Dear Survivor, “In the 1600s a series of civilization-threatening plague epidemics gave birth to one of the most heavy-handed surveillance states in the Western world,” writes Annie Jacobsen in First Platoon. “In order to impose the rule of law, the government ordered the full-scale cataloging of people.” You felt like you were being watched because you were, especially by your neighbors. Historian Michel Foucault draws the parallel between the surveillance state during the plague, in Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, and a prison called the Panopticon or “all seeing.” It … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive January 2021: Are You Ready for The Great Reset?
Dear Survivor, In my conversations with you, you’re telling me you want firearms training. And you want to know where to get it. You know about my professional training at Sig Sauer in Epping, NH here, here, here, and here. But not all of you can get there. My advice: Go to your local gun shop and ask around, or visit the NRA’s website. A friend of mine had a great experience training with SureFire, and it’s important to remember these companies offer off location options too. You might want to hurry too. Joe Biden's team is already talking about the gun control measures it wants in … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive December: Disaster Prep in Our Newport Bunker and Your Survival
Dear Survivor, “How’s life in the bunker?” My client asked me recently. “Great,” I responded. “Spent time talking about food distribution and network disruption today.” “Just a typical day, right?” He asked. “Exactly.” I responded. Earlier in the day, a colleague and I ran through a list of items our families are prepped for. It was sort of like a “Go, no go,” from Apollo 13 mission control (let’s hope not!). When we got to food he said, “I can’t believe Americans aren’t taking another shutdown more seriously, especially when it comes to food.” (As you know I’m good on the canned … [Read more...]
Exclusive! Survive and Thrive: Election 2020 Edition: Stock Market is Predicting a Trump Win
Dear Survivor, Stocks are tumbling, coronavirus cases are surging, rioters are in the streets, the Biden family business is under attack, and President Trump keeps rallying because the momentum is all his. Trump is WINNING. What a finish. All bets that were laid all summer long are now in question as the press is no longer licking its mask-covered chops. It’s no longer practically guaranteeing a Biden win. Because, to be sure, if Biden won, all masks were off. The “Big Guy” would usher in an end to the virus. It was never about the sick being crazily rushed to nursing homes. It was all a … [Read more...]
NEW! Survive and Thrive October: You Invest They Win, AGAIN
Dear Survivor, Let’s file this one under You Invest They Win shall we? Unprecedented monetary policy intervention by the Fed has done what all unprecedented interventions by the government do, create winners and losers. In this case, the winner is BlackRock. The Fed picked the firm to handle its corporate bond buying program. Of course, BlackRock's share of the corporate bond market grew, and the big got bigger. As one investment professional told the Wall Street Journal “The unprecedented actions taken by the Fed during Covid-19 just accelerated the trend where the biggest products … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive September 2020: Proud to be an American: Pro-Trump Parade Turns Rhode Island Red
Dear Survivor, For a few precious hours Sunday, hundreds of boats gathered under the Newport, RI bridge to begin a massive Pro-Trump boat parade to celebrate our love for country and concern for where it’s going. As we powered up the bay, sounding our horns, waving flags, and simply enjoying the flotilla, we were fired up in anticipation of seeing the crowds at Colt State Park. Thousands lined the shore waving flags and cheering as the parade went by. You felt the love for your fellow Americans. It was a special day for my family and for all of those who turned out in Rhode Island: a … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive August 2020: The Clock is Ticking: You Must Protect Your Family
Dear Survivor, If you live anywhere near Chicago/Seattle/Portland, you’re asking me, how much longer will it take for them to come to my neighborhood? Recently over one weekend in Chicago dozens of people were shot, nearly 20 of them fatally. In Seattle, twelve police officers were hurt in violent protests. And in Portland, the Police Association office was burned. What a weekend. Listen, the clock is ticking for you to do everything you can to make you and your family a hard target. In other words, as difficult as possible to damage you or a loved one. Thugs like easy targets. When … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive July 2020: What Will Her Life Be Like Now?
Dear Survivor, It’s foggy this morning, but the light coming from my daughter’s bedroom is bright because she’s away on a trip, and her door is wide open. It’s heartbreaking walking down the stairs knowing this is what it will feel like when she leaves for college. Every step I feel the weight of: did I spend enough time with her, will she be ok on her own, is she happy, what will her life be like now? It’s heavy. That’s being a parent. Your kids grow up and leave you, then you have grandchildren, they visit, they leave, and it’s the same feeling all over again. And you say to … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive June 2020: Your Survival Guy’s Home (and Money) Protection Plan
Dear Survivor, Your Survival Guy was recently asked how I would protect my family if a gang showed up at my door (answer below), which leads me to wonder: Where you live may never be more important. Elon Musk has had it with California. Put me in jail, he says, but don’t think I’m letting my business die without a fight. How hard would it be for you to move to a Red state? I’m not saying you do it now, but in prep for the next unforeseen event you might want to think about it. Would being in a Red state improve your situation? We might find out, as guys like Musk take Blue states … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive May: Future Look at Covid-20, or the Next Deadly Virus
Dear Survivor, What will the response be for Covid-20 or some other deadly virus down the road? Imagine what it will be like when there are opposing views within families, never mind on the county, state, and country levels. Let’s begin with investing. Guess which area has done well. Companies that offer stuff people need, such as consumer staples—specifically dividend payers with a history of increasing them. Compare a tech app on your iPhone you can delete with a swipe of your finger. How about relationships? When your spouse has a check-list before anyone enters the house, never … [Read more...]