Note from JWR:

Today we present two entries for Round 31 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 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of …


The Threat of Cyber Terrorism and Cyber Warfare, by Jeff M.

Cyber warfare sounds like something out of a Hollywood action movie, but it’s something we need to take very seriously. There has been some speculation of possible cyber attacks in the past, power outages in Brazil in 2005 and 2007 could have possibly been caused intentionally. The United States was affected by a power outage in 2003 that blacked out the entire northeastern region and was widely publicized. The truth of what happened in these instances may never be known for national security reasons. Power outages are only the tip of the iceberg though, we have yet to see the …


Letter Re: Survivalist Media–A New Frontier

No one will deny that self-empowerment comes from the additional accumulation of knowledge. Studying, research, and even just plain reading can be devastatingly powerful, if one possesses the willpower as well as knowing how to focus their information gathering. However, other forms of media do retain the potential as knowledgeable gold mines, provided they are constructed in such a manner as to instruct their audiences at least as effectively, if not more, than reading materials. As a blogger, podcaster, and YouTuber (among other things), I am, at least, moderately versed in written, audio, and video forms of media. I understand …


Letter Re: A Source for Free Firewood

Hi Jim, I know you hear it every day, but I highly appreciate the time and effort that you put into your web site. I see that there has been some discussion on burning wood cargo pallets. Tom Baugh has written has a couple of articles about pallets that explain how they can be used in other applications. The reading may be useful to SurvivalBlog readers. The first article (Pallet Projects) goes in depth on the anatomy of a pallet, while the second is an article about a Goat House project that walks the reader through step by step. – …


Economics and Investing:

K.A.F. sent us this: Financial regulators planning worldwide rules for large firms Jim Rogers advises silver, tractors, and rice. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.) J.D.D. flagged this: Drowning Homeowners Face ‘Tsunami‘ Damon S. forwarded this PDF link: Optometrists encouraged to barter. Items from The Economatrix: How to Prepare for the Bond Market Bust Securitized Mortgage Debt: The Shot That Will Kill Many Financial Entities Currency Wars: The Phantom Financial Menace Gold Versus Treasuries: Which Do You Believe? $5,000 Gold = $100-$350 Silver — Here’s Why The Fed’s Zero-Rate Policy is Destroying America Recession Job Losses Worse Than First Thought


Odds ‘n Sods:

R.F.J. flagged an article about a Building Made from Recycled Phone Books.    o o o Reader Bob. H. mentioned that the Rite in the Rain web site has downloadable graph paper among other templates. OBTW, many Rite in the Rain waterproof paper products are available from Ready Made Resources. (One of SurvivalBlog’s loyal sponsors.)    o o o Pain rolling in for tire buyers, retailers. Our thanks to Ben S. for the link.)    o o o David H. pointed us to this: Neat Lightweight Bow/Rifle Scabbard for Bicycles/Motorcycles


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It isn’t going to be a world filled with mutant biker gangs, nor will there be blood thirsty zombies. No thermal nuclear wasteland, no empty cities. Nothing that Hollywood said it would be like. All we need to do is look at countries that have succumbed to an economic disaster already. For example look at Argentina…” – Ray Gano, How I Believe The Dollar Will Die.


Note from JWR:

Today we present two entries for Round 31 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 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of …


Non-Electronic Navigation, by Noil

In the modern world more and more people are dependent upon their electronic devices to get them from point A to point B. But what happens when those devices stop working? It can happen either through a natural cause such as a geomagnetic storm, or something man-made like electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a terrorist [cyber] attack, or war. What the majority of people do not realize is that the GPS satellite network is owned and operated by the US Department of Defense. In a case of martial law or an act of war on US soil, civilian access to GPS may …


Suburban Survival Revisited, by The Suburban 10

In April 2010 I submitted “Suburban Survival”. a set of ten steps I was going implement in order to get ready for TEOTWAWKI. Boy… did I underestimate the power and importance of survialblog.com! First and foremost I thank all of you who responded and gave a cold slap of reality. I thought I was going to be in good shape, but now my view and attitude are vastly different. How did it change? It really started when I bought and read Jim’s survival book. It offers solid fundamentals and interesting insight that I am adapting to my particular situation. My …


Guest Article: Using Expired Medications – Antibiotics and Antiviral Medications – Part 1, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

My first guest post on SurvivalBlog.com generated an abundance of questions and concerns.  Among the most popular was that of using medications beyond their expiration date.  Are they safe?  Are they effective?  It’s easy enough for me to say I think it’s safe, but is there any science to support my opinion?  I spent the week looking into the facts, and found some fascinating information. To start with, just what is a drug expiration date?  In short, the date (required since 1979) does not indicate when a drug goes bad, but rather a date through which the drug is guaranteed …


Letter Re: Self Sufficiency Christmas Gifts on a Budget

Just a note to Richard C. and others who are interested in creating books from public-domain sources. I think it’s a great idea to give knowledge as a gift, especially in the form of books. However, I’m not sure that Richard’s plan is an economical one. Most people have ink-jet printers, with high cost ink cartridges. Plus the added danger of the risk of fading and lack of water-fastness in most ink-jet inks might make the information unusable for the long term. Another option is using a laser printer, which will deliver a lower cost per page and will have …


Economics and Investing:

RBS mentioned the Foreclosure Rate Heat Map Gerald W. spotted this piece that confirms what SurvivalBlog readers heard several months ago: Government Prepares To Seize Private Pensions From G.G.: One third of Britons don’t have enough savings to survive just Five Days out of work Items from The Economatrix: Banking Collapse Scenarios Fall/Winter 2010 Why You (Probably) Need More Gold Pay Garnishments Rise as Debtors Fall Behind US Housing Market Faces New Threat from Foreclosure Row World Financial System Not Sustainable Dollar Depreciation and the Higher Cost of Living Earnings Reports Push Stocks Higher, Dow Up 76 Wall Street Begins …