Publication day is getting closer . . .

Miss D. and I are in the final stages of preparation to publish my first novel on Amazon.  Look for an announcement next week, if all goes well. The last-minute details are both fun and frustrating!  There’s the cover to fix up;  we’ve already selected the art, but now there’s the choice of font, layout,… Continue reading Publication day is getting closer . . .

Emergency Preparation, Part 11: “How America’s Cities May Explode In Violence”

Author ‘Matthew Bracken‘ (it’s a pseudonym, AFAIK), author of the controversial book ‘Enemies Foreign And Domestic’ and several sequels, has written a very grim article predicting possible violence in America’s cities as the current economic crisis worsens.  Here’s an excerpt. Instead of a small town in the South as the flash point, picture instead a… Continue reading Emergency Preparation, Part 11: “How America’s Cities May Explode In Violence”

Emergency Preparation, Part 8: Some useful articles

I’ve been meaning to write more articles on emergency preparation from a basic, common-sense perspective, but life, the universe and everything have been getting in the way.  To keep the topic going, here are some links to useful articles and resources I’ve come across in recent weeks.  Click on the title of each section to… Continue reading Emergency Preparation, Part 8: Some useful articles

Emergency preparations, Part 6: Cash and Barter

In this article, I’d like to consider the usefulness of having cash on hand, as well as alternatives to cash for barter. Let’s start with cash. I’d always kept a few hundred dollars in reserve, in case of need, but during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 I found I didn’t have nearly enough! (I wrote about… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 6: Cash and Barter

The implications of the latest ‘stress test’ for US banks

This may seem boring and uninteresting, but bear with me, read the information provided, and then see my commentary below. This is very important stuff. According to a press release today from the Federal Reserve: The Federal Reserve on Monday released a paper describing the methodology used in the stress test in the 2012 Comprehensive… Continue reading The implications of the latest ‘stress test’ for US banks

Emergency preparations, Part 5: Planning your food reserves

(Other articles in this series are listed in the sidebar, or you can click here to display them all in reverse chronological order.) When planning your emergency food reserves, there are a few very important guidelines you should follow. Also, bear in mind that we’re speaking of a one-month reserve of food in these articles.… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 5: Planning your food reserves

Emergency preparations, Part 3: Get real!

(Other articles in this series are listed in the sidebar, or you can click here to display them all in reverse chronological order.) When making emergency preparations, it’s vitally important to be realistic and pragmatic about what you can, and cannot, reasonably expect to accomplish, and the threats with which you’re likely to be confronted.… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 3: Get real!

Emergency preparations, Part 2: In praise of the 5-gallon bucket

Your emergency preparation kit will contain all sorts of essentials, but there’s one that comes right at the top of the list for versatility, convenience and all-round utility. That’s the humble 5-gallon bucket, available from any number of vendors, local or online. You can get them for as little as $2.50 (bright orange ones from… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 2: In praise of the 5-gallon bucket

Emergency preparations, Part 1

I’ve advised in the past that individuals and families should prepare for civil disruption as a result of deteriorating economic conditions. I’m not a dyed-in-the-wool ‘survivalist‘ – I don’t believe it’ll be possible for most of us to survive a complete collapse of society, no matter how well prepared we may be as individuals. For… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 1