Year: 2015

Economics and Investing:

Wow! What the Rite Aid deal means for Walgreens and the future of retail healthcare Walgreens acquiring Rite-Aid means that they will now control 41% of the pharmacy market. CVS already controls 58% of the market. How is that good for health care? Sent in by RBS o o o Items from The Economics Team: Our Debt Continues to Increase: The Boehner-Obama Deal (CNS News) Time to Use Threats of Default and Shut-Down to Reduce Spending (My Way) Weak U.S. Business Spending Plans Signal Slower Economic Times Coming (Reuters) The Bull Run in Stocks is Perilous (Market Watch) Orders for …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From Frank (of Frank and Fern): Animated Refugee Map Very interesting to see where they are coming from and where they are going. It would be very interesting to have one like it of this country. It might surprise a few folks. o o o Speaking of immigrants: SurvivalBlog reader B.B. sent in this link showing Immigrants FLOODING Into US At Rate Of 3 LAs Per Year o o o Reader JFJ also sent in a link to American Thinker that gives us 13 reasons why we should not admit Muslim ‘refugees’. o o o Do you wonder why so …



Notes for Thursday – October 29, 2015

October 29th is the birthday of Vermont Garrison, fighter pilot, an American who fought in three wars– WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was born in 1915 and died February 14, 1994, in Mountain Home, Idaho. This is also the birthday of World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin (born 1921, died January 22, 2003). o o o I just noticed that Ted Koppel’s nonfiction book Lights Out just hit #9 on Amazon.com. From all reports it definitely looks worth reading. I just wish that he had selected a more original title. David Crawford’s post-EMP novel, also titled Lights Out, definitely has …


Survival Electronics- Part 2, by K.A.

Fire Fire for heat and cooking can also be very important to survival. Enter the USB-rechargeable cigarette lighter. Note there are two versions of an electronic lighter: one which is an “arc” lighter that generates a small electric current and requires the material to be lit be passed through the beam and is loud like a tazer (definitely try these first before buying) and another which is a resistance-coil version that requires the item to be lit to be pressed into the hot coil. While the author feels a good old-fashioned firesteel is more reliable in the wilderness, sometimes you …


Letter Re: Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

Hugh, If the purpose is having a year’s supply of food in a root cellar for the next 25 years “just in case” that you never intend to eat until doomsday, the Mountain House products are less expensive and a lot less work, since you can just store the cans after you receive them and forget about them. I got my Harvest Right mainly because I was throwing away too much really good food. I don’t grow my own but buy from local organic growers. There is always more than I can eat before it spoils, and one point Harvest …


Economics and Investing:

Big Business Has No Community Or Country Loyalty – So Buy Local – RBS o o o The Worse Things Get For You, The Better They Get For Wall Street, Sent in by J.Q. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Empty Malls in China? A Lesson in Excess Capacity (Zero Hedge) House Conservative Leaders Say It’s Too Late to Prevent a Debt Ceiling Hike (Reuters) Economic Outlook Strongest Predictor of Immigration Views (Gallup) Record Number of Americans Sell Blood Plasma to Make Ends Meet (Zero Hedge) Debt in China: Deleveraging Delayed (The Economist)


Odds ‘n Sods:

I stumbled upon this interesting video from Latvia that illustrates just how long a well-prepared buried cache can remain intact: WW2 Unbelievable airtight container find. My favorite item was the explosive lump of fake coal. (Designed to blow up steam locomotives.) Cool. As Slim Pickens would say: “Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas, with all that stuff!” – JWR o o o Hobby Lobby dared to push back on Obamacare, and Obama will make them pay: Feds Investigate Hobby Lobby Boss for Illicit Artifacts. Sent in by T.P. o o o We normally don’t say …



Notes for Wednesday – October 28, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 61 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value), A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. …


Survival Electronics- Part 1, by K.A.

Many preppers seem to think that a catastrophe would automatically cause society to revert to the 1800’s and that no electronics will survive. This unspoken assumption is not necessarily accurate, since there are a number of ways in which electronics can survive a crisis and play an important role in a survival or SHTF situation, particularly for short- and medium-term or local situations, such as storms, fires, or when forced to evacuate or go mobile. This article explores the advantages of some devices in various categories: physical needs, information, communications, and morale. Understanding Modern Lithium-ion Batteries Before we delve into …


Letter Re: Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

Dear Mr. Latimer, Having said that you have tried the home freeze dryer personally, I would like your opinion on a dilemma. If you could purchase Mountain House products at 70% off retail or spend the money on the dryer, which would you opt for? Thank you for your response and for all you and JWR do. – T.M. Hugh responds: Without question, I would choose the freeze dryer, but cost has very little to do with this decision. Practically all commercial freeze-dried foods have high sodium contents as well as other ingredients that we just don’t add to our …


Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog reader G.P. sent in this link to Town Hall explaining why central banks are accepting the risks of super-low rates. o o o Items from the Economics Team: 5 Minimalist Secrets to Saving Money (Simplicity Relished) China’s Fix for Falling Profits is Only Making Things Worse (Business Insider) The Data Isn’t Good: U.S. Companies Warn Recession is Coming (Zero Hedge) The Fed Can’t Raise Rates…But Must Pretend It Will (Mises Institute) 3M Plans to Cut 1,500 Jobs (Bloomberg Business) Weatherford International Plans 3,000 More Job Cuts by End of 2015 (Fuel Fix) o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: …



Odds ‘n Sods:

Have you noticed the growing potholes in the roads lately? It’s not your imagination. Reader G.P. sent this in: To save money, states give up on repairing some rural roads o o o From GJM: Eat ALL Your Dining-Out Meals In Red-State Restaurants, and Let Blue-State Disarmed Communist Serf Restaurants Serve “From Each Cook and Server According To Abilities, To Each Patron According To His Needs”, and bring a gun! Help improve probity and courtesy among those with Blue-State habits! Freedom-embracing Indiana Restaurant Gives 25% Discount To All Gun-Packing CCW Patrons! (Editor’s warning: NSA/DHS Facebook account required to view the …