Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 27, 2025

Happy Thanksgiving!  From the SurvivalBlog family to yours, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Despite the crises in this world and the many mounting pressures, we give thanks to our LORD that you are still here, you are still prepping, and that He will never forsake us.

Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation:

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be– That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks–for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation–for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war–for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed–for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted–for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions– to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually–to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord–To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us–and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.” – George Washington

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November 27th is the birthday of Ludwig Loewe (November 27, 1837 – September 11, 1886.) He was a merchant, manufacturer, philanthropist, and a member of the German Reichstag. Loewe’s companies became involved in the production of armaments, employing famous designers and creating many notable guns. Ludwig Loewe Company of Berlin produced large numbers of Mauser bolt-action rifles, most famously used in the Second Boer War. Since Loewe was Jewish, many Loewe-made guns are stamped with a Star of David. The Loewe Company became part of the DWM conglomerate in 1897, and that was the last year that guns carried a Loewe maker mark. Hence, all “Loewe”-marked guns are Federally-exempt pre-1899 antiques.

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Today is also the birthday of SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor Emeritus Pat Cascio.  Please pray for him, since he has been in poor health.

Update: Honey–Storage Life, Crystallization, Storage Quantities, and Medicinal Uses

JWR’s Introductory Note: This is an update to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog in March, 2007. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years.

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A series of letters and posts on honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in 2007 prompted several readers to send comments and questions about storing and using honey, which are summarized below. For some of my responses, I relied heavily on these references:

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 a bear attack at a school in British Columbia.

Grizzly Attacks a B.C. School Field Trip Group

Reader Chris F. sent this news: Teachers were ‘heroes’ in protecting elementary students from grizzly attack in B.C., officials say. JWR’s Comment:  You may recall Bella Coola as one of the locales of my novel Liberators.

Amazon’s Ring Plans to Scan Everyone’s Face at the Door

H.L. sent us this, from The Washington Post: Amazon’s Ring plans to scan everyone’s face at the door. An excerpt:

“Facial recognition technology is increasingly used in airports, police investigations and sports venues.

Now Amazon’s Ring says it’s putting facial recognition for the first time into its home security doorbells and video cameras. It’s intended to identify your sister, a neighbor or other people you know.

While the feature will be optional for Ring device owners, privacy advocates say it’s unfair that wherever the technology is in use, anyone within sight will have their faces scanned to determine who’s a friend or stranger.

The Ring feature is ‘invasive for anyone who walks within range of your Ring doorbell,’ said Calli Schroeder, senior counsel at the consumer advocacy and policy group Electronic Privacy Information Center. ‘They are not consenting to this.'”

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

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.” – The Late John MacArthur

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 26, 2025

On November 26th, 1716, a tamed African lion was exhibited for the first time in the American colonies by Captain Arthur Savage at his house on Brattle Street, in Boston, Massachusetts.

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November 26th is the birthday of both gun inventor Eugene Reising (born 1884, died February 21, 1967) and the late Barton Biggs (born 1932, died July 14, 2012). Biggs was a money manager known for his pro-preparedness stance.

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Today’s feature article is by JWR.

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We have room for just one or two entries in Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends in just five days, 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Kanban: America’s Ubiquitous “Just in Time” Inventory System: A Fragile House of Cards

JWR’s Introductory Note: This is an update to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog in February, 2007. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years.

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When I give lectures or do radio interviews, I’m often asked for examples when I mention that “we live in a fragile society.” Here is one prime example: kanban. The kanban or “just in time” inventory control system was developed in Japan, and became popular in America starting in the 1970s. It is now ubiquitous in nearly every industry.

The kanban concept is simple: Through close coordination with subcontractors and piece-part suppliers, a manufacturer can keep its parts inventory small. (Kanban is a key element of “lean manufacturing.”) They only order batches of parts as needed (“just in time”), sometimes ordering as frequently as twice a week.

Companies now hire Six Sigma consultants and Kaizen (“Improvement”) gurus. They buy sophisticated data processing systems. They also used to hire additional purchasing administrators. But now that role is largely filled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) “Expert Systems.” All of these expenses actually save companies money, at the bottom line.Continue reading“Kanban: America’s Ubiquitous “Just in Time” Inventory System: A Fragile House of Cards”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our 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. Pictured above is the headquarters building of the BATFE.

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President Trump Nominates Robert Cekada to Head ATF. The article includes a key quote from Knox Williams, president and executive director of the American Suppressor Association:

“If confirmed, he would be the first ever truly pro-Second Amendment nominee to head the agency. By nominating an ATF Director who understands our community and respects our constitutional rights, President Trump and his administration are further underscoring their commitment to standing up for the Second Amendment and gun owners. We urge the Senate to confirm him without delay.”

JWR’s Comments: If any SurvivalBlog readers have contact with Mr. Cekada, please encourage him to coordinate with Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and declare a six-month Class 3 Weapons Registration Amnesty. There hasn’t been a Federal NFA amnesty since 1968, and it is now badly needed. There are an estimated 3 million unregistered machineguns, autosears, and Destructive Devices in private hands. It has been impossible to register any transferable machineguns since the 1986 enactment of the Hughes Amendment to the McClure-Volkmer Firearms Owner Protection Act.

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Man prepares to finish his walk around the world that took 27 years.

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New from Jack Lawson (one of our advertisers): How to Build a Low-Cost Faraday Cage to Protect Electronics.

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Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 25, 2025

On November 25, 1491, the siege of Granada began. The city was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain.

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November 25th is the birthday of economist and comedian Ben Stein. He still spends part of each year at one of his three homes in Sandpoint, Idaho. (At last report, he also owns homes in Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Rancho Mirage, California.)  He has always leaned toward tangible investing.

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November 25, 1834: Delmonico’s, one of New York’s finest restaurants, first provided a meal of soup, steak, coffee, and half a pie for 12 cents.

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Today’s feature aricle is a guest piece from our friend Brandon Smith.

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We now need entries for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. (That round begins on Monday, December 1st.)  More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Is Global Technocracy Inevitable Or Dangerously Delusional?, by Brandon Smith

The bewildering truth behind human technological enslavement is that it is impossible without the voluntary participation of the intended slaves. People must welcome technocracy into their lives in order for it to succeed. The populace has to believe, blindly, that they cannot live without it, or that authoritarianism by algorithmic consensus is “inevitable.”

For example, the average person living in a first world economy voluntarily carries a cell phone everywhere they go at all times without fail. To be without it, in their minds, is to be naked, at risk, unprepared and disconnected from civilization. I grew up in the 1980s and we did just fine without having a phone on our hip every moment of the day. Even now, I refuse to carry one.

Why? First, as most people should be aware of by now (the Edward Snowden revelations left no doubt), a cell phone is a perfect technocratic device. It has multilayered tracking, using GPS, WiFi routers, and cell tower triangulation to track your every step. Not only that, but it can be used to record your daily patterns, your habits, who your friends are, where you were on any given day many months or years ago.

Then there’s the backdoor functions hidden in app software that allows governments and corporations to to access your cell’s microphone and camera, even when you think the device is shut off. The private details of your life could be recorded and collated. In a world where privacy is being declared “dead” by boasting technocrats, why help them out by carrying something that listens to everything you say and chronicles everything you do?Continue reading“Is Global Technocracy Inevitable Or Dangerously Delusional?, by Brandon Smith”

SurvivalBlog’s American Redoubt Media of the Week

This weekly column features media 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. Pictured above is the town of Steptoe, in the Palouse Hills, which straddle the Idaho-Washington state line. Presumably photographed from Steptoe Butte. (A Wikimedia Commons photo by Dana Hutchinson.)

American Redoubt News Links

Send Your Media Links

Please send your links to media from the American Redoubt region to JWR. Any photos that are posted or re-posted must be uncopyrighted. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“No totalitarian authority nor authoritarian state can tolerate those who have an absolute by which to judge that state and its actions. The Christians had that absolute in God’s revelation. Because the Christians had an absolute, universal standard by which to judge not only personal morals but the state, they were counted as enemies of totalitarian Rome and were thrown to the beasts.” –  Francis A. Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live?

Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 24, 2025

November 24, 1434: The River Thames in London froze over. Later, “Frosts” were celebrated with drunken faires.

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November 24th marks the day that John Knox died, in 1572. (He was born in 1514.) AtheistAgendaPedia says: “Born near Haddington Scotland. He was influenced by George Wishart, who was burned for heresy in 1546, and the following year Knox became the spokesman for the Reformation in Scotland. After imprisonment and exile in England and the European continent, in 1559 he returned to Scotland, where he supervised the preparation of the constitution and liturgy of the Reformed Church.”

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Today’s feature piece is a review written by our own Tom Christianson.

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We need a few more entries for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

A Counterfeit “Benchmade Barrage”, by Thomas Christianson

A Cautionary Tale

“If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.” (Modern Proverbial Warning, circa late 20th century).

“For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” (Alexander Pope, circa 1711).

One day, when the battery was running low in my scam detector and my gullibility meter was running high, I ordered a new “Benchmade Knives Barrage 583SBK limited edition white” on eBay.

The knife eventually proved itself to be a counterfeit. In fact, after examining the postings for other “Benchmade” knives offered for sale on eBay, I have come to the conclusion that most of them are counterfeits as well.Continue reading“A Counterfeit “Benchmade Barrage”, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:

The following simple recipe for Cuban Eggs is from The New Butterick Cook Book, copyright 1924, now in the public domain. That is just one of the dozens of bonus books included in the 2005-2025 20th Anniversary Edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick that will be available to order in January of 2026.

Ingredients
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sausage meat
  • Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chopped onion
Directions
  1. Cook the meat and onion together for five minutes.
  2. Beat the eggs until light, add the seasonings.
  3. Pour into the pan with the meat.
  4. Cook slowlv, stirring constantly, until the eggs are thick and creamy.
SERVING

Serve with buttered toast or pour over slices of toast

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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!