Month: May 2014

Economics and Investing:

What Happens When America Goes Bankrupt? – P.S. o o o Meet TheLiberal Network That Orchestrated The Hit On The Benham Brothers. – P.M. o o o Items from The Economatrix: When Not Even The “1%” Can Afford College Bank Of America Would Like To Buy Your Gold, Seeing “No Gains Above $1315” De-Dollarization: Russia Is On The Verge Of Dealing A Massive Blow To The Petrodollar Is College Worth A Lifetime Of Debt? Student Debt Reaches Critical Tipping Point At $1.2 Trillion As Annual Price Increases Enter The Moment Of Truth.


Odds ‘n Sods:

For those of you who are fans of Isac Asimov, this is nothing new. The technology level in our daily utilitarian appliances is advancing fast and some, such as cars, could really be called robots without blinking an eye. As artificial intelligence increases in these appliances, this now becomes an issue that must be dealt with, but how? The Mathematics of Murder: Should a Robot Sacrifice Your Life to Save Two?. – T.P. o o o Krayton Kerns – The Magic of Wool. o o o Did ATF’s Determination on NICS Checks Open the Door for Manufacture of New Machineguns …



Notes for Thursday – May 15, 2014:

WooHoo! The one year countdown to the release of the long-delayed movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Max:_Fury_Road has begun! o o o Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), 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, Two cases of Mountain House …


Survival and Prepping in a Homeowner’s Association, by M.B. – Part 2

Homeowner associations, property owner associations (POAs), planned unit developments (PUDs), or common interest developments (CIDS) may be in a unique position to take advantage of local planning, control, management, and oversight in providing both essential and recreational services to the members they represent, especially in times of disaster or severe economic downturns. The HOA should follow, at a minimum, the Community Associations Institute “Model Code of Ethics” for HOA Board members, which follows: “Board members should: Strive at all times to serve the best interests of the association as a whole regardless of their personal interests. Use sound judgment to …


Letter Re: Survival and Prepping in a Homeowner’s Association

Hugh, This article, while I am sure sincere, read like a property builders happy brochure. To think that HOA board members are any more responsive than the Elites in Government(s), is a fool’s dream. Let me put forth my experience with an HOA. I owned a modest, 2 bedroom, 1 bath half plex in a bedroom community of Sacramento. When I moved in, the dues were $75 a month, and for that sum, the HOA mowed my lawn-in front. My home had no backyard, although the rest of the complex had nicely fenced backyards. When I asked why I was …


Economics and Investing:

“Fundamental Imbalance”: The GAO’s visualization of our long-term budget crisis. – G.P. o o o Slavering Wolves of Inflation. – H.L. o o o Items from The Economatrix: If Economic Cycle Theorists Are Correct, 2015 To 2020 Will Be Pure Hell For The United States Global debt enters terminal velocity mode: Why central banks have no intention of slowing their public and private debt binge. U.S. retailers probably had decent showing in April


Odds ‘n Sods:

JWR was recently interviewed by the folks at The Daily Coin podcast. The half-hour interview covered a wide range of preparedness topics. o o o Best concealed carry handguns. – B.R. o o o Policing for Profit? Lawmakers, advocates raise alarm at growing gov’t power to seize property – H.L. While the civil confiscation and forfeiture looks cool on TV, it affects real people and the Georgia Sheriffs Association should be ashamed of their stance that curbing that law would reduce the profitability of upholding the law. What makes them different from the thugs they police in that situation? o …



Notes for Wednesday – May 14, 2014:

Don’t forget Ready Made Resources Sale ends today! o o o Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), 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, Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, …


Survival and Prepping in a Homeowner’s Association, by M.B. – Part 1

As federal, state, local, and county governments reel under the weight of reduced tax revenues, declining productivity, and impossible “unfunded liabilities” (pensions, entitlements and health–welfare services), many communities are only able to continue to operate and maintain their facilities and infrastructure due in whole or in part to self-governed Homeowner Associations (HOAs). “The fastest growing form of housing in the United States today is Common-interest developments (CIDs), a category that includes planned-unit developments of single-family homes, condominiums, and cooperative apartments. Since 1964, homeowner associations have become increasingly common in the USA. The Community Associations Institute trade association estimated that HOAs …


Letter Re: Low Calorie Diet

Hugh, In response to the low calorie diet, I would like to put my wife’s experience as an example. She is allergic to wheat and as such has converted to a paleo diet. Google “paleo” if you have wheat issues. In her case when going off the high sugar, starch, and carb diets she experienced the weak and low energy days too. However, as her body adapted to it in about 3 or four days she felt normal. Your body will adjust and “retool” to the new foods as well as the lower calorie intake. You may not have stayed …


Letter Re: Letter on Harassment of Front Lawn Farmers

HJL, In Victorian times, front lawn vegetable gardens were common, even within towns and villages. The way it was done was to use curving, attractive beds where the vegetables were interplanted with flowers, with the mixed beds surrounding patches of lawn. This can also make for good OPSEC: carrots and cosmos have similar leaves, cherry tomatoes do not require staking and are unobtrusive when interplanted with similarly colored low growing flowers. Lettuces, spinach and other greens can also be gracefully scattered about. Most of the harassment of suburbanites who are farming their front lawns appears to be due to aesthetics. …


Economics and Investing:

Rise of American Expatriation. – Divorcing America. – S.B. o o o The Writing Is On The Wall… And We Should All Read It – H.L. o o o Items from The Economatrix: The Next Shoe Drops Just 2 Days After The Last One IRS Audited Tea Party Donors Ten Times More Often Than Regular Americans “Capital” As Seen By An Austrian Economist


Odds ‘n Sods:

Mayors Feel Misled, Quitting Bloomberg’s Gun-Control Group Comment From JWR: I hate to sound so endlessly perturbed about millionaire former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s flawed political plaything called Mayors Against Illegal Guns, but the whole concept of his cabal really grates me. Granted, mayors are entitled to hold personal opinions, but that is not what they are elected to do. They are public servants hired to administrate legislation and rulings from city councils, who represent the will of their masters, the voters. They are NOT legislators. They are paid administrators elected to do our bidding. They are not tasked with envisioning …