June 2013 – SHTFplan

The June 2013 Featured Website of the Month is SHTFplan.  Mac Slavo’s site is one of the most popular in the alternative media/preparedness world.  Mac has an eye for news that is relevant to preppers and those who are keeping an eye on all the “balloons in the air.”  Not only does Mac have an eye for relevant information, he is an awesome writer.  SHTFplan has always been a daily read for me.  No matter what is going on, I make sure that I read the latest posts.  Another thing that makes SHTFplan a great website is the community that comes together to enhance and elaborate on Mac’s posts.  They’ll tell it like it is.

Mac took time out of his busy schedule to put a lot of thought (and links! 😉 ) into his answers.  I really appreciate it!  And  I know that those of you who read his answers will appreciate it too!

Summarize the focus and purpose of your website. –My primary goal is to get information out there to people so that they can plan and prepare for what I think is an inevitability in any given lifetime. Far from equilibrium events happen. Sometimes it’s a personal emergency like extended job loss or a serious medical condition. Or it could be a widespread event that impacts the entire planet, such as a natural disaster or, as we’ve seen in recent years, an economic calamity.

In addition to publishing articles geared towards tips and strategies for preparedness, I think regularly keeping abreast of global news and key developments will give us the heads up on what to expect if and when the S hits the fan.

I’m of the view that understanding the threats we face, both natural and man-made, is of great importance to keeping us ready for whatever may come our way. We may not be able to predict earthquakes, or Tsunamis or power solar flares, but empowering people with the understanding that these things do happen and providing them with a realistic perspective on their after effects make us that much more confident and effective should the worst come to pass.

The same holds true for “man-made” events. The financial collapse, for example, was something that not many people worldwide saw coming. In fact, most completely shunned the notion that the boom times could come to an end. Well, they did end, and tens of millions of people globally have experienced personal upheaval as a result. The things is – the signs were there, everywhere in fact. Few chose to pay attention.

There are people in Greece as well as here in America who are, right now, sorting through dumpsters for their next meal. Sometimes shit happens.

My purpose is to do my best to prepare my family for when it does. And SHTFplan.com is there to help others do the same.

Here’s the thing — my life doesn’t revolve around preparedness, but I do try to be mindful of the things going on around me. It’s a lifestyle really, and SHTfplan is one extension of that.

What made you decide to start a website? – I’ve always been a “conspiracy theorist,” if you will. Self admitted. In high school, I was the kid always annoying my friends about commie takeovers, government intrusion, and even UFO activity outside of top secret installations.

So, for years I have been talking to or corresponding with friends and family about all manner of “somethin’ ain’t right” information.

Back in 2008, we were lighting up emails back and forth, and finally, in the interest of saving time, I set up the site to share thoughts, articles, videos, etc. with friends, family and anyone who might be interested.

It was a hobby – and still is.

If I hadn’t made the “red list” for all the sites I surfed and emails I sent prior to setting up SHTFplan, I am pretty sure I’ve made it now!

How long have you run your website? – It’s been around five years or so — wow, time flies.

How much time do you spend dedicated to your website? – Every waking minute!  Haha!

I try to balance work and play. But you know how it is… it’s hard to completely disconnect!

It’s all about being free – SHTFplan has always been a great outlet for me, and a fun place to spend my time reading the insights from the many community contributors who take part in the discussions. So while I dedicate a fairly large portion of my time to the site and other projects related to the site, I find it to be an important aspect of my life.

What is one thing you really like about your website? – While I regularly post material on the site, the magic really happens in the community discussions.

There are tens of thousands of visitors who have shared their stories, experiences, thoughts and ideas over the years. It is truly amazing to see people so openly talk and help each other out.

SHTFplan would not be what it is without the people who dedicate their personal time and resources to keeping the conversation going on a daily basis.

There are so many of you out there — I wish I could thank each of you personally. You’ve really made a difference in my life and the lives of others!

What is one thing that you want to change about your website? – The web site has grown so rapidly that I’ve kind of fallen a little behind on the available technology a bit.

One thing we’ve been working on and will be updating soon is how users are able to interact with each other. Currently most discussions are isolated to commenting areas on articles, videos or information I personally post.

Our next update will be community-centric, making it possible for people to create their own discussions, post news as it happens, and share any knowledge they want to get out there.

I’ve dubbed it “Project Iowa” after one of our regular contributors who has been a key motivator in getting me moving on this.

We’ve got some other really cool things coming as well.

Tell us something about yourself that no one else knows. – There’s nothing to see here… move along… haha

Other than your site, what is your favorite non-preparedness websites to visit? – Oh man — this is a tough one. I seriously visit hundreds of sites a week.

PrepperWebsite.com is an awesome one — your readers should definitely bookmark that one! The thing is, there are so many really incredible people out there, doing incredible research, video production and publishing that we could create a whole links page of MUST-READS.

I regularly visit Infowars.com, SurvivalBlog.com, SGTreport.com, ReadyNutrition.com, TheOrganicPrepper.ca, TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com, SteveQuayle.com, Rense.com, StanDeyo.com, ActivistPost.com, TheDailyCrux.com, ZeroHedge, Alt-Market.com, Market-Ticker.org, BlackListedNews.com, WhatReallyHappened.com, HomelandSecurityUS.com, HuffingtonPost.com… There’s also some guy out there named Drudge that does some good work…

Also, I can’t forget TheDailySheeple.com (In the interest of disclosure, I am a co-creator of the Sheeple, but we have an awesome research/editing team that ranks up there with some of the best in alternative media).

I have left scores of awesome web sites out of the list… it’s not intentional…. Todd is putting the screws to me on this one and I can’t think under pressure!

Do you have anything (projects, special posts, redesign) in store for the future of your website? – As I mentioned earlier, we are working to really improve the personal interaction on the SHTFplan web site.

But over the years we’ve also developed kind of a loosely knit organization of some really great people who have similar goals in mind. We are actively working on some new ‘Top Secret’ projects that will hopefully come to fruition soon.

The NSA, of course, already knows about them, but for the time being we’ll keep it on the down low until we can get everything working the way we want it.

Essentially though, all of our current projects are focused on the idea of ‘crowd-sourcing’ (for lack of a better term)… They are people and community focused to help information spread rapidly as it becomes available. That could be anything from something happening in your hometown, or something of national or global significance. The goal is to make it all readily available to people, in real-time and without restriction, so individuals and groups can be informed and take action as they see fit.

Hopefully coming soon to an internet near you!

What were the three books you last read? (Be honest) – So, the most recent book I have read is The Prepper’s Cookbook… My wife Tess wrote it, but I swear I didn’t read it because she made me. I’ve been taste-testing hundreds of recipes (and gained about 10 pounds in the process) for the last 18 months or so. I know that this is essentially a biased plug for her book, but seriously folks, it’s solid and well worth putting in your library. It’s not just recipes, but some fantastic preparedness advice we have incorporated into our daily lives.

I have recently re-read The Crash of 2008 and What It Means by George Soros. While he’s not so popular in the alt media world, he is extremely intelligent and influential. And back in 2008 when he updated the book he literally outlined the exact steps that governments and central banks would take in an attempt to mitigate our current crisis. I re-read it see how his ideas played out… Let’s just say it was basically the groundwork for everything they’re doing right now. Of course, we don’t know the end result of all of these machinations, but we will soon enough. (I’m not optimistic as it relates to where we’re headed next on a global financial, economic and monetary scale).

Another book I have been reading on and off when I get a chance is Toxic Sludge is Good for You by John Stauber. It was a gift from my brother and its an eye opener. We can all easily identify when someone is slamming us with an advertisement on the TV or a billboard. Living in the 21st century we’re much more savvy at knowing when something is being promoted than our parents or grandparents were. But, how many of us realize when we’re being hit with a public relations campaign? If you want to know how they manipulate our perceptions on literally every level, then check out this book.

There are several others I have read in the last few months as well that I’ve either finished, am halfway into, or are on the list.

The Beginning of the End by Michael Snyder, Founders: A novel of the Coming Collapse by James Rawles, Beyond Collapse: How to rebuild civilization by TJ Miller, Contact: A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival by Max Velocity, The Unthinkable by Amanda Ripley.. All good books worthy of a read… there are so many more.. I just checked my Amazon wishlist and there are 20 unordered books sitting in there… sometimes 24 hours in a day isn’t enough.

What would you like to say to readers at the Prepper Website? – Todd is awesome! I have met him in person… I think we were both a little cautious going into it, and what I thought might be a 30 minute meet-and-greet turned into a 4 hour pow-wow!

The general consensus by those outside of our ‘self reliance sphere’ is that we’re all a bit nuts. While that may or may not be true (who am I to self diagnose?!), I feel confident that the way I am living my life is the right way to live it based on all of the information I  have available. Rather than stressing out about the world around me, I feel much more confident now that I have been empowered with knowledge and acted on the insights I’ve gained.

Spiritually, Physically, Emotionally and Mentally I have achieved a level of relative peace, and that has only been made possible because of the people around me – whether they be in my immediate presence or in the virtual world. SHTFplan and the many people the web site has given me the opportunity to meet and interact with has made life all the more interesting.

So, if ever you feel a bit nuts or alone in your thoughts, it’s important to understand there are people out there who are like-minded and like-hearted. We don’t have to be alone, and web site like yours, SHTFplan and the many others out there make it possible for all of us to interact, work together, and even make REAL change happen.

I’ve seen a dramatic shift from consumers of mainstream news/entertainment to alternative media, especially in the social sphere.

The internet has made it possible for all of us to become better educated, better informed, and most importantly, to find people with similar interests that we can bring into our personal circles.

Bottom line: I am glad I took the red pill.

In closing – and I am sorry if I have rambled a bit – I just want to thank you, Todd, all of your readers, all of the SHTFplan readers and contributors, and everyone out there who has played a role in making me the person I am today.

Is that cheesy?

Maybe.

But it’s true.

Thanks all!