Category: Odds ‘n Sods

One of my heroes is is economist John Mauldin. He publishes a free e-newsletter that I consider a “must read” for anyone that closely follows investing and economics issues. In his most recent “E-Letter”, John commented on the Bear Stearns sub-prime debacle (That I’ve also discussed.) Here is a quote:”The Center for Responsible Lending estimates that 2.2 million borrowers who got subprime loans since 1998 either have lost or will lose their homes through foreclosure over the next few years. This includes one of every five borrowers who got subprime loans in 2005-06, a default rate unmatched in the history …

An article published in The Lancet confirms that taking the herbal remedy echinacea can reduce the risk of catching a common cold by 58%   o o o By way of Matt Drudge come this news story from Florida: How do you prepare for “a bolt from the blue”? (Florida is the nation’s lightning strike capital.)   o o o Remember that there are now less than two weeks remaining for the $500 Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) vest special from BulletProofME.com. July 12th is the deadline. Anyone who has shopped for body armor knows what a great deal $500 is …

I got a note from the Western Rifle Shooters Association today. They’ve offered a free scholarship to the first 10 SurvivalBlog readers who send an e-mail to westernshooters@gmail.com with the word “SurvivalBlog” in the subject line, for their upcoming Kooskia, Idaho shoot/clinic on July 7-8. All they ask is that if you say you are going to be there, be there. (Don’t take a place and then not show.)   o o o Reader Tim. L. mentioned that Dr. Hans F. Sennholz (whom I quoted yesterday) passed on to the great reward on June 23rd. He was a great Austrian …

Two different readers have mentioned this book catalog. Lindsay’s Technical Books. An assortment of unusual books with tinkering “how to” information. They should be a SurvivalBlog advertiser! o o o Police bust coin melting racket in Kolkata (West Bengal)

Reader Harvey J. sent us a link to a web site that ties in nicely with our recent posts about utility uses for bicycles: Hauling Cargo by Bike   o o o We’ve recently added two new Affiliate Advertisers: 1.) TotalVid. They provide a wide range (thousands) of instructional videos via high speed Internet download. Many of these videos are for practical do-it-yourself skills. They offer a free trial subscription. Check them out. And, 2.) KeepYouSafe. They provide off-site backup of crucial documents for both businesses and families. Oh, and speaking of our Affiliates, I should also mention that Nashbar …

This news story caught my eye. Buffalo Man Lives in Underground Bunker. On a somewhat related note, the folks at Walton Feed have an interesting web page titled: “The Granddaddy Of All Underground Storage Areas “   o o o Home Sales in US Hit Slowest Pace in Four Years. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you. This “downturn” may very well be the beginning of a housing market collapse that will last a decade.    o o o Commentary from the International Herald Tribune: Finding doomsday asteroids.    o o o From WorldNetDaily: Untreatable Tuberculosis threat ‘apocalyptic scenario’

The UN does it again: Remember when the UN appointed Libya to head their Human Rights Commission? That was ironic. The latest outrage is that the UN has just appointed Zimbabwe to head the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. Is this some kind of cruel joke? The economic masterminds of Zimbabwe have absolutely wrecked the nation’s once-thriving economy. Basic commodities are chronically in short supply. Commerce and agriculture are in shambles, verging on total collapse. They have turned a major food exporter–once “the breadbasket of Africa””–into a food importer, with hundreds of thousands of their citizens malnourished, and thousands now …

I’ve once again updated and expanded the SurvivalBlog Glossary. There are now more than 1,500 entries. If you find what you read in SurvivalBlog useful, then please consider becoming a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber. Subscriptions are entirely voluntary. All those little $3 monthly payments do add up–enough that they help pay the bills here. Thanks!

Reader “Alfie Omega” flagged this new article: Gas at $6 per gallon? Get ready. (Congress has an expensive “solution.”)   o o o Sean M. forwarded us this one: Solar Shingles Could Power Tomorrow’s Homes. Sean’s comment: “It would difficult to keep these clear in the winter in snow country. But it is discrete, so you won’t be screaming ‘Hey, I have power’ to anyone passing by.”    o o o For those of you that asked about promotional clips for the upcoming Sarah Connor Chronicles television series, for some reason they were removed from YouTube, but are still available …

U.S. Economy: Housing Starts Drop; Slump May Persist. Notice how the 20% slump in housing starts in the western U.S. was buried in the article? After reading the entire article, I think that it would be better titled “US Economy: Housing Market Enters Death Spiral.” But of course I’m the pessimistic type.   o o o China sells more US T-bonds. I’ve said it before: the U.S. Dollar is doomed.    o o o From MayoClinic.com — West Nile virus: Signs and symptoms    o o o Our friend Tom at CometGold.com sent us this: Bear Stearns Staving Off Collapse …

Minnesota’s “Code Ready” preparedness campaign urges deep larders   o o o Reader BWN sent us a link to fairly detailed plans for a slow sand water filter.    o o o I recently updated my Pre-1899 FAQ and Mauser Bolt Rifles FAQ. Both are available (along with many others that I authored or co-authored) for free download at my FAQs Page

Rourke sent us the link to this PDF: The Day After Action in the 24 Hours Following a Nuclear Blast in an American City. In this study, Harvard and Stanford professors recommend a return to constructing bomb shelters and an active Civil Defense program in the U.S. (Rourke’s comment: “Geez, these Harvard and Stanford professors are sounding like survivalists!”)   o o o SurvivalBlog reader”Mr. Bill” kindly created more convenient single-file PDFs with chapter bookmarks for three crucial medical references that are now in the public domain: NATO Emergency War Surgery, Where There is No Dentist, and Where There is …

SF in Hawaii recommended this article on midwifery in austere circumstances: Border Patrol Learns “Emergency” Childbirth .   o o o Linked at Drudge: New age town embraces dollar alternative. This trend has implications for post-collapse local economies, based on barter.    o o o Sean M. suggested this article from one of Guns & Ammo‘s spin-off magazines: What Really Happens In A Gunfight? The conclusions from twenty-five years of lethal force investigation.

Brian H. sent us a link to this article about NBC shelters in Germany: Bunkers in vogue in as cold war fears rise   o o o There is an interesting thread of discussion over at The Claire Files Forums about precious metals investing. OBTW, this thread was started on April 23rd, when spot gold was at $687 per ounce. Gold is presently around $656. So I think that it would now be a good time to buy. (As I often say: “in a bull market, buy on the dips.”) My prediction for gold is somewhere north of $2,000 per …

As if things couldn’t get any worse in Zimbabwe, the latest estimate is that the annual currency inflation rate could reach 24,136% by December. This quote from the article reminds me of accounts of the hyperinflation in Weimar Germany: “This weekend bread prices rose again, to Zim$20,000 per loaf. At the beginning of the week, one loaf was selling for around $9,500.” The exchange rate to the US Dollar is now approaching Zim$65,000 to USD$1. I’ve said it before (and hopefully I won’t have to say it again): Comrade Mugabe and his band of fools must go!   o o …