Day: September 8, 2007

Note from JWR:

If you value what you read in SurvivalBlog, then please become a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber. The subscriptions are entirely voluntary, but greatly appreciated. They help pay the bills here, including our bandwidth costs, which have increased steadily as the worldwide blog readership has grown. Since we started the blog in August of Aught Five we’ve changed our web hosting contract from silver, to gold, to platinum plans, and we typically get billed an extra $68 a month for additional bandwidth–above and beyond what we are allowed with the platinum plan. The next jump in plans is to the “Webmaster …


Bad News on the FOREX: The US Dollar Teeters on the Brink

We note with alarm that the US Dollar Index is hovering around 79.96. This is the first time that it has dipped below the critical support level of 80. If the USD index closes below 80 for three trading days in row, beware! The Chartist Gnome tells me that the likely support level is 76. Just as I warned you, folks: Lower interest rates–instituted as a stopgap for the current liquidity panic–are to the detriment of the value of the US Dollar on the FOREX. If the Ben Bernanke and his band of fools on the Federal Reserve Board of …


Letter Re: Advice on CONEX Storage, and Preventing Damage to Stored Items

I really enjoy your site and books and regularly recommend your work to a number of friends. Due to a job transfer I will be moving from my retreat to a large metropolitan area. I purchased a [Continental Express] shipping container (CONEX) to store some of my preparation items I will not need or be able to transport/store. Do you or your readers have any experience storing saddles/tack, wood items in a CONEX? Bulk food packed in 5 gallon buckets? How about soft goods (clothing, blankets etc.) in steel 55 gal drums placed inside the container? My main concern is …


Letter Re: Some Tests of Ultra High Velocity .22 Long Rifle Ammo

Jim, In April of 2007, I tested the three hottest “hypervelocity” .22 Long Rifle rounds. Because of the easy storage, accuracy and effects of .22 ammunition at ranges out to 150 yards (not to mention the fun of shooting a customized [Ruger] 10/22), I’ve had a second love affair with the round, since being a child. It’s the ultimate Survivalist round. These tests compared Aguila Supermaximum, CCI Stinger and the full 40-grain CCI Velocitor. These tests were conducted at 100 meters, using a Ruger 10/22, customized with a 20″ Butler Creek bull barrel on a floating Butler Creek lightweight bull …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael H. forwarded a link to some sobering analysis of the US credit market implosion and its global reach: The Predicted Financial Storm Has Arrived.    o o o Frequent contributor Stephen in Iraq pointed out this article: Danger: Steep drop ahead–Even if the credit crunch passes without a major catastrophe, the prices of stocks, bonds and real estate have a long way to fall.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader “Rightcoast” recommends the new anthology of post-apocalyptic fiction titled Wastelands, from Night Shade Books, January 2008). It is available for pre-order. The authors include M. Rickert, Cory Doctorow, and …