Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Rachel F. mentioned an interesting video about a couple that lives very close to the land.    o o o Congressman Ron Paul: The Last Nail – Floor Speech (May 25, 2011). The Defense Authorization Act or H.R. 1540, aka” The Forever War Act”, was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives May 26th with a vote of 322 to 96.    o o o U.S. to propose mandatory vehicle ‘black boxes’. I hadn’t heard that most vehicles already had post-crash decelleration event data recorders (EDRs), and that for several years the Lexus brand cars have recorded pre-carsh events. (Presumably …

G.G. flagged this: The Most Dangerous Cities in America. (All of them are nowhere near the American Redoubt.)    o o o 45 Seconds: Memoirs of a Joplin ER Doctor from May 22, 2011    o o o Loyal content contributor F.G. sent this: Police on radio scanner apps: That’s not a 10-4    o o o Courtesy of John in Ohio: Mark Zuckerberg’s new challenge: Eating only what he kills (and yes, we do mean literally…)    o o o Yankee Prepper sent us this to file this under “Emerging Threats”: Mexican officials seize ‘narcotank’. (The linked video is …

Senator Rand Paul speaks out in opposition to renewal of the misnamed PATRIOT Act.    o o o An interesting History Channel documentary: How The States Got Their Shapes. Note that one segment on Montana includes a SurvivalBlog reader. (I haven’t been given permission to name names, but you might be able to guess which Montanan this is.)    o o o Enemy at gate? Not in this case. (Thanks to N.R. for the link.)    o o o Obama: We’re Working on Gun Control ‘Under the Radar’. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the link.)    o o o This article …

Phill K. sent a link to an interesting story about insulin that can be stored at room temperature.      o o o Voting with our feet: Americans Try to Outrun State, Local Tax Hikes. Wyoming (which has no personal income tax) and some of the other American Redoubt States are looking better and better.    o o o C.R.W. spotted this over at Jim Sinclair’s web site: Wanted – Farming Couple in Tanzania    o o o Lousy Timing Department: Just as hundreds of thousands of people in the central United States are having their lives devastated by tornadoes, …

Tam, over at the View From The Porch blog comments on disaster preparedness: It’s A Twister, Auntie Em! Edition.    o o o Un-Easy Rider: Peter Fonda encourages his grandchildren to learn long range shooting.    o o o Pierre M. sent a link to some dramatic photos: Grimsvotn Volcano Erupts in Iceland.    o o o Reader K.N.B. wrote to mention that Calumet, Oklahoma was just struck by a tornado, and it has been reported that Calumet Industries (recently mentioned in SurvivalBlog) has suffered some damage. Please keep the folks there in your prayers. If any of you have …

Paulette suggested this: Beginner Basics: Fitting a Backpack    o o o More Nanny Statism: USDA fines family four million dollars for selling bunny rabbits. Thanks to Dann for the link.    o o o Some pointed humor, over at the Paratus Familia blog: Patient Zero    o o o Loyal content contributor F.G. flagged this: Armed With Stone-Tipped Arrows, Hunters Stalk Their Inner Cave Men

My sincere thanks to the several SurvivalBlog readers who have made 10 Cent Challenge voluntary subscription payments.    o o o Larry C. was the first of several readers to recommend this one-hour documentary: College Conspiracy.    o o o I recently received a review copy of the Tactical Point Shooting video. This is a classic from 1992 (back in the VHS tape days) that has just been been re-mastered onto DVD. This fascinating video features SurvivalBlog’s own Pat Cascio, the late John McSweeney, and Sheriff Jim Wilson. The DVD also has some commentary from the late (and legendary) Colonel …

Reader “TinCan” sent this, over at Eatocracy: Give squirrel a whirl    o o o I couldn’t help but be reminded of the classic 1931 Fritz Lang film, “M”, with Peter Lorre: Crazy Military Tracking Tech, From Super Scents to Quantum Dots. Here is a quote: “Imagine walking up to a target and patting him on the back with a clear liquid on your hand. He might never notice it, but you’d be able to see — and follow — him from a distance using night vision goggles. Oregon-based Voxtel makes a product, “NightMarks,” that can do just that. NightMarks …

This post sums up what a lot of people have been thinking: You Might Be A Psychopath If…    o o o The shortages continue: Drugs For Critically Ill In Short Supply. (Thanks to C.D.V. for the link.)    o o o Ay, ay, ay: CDC Warns Public to Prepare for ‘Zombie Apocalypse’. How could the CDC use such absurd, illogical imagery to promote a family preparedness campaign? They must have let a few overpaid publicity consultants run amok. Be very careful when you ask PR people to “Do something bold, to catch attention.” Did they ever! (Thanks to Steve …

Lulu is offering free shipping until the end of May. This includes the SurvivalBlog 5-Year Archive CD-ROM. Use coupon code FREESHIP305.    o o o Lynn G. sent this: US official: growing threat from solar storms    o o o An amazing collection of disaster pictures: Mississippi Floodwaters Roll South. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.)    o o o KAF sent this: Equine Herpes Outbreak Hits Western U.S. States    o o o Reader Lynn G suggested: In the bleak light of the Depression: Rare colour photographs of the era that defined a generation

There are several new retreat property listings at our spin-off web site: SurvivalRealty.com    o o o G&K flagged this: Is This The Year The Atchafalaya River ‘Captures’ The Mississippi?    o o o Trevor wrote to mention that the 8th Annual Porcupine Freedom Festival will be held June 20-26th, 2011, in New Hampshire. You can register on-line. (Use coupon code TREVOR for 20% off registration “and some swag”).    o o o “Tom Nobody” recommended a site with a lot of good home canning information: PickYourOwn.org    o o o Simon Black (of the Sovereign Man blog) chimed in …

R.F. suggested an article over at Slate: The Century of Disasters Meltdowns. Floods. Tornadoes. Oil spills. Grid crashes. Why more and more things seem to be going wrong, and what we can do about it.    o o o Greg C. sent this: Iran to Build Missile Base in Venezuela Missiles Could Hit American Cities; Venezuelan Missile Crisis Looms    o o o Tony D. found a repository of Boy Scouts manuals, for scout masters. (Some rights are reserved, under a Creative Commons license.)    o o o Do you have defensible space around your home? Fire crews gave everything …

I’m scheduled to be the guest on a podcast with Doc and DEMCAD tonight (Tuesday, May 17, 2011) at 6 p.m. Pacific / 9 p.m. Eastern time. I don’t do many podcast interviews, but I always make the time to talk to my friend Reggie. BTW, one of my previous interviews with him is archived on YouTube.    o o o Hundreds of herbal remedies now outlawed across Europe. (A hat tip to Marilyn R. for the link.)    o o o Loyal content contributor K.A.F. sent this: New Yorkers under 30 plan to flee city, says new poll; cite …

Check out the new Rocky Mountain Survival Institute blog. Great stuff!    o o o New Army Ammo Puts Mean in ‘Green’    o o o I just heard that Ready Made Resources has received a small supply of Mountain House freeze dried Diced Chicken, packed in #10 cans. Since the quantity is so small this item is not listed at the company’s web site. To order, please call them at: 1(800) 627-3809.    o o o Ben L. mentioned this very bad court precedent in Indiana: Court: No right to resist illegal cop entry into home. This is a …

Reader B.B. spotted this: Rich Russians Buy Bunkers on Apocalypse Angst. JWR Adds: Regardless of what country you are in, be wary of fast-talking salesmen that want to sell you floor space in any shelter that doesn’t yet exist. Just as with precious metals, I recommend that your investment be something tangible. FWIW, back when I was in the software industry, we used to call planned products or planned features “vaporware”, because many of them were never anything more than Marketing Department hype. (There was no code for this software yet written.)    o o o Mr. K. wrote to …