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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Gun Ownership by State (2023 Statistics). JWR’s Comments: It is not surprising to see so many of the American Redoubt states at the top of this list. If the counties in eastern Oregon and eastern Washington were considered separate states, then they would surely rank nearly as high.
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SurvivalBlog’s Tom Christianson spotted this: China is using the world’s largest known online disinformation operation to harass Americans, a CNN review finds.
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Tom also sent this news from Michigan: Muskegon County township declares Second Amendment Sanctuary, forms militia. JWR’s Comment: Unlike the liberal Detroit area that always makes the news, most of Michigan is actually quite conservative. Some folks have given the state the nickname Militiagan.
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Homes in Iceland Split in Two Following Massive Earthquakes, Eruptions.
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Our Editor-At-Large Mike Williamson sent us this: Senator Expresses ‘Serious Concerns’ About Secretive White House Program That Tracks Americans’ Phone Records.
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Antibiotics can help some bacteria survive for longer.
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NJ Neighborhood Evacuated Over Explosives Purchased At Flea Market.
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Andre sent us this link: Record-breaking ‘BOAT’ gamma-ray burst managed to disturb Earth’s atmosphere.
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A worm has been revived after 46,000 years in the Siberian permafrost.
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Reader C.B. sent this one: Wildfire, drought cause $11.2 billion in damage to private timberland in three Pacific states, study finds.
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Tim J. wrote to mention this 9-minute instructional video: Soldiers Always Carry These Survival Tools in the Field.
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We are hearing an all-too-familiar tune: Hiker stranded on a cliff in Canada after following fake trail on Google Maps. Here is an excerpt:
“A hiker had to be rescued via helicopter in British Columbia after he got lost — because he followed a made-up trail on Google Maps.
It was the second time in two months that a hiker got lost relying on the high-tech map app, authorities said.
Vancouver-based North Shore Rescue shared in a Facebook post that an unnamed hiker found himself stranded on a cliff on the backside of Mt. Fromme, just north of Vancouver, after attempting to reach the peak’s summit.
A pair of rescuers were brought in by air and dropped into the heavily forested area during the Nov. 4 rescue.
After locating the lost hiker, who according to NSR had minimal gear, no flashlight and poor footwear for his trek, the rescuers brought him down to an area where the helicopter could retrieve the trio.
NSR said the rescue was the second in two months for hikers trapped on Mt. Fromme, both of which appeared to be the result of people following the fake trail displayed on Google Maps.”
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I just stumbled upon this Russian translation of my book How To Survive The End Of The World As We Know It: Джеймс Уэсли Роулз — Как пережить конец света и остаться в живы. It has apparently been in print since 2011. I hadn’t heard that this translation was published. I’d like to have a copy, just for grins. (I was sent author copies of the Spanish, German, French, and Polish editions.) I’m still looking for a copy of the Korean edition, just to make my bookshelf complete.
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Massachusetts 5th-grader’s message in a bottle found in France 26 years later.
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SaraSue sent this snippet:
“I picked up my beef from the processor. He was 11 months old on his butcher date. Every farm has to make a decision about how long they want to carry animals for a desired butcher weight. I am currently overstocked, so I made a decision to send my steer to the processor. His live weight was 620lbs (remember he was a dairy breed, not an Angus beef cow, so he was smaller). His hanging weight was 306. The total processor cost was $238.90. There was approximately 150lbs of red meat in addition to bones and fat. The local custom processor charged 65 cents per lb + a $30 kill fee + $10 disposal fee. These fees are not reflective of a USDA processor because this beef is not for sell. It is for family. USDA inspection is only required for resale purposes in my state, and costs a bit more.
This steer had no antibiotics, no vaccines (not even for Blackleg), and was fed on unfertilized grass, hay that had not been sprayed, and given a non-GMO supplemental feed. For the first 5 months he was raised by his mother on her milk. This beef is as “clean” as it gets. Most cattle are grass fed and grain finished, which is what helps with the marbling and flavor. I’m hoping that being harvested young will contribute to the tenderness since there is very little marbling. I fried up some hamburgers to taste and it was very good and tender. This was the first time I ate something I raised and honestly, it was difficult to eat. If I want to raise my own food, I have to toughen up emotionally.”
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OB-GYN Testifies on Alarming Miscarriage Spike among Vaxxed Women.
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Advice from auto industry writer Eric Peters: Mad Max on Two Wheels.
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And lastly: Ports Covering 40 Per Cent of Australia’s Freight Trade Shut by Cyber Attack for Three Days. (Thanks to reader C.B. for the link.)
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