The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem. Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 6, 2024

On September 6th, 1915, a prototype tank nicknamed Little Willie rolled off the assembly line in England. Little Willie was far from an overnight success. It weighed 14 tons. The tank often got stuck in trenches. It crawled over most rough terrain at only two miles per hour. Improvements were made to the early prototypes and tanks eventually transformed military battlefields. — September 6th, 1757 was the birthday of Marquis de Lafayette (often known simply as Lafayette), a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. (Sept. 6, 1757 – May 20, 1834) came to America …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, another look at pennies and nickels. (See the Base Metals section ad the Commoditoes section.) Precious Metals: When I last checked (Mid-day on Thursday, September 6th): Gold $2,519.20  (Up $9.90) Silver $29.10  (Up $0.65) It seems that the short sellers are losing this fight. The Asian long traders are dominating the global markets. The shorts …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. His heart sank as he thought of the enormous power arrayed against him, the ease with which any Party intellectual would overthrow him in debate, the subtle arguments which he would not be able to understand, much less answer. And yet he was in the right! They were wrong and he was right.” – George Orwell, 1984


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 5, 2024

On September 5th, 1781, during the  American War of Independence, the French fleet of 24 ships under Comte de Grasse defeated British forces under Admiral Thomas Graves and Samuel Hood at the Battle of the Chesapeake (aka Battle of the Virginia Capes), thus trappping General Lord Charles Cornwallis. — Today is the birthday of the late comedian Bob Newhart. He was born on September 5th, 1929.  He died on July 18, 2024, at age 94. — On September 5, 1698, Russian Tsar Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we look at The FBI’s updated report on “Militia Violent Extremists”. FBI Considers Gun Owners Militia Violent Extremists First up, over at Ammoland: FBI Document Leak: Gun Owners …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 4, 2024

On September 4, 476, Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman Emperor, abdicated after forces led by Odoacer invaded Rome. This date is traditionally known as the end of the Western Roman Empire. — September 4, 1862 is the fateful day that General Lee invaded the North with 50,000 troops. — Some sad but expected news: Paul Harrell has passed away. Rest in peace.  I hope that his vlog archives are available for many years! — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This 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. — Germany’s Response to Knife Attacks After Festival Tragedy. JWR’s Comments: Since the police cannot be everywhere to protect everyone, the logical response would be to recognize the right of the citizenry to be armed. Their typically statist response will cost many innocent lives. Solingen is world famous as “the city of blades” …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” – James Madison


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — September 3, 2024

On September 3, 1976, after a nearly yearlong journey, NASA‘s robotic spacecraft Viking 2 landed on Mars this day in 1976 and began relaying information about the planet’s atmosphere and soil as well as color photographs of the rocky surface. — English general and statesman Oliver Cromwell died on September 3, 1658. — On September 3, 1752, Great Britain and its colonies, including the future United States of America officially adopted the Gregorian calendar, and it immediately became September the 14th. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …


SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements 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. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, a look at the famed Beartooth Highway. (See the Region-Wide section.) Region-Wide A fun backcountry flying video: Hells Canyon-Backcountry Flying with all sorts of new friends. Look closely for the pilot dancing his wheels on the river at the 7:11 mark. Clearly, these gents have …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 2, 2024

On September 2, 1666, the Great Fire of London began at 2 A.M. on Pudding Lane. It is estimated that 80% of London was destroyed in the fire. Some 13,200 homes were destroyed, along with St. Paul’s Cathedral (which had stood for 500 years), and 84 out of London’s 109 parish churches. Thatched roofs had been formally banned since the Great Fire of Southwark in 1212, but that roofing method was still widely used in defiance of the ban up until the Great Fire of London. — September 2, 1969 was the day that the first American automatic teller machine …


Recipe of the Week:  Roasted Yellow Summer Squash

The following simple recipe for Roasted Yellow Summer Squash is from SurvivalBlog reader Carol in Delaware . Ingredients Yellow Summer Squash  — either straight or crookneck type. Olive Oil Ground Black Pepper Salt Grated Parmesan Cheese Herbs (optional) Chopped almonds (optional) Directions  Slice squash into rounds (or quarter-rounds if the squash is huge.) Coat them in olive oil, by tossing. Add salt, to taste. Add pepper, to taste. Place the squash in a single layer on a lipped baking sheet. Top with Parmesan cheese. Roast in a preheated oven for 12-to-14 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Move the …