Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 12, 2024

On September 12, 1857, 423 passengers and crew died when the sidewheel steamship SS Central America, the ‘Ship of Gold’, sank in a hurricane off Cape Romain, South Carolina, carrying tons of gold coins and bars from the California Gold Rush. The wreck site was rediscovered 1988, and much of the gold was later laboriously salvaged by divers and sold on the numismatic market. A bell found at the site is now on display at the U.S. Naval Academy. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes 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 risks posed by automobile data in the wrong hands. Did Your Car Witness a Crime? Police May Tow Your Tesla In the S.F. Chronicle: …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“In the United States, the top 1 percent of income earners pays nearly 40 percent of the total income tax revenue, and the top 10 percent pays almost 70 percent. Meanwhile the bottom 50 percent of taxpayers paid only 3 percent of federal income tax in 2016. When today’s socialists claim the rich aren’t paying their fair share they are ignoring the facts.” – Rand Paul, The Case Against Socialism


Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 11, 2024

We must never forget the sheer horror of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. (The Creative Commons photo above was taken by David Shankbone.) — 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: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. 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 …


Some Emergency Animal Care Experiences, by Hollyberry

Let me start out right away by saying I have absolutely no veterinarian training or any training in animal first aid. I am just an average person who lives miles from the nearest vet and has had many animals….dogs, cats, goats, rabbits, and fowl. I have had many health or injury issues to attend to over the decades and this is just what worked for my husband and I and hopefully you will never need any of this information! I also want to state that I have not received any money or discounts for recommending a product. If you own …


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. — Navy warship commander relieved of duty after viral photo gaffe. JWR’s Comment:  The long delay in relieving him seems odd.  It would have been less embarrassing to our Senior Service if they’d done so, immediately. o  o  o 8-Year-Old Skillfully Drives Tractors and Helps With Farm Chores, Says He’s Going to Take …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — September 10, 2024

On September 10, 1910 the Great Idaho Fire (a.k.a. “The Big Burn”) began.  It destroyed more than 3 million acres of timber in Idaho and adjoining Montana. — We just heard that the legendary actor James Earl Jones passed away. Most people associate him with his role voicing Darth Vader or perhaps his great role in Field Of Dreams, but I’ll always remember him as Lt. Lothar Zogg, in Dr. Strangelove. That was his first feature film role. Our condolences to his family. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing …


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, we focus on crypto miners and other cryptocurrency and blockchain-based ventures in the American Redoubt. Idaho Idaho Republicans oppose central bank digital currency, advocate for Bitcoin.  Here is an excerpt: “The Republican Party of Idaho has vehemently opposed the creation of a Central Bank Digital …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 9, 2024

On September 9, 1839, English scientist and astronomer John Herschel (Sir John Frederick William Herschel) took the first glass plate photograph. — American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is one of the long-time prize sponsors of our writing contest. They’ve announced a new course on DVD (or online) that should be of great interest to SurvivalBlog readers: Survival Gunsmithing. This course has more than 10 hours of instruction. It will be priced at $397. But for just a limited time, it is being sold at 50% off. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog …


Recipe of the Week: Patty’s Salad Dressing Bundt Cake

The following simple recipe for Salad Dressing Bundt Cake is from SurvivalBlog reader Patty in Vermont. Note that nearly any mayonnaise-based salad dressing can be used. Ingredients 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 6 tsp Cocoa Powder 1 cup White Sugar 1 cup Salad Dressing 1 cup Water 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Directions Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour batter into a greased Bundt pan. Bake at 375 F. for about one hour. Test with a toothpick, to be sure that the cake is sufficiently baked. SERVING Serve hot or cold. …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic shows Continental U.S Railroad Lines, by ownership. (The graphic courtesy of Reddit.  The “ownereship” typo included in the graphic is not ours!) The thumbnail below is click-expandable.       — Please send your graphic ideas 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 — September 8, 2024

September 8th, 1966, Star Trek made its television debut on NBC. — On September 8, 1565, the first permanent settlement in what would become the United States of America was formed. (St Augustine, Florida) — 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: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any …