“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge
November 3, 1917: The price of 1st Class US mail stamps was increased to 3 cents per ounce. This was dubbed a “Wartime Emergency Rate.” It had been 2 cents since 1885. It reverted to 2 cents in 1919, and did not rise to 3 cents again until 1932. As of October, 2024, the one-ounce rate is now 73 cents. Recently, postal rate increases have been taking place at less than one-year intervals, and the latest increase was a 5-cent jump. — On November 3, 1783, George Washington ordered the Continental Army disbanded. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present …
POL is a military acronym for “Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricants.” And “Petroleum” in military lingo generally refers to all types of fuels, but we could rename it for our purposes as “Protectants” or “Preservatives,” which is part of the subject of this article. The in-depth study of oils and lubricants is rather scientific and in the domain of applied mechanical engineering. The products mentioned in this article are simply ones that I have found “that work” in my 60+ years as a hobby machinist, gunsmith, and shooter. I am simply sharing. I neither endorse these products nor receive compensation from …
The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: “You Were Speeding, So I Need To See Your I.D.” “I Can’t Today, Officer. I’m On My Way To Go Vote!” News Links: How strict new voter ID laws in key swing states could play a deciding factor in the 2024 election. Map: 29 million Americans live under new voter ID laws put in place since 2020. Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to repost memes …
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of …
On November 2, 1698, Scottish settlers made landfall in Panama, establishing the ill-fated ‘Darien Venture’ colony. — November 2, 1907: US banker J. P. Morgan locked more than 40 bankers in his library to force them to find ways to avert a New York banking crisis. — On November 2, 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour submitted a declaration of intent to establish a Jewish homeland known as the Balfour Declaration. While Arab hostilities and the outbreak of World War II delayed the desired outcome, the Nation of Israel was eventually re-established in 1948. — And on this day …
(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) Canned Vegetables – 52 15-oz Cans For variety with meals. Peanut Butter – 12 40-oz jars Twelve jars of peanut butter sounds like a boat load to some people but again, our daily menus after the SHTF will change greatly from what they are now with so many processed and or refrigerated/frozen foods. Of course, peanut butter will work as a food-storage item for some people but not others. With the same money you can get another 48 cans of canned tuna and/or chicken, or other food items, but all will have …
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 …
“Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy …
November 1st is the birthday of economist Martin A. Armstrong. (Born, 1949.) For many years he was a prisoner of conscience, in part because he refused to turn over his proprietary trading algorithms to Federal prosecutors. After seven years in prison without a trial, the longest Federal incarceration for contempt in American history. Armstrong was finally put on trial in a proceeding that was branded as a sham. He was convicted on securities fraud charges based on some marginal testimony and given a five-year sentence. Notably, Armstrong continued to write his economics newsletter while in prison, producing most of the …
(Continued from Part 3.) Flour – 150 lbs Flour has 1,520 calories per pound. For just-in-time food prepping, whole wheat kernels (wheat berries) are impractical for most people. They require grinding before making flour and most people don’t have a wheat grinder on hand. For a JIT shopping list, flour is the best way to go. When stored properly, store-bought refined white flour can last 10+ years. I can personally vouch for 5+ years in a gasketed food-storage bucket without oxygen absorbers. I now add white flour to my food storage instead of adding more wheat. Flour isn’t just about …
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 silver’s performance and examine the factors that affected the metal prices. WHAT DID GOLD AND SILVER DO IN OCTOBER? Following a September in which gold rose 5.2% and silver rallied 7.9%, the precious metals moved steadily higher yet again in October. Metals prices have risen in 11 of the last 13 months. While gold fluctuated up and down for the first two weeks of the month, spot silver started off strong with …
Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the 2024 BRICS Summit. (See the Precious Metals and Forex & Cryptos sections.) Precious Metals: The precious metals market roller-coaster ride is continuing, with a lot more “woo-hoo!”, than screaming. On Monday (October 28, 2024) spot gold started out strong, at $2,760 per Troy ounce. Silver was back up to $34.06. Palladium …
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Our family does not celebrate the pagan Halloween. (We are with Drew Carey, on that one. We don’t “…party with this guy.”) October 31st is also Reformation Day, recognizing the significance of Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses, and that is what we celebrate, here at the Rawles Ranch. — On October 31, 1888, Scottish inventor and veterinarian surgeon John Boyd Dunlop patented the pneumatic bicycle tire. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest …
