Month: February 2017

Notes for Tuesday – February 14, 2017

February 14 is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lucas (born 1928, died June 5, 2008). During the Iwo Jima campaign, this 17-year-old won the Medal of Honor for unhesitatingly hurling himself over his comrades upon one grenade and for pulling another one under himself. One of the grenades exploded, and Lucas absorbed the entire blasting force of it with his own body. PFC Lucas was the youngest Marine ever to receive the Medal of Honor. (He was just 13 when he forged his mother’s signature to enlist.)


Observations and Lessons from the Oroville Dam Evacuation

I felt obliged to pass on some observations and potential lessons on the developing problems at the Oroville Dam here in northern California. For those who may not have heard, the Oroville Dam has had some major structural issues with the spillways, resulting in mandatory evacuations for as many as 180,000 people. It is an earth fill embankment dam on the Feather River east of the city of Oroville, California, in the United States. At 770 feet (230 m) high, it is the tallest dam in the U.S. and serves mainly for water supply, hydroelectricity generation, and flood control. It …


Letter Re: Sad and Silent

Dear Sad and Silent: I have learned to speak in terms of resilience and not prep. I regularly engage in DIY projects because of the mental stimulation. I seek to know about all things, saying that I am a very curious fellow. Every fifth person laughs. When I buy, I grab a little extra of nails, screws, oil, filters, et cetera. Commonly, I do household projects out of inventory, in terms of screws and nails, making sure to replace them. That does not mean it did not take three trips to the hardware store to finally get the stove installation …


News From The American Redoubt:

Many folks living in North Idaho and Northwestern Montana are probably already familiar with a great old-fashioned military surplus store in Sandpoint, Idaho called Army Surplus 1. It was probably the inspiration for the fictional “Grogan’s War Surplus”, in the humorous books written by Patrick McManus. Their motto is: “We probably have it.” And in my experience, that is true. A great store with a 40 year history of fine customer service and a great selection. Stop by and check it out. – JWR o o o We note with interest that Primary Weapons Systems (of Boise, Idaho) has greatly …


Economics and Investing:

EU Bureaucrats Escalate the War on Cash: Will Precious Metals Be in the Crosshairs? – DSV o o o Are Gold Prices Finally Beginning To Crack? o o o Artificial Intelligence To Reveal The Biggest Secret In Oil. No one really knows how much oil the countries around the world are storing, but a new satellite technology may soon bring those numbers to light. o o o The most depressing chart showing US imports and exports in 2016 with top trading partners. o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Video: Gun Control’s Racist History – D.B. o o o 11 Reasons You Should Drink A Tbsp Of Apple Cider Vinegar Every Day – DSV o o o Sharp Rise Reported in Older Americans’ Use of Multiple Psychiatric Drugs – DSV o o o Nearly 200K Remain Under Evacuation As Concerns Remain Over Oroville Dam Spillway. Note the mention of “gridlock”. Wait too long and you’re in trouble. – RFJ o o o If you are thinking about building a large boat, but wondering how you launch it without a crane, then you might want to read this: Parbuckle and …




Springfield Armory Saint, by Pat Cascio

It happens! Sometimes, it just happens! I don’t know how or why and neither does my contact at Springfield Armory, but I was somehow left out of the loop on their new Saint AR-style rifle. Grrr! I didn’t get a sample on the day they were released; it took more than a month before I got a gun in my hand. Many “gun writers” that I’ve never ever heard of were invited to shoot the new Saint a month earlier at a top secret event. Again, I don’t know how I wasn’t invited, but it happened. Honestly, I don’t know …


Recipe of the Week: Dutch Oven Pork Hock Stew, by R.T.

This is a good meal to prepare on a camping trip in a 3-legged Dutch oven, or at home in a stovetop model, as it can be left to cook all day while needing only occasional attention. The pork hock, or leg, is inexpensive and is enveloped in a thick skin (not fat) that is rich in collagen. Ingredients: a fresh pork hock, carrots, onions, red potatoes Seasoning blend of salt, cayenne, black pepper, coriander, garlic, and Spanish smoked paprika, adjusted to taste Directions: Heat up a lidded 4-quart Dutch oven swabbed with a coating of oil, slowly to a …


Letter Re: Misguided Youth

Hugh, Periodically, I check on on a few different blogs, and one recent post has cemented my belief that this country is going to have a difficult future with or without a serious economic downturn. This particular blog advocates living on about 25% of one’s income, which I find admirable; however, I have two concerns that I find troubling: The authors have themselves in the past and do advocate that their readers get all the free goodies from the government and other social organizations that they can obtain, regardless of need. If one qualifies, grab it. Hmmm. I do find …


Economics and Investing:

Why The Next Large Market Correction Will Cause Record Gold Demand o o o Blinded by Hate: EU Will Soon Be Free to Mismanage Crisis on Its Own o o o The Unintended & Deadly Societal Consequences Of Quantitative Easing o o o Le Pen May Get a Shock If She Tries to Pay French Debt in Francs o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.


Odds ‘n Sods:

100,000 People Are Evacuating Over “Imminent Failure” Of California’s Oroville Dam – Live Feeds – P.S. HJL’s Comment: I would note that one of my friends who lives in Orville was notified that looters are having a heyday. In addition, I listened to a 9:40pm (PT) update from the sheriff’s department who admitted that the “might fail within an hour” language was not true and was designed to get people to move from their homes immediately. It’s sad and harmful that you can’t get truthful information from your own government when it counts. o o o Congressional Report Warns of …