Odds ‘n Sods:

Novovirus reaches epidemic levels in England. I strongly recommend that SurvivalBlog readers prepare themselves for when this virus flares up in the US and Canada, especially if you have any infant, elderly, or otherwise “at risk” folks living under your roof. Stock up, be ready to self-quarantine, and if you must go out to work and to shop, then be prepared to decontaminate yourself.each time that you re-enter your home. If nothing else, practicing with these measures will leave you well-prepared for any eventual influenza pandemic that is spread by casual contact.

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I noticed that yesterday spot gold in London got briefly over $912 USD per ounce before closing in New York around $902. A lot of the speculators are saying that $1,000 gold is not far away. If you can’t afford to invest in gold, then silver is “The working man’s gold.” And if you can’t afford to invest in silver, I posit that US nickels (five cent pieces) will be “the poor man’s silver.” They are presently available for face value, but their nickel and silver content are already worth 6.22 cents each. Someday you can regale your grandchildren with stories about how you bought roll after roll of nickels at banks and casinos while the rest of our citizenry was somnambulant.

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The Nanny State run amok: California wants to control home thermostats. The only way that I’m ever moving back to California is in a pine box, bound for the family plot in Boonville.

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Thanks to Paul D. for this Science News story link about Ug99 Wheat Rust: Wheat Warning—New Rust Could Spread Like Wildfire. And speaking of wheat: Soaring Grain Prices Prompt Wheat Thefts