There will be no show today as I will be spending the day reflecting on how much 2009 has changed our lives with my family.  There are several exciting announcements I want to share today.

• One – I have been answering a lot of emails from new and even long time listeners that tell me that many of the features on the Survival Podcast website may not be as easy to find and use as I think they are.  Hence I created a video tour, by Monday it will be featured on the home page of our site for all new listeners, until then you can check it out on YouTube by clicking here.

• Two – As I announced yesterday Western Botanicals one of our really great sponsors is now providing a free preferred membership to all Member’s Support Brigade participants.  This membership gets you 25% off EVERYTHING at the Western Botanicals Website.  The normal cost of this preferred membership is 50 dollars a year.  So this one benefit fully covers the cost of your MSB Membership.  Full details are on on the benefits page of the MSB Website.

• Three – Also mentioned on the show yesterday was that I am in communication with Dave Duffy of Backwoods Home Magazine about adding them as a supporter to the MSB.  We have a few details to work out on discount codes but it looks like we will be offering a 20% discount on first year subscriptions and 20% on several of their publications including “Growing and Canning Your Own Food“ by Jackie Clay and  “The Coming American Dictatorship” by John Silveira.  I am a long time reader of Backwoods Home and think they are a great addition to the MSB.  Even if you are not a MSB member and don’t get the discount I really recommend reading their web site and picking up a subscription to them.  You can do that at the Backwoods Home Website.

• Four – As I have mentioned a few times I am going to be a staff write with Ron Hoods new magazine, Survival.com Magazine.  The first edition is due out in February.  I really recommend subscribing to it as well.  Also remember all MSB Members get 10% off of all DVDs in the Survival.com General Store.

• Five – Sometime in the next week or two Bill Wilson (owner of Midwest Permaculture) will be on TSP as my guest to talk about sustainable agriculture and all permaculture principles.  Bill is a pretty amazing guy and I have learned a lot taking his Webinar Course already.  I think he will be a great guest so send all your permaculture questions to me as soon as possible and I will include them in the interview.  Again Bills website is called Midwest Permaculture and I am really enjoying his “Permaculture Webinar Course“.

• Six – As I have said a few times I am working hard on a new eBook called, “Mastering the 22 Rifle“.  This book should be finished before the end of January.  It is a treasure trove of rifle craft wisdom and will teach you everything I know about shooting the 22 effectively as a hunting and survival tool.  You can’t actually order the book yet, what you can do is click on the order button and get on a list to receive a large discount for registering in advance.  This eBook is a major project, there are going to be over 100 full color photographs in it.  Learn more at MasterRifleman.com

As you can see we are only 1 day into 2010 and TSP is already expanding, growing and looking for better ways to serve our entire community.  The next year will be exciting, I hope it brings you and your family greater joy, freedom, independence and opportunity then you have ever experienced before.  I think in the next few years our nation and our world is going to be seriously tested, out community will do well though.

Remember we do not prepare due to fear, we prepare so that we may destroy and abolish fear from our lives.  May your new year be blessed and keep on living that better life if times get tough or even if they don’t.

~ Jack