SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we look at some “interesting” U.S. military deployments. Alaska Troops Deploy to Remote Shemya Island Alaska troops deploy to remote Shemya Island, less than 300 miles from Russia. JWR’s … The post The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

I would like to begin my topic by examining two concepts. I feel both ideas illustrate the hearts and souls of many men and women within today’s prepper and survivalist communities. The first one is an analogy. Its origins have most been often attributed to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Lt. Col. Grossman’s premise was that all people can be placed into one of three groups; “sheep, sheepdogs, or wolves.” The second, frequently attributed as being the words and wisdom of Edmond Burke during the French Revolution. Over the years I have heard this in several variations, but it goes something … The post Prepper Group Training: Indigenous Guerrilla Teams – Part 1, by Bulldog appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

September 26, 1655, at the height of the Great Plague of London, 7,165 people died throughout the previous week.  The familiar cry in the street was “Bring Out Your Dead”, as the death carts circulated though the city. On September 26, 1396, Ottoman Sultan Bajezid I ordered the beheading hundreds of Crusaders after the Battle of Nicopolis. And on September 26, 1908 an ad for the Edison Phonograph first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First … The post Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 26, 2024 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

It's time for your daily dose of existential dread.

It might seem like a very modern concept to label contacts like “Richard Chiropractor” or “Sarah Pilates,” but as one self proclaimed etymology nerd explains it, this way of naming people is actually a time honored tradition for western languages. Adam Aleksic, a 23-year-old linguist and content creator from New York City, broke down exactly how western surnames were created using this very method. “Before the 12th century, everybody just had first names,” Aleksic began. But as England’s population began expanding, more record keeping was needed. This introduced four different types of surnames—occupational, toponymic, adjectival, and relationship descriptor. An occupational surname categorizes a person by their profession, much like today you might save someone as “A.J. Plumber” or “Leo Finance” in your phone, Aleksic explained. See on Instagram Toponymic surnames, on the other hand, are linked to the place a person is from or where you met them. Aleksic used "Joanna Math Class" or "Raina Minnesota” as examples. Then there are the adjectival surnames, referring to a characteristic or behavior. Aleksic’s examples included "Dylan DO NOT ANSWER" and "Steph (stoner)." “Imagine ur last name is ‘do not answer’ lol” quipped one viewer. Finally, there’s relationship descriptor names, which Aleksic said represent someone’s personal connection to another person—think "Johnson," meaning "John's son." This might be the most common way we categorize our contacts today, with an additional layer. "Ina Bestie" or "Sam Tinder," for instance, both reveal our own unique connection to this person. So all this to say—this new thing really isn’t all that new. And that’s a major reason why Aleksic makes videos about linguistic fun facts in the first place. In an interview with Buzzfeed, he said, "A common theme in my research and videos is that we're constantly playing out old linguistic patterns in a new medium. I find that comforting because it means you don't have to be alarmed by language change. Rather, you can be aware of how language holds power and then use it wisely." On his account, you can find all kinds of fascinating language and/or history tidbits—from how certain colors got their names to dissecting Gen Z slang terms to breaking down how fonts hit differently. If you’re looking for fun an educational scroll give Aleksic a follow here.

Some dads can feel like super heroes to kids. When you're little you spend your whole life literally looking up to them. They're the strongest, smartest person you know at your tender age. It feels like it takes no effort at all for them to turn your excited body into an airplane rocketing through the sky, they always seem to have the answers to all of your questions and protect you when you're scared. Simply stated, dads can seem otherworldly to their children.It's very rare that adults see dads of small children in the same light that their children do. But recently a dad watching his son's soccer game turned into a real life super hero to everyone that witnessed this incredible moment. Sure, watching a soccer game doesn't seem like much but Torbjörn Svensson has a rare condition called Usher's syndrome that has caused him to lose his hearing and sight.This doesn't stop him from showing up for his son in the most typical dad ways, like watching his son play in a soccer game.You may be wondering how on earth someone who is blind and deaf can "watch" his child play soccer, and the answer may surprise you. Svensson is able to "see" his son play with the help of his interpreter who uses haptic sign language. This is different from traditional sign language which is seen with the eye to interpret the meanings of the signs. According to Science Direct, "Haptic signs are conventional signals produced on a deafblind person's body providing contextualizing information about the environment where the interaction is taking place. soccer fail GIF Giphy Svensson uploaded a video to his Instagram account, which received over 2.2 million views. The video shows the proud dad looking down the soccer field as children run back and forth with the ball. But what makes this video different is Svensson has an interpreter behind him looking to be tapping him on his back at first but viewers quickly realize she's communicating in sign language. At one point the unnamed woman signals him to clap, which allows him to celebrate with the other excited spectators.In front of the man you can see a white stick on the ground, which Svensson reveals in his caption that was translated from Swedish to English, that the stick is his white cane, a mobility device that blind people use to navigate the world around them. Working Sign Language GIF by Sign with Robert Giphy "Little fun detail: In front of my feet in the grass, my white stick lies across. The reason for that is that we have found that I move a little bit forward all the time when we use the signals. So when I start stomping on my stick, I know that it's time to start backing a little again. Otherwise, it will be pretty funny if the interpretation causes me to end up in the middle of the field during the game," Svensson shares.The lecturer and dad explains that being able to participate in spectating at his son, Hugo's matches means a lot to him saying, "For me, being able to participate in Hugo's matches is priceless. Because I enjoy when I am there and get to proudly cheer on my son, and above all - Hugo has his dad in place and can share this experience. So participation is everything." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Torbjörn Svensson (@att_leva_med_rp)The video has people cheering on the dad's willingness to be involved with his child's sports even though he can't see the matches in a traditional way. Svensson says that it's important for him to continue to fight for his accommodations so he can continue to show up for Hugo. The dad wanted to show what the services looked like so he had the interaction filmed, writing in the caption. "Wanted to get filmed today when Hugo's team (Höganäs BK) met the Klippan at Åbyvallen, and show how well it works when everything flaps. Those are social haptic signals the interpreter uses and shows on my back how the whole game is going on." Champions League Football GIF by UEFA Giphy While his son's team ultimately lost the game, everyone got to witness a dad putting on his cape to show up for his kid with someone writing, "At first I thought this was some kind of cool massage but then i realized she was detailing the entire game and placement of their child I love it! Every moment of it. This technique is BEAUTIFUL."Another person can't get over how Svensson is following the game, "The fact his head moved to face the action is amazing! Great hand movements.""Thank you for sharing and educating, this is incredibly important and concrete how we can engage people despite disabilities if only the right resources are given," someone writes. Fathers Day Hug GIF by Disney Giphy "This man had all the excuses to not show up but he’s still out here supporting his son during his game. More able-bodied people have given less attention to their children," one person remarks.Just goes to show that showing up for your kids is one of the best gifts you can give them and surely Svensson will make sure he's at every game and activity humanly possible.

Finding love again after losing a long-time partner isn't always easy. Being widowed comes with complicated emotions—sadness, worry, guilt, grief—and it can be hard to imagine ever falling in love again when you're in the middle of processing all of those feelings.But sometimes loves comes along when we least expect it, which is how Michelle and Scott Ellermets ended up in a wildly viral moment.Wedding photographer Chelsea Schaefer shared a compilation of photos and video from the Ellermets' beach wedding that took place on September 7, 2024 and it's been viewed by millions. A beautiful story of love after loss"After both unexpectedly losing their spouses of 20+ years, they met in their local grief group," the video begins. "They fell in love." Schaefer explained that it rained the whole day of the wedding, but just minutes before the ceremony began, the sun came out and a double rainbow appeared. Watch: @chelseaschaefer24 I will never get over this day ?? The couple's story is as sweet as two people who've lost their life partners can be. Michelle had been married to her husband Jonathan for more than 23 years when he died unexpectedly of a heart attack in January of 2023. Scott was married to his wife Lisa for 29 years, but she passed away following an illness in June of the same year. Michelle and Scott both joined a support group for grieving spouses in the Washington D.C. area. "I joined Facebook in early December and a [local] widows [and] widowers website," Scott told Good Morning America. "And when I got on it, I saw that somebody was Facebook friends with my sister. It happened to be Michelle." He decided to send her a message and they hit it off right away.They were just supportive friends at first. In fact, Michelle even told him that she wouldn't ever marry again. But love had other plans. The Ellermets and their loved ones at their weddingPhotos courtesy of Chelsea Schaefer PhotographyFriendship grew into another chance at love"Our friendship, just at some point along the way, became more than that -- and we fell in love," Michelle told GMA. One thing that mutual loss had taught them was that time isn't promised, so they didn't hesitate when they knew they wanted to get married. "At our age, when you know, why not?" said Michelle. We don't want to waste any time. You can't take your days for granted."The double rainbow that greeted them at the end of their ceremony felt like "icing on the cake' and "a blessing from God" said Scott. Many of the millions who have watched the video agree, saying they see the double rainbow as a sign from their lost loved ones."Their late spouses gave them their blessings...love it""They approve & probably played a part in bringing you together from the other side. ????""You can't tell me the two rainbows aren't their late partners supporting them ❤️""The double rainbow gave me immediate goosebumps ??❤️❤️""If that’s not a sign I don’t know what is! God bless their marriage.""Both late spouses sending their blessings!!! How beautiful!! I wish you both all the happiness!! ❤️??""There is no clearer sign than a double rainbow when widowers find solace and love in each other. Both of their dearly departed loved ones wanted them to find happiness, and they’re just so happy that they have each other to lean on ♥️✨""When I remarried a widower, as a widow myself, there was a beautiful soft snow that fell for about one minute at the reception. It was so beautiful. And we believe it was a sign from our beloved spouses." The double rainbow felt like a blessing, the couple said.Photos courtesy of Chelsea Schaefer PhotographyThe story is giving other widowed people hopeOthers who have lost partners said they found hope in the story. "? Goosebumps here. I'm a widow and I find the rainbows so romantic. Their late partners showed out in the cutest way.""I need this in my life. I lost my fiancé unexpectedly in 2022 and I want to fall in love again. I hope to find him one day again.""This is so beautiful! I’m finding there are no such things as coincidences — this was absolutely the late spouses giving their blessing. I lost my husband to brain cancer 7 months ago and cannot imagine dating, especially while still raising our two young kids. But this still gives me hope. ?""This made me cry. I lost my husband and this give me hope. Thank you for sharing!! Wishing them all the happiness!!"Rainbows are a symbol of hope because, as the saying goes, you can't have a rainbow without the rain first. No one wants their beachside wedding ruined by rain, and this couple may have been disappointed by the weather early in the day, but there was something beautiful in store for them.

by Rob Pue, All News Pipeline: Sustainable.”  “Sustainability.”  A couple of the popular new buzz words Leftists love to use as they continue to shove their “Green New Deal” down the throats of hard-working Americans, struggling harder than ever to hold on to their sanity, pay their bills, keep a roof over their heads and food on […]

In Bangladesh, river flooding is a fact of life — and it creates islands of floodplain sediments known as chars. Around five percent of the country’s area consists of these transitional lands, which form on the banks of rivers due to flooding or a change in course of the rivers. Such lands on the banks of the three main rivers — Brahmaputra, Padma (the local name for the Ganges in Bangladesh) and the Meghna — are inhabited by poor, vulnerable communities who have been displaced from their homes and who desperately need a way to earn a livelihood. A farming technique known as sandbar cropping, which was developed in 2005, has been a boon to these displaced communities, providing them with a supplemental income. Recent research reveals that in 2014 to 2015, sandbar cultivation enabled the production of 10.31 metric tons of pumpkins per hectare of land previously considered useless. As of 2020, it was estimated that sandbar cropping was being used on 4,500 hectares. The post Scrappy Farmers in Bangladesh Are Growing Pumpkins in Sand appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that he no longer supports the Democratic Party and instead identifies as libertarian. Amid a Trump victory looking increasingly likely this November, Zuckerberg has decided to distance himself from [...] The post Zuckerberg Announces He No Longer Supports Democrats As Trump Victory Looms appeared first on The People's Voice.