The Cactus Police, by Hubbyberry

We just got back from the grocery store where my wife bought a cactus. I’m not a “plant person” generally, but if it makes her happy, well, then I’m happy. Removing the new plant from its bag revealed it to be a dragon fruit cactus. FOOD!!! I am always up for food. A closer look at the label revealed more information that was odd. Turns out the company placed a registration number on the houseplant’s tag, which allows the consumer to register it online with the company.

Needless to say, (but I am going to) this led us to investigate the company’s website. The company is located in Ontario, Canada. The more we looked, the less we liked.

Lo and behold, the corporate speak sounded like talking points from a global political think tank…with one exception. They claimed that plants would help rid indoor air of pollution and help to purify what we breathe. An amazing admission!Continue reading“The Cactus Police, by Hubbyberry”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

 

Meme Text:

No Worries, America. If Elected, Michelle Obama…

…Will Have The Same Policies That Barack Had

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” – Luke 8:1-18 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 10, 2024

On February 10, 1962, U.S. airman Francis Gary Powers, who was the captured pilot of the U-2 plane that had been downed by the Soviet Union in 1960 and who was later convicted of espionage, was exchanged for jailed Soviet informant Rudolf Abel.

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Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” hit number one on this day in 1940 and stayed there for 12 weeks.

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On February 10, 1916, an oil well gusher fired 1,000 feet into the air near Tampico, Mexico making it the largest in history.

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I got an e-mail from a reader who had just purchased her first SurvivalBlog archive USB stick.  She said that aside from the date of the top post, she couldn’t see the difference between the Archive USB and what she sees every day, online. In my reply, I explained:

“If you look carefully at the archive version on the stick, if you click on index.html, you will see that the posts end on December 31, 2023. You don’t need to be online to access any of those posts or their graphics. Note that the right-hand column is different from that seen in the online blog. Near the top, you will see ‘Bonus Content’. And if you click on that, there are lots of subcategories. One of these is a subcategory for ‘Additional Bonus Content for 2023’ that has the 11 newest bonus books.”

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 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.

Carbon Controls To Stop You From Growing Your Own Food, by Brandon Smith

In early 2020, in the midst of the covid lockdowns, blue states run by leftist governors pursued mandates with extreme prejudice. In red states like Montana, after the first month or two most of us simply ignored the restrictions and went on with life as usual. It was clear that covid was not the threat federal authorities made it out to be. However, in states like Michigan the vise was squeezed tighter and tighter under the direction of shady leaders like Gretchen Whitmer.

Whitmer used covid as an opportunity to institute some bizarre limitations on the public, including a mandate barring larger stores from selling seeds and garden supplies to customers. “If you’re not buying food or medicine or other essential items, you should not be going to the store,” Whitmer said when announcing her order. The leftist governor was fine with purchases of lottery tickets and liquor, but not gardening tools and seeds.Continue reading“Carbon Controls To Stop You From Growing Your Own Food, by Brandon Smith”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, 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 your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This week I was quite busy processing orders for SurvivalBlog archive USB sticks. Thankfully, we’ve now caught up on mailing all of the orders except for a few that were paid by check. Take note that we now have only a few hundred left, and those will not last long!

Now, Lily’s report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.

For they know not to do right, saith the Lord, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.

Thus saith the Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.

Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of hosts,

That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.

And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord.” – Amos 3 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 9, 2024

On February 9th, 1555, my 17th great-grandfather, Rowland Taylor (born 6 October, 1510) was burned alive at the stake. This was during the reign of Mary I, who was also known as Mary Tudor or “Bloody Mary”. His death was part of the Marian Persecutions. In his case, he was executed for professing that Bible scripture is inerrant. He died singing hymns. His martyrdom is described in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. – JWR

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February 9th is the birthday of Major George Charles Nonte Jr. (Born 1926, died June 30, 1978.)

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On February 9th, 1909 the first US federal legislation on narcotics prohibits importation, possession, and use of “smoking opium”.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 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.

Fencing In Federal Jurisdiction

Back in 2018, during the comment period for the ATF’s “redefinition” (criminalization) of previously “ATF-approved” bump stocks, I wrote an article that was titled: The First Question is Always Jurisdiction. In the years since then, I’ve come to realize just how crucial it is to understand federal jurisdiction and to be ready to challenge it whenever the government strays outside of its constitutional fences.

It Started 90 Years Ago

Federal jurisdiction became grossly over-applied in the early 1930s, as the Prohibition Era was nearing its end. With the passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934 (enforced by the Treasury Department), Federal policing increased.  As the Great Depression deepened, a huge list of “Alphabet Soup” agencies was launched by Congress. Many of these three-letter agencies brought with them new Federal policing powers. Consequently, this broadened both the power and frequency of use of federal courts.  More courts and more convictions of course meant building and staffing more federal prisons.

With the end of Prohibition in 1933, new perceived threats were created: marijuana and narcotics. Decades later, the DEA was established. Meanwhile, the FBI grew in power. The IRS developed a burgeoning enforcement arm. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began referring more cases for prosecution. Eventually, the National Park Services, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and even the EPA got into the act.  More and more federal agents began carrying badges and pistols.

Today, there are no less than 51 federal law enforcement agencies, and at least 200 more federal agencies that have more limited law enforcement authority. There are more than 3,000 codified federal crimes, with more added every year. Presently, there are 142,441 federal inmates in Bureau of Prisons (BOP) custody. The conviction rate for Federal criminal courts is astoundingly high. Only about 2% of federal criminal defendants go to trial — 97%  accept plea bargain convictions. The Pew Research Center tabulated that of the 79,704 defendants who were under federal charges in 2018, only 320 received acquittals in trials. There were convictions in 99.96% of all other cases referred by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Of the acquittals, judges acquitted 38% of the defendants in the cases that they decided. But juries only handed down acquittals in 14% of their trials.Continue reading“Fencing In Federal Jurisdiction”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at food and fuel price inflation. (See the Inflation/Deflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

The gold-to-platinum ratio is now seriously off-kilter.  Now is a good time to ratio trade out of gold and into platinum, for at least a small part of your holdings.

o  o  o

Over at Gold-Eagle.com: Gold to Break $2100 This Spring.

Economy & Finance:

From Newsmax: $1T in Credit Card Debt Puts Renters, Poor at Risk.

o  o  o

The Chinese stock market is continuing to tumble. (Beware of contagion.)

o  o  o

H.L. suggested this at the Mises Institute site: Are Bankruptcies of Some US States in the Future?

o  o  o

NYC to offer migrants $53 million in pre-paid credit cards, report says. JWR’s Comment:  If New York City wants to discourage the arrival of more illegals there, then perhaps handing out free money is not a good idea…

o  o  o

The US has a $6 trillion problem over the next twelve months.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But as the plan of the convention aims only at a partial union or consolidation, the State governments would clearly retain all the rights of sovereignty which they before had, and which were not, by that act, exclusively  delegated to the United States.” – Alexander Hamilton

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — February 8, 2024

February 8th, 1950, the Stasi, East Germany’s notorious secret police, was established. The Staatssicherheit, (“Stasi” for short) was considered one of the most repressive intelligence agencies in the world. It was not fully dissolved until 1990. In the investigations that followed the ministry’s dissolution, the German public learned that a huge number of East Germans willingly cooperated with the Stasi and other agencies, informing on their neighbors.

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February 8th, 1828 was the birthday of Jules Verne, the French writer who authored “From the Earth to the Moon“. He is considered the father of science fiction.

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On February 8th, 1963 the Kennedy administration issued an order prohibiting travel to Cuba and banned financial transactions and commerce with Cuba, by U.S. citizens.

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My son Jonathan Rawles of SurvivalRealty.com has just announced a February Book Bundle Giveaway.  By signing up to receive his weekly e-newsletter, you’ll be entered to win this drawing for four great books. This special promotion ends on February 19, 2024.

And speaking of SurvivalRealty.com, there is a new listing that caught my eye. Consider it your own Private Idaho — in Tennessee!  This very private 19-acre wooded property with two houses and a shop near the town of Franklin is shaped a lot like the boundaries of Idaho.

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Today we present a review that was written by Pat Cascio, our Field Gear Editor Emeritus. Pat has been in poor health in recent months and I’m sure that he would appreciate your prayers.

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We are now seeking entries for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 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.

Ruger SR1911 Lightweight, by Pat Cascio

Anyone who has followed my writings for any length of time will surely know that the 1911A1-pattern handgun in .45 ACP is my all-time favorite handgun. I’ve written more articles on the 1911 than any other kind of handgun. Still, it would not be my first choice for an End Of The World handgun. The main reason is that I’d prefer to have a high-capacity handgun in 9mm that holds 15 or more rounds. When the lead starts flying, you probably will wish you had more ammo in your handgun, and that leaves out a standard single-column magazine 1911 that only holds 6-to-8 rounds. But the Model 1911A1 configuration remains my favorite handgun, and I still pack one of them from time to time.

I’ve reviewed many of the Ruger M1911 variants over the years and found them to be great shooters for the money. Recently, I found another new SR1911 model that I had to have, and I picked it up in a trade. This newest model SR1911 is a lightweight Government-style model with a 5-inch barrel and slide. My last three 1911s were Government models with the full-length barrel. I have always leaned towards the shorter 4.25-inch Commander-style length, because they are easier to pack, and the lightweight versions just feels better in my hands for some reason.

In case the articles might interest you, I’ve also written reviews for SurvivalBlog about the stainless steel-frame .45 SR1911 back in 2011, the 9mm Compact SR1911 model in 2014, the 9mm full-size model in 2017, and the Officer’s Model-sized .45 SR1911 in 2020.   Continue reading“Ruger SR1911 Lightweight, by Pat Cascio”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we look at the future of wood-burning stoves.

The War on Wood-Burning Stoves

Why The Future Of Wood Burning Stoves In Homes Is Uncertain.

Offices of Conservative Groups Torched in Suspected Arson

FoxNews reports: Offices of 3 conservative groups torched in suspected arson, spokesmen allege ‘domestic terrorism’.

Anti-Militia Bill Introduced in US Senate

Reader C.Y. sent us the link to this alarming pending legislation: S.3589 – Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act of 2024.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Gun control is part and parcel of the ongoing collectivist effort to eviscerate individual sovereignty and replace it with dependence upon and allegiance to the state.” – Lawrence Hunter