Year: 2016

Odds ‘n Sods:

One of our regular content contributors (one of my consulting clients) sent this at least partial confirmation that Trump’s CIA Director designee is one of the Good Guys. I’m praying that DJT appoints a LOT of Good Guys– godly, freedom loving, Constitutionalists who all have their eyes on the big picture. Pray hard! – JWR o o o Internet censorship has arrived! A professor has made a list of websites she says publish ‘fake’ or ‘misleading’ news. (And this list is already being used to de-monetize sites and push their rankings down in search engines.) o o o There has …



Notes for Saturday – November 19, 2016

In an unprecedented move, Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat traveled to Jerusalem on November 19th, 1977, to seek a permanent peace settlement with Israel after decades of conflict. Despite heavy criticism from Egypt’s regional allies, Sadat continued, eventually reaching a peace agreement with Israel at the Camp David accords in Maryland. While Sadat and Begin were jointly awarded the 1978 Nobel Peace prize for their efforts, the peace accord was not admired by the Arabs, eventually leading to Sadat’s assassination. Despite this, the Egyptian-Israeli peace continues today.


Letter Re: What are Your Thoughts on Required AR Registration in California?

Gentlemen, I live in California. After 12/31/2016, no California resident may purchase an “Assault Weapon” (AR-15, AK, et cetera). Those who own them on that date may keep them, but we must register them on the California Department of Justice website by 12/31/2017. I am trying to decide whether to register or dispose of such weapons and buy something like a Mini-14, which is not considered to be an “Assault Weapon’ by the state. If I own such weapons, I will register them. Others may choose a different course, but I would not. I am planning to become a resident …


Economics and Investing:

Gold Forecast: What Now For Future Gold Price? o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: National Debt is growing Faster Than You Think Yellen Says Interest Rate Hike Could Come ‘Relatively Soon’ – Let’s get real, the Fed said it would raise rates 4 times this year, so far it has yet to do so. They have no choice but to raise rates given the super high expectation to do so.. Do we have the same effect as last year or does the current “Trump Effect” stem that movement. I don’t yet see any fundamentals that change that but this …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Sometimes graphics say more than words: The Two Americas of 2016 JWR’s Comment: Now overlay the map of The American Redoubt. Hmmmm… o o o And here is a different way of looking at the same demographics: The Divide Between Red and Blue America Grew Even Deeper in 2016 o o o Shooting enthusiasts might find this place in Kentucky of interest: Small lots in a “2nd Amendment” community alongside a complete shooting complex. This is just one of more than 250 current property listings at SurvivalRealty.com. (Which is owned and operated by my #1 Son.) – JWR o o …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: …


Notes for Friday – November 18, 2016

On this day in 1978, Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones led hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in a remote part of the South American nation of Guyana. This incredibly tragic occurrence introduce the term “…drink the Kool-Aid” into our parlance, since poison-laced punch was the vehicle behind most of the deaths. This serves as a stark warning and reminder to those in the prepping/survivalist community who would join with like-minded friends under the leadership of a charismatic leader. Always know who you are following! o o o Today, we present another entry for …


Making The Move To The Michigan Wilderness As A Corrections Officer, by M.M.

My wife and I are originally from the northeastern U.S. Our particular area, which had consisted primarily of farmland and small towns while we were growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, increased in population by about 20% between the years 2000 and 2010. The region had become noticeably over-developed, with many corn fields and woods being sacrificed for housing developments and strip malls, and it had become busy to the point that driving during daytime hours involved more waiting in line than actual driving. We like to experience the serenity of the outdoors, and I have always been a …


Letter Re: Easy Fire Starting

HJL: Once upon a time after the passing of my father, I told my wife I needed to go on a hike. Being the good woman she is, I went with her blessing. I loaded up early in March and went to a park near Silva, North Carolina, near a place known as Stone Pile Gap. I was drawn to the site because of that name and my fascination with the ancient custom of first building a cairn in the memory of a loved one and subsequently for travelers to add a stone and say a prayer. That people have …


Economics and Investing:

A major danger of paper money: Rupees cancelled– DSV o o o Saudis, China Dump Treasuries; Foreign Central Banks Liquidate A Record $375 Billion In US Paper – G.G. o o o The US Dollar Index just hit its highest point since 2003. This might be a good time to diversify into some select foreign currencies. My current favorite is the Swiss Franc, which just hit parity with the US Dollar. – JWR o o o SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.


Odds ‘n Sods:

700 million smartphones sending data to China – DSV o o o American expatriations near 4th annual record – G.G. o o o City of Baltimore, Approves Plan to Ban TOY Guns – T.P. o o o Edward Snowden Warns Against Relying On Facebook For News. (Ironically, this article appears in Yahoo News—which is part of the problem.) o o o A JWR interview on how to survive a nuclear war is now available at the Self Made Man podcast.


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’ “No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” – The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


Notes for Thursday – November 17, 2016

On this day in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were submitted to the states for ratification. They differed from the Constitution in that they emphasized the primacy of the states. This brings to mind the dangers of convening a Constitutional Convention, because the last time this happened the Articles of Confederation were thrown out and totally replaced by the Constitution. Do you honestly believe that our politicians today could craft a document that so thoroughly protects the rights of the individual as they did then? o o o Ready Made Resources has some really great Emergency Life Saving Armor that …


Five Acres and Independence- Part 2, by D.C.

Get By With Little and Barter We slept on the floor on blankets for two years, used a Coleman camp stove to cook on, bought a $25 used fridge and a $50 yard sale clothes washer, dried our clothes on a line, traded a .22 pistol for a freezer, and hand dug and turned in a new garden with pitchforks. We have put many deer in the freezer that were taken off our land every year with no cost of a hunting license. We can everything possible from the garden. We stopped getting sick, because our food is simple and …