SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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H.L. sent this troubling news reported by American Greatness: Deprogramming of January 6 Defendants Is Underway.  JWR’s Comment: This self-flagellating rhetoric reminds me of the public humiliation “Struggle Sessions” that were a staple of the Cultural Revolution in mainland China under the brutal genocidal rule of Chairman Mao and his henchmen.

o  o  o

My wife Avalanche Lily suggested this news item, that I also included in our Economics & Investing column: Israel has already tested a digital shekel cryptocurrency. This has some very far-reaching implications.

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Reader M.P. wrote:

“Brian Krebs recently posted an article describing an industry survey that found that the majority of drinking water supply systems in the US have not even fully inventoried their IT/OT (operational tech) systems, let alone secured them. If they don’t know what they have, they cannot lock them down. Couple that with the highly improbably 67.9 percent that say they have had no IT security incidents in the past year and it becomes pretty obvious that this sector as a whole has not IT security strategy and is a whole set of time bombs waiting to explode, or rather be exploded from without.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — June 29, 2021

29 July 1805 was the birthday of Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville. He died 16 April,1859. He is best known for his lengthy treatise: Democracy In America.

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Two noteworthy new listings, over at SurvivalRealty.com:

On the Pend Orielle River: Homesteading with a view!!

and,

134 acres minutes from Downtown Missoula.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 95 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. 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 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!

Round 95 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.

Basic Clock Repair and Few Thoughts on Time, by St. Funogas

In The Novice’s recent article Timekeeping When the Grid is Down, he asked for someone with a better knowledge to write an article for TEOTWAWKI clock and watch repair. While we’re waiting for that person to step up to the plate, and I hope they do, I thought that I’d offer some of the clock-repair basics I’ve learned in the past eight months.

I’ve always loved any kind of windup time piece. Some combination of the beauty, intricacies, and the mechanical aspects of clocks captured my imagination at a young age. Once I used my birthday money to buy $2.50 pocket watch. I soon had the back open to examine the marvels beneath the cover, watch the mainspring dancing about, and eventually ruined the spring by accidentally sticking a needle into it while poking around the gears. This is how one learns to be a mechanic.

At an auction last year was a grandmother clock (a small “grandfather” clock) which the auctioneer almost couldn’t give away. Anyone who frequents auctions knows that auction clocks never work. He finally talked one of the auction regulars into taking it for $30, although begrudgingly. When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about that clock. Wow, $30, what a treasure if it were running. I wondered just how difficult it could be to repair clocks in case I ever saw another deal like that.

My biggest concern was just exactly how they got all those tiny gears in place between the two brass plates which held it all together. Even now I still wonder. So the thought of trying to learn clock repair with my nine thumbs made me shudder. A week later I finally decided to man up and research clock repair to see just what it entailed. I quickly discovered I’d been making some dumb assumptions all along. Once I figured out the secret I realized, “Wow, I can do that.”

With a brain wired for a mechanical things and problem solving, fixing clocks soon became a fun challenge for me. In the past eight months I’ve been able to repair seven of the eight clocks I’ve attempted including wall clocks, mantle clocks, an anniversary clock (so named because it only needs to be wound once a year), and a cuckoo clock which is a little trickier. I have three more clocks (and counting) to work on as soon as I have time, maybe when I put the garden to bed and fire up the woodstove.

Not only have I learned a cool new skill, but I’ve learned many fascinating things along the journey. Like how exactly cuckoo clocks cuckoo. It’s ingenious! And how their pine-cone weights remove the need for mainsprings inside the clock.Continue reading“Basic Clock Repair and Few Thoughts on Time, by St. Funogas”

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 special edition of the column with a round-up of publishing companies in the American Redoubt.

Idaho

Many SurvivalBlog readers are already familiar with Backeddy Books, in Boise. I highly recommend their books The Last Of The Mountain Men and Idaho For The Curious. From their web site:  “Established in 1976, Backeddy Books is a small regional publisher printing nonfiction titles, largely about Idaho, and for 36 years was located in Cambridge, a town in western Idaho that serves as gatepost to Hells Canyon. The business has moved downstream to Boise.”

o  o  o

Canon Press. “Publisher of Christian fiction and non-fiction for adults, homeschooling and educational resources, and more. Canon Press is one of the literature ministries of Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho.”

o  o  o

Keokee Books in Sandpoint specializes in wilderness and fishing guidebooks.

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

Over The Counter Pain Relief, by Pat Cascio

I’m not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be. This article covers some of the Over The Counter (OTC) pain relief medications that I’ve used and continue to use. I’m not giving medical advice, just my opinions on this subject.

I live in pain – all the time – and I’m sure many of our readers can appreciate where I’m coming from on this subject. For at least 60 years, I lived in pain from my right hip. It was x-rayed dozens of times over the years, and every doctor said the same thing “osteo-arthritis” and nothing more could be done – just take some OTC pain medications. Well, I finally saw an orthopedic surgeon about four years ago, and within 30-seconds he spotted the problem with my right hip. Yeah, osteo-arthritis, but in my case it was caused by a misshaped femur bone – from birth. I used to be very active in all kinds of sports, and always thought that the pain was just from over-doing things – nothing more. I had the right hip replaced, and it is the only part of my body these days that works as it should, and is pain-free, as well – well worth the $22,000 surgery.

I have osteo-arthritis in my lower back, as well as my hands, the right hand is much worse than the left and is now deformed – fingers are turning sideways and misshaped as well – and painful – not a good thing for someone who does a lot of typing on a daily basis. Osteo-arthritis is caused, or so I’m informed, by wear and tear in the joints – makes sense. And, there is no such thing as a “cure” for this ailment, only some various types of treatments. Treatments are usually in the form of some kind of pain pills to one degree or another, and of course OTC spray-on, or rub-in creams and lotions. However, everything is only temporary, and the pain comes back in short order.

Don’t Over-Medicate!

In this article, I’ll cover some of the OTC creams and sprays I use, and continue to use. I’m a firm believer in not taking any more medications than needed. I suffer from Diabetes Type 2, as well as high blood pressure, so I’m limited to some oral pain meds. One of the worse offenders for me is, Aleve, as it is known to raise blood pressure. So I rarely take it – and at best, it just barely, on some days, takes the edge off of my pain. Plus, for some reason, my body “leaks” liver enzymes – not very much, but it shows a little elevation when I have blood work done. And, this is a real sore spot for me, when a nurse tells me to cut back on my drinking. I don’t drink alcohol – took my last drink August 17, 1977 – period! Doctors have told me that the enzyme leak isn’t anything to be concerned about. Any sort of NSAID (look it up) also raises my blood pressure, so they too are used very rarely.

I have a prescription for a couple “narcotic” pain meds, and once again, I rarely take them – just don’t like taking meds for the most part, and once again, they rarely do much for my pain – just take the edge off, so I can function. One of the best things is an oral Prednisone, and there is a process when taking this medication over a period of a week or so…one drawback is that Prednisone, tends to destroy muscle, and I don’t need that in my old age, either.Continue reading“Over The Counter Pain Relief, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Egg Croquettes

The following recipe for Egg Croquettes is from The New Butterick Cook Book, by Flora Rose, co-head of the School of Home Economics at Cornell University. It was published in 1924. A professional scan of that 724-page out-of-copyright book is one of the many bonus items included in the latest edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. The second production run of the 15th Anniversary Edition (2005-2020) USB stick should be available for ordering on July 4th, 2021. The first batch sold out quickly, so don’t miss out!

Ingredients
  • 2 cups chopped eggs, hard-cooked
  • 1 cup thick white sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • Dash of cayenne
  • Egg and crumbs
DirectionS

Eggs should be chopped fine, moistened with sauce as soft as can be handled, and seasoned.

Let chill thoroughly on flat dish, well buttered, then divide evenly into portions, allowing two tablespoons for each croquette.

Shape into balls, cylinders, cones, or any desired shape.

Roll in crumbs, dip in egg. Roll again in crumbs and fry in deep fat till light brown in color. Drain on soft paper.

SERVING

Serve with a sauce.

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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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we ponder where the price of Bitcoin will bottom. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Interview: The Biggest Buyer of Silver on Earth 2021.

o  o  o

Stefan Gleason: Central Banks to Keep Buying Gold.

Economy & Finance:

At the CBS News web site: What’s behind the push for a fourth stimulus check.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: New Harvard Data (Accidentally) Reveal How Lockdowns Crushed The Working Class While Leaving Elites Unscathed.

o  o  o

California to pay off unpaid rent accrued during COVID-19 pandemic.

o  o  o

World gained 5.2m millionaires last year in Covid crisis – report.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — June 27, 2021

Today is the birthday of Leroy James Sullivan (born June 27, 1933), an American firearms inventor. Jim Sullivan has designed several “scaled-down” versions of larger firearms. He also designed the Beta C-MAG double snail drum magazines.

Today is also the birthday of Paul Mauser, (June 27, 1838 – May 29, 1914). He was a German weapon designer and manufacturer. His strong and reliable bolt action design was used by many nations. The U.S. Springfield Model 1903 is based on the Mauser Model 1898, and in fact the U.S. government famously lost in a patent infringement lawsuit. Ironically, the U.S. government continued to pay the Mauser company royalties on each M1903 Springfield produced, even during and after World War I.

June 27th is also the birthday of economist Dr. Ravi Batra. (Born 1943.)

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 95 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. 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 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!

Round 95 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.

On Leadership, by Old Bobbert

Editor’s Introductory Note:  This is the 30th article written by Old Bobbert that has been posted in SurvivalBlog.  In all, he’s written more than 97,000 words for SurvivalBlog, and we are grateful!

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True leadership is a status conferred by knowledgeable persons whose choices reflect their recognition of ability, experience, integrity, character, and a full commitment to a common cause or endeavor.

Being chosen as a leader generally is a result of a decision that they will be supported and enabled by the leader to be successful and secure in the common group efforts.

Often the new group members have made their choice of membership based on their confidence that the current leader is the person they need to provide access for them to the means and support necessary for their success in a common effort or cause.

This definition of who and what a leader is has come to me through many decades of personal experience starting with my enlistment in the US Army, in Jan 1958, at age seventeen as a smart Alec kid who was a high school dropout with a severe speech impediment, stuttering.

Naturally the army, immediately after basic training, sent me to Fort Sill, Oklahoma to the Signal Corps school for radio communication equipment repair.

I learned a lot about the realities of life and true leadership during two years, July 1958 -1960, in the 25th Infantry Division in the then Territory of Hawaii, not yet a state. In that environment, I was able to earn two promotions in the first year of active duty. I worked within a specific plan to be a success in spite of my then disability. I believed then, and now, that being disabled is not being unable. Plus two more years of stateside duty, all in communications, and a good discharge in March, 1962. I am now old enough to have great-grandkids.

Next was a few wastrel years of what we now know was non-combat PTSD followed by wonderfully beneficial time, 54+years, as Kathy’s husband and being the dad to four terrific kids, three sons plus a fabulous daughter.

As a husband and dad, I was able to correct the stuttering and became a professional communicator and leader in the commercial real estate rehab / resale business. I learned to be a good leader primarily through teaching our children to be dependable and to be fully qualified as both followers and as leaders.Continue reading“On Leadership, by Old Bobbert”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

 

Photo Credit:  AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

To share this, you can find it here: https://kapwi.ng/c/3q0XGDQu

 

Meme Text:

New Zealand is Sending a Wannabe “Woman” To The Olympics.  There’s an Acronym to Describe Their Misogynistic Olympic Committee:

— IDIOTS —

Imbecilic

Displays of

Irrational

Olympic

Transgender

Showboating

 

Related news link:

Does This Look Like a Woman to You? He’s Going to the Olympics to Beat Women in Weightlifting

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” – 1 Thessalonias 4 (KJV)