Odds ‘n Sods:

New ‘One-Shot’ Rifle Sight Could Make Snipers Deadlier Than Ever    o o o Reader J.B. used Wayback Machine to find this 1990 FDA article: The Canning Process: Old Preservation Technique Goes Modern by Dale Blumenthal    o o o All too predictable: Storm sets off frantic rush for supplies across East Coast. (Thanks to Jared B. for the link.)    o o o Jason F. suggested a new adjustable serpentine belt that would be perfect to keep in your vehicle and shop.    o o o 14 Unique Water Towers From Around the World



Notes from JWR:

I will be the featured lecturer at the Get Prepared Expo (via teleseminar) on Saturday, November 3rd, 2012. This is an expanded repeat of a very popular event. There will be 100 Exhibits and 70 Seminars. You can save 20% by buying your admission passes in advance at GetPreparedEXPO.com ($8 for a one-day pass, or $15 for a weekend pass.) The expo will be held November 3 and 4, 2012 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, Missouri. — October 29th is the birthday of World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin (Born 1921, died January 22, 2003). His son, economist …


Pat’s Product Review: Crimson Trace MVF-515 Laser

I know that over the years, and in many articles, I clearly stated that when lasers for firearms first came on the market, they were mostly considered “toys” by most professionals, myself included. The lasers back in the day, were big and bulky, cost a lot of money, and the battery run-time was short. Additionally, there really wasn’t any way to holster a handgun with a large laser on it – no one made holsters to fit the cumbersome handgun lasers. So, for the most part, lasers didn’t catch-on, at least, not right away. They were a rich man’s toy. …


Letter Re: A Wikipedia Offline Reader

Hi James, I am a big fan of yours way over from Czech Republic. I want to thank you for all the so valuable information you share. You really changed my view, in fact you opened my eyes. Lately I was thinking about the offline Wikipedia and its importance in a prolonged grid-down scenario with no access to the internet. The text Wikipedia dumps are great and I started to think about how to get them in a Kindle-like reader. It seems someone did it already (WikiReader Pocket Wikipedia) and since I haven’t found it mentioned anywhere on your blog, …


Recipe of the Week:

Jan C.’s Buckwheat Shortcake This came from an early 1900s recipes book: Take three or four teacupfuls of nice sour milk, one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in milk; if the milk is very sour, you must use soda in proportion with a little salt. Mix up a dough with buckwheat flour thicker than you would mix the same for griddle cakes, say quite stiff. Pour it into a buttered tin and put directly into the stove oven and bake for thirty minutes, or as you would a shortcake from common flour. It takes the place of the griddle cake, also …


Economics and Investing:

Is The World Abandoning The U.S. Economy? Phoenix Capital Research outlines why Spain is Totally 100% Beyond Saving G.G. flagged this: Over $60,000 in Welfare Spent Per Household in Poverty Items from The Economatrix: Marc Faber:  US Stocks Could Fall 20% Buffett:  “No Question” Global Economy is Slowing Connelly:  The Countdown to the Fiscal Cliff Has Begun Sales By US Mint Of Silver Outpace Gold Over Fifty-Fold


Odds ‘n Sods:

Joe K. sent: 9 Ways to Make Fire Without Matches–Videos that teach us other methods of creating fire    o o o Reader Pierre M. sent a link to some history that might be unfamiliar to some blog readers: .357: The First Magnum.    o o o The Wanenmacher Gun Show will beheld in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 10 & 11.  This is billed as the world’s largest gun show, with more than 4,100 tables–a whopping 5.7 linear miles of tables, if thery were all placed end-to-end. (Thanks to Tom B. for the reminder.)    o o o H.L. was the …



Notes from JWR:

October 28th is the 83rd anniversary of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. (The “Black Monday” crash.) Buckle up, folks. (We could be in for a repeat.) — Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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 …


DIY Drones on the Homestead, by P.R.

Why should tyrannical, oppressive governments have all the fun with advanced technology?  How many of you reading this knew that for about $1,000 (about the cost of a good AR-15) that you could buy all the parts you needed to build your own drones?  Did you know that there are cutting edge companies that are even selling “all in one” kits to make your own drones?  Everyone is well-aware that drones have become a force-multiplier on the battle field.  They grant a lone ground force the ability of a degree of air-superiority, even if that superiority is only that of …


Letter Re: Circulated Pre-1965 Silver Coinage Pricing

James, So I found a reputable dealer here in town, went to the store, He asked what can I do for you? I said how many pre-’65 silver coins do you have? A big smile on the owners face and he gets up from his desk walks behind a partition, and comes back with three boxes of loose coins. Half dollars, quarters and dimes. I ask what is the going rate and he told me 23.25 times face value.  I asked how much $2,000 would buy me. He calculated $86.80 in silver coin. He asked me why I was buying, …


Economics and Investing:

Rampant Recycling Fraud is Draining California Cash C.D.V. suggested: FAQ for Hyperinflation Skeptics Food Stamp Nation: What a Modern Day Bread Line Looks Like (Infographic) Items from The Economatrix: DeMark Sees S&P 500 Index Peaking ~1,480 Before Tumble Fed Calls Economic Growth “Moderate” While Maintaining Bond Buying Homes Sales Rising to Two-Year High Spur U.S. Growth Euro-Area Recession Deepens as Manufacturing Shrinks Economy


Odds ‘n Sods:

G.G. flagged this article at Popular Science: Where Will The Next Pandemic Come From? And How Can We Stop It?    o o o Wade J. mentioned an interesting approach to dog training.    o o o F.G. sent: War Horses Fade Into History While Bayonets Still Linger    o o o Ron M. sent this: Homegrown revolution — Gardeners expand to tackle Alaska’s food insecurity    o o o H.L. mentioned this over at the excellent SHTFPlan blog: Murder, Rape, Robbery and Assault Skyrocket In Bankrupt Stockton, California. (Don’t miss the fascinating comments that follow, mentioning militias and one …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the …