Category: Odds ‘n Sods

File under Emerging Threats: DIY Spy Drone Sniffs Wi-Fi, Intercepts Phone Calls. (Note that if hackers can do this, so can Uncle Sugar.)    o o o New NASA Data Blow Gaping Hole In Global Warming Alarmism    o o o This looks captivating: MedCallKits™ + 24/7 Telemedicine Line     o o o Bob G. mentioned an excellent video by “Okie Prepper” on using calcium hypochlorite for water purification    o o o Birmingham riots: three men killed ‘protecting homes’. There is something especially pitiful about seeing disarmed citizens attempting to defend themselves ( A hat tip to Laura C. …

London riots: breakdown of Monday night’s violence. (Two observations from JWR: 1.) A lot of these “youths” appear to be in their 20s and 30s, and, 2.) If the rioting is this severe on such a slight pretense, then what will things be like in the midst of economic collapse, later in the decade?) It is high time to take the gap!    o o o You can’t blame these Turkish shop owners in London’s Dalston for arming themselves. Video: London Riots: Shop-owners defend their businesses in east London. (Riotguns would of course be better, but this is England.) And …

This piece from Switzerland has SurvivalBlog written all over it: Turning army forts into private homes. (OBTW, see the photo links at the bottom of this post in our archives. Fascinating, clever camouflage!)    o o o Some great commentary from Patrice Lewis: Man the lifeboats!    o o o Freeze Dry Guy has an August special on original military rations including Granola with Milk & Bananas and Granola with Milk & Blueberries, packed 60 Mylar pouches per case , at $119 per case, with even deeper multi-case discounts available.    o o o No doubt this abuse of power …

Over at Off The Grid News: One Man Living His Off-Grid Dream. (He relocated from New York to Montana.)    o o o F.J. spotted this over at LifeHacker: Make an Emergency Candle Out of a Tub of Crisco. (Don’t miss the humorous comments with a description of a bacon grease candle.)    o o o For just one day, Monday August 8, 2011 Backyard Food Production is offering a 38% discount for SurvivalBlog readers on their DVD Food Production Systems for a Backyard or Small Farm. (Amazon.com has notified them that they have to reduce my inventory – so …

F.J. spotted this over at the Makezine site: Drain Pipe Hotel.    o o o Kevin S. suggested a product that will be released later this year: DeLorme inReach—two-way satellite communication. (Pair this $250 device to your Android phone via Bluetooth and send/receive texts using the Iridium satellite network.)    o o o James K. flagged this: Harvesting Energy From Radio Signals: Two New Devices From Japan (Video)    o o o Check out this interesting bucket gardening site: Global Buckets. (Thanks to John S. for the link.)    o o o A newly-orbited Amateur Radio Satellite (AMSAT): ARISSat/KEDR. (Thanks …

A gent developed a handy new app for Android phones that calculates bullion coin value for transactions.    o o o Who would have thunk it? Federal officials have been caught facilitating moving drugs one way, and guns the other, across the border. Gee, its good to know that at least we don’t live in one of those corrupt Third World countries with a printing press economy.    o o o Gun lobby fights Mexico border rifle sale control. It is funny that the journalist picked up on the ATF’s “iron river” rhetoric, when the ATF itself is the biggest …

F.G. sent this: Cooped Up: Chickens Come Home to Roost for Urbanites With a Yen for Hen    o o o Nissan eyes powering your house from your car. (Thanks to Anthony S. for the link.)    o o o Camping Survival just got another shipment of Wise Foods, packed in food grade pails.  They created a 10% off coupon on these, just for SurvivalBlog readers:  “wise10“. These pails are in stock and ready to ship within two business days.    o o o James C. suggested this video on do it yourself evaporative refrigeration: Zeer Pot Fridge. Cool your …

John R. sent this: The Hobbits Win    o o o The new Red Dirt Cooking blog (penned by “Okie Ranch Wife”– a sobriquet familiar to SurvivalBlog readers) has some great insights and some very useful recipes. She plans to cover home canning and long term food storage, as well.    o o o Somehow, I missed this great piece when it was posted on July 6th in the Alt-Market blog: The Essential Rules Of Liberty. (Thanks to C.R.W. for sending the link.)    o o o My wife Avalanche Lily and several SurvivalBlog readers all alerted me to some …

J.D.D. sent this piece about concealed carry in Michigan: 10 years after concealed weapons law, unclear why many in state were gun-shy. (The good news is that we’re winning: I found an animated GIF at Wikipedia that shows the advance of the right to carry laws since 1986. And guess what? There hasn’t been “blood in the streets” and “wild west shootouts.” Crime rates have actually been falling. Granted, this is partly because of our aging demographics. But I believe that some of the decrease in crime can be attributed to scared spitless criminals.)    o o o K.A.F. sent …

Mathew R. suggested the free firearms and combat survival training videos available at the ATACS web site.    o o o A piece by Tess Pennington, by way of Lew Rockwell’s site: Vaseline: A Multipurpose Prep Item    o o o Pentagon unveils its new cyberstrategy. Well, some of it, anyway. (Thanks to John R. for the link.)    o o o Some great commentary from Tam, over at her View From The Porch blog: I’ve never seen an engineer pretend to be a lawyer…    o o o Sean M. mentioned a useful rainwater calculator map, for estimating roof …

Dilbert is a Prepper–in a cartoon that is a reminder to think OPSEC! Here is a recent Dilbert comic strip about preparedness for financial collapse that is funny, yet alarming. (Iggy was the first of several readers to send me the link.)    o o o Since when is swearing adherence to the Constitution a sign of “Rage”, “Anti-Government”, and being “Conspiracy [minded]”? Only in the eyes of the leftist ADL: Rage Grows in America: Anti-Government Conspiracies.    o o o W. in West Virginia mentioned a television news segment about underground shelter builder Radius Engineering.    o o o …

Ravenous wolves colonise France, terrorise shepherds. (A hat tip to F.G. for the link.)    o o o Signs of The Times: Detroit to set services by neighborhood condition. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)    o o o KAF sent this: 2010-2011 drought likely to be among costliest on record for Texas farmers, ranchers    o o o Reader Shawn in Ohio asks: “If they riot at a movie, how bad will things get if we default?”: Riot Police, Crowd Clash Outside Hollywood Premiere of Film on Electric Daisy Carnival Rave    o o o Are you planning to …

J. McC. highlighted this article with some fascinating demographic statistics: Rural US disappearing? Population share hits low.    o o o The folks at Survival Logic recently posted a fairly comprehensive list of outdoor survival schools in the United States.    o o o Storing Water for a Dry Day Leads to Suits. (Thanks to Ian for the link.)    o o o Our Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson wrote to tell me that he has writings in four sci-fi book releases that are all scheduled for August. The first is: Exiled: Clan of the Claw. Mike describes this …

Prepping goes gourmet! Reader Steve O. was watching a Food Network cooking show and spotted this: Wheat Berry Salad.    o o o B.H. sent this: As Criminal Laws Proliferate, More Are Ensnared    o o o The first hint of real release date for the remake of Red Dawn came recently when it was announced that it would be released on September 8th in Denmark. Could that be the global release date? Things have been up in the air, ever since MGM transformed the villains in Red Dawn from Chinese to North Korean, after the film was already “in …

John K. mentioned a simple chart to aid in the practice of learning Morse code.    o o o Reader Henry M. recommended the new TNT cable television sci-fi drama, “Falling Skies“, starring Noah Wyle. Henry says: “It is actually pretty good viewing and has some common survival strategies in each episode.  It has not really hit it’s stride yet, but has great potential.  I would enthusiastically recommend the show, with the caveat that it will probably be Big Brother and not aliens that comes to take our kids away.”    o o o Swampfox, MD recommended a video from …