Category: Odds ‘n Sods

K. mentioned a great piece over at the Backwoods Home web site: Low-cost raised beds. [JWR Adds: That design will work for a couple of seasons. But in the long run it has “more work” written all over it. Here in the Inland Northwest, the preferred material for building raised beds is usually 2″ thick cedar planks. Most of the small cedar mill operations have a “seconds” pile where they sell random-length boards that don’t meet marketable standards, for various reasons. (Wane, checking, punky spots, et cetera.) This lumber sells for just a small fraction of the cost of the …

Reader J.McC. sent us two links for an enlightening study in contrasts: These they release here in the States But these they seek to formally deport to their home country. This confirms something about the BHO Administration’s Agenda.    o o o Pierre M. sent: Chinese Cyberspies Attacked Natural Gas Pipeline Operators For Six Months Straight    o o o JRH Enterprises will be hosting another Survival Medicine class in Orlando, Florida on April 7, 2013. This is Part 1 in an ongoing series of medical training events. The class will be taught by a vascular surgeon and an Army …

Holder: Yep, Obama could kill Americans on U.S. soil. And here is an interesting companion piece: Police Search Cell Phones On Massive Scale. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)    o o o “Why Am I Not Surprised? Department: ‘Freedom’ license plate banned in Washington D.C.    o o o James C. sent: Self-Igniting Fire Starter    o o o South Dakota approves guns in the classroom. (JWR’s Comment: It is amazing to see the difference between the various states and their prevailing attitudes, in the ongoing debate over civilian disarmament. At the same time that California, Colorado, and New …

What do USAF PJs carry in their trauma rucks?    o o o Montana definitely started something. Oral arguments for the MSSA v. Holder case are scheduled to be heard on March 4, 2013 in the Ninth Circuit Court    o o o The re-make of Red Dawn will be released in a DVD and Blu-Ray combo on March 5th. Just on the strength of pre-orders, it is already in Amazon’s Top 200 movies. (FWIW, I still prefer the original John Milius film.)     o o o Reader Matt L. sent this CalGuns thread: I Prototyped My Own Polymer Lower! …

Don’t mistake this tyranny for some sort of “moderation” or “compromise”: Deal on gun background checks hinges on tracking sales. Please contact your congressmen and senators to again remind them that intrastate private party sales of used guns are OUTSIDE of the scope of the Interstate Commerce Clause. No Federal nexus means no Federal jurisdiction!    o o o For those who prefer to store plain sea salt: Redmond Real Salt    o o o Lew Rockwell: Prozacked Nation    o o o Rather than backtracking, “Shotgun Joe” Biden is digging himself a deeper hole. Oh, and speaking of scatterguns, …

Cooking With Three Candle Flames    o o o The Spring Survival Medicine classes with SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor Dr. Cynthia Koelker (of Armageddon Medicine) are now open for registration.  Learn to suture, cast, and much more. The available seats fill up early, so register soon.    o o o Safecastle now offers a discount price for quantity purchases of Waterbricks. Through a special arrangement with the manufacturer, these are shipped directly from the factory, to reduce shipping costs. Waterbricks are great for storing water, bulk grain, bulk legumes, or even bulk .22 LR ammo. 😉    o o o Reports of …

Isaac A. sent a link to a fascinating photo essay: DIY Weapons of the Syrian Rebels. And speaking of Syria, check out: Close Quarters Combat Training. Note that their accents are indeed Syrian, but based on the architecture and light switch seen, this was filmed in the U.S. or Canada. (Thanks to Joe S. for the link.)    o o o Joining a long list: Wilson Combat Announces Anti-Gun States, No-Sale Policy. Now, if the big manufacturing companies would do the same… OBTW, somebody ought to write an article on the Firearms Equality Movement and post it to Conservapedia, Gunsopedia, …

I heard that Pantry Paratus is running a sale on Tattler reusable canning lids, for a limited time. The discount $1.25 per box and you get free box of gaskets when you get 10 or more boxes of a single size. The discount and bonus shows up at checkout. Stock up!    o o o Granny Miller recently posted a very useful piece: Treadle Sewing Machine Advice    o o o The folks at Ready Made Resources mentioned that they have some scarce AR parts back in stock, including some quite in-demand AR-15 stripped lower receivers for $189.95 (must ship …

Over at Instructables: 10 Minute Oil Lamp    o o o Five aircraft carriers simultaneously in one port! Photo caption: “The first time since WWII that five aircraft carriers were docked together. The nuclear powered USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) are all in port at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, the world’s largest naval station.” Don’t they remember Pearl Harbor?    o o o Camouflage Your AR-15    o o o Texas, Mississippi seek to lure gun and …

Camping Survival is running their semi-annual sale on Mountain House foods. They are offering 25% off #10 cans and kits, and 15% off all pouches. The last day of the sale is March 1st, so order soon!    o o o Several readers sent this: Do you live in a state that still holds high regard for the Second Amendment? (Let the Brady Anti-Gun Organization Help You Choose a Retreat State.)    o o o Nathan Haddad’s legal defense fund has now raised more than $40,000. Please support this worthy cause.    o o o Chinese Hackers Have A Weapon …

L.M. sent: You’re a SEAL Stranded in Hostile Territory: What’s in Your Survival Kit? JWR Adds: Not mentioned in this article were three items that have been carried by many special operators on selected mission since around 1990: An international telephone calling phone card, a credit card, and a passport. These are musts if an operator walks out of enemy territory to a neutral country where they can then buy a plane ticket home. (Yes, this has been done, but I’m not at liberty to mention the particulars.)    o o o An associate of mine spent hundreds of hours …

Gaining Momentum: Now 44 Gun Companies Have Stopped Selling to Law Enforcement In Anti-2nd Amendment States. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)    o o o Wildlife Officials Warn Hunters of Deadly Rabbit Fever    o o o Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) recommended a classic book on planting trees with dynamite. “Kills parasites and fungus, breaks up soil, adds nitrates.”    o o o Video: Law Student “Schools” Policeman on His Gun Rights. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

Some clever video editing paired with some words that ring true: Bill Whittle’s Virtual States of the Union.    o o o Camping Survival is running their semi-annual sale on Mountain House foods. They are offering 25% off #10 cans and kits, and 15% off all pouches. The last day of the sale is March 1st, so order soon!    o o o Pierre M. sent links to PDFs of two U.S. Army manuals that might be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. One is recent, and the other is circa 1977: TM 10-8465-236-24P — MOLLE II Equipment and FM21-15 — …

Shotgun ammo for home defense: birdshot will do.    o o o Recall! Olin Corporation Winchester Division is recalling one lot of its green tip 5.56mm M855 62 Grain PENE centerfire rifle ammunition. Apparently the wrong powder was used. Symbol Number: ZGQ3308 Lot Number: WCC10M106-004. This is marked on case lot exteriors and individual box flaps.    o o o Illinois state senator pushes anti-anonymity bill. [JWR’s Comment: John Belushi said it best: “I hate Illinois Nazis.”]    o o o AmEx sent: Massive Sunspot Rapidly Forming    o o o More gun makers and retailers are refusing to sell …

Build Your Own Emergency Phone Charger with Common Household Objects.    o o o Gun bill giving sheriff right to inspect homes pulled by Washington lawmakers. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)    o o o Reader Larry R. suggested CHIRP — a free, open-source tool for programming your amateur radio.    o o o Alex Jones reports: Gamechanger: Printable Gun Magazines. This technology is maturing much faster than I had anticipated. Visit Cody’s Wilson’s web site: DefCAD.org. “Download a magazine, today.” And after you do, please make a donation, via BitCoin or PayPal. The Powers That Be surely hate …