February 2023 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance, and the factors that affected gold prices.

What Did Gold Do in February?

Gold gave back all of January’s gains in February in choppy trading, ending the month down about $10 for the year. Things started off badly on February 2nd, when the Fed, ECB, and Bank of England all hikes rates and announced that rates would be moving higher for longer than previously estimated. This sent gold down $34 to $1,916 an ounce by noon, before recovering to $1,931.

The big economic bombshell hit on February 3rd, when the non-farm payrolls report hit showed 517,000 jobs had been created in January, versus expectations of 187,000. This was more than double the 223,000 jobs created in December.

Among other drastic reactions, March gold settled $54 lower at $1,876,and spot gold lost $48 to end at $1,864.  Total losses for the first week in February were $69 for gold futures and $58 for spot gold.

Gold was unable to regain the $1,900 level for the rest of the month. The closest it came was $1,890 on February 8th. Gold had a bad week at the end of February, falling six out of seven sessions to fall from $1,850 to $1,817 on February 24th. End-of-month portfolio adjustments and profit-taking pulled prices $20 higher on the last two days of the month to $1,837 an ounce.Continue reading“February 2023 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran”

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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Reader Dan D. wrote to mention the amazing selection of kerosene lamp wicks, kerosene heater wicks, Aladdin lamp mantles, and lamp chimneys available from the Miles Stair Wick Shoppe online store. There is a lot of good kerosene lamp and heater reference information available there, too. free of charge. What a great resource!

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Rogue Censorship Regime Tries to Shut Down Conservative News Sites Using ‘Disinformation’ Label

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Hiker Skip offered this:

“Until last year I had a precious metals IRA managed by a reputable company with allocated storage with a well know depository.  To complete my retirement home/retreat, I needed to take several disbursements.  The time, paperwork, lost forms and frustration in completing each transaction was unacceptable. Some transactions took well over a month with constant follow-up calls and emails trying to track down hold-ups.  The story I always got was the depository’s high volume of transactions and their backlog.

I realized that when the collapse comes, I may not have a month to complete a delivery, so I’m taking the IRS taxation theft hit and took physical delivery of the balance of my metals.
To quote Ben Franklin:  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”

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And on the same topic, reader Randy F. mentioned:

“You referenced a private vault-type company in Las Vegas for a reader to store precious metals, instead of repository-type companies or bank safe deposit boxes. Please be aware that a las vegas private vault business was involved in a criminal takedown robbery and many several vault boxes were chopped open and contents stolen. These are in no way more secure than anything else. Don’t forget the case of the f.b.i. raid on one such business and everyone’s boxes and contents impounded, as part of a dragnet blanket sweep of some customers involved in illicit activities. Bury it yourself is the only way to be certain.”

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Tim J. recommended this instructional video: Poor Man’s Wilderness Survival Fire Kit.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“In my life and my world, all of my friends are regular Americans. Everyone I talk to is sick and tired and fed up with being bullied by the left, abused by the left, and disrespected by the left. Our ideas, our policies, and our ways of life have become so far apart that it’s just coming to that point. And the last thing I ever want to see in America is a civil war. No one wants that – at least everyone I know would never want that – but it’s going that direction and we have to do something about it.”  – Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 28, 2023

February 28th is the birthday of famed Swiss investor and economic pundit Marc Faber (born 1946).

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 105 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. 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)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. 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 $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 105 ends on March 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 Medic of Last Resort – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Introduction
Prepping is ideally a systematic and balanced effort to acquire, in advance, the essential resources, skills and knowledge that make sustaining life on this planet possible after a collapse of a civilization occurs. Many preppers have the resources–that is, supplies and equipment–but do they have the skills and knowledge to make use of them?  Most, including myself, are sorely lacking in  medical knowledge, skills, and resources. Without one of these three (knowledge, skills, and resources) our ability to provide meaningful medical care is diminished. A medical professional could certainly do a better job on this topic than a layman like myself. However, this is what I can offer in place of a void. A Medic of Last Resort would be better than nothing, especially in an austere setting, where there will be no outside help.

The article is an attempt to help others close a gap that I found in my own preparedness, and to continue my own self-guided education.  It pays to review what we have learned by researching and writing as we then naturally focus, and learn more in the process. The article also serves to better organize my approach to this topic, and as an inventory of some of what I have, and would like to acquire in the future. And it serves my friends who will likely outlive me and inherit my supplies. Hopefully, there will be a replacement, so I encourage others to learn.  I have solid statistical grounds to expect that my next heart attack will occur soon. I have no way of knowing if that will occur after the coming collapse of this country. Get right with God. It is later than you think.

Disclaimer: I am in no way qualified to authoritatively write on medical topics. This article should not be construed as advice. But it is an account of what I have done, or wish to accomplish, and is only a course of action I suggest others might consider. For a lack of money, I had to turn down an offer from a medical school. I do not even have a college degree, yet my background certainly did assist me in this effort.  Most of my education on this and other topics came later in life. Like my Grandfather, I am mostly self-taught. True Americans were mostly self-taught pioneers, and are those who built this country.  We should continue the tradition. Because of indoctrination, institutionalized education helped destroy that tradition of self-education.

A Medic’s Role

Being a Medic of Last Resort, is about supporting an ongoing security operation. Security will be Job #1, yet without enough healthy fellow survivalists to do that job, and performing all of the other essential chores as well, all of the time, then security will be lacking.  We’ve got to be able to patch’em up, and get them back out there. Yet the job of the medic is not only to patch them up. We are more likely to succumb to a bug than a bullet.  We also need to prevent a wound of any size from becoming infected and disabling the person. We also need to combat disease within the group from becoming wider-spread, and more debilitating than it otherwise might be. Dysentery and dehydration from Cholera, Giardia, and even from nuclear fallout could do more harm to a security operation than most anticipate.
Continue reading“A Medic of Last Resort – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit”

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 of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on some reporting funded by the Stiefel Freethought Foundation. (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

How big Christian nationalism has come courting in North Idaho. JWR’s Comments: To me, it appears that this article displays some bias. Don’t miss the disclosure note at the bottom of the article: “This story was reported with support from the Stiefel Freethought Foundation.”  That is an atheist-led group. The foundation’s stated goal:

“The mission of the Stiefel Freethought Foundation is to secure humanity’s future by ensuring public policy decisions are based on love and reason rather than bias and dogma.”

This leads me to ask: Is this group actually fighting bias? At least with the article I cited, the author seems to be utilizing bias.

The machinations of politics of the 21st century are changing, folks. So, let’s be watchful, and carefully analyze the motivations and intent of news reporters.

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Redoubt News had this report: First Amendment Triumphs! Judge Rules Arrest of Outdoor Worshippers Unconstitutional.

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‘Protecting the lake’: Plans underway for cleanup of leaking dozer in Lake Coeur d’Alene.

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Idaho bill could bring back execution by firing squad.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Take, for example, the African jungle, the home of the cheetah. On whom does the cheetah prey? The old, the sick, the wounded, the weak, the very young, but never the strong. Lesson: If you would not be prey, you had better be strong.” – G. Gordon Liddy

Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 27, 2023

On February 27th, 1902 Harry ‘Breaker’ Harbord Morant (pictured) was executed in Pretoria.

On February 27th, 1900 Felix Hoffman patented acetylsalicylic acid, better known as aspirin.

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I just noticed that we’ve now archived more than 37,000 SurvivalBlog articles, columns, and quotes. I started writing the blog in August, 2005. Please let your friends know that the entire SurvivalBlog archive is available free of charge. Subscriptions are entirely voluntary. The archive can be accessed by date, by category, or with our search box.

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Today’s feature article was penned by SurvivalBlog Filed Gear Editor Thomas Christianson.

Patching Seahorse Protective Cases, by Thomas Christianson

A number of months ago, I purchased two Seahorse protective cases at a thrift store. Someone had drilled and cut holes into them before making the donation. I recently patched the holes in the cases using J-B Weld and fiberglass fiber tape. I am very pleased with the outcome.

Based upon these good results, I would recommend all of the products involved for their usefulness: Seahorse Protective Equipment Cases, J-B Weld Original Formula, and fiberglass fiber tape.

Buying the Cases

I bought the two Seahorse Protective Equipment Cases at a bin sale at a thrift store outlet. At a bin sale, items are sold by the pound rather than being individually priced. For example, at this particular bin sale, household goods, electronics, and toys cost $.99 a pound, clothing and shoes cost $1.69 a pound, small appliances, luggage, rugs and framed art cost $2 apiece, and large camping supplies and large sports gear items cost $4 apiece.

Since each of the Seahorse cases that I purchased weighs 2.45 pounds, they cost me a total of $2.43 each.

Each case had five holes cut or drilled into the left side of the case to allow for the installation of wires and fittings for electronic equipment. Most of the equipment had been removed, leaving a few stray wires, jacks, ports, and holes in the sides of the cases.Continue reading“Patching Seahorse Protective Cases, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:  Broccoli-Chicken-Rice Skillet Casserole

The following recipe for a Broccoli-Chicken-Rice Skillet Casserole with a cheese sauce is from reader H.S.. This recipe serves six adults.

Ingredients
  • 3 cups chicken stock (or water)
  • 1 cup brown rice (12 ounces
  • 4 cups (12 oz.) broccoli crowns
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup nonfat or low-fat yogurt (I use the Greek style)
  • 3 cups shredded chicken
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
Directions
  1. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a medium pot. Add rice, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, then add the broccoli florets to the pot. Replace the cover and cook it for an additional 10 minutes. (Do not cook according to package directions; you want to undercook the rice.) Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. As soon as you put broccoli in the rice pot, preheat oven to 400°F and start making the cheese sauce. Whisk flour and milk in a large skillet to combine. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of the spoon, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted. Add yogurt. (And salt and/or pepper, if desired.)
  3. Fold the rice and broccoli mixture, shredded chicken, and almonds into the cheese sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized casserole dish (or if your skillet is oven-safe, just bake it in the skillet.) Mix the breadcrumbs and olive oil in a small bowl; sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is golden and the dish is warmed through.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, we look at offshore tax havens and digital nomad visas. (See the Offshore Havens section.)

Precious Metals:

Could the Silver Price Really Hit US$100 per Ounce?

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At Gold-Eagle.com: Gold Investors Still MIA

Economy & Finance:

Reader H.L. sent this: Retirees lost 23% of their 401(k) savings in 2022, Fidelity says.

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Reader D.S.V. spotted this: Biden commits U.S. tax dollars to pay Ukraine officials’ salaries and pensions.  JWR’s Comment: Wow! Your tax dollars at work. Aunt Polly can’t afford to pay her electricity bill, but the Bidenistas want to spend our taxes to pay for the retirement of Ukranian government bigwigs? I feel like I’ve stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone.

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Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Inflation woes: Why organic-food shoppers are especially feeling the pinch.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are God’s adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.
– Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), in a letter to Orion Clemens, 23 March, 1878

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 26, 2023

After being forced to abdicate as French emperor in 1814, Napoleon escaped from exile on the island of Elba this day in 1815. Then, gathering support en route, retook power on his return to Paris on March 20, ushering in the Hundred Days.

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Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog’s founder, James Wesley, Rawles (JWR).

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We are in need of entries for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 105 ends on March 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.

Grounds for a National Divorce

The mainstream media has finally caught on to something that has been brewing in America for decades: The deepening divide between two cultures. On one side is the “Blue State” coastal/leftist/authoritarian/atheist/urban culture. And on the other side is the “Red State” inland/conservative/liberty-loving/Christian/rural culture.

Back in 2021, we read this headline, from Forbes: America’s Mass Migration Intensifies As ‘Leftugees’ Flee Blue States And Counties For Red. That article included this:

“America is on the move like never before. Some would say at a tectonic level and for many the driver is as much political as it is economic. The top five states seeing a mass exodus are all Democrat-controlled. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, California, New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Illinois lost a combined 4 million residents between 2010 and 2019. Conversely, a recent study by U-Haul reported that the top five states to see the greatest influx of new residents include the Republican-led states of Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio and Arizona.”Continue reading“Grounds for a National Divorce”