Economics and Investing:

Largest U.S. Coal Producer Skips Interest Payment, Warns Of Bankruptcy; Stock Crashes – B.B. o o o Companies to reduce employment in 2016? – P.S. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News The Liquidity Endgame Begins: Whitings Revolver Cut by $1.2B as Banks Start Slashing Credit Lines (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “But while lender banks are all too eager to take advantage of the brief surge in equity prices just so they can “help” their clients dilute their shareholder base so to repay the very same lender banks, they know quite well that the equity offering window is rapidly …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Wondering how to generate a little extra cash to top off your preps? Do you really need those old VHS tapes? 5 eBay hot sellers that are collecting dust in your home right now – B.L. o o o Computers are great until they have a “glitch”. Seems that’s what it’s always called when there’s an issue, not that they are broken! Mechanical really is better in the long run, but it seems the whole infrastructure system of everything relies on computers now. Mystery glitch’s return knocks out BART cars, snarls commute – D.S. o o o Your Data Footprint …



Notes for Friday – March 18, 2016

March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932. He died in 2009.) It is also the birthday of Luc Besson . o o o Seed for Security is having a great sale. Their Super Survival pack is now 20% off. It contains a total of four pounds of survival seeds and two pints of healthful grains. All of their seed is heirloom, non GMO, and none are hybrid. In these uncertain times heirloom seeds just may be more valuable than gold! This offer is for a limited time. o o o Today, we present …


Letter: AR-15 Improvements

Hugh, When the M16A2 was introduced, many of us felt it was not an improvement. The heavy match barrel made the rifle feel about the same weight loaded as the old M1 Garand. Additionally, it offered no real improvement in accuracy. I could argue that many shot worse, due to the additional weight. The need for a heavy barrel is non existent unless you are doing about 10 or so full auto mag dumps. The heavy barrel came to be when somebody, most likely the USMC, wanted to use a heavier grained bullet for further range and accuracy. Combat effectiveness …


Economics and Investing:

AEP: US inflation rears its ugly head as global cycle nears danger zone – G.G. o o o What Happens When Walmart Dumps You – RBS o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News US Tornadoes, Storms in February May Cost More than $1B (Bloomberg) Excerpt: “The U.S. suffered the most February tornadoes since 2008, with storms hitting the Plains, Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, the London-based insurance broker said Tuesday in a report. Heavy snow, ice and hail also caused wreckage across the country.” Our Dangerous Reality (US News & World Report) Excerpt: “In terms of potentially large-to-catastrophic …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader A.D. sent in this online web search of short-wave radio stations. Now would be a good time to get hard copy printouts of stations you might be interested in. o o o Clinton IT specialist revealing server details to FBI, ‘devastating witness’. It’s a sad state of affairs when the vast majority recognizes Hillary as a liar but she can still cinch the votes. o o o The Oregonian has released this: Slow-motion video of gunshot FBI allegedly lied about in LaVoy Finicum confrontation. As you can see, Finicum had emerged with his hands up when the “highly …



Notes for Thursday – March 17, 2016

March 17th is the birthday of Józef Franczak (born 1917, died 21 October 1963), who was a Polish Army Corporal fighting in the World War II resistance against the invading Germans. He then carried on after the war, fighting 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 another entry for Round 63 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained …


Letter Re: Why I Started Prepping, by KB

Sirs, We, as a country, have run our financial cycle; reference KB’s timely article. I have one addition: the reference to $19 plus trillion is for funded U.S. debt. In addition, folks, there is over $200 trillion in unfunded debt, which the current POTUS has added almost 50% to that portion since his time on the golf course. We are led to believe that $19 trillion is the true bottom line total debt number. Like Mark Twain once said, “Politicians like diapers should be changed often…and for the same reason”. I have only heard Trump and Carson address the true …


Economics and Investing:

12 Frugal Lessons From the Great Depression – D.S. o o o What The Smart Money Is Most Worried About o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News We are Headed Toward a Cashless Society? (Mises) House GOP Conference Chair Unveils Bill to Fight Government “Zombies” (Washington Free Beacon) Excerpt: “The legislation would pressure Congress to reexamine government programs whose authorizations have expired by subjecting such programs to a rolling sequester, which would take place over three years and end with a complete elimination of funding if lawmakers have not acted to reauthorize the program. Currently, the federal government …


Odds ‘n Sods:

New Gov’t Operation Denies Citizens Access to Guns & Gold – Not exactly new to SurvivalBlog readers but an interesting read nonetheless. – D.S. o o o From SurvivalBlog reader J.N.: A bit of reading required here, but well worth it. Much of it can be considered “Problem Two”– what to do AFTER your physical preps are in place. Okay, you’ve already got the nine B’s– Berkey (i.e. water), beans, bullets, bandaids, batteries, bullion, books, barter, beliefs. Then it’s time to think about the tenth B– “buddies”. Lone wolves, no matter how well equipped, will get picked off early in …



Notes for Wednesday – March 16, 2016

Today is the anniversary of the Battle at Pound Gap Kentucky (1862). o o o MobileSec is offering a $5 discount (good until 3/20/16) exclusively for SurvivalBlog readers for purchases of the Cell Phone Blocker through their website. Just email them using the online form and state that you saw the offer on SurvivalBlog. (Note: The Laptop EMP shield is not available at this time though.) o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 63 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 …


Letter Re: The Survival Battery

Sir: ‘The Survival Battery’ is an entertaining read, but the writer has overlooked several vital concerns. For one thing, even the budget plan requires stocking nine different calibers. I also don’t agree with the mix of operating systems. It includes a mix of single-action and double-action revolvers, DAO and/or single-action semi-auto pistols, pump shotguns, bolt-action rifles, air guns, and modern semi-auto rifles. Maintaining proficiency with all these systems will be very difficult. In a SHTF situation, every-day and “social” firearms should be the same. Just don’t expect a handgun to do a long-gun’s job. Shoot the bear with your rifle/shotgun. …