The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. The excessive SWAT team tactics have claimed yet another life. This time the only thing the swatting victim appears to have done to get shot is just answer the door.

The Last Combat Mission

Jerry Yellin, who flew the last combat mission of World War II, has died at age 93. In the days following the atomic raids on Japan, all aircraft flying combat missions over Japan were supposed to receive a coded signal to turn back to base if Japan surrendered. Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender as Lieutenant Yellen was leading his four-plane attack, but for some reason his planes did not receive the message. It was only after returning from the mission that he learned that the war had formally ended while he was on the mission. Thanks to reader T.P. for the link.

Bunkerville Standoff

“Our Judicial system failed these people and there has got to be accountability.” – Words from Constitutional sheriff Glenn Palmer this week on Facebook regarding the lies and manipulation during the Bundy trial. Sheriff Palmer was the one waiting for the convoy in John Day, Oregon when the feds, with the Oregon State Sheriffs support created an ambush “felony traffic stop” that ultimately killed LaVoy Finicum and injured Ryan Bundy on January 26th, 2016. Because of his stance against the unethical acts of law enforcement, he had taken considerable heat in his re-election bid last year, but won anyway. Thanks to D.S. for the article.

Bakery Debacle

While the nation waits expectantly for the outcome of the Colorado baker who refused to decorate a cake for a gay couple, Oregon has upheld the $135,000 fine levied against another couple for also refusing to bake a cake. They actually paid the fine, but have been driven out of business. Once again, the state steps all over the Constitution by attempting to force compliance with a law that violates their religious conscience. They are considering appealing the case to the Oregon Supreme Court and have a month to make that decision. It’s unclear what impact the Colorado case will have on this one. At some point, the LGBT propensity to abuse the legal system needs to be reigned in. Thanks to T.P. for the link.

Radiation Contamination

More contaminated vehicles have been found at the decommissioned and demolished Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant, bringing the total to 19. Workers have been cleared to return to the demolition of the plant though. The demolition of this part of the plant is considered the most hazardous demolition project on the site. This should be put in perspective though. The highest potential exposure for one of the workers was 11 millirems. The average person in the U.S. is exposed to 300 millirems of radiation from natural sources so there is no reason for panic. No contamination was found in the homes of the workers either.

Swatting Victim

The practice of “Swatting”, where online gamers will call 911 on a fellow gamer has claimed another victim. This time, the caller claimed the victim argued with the mother, the father had been killed and the mother, along with the brother and sister, were being held hostage. When SWAT surrounded the home, the victim came to the door and one of the officers “discharged” his weapon. Officials are not releasing details of the shooting, but the family says the victim didn’t play video games. Perhaps it’s time for law enforcement to rethink their penchant for SWAT.

HF Ops

Reader P.S. sent in this excellent article that details some of the questions and answers a new person might have when considering High Frequency (HF) communications. Do you get a dedicated QRP rig or a full power rig for the field? What additional equipment do you need and what skills do you need to master in order to be effective in using the equipment are just some of the questions dealt with. And again, it encourages the reader to actually use it rather than just collect the equipment.

Survival & Austere Medicine

Reader G.L. pointed out that the Austrailina Preparedness Forum has posted the release of the third revision of Survival & Austere Medicine. The PDF download is free and this is an excellent resources for those looking to improve their back country medical skills. Of course, nothing can replace the ready access we have to modern medicine, but when you don’t have access, this is your ticket. This should be in every electronic device you own that can read or store PDF documents.

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Please send your news tips to HJL. (Either via e-mail of via ourContact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who watch news that is important to them. Due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” news. We often “get the scoop” on news that is most likely ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!