Odds ‘n Sods:

I recently had the opportunity to tour Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (commonly called “The U.P.” or “Upper Michigan”) for the first time. It is a large, mostly forested expanse with a fairly light population density. The region measures 16,377 square miles–nearly twice the size of New Jersey. It is known for mosquitoes in the summer months and brutal cold and deep snow in the winter months. The folks there seem friendly and predominantly conservative. The only disappointments were seeing the scarcity of home vegetable gardens (and greenhouses), the scarcity of livestock, and seeing not nearly as much commercial row crop agriculture as I had expected. Together, these factors make the region less suitable for self-sufficiency in the event of a grid-down collapse. – JWR

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Patrice Lewis:  Why we garden in tires.

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10 DIY Home Hacks Every 30-Something Should Know

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Reader Peter S. alerted us to yet another concealed carry self defense success story:  Man shot, killed after robbing 2 at gunpoint in Tacoma

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This gives new meaning to the phrase “conflict of interest”: Hillary In Leaked Email: Saudi Arabia And Qatar Are Funding ISIS. (Thanks to DSV for the link.)