Odds ‘n Sods:

As my friend “Kevin Lendel” likes to say: “Such a deal!” More than 175 SurvivalBlog readers have bought Foodsaver vacuum packers at the special December sale price. Don’t miss out on this! You can buy a FoodSaver v2830 for $59.99 (originally $169.99) with free Standard Shipping for orders over $100, directly from FoodSaver.com.Use code L8FAV28 at checkout. This offer is valid during the month of December, or while supplies last. BTW, I recommend getting the optional set of Mason Jar suction attachments, as they are particularly useful.

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“AZ-V” mentioned this CNBC clip where Hugh Hendry, a partner of Electica Asset Management dared to whisper the word “depression”, and talked about it taking 25 years to recovery, starting from the market peak of the dot.com boom, in the late 1990s. Daring, indeed, for Wall Street’s indefatigable cheering section. Sometimes they can’t depend on their guests to follow the “buy and hold and all will be well ” party line. — In other economic news, we read: U.S. Job Losses Signal Recession Will Be Long, Deep. Here is a key quote: “The plunge may spur incoming President Barack Obama to come up with a fiscal stimulus package larger than the $700 billion plan some economists advocate. Obama today promised to make the “single largest new investment” in roads and public buildings as part of his plan to save or create 2.5 million jobs”. — Speaking of BHO, in a Sunday morning talking heads show, the president-almost-elect admitted that the economy to get worse before it improves. — And from The Economatrix comes all this: Import Cars Piling Up at Port, No DemandPhD Economist, Prof Says Gold Market ManipulatedFears of a Million Layoffs a Month in Corporate AmericaDeflation Moving Beyond 1930s ExtremesSpain Faces Full RecessionUK: How Bad is the Economy Going to Get?Grim Job Report Not Showing Full Picture41 US States Face Bankruptcy in 2009Foreclosures Soar 78% to Record 1.35 Million

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I noticed that Safecastle has started a 25% off sale on their Mountain House freeze dried foods, with a 30 year shelf life. This sale will last just two weeks, so don’t miss out!

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Reader KAF put forward this Eugene Volokh piece: Interior Department’s New Rule on Firearms Possession in National Parks. My only disappointment is that this ruling exempts only “lawful” concealed carry of handguns. In many states in the American West and in a few southern states, both concealed and open carry without any license or permit is perfectly lawful, anywhere outside of city limits. And in Vermont and Alaska, permitless concealed carry is lawful even inside incorporated areas. (And I expect that to soon be extended in several of the Rocky Mountain states.) The bottom line is this new ruling shortchanges those of us that carry pistols without some bureaucatically-issued license. This narrow and inexactly-worded ruling only addresses “lawful” carry of concealed handguns. (Not long guns, and not open carry.) If I were to carry a holstered pistol in plain view past the entry gate of a National Park, (as I often do on on National Forest lands), then I would still be subject to arrest. The ruling does not change that. And, again because the ruling is poorly worded, I suspect that I would also be subject to arrest for carrying a concealed handgun without a state-issued CCW permit. The ruling leaves a huge door open to administrative misinterpretation. The key words in the ruling are “…individuals must have the actual authority to possess…” Along with most American gun owners, I recognize that our “actual authority” is our antecedent right to keep and bear arms, which was simply recognized and secured by the Constitution. But to the mind of a petty bureaucrat or National Park police officer, this could be misinterpreted where “actual authority” is somehow granted by a CCW license or permit, issued by state government. Unless there is a subsequent ruling that clarifies the muddy wording of this new ruling, this will doubtless someday come to a test in the courts.

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Adam in Ohio urged me to visit the web site for The Wagon Teamster. This gent is traveling the country in what could be be described as a horse drawnRV trailer. He has earned my admiration for his gumption, and a link at my Links page. I’ll be following his progress in the months to come.