Economics and Investing:

Ex-Cop Loses Bank as Dutch Critic Spurs Withdrawals. (A tip of the hat to Karen H. for the link.) Jonathan H. flagged this: DOW 10,000!!!! Oh Wait, Make That 7,537. Jonathan’s comment: Due to reduced buying power, the current DJIA at 10,000 is equivalent to only 75% of when the DJIA went through 10,000 a decade ago. Additionally,back then $10,000 would have bought 30 ounces of gold; now its only 10 ounces. Items from The Economatrix: California Bank Becomes 99th Closure Financial Meltdown in the Decade of Greed Food Giants Cut Back on Size But Price Remains the Same Bankers …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader CPK pointed us to a video clip of an amazing snow vehicle concept from the 1920s that ought to be revived.    o o o Courtesy of Cheryl: Record October Cold Has Folks Scrambling to Winterize.    o o o Reader Phil E. suggested a fascinating account of Jews hiding out in caves in the Ukraine, during WWII, to survive the Holocaust. Greater detail can be found in the book The Secret of Priest’s Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story.    o o o H.H. sent us this news blurb from oh-so-politically-correct western Oregon: Apartment residents told to take down …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“For what glory [is it], if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” – 1 Peter 2:20-21 (KJV)


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 25 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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.) and C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.) Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing …


Square Foot Gardening, by N.C. Gardener

Everyone that has food storage should have a garden to supplement it.  For people that don’t have the acreage or live in cities a Square Foot Garden (SFG) is perfect. We need the nutrients and variety that can be provided with fresh fruits and vegetables.   Think how nice it would be to have a tomato sandwich with lettuce or make a small batch of fresh salsa.  Tomatoes, cilantro, salt and onions makes cornmeal go from cornbread to chips and salsa. The SFG web site has all the information you need to build and care for your garden. I also recommend …


Three Letters Re: Perspectives on Roughing It and Covert Car Camping

Hi Jim, That was a great letter from Jolly but I’d like to add a couple of things. Jolly says ‘never, ever’ sleep at an highway rest stop. I guess that depends on where you are. In the last few years Texas has built some absolutely beautiful rest stops with clean bathrooms, vending machines, etc. that are manned 24 hours a day. They encourage sleeping there (better that than fatigued drivers on the road). I asked the people at one if it would be okay to sleep in my car – they replied that yes, it would be perfectly okay …


Two Letters Re: Abandonment of the Dollar is a Premature Rumor

Dear Editor: This civil debate on the status of the Dollar–and thanks, by the by, for keeping things civil on your blog–all comes down to a matter of not “if”, but just “when.” The United States Dollar will soon be dead meat. Finis. See this article: Reckoning Day for US Dollar Coming Next Year. We just need to ask: will the[definitive] end [for the dollar’s dominant reserve status] come in six months, or six years? So, no matter when, I’m hedging by building up my stash of silver and lead. (The kind that goes “bang.”) Since I’m still paying off …


Economics and Investing:

Dollar hit on Fed’s signal of low rates. Meeting minutes show Fed has strong lean to more debt monetization. (Thanks to GG for the link.) Brian H. sent us a link to a piece in Zero Hedge. that quotes Money magazine: “Now 5 institutions hold 97% of the notional value [face amount] and 88% of the market value in derivatives, and they are all basically in the same business and all basically hedge with each other. It is not a true hedge when the other side can’t pay, and history has clearly proven how easy it is for the other …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Nona mentioned that the North Dakota State University Extension Service has plans for everything from bee hives and rabbit hutches to deep well water systems for your house, to vegetable cellars. You can download the 8-1/2″ x 11″ format plans as free PDF files, or order 18″ x 24″ blueprints for $4.    o o o The new AsaMom web site (“A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots”) has been growing at a phenomenal rate, thanks in part to a prominent mention on the Glenn Beck program. Check it out.    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The right of self-defense is the first law of nature; in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever standing armies are kept up, and when the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.” – Henry St. George Tucker, in Blackstone’s 1768 Commentaries on the Laws of England



Getting Prepared for EMP or a Solar Storm, by David in Israel

Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) of the regional effect scale is a threat during times of potential crisis with a megaton class nuclear equipped foe who also has near-space launch capability for these weapons. An EMP-like event of greater strength and duration is also possible during extreme solar flare events. These types of event are caused by ionospheric excitation of the upper atmosphere by subatomic particles and plasma ejected from a massive solar discharge, this motion in the conductive plasma generates massive amounts of radio waves. An antenna is any conductor of electricity which inductively converts radio waves into voltage, usually grabbing …


From Michael Z. Williamson: M4 Carbine Failures in Afghanistan Likely Due to High Rate of Fire

Dear Jim, The alleged failure of M4s in Afghanistan is being discussed on my forum and others. The story so far seems to be that when troops fired enough rounds [in a very short period of time] to overheat the weapons, they jammed. This is true of any weapon. Of course, circumstances may dictate that this happen, but it is not a design defect. The M4 is a carbine, not a light machineguns. It’s akin to blaming the HMMWV for having bad armor, when it was designed as a light truck. This site has some details, and a link to …


Three Letters Re: Abandonment of the Dollar is a Premature Rumor

James Wesley, Regarding the oil-denominated-in-dollars flurry, two important points must be noted. First, dollar denominated contracts can be immediately hedged in foreign exchange markets (FOREX) even before the oil is pumped out of the ground. The oil barons aren’t stuck holding their dollars any longer than they can call a FOREX desk or sovereign Treasury department (3/4 of the world’s oil is owned by governments, not Exxon/Chevron/etc.) The more important point of dollar-denominated oil contracts is dollar prestige. Documents from the Federal Reserve show that Arthur Burns not only was interfering with the gold markets three decades ago, but the …


Economics and Investing:

Karen H. mentioned this sobering piece, also subsequently sent in by several other readers: Foreclosures: ‘Worst three months of all time’ The latest from Dr. Housing Bubble: A Comprehensive Look at the Southern California Housing Market: 60,000 Properties Listed on the MLS but over 100,000 in Shadow Inventory. California and Nationwide Median Home Price Trends since 1968. Say Good-Bye to Option ARMs. Also from Karen: Dollar to Hit 50 Yen, Cease as Reserve IRS Intensifies Global Hunt for Secret Offshore Bank Accounts Desperate Dollar Heading to the Basement. (BTW, they concur with my comments on the USDI‘s crucial support level: …