Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Kirk flagged this Business Week piece: Bad Omens for Banks?–News from KeyCorp suggests U.S. banks’ loan losses may worsen. Is the credit crisis hitting a second, even scarier phase? The global credit crisis is worsening. Take steps to protect yourself.    o o o Thanks to Dave S. for sending this: US rail network facing congestion ‘calamity’    o o o My recent mention of health concerns about synthetic sweeteners (such as Nutrasweet and Splenda) prompted readers Chris D., Kim, and EMW to all remind me to mention the herbal sweetener, Stevia rebaudiana. It is a safe, natural sweetener derived …

Bill from Ohio sent this: Hunger Prompting Desperate Acts    o o o Reader David D. mentioned this article by Ellen Brown: The Secret Bailout of JP Morgan. One is naturally led to ask: Cui bono?    o o o Elisha R. mentioned a handy state of Texas PDF on rainwater catchment    o o o CDR sent us this link: China quake survivors scavenge amid the ruins–They search for scrap metal to sell so they can buy food for their families

From reader RBS: Buffett sees “long, deep” U.S. recession    o o o Mike W. sent us a link to a piece written by one of my heroes, Dr. Walter E. Williams: False prophets of doom–Environmentalists would prefer that we forget these predictions    o o o I was doing some web surfing, and a stumbled into a great collection of photos of Swiss bunkers.    o o o While the Novovirus threat is subsiding with warmer weather, Rourke sent us an article about a new threat, a bacteria called C-diff: Gut superbug causing more illnesses, deaths

Reader RBS found us this: Five Foods That Are Cheaper to Grow    o o o RBS also found this in a Hawaiian newspaper: Gasoline thieves cutting fuel lines    o o o Red Cross warns of food riots over soaring prices. (A hat tip to Bill in Ohio.)    o o o “I Told You So” Department: Washington Mutual – One of the Nations Largest Banks Having Trouble. (We mentioned potential margin call problems at WaMu, back on March 16th.) There are bank runs coming.    o o o “Cowboy” found this article that ties in with the recent …

Paul from Kentucky sent this: Pioneers show Americans how to live “off-grid”    o o o John in Ohio flagged this: Diesels [Still] Equal Savings. The article didn’t mention the price differential between road-taxed diesel and “off road ” diesel. Currently, off-road (dyed) diesel sells for about 50 cents less per gallon than the road-taxed variety. That makes a big difference for those of us that store diesel for tractors and diesel generators.    o o o I spotted this article linked at Drudge: US home prices drop at sharpest rate in 20 years. I predict this downward spiral will …

Jack B. recommended this piece by James Howard Kunstler: Wake Up, America. We’re Driving Toward Disaster    o o o A news headline that we’ve anticipated: As homes foreclose in U.S., squatters move in.    o o o Naish Piazza’s most recent weekly blog post includes a video clip that makes it clear just how incompetent and ignorant the liberal gun grabbers are. OBTW, Naish Piazza’s very generous “Get a Gun” training and gear package offer will likely end soon, since it is being run at or near cost. Don’t delay!    o o o From an Athens, Greece newspaper: …

More than a dozen readers mentioned this prominent mainstream media mention: Energy fears looming, new survivalists prepare. This was an Associated Press wire service article also ran in the Washington Post, on Fox.com, and in daily papers across the nation. It is no wonder that all of the long term storage food vendors are getting deluged with orders. Some of the Sheeple are awakening.    o o o From one of my distant cousins across the Atlantic: Dr. Kate Rawles: Why the climate change debate has gone wrong    o o o And from Tom Rawles, one of my more …

Hawaiian K found us this: Energy Watchdog Warns of Oil-Production Crunch–Daily 12.5 Mil Barrel shortfall by 2015    o o o Eric flagged this article: More go off-grid as economy tanks    o o o Reader N.L. mentioned that an on-line Volunteer Safety and Survival Reference is available for free download. It is an updated and expanded version of “The Universal Survival Handbook” published in 1979, by David A. Nuttle,    o o o Jack B. sent us this: Soaring oil prices may end dollar global status – Study

Courtesy of Bob G.: Are You Watching the Food Riots? – Global civil unrest over skyrocketing food prices gives us an unpleasant glimpse at what human nature can do.    o o o Paul D. and Zac both sent us this: ‘Squawk Box’ Guest Warns of $12-to-$15-a-Gallon Gas    o o o From reader Frank S: An Oracle of Oil Predicts $200-a-Barrel Crude    o o o Another from Frank S: Today’s food crisis isn’t a blip

Hawaiian K. spotted a captivating article over at Wired: Peter Thiel Makes Down Payment on Libertarian Ocean Colonies. Well, the Memsahib has always talked about having a second home in the tropics. So, just for fun, I’ve started a Rawles Seastead “Chip-In” page.    o o o Several readers sent us this: High gas prices drive farmer to switch to mules    o o o Flhspete mentioned that Survival Bloggers in Missouri should check this out: Dealership offers free gas or a gun with new car: 80% choose the gun    o o o Dutch in Wyoming found this “signs …

Frequent contributor Inyokern sent this: T. Boone Pickens offers further prognostication on Peak Oil and alternative energy.    o o o A reminder that Front Sight’s very generous “Get a Gun” training and gear package offer will be ending soon. It is limited to the first 5,000 people that sign up. The response has been huge, so don’t dawdle! If you miss out on this deal, you’ll surely regret it.    o o o Oil prices pass $133 per barrel after report of supply drop    o o o RBS sent us this: Guess this buyer saw a golden opportunity. …

From Matt in Texas: The Rise of Stagflation Means the End of Fiat Wealth    o o o E.J. (our British ex-pat correspondent living in rural Italy) mentioned this piece from The Guardian newspaper: The island house that powers itself – with a little help from 100 mph gales    o o o Readers Sam K. and Stephen S. note that Peak Oil is now getting more mainstream media coverage, such as this CNBC piece: $12 Gas and Rationing? Possible, Says Expert. (The article quotes Robert Hirsch, who was the lead writer for SAIC’s well-publicized Report on Peak Oil, in …

Yishai suggested a Hack-n-Mod video clip on how to make thermite. Warning: Some serious safety precautions must be taken, because thermite burns at temperatures hot enough to liquefy steel, and once ignited, it is almost impossible to extinguish. (It generates its own oxygen.) Note the minor accident near the end of the video. He’ll also have some serious explaining to do about that back porch slab.    o o o Kevin a recommended this piece by Marty Weiss: Brace yourself! The U.S. government could be understating the Consumer price Index by 7.6%!    o o o Frequent content contributor Michael …

Wes at WK Books has been working on an index/reference of known U.S. Military manuals and publications. It is hard to find a comprehensive list of military manuals to get an idea of what is out there and what you may want to add to their personal reference library. Please do not confuse this index with his product (the 1600 U.S. Military Manuals, Government Manuals, and Civil Defense Manuals, Firearm Manuals). When printed out, the index of known U.S. Military manuals is 15 pages long and includes the last publication/updates by month/day/year. Wes told me that it is current as …

Brent F. suggested this article from Australia’s Courier Mail newspaper: Drivers face fuel ration shock.    o o o CDO Debt Could Pose Renewed Danger for Banks. (A hat tip to RBS for the link.)    o o o Nick recommended the text of a recent speech by geopolitical analyst Richard Maybury: You will be either a winner or a loser, there will be no middle ground. FWIW, I have been following Maybury’s writings for more than 10 years, and I’ve found that he is right far more often than he’s wrong. He was issuing dire warnings about the Islamic …