Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Citing grave security concerns… Say Goodbye to Skype. “Not only is Skype plugged directly in to the surveillance grid, but the company is actively contributing to the most complete surveillance system in the history of mankind.” (Thanks to H.M. for the link.)    o o o G.G. suggested: Amaranth: Another Ancient Wonder Food, But Who Will Eat It? [JWR Adds: See the previously posted warnings in SurvivalBlog’s archives about containing your Amaranth crop plantings! (The tiny seeds are carried on the winds so the plant can easily become a weed that can grow out of control.]    o o o …

Merry suggested: 40 maps that explain the world    o o o F.R. spotted this over at Instructables: KP Pyramid Wood Stove    o o o Some satire is too accurate to be comfortable: Stop, Drop, and Cower. (Thanks to Wayne B. for the link.)    o o o Should You Be Able to Buy Food Directly From Farmers? The Government Doesn’t Think So.    o o o Yet another reason to vamoose the Land of Lincoln Obama: Illinois expands background checks to all gun purchases

Another big solar coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred on August 20th. Luckily, this one was not pointed directly toward Earth. Next time, we may not be so lucky. (It could be like the 1859 solar storm.) Are you ready to hunker down for months or years without grid power? Get ready, folks!    o o o Raising Mealworms for Chicken Food    o o o Glock 17 and Glock 19 owners, take note: If you are looking for pouches that will fit 33 round Glock magazines, SurvivalBlog reader Jeff S. recommends using the 1980s/1990s vintage (ALICE era) flashlight holder pouches …

Colorado Counties Vote on Forming a New State. (If they are successful, I will certainly expand the American Redoubt!)    o o o Anyone who owns a 26.5mm flare gun (either a flare pistol or one of the big RV-85 shoulder-fired flare launchers) should consider getting one of these new ATF-approved goodies: Sub-Caliber Device for .45 Colt or .410 shotshells. Kennesaw Cannon also makes one that shoots .22LR. (Of course consult your state and local laws before ordering either model.) These inserts are sold by a number of Internet/mailorder firms, including Cheaper Than Dirt.    o o o Maine Bill …

Yesterday I mentioned needing Anderson Power Pole adapters for cigarette lighter plugs and jacks. Several readers promptly wrote to tell me about two companies that already make them: Quicksilver Radio and Powerwerx. (The latter has a huge variety of DC power products.)    o o o Here is a small company in Huntersville, North Carolina that was started by a retired Navy man who is now a Christian missionary, to help with his retirement: ThriftyPrepperMall.com    o o o While doing some research for my now nearly complete “Rawles on Tools” book (for Penguin Books, scheduled for release in May …

For folks with a large stream on their property, a Pelton Wheel system like this is fantastic: Algonquin Eco-Lodge – 12 kW Micro-Hydro Turbines    o o o Why we face grave danger from space: The discovery that a colossal solar flare hit Earth in the Dark Ages reminds us that catastrophe could strike at any time, says Michael Hanlon.    o o o .50 BMG shooters might find this reference page on specialty military rounds of interest.    o o o Mike Brown is planning to build a new generation of reliable 8 horsepower steam engines that will be …

G.G. sent this: Ten Years Later, How Have We Avoided Another Mega Blackout? And this: Failure is Not-an Option Unless We’re Talking About American Energy Infrastructure    o o o Ban on carrying loaded guns absent a concealed-carry permit is upheld by Oregon supremes. Reading the decision, it appears that it was the court rather than the defendant that was acting “recklessly.”    o o o Bellingham to pay $15,000 to man who wore gun in park    o o o A Mikey Bloomberg nightmare: Virginia gun crime drops again as firearm sales soar.    o o o British-produced food …

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

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 …

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 …

Reader J.H. sent an fascinating video that illustrates why so-called dry washes can be so dangerous: Amazing Flash Flood / Debris Flow Southern Utah. J.H.’s comments: “The amazing thing is that the heaviest rain fell 40 miles away from the film site and the peak rain came six hours before the wave passed through. Local weather conditions give no clue as to what is about to happen. Swimming in the trash laden water is an absolute non-starter. Pity the camper who has one of these walls of wet wood squash him while he is wrapped in a sleeping bag, zipped …

F.G. sent: Marines and Army deploy new helmet designed to stop Rifle Rounds    o o o H.L. recommended this article and video: Build a $300 underground greenhouse for year-round gardening    o o o Bob P. wrote to reiterate one of SurvivalBlog’s long-standing recommendations: “Zippo Lighters are American-made. They are manufactured by the Zippo Manufacturing Co. in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Even though I don’t smoke I always kept a Zippo lighter handy since I was in the Army in the 1960s.  I keep one in my BOB and one in my ready pack in my pickup.  Zippos will burn just …

The political realm is not that different from my horse corral or my hen house. Periodically, the Schumer gets so deep that you can’t just continue shoveling a bit off off the top or around the edges. Merely covering it up with straw is no longer sufficient. The smell becomes too much to bear. What you really need to do is to roll up your sleeves and start shoveling, and do not stop until you’ve scraped right down to bare soil or bare wood. Une zone totalement dépeuplée. To do it right, you leave no media for the germs to …