MaidSafe

So I've been remiss in posting lately....

Here's one that's been sitting in my browser for a while: MaidSafe, which I found out about through Bitcointalk.  Silly name, interesting concept.  Sounds more like what the Internet was supposed to be.

My Kinda Gal

Meg Turney's frustrated sing-songy outburst:

"Why did you shut off, you fuckin' piece of shit / Gonna replace you with a fuckin' PC!"

Been there before.  Redheads are trouble, though.  Been there before, too.

Don't Eat Anything with a Face

A couple months ago I heard this debate on NPR regarding whether to eat meat or not.  Joel Salatin's arguments blew away the opposing arguments, but the idiots in the audience weren't swayed.

Bitcoin Attacks

A few weeks ago I saw an article claiming "Bitcoin is Broken"--must've shown up on Reddit.  There's also a related thread on bitcointalk regarding "Sybil attacks".

Massive Mobile Link Dump

For some reason, I have 40+ tabs open in Chrome on my phone.  Perhaps I ought to sync it with my non-mobile session, but I'm wary of Google's wiles.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldcorp

Awesome quotes from Mr. Benjamin Franklin
Fed Reg Vol 77, No 120: 15 CFR Parts 734, 736, 740, 742, 743, 744, 750, 758, 762, 764, 774

https://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3ADSU
https://www.google.com/search?q=coal+house+aurora+illinois
https://www.google.com/m/finance#search/Eog
https://www.google.com/search?q=brandt+1958+single+post+half+crescent

DoJ white paper: Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a U.S. Citizen Who Is a Senior Operational Leader of Al-Qa'ida or an Associated Force

And when I thought I was done, Blogger lost more than half of what I posted.  In truth, I only use Blogger because it's readily available.  I've had a ton of problems with it.  So here's the rest of the links from Chrome's history--but I know I'm missing a few.

Gliph opsec
Dietz #2000 Millenium Cooker Lantern
Aquaponics [Wikipedia]
Minnesota plating requirements for trailers
Picture of IFAK

http://www.macworld.com/article/2027920/mac-troubleshooting-how-to-handle-freezes-and-crashes.html
http://jplabs.com/

xkcd radiation dose chart

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/05/13/the-4-step-plan-to-not-suck-at-talking-to-people/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/192251-nioxin-side-effects/#page=3
http://druss.pp.ua/2012/09/check_ultra_vnc_connected/
http://rmn.craigslist.org/rea/
http://majesticarms.com/id10.html
http://www.atf.gov/files/regulations-rulings/rulings/atf-rulings/atf-ruling-2011-4.pdf
vz-26
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E4KLY34/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?keywords=baofeng
http://grantcountyshooters.org/
http://insciedout.org/
http://m.slashdot.org/story/196527
http://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2013/12/how-does-nsa-break-ssl.html?m=1
http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Other-Non-Profits/Traditional-and-Nontraditional-Business-Activities-of-Tax-Exempt-Social-Clubs
Trans-Pacific Partnership
Assisi Heights bee
http://thechive.com/2013/08/19/once-youve-got-yourself-situated-there-find-her-36-photos/#jp-carousel-602227
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectranthus_caninus

http://codeandlife.com/2012/07/03/benchmarking-raspberry-pi-gpio-speed/
http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=27678
http://www.raspbmc.com/about/

Water, Water, Everywhere

In the June 2008 copy of Nutrition Action, a feature article by a kidney expert debunks some of the myths regarding water needs.  Oft-repeated is that water needs are need 1 gallon per person, per day, which is a lot of H2O.  The article references a study from 1945 that claims water needs are about 1 mL per calorie--but much of that is in the food itself.  Now, if people are eating freeze-dried foods, then more water would be required, not to mention for hygiene, stress situations, etc.  Even so, knowing how much is really needed helps plan.  Furthermore, if one's urine isn't clear, that doesn't mean they're dehydrated to where they need to do anything.  In other words, those urine color indicators are bullshit.

I couldn't find the article online, but a Scientific American article mentions the doc's study and references a publication from Dartmouth College.

Nazi Anatomists and Modern Medicine

This article has been lingering in my browser because it's a heavy read.  The subject matter is important, but the impetus for the article--that the "legitimate rape" meme of 2012 had its basis in a Nazi study--figures in a minor fashion.

What really interested me is how much Nazi experiments have influenced modern medicine.  The answer is: more than scientists would care to admit.

Cosplay Chicks

A lot of cosplay chicks sell posters on Storenvy:

• Linda Le (Vampy)
• Abby Dark-Star
• Ani-Mia
• Kelly Jean
• Amie Lynn [currently down]

What can I say, I'm a sucker for boobs.  Apparently cosplaying has become a lucrative business for women with...assets.

Random

Topics from last week's breakfast:
Trombe wall - for passive solar heating
SIPs - a pre-fab sandwich of OSB around a rigid foam core
Militec - weapon lube; apparently several products are called Militec...

リンクアップ

The wife had sent me a link to this shop LINK UP that seems to have some pretty cool stuff.

Olde Tyme Skillz

Via someone's post on Facebook, two schools in the upper Midwest that teach skills some would consider obsolete: North House Folk School (in Grand Marais, MN) and Driftless Folk School (in Viroqua, WI).  Very intriguing.

Lanterns

I've been ogling the oil lanterns in Garrett Wade for prep purposes.  However, GW seems to charge a large markup, at least on certain items.  So I looked to see if I could find a better deal.  Apparently the GW lanterns are made by Feuerhand, which I found on the W.T. Kirkman site.  They actually aren't much cheaper (the same in quantities of 3 or more), but Kirkman offers replacement parts also.  Lehman's also sells the Feuerhand lanterns for the same price as Kirkman.

Kirkman sells Dietz lanterns, which are made in China.  The price difference against the German lanterns is noticeable.  In any case, the #2000 model has a grill attachment that can be used to boil water.  That looks like a useful feature.

As a result of looking for other sources for the Dietz #2000, I found Survival Resources, which has a lot of cool gear.

USB Charging Basics

Somewhere I came upon a link to Maxim IC's page on USB battery charging.  Pretty interesting info, albeit containing sections specific to Maxim's hardware.

More Bitcoin Info

The Genesis Block's dashboard shows the difficulty level increase.

btcinvest.net has a profitability calculator that takes into account USD/BTC appreciation.  Of course this is immaterial, since in the case where appreciation matters, buy and hold would be a superior investment method.

The Bitcoin wiki has a list of mining pools.  Eligius looks like the one to pick since it doesn't have any fees.

Chronys

Market research.

• Shooting Chrony F1 Master [Midway]
• Competition Electronics ProChrono Digital [Midway]
• MagnetoSpeed V1 [Midway]
• CED Millenium 2 [Midway]
• PACT Model 1 XP [Midway]

The Big Government Religion

Response to a FB post, which I shan't link to here....

This might've been addressed in the prior 462 comments, but my understanding is that LDS hasn't allowed polygamy for a long time; it's just the "fundies" (fundamentalists) who won't drop it.

Religion prescribes a moral code, and people can't seem to stop applying it to others. Kind of like how many Christians still judge others even though that's supposedly reserved for the man upstairs. ("Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" and all that.) This is also why libertarians are so few, because not many people can keep their opinions in their respective pockets; and why we have Big Government: to force the majority's judgments on everyone else. Personally, I believe that Big Government is worse for the human condition than even religion, although I'm not sure I'd get many who agree with me on that. We're conditioned now to condemn old-time religion and worship the capricious god of majority rule.

Smash!! I'm an agnostic of sorts, myself, but sometimes atheists and hardcore anti-religion people really piss me off.

AR-15 Pistols

Looking into building an AR-15 pistol, but don't want to have to use a modified bolt carrier.  Phase 5 Tactical appears to have a pistol buffer tube (receiver extension) that works with a standard BCG, unlike the GSE setups.  However, it looks like 7.5" barrels require special considerations with the gas tube.  Their quad rail looks neat too.

Arfcom has an area specific to AR-15 pistols.  The section on ATF letters is interesting and useful.  Apparently the Franklin Armory pistol can have a vertical foregrip because its OAL is over 26", and thus falls into a gray area where it's not an AOW.  Supposedly an 11.5" barrel will result in that OAL.

Garden Stuff

This recipe for tomato jam has been languishing in my iPhone browser for months...saved here for posterity.

Plus the info for "Gordy the Gourd"....

Hybrid Gas Water Heater

The wife's been complaining about the limited hot water from our ancient (ca 1996) tank-type water heater.  In Japan, of course, they use tankless heaters, which is evinced by the major manufacturers being Japanese: Rinnai and Noritz.  Anyway, recently when talking with a builder-type dude, he mentioned hybrids as being the favored type now.  When I looked into it, most hybrids are electric, except for the Eternal GU120.  The size of the tank isn't clearly specified, but from one of the documents it's implied that it's 2 gallons.  $1400, with a $300 tax credit for 2013.

Turkey Cookin'

Fine Cooking has a few tips on how to cook a juicy turkey.  One of the tips is brining, which seems like something to try.  Lastly, there's a video on how to make gravy.  Mmm, turkey fat.  I'm reading up because I'll have to make this stuff in a couple days.

Container Guest House

I've thought about making an in-ground shed out of 20' shipping container.  A house would be neat, too.

Addendum: considerations for container projects.

Another Metals Shop

Gainesville Coins, found via an LPC Survival contest on FB.  Will have to check their prices relative to APMEX.

Bolt-Action AR-15 Upper

I thought it might be neat to have an AR-15 upper that is bolt-action, so I went looking.  Apparently there's not much in the way of real bolt-action uppers.  However, a forum post directed me to White Oak Armament's site, which has a modified upper with a modified BCG with bolt handle.  On one hand, leverage for extraction is likely limited.  Furthermore, odds are good that the action isn't sub-MOA.  Still, it's an interesting concept.

One could build something similar by using a switched gas block and a side-charging upper.

White Oak's sells an interesting adjustable stock that requires a side-charging upper.  I like the steel buffer tube, but it's got aluminum parts as well.

Garage Curtain

In the winter, the garage gets pretty cold, even though it's insulated.  I'd like to be able to work out there, but it bleeds heat too fast because of the north-facing door.  The thought occurred to me that if I could partition an area with an impermeable curtain, that it might be feasible to use part of the space.

Well, I did a quick search and found something that looks like what I was considering: curtain wall partitions.  It ain't cheap, but the more capable solution, a "climate curtain," is even more expensive!

Finex Cast Iron Skillet

Wired had a post regarding the Finex Cast Iron Skillet that's on Kickstarter.  The skillet looks pretty cool.  Incidentally, apparently Siemens VAI has an ironmaking process also called Finex, which is a registered trademark.  It's unclear if there's any relation...seems unlikely.

Heating with Tealights

M.V. posted a link on FB to a video describing how to use 4 tealights in a ceramic tray with a couple terra cotta pots to heat a room.  The cost works out to 30 cents a day, supposedly.

One of the comments on FB was also interesting:

Truckers in Alaska have used coffee cans with a roll of toilet paper inside that is drenched with rubbing alcohol. Burns clean puts off heat. Whatever works.

I'll have to give both these methods a try.  Also, the Knowledge Weights Nothing site looks quite intriguing.

Deodorant Recipe

Interesting read; being able to make one's own deodorant might be useful post-SHTF!

Solar Power

I've been looking into solar power for prepping purposes, since in the short-term, having comms, non-flammable lights, and such would be useful.  Longevity of such devices in an adverse environment is another matter.

The conclusion I drew after a bunch of reading is that I need a monocrystalline solar cell with one or two AGM 12V batteries and a bunch of AA/AAA Eneloop LSD batteries for buffer.  The monocrystalline solar cells last 10-20 years (some say up to 30) and have the best output.  The absorbed glass mat batteries are deep-cycle, don't leak, and are best to use with solar panels.  (Gel batteries might be better still.)  Lastly, the Eneloop low-self-discharge batteries, 2nd-gen and later, will retain 80% of their charge for 2 years, making frequent refreshes unnecessary.

I'd like to run a smart charger directly from the 12Vs, but that would require an adapter cable with a voltage regulator.  In that case, having an inverter that can provide AC could be useful; the size would depend on the 12Vs.

A gas/propane generator could also be used to recharge the 12Vs, so a charge controller capable of running off of AC would be useful as well.

Another interesting application for prepping would be to buy 12V thermoelectric modules and make a rig to generate electricity from heat sources, i.e. from a cooking stove's waste heat, to recharge 12V batteries.  That's a bit more involved, however.

In my quest for knowledge, I ran into a site where the cyclist describes his setup.  Certainly, Goal Zero makes the best portable solar panel, but it's spendy.  You can get a 100W (monocrystalline) panel for just a hair over twice as much as the 7W GZ panel; however, it won't be very mobile.  The Nomad 7 (v2) is just right for a go bag.

Dual-Fuel

AD at work mentioned the DuroMax hybrid generator that runs on both gasoline and propane: the XP4400EH.  3500W rated, 4400W starting, with electric start and 240V output for $650.  The downside is that it's made in China, and apparently has some build quality issues.  (Link to softcopy of manual.)  The Honda EU2000i is $1000 and is 1600W rated, 2000W starting, with recoil start and only 120V output.

There's also a site, US Carburation, linked from the DuroMax page which sells propane adapters for other generators.  I'm almost more inclined to spend the money on the Honda and get the adapter, although I need to verify the power requirements for the devices I want to run.

Black Powder

An online shop, Track of the Wolf, has black powder for sale as well as firearms and accessories.  The catalog looks intriguing.