Month: January 2010

Economics and Investing:

“The 13 Worrier” sent a link to a very interesting YouTube video of Richard Maybury and Jim Powell discussing the possibility of a double dip depression and civil unrest in the United States. Country homes get an appetite for business Is the US Economy Being Tanked by Mistake or Intent? Illinois enters a state of insolvency Items from The Economatrix: Martin Weiss: 200 Bank Failures Expected in 2010 European Markets Lifted by Corporate Deal Hopes IMF Chief: Global Recovery Stronger than Expected Recession Takes Toll on University President Pay Oil Stays Near $78 on Demand Doubts, Weaker Dollar 2010-2020 Towards …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From Reader RSR mentioned that Reliance Aqua-Tainer seven gallon containers are presently on sale for $8 each at Wal-Mart stores. I just saw the same containers for $17 each at an REI store. And speaking of water containers, Walgreens pharmacies now have 25 ounce “Green Canteen” brand stainless steel water bottles on sale for $4 each. They are out of stock at their online stores, but many individual brick and mortar stores still have them on hand. OBTW, beware that they are made in mainland China.    o o o We were sent two interesting, if impractical items from ImpactLab: …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“FARNHAM’S FREEHOLD TRADING POST & RESTAURANT BAR American Vodka Corn Liquor Applejack Pure Spring Water Grade “A” Milk Corned Beef & Potatoes Steak & Fried Potatoes Butter & some days Bread Smoked Bear Meat Jerked Quisling (by the neck) Crepes Suzettes to order. !!!Any BOOK Accepted as Cash!!!! DAY NURSERY !!FREE KITTENS!! Blacksmithing, Machine Shop, Sheet Metal Work-You Supply the Metal FARNHAM SCHOOL OF CONTRACT BRIDGE Lessons by Arrangement Social Evening Every Wednesday WARNING!!! Ring bell. Wait. Advance with your Hands Up. Stay on path, avoid mines. We lost three customers last week. We can’t afford to lose YOU. No …


America is More Like Haiti than We’d Like to Think

The recent earthquake in the island nation of Haiti illustrates the fragility of all societies. While Haiti is unusual in its lack of infrastructure and its high dependence on foreign aid–more than half of its annual government budget comes from foreign aid–it is still similar in many ways to other nations: From the 1960s to the turn of the 21st century, as in many other nations, Haiti became an urbanized nation. Before the 1960s a substantial portion of Haitian society still lived on rural semi-self sufficient farmsteads. But as urbanization and specialization went on, fewer and fewer people lived off …


Two Letters Re: The Ishapore 2A1: A Budget Battle Rifle

James, The Ishapore Enfield in .308 is still being built today in India. It is common to see local police carry them (rather than a pistol) as they also use them for crowd control (butt stroke). I picked up three of these rifles many years ago when they were first being imported into the US and they are my standard truck gun these days. While I have several M14 variants and a whole host of AR variants, the $89 I paid for each of these rifles makes them cheap enough that if I lose one (if my truck gets broken …


Letter Re: Some Observations on Fortifications Versus Camouflaged Retreats

The topic on retreats mentioned that castles were unable to withstand long sieges. This is only partially true. Once castle design was understood, a well stocked castle could withstand a siege indefinitely. Castle were designed so that the women, children, and old men who were left in a village after the fighting age men marched off to war, could defend the castle. If you examine the history of Europe you will see that castles fell to siege only infrequently; the majority of them either were betrayed from the inside or for whatever reason the stocks inside the castle (usually water) …


Economics and Investing:

Two more banks fail, bringing year’s tally to three UK’s Only Options are “Default, Inflation or Belt-Tightening” Items from The Economatrix: US Gas Likely to Top $3+ in Spring, Summer Capital One US Credit Card Charge Offs Hit 10% US 2009 Foreclosures Shatter Record Despite Aid Doug Casey Says Stock Market Set to Crash Dr. Gary North: Why Deflation is Not Ahead


Odds ‘n Sods:

Sandy in Illinois sent a link to a post from a missionary outside Port au Prince in Haiti.    o o o Harold M. mentioned a gent selling complete ALICE packs for $30: CJLEnterprize.com.    o o o Possible garden seed shortages in 2010? Thanks to Bob W. for the link.    o o o The ultimate bug-out vehicle? Chris M. sent this story from RD Mag: Street-legal airplane made possible with new rules, new software.



Letter Re: Constructing Farm Ponds

James, Hail from Kentucky. I just wanted to add my two cents and maybe some advice to anyone thinking about building a pond to help support their retreat. I just want to say that I am not an expert, just learned a thing or two from the school of hard knocks, and would love to hear the feed back and thoughts of other SurvivalBloggers. I saw a post by a lady a week or so ago that mentioned she wanted to have a pond dug on her five acre plot but she stated that the water table is 12 feet …


Three Letters Re: Marksmanship Training

Sir: For the past 12 years I have served in the US Army as an Infantryman. Two deployments to Iraq and one in Afghanistan have taught me valuable lessons that I will never forget. The biggest one being the importance of marksmanship. There is not a firearm in the word that will make up for lack of practice or being a lousy shot. Some considerations… While at the range do you only fire from the standing position? In a gunfight the name of the game is finding cover and concealment and returning accurate fire. Standing is almost never the best …


Two Letters Re: The “After Armageddon” Documentary

Jim, I wanted to give a shout out to Michael Bane and the others with common sense who helped with the “After Armageddon” docudrama. I was pleasantly surprised when my wife wanted to watch the History Channel for once. The scales fell from her eyes while she was watching, how fragile our lives and standard of living can be. Right after she started asking “Is that why….” (you fill in the blanks) I was elated! Now she understands my favorite saying, “hope for the best & prepare for the worst.” That used to make her roll her eyes. She always …


Economics and Investing:

Is the American Economy Destined to Fail? Government Bonds — the New Junk? Items from The Economatrix: Dubai World Tries to Keep Banks at Bay with Six-Month Standstill on its Debts Horizon Bank of Bellingham, Washington First Bank Failure of 2010 Four Economic Scenarios You Better Hope Won’t Materialize For Every One Job There are Six Jobless Applicants Financial Markets and Economic Crisis Outlook 2010, When Hope Turns to Fear Dr. Gary North: Deflationists Predicting Price Deflation are Not Economists, They are Journalists What Happens When the Fed Stops Quantitative Easing Howard Ruff Preparing for Rough Times By Hedging Against …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From Discovery.com: Laminated Linen Protected Alexander the Great    o o o Mike M. flagged this US Geological Survey PDF: Consequences of an Earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone    o o o Lynch mob beats to death a looter and drags his body through the streets as Haiti descends into anarchy. A tip of the hat to GG for the link.