Year: 2009

Economics and Investing:

GG sent us this New York Post article: Dollar loses reserve status to yen & euro Fed’s Bullard warns on inflation, unemployment. (Thanks to GG for the link.) Value of UK farmland could double in five years. Jeff mentioned this piece at Zero Hedge: Why Did U.S. SDR Holdings Increase Five Fold in the Last Week of August? Items from The Economatrix: Weak Dollars, Strong Euro Combine to Create Eurozone Pain Rogers Sure Gold to Hit $2,000, Dollar to Lose Reserve Why Soaring Gold Prices Should Set Off Alarm Bells Unintended consequences of deflation: Colorado Minimum Wage to Drop as …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SF in Hawaii mentioned a low cost source for poly water tanks.    o o o Several readers wrote to tell me about a dated, yet interesting article: In 2008 Afghanistan firefight, US weapons failed    o o o Some congressmen get it: Tax Policy, Economic Growth and American Families. Too bad that they don’t hold a majority. (Thanks to JHB for the link.)    o o o Reader Michael A. asked me to remind folks that John Pugsley’s now classic book on practical tangibles investing The Alpha Strategy is available for free download in PDF.




Water, Water Everywhere?, by David in Israel

James, I think it important to remind the readers of survivalblog to assess their water supply situation in the event of a local or national emergency. Much of the western united states even the well irrigated areas are actually truly considered high desert and could nor supply even 10% of the population should access be lost to the water supply infrastructure. Unfortunately many people have lived their whole life with functional first world plumbing and the clear knowledge that magical faucets, toilets, and shower heads will always have a supply of clean potable water. It is imperative that anyone planning …


Letter Re: Abandonment of the Dollar is a Premature Rumor

Dear Jim and Family, I wanted to comment on the alleged threat of the Saudis to decouple the US Dollar from Oil sales. They’ve been saying that for a decade. The Iraqis promised to do it, one of the primary reasons for the invasion. The Iranians did it, but nobody cares because they’re an oil importing nation so they don’t actually matter much. The Venezuelans have been trying to get the rest of OPEC to do it since we nearly got Chavez ousted in a coup backed by the US. Pity that failed, but there will be a next time …


Letter Re: Devotional Candles as an Emergency Source of Light and Heat

Mr. Rawles, I am enjoying your “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” book, which I purchased on Friday and have read most of it by now. I have something to offer to you by way of experience regarding votive candles as good emergency candles. We are practicing Roman Catholics and, as such, have lots of experience with the 10″ candles that you recommend for emergencies or even small-scale food heating. While they cannot be beaten for long-term service ( a week to 10 days per candle), the amount of light and heat you obtain …


Letter Re: Notes on Fuel Transfer Pumps and Fuel Filters

Jim, Your info on using electric fuel pumps from junked cars (also included in your new book) was great. Here’s a twist you may not have considered: Use the pumps from GM vehicles. They are essentially submersible gasoline pumps. Rig one with wires and connector and discharge hose. The pumps are about the size of 2 D-cell batteries–so they can fit fit down barrel bungs, underground tank fillers, holes in most 5 gallon buckets. They are designed to operate the fuel system around 30 PSI on most gm cars (pressure limited by relief valve in injection system) so they can …


Influenza Pandemic Update:

US to Stop Counting Flu Cases, Too Many to Count Swine Flu Study Shows Hardest Hit Are Women Spring Swine Flu Put Many Already Hospitalized Patients Into ICU 76 Children Have Died in US From Swine Flu Relenza Warning After Patient Dies Turning Flu Powder Into Liquid US Study Confirms H1N1 Swine Flu More Serious in Young Areas Hard Hit By Swine Flu in Spring See Little Now Japan Tamiflu Resistant Teen Had No Tamiflu Record Swine Flu’s Surge in ICU Cases Reveals Winter’s Toll Swine Flu Spreads Like Wildfire Across US, 19 Kids Die in One Week


Economics and Investing:

Karen H. sent this: Dollar Facing ‘power shift Also from Karen: Stone Calls U.S. Economic Growth Outlook “Troublesome” in 2010 GG sent this: Silver Lining: Jim Rogers Talks Up Commodities Reader D.D. sent the link to a good piece by Bill Fleckenstein: Your dollars are just Monopoly money Items from The Economatrix: Gary North: The Fed’s Schizophrenic Monetary Economist Failed Financial Policies and Rising Unemployment in the US Stocks Bear Market Rally Will Soon Be Over Government Deficit Spending Killing the US Free Market


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader FG sent this: Terror struck four generations in deadly home invasion. F.G’s comment: “You must be armed at home, folks!” Meanwhile, The Other Jim R. sent me this home invasion news story. He noted: “This one was in New Hampshire, which is not exactly ‘big city’.”    o o o Cheryl alerted us to this: “Large Insect” Sparked Missile Truck’s Crash.    o o o Cops’ Rising Use of “Stop and Frisk” Questioned


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“With hearts fortified with these animating reflections, we most solemnly, before God and the world, declare, that, exerting the utmost energy of those powers, which our beneficent Creator hath graciously bestowed upon us, the arms we have compelled by our enemies to assume, we will, in defiance of every hazard, with unabating firmness and perseverance employ for the preservation of our liberties; being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live as slaves.” – John Dickinson and Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of the Cause and Necessity of Taking up Arms, 1775


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 25 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 assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) and C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.) Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing …


Food Storage–A Necessary Preparation, by Melanie G.

An important resource to have in times of need is a good food storage.  When I have talked to others about having an emergency supply of food in place, I have received laughter and ridicule.  I even had a neighbor to tell me when he needed emergency food, he would just come to my place.  I jokingly informed him not to bother as I had a supply of ammunition as well.  Too many people have come to rely on the grocery store.  But the threat of a snow storm here in Kentucky clears out the milk and bread in record …


Letter Re: Older Technology Radio Receivers

James, I was glad that a reader mentioned the Hallicrafters S-38 series of radios. I had forgotten to mention that the All American Five (AA5) type of radio was also sold in a multi-iband version by Hallicrafters. These are still often available for under $100 in working condition. I have a Hallicrafters model 5R10A, which is a lot like a [Hallicrafters] S-38D. It’s an AC/DC design like the AA5 radio that can be run on nine or ten car batteries wired in series with no inverter. (In a test, I found that nine fully-charged “12-volt” batteries wired in series provide …