Invisibility: Increasing OPSEC – Part 4, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.)

Computer OPSEC

I’ll let the reader research computer, email privacy, and encryption on their own but I do have two things I’ll pass on.

When I hover the mouse pointer over a file in one of my computer folders, a box opens above it showing the author, title (which is actually my LibreOffice template name), computer owner, and date among other things. There are two ways to prevent this from exposing personal information about me than I’d prefer when I share documents or photographs.

First, when setting up a new computer I don’t supply any real information. Those who’ve already done so can edit the info. For the name of the computer owner, I use a fictional character like George Jetson or name of a like Patrick Henry or Thomas Jefferson.

For the “Author” attribution when I’m setting up a program like LibreOffice, I use a different fictional character.Continue reading“Invisibility: Increasing OPSEC – Part 4, by St. Funogas”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the risk of additional bank failures.

Precious Metals:

Price declines for gold, silver as USDX continues climb.

o  o  o

I missed seeing this, when it was posted back in March: Power cuts, war, and hybrid cars are predicted to cause a platinum price surge in 2023.

Economy & Finance:

Jamie Dimon Warns QT Will Lead To More Bank Failures. a quote from Dimon:

“We haven’t been through Quantitative Tightening. So we really don’t know what’s going to happen to deposits at all [ZH; actually we do: deposits will shrink dollar for dollar alongside reserves]. And that’s why I’ve been quite concerned about that. I’m probably more concerned about quantitative tightening with anybody in this room.

We’ve never had QT before. It just started, okay? And you see huge distortions in the marketplace already. We’ve never had the Fed in the market like this with that RRP program that Jeremy mentioned ever. They have $2.3 trillion basically lent out to money funds. And I don’t know the full effect of that. And obviously, that’s a direct deduction from deposits are rolling out it made sense to do.

So I think people should build into their mindset that they may have to move deposit beta more than they think and manage that. So I mean, if I was any bank or any company, I’d be saying, can you handle higher interest rates and surprise in deposits, etc?”

o  o  o

May 2023 Debt Limit Analysis.

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Janet Yellen told bank CEOs more mergers may be necessary, sources say.

o  o  o

Japan’s Banks Resist Buybacks After Predicting Bumper Profit.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Self-Checkout Machines Are Now Begging For Tips.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” – Edward Snowden

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — May 25, 2023

On May 25th, 1787, The Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia with George Washington presiding. The task of the peaceful overthrow of the new American government as it had been defined by the Articles of Confederation eventually led to the United States Constitution that is so abused today.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 value.)
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 106 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.

Invisibility: Increasing OPSEC – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2.)

Social Security Number

It goes without saying that our social security number shouldn’t be given to anyone unless we’re legally required to provide it, and that’s not very often. On the other hand, if it’s a private business they can also deny us service. But there’s a caveat.

After selling an item to a business for a large sum of money I went straight to their bank to cash the check. The amount of cash was small enough to avoid government paperwork but the bank demanded I write my social security number below my signature on the check. In those cases the Social Security Administration advises us to ask what law requires us to provide the number to them. Cashing checks is not on the list so I asked to see the bank manager but he was in a meeting. To speed the process up, I finally used a fake number but one I could reproduce if necessary: the first three numbers of my Dad’s (I memorized it from my childhood military dependent’s ID), the middle two from my former spouse’s number, and the last four of mine. They gave me my money.

Under no circumstances should we carry our social security card in our wallets or give a false number to a government agency who requires it.Continue reading“Invisibility: Increasing OPSEC – Part 3, by St. Funogas”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, some updates on gun confiscation schemes.

ATF Changes Their Mind On Pistol Braces Again

A video report from Mrgunsngear: Breaking: ATF Changes Their Mind On Pistol Braces Again. JWR’s Comments: Take note that the ATF has a long history of making arrests and pursuing felony prosecutions for  “Constructive Possession” of unregistered NFA items. Therefore, I do not recommend simply detaching your pistol arm braces, as the ATF Director mentioned in his sworn testimony before Congress. To avoid arrest, then before midnight on May 31st, 2023, the detached braces must no longer be in your possession — meaning they are off of your property and not under your control!  Oh, and with several lawsuits now pending, I wouldn’t recommend destroying any detached arm braces, quite yet.

Landmark Colorado River Water Conservation Deal

H.L. sent this: What the landmark Colorado River conservation deal will require of states.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Free competition is worth more to society than it costs.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., from Vegelahn v. Guntner, 167 Mass. 92, 44 N.E. 1077, 1080. Voicing the opinion of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, 1896.

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — May 24, 2023

On May 24th, 1775, John Hancock was elected president of the Second Continental Congress. He is best known for his large signature on the Declaration of Independence, which he jested the British king could read “without his spectacles.”

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 value.)
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 106 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.

 

Invisibility: Increasing OPSEC – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.)

Using LLCs

An anonymous LLC is the most important tool available to ensure no one can connect your name to your physical address and provides other benefits as well. Using an online agent LLC’s are quick and easy to obtain with some starting as low as $99. Don’t be intimidated by “LLC,” it’s something lots of us non-business little guys have and they’re useful in many ways once you understand how they work.

Why an LLC? There are many reasons as discussed below but the biggest reason is that all county courthouses in the US maintain publicly accessible land-ownership records. In the hallway of my county courthouse is a large map showing who owns every tract of land in the county. With an LLC, the LLC name is shown on the map and in the deed books, not the owner’s name. The deed books at the county recorder’s are searchable and I used them to research the ownership of my current property back to the early 1800s.

Not just any LLC will work. The only way to be absolutely certain your property is not connected with your name in any way is to title it using a New Mexico LLC. Wyoming and a few other states offer “anonymous” LLCs but they’re not fully anonymous. While the LLC owner is anonymous to the public, the state and the Feds still know the name and address of the LLC owner. New Mexico LLCs are superior to all others because no name or address of the owner is attached to the LLC in any way. Not even the state knows who the owner is, just the agent’s name. This link can explain some of the differences between the four states which have anonymous LLCs.Continue reading“Invisibility: Increasing OPSEC – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

—

A Matt Christiansen video that reiterates some key points of the now fully-documented “Russian Collusion” Lie: Durham Report Details FBI Corruption in Trump-Russia Investigation — They Were With Her. JWR’s Comments: It is now abundantly clear that we cannot trust the grossly politicized and weaponized FBI, ATF, and other Federal law enforcement agencies. If they ever come to your door, DO NOT answer any of their questions. Just wish them well, politely ask them to leave, and lock your door.  If they return with a valid search warrant, do not physically resist them. But don’t cooperate with them in any way to make their job any easier. A search warrant cannot compel you to say anything — such as provide safe combinations or phone/computer passwords, nor reveal your cache locations or the hiding places for your keys. That would be self-incrimination and violate your Fourth Amendment rights. Also, do not confuse an arrest warrant with a search warrant. Never grant permission to law enforcement officers at any level (local, state, or federal) to search your vehicle or your home without articulable probable cause or a valid court-issued search warrant!

o  o  o

Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch scolds Americans over handling of pandemic emergencies.

o  o  o

A warning on mail-order veterinary antibiotics: June 1st THIS Becomes Illegal – How To Stock Up Before the Ban.  JWR Says:  Stock up, for the good of your pet fish!

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men. If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act.” – George Orwell, Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — May 23, 2023

On this day in 1934, the outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed by a pair of deputized former Texas Rangers and assorted local police, near Gibbsland, Louisiana. This ambush was dramatized in the 2019 movie The Highwaymen, starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson.

—

May 23rd is also the birthday of George Lars Kellgren (born 1943 in Borås, Sweden), the founder and chief engineer of Kel-Tec. According to LeftistAgendaPedia: He designed many firearms earlier for Husqvarna and Swedish Interdynamics AB in Sweden. He moved to the US in 1979 and his original US designs were for Intratec and Grendel brand firearms. He founded Kel-Tec in 1991.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 value.)
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 106 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.

 

 

Invisibility: Increasing OPSEC – Part 1, by St. Funogas

I recently read an article on advances which have been made using ear recognition as one more way to track us and violate our privacy. Since facial recognition systems are sometimes inadequate due to factors such as faces hidden by hair or covid masks, additional recognition technology using our ears is being developed. I don’t need to mention all the other ways modern technology is being used to violate our privacy or that our rights are being eroded by the day.

The article brought to mind a book I read while looking for a place to set up my homestead: How to Be Invisible by J.J. Luna. I used it extensively before and after getting established in a new life and found it to be valuable and informative. Not only did it outline what steps to take but also showed the various ways to accomplish them. While technology, cultural changes, and increasingly oppressive laws have made some of the ideas in the book obsolete, the concepts are still good and the majority of the information is still valid and doable. There are many similar books available.

While only a book can cover all the facets and adequate details of how to protect our privacy to the max, I offer here some of the things I’ve personally done.

For the very OPSEC reasons I’m about to discuss, I have to be a little hazy on the details of some of my experiences. The best ones I can’t even discuss but many of you will figure those out on your own if you decide to journey down the OPSEC road less traveled. I’m sorry to report that during the last day of editing the better part of wisdom dictated that some paragraphs and concepts should be deleted. It’s a sad day when we fear our government to that extent.

I hope this article is a teaser to inspire you to investigate this topic in more depth.Continue reading“Invisibility: Increasing OPSEC – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, some reporting on recent widespread thunderstorms.

Idaho

Flood evacuation ordered for Ketchum community.

o  o  o

Idahoans answer the call to help fight escalating fires in Canada.

o  o  o

Juror speaks out about decision to convict Lori Vallow-Daybell. A quote:

“Prosecutors say Lori and Chad claimed her kids were zombies and conspired with Lori’s brother to murder them. Then months later, were seen dancing at their wedding on this beach in Hawaii.

‘I’m wondering what went through your mind when you saw this testimony, those pictures of Chad, Lori on the beach in Hawaii when her kids were buried in his backyard,’ Matt Gutman said.

‘I was disgusted,” Hernandez said. ‘I didn’t want to look at them. I just couldn’t believe how someone can be that happy when your kids are in the ground. And the person that was key in all of this is sitting across from you, smiling and dancing with you on the beach.'”

o  o  o

First female US District Judge in Idaho takes office.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”