Month: June 2008

Letter Re: An Amazing Closeout Sale

Jim, Memsahib, et al: I just finished an order into LAPoliceGear.com they’ve had this clearance sale going on for about three weeks. And I didn’t take a close look at the boots section, until today. Some of the Bates boots (women’s) are $9.99, regular price as much as $169.99. And the sizes available tend toward those with smaller feet. They also have a closeout on 5.11 pants, if you buy this stuff new it’s $50 a pair, on sale for $17. Lensatic compasses for five bucks (non-tritium). And some other nifty stuff. Thought you might like to pass along the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Thirty years on, inflation makes global comeback. I’ve said it before: In many ways, the current economy is starting to resemble the 1970s.    o o o From a San Diego, California newspaper: Diesel shortage hits other cities. The article mentions Americans crossing the border to buy government subsidized gas and diesel.    o o o Hawaiian K. notes: “Awareness seems to be bubbling up across the political spectrum. See this article [from a left-of-center web site].”    o o o Bill in Wyoming was the first of several readers to send us this article link: Food brawls among Wisconsin …



Note from JWR:

I occasionally hear from readers that some of the links to third party web sites in my older posts no longer work. Unfortunately, we live in an era where people change URLs and e-mail addresses almost as frequently as they change their socks. If you find any broken links in any of my static pages (the pages available with the buttons at the top of the main SurvivalBlog page) or if you find any broken links in any of the daily posts that are less two weeks old, then please let me know via e-mail, and I will do my …


Letter Re: Low RPM Diesel Generator Availability

Dear James – Thanks for the great article link on “growing fuel” and thanks again for all the information at SurvivalBlog! Low speed diesels [that were recently mentioned in the blog] such as the Lister and Listeroid clones are fantastic, but sadly that ship has sailed. The anemic dollar, high metal prices, rising shipping costs and the hassle of US Customs have pretty much halted importation. Also, word is that [the US] EPA will soon (if they haven’t already) re-block importation of these marvels because they don’t meet emissions requirements for stationary engines. As to that, Listeroids are extremely efficient …


Letter Re: Economic Impact of Increasing Gas Prices and Declining Real Estate Prices

Mr Rawles: I sent you a link awhile back about the old timer from Wall Street who is still working in the industry and lived through the first Depression – he was greatly worried about what was coming. I agreed with your assessment that he was wrong about staying in stocks. My own former husband is a Wall Streeter who has moved much of his money out of the country now. He manages part of my own retirement portfolio and has been saying that what’s coming is going to be horrific to bear. His grandparents arrived in the US at …


Two Letters Re: Tomorrow’s Headlines? — A Nationwide Banking Panic

Hi James, First, thanks for sharing Mike [“Mish”} Shedlock’s recent article with the SurvivalBlog.com community. Like you, I’ve grown to trust his observations and analysis and I read his work as often as I read yours – daily. I wanted to add a couple of comments, which will strengthen both Mish’s and your viewpoints concerning your observations on the potential for a nationwide banking panic. First – is that [as mentioned,] the FDIC is preparing for this crisis right now, by hiring back some retirees, with specific experience in dealing with bank failures, as they are expecting a large number …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Matt Bracken suggested this economic commentary with a preparedness message by James Macfarlane: The Thin Red White & Blue Line. Matt’s comment: “Make sure to read to the “What to Do” section at the end of the essay.” Macfarlane’s essay ends with this: “The wisest words I heard lately are these: In the next few years it’s not going to be about where you live, but about whom you live with. Make friends with your neighbors.”    o o o Krys in Idaho found this ABC News piece for us: Everything Seemingly Is Spinning out of Control. A comment from …



Note from JWR:

Today we present a guest article from Mike “Mish” Shedlock, a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. I highly value his investing analyses and his “big picture” view of the global economy.


Two Trillion Dollar Reduction In Credit Card Lines Coming Up, by Mish Shedlock

Credit is drying up everywhere. Banks are now concerned (finally), about rising credit card debt. They have every reason to be. The bankruptcy reform act of 2005, which encouraged such reckless lending is now blowing up in lenders’ faces. Banks and credit card companies wrote that bill. They got everything they wanted. It goes to show you two things: 1.) Be careful of what you ask, you might get it. 2.) Greed kills. Furthermore, I expect many of the debt slave provisions of the bill to be undone after Obama is elected. That will increase defaults. Even if an unwinding …


Tomorrow’s Headlines? — A Nationwide Banking Panic

Since September of 2007, I’ve been warning SurvivalBlog readers about the potential for bank failures and bank runs in the US, spawned by the unfolding global credit collapse. I am now raising my warning to multiple red flags. There are certainly some ominous signs. These include: New banking scrutiny–especially for investment banks. Plunging bank reserves. A few more bank failures this year than in a typical year. A record increase in “bank owned” (foreclosed) houses. New FDIC rules on assessing risks at major banks.To be ready for bank runs, the FDIC has even re-hired some former employees from its division …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Hawaiian K. mentioned a glow-in-the-dark paint product. This could have numerous uses at a retreat, such as painting firearms front sights. In my experience, luminescent paint is quite useful for painting light switch plate covers.    o o o There are now just 10 days left in BulletProofME.com’s special sale on Interceptor Body Armor and Kevlar helmets, just for SurvivalBlog readers.    o o o Chris Laird predicts economic and political trends by following precious metals market behavior. In Dangers – Danger period 2008 and 2009 posted at the Silver Bear Cafe. Laird writes: “…the US, the world’s biggest grain …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"A nation is the more prosperous today the less it has tried to put obstacles in the way of the spirit of free enterprise and private initiative. The people of the United States are more prosperous than the inhabitants of all other countries because their government embarked later than the governments in other parts of the world upon the policy of obstructing business." – Ludwig von Mises


Note from JWR:

Please continue to spread the word about SurvivalBlog. There are still a lot of preparedness-minded folks that have not yet heard about the blog. Links in your e-mail footer and/or at your web page or blog page would be greatly appreciated!