How I Sued My Neighbor and Won- Part 1, by A.E.

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The Day

The day it happened, my daughter and I returned to the majestic country estate located somewhere deep in the American Redoubt and witnessed a dog attack of our chickens in progress. My young daughter began screaming while I exited the vehicle with a handgun. The dog ran away and I was unable to engage safely or humanely. There are at least two hens nearby that have given up the ghost. Feathers were all over the area.

Miscreant Tracked to Owner’s Home

I tracked the miscreant through the snow to the owner’s home. Concerned about entering the yard with a loaded weapon, I opted to enter at the driveway instead, while noting that there isn’t a “No Trespassing” sign posted. I also took note of the address. Up the driveway there were three men standing near the home in a conspiratorial huddle.

After clearing the handgun and leaving the slide locked open under my jacket, I waved and hollered to get permission to join them. They asked who I was in a tone that started my spider senses tingling. “Your neighbor” got the permission I asked for. The walk up the driveway revealed trash and other refuse, which indicated a distinct yet unrefined lack of pride from the homeowner. I thought there might be trouble with this encounter but decided I must go on. I’ve been wronged one too many times by owners of man’s best friend.

Continue reading“How I Sued My Neighbor and Won- Part 1, by A.E.”

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”.

Would the Founding Fathers Recognize America?

This is a question that I often wonder about. According to this article sent in by reader H.L., The founding fathers knew that that this was the direction that the nation would take over time which accounts for many of the limits placed on our government. They may not have been able to anticipate the rapid advances in technology or weaponry, but they knew human behavior. They studied the metamorphosis of the Roman Empire from a nation to an empire along with others and they knew how the concentration of power in the hands of a few would corrupt the whole system.

Even Benjamin Franklin wrote “We give you a republic…if you can keep it.” America managed to keep it for the most part for almost 100 years, but then the inevitable occurred. No, I don’t think the founding fathers would recognize our country, but I don’t think they would be surprised.

Barter

Reader G.P. sent in this article showing how barter is the natural currency that begins to crop up when things go south. Venezuelans may not have much of worth when it comes to cash, but nearly everyone has something that someone else wants. This woman’s husband spends his day as a fisherman, catching fish while his wife takes a cooler of them to market where she trades them for other food like flour or uses them to buy medicine for her son’s epilepsy. Once hyperinflation has kicked in, there is no point in sticking to a worthless fiat currency and you would soon starve if you tried to stay within the boundaries of it. Of course, the government does not want to you to barter because that deflated currency is what keeps them in power.

Why have a Water Filter?

In case you are wondering why you need a water filter in your home now, reader W.W. sent in this article that profiles the current battle in the government over fluoridating water. While municipalities have done this for years, there is mounting evidence that the negatives of fluoridating a water source outweigh the potential benefits. In the Northern District of California, a judge has denied a motion by the APA that sought to limit the information available to the court while making a decision on whether or not to ban water fluoridation.

The EPA only wanted the judge to review information that they themselves provided the court and the motion guaranteed that other experts and information sources can be heard in this court case. While the battle rages on in the courts, if you are on a municipal water source, you may be drinking fluoridated water. Thanks goodness for counter-top or under-counter water filters.

DNC: Future is Socialism

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman, Tom Perez, has stated that he believes socialist candidates are the future of the party. This announcement follows closely on the heels of Ocasio-Cortez’ victory over a top House Democrat in a recent primary election. Ocasio-Cortez is a self-described “democratic socialist” (meaning she is really good at spending other peoples money). This along with Ben Jealous in Maryland, have been termed “spectacular” candidates and considered the future of the party. Thanks to G.P. for the link.

Ban on Shotguns

Speaking of Ben Jealous, reader DSV sent in this article from “The Truth about Guns”. Jealous is the Democratic candidate for governor in Maryland and the former NAACP president. He has implied that the states extreme gun control laws don’t go far enough despite the fact that they are some of the most oppressive in the nation. While most of the media is still pushing the “assault weapon” angle, Jealous is now targeting shotguns since the recent Capital Gazzette shooter used one. Of course, the author doesn’t believe Jealous is particularly well versed in firearms nomenclature and technology so who knows what he means by “shotgun”.

SurvivalRealty

You’ll need a bit of cash for this property, but it’s pretty neat. Survival Realty recently listed 150 acres of remote private property near the Idaho/Montana border for only $275,000. The property has been damaged by a recent wildfire but is already showing signs of recovering. Deer and elk herd have returned in good numbers and the views are beautiful. There is no power available so this would be an off-grid location.

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Please send your news tips to HJL. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who watch news that is important to them. Due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” news. We often “get the scoop” on news that is most likely ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Deny that the Bible is, without any qualifications, the very Word of God, and you are left without any ultimate standard of measurement and without any supreme authority. Grant that the Bible is a Divine revelation and communication of God’s own mind and will to men, and you have a fixed starting point from which an advance can be made into the domain of truth.” – Arthur W. Pink

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – July 04, 2018

Today Americans go through the motions of celebrating the remnants of our our once preciously cherished liberty.

Independence day is also the birthday of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) and of General Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882)

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Ready Made Resources is having an Independence Day sale that runs through Sunday. You can pick up an HP+ PVS-14 Autogated night vision device for only $2875.00 or you can get a Night Ops Tactical PVS-14 Autogated 4G White Phosphor unit for only $2995.00

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 77 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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. 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 transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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, and
  6. 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).

Round 77 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.

Are You Preparing for SHTF or TEOTWAWKI- Part 2, by 3AD Scout

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We are taking a look at the similarities and differences between preparing for a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI event. In part 1, we left off with questions one and two of the four questions associated with not having the luxury of normal commerce and how that impacts preparations for TEOTWAWKI. Let’s continue and wrap up the two-part article.

Question Three

We have question three to answer, and it is a significant one. Once the stored inventory is used up, how will it be replaced with either a renewable resource or by manufacturing?

Scavenging. There is another possibility, which is scavenging. I assume that in a post-TEOTWAWKI world, there will be a vast wasteland of vehicles, buildings, and manufactured goods that no longer serve their intended purpose. If it comes down to scavenging, that may be the only alternative. However, scavenging should not be your primary means of providing for your logistical needs. For one, scavenging will require someone from your prepper community to leave your area of operations. The scavenging team can be attacked or followed back, et cetera, so, it bring risks. Scavenging also makes the assumption that you will find what you need.

Time. Scavenging will also take time, and time will be one of our most precious post-TEOTWAWKI resources. Time spent on scavenging could have been time spent tending the gardens, preserving food, cutting wood, or providing one more person on perimeter security.

Continue reading“Are You Preparing for SHTF or TEOTWAWKI- Part 2, by 3AD Scout”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on beekeeping. (See both the Book section and the Vlogs and Instructional Videos section.)

Books:

Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself-While the Rest of Us Die

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Build Your Own Greenhouse: How to Construct, Equip, and Maintain It

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Build Your Own Beekeeping Equipment: How to Construct 8- & 10-Frame Hives; Top Bar, Nuc & Demo Hives; Feeders, Swarm Catchers & More

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Beekeeping For Dummies

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The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, and Cooking in the Wild, by Dave Canterbury

 

Movies:

Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis: Special Edition. (This is the edition with the catchy 1980s rock music.)

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A Year’s Worth of Homesteading Ideas, Vol. 13
Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on the Venezuela economic trainwreck, (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold And Silver Can’t Withstand US Dollar Strength

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Gold, Silver Posting Good Gains, At Daily Highs

 

Cryptos:

Next, over at CoinDesk: Dead Cat Bounce? Bitcoin Charts Show This Rally Could Be Different

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Banking Ban Reversal? India to Finalize Cryptocurrency Regulations in July

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

Let martial note in triumph float
And liberty extend its mighty hand
A flag appears ‘mid thunderous cheers,
The banner of the Western land.
The emblem of the brave and true
Its folds protect no tyrant crew;
The red and white and starry blue
Is freedom’s shield and hope.
Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom’s nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peak
The never-ending watchword of our land;
Let summer breeze waft through the trees
The echo of the chorus grand.
Sing out for liberty and light,
Sing out for freedom and the right.
Sing out for Union and its might,
O patriotic sons.
Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation,
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom’s nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free.
May it wave as our standard forever
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with might endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray,
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.
– Lyrics to Stars and Stripes Forever  (Words and Music by John Philip Sousa.)

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – July 03, 2018

On July 3, 1890, the Idaho Territory became the 43rd state in the Union.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 77 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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. 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 transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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, and
  6. 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).

Round 77 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.

Are You Preparing for SHTF or TEOTWAWKI- Part 1, by 3AD Scout

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There is SHTF, and then there is TEOTWAWKI. There is a difference.

SHTF

To me, SHTF means an incident that although it’s a disaster isn’t something that will collapse society as we know it. That is not to say that in a SHTF incident there won’t be looting or other behaviors outside societal norms, but for the most part order and daily life will be restored to some level in the foreseeable future. Hurricane Katrina is an example of a SHTF scenario.

TEOTWAWKI

TEOTWAWKI on the other hand is when societal norms are gone, with no recovery of vital infrastructure systems in the foreseeable future and the incident impacts large parts of the earth’s inhabitants. The keeping of societal norms will be challenged and in some areas will degrade quickly. Unlike a SHTF scenario, no one locally or from the state, federal, and even international community is coming to help.

What You Are Preparing For

It is important to determine what you are preparing for. Is it when SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, or both?

Preparing for both SHTF and TEOTWAWKI have some similarities. However, they also have vast differences.

Continue reading“Are You Preparing for SHTF or TEOTWAWKI- Part 1, by 3AD Scout”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on custom knifemakers in The American Redoubt.

Region-Wide

A reader wrote to mention a fascinating interview, published back in February: The New West: Assessing the political map in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

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A raft of new businesses have announced openings in the inland northwest.

 

Idaho

I recently heard about Elijah Williams of Fire Creek Forge, in Troy, Idaho. He makes some great custom fixed-blade knives, at quite reasonable prices.

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C. Thomas Knives, of Hayden, Idaho is famous for blades that are re-forged primarily from large circular commercial woodsaw blades. His etched and Damascus blades are gorgeous.

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A television news profile of Bill Burke: Idaho knife maker a master of his craft

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Tindall Knives are handmade in Idaho, by Forrest Tindall.

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The third annual Inland Northwest Preparedness Expo will be held September 22nd and 23rd at the Bonner County Fairgrounds in Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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”. There is a new tick in town. These ticks have been imported from Asia and are a serious problem.

Civil War

Reid Henrichs is fired up in this video sent in by reader T.J..  Over the last couple of weeks, the progressive left has called for action that is felonious in intent against law abiding citizens and servants of the government. The range of crimes requested by this group of elitists ranges from stalking and harassing to thinly veiled threats of bombings. As the left wakes up to the concept that they are losing control of the narrative, they have driven the entire Democratic party to the far left and given us a prime example of why a discussion on gun-control just can’t happen. These are the same people that want to disarm you, yet they call for violence against you and are not pursued for their threats. As Henrichs says in response to the call for dialog on gun control: “Not just no, but h*** no!”

Fake News

As the protests this weekend in Portland turned violent, the news repeated their old tricks yet again. The conservative demonstrators who were peacefully protesting were attacked by Antifa agitators. Despite the fact that the violence only occured after Antifa physically assaulted the peaceful protesters, the mainstream news media relabeled the participants in the violence. The Patriot Prayer group suddenly became “Right-Wing” and the Antifa members were relabeled as “Protesters”. It’s through this simple use of words that the liberals control the narrative on things like this.

As a side note, one video that has surfaced is the one-punch knock out of an Antifa radical as he attempts to physically assault one of the original protesters. He is cleanly knocked out and his buddies have to carry him off. Thanks to T.J. and DSV for the links.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“There is only so much land and water on the surface of the earth. Man, despite his marvelous accomplishments, will never be able to increase the diameter of the planet. The old days of virgin continents will be gone. The inhabitable planet, from ice-cap to ice-cap, will be inhabited. And in the matter of food-getting, as in everything else, man is only finite. Undreamed efficiencies in food-getting may be achieved, but, soon or late, man will find himself fact to face with Malthus’ grim law. Not only will population catch up with subsistence, but it will press against subsistence, and the pressure will be pitiless and savage. Somewhere in the future is a date when man will face, consciously, the bitter fact that there is not food enough for all of him to eat.” – Jack London. The Human Drift

Charter Arms, Undercover .38 Spl, by Pat Cascio

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Sometimes, the nostalgia bug bites me, big time, and I can’t resist a gun at my local gun shop. Under review in this article is the Charter Arms www.charterfirearms.com Undercover .38 Spl revolver, the older model.

An “Old Time” Revolver

They guys at my local gun shop are all quite a bit younger than me. So, whenever they get in an “old time” revolver they are sure to draw it to my attention and put it in my hands. I’ve been a habitual gun trader all my life, for the simple fact that I can’t afford all the firearms I want. When I was much younger, I was always after the newest and coolest handguns I could find. I’ve had more than a few of those moments, when I regretted doing a trade right after I did it, too.

Undercover, I Carried Charter Arms Snubby Revolver

One of the first undercover ops I ever did, as a private investigator, was in a steel plant. An employee had been killed by a load of steel beams being “accidentally” released from an overhead crane right on top of him. So, I was hired to go in and check things out. The insurance company couldn’t duplicate the “accident” nor could the local police gather enough evidence against anyone in the plant to prove this was done on purpose.

Long story short, all the employees, to a man, on the swing shift were always high on drugs, always. I was constantly keeping a watchful eye on the overhead crane in the plant, for fear of a load of steel beams falling on me. It turned out that this one employee wanted nothing to do with drugs, and the others feared he would turn on them, so he was murdered. I turned my report over to my employer, and several employees were arrested. One was charged with murder with the others charged as accessories to murder.

Continue reading“Charter Arms, Undercover .38 Spl, by Pat Cascio”