Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 4, 2025

November 4, 1841: The first emigrant wagon train arrived in California after a five-and-a-half-month, 1,730-mile journey over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from Missouri. This was the Bartleson–Bidwell Party. John Bidwell’s mansion property (pictured above, before the destructive December, 2024 fire) is now a state park. — November 4th is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone. He was born in 1916 in Buffalo, New York. The 2025 Basilone Parade was held in Raritan, New Jersey, Sunday, September 21st. Locals should try to attend in 2026, to honor his 110th birthday. — I just heard that Jase Medical (one …


SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

A Special Editor’s Note:  This will be the last regular News From The American Redoubt column.  Because so many news outlets have put their content behind paywalls, it has become increasingly difficult to assemble this column.  It will be replaced by a new weekly item: American Redoubt Media of the Week.  That will typically be photos, video links, or the occasional news item. — 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. …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 3, 2025

On November 3, 1917, the price of U.S. postage stamps was raised to 3 cents per ounce. — November 3, 1917: Flooding from a tropical storm killed 84 people in the Winooski River Valley, Vermont. Several flood control dams were eventually constructed, to prevent a similar disaster. — And November 3, 1987, Gordon Gould was issued US patent US4704583 for the laser, ending his 30-year battle to be credited as the inventor of the laser. — Today’s feature piece is by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.


Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Scrambled Eggs With Green Peppers is from The New Butterick Cook Book, copyright 1924, now in the public domain. That is one of the many bonus books included in the 2005-2025 20th Anniversary edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick that will be available in February of 2026. Ingredients 8 eggs 3 tablespoons cream Salt and pepper 2 sweet peppers\ 3 tablespoons butter or butter substitute Directions Beat the eggs slightly, adding the cream, salt and pepper. Heat the butter or butter substitute, and when hot add the eggs. As the eggs begin to cook, …



The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“Anyone who thinks hunters are just ‘bloodthirsty morons’ hasn’t looked into hunting. If you wait through long, cold hours in the November woods with a bow in your hands hoping a buck will show, or if you spend days walking in the African bush trailing Cape buffalo while listening to lions roar, you’re sure to learn hunting isn’t about killing.” – Donald Trump, Jr. (Photo by Gage Skidmore.)


Preparedness Notes for Sunday — November 2, 2025

November 2, 1907: US banker J. P. Morgan locked more than 40 bankers in his library to force them to find ways to avert a New York banking crisis. (The Panic of 1907.) — November 2, 1948: Holland ended its rationing programs started during WWII for the distribution of textiles, meat, and cheese. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Some Interesting Anagrams for the name Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Hired Kwanzaa Mammon Harm: Amaze Womankind I Khazar: Women, Men Mad Warn: Mohammed AK Nazi Mom Harmed in Kwanzaa Khazar Imam: Ad Men Now Newark Mohammad Nazi Wham! Armani Zak Demon Hazard: I Waken Mammon Harmz, in a Woke Madman News Links: Zohran Mamdani: Hypocrisy, Socialism and the Danger of Elitist Politics. Trump cautions that NY will ‘never be the same’ if ‘communist’ Mamdani is elected. A democratic socialist is poised to become New York mayor. Democrats are nervous. Notes From JWR: Do …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — November 1, 2025

November 1st, 996: The first noted use of the modern name for Austria, in the “Ostarrîchi Document”. — November 1, 1911: The first aerial bomb is dropped by an Italian pilot on Turkish troops in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War. This was the first recorded operational aerial bombardment. — November 1st is also the birthday of economist Martin A. Armstrong. For many years he was a prisoner of conscience, in part because he refused to turn over his proprietary trading algorithms to Federal prosecutors. After seven years in prison without a trial, the longest Federal incarceration for contempt in American …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — October 31, 2025

Today, while most of America celebrates the pagan Halloween, our family celebrates Reformation Day. — On this day in 1517, Martin Luther sent his Ninety-five Theses to Albert of Brandenburg, Archbishop of Mainz, precipitating the Protestant Reformation. — And on October 31, 1952: The first thermonuclear (fusion) bomb was aboveground test-detonated at the Marshall Islands. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course …


Gold and Silver’s Rise are Actually Symptoms of the Dollar’s Demise

Today, in place of our usual Economics & Investing news column, we offer some brief commentary from Senior Editor JWR: — I’m often irritated to hear the mainstream financial media report on the gold, silver, and platinum markets.  In reporting the ups and downs of the spot and futures metals markets, they seem oblivious to the bigger picture.  The metals are all now in primary bull markets. They blithely report: “The price of gold rose today…” But the rise (in Dollar terms) of gold, silver, and platinum are actually symptoms of the U.S. Dollar’s demise. In fact, all of the …