“Speculative markets have always been vulnerable to illusion. But seeing the folly in markets provides no clear advantage in forecasting outcomes, because changes in the force of the illusion are difficult to predict.” – Robert J. Shiller
On April 13, 1520 Raphael‘s final influential masterpiece “The Transfiguration” was put on display just a week after the artist’s death. — April 13, 1743 was the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. (He died on July 4, 1826 just a few hours before the death of John Adams.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. …
(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) A factor that makes it difficult for the average homeowner to do their own repair jobs is that some manufacturers design their products to be serviced solely by them and not by you. Something to look for in a product before you buy it would be to find out how easy it is to repair. Product reviews are a way of doing that. A very helpful piece of information when viewing a product’s reviews is to look for a notice on the frequency of returns; this can be a more accurate indicator …
The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: A Simple Question For Pam “D.O.J. Barbie” Bondi: So, Where Are All The Epstein Files That You Said Were “Sitting On My Desk, For Review” Back On February 21st, 2025? News Link: Bondi says Epstein client list ‘sitting on my desk’ for review. 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 he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again. And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you …
April 12, 1893: “Massacre of Hoornkrans”: Curt von François (pictured), colonial Governor of German South West Africa (now Nambia), led an attack by 225 Schutztruppe soldiers on Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi’s headquarters at Hoornkrans. The shelling of the village caused tremendous civilian casualties. Witbooi escaped and waged several months of guerrilla warfare against the German forces. — April 12th is the birthday of the late novelist Tom Clancy. (Born 1947, died October 1, 2013). It was Clancy who almost single-handedly created the modern techno-thriller genre, with his first novel, The Hunt For Red October. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we …
My dad lived through the Great Depression on a farm in the western plains of Minnesota. When there was a breakdown of the machinery there was no thought of ordering a replacement from the Sears & Roebuck catalog as they needed it “right now” and not in 4-to-8 months. Their only options were; go to town to the hardware store, or the blacksmith shop, or fix it themselves. I was born and grew up in the city after they sold the farm, but he never abandoned his frugal handyman ways, which I inherited. Although I did not think it was …
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 ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel. The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up. For thus saith the Lord God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel. For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, …
On April 11, 1900, the first modern submarine designed and built by John Philip Holland, USS Holland was acquired by the U.S. Navy. — Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC (11 April 1832 – 8 May 1907) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was also a designer and inventor of firearms including the Webley-Fosbery revolver and the Paradox Gun. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog …
(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) THIRD OPTION: RECHARGEABLE LED LIGHTS This section will be a very basic look at the broad topic of rechargeable lights. The bulk of the information and all of the many options will be presented in the next article of this series on post-SHTF lighting. In order to use rechargeables for illumination after the SHTF three things are needed: 1. rechargeable lights 2. a charging device 3. a “plug-and-play” solar panel 1. Rechargeable lights Rechargeable lights come in a wide variety of styles with options such as battery capacity, hi, medium, and low …
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’s focus: Inflation or Deflation? (See the Inflation/Deflation Watch section.) Precious Metals: Sprott: Silver Price Dip: Temporary or a Major Trend? Is Gold Next as Tariffs Shake Markets? o o o Households urged to check jewelry insurance coverage after gold prices surge. Economy & Finance: From the WSJ: Americans Are Sitting on a Cash Pile as …
“The great merit of gold is precisely that it is scarce; that its quantity is limited by nature; that it is costly to discover, to mine, and to process; and that it cannot be created by political fiat or caprice.” – Henry Hazlitt
On April 10, 1841, the New York Tribune began publishing under editor Horace Greeley. — April 10, 1827 was the birthday of General Lew Wallace. He wrote books (author of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ), sculpted, practiced law, painted, played the violin and made them as well. In the “Battle of Monocacy” he fought alongside 8,000 Union troops against 15,000 Confederates. He was second in command of the Lincoln conspiracy trial as well as principal in the trial of the Commander of Andersonville prison where prisoners had been starved to death. He was U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. And he …
(Continued from Part 1.) Paraffin Lamps Halfway between a candle and an oil lamp are paraffin lamps. They’re similar to oil lamps and burn the same fuel but they come in a small jar with a wick. They’re essentially a small oil lamp that burns more like a candle. I thought it would be interesting to test one but by the time I finished with the candle portion of my tests, there was no doubt in my mind these paraffin lamps with their small wicks and long burn times (one claimed 115 hours) wouldn’t be much better than candles. There’s …
