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. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, another examination of silver pricing. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

You may have noticed that after a recent excursion into the $29.50 per Troy ounce range, the price of spot silver has bounced back.  Early this week, it was very close to $31 per Troy ounce. And on Thursday morning (July 10, 2024) it hit $31.88 per Troy ounce. It settled to $31.52 in the late afternoon.  I’m still holding to my assertion that $30.50 is now the floor for spot silver. Whenever the Forever Shorts in London and Chicago knock down the price of silver, it bounces back quickly, in Asian trading — just like clockwork.

Meanwhile, spot gold touched $2,429.10 per Troy ounce on Thursday. That is nearing the $2,450.05 all-time record high, that was set on May 20, 2024.

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Hub Moolman: Silver and Gold: Insurance Against US Monetary Collapse.

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Even Nigeria Plans To Bring Gold Reserves Home To Minimize Risk.

Economy & Finance:

A video clip over at X: Jiangxi Bank of China went bankrupt.

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Some important news:  Goldman Sachs Fails Fed Stress Test.  JWR’s Comment:  Nothing to see here, move along…  Seriously, folks: It is high time to diversify your deposits among several institutions. If and when we see bank runs, there could be substantial delays before your FDIC/FSLIC-insured deposits are reimbursed.

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Oklahoma, Alabama Now Have AI-Powered Vending Machines That Sell Bullets. JWR’s Comment:  The writer of course meant “Cartridges” rather than “Bullets” for the headline, but what can you expect from a Gen-X urbanite?<

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NBC News: Fed Chair Powell says holding rates high for too long could jeopardize economic growth.

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From reader C.B.: JPMorgan warns 86 million customers they might have to start paying for their bank accounts.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — July 11, 2024

On July 11, 1804, Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a pistol duel.

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July 11th is the birthday of John Quincy Adams.

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Just one more day!!!  Because of a change in direction at Trident Media Group (my partner publisher) my novel Land Of Promise will go out of print in trade paperback by Amazon.com. It is still priced at just $11.99 per copy. The last day of the sale (and of Amazon Print on Demand ordering capability) will be tomorrow, Friday, July 12, 2024. Thereafter, it may only be available as an e-book. I will try to get it back in print within a few months, but I can’t make any promises.  So order your copy (or copies) soon!

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Today’s feature article is a guest piece authored by Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.us that was selected by JWR.  It is reposted with permission.

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We need a few more entries for Round 113 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.

Trump’s Return: Get Ready For Chaos To Be Unleashed, by Brandon Smith

Yeah, it’s happening. The last half of 2024 is shaping up to be one of the most politically insane in a century and the sparks are already flying. The biggest moment of absurdity so far might be the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, in which it was made abundantly clear for all the world to see that Biden is on the fast track to crazy town. We’ve been saying for four years that the guy is gone, a dementia case propped up and protected by the DNC and the media. Now, it’s undeniable:

There’s a vegetable sitting in the Oval Office and the nation is in a panic.

Leftists are panicking because they’re now realizing their candidate is a farce, the emperor has no clothes and they bet all their cash on one very retarded racehorse. Conservatives are celebrating, but also panicking because they think Biden in his senility might launch nukes at any moment.Continue reading“Trump’s Return: Get Ready For Chaos To Be Unleashed, by Brandon Smith”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is 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. In today’s column, we look at a new cybersecuity threat.

Biggest Password Leak Ever: 10 Billion Credentials

SurvivalBlog reader C.B. sent the link to this article at Mashable: This is likely the biggest password leak ever: nearly 10 billion credentials exposed.  The article begins:

“Cybersecurity researchers are calling it the largest password compilation leak of all time.

On July 4, a newly registered user on a popular hacking forum posted a file containing nearly 10 billion compromised passwords in plaintext. The post was first noticed by researchers at Cybernews.”

Billion Dollar+ Weather Disasters

NOAA has published this list: U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather & Climate Disasters 1980-2024.

‘Highway Robbery’ by Police Gets Green Light

Reader D.S.V. suggested this at The Gateway Pundit: ‘Highway Robbery’ by U.S. Police Gets Green Light, Thanks to Ruling.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“In fact, the left can’t survive with independently self-sufficient, self-reliant people. They aren’t needed if that ever happens, or within groups of people like that. So they have to assume that people are mind-numbed robots.” – Rush Limbaugh

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 10, 2024

On July 10, 1913, the world’s official highest recorded temperature was recorded at Greenland Ranch (now known as Furnace Creek Ranch), Death Valley, California at 134°F (56.7 °C)

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July 10, 1553, Lady Jane Grey, daughter of the Duke of Suffolk, proclaimed Queen of England, succeeding Edward VI, who had proclaimed his half-sisters illegitimate. She reigned for just nine days.

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July 10th is the birthday of British novelist John Wyndham. (His full name was John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris, but Harris shortened that to just John Wyndham for his pen name.) He we was born in 1903 and died March 11, 1969. Harris was a good friend of fellow novelist Samuel Youd (1922-2012), who wrote under several pen names, including John Christopher. Both men were famous for writing what are often called “cozy catastrophes”. Several of Wyndham’s novels and short stories have been adapted to film, with varying degrees of success. One of the best of these was a parallel universe story called Random Quest.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 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)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.

 

 

 

Stocking Up: OTC Medications – Part 2, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Cold, Flu, and Allergy

Sudafed (pseudoephedrine hydrochloride 30 mg) is an oral tablet that is a nasal decongestant. Sudafed reduces sinus pressure by narrowing the blood vessels to decrease inflammation in nasal and sinus passages. It treats a symptom of the cold, allergies or flu. As a result of its misuse as a precursor for meth production, it is no longer available directly off the shelf and requires one to ask for it at a pharmacy counter. Sudafed elevates blood pressure–so don’t use if you already have high blood pressure. As a personal aside, although the recommended adult dose is two tablets or 60 mg, the full dose causes me to feel jittery/anxious and dries out my nasal passage to an uncomfortable extent.

There are several decongestant nasal sprays available that contain active ingredients similar to Sudafed (e.g., oxymetazoline hydrochloride). But we do not keep one because the dose cannot be accurately regulated and receiving an excessive dose can easily occur. If you do choose to use nasal decongestant spray, keep in mind it is designated for short-term use and immediate treatment of symptom onset. Overuse can cause damage to the sinus passages even if you believe the medication is helping you breathe better. As a young man, I had a bad experience with this phenomenon myself.Continue reading“Stocking Up: OTC Medications – Part 2, by A.F.”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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We’ll start today with a note that Mike in Alaska sent, with the photo above:

“Today I modified the power connectors for my SDR rig using all Anderson power pole connectors and built a BNC cable for the AX1 antenna for 20-meter and 17-meter use. The radio works great for digital applications. I’m working today (4th of July) so when I get home I’ll connect it to my JFK antenna and see how far it’ll reach. The battery is a very lightweight Dakota Lithium battery 12v /10 AH rating.
This could quite possibly be a huge game changer for EmComms. The heart of the system is a Raspberry Pi 3 running WSJTX and other programs if wanted. The transmitter can output up to 25 watts RF or be dialed down to QRP levels. This rig is very user-friendly and as the open source software is upgraded I will load it up.”

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Video: Receive HF Digital Communications — Even if You’re Not a Licensed Ham. (John Jacob Schmidt).

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At IEEE Spectrum: The Uncertain Future of Ham Radio Software-defined radio and cheap hardware are shaking up a hobby long associated with engineering. A pericope:

“The number of U.S. amateur licenses has held at an anemic 1 percent annual growth for the past few years, with about 7,000 new licensees added every year for a total of 755,430 in 2018. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission doesn’t track demographic data of operators, but anecdotally, white men in their 60s and 70s make up much of the population. As these baby boomers age out, the fear is that there are too few young people to sustain the hobby.”

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You Can Live Off The Grid In This South Dakota Town Considered The Best In The Country. (A hat tip to D.S.V. for the link.)

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An essay by Brandon Smith: Americans Are More Likely To Go To War With The Government Than Submit To The Draft.
Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — July 9, 2024

Today is the anniversary of three famous battles:

On July 9, 1386, in the Battle of Sempach: the pike-armed militias of the Old Swiss Confederacy defeated the Habsburg army of Duke Leopold III of Austria.

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On July 8, 1401, the Turko-Mongol ruler Tamerlane (Timur) destroyed Baghdad, killing 20,000 people.

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On July 9th, 1755: Battle of the Wilderness. This was also known as the Battle of The Monongahela.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 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)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.

Stocking Up: OTC Medications – Part 1, by A.F.

Recently, my wife cut the end of her thumb while slicing peppers to go on pizza. I followed her into the bathroom and as she kept pressure on the cut, I retrieved the first aid tote from the linen closet. After rinsing the wound under the faucet followed by a quick examination, we had a brief discussion regarding the extent of damage and whether or not stitches would be needed. Anyone eavesdropping on our exchange would have decided we were two of the most careless people alive as we compared her bleeding thumb to the various injuries from our past that had or had not require stitching.

In the end, she decided we could double bandage the cut and she would keep it elevated to see if it would stop bleeding. A few hours later she asked for help changing out the original bandaging. When she unwrapped the gauze, some of the fabric was stuck to her cut and she stated that non-stick dressing would be used for the re-bandage. We only had 2×3 and 4×4 non-stick pads in the first aid tote and I mentioned that I needed to re-stock some smaller sizes. Without missing a beat, my bride said, “I know there are some sealed for emergency use in your closet.” I agreed but suggested we cut down one of the larger pads instead of breaking into the emergency supply.Continue reading“Stocking Up: OTC Medications – Part 1, by A.F.”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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 located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, the emphasis is on firearms and ammunition companies in the American Redoubt.

Idaho

Some sad news, from Sandpoint, on July 4th: Army Surplus destroyed in fire. This was the iconic store that was the inspiration for “Grogan’s War Surplus” in the humorous books written by the late Pat McManus.  A reader who lives nearby told me that a rocket from a home fireworks display was spotted as the cause of the blaze.

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Advantage Arms is an Idaho company that is worth mentioning. I already own two of their subcaliber kits and plan to buy at least one more. From their website:

“Advantage Arms was founded in 1997 by Army Veteran Steve Jennings of Valencia, California, who discovered the niche market of .22 conversion kits and set out to make the best functioning kit at an affordable price. Over time, the product line grew to twenty-five variations of conversion kits for Glocks, 1911s, and XD pistols.

After many successful years, Steve passed the torch to his son, Brandon, who brought the business up to beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Brandon has been a central figure in the company since the early 2000s, managing day-to-day operations and engineering new products.”

Take a look at their product offerings. They will soon be offering .22 kits for some SIG 9mm pistols! Because their subcaliber kits do not include frames, they can be bought via mailorder, without any Federal paperwork.

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Freedom Munitions in Lewiston keeps doubling their production. Their X-DEF hollowpoints are awesome.

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Buffalo Bore Ammunition in Salmon, Idaho, has expanded their product line.

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This Boise-based company is building some premium hunting rifles: Allterra Arms.

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Seekins Precision (of Lewiston, Idaho) has expanded their line of bolt action rifles.

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Ammo maker’s new Lewiston facility hits the mark.

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Speer/CCI in Lewiston is one of America’s largest ammunition makers.

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Idaho Ordnance Factory in Dalton Gardens, Ido is a small but fast-growing maker of ammunition and components for handloaders.

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Hells Canyon Armory is known for its carbon fiber barrels.

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Vector Bullets is located in the little town of Clearwater, Idaho. They make .223 jacketed bullets and will soon be offering .30 caliber bullets.

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SCOTUS turns down river dredge mining in Idaho without permit.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The first quarter-century of your life was doubtless lived under the cloud of being too young for things, while the last quarter-century would normally be shadowed by the still darker cloud of being too old for them; and between those two clouds, what small and narrow sunlight illumines a human lifetime!” – James Hilton, Lost Horizon

Preparedness Notes for Monday — July 8, 2024

On July 8, 1283, the Battle of Malta occurred during the War of the Sicilian Vespers.  From the Infogalactic wiki:

“The War of the Sicilian Vespers, also shortened to the War of the Vespers, was a conflict waged by several medieval European kingdoms over control of Sicily from 1282 to 1302. The war, which started with the revolt of the Sicilian Vespers, was fought over competing dynastic claims to the throne of Sicily and grew to involve the Crown of Aragon, Angevin Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of France, and the papacy.”

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Just four more days! Because of a change in direction at Trident Media Group (my partner publisher) my novel Land Of Promise will only be published a short while longer in trade paperback by Amazon.com, at just $11.99 per copy. The last day of the sale (and of Amazon Print on Demand ordering capability) will be Friday, July 12, 2024. Thereafter, it may only be available as an e-book. I will try to get it back in print within a few months, but I can’t make any promises.  So order your copy (or copies) soon!

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Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear editor, Tom Christianson.