Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Ten signs that the U.S. is Losing it Influence in the Western Hemisphere. (A hat tip to Paul W. for the link.)    o o o More Celebrities Than Ever Are Carrying Firearms. The blatant favoritism in permit issuance is a scandal that has never been fully exposed. New York City has had a long succession of Teflon-coated mayors. The gun permit scandal doesn’t stick where it should!    o o o Bird Flu Simmers. (Thanks to Ken J. for the link.)    o o o J.H. sent this article from the Guardian: Campaign to save Pavlovsk seed bank from …

Dirk W. sent us this news story: The New Resource Wars: What if China Stops Exporting Rare Elements?    o o o The Heat Wave that Changed American History. (Thanks to “T-Moo” for the link.)    o o o Safecastle’s big sale ends tomorrow–Thursday, Sept. 30th. This is their last 25% off sale on Mountain House canned storage foods for 2010, with some free bonus items, depending on the size of your order. Safecastle also resumed stocking real canned butter, from Holland. Don’t miss out!    o o o EliteT sent this from CNN: Why is ‘food security’ sparking unrest? …

Dave M. mentioned: Pneumonic Plague in China.    o o o Brazil Crops Shrivel as Amazon Dries Up to Lowest in 47 Years. (Thanks to Susan H. for the link.)    o o o The Independent: Australia faces worst plague of locusts in 75 years

Reader Craig K. found a handy web site that gives step-by-step instructions to create a generator out of spare parts that many of us have laying around the shop. It contains links to other important topics as well.    o o o RFJ flagged this: Convert Your Bike Into a Cargo Bike with an Old Bike Frame    o o o SurvivalBlog readers in southwestern Oregon should check out Umpqua Survival. They are located in Roseburg, Oregon. They have strong expertise is with generators and photovoltaics. They are licensed dealers for both Generac and Kohler generators and they have a …

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard reports: Global food risk from China-Russia pincer    o o o River Chief sent this: Seen At 11: Ready For Anything ‘Preppers’ Are Doing Exactly That In Anticipation Of Doomsday    o o o Reader Rod McG. wrote: I don’t know if this is newsworthy or not, but maybe it would be of some use to a “Yuppie Survivalist” who can’t imagine living without their .MP3 tunes: The SABER hand-wind MP3 player. Rod’s comment: “There might not always be a way to trickle-charge your .mp3 player, even if you have cat oil to trade. (A reference to the …

Steve L. recommended a recent Survival Podcast episode: An Interview with Chris Martenson.    o o o Jamieson sent this: Solar Flare to paralyse Earth in 2013. See also this BBC report: Are solar flares a real threat? (Thanks to R.L. for that link.)    o o o RBS and several other readers sent this: O Rings for Accuracy on AR15, M16 and AK47    o o o More on the risk of solar flares: Astronomer fears apocalypse 2012 is true

RBS mentioned that there are pictorials of some natural materials building projects available at the Solar Haven web site.    o o o When “Dry Practice” isn’t dry: Deputy in town for firearms training accidentally fires weapon in hotel room. This serves as a reminder: Always double check that your weapon is empty, that you have no ammo in the training area, and that you have a safe backstop! (Thanks to Richard S. for the link.)    o o o A new catalyst: Turning $25 of Natural Gas into a $75 Barrel of Oil?    o o o Dr. A.W. …

Mac Slavo (over at the SHTFPlan blog) asks: How Many Guns Are Too Many? FWIW, here in The Un-Named Western State (TUWS), owning 40 guns is considered just “a decent collection”, and “serious collectors” must have at least 100 guns. (Thanks to K.T. for the link.)    o o o K.T. sent us a link to an interesting video produced by the CATO Institute: Cops on Camera.    o o o I stumbled into this, while web wandering: Double The Anger: Two “Mad Max” Sequels Shooting Back To Back. Oh, and speaking of anticipated movies, the release date for the …

When the subject of widespread EMP comes up, some folks blithely say: “We can just go back to vacuum tube technology”. But consider all the underlying technologies and metallurgy represented in this video produced by an electronics hobbyist in France: Hand Making Vacuum Tubes. (Thanks to Gaston for the link.)    o o o Bob G. mentioned this book excerpt: Books of The Times: ‘The Coming Famine’ by Julian Cribb    o o o L.H. spotted this: What NASA says you should keep on hand, for disasters. It all fits in a trash can. L.H. had this comment: “Not a …

Don’t miss this post over at Paratus Familia: Quarantine: A Preparedness Essential    o o o F.G. noted this article with map: Amish populations bugging out, gradually heading west.    o o o Thomas C. sent this: CDC Grand Rounds: Radiological and Nuclear Preparedness. Tom’s comments: “I found it interesting that one of the initial examples they give is from August 2004 in New York City. They conclude with the statement “The public’s maximal risk for exposure was less than that received from a single chest radiograph because of their distance from the radiation source.” Yet it took them 24 …

Constitutionalist surge! SurvivalBlog readers in Montana should be aware that Steve Kendley’s election bid for county sheriff of Lake County now looks very promising. Despite his “campaign on a shoestring budget” Kendley is now favored to win. If you live in Lake County, then please show up and vote on election day. And all Montanans should consider making a campaign contribution (up to Montana’s $160 maximum). I hope that his election will encourage other Constitutionalists to run for sheriff! Oh, and speaking of Montana, don’t miss Pastor Chuck Baldwin’s latest piece on his family’s upcoming move up to the land …

C.J. Chivers, the New York Times newspaper’s Token-Guy-Who-Understands-Guns has posted an interesting piece about the weapons used by insurgents in the Middle East: What’s Inside a Taliban Gun Locker? Too bad that this article got relegated to a little-read blog page, rather than a prominent place in print. OBTW, a century ago American newspapers had both reporters with expertise, and editors with an interest in firearms. See, for example, an 1893 New York Times article about Krag rifle procurement. (Thanks to “Straycat” for sending the link to the C.J. Chivers article.)    o o o Michael H. sent us this …

H.H. sent a web link that illustrates what can be accomplished with simple hand tools, and plenty of sweat. Simondale: A Low Impact Woodland Home    o o o K.T. suggested this article from an Australian military journal: Che Guevara and Guerrilla Warfare: Training for Today’s Nonlinear Battlefields    o o o “Word” found this linked over at the Theo Sparks web site: Rebuild a Jeep in Under Four Minutes.    o o o A few Project Gladio secrets are revealed: NATO’s Secret Armies. What are not mentioned are the veritable mountains of cached weapons and ammunition in Europe. A …

KAF sent this: America’s 10 Worst Places to Live    o o o Video: Grizzly Bears Moving Into Human Territory    o o o Martin S. sent us a link to a piece about beneficial Birds, Bats, and Bumblebees

Several readers sent this troubling article: ‘Cabbagegate’: Man Fined $5,000 for Home Garden    o o o Ham radio operators: The American Preparedness Radio Network has chats on Sunday and Thursday nights at 9 p.m. Eastern Time in the 80 meter band on (or about) 3.818 MHz. (All the usual OPSEC provisos for public venues apply.)    o o o Record U.S. Arms Deal With Saudis Advances. David in Israel notes: “This could be spun that the Arabians are purchasing arms for a confrontation with Israel or Iran. But If you use your nose for news and Follow The Money, …