Notes for Monday – February 01, 2016

February 1st is the anniversary of the secession of Texas from the United States in 1861. A State Convention considering secession opened in Austin on January 28th, 1861 and on February 1st, by a vote of 166-8, adopted an Ordinance of Secession from the United States. It’s important to note that not all Texans favored this act and the state Governor, Sam Houston, while being loyal to the union, refused offers from President Lincoln to keep him in office and was subsequently deposed as governer. We also remember February 1st, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and …


Round 62 Non-Fiction Writing Contest Winners Announced!

This was a tough contest to judge as there were so many good entries. Ultimately, the top prize winners were multi-part articles, but SurvivalBlog would like to point out that there was no filler in these entries. They were long articles, but they were thorough and complete. All of the articles in this contest were good articles. All entries that were submitted, not rejected, but not yet published are automatically rolled over as entries into Round 63 of the Non-Fiction Writing Contest. First Prize goes to J.R. for “What’s For Dinner – Part 1”, “Part 2”, “Part 3”, “Part 4”, …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: ARMSCOR/Rock Island Armory 10mm

There was a lot of ink back in the late 1980s, when the 10mm round became readily available to the public. Colt was the first mainline gun maker to come out with a somewhat affordable 1911 Government-style handgun in 10mm. It was called the Delta Elite. I jumped on getting one, and loved the gun. However, there were only limited types of 10mm ammo available at the time; one was the 200-gr FMJ round, and one was a 155-gr Silvertip round from Winchester. Still, I was extremely impressed with the 10mm. The power level was close to the .41 Magnum …


Book Review from TM in Arkansas – Lights Out

© Ted Koppel 2015 Published by Crown Publishing Group, New York ISBN: 978-0-553-41996-2 (Hardback) 978-0-553-41997-9 (eBook) There are twenty chapters, 279 pages, index, and notes. This is not another fictional EMP book. It is facts concerning an intentional attack on the electrical grid of the USA. I have studied that particular threat for many years, so I thought I would read this book, confirm what I already knew, and pass it on to the local public library. After my first read, I have decided to keep the book in my personal library for reference. Sorry folks, you will have to …


Recipe of the Week: Raisin Spice Cake, by R.E.

Depression era cake with no eggs. Ingredients: 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup butter (or oleo) 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp allspice 2 cups flour 1 tsp soda 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup raisins, chopped Directions: Boil sugar, raisins, water, butter and spices for 5 minutes, let cool. Mix flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and pecans together and add to first mixture. Pour into paper lined pan 9x5x3. Bake at 350 deg for 40 to 55 min. Cool 5 minutes and turn onto cake …


Letter Re: Digital Currency

Hugh, Here are a few additional comments about Bitcoin that might be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers: Bitcoin is the best bet for digital currency that’s outside the banking system; it has the largest market cap and network of developers/miners. There is no Know Your Customer or Anti-Money Laundering with Bitcoin, which means you don’t need to show any ID to get it if you buy it in person. In the U.S., the Bank Secrecy Act, Patriot Act, and other bank/money-related U.S. laws keep Bitcoin from being a legally compliant currency. As these laws are written, they also apply to …


Economics and Investing:

Venezuela is on the brink of a complete economic collapse – G.G. o o o Baltic Dry Index Falls to 325, 1,430 Vessels Need to be Laid Up to Restore Balance – B.B. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News 70% See American Dream Out of Reach (Washington Examiner) Herein lies a substantial portion of the problem. People do not see solutions coming from within themselves, and so they seek solutions through government. Excerpt: “The current political environment has voters thinking the federal government is an ineffective mess that is causing more harm than good. However, they still …


Odds ‘n Sods:

“Free French”, a retired cop, has a video commentary out on the LaVoy Finicum shooting video released by the FBI. From the start there were serious issues in how the OHP and FBI set this arrest up. From starting with lethal force options where there was no justification to placing their own officers/agents in a cross fire situation, to using illegal roadblock techniques, to breaking cover to engage Finicum while standing behind an uncleared vehicle, there are serious problems all the way through. o o o Israel’s power grid has been partially taken down by a cyberattack. If theirs can …



Notes for Sunday – January 31, 2016

On January 31st, 1950, President Harry S. Truman publicly announced his decision to support the development of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon theorized to be hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II. Truman called it the “superbomb” in his public announcement. His decision was driven by the discovery that Klaus Fuchs, a top-ranking scientist in the U.S. nuclear program was a spy for the Soviet Union and that the Soviet likely knew everything the U.S. did about building a hydrogen bomb.


January in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, by Steven Cochran of Gainsesville Coins where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers. What Did Gold Do in January? Gold started the year around the $1,061 mark and quickly blew that away as stocks worldwide saw the worst start to a year in nearly forever. This caught a record number of speculators short, who had to scramble to cover their bets. By the 7th of January, gold had …


Two Letters Re: Bug Out Boats

Hugh, Anyone considering a bug out boat should take a look at steel hulled sailboats in the 30 to 40 foot range. They offer excellent ballistic protection as well as the structural strength to resist all manner of collision or grounding incidents. Additionally, steel will not burn or be damaged if frozen in place by thick ice. Most of the modern steel boats sail well, are insulated for warmth, and are often equipped with a wood stove. A quick search on sailboatlistings.com will yield some affordable options. Stay safe! – Fixer o o o Hugh, I’m sorry, but I have …


Economics and Investing:

How Do You Know When Your Society Is In The Midst Of Collapse? o o o Unsocial Insecurity: Social Security Fund loses money for the first time since 1983. The new retirement model will have you working until you fall over from a heart attack. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Are Government Regulators More Virtuous than Everyone Else? (Mises) Excerpt: “One can’t help but notice the central contradiction in this analysis. On the one hand, it is assumed that markets fail because of “normal human weakness.” On the other hand, it is assumed that regulation, which …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Someone has released stabilized and zoomed-in video of the Lavoy Finicum shooting that makes the tragic event a lot more clear. Without correlated audio of the FBI’s gunshots, this video is still inconclusive. But to describe this as evidence of Finicum exiting the vehicle and “charging at” the ambushing officers (as it was described by the FBI) is ludicrous. And the sight of him dropping his hands is just as consistent with reacting to the pain of being hit in the abdomen with bullets as it is with the alleged “reaching for his waist” to draw a handgun. There is …