Odds ‘n Sods:

The Only Plant That Should Be in Your First Aid Kit. Not sure it’s the only plant you need to know about, but it does have some pretty amazing properties. – H.L. o o o Amazon wants to watch you get dressed: New “Echo Look” camera to spy on you in your own bedroom and bathroom. “This Echo Look camera is, of course, just the latest insane intrusion into personal privacy by a monopolistic corporation with ties to the CIA and NSA. Does any informed person really think Amazon isn’t recording all this audio and video, then sharing it with …







Notes for Thursday – April 27, 2017

On this day in 1789, the crew of the British ship Bounty mutinied, setting Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors adrift in a launch in the South Pacific. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 70 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day …




Start With a .22 Rifle– Part 3, by behind-the-counter

Steps 1 and 2 We started this series by recommending a .22 rifle as a first gun for a prepper battery or as an important addition to a well-stocked arsenal. We specifically suggested a 10/22 Takedown or any other 10/22 model and recommended dedicating enough time to become confident using this wonderful little rifle. The two structured alternatives we described for building competence and confidence were the Appleseed Project and Rimfire Challenge. In the second article we provided much more detail about Appleseed and Rimfire. We also described the specific upgrades recommended by Appleseed and four more that would improve …




Economics and Investing:

Is The Deep State Creating Another “Crash Of 1929”? o o o Leo Nelissen is sounding like a Perma Bull, over at Seeking Alpha: The Market Is Overbought, But There Is Plenty Of Room In The Near Future. JWR’s Comment: The U.S. equities markets are starting to look “toppy” to me. It is high time to bail out and get into cash and metals. But shorting the market right now could prove deadly. o o o This bubble finally burst. Which one’s next? o o o Sweden’s Gold Reserves: 10,000 gold bars shrouded in Official Secrecy – H.L. o o …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader R.V. wrote in to remind our readers that “Two is one, one is none.”: My little Berkey went flopping into the sink the other day as my nine year old (just one of them) tilted it on the ledge attempting to gain the last drops for his cup. The impact did not hurt the vessel but stripped the vinyl nut on the stem of the filter rendering the efficacy of the seal dubious. Off to the hardware to see if a stainless steel nut is available and if it will do the job. o o o Reader A.W. sent …







Notes for Wednesday – April 26, 2017

On April 26, 1986, one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents occurred at the Chernobyl plant in the Soviet Union. An explosion and fire in the No. 4 reactor sent radioactivity into the atmosphere; at least 31 Soviets died immediately. o o o If you haven’t been following comments on SurvivalBlog, you are missing out. There has been an excellent discussion on last week’s articles – “Should I Bug Out or Survive in Place?- Part 1”, “Part 2”, and “Part 3”, by Jonathan Hollerman. There is a whole other article just in the comments! o o o Today, we present …




Start With A .22 Rifle- Part 2, by behind-the-counter

Appleseed or Rimfire Are you still pondering whether to get a 10/22? Or, have you already added a stainless Takedown to your gun safe and made several trips to the range? If you have also taken a class or done some serious practice, your round count is likely to be 300 to 500 rounds or more. You will have built some confidence in your rifle and yourself. The next step is really a personal choice. Either of the two recommended options, Appleseed or Rimfire Challenge, will result in a major improvement in your skills and put you on the path …




Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog reader MHL wrote in: “My son lives and works in Colorado (lucky guy); his father and I are in Ohio. With the offspring soon to celebrate a birthday, my husband wanted to gift the boy with money, which is always welcome no matter what one’s age, so he took cash and one of the kid’s bank deposit tickets to an Ohio branch of our son’s bank (Chase Bank). He was informed by the teller that unless we had an account with Chase, or were co-owners of the Colorado account that they could not accept cash for deposit. I’ll write …




JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Act of War, by Brad Thor Lost Rights, by James Bovard Movies: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Lone Survivor Instructional Videos: How to roll start your manual transmission car or truck How to Hang a Gate Online Sermon Videos: “His Own Received Him Not” – Message by Chuck Baldwin on Apr. 9, 2017 An Introduction to Reformed Theology (James White) Podcasts: Daily Audio Bible The Hardcore History Series Blogs: The Independent (Archer Garrett) Gear: 3M Performance Plus Duct Tape, Olive Drab, 48 mm x 54.8 meter roll. This is the real deal mil-spec stuff, and one of these big …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Highlighting government over reach today: Cops Detain Entire School, Illegally Search/Grope 900 Kids — Find NOTHING, Parents Furious – H.L. Oregon Engineering Speech – fined $500 – B.B. Build a Sandcastle at Panama City Beach, Florida – Get Fined $500, and Maybe Go to Jail – T.P. o o o Despite assurances that this wouldn’t happen: NSA Blimp Spied in the United States o o o ICE Failures Under Obama Leave 2.2 Million ‘Supervised’ Aliens on Streets – B.B. o o o This Lawsuit Could Shatter ALL Federal Gun Control Laws – DSV o o o Speaking of gun control, …







Notes for Tuesday – April 25, 2017

Breaking News: The BATFE has reversed part of its notorious Open Letter on mis-use of arm braces on pistols, now making it clear that “incidental, sporadic, or situational ‘use’” of an arm brace wherein it contacts the shooter’s shoulder does NOT constitute a redesign and hence it would not make the owner subject to prosecution. Thankfully, common sense has prevailed. Hopefully President Trump will announce far more gun law reforms at the upcoming NRA meeting in Atlanta! – JWR o o o Today is the birthday of physicist, inventor, and entrepreneur Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937). He was known for his pioneering …




Start With a .22 Rifle– Part 1, by behind-the-counter

10/22 Takedown Are all of your defensive preps squared away? Do you have a full battery of firearms complete with magazines, spare parts, optics, and web gear? If yes, skip the following contribution and what may seem like heresy. Are you taking a close look at the “Personal Defense” part of your preps and wondering where to begin? Have you figured out a budget and started your firearms purchases but are still a little short on practical experience? Are you at the stage where you are putting more focus on this area of your preps, but your action plan has …