Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus 9mm, by Pat Cascio

Smith & Wesson has come out with yet another version of their popular Shield 9mm handgun. My first impression, when I read the press release, was a lack of enthusiasm. I thought to myself: “Just another variation.” So, I wasn’t all that fast to jump on this handgun, as I’ve already owned the original, the improved 2.0 version, and the Custom Shop version. Hands down, the S&W Custom Shop version was the absolute best out of the three models. Somehow, at some point, it got away from me. Then again, I’m a habitual gun trader because I don’t have the funds to purchase all the guns I’d like to have. So, when I read about the new and improved “Plus” model, So I thought about it – for a good long time, before getting one. But I now regret the wait!

The new “Plus” version looks very much like the original versions, that is, until you pick it up, and one of the first things you’ll notice is that the stippling on the grip is more aggressive – and I like it a lot. On the original versions, I added some grip tape for a better purchase on the gun. It made a huge difference in the way the gun felt. The “Plus” version is a 10+1 or 13+1 magazine version. Yep, you read that right, this one comes with two magazines, and one holds 10+1 rounds and the second magazine is extended just a little bit, to hold 13+1 rounds. The grip is only slightly larger than that on the original versions. I’m not sure how S&W pulled this off, but it sure works for me. And that extended portion feels a whole lot better in the hands, with the slightly larger circumference.

I believe that S&W sold well over a million of the original 9mm Shield handguns in their first year – that says a lot, and you rarely find any on the used gun market – buyers love them – and they are an outstanding concealed carry piece, to be sure. However, why not carry a handgun that holds more rounds and feels better, than the original versions?

Let’s look at some of the specs on the “Plus” version. First thing I find as an improvement is the flat-faced trigger, after the more aggressive stippling. I’ve come to really appreciate flat-faced triggers on many firearms these days, makes for a more consistent finger placement, and helps with accuracy. The original trigger pulls on the were very gritty and when you released the trigger after firing a shot, you really couldn’t tell if the trigger reset. Well, on this new version, there is a tactile and audible reset. We also have the perfect 18-degree grip angle, and this allows the gun to point naturally when you bring it up to fire. The finish on the slide is Armornite, and it is extremely durable and rust-resistant – something important in a concealed carry handgun.Continue reading“Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus 9mm, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Mel’s Mexican Casserole

Mel kindly sent us the following recipe: Mel’s Mexican Casserole. (Or some of his friends call it, Mexican Lasagna.)

Mel describes the recipe:

“My wife says it is one her favorite meals, I make when I have time to cook. She will ask for it every couple of weeks. I modify it back and forth and to taste and heat, and I have tried it with ground chicken; it is very adaptable. I also try to use low sodium products for my ingredients — your choice.”

 

Ingredients
  • 1 lb Ground Beef or other meat
  • 1 pkg of Taco Seasoning or make your own ground chili, cumin, cayenne, et cetera, to taste
  • 1 can Rotel tomato/green chilis (I like the one with lime and cilantro, but use mostly the low sodium one when I can find them
  • 1 can Whole Kernel Corn undrained
  • 1 can 6 oz Tomato Paste or larger can of sauce
  • 1 box of Corn Taco Shells
  • 2 cans of Refried Beans, stir them before you use them
  • 1 pkg (2-3 cups) of Shredded Cheddar Cheese,
  • 2 to 3 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (plus the required eggs and milk to complete the mix.)
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Brown ground beef, drain if you needed and mix in package of taco seasoning. Pour in the can of Rotel, corn, tomato paste (I usually rinse the paste can with hot water and pour in pot). Let simmer.

I have used a Dutch oven, large casserole dish; however, you want to do it. I have settled on a large glass casserole dish approx. 12” X 16”.

Break up just a couple of your shells, place in bottom of the dish, and add a layer of the meat sauce. Layer on top with corn shells that you break to lay flat (the bigger the better). I try to cover all because it is easier to keep the layers separate. I use two large spoons to lay a layer of the refried beans and then a layer of shredded cheese.

Again, another layer of the meat sauce, taco shells, refried beans, and cheese. Because I use a low but long casserole pan, I usually only do two. If you use a Dutch oven, you can usually do three or four.

After the last layer of cheese, pour a layer of the mixed up Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (1 egg and 1/3 cup milk per box used). I use to use on my large pan, 2 boxes, but wife likes the topping so now I use 3 boxes. However if I have time, I make my cornbread mix by scratch.

Bake in the center of the oven until golden brown or until the cornbread topping is done. Test with a toothpick or similar (I use a oversize that they put lemon on for your drinks) — No egg/mix on a toothpick in center when you test it, but you will get some cheese, so you will have to decide when ready.

Separate the edge and let it rest for a little while to cool before cutting helps keep the layers from merging.

Top with salsa and sour cream or I like to pour on some New Mexico Red Chili over the top. Enjoy!

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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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at a potential crisis in Eurozone Credit Derivatives. (See the Derivatives section.)

Precious Metals:

‘The Collapse Is Coming…Buy Physical Gold’ – Robert Kiyosaki

o  o  o

At MarketScreener: Gold price 2022: what analysts expect.

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: Fed Doubles Pace Of Taper, Now Expects Three Rate Hikes In 2022. JWR’s Comments:  Bty keeping rates artificially low for far too long, the Federal Reserve has backed itself into a corner.  Instead of letting the normal market cycle (and credit cycle) operate, they now cannot raise rates without killing the economy. Buckle up, folks.

o  o  o

CEOs of Big Box Stores Affected by Mass Looting Beg Congress to Crackdown on Internet Sellers. JWR’s Comments: I sympathize with the plight of storeowners, but it begs the question: Why do urban dwellers believe that they can get away with mass looting? Obviously, it is because minor looting (daily shoplifting) goes unpunished in cities with liberal district attorneys who decline to prosecute cases. And stifling the free commerce of online competitors is not a solution. It is just a stopgap or workaround. When faced with a walk-in clientele that includes a few animals, the retailers should probably adopt the Third World approach:  Put their goods behind bars or in locked plexiglass cabinets.

o  o  o

Federal Debt Equals About $287,859 Per Income-Tax-Paying Household.

o  o  o

Goldman Rings The Alarm On Collapsing Market Breadth: 51% Of All Market Gains Since April Are From Just 5 Stocks.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If you like small government you need to work hard at having a strong national defense that is not so militant. Personal liberty is the purpose of government, to protect liberty – not to run your personal life, not to run the economy, and not to pretend that we can tell the world how they ought to live.” – Dr. Ron Paul

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 19, 2021

December 19th is the birthday of physicist Albert A. Michelson (born 1852, died May 9, 1931), who was the first American to be awarded a Nobel Prize in science, for measuring the speed of light. I’m related to him, by marriage.  One of my great-aunts married his brother. – JWR

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On Dec 19, 1776, Thomas Paine published “American Crisis”. Here is an excerpt: “These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” These words were an inspiration to Washington’s dispirited men, having suffered humiliating defeats and encamped at McKonkey’s Ferry on the Delaware River. The beleaguered troops mustered their remaining hopes for victory, crossed the Delaware, and defeated the hung-over Hessians. The revolution had been salvaged.

Progress on My Farm – Part 2, by Animal House

My son put the greenhouse kit together after the spring rains ended. It was quite an effort but he did a good job and added extra reinforcement to withstand strong winds. That year we learned a lot more about starting seeds and transplanting them into the ground. As fall began, we got some portable propane heaters, which were connected to small propane tanks. Those worked well until we had a three-day ice storm when we couldn’t leave the farm to refill the propane tanks.

After speaking with my son, I decided to order a sawmill at the end of the year, but there was a 3 month lead time so it wouldn’t arrive until the following spring. It was a major outlay of money, but we felt it would be worth it in the long run.

Year 8 (2021), the sawmill arrived in the spring but we had to wait until the rains stopped to get it down to the barn over-hang where my son would put it together. I have recently learned there is now a 10-to-12 month lead time on getting the same brand of sawmill. With the Biden regime in office, I knew the economy would bottom out eventually so I laid out a plan to obtain needed supplies. I never imagined that lumber, which is harvested in America, would increase in price by 400%! When the fencing went on sale at Tractor Supply and other farm stores, I ordered a lot of welded wire fencing and extra T-posts; always need this stuff but it is mostly made in China, so it’s good to have a stock on hand. I tried to order made in USA fencing but at the time it literally was not available at any price. As I write this, the same fencing has gone up 20%. The made-in-USA fencing is now available but the price is so high that I wouldn’t be able to afford it.

After last year’s ice storm experience, I ordered a 250-gallon propane tank for the greenhouse and had hoses made to go from the tank to the heaters inside the greenhouse. Ordered extra coverings for the greenhouse and ordered lots and lots of seeds of all types.Continue reading“Progress on My Farm – Part 2, by Animal House”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:1-8 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Satuday — December 18, 2021

December 18th is the birthday of Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788). He wrote more than 1,700 hymns.

Today is also the birthday of Jørgen Haagen Schmith (born December 18, 1910, died October 15, 1944). He was better known under the codename Citron and was a famous Danish resistance fighter in occupied Denmark. His biographical sketch at Wikipedia describes his death, after he was tracked down by the Nazis: “German soldiers arrived at the house to arrest or kill Schmith. He fought for hours against an overwhelming force of enemy troops killing 11 and wounded scores of others before the house was set on fire and he was shot attempting to escape the flames.” His exploits were dramatized in the movie Flame and Citron.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 98 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 free 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 Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 98 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.

Progress on My Farm – Part 1, by Animal House

The following is an overview of our farm progress at the end of 2021. For those of you who don’t know me, I am a widow and grandmother of retirement age. Eight years ago I bought a country property in the mid-south 300 miles from a large metropolitan area and two-hours away from a large city and one hour away from a small city with a hospital and medical specialists. The closest town has two gas stations, a pharmacy, a medical family practice, and two grocery stores, some fast food places, and a few other family-owned businesses.

The property had a very old barn which was used as storage, a water well, electric power, and lots of acreage, but no septic system. The sellers used the old pipe to the woods system but they put in a new septic system as a condition of sale. The house was old and needed a new kitchen and another bathroom before we could move in and I splurged on a whole house backup generator. The other updates are done as we can afford them and they are still ongoing. My oldest son, a truck driver, moved closer so he could help me when he was not on the road. Eventually, he moved on to the property permanently.

My goals in moving out to the country were to: (1) be more secure; (2) become less dependent on buying from stores, (3) have room for my kids and other family members to come to if and when things fall apart for them, (4) learn skills to develop cottage/home business(es), and finally (5) learn to be more self-reliant so I could live in freedom and independence. It has been lots of hard work, with some failures. But over the years, we have gained confidence in our abilities and acquired new skills. Everything we have done has been on a very tight budget and everything is paid for in cash; I have no debt. This is a summary on how we have developed the farm over the years and where we are at the end of 2021.

Year 1: After the house was made livable, the first thing to be done was to fence a half-acre of the back yard for the dogs; at that time I had 5 small dogs, a stray red tick coon hound and one feral kitten which came out of the woods. The coon hound had 6 surprise puppies. She was so emaciated even the vet didn’t realize she was pregnant! That brought us up to 12 dogs; we eventually gave most of the puppies away, but kept two.

Next came a chicken coop and fence around the chicken yard. A neighbor down the road gave me a bunch of hens, a rooster, and a couple of ducks. I had never lived in the country nor had I raised chickens before; thus I lost 5 hens the first six months due to inexperience and predators; a fox, raccoon, owls, and hawks. Since I’m usually a quick learner, I put up two hot wire lines around the chicken fence; one 12” above the ground for the fox, raccoons, etc., and a top hot wire above the fencing for the winged predators. Within two weeks the wire shocked several 4-legged critters (we heard them cry in pain) and fried two owls when they landed on the wire. Digging through the boneyard near the barn we found a couple of old junk file cabinets to put in the chicken yard and also piled old tree limbs around the chicken yard for the birds to hide under when the winged predators came hunting.

Year 2, we fenced almost an acre of the front yard and added a farm gate with an alarm system to the driveway, and started the garden. Toward the end of year 2, I had a second well drilled and a simple pump (manual hand pump) added as a redundant backup. My son built a pump house around the well and made it large enough for some storage. Also, when all the trees, bushes went on sale at the warehouse store in the city, I bought some evergreen trees and holly bushes to provide privacy along the county road. They were about 12” tall when my son dug the holes; now the trees are over 6′ and the bushes about 5′ high. When you live way out in the country, people abandon their unwanted dogs and cats when they think they can get away with it; by the end of the second year we had three more dogs.

Year 3, I got one male and two female New Zealand rabbits to breed. I had never done this either, but some good books and you-tube helped a lot. Son built the cages when he was not on the road. I let nature take its course and soon we had a dozen big rabbits. I learned to identify problems, medical issues and treat them; but I still lost two rabbits. One baby rabbit’s teeth grew fast and curved, I had to cut them with a toenail clipper, but the condition eventually caused the rabbit’s death. One of my favorite does became paralyzed and had to be put down. Also, that year, my son built another chicken coop for the 12 ornamental silkies, he wanted to raise.Continue reading“Progress on My Farm – Part 1, by Animal House”

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:

This past week, I had to make trip to Spokane, Washington, to have our snowplow repaired. It had been repeatedly reverting to “float” mode, unexpectedly. The main fault turned out to be a glitchy controller handset. But while I was there, I had them change the hydraulic fluid, since that hadn’t been done in a couple of years.  I also had the main power cable changed, since the connectors showed some corrosion. “An ounce of prevention…” is wise — especially when it is a 3.5-hour drive to the snowplow dealership.

On my way home, I dropped by a large farm and ranch store, to pick up some chicken layer pellets and a couple of “All Species” 80-pound Lixit tubs. (We do a little supplementary feeding in the winter, for both our cattle and horses. These tubs are low-moisture feed supplements that are molasses-based)  I found that the store was sold out of the brand of layer pellets that I normally buy. So I bought the other brand. I noticed that they had less than one pallet of that feed remaining. The prices of both brands of chicken grain had jumped by about 18%. Oh, and the store is now selling 60-pound tubs of Lixit for about the same price that they used to sell an 80-pound tub. With a “you’re lucky to be getting these” admonition, I bought the last two 60-pounders that they had in stock, for $72.85 each. Ouch. Welcome to the “new normal” of “beggars can’t be choosers” shopping. We are witnessing both Bidenflation and Wu Flu supply chain disruptions, in action.

Just after stepping out of that store, I bumped into an old friend, who was there looking for circuit breakers.  She reported that all of the hardware stores and even the big box store were sold out of the type that she needed. And she had just learned that the farm and ranch store was sold out of them, too. There’s that “new normal” again, for you.

Now, back at the ranch, I’m still catching up on packing and mailing all of the orders that came in, during our month-long Patton’s Birthday Sale. (For my customers in most states, pre-1899s can be sent via US Mail. And regardless, with no Federal paperwork.) With the sale now over, I have reverted the pricing on most of the guns and knives, but I left some very low sale prices in effect on a dozen percussion revolvers. Take a look, at Elk Creek Company.

Now, over to Lily…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughers of Laban thy mother’s brother.

And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughers of Canaan;

And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;

And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:

And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” – Genesis 28 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 17, 2021

December 17th, 1905, was the birthday of Simo Häyhä, who was the world’s most successful sniper. Using an iron-sighted Mosin–Nagant in Finland’s Winter War, he had an astounding 505 confirmed sniper kills. He died April 1, 2002.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 98 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 free 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 Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 98 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 Here and Now, by Mark M.

Like many of you, I’ve read many articles on what to do when the SHTF or TEOTWAWKI. With the fear being put out by the media and politicians regarding Covid, many people who had never heard of prepping, survivalists, or even the acronym SHTF, are now getting quickly up to date.

For all the articles out there, once you sort the wheat from the chaff, there are usually some great pieces of advice regarding what to do when the SHTF, what to include in prepping, building a bugout plan, etc. But, what about the here and now? The time before everything goes south. What can you do? As it turns out, there is a lot of things that you can do, but will you choose to do them? Remember that at the end of the day, your life is in your hands.

Where Am I?

Let me be perfectly clear. Where you live is as important as breathing. Don’t think so? Let’s review history. During the end of World War 2, when the United States, Canada, Britain, and the Soviet Union invaded Germany, the country was divided between them. Yes, it’s a very generalization of a complex subject, but the end result was West Germany, East Germany, and a wall between them. While those in West Germany found economic freedom, those in East Germany found suppression and communism. While no one in Germany at the time could have predicted those outcomes, it is an excellent historical example of the importance of choosing where one lives.

Looking at the years 2019, 2020, and 2021, we find current times not only showing but upholding this idea. Democrat-controlled cities were allowed to riot, burn, loot, and pillage. Police departments in Democrat cities were defunded and crime spiked. Rioters were allowed to take over portions of cities and businesses were either shut down or severely interrupted. If you were that business owner, then that was your livelihood. If you lived there, you found yourself wondering if you would survive. In 2020, a retired St. Louis police captain was shot and killed by looters.

The response to Covid has also been an extreme example of why where one lives is as important as oxygen. If you had loved ones in nursing homes in the New York City area, they were given far different treatment than those in Florida. Even now, the treatments remain different.

You have to treat where you live as important as Oxygen. It matters greatly. No Oxygen, no life. The here and now is the time to start taking stock of where you are living and determining if it’s somewhere that will remain free.

How do you start making that decision? Start taking things in stages and break them down. Are you in a city controlled by Democrats? This is not a political article. It’s reality. Every major city controlled by Democrats is not a place of freedom. Is it a city controlled by a Globalist Republican? If so, then they’re going to be just as bad. Failed policies from both sides of the political spectrum can be found in many places. If you’re in one of these cities, are you truly going to remain free? How many died in the NYC area from failed Covid policies? How many in East Germany died from or were opressed by communism? Start making the changes to allow a move to a place that is free.Continue reading“The Here and Now, by Mark M.”

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 Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at surging inflation figures. (See the Inflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

Silver jumped 4.4% yesterday, to $22.59 per Troy ounce. Gold was up 1.86% to $1807.60 per Troy ounce. This makes the silver-to-gold price ratio now back to near 80-to-1.  So this is a good time to ratio trade out of gold into silver. I expect silver to continue to gain versus gold, with a ratio closer to 50-to-1 by the end of 2022. Oh, and consider hedging into platinum a bit, too. At just $934 per ounce, platinum is a screaming buy, given the long-term gold-to-platinum price ratio.  I do not expect inflation to abate in the U.S. anytime soon, and that will be positive for all of the precious metals.  Without Federal spending restraint, America cannot “Whip Inflation Now” — as Gerald Ford urged us, back in the 1970s. Do you remember those absurd “WIN” buttons? But we can protect ourselves from some of its effects. Hedge, hedge, hedge!  – JWR

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For those who follow chartists, there is this from Gary Tanashian: Gold, Silver, Gold/Silver Ratio And HUI Index.

Economy & Finance:

Stocks fall, Nasdaq drops nearly 2.5% as tech sector stumbles.

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Biden Mocked For Bragging U.S. Pays Bills On Time By Increasing Debt: ‘An Oxymoron Without The Oxy’

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At Zero Hedge: Evergrande’s Surprisingly Quiet Collapse.

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Mega cap leaders sell stock at historic levels amid high valuations, tax changes – WSJ.  JWR’s Comments:  Watch the Smart Money. It looks like they are selling at the top. So… Sell any stocks or mutual funds that you own that are not recession-proof or depression-proof!!

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Hedge funds hammered after Omicron variant spooks markets.

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“We Expect A Sea Change”: Morgan Stanley Admits It Was Wrong, Now Sees Liftoff In 2022 As Goldman Goes All-In With 7 Rate Hikes.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”