Day: October 26, 2009

Letter Re: Survival Notes from the Dominican Republic

Jim, I’ve recently read several of your books and found them both interesting and educational. I would like to offer some personal insights based on my experiences from living in a small rural town one of the larger Caribbean islands. Most of my notes are cheap solutions used by people in developing nations all over the world. There may be better ways, but these work and cost next to nothing. Water: There is something especially disturbing about opening the faucet and hearing a sucking air sound. Not being able to shower, flush, or wash dishes is the worst. One or …


Letter Re: Using Direction Finding on Looter Bands

Dear Mr Rawles, I’ve just finished reading your latest book [“How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times”], and let me begin by thanking you for writing it. I have just one small quibble in Chapter 9, Communications and Monitoring. This is something we both missed, and it didn’t occur to me until after reading this chapter. While I agree with you that looters are unlikely to have the inclination, hardware, and talent to do direction finding (DF) on a retreat’s radio transmissions, the reverse is not necessarily true. …


Letter Re: Open Enrollment for Many U.S. Medical Savings Plans

Hi James, First let me thank you for your wonderful blog, which I read every day. This is just a reminder that fall is typically Open Enrollment at many large and small companies for next year’s benefits elections. My company’s three week window to sign up for 2010 benefits opened yesterday. This is the time when a person can choose to participate in a [“before tax”] Flexible Spending Plan. While some people are justifiably nervous putting money away in a, “use it or lose it,” program, the I.R.S. made the decision a lot easier a few years ago when it …


Influenza Pandemic Update:

Obama declares swine flu a national emergency US Swine Flu Deaths Surpass 1,000 Pandemic flu can infect cells deep in the lungs, says new research Mandatory Vax for NY Healthcare Workers Cancelled UK: 25% of Critical Flu Cases are Under 16 UK Swine Flu Cases Almost Double in a Week Swine Flu Docs Unnerved at Patients Rapid Decline UK: Half of Swine Flu Deaths Under Age of 45


Economics and Investing:

Reader B.B. sent us the link to this “must hear” audio clip: Peter Schiff issues a Red Alert: “Get out of the US dollar”. Schiff warns: “This is what the Weimar Republic did, and we are going to have the same result.” Flavio liked this video clip of an an interview with Steve Forbes and Thomas E. Woods: Is Capitalism the Cause or the Solution to the Financial Crisis? This 28-minute video is well worth watching. GG suggested a piece by Carnegie Mellon University professor Allan Meltzer in the Wall Street Journal: The United States is headed toward a new …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Jim. H. suggested this piece over at Lew Rockwell’s site by Terrence Gillespie: Ammo for Barter – Ammo vs. Money    o o o Reader GG alerted me to this: The raid that rocked the Met: Why gun and drugs op on 6,717 safety deposit boxes could cost taxpayer a fortune. GG opines: “This is evidence of why we should not store our valuables in safe deposit box.”    o o o Steve sent this video: Fearless Gas Station Clerk Grabs Shotgun From Robber. He was lucky! Never bring just muscles to a gun fight!