Letter Re: The United Airlines Passenger Dragging Incident

17

JWR,

I am a loyal reader, but your reference to the officers who removed this nut case off the plane as “goons” was uncalled for and unfortunate. With your military background, I would think that you would have been more inclined to view a “lawful order” as one that should be complied with and then questioned later.

This disreputable, defrocked, drugs-for-sex doctor obviously has mental problems, and he refused to comply with federal law and the officers who were merely doing their duty. Were I there in an official capacity, he would have had even more problems. – E.M.

HJL’s Comment: There are a number of things in play here, but the overarching question is not “Is it lawful?” but “Is it ethical?” The tired old excuse of “I was just following orders” has never been a valid excuse. Even if your job or your boss does not make any allowance for you to refuse to follow an unethical order, you still bear the responsibility of your actions. Let’s break this down on several levels:

  1. The doctor – There is no question that the doctor’s actions more resembled that of a five year old child than an adult. He may even have been, as you say, a “disreputable, defrocked, drugs-for-sex doctor”, but the fact remains that the treatment of him was cruel and not respectable. His background has no bearing on how he was treated at that moment. Those beating him into submission knew nothing more than the fact that he wouldn’t “volunteer” his seat. In addition, the article that is cited attempts to make the comparison of this man’s behavior to that of a terrorist. What they are really doing is manipulating the reader’s emotional response by dehumanizing this man and making it uncomfortable for anyone to disagrees with their view of his behavior. The statement “disreputable, defrocked, drugs-for-sex doctor” also does this. (It’s somewhat how the media can distort the story of a homeowner shooting an armed home invader while defending himself in his own home, yet the story headline read: “Tragic Killing of Local Football Hero” and readers demand charges be filed for the murder of their hometown football hero, disregarding the fact that he was the one threatening a family in their home.) This doctor demanding to keep what he (and all of the other passengers) had purchased from the airline does not constitute terrorism, as he was not threatening harm to anyone; yet the word “terrorism” stirs up emotions, and we see what appears to be violence. The violence just isn’t on the part of the doctor. This is tranference, and it is unjust to apply it to the doctor and then grossly exaggerate it into terrorism on his part.
  2. The police – Were these private rent-a-cops or were they sworn police officers? If they were sworn police officers, they should be fired and charged with criminal intent for beating a man on such flimsy grounds. I believe they violated their oaths, if they were sworn officers. If they were rent-a-cops (as I suspect), they should still be charged and the organization they work for should have its policies and procedures investigated with the proper consequences to all in the chain of authority. Remember, “I was just following orders” is not an excuse for this sort of jack-booted and thuggish behavior. How abusive does the behavior from anyone in authority (perceived authority or real authority) have to get before the people say “enough is enough!”. The police were not arresting or apprehending someone who was threatening the lives or safety of others. The only one who was threatened was the one who was beat senseless by these “officers”.
  3. The pilot – This pilot should never have escalated the situation to the level that he did. There are far better alternatives, and the captain has many options at his command. There are far better ways to deal with the situation than an immediate escalation like this. This shows an arrogance and carelessness for those who are trusting him with their lives. At a minimum, there should be an investigation to find out if he has made similar decisions in the past.
  4. The airline – They know better than this. They have, for years, dealt with situations like this without escalation into violence. This definitely shows that the airline truly doesn’t care about their passengers. You are no more than paying cattle to them. People should vote with their pocketbooks and refuse to fly United. Remember, you could be the next one beat into submission, or it could be your disabled wife, pregnant daughter, veteran son, or a grandchild who is occupying a seat the airline insists upon reclaiming at the last moment.

So how should the airline have dealt with this situation? The same way they have for years! I spent four years in college and flew home with round-trip tickets every spring break, summer vacation, Thanksgiving, and Christmas break, and I only bought two tickets in all of those years. I simply booked my flights on the busiest days of the year and made sure that I showed up in time to be one of the first to board the plane. When the overbooked plane invariably ran out of seats, the head flight attendant would get on the intercom and start bribing customers to give up their seats. They might start with $100 voucher, but I simply waited until they were offering a voucher for an additional flight (preferably round trip) and then I would volunteer my seat. I was always on the next flight, and I had my next plane ticket for the next break in hand. When the bribe got large enough, they never had a problem getting people to volunteer their seats. In this case, even if United had offered free tickets and $5,000 cash to give up the seat, they would have saved many times over what this will eventually cost them. Ultimately, it was United’s policies that failed here, and when the dust settles there should be consequences to those who created those policies. In the meantime, those who “just followed orders” should see consequences for the unethical behavior that they willingly perpetuated.

Odds ‘n Sods:

5

In a recent phone conversation, one of my relatives mentioned that he’s had great success in keeping his dog on his property by using a wireless system sold under the PetSafe brand. It is called the Free To Roam Wireless Fence. Most dogs learn quickly and become comfortable with the boundaries. The collar gives a warning before it shocks, so there are no accidental shocks from the collar. He mentioned that the positioning of the base station is critical, so take plenty of time to set it up right. – JWR

o o o

I just noticed that Brilliance Audio Books has now combined the MP3 audio books of two of my novels on one CD, at a bargain price of $10.73. – JWR

o o o

Over at our favorite video site, Full30: STOP Buying Fake CAT Tourniquets!

o o o

Dylan over at Portable Solar LLC has released a video of some of the EMP testing that they do on their Solar Panels, Inverters, and more. Of particular interest is the testing on an iPhone and laptop computer. It’s very interesting!

o o o

While this is relatively old news, it underscores a couple of important concepts. 1) Renting from the government is an issue. 2) Being displaced by preferential treatment of immigrants. It’s Come To This: Swedish Family Kicked Out Of Home To Make Way For “Refugee” Invaders

Notes for Thursday – April 13, 2017

April 13, 1743 was the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. (He died on July 4, 1826 just a few hours before the death of John Adams. How patriotic of both of them to pass away on the Fourth of July.)

o o o

Today, we present another 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.

Key Elements for Self-Sufficient Gardening – Part 1, by B. C.

2

I was blessed to grow up on a farm and later was fortunate to be able to receive an advanced degree in Agriculture. For the last 15 years my wife and I have been running a small diversified farm where we produce vegetables, fruit, and animal products for local markets and a C.S.A. (Community Supported Agriculture). During this time we’ve spent several years in several countries doing agricultural mission work, seeing how the rest of the world feeds itself, and doing our part to assist them with that.

Over time we’ve worked hard to turn our own 30-acre farm into a self-sufficient property. My goal has been to see our farm as one that could feed my family and other families far into the future if “the front gate gets shut and locked.” As SurvivalBlog readers are well aware, this seems to be more of a possibility with every passing day. The discussion on growing your own food often arises, and a recurring theme is the advice that you aren’t just going to open a pack of survival seeds and feed your family. I couldn’t agree more, but I often feel like readers get brow-beaten with that advice and can leave the discussion a bit overwhelmed and in the end do nothing to advance their food security.

Growing enough food to feed your family for an extended period of time is a daunting task, but let me assure you that it is doable with a plan, a little land, and the willingness to try. We have to be successful every year in order to stay in business, and that has naturally led us into growing techniques that work. With this article I want to share with you a few key elements of these techniques that I hope will be a big help in your journey towards food security.

Element Number One: The Importance of Timing and Food Storage

Step number one for growing enough food to survive is food storage. Now I know that this seems contradictory, since we are talking about growing food. Why would we store a bunch of food if we are planning on growing it ourselves? The answer is timing. Unless you never buy anything from the grocery store and already grow all your own food, year-round, most people would need to ramp up production tremendously in order to provide all of the food that they need.

Nobody knows when the tractor trailers will stop rolling and the grocery shelves will be empty. It could be any time of the year. The absolute worst time of the year for this to happen would be at the end of summer or the beginning of fall when warm season crops are a distant memory and it may be even too late to start any cool season/winter crops, which are normally started in August/September in our Zone 6. Starting in October, you would have a long winter and at least six months before the earliest spring crops could be harvested, and even longer for the high-calorie crops like potatoes, corn, and other carbohydrate-rich grains. So, even if you are planning on growing enough to feed yourself, six months of food storage is a minimum. A year’s worth is even better, especially for inexperienced growers. You’ll definitely need a little food insurance, as your first year’s crops are probably not going to meet your expectations.

If you are going to be eating year-round from food you produce yourself, it makes sense that you need to be growing just about year round. There is no need to take the extra expense and work to preserve all your food when you can eat most of it fresh. This is entirely possible in most zones, with good planning and the willingness to eat a wider variety of crops than corn, beans, and tomatoes.

The key here is a good plan and a succession of crops that are planted and harvested at the right time. The easiest way I’ve found to do this is to buy a cheap monthly planner and to write all my seeding, transplanting, and harvest dates down. Make notes on what varieties you use, what works and what doesn’t. Start with a planting calendar from your local extension agent if you need a place to begin. The point is that every year you tweak your planting schedule on what works best, and after a season or two you’ll be way ahead of the game and planning will get easier with every passing year.

The bulk of our produce is grown from April to October, but we have things growing and eatable, pretty much year round. We do this with some basic season extension techniques, the main one being the use of a greenhouse and unheated high tunnels.

Element Number Two: Season Extension

A key element to growing success is how long it takes you to go from seed to harvest and how much of the year you are able to produce food. The normal three or four month growing season most people enjoy is not enough to produce the food you’ll need for the entire year, especially if you are limited in growing space. For that reason you are going to have to use season extension techniques with a minimum of a small heated greenhouse and a bigger unheated high-tunnel.

The one technique that we use that I consider the most valuable in extending our season and resulting in successful crops is producing our own transplants. Using a transplant rather than direct seeding crops automatically allows you to start the growing season weeks ahead of time. If we can start it in the greenhouse, we do. The only crops that don’t begin as transplants are the large seeded crops, like corn and beans, as well as some of the root crops like carrots. That said, even corn and beans can be transplanted, but they can only stay in pots for about two weeks before they need to be set out, so you aren’t gaining that much. If you have the ability and means to start your own plants from seeds, you are greatly broadening your horizons into the best varieties for survival gardens that you will never see for sale as a transplant in your local nursery or garden center.

Another advantage of producing your own transplants is the fact that you can provide optimum germination conditions for your seeds, which means you need less of them. You also give the plants several weeks head-start free from weed-competition, which is the bane of direct seeded crops. If the weather is not conducive to plant growth you can hold the plants a little longer in a protected environment before planting them out. A trick I use is to use a larger volume container for the first transplants I produce. That way they have plenty of growing space if I need to hold them a week or two later to wait for the weather. The later transplants that go from seed to field in just a few weeks get smaller containers that take less soil, as there won’t likely be a need to hold them longer in the greenhouse.

It doesn’t have to be big, but you do have to have a place to produce transplants. We are a commercial farm, but our greenhouse is only about 14 by 33 feet, and for several years we made due with one half that size. For a small family, an eight by twelve foot greenhouse would be a good start and would be doable in most anyone’s backyard. Of course, go as big as you can afford or have space for, as you’ll find a greenhouse is a useful structure that can be used year around. Our current greenhouse has insulated north and west walls and is a wood frame covered by double-walled poly-panels.

On the north wall we have a bank of 55-gallon water barrels that act as a heat sink, as well as a base for our plant benches. This water bank is made from food-grade poly barrels that are locally available for about eight dollars each. Filled with potable water, this is also an instant water storage system of nearly 1000 gallons of water. This design is very efficient, and we can heat it with a small propane heater. We’ve got a mid-sized storage tank that holds about two years worth of propane at our current usage.

Heating the Greenhouse

I tried a wood stove to heat the greenhouse at one point, but it just doesn’t make sense unless you are living in the greenhouse and can constantly monitor the temperature. An external wood burning boiler on a thermostat would be great, but it doesn’t make economic sense to use a costly unit like that to heat a small greenhouse. It’s better to spend money on improved insulation and be able to use a smaller heater.

Letter Re: Bugging In or Bugging Out

JWR,

Hi, I have a question. I live in a middle-sized city in South Carolina. Our population is approximately 180,000. There are good and bad neighborhoods, one being on the east side and the other on west side of the city. The city’s crime is #33 in the FBI’s stats. We’ve gone through disasters and we’ve seen only minor looting in the wakes of them but nothing serious. I have general confidence that if something major was to happen, my church and neighborhood could come together to cope with the situation, making leaving the city entirely unnecessary. However, I have read, particularly on your blog, that remaining in a large city would be dangerous in a grid down scenario. My question is, in the event of a grid down scenario, would it be wise to bug in at my house, which is located in a good neighborhood or would it be better to bug out to another location, say a relative’s house in the country? Would a city our size make bugging in dangerous? Is it realistic? Assume I have all the necessary supplies to survive at my house for six months. – N.R.

JWR’s Comment: In my estimation, any city over 5,000 population will probably lose any sense of cohesion in an extended (3 week+) grid-down collapse. And if civic water supplies are disrupted, a large city would also be a public heath nightmare. Please make plans in advance and pre-position supplies so that you can bug out to double up with your Country Cousins.

Economics and Investing:

Deutsche Marks Still Being Hoarded as Hedge Against Euro – DSV

o o o

Stupid Asset Protection Tricks. A short list of things not to do with your assets. You might think this is obvious, but there are apparently those who still do it. – H.L.

o o o

Turkey to Confiscate Gold in New Clever Way – To Help Citizens Earn Money – DSV

o o o

Gold Spikes On Foreign Policy Fears

o o o

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

Odds ‘n Sods:

2

There has been a global uproar over the manhandling and bloodying of a paying United Airlines passenger. The plane was sold out, and the airline said that they needed four seats to shuttle crew to another airport. What followed was a gross misuse of force in removing a passenger against his will. United’s President apologized, but the airline policies are a reflection on their view of the world and “customer service.” Clearly, they look at paying passengers with the same disdain as they would sheep or cattle. So not only do we have to endure TSA inspections (with all of the appeal of a proctology exam), now we learn that the airlines themselves can call in the goons if we have the temerity to refuse to be herded like sheep. – JWR

o o o

Paul Joseph Watson: I was right about Sweden

o o o

Crosshair Customs has offered SurvivalBlog readers a 3% discount on their orders for the next week. If you are looking for some sweet, American made accessories for your AR-15, you need to take a look! Use the coupon code “american redoubt 3” when you order.

o o o

The information devices that spy on you in your home are now front and central in a corporate war: Burger King TV Ad Asks, Hoping Google Home Devices Answer – DSV

o o o

A very cool (yet incredibly scary) look at a steampunkish military oddball: M1915 Howell Automatic Rifle Enfield Conversion – J.C.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“We want to be open-minded enough to accept radical new ideas when they occasionally come along, but we don’t want to be so open-minded that our brains fall out.” – Michael Shermer

Notes for Wednesday – April 12, 2017

April 12th is the birthday of the late novelist Tom Clancy. (Born 1947, died October 1, 2013). It was Clancy who almost single-handedly created the modern techno-thriller genre. Coincidentally, Tom Clancy’s first literary agent was my agent, Robert Gottlieb. – JWR

o o o

SurvivalBlog would like to wish all of those who celebrated Passover and are beginning the Feast of Unleavened Bread a wonderful time of fellowship with friends and family as you keep God’s appointed times. May your cup overflow with happiness, peace, and prosperity!

March in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

1

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, by Steven Cochran of Gainseville Coins, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers.

What Did Gold Do in March?

Gold started March on pretty good footing, having gained over 3% in February. However, better than expected economic data in the early part of the month soon sent the dollar and stocks soaring and gold falling below $1200 an ounce on expectations that the Fed would certainly hike interest rates at their March meeting. Prices recovered sharply after the rate hike, though, because Yellen sounded like she didn’t want to raise rates again anytime soon.

Precious metals put in a strong performance to end the quarter. Palladium was in first place on the Barcharts YTD Futures chart by far, ending the first quarter $115.50 higher, a gain of 16.89%. Silver earned the #2 spot, posting a 13.42% gain for the quarter. Gold ended the first quarter 7.61% higher, gaining $87.90 an ounce, while platinum continued to sink into the middle of the pack, with a 4.03% gain.

Factors Affecting Gold This Month

European Populism

The European establishment was panicking ahead of the March 15 elections in the Netherlands, as right-wing radical Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration Freedom Party (PVV) was expecting to win. Voter turnout was high, due to frightened Dutch voters not wanting to see a Nexit (Netherlands exit from the EU). This caused the PVV to fall short of victory, but they did ride the total collapse of the Socialist Party to second place. This makes Wilders the opposition leader in Parliament, giving him plenty of power to prepare for victory in the next election.

The next big battle for the anti-EU movement in Europe will be French presidential elections in April. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front, has been polling well. If she wins, she pledges to dump the euro and put France back on the franc as well as seal the nation’s borders against immigration, even if it means a “Frexit” from the European Union. If France does follow the UK out of the EU, the entire thing will collapse, and the euro will basically be a new German deutschemark.

A report released in late March said that global populism is at its highest levels since the 1930s, and that populism will have a greater effect on world economies than any fiscal or monetary policy this year. Since this will be bad for international corporations, the establishment naturally sees this as a Very Bad Thing.

Terrorism

March was a very busy month for the real bad guys, as terrorism spread from the Middle East to other targets. Over a three-day period in France, a letter bomb sent to IMF headquarters in Paris injured one; a man shouting “Allah u Akbar” slit the throats of two men; and a gunman shot and seriously wounded three police officers before being shot dead by two soldiers at a Paris airport.

The worst terrorist incident in Europe last month was the Westminster attack at the British Parliament. Criminal-turned-Islamist Khalid Masood drove a rented SUV through a crowd on Westminster Bridge, killing four and wounding at least 49 others before crashing into the security fence around Parliament. He exited the car with two knives and murdered an unarmed policeman before being shot dead.

India witnessed three bombings, four gun attacks, and an assassination in March, leaving 23 dead and at least 36 injured.

Wedding Season In India

Gold imports spiked in India in March, as the nation’s one billion Hindus celebrated spring festivals and the spring wedding season shifted into high gear.

It’s A Brexit

British Prime Minister Theresa May pulled the trigger on Brexit on March 20, beginning the countdown on two years of “divorce negotiations” with the EU. With no idea what will happen, European markets will remain volatile, with safe haven runs on gold possible at any time.

On the Retail Front

Recent spikes in precious metal prices are impacting sales at the U.S. Mint, leading us to wonder if the low mintage of the 2017 American Silver Eagle will make it a “key date” for those who collect the bullion coin every year.

In news about upcoming designs, the Mint revealed that five WWI commemorative silver medals, one for each branch of the military, will be released next year to honor the 100th anniversary of America’s entrance into the “War to End All Wars”. These will be in addition to the 2018 WWI commemorative silver coin.

Market Buzz

Central Banks

This month’s changes in central bank gold reserves seems to point out that the agreement to cut oil production is starting to bite in the Persian Gulf oil monarchy of Qatar. They sold 4.3 metric tons of gold in March. Brunei, another small Muslim oil producer, sold 0.1 metric tons (100 kg) of gold.

Argentina continued selling its sovereign gold reserves as its economy continues to crater, sending five metric tons out the door.

In the “win” column, we once again find Kazakhstan, which added another five metric tons to the vaults in March. Jordan is a new face in the market, purchasing 5.6 metric tons of gold last month. Apparently they are moving to protect their economy in case the war in Syria spills across the border. Naturally, Russia was a buyer again in March, to the tune of 10 metric tons.

Lawrie Williams predicts that Russia’s gold reserves may surpass China’s this year, if Moscow’s buying binge continues. It should, since the Kremlin is buying domestic gold production that is blocked from export by international economic sanctions.

Moe Zulfiqar thinks he’s figured out the reason for all this central bank gold buying: diversification away from fiat money that will lose its value during “competitive devaluation” (currency wars) between the U.S., EU, UK, Japan, and China.

Silver

Michael Lombardi at the Lombardi Letter says, don’t be surprised if silver doubles in price this year.

SRSrocco Report is also anticipating a big move up for silver, as more institutional investors move into the market.

It’s expected that silver is going to need to come from existing stocks, as newly-mined silver production is falling as copper and zinc mines reduce output or close altogether. More than half of the world’s silver each year comes as a by-product from mining industrial metals, such as copper.

And speaking of silver mining, this video on the Top Silver Producing Countries in the world will probably surprise you.

CME and Thomson Reuters resign from the London Silver Fix only 2-½ years after winning the contract.

Doug Casey says, “If you think inflation is low, take a look at your candy bar.” Instead of raising prices, companies are shortchanging you on the amount of product in their packages.

Gold

Peter Schiff looks at the returns of holding $3,500 in cash for 50 years, compared to buying $3,500 worth of gold 50 years ago. (I think we all know how that turns out.)

SRSrocco Report reveals the information about another reason for manipulation of the international gold market in the 1970s, that most people don’t know about.

Plans for the Texas Gold Depository continue to move forward.

More states are scrapping sales tax on precious metal purchases, which is always a good thing to see.

Thanks to the Mexican version of the Freedom of Information Act, hard money advocate Guillermo Barba has received the actual inventory list of the 7,265 gold bars the Bank of Mexico holds in vaults at the Bank of England. While most of the Mexican central bank’s gold has been leased out (maybe multiple times?), this is the first time a central bank has provided the serial numbers for any of the bars in its gold reserves.

Economy

Bloomberg notes that the international Too Big To Fail banks have been fined $321 billion since the global financial crisis. The sad part is, these banks made far more than that in illegal proceeds and just consider the fines part of doing business.

Economist Albert Edwards warns of “Volcker II, Monetary Boogaloo,” if Fed follows through with planned pace of rate hikes.

Looking Ahead

With no Federal Reserve policy meeting in April, Janet Yellen and her crew will be relying on press interviews and speeches to move the markets. Stocks seem to be running out of steam, as the Trump Rally fades. Clashes between hard line conservatives and more corporatist Republicans over the plans to repeal and replace Obamacare have Wall St worried that the deregulation and tax cuts promised by the Trump Administration may be delayed.

Anxious stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic, plus increasing terror attacks in Europe, should give gold a safe haven demand boost. April 23rd is also the first round in the French presidential election, where anti-EU/anti-immigration candidate Marine Le Pen has a good chance of winning. This has establishment types even more worried than they were over the Dutch or Austrian elections. If Le Pen wins and pulls France out of the EU, the whole thing will collapse.

Our favorite treasure story this month comes from the Holy Land, as a stash of 1,400 year-old bronze coins were found in Israel, in the newly-discovered ruins of a Christian settlement that served as a rest stop for pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. Archaeologists believe the coins were stashed in a secret hole in the wall of the building by terrified Christians fleeing an invasion by the Persians in 614 AD.

Letter Re: The Human-Powered Veggie Garden, by J.A.

Hugh,

I would offer these suggestions to enhance the ease of preparation of the garden area. First, double digging the ground is a tried and true method, but it can be labor intensive. This can present a challenge to older persons or anyone with physical limitations. An alternative would be to use the layered or “lasagna” approach to change the sod into a garden. The book Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza covers this in detail, but a brief summary is to cover the grass with wet newspapers or cardboard and then build up layers of compostable material, allowing enough time to decay before planting. This kills the grass and helps to soften the earth below to make digging and planting much easier. One possible disadvantage is that the layers may not build enough heat to act as a compost pile, so weed seeds could still germinate . If time is short, then cover the cardboard with well-rotted compost and plant directly.

Second, I would suggest using old tires to create a raised bed. Most tire shops will give away old or damaged tires that they have removed from cars and trucks, after they cut the sidewall down so it cannot be used on a vehicle. Take a drill and start a hole in the remaining sidewall, then use a jigsaw to completely remove it. You could also use a handsaw if power is not available. Place the tire on top of the cardboard and cover with compostable material and soil. This gives about 2-3 square feet of planting area that will absorb heat more effectively, possibly allowing planting to start earlier. A trellis could also be added and covered with plastic sheeting to create a mini-greenhouse. Kurt Saxon discussed this method in detail in his writings if more detail is needed. – Le Chat Noir

Economics and Investing:

An uncomfortable conversation on a plane ride: How to cut your taxes no matter what your situation

o o o

Is Another Bust Looming Over The Oil Industry? Global demand growth has been slowing over the last decades, which could spell trouble in the coming years if the oil industry does not plan for the change.

o o o

War on Cash: ECB, EU on collision course with Germany – DSV

o o o

Toshiba Warns Westinghouse Nuclear Losses Jeopardize Its Future. “The disclosure came Tuesday as the Tokyo-based company took the unusual step of reporting third quarter earnings without approval from its auditors.”

o o o

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

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books:

A well-written book was just recently released aimed at prepping newbies: Self-Sufficient Home, by Nancy Hoffman. (It’s not recommended for advanced preppers, but it’s a great one to hand to your newbie neighbors and friends.)

The Edgemaster’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing, Using, and Maintaining Fixed-Blade and Folding Knives (I haven’t yet read this book, but it was written by Len McDougall, who authored the highly-rated book The Self-Suffcient Manifesto, so I can safely assume that this new one is well-written.)

Movies:

London Has Fallen (This movie has a high quotient for “suspension of disbelief”, but it is very entertaining. There are a few brutal sequences, so it is definitely not one for the kids.)

Jason Bourne (Billed as the final installment in the Bourne film series, this latest one answers a few questions and of course delivers the requisite globetrotting, amazing stunts, and car chases.)

Instructional Videos:

10 Steps on How to Build an Adventure Van

Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe on the High Cost of College (Full Interview)

Podcasts:

North Country Farmer (Scott Terry—He’s back on the air, following a three month hiatus.)

Woodshop 101 #74 : Material Decision

Blogs:

Pure Living for Life

The Homestead Survival

Gear:

Hornady Lock-n-Load Hot Tub Ultrasonic Gun/Parts Cleaner

For anyone with severe allergies, this is one of the best available: Jet DC-1100VX-CK Dust Collector 1.5HP 1PH 115/230-Volt 2-Micron Canister Kit

Note: Some mail order vendors, like Amazon, offer deep discounts on “open-box” and used sports and camping equipment