Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Some worrisome commentary about Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and the debt bubble at one of the Yahoo message boards.    o o o New York Mayor Bloomberg unveils a city hurricane preparedness plan.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader SF in Hawaii mentioned that a self-winding watch is a nice idea, but “they are not viable long term due to the complexity of the internal workings (read: easy to break) and daily winding requirements. A solar powered watch (see Eco-drive) solves both of these problems.” My only point of disagreement is fragility. My 1978 Caravelle (Bulova) hairspring watch is …

Marty Weiss comments on the “upright spike” of global population, presaging its implications on the markets and currencies. Based on what Mr. Weiss has to say, it appears that economic trouble is on the way, sooner or later. Best to stock up. If you aren’t certain exactly what you’ll need to get your family prepared, then get a copy of my “big box” preparedness course.    o o o Freeze Dry Guy reports brisk sales of their scarce U.S. Army Long Range Patrol (LRP) rations. They are now sold out of LRP Beef Stew, but we still have LRP Beef …

The EIA projects energy consumption will increase by 71% by 2030. SurvivalBlog reader John Adams asks: “Think there will be enough to go around?”    o o o Wiggy’s (one of our first and most loyal advertisers) has put their famous Pack Boots on sale at 25% off, for as long as they last. They currently have sizes 7 to 15 in stock. They also have their new summer weight sleeping bags on sale for just $100, with a compression stuff sack. These bags weigh just two pounds and stuff to just a 6″ by 7″ space. They are the …

SurvivalBlog reader Jim K. suggests stocking up on this mondo tire sealant.    o o o Ready Made Resources, (our biggest advertiser) is brokering the sale of a very hard to find upgraded P-10 self-contained NBC shelter. He is selling it on behalf of an acquaintance. When sold new, these shelters sell for $100,000 with all of the options included in this one, such as the 1,000 gallon water tank and Level 4 protective entry door. (Cutting torch and .308 bullet proof!) These very rarely come up for sale in used condition, so don’t miss this chance to buy one …

Ready for a North Korean EMP Attack?    o o o Jason in North Idaho mentioned S-Meter.com: Some Great Ham Radio Info and Forums    o o o Is silver becoming more rare than gold?    o o o Lots of SurvivalBlog readers patronize Northern Tool & Equipment, one of our biggest affiliate advertisers. The great news is that for our readers in the UK, we just signed an affiliate agreement with Great stuff. Check them out. If you place an order, we get a little piece of the action. Thanks. o o o Mr. Bravo mentioned A fascinating piece …

500 Chemical Warfare Shells Found in Iraq    o o o Study Says Earth’s Temperature at 400-Year High   o o o Jason in North Idaho recommended a good reference for those concerned about earthquakes       o o o Don’t forget that the sale on Montague Folding Paratrooper bikes from Safecastle ends on June 30th. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is is $695. The minimum advertised price (MAP) is $645. Safecastle is offering a much lower price, but only for this month. Anyone interested should e-mail Safecastle and identify themselves as a SurvivalBlog reader and request the special …

The New York Times reports: Human-to-Human Infection by Bird Flu Virus Is Confirmed. With this news in mind, it is high time for families to get their logistics ready for an extended period of self-quarantine. Want help planning what you need? First, read my piece on how to survive an influenza pandemic. Next, get a copy of my “big box” preparedness course. Someday, you may be very glad that you did.    o o o The Pre-1899 Specialist just put their hand-picked Model 1893 Oberndorf Mauser rifles on sale, at just $159.95, (With bayonet and scabbard or $144.95 each if …

David in Israel Recommends: An excellent idea is to buy several dozen “button compasses” and scatter them in the pockets of your gear. That way you will never be without a compass.    o o o Wow! Our global hit map (from ClustrMaps) is showing even better distribution this month. OBTW, I heard from Jake Stafford that the new “big box” preparedness course is selling well to readers in Europe and Australia. I’m glad to see that SurvivalBlog is so popular around the world.    o o o The BBC reports: A shooting war with Iran could triple the market …

Michael Z. Williamson recommended this 24 Hour World Disaster Map.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader Fred the Valmet-meister mentioned this essay by Pat Buchanan, about the decline of General Motors.    o o o David in Israel Recommends: “Start stocking up on UV resistant plastic sheeting which can be purchased from garden and many hardware and farm stores. This sheeting can be used to collect rainwater, patch a roof, make solar still, and build greenhouses. It can last up to three years in sunlight.” JWR Adds: One of the major brands of semi-transparent polyethylene plastic is “Visqueen.” For longest …

Be sure to check out my new “big box” preparedness course. The special pricing for SurvivalBlog readers ends on July 4th.    o o o From Bulgaria: Lightning strike kills 70 goats, but their goat herder survives    o o o One of my favorite science fiction films, The Quiet Earth has finally been released in a Region I (North American) format DVD. (Heretofore it was only available in PAL format.) The movie has some disturbing sequences, but it is a thought provoking piece. (This is not a children’s film!) The DVD is now available on Amazon.com and eBay.com.    …

The Colorado drought continues.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader J.N. mentioned Congressman Bartlett’s 2005 Peak Oil Presentation to the U.S. Congress. (The video takes a lot of bandwidth, but a PDF transcript with views is also available.)    o o o FEMA Wasted $1.4 Billion in Hurricane Katrina Aid    o o o Buckshot (of Buckshot’s Camp) mentioned a couple of specials: His “Misadventures” book is currently available with free postage. If you order both his Misadventures book and his new Survival manual, they will cost just $21 with free shipping. Retail on the book is 13.95 and the …

Mat the Prop Wizard sent a link for another great article from Make magazine. This one describes emergency arc welding, using automotive batteries. Cooool! I had heard this technique described by some off-road jeep rally buddies, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen the details in an article.    o o o Rourke mentioned that the Sci-Fi Channel is getting into the act, with their own “Countdown to Doomsday”–with numerous Doomsday Scenarios    o o o Independent Petroleum Geologist Jeffrey J. Brown’s commentary: “Has oil peaked?: Yes”    o o o The Homeland Security Department says that The …

Al Qaeda Cell Had Plans to Gas New York Subways    o o o Rourke recommended this informative site on home ethanol production: http://www.homedistiller.org/ If you spend a lot of time researching there, or end up building a still based on their plans, be sure to send them a contribution.    o o o Does anyone make a “Red Gun” or “Blue Gun” Model 1911 non-firing training pistol with a magazine well and a functional magazine catch? (I’m in need of one here at the ranch, so we can teach our kids presentation drills as well as tactical and emergency …

The U.S. The government is asking for public comments on the USDA‘s NAIS animal identification/tracking scheme. Please give them a piece of your mind. (For some background on the NAIS plan, see The Memsahib’s article.)    o o o A Category 5 Hurricane Landfall in Miami Could Cost Insurers Up To $130 Billion    o o o There is currently an interesting thread of conversation about wind generators over at The Claire Files.    o o o North Korea is about to test an ICBM capable of reaching the US    o o o To compete with the Canadian Maple …

Japanese canned bread: Bread that comes in a can and stays fresh for up to three years    o o o SurvivalBlog reader C.K. recommended the book Marion And His Men or The Swamp Fox Of Carolina. It is the true story of Francis Marion, an American Revolutionary War hero. Marion was the basis for Mel Gibson’s role as “Benjamin Martin” in the movie The Patriot    o o o The folks at The Daily Reckoning (one of my daily “must reads”) quoted a very telling letter from one of their readers about the U.S. housing bubble: “When you mentioned …