Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we further examine the Western World Real Estate Decline.

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Precious Metals:

We’ll start off with this at Zero Hedge: “It Belongs To The People, Not The Bankers” – Italy Moves To Seize Gold From Central Bank

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Gold Cycle And Stock Market Update

Western World Real Estate Decline:

In response to rising interest rates, the housing boom in the U.S. may be ending. Here is an early indicator: Seller’s Market in Housing Industry Shifts to Buyer’s Market. A pertinent passage:

“The National Association of Realtors says existing home sales in January dropped to their lowest level in three years, continuing months of weakness in the housing market.

Existing home sales were down 1.2% to an adjusted annual rate of 4.94 million units last month. That’s below analyst expectations and an 8.5% drop from a year ago. Only the Northeast saw a rise in sales activity.

Home prices are still showing increases, but they’re nowhere close to what they were in recent years. The median price of an existing house climbed 2.8% in January to $247,500. That’s the smallest increase since February 2012.

Prices have increased for 83 consecutive months, but some experts warn that trend could be about to end.

The number of homes on the market is starting to rise, too, meaning buyers have a wider selection to choose from. In January, there were 1.59 million previously owned homes on the market, compared to 1.53 million in December. The average home stayed on the market 49 days, a week longer than January 2018.”

Similar trends seem to be developing throughout the English-speaking world, to wit:

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Spring housing market could be ‘coolest in recent years,’ Realtor.com says

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Update on the Spreading Housing Bust in Australia, and Why it’s Happening

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Update on the Deepening Housing Bust in Vancouver, Canada

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And in England: House prices fall 1.6pc – but is the figure reliable?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 9, 2019

On April 9, 1768, John Hancock refused to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship. This was considered by some to be the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the American colonies.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 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. 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 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  6. 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. 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.

Round 82 ends on May 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.

Home Repair of Pre-1899 Guns – Part 1, by SwampFox

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Introduction

As regulations increase in the United States, it is possible that the only firearms that will be legal to transfer in the future without a background check will be those manufactured before 1899. These firearms are Federally exempt from the NICS background check process, and are likely to increase in value in the event that “universal background check” legislation is passed. For those who already own pre-1899 guns, or would like to acquire them, there is an unpleasant reality to their ownership: Some parts are fragile and are difficult to obtain! A broken, worn, or out-of-spec part can cause your valuable firearm to become a decorative wall-hanger.

I realize that many people are collectors, and that many antiques are too valuable to shoot. This article is instead about serviceable, “shooter grade” antiques rather than high Dollar value collectibles or investments. The focus  of this article is on cartridge firearms commonly available in the United States at auction or online, with specific examples of firearms that I have repaired, and some common issues. It is not a complete how-to manual, but simply some food for thought. Everything I describe here is something that I have done personally, often multiple times.

Safety First

First, some disclaimers and safety information. I am not a professionally trained gunsmith, although I have more than a decade of experience repairing antique firearms for fun (and occasionally for profit.) If you have doubts about the safety of what you are doing, please seek professional assistance. You only have the hands and eyes that God gave you, and they cannot be replaced. There are many things about working on firearms that are hazardous. As a personal example, I carry a shard of metal permanently embedded in the palm of my left hand – the consequence of a firing pin on an old revolver that pierced a primer and blew backwards. Working with tools also has its own hazards. I’ve had some burns and cuts over the years that might have been prevented by being more careful. Use common sense and do not take risks.

Continue reading“Home Repair of Pre-1899 Guns – Part 1, by SwampFox”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. Today, we focus on water transfer printing–commonly called hydrodipping. I should mention that for guns and field gear, I recommend that you specify a flat finish. Yes, high gloss looks snazzy, but it really reflects and therefore can be spotted from a distance.  The featured photo is a of shotgun stock set dipped by Liquid Transformations of Spokane.

Beyond The Redoubt

If you try your own hand at hydro-dipping, then consider this company that makes a low-cost DIY kit: DecoDip.com

Idaho

I’ve bought several guns that were camouflage dipped by Dawson Ridge, in Moyie Springs, Idaho. Their  quality is high, and their prices are reasonable. They even offer quantity discounts. One Proviso: Just don’t plan to bring them any camo dipping work in October or November, because they are usually very busy then with their other side of their business: “Boneworx”. This is where they put skeletonizing beetles to work on big game skulls.

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Adaptive Graphics is located in Nampa, Idaho.  Not only do tg]hey dip guns, but also larger items like car dashboards.

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First Lite is a company located in Ketchum, Idaho. In addition to standard commercial patterns, they have also designed some proprietary patterns of their own. I should mention that they are known for both their camouflage hunting clothing and their camo dipping.

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Here is an interesting start-up company in Sagle, Idaho: Rhino Hide. They make bullet-resistant wall panels.

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

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”.  Today, we focus on California’s Earthquake Drought. The featured photo is of the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

California’s Earthquake Drought

Reader G.P. suggested this: California is having an earthquake drought – beware, experts say.  A quote:

“Seismologists are saying there haven’t been enough powerful earthquakes in the past 100 years along California’s highest slip-rate faults, and a ground-rupturing quake with a magnitude greater than 7.0 is overdue, CBS SF Bay Area reports.

A new study coming out Wednesday in the Seismological Research Letters says California’s current earthquake drought is unlike any other paleoseismic period in the last 1,000 years. The aim of the study, titled, “The Current Unlikely Hiatus at California’s Transform Boundary Paleoseismic Sites,” points to the unlikelihood of the last hundred years of relative seismic silence.”

Midwest Blizzard Predicted

CBS reports: Blockbuster blizzard may impact same areas hit by “bomb cyclone”.  The storm is due to hit on Wednesday, April 10th.  Here is is how the article begins:

“Just three weeks after one of the most intense storms on record pounded the Plains and Midwest, another “bomb cyclone” of similar strength is in the forecast. The spring storm seems poised to dump even heavier snow and could be followed by another round of significant river flooding.

For the past few days, various forecast computer models have shown a blizzard of epic proportions for the north-central Plain States and Upper Midwest. Every time a model is updated, the storm depicted seems to get even more intense. At this point, it seems likely that some of the same areas impacted by devastating flooding just weeks ago are about to get slammed by an historic blizzard Wednesday through Friday.

As of Sunday night, the storm system was located in the eastern Pacific Ocean and was moving onshore along the U.S. West Coast.”

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

Siege Stoves, by Pat Cascio

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Have you ever been out camping, hunting, or hiking, and you had a desire for a nice fresh-brewed cup of coffee, but you didn’t want to make a campfire to brew it? How about a nice warm meal, and I don’t mean taking an MRE and putting it in the heater pouch to heat it up. Yeah, me too. And, most of the time, there isn’t a need for a campfire if you want to cook something or make some fresh coffee. Consider getting a Siege Stove. Those are what I’m reviewing today.

I was never a Boy Scout, but I was an assistant Cub Scout Leader at one point. And, when working full-time for the Illinois National Guard, back in the very early 1970s, our Battalion Commander, thought it was a great idea to host a Boy Scout Troop at our armory – of course, myself and two other full-timers were tasked with organizing the entire thing and running it on a weekly basis. Our military training came in handy when it came time to setting-up tents and all the other fun things that go along with running a Boy Scout troop, and that included teaching the boys how to make a campfire. This is no small task for some inner city youth.

Continue reading“Siege Stoves, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Gayle’s Vegetarian Tortilla Soup Variation

This is a variation of a widely-published and shared recipe.

Ingredients
  • 1 (1 pound) package frozen pepper and onion stir fry mix (or fresh equivalent)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 3 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
  • 4 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth (or equivalent volume of homemade broth.)
  • 1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn (or fresh or frozen equivalent volume)
  • 12 ounces tortilla chips
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 avocado – peeled, pitted and diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  • Heat the oil in a large pot, over medium heat. Stir in the pepper and onion stir fry mix, garlic, and cumin, and cook 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Mix in the tomatoes and chile peppers. Pour in the broth, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Mix corn into the soup, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls over equal amounts of tortilla chips. Top with cheese and avocado.

(Makes 12 Servings)

Gayle’s Variations:

I use a large yellow onion and a fresh red bell pepper–instead of a frozen package. The food processor does a great job of chopping it finely before sautéing. I also add a can of drained black beans (or pinto beans) and about a cup of frozen corn instead of canned.

You can decrease the amount of cumin (1 to 2 Tbsp. is plenty) and/or chiles, to your own taste. I also use two 32 oz. retort-packaged cartons of vegetable broth instead of canned broth. And of course homemade broth is even better.

Notes and Serving Suggestions

I serve this with chopped cilantro, scallions, avocados, and lime wedges.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it 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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the prospect of a One World Currency.

Precious Metals:

Will Basel III Send Gold To The Moon?

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Arkadiusz Sieroń: Will Global Slowdown Support Gold…Or Is It Just Temporary?

Economy & Finance (One World Currency):

Fed’s QE Unwind Reaches $535 Billion, Balance Sheet Drops to $3.94 Trillion, Old Autopilot Still Engaged. JWR’s Comments: As I’ve mentioned before: The Money Multiplier Effect of QE also works in reverse, as QE is backed off. (So-called “Unwinding.”) The net effects on the economy will be painful, stifling credit and economic growth.  But perhaps a deep recession is what The Powers That Be want, to make certain that DJT is not re-elected in 2020.

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BIS General Manager Outlines Vision For Central Bank Digital Currencies. JWR’s Comment: As I’ve written before, The Powers That Be only want cryptocurrencies that they can control, can fully track their use, and can use to tax the citizenry. It is all about control.

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At Wolf Street: Q1 Carmageddon for GM, Fiat-Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes, Mazda…

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It Begins: Former UN Under-Secretary-General Calls For One World Currency. Here is a quote:

“The best alternative would be to turn the IMF into an institution fully financed and managed in its own global currency – a proposal made several decades ago by Jacques Polak, then the Fund’s leading economist. One simple option would be to consider the SDRs that countries hold but have not used as “deposits” at the IMF, which the Fund can use to finance its lending to countries. This would require a change in the Articles of Agreement, because SDRs currently are not held in regular IMF accounts.

The Fund could then issue SDRs regularly or, better still, during crises, as in 2009. In the long term, the amount issued must be related to the demand for foreign-exchange reserves. Various economists and the IMF itself have estimated that the Fund could issue $200-300 billion in SDRs per year. Moreover, this would spread the financial benefits (seigniorage) of issuing the global currency across all countries. At present, these benefits accrue only to issuers of national or regional currencies that are used internationally – particularly the US dollar and the euro.”

 

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“In the evolving surveillance state, which promises to make sure citizens never have to leave the loving safety of mom, daily life is the repetition of that first realization that the world is a harsh place. That car with all the safety features did not keep you from hitting that tree and that seems unfair. The label on the shampoo bottle was not enough to prevent you from drinking it and that’s not right. Each of these realizations are met with greater demand for safety and greater efforts by the mommy state to protect us.

A great example is how gun control has become entirely feminized. In the 1970’s, gun control polices were about limiting crime. No one said it, but it was really about making it hard for blacks to get guns. It was a debate around facts about guns and crime. Today, gun grabbing is nothing more than an hysterical reaction by women to what they see on the news. It’s all about safety, by which they mean protecting people from themselves, not reducing crime. It’s mommy putting covers over the electrical sockets.

Perhaps one driver of the sudden decline in social trust is that technology now allows for the evolution of the custodial state. The future is not Orwell or Huxley, but both, operating like a mother and father, to protect us from reality. In this transition phase, modern people are regularly going through the jolt we associate with growing up, when you realize mom and dad were the only ones looking out for your interests. The cold wind of indifference and the loneliness it inspires, is making everyone into adolescent cynics.” – The Z Man blog

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 7, 2019

April 7th is the birthday of Colonel Bob Denard (born 1929, died October 13, 2007). He had an amazing life as a mercenary, including four attempted coups in the Comoros.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 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. 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 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  6. 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. 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.

Round 82 ends on May 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.

Your Firearms Safety Hunter Education Certificate, by LiberT.Y.

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Why Everyone Should Have a Firearms Safety Hunter Education Certificate

Hello everyone. I’m 13 years old and I live in Minnesota (I know it’s not the best state, but I’m 13 so I don’t have a lot of options). I know other minors read Survival Blog too and this is mostly written to you but hopefully adults will like it too.

I would first like to say that I am not a lawyer so double check all laws mentioned and cited here. I only have experience with the Minnesota program I attended, and any quotations by instructors contained in this article are only paraphrased by memory and should not be considered exact.

I attended a Firearms Safety Hunter Education course about a yearago. Before that I had only gone shooting once before. (We don’t have land yet and range fees are expensive). It had seven periods of classwork and a range day. They teach you a lot of firearms and hunter safety plus a decent bit of firearms operation and terminology.

What is In the Course

First off, the class took place in a National Guard armory which quite interesting. In fact some of the instructors were military veterans.

Continue reading“Your Firearms Safety Hunter Education Certificate, by LiberT.Y.”

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”.  Today, we focus on the amount of land needed for self-sufficiency.

Venezuelans Break Through Border Barricades

At Zero Hedge: Thousands Of Venezuelans Break Through Border Barricades – Bolton Cheers Mayhem.

Utah Bans Warrantless Access to the Cloud

Reader DSV spotted this: Signed as Law: Utah Bans Warrantless Access to Information in the Cloud. Here is how the article begins:

“Last week, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed a bill into law that requires police to get a warrant before accessing data stored in the “cloud.” The new law will not only increase privacy protections in Utah; it will also hinder the federal surveillance state.

Rep. Craig Hall (R-West Valley City) sponsored House Bill 57 (HB57). The new law prohibits law enforcement agencies from accessing electronic information or data transmitted to a “remote computing service” without a warrant based on probable cause in most situations. In effect, it will prohibit police from warrantlessly accessing information uploaded into the “cloud.”

The House passed HB57 by a 71-0 vote. The Senate approved the measure 23-0. With Herbert’s signature, the new law will go into effect May 14.

HB57 does provide some exceptions to the warrant requirement that will allow law enforcement agencies to obtain location information in the event of an emergency involving an imminent risk to an individual of death, serious physical injury, sexual abuse, live-streamed sexual exploitation, kidnapping, or human trafficking; or if a remote computing service inadvertently discovers information that appears to pertain to the commission of a felony, or of a misdemeanor involving physical violence, sexual abuse, or dishonesty. It also allows police to access stored or transmitted data from an electronic device, or electronic information or data transmitted by the owner of the electronic information or data to a remote computing service under a judicially recognized exception to the warrant requirement, or in connection with a report forwarded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2258A.”Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”