Year: 2010

Economics and Investing:

Frequent content contributor RBS sent this: New uses for silver to grow demand in next 10 years. K. in Montana forwarded this: Gold on Longest Winning Streak Since 1920. Reader Dan E. spotted a telling news item: More than 40 million now use food stamps The Friday Follies continue, with bank closures in New Mexico, Georgia, and Florida. Items from The Economatrix: Federal Reserve Cautions on US Economic Growth Bernanke Needs Fresh Monetary Blitz as US Recovery Falters Senate Republicans Defeat Jobless Aid Measure Over Deficit Fears Geithner: US Can “No Longer Drive Global Growth”


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Other Rourke recently posted his interview with Dr. Bruce Clayton. You’ll probably recognize him as the author the book Life After Doomsday.    o o o Yishai suggested this good article: Night Vision Versus Thermal Vision    o o o Floyd B. spotted this: Solar cycle sparks doomsday buzz. Here is a quote: “Fortunately, the methods for predicting space weather have improved over the past decade or two. Satellites such as the Advanced Composition Explorer can spot the signs of a geomagnetic storm up to an hour before it hits our planet, providing valuable lead time for power grid …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.” Proverbs 27:23-27 (KJV)


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 29 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include: 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.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of …


How to Get Prepared as a Teenager, by Jonathan E.

When I discovered SurvivalBlog I was 17 years old. My friend had given me a copy of the novel “Patriots” that he had picked up on our twenty-three day trip around the United States. After I had read the novel, I realized that I was so far behind on my prepping for TEOTWAWKI. Before had I had only focused on wilderness survival and when I went hiking in the woods. I never perceived how fragile our economy was and how easily it would fall apart with the slightest push. I had to do something about my preparations. This article is …


Letter Re: A Survival Suburban Homestead: A Prepper’s Twist on the Homestead Movement

Jim, The community described by DMT seems like a nice place to live and I wish I could share his optimism and his faith in human nature. It seems to me that a community like he describes would take years to form. It might have a chance if everyone could be persuaded to store a year or more of food and stock up on agricultural equipment, but it seems to me that it would be a superhuman task to get everyone to go along with it in an emergency unless you could feed them until harvest time. Also, unfortunately, my …


Letter Re: The 50 States are Getting Desperate for Revenue!

Hello Mr. Rawles, I thought you might be interested in an article about New York state’s 12th consecutive weekly package of emergency spending bills “to keep the government operating.” This bill will raise the price of cigarettes to over $11 a pack in New York, as well as taxing the cigarettes sold by American Indian stores to people outside the tribe. The last time New York tried the latter was in the late 1990s, and it met with violent protests. They haven’t tried it since, so you know that they’re getting desperate! – E.


Economics and Investing:

Charley suggested this piece by Ambrose-Evans Pritchard: Gold reclaims its currency status as the global system unravels Brian B. flagged this: Cash Crops: Buying Farmland for Income Also from Brian: Brown Brothers Warns on Deterioration in State and Local Government Deficits, Cautions of Comparable European Collapse Items from The Economatrix: Leaders Differ on How to Nurture a Global Economy BP Shares Down Sharply in London Government Lowers Growth Estimate for First Quarter Financial Stocks Lift Market After Financial Overhaul Euro “Collapse” Could Drag Europe Into Conflict


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent me a link to a collection of photos showing Chinese military’s obsession with parades and ultra-precise formations. It reminded me of a quote from Jean Larteguy (The author of The Centurions and The Praetorians.): “I’d like France to have two armies: one for display, with lovely guns, tanks, little soldiers, fanfares, staffs, distinguished and doddering generals, and dear little regimental officers who would be deeply concerned over their general’s bowel movements or their colonel’s piles: an army that would be shown for a modest fee on every fairground in the country. The …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 29 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include: 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.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of …


A Survival Suburban Homestead: A Prepper’s Twist on the Homestead Movement – Pt. 1, by D.M.T.

Swimming in a Sea of Humanity A homestead will not survive isolated in a sea of desperate humanity.  Nor will man survive in a desert void of it.  For many of us surviving in place (the suburbs) is going to be a fact.  With it carries tremendous risk and dangers yet imbedded within it, also a cornucopia of resources and individuals with critical skill sets and life saving knowledge.  Unlike urban areas, there is a small enough degree of separation between people, enough so to actually define and scratch out a living independently.  Current Homesteaders have proven it is possible …


Letter Re: Learning From an OPSEC Failure

Letter Re: Learning from an OPSEC Failure Hello Mr. Rawles, The shopper who had a badoperational security (OPSEC) experience at the grocery store is not alone. Here in Canada I had the same thing happen to me in a slightly different way. It was a tax free weekend at a major store and I stocked up on everything subject to both provincial (state) and federal sales tax. Big (12%) savings on every item that wasn’t food. I provision a family of seven, I wait for these weekends. For the first time I noticed I was stared at by other shoppers …


Letter Re: Some Experiences With Propane and White Gas Campstoves

James, I am a Scout Master in a local Boy Scout troop. After years of camping with Scouts it has become apparent to me that most propane camp stoves have a very short life span, even the name brand units. They work great for the occasionally camp out but they start leaking around the connections and they are not field serviceable. Many years ago, I was given an old Coleman white gas stove. I cleaned it up and have used it extensively over the last 30 years. Other than replacing the few parts, which are field serviceable, the stove is …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. mentioned a Rear Clear Markets video clip that echoes something that I’ve been stressing for several years: Legendary investor Jim Rogers says that silver is an attractive commodity while gold remains at an all-time high. Courtesy of Brian B. comes this link: The US is Pushing Its Debt Towards a $57 Trillion Hole Yishai sent us this (by way of Glenn at Instapundit): Don’t Fear Inflation, if It Comes. (Oh, really? I guess he’s never visited Zimbabwe…) Brian H. flagegd this: China’s Desert Ghost City Shows Property `Madness’ Persists U.S. May Follow Britain’s Lead and Pass Bank Tax. Oh, …