Category: Odds ‘n Sods

F.J. suggested this piece at LifeHacker: Build a Mini-Metal Lathe from Broken Power Tools    o o o Here is a review in The New American magazine: James Wesley Rawles’ New Book: “Survivors”    o o o F.J.R. spotted this over at Instructables: Easy Dual Fuel Furnace Burner    o o o I heard that Ready Made Resources now offers a Home Blood Typing Kit, with free shipping. This kit shows both O, A, B, AB and + or – RH. If any members of your family haven’t become blood donors and thus determined their blood type, then it is …

Ttabs has done it again with another great ultralight low-altitude flying video, over the north end of the Palouse Hills region, in eastern Washington. Be sure to watch all of it. He jumps a band of mule deer, near the end.    o o o Dr. Bob recently wrote and posted a detailed series of article on vitamins. (Dr. Bob is is one of the few consulting physicians in the U.S. who dispenses antibiotics for disaster preparedness as part of his normal scope of practice. His web site is: SurvivingHealthy.com.)    o o o The Ryans over at Total Survivalist …

Imbedded-For-Life journalist Michael Yon had some great comments on lights and night vision gear. (BTW, if there was ever a journalist worthy of contributions, it is Michael Yon. He does take PayPal donations. Michael is one of my heroes.)    o o o For anyone considering a retreat in northern Michigan, I just heard about Houseworth Realty, in Alanson, Michigan. Doug Houseworth is a realtor that understands the special requirements of retreat properties.    o o o Finally, after two+ years in limbo: ‘Red Dawn‘ remake to come out next year from FilmDistrict. It looks like it will be released …

G.R. in Texas was the first of several readers to mention this product from Australia: Dentist In A Box    o o o Not so fast–we’re furious. Fast and Furious: NRA to Launch National Campaign Calling For Holder’s Resignation    o o o K.A.F. sent this from The Washington Times: Feds concerned about hackers opening prison doors    o o o F.G. sent this: New book details starvation during the siege of Leningrad    o o o Tempers flare over six days of Connecticut power outages. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)

G.G. flagged this: Five days later 435,000 still remain without power in Connecticut    o o o When seconds count, the police are only 30 minutes away (in downtown Detroit):  DDOT Drivers Refuse To Work: ‘They’re Scared For Their Lives’. Thanks to Todd G. for the link.    o o o Just a few preps would have meant the difference between life and death: Couple Found Dead Two Hours Before Power Restored. (Thanks to C.Z. for the link.)    o o o Largest Sunspot in Years Observed on the Sun. (Thanks to Bret S. for the link.) And speaking of …

Reader Thomas S. sent the link to this fascinating piece: The 20 Cheapest Zip Codes In America.    o o o I usually file public statements by Dianne Feinstein under Vapid Transit, but this one must go under Hegelian Dialectic: Feinstein Uses ‘Fast and Furious’ to Make Case for National Gun Registration. (First, the Federal government creates a problem, then they re-assign blame, for their ultimate goal–bigger government.) And BTW, the “94,000 guns” figure is both specious and laughable. They ran traces only on the guns that they thought might have come from the U.S. There were hardly any traces …

p>By way of Tam’s blog: World population hits 7 billion. Overpopulation always leads to war over scarce resources.    o o o Gee, how many rights does this violate, all at once? Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, … FCC cracks down on religious broadcasters: If a church broadcasts the word of God on TV without closed captions, it risks incurring the wrath of the FCC    o o o Ian R. sent a news headline that came in the wake of some east coast power failures: Long Lines Form for Gas. Ian’s comment: “The Golden Horde …

Lee M. sent this article datelined Spartanburg, S.C.: Sheriff: Time For Citizens To Arm Themselves; Sheriff Chuck Wright Doesn’t Hold Back    o o o SDG spotted this: DHS completes Multi-Band Radio testing    o o o Survival Mom very kindly spilled a lot of ink pixels, posting links to my recent radio interview with Peter Schiff.    o o o “Boosters” sent this piece that has been overlooked by the mainstream media: Muslims Stone Catholic Festival-Goers in France.    o o o Over at TechPlus: How to create disposable mail address

F.G. sent this article from California that underscores a deep division in all of American society: Steven Greenhut: Rural rebellion brewing    o o o SurvivalBlog reader TTabs has produced another one of his great ultralight “trike flying” videos. This one shows a flight over ponds, rivers, and lakes in Eastern Washington. Not only is this scenic, but consider it some scouting for potential retreat locales. (Eastern Washington is part of the American Redoubt region. And BTW, one advantage of Washington state is that there is no personal income tax.) If you haven’t yet seen it, be sure to watch …

A profile news story from Toronto, Canada: Survivalists fear currency crash.    o o o Gun turn-in pits Ceasefire against collectors with cash. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)    o o o B.B. sent this: When Government Knows No Limitation: New DOJ Rules Allow More Intrusive Searches. If you don’t already own a medium-level security (Level 3 or better) paper shredder then you are way behind the power curve.    o o o Two Million Without Power: Heavy Autumn Snowstorm Barrels Across Northeast    o o o Ian R. sent this: 2011’s Incredible Weather Extremes. Ian notes: “If you …

Amid the City, Learning to Survive in the Wild. (Thanks to Mary F. for the link.)    o o o Important Safety Tip, Kids: Just like with an AT-4 or LAW, Always Check Your Backblast Area    o o o Tam posted some great commentary on the dark side of biometrics.    o o o Why did a police officer fire gas canister into crowd trying to help injured Iraq veteran? This is the sort of JBT behavior that I warned about.    o o o This map provides yet another good data point in support of the American Redoubt …

C.Z. sent this YouTube clip: Thailand supermarket empty during floods    o o o Several readers sent me this: ‘Rogue Web sites’ Bill Creates Chinese-Style Ban List. JWR’s Comment: Even though piracy of my books by the the umpteen “torrent” web sites cost me thousands of dollars a year in lost book sale royalties, I oppose this legislation. It provides a mechanism that could easily be abused by a would-be tyrant. It is reminiscent of the Great Firewall of China “Golden Shield” or J?ndùn G?ngchéng.) What is being proposed is a domain name re-direct feature rather than true blocking. They …

David N. in Tennessee mentioned: 154 free military medical course downloads.    o o o There is a lesson in OPSEC here: Five Criminals Who Got Caught Because of Facebook. If you must use social networking to promote a business, then avoid mentioning anything controversial. But the best choice is never sign up at all!    o o o “Apartment Dweller” sent this: First Google.Org-funded geothermal mapping report confirms vast coast-to-coast clean energy source    o o o The latest Orwellian news: Intelligent Street Lamps To Debut Friday. Does anyone honestly believe that the guys that deal drugs on street …

Salina Journal News: Preppers a diverse group. (Thanks to Jeff H. for the link.)    o o o Is nothing sacred? Thieves steal 2-ton bell from St. Mary’s garden    o o o Jeff R. spotted this: Ancient South American volcano Mount Uturucu blowing up like a balloon.    o o o Some good news from Canada: Conservative Party introduce bill to abolish long gun registry    o o o My recent interview on Frank Wuco’s show is now available as an archived podcast. My interview begins about 11 minutes into the hour, but please don’t miss the moving tribute …

A recently-released map showing gang presence in the United States adds further credence to the American Redoubt concept. (Thanks to Karl K. for the link.)    o o o C.J. Chivers, one of the few mainstream newspapermen that really understands small arms had some great commentary on modified and re-purposed guns in the hands of guerillas: Afghan Gun Locker: Battlefield Ingenuity, and a Weapon’s Longevity    o o o F.J. suggested this over at LifeHacker: How to Make an Improvised Backpack    o o o $1 Billion of your tax dollars at work: Libya’s liberation: interim ruler unveils more radical …