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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 “JWR [1]”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at the death of newspapers.

The Truth About Gun Buy Back Programs

A brief video with some sage observations from Colion Noir: The Truth About Gun Buy Back Programs [2]

New EMPShield Variant for RVs

I just noticed that EMPShield.com [3] (one of our affiliate advertisers) has added a new RV protection module to their product line. (You can see it by clicking “Shop” at their site.) If you foresee having to bug out in your RV, then I highly recommend adding one of these!

The Death of Newspapers

By way of Whatfinger.com [4], there is this: RIP: Newspaper circulation lowest ever recorded [5]. A snippet:

“After a long total high of over 60 million subscriptions from the 1960s to the 1990s, circulation has dropped to 28 million daily and 30 million for Sundays.

“Those numbers were down 8% and 9%, respectively, from the previous year…”

LBRY App Updates

I often recommend getting the LBRY app [6]. It is a viable un-censored blockchain-based alternative to YouTube. They recently  switched to a “bottomless” stack (similar to YouTube) and added several other new features including comments and “Customize Your Homepage” buttons. (You can add categories to your list such as “survival” “homestead”, “privacy”, “self-sufficiency”, “guns”, and so forth. Once you have the LBRY app installed, I recommend you start with this video: Why I Quit YouTube [7].  (Warning: Some vulgar language.) The same video has been deleted several times at YouTube, but a new copy just went up there [8].)

US Fertility Rate Falls to All-Time Low

CNN reports: US fertility rate falls to ‘all-time low,’ CDC says [9]. The article begins:

“The general fertility rate in the United States continued to decline last year, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics [10].

“The 2018 general fertility rate fell to another all-time low for the United States,” the researchers wrote in the report, published Wednesday.

The report found that the general fertility rate dropped 2% between 2017 and 2018 among girls and women age 15 to 44 nationwide.

In 2017, the total fertility rate for the United States continued to dip below what’s needed for the population to replace itself, according to a separate report published [11] by the National Center for Health Statistics in January.
America’s fertility rate and the number of births nationwide have been on the decline in recent years. A report of provisional birth data [12] published by the National Center for Health Statistics in May showed the number of births last year dropping to its lowest level in about three decades.”

New Password-Stealing Malware

Kim Komando: Watch out for a big increase in malware that steals your passwords [13]. I’ll offer this snippet:

“New research from Kaspersky Lab finds that attacks from malicious software that aims to steal your passwords, and other sensitive information, are on the rise. In the first half of 2018, fewer than 600,000 people were targeted by password-stealing malware.

Kaspersky found that during the same period this year, the number of attacks rose to more than 940,000. That’s an increase of 60%.

The report also found that the malware targets sensitive data such as credit card numbers and autofill information by taking advantage of vulnerabilities in web-browsers. About 25% of those who contracted password-stealing malware were infected by Azorult.”

You can send your news tips to JWR [1]. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact [14] form.) Thanks!

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#1 Comment By Buck On August 1, 2019 @ 1:35 pm

The fertility rate is down while the left screams about “reproductive rights” meaning abortions. It makes no sense to kill our own babies, then raise hell to bring in people from other countries. This society has gone mad.

#2 Comment By BGF On August 1, 2019 @ 1:45 pm

The only gun buyback program that one should participate in, is the one where you are buying more guns.

#3 Comment By Krissy On August 1, 2019 @ 3:12 pm

Oh my gosh. Thank you for the great laugh.

#4 Comment By DKL On August 1, 2019 @ 2:29 pm

The Truth About Gun Buy Back Programs

Don’t mess with my free steak dinner!!

I’ve done this a couple of times. I buy parts guns to fix workable guns, I then take all the crap parts and reassemble them into a Franken gun with incorrect parts missing pieces etc…. I would have had to dispose of the parts anyway.

Take these totally non-functioning pieces of crap and hand them to the idiots at the booth/table at the gun buy back and get a gift certificate for a restaurant and get a nice dinner. Last time I did this I got a $25 gift certificate for a great steak house.

LOL……government. Thanks for the great meals….for a pile of s**t. They really need to train the cops at those booths to be able to identify an actual gun….LOL.

Hey….some of it was my tax money anyway……at least I got to use it for something good!!

#5 Comment By Fred On August 1, 2019 @ 3:14 pm

A gun what? How can the government buy something back that it never owned. Oh wait, it takes whatever it wants, at gunpoint under color of law. You are a serf who doesn’t actually own anything. You are tenant, a renter of the kings property. Now do you understand?
———————-
[Personal attack deleted by the Editor]

The NRA [Board of Directors] are traitors to the Constitution, as the NRA actively supports:
-A large and useless Board.
-A useless rating system that actually only serves to function as a fund raising mechanism and political action arm of the Republican Party, which are also traitors to the republic.
-Fails to seek the immediate and complete repeal of all gun laws in the United States. I wonder why? Pfft.
-Supported and supports GCA
-Supported and supports NFA
-Supported and supports Trump’s Bump Stock ban
-Supported and supports Trump’s (and thereby states) Red Flag laws
-Supported and supports the Hughes Amendment
-Supported and supports licensing of a man’s duty unto Holy God, by which your blessings and rights flow, denying God’s sovereignty over His creatures.
-Caves at every turn including the last “assault” weapons ban.
-Has never had a wild eyed 2A dead ender at it’s helm, that being all so very unreasonable you see. Pfft.

Again; the NRA is a political action arm and fund raising mechanism for the Republican Party, an organization that seeks to rule you absolutely. Get that through heads please!

Need I go on? Well, with friends like this…

#6 Comment By Fred On August 1, 2019 @ 6:08 pm

I’m disappointed, JWR, Because no, it’s the entire membership except those who have stopped supporting it or demanded a refund. Your edit, Sir, changed my meaning. It’s every last one of the members that refuses to demand the immediate and complete repeal of all gun laws that are the problem.

And, the “personal attack” was toward a public figure, 100 percent within the context of the Gun Rights debate which he volitionally takes part in. It was not directed at a private person minding his own business. It’s a fair argument on my part to challenge a public person personally, and by name, when it comes to our God given rights. I did not “attack” him in a vacuum. I’ve watched many of his videos. He supports government enforcement of the gun laws as written. This is a fact: anybody, including that person, who continues to support this organization IS, by way of fact, a traitor to the constitution as this organization supports the overthrow of the Second Amendment.

Anecdotally, I’ve talked to dozens of NRA members and they all have their pet gun control law such as gun free zones, red flag laws, the bump stock ban, the machine gun ban. All of them have been willing to make a trade with the devil for a piece of their own rights now while selling out their grandchildren.

I have never talked to an NRA member who is for the immediate and complete repeal of all gun laws. Those pro gun people aren’t even in the NRA because they know better.

This is a fact: the NRA is the world’s premier Gun Control organization and is a UN registered NGO. And even if it were solely the Boards fault, which it is not, why would anybody give them money knowing it’s actual history toward firearms legislation. No, it’s every last member that is the problem, Sir. The NRA is OBVIOUSLY running some kind con on it’s membership where it promises to fight for gun rights and then sells them down river and all of America with them. It’s been at this for 100 years now. Choice-selection bias is not a valid excuse for supporting a bad organization.

Men must take a clear and unwavering stand against wrong, regardless of who is wrong, why they are wrong, or if we like them personally or not. All gun laws harm God’s created order and violate His covenant with us. Your blog, your property but Choose this day who you will serve, the LORD or man.

#7 Comment By GGHD On August 2, 2019 @ 12:01 am

Fred, I belong to the NRA. In spite of the Huge management salaries, and the side deals with advertisers, >I plan to stay in the NRA. … The USA is a democracy. Almost ALL Americans want some types of gun restrictions. Legally limiting access to guns by criminals and children is also favored too.

The NRA is the largest, oldest, and premier gun-rights organization. … With great insight the NRA also decided to describe itself as the oldest >news outlet too; it helps with their 1st Amendment rights.

The USA is still a democracy. The NRA, with its large membership plus experience with legislatures and the courts, ~ has a good understanding what is politically possible. There are other gun rights organizations, but not as old or as large.

Politicians typically only understand 1. Money and 2. Votes. … Survivalblog astutely points out politicians with integrity; there are a few of them.

The NYTimes (Flagship of the Liberal newspapers) had this to say about the NRA:
“The N.R.A. derives its political influence instead from a muscular electioneering machine, fueled by tens of millions of dollars’ worth of campaign ads and voter-guide mailings, that scrutinizes candidates for their views on guns and propels members to the polls.

“It’s really not the contributions,” said Cleta Mitchell, a former N.R.A. board member. “It’s the ability of the N.R.A. to tell its members: Here’s who’s good on the Second Amendment.”

“Far more than any check the N.R.A. could write, it is this mobilization operation that has made the organization such a challenging adversary for Democrats and gun control advocates — ”

“The N.R.A.’s impact comes, in large part, from the simplicity of the incentives it presents to political candidates: letter grades, based on their record on the Second Amendment, that guide the N.R.A.’s involvement in elections. Lawmakers who earn an “A” rating can count on the group not to oppose them when they run for re-election or higher office.”
[From The New York Times, ~The True Source of the N.R.A.’s Clout: Mobilization, Not Donations, Feb. 24, 2018]
******************************************

All we have is our votes, and letting the politicians know how we plan to vote. … The NRA is a >large voting group. … To politicians votes in >large numbers are more influential than single votes.
[With politicians, money has the same political effects. >Large amounts of money has more effect than single dollars. … Politicians are professional vote tabulators and dollar counters.]

#8 Comment By Guy On August 2, 2019 @ 2:56 pm

GGHD,
You lost me at, “The USA is a democracy.”

#9 Comment By Fred On August 2, 2019 @ 3:59 pm

Thank you, JWR, for posting my above comments. Our civilization stands on a verge, I’m convinced. These are critical topics and the men known of God must stand firm and reject other gods and those with false idols. And we MUST make the case, even vehemently, that following God, the one true God, and what is right, and good in His eyes not ours, is the only thing that can turn this country back.

GGHD, you’ve made my point, that the problem resides at the bottom and not at the top. The problems at the top are merely manifest by the tolerance and ignorance at the bottom. I’m not happy to put it this way to you but it must be said.

The laws of men are derived by the just consent of the governed. They are not rightly derived by the majority in a democratic humanist system. This is a godless and unjust mob rule that leads to anarchy and rebellion against Holy God and what is truly good and moral. What the majority of Americans want in this fictional democracy that’s been created in the heads of leftists has ZERO relevance to the JUST consent of the governed. Is it just if the majority in your democracy want pedophilia? Is it just in this supposed democracy if the majority want only a state run religion? Is it just if a majority seeks to round up and bulldoze into trenches all those that would refuse to bow down to the state as a god?

Even the slightest destruction of my Civil Rights, granted by Holy God and blessed by my keeping the covenant and it’s itinerant duties unto Him who is just, the Second Amendment being an affirmation of God’s Law and expressed in Republicanism as not lawfully infringed upon except that it violate our blood covenant with a wrathful, vengeful, righteous, and just God, and accepting infringement leads us unto destruction at the hands of this emerging democratic Humanism as the new religion of America. I won’t tolerate this!

But why would anybody be surprised as the religion of America is indeed Humanism. As in the days of Noah who was a type of the one to come, when God determined to kill every last one of those scoundrels who were doing violence to God’s created order and His Law, save that righteous man and his immediate family, then too was Humanism, this notion of self as god worshiped as the chosen flavor of idolatry, the religion of choice, as now, in that day every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

It’s sin, personal, your own. Nobody can fix somebody else’s sin. But there was this one out of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem who can fix yours, and starting at your own house first, as difficult as that may be, it is a righteous and a godly endeavor.

The problems at the NRA are merely symptomatic of America’s wider religion held by it’s membership. The problem is sin! There is nothing new under the sun. The NRA won’t be able to fix itself until its membership accepts their own personal sin first. It’s not ok to make little side deals with the devil. America is under blood covenant and God’s holy Law will be completed, yay I say, will be completed, it will be executed, in perfect righteousness even if that means violence at the destruction of a once great and former Nation. God is just. The sentence for sin is death and there is only way to be made justified, this is Christ.

Choice-selection bias is not a valid excuse for supporting a bad organization. Men must take a clear and unwavering stand against wrong, regardless of who is wrong, why they are wrong, or if we like them personally or like some of what do or not. All gun laws harm God’s created order and violate His covenant with us.

Seeking to protect children or anything or anybody else from guns, an inanimate object, is voodoo. Guns have NO POWER over the being of a man!!! The problem is sin, not the voodoo of a hunk of metal.

What happened to the righteous indignation of godly men intolerant toward all sin? Come out of that soft Churchianity, it is a whore of the devil. Come out of her. Christ is King! Come out and save your civilization!

#10 Comment By GGHD On August 3, 2019 @ 2:12 am

Fred, thank you for reply to me, and thank you for preaching Salvation through Jesus Christ.

1. The founding documents of the USA recognize God as the source of our laws. The Declaration of Independence as an example: =
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their >Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,”
[Sometimes referred to as the Natural Law placed into the hearts of everyone.]

2. The 2nd Amendment has (by some) been considered necessary for a free society, and helps the ultimate power to the people.
+ The 1st Amendment. =

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the >free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

A large number of people believe the clause, = “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion” enables the government to restrict >Christianity in public places.
…… The clause was written in response to England, where the King is/was the >head of the Church of England, as the official Church of the country. Other denominations were persecuted by the King’s government.
…… Some how the students in the >public schools do NOT receive the complete story about why the Pilgrims sailed for Americans (and all the other denominations such as the Puritans.)

The erroneous decisions by our Supreme Court has permitted the removal the recognition of God from many public places. The Court has the support of many influential people and politicians.

Here we are today. = 8/2/2019. We are living in this world within America. We want to protect our gun-rights. Do we join the NRA, because it’s an effective gun-rights group, or avoid it because there are sinners in the group. …. (Yes, many sinners are in politics and in the NRA) But, our goal is Heaven, and to also >protect ourselves, families, neighbors and our society of a free USA.

To borrow from the Apostle Paul, = “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” He’s NOT giving up his commitment to the teaching of Christ; he adapting his presentation for the sake of Christ.

Likewise, I’m not advocating acceptance of sin in our country. I’m just advocating that belonging to the NRA helps protect our 2nd Amendment gun rights. … We have to live >in this world. We have to interact with the people, that have abhorrent values, because we can NOT live in isolation from our society. … Even the Hermits out in the Desert depended on their society for some things.

Thank you for being a follower of Jesus Christ. Apparently, you have found a more perfect path to Heaven, that avoids the ungodly as much as possible.
I belong to the NRA because it’s politically effective; NOT for spiritual reasons. I believe God approves of ordinary citizens owning weapons.

[+When I was young, most stores were closed on Sundays, and public events and ordinary meetings were started with a prayer to God. = The good old days.]

#11 Comment By Anon On August 2, 2019 @ 2:41 am

I’m disappointed in the NRA and especially the NRA leadership. I think they should do more and create an organization like the ACLU that vigorously appeals anything that negatively impacts our 2nd amendment rights. I do get info from the NRA before an election but other than that I see very little that they do. Where do they spend their money? On salaries? BUT I would not go out of my way to denigrate them or try to work against them. They don’t do enough but I don’t want to stop supporting them.

#12 Comment By VT On August 2, 2019 @ 2:38 pm

BRAVO! Quit the NRA during the Clinton years for their treachery.

#13 Comment By Dave of Oregon On August 1, 2019 @ 4:17 pm

I’ve recently learned about the 80% build your own firearms, what fun, and a blessing.
I believe our governments have succeeded through registration to be able to identify anyone who purchases a gun from a dealer to retrieve all of the purchase documents to identify who owns guns owners.
Therefore, that gives us no recourse but to build your own. To those who own basic machine shop equipment. building a basic firearm is not that difficult. I picked up the Q from my friend less than a year ago, and have made a couple of fine firearms for myself, and they have turned out to be real tack drivers. I mean you have to deliberately miss the target.
I am very pleased with my results, and am happy to help my true like minded friends to do the same.
As far as I know teaching is still Ok.

#14 Comment By VCC On August 1, 2019 @ 9:17 pm

A few years ago I bought a shotgun from a pawn shop, they made me fill out the same form I had to fill out when I bought a handgun (at a diffrent pawn shop) . I told them we didn’t have to register long guns, they said it was “just a form” and would stay in their shop. Then they called a phone number and gave SOMBODY on the other end of the line ALL my info and ALL the guns info! I fumed about it for days and finally took the thing back and got my money back. I told them to be sure to tell whoever that I had returned it, all I got was a blank stare. I have not done business with that shop since. Be aware of the paperwork and phone calls made when you buy a gun. In Idaho you don’t have to register long guns, or we are led to believe that, I’m really not sure any more.

#15 Comment By Fred On August 1, 2019 @ 11:16 pm

That call was most likely to the ATF, NICS background line, or it’s predecessor depending on the date. And of course the ATF wouldn’t record all of that data in the database that they check. /sarc.

By law the ATF isn’t supposed to keep a database, but the FFL’s keep the 4473 forever to made available with a simple request by any law agency of any level gov. It’s sorta like telling congress not overspend gross receipts by trillions of dollars, oh, did you know that a balanced budget is already the law. Bwa Ha Ha Ha. Anyway, If you still don’t think that there is a database you’re fooling yourselves out there.

#16 Comment By Goat Rancher On August 1, 2019 @ 10:16 pm

VCC, “Register.” You keep using that word. I think you are confusing gun “registration” with the ATF form 4473 which is kept on file in every FFL gun seller’s office.

They do either call the ATF, or go online and submit a form, which is a background check and does NOT join your personal information with the actual gun make, model and serial number. It’s just like “Hey ATF, I have a guy here named VCC who wants to buy a gun. Is his background clear so I could sell it to him?” If the answer is yes, then they sell you the gun and they keep the serial number, etc in their office.

I doubt that they called anyone and gave both your name AND the gun serial number in the same call.

#17 Comment By Aubrey Turhun On August 2, 2019 @ 2:32 am

I wonder if the FOOLS at America’s Newspapers will ever learn! Newspapers are good for starting fires and little else! Who needs week old news or Web Sites slow and cluttered with Advertising!

Yet that is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Reporters, news channels, and cable services are all about to feel the change.

I don’t need reporters to explain the news to me and I don’t have time to wait for the next newscast. I get it continuously on my phone and am literate enough to make up my own mind. Cable – forget it – the little TV I watch can be streamed from my phone.

If all that is not enough – wait till Advertisers learn much of their advertising dollars is buying them nothing. Honestly – when is the last time you opened a pop up and bought anything?

#18 Comment By VT On August 2, 2019 @ 2:45 pm

Newspapers are still the best aggregators of news and do most of the investigative reporting and can stand up to political pressure(try to find out what your local gov. Is doing on a 10 sec tv news clip)

#19 Comment By Das Lutheran On August 2, 2019 @ 2:26 pm

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is dying quickly. Down to 3 days published, and NOBODY’S signing up to read that rag on-line!

Canary’s & Parakeets are rejoicing across sw PA, and not being forced to look at it much longer!