Category: Current Events & Politics

Systematic Efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to Take Control of Private Water Rights, by W.W.

Jamal Utah I am writing today to inform the readers of this blog about systematic efforts by the U.S. Forest Service (“F.S.”) to take control of private water rights. Recently, this blog made mention of efforts to institute the “public trust doctrine” in California. In Colorado, we have been fighting ballot initiatives concerning the public trust doctrine for years. While the public trust doctrine issue is increasingly concerning, I am writing today about what I feel is a potentially even greater threat to private water rights. In the last few years the U.S. Forest Service has been quietly revising its …


Two Letters Re: Toledo Water Crisis

Hugh, The WHO article you mentioned says there’s another way to purify water tainted with microcystins, and it’s one of my favorite water purification methods because it can also be used as a wound cleanse, an antiseptic solution, an anti-fungal treatment for the hands and feet, a cholera disinfectant, a treatment for canker sores, a fire starter, and even a snow marker for an emergency signal. On top of all that, it’s less expensive per pound than calcium hypochlorite. What is this wonder chemical? Potassium Permanganate (KMNO4) 98% 1lbPotassium Permanganate, also called “permanganate of potash” or “Condy’s crystals.” Read more …


Letter Re: NYC Chokehold

Hugh, Just a note about chokeholds. A chokehold uses the forearm to put pressure on the windpipe and can easily result in serious injury or death. Most LE departments have outlawed them as a restraint and classified them as “deadly force”, the same as a knife, club, or firearm. Often mistaken for a chokehold (and usually referred to as such by the ignorant media) is the LVNR (Lateral Vascular Neck Restraint), which, when properly applied cuts off blood flow to the brain and the subject passes out in less than 10 seconds, at which time the LVNR is released. Pressure …


Letter Re: NYC Chokehold

Hugh, The man resisted arrest. Do you think he was right to do that? Don’t you agree he had other options, like complying, and he exercised a poor one? Is it the officer’s fault he’s obese and at great health risk before he was contacted? Do you or anyone else expect any officer intending to make an arrest to change their mind because you disagree? The suspect, God have mercy on him, did the wrong thing. When you do the wrong thing, you end up with undesirable results. Those officers effected the arrest of a much larger man by the …


Letter Re: Our Struggle With Survivalism

Hi Hugh, I think it’s necessary to add a #10 to R.B.’s factors for experiencing pessimism: 10. A lot of people out there are waiting for some trigger event that will signal the start of a collapse. In reality, it has already occurred. That event has been the collapse of our government. We no longer have a government that upholds the rule of law. We are seeing epic lawlessness displayed by all of the government institutions. Our representatives and senators are truly ineffective against the growing power of a very, very small group of individuals who have control over very, …


Cottage/Local Manufacturing After SHTF, by S.T.

Post-SHTF America will see the end of the current modern centralized-style of mass manufacturing and all of the poor-quality foreign imports. However, it will also see the rise of the new, local, home-based and small-scale manufacturing of local, functional, non-electric, and reusable items that will replace all of the electric, disposable, and toxic items that are purchased and used now. Unless you have a group that includes two doctors (a doctor cannot operate on himself), two dentists (a dentist can’t fill his own teeth), a nurse, a pharmacist, and a herbalist, as well as the teens to act as apprentices, …


Letters Re: Militarization of LEOs

HJL, I am a Peacekeeper, otherwise known as an LEO. I am a firm believer in being part of the solution, not part of the problem. I teach my children “dont fuss, fix it.” The first step to fixing it is understanding the problem. I will do my best to not respond with bluff and bluster. I took this job by choice. I do not expect nor look for sympathy or a medal for my career choice. There are a few issues at work here. I will highlight a few recent incidents that will shed some light on part of …


Letter Re: Useful CERT Publications For Preppers

The article on CERT was well written and very useful. I hold a CERT certification through FEMA’s online certification process, along with a whole grocery list of courses from the same source. I did so as part of my involvement with my local amateur radio club’s efforts regarding the Amateur Radio Emergency Service unit of the club. It’s all part of being prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. Also, in regards to your link to the article about mob mentality, I would refer you and your readers to, among other books, The Lord of the Flies and …


Two Letters: The Militarization of LEOs

Good Morning, Mr. Latimer. I have been following the subject of police incompetence very closely for the last few years, with the parallel corruption and deterioration of our political establishments and our military officer corps. I can save those last two items for later, but it is my firm conviction that our present LEO personnel are ALL corrupt. Every single one of them. Before someone(s) respond with bluff and bluster, protesting that “they” are not corrupt, I will put out this question. If there is one single LEO out there that has not committed an act of gross incompetence, like …


Becoming The Bank In TEOTWAWKI, by J.M.

It has happened. The event that we have all talked about for so many years has come to fruition. The banking and monetary system, after many years of bail-outs and market manipulations, has finally collapsed. Many have plans to “bug out” to the safety of their isolated retreat where they plan to hunker down and weather the financial tempest that surrounds them. I have to admit that this is probably the best short-term plan to survive, but what do you do when your supplies run out? What will the long-term solution be, until a new monetary system is established? How …


Letter Re: Artificial Intelligence

James and Hugh, Regarding your entry on Artificial Intelligence, please see the book “Our Final Invention” by James Barrat. Our world lives with potential catastrophe, i.e. nuke war, EMP attack, famine, drought, civil unrest, asteroids, etc. These are all potentially survivable occurrences. The achievement of AGI (artificial general intelligence) leading to super machine intelligence is not. You might also check out the following: http://Plato.stanford.edu/entries/Chinese-room/. Hugh Replies: While I understand the reasoning behind the desire to advance artificial intelligence, I also clearly see the dangers in it. Isaac Asimov was a visionary in his “I Robot” series in dealing with this …


Letter Re: CERT Training

Regarding CERT Training: Thinking about volunteering your time with your local Department of Emergency Management? You may need to leave your concealed carry at home! I submitted an application to join a volunteer section of the Pierce County Washington Department of Emergency Management. I received a packet in the mail that contained additional forms that needed to be submitted. One of the forms was a Pierce County Department of Emergency Management Emergency Worker Registration Form. One item had to do with certifying my non-drug use and also prohibiting “any concealed weapon possession while engaged in emergency worker activities” . The …


Thoughts on Nevada, by SFE

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 That scripture came to my mind as I thought about the tragedy in Nevada when two soulless people murdered two police officers and a good Samaritan who marched to the sound of the guns and paid the ultimate price by placing himself in harm’s way in the defense of others. Without seeking to second guess the dead and without full information, I would like to make a few comments. I’m assuming that everyone is aware now of the shooting in Las …


Useful CERT Publications For Preppers, by T.L.O.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program was created in 1987 by the Los Angeles City Fire Department. Los Angeles officials were asked to help Mexico City with a critique following an 8.1 earthquake that killed more than 10,000 people. It was noted that many “spontaneous volunteers” (people with no training who pitched in to try and help others) had saved over 800 trapped victims, but at least 100 volunteers were killed in the effort. They died because of a lack of knowledge and training that would have kept them safe. LA officials knew they would have a similar situation …


Letter: Banker Immunity

My conclusion of why you pay for Banksters crimes: Big banks that assist the US Treasury in exchange for their implementation of financial policies overseas are almost universally held harmless in De Facto Immunity from prosecution for domestic and international financial crimes. In a clear case of what I think is a perfect “Quid Pro Quo” (“this for that”, in Latin) the bank personnel above the lower ranks are protected. The bank executives know they will not serve time and, in the worst case, only fines will be levied on the bank. Those fines are merely a cost of doing …