Year: 2025

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 1, 2025

On January 1, 45 B.C., the Julian calendar took effect for the first time, by edict of Roman consul Julius Caesar. — January 1, 1583 was the first day of the Gregorian calendar in Holland and Flanders. — On January 1, 1600, Scotland first began its numbered year on January 1st instead of March 25th. — And on January 1, 1788, Quakers in Pennsylvania emancipated their slaves. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest …


Collards: Our Winter Staple, by A.F.

One of the aspects of living where we do I find most appealing is the long gardening season. It is possible to keep produce of one type or another growing in the garden year-round, (though this is not the same as saying we have harvestable vegetables for the full year). Kale is the most resilient thus far since a single fall planting can carry into the following June if there is not an early heat spell. Cabbage and broccoli are each suitable for both late winter and late summer plantings and typically yield well while requiring minimal effort. When life …


December, 2024 in Precious Metals, by Everett Millman

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 metal prices. WHAT DID GOLD AND SILVER DO IN DECEMBER? Despite enjoying a terrific annual performance, the precious metals fared poorly to close out the year. Gold ended the month down 1% while silver endured another monthly loss in excess of 5%. The metals started the month trending lower: on Dec. 2nd, spot gold fell about 0.5% to $2,636 per troy ounce, and silver …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — Have you heard that the best-selling 1949 survivalist novel Earth Abides finally became a television miniseries?  All of the episodes are now available over at MGM+ and at the computer virus-plagued www.lookmovie2.to. The script writers and producers took some considerable liberties with the storyline, but at least the novel’s basic premise is …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

 “As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow-citizens, the people are confirmed… in their right to keep and bear their private arms.”  – Philadelphia Federal Gazette and the Philadelphia Evening Post, June 18, 1789, commenting on the draft of the Second Amendment, which was then a proposed amendment.