Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader James M. sent us this safety note: If making a smoker conversion to a discarded refrigerator (as described in a recent posted link), “make sure to use only chrome-plated racks. The-zinc plated racks will react with the acids in the food and toxify the food being smoked.”

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I found this at Fleet Street Daily: Introducing Gideon Gono, a Proven Deflation Fighter (“Zimbabwe’s inflation estimated at 89.7 sextillion percent”.) And now, from Cheryl, our volunteer Economic Editor: Black Friday Shoppers Out in Force, But CautiousWal-Mart Employee Dies as Shoppers Stampede (A Wal-Mart employee died as Long Island bargain-hunters stormed the doors as he was opening them. A witness said that the shoppers “were savages.” Imagine what will happen with the grits really start hitting the fan.) — RBS to be Taken Over by British GovernmentSpain Injects ‚Ǩ11 Billion into Sagging EconomyCalifornia Has Higher Bankruptcy Risk than SlovakiaJapan Factory Output Points to Deep RecessionFirst Credit Crunch Traced Back to Rome in 66 BCGold Doubling if COMEX DefaultsPension Agency Sounding Alarm on Big Three Automakers (The Big Three plan to use pension funds to “restructure” businesses — October Durable Orders Down 6.2%, Transportation Orders FallMeltdown Far from Over, New (Commercial) Mortgage Crisis Looms

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Reader K.L.D. recommended this article over at CultureChange.org: Survivalism: for Peak Oilers and Ecotopians Too?

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I just heard that Safecastle now has some Celox wound coagulant back in stock and ready for immediate shipment.

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Mike Williamson sent us a link to a fascinating photo retrospective of America in the 1930s, in some early color photographs.