Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Eric S. suggested this Washington Post piece: We’re Borrowing Like Mad. Can the U.S. Pay It Back? And if that weren’t bad enough news, here is the daily glut o’ gloom from The Economatrix: Leading Economist Fears Decade of Economic Weakness — Oil Traders Demand Ships to Store Crude at Sea Before Prices Rebound — Crude Below $40 as Demand Drops Faster than Supply — The Bond Bubble is an Accident Waiting to Happen — UK Auto Workers: Pay Cut or Lose Jobs — Japan Suicide Hotlines Overburdened in Economic Crisis — Merkel Makes 44-Billion U-Turn to Save German Economy …

Several readers sent this: Powerful Solar Storm Could Shut Down U.S. for Months. As I’ve mentioned before: Your most reliable source of power will be a home micro-hydro or photovoltaic power system that is not grid-tied. (Since a grid power connection can couple EMP or EMP-like surges over long distances.) Yes, I realize that there is now a 30% Federal tax credit for new grid-tied alternate energy systems. So my advice is to make the initial installation grid tied, but later disconnect it and make it a stand-alone system after you’ve received your tax credit and once you are no …

Perennial content contributor Bill N. sent this: NYPD Eyes Disrupting Cell Phones in Event of Terrorist Attack. So be forewarned that you can’t count on cell phone connectivity, in extremis.    o o o Check out the Pioneer Living online magazine, they have a lot of useful educational resources.    o o o FloridaGuy sent this: Radical cheap: $1,000 homes. (But you have to wonder about the safety of those neighborhoods…)    o o o Sam in Illinois mentioned this sign of the times: BATF running out of 4473 Yellow “Record of Sale” Forms.

A SurvivalBlogger in the southeastern US might find this “RV” of interest. I’ve noticed that retired armored trucks don’t get sold on the open market very often–most get re-engined umpteen times and simply passed around between armored transport companies. (Thanks to Chester for the link.)    o o o Trent and FloridaGuy both sent us this: Merrill Lynch predicts $1,150 gold by June    o o o As usual, here’s the latest economic news and commentary from Cheryl, but the first item was suggested by Redclay: Numbers show economy in near free fall — World Stocks Drop as US Unemployment …

Does this sound familiar? Walking Away from the American Dream. FWIW, In August of 2005, I accurately predicted mortgage holders “walking away” from houses and turning in the house keys to their bankers. This has more recently been called “jingle mail”. Also on the economic front, comes these items from The Economatrix: Stock Losses Leave Pensions $400 Billion Short — Martial Law, Financial Bailout, and War — Biggest Rise in US Unemployment in 59 Years — Bank of England Cuts Rates to 300-Year Low — Pink Slips Pile Higher, Recession Worsens — The Fate of Paper Money —    o …

Susan Z. sent us this bad omen: [Former Bank of England official] Willem Buiter Warns of Massive Dollar Collapse    o o o Reader Debby S. flagged this: Terrorists could use ‘insect-based’ biological weapon    o o o “Shades of Minority Report…“, writes “Mike Papa”, an ex-pat living in Jordan, regarding this article: Police set to step up hacking of home PCs. Mike’s comment: “So now the United Kingdom is authorizing warrantless preemptive invasion of home computers by police if “a senior officer says he “believes” that it is “proportionate” and necessary to prevent or detect serious crime.” Scary stuff, …

Reader J.L. sent this piece describing the impact of a new Federal regulation: “New safety rules for children’s clothes have stores in a fit”. J.L’s comment: The thing that galls me, is that the thrift/resale arena is one of the few bright spots in the economy, and they are some of the few places people can go and get low priced clothes to help them get through this recession.”    o o o Frequent content contributor Bill N. found a web site with a useful comparison of civilian MRE equivalents.    o o o Reader Paul B in Texas found …

Reader Jason in North Idaho mentioned the documentary “Alone in the Wilderness“ about Richard Proenneke. Jason notes: “I saw it on on PBS. It was very good documentary.”    o o o The day’s economic news, starting with this from The New York Times, courtesy of Karl K.: The End of the Financial World as We Know It. Next, Jonathan B. sent this: The Economist magazine says its a depression. Allen sent us this sobering piece by the ever-cheery Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of The London Telegraph: Asia needs to fully wake up to the scale of the West’s economic crisis. And …

Thanks to Lisa for finding this gem: Blacksmith ‘a collector of forgotten trades’    o o o Joe H. sent us a link to an article from Permaculture magazine about self-sufficient living on the cheap (in England)    o o o I read that the latest movie in the Terminator franchise (Terminator 4: Salvation) is scheduled for release on May 22, 2009. Judging from the trailers, it looks like most if not all of the film takes place in the post-Skynet nuked future. This one should be good.    o o o The latest flurry of economic news and commentary …

The Releveller wrote to suggest that America’s architectural future may lie in China’s past: Fujian Tulou.    o o o In the “Why am I not surprised?” Department: NASA’s Hansen to Obama: Use Global Warming to Redistribute Wealth    o o o Chris K. sent a linked to a Wired magazine article with lots of rookie survival comments. Chris noted: “A few sound like they may survive the first couple weeks and [then] become armed and dangerous — a good reason to move another 100 miles away from the ‘blast zone’.”    o o o More economic cheer from Cheryl: …

Blacksheep sent us this Army Times article about WoundStat: Army halts use of new anti-blood loss product. (Note: So far as I know, Celox and QuickClot (available from several of our advertisers) are still approved for use in trauma cases.)    o o o FloridaGuy sent this “signs of the times” piece from one of the several states teetering on the edge of bankruptcy: California Taxpayers Due Refunds May Get IOUs    o o o s This piece by Matt Hardigree was linked once before at SurvivalBlog, but it was so entertaining that it bears repeating: And Now for Something …

Reader Rod McG. recommended this web site: Mappery.com    o o o I heard from a gent over at The FALFIles Forums that Dan’s Ammo still has some original FN (of Belgium) Browning Hi-Power 13-round 9mm magazines at just under $20 each. These were made for the South African Defense Force (SADF), back in the 1960s, and were recently surplussed. If you own a Hi-Power pistol, my advice is to buy at least eight of these magazines for your own use, and another larger pile for barter. You’ll probably be laughing about getting them at this price, this time next …

Eric sent us this: Car Market Total Collapse    o o o Mike McD. found two Australian article of interest: Return of the 1950s housewife?, and Jobless heading for 1 million as rate cuts won’t avert pain    o o o The essay Foundations of Crisis, by Doug Casey was recommended by reader “Hiker LT”    o o o Eric L. sent this link: Box O’Truth Tests Elmer Keith-Sytle DumDum Bullets    o o o The latest, from Cheryl: World Markets Suffer Worst Year Ever — Bankruptcies to Hit Record in 2009 — Dr. Doom: Short Treasuries, Buy Hard Assets …

 Reader N.L. spotted this useful article at the Backwoods Home magazine web site: Bury a gun and ammo for 15 years. (BTW, I consider a subscription to Backwoods Home magazine for families that are seeking genuine self-sufficiency.)    o o o Eric flagged this Wall Street Journal piece: Bumpy Crop: Farming’s Sudden Feasts and Famines, As Grain Prices Rise and Fall and Perhaps Rise Again, Growers Struggle to Navigate a New Age of Volatility and High Costs    o o o The Werewolf (SurvivalBlog’s correspondent in Brazil) must have been thinking about the snow-bound Great White North when he spotted …

In the wake of the real estate collapse comes inevitably: Squatters: The latest real-estate menace. (A hat tip to Hoffmama.)   o o o Several readers sent this: As if Things Weren’t Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S. (Of course, consider the reliability of the source.)    o o o David D. mentioned that Farm Show magazine has lots of articles with energy saving ideas, including: “Wood Gas Generator Produces “Free” Power”, a Coal-Fired Grain Dryer, Biodiesel Generator Powers Up On Veggie Oil (or Almost Any Oil) , and Manure Furnace Burns All Kinds of Waste.    o …