Odds ‘n Sods:

F.J.R. sent this from MacLife: Eight Apps for Wilderness Survival. The piece begins: “It might seem counterintuitive to rely on a device so associated with the comforts of civilization for survival in the wilds, but a well-prepared iPhone could mean the difference between life and death when stranded in the great outdoors…”

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Let’s hear it for home schools: They are educating kids better than public schools. (Thanks to Bob G. for the link.)

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Mike Williamson’s latest book Tour of Duty: Stories and Provocations will be released tomorrow.

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A privacy-minded reader in Bend, Oregon wrote to mention that he was having trouble finding a .50 BMG bolt action rifle from a private party seller. In the same e-mail he mentioned that he was in the process of parting up several AR-15s. Well, here are a couple of solutions for him: The Ferret .50 or the Safety Harbor .50. Any adult can buy these .50 BMG upper halves by mail order with no FFL paper trail (Form 4473) and then complete it with a generic AR-15 lower.