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”. My blood is boiling today over the jury verdict in the Arizona shooting. Another incident of the thin blue line abuse.
Skynet
Reader H.L. sent in this article on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used to design and build more AI. Apparently, the child AI that results is better at performing the designated test tasks than other AI. Some seem to be okay with this development and others not so much. As the article states: “If we didn’t design it, how can we be sure that there aren’t unintended consequences?” How can you be sure that you can control it?
Moderate Islam?
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pledged to promote a “more moderate Islam” within Saudi Arabia. Now, however, Turkey’s president Erdogan claims there is no such thing as moderate Islam. Erdogan has been the typical Islamist power monger since he came to power nearly 15 years ago and has strained relations with the rest of the NATO alliance due to his radical behavior. While pushing the limits of what is acceptable inside NATO, he has at least been honest in his intentions, often stating them publicly. This statement is not a departure, but a clarification of his past stance. Note that in 2010, he famously declared that there was no Islamic terror.
Computer Hack Breaks into Gun Safe
One of Amazon’s top selling bluetooth, gun safes contains a vulnerability that allows it to be opened by anyone, even if they don’t have the password. The Valuetek VT20i ranked fourth in Amazon’s gun safe and cabinet category and allows owners to open it with an app on a smart phone. It’s only supposed to open when the owner supplies a four to eight digit pin, but it turns out that safeguard can be bypassed with a small amount of computer know-how. Two Six Labs demonstrated that they could open the save with a MacBook and some custom programming in a manner of seconds with the blue-tooth function. Valuetek claims that too much preparation is required for this to be a real exploit and Two Six Labs claims that anyone with a laptop can do it with minimal preparation time. Thanks to reader P.S. for the link.
Total Number of Shots
Reader DSV sent in this article on how many vaccination shots are recommended for children by the CDC. The article makes the distinction between actual physical shots and antigens given. Some shots contain multiple antigens and some also contain antigens that are not specifically designated by the shot, yet still cause a response by the immune system. By their reckoning, by age 18, a child will have had between 53 and 56 shots (including pregnancy vaccines) with a total of 177 to 232 doses of antigens. That a lot! With the exception of religious issues surrounding the use of aborted fetal tissue and health issues surrounding certain poisons present within some vaccines, I am not anti-vaccination. I recognize that some vaccines have done tremendous work in eradicating diseases. I am, however, totally against forced vaccination and see that as a violation of an individual’s inalienable rights.
The Thin Blue Line
In a continuing battle of self protection, the boys in blue have crossed another line, helped by a panel of jurors. While I am not anti-police, it’s incidents like that that inflame the battle between police and the regular man on the street. You are dead if you follow instructions and you are dead if you don’t – what is an individual to do? An Arizona cop shot and killed a U.S citizen in January of 2016 and was just found “not guilty” by a jury. While reviewing the tape, it is readily apparent that there is no innocent party in the altercation, including the police, it is highly disturbing that this sort of murder is excused by a panel of jurors. The victim was sentenced to death by the cop and hadn’t even done anything illegal. So an illegal alien who is a felon can murder an innocent woman and a policeman can execute a man like a dog and both get off scot free. What kind of world do we live in? Thanks to S.M. for the link. [Warning: The video in the article contains disturbing language, violence and the death of the victim]
The Curious Case of the Vanishing Gun Poll
The Canadian Gun Blog posted an article about a recent CTV Montreal online poll asking participants if they support an all-out ban on firearms in urban centers. The poll results were running a disturbing neck-and-neck tie when the “Yes” votes were just starting to edge out the “No” votes. Then suddenly, within a 33 minute time window, the results overwhelmingly flipped to “Yes” matching exactly the Ekos gun poll results exactly. When questioned, about the validity of the poll given the strange behavior, CTV Montreal changed the results to coincide with the results prior to the big jump. Now, even those results of the the poll have disappeared online. It’s just so inconvenient with data doesn’t add up to your preconceived ideas. Thanks to G.T. for the link.
Not So Merry Christmas
The trend of online shopping continues to cut into brick and mortar sales but there is a new twist appearing. So many items are being ordered online that delivery companies are having a difficult time keeping up and are literally driving their work force into the ground. Reader DSV sent in this article on how drivers for Amazon’s delivery service are having to deliver over 200 packages a day and don’t have time to take lunch breaks or even bathroom breaks, often relieving themselves in plastic bottles they carry with them in the delivery vans. And then there is the case where an Amazon Delivery driver literally leaves a nasty present for the homeowner in their driveway (caught on camera).
o o o
Please send your news tips to HJL. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who watch news that is important to them. Due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” news. We often “get the scoop” on news that is most likely ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!
In regards to parcel delivery, I am a Letter Carrier with the United States Post Office. I work in a small town office. We have 8 city routes and 6 or 7 rural routes. Yesterday my supervisor told me we have delivered 15,000 more parcels this year than last year just for the month of December so far. Overtime is through the roof and the workers are exhausted. We can’t fit all the mail in the trucks.
Don’t worry letter carrier. The robots and drones will be taking over soon.
We’ve been ordering online for years because of our remote location. I notice that during the last week of November, FedEx and UPS drivers are doubled up on the trucks as temp workers are trained on the routes. Then, during December, I may see three to four different drivers delivering on the route. When January rolls back around, we are back to the usual delivery driver.
USPS, on the other hand, uses the same driver year round. During most of the year, the mail is delivered by noon. During the holiday season, the closer we get to Christmas, the later the driver shows up. The last few days before Christmas, the mail carrier usually doesn’t show up until well after the sun has gone down and we have often already eaten dinner. Always the same driver though.
RE: Moderate Islam. It has been apparent for some time that Erdogan and Turkey are sliding into the Islamist camp from the Kemalist moderate middle. If the new ruler of Saudi Arabia can defund and delegitimize the radical Wahhabi clergy, he may be able to shift Saudi from fundamentalist to moderate. In both cases however, the Koran and Hadiths have verses that encourage jihad and the murder of infidels. If the Saudi King can revise the Koran and Hadiths he might singlehandedly reduce the Clash of Civilizations from a boiling war to a simmering competition.
The murder of Daniel Bradford by a police officer was absolutely disgusting. Gone is the presumption of innocence along with the protect and serve motto. The police have been trained in a militaristic manner where everyone is a enemy combatant. Murdered for pulling up his pants. The officer should have been required to see a weapon before killing him. Otherwise they can just go around shooting any of us that they feel threatens them in any way.
Oops…Dennis Shaver.
The officer in Arizona was acquitted apparently because he followed his training. If that is the case, the Department should be sued and training revised.
That whole mess was like a grotesque version of Simon Says under penalty of death.
I have a concealed carry permit and I am required by law in my state to inform an officer that I am carrying when he or she first makes contact with me. However after seeing over and over in the news how the cops are so trigger happy and out of control I’m scared to even tell them that I have a permit and a weapon. I’m afraid the officer will shoot first and ask questions later. I was pulled over by a DOT officer recently and I rolled down my window and before I could even open my mouth he began screaming at me for a very minor traffic violation. So I never told him I was legally carrying for fear that he would just murder me for no reason. And had he shot me I’m sure that his department and all his cop buddies would have stood behind him. Which brings up another point that I have been thinking about. When I hear about a cop being ambushed as he sets in his car and I later learn that he was a loving husband and father it always makes me feel sad for him and his family because that particular police officer probably paid for the “sins” of other cops who murdered innocent citizens. It may be that somewhere down the line some guy had his fill of cops killing people and swore to kill the next cop they see. It seems like it’s always the good police officers that get killed. Maybe it would be wise for all police officers (and their departments)to stand together and condemn their bad cop buddy who murdered some innocent citizen and then just maybe the next psycho cop killer wouldn’t take it out on the next cop they see. The phrase “guilty by association” comes to mind.
Need to look into the instructions given by the judge to the jury about how to find a verdict in this case.
Need better voir dire procedure in courts. Need better training for cops.
Innocent until proven guilty.
That cop should be in prison!
That video was brutal!
To you Commenters regarding the Police.
I agree about Police brutality and currently do not allow the Police within 1000 yards of my vehicle when driving [I turn off into a gas station, someones driveway, or on the shoulder if highway with no apparent exist–If the Police can’t see you they can never make contact with you!].
However, I remember the BO Administration whereby [I BELIEVE] the Black Lives Matters folks were provoked into an armed assault on our American Police Forces. For no other reason, than the LEFT, wanting Americans relieved of duty and foreign troops brought in, such as UN troops, to police our communities.
Think about it, how easy is it to shred the US Constitution doling out a bevy of human freedoms when you’re not accustom to those freedoms granted by our Creator. It gives the LEFT more power / control over the society.
I’ll even ask, what do some of you think?
Thanks!
There is a serious tear in this country’s moral fabric.
It’s a big mistake to start ordering a civilian to perform a series of tasks at gunpoint. You want them immobilized(do not move!) upon initial confrontation, then you swarm them to secure their person. The girl is lucky she did not also get shot. A lot of contacts like this are with inebriated individuals. Expecting them to comply with all those conditions is unrealistic.
Conclusion: Bad training and poor judgement on the part of the LE. Brandishing in a more or less public setting is sure to get you unwanted attention (someone sees you and calls the cops). Becoming inebriated while handling firearms also a poor choice. Better to just go ragdoll and keep hands where they can be seen, your mouth shut, and DON’T MOVE regardless of the commands being given than to play the simon says game. You may get shot anyways, but at least the video will show you did not provoke. Then if they shoot they are more likely to be found guilty, and the wrongful death suit will pay out much quicker and bigger.
I love the cops in my town. I support them for the very dirty, dangerous job they have to do.
That said, the cop who pulled the trigger murdered that young man in cold blood and needs to be sitting in a 6 by 8 cell for the next 50 years.