The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

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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 Antifa Threat Spirals.

The Antifa Threat Spiral Takes a Turn

Matt Bracken, over at American Partisan: ABR SIT-REP 2: ANTIFA/BLM/REVCOM TACTICS ARE EVOLVING AND ESCALATING. JWR’s Comment:  I warned SurvivalBlog readers about Antifa threat spirals, back in 2017. It looks like this prediction was correct. Oh, by the way, I also recommend the commentary video that Matt Bracken recently made with Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre.

Does China Control the South China Sea?

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site comes this piece posted by The National Interest: Does China Already Control the South China Sea Militarily? Here is an excerpt:

“Does this mean that U.S influence and activity in the area is constrained? At risk? Or merely challenged when it comes to operating in the area to assert freedom of navigation and counter China’s controversial and provocative territorial claims?

Taken individually and collectively, each of the factors may not seem to fully restrict U.S. missions, patrols, training exercises or interoperability maneuvers with allied platforms. U.S. stealth fighters and bombers are built to operate in high-risk or contested areas by relying upon speed, altitude and stealth to elude detection from enemy air defenses.

Navy surface ships travel with integrated layered defenses engineered to find and knock out incoming ballistic missiles or anti-ship cruise missiles and the presence of Chinese fighter jets in contested areas by no means ensures Chinese air supremacy in the region.”

A Yahoo Anti-Prepper Rant

This article posted by Yahoo qualifies as some of the worst advice that I’ve ever read!  It is essentially an anti-preparedness rant:  Guns and 32 Other Things You Definitely Do NOT Need To Buy During the Coronavirus Pandemic. ( A hat tip to D.S. for the link.)

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, “just men who will rule in the fear of God.” The preservation of government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.” – Noah Webster, History of the United States

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 19, 2020

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August 19th is the birthday of Philo Taylor Farnsworth (1906-1971). Farnsworth was an American inventor who is best known for his image pickup device that formed the basis for the fully functional and complete all-electronic television system. Among his many other inventions was the Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor, a small nuclear fusion device that remains a viable source of neutrons. At his death, he held over 300 patents, mostly in radio and television.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  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 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. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  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. 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.
  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!

Round 90 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.

The Secret Salad Garden – Part 2, by D.G.

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(Continued from Part 1.)


Gear and Materials:
Soil

The first trays I grew using ordinary Central Texas yard dirt and the results were good. But dirt from outdoors can introduce mold, gnats, and other insects, so I have been using potting soil ever since. Professional growers will use various mixtures which might include perlite, vermiculite, compost, or coconut coir. Some grow hydroponically. Some add fertilizers and nutrients. It’s very likely that, by following their recommendations, or through experimentation, I might increase yield or see other benefits. But I’m satisfied with the results I’m seeing for now, and I suspect in any case that, during the short period between germination and harvest, the grow medium doesn’t matter too much, and that, apart from water, warmth, and light, most of what the plant needs is in the seed.

 

Trays
Figure 7

Special trays are absolutely unnecessary. Had I read Burke’s book in time I would not have initially purchased any 1020 trays. Burke uses tin foil baking pans and a variety of bowls. Really, any fairly shallow dish will work, in a height range of one to three inches (see Figures 7 and 8). I chose the 1020 shallow trays for two reasons. It is easier to get in close to the soil to harvest with scissors or a knife if you don’t have a tall rim in the way of your hand and, secondly, a high rim impedes airflow and this can foster mold.

Figure 8

I was concerned initially that with a shallow tray I wouldn’t have sufficient soil depth to sustain some of the plants that have a longer time until harvest, but this concern passed after I grew a couple trays of basil to a height of 4-5 inches over a four week period in only about ¾ inch of soil. And regarding drainage holes, the trays I use have none. I was concerned about this, too. Many growers, particularly the pros, prefer the trays with holes because they like to water with a technique called ‘bottom watering,’ i.e., setting the planted tray, with holes, into another tray, with water, and allowing the water to soak up into the root system from the underside.

One important advantage of this is that it prevents the development of mold. Microgreens tend to be grown densely, especially by the pros, who aim to maximize profit. Moisture is easily trapped under the ‘canopy’ when watering is done top-down. But I’ve been careful with how I water, as will be described later, and this has only rarely been a problem.

But I don’t regret the 1020’s I bought at all. I spent a little extra and got the heavy-duty variety. Barring their ad hoc use as tennis rackets I don’t expect they’ll ever crack, particularly as they are not spending any time out under our brutal Texas sun.Continue reading“The Secret Salad Garden – Part 2, by D.G.”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books, and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how-to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food and storage containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This week the focus is on guitarist and singer Molly Tuttle. (See the Music section.)

Books:

The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge

o  o  o

Spain in Arms: A Military History of the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

o  o  o

Homage to Catalonia. (George Orwell wrote more than just fiction.)

o  o  o

Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler’s Defeat

o  o  o

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“I took a train from Berlin to Vienna on a certain date, close to the first of April, 1933. The train was empty. The same train the next day was overcrowded, was stopped at the frontier, the people had to get out, and everybody was interrogated by the Nazis. This just goes to show that if you want to succeed in this world you don’t have to be much cleverer than other people, you just have to be one day earlier.” – Leo Szilard, a Jewish Hungarian physicist and father of nuclear physics, as quoted in The Making of the Atomic Bomb, by Richard Rhodes.
SurvivalBlog reader S.H. in Texas sent us this quote and notes: “This provides a lesson on Bugging Out. Interestingly, Szilard had been pessimistic about the German political scene for quite some time, and lived with his suitcases packed! He decided to leave around April 1, 1933, when a national boycott of Jewish businesses was organized. Dr. Szilard made it to America, where he became a primary researcher in unlocking the power of the atom. Interestingly, he drafted the famous letter from Albert Einstein to President Roosevelt, warning him of advancements in nuclear physics which had drawn the attention of Hitler’s regime, and was the spark that lit the Manhattan Project.”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — August 18, 2020

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August 18th is the birthday of Meriwether Lewis, an American explorer, soldier, politician and public administrator that is best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

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I have travel planned for the month of September — in part to gather inventory. Therefore, I will be temporarily putting Elk Creek Company on hiatus. So if you’d like to place an order, then please get your order in by  August 26th. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  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 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. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  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. 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.
  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!

Round 90 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.

The Secret Salad Garden – Part 1, by D.G.

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Introduction

In the spring of 2020, it became apparent that the coronavirus posed a potential threat to public safety. The severity of the threat was unclear, so my wife and I, being reasonably well-prepared, decided that our family would ‘batten down the hatches’ until we could better assess the situation. Like many people, we learned a lot. We learned how prepared we were, and we learned how prepared we were not. We had never made a trial assessment of our ability to adapt to a situation like this, so it was an eye-opening opportunity to learn and improve. One of the biggest challenges for us was no longer regularly bringing home fresh produce. That lack prompted me to take the steps to learn how to grow microgreens, the immature seedlings of herbs and vegetables, and I’m writing this to share with you what I’ve learned.

If you frequent this web site, you will likely already have mentally played through a variety of scenarios wherein you might be unable or unwilling to leave your home. Or you might be unable to get anything from grocery stores or restaurants. Or you might have to wait months before you can start a garden, and then months more while you wait until harvest. But if you learn the techniques I describe below, you would be able to keep putting fresh produce on your table under such circumstances. Mere minutes after harvest, you can have some of the freshest, most visually appealing and nutritious produce you’ve ever had. The flavors of radish, mustard, sunflower, arugula, basil, all these and more may be easily had with only a little preparation and practice.

From seed to table in as little as a week, and all possible without setting foot outside your home. Learning to grow microgreens indoors may be one of the simplest and most enjoyable of the many things you do to provide for yourself and your family. The abundance of information about microgreens online was daunting but, once I had it pared down to the essentials, I was floored by how simple it was. My first crop was a hands-down success, and little has gone awry in the many times since that I have repeated the process. And the sheer quantity of produce we harvest for so little effort and expense is striking, particularly given the fact that microgreens originated in the realm of high-end restaurant cuisine. Continue reading“The Secret Salad Garden – Part 1, by D.G.”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on the dramatic rescue of a drowning man, on the Snake River. (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

Mountain Home family helps save the life of a man drowning in the Snake River. The article begins:

“The day started as a typical day for Rachelle Ruffing and her family; They had planned a trip to Twin Falls after their family dog had passed away. They decided to spend the day paddleboarding the Snake River before their dinner reservations. They headed to Pillar Falls and spent some time there before heading back, but things took a turn when they noticed an empty kayak right behind them.

“And I just made an assumption or conclusion that somebody was supposed to be in that kayak, and then I just waited, and I started paddling as fast as I could in my paddleboard to get over to the kayak,” Ruffing said.

The kayak belonged to Brendon Lease, who was on a road trip with some friends. They made a stop in Twin Falls where Lease decided to go kayaking, but the currents in Pillar Falls cause his kayak to flip over.

A couple of minutes after noticing the empty kayak, Ruffing says they spotted Lease’s body, by that time his lungs had filled with water and Ruffing says his body was already blue.

After locating Lease, Ruffing’s daughter’s boyfriend immediately jumped into the water to retrieve the body.”

o  o  o

Flying into the Frank Church Wilderness to the river of no return

o  o  o

Investigators say campground shooting involved off-duty cop

o  o  o

Nelson outlines special legislative session

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Middle class America is no less violent than any other people. They seem passive because they’re results oriented. They rise not out of blood frenzy but to solve the otherwise insoluble. Their methods of choice are good will, cooperation, forbearance, negotiation and finally, appeasement, roughly in that order. Only when these fail to end the abuse do they revert to blowback. And they do so irretrievably. Once the course is set and the outcome defined, doubt is put aside. The middle class is known, condemned actually, for carrying out violence with the efficiency of an industrial project where bloody destruction at any scale is not only in play, it’s a metric. Remorse is left for the next generation, they’ll have the leisure for it. We’d like to believe this is merely dark speculation. History says it isn’t.” – The Late Ol’ Remus

Preparedness Notes for Monday — August 17, 2020

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While salmon fishing near the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory on August 17th, 1896, George Carmack reportedly spotted nuggets of gold in a creek bed. His lucky discovery sparked the last great gold rush in the American West  — the Klondike Rush. His two companions later agreed that Skookum, Jim–Carmack’s brother-in-law, actually made the discovery.

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An interesting listing at my #1 Son’s SurvivalRealty.com spin-off of SurvivalBlog: Remote Solar Cabin on 5 acres in Colville, Washington.

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Today we present another product review written by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

Ruger PC9 #19122 Variant, by Pat Cascio

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In January of 2018, I did a review of the then fairly-new Ruger PC9. I was more than impressed with this little 9mm carbine, as was my wife. She insisted on getting one, and loves shooting it. I have to ration the 9mm ammo when we go out shooting, or she’ll shoot-up every round we bring with is…she is fast on the trigger and deadly accurate as well.

I knew it was only a question of time before Ruger, brought out different models. I correctly predicted that they’d bring one out with a telescoping stock and a pistol grip. The people spoke, and Ruger listened. We’re going to take a look at the new Model 19122 and it’s one honey of a 9mm carbine.

Depending on who you talk to, or what you find in your research, a modern “carbine” can be described many different ways. In many respects, it is a rifle with a barrel around 16 to 20-inches, and typically it fires a handgun round. However, that isn’t always the case, to wit, the M1 Carbine of WW2 fame, fired what was called the .30 Cal M1 carbine round – it wasn’t a handgun round per se. I’ve owned more than a few M1 Carbines over the years, and they were all fun guns to shoot, and I would take one into combat without hesitation. I should mention that we are talking about military M1 Carbines, not some of the civilian copies – many of which weren’t very reliable.

The M1 Carbine, .30 Caliber round is something akin to a .357 Magnum round, and there isn’t nothing anemic about the .357 mag round. It is a well-proven man-stopper of a pistol round. Of course, the military was required to use FMJ bullets, no hollow points or soft points. I’ve taken several deer over the years, with a 110-grain softpoint lead round from an M1 Carbine, and they didn’t take a step after being hit – they just went down – fast!

The 9mm round is the most popular self-defense round in use, all over the world, bar none. Even, the US military switched from the .45 ACP to the 9mm back in the 1980s, as their service round. Right now, in the midst of this Coronavirus, there is a serious run on 9mm ammo, and when you can find it at a gun shop, it is expensive, and even more so on-line. I recently saw an ad for 9mm FMJ ammo that nearly gave me a heart attack. As near as I can calculate this, it comes out to slightly less than $700 for a case of 1,000-rds of 9mm FMJ. Yikes!Continue reading“Ruger PC9 #19122 Variant, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Apple Rice Pudding

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The following recipe for Apple Rice Pudding is from The New Butterick Cook Book, by Flora Rose, co-head of the School of Home Economics at Cornell University. It was published in 1924. A professional scan of that 724-page out-of-copyright book will be one of the many bonus items included in the next edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. This special 15th Anniversary Edition USB stick should be available for sale in the third week of January, 2021.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup rice
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large apples
  • 1/4 cup butter or butter substitute
Directions
  1. Wash the rice and boil in salted water until soft.
  2. Drain.
  3. Add the egg-yolks, sugar, raisins, cinnamon and salt.
  4. Cut the apples in very small pieces and add to the rice.
  5. Beat the egg-whites stiff and fold into the mixture.
  6. Melt the butter in a baking-dish and stir half of it into the pudding mixture, spreading the rest over the inside of the dish.
  7. Pour the mixture into the baking-dish and bake in a hot oven for about forty minutes.
SERVING

Serve hot.

Editor’s Note on Oven Temperatures

When using old recipes, you’ll likely see some unfamiliar terms for oven temperature.  Here is a general guide that you might want to print out and keep handy:

  • Very Slow Oven — 250°F to 275°F
  • Slow Oven or Roasting Oven — 275°F to 300°F
  • Moderately Slow Oven — 325°F
  • Moderate Oven — 350°F
  • Pastry Oven or Bread Oven — 360°F to 370°F
  • Moderately Hot Oven — 375°F
  • Hot Oven or Quick Oven — 425 °F
  • Extremely Hot Oven  — 480°F to 500 °F (Pizza!)

Note: To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius: From the Fahrenheit temperature subtract 32. Then multiply the difference by 5, and then divide the product by 9.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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 and silver markets. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

Bank of America: Silver Could Hit $50 “In The Near Term”

o  o  o

Why The Gold & Bitcoin Surge Is Just Starting: “Real Yields Will Be Negative Until The Financial System Collapses”

o  o  o

Hub Moolman: Gold A.D. – Death of the Dollar

o  o  o

New Sound Money Caucus Launched On Capitol Hill

o  o  o

Martin Katusa: The Dawn of Gold. Here is a snippet:

“Economists like Nouriel Roubini and Mohamed El-Arian are talking more about gold and the benefits of the safe-haven metal in these uncertain times.

Even Goldman Sachs is changing their tune. They once mocked gold as an investment that’s nearly always beaten by the market.

They’ve since joined the chorus of major financial institutions like Bank of America and Citigroup ringing the alarm on currency debasement.”

Economy & Finance:

In The Washington Post: After the fastest recession in U.S. history, the economic recovery may be fizzling

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: “Democrats Are Holding This Up!” – Trump Rages After Ordering Mnuchin To Send $3,400 To US Families.

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: No Payment, No Problem: Bizarre New World of Consumer Debt

o  o  o

Another at Wolf Street: Number of People on State or Federal Unemployment Insurance Jumps to 32.1 Million, Second Highest Ever: Week 20 of U.S. Labor Market Collapse

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“In the wake of heart-wrenching and highly publicized mass shootings, the state of California barred its citizens from owning so-called “large capacity magazines” (LCMs) that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. But even well-intentioned laws must pass constitutional muster. California’s near-categorical ban of LCMs strikes at the core of the Second Amendment — the right to armed self-defense. Armed self-defense is a fundamental right rooted in tradition and the text of the Second Amendment. Indeed, from pre-colonial times to today’s post-modern era, the right to defend hearth and home has remained paramount.

California’s law imposes a substantial burden on this right to self-defense. The ban makes it criminal for Californians to own magazines that come standard in Glocks, Berettas, and other handguns that are staples of self-defense. Its scope is so sweeping that half of all magazines in America are now unlawful to own in California. Even law-abiding citizens, regardless of their training and track record, must alter or turn over to the state any LCMs that they may have legally owned for years — or face up to a year in jail.

The state of California has latitude in enacting laws to curb the scourge of gun violence, and has done so by imposing waiting periods and many other limitations. But the Second Amendment limits the state’s ability to second-guess a citizen’s choice of arms if it imposes a substantial burden on her right to self-defense. Many Californians may find solace in the security of a handgun equipped with an LCM: those who live in rural areas where the local sheriff may be miles away, law-abiding citizens trapped in high-crime areas, communities that distrust or depend less on law enforcement, and many more who rely on their firearms to protect themselves and their families. California’s almost-blanket ban on LCMs goes too far in substantially burdening the people’s right to self-defense. We affirm the district court’s summary judgment, and hold that California Penal Code section 32310’s ban on LCMs runs afoul of the Second Amendment.” – Ninth Circuit Appellate Judge Kenneth K. Lee, from the majority opinion in Duncan v. Becerra. August 14, 2020