Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Roger E. sent: Sea, Shipping Container Cabin, Shelter, Home. (This was mentioned before in SurvivalBlog, but it bears repeating since the page has been updated.) o o o We recently heard about some free homeschool curriculum resources, at HomeschoolCollection.com o o o A reader forwarded this little jewel: Apparently, there is Massive Non-Compliance on Rifle and Hi-Cap Mag Registration in CT. The Truth About Guns reports. “How is that there were 50,000 rifles registered versus less than 40,000 LCM’s [large capacity magazines] declared?Second, how do we reconcile 50,000 rifles against an official state analyst group suggesting over 370,000 rifles back …

Big name search engines face rebellion. JWR Adds: I use and recommend both IXQuick and Privacy Abroad’s VPN tunnel. (But even with those, you should assume that you search history will be logged somewhere, somehow. For any searches on controversial or legal gray area topics, be sure to use a public library computer terminal!)    o o o Cheryl N. sent: When Revolution Comes, What Is Your Logistics Plan?    o o o Also from Cheryl: How This Family Of Four Lives ‘Off The Grid’ In The Middle Of The Desert    o o o Reader Scott L. mentioned a …

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s I worked for a couple of Silicon Valley companies. On my lunch hours I often wandered around Usenet, back when it had miniscule traffic volume. (This was before graphical web browsers even existed. The Internet was public, but just barely. (Outside of a few AOL users who began arriving in 1991, most of the early 1990s Internet users spoke UNIX and wore pocket protectors. And nearly all of us were either in government scientific agencies or worked for big corporations.) On Usenet, I often read and occasionally posted to a Usenet newsgroup …

Here is yet another great post from preparedness bloggers Frank and Fern: Baby Chicken Wrap Up.    o o o Reader D.C. suggested a fine essay over at Sipsey Street Irregulars: The Firearms and Ammunition of “Alas, Babylon”    o o o I’ve heard from several readers about the relatively new Remington Model 770 rifles, as a low-cost alternative to the better-known Model 700. These use 6-groove button-rifled barrels. Model 770 rifles can be found new and factory equipped with a 3-9×40 variable scope for less than $375, or less than $500 in the more weather-resistant stainless steel variant with …

There are a couple of very interesting new posts over at the Paratus Familia blog: Bee Venom Therapy – Pain Relief from Your Own Back Yard, and Apple Cider Vinegar – Good for What Ails You    o o o SIG Sauer is Asking Us to Rethink the Polymer Striker Fired Pistol with the P320—SHOT Show 2014. My question: Will the new Model 320 accept SIG P250 magazines? I hope so, but I suspect not.    o o o Several readers mentioned some great commentary from Mac Slavo that ties into a recent news headline: Why I Cannot Support Concealed …

The New York Times reports: N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers. Of course they claim that this isn’t being done domestically, but based on other recent revelations, I have some strong doubts. In fact I’m now persuaded that the dialogue of Edward Lyle (Gene Hackman’s character in Enemy Of The State) was more prescient than paranoid.    o o o I heard about Flags and Poles by Lee. This a family owned and operated business in Texas. They are worthy of your business.    o o o My friend Fred The Valmetmeister recommended this eight minute video: M39 Mosin Nagant & …

Mike P. suggested this well-reasoned 12 minute video by Josie The Outlaw on America’s Groupthink indoctrination institutions: A Prison By Any Other Name. Other than her advocacy of “Unschooling”, it is a great video. (Homeschooling has a superlative track record, by comparison.)    o o o S&K sent this from Hackaday: Build a Tape Measure VHF Yagi Antenna    o o o I heard about a quite clever new product that is made in Sonora, California (up in the Sierra Nevada mountains): Siege Stoves. The video on their home page explains it best. These stoves are 100% made in USA.    …

Reader R.B.S. suggested this handy tool for finding cellular phone coverage–or avoiding it: Antenna Search.    o o o F.J. spotted yet another useful piece at Instructables: Mukluks for Christmas    o o o Former Mayor Noramine Jasmin will soon go on trial, on corruption charges. Once again, another one of Mayor Bloomberg’s “crime fighting” anti-gun mayors may be headed to The Big House. Meanwhile, we read of another gun-grabbing mayor with an apparent oral fixation: Ex-Marcus Hook mayor sentenced to 10-20 months. Note that with this felony conviction he can no longer own a firearm for the rest of …

H.L. suggested: Drinking Water and Garden Irrigation During Drought or Crisis    o o o An interesting discussion: Security Risks of Embedded Systems    o o o I recently mentioned off-center feed (OCF) ham transceiver dipole antennas. A reader then suggested this one as a more durable and lower-cost alternative.    o o o “Cool, by accident.” Three-wheel $6,800 car gears for 2015 US launch. (Thanks to George S. for the link.)    o o o Seed For Security has announced a new bonus that will be mailed with each Super Survival Pack that you order: A Practice Kit of …

I was doing some web wandering, and discovered a great collection of WX links: Weather monitoring links — Satellite and RADAR for USA and world    o o o The latest Economist/YouGov poll shows that 39 percent of American households own guns, which represents a five percent increase over the number of gun owning households in 2012.    o o o James W. sent us this: Florida moves ahead with bill legalizing ‘warning shots’    o o o By way of Tam’s blog, I found this at The Shekel – Coins, Law and Commentary: Range Trip With The Tavor    o …

Reader James K. kindly sent: Intense Photos Of Mexican Vigilantes Battling A Drug Cartel For City Control. (Warning to dial-up readers: beaucoup bandwidth required.) Note the that in the first few photos, you mainly see vigilantes armed with .22 rifles and shotguns. But then after the cartel stronghold is defeated and the police are disarmed, some of the vigilantes are armed with AKs, ARs, and even an M-203. This adds credence to what I described in my novels. (Namely, the Butter knife Gun concept.) OBTW, you’ve gotta love the very well-worn M1911 pistol seen in last picture. This being Mexico, …

Michael Z. Williamson, (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) suggested this piece: Risk of supervolcano eruption big enough to ‘affect the world’ far greater than thought, scientists say   o o o Cause for concern: Future Health Care In America: The Abyss Of Gun Rights. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)    o o o Reader M.V.R. suggested a good essay by Libertarian author L. Neil Smith, over at the JPFO site: ‘‘Pot And Kettle Projection’’    o o o Fatal case of H5N1 bird flu in Canada. (Thankfully it has not mutated into an easily-transmissible form.)    o o o I …

Terry H. was the first to send: How to open a can with your bare hands. Oh, and if the can is short, then see this video.    o o o Our friend Tam at the great View From The Porch blog mentioned that Colt has added a handy serial number lookup service to their web site.    o o o R.B.S. sent: Like to Travel???? The Places You’re Most Likely to Get Kidnapped    o o o Long-time content contributor KAF suggested this article in JAMA: Comparing Diabetes Medications: Where Do We Set the Bar?    o o o …

I just heard about the Buckmaster, a 7 Band, 300 Watt ham radio off-center feed (OCF) antenna that currently sells at a special price of $207. (The regular list price is $273.) It is manufactured by the same folks who operate the widely-visited Ham Call web site that lists more than 9.8 million amateur radio call signs from over 200 countries, also available on DVD.    o o o Reader K.A.F. mentioned an upcoming free online Survival Summit from January 20th to 26th, 2014.    o o o B.B. sent this interesting news: 3D Printed metal gun hitting the market    …

Outbreak of ‘nightmare bacteria’ in Illinois stirs worry. (Thanks to C.D.V. for the link.)    o o o Mexican Vigilante Gunmen Disarm Local Police So They Can Rid Town of Feared Drug Cartel. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)    o o o California Gun Law Paves the Way for Confiscation: Starting in 2014, the state will keep a list of every gun owner and the specific guns each person buys. (This explains the rush to buy long guns before December 31st.)    o o o Huge Solar Flare Delays Private Rocket Launch to Space Station until Thursday. …