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, we look at bank branch closures. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Mark Lundeen: Gold’s Price in Foreign Currencies.

o  o  o

Zimbabwe turns gold-backed digital token into payment method.

Economy & Finance:

Major Banks Close Over 3,000 Branches Nationwide, With Recent 50+ Closures from Bank of America In Just One Week.

o  o  o

Almost half of US-listed firms have negative profit margins. They have been able to survive in artificially low interest rates and ample liquidity environment.

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‘Don’t invest in the US’: Jeremy Grantham just issued a warning over American stocks, saying S&P 500 could crash by over 50% if ‘a couple of wheels’ fall off — here’s where to look instead.

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For those in the “worst-case” camp, here is a link found at Zero Hedge: The Sword of Damocles — An economic worst-case scenario of the Israeli-Palestine war.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 15, 2023

 

On this day in 1959 a final conference on the Antarctic Treaty convened in Washington, D.C., and, after six weeks of negotiations, the treaty was signed by 12 countries, preserving the continent for free scientific study.

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Herbert W. McBride, the author of A Rifleman Went To War, was born in Waterloo, Indiana October 15, 1873. He died in Indianapolis of a heart attack on March 17, 1933, shortly after finishing writing A Rifleman Went To War.

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On October 15, 1529, Ottoman armies under Suleiman ended their siege of Vienna and turned back to Belgrade.

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October 15th, 1859 was the first day of abolitionist John Brown’s raid against the federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), made in an attempt to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery. Although the raid failed, it inflamed sectional tensions and raised the stakes for the 1860 presidential election. Brown’s raid helped make any further accommodation between North and South nearly impossible and thus became an important impetus of the Civil War.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 109 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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 $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 109 ends on November 30th, 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.

Downsizing: Back to Farm Basics, by SaraSue

Things can change overnight, and recently, they have.  In my opinion, we have entered WWIII.  We don’t know yet how bad it’s going to be. But what we do know is that things are heading south, fast. There is no way to rationalize that we Americans are “going to be okay” with what is happening on the world stage. Not to mention, how quickly goods and services have degraded here at home.  You’d have to have your head stuck so deeply in a sand dune that you can’t get it out.  It is better to stand up and face reality than it is to pretend, even if you lose sleep, and even if it makes you stressed out.  Take a deep breath.

You can, at the same time, believe in the Lord’s protection, and ready yourself for war times.  Those are not mutually exclusive beliefs.Continue reading“Downsizing: Back to Farm Basics, by SaraSue”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

The Sophisticated Sensors in The Gaza Border Fence Have Had False Alerts From Burrowing Rodents

So, Why Did it Take Hours For The IDF To Respond, When This Happened?

News Links:

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provide that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” – Mark 10:1-16 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 14, 2023

At the Battle of Hastings, fought this day in 1066, King Harold II of England was defeated by the invading army of William, duke of Normandy, in the Norman Conquest, establishing Normans as rulers of England.

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On October 14, 1947, test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first man to break the sound barrier.
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The Cuban Missile Crisis began on October 14, 1962, bringing the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear conflict. Photographs were taken by a high-altitude U-2 spy plane and offered incontrovertible evidence that Soviet-made medium-range missiles were in Cuba. These missiles were capable of carrying nuclear warheads and were stationed 90 miles off the American coastline.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 109 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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 $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 109 ends on November 30th, 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.

Update: Retreat Locale Selection: Seek a Diverse Economy

JWR’s Introductory Note:  This post is an update to a short post that I wrote for SurvivalBlog, back in August, 2005:

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A diverse local economy is of great importance when evaluating potential retreat locales. Unless you are retired or about to retire, the opportunity to find steady work pre-TEOTWAWKI is also very important. Of course, if you are self-employed or a “Work From Home” telecommuter, then this is less of an issue. These days, with the advent of Starlink Internet and affordable photovoltaic home off-grid power, you can live just about anywhere.

Depending on the scenario you envision, you should probably look for a town with:

  • A robust, growing economy.
  • A good mix of jobs in dryland farming, ranching, mining, industry, high technology, and service sector jobs.
  • City and county governments that are pro-business.
  • A “Farmer’s Market” on summer evenings and/or weekends. This is evidence of sufficient small-scale truck farming.
  • A good mix of established local businesses such as a grocery store, sewing shop, car parts store, hardware store, and so forth.
  • A high rate of church attendance. Even if you aren’t religious personally, a high ratio of church attendance equates to a high ratio of law-abiding citizens.

And a town without:

  • A single-industry economy.
  • Predominantly government payroll jobs.
  • A predominantly retired population.
  • A large seasonal tourist population.
  • A large seasonal student population.
  • Lots of bars.
  • Tattoo/piercing parlors.
  • Welfare dependency.
  • Nearby prisons.
  • Nearby military bases.

Do your homework in detail before you buy! – JWR

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This past week I did a lot of outdoor work. I burned one last slash pile.  I kept adding some old deadfall from the adjoining woods, including a couple of stumps that must have weighed 120 pounds each.  In anticipation of the rains that arrived at mid-week,  policed up a lot of gardening tools that had been left out.  I also winterized our guest cabin, and I did some organizing in our shop. Most of that involved sorting and relocating drill bits, wire wheels, and other accessories for my new-to-me 1962 vintage drill press. I also co-located my antique braces and bits, and both my corded and 18 VDC DeWalt battery drill motors. It is great to finally get all of the drilling/abrasives stuff together in one place!

On Friday, I attended a gun show in Lewistown, Montana. That is a very long drive for me. But it is a good opportunity to meet with gun show vendors who I don’t see very often. My hunt for pre-1899 cartridge guns continues.  I picked up a nice Pietta .44 percussion revolver and a Winchester Model 1886 chambered in .45-90 — both for my Elk Creek Company  inventory.

Now, Lily’s report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.

And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him.

And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.

And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.

And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.

Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.

And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.” – Judges 10:1-18 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — October 13, 2023

On October 13, 1972, a flight chartered by a Uruguayan rugby team crashed in the Andes Mountains of Argentina, and the wreckage was not located for more than two months; the incident garnered international attention, especially after it was revealed that the survivors had resorted to cannibalism.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present guest article selected by JWR.

We are in need of entries for Round 109 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 109 ends on November 30th, 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.

The Societal Effects Of Inflation – Things Are Really Going Bad, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note: This article was authored by Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.us and was originally published at Birch Gold Group.

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Historically speaking, inflation/stagflation has always been a disastrous affair. One is hard-pressed to find any legitimate examples of a country that experienced an aggressive inflationary event that came out better for it. A rare scenario would be one in which a nation inflates to fund a war that they then win, but usually negative consequences still happen later down the road.

The problem is that the effects of inflation can be subtle and far-reaching, quietly creeping up on a population until suddenly there’s a tidal wave of societal crises. In the US (and much of the Western world) we are already witnessing elements of inflationary disaster; there’s a good reason why around 60% of Americans now have a pessimistic view of the future, with a majority of people saying life is worse for them today than it was in the past.

These kinds of dark sentiments usually coincide with inflationary or deflationary pressures. Inflation in particular can be devastating because it represents an ever-expanding hidden tax on the life of each citizen. Not only that, but the cure is often worse than the disease, with central banks instituting interest rate hikes that continue longer than most people expect.  Eventually, they lead to an engineered deflationary kick in the gut for the economy. For a time, prices will remain high on an array of necessities while wages stagnate, consumer demand shrinks and businesses go bankrupt as borrowing becomes impossible.

A system might be able to absorb this shock as long as it is not burdened with immense debt. In the case of the US, we are heavily burdened with over $33 trillion in national debt (officially) and over $17 trillion in consumer debt. The damage from stagflation and the central bank response will be greatly amplified by this.

So what should we expect when things go truly bad?

Widespread Labor Strikes

Labor strikes tend to occur in inflationary environments because, at least initially, demand for labor is high, giving labor more leverage against business owners. When people know they can easily jump into another job tomorrow the temptation is to leave their current job at the drop of a hat today.

Strikes were a common crisis in Weimar, Germany, and Yugoslavia among other nations, in some cases because of legitimate labor concerns and in other cases because of communist provocateurs. The stagflation of the 1970s led to what is known as the “decade of strikes” in the US, with labor seeking higher wages to offset rising prices. The strikes sometimes resulted in better wages, which then in turn only lead to even higher prices as production shrinks and the costs are transferred to the consumer.

Wages are stagnant in the US today, even after the minimum wage unofficially doubled due to labor shortages. Labor demand is high (for now), but the difference in our era compared to previous inflation events is that the vast majority of labor is focused on superfluous markets. It’s not as if manufacturing is a major component of the US economy anymore. Rather, most employment is in the service sector.

No one really cares if Mcdonald’s workers or Walmart workers or Hollywood writers go on strike. This does little to affect their daily lives. What it does do, though, is wear down the business sector over time until a portion of employers eventually downsize operations. If you have enough strikes and businesses can’t find workers in certain regions, they will close up shop and cut their losses. There were multiple incentives for major manufacturers to leave the US for places like China in the 1970s and 1980s, but the constant union strikes during that period played a large part in the decision.

Today, you will have retail and food deserts; places where no businesses will dare set down roots because they can’t keep their stores staffed. In the end, the jobs disappear entirely.

Rising Crime And Government Lies

Speaking of retail deserts, spiking crime rates are another factor that drives employers away from certain neighborhoods and cities.

Obviously, this is a situation we are seeing play out in the past couple of years, but the interesting thing is the level of disinformation and denial that public officials have displayed in response. There has been a conspiracy among certain state and local governments (Democrats) and the corporate media to dismiss or hide the rising crime problem in the US. The most important aspect of this has been the oddly timed overhaul for the process US cities use to report crime stats to the FBI and to the public.

It’s just a coincidence I’m sure, but starting around the beginning of the covid pandemic there was a shift in procedures for criminal data reporting within the federal government. That change has allowed a number of cities to withhold complete crime stats until the new system is finished; this means that some cities will not be reporting reliable stats until 2024-2025.

So, when a leftist journalist says “Gee, conservatives keep complaining about rising crime in San Francisco, but crime is actually going down…” this is a lie. Cities like San Francisco are simply not required to provide full criminal reports for another year.

The crime rate is not only a symptom of high prices. That is a part of it, but the atmosphere of chaos that surrounds inflation also acts as a kind of signal to the mentally unstable and morally corrupt. Bad people will slither out of the woodwork because they view the instability as good cover for their criminal activities. With enough crime overwhelming police, a larger percentage of miscreants are likely to escape scrutiny and prosecution.

More Looting

Again, this is happening right now, but it is generally limited to short bursts in compact urban settings. As inflationary heat boils over, looting will become a daily occurrence and it will move away from retail areas into residential and suburban areas.

The fascinating thing about looting these days is that if you have one man stealing from a store, he is considered a criminal. If you have a group of people stealing from a store, suddenly they become “activists” that are fulfilling their “right to reparations.” There is a political weaponization of looters going on, usually on the side of the far left, in the midst of inflation. The looters are not looting because prices are higher and they need the resources, they are looting because inflation gives them an excuse to loot and political elements are encouraging them to do so.

Population Migrations

Inflationary effects can move awkwardly through an economy, with some places far more damaged than others depending on how local governments respond. The worst governments will react with higher taxes and red tape in order to offset falling revenues in other areas. They will also reduce public services in order to save money, and this includes reductions in police funding even in the face of higher crime.

As people realize they’re living in a dead zone that is draining their bank accounts dry and giving them nothing back, they will try to leave if they can. In the US, people have migrated by the millions away from blue states in the past few years, but this was more to do with them escaping covid mandates and lockdowns than escaping economic malaise. The next wave of migrations will happen because of financial decline (as well as the crime that comes with it).

This happens during most economic crisis events. It was common during the Great Depression to see Americans moving around like nomads to places they thought had more work and more prosperity. Men would leave their families for jobs across the country so they could send money back home. The homeless spread out from urban areas into the countryside to beg for food from farmers.

During inflation, the cost of relocation can be debilitating. There will come a point when moving will be impossible. Until then there will be a swell of populations flowing like water from one place to the next seeking relief from the storm. Expect to see nomadic cultures return to the US with RV caravans, tiny home meccas, tent cities and Hoovervilles (now called Bidenvilles).

Balkanization

In the former Yugoslavia, economic disaster accelerated existing social and political divisions to the point of national breakup. These kinds of conditions might be a ways down the road for the US, or, they might be a lot closer than you think. In our case, the divisions will be between the people who want to continue going down the path that is taking us to oblivion, and the people who want to stop and reverse course.

It might seem like insanity, but a large part of the American populace still thinks the direction we are going is beneficial. They think the destruction of western culture is part of the greater good, that economic calamity is a means to an end and that they will be largely unaffected. There are also people that are just plain stupid and don’t realize that they’re supporting policies that will end up biting them in the posterior.

Inflation creates chaos, but it can also bring clarity. That which is truly important moves to the forefront of the public consciousness.  The depraved rise to the surface of the water like so much putrid ocean froth, and people figure out quickly who they want to live with and who they want to live without. Entire subcultures will form and separate to survive and thrive while other groups will try to stop them. Conflict is probably inevitable (as it was in Yugoslavia) but the point remains: Inflationary crisis has the ability to change everything.

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About The Author: Brandon Smith is the editor of both the highly recommended Alt-Market.us blog and The Wild Bunch Dispatch newsletter.

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, we look at the burgeoning global derivatives market. (See the Derivatives section.)

Precious Metals:

Israel’s war with Hamas puts new safe-haven focus on gold.

o  o  o

Mark Lundeen, at Gold-Eagle.com: Studying Barron’s Gold Mining Index.

Economy & Finance:

Bidenomics, in action: Inside Today’s Jobs Report: 885,000 Full-Time Jobs Lost, 1.127 Million Part-Time Jobs Added, Record Multiple Jobholders.

o  o  o

Renewable energy stocks plunge as going green gets ‘expensive’.

o  o  o

H.L. flagged this news: After Getting the Largest Bailout in U.S. History in 2008, 85.5 Percent of the $1.34 Trillion in Deposits at Citigroup’s Citibank Lack FDIC Insurance Today.

o  o  o

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Disney’s Financial Disasters Are Even Worse Than Previously Reported.

o  o  o

And over at Zero Hedge: Fed’s Presidents Agree: Soaring 10Y Yields Means No Need For Further Rate Hikes.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

In Olde English:

No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man
is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine;
if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe
is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as
well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine
owne were; any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.” – John Donne

In Modern English:

“No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” – John Donne

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — October 12, 2023

On October 12, 2000, while preparing to refuel in the Yemeni port of Aden, the USS Cole, a U.S. naval destroyer, was attacked by suicide bombers associated with al-Qaeda; 17 sailors were killed and 39 wounded.

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Today, in 1492, after sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sighted a Bahamian island, believing he had reached East Asia. His expedition went ashore the same day and claimed the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, who sponsored his attempt to find a western ocean route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia.

—

I just heard that Redoubt Surplus & Tactical has relocated to my old stomping grounds of Orofino, Idaho, where their business is thriving. In addition to their original large variety of military surplus clothing, mil-spec tools, blankets, tarps, body armor, outdoor survival gear, ammo cans, duffle bags, backpacks, camouflage nets, MREs, and books, they now also sell two local favorites: fishing tackle and gold panning supplies. They are located right near the Subway sandwich shop in Orofino’s Riverside District, at 11250 Highway 12, Orofino, Idaho 83544. Be sure to stop by, and stock up on their merchandise. Phone: (208) 476-6402. E-mail: redoubtsurplus@gmail.com

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Today’s feature article is a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.

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We are in great need of entries for Round 109 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 109 ends on November 30th, 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.