Category: Odds ‘n Sods

John McC. mentioned an interesting (albeit slow-loading) environmental threat map site.    o o o I heard from a reader in Wyoming about some newly-manufactured herdsman-style trailers equipped with wood stoves. They look like a good option for extended camping situations, or a way to house extra families that show up at your retreat at the 11th Hour.    o o o Damon pointed us to a Washington Times editorial: The coming war with Iran.    o o o India floods leave 2.5 million homeless, 250 dead. (My thanks to Eric C. for the link )

Reader FG flagged this news story from Texas: Soldier who stole night vision goggles sentenced. ” FG’s comment: Be very careful about any “super deals” on US mil spec night vision gear. It may be stolen Government issue.”    o o o Reader Bill D. spotted an interesting two-part article yesterday on “The Brussels Journal” web site dealing with the downfall of Bronze-Age civilization and some of the implications for our own times. Bill’s comment: “It’s very heavy on the ancient history but very much worth a read.”    o o o FG mentioned this article on cyber terrorism, from …

A reader in Florida mentioned a full-service homeschooling support group: Family Tree Private School.    o o o Larry W. flagged this Der Spiegel article: Russian Weapons Industry: Kalashnikov Manufacturer Faces Bankruptcy    o o o Ban Handguns? US Supreme Court Taking New Look. JWR’s comment: The outcome of this case may be significant for SurvivalBlog readers that live in gun-deprived states like New Jersey and California. If the Supremes hold that individual states can restrict the right to keep and bear arms, then that should be time to vote with your feet, and move to a gun-friendly state.    …

Ammo Rationing at Wal-Mart as Panic Buying Sweeps US    o o o Signs of the times in small-town America: Layoffs, lost cruisers: Problems grow for sheriff. Here is a key quote: “‘We will be a lawless society,’ worries Angela Greenwell, a county board member, fearing the latest trouble ‘basically has neutered the sheriff’s department.’”    o o o Los Angeles Times reporter Matthew Brown digs in to the conflicting reports coming out of Hardin, Montana: California entrepreneur promising to revitalize rural Montana town has checkered past. This just gets curiouser and curiouser.    o o o Reader Phil E. …

Damon flagged a good essay by Claire Wolfe, over at Backwoods Home: Circle of friends The importance of other people in our preparedness plans    o o o Andrew H. wrote to mention that the US Government Printing Office (GPO) finally has the Special Forces Medical Handbook back in stock.    o o o Eric S. noted this Popular Mechanics article; Highly Productive, Low-Stress Animals You Can Raise at Home    o o o Nanny State Britannia Update: Barmy Britain through the looking glass    o o o FG found this: Internet overtakes television to become biggest advertising sector in …

M. found a TED Talk about a very low tech wind generator built by a farmer in Malawi.    o o o The Other Jim R. mentioned this item in a Memphis newspaper: ATF tells Tennessee that a federal gun law trumps the state’s. JWR’s comment: The new laws in Tennessee and Montana are bound to see court challenges. In my estimation, the Feds are in for a first class spanking when this eventually hits the appeals court level. There is no way that the ATF’s bureaucratic proclamation will pass muster, in light of the Lopez decision. The language of …

El Nino Shift Could Boost Hurricanes and Intensify Droughts    o o o EMB mentioned a useful solar energy calculator.    o o o FG mentioned: Sweden selling 27 year old canned rations to the public    o o o Garnet sent an interesting article on where Americans are, and are not moving: Americans Tame Their Wanderlust

Damon (one of our most regular link contributors) referred us to some useful “how to” pieces on Do-it-Yourself butchering at Backwoods Home, and on You Tube.    o o o Kevin A. suggest ed this useful post: Checklist for Hard Times    o o o KAF sent this: Debate Rages Over Federal Control of the Web in a Crisis    o o o Safecastle has announced their final Mountain House sale for 2009, that runs from September 28 to October 11th. They are offering 25% off on All Mountain House canned long-term storage foods.

Karen H. recommended a piece over at the Utah Preppers site on how to dehydrate peppers.    o o o Damon mentioned a collection of interactive, online ballistics calculators, The Ballistician’s Corner, hosted by Beartooth Bullets. It includes: Exterior Ballistics, Recoil Calculator, Wound Channel Calculator, Stopping Power Calculators (multiple), Round Ball Weight Calculator, and Powder Calculators.    o o o Reader FG flagged this: Korea to Sell Old US Rifles Back. These are M1 Garands and M1 Carbines. The latest word is that these will not be sold by the CMP. Instead, they’ll be sold by commercial importers. Do you …

Tim mentioned: The Most Remote Inhabited Place on Earth    o o o EU and US Face Spread of New Disease (“Chik”)    o o o Tida sent us this: Micro-Hydro for Homestead/Retreat Power Generation

Regular content contributor FG was first of a dozen readers to send us this news article link: America armed, but guns not necessarily loaded. JWR’s comment: The US ammo shortage is likely to abate early next year, as demand is satiated, and supplies increase.    o o o Reader John G. mentioned that James Talmage Stevens has just released the 11th edition of his heretofore hard-to-find book Making the Best of Basics – Family Preparedness Handbook. In the new updated and expanded edition, the page count has nearly doubled. I consider this book a “must have” for every well-prepared family’s …

Marko liked this piece on Mexican desert living that he found on Treehugger: Young Couple Says NO to a Mortgaged Life    o o o From my old Defense Electronics magazine compadre Ken Timmerman: U.S. May Face 9/11-Scale Threat from Venezuela    o o o Slack: the unused portion of economy’s productive capacity, U.S. economy is swimming in spare capacity    o o o I heard that to pay off some large legal bills stemming from BATFE harassment (no Federal charges were ever filed), KT Ordnance is running a half-price special on all of their 80% complete receivers (except the …

Damon mentioned a web site that describes the construction of inexpensive sand water filters.    o o o Directive 21 (one of advertisers) just added the Go Berkey Kit to heir product line. It is a smaller (one quart) Berkey system. It definitely fills a preparedness niche.    o o o Just as he predicted in an e-mail to me, my friend Jeff’s edits to the Wikipedia page on the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition.were repeatedly ripped out by an anti-gun cabal. I am amazed at how Wikipedia has become so politicized and manipulated by the Politically Correct. Oh well, …

Inyokern spotted a web page on a 1 oz. beverage can stove which burns denatured alcohol. Inyokern notes: “This is a great bug-out bag item that is popular with Blue Ridge ultralight backpackers. This, plus fishing line, a folding knife, hooks, and a pan or pot with a lid would make a lightweight emergency kit.”    o o ox F.G. sent this: South Carolina mayor prohibits cops from chasing suspects either by car, or on foot!    o o o J.B. found a piece that describes urban camouflage: the ‘Special Operations Tactical Suit’ (SOTACS)    o o o Reader A.V. …

Michael Z. Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large, sent a link to a fascinating web page about vehicular Cuban boat people. Talk about improvisation and ingenuity!    o o o FG sent a sixteen-second long YouTube video that shows the level of firearms competence that a 13 year-old girl is capable of. (The pinging noises are hits.) Are your teenagers her equal? If not, then get them to the range more often, and schedule some training!    o o o Frequent content contributor FG sent this news of “Clunkers” program that I agree with: Purchase a new SIG-Sauer P220, P226, P229, …