Economics and Investing:

From GG: Regional banks on the brink Also from GG: UK GDP continues large declines Another Seven US Bank Closures Announced on Friday: Regulators Shut Six Georgia Banks, One in New York State Items from The Economatrix: Fiction Upon Fiction (The Mogambo Guru) Experts Float Debt Bubble Fears Hollywood Celebs Filing for Bankruptcy E-Trade Reports Quarterly Net Loss of $143 Million Discount-brokerage company has lost 94% of its market value in past two years Asian Stocks Rise [Friday] on US Home Sales, South Korean Growth Consumer Sentiment Falls on Jobs Concerns Stock Trading Slowdown Steepest in Two Decades; Rally May …




Odds ‘n Sods:

I just heard about Alpha Innovations, a great source for very sturdy, reasonably priced, American-made Yawaras, Koppo Sticks, Kubatons,”Letter Openers”, and other other high density injection-molded goodies. Their “Stylus Kubaton” variant is ideal for anyone that carries a touchscreen PDA or an iPhone. (Consult your local laws before ordering!) OBTW, they also make some amazing custom products and sell training DVDs.    o o o Vietnam Veteran Keeps Vow, Eats 40-Year-Old (C-ration) Pound Cake. BTW, The Memsahib and I ate the last of my old C-Rations around 1987.Those had been packed in the late 1970s, and they seemed quite old …







Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 23 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350. Third Prize: A copy of …




Distance Traveling by Waterways, by Jason C.

Often looking into the past can help solve new problems. If roads become unusable for travel, or vehicles are not available we must start looking at new solutions, or old ones in this case. Paved roads as we have today are a fairly recent innovation. Even 100 years ago very few were paved and often subject to damage by rains, floods, and environmental conditions. Winding cattle trails, wagon tracks, and horse paths were the main travelways on land. And today’s roads can easily become dangerous and impassable during bad weather, earthquakes, and mudslides. But there is an alternative for almost …




Letter Re: Shoot or Don’t Shoot–Moral Implications of the Split-Second Decision to Take a Life

Hello, That was a good submission by Jeff R.! Here are some things I thought I would mention from personal experience: I work as a Pharmacist in Philadelphia and was involved in an attempted armed robbery, six years ago. Two armed men came in the store early that morning attempting to obtain narcotics. I was able to see them early enough that they didn’t get the drop on me. (Situational awareness!) The man in front had a .44 Magnum revolver with the hammer cocked. He announced “Get the f*** down, this is a stickup!” as he walked at me. I …




Economics and Investing:

GG recommend this three-part YouTube video: Hyperinflation Nation Greg C. spotted this item from New Zealand: $190,000 withdrawn in $20 bills; Irate bank customer hits back From GG: Poll: Americans lacking in emergency funds Items from The Economatrix: Retail Industry Braces for Shopping Center Collapse California Hotels Flood the Market Biden, Oh Biden! (The Mogambo Guru) Toyota Said to Plan to Shut California Car Plant on First Ever Closure Gary North: The Coming Great Government Debt Default TARP Watchdogs Criticize Treasury Over Transparency Minimum Wage Hike Could Threaten Low Earners’ Jobs CalPERS, Teachers’ Retirement Loses Almost $100 Billion Guaranty’s Collapse …




Odds ‘n Sods:

EMB spotted this article which features two of our advertisers: Six Safe, Strong—and Chic—Bomb Shelters You Can Buy Now    o o o Pro-Gun Amendment Rejected. This legislation had so much common sense that it was no surprise that Chuck Schumer hated it.    o o o [Urban] Survival School




Jim’s Quote of the Day:

Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of …




Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 23 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350. Third Prize: A copy of …




Controlling Pain Where There is No Doctor, by Bill R.

Some of you are probably asking yourself what this has to with Survivalism. Pain is our brain’s way of letting us know that something is not right. You touch a hot stove and it warns you to pull away. With any number of things that can set off TEOTWAWKI,  The result will be the same. Traumatic, stressful, pick your favorite term; it’s all the same. Increased stress levels in the body create tension. We have all heard the term ”your psychology affects your physiology”, nothing could be more true. I think it is an excellent idea to go through practice …




Letter Re: Power Failure Alarms

James; I need your advice. I am worried about power failures, and even EMP while I’m sleeping. This could take out my security system, and leave my family vulnerable. Is there any sort of device that’ll alert me if the power goes out? Thanks, – Nolan S. JWR Replies: There are fairly inexpensive commercially-made plug-in power failure alarms available via mail order for under $15. (Or under $20 each at larger home improvement stores.) I recommend buying one for each bedroom, and one for your generator house. (The 86 dB alarm is not loud enough to be heard from far …




Economics and Investing:

Frequent content contributor Kevin A recommended this piece by Doug Casey: Street Fighting Man. It has some observations that sound a lot like what you’ve read in SurvivalBlog, such as: “I’ve long believed that this depression would not only be much different but much worse than the unpleasantness of the ’30s and ’40s. In those days, only a few people were involved in the financial markets; now almost anyone with any assets at all is a player. In those days, there were no credit cards, consumer debts, or student loans; now those things are ubiquitous. It’s true that nobody will …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Simon J. recommended this Gizmag article: SCORE Project seeks funding to roll out Bio-Mass Stove in developing countries    o o o El Niño Threatens Food Shortages    o o o ATF To Montana: You Will Respect Our Authority! And here’s a related article: Washington drops hammer on state gun plan    o o o John S. spotted this useful blog: Couponing in Critical Times