Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Two readers mentioned this article: National Guard May Be Needed to Enforce Quarantine in Flu Pandemic. This is more evidence that every family needs to have a three month supply of food and essentials on hand in case they have to “hunker down” in self-quarantine. A good start on this can be found in the family provisioning details included in my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course.   o o o Reader Jason in North Idaho sent us this story Supreme Global Warming Derangement: Having Large Families ‘Is an Eco-crime’ Jason’s comment: “This is the same rubbish I have heard …

The Secret Squirrel mentioned this great gardening and woodworking tool supplier: Lee Valley Tools.He particularly recommended their U-bars for gardening. (These were also recommended by the late Carla Emery.)   o o o Floods and drought: Insurance giant Lloyd’s of London assesses climate change. Meanwhile a study examining the national security consequences of climate change has been released by a senior U.S. military advisory board.    o o o RBS mentioned a fascinating book available for free download, The Upside of Down:Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civilization, by Thomas Homer-Dixon

Six Islamic ethnic Albanians have been arrested in a plot to attack Fort Dix, New Jersey.   o o o Michael Z. Williamson sent us this link to a site for a company that supplies parts for 6×6 and 8×8 amphibious all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)–the ones that you’ve seen advertised for 30+ years in the back of outdoors magazines. . (Such as ATTEX, ARGO, HUSTLER, MAX, AMPHICAT, SIERRA TRAIL BOSS, SCRAMBLER, COOT, CAMEL, JIGER, STARCRAFT, TERRA JET, TERRA TIGER, CUSHMAN TRACKSTER, CHAPPARAL, RIM, and SWAMP FOX. They have lots of parts for discontinued ATV models    o o o 150,000 U.S. …

Frequent blog content contributor Michael Z. Williamson found this article: Vigilante squads impose their form of peace in Brazil. The article begins: “For as long as anyone can remember, the cracked asphalt soccer field in the Roquete Pinto slum was off-limits to children – “reserved” by gangs selling marijuana and cocaine. Then, a few months ago, a mysterious squad of beefy men with submachine guns started patrolling on foot, and the drug dealers disappeared.” Mike’s comment: “This is a disturbing trend, which Dr. Jerry Pournelle discussed in his CoDominium series.”    o o o More troubling news on the “gun …

Ready Made Resources has introduced a “hot” new product: the Solar Spark Lighter–a pocket size solar lighter. It is a stainless steel parabolic mirror designed to focus the sun’s radiant energy to a precise focal point that can reach hundreds of degrees. This great fire starter is perfect for backpacking, boating, hiking and as a survival tool. Measures about 4.5″ diameter.    o o o Kara pointed out this news story: Air Conditioning Units Stolen For Copper   o o o Alfie Omega spotted this article: 20 million chickens now on farms may have had bad feed    o o …

A new low-cost firearms training organization is up and running: The Western Rifle Shooters Association. Check out their blog site. They have lots of free resources, such as downloadable rifle training videos, and training manuals in PDF.    o o o S.F. in Hawaii and RBS both sent us this one: Man dies of thirst during survival test    o o o RBS also mentioned these two articles US Housing Bubble Meltdown: “Is it too late to get out?”, and Hedge fund risks worst since ’98 crisis, Fed says   o o o When a reader sends me a link, …

Sid mentioned the Space Weather web site, which had been mentioned at least once before in SurvivalBlog. This site has great information on close-call asteroids, solar flare predictions, and so forth.    o o o Rookie found a link to an interesting story about firearms ownership in Switzerland: An Armory in Gun-Shy Europe. Rookie’s comment: “It’s good to know that in at least one country it’s considered normal to keep a high power defensive rifle in your closet. And that the government gives it to you for free, for life! Of course, it’s no surprise that the Washington Post spun …

“The Wrench Spinner” sent us the link to a British government web site from “The Respect Task Force”. Mike’s comment: “How Orwellian can we get.?” My comment: The Brits are incredibly naive to think that their bureaucratic system of ASBOs will keep the yobs in check. Law and order is clearly breaking down n England. Disarming the citizenry, and making self defense a crime has been wholly counterproductive.   o o o Michael Z. Williamson pointed us to this “report card” web page from The Brady Bunch on state firearms laws. Note that California and New Jersey both have “A-” …

ABC News: Home Builders Hammered by Housing Slump    o o o Reader “Bassnbear” mentioned a Yahoo News/Science story that gives a pretty good overview on honeybee CCD.   o o o RBS found this one: Arctic Ice Retreating More Quickly Than Computer Models Project  

Reader JH e-mailed to comment that a road infrastructure weakness has been revealed in Oakland, California. He wrote: “Yesterday a tanker truck loaded with 8,600 gallons of gasoline overturned and burst into flames collapsing the approach to the Oakland Bay Bridge. This bridge handles some 75,000 vehicles per day. Traffic will be re-routed for weeks or months. Does this not increase the strain on the other bridges in the area? What if another bridge/overpass is disabled? Is this not another indication to the terrorists that we are vulnerable in this vital area?” My advice: Plan multiple alternate “Get out of …

 RBS flagged this piece for us: Gold Demand is Growing And Supply is Not   o o o Yes another article on honeybee CCD. At least this one has some more scientific detail, but still no answers on the source of the problem.    o o o Economist Jason Hommel comments on: How to Buy Physical Silver, and Avoid Getting Scammed

Reader Alfie Omega recommended this web site: Other Power    o o o RBS sent us this: Subprime Bondholders May Lose $75 Billion From Slump    o o o Grocery bills eat up more income    o o o B. H. suggested this piece of insightful commentary/analysis by Jeffrey Cooper on the decline of the Once Almighty U.S. Dollar

John O. sent us this link: Waiting for the Pandemic    o o o InyoKern spotted this article at an Aviation Week blog: Rebar arrows in East Timor. InyoKern’s comment: ” I never thought of this, but it has a certain post peak grim humor, doesn’t it”   o o o More on honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD): Up to 90% Losses in Canadian Hives    o o o RBS suggested this web page on hobby forge, foundry, and casting. He also recommended this supplier: Centaur Forge.

Hawaiian K. turned up this interesting web page: the use of animals other than horses for draught and riding. K.’s comment: “Riding elk? Wow!”    o o o Reader RBS mentioned that C. Crane Company has a variety of articles on shortwave antennas and other radio topics available for free download. BTW, I consider C. Crane a great potential advertiser for SurvivalBlog, so if you do any business with them, please mention that you heard about C. Crane on SurvivalBlog.   o o o In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, Front Sight feels they have the answer to …

RCP’s sharp eye caught this news story: Great Lakes fish virus may threaten U.S. aquaculture. Gee, these plagues are starting to take on Biblical proportions. First it was the honeybees…    o o o KT flagged this one: Congressman Kucinich Seeks To Ban Handguns In The United States. Meanwhile, Rep. McCarthy (D-NY) is pushing other “gun control” legislation. My advice: stock up, particularly on full capacity magazines. I fear that a new Federal ban on 11+ round magazines is likely to be enacted before the end of the current session of congress, as part of some typical Washington DC “reasonable …