Economics and Investing:

Greg sent us this: FDIC Considers Borrowing From Treasury to Shore Up Deposit Insurance Chaz liked this one: The U.S. Balance Sheet: Households See Net Worth Down by $12 Trillion Since Peak and Total Debt Floating in the Market of $33 Trillion Items from The Economatrix: Housing, Jobless Data Point to a Slow Economic Recovery Stocks Zigzag After Rally as Jobless Claims Dip FedEx First Quarter Profits Fall, Sees Improving Economy Oil Edges Higher on Hints of Economic Improvement Paul’s “Audit The Fed” Bill One Co-Sponsor Away from Being Veto Proof A Deluded G-20 Odds ‘n Sods: Federal Judge Rules …



Notes from JWR:

In answer to those of you that have asked: Please wait until “Book Bomb” Day — September 30th — to place your order for my forthcoming nonfiction book, “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times”. Dealers won’t be able to ship it until then, anyway. With the Book Bomb event, I hope to drive the book’s sales rank into Amazon’s Top 100, overall. Because of the strength of the pre-orders (even though I’ve asked people to delay ordering!) Penguin Books has increased the size of the first press …


Squeezing Efficiency Out of Every Second of Your Workday to Provide Quality Relaxation Time, by KAF

Yes, I actually said relaxation. Are you finding yourself overwhelmed with chores, or frazzled and just flat out fatigued trying to accomplish everything you must do in a workday on the homestead? I have recently lost my right arm support on my homestead. As all of you know who are practicing “prepper’s” of self-sufficiency, the Fall season, which by the way is my favorite, is almost equal to that of Spring in the number and intensity of the tasks and chores that must be performed in order to keep your slice of heaven on earth in sequence of the time …


Economics and Investing:

“Option” mortgages to explode, officials warn. (This is not a news flash for SurvivalBlog readers–I first warned you about this in March of ’07, and several times since.) A picture is worth a thousand words. BTW, I have found that this chart link is very useful to send to any deluded relatives who have bought into the lie that the real estate market has “bottomed” and that are planning to buy back into the market. US residential real estate is presently a playground for idiotic contrapreneurs. The very earliest that real estate could turn around in the US is 2013, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large, sent a link to a fascinating web page about vehicular Cuban boat people. Talk about improvisation and ingenuity!    o o o FG sent a sixteen-second long YouTube video that shows the level of firearms competence that a 13 year-old girl is capable of. (The pinging noises are hits.) Are your teenagers her equal? If not, then get them to the range more often, and schedule some training!    o o o Frequent content contributor FG sent this news of “Clunkers” program that I agree with: Purchase a new SIG-Sauer P220, P226, P229, …



Note from JWR:

Today’s entry is brief, as we prepare for a small family memorial gathering to honor the life of my late wife Linda (“The Memsahib”) who passed away last weekend. My sincere thanks to the 40+ readers that have made Linda Rawles Memorial Fund contributions to benefit the Anchor Orphanage and School in Zambia. (Linda’s favorite charity.) God bless you!


Economics and Investing:

More trade war rumblings: China Condemns U.S. Tariffs on Tires as ‘Protectionism‘. (Our thanks to KAF for the link.) Reader Laura H. mentioned: In 2009, US public debt will be approximately 90% of GDP “In 2009, US public debt will be approximately 90% of GDP. It will quickly approach and surpass 100% of GDP in the near future.” Items from The Economatrix: Getting Better Bargains Easier in this Economy Government Home Loan Agency Faces Cash Squeeze. “The Federal Housing Administration said Friday that its financial cushion will sink below mandatory levels for the first time in its history, but officials …


Odds ‘n Sods:

An average of once per day, I get forwarded “warning” e-mails about two essentially mythical legislative threats: SB-2099 and HR-45. Let me clear up some misunderstandings: SB 2099 is dead in committee, and is a piece of Illinois state legislation (not Federal), with no co-sponsors. HR-45 (a.k.a. The Blair Holt bill) is an actual bill before the US House of Representatives but it is similarly dead in committee, with no co-sponsors. (See the last two paragraphs of its Snopes article. BTW, I consider it horribly disingenuous of the leftist Snopes editors to bury this information at the bottom of the …



Linda Rawles Memorial Fund Donations

Before her recent death, my wife Linda (“The Memsahib”) asked that any memorial donations be made to her favorite charity, Anchor of Hope Charities, the main sponsor of the Anchor Institute, a Christian school and orphanage in rural Zambia. It is a very deserving charity, with hardly any overhead expenses. You can make a tax-deductible donation via PayPal, credit card, or by check. See the via PayPal/credit card page, or the mailing address for checks at the Anchor of Hope Charities Donation Page. Thanks for supporting this worthy charity! May God Bless You.


Economics and Investing:

Pete A. spotted this one: Map: Household incomes by state. Look for some coming shifts in this map as the recession cum depression deepens. I think that the steepest declines in come will be on the coasts and in The Rust Belt. But a lot of my Recommended Retreat Areas may do better. From Krys W.: US credit shrinks at Great Depression rate prompting fears of double-dip recession Items from The Economatrix: Money Market Funds No Longer Guaranteed. “… the US Government will no longer guarantee Money Market Funds. The key points are that the smart money is getting out …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A reader mentioned a new web site that is worth a look: The Biblical View of Self-Defense    o o o Andrew D. suggested this from Popular Mechanics: Off-the-Grid Living – Self Reliance Through Home Solar and Wind Power and Farming    o o o FG flagged this: Sheriff’s Department Responds to Sonic Device Outrage. Another article notes ” The device was stationed by San Diego County Sheriff deputies at a recent town hall forum hosted by Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) in Spring Valley and at a subsequent town hall with Congressman Darrell Issa (R-San Diego).” [JWR’s comment: I …