The Game of Life, by A Modern Stoic

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I lie awake, thinking of the past and different choices I could have made in this game of life, or fantasizing about the future and the alternatives I can choose. Then I remember that the only moment that exists is the one my mind occupies in this instant.

“If thou shouldst live three thousand years, or as many myriads, yet remember this, that no man loses any other life than that he now lives; and that he now lives no other life than what he is parting with, every instant. The longest life, and the shortest, come to one effect: since the present time is equal to all, what is lost or parted with is equal to all. And for the same reason, what is parted with, is only a moment. No man at death parts with, or, is deprived of, what is either past or future. For how can one take from a man what he hath not? We should also remember these things, first, That all things which have happened in the continued revolutions from eternity, are of the same kind with what we behold: And ’tis of little consequence, whether a man beholds the same things for an hundred years, or an infinite duration. Again that the longest and the shortest lives have an equal loss at Death. The present moment is all which either is deprived of, since that is all he has. A man cannot part with what he has not. “ – Meditations, Marcus Aurelius

“Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come.” – Julius Caesar, Shakespeare

Every moment of my life is my opportunity to make my values and goals a reality through my decisions. In other words, play the cards I hold now, not the ones I held in the past or the ones I wish I could hold in the future.

Continue reading“The Game of Life, by A Modern Stoic”

Letter: Problem Running Multiple Generators

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HJL:

I hope this finds you well.

I had an interesting event last week. Some critter chewed through one of my home power leads. (We have underground cable.) This caused half the house to go dark. Mostly, the part that was out was the part that runs my refrigeration. I hooked up one Honda EU2000 to the transfer switch. Two refrigerators only drew 400 watts. Nothing thawed, which was very good news. The power company was out that evening with a temporary fix and had a new cable run by noon the next day. Easy.

I also rolled my Whynter 95 qt freezer out onto the patio and plugged that into a second EU 2000. It pulls 70 watts and runs on 120 vac, 12vdc or 24vdc. No, I have not built the gizmo that allows two generators to run in tandem synchronized. Turns out I did not need it anyway, based on 400 watts of draw plus this 70. I find this particular freezer economical with a low power draw and a price that is a good $500 below the price of other dc powered units. And, yes, I have a couple solar panels that would take care of the freezer plus some light.

My interesting observation is that the exhaust was a problem. My house is 40 feet from my neighbor. Both of us have two stories. The zone between them was pretty unbearable due to the exhaust. I must run some sort of pipe up the side of the house, if I am going to run both. – R.V.

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”. Yes, you should use a rifle for your home defense. Check out Reid Henrichs latest video on the subject in today’s edition.

Federal Reserve Nominee

When you get right down to it, the most powerful political positions don’t actually exist in the government. They exist in the Federal Reserve, a private banking cartel that controls the money. Elected officials like the president ultimately answer to the people, but appointed officials do not. That’s all the more reason to be concerned about the latest Federal Reserve Nominee, Marvin Goodman. You might also think that as much good as President Trump has done for the economy, and as a businessman, that he wouldn’t push Keynesian economics. Yet in 2016, Goodman argued for the Federal Reserve to have the ability to push interest rates negative at the annual Federal Reserve conference in Wyoming. He has also argued for a cash-free society to keep the inevitable flood of people from pulling their cash from the banks to stuff it under their mattresses at home. Thanks to DSV for the link.

Free Speech

From the state that wants to make selling the Bible illegal comes a new threat: California’s Senator Richard Pan, (the same Senator that pushed legislation mandating vaccinations in 2015) introduced a new bill. SB1424 (Internet: social media: false information: strategic plan) would make it a crime to raise any public questions about any “official story” put forth by the government. In other words, the government can lie to you at will and it is illegal for you to challenge that. The bill has far-reaching impacts. The bill would require California to come up with a range of punishments for people using their 1st Amendment right of free speech if the liberal government disagrees with what is said.

We’ve reported this pending legislation before, but now people are getting it. For instance, I’m not against vaccinations, I’m just against mandatory vaccinations as it takes authority away from the parent. This article shows how that pending legislation would impact that. Thanks to G.L. for the link.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday – May 19, 2018

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We are coming up on the end of Round 76 of the SurvivalBlog Non-Fiction Writing Contest. There is still time to get your article finished and submitted for these fantastic prizes! With over $11,000 worth of prizes, it could be well worth your time. If you’ve been putting it off, get it finished and sent it!

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Richard Pipes, a historian of Russia and a Reagan aide, has died at age 94. He spent his entire academic career at Harvard and was known for his work “Russia Under the Old Regime” published in 1974. His work with a group of military and foreign-policy experts had an ultimately pessimistic analysis of Soviet military strategy and foreign policy and led to conservative opposition to arms-control talks and accommodations of the Soviet Union. His work basically set the stage for Reagan’s policy of challenging Soviet foreign policy and undermining it’s hold over Eastern Europe. It’s worth noting that this opposed the current thinking of the CIA. He will be missed. Our condolences to his son Richard (of The Middle East Forum.)

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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.

Getting Home In The Event Of An EMP- Part 2, by B.M.

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We are looking at what might be required if you are working in the city a great distance from your family’s home. My scenario is that I work 50 miles away, which would require a two day walk. I’ve already talked through the basics of day one, which is focusing on getting as far as possible while being the Gray Man. Now, let’s look at what might happen next.

Overnight and Day Two

So, you have had a fortunate day. You’ve covered 30 miles, but you are exhausted. You’ve eaten once; you are sweaty, tired, worried, and it is getting dark. The pedestrian traffic on the road is dying down, and people all begin to look the same– threatening. For those who are remaining near their vehicles, whether it is because they are still stuck in the normalcy bias or because they have nowhere else to go, desperation will begin to sink in. Remember, there are travelers intermingled in with commuting traffic. They probably will not have the type of supplies necessary to sustain them. Steer clear of these people.

Get Off Main Roads

You need to get off of the main roads. This is where your scouting of your route will pay off in spades. Just like with any road trip, you need to plan where you are going to stay.

Areas to Avoid

There are some areas to avoid. These include:

  • Residential areas. Most people will be trying to get into their comfort zone, so they will, for the most part, be in these neighborhoods.
  • Commercial districts (grocery stores, strip malls, Wal-Marts, et cetera). Nothing good can come from entering these places. You can’t get enough supplies to make a difference. (Remember you’re on foot.) Also, you risk being robbed, injured, or murdered for what little you have.

Continue reading“Getting Home In The Event Of An EMP- Part 2, by B.M.”

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. While Lily was busy in the gardens, I did some more firewood cutting, here at the ranch. Most of what I cut was deadfallen Western Larch–the tree that most folks around here call Tamarack. The majority of those trees were small enough that each of the larger rounds will only have to be split in half–one stroke of the splitting maul, if done properly–to fit in our wood heating stove. And the rounds cut out of the upper portions of those trees can be burned as-is, as full rounds. That makes for easy hauling and easy stacking. No muss and no fuss.

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”. StingRays make the news yet again. One might expect that law enforcement would be more cautious about their use. But apparently, the data gathered is worth the risk to them.

The Tradesman Channel

By way of Cody (Wranglerstar) we hear that Jim of The Tradesman Channel suffered a multiple fracture his ankle. Please keep him in your prayers, and please help out, if you can.

Siege Stoves

If you are looking for a lightweight stove to put in your get-home bag that can work with just about any size of food can, you should check the Siege Stoves out. These stoves fold flat, are low cost and can use anything from a common food can to a gallon paint can as the burn chamber. The stove basically consists of four universal cross members that store flat. You can take two cross members and put them together to form the base of the stove with the remaining cross members forming the top of the stove (where you would put your cooking pot.

All you need is some method of poking air holes in the can serving as the burn chamber. Since you know large fires are to be avoided, this allows you to have one just big enough to efficiently cook your meal and not give your position away.

StingRays

Reader DSV sent in this article on the state of StingRays in active use in Washington D.C. Apparently, there are dozens of these devices in use within the beltway and no one really knows who is running them. While you may not be a target, someone near you may and your data will be caught up in the data collection. A News4 team loaded special software on three cell phones and drove around the capital region and found many suspicious incidents during their drive. The Department of Homeland Security has called the StingRays a real and growing risk.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.” Hosea 1:10-11 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – May 18, 2018

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On this day in 1769, George Washington launched a legislative salvo at Great Britain’s fiscal and judicial attempts to maintain its control over the American colonies. He brought a package of non-importation resolutions, drafted by George Mason, before the Virginia House of Burgesses. This initiated a chain of events that led to Britain’s House of Lords demanding that men involved in the extra-legal Massachusetts convention of towns be tried in England. Britain’s plan backfired and created an American identity where before there had been none.

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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.

Getting Home In The Event Of An EMP- Part 1, by B.M.

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I want to open by saying that this is not a blueprint for long-term survival or preparedness, nor is it the same as a bug-out-bag scenario. This is a guide for getting home in the initial stages of a grid-down scenario. I served in the USMC,  worked the streets of this country for 25 plus years and I have also traveled extensively (to 60 plus countries). I have dealt, on a regular basis, with human beings from all walks of life, and there is no accounting for the ignorant and irrational behavior that they display.

The One Thing You Can Trust in Dealing with People in Duress

The one thing that you can trust in when it comes to dealing with people who are in duress is that you cannot trust them! They are self-serving and will not act or think rationally when under extreme strain. Learning how to limit your interactions with them while moving rapidly out of an urban environment in a grid-down scenario is a must for all those who have to work in the major urban areas of the United States.

Normalcy Bias An Advantage in the Beginning

Most people will adhere to the rule of law for as long as they can. Obviously different places with different cultures have different dynamics, but in the end most people (not all but most) will follow the norms of society in the beginning stages of TEOTWAWKI. The normalcy bias will be an advantage in the beginning, so it is incumbent upon you to capitalize on it by moving rapidly and intelligently. Pre-planning is the most important factor. All the great gear will not save you or your family if you don’t have a clue where you are going or what you are doing. Honing your survival skills, including but not limited to, physical fitness (this is priority one), marksmanship, fire starting, knot tying, and terrain knowledge, is more of an aid in survival than all the gear in the world.

Continue reading“Getting Home In The Event Of An EMP- Part 1, by B.M.”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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 REIT Farmland Investing.

Precious Metals:

The gold-to-platinum ratio is back near an all-time high. It would be silly to buy gold at $1,288 per Troy ounce when you could be buying platinum for $888!  The best performing commodities investments are made when you buy at historic low points. As of this writing (May 17, 2018) I believe that we are now witnessing one, with platinum.

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Gold Is Getting Closer To A Solid Entry Point

 

Cryptos:

How To Play The Bitcoin Bust And Crypto Crash

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Warren Buffett Just Doesn’t Get Bitcoin Says Crypto Pioneer

 

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Maybe I’m not in the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame like so many of my baseball buddies, but I’m happy I had the chance to play pro ball and am especially proud of my contributions to my country. Perhaps I could not hit like Babe Ruth, but I spoke more languages than he did.” – Moe Berg

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – May 17, 2018

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On this day in 1769, George Washington launched a legislative salvo at Great Britain’s fiscal and judicial attempts to maintain its control over the American colonies. He brought a package of non-importation resolutions, drafted by George Mason, before the Virginia House of Burgesses. This initiated a chain of events that led to Britain’s House of Lords demanding that men involved in the extra-legal Massachusetts convention of towns be tried in England. Britain’s plan backfired and created an American identity where before there had been none.

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Dick Casull, the designer of the .454 Casull, passed away in Star Valley, Wyoming on May 6th.

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Tom Wolfe, (pictured), the author of the book “The Right Stuff” also passed away.

Dial T for Tyranny: While America Feuds, the Police State Shifts Into High Gear, by John Whitehead

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This article originally appeared at The Rutherford Institute

“Big Brother does not watch us, by his choice. We watch him, by ours. There is no need for wardens or gates or Ministries of Truth. When a population becomes distracted by trivia, when cultural life is redefined as a perpetual round of entertainments, when serious public conversation becomes a form of baby-talk, when, in short, a people become an audience and their public business a vaudeville act, then a nation finds itself at risk; a culture-death is a clear possibility.” — Professor Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Discourse in the Age of Show Business

What characterizes American government today is not so much dysfunctional politics as it is ruthlessly contrived governance carried out behind the entertaining, distracting and disingenuous curtain of political theater. And what political theater it is, diabolically Shakespearean at times, full of sound and fury, yet in the end, signifying nothing.

Played out on the national stage and eagerly broadcast to a captive audience by media sponsors, this farcical exercise in political theater can, at times, seem riveting, life-changing and suspenseful, even for those who know better.

Week after week, the script changes—Donald Trump’s Tweets, Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, Michael Cohen’s legal troubles, porn star Stormy Daniels’ lawsuit over an alleged past affair with Trump, Michelle Wolf’s tasteless stand-up routine at the White House correspondents’ dinner, North and South Korea’s détente, the ongoing staff shakeups within the Trump administration—with each new script following on the heels of the last, never any let-up, never any relief from the constant melodrama.

Continue reading“Dial T for Tyranny: While America Feuds, the Police State Shifts Into High Gear, by John Whitehead”