Month: August 2025

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — August 31, 2025

90 years ago today, August 31, 1935, the first national skeet championship was held.  This tournament match ran from August 26th to 31st, 1935. A roster of 113  participants was hosted by the Solon Skeet Club, near Cleveland, Ohio. — August 31, 1911: The unconstitutional “Sullivan Act” requiring New Yorkers to possess licences for firearms small enough to be concealed went into effect. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 120 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 …


Review: Ramen Bae Topping Mix, by Mike in Alaska

DISCLAIMER: I paid out of my own pocket for this food and Ramen Bae did not sponsor this review article in any way. Some folks love Ramen, but others say if you eat it you’ll die a horrible, painful death. Well, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch; bottom line is that as food it’s not the same as say a prime rib dinner. But then it doesn’t need you to take out a second mortgage to buy, either. After all the years I’ve eaten food that some might call questionable, ramen isn’t anywhere near the top of the list …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: What’s the Difference Between a Conspiracy Theory and a Conspiracy Revelation? About Six Months News Links: Vaclav Havel, Klaus Schwab, Prince Charles – World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 1992. 2020: Klaus Schwab and Prince Charles on why we need a Great Reset. Prince Charles flew 16,000 miles in just 11 days using three private jets and one helicopter before proudly posing with Greta Thunberg in Davos 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 …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. Now we command you, brethren, …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — August 30, 2025

On August 30, 1645, Dutch settlers and local Indians signed a peace treaty in New Amsterdam (New York). — August 30th is the birthday of the late Joachim Rønneberg, a hero of the Norwegian resistance during World War II. He was born in 1919. His exploits earned him the War Cross With Sword, Norway’s highest military honor.  Rønneberg died in 2018, just one year short of his 100th birthday. — Today’s feature piece is too short to be included in the judging for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started …


Data Collection in Our Lives, by Anonymous in Ohio

With all of the recent discussion of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) threats in SurvivalBlog, I want to share a recent experience with what I assume was an A.I.-intervened technology. We were recently moving some of our supplies across state in a small cargo trailer to our cabin. We had unloaded the trailer and were returning home when I saw flashing lights in my mirror. I thinking to myself, I can’t be trailer lights, everything is rewired new, new tires, bearings, doors were locked. The State Trooper came up to the window and tells me that my plates on the trailer registration …


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 …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; And say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — August 29, 2025

August 29, 708: Copper coins were minted in Japan for the first time. (By the traditional Japanese calendar: August 10, 708.) Pictured are some later Edo Period Japanese copper coins. — August 29, 1708: A raid in Haverhill, Massachusetts by French, Algonquin, and Abenaki forces killed or captured 40 residents. — August 29, 1831: Michael Faraday demonstrated the first electric transformer. — August 29, 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run in Virginia began. The same day marked the founding of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 120 of …


Goldilocks Fire-Starting Kits, by C.S.

The Problem In the spring of 2009, a group of adventuresome whitewater kayakers dipped their boats into the meager headwaters of the North Fork of the Virgin River above Zion National Park. The weather was cold, but spirits were high. The paddlers had read about kayaking through the Zion Narrows in the preeminent whitewater guidebook for the southern Rockies. Confident their paddling abilities were more than up to the task, the group shrugged off having to frequently drag their boats through early shallow stretches. They knew the North Fork of the Virgin River picked up most of its flow from …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

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 Rolex wristwatch prices. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Friday morning update:  Spot silver jumped to $40.13 per Troy ounce on Friday morning (29 August, 2025.)  It will be interesting to see if this rally continues in Asian trading, on Monday morning. o  o  o Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver Rally on …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — August 28, 2025

On August 28, 476, Orestes, father of Emperor Romulus Augustulus was captured and executed by Odoacer and his followers. Odoacer (coin pictured) led the revolt of Herulian, Rugian, and Scirian soldiers. This marked the end of the Western Roman Empire. Italy had its first Barbarian king. — August 28, 1833 is the anniversary of the abolishment of slavery throughout the British Empire. — On August 28, 1971, the US dollar was allowed to float against the Japanese Yen for the first time. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. …


Chiming in on A.I., by SaraSue

This is purely my opinion and may be of no use to you.  My “tone” is sarcastic and rude and confident on purpose.  I am not that kind of person, but there are certain topics, such as Artificial Intelligence, that rub me the wrong way.  Maybe I am, or used to be, smarter than most.  Maybe the opposite is true.  In any case, I seek to put A.I. in its place, in a box, lock it in there, sit on the lid, and laugh. It is always going to be true that human beings are flawed (original sin, if you …


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, life imitates art. Minneapolis: Muslim Adhan on City Loudspeakers Over at X/Twitter: What’s going on in Minneapolis? Muslim call to prayers will now be broadcast over the city …