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”. Goodbye, France. It’s been nice knowing you.

Goodbye, France

France has a significant population of Islamic people. Every day, the significant number of those parents send their kids to a local mosque where they spend half of a three hour lesson learning Arabic and the other half learning about the Quran. Now, the president of France wants to introduce a program into public schools to offer Arabic to kids as young as six. President Macron believes the lack of Arabic resources in public schools has forced the Islamic community into communautarisme (creating a social divide between Islamists and the rest of the country). He also believes that teaching Arabic in public schools will reduce the tendency of the community to use the private schools are recruiting centers for jihadists. See, America’s liberal/progressives don’t have a lock on stupidity. (Note: This link may require a membership.) Thanks to reader P. for the link.

West Nile Virus

Reader G.P. sent in this article showing that there have been a record number of West Nile virus infections reported this year. The warming temperatures and flooding that much of the country has experienced recently have created massive breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Every state except Hawaii has reported cases of the virus and Georgia has reported deaths due to the infection. Pennsylvania has had a massive surge in infections and Massachusetts has record numbers. Texas is also expecting large numbers of infections. Last year, there were 2,097 cases reported and this year is on track to surpass that number.

Polio-like Disease

The CDC is investigating more cases of the strange polio-like syndrome bringing the total number of cases to 155. Acute flaccid myelitis, is a polio-like syndrome that causes muscle weakness and paralysis. The official number of confirmed cases remains at 62 in 22 states, but state health departments are reporting other suspected cases that haven’t been confirmed yet. The CDC is unsure of what is causing the syndrome, nor have they determined who is at risk other than stating that it mostly affects children.

Government Overreach

Reader DSV sent in this article profiling yet another example of government meddling and overreach. Two brothers ,who own a trucking company, own a 16 acre tract of land that used to be pasture for dairy. The lot has become overgrown with invasive species of underbrush and the brothers decided to clear the invasive growth and plant a Christmas tree farm. As soon as they cleared the land, the township sent their “tree police” to inform them that they would be subject to nearly a million dollar fine.

The arborist used neighboring properties to estimate how many trees the brothers cut down and fined them $300 per tree. Of course, the neighboring properties had never been pasture land and had full growth native trees on them. The township has offered to settle for $450 thousand dollars. It is worth noting that the ordinance the township is claiming has an exemption for for nursery/tree farm operations.

California Exodus

Reader H.L. sent in this article showing how some cities are capitalizing on the California exodus. The soaring real estate costs have made living in California difficult and many families are fleeing to other states to keep costs under control. Many of these states are themselves seeing real estate prices jump as the Californians dump large sums of money in housing markets that are much lower priced. Idaho and Nevada are two of the states that have seen home prices escalate more than 7% over the last year. Sadly, while the home price increases are tough for these other states to absorb, even tougher are the progressive liberal values that many Californians take with them as they flee the state. Expect to see more states turn from deep red to purple over the next few years.

Social Security Scams

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is warning that a new scam is gaining momentum across the country. The callers are spoofing the SSA’s caller id number and then pretending to be from the SSA. The hope is that they will trick you into giving up private information with which they will use to steal your identity or empty your bank accounts. Never give your account numbers or passwords over the phone. These agencies are never supposed to call you up for this information.

Loan Repayment Avoidance

Here is a novel approach to loan repayment avoidance: Dr Suellen Lee borrowed $300,000 from a patient of hers and had been making payments towards the repayment of the loan. When her medical clinic fell on hard times, she conveniently diagnosed her benefactor with dementia which immediately prompted her financial company to lock her assets up. Dr Lee apparently did not use any testing method or even bother with a second opinion on the diagnosis either. Since the scandal has been found out, Dr Lee has voluntarily surrendered her medical license, but insists she did it because the case is unwinnable. She also claims it’s all lies.

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!




18 Comments

    1. I think you are missing the point. It’s not a language as much as it is a religion or way of life. And a not so moral/fair or inclusive way of life.

      Maybe you should read the Koran, they have them translated to English. Thomas Jefferson read it and it scared the boogers out of him. He then formed the Marines to fight the Barbary pirates which were Arabic speaking Muslims. Whom by the way believe profit through concurring and left is preferable to earing a living by toil and sweat of the brow.

      1. It´s a language, there are Christian arabs who speak arabian

        And btw Jefferson came late to the Party, centuries late.
        Otto II, Don Juan d´Austria, Prince Eigen of Savoy, Jean de Valette, de Payens and their Brothers, Maximilian Emanuel the blue Elector, John Sobieski, Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg, Charles of Lorraine, Lepold V Duke of Austria are only a few names who Comes to my mind.

    2. What’s the problem with homeschooling your children? There is no reason parents can’t teach their children 3 or 4 languages. Incidentally, why should we parents who homeschool our children pay to government-school your (and anyone else’s) children?

    3. What’s the problem? Look at California, where MILLIONS of Mexicans, both legal and illegal, have taken over… er… moved. At first, the Spanish-speaking kids were thrown into the general population of the public schools. ‘Sounds cruel, but they picked up English… PRONTO! Then came English as a second language, or “ESL,” where the Mexican kids are given their lessons in Spanish, with a side-order of English class thrown in. These kids learn just enough English to “pass” for the year. In short, they speak Spanish 99.9% of the time, and never really learn English.

      …Twenty years later, my fully grown, American-born, English-speaking kids need to take remedial SPANISH in order to get a job, as a BIG chunk of the population of the state speaks NO ENGLISH AT ALL, and most customer-facing job positions now require applicants to be bilingual! Why’s that? BECAUSE THAT POPULATION WAS NEVER FORCED TO LEARN IT!!!

      …Shall I continue?…

      1. From the northeast…try getting any kind of human services job without speaking Spanish. It doesn’t matter how much you care about people, or how smart or effective you are. No job.

        And yes, some people really do need help (battered wife with three young children and no education, for example), and use the help they get.

        Others do not. As is always the case with everything.

  1. re:
    government schools

    Nope.

    If I want to learn a skill, a language, I offer to apprentice under a mentor.

    The government agents at the government schools. Hilarious.

    * * * * *

    I remember somebody suggested the hypothetical:
    So, you put your children a government bus operated by the government agents.
    Your children are out of your control, under control of the government agents, for eight or more hours each day.
    Would you put your firearms on a government bus? Your pantry? Your dog?
    And trust the government agents to return them to you in better condition?

  2. “Government overreach”
    It is not overreach. Or meddling. It’s extortion, plain and simple. I suspect the local township is having a spending problem, or someone connected to local government wants that land for something that will deliver more tax revenue in the future
    Regardless of the historical use of the land or what is growing on the neighboring properties, the so-called expert they are basing their claim on has determined that that 16 acres should have about 1500 fully mature trees growing on it, or 93.75 trees per acre with about 450 sq. feet per tree. Does that sound like a healthy density to anyone? Not to me.

  3. The parents in France are choosing to send their kids to a like minded institution for a reason, they do not want their kids to be like French kids. Their children are their future, these children will become the future decision makers. I don’t think Macron will be able to entice these parents to change their ways, and he does see the future being led by the migrants and that may be his reasoning for trying to get them into public school. Just a thought.

  4. NEWS FLASH! There are MILLIONS of Conservatives stuck in California for one reason or another. Not all of us are in a position to move to the Redoubt, or are apprehensive as to how we’ll be received if we do. Our voices are censored by the loony Left, but we’re here. Get away from the urban Liberal “utopias,” and there are still plenty of American flags flying. Those among this group lucky enough to get out of the state aren’t taking LIBERAL VALUES with them; they’re ESCAPING them. I, for one, am TIRED of being regarded something less than a citizen of the United States!

    ON the other hand, if your state is attracting people from California with JOBS, you need to watch yourselves. THESE are the places where people are moving not for political reasons, but for economic ones. THESE are the places importing Liberal values, and are most definitely in danger of “going purple,” or even blue. How do I know this? Suffice it to say, California used to be the REDDEST of red states… ‘Used to be a real nice place to live, and fly Old Glory… You might want to brace yourself, Texas… You’re doing the same thing that got California into trouble… And you’ve got that same …other country… on your southern front…

    As for “political refugees” from California driving up the costs of real estate at their move destinations, THAT problem can be squarely blamed on the GREED of the SELLERS and RE AGENTS in the RECEIVING STATES, who are trying to make a killing, selling $80K properties for $300K, knowing that the buyers probably sold their houses in California for about that much. If you’re contemplating doing this, then you’re part of the problem. This is EXACTLY how a house in California valued at $65K in 1977 came to be valued at over $250K in 2018…

    1. Agreed. The NE part of California where I live is conservative. More conservative than some places in the redoubt. We are always aghast at the shenanigans of Insanecremento. If I could ever get ahead I would like to flee to the redoubt. Meanwhile, I stay and vote straight RED.

      1. If the State of Jefferson ever became a reality, I’d consider moving back… California has some beautiful areas, but unfortunately it has gone off the deep end politically. Not likely to be fixed any time soon.

  5. The French are in the process of surrendering their country to the new owners. Macron is trying to manage the decline. I suspect that he believes that by being “nice” to the new people — who, with their higher birth rate, will be in charge soon — they will be nice in return.

    I hope I’m wrong, but I suspect that France’s Muslim population will see these concessions as signs of weakness and will act accordingly.

    Here’s an essay from The Spectator (London):

    Coffee House
    France is fracturing but Macron remains in denial (https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/10/france-is-fracturing-but-macron-remains-in-denial/)

    Respectfully submitted,
    Bob

  6. Hey, I live in Texas and I see it already! No need to brace, it’s already here. Home prices in Austin have sky rocketed in the last year or two and now most can’t even afford a home in the ‘burbs, which are on my doorstep (read: right BEHIND me). Oddly enough gentrification has only pushed out the lower income people/ mostly minority population and since farmland is still affordable outside of the city (Or WAS, I should say as my taxes have gone up 105% FROM LAST YEAR) my neighborhood has undergone lots of changes in the diversity. My house was robbed for the first time in the 50 years my family has been here only earlier this year…tell me that’s not a sign of what’s to come? And with the likes of liberal Austin city council who doesn’t just rule Austin, but the entire TRAVIS COUNTY, things are going to hell a lot quicker than I would’ve imagined. Pray that Beto-I’m-gonna-run-for-president-one-day-O’rourk doesn’t win in November! His message of peace and love and I-won’t-partake-in-the-smearing was laughable in the beginning at best, until he started losing in the polls and “stooped” to Ted Cruz’s level and began running attack ads, too. Just another loser democrap…mark my words though, he’s being groomed, just like Obama was.

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