Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Cheryl sent us a link to a PDF from Brookings: Which Path to Persia: Options for a New American Strategy Toward Iran    o o o Reader “MysteryMeat” mentioned this New York Times article: It’s Now Legal to Catch a Raindrop in Colorado    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson recommended two John Campbell (The Arizona Bushman) outdoor survival videos available on YouTube: The Hand Fire Drill and a Field Expedient Bow    o o o The folks at Directive21 (one of our newest advertisers) have expanded their product line to include stainless steel Berkey water …

A report on Field Day: Ham radio operators not yielding to future. (Thanks to KAF for the link.)    o o o Kevin A. mentioned: The Day that Guns Came to Church in Louisville    o o o North Korea Threatens to Shoot Down Japanese Spy Planes    o o o Switchblade law opponents cut in Hill fight (Thanks to GG for the link.)

There was a good article recently posted over at The Silver Bear Cafe: Help! The Grocery Store Shelves are Empty    o o o Andrew D. sent us this video link: Flooded River Destroys Road In Minutes. This illustrates hydraulic power–in this case circumventing an under-engineered culvert. Roughly the same thing happened at our old ranch, where the previous owner’s three-foot diameter culvert on the creek was washed out by springtime floodwaters. I replaced it in 1994 with a six-footer, and so far as I know it is still there, and the road above it is still intact.    o …

Reader “PD” pointed me to an interesting video segment on Russian survivalists.    o o o FG mentioned a great news segment about an 89 year-old woman and her 1964 Comet that she has driven 540,000 miles. FG notes: “She even drove herself alone to her 70th class reunion, a 3,000 mile trip! She also knows how to protect herself on her long journeys. (Check out what she carries in her handbag!)” JWR Adds: This octogenarian demonstrates the virtues of both good preventative maintenance and situational awareness!    o o o H.O.F. e-mailed me to mention that all 36 episodes …

This has “arbitrary enforcement ” written all over it: Alberta police can now seize armoured gang vehicles.     o o o A Fraud Bigger Than Madoff “In what could turn out to be the greatest fraud in US history, American authorities have started to investigate the alleged role of senior military officers in the misuse of $125 bn (£88 bn) in a US -directed effort to reconstruct Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein.”    o o o I tend to downplay American politics in my blog , since I have a worldwide readership. But the recent Democratic Party pushes …

Smith & Wesson Profit Doubles, Beats Street View    o o o North Korea Threatens “Fire Shower of Nuclear Retaliation” Against South Korea    o o o Kim Jong-un (the youngest son) Made Head of North Korea’s Spy Agency    o o o Reader G.E. recommended a site with some “real world” ballistics data: Ballistics By The Inch. (OBTW, don’t miss Box o’ Truth and the other web sites that I’ve bookmarked under the “Ballistics” header at the SurvivalBlog Links page.)

From Nanny State Scotland: MSPs get power to fine over climate change    o o o North Korea Threatens US as World Anticipates Missile    o o o From Cheryl: Plan to protect D.C. from nuke EMP attack    o o o Bill Buppert mentioned a controversial video that uses movie clips to illustrate a point: The Four Stages of Revolution: Part 1 (and Part 2)

Cheryl flagged this: North Korea’s Strong New Threat    o o o Reader Kevin A. suggested this piece over at LewRockwell.com: Survival Training: Be Armed, Store Food, Use Real Money, Secede    o o o Kevin also noted that his regional newspaper, had a “how to” feature on building rainwater catchment barrels. Kevin’s comment: “While it focused more on the possible conservation aspects of using such a device, it’s becoming more and more evident that many preparedness tactics are entering the mainstream.”

Trent H. forwarded us this: Government Land-Grab Moved Forward    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michaelll Z. Wiiamson sent this: FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, payments. Gee, you don’t suppose that TPTB are starting to see the new Internet media as a threat, do you? Oh, and for the sake of full disclosure. I do make money from advertising. So do most magazines and newspapers. I also have an Amazon store, so when you follow one of my links and order anything thee, I get a little piece of the action. But that hardly makes me …

From frequent contributor KAF: This gardener grows enough to share    o o o Pets Pass MRSA Superbug to Humans (Thanks to Jim F. for the link.)    o o o Sam L. sent an interesting article about potential catastrophic earthquakes in Southern California    o o o Reader Susan K. flagged this: In a St. Paul lab, scientists race to defeat a wheat famine ‘time bomb’

Reader Jonathan B. and SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Mike Williamson both sent this video clip that displays utter stupidity. (I cannot believe that so many people on the firing line acquiesced to being part of this!)    o o o Ferdinand recommended a great piece of common sense journalism by Patrice Lewis, over at WND: Calling All Kooks.    o o o “Dim Tim” mentioned these YouTube videos: Solar Car and Tractor, and John Howe’s Solar Chainsaw.    o o o KAF flagged this: Absolutely prefabulous: Eco-living has never looked this good thanks to a new wave of prefabricated palaces

FG sent this: Where to Live in NYC if You Don’t Want to be Killed    o o o USDA Deliberately Misleading Investors to Hide Looming Food Shortage    o o o Bill N. Recommended an interesting CSB video on chemical accidents.

North Korea May Fire a Missile at Hawaii “…the South Korean government is bracing for ‘all possible scenarios’ regarding the nuclear standoff. The independent International Crisis Group think tank, meanwhile, said the North’s massive stockpile of chemical weapons is no less serious a threat to the region than its nuclear arsenal. It said the North is believed to have between 2,500 and 5,000 tons of chemical weapons, including mustard gas, phosgene, blood agents and sarin. These weapons can be delivered with ballistic missiles and long-range artillery and are ‘sufficient to inflict massive civilian casualties on South Korea.’”    o o …

A SurvivalBlog reader in Alaska mentioned some commentary by John Derbyshire in The National Review. Don’t miss the last line!    o o o Backyard Chickens On Rise, Despite Neighbors’ Clucks    o o o Popular Culture Update: Preparedness has migrated from your street to Main Street, to Sesame Street.    o o o A reader in Canton, Ohio mentioned a blast-hardened Microwave Repeater Facility for sale in New Philadelphia, Ohio, that might be suitable as a defendable ‘bug-in” group retreat.

SBC and “Shrike” both sent this piece from an Australian newspaper: Melburnians urged to have Go Bags ready in case of evacuation    o o o KAF sent a link to some glimpses of a gentler time: Retrolife. (Seeing that, I couldn’t help but think of some of Merle Haggard’s song lyrics.)    o o o US Battlefield Superiority For Sale To America’s Enemies (Thanks to Cheryl, for the link.)