Odds ‘n Sods:

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles returns to the small screen tomorrow evening. It has been moved to what has been called the Friday night “death slot.” There are rumors that the series will canceled. Cue the sad, sweet theme music to Firefly. 🙁 Meanwhile, there is plenty of buzz about the Terminator 4: Salvation feature film, which should be released on May 22nd.

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Craig W. flagged this: The (Zimbabwean) Dollar – The Point of No Return. (They’ve slashed another 12 zeroes!)

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Thanks to Stephen B. who was the first of several SurvivalBlog readers that sent us this: Mysterious Scientology Project Raises Questions in Wyoming. Hmmm… To update an old saying: “If it walks like a group retreat , and it quacks like a group retreat…”

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I noticed that spot silver and gold both took substantial jumps yesterday. I stand by my long-term prediction of silver reaching $50 per ounce. Buy on the dips. But course buy your Beans, Bullets, and Band-Aids first. In other investing and economic news, here are some items kindly gathered by Cheryl: GM Cutting 10,000 More JobsEU Banks May Need $32 Trillion BailoutRBS, Morgan Stanley and UBS to Axe 6,500 JobsRon Paul: Collapse of the DollarStocks Reject Obama’s PlanGold Prices Rebound as Stocks Tank



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“With the planned fiscal stimulus (taxing future generations), the National Debt will reach 100 percent of GDP during the Obama administration. When Argentina’s economy collapsed in 1998, their National Debt as a percentage of GDP was 65 percent. The Great Deniers say we are not Argentina. They say we are safe because the U.S. dollar is the reserve currency of the world. This is like jumping off a 20 story building and as you pass the 10th floor someone yells out the window asking how you are doing. You answer, ‘Good, so far’.” – James Quinn



Notes from JWR:

The current high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is at $1,510. This auction ends at midnight (Eastern time) on Sunday, February 15th. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes::

1.) A “be ready to barter” box of 36 full-capacity gun magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used 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, 6 – Excellent condition original Glock Model 19 9mm 15 round pistol magazines (early type, with “U” notch), and 2 – New and very scarce original FN (Belgian-made) US M1/M2 Carbine blued steel 30 round magazines (marked “AYP”) . 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 $710, 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 brand new-in-box Hot Jaw Bag Sealer and a box of 10 Mylar bags . (Every retreat group should have one these, since they are a tremendous labor saver!) This is a $200 retail value, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

3.) 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

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

5.) A gift certificate for $100 worth of books, courtesy of Back 40 Books.

6.) A case of 12 cans of recent production nitrogen-packed storage granola (mixed varieties) This is a $96 retail value, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com.

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $1,565.

Again, this auction ends at midnight (Eastern time) on February 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: The writer of the best contributed article will be awarded 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.



One View on the Ultimate Vehicular Bug Out by Jerry the Generator Guy

There hasn’t been much discussion regarding what might be a well-planned bug out. The following is an overview of our vehicular bug out plan. This overview is offered to assist others in fleshing out their specific needs and plans.

If you are like us, then you believe that the local area is not viable for long term personal survival. Thus we are forced to consider quickly getting to an alternate location. I won’t present our criteria for the destination as everyone has different needs.

We selected a locale for serious consideration and visited there. The “boots on the ground” impression is worth far more than any data mining that you may have done. We have also subscribed to their local paper for the last two years. Our initial positive impression of the area has increased with time. The local paper gives a detailed behind the scenes view of what the real issues in the area are or are not. Taking the local paper will also allow us to blend in faster with the locals by being talking about the latest area news. If you don’t get good “vibes” during a on scene visit then you should select another area. You have successfully avoided something that for you would have been a mistake.

We have listened to the various local radio and/or television stations here to determine which could be deemed “credible”. We judged local emergency reporting as this would show what the actual station resources and attitudes are. Most stations, in their emergency coverage, all seemed to simply parrot whatever was provided at the on site command center via the press sessions. Locally, a daytime country/western station has demonstrated careful and accurate news reporting in two major emergencies. They were the only station to send reporters to potential areas of concern to discover facts. An out of state radio station does better at forecasting our local weather than the nearby stations. We have noticed, during our travels, that most of the country/western stations seem to present a more accurate view of the news than the bobble heads on talk radio. This accuracy is probably a reflection of their “tell it like it is” listeners.

All of us should have thought out what event, or events, will trigger the launch of the exit plan. We recommend careful listening to various shortwave, local and out of state radio and television news. The news that is presented from a different locate will occasionally surprise you with different facts and/or opinions. Research for yourself the facts concerning any items of concern and/or interest. Draw your personal conclusion and take appropriate action(s) once facts are separated from propaganda.

Okay, so we now have a trigger mechanism and need a detailed plan to quickly and efficiently get from “here” to “there”. It’s time to start adding some detail to the draft plan. Since we know each specific vehicle MPG [and fuel tank capacity] then possible locations along the travel route, for fueling, can be determined. We plan to use the every two hour “Chinese Fire Drill” approach. Once every two hours, at previously-determined locations, all vehicles stop. All people receive a situation update and describe any items of concern. Vehicles are topped off with fuel. Everyone can get prepared food/drink items. Those who need a restroom stop quickly does so. [JWR Adds: Avoid using public rest areas. In the event os a crisis, they are likely gathering places for very desperate refugees that are nearly out of fuel! Pick out wide shoulders on side roads, well in advance. Assuming that you are traveling well-armed, these should offer some semblance of security when stopping. ] Plan your fuel allocation on worst case fuel consumption not best or even typical usage. We top off fuel at the two hour intervals since we are already stopped and can get extra use of the time. If we later discover any unexpected need to quickly travel for some distance we have already shifted “extra” fuel into the tanks. We plan to have each vehicle carry enough fuel so that it is able to make the entire trip without depending on any gas station being open. This approach allows success even if any vehicle does break down. All other vehicles can still finish the trip even if one is not quickly repairable. If the group is close to the destination then a tow rope will be used to [hopefully ] allow all vehicles to finish the trip. The tow rope can also be used to remove some road obstructions.

We will listen to various local radio stations along the planned route. You can get a list of the stations, their frequencies, locations and audience focus by entering the state name along with radio stations into Google; Example: Montana Radio Stations. This monitoring will allow us to become aware of any sudden need to modify our plan based on the actual local status. The monitoring is done by high school young adults and any adult who desires to assist. Each listener uses a set of earphones so they can focus on what is said. Any significant items that will be submitted to the group are written immediately on a notepad. Yes, we have a means to immediately update the group if the issue needs immediate attention. All drivers do nothing but drive. All other activities are done by others in the vehicle/group.

We strongly suggest that you, or several people, drive your planned exit route several times to discover any areas that might either become a potential problem or maybe offer an unexpected benefit. [JWR Adds: It is important to plan and practice a secondary and tertiary route.] You may be surprised–we were–about additional items that are noticed on more than one trip. At one location that we had planned to use for a stop, the overall local area feeling was very negative. We quickly decided to proceed further along the highway.

Check periodically during the year and see if the planned route has any recurring traffic or weather related problems. What’s the speed that you plan to travel between individual town “ X” and town “Y”? Your overall plan should use worst-case MPG and alternate plans already prepared if the road is not in the expected condition or weather is not as planned [hot/cold/windy/snowy ].

The travel maps that we have prepared all have some disinformation. The direction arrows for the travel route all point to the “from” and not the “going to” direction. In addition, the arrows stop one town short on both ends of the route.

There is an easy way to determine some of the potential traffic choke points. Find out where the highway gates that are used to block traffic during adverse weather are located. Carefully note these locations during your initial or other trips. My conclusion is these are the natural traffic restriction locations. We carry detailed topographic maps so that we can maneuver around any blockage along the route. You should have an answer ready for “highway X is blocked ahead. What are alternate choices?”

We will be towing a trailer with one vehicle. All goods that are planned to go with us are kept in what we call “here to there” locations. This means when the time comes to load there is no wasted time on “where is X?” or “do we take Y”? All such decisions have been made in advance.

Yes, we keep a supply of knocked-down boxes on site for planned use. The loading simply becomes everything from “here to there” goes – anything and everything else stays. An actual loading of the boxes has shown that the planned sequence, capacity and room is possible.

Note: You can gain a significant amount of extra “free” room by removing the back seat in each vehicle.

Have you ever followed a trailer and seen the lights flicker as it went over a bump? This defect is almost always caused by a poor wiring ground connection at the hitch. The ground capability can be tested by connecting a jumper cable between the metal tongue of the trailer and a good ground on the tow vehicle. If the lights on the trailer suddenly get brighter or a problem vanishes then you can be certain that the ground path needs work. We use an 8 gauge wire for the ground connection on both vehicles.

Should your route include travel on gravel roads then be aware that the crushed rock material may cut or even pop weak or almost worn out tires. Check the tire ply rating and tread depth.
Be sure that they are able to stand the expected use. Could your tow vehicle or trailer benefit from a stronger tire? You can check with a truck tire dealer to find tires with higher weight carrying capability. How do you know if a tire is intended for either a car or truck? Answer: Car tires are rated [marked on the sidewall ] to carry a specified weight at a maximum inflation pressure. Truck tires are rated to carry weight at a minimum inflation pressure. Example: We wanted load range D radial tires for our trailer. The local tire dealers all said that nothing was available (even via special order ). The truck tire dealer, in a nearby town, simply asked did we want the load range D in a Major Brand or the In House brand at $20 less for each?

We strongly recommend that you install radial tires on ALL vehicles. We have also observed a 0.5 MPG mileage increase with radial tires on two different trailers. My super wife and co-pilot says that she loves that the trailer doesn’t sway near as much in cross winds. In addition, when an 18-wheeler goes by the trailer isn’t sucked toward the adjacent lane. This change took her from having a white knuckle experience, when trucks passed, to being able to relax. We also installed shock absorbers on the trailers. The difference in bounce of the trailer when driving over a bump went from several up/down cycles to one. The shocks also reduced the amount of trailer would lean during a fast turn. Any items in the trailer benefit from a much smother ride.

When the potential needs seems to be imminent the trailer will be hitched, lights & brakes checked, loaded & ready to travel. The planned route and alternatives will be reviewed daily for any potential weather or other delays. Most states offer a 1-800 number and/or web site with road condition updates. Find those updates now, and put them on a list!

All fuel levels will be maintained at a 50% or higher level. Vehicle oil, spark plugs and all filters will be changed. We keep this replacement stock on site so that it is instantly available. These changes ensure that each vehicle can give us its best effort. We carry a replacement set of all radiator hoses and belts. We have each vehicle battery load checked semi-annually. Most locales that sell vehicle batteries provide a free test service. We will replace any hose/belt/pump/battery/brake that is questionable. All vehicle light bulbs are also checked . All vehicle tires are inflated to the pressure that we want to use for best weight carrying capability.

Fuel tanks are filled to capacity, immediately before leaving, from on site storage. All vehicles will be parked such that on “GO” each driver can start the motor and quickly move out. Our thought is that by advance preparation we will gain a minimum advantage of 10 minutes. At 60 MPH we will be 10 miles distance down the road ahead of the majority.

We plan, by taking action at the trigger, to hopefully be at the travel end point before most people are even started. The Hurricane Katrina news coverage reinforced the fact that that early travelers were able to move at full highway speeds. Later departures were moving very slow.

Summary: We have tried to make plans for two different scenarios; 1.) We have several days to get ready, or 2.) The need is sudden. In either case we have all necessary items on site for prep and pack. The planning buys us some of the very important variable called time.

Planning also helps to eliminate the “what do we do” panic response mode. Everyone should have or develop now, at a minimum, a who/when/what/where plan. The plan doesn’t cost much, if any, cash to develop. Equipment without a plan doesn’t have any value.

Note: We do not provide discussion on specific roads to be traveled or planned speed as this to should be one of your group discussion items. Unique roads, weather, vehicles and group plans each offer a different series of opportunities and challenges. We hope to see you at the “Troy Barter Faire”! (For those of you wondering what this means, see Chapter 14 in “Patriots“.)



Letter Re: My First Attempt at Forming a Retreat Group

Jim;
I prayed, reflected and then invited several families to work with me to form a group. Here are my results:
– I formed an agenda, created a ‘private’ [password-protected] web site where I posted articles (in PDF files), created links to web sites like SurvivalBlog, and set a date to gather at my home
– I found near universal interest as folks are scared about the economy and direction our country has taken
– People eagerly attended meetings (every two weeks), opined, and felt very good about gathering
– Three months into gathering I printed up some rules and requests if a retreat was to be formed on our property.

To sum:
Do your best to be prepared.
If your personal economy is tight sell your chatchkis [trinkets and collectibles] and invest in ‘beans, bullets and blankets.’
If you wished to become part of a private retreat on our ranch there were minimum levels of preparation a family would subscribe to.
If money was an issue, in order to prepare, meet with me and we’d find a way to to reach their goals. (That is, I was willing to help them financially if they committed to help themselves)

The results following that meeting:
– One person stepped up and accepted my offer of mutually beneficial financial help. We are getting a pole barn and they are getting much needed cash. They are helping us so we can help them become better prepared. They want ‘in’ our retreat
– One family has been preparing for many years and wants ‘in.’
– One lady e-mailed and told me there are not ‘enough hours in the day’ to become prepared and she and her husband backed out. We never heard from the friends that they brought one weekend either.
– We stopped hearing from three other families completely.

My conclusions (and I’d welcome some insights)
1. Many folks like to talk, few are willing to do the work and make the sacrifice in current lifestyle to prepare.
2. Considering what it takes to truly prepare some are overwhelmed. Sadly, their response is not to reach out for help, when feeling that way, but to ‘do nothing.’
3. Forming a good group is tough. We all know the statistics of marriage and divorce. Entering into a committed preparedness relationship may be as tough or tougher. Forming a group to rely on one another in the most dire of circumstances is daunting, indeed.
4. Finally, what Winston Churchill said applies: “Never, never, never quit.” The safety of my family may well rely upon my ability to form an effective retreat group. I’ll take the above lessons in and continue adding onto the two families who have opted into our retreat. I’ll make a plan B, and then a plan C, and so on. I’ll keep doing all I can to ensure we have the best provisions, location and, most importantly, the best people we can find to survive what may come. – D.S.



Letter Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale

Dear Jim:
For those that are thinking about relocating to Alaska as a retreat location they should read this CNN news story. Thousands of villagers in rural Alaska are struggling to survive, forced to choose between keeping their families warm and keeping their stomachs full. – The Old Yooper



Odds ‘n Sods:

Bullion sales hit record in rush to safety

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Rory sent us a link to a video clip of a home invasion robbery foiled by an armed and vigilant Tucson homeowner. Given the 1-to-4 defender to attacker ratio, the homeowner did a creditable job.

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Our thanks to Florida Guy and Scotty who both sent this: Gun dealers experiencing shortages of ammo

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Some news and commentary, courtesy of The Economatrix: Marc Faber: US Will Default on Debt or Enter HyperinflationCalifornia Begins Employee Furloughs, Closing OfficesRecord 19 Million Homes Stood Vacant in 2008GM Investing $1 Billion of Stimulus Money in Brazil OperationsPort Container Traffic Fell 8% in 2008Bond Market Calls Fed’s Bluff as Global Economy Falls ApartIMF May Run Out of Cash in Six MonthsWTO Chief Warns of Political UnrestBad Times Brings Back Cattle RustlingSenate Passes Economic Recovery PlanStocks Plunge 4.62% on Lack of Specifics in Bailout PlanAsian Shares Fall After Obama Says “US Faces Full Blown Crisis”Half of China’s Toy Factories Close After SlumpAir Freight Drops as Global Trade Seizes UpNugget by Nugget (The Mogambo Guru) — US Rail Traffic, Carloadings TumbleGE and Citigroup Face Losses on Store CardsIceland is Steamed





Note from JWR:

An update on the big 25% off special on Mountain House and Alpine Aire freeze-dried foods in #10 cans, offered by Ready Made Resources: To do better than any competing offer, they are offering free shipping on case lots, and are including some free bonus items with each order. This is in accord with their long-standing “we will not be undersold” sales policy. This sale ends in just four days (on February 14th), so be sure to get your order in soon!



Letter Re: Gun Laws in Sweden

Hello, Mr Rawles!
Thank you for a great and very useful blog. Thanks for your time and effort that makes for a good, bulky read every morning. On more then one occasion I´ve had to hurry to work because of the lengthy articles.

It seems like you´re receiving letters about gun ownership from around the globe so I thought I´d share Sweden´s gun situation with you.

Sweden has quite liberal gun laws for those who are determined, compared to many other European countries. Compared to the US it´s a hassle, of course, but no problem if you are focused.

Sweden has a different gun culture, as self defense, upholding the constitution and freedom from the king aren´t really seen as gun related issues. If you want a gun here you´ll have to pass for a hunter or sportsman.

The first step in either case is to take classes. To receive a permit for hunting rifles or shotguns you have to have what’s called a “hunter´s degree”. It´s obtained by going to evening classes fifteen (15!) times, scoring 60 of 70 points on the test and passing four different shooting tests, two for rifles and two for shotguns. The time and cost varies some, depending on how much time you need to practice at the range but an inexperienced shot should expect at least eighty hours, with fifty of those hours spent on the classes themselves, and at least $700. The course is $500 with books, the training at the range is $25 an hour with an instructor and then $15 for 25 rounds of shooting on your own. When you are ready you´ll have to pass the four shooting tests which are $50 for the two shotgun tests and another $50 for the rifle tests. Of course, if you´re a terrible shooter there is no limit to what you can spend on classes and tests but I figured that for the average beginner, like myself, it should amount to around $700 total.

Now, the assault on your wallet doesn´t end there, because even with the classes the police still have their say and they charge you for it. The first permit costs $75 for the first gun, with $25 for every additional gun. The permits have to be renewed every five years also. That means you´ll have to pay the same in five years time. Failure to comply with this makes your guns illegal and you risk to be charged with possession of an illegal firearm, which carries a six month sentence, assuming that your guns are unloaded.

Once all the paperwork is done and you´re looking to buy a gun the law requires you to have a gun safe. This either has to be bolted to the wall or weigh more than 330 lbs. For someone living in a rented apartment, like a do, this can pose a problem. We also have a four rifle limit, with the possibility to acquire two additional rifles [under some circumstances]. There are limitations on ammunition as well. These limit the amount of powder you can keep in your home. The limit is set by the fire department and should pose no problem to the average survivalist, since it is of 44 lbs. of powder in cartridges. I haven´t done an exact calculation but it should be around 10,000-to-12,000 rounds.

Pistols are somewhat easier and cheaper [to obtain a license]. You start by joining a shooting club. They arrange classes and usually have their own range. The classes are almost always included in the membership fee and the mandatory test is taken in-house. Once you´ve achieved a certain degree of marksmanship, you´ll get certificate from the club which you present to the police for a permit. From there it the same procedure of course, $75 and the gun safe.

There is a problem with pistols though: You have to start out with a small caliber pistol. This is to weed out anyone wanting a gun for nefarious reasons but also to keep away those not interested in the sport and participating in club activity. This is however not necessarily a bad thing. I was thinking about the article by M.J.M., titled “How to Approach Shooting“, recently posted on your blog.

Once you’ve got your .22 pistol it takes six months of ownership and after you have shown a genuine interest in shooting, the club issues a large caliber certificate. These certificates are required every time you renew your license so you can´t just do a year of hard work and you´re set, to be able to have your gun you´ll have to practice and partake in club activity.

The upside of all this is that, due to limited market, guns are cheap in Sweden. The pries are more or less as in the US but Sweden has a 25% sales tax on top of all other taxes. When I read about the cost of food, land other preps I get envious but guns seems to be equally priced.
Regards; – D. in Sweden



Letter Re: Diesel Motorcycles Coming to America?

Sir:
Take a look at the E.V.A. Track Turbo Diesel Adventure Tourer Motorcycle. Here is a description from Motorcycle Daily: “The Dutch company E.V.A., builder of small diesel engines as well as an interesting two-wheel-drive system for motorcycles, intends to bring such a bike to market in Europe, and perhaps even the U.S.A. this year. It’s called the Track, and it may be just the bike to have for the apocalypse.”

Here is a link to the E.V.A. company’s web site.

73s, – Steve



Letter Re: The Ozarks as a Retreat Locale

Mr. Rawles;

The Ozark Mountains and the Ouachita Mountains are part of a very old series of mountains that runs from the Mississippi drainage to the Red River. This formation has been worn down to its present height by erosion and was more recently split by the Arkansas river. In addition to the generous growing season and precipitation you mentioned, many parts of this area have recoverable natural gas deposits and in is common for farms along the Arkansas river to have gas well heads. In addition to a monthly payment, many of these farms also enjoy free natural gas for domestic use.

The Ozark and Ouachita Mountains extend north into Missouri, west into Oklahoma, and as far south as the Texas border. While there are many nice areas in Arkansas, you might want to compare the taxes and regulations in all four of the states in this area. The cities of Fayetteville, Arkansas and Springfield, Missouri are rapidly growing in population but land located even 20 miles away from these urban areas and their associated highway corridors would be reasonable locations.

Finding undeveloped land in not hard as you are discovering, finding land with good water (natural gas often adds a sulfur smell) and deep tillable soil requires a little more investigation and testing. The agricultural extension service from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and Oklahoma State University, Stillwater have great web sites and a local office in every county seat [in their respective states]. They can help with soil and water sample testing as can the local well driller.

One of the very best features about this area is its reputation as a low cost retirement haven for hunters and fishermen. Since most folks in the area live close to the land and survive during normal times in a more or less self sufficient manner, building a survival retreat/retirement home will not make you an obvious target. In some counties, over 30% of the population is composed of retirees. Hiding in plain sight is an effective form of OPSEC. – C.H.



Odds ‘n Sods:

The recent fires in Australia with large loss of life and property underscore the need to have defensible space around buildings. There is one factor in the Australian bush fires is not common knowledge in the US: In extremely hot weather, some tree species found in Australia–such as eucalyptus–exude volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are extremely flammable. When the conditions are just right, this can cause a firestorm effect.

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Chris E. flagged this: Rep. Kanjorski: $550 Billion Disappeared in “Electronic Run on the Banks.” A key quote: “[if the Federal reserve had not acted] by two o’clock that afternoon $5.5 trillion would have been drawn out of the money market system of the United States. [This] would have collapsed the entire economy of the United States, and within 24 hours the world economy would have collapsed.”

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Cheryl sent us the following economic news and commentary: 15 Companies that May Not Survive 2009Nissan to Cut 20,000 JobsUS Job Losses Hit College EducatedBank of England to Issue Grimmest Warning Yet on EconomyUS Treasury to Pump Billions More into BanksGrab Your Torch and Pitchforks: Homeowners Protest at Morgan Stanley CEO’s HomePeter Schiff: this is Just the BeginningUS Inflation Could Hit 200%Silver/Gold Ratio ReversionMerrill Lynch: Gold Hysteria Continues, Could Hit $1,500Peace of Mind Comes in Yellow (The Mogambo Guru)



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Time and the laws of trade will restore things to an equilibrium if legislatures do not rashly interfere in the natural course of events." – New York Evening Post, June 15, 1819, as quoted in The Panic of 1819: Reactions and Policies, Murray N. Rothbard, Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2007, pp 31–32.



Note from JWR:

The current high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is at $1,510. This auction ends on Sunday, February 15th. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes::

1.) A “be ready to barter” box of 36 full-capacity gun magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used 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, 6 – Excellent condition original Glock Model 19 9mm 15 round pistol magazines (early type, with “U” notch), and 2 – New and very scarce original FN (Belgian-made) US M1/M2 Carbine blued steel 30 round magazines (marked “AYP”) . 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 $710, 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 brand new-in-box Hot Jaw Bag Sealer and a box of 10 Mylar bags . (Every retreat group should have one these, since they are a tremendous labor saver!) This is a $200 retail value, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

3.) 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

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

5.) A gift certificate for $100 worth of books, courtesy of Back 40 Books.

6.) A case of 12 cans of recent production nitrogen-packed storage granola (mixed varieties) This is a $96 retail value, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com.

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $1,565.

This auction ends on February 15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.