Making The Hard Decisions Somewhat Easier- Part 3, by Old Bobbert

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We are in the midst of the third example in our consideration of making hard decisions whether to go or not go in a crisis situation. I am using scenarios to illustrate the decision processes. Scenario #3: Small Town, Patriotic Family (continued) This time we are looking at a small town, patriotic family that works together to run an Internet-based business from home. Let’s get to know them and their circumstances in this scenario better. Work and Finances The sons were taught by example to work hard and to be a deliberate saver first and only then to be a …


Letter: Surviving California’s Fires

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Hugh, I live in a house that has a commanding view of a very large canyon in Southern California. Last Thursday night at 11:20 p.m., I received a mandatory evacuation order on my cell phone and on my TV. I could see the sky lit brightly to the east of the canyon, but I judged the fire to be approaching slowly enough that I had time to gather things. I turned on my sprinkler system and tried to give my property a good soaking so as to increase the chances of avoiding destruction. It was a “hybrid bug out.” I …


Making The Hard Decisions Somewhat Easier- Part 1, by Old Bobbert

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Being fully aware of the contest rules concerning fiction, this essay topic has required an ample supply of assumed acceptable standards and examples for one simple over-riding truth– world wide, there is a single commonality factor about everyone who has been forced by circumstances to actually put into real-time practice their go/no go decision. That common event generally fits into a very limited non-nationwide problem. We have experienced some very serious terrible events in some areas of the country but not a nationwide anything. The recent calamity of the flooding of the Texas coast did not affect other areas in …



The Beginning of the End, by Todd

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An event occurred last week that I want, or more accurately need, to share with others. For me, this feels like a five-alarm warning bell on steroids going off. To my wife and the few friends that I shared this with, it is not a big deal; they just gave me another one of those “Yup, that wouldn’t have happened in the ‘90s” type of reactions. Maybe I’m an alarmist; maybe I’m not. I am just reporting, however, the facts and will let you decide for yourself if there is any revelation in my experience. About Myself Before I go …


Guest Post: Silver, The S&P and Sanity, by Gary Christenson

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Silver prices peaked in 2011. The descent has been long and tedious. Perhaps silver prices made an important low on September 11, 2018, like they did on November 21, 2001 at $4.01. That long-term low was twenty cents below the price on September 11, 2001, the day the twin towers fell at free-fall acceleration, which marked the beginning of the silver bull market that launched prices upward by factor of 12. The S&P 500 Index has risen for over 9 years, from a low of 666 to a high of 2,940. It sits in late October at about 2,641. Massive …


States’ Rights Versus Federalism, by F.B.

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I don’t want civil war (CW). I’m no expert on what CW2 would look like. It won’t look like CW1 with a fairly clean bifurcation of states. It could be as ugly as Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Civil war is ugly, filled with death, hardship, and loss. Civil War 2 is Coming In CW2, I will suffer greatly. My family will suffer greatly, and the values and beliefs that I hold will suffer greatly. Have no illusions, we will all lose in this war. But it is still coming. Why do I believe this? Civil wars is coming because I’m …


Letter: Carpenter Bees and Boring Beetles

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Hugh, My husband and I have purchased a log cabin, which we are moving into in a few months. This cabin is located in SW North Carolina, and the property is surrounded by a national forest. We are dealing with carpenter bees and boring beetles. My husband has been looking into all sorts of ways to deal with these wood-damaging insects. He just bought hypodermic syringes from the local farm store to put liquid borate in them for injecting into the holes we can see. We need a permanent solution, if there is such a thing, to keep them at …


Following Jesus Through the Storm: Defeating Despair, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

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Just yesterday I read of someone comparing our situation to following a guide and dim lantern in the dark. (Unfortunately I’ve lost the source link.) Two Components There are two basic components upon which we will expound. These follow: Confidence in the Guide. This confidence involves believing that He knows us, knows the dangers, and knows the way through. Further, it is believing that He has the power to protect us against what is in the dark. Overcoming our fear of the dark and what it conceals. We don’t know what lurks in the dark. We can’t control what’s in …


Guest Article: Fall Chores, by Patrice Lewis

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Editors’ Introductory Note:  This post first appeared in the excellent, long-running Rural Revolution blog. We recommend bookmarking it! We also recommend Patrice’s books. o  o  o Until a few days ago, October was a very dry month for us. Thankfully some much-needed and very welcome rain is moving in. While it’s delightful to walk outside and sniff the fresh moist ground, we weren’t idle during the dry weeks. Among other chores, we focused a lot on firewood, a chief preoccupation for many people this time of year. Summer before last, we had a neighbor come in with some huge equipment and clear …



Utilizing Military Tactical Planning- Part 2, by Last NJ Conservative

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Military tactical planning has been used formally for a long time by fighting and maneuver elements. This article is a combined overview of the ground combat units’ frameworks. In part 1, We began using the BAMSIS acronym as a framework and are in the “B”, which stands for “Begin Planning”. Using the METT-TC acronym, we have gone through the M for Mission, the E for Enemy, and the first T for Terrain and Weather. Now, we will continue on with this military tactical planning framework. Troops and Fire Support- Second “T” in METT-TC Part D is Troops and fire support, …


Utilizing Military Tactical Planning- Part 1, by Last NJ Conservative

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Military tactical planning has been used formally for a long time by fighting and maneuver elements. This article is a combined overview of the ground combat units’ frameworks. Not all branches of our armed forces use all of this together in this format nor is the terminology exactly the same. Obviously the Army and Marine Corps, whom have organically most of the ground combat units, utilize significant amounts of these doctrines. A Solid Foundation When Group Has To Combat Evil Doers This planning is not all inclusive nor the be all to end all. However, it does provide a solid …


Guest Article: Six People You Do Want In Your Group, by Kit Perez

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Editor’s Introductory Note: This article is a follow-up to Seven People You Don’t Want in Your Group. We’ve talked a lot lately about who you don’t want in your group, and the general consensus when I teach these concepts is usually that the list of undesirables leaves out 90% of people who otherwise would have been included. The bottom line response to this is, “yes, and?” You don’t want undesirables in your group; it’s that simple. It’s about risk — you decide how much you’re willing to take on, and if you decide to bring on someone on the “should …


The End of “Free Will” to Lovers of Truth and Freedom, by FW

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Many of us have lived our lives and used our free will to determine the course of our lives. And during that time, we easily recognize that many have benefited greatly from their choices while others have made choices that have not benefited their lives at all. Why have some failed while others have succeeded? The Concept of Free Will I don’t know about you, but I find that I am troubled by the concept of free will, because I wonder if it still exists. In order to use our free will, we must have alternatives from which to choose. …