On April 21, 1864 the U.S. Congress passed the Coinage Act of 1864, which led to the “In God We Trust” wording on U.S. coins. The phrase was eventually added to all of our country’s currency. — And on April 21, 1961: USAF Major Robert M White took the X-15-2 to the edge of space with a record-breaking flight to an altitude of 107,700 feet and a speed of 3,603 miles per hour. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A …

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I recently went to two Project Appleseed shooting events. I went to one with friends one by myself. One was in the south in the summer the other in the north in the winter. There was a lot the same at these two events and a decent amount was different. There was a more negative experience for the first one and a more positive in the second, though neither was entirely positive or negative. How were these events different and why? Those are the questions I’m asking and answering here. I want to answer those questions both for the clinics …

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This weekly column features media from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. Today’s feature photo is a public domain image of Trout Lake at Yellowstone National Park, taken by “Always Shooting”. It was taken in 2014. The thumbnail image below is click-expandable:       Redoubt News Links Thermopolis Safari Club’s Big Game Trophy Collection To Hit Auction Block. Reported on April 10th: Giant Green Fireball Explodes Over Northeastern Wyoming on Wednesday Night. K2 News: Witness A Wild Wyoming Showdown …

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“There are 1011 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it’s only a hundred billion. It’s less than the national deficit! We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers.” – Dr. Richard Feynman

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On April 20th, 1653 Oliver Cromwell and 40 musketeers forcibly dissolved the English Rump Parliament, after it failed to establish a caretaker government. In Cromwell’s words “You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately … In the name of God, go!” — April 20, 2010: An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, leased by BP, killed 11 workers and began spewing an estimated 200 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico for nearly three months, creating the worst known offshore oil spill. — April 20th is also the day that we remember …

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Dateline: The Swamp. I am writing this in the depths of winter, but I cannot rest from my labors. I must press forward with the ongoing campaign. The objective is to push back the tangled undergrowth threatening to swallow up our property. Only ceaseless effort can prevent the undergrowth from reclaiming our land for The Swamp. Without the protecting cover of leaves, my enemy is more vulnerable to my counter-attacks. I can better see to cut the various tendrils, stems, and saplings. The newest weapon in my arsenal is the Husqvarna 26 Inch Clearing Axe. The clearing axe consists of …

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The following recipe for Super Simple Traditional Skillet Asparagus is from SurvivalBlog reader Ellen H. This requires a large cast-iron skillet with lid. Ingredients Asparagus (1 to 6 servings’ worth) Butter Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste) Directions Warm a large cast Iron skillet over medium heat. Add enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan. When the butter foam subsides, add the asparagus and shake the skillet to coat the asparagus spears. Cover and cook, shaking occasionally, until the spears are bright green but still crisp, about 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the asparagus is tender …

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Today’s graphic: Normalized product of inverse of Cost of Living and Human Development Index (HDI) based on 2026 Cost of Living data. JWR’s Comments:  Note that the Human Development Index has been criticized for a Scandi-centric view of health, wealth, and happiness. The HDI’s 0-to-1 ratings essentially assume that present-day Scandinavia is the penultimate in civilizational aspirations. I, for one, can imagine something a lot better than multi-generational welfare dependence. Also note that the current prosperity of Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany has partly been artificially propelled by the cash generated by drilling North Sea oil. The …

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“The hour is fast approaching on which the honour and success of this army, and the safety of our bleeding country depend. Remember, officers and soldiers, that you are free men, fighting for the blessings of liberty… that slavery will be your portion… …if you do not acquit yourselves like men.” – George Washington, 1776

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April 19th is the original Patriot Day which marks the multiple anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, known as “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”.  Note that due to corporate bureaucracy, the Patriot Day celebration has generally been moved to the third Monday in April to facilitate a postal/banking holiday. April 19th  also marks the anniversary of the blockade of Confederate Ports in 1861, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis in 1943, the BATF’s costly raid on the Branch Davidian Church in Waco, the gun turret explosion on the USS Iowa in 1989, the capture of the …

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As much as many centrists and libertarians are opposed to Donald Trump’s ongoing strikes against Iran, I have to say, the downstream result might end up becoming one of the most libertarian results I have ever seen. For decades, small government activists like those in the Ron Paul movement have been calling for a comprehensive US divorce from NATO and the shutdown of America’s military bases overseas. Trump has, either deliberately or inadvertently, set this very process in motion. The refusal of most of Europe (and Australia) to provide support in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz might seem …

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The latest meme created by JWR:   Meme Text: Sarah Connor Says: “There’s No Feta Cheese, But What We Make For Ourselves.” Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

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“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man …

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On April 18, 1775 Paul Revere (pictured) met with Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington, Massachusetts, to warn them that British troops were marching from Boston to Lexington. — April 18,1906: San Francisco earthquake and fire killed nearly 4,000 while destroying 75% of the city. — And on April 18, 1949 Republic of Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth. — Today’s feature article is a guest post from a long-time SurvivalBlog reader. Because it is partly self-promotional, it is not part of the writing contest judging. We need entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More …

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(Continued from Part 6. This concludes the article.) Evaluating Families to Find Like-Minded People Daily, I am reminded of how bad it is out there, based on the information that I am analyzing. People often ask me “How long do we have?” If you understand history, economics, threat analysis, and have three generations of preparedness expertise in your wheelhouse, then you know the lateness of the hour. As for my situation, I hope it is long enough to be able to get married and to get the supplies my future spouse and her family need. I have a lot of …

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, 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 your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds …

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“And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; …

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On April 17, 1935:  The first commercial flight from the mainland to Hawaii, as Pan Am’s Pioneer Clipper was flown from San Francisco to Honolulu. — April 17, 1964: The Ford Mustang was formally introduced, with a base price of $2,368. — We are running a two-week-long sale on all of our pre-1899 antique shotguns at Elk Creek Company, with many deep discounts. This sale will end on Monday, April 27th, 2026. Please note that some of these guns have been re-sleeved and re-proofed for modern shotshells! — Today’s feature article is a guest post from a long-time SurvivalBlog reader. …

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(Continued from Part 5.) Separating the Important from the Trivial Things that usually do not matter much for most men as far as a potential wife: her height, her income, and specific traits such as hair or eye color. I have never heard a man talk about a woman’s height unless she was very tall — which is statistically rare. Men are rarely concerned about a woman’s income unless they are looking for support. I don’t have a “type” and most men do not have a type such as only blondes or redheads. Of course, a bonus is if a …

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In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. Today, a map showing Federal Spending Versus Federal Tax Revenues. Note that the maps shows far more than just impoverished regions. Spending levels are skewed in states with tribal lands. There is also lesser skewing in states with large National Forests and low population densities versus their miles of Federally-funded highways and freeways. The thumbnail below is click-expandable. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Economics & Investing Links of Interest At Wolf Street: Car & Truck Inflation in America: …

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