Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Frequent content contributor Kevin S. sent this: Vegetable gardening: Raising the bed improves your odds.    o o o Britons! Time to Vote With Your Feet. Court Rules Christian Beliefs Harmful to Children. (Our thanks to J.M.B. for the link.)    o o o Chester sent us a link to a fascinating YouTube clip about a high-power air rifle that was used by the Lewis and Clark expedition. (OBTW, there are some modern high power air rifles. But unless you reside in a country with draconian firearms restrictions, an air rifle should be considered an adjunct rather than the centerpiece …

Some additional BATFE Gunwalker scandal details: More on the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. I’m glad to hear that CBS News is following up on this with another segment. (Thanks to “Word” for the link.)    o o o Reader W.P.R. noted that on Wednesday, Wyoming became the fourth state to recognize the right to concealed carry without a permit. (They joined Vermont, Alaska, and Arizona.) I expect that Colorado, Idaho, Montana, South Carolina, and Utah will soon follow suit. Please contact your state legislators, and encourage them to introduce or co-sponsor similar legislation.)    o o o …

Keeley suggested: Sixty-One Uses of Baking Soda. Stock up!    o o o Reader Gert J. wrote to suggest that anyone who comes from a family with a history of heart disease and that lives outside of city limits should buy an automated external defibrillator (AED) and carry it in their car whenever traveling. Gert’s comment: “Given the high mortality rate for sudden heart attacks, these are are more important to buy than a life insurance policy.”    o o o More chaos in Libya: Video of Bloody Battle to Hold Brega. There is a steep learning curve for this …

Italy gets over-run: More Than 140,000 People Flee Libya. Where will you be, when America’s cities are disgorged? Avoid living along refugee lines of drift!    o o o Because of some recent supply difficulties with Yoder’s, CampingSurvival.com has recently switched to Keystone brand canned beef, chicken, and turkey meat and broth.    o o o They’d better include some Kevlar: Bam! Pow! Superhero Groups Clash in an Epic Battle of Good vs. Good. (Kudos to F.G. for the link.)    o o o Reader R.P.B. sent this link: Rural Survival.    o o o Daniel H. mentioned that Pastor …

Anyone who owns a FAL or an L1A1 rifle and wants to do any at-home gunsmithing should own one of these.    o o o Roman sent us news of a fascinating development in monolithic dome building technology: Basalt Roving Dome. Imaging this scaled up, and a few additional layers? Talk about blast proof! (Dome-shaped buildings also have Bernoulli’s Principle going for them–they don’t “catch” wind” like slab-sided buildings.)    o o o Lily spotted this over at Paratus Familia: Practical Preparedness – Pharmaceuticals    o o o Seed for Security is offering a free gift for a limited time. …

Our brief initial tests of the Gerber Omnivore flashlight with the supplied AA batteries have been favorable. It is a white LED flashlight that is designed to be able to use size AA, AAA or CR123 batteries. I recently bought three of the 50 lumen version of the Omnivore. The tests I have planned for one of them are full draw-down with a continuous run with a pair of AA batteries, and then the same with a CR-123 battery. I’ll let you know how many of hours of useful light it provides, with each type of battery.    o o …

F.G. sent this: Census: Near-record level of US counties dying. JWR Adds: Of course some of the mentioned “dying” counties in the northern plains states that are de-populating might actually make good retreat locales. Low population density has its advantages!    o o o Randy F. sent a link showing that CBS News is finally catching on: Gunrunning scandal uncovered at the ATF. (But of course they don’t tell the whole sordid story.) Here is a bit of background on why the BATFE conspirators felt they needed to boost their “traced to U.S. gun shows” numbers: WikiLeaks exposes true origins …

Old snipers never die. They just get better equipment.    o o o Reader Joe V. notes: Info World (via Ask Woody) revealed that solid state flash drives are nearly impossible to erase.  Joe’s comment: “I guess that means ‘hammer time.’”    o o o Mark H. mentioned the Time Travel Cheat Sheet. (That information would of course also be useful for a total TEOTWAWKI.)    o o o Luke in Pennsylvania sent a link to the U.S. Army’s Preventative Maintenance magazine searchable database. Luke says: “It’s usefulness in supplying relevant information depends upon your choice of search terms. For example with …

The latest trend: “Mob Robbery” of convenience stores.    o o o US Government. Software Creates ‘Fake People’ on Social Networks to Promote Propaganda    o o o A reader in Heidelberg, Germany wrote to ask me about where to get outdoor survival training and where he could meet fellow preppers. I recommended doing a web search for local “adventure sport” clubs, like this one near Mannheim, Germany. There, folks will surely get some good hands-on training, and very likely meet other people that are preparing for “Das Ende der Welt, wie wir sie kennen.”    o o o I …

Some pointed observations by Tam over at View From the Porch blog: “Armorer” ? “Gunsmith”. I agree wholeheartedly. FWIW, my favorite real gunsmith is John Taylor, at Taylor Machine in Puyallup, Washington. He is a master gunsmith that can do things like re-line barrels or make replacement cylinders for revolvers from scratch. For example, I once sent John antique (pre-1899 production) 7.63mm Broomhandle Mauser pistol that was an absolute disaster, and he sent me back a perfectly-functioning gun that was re-bored to 9mm Parabellum, equipped with an OBI detachable 20 round magazine, and completely restored (with bluing expertly done by …

Reader B.C. wrote to mention: “It has occurred to me that preparedness should also include how to cook for the crowd that shows up at TEOTWAWKI. I just came across a page with links to recipes for cooking for 20 or more people.”    o o o JRH Enterprises is having a sale on new third generation Pinnacle auto-gated PVS-14 night vision units. All of these have a adjustable gain and a five year warranty.  The standard Gen 3 unit is now on sale for $2,895. And for the first time JRH is putting on sale their upgraded (Gen 3+) version …

Pierre M. sent: CDC: Deadly Superbug “C-Diff” Spreading    o o o Avalanche Lily spotted this: Since D.C.’s handgun ban ended, well-heeled residents have become well armed.    o o o Patricia F. flagged this: Why Does Texas Have Its Own Power Grid?    o o o A reader suggested HP LaserJet Tough Paper for printing key references that might be used in the field. It is not paper. Rather, it is a plastic material that can be laser printed. It is waterproof, so it would be ideal for printing specialized maps and pages for field notebooks.    o o …

Josh M. pointed us to a piece of hydrogen fuel cell technology that has finally made it to the consumer level: Powertrekk.    o o o Egyptian ‘Net Killed By Intimidation, Not a Switch. (A hat tip to Wade B. for the link.)    o o o C.D.V. sent us this dire prediction: Scientists Warn of $2 Trillion Solar ‘Katrina’.    o o o Reader J. H. forwarded: Reports coming out of Christchurch, New Zealand, following a magnitude 6.3 temblor are thusfar a bit confused. Please keep the folks there in your prayers.    o o o Troubling news: Florida …