Category: Odds ‘n Sods

In a recent e-mail, SurvivalBlog reader SF in Hawaii mentioned an inexpensive and portable intrusion detection system: Get a few Radio Shack ‘Portable Motion Detector Alarm/Chime‘ devices. (Catalog #49-426.) He noted: “You can place them at key entryways to your retreat. They weigh less than a pound each, can fit in your hand,.run off a 9 volt battery, and emit a very loud alarm sound.”    o o o Michael in England recommends this site regarding nutritional supplements and aging.   o o o SurvivalBlog reader “Bonehead” recommended this site in Australia for the off-road vehicle construction plans. Bonehead notes: …

SurvivalBlog reader “d’Heat” reminded us about http://www.tpub.com, which provides a wide variety of military manuals online, free of charge, with manual CDs available for purchase.    o o o In his Global Economic Trend Analysis blog, Michael “Mish” Shedlock recently quoted real estate market expert Mike Morgan of Morgan Florida. (Scroll down the piece titled “Ghost Housing Market” on July 20, 2006.) SurvivalBlog reader Bill in North Idaho comments: “There is a mountain of data in the article but the most salient point to take home is this: Combine increasing interest rates, a declining dollar and explosive increases in housing …

SurvivalBlog reader JDM mentioned this piece at the Gold-Eagle.com site: The “Amero” to Replace the Dollar?    o o o Bad news for Oil Production: Ghawar Is Dying. This confirms what was posited by Matthew R. Simmons in his book Twilight in the Desert    o o o   ‘MS-13’ is one of the most dangerous gangs in the U.S.

I heard from a reader about an interesting site on martial arts, with discussion forums. Their motto: no contact = no training!    o o o A great site devoted to dutch oven cooking.    o o o In case any of you folks missed the mention back in September, the EMP Survival e-novel “Lights Out” is available for free download.       o o o California Heat Wave Death Toll: 25,000 Cattle and 700,000 Fowl   

I just finished reading Michael Z. Williamson’s well-crafted trilogy of counter-terrorist sniping novels, set in the present day. (The Scope of Justice, Targets of Opportunity, and Confirmed Kill.) All three were very well written, believable and downright riveting. The first is set in Pakistan, the second in Romania, and the third in Indonesia, but all three feature the same duo of U.S. Army snipers. Unlike most of the schlock military fiction that pervades the mass market, Williamson’s books are technically and tactically correct. By describing both urban and wilderness engagements, tailored equipment to suit specific missions, and using widely divergent …

Ragnar, over at The Claire Files, mentioned a great site from the Boy Scouts with lots of useful resources on camping, woodcraft, and outdoor survival skills.    o o o Inside the Blackwater private army    o o o Farm Animal Biochipping: Wisconsin Grandma is an Outlaw      o o o Condi Rice: Cease Fire Between Israel and Hezbollah, yes, but no Status Quo Ante Bellum  

An important piece to read by Sean Osborne, “World War IV –The War of Terror    o o o Bud Conrad, writing in The Daily Reckoning, illustrates that with the Baby Boomers beginning to retire and draw Social Security, time is not on our side in the U.S.: Projected U.S. Government Debt Will Grow More Than GDP    o o o Global warming = Happy Reindeer

Walter at NoNAIS.org mentioned a device under development that would destroy RFID tags. Keep in mind that if the USDA thinks that you are purposely disabling your livestock’s tags they will give you $1,000 fine if and when NAIS registration becomes mandatory.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader Sid recommends the Wunderground.com weather web site. He says that it is more comprehensive than its competitors. My first impression is that it does a great job of fusing weather data from multiple sources, including weather radars.    o o o Planning to stock up on lantern batteries? Get the Eveready Energizer …

Israeli Defense Force Issues an “Order 8” Call-Up of Citizen Soldiers.    o o o A new electric car is hitting the U.S. market with a splash.”[W]ith the backing of PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, Google’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and ex-eBay chief Jeff Skoll, [Martin Eberhard] has created Silicon Valley’s first real auto company.”    o o o The naive residents of Memphis, Tennessee prove themselves to be sheeple.    o o o Jay in Florida mentioned this article: Feral dog packs attack Australian farmers.  

I just noticed that WhataCountry.com (not one of our advertisers, but a very reputable firm that I’ve done biz with for 15 + years) currently has reconditioned AN/PVS-2 Starlight night vision scopes on sale for just $476 each. The PVS-2 is an older bulky design, but genuinely “bomb proof.” When you call, tell Yasha that Jim Rawles sent you.    o o o The inventory of unsold houses in Phoenix, Arizona is now at 50,000 and climbing. For comparison, in January of Aught Five, the inventory was only around 5,000. I predict that house prices in the English speaking world …

SurvivalBlog reader SF in Hawaii mentioned that when buying watches from international stores, the international versions are not always honored in the states for warranty work.    o o o #2 Son is instigating getting the whole Rawles family enrolled in martial arts training. Parenthetically, I took Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do, and foil fencing in college (20+ years ago, so I’m more than a little rusty.) In the interim, I’ve mainly studied “The Way of the 1911.” Looking at all of the many martial arts now taught in North America, I’m leaning toward Ju-Jitsu, for its versatility. The Memsahib is …

Gold Price Rally is No Flash in the Pan: “Gold fever rages on despite the metal’s 24 percent jump in a month to 26-year highs followed by an even faster retreat. “This is a serious bull run. Those people who think it’s a bubble ready to burst might be disappointed,” Tony Dobra, director of global commodity derivatives at Standard Chartered Bank, told Reuters.    o o o A home security tip, from one of those infinitely-forwarded e-mails: “Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in …

The Zimbabwean government debt and currency hyperinflation have progressed to super nova stage: “Zimbabwe’s domestic debt has trebled, from Z$15-trillion to nearly Z$43-trillion, casting a pall over any prospect of economic recovery. Latest central bank statistics show the public debt was Z$42.9-trillion on June16, up from Z$21-trillion on June 2 and Z$27-trillion on June 9. The country’s debt has continued to skyrocket against a background of deteriorating macroeconomic fundamentals and the socioeconomic situation. The central bank’s overnight accommodation recently stood at 850%, the inter-bank rate at 693.3%, and treasury bill yields at 510%.” Wow! This sounds like something out of …

A professor hired by the Federal Reserve says that by some measures the U.S. is technically bankrupt.    o o o Wars and Rumors of Wars: Hezbollah guerrillas fire more Katyusha rockets at two northern Israeli towns, 220,000 Israelis are now staying in bomb shelters. Meanwhile, Israeli Warplanes Strike in Beirut, and Israel Blockades Lebanon.    o o o A 50 mile long fire line: crews are battling two California Mojave Desert wild fires–60,000+ acres charred.  

Multiple mutations reported in Indonesia’s Asian Avian Flu Strain.    o o o The Citizens’ Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) alerted us to the following: During U.S. Senate consideration of the Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 5441), Senator David Vitter will offer an amendment (# 4551) to “prohibit the use of funds appropriated under this bill for the confiscation of lawfully possessed firearms during an emergency or major disaster.” Hopefully this will prevent a repeat of the gun seizures that followed Hurricane Katrina. Our U.S. readers are urged to support this amendment. Please call your …