Day: August 14, 2013

Notes from JWR:

August 14th is remembered annually as Victory Over Japan Day. V-J Day in 1945 was indeed a day to celebrate. Although communism would soon again bring war clouds over East Asia,V-J Day brought a sigh of relief to millions. Few could have predicted that in just a decade Japan would re-emerge as an economic powerhouse, only to be eventually eclipsed by a post-communist China. On August 14th, President Harry Truman announced: “This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbor. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would.” — Today we …


Emergency Preparedness: 101, by Jennie From the Flats

Wakeup Call  It was 2 o’clock in the morning when our two year old toddler woke me with a terrifying scream. She was just across the hallway, but I was disoriented for a moment and couldn’t figure out why I was blind.  As I realized the power was out, I looked for the battery-powered lantern I keep beside the bed only to find it missing.  The three year old had probably been playing with it again.  I felt my way around the house and hoped the lantern would still have power.  It clicked on and what a blessed sight that …


Letter Re: The Value of a Magnifying Glass

JWR, I have been a reader, and sometimes commentator, of your blog for some years. I have read all kinds of ideas on what should be carried for all kinds of bad things happening scenarios. One thing I have rarely seen mentioned is the simplest and cheapest fire starter around: a magnifying glass. No moving parts. No fancy training. Hardly any space required. Less that $10 in any drugstore as a “reading glass.” I have one that is 4” diameter by ½” thick one that I have carried, unprotected, in my coat pocket for over 30 years. It has a …


Economics and Investing:

Monty Pelerin: Tyranny Rules Nearly $1 Trillion in pension liabilities! The Post Office Is Broke: It’s Time To End Washington’s Postal Monopoly. (Thanks to Brian L. for the link.) The Rise Of The Bear: 18 Signs That Russia Is Rapidly Catching Up To The United States Items from The Economatrix: A Quadrillion Yen And Counting – The Japanese Debt Bomb Could Set Off Global Panic At Any Moment The accelerating race to a student debt implosion: Federal student loans rose by $266 billion since 2011. 85 percent of consumer debt growth since 2011 because of student debt. Dr. Doom Warns …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader J.H. sent an fascinating video that illustrates why so-called dry washes can be so dangerous: Amazing Flash Flood / Debris Flow Southern Utah. J.H.’s comments: “The amazing thing is that the heaviest rain fell 40 miles away from the film site and the peak rain came six hours before the wave passed through. Local weather conditions give no clue as to what is about to happen. Swimming in the trash laden water is an absolute non-starter. Pity the camper who has one of these walls of wet wood squash him while he is wrapped in a sleeping bag, zipped …