I am sure mine will be going to an American firearm manufacturer. Just can't decide if I want a made in Connecticut Seecamp 380 or a made in Maine Bushmaster AR 15.

I am kind of biased to Bushmaster as I grew up in Maine and like the logo. But I am looking at buying some AR lowers from Spike's Tactical. http://spikestactical.com He laser etches logos on his lowers which i think are kind of cool.

Smith and Wesson has a $100 rebate on their ARs that expires tomorrow. FWIW they have a $50 rebate and two free mags on their Sigma & M&P pistols too.

On the food front... I've noticed several local stores that are also offering gift cards (that have values that exceed the purchase price) in exchange for stimulus checks. One local grocery is offering a $325 gift card for every $300 in stimulus money. IIRC Lowe's has a similar deal in place.

That's a great idea. I caught the tail end of a segment on NPR radio a month or two back. It was an interview with a behavioral economist, I think that's what he called the field. Anyway, he was saying that there are better ways to distribute a stimulus package than simply sending everyone a check. A check that is deposited into your bank account is likely to go straight to pay down some outstanding credit card balance or go straight to savings, which provides no/very little stimulatory effect on the economy in the short term.

The economist said that other methods, like sending everyone a "gift" card with the same amount as these stimulus checks, would be far more likely to be spent for new goods or services and thereby give the economy its needed boost. Since consumer spending is about two-thirds of GDP, the guest suggested that it would be money well spent if the gov't would actually set aside a bit of the stimulus package to fund research on better, more innovative ways of delivering this stimulus money. Try to find out how to get the most bang for the buck, so to speak.

FYI - I did some research on Daftary and the Quaker Strategic Growth Fund (I have a subscription to the online edition to the journal.) It should serve as a gentle warning for those who follow a mutual fund manager's advice.

Almost 10% of this mutual fund is invested in Archer-Daniels-Midland, a large agricultural firm and a Potash Company which is one of the largest manufacturers of agricultural fertilizer. Wheen Daftary suggests people buy more food, it also helps out the stocks which make up a good percentage of his mutual fund. I'm not saying that he's being dishonest, but he should operate in a mode of full disclosure.

This doesn't mean we shouldn't buy extra food, I'm just apply my job skills from a former life (business analyst) to suggest that Daftary's comments need to be "consumed with a grain of salt."

The story that I read did disclose his connection to the ag industry.

Another aspect of cost savings from stocking up is bulk purchase. This can take that percentage up even higher. With a stocked pantry I don't have to buy during shortages, whether due to actual shortage or from panic buying. When the next crop of rice hits the market and the price is stable I can buy again. Since I had a years supply before the rice "shortage" I don't need to buy right now. I can do the same with all of the staples and realize an investment gain on grocerys rather than a burden from shortages. I have done this for years and don't consider it "hoarding" but commodity investments!

I bought 20 lbs JUST before the panic hit the news. That's enough to last this family of 4 a LONG time

From what I am reading, the USA won't be short on rice, it's flour and cooking oil that we will see a somewhat serious shortage of.

As a head's up to others just getting started into food storage, I have just found a relatively new web site for learning the basics of preparedness relating to water, food and tool use: Simply living smart

The usual caveat applies (I have no affiliation with this organization).

After perusing the site this weekend I have found it to be very helpful and approachable. The instructional videos are amateurish, but that just lends to the honesty of their project. From what I've gathered the couple that started the site seem to be just getting into the field/business, having recently moved to Idaho and launching this web site in the Summer/Fall of 2007. To fill in the gaps of their expertise in some areas it seems they have partnered with individuals who have greater experience and solicit seminars from emergency management officials on topics of emergency preparedness.

Anyway, I thought ya'all might want be interested in this site relating to the topic at hand. I've been learning a lot from this site in complement to what I have learned from ETS. Indeed, many subject areas overlap. The site registration, print articles, and instructional videos are all free. It looks like they do run a "webshop" containing some of the products they describe in the instructional videos but I think the website is primarily supported by Food Cannery sponsors at the bottom center of the page.

I'm curious to hear what others at this forum think of this new site. Interestingly it appears to me that "Home Food Storage" is becoming more mainstream. Still not to the level it was for our grandparents, but examples of news stories like the one in this thread and the start of websites like simplylivingsmart.com show the recognition of some of the general public to the benefits of preparedness. I wonder if we are on the way to an awareness "tipping point" of some kind.

Cheers,
Nemo