Preparedness Notes for Monday — July 8, 2024

On July 8, 1283, the Battle of Malta occurred during the War of the Sicilian Vespers.  From the Infogalactic wiki:

“The War of the Sicilian Vespers, also shortened to the War of the Vespers, was a conflict waged by several medieval European kingdoms over control of Sicily from 1282 to 1302. The war, which started with the revolt of the Sicilian Vespers, was fought over competing dynastic claims to the throne of Sicily and grew to involve the Crown of Aragon, Angevin Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of France, and the papacy.”

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Just four more days! Because of a change in direction at Trident Media Group (my partner publisher) my novel Land Of Promise will only be published a short while longer in trade paperback by Amazon.com, at just $11.99 per copy. The last day of the sale (and of Amazon Print on Demand ordering capability) will be Friday, July 12, 2024. Thereafter, it may only be available as an e-book. I will try to get it back in print within a few months, but I can’t make any promises.  So order your copy (or copies) soon!

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

Warwood Tool Perfect Axe, by Thomas Christianson

Editor’s Introductory Note:  This article was written in February 2024. That was several months before I contacted Warwood Tool, to set up an affiliate advertising contract.  Full disclosure:  We earn a modest commission on the sales of any Wawood Tools that are derived from visits to the Warwood Tool site, from clicks on the affiliate ad at SurvivalBlog.

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The Warwood Tool Perfect Axe is a contemporary version of a classic and highly effective American axe design. The Kelly Perfect Axe was first patented in 1885, and remained in production until about 2016. The most notable features of a Perfect Axe are the distinctively shaped bevels near the edge that help to keep the blade from becoming stuck in the split or cut made by the axe.

The new Warwood Tool Perfect Axe comes as either a house axe with a 19-inch handle or as a boy’s axe with a 28-inch handle. The head weighs 2.25 pounds.

The boy’s axe version that I tested would make an outstanding camp axe, and would also serve as an excellent splitting axe for a smaller-framed person. A larger-framed person will likely prefer something with a longer handle and a heavier head. Fortunately, Warwood Tool plans to release up to three different versions of the Perfect Axe in varying sizes. I hope that one of them has a 36-inch handle and a roughly 4 pound head, since that combination seems to be the sweet spot for a wood-splitting axe for me.Continue reading“Warwood Tool Perfect Axe, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Mom’s Baked Beans

The following recipe for Mom’s Baked Beans is from SurvivalBlog reader “Sis.”

Ingredients
  • 2 Small (15 oz.) cans or 1 large can of Pork and Beans.
  • 1 tsp. Dried mustard
  • 3/4 cup of brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup of catsup
  • 5-7 slices of bacon (fried up, drained and then crumbled)
Directions
  1. Mix all of the ingredients in a cast iron pan. (ideally cast iron, but you can use a regular baking pan.)
  2. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for around 1 hour.
Chef’s Notes

“I like for it to get a little crusty around the edges so if you do you might need to bake it a bit longer.  I’m quite sure you could use real bacon bits if cooking from your pantry supplies.  This dish goes really well with barbequed food.

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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!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

The term “America” is used differently, depending on the context. Today’s graphic shows the different “Americas”, from the perspective of ethnic populations and geographic boundaries. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

The thumbnail image below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

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Please send your graphic ideas to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — July 7, 2024

On July 7, 1807, French Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte and Russian Tsar Alexander I met on a raft in the middle of the Neman River and signed the first Treaty of Tilsit.

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On July 7, 1520, Battle of Otumba, Mexico: Hernán Cortés and the Tlaxcalans defeated a numerically superior Aztec force.

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July 7th, 1907 was the birthday of science fiction novelist Robert A. Heinlein. He passed away on May 8, 1988, at age 80.

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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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. 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. 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)
  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. 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 $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.

 

Results of a Prepper Investment Model Portfolio, by PrepperDoc

DISCLAIMERS: I am not an investment professional and not licensed to handle investments for others. This article and these statements are not your investing advice, nor your tax advice. The results determined in this 9-year period will almost certainly not apply to other periods! This is just what happened; it does not predict the future. Your mileage may vary! The opinions presented in the discussion are mine and may or may not be correct.

INTRODUCTION

In 2015, I proposed a model prepper investment portfolio attempting to follow Solomon’s investing advice, from the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon stated that humans can not even know what misfortune may come upon the land, and as a result should “divide their portion to seven or eight.” (In other words, diversify your investing.)

Back then, I suggested eleven areas for “prepper” style investments, including one’s home, rental housing, precious metals, firearms, ammunition and “paper” investment in domestic and foreign (stocks of ) companies. The best result would likely occur from re-balancing these investments at approximately yearly intervals — but I have not invested the time to do so. Thus, the returns listed here are not as great as they normally would be for a prudent and responsible investor.

Note that the model portfolio was more for learning and education, than for any real investing. My wife and I do not enjoy the benefits of any pension, so to supplement our Social Security income, we are dependent on my wits as an investor, and my investments follow the general outlines of the Christian investing teachers at soundmindinvesting.com — a diversified mix of large, small, foreign and bond/money market funds and ETFs. God has blessed us far beyond our expectations and we are able to thrive and serve others through teaching and giving as a result of my investment returns.Continue reading“Results of a Prepper Investment Model Portfolio, by PrepperDoc”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Sleepy Joe’s Incoherent Mumbling at the Debate Showed Us...
Kamala’s Nose Is Under The Tent

News Links:

Notes 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!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. 

And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.” – Mark 9:1-10 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — July 6, 2024

Today is the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Storm King Mountain wildfire that took the lives of 14 firefighters. Weather changes, resulting in 45 mph wind gusts, caused a modest wildfire to erupt into a blazing inferno, which threatened homes in and around the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Firefighters from around the country were called to assist in fighting this wildfire. We will never forget the young men and women who lost their lives battling this fire:

Prineville, Oregon Hotshots: Kathi Beck, Tamera Bickett, Scott Blecha, Levi Brinkley, Douglas Dunbar, Terri Hagen, Bonnie Holtby, Rob Johnson, Jon Kelso

Missoula Montana Smokejumper: Don Mackey

McCall, Idaho Smokejumpers: Roger Roth, Jim Thrash

Grand Junction, Colorado Helitack firefighters: Robert Browning, Jr., Richard Tyler

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On July  6, 1189, Richard the Lionheart was crowned King of England, upon the death of King Henry II.

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And on July 6, 1630 Swedish troops under Gustavus Adolphus II landed at Peenemunde.

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Today’s feature article is a guest piece that was first published by WorldNet Daily (WND).

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We are in need of entries for Round 113 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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.

Julian Assange Case Marks the End of Critical Journalism, by Hanne N. Herland

Editor’s Introductory Note:  This article was first published by WorldNet Daily (WND), and is reposted with permission.

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made known the immoral, illegal and unconstitutional actions of the U.S. government so that we now know that it is lying to the people on a grand scale. For this he should be heralded as a watchdog for accountable government, not denounced as a “commie who hates America,” says leading political economist Dr. Paul Craig Roberts. When the government abuses its powers, it becomes the enemy of its people. History is filled with horrifying examples of how nations fell into tyranny when delusional elites were able to remove the constraints on government authority to their own personal benefit. Civilizations fall if this type of abuse persists.

In the great history of the West, the right to free speech and investigative journalism has been a cornerstone precisely because it allowed the posing of critical questions to those in power. The aim was to check whether they did their job in accordance with laws and regulations. The United States Constitution actively restrains state authority, insisting on the separation of powers to guard against abuse, separating power into independent branches of government: the legislative, the executive and the judicial branch. In a democracy, all three have to be independent from each other, steadily kept in check, so that the interests of the nation state and its citizens remain forefront.Continue reading“Julian Assange Case Marks the End of Critical Journalism, by Hanne N. Herland”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both 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 the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This past week I was fairly busy writing and helping care for our four visiting grandsons. The youngest is just two years old and still in diapers, so he needs a lot more attention than his brothers.  I did find the time to replace a corral gate post. The old one was just 8 inches in diameter. Its demise had been hurried along by our troublesome old bull, who is now residing in two of our freezers. The newly installed post was cut from a section of a former power pole. It is heavily creosoted and is 15 inches at the butt end.  So I expect it to last at least 20 years.

I did some rototilling in the main garden. I also found the time to catalog some antique guns and to ship out some orders, for my Elk Creek Company mailorder biz. I repaired a leaking pipe in our irrigation system.  Luckily it was just a union that had just popped apart — presumably from “water hammer” effect — so it was a quick fix.

On Independence Day, we joined some friends from our Bible study group, to enjoy a fireworks show.

Now, Lily’s report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.

Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee.

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” –  Isaiah 25:1-9 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — July 5, 2024

On July  5, 1687, Isaac Newton‘s great work Principia was published by the Royal Society in England, outlining his laws of motion and universal gravitation.

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July 5, 1715: Ottoman troops storm citadel of Acrocorinth in the Peloponnese, massacring a large part of the population and selling the rest into slavery. Inspires Lord Byron‘s poem “The Siege of Corinth”.

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Joly 5, 1950:  US forces entered combat in the Korean War for the first time, in the Battle of Osan.

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We are seeking entries for Round 113 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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.

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Today’s feature article is an essay by JWR.

A Difference in Deference: The End of Chevron

Last week, Americans got some important and long-awaited news: Supreme Court strikes down Chevron, curtailing power of federal agencies. Without a doubt, the 1984 Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council case was a very bad decision that had some far-reaching and lasting consequences. Under the Chevron doctrine, courts have often been required to defer to “…permissible” interpretations by federal agencies of the statutes that those agencies administer.

Under Chevron, this deference extended to even when a court had a different reading of the relevant statute.  It thus, in effect, allowed Federal agencies to create law, and ofttimes be beyond the reach of the courts. Even worse, it effectively gave unelected bureaucrats the powers of all three branches of government. Namely, they could create regulations like the legislative branch, they could adjudicate some cases like the judicial branch, and of course, they could enforce regulations as part of the executive branch.Continue reading“A Difference in Deference: The End of Chevron”