JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Our Leftist Mass Media Tells Us That Protestors Can Freely Burn Flags as “Freedom of Speech” But If Justice Alito’s Wife Flys One Upside Down, It is an “Ethics Violation” News Links: Gaza Ceasefire Protesters Burn American Flag In Brooklyn, Raise Terrorist Flag In Front Of NY Stock Exchange Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Accused of Flying Upside-Down Flag in Protest of Stolen 2020 Presidential Election. CNN: Justice Samuel Alito blames upside-down American flag on his wife and a flap with neighbors. Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 18, 2024

On May 18, 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state triggered the largest landslide in history, killing 57 people and causing over $1 billion in damage. — May 18th, 1825 was the birthday of Daniel Baird Wesson, of Smith and Wesson fame. — Unless a preliminary injunction is issued in the pending Texas v. ATF case, the ATF’s grossly-expanded redefinition of “Engaged in the Business” will go into effect on Monday, May 20th.  I strongly recommend that my readers be very cautious about making any sales of post-1898 guns or receivers without an FFL. Intrastate private party …


Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — May 17, 2024

On May 17, 1897, the first successful submarine that could run submerged for any considerable distance and combined electric and gasoline engines (USS Holland, SS-1) was launched in the US by its designer John Philip Holland. — On this day in 1769, George Washington launched a legislative salvo at Great Britain’s fiscal and judicial attempts to maintain its control over the American colonies. He brought a package of non-importation resolutions, drafted by George Mason, before the Virginia House of Burgesses. This initiated a chain of events that led to Britain’s House of Lords demanding that men involved in the extra-legal …


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, we look at some moves in commodities markets. (See the Commodities section.) Precious Metals: China and India seem to be driving the precious metals markets this year, with some consistently strong buying.  I’m sure that this dynamic is frustrating the institutional short sellers, here in the United States.  Silver and gold both saw nice spot …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — May 16, 2024

On May 16, 1920, French heroine Joan of Arc was canonized as a saint by Pope Benedict XV. — On May 16, 1997, Zaire’s president, Mobutu Sese Seko, ended 32 years of dictatorial rule, giving control of the country to rebel forces. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 112 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 $2,000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day …


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 military robot “dogs.” (Photo above is courtesy of Draper.com.) The USMC’s Rifle-Armed Robot Dogs Over at The Warzone: Rifle-Armed Robot Dogs Now Being Tested By Marine …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — May 15, 2024

On May 15, 1889, the Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) in Paris opened with the recently completed Eiffel Tower serving as the entrance arch. The elevators in the tower were not yet ready, so intrepid visitors needed to climb 1,710 stairs to get to the top. — On May 15, 1672, the first copyright law was enacted by Massachusetts. — I have all of my knife and bayonet inventory on sale, at Elk Creek Company. This sale ends on Friday,  May 17th, so order soon. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 112 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction …


Reconsidering Rule .308 – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) I can reload, so it is possible have a pile of very accurate 77 grain OTMs reserved for this kind of work as a part of a contingency plan that excludes the use a bolt gun. At 65 cents per round, I would get a pile and not let my stock go below 500 rounds. This is not blasting/training ammo, use the 55-grain bullet for that, but we would need to use up part of the case getting familiar with the round. The barrel twist rate should be 1:8 or better yet, …


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. — Scientists design super-battery made with cheap, readily affordable chemical element, Na — Salt-based cell has surprisingly good energy density and charges in seconds. o  o  o Over at the great Rural Revolution blog: Poliphobia? o  o  o Reader R.K. suggested a DIY YouTube page called Invention Incarnate that includes these two interesting …