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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we examine some planned cryptocurrency regulations. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Keith Weiner: The Current Yield Curve Inversion, Explained.

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Kelsey Williams: Gold, Inflation, and The Federal Reserve.

Economy & Finance:

How high will interest rates rise in 2023? Economists, markets are skeptical of Fed hike plan.

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Joe Biden and the Fed Have Completely Ruined the U.S. Economy.

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Harvard Business Review: What Will the Global Economy Look Like in 2023?  Here is a quote from Mihir Desai:

“The pessimistic case is persistent inflation above 5% throughout 2023 because of a wage-price spiral that means that rates have to stay high much longer. Equity markets have been undergoing a valuation reset — in the pessimistic scenario, stocks continue to fall because the prospect of declining corporate earnings and persistently higher rates still hasn’t been fully internalized in prices.”

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At Zero Hedge: Here’s What’s In The ‘Ugliest’ Omnibus Bill Ever.

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Biden’s moronic 2023 budget: More, more, more.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“All just laws are both righteous and good. They are righteous when they inherently accord with the natural law; the commanded action is good in its substance. But being inherently righteous says nothing about their suitability for any given people.” – Stephen Wolfe, The Case for Christian Nationalism

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 25, 2022

To those who are celebrating the Advent of our Lord and Savior, the team at SurvivalBlog wishes you a peaceful and meaningful Christmas. And for those who choose to celebrate our Lord through the biblical feasts, stay safe out there. Our prayer is that each and every one of you enjoys the family gathering time and that you stay safe on the roads.

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Today’s guest article is too short to be included in the judging for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

We are still seeking entries for Round 104. If you have some spare time between Christmas and the New Year, then please write an article and send it in. We all appreciate you sharing your knowledge and hard-earned wisdom. More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.

Are You Self-Reliant, Self-Sufficent, or Self-Sustaining?, by Mrs. Alaska

One of our goals each year is to decrease our dependency on others by increasing our skills and resources. In the city, it was convenient to pay for services and products. Living remotely, we learn to do many things ourselves or do without. I evaluate aspects of our life on a continuum from dependent to independent:

  • Dependent on others
  • Self-reliant
  • Self-sufficient
  • Self-sustaining

Given recent news reports of coronavirus and the economy, tornadoes, wildfires, and power outages, perhaps readers are applying this sort of rubric to their situations, too.Continue reading“Are You Self-Reliant, Self-Sufficent, or Self-Sustaining?, by Mrs. Alaska”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” – Luke 2:11-14 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 24, 2022

December 24 is the anniversary of when John Joe Gray’s legal troubles began, in 2000. He and his family had been self-sufficiently holed up in their Texas ranch for nearly 15 years, in defiance of a warrant for his arrest, before the district attorney dropped the charges. This was the longest standoff in American history, in which he faced the administrations of four different county sheriffs.

On December 24, 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke was flying over the Peruvian rainforest with her mother when her plane was hit by lightning. She miraculously survived a two-mile fall, still strapped in her seat. She found herself alone in the jungle. After ten days of walking out from the crash site, she was rescued by a group of rainforest loggers.

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Today we present a guest article selected by JWR. We are in need of entries for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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 Surveillance State Is Making a List and You’re On It, by John & Nisha Whitehead

“He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows when you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness’ sake!”
—“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”

You’d better watch out—you’d better not pout—you’d better not cry—‘cos I’m telling you why: this Christmas, it’s the Surveillance State that’s making a list and checking it twice, and it won’t matter whether you’ve been bad or good.

You’ll be on this list whether you like it or not.

Mass surveillance is the Deep State’s version of a “gift” that keeps on giving…back to the Deep State.

Geofencing dragnets. Fusion centers. Smart devices. Behavioral threat assessments. Terror watch lists. Facial recognition. Snitch tip lines. Biometric scanners. Pre-crime. DNA databases. Data mining. Precognitive technology. Contact tracing apps.

What these add up to is a world in which, on any given day, the average person is now monitored, surveilled, spied on and tracked in more than 20 different ways by both government and corporate eyes and ears.

Big Tech wedded to Big Government has become Big Brother.

Every second of every day, the American people are being spied on by a vast network of digital Peeping Toms, electronic eavesdroppers and robotic snoops.

This creepy new era of government/corporate spying—in which we’re being listened to, watched, tracked, followed, mapped, bought, sold and targeted—has been made possible by a global army of techno-tyrants, fusion centers and Peeping Toms.

Consider just a small sampling of the tools being used to track our movements, monitor our spending, and sniff out all the ways in which our thoughts, actions and social circles might land us on the government’s naughty list, whether or not you’ve done anything wrong.Continue reading“The Surveillance State Is Making a List and You’re On It, by John & Nisha Whitehead”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

We had a few brutally-cold days this week. Over Wednesday night, the low here at the Rawles Ranch was -16 Fahrenheit. That is approximately -26 on the Celsius scale.  The daytime highs were around zero at mid-week, but they are expected to climb back up above freezing on the 25th.

With the arrival of this cold weather, we switched to feeding our horses from our small reserve stockpile of baled alfalfa.  We normally feed them just grass hay, but in weather like this, they seem to do better when eating the more calorically-dense alfalfa. But we never feed our cows from alfalfa bales. It is considered too “hot” a feed for cattle. The cattle are getting extra bales during this deep cold.

We’ve also had another 10+ inches of snow this week, so I’ve been out using our pickup’s snowplow blade, doing my best to keep caught up. I am thankful that I can do so from inside a heated pickup cab, instead of out on a plein air tractor seat. That would be truly brutal.

Now, over to Lily.Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.

Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.

Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.

Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.” – Psalm 85 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 23, 2022

December 23rd is the birthday of Founding Father and Supreme Court Justice John Jay. (Born 1745, died May 17, 1829.)

December 23rd is also the anniversary of the establishment of the exclusive private banking cartel known as The Federal Reserve, in 1913. I recommend the book The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 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.

—

More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.

Thoughts on a General Purpose AR-15 Rifle – Part 2, by Steve A.

(Continued from Part 1.  This concludes the article.)

The mid-length and rifle length gas systems are known for operating the action more smoothly when compared to the carbine length system. The mid length gas system increases for the carbine length barrel. The longer gas tube gives a longer bolt carrier dwell time in the rifle, which lets all the moving pieces work a little more slowly and less violently but still quickly and energetically enough to let the bolt carrier move back fully and allow the bolt to strip the next round off of the magazine reliably. The entire recoil system is stressed less, reducing wear and tear and malfunctions during normal conditions.

The bolt carrier group contains the bolt, bolt cam, gas key, and the firing pin. For this vital part I try to keep it simple. A steel, mil-spec bolt carrier group from a quality manufacture is often the best answer and is a proven performer. Good ones are often tested using Magnetic Particle Inspection during manufacture to look for defects. The bolt can be purchased separately from the bolt carrier but is normally purchased as part of a high quality bolt carrier group.

The upper receiver is the M4 version which has a factory M4 Picatinny top rail to support the rear sight and the scope base. It should also have enhanced M4 cuts for the feed ramps, which are machined at a shallower angle. This newer feed ramp angle is much more forgiving during the feed cycle and easier on the nose of the bullet. Almost any upper from a reputable dealer will work well.

The lower receiver has the serial number, contains the trigger group, supports the buttstock, and houses the magazine. The trigger mechanism has a disconnector that keeps the rifle from firing more than one shot per pull of the trigger. The proper operation of the disconnector function is critical to safety and should be verified before the rifle is fired.

There are three common types of buttstocks, the telescoping or collapsible, the fixed A1 length, and the fixed A2 length, with the A2 length being the longest. I like the A1 length with a trapdoor that lets you store a few things in it, thereby keeping those things with the rifle at all times. One such item should be whatever needed to remove and replace the scope base from the upper receiver. Another should enable you to install the rear backup iron sight if it has been stored in the buttstock compartment.Continue reading“Thoughts on a General Purpose AR-15 Rifle – Part 2, by Steve A.”

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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the prospects for copper prices, in 2023. (See the Commodities section.)

Precious Metals:

Reported on Tuesday: Gold price up amid bullish outside markets.

o  o  o

At the Von Mises Institute website: The “Barbarous Relic” Helped Enable a World More Civilized than Today’s.

Economy & Finance:

The chief investment officer at the world’s biggest hedge fund says we’re headed for a recession that’s ‘double the normal length’.

o  o  o

Catastrophic: Fed Revises New Job Growth From 1.2 million to 10K for Q2.

o  o  o

Bloomberg reports: Stagflation Will Rule 2023, Keeping Stocks in Peril.

o  o  o

How high will interest rates rise in 2023? Economists, markets are skeptical of Fed hike plan.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 22, 2022

December 22nd is the anniversary of the death of SP4 James T. Davis, the first uniformed American combat casualty of the Vietnam War, in 1961. This Army Security Agency (ASA) SIGINT soldier of the 3rd Radio Research Unit was killed in a Viet Cong ambush on a road outside Saigon.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 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.

—

More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.