The Economic Collapse Blog Has Issued A RED ALERT For The Last Six Months Of 2015. – B.B.
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TOP 5 GOLD PRODUCERS: Stunning Decline In Gold Productivity
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Items from Mr. Econocobas:
Tsipras Meets With Merkel, Hollande Before Saturday Aid Decision
Greece Rejects Bailout Extension: Tsipras “Won’t Be Blackmailed”, Threatens Snap Elections
IMF Says It Still Expects Greece to Pay $1.7 Billion Due Tuesday
Roberts Court and Dissolution of Co-Equal Branches of Government. – B.B.
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Democracy Is Dying; Persecution Is Coming. – B.B.
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The law of unintended consequences: SCOTUS Ruling On Same-Sex Marriage Mandates Nationwide Concealed Carry Reciprocity . – G.P.
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Scalia: Supreme Court now a ‘threat to American democracy’. – G.P.
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Video: Franklin Graham: Christians should prepare for persecution
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Leviticus 18:22 (KJV)
June 26th is the birthday of Marine Corps Lt. General Chesty Puller (born 1898, died October 11, 1971). Perhaps America’s finest-ever maverick officer, Puller was part of what JWR calls the Even Greater Generation.
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It’s the last days… Safe Castle’s Road Warrior Bounty Sale, with up to 41% Mountain House food discounts with lots of extras is coming to a close. You have until June 30th to take advantage of these great deals.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
Staying motivated can be tough. What worked for me was finding that thing that can keep me going indefinitely. For me, that’s my wife and kids. Everything I do is for them– my fitness level, my prepping, my everyday activities…..everything! Every time I don’t want to go to the gym, I think about them. Every time I stock some ammo or food away, I think of them. I do it for their safety and health as well. I am not the most fit person in the world, nor am I the most prepared, but I give it my all for them. See where I’m going with this? Find that thing or someone or someones that keeps you going no matter what. Then just keep at it.
Don’t let yourself get complacent. There was a saying that was spray painted on a wall on our base in Iraq; the sign’s message was “Complacency Kills”. It was right. Complacency can and will get you killed, whether it be from letting your body go to just not paying attention to the warning signs, which can come in many forms in our lives. These signs can be everything from high cholesterol to that wire partially buried road side. Ignoring them is dangerous.
When you’re more physically capable to take care of yourself, there is more of you left over to care for your family or friends. You are able to pick up your kids and run longer. You can hike further with more gear with fewer stops. You can build a camp or shelter quicker. You can fight longer, and you can search longer in the rubble after a tornado. You can also carry an extra bag or two of that sweet and hot jerky that you crave in your bag. If you find it in yourself to improve your health and eating habits, you may find that it can be contagious. Then, family and friends will see you looking and feeling better and will want the same for themselves. Maybe they will then join you in your workout routine or in something as simple as just eating better or smaller portions.
I know many people have injuries, health, and age considerations to think about. There are a lot of conditions that can keep us from being physically fit or able. I see a lot of them in my current field. People have to deal with bad knees and problems with their back, feet, and so on. Many have heart issues– CHF, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, and so forth. Others deal with lung issues, like asthma. I could go on all day and not cover all of that many health issues that could keep you from making the hike to your bug out location. However, I am in no way telling you that you should give up hope; there are still some things you can do to increase your time in a TEOTWAWKI situation. Do you take meds? Keep some of those, at least a month’s worth, on hand. Have a network of fellow preppers who know your situation and can help you get out if need be or who can get supplies and meds to you. Do you have a need for certain medical supplies beyond meds? Keep those on hand. Also for those who know people that suffer from a health condition, get with them and see what they need. Maybe keep some of what they need on hand at your place in case their stash becomes stolen, destroyed, lost, or depleted. It could be your loved ones that need you to look after them.
Do you have any ailments that can be taken care of or improved? Got a cavity that you have been putting off? Imagine a time when there is no dentist to take care of it as it worsens. Need glasses or corrective work done? It sure would be hard to shoot well if you can’t see. These are just a couple of examples of things that could make a survival situation tough if not impossible. If you have the means of taking care of them, do so while you can or it is at least easier.
The mind is a powerful thing. If you do not keep yourself calm in hairy situations you can find yourself dead quick. However, the mind can be trained and filled with knowledge to keep you going in a WROL situation. Knowledge and training weighs nothing and goes everywhere with you. Fill your head with a wide array of knowledge. Get training or read up on first aid and trauma care. Learn foraging skills by taking a class or reading. Learn tracking and trapping skills. If you have the means to do so, take classes from experts of the various subject matters that interest you. YouTube is great, but there are a lot of people that pass on bad advice or outdated information. Regardless of your subject of interest, keep learning and progressing your knowledge base.
With that being said, keep up on your reading and training. There is a saying that I learned in the Marines: “If you don’t use it, you lose it”. It means that you will find things hard or impossible to recall later on especially under stress. It applies if you, for example, only trained with a tourniquet once years ago. It also applies if you practiced doing tactical and speed reloads with your rifle only a couple of times. Your fine motor skills go out the window when you are in the fight for your life. You will be relying on muscle memory. You need to practice any life-saving skills until you have that muscle memory. If at all possible, practice them in stress-induced situations. Those that have gone through the military can back that up. There is a reason your drill instructor was in your face screaming at the top of his lungs while you did a variety of tasks and drills. He was building that stress up to get you used to it. I’m not saying grab your wife and have her scream and throw socks at you while you fold the laundry, but maybe before you do a mag change drill you do some pushups and pull ups to simulate the increased heart rate and exhaustion. Or when you are practicing doing some medical skills, have your buddy dump your med kit out in your work space while he times you and your patient is flailing acting up their injury. If you have a good friend or group that you prepare with, you could always go the boot camp way of doing things at home. There are many ways to induce physical and mental stress upon the human body. How ever you do it, do it in a safe way.
Not only will you have more tools in your mental toolbox, but your confidence in high stress situations will improve. You have to have confidence in what you are doing. Otherwise, you will freeze or second guess your decisions, which could possibly get you or your loved ones hurt. Should someone take a round to their leg, you need to know how to take care of it immediately without hesitation. Or if your weapon has a stove pipe, you need to know how to remedy it. Like I stated earlier, learn it and keep remediating that skill.
Imagine that your wife, your two kids, and you are going through your morning routine. You’re eating breakfast while the kids are watching their morning cartoons. You say to tell them, “Turn the TV off so we can go outside and play in the yard.” They put their dishes in the sink and get their shoes on. You head outside as your wife gives you a kiss and goes to finish up her nursing homework. As you reach the trampoline in the backyard, you think to yourself “I forgot to weed eat around this dang thing.” Your kids are laughing and wrestling. You then feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The neighbor’s plug-in electric lawn mower stops. The cars on the busy street a block away all stall. The traffic lights stop working. Your wife comes out and says the power went out and her phone isn’t working. You soon realize that the world as you knew it has changed.
Let’s fast forward two weeks. Things have been okay since you had prepared food and water over the last several years. Unfortunately, not everyone has done the same. Stores are empty and people are getting desperate. They are hungry and don’t know that they could be having a nice meal on the dandelions in the backyard. So, they go looking; they’re looking for people who have food. You have food, and they want it. You hear someone yell from outside, “I heard you were a prepared person.” Soon a crowd of armed, angry, hungry, and desperate people amass on your front lawn.
Do you have the confidence in yourself and your training to combat the threats should they not leave? If you have to fight someone hand to hand do you have the strength? If you take a round to the arm can you keep your calm and bandage it with proper technique? Do you have the stamina left to run with your kids out the back door with a pack on? Could you take it upon yourself to answer “yes” to all of these questions, truthfully? Your family depends on you!
The fear of death can do some amazing things for you and to you. It can make you fight harder than you ever have, but it can also cripple you and leave you weak and defenseless, scared, and crippled. Prepare yourself for the benefit of you and your family.
We all check our BOBs as the seasons change. We rotate our food stores to keep it fresh, and we clean and maintain our firearms. Yet, we do not all improve our health and knowledge base. It’s not easy, I know. It takes time, but we all know the benefits of doing so. I have three pistols that I can replace totally or parts as needed. However, I only have one body and one life. For my family, I am going to give it the best shot I can.
Hugh,
Your post was a very good assessment of amateur radio (AR) as it is today. I am 60 years old and have wanted to get my Amateur radio license since I was 10 years old. However, with what I now know was an Attention Deficit Disorder mind, I didn’t have the patience to learn the code. My grandfather (a Radio Operator on a “Tramp Steamer” in 1921) encouraged me to get my ticket, but…. (fast forward to 2002) I was a big CB op back in the middle to late 70’s and gave it up when the airways became what the Internet is now. In 2002 I was traveling a lot and wanted to get my old CB gear back out and installed. I found that the airwaves were even worse. I got interested in AR again and went to a local “Hamfest”. Within a couple of months, I had my Tech license, and within three more I was an Extra. I have enjoyed it since.
The “magic” of Ham radio is not there for most people. The idea of making contact with someone halfway around the world without wires does not hold the fascination it once did. Now kids say, “I have a cell phone, email, skype, etc. I don’t need all that gear to communicate.” No, you don’t, but you don’t realize how much “gear” that you don’t see or have to maintain for you to be able to do that. I am self contained, and I can communicate most anywhere if I need to. I’m not reliant on cell towers, land lines, servers, and other things to get my voice/text/email through, but they won’t know that until it goes down.
I will say something about “EMCOMS”, our little county in Texas was the beneficiary of DHS grants, and I built an EOC radio room with some really nice equipment. We even got three of everything. However, it is not what it was just ten years ago. If you want to be involved with an EOC for a governmental organization, you have to take HOURS and HOURS of training now. They won’t even talk to you if you don’t have all the ICS courses. Then there is the radio work itself; it’s all gone digital, so if you don’t have the latest gizmos (including a $1000 modem), you won’t even be able to communicate. It’s all done by “Airmail” now.
I gave up and walked away. I will communicate with whoever I can hear when the time comes.
As for the Amateur Radio Operators “Policing our own”, yeah, that’s true, however without the authority of the FCC to prosecute offenders, it’s worthless. Also the FCC is getting worse at persecuting the worst of them. You would be VERY lucky to have them issue a “Notice of Apparent Liability” within 4 to 6 years of the complaint being filed. This is the same FCC that wanted to close 26 field offices, leaving only FOUR for the entire U.S.
I look on AR as a communication tool and a hobby, I think it has lost it’s “service” aspect. – W.A.
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Hugh,
Someone told me that any Ham, who joins the MARS program, can be “called up” by the branch of service he/she is associated with through MARS. This was described to me as similar to being in the ready reserves.
Comments? – RDG
HJL Responds: I have no direct experience with MARS, but looking at their websites it is apparent that it is very similar to ARES/RACES with the exception that rather than FEMA/DHS, you are working directly with the military. I noted that there are separate programs for the Army, Air Force and Navy and that there seems to be very little cross-over between them. Wikipedia notes that the Navy MARS service will be terminated September 30, 2015 though. Unlike ARES/RACES, the MARS programs utilize their own set of frequencies that are outside of the Amateur Radio bands. There is considerable archived discussion on the Internet about using modified radio equipment that is not type accepted by the FCC (meaning it hasn’t been officially approved for this specific use) in these frequencies. One of the concerns raised was that if Hams were not allowed to modify their own radios to participate and instead had to purchase type accepted commercial equipment, many would just quit, reducing the ranks of the volunteers.
This leads me to believe that like any volunteer organization, retention of membership can be a problem. I assume, in an emergency, the military reserves the right to call the members up for active duty as radio operators, but in an all volunteer force, it isn’t a likely situation. Unfortunately, I do not have any contacts who are part of the MARS program so we’ll hope that there are some SurvivalBlog Readers that can answer that.
The Mystery Of The “Missing” Inflation Solved: Record Number Of US Renters Can’t Afford Housing. – H.L.
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When Will US Debt Hit the Wall?
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Items from Mr. Econocobas:
The Economy’s All Fixed—–Only 70 Million Adults Teetering On The Edge Of Ruin
U.S. Power Grid Being Hit With ‘Increasing’ Hacking Attacks, Government Warns . – G.G.
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Uber’s Anti-Gun Policy Is Working Out Really Well For Armed Robbers. – D.S.
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SurvivalBlog reader B.L. suggests that this might be a good time to set up an Australian redoubt: Australia is selling a ranch the size of New Jersey
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Cliven Bundy will be held accountable, Interior secretary says. – B.B.
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The OPM Infobomb Explodes. – JFJ
“The wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men.” – John F. Kennedy
On June 25th, 1876, Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Bighorn–also called Custer’s Last Stand–marked the most decisive Native American victory and the worst U.S. Army defeat in the long Plains Indian War. While complicated, the generally accepted reason for the battle is that the discovery of gold in South Dakota’s Black Hills in 1875 led to the U.S. government disregarding previous treaty agreements. The gruesome fate of Custer and his men outraged many white Americans and confirmed their image of the Indians as wild and bloodthirsty. Meanwhile, the U.S. government increased its efforts to subdue the tribes. Within five years, almost all of the Sioux and Cheyenne would be confined to reservations.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
Many have threads, blogs, magazines and even books on the single most important prep that people have to stockpile. Some of the common phrases you may hear include “you need three of this” and “make sure this is in your bag”. Whether it be weapons, tactical gear, water filters, can openers, or any number of other items, all of these things are nice to have in multiples of each. Like the old saying goes “one is none and two is one”, but there is something that most people forget when it comes to their preps. It’s something that a lot of us have the ability to control and improve, and it can give you and your family a fighting chance in TEOTWAWKI or a SHTF situation. I’m referring to your body, your health, and your mind!
First, let me share a little about me with some quick highlights. I am a Marine Corps combat veteran Infantry Sgt., trained in tracking and personal security, and I am a combat lifesaver with three tours under my belt in a PSD (Personal Security Detail). I have been to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once. We were tasked with the security of the Battalion Commander and Battalion Sgt Major as well as other big wigs, like former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and numerous generals as we traveled our battlespace doing large scale operations, training the locals, and doing meetings with local leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan. I left the Marines and did personal security for a former CEO of a major cellular company. I now am an EMT firefighter in a major city in the Midwest. So why does all of this matter? How does it make me knowledgeable enough to speak on the body and mind in SHTF? I have seen what happens when “it” hits the fan. I have seen what happens to people when an IED goes off and then the gunfire starts and the RPGs fly. I have seen the importance of being in the best shape you can be to carry that tactical gear everyone has. I know the importance of training your mind as well. I have trained Marines and security personnel in areas to help them live longer by fighting harder. My hope is to maybe inspire people to prep their body and mind. The following is not for everyone and should be used on a case by case basis, depending on each individual’s ability, health, and fitness levels. Always talk with your doctor before starting any fitness training.
Your body and the condition it’s in, physically and mentally, is going to determine how long you can make it in a TEOTWAWKI scenario……….period! Your body IS the most important prep, not sweet n hot beef jerky, although that is mighty tasty stuff. If we have a hard time walking to the corner store without being short of breath, how are we going to run, maneuver, or just hike with your plate carrier, chest rig, battle belt, weapon systems, pack, ammo, and other gear? Most of us have this gear. Have you tried walking in it in your house or yard? Have for you walked in this gear for a mile, three miles, et cetera? It is nice to have, but if you can’t move in it what’s the use in having it. Should something large scale, especially a nationwide situation, happen, the supply chain could very well be shut down. There would be no more super markets open or stocked where you could go to get your groceries. You could find yourself going on long expeditions to find food and foraging. So how do we improve our ability to move in all that gear, let alone just our bug out bag?
You start slowly, especially if you have not been doing much physical activity as of late. Start off with walking your neighborhood or on a treadmill. Then start throwing in some full body weight training. The key again is slowly getting into it to lessen the chance of injury and setting you back further. Once you have been doing the both of them for some time and your body is getting used to it. Move up to walking with your full combat load out, if you have an area that you can do so without drawing too much attention. The next step is to start getting formal training through places like Gunsite Academy, Tactical Response, or onPoint Tactical. As with any skill, seek to improve it. Continue to improve your fitness level at your body’s pace. Even if you just plan on wearing a pack and rifle or just the clothes on your back, increase your body’s cardio ability and strength output regardless. It will make it that much easier when that threat presents itself.
I love the sweets and sodas as much as the next person, but I’m sure we all heard the saying “stockpile what you eat, and eat what you stockpile.” The main purpose behind that is so that during stressful times there is not a shock to your system. You don’t want your body left wondering where the six Dr. Pepper a day habit you had went. I cut out pop a long time ago to increase my overall health from the amount of sugar and of course to curb the habit. I almost always drink just water. We all can stand to improve the quality of food intake. So, should there be TEOTWAWKI, we can all probably agree that we will go through our entire food stores, right? At some point we are going to run out or lose it one way or another, whether that be from using it, damage, spoilage, theft, et cetera. I know I personally do not have a lifetime supply of supplies. So what does that mean? Well, it means that we will have to resort back to eating single ingredient foods– foods that we get from our environment and our surroundings. These include leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, animal protein, and so on. So the closer to that we can be to that today with our diets and our storage, the better off we will be should that time come.
Something that can also fit into the food and drink category is alcohol, tobacco, or any other bad habits. I know everyone knows the downside of alcohol and tobacco, so I am not going to beat this dead horse too much. However, have you thought about how tough it would be if your supply ran out and you were thrusted into a SHTF situation? We all know how tough it can be to break these habits because of the addiction and the effects on the body. It is not something I would want to go through in a world with limited resources. Another given is the amount of money that can be saved that could, in turn, be used on other critical preps.
Hugh,
I am not sure if this guys tinfoil hat is on tight enough. I have been a Ham operator and ARES member for five years and never knew I was taken over by DHS or worked for them. – Mike
HJL Responds: This is a subject that has been circulating on the Internet for several months now, and it’s probably time to address it. The problem stems mostly from the DHS and FEMA surrounding the circumstances on 9/11. In the 1970’s, Amateur Radio had reached its peak and had begun the long slow slide to oblivion. While the service provided wonderful opportunities for learning about radio propagation and experimentation with technology, the world itself was starting to become more accepting of this same technology. By the 1990s the personal computer, cell phones, person digital assistants, and gaming platforms were finding acceptance in the average homes. By the 2000s, all of the platforms had merged into the ubiquitous smartphone and the cellular networks had been built out sufficiently that you pretty much had communication capabilities anywhere you wanted within the civilized world.
While the ranks of Ham radio operators began to shrink, organizations like the ARRL began to lobby the FCC for changes to the licensing structure that would make it easier to attain a license. For the FCC, it’s really a numbers game. As its overall numbers shrank, the usage of the frequencies allotted to the Hams lessened, and they were in danger of losing their frequencies to the ever more bandwidth hungry commercial concerns. It doesn’t help that the FCC figured out how to sell the bandwidth at auction, generating revenue in the process. As the licensing restrictions were lessened, the ranks again began to grow, but the unfortunate side affect is that the overall technical knowledge of the ranks of Ham radio operators has been decreasing. It used to be common and desirable to build your own equipment. Indeed, it was often a point of pride that you operated with home-built equipment, no matter how crude or primitive it was. Now, most operators purchase their equipment from established manufacturers.
Where Amateur Radio really shines is during emergencies. As well as the established communications infrastructure works, its one drawback is that it “trunks” the communications in an effort to save resources. This simply means that the paths of communication between locations, like cities, will be fewer than the number of end points in either city. It is unlikely that everyone will pick up their telephone all at once to make a call, so the system works most of the time. Unfortunately, when a crises strikes, that is exactly what happens. All public communications systems are easily overwhelmed at even minor crises. Ham radio, on the other hand, tends to shine at these times. All traffic has to flow through a licensed operator and each operator is capable of making on-the-fly decisions on message priority, connection, and destination. It’s not normally efficient because it’s heavy on the man-power, but in a crises, it performs far better than any trunked and computerized system. The ARRL has always understood this and has pushed this capability as one of the recruiting ideas and as reasons to not loose spectrum to the FCC.
Prior to 9/11, each Ham or club had to come up with their own equipment to participate in this system, and it was mostly haphazard. Post 9/11, FEMA, and later, DHS turned on the money faucet through grants and allowed clubs to obtain funding for major equipment purchases as long as the purpose was for emergency communications (usually connected with ARES or RACES or perhaps just a club that had MOUs with the local government). This has generally benefited all of the parties involved.
There are some draw backs to how the system works, but it may just be the way the world is going. Rather than developers of technology, Hams are now becoming more users of technology. The majority of Hams will never use more than the walkie-talkie they use for their local club and the simulated disaster communications. There are other issues as well. Both government and commercial entities have been caught trying to use the Ham bands by getting their employees to obtain licenses. On the flip side, the number of licensees are at an all time high now, and the sheer numbers of people seem to have an effect all its own. The last numbers I heard were that there were more Hams using Morse code now than ever before, even though there is no code requirement.
But what about this claim of FEMA/DHS taking over of Amateur Radio? I don’t think that is very likely. Hams have always been very good at policing their own ranks for inappropriate behavior. Unlike the CB bands, which became unusable in the early 80s, Amateur Radio has been more of a gentleman’s service. That’s not to say you don’t deal with egos or rude people, but there are far fewer of them, and the members tend to work with the FCC to root out the bad apples. Does that mean they are in DHS’ pocket? I seriously doubt that. While most may not ever use the traditional HF bands like Hams of bygone ages, they are still pretty savvy and independent. They have a desire to help their community, and if they can use their hobby and interest to do so, why not. Besides, while the money flows freely from FEMA/DHS, the decisions are still firmly made between the local club and the local government. Would you say that all volunteer firemen or EMTs are in the pocket of FEMA/DHS? The last few years have really just seen the interests of FEMA/DHS and Amateur Radio line up rather nicely, but when their interest diverge, the relationship will as well.
Forget Greece, Portugal is the eurozone’s next crisis . – H.L.
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Gold & Silver Eagle Sales Spike In June As The Market Senses Financial Turmoil
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Investing In Nuclear Power Just Got More Interesting
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Billionaire Warns of Looming Disaster: “Derivatives Are Still Weapons Of Mass Destruction”. – E.B.
Cockroach bot that can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps. – H.L.
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You’re being secretly tracked with facial recognition, even in church . – B.B.
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Most California farmers ignoring water restrictions. – S.B.
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‘Finish the mission, kill slave masters’. We are in dark times it seems. All this over a nut that cracked and did a horrible thing. No mentions for the most part on the news of the murdered family in Washington D.C. by a really crazy evil person as well. Seems that’s okay. This flag issue is really a slippery slope. ? – D.S.
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From our favorite Vlogger: Refurbishing an old crosscut saw
While you’re at it, you might want to listen to his tribute to his father. It’s only 8 minutes long.
“To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.” – Thomas Jefferson
