Solar Storms, EMPs, Nukes, and Cyberattacks – Part 3 by Pulse Prepper

Part 3: Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks are increasing

In May 2021, there was a shutdown of Colonial Pipeline, one of the largest fuel pipelines in the United States. The pipeline transports about 45% of all fuel consumed on the East Coast, including home heating oil, gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The disruption caused major fuel shortages, and President Biden even declared a state of emergency.

What was the cause of this crippling shutdown? A cyberattack. The attack began when a hacker group identified as DarkSide accessed the Colonial online network. The attackers stole 100 gigabytes of data within a two-hour window. Following the data theft, the attackers infected the Colonial network with ransomware that affected many computer systems, including billing and accounting. After some terse negotiations, Colonial Pipeline paid DarkSide hackers over $4 million to get the decryption key, enabling the company’s IT staff to regain control of its systems. Colonial was able to restart pipeline operations several days later.

This event alone shows how vulnerable we are to cyberattacks. But there have been others:
In March 2011, Epsilon, an email marketing company, was attacked by e-mail with damage ranging from $255 million to $4 billion. This company is one of several that have suffered one of the costliest losses from cyber-attacks in history. Hackers and attackers stole the company’s e-mails, which could be used by criminals to inflict more damage and costs.Continue reading“Solar Storms, EMPs, Nukes, and Cyberattacks – Part 3 by Pulse Prepper”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the nascent rise of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold Eyes Fourth Straight Weekly Gain.

o  o  o

Now Even Jim Cramer’s Talking About Buying Gold.

Economy, Finance & Politics:

The Point of No Return. (Written by one of my heroes, Dr. Thomas Sowell.)

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: White House Claims It Had No Notice Of FBI Raid On Trump. JWR’s Comment: If anyone accepts that claim, then The Naieveté Meter is pegging.

o  o  o

Every Single Senate Democrat Just Voted Against Defining Pregnancy As A Biologically Female Process. JWR’s Comment: The left’s detachment from reality has now reached the point of absurdity.

o  o  o

The Inflation Reduction Act Won’t Meaningfully Address the Budget Deficit.

o  o  o

U.S. Labor Productivity Suffers Biggest Crash Ever Recorded, Labor Costs Soar Most Since 1982.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — August 18, 2022

August 18th is the birthday of Meriwether Lewis, an American explorer, soldier, politician and public administrator that is best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

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I just noticed that we’ve now archived 36,344 blog articles, columns, and quotes. Please let your friends know that the entire SurvivalBlog archives are available free of charge. (Subscriptions are entirely voluntary.) The archives can be accessed by category, by date, or via our search box at the top of the right-hand bar.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime low-cost training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 ends on September 30th, 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.

Solar Storms, EMPs, Nukes, and Cyberattacks – Part 2 by Pulse Prepper

Part 2: Electromagnetic Pulse Weapons (EMPs) and Nukes

How EMPs affect the power grid

An Electromatic Pulse (EMP) can be natural, such as a lightning strike or a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), which are both forms of an EMP. However, here we will discuss a man-made EMP, which is accomplished by exploding a nuclear bomb at a high altitude.

A nuclear bomb exploded at ground level (or an air burst a few hundred feet from the surface) causes extensive damage within a certain radius. However, the damage is limited to a specific area. The blast radius of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945 was approximately 1.7 to three miles, resulting in extensive loss of life and property damage. However, outside the blast radius, the main concern is radiation poisoning and its near and long-term effects.Continue reading“Solar Storms, EMPs, Nukes, and Cyberattacks – Part 2 by Pulse Prepper”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, a special listing of blogs, vlogs, and podcasts that are recommended by JWR.

Note: When I updated these lists (on August 11, 2022), I found a lot of blogs that have gone “404”, or that have not been updated in many years, or that have been converted into product advertising sites, so I deleted those:

Blogs

Rural Revolution (Patrice Lewis  — pictured above)

Notes From The Bunker (Commander Zero)

Salvation And Survival: A Woman’s Perspective On The Times We Live In

 Ann Barnhardt

 The Silicon Graybeard

 Mausers and Muffins

The Prepper Journal

 View From The Porch

ModernSurvivalOnline.com

 Of Two Minds (Charles Hugh Smith)

Steve Quayle

 The Freeholder

Off Grid Survival

 Doctor Housing Bubble

 Section Hiker

The View From North Central Idaho (Joe Huffman)

Hillbilly Housewife

SHTF Blog (Ranger Man’s blog)

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“No mercy! There’s no samurai code or fair play in battle! No sword? Use a stick. No stick? Use a rock. No rock? Use your fists and feet! Lose your life, but make the enemy pay!” – Koji Yakusho, as Shinzaemon Shimada, in 13 Assassins. (Screenplay by Daisuke Tengan.)

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 17, 2022

While salmon fishing near the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory on August 17th, 1896, George Carmack reportedly spotted nuggets of gold in a creek bed. His lucky discovery sparked the last great gold rush in the American West — commonly called the Klondike Rush.  His two companions later agreed that Skookum, Jim – Carmack’s brother-in-law, actually made the discovery.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime low-cost training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 ends on September 30th, 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.

 

Solar Storms, EMPs, Nukes, and Cyberattacks – Part 1 by Pulse Prepper

Part 1: Solar Storms

The Carrington Event

In September 1859, Richard Carrington, an amateur astronomer in the London, England area, pointed his telescope towards the sun, using dark filters to protect his eyes. Suddenly, he observed a flash of intense white light from the area of the sunspots. His observation is the earliest record of what we now know is a solar flare.

The next day, the charged plasma from that solar storm reached Earth. It lit up the entire northern hemisphere, all the way to Hawaii and Rome, with vivid red, blue, green auroras. There were also reports of magnetic disturbances: Compasses went haywire during the bombardment.

More seriously, the solar eruption battered the world’s fledgling communication network. Telegraph wires burst into flames, touching off fires. Telegraph machines scorched paper printouts, stunned operators with electric shocks, and continued working for hours even after being unplugged from the batteries that powered them.
The Carrington Event was not the only serious solar storm to hit the earth. According to analysis of tree rings, the years 774 and 993 also marked some devastating solar events. The 774 event was found to be a staggering 30 to 70 times stronger than the Carrington Event. In more recent history, the 1921 Geomagnetic Storm unleashed a CME that caused telegraph buildings to burst into flame in Europe and the United States.Continue reading“Solar Storms, EMPs, Nukes, and Cyberattacks – Part 1 by Pulse Prepper”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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Fox News: Top health official: New York treating polio case as ‘tip of the iceberg’.

o  o  o

In the Stars & Stripes: One year after Afghanistan, spy agencies pivot toward China.

o  o  o

Taiwan dominates the world’s supply of computer chips – no wonder the US is worried.

o  o  o

SaraSue sent this snippet:

“I processed 40 pounds of tomatoes and 20 lbs of cucumbers that I purchased from the local Amish. Made a couple of pounds of soft cheese with fresh milk. The dairy cow was inseminated, but I may have just missed the “right time” and won’t know for 17 days after insemination. I’m learning to recognize her heat cycles. There is a new roof on the house now and while I didn’t appreciate the expense, I’m glad it’s done and won’t have to stress it for a very long time. I don’t think I’m going to be able to get a fall garden in. It’s been one maintenance issue after another including the Air Conditioning units. I finally faced the fact that I cannot manage this farm by myself, not that the realization will stop me. I’m in process of hiring more help that should be temporary, just to get the big things done. My dogs tore up the irrigation lines within a day of them being buried in the ground – not deep enough – so they’ll have to be re-done in a more permanent fashion. Unfortunately, I’m still hauling water out to the animals. A very exhausting few weeks. The political situation this past week sent me over the edge if I wasn’t already having fits. I continue to pray, prep, and remain calm. Amen.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid. To deny this, would be to affirm, that the deputy is greater than his principal; that the servant is above his master; that the representatives of the people are superior to the people themselves; that men acting by virtue of powers, may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.” – Alexander Hamilton

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — August 16, 2022

On August 16th, 1841, President John Tyler vetoed a second attempt by Congress to re-establish the Bank of the United States. In response, angry supporters of the bank gathered outside the White House and burned an effigy of Tyler.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime low-cost training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 ends on September 30th, 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.

Alternative Ways to Source Food, by SaraSue

I was thinking how different my shopping habits are now than what they used to be. I used to go grocery shopping once a week, and didn’t think twice about running into a grocery store during the week for something I forgot or ran out of or needed for a new recipe. Now? I rarely go to a grocery store. Last year, I was popping in once every week or two just to grab a gallon of milk or a pound of bacon, but I don’t even do that anymore. Part of the reason is that I stocked up on pantry essentials last year and filled a large freezer with meats. Another reason is that I buy in bulk through Azure Standard – driving to a “drop point” once a month is not a big deal, but I don’t do that every month.

Having dairy cows eliminates the need to go out for dairy products. There’s the Farmers Market (ours is not very active), and most recently I started frequenting the Amish Market (packed with people!), which is about a 20-minute drive from where I live. My garden this summer mostly failed, but I got plenty of potatoes (now in cool storage totes) and squash (all dehydrated). All the pantries are packed, and I’m grateful because food shortages are real. I thought it might be helpful to others, who are concerned about grocery store “empty shelves”, if I shared my alternative ways to shop for food. In the long run, it’s cheaper and healthier.

Now, if you’ve noticed how the government and some private entities have purposefully crippled the supply chain, gobbled up farmland, manipulated the weather, promoted the idea that farm animals are bad for the environment, want you to eat lab-grown meat, and have been advertising the nutritional value of crickets and such, then you definitely need to find alternative ways to get food. The Powers That Be (TPTB) are determined to change the way we shop, eat, and live. In order to combat that and stick with all the good things the Lord has given us, it is imperative to find alternative ways of finding food. I, for one, am not going to eat the bugs or any gross thing grown in a lab (using very suspicious, immoral, and disgusting “cell lines”.)Continue reading“Alternative Ways to Source Food, by SaraSue”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, a special round-up of independently-owned retail businesses in the American Redoubt. These stores are great alternatives to the larger chain and “Big Box” stores.

Idaho

Hutton’s General Store, Harrison. A local landmark.

o  o  o

Falls General Store, Saint Anthony. A combination drug store and hardware store.

o  o  o

The Gathering Place is an Amish store and deli, just north of the Three Mile junction, near Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

o  o  o

Bellevue General Store. A log furniture store that morphed into a general store.

o  o  o

Olive’s Auto Parts & More, Orofino.  A traditional auto parts store that branched out into selling chainsaws, guns, gun parts, ammo, and reloading supplies.

o  o  o

Elk City General Store, Elk City.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Show me that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men, without a consequent loss of liberty?” – Patrick Henry