SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is 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. In today’s column, news of a bear attack at a school in British Columbia.
Grizzly Attacks a B.C. School Field Trip Group
Reader Chris F. sent this news: Teachers were ‘heroes’ in protecting elementary students from grizzly attack in B.C., officials say [2]. JWR’s Comment: You may recall Bella Coola as one of the locales of my novel Liberators.
Amazon’s Ring Plans to Scan Everyone’s Face at the Door
H.L. sent us this, from The Washington Post: Amazon’s Ring plans to scan everyone’s face at the door [3]. An excerpt:
“Facial recognition technology is increasingly used in airports [4], police investigations [5] and sports venues [6].
Now Amazon’s Ring says it’s putting facial recognition for the first time into its home security doorbells and video cameras. It’s intended to identify your sister, a neighbor or other people you know.
While the feature will be optional for Ring device owners, privacy advocates say it’s unfair that wherever the technology is in use, anyone within sight will have their faces scanned to determine who’s a friend or stranger.
The Ring feature is ‘invasive for anyone who walks within range of your Ring doorbell,’ said Calli Schroeder, senior counsel at the consumer advocacy and policy group Electronic Privacy Information Center. ‘They are not consenting to this.'”
Where Deaths Outnumber Births
Reader H.L. sent us this Washington Post piece, by way of MSN: In these U.S. groups, deaths now exceed births. What’s happening? [7]
Washington Man Dies: H5N5 Bird Flu
Washington man dies from first case of bird flu strain reported in humans [8]. The article’s opening:
“A Washington man died from complications tied to an H5N5 bird flu infection, the first recorded instance of a human contracting this avian influenza strain worldwide, state and federal health officials said Friday.
The Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both confirmed [9]that, although bird flu infections in humans remain rare, this case marks a significant development in flu surveillance in the United States and internationally.
Health authorities stated that nobody else exposed to the man has tested positive for bird flu; there is no indication of human-to-human transmission at this time, the state’s department of health said in a press release [9].”
Canada’s Upcoming Black Rifle Buyback
Gun buyback program will launch nationally after Nova Scotia pilot, minister says [10]. JWR’s Comment: Draconian moves like this will surely accelerate the partition urges in rural Western Canada. Folks there are fed up with the ruling socialists in more populous Eastern Canada.
Japan Deploys Missiles Near Taiwan
A Zero Hedge article that I found linked over at the Whatfinger.com [11]news aggregation site: As Japan Deploys Missiles Near Taiwan, China Blasts ‘Right Wing’ Forces Taking Tokyo To ‘Disaster’ [12].
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