Economics and Investing:

K.A.F. sent us this: Financial regulators planning worldwide rules for large firms Jim Rogers advises silver, tractors, and rice. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.) J.D.D. flagged this: Drowning Homeowners Face ‘Tsunami‘ Damon S. forwarded this PDF link: Optometrists encouraged to barter. Items from The Economatrix: How to Prepare for the Bond Market Bust Securitized Mortgage Debt: The Shot That Will Kill Many Financial Entities Currency Wars: The Phantom Financial Menace Gold Versus Treasuries: Which Do You Believe? $5,000 Gold = $100-$350 Silver — Here’s Why The Fed’s Zero-Rate Policy is Destroying America Recession Job Losses Worse Than First Thought


Odds ‘n Sods:

R.F.J. flagged an article about a Building Made from Recycled Phone Books.    o o o Reader Bob. H. mentioned that the Rite in the Rain web site has downloadable graph paper among other templates. OBTW, many Rite in the Rain waterproof paper products are available from Ready Made Resources. (One of SurvivalBlog’s loyal sponsors.)    o o o Pain rolling in for tire buyers, retailers. Our thanks to Ben S. for the link.)    o o o David H. pointed us to this: Neat Lightweight Bow/Rifle Scabbard for Bicycles/Motorcycles


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It isn’t going to be a world filled with mutant biker gangs, nor will there be blood thirsty zombies. No thermal nuclear wasteland, no empty cities. Nothing that Hollywood said it would be like. All we need to do is look at countries that have succumbed to an economic disaster already. For example look at Argentina…” – Ray Gano, How I Believe The Dollar Will Die.


Note from JWR:

Today we present two entries for Round 31 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include: First Prize: A.) 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of …


Non-Electronic Navigation, by Noil

In the modern world more and more people are dependent upon their electronic devices to get them from point A to point B. But what happens when those devices stop working? It can happen either through a natural cause such as a geomagnetic storm, or something man-made like electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a terrorist [cyber] attack, or war. What the majority of people do not realize is that the GPS satellite network is owned and operated by the US Department of Defense. In a case of martial law or an act of war on US soil, civilian access to GPS may …


Suburban Survival Revisited, by The Suburban 10

In April 2010 I submitted “Suburban Survival”. a set of ten steps I was going implement in order to get ready for TEOTWAWKI. Boy… did I underestimate the power and importance of survialblog.com! First and foremost I thank all of you who responded and gave a cold slap of reality. I thought I was going to be in good shape, but now my view and attitude are vastly different. How did it change? It really started when I bought and read Jim’s survival book. It offers solid fundamentals and interesting insight that I am adapting to my particular situation. My …


Guest Article: Using Expired Medications – Antibiotics and Antiviral Medications – Part 1, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

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My first guest post on SurvivalBlog.com generated an abundance of questions and concerns.  Among the most popular was that of using medications beyond their expiration date.  Are they safe?  Are they effective?  It’s easy enough for me to say I think it’s safe, but is there any science to support my opinion?  I spent the week looking into the facts, and found some fascinating information. To start with, just what is a drug expiration date?  In short, the date (required since 1979) does not indicate when a drug goes bad, but rather a date through which the drug is guaranteed …


Letter Re: Self Sufficiency Christmas Gifts on a Budget

Just a note to Richard C. and others who are interested in creating books from public-domain sources. I think it’s a great idea to give knowledge as a gift, especially in the form of books. However, I’m not sure that Richard’s plan is an economical one. Most people have ink-jet printers, with high cost ink cartridges. Plus the added danger of the risk of fading and lack of water-fastness in most ink-jet inks might make the information unusable for the long term. Another option is using a laser printer, which will deliver a lower cost per page and will have …


Economics and Investing:

RBS mentioned the Foreclosure Rate Heat Map Gerald W. spotted this piece that confirms what SurvivalBlog readers heard several months ago: Government Prepares To Seize Private Pensions From G.G.: One third of Britons don’t have enough savings to survive just Five Days out of work Items from The Economatrix: Banking Collapse Scenarios Fall/Winter 2010 Why You (Probably) Need More Gold Pay Garnishments Rise as Debtors Fall Behind US Housing Market Faces New Threat from Foreclosure Row World Financial System Not Sustainable Dollar Depreciation and the Higher Cost of Living Earnings Reports Push Stocks Higher, Dow Up 76 Wall Street Begins …


Odds ‘n Sods:

J.A.B. (now on active duty in Germany) sent this: Secret Bundesbank bunker opens to public    o o o It comes down to maintenance: The owner of a 1928 Rolls-Royce Picadilly P1 Roadster died at age 102–the ultimate “one owner” car. (Thanks to Jason M. for sending this item.)    o o o Beheaded in Arizona: That “South of the Border” violence is here.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“….Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more. As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man There are only four things certain since Social Progress began. That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire, And the burnt Fool’s bandaged finger goes wabbling …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 31 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include: First Prize: A.) 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of …


Learning Traditional Skills, by R.I.P.

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There is only one sure thing about plans: at some point they have a good chance of failing. Not necessarily because the plans were faulty, but because it is nearly impossible to plan for everything. The universe has a way of ensuring that we get to experience the widest range of possibilities. So what if, after all your preparing, storing food, water, fuel, fortress etc., etc, what if you suddenly do not have access to all of that? We don’t have to go through all the ways that this might happen, I’ll let your imagination work on that. So, could …


Letter Re: A Source for Free Firewood

Mr. Rawles, I wanted to express a word of caution about wooden pallets. The company I work for throws away many pallets each week and I had the same thought about using them as a free supplement for my wood burning stove. I am a biochemist so before burning any pallets the scientist in me needed to know more about what chemicals I might be exposing to my family. What I have learned is that many pallets, especially those used in international shipments are treated with a fungicide/pesticide called 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBE). This chemical can cause irritation of the skin, mucus …


Letter Re: The Really Poor Man’s Guide to Arms and Ammo

Mr Rawles, First off, I must say that I enjoyed your book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It”. My perspective on firearms comes from an Infantry (though National Guard) mindset. I hope after a little editing this is worth posting for the Really Poor Man. My friends and I are in our mid- to late-20s, with incomes between $12 and $14 an hour. One has 3 kids and a wife, another has bills (car note payments) and all of us try to find time and have money for limited recreation. When dealing especially with …