Odds ‘n Sods:

The bidding is now up to $125 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a copy “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. The course was kindly donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on September 15th.

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An international climate panel revises global warming forecast: climate change now thought to be less severe.

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Reader S.F. in Hawaii e-mailed us: “The other day I received some bank notes (Marks) that I had ordered from a collector. These were from the Weimar Republic dating 1917 to 1923. I got them in the following denominations: 5 Marks, 10,000 Marks, 500,000 Marks, 1,000,000 Marks, 1,000,000,000 Marks, and 5,000,000,000 Marks. What I found interesting was that the 5 Mark note was a high quality paper, beautifully engraved with printing on both sides. Once they went to the million note and above, the note felt more like office paper, the engraving disappeared and it was only printed on one side. It looked and felt more like a grocery story coupon than a bank note. Just a thought: When your country’s currency starts to look like a raffle ticket at a local fundraiser, it’s time to divest.”

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We were saddened to hear that Steve Irwin a.k.a.”The Crocodile Hunter” was killed in a freak scuba diving diving accident. He was stung in the chest by a stingray. Steve will be missed. He really knew his way around the bush. Some of the risks that he took–especially with snakes and crocs—were downright foolhardy. But he did a lot to educate folks about wildlife (herpetology, in particular), conservation, and well-prepared outback trekking. It is ironic that he bought the farm doing something so mundane as just swimming near a stingray. Please keep his wife Terri and their children Bindi and Bob in your prayers.