Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Tom from Atlanta wrote to ask me about the recent drop in oil and precious metals, and the simultaneous rally in the US Dollar. He asked: “Does this mean the credit crisis is over, and that commodities will tank?” My answer: Not even close. Just take a look at the US Dollar Index chart. Print out that chart, slap a ruler on it, and draw a trend line. Now ask yourself: At the macro level, is there anything that has changed that will make the USD substantially stronger in the next few years? NO! So we can conclude that the …

John T. spotted this thought-provoking piece by Chris Sullins posted over at Of Two Minds: The Self-Selected Remnant    o o o David in Israel recommends the Pyromid Folding Grille. David notes: “I got mine at an outdoor gear shop closing sale. I was surprised by the high list price for a grille but that was before I used it. Made of stainless steel the infrared energy from the coals is all aimed upwards toward the food, after many seasons of use the once mirror shiny grille is a dull gold color where it was heated but there is no …

Reader KAF suggested this piece over at Pajamas Media: Ask Dr. Helen: Preparing for Disaster — Prudent or Paranoid? It sounds like she might have been reading SurvivalBlog.    o o o Steve N. flagged this article: Iran threatens to shut Gulf shipping lanes    o o o Eric sent us this piece on the significance of “local” produce: Supermarket Chains Narrow Their Sights    o o o A reader e-mailed me to ask: “Do you know of any GPS that has a “Scenery mode” or other mode that chooses back roads instead of major roads and highways, so I …

From Cheryl N.: Dow is Heading for 10,000 “The markets can’t seem to get that the U.S. is in recession, says Kirby Daley, strategist at the Newedge Group. But a downward movement is inevitable. He tells CNBC’s Martin Soong and Amanda Drury to expect a 15% to 20% drop on the Dow in the near future.”    o o o David in Israel recommends The Pocket Chainsaw. “It is the smart answer to the flimsy wire saws found in many survival kits. This tool packed in a can the size of a roll of electrical tape is a 28 inch …

I long hence went on record that the price of productive farm land in the U.S. would not be hurt as badly as residential and commercial real estate, in the current down-trend. A new Bloomberg article bolsters my position: U.S. Farmland Values Reach Record on High Crop Prices. Again, productive farm and ranch land is a relatively safe, tangible way to shelter your assets from the ravages of inflation.    o o o I often get e-mails from folks that are looking to join or form a retreat group, or that are interested in finding a like-minded spouse. Unfortunately, the …

Mark mentioned a Makezine piece about a bicycle powered refrigerator.    o o o Desert T. found us this: Southern Nevada Economy: Analysts’ projections sour. The last quote of the article sums it up: “More and more economists seem to think that this recession we’re in is going to be a long and painful one,” Smith said. “How long it lasts depends on the credit situation. We’re in the hands of the banks.”    o o o David S. found a link to an interesting water purification device    o o o J. T. sent a reminder about a site …

Eric found this one: Stressed banks borrow record amount from Fed. And coincidentally, reader Jeff S. sent us a link to a Fed chart that he calls “The Hockey Stick of Doom.”    o o o Eric also sent us this: Small farming is the future.    o o o Paul from Kentucky flagged this: Zimbabweans dug out coins squirreled away years ago. The government has lopped off 10 zeros, with the new currency! The article begins: “Zimbabweans dug out coins squirreled away years ago in jars and cupboards and headed for the shops, where lines built up as overburdened …

Several readers sent us this: MIT develops way to bank solar energy at home    o o o Eric forwarded this: America’s house price time bomb – Walkaways. I predicted this phenomenon, first mentioning it back in 2005.    o o o Nearly a dozen readers sent us the link to the recent New York Times article on Suburban Survivalists. Coincidentally, the subject of the article is a SurvivalBlog reader. In an e-mail to me yesterday, she mentioned: “I must tell you something, funny or sad, depending on one’s perspective. The copy editor [from The New York Times] called several …

Frequent content contributor Cheryl N. sent this. How Wall Street Wrecked Your Retirement. Cheryl notes: “Our dysfunctional financial system hit a new low last week when Citigroup, the hopeless wreck of Wall Street, announced it had lost $2.5 billion in the past three months–a cheer went up, and so did the Dow. Only $2.5 billion; people were afraid the losses would be much higher. Happy days are here again.” Meanwhile, President Bush very quietly signed a massive bailout bill, for individual mortgage holders, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. Just as I predicted, we are witnessing the near-continuous growth of the …

Andrew Hankinson, a journalist at FHM magazine in the UK, e-mailed us to mention that he is looking for a survivalist in the US to spend a few days with. There would also be a photographer. He’s looking for someone who lives somewhere remote, hopefully in a survivalist community. The idea is to sample life as a survivalist. It is a serious piece coming on the back of much Peak Oil debate in the UK. If anyone could help – it would need to happen sometime in early August. lease contact him via e-mail.    o o o Cheryl N. …

JT found us this: Bad News and Bank Runs. Talk about more “stimulus checks”, and blaming “blogs” for “misinformation” that fed people’s fears. And reader Cheryl N. found two articles that tie in nicely: FDIC Smoke & Mirrors and US National Debt Limit Raised Ahead of Budget Busting Bailout Legislation. (Cheryl’s comment: “Paulson’s Bazooka will be locked and loaded with enough firepower to blow what’s left of our economy into the dustbin of history. “)    o o o The WRSA has another “Grid-Down Medical Course” scheduled soon. This one will be in Everett, Washington, September 12-14. Their training is …

I’m still predicting a dramatically weaker US Dollar in foreign exchange in the months to come. As I’ve mentioned before, you should watch the US Dollar Index (USDX) closely. If and when it dips decisively below 72, watch out. From there, we might see a precipitous drop! (Back in August of 2007, I first mentioned the “magic number ” 72. It is a sort of “line in the sand” number for currency traders in their assessment of the US Dollar. Anywhere south of 72 lies extreme peril–and below 55 perhaps the traders will start to question the very existence of …

Reader Gary J. asks: “So, you say you don’t have any room to garden where you live? Maybe you actually have a lot! You might like to do a web search on “vertical gardens” and check out this site: GardensUp.com    o o o Several readers mentioned a recent blog entry by Charles Hugh Smith: Yes, There Will Be Armageddon: Government Goes Bankrupt    o o o I spotted this linked at Drudge: U.S. Foreclosures Double as House Prices Decline. I strongly recommend that anyone looking for a rural retreat property should studiously monitor the foreclosure listings, via a service …

OSOM mentioned some advice that will be familiar to SurvivalBlog Blog readers, from the Von Mises Institute, in an audio clip: What To Do in the Depression .   o o o Thanks to KAF for sending this: Five Tick Diseases You Should Know About    o o o Cheryl N. flagged this: Investors Question Financial Sector Rebound. Here is a key quote: “…and several regional banks also posted losses Tuesday or said their profits fell.” But the author neglected to name those banks. Cheryl also found this gem: Death Spiral Financing at Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, WaMu…    o o o …

Our friends Cheryl N. and Commander Zero both sent a link to an interesting article encapsulating the hows and whys (or at least one interpretation of them) of the current economic situation: Uncomfortable Answers to Questions on the Economy.    o o o Cheryl N. also found this: US Food Groups Plan Hefty Price Raises    o o o Bloomberg reports: GM, Ford ‘On the Verge of Bankruptcy,’ Altman Says. (A hat tip to Dan B. for the link.)    o o o Frequent content contributor Kevin A. sent this: “Is America ready for (true) foreign ownership of major financial …