Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers sent us this one: Morgan Stanley Issues Full US Recession Alert. I could see why it looks like a recession to them…. Stephen in Iraq sent us this: $9.4 Billion Write-Down at Morgan Stanley–the firm reported the first quarterly loss in its 72-year history. Meanwhile, we read: Bear Stearns Posts 4Q Loss—the first loss in its 84-year history. Wow, they both made it through the Great Depression without posting losses. But now they are in the red. Billions of dollars in the red. We are experiencing times that are unprecedented within living memory.    o o o Thanks …



Note from JWR:

The bald eagles have returned here to the valley. We see a lot of them here each winter. In addition to fish, they enjoy finding road-killed deer. They aren’t picky eaters. In fact, some of our best “up close” eagle viewing is of the ones that are right next to the county road, typically sharing a road kill with a cluster of ravens. The ravens respectfully wait their turn.


Wider Implications of the Credit Crunch

The news on the financial front has gone from bad to worse. Eric S. sent us this: ECB lends $500 Billion to lower rates, and Stephen in Iraq found this article: Fed Loans Banks [Another] $20 Billion. And if that weren’t enough, K.L. in Alaska sent us this: ACA Capital Holdings Inc. was just de-listed by the New York Stock Exchange. K.L.”s comment was blunt: “[ACA Capital Holdings] is essentially bankrupt. It is one of the insurers of the financial instruments such as municipal bonds, hedge funds and CDOs that have been infected by toxic mortgages. These funds are becoming …


Two Letters Re: Ladies’ Supplies for Preparedness

Jim: Just a note to follow up on what a previous poster said about The Diva Cup and The Keeper: I have tried both and I prefer The Diva Cup by far, it seems to be a little more compact and therefore easier to use than The Keeper. I tried the SouthCoast Shopping link that was given a couple of times (and they have had the price of $17.50 for a long time now) but I usually seem to have some sort of problem on the site when I try to check out. Just be cautious. If you use www.mysimon.com …


Four Letters Re: Coping With Inflation–Some Strategies for Investing, Bartering, Dickering, and Survival

Jim: Great article. You say you have a stock of spices you bought in the 1980s, and this saves you money. As someone who gets a lot of pleasure from good food, I would caution that most spices lose much of their flavor in a short time, certainly within a few years, especially for typical herbs and powdered spices stored in jars as bought in supermarkets. Yours may be specially packed or stored, or selected long-life types. But for most people, as advised in the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, buying in moderate bulk makes more sense. A mail-order …


Letter Re: Credit Crisis Attracts Carpetbaggers from Europe

Jim, In your novel “Patriots” the UN and Europe’s storm troopers waited until [after] the collapse [to move in] but in reality they are not [waiting]. With foreign banks buying (or should I say trying to buy) US banks and larger euro banks trying to buy the sub prime loans from several sources and now they are trying to make us a new sweat shop because of our falling dollar. They are gobbling up all of the defaulting residential and commercial property that they can, to a the average person that looks at it they are helping, but no there …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Working with 12 VDC solar power–a teenager describes how he did it himself, in this YouTube video. And here is an update, filmed a year later–after he added a bus bar and a pair of deep cycle golf cart batteries.    o o o I noticed that Gun Parts Guy now has his FAL/L1A1 extractor tools back in stock. These are very well made–here in the States–and I highly recommend them.    o o o Anyone that thinks that they’ll be able to get by without backup power should read this: No Power for 10th Day for Some in Plains …



Note from JWR:

The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $170. The auction is for a scarce original 1980s-vintage Heckler und Koch 19mm Emergency Flare Launcher (EFL) aka “Notsignalgerät“ from my personal collection. It comes with three magazines and 28 scarce original German 19mm flares–10 red, 10 white, and 8 green. Together, this package is worth approximately $400. It is not classified as a “firearm” under Federal law. (Consult your state and local laws before bidding.) Sorry, no overseas bids will be accepted for this auction. This auction ends on January 15th. Please e-mail us your bids, in …


Letter Re: Communications in Times of Crisis

Hi Jim, In response to letter “Re: Communications in Times of Crisis”, I am a communications specialist and an electronic engineer with nearly 30 years in communications. Here are a few corrections to a very good post – some minor, some not: Typical UHF connectors will have approximately 0.5 dB loss, not 1.5dB (get rid of them if they do!). Many times it is preferable to buy your coax cable with installed connectors. There are a number of ham radio suppliers that will professionally install (and waterproof with sealant and heat shrink) good quality connectors to custom length cables. The …


Letter Re: Preparedness on a Very Tight Budget

Mr. Rawles I could not agree more that water and lots of it is the place to start for preparedness on any budget. I purchased DOT/UN/FDA certified closed-top 55 gallon drums which are made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) from my local Pepsi Bottler for 15 dollars each. I try to buy the white ones that contained lemon lime flavoring syrup so my water doesn’t taste like Dr. Pepper etc. They also sold me 15 and 5 gallon containers which I use to store rice, beans and other dry goods. The best deal I have found for purchasing bulk rice …


Letter Re: “Rambo” Actor Sylvester Stallone Talks TEOTWAWKI and Burmese Genocide in Interview

Jim: In the February 2008 issue of Soldier of Fortune magazine, Sylvester Stallone is interviewed in reference to his newest “Rambo” movie (scheduled for release on January 25th) which should shed some light on the ongoing persecution of the Karen [tribe] people by the Burmese government. He is quoted as follows: I really want something heartfelt, that’s about flesh and blood, and about how cruel man really is, if left alone. I believe that we’re not that far removed from being truly uncivilized. We say we’re civilized, but it wouldn’t take much, a breakdown in law enforcement, removal of the …


Letter Re: Inoculation Recommendations

James, Mike in Seattle made a good point on tetanus vaccine. Another consideration is that most emergency departments give Diphtheria/Tetanus if you come in with broken skin and you are ‘out of date’ on your Tetanus. If you go to your regular doctor, though, you should be able to get Diphtheria/Tetanus/Adult Pertussis (Whooping Cough). Most adults who were only vaccinated against Pertussis as children have little or no immunity. Pertussis is not as likely to kill you as an adult (unless you have underlying respiratory disease!), but it can sure take you out of action for a few weeks, and …


Letter Re: Ladies’ Supplies for Preparedness

Mr. Rawles, I’m a woman, and you know what that means – if I’m not currently pregnant, I’m going to bleed once a month. I know, you’re a guy, maybe you haven’t thought of this – but disposable menstrual products can be scary expensive. It can also be hard to discreetly dispose of them while moving fast, and they’ve got to be changed fairly often if you’re a heavy bleeder. It might be a good idea for women concerned about the future to invest in some form of reusable menstrual protection. I’m thinking specifically of a cup, such as DivaCup …