Preparedness Notes for Friday – February 15, 2019

Gun developer Richard “Dick” Casull was born on February 15, 1931. Casull passed away peacefully at home on May 6, 2018 after a long battle with cancer. Dick Casull’s fame came from his design and manufacture of the .454 Casull revolver, along with many other handgun and rifle designs. He held 17 firearm patents. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The …




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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today’s focus is on the implications of a possible resurgence of Fed Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP.) Precious Metals (NIRP): Simon Black: Reason #437 to Own Gold: The Fed Wants Negative Interest Rates. The article begins: ” “And just like that, it seems we’re headed back to quantitative easing… …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Number one, we need to get in shape, number two we need to shoot, number three, we need to learn self-defense, and number four, we need to study small-unit tactics… If you do not have 5,000 rounds of .223, 5,000 rounds of .22 and 1,000 rounds of handgun ammo, as a minimum, you’re wrong. We need to train our families how to shoot as well. We need to get food. We need to have a year’s supply of food, two years supply of seeds, we need to have a year’s supply of sundry items. That’s what it means to be …




Preparedness Notes for Thursday – February 14, 2019

February 14 is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lucas (born 1928, died June 5, 2008). During the Iwo Jima campaign, this 17-year-old won the Medal of Honor for unhesitatingly hurling himself over his comrades upon one grenade and for pulling another one under himself. One of the grenades exploded, and Lucas absorbed the entire blasting force of it with his own body. PFC Lucas was the youngest Marine ever to receive the Medal of Honor. (He was just 13 when he forged his mother’s signature to enlist.) — 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— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”.  Today, we focus on the emerging threat of fusion center surveillance. Details of Fusion Center Surveillance Revealed I saw this article mentioned at the FreeZoxeeFriends site: Details of Fusion Center Surveillance Revealed. Here is a key passage from the article: “In 2012, a special white paper was submitted to the House of Representatives wherein the DHS was encouraged to embark on an “evolving mission” away from its ostensible purpose of fighting terrorism, …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If you are for gun control then you are not against guns, because guns will be needed to disarm people. So it’s not that you are anti-gun – you’ll need the police’s guns to take away other people’s guns. So you are very pro-gun. You just believe that only the government (which of course is so reliable, honest, moral, and virtuous) should be allowed to have guns. There is no such thing as gun control. There is only centralizing gun ownership in the hands of a small, political elite and their minions.” – Stefan Molyneux




Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – February 13, 2019

Today is the birthday of General Chuck Yeager (born, 1923), the first man to break the sound barrier. As of 2019, he is now 96 years old. February 13th is also the birthday of Robert Charles “R.C.” Sproul (born 1939, died December 14, 2017), a well-respected American Calvinist theologian. — The latest at the SurvivalRealty.com spin-off site operated by my #1 Son: 10 acres near Priest Lake, Idaho bordered by USFS on one side.  Log home with a combination of solar, generator, and battery. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. …




JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on MagPul PMAG magazines. (See the Gear & Grub section.) Books: Nation of Cowards: Essays on the Ethics of Gun Control. o  o  o Complete Works O. Henry Authorized Edition 12 Volume Set   Movies & Television: The Korean War – 60th Anniversary Commemorative Documentary Collection o  o  o The second season of the very cleverly-crafted parallel universe television series Counterpart began airing last month on Starz, and will wrap up on Sunday, February 17, 2019. Most of …




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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today’s focus is on the national debt bomb. (See the Economy & Finance section. Precious Metals: Millennials And Gold: First A Car, Then A House … And Then Gold o o o Large Gold Bullion Shipment Moves From London To Dublin Gold Vaults As Brexit Concerns Deepen o …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“It is my opinion, that this kingdom has no right to lay a tax upon the colonies. At the same time I assert the authority of this kingdom over the colonies to be sovereign and supreme in every circumstance of Government and legislation whatsoever. The colonists are the subjects of this kingdom, equally entitled with yourselves to all the natural rights of mankind and the peculiar privileges of Englishmen…The Americans are the sons, not the bastards, of England. Taxation is no part of the governing or legislative power…When, therefore, in this House we give and grant, we give and grant …




Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – February 12, 2019

February 12th is the birthday of theologian and journalist Cotton Mather (1663–1728). — I’d like to make mention of a new homesteading blog that has been launched by “Hazel” Williamson, the wife of SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson. Hazel’s blog is written with great wit and candor. Therein, she describes the trials and triumphs of raising heritage commercial rabbits for meat. Her current breed of rabbit is the Silver Fox. She also raises poultry. The blog is titled “Hazel’s Bluff Farm & Rabbitry“, and subtitled “Microfarming for Sanity.” Be sure to check it out. I found one January …




Becoming a Savvy Pre-1899 Antique Gun Buyer

After posting my recent warning about potential passage and enactment of H.R. 8 / S.42 and an interview about this on the Reluctant Preppers podcast, I’ve had several readers and consulting clients contact me.  They’ve been asking these questions:  “How do I actually find pre-1899 cartridge guns in good condition?”, “Where can I find antique guns at reasonable prices?”, and “How do I know what I’m looking at”? Here is my summary on how to get savvy: 1.) Do your research. Visit a local gunsmith and have him show you how to spot a gun that has been reblued. (Blurred …




SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on Surplus Dealers in the American Redoubt. (Military, government, and commercial surplus.) Idaho I’ll start out with a mention of Army Surplus 1. Their great store in Sandpoint, Idaho was surely the inspiration for the fictional “Grogan’s War Surplus” in the humorous novels by the late Patrick McManus. o o o Idaho Surplus Warehouse, in Idaho Falls, is …




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”.  Today, we focus on how SurvivalBlog has been shadow banned. Pills to Protect Against an Apocalypse A short but fairly accurate piece was recently posted over at The New York Times: Potassium iodide offers limited protection to those exposed to a Chernobyl-type disaster. Every family should have some on hand.  But keep in mind that they only protect against one form of cancer and not any other radiation effects. Several of our …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“A soul so pitiably forlorn, If such do on this earth abide, May season apathy with scorn, May turn indifference to pride; And still be not unblest—compared With him who grovels, self-debarred From all that lies within the scope Of holy faith and Christian hope; Or, shipwrecked, kindles on the coast False fires, that others may be lost.” – William Wordsworth, To the Lady Fleming, st. 7 (1823)