Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 25, 2021

We wish you a happy Thanksgiving.  Give glory to God for his blessings on our families, and on our nation! — November 25th was the birthday of economist and comedian Ben Stein. His unscripted monologue on economics from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the most memorable scenes in American cinema. By the way, Stein spends part of each year at his second home in Sandpoint, Idaho, so he is an honorary Redoubter. I’ve heard that he plans to retire in Sandpoint. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 97 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— 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. Today, we look at killer asteroid defense. Killer Asteroids Abound: NASA’s Response Bloomberg reports: Killer Asteroids Abound. NASA Is Ready to Do Something About It. Here is an excerpt: “On a winter morning in …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 24, 2021

November 24th marks the day that John Knox died, in 1572. (He was born in 1514.) AtheistAgendaPedia says: “Born near Haddington, Scotland. He was influenced by George Wishart, who was burned for heresy in 1546, and the following year Knox became the spokesman for the Reformation in Scotland. After imprisonment and exile in England and the European continent, in 1559 he returned to Scotland, where he supervised the preparation of the constitution and liturgy of the Reformed Church.” — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 97 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: 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. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — Like most Americans, last week I was relieved to hear that Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty, on all charges. His troubles may not yet be behind him. I am quite troubled to see the incredibly biased mass media still referring to the men he shot as “victims.”  After much deliberation, the jury conclusively found …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 23, 2021

On November 23rd, 1980, a 7.2-magnitude quake struck southern Italy killing more than 3,000 people. The casualty toll was probably so high because the tremor struck during Sunday night mass, as many residents sat in churches that crumbled in the quake. The quake was centered in Eboli, south of Naples. In nearby Balvano, children were preparing to receive their first communion at the 1,000-year-old Conza Della Comapgna church. The church was demolished and killed dozens of people, including 26 children. — We are seeking one or two more prize donors for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. It is a great …


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 of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on small-town vagrants. (See the Central & Eastern Oregon section.) Idaho All Idaho residents need to see this. You will lose your water. o  o  o Idaho moves ahead on plan to appraise federal land for taxes. o  o  o Small hydropower proves to …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 22, 2021

Today is the birthday of Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington, a well-known designer of military gun parts and accessories. He is best known as the designer of the M1888 Trapdoor Springfield Rod Bayonet and the Buffington Rear Sight. Today is also remembered as the birthday of the late Eugene M. Stoner. (Born 1922, died April 24, 1997.) He was the designer of the AR-7, AR-10, AR-15, AR-180, the Stoner 63, and several other firearms. (The AR-10 was the basis of the AR-15 which in turn spawned the very widely used M16 and all of its variants including the M4 Carbine.) It has …


Recipe of the Week: Survival Chili

The following recipe for Survival Chili is from SurvivalBlog reader John M. He says: “This has been a go-to recipe for years in [cook-off] competition and a family favorite.” Ingredients 2 lbs 90% lean hamburger which does not require draining…. or 80% and drain most of the liquid but not all 2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce 1 can (15 oz) diced petite tomatoes 3 cups of Bush’s chili beans in sauce — careful adding more will overload the rest of the ingredients 1  can (4 oz) green chiles 3 tablespoons of garlic, onion powder 4 teaspoons of pepper and …


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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at rising used car prices. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Reuters: Gold rises as inflation risks buoy safe-haven appeal. o  o  o Bull Flags For The Miners. Economy & Finance: 10 Things Media Won’t Tell You About the Dems’ Big Bill. o  o  o At Zero Hedge: “It’s …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Progressivism was imported from Europe and would result in a radical break from America’s heritage. In fact, it is best described as an elitist-driven counterrevolution to the American Revolution, in which the sovereignty of the individual, natural law, natural rights, and the civil society—built on a foundation of thousands of years of enlightened thinking and human experience—would be drastically altered and even abandoned for an ideological agenda broadly characterized as “historical progress.” Progressivism is the idea of the inevitability of historical progress and the perfectibility of man—and his self-realization—through the national community or collective. While its intellectual and political advocates …


Preparedness Notes for Sunday — November 21, 2021

On November 21, 1916, Britannic, the sister ship to the Titanic, sinks in the Aegean Sea, killing 30 people. In the wake of the Titanic disaster, the White Star line had made significant modifications to the design of the ship, but on its way to pick up wounded soldiers near the Gulf of Athens, it was rocked by an explosion causing even more damage than that which had sunk the Titanic. Many of the dead were from some of the crew who attempted to launch lifeboats while the Captain tried to run the ship aground. The lifeboats were sucked up …