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”. Once again, the American people are betrayed by their congressmen and more gun control is implemented.
Republicans Pass Gun Control
The ridiculously expensive omnibus bill just passed by both the House and the Senate and signed by President Trump includes the controversial “Fix NICS” background check enhancements. It also contains provisions to strip the Second Amendment rights from Social Security recipients if they have financial problems. This despite no “old timers with dementia” having committed any mass murders or drug-related killings. Both political parties stink. The Republicans are well on their way to alienating the very wave of voters that put them in power last election. The Democrats want to turn the U.S. into a socialist/communist regime. Both parties can’t balance a checkbook. Thanks to Reader B.L. for the link.
Citigroup Enforces Gun Control
Dick’s Sporting goods has doubled down on their refusal to sell firearms to anyone under 21 years old despite admitting that they are seeing a deeper dip in sales across the board since their decision. Reader H.L. sent in this article on how Citigroup has now decided to enforce these kinds of restrictions on customers. If a business uses Citigroup to process credit cards, then they are not allowed to sale to individuals under 21 either. If the business balks at these restrictions, Citigroup says they can go somewhere else. We hope that every American who believes in the Second Amendment, whether or not they own a firearm, cancels their Citibank credit card and/or account and finds another bank and/or credit card.
RealID and Guns
Reader J.C. sent in this article reminding us about the impact of the Federal RealID requirements for drivers licenses. In states that have implemented this ID, you may not be able to purchase a firearm if you only have their regular ID rather than the RealID. Full compliance doesn’t kick in until 2020, but when you renew your license, you will need to take note of this. The article is about California, but I checked in my state and the same restrictions apply. Note that you will also need the RealID to check in at the airport or federal facilities.
Orwell’s 1984 via Samsung
Samsung has released a website in Sweden that will allow you to remove your memories of a TV show so that you can watch it again. The site uses hypnosis over a period of about 23 minutes to remove the memories using both visual and aural stimulation. While the website is only available on the Swedish website, Google’s translate will allow anyone to experience it. I did visit the website to investigate, but I did not attempt the self hypnosis. Frankly, I don’t trust anyone getting inside my head and tinkering around. We are already too close to Orwell’s 1984 as it is.
Staying Anonymous
Reader P.S. sent in this link to an article about a writer who worked to stay anonymous in Australia in the face of data retention laws that required internet service providers and telecommunications carriers to retain customer’s phone and internet metadata for two years. When the smart card service “Opal” was introduced, he learned how to purchase the card with cash, top it off with cash, but never in the same place and never with a credit or debit card. it sometimes required herculean effort as most places were kiosks that required credit cards. It’s an interesting read about how two years of hard work to stay anonymous came crashing down because he forgot to top off the card beforehand and the only machine available took credit cards. And “poof”, just like that, his anonymity was destroyed.
Youth Profess “No Religion”
Youth in the United Kingdom are some of the least religious in post-Christian Europe. Almost 70 percent self-identify as having no religion. No wonder these youth are having trouble identifying the evils of Islam as it invades their country. Sadly, this means that these youth are often lost in a sea of wavering morals. Situational ethics, the scourge of the 1970s is back and moral relativity is the rage. Right and wrong are simply defined by how you feel at the time. According to the article, there are parallels in the U.S. as well as a growing number of young people abandon the faith of their parents in favor of their own selfish desires.
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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!
Who would ever have imagined that TV could influence ones thoughts? (sarcasm)
Why would anyone stupid enough to allow mind control by a TV need it?
Wait a minute ~ isn’t that the definition of TV? (Seriously)
Time to revisit “The Media is the Message” by Marshall McLuhan
It seems to me that the American gun laws are becoming worse than our Canadian laws
Hugh,
No, no, no tinkering around inside my head either. Probably would not find much in my case but I want to keep what little I have left.
More serious note.
Our founding fathers and the patriots that fought for our liberty saw violence, and death at the hands of the English and their Hessian side kicks. The 2nd Amendment was created.
Our ancestors saw violence and death at the hands of dictators who had disarmed the populace and thus controlled and enslaved the countries populace with fear. The 2nd Amendment was defended.
In all cases there were some people who succumbed to the opposition given the illusion of peace through maintaining the status quo. In all cases these people were tools of the evil doers.
History lessons that are not taught in the all schools anymore. History lessons that we must keep alive as parents, grand parents, and community members. The other side does not want us to keep history alive. They want to bury it with the Declaration, Constitution, and the Bible.
It has been said that the demonstrations taking place today are a “worldwide” movement. That is because the destruction of our great and hard fought republic is seen as a worldwide goal by evil doers who control the message given to and repeated blindly by the people marching today.
I pray that our country weathers the storm of the outside influences working on some of our youth.
Most of the students that are marching today fall into the category of being tools. In many cases they “believe” in the cause they have been fed. In some cases they are grieving and their grief is being used. They look up to the glassy eyed adults in their midst.
If a condition of social security is disarming my household they can keep it. Just pay me back my “contributions” so I can buy more ammo.
God bless,
Of Idaho’s 2 senators and 2 representatives in Congress, Congressman Simpson stabs Idaho residents in the back again. I have been trying to fire this progressive in the last 7 elections. The Eastern part of the state just keeps re-electing him. I will be writing to thank the others for once again voting against the encroaching tyranny of our out of control Federal “Swamp” Government. Hoping Idaho’s federal gun law nullification act will protect our aging citizens, which have yet to willfully hurt anyone with a firearm (outside of self defense). Stay safe and keep prepping as this waste of funds will surely lead to a globalist engineered collapse of our Republic. Sorry Mr. Franklin it appears we could not keep it.
Every topic in this section should be a wake up call to the whole world. If Citigroup can control gun purchases, what prevents them from stopping me from buying something they deem unhealthy? Young people who have no religion living lives without hope. Gun control laws passed in a 2200+ document that the majority of our “representatives” did not read. A hypnotic program to help you forget you watched a program? Battle lines have been drawn. I don’t recognize this America anymore. It’s tragic.
RealID? Make it like a blind Big Brother leading the blind. Garbage in, garbage out!
Have your official (decoy) residence different than your daily home.
1. Make your mailing P.O. box address different than the Real ID address, and use the documents described below to register it. NEVER have your daily residence on any federal registration form if you can help it. Do not have personal mail or packages sent to your real daily residence.
2. Prepare to use an old residence address, hotel, campground, or a cheap apartment rental in a really bad part of town as your “official” abode. Even a campground receipt is fine for some states. A list of acceptable residence documents is here: https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/what-to-bring/u-s-citizen/ Two types of residency paperwork is needed.
3. Now apply for your RealID using your real birth certificate and SSN card. Use the address and residency-proving paperwork described above. You may be given a temporary ID that day; the RealID will be mailed to your P.O. box.
4. If asked for a phone number or email in the RealID process, give them a burner phone or Internet voicemail number (free). Burner phones should be plugged in and left at your decoy address and never used to call anyone you know personally.
5. Fill out warranty cards, loyalty cards, and the like with your decoy address. Use your burner phone number, voicemail, and burner email liberally. Register for Facebook and Gmail using the decoy information, and do so from an Internet cafe – especially using the burner phone number and throw-away email address. Do not do Facebook or Gmail from your daily use computer, ever. Don’t return to the profile you created.
6. Your daily use phone should be a cheap prepaid flip phone. Do not use a smartphone. Give the phone number out to only those who really have a need to call you. Have a cell blocker bag when needed. Internet access via free WiFi or a prepaid MiFi. Use a VPN.
7. Live happy, hidden, and free! (one of Boston T. Party’s favorite quotes)
If you or your retirement fund, or any mutual funds hold Citi Bank or Dickeys stock you should divest yourself from them if possible and /or notify them that the board of directors of these companies have breached their fiduciary responsibilities to the stock holders by making political statements that adversely affect revenue. I believe this is grounds to sue the board of directors.
The swamp is filling up again. Disappointed. It was fun watching all the critters and varmints scatter for cover as the water level dropped.
Those of us that have access to quality machining equipment will never “sweat” these ridiculous laws that infringe on our God given rights. Well, I might sweat, but I’ll still have heat ya know;)
A Citibank credit card? Never!
“The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant [literal = slave] to the lender.”
I called Home Depot to cancel my HD Credit card issued by Citi. They did not sound very happy that Citi has forced them into this position. I think if enough people cancel their Citi issued/managed cards, they may get the message we dont like INFRINGEMENT.
I’ll own firearms no matter what the government says federal or state, they don’t own me. I’ll own firearms even if collecting Social Security payments or not. It’s time to round up public office holders, put them on trial for treason. My middle finger points to the government, federal and state.
Citi was financially ‘spanked’ back in the 80s & 90s for their anti Second Amendment stances. It looks like their current leadership? has forgotten those lessons. Best thing to do (as was done back then) is to cancel what accounts and organization memberships that use them. Sending a snail mail, email and telephone messages as to the specific why you’re canceling their services helps as well, along with instructions to remove your name & address from their records and future mailings.
Vote with your wallet!
Citigroup was bailed out by the Taxpayers in the 2009 Financial crisis Seems they made a lot of bad home loans by not checking if people could pay them back. So, now the company thinks it can tell the American people what legal products they can buy? And some try to say it is a ‘private company?’ Even After being bailout because they are ‘too big to fail?”
They are too big to exist and need to be broken up into many pieces. Like a number of companies ( Amazon, Google, Facebook) that are misusing their market power.
Parents,monitor your children’s history texts. You will find most ignore the Constitution or just refuse to discuss it at all. Perhaps folks it is past time to get involved with your local school board and demand a school start teaching how OUR GOVERNMENT is actually supposed to function!
Real ID and Guns…..
This makes no sense as it just requires the same information / documents as a regular driver’s license for the first time drivers. There’s no retina scan / no finger printing / no saliva swab for DNA / no anything more than a birth certificate and proof of residency…
For the record – my wife and I use passports [so at the moment we don’t need to bother with this BULL-CRAP of a specialized ID]… We have enough guns and don’t need anymore. A tip on passports is now there are electronics built into the back cover – if you microwave them for about 3 seconds – it removes all electronic tracking forever. We even used them in foreign countries and after the custom’s agent scans them a few times he simply types them in…. I say HE because when we used a SHE, she called her supervisor over and we needed to show an additional ID to enter their country. Use men folks – even in America- most women are problems in America when it comes to a role of employment- I have found in my own career!
In addition, we never give our real address and only use PO boxes. When they ask for an electric bill or property tax form we simply state we use our RV and travel the country and the PO box is our only address. They will never know our real address, as our home is in a trust and not tied to us at all, and that is that!
Hope that helps everyone!
re: citibank.
Sounds to me that what they are doing is called restraint of trade.
Might we see a large lawsuit over this?
We can hope.
My state did not meet RealID standards at license renewal time which may have prevented me from air travel . Air travel could be necessary for emergencies as I have relatives in other states. Discovered I only had a certificate of birth registration which is not valid to obtain ID that will cover air travel according to federal standards . Previously I used the certificate of birth registration for everything from social security , military ID and many more including drivers license . I was not born in the state that live in now . Vitalchek is a company contracted by most or all state governments to screen and get people their actual birth certificates . In their screening they knew things about me that only my mother and I would know . My mother is no longer with us . I was blown away at the amount of information this company had about my life . What an eye opener . Vitalchek for a fee did save me from having to travel to my birth state and I had an actual birth certificate in 2 days . The amount of information they have about us is scary . My state was nice enough to ad a hefty fee for this enhanced license. Thank you and keep up the good work .
I recently had to renew my driver’s license. For my whole life up to that point, including being hired as a law enforcement officer, joining the military, proving my citizen ship to vote, and many other forms of Id I had used my certificate of live birth, registered with the state in which I was born as proof of citizen ship. Suddenly I had to have a state issued “Birth Certificate”. To obtain this worthless piece of crap, I had to show, you guessed it, my certificate of live birth registered with the state at the time of birth. The clerk simply copied the information from the certificate onto the “Birth Certificate”, charged me $15.00 and sent me on my way. Since then, I’ve renewed my license three times and have never been asked to show the $15.00 rip off. We as Americans have too much of the wrong kind of laws. It is time to vote out the rats that are infesting our capital, enforce term limits, and take way the perks that the congress has voted themselves.