SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: 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. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

Here is some cause for concern: Man finds Apple AirTag tracker on his Dodge Charger.  Note that these could be used by would-be thieves, would-be burglars, would-be rapists, stalkers, assorted psycopaths, or out-of-control government officials–with or without a warrant. The cost of an Apple AirTag is expected to drop below $25 in the next two years.

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I found this linked over at the great Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: ‘I told you we’d get ’em’: Incredible moment rescuers pull two babies from a bathtub after their grandmother tucked them inside with a Bible and a blanket as a tornado destroyed their Kentucky home.

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Reader D.S.V. forwarded this: 5-Year-Old Weeps as NYPD Demands to See Govt. Papers.

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Swedish company offers a COVID pass that gets under the skinJWR’s Comment:  I seem to remember reading about this technology somewhere, in a very old book…

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Richard T. had this suggestion:

“I just turned 74 this month and my toes still will hurt if they get cold from being frostbitten in my early 20’s when I was wearing tennis shoes and my car died in the dead of a Minnesota winter. I see people doing this all the time, wearing shorts, T-shirts, pajamas, even sandals in freezing weather. I believe you should be prepared to spend 24 hours in a vehicle in any kind of weather. The best and most thorough education one can get on how to prepare your vehicle is to watch YouTube videos on the topic with a pen and paper in hand. It is necessary to watch several as each situation is unique. Here are a couple that I have found: winter car accessories by Gear Junkie and 12 Things Every Man Should Carry In His Car WINTER EDITION 2020 by Wranglestar.”

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H.L. sent this: ‘Major industrial accident’ in Texas, sheriffs say.

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Kent wrote to note:

“RE: water treatment. Last spring, I decided it was wise to to have a backup to my electric pump.  I heard about a family company right here in the American Redoubt, Idaho Hand Pump out of Menan, Idaho.  They have a pretty informative website and when I called Stephanie, she got me all set up.  Their prices are considerably lower than several other companies I called. The system is extremely simple, slides down next to your existing pump and I was able to complete the install myself in less than two hours.  They send instructions and have videos to help out, as well.  I have recommended them to several friends and I couldn’t be happier with their product and customer service.

Hope this helps folks looking for reliable backup to their electric pump.”

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C.B. sent this news: Pandemic drove largest New York population loss ever.

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Reader C.B. liked this video produced by Canadian Prepper: The Best Tent for the Apocalypse. Period.

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Tim J. sent this YourTube link: DIY Electrolytic Sodium Hypochlorite Generator USB Mini Disinfection Water Generator. Tim notes: “Long term storage of bleach can be problematic… One should be careful with what this generator produces.”

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Tunnel Rabbit offered this:

“Zoombies in Our Midst, A Decidedly Unprofessional Opinion:

Even as a college drop out with no credentials, my natural penchant for critical thinking carried me though, and helps me think outside the box.  Our brains do not have a firewall and have been conditioned over decades from childhood by the television set, and now with also with smart phones, to be in a partial sleep state, and we are kept in a perpetual hypnotic state.  Some people are not as susceptible given their personality type, lifestyle and beliefs, but all person can be hypnotized to a degree, and for longer or shorter duration. Some are more in a dream like state than others.  Some are wide awake, and some only partly awake, or entirely asleep, yet conscious. For at least half the population, merely operating a smart phone helps keep them in that hypnotic state, a sort of sleep walking.  If we are in ear shot of a TV, we are also keep in this state and programmed over time to think, feel, and believe what we do in a predetermined way.
There are many techniques that can be easily used through any device that uses text, or voice, or only images to manipulate behavior. Ask why many persons are addicted to their cell phones, or more so to a smartphone. Operant Conditioning is delivered for example by any cell phone with a chime, and a reward that is in text or image form. Remember Pavlov’s dog? We are being dog trained by our friendly robot companion, the smartphone, even when we are not looking at it!.  Another example that is more powerful than most can appreciate without studying it,  is a modern form of Neuro-Linguistic Programing (NLP).  It is a type of hypnosis that can be delivered to a target person, or to the general population while they perform their daily activities, and they are not aware that they are being programmed.  It can be performed over short and very long periods of time.  Given a command word, or a key word or image in the future, the crowd or person will respond as they were programmed to do.  See the woman in the poked dotted dress? MK Ultra is real.  These sophisticated techniques can be used in broad daylight, and are more effective that is generally known.
Hopefully, this helps explain why close friends and neighbors refuse to wake up.   I’ve been talking about this stuff for more than a decade, yet few, if anyone, listens. Now you know why.  Fortunately Alex Jones is doing something about it with his new fundraising effort. At $200, there is no way I can take a peek, yet it might help a family member to completely wake up.  Some preppers are not fully awake and engaged. If they would only stop watching the MSM, and the ads on YouTube, but they will not. To learn more about NLP, look up Darren Brown on YouTube where this consumate professional practicitioner of his own brand of NLP, uses it to entertain and also educate the public about this form of hypnosis.  He could for example, run into me in the street and immediately ask me to give him my wallet, and within a second, I’ve handed to him all my money.  It is truly amazing stuff, and very dangerous in the wrong hands.  See him demonstrate this and more.  Start the adventure here: Derren Brown’s Most Incredible Hypnosis Tricks.”

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A useful piece, over at American PartisanWhen to Arm, by Rooster.

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Reader 3AD Scout sent:

“What We Prepped in December: Won some items at an on-line auction including a lot comprising of assorted rifle and pistol brass (mostly .270, .30-06, .30-30, .308, .357 mag and .38 special). In another lot, I got a bunch of rope cleats, pulleys and rope clamps, that were all new old stock. I got a dollar lot that had a new gas caps, a replacement small engine throttle cable and switch as well as a pack of new battery clips. The other two lots were a wooden box and commercial grade propane heater.

I picked up 8 pounds of baking soda, 2 large bottles of Dawn dish soap, a box of gauze rollers, a box of 3” band-aids, 80 pounds of sugar, 50 pounds of salt and some additional canned goods. While at Lowe’s I picked up 3 LED headlights that were on clearance. They were 450 Lumens with several modes and light colors.

Hit the local Dollar Tree by work and prices were still a dollar so I picked up 4 toothbrushes, 2 packs of dental floss, 2 bottles of generic Benadryl, a tube of anti-fungal cream, two tubes of anti-itch cream, 4 packs of butterscotch hard candies, lead pencil refills, wire brushes, 3” paint brushes, and 2 pairs of latex gloves.

At the Salvation Army I picked up 2 food grinders. One was brand new in the box with all types of accessories. I normally would not consider second-hand grooming items but I found a really nice set that was very vintage and looked like it was never used. It even came with an old safety razor that you can replace the blades. The tools in the grooming set were made in the USA, Germany, and Korea. Found a made in Canada, Woods Outdoor equipment thinsulate sleeping bag, and a universal toilet tank lever made of metal. Added another new stethoscope. Found another M65 woodland camo field jacket, a like new Pampered chef apple peeler, two graters and a case that was made out of aluminum over wood.

Picked up three used 30 rounds AR mags that look unused. Reloading components are starting to make their way back to the shelves so I have started to re-stock our on-hand supplies with 100 Hornady XTP 230 grain .45 bullets, 250 Hornady XTP 124 grain 9mm bullets, 250 124 grain FMJ bullets and 250 147 grain bullets for reloading. I also picked up to extra decapping units for .223 dies and one for a 30 caliber die. Picked up a reliance plastics spigot for a water jug. While out of town on a business trip, I stopped at an army surplus store and picked up a 6 magazine AR bandolier, 2 coyote brown grenade/compass molle pouches, a 9mm molle magazine pouch, a drop down leg platform and 3 miscellaneous other pouches.

I sorted out all the brass I got at the auction by caliber. I’m going to use some of it for trade.

I started the annual inventory update, and this year it is food that will get inventoried. It will take a few days considering the quantity and locations. I did take the opportunity to re-organize the stacks of 5 gallon buckets that are stored in the prepper man cave and I ended up gaining some extra usable space!!

Since we moved there has been boxes in the basement just laying on the floor. The wife and I spent a few days going through the boxes deciding what to keep and what to send to auction. I picked up 2 very nice all metal shelving units from Lowe’s and put the together and we put over a dozen totes on the racks. We Moved the tread mill as well.

I labeled the contents of the cupboard down in the basement so people can find items a little faster. I took advantage of a very warm Christmas Eve day and cleaned out the calf stall and threw down new sawdust. I moved the cow manure, old soiled hay and sawdust onto one of the compost piles. The calf also go banded.

I’ve been trying to buy some Lysol concentrate for the preps but can’t find any. Put the sugar and salt I bought into plastic buckets. Moved some food buckets from the man cave to a closet in another part of the basement that contains just long term food items.

Spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing the prepper man cave. I started to replace the door that leads into the prepper man cave. When the addition went on, they left the old door. When the crew was demolishing the old woodshed that was attached to the house the tore the door frame up so I am finally getting around to replacing and repairing the door and door frame. We kept the old oak door from our old house in the city. I am cutting that down to use as the new door into the prepper man cave.”

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Michele suggested this company, in Wisconsin:

“Heirloom and Open Pollinated Seeds – St. Clare Heirloom Seeds – Heirloom and Open Pollinated Vegetable, Flower, and Herb Garden Seeds”.

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