Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this: Household electricity bills skyrocket Also from G.G.: The Great California Exodus: A Closer Look In the red: From Stockton to Scranton, cities are going broke Kevin S. sent: EU heavyweights call for radical foreign and defence policy overhaul Items from The Economatrix: Financial Markets Tumble On News Of Unrest In Greece And Spain How High Oil Prices Will Permanently Cap Economic Growth Inflation Boogeyman Is Becoming Germany’s Worst Nightmare Nobel Winner Stiglitz Says Time Running Out For Europe’s Leaders Gerald Celente-The First Great War of the 21st Century Has Begun


Odds ‘n Sods:

Some good commentary at Joel’s Gulch: Thus conscience doth make honest men of us all.    o o o Bosko sent this: 15 Fascinating Observation Towers    o o o Diana V. spotted this: Study Reveals That 1 in 10 Teens Suffers from Liver Disease. Eat healthy foods, folks!    o o o Over at Backdoor Survival: The Coming Collapse of the Internet    o o o F.G. sent: Five-star survival: The floating Ark hotel that will protect you against a Noah-style flood. JWR’s Comments: Call me Mr. Dubious with a Capital D. This looks like a clear case of …



Notes from JWR:

My sincere thanks to everyone for making the Book Bomb Day for my latest book, Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse such a success. The book peaked at #4 overall, and #1 in the Action & Adventure category. I hope that you enjoy reading it. Here are some some booksellers that stock Founders (in alphabetical order–I’m not stating any preference, folks–feel free to order based on the best price, or from your favorite seller.): Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Powell’s Safecastle. (Their Buyer’s Club price is lower than Amazon’s.) — September 26th is the birthday of the late Jack LaLanne. …


Great Grandmother, The Prepper, by C.J.

I got a call from my mother the other day. She is the mother of six, grandmother to twelve and great-grandmother of three children.  She had just returned from a visit to one of my sibling’s homes.  She said, “You are right!  They are serious about this prepping stuff.  Tell me what to do.”  My mother’s revelation has been a long time in coming.  She is a devout Christian and a Bible teacher.  She believes that Jesus will return and scoop us all up to heaven, hopefully before the tribulation.  She is what she calls a “pre-trib” [rapture] believer.  I …


Fabric Choices in Survival Clothing, by Emma C.

Textiles surround us every day, yet they probably aren’t the first thing to come to mind when gathering survival gear. A quick web search gives lackluster results, focusing more on what kinds of tactical gear would be appropriate than the fabrics and types of clothing to look for and why. Obviously what to look for is based on several things. Do you live in a hot or cold climate? Will you be staying in your home, in a bunker, or traveling around? What’s your budget? And most of all, what makes you comfortable? If you live in cotton, a tight …


Letter Re: Lessons Learned From My Elders

James: As a five year old I lived with my grandparents in a small isolated village in the foothills of the Austrian Alps.  This was about 1953 until 1958.  Rural life had its own rhythm which now seemed more akin to the 19th century.  Small family fields were plowed with the milk cow which was also used to bring in the hay and the harvest.  Everything planted had a use.  Each tree on these small family farms bore fruits or nuts.  Ornamentals were for the well to do- perhaps the village doctor who had a more secure source of income.  …


Economics and Investing:

R.B.S. recommended this article: A trip back to 1964 proves Silver creates wealth. (BTW, this has a nice correlation with the current opportunity to acquire nickels at face value.) Linda U. sent: World on track for record food prices ‘within a year’ due to US drought 13 States Now Considering Gold and Silver as Money. (Thanks to R.B.S. for the link.) Where Does Money Come From? The Giant Federal Reserve Scam Americans Do Not Understand Items from The Economatrix: Deutsche Bank Issues A Terrible Warning on the Health of the Global Financial System Unemployment Rates Rise in Half of US …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader George S. mentioned: “Galt’s Gulch” city planned in Honduras    o o o Here is one early review of Founders. OBTW, speaking of reviews, two of the most critical reviews of Founders posted at Amazon’s site appear to be from people that have never read the book. There was even one reviewer who falsely implied that I am a racist. To set him straight, I posted this link.    o o o Reader H.L. suggested this piece: Germany’s Wind Power Chaos Should Be A Warning To Everyone    o o o Bill J. came across an article on the …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The issue is not the National Debt in terms of trillions of dollars.  The issue is actually the National Debt in terms of thousands of abortions; it’s the National Debt in terms of thousands of unwanted pregnancies; it’s the National Debt in terms of the epidemic of AIDS; it’s the National Debt in terms of moral promiscuity; the National Debt in terms of the destruction of family life – That’s the issue!” – Pastor Alistair Begg


Notes from JWR:

Today is release day and “Book Bomb” Day for my latest book, Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. In anticipation of strong sales, my publisher (the Atria division of Simon & Schuster) has already printed 44,000 copies of Founders. You can now order it as a hardback book or as an unabridged audio book, or as a Kindle e-book. A Nook Book version is also available. Here is an update on the novel’s Amazon rankings, which I will update during the day. (Overall rank, of 4 million+ listed titles, as well as its rank among Action & Adventure titles.) …


Let’s Talk About Calories Per Dollar, by Mississippi Girl

With the current economic climate and the recent drought, there is a lot of concern about an impending increase in food prices.  As I browse through homesteading blogs and review comments from recent news articles, more and more people that have not been a part of the “prepper  movement” in the past are now starting to open their eyes and see a need to increase their food stores.  When you first begin to build your pantry, it is helpful to think about the purpose of food storage:  The true goal of storing food is to be able to provide enough …


Tatume Squash For Your Survival Garden, by John D.

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When most people think of post collapse survival, one of the major topics that first comes to mind is food.  The internet is full of articles and forums dedicated to canning, hunting, gathering, and of course, gardening.  What I don’t often find, are articles specifically dedicated to a particular item of food to be grown in a garden, explaining perhaps why it would be a beneficial plant to start growing now.  For me and my own gardening, I have gone from complete and utter newbie, to successful builder of soil and harvester of many delicious edibles.  Through out this period …


News From The American Redoubt:

Keeping track of trends in The American Redoubt, it appears that both Idaho and Montana will follow Wyoming’s lead and will enact Constitutional Carry (unrestricted concealed carry) in the next sessions of their legislatures.    o o o Guns galore draw enthusiasts to tactical expo. (And here is a link to their web site. I predict that it will be a much larger event, next time.)    o o o Teton County hunters quick to grab wolf tags. And in other hunting news, the top prize for a Stating The Obvious headline goes to: Wounded grizzly bear in Eastern Idaho …


Economics and Investing:

p>Deustche Bank: Western Economies Are Screwed, And Investors Face A ‘Disturbing Paradox. The article begins: “In a new report entitled Gold: Adjusting For Zero, Deutsche Bank analysts Daniel Brebner and Xiao Fu paint an incredibly dark picture of the bind the global economy is in right now. Brebner and Xiao are pretty frank about how levered up the financial system is at the moment, and they warn that the next shock will be totally involuntary and unexpected.” John Mauldin: QE Infinity: Unintended Consequences Those pesky derivatives again: Deriving the True Size of U.S. Megabanks Is Far From Simple Items from …