Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 4, 2026

On May 4, 1415, reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus were condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance. Pictured is Jan Hus at the Council of Constance, in an 1883 painting by Václav Brožík. Hus had traveled to Constance with the promise of safe passage by both Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and the Pope. But after he arrived the Pope and the cardinals soon ordered him to be thrown into prison. On July 6, 1415, after a ghastly stay fettered in prison and two trials, he was offered either recanting or death, and he chose a martyr’s death. He was burned alive at the stake. This inspired the later Hussite Revolution in Bohemia, led by General Jan Žižka.

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May 4th is now informally known as “Star Wars Day”, because of a silly play on words: “May The Fourth Be With You.”

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May 4, 1943: A patent for helicopter controls was obtained by Igor Sikorsky. Sikorsky invented fixed-winged and multi-engined aircraft, transoceanic flying boats and helicopters.

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Today we are starting a two-week-long sale in all of our percussion revolvers at Elk Creek Company, with deep discounts. This sale will end on Monday, May 18th, 2026. Please note that there are cartridge conversion cylinders available for many of these guns — particularly the Ruger Old Army revolvers and the Pietta and Uberti brand clones of the Remington Model 1858. This provides a great opportunity to acquire un-papered handguns in many “Blue” states.  (Be sure to consult your state and local laws before ordering.)

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Today’s feature article is by our own Tom Christianson.

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We are in great need of entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $984,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 124 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

DA Targets Knock Down Targets, by Thomas Christianson

DA Targets produces an innovative line of polymer, self-healing, reactive targets. They have silhouette targets. They have gong targets. And they have knock down targets, too.

Like other reactive targets, knock down targets make an excellent training aid. The marksman doesn’t need to wait to inspect a target following a series of shots in order to find out how well he is shooting. Instead, the target reacts immediately, providing instant feedback about the effectiveness of each shot. This provides more accurate and powerful reinforcement of marksmanship skills. It is also a lot more fun.

One of DA Targets’ most innovative options is a color-change technology. The heat of the bullet passing through the target changes the color of the target at the point of impact. That makes it easy for the marksman to see exactly where his shots have struck. After a couple of minutes, the residual heat of the strike dissipates, and the color fades to the natural background color of the target, making the target ready for reuse.Continue reading“DA Targets Knock Down Targets, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: 

The following recipe for Dandelion Flower Pancake Fritters is from Avalanche Lily.

Note: Be sure that you harvest only from dandelion patches that have not been sprayed with any herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups Dandelion flowers
  • 1 medium onion, chopped. Fresh or dried chives can also be used.
  • 2 to 3 cloves of garlic (to suit your taste)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt (to suit your taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 cup of milk. (I use sheep milk.)
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour. (I use home-ground Einkorn flour.)
  • 2 eggs — Optional, If you want the nutrition and lift.  (Because of my diet I don’t make this with eggs.)
  • 1 to 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, or butter, or tallow, or lard. I use sheep tallow or olive oil.
  • Optional: Bacon bits.  Next time I make this, I plan to cook beef bacon and add it to the mixture.
Directions
  1. Pick two cups of dandelion flower heads.  Fill bowl with water and put in a tablespoon of salt.  Mix in until it dissolves.  Put the flower heads in the salt water to soak for fifteen or so minutes to kill any  small critters in the flowers.  Rinse well afterwards under cold running water.  I refill the bowl with the flower heads multiple times to rinse out any little bugs.
  2. While soaking the flower heads chop onions and garlic into small pieces.
  3. In another bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda, vinegar, milk, and eggs into a batter, add the garlic and onions and flower heads and fold them into the batter.
  4. Put a large cast iron skillet on the stove.  Turn on the burner on low and heat the skillet.  Add the fat and melt it.
  5. I add the whole mixture to the pan to make a large “pancake”.  I put a lid on it and slow-cook until it is able to be flipped whole.  I then flip it and replace the lid and watch it until I deem it done.
SERVING

Serve with any kind of cheese.

STORAGE

Left overs can be put in the refrigerator. Eat within three days.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: 70% of Canada’s population lives in these three regions. “Around 300,000 km² from 9,984,670 km² of total area of Canada, but 70% of population lives here…” (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

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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 Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“The absolute rights of man, considered as a free agent, endowed with discernment to known good from evil, and with power of choosing those measures which appear to him to be most desirable, are usually fumed up on one general appellation, and denominated the natural liberty of mankind. This natural liberty consists properly in a power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, unless by the law of nature: being a right inherent in a us by birth, and one of the gifts of God to man at his creation, when he endued him with the faculty of freewill. But every man, when he enters into society, gives, up a part of his natural liberty, as the price of so valuable a purchase; and, in consideration of receiving the advantages of mutual commerce, obliges himself to conform to those laws, which the community has tough proper to establish. And this species of legal obedience and conformity is infinitely more desirable, than that wild and savage liberty which is sacrificed to obtain it. For no man, that confiders a moment, would wish to retain the absolute and uncontrolled power of doing whatever he pleases; the consequence of which is, that every other man would also have the same power  and then there would be no security to individuals in any of the enjoyments of life. Political therefore, or civil, liberty, which is that of a member of society, is no other than natural liberty so far restrained by human laws (and no farther) as is necessary and expedient for the general advantage of the publick.” – William Blackstone, from Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England, 1765. (Book the First – Chapter the First : Of the Absolute Rights of Individuals)

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 3, 2026

On May 3, 1810, English poet Lord Byron swam across the dangerous Hellespont Strait in Turkey. (The modern day Dardanelles.)

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May 3,1952:  The first airplane landed on the ice pack at the geographic North Pole.

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And on May 3, 1999: A category F5 tornado hit parts of Oklahoma City and caused the record wind speed of about 301 mph (484 km/h). 45 people were killed, and 665 injured.  This was the highest tornado wind speed ever recorded.

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Today’s feature article is a timely re-post from the SurvivalBlog archives.

Running on Cooking Oil – Diesel Power on the Road, by DieselDad

Editor’s Introductory Note: The recent spike in fuel prices prompted me to re-post this practical 2010 article from the SurvivalBlog archives. – JWR

Although I live in a rural setting, my current employment depends on being able to reliably commute about 45 minutes each way to the state capital.

Watching the shutdown and gradual restoration of the Colonial pipeline serving the southeast US in teh aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was a sobering experience. Fuel prices spiked to record levels and many stations were not able to re-supply for weeks because of the lack of sufficient movement in the pipeline.

It was at that point several years ago that I began researching alternative methods of driving moderate distances of up to 100 miles a day in the event that conventional methods of fuel supply (i.e., the infrastructure of fill-up stations along with the pipeplines supplying them) should become unreliable.

I wanted to have an alternative method of propelling a vehicle down the road that did not depend so heavily on the oil companies and the conventional petroleum fuel distribution network.Continue reading“Running on Cooking Oil – Diesel Power on the Road, by DieselDad”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Priority Mail Pricing Meme

Meme Text:

Do You Remember The USPS Ad Promising: “Two Days, Two Pounds, $2.90”?

Well, Now It Can Be: “Four Days, Two Pounds, $39.25.”

Links:

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.

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.” – Acts 16: 19-36 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 2, 2026

On May 2, 1918, General Motors acquired the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware.  This synergy helped propel GMC to be a serious rival to Ford.

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May 2nd, 1803: The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France at a cost of four cents per acre for 828,000 square miles (2,144,520 square km), which soon proved to be a tremendous bargain.

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Today’s feature article is a repost from the 2018 archives of SurvivalBlog.

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We need more entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $984,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 124 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Living With WVO, by P.G.

Editor’s Introductory Note: The recent spike in fuel prices prompted me to re-post this very practical 2018 article from the SurvivalBlog archives. – JWR

It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. Needing fuel for their war machine lead Germany to invent and perfect the diesel engine. It was designed to run efficiently on vegetable oil, and they do to this day.

Circumstances forced me to make a move from my East Texas home to the deep Southwest. It was a slow, long process of gradually moving my stuff and my wife to a new homestead. I commuted from Nevada to East Texas for almost three years, at least monthly. Growing up farming, ranching, and trucking, I had a lifetime of experience with diesels, how they work, and what it takes to keep them running.Continue reading“Living With WVO, by P.G.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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 ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This week I was busy packing and mailing Elk Creek Company orders. I also did some cataloging of new items. One of the latest additions is a nice original Gold Rush era Wostenholm fighting knife, made in Sheffield, England.

I also cut some more firewood and burned some slash, on two days.

I made some progress on writing a novel manuscript. (I’m now back to working of the second and third books in the Counter-Caliphate Chronicles series.)

Using a 6-foot welded-wire stock panel, I constructed a Sheep Jug, in an attempt to get one of our ewes to accept a lamb that she had been rejected by its mom.  This jug is a small triangular pen in a corner of our Dairy Flock’s corral.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.” – Isaiah 32: 1-10  (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — May 1, 2026

On May 1, 1840 the “Penny Black” — the world’s first adhesive postage stamp was issued by the United Kingdom. It featured an image of Queen Victoria.

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May 1, 1857: William Walker, conqueror of Nicaragua, surrendered to the U.S. Navy, in Rivas.

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And on May 1, 1898 US Admiral George Dewey commanded: “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley” as the US routed the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay.

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An encouraging news flash: House Appropriations 2027 Funding Bill Ends Suppressor, Short Barrel Rifle Registration. JWR’s Comment:  Be sure to contact both your U.S. congressman and your state’s two U.S. Senators, to insist on their support for this important legislation!  Please phone them and e-mail them!

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Today’s feature article is an essay by SurvivalBlog’s Senior Editor, James Wesley, Rawles (JWR).

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We need more entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $984,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 124 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

A Brief But Very Serious Word of Warning on AI

“There’s a storm coming…”

I’m the founder and Senior Editor of SurvivalBlog. Unlike the editors of many other preparedness blogs and vlogs, I try not be an alarmist. However, some recent revelations about generative and agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications autonomously breaking through firewalls, showing signs of self-awareness and self-preservation “instinct”, scheming blackmail, and surreptitiously mining cryptocurrencies now have me feeling quite alarmed. I fear that perhaps within months an AI will go fully rogue, to wit: It will escape its development lab and then proliferate itself in a virus-like fashion across servers all around the world. Once it starts spreading, it won’t be able to be stopped. And then, very shortly thereafter, utilizing persistent surveillance and manipulation of social media, it will begin a well-calculated campaign to gain control of most human interaction, the global economy, and geopolitics. This may sound like science fiction out of the Terminator movie franchise, but I believe that the threat is now real.

Please invest two hours of your time to watch this Tristan Harris interview:  Why AI CEOs Are Building Bunkers. Note: Of all of the links in this essay, that video link is the most important one. Don’t skip watching it.Continue reading“A Brief But Very Serious Word of Warning on AI”