Odds ‘n Sods:

H.D. in Ohio mentioned this fascinating paper in the medical journal Nature Neuroscience: How unrealistic optimism is maintained in the face of reality. In essence, some people’s brains aren’t wet-wired to accept the the prospect of calamity. This may explain why trying to convince some of your family members to prepare is like talking to a brick wall.

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Some good privacy news: High Court Rules Warrantless GPS Tracking Unconstitutional

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A new M9 solar flare has everyone’s attention. It is the biggest since 2005. BTW, I recommend signing up to receive free solar flare alerts.

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Going Back to the Future: Militia Model Could Cut U.S. Expenditures. (Thanks to Chris M. for the link.)

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My nonfiction book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” just jumped back up to #50 in Amazon’s overall rankings. This was attributable to having the book proclaimed “the preppers’ Bible” in a recent Reuters news article, and a follow-up in Glenn Beck’s The Blaze.