Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 23 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 23 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Escape From (Fill in Your City Here), 2009, by Bill in Chicagoland

I think as a boy my favorite stories were always about epic journeys or quests. I always saw myself as the lone hero; bravely making his way through a barren landscape overcoming impossible obstacles and having fantastic adventures along the way. As preppers I think many of us still believe that WTSHTF our trip to “Get out of Dodge” will be an adventure such as those we read in books. I’m afraid however; the reality will be much grimmer than we can imagine. I fear that it will be more like The Road by Cormac McCarthy or the recent novel One Second After by William R. Forstchen , than anything else.

I live in the Chicago metropolitan area, yes far behind enemy lines so to speak, and have been a prepper for most of the last 10 years. Like many of us I must live in a big city because of my job. I need money to survive. Living here is no big deal if you learn to ignore the local politics. My kids are grown and I have no long-term attachments here. If the world falls to pieces I always felt I could leave in an instant. I have the requisite pick-up truck, keep it full of fuel, pre-positioned much of my supplies with my son at a relatively safe location in a small town (population 5,000) about 600 miles from here. I’ve got my G.O.O.D. bag packed and I’m ready to go when ever things go south. Or am I ready?

Let’s review my bug-out plan. Wait a second, I have no plan! This blinding flash of the obvious hit me as I was stuck in rush-hour traffic last Friday evening on my way to my son’s. It took me nearly three hours to get from my apartment on the far north side of the city to I-80 on the far south side. This was the route I assumed I would take to skedaddle. Think about that; I was on Interstate highways the whole time, leaving at 8:00 PM, and it still took me nearly three hours to go less than 80 miles. What’s really scary is that I was thinking all along how light the traffic was. I had no alternative routes in mind. Yikes!

Well, I’ve got to tell you this dear readers, that realization scared the bejeebus out of me. I was so unready to bug out. I had the stuff, the means, the mindset, etc., however, in a meltdown near-panic situation, I would’ve have been just one more member in a stream of hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the big city. This experience got me off my duff and forced to review what I will do when the next shoe drops in our ongoing economic nightmare.

I drew up a list of what was necessary to implement an action plan to “Escape from Chicago 2009”

1. Have a bug-out kit ready at all times
a. No problem I have a bug-out bag packed and ready to go. No last minute packing required. However; I hadn’t checked it in quite some time and when I did I found plenty of things to replace and replenish. Batteries lost their charge. Foods had expired. So did many of the common medications I packed. BTW, I also now have a 72 hour bag with me whenever I leave the house. You can never be sure when the worst thing you can imagine will happen.

2. Bring as much as you can with you.
a. Unlike many of you, I am not a man of any particular religious belief system. However, like most of you, I feel what makes us truly human beings is our compassion. I have to say that I don’t think while bugging out, I could look a frightened hungry child in the eyes and say no – nothing for you. Bring more than you need. If you don’t need to share then all the better; there’s more for you when you reach your destination.

3. No stopping to buy last minute items.
a. If it’s so bad you need to be bugging-out do you really think others don’t know that and are at that very minute stripping the local Wal-Mart clean? During the Los Angeles riots in 1992 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the grocery stores were near impossible to get to and if you could, it didn’t matter; they were closed, or had been looted, and were empty. Also, shop owners, for example, may attempt to defend their stores with firearms (a la the Los Angeles Riots) and you don’t want to be caught in the crossfire. <Sarcasm on> I know, I know, Chicago has very strict gun laws so there won’t be any shooting except by a few gun-toting NRA/survivalist types <Sarcasm off>.

Finally, one interesting image comes to mind when I think of someone “liberating” goods from a Wal-Mart. During the Katrina emergency I recall seeing a video of a very obese woman wading through chest deep flood water, polluted with who knows what, holding a Dyson vacuum cleaner she had “liberated” over her head. No electricity, no home, no floor for that matter, but she had an expensive vacuum cleaner she had probably always wanted. Also, an interesting side note is the lack of bookstores looted.

4. Be sure to “Right size your bug-out vehicle
a. Simply put, don’t try to put a 10 gallon load in a 5 gallon bucket. Have a big enough vehicle to accommodate what you need to bring. If you have too much stuff, try to pre-position the bulkiest and heaviest items ahead of time. Be sure to leave enough room in your vehicle for people and pets. If you can’t pre-position the bulkiest stuff at the far end; consider renting storage space in some small town along your intended bug-out route. If necessary, keep a small trailer at the midpoint as well. Also remember that unexpected things may/can/will happen and you will need to change your plans accordingly. Therefore, only the non-essential “nice to have things”, not the essential for survival things, should be stored at waypoints along the way.

5. Don’t oversize your bug-out vehicle
a. A corollary to the above is having a vehicle that is too big. Big is not always better. We’ve all seen in footage of the highways during the Hurricane Katrina and Rita emergencies. Massive Gridlock. If/when you need to get off the highway onto a secondary road you’ll need to know if your Jumbo Superbago or SUV with the extra-long Airfoil trailer can negotiate any tight turns and/or low clearances on your Plan B, C, and D routes. I don’t even want to discuss how much fuel bigger vehicles consume.

6. Expect no fuel to be available along the way
a. My Dodge pickup gets 18 mpg fully loaded and I have a 22 gal fuel tank. For those of us who are lacking the math gene; that works out to 396 miles per tank and my destination is 600 miles away. Hmmm. That means I need an additional 10 gallons or so. Three options present themselves; get a larger fuel tank, carry gas cans, preposition fuel along the way.
b. Option one is too pricey $1,000 plus in my case.
c. Option two means using three 5 gallon gas cans. The problem here is that in order to be prepared to leave at any moment; I’d need to keep them all full. My biggest problem here is where to store them. As I mentioned, I live in an apartment so that’s really not an option I’d use except in the direst circumstances and I’d hate to leave them in my truck either. I’ll have to figure this one out.
d. Finally, Option three requires storing them at waypoints along the route. This is a so-so solution. The primary route may change and you can’t count on being able to get to it before you run out of fuel. Secondly, most storage faculties have a serious prohibition on the storage of flammable, toxic, or explosive items.

7. Enough cash or “realistic” barter goods for a few weeks
a. This is one area that I can’t really give any solid advice. Who knows what’ll be acceptable legal tender or barterable goods. You always read in the “Survival Canons” that certain barter goods will be useful. Honestly, I can’t imagine some 7-11 or Wal-Mart clerk accepting pre-1965 silver or ammo for the loaf of bread or gallon of gas I want to buy. Not in the first few days first anyway. I’d suggest that initially, good old greenbacks will do. How many to bring is the big question ($500 $1,000? Fives, Tens, or Twenties?). I can almost bet that by the time the Schumer hits the fan, most, if not all, banks will be shuttered for a “Short term-bank holiday” and ATMs will likewise be shut down . “No checks please.” Inflation may be rampant and gouging will be the name of the game. Remember Dan and TK’s trip in “Patriots” ? $50 a gallon for gas may not be too farfetched.

8. Route selection
a. Take your time starting tomorrow and carefully route the best escape route you can. Note that best doesn’t always equate with fastest. If the shortest route takes you through, or by, a major urban center, you’re just jumping from one frying pan into another. Use your GPS en-rote to see what other routes are nearby. Use on-line mapping software, on-line (Google or MapQuest) or a PC or Mac-based routing program. Test different routes and compare times and distances. Most of better routing software also shows gas stations, food, Wal-Mart’s, etc., along your route. Learn to use the software now; not when it’s crunch time. Again, Dan and TKs trip in “Patriots” . Parallel routes to the Interstates perhaps?

9. Expect Societal Breakdown
a. Don’t count on your neighbor’s good intentions. Yep, you know which neighbors I mean. They’re the ones down the block with all of the expensive toys who had nothing put aside for an emergency and now are demanding you provide them food, water, and even transportation. Be prepared for incidents of aggression, attempted assault, and theft of supplies. You may need to resort to serious means to defend yourself and your loved ones traveling with you. (I hate to keep referring to “Patriots” but the description of the Laytons’ harrowing trip out of Chicago will be much truer than we care to think. )
b. Be especially wary en route. When you stop for whatever reason, you may be approached by others wanting food, or fuel, or other essentials. Help those you feel are truly desperate to the best of your ability. However, you may have to be rather aggressive to deter insistent requests by overly aggressive fellow refugees. This is a good time to be traveling with like-minded, security-conscious friends, so that all concerned can provide mutual security and back-up.

10. Trust but verify
a. I was originally going to title this section “Trust no one”, however, I feel that is just a bit to cynical. There will be those you meet along the way who are true Samaritans. But, there are also those may have few if any compunction related to “liberating” a few of your items as a donation for their efforts. Or, in the worst case, there will be some full-blown predators out there masquerading as shepherds waiting for the sheep to come to them. Be wary of all help; including that from our friends in the government.

11. Be wary of Government help.
a. I don’t know what will happen if I need to bug-out; but one thing I can be sure of is that if you should stop for help at any government facility; the first thing they will do is ask if you have any weapons with you. This is pretty much standard police procedure in any case. The second thing they will do is take any weapons you have from you. It’s as simple as that. They will claim they are doing it for your own protection but you can be certain you will never see your weapons again. Confiscating weapons was illegally done in New Orleans and few of the confiscated weapons were ever recovered. As unconstitutional as it was, they still to this day, justify taking the weapons as being in the best interest of the public. Forgetting of course that they were seizing the weapons of people least likely to use them against the forces of law and order an all the while never venturing near the danger zones in New Orleans where the actual goblins with illegal weapons resided. Additionally, you can probably also be sure that they will also take whatever food, or other goods you have that they deem necessary, to redistribute it among others who weren’t quite so well prepared as you. How dare you greedy selfish people who prepared have more than others who didn’t?

I hope that you will think about what I have presented here and do your best to be prepared. I hope you all make it to your destinations safe and sound.

Letter Re: Portable Oxygen Condensers

James,
I recently installed an AuraGen system similar to the current listing on eBay (#330329068735) onto a customer’s Bug Out Vehicle (BOV), a 1986 Chevrolet Suburban 1 ton (modified with some parts that were originally incorporated in the M1008 CUCV). This customer also is afflicted with COPD and uses a 110 VAC Oxygen generator. The Auragen, being a military designed system is far more durable, far more rugged, and most importantly, far more versatile than an inverter placed into any vehicle electrical system. Being a mil-spec unit,.EMP is also not an issue as it meets the military requirements for such use in medical units for power generation.

At around $1,700 on eBay the end user can add about another $500-to-$600 for install and miscellaneous parts. I personally have a PTO drive system in my own vehicle and have used it in several situations where, as some say “The Schumer has hit the rotating impellers”, LOL, powering some mission critical communications, networking, and telecom facilities for other NGO customers. These are not cheap, but what price is reliable power when lives depend on it? Best Regards, – Bob S.

Letter Re: Growing Food on a City Lot

Sir:
On my quarter-acre lot in California’s San Joaquin Valley, I have about 50 small fruit trees (citrus, apples, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and cherries) grape vines, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, squash, cantalopes, watermelons, tomatoes, eggplants, rhubarb, Armenian cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, basil, parsley, tarragon, and a kiwi vine. (And there is plenty of space left over for the house, garage, ornamental landscaping, and plain old lawn, although more of that lawn is going away next year, to be replaced with more fruit trees.) Now, I didn’t do it myself; I paid my gardener quite a bit of money to build trellises, install drip irrigation, break up hardpan [adobe clay soil] with a jackhammer, replace bermuda grass lawn with planting space, prune the grape vines, and generally give me advice. But I couldn’t do it myself, and I regard the money as well spent, not only for my own benefit, but to help employ a good, honest, hard working man with a family to support.

But my point is: you can grow [dwarf or semi-dwarf variety] fruit trees as little as four or five feet apart; you just prune them ruthlessly when they get too big. The Dave Wilson Nursery web site is very helpful.

My other point is, besides non-perishable food and necessary household items, I am buying extra fertilizer. The price is quite a bit higher this year than last year, and I expect it will only get higher in the future.

– K.C. in California

Economics and Investing:

Ray T. sent this: US long-term interest rates hit high. We haven’t seen anything yet! To attract bond buyers in the future, I predict that Banana Republic level rates may be coming.

I found this linked over at TSLRF: Bernanke Freaks Out About Obama’s Spending and Debt Plans. Don’t miss the accompanying Tech Ticker video commentary on the risk of debt monetization leading to hyperinflation.

Items from The Economatrix:

GOP Rep. Kirk Warns: China Is Investing Away From Dollar…Buying Gold And Oil

Fed Lost $5.3 Billion on AIG, Bear Stearns in 1Q

No More Federal Money Planned for GM, Chrysler

Is the US Economy Heading for a “Jobless Recovery”?

Gary North: Regional Central Bankers Blow The Whistle On The Fed

Weiss: US Debt Crisis as Treasury Bond Prices Collapsing and Interest Rates Surging

Senators Want Homebuyers Tax Credit Raised to $15,000
Dropping income cap, 3-year limit, etc. [Wasn’t “loose money” what created the housing mess in the first place?]

California Nears “Meltdown” as May Revenues Tumble

New Jobless Claims Drop to 601,000; Retail Sales Rise
“Still, the number of people claiming benefits for more than a week rose by 59,000 to more than 6.8 million, the highest on records dating to 1967.”

Failed Banks Dot Georgia’s Vistas “The state is home to just 4% of all U.S. banks, but 20% of the nation’s bank failures since August.”

American’s Net Worth Shrinks $1.33 Trillion in 1Q

Car Loans Are Tough to Get, Even with Good Credit “Dealers say loans have dried up, even for buyers with good credit.”

Oil Price Leaps to Year’s High

Economic Hell (The Mogambo Guru)

Letter Re: Breeding Guinea Pigs as a Protein Source?

Mr. Rawles,
My husband and I are having a preparedness debate that we were hoping you could shed some light on. While he’s more of a conventional preparer (food, supplies, guns) I prefer to think of “things” that would help us survive if we were to ever run out of, or lose the conventional supplies. This distinct difference in preparation brings me to my story.

Several months ago I was watching a special on, I believe National Geographic, where the camera crew followed an actor on his journey through the country of Peru. On his trip he went into the Andes Mountains and spent several days with a Peruvian family. He tried to learn some of their language, customs, and try the foods they survive off of. This is where I became interested – aside from the grains and vegetables that they grow, the main staple of meat for the villagers in this area are guinea pigs. In Peru guinea pigs are called Cuy [Cuyes, Cuyos in the plural] and they are considered a delicacy in many parts of the country, and eaten only on special occasions, though in this village it seemed to be a daily occurrence.

My husband thought I was insane for even suggesting that we eat guinea pigs, and maybe you will too, but my rationale for it is this: In a TEOTWAWKI situation you can’t be picky about what you eat, and what you eat should provide more energy than you expend acquiring it. Guinea pigs are easy to breed, easy to feed, and easy to “hunt” (and by hunt I mean pick up off the ground). They are high in protein, (supposedly) tender and delicious, and one guinea pig per person provides a hearty meal.
My question to you is: would you, as the preparedness guru, consider breeding guinea pigs as a food source – a good move?
Sincerely, – M Q B.

The Memsahib Replies: I bred Cavies (Guinea Pigs) for several years. At the peak, I had about 100 of them. In my case, I was breeding them to develop genetics for good maternal instincts, easy birth, and beautiful coat colors and coat texture variations. (BTW, breeding cavies is fantastic for homeschoolers to learn about genetics, since the gestation period is so short–around 65 days.) I sold all of my “extras” (that didn’t meet the strict genetic goals of my breeding program) to a wholesaler that provided young cavies to pet stores and the cavy show trade. In all, I sold about 300. Cavies are quite easy to breed, but raising them to butcher size might take a lot of time.

I never raised mine for butcher, but I did raise 150+ Rex rabbits for butcher. In a survival situation, I’d prefer cavies, since they don’t tunnel (which would be an escape risk), and they can be successfully bred in colony ground pens. (This is difficult, at best, with rabbits, because of their prodigious tunneling, vicious fighting, and the tendency of mothers to eat their young, when under stress!)

In summary, I have bred both rabbits and cavies. If your goal is to have very small livestock as a protein source, in a warm climate, then I’d recommend cavies, for self-sufficiency.

Warning: While rabbits are prone to biting and kicking and scratching (I have the scars on my forearms to prove it), cavies are so adorable that there is the risk that in pre-TEOTWAWKI times, family members may prove too tender-hearted to ever be able to slaughter, butcher, and eat their cavy friends. The grateful “wheet, wheet” call of of a cavy when presented a carrot treat can melt an owner’s heart! I call this Too Cute Tribble Syndrome (TCTS). But I must reiterate that we had no such compunctions when it came to rabbits! (They were cute, but they never “talked back” to us.) I’ve butchered almost 150 rabbits, with no remorse.

Letter Re: It Matters Not Whether We Face Inflation or Deflation–You Need to Protect Yourself

JWR,

That was an excellent post by Gentleman Jim! His view of insurance is right on and should be reinforced. I’ve come to realize that the best way to conceptualize prepping is in terms of insurance. As Jim stated, just like every family needs home insurance, auto insurance, medical insurance, etc., you must also have survival insurance. In fact, this should be the most important insurance you carry. If you have a family, you owe it to your spouse and your children to ensure that they will be safe no matter what life throws at you.

There are several good reasons to use an insurance perspective. The financial obligation is easier to digest once you consider all your insurance premiums together. For example, the cost of my health, auto, and home insurance combined (family of 4, 2 vehicles, 1 house) is now running about $12,500 per year (and this keeps going up, ugh!). So, a conservative estimate of the value of survival insurance could justify spending at least a quarter of this amount ($3,125/yr.). If you think survival insurance is more important than the others (and I do, at this point in time), then consider a survival insurance premium worth 50% of your current insurance ($6,250/yr). From an insurance perspective, I hardly bat an eye over spending several thousand dollars on supplies. While my numbers don’t apply to everyone, the point is the same: look at your current insurance costs; figure a percentage that your think is fair; consider it a premium like other insurance; and work it into your budget. You simply cannot afford to not have survival insurance!

Another benefit of an insurance perspective is that helps you conceptualize the extent of your coverage. In other words, how much coverage do you have now and how much do you need/want? Take the worst case situation that all the stores are closed a/o out of supplies, and ask yourself how long you could be self-reliant? Do you want insurance coverage for 3 months? 6 months? >1 year? Each time period carries a different premium. Also keep in mind that unless you are self-sufficient, after your insurance runs out, you are a refugee. I agree with everyone who advocates having at least a 1 year policy. This timeframe is based on the minimum it would take for a disruption of the food supply to return to normal. At whatever point a disruption occurs, there will need to be at most a year of seasons to regain farming and agriculture (that’s assuming there is a quick resolution to whatever caused the disruption). Of course, as everyone is are aware, there are worse scenarios that could disrupt supplies for a longer period (possibly indefinitely). If you’re worried about that, then you need to take out a larger insurance policy that includes ways to secure your own resources and food.

I would also like to point-out a purely semantic benefit to calling your preparedness activities “insurance.” How many of you have had a spouse/sibling/friend question your sanity as you’re pouring 50 lb sacks of red winter wheat into storage buckets? At some point, after one too many boxes of freeze-dried fruit, toilet paper and ammunition enter the house, someone’s going to raise an eyebrow. I hope your acquaintances are more intelligent and mature than mine, but if they’re not, explain it in terms of insurance. There is a quarterly insurance premium for our safety and peace of mind, and we are not losing grip on reality. I understand the fragileness of society and recognize my duty to provide insurance for the family. I can usually turn the insanity perception around and point out to folks that they must be insane not to have survival insurance.

I also like the way Jim describes gold & silver as insurance. Owning gold and silver is an important part of your survival insurance policy. While I think that being self-sufficient is more valuable than money, for those of us who are not totally self-sufficient, we will need an alternate and liquid form of money. In my opinion, gold and silver American Eagles are the best insurance against the collapse of fiats because: a) they are currently the most liquid form of bullion; b) their content is guaranteed by the mint (no assay required); c) divisibility; and d) they are currently a form of legal tender. In case some readers are not aware, bullion US Mint American Eagles are legal tender, while bars and foreign coins are not. While there is commodity value in owning bars and foreign coins, as long as there is a Treasury Department, they cannot officially be used as money. Here is a link to the US code section that defines money.

On the subject of legal tender [status], it should be pointed-out that bullion American Eagles have a value equal to the amount that is stamped on the coin. For a one-ounce Gold Eagle, this equates to a $50 value in terms of money. The gold commodity is currently valued around $950/oz. If you’re considering purchasing bullion, try not to let this price dissuade you. View it like a currency exchange similar to exchanging dollars for pesos. When you exchange for a foreign currency, you don’t balk at the exchange rate. It is what it is. In terms of bullion, if you understand that the reason you’re exchanging dollars for bullion is because you believe that the fiat will ultimately lose its value, then you are simply exchanging paper for a commodity at the going exchange rate. You can help offset the rising rates by making one cash-for-bullion exchange per year. Also, if you took at look at that Weimar Hyperinflation Timeline someone recently posted, you would know just how fast cash can lose its value. $950 today might be much, much more in a hyperinflated future. Make sure your savings don’t get completely wiped-out by hyperinflation. Exchange some of your cash for bullion and insure yourself against this! [JWR Adds: By the way, the established Legal Tender status of American Eagle gold and a silver coins opens up some interesting tax implications.]

I totally agree with the opinions for owning pre-1965 coins. They are legal tender and are the lowest denominated bullion. But I would also like to point out that in terms of divisibility, gold eagles can be purchased in denominations of 1oz, 1/2oz, 1/4oz, and 1/10oz. The 1/10th oz coins have a $5 face value and a commodity value of about $95. They are smaller than a dime (so are light and easy to carry), and would be the most suitable gold coin to use for small purchases in a post-SHTF economy. Keep the larger coins squirreled away (outside the banking system) as a store of value.

If you’re looking for a storage solution besides your backyard or home safe, there is a unique security company in Idaho called Idaho Armored Vaults that stores and segregates your bullion outside of the financial system. I have no interests with this company, but am acquainted with the owner. He is extremely knowledgeable about all things bullion.

One last point along the lines of insurance: this type of policy should be perpetual. If I am lucky enough to get through life without ever using my survival insurance (apart from eating the food and using the household products), I intend to will it to my kids. It is very gratifying to know that after I’m gone they will have bullion, firearms and other tangibles to help insure their futures. (If you like the idea of inheritance, be sure to consider creating a family trust. Keep all the possessions in the trust for protection from sour relationships). If you approach this as a perpetual insurance policy, you could be setting the foundation to ensure the safety of many generations in your family. Just think of how much this policy would be worth today if your grandparents had started it!

God Bless and Good Luck. – Chris G.

Economics and Investing:

U.S. dollar ‘seriously overvalued’

From SurvivalBlog reader GG: The next great crisis: America’s debt. At this rate, your share of the load will be $155,000 in a decade. How chronic deficits are putting the country on a path to fiscal collapse.

Another from GG (also sent by KAF): Get Ready for Inflation and Higher Interest Rates. The unprecedented expansion of the money supply could make the ’70s look benign

Fam sent us this: Treasury Secretary’s Secret Talking Points Reveal That Banks Were Forced to Surrender Ownership Stakes to Government

From DD: Foreclosures hit the upscale market

Items from The Economatrix:

Treasuries Tumble After Auction; Russian Threat to Cut Holdings “‘There are an awful lot of Treasuries being auctioned and there’s going to be more and more and more and more,’ said Jay Mueller, who manages about $3 billion of bonds at Wells Fargo Capital Management in Milwaukee.”

Stocks Falls After Weak Auction of 10-Year Notes

Fed Unveils Some Details on $1 Trillion in Lending, But Doesn’t Identify Borrowers (Which leads us to ask: How much money is being sent offshore?)

Survey: Dollar, Government Bonds Set to Decline As Economies “Recover”

High Court Clears Way For Chrysler Sale to Fiat “The United States government has, I continue to believe, acted egregiously by taking away the traditional rights held by secured creditors.”

Congress Subpoenas The Fed Over BoA-Merrill Lynch

Airfares to Fall Further in Recession

Former AT&T CEO (Whitacre) to Become New GM Chairman

More Politics in Auto Plant Closures?

Now Boarding At Gate C14: Capital Flight Airlines

Russia, Brazil to Buy $20 Billion IMF Bonds, Diversify Reserves “Russia’s central bank said it may cut investments in U.S. Treasuries, currently valued at as much as $140 billion, a week after China said it may reduce reliance on the dollar and American bonds. Brazil’s Finance Minister Guido Mantega said his country will purchase $10 billion of debt sold by the IMF, China will buy $50 billion and India may announce similar funding.”

You Just Have To Laugh (The Mogambo Guru)

Bullion and Bandits: The Improbable Rise and Fall of e-Gold

Parental Lifelines Frayed to Breaking
20-somethings having to move back in with parents

Odds ‘n Sods:

More about the proposed ban on one-hand opening pocket knives. The U.S. Government is Trying to Take Away Your Pocket Knives! Also see this summary comes from WorldNetDaily. The only thing worse than Nanny State meddling in your city, county, or state is the same nonsense promulgated at the Federal level. At least with state-level laws, you have the opportunity to “vote with your feet”. After a thousand small abuses, who will go so far as to emigrate? A special note: If this new law “interpretation” is enacted, crossing state lines with one of these knives will be considered a felony. The Federal bureaucracy is accepting comments – written only – that must be received by June 21 before its planned changes could become final.]

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From Cheryl: Consumer Alert: Recycled Radioactive Metal Contaminates Consumer Products

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Naiveté and Gullibility: To some, they’re not just words–they’re a way of life: Now…Go Break The Windows; Crank caller wreaks havoc on Arkansas hotel, duping employees, guests. (Be sure to click on the tab down in the photo section of the article, to view the police report. At times the truth is stranger than fiction.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I have long had a tendency to tie marksmanship to morality. The essence of good marksmanship is self-control, and self-control is the essence of good citizenship.
It is too easy to say that a good shot is automatically a good man, but it would be equally incorrect to ignore the connection.” – Jeff Cooper, Cooper’s Commentaries Volume 9, No. 4 22/73

Note from JWR:

Several SurvivalBlog readers have written to mention that they’d like to help with The Memsahib‘s medical expenses. That was very kind, but by God’s wonderful providence, we are in no need of contributed funds to pay for her health care costs. (I recently signed a contract with Simon & Schuster to write two novels as sequels to “Patriots“). We covet only your prayers.