Notes for Thursday – July 07, 2016

July 7th, 1907 was the birthday of novelist Robert A. Heinlein.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 65 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 65 ends on July 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.

Prepping and Moving, by S.F.

As many of you probably did, we started prepping before we really thought about moving. In the process we procured a lot of provisions that we felt would serve us well in some sort of catastrophe. It’s certainly true that skills are important but so too are food, medical supplies, guns, and a myriad of other necessities– necessities that take up space and are heavy, if not individually then certainly in aggregate.

A number of years back I came to the conclusion that God was leading me to serve as a pastor. A couple years passed before I was in a place to actively start pursuing this, and in January of 2013 I started seminary. By the following year, through a series of experiences, we decided it was time to start looking for a place to serve. Without any specific direction we concluded that if possible, we would look for a church to serve at in Alaska. We were honest with ourselves and understood that the move from a larger suburb in Colorado to a small town on the road network in Alaska would be about the biggest move we could make successfully. Our family was not prepared to move to an off the grid bush community. In the summer of 2014 we were invited to preach and subsequently offered a position at a small church in Alaska. And then the fun started.

We had two primary considerations or restraints that needed to be resolved in order to effect our move. First, we had to sell our home, and second we had to figure out the work situation. The second dragged out for almost nine months, but God intervened at the right moment to provide the kind of work I needed. The first went more rapidly, but this was not necessarily a good thing. After we listed our home, it took about two months to actually sign a deal to sell the home; the challenge with this was that the new owners wanted to move in within six weeks during half of which time my wife and kids would be gone on a family visit. While we had purged a lot of our stuff in this short period of time (particularly books), we could have done a lot better in paring down our things and only taking what was necessary if we had had more time. As a result we ended up having to rent two storage units for about seven months, while we waited for the job to align. Relationally, it also put a lot of stress on the family, which we really didn’t need. If at all possible when moving, give yourself time to think through the various aspects of the move and start purging before you are ready to actually move.

As alluded to above, we moved in phases. After we sold our house, it was another seven months before we actually left Colorado for Alaska. When it was finally time to leave, we were confronted with the issue of how to move our remaining goods. We had sold most of our furniture, so what remained was pretty concentrated. While we were given a generous allowance from the church, it was not nearly enough to cover the normal costs of a commercial move, which would have been around $15k to $20k, so we opted for a two pronged approach. We would load as much as we could in a you-pack ABF trailer (PODS are not available for a move to Alaska but would be a great way to go in the lower 48) and packed the rest of our stuff in a 12-foot, enclosed trailer to be pulled behind our Suburban. We bought the trailer in part because we would be able to sell it in AK for at least as much as we paid for it or could keep it to use later on.

ABF trailers rent/sell space by the linear foot with a minimum length (I think 13 feet at the time), which we knew we would fill (based on how much stuff was in our storage units). We then had to decided what was going ABF and what would go on the pull behind trailer. Our first two considerations were externally imposed. There were certain items, like firearms, ammunition, and liquids, that ABF would not move, and items like our handguns that we could not bring into Canada without a lot of red tape. We ended up having to ship our handguns but because we had less than 5,000 rounds of ammo, we could bring that on the pull behind trailer along with our long guns (no assault/black rifles). As for the rest, if we didn’t need it right away in Alaska and if it was heavy, it went on the ABF to ensure that the pull behind trailer was not too weighted down. On ABF packing day, we were blessed with a relative who had worked in the moving industry for a while and maximized the use of the ABF, leaving us with a pull behind trailer that was full but not overloaded.

The drive itself at the end of March was by in large uneventful. God blessed us with perfect weather and no breakdowns. We were prepared with extra tires and gas, but certainly if we had had a catastrophic failure on the AlCan we would have been in trouble at that time of year. We planned out our route to ensure that we always had a place to stay, never overreaching in a day’s drive, and broke the drive up a bit for our four kids. It was long but otherwise uneventful. For us, the border crossing in Montana was also uneventful. We arrived mid-afternoon and checked in on the U.S. side before heading to Canada. I had all my paperwork in order, particularly with regards to my long guns, and laid it all out for the agents. This facilitated our crossing on the Canadian side, which took about 10 minutes with only a cursory review of our documentation. But, while waiting on the U.S. side, there was a guy trying to cross who seemed to have a less than honest story he was trying to feed the agent. I’m not sure they ever let him cross.

When we arrived in Alaska one thing we had not procured was a place to stay. Ultimately, we had to live in vacation and other rental places for about a month until we found a permanent place. If at all possible, I would recommend having some sort of lodging in place before arriving at your new location. This caused a lot of stress for the family, again, was not what was needed. But here as well, God provided when we needed it with a great place to live.

Lessons Learned:

  1. Use a move as an opportunity to purge and update. Moving is a great time to take stock of what you have and what you need. This obviously is relevant to your preps but also to other things as well, particularly if your move is self-funded or partially self-funded and you don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend.
    1. Food stocks and other semi-perishables: If you’ve been prepping for a long time and have not been rotating, moving might be the time to get rid of old stocks and if possible re-buy on the other side (make sure of availability) so as not to incur the shipping cost.
    2. Tools and other equipment: Assuming you have access to tools and other accessories on the other side, it might make sense to leave or sell outdated or worn out tools at the place you are leaving and buy new at your final destination. My tools were by far the heaviest items.
    3. Home school and other resources: When we moved we had been home schooling for about eight years. This was a great opportunity (and excuse) to give rid of mountains of papers and other completed work that we no longer needed. As stated above, we also got rid of a lot of our furniture. In our case, we didn’t have anything that was worth moving and having cash in hand was a better way to go. Overall, look at everything you have and determine if it is really worth moving or even if an item will survive a move.
    4. What we could not sell on Craigslist we donated to Good Will with the added bonus of a little more in the donations column of our tax returns the following year.
  2. Calculate the costs. If you choose to sell an item and repurchase it later, is that really better than paying the moving costs? We determined that it was not worth trying to move a lot of old furniture, and we were able to sell most of our stuff and repurchase comparable items in Alaska. But, while Craigslist is a great place to buy and sell, most people are looking for killer deals. If you have nice/valuable stuff, you may not be able to sell it for what it’s worth and repurchase it for a similar price on the other end. You really need to think though if the cost of moving might be the more cost effective way to go with any particular item that you can’t do without long term.
  3. Unless you know the area you are moving to, renting may be the best option to give you time to look for the right place to live. When we arrived there were almost no homes for purchase, and those that were for sale did not meet our criteria. Renting, while not the most cost effective way to go, has worked out well for us and has given us time to think. It has also opened up the possibility of building, which means we could end up with a place that (within reason) meets our needs exactly. One of the true blessings is a land lord whom we have established a good relationship with. I’m sure a bad land lord could be a nightmare. Also, don’t forget insurance if you are moving out of a home you owned and trading it for a rental. (The same is true for covering your possessions during the move; a conversation with your insurance agent may be in order.)
  4. Books are heavy. If you are moving with multiple modes, maximize your allocation of goods between modes. As stated, we packed all the heavy stuff in the ABF to minimize the wear and tear on our pull behind trailer. Once you have reduced your load to exactly what you need, then parse it out between modes (assuming you are moving with multiple modes) as effectively as possible. Since ABF charged by the volume (linear foot), it got all the heavy stuff, which included most of our preps. We did not, however, ship any valuables, just in case there was an issue with security.
  5. If you have to cross the border (at least Canada) don’t mess with border guards; play it open and honest. I had read up on the regulations and understood exactly what I could and could not cross the border with. I had all my ammunition counted (to the round and caliber) and passports were up to date. We also had the vet’s clean bill of health for the dog. It is possible to cross the border with handguns and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition so long as you have the right paperwork (at least this was the case a year ago), but I would not even try it as it would start to raise questions. We did find that the Canadian guards in Montana were pretty understanding while professional. I had called one of the eastern border stations previously and they told me not to even bring my guns through Canada! I would recommend that if you are moving to Alaska cross over in one of the Redoubt states.
  6. Understand the differences between where you are moving from and where you are moving to.
    1. Types of heating and other utilities: In our case we moved from a place with full city utilities to a home that is supplied with a well, firewood, and backup oil heat. It has been an adjustment, but it was something I was prepared for. Part of our earnings from selling a lot of our stuff was specifically allocated to buying a new chain saw. For all those moving from some suburban or urban place to a rural place, be prepared to be more self sufficient, even for the little things. Obviously this extends to all aspects of living.
    2. Food and other sundry costs and availability: Our food budget has definitely taken a major hit in our move to Alaska. As a result, and because of the lack of availability of items like fresh fruits and vegetables, we have had to adjust how we eat. Obviously there will be regional differences on a myriad of these types of issues, but embrace this change. For us, we miss having salads every night, but we have traded it for salmon, halibut, moose, bear, and half a dozen other species secured locally.
    3. Home school, firearms, and other legal considerations: For most, your move will hopefully relocate you to a place with more constitutionally minded laws and law makers. This has been our experience in moving to Alaska. But this might not always be the case, and I would advise that in areas like firearms, home schooling, and even vehicle registration, that you make sure you understand the laws of where you are going to live and plan accordingly.

Overall, our experience moving to Alaska has been a positive one. There has definitely been some culture shock, and we have had to make adjustments along the way. We have had to make changes to our lives and in some cases compromise on trivial values while sticking to our core principles. Moving is definitely not something to take lightly and prepping adds a number of considerations, which have to be taken into account. Overall, I believe the best policy is to address every situation your move presents with honesty and wisdom.

Letter Re: Sanitation Issues

Good morning, Hugh,

Many homes are equipped with septic tanks to perform as a holding tank for waste, allowing waste decomposition to occur. Reduction of solid waste through bacterial action works, but is a slow process and often incomplete. Additionally, a large number of chemicals we regularly introduce into our septic tanks, such as common soap, dishwashingj and clothes detergents, bleach, commercial toilet cleaning solutions, et cetera, are toxic to the bacteria performing the job of decomposition.

Septic tanks are one part of the equation; the other being the leach field. Leach fields are the fluid distribution pipes running from the septic tank into the ground and are intended to operate with “clear” liquids only; “clear” liquids does not refer to their color but means “no solid materials”. Solids will fill the spaces between dirt particles and eventually form a sufficient barrier to liquid absorption to cause the leach field to fail. The only fix for this is dig a new leach field in dirt that has not been contaminated by particles, or replace the dirt in the existing field. Either solution will be expensive and quite inconvenient.

Other things that wind up in the septic tank can render the leach field useless, specifically, greases and oils, including those created during cooking. Washing a grease-encrusted broiler pan sends thick animal fats down the drain; these fats will float on the liquid in the septic tank and be the first to be carried out of the tank into the leach field. It’s better to wipe out greasy cookware with paper towels to be disposed of as trash before sink washing, to minimize the amount of grease and oils entering the septic tank.

Harsh chemicals should be avoided in houses with septic systems. Soap and detergent use cannot be avoided, but things such as commercially-available toilet cleaning chemicals can be replaced with scrubbing with small quantities of isopropyl alcohol, which can be carefully burned off in the toilet bowl.

Since waste decomposition is slow and usually incomplete, all septic tanks will need to be pumped out periodically to remove the solids. Depending on how many people are in the family and the size of the tank, that period may be as short as three years or as long as seven. Most residential tanks are 1,000 gallons, but they are commonly available in sizes from about 500 to 3,000 gallon. I’ve seen a series of three 55-gallon blue plastic barrels used successfully as a septic tank where the quantity of waste is small or the need is temporary. (I doubt those can be pumped out with regular equipment, so they must be replaced periodically.)

Most septic tank pumping trucks have 2,000 gallon tanks, so there’s a disadvantage to having a septic tank larger than that; one pumping session won’t completely empty the tank, necessitating a second trip, always at additional expense to the homeowner.

Regardless of how often it’s necessary, more frequent septic tank pumping is recommended. I have my tank pumped every three years, even though I could probably go another two years, or perhaps three, without a problem. Should economic and social conditions deteriorate sufficiently, it may be impossible to get a tank pumped at all. When it’s completely full, solids will start entering the leach field, eventually killing it, and could back up into the supply pipe coming from the house preventing use of any of the house’s plumbing fixtures. Knowing that I have a recently pumped tank that could go as long as six years without attention provides a reasonable operational cushion.

If one has the land and money resources, a dual septic system can be a good investment. One tank is connected only to the toilets and becomes the sanitary system; the other handles all other waste water, from sinks, showers, washing machines, et cetera. This keeps chemicals that are toxic to bacteria out of the sanitary tank, allowing it to perform its decomposition job unaffected. This will extend the required pumping intervals, and the non-sanitary tank should probably never need pumping. Leach field killers, such as grease, oils et cetera, should still be avoided in the non-sanitary system.

Equipping toilets, or at least one toilet, with its own independent water supply (most easily accomplished during construction or major remodel) provides an advantage. In SHTF times, family use shifts to the single toilet equipped with an independent water supply; disconnecting that toilet’s water piping from the whole house system and attaching it to an independent water source allows use of that toilet without using the entire house’s water system. Additionally, non-potable but uncontaminated water can be used for toilet flushing since that independent water delivery system for the one toilet gets disconnected and is separate from the house’s potable water system. Rainwater collected from roofs, after the first 10 minutes of rain cleans the roof, is one good source of toilet-flushing water, and will not require any expensive purification to use in a toilet. “He who flushes also pumps” becomes the order of the day.

If usage is confined to one toilet, the water traps in the others will eventually dry out from evaporation allowing sewer gases and insects into the house. (The same applies to sinks, tubs, and showers not in regular use.) Evaporation losses can be reduced by covering the toilet bowl with plastic wrap, but since the DWV (drain-waste-vent) system is connected to vents, those are the pipes extending above your house’s roof that allow the plumbing system to drain properly, the water in a toilet bowl is still exposed to atmosphere and will eventually evaporate from that. Periodic inspection of unused toilets is necessary, as will be the occasional refilling of the toilet bowls to maintain water seal in the trap. – N.K.

Economics and Investing:

What Is Causing The Surge In The Price Of Silver?

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Those not in the labor force grew by 25,000,000 people from 2000 to 2016: During this same period those employed grew by 15 million and those unemployed grew by 6 million.

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Life after Brexit: What’s Next for the UK?

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Will Iran Scare Away Big Oil Once Again? – Big oil faces a serious setback as one of Iran’s most influential oil executives has called for a comeback of the old buyback contract

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Nearly One Million Illegal Aliens at Large – B.B.

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SurvivalBlog reader T.J. wrote in:

“Given the events of July 5th, 2016, regarding HRC and the FBI investigation, although the decision not to prosecute was a shock, given the history going all the way back to 1993, the Waco Siege, it shouldn’t have been. Sometimes, memories fade, but we need to remember the close association between the FBI, HRC, and her associates, Janet Reno and Jamie Gorelick, in particular, going back over two decades. As with other tyrants, there were plenty of times to stop them before greater, unspeakable tragedies, but sometimes, historically, that just doesn’t happen. A lot of folks under the age of 35-40, have no memories of these events.”

Waco

Janet Reno

Jamie Gorelick

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Record gun sales continue – P.S.

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Government claims power to control content of sermons – G.B.

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And just to make you a bit more nervous: The many amazing uses of RFID

Notes for Wednesday – July 06, 2016

July 6th is the anniversary of the 1994 Storm King Mountain wildfire that took the lives of 14 firefighters. Weather changes, resulting in 45 mph wind gusts, caused a modest wildfire to erupt into a blazing inferno, which threatened homes in and around the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Firefighters from around the country were called to assist in fighting this

Hillary’s Lies, The Air Gap Rule, and Systematic Perfidy

FBI Director James Comey flat out lied to the American people yesterday, when he described Hillary Clinton and the State Department’s staffers as “extremely careless” and declined to refer her case for prosecution. What they actually did was far more serious than “careless”. Without a doubt, they willfully, criminally, treasonously carried out deliberate steps to copy classified paragraphs to an unsecure private server, and then they lied about it and also tried to delete files and confound investigators to cover their tracks.

By not confirming this perfidy with a criminal referral, Mr. Comey just made himself an indirect party to their crimes. Let me explain why I know this with certainty:

First, all classified documents are kept on dedicated independent encrypted computer systems and networks that do not cross over into the unclassified world. These computers are all very carefully air gapped–meaning that they NEVER have a physical connection to computers on unclassified networks. Therefore, there were only three ways that those 2,100+ classified paragraphs (some of them TS Codeword!) could have ended up in unclassified e-mails:

  1. While reading one screen, someone laboriously keyed them in by hand, to appear on another screen. (This is unlikely, or human transcription errors would have been obvious.)
  2. Someone “bridged the air gap” with an Ethernet cable or other data cable. Also unlikely, but that is possible in a worst-case security breach.
  3. Someone copied classified files (or excerpts from them), using a memory stick or other removable memory media. (The most likely method used.)

Second, even if the Air Gap Rule violations could somehow be explained, then there is still the issue of the systematic removal of the classification markings on the documents. Not only does the top and bottom of each page carry a classification marking, but each individual paragraph contained within the document carries a classification prefix. These paragraph prefixes include:

(U) Which stands for Unclassified

(C) Which stands for Confidential

(S) Which stands for Secret

(NF) A secondary marking which stands for No Foreign (NOFORN) dissemination (So, for example, in might read: S/NF”)

(TS/Codeword) Which stands for Top Secret and the initials of a SCI compartment codeword.

Note: There are also other variations of these markings. And I can’t even mention any of those codewords or their initials because they themselves are considered classified!

The inescapable and inconvenient truth is that those top, bottom, and paragraph classification markings don’t disappear without someone taking the time and trouble to painstakingly remove them! Again, this could not have been any sort of carelessness.

Conclusion

If anyone else in government service (whether military or civilian) had done what Hillary perfidiously ordered her staff to repeatedly do, then if detected they’d be immediately arrested and within a few short months they’d face trial and probably be serving 10+ years of hard time in a Federal Pen. But apparently Hitlery Clinton is so witchy special that laws don’t apply to her–at least in the eyes of the politically-appointed FBI director.

As a former Intelligence officer, I am absolutely sickened and appalled to see Director Comey sell out the way that he did. Curse you, Mr. Comey! If J. Edgar Hoover were alive today, he would spit in your eye.- JWR

Note: Permission is granted for re-posting of this entire article, but only if done so in full, with proper attribution to James Wesley, Rawles and SurvivalBlog, and only if the included links are preserved.)

June in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, by Steven Cochran of Gainseville Coins where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers.

What Did Gold Do in June?

Gold started the month at $1,212.70 an ounce and ended June at $1,321.70 an ounce, for a gain of $109.00. The worst payroll report in years and the Brexit vote were the main factors in favor of gold. Silver was the big winner in June. It handily beat gold, ending at a 22-month high.

Factors Affecting Gold This Month

Non-farm Payrolls

The worst job gains since 2010 smashed stocks and the dollar, as the odds of the Fed raising interest rates fell past zero. Odds began growing that the Fed would cut rates back down to 0.25% instead of raising them, after such a slowdown.

Central Banks Out Of Options

Weakening growth in Europe and Japan, even after their central banks cut interest rates into negative territory, pushed gold prices to two-year highs.

Brexit

There was nothing else happening in June that affected gold prices more than the EU referendum in Britain, a.k.a. the Brexit vote. Stocks, bonds, currencies, and gold all moved according to whether the “Remain” side or “Leave” side was ahead in the polls. With everyone certain on voting day that the Remain side had it all locked up, gold had fallen under $1,300 an ounce while stocks were up sharply.

So, it was a huge shock to the establishment when the Leave side quickly pulled ahead on the vote count. Stock futures sold off, the pound sterling dropped to 31-year lows, and gold shot up by $104 an ounce at one point, to $1,360 an ounce. Speculators, of course, sold into the rally to reap huge profits, and spot gold closed the next day at $1,315.60 an ounce for a gain of $59.30 (4.72%).

The day after the vote, many people who voted to Leave were shocked that the UK was going to exit the EU. Known as “Regrexit”, these people voted Leave to “send a message” and never thought it would actually happen. A poll that was started to ask Parliament for a “do-over” had more than three million signatures within two days.

This just added to the uncertainty over what would happen to the economies of the EU and UK and kept gold well-bid through the end of the month.

On the Retail Front

There was a huge run on physical gold in the UK ahead of the Brexit vote, with the showroom of famous gold company Sharps Pixley selling out the gold bars and coins of incoming shipments before they even arrived at the showroom.

Sales of 2016 American Silver Eagles slowed in June, with a bit more than 2.8 million ounces sold.

The Perth Mint says that the phone has been ringing off the hook, as people clamor for gold bars and coins and opt to have them stored in the Perth Mint vault.

Market Buzz

In Venezuela, the Socialist government has been selling off all its gold to pay bills, while President Maduro’s goon squads beat opposition leaders and starving people protesting the lack of food.

Over in Argentina, a former senior government official was caught burying duffel bags packed with $8.5 million in cash on the grounds of a convent.

Bill Gross warns that those ineffective negative interest rates that are having the opposite effect than intended are a “supernova” ready to explode. Global bond yields at their lowest point in 500 years? So much for your pension!

Gross weighs in on the Brexit controversy, saying that there is a 30-50% chance that Britain will drag the U.S. economy into recession.

Investing legend George Soros was batting .500 in June. Famous for making over $1 billion betting against the pound in 1992, he became known as “the man who broke the Bank of England”. Well, he ended up on the wrong side of that bet on June 23rd, by betting heavily on the pound gaining on a “Remain” Brexit vote.

On the other side, he had the sense to buy into gold miner stocks and gold ETFs on his concerns over central bank policies and currency devaluation.

Marc Faber says the chaos in Europe over the Brexit vote will spill over to the U.S. and force the Fed to begin QE 4.

The SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD) is the world’s largest physically-backed gold fund. It got $18 billion larger in the first half of this year, as investors pour into gold bets.

First Majestic Silver is the second-largest silver producer in Mexico. The CEO predicts $140 silver in the future, as secondary sources of silver fall. If that’s too tame for you, Steve St. Angelo at SRSrocco Report says $12,000 gold and $360 silver are in the cards. The experts over at Sprott Global lay out the technical signs that we are in a new bull market for gold.

Our good friends over at Casey Research lay out how Brexit and negative interest rates by the European Central Bank are threatening an EU banking collapse that will spread into a global banking crisis.

Our own Everett Millman takes a look at how nations are building their gold reserves once again, to have hard assets backing their currencies.

Looking Ahead

The CME Group FedWatch tool at press time shows a zero percent chance of a rate hike by the Fed, through February 2017.

The Bank of England is already announcing stimulus measures, while the Bank of Japan can’t stop the yen from getting stronger on safe haven demand, even though interest rates are negative.

The middle of summer is usually the quiet time for gold, until the fall wedding season starts up in India. The concerns over Brexit and the possible failures in the Italian banking system may keep gold jumping through the summer.

We end this month with the story of a British treasure hunter who turned lead into gold.

Letter Re: California’s New Gun Laws

Sir,

There is a responsive action that should be brought up. Along with the “move”, “boycott” or “transfer arms out of state” options, add “Defy” to the list.

There has to be enforcement of the new laws. As a combat veteran, I would never surrender any of my personal pieces due to state or federal “laws”. Fleeing only means you relocate to smaller and smaller areas, until you have nowhere else to run. Hold your ground. Make them work for it. Don’t cave, and force those fools to flinch. – M.S.

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books:

Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits, 4th Edition

Tunnel In The Sky by Robert Heinlein

Movies:

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

American Sniper

Music:

Fairport Convention: Best of the BBC Recordings

Hans Zimmer; Gladiator Soundtrack

Video Blog Posts:

Wranglerstar: Back To Basics 2

The Survival Mom: Food Storage Myths

Podcasts:

Radio Free Redoubt: June 25, 2016

God and Guns Podcast #155 – Orlando

Very Useful Gear:

Leatherman Wave (My “Truck Console Carry” multi-tool.)

Trijicon ACOG 4×32 with .223 Reticle (The next best thing to owning a Starlight Scope.)

Odds ‘n Sods:

America Died At 11:00 ET 7/5/2016 – Excerpt: “The Rule of Law was officially burned and buried today on live television by the Director of the FBI. You therefore no longer have any moral requirement to adhere to same; your entire analysis must now rest on whether you are sufficiently afraid of being shot – and nothing more. America, as envisioned and fought for by the founders, died today at 11:00 AM ET, 7/5/2016. 240 years and one day from birth to death.”

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FBI Rewrites Federal Law to Let Hillary Off the Hook – Excerpt: “The added intent element, moreover, makes no sense: The point of having a statute that criminalizes gross negligence is to underscore that government officials have a special obligation to safeguard national defense secrets; when they fail to carry out that obligation due to gross negligence, they are guilty of serious wrongdoing.” – Sent in by B.B.

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The Most Frightening Political Fix – The most breathtaking fix in American history. – B.B.

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Pillo is a home health robot that poops out your pills – But do you trust him? Pillo is HAL 9000’s evil stepson. It spies, records, and uploads your family’s every move. It ensures you take your gov’t required pacification pills on schedule. When the patient has reached the end of their government mandated life span, at special encrypted command, it will even cheerfully dispense that one final pill to make it all happen. (The patient won’t even be advised.) – T.P.

Notes for Tuesday – July 05, 2016

On July 5, 1810, P. T. Barnum, the great American showman, was born. He died on April 7, 1891. He is often credited with the phrase “There is a sucker born every minute.” While the actual attribution of the quote is suspect with many versions of the story abounding, the concept remains valid, especially when one considers the economic state of the entire world. Only in a world of fools could the economy of entire nations, indeed the vast majority of the world, be driven solely off of debt.