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.
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Automatic Draft Registration Set to Begin in December [1]. (Pictured above is peacetime draft registration in the United States, in 1940.)
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Blog reader C.B. sent us this: Suspects convicted for insurance fraud after staging costume bear attacks in luxury vehicles caught on camera [3].
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Orbán era swept away by Péter Magyar’s Hungary election landslide [4].
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Reader M.J. wrote:
“HR 8250 was recently introduced and has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The text of the bill is here [5].
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H.L. spotted this: A Model For Europe? Switzerland Moves To Strengthen Country Against Foreign Property Owners And Migration [6].
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SaraSue sent this snippet:
“Just a quick update on my dairy cow who lost her calf: Wow, what a comeback! She was in excellent condition prior to her due date, so that may have helped. She is young, a mere 28 months old. She is slowly gaining back the weight she lost during the traumatic calving, and overall looking great. She has had zero infections – no uterine infection, no mastitis, no milk fever, no ketosis. I only gave her pain meds for one day, and then she didn’t seem to need them. She was the one I was afraid to milk because she was a kicker and skittish. I say “kicker” because if you approached her in the field and got too close to her, she would try to kick you. How do you milk a cow who hates being touched?
Now, she shows up at the milking gate first thing in the morning and waits for me. She walks right in, and stands like a statue to be milked. She will nuzzle me if she wants more grain in her feed dish. When we are finished, she leaves, but kind of hangs around as if to say, “Can I come back in?” LOL. I never imagined that this cow would be such a pleasure to work with. I assumed that I’d see crazy heifer antics, and there are none. What I often repeat to myself when training cows to milk is: breathe, be calm, methodical, and kind. It makes me wonder how cows think, and what they remember. I know they recognize familiar people, places, and sounds. I know they have long memories because of how they respond. I know that they know their names and understand simple commands. I also know that if they don’t want to do something, they don’t. LOL. It’s fascinating to me, but I’m relieved we are off to a good start despite how we got here.”
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Avalanche Lily found this video interesting: Navigating the Digital Control Grid | Catherine Austin Fitts [7].
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Reader Sam B. wrote:
“I thought I’d pass along a local story that I found funny:
Although I now live 30 miles away, my old hometown was hit with a water-related SHTF that I actually found quite funny.
Consisting of a small city with some suburbs, the area sources water from a mountain reservoir. Basically, in the 1960s, they built a dam across a mountain stream and allowed it to fill with water. Total capacity is 1.3 BILLION gallons. They re-routed a highway to build this dam and the replacement road runs alongside the reservoir. Well, it finally happened…a tractor trailer (hauling potato chips) ran off the highway into the reservoir.
This caused the local water authority to shutdown distribution until the water could be tested, due to contaminants (diesel, oil, etc). They tried to cut over to an alternate water source, a series of wells, but the cut over failed due to an equipment malfunction. (Makes me wonder who was falsifying the annual testing of that system, but that’s another topic.)
The community was informed to cease water consumption until further notice and they lost their minds. People who hadn’t drank a glass of water in years suddenly needed water right now!
The water authority immediately started distribution of bottled water which was gone within minutes. Lines of cars, backed up for blocks. Local stores sold out. People begging on social media for water. It was the end of days!
Nevermind that many folks had been forced by the local government to give up their wells and connect to the public water system. Nevermind that there are plentiful “mountain springs” (basically a pipe in the side of a hill) where you can take your empty jug and get free water. Nevermind that nobody thought to have a case or two of water in the basement “just in case”.
The people needed someone to give them water, now!
72 hours later, the water restrictions have been lifted, and folks are still on social media asking if the water is safe to drink.
I shudder to imagine what will happen when something real comes along.”
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A link courtesy of reader D.S.V.: Six Ways to Use Baking Soda in the Garden [8].
Please Send Us Your Snippets!
Please send your snippet items for potential posting to JWR [9]. or AVL [9]. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact [10] form.