Year: 2010

Odds ‘n Sods:

As a follow-up to previous mentions in SurvivalBlog, Nanci M. suggested this article: Finding Dolly Freed.    o o o Reader Trent H. spotted this interesting article: An Amish Entrepreneur’s Old-Fashioned Approach; Without electricity, a car, or a cell phone, Amos Miller turned his dad’s Pennsylvania farm into a $1.8 million national food retailer. Oh, and speaking of locally-grown foods, Jason W. sent us the link to Well Fed Neighbor.    o o o Yishai flagged this: IDF to blanket Israel with gas masks. Yishai’s comments: “To show the chemical threat is real, and to point out to your readers …



The “After Armageddon” Docudrama is Scheduled to Air Again

SurvivalBlog readers Len and K9 both mentioned the two hour special docudrama “After Armageddon” will soon air again on The History Channel. The program shows in graphic detail just how fast normal society can break down, and even has a small segment on the importance of amateur radio to be able to communicate without infrastructure. While the program uses the flu virus as the reason for the breakdown, It could just as easily be any one of a number of other causes.that “After Armageddon” re-runs: What have past acts of destruction taught us about what will happen to mankind after …


Letter Re: Lessons From “The Twilight Zone”

Sir: I’ve just watched an original episode of [the 1960s television series] The Twilight Zone called “The Shelter” from 1961. It’s interesting to notice how some tenets of preparedness haven’t changed much in almost 50 years. In the episode, a group of neighbors is gathered at a birthday party when a report of unidentified flying objects, alluded to as nuclear missiles, comes over the radio. As the guests depart for their homes to gather food, medicine and water, we learn that the protagonist, Dr. Stockton, has a recently completed fallout shelter in his basement. He secures his family in it …


Letter Re: A Tale of a Concealed Encounter Carry in Texas

Jim: I was going home this evening at 5 pm right before dark and I was going fast. Right before Chappelhill on 290 a Hypo (Texas Dept of Public Safety Officer) pulled me over. I always have a smile on my face and act courteous with the cops. He came to my passenger window and asked for my license and insurance and said “your were going 77 in a 70” I gave him my handgun license and drivers license and said wow the wind was pushing me then, and then I truthfully told him that I had been on the …


Economics and Investing:

GG sent this: Double-Dip Risk Seen in ‘Stall Speed’ Recovery: Stephen Roach Darryl C. suggested this: Time for Fed to disprove PPT conspiracy theory; Commentary: Analyst charges that government is manipulating markets Items from The Economatrix: GM Sales Fall 33% in 2009, Ford Up in December Pending Home Sales Fall 16% in November Pump Prices On Pace to Top 2009 High By Weekend US Public Pensions Face $2 Trillion Deficit IMF: Commodity Prices to Rise in 2010 Stores to Post Modest December Sales Gains European Stocks Remain Lower After US Jobs Data US Job Cuts Shrink to Two-Year Low in …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Attention SurvivalBlog readers in California: I just got this from the NRA’s legislative arm: Right-to-Carry Bill Scheduled to be Heard Next Week! Please Contact the Members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee Today! Assembly Bill 357 is scheduled to be heard by the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on Tuesday, January 12. AB357, sponsored by Assembly Member Steve Knight Republican, District 36), would create a “shall issue” concealed handgun permit system in California. Under current law, an applicant must show cause as to why they should be issued a permit to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense. AB357 would remove …



Note from JWR:

The new UK edition of my book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know it: Tactics, Techniques and Technologies for Uncertain Times” will be released today. It will be priced at just £7.19 postage paid. OBTW, since Amazon doesn’t automatically feed through reviews to the UK site, it would be great if you could re-post your reviews of the book on Amazon.co.uk so that this book reaches the widest possible readership. Many thanks! — Today we present another entry for Round 26 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint …


Preparing to Be Prepared, by A Patriotic Christian

Preparedness and survival are becoming increasingly popular discussions in these days of economic and political instability. Head to a diner in the morning and you’ll hear ol’ timers talking about their deer rifles they have with extra ammunition. Pass in a supermarket and you’ll hear middle aged housewives speaking of the class they are taking on home canning. Most people have the mental image of a worldwide doomsday when “survival” is brought up. That fact is that survival is simply that…survival. Whether your family is snowed in for a few days in a cabin, an earthquake ruptures water and power, …


Letter Re: Surviving Severe Winter Weather in Ireland

Good Afternoon Mr. Rawles, I thought you might like to know how the so called severe weather is treating us here in Ireland. We have had snow and ice on the ground for the past two and a half weeks. We live a couple of miles out of town and our local road resembles a skating rink, very easy to drive down the hill but not so easy to drive back up. But driving is not much of a problem as my wife is from the American Midwest and I spent five years living in the highest town in North …


Letter Re: The Upcoming “Book of Eli” Movie

Hi Jim, I received an email from Grace Hill Media regarding the upcoming movie “The Book of Eli.” From the looks of it, it’s your standard post-apocalyptic, TEOTWAWKI story, but there’s a twist that the main movie trailer doesn’t really address – the “book” is the last known Bible on earth. I learned this because there’s a Web site with clips from the movie and sermon notes as part of the movie’s marketing campaign. While I’m not really a supporter of turning the pulpit into a marketing tool for Hollywood films, the material might provide a starting point for Christian …


Economics and Investing:

Frequent content contributor GG spotted this piece over at Zero Hedge: The Fed Is Preparing Quantitative Easing 2.0, MBS-Only Edition El Jefe Jeff E. sent this: Pending Home Sales Tumbled in November Joan mentioned this at Zero Hedge: US Avoids Technical Default By Three Days Items from The Economatrix: Robert Rubin: All Hell Could Break Loose Because of Huge Government Debt Something Evil This Way Comes Mortgage Demand Near Six-Month Low as Rates Jump Private Sector Sheds 84,000 Jobs in December If The Fed Missed that Bubble, How Will it See a New One? ECB’s Stark: No Bailout for Greece …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Rob C. mentioned this item: Barton Biggs: 1 in 10 Chance of Anarchy in the U.S. That should get insurance actuaries quaking in their boots, and SurvivalBlog readers loading stripper clips!    o o o Reader Paul B. mentioned The Photographer’s Ephemeris. Paul’s description: “This is a free application that, although designed for photographers, would seem to have many uses for people hunting, fishing, or otherwise engaged in outdoor activities, [including the tactical variety.] Basically, you put in the date and your location and it pops up a google map showing you the direction of sunrise/sunset/moonrise/moonset, time for twilight (civil, …