Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Several readers mentioned this: President Obama’s Executive Order 13575: Rural Council.    o o o Veteran SurvivalBlog contributor K.T. wrote to mention that someone recently scanned and posted Jeff Cooper’s article on Defensive Architecture from the first year of P.S. Newsletter. Note that, to the best of my knowledge, this was posted in violation of copyright. I believe that the copyright shifted from Mel Tappan to his widow Nancy Tappan, then to Karl Hess (who subsequently renamed the newsletter Survival Tomorrow), and then presumably to Karl’s heirs and assigns when he passed away. BTW, I wish that someone would republish …

I just read that Hazel Dickens passed away earlier this year. She was a great bluegrass singer who will be greatly missed. She’s singing in heaven now. Hearing about her passing reminded me of where I first heard her: KFAT in Gilroy, California. When I was in college, I avidly listed to KFAT, mainly for the bluegrass and gospel-bluegrass music. Their western swing and rockabilly music was also fun, though a good portion of that was not very edifying. (They played plenty of rowdy-honkeytonk-doper songs.) But to their credit, KFAT’s play list was truly eclectic, including: Emmylou Harris (the station’s …

Bob G. suggested this video: Faraday Cage: Garbage Can, Really?    o o o An interesting report: Liquid Sunshine Small Scale Alcohol Production in Local Communities    o o o IBD Editorial: Was Fast and Furious a Gun-Control Plot?    o o o Reader Matt H. wrote to mention this about camouflage: “I escaped the Southern California fires a couple of years age by driving a white pickup and wearing a hard hat and safety vest. Without faking logos or otherwise impersonating, I outwardly looked like any of many utility, CalTrans [highway department] or company trucks in the area. I …

Reader V.T.P. mention a new documentary coming up on the National Geographic cable television channel: Doomsday Preppers. It first airs tonight. (Monday, June 27 at 8 p.m. in the U.S.) Judging from the preview clip, it looks great. I would be very surprised to hear that the folks profiled aren’t SurvivalBlog readers.    o o o I recently bought a few olive drab MOLLE shotshell pouches from a small mailorder company in Florida called Omega Zombie. I was quite impressed with both the quality of their products and their customer service. And, BTW, I noticed that they also sell their …

New Study: Fluoride Can Damage the Brain – Avoid Use in Children. (Thank to K.E.R. for the link.)    o o o Monumental ignorance of history and logical inversion: “Chicago’s new top cop says the accessibility to firearms in America is an extension ‘of government-sponsored racism’ that goes back to the days of slavery and Jim Crow.” If this idiot knew anything about history, then he would know that gun restrictions were used by southern legislatures during Reconstruction to repress the voting rights of recently-freed slaves. He has his history absolutely inverted!    o o o Alan W. flagged this: …

Steve McC. mentioned: Earth Must Be Ready for Next Big Solar Storm    o o o Anyone who places over $150 with Ready Made Resources in the month of July will get a free copy of the excellent Urban Danger DVD. This is a great tool for people to wake others up to the dangers we face and solutions available.    o o o Steven M. mentioned a different approach to bike tire protection: Seat Belt Bike Tire Hack    o o o K.A.F. sent this: A rural life is better: Living in a concrete jungle is stressful and make …

Marie K. found the Cookit! web site, that offers a “History Cookbook” which is categorized by time periods (such as Prehistoric, Romano-British, Saxons & Vikings, etc.) Within each time period, videos of individuals costumed for the era demonstrate how different recipes were prepared. They show how to make Girdle Bread over the fire (Medieval recipe) or Beancakes (Saxon/Viking recipe) or Roman Lentil Casserole also known as Pottage (a Romano-British recipe).    o o o Fred Z. suggested this piece from NASA’s news arm: Getting Ready for the Next Big Solar Storm    o o o The ARRL‘s annual national Field Day …

Finally! Wisconsin may soon adopt nondiscretionary concealed carry permits. (Thanks to Phil T. for the link.)    o o o W.J. sent us some more good legislative news, from Pennsylvania: Deadly force expansion passes Pennsylvania Senate.    o o o Reader K.K. mentioned the WWII irregular scout unit Castner’s Cutthroats in Alaska. K.K. notes: “They lived off the land, and out of a backpack when deployed.” Readers should refer to Wikipedia as a starting point for researching the unit’s modus operandi.    o o o More than 30 readers sent me the link to a recent hatchet piece by leftist …

Reader J.L. has very kindly expanded my “List of Lists” spreadsheet. It is now available for free download. (Note that this spreadsheet and the information contained therein are for your personal, non-commercial use only–not for re-posting or re-publishing in any from. This is copyrighted material. All rights reserved.)    o o o In the past 24 hours, I’ve heard from several AOL users who have mentioned that they’ve been unable to access SurvivalBlog. The problem is with AOL site, not at our server. Please try re-launching your browser and/or re-starting your computer.  If that doesn’t work, then try using either …

For folks interested in using the new Bitcoin digital currency, check out the free information and graphics at: BitcoinResource.com    o o o Steven M. sent us this: Home Security – The four levels of home fortification    o o o Apparently a minnow trap is a very effective trap for snakes as well!  (Thanks to M.E. for the link.)    o o o I heard that there are still a few copies of the limited autographed edition of Mike Williamson’s upcoming novel “Rogue” available.  (As a reservation, in advance of publication.) Readers will either need to contact Uncle Hugo’s …

Reader V.T. sent this: African Village Uses Tech to Fight Off Rape Cult. Hmmm… Weapons, communications, intelligence, and community-based self defense. Sound familiar? And they did it all this on a shoestring budget.    o o o Bobbi M. forwarded: How Superbugs Will Affect Our Health Care Costs    o o o The deadline for the Ready Made Resources Preparedness Video Contest is July 26th. Instructional (nonfiction) videos on any topic related to family preparedness are sought. The prizes are a brand new Rock Rivers Arms (RRA) Elite Comp M4 (AR-15 series compatible ) complete Barreled Upper Receiver and a …

David N. recommended this: DIY Chlorine Generator for Water Purification    o o o For Washington state residents, John B. sent a link to this blog: Washington State Gun Lawyer.    o o o Pierre M. suggested this at The Genius Files: Guide: Protect Your Security Online and Mobile Phones. And, on a related note: Ten Effective Privacy Tricks To Secure Your Web Browsing    o o o Courtesy of Steven M.: 10 Most Secure Locations on the Planet.    o o o Chad S. sent a headline from Nanny State California: San Francisco Considers Ban on Goldfish as Pets …

Some great advice, over at the Patarus Familia blog: Practical Preparedness – Storage    o o o Fukushima, Nebraska? Airspace Over Flooded Nebraska Nuclear Power Plant Still Closed    o o o Ron in Florida sent: New Apple Technology Stops iPhones From Filming Live Events. Ron’s comment: “The implications of potential misuse are chilling.” JWR Adds: Yes, what if The Powers That Be (TPTB) decide that they don’t want anyone filming the police cracking skulls at a public protest demonstration? Camera “Lock Outs” could presumably be based on GPS coordinates, rather than in infrared emitters.    o o o The …

Are we approaching something like the Maunder Minimum? Sun’s Fading Spots Signal Big Drop in Solar Activity. Come on, make up your minds. Al Gore is dying to know, will it be global warming or a Little Ice Age? Either way, be prepared for multigenerational TEOTWAWKI.    o o os Several readers have written me to mention this study: Freedom in the 50 States. It is an interesting yet slightly flawed study. Since when does perverting the definition of “marriage” constitute a freedom? In their criteria for measuring Paternalism, the authors of the study chose to weight “domestic partnerships” nearly …

This news clip on Do It Yourself (DIY) arms making is fascinating: Libya rebels make weapons from scraps, (Thanks to KAF for the link.)    o o o House Panel Releases Scathing Report on ‘Fast and Furious’ Gun Operation, Sure to Anger Mexico    o o o David R. suggested this over at The Woodpile Report: Eight things to expect under martial law    o o o Yishai sent this: This USB Pot Charges Your Cell Phone By Excess Heat. Thermo-electric generators (TEGs) have been discussed before in SurvivalBlog. Unfortunately they are suited only to applications where temperatures can be …