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”. Big new this week on the Bundy trial and an example of the stupidity of homeowners associations.
Bundy Trial
Judge Navarro, in a fit of sanity (or is that concern over her position due to her past actions) declared the the case dismissed with prejudice. For those who haven’t had dealings with the courts before, that basically means that the case is dismissed and can’t be brought up again on those specific charges. The Bundy’s now get to go home and pretend that it never happened despite the two years they spent locked up in jail.
I’m not suggesting that the Bundy’s are innocent of all charges, but the feds (law enforcement, prosecution and judge) stepped so far out of bounds, this case needed to be dismissed in this manner. What is missing is the declaration of prosecution against all those who propagated this evil, abortive mess. I’m still wondering how LaVoy Finicum (or at least his family) gets justice out of this too. Thanks to D.S. for the link.
Homeowners Associations
Reader C.F. sent us this article: In a fit of insanity, a California homeowners association has passed a rule that mandates homeowners keep their garage doors open during the day. The issue arose because one homeowner apparently had a family living in their garage which is against the rules. Some owners are simply ignoring the rules and others are opting to pay the $200 fine up front to keep their stuff behind a closed door. What is disturbing is that some homeowners are following the rule, making their homes vulnerable to theft while they are at work. Hey, on the bright side, now you don’t have to give Amazon a key to deliver stuff to your garage!
JWR’s Comment: This shows how horrible it is to live in a HOA-controlled neighborhood. This shows just how absurdly arbitrary and capricious the demands of HOAs can be. They could have just as well ruled that all garage doors must be kept shut, during certain hours. When looking for property when relocating, AVOID buying inside of a HOA. They are petty dictatorships!
Bugging Out at -30F
Have you ever trialed a simulated bugout and discovered that you might not be as prepared as you thought you were? What about when dump your bugout bag to inventory it and notice that it is snowing outside and you are missing important gear? Canadian Prepper has released a new video on his real winter bug out bag that takes severe winter conditions into consideration. If you don’t live in a near tropic zone, this is something that you probably ought to look at. It’s not as easy as you might think.
Ghost Guns
The Wall Street Journal flipped out this week over the realization that it is possible to have firearms that are completely untraceable. Of course, typical of the “lamestreet” media, citations for their data are notably missing. This includes the one complaining that the ATF can’t trace firearms used in crimes if they are ghost guns. Duh! Criminals don’t care where they get their guns. Traces are so ineffective that the ATF doesn’t even publish data showing how many actually resulted in arrest or conviction.
We probably shouldn’t tell them about books that are easily available even from Amazon like Expedient Homemade Firearms: The 9mm Submachine Gun that shows a person how to create a fully automatic firearm from things you buy at the hardware store. Gun control is only really possible when you have a population that acts like sheep, refusing independent thinking. Thanks to H.L. for the link. Perhaps it’s time to put up one of those garage door murals that just shows an empty garage?
Speaking of guns, some interesting statistics were recently released by the BATFE: Firearms Commerce in the United States — Statistical Update, 2017.
JWR’s Comments: The report confirms that Barack Hussein Obama will probably be confirmed as the Greatest Gun Salesman in History. His outspoken disdain for us “Bitter Clingers” just made us want to go out and buy more guns!
Alt-Left Militia?
A radical Alt-Left militia leader is now in FBI custody. The anti-capitalist group Guerrilla Mainframe released a statement. They said that one of their organizers, Rakem Balogun, was taken into custody during a raid by FBI and ATF agents back in December. Rakem held positions in several far-left organizations like Geronimo Tactical, Huey P. Newton Gun Club, and Guerrilla Mainframe. As noted before by a SurvivalBlog commenter, even children with guns are dangerous and can kill a person. This is starting to look pretty serious. Thanks to T.Z for the link.
Garbage OPSEC
Reader SamB sent in this article that was updated last month on keeping your privacy intact. What most people put in their garbage is a huge security loophole for public or private party criminals. SurvivalBlog wholeheartedly agrees with SamB’s recommendation to utilize a crosscut shredder and then burn the shreds. Note that due to computer processing power, even a cross-cut shredder may not give the level of protection that you think it does. You really need to totally destroy the artifacts.
Take the shreds and make paper fire logs.
As a survivalist one shouldn’t go out of the way to force fights with a larger opponent such as the reigning government regardless of location. You will lose opsec and a lot more when you do so as Bundy is an example of. Every detail of your life is now public or known to those you didn’t want it to be and open.
You ever stop and think maybe that’s why the collectivist/communist are winning because the folks that should be opposing them are hiding in the woods waiting to be eaten last…I’m sure you have heard of that msg “When they came for blank I didn’t say anything”…
Lineman:
Well said sir.
As a prepped/survivalist and as U.S. Citizens it is our duty to make sure that things do not get out of control. Simply sitting on the sidelines waiting for the other shoe to drop is no way to effectively run our “employees”and make sure that they are doing what they should be doing and not what they should not be doing. We need to be PRO active, stop it before it gets a chance to grow roots. Remember folks we are We The People!
Amen Brother wish more people understood that saying A Republic If You Can Keep It… Hiding away wont let you do that and pretty soon they will make it to your door…We have to as Christians and as Americans be standing up and facing evil even if it cost us our lives…
Lineman:
God, Country, Corps! Semper Fi!
Retreat, HELL! We just got here!
One of the infinite advantages of rural living is (responsibly) burning trash.
Besides the savings with regard to trash removal, all printed material that contains personal info is converted to smoke and ash.
We burn ALL paper so nothing slips by.
I live in an HOA neighborhood by choice. I don’t want to live across from cars on blocks, aluminum foil covered windows and loose pitbulls. Some HOAs exceed their authority but most just want to keep housing values up and respectable neighborhoods.
If anyone cares more about how their home appears to the world than they do about their freedom, then I pray for God to work a change in their hearts. HOAs are fundamentally opposed to American and Christian ideals.
Wow Erik, I’m not sure how to address this. My HOA officers are elected by the community. That is an American ideal. Your comment about Christian ideals…I can’t wrap my mind around where you are going with that. My home does look good and there are no appliances in the front yard.
How about telling you that you cannot fly an American Flag or have the baby Jesus on your lawn at Christmas…Can you wrap your mind around where he’s going with that yet?
I proudly fly the American Flag every patriotic holiday just like many of my neighbours. I put Christmas lights up and have a small statue of of Saint Joseph in the front of my house. You all must of not done your research before moving into your neighborhoods or as I like to state it, you didn’t prepare.
That is the reason my closest neighbor is out of sight. I find it amusing that when people move here from places ,say like CA they ask what are they allowed to do with say these trees or that pond. They really can’t comprehend what I am saying when I say anything you want. This county had on the ballot 4-5 years ago a provision for county wide zoning. I have never heard of so one sided results 93% against. People need to understand freedom means letting other do things you disagree with.
I understand and respect your opinions, but most people get carried away with the desire to control others. I have been on many HOA boards and have seen first hand both the craziness of homeowners doing stupid things and the change in HOA officers once they get a little authority. It is very difficult to get a few decent people to lead a HOA and still let the homeowners have peace and privacy on the property they own. I opted to sell and get as far away as I could from nutty homeowners and HOAs.
Hi Joey,
I make my living by providing maintenance for HOA’s. Yours is a very common opinion.. Until you venture out of the collective thinking process. In the 25 years of doing business with HOA’s I have found that support for them is strongest from new homeowners and waivers the longer you live in the neighborhood..
I cant tell you how many board meetings I have sat in on where homeowners voice their support for HOA’s good intentions,only to vocalize their displeasure when things don’t fit their individual wishes. The politics of HOA’s always seem to be their downfall.
Try common sense, it’s cheaper as several HOA’s that I have personally dealt with in the past. After my lawyer got through with them they are no longer a viable entity.
Ok, you live there by choice. Fine. The problem I have with the yuppie types who are so fixated on housing values is they are often not content to have their HOA rules just apply to their own development. They want the municipality to pass laws, that apply everywhere, that limit what we can do with our property. It really ticks me off that these people move into MY neighborhood (because I was here first) and think they can tell me how to live. I don’t think so . . .
Of course, they can’t control their kids, who trespass and vandalize my property. But I’m a “nuisance” because I have pallets in my yard. IMO, these people have a hot place waiting for them on Judgement Day.
I have sympathy for LaVoy Finicum’s family and wish he had made better choices. But watch the videos again. He ran a roadblock that was legal and necessary because he and some of the others there had broken laws. Then he tried to drive around a second road block putting the officers at risk. And lastly he irrationally jumped out of his truck and acted aggressively towards the law enforcement who were telling him to put his hands up. My reaction watching it was that he was committing suicide.
Also it is important to understand that the Bundy’s were lucky. They broke the law, numerous laws and because of a prosecutors foolish mistake they walk free. They would be wise to end this feud and obey the law. I think they are foolish enough to continue to flaunt the law and will end up in court again. I think that they too have a suicide wish. Watch and See if I’m not right on this.
I beg to differ with you about the FBI roadblocks. The way that the second roadblock was configured–at the bend in a road–is considered an illegal use of deadly force, because it did not provide safe braking distance. Whoever sanctioned that configuration could potentially be charged with attempted murder. There are also lots of unanswered questions about the type of UAV (military drone) that was used, and whether or not it was armed.
OneGuy & JWR:
I agree with James on this issue whole heartedly.
These and many more reasons are why they were found Not Guilty!
The Federal Bureau of Incompetents is make not only the same mistakes over and over but making new ones along the way. If not for unfortunate outcome to Mr. Finicum this whole situation would be laughable.
And as far the Bundy crew having a suicide wish you sir could not be farther from the truth. They are the Sheepdogs! , as we all should be!
You need to watch that video again that road block was placed illegally and dangerously on a blind curve the Feds set the whole thing up as a hit job!
The Feds always set things up as a Hit Job. I just finished watching the Massacre in Waco again. David Koresh was an Anti-Christ, con-man, pervert and a Child Molester, and should of been arrested and sent to prison. He could have been arrested at anytime away from the compound where the Children wouldn’t have been put in danger, but that’s not what the Feds wanted, they wanted to do a Hit Job to show that, “Hey We Are The Powers” and you will bow to us. Just remember the Feds always burn out resisters, like Gordon Kahl of the Posse Comitatus and The Order on Widby Island.
Thank you I always am glad when people out themselves it makes things easier to IFF… Maybe he got out of the vehicle because of the shots through the roof and he wanted to draw fire away from the other occupants…You do know everything was legal in Germany to do what they did…
Lineman:
Sure it was legal in Germany and in the Netherlands, just ask my neighbors who fought in the resistance during WWII and are still alive today in there 90’s and are STILL STAUNCH SUPPORTERS OF THE National Rifle Association.
We can be wolves, sheep, or sheepdogs.
Mr. Finnicum was a sheepdog. He died for his beliefs. God Bless Him!
Ahh Brother I used to think like you but then I realized that there is another category and that is being a wolfhound…A wolfhound doesn’t want to control the sheep but he does want to kill evil/wolf which protects the sheep…That’s who we should strive to be..
Lineman:
The sheepdog protects. The sheephearder controls.
Sheepherders also use the sheepdogs to control the sheep Brother…
Lineman:
Ya, this is one of those debates that can go on for ever. This is where I say ” the sheep hearder still has control, over the heard and the sheepdog, the only thing the dog is in control of is himself and the killing of evil/wolf.
on a more up point I really do enjoy this blog and talking with all of y’all.
I agree with others who are saying the roadblock was poorly constructed and intended to lead to confrontation. It reminds me of the story I read about the Ruby Ridge incident. I spent time in Iraq in 03 and the ROE prohibited deadly force without proper verification of threat. At RR the FBI ordered the use of deadly force on any male on the property. That lead to the death of his wife. If the abuses by Law Enforcement continue they will continue to find themselves in bad situations with the very public they are supposed to serve.
LaVoy made a choice to stand for another rancher who was getting railroaded.
The state of Oregon went through 3 Attorney Generals in 18 months, because none of them would prosecute the Hammond’s. Amanda Marshall, educated in China, was handpicked over 10 other more highly qualified applicants, solely to go after the Hammond’s land.
Husband and wife team: Rhonda Kharges, Director of Harney County, Oregon Bureau of Land Management, and Chad Kharges, Director of Malheur Refuge, had planned for years to have total control of ALL land in and around Malheur.
Dwight and Susie Hammond, (Dwight is now 77 years old, have been married for 55 years), are the LAST PRIVATE landowners in and around Malheur.
Dwight, who has LEGAL rights to his water, was falsely arrested by BLM for using his own water. He won in court, and did not retaliate against the BLM’s provocations.
There is much more to this than can be explained in one post. However, you can start by researching BLM’s 2010 Land Consolidation Program (Oregon, Nevada, a 3 other western states) and look up COngressman Rob Bishop, who first alerted the nation to BLM’s ILLEGAL activities.
The Bureau of Land Management DID NOT NOTIFY CONGRESS as required by law.
The Director of BLM , Neil Kornze, was Harry Reid’s Senior Staffperson for eight years prior to going to DC to implement the land grab program. It was Neil Kornze, under Harry Reid’s direction, that authorized the ARMED attacks and deployment of snipers on the Bundy ranch.
Judge Navarro, the BLM thugs, and the FBI are all corrupt. Thank goodness for the whistle blower, otherwise the Bundys would have been thrown into a deep, dark dungeon and the key thrown away. In my opinion, the roots of these problems are Harry Reid, his corrupt lawyer son and the Chinese (in Nevada) and Hitlery Clintoon, the Russians and the uranium theft (in Oregon). Those also are the people who need to be put away forever. LaVoy was murdered, plain and simple by the modern day Gestapo. They also tried to kill the remaining people in the truck. Thank GOD they were unsuccessful in their murderous attempts. I’m still waiting for Lon Horuchi to be prosecuted for the murder of Vicki Weaver, but with the idolization of the modern police / thug state, I won’t be holding my breath.
Glad your awake Joe… Also look into the feds owning land and how it wasn’t supposed to be that way…It was supposed to be divided up to the settlers…
Anyone that wants the truth about Clark County, Nevada’s Bureau of Land Management transferring land to Harry Reid should look up the Reid family trusts:
1. Reid Bunkerville LLC
2. Cedar Development Corp
3. Zion Bank Corp
4. Bunkerville Compound LLC
Access Clark County, Nevada website:
Gisgate.co.clark.nv.us/openweb/
A county Recorder of Deeds would have information on land transfers, land titles, prices paid (if any), and dates of transfer.
Judge Gloria Maria Navarro was hand-picked by Harry Reid in 2009, and escalated to judgeship by 2010, when the BLM started their land consolidation program in Nevada and Oregon.
Judge Navarro had prior worked for Clark County, Nevada in the civil division, protecting its’ officials from lawsuits, and is married to Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney, Brian Rutledge.
@One Guy… You can’t possibly be serious about what happened with LaVoy Finicum.
As far as breaking laws is concerned, unconstitutional laws always ought to be broken and nullified. Remember the States created the Federal Government; The Federal Government did not create the States.
“unconstitutional laws”
They occupied a federal property. Everyone saw this it is illegal and there is no constitutional right to take over federal, state, or local property.
Ahh so much you need to learn but I don’t have the time or the effort to learn ya and you probably wouldn’t listen anyway so I will just leave it at I’m sorry for you…
Lineman:
Dam straight sir!
WE THE PEOPLE!
You are wrong if you think the prosecutors made a “mistake”. They knew exactly what they were doing. Their “mistake” was their belief that everyone in government shared their contempt for the constitution. If they aren’t punished you’ll know they weren’t far off in their belief.
Steven Myhre, the federal prosecutor who withheld evidence from Bundy’s defense team, has a long history of doing this:
https://redoubtnews.com/2017/12/myhre-history-brady-violations/
If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t Judge Navarro part of the problem in the beginning? How quickly we forget.
I’m not giving this medusa any kudos for doing what needed to be done in the first place.I believe she had no choice based on the current judicial climate. She simply had no choice if she wanted to save her own skin as a ” Judge”
Exactly right Brother…You can be sure she didn’t do it out of goodwill…It probably knawed her guts out to do what she did but for self preservation she had to…
LO & Linema:
The stupid menus got with her hand in the “cookie jar”.
Yep and she had just a little more self preservation in her than a raccoon that won’t let go of the cookies…
Many people reached out to Jeff Sessions for intervention in this case due to Judge Navarro’s refusal to allow witnesses for the defense, (and other judicial errors). Larry Klayman of Freedom Watch approached Jeff Sessions.
Sessions responded by sending Gayle Elieson, a Texas attorney, to become federal ‘prosecutor’ to replace Steven Myhre (who withheld evidence from the defense).
Gayle Elieson received her law degree from Brigham Young University. Having worked in the judiciary departments of Texas, Ms. Elieson would be familiar with the Bureau of Land Management’s attempted Red River land grab, and Governor Abbott’s comments to the Bureau of Land Manangement: You will have a fight on your hands if you try to take Texas land from the ranchers.
Rumor has it a higher court (possibly one of the supremes) stepped in, saved her rear end, and told her to back off. She had been smoothing the way for the prosecution until the whole thing was outted by the whistle blower.
There is absolutely nothing in the U.S. Constitution which grants the federal government the power to create a federal secret police agency aka the FBI. The FBI was created circa 1909 and is just one example of the many unconstitutional and illegal creations of the pseudo-progressive, pseudo-liberal era of the last century. It needs to be disbanded and the policing power returned to the states and counties where it properly resides. Comey, McCabe and Wray all need to go to prison for their treason.
David:
Sorry David it was the very corrupt J. Edgar Hoover who went before congress and got the Federal Bureau of Incompetence there federal “license” to conduct law enforcement. There legit just very corrupt and incompetent.
One guy, I suggest you read the Constitution for the united States, Article One, about what land the government may own. It’s actually very restrictive. The current “Federal Land did not come about because of an Article Five amendment process, but rather by a Hail Mary pass around the Constitution via the “Antiquities Act.” So long as citizens remain ignorant of the Constitution we shall continue to have the tyranny we have.
OneGuy January 10, 2018 at 12:45 am
“unconstitutional laws”
They occupied a federal property. Everyone saw this it is illegal and there is no constitutional right to take over federal, state, or local property.
I agree with “lineman”, if not now, then when?
I agree with “MIO” also, under the radar.
What ??? Yes, that is why I enjoy reading these replies. I gain insight with each comment, even when I don’t agree with the writer.
All of these affairs, such as Bundy vs BLM, have a person at the top directing how the story will take place.
Just replace “Bundy vs BLM” with the next “thing” in your town…
Look at “Death of Eric Garner” in NYC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Eric_Garner
Unlike the Bundy story, we all see clearly on video a man killed over selling single cigarettes from packs without tax stamps. Yes, Eric Garner did not comply with police, however, he was unarmed, not a wanted murderer, bank robber, and so on.
We only have the cell video from inside of LaVoy’s vehicle when LaVoy Finicum was murdered by the Feds, so they tell a different story…the Feds felt threatened.
Then later video from the air.
Lavoy’s mistake was thinking they wouldn’t shoot him.
Same as Eric Garner’s thinking, that they wouldn’t kill him over selling cigarettes.
While most law enforcement I have known are great folks, I never assume the random encounter I may have with an unknown law enforcement member will be with one of the great, or even good ones.
My critical thinking has been sharpened by the Patriots novel series. I bought all of these books on audio. The dead travel time to work was replaced with new ideas each time I listen to these books. If not all, then at least buy the 2 CD title, Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse. After listening to the complete book, come back and address this discussion on Bundy vs BLM. You may find things could have been done differently.
God forbid we should ever occupy Red Square or Tiananmen Square those men had tried the court system for years I believe that the Bundys were fighting for over 30 years to be heard but the system was rigged they went to a through a Federal system with Federal judges Federal prosecutors Federal law enforcement and who pays them all? The Federal government. Finnicum should have never been pulled over to begin with they were protesters. I repeat they were protesters this was the atrocity of atrocities the only thing that is worse than that are people that don’t recognize it.
Amen Brother…Sad thing is a lot of Preppers/Survalist/Patriot’s don’t believe the media/propaganda on anything but then believed what the media told them on this issue… Boggles my mind…
Nothing, absolutely nothing that came to me in the mail goes into the trash, it all goes into a burn stack and eventually into the burn pit out back. I won;t even throw envelopes away because they may have identifying markings on them, burn it all.
Oh, here is an interesting article to read about what can be discovered in your trash-
http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-1616-rubbish.html-2
The tables were turned. I wonder if all those HOA board members left their garage doors open?