Year: 2009

Economics and Investing:

World Bank could run out of money ‘within 12 months’. (Thanks to Chris H. for the link.) Don W. flagged a New York Times piece: Too Rich to Worry? Not in This Downturn. JWR’s comment: When even the uber-wealthy feel the pinch, then it is clear that this is not just a typical market cycle-triggered recession! Items from The Economatrix: Stocks Fall Following Disappointing Jobs Report [Official] Jobless Rate Reaches 9.8% in September Jobs Data Sends Oil Prices Tumbling Below $70 Banks Have Us Flying Blind on Depth of Losses Banks With 20% Unpaid Loans at 18-Year High Amid Recovery …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A reader in Florida mentioned a full-service homeschooling support group: Family Tree Private School.    o o o Larry W. flagged this Der Spiegel article: Russian Weapons Industry: Kalashnikov Manufacturer Faces Bankruptcy    o o o Ban Handguns? US Supreme Court Taking New Look. JWR’s comment: The outcome of this case may be significant for SurvivalBlog readers that live in gun-deprived states like New Jersey and California. If the Supremes hold that individual states can restrict the right to keep and bear arms, then that should be time to vote with your feet, and move to a gun-friendly state.    …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

If liberty is not maintained with regard to education, there is no use trying to maintain it in any other sphere. If you give the bureaucrats the children, you might as well give them everything else…. No we do not want a federal Department of Education; and we do not want, in any form whatever, the slavery that a federal department of Education would bring.” – J. Gresham Machen in Education, Christianity, and the State


Note from JWR:

Today we present Part 1 of a lengthy entry for Round 25 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Part 2 will be posted tomorrow. 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 …


Travel Security, by CapnRick in Argentina (Part 1 of 2)

The following recommendations are a result of my travel throughout the world on business for 20+ years. These observations are offered as a helpful supplement to other sources on the web dealing with personal security issues while traveling. My apologies to those who do not find these observations pertinent to their particular situation. Allow me to say that these suggestions are offered freely and without restriction so they may be passed around with no obligation. Very little of this information is original to me, and I apologize if anyone has written anything similar. Also, I am not a security professional …


Economics and Investing:

Greg L. suggested this Housing Storm piece: Is it too early to declare mortgage modifications a complete failure? Reader HPD mentioned this commentary by Mish Shedlock: Collectively, Economists Are A Perpetually Optimistic Lot Ukraine’s Naftogaz indicates default on bonds (Thanks to Danny S. for the link.) The latest installment of the now predictable FDIC Friday Evening Follies: Three more banks go down. (Hat tip to Bill R. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Wall Street Money Rains on Senate, Especially Schumer Governments Dip Deeper Into Alcohol-Tax Well Shoppers Cash in on E-Coupons Job Seekers Exceed Openings by Record “Great …



Notes from JWR:

The demand for my new nonfiction book has been so strong that Penguin Books has increased their printing orders twice in the past 48 hours. They now expect to have a total of 50,000 copies in print by the middle of October. Amazon.com has ordered so many copies that they’ve been able to drop their retail price to just $9.35 each. — Today we present the first 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 …


Applying For a Non-Resident Concealed Carry Weapons Permit/License, by Sgt. Survival

For millions of law-abiding gun owners, the ability to legally carry a concealed firearm is available to them in the form of a Concealed Carry Weapon Permit/License issued by their home state. However, for millions of other gun owners, that right is either severely restricted by “May Issue” states (like California, New York, New Jersey and several others) or flat-out impossible in the two remaining “Non-Issue” states, Illinois and Wisconsin. It is in the latter that I find myself. Due to work and family commitments, I have spent most of my life entrenched in that bastion of liberalism, just outside …


Letter Re: Putting the Fats Back Into Non-Fat Powdered Milk

In regards to the letter on powdered milk, the method described in the web site works, but does not produce milk that tastes very good (depending on the oil used). Growing up all over the world we often were in places where tuberculosis (TB) was endemic in the cattle populations. As a result you could not drink milk but could drink/eat yogurt based products (the process of conversion to yogurt will kill off the TB). Of course to this day I always test positive for TB because I ate the yogurt — even though I don’t have it — as …


Two Letters Re: Older Technology Radio Receivers (Original Thread Title Was: Crystal Radios)

Mr. Rawles; I have been monitoring the latest posts on vintage radios–pro and con–and decided to offer more information and a possible solution for SurvivalBlog readers considering vintage electronics. M.E. is spot on in his post about the relatively anemic performance of crystal radios versus superheterodyne (as all “American Fiver” sets are known) tube radios. The biggest issue with crystal sets is their absolute lack of range. During a severe crisis, local radio stations will most likely be forced to regurgitate propaganda resulting in little, if any, useful information. As is generally known, news from afar (Canada, Australia, Europe, etc) …



Economics and Investing:

Reader DLF spotted this: Detroit: Too broke to bury their dead Foreclosure Rate Rises 17 Percent. (Thanks to The Other Chris for the link.) A residential real estate shadow inventory case study. Items from The Economatrix: Manufacturing, Employment Pounds Stocks Jobs and Manufacturing Suggest Slow Recovery Banks Trim Use of Emergency Fed Programs September US Auto Sales Fall Amid Clunkers Letdown Natural Gas Tumbles with Most Ever in Storage Unprecedented US Corporate Defaults Seen for 2009 [JWR’s comment: So where is the “recovery” that the CNBC cheering section keeps talking about? I think that a recovery around 2022 may be …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Ammo Rationing at Wal-Mart as Panic Buying Sweeps US    o o o Signs of the times in small-town America: Layoffs, lost cruisers: Problems grow for sheriff. Here is a key quote: “‘We will be a lawless society,’ worries Angela Greenwell, a county board member, fearing the latest trouble ‘basically has neutered the sheriff’s department.’”    o o o Los Angeles Times reporter Matthew Brown digs in to the conflicting reports coming out of Hardin, Montana: California entrepreneur promising to revitalize rural Montana town has checkered past. This just gets curiouser and curiouser.    o o o Reader Phil E. …


#1 Son’s Quote of the Day:

“Modern military planners often talk in terms of “threat spirals” when a given threat escalates and inspires a defensive countermeasure. Ideally you should anticipate your opponent’s next escalation and take countermeasures, insulating yourself from the future threat.” – James Wesley, Rawles, discussing recent trends in home invasion robberies in “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times”