This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.
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SurvivalBlog’s Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this: Oregon man stranded in remote snow-covered road uses drone to signal for help. Mike’s Comment: “He was foolish for getting into that predicament, but he devised a clever way to get out.”
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China Warns “There Will Surely Be Conflict And Confrontation” With The US If Nothing Changes.
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A new video from Lauren Southern: How True is Farmlands Today? #SouthAfrica.
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Over 40% Of Americans Think WW3 Is Imminent. JWR’s Comments: The PLA leadership in China would be foolish to wait until a Republican is back in the Whitehouse, before invading Taiwan. They know Biden is a pushover. Historically, most of America’s wars have been started with Democrats as Presidents, and ended with Republicans as Presidents.
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Jeff Charles of Liberty Nation News: Desperate Democrats Get Creative in Implementing Gun Control.
A timely instructional video: Guerilla fighter’s uniform and considerations when opposing a conventional force.
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“They Lied To Us All”: Tucker Exposes January 6 Fraud And Kangaroo-Court Cover-Up. JWR’s Comments: Predictably, the Democrats and RINOs are both now engaged in “slay the messenger” attacks on Tucker Carlson. Back when they very selectively controlled what was released, they bragged about how many thousands of hours of security footage they had, from all angles. But now that we are seeing everything, the statists are in panic mode, because most of the footage shows the Capitol Police opening the barricades and doors to protestors, and even guiding them around the building’s interior. Most of those who entered the building behaved like polite tourists. Yes, they were tourists, not terrorists.
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Signs of the times: British Minister Faces New Charges Under Counter-Terrorism Laws for Criticizing a Trans Woman. JWR’s Comment: You know that a society is doomed when it criminalizes speaking objective truth.
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Taliban Has $7.2 Billion Worth of U.S. Military Equipment Abandoned in Afghanistan, Report Says. Here is an excerpt:
“At least 78 aircraft worth $923.3 million, 9,524 air-to-ground munitions valued at $6.54 million, over 40,000 vehicles, more than 300,000 weapons, and nearly all night vision, surveillance, communications, and biometric equipment provided to the [Afghan defense forces] were left behind,” according to information disclosed in SIGAR’s report.”
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H.L. sent us this news: Norfolk Southern makes broad safety adjustments after third train derailment.
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SaraSue sent this snippet:
“A week of solving problems: 1). Get the cow bred – Spent a lot of time trying to find a local bull to provide “live cover” for my Jersey dairy cow. I connected with two families, one has a Dexter bull and one has an Angus bull who throws lightweight calves to see if they would take my Jersey for a couple of cycles. I’m waiting to find out which one will take her. 2). I want bacon! I have “ordered” two IPP (Idaho Pasture Pig) feeder pigs. I had gone to my local grocer to buy some bacon. I used to buy 2lbs of local bacon for around $12. What I found was half a pound of bacon for $18. Nope. I shall learn to raise a couple of pigs. The IPP feeder pigs are $150 each, but a similar mixed breed is available for $100 each. Either way, I’m not going to pay that much for bacon and will attempt to grow my own pork. Fortunately, there is a space already set up here for pigs, so I don’t need to do too much but install an electric fence. Pigs thrive on that extra cows’ milk I’ve heard. 3). NonGMO Feed: I have located a non-gmo, non-soy, feed source for my animals competitively priced with gmo feed. I can’t wait to make the switch. “Organic” feed is crazy expensive, so I’ve been searching for a local mill or local source and finally found one (Tucker Milling). 4). Need a butcher: USDA processing facilities are booked out for over a year. I found a “custom meat” processor that is not USDA certified, which is a great thing for home food growers. I’m not selling to the public so I don’t need USDA certification, just a good butcher that I can actually make an appointment with. 5). Can I grow animal feed? There’s no easy answer without a lot of acreage and machinery, but I did get some non-gmo dent corn seeds and will attempt to grow it this year. 6). Hay prices! I spent over $3,000 last year on square hay bales to feed my cows. I found a local source, great family, who will deliver a round bale every month right to my pastures. I have no place to store round bales, hence the need for a delivery. This will cut my hay costs by more than half. 6). Still waiting for the new well to be drilled, but the location is marked.
It “feels like” I didn’t get anything done this week, except learn more about being a farmer. I met a neighbor who is a master gardener and he is advising me on what and when to grow! He has a 2 acre garden and will bring me some of his blackberry plant “starts”. The 1/4 acre garden gets plowed this week. I’m trying something new in the garden and will be laying down ground cover on at least half of it. I have new layers, turkey chics, and meat birds coming in April, May, and June. It’s going to be a very busy year of growing food. Focusing on growing food, sure beats worrying about bank failures. Spending money now on infrastructure makes more sense to me than leaving it in a bank. That’s my strategy for coping with the coming deep recession/depression. My elderly mother (88) is here visiting and I’ve offered for her to live with me. She has that option, and I would feel better if she were safe with me.”
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Reader D.S.V. sent this one: Whistleblower: FBI’s D.C. Office Tried To Sic Local Agents On Innocents After Bank Of America Volunteered Gun Records.
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Illinois bills seek to require EV charging stations in new and renovated homes. This article begins:
“Two proposed legislation in Illinois seek to require new and renovated homes to have electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, a change that could make new houses more costly.
House Bill 2206 states that the Capital Development Board shall adopt rules requiring each newly constructed residential building in the state that includes a garage “to have enough electric generating capacity in the garage to charge an electric vehicle.”
Senate Bill 0040, on the other hand, requires new single-family residences or small multifamily residences to have at least one electric vehicle capable parking space for each residential unit that has dedicated parking, unless any subsequently adopted building code requires additional electric vehicle capable parking spaces or installed electric vehicle supply equipment.”
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FBI finally admits to buying location data on Americans, horrifying experts. JWR’s Comments: Sooooo… They deny that they are still buying geo-tracking data. But how would they respond if pressed for an answer about buying metadata? (Which can be extrapolated into tracking data.) I’m willing to wager that they are spending 10s of millions of dollars each year in taxpayer funds to buy data and metadata, without the benefit of warrants.
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And, lastly… I pointed out this arbitrary nonsense in a meme back in 2021. The pendulum is now swinging backward: New York police say shoppers should take off face masks before entering stores. (A hat tip to D.S.V. for the link.)
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