Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 2, 2026

On February 2, 1892, the bottle cap for beverages was patented by US inventor William Painter and is still used today. — On this day in 1974: The F-16 Fighting Falcon flew for the first time. — Today’s feature piece is by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Chistianson. — We are now seeking entries for Round 123 of our nonfiction writing contest. Round 123 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we …


Recipe of the Week:

The following recipes for Jam Pie and a requisite Rich Pie Crust are from SurvivalBlog reader and fellow blogger Jennifer Rader. Jam Pie Ingredients 1 rich single-crust pie shell (see included recipe, below) 1 pint of jelly or jam 1 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Spread jam on the hot pie crust.  Let cool completely. In a small, chilled bowl, combine cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Whip until stiff peaks form.  Spread onto cooled jam. Refrigerate the pie for 3 hours before serving. Rich Pie Crust Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon baking powder …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: The United States total fertility rate (# of children per woman) in the year 2025, by state. (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.


The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“…I think that what we need to do is examine the entire Federal Reserve Institution and whether they have been successful…   ..You know, if this were the FAA and we were having this many mistakes, we would go back and look at, why has this happened? …So, you know, I think this idea of them not being able to break out of a certain mindset…   …all these PhDs over there, I don’t know what they do. I don’t know what they do. This is like Universal Basic Income for academic economists.” – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, from a July …


Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 1, 2026

On February 1st, we recognize the 1942 birthday of the late Dr. Gary North. North was a prolific writer on Christian Reconstruction and economics topics. He passed away on February 24, 2022. His more than 50 published books are a lasting legacy. He also assembled a free online library of books by other godly writers, through his Institute for Christian Economics (ICE). Those free books, totaling 38,000 pages, are all still available online, They are a great resource for homeschoolers and economics students. We also remember February 1st, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana as …


Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced — Round 122

We’ve announced the winners of Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Note to the top three prize winners: Please contact me and let me know your UPS and USPS address(es), for your prizes. Thanks. – JWR The top three prize winners will each receive some great prize packages. The winners for Round 122 are… First Prize Winner: First Prize goes to A.F., for Introducing Your Community to Emergency Preparedness. It was posted January 8-10, 2026. See:  Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.) He will receive as prizes: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: There are Some Differences Between “Homely” Pretti, and “Pretty” Pretti  News Links: It appears MSNBC gave Alex Pretti a tan, a stronger jawline, better teeth, shorter forehead, and a nose job. AI-altered pic of Alex Pretti is being widely circulated after his killing by Border Patrol. 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 repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is …


The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — January 31, 2026

On January 31, 1905, the first automobile to exceed 100 mph (161 kph), a Napier six-cylinder racing car named ‘Samson’. It was driven by British daredevil Arthur Macdonald, at Daytona Beach, Florida. A top speed of 104 miles per hour was recorded. — On January 31, 1934, President FDR devalued the US dollar in relation to gold at $35 per ounce. This came just months after FDR’s administration had confiscated all privately-held gold bullion and non-numismatic gold coins. — Today, we present a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader. Because it is partially promotional for a published book, it is …


Are You Emotionally Ready for the Coming Collapse? – Part 5, by Peter Cannon

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) In Part 4 of this series, we reviewed the Merchants of the Earth, the Persecution of the Saints, and the Harvests of the Righteous and of the Unrighteous) In this concluding installment, we will study the Bowl Judgments, Earthquakes on the Rise, and the Second Coming of Jesus. The Bowl Judgments The Seal and Trumpet Judgments have passed. Now God pours out His wrath on the unbelievers with the Bowl Judgments: “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is …


The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord‘s release. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — January 30, 2026

On January 30, 1648, Spain and the Netherlands signed the Peace of Munster, ending the Thirty Years’ War. — The late Actor Eugene “Gene” Allen Hackman was born January 30, 1930.  He and his wife both sadly passed away in February, 2025. — January 30th is also the birthday of historian Barbara Tuchman (born 1912, died February 6, 1989). She wrote some very engaging history books. — Jase Medical just updated their affiliate agreement with SurvivalBlog.  All SurvivalBlog readers now get an automatic $10 discount at checkout. Just click on their ad in the SurvivalBlog ad stack, or use this …


Economics & Investing Media of the Week

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. On Monday (January 26, 2026), spot silver touched $116.59 per Troy ounce in Comex trading. That brought the silver-to-gold price ratio down to 43.3-to-1. (It was 102-to-1 in late May of 2025.)  I expect the ratio to drop perhaps to as low as 28-to-1, in 2026. Friday PM Update: In reaction to news about Trump’s pick to head the Federal Reserve, there was some strong selling this morning in New York that brought silver down to below …


The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“The fundamental source of all your errors, sophisms, and false reasoning, is a total ignorance of the natural rights of mankind. Were you once to become acquainted with these, you could never entertain a thought, that all men are not, by nature, entitled to a parity of privileges. You would be convinced, that natural liberty is a gift of the beneficent Creator, to the whole human race; and that civil liberty is founded in that; and cannot be wrested from any people, without the most manifest violation of justice.” – Alexander Hamilton, “The Farmer Refuted,” 1775


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 29, 2026

On January 29, 1944 USS Missouri (BB-63), the last battleship commissioned by the US Navy, was. launched. It was decommissioned in 1992, and was donated for use as a museum and memorial ship on May 4, 1998. It is now on display near the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. — Today, we present a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader. Because it is partially promotional for a published book, it is not part of the judging for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running …