Wednesday, January 21, 2009

There's a lot if understatement here but this admission was inevitable.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aUq6leFyb1uY&refer=africa

-- MCR

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JO adds:

Cheap Water Filters
Heavy Duty Solar Flashlights - Buy one; they donate one to the Third World.
Multi-Function Solar Rechargeable Light/Charger
Rice Farmer's Blog
Insights with links from one of the premier analysts.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kinda sounds like a declaration of "open season" against the dollar, doesn't it?

I've predicted elsewhere that they're pulling out all of the stops now that O-bomb-a (that's what the foreign press is gonna be calling him once he starts in on Afghanistan and the rest of Central Asia) has been sworn in. Let's see what he announces regarding the economy. Once it's tied to an international standard, they'll pull the rug out.

sunrnr said...

Jenna,

Thanks for the links for the water filters and solar toys. I bought some for my bunker and my Mad Max vehicle.

At least I'll have some light and drinkable water. Now if I can just figure out where to store the food, ammo, farming tools and seed.

namaste

OregonSurvivor said...

On the Algae Biofuels front, here is a link to the brochure for the 2009 Algae Biofuels World Summit.
http://www.pmaconference.com/3.23a.09ic.pdf

grayfox said...

Just a quick thought to throw out there for folks who are in municipalities and don't see themselves moving elsewhere. All cities and towns are built where there's water. Some of them have outgrown their source and have to import water by pipeline, but there still must be many springs and streams that have been captured in culverts and lie hidden and forgotten, buried underground.

It seems to me that there must be old engineering maps or development maps in each county's recorders office that show where these springs and streams would be. Perhaps they would be recorded on old topo maps for subdivisions that have been built since the 50s &'60s. I suppose many of the culverts are under streets, but some must be lying under people's yards . . . especially springs, which would be the most valuable and least likely to be contaminated.

If I were living in a suburb or a city and I wasn't planning to move, I'd sure be trying to find out where the nearest natural source of water is to my home. If you know where it is you can dig it up if you get desperate. Just make sure you have a few shovels (I love shovels), picks, pry bars, etc.

fusion_is_fundamental said...

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4971

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4971

RanD said...

The last three (Jan 19 thru Jan 21: third in a row's a charm, right?) mikeruppert.com/FTW posts and readers' comments clearly reveal that not only has the current state of Earth's human condition reached a general state of complete chaos but that even the entire FTW enterprise, itself, has been sucked into that chaos.

With that being the case RanD is going to check out of this suddenly terminally boring & hopeless situation. If and when the masters of FTW and their followers get their shit together, RanD will again be thoroughly pleased with, devoted to and return to what had up till now been displaying genuine prospects for achieving intelligent common cause. (Still trying to worship gold, even? Fuk.)

In the meantime, Ruthie & David are out of here.

gildone84 said...

Roubini: US Banking System Effectively Insolvent:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a746r_1q9OOY&refer=home

agape wins said...

I have not posted anything lately, because others were carrying the
ball, it seems that we have lost a number of faithful members, I
pray that they have not given up, out of the shock of what is ahead.

This post by MCR forces me to write; whenever I go to a site like
this I become fearful, this link is an insider with an objective!
It's not about peak anything, the state of our country, the world, or
how we treat one another; it's about GOLD and how You can
profit$$$ from it! Look at the links attached!
The predictions could be correct BUT they are not made by
someone selling Chickens or Flashlights.

We all of us, even Mike, have the same schooling background,
Again I repeat, read or at least review the book " The Lies My
Teacher Told Me":
http://www.uvm.edu/~jloewen/liesmyteachertoldme.php

which ties in directly to:

Gangs of America

We have never been who we were taught, you think the
Boston tea party was about tea?
Try again, how about Rum? Our Molasses had to be exported
to Jamaica, with a Tax; where it was made into Rum, by a English
company, marked up and then returned, & Taxed again!
It was illegal to ferment Molasses, or import untaxed Rum!

Who was behind the Raid? Several ships were pillaged,
Cargo disappeared (including Rum), but only tea was dumped,
over a million $$ in TEA?

http://ktracy.com/?p=1689

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_and_Molasses_Act

Our foundation turns out to be Greed, just as Joe
Kennedy built his Empire on Bootlegging!
Our PTB just replaced those from Europe, continuing through Wall Street & the CIA.

Buying Gold is not wrong, just do it with your Eyes open, learn how to value it, how to sell it, to whom and when. First off, do not PANIC!

I Read "Blood in the Streets" in the 70's and would
recommend it, but can't find a link for it, it describes
the Panic in France, the randomness of the killing,
the senselessness of who died, and who survived!
Some say planning, others Dumb Luck!
These are my thoughts, Think,
judge them as you wish, but THINK!

Policestate said...

Hope everyone watched msnbc Keith Obaman had an ex NSA worker who said he was in charged of spying on Americans and saw a pile of info on Reporters!
He already sent a letter to the new boss at the NSA. lets see what Obama is Made of!!!

Unknown said...

Why has the price of Platinum come down so low, compared to gold?

I like the Berkey water filters. Mines from frugalsquirrels.com

agape wins said...

From the mass media, A myth?
Surviving may not be that
difficult, if true.
Can someone from the other shore
(shades of the B. C. comic),find the
facts?
I think it's bunk.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28735791/?GT1=43001

dalex said...

Susan: Platinum's principal use is in the auto industry (catalytic converters) -- and with the big hit to car sales, platinum has taken a drubbing. I'd like to buy some, but (like gold and silver 1 oz. coins) it's very hard to buy in small quantities, and premiums (e.g. on eBay) are excessive.

Dave Crossland said...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/mexico/4299116/Mexico-police-chiefs-head-found-in-ice-box.html

"The head of a Mexican police chief was delivered to his colleagues in an ice box in the country's latest drug-related violence. "

businessman said...

If you're going to stop participating in this Blog, just stop making posts to it. There's really no need to announce your departure to everyone and make condescending statements about those who keep on participating in here.

kimpunkrock said...

Mike can we get an update on your health? I hope your doing good. Your one of many unsung heroes that are saving this country.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom-
kim

Sebastian Ernst Ronin said...

JO:

Here's a handy addition to your list of practical tools. The site is The Poor Man's Guide (for building wind generators, storage, software for making calculations, etc.) at: http://www.poormanguides.com/ A very handy forum is available, plus some videos of finished product in action.

Just from going over the site, this is the system I am planning on going with. To build a 3,000 watt turbine (which will get one off the grid) for $300-$500 ain't a bad deal. Until such time as I actually get around to building, I can't say more on behalf of the system than that. But it sure is worth having a look.

Unknown said...

Speaking of which, anyone have any strong opinions about the various 2012 theories?

The funny thing, and I don’t know if anyone has discussed it before, I saw a Peak Oil graph ages ago, can’t find it right now for the life of me, with a projected world oil production and decline and at the end of 2012 is where oil production just falls off a cliff.

Total freefall. That’s when global blackouts become permanent. That’s when The Industrial Revolution comes to a screeching halt.

The funnier thing that I’ve read is that 2012 is all a scam. It’s a typo. It’s bad math. The real date is 4000 something but 2012 has just taken off with a David Ickie cult like life of it’s own.

And the funniest thing, I was thinking. If I was Henry Kissinger, if I had my ultimate doomsday bio-terror device, you know what I would do? I would just let the world burn it self out like any other wildfire and I would drop my bomb on Dec 21 2012 and just blame it on The Mayans. They are the perfect boogieman. You could easily kill 6 billion people and decades from then people would still be debating online about various conflicting “holes in the pentagon” theories of 2012.

DC said...

http://us1.institutionalriskanalytics.com/pub/IRAMain.asp

"The good news is that much of that loss is going to be concentrated among the largest banks, with C accounting for as much as a quarter of the total all by itself. When you see a 40% loss rate vs. total assets for a relatively simple institutions such as IndyMac, tell us why you would not start at that level with C? Impose a conservative 30% loss rate on C's $1.3 trillion in bank assets and you have wiped out the group's $150 billion in Tier One Risk Based Capital several times over. The common and preferred of C is toast, in our view."

Unknown said...

Howdy Sue -- You asked--

Why has the price of Platinum come down so low, compared to gold?

Answer: The Auto Industry. During periods of sustained economic stability and growth, the price of platinum tends to be as much as twice the price of gold, whereas, during periods of economic uncertainty, the price of platinum tends to decrease due to reduced industrial demand, falling below the price of gold.

The most important application of platinum is in automobiles as a catalytic converter, which converts harmful emissions from the engine into less harmful gases. Platinum is also used in the petroleum cracking process, which breaks down crude oil molecules into smaller organic molecules, such as gasoline.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platinum

Mr. James Hargreaves said...

I find a preety scary article about the infringment of freedom of speech in Korea. A Blogger could go to prison for 5 years for talking about the economic downturn!! Be Carefull Michael!

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE50L1YM20090122?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Sebastian Ernst Ronin said...

businessman, re "There's really no need to announce your departure to everyone and make condescending statements about those who keep on participating in here." Amazing, ain't it? The juvenile, foot-stomping (yet, spiritually enlightened) need for attention boggles the brain. Why Mike and Jenna even clear such twaddle is beyond me.

kimpunkrock, re "Your (sic) one of many unsung heroes that are saving this country." Yes, Mike stands to be in the history books with Rubicon, BUT ONLY UNDER ONE CONDITION: that we win! Losers do not write history. Folks may wish to keep this in mind...or not.

Anonymous said...

Jeff King,

You and I seem to be aligned in our 2012 thinking. Where do I see it talked about the most? On the History Channel and on the Discovery Channel. AKA Propaganda Central.

My suspiscion is that someone with a lot of influence wants a lot of people to believe that 2012 will bring something spectular, tragic, devastating, and transformational, either in a single pavckage, or a series of related events.

Blame it on the Mayans? Why not? The key is to repeat the message often enough that it ultimately becomes second nature to accept it when it finally happens. Mainstream media has been repeating it for years.

With regards to those who reject the current financial paradigm that includes gold, I have some friendly advice from the perspective of someone who is responsible for the well-being of people who are incapable of feeding, clothing, or sheltering themselves. Like it or not, gold is a part of our currency and is an accepted standard within our communities. To ignore it based upon philosophical objections is parallel to ignoring food because the only supplier shares his profits with murderers. We all know how the current economic paradigm is used as a control tool. But to ignore it outright as a means to survival is to deny reality in favor of some philosophical dream. Philosophy with no practical and tangible output will never buy food or shelter.

If you can show me how I can post on this blog without participating in the current economic paradigm, I'll start to listen. To do so, my needs include electricity, an ISP, hardware, and software. I don't see anyone giving that away. Until then, we need to deal with what we have. Which means being aware of how it is evolving (i.e. gold pricing) if we want to stand any chance of keeping abreast of things. The crash isn't gonna eliminate technology and economics. It's gonna take it away from the "have nots" while the "have's" continue to maintain control. That control may be a shift to regional or international bodies, under the guise of peace, unity, humanitarionism, or whatever excuse works best, but it'll still be the "have's" who are pulling our strings. The only way to change that is to find some secluded colony that's completely off of any grid that exists anywhere on this planet, with the exception of a few remaining tribes. For most of us, that's not an option.

Anonymous said...

Sebastian Ronin said: "The juvenile, foot-stomping need for attention boggles the brain. Why Mike and Jenna even clear such twaddle is beyond me."

Spot on, Sebastian.

RanD, take care. I'm sure you will miss reading your blog comments.

MCR said...

For Michael Siegfried -- I am in probably the best health I have been in for 15 years. rested, weaight down, working out..., and taking great care to maintain spiritual, emotional and physical balance on a daily basis.

I'm fine, and thanks for asking.

MCR

Anne said...

The rise and fall in the price and availability of gold is of far greater importance than whether one should invest in it or not. There is much information here that is, IMO, being missed.

The price and velocity of gold gives information of global significance and is part of "The Map". For those who didn't see this in MCR's post....I suggest a re-read of Rubicon.

Business Man and Sebastian Ronin...well said!

sunrnr said...

For RanD ... To paraphrase Dr. Wayne Dyer (http://www.drwaynedyer.com/) "We came from NOWHERE, to NOW HERE, and we will return to NOWHERE.

Unfortunately our "NOW HERE" is in jeopardy for various reasons. Everyone has to deal with "NOW HERE" in their own way. Many on this blog are saying "here's how I dealing with things, here's what I feel is important and here are some ideas for you to think about in your own quest to deal with "NOW HERE".

It's distressing to me that so many people feel their way is the only way and if you don't like it your an "idiot, stupid, a liberal, a conservative, an illegal, a ... whatever".

Although I didn't always follow your logic, I believe in a lot of what you posted.

With that said, we're collectively in this together whether we want to admit it or not. No one can be apart from this, they can only choose not to be a part of it.

Thanks to all who contribute their time, energy, concerns, enlightenment and suggestions, especially Mike and Jenna.

Last note, keep in mind we need a diverse assortment of means to provide light, heat, food and water for ourselves and our neighbors. Solar energy doesn't always work in areas with limited sunlight. Wind energy doesn't always work in areas with too little or too much wind.

Distributed networks of individual energy generation and food generation is the answer. Just look at the power of PC's vs the most powerful central processor.

Put up that solar array, that home wind turbine, that small generator mentioned by Sebastion Ronin.

Put your time and effort into preparing rather than complaining and worrying about that which you have no control over. Continue to help others to prepare.

off my soap box now and back to my bunker to work some more on my Mad Max machine.

namaste

businessman said...

Whenever someone has tried to hold us hostage in this Blog, and demanded that we either change or they're not going to participate in here with us anymore...I've always been happy to see them leave.

Anonymous said...

Fusion,
Thorium is an interesting alternative to uranium in several regards (less weapons-grade waste material is produced, smaller half-life, greater worldwide abundance of thorium, etc.). So yes…if I had to shoot myself in the foot and was given the choice between bullets, I would choose a .22 bullet over a .357 bullet. Likewise, I’d choose thorium over uranium.

I don’t, however, see how this technology will offer any escapes from an imminent decline in fossil fuels. According to the World Nuclear Association, “Much development work is still required before the thorium fuel cycle can be commercialized, and the effort required seems unlikely while (or where) abundant uranium is available.” There are many front end and back end issues that still need to be worked out with the thorium fuel cycle, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA-TECDOC-1450). How long do you estimate before there would be a viable, commercial model that is available to citizens of Earth? 20 years? 30 years?

On a personal level…would you buy a house with a thorium reactor down the street? Or is this simply a great idea so long as it’s Not In My Backyard?

kiki said...

i know 3 people who have tried to get their 401K money out and told, as long as they are employed with their current company they can't

Anonymous said...

sunrnr - it does not seem possible to order these filters in the usa. did you order from outside the usa?

Anonymous said...

sunrnr - it does not seem possible to order the lifestraw filters from inside the usa. are you outside the usa or how did you accomplish this?