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 classic car sales. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold Bullion Bar Supply Crunch for US Mint. JWR’s Comment: If you want a real gauge of the genuine value of the flood of U.S Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) and confidence in them, then just watch U.S. Mint sales. There, at the Mint, they produce real money. The death knell of the FRN will be heard soon.

o  o  o

Australia Poised to Be the World’s Largest Gold Producer This Year.

Economy & Finance:

At IWB: Joe Biden’s Own Jobs Report Puts Joblessness Near 31% in August 2021.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Rabobank: What Is Coming Is A Bigger Economic, Market, And Geopolitical Earthquake Than QE Tapering.

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Most Distorted Labor Market Ever: Charts by Sector.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” – James Madison

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 12, 2021

Today is the birthday of Richard Jordan Gatling (September 12, 1818 – February 26, 1903). He was best known for his invention of the Gatling gun, the first successful machine gun. The design was later modernized to become the now-ubiquitous family of electric motor-operated miniguns, chain guns, and Vulcan cannons — ranging from 5.56mm up to 30mm.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 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.

 

More About Leadership, by Old Bobbert

I’ve addressed the issue of leadership before in SurvivalBlog.  I’d like to expand on that a bit, in this essay:

True leadership is a status conferred by knowledgeable persons whose choices reflect their recognition of ability, experience, integrity, character, and a full commitment to a common cause or endeavor.

Being chosen as a leader generally is a result of a decision that they will be supported and enabled by the leader to be successful and secure in the common group efforts.

Often the new group members have made their choice of membership based on their confidence that the current leader is the person they need to provide access for them to the means and support necessary for their success in a common effort or cause.

My definition of who and what a leader is has come to me through 65 plus years of personal experience starting with my enlistment in the US Army, in January of 1958, at age seventeen. I was a Smart Alec kid who was a high school dropout with a severe speech impediment, stuttering.

Immediately after basic training, the Army, in its infinite wisdom, sent me to Fort Sill, Oklahoma to the Signal Corps school to learn radio communication equipment repair.

I learned a lot about the realities of life and true leadership during two years, July 1958 -1960, in the 25th Infantry Division in the then Territory of Hawaii, not yet a state. In that environment I was able to earn two promotions in the first year of active duty. I worked within a specific plan to be a success in spite of my then disability. I believed then, and now, that being disabled is not being unable. Plus two more years of stateside duty, all in communications, and a good discharge in March 1962.  I am old enough to have great-grandkids already.Continue reading“More About Leadership, by Old Bobbert”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.

And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

As he spake these words, many believed on him.” – John 8: 12-30 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — September 11, 2021

September 11th is of course the 20th anniversary of the 2001 Al Qaeda attacks on the U.S.. Our lives have changed a lot since then, and our liberty has suffered. This is also the anniversary of the Benghazi Embassy attacks, in 2012. (Those events were recounted in the Hollywood film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.) Please remember the sacrifice of J. Christopher Stevenson, Sean Smith, and CIA (former Navy SEAL) agents Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Between them, Woods and Doherty reportedly dropped at least 60 of the attackers, before their position was overwhelmed. Please also remember the spineless worms in Washington, D.C. who decided to not back up the embassy staff when they were in dire need of help. Eventually, they will pay for that. Time wounds all heels.

—

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

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running the contest. Round 96 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.Thanks, – JWR

Just When You Thought, by Don in D.F.W.

Editor’s Introduction

The following brief guest article could be classified as a rant, albeit a fairly well-reasoned one. If you dislike rants, then just skip down to reading today’s columns.

Author’s Introduction

The following is is my assessment and I hope that I am wrong. Unfortunately, there are plenty of major criminal types to go around. I cannot forget the James Rhodes articles that I’ve read on the 200-year plan [of The Powers That Be]. Regardless, put four major criminal enterprises in a room and I can guarantee you get collusion. Such is the basis for my recent revelation. Heaven help us…

—

Okay, so we can all concede the economy will likely tank, Our President is under-medicated and the medical community–or at least Dr. Fauci–seems to want to hurt us… And at the very least, our Government has stereotyped a large portion of the population as domestic terrorists.

But wait, There’s more. Just when you thought…

Our military has for years been known to guard the poppy fields in Afghanistan. Now that the Taliban is in control I would expect that Agricultural industry to expand. Poppies have been a Taliban basic finance vehicle for decades, or longer.

Considering the levels of collusion necessary to pull off the current Global Rodeo…

[Frederick and Laura Perls] the originators of Gestalt Therapy might conceive the following:

Greed and a Gratuitous Lust for Power are most likely the primary motivators behind the current multi-prong assault on the Global Populations. That is, ruling out incipient terraforming aspirations. Additionally, what often happens when criminals are allowed to communicate…Collusion…

So, I’m expecting what we’re about to realize is: The “Global NARCO Federation of Cartels” (GNFC.) But the public name will more likely be something like the “Green Global Initiative for Social Governance.” Their specializations being the production and distribution of Fentanyl, the New Afghan Heroin, and vaccine antidotes.Continue reading“Just When You Thought, by Don in D.F.W.”

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’m still in my quarterly travel groove: Round-the-clock bedside care of an elderly relative, and as time allows: writing, editing, exercise, running some brief errands, sleeping, and eating. Not a lot else.

I had an interesting conversation with a foreigner, while on my travels. As I was standing in a very long post office queue, we struck up a conversation. When discussing the recent Afghanistan debacle, this man from Belgium said that he had doubts about “the resolve of the Americans.” I reminded him that he shouldn’t confuse the lack of resolve of the Former Vice President — now occupying the White House, and the steadfast resolve of The American People. This is, after all, the country where we shoot privately-owned machineguns for fun, and the country that invented both Figure 8 Racetrack Trailer Demolition Derbies and freeride extreme mountain biking (where our Europeans friends are invited, and often win.) Oh, and even our ladies catch giant fish by hand.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.” – Proverbs 1:7-19  (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 10, 2021

On September 10, 1776, George Washington asked for a spy volunteer. Nathan Hale stepped up to the challenge of an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City. Unfortunately, the British captured and executed him. He is probably best known for his last words before being hanged: “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” He has long been considered an American hero, and in 1985, was officially designated the state hero of Connecticut. It is good for us to remember that every American patriot and hero from the times leading up to and during the American Revolutionary War would have been considered traitors to the crown and would have suffered much the same fate as Hale had America not won her independence.

Radios for Emergency and SHTF Use – Part 4, by Rufus King

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.)

A friend of mine suggested that I include some discussion of less costly MURS radios for those prepping on a modest budget. There are not nearly as many options for MURS radios as there are for GMRS. A bit of research reveals that a Hong Kong-based firm called Retevis offers Chinese-made radios that it markets for MURS use. Their model RT21V is available in a two-pack for $44.99. They are CTCSS capable, but they do not come with any tones already set up. The Retevis units have the five MURS channels ordered in the sequence they appear in the FCC regulations: channel 1 is 151.820, channel 2 is 151.880, channel 3 is 151.940, channel 4 is 154.570, and channel 5 is 154.600 MHz. Here is a chart comparing the channels on the two units:

 

Frequency Retevis Channel Motorola Channel Allowable Bandwidth
151.820 1 3 11.25KHz
151.880 2 4 11.25KHz
151.940 3 5 11.25KHz
154.570 4 1 20.0 KHz
154.600 5 2 20.0 KHz

 

I ordered a pair of Retevis RT21V radios and evaluated them for this article. My first impression was that you get what you pay for. The cases, batteries, antennas, and chargers all looked okay, but as soon as I started turning the knobs, they felt loose with a lot of slop in them. I charged the batteries for the two units and started testing them. The two would talk to each other with no problems. Where I ran into limitations was when I tried to get them to interoperate with my Motorola RMM-2050’s.

I mentioned above that the RMM-2050 comes from the factory set up to use a sub-audible tone of 67.0Hz for both send and receive. In contrast, the RT21V’s are not set up to transmit tones by default, so out of the box, I could hear the RMM-2050 on the RT21V but not the other way around. My goal was to configure the RT21Vs to work seamlessly with the RMM-2050’s, so they could serve as a less costly alternative. I was only partially successful.Continue reading“Radios for Emergency and SHTF Use – Part 4, by Rufus King”

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 the boom in British classic car prices. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

CPM Group: Silver Shines.

o  o  o

The latest from Arkadiusz Sieroń: Bond Conundrum – Boom or Bust for Gold? A pericope:

“But now we can observe rising inflation and declining bond yields at the same time. The yield on the 10-year Treasury is 1.3%, which is 4 percentage points below the inflation rate, so investors who buy bonds lose a lot of money in real terms. Something is clearly wrong here. Let’s solve this bond conundrum!

The first potential explanation is that bond investors trust the Fed and believe that high inflation is mainly transitory. If so, the bond yields are more or less accurate and could stay around current low levels, and the inflation rates will adjust. The supply disruptions caused by the pandemic will eventually resolve, while the Fed is going to tighten its monetary policy, adding to disinflationary forces.

At first glance, the scenario in which inflation is declining seems to be negative for the yellow metal, as it implies lower demand for gold as an inflation hedge. However, in this case, interest rates could stay at very low levels for a long time. And gold likes the environment of low yields.

The second possible reason for the decline in interest rates is that bond investors expect slower economic growth than previously thought.”

Economy & Finance:

Biden’s Economy: The Black-White Unemployment Gap Soared in August.

o  o  o

Desperate Money Printing Leads to Depression – Dr. Marc Faber.

o  o  o

By 2022 only these 12 states will tax Social Security benefits.

o  o  o

At Mises Wire: This Is a Sign that Price Inflation Will Soon Get Worse.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 9, 2021

On September 9, 1492, the fleet of Christopher Columbus (Cristoforo Colombo / Cristóbal Colón) set sail west.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 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.