Extending Your Vehicle’s Driving Range, Without Cost, by Steven B.

A while back, I remember reading a tantalizingly titled but substantively misleading news article about a group of junior high school students who built a “car” that attained a fuel efficiency of 150 mpg. After reading the story, my skepticism was confirmed that a bunch of junior high school students “out-engineered” those who engineer automobiles for a living, or more succinctly for profit. The vehicle they built was little more than a soap box racer with a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine; more of a go-cart instead of a practical conveyance. What I did discover in reading the article …


Letter Re: Save Your Disposable Lighter Flints

Hello, Mr. Rawles: I’d like to share a hint with you and your readers: Save all of your empty (discharged) disposable lighters, such as “Bic” brand lighters. They contain flints that you can use in your Zippo lighter. [These lighters can have their striker mechanism quickly broken down with a pair of pliers.] These are longer than the replacement flints that are sold in stores. They also work well in the older Coleman lanterns equipped with flint strikers.


Economics and Investing:

Reader C.D.V. sent: New Fox, Same Henhouse: Wall Street Takes Over LIBOR. This piece includes some interesting thoughts on derivatives: “A former trader who worked in both New York and London recently told me, ‘At the end of the day, this market is running on the [Federal Reserve]. Once they pull out it’s all over. Cheap money, loads of people making loads of money, but no lessons learned.’” I noticed that Backwoods Home magazine now has a “pay for your subscription in pre-’65 silver coins” option. (We do likewise, for our voluntary Ten Cent Challenge subscriptions.) Similarly, Late’s diner offers …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I was pleased to see that Mark Levin’s new book The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic hit #1 overall on Amazon.com.    o o o Ohio Shawn spotted a piece about a single-wheel human cargo trailer, over at Instructables.    o o o Bob G. sent this study in contrasts: AK-74: Fast Assembly & Disassembly In Russian School. (Most American school teachers would throw a fit before they would allow this in their classrooms.)    o o o Just for fun: Swiss “Jetman” flies along B-17 aircraft    o o o New Company Allows Organizations to Hire Fake Protesters


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse [is] a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver [any] by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD [is] upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he [is] our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, …


Notes from JWR:

It sounds like our friend Tam (of the View From The Porch blog) is having Epic Fun at a three gun match at the western edge of The American Redoubt, near Bend, Oregon. She sounds jazzed. — I was glad to that the Rural Revolution blog is back up on line at its original URL. — Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate …


Rabbits for a Stable (and Staple) Protein Source, by S.F.D. in West Virginia

What if you could have a protein source that is inexpensive to maintain, that would not draw attention the attention of prying eyes and ears and it actually produces valuable bi-products that can be used/traded/sold to help offset remaining costs?   Consider the common domestic rabbit. Rabbits have been kept as a meat animal since before the times of the Roman Empire.  They have fed people during good times (as a farm or ranch animal) and in bad times such as: wars, famines, even in America during the Great Depression and both world wars.    Today you can find rabbit meat in …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this item: A Blunder at the Money Factory Items from The Economatrix: Bernanke Just Felt a Chill Down His Spine Suppressing wages and increasing corporate profits: The tough math behind the current economic recovery. They Are Systematically Destroying Our Independence And Making Us All Serfs Of The State


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Nation’s 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods.    o o o Reader T.K. wrote to mention some good news: “The price of the PTR-91 [a HK91 clone rifle] has returned to normal. I bought mine a couple of months after the Newtown Shootings and paid well over $1,400. One Source Tactical is now selling the rifle with five new mags for $975. It was a good rifle at $1,400 but a great one at $975.”  [JWR Adds: It is noteworthy that all of their recent production rifles have barrels with the “GI” spec chambers, which makes them tolerant to most types …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …


Amateur Radio for Preppers, by Pastor R.V.

Introductory Disclaimer: I am not an expert in amateur radio in the sense that I have extensive electronics knowledge, nor am I an expert in prepping. However, I have some experience in disaster and lightweight, portable radio operations and have an interest in being prepared. I have been an amateur radio operator, or “ham,” since 1997 when I was first licensed as a fifteen year old. At that point I was drawn to the hobby because my grandfather has always been very active in the amateur radio community and a stickler for disaster communication readiness. In 2011 I finally upgraded …


Letter Re: Don’t Forget the Fuses

For  those of you planning on bugging out with a knife and a backpack when the SHTF, read no further because nothing in this article will be of value to you. For those of us who, for one reason or another, have to plan on bugging in, this might serve as a reminder to stock some cheap but necessary items that you may not have considered. Judging by the number of survival threads and articles that I have read, a number of us plan on maintaining, if possible, some sort of energy source should EMP, flood, hurricane, terrorist act or …


Economics and Investing:

Eight College Degrees with the Worst Return on Investment. [JWR’s Comments: One loser program that they left off the list: the Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW.) OBTW, is it just a coincidence that many of these degree programs are dominated by leftists–both students and faculty?] Reader CJA suggested: The Incredible Shrinking COMEX Gold Warehouse Inventories US debt six times greater than declared – study Items from The Economatrix: How Washington Could Push Gas Prices Higher Next Fed Chair Will Lead Us to ‘Economic Ruin,’ Says Peter Schiff Top technician: Yes, 2013 does look like 1987


Odds ‘n Sods:

Brazil uprising points to rise of leaderless networks. (The 21st Century Paradigm: Unemployment + social media networking = riots.)    o o o A reader in Switzerland wrote to mention that an anti-gun “Ministry of Truth” cabal at Wikipedia is attemping to systematically expunge any references to mayors who have resigned and the mayors who have criminal convictions from the Mayors Against Illegal Guns wiki page. These guys make Stalin and his successors look like amateurs. If you are an experienced Wikipedian, feel free to chime in.    o o o Ingrown Toenails in Tough Times    o o o …