Month: August 2011

Notes from JWR:

Flash Traffic: S&P downgrades U.S. Treasury paper! Excerpts: “United States of America Long-Term Rating Lowered To ‘AA+’ On Political Risks And Rising Debt Burden; Outlook Negative Overview · We have lowered our long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States of America to ‘AA+’ from ‘AAA’ and affirmed the ‘A-1+’ short-term rating.” and “The outlook on the long-term rating is negative. We could lower the long-term rating to ‘AA’ within the next two years if we see that less reduction in spending than agreed to, higher interest rates, or new fiscal pressures during the period result in a higher general government debt trajectory than we currently assume in …


A Frightening Experience Leads to a Plan, by V.A.S.

Part One:  Why I Started to Prepare Speaking from the perspective of someone who has spent the last several years researching, reading about and trying to sort through multitudes of information on the subject, I can say that learning the art of preparedness is not a simple task. Given the huge amount of resources, information and even misinformation available on the internet and within the many books written on the subject, determining the right path towards being more prepared can be a difficult one to say the least. Here is my story, and my tips for finding your own path …


Letter Re: Lessons from the Road

JWR, I’d like to add just a couple points to the excellent “Lessons from the Road” article by R.W.. One key item that I feel is important is to involve everyone in the planning of your escape route. If you are the primary driver, and end up incapacitated, it is essential one of your other fellow travelers be able to take up the mantle and get the BOV to the BOL. In families, route planning can be a great way to get everyone involved and on-board with the preparations process. It also allows everyone to contribute and point out things …


Economics and Investing:

Glenn Beck puts the Federal debt cap deal in prepper terms. An American Suicide US borrowing tops 100% of GDP: Treasury tom in Buffalo spotted this: Royal Bank of Scotland posts £794m loss after Greece hit Avoid Disaster, Get Out of U.S. Assets: Peter Schiff (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) Open letter to the London G20 Summit: Last chance before global geopolitical dislocation Items from The Economatrix: Debt Ceiling Agreement To Trigger Hyperinflation Credit-rating Agencies Still Threaten US Debt Recovery US Manufacturing Woes May Be Just Beginning 10 Signs The Double-dip Recession Has Begun


Odds ‘n Sods:

A gent developed a handy new app for Android phones that calculates bullion coin value for transactions.    o o o Who would have thunk it? Federal officials have been caught facilitating moving drugs one way, and guns the other, across the border. Gee, its good to know that at least we don’t live in one of those corrupt Third World countries with a printing press economy.    o o o Gun lobby fights Mexico border rifle sale control. It is funny that the journalist picked up on the ATF’s “iron river” rhetoric, when the ATF itself is the biggest …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner [being] an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another …


Notes from JWR:

Today, August 5th, is the Sixth Anniversary of the launch of SurvivalBlog. I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading it, and that it has helped you to gain useful knowledge and inspired you to get prepared. Thanks for making the blog such a huge success. In the past six years we’ve built huge archives of useful articles and letters, and they are still all available free of charge. We now get more than one million unique visits per month, making SurvivalBlog far and away the Internet’s most popular preparedness blog. Please continue to spread the word. Thank you! — Today we …


Lessons from the Road, by R.W.

Statistically, driving is one of the most dangerous activities in most of our lives.  Limited supplies, new or dramatically changed surroundings, minimal physical protection and exposure to observation make moving by vehicle the most dangerous phase of many survival plans.     There has been a great deal of focus on the best ‘Bug out Vehicle’ and proper vehicle gear to use in a survival situation.  Often overlooked are techniques and skills, many of which are completely different than the driving skills we use in our daily driving, necessary for a vehicular bug-out.  Whether you are driving a 5 ton military …


Letter Re: Inexpensive Building and Gardening Techniques

Sir:   In many states, it is illegal to transport fish from public waters to private waters [or vice versa].  You might be okay going from private waters to private waters.  The concern is that you might introduce disease from one area to another and thus contaminate another area.  He should probably look into stocking his pond from a legal supplier. – Alan W.


Three Letters Re: America’s Sovereign Debt Credit Rating and Interest Rate Imponderables

Mr. Rawles, Thanks for the blog and your books.  I have given several copies of “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” away as gifts. I consider it a network fishing lure of sorts, to find like-minded people. To the point: Another set of dominoes to fall, if the US credit rating is reduced from AAA many pensions will not be able to hold US Treasury bonds, as their bylaws or rules state that they must hold AAA paper.  Unless they find a loophole or change their rules it will be a cascade spiral down. …


Economics and Investing:

Thursday’s headlines were full of deep drama economic news, including a market crash in Italy that looked like La fine del mondo come lo conosciamomeowner. Concurrently, the recent drop in silver has widened the silver-to-gold ratio 42.4-to-1. (Meaning: The cost of one ounce of gold currently equals just over 42 ounces of silver.) So this a great time to go to your local coin shop and perform a ratio trade: Ask them to swap your 1-ounce gold coins into bullion silver coins. (For readers in the U.S., pre-1965 mint date 90% silver Quarters are recommended.) Even though you’ll have to …


Odds ‘n Sods:

F.G. sent this: Cooped Up: Chickens Come Home to Roost for Urbanites With a Yen for Hen    o o o Nissan eyes powering your house from your car. (Thanks to Anthony S. for the link.)    o o o Camping Survival just got another shipment of Wise Foods, packed in food grade pails.  They created a 10% off coupon on these, just for SurvivalBlog readers:  “wise10“. These pails are in stock and ready to ship within two business days.    o o o James C. suggested this video on do it yourself evaporative refrigeration: Zeer Pot Fridge. Cool your …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"…A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude…" – Aldous Huxley in the Foreword to the 33rd printing of Brave New World in 1966 (originally published in 1939)


Notes from JWR:

Safecastle’s big 25% off sale on Mountain House long term storage foods ends tonight, so get your order in soon! — Today we present another entry for Round 36 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round 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 $795, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) …


America’s Sovereign Debt Credit Rating and Interest Rate Imponderables

I’m frequently asked what is going to happen when the U.S. Treasury’s AAA credit rating is downgraded. First, consider this news article: Moody’s Affirms U.S. Rating, Warns of Downgrade. Here are my predictions, in a nutshell: We can expect continued credit market volatility. The recent debt limit increase did nothing to correct the basic problem. The U. S. government spends more than it takes in, so its residual payments are growing, inexorably. As this insanity continues, at some point U.S. Treasury paper will lose its AAA luster. that will initiate a very ugly chain of events that will play out …