The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.

When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” – John 7: 6-42 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — November 27, 2021

November 27th is the birthday of Ludwig Loewe (November 27, 1837 – September 11, 1886). He was a merchant, manufacturer, philanthropist, and a member of the German Reichstag. Loewe’s companies became involved in the production of armaments, employing famous designers and creating many notable guns. Ludwig Loewe Company of Berlin produced large numbers of Mauser bolt action rifles, most famously used in the Second Boer War. They also produced licensed copies of S&W single-action top-break revolvers.  (Pictured.) Many Loewe-made guns are stamped with a Star of David. The Loewe Company became part of the DWM conglomerate in 1897. Hence, all “Loewe” maker-marked guns are Federally-exempt pre-1899 antiques.

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There are just three days left to send your entry for Round 97 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Round 97 ends on November 30th. Please e-mail us your entry, as an e-mail attachment. 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.

An Update on Precious Metals

I’ve always encouraged my blog readers and consulting clients to diversify their investments to include precious metals. While the markets have displayed their vagaries and suffered from COMEX price manipulation, the general trend for silver, gold, and platinum has been upward at a faster rate than the rate of consumer price inflation. And now, with inflation surging again, it is time that I remind SurvivalBlog readers of some fundamentals. Most importantly, we need to recognize that all fiat currencies are doomed, in the long term. The Almighty U.S. Dollar is no exception to this. Even the Swiss Franc (a good short-term hedge) is also a fiat currency.

You need some fire insurance on both the Dollar and stocks. Someday, the purchasing power of the Dollar will be destroyed by inflation that goes to double digits, and then triple digits. This may not be in the 2020s, but it is just about inevitable. Why? Because I doubt that the U.S. Congress is going to suddenly have a change of heart and stop over-spending. It is what they’ve always done. So your only real safety will be in investing in tangibles. For example: productive farm and ranch land, guns, ammunition, and precious metals. I summed that up in this article: JWR’s 20 “S” Strategy for Tangible Investments.

When hedging into precious metals, I’ve always preferred silver. It is best for barter, and more likely to double in price than gold. It is also currently undervalued to gold. (See my oft-repeated mentions of the silver-to-gold price ratio, and my suggestions on ratio trading.)

Back in November of 2005, I wrote this article: The Precious Metals Bull Continues His Charge. In it, I included this:

I have a good friend with whom I chat on the phone quite regularly. I have been bugging him to hedge into metals for the past three years. When the spot price was $4.35 an ounce with the dealer’s commission a 100-ounce Engelhard bar was about $500. At that time, I suggested that my friend buy at least buy one or two $1,000 face value bags of pre-1965 “junk” silver coinage–just in case. He waffled. Then, when silver was $4.80 an ounce, I was practically begging him to buy.  Even though he was sitting on substantial dollar-denominated liquid assets, he kept coming up with reasons to not buy. Once silver passed $5 per ounce, he claimed that he was waiting for “the next time that it dips below $5.” Then that dip came, and I pointed it out, and he came up with yet another excuse. This went on and on.  Once silver passed $6 an ounce, he claimed “I’ve missed the boat.”  I tried explaining to him that silver was heading well past $12 an ounce in this bull market, but he wouldn’t budge. I finally gave up trying to convince him. Some deer just can’t resist standing and watching those approaching headlights…

The recent spike in gold and silver prices is interesting, because it came at a time when the dollar was strengthening versus the Euro. In contrast, the previous recent rallies occurred when the dollar was losing ground to the Euro. Similarly, gold has traditionally gone up when the price of oil was climbing. But wait a minute–the price of oil is slumping. So why is gold galloping? Something has changed. Perhaps there has been a collective realization that all paper currencies are risky, and that it is therefore time to hedge. The only problem is that in the grand scheme of things is that there just are not a lot of metals to buy. The COMEX is a relatively small market. That is why it tends to be volatile–just a few investors making significant trades can move the market dramatically. If just 10% of  America’s stock and bond investors decided to hedge a fraction of their portfolios into metals, they could buy the entire COMEX inventory, several times over.

I’ve been surprised to see that there has not yet been any significant profit-taking, which is the norm, following COMEX price spikes. If there is no pullback–just a staircase climb upward, –this could be a portent of a paradigm shift. As I’m writing this, (Friday evening), silver is at $8.03/oz., and gold is at $485.20/oz. If gold breaks out above $500 per ounce, watch out! It could be a precursor of a full-scale dollar panic. For those of you that have read this blog regularly, you know the larger implications–at the societal level. Be ready.

Most Americans are familiar with the fact that the U.S. Mint formerly produced 90% silver coins, for circulation. So in the event of a Dollar Panic, while they may not know the details, folks will be eager to learn.

In 2009, I wrote:

I estimate that nearly half of the US population is familiar with the fact that dimes, quarters, half dollars minted before 1965 are silver. (Although most folks don’t know that they are 90% silver, with base metals added. for the hardness required for the rigors of circulation as pocket change.) Most of these same folks know to look for copper showing on the rims of later (post-1964) debased coins, to distinguish them from the earlier, genuine article. In the event of a monetary collapse, there will surely be a rapid education for the rest of the populace. The beauty of free-market economics is that prices very quickly reach equilibrium. I anticipate that within just a few weeks, new prices denominated in pre-1965 silver coinage will be set for most consumer products, and a daily trading ratio of silver coin-to paper currency will be pegged. (No doubt with a steadily-declining value for the fiat paper currency.) Have faith: The marketplace will quickly adjust, and people will quickly adapt to using silver coinage and practical tangibles in barter. (As I’ve written before, in the early stages of an economic collapse, ballistic wampum, i.e. common-caliber ammunition will likely be even more sought-after than silver.)

On a related note: Few Americans are familiar with the 40% silver content half dollars minted between 1965 and 1970, so I do not recommend buying any of those for barter.

The Trend is Still Your Friend

The long-term trend for the U.S. Dollar is down, and the trend for silver is up. Government over-spending and increases in the money supply have assured that these trends will continue.  I still recommend gradually diversifying into silver. The price of silver can be volatile on a day-to-day basis, but “the trend is your friend.” You can try to buy on days when the spot price of silver dips, but a long-term monthly buying plan works even better. This is the equivalent of Dollar Cost Averaging in buying stocks.  If you consistently salt away at least 5% of your income in silver, month after month, then you’ll have a winning strategy and an assured safe retirement — regardless of what happens to the U.S.Dollar, or to the equities markets. They can crash and burn, but you will still have your tangible wealth.

Silver By The Bag

Earlier this year, I wrote:

I am often asked in e-mails about gold and silver coins and their value, both in the present day and their eventual worth (post-TEOTWAWKI) for barter purposes.

The basic unit of measure for most of us that are in preparedness circles is the $1,000 face value bag of circulated U.S. silver coinage, minted in or before 1964. (Some folks mistakenly call these coins “Pre-’64”, but properly they should be termed “Pre-’65.”)

1964 was the last year that 90% silver coins were minted for circulation in the U.S. All of the dimes and quarters minted from 1965 onward are “clad” copper pieces–a sandwiched token that is mainly copper and merely flashed with silver. The government has the audacity to still refer to the new currency as “money” and “dollars”, when they are nothing of the sort. Just look at the edge of one of the modern “coins” in your pocket. We’ve been robbed, ladies and gents!

The 90% silver dimes and quarters coins were almost all gleaned out of circulation by about 1967. Finding one these in your pocket change these days is a rarity and cause for celebration. (Usually inadvertently in circulation because a child raided the wrong piggy bank and spent the coins in ignorance.) The Kennedy half dollar coin continued to be minted with just 40% silver content from 1965 to 1970. After that, Uncle Sugar dropped all pretense of issuing real coinage for circulation.

A $1,000 silver bag weighs about 55 pounds and is roughly the size of a bowling ball. The coins used for this purpose are typically well-worn and hence have little or no numismatic (collector’s) value. Hence, they are often derisively called “junk silver” bags by coin dealers and collectors. Dimes, quarters, and half dollars all have the same ratio of silver content per dollar of face value. Silver dollars have a bit more silver content per dollar, so they sell at a premium. (See below.) Because of the weight of silver bags insured shipping is problematic. So it is advisable to buy locally, but definitely shop around for the best price! If you don’t have any nearby coins shop and don’t mind paying for the freight, contact the folks at Gainesville Coins, APMEX, or Swiss America Trading. All three of them are very reputable companies.

Where To Store Your Metals

I often hear the refrain: “But where can I safely store precious metals?” In May of 2007, I wrote:

There is no substitute for personally holding your precious metals in tangible form. Don’t trust any individual outside of your immediate family or any institution to hold your precious metals for you–not even in your bank safe deposit box. History has shown again and again that A.) People and institutions can’t be trusted and B.) Governments get grabby when they perceive a monetary crisis in the offing. It makes no sense to grant special trust and confidence to a third party. Store your precious metals at home. Yes, I realize that home storage comes with its own set of risks. But at least the responsibility will be yours alone. And yes, I realize that home invasion robberies are on the increase. So there is now a very small statistical chance that you will someday be held at gunpoint and forced to “hand over” your valuables. For this reason, I recommend that you leave a fraction of your precious metals in your home vault. Put all of the rest in a well-hidden, well-sealed waterproof wall, floor, or underground cache.

I stand by that recommendation.

Taking My Own Advice

You may have noticed that I’ve implemented pre-1965 silver coin pricing at my mailorder antique gun business. So now, at Elk Creek Company you can take your choice of paying in Pre’65 silver or paying in Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) — by check or postal money order. The FRN prices are at a multiplier, that changes frequently. Most recently, it has been at 21 times the silver face value.

When I last checked, spot silver was at $23.17 per Troy ounce, and a $1,000 face value bag of silver at APMEX was priced at $20,970.95.  (Or think of that as 20.97 times face value, for 90% silver dimes, quarters, and half-dollars.)

And yes, it is still a good time to buy silver! – JWR

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:

I’ve had a fairly busy week, wiring, insulating, and plywood sheathing the inside of our new hen house. The wiring was very straightforward with just one outlet and two switches–one for the two overhead lights and one for a 6″ fan.  Since the large livestock is now all corraled for the winter, Lily and I collected the partial salt blocks from the pastures. There is no need for them to sit out in the rain and snow.

Speaking of snow, we just completed one small but crucial task:  Flipping over both of our chicken tractors onto their tops. We don’t have room for these in our barn, so they have to sit out every winter. They don’t get crushed by the snow if we simply flip them over onto their tops. That is quick and easy.  We just have to be sure to reverse the process early next spring, before much grass grows up through the wire mesh.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.

And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

Be strong and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.

And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?

And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.” – 1 Samuel 4:1-18 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 26, 2021

November 26th is the birthday of both gun inventor Eugene Reising (born 1884, died February 21, 1967) and the late Barton Biggs (born 1932, died July 14, 2012).  Biggs was a money manager known for his pro-preparedness stance. Pictured is a Reising submachinegun.

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Our George Patton’s Birthday sale is continuing, at Elk Creek Company.  Check out the reduced prices on all of our pre-1899 antique cartridge guns, percussion replicas, percussion conversion cylinders, bayonets, and knives. The sale ends on Saturday, December 11th, 2021.

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Several of our advertisers are running Black Friday sales. For example, ReadyMade Resources has a special on AN/PVS-14 night vision monocular/weapon scopes with L3 White Phosphor Filmless Tubes.

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Round 97 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest ends soon, 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. More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.

Taxes as a Criteria For Choosing Your Retreat Locale

JWR’s Introductory Note: This is an update and expansion to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog back in 2005. In the interim since I wrote it, many states including Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, and South Dakota have raised their sales tax rates.

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Comparing taxes is important when choosing your retreat locale. If you are low-income, but fairly self-sufficient, then sales taxes and vehicle registration costs will be important to you. But if you have a high income, then incomes taxes will be more important to you. If you invest in classic cars, then perhaps vehicle registration cost is the most important to you.

Sales tax is an important issue if you are setting up a retreat. The process of building a retreat generally entails buying a lot of “big ticket” items, such as an AC/DC power generator, photovoltaics, tractors, four-wheel-drive vehicles, guns, ammunition, storage food, gun vaults, wood stoves, propane tanks, propane appliances, and so forth. Sales tax can be minimized if you buy via mail order, but that creates a paper trail, which in my opinion should be avoided. Often, you can travel to an adjoining state with low sales tax (or no sales tax) to make major purchases.Continue reading“Taxes as a Criteria For Choosing Your Retreat Locale”

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 investing in farmland. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Chair Powell Re-nominated, gold takes a dive.

o  o  o

Video: Gold’s advantage over bitcoin.

Economy & Finance:

SurvivalBlog reader H.L. sent this news item: Nebraska’s 1.9% unemployment rate the lowest on record in US. JWR’s Comment: This is what “full employment” truly looks like!

o  o  o

China’s property market debt could weigh on the country for years, economist George Magnus warns.

o  o  o

Pritzker Administration sloughs off Illinois pension liabilities passing $500 billion mark, dissembles on pension crisis again – Wirepoints. JWR’s Comment:  Just wait until the bloated Blue States reach a fiscal crisis point, and demand a Federal bailout!

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Home Sales Down 5.8% from Year Ago, amid Tight Inventory, “Increasing Affordability Challenges,” and Rising Mortgage Rates. JWR Asks: Is this the death knell of the housing boom?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 25, 2021

We wish you a happy Thanksgiving.  Give glory to God for his blessings on our families, and on our nation!

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November 25th was the birthday of economist and comedian Ben Stein. His unscripted monologue on economics from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the most memorable scenes in American cinema. By the way, Stein spends part of each year at his second home in Sandpoint, Idaho, so he is an honorary Redoubter. I’ve heard that he plans to retire in Sandpoint.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 97 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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

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 $150 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!

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 97 ends on November 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.

 

 

 

Internet Privacy Basics, by Petr

Editor’s Introductory Notes: This article was authored by the teenage son of a long-time SurvivalBlog reader. It is humbling to see that a second-generation of SurvivalBlog readers is now reaching adulthood.  (SurvivalBlog was launched in August of 2005.)

Properly, the term internet (with a lower case “I”) generally refers to all interconnected computer networks, whereas Internet (with a upper case “I”) refers to the global network associated with the world wide web (WWW). The dark web refers to dead or abandoned web sites. (That is, sites that have “gone dark.”) The deep web refers to sites that are invisible to search engines. The deep web is mostly behind corporate firewalls and is much larger than the sites cataloged by search engines on the mundane public Internet. Also note that some web addresses are only visible and accessible with Tor (The onion router) or other similar deep web browsers, rather than standard browsers.

This article is geared toward users of the mundane public Internet using standard browsers, but who desire greater privacy. That is probably 98% of SurvivalBlog readers. Note that this article is just a primer rather than a comprehensive guide to Internet privacy. It is an article meant for new users, people new to open source, and the Privacy Mindset.

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Internet privacy is a relatively new concept. The definition and interpretation of Internet privacy can often be up to the individual. For some, it means to be digitally forgotten and to live in anonymity, whereas others it means complete ownership of your devices and your data. It does not matter what your personal definition is. It all comes down to one thing, you as the user need to be in control. Many corporations and especially the government would be happy to take this responsibility off your shoulders. Yet this leaves you open to being exploited. We see this with Google and Microsoft’s targeted advertising. This exploitation also happens through browser fingerprinting and cross-site tracking. Data has become digital gold. With this newly-valuable resource, companies have been trying ruthlessly to acquire your data.

It is not only companies and governments who want to take advantage of your data, but hackers as well. Many times, we as individuals put ourselves in dangerous situations online without even realizing we are doing so. Hackers love nothing more than our ignorance. We are going to cover three basic steps to take back your privacy from these corporations and to keep yourself secure from hackers and snooping 3-letter government organizations. These are simple and often free or inexpensive.

With Internet privacy and especially security come dozens of buzzwords and false claims. Nothing ever makes you 100 percent secure or can guarantee total anonymity. There is some vocabulary that needs to be gone over.

  • Encryption – The process of making once readable data seemingly random. Encryption can be used in almost everything. When executed correctly is always a good thing.
  • Open-Source – When the source code of the application is readable to the public. This allows the code to be audited by regular people. To make sure there is nothing undesired going on in the background. Open source is often free and more secure than proprietary software. Always go for open source when practical and available.
Get a password Manager:

If you are like most people, you use the same password for as many sites as possible and probably also save your usernames and passwords to auto-fill when logging in on your phone and your computer. When a hacker gains access to one of your passwords, she will immediately use the same information to attempt logins of all major email providers, social media apps, and major online retailers. From there the hacker will determine what banks you use and attempt to gain access to your bank accounts and to make purchases from any sites or apps you use for shopping. In short, it can be disastrous. Saving your passwords within a browser (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Safari) or on your phone (whether an apple device or android) is effectively giving your login information to the company that created the browser or the device.

A Password Manager is an application that stores all your passwords for every site and app that you use in an encrypted vault. This may sound a lot like what you are doing when saving your passwords in your browser or on your devices, but one key fact makes all the difference. You have to use a password manager that is “open source” (see definition above). With an open-source password manager we know that the owners of the password manager cannot gain access to your password vault or to your login information for the password manager itself. This also means that the password manager company cannot reset your password if you forget it.Continue reading“Internet Privacy Basics, by Petr”

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 killer asteroid defense.

Killer Asteroids Abound: NASA’s Response

Bloomberg reports: Killer Asteroids Abound. NASA Is Ready to Do Something About It. Here is an excerpt:

“On a winter morning in 2013, a meteor the size of a four-story building screamed across the country, exploding near the city of Chelyabinsk and injuring more than 1,600 people amid widespread property damage.

The chunk of rock and iron, which was 60 feet across, served as a violent reminder that Earth, bombarded daily with tons of space-going debris, periodically intersects with large planet killers—and a significant portion of those remain undocumented.

After years of study and discussion, NASA is ready to launch its first effort to spare Earth the kind of calamity that extinguished the dinosaurs, crashing a space probe into an asteroid to alter its speed and course. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) launches Nov. 23 local time aboard a SpaceX rocket from California and will cruise for 10 months to a binary asteroid system.

The idea is that if humans have adequate time to react—decades of notice being preferable—enough energy can be transferred into a speeding rock to alter its trajectory and make it miss Earth, avoiding catastrophe up to and including an extinction-level event.”

U.S. Can’t Defend Itself Against Hypersonic Missile Technology

Video, linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: US can’t defend itself against China, Russia missile technology: Gen. Keane.Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Our rural ancestors, with little blest,
Patient of labour when the end was rest,
Indulged the day that housed their annual grain,
With feasts, and off’rings, and a thankful strain.” – Alexander Pope

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 24, 2021

November 24th marks the day that John Knox died, in 1572. (He was born in 1514.) AtheistAgendaPedia says: “Born near Haddington, Scotland. He was influenced by George Wishart, who was burned for heresy in 1546, and the following year Knox became the spokesman for the Reformation in Scotland. After imprisonment and exile in England and the European continent, in 1559 he returned to Scotland, where he supervised the preparation of the constitution and liturgy of the Reformed Church.”

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 97 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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

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 $150 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!

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 97 ends on November 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.

Progressive Reloading for Beginners, by Anthony B.

There is nothing in this article about raising chickens, goats, or vegetables. I have done all the above, but there are experts with more knowledge to share. I do, however, have some knowledge to share on loading ammunition, and believe in the importance of having control over personal ammunition supplies given the current political and social situation. How many have tried to buy ammunition in the last year and a half, only to find the shelves bare? Reloading offers a solution to market shortages but requires specialized equipment and knowledge. New loaders typically turn to those with experience for information and are almost invariably advised to begin with a single-stage reloading press and the associated equipment required to produce quality ammo.

A single-stage press uses multiple reloading dies to accomplish each step of the loading process separately and is perceived as the “simplest” way to learn. I agree with that recommendation but can envision some better served by beginning with a progressive press capable of accomplishing multiple tasks at the same time. This article is for those new loaders and I will use commonly loaded 9mm handgun and .223 Remington/5.56 rifle ammunition as examples.

I have been loading ammunition for more than forty years and casting bullets over thirty. I started with a single-stage press as most recommend, and still load most of my ammunition on the same press. Over the years, however, I have managed to acquire several progressive presses and appreciate their advantages. It is strictly a coincidence that my progressive presses are all manufactured by Dillon. I am not trying to sell Dillon products and know several people who are extremely happy with machines from other manufacturers. This article includes only machines I’ve used. Information on other presses is easily available with a little research. The basic advantages remain the same regardless of the press manufacturer.Continue reading“Progressive Reloading for Beginners, by Anthony B.”