Year: 2017

Letter Re: Coffee

Mrs. Latimer, Thank you for your contributions to our survival knowledge. In regard to roasting your own coffee, we have been doing this for years and I thought I might share … Firstly we buy our beans green by the 150 pound (plus) burlap bags from Royal Coffee Co. and have it shipped to us. We have kept our beans in 5 gallon buckets in a cool place and have never had a problem with spoilage. Like you, we have gone through multiple evolutions of roasting techniques from cast iron pan to electric hot air popcorn popper, which I will …


Economics and Investing:

Philadelphia Soda Tax Forces Local University To Hike Student Costs By $400,000 – Reader H.L. HJL’s Comment: Typical of liberal progressives, Philadelphia can’t face the fact that their actions have consequences. More collectivism at work. o o o These US States Entered A Recession In 2016 – Notice that the economies of nearly all of the states presently in recession depend heavily on oil production. Oil makes the world go round, or at least lubricates it. o o o Management doesn’t escape the axe: Remington Laysoff Senior Directors And Management – Link sent in by DSV o o o Wall …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A 50 State Guide – Is night vision legal to use for hunting in my State? JWR’s Comment: Be sure to check the current Fish &Game regulations in your own state. Laws do change frequently! o o o U.S. Air Force Buying Special Drone-Snagging Shotgun Shells – G.G. HJL’s Comment: I’m not too thrilled about their choice of a name for the product (Skynet), but it is an intriguing concept. I’m also curious as to how the laws against shooting drones will be applied to this product. o o o In a continuation of disturbing trends, a man was arrested …



Notes for Saturday – March 18, 2017

March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932 and died in 2009.) It is also the birthday of Luc Besson, director and producer of films such as La Femme Nikita and The Fifth Element. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day …


Surviving Custer, by R.S.

Let’s be honest, how many of you ever expect to find yourself in a survival situation? You’ve probably day dreamed about it, wondering how you’d fare. The fact is, we don’t walk out the door in the morning expecting to find ourselves in a predicament. I certainly never expected to find myself in such a “survival” situation on a summer day in South Dakota’s Custer State Park. Yet, there I was facing such a situation just last summer. We had finally taken our long-awaited family vacation “out West”. We live in the suburbs outside a large Midwestern city. So the …


Letter Re: Coffee

Sarah, I have tried grinding my own coffee and do prefer it. However, buying only a few pounds at a time I found that the beans cost more than buying the ground coffee! That goes for the green coffee beans too. It reminded me of the old Heathkit radios that everyone said you paid for the privilege of putting together. Perhaps they would be cheaper if bought in volumes of 100 or 500 pounds, but I can not afford such a purchase on my own and there is no one in my family, friends or acquaintances who are willing to …


Economics and Investing:

Wall Street Bullish On Oil Prices Despite Saudi Warnings JWR’s Comment: This might be a good time to top off your stored gas, diesel, and home heating oil tanks! o o o Physical precious metals demand is down, in part because of complacency caused by Donald Trump’s election. Another factor is the anticipation of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve banking cartel. (This has direct correlation to the futures and spot markets.) My advice: Hold for the long term and continue to buy on the dips. Do not be complacent! The Fed could pull the rug out from under …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Sangerville, Maine: Bunker-style home built by survivalists the perfect fit for sustainable duo JWR’s Comment: Folks in the Food Sustainability movement have a lot to learn from Survivalists, and vice versa! o o o The IRS Scandal, Day 1408: Why Won’t The Media Cover It? – The IRS admitted to singling out and targeting conservative groups in 2013, motivated by political animus, yet the media was, is and continues to be disinterested in the whole process. Given the IRS’s broad ranging powers, this is the perfect vehicle to “control” behaviors. o o o Wondering why your friends and neighbors think …



Notes for Friday – March 17, 2017

March 17th is the birthday of novelist Pearl S. Buck, best known for her novel The Good Earth. (Born 1887, died 1973.) This is also the birthday of Józef Franczak (born 1917, died 21 October 1963), who was a Polish Army Corporal who fought in the World War II resistance against the invading Germans. He then carried on after the war, to fight against the occupying Soviets and their Polish communist stooges. Eventually, he was one of the last of the Cursed Soldiers resistance in Poland. His nom de guerre was Lalek. o o o Today, we present an entry …


A Homemade Thermos Cooker, by M.P.

A thermos cooker is an energy saving cooking device. Earlier versions were a vacuum thermos that you placed uncooked food and boiling water into and then sealed it up, and in a few hours you had cooked food. Later versions have a pot that you put your ingredients into and place on your stove; you then bring the contents to a boil and place the pot into an insulated outer pot to hold the heat in and cook the food. Thermos cookers do not speed up cooking times; they only save energy, and in fact cooking times can be significantly …


Letter Re: 80% Lower Router Problems

Hugh, I wanted to add something here. You should not have to keep retightening a router bit after each cut. Having been a woodworker for 25+ years and having used routers to mill aluminum, here are a few safety tips: When inserting bit in collet make sure bit is not bottomed out all the way. Insert bit until it bottoms out and then slightly raise it up about 1/32 or 1/16″. The easy way to do this is to snug collet enough so you can insert bit into collet, and that bit will stay put when you take your hand …


Economics and Investing:

In recognition of the Government’s debasement of the U.S. doller, some states are begining to realize that precious metals are not investments, but act as real money: IT BEGINS…. Idaho & Arizona Pass Bills To Remove “Capital Gains Taxes” On Gold & Silver (SRSrocco Report) o o o Reader H.L. sent in the link to this map that renames American States with the name of the country most closely matching their GDPs. It’s interesting to realize that the U.S. economy is so large that individual states have GDPs larger than many countries. o o o Collapsing pensions will fuel America’s …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I recently bought some “Morale” patches from a small company in Tennessee called MoraleTags.com, and I was quite pleased with the quality of their products and their great service. It is a veteran-owned company. They have a wide assortment of patches, and also sell clever metal hat clips that are laser engraved with logos. (Warning: A few of them are rather crude.) Take a look at their web site. – JWR o o o Showing their support of collectivism and the establishment, a group of retired military leaders are fighting to stop the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. Apparently, those …