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, a further look at artificial intelligence (AI).

AI and the New Kind of Propaganda

Over at Off-Guardian: AI and the new kind of propaganda. Here is a pericope:

“They want to control the formation and reproduction of “social imaginaries”.

So the idea is to use massive data collection and AI pattern recognition to preemptively disrupt the formation of behaviourally significant narratives, discourses or patterns of information.

With these tools of “early diagnosis” of information that potentially could disrupt the power structure and its objectives, it then becomes possible to nip it in the bud incredibly early on, way before such information has even coalesced into something like coherent narratives or meaningful models for explanation or further (precarious) conclusions.”

Gen Zers Trust ChatGPT for Career Guidance

H.L. sent this: Does ChatGPT give better career advice than your boss? Nearly half of Gen Z says yes.

How AI Deepfakes Threaten the 2024 Elections

Rehan Mirza of the Harvard Kenndey School: How AI deepfakes threaten the 2024 elections. An excerpt:

“Deepfakes already have affected other elections around the globe. In recent elections in Slovakia, for example, AI-generated audio recordings circulated on Facebook, impersonating a liberal candidate discussing plans to raise alcohol prices and rig the election. During the February 2023 Nigerian elections, an AI-manipulated audio clip falsely implicated a presidential candidate in plans to manipulate ballots. With elections this year in over 50 countries involving half the globe’s population, there are fears deepfakes could seriously undermine their integrity.”

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 21, 2024

On February 21, 1947, Edwin Land (pictured) presented his Polaroid photo product, the world’s first instant photos, in New York City.

On February 21, 1972, Richard Nixon became the first US President to visit China, normalizing relations between the countries in a meeting with Chinese leader Mao Zedong in Beijing.

On February 21, 1995, American businessman and adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon. It was the first of his many aviation records.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 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. 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.

—

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.

 

Why I Bought a Pluggable Hybrid EV Car, by R.G.

I live in the high desert in the Southwest on a 20 acre homestead within a small farm/ranch community of 200 hardy souls. My homestead includes all the typical accouterments of a homestead including wells, septic, gardens, greenhouse, tractor, barn, and animals. I recently installed a 8,000 watt off-grid solar system.

A good-sized county seat town is 20 miles away with WalMart, drug stores, grocery stores, local hardware store, courthouse, and regional hospital within that 20 mile range. An extra five road miles gets me to a Costco and big-box hardware stores. A major city is 100 miles away with all the amenities you can imagine.

My driving habits include around two trips to the county town a week. I used to live in the major city and still have financial interests there that require I go there two times a month. In addition, my kids and grandkids live 1,500 miles away in the southeast and I try to drive there once or twice a year.

With the advent of my new solar system, I thought this would be the best time to invest in an Electric Vehicle (EV) and get all that free fuel. I have not had a new car in over 30 years so this was a big decision for me. Problem: Pure EVs have a limited range between charges, charging can take a long time, and you have to know where all the charging stations are if taking a long trip. Hybrid EVs can go long distances but you can’t charge them except with their gas engine. Solution: The new Pluggable Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) give you the best of both worlds. You can charge them at home for about 40 miles of electric travel or use a combination of electric motor and gas engine to travel long distances at a very good miles per gallon rate. Continue reading“Why I Bought a Pluggable Hybrid EV Car, by R.G.”

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.

—

Avalanche Lily tracked this down: Sweden’s New War/Terrorism Emergency Preparedness Brochure, in English.

o  o  o

Reader Thomas M. wrote to ask:

“Mr. Rawles, do you have a recommendation for a tablet that one can use for viewing the materials on the SurvivalBlog archives [waterproof USB sticks] that are put out every year?  With all of the possibilities for real trouble, I am wondering if there is a brand or style of tablet that will work should the Internet go down or other problems.”

JWR Replies:

“A ruggedized tablet — such as a Panasonic Toughbook A3 — would probably be best.  But any recent brand-name tablet with wireless connectivity, the Firefox browser installed, and a USB port will suffice.  (You can get one with the smaller USB-C jack, and easily use a USB 3.0 adapter to mate it with a traditional USB stick.)

In my experience, for long-term reliability, the power adapter cords are always the weak link.  So get two AC power adapter cords and three 12 Volt DC (automobile) adapters. Oh, and, if needed, buy at least two of the USB 3.0 cord adapters. With all of those, you will have a tablet that will be serviceable for more than a decade — perhaps even a lifetime.

For Faraday protection from EMP/CME events, store your tablet and all removable memory media in a steel can with a tight-fitting steel lid.  A holiday gift popcorn tin works fine, for that.”

o o o

A new video from backcountry pilot Jonas Marcinko: The Apocalypse… Stealth Snow Bike OR Modified Army Truck?

o  o  o

Reader Ray  K. had this response to SaraSue recent snippet:

“I had milk fever show up in my goats years ago.  The solution is a calcium gel that you dose orally to everyone at kidding (or calving) to prevent milk fever.  It was OTC then and should be now.  It won’t hurt a thing if she doesn’t need it, but it will save her life if she does.  It comes in a tube and you dose it like you are applying caulk.  The gun is smaller in diameter than a caulk gun, and is designed to give the dose based on [the number of] trigger pulls.

I think I got mine at TSC, but you should be able to find it at most farm stores or online.  You will need to buy the [dosing] gun to go with the tube of gel.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 20, 2024

On February 20, 1962, John H. Glenn, Jr., the oldest of seven astronauts selected by NASA for Project Mercury spaceflight training (and later a U.S. senator), became on this day in 1962 the first American to orbit Earth, doing so three times.

—

On February 20, 1902, Ansel Adams, the most important landscape photographer of the 20th century, was born in San Francisco.

—

Today is also the birthday of novelist and screenwriter Richard Matheson (1926–2013). He wrote many sci-fi television scripts. His novella I Am Legend later was adapted into three different movies over the course of five decades, and his story Bid Time Return became the charming movie Somewhere In Time.

—

Today we present a short guest article by a SurvivalBlog reader.  It was too short to qualify for the writing contest judging.

We are now seeking entries for 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.

Caveat Emptor – “Let the Buyer Beware”, by Steve M.

As you make prepping related purchases, bear in mind that there are transactional risks that should be considered and mitigated. Two recent incidents have served as a reminder that business practices have changed, for the worse in my experience. Business accountability that we once took for granted, can no longer be assumed. A common saying of old was “the customer is always right”, but I’m afraid that Biblical principles are increasingly ignored and negative societal trends have permeated the business world, changing the focus away from a customer-first.

Let me first summarize two recent transactions. I am of course withholding the names of these small companies:Continue reading“Caveat Emptor – “Let the Buyer Beware”, by Steve M.”

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, another look at an Idaho videoblogging family. (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

An update from the North Idaho vlogging Souza family: We Finally Finished It! Now Comes the FUN Part – Building Our Own Home.

o  o  o

This made international news: Idaho teen, 19, hung by her broken leg on power line for an hour after being thrown from her car in horror crash.

o  o  o

A central Idaho travel video: Salmon River Road.

o  o  o

Armed school staff: Guns and Safety in Garden Valley School District.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.” –  Charles H. Spurgeon

Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 19, 2024

On February 19, 1942, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order for the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

—

Several readers mentioned this news: Most lethal sniper in Marine Corps history, Chuck Mawhinney, dead at 75.

—

On February 19, 1878, Thomas Edison patented the phonograph.

—

A reminder: SurvivalRealty.com is running a February Book Bundle Giveaway.  By signing up to receive his weekly e-newsletter, you’ll be entered to win this drawing for four great books. This special promotion ends at midnight, tonight, February 19, 2024.

—

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

Ghillie Kettle Maverick, by Thomas Christianson

The Bottom Line, Up Front

If you want to boil enough water to make a cup or more of tea or other hot beverage as quickly and efficiently as possible using a handful of twigs, pine cones, or other dry biomass, a Ghillie Kettle may be the ideal tool for the job. It can have your water boiling in about 3 minutes or so. That gives almost-microwave-like preparation times in the field for just-add-boiling-water food and beverage options.

Ghillie Kettles are handmade in the UK and come in three sizes. The Maverick can boil up to 2 cups of water at a time. At the time of this writing, the silver-anodized Maverick cost $89 from CampingKettle.com. The Explorer (which cost $104) can boil up to 4 cups of water at a time. The Adventurer (which cost $109) can boil up to 6 cups of water at a time. There are also versions available that are hard anodized rather than silver anodized. There is also a more compact version called the mKettle (which cost $99).Continue reading“Ghillie Kettle Maverick, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Peanut Butter Bread

The following simple recipe for Peanut Butter Bread 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 new bonus books included in the new 2005-2023 edition of the SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick.

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cupful peanut butter
  • 3-1/2 cupfuls bread flour
  • 1/2 cupful sugar
  • 3 teaspoonfuls baking-powder
  • 1 cupful milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoonful salt
Directions

Cream the peanut butter and sugar.

Add the egg, well beaten.

Mix and sift the dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk.

Beat the entire mixture well and place in well-greased bread tin.

Bake in a 350-degree F.  oven for about fifty minutes.

—

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!

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Have we reached the ultimate stage of absurdity where some people are held responsible for things that happened before they were born, while other people are not held responsible for what they themselves are doing today?” – Thomas Sowell