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”. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and families in the Florida shooting.
National Debt is Unsustainable
A top intelligence official, Dan Coats, the Director of National Intelligence, is warning that the U.S.’s national debt isn’t just unsustainable, but it puts national security at risk. This warning comes after Trump signed a two-year budget deal that basically wasn’t a budget. Instead, it boosted domestic and military spending by $300 million and which is projected to add $1.5 trillion to deficits over the next 10 years. This is the same ol’, same ol’ that we’ve been dealing with for the past 30 years. Congress controls the purse strings and if they don’t get their act together soon, the U.S. will be finished. Thanks to G.P. for the link.
Total Household Debt
Of course, it’s not just congress that has a spending problem. Reader G.P. also sent in this link showing how the total household debt has soared to a record $13 trillion dollars. Mortgage balances rose by $139 billion and credit card debt had the second largest increase ($26 billion). This is the fifth consecutive year of annual household debt growth with increases in mortgage, student, auto and credit card categories. We wonder why the congress critters can’t get control of the national budget, but we are the ones who repeatedly vote them in and we can’t get control of our own household budgets. Consumerism will be the death of this nation.
Remington in Trouble
Remington Outdoor Company, Inc, one of the largest U.S. makers of firearms has reached out to bankers and credit investment funds in search of financing that will allow it to file for bankruptcy. How you can drive a company that sells firearms in today’s market is beyond me. That was just poor business planning on their part. Yes, there is a glut of AR type firearms on the market now, but just a couple of years ago, they couldn’t make them fast enough. How do you squander all that capital?
It seems to me that bad financial management is a problem all the way around. Consumers can’t manage their own home finances, The government can’t manage it’s finances and companies that should be rolling in cash can’t seem to manage their finances. The only companies that seem to be able to survive are those leftist tech companies that consumers keep dumping cash in. Thanks to P.S. for the link.
Transgender Elementary Principle
A 52-year-old male elementary school principal in Swampscott, Massachusetts has announced in a letter to the school community that he is transgender, identifies as both male and female and plans to move forward presenting himself as a female. He will choose the name “Shannon” as it is used for both male and females, to help his fluid gender identity. This man does not need to be a school principle, but instead needs mental help. Daniels is married and says he hopes to physically make the transition to become a woman. These are the people who have influence over your kids nearly 40 hours each week. In some cases, that’s more time than what parents get to spend with their kids.
Get your kids out of these indoctrination centers public school while you still can. Your children are your heritage. How can we expect them to continue the same values that we have if we keep exposing them to this garbage? Thanks to D.B. for the link.
Baseball? What’s that?
The Army has announced that they will drop the hand-grenade competency as a graduation requirement from Army Basic Training. The issue is that today’s young people have not grown up throwing a baseball to each other. Rather, they have grown up with excellent thumb co-ordination as they play video games and text each other on their phones. The Army has found that if a person doesn’t already have the muscle memory and relative competency to throw a baseball sized object, they can’t be taught to throw a hand-grenade in the allotted time. The Army ends up having to teach them how to throw an object and in the few days allotted for this training, the recruits can’t throw an object far enough away to be considered safe.
When I was growing up and we found someone who threw like this, we always accused them of throwing like a girl. I guess that’s sexist today and I’ve seen many girls that can throw objects far better than most young men in high school. There is something to be said for handing your kids a baseball and kicking them outside in the summer rather than letting them spend so many hours on video games.
Most Overlooked Survival Item
Wranglerstar reviews the ACR ResQLink GPS Beacon as a survival tool. This is a tool that is practically mandatory if you need a tool that will get you help if you can’t help yourself when you are alone in the back country. Thanks to T.J. for the link.
Florida Shooting
Once again, a mass murderer has killed multiple people in a victim-rich location (gun-free zone) and all the warning signs leading up to this tragedy have been ignored. As expected, the left leaning progressives are calling for more gun control despite the statistics that show it doesn’t work. Authorities have the suspected shooter in custody and there is some preliminary evidence that this domestic terrorism was inspired by the middle east terrorist groups with some going so far as claiming that he attempted to contact these groups. The school knew the shooter was a problem and simple expelled him. I wonder if those who simply kicked the problem down the road will ever be held responsible for the carnage?
Our hearts and prayers go out to the families who are suffering the loss of their loved ones.
o o o
Please send your news tips to HJL. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact 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!
Yes it is 99% doing away with hand grenade qualification but what Maj. Gen. Frost says is “The new BCT does, however, do away with hand grenade qualification and land navigation course qualification as graduation requirements.”. So no need for map reading after all every one has a sat-nav.
god help our troops if a satellite goes down or if your batteries die!!
The sat nav.. The dagger system doesn’t work.
Our home is a safe place because the adults in charge make it so. Schools (public especially) across our land have “adults” in charge, who like our government officials, are worried more about being politically correct and pleasing the wavering majority and their distant out-of-touch policy makers who’s primary concern is staying in power.
Not unlike Saul, the first King of Israel, chosen BY THE PEOPLE – our “kings” start out claiming our values but eventually surcome to their own delusion of self-worth. Many times even trying to kill the anointed heirs to the thrown in fear of loosing power.
We like David, are called to honor our leaders, avoid their spears, wait on God and trust Him to deliver us as well as those in power to each their appointed destiny.
Matthew 22: 37-40
Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shat love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
The problem is ALWAYS our:
Heart
Soul &
Mind
Well said.
As a former Airborne Infantryman, I cannot fathom the Army’s decision to do away with grenade and land nav qualifications. Perhaps it is time for the Army to lengthen the period of BCT if teaching basic skills is so time consuming. If you can’t throw a grenade far or accurate enough, you endanger your own. I suppose GPS is a good thing, I received one years ago that is still in the box. My map, compass and altimeter, never need batteries and are relatively EMP proof.
The grenade toss I can see the reasons why. One unless your in a 11b series you will unlikely ever be issued grenades. However it does raise a concern for units who have to grenade qualifications and might have a soldier who has never been trained on one.
Florida Shooting
Within minutes of hearing about the shooting I was seeing people posting “It’s a false flag” or “It’s all fake, no one got hurt”!!!!
I see similar on every incident that happens, like the GOP train wreck where people were saying no one was on the train. I tend to get a bit irate about the displayed stupidity.
To re-quote one of your “Quote of the Day” quotes –
““To doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions; both dispense with the necessity of reflection.” – Larry Niven, Lucifer’s Hammer”
How about doing something smart for a change – wait a bit until you have some real information! Otherwise you are no better than the MSM Fake News people.
Jim
If too many people followed your advice, do you realize how difficult life would become for those who invent “Conspiracies”!
God Bless!
The Florida school shooting shows a pattern of neglect that is hard to grasp. His family, his neighbors, other students, the school all knew he had significant problems. There was even a report to the FBI.
The immediate response is to impose more “controls”. How are more controls going to do something, when all the controls currently in place failed so spectacularly?
Two links below.
https://www.apnews.com/f2a6ca6b04394e24aacb8475bc50bfb9/Students:-Shooting-suspect-harassed-peers,-bragged-about-gun
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/373968-fbi-warned-last-year-of-threat-from-youtube-user-named-nikolas-cruz
We hold the President responsible for debt because he is the only person in Washington with the power to VETO debt spending.
In fairness to Trump, Obama ran up $10 Trillion in just 8 years and I didn’t hear any squealing then. I’m not in favor of increasing the debt in peacetime but $10 Trillion in 8 years is a bigger deal than $1.5 Trillion in 10 years.
It amazes me how people refer to money. You do realize that one trillion dollars is likely more money than the last 100 years of my families line AND the next 100 years of my families like is likely to make in all of their lifetimes COMBINED, don’t you? And we do pretty well four ourselves…Please don’t make excuses just because it’s your “side” blowing this money now. Instead, realize that your “side” isn’t on your side!
I agree with your statement on how people refer to money. I find it helps to visualize it like this. If you were alive when Jesus Christ walked the earth and you saved 1 million dollars every day from that day to this day you still would not have 1 trillion dollars. We are 20 plus trillion in debt and have over 100 trillion in unfunded liabilities. This won’t end well.
The FBI knew about this shooter back in September, when he claimed he would become a “professional school shooter”. They did nothing.
It’s past time to disband the FBI. Their bungling of cases for decades have left innocents hurt, maimed or killed.
There’s no reason all of their duties can’t be given to the Sheriff. We should insist on elected, not appointed, law enforcement.
The budget crisis needs to be laid squarely upon the liberals who refuse to put the security of this country ahead of their domestic ‘vote-buying’ schemes. Republicans are little better, unfortunately. But why are we voting for people who say one thing during election time and vote completely differently? Joe Manchin campaigns as a moderate but votes in lock-step with liberal Chuck Schumer virtually every time for example. Susan Collins and John McCain sabotage conservative efforts to curb domestic spending on a constant basis as well. We, the voters, need to do something.
Jerry:
Welcome Brother, welcome aboard the band wagon there is plenty of room for anyone who want’s to join in. Now, grab a drum stick and feel free to join in on the drum I’ve been beating ever since I started attending this outstanding Blog. It is never to late to join!
We The People need to keep our ’employees’ (politicians) in serious check they do not run the government We The People do they work for us not the other way around!
Like my friend Mr. Lineman keeps telling me ‘A Republic If We Can Keep It’ my reply is ‘I Say We Keep It!’
It is our Civic Duty to get involved with politics at Every Level if We The People want to keep a Republic, Independence, Liberty, and Real True To Life FREEDOM!
Yea, yea, yea….I here you way in the back and I, like you, along with everyone else all know…. dealing with politics sucks!
WELL GUESS WHAT MY FELLOW AMERICANS…. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!!!! It needs to be attended to on a daily basis, so, EMBRACE THE SUCK!!!! do not let the bad politicians get us down !!!! Vote those out who do not get the job done correctly and prosecute those who brake our laws (you know, our constitution), they are not above the law!!!!
…. and watch out for what happens next!!!!
Stay Frosty Jerry. Stay Frosty America!
God Bless y’all.
There is no easy answer to mass shooting, or school shootings, or car/truck ramming of pedestrians, etc. They will be with us forever. England now has to ban knives, not just hunting knives but steak knives because without guns their murder rate has skyrocketed using knives. In the wake of the crackdown on knives acid attacks have quadrupled. Dare I say, when you outlaw acid only outlaws have acid. With today’s instant breaking news, multiple cable news outlets who use these incidents to go 24/7 on them to increase ratings it is understandable that people might think this is all new or a trend or somehow preventable. It is what happens day in and day out. Every year about 150,000 people die in the U.S. from preventable accidents. Maybe a couple dozen die on average from mass shootings. But mass shootings are news worthy and heart rending and excite political frenzy. So there will be an effort to limit the rights of 325,000,000 innocent Americans who never shot anyone who would never shoot anyone because one nutcase did shot someone. Meanwhile 150,000 people will die this year from preventable accidents and it simply isn’t worthy of being on cable news…
I came to the same conclusion a while ago. I’m really not worried about dying from a gun shot because it just doesn’t happen that often compared to everything that has a magnitude greater chance of killing me. This lack of risk is the same reason I see no need to carry a gun. Hospitals are a much more dangerous place even for visitors. The one difference from gun death compared to the preventable deaths is many of those dying from guns have no culpability in their deaths, while they might have some in the other accidents. My question is what can be done to reduce intentional gun deaths like I read about in the news? Gun control advocates propose ideas that will only marginally help at the edges with no measurable effect. The gun advocates say more guns, CC, but this really isn’t going to help either because almost nobody is proficient in a chaotic high adrenaline life or death situation.
This takes regular practice, training under extremely stressful situations when your adrenaline is out of control, training for shooting moving targets, etc. The police have trouble hitting their suspects, the military trains and trains some more so Soldiers can perform in those situations. There is a reason the military trains so hard prior to deployments. The average CC citizen without military training is just the first target for an active shooter. Can the number of gun deaths be reduced through cultural changes, changes to norms of accepted behavior, something else? I don’t know.
If you accept the logic that anyone who would commit a mass shooting is mentally ill then you could develop real preventative measures. However it is likely that the ACLU would get them overturned and it is probable that congress wouldn’t pass them in the first place. And to some extent I agree. There are probably between 10 million and 50 million people who are mentally ill in the U.S. Perhaps not “crazy” or as we used to say “certifiable” but still suffer from some form of mental illness. How do you deal with 10-50 million people who are free and walk among us? You can’t simply lock them up. You can’t simply monitor their social media comments and lock them up when they say something stupid. And, trust me, they say something stupid everyday because they thrive on drama so they say provocative things to get the drama they need. There is no simple answer. Make schools safer. Stop glamorizing/publicizing the shooter (they are seeking attention and that’s why they do it). Allow the police/FBI to monitor all social media (that will never happen and if it did the ACLU will reverse it).
Or we could take the approach that many in congress want to take and that is punish the law abiding people with more anti-gun laws. “Maybe if we just punish enough honest people the nuts will stop shooting our kids (seems to be their logic). Maybe if we call AR15’s ‘automatics’ enough then the public will believe us and agree that they should be banned.”
You need to get out more and read of all the accounts of CCW guys saving lives by having a gun to stop the bad guys…If your just reading MSM then of course you wouldn’t know that…
Lineman:
Hey Brother what’s shaking?
I due believe the guy’s a little P.O.’d and I kind of agree with him on most points.
Of coarse, I like your line about the CCW’s, we hardly ever here anything about that.
Here’s a question for someone, ‘Does anyone or company keep actual, viable, even some what believable statistics on people with CCW’s who actually save a life and/or stop a criminal? Anyone? If anyone does please give shout out, thanx.
OneGuy,
I’m British. I don’t know if you have heard of it yet, but there is a “historical fiction” show called “Peaky Blinders” set in my home town.
It is about the gangs that used to infest a poverty-ridden area during the first World War!
Things aren’t that bad now but weapons can always be found – including knives – and once knives are no longer available, something else will become popular – if nothing else, disputes would still happen, and youths would use housebricks on each other!
The truth that NEITHER of our governments want to admit is that things AREN’T getting worse, the same percentage of thugs has always been there.
The only difference is that with improved communications, you hear about more of it..
Has anyone compared the percentage death-toll during the “Wild West” era and the present day?
The government debt and household debt are definitely related. It all has to do with the current overall public mentality. The majority of current population believes it needs to keep up with the Jones’ in order to hold a certain status or be respected based on perceived success. In turn, we vote these perceived successful people into office in the belief they are far more intelligent than us do to their success. Unfortunately, the small percentage of realist that still sustain a reasonable and comfortable way of life continues to dwindle. It will be the greedy and sheepish majority that will be a society’s downfall.
Today’s Odds ‘n Sods speak of family debt, transgender indoctrination, transgender authorities, schooling in death-traps-by-design, school shootings, addiction to cell phones TVs and video games in lieu of frequent rugged outdoor exercise and physical skills development including throwing.
Every one of these woes is basically foreign to homeschooling parents and their children.
Of course my heart goes out to the people who lost loved ones in Florida. But the deaths were preventable. The inevitable finger-pointing has started already. And as always, it will point to everyone except the parents. When will parents take responsibility to do whatever it takes to best protect their children?
There are about 1 LEO per 3000 people in the USA. There are about 4000 students, and additional teachers and staff at that school. Where were the two armed law enforcement officers that should have been present in that mass of soft targets?
I was wondering the same thing, as even in my poor area of the Midwest, every school is assigned an officer from either city pad or the SD, depending on school location. Kinda strange that no cops were present even in such an affluent area. Of course, it wouldn’t matter if the adults in charge took their responsibilities seriously and were armed and trained….
I’m not American, so perhaps someone could explain to me why American Schools have a “Driver’s Ed” course but not a “Firearms Ed” course?
CeeJay,
There USED to be “Rifle Club”, etc in the public schools through the 1960s. Sometime after that, with the ascent of the Libtards in the school system, that got phased out. Teaching about firearms, their safe use, responsibilities, and privileges, doesn’t fit into the the “regressive” agenda of the socialism serf.
My dad was the proud owner of a letter from the Rifle Team at Pasadena High School. Of course, that was pre-Pearl Harbor.
And the strange thing is – vehicles kill more people every year than firearms!
CeeJay 0714:
Unfortunately, a good majority of our high schools no longer have Drivers Ed due to budget constraints, you know, making sure the truly lazy get there free pay check.
As far as ‘Shooting Ed’, I was Army JROTC in High School and was on the shooting team we had a MASSIVE amount of victories in competition, this took place in ’80’s, sadly the Kommunists made sure to get rid of JROTC in 1993. MMmmm…. wait that’s when Kommrade Klinton took over as the President, coincidence?, I DO NOT BELIEVE SO! As far learning most of us as early as 10 from our family elders, along with hunting skills.
Additional gun control is not the answer. However you’d better be ready for political fervor to overtake common sense. If you don’t have what you want now (as in firearms, magazines, spare parts kits and ammunition) it’s a good idea to stock up before your access to these items are severely restricted or even outlawed. It’s simply a matter of time.
I agree Chris. They will “do something” to justify their big pay checks and garner more votes.
Many people don’t realise that “gun control” only controls the guns of law abiding people. The criminals ignore the laws anyway and more laws will not bother them at all!
Florida Shooting:
Could this have been a crime of passion using the plot from the movie, “Jack Reacher”(2012)?
Did he kill his ex-girlfriend and/or her new boyfriend on St. Valentines Day?
Then, shoot some additional people to throw off investigators, disassemble his AR15, put it and the gas mask into his backpack, and then walk out the front with other students past LE?
Later, LE had setup bag/pack collection points, but what about early on?
Timing seems to have been important to him and he had an escape plan, a good one, unlike other shooters.
But, apparently, not good enough…
Now, a lot of politicians feel the need to do “something” to feel good, which is always bad for the good citizens.
Obviously we don’t like the way our Constitution is being ignored by the politicians and our libtard neighbors. Look into Tactical Civics as proposed on this website recently. It may be a the solution to many of the problems referred to here in the comments. It is time we collectively took back the reins of our Government. Power to We the People. The Constitution of our Republic only work when we make it do so. If you’ve ever ridden a horse or mule you know they will go where they want, if you don’t guide them. Governments and people are the same.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A GUN?
With the tragedy of the February 14 school shooting there are once again calls by many people for the government of the United States to do what Australia and New Zeeland done and that was a total ban and buy back of guns. The question that must be asked is what is it worth to surrender our guns? Will you go for their value and what is their value? Is it fair Market Value the value that they are worth now? Replacement Value the cost of a new gun of that make or model? Potential collectable value? Or, a value higher? What is the value of a life? Well if you fly on a domestic airplane and look on the back of your ticket your life’s value is pegged at $180,000.00. Then we must ask what is the value of your wife and children in a home invasion is it the $180,000.00 per person the airlines will offer you? But you say we have the police to protect us. How long will it take a police officer to come to your aid when you dial 911 and you are on a county road or interstate highway? Or to your home or school? Will that single officer come barging in or will they wait for back-up help? Will it be 5 minutes, ten minutes or longer? What is the value of destroying the Second amendment to the Constitution of the United States? What you are not told the total ban of guns in Australia, New Zealand and Great Britton has not completely stopped violence toward the civilian populace and that violence also includes gun assaults for criminals will acquire guns anyway they can. So once again what is the value of your safety? What is the value of the freedom we enjoy in the United States? The Second Amendment states “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Some people Interpret to mean the National Guard. But it is alluded that Benjamin Franklin said,” And where is the Prince who can afford to so cover his country with troops for its defense, as that ten thousand men descending from the clouds” … but if parachutes are falling from the sky it won’t be the National Guard or the Military of the United States that will initially defend our country from invasion but the millions of Americans with a gun in their home who are hunters, target shooters or ex-military they will initially defend our country. So once again what is the value of a gun?
You don’t seem to understand the mindset of the LEFT who turn up primarily in the Democratic Party in Congress.
In my old age, I’ve come to deduce that there are really two types of people on Earth: those that uphold Christ’s principles and those that uphold Antichrist’s principles. No other! One has the notion of raining down Heaven on Earth, the other Hell on Earth.
Look no further than the Congressional Party with the mascot of Jackass-and they have ensured all manner of evil is implemented. With illegal alien rights, sanctuary states, gun control, protecting their voting blocks of [women, colored, and homosexuals], high taxation, collapsing Capitalism to usher in socialism, separation of God from State [essentually banning God from the world He created], and the list goes on and on.
You’re post is good for all of us, but does little to nothing to people or higher ups wanting to promote Hell on Earth. Sadly, there was no other option, for the outcome of 1776, other than a Revolution.
Thanks for listening!
Our idiot in the white house did mention that we need to look into why we have so many mentally ill people today instead of acting like that AR15 did all the damage by its self. Maybe idiot is to strong a word.
REALLY?
A couple of things. First thank you for allowing us to post comments. It helps people like me clear the air!
If you go back to every mass-shooting in America (let’s back to the Clock Tower shooting in Texas in the 60s), they all bear one thing in common – NO FAMILY THREAD! Meaning the Las Vegas shooter, Aurora Movie Theater, Columbine, Florida, VA Tech, etc. etc. etc. there is no father / grand father in the home. Single-momhood is not a family but a tragedy.
When I was in high school, I showed the principal my shotgun and he opened the trunk of his car and showed me his. That’s what happens when there are fathers in the home.
Lastly, about the military post, I hear the Army is giving out therapy dogs to returning veterans. Their reasoning? “This is the first generation in human history where men go off to war, and have no WIVES to come home too!”
We will have to go full STUPID in society before we come full tilt back to reality – that is women in the homes and allowing fathers back into the picture and gender equality as nonsense! Women are to be men’s Helpmates not Smashers in the face of men!
There I cleared the air!
Old Gezzar..
Hi!
I really, REALLY hope that “Full Stupid” is not much further down the road – I don’t know how much more of this I can take!
God Bless…
I agree with Ol’ Gezzar about the lack of family. We also se many of the shooters kill themselves or commit “suicide by cop”. Something any of us can do to prevent the shooter is befriend a young man. Act as a mentor and offer him an ear when he is troubled. Consistently.
Florida Shooting:
I keep hearing misinformation about school shootings only happening in America, not true…
Beslan School Massacre (2004)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beslan_school_siege
“The Beslan school siege (also referred to as the Beslan school hostage crisis or Beslan massacre) started on 1 September 2004, lasted three days, involved the illegal imprisonment of over 1,100 people as hostages (including 777 children), and ended with the deaths of at least 334 people.”
https://infogalactic.com/info/Beslan_school_siege
2014 Peshawar school massacre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Peshawar_school_massacre
https://infogalactic.com/info/2014_Peshawar_school_massacre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_massacres_by_death_toll
https://infogalactic.com/info/List_of_school_massacres_by_death_toll
2011 Norway attacks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Norway_attacks
https://infogalactic.com/info/2011_Norway_attacks