Sean M. spotted a New York Times article on the recent theft of solar panels. Sean’s comment: “With the economy the way it is, crime will increase.” JWR Adds: If your retreat is unoccupied for long stretches of time then your photovoltaic (PV) panels should be dismounted and either locked up securely or hidden in a secret room or cache. If your panels are roof mounted, then I should mention a clever option that was revealed to me by one of my consulting clients in Arizona: camouflaging PV panels underneath well-aged black plastic pipe solar hot water panels. The latter are often available free for the asking, if you call around to solar hot water and spa vendors. Just tell them that you want “some old leaker tube panels”. No self-respecting burglar would give these panels a second glance, but beneath them could be thousands of dollars worth of PV panels. If your PV panels are mounted on a tracker stand (where camouflaging is not much of an option), then at least upgrade their hardware to tamper proof 6mm stainless nuts and bolts. These require a special socket head for removal.
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Reader OTG mentioned that the movie adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s acclaimed novel The Road is scheduled for release tomorrow. Ah yes, the ubiquitous two-wheeled garden cart. Seeing that should evoke a few images for those of you that have read my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”.
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The latest economic news and commentary gathered by our volunteer Economic Editor. But the first item was suggested by both her and by seven other SurvivalBlog readers: US Pledges Up to $7.7 Trillion to Ease Frozen Credit — Stocks Jump on Government Bailout of Citibank — Bailout for Bank of Ireland — GM Weighing Bankruptcy Option — Only Drastic Action Now Will Save Us, Says Gordon Brown — lastly, from economic guru Jim Sinclair: What Must Be Done to Avoid Financial Destruction. In this piece, Sinclair warns: “This is it, and it is now. Now it is out of control. Now we enter the Collapse of Confidence period. Then we begin the Weimar Experience. It has all hit the fan, and still the absolute majority have no clue.”
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Jean in England mentioned this Daily Mail article: Regular Blackouts to hit Britain within three years because there is a shortage of new power stations, study claims
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Robert S., Steve D., and Todd S. all mentioned this article about an unexpectedly huge turnout when a Colorado farmer made an announcement about gleanings available at his farm.