Consequences of 87,000 New IRS Employees, by Toby

I have read and watched a lot of commentary on the Inflation Reduction Act (ironically abbreviated IRA) recently signed into law. I was most interested in the $80 billion added to the IRS budget and the addition of 87,000 IRS employees — mostly agents — effectively doubling the number of IRS agents.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made the following statement:

“Specifically, I direct that any additional resources – including any new personnel or auditors that are hired – shall not be used to increase the share of small business or households below the $400,000 threshold that are audited relative to historical levels.

These resources are absolutely not about increasing audit scrutiny on small businesses or middle-income Americans. As we’ve been planning, our investment of these enforcement resources is designed around the Department of the Treasury’s directive that audit rates will not rise relative to recent years for households making under $400,000.”

Most of the commentary and media discussion centers on the revenue generated by additional tax audits on taxpayers making over $400,000 and after doing some math and speculation they come to the conclusion that the dollars are just not there. Most conservative journalists and financial media are reporting that it is most likely that households making less than $400,000 a year will face increased audits under the Inflation Reduction Act.

I would speculate that most “talking heads” and media, even conservative and alternative “right wing” media are missing the point. I believe Janet Yellen is correct and telling us the truth: “any additional resources – including any new personnel or auditors that are hired – shall not be used to increase the share of small businesses or households below the $400,000 threshold that are audited relative to historical levels.” It’s not about additional audits. It’s not about additional tax revenue. I know the usual answer for any conspiracy or government cover-up is always “follow the money.” But in this case, I believe it is not even about the “money.”Continue reading“Consequences of 87,000 New IRS Employees, by Toby”

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:

My injured fingers are healing well, so I’m back to some light work around the ranch.  I’ve been insulating our shop. I think that I should be back to splitting wood in another few days.

Some good news: Atria Books has renewed the contract for my second and third novels — Survivors and Founders. This means that the full Patriots novel series will remain in print, most likely for another five years, or longer.

Now, for Lily’s part of our report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,

Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.

And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;

Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.

Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.

And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.

Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.” – 1 Kings 20: 1-13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 2, 2022

September 2, 1969 is the day that the first automatic teller machine (ATM) made its first public debut, dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, New York. While being as indispensable to most people as cell phones and e-mail, they have introduced a whole new set of issues. Consumers are faced with scams, skimmers, and robbers, and even fake ATMs have been discovered.

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In place of my usual Friday Economics & Investing column,  I’m posting a guest article about the interplay of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy and the gold markets.

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Because Front Sight has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy, we’ve removed the Front Sight membership from the list of prizes for our writing contest, at the request of the prize donor. Our apologies.

By the way, this change opens up a prize sponsorship slot. If you run a business with a product or service with broad appeal to families that are preparedness-minded, then please consider becoming a prize donor. You would be providing a prize worth at least $200 retail, six times per year. This has proven to generate tremendous publicity for businesses, attracting a large number of loyal customers. It explains why so many prize donors have continued their generous support in donating prizes, year after year.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 102 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 LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 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.

 

Homemade Yogurt as Survival Food – Part 2, by N.C.

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

Cooking Tools

The pot and metal bowl form a quick double boiler, it’s not strictly necessary, you could just use the pot. Using the double boiler helps keep you from burning or overheating your milk which can lead to a grainy texture. I find it very easy to keep the temperature where I need it and cleanup is easier with the double boiler setup. If you are using a rocket stove or some other live fire source of heat, the boiling water will keep a steadier heat. I use a metal bowl instead of glass because I find it keeps the mixture at the temperature I need better. It is also a more efficient way to cool the mixture when cooking is done (glass insulates while metal conducts heat).

Fermentation Vessel

Any food-safe container that will hold your batch of yogurt and can go from a warm environment to a cold environment. I have used a juice pitcher and a cereal container but I recently switched to wide mouth canning jars because the yogurt started eating away the plastic. The main thing you need is a wide mouth so you can scoop out the yogurt afterward. I normally do a half gallon and by using 2 wide-mouth quart canning jars I can keep one batch plain and experiment with flavorings for the second jar.Continue reading“Homemade Yogurt as Survival Food – Part 2, by N.C.”

Gold Sees Light at the End of the Fed’s Tightening Tunnel, by Arkadiusz Sieroń

Editor’s Note:  This article, selected by JWR, was first published by Sunshine Profits, and is reposted with permission.

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The FOMC hiked rates by 75 basis points in July. However, the recession drums are getting louder, and gold likes such music.

Another large interest rate hike! The Fed raised the federal funds rate by 75 basis points to 2.25-2.50%. It was the second such big move in a row, making the current tightening cycle the steepest in modern history. So, the Fed must be hawkish now, right?Continue reading“Gold Sees Light at the End of the Fed’s Tightening Tunnel, by Arkadiusz Sieroń”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 1, 2022

September is Kilted to Kick Cancer Month.

September is also National Preparedness Month.

And speaking of preparedness, the Paratus Holiday celebration is always the third Friday in September. (That will be September 16th, this year.)

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Some Sad News: I belatedly heard about the passing of my old friend, Kurt Wilson, the owner of Survival Enterprises. I was just informed that he died of a heart attack, in December of 2021. His widow and son are carrying on with his family business. The archived podcasts of Kurt’s “The Armchair Survivalist” are still available. Kurt was a great guy, and he is greatly missed by his family, friends, and customers.

Here is the contact information for the store. They also do some mail orders if you phone first to  confirm postage costs:

SURVIVAL ENTERPRISES
9360 North Government Way 1A
Hayden, Idaho 83835

Phone: (310) 295-9686

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 102 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 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime low-cost training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  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 LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 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.

 

Homemade Yogurt as Survival Food – Part 1, by N.C.

Yogurt isn’t something most of us think about. I love my classic “Back to Basics” book, it’s chock full of things that I say “oh yeah I should try that”, from carpentry to basket weaving to tinsmithing to blacksmithing. I love that book. But the section on making your own yogurt I looked at and said “yeah…no. Why would I ever do that?” Fast forward 5 years and I’ve lost count of how many batches of yogurt I’ve made.

Some advantages of yogurt:

  • Yogurt can get around lactose intolerance for some people,
  • It is a form of milk preservation,
  • It is economical.

There were two things that changed my attitude: The first was an episode of Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” about yogurt and the second was my children trying a mango lassi at a restaurant. The Good Eats episode noted that some people who are lactose intolerant can tolerate yogurt, the pre-digestion by the bacteria in yogurt can make it acceptable to their systems. That’s some real survival value, that would allow milk from livestock or dehydrated milk to be available to people who normally wouldn’t benefit from it. My children’s enjoyment of the lassi drink led me to look into that and it is incredibly easy to make lassi. That means that people who don’t like eating yogurt can have it available as a drink as well.

The real kicker is that it doesn’t require refrigeration the same way liquid milk does. That’s why yogurt was a staple food pre-refrigeration in hot climates like India. Likewise, it was a common food among nomadic peoples in the middle east and turkey. You could have milk in the morning, have the yogurt ferment during the day’s travel, and use the yogurt as a base for the evening meal. It will go bad. I had a batch go bad on me but that was after 3+ weeks in the fridge. The bacterial cultures that turn milk into yogurt keep other bacteria from spoiling the food for a significant period of time. How long? It’ll depend on what your weather is like but it will last longer than the milk would have in the same conditions, especially compared to raw unpasteurized milk. Which is what we will have if the balloon goes up.Continue reading“Homemade Yogurt as Survival Food – Part 1, by N.C.”

August 2022 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 August?

This was a rough month for gold, as central bank rate hikes sent the dollar to 20-year highs and US markets began to think that inflation has already peaked.

The Bank of England raised interest rates by 50 bp as expected on August 4th, but its forecast of a 15-month recession starting by the end of the year AND 13% inflation shook markets and sent gold to its first settlement over $1,800 since June 30th.

A huge beat on non-farm payrolls the next day sent the dollar zooming, which tanked stocks and gold. Gold fell $25 immediately after the report, but made up half of the loss by the close of the day.
The damage was only temporary. Gold prices stayed above $1,800 for the entire second week in August, peaking at $1,815 on Friday the 12th. Gold then fell into a string of heavy losses, losing $67 over six days. It was guaranteed to end the month with a loss when the DXY dollar index broke above the 109 mark to hit a 20-year high on the 29th.

August marks the fifth monthly drop in a row for gold, the first time this has occurred in four years.Continue reading“August 2022 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— 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. Today, we look at the increasing risk of a second civil war in the United States.

September 17th: Great Lakes Prepping Expo

The announcement: “After being unable to hold the show for two years due to restrictions on large events, we are excited to announce that The Great Lakes Emergency Preparedness Expo or “GLEPE” will be held at the Eastern Michigan State Fairgrounds in Imlay City on Saturday, September 17.” The address: 195 Midway, Imlay City, Michigan.

Fentanyl Deaths Overwhelm US Morgues

Frequent link contributor H.L. sent this: Fentanyl deaths overwhelm US morgues.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.” –  Laura Ingalls Wilder

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 31, 2022

The Harrier jump-jet fighter-bomber had its first flight on August 31, 1966. It was designed to fly from combat areas and aircraft carriers and to support ground forces. It was originally built by Hawker Siddeley Aviation, and also later produced by McDonnell Douglas, in the United States.

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Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog’s Senior Editor, JWR.

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We are still seeking articles for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 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.

WIN: Whip Inflation Nonconformably

In recent months, I’ve had several consulting clients ask me about how they might protect themselves from the ravages of inflation. The official rate of inflation is now at 9.2%, but everyone knows that the real-world rate is somewhere north of 14%. I’m offering some concrete suggestions that I will relate in this essay, but first, let me digress into some history:

According to the Wikipedia article about the WIN campaign:

“[President Gerald] Ford had taken office in August 1974 amidst one of the worst economic crises in US history, marked by high unemployment and inflation rising to 12.3% that year following the 1973 oil crisis. As a Republican, Ford favored the WIN campaign’s emphasis on addressing the problem through voluntary actions of citizens, instead of price restrictions imposed centrally by a big government bureaucracy.

The campaign began in earnest with the establishment by the 93rd Congress of the National Commission on Inflation, which Ford closed with an address to the American people, asking them to send him a list of ten inflation-reducing ideas. Ten days later, Ford declared inflation “public enemy number one” before Congress on October 8, 1974, in a speech entitled “Whip Inflation Now”, announcing a series of proposals for public and private steps intended to directly affect supply and demand to bring inflation under control. Suggested actions for citizens included carpooling, turning down thermostats, and starting their own vegetable gardens.”

Ford’s WIN campaign had lackluster success, mostly because it failed to address the real roots of inflation, which the U.S. Treasury’s monetary policy and the credit policy of the Federal Reserve banking cartel. To his credit, Ford came into office at the tail end of a five-month long Arab oil embargo, an already weak economy, and already high inflation. This was when the term “stagflation” was popularized. Ford served as President for just 895 days. In 1974, inflation peaked at just over 12%.Continue reading“WIN: Whip Inflation Nonconformably”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: 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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First up, over at Redoubt News, there is this pointed and downright poignant essay: Baby Boomers Don’t Recognize America.

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Reader R.D. spotted this: He turned his weed-filled yard into a low-water jungle of fruit trees.

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Mrs. Alaska wrote:
“I loved your update to your retreat location suggestions. Question:  You talked about housing off of a secondary road.  Would you like to comment on the benefits or detriments of access to old and new forms of alternate transportation and routes, like boats for rivers and creeks, whistlestop train routes, trails for ATVs, snowmobiles and motorbikes, small plane landing strips?  All or some of these are common in Alaska and various rural areas throughout the country.  My question could be both/and (road plus alternate) or either/or. (Just a boat or just dirt trails).  Keep up the good work.
Here, we have transport just by snowmachine (snowmobile) and small planes that can land on the smallish lake.”

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A great video by Bill Whittle, that is definitely worth 28 minutes of your time: That’s Who They Are.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”