Our 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.
—
In the Leftie/Greenie Washington Post: Good night, stars. We are on the cusp of turning darkness into day. [1]
o o o
Reader H.L. mentioned that she found some cogent analysis on the Iran War, over at the Gold and Geopolitics substack [2]. JWR’s Comments: Obviously, the global oil market and the precious metals markets are being heavily manipulated by short sellers. My prediction is that the price of oil will remain fairly low, but silver, gold, and platinum will rise. The metals required for the replenishment of precision-guided munitions (PGMs) will help drive this rebound. Watch the disparity between the East Asian markets and Western markets in the coming weeks. Eventually, strong physical demand will win out.
o o o
The Spring Cleaning Checklist Experts Actually Follow [3].
o o o
Reported in February: NFA Form 4 Applications for Suppressors up 394 Percent [4].
o o o
Video from the BBC archive: A 1978 Connections segment: Could You Survive Without Modern Technology? [5]
Reader W.T. sent this interesting article: The postliberal war on economics. [6] “Peak oil panic didn’t just mislead environmentalists, it helped birth a right-wing anti-markets worldview that is helping run the country.”
o o o
A Mountain Readiness Expo [7] will be held May 1-3, 2026, in Harmony, North Carolina.
o o o
A video suggested by Tim J.: How The Railroad Replaces Crossties [8].
o o o
Threat Brief: March 2026 Escalation of Cyber Risk Related to Iran [9]. Here is a quote:
“State-aligned cyber units may be acting in operational isolation, which could result in deviations from previously established patterns. Additionally, Iranian command and control degradation may also lead to tactical autonomy for cells outside of Iran. However, the capacity to sustain sophisticated cyber operations is likely reduced due to the operational disruptions.
For Iran-aligned threat actors based outside of the region, we assess that hacktivist groups will target organizations perceived as adversaries but their impact is likely to be of low to medium significance. Other nation-state-aligned threat actors may attempt to exploit the situation to activate cyberattacks to further their own interests.”
o o o
I just noticed that we’ve now archived 41,750 blog articles, columns, and quotes. Please let your friends know that the entire SurvivalBlog archives are available free of charge. Spread the word! Thanks.
o o o
US rooftop solar installers cut jobs, restructure as homeowner subsidy expires [10]. JWR’s Comment: Price competition is now driving the market. Reverse bidding wars between contractors are good for homeowners.
o o o
I was helping my daughter find an affordable, older, low-mileage 4WD SUV, and I ran across this very useful list: Best SUVs From 2000 To 2010 Ranked By Reliability [11]. – JWR
Please Send Us Your Snippets!
Please send your snippet items for potential posting to JWR [12]. or AVL [12]. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact [13] form.