Today’s graphic: US Continental Land Cover. (USGS 2024 data, in a graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable. — Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.
“The press is like the peculiar uncle you keep in the attic – just one of those unfortunate things.” – G. Gordon Liddy
On July 27 1897, a record-setting 14.75 inches (37.5 cm) of rainfall was gauged at Jewell, Maryland. This was a state 24-hour record. — July 27th is the birthday of Captain Samuel Whittemore (born in 1694, died February 3, 1793). He was an English-born American farmer and soldier. He was eighty years of age when he became the oldest known colonial combatant in the American War of Independence. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course …
Editor’s Introductory Note: This young man is prayerfully seeking a wife. He is offering an after-marriage gift of up to $50,000 to whoever introduces him to his bride with $18,000 after their marriage and another $16,000 to the individual who provided the introduction after the first two births of healthy children born to him and his wife, for a total potential gift of $50,000. For further details, see this link to his article posted on July 13th, 2025: My Quest for a Wife: I’m Willing to Move. — (Continued from Part 5. This concludes the article.) Five Hundred Dollar Prepper …
The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Trump Has Fired 25% Of The IRS Workforce If We’re Lucky, The Other 75% Will Be Fired On St. Patrick’s Day. That Will Be “The Luck Of The IRS” News Link: Trump slashes 25% of IRS workforce with buyouts, firings of nearly 26,000 agency staff. 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 that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included. …
“And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the …
On July 26, 1878, Charles Boles, a California poet and American West outlaw calling himself “Black Bart” made his last clean getaway when he stole a safe box from a Wells Fargo stagecoach. The empty box was found later with a taunting poem inside. — On July 26th, 1931, a swarm of grasshoppers descended on crops throughout the American heartland, devastating millions of acres. Already in the midst of a bad drought, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota suffered tremendously. The swarms were said to be so thick that they blocked out the sun and one could shovel the grasshoppers with …
(Continued from Part 4.) Most survivalists tend to concentrate on their area of expertise and interest. The majority of survivalists I know are men and we tend to accumulate guns. It is just part of the nature of man that we like tools and guns are at their most basic level tools. I know of no survivalists or preppers without at least one gun unless they are just starting out. Over time, gun collections have a tendency to grow. Gun control for a survivalist is as the joke says means “buying just one gun instead of five.” One major problem …
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 …
“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? …
On July 25, 1850, Gold was discovered in Oregon, on the Rogue River. — On this day in 1853, Joaquin Murrieta, the famous Californian bandit known as “Robin Hood of El Dorado”, was killed by California Rangers. — And on July 25, 1797 Horatio Nelson lost more than 300 men and his right arm during the failed conquest attempt of Tenerife, Spain. — I just heard of the passing of wrestler and actor Hulk Hogan. He was an outspoken conservative, and in his later years, an outspoken Christian. — Just one more day! In honor of the birthday week of …
(Continued from Part 3.) Levels of Preparedness Someday, perhaps in the 22nd Century, someone may read this and think it is comical in descriptions of what 500 dollars or 5 million dollars could buy in the first quarter of the 21st Century. This would be much the same as we look at historical books with then-catchy titles. Catherine Owen wrote “Ten Dollars Enough: Keeping House Well on Ten Dollars a Week”. That was a late 19th-century practical instructional book featuring a young couple Harry and Molly and their experiences in budgeting. Their goal back then was to “escape” a boarding …
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 GENIUS Act and what will be Fed-controlled and monetized stablecoins. (See the Forex & Cryptos: section.) Precious Metals: On Tuesday evening (July 22, 2025), spot Gold was at $3,442 per Troy ounce, and spot silver was at $39.58. I am now fairly firmly predicting $4,000/oz. gold and $50/oz. silver by the …
“The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.” – Sun Tzu
On July 24, 1824, the Harrisburg Pennsylvanian newspaper published the results of first American public opinion poll, indicating a clear lead for Andrew Jackson. — Novelist Jerry Ahern passed away on this day, in 2012. His survivalist novels created an entire genre. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings …
