Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.” 1 Kings 3:23-28 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – December 11, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 62 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 pmags 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 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 FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. Twenty-five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. 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. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  9. 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 61 ends on January 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.

To Prepare or Not to Prepare, by M.S.

As a father and a husband of four children, I ask any one of you out there, man or woman, how we can flip back and forth between the local news channels or news apps and not consider the need to prepare?

Whether you’re reading about the “Radical Islamists” that so many of our politicians refuse to label as such or the tornadoes touching down in the Midwest in November, or perhaps you remember Hurricane Katrina and all the helpless people that quite honestly would probably have done almost anything for a few gallons of water or food. How can we see all this and not prepare?

I talk to people– family, friends, and neighbors– and I constantly get that look of “Is this guy for real? Is he crazy?”Well I will tell you as nicely as I can, it’s the ones whon don’t prepare that are crazy! I believe they do so not understanding what prepping is about. It does not have to be a zombie apocalypse, nuclear war, EMP strike, pandemic, or any other “crazy” scenario. Although, I personally believe these are becoming more and more plausible. What about Katrina? What about the chemical spill in West Virginia a few years back? I was recently there, and I remember it all on the news. Do you know that people were waiting in line for six hours at a time just for three gallons of water? Or that the National guard was trucking water in for quite some time? A local told me the National Guard hauled water in for over three months while they were cleaning the system! I don’t remember seeing all those “hairy” details on the news either! Why did they not prepare?

What if the guard was not available? What if there were multiple attacks at one time on this great nation (just like Paris this past weekend) and the guard simply could not be in every place at once? I remember six or maybe seven years ago now, when we had an ice storm that shut power down for a majority of the state of Kansas. I personally went nine days without power. Nine days! Besides a few canned goods and a gallon of water in our fridge, we had nothing. My wife, our four children, and myself were totally reliant on others throughout this “natural” disaster. Do you know what it’s like to rely on others, or for your family to look at you and to have that feeling deep down in your gut that you’re helpless, that you can’t take care of the ones you swore to protect ’til your last breath? Why did I not prepare?

I would also like to point out during this power outage, which lasted nine days, that the power restored to the town nearby within 24 hours was intermittent. I remember having to go to the local gas station only when the lights were on, because the pumps run on electricity. Water was being pumped in from another source beside our local water treatment center, and guess what? Talk was going around of it being shut down if power did not come on permanently and remain that way because of the heavy demand we were putting on the rural water district. What would I have done then? The shelves at the store were well below normal stock levels. What trucks could make it in to deliver food and water were not enough, and it took them weeks to catch back up. After nine days and thousands of lineman from other states, all was eventually restored, but what if the other workers couldn’t come. How long would we have gone without the essentials then? What if all trucks were grounded? What would we do to protect the ones we love and care for? Why, as people, do we not prepare?

I cannot tell you how to prepare or why to prepare. This is something you must come to realize for yourself and most importantly those you love. I don’t mean to sound cruel or selfish, but let’s be honest; we as human beings will do anything to protect the ones we love. From the very first time I saw my first child born, I knew I would do anything to protect them from experiencing a single ounce of pain or hurt. A picture of a momma bear protecting her cubs comes to mind! I guarantee you “momma bear” is prepared!

I can also guarantee you that now I am prepared. While I may not be prepared for more than a few months, I am way better off then I was years ago. I now have enough food for at least three months. Some I’ve stored, and some I’ve bought ready-to-store. I have water for at least a few weeks. The rain barrels for my garden also double as water storage for my family. I have a bug out bag. (If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically an emergency pack that you have ready to grab in case of an emergency evacuation.) I keep way more than water and food in mine, but each person must decide what’s needed for theirs. “Crazy”, you say? What about the recent train derailment and the evacuation of a whole town that was in the news? I can be out of my house in under three minutes with my whole family if/when an emergency evacuation order is given. Can you? You really should prepare!

I also have weapons and ammunition stored. My wife and my children are all familiar with them and know they are to be handled with care and how to properly care for them. I have several different calibers and enough ammunition to last for several months as well. It’s not because I’m scared or worried about some government takeover but because I know that the masses who are not prepared will do what they need to in order to survive, because they did not prepare!

I know how to grow and store food as well. I’ve always been a gardener and always will be, if not to prepare at least to offset those high grocery prices that for some reason have not gone down even though gas is now $1.95 a gallon. I’ve read articles on food storage, off grid living, plant identification, wilderness survival, and so much more. You name it, and I can probably tell you something about it. All this prepping took time. I collected it one can of food at a time, one item a week, until I had enough to fill up my bug out bag. I also got one rain barrel at a time. The point I’m trying to get across is that you can do this for pennies on the dollar every week, if you just dedicate yourself. To prepare you must start somewhere.

Even if you don’t physically prepare with food, water, or weapons, the very least you can do is prepare yourself with knowledge. Just reading one or two articles and learning basics can surely save your life. For instance, what if your power is out and you live nowhere close to a supply of water and you have nothing stored? Do you know where you would go to get water? Do you know that you can tap your water heater tank for at least 50 gallons? What about the tanks on your toilets? Do you know that you need at the very minimum a gallon per person per day? You do the math and see how long that would last your family. Keep in mind that amount is for drinking and cooking only; a gallon is nowhere near enough for your hygiene and cleaning purposes. Did you know that you can use Crisco for a homemade candle, or that turpentine will waterproof matches? Have you talked to your family about whether you should stay put or bug out in an emergency? Trust me, there are all kinds of different situations that will make me decide one way versus the other. Fight or flight, this is very important. Do your kids know what to do if they get stuck at school while you are at work? Do you have a designated place to meet if you’re separated or disaster strikes when you are apart? Did you know that some of those yellow flowers along the roadways have an edible root? Jerusalem artichokes, I believe is what they call them. Some of this may mean nothing to any of you, and to be honest I may never use any of it. You may think I’m the biggest fool in the world. My wife will say things in public about my prepping, but in private it’s probably the thing I do that she says makes her feel most safe. All it takes is for one thing to happen and my gear and knowledge will be priceless. It’s all because I’m prepared!

Look at the ones you love and ask yourself, “to prepare or not to prepare?” Any sane person knows the answer to that one!

Two Letters Re: The 9mm Parabellum vs the .40 Smith and Wesson vs the .45 ACP, by B.F.

Good Morning Hugh,

Read with interest the article posted today about handgun calibers. I agree, the topic is beaten to death, and I agree with the author’s conclusion 110%: You should practice, practice, practice and use what works best for you! I found the following website/report to be extremely useful in my own research, and it provided me with the information I needed to choose a carry-ammunition for my family (Federal 124 gr HST 9mm). YMMV, however, the data was presented extremely well and un-biased. Please pass this link along to your readers for them to use as well. I have no interest in the LuckyGunner website; I, just found the report extremely useful for this challenging topic.

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HJL,

The debate over the effectiveness of cartridges designed to be shot by mortal men in concealable pistols was well addressed here. The subject of knockdown power is mostly misunderstood. You only need high school physics to understand that for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. With that said, if the bullet has the power to “knock down” your assailant, then it would certainly knock you down too. Projectiles need enough velocity to penetrate deep enough to destroy vital tissue and stop the fight. Shooting well is the only way to win a gunfight. I’m an “A” class USPSA competitor, which means I fall into the top 10%, which means I shoot 15,000 to 20,000 rounds a year. Shooting the 30 pound pepper poppers with a major caliber (40 or 45) and watching them slowly keel over just solidifies that a 200-pound assailant isn’t going anywhere. A pistol is only meant for 24/7 personal protection because it’s easy to carry always. A pistol is your last desperate attempt to save yourself. A rifle is what you take to a fight. Pray for peace. Prepare for war. God bless. – Mark

Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog reader WMJ writes in: “It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a roll of dollars from the local credit union, and I found myself in for something of a shock. I gave the teller USD 25 and asked for a roll of quarters. She didn’t have a roll in her till and went to grab one from the safe. When she got back I was asked for my account number. I thought it odd but gave it to her. While she was pulling up my account I asked why I couldn’t just swap cash for cash. She demurred somewhat. Then I pushed a bit and asked if it was “one of those silly Federal regulations” to which she nodded. Then she said something about internal audits. The receipt showed that I had deposited USD 25 (1 – 20, 1- 5) and withdrew USD 25 (25 – 1). Did I miss something somewhere? Is cash being tracked in some manner?”

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America’s Road To Serfdom: 51% Of Renters Are Over-40 Years Old – Sent in by B.B.

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Items from Mr Econocobas

Middle Class Americans ‘No Longer Majority’

Items from Professor Preponomics:

U.S. News

The Fed’s Painted Itself Into the Most Dangerous Corner in History (Contra Corner)

America’s Middle Class Has Lost 30% of Its Wealth (Market Watch) Spoiler Alert and an Article Quote: “…the share of income held by middle-income families has plunged to 43% of households in 2015 versus 62% in 1971…”

Obamacare Will Shrink the Workforce by 2M by 2025 (Washington Examiner) Spoiler Alert and an Article Quote: “…the bulk of that reduction in workforce would be due to added taxes contained in the law, including ‘implicit’ taxes placed on people who would lose benefits if they worked more under the law.”

Civil Asset Forfeiture is a License to Steal (Memphis Daily News) Hint: The national debate on civil forfeiture is changing, but a substantial amount of work is ahead. It’s no joke. Tennessee earns the failing grade of a D-. This is about protecting and preserving the Constitution and all of America’s citizens. For a quick and easy read, a Wikipedia link is included here as well: Due Process Clause

International News

Chinese Devaluation is a Bigger Danger than an Increase to Rates by the Federal Reserve (The Telegraph)

Chinese Investment in Africa (Visual Capitalist) Commentary: Chinese investment in development around the world comes with extraordinarily important geo-political implications.

Personal Economics and Household Finance

Great Gift Ideas for Frugal People (Frugal Living) Commentary: These are some neat ideas including a couple of “soft preps”!

Odds ‘n Sods:

We knew this was coming. Now it’s here. In fact, it’s here, there, and may soon be everywhere… Scientists Have Found a New Strain of Bacteria Resistant to ALL Antibiotics – Submitted by T.A.

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A disturbing trend carried to an extreme… Still in a Crib, Yet Being Given Antipsychotics – Sent in by D.S.

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An excellent article on True Light Infantry (4gw) sent in by T.Z. Just because you don’t have artillery doesn’t mean you automatically lose the war.

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This article is written from a pro-government-helps standpoint, but it underscores the modern society’s dependence upon others for their basic needs. What happens when a family runs out of food stamps – Sent in by RBS

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Reader S.K. sent in the link to this video profiling a Communications Go Box (Portable Ham Shack). There are also a number of related videos that have a slightly different application.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“No matter how difficult is seems at the time, it’s easier to do the right thing than spend a lifetime regretting that you didn’t.” – Robert E. Omalley, US Marine Corps, Medal of Honor

November in Precious Metals by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, 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 November?

Gold fell prey to the Fed and its pet monster the dollar in November. A huge non-farm payrolls report on November 6th set the tone for commodities for the rest of the month. Traders took much better than expected non-farm payrolls as pretty much a guarantee that the Fed would raise rates from near-zero at the December 16th meeting.

The dollar, which was already strong, grew stronger during the month on those rate hike expectations. This put pressure on all commodities that trade internationally in dollar amounts, including precious metals. Gold moved from $1,135 an ounce at the start of November to finish the month near $1,070.

Factors Affecting Gold This Month

CENTRAL BANK DIVERGENCE

While a parade of Fed officials have spent the month signaling that a rate hike is very probable next month, the European Central Bank and Bank of Japan have been continuing in the opposite direction. “Super Mario” Draghi, head of the ECB, has pledged to raise inflation “as fast as possible” as the EU looks to be slowing down.

Japan has dropped into its fifth recession in a row, despite the world’s most ambitious QE program. While the BoJ kept rates at the same level at its latest meeting, analysts believe that the pressure will grow for even more stimulus. The question is, what more could they possibly do?

STRONG DOLLAR

Of course, all this overseas talk about money printing had people piling into the US dollar. As November went on and the odds of a Fed rate hike increased, the dollar was pushed up to fresh highs for the year. Dollar was already stronger, thanks to falling euro and yen. As odds of Fed rate hike grew, the dollar became even stronger. Higher interest rates make each dollar worth more.

EU MELTDOWN AFTER DAESH ATTACKS

The Eurozone was already fracturing over a tidal wave of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa before the terrorist attacks in Paris. The attacks, the largest atrocity on French soil since WWII, has brought national security to the forefront. France and other nations are abandoning budgets and austerity measures as they ramp up their security forces and military. European politicians are using the attacks as an excuse to enlarge the surveillance state, just as the US government did with the PATRIOT Act after 9/11.

French president Hollande asked parliament to extend the national state of emergency for three months, and to rewrite the Constitution to allow him more freedom to declare and extend states of emergency. Parliament is also working on what had been called the French PATRIOT Act. Reports note that the Paris attackers did not even use encryption in their texts or emails.

After the attacks in Paris, we have taken to calling this extremist terrorist army by their Arabic nickname, Daesh. They see this name as disrespect and ridicule (because it is, kind of) and threaten to cut out the tongues of anyone who uses it. The word denies them the legitimacy they desperately crave. Every time a news outlet or politician uses “Islamic State,” it cements the view that these murderers and cutthroats are rulers of a nation.

On the Retail Front

Despite the efforts of the proponents of fiat money, and rationing by the US Mint, American Silver Eagle bullion coins are set to make a third annual record in a row. At press time, 2015 ASE sales were at 43 million coins, comfortably in second place. This is only one million coins shy of the all-time record.

Bargain-buying on gold coins led to both the ¼ oz and 1/10 oz 2015 American Gold Eagles selling out in November. This leaves only the 1 oz and ½ oz 2015 Gold Eagles left.

Australia’s Perth Mintannounced on November 5th that gold coin sales in October were the best in over a year, and 21% over this time last year. Silver coin sales were so good, that they had to start rationing them.

Market Buzz

According to Thomson Reuters GFMS, we will see a worldwide silver shortage for the third year in a row this year. Lower prices have seen scrap silver recycling dry up. Mining has also slowed down as copper, lead, and zinc mines are closed due to even worse prices. Nearly 70% of silver comes from these mines, as it often appears with these base metals.

Peter Schiff says there’s no need to fear the rate hike, as gold has shown before that it can flourish in an environment of rising rates.

Lawrie Williams notes the fallacy of the mainstream press using Hong Kong as a measure of Chinese gold imports. China began importing gold directly into Beijing or through Shanghai, to keep prying Western eyes from knowing how much gold they were accumulating. That gold accumulation is still going strong, as it seems that they bought another 14 metric tons of the stuff in October. Russia also continues to be a big buyer, getting good prices by absorbing domestic production. This helps keep the Russian gold mining industry afloat while Western sanctions over Ukraine remain in effect.

On the subject of central banks and gold, our friend Koos Jansen explains why Austria is repatriating its gold from the Bank of England.

The recent GOP Presidential debates exposed mainstream America to the concept of the Gold Standard, as Ted Cruz takes up a cause long espoused by Rand and Ron Paul. Both Paul and Cruz are working to have the Fed audited, as well. This appreciation of sound money is echoed by the CEO of Overstock.com. He has set aside $10 million in physical gold and silver to pay his employees in the event of a collapse in the banking system. He also has stocked a 30-day supply of canned food for every employee and their families.

That bank crisis may not be as far away as many think, as Marc Faber explains that a worsening global economy and money printing overseas will force the Fed to reverse course and do the same.

Peter Schiff explains how the unprecedented quantitative easing by the Bank of Japan is turning that nation into a state-owned economy, and how the US could be next.Even Bloomberg is picking up on just how much of the Japanese economy is now owned by the government.

Over at Casey Research, they run down a list of the best fund managers on Wall St that are getting out of the stock market.

The much-heralded plan by the  Modi government in India to get their citizens to deposit their gold at the bank to earn interest (and let the bank sell and loan that gold) has gotten a resounding raspberry. Only 400 grams (less than 13 troy ounces) has been deposited at banks nationwide. Indians have known for centuries that “if you don’t hold it, you don’t own it.”

LOOKING AHEAD

December starts off with Fed Chair Janet Yellen doing her regularly scheduled testimony before the House and Senate on December 2 and 3. The third is also when the ECB has its last policy meeting of the year. All eyes will be on Europe to see if the ECB cuts rates and/or expands its money printing.

The very next day (December 4th,) the November non-farm payrolls will be released. This will be the most important economic report in a long time, as it is seen as the final “go/no go” for the Fed’s interest rate hike. This is going to have a big effect on the dollar and commodities. On December 16th, we finally find out if the Fed is bluffing on a rate hike. If they don’t hike, their credibility (and ability to affect the markets) will be shot. If they do hike, even just a tiny bit, it could have serious effects in emerging markets that could spill over into Europe and the US.

We end this month with the story a Swiss cherry farmer who found a stash of 4,166 ancient Roman coins under his orchard, thanks to a mole that had kicked one out of his burrow. (The government has seized the coins, of course, while the farmer will get a “small finders fee” for his honesty.)

– Steven Cochran is the Content Manager/Editor for Gainsville Coins

Letter Re: Developing a Communications Plan for Your Group, by NM

HJL,

Thank you for the excellent article by N.M. “Developing a Communications Plan for Your Group”. I too have been a Ham for 20 years and have a couple of additions to his article.

Great description on use of repeaters and simplex. When using simplex with VHF and UHF, here are some tips. Height and reducing obstructions are important. If you are using any hand-held radio and are having difficulty communicating with someone else, take a moment to think about your surroundings. If you are inside, move outside if you can. The building you are in will interfere with your transmission and reception. If you are on the ground and can move to a higher level, do it. Most hand-held radios are VHF/UHF “line of sight”. So you will have a better chance connecting if you are on the third floor than on the ground. I’ve also observed new hams holding their radio sideways, like the cops/military guys do in the movies. Hold your radio straight up and down and talk directly into the mic in front of your face. It’s a small thing, but I have seen it make a difference.

If your radio has a power setting like Low, Medium, High, always try to use the least power to communicate. Use just enough power to connect with the other person you are talking with. There are two big advantages– less power means longer battery life and using just enough power to connect means your signal radius is just what you want to communicate with your legitimate party. More power makes your radius larger with more chance of a “bad person” listening in on your position.

N.M. goes over using Ham repeaters in an emergency, but what if the repeaters are down? You can set up a smaller profile repeater using the cross-band function that some mobile radio have. I personally have experience using a Kenwood TM-V71A (http://universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/0071a.html). Do a Google search of “Cross Band Repeater” to learn more about it. Setting up a mobile radio with cross band on the top floor of a building or a house on a hill/mountain could extend your hand-held range by 20 miles or so.

Another repeater option that I don’t have experience with but have read about is a simplex repeater. It’s a box that plugs into your hand held radio that has a recording chip. It will record an incoming radio transmission, then immediately play back and transmit that recording. It’s not as fast as true repeaters, but in a pinch it might be what you need. Some simplex repeaters even have a voicemail function where it will record your incoming transmission and retransmit only if a code is transmitted. As N.M. noted, coded transmission is not allowed for Hams but can be used on commercially licensed radios. The brand name I’ve read about is SURECOM, which is a Chinese brand. I found it on www.409shop.com under the tab “Repeaters”.

M.M.

Economics and Investing:

Dishonest Money Will Die – I Hope

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Collapse Of U.S. Shale Oil Production Has Begun

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

U.S. News

Senator Jeff Flake’s New Report – Waste Book 2015: The Farce Awakens (Citizens Against Government Waste) Hint: You’ll not believe this report on the darker side of government spending, from the $1M NIH study involving monkeys in hamster balls riding on treadmills to $210,000 in a Department of Agriculture subsidy for solar powered beer. …and a suggestion: Send a message of thanks to Senator Jeff Flake for his efforts in this regard. …and in a clear, calm, and rational manner, VOICE YOUR VIEWS to the decision makers who represent you and authorize the spending of money that does not really exist.

Anthem, Cigna Shareholders Approve Merger, Antitrust Hurdles Await (Forbes) Commentary: More antitrust concerns are coming, and it’s an important subject (however disinteresting or distant it may seem on the surface) because of its impact on every aspect of economic life from market competition and pricing to diversification and the availability of goods and services according to the needs and interests of consumers.

Big Banks Saved from Fed Dividend Reduction in Highway Bill (GovTrack) Spoiler Alert: Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, and Bank of America are breathing a sign of relief. The rest of us should be ever more aware of the financial mechanics involved in the funding of our banking system.

Are Student Loans a Ticking Time Bomb? (Forbes) Commentary: Largely as a result of the expanded role of the federal government, student loans represent a significant and growing portion of the national debt. Yes. The NATIONAL DEBT. Many people may not yet realize this, but the taxpayer is likely to be on the financial hook for a substantial sum.

International News

Negative Interest Rates an Option in Canada Says Central Bank Governor Stephen Poloz (CBC News) Article Quote: “To put it simply, the Bank of Canada now thinks negative interest rates are a policy option in its tool belt…”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

10 Financial Scams Targeting Our Senior Citizens (Clark Howard)

Odds ‘n Sods:

The “Instant Background Check” managed to pass because it was illegal for the government to keep and maintain a database derived from these background checks. In a recent Washington Post article, the GAO announced that at least 2233 times, suspected terrorists attempted to buy firearms and succeeded in 2043 of those times. How would they know this if the data is not kept? Either the GAO is lying about the numbers or they are illegally keeping the data! My bet is on the illegal data retention. – Thanks to T.Z. for the link.

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Point Deer, Make Horse A profound article that offers an insightful analysis of what’s gone wrong with the Liberal thinking process. I have often wondered why they are immune to logic or evidence and hostile to truth, and Wright’s article has shed some useful light. Sent in by ShepherdFarmerGeek

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Reader RDG writes in regarding the “No Fly List” referenced in Odds ‘n Sods: It appears that the “no fly list” is morphing into something much more dangerous, as indicated in this article. Also as the TSA moves out of airports into bus and train stations, all we need are roadway check points to become, oh I don’t know, East Germany? China? N. Korea? So now, BHO is proposing even further mission creep, making the NF list into a no firearms list. Great, just perfect.

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From the desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor At Large: Learn Survival Skills from the 340-Page Tokyo Disaster Preparedness Guide

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Reader B.B. sent in this link to a news video where a couple of Islamic men tried to purchase 60 prepaid phones: Large quantity of cellphones bought raises red flags

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Government is merely a servant – merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.” – Mark Twain

Notes for Wednesday – December 09, 2015

December 9th, 1914 is the birthday of Maximo Guillermo “Max” Manus. He was one of the few Norwegians who had the testicular fortitude to put his life on the line, fighting the Nazi occupiers. (There surely would have been more active resistance fighters, but fearing widespread reprisal executions by the Germans, King H7 asked the civilian populace to stand down.) Max Manus passed away in 1996. I would have liked to have met him. His exploits are fairly accurately shown in the movie Max Manus: Man of War.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 62 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 pmags 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 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 FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. Twenty-five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. 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. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  9. 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 61 ends on January 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.

The 9mm Parabellum vs the .40 Smith and Wesson vs the .45 ACP, by B.F.

I recently wrote a letter to SurvivalBlog suggesting that preppers who were looking to upgrade their handguns consider some of the bargains currently available in .40 S&W. In recent weeks, I have seen police trade-ins dropping even more in price with Sig Sauer P226s and P229s selling for as low as $305 and Glock 22s selling for $279. Hugh asked me about my experience with the .40, and I sent him back a note that covered a bit of ground on that topic. I’ve been shooting and reloading for the .40 S&W since Glock introduced the G35 in 1998. That got me to thinking about some of the passionate discussions you hear, whenever gun guys and girls get together, about 9mm vs .40 vs .45. Usually it goes something like Big Heavy Bullet vs Light Fast Bullet and higher capacity vs something in the middle that either is the best of both worlds or is the worst compromise ever. The armchair experts talk a lot of theory, comparing the knock down power of the .45 vs velocity and hydrostatic shock for the 9mm, and the .40 having both depending on load.

Which of the three service cartridges is the best pistol cartridge for a prepper? That is a topic for a discussion without end. There are many different bullets available for each caliber today, and ballistics experts are constantly designing new ones that are increasingly effective. If you were to consider revolvers, the list of cartridges gets even longer, including the .327 Federal, 38 S&W Special, .357 S&W Magnum, the .41 Remington Magnum, the .44 S&W Special, 44 Remington Magnum, and .45 Colt, not to mention those chambered in pistol calibers, like the 9mm, the 40 S&W, the 10mm, and the .45 ACP. Revolvers have their place, but that is a different article.

The FBI recently decided to switch from the .40 S&W to the 9mm. It had adopted the 10mm in 1989 following what was considered poor performance of the .38 special and the 9mm in the Miami Shootout where two agents were killed and five wounded. It then found out that some agents could not effectively shoot the more powerful 10mm and reduced the load, which led to Smith and Wesson shortening the 10mm to the .40 S&W, matching the reduced power load in a cartridge that would fit into standard frame pistols. Now the FBI is satisfied that improvements in projectile design mean that the 9mm is again an effective man stopper.

There are a couple of schools of thought, when it comes to trying to determine handgun cartridge effectiveness.

One school represented by some folks, like Dr. Martin Fackler, tend to use data and calculations to try to show the theoretical effectiveness of various cartridges.

Others, like Evan Marshall and Edwin Sanow, look at actual shootings and are based on the facts they are able to identify or impute, drawing conclusions about the shooting.

I am not an expert on either of these methods, and although I have read articles and papers by both camps, I am far from any point where I can draw meaningful conclusions from them.

I am not looking to get into a discussion of terminal or wound ballistics. To my thinking, the 9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP are all about equally effective or ineffective. All three depend on bullet design and more importantly on shot placement to neutralize a threat. If you have been shot with all three, please feel free to share your first-hand knowledge. I will instead go with the belief that while handguns are much less effective stoppers than rifles, the handgun on your hip is way more effective than the rifle in your closet or back in your truck.

The other thing that is mentioned regarding which one to select is price. Using the website slickguns.com, I can find 9mm ammunition for $0.17 per round, .40 for $0.21 per round, and .45 ammo for $0.24 per round. Compared to the price of 9mm, it comes to $40 per case more for .40 S&W and $70 more per case for .45 ACP. To me, the difference is not that significant.

So other than opinion, can I add anything to the debate? First, let me share a little about me. I have been a gun nut all my life and was raised on WWII and cowboy movies back in the 1960s. I got my first gun, a .410 shotgun, handed down from my great uncle to my father to me when I was nine years old and my first .22 when I was 11. I shot competitively in ROTC in college and later in the Army. I spent three years as a 45 Bravo Small Arms Repairman. Stationed in Germany in the mid 70’s, I got to spend a lot of time at the ranges in Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr, supporting everything from 1911’s to 4 deuce mortars. I also shot on various Army and Army Reserve shooting teams over the course of 20 years. I have continued shooting competitively since I got out of the Army, and I currently shoot various action pistol disciplines as well as three gun competitions. I am also an NRA instructor and NRA range safety officer.

After thinking through what I could to compare the calibers that would be relevant and repeatable, I thought I’d try some timed shooting drills using a Competitive Dynamics shot timer with similar guns, holsters, and mag pouches in all three calibers. I also wanted to try a couple of different gun designs to see how that affected the results, as well as cartridges at the extreme ends of the pistol power range.

The guns I selected for the test were three Glocks– a Glock 34 in 9mm, a Glock 35 in .40 S&W, and a Glock 21 in .45 ACP. For fun, I thought I’d mix in a compact Glock 27 in .40 S&W and a Glock 20 in 10mm (using full power loads).

For a bit of variety, I also ran the drill using a Ruger 22/45 in .22 LR, a 1911 in .45acp, a Browning Hi-power in 9mm, a Sig p220 in 10mm, a Sig P228 in 9mm, and two Sig P229s in .40 S&W and .357 Sig, and the least practical a Desert Eagle in .50 AE. I was going to throw in some revolvers for variety but decided to save that for another article, if there is interest.

El Presidente scores

The holsters used for all of the guns were “Avenger” type open top leather belt holsters made by a local retired sheriff’s deputy with matching open top mag pouches. With so many similar guns, some of which could chamber the wrong cartridge from another gun, I took special care to only have one gun uncased at a time, and I put away all of the ammunition and accessories for it before I took out the next one.

The drill I decided on was one of the more common drills called the El Presidente. This drill was introduced by Col Jeff Cooper back in 1970 to provide a basis for evaluating shooter proficiency, requiring both speed and accuracy. Later it was adopted by the USPSA as a standard competition course of fire. It consists of three standard silhouette targets placed 10 yards down range with one yard between them. The shooter stands with arms at the side, back towards target, handgun loaded and holstered. On the signal, the shooter faces the target, draws, and engages each target with two rounds, performs a reload and engages each target again with two rounds. The original version of the drill used Par time to score it. Modern versions use a combination of score and elapsed time. Top shooters can do this in under three seconds. I am definitely not a top shooter. For the purpose of this article, I will use the original scoring system as follows: To score this drill, five points are awarded for every hit in the 8-inch center ring and two points for all other hits on the target, for a possible score of 60. Five points are added to the score for every full second under 10 and five points deducted for every full second over 10. Because of the time factor, the potential exists to score more than 60. Revolver par time is 12 seconds instead of 10.

The results are shown on the attached .PDF file. I know we try to avoid photos and illustrations on SurvivalBlog, but I could not think of a better way of displaying the results.

As you can see, not surprisingly the guns that recoiled least performed the best in this drill. The emphasis is on the word “drill”. This is not combat, where adrenaline overwhelms fine motor control and where the shooting is done on a two-way range. I think that the conclusions you can draw from this is that there is little if any significant distinction between the calibers in the real world and that all three of them make an adequate defensive cartridge, the main purpose of which is to allow you to get to your rifle.

Please feel free to ignore the armchair quarterbacks who will vehemently argue the effectiveness of one cartridge vs the other and buy a gun or two that work for you. So to answer the question from earlier, “Which of the three service cartridges is the best pistol cartridge for a prepper?”, the best one is the one you can afford and the one that works for you that you can shoot well.