Odds ‘n Sods:

Eric sent us this: Amish homeowners: Religion trumps building codes

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Michael H. flagged this: Fed Refuses to Disclose Recipients of $2 Trillion

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I’m overwhelmed! More than 300 SurvivalBlog readers have bought Foodsaver vacuum packers at the special December sale price.This a is a great way to save money and to support SurvivalBlog! (We get a small commission on each sale, if you follow our link.) 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. By buying foods in bulk and re-packaging them in more handy (single meal size) vacuum bags, you can save a lot of money on your grocery bill. And of course vacuum-packed foods have greatly extended shelf lives. Buy a FoodSavers, and you’ll be glad that you did!

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Not surprisingly, the bad economic news keeps coming: I spotted this article linked at Drudge: Third of Hedge Funds Face ‘Wipe Out’ After Slump, Godden Says. Terry in Cornwall, England sent this: Supermarkets’ emergency plans to keep shelves full. Bill N. endorsed a tongue in cheek look by Fred Thompson concerning the MOAB. Michael M. heard an NPR Marketplace news story and sent us the link: Quantitative Easing = “Let’s just print the money”. Reader “Bigbird” flagged this: Gross Domestic Product: 40 Percent of the United States GDP comes from 5 States; California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois. And Eric sent all these: Ponzi NationJust a sign of troubled times, or has the Fed lost it?Treasury bonds have reached bubble stageDeflation has become inevitableHousehold Net Worth in U.S. Declines Most on RecordSF feels pain of real estate meltdown. And to round out the day’s links, here is the latest batch from The Economatrix: Radical Fed Reserve Rate Cut to .05%Dollar Staggers as US Unleashes Cash FloodUK Royal Mail Pension in $14 Billion HoleIreland Joins Wave of BailoutsEcuador Default: Fears Others Will FollowAlternative Currencies Grow in USBankers Privately Talk of the End of Days (A key quote: “I have spoken to a couple of pretty senior bankers in the past couple of weeks and their story is rather different. They don’t refer to the looming problems as being like 1992 or even 1929. They talk about a total financial meltdown. They talk about the End of Days.”) — Goldman Sachs Faces $2 Billion Loss, its First Since 1929“Already Bankrupt” GM Won’t be Rescued By LoanCollapse of Pension Funds: End of Retirement?Homes Lose $2 Trillion in Value in 2008Grave Worries About Automaker FailureGold Rises to $823, Dollar Sinks