Day: April 22, 2013

Note from JWR:

I learned about the planned Internet Blackout for today at the 11th Hour, after I had already assembled and edited all of the posts. So instead of blacking out my blog site, I’m merely delaying posting a feature article that I had written. I have also specially selected a quote of the day. Granted, these are just token protests, but I believe that the CISPA Bill is bad legislation, and that it should be stopped. The bill is on its way to the Senate, so please add it to your list of topics for the next time that you contact …


Pat’s Product Review: Speedy Sharp

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I’ve been around knives since I was about five years old. For a time, I collected custom made knives, but that “hobby” got too expensive for me. For close to 20 years I was the West Coast Field Editor for Knives Illustrated magazine. I believe I wrote for them longer than anyone else did. During that time, I wrote numerous magazine articles, and had at least a thousand different knife samples pass through my hands. When I first started writing about knives, there were a lot of knives that came across my desk that weren’t very sharp – I’m glad …


Letter Re: A Privacy Lesson From the Boston Bombing Investigation

Jim. I learned something from the recent Boston terrorist incident….though it passed very quickly in a reporter’s interview – and even though the reporter was interrupted and didn’t get to finish her thought. In regards to one of the bombers, the reporter said something like  “We can tell from the contents of his “Wish List” online, that he”  ……..(not exact quote). so… I was aware that Amazon.com had a “Wish List” that shoppers can create.  I had NOT been aware that you can search for anyone’s “Wish Lists”, but you can. So everybody needs to know that any Wish List …


Letter Re: A New Pandemic Threat On the Horizon: H7N9

Dear Editor, I am an emergency physician practicing in Southern Californistan. I share TXNurse’s concern about influenza in general, and especially new variants of Avian Influenza, like H7N9.   Her information is current and valuable.  I would urge standard OPSEC on this information if you are a nurse or physician or other health worker. Many of my colleagues pooh-pooh my concerns about Influenza.  They just don’t believe it.  And these are educated physicians!  Given many of them are liberal and believe FEMA will protect them and all that, but even so you would expect a nod from other physicians about …


Recipe of the Week:

Wayne B.’s Homemade Ranch Dressing Dry Ranch Mix 1/2 cup instant minced onion 1/4 cup onion salt 1/4 cup garlic salt 1/4 cup onion powder 1/4 cup garlic powder 2 cups dry parsley flakes 2 tablespoons dry dill weed Measure first five ingredients, minced onion, onion salt, garlic salt, onion powder and garlic powder, into a blender or food processor and blend until combined. Stir in parsley and dill. Store and keep mix dry. A Mason jar or freezer bag work well. Label and include instructions for dressing or dip. Label it. You think you will remember, but you won’t. …



Odds ‘n Sods:

I fail to see how the capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a great victory for law enforcement. That fact is that he was captured outside of their much-vaunted perimeter, and he wasn’t ferreted out by The Donut Eaters. Rather, some blood stains were found on a shrink-wrapped boat by its owner, and he summoned the police. These was a failure of law enforcement of epic proportions. Furthermore, kicking in doors on several streets in Watertown, Massachusetts without benefit of search warrants didn’t exactly make make friends and influence people. It was more like a dress rehearsal for martial law. Next …