The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”.

Remembering Reagan’s Christmas Address

Reader DSV sent in this YouTube of President Reagan’s 1981 Christmas address. Reagan may not have been the most conservative or libertarian president we ever had, but he sure had a way with words. This is a very inspiring address that encourages us to be strong and gentle. I highly encourage everyone, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, to view this message.

The Dark Side of Gift Cards

Thinking of giving a gift card to someone this year as a gift? We often resort to this because we don’t want to take the time to know or understand what a person really needs or wants. But this lazy form of giving has a dark side. While the gift card industry is over $130 billion dollars, over $1 billion simply goes to waste. Many cards expire or have fees when they are unused and the money eventually disappears. Some card balances have to be turned over to the state at the end of a waiting period when they are unused, but most simply revert funds back to the company that owns the card. Make sure that if you use this form of giving that you are actually giving a card to a store that the person will actually shop at.

Anti-Semitism

The women’s marches movement seems to be self-imploding as accusations of anti-Semitism fly. It would appear that the original founders did not have such political leanings, but that soon after organizing the movement was infiltrated and taken over by those with strong anti-Semitic values. There was an initial power struggle as the original founders and the new leadership vied for power, but true to left leaning/progressive causes, evil won out. Now that a left-leaning news organization has finally picked up the story, the movement is struggling to maintain influence. Many of the organizations branches throughout the states are backing off from the core or even dissolving. I have to admit, it’s nice to see such evilness implode. Thanks to T.Z. for the link.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The birches, waving in the wind, looked as full of life as in summer and as wondrously beautiful. Where the sun shone, everything glittered and sparkled as if diamond dust had been strewn about; and the snowy carpet of the earth seemed covered with diamonds from which gleamed countless lights, whiter even than the snow itself.” – Hans Christian Andersen, The Snowman

Preparedness Notes for Monday – December 24, 2018

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December 24 is the Anniversary of when John Joe Gray’s legal troubles began. He and his family had been self-sufficiently holed up in their Texas ranch for nearly 15 years, in defiance of a warrant for his arrest, before the district attorney dropped the charges. This was the longest standoff in American history, in which he has faced the administrations of four different county sheriffs.

Springfield Armory Range Officer Elite Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio

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Once again, another new and very exciting 1911 from Springfield Armory is under review today. This one is a winner and a bargain as well.

Range Officer 1911 From Several Years Ago

Several years ago, Springfield Armory came out with the Range Officer 1911. It was meant to be all set up so the user could enter various shooting competitions, and it worked quite well in that regard. However, it wasn’t 100% suitable for street carry, if you ask me; it needed to be refined, updated, or “something” needed to be done.

The All-New SA Range Officer Elite Operator 1911 Name

Enter the all-new SA Range Officer Elite Operator 1911. This baby has everything you’ll ever need and nothing you don’t need on a carry gun, or one for shooting competitions. So, I have to ask myself, why didn’t Springfield Armory just give it a completely new name instead of using the “Range Officer” designation in the title of the gun? No one asked me.

The all-new Springfield Armory RO Elite Operator 1911 in .45 ACP, which is the caliber I requested to test, is really a new model and not any part of the RO that was released several years ago. Guess I would have called it the 1911 Elite Operator and left the RO out of the name of the gun so there wouldn’t be any confusion about which gun is which.

Continue reading“Springfield Armory Range Officer Elite Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Chili Con Queso, by L.P.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb pasteurized process cheese spread
  • 1 (1-lb) can of chili without beans
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 (4oz) can of chopped green chili peppers

Directions:

  1. Mix all of the ingredients in a CrockPot® or other slow-cooking pot.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.
  3. Serve hot from the pot.
  4. Use as a dip for corn ships or as a sauce over Mexican food.

Makes about 4 cups.

o o o

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Today’s photo is from the Netherlands Archives, titled “Kerstviering Mijnwerkers in Zoutmijn” — Mineworkers in a salt mine, celebrating Christmas. It looks like those candles are sitting atop drilled salt pillars.

With most of the world’s markets, businesses, miners, and manufacturers taking a Christmas holiday today, I will forego my usual economics ramblings. I’m just posting three links to “must read” articles on the tumbling stock market:

Top Trump official calls bankers, will convene ‘Plunge Protection Team’

and,

What if the Dow fell another 4,000-plus points — would you be prepared?

and,

How Bad Was Last Week In Historical Context?

Yes, with just three links I’m slacking just a bit, on Christmas Eve. However, I’ve also been busy writing some items to round out the year:

On Wednesday (December 26th, 2018) I will be posting a special list of recommended charities in this column.

On Friday (December 28th, 2018) I will post my usual Economics & Investing For Preppers column.  But it will also include some predictions for precious metals in 2019, by other analysts.

And next Monday (December 31st, 2018) I will post my economic predictions for 2019. – JWR

Preparedness Notes for Sunday – December 23, 2018

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December 23 is the 105th anniversary of the exclusive private banking cartel known as The Federal Reserve. I recommend the book The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 80 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 80 ends on January 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.

Some Thoughts About Lying- Part 2, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

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[Editor’s Note: It is the position of the editor’s of SurvivalBlog that the end does not justify the means. Deuteronomy 16:20 states “That which is altogether just shalt thou follow” (KJV), though a more accurate word-for-word translation would be “Righteous justice you shall pursue.” We believe that we are to model our Lord and Savior who did not lie.]

We are considering some thoughts about lying, based upon Paul Copan’s Enrichment Journal article called “Is It Ever Morally Permissible To Deceive?…”

As an introduction, in Ephesians, the apostle Paul says to “put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts” (4:22). Then he says, “So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors” (4:25).

Judging from these verses (and others) and the many shallow “Christian” articles online, a Christian may never, ever lie; it is a sin condemned by God. But that is not only a simplistic conclusion, it’s not Biblical in any way. The truth is more complicated.

We have been reading an excerpt from Paul Copan’s article called “Is It Ever Morally Permissible to Deceive?…” In Part 1, we read about the three main conditions under which deception is morally permissible– inconsequential social arrangements, war, and opposing criminals. Let’s move on with the excerpt from Mr. Copan’s article:

Continue reading“Some Thoughts About Lying- Part 2, by ShepherdFarmerGeek”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. Amazon polices are being looked at in detail in today’s features. This is not a nice company when you are a seller, but one that you have to do business with.

M4/M249 SAW Replacement

Military.com has an article explaining the Army’s move to a 6.8mm based weapon system to replace the M4 and the M249 SAW. The system is intended to capitalize on the recognized weaknesses of the M16/M4 and M249 platform that the operators of the weapon have had in the course of operations. Primarily among them is the decreased lethality of the current 5.56mm cartridge at long ranges in wide open territory and in the reduced barrel length of the M4. The new round is not yet a sure thing and the program is merely a step in the right direction to remedy problems experienced in the field. The plan is to have gun makers submit proposals for their designs in April with the prototypes delivered by June.

Amazon.com News

Amazon now has nearly half of all retail sales in the U.S. But it’s not actually Amazon that is the power behind the sales. It’s their “marketplace” program that allows other retailers to sell under the umbrella of Amazon. With the huge market commanded by Amazon retailers vie for the top search return spots and things are not always rosy. Common among retailers to target your competitor by buying reviews for them and then turning them in for fake reviews. There are also instances where companies have bought their competitors products, set them on fire and then written safety hazard reviews. At issue is Amazon’s policy of suspending retailers for infractions of their Terms of Service, but not telling you what you did. They also don’t just accept apologies.

To get back on, you have to provide an action plan of what you are going to do to fix the problem and keep it from happening again. It doesn’t even matter if you are innocent – and millions are at stake so you can’t just walk away. It’s like that stereotypical movie wife who is mad at you and is giving you the silent treatment. You have to figure out what you did wrong on your own, admit to it and fix it even if you didn’t do it. This article is long, but a definite must-read. Thanks to T.Z. for the link.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 1:3-5 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday – December 22, 2018

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December 22nd is the anniversary of the death of SP4 James T. Davis, the first uniformed American combat casualty of the Vietnam War, in 1961. This ASA soldier (of the 3rd Radio Research Unit) was killed in a Viet Cong ambush on a road outside Saigon.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 80 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 80 ends on January 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.

Some Thoughts About Lying- Part 1, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

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[Editor’s Note: It is the position of the editor’s of SurvivalBlog that the end does not justify the means. Deuteronomy 16:20 states “That which is altogether just shalt thou follow” (KJV), though a more accurate word-for-word translation would be “Righteous justice you shall pursue.” We believe that we are to model our Lord and Savior who did not lie.]

There are six things the Lord hates and seven that are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family. (Proverbs 6:16–19)

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. (Proverbs 12:22)

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

Truth is Complicated

In Ephesians, the apostle Paul says to “put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts” (4:22). Then he says, “So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors” (4:25).

Judging from these verses (and others) and the many shallow “Christian” articles online, a Christian may never, ever lie; it is a sin condemned by God. But that is not only a simplistic conclusion, it’s not Biblical in any way. The truth is more complicated:

From Paul Copan

The following is entirely an excerpt from Paul Copan’s Enrichment Journal article called “Is It Ever Morally Permissible to Deceive?…”

God is True and Hates Lying Lips

“First, Scripture affirms the trustworthiness of God. God is true (Romans 3:4). He is faithful and keeps His promises (Deuteronomy 7:9). And He hates lying lips (Proverbs 12:22). Jesus calls himself “the truth” (John 14:6). Indeed, the being who qualifies as God would have to be worship-worthy and, therefore, trustworthy rather than faithless.

Continue reading“Some Thoughts About Lying- Part 1, by ShepherdFarmerGeek”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, 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 the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

JWR

We had a quiet Winter Solstice day, here at the Rawles Ranch. It is a boost to one’s psyche to know that the days are finally starting to get longer again! Living at this latitude, the darkness of winter can be depressing.  The weather has been unusually rainy. That is supposed to transition to more seasonally-expected snow, in the next few days. Perhaps I’ll be doing some snow plowing this winter, after all.

I do my best to practice what I preach. So this past week I’ve been busy buying various full capacity magazines and also AR lower receivers–both stripped and complete. With the new Congress starting to play their nefarious games one week from Wednesday (January 3, 2019), it is wise to stock up. GunMagWarehouse has been getting a lot of business from me. I’ve also been busy making lists of magazines available from other vendors, and comparing prices. That way I’ll be ready to pull the trigger on an even bigger magazine buy, if and when it becomes clear that a new ban looks close to a certainty.

This week I helped Lily and the kids with one of the regular muckings of our poultry house. This time, the kids did the shoveling, while I handled the usual hauling away the waste in a wheelbarrow–or this time of year, a sled. In the winter, everything is hauled directly to the garden, to rot down in piles. Come springtime, that will be rototilled in to the soil.

We now have stock tank heaters running in both of our tanks. I had to chain a weight to the floating one. This was to prevent one of our most Bovine Delinquent calves from flipping it out of the tank. They do get bored. Just another day on the ranch…

– Jim & Avalanche Lily, Rawles

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. The wall is becoming a contentious issue this week. While the government is in a partial shutdown over it, the public may fund it themselves.

More on Bumpstocks

Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large has a good article on what everyone needs to know about the bumpfire ban. Looking past the obvious details and a very unconstitutional ban, Mike delves into the nitty-gritty of why this is a horrible direction and such a slippery slope. He doesn’t even own one because he owns several of the “real thing”. There is so much misinformation in the public arena on just what these devices are, you should be prepared to explain these details to anyone you meet. Who knows, the ATF make make it impossible to wear a belt on your pants in the future because you can do the same thing with your belt loops.

Gun Parts and Ammo

Palmetto State Armory (one of our Affiliate advertisers) has announced a great sale on Gen-2 30-round black MagPul PMAGs. They are just $7.99 each, after you put them in their shopping cart. Search for item “MAG571-BLK” Stock up, before Congress gets busy robbing us of our rights! Be sure to use the coupon code “PMAG” when you check out.

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