Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Mary F. wrote to note that the New York Times recently ran a piece about offgrid living, in Texas: A Glow in the Desert. It is about a New Yorker removed to West Texas and living off the grid. “When you work alone, you have to be patient. Progress is measured in the completion of small tasks, and construction takes years, not weeks. Safety is a colossal issue.”     o o o Britain “The Era Of Constant Electricity At Home Is Ending”, National Grid Chief. (A tip of the hat to G.P. for the link.)    o o o Troy …

Reader Tom M. suggested a great two-hour educational video produced by UCSF: Injuries in the Wilderness.    o o o Kevin R. sent us this: The secret world of doomsday shelters Blast from the past: Underground home bunkers once again have a small but growing following as a refuge from a host of perceived threats. And most people who have them would prefer that you didn’t know. Kevin notes: “Notice the demographics mentioned on page two, describing who is building these and that most are in the Washington, D.C. area?.  Do our bureaucrats know and anticipate something they aren’t sharing …

Another Self Reliance Expo is planned for April 8-9, 2011 National Western Events Complex, in Denver, Colorado. There will be a number of panel discussions and many exhibitors putting on product demonstrations. Topics will include aquaponics,canning and food dehydrating, ham radio, solar ovens, and much more. Admission is $9 at the door or you can get a 20% discount on tickets by registering online (click on the “Admission” tab.) Another Expo will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 7-8.    o o o Paul Farrell: The 2008 crash isn’t over, only covered up    o o o File …

John R. sent this from Peter Schiff: A Little Understanding Goes a Long Way Billionaire Carl Icahn returns $1.76 Billion to investors. The article begins: “On the eve of the bull market’s second anniversary, billionaire investor Carl Icahn had an unsettling message for his investors: Take your money back. Icahn told investors in his hedge funds that he didn’t want to be responsible to them for “another possible market crisis…” (Out thanks to “Air Force Dad” for sending the link.) Kevin S. suggested this from over at Sovereign Man: The market is telling us that the dollar is finished Items …

Please pray for the people of the fledgling nation of South Sudan. Following a well-monitored landslide vote, the south (primarily populated by Christians and pagan animists) is seceding from the predominantly Muslim northern half of the country. Independence Day is scheduled for July 9, 2011. May God grant them peace and liberty. I am hopeful that an international group will be formed to help direct aid to the new nation, and to help arm its citizenry so that they can defend themselves from Muslim aggression. (The recent genocide in the adjoining Darfur region is still fresh in our minds.)    …

Fred the Valmetmeister sent this fun video clip: Live Fire With a [Replica] Civil War Cannon. You gotta love the cannon ball lodged the tree trunk…    o o o Joe G. spotted this at The American Rifleman‘s web page: The M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle The changing nature of the war in Afghanistan led to the re-issue of the 7.62×51 mm NATO M14 rifle.    o o o Richard S. recommended this piece from Canada: Lorne Gunter: Opposing self-defence means opposing democracy itself    o o o I noticed that Amazon recently dropped their price on “Patriots: A Novel of …

Kevin S. pointed us to this thread: CME Events, Loss of Electrical Grid, Ground Base Computers, & Satellites    o o o Tam at View From The Porch pointed us to an excellent essay by Oleg Volk: Collective punishment    o o o Mike S. spotted an article about an interesting device: “SiGNa Chemistry Inc. is launching a hydrogen-producing cartridge, the mobile-H2™, that will work with a portable, pocket-sized fuel cell charger to provide instant power for cell phones and other mobile devices. You simply add water to the cartridge, and the device will charge depleted batteries on the go. …

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 …