Day: October 31, 2012

Notes from JWR:

I’ve had several questions from readers about the recently re-released Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course. To clarify: The course has not been changed, other than the delivery method. (It is now sold only via digital download.) The great news is that since there are longer any printing and mailing costs, it is now available for just a small fraction of what the hard copy binder edition sold for. — Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of …


Real Wrath of God Stuff: Hurricane Sandy’s Triple Whammy

I’m sure that most SurvivalBlog readers–except those who are without power–have by now seen the amazing photos and videos of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, aka “Frankenstorm.” All of these many images serve as stark reminders that it is the responsibility of individual families to prepare. Government agencies are incapable of providing assistance in a widespread disaster. (In radio interviews. I’m fond of saying that FEMA should more accurately thought of as an acronym for: “Foolishly Expecting Meaningful Aid.”) The hurricane brought with it a triple whammy: high winds, flooding, and power outages. The power outages–which extend 1,000 miles from …


What if TEOTWAWKI Arrives as a Slow Gradual Boil?, by LongJim

Sure we’ve watched  the  new television series Revolution, with their heroine and her post-SHTF world amazingly perfectly coifed hair-do. The series based loosely on an end of the world  scenario built around a “Sudden” abrupt change” a la the Dies the Fire novel series [by S.M. Stirling]. All power suddenly goes poof, and nothing electrical works, society collapses, and we’re all back to the age of bow and arrow, knives, and, weirdly deviating from the Dies The Fire premise, good old black powder front-stuffing rifles. Militias, which are all always portrayed by Hollywood, as evil, dictatorial, and brutally repressive, run …


Economics and Investing:

H.L. sent this bit of news from England that illustrates the Green crowd’s disconnect from reality: Street lights turned off in their thousands to meet carbon emission targets–Huge swathes of Britain are being plunged into darkness as more and more streetlights are switched off by councils and roads authorities. Economist Michael Pento Warns of Inevitable Financial Collapse: “The Real ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Is The Coming Currency And Bond Market Collapse.” Where Should Gold Be Based On Inflation? Items from The Economatrix: The One Headwind That Could Stymie The US Economy Recovery Schiff:  Think Gold’s Pricey?  Wait ‘Til It Hits $5,000 Will …


Odds ‘n Sods:

J.B.G. suggested: Nine ways to make your cell phone last the whole storm even if the power goes out    o o o I will be the keynote speaker at the Get Prepared Expo (via teleseminar) on Saturday, November 3rd, 2012. This is an expanded repeat of a very popular event. There will be 100 Exhibits and 70 Seminars You can save 20% by buying your admission passes in advance at GetPreparedEXPO.com ($8 for a one-day pass, or $15 for a weekend pass.) The expo will be held November 3 and 4, 2012 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“For thousands of years storing seeds has been an essential part of the survival preparations made by millions of prudent people fearing attack.  Seeds are hopes for future food and the defeat of famine, that lethal follower of disaster.  Among the most impressive sounds I ever heard were faint, distant, rattles of small stones heard on a quiet, black, freezing night in 1944.  An air raid was expected before dawn.  I was standing on one of the bare hills outside Kunming, China, trying to pinpoint the sources of lights that Japanese agents had used just before previous air raids to …