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 The Holodomor genocide in The Ukraine.

Books (The Holodomor):

Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine

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I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

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Idaho Off the Beaten Path®: A Guide To Unique Places (Off the Beaten Path Series)

 

Movies (The Holodomor):

Bitter Harvest.   A drama about the Holodomor–the Soviet genocide by starvation in the Ukraine that took the lives of more than seven million people. On DVD, but also available for free download for Amazon Prime members.

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Escape From New York (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) Also available for free download for Amazon Prime members.  The film is and over-the-top romp and the tactics shown are pure Hollywood, so please consider this “for entertainment only.”

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1984. Available on DVD. Also available for free download for Amazon Prime members.

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – May 08, 2018

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May 8th is the birthday of missionary and U.S. military intelligence officer John Birch. (Born, 1918, died August 25, 1945.) He is considered by many to be the first American casualty of the Cold War.

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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.

Bring Your Own Bandaids- Part 1, by A.&J. R.

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Disclaimer: The following is for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should always consult your physician for any questions regarding your health or that of a family member. The authors are merely discussing items you may wish to have on hand to care for a family or group, for when a licensed healthcare provider is available but supplies are hard or impossible to come by.

We write from the perspective of patients (a Type 1 diabetic with hypothyroidism and his wife who has had her spleen, gall bladder, most of her pancreas, and half a pinkie removed) and parents of numerous children with their own experiences (gastroparesis, abdominal wall injury, duodenal ulcers, kidney stones, lots of stitches, chronic constipation, migraines, tendinosis, failure to thrive, corneal abrasion and ulcer, excruciating menstrual cramps—are we leaving anything out?); basically, the stuff of everyday life.

We have absolutely no financial interest in any of the companies mentioned; they are merely sources where we’ve been able to purchase (sometimes difficult-to-find) supplies.

The Bring Your Own Band-Aids Clinic

Most SurvivalBlog readers have prepared and continue to prepare for their families’ well-being in the coming crises. We cover our bases with the four G’s—God, guns, grub, and gold, or the five B’s—beans, bullets, Bible, bullion, Band-Aids. But how many Band-Aids should you have? What kind? This article is for those who are planning to stockpile medical supplies for themselves and others, and for those who aren’t.

Continue reading“Bring Your Own Bandaids- Part 1, by A.&J. R.”

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 the capitol city of Helena, Montana.

Idaho

The crucial upcoming Idaho primary election is in the headlines. The Idaho primary will be held on Tuesday, May 15th. Among other issues, the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Area designation is coming up for a vote.  The folks at Redoubt News have published their candidate recommendations. My only point of disagreement is in their choice of the Republican candidate for Idaho’s District 1 congressional seat. (Meanwhile MIke Simpson is running unopposed in District 2.) Redoubt News picked Ross Fulcher. I prefer Michael Snyder, who is a Redoubter, a prepper, outspokenly Christian, pro-gun, pro-life, liberty-minded, and favors small government. Please vote!  The Oregon primary will also be held on May 15th. (See the Oregon section.) The Montana primary will be held on June 5th.The Washington primary will be held on August 7th. And the Wyoming primary will be held on August 21st.

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Idaho school can’t find small bit of weapons-grade plutonium

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10 wolves killed in northern Idaho to boost elk numbers

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Idaho has Top 10 fastest-growing U.S. cities from north to south
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”. If you thought the aluminum foil knife was incredible, wait till you see the one featured today. It’s downright delicious!

The Greatest Murder Machine in History

Who holds this title? Some would say Stalin, others would claim Mao. Some would even say the U.S. because of abortion. The numbers are difficult to ascertain because so much murder goes on in secret or is covered up and sometimes even forgotten. However, one particular murderer stands out even with fuzzy numbers – Islam. When you consider all the slaves who died along with the deliberate genocide brought on by this “religion of peace”, you end up arriving at a number in excess of 200 million. Islam doesn’t move as fast as some other infamous murdering regimes, but it plods steadily onward. Lately, it has even obtained protected status by the liberal/progressive left. Thanks to reader A.D. for the link.

Hypocrites

Reader W.W. sent in this article on the hypocrites that make up the majority of Hollywood actors. In this case, anti-gun Alyssa Milano held an anti-NRA protest in downtown Dallas during the NRA convention – surrounded by armed guards. When one passersby noted that the guards were armed, he was illegally ejected from the public park by the guards. While the confrontation was not violent, the threat of violence from the guards was quite pronounced. The whole incident was filmed by someone with a cellphone. Milano later claimed not to have known that her guards were armed. I’ll file that excuse under “not likely”.

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

Mag Pump 9mm Magazine Loader, by Pat Cascio

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Tired of loading magazines by hand? Today, we’re checking out the Mag Pump 9mm magazine loader.

I’m Getting On In Years

I sincerely hate admitting that I’m getting on in years, but I am. We all knew we’d grow old, but we didn’t know how fast it would happen. And, what comes with growing older is we tend to grow weaker in many respects. Body parts don’t work like they used to. I suffer from severe osteo-arthritis in my hands, especially my right hand, which is my shooting hand, and my trigger finger. Osteo-arthritis is caused by wear and tear, for the most part. I had to have my right hip replaced a little over a year ago because of this and a small birth defect on the head of the femur bone that accelerated the wear and tear. It has literally taken a full year to recover from the hip replacement.

I used to get a jump start on my articles, always starting them very early in the mornings, so I could clear the way to have the rest of the day to myself or for testing other products. These days, my hands don’t “wake-up” until about 10:00am. The ol’ fingers and hands just don’t work like they used to. So, I don’t do any articles until after 10:00am, most days.

Real Chore Loading Magazines

When it comes to loading magazines, especially double-stack 9mm mags that hold a lot of rounds, my fingers and thumbs just don’t work as well as they used to. It is a chore to load some mags. On the top of my list is the Glock 33-rd 9mm magazine, followed by some of the other mags that hold 17-20 rounds. It’s a real chore getting those last few rounds stuffed into those mags. Add in a couple hours of shooting, over a couple of days, my fingers and thumbs take a beating. It’s always nice when I have some volunteer shooters on-hand who are more than happy to load mags in exchange for shooting some new gun models with free ammo.

Continue reading“Mag Pump 9mm Magazine Loader, 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 international countertrade.

Precious Metals:

First up, at Kitco: Don’t Throw In The Towel Just Yet Even If USD Moves Higher – Analysts

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Despite a stronger Dollar and fresh hopes for peace on the Korean Peninsula, spot silver ended the week on Friday at a respectable $16.49 USD per Troy ounce.

 

Stocks:

After next few rate hikes, Fed needs to be ‘very, very careful:’ Dallas Fed’s Kaplan

 

Countertrade:

One seldom-mentioned part of international commerce is countertrade. This modern-day barter is typically done by companies–or countries–that are resource rich but cash poor. The more that a currency unit becomes distrusted, the more important that countertrade becomes. For a country like Venezuela, with a hyperinflated currency that is considered “trash”, countertrade becomes crucial. Countertrade and offset trading can also be exempt from tariff regimes, in a few circumstances. Countertrading is “a layer deep” in most companies and hence unavailable for individual investors to directly profit by it. But I can foresee two opportunities: 1.) Investing in firms that profit from brokering countertrade and offsets, and, 2.)  The advent of a new hybrid forward selling derivatives geared toward planned countertrade, primarily among precious metals mining firms.  (The latter has not yet appeared, but given the labyrinthine and constantly-expanding world of derivatives, I expect to see them, within a few years.) See The Global Offset and Countertrade Association (GOCA) website, for details on how countertrade works.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday – May 06, 2018

May 6th is the birthday of Tuvia Bielski. (Born 1906.) You may remember him as the main character in the movie Defiance This movie was based on the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec.

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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.

Medical Supplies, Principles of Use and Purpose, by J.V.

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Today’s world climate seems to reinforce more and more the need to be prepared for various situations that might arise. Everything from terrorism to tensions with whatever country it is this week. We all need to do our part to be prepared. This includes the medical side of things.

Knowledge and Practice

Nothing beats knowledge and practice of a particular skill set. Even without the proper tools, if you understand the principle inside and out, you can think of ways to adapt and use what supplies you have on hand. This is the true meaning of survival– making due with what you have on hand. Whether you stockpile thousands of items to make sure you have enough or you just wing it, you have to know the theories and principles behind why you are doing whatever you are doing or what the end goal is. Survival scenarios, whether TEOTWAWKI, or any other type require outside of the box thinking.

Principles Behind and Basic Purpose of Medical Supplies

Specifically, it’s important to understand the principles of use and basic purposes of our medical supplies. Without this understanding, we make poor choices and won’t know when or how to utilize them. Knowledge and practice are necessary.

Basic Trauma Kit

A basic trauma kit for TEOTWAWKI scenarios should be able to be self sustained for days and weeks at a time. It should be resilient and able to withstand abuse. It should also be properly stocked to provide for the widest possible scenarios imaginable, all while still being mobile enough for your unique situation. Heavy duty cordura packs work best for these situations, whether military pack, hiking packs, or even a fancy Blackhawk tactical medical pack.

Continue reading“Medical Supplies, Principles of Use and Purpose, by J.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”. There are several interesting articles today, but the EMP article is a good refresher (or starter) for those who want to check on their preps in that area.

EMP

Reader H.L. sent in this article on the effects of EMP. The author believes this is the most likely and most dangerous proposition the U.S. could ever face as few outside of the prepper community are even pondering such an end. Fewer still are prepared to survive such an SHTF event. For those unfamiliar with the effects of the EMP, the initial problem is just the beginning. A large scale EMP attack would cripple the power grid, which would cascade to multiple failures.

The inability to refine and pump petroleum products would cause the trucking industry to grind to a halt. This would, in turn, create a supply disaster for the large cities that cannot feed themselves. Medical services would be extremely hampered and law & order would easily break down. As the famous government report states, this sort of event could result in over 90% casualties to the U.S. population within just a few short months.

Power in Venezuela

Large swaths of the socialist utopia of Venezuela are without power as the economic chaos leaves the power companies without the funds to repair the grid. A nation with one of the largest oil reserves in the world cannot keep it’s own lights on now. Blackouts are nothing new to the country though. They’ve struggled for over two decades of socialist rule, but they are more frequent and last longer now. One profiled community has been without power for over a month when a power transformer exploded. The officials repeatedly promise that it will be fixed tomorrow. As reader S.R., who sent this link in, reports: It’s reminiscent of the scene in Atlas Shrugged at the end of the book when the power goes out. The collapse is nearly complete.

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