Letter Re: A Technique for Crossing Barbed-Wire Fences

Mr. Rawles,
On foot crossing a barbed wire livestock fence that is stretched tight can be a problem. Stretching the fence with the hands makes a small space. Hanging gear and loose clothing seem to always find a barb to catch. The trick is to make a pair of fence stretcher/stabilizers. Any material can work but light weight metal is the best. The stretching sticks or bars only need to be strong enough to not bend in the middle while under tension. I recommend using two pieces of lightweight metal bar stock about 14 to 16 inches long. Notch each end. Place them between the wires to be opened. One in front of you and one in back [,about five feet apart.] You have a nice wide opening for you and anyone with you to navigate safely and quickly.
After crossing you remove them and place on or in a pack for re-use. No one can tell if you have crossed at that place.

If stealth is needed you can do the same on ground level by placing one end on the ground and the other on the lower wire.
You can then slide under the bottom wire and pull any gear through, remaining in the prone position.

Positioning of these is best accomplished wearing a pair of heavy leather gloves.

A stretcher bar is necessary on a six wire fence because the distance between the wires is considerably less than on a five wire fence.

Cordially, – JWC in Oklahoma







Odds ‘n Sods:

Germ Warfare Guru Goes Free, Why did Malaysia release Al Qaeda’s bioweapons expert? (Thanks to DD for the link)

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The folks at SafeCastle have added four sizes of the eminently practical Bury ‘Em Tubes to their product line. Safecastle Royal club members get 20% off, as usual–and shipping is free.

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N. in Michigan sent this: Gold For Bread – Zimbabwe

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And to close with a bit of humor, Shopping in Texas?



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Money is a mirror of civilization. Throughout history, whenever we find good, reliable noninflated money, we almost always find a strong, healthy civilization. Whenever we find unreliable, inflated money, we almost always find a civilization in decay.” – Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard J. Maybury, Karl Hess, Kathryn Daniels, and Jane A. Williams



Notes from JWR:

Today is the last day to bid! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $1,485. This auction ends at midnight (Eastern time), tonight, March 15th. It is for a large mixed lot, which includes::

1.) A “be ready to barter” box of 38 full-capacity gun magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 4 – Used original East German 30 rd. steel AK-47 magazines in a “raindrop” camouflage pattern belt pouch, 12 – Excellent-to-new condition original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Well-used but serviceable condition original Austrian FN-FAL steel 20 round magazines with cartridge counter holes, 10 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (all Colt made!) alloy 20 round magazines, and 6 – Excellent to new condition original (Norwegian contract) Glock Model 17 9mm 17 round pistol magazines (early type, with “U” notch). All of these magazines are of pre-1994 manufacture (and hence legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $700, in today’s market. Note: If you live in a state where full capacity magazines are banned, then you must choose to: refrain from bidding, or designate a recipient in an unrestricted state, or re-donate the magazines for a subsequent auction.

2.) A huge lot of DVDs, CD-ROMs and hard copy nuclear survival/self-sufficiency references (a $300+ value) donated by Richard Fleetwood of www.SurvivalCD.com

3.) A NukAlert compact radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value). 

4.) Five cases (200 pairs) of AMMEX Heatworks chemical hand warmers (a $182.50 value), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com

5.) A Brunton Solarport 4 (4.4 Watt) compact photovoltaic power panel and 6/12 VDC power adaptor set, including as USB power port. This is a $120 retail value, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

6.) A Pelican Model 1400 waterproof case in olive drab, ideal for pistols, Starlight scopes, or communications gear. This is a $95 retail value, courtesy of Scorpion Survival.

7.) A Non-Hybrid Garden Security Collection, Garden Bean Collection, and your choice of a pint of fertile grains (Hull-less Oats, Spelt, or Winter Rye), a $50 + retail value, courtesy of Seed For Security.

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $1,600. This auction ends on March 15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.

Today we present another entry for Round 21 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value!
Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses.
Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing

Round 21 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.



My Tale of the Hurricane Rita Evacuation. August, 2005, by Dan G.

I was working in a pawnshop in Aransass Pass Texas, about 20 miles North of Corpus Christi, Texas. Two days earlier my wife and I watched the destruction of New Orleans on National Television, the news coverage was continuing around the clock as the drama unfolded.

Gasoline had shot up from $1.56 to $2.99 a gallon overnight and of course I had to fill up that morning to get to my menial low paying job. Late that afternoon a rich looking couple driving a huge brand new pickup truck, came into the pawnshop. They spoke very loudly about how their family members in New Orleans did not have electricity and were relying on them for help. How they communicated [with those in New Orleans], I did not know. The pawn shop owner had two used generators and this couple was desperate to buy them, even hundreds of miles away from Louisiana, generators had become scarce. The couple bought both of them, at an extra high price, and the owner asked how they were going to get them to New Orleans for their family members to use. “Well” said the man, “we can’t drive up there because the roads are closed, so we are going to take these to the UPS office and have them shipped to New Orleans, no matter what it costs.” No one revealed to this man the flaw in his thinking. My Wife and I had a good laugh about that when I got home that day.

September 20, 2005.
We were very concerned about Rita’s progress that night, after Katrina everyone was in near panic.

September 21, 2005
They called the evacuation that morning, we had no money and our car was hardly running, there was no way it would make it inland several hundred miles, even if we had money for gas. The storm looked like it was going to make a direct hit where we lived in Rockport, Texas 30 miles North of Corpus, and right on the coast. Our financial situation was dire, my Wife had lost her job, and after an altercation with my manager at the pawnshop, I had quit mine. We were awaiting an inheritance to come through, but it had not happened yet. The job prospects in the small tourist town, in the off season, were grim. I thought about just sitting tight, but the lives of my Wife and kids prompted me into action. With reluctance and a feeling of failure as a man, I called my Father for help.
Jobs, money and status were the code that my father lived by, even though he had never held a low wage job in his life. He agreed to help, and reservations at a hotel in Wimberly Texas were made, before the golden horde set out from Houston. We would leave in the morning in my father’s truck, heading roughly two hundred miles inland. Wimberly is located between Austin and San Antonio Texas. I spent the afternoon of that day boarding up my Father’s house in the nearly 115 degree heat and humidity. After that was accomplished my Wife and I needed to pick up a few things in town including a prescription. It was completely surreal in Rockport late that afternoon. The streets were all but abandoned, trash fluttered in the wind on the empty sidewalks, most business were already closed. The schools had closed at noon that day, and the children sent home. Even the sky had a peculiar orange brown cloud cover that was unnerving. A hand painted cardboard sign adorned the windows at Super Wal-Mart stating that the store would be closing at 6pm, less than an hour away. The parking lot contained a handful of RVs and pick-ups with travel trailers, all of them were loading up canned goods, bottled water, propane, charcoal, flashlights, batteries and ammunition. We had about $6 at the local bank, but we also had a $300 overdraft privilege, the decision was made to exercise it. The ATM machines had been limited to dispensing only $80 at a time for only 3 transactions, to keep the machines from running out of cash. The ATM’s were also adorned with crudely made cardboard signs. We took our $80 out 3 times, with a $25 overdraft charge each time, that we would owe the bank at a later date. Inside Wal-mart it looked as if the hurricane had already struck, the store was a mess, and the employees had a haggard appearance. We picked up the prescription, there were no more batteries to be had, but I needed a box of .45 ACPs.

People had paid attention to the mayhem that followed hurricane Katrina, this was evident at the ammunition counter. They were out of shotgun shells, all common rifle rounds were gone, the same held true for common pistol rounds. All they had were oddball cartridges, .357 SIG, .45 G.A.P. .17 Remington, .300 Weatherby Magnum, et cetera. Even the .22 LR were gone. There would be no .45 ACPs for me, so we headed home. We passed several gas stations, again with crude signs, stating they had only premium fuel. We got home to get ourselves and our kids ready to evacuate in the morning. The television news reported that the hurricane was gaining strength, they still had no idea where it would make landfall, and residents of Houston were “urged” to evacuate now in a few hours it would be “mandatory”. I felt it was imperative for the members of my family to be equipped with proper footwear, in case there was trouble and we wound up walking. My 11 year old fashion aware daughter proved to be a problem, all she had was girly shoes that were otherwise useless. We scrambled to find her some walking shoes, deep in the closet we found a pair. Also in the closet we located a forgotten partial box of .45ACPs, at least my magazines would all be loaded. I vowed to never be caught without essentials like walking shoes and ammo again.

We packed light, I backed up my family photos and writings onto a CD-ROM and packed it, we included socks and a change of clothes for everyone, all of our important paperwork and identification and full canteens. Into my backpack went half of our cash, one 1911 Colt .45 Automatic with five magazines on a gun belt, one large Ontario Razor sharp hunting knife, one Swiss Champ, my medications including a good supply of aspirin, salt tablets and Dramamine. One compass, a military poncho, foot powder, boonie hats and a copy of “Conan the Adventurer” By Robert E. Howard. Everyone also had high energy snacks and a poncho. As we went to bed that night the TV reported more bad news.

September, 22 2005
This would be the day that I would learn how truly fragile our complex modern society is, I would also learn that by avoiding groupthink and with a little forward planning most hazards could be easily bypassed.

After disconnecting the water, electricity and gas to our house my Dad arrived and we loaded up by 9 a.m. . As I got into the truck my Father handed me a Texas Roads map book and said, “I have picked out our own evacuation route.” he had traveled the roads of Texas his entire life and knew every back road there was. The penciled in evacuation route would prove to be our saving grace. Many lives were lost that day because people and bureaucrats could not or would not read a simple road map; instead they relied on digital gimmickry and an unswerving belief that the interstate highway system was the only roadway available to them.

Urgency bordering on panic was wafting on the air, you could feel the tension, and see the worry on other motorists faces. We headed out on the first of many Farm to Market (FM) roads crisscrossing the state. Traffic on these back roads was still heavier than I had ever seen it. Towns we went through appeared deserted until you reached gas stations that were near riot conditions many were out of gas. Luckily my father had filled up the previous night, if he hadn’t we may have very well been stranded in the choking gasping heat that day. We switched back and forth onto differing FM roads to avoid more and more traffic, every town was congested, we had long waits at every stop light and four way crossing. A three hour trip had turned to six hours and counting, we stopped at small hamburger joint for lunch, it was jam packed, as we ordered we overheard other folks talking. Rumors were flying about accidents, fires, turmoil and gridlock on Interstate 10, they still had no idea where Rita was headed. We got our order and headed back out eating in the truck, the little town was swamped with cars and people, one person was driving on the sidewalk, there were no police in sight.
Between towns on the FM roads it was easy going, but as you neared any community there was chaos, as the afternoon progressed, many a crude sign could be seen proclaiming “No more gas”, No more food”, this was repeated again and again. We were coming up on Seguin Texas when traffic came to a halt, we were about to cross over I-10 the main evacuation route out of Houston. Out of the truck window along the horizon I could make out several columns of black smoke. It took over an hour to travel the two miles to the overpass and then I saw I-10. All the lanes had been re-routed to head west only, It was like a scene from a movie, as far as I could see there were lines of cars, both to the east and the west pointed in a single direction. There was no end, none of them was moving, more columns of smoke could be seen in the distance what caused them I did not know.

Heat rippled off the metal and in automobile exhaust, the evacuees could not turn off their engines, if they did there would be no air conditioning and heat prostration would quickly find them, especially the old and the very young. Along the roads sides people could be seen walking, I guess they had abandoned their vehicles in search of a respite from the heat. A fuel truck was also traveling on the road side, it was not stopping for anyone, and a few police cruisers traveled the road sides as well, the only vehicles in motion along that nightmarish interstate.

Late in the afternoon we arrived in Wimberly and checked into the Motel, which was completely booked and we were the last people with a reservation to arrive. My father was staying with a friend in Wimberly and he left us his truck. We headed to the grocery store to lay in our supplies it was crowded but not overrun yet. We bought three days of food for a family of four and headed back to the hotel. The storms heading was still uncertain, but at last we enjoyed some peace and laughter. Later that night we decided to run back into town and get some ice cream, there was chaos in Wimberly this time. The grocery store we had been at just hours earlier was stripped bare. They had cleaning supplies and some make-up but that was about it, there was no more food of any kind to be had, no drinks, no water and no toilet paper. The streets were packed stalled cars littered the roadways and every gas station was out of fuel. We went back to the hotel, grateful that we had bought supplies earlier. We watched the TV and heard horror stories of what was going on, events that we had witnessed throughout the day. The night passed without incident.

September, 23 2005
We spent the day relaxing at the hotel late in the afternoon Hurricane Rita made her turn to the North making the previous two days an exercise in futility. She struck in the early morning hours on September, 24 between the Texas/Louisiana border, while we were safely asleep at the hotel. We went home as the storm moved inland.

Lessons Learned:
I believe that after Katrina officials overreacted to Rita in ordering the evacuation of Houston, Many died needlessly. This is a danger we still face today, not just the storms but the hysteria surrounding them.

After our experience we gave up on the coast and moved to Oklahoma, we live a hundred miles from any major city and we keep stores of food, ammo, water and medical supplies on hand in case we need them in a hurry. Never again will we be caught unprepared!



Letter Re: Selecting Retreat Properties–Pros and Cons of Buying Remote and Off Grid

Jim–

A note regarding my own experience with remote property ownership …I owned a wonderfully ideal 40-acre bug-out property in northern Minnesota for many years. It was very remote. Some of the closest neighbors did not even know there was a cabin back in those deep woods. It was backed up to a large, forested DNR property that was itself bounded by swamp. My other bordering neighbors were full-time residents who were kind of ornery (very protective of their property and thus unintentionally served as guardians of my property) and so that was a plus. We were a half-hour from the nearest towns. Several dirt roads eventually took us to our driveway which crossed over the land of a curmudgeonly Vietnam vet. The driveway was a mile long through his property and then on through the DNR land where in parts it traversed swamp. We had two locked gates on that drive, near and far.

I won’t go on reminiscing about the cabin, the off-grid electrical system, and all the rest of it here. (BTW, I bought this property shortly after first reading “Patriots” , so you certainly had a role in my thinking.) What I thought I could add to the current discussion is this:

1. If you are not a full-time resident of a property, even remote property–you will have uninvited visitors, “legitimate” and otherwise. We had several occasions of snowmobilers, ATV riders, and even a couple of burglary attempts. We were well fortified, so they were only attempted. (However, if they had been serious about getting some very valuable stuff on the premises, they could have done so with the proper preparation. We also discovered that we had a couple of visits while we were not there by the county tax assessor who hiked the one mile in when he could not get past the first gate with his vehicle.

2. Owning and maintaining a second comprehensive property, if you are not living there all the time, is an expensive and time-consuming proposition. In fact, it requires a demanding lifestyle commitment that, if you have other things going in your life, can get quite burdensome. Eventually, I made the decision to put all my time and preparedness money into my primary homestead (and in my preparedness business). I sold the property and all that went with it to a very lucky and appreciative buyer and used the proceeds to install an NBC shelter under a new addition on our home. We’re on the outskirts of suburbia and come hell or high water, we’ll make our stand here. It was really quite a relief to go this route, as I always worried about how and when we would be able to make the decision to head for the hills and whether it would be when everyone else was doing the same thing–making ourselves very vulnerable on the roads until we got to the property.
Furthermore, I had to admit that I’m not the young lion I once was, which had allowed me to think about dragging my family anywhere in a chaotic environment, unless there is simply NO option to stay put.

Bottom line–when someone asks me about bugging out vs. hunkering down–I advise that if at all possible, you live where your refuge is. There is an awful lot you can do to make your home your castle–wherever it is located. And you can do that for less money than buying, equipping, and stocking a second property. It also eliminates having to put you and yours at risk on the road between Points A and B (assuming you do have a secure Point B) at a time when there are going to be a lot of panicked and desperate people out there.
Blessings, – Vic at Safecastle



Economics and Investing:

From Eric in Tennessee: China ‘worried’ about US Treasury holdings. Reader Kyle D. sent the same link. Kyle quipped: “At least they didn’t say the dreaded ‘D’ word: Default.”

The Other Chris sent this: Homeowners See U.S. Taxes Rise as Property Values Sink Amid Deficits. “Gee, Wally, if property values are declining, shouldn’t our taxes be going down?”

Courtesy of Jay, comes: Glenn Beck’s The Inconvenient Debt. Jay’s comment: “[In this video segment,] there is great chart presented by Glenn Beck on the US money supply since 1929. It is shocking.”

DD forwarded this from MSNBC: Investors and homeowners woes continue

From Alan: Insurance “Guarantee Funds,” Another Mirage?

This was linked at The Drudge Report: In recession economy, students look to funeral careers

Items from The Economatrix:

Will The Stock Market Rally Stick, or Vanish?

Chrysler Faces July Cash Crunch Even with More Aid

G-20 Pledge Sustained Action on Financial Crisis

Fear Still in Focus After Strong Rally

Tight-Lipped US Firms Pay for Their Silence: Study

China Stimulus Hopes Push Up of World Markets

Bailout Money is Flowing Abroad

China’s Warning to the US: Honor Your Commitments

Obama: Crisis Not as Bad as We Think

Foreclosures Just Keep on Rising



Odds ‘n Sods:

Given the current ammunition and reloading components shortage in the US, this news couldn’t have come at a worse time: “Effective immediately DOD Surplus, LLC, will be implementing new requirements for mutilation of fired shell casings. The new DRMS requirement calls for DOD Surplus personnel to witness the mutilation of the property and sign the Certificate of Destruction. Mutilation of the property can be done at the DRMO, if permitted by the Government, or it may be mutilated at a site chosen by the buyer. Mutilation means that the property will be destroyed to the extent prevents its reuse or reconstruction. DOD Surplus personnel will determine when property has been sufficiently mutilated to meet the requirements of the Government.” This means that commercial reloaders will no longer have access to reloadable military surplus brass!

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I warned you, folks! AR-10 magazines are now pushing $90 each.

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Reader A.W. sent us two links on nut huskers/shellers: Where to buy one, factory made, and how to make your own (from Instructables)

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KAF sent this from the Protein Wisdom blog: You’ll get my heirloom tomatoes when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers





Letter Re: Idaho and Washington as Retreat Locales

Hi Jim,
I heard that Washington state joined the 10th Amendment movement. Funny, but we moved out of that state in February because it was seemingly so socialistic. Since then we’ve been actively looking for a small farm in Idaho but when I heard that news I wanted to see if you think it advisable to look into eastern Washington too. I’m amazed at all the properties for sale there. You can get so much more for your money there. But I wanted to check with you first. Thanks, – Evan S.

JWR Replies: Keep in mind that just a few legislators in Washington have joined the movement. The resolution is far from a “done deal”! The long-term trends for both Washington and Oregon are for continued Californication. It is hard to buck a major demographic change, so I expect the tax and gun laws in Washington to get worse in the years to come. Just moving east of the Cascades won’t help. It is the population weight of liberal western Washington that calls the shots. They look with disdain at eastern Washington as a “hick” minority.

Although land prices are generally lower in Washington, the property tax rates are much higher. I’d rather pay more at the outset, than be bled dry through the rest of my lifetime by high property taxes. My advice: Stick with Idaho!



Letter Re: Selecting Retreat Properties–Pros and Cons of Buying Remote and Off Grid

Jim:

To follow-up on your recent article, a very big “Pro” to buying off-grid land that was not mentioned is that you will not have strangers having access to your property. I am specifically referring to the Meter Reader for the utility company. I have “country” property on the Grid and have to furnish the Meter Reader a key to access the property to read the electric meter. The Meter Reader comes once a month to read the meter. I have not figured a way to deny them access. (Maybe you have a suggestion on how to prevent the meter reader from accessing the property) This stranger therefore has access to the property and also has a key to the gate and obviously has some knowledge of what is physically located on the property since he traverses the property to get to the meter. Being off grid puts you in a position to be able to keep everyone off of the property which to me carries a lot of value. – Carl D.

JWR Replies: Don’t forget the propane delivery truck. But at least that can be scheduled for once every couple of years, at your convenience, and you don’t need to give them a gate key.



Two Letters Re: Some Thoughts on the Survival Vehicle

Hi James,
Regarding the article “Some Thoughts on the Survival Vehicle” – I couldn’t agree more with the choice of an older Ford truck. I love mine. The only part I take exception to is converting permanently from electronic ignition to a mechanical point type distributor. I understand the EMP and other concerns, but there is a caveat readers need to be informed of.

Some/most Fords with 302 or 5.0 liter engines in the mid- to late-1980s and on were equipped from the factory with a hydraulic roller lifter camshaft. The roller cams are made of very hard steel, harder than older hydraulic “flat tappet” camshafts. On these “Roller Cam” engines the roller camshafts must be mated to a special hardened distributor drive gear (a hardened gear is on the factory electronic distributor) or the roller camshaft drive gear will destroy the softer standard (ductile iron IIRC) point type distributor drive gear in short order. I found out the hard (expensive)way!

I know that there are some aftermarket hardened distributor gears that might be retrofitted to a point type distributor. Some racers use bronze distributor gears with roller camshafts, but these softer bronze gears are only intended for racing and would have a limited life when used on the street.

One might be able to retrofit a standard “non-roller” camshaft to a new engine, but that’s likely beyond the skill sets of the average Joe.

There is another distributor related issue to consider – assuming you already have or will have a points type distributor. There is an aftermarket electronic ignition kit made by a company called Pertronix. The Pertronix Ignitor made for Ford V8 point type distributors installs in place of the original points. (Pertronix make models for many types of vehicles, not just Fords). All the Pertronix components install under the distributor cap. I’ve equipped 10 vehicles with these ignitions over the years with no ignition failures of any kind. My truck has had a Pertronix Ignitor since 1999 making it almost maintenance free for day-to-day operation, as opposed to points. If, God forbid, an EMP or other factor rendered the Pertronix inoperable I keep a set of points/condenser in the vehicle to reinstall in the original point type distributor. I also keep a spare Ignitor in a sealed metal cookie can (EMP proof). Assuming you know how to change a set of Ford ignition points, reinstalling the points will take about 20 minutes or less. (Maybe longer if the engine is hot 😉 ). I don’t work for Pertronix, I’m just a very satisfied customer. Food for thought.

Kind regards, – M. Artixerxes (a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber)

 

JR
Some of the March 12 comments in SurvivalBlog discussed belts, hoses and tires. Here is an additional consideration, and has served me well for 30+ years. I buy spare belts, hoses, vacuum lines and tires – before I use any of them, I coat the outside of each of them thoroughly and liberally with mink oil, all over the outsides and let “set up” for a few days before installing, or for longer term storage.

These items deteriorate from dry rot over time when exposed to harsh temperatures, and extremely small “cracking” appears, from which failure is born . Even yet-to-be-used spares deteriorate when stored in most instances. Mink oil coated/treated rubber extends the useful service life of these items far beyond expected shelf ( or use ) life, in my experience. I even work it down inside the treads on tires.For true spare use, I then wrap tires in plastic trash bags, or sealed bags for smaller items such as belt and hoses and assorted lines.

FWIW, the same idea applies to storing leather coats and boots. – KT in Texas



Economics and Investing:

Matt in Texas sent this “must read” link: Martin Armstrong: Is It Time To Turn Out The Lights? Here is a key quote: “We are standing on the edge of a cliff in the middle of nowhere. … We must ask our politicians a very important question: Where are you going? To date, the answers have been more of a riddle… In other words, we get a paradoxical explanation that is of something that is the opposite of what it suggests. … This Economic Depression is unstoppable, regardless what Government says. … Unless we start to get sane people with real live experience outside of the governmental bubbles, we may see the total meltdown of western civilization. Everyone will then blame the next guy which will lead to war.” Matt commented: “The ‘waterfall’ effect should send shivers when understood. No sector of any market will be unaffected by this engineered collapse. The scariest aspect is the pace or rate that it is taking
place. Rate is a big factor in momentum and the current momentum of this monster is building steam and strength.”

Micah and Jasper both mentioned: S.C. governor evokes Zimbabwe in arguments against stimulus

GG sent us this: Swiss central bank fires the first shot in the global currency war.

Items from The Economatrix:

Freddie Mac Asks Treasury for $30.8 Billion

Millions Are No Longer Millionaires

Fed Documents Provide Insights Into Bailout

Cost To Buy Protection Against US Default Surges

Obama, Geithner Get Low Grades from Economists

Futures Market Betting on Geithner’s Future
(Currently, 22% of people trading think he’ll be out by end of year)

Small Manufacturers Cry Uncle

Citigroup CEO Tells Employees “We Are Profitable”
Analyst:says it’s a P.R. gimmick

Can Two People Eat on $67 a Week?

Summers: “Excess of Fear” Must Be Broken

Jim Cramer, Jon Stewart Tangle on “Daily Show”

The Next Big Bailout Decision: Insurers

Central Banks Were January Net Buyers Of Gold

Sales of Guns, Ammo Still High

Wall Street Rises, Stocks Scoring Best Week Since Nov. What a classic Sucker Rally… Sell into this rally, folks. This may be your last chance before the next big leg down.