Year: 2023

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 31, 2023

December 31, 1862, the U.S.S. Monitor sank, in a storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Just nine months earlier, the ship had been part of a revolution in naval warfare when the ironclad dueled to a standstill with the C.S.S. Virginia (Merrimack) off Hampton Roads, Virginia, in one of the most famous naval battles in American history—the first time two ironclads faced each other in a naval engagement. — I just heard that sci-fi novelist David Drake passed away. Drake was best known as the author of the 10-book Hammer’s Slammers series. He will be greatly missed. — Today’s feature …


Why We Should Dread a Second Civil War

Introductory Note: In a SurvivalBlog essay that I wrote back in January, 2019, I warned that there were signs that a Second Civil War might be brewing. I’d like to update and expand on that theme, in this essay. — The recent release of the first trailer for the scheduled April 2024 release of the A24 Productions movie titled Civil War has prompted considerable conjecture. The film reportedly had a $75 million budget. Commentator Tim Pool posted his thoughts on it, and then followed up with a more in-depth panel discussion, and then another. Dozens of others have also chimed …


December 2023 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance and the factors that affected gold prices. What Did Gold Do in December? The big news for December was gold, setting two new record highs to make 2023 the best year for gold since 2020. The sharp rally that began in late November continued into December, setting new record intra-day and closing highs for gold on December 1st. February gold futures hit a new intra-day high of $2,095.70, closing at $2,089.70. Spot gold …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: My Newsome Year’s Resolution: Never Trust a Politician Who Cannot Define What a Woman Is, or Who Claims That Men Can Have Babies News Links: Governor Newsom signs Senate Bill 132. Newsom signs law requiring gender-neutral bathrooms in California schools by 2026. Gov. Newsom Signs Bill to Strip Children from Parents to Medically Transgender Them. California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs 9 Pro-LGBTQ+ Bills Into Law. Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 2218 – Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund. Gavin Newsom savagely mocked as ‘disgusting transphobe’ for claiming men can’t get pregnant …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 30, 2023

On December 30, 1905, former Governor Frank Steunenberg (pictured) was assassinated with a dynamite bomb near his home in Caldwell, Idaho. According to Infogalactic:  “He was assassinated in 1905 by one-time union member Harry Orchard, who was also a paid informant for the Cripple Creek Mine Owners’ Association. Orchard attempted to implicate leaders of the radical Western Federation of Miners in the assassination. The labor leaders were found not guilty in two trials, but Orchard spent the rest of his life in prison.” On December 30, 1853, the U.S. acquired nearly 30,000 square miles (78,000 square km) of additional northern …


Using the Past to Prepare for the Future – Part 2, by 3AD Scout

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Planting A good old-fashioned seed broadcaster maybe a good device to put back as well. The good news is they still manufacture these. I use mine in the mid-Spring to seed my hay field. I use a technique an old timer passed down to me. The method requires no tilling of the dirt. Just broadcast the seed right before it rains. When it rains, the seed will be transported into the “duff” or layer of decaying materials, where it should spout. I did this and had decent results. Another variation of this …


Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

 “And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 29, 2023

On December 29, 1845, Texas was admitted as the 28th state of the Union. — Today is the birthday of actor Jude Law (born 1972.) You may remember him from Enemy at The Gates and Sky Captain. — Natchez Shooters Supplies (one of our affiliate advertisers) is running a special promotion today and tomorrow:  Take An Additional 10% Off ALL Clearance-Listed Items When You Spend $99.99+  (This offer ends at 11:59pm EST on 12/30/2023.)  To get the additional 10% off, use Promo Code P231229 — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction …


Using the Past to Prepare for the Future – Part 1, by 3AD Scout

It does not take much imagination to realize that our society will come crashing down without the cheap, steady flow of electricity. The world’s electric grids are the lifeblood of our modern lifestyle. Many predictions believe that if the electrical grid was shut down, by something like an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or a very strong Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), then civilization would be thrown back into the 1800s. Some predictions even think the 1700s or even further back. Regardless of what time period we are all transported back to, we are going to have to find ways to replace all …


The Financial Disaster No One Is Talking About, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note:  Today, in place of my usual Economics & Investing column, with permission I am reposting this article that was first published by the Birch Gold Group. Brandon Smith is the Editor of Alt-Market.us. He is an astute observer of the world’s political and economic machinations. – JWR — Several years ago I predicted that the U.S. would ultimately be confronted with the debilitating economic conundrum of stagflation, something which the nation had not seen since the 1970s. I suggested that stagflation would become a household word again and that the majority of American concerns would revolve around …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 28, 2023

December 28, 1793 was the day that Thomas Paine was arrested in France for treason. The charges against him were never fully detailed, but he was tried in absentia on December 26 and convicted. Best known as the author of Common Sense, he moved to Paris to be part of the French Revolution. Initially welcomed, the tide soon turned against him, because he was opposed to the death penalty and the French revolutionaries were sending hundreds to the guillotine. — I just heard of the sad passing of Austrian gun designer Gaston Glock (July 19,1929 – Dec. 27, 2023.) His …


Homesteading Cautionary Tales – Part 2, by Mrs. Alaska

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with a Chimney Issue My husband and I also heat our remote, off-grid home with a woodstove. One cold February night we had to evacuate our cabin at 3 am because the chimney pipe had gotten so clogged with creosote that the smoke in the firebox was leaching out into our home rather than drawing upward to the outside. We evacuated with camping chairs to our shower house, which has an on-demand, propane heater. Every two hours, we ventured back in to the cabin, wearing N95 masks, to ascertain when …