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, more about License Plate Surveillance.

License Plate Surveillance, Courtesy of Your HOA

SurvivalBlog’s Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this: License Plate Surveillance, Courtesy of Your Homeowners Association.

America in 2023: Confusion and Pessimism

From left-wing The Hill: The state of America in 2023: confusion and pessimism.

Nearly Half of Louisiana Residents May Be ‘Survivalists’

Are you ready for a disaster? Nearly half of Louisiana residents may be ‘survivalists’.
Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 29, 2023

Today would have been the 104th birthday of William “Bill” Summers Anderson. He passed away on June 29, 2021, at age 102.

The following is from his biography at the Infogalactic wiki:

“He was born March 29, 1919, in Hankow, China. On December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong was also attacked by the Japanese. As a member of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC), Anderson fought the Japanese but after 17 days of heavy fighting, Hong Kong surrendered.

On Christmas Day 1941, exactly four years after he had escaped from the Japanese in China, he became a Prisoner of War (POW) and lost his second home. For the first two years, he was in a prison camp in Hong Kong before being moved to Nagoya, Japan as part of a group of 400, to work in a railway locomotive factory. Here the work was very hard; inmates worked 13 days out of 14 and were beaten on occasion. Towards the end of 1944, Japan was being bombed regularly. In May 1945, a large air raid over Nagoya knocked out the factory and the POWs were sent across the country to Toyama on the west coast to work at a branch of the locomotive factory. Toyama was almost totally destroyed in a fire bomb raid on August 1, 1945, after which the POWs were confined to barracks until the Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945.

He was evacuated from Japan to the Philippines and as a British citizen, sent to England after two weeks of recovery in Canada. After the war, he became chairman of NCR Corporation.”

In 1983, just before he retired, Anderson was reportedly America’s highest-paid business executive with a compensation of $13,299.000.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 105 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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 $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 105 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.

Homeschooling, a Report From the Trenches – Part 2, by N.C.

(Continued from Part 1.)

Three principles for educating your child

Educating your children is going to take a lot of investment. In beginning stages the things you need are free or cheap but you will need to invest a lot of time. As the student gets older the materials will cost more but each student will be capable of more independent work. Regardless of where they are on that journey some principles will always be guiding you as you parent and teach. I’ll suggest 3: Homeschooling is a way of life. Follow and grow interest. Be brilliant in the basics.

Homeschooling is a way of life to prepare them for life

My wife took note of the three educational placemats on the table and jokingly told me that my homeschooler was showing. Then our kindergartner dropped a geographic fact into our dinner conversation that she had picked up from that placemat. Does that mean dinner and lunch count as instruction? Of course not, but she learned something outside of school hours because her environment as a whole is educational.

Homeschoolers sometimes take the practice of making things educational too far and suck the fun out of…well anything…but it’s because learning is never far away for homeschoolers. As with many things our old friend Aristotle has the right of it: too much or too little of a virtue is a vice. Sometimes though (this is still Aristotle) one vice is worse than another. His example uses Courage as the virtue, too little is cowardice and too much is foolhardiness. Of those vices cowardice is worse and so we err on the side of too much courage. For homeschooling, the error of too little education is worse than too much education and so the wise course is adding just a bit more education than you think is ideal.

While you’re adding in that education consider this quote:
“Children want to be treated like they’re slightly more intelligent than they are” ~ Eoin Colfer.

I would add “knowledgeable” but otherwise I don’t think the quote can be improved. Teach more than they need right now. Teach a little bit more than you think they can understand. Then come back and end with what they need. What you’re actually doing is throwing out pegs that they will hang things on later. You’re showing them where they will be going. You’re growing a desire to finish filling in the blanks later. You’re showing your confidence that they can reach that far.

That’s why I say it’s a lifestyle. You’ll be looking to build on their knowledge, to expand it, and you will find teachable moments everywhere. When you’re reading to your pre-schooler you’ll sound out a phonetic word, not because you expect them to start sounding out everything, but because it implants that concept. In a healthy homeschool, learning and discussing learning is the normal state of affairs. Don’t take it to the point where they hate playing games because you lecture about strictly dominated strategies in game theory but do take it to the point where they start to see the amazing network of connections all about them.Continue reading“Homeschooling, a Report From the Trenches – Part 2, by N.C.”

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.

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Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson suggested this interesting article: How I Persuade Free-Roaming Ducks to Lay Eggs For Me.

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Video of congressional testimony by a Special Forces veteran on the aftermath of Biden’s shameful handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal: Retired Lt. Col.’s Remarks Receive Thunderous Applause From House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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I recently purchased a couple of flexible antennas for our UV-5R multiband handi-talkies. These antennas are American-made by a small company in Virginia, called Tactenna. They seem to be quite sturdy.  My initial tests showed that they work quite well on GMRS frequencies. The quickest and easiest way to order them seems to be via Tactenna’s eBay store.

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France On The Brink Of Revolution? JWR’s Comment:  Vive La Résistance!

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GOP Compromise Unintentionally Creates Universal Firearm Background Checks.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 28, 2023

On this day in 845, a 5,000-man strong fleet of Danish Vikings invaded Frankish lands. They only retreated after besieging Paris and securing a ransom from the Frankish King Charles the Bald. This was part of a series of devastating raids begun by the Vikings in the 790s.

The Vikings were led by a man named “Reginherus” or Ragnar, sometimes linked to the legendary saga figure Ragnar Lodbrok. The Vikings easily overcame defenses set in place by Charlemagne and are known to have attacked the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés just outside the city. Although struck by an outbreak of plague, the Vikings overcame this to return home with their ransom of 7,000 French livres of gold and silver.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 105 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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 $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 105 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.

 

 

Homeschooling, a Report From the Trenches – Part 1, by N.C.

I was surprised to see that homeschooling was a topic of interest for SurvivalBlog but given homeschooling’s growth over the last few years, I ought not have been.

So first, why should you listen to me? Well, I was homeschooled K-12, graduated college, got two advanced degrees, taught at the university level, and am now homeschooling my own kids. My wife’s much more practical choice of major means that this is the logical choice for us. I am a homeschooling success story and I believe in it enough to shoulder the cost and the work (as my children shoulder the risk) of me homeschooling them.

I want to start with a word of warning: there are no guarantees. I’ve seen my share of homeschoolers who went crazy in college, who were unable to do the work of college, who wound up as NEETs (Not Employed Educated or Trained), or who wound up as uneducated manual labor. So I’ll say it again: there are no guarantees. Your kids (and mine) will eventually measure themselves against the world and if we’re lucky they’ll crawl away bleeding instead of being maimed beyond recognition.

An analogy I often use to explain many of the homeschoolers who went crazy in college is that they were like goldfish, raised in a crystal bowl with pure water for 18 years….then dumped into the Hudson River, raw sewage and all. It was “mutate or die”. So keep that in mind. Your student has to interface with the world as it is not as it should be.Continue reading“Homeschooling, a Report From the Trenches – Part 1, by N.C.”

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, news of Idaho’s new school restroom law. (See the Idaho section.)

Region-Wide

In a lengthy and rambling piece, a Vanity Fair reporter gets an earful from some libertarian Galt’s Gulching preppers: Inside the Dissident Fringe, Where the New Right Meets the Far Left, and Everyone’s Bracing for Apocalypse.

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Is Secession Fanciful? It’s Already Underway, Says Professor.

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Kootenai County inmate accidentally released, re-arrested in Montana.

Idaho

Bathroom Bill signed into Law by Governor Little.  The article begins:

“On March 23, Governor Little signed S1100, As Amended, making the bill the law. S1100, also known as the Bathroom Bill, garnered much attention, as it addresses gender identity and what is and is not allowed in some school facilities. The measure had passed in both the House and the Senate with an overwhelming majority. The law requires public schools to maintain separate restrooms, showers, and changing areas for biological boys and biological girls. It also requires the school to provide reasonable accommodations for any student who is unwilling, or unable, to use a multi-occupancy facility designated for his or her biological sex. “

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Recreationists, and homeowners reminded to take precautions with their pets as coyote denning season arrives.

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Deputies investigating vehicle burglaries at popular trailhead.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Every action is seen to fall into one of three main categories, guarding, hitting, or moving. Here, then, are the elements of combat, whether in war or pugilism.” – B. H. Liddell Hart

Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 27, 2023

On March 127, 1975, construction began on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline; spanning 800 miles (1,300 km), the oil pipeline cost $8 billion. It was completed in 1977.

Today is also the anniversary of Tennirife airliner collision disaster, in 1977.

And March 27th is the birthday of the late Robert W. Ford (born 1923, died 20 September 2013). He was an amazing man who had a remarkable life. His book, Wind Between The Worlds (an account of experiences in Tibet, captivity by the communist Chinese, and his fight against brainwashing), is highly recommended. It is available for free download.

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Today’s feature article was written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.  Pat has been in poor health in recent months, so please keep him in your prayers.

Valley Forge Damascus Bowie, by Pat Cascio

There was a time, some years ago, when many of the knives coming out of Pakistan were pure junk, and I mean junk! This has changed over the years, and now some high-quality knives are coming out of Pakistan, at very good prices. I previously covered another Damascus fighting knife, made in Pakistan, and it was a 100% winter in my opinion. Today, we’re looking at another selection from Pakistan and it is imported by Cutlery Corner Network. They have television shows daily on cable television. Many of their knives are not up to par, in my estimation. Then again, a lot of people don’t mind purchasing cheap knives that aren’t worth a penny.

A quick review of what a Damascus steel is: It originated in Damascus, Syria, around 800 A.D.. It is usually two steels that are welded together – not with a welder, though. The two steels are heated and pounded until they become one steel – usually the equivalent of 1095 carbon steel – but not always. Once the two steels become one, they are folded over and beaten together all over again. This used to be done by hand, with a hot forge, a heavy hammer, and an anvil. Then, the entire process if repeated over and over again.

This particular Bowie has about 200 layers – each time it is pounded together, it gets stronger and stronger. Some custom knife makers used to produce Damascus steel blades with 500 or more layers – a lot of very intensive work, to be sure.Continue reading“Valley Forge Damascus Bowie, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Grain & Dried Fruit Salad 

The following recipe for Grain & Dried Fruit Salad is from SurvivalBlog reader D.J.:

Ingredients
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 cup medium pearl barley
  • 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
  • 2/3 cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels
  • 1/2 cup salted pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup each of three of your favorite dried fruits (such as raisins, golden raisins, chopped prunes, chopped dried apricots, or dried cranberries)
  • 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 4 teaspoons grated orange zest
Directions
  1. In a large saucepan, bring the 3 cups of water to a boil.
  2. Add barley and wild rice.
  3. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 55-to-65 minutes — until tender.
  4. Meanwhile, cook basmati rice according to the usual directions.
  5. Cool the barley/wild rice and the basmati rice to room temperature.
  6. In a large bowl, combine the almonds, sunflower seed kernels, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, parsley, and orange zest.
  7. Add the barley and rices.
  8. In a small bowl, make a large vinaigrette dressing, with your choice of oil. (I like to add a little orange juice to my vinaigrette mix, for this salad.)
  9. Pour the vinaigrette dressing over the Grain & Dried Fruit Salad and toss it, to coat.
  10. Cover and refrigerate the dressed salad for at least two hours, before serving.
STORAGE

This does not store well overnight, once it is coated in the vinaigrette dressing. So plan on eating it all within a few hours.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, some post-mortem details on the Credit Suisse takeover. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

A word of caution to anyone looking for pre-1965 circulated U.S. silver coins: You should be shopping very carefully.  In today’s frantic marketplace, the premiums charged by dealers are varying much more widely than normal.  When I checked the asking price for full $1,000 face value “junk silver” bags on Saturday morning, some dealers were charging as little as 21 times face value, while others dealers were charging as much as 28 times face value!

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At Gold-Eagle.com: Metals Update: Silver Now Leads Gold.

Economy & Finance:

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: The $17 billion wipeout of Credit Suisse bondholders has not gone down well in Europe. JWR’s Comments:  Traditionally, bank bondholders have been “first in the queue” for recompense, ahead of shareholders. The recent re-ordering is sure to make waves, perhaps with some long-term political/financial governance repercussions. This is the biggest hit that AT1 bondholders have taken since 2008!

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Analysis: Credit Suisse collapse threatens Switzerland’s wealth management crown.

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50 More US Banks Could Fail – Lehman VP.

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The Race For Electric Vehicle Adoption: The West Takes The Wheel With Seattle, San Francisco & San Jose Leading The Pack. JWR’s Comment: Note the big blank spot in the map for the American Redoubt — including all of the northern Rockies and the Intermountain west, and beyond, to the plains. Electric cars simply don’t make much sense here, given our cold winters and our very long driving distances.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“It should be clear that modern fractional reserve banking is a shell game, a Ponzi scheme, a fraud in which fake warehouse receipts are issued and circulate as equivalent to the cash supposedly represented by those receipts.” –  Murray Rothbard