Category: Odds ‘n Sods

RBS flagged this: Food Prices Soar as Farmers Bail on Corn.    o o o Horton suggested some good commentary by Aubie Baltin, posted over at Gold-Eagle: A Time for Reflection    o o o Ready Made Resources now sellsan inexpensive and lightweight solar oven that works quite well. The stove with shipping (in the US) is just $44.95    o o o Bill from Ohio kindly sent us a plethora of recent news article links related to the world’s now scant food supplies: Food riots in Haiti: BBC article and YouTube video. Rising prices around the world Rice price …

The magic credit tap is turned off: Citigroup, Wells Fargo May Loan Less After Downgrades Meanwhile, we read: Fed members worried about deep recession   o o o A reader mentioned that Cme Brew is offering a special “stock up” price of $168 (plus shipping) for 50 pounds of current crop, gourmet Arabica coffee beans for home roasting. These beans will store for up to three years. They also have bulk teas in 1 kilo (2.2 lbs.) glass lined, heat sealed bags. Chun Mee, and Special Gunpowder “Temple of Heaven” green teas are $22 per kilo, plus shipping. Each kilo …

Remember how I predicted that the global credit crisis would spawn a wave of forced buy-outs, mergers, acquisitions, and liquidations? Here is news of another one: Washington Mutual close to $5 billion deal with TPG, others. Be prepared for more mergers, many of which will be cases of “strange bedfellows” involving credit unions, pension funds, and perhaps even cities (municipal bonds). Derivatives contract defaults will indeed force some very odd partnerships and salvage operations. If managers’ only options are bankruptcy or buying out the counterparty to a derivative, then guess which they will choose?    o o o Frequent contributor …

Our friend Michael Bane, a gun writer and video producer (of Down Range TV and “Shooting Gallery” on The Outdoor Channel) now has short review segments on Ruger’s new polymer frame SR9 and LCP .380 pistols. The latter, weighing only 9.4 ounces looks like a cross between a Seecamp and a Kel-Tec. I’m not a fan of the pipsqueak .380 ACP (9mm Kurz) cartridge, but a gun that is close at hand at all times is vastly superior to grasping at air when trouble arrives. Concealed carry is, after all, a compromise. If I was expecting trouble, I’d be carrying …

Mark from Michigan sent us this: Homeland Security Blinks on Real ID Plan. o o o Rice Jumps to Record on Speculation Demand Will Outpace Supply.

RBS recommended this article from Fortune: The great inflation cover-up    o o o SurvivalBlog reader “CC” in Centennial, Colorado, asked for my recommendations for local preparedness gear dealers, since he doesn’t like the “paper trail” created by mail orders. (This, I have noticed, is a common concern among SurvivalBlog readers, and I don’t blame them.) One store that I can recommend for anyone in the greater Denver metropolitan area is The Ready Room, in Littleton, Colorado. Phone: is (303) 298-9911. Another “cash and carry” buying opportunity is the Tanner Gun Show, in Denver.    o o o I’ve been …

Food Stamp Users to Reach All Time High    o o o Some commentary from Peter Schiff posted over at Gold-Eagle: Let the Housing Chips Fall    o o o Given the source, this is not to be taken too seriously: Ted Turner predicts ‘mass cannibalism’ by 2040    o o o Some old news from NASA Possible asteroid impact in 2029? For some background, here is a primer on the Torino Scale.

Hawaiian K mentioned a Gizmodo blog piece that has some interesting metrics on oil versus biofuel production.    o o o Bill S. flagged this: A Grim Tradition, and a Long Struggle to End It. Bills’ comment: “Another excellent reason to avoid border areas when selecting retreat locations.”    o o o Reader KAF found this piece that shows that the Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB) will undoubtedly grow, and grow, and grow: Senate Leaders Unveil Bipartisan Plan to Slow Home Foreclosures    o o o Perennial Odds ‘n Sods contributor RBS forwarded this: Some homes worth less than their …

Reader “Suz” recommended United States Plastic Corp., in Lima, Ohio as a supplier for food grade HDPE storage buckets. Although they are a large-scale manufacturer, they are willing to take fairly small orders directly from the public. Suz said that it was a pleasure doing business with this “God-owned” company.    o o o KAF mentioned this piece on rethinking and revisions in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).    o o o Mark C. flagged this: UBS Gives Haircuts on Auction Rate Securities    o o o Thanks to Hawaiian K. for finding this: Analyst Predicts Corn Rationing in 2008

Our recent mention of Backwoods Home magazine‘ prompted reader RJV to note: “Don’t miss some of the gems from their [extensive] archives, such as this piece on do-it-yourself steam power.”    o o o Eric found this: Diesel thefts on the rise; demand increases for locking caps. Eric’s Comment: “As someone with a rebuilt diesel BOV that includes 70+ gallons of on-board diesel fuel I too am thinking about putting locking fuel filler caps on my truck. I also came across an interesting installable anti-siphon device that might be of interest to some.” JWR Adds: I generally discourage installing an …

Stephanie in Arkansas mentioned that there are some plans for do-it-yourself gravity water filters posted over at the Alpha Rubicon site. JWR Adds: OBTW, while you are there, be sure to check out their many other references available for free download. It is a great site that has done yeoman service in preparedness circles.    o o o From Al Jazeera television, of all places: Montana Has a Lot of Guns.    o o o Dennis found us this commentary on long term Social Security obligations: Glenn Beck: The $53 trillion asteroid    o o o Luis in Utah sent …

Home Equity Loans as Next Round in Credit Crisis Don’t miss one key point that was buried near the end of the article: “…many people added second loans after taking out first mortgages, so it is impossible to say for certain how many homeowners have multiple liens on their properties.” Clearly, there are a lot of home buyers (I’ll refrain from calling them home owners, since it is the bankers that still hold controlling interest) that are getting “upside down” in their mortgages. Without a doubt, much more jingle mail is coming, as property prices continue their downward spiral.    …

Fellow novelist Matt Bracken mentioned this article: Farms of fear, about murders in rural South Africa. It gives some useful glimpses, when considering security measures for retreats in the not-too-distant Schumeresque future.    o o o Speaking of Harder Homes and Gardens, ponder this piece: Bulletproof public design in Los Angeles. (A hat tip to James K.)    o o o Inyokern spotted this sobering piece: Into the Economic Abyss: How Deep Will It Go? Even the mainstream media is catching on…    o o o Reader “EL” suggested using propane for a source of lighting. EL notes “The Amish …

Courtesy of Steve H., comes this article: Is your grocery bill going up? You’re not alone    o o o More and more bad economic news: Investment Firms Tap Fed for Billions. Meanwhile, we read: Corporate liquidity begins to dry up. Also, The Insider told me that KB Home (already in hot water for inflating home appraisals) just defaulted on a $850 million loan from Wells Fargo, and they’ve been given just 30 days to settle up, or face a foreclosure that could trigger collapse of the company. The global credit crisis is far from over, folks. The chances of …

It is important to keep track of solar flares, especially for those of us interested in amateur radio. (Sun spot activity dramatically affects radio propagation.) It is also a lot of fun to get a glimpse of auroral displays. One site that we have found useful is AuroraChasers.com. They offer a free e-mail alert service.    o o o Michael Z. Williamson found a site with lots of useful information on 12 Volt DC power systems.    o o o A reader in Pebble Beach, California is a part-time FFL that recently got “stuck” with 2,000 rounds of Black Hills …