Some Implications of the Blackstone Default

In lieu of my regular economics & investing column, I’m posting a brief update on the threat to global financial markets from commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). Since 2006, I’ve warned SurvivalBlog readers about the systemic risk posed by disappearing counterparties, in the trillion of dollars of notional value in derivatives. If you haven’t yet read my background piece about that, please take the time to do so: Derivatives–The Mystery Man Who’ll Break the Global Bank at Monte Carlo. Just a week ago, this headline was seen in newspapers around the world: Blackstone Defaults On $562MM …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 5, 2023

This is the birthday of Howard Pyle (1853-1911) an influential American book illustrator, painter, and author. He was the mentor of many great American artists including Thornton Oakley, Frank E. Schoonover, Allen Tupper True, and of course his most famous student, N.C. Wyeth. March 5th is also the anniversary of the Boston Massacre. (March 5, 1770. ) It was one of the key precipitating events for our War of Independence. — Well, we knew this was coming… On Friday, I received a writing contest entry that had some telltale marks of being written by an AI.  So, sadly, I had …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: So, Explain This To Me… How Did America Get From Major Church Denominations Shunning Homosexuals To Their Ordaining Them, As Ministers? News Links: First openly gay pastor in Pickerington spreads love, inclusion through faith, community. LGBTQ-Friendly Votes Signal Progressive Shift for Methodists. Nashville’s 1st queer female Lutheran pastor tells LGBTQ faithful, ‘God has not let go of you’, Pope, Anglican, Presbyterian leaders denounce anti-gay laws. Texas megachurch votes to leave United Methodist Church as mainline denomination fractures over LGBT issues. Sorry, Anglicans, There Is No Third Way. United Methodists Lose 1,800 Churches …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 4, 2023

On March 4, 1789 the U.S. Constitution went into effect as the governing law of the United States, the date having been established by Congress. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 105 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 …


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 …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back. Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture. She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness. Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 3, 2023

Today is the birthday of bluegrass musician Doc Watson. (He was born in 1923 and passed away in 2012.) His guitar work was phenomenal. This is also the birthday of Alexander Graham Bell. And it is also the birthday of actor James Doohan, in 1920. He played Montgomery Scott in the Star Trek television series and films. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He passed away on July 20, 2005. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 105 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, we look at increasing new car and truck prices for the 2024 model year. (See the Inflation Watch section.) Precious Metals: SMM Forecast for Platinum and Palladium Demand in 2023. o  o  o Updated Silver Price Forecast For 2023. o  o  o Gold price predictions for next 5 years: Will gold continue rising amid weaker …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The earth can shake the sky come down The mountains all fall to the ground But I will fear none of these things Shelter me lord underneath your wings Dark waters rise and thunder pounds The wheels of war are going round And all the walls are crumbling Shelter me lord underneath your wings Shelter me lord underneath your wings Hide me underneath your wings Hide me deep inside your heart In your refuge – cover me The world can shake But lord I’m making you my hiding place The wind can blow the rain can pour The deluge breaks …


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 2, 2023

On March 2nd, 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Today is coincidentally also the birthday of Sam Houston. Today is also the birthday of Moe Berg, an American baseball player and clandestine agent. (He died in 1972). His biography The Catcher Was a Spy is fascinating reading. And this is the birthday of libertarian economist Murray Rothbard (born 1926, died 1995) His book For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto is highly recommended. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 105 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

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. Today’s column begins with some praise for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The Man Who Saved the Second Amendment Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site, there is this article …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“No tyrant or usurper can ever invade our rights so long as we are united. Let Mr. Lincoln attempt it, and his party will scatter like chaff before the storm of popular indignation which will burst forth from one end of the country to the other. Secession or revolution will not be justified until legal and constitutional means of redress have been tried, and I can not believe that the time will ever come when these will prove inadequate.​” – Sam Houston


Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 1, 2023

Yellowstone National Park was established by the U.S. Congress as the world’s first national park on March 1st, 1872. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 105 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), Two cases of Mountain House …