2012 has been the topic of much sensationalism. You’ve no doubt heard some of it. Could this be the year everything comes crashing down?

Will solar cycle 24 bring flares that hamper communications and knock out the power grid? Will we have more Fukushima-type events? or will it be the economy that brings us down?

What if it’s a combination of one or more of these? What if it’s something nobody’s expecting at all?

Or what if 2012 proves to be a non-event like Y2K?

But are there real threats this year? Will we see the end of the world? How should we take the hype? What’s real and what’s not?

Crystal Abrahams is the author of 2012 Survival Guide: Will You Be Ready? and she was my guest yesterday on DestinySurvival Radio.

Oddly enough, we started by pondering the possibility that nothing may happen. That’s important to prepare for, too. You don’t want to make a life changing mistake you’ll have to live down for years to come.

The similarities and differences between 2012 and Y2K influenced my discussion with Crystal. Regardless of what you may thought of Y2K, we live in a very different time now with a different set of threats.

One similarity between now and 1999 is the possibility the power grid could go down. Granted, it may happen for different reasons than many thought in those pre-Y2K days, but the possibility of long term power outage does exist.

Perhaps an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) from atomic blast, as in One Second After will do it. Maybe a monster solar storm will be the culprit. On the other hand, maybe the whole system won’t go down. But how well prepared are you to live off the grid if your area is affected?

Did you know there are those who can control the power in your home? Would officials shut off your power during martial law? Find out from yesterday’s DestinySurvival Radio why Crystal Abrahams wants to get off the grid.

Will December 21,2012 be a significant date, as some say, according to the Mayan calendar? While we may not see the end of the world on that day, there are certain events that will converge around that time which bear watching.

What role might HAARP, chemtrails and Fukushima radiation play in the remainder of this year? Will we have a super eruption from a volcano? What if we have another catastrophe like Fukushima or the BP Gulf spew? Only time will tell.

Crystal’s book, 2012 Survival Guide, is a large book that covers an incredible array of possible scenarios and solutions. She delves into the realm the uninitiated would call “conspiracy theory.” But there’s plenty of documentation to back up what she says. In the kind of world we live in these days, it would be foolish to overlook it.

We obviously didn’t have time on my show to go into much of the book’s contents. I encourage you to get a copy and explore it for yourself. You’ll find that it will be good for years after 2012–assuming we’re all still here.

Be sure to hear my interview with Crystal by listening to DestinySurvival Radio for January 26, 2012. A few months ago I featured Crystal’s book as an Amazon Pick of the Week, which you can view here You can also view Crystal’s site directly at http://www.crystalabrahams.com.

You can also get an overview of Crystal’s thoughts on 2012 in the video below.

What do you think? Will 2012 prove to be a wild ride or a dud like Y2K? What threats do you think are real or contrived? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

The following information comes courtesy of IT’S A DISASTER! e-news Jan 2012.

You may be aware there’s some controversy about the effectiveness of the “drop, cover and hold” procedure during an earthquake. Watch the short video below to find out about the Triangle of Life. Which would you rather do during an earthquake?

Military manuals are a good resource for info about survival techniques. If you have an Amazon Kindle, you can get a bundle of them in one package and get access to many more.

It’s the Survival Manual US Army 2002 and U.S. Army Ranger Handbook 2010, Combined, Plus 500 free US military manuals and US Armyfi eld manuals [Kindle Edition]. And it’s this week’s DestinySurvival Amazon Pick of the Week.

I don’t normally promote the Kindle or books for it, but from what Kindle owners tell me, there’s one distinct advantage to having one. You can read e-books on it, then decide whether or not to buy the hard copy.

In a post-collapse survival situation, books will outlast e-readers and the Internet.. Therefore, hard copy print books will be of greater value. A significant advantage is that they don’t require batteries.

This bundle of military manuals is a real asset because it contains material from the United States Army Infantry School, RANGER TRAINING BRIGADE, U.S. Government, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Military, and the U.S. Army. It’s about 1,027 pages, and Amazon notes it may take longer than normal to download because of its size.

You may not need to know how Infantry squad- and platoon-sized elements conduct combat operations in varied terrains. But you may need to know about things like survival psychology, basic medicine, edible plants, poisonous snakes, communications, firearms safety, cloud formations, how to tie knots, and more.

You’ll find all the information you need to survive just about anywhere and in all kinds of adverse situations. And you never know when you might need to know skills like personal camouflage and signaling techniques.

These military manuals for the Kindle are reference materials, not something you’d sit down and read for pleasure. My suggestion is to look through what comes with this package, then decide what you want hard copies of. Amazon carries plenty of printed military survival manuals to choose from.

Get your copy of the Survival Manual US Army 2002 and U.S. Army Ranger Handbook 2010, Combined, Plus 500 free US military manuals and US Army field manuals [Kindle Edition]. Click on its image below, and you’ll be taken to the Amazon.com page where it’s featured.

If you have this package or other military manuals, I’d be interested in knowing what info you find beneficial for prepping and survival. Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Fortunately, getting snowed in doesn’t always mean you’ll lose power at home. It’s the ice storms that cause the most havoc.

If you’ve got a way to heat water, meals during a winter storm will be much easier with meal pouches from Wise Food Storage. You’ll want to take advantage of the special offer which appears just below these winter safety tips.

Professional herbalist Shonda Parker was my guest yesterday on DestinySurvival Radio. When it comes to herbalism and alternative medicine for your family, how can you sort out the truth from the baloney? We discussed that and more.

I first heard about Shonda on Vickilynn Haycraft’s show on PRN, where you hear DestinySurvival Radio. Shonda co-authored Naturally Healthy Cuisine: Real Food for Real Families with Vickilynn. She’s also written Naturally Healthy Pregnancy, Mommy Diagnostics, and Naturally Healthy Woman.

Shonda offers several practical courses on her Web site as well. She has also developed her own product line especially for women’s health. And she’s responsible for formulating about 30 other herbal products she hopes will be on the market in a few months.

Necessity drove Shonda to explore herbalism and natural healing. She discovered herbs offer a means of preventing a lot of illnesses and problems. They’re the best line of defense for common ailments, like upset stomach or colds. And they’re more gentle as medicine. They’re important as food, too.

It’s her passion to see more herbalists serving the needs of their communities. She’s not opposed to conventional medicine. In fact, she has had to make use of it herself to get through major health challenges.

Nonetheless, she believes in the body’s ability to help itself overcome the majority of the illnesses it faces. But it’s important to be well informed when you have to make those tough choices.

I asked Shonda how she sorts through the mixed messages from so many who teach herbalism. In a nutshell, coming from a Christian perspective, she does her best to be discerning and determine what’s effective and safe.

She also shared insights on finding a trustworthy herbalist. Or you might consider becoming one yourself.

Making herbal medicines may seem intimidating, especially at first, but Shonda encourages you to have fun with it. It’s not difficult to make an infusion or a tincture. She says if you can make tea, you can make herbal medicine. Plenty of resources are available to help get you started.

It’s best to buy herbs in bulk. One of the sources she recommends is Mountain Rose Herbs, which happens to be a DestinySurvival affiliate sponsor. Shonda recommends making a big batch of something like a tincture because it stores better in that form. Be sure to keep it out of heat and light. A tincture may store for five years.

Shonda is providing a valuable service and ministry outreach to women and families. She’s accomplished a lot and has been through a lot, all while being mother to seven children. I found her to be well spoken, down to earth and encouraging.

You’ll want to hear the whole discussion I had with her on DestinySurvival Radio for January 19, 2012. Shonda’s informative Web site and blog are at http://www.naturallyhealthy.org.

As the late Paul Harvey might have said, “Here is a strange.”

Did you know FEMA is looking to the stars? A FEMA manual for firefighters includes a chapter on dealing with a UFO attack.

In fact, it’s chapter 13.

Firefighters are told to be prepared for outages of radios and headlights. The thought crossed my mind that a widespread EMP would bring about the same result. Is this a sensational way of preparing for that?

But wait. Does the government really believe there are aliens out there? Didn’t the Obama administration say a few months back that there’s been no government cover-up regarding UFO’s? That means there aren’t any to cover up, right?

Or could FEMA be preparing for a faked UFO contact as in the famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast in 1938? Think of the impact that broadcast had. These days an event could be brought about complete with movie-like special effects.

What do you think? Should FEMA be training firefighters to be ready for an outer space attack? Should you and I be prepared for it? Watch the video below and leave a comment with your thoughts.