Odds ‘n Sods:

From Kevin S.: Three Simple Internet Privacy Tips (And 1 Super Secret Ninja Move)

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Will your defensive architecture stand up to a sledgehammer? Consider this: Possible One-Man ‘Wrecking Crew’ Responsible For Countless Destructive Robberies In Harlem

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Several readers sent this: Oklahoma Woman Shoots, Kills Intruder: 911 Operators Say It’s Okay to Shoot

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AmEx (American Expat) sent this: Drought Doomed Ancient City of Angkor

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R.C. flagged this news item: Moving trends: More people leave Northeast

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The likelihood America will become more and more like Detroit is growing – rapidly. Politicians now control the banking sector, most of the manufacturing sector (including autos), and a large amount of media. They are threatening to take over health care and the production of electricity via cap-and-trade rules and subsidies promoting solar power. These are major threats to the wealth and well-being of America. America is under siege by corrupt socialists.” – Porter Stansberry

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 value), and E.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak F-50 hand well pump (a $349 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 38 ends on February 29th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

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 changed my life.  My wife and I moved to another town in 2008 so that I could start a new job and when our house didn’t sell we found ourselves in a financial struggle that has lasted to this day.  Somewhere in the midst of all this I came to the realization that what we were going through was a microcosm of the greater survival struggles that lay ahead.  Survival had suddenly become very real in my life.  When I thought about these things and how my own actions, or lack there of, had made our situation so much worse I realized that I needed to begin preparations so that future struggles aren’t so chaotic.  This is why food storage and similar topics have become so important to me.  I want to be ready for whatever life brings.

Aside from being a scientist by trade I am also an amateur writer and wannabe author.  I’ve written a number of short stories and even a full length novel but none have managed to create much of a spark in the literary world.  I find that writing has become the therapy that helps me get by and is certainly cheaper than professional counseling.  Recently, I wrote a very long piece about some observations I had made concerning survival based on my struggle for financial survival.  All in all I thought it was pretty good and considered submitting it here for publication on the SurvivalBlog.  I decided not to do so because it is a rather ponderous work and really doesn’t have anything new to say.  Some of the bullet points are to expect the worst of humanity, beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing, expect to do the hard things, always expect a situation to be as difficult as possible, and expect the experience to change you.  I expanded these concepts with specific examples I had observed in how I was handling my situation or in what I had seen in others.  Some time after writing this I realized that very little of what I had written had anything to do with physical things or tangible objects such as food or money.  One might think that while experiencing a financial crisis I would have written at length about money or financial preparation, but ultimately I only covered it briefly.  The entire work was mainly a piece on human behavior; either other’s or my own.  For me the things that were of most significance weren’t physical but rather moral and spiritual.  What I did and what others tried to do to me were what I remember most.  With this in mind I wonder sometimes whether survivalists are asking the right questions when considering future survival and TEOTWAWKI or SHTF situations.  Should we be focusing only on tangible things like the best survival weapons or how much food should I store, or should we also be asking ourselves, “What will I become?” or “How will I behave?”  Ask yourself, “What will I become as a person, a parent, or a spouse when my world comes crashing down around me and how will those around be behave as well?”  Having a firm understanding of the answer may well determine whether you succeed or fail at survival.

What Is Survival? 
            When we make survival plans are we simply trying to ensure our physical survival or are we also attempting to maintain the envelope of normalcy that surrounds our lives and makes us who we are.  As people we are the sum of our circumstances.  We think, act, and believe in ways that are dictated by our own values and the world around us.  Some of the things in our world that make us be ourselves are the rule of law, contemporary culture, established religions, our families, our upbringing, our friends, our jobs, etc.  We are also motivated by our perception of our world and of ourselves.  Can we truly expect to be the same people and act as we always have once our world is stripped away and we are thrust into a situation where the future is completely unknown?  How could we?  Shouldn’t we expect that when our world changes we will also change?  The greatest question is whether we will change for the better or for worse.

Are you an evil person?

            I’m in the process of reading a book entitled The Lucifer Effect by Phillip Zimbardo and I strongly recommend it to all survivalists.  The title of this book is also the name of a process by which ordinary people are transformed into doers of evil by the circumstances around them.  The bulk of this book is a narrative about something called the Stanford Prison Experiment.  For anyone who isn’t familiar with this experiment it was done in 1971 and consisted of a mock prison where prescreened young men played the rolls of prisoners and guards.  In the years since this experiment took place it has become a classic model of how people can be transformed by their situations.  In the case of the Stanford Prison Experiment the guards became sadistic, brutal, and even sexually abusive while the prisoners became ever more obedient and compliant to the point of suffering severe emotional distress.  Another interesting aspect of this experiment is that it spilled over into the community of individuals conducting the experiment and even changed their behavior in remarkable ways.  The remainder of the book is actually the more interesting part with an analysis of the experiment data and other real world situations where seemingly ordinary people have done evil.  As I’m reading this book I can’t help but see correlations between the Stanford Prison Experiment, the Lucifer Effect, and a TEOTWAWKI survival situation. 

Before I get too much further into this I should bring out one of the key concepts of this book and that is the difference between dispositional and situational evil.  Dispositional evil is the concept or belief that people who do bad things are bad people to begin with.  Conversely, is the belief that good people will do good things regardless of the situation.  Situational evil is the belief that good people can be turned evil by the circumstances they are in and the degree to which they become evil is directly proportional to the severity of the situation and the power they possess.  I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle and both factors play a role in human behavior.  Regardless of how much situations play a roll in our behavior it would stand to reason that we should explore such possibilities as part of our survival preparations.  Consider this quote from The Lucifer Effect:

Good people can be induced, seduced, and initiated into behaving in evil
ways. They can also be led to act in irrational, stupid, self-destructive, antisocial, and mindless ways when they are immersed in “total situations” that impact human nature in ways that challenge our sense of the stability and consistency of individual personality, of character, and of morality.

If the world as we know it does end and we are all thrust into survival mode then wouldn’t this be the ultimate “total situation” that would challenge our sense of stability and morality?  Could such a situation induce or seduce good people, i.e. us, into behaving in evil ways.  If evil is too strong a term then how about unspeakable.  Allow me to give an example in my own life. Recently, I discovered Marjory Wildcraft after hearing her interviewed on Coast to Coast AM.  The next day I visited her web site and signed up for her newsletter.  I also watched the preview for her Food Production Systems for a Backyard or Small Farm DVD and something very profound struck me.  As I watched the segment on raising rabbits it occurred to me that part of Mrs. Wildcraft’s survival scenario is the slaughter of young rabbits for food.  The sight of that adorable white rabbit on my computer screen associated with terms like “harvesting” and “roasters” really disturbed me.  Jokingly, I said to my wife, “I can’t kill little bunny rabbits,” although I wasn’t joking.  The thought of it really disturbed me.  My wife’s response was even more disturbing.  She looked at me stone faced and said, “You would if you got hungry enough.”  At that moment I realized the power of our situations to change us.  For me the act of killing a small animal is unspeakable.  After reading how to kill a rabbit on-line I find it even more unspeakable, although I fully understand that if I got hungry enough I wouldn’t be able to kill that little bunny fast enough.  Certainly, killing a rabbit for food is not evil but it is something that many would consider to be an unspeakable act yet it is something that I believe we would all do gladly if it meant surviving another day.

Respect My Authority!

Another concept that is explored at length in The Lucifer Effect is that of power.  The acquisition, maintenance, and administration of power are the key factors in the transformation of individuals from good to evil.  Consider again TEOTWAWKI.  In such a situation the powerful will be those who control survival resources such as food and water.  And, this power will be absolute power over life and death and will be happening without any rule of law.  Can anyone argue that suddenly being thrust into a situation where one controls whether others live or die wouldn’t have a profound impact on that person?  We all want to believe that we would be loving and benevolent stewards of our resources but can we really be certain of this until are actually in that situation?

Don’t Rock the Boat!

Another concept explored in The Lucifer Effect is that of obedience and the evil of inaction.  The book explores a number of different situations in which blind obedience led to or helped facilitate evil even to the point of parents murdering their own children such as in the case of the People’s Temple in Jonestown, Guyana.  Not everyone can have power so in any situation there are those with power and those who must obey that power.  In a survival situation the prospect of death will be an overwhelming factor to ensure obedience.  How vigorously would someone protest another’s abuse of power if it meant being cut off from basic resources or cast out of one’s survival community?

If It Feels Good, Do It!

Another concept that I will touch on that is explored at length in The Lucifer Effect is that of ethics, both absolute and relative.  People will find a way to justify their behavior in any situation and survival will be a tremendous justification of almost any act.

What Would You Do?

You’re a man, a father, and a husband.  You’ve made survival preparations for your family and finally the day comes when you must put your plans into action.  It’s chaos in the streets but you are safe at you bug out location.  Something has happened and the world has degenerated into bedlam.  You’re worried and the stress has pushed your marriage and family to the brink.  You have some survival resources but you don’t really know how long they will last or if things outside will ever get back to normal.  You also worry that someone will discover that you are doing alright and realize that you have the things that everyone now needs.  The thought of an armed intrusion or overwhelming odds scares the daylights out of you.  So, you wait and hope for things to get better.  Suddenly, onto your doorstep wanders a young woman holding a small child.  You can see that they are in distress and that the child will soon die without food and water.  What do you do?  Let me throw in one more thing:  She’s young and beautiful. Consider this continuum of options.

  1. Do you give the young woman what she needs, knowing that it only shortens your own survival time [in an environment where there is no source of resupply]?  You know that you can’t let her leave afterwards because she might tell others about you, what you have, and where you are so she would become a permanent addition to your community draining you of even more resources.
  2. Do you turn her away with the justification that her child is going to die any way and you can’t spare the food?
  3. Do you allow her to stay with the hopes that maybe you can develop a relationship with her behind your wife’s back?
  4. Do you kill your wife and replace her with this younger model?  After all, who is going to say anything?  There are no cops.
  5. Do you openly extort sex in exchange for food with your wife’s full knowledge?  What is she going to say?  She’ll keep her mouth shut or find herself out in the cold.
  6. Do you put a bullet in the young girl’s brain and then her child’s on the belief that it is ending their suffering and saving them from having to face this ordeal any longer?
  7. Or, do you do 5 and then 6?

We all want to believe that we would take the first option, but can any of us be certain how we would react until we face such a situation?  I believe that there are people who could justify any of those options through ethical relativism and their new-found power would only serve to corrupt their thinking. 

Let’s assume that you are the young woman.  You love your child more than life itself?  Would you turn your head and allow some lecherous old man to do unspeakable things to you knowing that it will save your child?  Would you gladly stand by or even conspire for the disposal of the current wife so that you can take her place?  What if you were the wife?  In your fear of losing your source of survival would you cover your ears and ignore the screams of a young woman being brutalized in the next room?  Would you stand by and refuse to come to her aid in complete obedience to your husband if it meant you and your child might meet the same fate if you tried to help?  These may seem like harsh questions but one day we may all face such harsh situations.

Who Are They?

The last concept that I’m going to touch on that is explored in The Lucifer Effect is that of “Others.”  What does that mean?  The concept of an “Other” is any group that can be identified, denigrated, dehumanized, and de-individualized.  Evil against other people doesn’t start immediately.  It often starts with the creation of an “Other” group and the process of transforming them from human beings into objects worthy of ridicule, scorn and extermination.  Consider Nazi Germany and the extermination of the Jews.  The Nazi propaganda machine had so successfully transformed the Jewish people into wretched objects where the extermination of which was greeted with cheers and gleeful participation.  Such has happened many times since in places like Rwanda and Cambodia and it even played a role in racial discrimination in our own country.

Why point this out?  It doesn’t take much reading on the many survival sites to realize that survivalists are a proud bunch.  I have seen countless articles and rambling forum entries about how much better “we” are than “they.”  In this case the “they” are the unprepared, the unenlightened, or those who have not converted to the survival ethos. 
Imagine if the husband in our above scenario had this same opinion about the unprepared.  How much worse would his reaction to the young woman be?  Would he think that his treatment of her is what she deserved for not being better prepared?  I’ll answer that with a firm yes.

Once the SHTF you’re going to see a great many “Others” become targets.  I’m talking about minorities, liberals, elderly, Christians, or simply that bully who was mean to someone in the fifth grade.  Unfortunately, we will all carry our baggage with us into a survival situation.  The biggest mistake that we can make is to assume that just because we are enlightened about preparedness that we are somehow more moral, more trustworthy, or somehow better human beings than the vast unwashed masses.

Yeah, So What?

Is there anything that I can offer as an application to survival?  Perhaps the greatest is to know yourself and those around you.  Don’t allow anyone to control your survival resources but you.  Make a connection with people through charity and other good works now that gives you a more compassionate heart.  And lastly, perhaps we should all make as much effort in fixing our broken society as we do in preparing to leave it in order to keep the world from ending altogether.

JWR Adds: What Paul has discussed is some serious food for thought. In the context of a post-collapse world, just the fact that you have stored up tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, while most of your neighbors have just have a couple of hundred rounds on hand might someday give you the equivalent of a rich man’s bank account. If you haven’t already, I beg you to accept Christ Jesus as your savior, as a key part of your personal readiness. Charity and self-control are seen in their full as fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit indwells us, when we become Christians. I can think of no better way to be sure that we are up to facing tough decisions, in traumatic times. Get right with God!

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 advantages over more traditional forms:
1.       There is no “sport version” of Krav Maga. It is strictly geared toward defeating violent attackers.
2.       Its fundamental techniques are simpler and easier to learn quickly.
3.       There are no “katas” or “forms” in Krav Maga; these are a waste of time.
4.       While grappling is taught, it is taught with aim of getting to your feet as fast as possible. Krav Maga assumes there is always more than one attacker and the last place you want to be is on the ground.
5.       Drills are intense and as realistic as possible without actually killing or maiming each other. Example: in knife defense drills a shock knife is often used where if you screw up the defense you will learn in a painful manner.
6.       Weapons defenses against stick and gun are similarly intense.
7.       There is no aversion to firearms in Krav Maga as there seems to be in many traditional martial arts. Krav Maga practitioners who are willing and capable are encouraged to learn the proper use of firearms. At higher levels, weapon retention is taught.
8.       Krav Maga is a proven self defense system and is taught in many police departments and military organizations. Why? It simply works if you are  willing to put in the sweat and effort.
9.       Krav Maga also teaches third party defense techniques – handy if you have to defend your loved ones.
10.   Krav Maga is an open system – whatever works is adopted by Krav Maga practitioners.  
 
So – if you have access to a Krav Maga school I would recommend it highly over other martial art forms for actual self defense. – Phil S.

JWR:
A few thoughts concerning the topic of self defense advice.  First and foremost, the question of which martial art is the best is not the right question.  All of the arts have something to offer, and the one being recommended is probably the one practiced by the person recommending it.  I’m partial to the art I’ve continued to practice for almost 40 years.  Is it the best art?  It is for me.  The best one for you is one you enjoy and one in which you will continue to train.  Which brings me to the next thing. 

Martial arts skills, like firearm skills, are perishable.  If you don’t continue your training on a regular basis your skill level will degrade.   If you’re not in it for the long run you’re wasting your time.  Most martial arts systems have a long learning curve.  It’s going to take a while for you to develop real competence.  (The two arts that may have the shortest learning curve are the Israeli art of Krav Maga, and the Russian art of Systema.  I’ve never practiced either of these so I may be misinformed.)   If you’re doing it because you feel you have to, or compelling your children to do it against their wishes, you’re probably wasting your time. 

Finally I’d suggest that if you’ve gotten to the point where you are faced with a physical confrontation something has gone terribly wrong.  The most important self defense skills you can possess are situational awareness, the ability to project that self awareness and self confidence, and the self assurance necessary to walk away from a potential confrontation.  Your best outcome is always to avoid a confrontation, and awareness is a significant part of that.  It’s been said many times, because it’s true, that predators look for victims.  Don’t look like a victim.  Be aware.  To my way of thinking a good martial arts instructor—in any art—is one who stresses avoiding conflict and confrontation, and teaches you how to do that.  If you learn that, you can practice that aspect of your art every day in all aspects of your life.  And that will make it less likely that you’ll ever have to use the physical aspects of your art.  – Rick S.

Mr. Rawles:
In reference to the letter looking for an online self defense course for her children, I would like to recommend the Gracie Bullyproof program.  You can find the info at GracieKids.com.  I am in no way affiliated with the Gracie’s or their course. 
 
I recently found out about Bullyproof while researching bullying for my church’s youth group program.  Having had about six years of Jiu-Jitsu training, I could immediately see the practicality of the program.  It begins with a series of 10 games (for children ages 3-6 or 7).  These games introduce the fundamentals of Jiu-Jitsu in a fun format for kids.  For older children, they can go directly to the Jr. Combatives program.  One note:  be sure to watch the Parent Preparation course (it’s free).  In it, they describe their teaching method, which I found helpful in daily life with my kids, not just with their program.
 
I started immediately with my three year old daughter, and she loves it.  After the first time, she has asked to play the games since.  The great part is, the Gracie’s offer enough information to get started right away for free.  You can purchase the remainder either on DVD or download the videos directly from their web site.  (I found the DVDs on Amazon for less than what they offer it on their site.)
 
Be ready, because this isn’t learning by watching;  you have to participate with your child.  Check it out!  It’s proving to be a lot of fun for my daughter and we spend more time together. Thanks, – Dusty 

James Wesley:
As a master in Kung Fu and having multiple black belts in several systems, I would like to comment on the Happy Homemaker in California’s question.

Ideally any system will teach the student discipline, balance, and muscle memory. The key to using them in a self defense situation is quite different than simple kick, block, punch, technique, or drill. I agree with the fact that learning online with videos by themselves will not equip the student sufficiently. They can be used to supplement training and give them more in depth understanding of the techniques they would experience they would receive under a qualified instructor. 

What is lacking (sadly in many run of the mill schools) is adding stress to their training. The ability to respond in stressful situations is the end goal for self defense. Whether learning from home or any school, the lack of putting stress on the student has resulted in what many call ‘paper black belts.’ Without stress, students are simply learning basic routines choreographed in a curriculum only to give them a false sense of confidence in their skills. Any skill learned must be proven on the mat.

An example of what I am talking about is an anti-abduction drill I use when working with kids. We setup the floor to have an open space of fifty feet whereby a child can use any technique they are taught to get away from their abductor. The abductor is one of the instructors or adult student who will wear full pads including head and groin protection. The abductor will then grab the child and try to drag them to the end of the fifty foot space. If a child is dragged across that line, they have failed the drill and have to do it over. We encourage the children to use full force to simulate what it would be like for real. Even with pads and protection, instructors end up with bruises at the end of the day. Training this way is just like anything in life. If you don’t put the proper energy and diligence into it when practicing, more likely than not you will not have high results when you have to use the skill for real. Without actually beating the students black and blue, this is one of the safer alternatives to put the students under stress to perform.

I don’t believe one system is better than the other. It is more of what a person has an affinity for. I don’t feel that jumping systems for one set of techniques or another is a good idea simply because a system is built to train a person from the ground up. Learning ala carte doesn’t give the student skill mastery necessary to be able to use them effectively as most skills are built upon others as the student grows. This belief comes from popular beliefs held about different systems and propagated in the mixed martial arts arenas.

As for grappling and ground fighting, many systems incorporate this training at different levels. In Tae Kwon Do, you don’t learn these techniques until a much higher level do to the concept of building a strong body first as a foundation for striking, then learn to use the same techniques for grappling and take downs. A perfect example of this is a simple outside to inside middle strike. In preparation, one hand is brought up in a fist next to the ear with the elbow out while the other hand thrusts forward in a counter punch. Then the hand which is next to the ear strikes forward with the elbow brought in allowing the hand to strike with either a hammer fist, or striking with the bottom two or top two knuckles with a twist of the wrist at the finish. This same technique can be applied as a hip throw. The list goes on and on when you combine stances and transitions which are taught from the very beginning which later can be applied and figure four locks, or popular moves such as a ‘guillotine’.

Now, only after studying several systems in my life did I come to this understanding that any system taught by a quality instructor will give a student the self defense skills they need. So when looking for a school, don’t look for a set of techniques, look for a competent instructor. A good instructor will be able to help you reach your specific goals. Don’t forget that a good school will incorporate realistic combat/self defense  exercises which will teach you to perform under stress. Most importantly, a student will only get out of it what they put into it. – Jeff B.

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.

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I recently watched the re-make of the western movie True Grit. Overall, it was a fine film that was more than just an homage to the original. Like the 1969 production, this one was quite loyal to the novel by Charles Portis. I particularly like the way that Portis captured the style of 19th Century dialogue and the vocabulary developed by home education. Much of this carried over into the screenplays of both films. The Coen Brothers (best known for O Brother, Where Art Thou?) are gifted film makers. Note that given the traumatic events in the Indian Territory

depicted, neither film is suitable for children.

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An even deeper and darker conspiracy is being exposed: ‘Fast and Furious’ Linked to Immunity Deal Between U.S. and Sinaloa Cartel, Trafficking Defendant Alleges in Court Paper. (Kudos to R.A. for sending the link.)

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Kevin S. sent this: Number of patients picking up life-threatening infections has doubled in just two years.

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Firearms can be multipurpose tools: Passer-by shoots out window to help rescue children from icy river crash.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"We must consider whether it would not be better for the Currency Union and for Greece itself to go for debt restructuring and an exit from the Euro." – Bundestag Deputy President Prince Hermann Otto zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich

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 value), and E.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak F-50 hand well pump (a $349 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 38 ends on February 29th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Fire Protection 101, by Firefighter Charles

Fire protection is very important for the home.  Keeping protection around your home from fire is a very important practice.  Too many homes a year are destroyed to fires.  Too many people die each year from fire related deaths (Note: Most people die from smoke inhalation not the heat of the fire).  You should learn ways on how to prevent fires and learn method on how to fight fires.  Preventing fire will lessen your chance of a fire but learning how to fight a fire will lessen the damage to your home and keep your family alive. 

     Understanding The Beast:  First, you will need to understand the element of fire.  Fire works off of three components Oxygen, Heat, and Fuel.  This is called the Fire Triangle.  Fire needs all three components to come alive.  Take one of the components out and the fire dies.  If you have a grease fire and you put baking soda, flour, or even sugar (which is even messier) you take the oxygen away by smothering it.  If you have a propane fire and you shut off the propane tank, you take the fuel away.  If leave a pot on the stove and it begins to heat up, before it can burst into flames.  You take the pot off the stove, put it in the sink and run water over it.  You took the heat away.  All three components will cause a chain reaction to ignite a fire.  Stop the chain reaction and you stop the fire.

     Understanding The Fire Ground:  To fight or escape from fire you have to understand the conditions you might find yourself in:

Smoke:  Smoke can be anywhere from a light haze to black out conditions.  In blackout conditions you are going to have to solely rely on your sense of feel.  This is why I earlier recommend that you practice with blindfolds to simulate heavy smoke conditions.  The thicker the smoke the less viable air you can breath and the less you can see.  Most people die from smoke inhalation during a fire.  Smoke brings a lot of people to panic, which in turn makes them breath faster, flooding their own lungs with smoke.  People also panic at the fact that they can’t see during a fire.  In any smoke condition stay low.  Since smoke rises, there should be less smoke at the floor.
Fire:  You’ll smell or see smoke before you see the fire most of the times.  You’ll feel the heat of fire as well before you see the fire.  Fire can move really fast therefore you have to move faster.  Oxygen helps the fire move faster.  Opening a window to let the smoke out alleviate the smoke but it will also feed the fire.  In turn making the fire move faster.  Knowing what to do during a fire is very crucial.  It’s a matter of seconds, life and death.
Heat:  Staying low can keep you alive.  By staying low you can avoid the heat as well as the smoke.  Since heat rises there should be less heat at the ground.  This is why we are taught to crawl out of a fire or smoke condition.  If you happened to get lost in the smoke, you’ll have to use the sense of feel and touch.  The hotter it gets in your home the closer to the fire you are.  Therefore go opposite the fire if you can.  
Some fire departments have a Smoke House that allows kids and adults to crawl through a simulated fire conditions (minus the heat and fire).  A fog machine produces the smoke.  The house is black out for you to have to feel your way through.  It’s a great way for people to get an understanding of what a fire condition (somewhat) can be.

     Prevention:  A very basic prevention is being careful.  By being careful you should turn off your appliances after usage, blow out candles, do not leave oven mitts near an open flame, and keep space heaters away from flammable objects.  Another basic prevention is common sense.  By using common sense I mean never put a Christmas tree next to your chimney or a space heater, don’t fall asleep while smoking a cigarette, don’t over load a power strip or use a cheap extension cord, and never pour water on a grease fire.  Now, if being careful is not your thing and you have no common sense.  Buying a smoke detector and an extinguisher is your next best bet.

     Home Smoke Detectors:  Buying a smoke detector is a very easy process.  Go to any hardware store, Target, Wal-Mart, or K-Mart and you will find a smoke detector.  All smoke detectors are pretty much the same with a few small exceptions.  Some come with strobe lights.  Some come with voice alert.  Others come in a smoke and carbon monoxide combination.  Most importantly they come in two types Optical (photoelectric) or Ionization.  Ionization detectors are made to pick up small smoke particles.  They are cheaper than the photoelectric but are also faulty.  Some are sensitive to dust and or dust build up which will more than likely trip the alarm.  Optical or Photoelectric detectors are a light sensor that senses smoke particles breaking up the beam of light inside the detector, therefore setting off the alarm.  The downside to an Optical detector is that a fast moving fire might not be picked up as fast as on a Ionization detector.  I, myself am not a big fan of the combo detectors such as the carbon monoxide/smoke detectors.  Try and get two separate detectors if you can afford it.  Now, as far as placing a detector you should place it high on a wall or on the ceiling (which I prefer).  Depending on your home size, you should have one in the basement, living room (right above the base of the stairs), hallway, and each bedroom, if possible.  If you live in an apartment you should have one in the hallway and in each bedroom.

     Extinguishers:  This is probably one of the best weapons against fires you can possibly have.  Fire extinguishers are pressurized by air or nitrogen.  The extinguishing compound can either contain water, dry chemical, dry powder, and or foam.  Fire extinguishers come in four different classes to combat four different classes of fire.  Class A fires are ordinary combustible solids.  Class B fires are flammable liquids and gases.  Class C fires are energized electrical equipment.  Class D fires are combustible metals such as titanium, magnesium, potassium, uranium, lithium, and plutonium.  Now, there is Class K fires which is cooking oil and fats but that can also fall under Class B fires. 

     Now, the most common home extinguisher is the ABC extinguisher.  This extinguisher holds dry chemical (Monoammonium phosphate), which battles three classes of fires, Class A, B, and C fires.  As far as the size of the extinguisher to get you should go with a 5 lbs. to 10 lbs. extinguisher for the home and a 2 lbs. extinguisher for the kitchen (only).  A water extinguisher is very useful as well but you have to be able to identify the class of fire.  If you use a water extinguisher on a grease fire you will spread the fire.  If you use a water extinguisher on an energized electrical fire, you’ll get electrocuted.  Also in the extremely rare case that you use a water extinguisher on a metal fire, you can cause a steam explosion, which could burn you.  Water cans (extinguisher) are also heavy.  Water cans are only good for one class of fires, Class A fires.  Don’t forget to check your fire extinguisher once a month.

     Extinguishing The Fire:  Attacking the fire with extinguisher seems easy and it can be if done correctly.  You can actually attack a fire in the wrong manner.  You can waste every drop of water or dry chemical and not even darken the fire.  To attack a fire with a water can (extinguisher), pull the pin, squeeze the lever, point the nozzle at the fire and put your index finger partial over the nozzle.  By doing so will give the water a spray effect, which in turn covers more fire.  Start at the base of the fire and sweep from side to side.  To attack a fire with dry chemical, pull the pin, squeeze the lever, and sweep side to side at the base of the fire.  If it’s a grease fire don’t spray directly at the burning grease because you might splash the grease and spread the fire.  To attack the grease fire, spray slightly over the fire so that the dry chemical blanket the burning grease.  Then come down gently onto the fire to completely knock it down.  Never use a water extinguisher on a grease fire. Also, Remember P.A.S.S. (except for flammable liquid fires):

Pull Pin
Aim at base of fire
Squeeze the lever slowly
Sweep from side to side

     Other Extinguishing Methods:  Smothering techniques are another way of putting out the fire.  Like I stated before using baking soda, flour, salt, sugar, or a pot cover on a grease fire will smother the fire.  Turing a trash can upside down when there is a fire in it, will also smother the fire.  You can also use heavy blankets to smother fire.  Dampening the blanket first will make sure that the blanket doesn’t catch fire too easily.  There are fire blankets for sale, just research for the best one for you.  Fire Blankets are also great for extinguishing a person on fire.  The fire blanket won’t melt to the skin.  Don’t forget Stop, Drop, and Roll.  It is still an effective way to extinguisher a fire on a person.  When doing this method make sure if at all possible to do it in dirt, sand, or even a puddle of water.

     Fire Escape Ladders:  Escape ladders are great to have around.  Even though they do not protect you from fire.  They will aid you in escaping a fire.  Most of these are 2 to 3 stories long but I have seen a 5-story fire escape ladder.  Escape Ladders can weigh up to 25 pounds so they’re easy to handle.  They also hold up to 1,000 pounds depending on the maker.  With escape ladders you have to practice and get use to the wobbliness of the ladder.  Escape Ladders are drop ladders that you drop from your window in case the fire blocks off your first means of egress.

     Fire Escape Hoods:  These are great to have.  They are pretty pricey but worth their weight in gold.  These hoods allow you to breath in a smoky environment and some even protect you from extreme heat.  The hoods also have multi protection use as they also protect you from other toxic gases and radiation particles.  When practicing putting this on, make sure you Do Not Activate the filter by pulling off the paper or plastic tabs that block the filter’s airway.  If you do, the filter will be no good when you really need it.  Now, having an escape hood in an average size home might not be necessary.  The time it would take for you to put it on, you can already be at a window climbing down to safety or waving for help.  Although they can come in handy searching for loved one if need be or can buy you time in searching for a way out should you get lost in your own home.  Escape hoods are good for office buildings, apartment buildings or large homes.  The escape hood works, up to 1 hour.

     Fire Escape Plan:  You should have a well thought out fire escape plan.  You should have a couple of escape route from your home or apartment.  You should have a couple of meeting points as well.  For your escape route you should make sure your family knows how to get out through all exits.  Drill your family and yourself with blindfolds on.  Have them try to find their way out.  Get them use to the fact that in a fire they won’t be able to see a thing.  In the being of that drill just make sure that they can get to an exit.  When they get better at getting to an exit, start timing them.  Make sure that everyone in your family crawl out as the heat and smoke is going to push you to the floor anyway.  Once out of the fire home or building.  Make sure everyone knows where to meet.  Whether it’s a neighbor’s home, a light pole on the corner, or a park across the street.  Make sure it’s in the immediate area of the fire home or building.  NEVER go back in for pets or personal belongings.  Pets a lot of the times make their own way out and personal belongings can be obtained again.

     Fighting The Fire:  The first thing you want to consider is the size of the fire.  If it’s too large then you want to leave and let the professionals handle.  If it’s small or a medium size then you might want to consider fighting it.  To determine the size of the fire is to know how much of the area the fire is burning.  The rate of speed the fire is moving at also will be factor on whether or not to fight the fire.  Make sure you have a way to get out before engaging the fire.  If the fire is going to cut you exit off, just get out.  Always make sure the exit is at your back.  Make sure you have the proper extinguisher or adequate water supply before fighting the fire.  If all else fails just leave and let the professionals handle.  Remember to stay low.

In the end, you should hold fire drills and have everyone in the house on the same page.  Some fire services will drill with your family, send you brochures, and send you a DVD on how to plan for fire emergencies.  You can also look on-line and watch YouTube videos on how execute a proper fire drill. 

Letter Re: Unprepared Sheeple in the Wilderness

Good Morning Mr. Rawles!
 I had to share this link with you: Maryland Hiker Uses iPhone App For New Year’s Eve Rescue. In brief: a man out hiking on New Year’s Eve Day got lost in the wilderness.  He used his cell phone to call rescuers, and then used his “flashlight” app on the cell phone to shine a light so that the rescuers could be lowered down to him on the trail and lead him out.
 
My sons, who are both experienced scouters and back country hikers who teach wilderness survival watched this news story in disbelief  last night.  (They were honestly chastising the television so much, I had to turn it off.  They were upset beyond words by the man’s thoughtlessness that could have endangered people out searching for him.)
 
“He didn’t have food and water with him?”
“No jacket?”
“NO MAP!!!!???”
“No flashlight?”
“He didn’t tell anyone where he was going?”
 
He was fortunate to be rescued quickly and not to have suffered any permanent damage. 
 
But, the article is a reminder that we should ALWAYS be prepared: with a map, a flashlight, extra food and water, and a jacket….
…. just in case…..
 
Happy New Year to you and your family! – B.L.W.

Economics and Investing:

Renewed Investor Interest For Silver In 2012

Sue C. sent this: Becoming Zimbabwe: When Nations Regress

The Economy In 2012:  Handle With Care

B.B. flagged this: Jim Rogers isn’t too optimistic about stock markets in 2012, sees longer term systemic collapse

Items from The Economatrix:

Euro Hits 11-Month Low Against The Dollar As Banks Hoard ECB Cash

Merkel’s Economic Advisor Won’t Rule Out Eurozone Break-up

30 Statistics that Show that the Middle Class is Dying Right Before Our Eyes as We Enter 2012

Mish Shedlock’s 2012 Predictions; 2011 Year In Review

Odds ‘n Sods:

RBS mentioned that more Kmart stores will soon close. [JWR’s Comment: If you do some shopping in the last two weeks before a store closing and use coupons, I predict that you will bring home some genuine bargains for stocking your retreat. At a Kmart that was closing a few months ago, I noticed that a lot of items had been overlooked, particularly in the pharmacy and automotive sections. I took advantage of 50% price reductions on motor oil, vehicle tow straps, tube socks, zinc lozenges, vitamins, extension cords, light bulbs, LED flashlights, shotgun shells, and propane cylinders. Those items will be great for barter, even if I don’t need them for my own family’s use.]

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K.A.F. kindly sent us the link to a web page with RCA Ham Tips. (An incomplete collection from 1938 to 1970.)

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SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson sent us a video of some recent F-35B VSTOL carrier landing tests. Mike says: “No catapult need, nor any arresting hook, It’s a new world out there”.

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Some noteworthy missionary zeal: Hospital lures rural doctors with unusual offer. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)