SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

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.

A new video from John Lovell (of Warrior Poet Society fame): 11th Hour Checklist. JWR’s Comment:  John is a solid Christian who sounds more and more prepper-oriented, every time I hear him speak.

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Counting the costs: We can now read the lawsuit against the Biden regime’s unfunded mandate on states to provide healthcare for DACA aliens.  The lawsuit details the costs and the number of DACA aliens in each of the plaintiff states.

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I was sad to hear from its founder that the PrepperGroups.com website which was operated for decades has been shut down.  I’m sad to see it go!  I have removed the links to their site from the SurvivalBlog archives, just to avoid any confusion. – JWr

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A Tim Pool interview: Tommy Robinson Embarrassed The UK Government & British Media, They Are Furious.  Here is a link to his recent documentary, on Rumble: Silenced.

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A video with some fascinating Cold War history: Explored the last intact Cold War NATO ACE high base — AbandonedJWR’s Comments: The level of preservation after 30 years of abandonment is incredible. Obviously, the local Greek island kids are taught to respect property!

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Reader H.L. suggested this essay over at The Burning Platform: THEY’VE SELECTED KAMALA AND THIS IS THEIR PLAN.

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SaraSue sent this snippet:

“We finally were able to lay my mother to rest this past week.  We had to ship her from one state to another, working with two funeral homes.  But, she made it and was laid to rest with Dad.  It’s been a difficult couple of weeks for all of us. May she Rest In Peace.

We are in drought conditions again, so my hope for a Fall garden may not play out and that’s fine – I’m tired.  I have had abundant tomatoes, chili peppers, jalapeño peppers, zucchini, squash, and green beans.  The potato crop was dismal.  This is the first year I have had a harvest to speak of from my garden.  It’s taken 3 years to get to this point.  I purchased 1/2 bushel of apples from the Amish to put up, along with large blocks of cheese, which I cut up and freeze.  I have been making butter from the excess cream from the cows and filling the freezer with butter.

In the past few months, I sold a couple of beautiful heifers, one cow, 2 cow/calf pairs, then purchased one heifer that fits in better with my small herd.  It’s time-consuming to break heifers to halter and lead, to train cows to a milking machine, etc.  My goal is to get down to just 2-3 cows that are “keepers”.  And of the 3, I am still working to get one to hold a pregnancy with the aid of hormone shots.  My last ditch effort to get this cow bred before she goes to freezer camp in November.  If she can hold this pregnancy, she stays.  If she cannot, she goes.  FYI – I have been trying to get this particular cow bred back for 1.5 years and have tried everything including “live cover” and A.I. multiple times, feed changes, mineral changes, vitamin shots, health checks, etc.  It appears that she breeds back, but loses the pregnancy early on.  She is disease-tested and disease-free, no uterine scarring or cysts, so there is no apparent reason for her inability to hold a pregnancy.  I have been working with my vet and others to help her.  This is her last opportunity.  Makes me sad, but it happens.  Anyone else would’ve culled this cow early on, but I am so committed to these cows that I exhaust every resource before culling.

I read Camp of the Saints – it’s an extremely brutal depiction of what it looks like when your country is invaded.  I am one to face reality rather than stick my head in the sand.  One thing is for sure, in all cases women and children are the first to be brutalized.  It’s so very important for women to be trained and armed, and children to be tucked away and protected at all costs.

In other news, I am working diligently at organizing and cleaning the farmhouse, storage, stocking up to fill in any gaps, making sure I have enough animal feed, firewood, extra water, etc.  I hope to be “all set” in order to get through this Fall/Winter/Spring.  I have no clue what election season and its aftermath will bring.  There are so many of us praying for the Lord’s protection.”

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US government report says fluoride at twice the recommended limit is linked to lower IQ in kids.

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Getting “Bud Light”-style consumer revenge: Harley-Davidson caves, vows to halt entire ‘woke’ agenda, but there’s one very big problem…

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Reader “St. Funogas” had these comments:

“I much enjoyed A.F.’s recent informative article on dry beans. A few questions and comments.

Which electric bean sheller did you use and what are the pros and cons?  How long does jute last as a trellis material?  I use bailing twine which is dirt cheap and UV resistant but it can sag once the weight of the growing vines increases.  Some are four years and still no noticeable UV issues.  Have you tried taller t-posts?  I’ve been using the 6′ but next year will try taller ones since the vines get so tall.  Have you tried the cornstalk trellis method?.
Of the ones you’ve grown, which varieties are most productive?  Any special type of garden seeder?
Like you, I’ve also tried store-bought beans with good success other than garbanzos.  Store-bought is an inexpensive way to start off.  The two main varieties I grow now were bought from Baker Creek Seeds and both took three years to build up enough stock for planting and eating.
For shelling, my area is humid so I put the buckets on the back deck in the morning and shell in the afternoon when the shells are the crispiest.  The best method I’ve found is to shell them right in the 5-gallon bucket.  The fewer hand and arm motions there are, the more efficient the shelling will be.  I keep both hands in the bucket and let the shelled beans fall so they’ll work their way to the bottom.  I keep the shells in my right hand until I get a handful, then reach out of the bucket to put them into a box to use in my bee smoker.  So far I haven’t found a more efficient method than letting the beans fall back into the bucket.  Once you get the hang of it, beans can be shelled by feel while watching a movie or waiting for your Scrabble opponent to maybe someday make their move. I winnow by pouring the beans and chaff into another 5-gallon bucket in front of a running box fan which generally only takes three passes. Thanks again for the informative article.
Kudos also to N.C.’s recent article on Basic Sewing: Clothes Cloning.  I’ve been sewing since I was 8 and it never occurred to me in all these years to use a lark’s head knot after threading the needle!  Thanks for the tip.  As a kid, I watched my mother, who knew nothing about reupholstering, tear our couch apart and using the pieces of material as a clone, reupholstered the couch.  The article was informative as well as a blast from the past.”
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American Airlines Stuns By Halting All Israel Flights Until April 2025.

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And right next door:  Lebanon Plunged Into Darkness As Last Operational Power Plant Runs Out Of Fuel.

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Lastly, some food for thought: “Brutally Honest”: Chris Wallace Reminds CNN Viewers That “6 Months Ago” Democrats Were Contemplating Dumping Diversity Hire Harris.

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