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

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers:
We were quite busy at the ranch this week. We hauled a couple of our cattle on the hoof to the butcher. As usual, we used our gooseneck three-horse trailer. That trailer has already more than paid for itself, since it has also been used to haul horses  and other livestock, fencing supplies, stock tanks, countless tons of hay and straw, and much more. Part of the “much more” seems to be helping our now adult children move from dormitories into apartments and subsequently from apartments into houses.

My other major task this week was repairing and reinforcing a portion of our perimeter fence, where one of our cows decided “the grass is greener” on the National Forest side. That Bovine Delinquent will not be able to get over those welded steel cattle panels.

This week I’ve been preparing for the gun show in Helena, Montana, where I plan to have three tables. I plan to be there with my #2 Son, just on Friday and Saturday, June 1st and 2nd.

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”. Alexa is caught in the act with a spectacular invasion of privacy this week.

Memorial Day

As we move into the Memorial Weekend, SurvivalBlog is asking it’s readers to remember why we have this holiday weekend in the first place. Yes, there will be picnics and camping along with shopping excellent sales, but we must not forget those who made these efforts possible. The Daily Wire has an article suggesting 10 movies that you can pick from to help you remember and celebrate the lives of the courageous men and women in all branches of the military who have sacrificed everything so America can be free. I’ll be watching three of my favorites: “We Were soldiers”, “Saving Private Ryan”, and “The Alamo” myself.

Another Large Failing Nation

Brazil has not seen much media exposure in the last year, but the nation stand in the crowd of nations with massive natural resources who are failing due to political and economic policies. The looming danger this time is over 1 billion chickens and 20 million pigs that are in danger of starving to death because of a nation-wide truckers’ strike. The strike, which has prevented critical supplies like animal feed from reaching their destinations, is over soaring fuel prices. With government forces moving to unblock the highways, the stage is set for anti-government protests that have been simmering just below the surface. Here we go again. Thanks to H.L. for the link.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.  Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:  for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” Judges 13:3-5 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – May 25, 2018

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On May 25th, 1787, The Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia with George Washington presiding. The task of the peaceful overthrow of the new American government as it had been defined by the Article of Confederation eventually led to the United States Constitution that is so abused today.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 76 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 76 ends on May 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.

Homesteading or Prepping with Very Little Money- Part 1, by M.C.

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I’ll readily admit it; I’m a prepper, survivalist, homesteader, or whatever the current term is for someone who wants to be sure in an emergency that I can take care of myself and family. That to me is much better than standing by wringing my hands in the hope that FEMA can get to me with provisions before I (or worse yet– my husband, children, or grandchildren) starve to death.

The Words “Prepper” or “Survivalist”

I know for some of you, the words “prepper” or “survivalist” may bring visions of Doomsday Preppers with the fall-out shelters, bug out buses complete with goats trained to load up on command, discussions of polar shifts, rogue planets, and zombie apocalypses. Well, maybe I’m not in that group. However, I can see possibilities of needing more than a few days, weeks, or months of ability to live off of my food stores and be totally self-reliant.

Many Things That Can Go Wrong

I’m of the mind that there are many things that can go wrong. These range from several day power outages, auto accidents that require long hospital stays and multiple surgeries, an unusually cold winter complete with 4’ of snow and frigid temperatures for weeks at a time (winter of 2016/2017 here), to loss of a job, a nasty flu epidemic where you need to stay home to keep yourself and your family safe, and even up to an EMP missile shot at us from a hostile government. There are many things that can go wrong. So, a little preparation can go a long way to keep you calm, comfortable, and secure.

Lot of Month Left Over at the End of the Money

Some of you may be thinking that you would love to prepare for hard times, but there is just a whole lot of month left over at the end of the money. Many of us can certainly identify with that.

Continue reading“Homesteading or Prepping with Very Little Money- Part 1, by M.C.”

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 classic cars as an investment. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

First off, at Sharps-Pixley: Silver Price Volatility at 2001 Lows as Rally Outpaces Gold, SLV Grows But GLD Shrinks

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Is Silver (SI) on the Verge of a Breakout or Breakdown?

Commodities:

Commodity Corner: Crude oil prices continue to show strength

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This Week in Petroleum: Rising crude oil prices are contributing to higher gasoline prices heading into Memorial Day weekend

 

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“The Vice-President’s Chamber is adjacent to the Senate Chamber, and so small that to survive it is necessary to keep the door open in order to obtain the necessary cubic feet of air. When the vice-president is in the room [the Capitol Guides] go by with their guests, stop and point him out, as though he were a curiosity.

I stood this for about as long as I could, and then went to the door one day, and said: “If you look on me as a wild animal, be kind enough to throw peanuts at me; but if you are really desirous of seeing me, come in and shake hands.” In that way I think I restored myself to the position I have always desired to occupy; that of an American, who looks up to nobody, looks down upon nobody, but tries to keep a conscience clean enough that he can look everybody in the face.” – Indiana Governor and later U.S. Vice President Thomas R. Marshall

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – May 24, 2018

On May 24th, 1775, John Hancock was elected president of the Second Continental Congress. He is best known for his large signature on the Declaration of Independence, which he jested the British could read without spectacles.

o o o

JRH Enterprises is having a Memorial Day sale on their PVS-14 night vision devices. These are all Brand New factory built third generation Pinnacle autogated units from Night Vision Devices with a full 10 year warranty. These units feature manual gain control and have the High Performance Harris (formerly ITT/Exelis) tube in them. You always know what your getting when you purchase from JRH Enterprises! The best part is the price retail price is $3,795, bu they are on sale at $2,899, and shipping in a few business days – no 8 week wait!!

You also might want to add a Light Interference Filter (LIF) which provides additional protection to your PVS-14 or PVS-7 night vision device. These can also be ordered separately for those that already have a PVS-14 or PVS-7. Hurry, because the  sale ends soon!

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 76 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 76 ends on May 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 Next Kristallnacht, by J.J.

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Violence perpetrated against conservatives, Republicans, and Trump supporters in recent years have escalated, while simultaneously being played down by the media and opposing political parties. The fact that influential Democrats and news personalities deny the trend serves to appease their leftist base, perhaps even emboldening others. If the course continues to increase, where will it lead? What are the consequences? Has history shown us the answer?

Kristallnacht

Starting on the night of November 9, 1938 and continuing until the early morning hours of November 10, Jews who lived in Germany suffered the “Night of Broken Glass”, or “Kristallnacht”. Nazis and German residents torched and vandalized Jewish schools, synagogues, and businesses. Streets littered with broken windows gave the night its moniker. This scene was simultaneously the culmination of anti-Semitism in pre-war Germany and the launch point of the Jewish Holocaust.

Not a Spontaneous Situation

Though many are aware of that tragic event and the events that followed, not all are aware of the drawn-out period that led up to it. It was not a spontaneous situation. A slow and gradual buildup of hate instilled in the German people preceded the crisis. This was the ultimate example of the “boiling frog” analogy.

Hitler Only Took Months To Become a Dictator

Once Hitler was sworn in as German Chancellor in 1933, it only took a couple months for him to gain the legal authority to become a dictator. President Paul von Hindenburg was convinced by Hitler and the Nazis to suspend all constitutional guarantees. This enabled the Nazis to freely search any house or person and to seize any weapons found. Due to previous laws after World War I, Germany had very few armed citizens as it was. Weapon licensing and registration provided all the info needed to find and remove firearms.

Continue reading“The Next Kristallnacht, by J.J.”

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”. Today features a couple of disturbing articles that make one realize just how vulnerable everyone is. Cyber hacking/security is on one end of the spectrum and Skynet on the other end.

Terminators and Skynet

Reader G.P. sent in this article profiling the U.S. army’s desire to have A.I. robots on the battle field. Over the next few years, the Pentagon is poised to spend almost $1 billion for a range of robots designed to compliment combat troops. Currently the tasks relegated to these robots would be routine task such as carrying equipment or sniffing out chemicals and bombs or possibly even complex reconnaissance. However, the problem lies in the superior speed at which machines can make decisions compared to humans. While militaries are currently avoiding having the A.I. make kill decisions, somebody somewhere is eventually going to do it forcing all other militaries to follow suit. There is no possible way to program ethics into A.I. and we will eventually end up with some form of Terminator.

Homeschooling

Parents who are concerned over the state’s inability to keep their kids safe at a public school setting are pulling their children out and starting to homeschool them. According to this article sent in by H.L. public school settings are consuming much more of a child’s time than it did for generations. To those of us who understand the power of controlling a population by controlling their children, it comes as no surprise. What may surprise some people who think that their children need the “socialization” of a public school setting is just how much impact this has on them. Children’s suicidal tendencies appear to be the strongest during the school year and some believe the setting is causing serious psychological damage. Mass schooling even impacts how much time a child has for a job. It’s an interesting article.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“When I was a young fellow I was knocked down plenty. I wanted to stay down, but I couldn’t. I had to collect the two dollars for winning or go hungry. I had to get up. I was one of those hungry fighters. You could have hit me on the chin with a sledgehammer for five dollars. When you haven’t eaten for two days you’ll understand.” – Jack Dempsey

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – May 23, 2018

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May 23 is the birthday of George Lars Kellgren (born 1943 in Borås, Sweden), the founder and chief engineer of Kel-Tec. According to LeftistAgendaPedia: He designed many firearms earlier for Husqvarna and Swedish Interdynamics AB in Sweden. He moved to the US in 1979 and his original US designs were for Intratec and Grendel brand firearms. He founded Kel-Tec in 1991.

This is also the day on which, in 1934, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed by police near Gibbsland, Louisiana.

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 76 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 76 ends on May 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 Prepper’s Guide to Benadryl, by ARNJR

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Disclaimer: This article is written for entertainment purposes only. We are not licensed health care professionals, and we have no interest, financial or otherwise, in any company that manufactures or sells any pharmaceuticals. Information contained in this article should only be used as a springboard for doing further research on the efficacy of the ideas presented herein. Usage of any drug, even if it is available over the counter without a prescription, should only be done under a physician’s care. Information and thoughts presented herein are for when our society has completely collapsed and the medical supplies necessary for sustaining our families and loved ones are difficult or impossible to obtain.

Readers of this article will say we sound like snake oil salesmen of yesteryear or those guys on infomercials telling you about the dozens of handy uses for their product, which usually has only one or maybe two practical purposes. However, diphenhydramine, commonly known by its Benadryl trade name, is definitely not a one-trick pony. At least one physician-prepper feels this little pink pill is the most important drug to carry in an emergency kit. While pain relievers from your first aid kit may be used more frequently, Benadryl is one over-the-counter drug that can actually save a life. Anyone can have an allergic reaction to anything at any time. Tylenol can’t help. Benadryl can.

Gather ‘Round – Allergies, Colds, and More

“Gather ‘round, people!” Let’s first begin with the reasons why you want to have a plentiful supply of diphenhydramine or Benadryl, this amazing little wonder drug, in your medicine chest. It’s been around for over seventy years, since it first came into commercial use in 1946. Most of us are quite familiar with the tiny neon pink pill that is mainly used for treating allergies and the common cold. However, Benadryl is also the most commonly used antihistamine for treating acute allergic reactions in emergency rooms around the country. It is used in addition to epinephrine for treating anaphylaxis.

That’s Not All – Sleep Aid

“And that’s not all!” Diphenhydramine is also widely sold as a sleep aid, though usually for a bit more money. Vicks’ ZzzQuil is nothing more than 50 mg of diphenhydramine. Tylenol PM is acetaminophen plus 25 mg of diphenhydramine. Advil PM contains ibuprofen plus 25-38 mg of diphenhydramine. All of these are sold at a phenomenal markup. Save yourself a chunk of change and store straight Tylenol and straight Advil. When you are in pain and need a little extra help falling asleep, then combine them with Benadryl.

Continue reading“A Prepper’s Guide to Benadryl, by ARNJR”

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 Knipex Lever Action Mini Bolt Cutters (See the Gear section.)

Books:

Nature’s Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants

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I just noticed that Amazon.com now has the standard trade paperback edition my book How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times on sale for just $6.47!  (And there is free postage for Amazon Prime members.)

o  o  o

High-Yield Vegetable Gardening: Grow More of What You Want in the Space You Have

 

Movies:

Nuclear Survival Films (2018) – A collection of historical films focusing on survival following a nuclear attack.

o  o  o

Refusenik. This is a 2008 documentary on the dogged persistence of Russian Jewish dissidents seeking the right to emigrate, following the death of Josef Stalin. (Available on DVD. Or available for free streaming, for Amazon Prime members.)

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

2

“The case for harm from catastrophic global warming is growing weaker as more is learned about the Earth’s climate system, and about the poor predictive power of computer climate models. The Earth has supported abundant life many times in the geological past when there were much higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is quite likely that future generations will benefit from the enrichment of Earth’s atmosphere with more carbon dioxide.” – Dr. Arthur “Art” B. Robinson