Letter Re: The Home Library

HJL,

I have thought on the topic of the home library and what books it should and should not comprise, at least in terms of there being a set of bookshelves, which all family members have access to and are encouraged to read and use for study, whether one homeschools or not.

A Bible and a good concordance thereto top the list, and I believe that the King James Version, in modern type, is generally the best overall. For intensive Scripture study, in fact, I usually print out a Book or chapters from the KJV from a reliable .pdf file. I can then underline or highlight as I see fit and can carry the pages in a binder.

I believe a good parallel translation Bible can be useful in determining the meaning of words, so long as the parallel translations are not objectionable in the intent of the translators. However, I believe there are many modern translations of good intent.

Among the Bibles I would have in my library would be a good Geneva Bible, but only if the typeface and spellings were modern while the book was otherwise complete and the notes unexpurgated. Specifically, it has to include the Apocrypha, which all original and ancient Geneva Bibles did. It’s worth noting that all KJV Bibles also did so until 1803, when a North American printing omitted it.

I would also not be without a good concordance to any translation I intended to study much from and also some supplementary literature. I would like to have a copy of Halley’s Bible Handbook, which was prepared under his own supervisions; modern ones are a farce and deviate extensively from his scholarship.

In my opinion, most really worthwhile Christian literature was published before 1900. Much of what is sold in Christian bookstores today is either empty platitudes or actively detrimental. My wife and I do not take our children to most Christian bookstores, and we do not listen to contemporary Christian music.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Brownback is a Brown Coat! Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has signed a bill that re-legalizes permit-free concealed carry (aka “Constitutional Carry“) of guns. The law will take effect on July 1st, 2015. Commendably, Brownback was quoted as saying: “Responsible gun ownership – for protection and sport – is a right inherent in our Constitution.” Kudos to Governor Brownback. Kansas will join Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Vermont, and Wyoming as Constitutional Carry states. The legislatures in other states should take note and follow suit! (Idaho and Montana are presently ripe candidates.) – JWR

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Common Core Education: The Insane Bottom Line. – H.L.

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Fight Dirty: How to Become a Backyard Garden Guerrilla Even If You’ve Never Grown a Tomato

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Facebook kidnapping case proves you need to know EVERYTHING your kid does online. – D.S.

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How “No dissent allowed” can morph into mass murder. – T.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” John 18:4-6 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – April 04, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 58 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less then one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. *Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 58 ends on May 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.

A Story of Caution in Today’s Police State, by Lebannen

I have always supported our troops and our first responders. Down deep inside of my conscious, I honestly feel that serving is the greatest form of community involvement. As a fourth generation Army veteran, this is something that I was not only raised to believe but I lived every day. The structure, the camaraderie, and the deep-seeded need to protect others led me to my next chapter– law enforcement.

I eventually found myself applying for an agency in my home state. I applied and was accepted for my military experience, high academic standards, sharp appearance, and life maturity; I entered the police force at the age of 35. I was on average 10 years older than the next cadet, and I was only seven years younger than the youngest instructor. So, I was gently teased about my age; it was in good fun. I missed the teamwork atmosphere that I could not find in the private sector.

However, during the past nine weeks, I have noticed that law enforcement has become far too powerful. The methodology that is being taught at agencies across the nation (or so I am told) skirt the Constitution that we swore an oath to uphold. I was constantly shocked to hear decorated local, state, and federal representatives bend the law and outright laugh at the stories of falsification of statements, coerced statements, and outright deception. This is not an indictment of the profession or honest agencies/officers. I still hold law enforcement as one of the most honorable professions. With that said, the civilian population needs to understand their rights and responsibilities.

I eventually resigned during the Academy, after my sponsoring agency received a report that I was refusing to follow instructions. The charge is true; I refuse to violate the Constitution. So, instead of risking my good name and reputation for a disciplinary hearing, I resigned without prejudice.

Here is the exact scenario that is taken from the exercise that started all of the trouble:

You are pulled over for failing to signal for a right turn on a two lane highway. After the officer gives you a lawful command to exit your vehicle and walk to the front of the patrol unit, the officer asks you the following question(s):

Officer: “Sir/Ma’am, do you have an Operator’s License?”

You: “Yes, Officer, I do.” You give the Officer your license, and the Officer asks the following question:

Officer: “Do you have Proof of Insurance and Motor Vehicle Registration?”

You: “Yes ,Officer, I have it right here.” You give the officer the requested documents.

Officer: “That is odd; most people keep it in their vehicle. Why do you have it on your person?”

You: “I just keep it there because I tend to forget where I placed it.”

Officer: “Okay, stand right here, I am going to run a check on you to verify who you are and to make sure you are authorized to operate this vehicle.”

The Officer returns and states: “I will walk you to your vehicle.”

You and the Officer walk back to the vehicle, and you sit down and buckle up. Then the officer asks you:

Officer: “Can I search your vehicle, since you carried your information so readily; I feel that you are hiding something from me?” “Do you have any weapons or contraband I need to know about?”

You: “I do not agree to any search, as I have done nothing wrong and complied with your every request.”

The officer is instantly angered by your answer and removes you from the vehicle, places you in restraints, and pat searches for “Officer safety” and detains you in his vehicle. The officer eventually finds your lawfully purchased pistol jammed between the front seat and console and arrests you for having a firearm in his state. You have no criminal record of any kind. Is the stop and arrest valid? Why or why not?

The answer that surprises you is NO! In no state in the country is this arrest valid, due to the officer not having reasonable suspicion or probable cause to walk up with you after giving the officer the requested documentation. It is a violation of your 4th Amendment. The original stop is valid, but what follows is poisoned by the officer not having consent or probable cause to search your vehicle. Therefore, the finding of the weapon would be tossed out. This is ANOTHER violation of your 4th amendment. Finally, the officer was holding your information and did not offer to return it to you. That officer is essentially COERCING you to consent to his search. This is a violation of the 5th amendment.

When I said these things, I was instantly ridiculed and threatened by the same instructors who gave me praise earlier. I went from being a model student to being a “troublemaker” in one afternoon. I resigned from the academy effective 3/17/15 for standing up for what I believe in– the United States Constitution; I hold no regrets. Here are some tips that I can give you when dealing with law enforcement.

  • Do a quick Internet search of your State’s criminal law and especially vehicles traffic laws. Most states have them online.
  • Never make direct eye contact with officers while driving. They are trained to pick up on that, and it gives them (in most jurisdictions) reasonable suspicion to follow you. This can lead to you making one minor error while driving to facilitate a stop.
  • Never hang anything on your rear view mirror or blocking the view, such as necklace or cross, as it is a federal law that you cannot carry anything that restricts your vision while driving. Federal law allows states to enforce it.
  • When subject to a stop, do NOT get out of the vehicle unless the officer instructs you to do so. This automatically escalates their mindset, and the officers will immediately place their hand on the duty weapon. Officers are being ambushed at an alarming rate.
  • Always carry your license and vehicle information (driver’s license, insurance, and registration) in your wallet.
  • Fighting a speeding ticket is easy, even with the laser. Just ask the agency in court when the last time the recalibration is done. They have to provide it and show it was in sync at the time of the citation; if they cannot, then you can argue it was out of sync.
  • If you have open carry in your state, be respectful about it. If your state has a mandatory identification clause (such as mine), then identify yourself when approached by an officer.
  • If you feel as your rights are violated, do not argue about it there. Make a formal complaint with the internal affairs division, and then escalate it from there if needed.
  • If you are being pulled over in a poorly lit or dangerous area, then you are protected by federal law of slowly advancing to the nearest reasonable area to assist the officer in facilitating the stop. Don’t drive 10 miles when you pass three or four other places.
  • Think about what you are going to say before you speak; officers are being trained to read body language and to confuse you during questioning. This allows them to get consent or admission during an interview/interrogation.
  • You have a fundamental right to refuse searches; do not let them intimidate you by saying it can be held against you. It can’t in any capacity.
  • Always ask during moments of silence, “Am I free to go?” or “Am I being detained?” This places the burden on them for probable cause.
  • Running from the police automatically gives them reasonable suspicion to stop you. So, if you are doing something illegal and you see police, DO NOT RUN.
  • If you are being placed under arrest and the officer is becoming rough with you, repeatedly say, “I am not resisting. Do not hurt me!”
  • If you are going to film police, do not be like those clowns on Copwatch. Do it safely from a distance.
  • If the police come to your door and ask you to step outside or open it, you do NOT have to comply. They need a warrant unless an exigent circumstance occurs. An exigent circumstance would be them hearing a scream or cry for assistance, a gunshot, or any criminal violation that is against people (drugs included).
  • If you are being interrogated (different from interviewed), repeatedly say this one word: LAWYER! Officers have a right to come back later and ask if you wish to talk, but if you say “no”, then they MUST leave.

Remember, police are trained with the mindset that three types of people in the world exist: the sheep (civilians), the wolves (criminals), and the sheepdogs (police). The sheepdogs will tell you that they are only protecting the flock, when in fact they are predators themselves. Police are now being trained to prey upon criminals rather than to uphold the constitution at all cost. This statement does not apply to all police, but this statement does apply to those in law enforcement who bend the rules to make an arrest or stop.

Letter Re: The Mark of the Beast and Prepping

Hugh,

Yet another person is comparing biometric access to the Biblical Mark of the Beast (MOB). I’m not sure why people are so quick to link any kind of implanted device, RFID, or biometric access to the MOB, but I am fairly certain these people have not actually read the Bible or the associated prophecies:

“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.” Revelation 14:9,10

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17

It is pretty clear from a cursory reading that those receiving the mark are people that worship the beast or his image AND THEN willingly receive the mark of his name or the number of his name.

While many will willingly worship the beast in the end times, using biometrics to pay for something or access the internet IS NOT the mark of the beast, and if you cling to the idea that it is, you need to sit down with your Bible a little while longer and actually read what it says.

Almighty God is not going to eternally punish you for using a fingerprint to access the Internet. What he is going to eternally punish you for is knowingly worshiping the beast. – A

HJL Responds: This is an area of eschatology where FUD certainly rules supreme and there are as many “theories” as there are people. I can remember as a child, bar codes were going to be “The mark of the Beast” and we were all going to have to have a tattoo placed on our foreheads or wrists to be able to live in society. There are two things that a person should keep in mind before heading down the rabbit trail of just what this mark may be. First, take a look at the fall of Jerusalem in the Bible. The author of Chronicles records this:

“Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.” 2 Chronicles 36:17

But Ezekiel recorded it this way:

“and the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof … slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.” Ezekiel 9:4&6

These are records of the exact same occurrence, but one has a “mark on their foreheads” and the other does not. Why? Because the author of Chronicles is a historian, recording what was physically seen. Ezekiel was a prophet recording what he saw in a vision. The vision was of spiritual things, and the “mark” was a spiritual mark. Similarly, John is recording what he is seeing in a spiritual vision, not as a historian but as a prophet. There is no reason to expect a physical “mark of the beast”. I’m pretty sure a historian would have recorded people running for the hills whose heads had a glowing mark upon them.

Second, the entire Bible, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is about the relationship between God and man. While man looks upon the outward appearance (and is easily fooled), God looks upon man’s heart. No one will be held accountable for a physical mark that can be forcibly placed upon your body, against your will. The Spiritual mark will be something that is willingly accepted by the person who worships the beast. I have my own ideas about what that “mark” might entail, but I am quite certain it will not be an RFID chip, barcode, or any other physical device. It will be related to the heart of those who willingly turn against God.

As a prepper, however, some form of identification that tracks your purchases may indeed be something to be wary of, but it will not affect your standing with God.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:22-24 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – April 03, 2015

Infidel Body Armor is running a special today. Customers will get $40 off, a decal patch, and pre-paid shipping on orders over $200.

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Don’t forget, Ready Made Resources is offering three Mountain House Classic Assortment Buckets along with a Sawyer SP 128 mini water filter (capable of filtering 100,000 gallons of water) with the purchase of their MOUD142 Mountain House Entree Pac (36 cans / 6 cases). It’s one of their best offers yet!

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Today, we present another entry for Round 58 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less then one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. *Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 58 ends on May 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.

Planning Who Shares Your Parachute – Part 2, by L.M.

Plan Charity

During TEOTWAWKI, there will be millions without the basic necessities of food, shelter, water, and medicine. While you certainly can’t be expected to care for everyone, you should plan into your parachute a bit of charity. Our personal number is 10%. We store 10% more than we think we will need so that we will have some to give away as charity.

Your charity portion will have to be carefully disbursed so that you don’t compromise your OpSec, but none the less you will fare better for having it. Unlike most things about TEOTWAWKI and preps, charity can be neatly divided into two major classes: charity for those you know but cannot take in, and charity for those you don’t know.

Let’s be quite frank at this juncture. Despite your best plans and your best conversations, there will be people you know but did not invite who show up at your door looking for a handout. Having something in the charity bag to hand them while you politely shoo them on their way can both help them and ease your mind. Having something to give them allows you to keep your promise (“You can’t come here!”) while fulfilling the implied promise of helping a friend in need. If you have already planned this charity into your parachute, it is really no extra burden.

There is a subcategory of those you do know but can’t take in. That is those that you can take temporarily. Perhaps you can take them just overnight while they get a meal, shower, and wash their clothes before they move on. Or, perhaps you can take them for a week, while they labor in your garden, cut firewood, or provide security. Whatever you decide, once again, communication and setting proper expectations are paramount. Talk to them, and make absolutely sure they know your plans.

Then there are those strangers you don’t know who may come knocking for a handout. Zombies! I strongly discourage you from giving charity from your front door to those you don’t know. That is a huge violation of your OpSec. It could lead them to believe that you have supplies that they desperately need and provoke them into staging a violent midnight raid on your sanctuary. I would suggest a more clandestine method of helping, such as very quietly giving to the local food bank, church, or free medical clinic. If this giving is previously planned, then it too is really no extra burden.

Even when dealing with the Zombies, planning is critical. Having prepared the right words, which are delivered with the right tone of voice, can go a long way toward keeping your peace. How will you handle the Zombies who won’t take “no” for an answer? How will you treat the Zombies that keep coming back? Plan now how you will respond to the Zombies, and it will go much easier on that stressful day.

Planning a few extra cans of beans for charity into your preps is a small price to pay for the goodwill it may bring you. Certainly, giving away some edible supplies is quite prudent if it keeps you from having to deplete your lead supplies.

How To Plan

Now that we agree that good planning is a critical skill and we have talked a bit about what to plan, let’s discuss how to plan. Plans must be cataloged, firm but flexible, and constantly reviewed and updated.

Step one for planning is to put your plans to paper (or computer). Writing your plan down is the best way to ensure that you won’t forget things, and it also makes it much easier for your partners to know what you have in mind. WARNING: This step takes the most time but reaps the most rewards! A quick search of the Internet will yield you dozens of spreadsheets to use. Or, if you are old school (or EMP probable), use a pencil and a notebook to keep your data.

So, what do you need to put in this spreadsheet or notebook? Here is a list of the things for which you probably need to plan, as you increase your readiness for TEOTWAWKI. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it gives you a good start.

  • Skills

    • Skills you have or plan to get.
    • Skills others in your team have.
    • Skills you are missing.

    In this section, you should note the skills you have, the ones you plan to get, and the ones that others may bring with them. (See now why you have to have some idea who is coming?) List the skills in order of importance. You may discover that you are missing vital skills that you cannot live without. (You are trained in first aid, aren’t you?) These are your first priority for obtaining skill training. Note that as your group composition changes or ages, so will the skill sets.

  • Shelter

    • Security for your shelter
    • Heat
    • Power
    • Repairs

    Shelter is quite important, and I am sure that you have given it some thought. This is a huge category, and you may want to break security out into its own section. I included it here, because the main purpose of security is to secure your housing, along with the people and things in it.

    In this section you will also record your plan for how you will provide heat (wood, coal, solar, et cetera). Do you plan on having alternate sources of power during TEOTWAWKI (solar, generator, gassifier, or something else)? Here is also where you list the items you will need to repair your shelter (plexi-glass, wood, nails, tarps, pipe, and so forth).

  • Food

    • How much of what?

      • Fruits
      • Vegetables
      • Grains
      • Breads
      • Meats
    • Cooking

      • Utensils
      • Means of cooking

    Here is where knowing who is coming is so important. Who is going to be there informs this part of your plans. I can’t tell you specifically how to plan, but I will tell you our plan. Feel free to adjust it to your specific needs.

    We plan for 20 people for six months. Further, my plan calls for servings of three fruits, four veggies, five starches, and six breads, for a total of about 1130 calories each day. We will supplement this with our own meat from our homestead. Having these numbers allowed us to calculate how much we needed in each category. From here you can further break this down, such as within the breads category how much wheat, or barley, or rye, et cetera. Perhaps you have less people, want more calories, or plan on a longer timeframe. This organization gives you the format to accurately plan for those things by changing the math to fit your plan.

  • Water

    • Resupply
    • Filtration

    This is a big deal. During TEOTWAWKI you may not have government-sourced, running water or any electricity to power your well. Knowing how much water you will need will help you with this part of the plan. For instance, in our plan, if we want to supply 20 people for six months with two gallons a day, we need to source 7200 gallons of potable water (one very large swimming pool). If you are planning for a drought, knowing how much water you need may provoke you to deepen your well, so that when your neighbors are all out of water your well still provides. (Of course, now you will have to change your security plan to defend it.)

  • Hygiene

    • Male specific needs
    • Female specific needs
    • Infant specific needs
    • Common needs

    Now you have your food, water, and shelter planned out, but it does you no good, because you all stink so bad you cannot stay in the same house. Please plan for good hygiene. If you do not, then you have to plan for much more medical supplies to treat the resultant illnesses.

  • Medical

    • Supplies
    • Medicines

    During TEOTWAWKI medical help may be a long way off or completely nonexistent. Plan to care for the potential needs of your group. Try to anticipate the needs that are not present now but may arise later. Don’t forget to add medical care to your skills list.

  • Transportation

    • Items that use power
    • Items that do not use power
    • Fuels
    • Repair

    We already discussed having a transportation plan. Here is where you list the items you need to make that plan happen.

  • Tools

    • Hand tools
    • Power tools

    TEOTWAWKI may present you with no power, so hand tools may be required. In this section you list all the tools, both powered and manual, that you may need.

This list could have gone on and on to include such vital things as education, entertainment, and communication. You can, and should, add to this list as your situation dictates. Planning for an economic collapse will create a very different list than planning for an EMP.

Conclusion

Creating a great plan takes lots of hard work. I suggest that you create it the same way you eat an elephant– one bite at a time. Create the skills list and mull it over for a week or so. Take it out every day and just look at it. Things that belong on the list will seem to just pop into your mind.

The second week move on to the shelter list and mull it over for a week in the same fashion. I am quite sure that as you work the shelter list, you will discover some things you forgot for the skills list, too. Then, next week, move on to the next topic and so forth. Take it one bite at a time, and it will not overwhelm you.

In armies, Generals are not the best shooters; they are the best planners. The CEO of General Motors is not the company’s best car builder; he is the company’s best planner. For preppers, the most important skill is planning. If you do not have a plan, you have a high probability of failing, which may mean death! What good is it to have all the food you could possibly need if you have not planned a means to prepare it? What good are all the bullets, if you forgot to buy the rifle? What good is it to have a parachute if it won’t bear the weight on it?

Plan. Plan. Plan. Planning you parachute may save your life!

Letter: The Internet

HJL/JWR:

I am a former G6 (army comms) and closet geek, and a stability operations (Civil Affairs) practitioner. Suffice to say the issue of open Internet access and destabilizing influences on the ground have been the center of my world and work for over a decade. You’re not going to like this, but here it is:

The only way to preserve the Internet AND reduce the spread of radical ideology is to register users’ to each IP address. Here’s why.

The Internet IS like a big, wonderful library (paraphrasing yesterday’s poster). However, there’s a problem. Imagine your children in that library, along with your grandma and all your financial records, too, when a stranger comes in the door, masked, in a fedora and trenchcoat. He flashes your kids, kicks your grandma in the teeth, and swipes your financial data. How did this happen?

It’s because we let a guy come in the library with a mask on.

That’s the Internet. The anonymity we all have grown to see as a “right” is really just a function of the way the Internet and our lives evolved together. Your town would NEVER let a stranger come into the library with a mask on, so why in the world would we allow the same thing to occur in cyberspace?

IP address registration and biometrics can be linked operationally, strategically, and yes biblically, but please understand that they are not automatically concurrent. As a libertarian, I loathe to say this but the registration and tracking of IP addresses and users is a textbook government function.

We cannot allow anonymous users access to the Internet; if any three of us had sit around the kitchen table and planned the ubiquity, rate of growth, and saturation of the Internet into our lives, we would NEVER allow a SINGLE unregistered user access.

I am certain there will be people in the survival-blogosphere who will denounce me, and that’s okay. I’ll leave you with one thing to think about, as a stability practitioner: think about the increased event density with regard to terrorism and radicalism. Think about the geographic, religious, cultural, financial, social, and other spheres involved. Now tell me: what is the ONE single unifying factor among all of the things you’ve considered? It’s communication.

Marshal McLuhan was right: the medium IS the message.

The (open) Internet IS the problem. In Christ – T.K.

HJL Responds: Anonymity on the Internet does not exist today, and I’m not sure it ever existed. Having spent considerable time in the industry, I can tell you that every bit of “metadata” is saved for several months, and the only thing keeping it from being saved for years is the ISP’s unwillingness to use the disk space. To my knowledge, every ISP operates more-or-less to the same standard with the only difference being in how long such records are maintained. The logging of the data is inherent to the design of the Internet and is how system administrators troubleshoot networking problems. Each ISP also maintains those records for their own protection. They keep those records so that if illegal activity is traced to any particular ISP, they can point the finger at someone else. The natural check/balance that keeps this information from being pooled in a massive database is that a court order is required to pull the data from every single ISP involved in the network path of the data.

If you are using the Internet, you must assume that the metadata is always saved. If any particular entity along the path of the data is under active investigation or current search warrant, the content of the data may also be saved. In addition, it has been revealed that the intelligence community has the capability of duplicating and saving every packet of data that passes through a major routing point within the United States. Even though the saving of data is only supposed to apply to data passing to and from foreign destinations or people of interest, it has been shown that the intelligence community keeps data with up to three or four degrees of separation from the actual entity of interest. Can you guarantee that the person/entity you are communicating with does not know someone else who knows someone else of interest to the NSA? Always assume that your Internet communications are tracked, because they are, if not by the NSA (or other alphabet agency), then by the local ISP, and the data is only a court order away from being public.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Despite Ever-Expanding Police State Measures, Cops Worse Than Ever at Solving Crimes. Here’s Why.. – H.L.

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Ukrainian Authorities Raid Dormitories to Catch Students Evading Draft

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DHS Launches “Family Reunification,” Refugee Program for Central Americans. – B.B.

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Banks Turning Accounts over to Police for Seizure. – D.S.

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SurvivalBlog recently ran across a U.S.-made wind turbine for those who live in a suitable location. You might want to check Pika Energy out, if you are interested.