Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Don’t Just Survive, Thrive. (In a recent podcast, Lew Rockwell talks with Tess Pennington about how to make the most of your survival resources.)    o o o Rick B. sent the link to this very useful set of charts, over at The How Do Gardener: Freeze and Frost Dates    o o o Russ S. sent this: Lehmann Aviation’s LFPV UAV . (Apparently the cool Landrover 109 is not included.)    o o o Commentary from JohnGaltFla: I am a Patrioterrorist    o o o Keith K. mentioned some lessons from a Mexican vehicle ambush: A Standard Feature Is …

F.J. pointed me to the latest over at Instructables: Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle.    o o o Two months without food: Swedish man survives for months in snowed-in car. (Thanks to Wally for the link.)    o o o Oh, but here in the States we have our own self-selecting candidates for snowy suicide: Couple survives three days stuck in snow on Girl Scout cookies, peanuts. Here is a key quote, that sounds all too familiar: “Searchers say it was difficult to find the couple because they were searching in the wrong area. The couple did not tell friends …

M.E.W. sent us this: Police ‘Tank’ Purchase Riles New Hampshire Town    o o o Reader Steven S. wrote to mention that there is a new link to the free PDF of John Pugsley’s now classic book, The Alpha Strategy. And while you are at, put a copy of Nuclear War Survival Skills on the same thumb drive. (Thanks to Rocco for the latter link.)    o o o Sheriff Paul Babeu: Fast and Furious scandal is far from over    o o o The streets of Syria are starting to look… Libyan.    o o o KAF sent a …

This company near Denver, Colorado might be of interest: RainyDayRootCellars.com. They make pre-cast concrete shelters that are multipurpose: root cellars, storm shelters, nuclear blast/fallout shelters, and storage vaults. OBTW, if you are wondering how to make a detached underground shelter disappear… just pile part of your supply of firewood over the hatch.    o o o Please note that my novel “Survivors” is not just available from Amazon.com. It is also available from Barnes & Noble, and several other Internet vendors. There is also a network of local independent bookstores, coordinated by IndieBound.com. Give the other guys some business, too! …

Ian R. sent this one: How Weather Impacts the Dinner Table    o o o AmEx (American Expat) sent this: Decision time for researchers of deadly bird flu    o o o Also from AmEx: Special Report: Towns go dark with post office closings. This is of particular concern for those of us who live way out in the hinterboonies.    o o o Some sage advice from Ol’ Remus: Preps.    o o o Bryan E. sent a link to this not-so-new “Russian Inwention”: The AK-12. The latest incarnation of the reliable Kalashnikov action, quite predictably now wearing a …

AmEx (American Expat) sent this: Report: Russia Nuclear Disaster Narrowly Averted In Submarine Fire    o o o Over at Alt-Market: Going Off Grid – Montana Style!    o o o South Carolina bill would make home invasion a specific crime. (Thanks to Sue C. for the link.)    o o o Alan H. pointed me to a portable, easy to build 8’x12′ greenhouse for under $150. JWR’s Comment: Ah yes, hog panels, 101 uses…    o o o My wife Avalanche Lily alerted me to to an object lesson that went viral: The Dad Who Shot Up His Daughter’s …

Kevin S. suggested this: What Most Gun Nuts Get Wrong    o o o File under “Emerging Threats”: Medieval Weapon at Center of Beating Case. This adds new meaning to the expression “Getting medieval” on someone.    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Pat Cascio flagged this: Pentagon May Oust Troops Involuntarily to Meet Reductions in Budget Plan.    o o o Reader E.B. sent this news from Canada: Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge    o o o For those of you that are trapped in cubicles and reading SurvivalBlog on your lunch hour, this video clip is guaranteed …

M.P. mentioned that the last free version of Ham Radio Deluxe, used for communicating with various digital modes, is available here.    o o o California’s mobile hospitals are losing funding and time. (Thanks to Sean B. for sending the link.)    o o o Security Slackers Risk Internet Blackout on March 8.    o o o Joe M. sent this one: Daylong traffic jam on Interstate 10 leads to motorist horror stories. [JWR’s Comment: If just fixing some potholes caused this, then what will the major freeways look like when the Schumer hits the fan?]    o o o …

Yishai sent this from Oleg Volk: Survival Lasers 300mW red kit — Tool or Toy?    o o o By way of Tam’s View From The Porch Blog: George Lucas: Han Never Shot First    o o o Our SurvivalRealty spin-off site has hit critical mass, with 87 listings, including its first in Hawaii. Extended page advertisements there cost just $30 per month, and no sales commissions are charged. Congrats to my #1Son for building the Internet’s most popular web site dedicated to survival retreat properties.    o o o F.J. sent this: Build a Secret Closet Door for $200 …

I’ve warned readers about the OPSEC perils of going on camera for documentary television shows. Apparently this gent put a target on his back: Doomsday Prepper Declared Mental Defective…. Government confiscates his Guns. Please pray for Mr. Sardi.    o o o Video of some ncredibly short takeoffs and landings: Doyle, Cuzoom Win Annual Valdez STOL Competition. (Thanks to RBS for the link.)    o o o Kevin S. suggested this WRSA blog piece: Shoot Until The Target Changes Shape Or Catches Fire    o o o Troy H. sent a link to a military vehicle dealer in England, “For …

I mentioned this gizmo once before–back when it was in development–but this stove now appears to be ready for production: The ultimate in low tech meets? The wood stove USB device charger. (Thanks to Geoff S. for the link.)    o o o Bloomberg Reloads Against Guns. JWR’s Comment: These Big City Nannystaters don’t know when to quit. Haven’t they noticed that the crime rates in the U.S. are declining across the board, even as private gun ownership has reached a new high, and while restrictions on firearms carry–both openly and concealed–are gradually being rolled back? Guns in the hands …

Definitely worth reading: Truth, Lies and Afghanistan. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.)    o o o Dimitri sent this example of horribly biased reporting from NBC by anti-gunner Jeff Rossen (who was featured in Michael Moore’s propaganda film, Bowling For Columbine): Rossen Reports: Anyone can buy guns, no questions asked. The article is replete with hyperbole and even a laughable reference to buying “..a 50-caliber weapon so powerful it could take down a helicopter.” If Rossen truly wants to protect helicopters from being downed, then he should campaign against aboveground power lines and telephone lines. (Since wire strikes …

What if the lights go out? (Thanks to Ian R. for the link.)    o o o On a recent trip to the Big City, I was pleasantly surprised to see copies of my nonfiction book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” for sale at a Costco membership “Big Box” store priced at just $9.98. The best news is that there were just a few books remaining in the stack! (Costco tends to stack their books deeply.) A month ago, Sam’s Club stores also started stocking it, selling it for $10.98. (Meanwhile, Amazon.com charges …

F.J. mentioned this great evacuation route planning tool: Flood Map    o o o A reminder that there is another Self Reliance Expo scheduled for February 10-11 in Dallas, Texas. A half dozen SurvivalBlog advertisers will have booths there, including: Pantry Paratus, Backwoods Home Magazine, the Appleseed Project, Shelf Reliance, The Berkey Guy/Directive 21, and Ready Made Resources. Please mention that you are a SurvivalBlog reader when you stop by their booths. The keynote speaker will be Mike Adams of Natural News.    o o o F.J. spotted this: DIY Worm Compost Bin    o o o Mark H. suggested …

G.G. was the first of several readers to send this: The great Asian gold theft crisis    o o o I heard about some American-made Boost Regulators that are useful off the grid. These can produce 14 volts with just 9 volts input.    o o o Linda U. suggested this article: Three Oregon mushroom pickers rescued after 6 days lost. JWR’s Comment: It is indeed a miracle that they survived. Consider: Poor prior planning. (This was a case of PPPPP.) Pitiful clothing and equipment. No signaling capability. No map and compass. No GPS. And if the temperatures had been …