Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Jason in North Idaho mentioned: Far-flung exurbs hard hit by housing downturn   o o o There are just 8 days left in the big “Container load sale” at Survival Enterprises. I can see from their availability chart that some items have sold out, and that they are now running low on their remaining inventory of both the “Bacon bits” (bacon TVP) and the shortening powder in the #2-1/2 cans. One bit of unexpected good news: The owner of Survival Enterprises just e-mailed me and mentioned: “We just found 10 more cases (we thought we were out) of Corn Starch …

Federal budget explosion: $2.9 TRILLION! Gee, you don’t suppose that this will be inflationary or that it will force higher taxes…   o o o An interesting article ran in Disaster Recovery Journal‘s 20th Anniversary issue: No Rain, No Power. Written by Ugandans, it describes how the recent drought in Eastern Africa has created a systemic power crisis. Lack of hydroelectric power has forced the Ugandan power utility resort to lengthy “load shedding” power blackouts.    o o o The folks at Safecastle wrote to remind me that they now have a Safecastle Royal Buyers Club, with hundreds of high-quality …

For those of you that have a fast Internet connection, watch SAR expert Robert Nielsen’s recent Google Tech Talk lecture video: Wilderness Survival: Building and Using a Wilderness Survival Kit. It will be one hour of your time, well-spent.    o o o Reader P.M. sent me flyer that mentioned the Earth-Box gardening system. P.M. says that he has used these for two years with great success. They can be put on wheeled platform or casters, allowing them to be moved indoors at night when frosts are expected.    o o o Rourke (moderator of the Jericho Discussion Group) mentioned …

A new organization, dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear edged weapons: http://www.kniferights.org In my opinion knife ownership should have it constitutional protection recognized on an equal footing with gun ownership.    o o o USDA Announces An “Opt Out” Procedure For NAIS    o o o Montana and Maine move to reject the Federal Real ID requirements

Don’t miss the recent economic analysis from ContraryInvestor.com (by way of our friends at Gold-Eagle.com): We’re Swimming In Liquidity, Aren’t We? The charts say it all! We are about to experience the inevitable outcome of the liquidity bubble. Major market corrections are rarely fun. When market imbalances get way out of proportion and then markets do correct, it can get ugly. (For example the deflationary Great Depression of the 1930s, which followed the credit bubble of the 1920s.) Rawles Mantra mode on: Be prepared. Diversify out of the dollar. Get out of debt. Invest in tangibles.    o o o …

Another derivatives debacle! At least I can say that I warned you. From Bloomberg com comes this story: Sallie Mae 4th-Quarter Net Falls on Derivatives Losses. The article begins: “SLM Corp., the nation’s largest provider of college-student loans, said fourth-quarter profit tumbled 96% because of a decline in the value of financial contracts it uses to protect against swings in interest rates.”    o o o Reader J.M. sent us a news story link and asks: “When will the ‘nanny state’ mentality ever end?”: California may ban conventional light bulbs by 2012 OBTW, I also read that in California the …

The price action in the precious metals markets has been uneven for the past couple of months. It seems to be a market looking for a sense of direction. Just as with the base metals, there is of course a habitual tendency for the precious metals to follow the price of crude oil. But as previously mentioned, that linkage is weakening. Even though oil is off more than 25% from its highs of a few months ago (presently it is down in the low $50 range, per barrel), the metal prices have not followed. They’ve weakened a bit, but stayed …

SurvivalBlog reader Norman in England mentioned this piece in The Times of London; Thousands to Test Flu Emergency Response. Norman’s comments: “If this thing does mutate and get world wide then it will be very difficult if not impossible for society to hold together as it is now. What will come from this exercise will be bulls**t. I’ll try to keep you posted but I expect most of it to be kept under wraps. The systems that hold our society together have very little fault tolerance and it will not take much to bring society down. Once we are on …

Unintended consequences: Rise in ethanol demand creates a tortilla crisis.    o o o S.H. mention an interesting list of 63 field/barracks items posted at Bouhammer’s Afghanistan “List of gear for A-stan.” S.H. notes: “This may be of interest to those reviewing their G.O.O.D. or Bug-Out bags. It is very enlightening on what our troops use/need in a modern desert war environment.”    o o o There are just 16 days left in the big “Container load sale” at Survival Enterprises. Looking at their running inventories posted on the web page, I can see that several items have sold out. …

Michael Z. Williamson sent us a link to an article on how “gun control” laws are working in the UK. The following is a quote from the article: “A widow who lives alone in a Wiltshire farmhouse has taken to sleeping with a Smith & Wesson Saturday Night Special under her pillow. It belonged to her husband and is more than capable of stopping an intruder, of which she has had three in the last two years. When she goes shopping in Swindon, she slips a can of Mace into her handbag in case of assault. “Bought it at the …

Steve P. flagged this “must read” article by Doug Hornig: Climate Change Revisited    o o o From BlogIdaho: Why Cops Shoot Guys with Knives (Warning: Some graphic photos, not for the squeamish!) BTW, shallow slashing wounds to the torso of the type shown are not often fatal. It is either wounds to the neck or deep penetrating wounds to the abdomen (typically angled upward, from just under the ribcage) followed immediately by lateral motion of the blade tip that are the real killing wounds. (The latter is what one of my Army training NCOs referred to as “massive surgery …

“OSOM” sent this From Doug Casey’s newsletter: a very readable article on the French Revolution’s hyperinflation and the corruption and misery it bred. OSOM’s comment: “History doesn’t repeat exactly – but it sure looks like it’s rhyming.”    o o o There are just 19 days left in the big “Container load sale” at Survival Enterprises. All of the storage food items are “first come – first served.” The prices are less than half of retail. Survival Enterprises can take all major credit cards, PayPal, cash, gold and silver coins, but no checks or money orders. All orders must be …

Aaron in Florida noted: “The Official Department of the Army Publications and Forms web site has a tremendous number of manuals and information in PDF format.” I should also add that anyone associated with the Army (Active, Reserve, Guard, retired, army civilian employees, and even defense contractors) can get an Army Knowledge Online (AKO) account, which will give you access to even more manuals.   o o o UN Report on Climate Change “Will Shock the World”    o o o Airman JB and Joe from Tennessee both forwarded this one: Doctors fear TB strain could cause a global pandemic …

Hawaiian K. flagged this one: U.S. Navy Test Infrared Voice Communications System    o o o Reader Bob. B. suggested to taking a look at: The Provident Living (LDS) Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness web page. He suggested; “Especially look at the ‘Dry Pack Handouts’ label in the right-hand list. Great recipes for basic foods.”    o o o There are just 21 days left in the big “Container load sale” at Survival Enterprises. Some items like dehydrated margarine powder and dehydrated cabbage have already sold out, so don’t hesitate to get your order in. Do it soon, before many …

“Dancing Barefoot” mentioned this news story: Cod enzyme kills H5N1 virus    o o o U.S. Urges ‘Fivefold Expansion’ in Alberta Oilsands Production    o o o Novelist Michael Z. Williamson mentioned this book: Apocalypse Chow: How to Eat Well When the Power Goes Out