Notes for Tuesday – March 01, 2016

I was sad to hear that actor George Kennedy passed away on Sunday, at age 91, in Boise, Idaho.  He is most often remembered for his role in Cool Hand Luke, or perhaps in  The Flight of The Phoenix. But I best liked his role as “Red” in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. (The latter film showcased the scenery in Montana and Idaho. A lot of those towns haven’t changed much since the 1970s.

This is the birthday of Brevet General Robert C. Buchanan of Mexican War and the U.S. Civil War fame, (b. 1811, d. 1878).  For his service at the Battle of Malvern Hill, Buchanan was appointed Brevet Brigadier General.

Also on this day, Yitzhak Rabin was born in Jerusalem, in 1922. He served twice as Prime Minister of Israel. (1974 to 1977 and again from 1992 to 1995.)

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Today, we present another entry for Round 63 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, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have 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 both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304, 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)

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knifemaker 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 63 ends on March 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.

Know Your Limits, by Molon Labe

In these times, there are many activities that we must train to be able to do, many skills we must know, and many tasks we are forced to accomplish to sustain our lives and those who we care about. In the days ahead, there will be even greater and more difficult things that we will have to do should a collapse or failure of civility occur to any degree in our area. Many things that are abhorrent to us may become required in order to righteously protect what is ours.

Taking lives in the defense of our lives, our property, and more importantly in defense of our friends and family, may well be absolutely necessary. This is a topic which is often neglected today but clearly shown in Holy Scripture. However this is one of the only skills that you cannot afford to do without or make a mistake. Realistically, you may not have to utilize the skills of a warrior more than 1% of the time, and probably less than that. But if a mistake happens during that 1%, you, and those you care about and are standing in front of, won’t live to enjoy the other 99%.

You must realize that I am not talking about going to the rifle range on a nice sunny day and excelling at punching holes on a non-moving paper target with all the time in the world. Certainly there is a place for that, but the best shooter in the world will not survive a violent conflict or be able to protect his family when the time comes if that person has not made the conscience decision beforehand that he or she will drop the hammer on that other living, breathing human being. That they will plunge that knife into the enemy’s neck, or bring that chair over their head, and repeat with savage fury until finished. If it isn’t in you to go up to that edge and know that you will, for a certainty step off and take that reprobate’s life from him, even as he comes at the unexpected moment to take yours, then you will not survive.

This cannot be overstated: Hesitation kills. Remember that! Most gunfights are over in less than four seconds. It has been stated many times over that a failure to plan is a plan to fail, and that is true. So the question is; what have you determined to do when the time comes that those you love are in danger? Even if you never have to endure a failure of society or go through a war zone, make no mistake, this is a cruel world and scumbags are everywhere. I’ve had a friend killed by a Muslim with a pistol at point blank range. A few of my friends have encountered men with lethal intent and had to defend their lives or die trying; they have survived and their enemies are either in the ground or in prison. None of these men had gone looking for a fight or had done anything stupid which should have been avoided. I’ve survived a potential violent conflict the best way, by keeping my eyes open and with the help of the Lord, escaping the narrow confined room where I should have been killed. In that case I didn’t have to snap the enemy’s spine or use my knife, but if I had, would I have been ready? If it quickly came to a “him or me” situation, could I have fought intelligently and fiercely? I hope so. I was young at the time, but I had already crossed that line in my head a hundred times before.

On a side note, you don’t have to be in a bad spot to be targeted by bad people. Sometimes they follow you. Or like in the case of my friend, they come to your door out of nowhere with a gun and a bag full of cutting tools and implements associated with torture. Had my friend not been the man that he is, he and his wife and two children would have been a sad memory instead of a shining example in our community. The point here is that you will not be able to decide when the moment of truth is: It’s going to choose you. And statistically, that means it will be up close and personal (and probably very dark, to boot).

Know Your Limits
In your mind, you have to know your limits. You have to know how far you are willing to take it and how much you are willing to risk to protect those you love. Ask yourself, are you willing to take a bullet, stop that bat swing with your arm, or get hit by that vehicle for someone you love? For principle? For right? No matter what the cost? Run through scenarios in your head, and know personally how far you will take it, for what, and why. For me, the idea of living the rest of my life knowing that I could’ve bit the bullet and saved someone I love dearly, but didn’t, is more horrible than death itself, regardless of how frightening the circumstances may be. What if it’s a little girl, or even perhaps one day, my own little girl? My mom, dad or sister? No, the preservation of their lives and the lives of my friends is more important to me than my own. And on the day, when that dirtbag has captured them and seeks to extinguish their life by the most barbaric means possible, or when those Religion of Peace types begin gutting, crucifying, beheading, raping, (fill in the blank), to someone I care about, in that situation time-is-life. Remember this, as Douglas MacArthur stated, “In war, you win or lose. Live or die. And the difference is just an eyelash.”

So let me now ask you. How fast can you get your shot off reliably from the method you carry? If it isn’t carried on your person, are you sure you can get to it, get it out and running before the gunfight is over? Remember from the first to last shot in a gunfight on the street, it’s going to be over in 2.5 to 4 seconds. When you’re slipping backwards in the dark and rain, that isn’t very  long. If you intend on using an edged weapon or blunt instrument, how fast can you cover distance and disable your opponent, and how sure are you that you will be able to take down that threat? What if you are caught without a weapon? Do you have to resort to picking something up or can you kill with your bare hands? At what point in the fight will you draw your knife or gun, and why? If you take a single hit from a pistol caliber, you have perhaps as much as 95% chance of walking out of there alive; not so if you are stabbed in the neck. And never discount the method of making distance via your feet, sometimes referred to as the Nike Jitsu technique, if it is an option to you. If you are fired at while running away from an urban gang member with a pistol, statistics show you have a very good chance of not getting hit. Obviously, that isn’t always an option, from either a moral or strategic standpoint.

This is what you must know: You will probably not die from a single gunshot wound or knife slash. People survive them every day. If you are dealing with an opponent with a gun, the gun is probably going to go off; you may get hit. Knife, yes, you’re going to get cut, it’s not the end of the world. Pipe-bat-chain, yes, you’re going to get smacked and yes, it’s going to hurt, but that’s why we have casts and splints. The point is to keep fighting. It’s not over until you are dead, have given up, or have won. If you die, your worries are over. If you give up, you’re as good as dead, or you may have to endure a fate worse than death. But if you resign to fight until you can’t fight any more, or until you’ve no one left to fight, you’ve already won. Because if you do all you can and fail, it’s not truly failure. Failure is refusing to try.

Now if you know you’re going to fight and fight until you can’t fight any more, then what are some things that can help prepare you for that day and stack the odds in your favor? You must know your limits. That is, your current limits. Let us remember what Bruce Lee said once, “There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

I know that I can draw my pistol and get a center mass hit reliably in under one second with movement in my open carry rig. Add 2/10ths of a second from concealment. I know that my carbine speed reload is on average 2/10ths of a second slower than drawing my pistol, but that if I have more ammo in my Redi-Mag, then I’ll take that extra time to get 30 rounds of .223 in the fight, versus 11 rounds of .45 ACP. I know that I can speed reload in pitch dark as fast as I can in the light, maybe faster. Sound impossible? The truth is that if you can perform an action without using conscious thought, if it can be controlled, regulated and maneuvered by using subconscious thought, it will be faster, smoother and more efficient. And this brings us to the next point.

Practice, Practice, Practice
Whatever action you may be called on to do when time is life, you’ll want to practice it until it can be done without conscious thought. The simple truth is that the better you become at subconsciously running your gun, then the better you’ll be able to use your conscious thought for solving problems. In conflicts there will always be problems that must be solved, obstacles to be overcome. One thing about guns is that sooner or later, (and probably sooner rather than later in battlefield conditions,) your gun will have a malfunction. So, can you clear your weapon’s malfunction quickly, no matter what kind it may be? How quickly? Can you do it without thinking about it, and keep your head in the game, thinking about the next move while you’re doing it? Make no mistake, this will take time and practice. A few inert rounds and some time spent with your weapons systems, off and on the range, dealing with malfunctions could very well save your life when it fails to go bang on the day. If you are carrying more than one weapon into the field or on the street, you need to know how quickly you can solve the problem, and at which point you swap to your alternate weapon or method. There will be no time on the day to stop and think, “Oh, yeah, NOW would be a good time to go to my back up!” It must be done via muscle memory or you’ll skip a beat, miss a step and be even further behind the power curve.

Don’t forget that your mind is your greatest and first weapon. It is the thing that drives all else and we want to keep it clear and have as few problems as possible to solve. So work with your gear and decide what your standard operating procedure is before it comes to it, and then practice it until it becomes instinct. When deciding your method in handling different situations or weapon systems, try to never go with a particular technique just because someone else said to, no matter how good or knowledgeable that person is, because people don’t always have the same body mechanics or application for any given situation. No, you’ll want to develop your own method based on good reasoning. If there’s a good reason behind why you’re doing what you’re doing, then at least you’re doing something right. But don’t stop there; look to see if you can find a better reason to do it any other way. Follow the 80% rule. You want to practice what is going to work for you 80% of the time or better. Ask yourself when you are doing your next dry fire practice or shooting at the range, or anything that may need to be accomplished during critical moments, “Is this going to work for me when it’s wet, when I’m tired, when I can’t think, when my lungs are working overtime to suck in some vital air, when I’m scared out of my wits?” And train to reality. Reality isn’t sunny and 75 on level ground with no pressure. Reality is dark-cold-scared with everything on the line and no do-overs.

How well do you perform when your heart is pounding at 145+ beats per minute, your legs and arms are smoked and your mind is struggling to find the answer to the current problem? Test yourself and know that at that point, the head shot at 25 yards is stupid with that pocket pistol, or manageable with that shotgun. Know that your speed reload falls to pieces if you go too fast, so you can slow it down, take a breath and think through the problem. If you train through enough stressful situations, running as fast as you can, then  you’ll find where you melt down and where you need to be to keep things running quickly but smoothly. One important point to remember is that “You can’t hit by missing.” This means that if you’re going to miss, slow it down, correct it, move up, slow your heart and breathing or just man up and dig deep and do whatever needs to happen to get the job done right.

But don’t go faster than you can. I learned this lesson crystal clear when I was about 15 years old. I remember expending an entire 20 round magazine at a full-size steel through my rifle at 200 yards and never once hitting it because I was frustrated and was shooting way too fast; a shot that I should have hit the first time if I had slowed myself down a couple seconds. This was a stupid mistake that could have meant taking an innocent life through negligence down range on the day, because every missed round is a liability. But the point here is that if you shoot, move or operate too fast for your level, you’re doing no one any good. So if you find yourself missing, slow it down and get your hits. Again, this comes back to knowing your limits. Don’t go faster than you can on the street, means that you hit that failure point on the range, in training, so you won’t make that mistake on The Day. So where are your limits? Do you know them? Do you know if you can hit that half a head hiding behind your best friend when he/she becomes a hostage? It’s all on you.

Train hard. Fight harder. Live for God and do your best; leave the results to Him because they are His anyway. Love those you should and be ready to kill those who need to die. And always know your limits.

Letter Re: A Lesson from Fasting for Preparedness

Dear Editor:
I enjoyed the post by J.C. regarding Fasting for Preparedness. It was well written with lots of info for those who may wish to explore further. I am a 55 year old male. I am 6’3″ and weigh 190 lbs. I’ve been blessed with a strong Christian upbringing and was familiar with the concept of fasting for spiritual reasons most of my life. The Bible is chock full of fasting references, from short duration to supernatural fasts such as Jesus Christ in Matthew Chapter 4. So back in the 1990s when I began fasting, it was for spiritual reasons rather than any physical benefit I might receive. (But, as it often turns out, a spiritual practice, in many instances, rewards us with physical blessings which we never expected.)

All through the mid to late 1990s I practiced fasting as a method of prayer and thanksgiving. beginning with 3-day juice-only fasts and progressing up to water only fasts up to two weeks. My walk with the Lord became closer and I felt  that wonderful Divine Assurance that developing a close dependence on God brings. I also learned (as did J.C.) that the body I was given really benefited and adapted in very positive ways.

Then in 2002, one of my parents became ill and I went to Nevada to hospice them. I began the fast as my loved one’s health was nearing the end, but they passed peacefully. I had taken care of my obligations and set affairs in order and without giving too much thought, loaded my backpack and walked off into the Great Basin with which I was very familiar, growing up there. Being in such sadness at the loss, I simply continued the fast, all while doing daily walks over rough country with a 40 pound pack. I broke the fast after 32 days. I was weak but not debilitated, though my mental processes were much diminished.

At the time of that fast I was new to prepping, I still store food and other items my family and I will need to make it through the period of Judgment this nation is facing. But that month of being out in the high desert, fasting to the Lord, changed my life’s trajectory in more ways that I can express, but all in a positive sense. I learned the true meaning of prepping. I gained a deeper understanding of  Matthew 6: 24-34.

For me, the true gifts of fasting are a deeper faith in the only real source of security, the One True and Living God. I still am making preps but I understand where it all comes from. I also no longer fear that a lack of food will cause me to be weakened and helpless after a number of days.

One last note: Never break a fast by eating heavily! Small amounts of fruit or juice the first couple of days, then ease back into a regular diet. – Jeff B.

News From The American Redoubt:

Anyone who has experience running a small restaurant and looking to relocate to the American Redoubt should take a look at this business for sale in the Palouse Hills region college town of Moscow, Idaho.

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Wolf studies by UW and WSU reach different conclusions

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Over at the Forward Observer blog site, there is a link to an insightful podcast: Podcast Episode 033 – Malheur Aftermath & Lessons Learned

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Dozens of groups miss filing date for Montana’s Disclose Act

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Spokane Valley mayor says firing city manager was legal

Economics and Investing:

Here is a fascinating three part podcast that has been put on YouTube: Verge of Collapse: Economy & Privacy: Ann Barnhardt

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Israel’s Natural Gas Deposits Three Times Bigger than Estimated

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

Displaced Worker Dishes Dirt on Disney’s H-1B Layoffs (Washington Examiner)

Watch: Fired Disney Worker Breaks Down Describing Humiliation of Training Foreign Guest Worker Replacement (Conservative Review)

New York Times Hits Donald Trump Over Guest Workers at MAR-A-LAGO (Breitbart)

International News

Global Finance Officials Promise to Shore Up Sagging Growth (AP via Drudge Report) 

Venezuela’s Oil Market Participants are Considering the Implications of an Unprecedented Event (Business Insider)

China Seeks to Assure G20 Over Its Economy (BBC News)

Personal Economics and Household Finance

100+ Easy Ways to Save Money (Don’t Waste the Crumbs)
Excerpt: “It’s easy to have big, lofty goals. The hard part though, is finding ways to implement change in our daily lives to ACHIEVE the big goal.” This article contains lots of GREAT ideas with additional links to recipes and helpful tutorials!

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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:

Gadgets track wildlife, and enlighten humans

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A recent headline: At least 1,818 Clinton emails contain classified material.  And of those, 50 were classified Secret or Top Secret (TS), and within the TS category 22 of the e-mails were “copy and paste” sections from Sensitive Compatmented Information (SCI) codeword material from Special Access Programs (SAPs)! As a former Special Security Officer (SSO) who was in charge of SCI document storage and SAP compartment program briefings and de-briefings, I am stunned to see that Hitlery Clinton still has not yet been charged. If she were one of my ASA intel troops and had done that, then she’d be behind bars. (But of course the members of the Clinton royal family are special. I really doubt that she will ever get her Perp Walk moment wearing the shiny bracelets, on camera.) – JWR

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UPDATE: Complete text of Higgins’ remarks; Clay Higgins leaves the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office

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A preview of Europe’s upcoming Border Fence Spring and City Plaza Summer:  Hundreds of migrants have smashed their way though a fence on the Macedonia-Greece border.

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The California State Assembly is continuing to steamroller Second Amendment rights.  According to California’s Firearms Policy Coalition, four more anti-gun bills are coming up for committee hearings today in the Assembly Public Safety Committee:

AB 1663: Will expand the “Assault Weapons” ban to include semi-automatic centerfire rifles capable of accepting

AB 1664: Will ban all semi-automatic rifles that are equipped with a bullet button or other mag-locking device.

AB 1673: Will expand the definition of “firearm” to include the “finished frame or receiver of the weapon, or the unfinished frame or receiver of a weapon that can be readily converted to the functional condition of a finished frame or receiver.”  (Presumably that means all of the 80% complete paperweights on the market.)

AB 1674: Will make it a crime to attempt to purchase more than one firearm of any type within a 30-day period and delete the private party transaction exemption to the 30-day prohibition.

(Californians: You are urged to immediately contact your Assemblymen to oppose this legislation–both in committee and if it reaches the Assembly floor.)

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“It is a popular delusion that the government wastes vast amounts of money through inefficiency and sloth. Enormous effort and elaborate planning are required to waste this much money.” – P.J. O’Rourke

Notes for Monday – February 29, 2016

Today is Leap Day, observed once every four years.  Folks on this day often humorously claim that they are only one quarter of their apparent age.

This is the 48th birthday (or should I say the 12th birthday?) of Eugene Volokh, (born 1968), an outstanding law professor and blogger.

Rhodium: The Overlooked Precious Metal

The recent re-emergence of precious metals in the public eye has been underscored by an unprecedented divergence in the spot prices of gold and platinum. Traditionally, platinum has sold at a premium above the price of gold. But in today’s topsy-turvy financial world, platinum now sells at a deep discount below gold. (This is in part because platinum is considered more of a industrial metal, whereas gold is both an industrial metal and a monetary metal.)  As I’m drafting this, I see that gold is selling for around $1,200 per ounce, while platinum is just $915 per ounce. This disparity has led some to shout: “Forget gold, buy platinum!”  This approach has merit, but I’d take it a step further, and say: “Forget gold and platinum, buy rhodium!”  (Rhodium is more rare than platinum, yet is currently priced lower.)

As recently as seven years ago, rhodium was selling for $6,000 per Troy ounce.  It is currently slumbering down around $670 per Troy ounce, and you can buy a serialized one Troy ounce Baird Mint Rhodium bar for around $850.  (The minting premium for each bar is high because so few bars are produced, and because it is fairly difficult to mint, since it is brittle.) But $850 or even $900 is a bargain, in my estimation.

What on Earth is Rhodium?
LeftistAgendaPedia (my name for Wikipedia) tells us:

“Rhodium is a chemical element with symbol Rh and atomic number 45. It is a rare, silvery-white, hard, and chemically inert transition metal. It is a member of the platinum group. It has only one naturally occurring isotope, 103Rh. Naturally occurring rhodium is usually found as the free metal, alloyed with similar metals, and rarely as a chemical compound in minerals such as bowieite and rhodplumsite. It is one of the rarest and most valuable precious metals.

Rhodium is a noble metal, resistant to corrosion, found in platinum- or nickel ores together with the other members of the platinum group metals. It was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston in one such ore, and named for the rose color of one of its chlorine compounds, produced after it reacted with the powerful acid mixture aqua regia.

The element’s major use (approximately 80% of world rhodium production) is as one of the catalysts in the three-way catalytic converters in automobiles. Because rhodium metal is inert against corrosion and most aggressive chemicals, and because of its rarity, rhodium is usually alloyed with platinum or palladium and applied in high-temperature and corrosion-resistive coatings. White gold is often plated with a thin rhodium layer to improve its appearance while sterling silver is often rhodium-plated for tarnish resistance.”

Okay, so this stuff is rare and valuable.

How Rare Is Rhodium?
But just how rare is it? In terms of its relative rarity (that is, as a percentage of the volume of the Earth’s crust, compared to the other precious metals, in descending order, ranging from more common to less common, we find:

  1. Ag (Silver)
  2. Ru (Ruthenium)
  3. Au (Gold)
  4. Pt  (Platinum)
  5. Pd (Palladium)
  6. Rh (Rhodium)   <–
  7. Os (Osmium)
  8. Ir (Iridium)

So… This element is more scarce than Platinum and even Palladium. That’s nifty cool.

The other key consideration is that presently more than 90% of the Rhodium mined worldwide comes from mines in just two countries: Russia and South Africa.  If geopolitical events conspire to limit the mining operations or the sales availability of Rhodium from either or worse both of those two countries, then the price of Rhodium could explode overnight.  All that it would take is the outbreak of civil war in South Africa, or the outbreak of WWIII–or perhaps even just a regional war in the Middle East that involves Russia–and then kaboom!  There goes the price of Rhodium, through the roof. Perhaps up to $4,000 per ounce.  That would provide a nice profit.  

An aside: One of the not-so-well publicized uses for Rhodium is as a plating in some high tech military weapons systems. So it is considered a strategic metal. So that could be a factor, in the event of another World War.

Who Should Buy It?
Rhodium is not for novice investors. I would recommend investing in some rhodium only if you are looking for a long term hedge, and only after you already have your family survival and self-sufficiency preparations squared away, and after you have socked away some small silver coins for barter.  (Namely: Pre-1965 silver dimes and quarters.)  Rhodium is much too exotic to be practicable for barter in the midst of a monetary crisis. Instead, think of it as time machine, a tool to preserve some of your wealth from one side of a crisis to the other.  Obviously, the time to sell is during an economic revival, when there is a big demand for cars–because gas engine cars need catalytic converters. Again, Rhodium is a long term hedge only for those who already have solid positions in other precious metals.

Where Should You Buy It?
I suggest asking your local coin shop to order you one or more 1-ounce Baird Mint Rhodium bars.  Then pay cash for it, and walk away with no paper trail.  Or, if you don’t mind the paper trail, then you can send a bank money order of cashier’s check to one of the larger and most trustworthy precious metals dealers, such Kitco.com. Be advised that the smaller bars (1/2, 1/4, and 1/10th ounce) carry the highest premiums.

For the sake of authenticity, I would recommend buying only the .999 fine 1-Troy ounce bars that are minted and packaged by Baird Mint of London. Serialized bars are best, for resale. For most investors, even though the per-ounce premium is lower I do not recommend buying Rhodium in “sponge” (powder) form, because the resale process is generally restricted to only selling it to the same company from which you bought it. 

Where Should You Store It?
As with all other precious metals, never take some dealer’s promise to “vault store” them for you.  The only truly safe precious metals investments are the ones that are in your personal possession.  (See the many archived SurvivalBlog articles on construction of hidden wall or door caches.)

One last bit of advice: Be sure to shop around. The market for Rhodium bars is incredibly thin, so prices vary widely. – JWR

Note: SurvivalBlog and it’s Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Benchmade Steep

I think I’ve been getting knife samples from Benchmade for articles about 23 years now, and I’ve toured their factory several times, though I haven’t been up there for a while. So, I’m over due for a visit to see how much they have expanded since my last visit. Les d’Asis, the owner at Benchmade, always seems to find the time to sit down and visit with me, and it has never, ever been a visit that was cut short. Les is “good people”; with no dress shirt and tie, and I’ve mentioned this before about him, he’s a real down to earth type of guy!

Over the years, I’ve seen quite a few PR and marketing people at Benchmade come and go. Some were real good; others were just so-so. There was even a PR/marketing firm or two that handled writers’ requests for samples. The newest guy at Benchmade is one of the absolute best I’ve dealt with– Derrick Lau. If a product is in-stock that I request, he gets it headed my way in short order. However, he dropped the ball on this request, and said he lost my request on his desk. I can certainly appreciate that; my desk is a mess, all of the time. When I reminded Lau that he still owed me a sample of the “Steep” fixed blade knife, he got right on it, and my sample went out the next day. Yes!

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Believe it or not, it’s not easy working with some PR and marketing folks at various knife and firearms companies. Some seem to think that they are doing the writers a favor by sending samples for articles, while many other PR folks know the editorial value of getting samples into our hands for articles. Lau is one of the latter; he gets samples out if he has them, and if they aren’t in-stock, he gets them out as soon as they hit his desk! I hope Benchmade keeps him around a good long time.

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I anxiously awaited the Benchmade “Steep” fixed blade hunting knife, and I use the term “hunting knife” loosely. A quick look at the Steep shows it has a 3.5-inch blade made out of CPMS30V, which is one of the best super-stainless steels on the market. It’s tough stuff, and it holds an edge a good long time, too. The blade is Rockwell at 58-60– not too hard and not too soft. The handle is made out of Santoprene, and you can have it in black or orange. My sample came with the black handle. I requested the drop point blade without the gut hook on it. The knife only weighs in at a mere 3.85 oz and comes in a very nicely made Kydex sheath. The knife is actually a bit smaller, overall, than I thought it would be. It is just perfect for everyday carry where legal to carry a fixed blade knife on your belt. It feels like a good ol’ pocket knife in my hand, and as stated, it’s not too big and not too small.

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Needless to say, the Steep (named after a mountain range in Oregon) came shaving sharp right out of the box. Had it not been, I would have been disappointed in Benchmade. Then again, they have an outstanding quality control department. Each product is hand-checked before being boxed up and shipped out.

The Steep also has a soft, satin type finish on the blade, too. The top of the handle has some ridges sticking out of the Santoprene handle for a sure hold on the blade under harsh conditions, like rain, snow, or dressing out game you shot. There is also a nice lanyard hold on the butt of the knife for attaching a lanyard. Many people don’t take advantage of this feature on many knifes, but if you ever work over water, a lanyard comes in handy. You don’t want to drop your blade in the water.

I showed the Steep around to the guys (and girls) at the gun shop I haunt, and they all loved the way it felt in the hand. The comment I keep hearing was “it’s not too big, and not too small; it feels nice in my hand.” Some customers also handled the knife and said the same thing.

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I put the Steep through my usual testing, which includes cutting poly rope– super tough stuff to cut, hemp rope, slicking newspaper, cutting cardboard boxes, and slicing through blackberry vines. Also, the wife used it around the kitchen and thought for sure this sample was for her. She used it for all manner of kitchen cutting chores. I’ve lost more than one knife (and gun) sample to her over the years. The trick is to steal it back when she isn’t looking.

I carried the Steep on several hikes out in the boonies where I live, and I never even knew I had the knife on my belt, because it’s so lightweight and small-ish! I can easily see this blade being a great knife to carry if you have to bug out or toss it in your Bug Out Bag, or you can easily wear it on your belt. While, it’s not a heavy duty survival knife, it will take care of most of your chores, and keep in mind that no single knife can accomplish all the chores you want it to do. There is always a compromise, no matter what kind of knife you pick.

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In the past, I’ve had some folding knives, even locking folding knives, fold on my fingers when the locking mechanism failed on me; that’s not good. I can see the Steep replacing a folding knife. There are no worries about the blade folding on you; it’s a fixed blade knife. Quite honestly, I was very favorably impressed with the Steep for most everyday chores that you might require a knife for, whether a fixed blade or a folder.

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Some years ago, I had a number or readers ask me to ask Benchmade if they would come out with a quality fixed blade knife for about a hundred bucks. Well, the full retail on the Steep is $115– just a bit over that hundred dollar mark but well worth the money. And, if you shop around on the ‘net, you’ll find a Steep for a hundred bucks or less. Keep in mind that this knife has a CPM S30V super-stainless steel blade that handle what you call upon it to do. You see, some of the knife (and gun) companies do listen to what the consumers want, and I was surprised that the blade from Benchmade came in at this price point with the quality steel it comes with.

So, if you’re in the market, for a new fixed blade knife from a major player in the cutlery industry and you don’t want one that is too big or too small but one that is just right, check out the Steep online or at your local dealer. It really is a lot of knife for the money!

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Sarah Latimer: Unrealized Expectations – Part 1

A simple reach to touch and squeeze my hand, followed by a slight smile in the corners of what are usually distant eyes that at that moment were deeply focused on mine, brought me to tears. Last week, after my husband had prepared a sandwich lunch for his mother and me and I had fed her, done her hair, and given her a manicure, I prayed with her. I just gently touched her arm with one hand and went to our Heavenly Father with praises, intercession, and petitions in our Savior’s name. “Mom” is on hospice care and in the final stages of one of those horrific, neurodegenerative diseases. (You know, it’s one of those– dementia, Alzheimer’s, and such that takes the mind and the body slowly.) We haven’t heard any real words from her in almost a year, nor had even a laugh or smile or indication that she knows what is going on around her. She makes little movement and cannot walk or feed herself. So, the act of her lifting her hand to reach for mine and squeeze it was a big deal. Even her focus into my eyes was significant. At that moment, I had been praying and giving thanks for her son, Hugh, and all he does and for the joy that we have as wives and mothers of godly men. I can’t, of course, know what was going on in her mind, but I do believe that she was joining me in this prayer and letting me it when she reached for my hand and squeezed it. I think there was also more to it than just that. After she squeezed my hand and I realized I had her attention, I talked with her about her husband and how blessed she was to have his care and that they had just celebrated more than 50 years of marriage. With that, there was an immediate change in her appearance. A sadness came over her. I think I know what that was about I believe it was the disappointment that she could not celebrate her anniversary in the manner she would like. Knowing her and how she loved to bake cakes, decorate them, and gather family together for festive celebrations, I believe she was feeling some level of frustration over unrealized expectations. We have all known how this feels. There is nothing she can do to change her circumstances. It breaks my heart. I hate this disease and will continue to do everything I can to give her comfort and care through the remainder of her life.

We all make plans and have expectations. It’s part of what makes us women. We are always in thought and thinking. (I still struggle with the concept that men can actually think of “nothing”, but I trust them when they tell me it is true. I do not know that “nothingness”. My thoughts may be distant and somewhat meaningless or fantastic at a given point in time, but I’m thinking from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep. I even have dreams that rival Ridley Scott movies.) Oh, I’m getting off subject here. Well, we are thinkers, planners, and we most certainly have expectations. However, most of us are not at all in Mom’s shoes. We have abilities and choices to make.

It’s almost spring, and we’ve made it through the holiday season and a time of the year where there is a noticeably disproportionate number of weddings and anniversaries celebrated, at least in my circle. I wonder if there are many of you, who have suffered some disappointment in your relationships or circumstances recently. Did you have expectations of a significant tax refund that would pay for romantic getaway that didn’t happen? Did you hope for a relationship to blossom that didn’t? Or did you hope that your husband would remember your anniversary this year, but he didn’t…again!?! Maybe with the economy the way that it is, you’ve decided that you need to be more practical and invest in items that will see you and your family through for the future instead of just some short-term luxury, but the lack of this item or event has left you feeling a little short-changed. Right now, with what’s going on in our world, we are all (man and woman) reasonably feeling short-changed. We have to deal with disappointment and sometimes those disappointments, when dwelled on, can lead to depression and bitterness. I have a suggestion for something better. Hang with me for a bit.

Let me ask you something. Who is responsible for your happiness? Think about that for a minute. When you got married, did you think that you were saying “I do” to a fairy tale relationship with Prince Charming, who would make your every dream come true and you’d never have any hardships, needs, disagreements, or disappointments? Some of us did think that, and we then had a rude awakening. What I’ve come to find is that there are no perfect human beings and life is full of wonder and blessings, but if I set expectations that are not realistic and out of my control then I am setting myself up for disappointment; I also realize that there is little that I can control. So, how do I find happiness, especially when there are many disappointments and others don’t fulfill my expectations?

There are several things, I do:

  1. I remember that God is trustworthy and loves me, so I will let Him be in control of all of the big stuff (and the little stuff, too) and I’ll trust Him to determine whether I really need something or not. Some things I just can’t control. I either have to accept living without or trusting that, if I need them, the LORD will provide what is needed for me to have it in His way. Many times I have had a plan to achieve a good outcome that didn’t pan out, but the goal was still achieved, just in a very different way and through different means than I had pursued/planned. I’ve learned that I don’t have to have my way, because my way is always far inferior to God’s way. Remember the bible story of Ruth? It started out as a very sad story. The daughters-in-law were all instructed to go back to their families after all of Naomi’s sons had died, but Ruth would not leave Naomi and insisted “your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God”. She devoted herself to Naomi. She worked hard to support herself and also Naomi, and she followed some instructions that seemed very strange and odd to her. However, she did as she was instructed in big things (moving to another country and culture) and in small things (lying at Boaz’s feet and covering herself with his tunic). In the meantime, she worked hard at menial chores that provided for what was needed– gathering grain from the fields that was left for the widows and orphans, where she gathered for both her and Naomi. In the end of the story, she became the wife of well-respected Boaz and also became a mother. She ultimately was the great grandmother of beloved King David and is a woman honored throughout history! If you have time this week, read the book of Ruth. There is much to be learned from this story. If you are trusted in His Son, repented, and made the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob your God, then you are the daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords! Ask Him to put His desires in your heart and to show you how to fulfill them. If your desires don’t come to fruition right away, be patient and trust that if it is God’s will, He will provide. Just don’t let the not having something make you feel bitter, angry, or anything less than loved.
  2. Don’t rely on other people to do “sweet” things for me or provide things for my happiness. If I really want or need something, I do my best to figure out a way to provide it for myself. You can, too. Here are a few examples of things that make me feel good (even pampered) that I have found I can provide for myself when I want them (and I can do them in a remote location):

  • Herbal and flavored teas– There are many herbal and flavored teas that can be grown and produced in many parts of the country. Peppermint, lemon balm, and chamomile are fairly easy plants to grow. Peppermint and lemon balm are perennials in zones 4-8 that grow aggressively. (Sometimes you even have to cut them back as they want to take over. Isn’t that a wonderful problem with a favorite tea!). Chamomile is a self-sowing annual that grows in even poor, mildly acidic-to-neutral pH soil as long as it is well-drained and in a sunny location. Leaves from blackberry vines (if not sprayed) can be collected in late fall, dried, and used for flavoring tea; rose hips can be collected dried and used in tea, if you don’t spray your rose bushes. If you live where there are orange trees or have access to oranges, you can peel the skin, leaving the white pith, and use this to make wonderful teas. I like to buy oranges in bulk in the fall/winter season and dry their peel in my Weston stainless steel dehydrator that I bought from Ready Made Resources to use year ’round. Freeze-dried ginger root slices are wonderful additions to flavor tea; a single slice of ginger seeped in warm water makes a soothing tea to treat nausea, too. So, grow your own wonderful teas. You don’t need someone to take you to tea or buy a box them from afar when they are growing in your own yard and are sustainable. You can just put your own ingredients in an infuser or disposable tea bags and use whenever you want.
  • Homemade Chocolate Bar- Feel the need for a chocolate bar but don’t want to drive the distance to the store for one or wait for someone to bring you a box of chocolate? Combine a tablespoon or two of each of the following in a small bowl or on top of graham crackers–

    • frozen nuts (I prefer almonds or pecans),
    • milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips,
    • white chips, and
    • mini-marshmallows (you can make from scratch, too; see how on YouTube, but cut much smaller than in the video; store in airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer a long time.)

    If you want to add a caramel flavor to your nut/chocolate/marshmallow combination, drizzle a little caramel sauce over the marshmallows, or add coconut, too. You can also put this on graham crackers and put in the 400 degree oven for a minute to begin melting the ingredients together a little (somewhat like a S’mores).

    Caramel Sauce- To make your own caramel sauce, in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat, combine:

    • 1 cup of brown sugar,
    • 1/2 cup of butter, and
    • 1/4 cup of milk.

    Heat over medium heat, stirring to the bottom of the pan almost continuously until it boils for 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and boil for another minute, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and let cool for about ten minutes before using or pouring into storage container, as it is very hot.

    Brown Sugar- To make your own fresh brown sugar, in a blender, mixer, or food processor, combine:

    • 1 cup of granulated pure cane sugar, and
    • 1 tablespoon of unsulfured molasses.

    Mix the sugar and molasses until blended thoroughly. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Graham Crackers- To make your own graham crackers:

    • 1/2 cup of butter
    • 2 cups of freshly ground whole wheat flour (or 1 1/2 cups of store-bought whole wheat flower plus an extra 1/2 cup of wheat germ)
    • 1/2 cup wheat germ
    • 1/2 cup of bread flour
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract,
    • 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup milk

      Mix thoroughly and chill the dough for at least four hours, until firm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes (rectangles, circles, or shapes) and place onto greased cookie sheets 1/2 inch apart. Poke some holes in them with a fork. Bake 10-12 minutes in preheated oven until until begin to brown on edges. Cool on cooling racks and use. Store in airtight containers in freezer for long-lasting freshness.

February in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville 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 February?

Gold had a very good February. Starting at $1,126 an ounce, it jumped as high as $1,261 an ounce. By February 11th, spot gold had closed over the $1,200 mark, and never looked back. Toward the end of the month, spot gold was parked above the $1,230 level

Factors Affecting Gold This Month

Much like last month, blood was running in the street on Wall Street, and pain continues in the Oil Patch.

OIL GLUT (Continuing)

Oil futures saw a stomach-churning ride in February. Desperate traders eagerly snapped up any rumor as evidence the nightmare was about to end, only to see their hopes (and oil prices) dashed. It became hard to tell what was pushing the stock markets around, either China’s slowdown, or oil falling even more. Analysts at Citibank also noticed this negative feedback loop between oil and stocks, warning “We Should All Fear Oilmageddon.”

NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES

Negative interest rates seem to be doing the exact opposite of what central bankers want. Top financial analysts are pointing to negative interest rate policy (NIRP) as a major cause of the global financial instability that we’ve seen this year. Banks that are being charged interest on deposits by central banks can’t pass that new cost on to consumers. They’d all yank their money, causing a bank run and failure, and put it in a bank that didn’t charge them for deposits. This means that bank profits, which were already squeezed from zero interest rates, are shrinking even more. This causes the opposite effect than what central banks wanted from NIRP: banks are lending LESS, not MORE.

This is a big reason that financial stocks have been such an anchor around Wall St.’s neck. Combine this with energy stocks tanking on plunging oil prices, and the reason stocks are down so much this year is obvious. Janet Yellen seems to be ignoring the real results of NIRP. She’s asked the big banks to run simulations of whethe or not they could survive negative interest rates in the US.

Super megabank Goldman Sachs is now wondering if the central banks have broken Capitalism itself with zero and negative interest rates.

The Bank of Japan’s imposition of negative rates DID increase consumer purchases in one area – home safes to store cash in.

WAR ON CASH

Since the central banks blame the failure of their policies on the fact that the public won’t do what they’re told, and they also want to be ready to bail out the Big Banks again, they have turned to waging war on cash. The first step in this war is to eliminate the $100 and €500 currency notes. Campaigning under the guise of “fighting terrorism” and “fighting crime,” they let slip the real reason: taking taxes directly out of your bank account. This war is also on tradesmen, and anyone who conducts business in cash. If there is no physical money, the government can see when you’re paid for handyman work, or buy something for “cash,” and levy taxes accordingly.

The Europeans aren’t waiting around to see if the EU central government demonetizes the €500 note. They’re piling into high denomination Swiss Franc banknotes. MarketWatch reported on the < href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/big-jump-in-use-of-swiss-1000-franc-bills-2016-02-22">huge jump in demand for 1000 franc notes from Switzerland. The same thing is happening in Japan, as people “pad their mattresses” with 10,000 yen notes.

Other avenues of storing wealth in physical form will be fine art and expensive wines for the wealthy, and precious metals for everyone.

DOLLAR LOSING SAFE HAVEN STATUS

The dollar was notably absent from any safe haven buying during the recent meltdown in stocks. The Japanese yen saw healthy demand, especially in Asia. Treasuries remained a “go to” safe haven asset, but more often than not, the dollar was ignored. The unraveling of expectations of a March interest rate hike by the Fed put notable pressure on the dollar. It had gained a good bit of ground as traders anticipated that the Fed would keep raising interest rates.

Another knock against the greenback is Iran’s refusal to take dollars for oil shipments.

On the Retail Front

You want to talk physical precious metals demand? Let’s talk physical precious metals demand. American Silver Eagle sales topped 4 million in February, to bring the two month total to 10 million coins. This is the best start of the year for Silver Eagles since 2013. Gold Eagle sales are up over 58% from last year, clocking in at 195,500 troy oz so far this year. Adding 51,000 24K Gold Buffalos, and US Mint gold sales were 246,500 troy oz for the first two months of 2016.

HUGE retail gold demand has caught the attention of the mainstream press, with Bloomberg proclaiming “Gold is Back in Fashion” after $15 trillion was wiped out in the global financial markets. Forbes says “Investors Are Flocking To Gold Like There’s No Tomorrow.” I’m kind of partial to the headline “Gold Bulls Feast” due to negative interest rates by central banks.

On the central bank side, we see Russia and China adding to reserves for yet another month, and Canada liquidating all gold reserves. So, we have China dumping US Treasuries and buying gold, and Canada selling gold and buying “financial assets that are easily tradable and that have deep markets of buyers and sellers.” (I know who I think is right!)

Also on the central bank front, the Hungarian Central Bank has been reaping the profits of currency wars, as the forint has become deeply devalued. But instead of sending the profits to the Treasury, it’s been buying luxury real estate and $15 million paintings with the money. The blowback has finally reached a point that the Prime Minister can’t protect his buddy at the central bank any longer, so they bought 112 9mm pistols and 200,000 rounds of ammo, to protect their vast real estate and fine art holdings from “terrorists.”

Market Buzz

Jim Rogers says that the whole global market is about to come tumbling down, and there’s nothing the central banks can do about. Of course, the little people will feel most of the pain, while the movers and shakers are insulated from the consequences of their actions.

Chief Investment Strategist at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch notes that there has been $12.3 TRILLION in global quantitative easing, and nothing to show for it but a world on the brink of recession.

MarketWatch agrees, quoting Steen Jakobsen, chief economist at Saxo Bank, saying the huge meltdown in stocks in early February was “the week when central bank planning died—the 2016 version of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It sounds worse than it is, as this was always coming.”

Bill Gross, known as The Bond King, notes how the inability of zero interest rates and negative interest rates to have any positive impact exposes the impotence of Central Banks. Gross, who predicted the subprime mortgage crisis, said he has one question for the central bankers: “How’s that working for ya?”

The Office for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warns that the levels of corporate debt are at the worst point since 2007, and the misguided notion by central banks that they can control the global economy is to blame.

Tracy Knudsen. the senior market analyst at Lowry Research says there’s no sign of a bottom in the stock market.

Top forecaster Tom DeMark says you ain’t seen nothing yet, as far as the S&P 500 going lower.

Peter Schiff thinks the Fed has screwed up, and we’re about to see a period of rising inflation and stagnant growth, aka stagflation.

The CEO of Barrick Gold, the world’s largest gold miner, says
the US$1,500 per ounce call from a recent HSBC report is “very achievable,” as the precious metal enters the early stages of a new bull market.

Over at SRSrocco Report, they notice that the huge demand for silver has seen the amount of COMEX deliverable silver hit a historic low.


Looking Ahead

The Fed is itching for any excuse to raise rates next month. If they do, it will make the dollar even more noncompetitive, hurting US businesses. At press time, the Fed funds futures rate as tracked by CME Group’s FedWatch gives a March rate hike only a 6% chance. (It only gives a 28% chance of any rate hike at all in 2016.)

OPEC and Russia are likely to keep trying the central bankers’ trick of moving the market higher for oil with just words, but don’t look for anything to actually happen. The little guys in OPEC are the ones being crushed between the two petroleum giants, while we just enjoy $1.50 gas.

The stock markets don’t look like they will calm down anytime soon, with prices still artificially inflated by cheap Fed money and stock buybacks. Gold will naturally be the safe haven of choice for many people who haven’t given it a second thought for the last three years.

To close this month, we ask the question: “How low are crude prices?” Our look at “What a Barrel of Oil WON’T Buy You” may put it in perspective.

Recipe of the Week: Spicy Wine Pot Roast, by J.M.

Here is a pot roast recipe from long-time SurvivalBlog reader J.M.  To tone the spiciness down, simply reduce the amount of Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.

Ingredients:

  • 3 to 4 lb beef pot roast
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 (¾oz) package brown gravy mix
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup catsup
  • ¼ cup dry red wine
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 pinch garlic powder

Directions:

  1. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper and place in a slow cooking
    pot.
  2. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over meat.
  3. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.
  4. Remove meat and slice.
  5. If desired, thicken the sauce with flour dissolved in a small
    amount of water and serve over meat.

Makes 6 to 7 servings

o o o

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

We really enjoy a hot porridge breakfast topped with a little butter and honey, surrounded by whole milk. Our porridge is often a mix of grains we have on hand from the pantry and just about any variation of the mix works! For readers who want to try porridge for the first time or just like to cook with a recipe safety net, this version is delicious and nutritious! It’s called Grandma’s Grain Recipe from 101 Cookbooks – T.A.

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail.
Thanks!

Letter: ShepherdFarmerGeek on Relocation to Belize

Dear Editor:
SurvivalBlog’s spin-off site SurvivalRealty.com has just listed a unique retreat opportunity called Providence Belize. The Shepherdess and I a-l-m-o-s-t moved there ourselves last year, but God is clearly calling us to stay and stand where we are with the people He has led us to help.

That said, we visited Belize once, for one day on a cruise excursion. It’s just beautiful (a subtropical paradise if you’re a gardener like me and tired of the drought conditions around Spokane!). Belize is a former British Colony. (It was called British Honduras, before 1973), and English is their primary language. I’ve never met Jim Duncan personally, but have corresponded with him for almost a year about this and I believe that he’s a man of integrity and he has commitment to Jesus.

I have zero financial connection with Providence Belize, whatsoever. My only concern is to see Jim Duncan’s vision of a remnant community succeed, as well as helping those fellow preppers who are ready to pick up and move their families somewhere safer. With Providence Belize you don’t have to freelance it, and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are already American Christians there to help you adapt and navigate the local scene.

Many of us have realized that we need a survival community to face the coming storm. What better place than one specifically intended for Christian preppers? If God is leading you out of the United States then this could be the safe place you’ve been looking for.

Trust God. Be Prepared. We can do both! – ShepherdFarmerGeek