Notes for Monday – April 10, 2017

April 10th, 1796 The birthday of James “Jim” Bowie (died March 6th, 1836 at the Battle of the Alamo.) o o o We had such a tremendous response to our feedback form, we have decided to enable comments on most blog posts. Be sure to read our Discussion Guidelines before posting, and please be patient with us as we figure out the best way to work these comments.




S&W Model 15, by Pat Cascio

We are continuing to followup on the many requests for more revolver articles from our readers, and we are more than happy to comply. As I pointed out in previous articles, there are some shooters who believe that the “old” revolver isn’t a viable option for self-defense work, and I couldn’t disagree more. Now, we aren’t necessarily talking about a SWAT team clearing a building of an active shooter or a terrorist. We are talking about everyday people who carry concealed or want a home defense handgun, and for whom the revolver might just be the perfect answer. In 1980 …




Recipe of the Week: Country Biscuits and Busy Morning Pancakes, by K.R.

This recipe was economical, as the pre-made biscuit mix was not available in many of the countries we sailed to during our 7-year circumnavigation. Basic Baking Mix Ingredients: 9 cups flour 4 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup baking powder 1 3/4 cups vegetable shortening Directions: Combine first four ingredients; stir to mix well. Cut in shortening with clean fingers until mixture resembles loose crumbs. Do not pack down when measuring. Use dry measuring cup when measuring, scraping excel off with a knife. Keeps about four to six months in an airtight container at room temperature. Country Biscuits Ingredients: 2 cups Basic …




Letters Re: My Family Preparedness Plan, by R.S.

R.S., Wow. I found this to be a grim and sobering article but one of the most sound that I have read to date. I don’t think anyone could cover all the myriads of possible scenarios, but this gives a great launching point for most I can imagine. Thank you for your time in writing such a good article. – J.W. o o o HJL, Most deaths in a post-EMP or post-solar-flare/grid-down situation will be from the combination of starvation and disease. Starvation can be prevented by storing sufficient food to last until the next crop comes in. Disease can …




Economics and Investing:

How much is $100 worth in every state? Compare that to a similar report done in 2015: How much $100 is really worth in each state . You can see one of the huge reasons some states are losing population and others are gaining. – H.L. o o o Chart of the Day: Advance/Decline Line. The Advance/Decline line is diverging from the market. Odds strongly favor that the market will soon push higher to new all-time highs o o o Rent Control Makes for Good Politics and Bad Economics o o o Florida ‘Boutique’ Linked To South American Gold Smuggling …




Odds ‘n Sods:

X22 Report Spotlight (podcast interview) When The Disaster Hits You Better Be Prepared: James Wesley Rawles. This discussion covers a lot of topics—mainly economics, geopolitics, and military flashpoints. o o o Reader JCC sent in this link to Ferfal’s site with the new SERE manual (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape) in pdf form. o o o A couple of weeks ago, we requested someone to advise on using old flash Magicubes as a perimeter security alarm. Our friend Robb Moffett from Robb’s Homemade Life purchased a few off of eBay and created a simple HOWTO video on manually triggering them. By …










Household Basics in TEOTWAWKI- Part 10, by Sarah Latimer

We’re continuing this section of the series on household basics, and I’m sharing my research on oil. I didn’t expect it would be a three-part section, but I did spend a lot of time researching and testing it, so you are joining me on this journey and getting the plan. I’ve shared that we have a Piteba seed/bean/nut oil expeller press that we plan to use as our primary means for oil. I’ve ruled out GMO grains and also lard, though I might use some beef tallow but want to keep it to a minimum for health reasons. Tallow is …




Letter Re: Diabetes Management

Hugh, I read your recent article on diabetes management with much interest, as I am a 64 year old diabetic myself. The problem with being insulin-dependent is access to insulin after things crash. Walmart (of all places) sells Relion Diabetes management products, which include insulin over the counter with no prescription needed. Relion makes different insulins that are equal to the same insulins that sell for over $250 per bottle at the pharmacy. Their insulins are very reasonable at $28.44 per 10ml vial. I went to my local Walmart in Michigan, and sure enough I was able to buy Relion …




Economics and Investing:

The ultimate central bank: IMF De-Cashing: Soft-Selling Financial Enslavement – b.b. o o o Reader H.L. sent in this link that may help homesteaders and farmers gain a little extra income: Making Extra Income On Your Farm Or Rural Property o o o 5 Things to Watch in the March Jobs Report o o o Nobody Is Saying Anything About How U.S. Earnings Season Will Go. With such a drastic difference between the real-world and the published economic numbers, is it any wonder? o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our …




Odds ‘n Sods:

We’ve covered this subject fairly extensively in the pages of SurvivalBlog, but reader G.G. sent in a link to PeakProsperity for another article on the subject: Prepping With A Reluctant Partner o o o More documents released showing the Obama administrations animosity and behavior towards those presumed to be “enemies” using the IRS as the weapon of choice: New Obama IRS Scandal Documents – D.S. o o o I agree with the author here: Tennessee is absolutely terrifying: In your state which animal is most likely to kill you – T.Z. o o o Rucksack Rob informed us of this …




Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)







Product Review: Flamethrower from FlamethrowerPlans.com, by Mike Williamson

Flamethrowers are primarily a tool and, accordingly, are not regulated under federal law as a weapon. As they do not fire a projectile from a fixed cartridge, they are not restricted under BATFE regulations. The FlamethrowerPlans.com flamethrower will be recognized by some as kitbashed from various industrial components. This, however, does not make it any less effective. You can buy the plans (as the site indicates), components, or a finished unit. I opted for the finished unit. The package is surprisingly compact considering the contents. There is the fuel tank, projector, hose, and pressure hardware. The instructions are very clear …