This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.
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National Park Service Plans to Remove William Penn Statue From Philadelphia Park. JWR’s Comment: This trend of politically correct historical revisionism has completely escaped the bounds of rationality. While they are at it, they should just as well rename their state “Fettermansylvania”. They could erect a bronze statue of John Fetterman, complete with his signature short pants and hoodie.
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An interesting map: Life Expectancy in the U.S., by County.
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Victor Davis Hanson: A Culture in Collapse. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)
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My buddy Pete in Switzerland sent this: Building Autonomous, Off-Grid, Encrypted, and Solar Powered Communications Infrastructure.
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Economist, novelist, and journalist Gonzalo Lira — a U.S. citizen — has reportedly died in a Ukranian prison. He was an outspoken critic of the Ukrainian government. His crime? Being an outspoken critic of the Ukrainian government.
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Bruen Strikes Again: Ban on Guns in Post Offices Tossed Out, Ruled Unconstitutional.
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Reader Lumin sent this email:
“First, a thank you to “Tim in Connecticut” and “M.J.” for responding to my concerns about “The Great Taking.”
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A video interview with Shawn James: “Its Time To Make A Choice”. Get Out of the City. (You can find Shawn’s video channel here.)
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Judging by this short teaser trailer, this upcoming movie has a Jericho vibe and might be of interest to preppers: Homestead. The production company specializes in films with a Christian message.
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SaraSue sent this snippet:
“The important work this past week was to prepare the barns, the animals, the hen house, and the home for an “arctic blast”. This past week, it was mid-50 degrees Fahrenheit, and forecasted to drop to 0 degrees and snow this coming week – in the South!
I have numerous water troughs that are all topped off. I will boil water on the stove if we keep power, and carry those out to break up the ice if it gets too thick. I had to do that last year. Cows drink a lot less water in the winter. However, a prolonged outage or prolonged freeze will make that impossible. I have a 1,000 gallon water cistern in the ground that the well keeps full, and a 250 gallon portable tank, as backups. I can open the cistern, while difficult – I have done it, and dip a bucket down into the water and pull it out. It’s slow and laborious. Not a long term solution.
I had started the Fall with 20 bales of straw (bedding) and had to get more. I purchased more hay – thought I had enough, but I didn’t. Topped off all the animal feed containers. I hired help to winterize the hen house, then I cleaned it out, replaced the door lock, and discovered a recent predator had dug under the fence of the run, and found evidence of dead chickens out in one of the pastures. I have less than a dozen layers now after starting with 30-40. I’m going to set up a game camera to figure out what I’m dealing with. My neighbor has live traps that I’m hoping he will lend me. I have a lot of barn cats I don’t want harmed.
I had cats scheduled for the vet to be spayed, and we had a severe weather event (straight line winds, thunder and lightning) on the morning of, so had to cancel. A few tree branches came down near the barn, but no damage.
I realized that one of my feeder pigs scheduled to go to the butcher in 4 weeks is definitely pregnant. The boar must’ve gotten to her before he left. Trying to solve that moral dilemma for myself. Send her anyway, or hold her back, let her farrow, and send them all to the butcher in April – I have reserved a butcher date. Sigh…
I brought in firewood, filled jugs of water for drinking and flushing toilets, made easy to eat meals, laundered everything that could be laundered, and generally prepared for a power outage. I am thankful that I could accomplish the above, thankful for prepared mindness, and thankful that I had a temperate weather window to accomplish what needed to be done. And what’s up with 0 and subzero degree temps in the South?? Homes here are not built for this weather. This will be the second year of this uncommon frigid winter weather.”
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The Houston Grand Jury That Cleared Taqueria Hero Knows Good Guys With Guns Stop Crime.
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Our own Thomas Christianson suggested that fascinating article: A Knife Forged in Fire.
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Sweden’s defense ministry warning to brace for ‘war’ sends public into panic.
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Reader P.G. had this comment:
“In response to the recent truth-based preparedness article, I offer my experienced perspective. I work in public utilities. I manage a small (1,200 homes) drinking and wastewater system. My system was built in 1975. Given the level of decay and reluctance of the community to replace degraded infrastructure I see a slow-burning public health and utility collapse that causes death by a thousand cuts. Sewage lines backing up because pumps aren’t maintained and fail, groundwater infiltration into old drinking water and wastewater main lines that overwhelm the treatment systems, incompetent or careless operators that only show up for a paycheck, utility managers that give up on maintenance and project planning because boards and commissions don’t want to spend money necessary, systems increasingly relying on web-based controls rather than hands-on monitoring. The list goes on. Based on my experience in these areas your EOTWAYKI will be a slow, disgusting disease-ridden collapse. So my suggestion is get away from large municipalities. Find a place where you can control what you drink, flush and maintain.”
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A video interview with SurvivalBlog reader “Kim Kipling”: From CIA Operative to Author: Unveiling the Intriguing Journey of a Paramilitary Operations Officer.
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Reader Richard T. wrote:
“I habitually have not read reviews of items that I would want to have, but are going to cost more than what I would be willing to pay. That has all changed after having read a review somewhere of a C. Crane radio costing around $200 new that I came across in a second-hand store, an older model, but not significantly different from the one I read about it in that review, for $12. This is why I will read reviews in the Survival Blog and elsewhere of items that I don’t have the money for. I encourage readers to do likewise so that you are searching sales, shops, ads, and attics for bargains. Do remember an article in the Survival Blog by Christianson about a radio he found while cleaning out the home of a family member. But it’s not about radios, it’s about keeping sharp by reading reviews, and buy it brand new at full price if it has value for you, or store the review in your memory bank in case you come across it somewhere someday.”
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And, finally, reader C.B. suggested this: Immunoengineering researchers decode the ‘cytokine storm’ in sepsis.
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