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, some interesting news of a planned Fort Knox audit. America needs to return to genuine money!

Precious Metals:

We’ve been promised an audit of the Fort Knox gold depository by the DOGE Boys and Senator Rand Paul. JWR’s Comments:  I suggest that they bring a drill motor to check the cores of several gold ingots at random, and give them an acid test. I also suggest that they leave a jar of the drill shavings on the President’s desk.  Seriously, there really should be two Fort Knox audits:  A physical  “shelf count” audit, and an accounting audit. The latter must include a full reconciliation of all loaned, leased, borrowed, “in storage for third parties”, and rehypothecated gold holdings. I’m fairly confident that there are physically still 4,500 metric tons of gold stored there.  But I wonder how many parties hold claims to some of most of it.  I have doubts about what both audits will tell us — especially the accounting audit.  Oh, and after that, they need to audit the Federal Reserve banking cartel.

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I was asked by a reader about what was behind the recent run-up in the spot and futures gold prices. In my estimation, there are two causes:  1.) Consistently strong buying by the central banks of the BRICS nations, month after month.  This is drawing down the available physical supply of gold in Western nations.  Particularly, the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) has seen severe shortages. 2.) Derivatives gold contracts, with grossly oversized short positions. Short-selling works for a brief time in a rising market. In a volatile market, just the difference between the spot and futures prices is enough for substantial money to be made. The trading volumes have been quite heated. And so have the volume of physical transfers. It now won’t take much for the markets to see a huge run-up. As you’ve seen me write many times:  The law of supply and demand is escapable. – JWR

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The Global Gold Rush: Russia and China’s Shortages Add to Economic Anxiety.

Economy & Finance:

From Wolf Street: Treasury Yield Curve Flattens as 10-Year Yield Falls, Short-Term Yields Stay Put: Fed’s Pivot to Wait-and-See in Inflationary Times. But Mortgage Rates Stay Near 7%.

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Warren Buffett sounds warning to Washington as Berkshire reports record profit, cash.

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Italian police uncover billion-euro tax credit scam.

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Trump’s Head-Spinning First Month Is Over: Here’s What to Expect Next for Social Security, Taxes, and Stocks.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“There is a solid satisfaction in one’s having and being conscious that he merits the good opinion of men of true discernment and real worth. But to have a name among the weak and the wicked is shame and reproach.” – Samuel Adams

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — February 27, 2025

February 27, 1919: the first public performance of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” symphony.

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On February 27th, 1900: Felix Hoffman patented acetylsalicylic acid, better known as aspirin.

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And on February 27th, 1902 Harry ‘Breaker’ Harbord Morant was executed in Pretoria.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 117 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 $2000.
  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 $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail 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 $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 ends on March 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

 

How Much Water? – Part 2, by R.E.

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

Back to First Principles

What would be really useful would be a series of lights which would reflect how full the tank was, and if in addition to that, an audible alarm for high water-level. Perhaps I could build something like this using basic off-the-shelf electronic components and my rather rudimentary knowledge?

Like most reading this, I am no engineer, and no electrician. My only personal asset seems to be that, I like to tinker with stuff. So, I dug out the multimeter and an old breadboard and began to experiment. To save time for others who are trying to solve a similar problem, a description of what I finally concocted follows.

I ended up using five NPN transistors (BC547), as shown in the schematic diagram below as having the arrow pointing away from the base towards the emitter.

Transistors have three pins: collector, base, and emitter. A transistor acts as a solid state switch turning on with a positive voltage applied to the base. To figure out which pins are which, refer to the spec sheet that came with the transistors. The BC547’s I used came in what is known as a TO-92 package which, with the flat face up, leads towards you, left to right: collector (1), base (2), and emitter (3).

By creating my probe using a fiberglass rod, I placed six bands of copper, at the bottom and at 9 inch intervals. The bottom band was wired to the plus (+) power supply. At heights of 9, 18, 27, 36 and 45 inches each was wired to the base of an NPN transistor through a 330 ohm resistor.Continue reading“How Much Water? – Part 2, by R.E.”

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 the best states to live in, for raising a family.

Conservative States Dominate List of Best Places for Families

Reader D.S.V. suggested this WND article: Study: Conservative states dominate list of best places for families. Here is a quote:

“It is the 2025 Family Structure Index that ranks all 50 states based on three variables: “the percentage of married adults between the ages of 25 to 54, the average number of lifetime births per woman, and the percentage of children aged 15 to 17 who are living with their married parents,” the report explained.

Brad Wilcox, professor of sociology at the University of Virginia and a fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, said the results follow closely conservative political beliefs.

The top 10 states are: Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, North Dakota, Iowa, Texas, and Minnesota.”

Aggression and Hallucinations Linked to Early Smartphone Use

Reader D.S.V. sent us this: Rising aggression and hallucinations in teenagers is linked to early smartphone use, a new study finds.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I do not think it is an exaggeration to say history is largely a history of inflation, usually inflations engineered by governments for the gain of governments.” – Friedrich August von Hayek

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 26, 2025

On February 26, 1797, the Bank of England issued the first £1 note.

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Feb 26, 1993: A truck bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 117 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 $2000.
  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 $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail 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 $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 ends on March 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

How Much Water? – Part 1, by R.E.

Over the past several years we have experienced significant disruptions to our normal routines of life. In the big cities, the heavy hand of government. The ‘two weeks to flatten the curve’ turned into years with numerous stay home orders, social distancing, lockdowns of churches, face mask ‘requirements’ and ‘vaccination’ mandates. Vaccine passports, at one point it was said were required for travel between provinces and crossing the Canada-US border. Police were pulling people over on the roadways to check whether or not your reason to be out and about was considered ‘essential’. It all culminated in million-person waves of protest starting in Ottawa and spreading across the continent when truckers and farmers were joined with many of us who felt that we had already seen enough.

In that bastion of conservatism, Canada’s Alberta, several Christian pastors were being jailed for daring to open church on Sunday mornings. In Ontario, churches not submitting to the lockdown orders were fined millions of dollars while the locks on church buildings were forcibly changed by police. Eventually, the courts dismissed many charges, while permitting others to stand. Canadians who happened to be in US conservative states were shocked when they returned. Many of those taking the jabs to travel, have suffered severe adverse side effects.

For some, experiencing disruption has been the shut off of access to municipal utilities. The Agenda being followed by municipalities in the US and Canada is driven by the UN and affiliates, and it is demanding that utility meters be replaced with so-called SMART meters. These advanced data collection devices, use radio frequency transmissions to ease the collection of usage information to the agencies collecting billing data. These devices are opaque – they cannot be read like a traditional meter, but instead require a proprietary reader device which only the utilities possess and control.Continue reading“How Much Water? – Part 1, by R.E.”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our 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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Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson mentioned some “less lethal” solid aluminum projectiles for paintball guns. He notes: “They are also available less expensively on Amazon, but this way you support a smaller business.”

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Mike Williamson also mentioned:

“The UK has demanded access to the Apple Cloud, and Apple has complied. Note that any info in there that is NOT from UK [users] is still accessible, and can be furnished to other nations’ intel or LEO (including the US) without any warrant or process required, since it would be willingly furnished, not subpoenaed. Remember: The term “Cloud” is merely a name for SOMEONE ELSE’S COMPUTER OR SERVER.  People should make every effort to avoid using cloud storage for anything personal, private, or financial. Companies storing massive records is one thing, though that is still subject to hacks of personal data. Individuals should never use cloud storage if at all possible. For data security: Hard copy is the best. The second best is isolated (disconnected or air-gapped) hard drives or USB sticks. A less secure (but still relatively secure) third choice is to have PCs or mobile devices that are no connected to the Internet.”

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Terry in Southern Idaho forwarded this news link of interest: Currently, All U.S. Phones Can Connect to Starlink Satellites for Free. This Will Change in July.

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Reader Gary H. wrote this query:

“I recently opened a bag of oatmeal that had been stored for 5 years in a food-grade mylar bag in a food-grade 5-gallon bucket.  I immediately smelled a metallic odor.  When the oatmeal is prepared it definitely has a metallic taste.  Clearly, that mylar bag which I purchased on Amazon and was advertised as food-grade was not a quality product.  I searched your website for information about this issue and for suggestions for a proven mylar product that does not leach.  However, I did not find any info on this topic.  Do you (or any of your readers) have any suggestions for manufacturers that are proven not to have this problem?  I did seal this and other bags with an iron.  Is it possible that in heating the bag to seal it, that I caused this issue?”

JWR Replies:  This is something that I haven’t ever encountered, so I’m polling the readers for their observations.

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Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“People from all over the world came to America and assimilated into a single culture rooted in the founding, which is rooted in individual liberty and primacy of citizen over government. Everybody who came here, that’s what drew them.” – Rush Limbaugh

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 25, 2025

February 25, 1814: Australia’s first currency – the “holey dollar” introduced, made of Spanish ‘pieces of eight’  (8 Reales) with the centers stamped out and overstamped with a date and “NEW SOUTH WALES”, for the colony of New South Wales.

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

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We are in need of entries for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 ends on March 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Granberg G-1012XT 12-Volt Chain Grinder, by Thomas Christianson

The ability to effectively sharpen a chain is one of the most basic foundations for productive chainsaw use. Cutting with a well-sharpened chain is a joy. Trying to cut with a dull chain is a frustrating and soul-rending ordeal.

In Greek mythology, a man named Sisyphus was punished in the afterlife for his wickedness. He was eternally compelled to roll a large bolder up a steep hill. Every time he neared the top of the hill, the bolder would slip away and roll back down to the bottom of the hill. His punishment was the frustration of being forever engaged in a difficult job without ever being able to complete it.

If the ancient Greeks had any experience with chainsaws, I think they would have forced Sisyphus to eternally harvest firewood with a dull chain instead. There are few tasks in the known universe that are more joyless exercises in futility.

The Granberg G-1012 12V Precision Grinder is an outstanding tool for sharpening chainsaw chains to factory-new effectiveness. The use of a 12-volt direct current power supply makes the batteries of most motor vehicles into a convenient source of power for the grinder.Continue reading“Granberg G-1012XT 12-Volt Chain Grinder, by Thomas Christianson”

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, a news story that described the use of thermal imaging.  (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

Thermal imaging drone helps police locate suspect hiding in darkness by riverbank.

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The future of the death penalty hangs in the balance in Idaho.

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Einkorn.com has announced that they are moving their operations to Sugar City, Idaho. The company is a source for ancient Einkorn wheat and nt Einkorn wheat flour.  Einkorn is much easier to digest, for folks with sensitivity to modern wheat varieties. From their website: “Einkorn is the most primitive form of wheat on Earth. It contains only 14 chromosomes, whereas modern wheat contains 42. Einkorn does not have the D chromosome, which seems to be connected with wheat intolerance in many humans.”

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This made national news: Idaho woman forcibly dragged from local Republican town hall by private security.

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Idaho school choice tax bill heads to governor’s desk.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 24, 2025

The artist Winslow Homer was born on March 24, 1836 in Boston, Massachusetts. The illustration above is a detail from Homer’s 1865 painting: “The Veteran in a New Field.” It hangs at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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On February 24, 1905, the Simplon railroad tunnel through the Alps in Switzerland achieved breakthrough after 7-1/2 years of construction.

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February 24, 1971:  Algeria nationalized 51 percent of French oil concessions.

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Today’s feature is a guest post that is not part of the writing contest. (On Mondays, we normally post a review penned by our Field Gear Editor, Tom Christianson.)

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We are in need of entries for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 ends on March 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.