Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Ebola in Pigs New Health Threat    o o o New on the market: Stay Alert caffeine chewing gum. (Obviously, this is something only for short-term emergency situations–like staying awake during the second half of a non-stop 800 -mile G.O.O.D. evacuation drive.)    o o o North Korea Warns of “Unimaginably Deadly Blows” to US    o o o Greg W. mentioned the soon-to-be-released Enertia electric motorcycle. $12,000 is a lot of money for a cycle with such limited range and speed. But it might be appropriate for short trips for someone that already has a large photovoltaic power system.

Police can now legally fire at “fleeing cars” in Chicago. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)    o o o From Heather H.: Maine’s wild blueberry crop imperiled by leaf spot fungus. Heather’s comment: “First the wheat fungus, then the potato blight, and now the blueberries are dying. What’s next?”    o o o Hard times drive more Michiganders to fish for food. (Thanks to “Survival Mama” for the link.)    o o o PD sent this: IDF Vets Train U.S. Jews to Protect Their Communities PD’s comment on the trigger fondling and errant muzzle direction: “It looks like they …

Luis S. mentioned a great site with web feeds of police and fire department frequencies from all over the US. This is a useful adjunct to having a scanner, especially when choosing GOOD routes that are outside your scanner’s range. It might also be useful as a tool for evaluating retreat locales before you move.    o o o Can you spell: “Agent Provocateur”? (No, not the lingerie company.)    o o o Reader DD sent this sign of the times: Los Angeles Airport parking lot is home away from home for airline workers    o o o Do any …

Reader “Korea” mentioned this company in Oklahoma as a source for military surplus ammo cans and landing mat sections: Calumet Industries. I’ve heard from several readers that they’ve been having trouble finding ammo cans at reasonable prices. Simple logic dictates that the millions of Americans presently buying ammunition in large quantity will need a place to store it, and hence the ammo can shortage. If you know of other ammo can suppliers with reasonable prices, please send me their URLs, and I’ll post them. Thanks!    o o o Libertarians seek a place in the New Hampshire sun. Oh, and …

I just heard about Alpha Innovations, a great source for very sturdy, reasonably priced, American-made Yawaras, Koppo Sticks, Kubatons,”Letter Openers”, and other other high density injection-molded goodies. Their “Stylus Kubaton” variant is ideal for anyone that carries a touchscreen PDA or an iPhone. (Consult your local laws before ordering!) OBTW, they also make some amazing custom products and sell training DVDs.    o o o Vietnam Veteran Keeps Vow, Eats 40-Year-Old (C-ration) Pound Cake. BTW, The Memsahib and I ate the last of my old C-Rations around 1987.Those had been packed in the late 1970s, and they seemed quite old …

EMB spotted this article which features two of our advertisers: Six Safe, Strong—and Chic—Bomb Shelters You Can Buy Now    o o o Pro-Gun Amendment Rejected. This legislation had so much common sense that it was no surprise that Chuck Schumer hated it.    o o o [Urban] Survival School

Simon J. recommended this Gizmag article: SCORE Project seeks funding to roll out Bio-Mass Stove in developing countries    o o o El Niño Threatens Food Shortages    o o o ATF To Montana: You Will Respect Our Authority! And here’s a related article: Washington drops hammer on state gun plan    o o o John S. spotted this useful blog: Couponing in Critical Times

Chris O. sent this article, that came from of all places, GQ magazine: Could You Survive Without Money? Meet the Guy Who Does. “In Utah, a modern-day caveman has lived for the better part of a decade on zero dollars a day. People used to think he was crazy.”    o o o My Brother in Christ Bob G. this: Middle East atomic conflict would kill tens of millions: report    o o o Didn’t Joe Biden ever take OPSEC 101? It ‘s only a “secret bunker”, if you keep it a secret.    o o o The asking price …

Reader KAF wrote: “I was most interested and thankful for the recipes in the articles discussing making your own laundry detergent. I also could not find the ingredient Washing Soda. After some searching, I discovered that it is Sodium Carbonate (aka Soda Ash). Here is a bulk supplier for the powder. They also sell Borax (aka Sodium Borate). I’ve ordered some and I can’t wait to try my hand at this lab experiment!    o o o Blacksheep sent this: Amazon Erases Orwell Books From Kindle. OBTW, let me know if your Kindle edition of “Patriots: A Novel of Survival …

Garnet sent this: China dust cloud circled globe in 13 days. Garnet notes that this is something to keep in mind for a variety of emerging threats, including Ug99 wheat rust.    o o o I was pleased to see that one of my recent blog articles was re-posted by The Silver Bear Cafe: The Nascent Depression: Be Ready to Barter and Adopt the Rhodesian View    o o o Guns are consistently “the great equalizer”. See these recent news articles: 82-year-old man kills invader and Child shoots intruder during home break-in, and Teen allegedly shoots and kills intruder.    …

John (“The Midwest Hiker”) reminded me that The Discovery Channel will begin to air “The Colony” tonight (Tuesday, July 21) at 10 p.m. eastern time. John’s comment: “As far as I can tell, is a show about an enclave of survivors rebuilding and struggling after a major TEOTWAWKI event; a plague of catastrophic proportions. I have some doubts about the technical accuracy of the show–the survivors, after all, are living in a ‘compound’ in L.A.–but even so, the show employs a talented cast of ‘survivors,’ everyone from a rocket scientist to an electrician. This should at least be worth the …

The BATFE apparently can’t understand the plain meaning of the 10th Amendment. Without citing any genuine justification, the ATF is dictating to manufacturers and dealers to ignore the newly-enacted state law. But in actuality, they should ignore the ATF. Federal jurisdiction over FFL-licensed manufacture and sale of firearms is based on the which established Federal jurisdiction over interstate commerce. If a gun doesn’t cross a state line then that is intrastate commerce, and hence outside of Federal jurisdiction. The ATF director needs to read the Tenth Amendment, and the precedent-setting Lopez decision, and take a chill pill. No nexus means …

F.G. alerted me to this article: Companies are now shorting (cheating) on propane tank refills.    o o o Linda P. pointed out a closeout sale on Bennington Flags (the official SurvivalBlog low-key meetup flag), at FlagGuys.com.    o o o Craig W. spotted this article from San Diego, California: They Carry Guns. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Much like a muscle that atrophies with disuse, any right that goes unexercised for many years devolves into a privilege, and eventually can even be redefined as a crime.    o o o A legislative alert from Gun …

Reader Bill B. mentioned this piece by the author of the popular novel One Second After, William R. Forstchen: “EMP 101” A Basic Primer & Suggestions for Preparedness    o o o Greg C. sent a link to a Rasmussen Reports article: The Audacity of Self-defense    o o o EMB spotted an interesting new site: GippersList.com. It is an alternative to Craigslist, for conservatives, I assume that they will allow firearms and ammunition ads. (Which, of course, the politically correct Craigslist won’t.)    o o o Only in America Department: Dealer offers AK-47 with each new truck purchase (A …

Some unexpected fallout from the Kahre American Eagles legal tender case: U.S. Attorney Wants Newspaper to Name Names. (Thanks to Chad in Missouri for the link.)    o o o F.G. mentioned this guaranteed-to-choke-you-up commercial from Ford.    o o o Reader KAF brought this piece in IBD to my attention: It’s Not An Option; Congress: It didn’t take long to run into an “uh-oh” moment when reading the House’s “health care for all Americans” bill. Right there on Page 16 is a provision making individual private medical insurance illegal. Meanwhile we read: Congressional Budget Director Warns Health Care Bills …