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”. “Platinum” used to mean something special. When you were part of the platinum club for any organization, you had somehow earned your way. Even a platinum credit card used to mean that you were financially stable. That’s obviously not the case now. In New Orleans, you can be special by being part of the city sanctioned spying ring.
City Sanctioned Spying
New Orleans has gone full Orwell with their latest proposal. You can now join their new “Platinum” program by tying your security cameras into their feeds.
“SafeCam Platinum is an exciting new opportunity to connect your home or business with the City of New Orleans by sharing your public-facing security camera footage directly with the Real Time Crime Center!”
How exciting, you can now feel like you are part of a privileged group spying on your neighbors.
More Than Carbon Taxes
Reader D.S. sent in this article that shows France’s unrest, while triggered by the new carbon taxes is deeper than that and why the public is still rioting. Both France and German have ordered EU states to open up their borders for mass migration. Both Macron and Merkle have championed the process of a globalist government and redistribution of wealth. In their push to these goals, they have not obtained the consent of the governed and it’s beginning to show. To add insult to injury, it also appears that armored vehicles responding to the riots in Paris are wearing the EU flag.
Alaska’s “Can Do” Attitude
Reader H.L. sent in this article profiling how Alaska managed to repair most of the damage to highways caused by the recent earthquake in just a matter of a few days. Crews worked around the clock to smooth the broken roads back into usable blacktop. The rapid response shows how investing time and money into preparations for these kinds of disasters can payoff in the long run, even when you can’t predict the event. Adding to the difficulty was the freezing weather. Paving with hot asphalt is very difficult in cold weather. The article did note that painting the new road stripes with the normal glass embedded epoxy paint will have to wait for summer. In the meantime, a temporary paint has been applied for the driving aids.
Russian Bombers in Venezuela
Russia is deploying its nuclear-capable Tu-160 Blackjack bombers to Venezuela this week as it continues its provocative pattern of bomber training flights. At least two bombers will fly from Russia to Venezuela as part of training exercises that include in-flight fueling. The flights, including the recent flights over the north pole, are deviations from their standard training runs and are clearly aimed at sending the U.S. a message according to experts. The Russians are stepping up the flights after the Trump administration had announced that they were pulling the U.S. out of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty that Moscow regularly violates. Thanks to G.P. for the link.
Bumpfire Stocks
Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large, wrote in to inform SurvivalBlog readers that the ATF seems to be having some internal issues on how rulings will proceed.
Dr. Bones’ New Book
Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy (Joe and Amy Alton) have released a new book titled “Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Disease; The Layman’s Guide to Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings”. This is a guide to antibiotics obtainable by the average citizen and the diseases they treat. With infection a major risk in long-term survival scenarios, Dr. Joe Alton and Nurse Practitioner Amy Alton go into detail about the wise use of antibacterial meds (fish or otherwise) that can be stockpiled by the family medic for tough times. This one-of-a-kind book was inspired by the original article by Dr. Alton published in SurvivalBlog years ago. The Altons feel strongly that, with supplies and knowledge, many deaths can be avoided in times of trouble. For autographed copies, go to their web store.
Ebola Threat High
As the Congo enters its traditional high-risk season for Ebola, there is some hope. An experimental vaccine appears to be helping the communities that it reaches. More than 40,000 people have received the vaccine. However, there have been no formal studies on it’s effectiveness since its first use in 2015. The World Health Organization spokesman just simply said “I think it’s having a major impact.” The current outbreak has tallied about 500 cases with a 50% mortality rate. While considerably smaller than the West African outbreak which totaled 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths, it is still the second largest outbreak ever documented and one of the longest running. The outbreak is estimated to run another six months.
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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!
Re Russian bombers:
These airplanes are navigating international airspace. These flights are similar to the flights the U.S. makes near the borders of unfriendly (?) countries, as well as international airspace. Posting of the Russian flights by the news media as though the U.S. is being threatened is nothing more than scare mongering.
Except that America doesn’t have any plans of taking over the world.
If that is truly what you think, sir, you are not paying attention to the advance of the American empire. Russia does not have 800 bases in 130+ countries all over the world. Where they have a presence, they are there by invitation of the local citizens, Crimea, or by the local government, Syria and Venezuela.
Frankly you can not show me where the Russians are planning to take over the world. I support no government, but we as conservatives and libertarians need to look at the truth, not American propaganda.
If you believe that, you have not been paying attention. Russia does not have 800 bases in 130 countries around the world. We do. Where Russia has a presence, they were invited. That would be Syria and Crimea, and now maybe Venezuela. Where we have been invited, we were invited by some other government than the one where we have out troops stationed. That would be Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, etc, etc, etc, it’s a long freaking list.
Our American empire is bigger, badder, and more intrusive than the old British Empire, which we have effectively become the modern military arm of.
This is the one failure of the Trump administration. He rightly complained about all our foreign interventions. Yet, thanks to the neocons in his administration, our war fighting for the glory of Rome (Washington, DC) just continues on and on and on.
You really can’t show me where the Russians are seeking empire anywhere on the planet. The United States certainly is seeking empire. Are you willing to send your children and grand children to fight for the glory of John Bolton or Mike Pompeo or any other neocon warmonger?
@Mike,
It’s not that the flights are taking place. It’s that they are a significant change from what Russia has been doing. Anytime something changes, it causes one to take notice. That’s not scaremongering, that’s being pragmatic. When you couple that with the increased military presence in Crimea, you see a significant change in Russian policy. That is something to pay attention too. Not something to panic about, but definitely something to pay attention too. Or perhaps you prefer to be cold-cocked by world events?
I just heard Lou Dobbs state that we should invoke the Monroe Doctrine and tell the Russians to “get the hell out” of the western hemisphere. Problem is, under the Monroe Doctrine, promised to stay out of Europe and European affairs as long as they stay out of the western hemisphere. So to invoke the Monroe Doctrine don’t we need to “get the hell out” of Europe?
@Charles K.
Can’t say that I disagree with that statement. The only country we have business having a presence in is a country that has asked us there and either we have strategic interests and/or they are footing the bill. Not particularly interested in sending my son to die for some other country that stiffs us every chance they get. I just finished watching Ken Burns documentary on the Vietnam war on Netflix. Ouch. Very sad.
Seems to me that Merkle, and Germany, have realized the enormous financial and social costs of these “migrants” and want everyone else to share in their pain. Too bad. They opened their hearts and homes to them and now they want to complain about extra housekeeping. Having seen how little “migrants” really add to a region’s economy in the Southwest, I think they should reap what they have allowed to sprout.
Why do you think it is that former Soviet-bloc nations and China are so harsh on Muslims and uncontrolled “migration”? It seems that only the “free” West can’t see the obvious.
Seems to me that ATF is just laying more groundwork to say their original method of evaluating bump stocks and binary triggers was flawed because they weren’t installed to a firearm so how could they really know what they did.
RE: spycams New Orleans
How cool! just like on “NCIS New Orleans”, except they don’t have to hire a computer nerd to “hack” into everybody’s cameras. Maybe next step is for all citizens to volunteer to have their phone and computer cameras tied in too, then big brother can protect us all from ourselves, by watching us every minute. Long live big brother. (or sister)
Yeah, think about it, we already have that. We have a device in our homes to talk to that will play songs, call someone, or set an alarm. Also, there is video that recognizes people in the room that tracks their movements. All we need is for the gov to take over those by mandate. Of course it will be for safety and security. NOT
Sam- They don’t have to tie in their phone and computers, the companies that you get your service from ALREADY give or sell access to your accounts, time to realize we are just chattle of the economy. Used to be your home was your castle, now the only privacy is in your head, but don’t say it out loud (Alexa is even in your smoke alarms ).
Alton’s new book on Antibiotics
Have been waiting for it to come out. Also I will eventually get their other medical book, but this one deals exclusively with antibiotics which narrows the field right now and I can stock the basics immediately.
It not only indicates a change in policy, it indicates an attempt to sharpen or rebuild long range flying and navigational skills. That should also be an eye opener!
“Nuclear capable”..?Whats the big deal.we have 70 year old B-52’s that are able to deploy them.
re: Paris riots
At the end of the day, the protesters are still clueless socialists rather than patriot tax protesters. What a disconnect from reality they have. In their released manifesto (which can be found online), in the same breath that they complain bitterly abut their high taxes- from the fuel tax to Paris Accord to high tax rates in general- they also are calling for (in their words) ” a constitutional cap on taxes at a maximum 25% rate, with a 40% increase in pensions and social welfare”. Also desired is new housing for 5 million homeless. They have a long list of ‘we wants’, along with a demand that ‘we don’t want to pay’. Well, sorry, there ain’t no free lunch–not even in France. No Government anywhere creates a single dollar or Euro of wealth, they only take it by threat of force and transfer it from those who do. It’s almost amusing–on the one hand they demand lower taxes; on the other higher government spending. Seems a bit short on critical thinking as well as reality. Granted, while difficult to achieve, the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as the Laffer Curve tells us, a lower tax rate can lead to higher overall revenues for the government to spend. But that is a very big longshot in a country which, since the 1970s, has been stuck with a socialistic, corporatist, statist economic model in which a massive welfare state is precariously propped up by high taxation, huge public debt and special government favors for giant corporate interests. All in all, your typical Socialist mental disconnect and faulty intellect. They will never learn. Paris must burn.