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”.
Remembering Reagan’s Christmas Address
Reader DSV sent in this YouTube of President Reagan’s 1981 Christmas address. Reagan may not have been the most conservative or libertarian president we ever had, but he sure had a way with words. This is a very inspiring address that encourages us to be strong and gentle. I highly encourage everyone, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, to view this message.
The Dark Side of Gift Cards
Thinking of giving a gift card to someone this year as a gift? We often resort to this because we don’t want to take the time to know or understand what a person really needs or wants. But this lazy form of giving has a dark side. While the gift card industry is over $130 billion dollars, over $1 billion simply goes to waste. Many cards expire or have fees when they are unused and the money eventually disappears. Some card balances have to be turned over to the state at the end of a waiting period when they are unused, but most simply revert funds back to the company that owns the card. Make sure that if you use this form of giving that you are actually giving a card to a store that the person will actually shop at.
Anti-Semitism
The women’s marches movement seems to be self-imploding as accusations of anti-Semitism fly. It would appear that the original founders did not have such political leanings, but that soon after organizing the movement was infiltrated and taken over by those with strong anti-Semitic values. There was an initial power struggle as the original founders and the new leadership vied for power, but true to left leaning/progressive causes, evil won out. Now that a left-leaning news organization has finally picked up the story, the movement is struggling to maintain influence. Many of the organizations branches throughout the states are backing off from the core or even dissolving. I have to admit, it’s nice to see such evilness implode. Thanks to T.Z. for the link.
Future of Social Security
Cranston, Rhode Island is giving us a glimpse of the future of Social Security. Since the mid 1990s, police officers and fire fighters have been promised state pension benefits upon retirement, but the state has suffered critical fiscal shortages over the last couple of years and the state legislature voted to reduce public employee’s pension benefits. The unions sued but the First Circuit Court issued a final ruling that the state of Rhode Island has no obligation to honor its promises. Of course Social Security is in even worse shape than Rhode Island’s pension system so this ruling doesn’t bode well for those depending on Social Security for their retirement. Right now, the government is expected to be unable to meet it’s obligations in 2034.
Fears of Spreading Virus
Reader G.P. sent in this article showing that medical researchers fear that more children will develop paralysis from the mysterious polio-like illness that has struck every two years since 2014. Currently, acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is rare and has already reached its peak for 2018. It is expected to continue to fade as we move into winter. A record 165 people were struck this year, many of them young, previously healthy children. Experts are warning that the condition will likely return in 2020 following its known pattern and will likely be larger than it was this year. The CDC says it does not yet know what triggers the paralysis.
Mount Etna
Mount Etna has had a massive explosion after an earthquake, spewing tons of ash into the air. Seismic activity has been high at the active volcano for a number of days and it does have lava bubbling up from its center. Etna is Europe’s highest and most active volcano, but there is apparently no immediate danger posed by the volcano, though there are fears that the eruption could intensify. This article has some fantastic photographs of the ash eruption.
Child Marriage in Germany
Germany has effectively opened the door to legalizing Sharia-based child marriages. The Federal Court of Justice, Germany’s highest court of civil and criminal jurisdiction has ruled that a new ban on child marriage may be unconstitutional because all marriages, including Sharia-based child marriages, are protected by Germany’s Basic Law. This places Germany in the awkward position of opposing these types of marriages internationally, yet allowing them internally.
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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!
I am a retired professional firefighter who’s contract with the city and the government was exempt from paying social security. What would normally have gone to SS went into our pension plan. Mind you we paid in way over the normal SS amounts. If anyone’s retirement package is one like mine, be warned if it fails you have no SS to help, unless you have the appropriate quarters from a part time job, or continue working after retirement. I told my contemporaries over the years your pension could disappear in a heartbeat. Most just laughed. They are taking things a little more seriously as of late. I’m greatful for every pension check I get, but am not relying on it to be there forever. I’ll probably be working till I’m 100. I see no Biblical reason for retirement anyway.
Merry Christmas my friends.
Germany:
Europe is slowly losing its mind and in the process losing its soul. I can easily see the continent tearing itself apart in the coming decades with civil wars and inter-country Wars.
Germany is dead as a sovereign nation. Thanks, Angela! Most of the countries in western Europe are not far behind Germany.
We can only pray that the FedGov chooses not to take sides in the upcoming civil and international wars that will break out in Europe, not our fight. The safest, most stable country in Europe is Russia. Other eastern European countries are not far behind Russia. Kind of makes the case for friendly relations with Russia and the rest of eastern Europe.
Other thoughts: How many of the justices on the German federal court are pedophiles? Since they won’t be able to deny European Germans the same rights they are granting to these Islamo-pedophiles, how many European Germans are going to marry little girls, or for that matter, little boys? How long before it spreads, like a virus, to the rest of the EU?
Our FedGov needs to start picking better, more sane friends for America.
Globalist thinking will destroy the EU, and it would the USA also if it is allowed to continue. It means giving up on the intent of the Founders as well as the morality and ethics that used to guide decisions. This doesn’t mean alienating allies across the globe, but it does mean that a line protecting sovereignty is drawn.
Anti-Semitism is ok as long as your the “oppressed” ,LeBron James has made racist and anti semetic statements in the last few days but seems to have no repercussions