Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Recombinomics has issued a new prediction and warning of a likely alteration in the avian influenza H5N1 hemagglutinin gene. Like the warning/prediction issued in October, 2005, this new alteration will increase the affinity of the virus for human receptors and lead to more efficient transmission of H5N1 to humans. For the full text of the press release see: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-17-2006/0004284283&EDATE=    o o o “Doc” at  www.bigsecrets.cc recommends this site on ethanol: http://www.standardalcohol.com/FFV.htm    o o o Ready for an ice storm? See some amazing pictures of this one from last year, in Geneva, Switzerland: http://www.markdaviesmedia.com/cold    o o o SurvivalBlog reader …

The American auto making giant General Motors has launched a big advertising campaign to promote E85 ethanol-compatible cars and trucks. See: http://www.gm.com/company/onlygm/livegreengoyellow/index.html They could have ramped up production of Flexible Fuel vehicles a decade ago. Oh well, at least they are dong something now. We have a Flexible Fuel Ford Explorer here at the Rawles Ranch. If the gasoline companies would just get busy and distribute E85 outside of the Midwest, we would be able to run our Explorer on something other than gas.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader Warhawke recommends “The Law ” by Bastiat. (I also highly …

SurvivalBlog reader “Rourke” mentioned a great alert site in Hungary that was recently mentioned on the Aussie Survival discussion board: http://visz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert.php?lang=eng   o o o SurvivalBlog reader H.P.F. recommends three interesting sites:  1.) http://www.netcastdaily.com/fsnewshour.htm  (listen to “Hour Two”), 2.) http://www.finance.messages.yahoo.co…mid=648143 NEWS BRIEF: “Americas Foes Circle Wagons”, by Claude Salhani, UPI International Editor, reprinted in Raiders News Updates, February 16, 2006 and, 3.) http://www.countercurrents.org/p…180206.htm  — a piece titled Peak Oil – The Great Tsunami, by Michael Payne   o o o I might have mentioned this one before… A handy tool for calculating the effects of monetary inflation (in the U.S.): …

The Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC)  (http://www.odac-info.org) recently updated their site with several interesting articles related to the much-debated Hubbert’s Peak in Oil production.   o o o SurvivalBlog reader R.B.S. recommends this commentary posted at Gold-Eagle: http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_05/willie021506.html   o o o Doc of  http://www.bigsecrets.cc recommended this source for “truckable” water tanks: http://www.aquaflex.net/

Boston T. Party has announced the date and location for the Third Annual Free State Wyoming (FSW) 2006 Jamboree. It will be Worland, Wyoming from May 26 to May 29, 2006. (Worland is in north-central Wyoming, north of Thermopolis.)  He writes: “We are fortunate to have the use of the fabulous rifle range there for Saturday to Monday, inclusive. The Jamboree schedule is being worked out, as well as our campsite.If you plan to hotel it, get going now on your reservations. Stay tuned for more details, but we’ll see you all in Worland.’ The Jamboree will be held in …

A popular new bumper sticker: I’d rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than ride in a car with Ted Kennedy.   o o o U.S. brings back the venerable .45 ACP — at least for Special Forces Operators. http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/2006251215.asp   o o o A fairly definitive piece on Iran’s New Euro-denominated Oil Bourse: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CLA20060210&articleId=1937   o o o Now H5N1 is in Germany, Austria, and Iran: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-02-14T223300Z_01_L09218784_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRDFLU.xml&rpc=22 …and in Southern Russia: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/15/060215162126.c9uj06hd.html   o o o Doc at Big Secrets recommends this Water Well tutorial: http://www.lifewater.ca/

The Army Aviator recommends upgrading the plugs on pump action shotguns with fluorescent ones. He notes: “I did this on all of my shotguns and I like the idea. I’ve never actually shot a tube empty but a couple of times it was comforting to roll the weapon and not see fluorescent yellow.”    o o o Take the opportunity to read (and copy) the Hirsch Report on Peak Oil before it disappears again.  See: http://www.energybulletin.net/12772.html    o o o Another entry for the “ingenious, but stupid” file, on some storm drain denizens: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060204-9999-7m4encamp.html    o o o As previously …

The mainstream media pundits keep saying that “inflation remains low”, yet Uncle Sugar’s own statistics show that the aggregate supply of U.S. dollars in circulation (both printed and electronic) grew from $2.5 trillion in 2000 to $4.5 trillion by the end of 2005. So is it any wonder that price of gold and gasoline have nearly doubled?  One might conclude that we are not so much seeing commodities going up in value as we are seeing the dollar going down in value. I recommend that you protect yourself from the mass price inflation to come. There could even a full …

Readers on the East Coast should make plans to attend the specialized Tactical Lifesaver Course on April 15-16, 2006, in Douglas, Georgia. A Iraq war vet Physician’s Assistant will teach you a lot of skills that the American Red Cross doesn’t. (Such as: how to prep an intravenous infusion, how to insert and orthopharyngeal airway, wound debridement, suturing, how to treat a sucking chest wound, and much more.)  Don’t miss this one. In fact, SurvivalBlog readers from Canada or the West Coast ought to seriously consider burning some of their accumulated frequent flyer miles to attend this course. See: http://www.survivalreportblog.com/Tactical_Lifesaver_Course.html    …

I just finished reading the science fiction novel “Freehold” by Michael Z. Williamson.  It is a fast-paced Libertarian think piece. “Freehold” is a tale of interplanetary colonization, set some 500 years in the future. The descriptions of the bureaucratic totalitarian central Earth government are contrasted with the “Freehold” colony planet, Grainne. The main character is an Earth army logistics soldier that is unjustly accused of embezzlement. Realizing that she can never get a fair trial on Earth, she flees to Grainne. There, she finds a new world with a minimalist government and the sort of freedom that is only dreamed of. …

Have you ever wondreed how to decipher the date codes stamped on canned foods? See: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Product_Dating/index.asp    o o o A Portland Oregon TV station warns of the Tsunami risk on west coast of the United States: http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=82990    o o o More on the planned non-nuclear “Global Strike” Trident missiles: http://www.flightinternational.com/Articles/2006/02/07/Navigation/194/204486/Global+strike+concept+raises+hopes+and+fears.html    o o o Another record trade deficit: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/10/D8FMANN00.html

Disarming gun owners wasn’t enough for the hoplophobic Scots. Now they want to ban knives, too. See:   http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/55905.html and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4691634.stm Laddies, its time to call Mel Gibson. You could use another William Wallace “Sons of Scotland!” speech about now…   o o o Only six year too late, President Mugabe is asking Zimbabwe’s displaced farmers to return: The http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/09/wzim09.xml. Good luck Comrade. They’ll come back, but not until after you and your henchmen have been sent packing.   o o o Some of the Cell Phone Tracking web sites that we mentioned last week are being shut down: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/2/8/212731.shtml?s=ic …

I just learned that Ken Timmerman, my former colleague at Defense Electronics magazine, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize! See: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/2/8/111611.shtml?s=ic Back in the late 1980s Ken was living in Paris and was a columnist for Defense Electronics. At the time I was an Associate Editor, and I edited some of his columns. Since he was in tight with folks in both Parisian defense and diplomatic circles (he speaks fluent French), we had some fascinating conversations and on-line chats.) In the same era, Ken edited the Middle East Defense News newsletter (a.k.a. MEDNews.) His most recent book, “Countdown …

SurvivalBlog reader Warhawke mentioned that he recently downloaded an excellent book called “The Farmer at War” about the terrorist war in Rhodesia in the 1970s and how the farmers responded. Not a lot of detailed information but well worth the read.  See:  http://www.rhodesia.nl/farmeratwar.html    o o o In yesterday’s issue of the Defense Tech blog (http://www.defensetech.org/) our buddy Noah has a snippet and a photo about the U.S. military’s new facial armor. It looks a bit reminiscent of Star Wars storm troopers.    o o o Yahoo News reports: “Firewood in Vogue As Oil Prices Rise.” See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060205/ap_on_re_us/fashionable_firewood    o …

I was alerted to a useful forum on survival topics: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SurvivingTheDayAfter/. Lawrence Rayburn, who moderates the forum, custom builds 20 to 60 foot triangular towers and single to multi-tier Savonius windmills for pumping water and generating electricity. These are installed at survival retreats, farms, ranches, and other remote facilities. BTW, it was Lawrence who coined the term GLAZIS–for global socialists.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader “OSOM” recommends the article War Scenarios and Predictions by William Lind – a very insightful military commentator. See: http://www.lewrockwell.com/lind/lind87.html    o o o I’d like to welcome our newest advertiser, Safe Solutions. (See: http://www.SafeSolutions.net.) …