Economics and Investing:

In a new video, Mike Maloney warns of dangerously high P/E ratios and predicts a massive rollover of the stock market in the near future. Any SurvivalBlog readers still holding stocks are warned: Get out now! – JWR

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The largest U.S. coal company just filed for bankruptcy April 13 – DSV

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

Obama Builds a Corporate Tax Prison (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “None of this would be necessary if the U.S. weren’t now such an inhospitable place to do business.”

Will the Last Company in America Please Turn Off the Lights (Fox News) Excerpt: “Obama wanted to stop the deal because it would have made Pfizer an Irish company. Ireland’s corporate tax is 12.5 percent versus a 35 percent rate charged in the USA.”

A Milestone in Federal Education Waste (My Gov Cost) Excerpt: “Conservatives have threatened to eliminate the department but none, including Ronald Reagan, managed to do so. The federal government continues to get bigger, not smaller.”

Flies on the Aviation Bill (Taxpayers for Common Sense) Excerpt: “One consequence of virtually no legislation passing Congress is that when something is likely to pass, every legislative Tom, Dick, and Harry is going to try to jump on board.”

Medicare’s Improper Payment Facepalm Continues Unabated (Citizens Against Government Waste) Excerpt: “Later this year, CMS will publish a more in-depth look at the improper payment rate data for Medicare FFS (FFS), but the appendices already show that the improper payments rate for 2015 was 12.1 percent, up from 8.6 percent five years ago, costing taxpayers $43.3 billion. “

International News

Senior Bosses at World’s Biggest Banks “Knew Libor was Rigged” (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “Because the bankers had never been told otherwise, the jury at Southwark Crown Court heard, they cannot be said to have acted dishonestly.”

Ex-Barclay’s Trader Told SFO His Bosses Knew About Libor Fix (Bloomberg) Excerpt: “The continuation of the conspiracy became increasingly too difficult toward the end of 2007 when the financial crisis hit….”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

The Only 6 Rules of Frugal Living You Need to Know (WiseBread) Excerpt: “Let’s scrap all the circular talk and bottom-line it. Here are the only six rules of frugal living you need to know.”

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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:

It was only a matter of time before this tool was used for the nefarious purpose of “casing”: Hillside residents report ‘Peeping Tom’ drone outside their windows – DSV

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Publicly funded education is dead – The Re-Education Camps We Call Universities – B.B.

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A governor who gets it: Maine Gov. Signs Bill Prohibiting Gun Bans in Public Housing – Sent in by H.L.

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How to Build a Storm Shelter – If you are going to the trouble of building the shelter, it might not be a bad idea to add EMP protection as well. – Sent in by G.P.

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Obama lawlessness: IRS says it’s OK for illegal aliens to use fraudulent Social Security numbers – The rule of law is dead. – B.B.

Notes for Thursday – April 14, 2016

Today, we present another entry for Round 64 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. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)
  9. 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 64 ends on May 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.

A Digital Library in a Grid-Down World, by J.G.

Since you are reading this online, nothing bad has happened yet to the grid. The walk from dependency on modern culture and conveniences to preparedness is ongoing. The naïve and nihilists are doing little to prepare for what we hope never happens. The rest of us are on a continuum of awareness and readiness. Today, we take the power grid as a given. Virtually all apocalyptic scenarios involve loss of power and electricity, sooner if not later. There are plenty of articles stating the absolute need for clean water, food, shelter, and security. This is not in dispute. We all have different needs and risk tolerances that influence what we do to prepare for the unthinkable. My plan was to create my own personalized digital library, protected from EMP and dependent upon rechargeable batteries powered by the sun.

Background

Without knowing it, my interest in preparedness began in high school with the classic Alas, Babylon, which was required reading. Other than becoming an Eagle Scout in 11th grade, I had no other thoughts or actions that could be considered survival motivated until relatively recently. I had several friends who had guns and enjoyed target shooting. One of these friends suggested I read Lucifer’s Hammer. One scene keeps coming back to me in this 70’s novel in which there is warning of impending disaster for those who cared to listen. The character, Dan Forrester, has a library of books that he wants to preserve for rebuilding civilization. His method used Zip-Loc bags, bug spray, and mothballs. After multiple layers of plastic, he stuffed the books in a septic tank for future generations to discover. Today, this scene seems well intentioned but a little over the top. We now consider books to be fairly hardened against many disasters. It is the digital world that is threatened. Our dependency on the power grid is far more fragile in comparison to printed works.

I have been trying to learn the principles of survival for about three years now. I often use YouTube to research techniques and equipment. How often do we think, “I’ll check Google” when we want fast information? Without electricity and the Internet, we are back to the dictionary or encyclopedia. As I started prepping in my own way, I began to notice that I was accumulating a large number of instructional videos saved from YouTube. I have two or three videos saved for each gun, radio, solar panel, and aspect of survival in my collection. The library numbers over 100 five- to ten-minute video clips, and it continues to grow. For example, even in my absence, someone could learn how to field strip or clean all the common guns in our group’s armory. In medical school, there is an old saying: “See one, do one, teach one”.

I have a number of PDF files of survival information that, ideally, would be printed out to hard copy. Realistically, who is going to print out the 676-page Army Field Survival Manual, 576-page Survival Handbook by John Wiseman, or 503-page classic reference Where There is No Doctor?

Two Methods of Maintaining the Digital Library in Grid-Down Situation

I understand that there will be many who object to keeping anything electronic after TEOTWAWKI. I present two methods of maintaining the digital library in the grid down situation. I have tried both and will keep each as backup to the other. They involve storing the information on a smart phone or small laptop. These may be already lying around or can be purchased reasonably on Ebay. They also take relatively little power to recharge. They are small enough to store in small- and medium-sized Faraday bags.

There are some assumptions and a few steps common to both solutions. In the current grid-up situation, it’s assumed:

  • You have a desktop or laptop with Internet access and you are building your library of useful knowledge.
  • You are familiar with Word and Adobe documents, with DOC and PDF formats.
  • You have a basic understanding of YouTube videos. They can be downloaded and saved in about three steps.
  • You are aware of solar power generation for 12-volt batteries and power inverters. (Some may prefer to charge their device’s battery directly without an external battery/inverter).

Finally, in addition to the assumptions above, the methods need some sort of EMP protection.

Hardware Method 1

A smart phone can store hours of videos and a small library of .doc and .pdf files. There are free software programs, such as Polaris Office, found on Google Play to read these formats. I had upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy S5 but still had my old Galaxy S3. Most smart phones accept 16 to 64 gigabyte micro-SD cards for extra storage room. These phones can be found on Ebay for $50-100.

Hardware Method 2

This uses a laptop or tablet. I have a retired Acer Netbook with 70 gigabytes storage space. It runs Windows XP, which is no longer supported by Microsoft but works well as long as I don’t access the Internet. These hardware solutions are described in greater detail below.

Power

My Kill-a-Watt says the Netbook draws 29 watts and Galaxy S3 draws 7 watts when being charged. A small 10 watt solar panel could charge the phone directly. A 30-50 watt solar panel could keep a 12-volt battery topped off. I have a 100 watt Renogy Solar Panel. I use a 12V battery and 200 watt inverter to run my CPAP on camping trips. The advantage of using the external battery/inverter is your device’s built-in charge controller may not be capable of handling a powerful solar panel directly.

EMP Protection

There are so many methods proposed to defend against EMP, and no one is certain which will be safest. My method is to use Blackout Faraday Shields. Some say their gun cabinet or an old microwave will suffice. I say do your own research and take your own chances. A combination of methods makes sense to me.

Software

The following steps do not require great computer expertise, and there are probably other solutions. I use the Windows 7 PC operating system on my home computer. I have made folders on the desktop for things of interest to me. These folders are named Guns, Communications, Power Generation, and Survival. Then, do a google search for “Computer Hope”. There will be a hyperlink that says, “How do I save a YouTube video?” Merely left click, hold, and drag the link to your desktop. Then later you can drag it to your taskbar for ease of frequent access. The next step allows you to save a YouTube video in a common format playable on most computer media players.

You Tube

YouTube has a search feature for subjects of interest. It is all about the “keywords” you use. Select YouTube videos that have decent production values, especially sound and focus. Steer clear of those that are too long or burdened by minutia. When you find one that adds significantly to your evolving library, then merely right click on the video (even as it is playing). A menu should pop up that says, “Copy Video URL”. When you click that, it will copy the address automatically to the clipboard. Then go to the Computer Hope link that was dragged to your desktop. Open it with a left click, and scroll down about half way where it says, “Enter or Paste URL here”. (Ignore offers to get a one-click version.) Then right click in the space and you will get a choice of menu options, one of which says “Paste”. That will transfer the address from the clipboard. Then left click the Download Video button. Depending on the size of the file, it will take a few minutes. Then, you will be presented with a still picture from the video you should recognize. (If the ‘net is busy, this may have to be repeated more than once.) Beside that is a green box with the words Download MP4 -720. The 720 is a resolution number. I usually select 360 to keep file sizes smaller. MP4 is nearly a universal format easily read by most media players. You can find the downloaded video in your Downloads folder of MyDocuments. The videos can be found arranged by date or alphabetically in the Downloads folder. Then, drag or copy/paste the video to one of the folders in your survival library.

Two Hardware Solutions

The next steps vary, depending on the type of hardware chosen to hold your library for post grid-down. You may already have a suitable device laying around. It needs to be something you don’t need for everyday use, due to the EMP protection. On Ebay you can find used hardware in working condition. In the Sold items section of Ebay, I see where an Acer Aspire One closed for $58 including shipping, power cord, battery, and some operating system. (XP works fine, since there is no expectation of Internet access.) My Aspire One draws 29 watts. If you want something newer, then try an ASUS X205T sold for $98 and also draws 29 watts. A used smart phone is an option worth considering as well. They are available on Ebay for $50-100. Be careful to only buy from highly rated sellers. Pay attention to the stated condition.

Laptop Solution

Get at least a 16 gigabyte thumb drive ($10 new on Amazon) and transfer the files to it from the home computer. In MyComputer, just drag the whole folders to the thumb drive. Then transfer the folders by plugging into the survival computer and dragging. Then protect from EMP in the preferred method. I do not know if the transformer is vulnerable to EMP, so consider protecting that, too.

Smart Phone Solution

I have my old Samsung Galaxy S3 that draws only 7 watts. It had 12 gigabytes of available storage, plus I put in a 16 gigabyte MicroSD card. (You can now get 32 gigabytes for $10 on Amazon.) Since the old battery had worn out, I ordered a replacement for $7 plus shipping from Amazon. Delete or uninstall all non-essential data and programs. This includes any programs that require the digital world, such as Orbitz and Yelp. All random picture files should be removed EXCEPT for the following: Keep digital copies of important documents, such as birth certificates, passports, credit cards, and concealed carry and driver’s licenses. Keep a few family photos for morale purposes. (They don’t take up that much space.) You might keep a few gigabytes of .mp3 music files, if you have the space for it. (One of the side themes in the movie of survival The Martian used disco and 70’s sitcoms for mental health purposes.) Connect the phone to the main computer with a micro-USB to USB cable. Wait for a few moments for it to be recognized. Use as high a quality cable as you have. It is the weak link in this process. On your main computer find MyComputer or Computer, where all the drives are listed. Find where the phone is listed as a drive (in my case, it is called a portable media player). Click on the smartphone in MyComputer; two folders should be seen– “Card” (if you have a micro-SD card) and “Phone”. (This is also where you see how much free space you have.) Click on Phone” and look for “DCIM”; click on that and a folder called Camera will appear. Drag your folder of videos onto the Camera folder of the smart phone. If the folder has any videos in the .mp4 format, Android will ask you if you want to convert the videos (to a format your phone will play). Click “Yes, Convert and Copy”. It will take a considerable amount of time to convert and drive all that data through the USB cable. It can take an hour to convert and transfer 10 videos averaging 5-10 minutes each. Then .doc or .pdf files can be dragged into the Document or Download folder of the smart phone.

There are numerous programs for free download from Google Play that read word files and .pdf documents. I like Polaris Office, PDF, PPT, XLS, DOC. Finally, drop the phone in a Faraday bag and take a deep breath. You are now done, other than adding to the library as you find more resources you can’t memorize or print out to hard copy.

Conclusion

There are pros and cons to a digital library. Purists will object to any use of digital technology. This is not intended to replace hard copies of documents. A video describing the field stripping and cleaning of a Glock does not replace practice and training. However, not all the information can be found in hard copy. A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. The library could be used to bring other group members up to speed. It could be required viewing for training purposes post-SHTF.

Suggested Sample of Resources for Digital Library

  • (A PDF manual can usually be found online for every Gun and Radio)
  • Army Survival Field Manual -PDF
  • Army FM_preservation_of_foods -PDF
  • Survival Water Storage –DOC
  • How to Use a Compass & Map [Compass Navigation Tutorial] – YouTube
  • Getting Started on Ham Radio 2M FM, Part 1 and 2 – YouTube
  • AARL Repeater Directory –PDF
  • Antennas 101 – 2013 – The Basics -PDF
  • Baofeng For Dummies- UV5R+ HAM Radio Tutorial – YouTube
  • Communication In A Zombie Apocalypse – YouTube
  • PRIME TIME SHORTWAVE Stations- DOC
  • Homemade Bicycle Generator – YouTube
  • To The First Time Glock Owner – YouTube
  • Where There Is No Doctor -PDF
  • Where There Is No Dentist -PDF
  • Antibiotic_guidelines_Johns_Hopkins –PDF
  • Sling Bow- Final Modification How To – YouTube
  • Preparing Salt Pork – 18th Century Cooking Series – YouTube

Letter Re: Backup Electric Power Design Considerations

Editor,

I found KK’s recent letter interesting in that he, as an experienced solar installer, recommends DC coupled systems. In particular, I would like him to expand on how his clients cope with using DC rather than AC on their properties and how and where they buy DC appliances, tools, pumps, et cetera. I understand that battery-powered electronics and tools are ubiquitous and well tested, but in general the batteries have voltages from 1.5 to 18 volts or so and the chargers accommodate that by plugging into 110 volt AC. Do his clients use small point load inverters for this? Where can you easily buy DC-powered clothes washers and other household appliances, for instance? Would they not have different voltage requirements? My understanding is you cannot take power (different voltages) off of different points in a battery bank as that creates long-term difficulties. Do not lower DC voltage systems require large size wiring to be run throughout a home? My deep well required 400′ of #10 cabling to accommodate the 240 volt 1 1/2 hp submersible pump. I’d hate to think of what the cabling cost would be for powering a DC pump at lower voltages, not to mention the cost of the nonstandard pump itself. The hassle of running a homestead on DC would seem to be huge. Everything electrical you bought would have to be specialized.

I use a 1600 watt solar system as my primary power source without much consideration in not being grid tied. I do that by using a MagnaSine 4kw 24v-240v inverter that has run continuously for four years without issue. My backup 240 volt generator runs power through the inverter to charge my batteries and also run the homestead when we have long cloudy periods. How would KK do this with a DC coupled system? While it adds cost and complexity, as it’s one more piece of equipment, it would seem at least to me that an inverter and a conventional 110v/240v homestead is more than worth it. Perhaps K.K. could write an article on DC coupled systems. As an experienced installer, an article from him would be most informative and welcome.

K.K. Responds: It sounds like a DC Coupled system.

DC or AC coupled simply refers to the relationship between the PV panels and the batteries (or grid). An example of AC coupled: a PV string inverter converts the DC power from the PV panel into AC power and sends it to another AC battery based inverter (in an off-grid situation) that changes it back into DC voltage and charges the batteries. An example of DC coupled: PV panel sends its DC power to a charge controller that regulates the DC power into the batteries. An AC inverter is also installed on the battery bank to provide AC power to loads in the house.

Here is a short article and an informative video on AC coupling. Going all DC is difficult as pointed out. I don’t advocate going all DC, but having as much DC equipment as possible will increase efficiency and in most cases will increase durability as well.

Economics and Investing:

US faces ‘disastrous’ $3.4tn pension funding hole

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

U.S. Runs $108 Billion Budget Deficit in March, Treasury Says

Video: The April Emergency The Fed Doesn’t Want You To Know About – Mike Maloney – Interesting take..

Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

Auditor: Government Will Owe More than Entire Economy Produces (Washington Free Beacon) Excerpt: “The audit also called into question the reliability of the government’s financial statements.”

“Mr. Social Security” Indicted in $600 Million Disability Fraud Scheme (Washington Free Beacon) Excerpt: “The defendants are charged with designing an intricate scheme, using their expertise and positions of authority, to fraudulently induce payment of $600 million in federal disability and healthcare benefits….”

USPS Could be $2 Billion Poorer Come Sunday (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “The U.S. Postal Service will see an additional $2 billion in annual losses if Congress does not extend a temporary price hike on stamps before Sunday.”

Socialism is Harder than You Think: Because Reality Has a Neoliberal Bias (Foundation for Economic Education) Excerpt: “Suppose you wanted to switch to socialism — what would be the ideal place to do so?”

International News

The Ticket to Prosperity (Townhall) Excerpt: “Despite decades of economic aid, many recipient nations are worse off now than they were before they first received development assistance. What foreign aid usually accomplishes is to enable tyrants to retain power….”

Why UK Living Standards May Never be the Same Again (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “With inflation finally set to start creeping up it’s absolutely vital this productivity slump is turned around fast. Otherwise pay and living standards will suffer….”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

Create Your UNGrocery List (Just Plain Living) Excerpt: “Create your UNgrocery list. Save money, time and eat healthier.”

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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:

Just 8 Miles Outside Texas Border, This Islamic Camp Exists – Guess Who Aids Them – Sent in by B.B.

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Two court rulings that send a disturbing message:

Florida Court Gives Police Right To Detain Innocent Passengers – Sent in by RBS

Court Rules Police Can Legally Make Up Lies to Pull People Over to Fish for Criminal Behavior – Sent in by Mr. Natural

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Skynet, here we come: Russia Building Nuclear-Armed Drone Submarine – DMS

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Surveillance cameras sold on Amazon infected with malware. It pays to know your sources. The best price is not always the best deal. – B.B.

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Prank Video: Brothers Convince Little Sister of Zombie Apocalypse.

It has had 11 million views in just three days!

Notes for Wednesday – April 13, 2016

April 13, 1743 is the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. (He died on July 4, 1826, just a few hours before the death of John Adams. How patriotic of both of them to pass away on the Fourth of July.)

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Today, we present another entry for Round 64 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. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)
  9. 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 64 ends on May 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.

Lessons Of Real Life Bug-Out Circa 1944, by Grazu44

As long as I can remember, my father was prepared for the unexpected. I thought it was because he purchased a series of unreliable Chrysler products in the 70’s and 80’s that consistently broke down. (MOPAR– the name of Chrysler’s Parts Division– became an acronym in our house for “Moments Of Power Are Rare”). The fact of the matter was that my father “bugged out” of his native Lithuania with his family at the age of 14. Following World War II, he and his family were placed in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp for native Lithuanians in what would become West Berlin. The wisdom of my grandfather to leave Lithuania was based on his self-reliant attitude and world view. The lessons my father experienced and passed down have served me and my siblings well. In recent years, I have become more self-reliant as a result of my own personal experiences with Hurricane Sandy in 2011.

Just like The Clash song “Should I Stay or Should I Go” expresses great indecision, my grandfather’s decision in early 1944 was not a simple one. Lithuania is a small country located in Eastern Europe on the Baltic Sea. It has always been victim to many of the world’s largest conflicts. Nepoleon, Russian Czars, Hitler, and Stalin all have had their grip on the small Baltic nation. The capital city of Vilnius is crudely referred to as “the city built on bones”, as a reference to its storied history of genocide, death due to war, hypothermia, and starvation. In 1943 Hitler’s well-documented campaign to attack Russia went directly through Lithuania. Like well-seasoned chili, you know it is spicy when it burns twice; Lithuania was in fact burned twice by Soviet occupations.

My grandfather’s decision to leave was largely based on his experiences during the first Russian occupation of Lithuania (June 15, 1940-June 24, 1941). Lithuanian’s who did not sympathize with the Soviet Bolshevik ways were imprisoned, exiled, or killed. Any show of nationality, other than with Soviet views, was treated with harsh realities of imprisonment or torture. My uncle was imprisoned for singing the Lithuanian National Anthem in public during the first Soviet occupation. When Germany took over the small Baltic nation (June 25, 1941-July 1944), life was relatively good, if you were not Jewish. German leaders were warmly welcomed by most Lithuanians. A very dark history of the German occupation was the slaughter of almost all Jews in Lithuania; 95-97% were “liquidated”. I want to be perfectly clear on this point; some Lithuanians had anti-Semitic views and murdered many of their own citizens during the German occupation. It did not take the Nazi propaganda machine and extermination camps to almost annihilate every Jew in Lithuania. Business men, farmers, lawyers, laborers, and doctors rounded up Jews and marched them to their deaths in the forests of Lithuania (Paneriai, Ninth Fort). Obviously, the Nazi’s job was made easier by the hands of these native anti-Semites. This information is based on my grandfather’s first-hand accounts and experiences, not a slanted view text book or current Lithuanian government propaganda. Jews were hated in Lithuania mostly because they were successful, well-educated, and industrious people. God alone has been and will be the only true judge, jury, and justice for these crimes on my Hebrew brothers and sisters.

As German soldiers were retreating back through Lithuania, cold, hungry, and defeated, my grandfather determined it was time to go. My grandfather was not waiting for the second occupation by the Soviets. He was a well-traveled farmer, who had already been to the United States and Western Europe. He knew it was time when the Nazi soldiers were walking through his farmland dropping their heavy gear, to retreat at a greater place. The sound of Russian mortars and artillery in the distance was also a clear sign to start moving out. His instructions to my father, aunts, and uncle were to milk the animals and then slaughter them. Load up the milk, meat, dried cheeses, butter, breads, and water. They yoked the horses to the loaded carriage and west they went with the German soldiers into Poland and, eventually, Germany. To stave off recruitment into the German Army, my father made himself look smaller than he was, and my grandfather and uncle would hide under the wheel well of the wagon when in the company of the retreating German military. They also fed the retreating German soldiers on their track to the end of the war. Just five years ago, it would have been impossible for me to visualize telling my kids, “Grab your INCH bags, mobile food buckets, and filled Scepter water containers from the closet under the stairs, and get the dogs in the truck”. Today, that is a trained reality on our homestead; you need to be ready to leave when “Red Dawn” is happening.

This brings me to the point of my article– you will only know when it is time to leave when it is time to leave! I have never had to bug out. I live in a relatively stable county in Upstate New York. For the most part, we do not have natural disasters, with the exception of Hurricane Sandy’s flooding and an occasional ice storm that knocks electricity out for a week or so. Bugging out for my family will be an absolute last-minute decision based on real-time on-the-ground intelligence. We are prepared for many scenarios, but economic collapse and consequent government overreach is our main concern. In New York, we have been warmed up to the government overreach and the deterioration of our constitutional rights. The New York “Un-Safe Act”, ridiculously high taxes for everything from birth to death, and limits on fountain soda procurement are just a few examples of the overreach. The wisdom that has been passed on to me is: Be prepared. Get ready now. Apply what you know.

My grandfather’s intelligence was talking to citizens, traveling to other countries, being occupied and propagandized by Nazi’s and Soviets, and watching neighbors murder innocent people because of their religious beliefs and relative view of success. The art of my grandfather’s wisdom during his SHTF scenario was to become the “gray man”– don’t be noticed, don’t stand out, don’t take a side, get on the fence and get out of the war zone. Fast forward to our intelligence today in the good old United States of America. The lame-stream media that has become lazy, reporting only what they are told to report for political reasons (propaganda). We have hate and bigotry toward Jews and Christians alike for their beliefs and application of faith (targeted hatred). Perceived bigotry toward black and Hispanic people is perpetuated by the lame-stream media to try and make us feel sorry for the way we treat people when they break the law (illegal challenges to the rule of law). Politically charged courts have now crossed over from interpreting the laws to making laws (lack of checks and balances). Biased laws and interpretations benefit protected classes to the exclusion of unprotected classes (another form of hate). Executive branch leaders have exerted their political power to undermine the foundations of our constitution (more lack of checks and balances). This intelligence is telling me again to get ready now!

I will finish on the practical applications learned from my forefathers:

  1. Have a bug-in plan and a bug out plan with supplies and vehicles. Put these plans in a binder with your gear for all family members to reference. Make sure it includes a communication plan if phone services are down.
  2. Have a way to store and carry water.
  3. Have long-term food available and some packaged for easy transport. Also, have enough food to share and barter.
  4. Be supplied with firearms, ammunition, and cleaning tools/supplies. Make sure you train and practice with your family how to use, clean, and secure all firearms.
  5. Have a plan B and C. Know where you can go to be with like-minded individuals, if your initial plan A is altered. Train and put up supplies/tools with these people so you become an asset and not a liability.
  6. Be the “gray man”, when it is time to move. Do not bring attention to yourself or your family members.
  7. Have all of your documents in order. These include passports, birth/death/divorce certificates, social security cards. Many of my father’s relatives could not leave Lithuania, because they did not have the proper documents updated or at their disposal when it was time to leave. Keep a copy of these and other important documents on an encrypted thumb drive. This is a good common practice when you travel anywhere.
  8. Train your spouse and children how to execute your bug out plan. You are doing yourself a disservice if you are the only one that can execute the plan. Many hands make light work.
  9. Stay physically, mentally, and spiritually fit.
  10. Consistently, analyze and update your plan; also, keep your supplies fresh and rotated.

At my father’s funeral almost twenty years ago, a story was shared about his faith and what he had been through fleeing war-torn Lithuania. At one point the Soviet army was dropping shells near the roadside that they traveled. All of his family retreated off the road into a nearby clearing in the forest. My father jumped into a roadside ditch and would not join his family in the safe shelter of the cleared field. He had mentally broken down. My grandfather went up to him during the chaos, reached into the ditch and said, “Get up; it will be okay”. It was that moment that my father looked up and saw the light of God surrounding my grandfather’s silhouette. Be that person my grandfather was for your family. Teach your loved ones that through faith in God and organized preparation, you can not only survive but thrive in any situation life brings.

May God bless you and this country we currently and hopefully always call home!

Letter Re: How to Survive Workplace Violence

Dear Hugh,

I would like to thank SM for useful comments that we should all think about in this day and age. I’ve actually been putting more thought into the subject of “workplace violence”, including the dreaded “active shooter” scenario, because my employer has recently implemented mandatory training for dealing with this event as well as a drill or two. Though the risk of such a tragedy remains low, it would seem that my employer feels that the risk is significant enough to justify the expense of such training. Though they would seem gravely concerned about our well-being, it is interesting to note that, by policy and by law, they have taken away the one tool that may serve to save lives in the event that a crazed, gun-wielding psychopath ever decides to make headlines at my workplace. Yes, I work in a “gun free zone”– the same bastion of liberal idiocy in which virtually every mass shooting in America (probably in the world) has taken place.

I’m quite sure that legal counsel has advised leadership to train us in order to reduce liability should a disaster occur. Or, perhaps it is merely an attempt at political correctness; after all, training and drilling for such events is the popular thing to do among big businesses. They even go so far as to encourage “fighting the shooter with whatever you have” in the event that escape and hiding fail. Great! I get to fight a semi-auto with a pencil! I wonder if an “active shooter” decided to execute me and/or 20 or so of my colleagues if the business would not incur some liability for depriving me of the only tool that might save us, a tool which some agent of the state will eventually use to stop the carnage, a tool which I am trained to use and licensed to carry virtually anywhere else other than my workplace?

I don’t have to convince this readership of the logic (or lack thereof) behind this dilemma, so I won’t waste time doing so. Suffice it to say that I, for one, hope the next time a ruthless assault occurs in a “gun free zone” (and there will be a next time) the family of at least one victim retains a high-profile lawyer and sues the pants off the employer, with much fanfare, for having a duty, breaching that duty, and actually aiding and abetting the perpetrator! Though tragic, it would be a welcome relief to the traditional chorus of liberals using the tragedy to advance their confiscatory goals. Yes, I’m a bit hot on this one! – SH in TX

Economics and Investing:

Why Obama is forgiving the student loans of nearly 400,000 people – G.G.

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The education and employment myth: Almost two-thirds of people in the labor force do not have a college degree.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

US Government Banking Program Facilitates Remittances to Mexico (Judicial Watch) Excerpt: “The program is called “Directo a Mexico” (Direct to Mexico) and the Federal Reserve, the government agency that serves as the nation’s central bank, launched it nearly a decade ago.”

The Salary Needed to Buy a Home in 27 Different US Cities (Visual Capitalist) Excerpt: “The popping of the Greenspan-era housing bubble took about six years in total to fully “deflate”.”

The Housing Bubble is Getting Ready to Implode: The Scariest Chart in Real Estate Shows an Impending Correction Because You Can’t Afford to Buy a Home Today (My Budget 360) Commentary: I share the concerns of this author although not necessarily all of the conclusions. This article is a good read, and conditions in the housing sector warrant our close attention as do all other matters of economics and finance.

International News

Japan to Print Additional ¥10,000 Bills as More People Stash Their Cash at Home (The Japan Times) Excerpt: “Some financial market sources believe it is because more people are keeping their money at home rather than in banks, because interest rates on deposits have fallen to almost zero after the Bank of Japan introduced a negative interest rate in February.”

What the Bank of Japan Will Do Now that Negative Interest Rates Have Disappointed (CNBC) Excerpt: “Analysts have said they expect the BOJ to ease policy further as economic growth forecasts remain anemic and inflation is still well below the central bank’s target of 2 percent.”

Europe’s Banks Under Scrutiny as Regulators Look Into Panama Papers (Reuters) Excerpt: “Banking watchdogs across Europe have begun checking whether lenders have ties to a massive document leak from Panama that showed how offshore companies are used to stash clients’ wealth.”

ECB Vows to Fight Low Inflation as Draghi Warns of Triple Threat to Eurozone (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “Mario Draghi said the central bank would act as an “anchor of confidence” amid an uncertain global economy, powerful deflationary forces and “questions about the direction of Europe”.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

12 Frugal Lessons from the Great Depression (Backdoor Survival) Excerpt: “Nothing was wasted.”

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

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Reader S.T. writes in to recommend The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Slavomir Rawicz (The Lyons Press; 1997). It’s about seven men who escaped a Russian labor camp after WWII and walked more than a thousand miles to freedom in British India, a journey on foot through some of the most inhospitable conditions on Earth. It was made into a movie a few years ago with the title something like “The Way Home”. I highly recommend the book over the movie.

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Reader S.B. suggested Red Sky in Mourning: A True Story of Love, Loss, and Survival at Sea, a wonderful story of a young woman’s survival at sea after her sail boat is battered by a hurricane and her fiancé is swept overboard.

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K.S. recommended Escape from Davao: The Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War.

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B.J. recommends the works of Allan W. Eckert: The Frontiersman, Wilderness Empire, A Sorrow In Our Heart (The Life Of Tecumseh), That Dark And Bloody River, and others about the early history of America and a few good children’s books, Incident at Hawks Hill being one of them

Odds ‘n Sods:

APPROPRIATE THIS! The Social Justice Warriors – the first warriors to faint at the sight of a penknife – have a new weapon to show off their unearned moral superiority: CULTURAL APPROPRIATION, where mainstream culture steals from minorities without being “authentic.” Surprisingly Bill Whittle agrees with this and has a list of grievances all his own. Link sent in by B.B.

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Learning what not to do at a gun range by example – video: Don’t do this!

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Can’t afford a Berkey? DIY Ceramic Water Filter Kits, Revisited – Sent in by DMS

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Weapons for sale on Facebook in Libya. The important thing to remember about Facebook is that they’ve blocked “images of hate” like Confederate flags on Hot-Wheels cars here in the U.S… because they care. Ohhh…gotta go, somebody just put up another NOS crate of full auto, Soviet SMGs and Mortars. I want to get my bid in before sundown! – T.P.

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NJ Transit Now Recording What Riders Are Saying – DSV