Day: January 5, 2012

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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 $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 …


Combating The Darkness Within, by Paul B.

I am a new arrival to the survival community.  Until recently I was just another mindless suburbanite going about my daily routine blissfully ignorant of the world around me.  It was only by chance that a series of events happened in my life that opened my eyes to needs of survival preparation.  I won’t say that I was completely clueless about survival, but rather it simply wasn’t real to me.  Yes, I knew that tough times are just over the horizon but I simply believed that I would make it through somehow.  Ironically, it was the housing crisis that completely …


Letter Re: Converting a 1973-1991 Suburban to Cummins Diesel

James, Thought your readers may be interested in the articles on Converting a 1973-1991 Suburban to Cummins diesel engine. The staff at Diesel Power magazine is publishing a set of articles during the course of this year on the details of converting an Older suburban into what they call the ‘Doomsday Diesel Suburban’. The first article linked) covers swapping out the existing powerplant and converting to a Cummins diesel. Regards, – Allen C.


Four Letters Re: Self-Defense Advice

Sir: I noted that some letters responding to the subject of unarmed combat (self-defense advice) referred to Tae Kwon Do as a form of self defense. I have been involved in the martial arts for over 40 years and my opinion is that most modern martial arts are sport forms and not suited to real world self defense. Even mixed martial arts (MMA) forms while formidable, concentrate on fighting in the ring (or octagon) and not on the street. My current pick for self defense instruction would be Krav Maga – Israeli hand to hand combat. It has the following …


Economics and Investing:

Greeks must avert economic collapse, euro exit: leader R.B.S. sent this: GAO 2011 Annual Report Reveals: The United States is Still Broke! Patrick S. suggested this: Signs Point to Retreat in Consumer Spending.   Items from The Economatrix: US Job Market Ends Year In Better Shape Crisis Conditions Grip Eurozone US Factory Growth Shows Jobs Might Be Picking Up Oil Begins 2012 With A Bang, Prices Up 4%


Odds ‘n Sods:

I heard from my Editor at Penguin Books that my best-selling nonfiction book "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It" is now available at Sam’s Club warehouse stores, and it will also soon be available in Costco stores! Both offer a price that is competitive with Amazon’s, so here is your chance to buy a few copies for gifts, without having to wait or shipping, or to pay for shipping.    o o o I recently watched the re-make of the western movie True Grit. Overall, it was a fine film that was more than …