Letter Re: Short Term Conflict Versus Long Term Conflict

Hugh,

First of all, welcome to the blog. I was impressed by your credentials and have enjoyed reading your comments these past few days. However, I do have a bone to pick. Gee, no grace period?

In the Friday, Jan. 24 issue of SurvivalBlog you said, “If our civilization reaches the point of collapse, the lawlessness will, by necessity, be relatively short lived.” In a devastating collapse, I would expect a couple of waves of large-scale “die-offs” fairly early. I think that this is where your theory comes from.

However, to say that lawlessness would be short lived doesn’t take into account the many scenarios where conflict between individuals, groups, quasi-governments, and remnants of government might develop. Perhaps there could even be some encroachment by other countries. Zones of control or fiefdoms are sure to be formed. Conflict between these entities, and within them, can be expected. In the same blog there was a reference to Mexican citizens rising up to reclaim their society from drug lords. It has taken decades of fear, oppression, and murder for them to finally have the wherewithal to do this. I applaud them. It could be that their success will be short lived, but hopefully not.

In the Middle East and in much of Africa, war zones are a way of life. We should not expect it to be different here. We might hope for short-term, but count on and plan for long-term. – Z.

HJL Replies: Thank you for the kind words and the feedback. It’s always difficult to predict what the worst case scenario will be. It is entirely possible that, if a collapse of society occurs, extended periods of conflict could be encoutered. In the absolute worst case, we may face years of such conflict. However, the very spirit of patriots will not allow such evil to perpetuate like what we see on the African continent. Today, patriots are mostly still trying to affect change from within the system. Even though the government/elite have shown a propensity to throw the constitution to the wind when it suits them, patriots still believe in the Rule of Law. If society breaks down to the point where the Rule of Law no longer applies, they will work to replace the broken system with one that does work. I couldn’t give a timetable on such an endevor because it simply depends on how broken the existing system turns out to be and how far society collapses in such a situation. I do agree with your statement that “We might hope for short-term, but …(should) plan for long-term.”

Letter Re: Myths About Income Inequality

Dear Editor,

In your post under Economics and Investing, you said: “It’s important to understand that when a person creates wealth, they are not taking more of the pie from you; they are actually creating a bigger pie. It’s really only government that forcibly takes from you.”

I wish to respectfully disagree.

If a merger and acquisitions corporation, such as Bain capital, buys out the company you worked for (Dade Behring, where I worked for over 17 years), slices and dices, sells off the profitable parts to foreign companies, makes you train the new foreign employees (which I had to do), and then terminates your employment with no other job prospects in your region for your skills set, they did indeed create a bigger pie from shuffling papers; however, it all went to them. I have seen no study that shows that the majority of mergers and acquisitions do anything but enrich the paper shufflers who made the deal.

If open border globalists, through buying out members of congress in both parties, create a government that refuses to enact and enforce proposed immigration laws or reduce legal immigration during our worst downturn since the depression, help depress wages via massive immigration over the last 40 years, and demand and get amnesty after amnesty, then they also create a bigger pie, but it nearly all goes to those employers who hire immigrants and the immigrants themselves. This leaves the rest of us to pay for our own dispossession.

If I am an international globalist corporation and I pass Nafta and Gatt, I create a bigger pie too by making our workers compete, for instance with North Koreans who are working right this very moment in a “free trade” zone in South Korea for 38 cents an hour. This also creates a bigger pie, but not for the workers who lose their job here due to the wonders of ‘free trade’.

Sir James Goldsmith, a wonderful billionaire capitalist, wrote a wonderful book called The TRAP, that warns of the harmful results of globalization and free trade. There is a wonderful and prophetic interview with him on Charlie Rose the year before he died in the 1990s.

A prophetic interview with Sir James Goldsmith in 1994 Pt1

I love democracy, capitalism and business, but globalism, massive immigration, and ‘free trade’ DO take money from workers and give it to those at the very top. Free trade and globalism means poor workers in western countries enrich wealthy people in poor countries. It is a racket and a sham. – R. M.

HJL Replies: Thank you for this response. This is obviously a topic that deserves more discussion. Unfortunately, since this is a new position for me here at SurvivalBlog, I am still learning the ropes and, at this time, cannot attend to this in a manner worthy of your response. I will, however, place this on my to-do, research further, and post an article on it in the future. In the mean time, I would enjoy hearing from any others who would like to chime in.

News From The American Redoubt:

Photos: Boise woman’s tiny house

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Two Gun bills have been posted on the Oregon Legislative website that may interest our readers there. SB 1551 which deals with an expansion of gun registration legislation, and HB 4068 which deals with people who have had convictions for small amounts of marijuana or who had those convictions before Oregon reduced the penalty to apply for CHLs.

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Sandpoint ranch raises Budweiser Clydesdales

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R.B.S. sent these three videos in. I especially like the all-terain wheel chair.

Paralyzed vet gets all-terrain chair complete with gun rack

Senators skeptical of Fish and Game wolf count numbers

Possible head start for kids hunting big game

Economics and Investing:

D. B. sent in this link asking if it is The Beginning of the End for the U.S. Dollar?

S.E. sent in a link showing how many Americans feel about the financial future.

And M.R sent this email warning of the coming Global Financial Meltdown caused by China’s crdit bubble.

Items from The Economatrix:

20 Early Warning Signs That We Are Approaching A Global Economic Meltdown

Celente – The Entire World Is Now Unraveling Before Our Eyes

JPMorgan’s Gold Vault Has Biggest One-Day Withdrawal Ever

Bank-Run Fears Continue; HSBC Restricts Large Cash Withdrawals

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader B.H. sent this news headline, which reads like something out of a novel: Indonesia Moves Warships to Border

For some background in the recent growth of Indonesian military power, see this article from The Jakarta Post: TNI gears up, sets sights on foreign threats

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For those intereted in light weight rifles this one sounds like it has quite a bit of promise.

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G.G. sent this news report in onNew Hampshire Thieves Raiding Woodpiles For Firewood.

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Disturbing news that the US Government may have been colaborating with the Sinaloa drug cartel

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U.S. Army expects to replace a quarter of soldiers with robots by 2040

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B. sent in this link that discusses a geological study about the New Madrid fault that might be of interest to our readers. While many readers don’t live in this area, the area is a rsik to the total US infrastructure.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The thing was, though: When James Wait got there, a worldwide financial crisis, a sudden revision of human opinions as to the value of money and stocks and bonds and mortgages and so on, bits of paper, had ruined the tourist business not only in Ecuador, but practically everywhere…Ecuador, after all, like the Galapagos Islands, was mostly lava and ash, and so could not begin to feed its nine million people. It was bankrupt, and so could no longer buy food from countries with plenty of topsoil, so the seaport of Guayaquil was idle, and the people were beginning to starve to death…Neighboring Peru and Columbia were bankrupt, too…Mexico and Chile and Brazil and Argentina were likewise bankrupt – and Indonesia and the Philippines and Pakistan and India and Thailand and Italy and Ireland and Belgium and Turkey. Whole nations were suddenly in the same situation as the San Mateo, unable to buy with their paper money and coins, or their written promises to pay later, even the barest essentials… They were suddenly saying to people with nothing but paper representations of wealth, “Wake up, you idiots! Whatever made you think paper was so valuable?” – Kurt Vonnegut, in his novel Galapagos (1985)

Notes from SurvivalBlog Editors:

Note from JWR:

On a recent trip to the eastern U.S., my wife and I had the opportunity to finally meet face to face with sci-fi novelist Mike Williamson, (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) and his family. It was great fun to put faces to names, and to build stronger bonds than is possible through mere correspondence.

Notes from HJL:

January 27th is the birthday of the late Helen Chenoweth, (born, 1938, died October 2, 2006), a controversial Republican congresswoman from Orofino, Idaho.

Notes from SurvivalBlog Readers:

Sometimes SurvivalBlog gets small emails from our readership that just are not big enough to warrant placement in their own blog post. Some of these can be quite profound too. Rather than just let them fall by the wayside or respond privately, I will post them in this section. – HJL

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A quick note of thank you from B.

Jim,
Pat will be greatly missed. Us southern Louisiana preppers will keep him and his family in our prayers. – B.

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And another quick note from P.W.

HJL said it “The reality is that we can’t go it alone.”
I have a quote that says: “If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go together.”

I think this is a good prospective to keep in mind. A ‘scout’ needs to be swift and stealth. A ‘community’ needs win the long Trek.

Pat’s Product Review: SOG Trident Folder

In all the years I’ve been around knives, there are one or two things I’ve learned about what most people think about knives. It really depends on where you live, too. Many folks in the big cities see knives, including folding knives, as a weapon of last resort, and that isn’t wrong thinking by any stretch of the imagination. Folks who live in rural areas think differently about knives. Instead of a weapon, most see a knife as a tool to use in dressing out game. Then we have Preppers, living in the city or in the country. They see a knife as a tool and a weapon. I’m in the Preppers corner on this one. First off, I see a knife as a tool and then a weapon. Very few people actually use a knife as a weapon for self-defense. Most use the knife as a tool quite often; in my case, I use one almost daily.

I like innovative knives, especially folding knives. I’m not a big fan of the slip-lock type of folders, where the blade does not lock up, because they can be dangerous when used as a heavy duty tool. The blade can close on your fingers. I, also, don’t especially like folders with a nail-pull notch to get the knife blade out. I prefer some kind of thumb stud or disc opening device because it’s quicker and easier than the nail-pull method.

So, I’ll introduce the SOG Knives folding knife into this discussion. There are quite a few characteristics that I like about the Trident folder. (SOG also makes a Trident fixed blade knife, too.) The first thing one notices on the Trident Desert Camo folder is, well, the desert camo pattern on the glass reinforced Nylon handle scales. The desert camo pattern is digital in design, which is quite eye-catching, to say the least. The blade is desert sand in color, and my sample came with a partially serrated blade, which I find very useful as a tool, as opposed to a weapon. The serrations come in handy when cutting through cardboard boxes and box straps; serrations really grip and rip through that stuff.

The blade is 3 3/4 inches long and made out of AUS-8 stainless steel, and the design has a Bowie clip-type handle. The stainless steel blade, along with the coating, resists rust. One will also notice that there is a sliding button on the right side of the handle scales – this is a lock – that keeps the blade locked in the open position, preventing accidental closing of the blade on your fingers. There is what is called a bayonet pocket clip on the butt of the handle. This allows for deep pocket carry. Also, the clip is easily rotated to the other side of the handle for left-handed carry.

Blade hardness is just about perfect for a knife blade at a Rockwell hardness of 57-58. It will hold an edge a good long time and is easy to re-sharpen. I like AUS-8 stainless steel. It’s a great compromise stainless and is very affordable compared to some of the “super stainless” knife blades. I like a bargain in a knife, and AUS-8 affords you a good blade steel at a great price. The Trident only weighs in at 3.80-ounces. It so light you will readily forget it is clipped inside your pants pocket.

Then, towards the ends of the handle, there is “that thing”– a groove milled into the handle scales. It is actually an opening that allows you to easily slice through paracord or thin rope without opening the blade. The opening in the handle scales allows just enough of the blade to be exposed, so you can place a piece of cord in there and cut it. You might wonder what the big deal is about this. This was designed by a former US Navy SEAL, who saw Zodiac boats on rough water punctured by someone opening a knife to cut some paracord, causing the Zodiac to sink. With the groove in the handle, you can cut paracord without opening the blade. It’s a nice idea, especially if you are around water much. It is also great for fishermen. It’s one of those simple designs that make you wonder why you didn’t think of it first.

The blade has ambidextrous thumb studs on it, for getting the blade deployed quickly and easily. However, this Trident folder has what is called S.A.T.– SOG Assisted-opening Technology. It’s an assisted opening folder. What SOG came up with is a VERY fast-opening device, one of the fastest assisted-opening folders I’ve run across. You only have to push on the thumb stud, and the blade comes right out of the handle scales in the blink of an eye. Some assisted-opening folders are rather slow or sluggish; that’s not so with the S.A.T. mechanism. It’s FAST!

There is a raised pattern on the handle scales that allow for a very firm grip on the Trident. They aren’t too aggressive, nor too passive. They are just right. On the bottom of the handle scales are serrations milled into the scales, giving you a firm grip on the knife when the blade is opened.

If you don’t like the digital desert camo pattern on the Trident folder, you can get one in all-black, tiger stripe camo and a few other camo colors. I personally like the digital desert camo pattern. The sand colored blade is actually a TiNi coating, which resists scratches.

For the better part of a month, my wife and I tested the Trident folder using it around my house for all kinds of cutting chores. My wife found the S.A.T. opening easy to use . Believe it or not, a lot of folks have a difficult time opening assisted-opening folders. These folks keep their thumb on the thumb studs a bit too long, which slows the blade down just enough that it won’t fully open. You won’t have that problem with the Trident folder.

I liked the Trident folder for several reasons. I like the S.A.T. technology for fast opening; I liked the clip point blade design; and I like the partially serrated blade, too. Now, the Trident is a great Every Day Carry (EDC) folder and makes a super Gent’s folder for all kinds of everyday chores. Is the Trident a survival knife? Well, that depends on your definition of “survival”. I wouldn’t want to take the Trident into the woods as my one and only knife because it’s not designed for heavy wilderness work. You can dress out game and accomplish some chores, but I’d prefer a heavier folder for that. SOG has many folders to pick from. As an EDC folder, the SOG Trident really shines. Folks will be amazed at how quickly the blade is deployed, and it will serve most of your work needs. It can also be used as a last-ditch self-defense weapon, too.

SOG advertises the Trident folder as being assembled in the USA with some parts made in Taiwan.

The SOG Trident retails for $114, and you can usually find it for less on the Internet if you shop around. It’s a great knife at a great price, and it won’t let you down as an EDC knife. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Pat’s Product Review: C.T. Fischer Custom Knives

There was a time, many years ago, when I collected high-end custom knives. I designed several of the knives myself, and had a couple custom knife makers produce them for me. I was a real sucker for a beautiful hand-made knife; I still am. However, I didn’t want to use any of those beautifully crafted knives because, well, they were so beautiful. They were works of arts, and I didn’t want to see them get all scratched up. Oh sure, I had some custom knives that were “working” knives. I wasn’t afraid to put them to work or get the blades scratched or dirty. However, most of the knives in my collection were too darn pretty to use. (Using them would decrease the value of my knives.) Eventually, the entire collection was sold.

Since selling my handcrafted, fancy custom knives, I’ve designed a few more knives and have also received custom knives for articles over the years. I was mainly interested in a working man’s knife, rather than an “art” knife. I want knives that I’m not afraid to use and abuse. Christopher Fischer of C.T. Fischer custom knives from Elk City, Idaho contacted me some months back and asked if I would be willing to test one of his knives for SurvivalBlog readers. He also asked for an article on my findings. I agreed. He had an in-stock fixed blade knife on-hand that he sent to me. Many custom knife makers are backlogged months and sometimes years on their orders. I just happened to luck out this time with the knife being immediately available for testing.

I received the 6-inch, full-tang, all-purpose camp knife with a brass guard for testing. A camp knife is one of those knives that can handle most chores around a camp, dressing game in the field, and preparations in the kitchen, as well as act as a weapon for self-defense. A camp knife should also have some type of guard to prevent your hand from sliding onto the blade and doing some serious damage to your fingers. The camp knife Fischer sent me came with a full brass guard. He also offers the same knife without a guard, if you want it that way.

Fischer usually works with CPM S30V stainless steel; high-carbon steels, such as O-1 tool steel, 1095, 1075 and 52100; and steel from large saw blades. While I really like CPM S30V stainless steel, like many stainless steels, it doesn’t hold an edge as well as carbon-steel blades. I’ve always found carbon-steel blades easier to re-sharpen when compared to stainless blades. Now, don’t get me wrong, most of the knives I own and use are made out of some type of stainless steel, which is a nice thing to have in the rainy and very wet Pacific Northwest, where we usually have about 8-months of rain per year. Even with the best care, stainless steel blades can rust and carbon steel blades are even worse. Carbon steel blades require extra care, but it’s worth it.

The camp knife I received for this article is made out of 0-1 tool steel. Fischer sends all his stainless steel knife blades out for heat treating to Paul Bos, who (if you ask me) is “the” number one name in heat-treating of knife blades. Even though Bos no longer does the heat treating himself, the company still holds to his high standards. Fischer does his own air-hardening heat treatment himself on the non-stainless blades.

The blade on the camp knife sample I received is 6-inches long– neither too long, nor too short for a camp knife. The thickness of the blade is 3/16th of an inch, which is just perfect for this type of knife. Its overall length is 11-inches from tip to butt, and the knife weighs 13-ounces. The handle material on my particular knife sample is made out of light- to medium-brown Dymondwood. It is a dyed, plastic impregnated laminate that is available in 50 colors and color combinations. It has a layered look to it , which is very attractive and almost bullet-proof. We’re talking super-tough hand scales. However, you can get your knife’s handle scales made out of Micarta or hardwoods. Fischer doesn’t use bone or antler because they are fragile and shrink-up on a knife.

Another nice touch to all of the C.T. Fischer knives is that Fischer makes all his own sheathes, which are well-made and heavy duty. I’ve had some absolutely beautiful hand-made knives pass through my hands in the past with sheaths that looked terrible. The knives didn’t fit in the sheaths properly. Not good! Fischer’s sheath that came with my camp knife sample was made for the knife and will last a lifetime with little care.

Fischer will make you a sheath out of Kydex, if you request it. However, on this camp knife sample, it just made sense to my way of thinking to have a leather sheath. A Kydex sheath would detract from the look of the knife. You can also get a sheath made for horizontal carry as well as neck sheaths for his smaller knives. C.T. Fishcher will be happy to fill your special sheath requests.

Okay, I’ll be honest, before being contacted by Fischer, I’d never heard of him or his knives. I haven’t really been into custom knives in a number of years. So, I did some research on Fischer and his knives and found some big-name knife dealers are carrying and selling C.T. Fischer knives. These dealers’ websites had some favorable comments from very satisfied customers. That’s a good thing.

The blade on my camp knife sample has a soft satin finish on it. On a working knife, you don’t want a shinny blade because it shows the scratches easily. The handle scales were also pinned on the knife, and there is a lanyard hole in the butt of the knife. The knife came shaving sharp, which is a nice thing. Some custom knife makers don’t know how to put an edge on a blade.

Around my small homestead we always have an abundance of blackberry vines. No matter how much blackberry killer I spray on these vines, new ones pop up all the time. It’s an on-going battle keeping these wicked vines in-check, and it gets very expensive having to buy the spray-on blackberry vine weed killer. So, I often get out there with a knife and whack away at those vines. It’s a great media in which to test the sharpness of any knife. Many knives won’t cleanly cut through thick blackberry vines, which are super tough. The C.T. Fischer camp knife had no problems taking the large vines down with one slice with the knife. I also used the camp knife in the kitchen, too, for all manner of cutting, including tomatoes, meat, and onions. The knife breezed through them all.

Now, one look at the Fischer knife will readily tell you that it is a working knife rather than a show piece. You could mount it on a stand and put it on your desk for everyone to admire. However, Fischer’s knives are working knives, first and foremost, no doubt about it. Like the old Timex watch commercials, they can take a licking and keep on ticking. Okay, maybe not “tick”, but they can stand-up to just about anything you can throw at them and still do the job they were designed for. The camp knife had a nice balance just behind the brass guard. I like a knife that is slightly handle-heavy, especially if I’m doing any chopping.

I didn’t bother with any knife-throwing tests, like I normally do with knives. I just couldn’t bring myself to throw it and scratch the blade or handle scales. Yeah, there is still some of that “fancy” knife mentality left in me since I couldn’t abuse this sample by throwing it.

All-in-all, I was impressed with the C.T. Fischer camp knife sample. It is a working man’s knife, and one that deserves consideration as a wilderness or survival-type knife. If you don’t like this particular pattern, check out the website. Fischer also makes a Classic-style Bowie with a 9-1/2 inch blade, as well as a 3-inch utility knife and everything in between. Now, for the good news, the 6-inch camp knife sample I received, with the tool steel blade, is only $360. In my book, for a custom, hand made knife, of this quality, it’s a steal. I would have expected this knife to cost at least $500 or more. Now, once again, keep in mind, these are NOT show knives. They are designed as working knives, so the blades won’t come all shinny. However, the knife sample I received was well-executed, well thought out, and priced “oh-so-right”. Fischer doesn’t often have knives in-stock, but check with him. If the knife pattern you want isn’t in-stock, see how long it will be for him to make one just for you. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week

Margaret R’s Pig Pickin’ Cake:

1. Grease and flour two cake pans and pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees.

1 box of cake mix (lemon, yellow, or white– in my order of preference)
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges (undrained)

2. Mix the above ingredients together until well blended. Pour into prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until tooth-pick comes out clean, when cake is tested.

1 large carton Cool Whip (or 1 pint Heavy Cream, whipped, as a more fluid alternative)
1 pkg. instant pudding (Banana Cream, is our preference)
1 large can crushed pineapple (half the juice drained)

3. When cake is cool, combine the above ingredients and spread between cake layers and on top and side. Refrigerate a few hours before serving. Keep leftovers refrigerated!

Note: You can decorate it with cherries or pecans. When you try this cake, you’ll understand the name. It WILL make a pig out of you!

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: A Science Based Technique for Seasoning Cast Iron

Dear Hugh,

Hi – first off, I am in NO way an expert or even knowledgeable enough about this matter to offer advice.

After reading Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning in Odds ‘n Sods,I became interested in the subject as I generally just use grapeseed oil to season my pans. The very first article I pulled up not only refuted the information in the article above, but it also suggested that taking the advice of the article above could be dangerous.

Here is the relevant extract: ‘Perhaps no other related topic is so rife with garbage on the internet than the seasoning of cast iron pans. It is cancerous with political correctness and completely removed from practicality. I think the worst that I have read was someone selling new pans and (proudly) saying he seasoned them with flax seed oil. Flax seed oil? That is just about the most unstable polyunsaturated oil there is. It is so unstable — read easy to oxidize — one never cooks with it, ever. To subject it to high heat for seasoning can create dangerous compounds and guarantees lousy performance. It is difficult to express just how stupid that is. I’ve also read where people spray a pan with no-stick spray then throw the pan in the oven at 500F for three hours, a pointless expensive exercise that might burn the house down.’

Here is the full article. I haven’t the foggiest notion who is right and who is wrong on this matter, but I thought it worthy of being brought to your attention. – J.B.

HJL Replies: I’m almost embarrassed to admit how we treat our cast iron. We have two pieces that have been handed down at least three generations. The standard procedure is to use whatever oil is at hand– canola(rape seed), olive, lard, butter, whatever. The meal is prepared and then the pan is merely wiped out with a paper towel while still warm. Since the pan is used on a daily basis, it never imparts a bad taste. Occasionally someone will cook something in it that ruins the season or cooks a strong flavored food which requires soap and steel wool to clean. In these cases, it generally has to be re-seasoned and the most common method is to wipe it down with canola oil and heat it on the stove top or oven. We generally just heat it until the oil is right below the point where it smokes and then let it cool down on the stove. About every 5 years or so, we begin to notice a black crud forming on the rim above the level that food is generally at. When it becomes noticeable, I just take the pan out into the yard and use a 100,000 BTU weed burner to heat it to the point that the carbon crud burns off, then let it cool down overnight and re-season it in the morning. There are many who would say that we are abusing our cast iron, but it’s tough to argue with a process and pan that are 100 years old. My wife informs me that making her southern cornbread is an excellent way to keep the skillet seasoned. She pours about 1/4″ of canola oil into the skillet and pre-heats it to 425 degrees before pouring the batter (made without any oil) into the hot oil. The cornbread is then crispy, southern-fried and your skillet is a pleasure to work with.

Letter: Walmart and Augason Emergency Food Supplies

Mr. Rawles,

I don’t know if you know about this, I didn’t. I also don’t know if this is an online only type thing. But, I found Augason emergency food supplies online at walmart.com today. I live 2 hours from the nearest Wal-Mart and 3.5 hours away from the nearest Wal-Mart/Sams SuperCenter. So, maybe they sell these in the store, now. I don’t know. But, for those of us who rely on shipping supplies in, this is news of note. Orders of $50 or more ship free from walmart.com. – B.E.

Economics and Investing:

P. sent in this interesting link about Russia:Russia’s Growing Regional Debts Threaten Stability

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Local governments extending tax breaks to movie production companies is becoming commonplace now; Even to the point where cities and states compete with each other to be the hosting location for the movie company. Several readers sent this link in showing How Leonardo DiCaprio Cost New York Taxpayers $30 Million. HJL Adds: My own city recently released financials showing that in the past year, they hosted four movie productions, giving significant tax breaks to the production companies, with less than $9,000 increased revenue to the local businesses.

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More disturbing news about the Federal Reserve and QE.

Items from The Economatrix:

Life Without Benefits Gets Tougher For Jobless

$90 Cut To Food Stamps For 850,000

Here It Comes – More Leading Economists Call For Capital Controls

1.4 Million Jobless Officially Get The Emergency Claims Axe

Odds ‘n Sods:

JWR was doing some research on concealment from FLIRs and active IR emitters on starlight scopes for his upcoming novel Liberators, and found an interesting post at the Urban Evasion web site.

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Mountainview Off Grid Livingsells 5 gallon buckets of Hard White Wheat and Hard White Wheat. HJL Adds: For those not familiar with the Hard White Wheat, it is a product that has the same moisture and protein as the standard Hard Red Wheat but has a milder flavor. We use it almost exclusively, and you can make a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread that tastes really good. You can also use the Hard White for pastries and lighter breads if you grind it finely. My wife’s favorite biscuit recipe, which she makes weekly, uses 2/3 Hard White and 1/3 bread flour.

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B.B. sent this link reminding us that the unprepared are the ones who are hurt the most in crisis.

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A.W. reported this link showing a comparison to the world in 1914 and 2014: Is the world on the brink of war?

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If you’re a criminal, you probably should be careful who you try to steal from. Here are a couple of links sent in by readers about criminals who weren’t: Businessman Andrew Woodhouse cleared of using unreasonable force against fuel burglars, and MMA fighter Jardine stops mail theft.

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B.P. sent this interesting link about a Supreme Court case that could have far reaching implications on the ability of governement to regulate personal gun transfers.