Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced — Round 102

We’ve completed the judging for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prize winners are:

First Prize:

First prize is awarded to Always Learning, for Fire Preparedness and Firefighting – Part 1 and Part 2, which was posted on August 5-6, 2022. They will receive the following prizes:

  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:

Second prize is awarded to T.S., Ph.D., for Apple Tree Care 102: Thinning Fruit which was posted on  August 20, 2022. He will receive the following prizes:

  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:

Third prize is awarded to K.R, for Rainwater Harvesting – Part 1 & Part 2, which was posted on August 9-10, 2022. He will receive the following prizes:

  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 LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

Honorable Mention Prizes:

The Honorable Mention Prizes (transferable $100 FRN purchase credits toward the purchase of any antique or percussion replica gun from Elk Creek Company) go to the authors of these 17 articles:

Round 103 is now in progress and will end on November 30th, 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.

Rock River Arms All Terrain Hunter, by Thomas Christianson

The Rock River Arms All Terrain Hunter (ATH) is an AR-platform rifle optimized for hunting. It is attractively styled and beautifully machined. I found it to be accurate and reliable in my testing, and was especially impressed with the outstanding trigger. With a manufacturer suggested retail price of $1,425 it is an attractive choice as a mid-range AR-platform rifle.

True Confessions

I really like AK-platform rifles chambered in 5.56mm. I appreciate the rugged reliability of the AK platform matched with the flat trajectory of the 5.56 cartridge. So to some extent, this review is an AK guy’s reflections on an AR. It is not that I have anything against ARs per se, but handling an AR always feels a little like speaking in a second language in which I am not fully fluent.

In spite of this, when I received a press release from Rock River Arms about the All Terrain Hunter, I was really interested. Among other attractive features, the 18-inch free-floating heavy stainless steel barrel is guaranteed to provide 3/4 MOA accuracy at 100 yards, the trigger guard is optimized to accommodate gloved fingers, and the rifle is chambered in .223 Wylde so that it can safely and effectively chamber both .223 and 5.56mm ammunition. I asked Rock River Arms if I could borrow a sample for testing and evaluation, and they were kind enough to agree.Continue reading“Rock River Arms All Terrain Hunter, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: John’s Perfect Pizza Burgers

The following simple recipe for Perfect Pizza Burgers comes to us from SurvivalBlog reader John M..

John says:  “This is a chef’s surprise dinner that most folks have never tried. Be advised that you should make a bunch of these burgers, because they will not stop at eating just one. Seriously, people become piranhas eating these and will beg you for the recipe.”

This is a hamburger recipe that sandwiches pizza ingredients between two thin beef patties.

Directions

Start with 85 to 90% hamburger mix in the usual spices and add a 1/8 cup of Worcestershire to each pound of meat. Make flat patties that are only about 1/4-inch thick using about an apple-sized ball of meat (the patty will be about small pancake size.)

On each patty spread a tablespoon of commercially-made pizza sauce (from a jar or can) in the middle. But don’t spread it all the way to the edge of the patty.

Next, top the sauce with 2 tablespoons of grated mozzarella cheese.

Now gently place another flattened 1/4-inch thick patty on top and press the edges together with your fingers. (Do not flatten the filled center area).

Gently cook on the grill like a regular hamburger, you can tell they are about ready when small amounts of sauce and cheese peeks out.

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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. 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 auction prices for collectible guns and numismatic coins. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

The relationship between the silver price, inventories, and comex positions.

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Silver Options Strategy: How low is too low?

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Gold Price Forecast – Crisis Indicators Flashing Red, Gold Near Critical Bottom.

Economy & Finance:

Some troubling news reported by American Partisan: Federal Reserve announces major ‘pilot exercise’ for ESG social credit score system.

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Time: The Stock Market Dropped to Its Lowest Level in 2022. Here’s What Experts Predict for the Rest of the Year.

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McKinsey: Economic conditions outlook, September 2022.

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Over at Zero Hedge: “Horrendous” CarMax Results Confirm Fed Has Successfully Pushed US Economy Off A Cliff.

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Federal Reserve’s increasing interest rate hikes put Main Street economy ‘dangerously close’ to edge of lending cliff.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“No man escapes
When freedom fails,
The best men rot in filthy jails;
And they who cried: ‘Appease, Appease!’
Are hanged by men they tried to please.”

– Attorney Hiram Mann, 28 March, 1947, Wall Street Journal, Letters to the Editor.

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 2, 2022

On October 2, 2002, the Beltway sniper attacks began. This was a series of coordinated sniper attacks in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The attacks lasted three weeks and resulted in the killing of 10 people.

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October 3rd is also the anniversary of the Mogadishu, Somalia raid.

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Today’s feature article was written by JWR.

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Tomorrow, we will be announcing the prize winners for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

Revisiting The “Worst Case” Retreat Potential for Northeastern States

I have had a couple of consulting clients contact me since July, both asking me for advice on potential retreat locales that are fairly close to Northeastern cities.  My replies to them were fairly pointed and terse: There are simply no viable retreat locales to survive a “worst case” collapse anywhere within 100 miles of New York City, Boston, or Philadephia. This is because the population density is simply too high. And, in fact, I generally discourage my clients from residing anywhere east of the Mississippi River — or better yet the Missouri River — if they have the opportunity to move. I realize that because of family commitments, health conditions, and work obligations, relocation is not feasible for many eastern families. For them, the best that they can hope for in a major grid-down socioeconomic collapse is to “hunker down” in a hardened house with little or no outside contact for a couple of winters and wait for the results of a die-off. But their statistical chances of surviving this are quite slim.

It is All About Population

Take a few minutes to study the updated population density of map of the United States, by county.

Where I live, there are less than 15 people per square mile. There are far more deer and elk, than people. The nearest major city is more than 300 miles away, as the crow flies, and almost 400 driving miles. It is 60 miles to drive to the nearest Wal-Mart. l honestly believe that living where we do, my family will be able to live off the land, and that we will be unlikely to come under attack by looters. There is no perfect retreat locale in CONUS, but generally, I believe that The American Redoubt region offers the best combination of isolation from population centers, local power generation, minimally-intrusive government, and potential for self-sufficiency.

Back in October of 2005, I received the following e-mail from a SurvivalBlog reader:

Sir:
You mentioned that you don’t feel qualified to comment on much less to rank the eastern states. I can start the ball rolling, re: the Urban Northeast (the UNE). The disadvantages of the UNE are: cold winters, overpopulation, generally bad gun laws, socialistic politicians, and high Sheeple Ratio (SR). However, tens of millions of people live there, so:
1. I live in Philadelphia, for which the natural bugout area is the Catskills, Lehigh Valley, etc.
PA gun laws are surprisingly good; an oasis of sanity in the UNE: Shall Issue CCW (and you can carry virtually anywhere — no annoying patchwork of carry-proscribed areas); no AW laws; no waiting periods. Long guns can be sold privately without a paper trail, but sadly all handguns must go through FFL. This latter is disconcerting because, in open defiance of state law, the PA State Police are keeping a firearm registry. That’s why creating a cache of off-paper rifles is all-important.
PA taxes vary: state income taxes are mild but City of Philadelphia taxes are savagely draconian.
2. New York City: you’re screwed. Politics; gun laws; taxes; population; SR are all hopeless for the foreseeable future. There is no sane bugout area around. New York state gun laws are only marginally better than NYC. NJ is hopeless too. Your best bet might be CT.
3. Boston area. Look north. I can’t comment on Maine, but both NH and VT are excellent choices, especially with regard to gun laws. I’ll try to have my NH friend contribute more info.

Conditions Have Worsened

I still stand by the position that I took, back in 2005. If anything, the situation in the “UNE” is even worse now — 17 years later — with ongoing urbanization, ongoing reductions in the number of small family farms, higher taxes, the advent of “woke” politics, increasing homelessness, and the ongoing bureaucratization of both county and state governments. Even states like New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine are seeing gradual population increases and a quite perceptible diminution of private property rights. Surprisingly, even Vermont has done away with private party sales of used guns. There, all sales of post-1898 guns now have to be handled through a FFL holder, with a 4473 form filled out, and a FBI background check.

I look forward to hearing the perspective of SurvivaBlog readers on this topic. Please e-mail me, and I’ll post your comments in the next Snippets column.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Vote with your feet! – JWR

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

To share this, you can find it here:

Meme Text:

Dear Mr. Tyrant: You Will Soon Discover…
Just How Quickly You Can Lose A War

When You Push A Family Man
That Just Wants To Be Left Alone

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.

Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.

And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.

Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.” – Luke 7:1-32 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 1, 2022

The Republic of Palau officially became an independent sovereign state on October 1, 1994.

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We are seeking entries for Round 103 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. That two-month round starts today.  More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 103 ends on November 30th, 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.

The Queen Died, but King Dollar Lives On, by Arkadiusz Sieroń

Queen Elizabeth II died, but King Dollar is the strongest in decades. Gold doesn’t like it.

To say that gold has been struggling this year is an understatement. As the chart below shows, the price of the yellow metal declined from above $2,000 to below $1,700 (as of September 20). That slide occurred during the highest inflation since the great stagflation of the 1970s.Continue reading“The Queen Died, but King Dollar Lives On, by Arkadiusz Sieroń”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’ve been trying to wrap up a few projects here at the Rawles Ranch, before the weather changes. I’ll soon be shifting to work on our shop. I’m starting to build some partitions for storage rooms, and more shelves.

Well, it is now officially fall. I may have to rake a few leaves, close to the house.

The wildfire season has been lingering due to Indian Summer weather conditions. So, unlike in previous years, I have covered all of our slash piles with old tarps. I did this because I expect our county government to delay their official okey-dokey of open burning until at least October 15th, this year. By then, we will probably have had several drenching rains. I like to be able to ignite my slash piles with just one match–not with a lot of expensive diesel fuel.

A consulting client here in the Redoubt asked me for recommendations on foraging and edible forest gardening books.  I handed that to Lily, since she is more knowledgeable than I am, on that topic. Here is the list that she assembled for him from our bookshelves:

“The Uses of Wild Plants” Frank Tozer

“Wild Harvest: An Outdoorsman’s Guide to Edible Wild Plants in North America”. Alyson Hart Knap

“The Essential Wild Food Survival Guide” Linda Runyon

“Eat the Trees” Linda Runyon

“How To Eat in the Woods”. Bradford Angier

“How to Stay Alive in the Woods”. Bradford Angier

“Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants”. Bradford Angier

“Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies” Linda Kershaw

“Wild Berries of the West”. Betty B. Derig and Margaret C. Fuller

“Foraging the Mountain West”. Thomas J. Elpel and Kris Reed

“Audubon Flowers West”

“Secret Garden of Survival” Rick Austin

“Secret Greenhouse of Survival” Rick Austin

“Diary of an Early American Boy 1805” Eric Sloane

“Eric Sloane’s Simple Machines: A Boy, A Diary, and the Building of America”  Wie Mauch

Now that most of the insulation is in place, I did some carpentry work in our shop. Following that, I will finally be able to reposition some shelves — and even add some new shelving, at a higher level. We are trying to think in three dimensions — to maximize the use of all available space. Stay tuned.

Now, over to Lily…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

A just weight and balance are the Lord‘s: all the weights of the bag are his work.

It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.

The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.

In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.

How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.

The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.

Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.

The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” – Proverbs 16:1-25 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 30, 2022

On this day in 1938, the Treaty of Munich was signed by Hitler, Mussolini, Daladier, and Chamberlain. This treaty forced Czechoslovakia to cede territory to Germany. Thus began the “Phoney War” period. The treaty proved to be only worthless paper promises, just a few months later.

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I just heard that Andrew van der Bijl, best known by Christians worldwide as Brother Andrew, passed away on Tuesday at age 94. His book God’s Smuggler was an international bestseller.  I pray that ten thousand more scripture smugglers rise up, to take his place.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 102 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 LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 ends on September 30th, 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.

One Man’s View of Geopolitics, by Francis The Semi-Prepper

I have a somewhat different view of the war between Ukraine and Russia. This starts off with some rambling so just relax. I’ll get to the point.

I refer to myself as a semi-prepper sine we live in a nice suburb about 24 miles (~17 miles as the crow flies) from where our daughter and family live in a major southern city (they are about 2.9 miles from the city center). This is not the ideal location as far as I’m concerned but our grandchildren are that important to us, we are not moving even though I feel something will hit the fan, sooner not later. Our kids can figure it out; we have to be here for our grandchildren, regardless of circumstances.

We have tried to anticipate shortages and are well prepared with food, firearms and ammunition, some medicines, and training. Please note, though there are many manufacturers of ammunition, that will be the next woke, liberal wombat attack as the industry is somewhat concentrated, large manufacturers have many names, Vista Outdoors owns Alliant Powder, CCI, Federal, Remington and Speer, many names but concentrated in a few companies. The Biden administration announced — and then withdrew — plans to stop the civilian sale of .223/5.56 ammunition manufactured at the Lake City from the GOCO (government owned/contractor operated) that Winchester has the current contract for. The plan was dropped, at least for now. But wait until after the November elections.Continue reading“One Man’s View of Geopolitics, by Francis The Semi-Prepper”