Economics & Investing For Preppers

This is a special edition of my thrice-weekly column.  Many global markets have been closed for the past two days. With the December 31st deadline for making tax-deductible charitable contributions looming, today I’m listing some charities that I consider worthy and truly deserving. Be advised that many large charitable organizations have high overhead, bloated staffs, and spend up to 30% of their proceeds on advertising, in the quest for even more money. Do not support those!  Instead, send your donations to organizations with low overhead costs, and no over-paid staff and management. That is a responsible and God-honoring way to …




JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on documentary films and books about National Parks in the American Redoubt. (See the Books and Movies sections.) Books (National Parks in the American Redoubt): All National Parks, including those in the Redoubt were closed, under the Federal Government shut-down. Here, I should mention that the whole concept of “closing” the Grand Tetons is ludicrous. It would take an awfully large curtain to close off that view! Here are some fine books about National Parks inside the Redoubt …







A Manifoldly Unconstitutional Bill

I have a legislative alert for SurvivalBlog readers: H.R. 7115, the “3D Firearms Prohibitions Act” is on its face perhaps one of the most unconstitutional laws ever written. It is sponsored by Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., Democrat, of New Jersey. It will most likely be reintroduced in the 116th Congress. This proposed law, introduced on November 2, 2018, is purported to ban 3D printed guns. But it is actually about milling (subtractive) technology rather than 3D printing (additive) technology. I have news for Mr. Pallone: All guns are “3D”, once they are off the drawing board! Pallone’s bill goes far …




SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on a proposed Year-Round Daylight Savings Time for Wyoming. (See the Wyoming section.) Region-Wide You may have missed this CBC News report from two years back:  American Redoubt o o o Spokane developer Ron Wells accused of insurance fraud   Idaho Investigation of trooper involved shooting is still going o o o Weapons at school. Livestreaming arrests. These …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The birches, waving in the wind, looked as full of life as in summer and as wondrously beautiful. Where the sun shone, everything glittered and sparkled as if diamond dust had been strewn about; and the snowy carpet of the earth seemed covered with diamonds from which gleamed countless lights, whiter even than the snow itself.” – Hans Christian Andersen, The Snowman




Economics & Investing For Preppers

Today’s photo is from the Netherlands Archives, titled “Kerstviering Mijnwerkers in Zoutmijn” — Mineworkers in a salt mine, celebrating Christmas. It looks like those candles are sitting atop drilled salt pillars. With most of the world’s markets, businesses, miners, and manufacturers taking a Christmas holiday today, I will forego my usual economics ramblings. I’m just posting three links to “must read” articles on the tumbling stock market: Top Trump official calls bankers, will convene ‘Plunge Protection Team’ and, What if the Dow fell another 4,000-plus points — would you be prepared? and, How Bad Was Last Week In Historical Context? …







Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, 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 the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready! …




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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on investing in WWII vintage jeeps.  (See the Tangibles Investing section.)   Precious Metals: Todd ‘Bubba’ Horwitz: Silver To Climb To $20, Outperform Gold In 2019 o o o A headline from Wednesday:  Gold Pushes To Five-Month High As U.S. Dollar Index Hits Daily Low …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

There was a time when all these things would have passed me by, like the flitting figures of a theatre, sufficient for the amusement of an hour. But now, I have lost the power of looking merely on the surface. Everything seems to me to come from the Infinite, to be filled with the Infinite, to be tending toward the Infinite. Do I see crowds of men hastening to extinguish a fire? I see not merely uncouth garbs, and fantastic, flickering lights, of lurid hue, like a trampling troop of gnomes—but straightway my mind is filled with thoughts about mutual …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Some of you young folks been saying to me, ‘Hey Pops, what you mean what a wonderful world? How about all them wars all over the place? You call them wonderful? And how about hunger and pollution? They ain’t so wonderful either.’ But how about listening to old Pops for a minute. It seems to me it ain’t the world that’s so bad, but what we’re doing to it, and all I’m saying is see what a wonderful world it would be if only we’d give it a chance. Love, baby, love. That’s the secret. Yeah. If lots more of …




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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on the FOMC meeting. (See the Stocks section.) Precious Metals: Signals Show Great Upside For Gold In 2019 – Bloomberg Intelligence o o o Clive Maund: Gold Price Market Update o o o Second Chances: Silver To Finally Shine In 2019 Stocks (FOMC Meeting) All …




JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on food dehydrators. (See the Books and Gear sections.) Books (Dehydrators): The Beginner’s Guide to Dehydrating Food, 2nd Edition: How to Preserve All Your Favorite Vegetables, Fruits, Meats, and Herbs o  o  o The Complete Dog Breed Book: Choose the Perfect Dog for You o  o  o The Making of the Atomic Bomb   Movies: On DVD and also now available via Amazon Prime: Exodus o  o  o The Bridge On The River Kwai o  o  o An …