Category: Odds ‘n Sods

G.G. sent this item of interest, from Popular Mechanics: Rise of the Preppers: Survivalists Get a Makeover Can disaster preparedness become a lifestyle without turning into survivalism?    o o o Magnetic Pole Shift May Close Airports    o o o Peter King’s silly gun ban idea. Beyond ludicrous… How can you create an exclusion zone that moves?    o o o Just as predicted: Here They Come For Your Money – Dozens of States Are Raising Taxes in 2011    o o o Sean B. sent us another testament to the protective value of “mass”: Credit Protection: Bouncer’s cards …

<<p>Frequent content contributor C.D.V. sent us the link to an interesting (and beautiful) “heat map” which may aid is selecting retreat locales. It shows locations that are furthest in travel time from major cities.    o o o W.T. suggested this piece over at Grant Cunninghan’s site: Firearms Lubrication 101. (Thanks to W.T. for the link.)    o o o Reader Jenn. C. mentioned an article that she penned for The Sarah Connor Charm School blog site: Survival Food Strategies for Real Food Minded Modern Warriors.    o o o One Poor Harvest Away From Chaos. (Thanks to Cheryl N. …

B.B. suggested an essay by Eric Peters: Where We’re Headed…    o o o The first hand account of Air Force One pilot Col. Mark Tillman’s experiences on 9-11-01 are well worth the watch. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)    o o o Troy H. suggested this National Geographic article: Seven Billion: By 2045 global population is projected to reach nine billion. Can the planet take the strain?    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson pointed me to this new product: The Rifle Integrated Power Rail (RIPR). Mike’s comment: “I’m not a huge fan of …

Terry D. sent a link to a fascinating interactive map, based on U.S. Census Bureau data. Terry suggested using this to your data set, when judging retreat locales.    o o o My old friend Fred the Valmet-meister sent a link to a great web page: Farming in the 1920s.    o o o California’s mail order ammunition ban and fingerprinting for face to face buyers goes into effect on February 1st. One more nail in the coffin for the Citizens of a once-free state.    o o o Honey laundering: The sour side of nature’s golden sweetener. (Thanks to …

For anyone who is grumbling about the cancellation of the BBC television series Survivors, there is now a petition to get Season 3 reinstated.    o o o Another reason for OPSEC: Cop Slain for gun collection. (A hat tip to David N. in Tennessee.)    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent a useful article with relevance to EMP protection: Bonding and Grounding C4SIR Facilities.    o o o I recently got a lengthy heartfelt letter from a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employee that I’ll quote just briefly: “The number one lesson I have …

John B. flagged this: The federalization of local law enforcement    o o o “Wolverines!” It now seems there is renewed hope for the completed-but-yet-shelved remake of the movie Red Dawn. The latest news is that it will get released in 2011, after all, assuming MGM’s “exit from bankruptcy” goes well.    o o o The publisher is again offering a 10% discount for SurvivalBlog readers on the DVD Food Production Systems for a Backyard or Small Farm.  This is a comprehensive DVD tutorial on home food production available showing you how much water you need, how much land, highest …

Yishai mentioned this article: More than two million children are homeschooled in the United States.    o o o Dan G. notes: “People in Europe may want to keep a eye on Iceland’s volcano Katla which seems to be lit more and more like a Christmas tree every day”    o o o Reader Steven W. mentioned a high-quality homesteading magazine based in Oregon. Steven noted: “I talked with the editor and she asked me to send you a link to her magazine and blog site. While she may be a bit of an Oregon flower child, her magazine information …

K.T. mentioned: Biospharms – Sustainable Agriculture Mini Farming    o o o Cheryl (aka “the Economatrix”) sent: Food Emergency:  Millions of Americans Are Heading To Food Banks For First Time    o o o Natural disasters ‘killed 295,000 in 2010’    o o o Bob G. sent this: Everything Is Falling Apart: 20 Facts That You Will Not Want To Read If You Still Want To Feel Good About America’s Decaying Infrastructure    o o o Timeline of a Bee Massacre: EPA Still Allowing Hive-Killing Pesticide. (Thanks to Jeff B. for the link.)

Getting Out Of Dodge: In-bound migration to Idaho strong over past two years, United Van Lines study shows. (A hat tip to Steve S. for the link.)    o o o Reader R.L.H. spotted this: End of the world? Tune into WBT-AM. (Does anyone have a list of the similarly-equipped stations?)    o o o J.C. suggested this re-cap: The 10 Most Underreported Stories for 2010    o o o Steve S. also sent a link to a web page with some absolutely magnificent photos shot by Colonel Douglas H. Wheelock from the International Space Station. The preparedness tie-in? The …

Readers E.D.M. and Jonathan R. suggested Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre’s extraordinary photographs documenting the dramatic decline of a major American city: Detroit in Ruins. These scenes look like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie like The Book of Eli. I think that Detroit has had a few too many mayors like Louis Miriani, Coleman Young, and Kwame Kilpatrick. It is no wonder that Paul Verhoven chose Detroit for the locale in his movie Robocop.    o o o One week after the blizzard: The “Big Apple” Looks Like The “Big Dumpster”. So how would sanitation be in New York …

Steve H. found a good article about grow light bulbs.    o o o Reader Tim R. suggested this: Top 10 Survival Downloads You Should Have    o o o I heard about a web site that has lots of free woodworking plans including shed plans.    o o o Thousands of birds fall from the sky in Beebe, Arkansas

At least a dozen readers sent this: Ashton Kutcher Predicts Worthless Currency And Mass Panic, Recommends Getting As Buff As Possible.    o o o News from Lincoln, Nebraska: Twenty police respond to man playing with crossbow in his backyard, seize house. Here is the relevant statute from the Lincoln, Nebraska web site: “9.36.050 Discharge of Weapons and Other Instruments Unlawful.” JWR’s Advice: I recommend avoiding these ludicrous jurisdictional entanglements by locating your family well outside of city limits!    o o o I was saddened to hear that Aaron S. Zelman died on December 21st. He was 64 years …

As we near the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Army’s adoption of the Colt Model 1911 pistol, we should remember: The U.S. M1911 & The Medal of Honor. OBTW, the article begins with mention of my grandfather Ernest E. Rawles‘s friend, Frank Luke. They were mountain climbing buddies in Arizona, circa 1916. But FWIW, several accounts mention Luke being armed with a revolver rather than a .45 automatic.    o o o Matthew B. suggested a winter storm article that illustrates a great reason to be as prepared as possible and not rely on “the system” to take care of …

Leah mentioned a new Yahoo list says that foraging is a top 10 food prediction for the upcoming year.  They even have a link to a Philadelphia Food Harvest Map which has locations for many private properties.     o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson pointed us to a site that describes some PVC “Spud Gun” projects that might have some utility WTSHTF.    o o o C.D.V. pointed us to the web site of a gent who made a bet that he could eat well on $1 a day. He’d only learned about couponing five months …