities as 22 Long Rifle, 22 Magnum, or simply 22 Hornet +. It can be souped up just a little and come close to the .223! The rifles are available in single shot or bolt action by several manufacturers. So, in essence, …


Economics and Investing:

Obama’s Final Budget Calls for $2.1 Trillion Tax Hike – B.B. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Low Oil Prices End 21st Century Gold Rush (USA Today) Excerpt: “Oil and gas companies worldwide have publicly announced plans to cut more than 319,000 jobs since late 2014…. Among them are large companies such as Baker Hughes, Halliburton and Weatherford International that supply services and equipment to drillers.” Houston’s Energy Companies Majorly Downgraded by Moody’s (Houston Business Journal) Excerpt: “The negative outlook reflects the potential for a greater than expected deterioration in credit metrics if the demand for the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Glider pilot arrested, nearly shot down by DHS, for breaking no laws o o o The government continues to bleed critical information, possibly exposing your private information to the wild. Why The IRS’s Technology Nightmare Is Far From Over Sent in by PLC o o o Video clears Texas man of assaulting cop—did police commit perjury? Excerpt: “Without the video I would be in prison. There is no doubt about that.” – Sent in by T.P. o o o On the flip side of that coin, A young cop in Greenville, South Carolina fell “victim to his own department’s politically …