The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

28

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 “HJL”.

Free Speech

the Federal Election Commission recently held two days of hearings on proposed Internet regulations. At issues is the supposed Russian interference in the U.S. election that supposedly cost Hillary the election. The whole process is being driven by democrats who just can’t seem to come to terms with the fact that Hillary was an immensely unpopular candidate. The claim is that Russia bought advertising on Facebook that swung the election in favor of Trump. Of course when you look at the actual data, they only spent about $10,000 on 3500 Facebook ads and only about 100 of those were actually political in nature. If you actually look at those, you’d laugh your head off thinking that anyone could be swayed by such childish ads. I guess facts just don’t matter when it comes to Hillary or Trump in the Democrats minds. Thanks to P.S. for the link.

Survival of the Rich

Reader S.B. sent in this article on how the rich are preparing for survival. This is a personal account of a speaker who was paid a relatively ridiculous fee to advise a group on how to prepare for the coming crises. the speaker expected to stand in front of a largish group, but it turned out to be just a few rich men asking their own questions. their greatest concern was how to hire people to protect their “stuff” and not have those people turn on them. Interestingly enough, it would appear that not one of the participants in this meeting could understand the concept of treating others fairly to generate loyalty. It was all about force. I guess they are just unfamiliar with the concept of “community”

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave.” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – July 06, 2018

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July 6th is the anniversary of the 1994 Storm King Mountain wildfire that took the lives of 14 firefighters. Weather changes, resulting in 45 mph wind gusts, caused a modest wildfire to erupt into a blazing inferno, which threatened homes in and around the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Firefighters from around the country were called to assist in fighting this wildfire. We will never forget the young men and women who lost their lives battling this fire:

Prineville (Oregon) Hotshots: Kathi Beck, Tamera Bickett, Scott Blecha, Levi Brinkley, Douglas Dunbar, Terri Hagen, Bonnie Holtby, Rob Johnson, Jon Kelso

Missoula Smokejumper: Don Mackey

McCall Smokejumpers: Roger Roth, Jim Thrash

Helitack firefighters: Robert Browning, Jr., Richard Tyler

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 77 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  6. 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).

Round 77 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.

How I Sued My Neighbor and Won- Part 2, by A.E.

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In part 1 of this article about how I sued my neighbor, I described the details of how my young daughter and I arrived home to witness a dog attack of our chickens. I tracked this dog through the snow and had an uncomfortable encounter with this neighbor, to whom I explained the situation and asked for compensation. One of the men there pulled his finger, like a gun, and pointed it at me. Subtle intimidation ensued, but I didn’t back down. The end result was his refusal to pay for the expense of my chicken, so I took him to small claims court. This meant that I had to hire someone to serve him and I had to prepare evidence, as the burden of proof was on me. Now, let me tell you what happened on the day of the court hearing.

My Day in Court

Have I mentioned that I’m Old School? On my day in court, I wore a sports jacket and other clean, ironed clothes and sat waiting. The Bailiff made sure my phone was turned off. Even though the dog owner hadn’t shown up yet I was nervous although well prepared. If he didn’t show up I’d win. At just three minutes to the start of the hearing the man burst through the court door with an alarming familiarity. He must have been wearing his best worn out t-shirt and unwashed jeans. I said, “Hello” to the man. The bailiff told him to turn off his phone and that the judge would be in momentarily. He refused. It was his personal, private property phone and he had a picture of the dog on it. At that moment, the judge entered and we stood.

Continue reading“How I Sued My Neighbor and Won- Part 2, by A.E.”

Letter Re: Australian Gun Control Update

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Hello again friends,

Because the Australian system of gun control is highlighted as “the model” of desired gun control/gun ownership, I thought it was time for another quick update.

First

Those that check the NRA website will see that some Australian Politicians are suggesting we have a category of firearms for semi – semi automatic firearms. This imagined category would cover firearms such as the Verney – Carron Speedline model rifle and manual repeating shotgun. It would also cover the Savage A22 which is a semi auto style rifle but has a manual operation to fire again rather than a true semi automatic function. This category would then be pushed wider to include the Adler lever action shotgun as the anti gun lobby used you tube style videos of Adler shotguns that had been slicked up to race gun style short throw and rapid fire functions to highlight the “danger” of these rapid fire shotguns.

Continue reading“Letter Re: Australian Gun Control Update”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on commemorative edition guns.

 

Precious Metals:

Gold Up; FOMC Minutes A Non-Event As Traders Await U.S. Jobs Report

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Hubert Moolman: Silver Bull Market Is Almost Here

 

Cryptos:

Binance Halts Trading Over ‘Atypical’ Crypto Transactions

o o o

Crypto Exchanges Are Already Adapting to India’s Bank Account Ban

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – July 05, 2018

On July 5, 1810, P. T. Barnum, the great American showman, was born. He died on April 7, 1891. He is often credited with the phrase “There is a sucker born every minute.” While the actual attribution of the quote is suspect with many versions of the story abounding, the concept remains valid, especially when one considers the economic state of the entire world. Only in a world of fools could the economy of entire nations, indeed the vast majority of the world, be driven solely off of debt.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 77 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  6. 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).

Round 77 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.

How I Sued My Neighbor and Won- Part 1, by A.E.

57

The Day

The day it happened, my daughter and I returned to the majestic country estate located somewhere deep in the American Redoubt and witnessed a dog attack of our chickens in progress. My young daughter began screaming while I exited the vehicle with a handgun. The dog ran away and I was unable to engage safely or humanely. There are at least two hens nearby that have given up the ghost. Feathers were all over the area.

Miscreant Tracked to Owner’s Home

I tracked the miscreant through the snow to the owner’s home. Concerned about entering the yard with a loaded weapon, I opted to enter at the driveway instead, while noting that there isn’t a “No Trespassing” sign posted. I also took note of the address. Up the driveway there were three men standing near the home in a conspiratorial huddle.

After clearing the handgun and leaving the slide locked open under my jacket, I waved and hollered to get permission to join them. They asked who I was in a tone that started my spider senses tingling. “Your neighbor” got the permission I asked for. The walk up the driveway revealed trash and other refuse, which indicated a distinct yet unrefined lack of pride from the homeowner. I thought there might be trouble with this encounter but decided I must go on. I’ve been wronged one too many times by owners of man’s best friend.

Continue reading“How I Sued My Neighbor and Won- Part 1, by A.E.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

5

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 “HJL”.

Would the Founding Fathers Recognize America?

This is a question that I often wonder about. According to this article sent in by reader H.L., The founding fathers knew that that this was the direction that the nation would take over time which accounts for many of the limits placed on our government. They may not have been able to anticipate the rapid advances in technology or weaponry, but they knew human behavior. They studied the metamorphosis of the Roman Empire from a nation to an empire along with others and they knew how the concentration of power in the hands of a few would corrupt the whole system.

Even Benjamin Franklin wrote “We give you a republic…if you can keep it.” America managed to keep it for the most part for almost 100 years, but then the inevitable occurred. No, I don’t think the founding fathers would recognize our country, but I don’t think they would be surprised.

Barter

Reader G.P. sent in this article showing how barter is the natural currency that begins to crop up when things go south. Venezuelans may not have much of worth when it comes to cash, but nearly everyone has something that someone else wants. This woman’s husband spends his day as a fisherman, catching fish while his wife takes a cooler of them to market where she trades them for other food like flour or uses them to buy medicine for her son’s epilepsy. Once hyperinflation has kicked in, there is no point in sticking to a worthless fiat currency and you would soon starve if you tried to stay within the boundaries of it. Of course, the government does not want to you to barter because that deflated currency is what keeps them in power.

Why have a Water Filter?

In case you are wondering why you need a water filter in your home now, reader W.W. sent in this article that profiles the current battle in the government over fluoridating water. While municipalities have done this for years, there is mounting evidence that the negatives of fluoridating a water source outweigh the potential benefits. In the Northern District of California, a judge has denied a motion by the APA that sought to limit the information available to the court while making a decision on whether or not to ban water fluoridation.

The EPA only wanted the judge to review information that they themselves provided the court and the motion guaranteed that other experts and information sources can be heard in this court case. While the battle rages on in the courts, if you are on a municipal water source, you may be drinking fluoridated water. Thanks goodness for counter-top or under-counter water filters.

DNC: Future is Socialism

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman, Tom Perez, has stated that he believes socialist candidates are the future of the party. This announcement follows closely on the heels of Ocasio-Cortez’ victory over a top House Democrat in a recent primary election. Ocasio-Cortez is a self-described “democratic socialist” (meaning she is really good at spending other peoples money). This along with Ben Jealous in Maryland, have been termed “spectacular” candidates and considered the future of the party. Thanks to G.P. for the link.

Ban on Shotguns

Speaking of Ben Jealous, reader DSV sent in this article from “The Truth about Guns”. Jealous is the Democratic candidate for governor in Maryland and the former NAACP president. He has implied that the states extreme gun control laws don’t go far enough despite the fact that they are some of the most oppressive in the nation. While most of the media is still pushing the “assault weapon” angle, Jealous is now targeting shotguns since the recent Capital Gazzette shooter used one. Of course, the author doesn’t believe Jealous is particularly well versed in firearms nomenclature and technology so who knows what he means by “shotgun”.

SurvivalRealty

You’ll need a bit of cash for this property, but it’s pretty neat. Survival Realty recently listed 150 acres of remote private property near the Idaho/Montana border for only $275,000. The property has been damaged by a recent wildfire but is already showing signs of recovering. Deer and elk herd have returned in good numbers and the views are beautiful. There is no power available so this would be an off-grid location.

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Please send your news tips to HJL. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who watch news that is important to them. Due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” news. We often “get the scoop” on news that is most likely ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Deny that the Bible is, without any qualifications, the very Word of God, and you are left without any ultimate standard of measurement and without any supreme authority. Grant that the Bible is a Divine revelation and communication of God’s own mind and will to men, and you have a fixed starting point from which an advance can be made into the domain of truth.” – Arthur W. Pink

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – July 04, 2018

Today Americans go through the motions of celebrating the remnants of our our once preciously cherished liberty.

Independence day is also the birthday of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) and of General Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882)

o o o

Ready Made Resources is having an Independence Day sale that runs through Sunday. You can pick up an HP+ PVS-14 Autogated night vision device for only $2875.00 or you can get a Night Ops Tactical PVS-14 Autogated 4G White Phosphor unit for only $2995.00

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 77 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  6. 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).

Round 77 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.

Are You Preparing for SHTF or TEOTWAWKI- Part 2, by 3AD Scout

8

We are taking a look at the similarities and differences between preparing for a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI event. In part 1, we left off with questions one and two of the four questions associated with not having the luxury of normal commerce and how that impacts preparations for TEOTWAWKI. Let’s continue and wrap up the two-part article.

Question Three

We have question three to answer, and it is a significant one. Once the stored inventory is used up, how will it be replaced with either a renewable resource or by manufacturing?

Scavenging. There is another possibility, which is scavenging. I assume that in a post-TEOTWAWKI world, there will be a vast wasteland of vehicles, buildings, and manufactured goods that no longer serve their intended purpose. If it comes down to scavenging, that may be the only alternative. However, scavenging should not be your primary means of providing for your logistical needs. For one, scavenging will require someone from your prepper community to leave your area of operations. The scavenging team can be attacked or followed back, et cetera, so, it bring risks. Scavenging also makes the assumption that you will find what you need.

Time. Scavenging will also take time, and time will be one of our most precious post-TEOTWAWKI resources. Time spent on scavenging could have been time spent tending the gardens, preserving food, cutting wood, or providing one more person on perimeter security.

Continue reading“Are You Preparing for SHTF or TEOTWAWKI- Part 2, by 3AD Scout”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on beekeeping. (See both the Book section and the Vlogs and Instructional Videos section.)

Books:

Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself-While the Rest of Us Die

o  o  o

Build Your Own Greenhouse: How to Construct, Equip, and Maintain It

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Build Your Own Beekeeping Equipment: How to Construct 8- & 10-Frame Hives; Top Bar, Nuc & Demo Hives; Feeders, Swarm Catchers & More

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Beekeeping For Dummies

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The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, and Cooking in the Wild, by Dave Canterbury

 

Movies:

Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis: Special Edition. (This is the edition with the catchy 1980s rock music.)

o  o  o

A Year’s Worth of Homesteading Ideas, Vol. 13
Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

10

Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on the Venezuela economic trainwreck, (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold And Silver Can’t Withstand US Dollar Strength

o o o

Gold, Silver Posting Good Gains, At Daily Highs

 

Cryptos:

Next, over at CoinDesk: Dead Cat Bounce? Bitcoin Charts Show This Rally Could Be Different

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Banking Ban Reversal? India to Finalize Cryptocurrency Regulations in July

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”