Letter: Learning New Skills Well

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Hugh,

It’s already February and I suppose a good 90% of all new years resolutions have come and gone. Personally I’m not a big believer in defining the thing I will start or quit each new year. Instead, every November to December, for the past 4 or 5 years, I start thinking the following: what skills will I focus on learning?

To help with the learning process, I group these skills into a few major groups: self-defense, food, medical, and technical/communications. I decide which of those major groups I want to increase my knowledge in, and I focus on it by breaking it down into three specific skills. Of those three skills I chose a beginner, intermediate, and advanced sub category to work on. I find that by applying this kind of focus, I can really build my skill sets without me becoming too overwhelmed.

As an example, here’s this years goals:

Continue reading“Letter: Learning New Skills Well”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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 weakening U.S Dollar. (See the Forex and Commodities sections.)

Precious Metals:

Jeff Clark, more optimistic than ever: 2018 Gold Price Forecast and Predictions

 

Forex (Weakening U.S Dollar):

The decline in the US Dollar against the Euro (USD/EUR) is continuing apace. This is best visualized in the 2 year chart at XE. Clearly, the Trump Administration and the Federal Reserve banking cartel are working in concert–at least for now. They want a robust economy, and part of that is driven by strong exports. (A relatively weak Dollar is one tool to strengthen U.S. exports.) Janet Yellen’s departure was announced in November, but it won’t become effective until after some new Fed appointments take effect. It remains to be seen in the reshuffled Fed Board will change policies, after Yellen’s quiet exit, Stage Right.

 

Commodities (Weakening U.S Dollar):

A weak U.S. Dollar tends to push commodities higher. Therefore, barring a credit collapse, I think that 2018 will be a strong year for many commodities.

o  o  o

Over at Seeking Alpha: Crude oil to pull back amid ‘tremendous speculative bubble,’ Kloza predicts

 

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – February 01, 2018

February 1st is the anniversary of the secession of Texas from the United States in 1861. A State Convention considering secession opened in Austin on January 28th, 1861 and on February 1st, by a vote of 166-8, adopted an Ordinance of Secession from the United States. It’s important to note that not all Texans favored this act and the state Governor, Sam Houston, while being loyal to the union, refused offers from President Lincoln to keep him in office and was subsequently deposed as governor.

We also remember February 1st, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana as it reentered Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven crew members.

Continue reading“Preparedness Notes for Thursday – February 01, 2018”

Round 74 Non-Fiction Writing Contest Winners Announced!

We’ve come to the end of Round 74 and these are the editors picks for the winners. If you are one of these winners, please make sure you have sent in your UPS and USPS addresses to SurvivalBlog so that the prizes can be shipped. Any article submitted but not published will be automatically rolled over to Round 75 of the contest.

First Prize

First prize goes to Alaskan Gardeners for “Mid-Scale Grain Gardening in Alaska- Part 1”, “Part 2”, “Part 3”, and “Part 4”, published on December 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, 2017. He will receive the following prizes.

  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

Second prize goes to George Fox for “Into Bear Country- Part 1” and “Part 2”. He will receive the following prizes:

  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 Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 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

Third prize goes to Dr. DMC for “A Realistic Assessment of Epidemic Disease After TEOTWAWKI- Part 1”, and “Part 2”. He will receive the following prizes.

  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).

Honorable Mention

Honorable mention prizes ($30 Amazon.com gift certificates via e-mail) have been awarded to the writers of these fine articles:

Preparing for the Inevitable American Gun Ban- Part 1, by Rector

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A full gun ban in the United States is inevitable. Any honest reading of the cultural, legal, and demographic trends in the United States will confirm this thesis– the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall be infringed, and we will lose our firearms.

Many of you are rightfully rejecting my premise and doing so on solid intellectual ground: the 2nd Amendment, the Heller decision, the rise of concealed carry, the election of Trump, and the power of the NRA. These are formidable weapons in the fight to retain our rights. Yet, ultimately, we will lose the fight because this isn’t your grandfather’s America anymore.

The ban will be gradually implemented, popularly supported, and “legal”. You will have a choice to make– obey the law or become a felon. That decision will change your relationship with the government permanently. If you comply, you risk exposure to crime and unlawful government force. If you resist, you will become an outlaw. This article seeks to prepare you for that fateful day.

Continue reading“Preparing for the Inevitable American Gun Ban- Part 1, by Rector”

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 “HJL”. Jeff Bezos has reached truly scary proportions in his wealth and influence.

BOV

This auction caught my eye: 1986 Chevrolet D30 4×4 Pickup. I’ve never seen a CUCV configured as a Dually before… – JWR

Influenza

Reader G.P. sent in this article on how Emergency Rooms are struggling to keep up with the load caused by the current flu onslaught. There are so many checking into the emergency department over flu symptoms that the hospitals are having to confiscate space to house the patients in waiting rooms and are restricting visitors to make room. Elective surgeries are also being routinely postponed as there are no beds available.

o o o

Flu shots are big business. The evidence on the effectiveness of flu shots is questionable, yet the industry keeps pumping them out. The CDC is playing into this with their new campaign. Not satisfied with the number of shots being given, the CDC is embarking on a campaign of “creating concern, anxiety and worry” among the American Public to convince them to get the shot. We used to call this tactic FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). This is always a shady practice, preying on uneducated people. A much better solution is to educate people and honesty is always the best policy. Thanks to H.L. for the link.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – January 31, 2018

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On January 31, 1606, Guy Fawkes was executed for his part in the Gunpowder Plot against parliament and King James.

Also on this day in 1872, American author Pearl Zane Grey was born. He was best know for his popular adventure western novels, including Riders of the Purple Sage, which was his best-selling book. As a boy, Hugh could often be found behind a copy of one of Zane Grey’s books, because he was an avid reader and any Zane Grey book was a favorite.

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Please contact your congresscritters and insist that they OPPOSE H.R.4760 – Securing America’s Future Act of 2018. This omnibus bill mandates the development of a new biometric National ID card that would be universally issued. – JWR

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 74 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 Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 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 74 ends on January 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.

What To Do and Not Do When a Pandemic Starts- Part 2, by Scientist69

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In part 1 of this article series, I explained the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic as well as virus transmissions. We also went through some basic biosecurity measures, including items to have on hand and how to use them, including some detail on various disinfectants. Now, let’s move forward in our discussion on dealing with pandemic-causes viruses.

Vaccination

Vaccinations have gotten a bad reputation, unfortunately due to the occurrence of some rare issues such as allergies to vaccines, autoimmune responses, et cetera and a whole lot of misinformation. Generally, if you had regular vaccinations, you might have some protection against any other flu, but it most likely will not be enough to prevent disease; however, it might give you a leg up in regards to dying. The reason for this is in the biology of the virus and the biology of your immune response.

Vaccinations against the seasonal flu are typically weakened or mostly killed influenza virus strains, with the vaccine companies trying to guess which strains are actively circulating next winter. They guess by looking at what is emerging in other parts of the world, particularly the southern hemisphere where winter and flu season is in June, July, and August. They then produce the vaccine against those strains and hope for the best. Obviously, that does not always work, which is why you sometimes have low rates of protection.

Continue reading“What To Do and Not Do When a Pandemic Starts- Part 2, by Scientist69”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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 investing in Rhodium.

Precious Metals (Rhodium):

Rhodium is a metal that is substantially more rare than platinum. Back in February of 2016, I recommended investing in rhodium, because it had declined to just to $670 per Troy ounce, in defiance of price fundamentals. But what a difference we’ve seen, in 23 months! When I last checked at Kitco, rhodium had risen to $1,570. That is not a bad return on investment! The restoration of the price of rhodium to its historic norms vis-a-vis the other precious metals is instructive. Watch the long term norms and trends. Buy in the bargain basement. Sell when things are clearly over-priced. (By the way, I won’t consider rhodium truly overpriced until it gets above $4,000 per Troy ounce again.)

When a commodity price bucks a trend, it usually returns to the trend within a year or two. The old saying in the commodities pits is: “The trend is your friend.”  Just keep in mind that rhodium has seen some huge price swings since 2000, so it should just be a small part of your portfolio. There are of course some exceptions to relying on measured long term price trends. For example, the advent of hybrid cars and pure electric cars is creating new paradigms in the metals markets.  New battery technologies will create new demands for particular metals. And it is presently difficult to predict which battery technology will eventually predominate. Clearly, some trends gradually morph, over time.

Here is another example: The ratio of silver to gold found in the earth’s crust is essentially a constant–around 18-to-one. But what is available above ground is another matter.  The amount of silver industrially recovered (recycled) from the electronics industry is trivial compared to the standard practice recovery of gold, in all industries. So in the long term, a lot of silver is ending up in landfills. By the year 2100, I anticipate that the price ratio of silver to gold will decline to around 15-to-one. Even by the year 2040, it should be below 40-to-one.  It is presently a whopping 78-to-one. So I’m primarily investing in silver, not gold.

o  o  o

The S.S. Central America Hoard, Round 2: Gold treasure recovered from 1857 shipwreck to make debut. (Thanks to Gregg P. for the link.)

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

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. This week the focus is on learning about sewing machine belt replacement. (See the Vlogs and Instructional Videos section.)

Books:

Great Book of Woodworking Projects: 50 Projects for Indoor Improvements and Outdoor Living from the Experts at American Woodworker

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Pacific Northwest Foraging: 120 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Alaska Blueberries to Wild Hazelnuts (Note: The same publisher has companion books on foraging in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast.)

Movies:

The Cocoanuts. The zany comedy of the Marx Brothers is hard to describe. You will either love it or hate it. I’m one those who love it.

o o o

AGI Glock Pistols Armorer’s Course

 

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“I developed a problem with authority. Any time that authority was what I interpreted as being unjust, I stood up to it, and that became my personality.” – The Late Singer-Songwriter Tom Petty

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – January 30, 2018

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January 30th is the birthday of historian Barbara Tuchman (born 1912, died February 6, 1989). She wrote some of the most engaging history books JWR ever read.

January 30th is also the anniversary of the 1945 Great Raid on Cabanatuan Prison Camp where US Army Rangers and Filipino Guerrillas liberated Allied prisoners. See Rescue At Los Baños, by historian and bestselling author Bruce Henderson.

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I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers take a look at the YouTube channel run by an earthquake tracker, who posts under the name Dutchsinse. In the past, most of the folks who have tried predicting earthquake locations have had about the same accuracy as a dartboard. But we’ve been watching Dutchsinse since last summer, and his predictions seem to be at least 70% accurate. On most days, he does a 24-hour livestream and jumps in with reports every evening around 10PM Central time. And on Sunday evenings he does a weekly forecast. He tracks the success of his predictions with a spreadsheet. He accurately predicted the Magnitude 7.9 earthquake in the Aleutians region, last week. Presently, he is predicting a Magnitude 6.0+ earthquake in Iran this week. Preppers living in earthquake-prone areas should definitely take a look! – JWR

Continue reading“Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – January 30, 2018”

What To Do and Not Do When a Pandemic Starts- Part 1, by Scientist69

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The Basics (Science is Awesome)

What is the basic difference between an epidemic and a pandemic? In an epidemic, an infectious disease spreads quickly between people; however, this will be relatively confined to a geographic area, country, or even a continent. The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is an example. On the other hand, a pandemic means that this infectious disease spreads quickly to other continents, basically causing disease globally, most likely resulting in high fatality rates.

Examples of infections that can potentially cause a pandemic are the bird flu (avian influenza), SARS or MERS like infections that are caused by viruses in the coronavirus family, and of course Ebola and similar so-called hemorrhagic viruses.

Viruses More Likely to Cause a Pandemic

Why are these viruses more likely to cause a pandemic?

Continue reading“What To Do and Not Do When a Pandemic Starts- Part 1, by Scientist69”