Economics and Investing:

Derivatives, again: Clawback controversy at JPMorgan J.B.G. sent this: Food inflation fears as US crop prices surge: Worries about world food prices are increasing, stoked by a 10 percent rise in US corn and wheat prices in just a week. Get your storage wheat and corn meal before these price increases work their way down to the retail level! United States of Investment Properties – The role of property investors in the current housing market. JWR’s Comment: There is a word for someone who foolishly invests in a declining market: contrapreneur. Jim Rogers Prediction: America Will Certainly Go Through A …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Greg C. sent this: Newt Gingrich on D.C. Weather: ‘Mild Taste of What an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) Attack Would Do‘. Meanwhile, we read: 10 sobering realizations the Eastern U.S. power grid failure is teaching us about a real collapse. And on a similar note, there is this from Roger K. in Forbes: Power Outage Highlights Infrastructure Vulnerability. (Thanks to Jeff in Texas for the latter link.)    o o o I recently watched Ridley Scott’s movie about the Crusades, titled Kingdom of Heaven. I’m a fan of most of Scott’s films, but I quickly concluded that William Monahan (the film’s …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Never forget, even for an instant, that the one and only reason anybody has for taking your gun away is to make you weaker than he is, so he can do something to you that you wouldn’t let him do if you were equipped to prevent it. This goes for burglars, muggers, and rapists, and even more so for policemen, bureaucrats, and politicians.” – Aaron Zelman and L. Neil Smith, Hope (2001)


Notes from JWR:

The recent rare derecho storm system with extreme winds and in the eastern U.S. and concurrent heat wave throughout much of the nation are making headlines. Please pray for those who have suffered loss from the storms. — I’m pleased to announce that I’ve just signed a contract with E.P. Dutton (the parent company of Penguin Books, that publishes my nonfiction titles), to publish my next two novels. The novels are under the working titles Expatriates and Liberators. They should be out in 2013 and 2014, respectively. All that I can say at this stage of the writing is that …


L.K.O.’s Product Review: Rainy Day Root Cellars

Rainy Day Root Cellars in Castle Rock, Colorado offers a variety of sizes of root and combination storage cellars using pre-cast concrete components. I had the chance to inspect one of their installed cellars, and I was quite impressed. Their rugged designs are optimized for safe food and water storage, self-sufficiency, security and other ‘backyard’ or remote site access. In addition to food and water storage, these shelters provide excellent climate-controlled safe-keeping for important papers and sensitive files, firearms, ammunition, batteries, emergency medical supplies, and much more. Standard sizes range from 8? x 8? Single Room to 8? x 24? …


Pat’s Product Review: Ruger P95 9mm Pistol

I still recall when I saw the first Ruger P85, 9mm pistol. I was living in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the time. Only one gun shop in town had a P85 sample, and people were literally lining-up all week long to see this new pistol. There were several reasons for this, first of all, this was the first center fire semiauto handgun from Ruger. Secondly, the design of the P85 and appearance was rather radical at the time. And, I believe lastly, was the retail price of the P85 – which was $295.00 – well below what other similar 9mm …


Michael Z. Williamson’s Book Review: Hank Reinhardt’s Book of Knives

I was privileged to meet Hank several times, and participate in one of his lectures on knife fighting.  At the time, the man was 30 years my senior and I would not have wanted to rumble with him. His Book of Knives was written largely in the 1970s, compiled and published after his death, with assistance from his widow and friends.  It follows his Book of Swords. The first half, in Hank’s voice, is entertaining, anecdotal and informative.  It covers various lessons learned from fights he observed or was involved in, in some seedier areas of the country.  In very …


S.A.’s Book Review: Laura Ingalls, Revisited

Have you ever wondered how you will react if your children are starving and light-headed from malnutrition and you have no food left? Have you questioned your resilience to life’s opportunities if you are continually beat down by nature and circumstances? Want to know how to make a smokehouse out of a hollow tree? How to provide heat when there is no wood left to burn?  Crop failure?  Wild bees? When I was a child, Laura Ingalls Wilder had already published her saga which included practical homesteading information wrapped inside a series of books. Her books for children were the …


Letter Re: Eastern Thunderstorms and Power Outages

Good Morning Mr. Rawles, You probably already know about this, but there are several good quotes in this article about the massive scope of the damage from nothing more than a few lines of strong thunderstorms over two days rumbling through my neck of the woods. Folks were stranded in trains, stuck in traffic, crushed in their homes, and millions will be without grid power this coming week during a heat wave. Even central valleys in interior states can suffer damage similar to a large tropical cyclone, so folks shouldn’t get cocky and fail to prepare.  As an aside, I …


Recipe of the Week:

Two Stinging Nettle Recipes from Notutopia Stinging Nettle Pesto Ingredients ¼ lb. young stinging nettle leaves ¼ cup fresh mint leaves 1 garlic clove, minced ½ cup pine nuts, toasted 2 Tbsp. lemon juice extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup firmly packed grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Prep: – Fill a large pot halfway full with water. Add ¼ cup salt and bring to a boil. – For washing the nettles, fill a large bowl with cold water. Using latex gloves or tongs (if you’re allergic to rubber), submerge the nettles in the water and …


Economics and Investing:

Sue C. sent this: British farms a better bet than gold Risk of foreclosure looms over 700,000 Californians The financial benefits of food stamps – Record $78 billion worth of food stamps issued in 2011. Select Wal-Mart stores pulled in 25 to 40 percent in revenues from food stamps according to a recent analysis. Lee M. flagged this article: Libor Rate Faces Review Amid Barclays Scandal


Odds ‘n Sods:

I will be the keynote speaker via teleconference at Charlotte PrepCon. This is an event for North Carolina and South Carolina preppers. The conference will be held on July 14, 2012 in Ft. Mill, S.C. (near Charlotte, N.C.) Phone: (800) 704-1862 for details.    o o os Reader Chris M. sent us this: History teaches why you don’t want to become a disaster refugee or an Internally Displaced Person (IDP).    o o o Don’t miss this: Pantry Paratus Interviews Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms.    o o o How to make a $1 Homemade Mosquito Bag Fan Trap kills …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We have around six months left of trading in Western markets to protect ourselves or make enough money to offset future losses. Spend your time looking at the risks of custody, safekeeping, counterparty etc. Assume that no one and nothing is safe. After that……we put on our tin helmets and hide until the new system emerges. I wish I wish I could see another outcome with an equally high probability, but I can’t……All we can do is hope that I am wrong, but either way, a new system will emerge and it will open up a whole new set of …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 41 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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 $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any …


Preparedness and Supply Chain Management, by J.C.R.

When we think about preparing ourselves, families, communities, businesses, and country we are really at the core of the issue preparing for any disruptions to our supply chain. When we hear the phrase supply chain management, most of us are thinking about raw goods and materials as they relate to the manufacturing process and how/when those goods are delivered.  But not just delivered from the supplier, but how they make it into the production process and as a result are turned into a usable finished product to be consumed.  On occasion, we’ll relate the supply chain phrase to the grocery …