Articles You Might have Missed

• How to Wrap Large Cords and Hoses [FineHomebuilding via Apartment Therapy via Lifehacker]
• Darik's Boot and Nuke is the Nuclear Option of Secure Data Shredding [ReadWriteWeb via Lifehacker]
• Real 19th Century Vampire Killing Kit Is a Must In Current Economic Climate [Antiqueandthearts via Dark Roasted Blend via Gizmodo]
• Save Money by Converting Your Lawn Into a Garden [via Lifehacker]
• Safer Places to Stash Your Cash at Home [Consumer Reports Money Blog via Lifehacker]
• Houdini Pro Emergency Rescue Tool Busts You Out Of a Wrecked Or Drowning Car [Houdini Tool via Gear Diary via Gizmodo]

Potentially Recession-Resistant Jobs

The blog Get Rich Slowly had an article earlier this week on recession-resistant jobs. I do not believe any job is recession-proof," but some industries fare much better and even thrive in a recession. During a recession, think of the necessities people need. In a recession people still need health care,laws, education, food, clothing, banking, and transportation. However, these industries will see a sharp decline in the luxury items and service, and a steep increase in the value and economy items. For instance, used car sales will do better than new car sales. Read the full article. [via Lifehacker]

Ted Nugent on Current U.S. Politics

I know it is not related directly to survivalism. However, I thought the rant Ted Nugent went on during the Jaz McKay's show was too enjoyable not to pass along. Here's an excerpt:

"You know rush hour? What a pain in the *ss rush hour is? Do you have rush hour in Bakersfield? I bet you have rush hour. You know what that is? You know what that is? Those are people with alarm clocks. Those are people who get up because they have a burning fire in their soul that says, 'You must be productive. In order to be a good, decent human being, you must be an asset. You must work hard before you play hard.'"

Click the link to read the entire rant on RightWingNews.com.

New Shirts

I've put two new t-shirts for sale up on the Survival Knife Store. See below:

Duck and Cover

Come and Take It

Survivalist Books List Additions

Here are this weeks additions to the Survivalist Books list:

• Electricity for the Farm
• Department of Defense -- Shelter Design
  

Gerald Celente Predicts Revolution, Riots and Rebellion by 2012

Infowars.com has posted an article about Gerald Celente, the CEO of Trends Research Institute. Celente is an analyst who accurately predicted the 1977 Asian Currency Crisis, the 1987 stock market crash, the fall of the Soviet Union, the Sub-prime Mortgage Collapse, and the massive devaluation of the U.S. dollar. He even predicted things such as the "Green" market, and the popularity of Gourmet Coffee.

Paul Joseph Watson writes, "Celente says that by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts."

Read the rest of this terrifying article at Infowars.com. Now is the time to prepare.

Some Articles You might have Missed [via Gizmodo]

I know I have been MIA for some time now, so I thought I would catch you up on a few items:

• 5.11 Tactical Series UC3.400 Flashlight Might Be the Last [Flashlight] You'll Ever Need
  
• FEMA Firefighters Manual Covers UFO Attacks, Crashes
• The Duracell Powerpack 450 Talks You Through a Jump Start
• EWA System Sucks Drinkable Water Out of Thin Air
• Software Can Duplicate Your Keys Using a Photo Taken From 200 Feet Away
• High Performance Fighter Uniform Can Stop Bleeding In 20 Seconds
• Backyard Nuclear Reactors Now In Production, Cost $25 Million Each
• The Most Important Appliance In a Depression
• Palm Pistol: Grandma is Going On a Toodle Shootin' Rampage
• MedEx1000 Packs All Your Intensive Care Needs Into a Suitcase
• BioBot Makes Bio Diesel at Home!
• $5,000 Chinese Electric Car Is 100% Power Grid Independent
  

How to Survive the "Age of Obama"

Since Barack Obama became the President-Elect and the Democratic party gained a super-majority in the US Government, many conservatives are wondering, "How can I survive the next four years?" That is a tough question requiring some tough answers. I do not believe the world is coming to an end. Not yet. Hopefully, my suggestions will help you be more at peace during these troubling times.

• Budget Frugally -- Analyze your current budget. If you do not have one, create one. Restrict your needless spending, increase debt payoff, and increase savings. Live on less now so you will have more when times are tough.
• Spend Frugally -- Buy used and refurbished items whenever possible. Shop on eBay and Craigslist. Buy through sale ads in the paper. Go to second-hand stores and garage sales.
  
• Save -- The goal is to save three months salary first. Continue saving until you have 6-12 months salary. This will keep you afloat during any job loss. Budgeting and Saving are dependent upon Eliminating Debt . When you do not send a credit card company $300 every month, you have more money to Budget and Save.
• Store Food -- Build a food storage containing the food and other necessities your household requires to live for a year. Grow your some of your own food. Cook your own food. Can food and get a big Freezer.
• Repair Things -- Learn to repair everything possible. Repairing something usually is cheaper than buying something new. The longer you use an item, like clothing or a car, the greater your return on investment.
  
• Re-purpose Things -- Turn old jeans into pillows. Use scrap wood to make furniture and other items. Do not throw something away until you have exhausted its usefulness.
  
• Buy Guns and Ammo Now -- This suggestion seem a little paranoid to you? I am fine with being viewed as paranoid. When the Government legislates gun rights away, I will not seem so silly. Gun Laws seem noble until a criminal attacks you and you do not have one.
  
• Invest Wisely -- Now is not the time to invest in the next big technology company. The companies that will do well in slow economic times are the companies that cater to customers who are looking for value and deals. These include companies like Wal-Mart and McDonald's. A sing of this is many stores are resurrecting their Lay-Away plans.
• Support Organizations that Promote Your Views -- If you like your gun rights, join the NRA. If you want the tax law changed, support FairTax.org. Whatever the cause, there is an organization that promotes your view. Go join the organization. You can always volunteer instead of sending money.
• Pray -- Whatever God you may worship (e.g., Jesus, Allah, Budha, Tom Cruise, Cthulhu, etc.), pray daily. Prayer helps you commune with your deity, and is a good way to relieve stress.
• Exercise -- You will not escape from the screaming horde if you are lugging around 30 extra pounds of fast food weight. This will also help to keep you medical bills down. I admit it. Being fat costs more money. Fat people require more rations in the fallout shelter.
• Create Multiple "Streams" of Income -- This means doing side work or having other autonomous activities that create income for you. This may be selling the results of your hobby wood-working on eBay, freelance work, or a part-time job. Having multiple streams of income helps you eliminate debt faster, save more, and when one stream dries up you will not be so hard hit.
• Read History -- Feeling uninspired by the supposed change and hope of tomorrow? Read about the great and inspiring political times of the past, when there was real hope and real change.
  
• Read this Blog -- I will do my best to impart whatever survival knowledge I have to you. Knowledge is power.

These are some of my suggestions. Please share with us any of your ideas or suggestions.

RAP4 Self Defense T68 PAVA Paintball Gun

Real Action Paintball has announced the release of their RAP4 Self Defense T68 system for home defense and personal protection. The RAP4 Self Defense T68 is a non-lethal paintbal-like gun that fires PAVA balls.

The RAP4 Self Defense T68 gun is a small, handheld unit that uses CO2 to shoot up to 10 PAVA filled projectiles at attackers up to 60 feet away, a greater distances than Mace or aerosol pepper sprays. It is non-lethal, appears easy to use, and should be highly effective at disabling attackers before they get close enough to do you harm.

The PAVA rounds break open on impact and disperse a cloud of potent PAVA powder, which causes an attacker to cough, choke and become debilitated. The PAVA rounds contain a 0.3% solution of PAVA (Pelargonic Acid Vanillylamide) in a solvent of aqueous ethanol.

According to Wikipedia, PAVA primarily affects the eyes causing closure and severe pain. The pain to the eyes supposedly is greater than that caused by CS gas. Once PAVA enters the eyes it becomes very effective. However, there have been occasions where PAVA has failed to work, especially when the subject is under the influence of alcohol. Exposure to fresh moving air will normally result in a significant recovery from the effects of PAVA within 15 – 20 minutes.

Remember, no incapacitating chemical or device is universally effective and there may be individuals on whom a chemical may not be effective at all or only partially effective.

The RAP4 Self Defense T68 system retails for $149. Hit the link to purchase the RAP4 Self Defense T68 system.

Survivalism Wallpaper Friday

This Friday's Survivalism desktop wallpapers are:

Return from the Hunt (1423x1050)	Bedouin Hunter with Falcon (838x1050)

My Handgun Reccomendations

If you are interested in purchasing a firearm for self and home defense, you may have noticed the limitless choices the industry has to offer. It can be confusing and even difficult to decide on one particular firearm. To help you make your decision, I have come up with my top three recommendations for handguns. I plan to write several more articles discussing my recommendations for concealed carry handguns, home defense shotguns and rifles, hunting rifles, and emergency survival firearms. First, I want to discuss handguns because I receive the largest number of questions concerning this type of firearm. I based my choices on price, quality, reliability, and availability.

I created a small comparison table for my top three recommendations:

Firearm	Caliber	Capacity	Total Length	Weight	MSRP
Taurus 24/7 Pro	.40 S&W	15+1	7 1/8 in.	28.2 oz.	$452
Springfield XD	9x19 mm	16+1	7.3 in.	28 oz	$543
Springfield 1911	.45 ACP	7+1	8.5 in.	39 oz.	$619

Taurus 24/7 Pro (.40 S&W)
This handgun won the National Rifle Association "American Riflemen 2005 Golden Bullseye Award" as Handgun of the Year. This award recognized its innovative design, high quality manufacturing, and superior reliability. One of the most innovative features of this handgun is when a round does not fire it automatically reverts to double action giving you a second try at firing the bad round. Most of the time the second try will fire the round. This forever defeats the argument of automatic versus revolver. This handgun also features a built-in gun lock. The 24/7 is available in 9x19mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. Below is a promotional video from Taurus that will show you all of the handgun's features:


Springfield XD (9x19 mm)
The Springfield Armory was founded by the first president George Washington who designated Springfield Armory as the country's first arsenal in 1794.

This handgun won National Rifle Association "American Riflemen 2003 Golden Bullseye Award" as Handgun of the Year for its innovative design and exceptional quality.

“The XD marries many of the better elements of several other well-established pistols into one efficient, new design,” wrote American Rifleman. “From features like the grip safety to the dual recoil spring assembly to the accessory rail on the dust cover, the XD ends up being more than simply the sum of its parts. Combine all that with a very competitive price and the trust that is implicit with anything Springfield puts its name on, and you have a real winner.”

The XD is available in 9x19mm, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. Hit the link to read a review from Shooting Times.

Springfield 1911 (.45 ACP)
The 1911 has been used by the US military in every war since its first production. (The US military did replace it as the main handgun in the 1980s, but the gun is still widely used.) This handgun has been the standard all other automatic handguns must meet. Ask any soldier, law enforcement officer, or gun enthusiast about the 1911 and they can all agree this is a fine handgun. Improvements in firearm technology have been made since 1911, but the 1911 is as reliable and powerful as ever. The .45 ACP will stop any attacker guaranteed. No other handgun has such a long history of use and reliability. In fact, many of the top handgun competition shooters in the world use a 1911 (though higher quality, heavily modified and customized, of course). What more recommendation do you need? Hit the link to read a review from Shooting Times.

Eton FR500 Solarlink

The Eton FR500 Solarlink functions as an AM/FM/shortwave/NOAA weather radio, LED flashlight, SOS beacon and siren, but can be powered by integrated solar panels. If the hand crank, AC adapter, or AA batteries fail to power the radio, you will still be able to listen for survival instructions if you can get safely outdoors.

The Etón FR-500 is ruggedized for outdoor use. Clever case design protects the analog controls from damage, while rubber gaskets and plugs help keep moisture out of the radio.

The solar panel array is an array of waterproof, shatterproof, high-performance glass encapsulated amorphous solar cells. They are efficient enough to power the radio even in overcast weather. By returning the included card and specifying your phone's model you can get a charging cord to recharge your cell phone. Here are the specifications:

• AM/FM, Shortwave, NOAA
• Telescoping antenna
  
• 4-LED Flashlight or use red LEDs to preserve night vision
  
• Bright red magnified emergency signal beacon
• Cell phone charger
• Emergency siren
• Alarm clock with snooze and sleep functions
• Powered by built-in dynamo hand crank, AC adapter, 3 AA batteries, or solar panels
• 7¾" w x 2½" d x 8½" h
  

The Eton FR500 Solarlink is available from Amazon.com for $79.95.

Create a "Master Information Document" to Secure Your Affairs

The Simple Dollar blog suggest creating a master document as a guide to the executor of your estate. This will provide them with all of the information not contained in your will such as online account information, the location of your safety deposit box key, etc. Trent of The Simple Dollar writes:

"Think about this scenario: if you dropped dead right after reading this article, would your survivors - your kids, your spouse, your family - have any idea how to access your money? Would they even know where all of your accounts were?"

Spend a few hours and put together a Master Information Document, and update it once a year. Trent explains that creating a Master Information Document is simple. Here's a checklist for the information you might want to include:

• Account information for every account you have open.
• A complete list of every benefit anyone is entitled to upon your passing.
• A complete list of all debts and all assets.
• A detailed description of how to handle any business assets you may have.
• A copy of your will, your living trust, and any other documents pertaining to your estate.

Once you have completed the Master Information Document. Make sure the right people can have access to this document and be sure to discuss the importance and use of the Master Information Document. We all will die at some point, and we should be prepared for that eventuality. Hit the link to read the full article.

Bunker Gadget Charger/Exercise Machine

While Gizmodo may find this new pedal-powered gadget charger silly, I think they miss the useful potential this device may hold. Consider this, how can you charge a cell phone from inside a bunker or shelter without solar or wind power? Through manual crank power. This not only will charge your gadgets and provide a small LED flashlight, but will offer you a good workout to keep you healthy while in your shelter. Though any proper long-term shelter should include its own generator, you won't want to waste the power to charge up a cell phone or other non-essential gadget.

This is not the solution for the on the-go, jet-setter looking for a way to recharge his iPhone; however, this is a great solution for rechargeable bunker power if it indeed works as promised (made in China). This device can charge any gadget with a USB port. Currently, you can only purchase this from a Japanese retailer for ¥14,800 ($141/£71/€91 equivalent). I do not recommend buying one of these devices necessarily, but maybe we will see more devices like this in the future that will offer power outlets as well as USB outlets, and a lower price.

• Size: 33.7 x 35.5 x 26.7 cm
• Weight 4.8 kg
• 12v/7.2ah maintenance free lead-acid batteries
• Outlet: USB
• Output: 100 W

Monday's Survivalist Books List Additions

Here are this weeks additions to the Survivalist Books list:

• Culinary Herbs - Their Cultivation, Harvesting, Curing and Uses
• The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi