Year: 2016

Notes for Wednesday – January 06, 2016

Today, we present another entry for Round 62 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. …


Blueprint for Rebuilding- Part 1, by GRC

Timelines differ, and predictions of what causes mayhem differ. One thing we all agree on is that the time to prepare grows short, not time as we modern Westerners understand it, after all our civilization was built and rebuilt over the course of 2000 plus years, but the expiration date is surely fast approaching. Each day brings thanksgiving mixed with surprise that the thin veneer of our existence has lasted another sunrise. And while those who prepare for an uncertain tomorrow welcome the opportunity to tick another item off the to-do list, the rest of the world laughs at such …


Letter Re: Some Harsh Lessons of Beekeeping, by Keith K.

Hugh, Regarding the Harsh Lessons of Beekeeping, I began raising bees five years before relocating to the Redoubt from SC. I was stung often back East. One hive came with us in a trailer with the “mountain useless” motorcycles. When I purchased five nuc hives to build out our bee population the following spring, I was stung and had a dramatic trip down the mountain to the ER. The second year, while working the frantic hives in spring (six died and six were near starvation, suffering from bad weather), and I was stung AGAIN and went to the ER again. …


Economics and Investing:

This may be a little hard to grasp, but it’s important to understand. Please read and take necessary precautions to protect your savings. Unimaginable 247 Trillion In Derivatives Could Trigger “Financial Armageddon”. Warren Buffett referred to derivatives as “financial weapons of mass destruction”… – L.G. Items from Mr. Econocobas: China Stocks Rout on First Market Day of 2016 Trips National Trading Halt China’s Seven-Minute Selling Frenzy That Shook Global Markets The Year Nothing Worked: Stocks, Bonds, Cash Go Nowhere Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Puerto Rico is Greece and These Five States are the Next to Go (Zero Hedge) …


Readers’ Recommendations of the Week:

J.M. wrote in: I recently re-read Leon Uris’ Exodus and can highly recommend it. o o o SurvivalBlog reader R.S. suggested “The Big Short”, which released Dec 23, is an amazing, funny, horrifying, and astounding “true story” look behind the curtain of the banking sub-prime mortgage fiasco. While rated a hard R, it is definitely worth seeing without the kids. It uses almost a documentary style taking complicated banker lingo and mindset, then translating into concise, understandable concepts (those are the horrifying parts) what actually happened inside the financial industry between 2005 and 2008. Highly recommend, but WARNING, it will …


Odds ‘n Sods:

It appears that one of President BHO’s new executive orders (due to be signed on Wednesday) will expand the definition of “engaged in the business” selling guns, and this will hurt gun collectors and our gun shows. It appears that they are going to try to corral more INTRAState transactions of used merchandise into Federal jurisdiction, via the Commerce Clause, which is all about INTERstate commerce of newly-manufactured merchandise. They can “hope and change” this all they want, but it is unconstitutional. And we all know what Marbury v. Madison says about unconstitutional laws: We can ignore them. (“Lex malla, …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The Union was formed by the voluntary agreement of the States; and these, in uniting together, have not forfeited their Nationality, nor have they been reduced to the condition of one and the same people. If one of the States chose to withdraw its name from the contract, it would be difficult to disprove its right of doing so.” – Alexis de Tocqueville


Notes for Tuesday – January 05, 2016

January 5th is the birthday of the late John Pugsley(born 1934, died April 8, 2011), libertarian and economics author. Pugsley was well known in preparedness circles as the author of The Alpha Strategy. (The book is out of print, but a PDF is available for free download.) It is also the birthday of General Courtney Hodges (born 1887 – January 16, 1966). Kicked out of West Point for low math scores, he enlisted as a private but soon became a maverick officer and went on to a distinguished career. o o o Now that a month has elapsed, many SurvivalBlog …


December in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers. What Did Gold Do in December? Every December is a time of thin volumes in all assets. One good-sized sale or purchase can move prices. All this was exaggerated by the Fed’s December 16 interest rate hike. Gold jumped $20 an ounce multiple times this month, only to see the gains slowly eaten away each time. December 4th was a strange …


Inflation Alert and Book Review from TM in Arkansas

First, a price increase is coming to your favorite bookseller. One of the premier book printing and distributing companies in the world has announced a 10% price increase in their print-on-demand and handling fees effective February 8, 2016. Additionally, products shipping from the UK will see freight charges increase by 3-4%. The freight charges will be determined based on service level at the time of order. This printing increase is on top of the 5% rate increase announced by UPS effective December 28, 2015 and a similar price increase by FedEx effective in January 2016. The USPS has a full menu …


Letter Re: Some Harsh Lessons of Beekeeping, by Keith K.

To the Editor; Keith K. was absolutely correct in that if one is considering keeping bees as a TEOTWAWKI pollinating vector and food supply (honey), there should be an innate interest present before devoting time and effort to the project. I fully realize that there should be more initial motivation than just consideration of a cost/benefit analysis before entering into the hobby of beekeeping. Specifically, the overall homestead health and sustainability must be considered to see whether beekeeping would be a good fit for daily life and upkeep. We will all respond in relation to our own skills and gifts …


News From The American Redoubt:

Here is just one more reason why it is inevitable that Eastern Washington will ask for partition from the Left Coast. o o o Once again, the American Redoubt States rank well. o o o The falfiles.com has a post with a decent background on what’s going on in Oregon right now. o o o More background on the conflict in Oregon: Where there’s smoke – B.B. Militia takes over Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters – B.B. TalkNetwork.com’s Pete Santilli streaming LIVE from the Hammond family constitutional crisis event in Oregon – RBS And, of course, the liberal/progressive point of …


Economics and Investing:

Saudi-Iran Dispute Won’t Cause Lasting Oil Price Rally o o o Wall Street Journal: 7% Fall in the Chinese Market Triggered Closure for the Day – T.A. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Rand Paul: Here’s Why We Should Audit the Fed (Business Insider) Excerpt: “It is no secret that the Federal Reserve’s unchecked printing press causes recessions and increases income inequality. Allowing the Fed to inflate our money supply will artificially keep interests rates low, but at what cost? Their acts can no longer go unchecked…” The Rise of the Zombie Earmark (Taxpayers for Common Sense) …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Doctors can report some mentally ill patients to FBI under new gun control rule – JBG o o o Reader P.S sent in this link to a “Graduation-rate Estimator”. For communities that are fairly well in the middle, it does a pretty good job of estimating graduation rates from high school. However, as you move towards the ends of the spectrum, it has trouble. It is possible on the estimator to get better than 100% graduation simply by paying your teachers more than anywhere else. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a tool to help you decide where to relocate, …