Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 24, 2025

On December 24, 1651, Jan van Riebeeck departed for the Cape of Good Hope to˜found the first permanent European settlement in southern Africa. — And on December 24, 1818, the Christmas carol “Silent Night” composed by Franz Xaver Gruber was first sung at St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), A Peak …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

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. — Reader F.J. suggested this food for thought, over at Big Think: America’s post-apocalyptic maps reveal eerily familiar fault lines.  (Image Credit: ThaDrummer at DeviantArt.) o  o  o Reader J.L.S. wrote: “Good evening Mr. Rawles I want to make a recommendation for you to add to your list of books on your Bookshelf …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 23, 2025

On December 23, 1913,  US President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law, creating the central banking Federal Reserve System. This law granted extraordinary monetary and economic power to a private banking cartel. The destruction of the purchasing power of the U.S. Dollar was a key result. (It has declined 98%, since 1913.)  I recommend the book The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve. – JWR — December 23rd is the birthday of Founding Father and Supreme Court Justice John Jay. (Born 1745, died May 17, 1829.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we …


SurvivalBlog’s American Redoubt Media of the Week

This weekly column features media from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. Today, a Creative Commons photo by Justin Fincher of Glacier National Park, Montana.  The “Weeping Wall” can be seen alongside the Going To The Sun Road at the far right side of the photo. The thumbnail below is click-expandable. American Redoubt Links of Interest Massive Train Derailment Occurs 17 Miles Northwest Of Cheyenne.  (A tip of the cowboy hat to D.S.V. for the link.) Video: Big Sky Country – …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — December 22, 2025

December 22nd 1849: The planned execution of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky by firing squad was called off, at the last second. JWR’s Comment: Novelists tend to thrive on drama, but that was a bit too intense. — December 22nd is also the anniversary of the death of SP4 James T. Davis, the first uniformed American combat casualty of the Vietnam War, in 1961. This ASA soldier (of the 3rd Radio Research Unit) was killed in a Viet Cong ambush on a road outside Saigon. — For those who have been waiting, the special 20th Anniversary SurvivalBlog 2005-2025 Waterproof/EMP-Resistant Archive USB …


Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Balkan Stew (aka Survival Stew) is from SurvivalBlog reader Greg M. Greg’s Note: “The ingredients can include any substitutes you have on hand if fresh items are missing.” Ingredients Thick pork chops (or meat of your choice) Olive oil Greek seasoning Hungarian paprika Black pepper Garlic salt Ham bullion soup base Turnips, onions, potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms Whole tomatoes Fresh garlic Parsley Directions Sear pork chops (or chosen meat) in olive oil; season with Greek seasoning, paprika, pepper, and garlic salt. Place the meat in a slow cooker with ham bullion base. Add chopped turnips, onions, potatoes, …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: The geographic population center for the United States has been in Missouri since 1980. As of 2020, it is near Interstate 44 in Missouri as it approaches Springfield. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable.           — Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 21, 2025

Today marks the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the first day of winter. The Winter Solstice is the day of minimum insolation, each year. The painting above, titled Winter, is by Ivan Shishkin, circa 1890.  Because of Seasonal Lag, even though the days will start getting longer tomorrow, the coldest days of the year are typically in January. — On December 21, 1620, William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims landed on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Rep. Jasmine Crockett Chides: Some Fool at The New York Times Wrote That I’m “Pursuing A Seat In The Upper Chamber” But, I Been There, And I Seen It. And I Can Tell You, The Floor Of The Senate Is On The Same Level As The House News Link: Rep. Jasmine Crockett enters Texas Senate race as Allred exits. Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to …


The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 20, 2025

On December 20, 1917, the Cheka, the Soviet Union’s first state security force, was formed. The Cheka was initially led by Felix Dzerzhinsky (pictured) after a decree by Vladimir Lenin. The Cheka was successively replaced by the OGPU, NKVD, KGB, SVR, and most recently by the FSB (Federal’naya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti or Federal Security Service) of the Russian Federation. State security agents were commonly called “Chekists” throughout the Soviet era.  — December 20th, 1669: The first jury trial in Delaware. Marcus Jacobson was condemned for insurrection and sentenced to flogging, branding, and slavery. — December 20th, 1606, the Virginia Company loaded …


The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render …