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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From reader G.G.: The Best Multi-Tool for Every Job.

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Department Of Justice Announces “Federal Red Flag Center” Shortly After Omnibus Passes, Congressman Says. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)

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Reader C.B. sent this: FCC launches crackdown on signal jammers sold by Amazon, others.

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FEMA makes profound decision to pay for major new feature in schools, hospitals: ‘Creating more energy independence’.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.” – Justice William J. Brennan

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 26, 2024

On March 26th, 1913, Dayton, Ohio was almost destroyed when the Scioto, Miami, and Muskingum Rivers reached flood stage simultaneously.

On March 26th, 1812, an earthquake now estimated at 7.7 on the Richter scale destroyed 90% of Caracas, Venezuela and killed an estimated 15,000–20,000 people.

And, on March 26th, 1995: The Schengen Treaty went into effect.

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There are several interesting new listings at SurvivalRealty.com.  They include:

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contesSouthern Oregon Creekfront Mini-Farm and Home | $575,000 | 15551 East Evans Creek Road, Rogue River, OR, USAt. 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. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  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.

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More than $875,000 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 111 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.

 

The Deuce and a Half as a BOV, by B.F. 

I am often amused at the articles in both mainstream publications and in the preparedness press that talk about using surplus military vehicles as “bug out vehicles” (BOVs). Sometimes these vehicles are basically stock, other times they are highly customized packages priced at $100,000 or more. In any event, I believe they are off the mark in their suggestions, although they do make for enjoyable reading.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like surplus military vehicles. I own (or have owned) several including an M35A2 Deuce and a Half with winch. an M818 semi-tractor, an M1009 CUCV, an M998 HMMWV, and an Air Force J20 Jeep ambulance with winch. I also have several trailers including an engineer equipment trailer, a 5/4 ton utility trailer and an artillery ammunition trailer.

In addition to the vehicles I own, Uncle Sam was kind enough to let me play with quite a few others during my 23 years of service including: M151A2 jeep, M109 van, M880 pickup, M887 contact truck, M1008 pickup, M820 van, M816 wrecker, M817 dump truck, M113 APC, M551 AR/AAV, D7 Dozer, M920 MET, and even a Bridge Erection Boat. While I don’t consider myself to be an expert on military vehicles by any means, I feel I do have more experience than many people do with them.Continue reading“The Deuce and a Half as a BOV, by B.F. “

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, we focus on the impact of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. (See the Region-Wide section.)

Region-Wide

This recent Dr. Steve Turley segment discusses the American Redoubt movement in general, and Pastor Doug Wilson in Moscow, Idaho, in particular: Leftists Freak Out as Patriots Build a New Christian Nation!

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Crook County latest Oregon county to put Greater Idaho question on voters’ ballots.

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A report from the left-wing Inlander tabloid: New data from Idaho and Washington helps debunk some myths about who’s moving here, and whether they came as self-identified political refugees or for the quality of life.  Here is an excerpt:

“We can even get into the demographics of folks coming from each city. Like the single voter who moved to Kootenai County from Ontario, Oregon, isn’t affiliated with a political party and is between the ages of 30 and 49. Or the two voters from San Martin, California, who are both older than 70 years old and registered as Democrats in Kootenai County.

Because of this we can debunk a myth while telling you something you probably could’ve guessed. All these new Idahoans aren’t Democrats coming to liberalize the Gem State. In reality, most of the people moving to Idaho are Republicans. In the case of those Californians, almost 80% of them registered in Idaho as Republicans. (By contrast, only 58% of the state’s nearly 1 million voters are registered as Republicans.)”

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10 Most Conservative US States 2024: Republican Bastions.

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Readers who subscribe to a potential Earth pole shift will find this piece from Ben Davidson at Suspicious Observers of interest: Safe Zones and Disaster Zones.

Idaho

Why Idaho just closed a loophole that would allow state agencies to steal residents’ home equity. (Thanks to reader C.B. for the link.)

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A video from William Kirk, wherein he discusses several pieces of pro-gun legislation that will likely soon become law: Idaho, the Last Bastion of Freedom in the Western Time Zone.

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An interesting biographical sketch: William F. Jasper, Idaho Native: A Man for Our Time. JWR’s Comments:  I met Bill Jasper when I was living near Orofino, in the 1990s.  He had by then already moved to Sacramento, but he fairly regularly came home to visit his parents, Morris (“Gene”) and Dolores (“Rusty”), and they were friends of mine. I have a lot of respect for Bill and his principled approach to journalism.

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Idaho population could hit 2 million any day now, passing Nebraska. Thanks, California!

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Idaho manhunt ends with two mystery murders and white supremacist and accomplice captured.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If we don’t stop immigration – this torrent of immigrants coming in – we’re not going to be America anymore because most of the people coming in have no experience with limited government. They don’t know what that is.” – Phyllis Schlafly

Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 25, 2024

On March 25, 1306, Robert the Bruce was crowned Scottish king at Scone. He freed Scotland from English rule, winning the decisive Battle of Bannockburn (1314) and confirming Scottish independence in the Treaty of Northampton (1328).

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This is the birthday of English film director David Lean. He was born in Croydon, England in 1908. He died in 1991. He is best known for his films Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago.

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National Medal of Honor Day is officially observed on March 25th of each year.

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GunMag Warehouse (one of our original affiliate advertisers) is running a big “March Magness” sale, with lots of deep price reductions. For example: 10 Packs of Black Magpul PMAG GEN 2 AR-15 30-Round Magazines for just $98.99. Stack them deep! To find this deal, at their website, paste: “SKU: 10 PACK MAG571” in their search box.

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We are now down to less than 120 of the waterproof SurvivalBlog 2005-2023 Archive USB sticks on hand.  There will not be another batch produced this year, so get your order in soon! 

And a reminder:  There are still 12 USB stick orders dating as far back as January that are “on hold” awaiting payment by check.  If we haven’t received those checks by April 12th, your orders will be canceled. Sorry!

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

Spüt Reactive Targets, by Thomas Christianson

Reactive targets can significantly enhance firearms training. They accomplish this by providing immediate feedback and by creating greater interest by making the training process more entertaining.

Immediate feedback enhances firearms training by establishing a closer tie between the shooters’ actions and the results of their actions. For example, imagine that someone shoots three rounds at a paper target. He then examines the paper, and sees that two of the shots hit near the point of aim, while the third did not. It may be difficult for the shooter to determine which of his three shots was the one which did not hit near the point of aim, and then to remember what he did differently on that shot that contributed to a different result. With a reactive target, on the other hand, the shooter can see how the target responds to each shot, and thus can immediately determine which actions may have contributed to or detracted from successful shot placement.Continue reading“Spüt Reactive Targets, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Rice Omelet

The following simple recipe for Rice Omelet is from Good HouseKeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries (253 pages, copyright 1925, now in public domain). That is one of the 11 bonus books included in the 2005-2023 edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick.

Ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoonful paprika
  • 1 teaspoonful salt
  • 1/2 cupful cooked rice
  • 1/8 teaspoonful pepper
  • 2 tablespoonfuls chili sauce
  • 2 tablespoonfuls bacon fat
Directions

Beat the yolks of the eggs until lemon-colored; add the seasoning, rice, and chili sauce. Mix well and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and turn into a frying pan or omelet pan in which the bacon fat has been melted. Cook slowly until delicately browned on the bottom, then set in a 300-degree F. oven until the top has set. Loosen the edges with a knife or spatula, and fold over. Turn out on a hot platter.

SERVING

Serve at once. Enough to serve four.

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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

Today’s graphic is an ad that ran in gun magazines in the early 1960s. It certainly illustrates the ravages of mass currency inflation. Notably, if anyone living in 1965 set aside either guns or silver coins minted before 1965, they would have kept up with inflation fairly well. It is mostly paper currency and electronic “dollars” on deposit that have suffered inflation — not our tangibles.

It is fitting that this graphic illustration of inflation is being posted on April 1st — April Fool’s Day.  Most Americans keep getting fooled by inflation and the alleged “money” in their wallets.  The Treasury Department stopped minting real money 1964. They’ve been fooling Americans ever since.

Also take note that before the dastardly Gun Control Act of 1968, guns could be mailordered directly. Hopefully, with the Supreme Court’s recent Bruen decision, our right to free commerce in arms will be reaffirmed. I won’t feel truly free until guns and ammunition are available for sale in vending machines.

(Graphic courtesy of SurvivalBlog reader Daniel K.)

The thumbnail image below of the entire ad 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 — March 24, 2024

March 24th is the birthday of Dr. Art Robinson, who was born in 1942. Robinson was recently made ineligible for re-election to the Oregon legislature by the Oregon courts, as punishment for his principled stand in denying the state assembly a quorum. Now that those who denied a quorum have been drummed out, the democrat supermajority in Oregon’s senate, assembly, and governor’s mansion can run roughshod over the electorate.  This is just one more reason why Oregon’s central, eastern, and southwestern counties should either seek separate statehood or shift their state lines, to become part of Idaho.

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On this day in 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground, spilling some 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound in Alaska and creating the largest oil spill in U.S. history up to that time.

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80 years ago, on March 24, 1944, more than 75 Allied prisoners undertook a daring escape from a POW camp in Sagan, Germany, though most were eventually recaptured; it inspired the classic World War II movie The Great Escape (1963).

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A Solar Flare CME Warning:  There were a pair of Earth-facing X-Class solar flares on Saturday (March 23, 2024), with one substantial Coronal Mass Ejection (CME).  Readers are advised to put all of their spare electronics in Faraday cans for the next couple of days.  Oh, and watch for some nice Northern Lights, if your locale has clear night-time skies.

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We are in great need of entries to finish up Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $875,000 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 111 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.

Update: A 21st Century Tangibles Investing Rationale

Introductory Note:  This is an update and substantial expansion to an article that I posted to SurvivalBlog back in 2018.

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I often have people ask me: “Why do you stress tangibles investing, Mr. Rawles?” In my estimation, tangibles always trump intangibles. I have three primary reasons why I distrust intangibles:

First: Nearly all intangible investments are denominated in fiat currencies. Because of this there is an underlying currency inflation, revaluation, or repudiation risk. Even when buying stock in the safest, most secure and impeccably-managed company it still has some risk when the investment is denominated in Dollars. Ditto for Dollar-denominated bonds. Ditto for redeemable life insurance policies and annuities. Ditto for business investments. Ditto for money market funds. Ditto for certificates of deposit (CDs). Whenever you have any investment that is denominated in a fiat currency, there is the risk of degradation of the currency unit itself. It is only tangibles that have innate, intrinsic, and intuitively obvious value that is not vulnerable to the whims of international currency markets, interest rate changes, political charades, or government insolvency.

Second: Most intangible investments represent a debt taken on by someone else. When you deposit funds in a financial institution, nearly all of it is loaned to a private party, a company, or a government. So your investment’s security is dependent on someone or some entity having the willingness and ability to earn a profit and consistently pay down that debt. In essence, the vast majority of investments are buying someone else’s liability. But a personally held tangible is something of substance that has true intrinsic value — in and of itself. That rock-solid value is not dependent on the action or inaction of any individual, corporation, or government.

Third: Intangibles are outside of one’s personal control. Your good intentions have little or no influence on the bad intentions of others. The news headlines are replete with tales of how people have their investments wiped out: Bad corporate management, government ineptitude, corruption, pilfering, swindling, embezzling, “official” confiscation, and wholesale larceny. We also live in the electronic age, so many investments are mere digits in computers. Thus, they are vulnerable to hacking, EMP, solar flares, and various other risks to the power grids. In contrast, a tangible that you keep at home in your personal control is only subject to your own failings. Granted, there are vulnerabilities to rust, mold, and theft. But each of those can be mitigated with proper planning, secure storage, waterproof containers, and some concealment.  (And in the modern context, I would add: Concealment of the paper trail of your acquisition of a tangible. I recommend that you pay in cash or in wallet-to-wallet cryptocurrency for most of your investment tangibles. This will minimize the risk of confiscation by thieves with badges.)

Continue reading“Update: A 21st Century Tangibles Investing Rationale”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Why Is It That The “Majority” of People Who Live in Urban Hellholes Like Portland Think That They Can Dictate “Environmental Safety”

On The “Minority” of People Who Live and Farm in the Larger Rural Land Areas?

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 when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;

Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.

Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.

And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.

For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.

And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?

But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.” – Acts 21:17-39 (KJV)