Year: 2012

Economics and Investing:

A “must watch” video by Peter Schiff: Operation Screw: The Fed goes all-in on QE. The Fed is attempting to create another, larger housing bubble. What Does A $4 Trillion Fed Balance Sheet Mean For Gold And Oil? (Thanks to B.B. for the link.) G.G. sent this essay by Nicholas Eberstadt: A Nation of Takers: America’s Entitlement Epidemic World War III: the unthinkable cost of preserving the petrodollar Items from The Economatrix: Mish:  Canadian Exports Collapse, Expect Plunge in GDP Jim Rogers:  QE3 Will Make The Fed “Look Like Fools Again” Why Wages for Jobs Aren’t Rising


Odds ‘n Sods:

F.G. sent: Cameras to protect speed cameras from “vandals”    o o o Sean M. sent: Small rural-Arizona school evokes old-frontier spirit    o o o A slightly different culture: Live Crab Vending Machine in China – Video    o o o Louis James of Casey Research: G. Edward Griffin on Saving the US from Totalitarianism    o o o James K. sent this link: Wood Pallet Shed Project


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out …


Notes from JWR:

The countdown continues: Now just 10 days to release (and “Book Bomb Day”) for Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. Thanks for your patience. — Today we present another two entries for Round 42 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 …


Knowing Your Neighbors: All For One and One For All

Sound like an old cliche? “One for All, All for One”? A phrase from the past. But it is as valid today as it has ever been. Togetherness, cooperation, teamwork, none of those match the totality of “One for all, All for One”.       Of course there is no substitute for preparedness. As a former EMT, a person who has taken CERT training in my community, and who, as much as I can given my limited financial resources, taken the threat, for any reason, of societal breakdown seriously, I can attest to this. I remember my instructor many years …


Prepared For Just Any Old Thing, by Louie in Ohio

 I guess that I have always been a “Prepper”. Fifty years ago I joined the Boy Scouts. Of course most  of us know the Scout Motto, Be Prepared. Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the scouting movement was once asked, “Prepared for what?”  His answer… “Just any old thing.” My Scoutmaster, Mr. Garrison, told us that we needed to keep our backpack packed and ready to go, that some evening he would send out the word and we must report ready for a camp out. There would be a time limit and we must get there under our own power …


Letter Re: Quick Tip to Stocking Up Via Amazon

Jim: I just discovered something today that I wanted to share.  I have zero time in life to spend stocking up.  Amazon.com has a “subscribe and save” feature that provides additional savings on over 24,000 items under the grocery category.  You can choose to subscribe (meaning set up regular deliveries) when adding to the Amazon shopping cart, or just make a one time purchase.  I did some comparison shopping and found the subscribe price for coffee (whole bean or ground) to be even better than Wal-Mart or any of the big box stores in my area.  Go to www.amazon.com and …


Economics and Investing:

The inevitable credit downgrades begin: Egan-Jones downgrades U.S. rating on QE3 move Greg C. sent: More Americans opting out of banking system Reader K.P. sent: Understand the Rules Before You Transport Precious Metals Overseas Hyperinflation Is Virtually Assured – John Williams. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Five Years Since The Great Financial Crisis:  “No Growth, No Deleveraging” Gerald Celente – Gold, Silver, & A Major October Surprise The Euro Crisis Is Not Over And Is About To Get Interesting


Odds ‘n Sods:

G.G. flagged this Vauban homage: 15 Star-Shaped Forts From Around the World    o o o James K. suggested this: Bulletproof vehicles get lighter, stronger    o o o F.G. mentioned this furniture for gun geeks: Mosin Nagant Rifle Crate Coffee Table    o o o Giving preparedness a bad name: Kissimmee man stole trailer, planned doomsday bunker, police say. (Thanks to John McC. for the link.)    o o o Assaulted: A pro-gun documentary using Kickstarter financing.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and …


Notes from JWR:

Thanks for waiting to order your copy of my upcoming novel Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. Please continue to wait until its release date (September 25th)–which is also our planned Book Bomb Day–to order. By delaying most of the orders until the 25th we are hoping to propel the book into Amazon’s Top 20. Thanks! — Today we present another two entries for Round 42 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 …


Do it Yourself Timber Harvesting, by SMJ

Wood is one of the most readily available materials for homestead construction projects and is also an important fuel source for many of us. I’ve always loved forests and trees, so I drew on my experiences growing up in Alaska and my work in the timber industry in Western Washington to write this post.  If you are lucky enough to own your own forest, I highly recommend the book A Landowner’s Guide to Managing Your Woods by Hansen/Seversen/Waterman.  This book will give you an excellent overview on how to keep your forest healthy and profitable, as well as giving you …


Prepping is Investing, by Michael W.

Preppers get painted is crazy doomsday people, sitting around waiting for the world to end, disappointed when it doesn’t.  I think National Geographic has done a disservice to prepping with their show.  The people on the show explain “what” they are preparing for.  To many, their reasons are crazy.  To me, some of the reasons are crazy.  I think it’s important to make it clear that it’s not about a specific event or cause.  It’s about planning for the future and protecting yourself.  Does it really matter if an EMP, financial collapse, or natural disaster disrupts your basic necessities?  What it comes …


Letter Re: Learning About Food Safety

Jim, That was a nice submission by Tom T., but with a couple of items that aren’t completely wrong but aren’t entirely correct – or that can at least be interpreted incorrectly.  First,  he said, “The last way to prevent food borne illness is to cook the food to the proper temp.  Cooking to proper temperatures eliminates the threat of these harmful pathogens… Reheating to 165 degrees ensures that the bacteria are killed and the food has become safe to eat.”  Cooking food may eliminate bacteria but it doesn’t destroy all bacterial toxins (the stuff that  actually makes you sick). …


Letter Re: Secure Signals for a Survivalist

Hi Jim, While reading the article “Secure Signals for a Survivalist,” by Fred J., I keyed on his reference to the lightening-up the good old USGI angle head flashlight.   As far as lightening-up one of these, I think I have most people beat. My first upgrade for mine was in replacing the old-fashioned incandescent bulb with an LED bulb upgrade. They’re pretty common now, as the Army issue flashlight uses a standard flashlight bulb. That made the flashlight produce literally ten times as much light.   The second upgrade was created by sheer luck. In an infant rocker we …