Silver buyers

Thinking about putting away some silver coinage in your savings?

I ran across this site recently.

Franklin Half-Dollars for $8.49, which is about 15% over today’s $18.62 spot price from Kitco.

[by wt, 12.5 g = 0.440924 oz of junk silver (90%) = 0.396846 oz pure silver]

GTT–The New Reconstruction

I’ve mentioned before that one of the phrases I recall from Mississippi History class, all those years ago, was the phrase “Gone to Texas.”

In the era known as “Reconstruction,” thousands of Mississippians migrated to Texas for a new beginning, often leaving the letters “GTT” scrawled on the door of their abandoned homes.

With all the chatter on the internets about toxic rains, raising the possibility of mass evacuations of the Gulf Coast, is a new era of Reconstruction soon to begin for the Deep South? I realize that this is all just internet rumor and speculation at this point, and I don’t take it seriously. But somewhere in the corners of my mind, a nagging suspicion and an uneasiness exists. It has begun to occupy my thoughts. Is it prudent to at least begin thinking about contingencies?

I don’t know what others will do. But, for me and mine, if it comes about, I think I know where we’ll go.

Oil Rain in Louisiana

This is a startling video.

Louisiana residents witness a strange rain that leaves oil puddles near their homes.

h/t tyler

Things that go BANG!

Attn bloggers ….

M.D. Creekmore at the The Survivalist Blog – a survival blog dedicated to helping others prepare for and survive disaster – with articles on bug out bag contents, survival knife choices and a wealth of other survival information is giving away a 1,000 round case of 9mm – 124 Grain FMJ (a $200 value – donated by LuckyGunner)! To enter, you just have to post about it on your blog. This is my entry. Visit The Survivalist Blog for the details.

Go forth and blog

Happy Father’s Day!

We love you, Nuke and N2l!

The BP Well Disaster:Compromised “Down Hole”

I just finished this rather lengthy article at The Oil Drum and it paints a much bleaker picture of the ramifications of this disaster.

What is likely to happen now?

Well…none of what is likely to happen is good, in fact…it’s about as bad as it gets. I am convinced the erosion and compromising of the entire system is accelerating and attacking more key structural areas of the well, the blow out preventer and surrounding strata holding it all up and together. This is evidenced by the tilt of the blow out preventer and the erosion which has exposed the well head connection. What eventually will happen is that the blow out preventer will literally tip over if they do not run supports to it as the currents push on it. I suspect they will run those supports as cables tied to anchors very soon, if they don’t, they are inviting disaster that much sooner.
———————-
All of these things lead to only one place, a fully wide open well bore directly to the oil deposit…after that, it goes into the realm of “the worst things you can think of” The well may come completely apart as the inner liners fail. There is still a very long drill string in the well, that could literally come flying out…as I said…all the worst things you can think of are a possibility, but the very least damaging outcome as bad as it is, is that we are stuck with a wide open gusher blowing out 150,000 barrels a day of raw oil or more. There isn’t any “cap dome” or any other suck fixer device on earth that exists or could be built that will stop it from gushing out and doing more and more damage to the gulf. While at the same time also doing more damage to the well, making the chance of halting it with a kill from the bottom up less and less likely to work, which as it stands now?….is the only real chance we have left to stop it all.
———————–
We can only hope the race against that eventuality is one we can win, but my assessment I am sad to say is that we will not.

The system will collapse or fail substantially before we reach the finish line ahead of the well and the worst is yet to come.

Sorry to bring you that news, I know it is grim, but that is the way I see it….I sincerely hope I am wrong.

We need to prepare for the possibility of this blow out sending more oil into the gulf per week then what we already have now, because that is what a collapse of the system will cause. All the collection efforts that have captured oil will be erased in short order. The magnitude of this disaster will increase exponentially by the time we can do anything to halt it and our odds of actually even being able to halt it will go down.

The magnitude and impact of this disaster will eclipse anything we have known in our life times if the worst or even near worst happens…

This is not my area of expertise and I certainly hope he is wrong. If he isn’t, we are witnessing the destruction of a vital sector of our nation and the lives of millions of people.

Simply Irresistible

Robert Palmer, in his prime.

from viral videos

FAA declares no-fly zone in Gulf

No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM (except as described).

NOTAM Number : FDC 0/5100
Issue Date : June 09, 2010 at 2155 UTC
Location : . GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL AND AFFECTED COASTLINE. THIS NO, United States
Beginning Date and Time : Effective Immediately
Ending Date and Time : Until further notice
Reason for NOTAM : DUE TO CHANGE IN PHONE NUMBER IN PARAGRAPH 10
Type : Hazards
Replaced NOTAM(s) : N/A
Pilots May Contact : Houma air operations center (ZHU) Center, 985-493-7607

+++

h/t George

More: Allen, Uh no one told me about Maine boom company

Obama’s “Nagin Moment”

Spotted over at Free Republic

Related: Miles of Oil Containment Boom Sit in Warehouse

Ødumbo, O.G.

No, the O.G. doesn’t mean original gangsta’, it means Oblivious Gawker.

It is now day 51 of the BP well disaster and the oil continues to leak out.

Not only has our pResident O.G. not spoken to, or met with, the CEO of BP he is still struggling with how to vote not present on this problem.

While gawking at the teleprompter and cameras, he continues to ignore his responsibility in resolving this crisis, responsibility codified in law.

However, pResident O.G. is angry, enraged, furious and even livid. So much so he is searching for someone’s ass to kick over this. A friend of mine suggested that, in light of all available evidence, O.G. should kick his own ass. To which I replied…he would get his ass kicked if he tried.

With that said, let us not forget he still has experts to call on to deal with all this.

Hope for the Gulf Coast

An all natural, non-toxic oil emulsifier that is completely biodegradable, and has been proven to work on an oil sludge in Wyoming, offers hope to residents of the Gulf Coast.

Update: Video report

The product is the work of an Ocala, Florida company named Global Petroleum Environmental Technologies. It’s called Ecosafe.

From FirstCoastNews ….. ”  the U.S. Department of Energy, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, a congressman, and a leading environmental agency have praised the patented Ecosafe.

But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not approved it, and until it does, Ecosafe cannot be used to clean up the Gulf oil spill.

You would think that an Administration that has made a living peddling hope would be all over this. Not this time, however.

Why?

Yesterday, Obama’s Secty of State reminded us of the Obama Mantra, “Never waste a good crisis.”

And, in an email sent out today, President Obama claimed that “… from the beginning, we have worked to deploy every tool at our disposal to respond to this crisis.

Well, not every tool, including one that is called, “most effective method of oil cleanup.”  And not Ecosafe, either.

How do you explain Team Obama’s disregard for the Gulf?  Fecklessness?  Incompetence? Or is it something else?

Obama has known from the beginning that the gusher would likely last for months. In fact, he was first briefed in April on how bad the spill would be. Some have concluded that Obama has decided to use this crisis to revive cap and trade legislation. Interestingly, the same EPA that is blocking Ecosafe has promised to implement cap and trade through regulatory procedures in the event that Congress fails to pass legislation.

Others have questioned if it is a red state-blue state thing. I’m not that cynical. Not yet, anyway.

Which brings me back to David Clark and Fernando deTorres of Ecosafe. They told FCN,

“There is a public out there without hope.

They think, ‘we can’t remediate our marshes.'”

Ecosafe is offering hope to the Gulf. Hope that is based on proven results, not rhetoric.

Are you listening Mr. President?

Update: Obama delivers knockout punch

h/t swampwoman

Weekend Roundup and Open Thread

James Clapper is named DNI by the President Obama. …… Interesting criticism from Kit Bond regarding Clapper’s background in the military (USAF). Bond and others are saying that Clapper’s nomination signals that Obama’s efforts in the War on Terror will continue to have the greater emphasis on law enforcement, and …”would make the position susceptible to influence by the Pentagon, which already controls the bulk of the classified intelligence budget.

Bond said Clapper has previously undermined efforts to strengthen the intelligence director position, largely to preserve the Defense Department’s sway over intelligence spending. wapo

GOM briefs: T-Tech researcher gets EPA approval on new absorbent material to be used in the Gulf ………….. Cap on the well offers hope. Coast guard says 6,000 barrels recovered in 24 hours, approx 50% recovery rate. …………….. USF confirms oil plume, tar balls in Pensacola …………….. Tar balls, oil sheen, and odor reported at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach (AL) …………… John Hunt offers this roundup from LA. …………… the crisis continues.

TEOTWAWKI briefs: FDIC Friday, 3 more bite the big one ………….. Bank repos of foreclosed homes reaches a new monthly high (April stats), ……………… L’il Kim launches a new “super drink” to save mankind. “The state’s official news agency says the drink contains several dozen kinds of “microelements” that create new brain cells and halt age-related skin damage.” ……………… And, speaking of crazy, this article about the US economy that is “Too crazy to believe” ……………… Denninger has a set of prescriptions for the US. along with this warning: “either our President grows a set of clankers between his legs and forces this through one way or another or we will suffer a self-fulfilling collapse when our turn comes – and it will.” ……………… more to come.

Odds and ends: Minnesota Donk disparages Mississippi; from his ad, “If budget cuts were always the answer, then Mississippi would be a leader in this country,” … (Matt) Entenza said Minnesota has historically been near the top and Mississippi near the bottom on education and health care, “and now we’re falling down to that level.” Do tell. So the answer is what, more taxes and more spending? Jeebus, Matt. That’s about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Pass that hopium bong this way, will ya? Jackass. ………… Jeb Bush “sounds Presidential” in NY. “Overhead from a top GOPer: “After this Obama nightmare, the Bush brand is looking pretty good.” ……………. Fire Helen Thomas! Said Ari Fleischer, “She is advocating religious cleansing. How can Hearst stand by her? If a journalist, or a columnist, said the same thing about blacks or Hispanics, they would already have lost their jobs.”. Hear hear. ………………. The Truth is Out There UFO sightings in Oz, “It was a perfect spiral of light,” the witness said.

Finally, I ordered 2 of these yesterday. Not really sure why, I just wanted them, and the price was right.  Decent price on ammo, too.  Decent, but not cheap.  There just doesn’t seem to be  any cheap ammo out there any more.

Got linkage?  Please add your links, comments, conversations, etc.

Pac 10 Big 12 Buzz

Latest rumors swirling around the world of college athletics has some interesting implications for two of the nation’s premiere conferences, the Pac-10, and the Big-12.

…the Pac-10 is prepared to offer membership to six Big 12 schools to form a mega 16-team conference that would cover the western half of the country and break into seven of the nation’s top 20 television markets. LINK

Whoa!

Mike Slive and the SEC have been sitting back and weighing offers to UT and A&M for the Western division, and FSU and Clemson for the Eastern Division (that is, if you believe any of the stuff you read on the innernut message boards). Still, for any of the major conferences, the big prize is the Texas television market.

Whether or not any of these rumors are true is anybody’s guess. I surmise that if I hear the phrase, “it’s about academics and competition, and not about the money,” I’ll know the rumors are true. And, if it’s true, then watch the rest of the conferences make a mad dash to make sure they’re not left out in the cold.

Scheduling for major football schools is completed years in advance, so any realignment would necessarily take place over several years, with many traditional rivalries being discarded in favor of more TV moolah.

Stay tuned, sports fans!

Related: Big 12 abruptly cancels news conference

Best Video Of The Year!

Major Pwnage!

caroline glick

Health Care Reform Will Help Everyone

a guest post by Barbara O’Brien

Many Americans assume the new health care reform act will benefit mostly the poor and uninsured and hurt everyone else, according to polls. As Matt Yglesias wrote, “Basically, people see this as a bill that will take resources from people who have health insurance and give it to people who don’t have health insurance.” Those who still oppose the reform say that people ought to pay for their own health care.

We all believe in the virtues of hard work and self-reliance, but these days it’s a fantasy to think that anyone but the mega-wealthy will not, sooner or later, depend on help from others to pay medical bills. And that’s true no matter how hard you work, how much you love America, or how diligently you take care of yourself. The cost of medical care has so skyrocketed that breaking an arm or leg could cost as much as a new car. And if you get cancer or heart disease — which can happen even to people who live healthy lifestyles — forget about it. The disease will not only clean you out; it will leave a whopping debt for your survivors to pay.

And the truth is, we all pay for other peoples’ health care whether we know it or not. When people can’t pay their medical bills, the cost of their health care gets added to everyone else’s bills and insurance premiums. When poor people use emergency rooms as a doctor of last resort, their care is not “free.” You pay for it.

Another common fantasy about medical care is that the “free market” provides incentives for medical companies to develop innovative new drugs and treatments for disease without government subsidy. It’s true that private enterprise is very good at developing profitable health care products. But not all medical care can be made profitable.

For years, the U.S. government has been funding medical research that the big private companies don’t want to do because there is too much cost for the potential profit. This is especially true for diseases that are rare and expensive to treat. An example of a recent advance made possible by government grants include new guidelines for malignant pleural mesothelioma treatment developed by MD Anderson Cancer Center researchers. Another is a blood screening test for mesothelioma developed by thoracic surgeon Dr. Robert Taub. The health reform act provides for more dollars for such research, from which even many of the tea party protesters will benefit.

The biggest fantasy of all was that people who had insurance didn’t have to worry about health care costs. But the fact is that in recent years millions of Americans have been bankrupted by medical costs, and three-quarters of the medically bankrupt had health insurance. And yes, insurance companies even dumped hard-working, law-abiding patriots. But the health care reform act will put an end to that, and now America’s hard-working, law-abiding patriots are more financially secure, whether they like it or not.

Fack to the Buture

I knew it had to happen sooner or later.

Got me one of those fancy smart phones.

Dang.

El Nuko blasts into the 21st century. And it only took ten years!

Weekend mini-reviews

A wonderful weekend camping trip at the Bogue Chitto, cooking out, bbq, and all the catfish you could eat, with plenty of time left over to knock out two newly released books — the new Limbaugh biography, and Fred Thompson’s autobiography.

They were both fairly quick reads.

If you are pre-disposed to like either of the two men, then you will enjoy the books.

Best one-liner of the Chafet’s book …

Rush on Bill O’Reilly: “Someone’s got to say it. The man is Ted Baxter.”

Yup.

The best thing about Thompson’s book …

It’s available on-line for free. Link below.

Teaching the Pig to Dance, Fred Thompson, 2010 Random House

Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One, Zev Chafets, 2010 Penguin Group

How cool is this?

Title of the video is “amazing optical illusions”