Economics and Investing:

GG flagged this piece by Tyler Durden, over at Zero Hedge: Why Are Silver Sales Soaring? That is significant news. Think about it: Annualized, that means that effectively, the entire US silver mining production is being devoted to producing Silver Eagles planchets. The law of supply and demand is inescapable. So I’m I standing by my long term price predictions for silver. Also from GG: 33 states out of money to fund jobless benefits. Reader Chad S. notes: The Federal government deems all $5, $10 and $20 Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) minted before the 1996 series to be unfit for …


Odds ‘n Sods:

 The latest from Nanny State Britannia: Caravanner, 61, prosecuted for having Swiss Army knife in his glovebox… to cut up fruit on picnics.    o o o Meanwhile, in the Land of the Free, we read these two news items: Heat builds on both sides of open-carry gun debate and Arizona to allow concealed weapons without permit.    o o o J.D.D. sent this: Single Mom Uses Straw to Build This Week’s Greenhouse for $500.    o o o Ferd forwarded this: Earthquake in Tibet – Amazing Photo Gallery



Note from JWR:

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 HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Federal 5.56mm XM193 55 Grain FMJ ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. …


Letter Re: Questions on Long Term Gun Storage

Sir, I have a secure retreat with a hidden cache that I visit very infrequently. I plan to keep half of my guns there. What is the best way to long term (3-5+ years between checks) store firearms? Specifically, Glock pistols and Springfield Armory M1A rifles. This system will be shared with others who have some other pieces (M1911s and AR-15s), but, as they are not the agreed upon group [standard] arms, they are less of a concern from a standard preservation system standpoint. Light, humidity, and temperature can probably be regulated to whatever is necessary. JWR Replies: The precautions …


Letter Re: The Westchester Burglaries as a Home Security Lesson

James, I found this article interesting: Professional Gang On Burglary Spree In Westchester. The homeowners spend so much money on their houses (prices start at $600,000) but fail to install any kind of security system. The other thing I thought about while reading this is that there are people who don’t take the threat of gangs seriously during a TEOTWAWKI event. Yet here is a professional gang breaking into affluent homes during ‘peaceful’ times. What do people think these gangs will be like when there’s no electricity? No grocery store? No fuel? The mantra is as always: hope, and pray, …


Economics and Investing:

EMB sent us this: Bank for International Settlements: Brace for Impact Items from The Economatrix: Markets Could Be Derailed Again, Warns Soros New Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Rise By 24,000 Bernanke: US Unemployment Likely to Remain High During “Recovery” Going For Broke In L.A.? SEC Accuses Goldman Sachs of Defrauding Investors Stocks Tumble as Goldman Charged with Civil Fraud Impact of Volcanic Ash Surfacing for US Businesses The Latest Friday Follies: Regulators Shutter 5 Banks; Total for 2010 Now 47 Housing Construction Points to Market Recovery




Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 28 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 HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of …


The Broke Survivalist, A Learning Experience, by Vaerity

I’m hoping that by sharing my experience, I can provide information that can help others in similar situations. When uninformed people think of a “survivalist”, I am most definitely not what comes to mind. I’m a twenty-four year old female, who wears makeup, has several pairs of comfortable (thrift store) designer jeans and a Creative Writing education from Johns Hopkins University. I have four cats, and live in a tiny inexpensive apartment in North Carolina. However, little do they know, my education hasn’t simply been gained from traditional schooling. About two years ago, I found that it was getting much …


Letter Re: Demographics and Population Density Map Resources

Mr. Rawles: I’ve seen a few posts mentioning Population Density maps, but what I’ve seen so far doesn’t let you really drill into a particular geographic region. Webfoot has population density maps (among other demographics) based on the 2000 census, and using Google Maps. With webfoot you can drill down to a city level and get a good granular picture of an area, instead of inferring density from a static, US-wide map. It can be a little slow to load, but the wait is worth it. So if you’re like me, and trapped in the Northeast, you can use this …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Steve C. sent this: Foreclosure Rates Surge, Biggest Jump in Five Years The editors of The Daily Bell alerted us to this news article: Expert: Bear Market Can Last for Another Five Years Ray T. suggested this: IMF Prepares For Global Cataclysm, Expands Backup Rescue Facility By Half A Trillion For “Contribution To Global Financial Stability” Items from The Economatrix: Rise in Jobless Claims Underscore Wobbly Recovery Stocks Edge Higher on Mixed Reports, UPS Outlook Low Stock Market Volume: It’s Even Weaker Than You Think Oil Jumps to $86 a Barrel Treasurys Slump After Bernanke, Beige Book Bond Report …


Odds ‘n Sods:

T.B. mentioned that a map of natural hazard mortality in the United States has been produced. The map gives a county-level representation of the likelihood of dying as the result of natural events such as floods, earthquakes or extreme weather.    o o o The Deflation flags are still flying: Wal-Mart Bets on Reduction in Prices. (A hat tip to Chad S. for the link.)    o o o Reader Brian B. sent this from The Daily Iowan: Gun Law Stirs Controversy    o o o Sometimes, the small trend indicators can have great significance: U-Haul tracking data suggests more …