D.J. Fontana, the Hall of Fame drummer for Elvis died this week at age 87. “Opening with one of the most distinctive drum hits in rock & roll history, Elvis Presley's 1957 movie tune, "Jailhouse Rock," smashed its way to the top of the pop, r&b and country charts, becoming one of the most iconic tunes in the Elvis canon,” writes Stephen Betts at Rolling Stone. "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley Preview Drum Lesson … [Read more...]
Could a Solar Storm Slam the East Coast with a Geomagnetic Double-Whammy?
Under the ground in the heavily populated coastal region from Washington D.C. to Boston, lies a layer of rock that could potentially act as a reflector for a geomagnetic storm, forcing it to pass through electronic systems twice, rather than only once. Bloomberg reports that a forthcoming USGS study says the East Coast of the U.S. is at higher risk of this type of geomagnetic behavior. Bloomberg's Brian K. Sullivan writes: A solar storm is now viewed as enough of a risk in fact that grid operators across North America are working on plans to respond to just such a disturbance. And a … [Read more...]
It’s Simple: Retirees Go Where They are Treated Best
For years retirees have flocked to Florida for its warm weather, and more importantly to many, its low taxation. But with the flood of people have come high home prices and subsequently, high property taxes. Now, many retirees are looking deeper into the American South for low cost places to live. A group of them, known as "halfbacks," are putting down stakes in Appalachia, where land and property taxes are cheap, and they can be surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. Cameron McWhirter explains this accelerating phenomenon in The Wall Street Journal, writing: The halfback phenomenon—so … [Read more...]
America’s Grid is Vulnerable: Here’s How to Improve It
Over the years I've paid close attention to America's power grid. The grid is vulnerable. The electricity that comes to Americans' homes is vital to the standard of living. Some people even rely on electricity to power the medical equipment that keeps them alive. Survivalists and all Americans should be concerned about the deficiencies in the nation's power grid. The current system is really a patchwork of interconnected systems that hasn't had a fundamental upgrade since its creation in the 1800s. In recent years, new technology has been developed that, if implemented, could make America's … [Read more...]
The Best States for Retiree Taxation
If you have a few minutes I believe your time will be well spent reviewing this piece I posted back on February 16, 2018. During your working career you can make adjustments on the fly. Paychecks are still coming in, and you can cut some spending to shore up holes in your savings plan. But once you retire, there's no more income to offset any unexpected spending you may have done. That's why you must be acutely aware of how you position yourself and your money in retirement. After you have invested your money to best avoid risk, the biggest threat to your income is taxation. Retirees … [Read more...]
Water You’ve Already Stored for the Next Disaster
I continue to believe this is vital intelligence for all of us today and as when I originally posted it on October 6, 2017. The first thing you want to do when it comes down to your water supply is to figure out your water sources. For example, we have town water and we live near a fresh water reservoir, but it’s at the bottom of a steep hill. It will be extremely difficult to gather water and carry it up the hill. But it can be done in small batches. Next, you want to determine how much water you have on hand right now. The first place to look is your hot water heater capacity. Go … [Read more...]
“Robert Mueller, You’re Fired”
Imagine your summer just ended. It’s time for Americans to get back to work. Picture yourself on that Tuesday night after Labor Day watching President Trump deliver the following speech from the White House including the words “Robert Mueller, you’re fired.” Angelo M. Codevilla senior fellow of the Claremont Institute, professor emeritus of international relations at Boston University writes the speech: President Trump’s September Surprise: My fellow Americans, Traditionally, this is the day when the country ends summer fantasies, gets back to work and to school—when we get serious. And … [Read more...]
Mossberg 590M Review
Nice review of the Mossberg 590M by Clay Martin at GunsAmerica: In the United States we treat our pump shotguns like we do trucks, as in we tend to stay brand loyal. And we tend to fall into two camps on this one, the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 590. Both sides are equally fanatical, and the reasons tend to be less fact and more emotion based. Usually, we prefer whatever we started with, the duck gun our dad gave us at 13 sets the tone. Then it is all familiarity, mostly the safety position and pump release being the difference. I myself am an 870 guy, which is something I felt it was … [Read more...]
Lebron James is the GOAT
Proof that Lebron James is the GOAT? Look no further than last night’s personal-postseason-best 51 points in 48 minutes. Even though his dominant performance wasn’t enough—a reversed call, a free throw miss and a JR Smith gaffe lead to a Cavs loss—the case for Lebron as the GOAT is hard to refute especially when you read this piece by National Review’s David French: There is a certain class of basketball fan who scoffs at this notion. Fans my age and older vividly remember a singular night in June 1998. You know the moment. Michael Jordan slightly pushes off Utah Jazz forward Bryon Russell, … [Read more...]
Will You be Ready When the Lights Go Out?
Originally posted on April 2, 2018. A recent Congressional Research Service report warns that since 2014 "security risks to the power grid have become an even greater concern in the electric utility industry." The report cautions that the power industry "has not necessarily reached the level of physical security needed based on the sector's own assessments of risk." "There is widespread belief that bulk power critical assets are vulnerable to physical attack, that such an attack potentially could have catastrophic consequences, and that the risks of such attacks are growing," explains … [Read more...]