Day: August 1, 2012

Writing Contest Prize Winners and a New Prize Announced

We’ve completed the judging for Round 41 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. But first, I’d like to mention that starting with Round 42, we are adding a new prize to the First Prize package: a $200 gift certificate, kindly donated by Shelf Reliance. This certificate is good for the purchase of any of their products. (These include: top quality canned food rotation racks of their own manufacture, Thrive brand storage foods, pre-assembled bug out bags and first aid kits, water filters, tents, sleeping bags, various field gear, PV panels, flashlights, Esbit stoves, Aqua Mira, blast matches, sanitation gear, hatchets, …


T.M.’s Book Review: The Unthinkable

The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes – and Why by Amanda Ripley Crown Publishers, New York, 2008. 266 pages including eight pages of color photos, source notes, bibliography, and a thorough index. ISBN 978-0-307-35289-7 Paperback edition is available at Amazon.com and other booksellers. This is not a psychobabble volume readable by a few academics. The author writes in plain English about a complicated subject that she makes easily understandable. She has interviewed hundreds of survivors, scholars, and scientists to obtain her information. The book is divided into three parts: Denial, Deliberation, and The Decisive Moment. Inside the three parts …


Pat’s Product Review: Masterpiece Arms M11/9 Clone

About this time last year, I did a review for a print publication on the Masterpiece Arms MPA10T – a semiauto only .45ACP MAC-style pistol. The gun was fun to shoot, and worked 100% of the time. The only thing I didn’t care for was the weight of the gun – it was heavy, and a little bit bulky, especially with the 30 round magazine in-place and fully loaded. If you’re interested in a short history of the MAC-style of submachine guns, check out this web page.   When I lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado some years ago, a friend …


Letter Re: A Foot Powered Washing Machine for $40

JWR, I thought this might appeal to the  “low-tech” electricity free oriented people.  Two designers got a $19,500 grant to bring the “GiraDora” into the real world. Designed from seeing the plight of those living in slums in Lima, they wanted to reduce the work load of poverty stricken people earning $4 to $10 a day. They created this. It uses less water than washing by hand! There is some more info here. Respectfully, – Erik K.


Economics and Investing:

Signs of the times: For More Pianos, Last Note Is Thud in the Dump. In a depressed economy, few can afford to have old pianos restored. Oh well, at least a few weary pianos get to go out in a blaze of glory. Items from The Economatrix: Rats at IMF and BIS are Leaving the Ship Heading for a Crash The US Retail Collapse Accelerates CNBC Admits We Are All Slaves to Central Banks Beer:  A Reflection of the World Economy


Odds ‘n Sods:

James K. was the first of several readers to mention this grid collapse calamity: 620 million without power in India after three power grids fail    o o o Pat Cascio sent this article: Obama will ‘evaluate’ bill to ban online munition sales. JWR’s Comments: There are billions of cartridges manufactured each year. For .22 rimfire alone, the number is around 4 billion rounds per year. So with of all these cartridges made, what percentage of them are used in violent crimes? The violent crime rate is 403 per 100,000 people. So we are talking about a lot of decimal …