Survivalist Saturday II- Surviving World War III

It's another Saturday, and time again for another Survivalist feature, where I expound the useless (for now, at least! Little do you know...) knowledge I've gained in the realm of getting through various calamities without being killed, maimed, zombified, or worse.
To-day, I'll address a pressing topic- World War III. Though it might be tempting to state that World War III might be merely another conventional conflict between major powers (say the US and China), such a supposition is mistaken. Everyone knows that it's not officially World War III until mushroom clouds rise over well-known American landmarks accompanied by dramatic music of some sort. In addition, such a nuclear exchange must be unlimited in scope, and against purely civilian targets for maximum dramatic effect.
Naturally, one's first concern in surviving this apocalyptic war is getting through the nuclear strikes. If you live in a city, forget it. There's a nuclear warhead sitting in a Russian/Chinese/Islamic silo with your name on it. The only preparation you can engage in is the time-honoured paratrooper tradition of "putting your head between your legs and kissing your ass good-bye." Besides, if you live in the cities, chances are you're a metrosexual, and the world would be better if we were rid of the whole lot of you.
For those in the suburbs, you have to worry about proximity effects of a nuclear detonation. It's likely you're far enough away from the blast centre, which will be right over an instantly-recognisable landmark in your city, to be safe from the initial blast effects. Overpressure might still be a factor, but if it doesn't crush you so you resemble your shriveled suburbanite spirit you have a good chance.
The best case scenario is if you have a fallout shelter prepared. You should keep about 30 days of supplies for all those you intend to take into the shelter. There should also be an appropriate ratio of females to males (10:1) for re-populating the Earth after the radiation dies down. This will be covered further in the "getting things back to normal" section in the coming weeks.
Spending 30 days in a fall-out shelter is not fun, even with ten women to look after you. You'll need a shotgun of some type, because desperate survivors will undoubtedly come to your shelter. You have no choice but to shoot them because they're either a)insane with hunger and want your womenfolk or b)zombies of some sort. It's the end of civilisation: you don't worry about impressing Miss Manners because she's probably an atomic zombie anyway.
If you don't have a fallout shelter, then shame on you! You can still survive by sealing off a room in your house and keeping in the centre. Gamma (deep-penetrating) radiation only usually accompanies the blast. Fallout particles emit primarily alpha and beta radiation. Both of these can be blocked by a thick wall. The chief problem with fallout is letting it into the body by breathing it or eating it. Canned foods and HEPA filters, combined with an air-tight room, fix this problem. Alternatively, you can make your bed into a fallout shelter in its own right with the bullet-proof, chemical-resistant and fire-retardant Quantum Sleeper for a mere $100,000 or so. No word on zombie-proofing yet, though you could fit your shotgun near the integral DVD player.
In the country, you have a few days before the wind brings the fallout from the cities to your area. This gives you some time to prepare. There are some emergency shelters you can throw up, even in under 24 hours, which should protect you fine. Plus, since you're an unenlightened rural denizen in "flyover country", you don't represent the same level of threat to our new Soviet/Islamic overlords as do the herd of independent thinkers on the coastlines. Regardless, zombies to get hungry, and there just aren't that many braaaiiinnnnsssss in the city to go around. Keep pa's shotgun handy.
The next question is "am I a target?" In the short version, the answer is yes. Remember, during the cold war threat of nuclear bombardment kept people in line, so no matter where one lived, one was always about #5 on the "to hit" list kept in the Kremlin. Why #5? Why not? A high position on the nuclear strike list is a tacit admission of your relative importance, and serves as a vehicle for local pride. Insert the name of a moderately-significant industrial facility in your area, and the answer becomes quite clear! Just don't look at the real list, where #5 is probably a US Nuclear Submarine Base or some other strategic military target. It does nothing for local pride.
Of course, if you live in Los Angeles or Berkeley, don't count on getting hit. Our new Soviet/Islamic/Robotic and/or Zombie overlords need a version of the French Vichy government to keep the population in line, and you're just what they need! The same deal goes for Singapore, even if it isn't in the US and therefore doesn't really count for anything.
Remember, keep in the shelter for 30 days, and then prepare for the next step in your adventure- surviving the death squads which invariably arise in any post-apocalyptic situation!
Here are some plans for fallout shelters of every sort for your perusal: Fallout Shelters