A Legal Review Of Secession 150 Years Later- Part 2, by TEH

Secession On February 1, 1861, a convention of secession was called (and subsequently sanctioned by the legislature) where an ordinance to dissolve the union between Texas and the United States was adopted and Texas declared to be a separate and sovereign state. The relationship to the United States (and its government) was disclaimed; Texas seceded from the Union. Texas thereafter joined with the other Confederate States and declared war on the United States. “…….The position thus assumed could only be maintained by arms, and Texas accordingly took part, with the other Confederate States, in the war of the rebellion, which …


Letter Re: Bugging Out With Children

Good Day SurvivalBlog Editor, I have been reading SurvivalBlog for years. I enjoy the articles and often learn various new ideas or approaches to survival. I am not the target audience for this article, since my children are 13 and 18; however, when they were younger we dragged them along on family hunting and camping trips and involved them on extended hikes, packs, canoe trips, et cetera when they were infants, toddlers, and small children. The one caveat I would say is that we always had two parents doing this and both were motivated to make it happen and to …


A Legal Review Of Secession 150 Years Later- Part 1, by TEH

Introduction The Civil War (or The War of Northern Aggression, depending on your personal view) ended in 1865. However, the legality of secession by the Southern States simply will not die 150 years after Texas formally seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. As late as May, 2011, secession by part of the State of Arizona from the rest of the State is being proposed. Secession is often bandied about by politicians on both sides of the spectrum, but do any of its proponents really understand what secession, from a legal standpoint, is and isn’t? This …


Letter Re: Drones and Airspace

Hugh, I believe that the article posted on December 22 may present inaccurate guidance to the readers of SurvivalBlog. In June, 2016 the FAA announced the forthcoming release of Part 107 of their regulations. The likely final regulations are here. The regulations detail the Operating Rules for drone pilots, including things such as See-And-Avoid and Visibility Requirements, Containment and Loss of Positive Control, Careless and Reckless Operation, and more. For drone pilots, note that the Section on Careless and Reckless Operation is a FAA “catch all” that will be used to legally go after drone pilots who operate in an …


Attack of the Drones: Defending the Air Above Your Property, by RD, Prepper Law

Introduction One night you suddenly see a drone hovering next to a window of your home. Outraged, you shoot it down. Somebody calls the police because they heard a firearm discharged, and ten minutes later you hear a knock on your door. Or, say a military plane swoops across your backyard, barely skimming the tops of your pine trees, and you hear a massive crash. You look out your window and see a fully intact missile stuck head first in the ground. Apparently the military accidentally dropped a bomb on your land. Can you do more than shake your fist? …


Letter Re: Universal Basic Income

Hugh, Regarding the piece on Universal Basic Income in SB edition of 12-13-16, please consider the following: Neither Charles Murray nor Milton Friedman are/were “libertarians”. The best operational definition of the term “Libertarian” is one who rejects the “initiation” of force as a method to achieve social or political objectives. It is the absolute right of any and all individuals to engage in the free exercise of the rights appurtenant to their existence. Neither Murray nor Friedman acknowledge this universal truth. Both engage in a discussion more akin to a question such as: “How many lashes may a master administer …


Bugging Out With Young Children- Part 2, by MPB

In Part 1, I described why I believe it is impossible to bugout into the woods with just a rifle and a backpack when you have young children in tow. In Part 2 I’ll be offering suggestions on what can be done to get your children to safety when you have no choice but to leave home. Before I get into that though, let me stress that by far the best advice when you have kids (or even if you don’t) is to live at your bugout location if at all possible. Besides the many reasons outlined by JWR in …


Letter: Getting First Aid Supplies Tax Free

Hello, I just found a neat, and new to me, way of purchasing first aid supplies with pre-tax dollars that I thought I would share. For some years now I have taken advantage of my company’s Flexible Spending Account (FSA) program. For the unfamiliar, an FSA is money withheld from your paycheck that allows you to purchase eligible items with pre-tax dollars and is offered by many employers. If you have regular vision, dental, or copay expenses, it’s a great way to pay for these things. As I had more money withheld than I had spent this year, I wanted …


Bugging Out With Young Children- Part 1, by MPB

The concept of bugging out is an integral part of preparing for an uncertain future. I won’t list them here, but there are dozens of reasons why it may be necessary to leave your home/homestead on very short notice. Page after digital page has been published online addressing this subject… some of it quite good and some of it good for nothing more than a laugh. But there is one aspect of bugging out that I think has been largely overlooked in the survival community. It is the special considerations needed when bugging out with young children. My focus in …


Letter Re: Trump’s Presidency: A Replay of the 1980s

JWR: Trump is savvy. He will split the bankers if he is aggressive in eliminating Dodd Frank. Reinstatement of Glass-Steagall may also be perceived as favorable by many main street bankers as less regulation will be necessary. He will need to win over that chunk of the banking world as he has planned to go after the “Carry Trade” exemptions, which will alienate investment bankers. The FDIC is not on the investment banker side of things. I am trying to remember what it was like in the 1980s when Reagan’s policies took hold. I think it comes again. Without a …


Recipe of the Week: Turnip Whip, by G.L.

Ingredients: 4 turnips, peeled and quartered 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered 2 Tbsp minced onion 1 Tbsp salt Water 1/4 cup light cream 2 Tbsp soft butter or margarine 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper Directions: Combine turnips, potatoes, onion, and 1 Tbsp salt in a slow cooking pot. Cover with water; then cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Drain well. Mash; then add cream, butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Beat until fluffy Makes 6 servings. o o o Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest …


Letter Re: Copper as an Ebola Killer

Dear Hugh, After reading the letter and the attached article, I was interested in the feasibility of having copper contact surfaces, such as doorknobs or push plates. JW mentioned copper plating, so I did a quick search and found this video. I thought this might interest people because of the ease with which you could plate items, and my guess is a majority of readers would be able to do this with supplies they have on hand. Regards, RM


Guest Article: Surviving A Collapse: The Gold and Silver Game, by Capt. William E. Simpson II

Do Americans really need to worry about a financial collapse in world money markets leading to national rioting and chaos? History shows it has happened before in many countries around the world and many so-called experts say we do, but they are leaving out the most important details. Of course, when the media voices the opinions of the “experts”, that alone builds some worry into financial markets. Some astute observers may ask if this is by design and if by doing so they intentionally create niche markets for the products and services they sell related to gold and silver hedges …


Two Letters: Contaminated Water in Corpus Christi, Texas

Mr. Rawles and Mr. Latimer, As you may have seen in the news, the city of Corpus Christi has, yet again, been the subject of contaminated water. Over the last ~18 months, Corpus Christi has had a series of problems (five or six water boil notices, no drink advisory, et cetera) with the municipal water supply related to E.coli, low chlorine, high chlorine, and most recently chemical contamination Indulin AA-86 Asphalt Emulsion. I began reading/following the SurvivalBlog several years ago and at a minimum keep a “go box” action packer for hurricane evacuations, et cetera. I have a small amount …


Bees: Security Guard or Grocery Store?- Part 3, by J.P.

Finding Bees: Before and After SHTF (continued) You can take a piece of an active hive and wire it into a frame in your hive. (Suit up and use a little smoke, which makes bees think their hive is on fire and they have to eat all the honey to save it). If you pay close enough attention and can access the comb, you will find that some comb cells have what look like tiny grains of rice in them. Using a strong flashlight helps to see them; these are new bee eggs! The best spots to take have flat …