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, news of more saber-rattling over the Ukraine War.

Putin Abandons Nuclear Arms Treaty

Over at WorldNetDaily: Putin abandons landmark nuclear arms treaty with U.S. after Biden visits Ukraine.

Decision on Sending F-16s to Ukraine is Imminent

Carl F. sent this: Sen. Graham: Decision on Sending F-16s to Ukraine ‘Will Be Imminent’.

“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is among the 30 U.S. senators and dozens of House lawmakers who attended the Munich Security Conference this past weekend, where Russia’s war in Ukraine was among the top security concerns addressed by participants.

Graham told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday there was ‘virtually unanimous belief’ among attendees that the United States ‘should be training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 today so they can get the jets as soon as possible.'”

High Egg Prices Have Cities Allowing Backyard Chickens

At a website for CPAs: Shell Shock: High Egg Prices Have Cities Allowing Backyard Chickens. A quote:

“In recent months, backyard chicken advocates like Baile have been winning victories around the country. Prompted in part by the sky-high price of supermarket eggs, city councils from Arizona to Florida to Oklahoma have approved ordinances allowing people to welcome hens into their yards, and one legislature, Texas, is even considering a statewide law.”

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 22, 2023

February 22, 1857 was the birthday of Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist who was the first to broadcast and receive radio waves and helped to invent radar technology.

On this day in 1943, Sophie Scholl was executed by beheading for organizing the White Rose group–a student resistance to the Hitler regime. She had been convicted of high treason, after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich (LMU) with her brother, Hans. She was 21 years old.

On this day in 1732, George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the second son from the second marriage of a colonial plantation owner. An initially loyal British subject, Washington eventually led the Continental Army in the American Revolution and became known as the father of the United States.

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Today, a feature article by SurvivalBlog’s founder and Senior Editor, James Wesley, Rawles (“JWR”).

A Closer Look at the Pivotal Bruen Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court’s New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v. Bruen decision (issued June 23, 2022) was a pivotal ruling.  Following up on the District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and the McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) decisions, Bruen reaffirmed private gun rights, quite solidly. Up until those three decisions, the Supreme Court had conspicuously ignored taking up any Second Amendment cases, for more than 50 years. But now, the highest court has made it quite clear that the right to keep and bear arms is nigh-on absolute.

I’ve mentioned the Bruen decision before in SurvivalBlog. But today, I’d like like to examine it more closely.

The majority opinion for Bruen was written by one of my heroes, Justice Clarence Thomas. He had previously lamented that the Second Amendment had been treated as “a disfavored right.”  But in the 2022 decision, Justice Thomas set things write. He forthrightly wrote that the only gun regulations that can be deemed constitutional are ones that don’t infringe on conduct that is plainly covered by the text of the Second Amendment and that are “consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition.” This part of Bruen means that any gun law enacted at any level must have a demonstrable parallel in regulations that were in place at the time of the ratification of the Bill of Rights — meaning circa December, 1791. Thus, Bruen sets a very high bar for legislators to hurdle. If lawmakers cannot cite a similar law that existed after the War of Independence but before December, 1791, then any statute pertaining to arms of any description would be unconstitutional!Continue reading“A Closer Look at the Pivotal Bruen Decision”

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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Reader M.B.R. in Idaho wrote via snail mail to ask:

“Is there any way to maintain my privacy when buying firearms, gun accessories, and ammunition?”

JWR Replies: Thankfully, Idaho is one of the 33+ states where private party gun sales are still perfectly legal. So I advise that you buy your guns used, from private party sellers at gun shows, or via local classified ads in advertising free newspapers. For people living in private party states, the majority of the folks that rent gun show tables don’t have FFLs. Rather, they are private party sellers. If you are at a gun show and see a gun of interest, then your first question should be: “Are you a FFL holder, or are you a fellow private party here in Idaho?”

It is safe to assume that credit card purchases of guns and ammunition are now or will soon be correlated in some big database in the sky.  So, if your goal is true privacy, then buy any ammunition and gun accessories only with cash, at a local gun shop, at a feed or farm and ranch store, or at a gun show.

Yes, you will pay more for all of the aforementioned goods, but sadly that is the price of privacy, whilst living in 21st-century America.

Oh, and if you want to “break the chain” of paperwork on any guns that you’ve previously bought through an FFL after 1968 (with an ATF Form 4473 on permanent file), then the best thing to do is sell them to an FFL, and be certain to retain a copy of the detailed sales receipt, so that you can document that you disposed of those guns. That surely beats attempting to claim a burglary or a “boating accident”, years from now.

I must remind my readers: It is a federal felony to buy a modern gun across state lines, without FFL paperwork. I have some advice for any readers who live in any of the 17-odd states where by law all modern gun purchases must be made through licensed dealers: If you cannot move to a free state, then consider buying at least a few pre-1899 production guns. That way at least part of your collection will not have a trail of federal paperwork.

Bottom Line: The best firearms are those without a paper trail leading to you. As my friend Peter says:  “I like my guns like Democrats like their immigrants…  …undocumented.”

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Tim Pool: New Pandemic, Avian Flu Could Kill 60% Of People, Lab Did Gain Of Function To Make It Infect Mammals.

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Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this news piece posted by Brandon Herrera about a based man arrested in Western Australia: Police discover secret underground bunker with treasure trove of firearms and a shooting range and arrest him because apparently you can’t do that in Australia.

Michael’s Comment: “Not a bad start. But only 1,000 rounds of ammo?”

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Video of truck driver delivering food to massive underground bunker.

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Illinois Hobby Club Believes Pentagon Shot Down Their $12 Pico Balloon.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 21, 2023

February 21st is the birthday of Group Captain Douglas Bader (born 1910, died 5 September 1982). He was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter ace during the Second World War. He lost his legs in a pre-war flying accident, but that didn’t stop him from re-entering the RAF when war broke out. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable, and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. Bader was eventually shot down and became a POW in Germany.  Bader’s autobiography Reach for the Sky is a must for those studying aviation in World War II.

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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 $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. 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.

It Is Chick Season!, by Hollyberry

I open the mailbox and oh… there it is! Nothing perks me up from the winter blues more than getting the McMurray Hatchery chick catalog or a garden/seed catalog. I spend hours pouring through the pages of the catalogs and planning and plotting where I can add more chickens or growing space! I really don’t need any more birds in my flock but that will not deter me from adding at least 4-5 more this season out of our incubator. The first time I purchased chicks I ordered 50 meat birds and 50 Leghorn layers figuring I would kill at least half, being a newbie at this. Well everyone lived, including the bonus chick from McMurray Hatchery and I used some of the birds for barter for other stuff or services we needed.

The firststep to chicks is to make sure you have a secure coop for the new birds and enough space for the number of birds in your flock. Have the outside coop ready before you get your new chicks. They will be inside your home for several weeks and no matter how clean you try to keep the wood shavings the plain truth is that they stink after a while. Do your homework and read up on different breeds. Do you want layers, meat birds, or dual-purpose birds? What birds are best for your climate? I highly recommend two books from Storey Publishers: Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens and Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. Check out other homesteading books from Storey Publishers. Many of their books occupy space on our bookshelves.Continue reading“It Is Chick Season!, by Hollyberry”

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, a couple of updates on the Moscow college student murders. (See the Idaho section.)

Region-Wide

A video news segment from The Epoch Times: 30% of Counties Vote to Secede From Oregon.

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Idaho House passed the “Greater Idaho” intrastate discussions bill. From a press release:

The Idaho House of Representatives voted in favor of the “Greater Idaho” bill today. The bill, numbered HJM 1, authorizes Idaho legislators to begin talks with Oregon about relocating the state line they share.

During debate on the floor of the House, proponents of the bill cited the desirability of applying Idaho law to eastern Oregon as a way to push Oregon drug laws farther away from Idaho’s current population. They also cited an economic analysis published last week for the Claremont Institute which shows that rural Oregon counties would be a net benefit to Idaho financially.

A press release on the Greater Idaho movement’s website, greateridaho.org, said, “we are asking Oregon Legislature leaders to give this idea a hearing in Oregon. Unlike any other bill, our Oregon bill SJM 2 is supported by the votes of 11 counties, and a poll a year ago showed that 68% of northwestern Oregonian voters want their officials to look into the idea. Eastern Oregon deserves a chance to present this proposal to Oregon state leaders.”

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Study: Oregon subsidizes eastern & southern Oregon, but Idaho wouldn’t have to.

Idaho

New legislature bill would allow parents to teach Driver’s Ed in Idaho.

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Here’s how much Idaho State Police have spent on the Moscow murders investigation.

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Latah, Kootenai counties enter agreement for defense attorney in Moscow murders case.  The key line in the article:

“The murders of the four University of Idaho students took place in Latah County. Taylor is a public defender in Kootenai County but is qualified to represent suspects in capital cases. Latah County does not have a public defender who is qualified to do so.”

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Idaho lawmakers introduce bill to make it a misdemeanor to administer mRNA vaccines.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The result of a consistent and total substitution of lies for factual truth is not that the lie will now be accepted as truth and truth be defamed as a lie, but that the sense by which we take our bearings in the real world—and the category of truth versus falsehood is among the mental means to this end—is being destroyed.” – Hannah Arendt

Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 20, 2023

Today is the birthday of novelist and screenwriter Richard Matheson (1926–2013). He wrote many sci-fi television scripts. His novella I Am Legend later was adapted into three different movies over the course of five decades, and his story Bid Time Return became the charming movie Somewhere In Time.

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Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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A new listing that I spotted over at my #1 Son’s SurvivalRealty.com website, near Sandpoint, Idaho: Off Grid Custom Home + Cabin on 37.7 Acres With 3 Year-Round Creeks / Borders BLM Land.

Keen American-Built Boots, by Thomas Christianson

I recently bought a pair of Keen American Built Boots at a consignment store. They cost me $44.99. These Braddock Waterproof Mid Soft Toe Boots run $220 per pair, new. The Keen Braddock mid-cut boots are very sturdy, though the soles are somewhat stiffer than I prefer. They are also extremely warm, making them most suitable for cool weather use.

All in all, they are decent boots, and American-made. But they somehow lack that measure of comfort that gives a pair of boots a place of affection in my heart. It may just be that my feet are a funny shape, but I cannot recommend these boots.

The Backstory

My wife, “Kari”, and I were on a camping trip with our daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren. On one of the days of our trip, we made a quick detour back to civilization. We believed that a nearby town hosted a branch of one of our favorite thrift stores, and we wanted to check it out. Alas, our hopes were dashed. It was just a donation center for the chain, and not a retail outlet.

While we were in town, we ran across a consignment store. We stopped in to check things out. There I found a pair of work boots in my size. The inside of the tongue stated, “Assembled with Pride in Portland, Oregon Using the Finest Materials from Around the World.” That sounded interesting, so I decided to try them on. They seemed to fit okay, so I paid the asking price of $44.99. As soon as we got back to the car, I put on my new pair of boots.Continue reading“Keen American-Built Boots, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn

The following recipe for Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn is from Mrs. Alaska. She writes:

Popcorn deserves a place in long term food storage pantries. It is inexpensive, lightweight, long-lasting, filling, and a versatile, easy snack that can be enjoyed sweet or savory, pleasing almost everyone.  Archeologists have determined that the popping form of corn was domesticated 7,000 years ago!

My family goes five+ winter months without resupply.  We maintain a good supply of popcorn.

Benefits:

• Unopened bags and containers of plain, unpopped kernels can last several years (not microwavable packages that contain oils and other flavors).  Opened packages can be poured into mason jars for longevity.
• It is inexpensive.  Plain, bulk popcorn kernels cost about $1/lb.  A meager 1/3 cup of kernels yields 7 cups of edible popcorn!  (Microwavable and flavored popcorn can cost 5x as much!)
• It is quickly and easily cooked in a covered pan on top of a stove, grill, or campfire.
• It can be flavored in many ways, with dry, long storage flavorings, such as salt, sugar, soy sauce, spices, herbs, dry powders of butter, cheese, miso, tomato, onion, garlic, or chocolate, as well as fresh ingredients.  One appealing Internet source with a variety of recipes is www.popcornity.com.
• A cup of plain, oil-popped popcorn has just 35 calories.

In my house, I favor salty, spicy popcorn with combinations of garlic, cayenne, and butter.  My husband loves the following recipe for Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn with peanuts.

Note:  make the sauce before you pop the corn, so that you can combine them when both are hot.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Corn:  pop 1/3 cup of kernels in a bit of any vegetable oil.  (Yield: 7 cups of popcorn)

Chocolate Sauce:
Melt 2 TBS butter, coconut oil or some alternative.  Over low heat, add and stir well 2/3 cup of chocolate chips or 1/3 cup cocoa and 1/3 cup honey or sugar.  If thick, add more butter so it will pour easily.

If desired, add peanuts to the sauce or add to the popcorn separately.
When the corn is popped and hot, drizzle the sauce LIGHTLY over the corn, stirring gently to coat all sides.  Too much sauce will make the corn soggy.

Spread it out on a cookie sheet or rimmed pan and place in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes to crisp up, stirring several times.

Eat immediately, or store.  Any leftover sauce can be enjoyed as an icing for cookies, brownies, or cake.

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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, we look at rising new car prices. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Price pressure on gold, silver on worries Fed hawkish for longer.

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At Gold-Eagle.com: Andy Schectman: De-dollarization Continues Amidst High Inflation.

Economy & Finance:

US risks default as soon as July, will add $19T to national debt, agency estimates.

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PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman Announces Retirement. JWR’s Comment:  Their press release failed to mention that PayPal recently lost a huge number of accounts and $6 billion in stock valuation, following their now notorious “we’ll be fining you $2,500” censorship fiasco, in 2022. I suspect that is the real reason that Schulman is retiring.

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Biden’s economy continues to take huge toll: Auto repos climb so high there aren’t enough people to go get them.

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Work-From-Home Trend Costs Manhattan $12 Billion Per Year In Lost Revenue.

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At Zero Hedge: US Industrial Production Is Growing At Its Weakest In Two Years As Utilities Crashed.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“When Christians are under a universalizing and totalizing non-Christian regime that wields implicit powers against true religion, how is this not tyranny? Is this not an assault on the people of God, who are forced to live in a public square that wars against Christ’s kingdom and against the nature of true humanity? The natural spheres of life, each with its own God-ordained power, are ordered against God and his people. This certainly is tyranny, though there isn’t, at first glance a clear tyrant. We see a modern regime made up of politicians, bureaucrats, Hollywood, public intellectuals, academics, corporations, HR directors, public health officials, foundations, medical associations, etc. The regime is the tyrant.” – Stephen Wolfe, The Case For Christian Nationalism