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Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775 – 19 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, or by his initials J.M.W. Turner. From the Infogalactic Wiki: “He was an English Romantic painter, printmaker, and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbulent, often violent marine paintings. He left behind more than 550 oil paintings, 2,000 watercolours, and 30,000 works on paper. He was championed by the leading English art critic John Ruskin from 1840, and is today regarded as having elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting. Turner was born in Maiden …

The post Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 23, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Having an operational computer network running in a post-SHTF world may seem frivolous to some people. But if you have any plans to use computers, tablets, or cell phones as part of your post-disaster operations, it can provide the capability for those devices to communicate, share data and synchronize their activities. It can also provide some support for important things like WiFi security cameras and WiFi sensor monitoring. In a previous article (parts 2, 3, 4, 5) on SurvivalBlog I discussed how to set up a mobile WiFi/Ethernet network running a local cloud server (NextCloud) in a box for use …

The post A Simplified Disaster Network – Part 1, by J.M. appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Our 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. — Reader D.S.V.  forwarded this: French court orders windfarm to cease operations for a year because the turbines caused the death of a golden eagle.  JWRs Comments: Conservative estimates indicate that wind turbines kill hundreds of raptors and hundreds of thousands of other birds each year here in the United States, and there …

The post SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“The public welfare demands that constitutional cases must be decided according to the terms of the Constitution itself, and not according to judges’ views of fairness, reasonableness, or justice. I have no fear of constitutional amendments properly adopted, but I do fear the rewriting of the Constitution by judges under the guise of interpretation.” – Hugo L. Black

The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

'Dr. Allan Josephson was essentially terminated after he criticized transgender ideology, and filed a lawsuit in April 2019 to fight the decision."

One of the most depressing aspects of our elites as how easily they bent over for clearly absurd claims about trans.  You would expect just on the basis of suspicion on amazing claims contrary to all previous science that Dr. Josephson was not be alone.  The power of clearly unscientific ideas on academics shows how little value comes from elite institutions. 

Especially when I reflect that my son was regional director of Trump Force 47 when he died.

From a fundraising email of Everytown:

"We're approaching 100 days of this second Trump presidency and the assault on gun safety has been fast and blistering.

Already, Trump's administration has:

Threatened common-sense measures that keep us safe like Engaged In the Business and Arms Brace

Created a Second Amendment Task Force with the intent to repeal every policy that has kept us safe

Repealed "Zero Tolerance"--a life-saving policy that revoked the licenses of gun dealers who willfully violated federal law, including those who skipped background checks."

Thanks for all your kind words, texts (thanks, Mr. B.), and cards.  I'm feeling pretty good, but I can't lift anything heavier than a bag of flour for a couple more weeks. My BFF (retired Army, firefighter, and armed secret squirrel, basically a redheaded female version of PA State Cop) lives 15 minutes from me with her husband, so she's been making sure we're taken care of when Partner in Grime has had to be out of town.  I should be back to work in a couple more weeks, then a couple of weeks of catching up before retirement. 

  - Brigid

Story here. I dunno how significant the cert denials actually are, though. One concerns carry by 18 to 20 year olds, the other possession on a college campus. The Court might just have felt that these issues were too narrow to merit review. The last time I checked, the Court was getting around 10,000 petitions per Term, and taking under a hundred of them. These petitions may just not have made it to the top.

The St. Maries School District, located in Benewah County at the confluence of the St. Joe and St. Maries rivers southeast of Coeur d’Alene Lake, has okayed teachers to carry guns on campus and in classrooms following a 4-0 vote to finalize the policy. Under the policy described by the Spokane Spokesman-Review, in order for […]

The post Idaho Panhandle School Board Okays Armed Teachers appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

A reader received this notice from a message board admin when he tried to post a discussion on this: “Your thread What is the NRA? was deleted. Reason: There are some assertions in the cited post which are actionable libel.” Really? Bring it. A disturbing preponderance of bloviating ignoraNuses like that are the reason I … Continue reading "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"

The post A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum first appeared on The War on Guns.

When asked to explain what happened, the officer said, “I mistakenly thought the trigger was a release for the revolver’s cylinder. Thankfully no one was injured.” [More] From Colorado, of course. Now deflect by talking ab0ut a stellar career and awards to keep from giving us this absolute moron’s name… [Via WiscoDave]

The post We’re the Only Ones Thankful Enough first appeared on The War on Guns.

Bans Civilian Armories: They’ll define “armories” and slap a hard limit on how many firearms you can own, potentially forcing you to SURRENDER any guns over their arbitrary cap! Mandatory Gun Registration: Every single firearm you own will need to be registered with the state – a tyrant’s dream to track and control you! Purchase … Continue reading "More ‘Good First Steps’!"

The post More ‘Good First Steps’! first appeared on The War on Guns.

A progressive district attorney has declined to charge the state employee in Tim Walz-led Minnesota who was allegedly caught causing $20,000 damage by vandalizing half a dozen Teslas — a decision the local police chief ripped as the latest betrayal of victims. [More] Would she prefer citizens discourage such attacks by seeking extrajudicial justice if … Continue reading "More Than One Way to Skin a Cat"

The post More Than One Way to Skin a Cat first appeared on The War on Guns.

Raphael Warnock Slapped With Ethics Complaint for Living in Free $1 Million Luxury Home [More] When’s he going to be slapped with one for obstructing a child abuse probe? [Via Michael G]

The post Burying the Lede first appeared on The War on Guns.

Students from 2 Florida shootings demand the governor reject a law to lower the gun purchasing age [More] Disarm us! We can’t be trusted with adult responsibilities! And that’s how we’ll vote! Life imitates art. And then some. [Via Steve T]

The post The New Shmoos first appeared on The War on Guns.

Former sheriff’s deputy surrenders over sex crimes investigation… Short is accused of having sexual contact with an incarcerated woman. [More] So, out of uniform…? [Via bondmen]

The post We’re the Only Ones Caught Short Enough first appeared on The War on Guns.

Texas home of Austin Metcalf’s father swatted [More] That’ll teach him to disrespect… We have to be prodded to hate. The left is just steeped in it. Murderous hate. [Via bondmen]

The post Insult to Injury first appeared on The War on Guns.

High Energy Radio Frequency.  Now it seems to be some sort of cigar thing.  But the old HERF gun concept is back, to shoot down drones:

British soldiers have successfully taken down drones with a radio-wave weapon.

The demonstrator weapon, a type of Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW), uses high-frequency radio waves to disrupt the electronic components inside drones, resulting in the devices malfunctioning.

"RF DEW systems can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to 1 km and are effective against threats which cannot be jammed using electronic warfare," the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said.

However, the nature of the technology means that a wide beam is used, which is effective at disabling multiple drones simultaneously, but lacks target discrimination. Hence, Sgt Mayers, the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radiofrequency weapon, described it as "a great asset to Layered Air Defence."

The MOD believes the system, which it estimates costs 10p per shot fired, "could provide a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-based air defence systems."

This is what you need - as long as drones cost more than 10p, you will win that exchange all day.

Despite the grant’s intention to “reduce gun violence and other serious violence,” Elijah Ikner—a product of the very programs meant to intervene—ended up taking innocent lives. [More] “Commonsense gun safety” efforts kill. [Via bondmen]

The post An Inconvenient Truth first appeared on The War on Guns.

Breaking: Two senators are working to blow the lid off the ‘Fedsurrection’… [More] Identify them. Find them. Make them talk. Arrest their masters. [Via bondmen]

The post Provocateur Hunt first appeared on The War on Guns.

Will Patel and Bongino investigate this massive FBI scandal that nobody’s talking about? [More] If they’re smart, they’ll recruit the people who ARE talking about it to advise. [Via bondmen]

The post Let the Indictments Begin first appeared on The War on Guns.

Hey, she’s accepting new patients! [Via WiscoDave]

The post Why You Must Die first appeared on The War on Guns.

My question is this: You traded the 1st and 2nd amendments for legal weed. Was it worth it? [More] He’s asking stoners…? Life imitates Scripture… [Via Michael G]

The post A Mess of Pottage first appeared on The War on Guns.

Arizona Gov. Hobbs Vetoes Bill Requiring State to Cooperate With ICE [More] Elections have consequences. As do demographics. [Via Michael G]

The post Arizona, Take Off Your Rainbow Shades first appeared on The War on Guns.

After Florida International University’s police department entered into an agreement with the federal government to carry out immigration enforcement on campus, some students say they are terrified. “It’s scary and nerve-racking,” said an undergraduate at the university. The student, who’s not being identified because he lacks legal immigration status… [More] All the anger directed at … Continue reading "Put the Blame Where It Belongs"

The post Put the Blame Where It Belongs first appeared on The War on Guns.

An Update On All Second Amendment Supreme Court Cases [Watch] This one has me worried. [Via Jess]

The post SCOTUS Watch first appeared on The War on Guns.

Gov. Polis signs pair of gun safety bills into law, creating restrictions on ammo purchases, gun shows… [More] Right, it’s about “safety”… [Via Jess]

The post Sadie Buggle, DSM Propagandist first appeared on The War on Guns.

Mark your calendars; Moons Out 2026 will be March 6-8 at the Echo Valley Training Center, in WV. Practiscore registration will open December 1: https://practiscore.com/moons-out-26/register

The post Save the Date! Moons Out 2026: March 6-8 first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.

They didn’t want you to know that owning guns and advocating for the Second Amendment officially made you a terror suspect while they conducted a propaganda campaign to convince low-information voters that’s exactly what you are. The intent here is to impose citizen disarmament edicts on the entire Republic similar to what we find in … Continue reading "Biden’s Secret ‘Pillars’ Sought to Smear 2A Supporters as Domestic Terrorists"

The post Biden’s Secret ‘Pillars’ Sought to Smear 2A Supporters as Domestic Terrorists first appeared on The War on Guns.

Will Trump fire rogue U.S. attorneys, or is this what he expects of them regarding the 2nd Amendment? [More] Great minds think alike.

The post Who’s Really in Charge at the DOJ? first appeared on The War on Guns.

 Running errands this morning, I happened to see that egg prices continue to drop.

That's not as bad as it was on the 1st of the month.  They're coming down.  Driving to the next stop, I heard a talk radio guy ay that Louisiana has a bill pending to rescind all local sales taxes on groceries.  Currently, locally, we pay about 5 cents local taxes on groceries. That would be better, but I don't give it  snowball's chance of passing.  Local government loves their tax money.

Thence to the barber shop, where we discussed everything from bakes ham to Jesus.  In an old-style country barber shop, you never know what the topic of conversation might be. We're still paying $20 for a haircut, which is another indication of inflation.  The haircut is worth $8, but the conversation makes up for the other $12.

Thompson submachine gun Library of Congress

In 1960 the Internal Revenue Service had 17,000 Thompson submachine guns destroyed rather than collect $3.4 million in tax stamp revenue. The only reason given was to keep them out of the hands of "undesirables".

After WWII, machine guns started showing up in the United States from the war overseas. There are many ways this could happen. Most commonly a US GI would bring back a war souvenir. In the annual reports published by the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) it was recorded action was taken to insure these firearms were registered as was required by the National Firearms Act of 1934. In 1952, John B. Dunlap was Commissioner of the IRS. From the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 1952, p. 18:

Firearms program.—In September 1945 an intensive investigative program was started for the purpose of bringing about the registration of machine guns, machine pistols, and other firearms coming within the purview of the National Firearms Act. This program was necessitated by the fact that a large number of these firearms brought or sent to this country by members of the armed services were finding their way into the hands of criminals, by either illegal sale or theft, and were being utilized in the commission of violent crimes.

As of June 30, 1952, a total of 107,321 investigations had been conducted, resulting in the registration with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue of 16,285 firearms. During the fiscal year 1952, 175 cases involving violations of the Firearms Act were submitted to the Department of Justice for prosecution.

The thrust was to get the NFA firearms registered in the proper hands. Over sixteen thousand were registered. Only 175 cases were prosecuted.

Skip forward a few years to 1960. A different Commissioner of the IRS, Dana Latham, was in office. He was the eighth Commissioner of the IRS under President Eisenhower. He had a different view of the NFA. When this correspondent stumbled upon the paragraph describing the events of interest to the IRS, the assumption was Latham would brag about bringing in 3.4 million dollars of tax stamp revenue. It was the wrong assumption. From the Report of the Commissioner, 1960, page 55:

Firearms Program

There were only 3,654 firearms registered during the fiscal year 1960, as compared with 52,156 firearms registered during 1959, due primarily to a substantial reduction in the number of firearms imported. As a result of investigational work under the National and Federal Firearms Acts, and the Act of August 9, 1939 (49 U.S.C. 781), 590 persons were arrested, 157 vehicles seized, 1,115 firearms seized, and 587 criminal prosecution cases completed. A signal example of the effectiveness of the program in limiting the availability of firearms to undesirables occurred during this fiscal year. On the basis of information that the prospective purchaser of some 17,000 scrapped surplus Thompson submachineguns intended to reassemble them, the Service interceded with the Department of Defense, which then determined that the interests of the general public required the complete destruction of the weapons and amended its regulations accordingly. The prospective purchaser failed in its attempt to prevent destruction of the weapons through an injunction suit, carried twice to the Circuit Court of Appeals.

The main purpose of the IRS is to collect revenue. Most people would assume an IRS Commissioner would be glad to accept 3.4 million dollars in tax stamp revenue for the sale to the public of 17,000 reassembled Thompson submachineguns. Latham thought differently.

Not only did Latham reject the the tax revenue, he directly interfered in the business of the Department of Defense (DOD) and pressured them to renig on their contract to sell the scrapped Thompsons. The DOD had to retroactively change their regulations to do so. The federal government had to defend the action in court. The case went to the Circuit Court of Appeals twice. The government won.

This was not an underhanded, under the table deal which Latham wanted to keep quiet. He showcased it in his Annual Report.  It appears, on the surface as a prosecutable offense, a severe and deliberate wastage of government assets.  It shows quite a contrast to Commissioner Dunlap, who was able to have over 16,000 "bringbacks" registered into the system.

Today, Dunlap is forgotten.  Dana Latham is not. In 1976, an award was named after him by the Los Angeles County Bar:

In 1976, the Los Angeles County Bar Taxation Section decided to honor the memory of Dana Latham by establishing the Dana Latham Memorial Award.

This correspondent was only nine years old when Dana Latham reveled in his wastage of tax dollars and destruction of federal property.  This correspondent has been unable to find published articles form the period which expose the actions of the IRS in this case.

Three years later, in 1963, 240,000 surplus M1 Carbines were decommissioned and sold to NRA members for $20 each, without magazines. Dana Latham was no longer the Commissioner of the IRS.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

More Here

"Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans."

1. Biden should not have tried to buy off young people with forgiving student loans.

2. Young people should not have been sold a bill of goods that a degree, any degree would make enough economic difference,  to justify getting tend of thousands of dollars in debt.  There were degrees that would lead to good jobs.  Many would not.

3. The article says that less than 40% are current on their debt.  I suspect many stopped making payments during COVID when the government stopped requiring payments.  I suspect more than a few saw Biden's pandering as an excuse to not even try.

4. Sending these debts to collections is going to impair  credit scores for many years.

5. The entire student loan process has been a huge subsidy to universities.   Some, such as the Ivy League schools with huge endowments,  did not need it.  Even at the more typical schools, the effect was to drive up tuition. 

Colorado House Republicans have asked U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to have the new Second Amendment Task Force focus attention on the Centennial State, which is among the “Dirty Dozen” states identified recently by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms as jurisdictions which have treated the Second Amendment as a […]

The post CO House Republicans Ask Bondi’s 2A Task Force for Attention appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

On April 22, 1864, the US Treasury began minting a 2-cent coin. This was the first appearance of the “In God We Trust” motto. — Today is the birthday of actor Eddie Albert (born Edward Albert Heimberger April 22, 1906.) He died May 26, 2005, at age 99.) For his actions in the battle of Tarawa, he was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device. — This is also the birthday of the late Charles Rankin Bond, Jr., who was born in Dallas on April 22, 1915. (Died, 2009.) He was one of the last of the AVG Flying Tiger …

The post Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 22, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

On Monday I seemed extra tired while trying to get morning chores done, and it took longer than normal.  I struggled milking the cow and carrying the milk in.  I felt dizzy, a little short of breath, like walking underwater.  I tried to shake it off, but it wasn’t shakin’.  After morning farm chores were slowly finished, I sat in a lounge chair and put my feet up.  I pretty much stayed there all day.  At least, until, it was time for afternoon chores, and I didn’t milk the cow.  Just couldn’t do it.  Went to bed early and slept …

The post Your Last Day, by SaraSue appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements 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. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, news about over-reliance on GPS vehicle navigation.  (See the Central & Eastern Oregon section.) Idaho From the left-leaning Idaho Statesman: It’s a dire time’: Bernie Sanders, AOC draw 12,000-plus to Idaho rally. JWR’s Comments:  From their fawning description, you would think that Idaho has a …

The post SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“It is my belief that there are ‘absolutes’ in our Bill of Rights, and that they were put there on purpose by men who knew what words meant, and meant their prohibitions to be ‘absolute.’” – Hugo L. Black

The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

According to law enforcement, this incident appears to be a domestic violence dispute.

“The Crockett County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call, indicating that a male subject had been shot in her residence,” said Stephen Sutton, public information officer for CCSD.

The preliminary investigation revealed the male subject was armed with a knife and a gun. Allegedly, he assaulted the female subject and she shot him.

More Here

Tens of thousands of National Rifle Association members will descend this weekend on Atlanta, Ga., for the 154th annual Members’ meetings and exhibits at the Georgia World Congress Center, for what the association calls the “largest gathering of NRA members and Second Amendment supporters in the country.” The April 24-27 convention is loaded with activities, including […]

The post 154th Annual NRA Convention This Weekend in Atlanta appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

So, what gives with Podolsky’s very public filing, siding with notorious New York Democrat gun prohibitionists? And will AG Bondi and her new appointees now rein him in and slap him down? [More] We’ve seen enough disconnects to make it fair to wonder if Bondi is being undermined or if she’s just talking out of … Continue reading "Who’s Minding the Store? DOJ Siding with Letitia James Against Gun Companies"

The post Who’s Minding the Store? DOJ Siding with Letitia James Against Gun Companies first appeared on The War on Guns.

I was “cc’d” on an email to NRA Executive VP Hamlin and a couple dozen other 2A community names. I’ve received permission to post it. [More] A lot of thought went into it and it merits being seen by more. Feel free to forward that link if you think this is a discussion that more … Continue reading "What is the National Rifle Association?"

The post What is the National Rifle Association? first appeared on The War on Guns.

GOA-Backed Bill Passes to Make Tennessee a Firearms Industry Sanctuary Against Anti-Gun Lawsuits [More] Don’t be surprised to see the antis sue over this.

The post Empty Suits? first appeared on The War on Guns.

This is urgent! They’re coming for your kids now! House Bill 1250 mandates that Colorado schools MUST indoctrinate every student and parent on red flag laws and why guns are unsafe in the home! [More] They don’t just demqand your guns. If you’re a Colorado gunowner, why not sign up to testify? [Via cydl]

The post For the Children first appeared on The War on Guns.

In a case that could potentially have far-reaching implications for similar lawsuits across the nation, the U.S. Supreme Court has denied Minnesota’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari in Jacobson v. Worth, the Second Amendment Foundation’s (SAF) challenge to the 18-20-year-old carry ban in the state…The high court’s refusal to hear the case means the Eighth … Continue reading "An Age-Old Question"

The post An Age-Old Question first appeared on The War on Guns.

Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano has resigned from the bench where he has sat since 2011. Although his resignation letter, dated March 3, did not state his reason for stepping down, it followed shortly after a man awaiting deportation proceedings, accused by federal law enforcement of being affiliated with a Venezuelan gang, was … Continue reading "Lest Ye Be Judged"

The post Lest Ye Be Judged first appeared on The War on Guns.

H.Res. 339: Supporting the Second Amendment’s guarantee that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, and commending President Trump and his administration as they work to protect Second Amendment freedoms by reviewing and eliminating any of the Biden administration’s infringements on American’s constitutional freedoms. [More] All you need … Continue reading "Be It Unresolved…"

The post Be It Unresolved… first appeared on The War on Guns.

Man admits to trafficking guns tied to Kansas City Super Bowl shooting [More] To people known by the state who couldn’t be trusted without a custodian… [Via Steve T]

The post Not So Great a Victory first appeared on The War on Guns.

St. Petersburg Police Officer Brandon Klaiber was arrested by Pinellas County deputies on Tuesday. Investigators say he shared protected information with a man accused of planting explosive devices at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa. [More] Yeah, run plates to ID and locate people for a desperate guy with bombs– what could go wrong? … Continue reading "We’re the Only Ones Unconfidential Enough"

The post We’re the Only Ones Unconfidential Enough first appeared on The War on Guns.

The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged former Darlington police officer Mark Anthony Hayes with breach of trust and misconduct in office after using vape pens collected as evidence from an investigation to pay for repairs at his home, SLED warrants claim. [More] Just when I thought you couldn’t get any dumber than a Hawaii … Continue reading "We’re the Only Ones Home-Improving Enough"

The post We’re the Only Ones Home-Improving Enough first appeared on The War on Guns.

A Florida man allegedly boarded an Amtrak train in New Jersey carrying ammunition, multiple handguns and an AR-15 style rifle, New Jersey authorities said. Jeffrey O. Kennerk, 34… [More] Took you guys long enough. And you’da never caught him if the moron hadn’t left his bag unattended. [Via Steve T]

The post Ask and Ye Shall Receive first appeared on The War on Guns.

 I see that Pope Francis has died, peacefully at his residence in the Vatican.

Say what you will about the proper role of a Pontiff, but he exerts vast influence across the globe.

The College of Cardinals will now assemble and make their choice as to a successor.

Rest In Peace, Francis

After World War One, there was a lot of tinkering with the BAR by the US military. It was recognized as being a very good platform, but the original M1918 configuration left a lot to [...]

The post M1922 BAR Cavalry Light Machine Gun first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.

• Apparently seasteading is in the news again.


• Are em dashes a sign of ChatGPT-generated content, or just a literate and very correct writer? (I tend to be extremely casual about typography and layout here at VFTP, while Bobbi is a stickler for correct formatting at her blog.)


• "If you have nothing to hide, citizen, you have nothing to fear!": More antics from the party of small government and personal freedom. A bunch of script kiddies amalgamating a bunch of previously siloed federal databases into a single point of failure is a breathtakingly bad idea and an irresistible target for future abuse.

April 21st, 1820: Danish scientist Hans Christian Ørsted was the first to identify electromagnetism, when he observed compass needle movement. — On April 21st, 1828, Noah Webster published the first American dictionary. — And April 21st is Aggie Muster, for all Texas A&M graduates. — Today’s feature piece is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

The post Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 21, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

The Buck 0722 Spitfire Folding Knife is a rugged, well-conceived, American-made design that is hampered somewhat by stiff blade deployment. The Spitfire has a shaving-sharp, 3.25 inch blade made of 440HC stainless steel; a nicely-machined, anodized aluminum handle; a robust locking back; and a thumb-hole deployment notch. The knife weighs 3.2 ounces. At the time of this writing, the knife had a manufacturer suggested retail price of $49.99 at www.buckknives.com. That is an excellent price for a good, American-made knife. If they can figure out a way to smooth out blade deployment, this will be an outstanding knife. With the …

The post Buck 0722 Spitfire Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

The following recipe from SurvivalBlog reader Granny M. is for her Berry-Pecan Platter. Ingredients  3 cups granulated sugar 1 cup rough-chopped pecans 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup of heavy cream 1 1/2 cups each of chopped fresh strawberries, whole blueberries, and whole raspberries 1 tablespoon lemon zest Mint garnish Directions Place berries in a bowl and fold in one cup of sugar and lemon zest. Refrigerate until well chilled. In a medium saucepan, add butter and 2 cups of sugar over medium high heat. Stir constantly until butter turns a caramel color. The pan will be very hot — be …

The post Recipe of the Week: Berry-Pecan Platter appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Today’s graphic: Every US County that has been hit by an F5/EF5 Tornado. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable.       — Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The post  SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“Not only every juror’s right but his Duty … to find the Verdict according to his own best Understanding, Judgment and Conscience, tho in Direct opposition to the Direction of the Court.” – John Adams

The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Fixes starting Y math error.  Also it now writes to stdout instead of a fixed file name.  This makes it easier to create multiple command sets for common pieces.

#!/bin/bash
# Cut an interior circle starting at xStartBB yStartBB xEndBB yEndBB zStart zStep zEnd feedRate holeDiameter endMillDiameter
# BB is short for BoundingBox
if [ "$#" -eq 0 ];
    then echo "$0 xBB yBB xEndBB yEndBB zStart stepZ endZ feedRate holeDiameter endMillDiameter"
else
    xStartBB=$1
    yStartBB=$2
    xEndBB=$3
    yEndBB=$4
    startZ=$5
    stepZ=$6
    endZ=$7
    feedRate=$8
    holeDiameter=$9
    endMillDiameter=${10}
    millRadius=`echo "$endMillDiameter/2"|bc -l`
    # Calculate starting cut points
    echo $xEndBB $xStartBB $holeDiameter
    center=`echo "(($xEndBB-$xStartBB)/2)"|bc -l`
    echo "centerx = $center"
    offset=`echo "((($xEndBB-$xStartBB)-($holeDiameter))/2)"|bc -l`
    echo "offset = $offset"
        startXCut=`echo "$xStartBB+$offset+$millRadius"|bc -l`
    echo "startXCut = $startXCut"
    startYCut=`echo "($yEndBB-$yStartBB)/2+$offset"|bc -l`
    echo "startYCut = $startYCut"
    endYCut=$startYCut
    echo "endYCut = $endYCut"
    endXCut=`echo "$yEndBB-$offset-$millRadius"|bc -l`
    echo "endXCut = $endXCut"
    # calculate radius for i
    i=`echo "($center-$startXCut)"|bc -l`
    echo "i = $i"
    cat prolog.nc >rotate.nc
    echo "g1 z1.0 f$feedRate" >>rotate.nc
    echo "g1 x$startXCut y$startYCut f$feedRate" >>rotate.nc
    echo "g1 z$startZ y$startYCut f$feedRate" >>rotate.nc
    newstartZ=`echo "$startZ+$stepZ"|bc -l`
    for curZ in `seq $newstartZ $stepZ $endZ`
    do
        echo "g1 z$curZ f$feedRate"    >>rotate.nc
        echo "g2 x$endXCut y$endYCut i$i j0 f$feedRate" >>rotate.nc
        echo "x$startXCut y$startYCut j0 i-$i" >>rotate.nc
    done
    echo "g1 z3.0 f$feedRate" >>rotate.nc
    cat epilog.nc >>rotate.nc
fi

 4/20/25 CNN:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed plans about a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on a second Signal group chat, this one on his personal phone and including his wife, lawyer and brother, three people familiar with the chat told CNN.

The chat was set up during Hegseth’s tumultuous confirmation hearing process as a way for his closest allies to strategize, two of the people familiar with the matter said. But Hegseth continued using the chat, which had more than a dozen people in it, to communicate after he was confirmed, the people said....

Hegseth’s brother Phil, as well as his lawyer Tim Parlatore, both have jobs at the Department of Defense. But his wife, Jennifer, does not, despite Hegseth regularly including her during the beginning of his tenure in meetings with foreign leaders. It is not clear whether everyone in the second Signal chat has a security clearance. 

The first seem okay.  Unless Hegseth was telling his wife, "I will be late for dinner.  I am joining the bombing raid," this seems dumb.  I do rather doubt his wife will be calling the Houthis: "Let me help you get my husband fire."

A little later we get the details of who is going after him:

The revelation comes as some of Hegseth’s closest advisers have begun sounding the alarm about the secretary’s judgment, including his former press secretary, John Ullyot, and three former senior officials Hegseth fired last week — his top adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, who served as chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense.

Yes, we usually hear this at Christmas.  Remember, though, that Handel wrote this for an Easter performance.  I can think of no greater - more emotionally stirring - music for the Lord's rising than this.  The kettle drum at the end of the Amen never fails to thrill.  As a matter of fact, the opening bars of Worthy Is The Lamb never fail to thrill, either.  If you can read music, you have my permission to do a bit of a singalong to the score shown here.

The Lord is risen, alleluia, alleluia.

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Officers said they learned two men, one identified as 42-year-old Ezekiel Canty of Wilkes-Barre, were arguing, which then turned into a physical assault between the two.

The victim grabbed a bat and, while walking towards Canty, Canty shot him in the abdomen, police stated. 

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The Easter Sequence - Victimæ paschali laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim

Offer your thankful praises!

A Lamb the sheep redeems;

Christ, who only is sinless,

Reconciles sinners to the Father.

Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:

The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.

Speak, Mary, declaring

What you saw, wayfaring.

“The tomb of Christ, who is living,

The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;

bright angels attesting,

The shroud and napkin resting.

Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;

to Galilee he goes before you.”

Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.

Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!

Amen. Alleluia.