Year: 2016

Odds ‘n Sods:

Mandatory Mental Illness Screening and the Drive to Confiscate Firearms – D.S. o o o Some good commentary over at Commander Zero’s Notes from The Bunker blog: Article – U.S. eyes ways to toughen fight against domestic extremists o o o SurvivalBlog reader A.L. sent in the link to this excellent article on the Knights Code of Honor. We need more men who will hold to just such a code. Old Fashioned Knights in the Modern World o o o Reader T.A. sent in this link to Just Plain Living on 10 reasons to simplify your life. If you feel …


JWR’s Quote of the Day:

“Of liberty I would say that, in the whole plenitude of its extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will. But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law,’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual.” – Thomas Jefferson (Letter to Isaac H. Tiffany, 1819)


Notes for Monday – February 08, 2016

On February 8th, 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated. For 100 years, the BSA stood as a strong bulwark of conservative, libertarian, moral values. They successfully united boys from diverse backgrounds, different religions, and different ethnicities– uniting them based upon the principles required for a boy to become an upstanding man. The BSA was attacked from all sides for their righteous stance and even persevered and won their case (Boy Scouts v. Dale, 2000) in the Supreme Court. Sadly, they have in recent years caved from within. Their desire to fill the executive board with amoral, powerful industry …


Red List, Blue List, Black List, You List

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There has been a lot of conjecture in the past 40 years in patriot circles about the existence of government “round up lists”. Large-scale disaster and war planning exercises, like REX-84 (Readiness Exercise-1984) and Jade Helm 2015, have stimulated endless discourse about whether or not the government maintains a so-called “red list” and “blue list” of people that they deem to be dissidents who they might target for harassment, travel restrictions, or even detention without due process of law. Because any such lists would presumably be developed and updated under the wraps of a security classification and the Need To …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Update on .300 Whisper Ammo, by Pat Cascio

I did two articles on Ruger firearms. One was on their Mini-14 in .300 Blackout, and the other was on the new Ruger SR-556 Take Down rifle that comes in .223/5/56. In the latter, you can swap out the barrel and convert it to fire .300 Blackout/.300 Whisper ammo, which is a neat idea. I didn’t shoot any heavy, sub-sonic .300 Whisper ammo that Black Hills Ammunition produces, because this ammo is meant for use in guns with a suppressor on them. This isn’t the first time that Jeff Hoffman, at Black Hills Ammunition, asked me to do some testing …


Recipe of the Week: Quick Chile, by Sawyer

Ingredients: 1/2 lb ground chuck 1/2 green bell pepper, diced 1 large yellow onion, diced 2 green onion stems, chopped 1 (4 oz) can of mushroom stems and pieces, drained 1 (15.5 oz) can of (Spartan) chile beans 1 (15 oz) can of (Meijer Naturals) tomato sauce 1 (14.5 oz) can of (Spartan) petite diced tomatoes Chopped jalapenos, chili powders, and salt and pepper, to taste (optional) Directions: Saute diced onions, drained mushrooms, green pepper, and ground chuck in coconut oil. In a crock pot on low to medium heat, add canned beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Drain grease off …


Letter Re: Bug Out Boats

Hugh, I want to address the specifics of Catamarans and their abilities. My experience exceeds most others. I grew up on powerboats, both large and small. Eventually, when it was my own money, I graduated to sail. I have owned and cruised on plastic classics, steel hull, and ferro-cement monohulls, as well as plywood/e-glass catamarans. The sailing rigs on those boats were simple modern sloop, ketch, cutter, wingsail, and lug (junk) schooner. Cockpit designs ranged from open, pilot house, center cockpit, and flush open. As a marine technician service manager, I have worked on more types of cruising boats, charter …


Economics and Investing:

22 Signs That The Global Economic Turmoil We Have Seen So Far In 2016 Is Just The Beginning – Sent in by B.B. o o o Four of the Largest Wall Street Banks Hit 12-Month Lows Last Week – D.S. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Grantham: The Stock Market Sell-Off Makes Me Nervous, But I Fear the Big Crash is Coming (Business Insider) Excerpt: “I still believe that, with the help of the Fed and its allies, the U.S. market will rally once again to become a fully-fledged bubble before it breaks.” The Opaque Process of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

While we are on the subject of the “lists”, here is a how-to to guarantee you are on one of the lists. Placing Yourself On A Government “Red List” – Oregon Court Documents Prove Social Media Content Used To Self-Incriminate. Sent in by RBS. o o o It’s back. The Knockout Game continues in New Jersey. Make sure you are staying alert. – T.P. o o o So what happens when parents make a mistake and don’t file the paperwork and the school district doesn’t send the required paperwork? U.S. homeschoolers face criminal charges for missing paperwork. Sent in by …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue. When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion – when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing – when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors – when you see that men get richer by graft and pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you – when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice – you …


Notes for Sunday – February 07, 2016

On this day in London, Benjamin Franklin published An Imaginary Speech in defense of American courage. The speech was intended to counter an unnamed officer’s comments to Parliament that the British need not fear the colonial rebels, because “Americans are unequal to the People of this Country [Britain] in Devotion to Women, and in courage and worse than all, they are religious.” Franklin’s response included his usual wit and acuity. o o o We just noticed that one of our advertisers, Camping Survival, also has another web site http://www.hvactool.com where they sell tools to help you work on your own …


Survival Habits- Part 2, by Northwoods Prepper

As habits develop, processes become routine. For example, I have a process for stacking wood. There are several different ways, but I found the one I like best for my wood storage area, taking into consideration access to our house, snow drifts, and levelness of the ground. I have had cords fall over, which is not only a time loss but dangerous as well. In my area of the world, I like to set old pallets down to keep the cordwood off of the ground; otherwise, the bottom row freezes into place and is available only after a thaw or …


Letter Re: Making a “Last Run” When the SHTF – How Do They “Ring Up” Your Purchase?

Hugh, Thank you GMJ for your great article. Having some cash at home is a great idea for when the ATM and credit/debit card readers no longer work with no power. When you make that last run to the grocery store, bring your greenbacks with you. Be prepared if their power is out. You’ve made your organized path through the store and your cart is full. You pull up to the non-functioning conveyor belt to unload your purchase to scan. Because there’s no power it means no barcode price scanner and no credit/debit. The clerk is practically paralyzed, because they …


Economics and Investing:

A SurvivalBlog reader sends this snapshot of a message on the January 2016 statements from Chase bank. o o o Walmart Sues Puerto Rico Over 91.5% Tax Rate Applicable Only To Walmart – PLC o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News CBO Warns: “Trajectory’s All Wrong” on the National Debt (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “Congressional Budget Office Director Keith Hall warned Congress on Thursday that the national debt is on an unsustainable course, and that improved economic growth alone isn’t enough to dodge a debt crisis.” Total US Debt Breaks $19T Mark: Total Debt Rises by $8.4T in Last …


Odds ‘n Sods:

For thousands of years, populations have dealt with governments that did not represent their interests. How do they do it? Separation In Place – A.L. o o o If You Did Vote, Don’t Complain o o o SurvivalBlog reader J.C. sent in this article for 19 Off-Grid Survival Uses For A Plain Old Tarp o o o After two decades of testing and experimentation, the author has published his plans for a Solar Food Dehydrator that is cost effective and efficient. Sent in by T.Z. o o o Wondering how you are going to use an oven when you don’t …