Category: Odds ‘n Sods

An old friend sent me a link to a series of videos of the March, 2011 earthquake (magnitude 9.0) in Japan.    o o o 65.4 Million Gun Purchases Since Obama Took Office, 91% More Than Bush’s First-Term Total. JWR’s Comment: Oh, by the way, some of those background checks were for multiple gun purchases, so the real figure is probably somewhere closer to 70 million.)    o o o Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) mentioned a fascinating STRATFOR piece on embassy security    o o o Gun Owners of America (GOA) is urging folks to contact their …

Reader Ken D. suggested this over at Instructables: Stylish Two Drawer Faraday Cage    o o o The 25% to 35% off sales for Mountain House canned long term storage foods with free shipping and bonuses will end soon at both Ready Made Resources and Safecastle. Be sure to place your order before these sales end!    o o o Rick D. sent us an article that provides a microcosm of urban high rise housing in a grid-down collapse: Carpets soaked in urine, sewage running down walls and onion sandwiches for dinner: Passengers reveal dire conditions of US cruise ship …

Bob B. sent a link to a NOAA web page that calculates updated map magnetic declinations. If your topographic maps are more than two years old, then you should check! (In my region, the magnetic declination has changed about 6 degrees, since 1950.)    o o o One of the members of my local shooting club recently received a large order from the cleverly-named vendor United Nations Ammunition, in Arizona. He was very happy with his order, summing it up: “Great ammo and competitive prices, with fast shipping and quite friendly service.” My friend bought the linked USGI .308 ammunition …

MagPul Industries issues a Colorado legislative alert and says “we may have to move.” Needless to say, they would be enthusiastically welcomed here in the American Redoubt!    o o o Chris G. sent this: Department of Homeland Security Raids Gun Collector Who Didn’t Violate the Law    o o o Nuts! Jericho creator confirms Netflix in talks to revive series    o o o A reader mentioned a mail order company that is worth checking out: 1st Army Supply.    o o o Anthony Wile of The Daily Bell recently interviewed constitutional lawyer Edwin Vieira about his new book …

Are you researching potential retreat locales, and want to know if a building code exists, or if building permits are required? (In many counties in western states, no permits are required, outside of city limits.) Here is a great resource. Oh, and speaking of retreat locales, check out the newly-expanded listings at our Survival Realty spin-off site.    o o o For those looking for HK91-compatible magazines, I found a company that actually has a pile of them in captivity: G3Magazines.com    o o o More bad civil rights news: DHS Watchdog OKs ‘Suspicionless’ Seizure of Electronic Devices Along Border …

An interesting tidbit, useful for background checks: Decoding SSNs. OBTW, they should have done this research on “Hawaiian born” BHO, long before he ran for Senate.    o o o This new compact GPS tracking technology has some good and bad implications. Even scary implications.    o o o Bob G. recommended: Time for the Church to Act    o o o My dear mother suggested this harrowing video that was shot in 2011: A drive on the Norwegian coast on a stormy day.    o o o The Top 5 “Top 50 Lists of Prepper Web Sites”

A special alert for Californians: List of Proposed California Gun Control Measures — 500 Round Max, No Grandfathering, No Detachable Mags, Mandatory License. Here is some related coverage, that discusses the full implications: California Democrats Introduce Bill To Confiscate Every “Assault” Weapon In The State From Their Law-Abiding Owners… (Thanks to B.B. for the latter link.)    o o o Some troubling news: Obama Gives Foreign Cops New Police Powers in U.S.    o o o Dr. B. mentioned this: Psychiatric Drugs More Often Prescribed in the South: Study looked at stimulant, antipsychotic and antidepressant use across U.S.    o …

News from west of the Redoubt: Cascadia earthquake, tsunami could cost Oregon economy $32 billion (Thanks to Mark R. for the link.)    o o o A Sandy Hook dad lays it down straight.    o o o Idaho residents: Armageddon Armory in Nampa, Idaho has kindly donated an Anderson free floated AM-15 with RU85 coating, a red dot sight, tactical case, and 5 magazines for a raffle. All proceeds go to the Boise Rescue Mission Veterans Program. One Dollar per entry. Must be 18 years of age and an Idaho resident legal to own firearms. The drawing will be …

I recently reviewed a consulting client’s draft “Get out of Dodge” plan for getting to his retreat in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which only showed one evacuation route from a major midwestern city. I told him bluntly: If you don’t have a Plan B, then you don’t have a plan. His revised plan, he promises, will show four routes, two of which go through Canada.    o o o New York’s ‘SAFE’ Act: The ‘Rape’ of the Second Amendment. JWR’s Comment: I’m now thoroughly convinced that New York is irretrievably in the hands of the Statists via multigenerational constituencies, and beyond …

Peter S. recommended this: Tiny Off-Grid Cabin in Maine is Completely Self-Sustaining    o o o I had a shock when I recently bought a replacement set of studded snow tires for our full-size SUV. Complete with studding, mounting and balancing, four identical tires from the same maker and installed by the same Les Schwab tire store cost $753 in January 2011 and $952 in January, 2013. And they tell us that “consumer price inflation is low.” Yeah, right. The effects of the BHO Administrations’s massive Quantitative Easing are now starting to pervade the economy. Get out of U.S. Dollar-denominated …

Freeze Dry Guy has begun their 2013 Warehouse Blowout Sale, with a couple of great specials on LRP rations and freeze dried ice cream.    o o o Some wisdom from T. Mark Graham: Combat Load: How do I carry this stuff?    o o o Report shows UN admitting solar activity may play significant role in global warming. (Thanks to Lee M. for the link.)    o o o The Kindle edition of Alex Smith’s new book on get home bags, everyday carry kits, and related topics titled Getting Home is on sale for just 99 cents at Amazon.com, …

Reader B.H. wrote to mention: “I’ve found it helpful to use WalMart.com as a locator for ammunition (at November, 2012 prices!)  Search for the product (“223” for instance) at WalMart.com and click on the links for the products that interest you. If it’s not available in your local store then you can “find in area stores” using Wal-Mart’s live inventory updates.  This morning I surprised a local clerk who was convinced that she didn’t have any .223 ammo in stock for the past six weeks, but she didn’t realize she’d been resupplied overnight.  The web site also offers to e-mail …

Some interesting new products that might be apropos for G.O.O.D. kits: self-heating cocoa, coffee, and soups.    o o o Arizona Senate Panel Passes Bill Barring Enforcement of Federal Gun Measures. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the link.)    o o o Shane Connor of KI4U gets his five minutes of fame.    o o o Convicted rapist organizes gun control demonstration at Dayton gun show. Oh, and speaking of the statists’ counterproductive attempts at winning hearts and minds: NRA president says anti-gun advocates threatened to kill his son and daughter    o o o B.B. sent this: Trusting Your Own …

Running a tyrannical state government can be so expensive, these days. (So it is best to tax the people and charge them fees to pay for the bureaucracy of their own enslavement.)    o o o Kevin S. mentioned a handy frequency allocation chart.    o o o For those who have been patiently waiting, the fourth installment of the Mad Max movie franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road is now in post-production and will be released in 2014. The vehicles used look totally wild and OTT.    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Mike Williamson sent the link to …

An interesting design: Paracord Belt with Carabiner Buckle and D-Ring    o o o An honored veteran who has been in the Warrior Games (for wounded servicemen) gets treated like dirt because of New York’s absurd magazine ban. When politicians ban plastic boxes and sheet metal boxes–turning them into potential felonies–something has gone very wrong with America. Please support Nate Haddad’s legal defense fund.    o o o Google unveils detailed map of North Korea–The map is a culmination of years of data collected from “citizen cartographers”    o o o Backyard Farming Gets Fancy: High-End ‘Homesteaders’ Want Pricey, Stylish …