Notes for Friday – January 29, 2016

Complete, Unedited Video of Joint FBI and OSP Operation 01/26/2016 – 26 minutes starting with the pursuit and ending with the death of Finicum and the arrest of the others. Warning: graphic content. I see nothing in this video that contradicts Victoria Sharp’s testimony as she saw it. The video is inconclusive, but Finicum did not have a weapon in hand when he was shot. When did the agents fire? Are Finicum’s hand movements a result of being shot? He was shot three times and that certainly coincides with his hand movements. Lest anyone forget, Victoria also makes the claim …




Bug Out Boats, by Budget Boater

As a man of the sea, the topic of using a boat for the purpose of escape and survival seems to be misunderstood in many instances. I can even remember JWR dismissing the idea several times in the past. I can only assume that it comes from lack of knowledge and understanding of the “cruising” community. Recently there has been some discussion about this topic and some questions, so I thought this might be time to shed some experienced light on the subject. First, I will answer the questions posted recently: Question #1: If it’s a true EOTW scenario, establishing …




Letter Re: Bug Out Boats

Hugh, When reading the thread on bug-out boats, I was reminded anew of one of my favorite novels: The Riddle of the Sands. Here’s more about the author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Erskine_Childers http://www.eldritchpress.org/rec/rs.html You can also get a copy of the book from Gutenberg. As it so happens the book is outside of copyright and so it was one of the first books to be published on the Internet, leading to a nasty lawsuit. The Riddle of The Sands is considered required reading for all serious sailors, particularly those favoring wooden-hulled boats. – R.C.




Economics and Investing:

The Shipping News Says the World Economy Is Toast – G.G. o o o IMF and World Bank move to forestall oil-led defaults – G.G. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Fed Included Phrase About International Developments (Business Insider) No right answer. No easy way out. Excerpt: “…it looks like the Fed is once again eyeing what’s happening abroad as it is materially affecting businesses that make up the US economy.” Updated Wasteful Spending Ratings Unveiled for 2016 Presidential Candidates (Citizens Against Government Waste) Excerpt: “With the beginning of the presidential caucuses and primaries just one week …




Podcast Pick of the Week

Samuel Culper over at Forward Observer Magazine has a podcast on the Malhuer aftermath and the Lessons learned. While there are still holdouts at the wildlife refuge, the leadership has been taken down and arrested, one man is dead and many have left the refuge. Culper walks the listeners through the intelligence failures and what could have been done better and how the community can learn from this event. Malhuer aftermath and the Lessons learned




Odds ‘n Sods:

The Rawles XL Voyager limited edition tanto pocketknife has been a strong seller for Cold Steel. I’ve been told that they now have just a few hundred left. So if you want one, then don’t hesitate. This is a limited edition, so once they are gone they are truly gone. (After they are only available on the secondary market, prices are expected to rise, driven by collectors. So you might want to keep the original box for your knife.) Note that all profits from the sales of these knives are going to charity. – JWR o o o From the …