Day: April 16, 2010

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 28 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include: First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of …


The Broke Survivalist, A Learning Experience, by Vaerity

I’m hoping that by sharing my experience, I can provide information that can help others in similar situations. When uninformed people think of a “survivalist”, I am most definitely not what comes to mind. I’m a twenty-four year old female, who wears makeup, has several pairs of comfortable (thrift store) designer jeans and a Creative Writing education from Johns Hopkins University. I have four cats, and live in a tiny inexpensive apartment in North Carolina. However, little do they know, my education hasn’t simply been gained from traditional schooling. About two years ago, I found that it was getting much …


Letter Re: Demographics and Population Density Map Resources

Mr. Rawles: I’ve seen a few posts mentioning Population Density maps, but what I’ve seen so far doesn’t let you really drill into a particular geographic region. Webfoot has population density maps (among other demographics) based on the 2000 census, and using Google Maps. With webfoot you can drill down to a city level and get a good granular picture of an area, instead of inferring density from a static, US-wide map. It can be a little slow to load, but the wait is worth it. So if you’re like me, and trapped in the Northeast, you can use this …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Steve C. sent this: Foreclosure Rates Surge, Biggest Jump in Five Years The editors of The Daily Bell alerted us to this news article: Expert: Bear Market Can Last for Another Five Years Ray T. suggested this: IMF Prepares For Global Cataclysm, Expands Backup Rescue Facility By Half A Trillion For “Contribution To Global Financial Stability” Items from The Economatrix: Rise in Jobless Claims Underscore Wobbly Recovery Stocks Edge Higher on Mixed Reports, UPS Outlook Low Stock Market Volume: It’s Even Weaker Than You Think Oil Jumps to $86 a Barrel Treasurys Slump After Bernanke, Beige Book Bond Report …


Odds ‘n Sods:

T.B. mentioned that a map of natural hazard mortality in the United States has been produced. The map gives a county-level representation of the likelihood of dying as the result of natural events such as floods, earthquakes or extreme weather.    o o o The Deflation flags are still flying: Wal-Mart Bets on Reduction in Prices. (A hat tip to Chad S. for the link.)    o o o Reader Brian B. sent this from The Daily Iowan: Gun Law Stirs Controversy    o o o Sometimes, the small trend indicators can have great significance: U-Haul tracking data suggests more …