JWR’s Recommendations of the Week

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on jerky and biltong. (See both the Books section and the Gear and Grub section.)

Books (Jerky and Biltong):

Make your own biltong and droewors

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Jerky Everything: Foolproof and Flavorful Recipes for Beef, Pork, Poultry, Game, Fish, Fruit, and Even Vegetables (Countryman Know How)

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Long Range Precision Rifle. Note: Sadly, Paladin Press went out of business last year, so these books are getting scarce.

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Blog reader E.E. suggested this: The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence, by Gavin de Becker.

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I Can’t Believe It’s Food Storage! Updated and Expanded Version

 

Movies:

Nicky’s Family. An inspiring documentary about a young Englishman who saved hundreds of Jewish children from death in The Holocaust. Available on DVD. Also available for free streaming for anyone with an Amazon Prime membership.

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The Devil’s Arithmetic. Available on DVD. Also available for free streaming for anyone with an Amazon Prime membership.

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The liberties of our Country, the freedom of our civil constitution are worth defending at all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have receiv’d them as a fair Inheritance from our worthy Ancestors: They purchas’d them for us with toil and danger and expence of treasure and blood; and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle; or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men. Of the latter we are in most danger at present: Let us therefore be aware of it. Let us contemplate our forefathers and posterity; and resolve to maintain the rights bequeath’d to us from the former, for the sake of the latter. — Instead of sitting down satisfied with the efforts we have already made, which is the wish of our enemies, the necessity of the times, more than ever, calls for our utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude, and perseverance. Let us remember that “if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty, we encourage it, and involve others in our doom.” It is a very serious consideration, which should deeply impress our minds, that millions yet unborn may be the miserable sharers of the event.” – Samuel Adams, from an essay written under the pseudonym “Candidus,” in The Boston Gazette (14 October 1771), later published in The Life and Public Services of Samuel Adams (1865) by William Vincent Wells, p. 425

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – June 19, 2018

June 19, 1834 was the birthday of Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon, who died 31 January 1892. He was a noted  British Particular Baptist preacher. His fine sermons are often quoted by modern preachers who share Reformed theology.

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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.

A Memoir On One Family’s Move To The American Redoubt- Part 1, by X. Liberal & China Doll

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Epigraph, Genesis

“And God said unto Noah, ‘The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms though shalt make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without pitch.’”

– Genesis 13:13-14 KJV

Background

Let us give you a little background about ourselves. X. Liberal is a man with athletic build who played ice hockey in college, where he was educated with a master’s degree in accounting, and is a CPA. X. Liberal’s wife, China Doll, is the only thing in our home that is “Made in China”. She is educated with a PhD, serves as the family anchor, and is scripturally rooted, a prayer warrior, God fearing, speaks three languages, knows advanced calculus, and keeps an efficient household in order while cooking healthy meals. Both of us are Christians, love life, love each other, and love the Lord.

Our Nicknames

A Marine once corrected me when I asked, “So you’re an X. Marine?” He quipped, “No, an X. Marine is someone who served and that wants nothing to do with the corps, its creed, or brotherhood. Once a Marine always a Marine… I’m a former Marine!” Enough said, “I’m an X. Liberal.” As for my wife, China Doll, it should be self explanatory.

The Why

In 2011, after reading JWR’s book How To Survive The End Of The World As We Know It, I had a stark realization when he contrasted moral relativism to God’s moral code written in stone—the 10 Commandments. I was searching. I had just witnessed my career field in accountancy yield unattainable results that my father and grandfathers’ careers yielded: That is, I wasn’t going to be able to retire, provide for a family, have family medical benefits all as my forefathers had. The American Dream I realized, for my generation, is now unattainable.

There are two primary catalysts for this societal debacle, and this will offend some, so get ready.

Continue reading“A Memoir On One Family’s Move To The American Redoubt- Part 1, by X. Liberal & China Doll”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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 the seventh anniversary of the founding of Radio Free Redoubt.

 

Region-Wide (Radio Free Redoubt):

We’ll start with a recommendation for an inspiring monologue from John Jacob Schmidt: Radio Free Redoubt 7 Year Anniversary Episode (#18-20). Congratulations to John Jacob Schmidt!  His yeoman service as a broadcaster has helped catapult the American Redoubt Movement onto the national stage. He has also been an instrumental and guiding force in the Liberty State movement. May God bless his ventures.

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Our SurvivalRealty.com spin-off has published a two-part Q&A with JWR on Idaho relocation in their blog section:
Part 1 and  Part 2.

 

Idaho

Video: The widow of LaVoy Finicum addresses an audience in Sandpoint, Idaho.

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Idaho Child Diagnosed with State’s First Case of Plague in Humans Since 1992. (Thanks to D.B. for the link.)

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I found a fascinating video of a sea-going power boat tour of the Columbia and Snake rivers. They motored all the way up to Lewiston, Idaho: Venture to Idaho. (The Redoubt region portion begins around the 13 minute mark.) They took a 57-mile side trip up Hell’s Canyon, via jet boat. (That begins at the 30:20 mark.)

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”. Wait till you see the AR in .338 Lapua Magnum!

Armed and Dangerous

Eric Raymond, of the Armed & Dangerous blog, penned a quite plausible followup to JWR’s recent essay on The Mathematics of Countering Tyranny. The author starts with the numbers JWR derived and uses them to further calculate the difficulties the United States government would have in disarming the American gun owner. From a gun rights perspective, the numbers are very encouraging and only require a fraction of gun owners who are willing to fight for their rights to bring the entire forced collection program to a halt. The American Revolution was essentially kicked off by a gun confiscation order. It would be wise for the would-be gun grabbers to remember that.

Tommy Robinson

Anyone wishing to mail a letter of support to Tommy Robinson (aka Stephen Lennon) in his prison cell, can mail it to:

Stephen Y. Lennon (A2084CG)
HMP Onley
Rugby
Warwickshire
CV23 8AP England

He can also be reached through the commercial “E-Mail A Prisoner” service, at a cost of just under $1 per e-mail::

Stephen Y. Lennon (A2084CG) ONLEY PRISON at: https://www.emailaprisoner.com/

Let’s do our best to cheer him up! Let him know that he has people praying for him, all around the world.

#FREETOMMY

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Racism is the lowest, most crudely primitive form of collectivism.  It is the notion of ascribing moral, social or political significance to a man’s genetic lineage—the notion that a man’s intellectual and characterological traits are produced and transmitted by his internal body chemistry.  Which means, in practice, that a man is to be judged, not by his own character and actions, but by the characters and actions of a collective of ancestors.

Racism claims that the content of a man’s mind (not his cognitive apparatus, but its content) is inherited; that a man’s convictions, values and character are determined before he is born, by physical forces beyond his control.  This is the caveman’s version of the doctrine of innate ideas—or of inherited knowledge—which has been thoroughly refuted by philosophy and science.  Racism is a doctrine of, by and for brutes. It is a barnyard or stock-farm version of collectivism, appropriate to a mentality that differentiates between various breeds of animals, but not between animals and men.” – Ayn Rand, in her essay “Racism,” from The Objectivist Newsletter 2, No. 9. (1963)

Kershaw Atmos Folder, by Pat Cascio

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It’s a strange name for a folding knife, but we decided to check this one out and we’re glad we did! The Kershaw Atmos is worth a close look.

As long-time SurvivalBlog.com readers know, I prefer longer blades on my knife, and I really like a folder with a 3.75-inch blade. They just seem to fit my hand better and can do more chores, well, better! However, I’m not a knife snob, and just because a folding knife has a blade less than my desired 3.75 inches doesn’t mean I won’t check it out. Enter the Kershaw Knives Atmos. A quick run down is in order, before we report on the performance of this dandy little folder.

Made in China

The Atmos is made in China, for all you haters. It’s too bad you don’t believe great cutlery can be produced in countries other than the USA. You get as good as you want overseas and at a savings. Kershaw has been in business for a lot of years, and in order to compete in the tightly contested knife market, like so many knife companies have done, they have some of their knives produced overseas.

Outstanding KVT Ball-Bearing Opening

The Atmos has the outstanding KVT ball-bearing opening. You simply press on the extended flipper, and those super-smooth bearings open the blade in a split second. It’s very smooth. There is also an inset liner lock, for securing the blade in the open position.

Continue reading“Kershaw Atmos Folder, by Pat Cascio”

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 investing in custom knives. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

David Lin: Silver Not Done Rallying; Look For 8% Upside From Current Levels

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Gold price retreats on strong dollar, supported by trade tension

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This article that was posted back in April provides a useful reminder: What Would a Trade War Do to the Value of Precious Metals?

 

Forex:

A good primer, over at Quora: How can I short a currency that has extreme inflation?

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And speaking of shorting: South African EFF leader Julius Malema has made some rash statements that might confirm that his nation on a Zimbabwe Trajectory. (“I’ve never slapped a white person, I’ve never called for their slaughter. I’ve never called for their killing, at least for now. I can’t guarantee the future.”)  If and when Malema and his cronies go Full Mugabe(TM), it will be the death knell for the South African Rand. Those who like to gamble might want to start shorting the Rand, now.

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Argentine Peso Resumes Plunge After Central Bank Shakeup

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Of the liberty of conscience in matters of religious faith, of speech and of the press; of the trial by jury of the vicinage in civil and criminal cases; of the benefit of the writ of habeas corpus; of the right to keep and bear arms…. If these rights are well defined, and secured against encroachment, it is impossible that government should ever degenerate into tyranny.” – James Monroe

Guest Article: America Loses When The Trade War Becomes A Currency War, by Brandon Smith

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There has been a longstanding narrative in economic circles that no matter what crisis occurs the U.S. dollar is essentially invincible. I have never been one to buy into this assumption.

Reason 1: Because I remember distinctly just before the derivatives and credit crisis in 2007/2008 the majority of mainstream economists were so certain that U.S. housing and debt markets were invincible, and they were terribly wrong. Whenever the mainstream financial media are confident of an outcome, expect the opposite to happen.

Reason 2: Because karma has a way of crushing grand illusions. When you proudly declare a Titanic “unsinkable,” nature or fate often tests that resolve and finds it wanting.

Reason 3: Because I understand that a primary goal of the internationalist, globalist, anti-sovereignty and New World Order crowd is to diminish U.S. economic performance dramatically, and this includes ending the reserve status and petro-status of the dollar in order to make way for a single global currency unit dictated by a single global economic administrator.

Mindless blind faith in the dollar (and U.S. treasury debt) seems to switch sides politically according to whose narrative it best suits. During the Obama administration, conservatives and Republicans witnessed unprecedented fiat currency creation and dollar devaluation by the Federal Reserve and rightly drew the conclusion that this would eventually trigger a currency crisis as various systems absorb and then regurgitate all these dollars back into the U.S. We saw the biggest foreign trading partners of the U.S. launching bilateral trade agreements that cut out the dollar as the reserve currency, and we witnessed many foreign creditors questioning the viability of U.S. debt.Continue reading“Guest Article: America Loses When The Trade War Becomes A Currency War, by Brandon Smith”

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”. Apparently tourists to San Franciso are commonly asking the question “Am I in the bad part of town?” as the homelessness and drug problems are overwhelming the city.

Deep Video

Reader P. sent in this article on a new software that specializes in mapping the facial expressions and mouth movements of one video source onto a second target. We’ve seen software like this before, but the results would only pass a cursory review. Inspection of the video almost always reveals flaws that leads your brain into realizing that the video has been faked. This one is different though. Rather than using a single background frame from the second target, it uses a high count to render the render the video and the results are scary. With this video, you can literally have any person saying anything you want. The results are so good, I would expect face videos to become common place in the near future.

Google is a Monopoly

Google is more than just the 800 lb gorilla when it comes to several markets. Take search and advertising for example. Bing, Google’s closest competitor has only 2% of the market while Google has over 90%. Google also controls over 60% of the global Internet advertising revenue and one of the primary reasons others can’t compete is because they don’t have the user data Google has. There is even evidence that Android bypasses the user’s privacy settings and tracks location by using cell tower connections rather than GPS data. While it’s not the sole threat to privacy, it is one of the largest. For you own protection, you should avoid all things Google (Android, Chrome, Search, Docs, et cetera). Thanks to DSV for the link.

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