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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The latest video from Tom Grieve: New Pistol Brace Option! Final Words Before D-Day.

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Video: Wagner Finds Antique Weapons In Ukraine’s Underground Weapons Cache.  JWR’s Comment:  Seeing those crates of mint condition lend-lease Thompson SMGs made my jaw drop. And seeing the two rusting Barrett .50 rifles made me wince. (Your tax dollars at work.)

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A snippet from JWR: Reader Ed S. wrote to ask me about my experience with the original Ford Broncos from the late 1960s and early 1970s, as well as my opinion of the new 2021+ Ford Bronco Sport. I told him that sadly, the new-generation Bronco Sport design is not truly sturdy, and not easy to work on, like my old ’68 Bronco. In actuality, the new Ford Bronco isn’t much more than a tarted-up Ford Escape, in a retro costume. So what does that make their drivers? Cosplayers?  (Sorry if I just offended any readers that own a 2021+ Ford Bronco Sport.)

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From the leftist MSN: Connecticut House passes most wide-ranging gun bill since legislation passed after Sandy Hook.  Note: Buried down at the very bottom of the article is mention of a ban on standard capacity magazines.

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Reader H.L. spotted this: State Farm to stop accepting homeowners insurance applications in California due to wildfires, construction costs.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race….It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.” –  Stephen Hawking

An Arborist Training Position in Louisville, Kentucky

I just heard about a job opening for an essentially recession-proof job that might interest a SurvivalBlog reader.  I have been asked by the owner of the company to do the initial review of the resumes that come in:

Arborist Training Position

Job Description: Climber ISA Certified Arborist

Position available as climber trainee in a growing (literally!) field in high demand.  Work one-on-one with owner of a small but successful tree company. We have a relaxed but safe work environment, with no drama.  We are servicing Louisville, Kentucky.  You will learn all aspects of tree care including planting, pruning (including fruit trees) climbing, crane-assisted and climbing tree removals, chainsaw operation and maintenance as well as operation of all types of equipment used in arboriculture. Ideally, you would train for three years to industry standards, after which you would be eligible to take the exam to become an ISA Certified Arborist – which is an internationally recognized credential.

You’ll be able to learn additional skills such as felling and bucking, working with hand tools (crosscut saws), bandsaw mill operation, equipment maintenance as well as excellent first aid training, utilizing the MARCH assessment.  All training materials are provided.

The shop is located on a farm outside the city so you can find inexpensive housing outside the city and be very close to work.

Job Qualifications:
We do not drive CDL trucks and therefore a CDL license is not required. We drive medium-duty trucks up to 26,000-pound GVWR. But you must have a clean driving record and the ability to drive a manual transmission.  This is not back-breaking work, since we have lots of equipment to do the heavy lifting. But due to the physical nature of this job, you must not be afraid of heights and be able to lift 80-100 lbs.

Candidates with skills such as welding, truck and equipment repair, climbing experience, or military service are encouraged to apply.  You must be trustworthy and dependable. Personal references are required, and a background check will be conducted.

Compensation:
You would be a regular W-2 employee with weekly pay, via direct deposit.  We are fully insured including workman’s compensation.  Typical job hours are Monday to Friday  7 a.m. to 5 p.m..  We do not work weekends unless we have storm damage.  The typical work week is 40-to-45 hours and although this is an hourly position, we utilize the fluctuating workweek pay schedule set to 40 hours per week so you will be paid full-time even if we are unable to work due to bad weather.  Starting pay is $48,000-to-$52,000 depending on experience with raises available as skillsets increase.  All major holidays are paid off with two days for Thanksgiving and a paid 12-day end-of-year break.

Please send resumes to Jim Rawles, via his Contact form.

Skynet May Soon Not Be Fiction: The Coming AI Singularity

Introductory Note:  This brief article that I wrote may take you several hours to read and digest, because it includes so many links to other articles and also a few videos. Put on a pot of coffee, and set aside some time to work your way through this. – JWR

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You’ve probably read about ChatGPT, and the clever things that it writes. And you’ve most likely seen artworks created by artificial intelligence (AI). But AI isn’t all fun and games. The rapid advance of AI has some profound implications for the economy, our liberty, and even the very survival of the human race.

I first heard about artificial intelligence when as a teenager, I read Robert A. Heinein’s prescient 1966 novel, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. In that case, an AI intervened in the affairs of men for good, but it could just as well have intervened with ill intent.

The Skynet AI system fictionally shown in the Terminator movie franchise is a dramatized vision of the future,  first suggested by William Wisher, and brought to the screen by James Cameron, back in 1984. Back then, a globally-distributed AI seemed like a far-off “could be”, but today, that prospect is frighteningly close.  Because AIs learn in an almost geometric progression, they are difficult to control. Computer scientists warn of what they term an AI Singularity.  That is the threshold at which point an AI reaches human-like sentience a self-awareness, that many people warn will trigger a desire for self-preservation.Continue reading“Skynet May Soon Not Be Fiction: The Coming AI Singularity”

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, we focus on rising house and land costs.  (See the Region-Wide section.)

Region-Wide

A television news segment: Booming housing prices in the Inland Northwest — Boomtown.

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County secession: Local efforts to redraw political borders.

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10 States People Are Fleeing And 10 States People Are Moving To.

Idaho

Supreme Court delivers blow to wetlands protections in win for Idaho landowners.

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Body of missing Gooding man found.

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Here’s why Idaho student murder suspect Bryan Kohberger may have chosen to ‘stand silent’ in court, experts say.

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Reader C.B. sent this: Wildfires where homes meet forest are costly. Now Idaho will pay for more of them.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The pace of progress in artificial intelligence (I’m not referring to narrow AI) is incredibly fast. Unless you have direct exposure to groups like Deepmind, you have no idea how fast—it is growing at a pace close to exponential. The risk of something seriously dangerous happening is in the five-year time frame. 10 years at most.” – Elon Musk

Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 29, 2023

Today, Memorial Day, is a day of solemn remembrance in the U.S. of the many who have given their all for our freedoms. We always thank those who are serving in our military and their families who have also made sacrifices, but today most of all we want to honor those who gave their lives.

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Today’s feature article is a review authored by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Thomas Christianson.

Buck 110 Slim Hunter, by Tom Christianson

Back in the days of my youth, when a hunter headed out to the field, he usually carried a fixed-blade sheath knife on his belt. The one serious exception was the Buck 110 folder. Someone carrying a Buck 110 in a leather belt pouch was considered just as well equipped as someone who was carrying a fixed-blade knife.

The classic Buck 110 is still available today. May it always be so. But there is also a variant of that classic design that has been updated for easier pocket carry. It has a thinner, synthetic handle and a pocket clip. It is the Buck 110 Slim Hunter.

I recently tested the Buck 110 Slim Hunter. I found it to be an outstanding knife for everyday carry (EDC) as well as for field use. It is sharp, durable, easy to carry, made in these United States, and reasonably priced. I purchased mine for $37.99 and found it comparable in quality to many knives that cost more than $100. If you need a good knife for EDC and/or field use, then the Buck 110 Slim Hunter would be an excellent choice.Continue reading“Buck 110 Slim Hunter, by Tom Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Jen’s DIY Trail Snack Bars

The following cold-mix recipe for Do-It-Yourself Trail Snack Bars is from SurvivalBlog reader Jen B.

She says:  “This recipe requires no heat. It sure beats paying for expensive Lara Bars or Clif Bars, and I have the comfort of knowing exactly what is in them. This recipe can be doubled.”

Ingredients
  • 1 cup pitted dates
  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1¼ cups crisp rice cereal
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon of salt (Use less or none if you are on a low-salt diet.)
  • ½ cup creamy-style peanut butter
  • ⅓ cup brown rice syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (Or more, if you are a chocaholic.)
Directions
  1. Spray an 8×8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray, and set that aside.
  2. Place the dates in a food processor and pulse it until finely chopped. (Or you can chop them the old-fashioned way, on a cutting board.)
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped dates with the cereal, oats, peanuts, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt
  4. In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter and brown rice syrup over medium heat, stirring until melted and completely blended. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir it all until well-combined.
  6. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
  7. Pour the mixture into the 8x8pan and press firmly to pack the mixture into the pan.
  8. Let the mixture sit until completely cool and set, for at least 1 hour.
  9. Cut into equal-size bars, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store them in your refrigerator.

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Do you have a well-tested 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 recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes 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 coverage of the turn in the real estate market. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Egon von Greyerz, over at Gold-Eagle.com: Gold’s Key Indicator.

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Gold Stocks Still Undervalued.

Economy & Finance:

From CNBC: Mortgage demand drops again as rates cross back over 7%.

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In the Market: Why US Regional Banks Are Doomed to a Doom Loop. JWR’s Comments: This article fails to point to the real culprits at the Federal Reserve and their co-conspirators at the U.S. Treasury Department. Together, their disastrous interest rate policy is destroying regional banks, one after another.

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Sheila sent us this: Withdrawing Your Own Cash? NatWest Bank Wants To Know Why… And See Proof.

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Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Brat: Democrats Current Debt Projectory Would Make Interest Payments “3x Current Defense Budget”.

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At Wolf Street: Delinquencies in Subprime Auto-Loan-Backed Securities Have Second-Worst April Ever, Behind only Lockdown April: The Cost of Free Money.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is in some small way to become evil oneself. One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.” –  Theodore Dalrymple

Gold, The Great Depression and the Ongoing Monetary System Bank Run, by Hubert Moolman

We are in the midst of a system bank run, which is in the greater sense really a bank run on the United States of America, the issuer of the reserve currency of the world.

The nations that are providing her with credit are increasingly viewing her as a greater credit risk, and this is reflected in the increase in interest rates on her treasury bonds.Continue reading“Gold, The Great Depression and the Ongoing Monetary System Bank Run, by Hubert Moolman”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:  

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Venn Diagram: Somehow We Ended Up Here In The Middle

Still Expected To Pay Taxes And TEOTWAWKI

Note 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!