Day: June 7, 2009

Letter Re: Thermostatic Switches for Wood Heat Forced-Air Room Heating

James, [For for wood heat forced-air room heating], I recommend using one of these switches that opens when the temperature drops below 115 degrees, and closes when the temp rises above 130 degrees. Mount it where it will “see” the heat but not be exposed the maximum heater temperatures. On the support legs would probably be sufficient. This might have to run through a small relay that has contacts that can handle the motor starting and run currents. Depends on the fan motor ratings. Regards, – David H.


Letter Re: Advice for an M4 and AR-15 Newbie

Hello JWR: I recently bought my first AR-15[-family firearm], a Lewis Machine and Tool (LMT) Defender Carbine. I was wondering if you had any advice as to a good starter “book” on the AR generally, but also one that would assist in my rifleman’s training. I am an intermediate shooter on rifle, but am finding the AR to be a beast unto itself as far as “how” to shoot it. Can you recommend any text on complete takedown, best cleaning practices, replacement parts, and marksmanship with the M4 version of the AR would be very helpful. Thanks! – JB in …


Letter Re: A Useful Web Site on Government Auctions

Good evening, Mr. Rawles – I always enjoy reading your site and find it informative, with plenty of links and good advise on just about everything. One site I’d recommend for your readers is GovDeals.com. It has a wide variety of goods on an ongoing basis, with generators, trailers, tractors, and a lot more. I spotted one lot in particular that seems to be a kind of ‘starter barter kit’. I’m not connected with this web site in any way. In fact, most of the best ones seem to be too far away for me to take advantage of. “Them’s …



Economics and Investing:

Reader Ken M. mentioned that the full text of the book When Money Dies: The Nightmare of the Weimar Collapse is available at the Ludwig Von Mises Institute web site. Frequent content contributor KAF suggested a piece at the Fuelishness blog: Oil Prices Continue to Spike Despite Massive Surplus – Outpacing Economic Recovery Items from The Economatrix: Illinois Bank of Lincolnwood Fails, 37th For Year, 6th in State Dr. Gary North: Stock Market Investors Mindset of Guaranteed Economic Destruction “And when things turn out much worse than even most newsletter writers are forecasting, you will be hated. Are you prepared …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Grandpappy (a past prize winner in our writing contest) has posted a timely new article on low-cost ammunition at his site.    o o o Not surprisingly, this news story comes from Madison, one of Wisconsin’s most liberal meccas: Wisconsin City Cracks Down On Fake Guns. “Madison police are starting to tell children as early as first grade that the fake guns are dangerous and put both the holder and officers in dangerous positions.”    o o o JHB flagged this: Obama Now Wants Your Pocket Knife. Let’s nip this in the bud. Germany now has a ban on “ein …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Today, prayer is still a powerful force in America, and our faith in God is a mighty source of strength. Our Pledge of Allegiance states that we are ‘one nation under God,’ and our currency bears the motto, ‘In God we Trust.’ The morality and values such faith implies are deeply embedded in our national character. Our country embraces those principles by design, and we abandon them at our peril.” – President Ronald Wilson Reagan