Notes for Monday – September 22, 2014

September 22nd in the birthday of the late Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Reid-Daly, who founded and commanded the Rhodesian Selous Scouts. He was born 1928, and he died August 9, 2010. His history of the Selous Scouts, titled Pamwe Chete, is fascinating to read, but it is a very hard-to-find book. I should also mention that I jumped the gun last month. September 22nd, 1290 is the birthday of one of my favorite fictional characters, Bilbo Baggins (in shire reckoning). o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,100+ worth of …


Home Power Systems: Photovoltaics by L.K.O.

[Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series of feature articles by our Central Rockies Regional Editor about alternative/sustainable/renewable energy (RE) solutions for self-sufficiency. Previous related articles in SurvivalBlog that complement this one are: “Home Power Systems: Batteries,” “Home Inverter Comparison: Off Grid and Grid Tied,” “Home Power Systems: Micro Hydro”, and “Energy Efficiency and Conservation.” Upcoming article topics in this Home Power Systems series include: Wind Generators, Solar Water Distillers, Solar Ovens, and Solar Water Heating.] Photovoltaic History: Maturing technology and infrastructure Photovoltaics, or PV for short, is the technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity. PV has …


Scot’s Product Review: Mosin-Nagant M91/30

A reader suggested that I take a look at lower cost firearms, particularly military surplus ones, and I thought it was a great idea. The one he told me that would make a good start is the Russian Mosin-Nagant, which is currently the easiest to find and cheapest surplus rifle on the market. It is chambered in a .30 caliber round, 7.62x54R, and there are a lot of them available at the moment coming from old war reserves in Russia and Ukraine. They were refurbished and put in storage when replaced by more modern arms. Russia and Ukraine are both …


Recipe of the Week: Cornbread Salad, by L.H.

This somewhat weird-sounding salad is fabulous. It makes too much for any but a very large family to finish; you may want to reserve it for covered-dish dinners and potlucks. Also, when you take it to your occasion, tuck a couple of copies of the recipe in your pocket or purse, because you WILL be asked for the recipe. Ingredients: 2 boxes (8.5 oz.) Jiffy brand corn muffin mix (or any cornbread recipe that makes an 9×13 cake-pan full) 2 cans (14.5 oz. ea.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained 2 cans (14.5 oz. ea.) whole kernel corn, drained 1 large …


Two Letters Re: Septic Tanks

Dear Editor, Recently there have been comments regarding septic tanks, how long they should last et cetera. As of today, if you want to spend money to pump them out every few years, more power to you. However, if there is a true TEOTWAWKI situation, you might want to take steps to add decades to the life of your septic tank. Actually, in such a case, you may want an outhouse that is way way away from your home and a septic tank right at your home. Here is why. In many countries, like Mexico for instance, it is common …


Economics and Investing:

New Record: Pound of Ground Beef Tops $4 for First Time. – G.G. o o o U.S. Senator Calls For Suspension Of Coal Leases. – J.S. o o o Why Would Anyone Put Their Savings In A Bank? o o o We Are Living In A Giant Debt-Fueled Bubble That Has A Limited Lifespan o o o World Bank: Ebola Will Have ‘Catastrophic’ Economic Impact. – B.B.


Odds ‘n Sods:

Some food for thought: The Once & Future Christendom o o o Many people are scratching their heads over President Obama’s insistence that we use the United Nations term of ISIL for the Islamic State of evil thugs and murderers. ISIL purportedly stands loosely for the Islamic State In Iraq and the Levant, with the Levant being a neo-colonial term originating with Britain and France several hundred years ago, when they divided up the Middle East, based on profits from exploitation. According to Wikipedia, the term Levant is only occasionally employed to refer to modern events, peoples, states, or parts …




Letter Re: The Real Threats

Hi HJL, I realize that the writer of this article speaks from an area of professional focus, but we actually have more real threats. Also, I agree with your italicized comment about nuclear war. Europe was not nearly rendered uninhabitable, due to Chernobyl. Even if we thought that a nuclear war was non-survivable, not giving-up or quitting is the essence of being a survivalist. Also, terroristic “dirty bombs” are way overrated, and as the author of the article stated himself, most of the casualties would be from public perception and the mass panic. The US Dollar As a collapse theorist …


Economics and Investing:

Video: Peter Schiff: Yellen Barks on Rates, But Will Not Bite JWR’s Comments: Despite all of the Fed’s grandstanding and blustering, Quantitative Easing (QE) will not truly end. I strongly suspect that there are hidden mechanisms through international agreements with other central banks that are making up for the reduction in official QE. We can expect more off-budget and black budget bookkeeping shenanigans, contributing to more debt that cannot be repaid without mass inflation. Get prepared for the inevitable dollar crisis, folks! Diversify into tangibles. In the next few months, the depressed spot price of silver and the depressed price …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From our friends over on the “Thoughts from Frank and Fern” blog comes this excellent article. I’m Going To ??? Perhaps Nike had something when they coined the phrase “Just Do It”. o o o The growing outcry over police confiscation o o o The Bear and the Dragon Encircle the Eagle. – B.B. o o o Nigerian police routinely use torture. – T.P. o o o How your innocent smartphone passes on almost your entire life to the secret service. – T.P.



Notes for Saturday – September 20, 2014

Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,100+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hardcase to go with your …


Letter: Starched Military Camouflage Uniforms

Good morning, Hugh, I read your Thurs 9/18 post on using camo clothing that’s never been starched; how does one tell if a garment has ever been starched? I supposed this may apply to all garments, not just camo. (I reference the common military phrase “breaking starch” on utilities laundered by base personnel.) Is there a way to purge the starch, to make sure it’s not affecting IR detection, since it may be difficult to tell if a particular garment has ever been starched? Or, does starch affect fabric fibers in such a way that the IR susceptibility cannot be …