The Mythical Group Retreat: Survival Preparations are Not Like Car Detailing

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The mainstream media has recently featured many articles about multi-millionaires buying opulent shelter spaces marketed by companies like The Survival Condo Project and Terra Vivos Reportedly, these swank leased shelter spaces are being gobbled up by the rich and famous. (Important Caveat: Those are just two well-publicized examples among many similar ventures, and I’m not criticizing them, per se. I have serious doubts about the efficacy of all such leased retreat space ventures, if and when things fall apart.)

Survival preparations are not like buying a service, such as car detailing or house painting. You can’t just “have it done” by someone else and expect to actually survive a major disaster to see full restoration of normal day-to-day life. You need to learn these skills for yourself. You need to construct things for yourself, tailor them to your own family’s particular needs, and then maintain them yourself. The most crucial skills can’t be learned by just reading a book or by watching a video. You need to truly learn these tasks by performing them and, in some cases, developing the muscle memory to match. Unless you are willing to get your hands dirty and honestly learn by doing, then you are just fooling yourself. In essence: True preparedness is a do-it yourself (DIY) proposition. Again, you can’t just “have it done”.

Furthermore, you need to be the one who is in control of your own family’s retreat. If you enter into a service contract, then you are trusting someone else to complete the construction and then someday actually allow you access to your leased millionaire bunker space. After the Rule of Law evaporates, that might never happen. I suspect that many of these big ventures are catering to folks who are overly trusting or downright naïve.

What happens if you arrive at the 11th hour to a prepared shelter that is not under your own control? Just consider the hypotheticals of a true TEOTWAWKI event. Unless you arrive at that “secure bunker” quite early, then there is a distinct possibility that human nature will kick in and your “guaranteed pre-paid space” will be occupied by someone else. By whom? What if it’s occupied by someone more aggressive who shoves his way in or by someone who bribes their way in for their unexpectedly large entourage, or what if it’s even occupied by someone who is simply allowed in by a paid gatekeeper who caves in to the strong emotions of his familial bonds. If you end up as the proverbial “third guy in line”, then you might find the gate locked and the door firmly barred when you arrive. For a fictional example, see the plight of Yuri Karpov– the Russian trillionaire in the movie 2012. Those much-touted “layers of security” might work against anyone who arrives after the facility reaches its capacity (even a “full vested shareholder”). Never underestimate the corrupting influence of human nature, especially in times of utter chaos. To back up a bit, it is crucial that you understand the difference between sole ownership of a piece of property versus just renting or leasing it.

Understanding the essentials of genuine ownership of any property, whether it is something as small as a car or something as large as a ten section Texas cattle ranch, all comes down to four factors:

  1. Title
  2. Control
  3. Use
  4. The Ability and Right to Dispose or Convey

Without controlling all four of those factors, you don’t fully own anything. This was eloquently described in an old John Birch Society documentary film titled Overview of America, written and narrated by John F. McManus.

Let’s go through those factors as described by McManus, point by point:

Title

First, is the factor of title. If you don’t hold title to something, then you don’t fully own it. This is like leasing an automobile but not holding the “Pink Slip” in your own name. Sure, you may be allowed to drive it, but you don’t really own it. It belongs to someone else.

Control

Second is control. This factor harkens back to the old saying: “Possession is nine tenths of the law.” Let’s continue with the analogy of an automobile. Let’s say that you hold title to a car. But you lent it out, and it is currently being driven and garaged by your nephew, Freddie, who took it with him when he enrolled in college out of state, and he has both sets of keys to the car. So is that car yours? Legally, perhaps, but not unless you retain or regain control of it. Often, people have to resort to lengthy and expensive court battles to regain control of property.

Use

Thirdly is use, which is closely associated with control, but the two terms are not completely synonymous. In the analogy of the car that you loaned to Freddie, as long as that car is garaged out of state, then you have neither the control nor the use of it. Control is represented by the garage. Use is represented by the car keys.

The Ability and Rights to Dispose or Convey

The last factor is “the ability and right to dispose or convey”. Again, let’s use the analogy of a car. If you are making payments to a bank on a car, then it isn’t truly yours until after it is paid off. The right to sell or give away any piece of property is often tangled or “clouded” by debt obligations.

Think through those factors. Now consider the incongruity of the phrase: “Time Share Condo Ownership.” Ha! Parenthetically, I should mention that I once had a consulting client who mentioned his time share in Hot Springs, Arkansas and how he considered it his “back-up retreat location”. Talk about wishful thinking!

Without all four factors of ownership, you are not the true owner of anything. If, with those four factors in mind, you then evaluate a leased or shared shelter or retreat space and compare that to a privately-owned retreat property that you occupy year-round, there is a vast difference! Please give serious, prayerful, well-reasoned consideration before entering into any agreement with anyone for a “safe place” venture that your family’s safety depends on!

In my many years of retreat consulting to preppers and survivalists of all income levels, I’ve witnessed several group retreat ventures fall apart. My advice on this is: Beware of any retreat venture where there is “shared” or “common” property. At the very least, this can lead to the classic Tragedy of the Commons. At worst, it can end with ruined family fortunes and a lot of expensive lawyers involved. In my experience, it is best that each nuclear family hold separate title to contiguous parcels where each family builds their own residence on each parcel. This arrangement maximizes the advantages of mutual security but minimizes the risk of false expectations, failed promises to put in a share of work, and unfulfilled promises to pitch in on shared expenses.

If a retreat truly belongs to you, then you only have to worry about human nature in the confines of your own family. Beyond that, you have a situation with far too many variables and factors that can quickly get beyond your control when the Schumer Hits the Fan. – JWR

Letter Re: Coin Rolls – Roll Your Own

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Editor:

I decided to make my own coin rolls instead of spending any coins for them. I started with paper, but it turned out like origami gone wild. So I put on my thinking hat and asked, why not aluminum foil (for the coin rolls, not the hat)? But does silver and aluminum react? Apparently, it does in a good way if you add a baking soda solution. So I rolled away and am quite pleased with the outcome. That’s $100 face value in quarters in a pint-size vacuum sealed bag. What do you think? – R.T.

Letter: Venues for Learning Morse Code

Dear Editors:
There is a good Morse Code practice group in the Pacific Northwest every morning on 3.970 mhz LSB at 8:00 PST.

The guy sends Trivia questions to the others using Morse Code. Each person who checks in gets to take a turn on a rotating list. The code is sent at the speed each person is comfortable with. Once the question is sent and received, that person repeats the question by voice to confirm they copied it correctly. But if they can’t ANSWER the trivia question, anybody can jump in and try to answer it.

This way of learning Morse Code is way more fun than the old code practice tapes. Plus, the trivia is fun and educational.

They are always looking for new “fresh meat” to start learning the Morse Code. They will slow way down for newcomers, and the entire group is very encouraging and patient with the new guys. They ALL were the “new guy” at one time not so long ago.

They ask that you check in with your call sign, but you don’t have to participate until you feel ready. Just ask to be put on the “Lurker List” and enjoy the trivia. – T.C.

News From The American Redoubt:

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Anyone looking for colloidal silver should check out this small company in Montana: Ion Silver. Their product is made with a special process that puts very small (“ionic”) silver particles in suspension, and that unlike their competitors, their solutions don’t “go brown” with silver dropping out of solution.

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Idaho Governor Otter vetoes repeal of Idaho grocery tax

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Oh, but wait!: BOOM! Gov. Otter Grocery Tax Veto Comes TOO LATE!

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Rep. Matt Shea comments on the inevitable partition of Washington: $8 billion tax increase—Update From Olympia.

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Spokane beekeepers swarm to local farm for thousands of bees

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Montana plans to keep wolf hunt quotas outside Yellowstone

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You’ve gotta love Politically Incorrect Idaho: Court: Idaho wolf derby doesn’t need Forest Service permit

Economics and Investing:

CONSPIRACY vs FACT: How Much Gold Is In The World??

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The war on cash: India Outlawing Cash Altogether in 75 Cities – DSV

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A walk down memory lane: This article was written in 2009, but it’s still good information today – The Great American Bubble Machine – D.F.

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Wall Street banker Cohn moving Trump toward moderate policies

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

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I recently ordered a couple of large plastic tool boxes that carry the Dewalt brand name. When they arrived, I was thrilled to see that they weren’t made in China but instead in Israel. They are fairly sturdy and quite reasonably priced at under $21 each. They also happen to be fairly covert for use as a “range box” for carrying handguns. With an inside length of 21”, they will even fit an AR-15 pistol with arm brace if it is broken down into two halves.

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Okay, but it’s going to cost you! – ‘Gun Free’ Zone Tennessee Business Liable for Disarming Concealed Carry Holders – D.S.

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Again, showing the futility of gun control laws, reader GJM sent in the link to this video of a homemade Gatling-Gun made from a few second hand semi-automatic rifles. Red-neck engineering vs. government control at its best.

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Where Will You Go When North Korean Agents Release Biological Weapons In Major U.S. Cities? – H.L.

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Islam’s ‘manufactured refugee crisis’ revealed – B.B.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Stick to your guns if you believe in something no matter what; ‘cause it’s better to be hated for who you are than loved for someone you’re not.” – Van Zant

Notes for Monday – April 17, 2017

On April 17, 1961, about 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. Due to the Cuba/Soviet intelligence network as well as loose talk by members of the brigade, which was repeated in U.S. and foreign newspaper reports, the Cuban government knew in advance of the planned invasion. The Washington Post also reported that the Soviets knew the exact date of the attack, that the CIA was aware that they knew, and that the CIA did not inform president Kennedy.

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SurvivalBlog would like to thank all of our readers who kept Pat Cascio lifted up in prayer through his surgery last week and continued recovery. He is home and doing well, though he has a rough couple of weeks to look forward to.

Ruger’s SR1911, 9mm, by Pat Cascio

Even when I was younger I was pretty much “old school” in many things. Maybe it came from being raised by my grandparents and all their friends. It’s just one of those mysteries in life that I can’t explain. I still love to listen to “oldies” music on the radio. When I first started listening to “oldies” it wasn’t old; it was the music of the 1960s that I fell in love with. And, to this day, my favorite song is “Will You Be Staying After Sunday” by Peppermint Rainbow. Over the past several years, I have gotten to know several of the group’s members, and they are all super-nice people. Bonnie Lamdin-Phipps, her sister, “Peppermint” Patty Lamdin-Brown, and Doug Lewis are on my bucket list as people I want to get to meet in-person some day.

For many, many years, I was old school in that I believed with all my heart that the grand ol’ 1911 handgun was always meant to be chambered in one caliber– the .45 ACP, and I don’t think many will dispute the fight-ending effects of the .45 ACP round. Some years ago, I guess you can say I saw the light, or the error to my way of thinking. My first major shift in the 1911 was to a 10mm, and it was really a hot-stepping round. Then we have the 1911 in .38 Super, .40 S&W, 9mm, and many other calibers. The light bulb over my head started to glow a little bit. If many of those rounds were great for self defense in other handguns, then why not use them in a 1911? Hmm, so an old dog can learn new tricks.

The nice folks atRuger sent me their SR1911 “Commander” sized 1911 in 9mm, but I still wasn’t totally on-board with the gun. There are many other handguns that shoot the 9mm that are smaller, much smaller and more compact and light weight. So, why bother with a 1911, even if it is the smaller “Commander” sized gun in 9mm? I had to put it all to the test.

A quick look at the SR1911 “Commander” in 1911 is in order. Of course, it has the shorter 4.25-inch barrel, as opposed to a full-sized 1911 with a 5-inch barrel, so that’s a plus in my book. I’ve always thought, at least for me, that a Commander-sized 1911 handles faster for me than a full-sized gun. This gun is a light-weight model; with the aluminum frame, it weighs in at 29.3 oz and comes with hard rubber, checkered grips. The slide is brushed stainless steel. We have the outstanding Novak three dot drift adjustable, combat sights, which I personally believe to be the best in the world. (Way to go, Wayne!)

I always expect the best when it comes to Ruger firearms– all of them, so I carefully examine any and all of their guns that come into my hands. The frame and slide are precision CNC machined for a great slide to frame fight, and my sample had no rattle when I shook it. The stainless steel barrel and the stainless steel bushing are machined (from the same machine) from the same bar stock for an outstanding fit. The barrel locks up tight when the gun is in battery; again, there’s no rattle! BTW, the Ruger SR1911 line-up is based on the Colt series 70. It has no funky series 80 safety to contend with. The back strap on the frame is checkered for a firm grip; the front strap is left plain, and I take care of that easily with some skate board friction tape, which is a very inexpensive fix if you find the front strap on a 1911 too slick.

The trigger is a light-weight match, skeletonized version and had an over travel adjustment. My sample came timed perfectly with no need to adjust that little screw at all. There was a little “hitch in the git along” on the trigger pull; however, this disappeared during my testing, and this is very common. There is a speed-style combat hammer, for faster lock-time, and we have an extended beaver-tail grip safety that was also timed perfectly. The thumb safety is only on the left side of the gun, and this is outstanding. I used to believe, from reading gun magazines, that every 1911 had to have an ambidextrous thumb safety. I’ve since figured out that I don’t need those. If a gun comes with one, that’s fine, but I prefer only a single-side thumb safety.

Here’s a feature that most will overlook. There is a plunger tube on the left side of a 1911, and it has two little plungers in it that are at either end of the plunger tube spring. This keeps your safety in the on/off position as well as your slide locked; it’s locked so it doesn’t lock the slide open when firing. Well, on the Ruger SR1911, this plunger tube is CNC machined into the side of the frame. All other 1911s have this little but very important tube staked into the side of the slide. Over the years, I couldn’t tell you how many plunger tubes I’ve seen that worked their way loose from the side of the frame, then tying up the gun. There are no worries about this happening on the Ruger SR1911 line of pistols.

The ejection port on the slide is lowered and flared for sure ejection of not only empty brass but loaded rounds, too. This is more important than you think. I’ve had some 1911s that wouldn’t safely eject a loaded round; it would get stuck between the barrel and ejection port and create a major malfunction, not easily cleared. The magazine release is slightly longer, so it is easy to reach for those fast magazine changes.

The recoil spring and plug are standard, not the one-piece set-up that is so popular for some reason. I like it a lot, as it makes field stripping much easier. There is that little cut in the top rear of the barrel’s chamber, so you can see if there is a round or empty brass still in the chamber. My aged eyes just can’t see if there is anything in the chamber through the little cut. The slide serrations on the rear of the slide are deeply CNC machined on both sides of the slide, and they are a shallow “V” design to them. It is very easy to retract the slide to chamber a round.

We also have a titanium firing pin, for a faster firing of the gun. It’s a small improvement but a nice one. Best of all, this gun takes all after-market standard 1911 parts. However, I couldn’t find anything I would change on the gun, period, and this is very unusual for me to not want to swap out something, anything! We have two 9-rd, 9mm magazines that come with the gun, and any after-market full-sized 1911 mags will fit and function in the gun. The gun comes with a bushing wrench and a nice soft-sided carrying case. Last but not least, the feed ramp has a titanium block for a feed ramp. Many light-weight, aluminum-framed 1911s get the feed ramp chewed-up with aggressive hollow point ammo. This won’t happen with the light-weight Ruger 1911s. Whew!

Okay, I meant for this to be a “quick” run down of the features on this SR1911 9mm, but there were so many of them I just felt the need to list them all and why some of them are such a good idea. There are things I would normally change out, but these don’t need changing. Ruger’s engineers really listened and thought out their entire SR1911 line and are giving shooters everything they need and nothing, absolutely nothing, they don’t need in a 1911.

I note, on the Ruger website, that this particular model now has a black anodized frame. On my early sample, it has a frame color that closely matches the brushed stainless steel slide.

So, this Ruger SR1911, 9mm has every feature you need and nothing you don’t need. If you want night sights, you can order them from the Ruger Store. The question is, how did the gun shoot, right? Well, I loaded up the two magazines that come with the gun and went to chamber the first round. It didn’t fully chamber. Uh-oh, this isn’t looking very good. However, after that first and only malfunction, the gun perked along just fine through more than 500-rds of various ammo.

From Black Hills Ammunition , I had their 115-gr JHP +P load, 124-gr JHP +P, 115-gr EXP (Extra Power) Hollow Point, 124-gr JHP, and their 115-gr Barnes TAC-XP all-copper hollow point +P load. From Buffalo Bore Ammunition, I had their 147-gr Outdoorsman Hard Cast FN +P load, 147-gr Subsonic Heavy Standard Pressure FNJ FN load, 115-gr and 95 gr Barnes TAC-XP all-copper hollow point +P+ load, and their 124-gr Penetrator FMJ FN +P+ load. So, there was an excellent selection of 9mm ammo to run through this gun.

Accuracy testing was done using a bag that was rested over a rock, and the target was at 25 yards. The best overall accuracy was dead-on at three inches and was the Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman load, but I believe the gun can do better. The method I was using to rest the gun wasn’t all that stable. I believe this gun, with the right ammo, can easily shoot 2 ½ inch groups all day long. Then let’s talk about recoil. Well, there’s nothing to discuss. There’s very little felt recoil at all. My wife loved shooting this gun, and she’s not big into single-action 1911s. She doesn’t like the short and light trigger pull, and on my sample the trigger broke at 4 ½ lbs.

I carried the SR1911 9mm “Commander” for two weeks in a Blackhawk Products SERPA hip holster with the belt loops attachment. I don’t like the paddle carry at all. The gun rode high and close to my body. Any 1911 holster will work with this neat 9mm pistol.

There are some real pluses, if you ask me. First of all is the recoil of the 9mm compared to a .45 ACP; the 9mm was not punishing in the least, not that I’ve ever found the .45 ACP round to be too much to handle. Then there was retracting the slide to chamber a round. I’m thinking that the recoil spring was about 10 or maybe 11 pounds, which makes it easy, very easy, to chamber a round. This may not sound like much of a benefit to many, but to older folks who don’t have a lot of arm strength this means they can handle this 9mm 1911 without any problems.

After all my testing was complete, I wanted to run some under-powered or troublesome 9mm through this Ruger. I hate to put anyone’s ammo down, but I’ve had a lot of problems with some 9mm from a place called Rogue Defense; they are outside of Portland, OR, and my local gun shop sells a lot of the reloaded 9mm and .223 ammo. I’ve complained several times to the gun shop that this ammo is not consistent in power, and I’ve had many, many under-powered rounds, that were so under-powered that the empty brass wouldn’t eject. I ran 50-rds through the SR1911 9mm. Even though I could tell that some of the rounds were really puny, the gun fired and ejected the empty brass.

If you’re a dyed in the wool 1911 fan and love it in .45 ACP, don’t overlook this new offering from Ruger in 9mm. It might just be what you’re looking for in a new self-defense gun.

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: Teriyaki Beef Or Chicken Skewers, by K.R.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. beef (flank, london broil) or chicken (boneless breasts)
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil (roasted kind)
  • 2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger

Directions:

  1. To prep the beef, slice on diagonal as thin as you can. For the chicken breasts cut into 1/4-inch strips.
  2. Combine all ingredients in bowl and marinate 30 minutes, or overnight is better.
  3. Thread meat onto bamboo or metal skewers.
  4. Place on hot grill or under broiler for several minutes; turn and grill or broil other side for several minutes longer.
  5. If you are using chicken, the cooking times will need to be adjusted for the thickness of the breast, so increase the times to approximately 8-10 minutes a side.

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Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: Bundys in Nevada

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A recent letter regarding the Bundy family claimed, “[The Bundys] don’t own the land; they lease it. If they won’t abide by the terms of the lease, then they can and should be given a chance to meet the terms of the lease, but if they won’t then the landlord (in this case the BLM) has the right to evict them and try to collect back rent.” This reflects a common misconception. If the assertion were true that the land is in fact leased, the logic would of course be unassailable. However, BLM grazing allotments are *not* leases (at least, some of them aren’t, and the Bundys claim theirs are among those that aren’t). The grazing fees the Bundys and others refuse to pay are explicitly described in law as *not* being lease payments. Some legal history is required to understand the situation.

Originally, homesteaders received grants of 160 acres each as fully private property: the homesteaders had full rights to water, forage, minerals, and access on the full 160 acres. They also had the right to prevent anyone else from accessing their parcels. As homesteaders moved west, they discovered it wasn’t possible to support a family on only 160 acres, because the land simply wasn’t as productive in the arid climate. Grants therefore became larger, growing as large as 640 acres, but even that wasn’t sufficient to support a family in many of the more desert areas. Congress was hesitant to grant even larger portions as fully private property, knowing the west had vast wealth in the form of other resources, and that homesteaders likely wouldn’t ever exploit those resources. So Congress came up with the grazing allotment. Under this plan, homesteaders still had their original grant of fully private land, plus they were granted access to all forage, and all water resources they were able to develop, on a larger parcel of land. Title to this land remained in the hands of the federal government, who could grant access to prospectors, hunters, and others, but the homesteader had full rights to the forage, rights to develop water sources, and rights of access to the land. These rights were treated as private property, which could be (and were extensively) traded and sold like any other property. The rights had no stipulations about the number of animals the homesteader could graze on the land, nor the seasons when they could graze.

Since that time, the federal government has reacquired some of these rights, but many remain in private hands. The Bundys trace their allotments to homesteading days. The BLM was established in part to help allotment owners (note: “owner” is the correct term for an allotment) manage various legal and administrative requirements, and grazing fees were meant to pay the BLM for that help. The law puts specific requirements on how grazing fees are to be used, including a certain percentage that is to go back to the land it came from in the form of improvements. The BLM has long ignored these requirements. Therein lies at least some of the Bundy’s justification for refusal to pay grazing fees.

Please don’t make the mistake of believing land law is as simple as “The government owns full rights to all the land and ranchers have to abide by whatever terms the government sets forth.” That is wholly incorrect. Ranchers, mineral developers, and others simply wouldn’t ever invest in land resources without the assurance that rights to the land were legally in their full control. – JT

Economics and Investing:

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Why Americans have stopped moving.

JWR’s Comment: What is missing from this otherwise good article is a mention of the fact that people aren’t moving because they recognize that the economy is stagnant, and the “recovery” was just a resurgence of spending propelled by debt rather than a genuine renaissance. In essence, Americans are hunkering down for the Second Great Depression.

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Is Aramco IPO Behind Saudi Eagerness For OPEC Cut Extension? Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Algeria, and Angola have all stressed the need for further production cuts in order to return markets to a state of balance.

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Here’s a new report from PeakProsperity.com contributing editor Charles Hugh Smith that explores the opportunities & challenges of maintaining a separate “Plan B” retreat property – something prudent people are increasingly considering during these volatile times. Maintaining a functional separate retreat residence is a responsibility that comes with real costs and complexities. But if done right, it can yield great returns during both good times and bad.

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More reason to own tangible precious metals.

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

X22 Report Spotlight(podcast interview) When The Disaster Hits You Better Be Prepared: James Wesley Rawles. (This discussion covers a lot of topics—mainly economics, geopolitics, and military flashpoints.)

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David Codrea: Are YouTube Restrictions Targeted on Conservative and Gun Channels?

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Protests sweeping South America show rising antigovernment anger – H.L.

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Cringe worthy news: Obama to give speech in Berlin to mark Reformation anniversary – D.S.

HJL’s Comment: I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit…Yeah, I’m sure I did. Where did I put those antacid tablets?!

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Here we go again: New Bill to Penalize Missed Vaccines – DSV

Notes for Sunday – April 16, 2017

April 16th is the birthday of two notable novelists– J. Neil Schulman and Samuel Youd.

Agorist-Libertarian activist J. Neil Schulman (born April 16, 1953) is best known as author of the novel Alongside Night.

The late Samuel Youd (born 1922, died February 3, 2012) was the British novelist who was best known for his science fiction writings under the pseudonym John Christopher, including the survivalist novel Death of Grass (titled No Blade of Grass, in the American edition) as well as the Tripods Series of young adult sci-fi novel series. A fascinating man, Youd wrote prolifically, using eight pen names. He was a good friend of sci-fi novelist John Wyndham, and both of them were famous for writing what are often called cozy catastrophes.

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Predictably, I’ve started receiving urgent requests from non-prepper friends and distant relatives about preparedness for nuclear war. My advice: Read through SurvivalBlog’s archives on fallout protection. It mainly comes down to putting sufficient MASS between you and any deposited fallout. Serious SurvivalBlog readers moved away from major targets years ago, and they’ve constructed “cold cellars” that can double as fallout shelters. (Although adding a hand- or pedal-powered HEPA filter is advisable.) And having a three-month supply of food and gravity fed water are also “givens”. It is also wise to stock up on Potassium Iodide (or Iodate) and get yourself a Nuk-Alert. I suspect that both of those will be sold out, shortly. Please give our advertisers your business first! – JWR

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Mrs. Latimer is taking a break from her normal column today due to company so instead we present part four of an entry for Round 70 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 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 that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 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 with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel 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, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. 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,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  8. 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), and

Round 70 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.