Month: March 2011

Two Letters Re: Nickels as an Inflation Hedge

Jim, Just another data point for you about Nickels, from North Carolina.  My bank continues to order boxes [of $100 face value in nickel rolls] for me, but they were told by their supplier that 20 boxes was the new limit per week (I had asked for 55 boxes).  The funny thing is the manager said they would simply order me 20 boxes/week until I had what I wanted! They also noted a strong uptick (from essentially none) in customer requesting nickels for the same reason I am getting them – base metal value.  Though none more than a couple …


Economics and Investing:

At last report, Spot Silver was at $34.65 per Troy Ounce. I told you so… Ben S. mentioned: Is the U.S. dollar still a safe haven?   Ben notes: “One opinion in this article is that the dollar is overvalued by 8%.  If this is true, wouldn’t the US Dollar Index also be overvalued by the same, thus resulting in an index of approximately 71?”  Peter Schiff: “We’re in the Early Stages of a Depression” Items from The Economatrix: History Tells Us That A Surge In Fuel Costs Makes A US Recession Likely  Silver Squeeze to Continue   The Silver …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Anyone who owns a FAL or an L1A1 rifle and wants to do any at-home gunsmithing should own one of these.    o o o Roman sent us news of a fascinating development in monolithic dome building technology: Basalt Roving Dome. Imaging this scaled up, and a few additional layers? Talk about blast proof! (Dome-shaped buildings also have Bernoulli’s Principle going for them–they don’t “catch” wind” like slab-sided buildings.)    o o o Lily spotted this over at Paratus Familia: Practical Preparedness – Pharmaceuticals    o o o Seed for Security is offering a free gift for a limited time. …



Notes from JWR:

I just heard from my publisher that “Survivors” (the first of two sequels to my novel “Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse”) will have its first press run in a hardback binding, followed by a trade paperback, and then possibly a mass market paperback. The books will be published by the Atria and Pocket Books divisions of Simon & Schuster. “Survivors” is now in the final stages of editing, and I’m meanwhile busy writing the second sequel, which is tentatively titled “Citizens”. As I’ve mentioned before, the sequels will be geographically distinct but contemporaneous with “Patriots”. We …


From Cartridge to Target: A Bullet’s Flight and Impact, by HardWalker

Lots of care and time are taken to select the appropriate firearm. A precisely crafted piece of machinery primarily designed to do one thing, send a chunk of metal downrange and high speeds with the intention of killing someone or something. There are many ways of doing this and many types of bullets designed for many different purposes. We all can gather the hearsay of what round is the best, which manufacturer has the furthers traveling, hardest-hitting or bang-for-buck ammunition. So when it’s all said and done, understanding what happens to that piece of copper, steel and lead once it …


Letter Re: LED Lighting Discount for SurvivalBlog Readers

Mr. Rawles,   I have been a follower of SurvivalBlog for about a month now and have found great resources, deals and most importantly, useful information with your blog.   As a business owner that has a focus on lighting (and energy efficient lighting of all sorts), we would like to offer SurvivalBlog readers a 20% discount coupon on any purchase from us for LED Lighting.  This discount does not apply to already discounted or clearance products.   Pretty simple – on any order of 10 bucks or more, your community can use coupon code: prepared-sb20 for 20% off their …


Letter Re: Silver Coins with a Very Low Likelihood of Fakery

Hi James, I’ve been suspicious about the possibility of silver coins being faked ever since reading your links about tungsten “gold” and think I’ve come up with an answer.  As long as you’re not looking for collectibles, just buy second-quality silver coins – modern ones like Liberty one-ounce silver rounds, not numismatics.  You know, the coins that are scratched, dented, and discolored.  They clean up just fine with a little Wright’s silver polish.  Who the heck is going to counterfeit dents, scratches, worn spots and discoloration?  Also, they’re [relatively] inexpensive.  These are the “junk silver” version of (.999) silver coins …


Letter Re: A Bank Run Reality Check

Mr. Rawles, After reading the letters about banking reality, I would like to add what I have learned from working at a reputable bank in the Midwest.  The bank never has enough cash on hand to supply all their “demand “ or checking accounts, no matter what their legal fine print says.    The amount of cash is mandated by the Federal Reserve for the banks in their region.  Each week the Fed tells the branch how much cash they can order, how much excess cash must be sent back to them, and how much cash they will need to …


Avalanche Lily’s Bedside Book Pile

Here are the current top-most items on my perpetual bedside pile: I just started to read “The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes – and Why“, by Amanda Ripley. Stephen Flynn described the book as follows: “Reading The Unthinkable will be life-changing. We live in an age of anxiety that has too many of us rocked back on our heels. Once you’ve feasted on the rich insights and wisdom of this remarkable book, you’ll be standing tall again. While our politicians and media have been keen to exploit and fan our worst fears, Amanda Ripley makes clear that individually and …


Economics and Investing:

What are We Getting for an Extra $1 Trillion in Federal Spending? Wind Power Generates Renewed Interest as Oil Worries Grow   Prospective Homebuyers: Time Is on Your Side  Items from The Economatrix: Oil Drops, But Gasoline Prices Keep Rising   Easing Oil Prices, Deal News Send Stocks Higher   China’s Holding of US Debt Jumps 30%   Celente:  “When the Money Stops Flowing Down to the Man in the Street, the Blood Starts Flowing in the Streets”   


Odds ‘n Sods:

Our brief initial tests of the Gerber Omnivore flashlight with the supplied AA batteries have been favorable. It is a white LED flashlight that is designed to be able to use size AA, AAA or CR123 batteries. I recently bought three of the 50 lumen version of the Omnivore. The tests I have planned for one of them are full draw-down with a continuous run with a pair of AA batteries, and then the same with a CR-123 battery. I’ll let you know how many of hours of useful light it provides, with each type of battery.    o o …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Do not consider Collectivists as ‘sincere but deluded idealists’. The proposal to enslave some men for the sake of others is not an ideal; brutality is not ‘idealistic,’ no matter what its purpose. Do not ever say that the desire to ‘do good’ by force is a good motive. Neither power-lust nor stupidity are good motives.” – Ayn Rand