Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

” '68 Kaiser M715 1-1/4T Jeep, with trailer, $1000 o.b.o”

Hmmmmmm…I bet even if it wasnt running you could part it out and get your $1000 back in a hurry. And who knows, maybe its a military trailer too.

If I had anywhere near $1000 I'd call on it.

C'est la vie.
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Hey, Carnival of Cordite is up and the girlfriend is mentioned about a half-dozen times in there. Im getting collateral fame.
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You know, I really like the Browning-designed guns … esp. the P35 and 1911. But Im open-minded enough to realize that innovation in design and materials didnt come to a halt after 1935. This is why I've come to like the Glocks. I love the 1911 and P35, but I like the Glock. My problem is that the Glock has no soul, personality or character. Its the difference between a Zippo and a Bic. One's got more substance, history and color and the other is cheap, utilitarian, but efficient.

For the Katrina-environ I would unflinchingly take the Glock in pretty much any caliber. It can get wet, stomped on, dropped, banged around and work every time…but more importantly, I won't care. I'f I'm navigating a flooded dark stairwell the last thing I need is a nagging voice in the back of my head saying “Aw man, youre going to have to clean that 1911 and oil it up or its going to rust.” whereas with the Glock you just. dont. care.

And, naturally, its as reliable as a sunrise.
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Speaking of Carnival of Cordite, they had the staple question that gets asked on every preparedness forum from time to time – 'Whats Your Ideal Survival battery of Guns' or some similar phrasing. Now, you and I both know that one size doesnt fit all. Some guns are better for sneaking past military checkpoints, some are better for stopping automobiles and some are better for their portability. Some are long range, some are short range. One size doesnt fit all. Having said that, Im going to say that if it were me sitting out the aftermath of Katrina I'd probably have my Glock, a pumpgun, a snubbie .38(or a micro version of my other Glock) and either the AR or the AK. From a real-life standpoint, though, you'd probably be just fine with a 10/22 and a bunch of 25-rd mags. Most thugs get dissuaded pretty easily when twenty rounds are loosed at them, regardless of caliber, in a few seconds.
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The girlfriend has been brushing up on her ham radio stuff. My knowledge of radio theory and practice is shamefull. I do admit to a small fascination with Morse/CW because of its low power/long distance ability. I do have what we used to call an 'export radio' in the bunker. Export radios were regular CB-type radios meant for export to countries with different regulations than ours. They were easily (and I mean, reallly, really, easily) modified to work on other bands. Case in point, the one I have does the 11-meter that the CB is relegated to and then it does 10-meter as well as a couple others. Also USB/LSB and a few other goodies. I picked it up pre-Y2K on eBay for about $150. Whoever used to own it tweaked it in some interesting ways. I still need to get a good antanae for it..I originally just got some wire to length and hung a diploe in my yard and ran it off a charged marine battery. I never transmitted on it but I could hear quite well and sometimes at night could hear as far as Michigan. Given the enthusiasm of the geriatric ham crowd to bring in new blood, maybe I should look into this more. Girlfriend has ordered up “Ham Radio For Dummies” and that'll be a good place to start. I also have the Tech No Code Plus book sitting here.
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I received a disc in the mail containing a bunch of stuff from “Backwoods Home Magazine”. There was an article on 'cooking with food storage' and some of it actually sounds pretty good and will be attemtped soon. For those interested, some recipes:
Oriental chicken fried rice
Fried tuna patties
Tamale Pie

Oriental chicken fried rice
2 cups cooked white rice, cooled
½ cup finely diced onions (you may substitute
rehydrated dry)
¼ cup rehydrated freeze dried or air dried green
peas
1 cup rehydrated shredded carrots (or fresh)
¼ cup oil or shortening
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
½ cup chopped cooked chicken
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 eggs, equivalent in dehydrated egg powder
Spices to taste, including garlic, tumeric, hot
pepper
In a large, heavy frying pan, heat oil. Add rice, onions,
chicken, and carrots. Stir frequently with spatula until
rice begins to lightly brown. Add peanut butter (no, it
doesn’t taste “weird”), soy sauce, peas, and spices.
Continue stirring while flavors mix. As rice mixture
appears to be done, quickly add beaten egg mixture
and continue stirring with spatula until egg is cooked.
Serve at once with soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or
hot mustard sauce.
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Tamale pie
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup white flour or freshly ground whole wheat
flour
¼ cup honey or white sugar
¼ cup shortening
1 egg (equivalent in dry egg powder, rehydrated)
1 cup rehydrated dry milk (+ or -)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ cup cooked hamburger (I use home canned) or
beef TVP
2 cups tomato sauce
½ cup dry chopped onions
¼ cup dry chopped green peppers or chile
peppers
2 tsp. mild chile powder
¼ cup dry sweet corn or ½ cup canned corn
Mix first eight ingredients well, making a medium bat-ter
(not runny or not stiff). Then in medium sized cast
iron frying pan or 8 x 8 cake pan, mix the last six ingre-dients
well, then top with cornmeal batter. Bake at 350
degrees until top turns golden brown. Serve hot with
cold salsa.
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Fried tuna patties
2 cans light tuna, drained
1 cup crushed dried bread crumbs
¼ cup dehydrated onion flakes
3 eggs, rehydrated equivalent
½ tsp. lemon pepper
flour to coat patties
oil to fry
Mix drained tuna, bread crumbs, egg, onion flakes,
and lemon pepper. Divide into golf ball-sized portions,
pat into patties, dip both sides in flour. Heat oil to medi-um
heat and gently place patties into frying pan. After
one side is done, turn and finish cooking. This is a quick
and easy alternative to “fish sticks.”