Day: February 15, 2009

Note from JWR:

Last day of bidding! The current high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is at $1,725. This auction ends at midnight (Eastern time) tonight–Sunday, February 15th. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes: 1.) A “be ready to barter” box of 36 full-capacity gun magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original Austrian FN-FAL steel 20 round magazines, with cartridge counter holes, 10 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (all Colt made!) alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Excellent condition original …


Letter Re: Some Thoughts on Economic Stimulus, From a Macroeconomic Perspective

Jim: I sent the following letter to my legislative representatives: Here is macroeconomics as I see it: Wealth comes from commodities, manufacturing (improving commodities), and agriculture (same principle). Service industries do not create wealth, they distribute it. This includes financial industries. Government consumes wealth as it re-distributes it. Even in the admittedly vital services such as protection of its citizens. Fact: There are already (pre-”stimulus”) more government employees than there are employees in manufacturing and agriculture in the US. Observation: The aforementioned being true, increasing the size of government is like a snake thinking it can sustain itself by eating …


Letter Re: Getting the Right Training and Preparing Methodically

Dear Mr. Rawles, I wanted to thank you for what you are doing and your work. I think that the reality is that you are saving a lot of people’s lives in addition to helping people to continue to be “in” the world but less and less “of” the world. I have been able, in turn, to pass along to other people a lot of things that I have learned from you and your readers, and I hope help them to focus and remain calm in their preparations. (I have also pointed them all to your web site). Now three …


An Invitation to the Baen’s Bar Forums, by Michael Z. Williamson

I’d like to extend an invitation to SurvivalBlog readers to visit the Baen’s Bar Forums, hosted by the sci-fi publisher Baen Books. My forum there has ongoing, detailed discussions of ARs, Mausers, handgun choices, and preparedness, mostly for natural disasters. There are also shameless plugging of my books (since it’s my forum). Be forewarned that there is some off-color language–PG-13, not R, and the religion and politics of members varies greatly, though there are other fora we send them to for those arguments. Registration is free, private and not shared. My subforum is “Mike’s Madhouse,” and there are a variety …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. sent this: Rogers Renews Bets U.S. Stocks Will Slump on Rescue. From Brian F.: 25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis: Bill N. set a link to a speech transcript where a US Senator has the guts to point out the pork in the Stimulus Bill. OBTW, it is no wonder that the omnibus spending package is now widely referred to as The Porkulus Bill. Items from The Economatrix: FDIC Shutters Four Banks in One Day Home Prices in Record Plunge in Q4 Economic and Financial Systems Deliberately Destabilized. A key quote: “There probably won’t be bank runs …


Odds ‘n Sods:

KAF mentioned this post over at the Xavier Thoughts blog: The Sad Necessity of Anonymity    o o o Ebola Marburg Case in US Traveler to Uganda (A hat tip to FFF for the link.)    o o o Hawaiian K. sent us a link to a web site for a man dubbed “The Human Swiss Army Knife.” He regularly carries 1,300 compact survival items in his clothes.    o o o A follow-up to this article I mentioned yesterday: Congo town mounts own defense against rebels. Florida Guy sent us a link to a photo montage from the town.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The world is not going back to normal after the magnitude of what they have done. When the dust settles this will either work, and the money they have pushed into the system will feed though into an inflation shock. Or it will not work because too much damage has already been done, and we will see continued financial deterioration, causing further economic deterioration, with the risk of a feedback loop. We don’t think this is the more likely outcome, but as each week and month passes, there is a growing danger of vicious circle as confidence erodes. This will …