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”. You might be paranoid, but that doesn’t meant they aren’t out to get you. Websites are watching your every move.

Civil Asset Forfeiture

Despite reform at the state level, police departments are finding ways to still grab personal assets of people when no crime has been committed or even charged. The latest that we’ve heard was sent in by reader H.L. who forwarded this article on the City of Denver. The city is targeting low level crimes and seizing their cars. Here a Denver cab driver had his cab confiscated on suspicion of involvement in a prostitution sting. He was acquitted by a judge, but still had his car taken for over a month. He chose to pay the blackmail fee of $1000 to the city rather than fight in court. It’s getting harder to tell the good guys from the bad guys.

Gun Control

Rio De Janeiro has some of the strictest gun control laws there are. As a result, people are completely vulnerable as violence surges in the city. There are actually apps for smartphones now where citizens can track reports of live gun fire before plotting their commutes. Some schools have to make daily decisions on whether to cancel classes or not because of nearby shootouts. As Brazil’s recession deepens, the violence increases and the corruption that has bankrupted government coffers cannot help the individuals. They are on their own with no real method of protection against drug trafficking organizations and gangs as well as random violence. Thanks to S.R. for the link.

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Preparedness Notes for Monday – November 20, 2017

On November 20th, 1945, the Nuremberg Trials began, placing 24 high-ranking Nazis on trial for atrocities committed during World War II. The trials lasted 10 months, and 12 were condemned to death with one committing suicide in prison. The trials of lesser war criminals continued in the 1950s and resulted in the conviction of 5,025 other defendants and 806 executions.

Zero Tolerance 0055, by Pat Cascio

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Zero Tolerance knives is a division of Kershaw Knives, and they produce some of the most hard-core fixed and folding blades to be found. Today we’re looking at the ZT Model 0055.

Kershaw Plant in Oregon

I still remember the very first time I toured the Kershaw plant, here in Oregon, many years ago. If I recall correctly, they had a mere 18 people on the floor assembling knives. All of that has changed over the years. They have a huge operation these days. They moved into another building and have already expanded their operation further. The operation is very big, to say the least. I easily lost count of the number of employees Kershaw has just assembling knives. Then add in the shipping department, front office, design crew, and many others. They must surely have several hundred skilled employees working there these days.

During my last tour, I was shown around by Thomas Welk. After the guided tour, I was given free reign to roam any place I wanted to and talk to anyone. Nice!

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Recipe of the Week: Homestead Ham Loaf, by R.S.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground cooked ham (about 3 cups)
  • 1/2 lb lean bulk sausage
  • 1 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1 Tbsp prepared mustard
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 tsp grated onion
  • 1/2 cup milk

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup brown sauce
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 2 Tbsp orange juice

Directions:

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine ham, sausage, bread crumbs, mustard, egg, onion, and milk.
  2. Form into round loaf about 6 inches in diameter, or rectangle, or oval about 9×5 inches.
  3. Place in a Crock Pot, cover and cook on low for about 7 hours.
  4. Combine ingredients for sauce and brush over loaf for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  5. Slice and serve hot.

Leftover cold slices of loaf make good sandwiches.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on investing in recovered mining land. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.)

Precious Metals:

Gold at one-month top on weak dollar, uncertainty over Trump tax bill

Stock Markets:

Indexes Retreat, But These Two Stocks Break Out

Commodities:

Why Saudi Arabia Should Fear U.S. Oil Dominance

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Oil Prices Could Double If Middle East Conflict Escalates

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday – November 19, 2017

In an unprecedented move, Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat traveled to Jerusalem on November 19th, 1977, to seek a permanent peace settlement with Israel after decades of conflict. Despite heavy criticism from Egypt’s regional allies, Sadat continued, eventually reaching a peace agreement with Israel at the Camp David accords in Maryland. While Sadat and Begin were jointly awarded the 1978 Nobel Peace prize for their efforts, the peace accord was not admired by the Arabs, eventually leading to Sadat’s assassination. Despite this, the Egyptian-Israeli peace continues today.

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Valley Food Storage is now offering a 40% off pre-Black Friday deal on their website now. While their supplies last, you can stock up on long term survival foods at a great price.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 73 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 Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value), and
  8. 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 73 ends on November 30th, 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.

After The SHTF, What Will Be Your Role?, by B.H.

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After the SHTF, will you contribute to rebuilding or just surviving? Let’s first assume you and yours have survived and are relatively safe on a homestead with enough water, fuel, food and shelter during the major event. Think Puerto Rico! You’ve gone months, not days and not weeks, without electricity. Also consider you are in a rural location. Government agencies will direct all and any major resources to heavy populated areas once the “event” is over.

I view this time after as the most challenging. Most books on surviving the event suggest being self sufficient and living in a rural area away from the Golden Hordes. We have made that jump from the suburbs and are working on becoming self sufficient in a rural location.

Many times in SurvivalBlog, there are recommendations for Preppers to earn income/barter abilities via skills when the grid goes down and the trucks stop running. I have reviewed numerous suggestions and find many that require a lot of training. Examples listed are being able to weld, mechanical knowledge to fix machinery, electrical, and plumbing trades. I do not believe I could master most of those skills. Also as a woman, I have not been exposed to a lot of physical hands-on experience mentioned in those areas. Stockpiling items for barter is another suggestion.

Continue reading“After The SHTF, What Will Be Your Role?, by B.H.”

Letter: Preparing for SHTF

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JWR,

How do I prepare for a SHTF event I see ahead but also deal with being unemployed due to serious illness the last four years? My wife works, but the money gets eaten up by just getting by, and we own no property. Hence, we have no ability to get ahead. Any ideas, please? I find that so frustrating and maddening. I don’t know how to tackle this. Surely others are in the same boat as me. – S.A.

JWR’s Comment:

Right. You aren’t the only one in that sort of situation. I think the best bet would be to either form a retreat group, or integrate yourself into an existing one. Pray hard, and choose your friends wisely.

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”. Lethal autonomous weapons are a reality today. We already have the technology and some are leaning towards these as the next weapons. Slaughterbots or Skynet could be closer than you realize.

Slaughterbots

Reader G.P. sent in this video on Slaughterbots. It is fictitious, of course, but the principle is sound. Do we really want Artificial Intelligence making a life or death decision for humans? While all of the technology used in the video can be used for good, it can also be used for bad. You cannot program ethics into artificial intelligence.

Parental Rights

A proposed constitutional amendment for parental rights has been introduced into both the House and the Senate. This proposed amendment would protect the right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children, including the right to homeschool. The supporting organization, ParentalRights.org is asking for help, both financial and in urging your representatives to support such an amendment. They are looking for grassroots support as they ramp up and increase their public reach and prepare for the House and Senate committees.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” – Romans 9:14-15 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday – November 18, 2017

On this day in 1978, Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones led hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in a remote part of the South American nation of Guyana. This incredibly tragic occurrence introduce the term “…drink the Kool-Aid” into our parlance, since poison-laced punch was the vehicle behind most of the deaths. This serves as a stark warning and reminder to those in the prepping/survivalist community who would join with like-minded friends under the leadership of a charismatic leader. Always know who you are following!

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A Stitch in Time- Part 2, by a Florida Mom

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Recycle and Redesign!

Fabric

With the cost of fabric today, few women continue to sew clothing. Sewing has become more of a craft hobby. With this cost in mind, it pays to look for other options for fabric. Yard sales, consignment shops, and thrift stores provide an additional source, either fabric pieces or larger size clothing in good condition. If you shop at a fabric store, make sure you look for sales and use coupons.

Repaired or Restyled Man’s Button Front Shirt

A man’s button front shirt can be recycled by adding a new collar and cuffs from similar or contrasting fabric, using the worn ones for the pattern. To re-cut a shirt with a smaller size pattern, take the larger shirt apart at the seams and cut pieces with the smaller pattern. It might be possible to utilize the shirt front placket with buttons and buttonholes without redoing them but additional buttonholes are usually required and the collar and cuffs would have an additional seam in the back.

Man’s Shirt Recycled Into A Girls or Ladies Skirt

A men’s large long-sleeved shirt (or two) can also become a girl’s or ladies’ skirt. Cut off the sleeves, and re-cut and piece them together for the waistband. Cut off the collar and rip the shirt open at the shoulders. Press the fabric. Consider utilizing the front buttons down the front of the skirt for your closure (or stitch it closed most of the way). Re-cut using your favorite skirt pattern. (Make sure to line up the “straight of grain” markings on the pattern with the grainline of the shirt; no cheating on this or your skirt won’t hang straight!) Add pockets, if desired, and then stitch the side seams. Add a waistband or add extra buttonholes and buttons as needed. Group them differently to add styling.

Continue reading“A Stitch in Time- Part 2, by a Florida Mom”

The Editors’ Preps for the Week

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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,
This week I was busy with both writing and a home gunsmithing project. Because this smithing was specific to one part of my collection, for OPSEC reasons I can’t go into any detail about it. There wasn’t much time available for hunting.  The weather has improved. Most of the snow accumulation from 10+ days ago has now melted.

Meanwhile, my wife (Avalanche Lily) reports:
We are experiencing typical November weather: clouds, rain and snow showers day after day with temperatures in the low thirties at night and upper thirties to low forties during the day. It is very damp and cold. This weather is very conducive for relaxing and homeschool study indoors near our warm and cozy wood stove.

Continue reading“The Editors’ Preps for the Week”