Day: May 12, 2012

Note From JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 40 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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 C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for …


Three Bug Out Considerations You Probably Haven’t Considered, by Jonathan G.

For most preppers, the action plan for a TEOTWAWKI scenario can be neatly categorized into basically one of two categories:  Bug in or Bug out.  Many people live in rural areas with sufficient security and provisions to be able to go to ground in the event of a disaster and ride out the storm.  “Sufficient” security might include bunkers, shooters, stockpiles of ammunition and weapons, spare parts, etc.  “Sufficient” provisions might be enough food to get the defense force and extended family of the principal through to the harvest, and enough seeds to ensure that the harvest will feed the …


Consider Your Cordage, by Andrew G.

It is very regrettable that more often than not, those who prepare for surviving the future are viewed by society as being isolationist, separatists, and downright anti-social. Sure, this can be blamed on the media, propaganda, and perhaps a few loose cannons out there, but it’s also in part because many “preppers” do fall prey to a fearful “bunker” mindset. Sometimes even removing themselves from society at large. I wonder if more people would see the value of advanced preparation if they witnessed more preppers offering positive contributions to the general welfare of others in their community, state, and nation? …


More Derivatives Market Mayhem: The JPMorgan Debacle

The mainstream media is abuzz with stories about JPMorgan’s $2 Billion in trading losses in just the past six weeks. Here some typical coverage: JPMorgan Hit by ‘Egregious’ Trading Loss of $2 Billion. The culprit? It was derivatives. Ah yes, those pesky derivatives. Ich habe es Ihnen gesagt (way back in 2006.) I won’t re-hash the details of the JP Morgan debacle that have come to light, because they have already been spelled out by many journalists. The best analysis that I’ve found thusfar came from the editors of Zero Hedge, in this piece: The “World’s Largest Prop Trading Desk” …


Economics and Investing:

Kevin S. sent this: Fed clears China’s first US bank takeover Faber Sees ’87-Type Crash if U.S. Stocks Rise Without QE3 Andre sent this: Banks prepare for the return of the drachma From G.G.: Postal Service quarterly loss widens to $3.2 billion Items from The Economatrix: Housing Bottom?  Fannie Mae Won’t Seek Tax Dollars Wages Bolster Spending as Americans as Americans Extend Hours US March Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.3%, Sales Climb 0.5% Home Prices Rise in Half of U.S. Cities as Markets Stabilize


Odds ‘n Sods:

Avoid Social Breakdown. Become Resilient. (Thanks to Kevin S. for the link.)    o o o Over at Global Guerillas: Big Twitter is Here    o o o Reader S. R. mentioned that there are some school teacher positions open in a retreat-worthy region: Navajo Public Schools. S.R. describes Jackson County, Oklahoma: “…a nice rural area with good well water at about 10-to-30 foot depth, a long growing season, and that produces wheat, Cotton, Peanuts, and Beef.” They are looking to hire a Computer teacher, Secondary Special Ed teacher and likely a Foreign Language teacher.    o o o Ed. …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The CDS [credit default swap] is probably the most important instrument in finance. What [the advent of the] CDS did is lay-off all the risk of highly leveraged institutions – and that’s what banks are, highly leveraged – on stable American and international institutions.” – Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve Chairman, May 2006