Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this editorial at US News & World Report: Obama’s Out of Control Spending Dwarfs the Wasted AIG Bailout Money

Markku sent this: For Sale: The $100 House

Items from The Economatrix:

WH: Agenda on Track Despite Worsening Deficits

Growing Transatlantic Tensions on Eve of G20 Summit

UK Car Production Slumps 60%

Sacramento Tent City to Be Relocated

US is Already Bankrupt

China Backs Russia’s Call to Replace Dollar as Reserve

Joel Skousen: AIG Bonus Outrage–How Insiders Will Defuse It (Excerpt)

Treasury Throws $5 Billion to Auto Suppliers

The Mother of All Depressions (MOAD) “The meeting of the G20 in London on April 2, 2009 will be the most important financial meeting in history. If the delegates do not adopt a new gold standard of honest money, the dollar will totally default within a few months. The fuse has been lit. There is nothing the government can do beyond what they have already done. Nothing has worked. Nothing can work.”

The Real Scandal at AIG is Not the Bonuses. It’s the Payments to [Derivative] Counterparties

Thursday: US Stocks and Dollar Down, Commodities Race Higher

Oil Prices Reach New 2009 High as Dollar Falls

Big Slide in 401(k)s Spurs Call for Change

Turning the Screw (The Mogambo Guru)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers sent us this:White House to break ground on ‘kitchen garden’ SurvivalBlog reader Don W. quipped: “Hey, they already have the guns and the gold. And that Marine [One] helicopter makes one heck of a Get Out of Dodge vehicle.”

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From Markku: FCC raids gang-sponsored pirate radio station in Florida

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So much for CCW in National Parks: (Thanks to Bill N. for the link.)

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From reader FloridaGuy: San Diego [California] Police Fear Growing Number of Activists Carrying Guns Openly. California’s quirky open carry law dates back to the late 1960s when the Black Panthers marched armed through the California Capitol building. The legislature acted quickly, banning open carry within incorporated areas. Enforcement of the law has been un-even, with some law enforcement officers misinterpreting and over-applying the law, especially in the more populous counties.

Note from JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $550. This auction ends on April 15th. It is for a large mixed lot, which includes::

1.) A Warrior Aid and Litter Kit, donated by Ready Made Resources. This is an advanced medic kit package that includes a Talon II 90C folding handle collapsible litter, which normally retails for $560, just by itself. This truly a “full up” tactical trauma kit! This sophisticated medic kit normally retails for $1,500.

2.) A “be ready to barter” box of 26 full-capacity firearms magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 4 – Brand new “smoke gray” polymer original Bulgarian 40 rd. AK-47 magazines, 10 – brand new AR-15/M16 USGI black Teflon coated alloy 30 round magazines with stainless steel springs and the latest orange anti-tilt followers, 6 – new condition original USGI M14/M1A 20 round parkerized steel magazines, from CMI (the current military prime contractor) 6 – new condition original Glock Model 20 (10mm) 15 round pistol magazines–the latest production type with “SF” front magazine catch notch . All of these magazines are of recent manufacture (and hence are NOT legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $750, 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.

3.) A large Bury ‘Em Tube (# 6L, 43″ x 6″ with a 5.1 gallon capacity), donated by Safecastle. (a $199.95 retail value)

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

5.) An OPTIMUS Terra Cookset for backpacking, tent camping or even WTSHTF, donated by Safecastle. It includes the ultra-compact Crux stove, plus a special small cookset–all very portable and lightweight. (Fuel canister not included.) (a $95 retail value)

6.) A fresh, sealed case of full mil-spec MRE rations with ration heaters, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com. (a $94.95 value)

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $2,800. This auction ends on April 15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.

Letter Re: Storing Peanut Butter

James,
Thanks for the extensive resource that is your web site. I am fairly new to prepping but was raised in the deep south so I have a lot of related experience. One thing I’ve noticed in most lists regarding food storage, is the bulk of the food is grains, rice and beans. I completely understand the importance of these 3, but also think another option is often overlooked – Peanut Butter.
First of all, I’m biased, since I love the stuff (Store what you eat!). We eat the reduced fat variety, and in a 40 ounce jar (typical large jar in a grocery store) there is 6,100 Calories. Of course full fat varieties would have more (about 7,000 Calories). Beans, in the same container, would contain 1,200 – 2,000 Calories, depending on the variety. That makes peanut butter a very calorie dense food. (Of course we already knew that because of the fat content and no air voids). It doesn’t require hours and hours of prep time as beans do, and a jar can easily be thrown in your BOB (Don’t forget a long handled spoon in that bag!). The reduced fat variety that I buy has a stamped shelf life of a little over two years. I would not recommend storing 120 jars of peanut butter for your year’s food supply, but it is definitely a supplement to the tired old beans and rice.- H. Hunter

JWR Replies: First, as I’m sure the subject is likely to arise, I should mention that the recent scare in the US about contaminated peanut butter was an isolated incident. But it is frightening to think how many products that peanut paste ended up in, so quickly. We truly do live in an age of advanced transportation and very long chains of supply!

Peanut butter is indeed a good item to keep on hand as a storage food (except of course for any one with a peanut allergy). As with any other storage food, it is important to consistently employ FIFO stocking, to rotate your supply . Mark the purchase date with a Sharpie pen on the lid of each jar when purchased, and store it in the proverbial “cool, dark place.”

One other important proviso involves digestion. A diet that is heavy on peanut butter or meat is likely to induce constipation. So you’ll of course need to store other foods to maintain bowel regularity. Storing a bulk laxative (such as Metamucil) in case your system gets out of balance would be wise. And this, by the way, is yet another reason that every family should get experience with sprouting, and stock up on sprouting seed.

There are few sources of protein that are more compact for use a G.O.O.D. bag than peanut butter. Another–like the aforementioned sprouting seed–that I recommend is blue-green algae tablets. If you could get your digestive system accustomed to a modified diet, it is conceivable that someone could carry a one month emergency supply of food in a 40 pound backpack, if they concentrated on those three foods.

Letter Re: A Test Load-Up Shows a G.O.O.D. Inadequacy

Hello Mr. Rawles;
First and foremost, thanks for the site, the info is invaluable and a must read every morning

I am writing to add a few simple thoughts (perhaps state the obvious) on the subject of survival vehicle – really just some comments on G.O.O.D. I recently sold my house and am in the process of trying to get into a better situation, and during the move decided to attempt a “live” exercise. I took the opportunity to see how quickly I could load up my truck and bug out.

I wanted to time the load of my truck with all the gear and supplies I have been stockpiling for the past year, and guess what? Yep, I could not get it all in. Never mind my better half and three kids! Many readers may find this amusing (I did as it was not real), but if it was a real situation I would have been in a real bad way. So I suppose this is just a simple reminder to not only plan and prepare, but use the gear you have on a regular basis if possible, and practice often.

I made some necessary simple adjustments (cap and hitch rack), and feel foolish in hindsight. But you don’t know until you try it for yourself.
Thanks again and all the best.- Editor of TheTraderBlog.com

JWR Replies: Your experience is not unique! I’ve heard similar reports from other readers, and BTW, I emphasized this shortcoming my novel “Patriots” . This predicament underscores the great importance of pre-positioning the vast majority of your logistics at your intended retreat. Don’t just guess about fitting “all the rest” in your vehicle. Instead, try doing an actual “test load” to check for volume and compatible box dimensions. And allow room for each family member bringing a lot of clothes. Oh yes, don’t forget the pet paraphernalia. OBTW, you can use empty boxes or tote bins of the same dimensions as your full ones for your test load, to save on back strain.

Letter Re: Military Surplus Field Telephone Commo Wire Variants

Dear JWR:
In the 19 March Odds ‘n Sods you noted that:

Ready Made Resources just got in another small batch of 1000-foot long rolls of WF-16/U (2-pair) commo wire.This type of wire is fairly scarce on the surplus market. It can be used with TA-1s, TA-312s, and the newer TA-1042 (DNVT) digital field telephones.

Just so, and WF-16/U works as well with the older and long-standard pre-WWII through Vietnam era EE-8 “bag phones”.which my maternal grandparent helped develop while a Signal Corps officer at Ft. Monmouth.The old double-E-Eight is also compatible with the TA-1 and TA-312, though I’ve never tried one with DNVT equipment. They will however also function with the surplus early German field telephone equipment also in use from WWII to the 1980s [we had one in our bunker on the West German side of the five-kilometer militarized zone on the Iron Curtain in 1982, and very much still in use in the Balkans and elsewhere. The German units are available from Cheaper Than Dirt as their item # KEY123 for around $60 a pair.

TA-312 Field Phones are available from Fair Radio [ http://www.fairradio.com/ ]as their item # 3856 for $110 each, and they have in the past had parts and WD1-TT wire for the EE-8s as well. My own pair of EE-8s came from the Dayton, Ohio Hamfest, probably originally from Fair Radio.
Cheers! – Archy

Economics and Investing:

A recent headline grabbed my attention. It mention the “bottoming” or real estate price. That made me chuckle, because we are nowhere near the bottom yet. I did some searching, and I found a chart posted last year at the Calculated Risk blog. If you thought the subprime mortgages caused a lot of foreclosures, just wait until the Option-ARM resets peak in 2011. Methinks that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

Reader HPD mentioned this at Forbes that quotes Peter Schiff: CPI Rises Despite U.S. Recession

GG sent this: Merkel adviser warns US on inflation spiral

Items from The Economatrix:

House Approves Bill to Slap 90% Punishing Taxes on AIG Bonuses

France Braced for Huge Street Protests Over Economic Crisis

The Federal Reserve is Now Playing a High-Risk Game with Inflation

AIG Will Not Exist in Four Years, Says Chairman

Gold Futures Rise to 4% on Fed Announcement

Fed Launches $1.2 Trillion Effort to Revive Economy

Consumer Prices Rise 0.4% In February

Rogers: US Bailouts Add Risk to Depression

Dollar Crisis in the Making (Pt 3): China Inoculates Itself Against Dollar Collapse

Value Cross-over (The Mogambo Guru)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Hawaiian K. and Chris were the first of several readers to mention an article about statist politics: Who owns Colorado’s rainwater? (In Hawaii, where rainwater catchment is the norm, a law like that would probably trigger a revolt.)

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HPD spotted this: Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production

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Perhaps there are few survival nuggets in a news article on the life of Popcorn Sutton, a moonshiner from Maggie Valley, North Carolina.(A tip of the hat to Matt H., for the link.) Judging from his picture, who would have ever guessed that he was secretly a moonshiner?

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Markku sent the link to this photo essay: Scenes from the recession. (Don’t miss photo #31, “The Gold Party”)

Note from JWR:

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.

The 19th Century Home Retrofit, by Y. Cornelius

By now most SurvivalBlog readers have gone about your preparations for your ideal home or retreat cabin, all storage food and tools acquired, fuel stored, generators ready, PV panels carefully concealed and hooked up to the battery bank. You and your family or group are ready to handle the coming collapse, but are you really? Are you ready to do without? Without that generator when the fuel runs out, or a critical piece is worn out and a new one cannot be had? At some point your supplies will be used up, storage fuel consumed and there may not be any to refill your tanks or more realistically you may be priced out, or it will be too dangerous to “run-the-gauntlet” and get more. Can you manage in your place without electricity? Can you cook with wood? Do you have space enough to process the abundant food you grow and must preserve either by canning or other means? Can you move throughout your buildings without being seen from the outside?
My point, is your place set up to function as a 19th century homestead?

My wife and I bought an old New England farmhouse many years ago, it is nothing fancy and looks like so many others in our area, it is a traditional connected farmhouse meaning that the buildings are all linked-up, yet they have different roof lines and are of different sizes. It is best summed up as a “Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn” and this is the title of a wonderful book written by Thomas C. Hubka which details the reasons for the ways structures developed. (If you want a leisurely read on the history of these buildings, I highly recommend this book.) Anyway, we bought this type of farm house and have been in the process of renovating it over many years, although the renovation could more reasonably described as going back to the future. One of the many wonderful things about an old house, and when I say old I mean over 150 years old, is the ability to reuse much of the lumber in the walls, floors, and ceilings or the masonry whether it is brick or stone, Ours is a timber frame with some masonry on the exterior and is incredibly well built and has a brilliant house plan. I realize that many people are not up to the task of going through this sort of process, but you could build your current retreat or home to some of these specs. Our home for example was built just after the War of 1812 it was fully functional for a family of eight with room for boarders/labors and or relatives. The kitchen is large while many of the adjacent rooms are small (less space to heat) all the rooms are situated around two large central fireplaces and have thimbles to allow for a small wood stove in each, the rooms can be closed off when not in use, thus not taking valuable heat from other areas. In the basement there is a large hole in the floor; it was a cistern, but was allowed to fill in with junk, perhaps it was considered a “sump hole” by later inhabitants since there was evidence of long overworked pumps in under the silt and gravel. I have cleaned this up and now have a source of water right in the house, (this water will still need to be treated since it is technically surface water being only ten feet below grade), but it still offers water for cleaning or for our animals.

There is a large “root” cellar to store food stuffs and canned goods. (It could double as safe room or vault if needed and may well have been at one point since the opening is nondescript and hidden from plain sight). Also there is a summer kitchen, at first I wondered why this was necessary, it appeared to be redundant, but further study enlightened me to the fact that this area was a vital part the home complex. First it served to allow a large un-insulated cook area that was necessary during the harvest time to allow heat to escape from the constant fire in the cook stove during the canning, it was also a place that field labors had their meals prepared and ate without having to clean themselves up much and not dirty up the regular kitchen. The buildings between the summer kitchen and barn (sometimes it is one long building divided only internally or there are up to three distinct roof lines and end walls that divide them) any how these areas were used in a variety of ways to allow a small cottage industry to occur, in-fact these were simply work areas that were sheltered from the often harsh and wild weather we experience. One could be for wood storage, for tools (a sort of machine shop), or areas for processing wool from sheep. The point is not to recreate that lifestyle but to utilize that mindset and build similar multi-purpose structures.

Our Home:
We have “renovated” our home to fully function without electricity. Now, we have multiple generators, a significant storage of fuels and food. I and am currently finishing up with the PV panels and battery bank/inverter set-up, going through all the motions to secure some sense of normalcy; but in-fact we do not “need” those items to exist here, they are an extra. We can heat with wood and with a solar hot water system connected to baseboard radiators as well as a copper coil running through the wood fired furnace [for when there is not solar gain or during a heavy snowfall]. (The hot water moves via thermo-siphon no electricity needed only check-valves to keep the hot water moving in one direction). Our kitchen is “modern” but if the power is out we can cook on our wood fired cook-stove, it is about 120 years old and with a little “TLC” is now fully functional not to mention beautiful to look at. We can also bake in a bee hive oven built into the massive central chimney which I rebuilt and lined with modern flues. I left one of the original fireplaces, installed airtight doors and an exterior air vent, while on the other side made the other fireplace into a large wood storage container.

Overall, your retreat needs to be functional without electricity, things will eventually break, or you simply run out. Focus upon knowing how to live your life with little to no electricity or “conveniences”. The primary goals must be on heating your home and preparing food without petrochemical fuels, most modern homes are particularly horrible in this area. Change your mindset; you cannot store enough for the really long haul.

Three Letters Re: Some Thoughts on the Survival Vehicle

Mr. JWR,
I’m surprised this hasn’t been addressed more thoroughly, but the first point of consideration should be whether the vehicle will be diesel or gasoline (since most vehicle models don’t have a diesel equivalent). I know this topic has been done before here, and even led me to investing in a diesel, but apparently it’s worth rehashing.

The disadvantages of gasoline are substantial. Gasoline is difficult to store safely (as it is so combustible). Its useful life generally expires in about 12 months (so should you not have access to your stabilized cache, you can expect your vehicle to become useless before a year is out). It is more common, which means it is more likely to be stolen. Gasoline generally gives fewer miles per gallon. Gasoline engines usually wear faster than diesel engines, and require more servicing (oil changes at 3,000 miles rather than 6,000, with expected engine lives also greatly reduced). The only advantages I can see to gasoline is that you’re more likely to find spare parts and mechanics who can work with them, and that it’s less temperature-sensitive. [JWR Adds: Diesels are also very unforgiving if you ever run one completely out of fuel. Re-priming can be tricky.]

Meanwhile, the advantages of diesel are substantial, for our purposes. Diesel is not nearly as combustible, and so safer to store, and will last longer. It’s less likely to be raided (and someone who does steal your diesel supply won’t be getting far if they’re foolish enough to use it straight away). The engines are generally simpler than gasoline engines and more tolerant to abuse. Most important is the availability of fuel. Sure I can’t siphon out of my neighbor’s car (not that I would anyway), but when the gas stations are out, truck and train depots are more likely to have left over fuel. And when the diesel is out, I can still run on jet fuel, kerosene, biodiesel (which I can make at home), waste vegetable oil, waste engine oil, even coal dust.

Assuming even the least crises we might face, such as a localized natural disaster, the gasoline infrastructure is very fragile, and very quickly that will run out, with gasoline theft very common. When the gas pump goes dry, however, I’ll still be brewing my own biodiesel out of vegetable oil I can pick up at the store or even make myself. (And I’m not aware of any [fire] code concerns regarding storing vegetable oil in the home). Diesel is renewable, gasoline is not (even ethanol production is a losing proposition).

The caveat to this is to buy older. Newer vehicles are getting increasingly temperamental, especially the newest models. Apparently the 2007s and later fall under new EPA standards, and in many cases the standards are so stringent that the vehicle will even bleed fuel into its own oil supply rather than release oxides into the atmosphere. That means biodiesel will literally eat the inside out of the vehicle. 2006 and earlier on most models should be fully biodiesel compatible, with older models working better (although generally less efficient).

Thank you for your fantastic blog. Keep up the good work! – Dieselman

 

James:
Those were some really good ideas. I’ve done some of those modifications. I would add to the list three items:

1. I have three historic vehicles and one ironic thing about old school technology is that the PSI ratings for various applications on older machinery is not what it is on modern vehicles. For example, I once lost a tiny plug (off of a ’58 International Tractor) that would be impossible to find (or worth it for that matter) so I crammed a piece of cork into it and its been there for years still doing a great job. So, I save all cork from my household for emergency leak stoppers. BTW: cork when burned makes good instant facial camouflage so that’s another reason I keep it stockpiled.

2. I read / subscribe to antique tractor, car, and motorcycle magazines to pick up DIY information. A tip I picked up but haven’t used was from another old car nut. Keep a tampon handy for radiator leaks. It’ll provide a good temporary fix that will get you home.

3. Road flares. Besides the intended purpose, they also do a great job at starting fires if the wood you are trying to light isn’t exactly seasoned and dry. I also used them as a law enforcement officer to chase away the bad guy’s dog so I didn’t have to shoot the dog. (I have five rescued dogs and numerous other rescued animals so I try to avoid any unnecessary force against animals.) [JWR Adds: In my experience, nothing beats a lit 15-minute road flare for crowd control. Nobody wants to mess with them.]
Good luck, – FLHSPete

 

Hi Jim,
I wanted to add my two cents to the Bug Out Vehicle (BOV) thread going on. I’m sure my thoughts on the subject will appear weak and lazy, but give it a look see anyway. This comes from the perspective of those that want to continue much as they do now, and who possess the ability to do many of the repairs that would be necessary for any truck, no matter how well “prepped” theirs might be via the aid of auto-mall-ninja pimping.

Plenty of people will chose to keep existing trucks, or SUVs as their BOVs. The reasons are many, but usually include the lack of funds to keep an extra vehicle around, and personal preferences. Most will not use a specialized vehicle as their full time rig, but they might consider modifying them for BOV off-road, or inclement situation usage. For those that can’t, or won’t buy /build /modify their way into a full-blown Mad Max vehicle, there remain options for existing trucks and SUVs.

My personal rig is an F-250, 7.3 turbo diesel, early 2000s vintage. It is a crew cab, (4 full doors, independently operable, unlike extend cab units which require the front doors to be open before the rear can), with an insulated shell, and factory step bars to aid getting in and out of the cab. (We also have an older 90s stretch minivan with seven passenger seating and storage, and a pair of five-passenger SUVs).

I’m not overly concerned with EMP, so computer damage from that doesn’t rank high on my list. While having spare components is part of my plan, the fact that they cover EMP possibilities is purely coincidental. Spare computer and sensor parts for the 7.3 International engine run the list of the usual suspects as they pertain to common repair activities. CPS, ICP, IPR,… etc. The acronyms are part of the learning curve for do-it-yourself repairs. Whatever breed of horse is in your stable, you better learn his particulars. For Ford truck owners, an excellent source for tech, tips, real world repair stories and cures, go to the Ford Truck Enthusiasts (FTE) web site. They have a world of excellent information, and them boys and gals help members immediately, when there is an issue. All the special parts names (IPR = Injection Pressure Regulator etc.) are in there, and descriptions of what they do. All of these components are available now, from multiple sources, and will fit in a .30 caliber-size ammo can (which will fit behind the rear seat no problem).

I would encourage people to not be intimidated by the newer setups. Start with a good, solid rig, such as the 7.3L. Buy the spares, and read up on how to change them out. It’s not that hard. You’ll be doing monkey work anyway no matter what the truck, if the poop smacks the blades, so what’s the difference? These days, there are a whole lot more of the newer Ford trucks out there. Parts galore! The parts houses have them in stock. If it gets really bad, and a little creative acquisition is in order…. well, use your imagination.

The 7.3 [liter] diesel is built by International, and has a minimum expected life usage of 350,000 miles. A couple of guys on the forum report that some trucks have gone 600,000+ miles before needing any real work. This engine simply keeps going, and the chassis is very tough to beat.

Diesel fuel is everywhere. It’s in: big rigs, delivery – FedEx and UPS trucks, rental trucks, farm tractors – trucks – agricultural water pumps – and fuel tanks, some busses, most service stations, railroad engines, earth movers and other construction equipment, military bases (who knows, they might go deserted…), emergency back up generators for some buildings…. It lasts a heck of a lot longer than petrol. Doesn’t matter how much gasoline is around for you, it will all be junk without proper treatment within a short period of time. [JWR Adds: Don’t overlook Home Heating Oil tanks as another potential source of fuel that can be burned in diesels in emergencies. (Although it would be a violation of road tax laws to do so on public roads.) IMHO, every retreat should have at least one diesel vehicle!]

As for transmissions, a manual is a good idea, but if you have an automatic, don’t despair. I’ve yet to see a 8,000+ pound truck be push-started without first parking on a hill. With your automatic, you need to be sure it has a fluid cooler installed. Change the fluid regularly and according to common sense. In a TEOTWAWKI world, requisition [purchase]s are off the cuff, and there are plenty of the common transmissions currently in service, and readily available.

Air bags used for load leveling really are a blessing. Take this setup, for instance. A 3?4-ton truck that occasionally pulls a heavy load may use “load levelers” commonly installed for use with travel trailers. These transfer a good portion of the load to the truck’s front tires, but not all of it. Air bag load assist units can take up the rest of the extra weight, and convert your 3?4 ton setup into something much more capable. They don’t get in the way, and are absolutely no liability. These accessories can level a burdened truck just fine, which is a dead necessity if you want a truck that will steer and brake predictably. A truck that sagging in the rear can be deadly in an emergency stop, especially on grades. The use of air bags allows you to keep a good ride when they are idling along. The best of both world there. At the most, if they fail, you are left with the factory load capability intact.

My truck [body] is two inches higher than stock. I like the increased visibility. I like the added travel in the suspension for towing off road. I like how it, just today, went over debris on the road that might have caused damage. The guy in front of me didn’t see it, and bang. I didn’t have enough warning time so I went over it [, without contacting it]. The guy behind me sensed something was up, but he couldn’t decide what to do, so his vehicle went bang, too. Does two inches help? It can. Today it did. It also makes servicing the truck in bad terrain easier. With a truck that has a little more uppity to it, you can get under it without the use of jacks, which are unsafe on sloped ground. I wouldn’t lower a truck for any reason.

For anti theft, one easy to install device is a common switch, rated for the current in the fuel pump circuit. I use switches to disable the fuel pumps. They are hidden, and out of the way. Not too many thieves will spend the time trying to figure out why the engine won’t start… something about panic and going to jail or getting shot.

In keeping with the current mission of trucks, we like our power windows and door locks. The window motors might become disabled at some point, but that’s not a problem, really. If we need them open right now, that’s possible with the glass breaking tools we carry anyway. In non emergencies, we can fix such things. Power door locks have never trapped anyone I know inside, since they all have manual overrides. They are a non-issue, too.

Back to our ‘lil F-250 for a moment. They are copious hand bars in it. Four on each side. Just inside the central pillars, are two very large such bars. We’ve found that these are just wonderful anchor points for harness attachments, which allow for someone to firmly anchor themselves if they need to be sitting on the window sill, hanging out the window for some reason. (Another opportunity to use your imagination.) These internal attachment points almost seem made for special occasions. – Anonymous from Californicatia

Economics and Investing:

John in Ohio forwarded this: At G20, Kremlin to Pitch New Currency. JWR’s Comment: Gee, so they propose replacing numerous un-backed fiat currencies (with free-floating values) with a single un-backed fiat currency of a “fixed” (constantly inflating) value. Cui bono? As I’ve written before: inflation is a hidden form of taxation. How do I vote for a genuine specie-backed currency? Only with a trip to my local coin shop or arms bazaar. Vote with your wallet. For our own protection, get out of paper currencies and into tangibles!

From The Appenzell Daily Bell: Banks pop on talk of [FASB] accounting rule relief. (I’ve mentioned delays in implementing the FASB 157 “Mark-to-market” rule, before. Given the severity of the current financial crisis, we can expect to see convenient delays and changes (convenient to the bankers, that is), for the foreseeable future.

Reader Brian F. sent this: Consumer prices rise by largest amount in seven months. Rather than typical inflation, this may be evidence of fixed overhead costs being distributed into a dwindling sales base. To explain: In a retail operation, the building lease or mortgage must still be paid, utilities must be paid, and sales clerks must be paid, regardless of sales volume. When sales volume drops, it is inevitable that some of the fixed costs must be passed along to customers. This does not bode well for traditional “bricks and mortar” retailers–especially the large department stores. In the long run, low overhead home-based Internet sellers may get a larger share of the market, as consumers search for bargain prices and are willing to wait a few days to have items mailed or shipped.

G.G. found this one: Fed to buy up to $300 Billion in long-term Treasury bonds, Fed will buy up to $300 billion of long-term government bonds; buy more mortgage securities. Back in the Stone Age, when I studied economics in college they called this monetization, and I distinctly recall my professor explaining that this practice was peculiar to South American Banana Republics. ¿Se habla Español, Señor Obama?

From reader HPD comes a link to some commentary by Mish Shedlock: Yet Another Incompetent Treasury Appointment

Odds ‘n Sods:

Some good news! The US military’s “fired brass destruction” policy change turned out to be very short-lived. It has just been reversed. To begin with, the policy change was intended only for military brass that is OCONUS, not in CONUS. (If you have a fast Internet connection, then see this PDF., but was apparently over-applied ) I also got some information from Gary Marbut, president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association (by way of a SurvivalBlog reader up in Montana): “I just received a phone call from the office of U.S. Senator Tester of Montana to inform me that at 5:15 (EST) today [Tuesday, March 17th] a letter cosigned by Senator Tester (D-MT) and Senator Baucus (D-MT) was faxed to the Department of Defense asking DoD to reverse its new policy requiring destruction of fired military cartridge brass. At 5:30, I am told, Tester’s office received a fax back from DoD saying that the brass destruction policy IS reversed. Others report to me that they are already seeing evidence of this on the Websites of entities that liquidate surplus DoD commodities. Our thanks go out to Senator Tester and Senator Baucus, and their staff, for getting on this problem promptly and making the reversal happen.”

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Ready Made Resources just got in another small batch of 1000-foot long rolls of WF-16/U (2-pair) commo wire.This type of wire is fairly scarce on the surplus market. It can be used with TA-1s, TA-312s, and the newer TA-1042 (DNVT) digital field telephones.

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The UK television series Survivors is moving filming location to Birmingham for Season 2. (What is unspoken in the cheery article is that Birmingham is an industrial city with portions in advanced decay, making a good post-apocalyptic backdrop.)

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“D” found a web site on non-electric cooling and refrigeration. The site also has some solid information on drip irrigation. D.’s comment: “I find it ironic that we teach people in Africa these technologies and yet there is such a paucity of these skills here at home.”