tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post2613262682309876925..comments2023-10-11T04:38:51.793-07:00Comments on Accept The Challenge: Deep Sheep DipChief Instructorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13604561415860237705noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-63734064764479348992010-07-03T11:28:31.463-07:002010-07-03T11:28:31.463-07:00I presume that under the tongue would be the lesse...I presume that under the tongue would be the lesser of two evils...!!sueknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-64359269148271782062010-07-02T11:42:52.904-07:002010-07-02T11:42:52.904-07:00suek, you presume it would go under the tongue... ...suek, you presume it would go under the tongue... ;-)Chief Instructorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13604561415860237705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-68854405660403741042010-07-02T10:27:45.978-07:002010-07-02T10:27:45.978-07:00>>My best is one of the little Instant Temp ...>>My best is one of the little Instant Temp thermometers we use for testing roasts, etc. Very accurate.>><br /><br />Hmmm. No doubt. How would it be to stick under your tongue to see just _how_ sick you are???sueknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-14941515561162978712010-06-30T15:48:58.072-07:002010-06-30T15:48:58.072-07:00suek, I have a couple of analog thermometers (I as...suek, I have a couple of analog thermometers (I assume they're mercury filled) that we use for deep frying. I've also got a couple of the thermometers you use in a fridge or oven - they're some sort of wound wire, I believe. My best is one of the little Instant Temp thermometers we use for testing roasts, etc. Very accurate.<br /><br />Regarding precious metals: This is not investment advice!<br /><br />Physical gold and silver. If there's an economic crash, you'll never see your money back from most ETF's or mutual funds.<br /><br />Gold and silver (small denominations or jewelry) is converted back into cash when it's needed, at current inflated values. It can be done at coin shops, jewelry stores, etc.<br /><br />Ferfal ("Surviving In Argentina" blog) has a lot of information on how it works. Argentina is currently experiencing what I think we're going to experience in the coming years.<br /><br />I currently only buy them as inflation hedges, so only a moderate percentage of our cash is in them. I can say, that percentage will be increasing in the near future.<br /><br />Anon, your point is well taken. A huge percentage of our Treasuries are short-term. For instance, this year, we must "roll over" $4.5 trillion. No one will buy the long-term stuff because they pay so low. When rates spike, we'll then be required to roll these 3% (or lower) bonds into whatever the market says. <br /><br />We'll be screwed, as we need the cash. If no one will buy the T-bills, the Federal Reserve will simply engage in "quantitative easing" - printing money out of thin air - to eventually pay our bills.<br /><br />See, "monetizing debt" for more information.<br /><br /><i>Monetizing debt is thus a two step process where the government issues debt to finance its spending and the central bank purchases the debt from the public.</i><br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monetization#Monetizing_debt<br /><br />Out of one pocket, into another...Chief Instructorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13604561415860237705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-42842617383159256412010-06-30T14:54:12.147-07:002010-06-30T14:54:12.147-07:00Don't be fooled by the current cost of interes...Don't be fooled by the current cost of interest on our debt. The interest rates are being kept artificially low. When inflation comes, and it will, the interest on our current national debt will exceed $1 trillion and approach $2 trillion. It cannot be paid when it happens we will be bankrupt. It will happen! Interest rates will rise, most likely in excess of 12% and probably in excess of 16%. Figure it out yourself; 12% X $13 trillion dollars!! Or 16% X $13 trillion. As sure as we are alive on earth today it will happen and we will either print money to pay for it (yes, I know we already do) or we will go bankrupt and renege on our debts. Either choice is disaster. My best guess is after the next election (regardless of who wins and loses). Of course the Democrats will claim they can fix it if they just tax us enough. It cannot be fixed and higher taxes will just push us further into depression. It is later then you think...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-11687740774558051232010-06-30T09:54:52.454-07:002010-06-30T09:54:52.454-07:00By the way...
Precious metals - the physical stuf...By the way...<br /><br />Precious metals - the physical stuff or the stocks? If the former, how would you expect to use it? I can just imagine me and my little bar of gold with my potato peeler to shave off a small peel for groceries...!!<br /><br />If the latter, then precious metal investment companies, or the mines themselves?sueknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-43497799742067796462010-06-30T09:46:46.900-07:002010-06-30T09:46:46.900-07:00Apparently they're planning to cut what they s...Apparently they're planning to cut what they spend on the Defense budget. If they succeed, we'll _out_ spend the Defense budget.<br /><br />Ok...I just ran across another goodie you might want to have in your stockpile...a mercury thermometer. You know - the kind you take your temp with if you feel sick. The reason it occurred to me was that I was cleaning out drawers and ran across a digital thermometer. It's dead. No battery life, I'd guess - but also no way to change it. Even if there were a way to change it, where would you get a battery? Now...I like the digitals as well as the next mom, but lets face it - if life gets tough, will one work? Can you still buy mercury thermometers? I don't recall seeing any recently. In fact, I saw an article about a Hazmat team called to clean up a "mercury spill" that was apparently about the size of a broken thermometer. Crazy. Anyway...if you can find one, you might want to put it away safely. And don't let it get exposed to really high temps - the mercury thread will break, and it will be useless. (left an animal thermometer in my glove compartment - glass was intact, but it was impossible to rejoin the mercury threads) If it's necessary to get down to real basics, you need a thermometer in your kit.sueknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-2180370230982739282010-06-30T07:46:48.998-07:002010-06-30T07:46:48.998-07:00Guns, it is rapidly becoming impossible to place o...Guns, it is rapidly becoming impossible to place our trust in "institutions" as a whole. The concept is all but destroyed. Gotta look out for our own.<br /><br />Mike, Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mullen made a comment about how the amount we pay in interest on our debt will soon exceed the amount we spend on our defense budget. That is mind-boggling. They've already got projections for when our interest payments will exceed all other expenditures, and it's not that far in the future.<br /><br />But no one is widely reporting this or putting pressure on our government to change its ways. The "watch dog" press is asleep at the switch. Just keep the gravy train running, and worry about paying for it all at some time in the future.Chief Instructorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13604561415860237705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-42220647967010345562010-06-30T05:32:43.350-07:002010-06-30T05:32:43.350-07:00I kinda think the prediction about 2085 is just a ...I kinda think the prediction about 2085 is just a wee bit optimistic. If (IF) anyone or anything is left by 2020, it would make Mad Max look like Happy Gilmore.<br /><br />MikeH.MikeH.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11511925756474067012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964596045360803212.post-673853419142446872010-06-30T04:14:09.146-07:002010-06-30T04:14:09.146-07:00I love that italisized comment: "And the mea...I love that italisized comment: "And the means to preserve both"!<br /><br />Exactly!GunRights4UShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16830687524291663778noreply@blogger.com