Notes for Monday – October 24, 2016

October 24th is the anniversary of the firing squad execution of Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling, in 1945. His ignominious place in history was to have his surname become a noun. (“Quisling” is now a moniker synonymous with treason and alliance with an invading army.) Note: Because of the most recent nationwide hack attack, our mail server is presently down. It may be 48 hours before our e-mail service is restored. Thanks for your patience. – JWR




Just In Case: Preparing for the Evening and Day After Election 2016

There is a substantial risk that Hillary “Hitlery” Clinton will become our next President. She is notoriously anti-gun, and has made many promises to her gun-grabbing campaign donors to give “gun control” (read: civilian disarmament) her top priority. Consider the guidance in this article just a contingency. You can simply ignore it, if Donald Trump is elected. (Since he is outspokenly pro-gun.) But if Clinton is indeed elected, then gun, ammunition, and magazine prices will surely start to rise immediately. And by the time she actually takes office, prices might well have already doubled or tripled, and shortages of some …




Recipe of the Week: Patty in Vermont’s Salad Dressing Cake

This old family cake recipe is baked in a greased Bundt pan: Mix the following ingredients thoroughly, to form the batter: Two cups finely ground white flour 6 tsp cocoa powder 1 cup of granulated sugar 1 cup of Miracle Whip (or a similar mayonnaise) 1 cup of water 1 tsp vanilla extract (liquid) Pour the cake batter into a greased Bundt pan and then bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about one hour. (Check it with a toothpick to test if it is done.) o o o Useful Recipe and Cooking Links: Yellow Cake Made from Scratch Food Storage …




Letter: The End of OTC Veterinary Antibiotics

Dear Jim: Many preppers store antibiotics for fish or livestock water/feed medications over the counter (OTC). As of January 1st, 2017 this will come to an end as livestock producers will be required to get a VFD (veterinary feed directive) from a veterinarian to obtain these antibiotics. I don’t want to go into the specific differences but think of it as a prescription.   For anyone  wanting antibiotics I would recommend getting some before the first of the year.   I am a mixed animal vet in  the Ozarks. –  E.E. JWR Adds: A full list of drugs transitioning on …




Economics and Investing:

Tesla, Apple and Uber Push Lithium Prices Even Higher o o o Goldman Sachs Top Lawyer Is Part of a Secret Banking Cabal as CEO Blankfein Denies One Exists o o o Video interview over at Real Clear Politics: Resort Casino magnate Steve Wynn:  Printing Money Degrades Living Standard, Causes Anger; Healthcare Goes Up, Product Doesn’t Get Better o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.




Odds ‘n Sods:

Why is it that nearly every mainstream newspaper, magazine, and web journalist reporting on “preppers” or “survivalists” feels obliged to illustrate it with a picture of someone wearing a gas mask?  (And usually it is a nearly useless and thoroughly obsolete Russian gas mask with a dangling filter canister, not properly stowed in a pouch.)  These cliched images are tiresome, and they only serve to belittle the whole movement. Such images are about as de rigueur as pictures of Steampunk enthusiasts with goggles on their hats.  But at least those folks actually wear them. – JWR o o o Instructables:  …







Notes for Sunday – October 23, 2016

Today is the birthday of French actor Gérard Blain, best known to Americans for his role in the classic African adventure film Hatari, that starred John Wayne. The film’s vehicular big game capture “rodeo” scenes are unforgettable. (They would be considered politically incorrect, these days.) o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 67 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 …




Storing Eggs for Survival, by J.D.

Nothing beats a fresh egg! Eggs are inexpensive and quite versatile. They can be cooked in may ways, added to dishes to make them richer and creamier, and they are a great protein source. Eggs also contain choline, which aids in proper liver function. Eggs also contain a host of other vitamins and minerals, so they make a great addition to your survival pantry. Unless you have your own chickens, you most likely get your eggs from the grocery store. In the United States, the government regulates the food industry, so eggs have been sanitized and stored in refrigeration. They …




Letter: The Global Cyber War and DDOS Ping Attacks

JWR, For some background, I’ve worked as a UNIX systems administrator  for more than 20 years in the financial environment. This background includes working for major bankig and stock mark trading companies. I’m not saying that to impress, I am saying it so you know that I have a good amount of experience in the field. Although logs and paths can be modified, a significant amount of scanning and denial attacks on both commercial and personal computer systems really does seem to come from Russia, China, and the Netherlands. Now a layperson may ask:  “Why does China care about my …




Economics and Investing:

Fortune magazine reports: Apple’s Next Goal Is Killing Paper Money Once and For All. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) o o o Saudis, China Dump Treasuries; Foreign Central Banks Liquidate A Record $346 Billion In US Paper o o o Michael Pento: Equity Bubble Has Run Out of Excuses and Time o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.




Odds ‘n Sods:

Michigan: Anti-Gun Lawmakers Introduce Gun and Magazine Ban Legislation o o o Reader D.S.V. sent this warning from Kim Komando: Card skimming malware infecting thousands of online retailers o o o G.G. flagged this:  NSA Can Access More Phone Data Than Ever (Thanks to John N. for the link.) o o o Since Cabela’s has been acquired by Bass Pro Shops, they now appear to be deeply discounting a lot of their “Cabelas” logo-marked camouflage clothing. 




Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” – Revelation 19:5-6 (KJV)







Letter: Misadventures of a Green Thumb

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers: I’d like to address the idea of “prepare for the unexpected” using a real life example that happened to me. I hope this humorous example leads you to take some steps, however small, to begin taking steps to fill the gaps in your preparedness planning; because for all the good intentions you may have, a totally unexpected event could take place that makes it all worthless. So for me, I have never had what had been called a “green thumb”. I never have actually had a return from my spring and summer garden that I feel was …