“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” — Robert A. Heinlein

Monday, March 30, 2009

Top Survival Blogs

This isn't going to be a top 10 list. Survival blogs are so diverse (some mostly gun, some mostly political, etc) that they are hard to compare in a heads up sort of way.

I see it as a conversation a lot like this:

Questioner-What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Answering guy- At home or going out?
Q- Going out.
A- Fast food or sit down?
Q- Sit down.
A- Am I watching what I eat or splurging?
Q- Splurging.
A- Good restaurant or greasy spoon
Q- Good restaurant
A- Eggs Benedict.

Without being super specific I could not get a good answer and if you are too specific it frames the thing in favor of one blog or another. So instead of doing a top 10 I am going to name some categories and put my besty for them. As a special little trick you will have to click on the link to find out who it is.

Most informational. If you need to know how to make an 86 Ford diesel EMP proof or what kind of a inverter you need for a complicated solar panel setup this is the place to go.

Most entertaining. This is the place for me to go when I've just got 5 minutes to check the computer.

Best Female Blogger. This was really tough with a few gals in competition. It was made somewhat simpler by another Gal winning in a different category. This gal pulls ahead of the competition by consistently posting and consistently giving me blind flashes of the obvious.

Best Foreign Blogger. This guy writes better stuff that I do and English isn't even his native language. Come to think of it that pisses me off a little bit.

Wish he would stick around. Lots of faces come and go. They start off strong and get busy, disenchanted with the whole thing or run out of stuff to write about. I wish this dude would get to consistently posting already.

Most unique. We bloggers generally stick to a few predictable types of blogs. We either write theoretical stuff or concrete stuff. We tend to write almost exclusively about food, guns or politics. That leaves 6 options for a blogs composition that pretty accurately cover the bases for 90+% of blogs. Not this one! It is different and I like it.

Most like my blog. Nuf said. Clearly this blogger is a genius in addition to being a bad mo fo.

Most pissed off. Things aren't going very well in the world these days. This guy is PISSED OFF about it and he is going to make sure you know it.

Last but certainly not least:

My man for all things financial. Lots of people talk about financial stuff. While well intentioned I think lots of them are often far off the mark on things. I don't trust what they say because they work as a diesel mechanic and not an independently wealthy retired investor who works on diesel engines for fun.

Here is another one just to round out an even 10. I like that this guy knows what he is good at and sticks with it. He has great advice based upon his own experiences and actions. In addition to being consistently funny I often learn something useful if only for later down the road.

18 comments:

Brigid said...

Well thank you! I started writing it to keep in touch with my family out West, but it just sort of evolved. The days post may be anything from humor to ammo to my personal journal. I write it for me, but I'm so glad others enjoy.

theotherryan said...

Brigid, You are very welcome. I like the variety. Most places I have a pretty darn good idea what is coming but not at yours!

Wyn Boniface said...

Most like your blog moved! :( I will be slowly taken that one down. I removed the blog roll this morning on it and a few other things.

Carteach0 said...

Good choices. Thanks!

Shy Wolf said...

I'm in whole hearted agreement, Ryan- though I think I'd have given Mayberry the Onion Award as well- he's good and then he's good.
Brigid..well, she's in a class all her own. Dang, if I was in town...
Pearls...dang, she's married!
The rest, well- they have their place, but the top three are here, IMO.
Still, don't cut yourself short, you do a fine job as well and I, for one, appreciate it. Thank you.
Shy III

Stephen said...

Hell Ryan....I like your blog!

Anonymous said...

I think you missed the most important survival blog. M.D. Creekmore's Survivalist blog http://thesurvivalistblog - this is one of the big three in the preparedness community. Everyone else is second best.

Anonymous said...

theotherryan,

You are a spammer. You leave worthless comments on every blog you come across in the hopes someone will read your worthless crap of a blog site.

Who in the hell wants to get survival advice from a 23 year old punk kid, that by your own statements has no food storage to speak of and lives in an apartment.

The Other Mike S. said...

Hey, thanks for the cudos!

The Hermit said...

TOR, I think you can set your blog so trolls can't leave comments anonymously.

Jungle Mom said...

I checked them all out. Quite a collection!

Maggy said...

Brigid! You HAVE to give me that bacon muffin recipe!

theotherryan said...

Wyn Boniface, You seem like a nice enough person but I can't make head or tails of your comments.

Carteach0, Thanks!

Shy, Didn't think about the Onion Award. I didn't factor in the Gal's marital status into things. Don't think Wifey would like that.

Stephen, Thanks a lot.

9:20, I thought about what you said for about 4 hours between lunch and getting back home. I didn't play any favorites in this. I thought of the most interesting categories I could and went with the best in them. If I would have done a strait Top 10 list Mickey would have DEFINITELY been present and almost surely been pretty high on it. As this played out he was CLOSE in a couple categories but didn't quite edge out to number one.

TOM, You are very welcome! Keep on explaining all that complicated financial stuff so people like me can understand it.

Hermit, Yep. I've moderated comments in the past. Now I am busy and often gone for days on end so moderating would rob readers of the great transactional nature of the comments section. Usually I just ignore trolls but for whatever reason that one got me riled up.

Jungle Mom, They are a Motley Crue for sure.

Maggy, Check the comments section. She almost always puts the receipe in the comments section. I think she does it that way to avoid cluttering the post.

Maggy said...

TOR, God bless you! I didn't even think to look there! I will reward with Bacon Cupcakes next time your around.

theotherryan said...

Maggy, I've been hanging out at Brigids place for awhile now. That sounds great to me.

Wyn Boniface said...

TOR,

I am Kaiservontexas.

theotherryan said...

Wyn Boniface/ Kaiservontexan. Oh Ok.

I drive my tractor in pearls... said...

Thanks so much for including me and I am glad I didnt have to toe to toe with Brigid - girl is AWESOME!!!

Off to check out Maggie's blog - love gun chick blogs!

Pearls