Preparedness Notes for Saturday – September 30, 2017

In a letter to his nephew, Lund Washington, plantation manager of Mount Vernon, General George Washington wrote on this day in 1776 of his displeasure with the undisciplined conduct and poor battlefield performance of the American militia. Washington blamed the Patriot reliance on the militia as the chief root of his problems in the devastating loss of Long Island and Manhattan to the British. this eventually led to the appointment of Friedrich, Freiherr von Steuben who taught the militia basic military discipline.

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Memory Longer Than A Gold Fish, by NavyVet_77

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While some people get frustrated over short-term memory issues of the aged, others wonder if young Americans have a more serious issue with their absent memory of history that seems to last no longer than that of a gold fish. Many of those we see participating in the Antifa/BLM movements are between the ages of 16 and 25. Other age groups are involved, but the clear majority of participants are from a younger demographic. So many people ask themselves, “What is going through the minds of these protesters?” and “Why?”.

Communism/Marxist Ideologies Seeping Into Children’s Lives

Communism (which is based upon Marxist ideologies) has been slowly seeping into every aspect of our children’s lives, spanning from at least the 1980’s. For instance, we now have a practice of removing the teacher as an authority figure in the classroom. And the classroom has become a platform for indoctrination into the Marxist ideology.

Children When Obama Elected Became Alinsky’s “Useful Idiots”

A person who is 20 years old today was 12 years old when Obama was first elected. The years of 12-20 are very influential years for a person coming of age up through high school and perhaps college, which are bombarded with Marxist Social Sciences. These individuals have been brought up and raised by the State of communist indoctrination. The destruction of the family and parents as authority figures are part of this indoctrination. It continues with training the children to look at the State as the authority figure in their lives, teaching these children they don’t need to trust or believe anything they are told other than the answers the State provides. Thereby, the States creates the quintessential “useful idiots” of Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radical”.

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The Editors’ Preps for the Week

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

JWR

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers,

This week we split and stacked some more firewood, and took delivery of another six tons of hay.   Stacking hay is always a dusty and fatiguing chore, but a satisfying one.  When you gaze at a a full woodshed and a full hay barn it gives you a sense of accomplishment. It also confirms that you’ve done what the Lord expects you to do, to provide for your family, regardless of what happens in the larger world.

Our greenhouse is still generating  successive harvests, such as tomatoes and squash. But our open-air gardens are nearing their end for the season. (There is still broccoli, carrots, cabbage, kale, and a few red raspberries and strawberries producing outdoors.)  We are feeling ready and provisioned for winter. Let it come.

Today (Saturday) we are praying and fasting, honoring Yom Kippur.

I’m looking forward to reading comments from readers, both about their preps for winter, and how they fared in the recent hurricanes.

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The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. Pandora’s box continues to produce questionable fruit. Just because we can does not mean we should! A Cambodian farmer has produced GMO pigs – or frankenpigs.

Puerto Rico

Reader L.C. sent in this article on what it’s really like after the SHTF. Information on the dire straights of the people of Puerto Rico has been difficult to get out due to the entire island being without power. However, we are beginning to get reports of just how bad the situation is. We know that we resources are scarce, you only get about 36 hours before chaos set in and it appears that hold true here. but there are over three million people on the island caught in this situation.

Venezuela

A bit further south and you have the man-made disaster called Venezuela. The population is starving thanks to the socialistic policies of the government. while the elite ruling class are desperately spending resources, not to help people, but to hold onto power, the people continue to suffer. the governments response to the starving masses? Let them eat rabbit. thanks to G.P. for the link.

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The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak;
and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
My doctrine shall drop as the rain,
my speech shall distil as the dew,
as the small rain upon the tender herb,
and as the showers upon the grass:
because I will publish the name of the Lord:
ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
He is the Rock, his work is perfect:
for all his ways are judgment:

– Deuteronomy 32:1-4 (KJV)

Guest Article: Considerations for Night Operations- Part 4, by Max Alexander

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Yesterday, I talked about the technology behind night vision and combined thermal/IR devices as well as what should and should not be mounted on your rifle. I also wrote about when to use head mounted night vision. Now, let’s continue a little further with the idea of head mounted night vision and use of night vision in conflicts as we conclude this article series.

How To Mount Night Vision Monocular To Head

The question often comes up of how to mount your night vision monocular to your head. The provided “skull crusher” is not popular. The most effective way to mount this device is on a helmet. But no one wants to wear or carry a helmet. There are a couple of options. You can wear a “bump style” ProTech or airsoft knockoff tactical helmet, which will comfortably mount the night vision equipment while being lightweight. If you want ballistic protection, you can buy a MICH or ACH helmet off the Internet. You can also purchase lighter ballistic helmets, such as the ops-core FAST helmet.

Only you can decide what you’re prepared to wear. Yes, I know that a ballistic helmet does not stop direct strike from high velocity rounds. But depending on the situation, if you’re going to carry a helmet for your night vision equipment, it may be worth carrying one that is also ballistic protected. You never know what it may stop. If you are doing covert stuff, then carry a Crye Nightcap. Each to his own.

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Freeze Dried Friday:

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Welcome to Freeze Dried Friday on SurvivalBlog! We’ve been making so many things in the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer that we want to share some of them with you. If you have something wonderful you’ve prepared in your freeze dryer that you would like to share with SurvivalBlog readers, take a photo of it and send it in along with a description. We might just feature you here!

Practice What You Preach

It’s that time of year again. The freeze driers have been eerily silent and lonely this week. The Latimer household is on vacation. Of course, we are not just relaxing and enjoying ourselves, though that is a big part of vacation. We are testing all those yummy foods we put up over the last year. We will let you know exactly what worked and what didn’t work very well from our freeze dried stocks as we go along. In the mean time, we’d love to hear what you are putting up or testing this week. Leave us a comment and include a picture or two if you’d like.

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If you would like to include pictures of your freeze dried products in your comments, just send them to us via email along with the name you posted the comment under and I’ll place the pictures for you. Alternatively, you can host them on your own server and use the html <img> tag to include them.

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on the re-emergence of synthetic Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO) derivatives. (See the Troubling Trends section.)

Precious Metals

Marc Faber: Dollar is oversold, US stocks are overvalued. Sam Zell: Retail is a “falling knife”. Keith Neumeyer: Here’s what will send gold and silver higher.

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Gold Breaks $1286 as Yellen Words Beat NK Missiles

Commodities:

Oil prices waver as crude supplies fall, but gasoline stockpiles rise for first time in four weeks

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The Oil Ghost Towns of Texas

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Guest Article: Considerations for Night Operations- Part 3, by Max Alexander

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Yesterday, I shared about the use of illumination flares and what to do when caught in one as well as began discussing the use of night vision in a patrol situation.

Night Vision Technology

Now, let’s talk a little bit about the night vision technology. Your standard night vision devices, such as the PVS-14, are image intensifiers. This means that they amplify ambient light to produce the familiar green image. (Now, you can get white image versions.) On a lighter night they work better, on a darker night not so good. This is because they magnify the available light. These are passive devices, in that they do not generate anything that can be picked up by an observer. They are equipped with an IR flashlight, which can be used to covertly illuminate a small area.

However, use of the IR flashlight device is an active measure that will be seen by anybody else using night vision equipment (just like an IR flashlight mounted on your rifle). Importantly, a night vision binocular or monocular is not a magical device. If you could hide from an observer with the naked eye, you can hide from an observer wearing a PVS-14. It is more a case that an observer with a PVS-14 has an advantage over one without. Yet both see worse than they would during the day, it is simply a matter of degree. Also, it is important to note that if you use an old-school binocular night vision goggle you will lose depth perception. This is why the monocular, such as the PVS-14, is preferable over the PVS-7. It allows you to retain night vision in the unused eye, and allows you depth perception.

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The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. Venezuela is back in the news again. Now that the hurricanes have taken a break from their destruction, man-made disasters are being paid attention too.

Venezuela

Venezuela continues it’s slide into oblivion and now it is becoming apparent that the country is becoming cut-off from the rest of the world. Nearly every major air carrier has discontinued service to the country due to security concerns. Now foreign governments are putting barriers in place to keep Venezuelans out. Even if you are able to obtain a visa to exit the county, flight costs are prohibitively expensive. Thanks to S.B. for the link.

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Venezuela’s annual inflation rate just dropped — to 2,276%. it is so bad that the average Venezuelan has lost at least 20 pounds since this started. Dieting may be a fad in America where the majority of the population is obese or borderline obese, but there it is about survival.

Puerto Rico

Wondering why experts almost always recommend that you keep three months worth of cash on hand? Puerto Rico was devastated by multiple hurricanes and most of the infrastructure on the island was destroyed or severely impaired. Now there are reports of armed gangs roving the streets posing as police. Cash is king as no one wants to (or can) take credit cards or extend credit to individuals. The ATMs are running out of cash and the basics are tough to get.

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The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Survival kit contents check. In them you’ll find: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella’ could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.” – Slim Pickens as Major T. J. “King” Kong in Dr. Strangelove.