Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Reader Phil B. wrote to warn us about LBW Eyewear, for failure to deliver orders. They are a discount  mail order eyeglasses company that was mentioned previously in SurvivalBlog. As it turns out the BBB has LBW Eyewear listed with an “F” rating, with “8 resolved/closed and 8 unresolved/no-answer complaints.” Avoid them! OBTW, the Zenni Optical company has a better reputation for reliability and customer service than LBW Eyewear.    o o o KAF sent us a Wall Street Journal link: The Taliban’s Atomic Threat    o o o Greg C. pointed out this article on the “cleaner, greener” rhetoric …

A back-door multinational gun registration scheme, complete with extradition for violators.    o o o Ron in New York recommended this: When the Power Goes Out, Grab a Gun First    o o o Employee Steals $12 Million in Gold From Queens Jeweler. And she high-graded it one piece at a time, over the course of decades. I guess this rules out trying to convince a jury that it was just a brief lapse of judgment.

J.O.N. recommended a succinct and well-reasoned piece by one of the folks from The Survival Podcast: Modern Survival Philosophy    o o o Rob at MURS Radios mentioned that he is offering an additional $5 discount from your order total if you pay via US Postal Service Money Order (PMO). He makes this discount available because PMOs eliminate the delays for check clearance, and save him the merchant fees charged for credit card transactions. Rob mentioned that he has all his cataloged items in stock and ready to ship. (MURS two-way radios, driveway alert sensors, et cetera.)    o o …

Beth flagged this: Argentina’s wheat planting lowest in almost 100 years    o o o “John Smith” sent this informative video link: Obama Budget Cuts Visualization    o o o The mainstream media catches on to the consequences on the new “Made in Montana” gun law: Montana fires a warning shot over states’ rights (Thanks to Paula for the link.) OBTW, one tip for any SurvivalBlog readers that live up in Montana: Check out Sonju International in Kalispell. Get your order in early. You’ll of course need to be a Montana citizen and be able to show a Montana driver’s …

America’s Most Dangerous Cities    o o o The Scientific American asks: Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization? (Hat tip to KAF for the link.)    o o o Frank S. sent us: When Did Your County’s Jobs Disappear? An interactive map of vanishing employment across the country.    o o o I just noticed that Wiggy’s is continuing their 25% Off Sale for their sleeping bags. Their FTRSS sleeping bags are fabulous. When I was having back problems, I gave my FTRSS the equivalent of three lifetimes worth of use, and it performed flawlessly. Wiggy’s bags are warm, tremendously …

“Hoss” spotted this video segment: Ozark Mountain man’s ‘survival garden’ gains worldwide attention. Len Pense shows the SurvivalBlogger mentality, in action.    o o o Craig W. sent us a link to a Biogas generator demonstration. OBTW, unless you want to remove your chromosomes from the gene pool, never squirt lighter fluid from a can or bottle onto an active ignition source, as he does in this video!    o o o Reader HK sent us this article from a clever gardener up in Alaska: How does your garden grow? Former Iowa resident presents a different way to plant veggies …

Rourke sent a link to an article in the Kansas City Star: Some stockpiling to prepare should times turn perilous    o o o Thanks to MVR for this: The Geomagnetic Apocalypse — And How to Stop It    o o o California Shooting Fair Closes for Lack of Ammo (Thanks to FloridaGuy for the link.)    o o o KAF flagged this: Hardtack, Once a Staple of Sailing Ships, Still Prospers in Hawaii. It has great shelf life, especially when vacuum packed. BTW, I believe that the author is mistaken when describing the “joke” origin of the term “Saloon …

Gloria spotted this article on urban survival: Live off the land — in the city    o o o Brian H. mentioned: Striking EDF Power Utility Workers Cut Power to French Homes    o o o Courtesy of Cheryl: Basics For The Beginning Gardener    o o o When it comes to AR-15 uppers, I thought that I seen it all. There are barreled AR uppers on the market for everything from .22 LR , to 5.45×39 Russian, to 8mm Mauser Belt-Fed, to .50 Browning. But this crossbow upper surprised me. FWIW, there are a lot of things that I’d …

Hawaiian K. spotted this at Wired News: The Great Brazilian Sat-Hack Crackdown    o o o Ben M. mentioned that the NTIS is having an unusual clearance sale on some government publications.    o o o Reader G.K. sent this link: Army Sharpshooters to Get SEAL Sniper Rifle. Gee, if the US Army had adopted the AR-10 some 40 years ago, they wouldn’t now be reinventing the wheel. (It’s too bad that the AR-10 wasn’t a more mature design by the time of the T44/T48 trials.)    o o o Be sure to bookmark www.GunBlogs.org. They do a great job …

Several readers sent links to articles about a new H1N1-series variant swine flu, including this AP wire service article: Flu epidemic prompts Mexico City to suspend all school, university classes, as strain studied. The death count in Mexico is now up to 61. A follow-up article included this troubling tidbit: “Scientists said the virus combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans in a way researchers have not seen before.” If the number of reported cases expands geometrically and the fatality rate is significant, then take the appropriate precautions. Of course, most SurvivalBlog readers already have deep larders and are …

Mat found a great Swiss Army Knife Forum, devoted to collecting and modifying the Großvater of all survival tools. The Swiss Army Knife (Schweizer Offiziersmesser) is a must for each teenager and adult family member. Unlike a Leatherman tool, they are light enough for daily pocket carry. The forum has some interesting information on outdoor survival projects such as tin can stoves.    o o o Commander Zero has some interesting commentary on the current shortage of ammunition, magazines, and primers: 1994 Versus Now. JWR’s comment: Commander Zero’s observations are spot on. It may be years before manufacturers catch up …

Several items of gun news were sent to us by Cheryl: Firearm Sales Surging Since Obama’s Election — Gun Ownership Growing, Following National Trends — Shortage of Guns, Ammo Reported    o o o Cheryl also mentioned an interesting piece over at Steve Quayle’s site: Raising Catfish In A Barrel    o o o Some encouraging news: Gary in Montana mentioned that the recently-enacted “Made in Montana” Federal gun law exemption (Montana HB 246), is now being emulated in two other state legislatures: Alaska HB 186 and Texas HB 1863. I expect this trend to continue, especially in southern and …

Even the leftist San Francisco Chronicle couldn’t deny the good news is a recent 9th Circuit Court decision: Citizens can challenge state, local gun laws. (Thanks to Skip for the link.) And speaking of guns, don’t miss this analysis of current events, over at Tamara’s blog: Some more ruminations on the ammo shortage.    o o o Thanks to KAF for finding this: Gun foes fight over assault weapons.    o o o JHB recommended this: Taking a close look at Facebook. JHB’s comment: “Don’t be paranoid but you are being watched.”    o o o FerFAL has published a …

W. in Washington recommended this blog site: Little House in the Suburbs    o o o “Goff” sent an item from a Bangor, Maine newspaper: Firepower Fever; Worried about how gun laws might change, some enthusiasts stock up and local suppliers feel the heat    o o o Fred the Valmetmeister notes: “The market for [reloading] primers is so scary. Take a look at the auctions at GunBroker.com and go to the reloading section. Look at the auctions for primers! For example: [cases of] 5,000 CCI Large Pistol primers for $340! I now see single boxes [of 1,000 primers selling] …

Hawaiian K. sent us the link to a video clip showing the Mexican Back-Country Improvised Method of Tire Bead Sealing. Don’t try this at home! (This method can leave un-burned explosive gasses inside your tire, not to mention remove your eyebrows in a flash, even if you try to be careful!)   o o o From Cheryl (aka The Economatrix) Guns: A Better Buy Than Stock    o o o Writing in The Washington Times, Ollie North asks: Who are dangerous ‘extremists’? (Thanks to KAF for the link.)    o o o Our Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent …