Day: May 22, 2025

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — May 22, 2025

Some Great News! It appears that the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) has been added to the pending Continuing Resolution budget bill, by the House!  The chances of bill passage are now quite high, and Donald Trump has indicated that he will sign the bill, if it reaches his desk. The Senate still has to give approval, but once the law is signed, the implications of the HPA are quite far-reaching.  Here are some things to ponder: Under the HPA, suppressors will be removed from the National Firearms Act (NFA), so there will no longer be any $200 transfer taxes. And, …


Expatriating to the Philippines: 12 Years to Reflect, by M.B.

Twelve years ago, I moved to the Philippines to escape U.S. economic pressures—tax hikes, healthcare mandates, and a struggling economy. Now, with over a decade of experience, I’ve gained a perspective on life here. This guide, refined for aspiring expats, covers natural disasters, construction, security, education, a unique location in Subic, and critical considerations for accessing specialized services like medical care. The Climate and Agriculture The Philippines offers a year-round growing season, but gardening is tough. Red clay soil demands effort, and ants and weeds are relentless. The dry season—hot and arid—requires irrigation or hydroponics. Fresh produce prices spike during …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we look at more A.I. fakery. (Pictured above is a still from the 1970 predictive sci-fi movie Colossus: The Forbin Project.) More A.I.-Generated Fakes! You’ve surely already heard …