Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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 gold-to-silver ratio. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

Have you noticed the shift in the silver-to-gold price ratio?  I repeatedly urged my readers to ratio trade out of gold and into silver when the ratio was north of 95-to-1. With silver now up to $27.26 per Troy ounce, the silver-to-gold ratio is now down to 65.4-to-1. Congrats to those who made that trade.  Remember: The ratio of gold-to-silver ratio in the Earth’s crust is more like 15-to-1. In the long run, we can anticipate reversion to that norm. And for the record: Even though a bounce in the price of gold is expected in the near future, I still consider a silver a “buy.”  Inflation is coming, folks!

o  o  o

For anyone in the Chartist camp: The Inflation Super-Cycle Is Here.

Economy & Finance:

Biden Administration Prepares Way For Banks To Refuse Service To Democrats’ Enemies. JWR’s Comments: I’m now anticipating news that the ghost of Lois Lerner has been resurrected–with targeted tax audits and arbitrary suspension of tax-exempt status for conservative charities and churches.  Given Biden’s Obama-era credentials, that is very likely to happen.

o  o  o

Airline passenger traffic fell last year to lowest number since 1984.

o  o  o

The latest chart shows that the M1 Money Supply grew at a 74% rate increase, from last year. This sort of explosive growth is highly inflationary!  Plan (and invest) accordingly. Your safety will be found in tangibles.

o  o  o

Tom D. sent us this: If Pelosi and Biden Get Their $15 Minimum Wage, US Would Have Highest Minimum Wage in the World

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: In-Your-Face Inflation: AutoNation Brags About Huge Jump in Per-Vehicle Gross Profit on Soaring Prices Despite Declining New-Vehicle Unit Sales

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“What a place! What a situation! What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.” – Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 21, 2021

February 21st is the birthday of Group Captain Douglas Bader (born 1910, died 5 September 1982). He was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter ace during the Second World War. He lost his legs in a pre-war flying accident, but that didn’t stop him from re-entering the RAF when war broke out. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable, and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. Bader was eventually shot down and became a POW in Germany. Since the Luftwaffe ran its own POW camps, he became a celebrity with his captors. Bader’s autobiography Reach for the Sky is a must for those studying aviation in World War II.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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!

Round 93 ends on March 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.

Budget Dry Fire Training: The Mantis X2, by The Novice

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The story is told of a man with a leaky roof. One rainy day, his wife said to him, “The roof is leaking. Why don’t you fix it?” The man replied, “I can’t. It’s raining.” The next day dawned sunny and clear. The man’s wife said to him, “The weather is nice today. Why don’t you fix the roof?” The man replied, “I don’t need to. It’s not leaking.”

Many firearm owners now find themselves in a similar position to the man with the leaky roof. For a number of years, ammunition was plentiful and inexpensive. They said, “Why do I need to stock up on ammo? I can pick some up any time I need it.” Then 2020 happened. Now they are saying, “I can’t stock up on ammo. There isn’t any available.”

Even those who stocked up on ammunition are often now being cautious about tapping into their stockpiles. After all, who knows when they will be able to replenish the ammo they use? As a result, many firearm owners have reduced the amount of live-fire training in which they engage.

Every cloud has a silver lining. When firearm owners were able to engage in frequent life fire training, they too often neglected dry fire training. Now that live-fire training is more problematic, there is the opportunity to engage in more extensive dry fire training.

The problem with dry fire training is that it is usually about as exciting as watching paint dry. A while back I tested a product that makes dry fire training more interesting and effective. It is the Mantis X2 Dry Fire Shooting Performance System. Here is how it all came about:

Background

I had previously tested the Mantis X10 Elite Shooting Performance System. I submitted my review to SurvivalBlog, and sent a copy to Mantis as a courtesy. Mr. Rawles published my review, on February 11, 2020.

In the meantime, Austin from Mantis responded to my message. He mentioned that Mantis was launching a dry-fire-only model, the X2, that would sell for $99. That is significantly less expensive than the $249 price tag on the X10. Austin asked if I would like more information. I responded positively. Four days later, I received a package in the mail.Continue reading“Budget Dry Fire Training: The Mantis X2, by The Novice”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

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The latest meme created by JWR:

 

To share this, you can find it here: https://kapwi.ng/c/4xQD2JtQ

 

Meme Text:

18 States Now Have Constitutional Carry

So… Where is all of that “Blood in the Streets” that the Liberals Promised?

 

There is some interesting data and an animated map showing the progress of Constitutional Carry (aka “Permitless concealed carry’) law enactment, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_carry

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.

Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:1-15 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 20, 2021

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This is the birthday of novelist and screenwriter Richard Matheson (1926–2013). He wrote many sci-fi television scripts. His novella I Am Legend later was adapted into three different movies over the course of five decades, and his story Bid Time Return became the charming movie Somewhere In Time.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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!

Round 93 ends on March 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.

Update: Modifying the Pelican 2620 HeadsUp Lite, by The Novice

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Recently, my daughter had a baby. It was a little girl, our first granddaughter. My wife and I made the pilgrimage across state lines to see this great wonder. The big brothers were not neglected during our visit. My wife took along the “Grandma Basket” filled with clothes and toys and treats for the boys to help them join in the celebration.

Among the toys in the Grandma Basket was a bag of several balloons equipped with LED lights. These particular balloons were labeled as “PartyGlow” balloons, marketed by Unique Industries, Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My wife purchased this gift for a buck at the local dollar store. Similar balloons are marketed under other brand names by other importers at Party City and a host of other vendors.

During the course of our week-long visit, two of the three balloons burst. I salvaged the LEDs from the balloons and examined them. Each was powered by two LR41 batteries. Each LR41 provides about 1.5 volts, so I knew that these bulbs operated effectively at around 3 volts. I wondered if they could tolerate running at 4.5 volts. If so, they might be suitable replacements for the Xenon bulb in my Pelican 2620 HeadsUp Lite.

I have previously tried to modify the Pelican 2620 HeadsUp Lite. I wrote about those experiments in an article that was published on SurvivalBlog on December 5, 2020. To summarize, I was looking for a red LED to replace the Xenon bulb that comes standard in the 2620. A red LED would allow me to use the light to see what is at my feet while allowing my eyes to adjust to ambient light to sense things farther away. At the same time, it would drain the battery less than the Xenon bulb it was replacing. The red LED configurations that I tested for the December article were not fully satisfactory. The LEDs in the balloons seemed brighter than the bulbs I had tried previously. I wondered if the balloon LEDs might be a more suitable replacement.Continue reading“Update: Modifying the Pelican 2620 HeadsUp Lite, by The Novice”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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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 the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This week has been hectic. In addition to catching up on my blog writing, I’ve been quite busy cataloging the new inventory for Elk Creek Company.  Because almost everything I sell is in “used” condition, I feel obligated to take photos and to write detailed descriptions. This gobbles up a lot of my available time.

I’ve also been helping one of my consulting clients, by working up a detailed retreat stocking plan. In the Army we were fond of saying: “The logistics are daunting.” The Army’s solution was to try to cram everyone into a “One Size Fits All” logistics solution. And we never had to match a “budget” for anything except space and weight. Well, stocking a civilian retreat for a large extended family to provide for a period of five+ years is a true logistical challenge. You can’t just place one big order, based on National Stock Numbers (NSNs). Each product and vendor must be evaluated. The constraints of time (and shelf-life), space, and budget necessitate some trade-offs. And there are umpteen variables, some of which are colored by the local climate, ages of the family members, dietary restrictions, and in this case one older individual with physical infirmities. Further complicating things are the current pandemic-induced supply chain difficulties. Have you tried to buy a 1,000-round case of 5.56mm ball ammo or a propane chest freezer, recently? “Daunting”, indeed!

I did take the time to go for a hike with my wife Avalanche Lily, to see where a recent Mountain Lion visitor had been padding around in the snow, here at The Rawles Ranch. I’ll let Lily describe that.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;

The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:

Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.

And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?

Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.

All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.

Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.

There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.

Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away.

Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.

There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?” – Nahum 3 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 19, 2021

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Today is the birthday of Lee Marvin (1924–1987), who you may remember from The Professionals and The Big Red One.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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!

Round 93 ends on March 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.

 

Experience with Tesla Solar and Powerwall 2, by Davey

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I’d like to relate my experience with installing and operating the Tesla Solar and Powerwall 2 system.

Being able to be off-grid is a goal that most folks prepping aspire to achieve. There are many ways to accomplish this depending on your individual budget, location and needs. Take a moment and think about modern life. Modern life runs on electricity. All the things like your household appliances, lights, HVAC plus your fridge, water heater, and the chest freezer in the garage. The outdoor security lights plus your infrared camera systems and your security alarm system.

What about your driveway notifier like the Dakota Alert system, or similar so you know something (A deer or a people) at 3 AM just started down the driveway or up from the rear fence line gate? I have an input to the television in the bedroom that if the alert goes off, I can flip on the television screen and see the outdoor wired night vision camera feeds 24/7 from my bed and they are set up overlapping to see all the approaches possible. Saves me having to get out of bed for another deer moseying through, and not have to grab the rifle and nighttime “bump in the night” go kit to check it out. (Yeah, I only went to visit the deer in the dark a few times before coming up with a better plan). I would have to get up and go at 3 AM if I want to see who is there without electricity. How about charging and running all your electronics day today. Even things like charging your ham/GMRS/FRS radios, tactical lights, and Eneloop batteries. Electricity is a force multiplier if you have it and if you don’t can really make life a lot more work and a bigger challenge for sure.

There is an old joke I heard as a kid on the farm about snow and ice storms that goes something like “What would people do when the power goes away”, and the young child answers: “We can watch television by candlelight.” Just think about all the things electricity allows us to have and do. Some folks and groups like the Amish go “old school and traditional” and for long-term that can make a lot of sense, plus help inform and inspire our choices too.Continue reading“Experience with Tesla Solar and Powerwall 2, by Davey”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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 rising value of Bitcoin. (See the Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

We’ll start out with this from Kelsey Williams: Gold To Monetary Base Ratio Says No Hyperinflation

o  o  o

#SilverSqueeze hits London as SLV warns of Limited Available Silver Supply

Economy & Finance:

Budget Deficit Totals Record $735.7 Billion Through January

o  o  o

Who Bought the $4.5 Trillion Added in One Year to the Incredibly Spiking US National Debt, Now at $27.9 Trillion?

o  o  o

Another at Wolf Street: 10-Year Treasury Yield Hit 1.21%, More than Doubling Since Aug. But Mortgage Rates Near Record Low. And Junk Bond Yields Dropped to New Record Lows

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — February 18, 2021

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Today is the birthday of astronaut Theodore Cordy “Ted” Freeman (February 18, 1930 – October 31, 1964.) Ted Freeman and his wife Faith were friends of my mother and father.  Both my father and Ted Freeman were stationed at Bryan Air Force base in the early 1950s, and they rented houses three blocks apart, in College Station, Texas. The families often played the card game Bridge together. Faith and my mother were also in a play production together. Oddly, the Freemans named their daughter Faith, and they referred to her as “Faith, Junior.” (They couldn’t call her “Little Faith”, for fear of “Oh Ye of Little Faith” jokes.)  A decade later, while training as an astronaut in the Gemini space program, Ted was killed in a birdstrike flying accident, while flying a T-38 Talon jet trainer. Ted Freeman was the first casualty of NASA’s manned space program. Fittingly, Ted Freeman’s name is inscribed on a memorial plaque that was left on the moon, by Apollo astronauts. – JWR

—

Today we present a review article by our Editor At Large, Michael Z. Williamson. Mike is a true Renaissance Man. He is a retired military NCO, award-winning sci-fi novelist and anthologist, blogger, essayist, historical reenactor, bladesmith, gunsmith, and handloader. This article shows his expertise with the latter.