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”. Apparently tourists to San Franciso are commonly asking the question “Am I in the bad part of town?” as the homelessness and drug problems are overwhelming the city.
Deep Video
Reader P. sent in this article on a new software that specializes in mapping the facial expressions and mouth movements of one video source onto a second target. We’ve seen software like this before, but the results would only pass a cursory review. Inspection of the video almost always reveals flaws that leads your brain into realizing that the video has been faked. This one is different though. Rather than using a single background frame from the second target, it uses a high count to render the render the video and the results are scary. With this video, you can literally have any person saying anything you want. The results are so good, I would expect face videos to become common place in the near future.
Google is a Monopoly
Google is more than just the 800 lb gorilla when it comes to several markets. Take search and advertising for example. Bing, Google’s closest competitor has only 2% of the market while Google has over 90%. Google also controls over 60% of the global Internet advertising revenue and one of the primary reasons others can’t compete is because they don’t have the user data Google has. There is even evidence that Android bypasses the user’s privacy settings and tracks location by using cell tower connections rather than GPS data. While it’s not the sole threat to privacy, it is one of the largest. For you own protection, you should avoid all things Google (Android, Chrome, Search, Docs, et cetera). Thanks to DSV for the link.
Losing Guns
Reader A.B. sent in this interesting article about the South African Police Force (SAPS). it would appear that while the government uses the excuse of civilians losing their weapons (or having the stolen) as one of the prime reasons to push gun control, the SAPS suffer a loss rate that is almost 9 times higher than the civilians. Civilian losses are also recovered at a rate that is over 15% higher than SAPS weapons. This data only starts appearing when you normalize the losses to the normal “per 100,000” rates which are industry standard for statistics. While this data is strictly for the SAPS, I would love to see a similar study of law enforcement weapons in the United States as well.
Don’t Get Shot
The Price of Liberty blog has an interesting article on things to do to keep from getting shot. Some of them are very common sense like staying away from areas of greater risk and just stay in bed at 2 a.m. rather than roaming the streets of the cities. Even just staying out of really big cities drops the risk factor significantly in your favor. Others seem almost silly, but the statistics bear them out like “Don’t shoot yourself”. Some just make good sense like avoiding road rage scenarios and don’t buy or sell illegal drugs and stay out of gangs. Overall, it’s a good list to read and live by.
Nigeria Blackout
And you thought America went stupid crazy over sports… Apparently, Nigeria experienced a power grid meltdown on the first day of it’s World Cup campaign as the national team played Croatia. Granted, Nigeria’s power infrastructure is not as robust as America’s and is not oriented towards commercial manufacturing so it certainly doesn’t have the capacity for large fluctuations in power. But it does seem almost humorous that that many people turning their TVs on can crash the system. I do know that when an especially hot summer heat wave hits many parts of the United States, there are often rolling brownouts with occasional blackouts as the power grid struggles to keep up with the load of air conditioners. Thanks to G.P. for the link.
Bad Part of Town
San Fransisco used to be a major tourist destination, but a recent article by MSN is showing how the liberal governance policies and the expanding drug and homelessness problems are having a significant impact. While local residents see the trash and drug paraphernalia on the streets on a regular basis, tourists are often asking “Am I in the bad part of town?” The problem is so great that the city’s visitor bureau is struggling to come up with a good explanation for horrified tourists. The streets are filthy and the city just can’t keep up. Thanks to H.L. for the link.
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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!
Seattle too. When reps who had scheduled a convention visited the area…
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/letter-to-seattle-convention-leaders-your-homeless-problem-is-out-of-control/770150626
My cousin who travels all over due to his job, told me a few weeks ago after having to fly to SF and spend a week there, that SF has turned into a 3rd world craphole. And he hopes he never has to go there again.
I saw Google for what it was and have used Yahoo as my search engine for years now. Only very rarely does Yhaoo not give me what I want and I switch over to Google. I know Yahoo’s politics aren’t much different that Google’s politics but it’s an attempt.
Use IXQUICK.COM as your search engine. At one time, the most private in the world!
We use IXQUICK which also uses Duck Duck Go as it’s search engine. Much better than Google.
Brave for your browser, and DuckDuckGo for your search engine.
The deep video is terrifying. We no longer can trust what we see in video form. This will ultimately be used to control the masses and ruin TPTB’s enemies. There is no good reason for this technology to exist, other than to lie to people. Only face to face contact is real. Small, trusted communities will be the only way to stay safe. This technology is a game changer.
As has been said at other sites, “Meatspace” (i.e., face-to-face meetings and communications)
Develop your “community”.
San Fran.- see what progressive rule has brought! vote with your feet, just donot go to that city. Better yet stayout or move out of Kalifornia!
RE: Losing guns
TPTB who strive for civilian disarmament will use any opportunity and any excuse to move their agenda forward and that includes creating a problem where one does not necessarily exist. One of their mantras should be “Any storm in a port.” The meaning being that they will create the negative situation, even in a place without one.
Never let yourself be disarmed.
The “homeless” problem is rampant in all cities in the U.S. Worse in some which gets the most attention but it is everywhere. Often politicians will point to the high rents in a city like Seattle or Portland as the cause. It is not, this is just an favorite agenda being pushed by a politician who wants certain laws and regulations passed. Often you will hear that government funded “affordable” housing is the answer. It is not. Typically these units cost in excess of $200,000 each to build and rent out for perhaps a couple hundred a month to a small handful of lucky winners in the cheap housing sweepstakes.
The problem is and always has been drugs and alcohol. Sure there are a handful of individuals and families who find themselves homeless without drugs or alcohol being the major factor, but in general these people always find the help they need and get out of the homeless situation. Those who are homeless for 6 months or more are 99% there because of drugs and alcohol. Giving them housing and free stuff will NOT fix the problem. Our country is overwhelmed with illegal drugs and the problems are mounting. We need to fix this problem not give away more free stuff.
Too bad there’s no thumbs up button. You’d surely have a lot.
re:
“b***n-out” and “b***k-out”
This goes out as a friendly warning to the uninformed:
On the off-chance SurvivalBlog somehow crosses the border into California, you may be hit with charges of racism.
I know, if I lived in California and I cis-identified as Brown or Black, I would be extremely offended by the improper use of my racial cis-identity.
Those ‘offensive terms’ were eliminated by consensus in the power company, and replaced by the non-triggering term ‘effective redundancy’… as in “Because of effective redundancies, certain excessive users may be subject to temporary reductions. This helps those in need.”
[sarc off]
PS:
As far as I know, everybody can still use the word ‘rolling’ because the holy-rollers can’t be a minority and can’t be a protected public group.
[sarc re-offed]
Google has most of the market because people are lazy.
It takes literally seconds to switch to Brave.
Some comments about Google.
Google is a member of Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), an evil organization whose stated mission is supporting the emerging Global Government. Sovereign nations would become Global Government’s ‘states’. All borders must disappear. Christians can think ‘Book of Revelation’.
Google is a company currently worth more than three-quarters of a trillion dollars. All built on enormous data gathering capabilities. What kind of information? Watch ‘Snowden’ and substitute ‘Google’ every time one of Washington’s evil alphabet agencies is mentioned. Google is comprised of over 200 other companies including YouTube, Android smartphones and digital advertising giant DoubleClick.
The federal government forced the Bell System to break up when it hit $150 billion. Google is now 5 TIMES LARGER than the Bell System. Ask yourself, why does the government refuse to enforce our antitrust laws when it comes to Google?
Any person who uses a router, internet, cell phone, new autos, “smart appliances”, etc. is being tracked in real time. All movement in and out of your home as well as digital transactions. All recorded. Technology is a double edged sword with the sharpest edge toward us. As I type this, I am sitting in the break room at work. Not on my PC. I rarely and only if necessary use it. I’m cutting the cable, and moving away from AT&T. Soon to be off grid. But I’ll always drop in here from time to time. We should not have to worry (much) about tech security, it’s a constant battle. One that I’d rather do without.
So God did’t destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? The garbage on the streets caught fire and burned them out?
Is San Francisco next?
If you are interested, check Biblical Archeology Review. They did a story on the Sodom dig. Yes, it really was flash fried. To find the outrageously high temperature, check the footnotes. They buried that bit.
Homelessness is a problem in every urban area, but it is much more prevalent in areas that encourage it! The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Liberal policies and misguided churches add to the problem. Do you expect someone to improve their life when they are constantly rewarded for their bad behavior?
Aubrey, another factor in homelessness is climate. You don’t see many street people in Wyoming, Montana or North Dakota for that very obvious reason. Other than that you are spot-on that homeless people are unlikely to change their lives when they do not have to – and they don’t because there is a network among low-income people that teaches them how to game the system. I see it happening here among the native population.
It’s funny, if I look up the West Jordan, Utah Homeless Shelter, they say they have one. But the address is in downtown Salt Lake City. All the surrounding cities in the county have the Salt Lake City Homeless Shelter address listed as THEIR homeless shelter. That’s why we don’t see homeless people on the streets of these other cities…..they’re sending all the homeless/druggies downtown.
I’ve yet to see a homeless person in a Utah town under 10,000 population….the small towns don’t offer free stuff.
It’s funny, if I look up the West Jordan, Utah Homeless Shelter, they say they have one. But the address is in downtown Salt Lake City. All the surrounding cities in the county have the Salt Lake City Homeless Shelter address listed as THEIR homeless shelter. That’s why we don’t see homeless people on the streets of these other cities…..they’re sending all the homeless/druggies downtown.
I’ve yet to see a homeless person in a Utah town under 10,000 population….the small towns don’t offer free stuff.
A few statistics re/ homelessness that are important to consider before painting all homeless as lazy or gaming the system.
In the US as of 2017 according to HUD:
20.7% of all US homeless are children under 18
Between 9.1% and 12% of US homeless are veterans (statistics vary and the number has increased in the last few months)
About 24% of US homeless are “chronically homeless”.
20-24% of homeless in the US are suffering from some form of severe mental illness.
See the attached link for a more in-depth analysis as well as homeless percentages of population by state.
https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2017-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
Also, while drug addiction and alcoholism are very certainly significant factors, the actual figures fall far below the estimates from others above.
About 38% of the homeless abuse alcohol.
Alcohol abuse is more common among the older set within the homeless population.
About 26%of the homeless abuse drugs other than alcohol.
Drug abuse is more common among younger homeless people.
There are definitely abuses of the system at play in some cases and those should be dealt with appropriately, but I think it benefits us all to deal in facts when discussing issues that effect so many lives in such a devastating way.
Re: “Bad Part of Town”
Hypodermic needles in my S***B****’s coffee, now the land of disposable incomes and wedding cakes hitting the skids. Obliviously, the liberals should invite these people into their home to shoot up.
(Proper décor would be a red or yellow, your choice, disposable needle container mounted 18″ off floor height so as to be within reach.)
Part of the boom in homelessness came about in the (80s? mid-80s?) when many (insane) asylums were closed. All those that were under control and care of medical staff, were now on the streets with NO care and NO control.
Not sure if I remember correctly WHY the asylums were closed? Costs? Leftist “concern for the freedoms of the mentally handicapped”? Not sure. But I’m thinking the Leftist (Regressive) politics had a part to play in the situation then, which leads to the situation now.
Is it too late to put the demons back in Pandora’s Box?
Deinstitutionalization is a government policy that moved mental health patients out of state-run “insane asylums” into federally funded community mental health centers. It began in the 1960s as a way to improve treatment of the mentally ill while also cutting government budgets.
Between 1955 and 1994, roughly 487,000 mentally ill patients were discharged from state hospitals.
Three societal and scientific changes occurred that caused deinstitutionalization.
First, the development of psychiatric drugs treated many of the symptoms of mental illness. These included chlorpromazine and later clozapine.
Second, society accepted that the mentally ill needed to be treated instead of locked away. This change of heart began in the 1960s.
Third, federal funding such as Medicaid and Medicare went toward community mental health centers instead of mental hospitals.