Black Swan events are events hat comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. Most preppers are preparing for such events.
The Black Swan describes black swan theory and how to thrive during such occurrences.The Author shows in a playful way that Black Swan events explain almost everything about our world, and yet we—especially the experts—are blind to them.
In this second edition, Taleb has added a new essay, On Robustness and Fragility, which offers tools to navigate and exploit a Black Swan world.
The idea of anti-fragility – being robust in the face of danger is something that we preparedness minded folks should understand and internalize.
I reccomend this book just for the added essay, but the entire book is definitely worth reading if you are a thinker type.
If you are a doer, and don’t care how things work then that’s okay too, It is easy to get bog down in the academic. I know that as I sit in my classes I am waiting for the nuggets of practical use.
I know that these things are important, but how can I use the information to make my life better…..
Preparedness is about making small sacrifices in normal times so that you do not have to make huge sacrifices in times of scarcity (at least in this host’s mind) – its not just about buying beans, bullets, and bandages – it’s also about learning, training, and building capability.
David has spent a lot of time taking skills and concepts learned in his professional field of emergency management and relating it to his family’s personal preparedness.
One of those things that relates is knowledge about critical incident stress management. Critical Incident Stress, and Critical Incident Management is directly related to long term responder performance – and un-managed stress can have debilitating effects on the individual and the group. In his time in emergency management, Dave has had the opportunity to attend multiple training courses in this area and has seen first hand how this sometimes overlooked skill is very important to dealing with emergencies at all levels.
In today’s episode David talks about what it is, how to deal with it, its relation to acute stress brought on by the Fight or Flight response, and introduces the concept of Critical Incident Stress Debriefings. This show won’t make you an expert in this field, but it is a good introduction to something valuable that is rarely considered in the personal preparedness community.
Now that I went back to corrections, I find I teach classes on this every month. Critical Incident Stress Management is a big deal, and I imagine it would be have an even bigger impact after a disaster.
The show is scheduled for Monday at 10pm central time at this link.
If you cannot listen on Monday, you can always download the podcast for listening at your own leisure.
You could search the internet for weeks and not find half of the expert survival sites in this unique guide. The Internet Guide to Survival and Self-Reliance comes with its own Web site to put all this information just a click away.
The book, The Internet Guide to Survival and Self-Reliance teaches you how to supply your own food, power and shelter; save loads of money; and spark your imagination with creative and resourceful new ways to live a self-reliant life.
While some of the links in the book are not longer active, this is a great concept, and the website address for the book’s site is very useful.
I wish I had thought of this and acted on it first – its that good of an idea.
While it is an older book on the internet, I think it is worth a read.
However, while I would buy this book again, I would try to find it at a used book store or otherwise at a discount. I got mine from the “scruffy” sale at Paladin Press, where they sell damaged books at a discount. Actually I get most of my more “Action” orientated books this way.
I guess the best thing I can say is that I wish I had done this first. Its a great idea for a book.
First of all, before I show you how to make portable PVC fishing gear I want to rant about prepper plans that are not as smart as many think.
Generally speaking, I think that for the VAST majority of preppers, having a “mountain man plan” of bugging out to the wilderness and living off the land is a dangerous fallacy.
In fact, there simply isn’t enough land to support everyone that has the skills to do so. Additionally, many individuals even think they have the skill level but don’t.
Although this may be true, it does not mean I don’t think that a well-rounded prepper should not have wilderness survival skills and equipment. Nor do I think that practicing outdoor skills is not fun and useful in its own right.
Consequently, I am looking forward to teaching Tell about outdoor living as he grows into manhood.
In the meantime, I want to share a outdoor living DIY tool. It is a PVC fishing setup that takes up very little space in a pack, and is pretty versatile if you have the skill to use it.
Alternatively, if you really want a sturdy line, you can use braided fishing line.
How to Make PVC Fishing Gear
Parts
3/4-inch MIP PVC plug
1 inch diameter schedule 40 PVC pipe (12-inch piece)
1 inch diameter PVC cap
18 inches black parachute cord
1 roll athletic tape
80 feet 3- to 10-pound-test fishing line
2 thick 1-inch-diameter rubber bands
3 of your favorite fishing lures
6 size-10 fishing hooks
8 size-5 split-shot weights
Black spray paint (optional)
Hacksaw
Drill with 1/4-inch bit
Procedure
If you’d like to have a black fishing pole, paint all of the PVC parts now. Let them dry near a heat source for an hour, or overnight at room temperature.
First, insert the ¾ inch MIP PVC plug into one end of the PVC pipe.
Next, cut a ½-inch-long slit into one side of the cap. Make the slit twice as wide as the saw blade is thick.
After that, drill a ¼-inch hole through the top of the cap.
Tie the ends of the parachute cord in an overhand knot and thread the other end of the resulting loop through the hole in the cap.
At the open end, cut a ½ inch long slit into the side of the pipe.
Put the cap on the pipe. Starting ¼- inch from the base of the cap, wrap 4 inches of pipe with athletic tape.
Cut a 1⁄16 inch deep groove across the pipe 4 inches from the plugged end. Do not cut through to the inside of the pipe.
Tie a clinch knot into the end of the fishing line. Make sure the line rests in the slit, and pull the knot tight.
Pull the fishing line toward the plugged end and wrap a 3-inch piece of tape around the pipe to cover the knot. This will not only hold the knot in place but also ensure that the line doesn’t snag on the knot when cast.
Wrap about 80 feet of fishing line around this piece of tape. Don’t cut the line yet. Just cover the wraps with the rubber band to hold them in place.
Using a clinch knot, tie your favorite lure to the end of the line.
Add Lures:
The inside of the tube is now your tackle box. Fill it with extra hooks, split shot, lures, and bobbers. You can even put a pocketknife in there.
Finally, put your newly tied lure into the pipe as well. Capture the fishing line in the gap formed by the slits in the cap and pipe. This gap will prevent the line from getting kinked and weakened.
Now you have a highly portable rod and tackle box.
To Use:
First of all, take off the cap and pull out the tied lure. Replace the cap and remove the rubber band.
Next, pull 3 feet of line off the spool and hold the rest of it on with your thumb. Swing the lure over your head in a counterclockwise motion. When you’ve got it swinging as fast as you can, whip the lure toward the water and take your thumb off the spool.
Finally, slowly wrap the line around the pipe to reel it in. When you feel the fish bite, give the line a quick jerk to set the hook and reel it in.
I like having some portable fishing gear in my kit but its not as efficient as using normal fishing gear. Plus I miss not having my electronic fish finder.
If you have pictures of you using such a piece of equipment send them to me, and I will post them here…
Preparedness is about making small sacrifices in normal times so that you do not have to make huge sacrifices in times of scarcity (at least in this host’s mind) – its not just about buying beans, bullets, and bandages – it’s also about learning, training, and building capability.
You could search the internet for weeks and not find half of the expert survival sites in this unique guide. The Internet Guide to Survival and Self-Reliance comes with its own Web site to put all this information just a click away.
