Category: Odds ‘n Sods

News from the Lost Cause that was once the glorious California Republic: Governor Brown signs law banning open carry of unloaded long guns. Concealed carry of handguns was banned in California in 1923. (One of many states to enact the “Uniform Act to Regulate the Sale and Possession of Firearms”–which was originally aimed at part in disarming “uppity” black World War I veterans.) Then, in 1967 open carry of loaded guns on public streets or in motor vehicles was banned (one of then Governor Ronald Reagan’s darkest days), out of fear of a few dozen “uppity” Black Panthers. More recently, …

H.L. suggested this: Meet the largest [private] landowner in America    o o o Dentist Dr. Tom Loomis will be teaching another two-day Field Dentistry Class, in Sweetwater, Tennessee on Nov. 30, and Dec. 1, 2012. Enrollment is limited to just 12 students. The class costs $400 per person. To register, send $200 by check or money order to Tom Loomis DDS, P.O. Box 510, Sweetwater, TN 37874. Phone number: 423-371-1073, or e-mail: tom.loomis@yahoo.com The class will be held at the Magnuson Hotel in Sweetwater at exit 60 off of Interstate 75. Rooms are $35 plus tax if you ask for …

Reader R.B.S. metioned an indie film that looks low on budget, but yet highly thought-provoking: Dragon Day. The film is nearing completion.    o o o The folks at DumpDC make a Redoubtable suggestion: Secession and Money. (Thanks to R.B.S. for the link.)    o o o James C. mentioned a use for a Stovetec rocket stove: Endless hot water from firewood.    o o o Freeze Dry Guy has announced a special for the month of October: a 144 Day Meat Variety Pack for $272.64 that contains a total of 144 1?2 Cup Servings of Mountain House freeze dried …

Download, print, fire: gun rights initiative harnesses 3D technology    o o o Alternatives To A Bugout Location – What You Should Consider    o o o The Most Often Forgotten Survival Preparations    o o o G.K. in western Washington mentioned yet another reason to avoid social media sites.    o o o Here are links to a couple of my recent radio interviews: EMPAct Radio and Time Monk Radio. (The latter is more than two hours long.)

SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this: Mapping the World’s Population by Latitude, Longitude. Mike’s comment: “An interesting pair of charts, but it is skewed a bit by China and India.”    o o o Reader R.B.S. sent us this: San Francisco considers 220-square-foot micro-apartments    o o o Reader W.C.P. forwarded a link to a diatribe by the West Point Academy’s Director of Terrorism Studies (an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Sciences) in which he parrots the SPLC‘s Party Line and tars survivalists with a very broad brush, equating us with skinheads, the KKK, and …

I must mention that there have been several bad reviews of my latest novel “Founders” posted at Amazon.com. Several of them seem to be from people who haven’t even read the book. If you have read the book, then I’d appreciate seeing your reviews. In “Founders”, in response to more than a dozen requests from readers, I expanded the story of Ken an Terry Layton’s cross-country trek with a lot more detail. (Their journey had been just briefly described, post facto, in my first novel “Patriots.”) But now a few folks are hammering me for being “repetitive”–even though I obviously …

Some good commentary at Joel’s Gulch: Thus conscience doth make honest men of us all.    o o o Bosko sent this: 15 Fascinating Observation Towers    o o o Diana V. spotted this: Study Reveals That 1 in 10 Teens Suffers from Liver Disease. Eat healthy foods, folks!    o o o Over at Backdoor Survival: The Coming Collapse of the Internet    o o o F.G. sent: Five-star survival: The floating Ark hotel that will protect you against a Noah-style flood. JWR’s Comments: Call me Mr. Dubious with a Capital D. This looks like a clear case of …

Reader George S. mentioned: “Galt’s Gulch” city planned in Honduras    o o o Here is one early review of Founders. OBTW, speaking of reviews, two of the most critical reviews of Founders posted at Amazon’s site appear to be from people that have never read the book. There was even one reviewer who falsely implied that I am a racist. To set him straight, I posted this link.    o o o Reader H.L. suggested this piece: Germany’s Wind Power Chaos Should Be A Warning To Everyone    o o o Bill J. came across an article on the …

Lyme Disease Hits Big in Australia. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this: Pre-Peeled, Re-Wrapped Bananas Are the Most Wasteful Sign of the Apocalypse Yet    o o o File under Emerging Threats: Police: Serial burglars used Facebook to find victims. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)    o o o Some great commentary by Enola Gay in the Paratus Familia blog about living in wildfire country: Identifying Hazards    o o o The folks at Directive 21 are now offering Mountain House freeze dried foods packaged in …

I heard from Sunflower Ammo (one of the generous sponsors of our writing contest) that they just added a product review section to their web site.  They will be giving away freebies for the best reviews every month. They have also added a British Berkefeld LP2 filter system to their product line, for $139.99.  This is a great entry-level water filter.    o o o There was a pleasant surprise in my latest batch of forwarded mail: a copy of the new Bulgarian edition of my first novel, “Patriots”. There are now nine foreign publishing contracts in place to produce …

SurvivalBlog reader “Shrike” mentioned a beautiful little film about the production process of an axe by master toolmaker, John Neeman…    o o o A link courtesy of SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Mike Williamson: Is this photo and diagram from South Korea legitimate? It is captivating, nonetheless.    o o o Reader R.B.S. sent: Blackouts Spur $18 Billion Power Grid Upgrade: Corporate India    o o o The folks at InformedChristians.com have now produced a thought-provoking timeline chart, showing one potential chain of events in the near future, leading to global socioeconomic collapse and World War III. This “fast track” …

Mark A. suggested this article at the NRA’s web site: If you had to choose one gun—and only one gun—to get you through a disaster, what would it be?    o o o Michael Yon: Afghanistan: When the Moon Sets, Watch Out. (Thanks to S.O. for the link.)    o o o Pierre M. mentioned a leather Axe Sling, made in Vermont. “Unless you are a lumberjack, the only time it would be socially acceptable to walk around with an axe strapped to your back is if the streets were swarming with brain-hungry zombies. That being said, this does look …

The $150 Ammo Can PV Power Project.    o o o F.J. sent: Local Blackouts Reveal Global Risks. And in related news: Should You Worry About the Power Going Out Like in Revolution? This Congressman Thinks So.    o o o R.B.S. sent this: Cooking With A Cordless Power Drill    o o o ‘Fast and Furious’ report slams ‘disregard’ for public safety as DOJ officials quit

Reader V.H. wrote: “I couldn’t help but notice that the Propper [brand] A-TACs camouflage pattern uses soft edges and colors that are very similar to the rebels’ camo used on the planet Endor, from [the second-produced film in the] Star Wars [movie series]. Is this one of those “life imitates art” situations, or vice versa? As I recall, the German Army experimented with soft-edged patterns during WWII, and some of those were quite effective.    o o o A clever new product that I first heard about nearly a year ago will soon be available to the public: The Survival …

Reader C.B. suggested this product for anyone who considers their iPhone indispensable: AQUA TEK S for iPhone 4/4: A rugged case that provides extra battery life and water resistance.    o o o The Western Pit: Homestead Vehicle Lift (for underbody work)    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson has some commentary at his publisher’s web site about firearms realism, Hollywood, and “loopholes”: Getting Guns Right    o o o F.G. sent this from Nanny Looney State Britannia: Mentally ill to be allowed to become MPs, serve on juries and be company directors. JWR’s Comment: This …