Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Mike the Blacksmith recommended this article: How Our Civilization Can Fall.    o o o The first episode of the Front Sight Challenge reality television series will air for the first time on on January 5, 2007. Naish Piazza tells me that the series will be available to cable and satellite television viewers in 70 million homes around the globe. I predict that this exposure will cause a spike in Front Sight course enrollments, so make your reservations soon. Because of the hot climate in southern Nevada, in my experience the most pleasant months to attend are October through April. …

The U.S. FCC‘s recent change in amateur (“Ham“) radio licensing requirements (dropping the Morse code test for all license classes) inspired an interesting thread of conversation over at The Claire Files.    o o o Michael H. just had to send us this link to the Jet-man of Switzerland. This site has no survival or preparedness applicability that I can imagine, but wow! Check out the video clip. Tres cool!     o o o If it is an issue of concern for you, get your comments in ASAP about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The deadline for public comments …

Mat The Propmeister reminded me to mention that there have been some very handy do-it-yourself projects detailed at Make Magazine, (“The first magazine devoted entirely to DIY technology projects”), including great articles on heirloom technology, and “Makeshift” scenarios.    o o o In a recent e-mail, my buddy “Purk” in Nevada noted that this is the time of year that the phone companies in many regions distribute free new phone books. Paper from phone books can be used in place of toilet in case of emergency. (Preferably new phone books, to minimize the risk of lingering bacteria from handling.) Purk …

The public comment period on The 2007 Farm Bill (including funding for NAIS) ends on December 31st. If you object to NAIS biochipping of farm livestock and pets please be sure to register your comments.   o o o Economic commentator Mish Shedlock (co-editor of the free Whiskey and Gunpowder e-newsletter) offered the following on the value of U.S. five cent “nickel” pieces: “The Mint had to be crazy to announce that a nickel is worth 7 cents. I got to thinking about this a bit more, and a nickel is really 0.05 dollars plus a call option on the …

Jason M. pointed out this article: Arizona has ended Nevada’s 19-year reign as the nation’s fastest-growing state, fueled by immigrants and Americans moving from other states.    o o o From our friend Noah, over at the DefenseTech blog: Some of the Blackwater and Triple Canopy boys are running a bit amok.    o o o John the Bowhunter mentioned this one: California home sellers face several more months of pain, leading housing economists said Thursday. I think that they are overly optimistic, it will more likely be years rather than “months” before the market recovers.

President Bush says that the U.S. needs to expand the Army and Marine Corps to fight extended campaigns overseas.    o o o Our correspondent in Brazil (“The Werewolf”) spotted an article from the Yukon Territory with advice on bears in your backyard. as well as this one: What to Do When You Encounter a Bear The Werewolf said that he found the bits at the end, about “Predatory Attacks” downright funny.    o o o In a recent conversation with my friend Dr. S. Hans Paine, he mentioned both the WebMD.com web site as a general medical reference, and …

Dr. Geri Guidetti of The Ark Institute mentioned that she still has a good inventory of her book "Surviving A Bioterrorist Attack: Prevention, Treatment and Management." I highly recommend that you get a copy. It could be a life-saving resource!    o o o Denver digs out from an early winter storm. Governor Bill Owens is advising motorists to stay off of the state highways. Meanwhile, Christmas travelers are stranded at the Denver airport.    o o o Reader B.H. sent this one: Report Reveals 2.2 Million Borrowers Face Foreclosure on Subprime Home Loans. It looks like and ugly end …

S.H. Suggested this site: Mattracks–Rubber Track Conversion Systems For 4X4 Vehicles    o o o I recently had a great phone conversation with Dr. Geri Guidetti of The Ark Institute. She mentioned that there are lots of people that prepared for Y2K who are now in possession of 8 , 9, or even 10-year-old stocks of gardening seed that by now have pitiful germination potential. These folks might mistakenly believe that they are still prepared to plant a sustenance garden. It is high time to replace that seed, preferably with heirloom (non-hybrid) varieties, such as those sold by The Ark …

Hardly an unexpected news flash: Iran has announced it would replace the dollar with the euro in foreign transactions and state-held foreign assets, in an apparent response to mounting US pressure on its banking system.    o o o Aaron Krowne of AutoDogmatic.com notes: “If base metal values continue to increase by 5% per year on average, and the dollar continues to depreciate by about the same, then in about 26-1?2 years, a nickel will be worth a dollar in inherent value. If the rates are 10% per year, then in a bit over 13 years, this milestone will be …

From Tom at www.CometGold.com: Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez is directing a growing share of the country’s oil profits into euros as the dollar and crude prices fall.    o o o I noticed that recent short-term strengthening of the U.S. Dollar has pounded down the spot price of silver from around $14 per ounce to about $12.50. Buy on these dips!    o o o Hawaiian K. forwarded a link to some gloomy predictions from The Market Oracle: Three-Pronged Collapse … Stocks, Bonds and Real Estate

The late James Kim should have had one of these. (Thanks to Ben L for sending this link.)    o o o From Novosti: Record high winter temperature set in Moscow    o o o For those of you with a fast Internet connection: An interesting video interview with Aton Edwards, the author of Preparedness Now. (Preparedness from a New York City perspective.)

Ron Holland recently penned some prescient commentary on the fate of the U.S. Dollar, as quoted in the Sovereign Society Offshore A-Letter, under the heading Sacrificing Your Dollars for the Housing Market:.”Most Americans could care less about the value of the dollar. But with the 2008 Presidential Election coming up, the public will be closely following their real estate values, so you can expect the Fed to hold or lower rates. This almost guarantees a far weaker dollar. But when the other central bankers really switch more of their dollar holdings to the other major currencies, expect a major collapse …

The true deficit in the Bush administration’s 2006 federal budget is now thought to be an astounding $3.5 trillion in the red, not $248.2 billion as previously reported. Hmmm. That doesn’t sound very “credit worthy” to me. Nay. In fact, it sounds like Uncle Sam needs some credit counseling.    o o o Mike the Blacksmith pointed us to this interesting article: Scientists from Los Alamos national laboratory are out on the road, giving lectures on H5N1 Asian Avian Influenza    o o o Reader S.H. flagged this one: Recent action by the U.S. Mint to outlaw the melting down …

Reader “MP” mentioned this one: Another water purification solution?    o o o From Reuters: Fake snow in Alps, Moscow blooms: green Christmas?  

I noticed that after a fairly quiet week of trading last week, the US Dollar is back to making some big “mood swings” versus the Euro, with moves of up to 140 points in as little as a few hours. That kind of volatility indicates that the US Dollar market has not found a clear direction. The dollar could still rally, but then again, it could “tank.” The Chartist Gnome tells me that if the Euro holds consistently above $1.332 for four days, then that will signal a renewed wave of bear market dollar dumping–possibly “the big one”: a major …