Day: November 6, 2009

Letter Re: Preps and Minimizing My Debts Paid Off When Unemployed

Dear Mr. Rawles, With all the bad news reported every day and your personal heartbreaks I hope I can reassure you about our future just a little by sharing my story with you. I started reading your blog three years ago, during the good times. I’m a 23 year-old man from the liberal north east, some college under my belt, married, and willing to dig in and work to secure my family’s future. I had a good job with a subsidiary of a major european telecom, I worked every hour of overtime I could and pushed myself to excel at …


Letter Re: Book Recommendation: “Possum Living”

Dear James Wesley, In October 1978, with a seventh-grade education, 19-year-old Dolly Freed published a book called Possum Living: How to Live Well Without a Job and with (Almost) No Money, about the five years she and her father lived off the land on a half-acre lot outside of Philadelphia. The two of them lived in a renovated gas station bought “free and clear” in foreclosure for $6,100; they raised rabbits for slaughter in their basement and obtained the rest of their food by growing it in their garden and fishing in local creeks; neither chose to hold a job …


Two Letters Re: How to Capitalize on Urine, Car Batteries, Wood Ashes, Bones and Bird Schumer

Jim: Car batteries are designed for one thing and one thing only – delivering a bunch of power for a very short period of time. Said time is measured in seconds, not minutes, hours, or days. I have been living “Off the Grid” for fifteen years, and can assure your readers that vehicle batteries can only handle 3-5 complete discharges before they are useless, i.e., after but a few discharges they cannot be recharged and expected to hold said charge. Ergo, they are the wrong choice for any task where discharge exceeds the constant charging input into the battery. They …


Economics and Investing:

Regular contributor GG flagged this piece from Zero Hedge: Fannie Mae Seriously Delinquent Rate Hockeysticks to 4.45% From 1.57% In Prior Year M.M. in Utah suggested this piece by Eric Sprott and David Franklin in Markets at a Glance: Dead Government Walking Karen H. sent this: Profit ‘Not Satanic,” Barclays Says Also from Karen H.: ADP says U.S. Companies Cut an Estimated 203,000 Jobs in October Items from The Economatrix: Gold Extends Record High on India Purchase US Service Industry Expands Less than Forecast Rogers Says Roubini is Wrong US Home Price Slide to Continue to Mid-2010 [JWR’s Comment: Gee, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Rourke suggested this article: What Survivalists Have Right    o o o Reader Jim S. suggested this mainly humorous piece: 12 places to go if the world goes to h***    o o o Bob B. found an essay titled: Why Bother? (To Prepare) Bob says: “It underscores the fact that preparing significantly alters your mindset, which might turn out to be the most valuable preparation of all.”    o o o “Straycat” sent us this: Water rationing for Venezuela’s capital city. Have you bought a Berkey or Katadyn filter for your family yet?