New Year's Resolution: Always Carry 10 Concealed Weapons

Dangerous children are most dangerous because of their creative minds and their wide range of practical skills. But the training of the dangerous child does not neglect the crucial aspects of self defence and self-preservation in the face of threat.

Since it is never too late to have a dangerous childhood, we grownups should also take this New Year's opportunity to resolve to increase our own "DQ," dangerousness quotient. The best place to start is to learn how to "arm up" whenever we go out.

Normally when we think of "concealed carry," we think of firearms. And certainly, concealed firearms are very useful in a situation when faced with a dangerous adversary, including those who are carrying a knife or a gun. But many places we go, we will have to do without firearms. We still need to carry 10 concealed weapons.

Guide to Concealed Carry

"10 concealed weapons," you ask? "And how am I supposed to wear 10 weapons on my person without looking like a medieval Japanese samurai warrior?"

Relax. You already carry 14 concealed weapons with you, even dressed in your birthday suit, unless you have had significant body parts removed.

Although these are not the weapons that I am talking about, let's get them out of the way first:

1. Two feet
2. Two hands
3. Two elbows
4. Two knees
5. Two shoulders (!)
6. Two hips (!)
7. A hard head (!)
8. A brain

Bonus weapon: Your teeth!

The hands can be used open or closed, front or back, fingers first or heel of palm first. They can be used for striking, clawing (eyes etc.), clapping over the ears, choking, or a number of other things which I am not allowed by Google to mention at this time. ;-)

Likewise for the other body parts -- the number of ways in which they may be used as weapons is almost endless. But again, those are not the weapons to which I refer in the title.

Here is a short blurb on personal defense weapons offered by a website called http://www.weapons-universe.com (no endorsement implied).

For safety aware individuals, there are a variety of non-lethal personal defense weapons which are used for the act of defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. Such personal defense weapons include pepper spray which is a chemical compound that irritates the eyes of your attacker to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness. Also an air taser or stun gun which is an incapacitant weapon used for subduing an attacker by administering electric shocks aimed at disrupting muscle functions. And expandable batons for less lethal self-defense, also called collapsible or telescopic batons are like metal sticks of less than arm's length used to defensively strike, jab, block, and can aid in the application of armlocks. And SAP gloves, also called weighted-knuckle gloves are a type of weapon used in hand to hand combat used to help protect your hands against injuries when punching without compromising the effectiveness of the punch. _WU

The collapsible baton is a particularly useful concealed weapon if it is well constructed. They are easily deformed in a real fight, so you may only get one good use out of it. Even so, if you know how to use a short stick in very close combat, a collapsible baton can save you from some of the more dangerous weapons.

More on the short stick:

The Joongbong, or short stick, is the most versatile and easy to learn weapon. Once mastered, the principles of the Joongbong can be applied to any blunt weapon. The most comfortable length for the Joongbong is the length of your arm from the armpit to the middle fingertip when you stretch your arm out with your fingers fully open.

Grip the Joongbong approximately one to two inches above the end. The tip of the Joongbong aims at the eyes or the Adam's apple of the opponent with your arm at almost a 90 degree angle to the Joongbong.

There are five different blocks: high, cross, inside, outside, and low block. There are five offense skills: straight strike, thrust, inside cut, outside cut, and cross cuts. _Junsado

There is a wide range of "wearable" weapons, including knives and sharp jabbing implements. There are also creative weapons such as this self-defence cap, these steel knuckle gloves, or this key chain baton.

As you can imagine, this does not by any means exhaust the list of potential concealed weapons. Credit cards, for example, have been used as deadly weapons, as have writing pens, eyeglass frames, heavy belt buckles, and even concealed dental floss.

If you do happen to have a concealed carry permit for firearms, and want to be stylish about it, here is one gentlemen's guide to stylish concealed carry.

You may wonder whether all of these weapons for personal defence are legal in your area. That is certainly a concern, so you will want to try to stay within the letter of the law as far as possible, while maintaining a safe margin of protection for yourself and your family. And if you develop good relationships with local law enforcement before the fact of a life-saving interaction, far fewer questions are likely to be asked afterward. Also, if it comes to that, you may ask yourself whether you would rather repent and pay penance, or rot underground. The choice is yours.

Seriously, any type of law that makes it difficult for non-violent and non-aggressive individuals to protect themselves from violent and aggressive persons, is not necessarily the kind of law that should be adhered to -- or allowed to stand unchallenged.

So think about it. If you take the survival of yourself and those you care about seriously, you may want to make a New Year's resolution to go out better prepared in the days ahead.

Note: Weapons do not protect you without your help. If you choose to carry weapons, make sure that you are trained in how to use them safely and effectively.

If you find yourself confronted by an armed mugger who seems mainly interested in your money, give him your money. Perhaps that will be the end of it. But there are tipoffs that may tell you that he will not be content with merely robbing you. Do not let an entirely natural emotional denial and wishful thinking prevent you from seeing the indicators that you are in a life and death struggle.

It is best to avoid such situations in the first place, which is why it is a good idea to talk about them ahead of time. But sometimes crime happens to the best people, and if they are not mentally and physically prepared, they may die.

Survival is Not Politically Correct -- It May Even Be Illegal

Adapted from an article previously published on Al Fin, the Next Level

“The BBC offers this advice for anyone in Britain who is attacked on the street: You are permitted to protect yourself with a briefcase, a handbag, or keys. You should shout ‘Call the Police’ rather than ‘Help.’ Bystanders are not to help. They have been taught to leave such matters to the professionals. If you manage to knock your attacker down, you must not hit him again or you risk being charged with assault.” _Gun Tutor

Humans of the advanced world have entered a brave and dangerous new phase of existence. We are moving through a stage where it is politically incorrect -- and sometimes illegal -- to protect oneself and one's family in order to survive a growing range of threats which one is not supposed to be aware of, much less mention in polite company.

Nevertheless, if you want to play through to the next level, you must survive this phase of existence with enough resources and in good enough condition to proceed to the next phase.

For those who are raising children, this point cannot be made strongly enough. Your children need to be raised to be dangerous. Competent, yes. Highly skilled, yes. Technologically savvy, yes. And very, very, dangerous.

But where do children go to learn skills of survival, teamwork, discipline in dangerous settings, calmness under fire, etc. in the modern hyper-feminised politically correct world? That is a very good question (but be careful where you ask it).

There is a national program in the US that is called the Young Marines, which should give program designers some useful ideas. The Young Marines is open to boys and girls from the age of 8 all the way through the high school years. The organisation provides summer camp and a wide range of training programs, including community service.

Several ranks and awards are available throughout the course of training -- similar to the Boy Scouts' ranks and badges. Here is a list of skills and goals for the most basic level of Young Marines:

• Drill movements, including march, halt, fall-in and fall-out of ranks, positions of attention, parade rest, at ease and rest
• Execution of column movements, saluting, and facing movements
• Uniform regulations
• Grooming and personal appearance standards
• Rank structure of the Young Marines
• Military customs and courtesies
• Practicing Formation
• Young Marine history
• Military terms and jargon
• Outdoor tools safety
• Assembling survival kits
• Stove & lantern safety
• Constructing a shelter
• Knot tying
• Lighting fires
• Reading of maps
• Signs on topographical maps
• Orient a map without the use of a compass
• Introduction to the compass.
• Drug Resistance
• Basic elements of speech preparation
• Duties of both a team member and team leader
• Duties of a Young Marine Flag Bearer
• Duties of fire watch
• Responsibilities of US citizens
• History of the US flag
• Components of physical fitness
• Developing personal physical fitness plans
• Tips on healthy eating
• Basic first aid techniques
• In order to proceed to Junior ranks, each Young Marine must perform 50 hours of community service

_Basic Rank Skills & Goals

Information on Ranks and Rank Advancement

The Young Marines programs should be seen as idea generators for most parents, since such programs will not be available everywhere -- and will not necessarily be exactly what many parents are looking for regardless.

But many children will learn important skills of survival, group cohesion and support, and self-discipline, when training with other children of various skills levels but with a generally unified intention to succeed and excel.

The various curricula which we have discussed in connection with dangerous child training have had little to do with military tactical or strategic thought or training. And yet, a well-rounded dangerous child should know something about military tactics -- if only to understand how to avoid being caught up in a combat situation.

For some communities that wish to establish a certain degree of independence from potentially dangerous and aggressive outside groups, a more intimate knowledge of small unit tactics, and infantry weapons may become important to acquire.

Under the US constitution, the right of individuals and communities to organise militias and to bear arms is guaranteed in the second amendment. Up to this point, very few US communities and regions have taken advantage of their constitutional rights to organise such small fighting units.

But as the US moves more deeply into its paradoxical and surreal world of politically correct denial in the face of growing and deadly threats inside the homeland itself, even a "conspiracy of silence" on the part of government, academia, and popular news media outlets will not stop a growing trend toward organised self-defense.

It is never too late to have a dangerous childhood.

Basic small unit tactics (PDF)

Out of control third world violence may be coming to a city near you

One of many potential threats

How to Bring Down the US Power Grid: A Detailed Primer

Terrorists could black out large segments of the United States for weeks or months by attacking the power grid and damaging hard-to-replace components that are crucial to making it work, the National Academy of Sciences said in a report released Wednesday.

While the report is the most authoritative yet on the subject, the grid’s vulnerability has long been obvious to independent engineers and to the electric industry itself, which has intermittently tried, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, to rehearse responses.

Of particular concern are giant custom-built transformers that increase the voltage of electricity to levels suited for bulk transmission and then reduce voltage for distribution to customers. Very few of those transformers are manufactured in the United States, and replacing them can take many months.

...The notion of a looming attack on the grid has recently gained a... following, with Newt Gingrich [promoting] a novel that imagines the crippling of the nation and the starvation of millions by unidentified enemies using high-tech methods to fry components of the grid with an electromagnetic pulse. The report does not discuss that possibility, but the appendix does include “electromagnetic pulse” among other technical terms.

The National Academy of Sciences report mainly refers to less sophisticated attacks but also warns of cyberattacks or infiltration of the grid’s transmission operators. “Even a few pernicious people in the wrong place are a potential source of vulnerability,” it said.

The report was completed in 2007, and after reviewing it, the Department of Homeland Security decided to classify its contents. The version released on Wednesday is redacted to avoid handing terrorists a “cookbook” on how to disrupt the grid, the report said. _NYT

As we have seen after Hurricane Sandy and any number of other natural disasters, when the power grid goes down in a modern multicultural society, all manner of mayhem is apt to break out.

Most people are unaware of how easily modern power grids can be brought down.

One of the many ironies of this fragile situation, is that one of the solutions most often proposed by greens and leftists -- the "smart grid" -- would actually make power grids more vulnerable to cyberattack and catastrophic failure.

The recently declassified and redacted document suggests ways in which societies can make their power grids less vulnerable and more resilient. But the NAS is not only a scientific body, it is also a politicised body which maintains a very politically correct posture. Many of the solutions are apt to be non-solutions, and many of the true solutions were certainly omitted or redacted.

The best approach for individuals, families, and small cooperative groups, is to maintain your own backups and lifelines.

At the blog, Al Fin, the Next Level, educational and developmental theorists are creating a new approach to the raising of resilient children, dubbed "The Dangerous Child Method." But it is never too late to have a dangerous childhood. Think about it.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

Prepper Movement Receives Huge Boost From Obamelection

Obama has always been good for the survival industry. Something about the election of an unqualified and inexperienced narcissist (solipsist?) to the most powerful political office in the world tends to make large numbers of people just a bit uneasy.

A veritable industry has sprung up around the prepper movement. James Rawles, author of the non-fiction book How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It and a pair of best-selling novels on survival, says 130,000 people regularly read his survivalblog.com, where he and numerous contributors provide tips on how to prepare. The former Army intelligence officer has 40 advertisers selling everything from seeds to silver, and 30 more advertisers on a waiting list.

"It's a growing recognition we live in a very fragile, very interdependent society, with long chains of supply and an increasing dependence on the power grid," says Rawles, who won't say where he lives. "That dependence increases every passing year, and the vulnerability of the infrastructure to technological destruction increases by the year."

He says Superstorm Sandy's devastating impact on the populous Northeast ought to make the need for prepping obvious.

"If anybody had any doubts, if anybody was teasing their neighbors before Sandy" for storing food or preparing a "bugout bag" of essentials, he says, "they are not doing that anymore."

The day after Obama was re-elected, Rowles posted, "Several readers have written to ask me if I plan to stock up on more ammunition and magazines, now that the gun grabbers have further cemented their hold on Washington, D.C. My answer: No. I already have lots of ammunition and magazines."

The business of prepping

Scott Hunt, who co-founded a South Carolina company called Practical Preppers, says phone calls from potential customers increased the day after Election Day. "I am not going to make that correlation," Hunt says, "but you can."

Twenty months ago, Hunt, an engineer, and Dave Kobler, a military veteran, started Practical Preppers to advise people how to stockpile and defend their homes.

Business for Hardened Structures, an engineering firm based in Virginia Beach, is up roughly 40% since 2005, co-owner Brian Camden says. Some of his clients buy gold and silver and other precious metals as a hedge against a possible collapse of the currency, and they want to be able to protect it and their families, he says. So his company designs ways to build underground bunkers, strengthen walls and improve security systems on homes.

Camden says he thinks a grid-destroying electromagnetic pulse from a solar flare is the most likely threat but "after interviewing clients for 20 years, the one thing I do know is no one knows for sure what will happen."

"The rise of al-Qaeda, Islamic terrorism, political divisions here in the U.S., the rich getting richer, the separation of the economic classes," he says, describing what drives customers to him. "At the end of the day, it is asset protection. Most people identify their family as their most important asset. This is a family insurance policy."

...Braxton wrote a book, A Letter to My Friends, that includes the basics he preaches: Have emergency food and water in your home, have a "bugout bag" for every person that includes water, food, clothes, a thumb drive of your financial and other vital information, and other essentials. _Prepper Movement Growing

With the Obama-malaise deepening after recent elections, ordinary Americans seem forced to accept a slow strangulation of opportunity and prosperity. With prospects of living under a dysfunctional mob rule for at least an additional 4 years, many Americans have decided to take steps to provide for themselves, should an increasingly fragile clockwork society finally lose its mainspring (PDF) and ultimate resource.

Ever since the election, the US stock market has reflected this pessimistic mood. The mainstream media has attempted to cover up Obama's mistakes and blunders, but things will finally reach a point beyond which the accidental misdeeds and engineered debacles will achieve results so devastating that they can no longer be covered up -- even from the residual "Obama zombie" component of the population.

Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. And consider how you might go about becoming more dangerous to those who mean you harm, without appearing to be so.

Getting Your Mind Right for Survival: When You are the One Walking Point

Hurricane Sandy left a lot of people without power, food, water, fuel, medicines, and shelter. Many people are still going without -- in the middle of the wealthy NYC area.

Imagine a larger scale disaster where state and municipal emergency response systems were knocked out, and you were left entirely on your own to assure the survival of yourself and those close to you. What would you do?

The success triad below: training, tangibles, and mindset should give you some ideas on where to start.

Success in Emergency Preparedness

Some common preparedness tangibles are:

• Silver
• Ammunition
• Food and water
• Spare gasoline
• Batteries
• Coats, hats, gloves
• Camping gear

Some common preparedness training includes:

• Personal protection
• Gunsmithing
• Food preparation
• Carpentry and home repair
• Small engine repair and maintenance
• Survival
• Orienteering

Some common successful mindset qualities are:

• Aim, Focus
• Perseverance
• Adaptability
• Curious and inquisitive
• Enthusiastic
• Evaluative- scrutinizes his self, choices, etc for continued improvement

_Successful Preparedness Mindset

Here is a look at 15 skills to survive TEOTWAWKI from MD Creekmore:

1. Food Processing – many survival planners overlook food processing in favor of more exciting elements of preparedness. This is a mistake, I think cooking and preparing basic storage foods is one of the most important elements of preparedness .

2. Bulk Food Storage – without sufficient qualities of storage foods our demise is practically guaranteed after a major catastrophe. Storing basic grains and beans isn’t difficult and any dunce can do it properly in a couple of hours with proper instruction.

3. Medical Training – every survivalist should have sufficient medical training. A good start is taking a basic CPR and first aid class, check with your local Red Cross for scheduling. If time and finances allow taking EMT classes would also be a good idea. Don’t overlook herbal medicine, which maybe all we have to work with on an individual level.

4. Gardening – because of space and finances most of us can not put back enough food to last the rest of our lives. We’ll need to replace our storage foods with fresh supplies. Gardening is an excellent way to do this, and is it easy to learn with instruction and practice. It is amazing at the amount of food that can be grown in a small space under proper conditions.

5. Preserving – Most foods spoil rather quickly resulting in loss of quality, edibility and nutritive value – food preservation is an important survival skill . We need to learn to Can, Dry, Freeze, Salt, Smoke, Pickle, Bury, Vacuum Pack, Sugar, Jelly, Pot etc.

6. Hunting – contrary to popular belief all wild game will not disappear after a collapse. Most people would rather stand in a food line waiting for a handout than scour the backwoods looking for game and let’s not forget that the extent of most peoples hunting skills doesn’t go beyond the latest Cabelas video game.

7. Trapping – trapping is more practical under survival conditions than hunting. By setting a trap you can be other places and do other things while the trap does the hunting for you. Learn to set snares, build deadfalls, box traps, fish traps, and the use steel traps. Becoming a proficient trapper is not difficult – all you need to do is get off the couch and learn by doing.

8. Firearms Repair – basic firearms repair (replacement of broken parts) isn’t all that difficult if you have the parts needed when something breaks. There’s no need in learning to repair every make and model of firearm in existence. You do need to have an in-depth understanding of your chosen weapons, how they work and repair methods for each.

9. Self-Defense Skills – the most effective self-defense techniques are also the easiest to master. Striking vulnerable points, biting and eye gouging are simple and effective techniques that can be quickly learned and when applied with aggression can bring down the most determined attacker.

10. Firearms Skills – if you’re new to firearms a basic safety course is necessary before learning defensive skills. Concealed carry permit classes are held in most areas as are hunter education programs – I suggest you participate in both. The National Rifle Association offers a number of classes that are most helpful. As for books and videos I recommend “Tactical Pistol Shooting” and Kelly McCann’s inside the crucible series.

11. Water Purification – another simple skill often overlooked is water acquisition and purification.

12. Using Tools – you should have a survival toolbox of basic tools, such as; hammers, saws, screwdrivers, winches, vice grips, wire cutters, files etc. And the skills needed to put these tools to use.

13. Animal Husbandry – raising animals goes hand-in-hand with gardening, hunting and trapping to provide a continuous source of nourishment during hard times. I highly recommend “Barnyard in your Backyard” this book covers everything you need to know.

14. Home Power – while it may be possible to survive with no electrical power, having some source of current will make life easier. My solar set up was under $600 batteries included and building my homemade generator was under $100.

15. Investing – after getting your survival necessities in order (food, water, meds, shelter, defense) it’s time to start thinking about investing in precious metals, namely gold and silver. Just be sure not to make the mistake of going into debt while investing in these metals. _MDCreekmore

And since "no man is an island," and your chances of surviving an emergency are greater when in the company of other skilled and competent persons, here are some ideas on the topic of finding like-minded persons -- again from MD Creekmore:

Take a look at your situation, family and friends – would they be there for you and each other when the balloon goes up? What are their skills? What do they have to offer? Will they work together?

If the answers to the above questions are negative, than you need to look elsewhere for support. But where do you look. And, perhaps more importantly, how do you do it without drawing attention to yourself or inviting danger into your retreat.

Consider looking into:
Churches with similar religious convictions to your own.
Hunting clubs
Gun clubs
Garden clubs
First Aid & CPR class attendees
Those attending self-defense classes or seminars
I’m sure you can think of other possibilities, but you get the idea.

Starting your own related club, as a ruse to attract like-minded people for an inital “feeling-out” process isn’t out of the question. Even if you don’t find a worthy candidate you’ll at least have gotten off the couch.

I know a former Army ranger who offered free wilderness survival classes as a ruse when building his survival group.

They would spend a weekend out in the woods learning various outdoor survival techniques. While he would secretly evaluate each as a potential member for his survival group.... _More info at: MDCreekmore: Survival Group

List of top 10 best survival guns from SHTFblog

If the stock market crashes, it will be because investors are afraid of a lot more than "the fiscal cliff."

Preparation starts by accumulating the rudimentary elements of survival: food, water, shelter, medical supplies, security, survival skills and a basic reactionary plan. _SurvivalBlog

Think of emergencies related to Hurricane Sandy and other natural disasters as short-lived reminders of the bigger ones that are coming down the road. The graft and corruption of modern governments are degrading the ability of official institutions to assist citizens in the event of sustained disasters. The growing inability of government institutions to come to the meaningful aid of citizens makes it all the more important for citizens to know how to help themselves.

Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

A Look at Firepower for the Period of Coming Decline

An Accelerating and Unsustainable Trend that Spells Ultimate Decline

The consequences of the re-instatement of US President Obama will be global in nature. But the first stages of coming decline resulting from the final unmasking of the Obama agenda, will be largely borne by North Americans -- yes, that includes Canadians.

The survival industry is certain to boom like never before. If you have a good survival - related invention or innovation, now would be a good time to perfect it and test its feasibility in the marketplace.

And if you think the guns & ammo business was highly stimulated by an Obama first term: just wait.

"In A Real Life SHTF Situation, Firepower Is the Only Thing"

In a real life SHTF situation the only important thing is firepower. It is the only thing. You must absolutely overwhelm the enemy with superior firepower.

In close quarters the 12 gauge is arguably king. However, as effective as it is, if you step out into the street where ranges easily exceed 100 meters, you may quickly find yourself outgunned. Yes, that also includes your slug gun. Your .22LR will fit thousands of rounds in a backpack, yes. However, if this is your weapon of choice, then your plan will inevitably fail. If you can show me a military that fields a .22LR, I can show you a defeated army. Nations around the world have sought out solutions to maximize the number of rounds their soldiers can carry while considering weight limitations. It is not an accident that they haven’t arrived at the .22LR. You are depending on your weapon to keep you alive. Select your weapon’s chambering wisely, and make sure it has enough horse power to do its job of protecting you effectively. Think in terms of maximizing your capabilities in any scenario. If I only could own one weapon (not recommended), it would be a carbine.

Generally speaking, it easily transitions from close quarters to medium, to moderately long range offering far more security than a shotgun. Be aware of your specific weapon’s limitations and capabilities. Understand its intended purpose and keep it assigned only to tasks in which it excels, if possible.

An M4 is not an M16 for all intents and purposes. While the M4 is more suitable and controllable in close quarters, your maximum effective range on a point target is limited by its shorter barrel. With the M16, you extend your effective range at the cost of cumbersome handling in confined spaces. If you anticipate longer range encounters in your area of operation you may opt for a different weapon system altogether. _SurvivalBlog

More on weapons selection from Captain Dave:

One, you need a battle rifle. Military weapons are built to take punishment and keep on working. If you are on a budget then get an SKS, I prefer the Russians, but the Chinese weapon is good also. The rifle comes with a shortened stock, and most women I know that have shot the weapon like the short stock and light recoil. The weapon's price is from $200 to $300 and ammo for a case is about $100. The SKS is a proven battle rifle, chrome barrel and very reliable. Compared to the .30 caliber carbine the SKS is far superior. The SKS round past a 100 yards has more knockdown power then the M16. I have choreographed the SKS and most brands come in at 2400 fps.

...The next choice is the M 1 Garand. This 30-06 caliber is a very proven weapon. The U.S. used this caliber in WW I, the bolt action A03-06, and in the M1 Garand in WW II. You see, I talked to an Army sniper in WW11 who thought the M1 Garand was the best rifle ever invented. I hunted with this gentleman and saw him drop running deer at 100 yards. He was so good, before we even walk up to the deer he told me within a 1 inch of where the bullets hit the deer.

...The next weapon is the M14; this shoots a .308 caliber, the same as the M60 machine gun. The US Army uses this caliber for their sniping needs. FMJ's can be found for this weapon and it is a great one to have. The gun is semi-auto with clips for quick reloading.

...The next gun on my list, is a .22 rifle. I like the Ruger 10-22, a well-built repeater. With good ammo, the gun quite accurate. You can use it running traps and you can use it for light defense. A well placed .22 round, using solid points have killed bears, moose, and deer all over North America. Plus, with the TV on or sleeping most people can't hear the shot. It is a good small-game gun and you will find many uses for it. _Captain Daves

Here is more from M. D. Creekmore:

Below I’ll outline five arsenals covering a broad range of tasks, needs and budgets. If nothing else my suggestions should generate discourse.

I work at Wal-Mart Arsenal
1. Mosin Nagant 91 rifle
2. Single Shot .12 gauge
3. Smith&Wesson model 10

The Government Welfare Arsenal
1. Short Magazine Lee-Enfield
2. Mossberg Maverick 88 12 gauge pump
3. Smith&Wesson model 10
4. Ruger 10/22

I have a full-time Job Arsenal
1. Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle or AR-15
2. Mossberg 500 12 Gauge
3. Glock Model 19
4. Ruger 10/22

Two Jobs and Maxed Credit Card Arsenal
1. Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle or AR-15
2. Reminton 870 express with spare riot barrel
3. Glock 19
4. Ruger 10/22
5. Winchester Model 70 in .308 Win.
6. Taurus CIA Model 850 .38 SPL. Revolver

And Finally the Yuppie Survival Arsenal
1. L1A1 Rifle chambered in .308 Winchester
2. Remington Model 7 bolt-action chambered in .223
3. Winchester Model 70 in 308 Win.
4. Remington 870 express with spare riot gun barrel
5. Colt 1911 A1 .45 ACP
6. Taurus CIA Model 850 .38 SPL. Revolver
7. Savage Model 24F .223 Remington over 12 gauge (if you can find one used)
8. Ruger 10/22 _MD Creekmore

So there you go. An arsenal for every type of common man. As for the economically well-off, the sky is the limit. Guns are expensive, and the more expensive the gun, the more expensive the ammo.

Elections have consequences -- whether they were fairly fought or not. And this US election just past is likely to have a larger number of more interesting consequences than most US elections.

Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

New Dark Age Survival: Thinking Long Term

If civilisation is going to collapse, it will not go easily. If it goes, there is a good possibility that many parts of the currently-developed world will suffer quasi-dark age conditions without aid or re-supply, for an extended period -- months, years, perhaps longer.

A lot of people talk about which book or books they would like to have with them, should civilisation collapse. But people who think in those terms are likely to be dead before many weeks have passed. If they have not internalised and practised the necessary skills, the best use for any books may be to use them for either desperate escapism, or as fuel for a fire.

Long Term Survival in the Coming Dark Age by James Ballou gets mixed reviews across the web. First let's look at the review of the book in Survivalblog:

Chapter 3 was worth the price of the book. The Survival Workshop. I could tell that this is the area where Mr. Ballou has experience and expertise. The basic metalworking, riveting and shop set-up ideas are well presented, with less “could-be” or “might be useful” and more “normally very effective”. I like to read “is” instead of “might” when it comes to life-or-death analysis of what I may have to do in a societal collapse. I am not a hobbyist. I really like the idea of making a thread cutting die from a file, or a vise from 2 x 4s. Now those examples are something that could be potentially used in the Dark Ages! This chapter, like quality survival books, really got me thinking. He has a book dedicated to this subject I want to buy.

Chapter 4 is also very good, a review and reminder of the countless things that are thrown away of potential use in a later time when they may not be able to be manufactured on a large scale. Still, it's not survival in the Dark Ages, it's things one can do now, while there are dumpsters to dive. I scavenge in cities I visit. I find this fun and sometimes of financial benefit. I share the writer's inclination to look for wheel weights and other small items in parking lots. This is a skill common in Third World countries. All preparedness-minded people should at least think about routine scavenging. Forget about the image of the homeless degenerate culling for food in a back-alley garbage can like an animal. Be discreet. Dress with durable clothing. I have found climbing rope, drills, hardware, electrical supplies new-in-box among other things too numerous to detail here. I do it while jogging while carrying a cloth shopping bag. I even sometimes wear a silk mask if the dumpster is under surveillance. One has to keep warm, right? Good points are made by Ballou, but this could have been a separate article or included in another book. It's not post-dark-ages survival guidelines.

The rest of the book covers the subjects of fire making, cordage and what trade goods to store. Again, this is very basic information. The Bushcraft skills would be better reviewed by reading Ray Mears. Ragnar Benson also covers trade goods in his writings including the specific need for spare tool handles. No one can argue against the possibility that, in a Dark Age, things like matches and other high tech manufactured items be scarce or unavailable. Ballou directed the reader to more complete, already published works, rather than attempt to re-introduce the entire subject in a few pages. If he has direct experience, maybe just discuss his first-hand problems with bushcraft techniques and his own personal solutions, if any. This is what another important bushcraft writer John McPherson does.

Mr. Ballou has written a pretty good introduction to the world of preparedness with two strong idea-based chapters on survival metalworking and improvisation from found objects. _Survivalblog

The author of the review above had several nits to pick with Ballou, but overall gives the book his qualified recommendation.

Here is another interesting review of Ballou's book from Amazon.com:

I enjoyed the chapter on how to make caches so that supplies can be hidden and recovered years later.

The author takes the basic premiss that life will revert to something like the 1800's, so much of the book describes methods of improvising things like axes, knives, tools, clothes, rope, etc. While the author's homemade tools and clothes are beautifully crafted, I have a hard time imagining myself spending much time forging steel during a survival scenario. Even if all the stores are looted I think our society will have an abundance of remnant knives and axes to last quite a while. For at least a couple of decades I think scavenging will be a more important skill than blacksmithing.

This book is full of interesting skill and project ideas, but it's fragmented. The author has us building forges as if we will be cut off from the remnants of our civilization, but also caching guns, as if rounds or shells and gunpowder will somehow be available. It's somewhat hard to picture the scenario in which all these skills come together.

No one can paint a perfect picture of what survivors will be facing so we never know what skills exactly will be essential, so I will take what I can from this book... _Amazon.com

It is interesting that the two reviewers above both had mixed impressions of the book, and would certainly engage each other in heated argument as to which parts of the book were worthwhile and which were not.

Truth be told, most "book survivalists" who remain merely book survivalists, are probably not going to make it, should TSHTF over an extended period of time. It just depends upon whether they are lucky enough to land in the middle of a community of well-prepared, competent, and generally cooperative persons -- such as a local chapter of the understandably secretive Society for Creative Apocalyptology.

There are lists online which suggest particular tools that might help one to re-start civilisation: 50 Tools and Technologies to Rebuild Civilisation, for example

And then there is the ongoing project to open source the rebuilding of civilisation, called the Global Village Construction Set.

For those willing to dive into technologies such as the Global Village Construction Set, the possible learned competencies would be invaluable in a widespread catastrophe -- when you are without the possibility of outside aid or re-supply.

Your best bet, in such a long term situation, would be to find yourself in a community of dangerous children, born and raised. And if you see the wisdom in such a plan, remember: It is never too late to have a dangerous childhood.

Preserving Food for 100 Years? . . . Indefinitely?

A Food and Drug Administration Article about a shelf life test that was conducted on 100-year old canned foods that were retrieved from the Steamboat Bertrand can be read at the following link:

http://web.archive.org/web/20070509153848/http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00043.html

Following is a brief summary of a very small portion of the above article:

"Among the canned food items retrieved from the Bertrand in 1968 were brandied peaches, oysters, plum tomatoes, honey, and mixed vegetables. In 1974, chemists at the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) analyzed the products for bacterial contamination and nutrient value. Although the food had lost its fresh smell and appearance, the NFPA chemists detected no microbial growth and determined that the foods were as safe to eat as they had been when canned more than 100 years earlier. _Grandpappy Shelflife

So food that is carefully canned and stored may still be safe to eat 100 years later! But here is something even more impressive: Hormel Foods says their canned meats can stay safe to eat indefinitely!

"What is the shelf life of a Hormel Foods product in an unopened can?

The processing techniques utilized by Hormel Foods makes the canned product safe for use indefinitely if the product seal remains intact, unbroken and securely attached to a can that has been well maintained. It is suggested that all canned products be stored in a cool and dry environment to keep the flavor adequately preserved. For maximum flavor it is recommended that the product be used within three years of the manufacturing date. After that period of time, the product is still safe to use however, the flavor gradually declines."

These products include the following among many others:

Dinty Moore Beef Stew 
Dinty Moore Chicken Stew 
Hormel Corned Beef 
Hormel Corned Beef Hash_Wilderness Survival

Hormel suggests eating their canned foods within a few years, however, for maximum taste and nutritive value.

9 foods that can outlast you...

Information on food radiation, which improves shelf life......more here

General discussion of shelf life of a range of foods and beverages

Food Product Design archives of news articles on shelf life

Surprising foods you can freeze to eat or drink later . . .

Conventional ways of preserving foods include canning, freezing, drying, salting, freeze-drying, vacuum packing, nitrogen packing, and smoking, among others. But irradiating foods can become a useful additional way of extending the shelf life of foods.

Under the old regime of psychological neotenates, it would be unheard of for a prepper group or a survival compound to have its own food irradiator. But we are approaching the days of "the dangerous child," which is likely to change everything.

Remember: It is never too late to have a dangerous childhood.

Surviving in Your Doomsday Bunker with Power to Spare

This semi-satirical article was first published on Al Fin Potpourri blog and subsequently re-published on Al Fin Energy blog:

After the Apocalypse
After the doomsday bell tolls, you will want to have a safe hideaway, packed with your favourite foods, beverages, people, and prescription drugs. But no matter how safely your bunker is designed, you cannot survive long without a source of heating and electrical power.

Issues of energy density dictate the need for a nuclear power and heat source -- either fission or fusion. The choice seems to come down to either a small modular nuclear fission reactor -- such as the NuScale or Wilcox and Babcock models, vs one of the new scalable fusion reactor models. The Lawrenceville Plasma Physics focus fusion device pictured below, appears to be the leader of the pack in terms of timeline for proof of concept, prototype, commercial demo, and mass production.

All images below taken from Lawrenceville Plasma Physics Inc (PDF) (via) NBF

Five megawatts baseload power should be enough to supply the power and heat needs of most medium-sized doomsday communities. When living in an underground environment, it is easy to underestimate needs for space lighting and grow-lighting, as well as power for supplying pumps, compressors, blowers, fans, filtration devices, and various electronic devices.

The diagram above attempts to illustrate energy flows and losses in the focus fusion system. Operation of the reactor will be highly automated, but a certain amount of oversight will be necessary, to assure smooth function and to limit the need for unscheduled maintenance shutdowns.

Baseload power generation means that the reactor produces 5 MW at all times. Any heat and power produced above the needs of the doomsday community will converted as needed, and routed to storage or to a sink. Since the reactor utilises hydrogen and boron as fuel, a significant amount of excess power will be used to maintain hydrogen stores. The hydrogen can be used as fuel in either the focus fusion reactor, or in backup fuel cell CHP generators.

The timeline for production of the LPP focus fusion reactors is particularly optimistic, with estimates for mass production as early as 2016.

Keep in mind that US federal and state regulators are unlikely to approve these devices for sale in the US anytime within the next decade. This means that any US citizen wishing to use these reactors as backup power supplies for their home, seastead, polar outpost, or doomsday bunker, will either need to locate outside the US, or will need to find extra-legal ways of installing their nuclear fusion (or SMR fission) reactors within the borders of the US.

In the event of doomsday, it is expected that nuclear enforcement by US federal or state officials will be suspended for a number of years. In such a case, issues of survival are likely to be paramount, over issues of bureaucratic red tape.

TEOTWAWKI Flea Market: Trading Post Apocalypse

Source
What kind of trade goods should you stockpile, in case the world ends? What sort of items are nearly indispensable in a crisis, but are compact and easy to store and transport? Survival Blog offers a list of 25 candidates for high value trade goods in a post-apocalyptic society:

1. Alcohol...[miniatures]

2. Coffee...Sales price--three pouches/cups for a silver dime.

3. Tobacco products...

4. Ammunition...

5. Lantern mantles...Get 50 or so, sell for a silver dime each in your store. (At the current rate of about 24:1, that's a good one for you). You might also want to stock a couple of dozen lamp wicks.

6. Miniature bottles (1/8 oz.) of Tabasco sauce.... Sell two/three for a silver dime.

7. Toothpaste and dental floss....

8. Beano....

9. Antacid tablets....

10. Salt and pepper....

11. Chapsticks.....

12. Rechargeable batteries....

13. "Free lunch." This is another good one. Consider this your "loss leader" and a promotional strategy to attract customers. As you get your "store" started (the first week, maybe), offer customers a "free lunch"--a tasty bowl of chili beans or spicy noodles and a drink of "bug juice" (that's the red Kool-Aid)--for the first 25 customers or so as a promo strategy. After a few days, you can transition to a paid lunch--a dime or quarter in silver (recycling some of that silver change you put into circulation by buying from other merchants and from your customers).

14. The "bug juice" is another good idea. The water we filter/boil/purify may not taste so good and a sweet drink will be big, especially with the kids. I just priced these at the grocery store--packages (unsweetened) of cherry Kool-Aid are $.27/ea. and make two quarts. I bought 100 packages (compact; takes up very little space for the value). Your post-TEOTWAWKI sales price might be a silver dime for three or ten for a quarter.

15. Butane lighters...Sell individual lighters for a dime each or three for a quarter.....

16. Books.....

17. Pool shock.... "Pool shock" is calcium hypochlorite, a dry powder, sold in one pound packages for swimming pool sanitation. This chemical is remarkably effective at sanitizing water. "Recipes" I have seen online state that a grain or two will sanitize a gallon and that a pound package will treat 65,000 gallons...A one pound bag is about $5....

18. Hand sanitizer...Sell those for a silver dime each (or maybe three for a quarter). Also buy several large bottles--two liter dispensing bottles of their private-label version (same stuff--thickened ethyl alcohol--as the branded product)--for $7.95.....

19. Mice/rat traps and poison. This one should be obvious--When the garbage piles up, the rodents will respond to the "stimulus," too....

20. Sunscreen. Again, everyone will be spending a lot more time outside. Around here, even leathery beach people need sunscreen. This is a great dollar store purchase. Several of our local dollar stores have SPF 15 and 30 in six and eight oz. bottles for a buck. Get a couple dozen bottles; sell for a silver dime each.

21. Bike tire repair kits. As soon as the gasoline supply chain fails, all sorts of old bikes will be dragged out of garages and basements. Many (most?) of these will have flat tires and few folks will have tube repair kits--but you will. Again, check the Big Box stores for kits--a couple of bucks each. You might want to get a dozen; sell for a silver half. Bring your tire pump to your micro-store and offer "complimentary" air.

22. Insect repellant. Living in near-jungle as I do, this one has special significance. I go through a number of Off spray cans every year working in the yard. With all the extra time we will be spending outside hauling water, gathering firewood, manning our Micro Store, and so forth, the bugs will be eating better than anyone. Check your local dollar store for deals on repellant. Price accordingly.

23. LED headlights (for your head, not your car)....I would stay away from the ones with "button" batteries and go for the ones that take AAs or AAAs. Depending on your cost, they would sell for about a silver quarter each or a quarter and a dime.

24. Sta-Bil or Pri-G. Consider this liquid plutonium. Get at least a dozen of the small bottles (treats five gallons of gasoline); sell for a [silver] quarter a bottle.

25. Hard candy. Another great promotion item--Get a couple of bulk jars at one of the warehouse clubs and give away candy to the kids (or to the parents to give to the kids) when they come to your store. These will bring everyone back sooner. A plastic jar of 200 "Atomic Fire Balls" was $6.95 at Sam's (the boys love these) and a similar size jar of Gummi Bears was $7.95. _SurvivalBlog

An interesting list for future shopkeepers of the post-doom world. What you are looking for in trade goods, is something that will pry precious silver from stingy fists. A lot of people who may be well stocked in necessities, may give a great deal for relatively frivolous non-necessities, if the cravings hit.

And what about useful light weight "tools" for the post-apocalypse? Here is a short list of 6 from survivalcache.com:

1. Duct Tape

The fame of duct tape has taken on a life of it’s own. What can you even say about it? (or it’s big brother Gorilla Tape, from the folks that brought you Gorilla Glue)

2. Zip Ties

From handcuffs to lashings and a thousand other ways to tie stuff together, you should have a stockpile of zip ties in every shape and size.

3. WD40

“If it moves and it shouldn’t; use Duct Tape. If it should move and it doesn’t; use WD40″

4. Rope

For those larger jobs that zip ties and duct tape just aren’t going to handle good rope is endlessly useful.

5. Knife

A knife is the bread and butter (pun intended) of every survival tool kit. You really should have one on your person at all times. For a list of good survival knives click here.

6. Pry Bar

or Utility Bar. You can pry, hammer, lift, smash, and just generally mess stuff up. (I need to do a full write up on the Stanley Functional Utility Bar or “FUBAR”) _SurvivalCache

In the comments section at the above link, many people mentioned the multi-tool as an essential post-TEOTWAWKI tool. Some preferred kevlar sail repair tape over duct tape. Others mentioned condoms, tampons, and sanitary pads. And then there are shovels, edge sharpeners, guns, and more. Portable musical instruments such as harmonicas, ukeleles, penny whistles, etc. could also find a market in a world suddenly without many popular entertainments.

Needless to say, anyone who could turn scrap iron into useful tools, implements, and connectors would find a ready market.

Smart, profit-oriented after-doom traders will particularly want to focus on the human vices: alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, marijuana, and items related to sex and gambling. A whisky still and fermenting tanks for beer would make good investments for a trading post.

Growing and selling herbs for seasoning and medicines could also prove a profitable venture for one who knew what he was doing. Soap and candles might also prove useful compact trade goods.

The list is almost inexhaustible. But it is good to consider things like this, if for no other reason than to refine your own prepper's list.

The US CDC in Atlanta Wants to Help You Prepare for Zombie Assault

The US Centers for Disease Control has released a graphic novel: "Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic." Here is the PDF download link for a text version of the "get ready for a zombie pandemic" graphic novel.

Our new graphic novel, "Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic" demonstrates the importance of being prepared in an entertaining way that people of all ages will enjoy. Readers follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins spreading, turning ordinary people into zombies. Stick around to the end for a surprising twist that will drive home the importance of being prepared for any emergency. Included in the novel is a Preparedness Checklist so that readers can get their family, workplace, or school ready before disaster strikes. _CDC_via_USAT

Zombies are not merely fictional monsters that we use to scare ourselves silly. Zombies are metaphors, stand-ins for people and things that we would like to be able to "deal with properly," but for one reason or another we have chosen not to.

In a zombie enactment such as one of the popular TV shows or motion pictures which feature these hordes of walking dead flesh-eaters, one might ask himself which he would rather be: a zombie, or one of the dwindling numbers of normal humans that get to kill as many zombies as they are able to do.

Here is where the parallel to real life begins to break down: In real life, anyone can be a "brain-dead zombie." But it is generally not permissible to shoot them between the eyes, or to take their heads off with a large knife -- unless you are a jihadi or otherwise on the front lines of some war or another.

This asymmetry in permissibility favours the zombie side of the equation even more than in the zombie movies. That is why you may want to read the CDC graphic novel, Preparedness 101. Then spend a little time thinking about what "zombies" actually represent in real life. And finally, consider permissible ways in which you can metaphorically "kill the zombies" in real life, without being sent to prison or a mental hospital for the criminally insane for the rest of your life.

Making Your Own Gunpowder for Fun and Fireworks

...all the ingredients for gunpowder are readily available side by side, no questions asked, in any garden center or home-improvement store. Charcoal is sold for grilling, and sulfur comes in bags that say “sulfur” in big letters (nice old ladies use it for dusting roses). But the key secret I never figured out back then is that most brands of stump remover are little more than pure saltpeter.


... I always ground the ingredients separately with a mortar and pestle and then mixed them gently without further grinding. This results in a powder that burns energetically but slowly: perfect, it turns out, for making sparkler cones. _PopSci

Making your own fireworks might be fun. Displaying your pyrotechnic skills would certainly impress family members, friends, and co-workers. If you decide to give it a try, be careful.

There may be other reasons for some people to learn to make gunpowder. Sales of guns and ammunition have been on the upswing in the US ever since it became apparent that Senator Obama was likely to become US President. That trend continues, and many gun aficiandos have complained about high prices and limited availability for many types of firearm and ammunition. Mr. Obama favours a stricter control of firearms, and holds the "bitter clingers to their guns" in high disdain.

The day may come in the US when a person will need to know how to fabricate his own weapons, and cook up his own gunpowder. Well, probably not. But if it ever happens, knowing how to build weapons and cook gunpowder and primer material might be a valuable commercial skill.

WARNING! Creating and igniting pyrotechnic mixtures of any kind, including gunpowder, is inherently dangerous and is illegal in some places. Harmless experimentation, especially by kids, can be taken very seriously by the authorities, so an adult must always be present and take full responsibility.
_PopSci

How to make smokeless gunpowder

Could You Restrict Outside Vehicular Access to Your Neighborhood?

During the recent multicultural events in London, a number of persons adopting a defensive posture against celebrants were overrun and killed by vehicles being driven by multicultural celebrants, who refused to be deterred. In such situations where there are too many multicultural partiers for ordinary law enforcement to contain, property owners and other non-celebrants must be able to somehow restrict vehicular access to outsiders. Otherwise they are apt to be overrun or burned out -- and thus become a statistic of the multicultural events in question.

The issue of how to restrict outsider access has been studied from a number of viewpoints. But for today we will just look at blocking access by conventional road vehicles.

This is a basic German vehicle barrier from WWII, simple and portable. It can be easily placed, but could also be moved out of the way if not fixed in the ground by some means. Such barriers could be placed in the evening according to a pre-arranged curfew, and removed at a designated time in early morning for outgoing commuters.

Welding Vehicle Barriers Together at US - Mexico Border
If separate simple vehicle barriers are welded together after placement, they are more effective against larger vehicles, and more difficult to move out of the way by intruders. These more permanent barriers would be appropriate to block rapid cross-country access along a property's flank, by nimble vehicles such as SUVs and motorcycles.

These are more sophisticated barriers which can be raised and lowered by electrical switch. They are also more expensive, and are likely to be totally ruined by one significant impact. Most useful over time as a deterrent.

Tirekiller
The "tire killer" barrier will destroy the rubber tires of an intruding vehicle, but may not actually stop the vehicle outside your perimeter if no other barriers are present. Be prepared to deal with anger issues on the part of the vehicle's driver.

Assortment of Vehicle Barrier Types

Passive vs. Active

Passive barriers can be used at entry points if traffic flow is restricted or rarely used. Passive barriers are normally used for perimeter protection.

Portability

What is involved if the barrier needs to be moved/repositioned? Some barriers are massive and heavy, requiring the use of heavy equipment for placement. Once placed, these barriers can only be moved by bringing in heavy lifting equipment, and cannot be quickly changed to allow access status for authorized vehicles. If portable, how easy is the barrier to carry, transport, stack, store, and put together/interlock? What is the time needed to deploy?

Width / Load Capacity

Are the appropriate widths available to fully protect while allowing passage of almost every type of vehicle?

...

Operation

Barriers can be operated manually, electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically. Can the system operate individually and in groups? Is there a manual override? Can the system work in manual operation in the event of power failure? Barrier direction should be instantly reversible at any point in its cycle from the control station(s). _Vehicle Barrier Design

There are number of different designs for both permanent and temporary vehicle barriers, depending upon anticipated needs. We will not discuss defenses for tracked vehicles or very large vehicles such as "tank traps," and save such topics for another time. Likewise we will not discuss caltrops or other lightweight and portable improvised barriers, for obvious reasons. For me to discuss improvised items such as defensive lines of braced wooden sticks with points on their ends placed at grill level -- like pikes -- would perhaps be going over the line, so I will also omit discussion of such things.

Regardless, the idea is to discourage outside celebrants from bringing an unwelcome party into your neighborhood, by vehicle.

The police will not necessarily approve of citizens taking their own protection into their own hands -- certainly the UK police were unhappy with such efforts by Londoners. But it is best to remind the police that in the event of multicultural celebrations of the type experienced by London, that their duty lies in preventing violence against law-abiding citizens, not in preventing law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves. Somehow UK police seem to have forgotten that obvious point.

Backyard Molten Salt Reactors for Suburban Apocalypse

The suburbs may not seem to be the best place to survive an apocalypse, but some people think it can be done.

Who knows how everything will shake out when the world goes to hell, but the suburbs may be well positioned to thrive with fewer resources, as Brown points out. Suburbs are close enough to the city to be convenient and encourage community building, yet spread out enough to offer yards and substantial garden space. (Suburban soil is also usually less contaminated than urban soil.) The houses are large enough to accommodate multigenerational households and cottage industries, which some demographers predict as coming trends. _CityPaper

Popsci
But you and I know that to well and truly survive an apocalypse in the suburbs, you are going to need a lot of juice -- in more senses than one. You will need plenty of fluids, true. You will also need plenty of heat and electrical power to survive the winters and power air conditioners through the summer. In a third sense of the word "juice", you will need plenty of clout and respect. And what better way to gain the respect of one's extended neighbors, than to have your own functioning nuclear power plant in your backyard?

Consider the thorium molten salt reactor, pictured above:

The MSR design has two primary safety advantages. Its liquid fuel remains at much lower pressures than the solid fuel in light-water plants. This greatly decreases the likelihood of an accident, such as the hydrogen explosions that occurred at Fukushima. Further, in the event of a power outage, a frozen salt plug within the reactor melts and the liquid fuel passively drains into tanks where it solidifes, stopping the fission reaction. “The molten-salt reactor is walk-away safe,” Kutsch says. “If you just abandoned it, it had no power, and the end of the world came--a comet hit Earth--it would cool down and solidify by itself.”

Although an MSR could also run on uranium or plutonium, using the less-radioactive element thorium, with a little plutonium or uranium as a catalyst, has both economic and safety advantages. Thorium is four times as abundant as uranium and is easier to mine, in part because of its lower radioactivity. The domestic supply could serve the U.S.’s electricity needs for centuries. Thorium is also exponentially more efficient than uranium. “In a traditional reactor, you’re burning up only a half a percent to maybe 3 percent of the uranium,” Kutsch says. “In a molten-salt reactor, you’re burning 99 percent of the thorium.” The result: One pound of thorium yields as much power as 300 pounds of uranium--or 3.5 million pounds of coal.

Because of this efficiency, a thorium MSR would produce far less waste than today’s plants. Uranium-based waste will remain hazardous for tens of thousands of years. With thorium, it’s more like a few hundred. As well, raw thorium is not fissile in and of itself, so it is not easily weaponized. “It can’t be used as a bomb,” Kutsch says. “You could have 1,000 pounds in your basement, and nothing would happen.”

Without the need for large cooling towers, MSRs can be much smaller than typical light-water plants, both physically and in power capacity. _PS

And the advantages of the thorium molten salt reactor go on and on. Even many greenies are on board for thorium MSRs.

It is likely to be touch and go to get Obama's nuclear regulatory commission to license the safer, newer, cheaper nuclear plants, but nuclear engineer Kirk Sorensen has founded a company named Flibe, to build and market the devices. Even if he has to go to China to build the reactors, you can always have one smuggled into your country of choice and installed in your back yard under a small carnival tent -- to hide it from annoying satellites.

Remember, if you have a reactor like this, you will have all the juice you could possibly need. You could even build a giant dome over your entire neighborhood and give it the climate of Tahiti year-round, if you like. Tropical fruits taste quite good, particularly in the middle of typical apocalyptic mass food shortages.

But don't get cocky. Once residents of surrounding suburbs and neighboring cities catch on to the fact that you had the foresight to prepare for the apocalypse, they will want a large piece of what you have. That is where juice -- and knowing how to use it -- truly comes in handy.

More on this topic in a future posting.

Previously published at Al Fin Potpourri