Year: 2009

Economics and Investing:

The new class divide: Debt; In hard times, how much money you make matters less than how much you owe. Many of today’s have-nots are yesterday’s gotta-have-it-alls Matt B. and Cheryl both sent a link to an animated map that shows job growth and losses for the past few years. Cheryl’s comment: “As the timeline progresses to August , 2009, it looks like a nuclear blast map.” Correlate that map with my Recommended Retreat Areas. Where will crime be higher in the next few years? Items from The Economatrix: Obama, Facing High Unemployment, Defends Stimulus Betting The Fed Bankruptcy Filings …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Steve G. sent this: Save Money (and Water!) With Rain Barrels. Coincidentally, F.R. sent this: Set Up a Rain Barrel to Save Money and Water    o o o KAF sent this: Real Life Hobbit House    o o o Also from Steve G.: Formulas to get rid of insects in your home



Welcome to the Savage World of the Year 2009

“Welcome to the savage world of the year 2009”. That was the tag line of the 1992 sci-fi film Freejack , starring Emilio Estevez. Do you remember it? The movie that featured Cadillac Gage V100 wheeled APCs painted in bright colors? My old friend All-Grace-No-Slack-Really-Reformed Kris just reminded me about this movie. Kris noted: “It was a bit corny but it had some good scenes and characters such as Amanda Plummer as the gun-toting nun.” This film provides an insight on what futurists then thought 2009 would be like, as well as a retrospective on life in 1992. Let’s look …


Letters Re: Advice for an M4 and AR-15 Newbie

Some tips to ad on to your good advice [in reply to the letter “Advice for an M4 and AR-15 Newbie”]: The field manual is good, but these two books coupled with some classes from Front Sight, EAG Tactical, Magpul Dynamics, Viking Tactics, Vickers Tactical, CSAT (Paul Howe), or another reputable school are the most valuable. Green Eyes and Black Rifles: Warriors Guide to the Combat Carbine  by Kyle Lamb. The M16/M4 Operators Handbook by Mike Panone. Kudos to the writer for “buying right, buying once” with the LMT. That is a very nice rifle. Regarding spare parts: The BCM …


Letter Re: Storing Paper and Envelopes

Jim; After reading “Patriots” one thing that has stuck with me is the non-availability of writing paper: No paper, no envelopes. Now there won’t be any mail delivery either but envelopes have many other uses. One of these is garden seed storage. Keeping notes together in ones jacket etc. So i have been taking the envelopes that come in my monthly bills ( I pay with my online banking) and those that come in all the various offers that you get for magazines, insurance quotes etc. and put them in a box. They don’t take up much room and can …


Economics and Investing:

traded for crack, Syracuse police say The Hardest Jobs to Fill in America: If you’re looking for work in any of these fields, you’re in luck. Items from The Economatrix: Weiss: Feds Giving “Lip Service” to Fiscal Responsibility “Weiss recommends everyone ‘make severe sacrifices in order to save money and to build up cash reserves for future bad times.’” Appeals Court Upholds Sale of Chrysler to Fiat Federal Jobs Lost in May: 345,000 Is “a little better” now the measure of success? Securitization: The Biggest Rip-Off Ever; Financial Dereg Has Opened Pandora’s Box “The former head of the FDIC, William …


Odds ‘n Sods:

KAF found this: Hey Homebuyers, Beware A False Bottom Before You Make That Bid    o o o Bob at Ready Made Resources mentioned that they are offering special pricing on their photovoltaic (PV) power systems. They offer systems scaled for all budgets. Since I expect that the Federal 30% tax credit on alternative energy systems will soon be cancelled, I most strongly encourage SurvivalBlog readers to go ahead and install a PV power system soon.    o o o I noticed that the 2008 movie Defiance has been released on DVD. This film was based on the book Defiance: …



Letter Re: Thermostatic Switches for Wood Heat Forced-Air Room Heating

James, [For for wood heat forced-air room heating], I recommend using one of these switches that opens when the temperature drops below 115 degrees, and closes when the temp rises above 130 degrees. Mount it where it will “see” the heat but not be exposed the maximum heater temperatures. On the support legs would probably be sufficient. This might have to run through a small relay that has contacts that can handle the motor starting and run currents. Depends on the fan motor ratings. Regards, – David H.


Letter Re: Advice for an M4 and AR-15 Newbie

Hello JWR: I recently bought my first AR-15[-family firearm], a Lewis Machine and Tool (LMT) Defender Carbine. I was wondering if you had any advice as to a good starter “book” on the AR generally, but also one that would assist in my rifleman’s training. I am an intermediate shooter on rifle, but am finding the AR to be a beast unto itself as far as “how” to shoot it. Can you recommend any text on complete takedown, best cleaning practices, replacement parts, and marksmanship with the M4 version of the AR would be very helpful. Thanks! – JB in …


Letter Re: A Useful Web Site on Government Auctions

Good evening, Mr. Rawles – I always enjoy reading your site and find it informative, with plenty of links and good advise on just about everything. One site I’d recommend for your readers is GovDeals.com. It has a wide variety of goods on an ongoing basis, with generators, trailers, tractors, and a lot more. I spotted one lot in particular that seems to be a kind of ‘starter barter kit’. I’m not connected with this web site in any way. In fact, most of the best ones seem to be too far away for me to take advantage of. “Them’s …



Economics and Investing:

Reader Ken M. mentioned that the full text of the book When Money Dies: The Nightmare of the Weimar Collapse is available at the Ludwig Von Mises Institute web site. Frequent content contributor KAF suggested a piece at the Fuelishness blog: Oil Prices Continue to Spike Despite Massive Surplus – Outpacing Economic Recovery Items from The Economatrix: Illinois Bank of Lincolnwood Fails, 37th For Year, 6th in State Dr. Gary North: Stock Market Investors Mindset of Guaranteed Economic Destruction “And when things turn out much worse than even most newsletter writers are forecasting, you will be hated. Are you prepared …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Grandpappy (a past prize winner in our writing contest) has posted a timely new article on low-cost ammunition at his site.    o o o Not surprisingly, this news story comes from Madison, one of Wisconsin’s most liberal meccas: Wisconsin City Cracks Down On Fake Guns. “Madison police are starting to tell children as early as first grade that the fake guns are dangerous and put both the holder and officers in dangerous positions.”    o o o JHB flagged this: Obama Now Wants Your Pocket Knife. Let’s nip this in the bud. Germany now has a ban on “ein …