Letter Re: Hawaii-Specific Disaster Preparations

Jim, Greetings from another SurvivalBlog newbie. I discovered your site back in the spring of this year and all I could say then was “Wow! I think I’ve found a home!” I’ve been lurking here ever since. I’d been wandering in the wilderness of flame-filled newsgroups and not-quite-filling-enough survival/self-reliance publications since the days of “Survival Tomorrow”, nearly thirty years ago. Back then, I mostly spent time just collecting information on various survival topics while making only small, half-hearted preparations. At last, here is a site that has revived my slumbering interest in the disaster preparedness movement and inspired my wife …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Peter D. recommended a great article on CDOs and their impact on the world economy, written from the perspective of a market insider.    o o o Stephen in Iraq set us this: Canada’s Dollar Nears Parity on U.S. Weakness, Commodity Surge    o o o Thank to Dave R. and Bruce A., who both sent us this: International credit derivatives expert asserts that the current credit crunch is just the beginning. A big bear is looming.    o o o Take a look at this delightful web site and sporadically-written blog by a lady that is a SurvivalBlog reader: …



Note from JWR:

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Letter Re: Estimate on the Likelihood of an Economic Depression or Full-Scale Collapse?

Jim, I know you get a lot of mail so I’ll be brief. I highly value your information and input on the current economy. I also have read your book “Patriots”, and your current assessment of our economy’s future terrifies me. What are the probable chances of this turning into a worse case scale as seen in your novel? Even if it is not worse case, I have no idea what a Moderate case would look like. Your wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.- William JWR Replies: In the context of America’s current economic situation (namely, the implosion of …


Letter Re: Les Stroud (aka “Survivorman”) Off-Grid Living Videos

James, I’m not sure if you’ve mentioned this series before, but on YouTube there is a video series called “Off the Grid” hosted by Les Stroud of Survivorman fame. He moves his family out of the city and into the country in search of an off-the-grid home and lifestyle. It’s a fairly realistic look and (I think) good introduction to what it would take to make the jump to living in the country and self-sufficiently. The other videos in the series can be found linked from the first page, or just search for “Off the Grid”. Hope you enjoy this, …


Letter Re: The Versatile Propane-Fired Turkey Deep Fryer

James: So here is a cheap, useful item for your preparations: The “turkey deep fryer” kits that sell for around $100 as [the U.S.] Thanksgiving [holiday] gets closer are perfect for all kinds of disaster-related tasks. They often sell for even less on the day after the holiday. The typical kit comes with a large, high-powered propane burner with stand, a 5 gallon stainless kettle, lid, a large thermometer, and often and assortment of pans and perforated steaming/frying inserts. You can boil 5 gallons of water in about 20 minutes with one of these, and they are perfect for steaming …


Odds ‘n Sods:

According to Bill Bonner, editor of The Daily Reckoning, house price over-valuation is not unique to the US. In the U.K., Bonner said, house prices are 20% overvalued. He opines that Britain is one of the three most vulnerable to a house price crash/correction (after New Zealand and Denmark).    o o o By way of SHTF Daily come this article from Australia: US rate cut decried as ‘socialism for Wall Street’    o o o Reader Dave F. told us about an interesting new bullpup stock available for M1A and M14 rifles. If they provide a decent trigger pull …



The Fed’s Monetization Madness: A Word of Warning

I’m sure that most of you remember back in the first week of August when CNBC market analyst Jim Cramer was screaming hysterically: “Open the discount window!” Well, it seems that Bernanke and Company have done exactly what he asked. As of the past week, commercial banks are now taking $2.7 billion in loans per day from the Federal Reserve discount window. With just this lending from the discount window, the increase in the U.S. money supply has jumped to an annualized rate of more than 50%! I’ve said this before: The biggest red flag imaginable for pending economic catastrophe …


Letter Re: Build-it-Yourself Reflux Alcohol Still Plans Available Online

Mr. Rawles I’ve found the discussion of alcohol power and stills very interesting. Building a still has been something on my list of things to do, but I never seem to get around to making it happen. Here’s a link to [a PDF of] the [still building] plans I’d like to follow. The plans are concise, relatively simple and, best of all, free. I think the web site says you can build one of these for about $65, less if you have access to an inexpensive stainless steel milk can.- Tim R.



Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Update

The window is opening, but only for a short time. Consider the life expectancy of King and the Peasant, in times of great peril. Does it really matter who you are, financially? Sure, but not if you’re on the Titanic. You see, there are those out there both rich and poor that take their preparedness seriously, whether they research skills and topics till dawn’s early light or proactively practice with their supplies and equipment, but it will be all for not, because they are sailing on the Titanic. The only difference is the cost of their cabin! But either way …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Joe. P. picked up (via The Drudge Report) an interesting article about the ongoing oil drama that predicts crude oil at perhaps $100 per barrel    o o o Stephen in Iraq flagged this one: Morgan Stanley Profit Drops After Losses on LBO Loan    o o o After seeing my recent reference in the blog about the implications of the declining dollar, reader S.K. e-mailed me to mention that CDNN Sports recently received a large shipment of both Kahles scopes and binoculars, which are made in the Swarovski plant. Luckily, the pricing was set before the recent dollar exchange …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Once a nation parts with the control of its currency and credit, it matters not who makes the nations laws. Usury, once in control, will wreck any nation. Until the control of the issue of currency and credit is restored to government and recognized as its most sacred responsibility, all talk of the sovereignty of parliament and of democracy is idle and futile.” – William Lyon Mackenzie King (1874-1950) Prime Minister of Canada, 1935