Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, after news of gold’s winning streak, we look at classic car restoration. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold has gained 22% in 2024. Gold prices have been very strong since August 7th, repeatedly setting new record highs in U.S. Dollar terms. I noticed that spot gold touched $2,544.20 USD per troy ounce, on Tuesday. I expect to see some profit taking, but the market is still very bullish. Meanwhile, the spot prices of silver and platinum have been lagging. I expect to see their prices revert, relative to gold in the next few weeks. So, now is the time to stack some more physical silver and platinum!

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At Gold-Eagle.com: Michael Oliver Report Answers:´How Crazy Is $3,000 Gold From Here?‘

Economy & Finance:

A Preview of Kamalanomics?

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Zero Hedge reports: Global Debt Hits A New High Of $315 Trillion.

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USPS sees steep drop in expedited shipping demand.

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Wicked: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Force States to Fund Health Care Costs for Illegal Aliens Starting Nov. 1, 2024 — As Average U.S. Family Pays $23,968 per Year.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — August 22, 2024

On August 22, 1770, British explorer James Cook claimed the east coast of Australia for the British crown and named it New South Wales.

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Today is the anniversary of the founding of the London Armoury Company, in 1851. It was founded by Robert Adams (1810–1870). He patented the first successful double-action revolver in 1851. His revolvers were used during the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, the U.S. Civil War, and the Anglo-Zulu War.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.

 

Field Intelligence Collection – Part 3, by J.M.

By using a standardized set of tags you’ll ensure everyone’s notes are categorized consistently, which makes it a lot easier to manage a lot of notes from a lot of different people on your home Intel system. Every note should have at least one standard tag in it. I recommend that you use separate smaller notes for each separate observation or thought instead of having a single large note with a lot of different tags in it, which simplifies management. This ensures that each note file will have its own unique creation date/time, which helps with understanding timelines when you’re analyzing the collected information later on.

I also recommend that you create a new Obsidian vault for every trip and delete all previous note vaults after you’ve uploaded them to your central intel system. That way you limit the amount of information a malicious person can find if they get hold of your phone.

Adding new notes in Obsidian is pretty simple – just hit the plus sign (‘+’), give your note a title, add a tag and begin writing. There’s a ton of good help documentation on using Obsidian available online so I’m not going to go into any more detail here. One thing to be aware of is that a lot of the help information discusses with desktop version of Obsidian, which we’ll be discussing in a future article as part of a central intel management system, so be careful of getting into it too deep. For field data collection all you really need to worry about is simply adding notes and tags to notes.Continue reading“Field Intelligence Collection – Part 3, by J.M.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we look at the political shifts that in states where conservative refugees from Blue States are arriving.

Swing States See Newcomers Moving From Blue To Red

As reported by the leftist Staleline.org news network, in April: Swing states see newcomers as Americans move from blue to red counties. JWR’s Comments: That journalist ignores the significance of the fundamental shift that has been ongoing for more than a decade: Conservatives are voting with their feet in large numbers. The political shifts that will follow are inescapable. Red states are getting darker red, in part because of the influx of conservatives who are fleeing socialist Nanny States.

Arizona and Nevada Have Lost Tens of Thousands of Democrats

Arizona and Nevada Have Lost Tens of Thousands of Registered Democrats Since the Last Presidential Election.  JWR’s Comments: The unspoken undercurrent here is that a large number of Democrats are switching  parties or becoming non-party-affiliated because they are disgusted by the way that the Democrat party has overtly become so radically socialist and “woke.”

Moving to Red America

This was reported by City Journal, back in January: Moving to Red America. An excerpt:

“Among small states, Idaho saw the most net domestic migration as a percentage of its 2020 population (up 5.7 percent), followed by South Carolina (up 4.8 percent—and up 1.6 percent in the most recent 12 months alone, the highest of any state) and Montana (up 4.5 percent).”

Blue-State Residents Flock To Red States

As Election Tensions Mount, Blue-State Residents Flock To Red States In Search of Affordable Housing.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Liberty is not a thing for the great masses of men. It is the exclusive possession of a small and disreputable minority, like knowledge, courage and honor. It takes a special sort of man to understand and enjoy liberty — and he is usually an outlaw in democratic societies. It is, indeed, only the exceptional man who can even stand it. The average man doesn’t want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” – H.L. Mencken

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 21, 2024

On August 21, 1968, Warsaw Pact forces completed their invasion of Czechoslovakia and arrested the Czech leader Alexander Dubček. They forced him to sign the Moscow Protocols.

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August 21, 1949: Canada’s largest earthquake since 1700 struck the Queen Charlotte Fault below the Haida Gwaii. (The Haida Gwaii is a group of islands off the north coast of British Columbia.) At 8.1 magnitude it knocked cows off their hooves.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.

Field Intelligence Collection – Part 2, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 1.)

There are also a variety of different types of image collection devices that the lenses sit in front of to view and process the light coming through the lens:

  • Mark I eyeball – Many types of lens devices like binoculars are designed to be held directly up to your eyes, typically to allow you to view things at a distance.
  • Digital Single Lens Reflex (DLSR) cameras – These are large-body cameras that have interchangeable lenses and lots of advanced bells and whistles.
  • Compact digital camera – Smaller digital cameras with built-in lenses.
  • Cell phone camera – Virtually every cell phone sold these days includes a camera.
  • USB cameras – These are cameras that connect to a computer or cell phone using USB.
  • Security cameras – Cameras designed to be mounted in a fixed location and send image data to a central monitoring/recording location, usually via WiFi.
  • Point of view (POV) cameras – These are things like action cameras (e.g. GoPro) and body cameras that are designed to be attached to a person.
  • Drones – Pretty much every drone sold today has a camera.
  • Night vision devices – Mostly digital vision devices that either amplify available light or use infrared light to allow you to see in low-light situations.
  • Thermal cameras – Cameras that allow you to view the infrared energy emitted by the heat something produces. Note that these work just as well in the daylight as they do at night.
  • Digital eyepieces – These are devices designed to attach to the eyepiece of a telescope, spotting scope, etc. and connect to a cell phone via WiFi to provide a digital imaging capability.

Continue reading“Field Intelligence Collection – Part 2, by J.M.”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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We’ll start out today’s column with a great video blog by Pastor Doug Wilson: On Shooting Your Way Out — Blog & Mablog.

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From the statist/alarmist L.A. Times: A new global mpox emergency: Where are the outbreaks and what is the WHO doing?

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As the new strain of mpox reaches Europe, expert warns of delayed Western response.

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The latest from Bjorn Andeas Bull-Hansen:  I’m Preparing for a Major Lockdown — WHO Declares Mpox Global Health Emergency.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The Constitution of the United States was made not merely for the generation that then existed, but for posterity — unlimited, undefined, endless, perpetual posterity.” – Henry Clay

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — August 20, 2024

August 20, 1908: America’s Great White Fleet arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, and was greeted with a tremendous series of welcome celebrations, lasting a week. Some romances ensued and 221 American sailors deserted to remain in Australia.

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On or about August 20, 480 BC, the Battle of Thermopylae. In one of history’s most famous last stands, 7,000 warriors from an alliance of Greek states led by Leonidas I blocked the pass of Thermopylae for a week against an invading Persian army under Xerxes I that was an estimated at 120,000-300,000 strong.

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August 20, 1935 was the birthday of former Congressman Ron Paul. Now retired from Congress, Dr. Paul is to be commended for fighting the good fight for many years.

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And on August 20th, 1866: President Andrew Johnson issued Proclamation 157 declaring “insurrection” in Texas over, officially ending the US Civil War.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.

Field Intelligence Collection – Part 1, by J.M.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

In a post-disaster scenario, your survival and the survival of those you care about is going to depend heavily on several factors:

  • Skills and experience – Knowing how to perform tasks that are critical to survival
  • Mindset – The ability to face reality and take appropriate actions
  • Resources – Having the right equipment, tools, and supplies
  • Information – Knowing what’s going on around you and how it impacts you

While the first three have been pretty extensively discussed on SurvivalBlog, comprehensive approaches for collecting and managing information/intelligence in a post-disaster scenario haven’t been addressed nearly as much. The focus of this article is on collecting information and intelligence while you’re away from your home base and mobile, although much of it can also be applied to activities while in and around your home.Continue reading“Field Intelligence Collection – Part 1, by J.M.”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, two updates on the Greater Idaho movement. (See Central & Eastern Oregon section.)

Idaho

Idaho Department of Lands reports over 389,000 acres burned this year.

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Active-duty troops assist in fighting Boise and Payette forest fires.

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Video: Best Motorcycle Roads in Idaho — Top 7 Rides!

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Nine day CWD Surveillance Hunt.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“All around my hat I will wear the green willow
And all around my hat for a twelve month and a day
And if anyone should ask me the reason why I’m wearing it
It’s all for my true love who’s far, far away

It’s a quarter pound of reasons and a half a pound of sense
A small sprig of time and as much of prudence
You mix them all together and you will plainly see
He’s a false deluding young man, let him go, farewell he and

All around my hat I will wear the green willow
And all around my hat for a twelve month and a day
And if anyone should ask me the reason why I’m wearing it
It’s all for my true love who’s far, far away.” – From the lyrics to All Around My Hat, by Steeleye Span

Preparedness Notes for Monday — August 19, 2024

On August 19, 1561, Mary Queen of Scots arrived in Leith, Scotland to assume the throne after spending 13 years in France.

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On August 19, 2020: Apple became the first US company to be valued at $2 trillion, just two years after it reached $1 trillion valuation.

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UPDATE:  SOLD OUT — We have sold out of a batch of 10 antique Swiss Schmidt-Rubin Model 1896/11 rifles. We had them here at the ranch for just a week. An importer kindly hand-picked all antique (1898 or earlier) ones for me. There were only 10 antique ones out of about 200 that they had on hand. The 1896/11 model can shoot the modern high-pressure 7.5 x 55 ammunition.  We will try to locate another batch. – JWR

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Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog Filed Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We are seeking entries for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.  More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.