Preparing For Friends and Family, by Thor1964

About 24 months ago, I made a change in the way my family bought and used Proverbs 25:26 groceries. Before that, we visited the grocery store almost every day and did not have enough food in the house to feed our family for a week. It was easy to see the price of food slowly creep up, even though the government was telling us there was no inflation. Then I saw “After Armageddon” on the History Channel, and it really scared me. I’m generally an optimist, but I also believe in being prepared for whatever may come. So, I immediately …


Letter Re: ARES Volunteering

Thinking about volunteering your time with your County Department of Emergency Management? You may have to leave your concealed carry weapon at home! As a fairly new licensed Ham Radio Operator, I thought it would be great to volunteer and become a member of the local Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) organization. I submitted an application for membership and completed the required FEMA on-line courses. I received a packet in the mail that contained additional forms that needed to be submitted. One of the forms was a County Department of Emergency Management Emergency Worker Registration Form. The second item on …


Mike Williamson’s Product Review: MTM Case Gard Pistol Case

This is a pretty basic review. Containers are a necessary accessory for firearms, and hard cases are required for flying. MTM’s cases are reasonably priced, sturdy, have two locking points for airline travel, and come in several sizes. My daughter received the model 805-40, which fits most standard frame autos and 4″ revolvers. New, and just coming available now, this one is in shocking pink. It doesn’t make it a better case, but it does make it stand out. We tried several drop tests, and it worked fine with several guns. There was no damage to the case being dropped …



Odds ‘n Sods:

From S.M. – Good prepper-warning video, from the mouths of people struggling in Venezuela. HJL Adds: The first video in the article is the one referred to. A word of caution is in order on the second video. The video operator is attacked, and it is disturbing to watch. o o o At least 250 CT cops refuse to enforce law. – G.P. o o o U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal in Second Amendment case, Refuses to Prohibit Police from Using Lawful Gun Ownership as a Trigger for ‘No-Knock’ Police Raids. – RBS o o o M.D. shared a link …



Notes from HJL:

This disturbing news was received yesterday: ATF raids ‘80% complete receiver’ manufacturer, looking for ‘illegal guns’. It is not clear yet why the ATF raided EP Armory’s location, since they did not confiscate any guns or gun parts. They did take electronic items, but allowed EP Armory to open back up later on Friday. No one has been arrested. EP Armory is a sponsor of SurvivalBlog’s non-fiction writing contest. o o o Note From JWR: I heard that both ITT and Litton are both soon going to be increasing the wholesale price the PVS-14 3rd generation autogated light amplification tubes …


Letter Re: Tulving Post Mortem

Dear SurvivalBlog, I will be making a stop at my local coin store tomorrow for a pre-64 dollar’s worth of pre-64 coins. I’m going to pay my bet off to you in style, because you went above and beyond in posting it. – J.N. o o o Hello, With regard to the recent discussion on taking delivery on precious metal orders. Over the past several years I have purchased junk silver coins and some gold coins at local coin auctions. In some instances I have been able to obtain silver coins at less than spot market prices. This may not …


Letter Re: Five Stages of Survival Grief

Hugh, Regarding the article The Five Stages of Survival Grief , Dr Bob may be at “acceptance” at what he disclosed in his opening paragraph, but I am still at “anger” and don’t know if that will change any time soon. First a hearty welcome back to the good doctor! We have missed your valued contributions to this blog. I only know Doctor from this blog and having purchased some of his products previously advertised here. I presume it was the sale of those products that got him in hot water with the regulators. It “irks” me no end that …


Economics and Investing:

Does a 100 Trillion Debt Total Matter? – B.B. More Than 500 Economists Slam Minimum Wage Hike As A Jobs Killer Items from The Economatrix: Gold Falls From Six-Month High on Job, Retail-Sales Gains Is “Dr. Copper” Foreshadowing A Stock Market Crash Just Like It Did In 2008? Two charts that throw cold water on Dr. Copper’s influence The perpetually depressed American consumer: Stock market high and bounce in real estate does not assist in boosting consumer confidence. 57 percent of Americans think economic outlook is getting worse.


Odds ‘n Sods:

So what happens when you chamber and shoot a .300 BLK in a .223? Just because it fits, doesn’t mean if fits. – Mike Williamson (Survivablog’s Editor-At-Large) o o o Also from Mike Williamson- How to survive a nuclear bomb: An update on “Duck and Cover” o o o Time ran an article showing that the entire U.S. powergrid could be taken down with as few as nine substation attacks. – D.T. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this exposure. There are many claiming that Time was irresponsible in reporting this weakness, but I tend to fall in the …



Notes from HJL:

Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: 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, Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value), A $300 gift certificate …


PLAN B: When The Long-term Is No Longer An Option, by LDM

I’ve contributed several articles outlining my journey through preparedness. I have outlined how, as a rookie, I started my journey with no support from my family. I shared how I brought my family into the fold, how we picked out a retreat/retirement home, and what I’ve done to make it my own personal bastion. One thing I have never considered is: What happens if life throws a curveball, and my own personal, long term needs and plans are irrelevant? Or more accurately, what do I do with all this stuff and all these plans, if I’m not around to make …


Letter Re: Tulving Post Mortem

You guys printed the post mortem report on Tulving today, I read your site almost every day and have never seen any caution note about Tulving posted. I specifically wrote you a fact based email with dates about my dealings with Tulving and requested you warn your readers. SHAME ON YOU for any of your readers that lost money since I sent you that article. Before you respond with “we have given notice to only deal with reputable online dealers”, note in the article you posted today that Tulving had a stellar reputation for 10 years. I would bet a …