Riding out TEOTWAWKI in style: Exclusive Look Inside the World’s Largest Planned Doomsday Escape. – G.P.
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Ebola Resurgent: African States Report Alarming Rise in Cases. – G.P.
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Iconic gunmaker Colt is on the brink of bankruptcy. – T.P.
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Depravity, delusion, and destruction–Signs of post-Christian America. – MVR
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There very definition of corruption: Bill Whittle on the Clinton Scandals
“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30 (KJV)
On June 12, 1987, during a visit to the divided German city of Berlin, President Ronald Reagan publicly challenged Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”
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On July 3-5, 2015, the community of Marble in northeastern Washington, will be hosting the “God and Country” celebration featuring John Jacob Schmidt (of Radio Free Redoubt) and Rep. Matt Shea as speakers. Find out more about this unique celebration at www.marblecountry.com. They are also seeking a land developer or development group that can help them complete their community. Ideally, they are seeking self-employed younger families, rather than retirees, to settle the community.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
My grandparents were born at the turn of the century, right around 1900. They were married around 1920, and my grandmother died in 1923, a year after my dad was born.
Their entire life was, in a snapshot, the epitome of today’s prepper beliefs. If it didn’t happen virtually without the involvement of anybody except the immediate family and what was there at the farm, it didn’t happen. It did help that they were far in the woods on top of a mountain in Vermont.
The funny thing is that when you really look into it, they had everything we have today, everything that matters anyway. Maybe they didn’t have the medicine, doctors, or technology that would save my grandmother from a far-too-young passing, but for day-to-day living they had the necessities. Even the lack of today’s medicine was a trade-off. In ther day, the reality was that they might die from things that are pretty easily cured today, but then again the dangers of fast cars, air travel, overcrowded cities and loose borders, as well as the new and inventive ways to harm ourselves and each other weren’t nearly what they are today.
When I was young, in the 1970’s, there was still no running water or electricity on top of “the hill”. That’s right, I’m talking about the 1970’s. They didn’t miss it; rather, my grandmother said “Why would we do that?”
Their technology was marvelous. The wood stove in the middle of the kitchen not only heated nearly the whole house (there was a large steel grate in the second floor above the stove, which was a terrific “duct” for heat upstairs), but it also had virtually every kitchen appliance that we have today. It was a monster, about seven feet long by four feet deep. It had six griddles, two reservoirs on the sides always full of hot water, a cooking oven in the middle, and a warming oven on the top. Of course the fuel system was unstoppable: a mountain of firewood that accumulated and dried all year long, which saved them from -20 degrees Vermont winters.
The house was right at the high point of the hill, and a spring shot out of the hillside next to it. Some talented, non-degreed engineer drove a length of pipe into the rocks and put a 30-gallon washtub below it. It was always full of the sweetest, clearest, coldest water that could be found. It may still be there today, if the enamel coating has survived.
The outhouse was about 30 feet down below the house, perched on a small stream that ran further down the hill. A better sewer system has yet to be devised. Of course you had to watch closely for bear, big cats, wolves, and so on after dark as well as the occasional house cat that would somehow knock the spinning wooden latch closed, while you were inside.
My grandfather had the first self-driving car, back then. When he was down in the village, maybe after a few too many, he would crawl into the back of the cart, slap the horse on the backside, and sleep while he was successfully delivered about eight miles back to the house.
He also had a state-of-art security system for the homestead. A big blacksnake lived in the drainage culvert below the driveway, and it very seldom came out to bother anyone in the family during normal daily life. However, the snake would always respond to unknown visitors or a commotion. Those who had the pleasure of his scrutiny were instantly well behaved and interested in fitting in.
My grandfather planted the fields with a horse and a wooden plow. My grandmother cooked and canned a year’s worth of food with nothing but the glorious old woodstove and ball jars. My father and uncles brought more food home with their .22’s, shotguns and fishing poles.
The farm, wild animals, and fields fed the family, but of course you need a cash crop. The cash crop was maple syrup. It doesn’t get much simpler (though it’s a huge amount of work) than hammering spigots into a few hundred majestic, old growth maple trees and collecting endless buckets of sap that ran like the spring beside the house. The technology was the huge, wood fired stove that boiled the sap 24/7 during the winter season. They had a whole good-sized barn that housed this stove, and it would burn for days and weeks until the sap no longer flowed.
They were veterinarians, engineers, butchers, carpenters, masons, and 100 other things, both men and women. They were called farmers, but that was maybe 25% of their existence. They did every last thing, which we as preppers think we are inventing, plus they did a lot more that we haven’t thought of yet.
I don’t believe that the depression or the world wars hurt the folks very much. It didn’t do much in the way of changing the maple trees, the fields, or the firewood that they cut and burned. Some things did hurt my grandfather profoundly, such as the loss of his wife of just a few years, or the loss of his first son at one year old. However, he soldiered on, raised a second family with more children, and tended to the earth and animals that stayed unchanged throughout the years from the 1920’s through the 1970’s.
I remember walking nearly the whole mountain with my father, after his dad had died and not much was left working. For him, it was still working and always would be. Why is that?
I believe that it’s the essence of prepping. What does the earth give us that will remain unchanged regardless of the passage of time or the calamities that man can create for himself? It’s those things that we can do for ourselves that don’t require a lot of formal teaching or training, things that the earth gives freely that are there for the taking and just a bit of reverence, respect, knowledge handed down, and hard work.
Today, when we study the details of natural medicines and simple shelter, the abundance of edibles and water and materials in the wild, the simple ways to create warmth or cooling or safety, we are only reawakening knowledge that was never expected to lull. These things were previously passed to our elders of not long ago at all in the 1920’s all the way back from our ancestors of a truly distant past.
Today’s exciting media renditions of American Indian life, ancient Egyptian life, or frontier life seem like a glimpse of things that will never be pertinent or applicable again. We have too many layers of guidance, protection, and worldly knowledge to ever be those people again. Yet, it doesn’t take much of a hiccup in the daily fabric of modern life to create a complete void in that utopia. That’s another essence of prepping.
Would my grandfather have suffered much from an earthquake or tornado? Besides the immediate damage or injury, the rhythms of everyday life probably would not change much at all. Because they were simply on their own, they didn’t expect a different reality, and they wouldn’t really have a reason to look for one.
My grandfather had one other huge slap in the face. He was well on his way to being a well-off gentleman farmer with a large, growing herd of cattle. However, along came those poorly-understood sicknesses that took animals as well as humans. His herd was wiped out in one fell swoop, when the government agents diagnosed and dispatched his animals. I don’t know that he ever really got over this or his worse losses, but I do know that he moved on and lived nearly the same life for another 40 years.
Besides the agents of that chapter of the story and the occasional blessings of the town doctor, nobody else impacted their lives much on the hill. They stayed happy and prosperous, until children moved away or elders passed away.
We, preppers, often think that we are creating a grand, new, intricate web of survival and intrigue, one that mixes in equal parts of Rambo, hippies, druids, Jeremiah Johnson, and so on. That’s fine. We deserve a measure of heroism and satisfaction for being the people that our ancestors would be proud of. However, we need to mix in equal measures of thankfulness and respect for those whose DNA is driving our efforts.
When we put away the rice and beans and MRE’s in totes in the house, we need to pay homage to our grandmas who pulled the steaming ball jars out of the woodstove with their bare hands. When we carefully and safely acquaint ourselves with weapons that feed as well as protect, we should think of those young boys who took their .22’s to school and put them in their cubbies so they could go hunting as soon as the afternoon bell rang. Some young ladies did the same or maybe chose to sew and prepare food. Everybody planted the fields and split the wood. I look at my generator, propane tanks, and related equipment, and I’m thankful that it’s just as effective as the mountain of firewood and the car-sized stove that my dad worked with.
Will we ever be as good at it as they were? Somehow I doubt it, but it won’t be for lack of good mentors. I know that I come from a good stock that was A-OK to go anywhere, do everything, and overcome anything. My sons both are outstanding Eagle Scouts; if the rough times come, I think they’ve got it in them to succeed anywhere, in any conditions. I’m the bridge; I need to remember and live all the very, very lucky lessons that I was given and never let my sons forget about them.
We all need to remember that our interest in or dedication to prepping is not coming from the last several movies or TV shows that we thoroughly enjoyed, or even that great website that we read. It’s coming from none other than our family and all of the families before that. I’m glad that we are really doing something that connects us to them, to the earth, and to everyone that knows these truths.
I have been visiting west coast fire departments and law enforcement agencies, and none of them, including LAPD, LA Sheriffs, Seattle PD , Oakland PD, or Portland PD, have or plan on scheduling any EMP training drills, and they are not even thinking about how their police or fire agency is going to deal with the aftermath of an EMP.
Everyone talks about how devastating an EMP could be and how the aftermath will affect everyone, but no one from Police and Fire is talking about what and how are they going to react to a catastrophic EMP event.
Has there been any articles on your blog as to whether or not there are any plans from the first responders on just how are they going to deal with an EMP. – D.P.
HJL Responds: While there are many articles on SurvivalBlog about the specifics of EMP, the damage it can cause, how to protect equipment, and other information, first responders have to look to their local organizations for response plans. Since 911, all first responders participate in Incident Response Plans formulated by their local governing agencies. The federal government spends an extraordinary amount of money on developing training materials and classes and makes this information available at little to no cost to all of these first responder agencies. During the 911 crises, first responders learned that on large scale emergencies, differing agencies did not play well with each other, so the focus has been on creating an infrastructure that can grow or shrink with the emergency and allow the interaction and inter-operation of whatever aid organization, both private and public, that was necessary. EMP is just one of many scenarios for which training has been considered, yet emphasis is always placed on the most likely issues to face the local community. For instance, if your community has a major railway that crosses through it, dealing with hazardous material spills will take a higher precedence in training than will EMP issues. While an EMP may be devastating on a national level, the likelihood of that event actually occurring is much smaller than a hazardous materials spill on the railroad or highway system.
It would be nice if they could train for every conceivable issue, but the reality is that there are so many issues that can happen, they must spend their resources, time, and energy on those that they know will happen. Sadly, for EMP to make it higher on the list of priorities, there will probably have to be some form of EMP strike somewhere in the world first.
As currency dies, Zimbabweans will get $5 for 175 quadrillion local dollars. – M.W.
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Interview on current events with Bix Weir
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Items from Mr. Econocobas:
Students Will Have $3.5 Billion of Student Loan Debt Wiped Out & They Are Not Happy About It– This is just craziness– more debt. We are all on the hook for select people’s mistakes.
This Map Details Whether Asset Forfeiture Laws in Your State Are Good or Awful. – H.L.
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Simple, healthy, and affordable food. – Free your body. – G.P.
Seriously, does anyone even bother with a basic Google search for product marketing before naming these things anymore? And the “green” color on a black/white web page is just inexcusable! Charlton Heston in the 1973 sci-fi classic: Soylent Green Is People!!! – HJL
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Homemade Pickle Bill Among Dozens Signed Into Law in Denver. – JBG
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Rebel attack in Colombia leaves 300,000 in the dark. – G.P.
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Because crime should be for everyone: Obama making bid to diversify wealthy neighborhoods. – T.P.
“I didn’t know I was a slave until I found out I couldn’t do the things I wanted.” – Frederick Douglass
Don’t forget, Camping Survival is moving to Sanford, North Carolina (near Raleigh) soon and has a few open positions. If you are interested in any of the positions, please send a resume per the instructions. You may also want to check out their moving clearance section. Also, June 7th-13th they are having a Mountain House sale with 25% off of #10 cans and 15% off of pouches and buckets.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
Spices may be the number one overlooked item when prepping a kitchen to survive the apocalypse. The following article, which I wrote based upon my 15 years of chef experience and a lifetime quest for a self-sustaining lifestyle, includes reasons why you should stock up on spices, information about prepackaged spices, my technique for building a stockpile, the addition of seed-stock to your stockpile of heirloom seeds, how to store home-grown herbs/spices aswell as some techniques for using them.
One of the pillars of prepping for survival is to stockpile food. This is done in many ways including the purchase of bulk items, freeze-dried meals, MRE’s, and other foods with high caloric values and long shelf lives. This usually results in huge stockpiles of rice, beans, grains, and other foods with marginal flavor profiles. Seldom have I seen mention of the need to prep your spice chest. At best, most sites and books will tell you to lay up a healthy supply of salt, which is useful for many things besides enhancing the flavor of food, but rarely will you see instructions to lay up a healthy supply of pepper, chili powder, curry, or other “non-nutritional” food stores. Well folks, I am here today to tell you that supplying yourself with a stock of herbs and spices will not only make your survival more comfortable, it will help you survive longer, healthier, and provide you with another monetize-able trade good for your TEOTWAWKI savings account.
Let’s get the definitions out of the way:
Herbs – The flavorful leaves or stems of plants.
Spices – The flavorful seeds, roots, or bark of plants.
I want to point out first that keeping a stockpile of spices can help in your survival beyond making your food taste better. Most, if not all, common herbs and spices contain medicinal qualities that help stave off common ailments. Studies suggest that incorporating them into your diet can help protect against conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and even cancer. Morale is another reason why keeping some spices on hand is a good idea. It will be hard enough to keep up morale after the collapse of society without the addition of subsisting on the same bland food day after day.
Before we move on let’s talk a little bit about the packaging of herbs and spices. Spices and herbs are both susceptible to flavor loss among other types of spoilage. Protecting flavor loss is the number one goal of modern spice packaging and is accomplished in a number of ways. The biggest threat is moisture, after that is light, which means that most are packaged in air-tight resealable containers. The spice companies usually leave it up to the consumer to protect against light by keeping them in a dark cupboard.
You can expect an un-ground whole spice, such as black pepper, cumin, coriander, or cinnamon sticks, to maintain peak flavor for up to five years. Ground spices will hold peak flavor for an average of three years, and herbs generally hold for one or two years. Now, this is peak flavor that I’m talking about, so you can expect to retain some amount of flavor for well over the averages that I have listed. Open or damaged containers will, of course, not last as long, but based on my experience you can still find flavor in spices that have been sitting in an opened container for many, many years. I acquired a shelf of spices from my grandmothers house when she passed, many of them over a decade old, and all retained usable flavor.
When planning a system of spice purchases I find it useful to use the slow-and-steady method. Each and every week when I go to the store I buy an extra jar of spices. I try to rotate my purchases each week so that I keep a diverse stockpile. I usually look for the cheaper bulk items, like a 1# self-contained pepper mill– whole black pepper packaged in a disposable grinder, which is a potential trade item in and of itself, or other high quantity products. Since spices usually cost about $4-5 per small jar, it is pretty easy for most people to add an extra bottle each week or every other week. Once you get a stockpile built up, you can start rotating your oldest product into your kitchen and then replace whatever it is you took on the next trip to the market. Remember, with food, it is always FIFO (First In First Out). You must use the oldest first to keep from having to throw any food out.
I tend to stick with the whole spices but will also toss in a few ground spices to be sure I will always have some usable product without the need for an electric or manual spice grinder or mortar-and-pestle, which are both very important tools in homestead cuisine. I also like to stockpile spice blends, such as blackening, steak seasoning, lemon pepper, and Old Bay. My favorites are Old Bay and Chef Paul’s Blackened Redfish Magic. I’m an eastern NC boy, so I use a lot of Old Bay. It goes well with everything from crab boils to whole hog BBQ and even in the breading for fried chicken. Chef Paul’s can be used the same way.
Irradiation is another topic important to this discussion. Irradiation is the process of exposing food products to a source of ionizing radiation in order to increase shelf life and to prevent food-borne illness. The debate over irradiation’s effect on human health still rages, despite many studies showing that it is not harmful, if you believe what “they” tell you. The practice is not widespread in the U.S., due to public perception although it is still used in some cases. Other countries, in particular the European Union, use it more frequently. In the EU, irradiation is primarily used for extending the shelf life of herbs and spices, so ordering from overseas is the way to go if you want this extra level of protection.
In addition to buying jars of packaged herbs and spices, I also buy seeds, so don’t forget to add this to your list when purchasing your heirloom vegetable seeds. This is of course alongside my current garden where I grow fresh herbs and spices as I can. I prefer to buy perennials, such as thyme, sage, oregano, and lovage, because they come back year after year. Other herbs, such as basil, have to be restarted each year.
If you have never heard of lovage, I suggest you go and find some because it is very useful. Lovage is similar to celery and celeriac but with a deeper, more earthy flavor. It is very popular in eastern European cuisine where the leaves are chopped and used on soups and broths in the same manner as parsley. On top of that it grows a large root, which can be eaten as a vegetable; the stems and stalks can be chopped or diced and used just as you would celery and the seeds are useable too. Along with all that lovage also has medicinal value although I am not an expert on that.
Other great plants to grow in the garden are dill and cilantro because they are both spices and herbs. Dill produces only one flavor, dill, which can be recovered from the leaves, stems, and seeds of the plant. Cilantro, also know as Chinese parsley and coriander, provides two flavors. The leaves of the plant are commonly called cilantro and used prominently in Asian and Latin American/Caribbean cuisine. It’s great in salsa and tacos. The seeds are called coriander and are one of my most favorite spices to use, right after cumin. Coriander has an earthy, almost lemony, aroma that goes very well in stews, such as venison and bear. As a side note, I have in recent years discovered that bear is my favorite game meat by far. It has a rich flavor reminiscent of lamb and foi gras, and it makes great stew and awesome burgers.
Growing herbs in the garden is very easy, since most of them are just weeds. All you have to do is plant and forget. Then as the plants grow, you can harvest as needed. I usually get two or three harvests off of my oregano plant, which is more than enough to last a year, even with a houseful of mouths to feed. Depending on the plant, I would suggest at least two of each for every four people in your plans, so that you are ensured of having enough to use and store without killing the plant.
Garlic is also very easy to grow. One bulb can yield up to 30 or more cloves, each turning into a whole new bulb. The best part is that they grow just about year round, depending on where you live. I started out planting two batches each year, one just after Christmas and one as the summer begins to wind down. It takes three or four months for the bulbs to form, so by using this rotation I always have home-grown garlic, and my plants never have to suffer through the heat of summer. Now that I have been growing garlic for a couple of years, I have developed a garlic patch. I started by planting the cloves from one bulb widely spaced. Then, a month or two later, I planted more in the spaces between the first. This way there is always garlic growing and I can always go out and pull one if I want really fresh product. Plus, the best way to store a plant is to keep it alive, if you can. When I harvest the bulbs that are ready, I replant new cloves in the spaces left behind.
Storing your home-grown herbs and spices is also very easy. For herbs, I usually tie them into a bundle and hang them upside down in a cool, dark, well-ventilated space until completely dry. Then you can store them in air tight containers or plastic bags. These will not last as long as your store-bought supplies, but they will last for quite a while, up to a year or more. I have some dried oregano in my kitchen now that is nearly two years old and is still making great tomato sauce.
Spices are a little bit trickier but only a little. I have found that it is very, I repeat very, important to be sure they are completely dry before you package them. If you do not let them dry thoroughly and completely, you will come back to find mold growing within only a few days, ruining them. One way to help avoid this problem is to use your food dehydrator; another is to dry them out in a very low temperature oven. When I say low temperature, I mean under 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and a temperature under 150 degrees is actually best. You do not want to cook them; you just want to dry them out.
In a life-or-death survival situation, it is unlikely you will have the time to worry about maximizing the flavor of your food. However, when you are safe within your compound, campsite, retreat, bivouac, et cetera, there are two tips I can give to help you get the most out of your spices. The first is to toast them. Heating them up will help to activate the oils and other volatile compounds within the spice. This will “open up” the flavor and help make a smaller amount go a long way. Another bonus is that toasted spices taste really really good. The next time, youare at the stove, try dry roasting, in a cast iron skillet, some black pepper corns or cumin seeds to see how much flavor is unlocked. I bet, that after you do, you will be roasting spices the rest of your life.
Another is to make flavored oils. This can be done simply by putting some of your spices and herbs into a measure of cooking oil and then gently heating it. When doing this I suggest you get the heat of the oil up above 140F for at least 10 minutes to be sure you kill any bacteria and other pathogens that may be present. This step is less important when using store-bought spices but will aid in capturing the flavor. So, if you have the time, do it right. A kitchen thermometer is another valuable tool in the homestead kitchen. You can buy the simple pocket thermometers used daily by professional chefs for about $10-$15. These come in two varieties– the standard model goes up to just over 212F (boiling point of water) and are used for general cooking. The other type of thermometer goes much higher and are used for frying and candy making.
Yet another method is to make flavored vinegars. You do this exactly as you would a flavored oil but without the addition of heat. Heating a vinegar will cause the acid to evaporate and along with it some of the flavor. To use the vinegar or oil, add it to your recipes just as you would normally. The difference is that now the vinegar or oil will carry flavor with it. Chili and garlic oils are great for stir-fry; flavored vinegars are great for making salad dressing or sprinkling on raw vegetables.
Good morning, Hugh,
Pat Cascio’s recent post on preventing carjackings included this sentence: “Fifth, drive in the center lane (if possible) when on highways; this reduces your chances of becoming a ‘bump and run’ theft victim”.
I’ll agree with driving in the center lane, but stopping in the center lane is a different thing. Unless you are first in line, you’re trapped. Stopping in the curb or median lanes offers an escape route; one can drive over the curb and down the sidewalk if necessary from the curb lane, or one can cross the median or even drive in the median to get away from a threat. Whatever damage your car may suffer from climbing the curb is much less expensive than losing the car or a hospital stay. If there are cars parked along the curb, pick the median lane.
Needless to say, while stopped in traffic is not the time to be engrossed in a cell phone call or texting. Keep your head up, glance in all three mirrors frequently, and stay alert to people in other cars and especially any on foot. Car doors opening around you, especially on cars behind you, is a red flag. Nearly everyone has noticed a police car parked by itself in a parking lot, away from other cars; the officer is probably doing paperwork on the steering wheel (allowing him to keep his head up and glance around and in the mirrors frequently) and has created a safety buffer space around the car. It’s a good practice to follow.
Almost stopping a little more than a car length behind the car in front of you then easing forward a couple of feet reduces the opportunity for a “bump-and-rob” and makes it very obvious that’s what’s happening if it occurs.
We were taught in police driving school to leave space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you when stopping; the general rule was make sure you can see pavement between your hood line and the bottom of the rear tires of the vehicle in front of you. This allows room to get around that vehicle and escape. I consider that a minimum distance and I prefer to leave a couple more feet of maneuvering room.
When driving, crowd the left edge of the lane periodically so you can see down the line of cars in front of you. Too many people focus on the back of the car in front. Brake lights coming on 10-12 cars ahead give you warning, as does seeing traffic lights changing a hundred yards ahead.
In restaurants with two drive-thru lanes, never take the inside lane; again, you’re trapped. There’s a greater threat in the outside lane but also an escape route. Leave escape space between your vehicle and the one in front; if that means a car-length gap between you and the speaker or the pay or pickup window, so be it. Everyone in line will still get their food; just don’t compromise your escape path. Never put the vehicle in park. Just keep your foot on the brake. For manual transmissions, leave it in first and keep the clutch depressed. That way if the SHTF, you can escape forward immediately. Pay particular attention when between the pay and pickup windows; your car window will be down, and it’s easy to walk between your car and the building and reach in the driver’s side window. Glance around, especially to your right and behind when approaching the windows; that’s when you’ll be most distracted with handling money or your order. If something doesn’t seem right, drive away. You can always do a lap around the restaurant parking lot and get back in line. Needless to say, keep the doors locked.
There are the usual cautions: Always keep your gas tank at least half full so you control when and where you stop. Keep your head on a swivel, looking for anything out of place whenever you’re stopped. If you have to go inside to pay, lock your car and don’t leave your wallet or purse in the car. If you always use cash, consider a prepaid credit or gas card so you can swipe and pay at the pump. Don’t pin yourself in the “alley” between your car, the pump, and the hose. It’s simple for a threat to close the alley at the front of the car, which will also block you from getting to the driver’s door. It’s usually better to work the hose from the rear and stay behind the car.
Left handers should practice shooting right-handed, because they’re at a substantial disadvantage against threats at the driver side window. If you spend a lot of time in a vehicle, consider a good shoulder holster. It’s a faster, easier draw than a hip holster inside a car.
There are more, but I don’t want to steal all Pat’s thunder. – N.K.
Get ready for a 4,000-point Dow drop. – G.G.
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Bond crash across the world as deflation trade goes horribly wrong. – G.P.
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Items from Mr. Econocobas:
A Stock Market ‘Leading Indicator’ Is Tanking. But Why?
As Seen In Greece: “I Rushed To The Bank” And The Return Of ATM Lines?
The Warren Buffet Economy——Why Its Days Are Numbered (Part 1)
The War on Free Speech Accelerates: DoJ Subpoenas Reason.com Over Comment Section. – H.L.
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Cheap, synthetic ‘flakka’ dethroning cocaine on Florida drug scene. – G.P.
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The Australian nanny state strikes again… Sighting of boy with realistic fake gun prompts call to amend sale laws. – A.S.
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Hospital drug pump can be hacked to overdose you. – D.S.
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The Water Terrorcrats Have Crossed My Line – Here’s What I Am Doing About It. – H.L.
“Popular suffrage is in itself no guarantee of freedom. People can vote themselves into slavery.” – Frank Chodorov
On June 10, 1967, the Six-Day War ended as Israel and Syria agreed to observe a United Nations-mediated cease-fire.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.