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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SurvivalBlog’s Editor-At-Large (and much-published sci-fi author) Michael Z. Williamson has just launched a new series of videos on YouTube, named after his side business, Sharp Pointy Things. The first video is: USAF Air Crew Survival Knife. Note that Mike still does some custom knife and sword making, but he has a  backlog of orders.  Also, note that the videography for the USAF survival knife segment was by the great Oleg Volk.

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A quite useful prepping recommendations video from City Prepping: 10 Books To Get While You Still Can. (Actually, he mentions a lot more than just 10 books!)

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California Bill Would Charge Any Parent Who Doesn’t Affirm Transgenderism With ‘Child Abuse’.

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Reader L.E. wrote:

“Mutual Assistance Group Planning was an excellent article by Survivorman99. I would just like to add a couple things to ponder:

What I did, initially (because you can’t do this after people already know your new location, so don’t excitedly blabber to friends and relatives about your new bugout location) is- I got a post office box in another nearby town, then told “extraneous” friends and relatives IF THEY ASKED, that I lived “near”
 (insert vague location of city park or church in another town). Most folks are not interested enough to search your actual address location out on county property websites, and if you were smart enough to title the property in other than your name, they won’t be able to locate you. Data strip all location info off of any photos you might send them as well. My very close friends/relatives that I have known for years and seen them in all kinds of tense situations and know we could get along and I would share with them regardless of whether they arrived empty-handed but because we are like-minded I know they would not-I would welcome. Whew, long-winded. But, we have all already made assumptions and “sorted” out in our minds who we would help. Every family has those few moochers, leeches, whiners, addicts, and layabouts, and if you are far enough away from them in any kind of situation, most likely they aren’t going to be able to make it to you anyway, and if the weather is bad, the first year will eliminate those not fully prepared. If perchance on of these sort do arrive, you should have prepared a tent and rocket stove and water bucket, and you can hand these out, so you don’t have them actually living in your home and eyeballing your preps and weapons. I have one storage shed set aside for this purpose alone. Harsh I know but these folks have had the same opportunities you had and they chose to spend their money on frivolities. Start now prying them loose from your circle by repeatedly informing them they are on their own and that your store is now closed. Even the ark only took in two of each kind.”

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Video from TFB TV: We Made a “0%” Chassis-Based Glock.

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Reader OSOM sent in this food for thought:

“I recently had an in-depth conversation with a friend on what is the appropriate level of charity post-TEOTWAWKI. Assuming you have prepared prudently and are fortunate to be doing more than just getting by, you will likely be presented with some brutal decisions on who to help – and who not to.

One does not want to give away stored food, and then see your family face starvation over the winter, but at the other extreme, if you are sitting on a 10-year stockpile of food, I feel it would be contemptible not to help other people in dire need. We all die sooner or later, how you live in the meantime may just have eternal consequences for your soul.

I subscribe to the libertarian ethos that technically one does not have a legal or moral obligation to help another, and put themselves at risk. I also subscribe to the principle that the libertarian ethos is just a starting point for what we should strive for. As most religions teach, you should treat others as you would have them treat you in similar circumstances.

If the situation was reversed, would you hope for the charity?

You can’t help everyone, but you can probably help someone – who do you help – and how much?

I don’t have any easy answers, but I do have some hard questions:

    1. If the situation was reversed – would you hope for charity?
    2. ‘Battlefield triage’ – who do you help to maximize saving the people who will likely survive with a little help, vs. helping those who realistically don’t have a chance to survive long term?
    3. Are you painting a target on you, or your family’s back, by identifying yourself as a source of supply?
    4. Can you help without shortchanging the resources needed for your family or team – the people that you have made commitments to support and provide for?
    5. Should you “give until it hurts” and potentially risk your family / team?
    6. Are you following your conscience – or rationalizing the line of least resistance?
    7. Can you make it a WIN-WIN deal where they work for the charity?
    8. Are the recipients morally deserving of charity? (I would put children in the most deserving category…)
    9. By helping this person(s) are you helping our civilization get back on it’s feet?
    10. Are you helping a morally deficient person survive – one who will be murdering, and pillaging from you, or your neighbors, as soon as they get hungry?
    11. What are the consequences for your soul to give or withhold charity?

Again, I don’t have definitive answers, but I think there are a few solid takeaways:

    • Allocate resources now, so you might be in a better position to help later.
    • Talk about this with your family and team before the crisis. get on the same page ahead of time.
    • A written policy, or even a signed contract, on refugee contact and charity might be advised – both to restrain the bleeding hearts in your group from putting you all at risk – and to get the hard of heart to accept taking some risk to provide charity.
    • It might make decision-making easier to make a designated charity stockpile ahead of time, e.g., tithing in your preparedness budget. Give a new meaning to the Hunter Biden credo: “10% for the Big Guy”. ?

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SaraSue sent this snippet:

“I’m with Lily in regards to staying away from “the news” and staying off the Internet more and more. I know what’s going on in the world, but it doesn’t help me to stare at it day in and day out. Besides, there’s too much work to do! Most of the plans I made are working great, with the exception of the large garden. Between storms ripping up the ground cover (twice), my dogs digging under the garden fence and wreaking havoc with the watering system, wild rabbits feasting away, no rain for weeks, it’s been a tough row to hoe. My health has suffered, so I had to let something go and I decided it was the garden. I will have lots of potatoes, but not much else. I’ve become acquainted with a farming neighbor and they grow beautiful produce. I put up some strawberry jam, dehydrated lots of sliced green onions, made a mess of the sauerkraut, and am looking forward to tomato season. They grow all the usual vegetables, so I’m thrilled to visit their farm, pick up what I want at a reasonable price, and pay cash. I have been selling extra milk to local people who sincerely appreciate it, and that is paying for feeding the animals. I have 40 meat bird chicks that I’m growing out, and piglets arrive this week. My health issues have caused me to slow down so I hired a neighbor boy who works harder than most adults. He’s my farm hand and his help has greatly relieved my workload. I’m still waiting for the well water to be piped up to the house, but I’m hopeful it will be done this summer.

On a personal note: I refuse to accept that farm work is killing me, LOL. But, I do accept the fact that I must attend to my health, slow down, eat properly, and stay hydrated. If the time comes that I need to sell some of my animals, I will do so (5 head of cattle, 30 chickens, 40 chicks, 3 barn cats, 2 dogs, 2 piglets, etc.). I’m very happy with this little farm in spite of my body not wanting to cooperate. It gives me great pleasure to see the animals thriving, and to live in such a serene environment.”

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Avalanche Lily suggested the latest Adapt 20230 video by David Dubyne: Uninsurable Future  —  Part 1 and Part 2.

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Reader “K.” sent this note:

“Thank you, Jim, for your wonderful blog. It has provided me with both practical information and inspiration for many years now and yes, your writing along with the promptings of the Spirit of God led me to move my family to North Idaho from North Florida in 2020.

With this being said, you can imagine how the recent article titled “Exiting Babylon” rang a bell with me. I found it to be well-reasoned, biblically sound, and terribly pertinent to the dark times we are living in. Thank you for publishing this essay, and please thank The Watchman for doing his part to inspire and encourage God’s people.

I pray continually for insight and wisdom to understand what I must do to lead my family in the days to come. I also pray for the wisdom and the ability to encourage others to do the same. This post has been a blessing to me. Thanks again.”

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Mike M. wrote us:

“I just read Part 1 of Mutual Assistance Group Planning and some of the downfalls of not finding the right people. Here is my experience with it:

I have a close friend who in 2000 bought 50 acres with a residence on it. He worked hard every day and improved it greatly. Around 2008 the politics starting changing dramatically and we formed a small group to meet at his “compound” for meetings. As time went on and the world was changing rapidly I contributed greatly to this in supplies and monetarily.

My friend became ill and was too weak physically to maintain the property and he had to sell it. I removed what supplies I could find that I knew were mine but left some things.

My take on forming a group is to know your neighbors and be friendly but discuss nothing with them.

I learned that I should prepare for myself and my family. I now stock up on what a few of us will need in hard times and am not depending on anyone to help out. I have doubled up and even tripled up on some items. I have my own shooting range and my neighbors know ‘the guy at the end of the road shoots a lot and has lots of guns.’ Or do they say: ‘The guy down the road has lots of guns, stay away from him, don’t mess around his property.’ ”

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And, lastly: James Woods Takes A Stand For The 2nd Amendment – ‘Makes More Sense Than Anything On Earth’.

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