Post Your Curtilage Boundaries!

In recent years American courts have not bolstered private property rights.  It has been well-publicized how the courts have deferred to local governments and even to private land developers, in allowing Eminent Domain declarations to deprive even multi-generational land owners of their property, for “public use”. This has gone far beyond just widening highways. Some of these “takings” have been for boondoggles like building privately-owned sports stadiums and shopping malls. But much less well known are court cases at the state and Federal levels that have upheld the assumed right of law enforcement officers to enter and surveil private lands with impunity, under the Open Fields Doctrine.

Open Fields = No Privacy

The Open Fields Doctrine is a modern derivation of the English Common Law, dating back to the era of Divine Right Kings.  As early as 1217, the British monarchy established the offices of “The Keepers of The King’s Deer” — also known as Rangers or Game Wardens. As officers of the crown, game wardens were given carte blanche to trespass on private lands at any hour of the day, to spy on suspected poachers, to seize evidence, extract confessions, and to make arrests. The notorious Sheriff of Nottingham was one such Game Warden. In medieval times, wardens were little more than armed and armored thugs whose job was to punish any “knave” caught poaching the king’s deer. Some of them even assumed the power of summary execution.  (See: Nathaniel Boothe’s The Rights of His Majesty’s Forest Asserted.)Continue reading“Post Your Curtilage Boundaries!”



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. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the recent oil glut. (See the Commodities section.)

Precious Metals:

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The latest from Hub Moolman: The US Dollar or Silver: Make Your Choice.

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Why It’s Time to Stop Taxing Gold & Silver.  (Full disclosure: Bullionstar is a SurvivalBlog affiliate advertiser.)

Economy & Finance:

New report: California ranks ‘dead last’ in ‘opportunity’.

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H.L. sent this one: Traitor Joe’s Economy Is Destroying Retirement Accounts in a Way Most People Are Overlooking.

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It is starting to smell like an election year! Biden administration cancels another $7.7 Billion in student loans.

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At Zero Hedge: Software Update “Glitch” Blamed For NYSE Market Break That Sparked Berkshire Wipe Out, Trading Halt Cascade.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If an uncompromising stand is to be smeared as ‘extremism,’ then that smear is directed at any devotion to values, any loyalty to principles, any profound conviction, any consistency, any steadfastness, any passion, any dedication to an unbreached, inviolate truth — any man of integrity.” – Ayn Rand



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — June 6, 2024

Today is the 80th Anniversary of D-Day Normandy Landings.

On June 6, 1932, The Revenue Act of 1932 was enacted, creating the first gasoline tax in the United States, at a rate of 1 cent per US gallon sold.

On June 6, 1816, there was a record 10″ of snowfall for a June day was reported in New England. This was part of a “year without a summer” that followed the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia.

On June 6th, 1513: The Battle of Novara, the War of the League of Cambrai: the Swiss Confederacy defeat the French.

Today is the birthday of American gun designer Hugo Borchardt. (June 6, 1844 – May 8, 1924). He was born in Germany. He is best known as the designer of the recoil-operated pistol that bears his name.

The 6th of June is also remembered for the birth of Dieudonné Joseph Saive (born 1899.) He was the designer of many well-known firearms including the Browning Hi-Power, the FN49 and co-designer (along with Ernest Vervier) of the very popular FN-FAL, which was issued to the militaries of more than 90 countries.

Also on this day in 1949, George Orwell’s novel of a dystopian future, Nineteen Eighty-Four was published. The novel’s all-seeing leader, known as “Big Brother,” became a universal symbol for intrusive government and oppressive bureaucracy.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  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. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.

 



Come Home, Now!, by M. Paul

This article is addressed to my adult children and their families. It should be useful to those readers who have family members who are spread out across a region of the country. It is intended to provide information and logistics for improving the odds of successful transport for those who may be planning to come “home” when there are natural disasters, or the Stuff Hits The Fan (SHTF).

Disasters, in my judgment, can range from large storms, tornados, large fires, and floods, all the way up to EMPs, world war, or deep societal breakdown. Each of these, to varying degrees, will disrupt your normal way of life. The larger ones will cause faster and broader disruptions and eventually huge changes in the way people live. It also seems that just about any disaster that occurs now immediately causes civil unrest, or at least allows the ongoing civil unrest to bubble up to the surface and metastasize.

Once the problem happens, I think everyone will need all the help they can get. I would love to have my family close to help weather the storm. I know my family will also need and appreciate our help. This means getting to a single location. Your family cannot help you, and you cannot help them, if they are trapped somewhere far away.Continue reading“Come Home, Now!, by M. Paul”



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, we look at the D-Day anniversary celebration.

D-Day + 80 Years

This year will likely be the last major D-Day anniversary with living veterans in attendance. Organizers are going all-out.

The Mount Kilauea Volcano Reawakens

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Eruption Alert: Kīlauea Volcano Awakens After Nearly 50 Years, Prompting Increased Safety Warnings.

A pericope:

“The Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii has erupted, marking its first activity in a previously dormant area within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park since December 1974. The eruption began early Monday morning, prompting a swift escalation in alert levels by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). The ground-based hazard alert level was elevated from “watch” to “warning,” and the Aviation Color Code was upgraded from orange to red, signaling significant concerns for both ground and air safety.”

A Texas Neighborhood’s Disannexation

H.L. sent this: How One Texas Neighborhood Seceded From The Democrat-Run City Hall Ruining Their Lives.

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



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress…to subject the people to unreasonable searches and seizures of their persons, papers or possessions.” – Samuel Adams, Debates of the Massachusetts Convention of 1788



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — June 5, 2024

On June 5, 1967, the Six-Day War began between Israel and the neighboring Arab states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.

On June 5, 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the first installment of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in The National Era. She was the sister of firebrand abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher.

On June 5, 70, Titus and his Roman legions breached the middle wall of Jerusalem. The destruction of Jerusalem began The Great Diaspora.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  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. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.



Deciphering The Liberal Dog Whistles – Part 2, by G.R.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

‘Rise of Extremism’

Liberals are using a Bulls Eye target to identify those they define as ‘Extremist.’ At the center of the target is Donald Trump, the Alpha Male of the Ultramaga animals. Around him are his former assistants that liberals are trying to eliminate with ‘lawfare’: Guiliani, Bannon, Stone, Navarro, etc. Then come the now incarcerated J6 invaders, and finally comes all 85 million Ultramagas that infest America. Now it is open season for every animal shown on the target, using everything available to quickly eliminate them before the November 2024 election.

A recent article by Media Research Center’s Joseph Vasquez was written “decrying the rise of extremism and violent attempts to overthrow democratic governments,” the letter referenced the ‘Big Lie’ as it demanded a return to previously debunked ‘election-integrity policies.’ Now, the billionaire-funded Free Press “is looking to incorporate global pressure to push Big Tech platforms to re-juice their censorship operations before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.” Vazquez wrote, “However, it appears that its true design is to pressure Big Tech companies to permanently silence speech the left despises. This development is directly in line with Soros’ brand, who has dedicated millions of his ungodly fortune to groups looking to interfere in elections by stifling online speech,” added the associate editor.Continue reading“Deciphering The Liberal Dog Whistles – Part 2, by G.R.”



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.

Reader G.L. wrote to mention:

“For anyone interested in dipping a toe into the ham radio waters, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) annual Field Day this year is the weekend of June 22 & 23. Nearly every ham club in the country will be out in a public park somewhere that weekend, and many will be specifically using off-the-grid setups. These are public events. So if you’re curious about any aspect of ham radio, consider yourself welcome to drop in, introduce yourself, ask questions, see what is involved and (with assistance) actually get on the air and talk to someone. The ARRL has a club finder at http://arrl.org/find-a-club.”

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A new and very useful how-to video: DIY Mousetrap-Style Fuze With Time Delayed Ignition For Smoke Devices.

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A great lecture at Hillsdale College by the now elderly “Young Turk” Newt Gingrich: What to Do About the DOJ.

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Reader C.B. wrote:

“I read the Thursday 5/30/2024 blog and recommend referencing a YouTube site. At Perun Defence-Economics, the individual does outstanding military analysis, putting out one video per week, on Sundays. Had a recent update on Ukraine this past Sunday about Kharkiv. He was born in Croatia, and raised in Australia. Based on his location and word pronunciation I suspect that he speaks multiple languages. As a military intel guy, you should find his site really fascinating. Went from about a 5K gaming channel to about 500K on his analysis just since the Ukraine conflict started.  Very dry sense of humor and he kills as a PowerPoint presenter.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”





Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — June 4, 2024

Today is the 20th anniversary of the Granby, Colorado armored bulldozer incident on June 4, 2004, where Marvin Heemeyer knocked down several buildings in town. A documentary titled Tread details what happened that day, and the events leading to the rampage. Though often called the “Killdozer” incident, the only one who died that day was Marvin Heemeyer, from a self-inflicted gunshot, after his heavily-modified Komatsu bulldozer became immobilized.

Today is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in 1989.

On June 4th, in 1944 United States Navy Task Group 22.3 captured U-505, a German submarine and with it an intact Enigma cypher machine. This was the first time since the USS Peacock seized HMS Nautilus in 1815 that the USN had captured an enemy vessel at sea. The sub, reunited with its periscope a decade ago, is displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  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. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.



Deciphering The Liberal Dog Whistles – Part 1, by G.R.

I started writing this two months ago, but every time I thought it was finished some new egregious event would occur that forced me to add or modify the following statements. So, I am shutting off any new additions, knowing there are more to appear. Anyway, there are several words or phrases that liberals bandy about and when we hear them, we should be very wary of. I will list a few of them here and explain what they really mean and how we SurvivalBlog readers can counteract them.

‘Ultra MAGA’

The liberals despise the phrase Make America Great Again, and its acronym (MAGA).  So they developed the term “Ultra MAGA” to make anyone pro-MAGA look extremist. This statement is meant to demonize those who have and will soon eagerly vote for Donald Trump and other conservative down-ballot elected officials. Remember, when leading up to a conflict, it is important for the opposition to make their enemies seem less than human, therefore, Ultra MAGA is a dog whistle to liberals to distance themselves from these types of non-human ‘animals.’ Now liberals are positioned to eagerly participate in the elimination of these useless carbon burners and CO2 makers: the Ultramagas.

How do we counteract this hate? We preppers need to continue speaking “the Truth in Love” as God has clearly said he has placed a veil over their eyes in the end times so that a lie is spoken of as truth while the real truth (the Holy Bible) will be spoken of as a lie. Meantime, the election debates have been announced with liberals moderating both of them. We know that President Trump will not easily “speak the truth in love” so we need to bathe him in prayer that will protect him and his words during these debates. Finally, we should often speak the words “Make America Great Again” into their ears whenever we have discussions of politics or cultural values. I hope that is a loving statement…Continue reading“Deciphering The Liberal Dog Whistles – Part 1, by G.R.”



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 located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, we focus on an unintended consequence of Montana’s real estate boom. (See the Montana section.)

Region-Wide

Montana Versus Idaho Cost of Living in 2024.

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A video essay: 13th Oregon County Approves ‘Greater Idaho’ Movement – Secession Gains Momentum.

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Confidence soaring for Inland Northwest aerospace industry.

Idaho

Idaho Saloon Under Fire For Celebrating ‘Heterosexual Pride Month’.

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The Military / Industrial Complex Comes to Idaho.

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We all saw this news coming: Chad Daybell sentenced to death in triple murder by Idaho jury.

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Why There’s a Pacific Ocean Port in Idaho. (Thanks to blog reader A.K. for the link.)

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Reader C.B sent us this: Idaho Fly Fisherman Lands State-Record Cutthroat Trout, Kicks It Back into Clark Fork River.

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