You know, I was going to specify the clock as mechanical, etc... but didn't. I have regrets... ;)

I'm too lazy to dig.

Not a digital with a dead battery.

Well, a clock is right twice a day...

I was just curious about yours and Olduglycarl's addresses.. no reason! ;)

Thank you; DrZ, that is somewhat relieving!

A solar storm is the real threat. Nuclear weapon induced EMP effects have a limited range. The weapon has to have the right composition, and be exploded between 75 and 100 kilometers altitude. The area affected by a weapon exploded at the maximum altitude would be a circle 2000 km (about 1400 miles) in diameter, so it would take several well placed nukes to black out a country the size of the U.S. Blacking out the world would involve so many nuclear weapons that EMP would be the least of our worries.

Since nothing fails like prayer, we are doomed.

Far more dangerous than the power going out is the ability of the government to enforce its command and control strategy. With an electronic system down why couldn't the store's immediately issue contracts for their goods to be filled when the system is back on line? A contract could have the clause that if you fail to pay immediately when able charges will apply like any other unfulfilled contract.

All it might take is an EMP, from the sun or any nuclear fool, to plunge half this planet into darkness along with all the side-effects. Nobody gets a choice about any of that. All humanity becomes virtually helpless. Such fun!

I have a UTM account myself. [under the mattress]

the problem with being a "prepper" in an altruistic society is that whatever you have is immediately to be made available to the unprepared courtesy of the "government". Ammo wont do much good against them, although its very useful against lone wolves or gangs.

The Nobel judges may have well dressed up as clowns when they gave O that award at the very start of his presidency.

I use the bank of my own back yard. PVC pipe secretly buried.

Maybe there is good market for an alternative that doesnt require electricity and the internet to function. One day there will be an EMP or some financial disaster right here in the USA that WE SHOULD PREPARE FOR NOW.

I can see the need for a new product. It would be a device which would allow you to put a good sized amount of cash in a box that one could type in a number and out would come the cash with a print out showing what was taken and what was left. It would come with a hiding device which would make it look like an inexpensive piece of furniture or nick-nack. I'd call it the Stash-O-Cash Device.

I've been yanging about this for quite a while now.

Thank you AJ for bringing the issue back from the "Shadows" and into the light.

And lots of ammo.

Well written. I keep a modest amount of silver rounds in my safe. Some cash may be in order too.

The Nobel in economics, same as the peace prize, has administration separate from the science Nobels.

General rule- anything mainstream economists advocate must be bad.

The economy of India did improve under PM Modi, he is a bit more free market than his predecessors who supervised a stagnant statist bureaucratic morass.

Alfred Nobel, were he able, would want his name back from the award, I'm sure. Awarding a Nobel Prize O proved it was largely political and a joke. Hardly anything about the Nobel judges has credibility to me, they soiled their own shorts.

Thaler gives me great confidence in the statist bias of Nobel prize judges.