Is The Price Of Gold Really Headed Above $19,000?
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IMF has betrayed its mission in Greece, captive to EMU creditors. – JBG
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Why The Fed Can’t Raise Rates. – J.B.
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Canadian Silver Maple Leaf Sales Hit New Record Q1 2015
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Items from Mr. Econocobas:
Investors Start To Panic As A Global Bond Market Crash Begins – Whether the trend continues and gets out of control or for the time being things turn around, I am not sure, but this is something to follow.
The Fat Lady Hums A Few Notes. – B.B.
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Parents call on school’s chief to resign after Smitten Kitten field trip. – H.L.
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Urban Warfare Exercise Starts Without a Warning. – J.R.
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Entire police dept. disbanded after councilwoman and her son were arrested. – JBG
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.” Luke 17:15-16 (KJV)
Camping Survival is moving to Sanford, North Carolina (near Raleigh) soon and has a few open positions. If you are interested in any of the positions, please send a resume per the instructions. You may also want to check out their moving clearance section. Also, June 7th-13th they are having a Mountain House sale with 25% off of #10 cans and 15% off of pouches and buckets. It’s always better to sell it than move it, so be sure to check it out.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
The following is a response addressing concerns of those to whom a proposed “Plan B” bug-out scheme had been provided by a larger, existing group to multiple smaller groups. This larger group had extended an invitation to smaller groups that are lacking the financial and over-all resources of that larger group. This is a series of responses that have been/were made to the chief “officers” of the smaller groups. The basic proposal is for a 60-day, temporary sheltering at a safe location with provision capabilities for a larger group of individuals and families beyond the recognized community/core member group. This is provided so that if your group is looking at a similar situation, you can use it as a basis to get started.
The word “exigent” is defined in criminal law as “an emergency situation requiring swift action to prevent imminent danger to life or serious damage to property.” There is no ready litmus test for determining whether such circumstances exist, and in each case the extraordinary situation must be measured based upon the facts known by officials. The circumstances are those that would cause a reasonable person to believe that entry (or other relevant prompt action) was necessary to prevent physical harm to persons. I’ve used the term “exigent” for a good reason. It is taken a bit out of the normal legal context, but it is very appropriate for what we are considering and has been proposed. We are talking about extraordinary circumstances. We are talking about preventing loss of life to those we think we might be able to save (and will do their best to aid, not detract or weaken, those who they seek assistance from).
Let’s get all concerns, or as much as possible, out of the way right here right now. It goes hand-in-hand with the organizational needs of any and all groups. As the tentative leader of your group, it will be to you that your group’s individuals will (and must) direct their questions. It’s not me nor anyone who is a member of the community group in the bylaw papers who they will seek. It is the only way any such operation can or will work properly.
I’ll mention “ifs” later, but you neglected the biggest “if” in your question; it’s the part about “if you want us to stay…” That is a big ‘if’, all right. Remember the word “exigent” and the circumstances surrounding this proposal– extraordinary circumstances.
All people need to think of their futures. At 60 days, hopefully all will have some idea of what is to be done next. Your eventual goal is to have your own home, or to return to salvage, rebuild, and restore what was once yours. None of us believe in communism. None of us wish for some hippie-style communal living for our futures– at least none I know of in the community. Are we not all free Americans, able to think for ourselves, be, live, do for ourselves? I often reflect that this entire prepping process has seen the strangest of mergers of the oldschool flower-power days with a military adjunct. It isn’t. We’re trying to retain what was built upon– our rights, lives, liberties, and the pursuit of happiness. None of us embody or consider any other ideas of those four things as some universal constraints to be applied to all other Americans. However, we certainly allow for others to seek their own meanings to these.
Just remember, beyond a safe location, water, some basic triage medical facilities, a defense network, and a lot of jobs that will need to be filled and done, everyone will work without exception– no one is exempt, and everyone will have a task and be expected to do it (multiple tasks) to the very best of their ability.
The democratic process does not exist on private property. I use the example that if I visit a home and am invited into the living room and then find that I need to use the head/john, I ask, “May I use the facilities?” If granted a “yes”, I then ask, “Where is it located?” Upon receiving that answer and permission, it means only that I may use the plumbing. It does not mean that I may wander around the house opening cabinets and drawers in any room I may pass or see. That same rule applies to the community site. The case where I might be denied use of the head/john means what? It means that I must leave and seek relief elsewhere. Otherwise, I may hold it and stay put, as uncomfortable as I might be. My proposal needs to be understood as it is intended and not as it is assumed to be, hoped to be, or even perhaps as anyone thinks it should be. It must be taken just as it is. It’s fairly simple, and though I personally hate the word “fair” because I do not believe there exists such a phenomena as “fair” upon this earth in this life, I do feel it could actually be just that– fair. It is an offer, a proposal, simple, direct, and up to the persons being offered what they will make of it.
Sure. You would leave. You’d take what you brought with you and simply depart, and you would not be allowed to return. You’d be asked to be silent, considered maybe not an enemy but never again a part of the group in terms of any demand or assistance you may require down the road.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” , nor will the group. Regarding the freedom of speech, we as people do need to talk and to exercise the ability to speak, or so it seems. However, this situation would not be a democracy. Once again, I must repeat what I’ve said; there is and would be a strict chain of command. A private or a recruit does not address or demand an audience with an officer in the military…ever. Speech amongst yourselves is fine, but to the community it’s only to your immediate person responsible for you…only. Read the amendments.
We are of four parts– physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. All must act in concert. All must grow and become together, equally, as we are those.
You tell me. You will be allotted a space. You can park a camper, pitch a tent, or live in a car or truck or van. That is your responsibility. As long as you can be able to leave within a 30-minute time span. That time limit is not chosen randomly. It is for multiple reasons. That’s the best possible guess as to a maximum amount of time it would require for all to bug-out of the area if push came to shove. Never forget that nowhere is completely safe in a world like we’d be living in, if it had already necessitated such a mass of people seeking security as they had and were there at the community site at the time. In addition, permanence is not a “given” for anyone who is “exigent”. No tolerance of wrong-doing would be shown. Thirty minutes is all it should take to prepare a bug out to get to the site, and it’s all it should take to leave it.
Showers would be communal at a central facility, unless your vehicle provides its own facility and the means to keep it running/filled. Water rationing is a must. Always remember that. Life would have changed or you would not be out there. There is no long leisurely bathing to be expected or provided for. Hark back a hundred years, say to pre-WWII days. People did not bathe daily, and when they did, often they bathed as a family. In short, you will stink at times. You learn to live with it.
There is an existing septic system, recently improved, but like any system, it can’t exist without maintenance. Any system’s operation is dependent for proper operation on the simple fact of how many are utilizing it. Gone are the days of flushing the toilet and “that’s that”; there is no more thought given. If you are there at the community site, you most likely will have as one of many chores the constant digging of the latrine ditch-works or similar facilities at some point. Think militarily. Finally, septic hygiene is an excellent question all in all. It is something that must be fully understood by all and thought of. No tolerance of relieving oneself wherever the urge pressed you to go would or could be safely allowed, especially with more people. Diseases, medieval in nature, would rapidly appear. Cholera, typhus, dysentery and so on are not good ways to die.
Boy, I had to really rein myself in here on answering this one. You need to study up. You can dig a hole to gain some cooling effects. You can shade your provisions, but this is *** (a southern state)*** and it gets hot here, miserably hot and humid. All foodstuffs need to be able to endure the climate or be discarded once it’s gone bad. Read up on dry goods– rice, flour, sugar, beans, dried meat and fish, canned goods, dehydrated or freeze-dried foods, and salt. That last item will be the most crucial. Salt, vinegar, or brine will be the primary preservative for our needs, if such a calamitous event does occur to cause us all to leave our homes and seek shelter at the community. Climate control? One good and viable suggestion is to look up Zeer pots. Those would assist and do a fair job of somewhat of a climate-control mechanism for food, and they are possible. Otherwise, like the question about a shower facility, the answer is for you to bring a fridge along that you can fuel or power on your own, and be sure it doesn’t fall outside of the noise restrictions that may be in place. Then, you’ve got something cool.
The listing of medical supplies for exigent members is for your own familial uses, primarily. The community also needs knowledge of what medical– physical and psychological– conditions are present at the site, as a part of the make-up of all persons present. Additionally, medications would make good barter goods. They would also be a good way to contribute to the community, if they are non-essential surplus to your own medical needs. Of course, a good chemist is always being sought by the community.
Mr. Latimer,
Lately it’s becoming quite clear that the global financial system has passed the point of no return and is essentially doomed. My question now is, when the system begins its meltdown, those who will be able to get their money out before it’s all lost will no doubt be putting that money into hard assets as fast as they can. This of course will cause gold and silver to skyrocket. So here’s the question, should I sell my gold and silver at these fantastically high prices and receive a lot of paper money, which may become worthless due to hyperinflation, or illegal to keep as cash, or risky to put in a bank? Or do I sell half of the silver and gold and try to buy other hard assets while prices still are reasonable?
It is hard to find sound and honest financial advice in these upside-down, whacked out financial times, so I turn to SurvivalBlog, where I know I will get a straight story. – TWT
HJL Responds: In a time of economic upheaval, obtaining equipment, parts, spares, and supplies will most likely be exceedingly difficult, so the basics need to be covered first. If you have PMs but you do not have food, life will get expensive in a hurry because you cannot eat PMs. Traditionally, PMs do not fare very well during the economic upheaval because an established barter market does not generally exist and people have difficulty in shifting their thinking from valuing things in fiat dollars to whatever the market wants. Your comment about selling for “fantastically high prices” is an example of the difficulty in transitioning how we value things and we all have this difficulty. PMs do work very well for holding value through the economic upheaval until the market is somewhat stabilized though. Understand that if the established market is a grey or black market, PMs will generally hold less value if you use them than would a commodity that is in demand at the time. For this reason, the standard advice is to make sure the Beans, Bullets, and Band-aids are taken care of first. Then make sure any tangible assets that could be required are dealt with (tractor, spare parts, tools). Consider debt relief, then start thinking about storing value in PMs for the other side of a crises. Anytime you can deal directly with a commodity that is in demand rather than PMs, your position will improve. Consider fiat money only as required to deal with obligations that have no other way to satisfy them. If you already hold PMs and do not have the basics covered or debt relieved, consider selling the PMs now and taking care of those issues.
If cash becomes illegal, there will be an alternative market that picks up, but your ability to transition from the regulated market to the alternative market will be controlled by your debt to the financial institutions and the taxes collected by whatever government is in place. Obviously, the less stake you have in either of those two institutions, the more freedom you have in your own financial affairs.
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Cash-Strapped Kansas Moves To Limit ATM Withdrawals For Residents On Welfare. – D.S.
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Items from Mr. Econocobas:
Greece Unable To Make €300 Million IMF Payment, Requests “Bundling”
Video- David Stockman Fox TV Interview: The Most Fantastic Bubble In Recorded History
US Added 280,000 Jobs in May; But Jobless Rate Edged Up to 5.5%
A great precedent has been set for our Fourth Amendment Rights: Cop Who Arrested Man for Legally Carrying Gun Gets Sued
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There might be no saving the world’s top banana Another reason why it is critical that people continue to plant non-GMO heirloom seeds of all kinds to add variety to food sources. Having only one viable strain (in this case shippable) risks doing without someday. Corporations, such as Monsanto and others, have moved towards just a FEW GMO varieties and use heavy-handed tactics to “force” farmers, even in third-world countries to use ONLY their seeds and sell Roundup, which is toxic. – H.L.
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An update to an earlier story: Comments disabled/censored at “Letter to stingy American consumers”. I went back to re-read comments between yesterday and tonight; I noticed this articled was disabled from receiving more comments. Also of note is that at least two dozen comments have been removed, which had no offensive profanity, but all the missing comments made reference to some combination of pitchforks, boiled rope or guillotines. – formerly middle class America
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Egg rationing in America has officially begun. – JBG
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A brief “Must Read” essay, over at the Paratus Famalia blog: To Quiet the Dry Bones of Liberty
“And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.” Numbers 10:35-36 (KJV)
Don’t get MAD; Get Prepped! The road warrior bounty sale is still going on at Safecastle with discounts of up to 41% on Mountain House products and lots of added bonuses.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
The solutions shown so far may not adequately protect computer-based software-defined radios, hybrid transistorized-vacuum tube radios, or fully solid-state QRP or low-power stations, or transistorized shortwave radios. These radios will need to use protection that clamps at a much lower voltage than 700 volts! While transistor transmitters may use power amplifier transistors that may have breakdown voltages in the scores to hundreds of volts, the input circuitry of many QRP transistorized receivers will likely be fried with voltages well under 100 volts. There are a couple of solutions that can offer lower-voltage clamping more appropriate to these lower-power transistorized radios.
Certainly the grounding antenna switch described above, as well as some coax cable somewhere if possible, should be utilized. Shortwave radios with a collapsible antenna should have it at minimum size when not in use. The case of transistor-based equipment should ideally be constructed of metal, for its shielding ability, and ideally grounded, and any wires longer than a couple of inches (e.g., Morse code key, speaker wire, headphone wire) should have protection added. A typical electromagnetic-interference technique of adding a 0.01- 0.1 microfarad ceramic capacitor across those kinds of low-frequency signals wires (to ground/shield) will knock out a lot of the higher frequency components of an EMP E1 surge.
To provide further voltage clamping for those low-signal lines, a metal-oxide-varistor device (“MOV”, as shown in Figure 4) can also be placed across speaker and similar wires. These semiconductor devices do not have a “polarity” and do not conduct until their breakdown voltage is reached. They come in a dizzying array of protection (breakdown) voltages and can protect repetitively unless the onslaught is extremely large. An 18-volt MOV suitable for speakers, headphones, many Morse code keys, and probably digital data lines as well, is available for less than $1.[1] One can select higher or lower voltage ratings as appropriate.
![Figure 4: Metal oxide varistor designed to pass 140VAC (RMS) and to clamp at 198 volts, capable of shunting 6,500 amperes for 20 microseconds (which is much longer than an E1 EMP pulse). These are available in many different breakdown voltage levels, including levels suitable for Morse code keys, speaker, and headphone wires.[1]](https://survivalblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_10051.jpg)
To protect a transistorized receiver, “back-to-back” silicon diodes (see schematic, Figure 5) can be connected at the receiver input between the center conductor and the shield, either connecting inside the feedline connector or added inside the receiver’s enclosure. The reverse breakdown voltage rating is of less importance. One diode conducts and limits the voltage to 0.6 V when the center conductor is driven positive, and the other conducts and limits the voltage to -0.6 V when the center conductor is negative, so the peak-to-peak AC voltage is limited to 1.2 VAC. Because the transmitter may well produce more than this voltage, there has to be some relay or other mechanism to disconnect the receiver from the transmission line during transmitting, so these diodes don’t short out the transmitter output. This type of protection has been used in some commercial and homebrew QRP transceivers to protect the receiver even from the transmitter output. (References [2] and [3] give examples.) A small signal diode, such as a 1N914 or 1N4152, will have a negligible amount of capacitance of a few picofarads and a very fast response but be able to carry a current of a few amperes for a microsecond. At the cost of a bit more parallel capacitance added to the line, a heavier power diode, such as the 1N4004 or 1N4007, can be used for the back to back diodes, with a peak current capability of more than 30 amperes. For most of the high frequency Ham bands, the added capacitance of the heavier power diode will not be noticeable to the receiver. When I tested this on 40 meters, there was absolutely no discernible loss in received signal strength. However, in my heart of hearts, I don’t trust just two diodes to protect a transistor receiver connected to a very long wire antenna from EMP. I would therefore use four diodes– two small-signal diodes like 1N914, and two heavier ones like 1N4004/ 1N4007. Additionally, I would also connect a 60-volt gas discharge surge arrestor (see next section) from the center conductor to ground as “belt and suspenders” protection for my valuable radio! In the case of a transistorized shortwave antenna with a small collapsible antenna, using two back-to-back diodes connected with short wires between the antenna (at its base) and chassis “ground” or “ground” on the internal circuit board (often a very long trace encircling the entire border of the circuit board) would probably add a large amount of protection.
Fully protecting the antenna output of a transistorized QRP transmitter is a bit more difficult, because one must again allow passage of the normal power output voltages generated for commonly-encountered SWR ratios, yet short out voltages just higher than those to protect the transistor amplifier. If for a single instant a power amp transistor or any other within the transmitter is exposed to, say, a voltage greater than its rated Vceo or Vcbo voltage, that transistor is likely to be irreparably damaged. (It might be a good idea to stock up on some spares.) While the punch of lightning is long enough to literally melt/burn conductors and thus leave an indelible mark wherever it coursed, the E1 EMP is gone so quickly that likely only the PN junctions of semiconductors are invisibly but very effectively destroyed. Some transistor designs have relatively little margin of voltage safety. However, it is also possible that the output tuned circuit of the amplifier will screen out some of the frequency spectrum from reaching the vulnerable transistor, also. If we assume an SWR of better than 2:1 and the common 5-watt output, the output voltage is on the order of 31VAC RMS, or under 50 volts peak. One immediately thinks of using a MOV (available in all manner of voltages) to provide protection. The problem with using metal oxide varistors is that they have far larger capacitance (often THOUSANDS of picofarads) than is tolerable in the matching circuits of typical QRP HF transmitters. To get an acceptably lower capacitance requires once again using a gas discharge tube, such as the Bourns Inc. 2020-15T-C2LF. This gas discharge tube has a breakdown at 60volts (the selection of breakdown voltages for gas-discharge is somewhat more limited than for MOVs) and can shunt up to 10 kiloamperes. It is manufactured in a 3-wire version with two surge arrestors connected together. Simply connect the center wire of the pack to the transmitter output and both outer wires to the shield (ground). The capacitance is less than 1 pF; it will not affect your transmitter’s tuning, and the price is less than $3! [4] It may possibly provide adequate protection for the transistorized QRP transmitter. However, this obviously cannot be guaranteed, as we are dealing with enormous instantaneous currents. To give your gas-discharge surge arrester a fighting chance to clamp that voltage sufficiently, I suggest that you add a 1-ohm carbon or carbon-film resistor in series with the center conductor, on the antenna side of your 60-volt gas discharge surge arrestor. (See Figure 6) This can be a common 1/2 watt or 1 watt resistor, just not a wire-wound one. It will not appreciably affect your transmitted power.
These same solutions just described for transistorized QRP transmitters above can be applied to common transistorized CB AM transceivers. Twelve-watt single sideband transceivers with feedline SWR below 2:1 may also work well with this system.
In conclusion, for about the price of a fast food meal and a bit of wiring, one can purchase and install all the protection devices reasonably useful to protect either a QRP transistorized or higher-power vacuum tube Ham radio station, and thus have a reasonable chance of surviving a first or second strike, even while using the equipment. Equipment not in use should be disconnected from antennas; a shorting antenna switch can make this more convenient. Spare equipment should be left completely unconnected, and if economically possible, backup radios stored in a Faraday cage. As a side benefit, one gains some appreciable near-vacinity lightning protection. Power line protection from E2/E3 components of an EMP attack will be discussed in a later writing.
[2]An example of a QRP homebrew transceiver using back-to-back diodes to protect the receiver input. See diodes D5 and D6, which protect the receiver.
[3]An example of a commercially-available QRP transceiver using diodes to protect the receiver input. (See D4-D7).
HJL/JWR,
This is a long time reader here with a question you likely get often. I realize the following is an overly simplistic question, given the enormous complexities of an individual’s financial and preparedness state, but I’m hoping for a relatively simplistic answer.
Assume you were approached by a debt-free individual and handed anywhere from $5-15k. You are told it is “extra’ money and asked to invest it in something tangible. What would you be inclined to spend it on, assuming they had the basics (beans/bullets/bandaids) covered? Would it be precious metals, redundant equipment, or something else? Or perhaps you’d make a checklist with many small items? Would the amount you were handed ($5k, 10k, or 15k) change your answer? If so, how?
JWR Responds: Presently, I would invest it in silver bullion coins. Coincidentally, silver recently went into a dip, so it is a good time to buy.
The Central Banks Are Losing Control Of The Financial Markets
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Presenting The Next Great Source Of Middle Class Prosperity. – G.G.
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Items from Mr. Econocobas:
One Of The World’s Largest Silver Miners Slams The CFTC About Silver Market Manipulation
The College Commencement Speech Every Graduate Needs To Hear – I work with a large group of young people at my church, and when the correct opportunity presents itself I try and encourage kids to make sure if they go to college to get a definable skill, otherwise start a business or learn or go to school for a trade. Sometimes the indoctrination of our culture is for you go to school or you are a failure, and it can be hard to overcome. This is a humorous article about a very serious issue.
This is a VERY interesting article for those who are watching the days and times we are living in: Rabbi Vilna Gaon prophecy. – Avalanche Lily
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WikiLeaks releases secret TISA docs: The more evil sibling of TTIP and TPP. – H.L.
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Remember Hope and Change? Here’s Bill Whittle with “Not Even Close!” – MtH
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Some important privacy info over at the Radio Free Redoubt web site: ANONYMITY OF OFFICE DOCUMENTS – PATRIOT DARKNET
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Land of the Unfree – Police and Prosecutors Fight Aggressively to Retain Barbaric Right of “Civil Asset Forfeiture” – B.B.
“Very soon nations will understand that in reality Water is the most expensive natural resource for their survivals. Not Middle East oil neither African gold.” ? M.F. Moonzajer