Guest Article: Extremes: Expect Consequences-Part 1, by Gary Christenson

What extremes am I referencing?

The S&P 500 Index has tripled in six years, is overbought, and is at an all-time high. See graph showing 7-year cycle highs and overbought indicators.

W-SP

Earnings do not support the high valuations of U.S. stocks. Note the extreme valuations as shown in the graph below, courtesy of Arabian Money.

Median-PE

Interest rates are currently at multi-generational or all-time lows and consequently bonds are extremely high in the “bubble-zone.” Many European banks and sovereign governments are “paying” negative interest. This was unthinkable a few years ago!

The dollar index rallied over 25% between May 2014 and March 13, 2015– an exceptional and parabolic rally, particularly considering the precarious financial condition of the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve. See article here from Laurence Kotlikoff.

V-Dollar-Index

Derivatives, depending on who is counting, are approximately $1,000 trillion globally. This extreme bubble is growing, and all bubbles eventually pop.

Leverage in the financial system is more extreme than in 2008, before the “Lehman moment” crash in which the global financial system nearly froze.

The “Warren Buffett Indicator” is flashing a warning– equity valuations are high compared to GDP. See graph below.

W-Warren-buffett-Indicator

The Bloomberg Surprise Index is flashing a warning.

Bloomberg-Surprise-Index

There are many more extremes that could be shown, but consider a few specifics.

Robert McHugh has listed a sequence of Fibonacci turn dates at the end of March and early April 2015. Risk of a stock market crash or important correction seems high in this time period.

Markets often turn around solar eclipses. We experienced a solar eclipse on March 20.

Greece will exit the Euro. The issue is not Greece, as in the Greek people, their economy, or austerity but the paybacks to various banks, mostly French and German. The piper and the bankers must be paid or banking cartel profits will be decreased. Banking cartel profits are used to “influencing” politicians, so politicians listen to the needs of bankers. It is an old story…

We have many economic and political extremes in our current world. Perhaps this time will be different, but I doubt it. Plan on:

Debt will increase until a “reset” occurs. Politicians will “extend and pretend” and make MANY promises. The S&P has enjoyed a large rally in the last six years. It will correct. Bonds are in a massive bubble, partially created by the low and negative interest rates forced upon the system by central banks. All bubbles eventually burst, however. Gold and silver and their stocks have been beaten down for nearly four years. They will rally to new highs.

Additional Reading:
Bill Holter “Three Strikes and You’re Out!”
Steve St. Angelo “Important Gold Chart”

Gary Christenson – The Deviant Investor

Street Combat – This Ain’t No Game! – Part 2 of 9, by Pat Cascio

INTRODUCTION

The right cross came out of nowhere, followed immediately by a second blow. Before the victim had time to think about it, he had collapsed to the cold, snowy concrete walk. He had been attacked and robbed. The attacker had stolen a new pair of gloves from the seven year old. The attack had taken place on school grounds, during recess. The attack was swift, without warning and final! The eight year old attacker was already a known member of the Latin Kings street gang in Chicago. The seven year old victim had just learned his first (and most important lesson) in street combat. A lesson he would never forget– “This Ain’t No Game!“

The middle-aged man arrived at the city park early, hoping to catch a few bass in the small pond before the sun rose. The angler had fished at this same park hundreds of times. There was nothing to fear; this was a small town in Oregon. At best, there were usually one or two senior citizens taking an early morning walk, but not this morning!

Upon arriving, the man noticed an older Ford Bronco parked in the parking lot. The driver was in his early 20’s as well as the male passenger next to him. Two girls, approximately 15 or 16 years old, accompanied the men. “Probably runaways,” the man thought. It was obvious the entire group had been “living” in the vehicle. They were all dirty, and their clothes were filthy.

Minding his own business, the man ignored the youthful group and fished his usual spot. One of the men started to approach the angler from the left. The angler made sure the rapidly approaching man knew he had been observed approaching in the predawn light. The unwelcomed man turned and left. In short order, this entire process was repeated, with the same results.

Not to be denied, the unwelcomed visitor to the park decided to walk around the outside of the park and approach the angler from a different direction. The angler was keenly aware of his surroundings and movements of the determined man. When the park visitor was within 30 feet of the angler, the visitor stooped down and attempted to retrieve something from his right sock. “Probably a knife; this isn’t going to be a good morning,” the fisherman thought to himself.

The angler turned toward the park visitor and gently swept back his vest, revealing his 9mm Star Firestar pistol nestled on his right side. The park visitor immediately decided he had business elsewhere and left at a brisk pace. The angler finished fishing and left the park. “This Ain’t No Game!”

The first incident took place in Chicago, Illinois in 1958, while I was but a mere lad, ignorant of the dangers surrounding me on the playground of the public school. The second incident took place in September 1997 in Ontario, Oregon. However, almost 40 years of life-long experience and learning had better prepared me for that latest threat.

We’ve all heard people interviewed on the t.v. news after a senseless shooting spree say, “I never thought it could happen here.” Can people really be so naive as to believe they’re “safe” anyplace these days? As I write these words, a police officer in Boise, Idaho is being laid-to-rest. He is their first officer killed in the line of duty. The officer had recently moved to Boise, Idaho from Southern California, where he worked as a deputy sheriff. He left California because it was “too violent”. The City of Trees proved no less violent, or deadly, for this brave man.

It can, and it will happen to you, no matter where you live, if you allow it! Can you protect yourself from every possible threat? Of course not. However, with a little common sense, training, and mental awareness, you can avoid many threats or at least diminish them so that they no longer pose a lethal threat to you, just as I did while fishing. In my case, a “picture was worth a thousand words”. I didn’t have to draw my gun. The simple act of sweeping back my vest and allowing him to gain sight of the gun (on my side), laid to rest any notions the man had about attacking or robbing me. There was no “threat” implied by my actions, just a “friendly warning” that the would-be attacker clearly understood.

Make no mistake, we are involved in street combat every time we leave the so-called “safety” of our homes. You never know when a disgruntled postal worker is going to go “postal”, (as shrinks now call it) and start shooting everyone in sight.

Everyone has seen the graphic images on t.v. of the aftermath of yet another “fired” employee taking revenge on his supervisors and former co-workers. It happens all too often. It happens in small towns and in “safe” neighborhoods of big cities. It happens where “I never thought it could happen.”

This book contains a lifetime of study, training, and experience in street combat that I have been exposed to. Much of my experience comes from working as a private investigator, police officer, K-9 handler, military infantryman, and martial arts instructor, and being just a plain ol’ “ordinary citizen” just like yourself.

With you, the reader in mind, I humbly offer this book:

Street Combat – This Ain’t No Game!

Letter Re: The Home Library

HJL,

I have thought on the topic of the home library and what books it should and should not comprise, at least in terms of there being a set of bookshelves, which all family members have access to and are encouraged to read and use for study, whether one homeschools or not.

A Bible and a good concordance thereto top the list, and I believe that the King James Version, in modern type, is generally the best overall. For intensive Scripture study, in fact, I usually print out a Book or chapters from the KJV from a reliable .pdf file. I can then underline or highlight as I see fit and can carry the pages in a binder.

I believe a good parallel translation Bible can be useful in determining the meaning of words, so long as the parallel translations are not objectionable in the intent of the translators. However, I believe there are many modern translations of good intent.

Among the Bibles I would have in my library would be a good Geneva Bible, but only if the typeface and spellings were modern while the book was otherwise complete and the notes unexpurgated. Specifically, it has to include the Apocrypha, which all original and ancient Geneva Bibles did. It’s worth noting that all KJV Bibles also did so until 1803, when a North American printing omitted it.

I would also not be without a good concordance to any translation I intended to study much from and also some supplementary literature. I would like to have a copy of Halley’s Bible Handbook, which was prepared under his own supervisions; modern ones are a farce and deviate extensively from his scholarship.

In my opinion, most really worthwhile Christian literature was published before 1900. Much of what is sold in Christian bookstores today is either empty platitudes or actively detrimental. My wife and I do not take our children to most Christian bookstores, and we do not listen to contemporary Christian music.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Brownback is a Brown Coat! Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has signed a bill that re-legalizes permit-free concealed carry (aka “Constitutional Carry“) of guns. The law will take effect on July 1st, 2015. Commendably, Brownback was quoted as saying: “Responsible gun ownership – for protection and sport – is a right inherent in our Constitution.” Kudos to Governor Brownback. Kansas will join Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Vermont, and Wyoming as Constitutional Carry states. The legislatures in other states should take note and follow suit! (Idaho and Montana are presently ripe candidates.) – JWR

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Common Core Education: The Insane Bottom Line. – H.L.

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Fight Dirty: How to Become a Backyard Garden Guerrilla Even If You’ve Never Grown a Tomato

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Facebook kidnapping case proves you need to know EVERYTHING your kid does online. – D.S.

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How “No dissent allowed” can morph into mass murder. – T.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” John 18:4-6 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – April 04, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 58 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. 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 then 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),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. 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. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, 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,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. *Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 58 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

A Story of Caution in Today’s Police State, by Lebannen

I have always supported our troops and our first responders. Down deep inside of my conscious, I honestly feel that serving is the greatest form of community involvement. As a fourth generation Army veteran, this is something that I was not only raised to believe but I lived every day. The structure, the camaraderie, and the deep-seeded need to protect others led me to my next chapter– law enforcement.

I eventually found myself applying for an agency in my home state. I applied and was accepted for my military experience, high academic standards, sharp appearance, and life maturity; I entered the police force at the age of 35. I was on average 10 years older than the next cadet, and I was only seven years younger than the youngest instructor. So, I was gently teased about my age; it was in good fun. I missed the teamwork atmosphere that I could not find in the private sector.

However, during the past nine weeks, I have noticed that law enforcement has become far too powerful. The methodology that is being taught at agencies across the nation (or so I am told) skirt the Constitution that we swore an oath to uphold. I was constantly shocked to hear decorated local, state, and federal representatives bend the law and outright laugh at the stories of falsification of statements, coerced statements, and outright deception. This is not an indictment of the profession or honest agencies/officers. I still hold law enforcement as one of the most honorable professions. With that said, the civilian population needs to understand their rights and responsibilities.

I eventually resigned during the Academy, after my sponsoring agency received a report that I was refusing to follow instructions. The charge is true; I refuse to violate the Constitution. So, instead of risking my good name and reputation for a disciplinary hearing, I resigned without prejudice.

Here is the exact scenario that is taken from the exercise that started all of the trouble:

You are pulled over for failing to signal for a right turn on a two lane highway. After the officer gives you a lawful command to exit your vehicle and walk to the front of the patrol unit, the officer asks you the following question(s):

Officer: “Sir/Ma’am, do you have an Operator’s License?”

You: “Yes, Officer, I do.” You give the Officer your license, and the Officer asks the following question:

Officer: “Do you have Proof of Insurance and Motor Vehicle Registration?”

You: “Yes ,Officer, I have it right here.” You give the officer the requested documents.

Officer: “That is odd; most people keep it in their vehicle. Why do you have it on your person?”

You: “I just keep it there because I tend to forget where I placed it.”

Officer: “Okay, stand right here, I am going to run a check on you to verify who you are and to make sure you are authorized to operate this vehicle.”

The Officer returns and states: “I will walk you to your vehicle.”

You and the Officer walk back to the vehicle, and you sit down and buckle up. Then the officer asks you:

Officer: “Can I search your vehicle, since you carried your information so readily; I feel that you are hiding something from me?” “Do you have any weapons or contraband I need to know about?”

You: “I do not agree to any search, as I have done nothing wrong and complied with your every request.”

The officer is instantly angered by your answer and removes you from the vehicle, places you in restraints, and pat searches for “Officer safety” and detains you in his vehicle. The officer eventually finds your lawfully purchased pistol jammed between the front seat and console and arrests you for having a firearm in his state. You have no criminal record of any kind. Is the stop and arrest valid? Why or why not?

The answer that surprises you is NO! In no state in the country is this arrest valid, due to the officer not having reasonable suspicion or probable cause to walk up with you after giving the officer the requested documentation. It is a violation of your 4th Amendment. The original stop is valid, but what follows is poisoned by the officer not having consent or probable cause to search your vehicle. Therefore, the finding of the weapon would be tossed out. This is ANOTHER violation of your 4th amendment. Finally, the officer was holding your information and did not offer to return it to you. That officer is essentially COERCING you to consent to his search. This is a violation of the 5th amendment.

When I said these things, I was instantly ridiculed and threatened by the same instructors who gave me praise earlier. I went from being a model student to being a “troublemaker” in one afternoon. I resigned from the academy effective 3/17/15 for standing up for what I believe in– the United States Constitution; I hold no regrets. Here are some tips that I can give you when dealing with law enforcement.

  • Do a quick Internet search of your State’s criminal law and especially vehicles traffic laws. Most states have them online.
  • Never make direct eye contact with officers while driving. They are trained to pick up on that, and it gives them (in most jurisdictions) reasonable suspicion to follow you. This can lead to you making one minor error while driving to facilitate a stop.
  • Never hang anything on your rear view mirror or blocking the view, such as necklace or cross, as it is a federal law that you cannot carry anything that restricts your vision while driving. Federal law allows states to enforce it.
  • When subject to a stop, do NOT get out of the vehicle unless the officer instructs you to do so. This automatically escalates their mindset, and the officers will immediately place their hand on the duty weapon. Officers are being ambushed at an alarming rate.
  • Always carry your license and vehicle information (driver’s license, insurance, and registration) in your wallet.
  • Fighting a speeding ticket is easy, even with the laser. Just ask the agency in court when the last time the recalibration is done. They have to provide it and show it was in sync at the time of the citation; if they cannot, then you can argue it was out of sync.
  • If you have open carry in your state, be respectful about it. If your state has a mandatory identification clause (such as mine), then identify yourself when approached by an officer.
  • If you feel as your rights are violated, do not argue about it there. Make a formal complaint with the internal affairs division, and then escalate it from there if needed.
  • If you are being pulled over in a poorly lit or dangerous area, then you are protected by federal law of slowly advancing to the nearest reasonable area to assist the officer in facilitating the stop. Don’t drive 10 miles when you pass three or four other places.
  • Think about what you are going to say before you speak; officers are being trained to read body language and to confuse you during questioning. This allows them to get consent or admission during an interview/interrogation.
  • You have a fundamental right to refuse searches; do not let them intimidate you by saying it can be held against you. It can’t in any capacity.
  • Always ask during moments of silence, “Am I free to go?” or “Am I being detained?” This places the burden on them for probable cause.
  • Running from the police automatically gives them reasonable suspicion to stop you. So, if you are doing something illegal and you see police, DO NOT RUN.
  • If you are being placed under arrest and the officer is becoming rough with you, repeatedly say, “I am not resisting. Do not hurt me!”
  • If you are going to film police, do not be like those clowns on Copwatch. Do it safely from a distance.
  • If the police come to your door and ask you to step outside or open it, you do NOT have to comply. They need a warrant unless an exigent circumstance occurs. An exigent circumstance would be them hearing a scream or cry for assistance, a gunshot, or any criminal violation that is against people (drugs included).
  • If you are being interrogated (different from interviewed), repeatedly say this one word: LAWYER! Officers have a right to come back later and ask if you wish to talk, but if you say “no”, then they MUST leave.

Remember, police are trained with the mindset that three types of people in the world exist: the sheep (civilians), the wolves (criminals), and the sheepdogs (police). The sheepdogs will tell you that they are only protecting the flock, when in fact they are predators themselves. Police are now being trained to prey upon criminals rather than to uphold the constitution at all cost. This statement does not apply to all police, but this statement does apply to those in law enforcement who bend the rules to make an arrest or stop.

Letter Re: The Mark of the Beast and Prepping

Hugh,

Yet another person is comparing biometric access to the Biblical Mark of the Beast (MOB). I’m not sure why people are so quick to link any kind of implanted device, RFID, or biometric access to the MOB, but I am fairly certain these people have not actually read the Bible or the associated prophecies:

“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.” Revelation 14:9,10

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17

It is pretty clear from a cursory reading that those receiving the mark are people that worship the beast or his image AND THEN willingly receive the mark of his name or the number of his name.

While many will willingly worship the beast in the end times, using biometrics to pay for something or access the internet IS NOT the mark of the beast, and if you cling to the idea that it is, you need to sit down with your Bible a little while longer and actually read what it says.

Almighty God is not going to eternally punish you for using a fingerprint to access the Internet. What he is going to eternally punish you for is knowingly worshiping the beast. – A

HJL Responds: This is an area of eschatology where FUD certainly rules supreme and there are as many “theories” as there are people. I can remember as a child, bar codes were going to be “The mark of the Beast” and we were all going to have to have a tattoo placed on our foreheads or wrists to be able to live in society. There are two things that a person should keep in mind before heading down the rabbit trail of just what this mark may be. First, take a look at the fall of Jerusalem in the Bible. The author of Chronicles records this:

“Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.” 2 Chronicles 36:17

But Ezekiel recorded it this way:

“and the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof … slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.” Ezekiel 9:4&6

These are records of the exact same occurrence, but one has a “mark on their foreheads” and the other does not. Why? Because the author of Chronicles is a historian, recording what was physically seen. Ezekiel was a prophet recording what he saw in a vision. The vision was of spiritual things, and the “mark” was a spiritual mark. Similarly, John is recording what he is seeing in a spiritual vision, not as a historian but as a prophet. There is no reason to expect a physical “mark of the beast”. I’m pretty sure a historian would have recorded people running for the hills whose heads had a glowing mark upon them.

Second, the entire Bible, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is about the relationship between God and man. While man looks upon the outward appearance (and is easily fooled), God looks upon man’s heart. No one will be held accountable for a physical mark that can be forcibly placed upon your body, against your will. The Spiritual mark will be something that is willingly accepted by the person who worships the beast. I have my own ideas about what that “mark” might entail, but I am quite certain it will not be an RFID chip, barcode, or any other physical device. It will be related to the heart of those who willingly turn against God.

As a prepper, however, some form of identification that tracks your purchases may indeed be something to be wary of, but it will not affect your standing with God.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:22-24 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – April 03, 2015

Infidel Body Armor is running a special today. Customers will get $40 off, a decal patch, and pre-paid shipping on orders over $200.

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Don’t forget, Ready Made Resources is offering three Mountain House Classic Assortment Buckets along with a Sawyer SP 128 mini water filter (capable of filtering 100,000 gallons of water) with the purchase of their MOUD142 Mountain House Entree Pac (36 cans / 6 cases). It’s one of their best offers yet!

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Today, we present another entry for Round 58 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. 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 then 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),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. 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. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, 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,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. *Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 58 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.