G.G. flagged this: Red flag: Insiders aren’t buying stocks
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Also from G.G.: Dollar Death Sentence
Items from The Economics Team:
Deutsche Bank Preannounces Massive 3rd Quarter Loss (Zero Hedge)
BanksMay Have $100 Billion in Exposure to Glencore (Market Watch)
The Burden on Renters to Increase (MyBudget360)
Why the Winchester 9mm NATO Bulk Ammo May Be Bad for Your Pistol
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The text of 58 of George Whitfileld’s sermons are now available free at BlueLetterBible.com.
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Reader R.B.S. suggested this video by Zed Zed: CB Radio J-Pole Antenna.
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T.P. sent us this: Escaped king cobra captured behind woman’s dryer (It is a good thing that cobras haven’t gone feral in Florida, the way that Burmese Pythons have.)
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:1-10(KJV)
On October 10th, 1913, the Panama Canal officially linked the Atlantic to the Pacific when the Gamboa dike was demolished with dynamite charges.
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Today we present a guest post by Enola Gay, the Editor of the excellent Paratus Familia blog. She is one of our favorite bloggers.
With every social program that is enacted, every attempt at a re-distribution of wealth by our political “leaders” we are shamed into reluctant submission by our vague notions of Christian charity. We have been raised to “feed the hungry” and “clothe the naked” and “provide a home for the homeless”. Politicians and religious leaders, who have made social justice their god, quote scriptures to us, validating their own agenda; “He who shuts his ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in his own time of need” (Proverbs 21:13), “If you give to the poor, your needs will be supplied! But a curse upon those who close their eyes to poverty.” (Proverbs 28:27), “Happy is the generous man, the one who feeds the poor” (Proverbs 22:9). Even the Pope, who is arguably the most important religious leader in the western world, uses God to bolster his own vision of fairness and equality. But these leaders, both political and religious, are at best, ignorant or at worst, true masters of deceit.
The truth of the matter is that Jesus spoke directly to people, never to “the state”. He expected His followers to clothe the naked, feed the hungry and provide homes for the homeless, never did He expect (or want) “the state” to enact these mandates by force. He expected His followers to use judgment and discretion. He expected His followers to be good stewards of what He provided for their use. He expected His followers to be accountable to one another and to Him. He expected Christians to get involved, to get their hands dirty. And to change the world in His name.
We know that Jesus was speaking to the individual Christian rather than “the state” because that is exactly who He spoke to. The Sermon on the Mount was delivered to individuals, not to political leaders. Over and over in the Bible, we see God speaking to the hearts of men, never to the politicians. He spoke to the individual because He had given them freedom of choice, to choose to obey Him, or not – not to the “state”, who He knew would always seek to oppress and rule men rather than give them freedom. And when He did speak to the religious leaders, it was almost always to chasten them for being “a den of vipers” and condemned them as hypocrites – laying heavy burdens upon the people yet doing nothing to lighten their load.
By allowing the political and religious leaders to take the word of God out of context and use it to further their own personal agendas, we have failed in the mission that Jesus gave to the Church. We no longer feed the poor, because the “state” does it for us. Nor do we clothe the naked or provide homes for the homeless, again, because our pockets have been picked and our government has inserted itself as our conscience and moral authority. Yet their stewardship has not only failed, it has destroyed the souls of men and fettered them in chains fashioned in the pit of Hell.
We cannot accept the deceitfully honeyed words of our politicians and our world “religious” leaders as the gospel truth. We must know the Word of God for ourselves, searching the Bible as one searches for gold and silver. The men and women leading our country, our world, are masters of deceit, twisting what is right and calling it wrong, and legislating evil as enlightened truth. If we call ourselves Christians, we must first know the Word of God, know Jesus. And then, we have to be willing and able defenders of the Truth.
Only by studying the truth will you be able to identify deception and ultimately, the deceivers. Remember, these masters of deceit often appear as voices of hope and change and enlightenment, but in their wake they leave a trail of death, destruction and hopelessness. It’s up to you to know the difference.
About The Author: Enola Gay is the pen name of a homesteading, homeschooling, home-birthing mom who lives in an off-grid house in Idaho that she dubbed the “Little Shouse on the Prairie”. She is the Editor of the fascinating Paratus Familia blog and the author of the books The Prepared Family Cookbook and The Prepared Family Guide to Uncommon Diseases.
Jim:
While I agree that the 10/22 is not a “battle rifle”, I think it will have a lot of utility WTSHTF. The ease of use and flat, fast trajectory make it an outstanding suppression weapon. Untrained troops are easily suppressed and several 10/22s working in coordination, will serve to allow others with battle rifles to maneuver to an assailable flank in both a defensive and offensive situation. Regards, – Dances With Goats in Kansas
JWR Replies: I have to disagree. .22 LR has a rainbow trajectory, and very poor energy at long range. The ballistic trajectory of .22LR makes it suitable for shooting at only 100 yards or less.
Here are the trajectory drops in inches for a typical high velocity .22LR with a 40 grain bullet traveling at 1,050 feet per second, if zeroed for 50 yards:
75 yards: -2.6″
100 yards: -7.6″
125 yards: -15.2″
150 yards: -25.6″
175 yards: -38.8″
200 yards: -55″
225 yards: -74.5″
250 yards: -97.2″
Thus, at 200 yards you would need to hold over your target nearly “a full man’s height”, and at 250 yards you have to hold over almost “a man and a half.” And the bullet’s energy at 200 yards is barely 1/2 of what it had at the muzzle.(54.9 ft.-lbs., versus 97.9 ft.-lbs.)
In my estimation your .22 LRs should be relegated for small game shooting at 100 yards or less. If your goal is “suppression” (to make noise and keep the enemy’s head down), then you will need a noisy, high power rifle. (.22LR does not sound sufficiently threatening.) If you want to do that inexpensively, then I recommend that you buy a used SKS.
Veteran content contributor B.B. suggested this piece at Zero Hedge: How and Why Banks Will Seize Deposits During the Next Crisis
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Mac L. spotted this in The Wall Street Journal: Once the Biggest Buyer, China Starts Dumping U.S. Government Debt
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$3 trillion corporate credit crunch looms as debtors face day of reckoning, says IMF
Items from The Economics Team:
If you don’t like who I am, you won’t like what I do! (Zero Hedge)
$45 Billion in Chinese Construction Projects Delayed (Reuters)
J.B.G. sent this: ‘For the Record’: How Hackers Can Use the ‘Smart Grid’ to Cause a National Disaster
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Tim J. sent this: Obama’s refugee resettlement plan could stir battle with states
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It is said that it is a waste of time to ever “sit and watch the hourglass”–that is, to simply mark the passage of time. But I suppose there are exceptions.
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The Golden Horde of Golden Week: World’s Worst Traffic Jam? Thousands of Cars Left Stranded on Motorway in China. (Includes a brief video clip.)
“[[To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.]] Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.” – Psalm 5:1-8 (KJV)
On October 9th, 1967, Che Guevara was executed by the Bolivian army on orders from Bolivian President René Barrientos.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 61 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 61 ends on November 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
If you ask 10 different preppers this question you will undoubtedly receive 10 different answers. In the world of prepping this is tantamount to asking what a person’s favorite sports team is. The answers may range from building the right bugout bag, the right escape from the city plan, or buying land in the right location and building a retreat. Most of them may have completely valid points as to why what they say is in fact the most important thing to do but most of them fall short in one main regard. No matter what they do to prepare few of us have the means, time or ability to build themselves a one-man fortress that will protect them from many, if any, of the potential threats that they may face.
We all have to sleep, we all have to eat, and we all have to be able to trust those around us. To quote The Beatles, “…we get by with a little help from our friends.” If you expect to survive long term in a post-apocalyptic or SHTF world then you must have a circle of people around you who are not only like-minded, not only fun to be around, but who offer you a valued skill or attribute, preferably many. And to attract those people you will need to have attributes that they desire as well. We all need people with something more to offer in a survival situation than an appetite, and yet an appetite is the most common thing brought to any survival group (go figure, right).
Let’s say your best friend in the world is Mike. You and good old Mikey go way back, and there are few people in your life that you trust as much as you trust him. Now let’s just say Mike works installing insulation in the construction field, it’s a tough and physically demanding job to be sure, but it has no practical application in a SHTF scenario. If Mike has no other skills, assets, physical attributes, or training then is he really the person that you want to be stuck with in an end of the world situation? Now I’m not saying that the trust you have for Mike is not a valued asset, because it is. Trust is the single most important thing in any relationship, and it is made all the more valuable in a SHTF scenario. But it does you no good to trust or like the man who is dying right next to you other than to ease your transition into the next life.
We need to objectively look at the people we surround ourselves with and decide who we want to bring into our circle. Who has the jobs that will come in handy once the shit flies? Who has the guns? Who has been stockpiling ammo and food? Who has the military or civilian arms training that will make them out-perform most any would-be thug in a firefight? Who has the money that gives them the freedom to invest in preparedness the way we all would like to? Who has the mental strength to do whatever is necessary for the group to survive?
Looking at people in an objective manor like this can sometimes feel dirty or manipulative but it is very important since we are all emotional creatures. Our emotions can be very misleading, and decisions based on emotion rarely offer the best outcomes. Now, I’m not saying to leave behind your friends, family, kids or wife if they serve no practical purpose in a SHTF scenario, not at all. You cannot choose your parents, siblings, or kids, so there is not much you can do about those relationships. You are stuck with these people good or bad. Hopefully good since they should be the most fruitful and lasting relationships in life. What I am saying is that you need to choose the people that will best compliment you in your desire to survive a post-apocalyptic world, or whatever disaster you may be preparing for. While what I’m proposing may sound sinister, I assure you it’s not.
To properly illustrate my logic I want to give you a real life example. When I was 18 years old my standards for women were based on how hot they were. If one was hotter than another, then she was better. I met the “girl of my dreams” who was without a doubt a horrible person who was dead on the inside. She was the prom queen in high school, very attractive and very popular. She was everything I had hoped to find in a woman and I thought I was very lucky to have her. We were together for about three months and I found out that she had cheated on me. I confronted her and she apologized and a week later I took her back for some reason that still escapes me. We were together for another year or so, she wanted to get engaged. So we got engaged and after about four months I regained my senses and broke off the engagement.
Fast forward eight years and several pointless relationships later and now I’m28. At this point I am much more interested in current events and prepping for an upcoming disaster. I am also much wiser than my 20 year old self. My job had me traveling all week every week so I decided to use Match.com to meet women rather than finding them in the local bars. I did a lot of searching, a lot of weeding out and finally I found a woman who I thought was very appealing. Well actually she found me from halfway across the country, but I digress. I admit that the first thing I noticed was her picture and she was very attractive but the second thing I noticed was her profession.: She was a nurse on a medical/surgical floor in a hospital.
Now my inner prepper was intrigued. From the beginning I decided that I was going to remove my emotion from the equation since that had proven unreliable in the past. I read, reread, and read her profile again to learn as much about her as I could. We started to text and talk on the phone and the more I learned about her the more I was impressed by her. She put herself through nursing school, and she came from a good family of successful college graduates and business owners. She was a very rational and logical person, and she accepted my prepper lifestyle. She had also always wanted to move out to Montana. I couldn’t figure out what the catch was.
Fast forward another three years and now, at the time of this writing, I am newly married to the actual woman of my dreams. She has a great job in the medical field bringing in really good money. She also has a skill set that I personally saw in action as she worked to keep my father alive after a horrible vehicle accident that placed him in a coma for over a month. Without her emergency training he would have very likely died that day.
What I’m saying in a long convoluted way is that once I stopped allowing myself to waste time with fruitless relationships with women who had nothing to offer me, I ended up finding an amazing partner who has more to offer me than I could have ever hoped for and I couldn’t love her more because of it. Once I started logically evaluating the women that I was looking for, I found out that the women I had always been attracted to in the past brought nothing to the table. If I had married one of them I would be supporting them financially and in a SHTF scenario they would have been liabilities that would have only decreased my likelihood of survival. After using logic to evaluate women based on their skills, personality, and attributes I ended up with a woman that fare exceeds every woman I’ve ever been . And to top it all off, she’s got a very fit body, and is in twice as good of shape as I am.
This is my advice to any preppers who are looking to add people to their inner circle, whether it be a friend or romantic partner, it does not matter.Look for people who will lift you up not bring you down. If they have nothing to offer you then they bring you down. Look for people that have the skills that you don’t. Look for people who are in the healthcare, automotive,construction, military, or agricultural industries. Make friends with people at the local gun club or shooting range. The odds of finding good like-minded people in these fields are very high, and you will have at least a few things in common with them.
Now I’m not telling you that you need to avoid lawyers, bankers or anyone working a desk job. What I’m saying is that you should spend a few minutes of your time and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the people you surround yourself with and if they don’t meet a certain criteria then don’t waste your time with them. The fact that a person works a desk job shouldn’t exclude them from being in your prepping group, or from being a go-to in an emergency situation. However, their profession should be taken into account in the decision of whether or not they are a good ally and can help you reach whatever goals you have. Whether those goals be in prepping, or in any other aspects of your life.
This brings up another point. We cannot become so blinded in our pursuit of prepping that we fail in other aspects of life. To be successful you must pursue success in everyday life as much as you do in preparedness. It would be irresponsible for me to spend my time prepping to help ensure my survival in a SHTF scenario and yet not wear my seat belt. Statistically, I am much more likely to die in an automobile accident than from being shot by some roaming marauder who wants my food. This is a simple truth that escapes many preppers. They get lost in the fun of prepping and lose the practicality of it. If I am a fifty year old man with emphysema, it is more important for me to spend $500 to help me quit smoking thus extending my life, than it is for me to spend $500 to buy dehydrated food. Since dead men have very small appetites, dehydrated food seems like a poor financial investment, no?
I once saw a prepper who was in his early 60s and was about 200 pounds overweight. Statistically speaking men live on average 78 years, but being 200lbs overweight has some very negative effects on our bodies which are only amplified in old age. And undoubtedly older people who are also that large will require a lot of assistance to survive and even to move around. They simply cannot physically provide for themselves in harsh environments. Should this man devote all his assets towards prepping to ensure he survives the next 5-10years of his life (assuming he finds someone to take care of him in his degenerating state), or should he devote his assets towards surviving his largest hurdle of losing the weight and hopefully extending his life?
I know these are not the most common place examples but I use them to demonstrate that to be successful in prepping we must be successful in life first since the point of prepping is to extend our lives. So while you are surrounding yourselves with people who will help your survival odds in a SHTF scenario, why not hedge your bet and also try to surround yourself with people who will help you succeed in life? It would be very sad if any of us spent all our lives prepping for TEOTWAWKI and then died penniless in a prospering society.
If you remember, I said my wife makes very good money as a nurse. I also make good money in the telecom industry, yet I am not throwing all our resources into prepping. I set aside a specific percentage of my money to be spent on prepping (not as much as I would like), but I also set aside money for retirement and a contingency cash reserve. It feels good having an insurance plan in either situation and I highly recommend people do both. It may mean that there are some preps that I cannot do yet but it’s like an insurance policy. Even if I never use it I will be grateful for the peace of mind knowing I have it.
In conclusion, what I’m trying to say is that we all have chosen this specific lifestyle for various reasons and observations that we have made in our world. Some may believe in an upcoming economic collapse, nuclear war,disease, natural disasters or whatever. No matter what we are prepping for we must look objectively at our situations, friends, and financial standing. We must use logic over emotion if we are to have the best outcome. With that I want to wish you all the best of luck with your personal prepping scenarios. I look forward to continuing with mine.
On a separate note, my extremely pretty, smart, and wonderful wife now more than ever before knows I’m crazy about preparedness. And I am truly very, very lucky that she still loves me with her entire heart.I had better keep this one happy so she will stick around forever. You know,with all of her medical training and such. Maybe I will surprise her with some flowers and a sushi date night sometime soon. I think she would like that.
[My wife added that last paragraph during proof-reading and I figured that I should leave it in. Otherwise she may take her valued skills and leave!] – Bob C.
Silver Coin Premiums Soar Above 50%
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German Central Bank Publishes Gold Bar List. JWR’s Comment: I find it curious that while at the same time that governments and central banks berate gold as a “barbarous relic” that is entirely disconnected from their monetary policies, they seem quite concerned with keeping big piles of it, under lock an key.
Items from The Economics Team:
Greece Could Return to Bond Markets Soon After a Restructuring of its Debt, Tsipras Says (Wall Street Journal. Subscription required for full text)
Question: What does Tsipras really believe? Is this “just politics and posturing” or did someone tighten the man’s tie?
China’s Boom-Bust Economy – The Truth Behind the Numbers (Mises Institute)
Anyone considering relocating to Michigan should take a look at this web site: HouseworthRealty.com. Doug Houseworth (yes, that is his real name) has pre-screened two different MLS databases in Michigan, looking for ideal retreat properties.
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G.G. flagged this: Private database lets police skirt license plate data limits
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UN delay could open door to robot wars, say experts
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J.B.G. sent us this link: The ‘doomsday’ weapon that could wipe out 90% of Americans: Eccentric tech millionaire and presidential candidate John McAfee says country is ‘ill prepared’ for electromagnetic attack
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B.B. flagged this troubling article by Bruce Schneier at Forbes: The Era Of Automatic Facial Recognition And Surveillance Is Here
“I believe the public school system is inherently negative and (especially with political correctness) a vehicle for social agendas, not basic education.” – Wendy McElroy
October 8th is the birthday of economist and libertarian commentator J. Orlin Grabbe.
(Born, 1947, died March 15, 2008.)
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Today, we present another entry for Round 61 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 61 ends on November 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.