The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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”.

Russian Chemical Attack

Michael Z. Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large sent in this information from a DoD contact:

Don’t believe anything you read, and only half of what you see.

The article says that Russia claims that the OPCW’s Swiss lab determined the sample to be the US agent BZ. BZ is not a nerve agent. It is the closest agent to LSD that the US weaponized in quantity, as an incapacitant. Whatever else is true, no way a good analysis could confuse it with any nerve agent. I’d believe the conspiracy theory that it was a false flag operation with western-produced Novichok before I would believe that one. BZ is not even toxic enough to be on Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and it’s only on Schedule 2 because it was weaponized.

Which Penetrating Oil is Best?

Reader J.C. sent in this article that examines penetrating oils and makes a determination of which one is best. While I do not like using such light oils for lubrication of moving parts, there are times when getting just a tiny bit of lubrication into a stuck bolt can mean the difference between successful disassembly and a busted bolt. Occasionally, it can save your child’s ears from hearing those filthy words that seem to slide out of your mouth when you have busted your knuckles up. Something to keep in mind though – As good as penetrating oils are at helping to loosen stuck parts, they do not have long term protection capabilities. Do not depend on them to keep that part from getting stuck.

Dick’s Will Destroy Black Rifle Inventory

Oh, the humanity of it! Dick’s sporting goods is making waves again, claiming that they are going to destroy their current inventory of “assault rifles” and magazines. I wasn’t even aware that they carried fully automatic, select fire weapons in their inventory! Wait, I’m confused – are they AR-style rifles or assault rifles? Who even shops at this store anymore? Thanks to reader T.P. for the link.

Photograph Prints

Reader G.P. sent in this article from the BBC. In a ground breaking investigation, a drug dealer was apprehended by authorities scanning a WhatsApp photo he had posted of his own hand holding his product for sale. Authorities were able to get enough of a fingerprint off of the photograph image to help identify him. While the fingerprint itself was only partial and not enough to fully identify the drug dealer, it set the investigation in motion and eventually led to the arrest and conviction of 11 suspects. The drug dealer had his product vacuum sealed in plastic, but perhaps he should have used gloves as well. Frankly, I’m surprised we haven’t heard of this type of identification before as we have had the technology for quite some time.

NSA Skeleton Key for Encryption

The government is once again lobbying for a back door into any encryption used to store your personal data. It’s apparently not enough that they can go through your garbage once you have tossed it. The executive agencies are lobbying for a bill that will mandate that any company that keeps a central data repository of an encrypted nature that contains your search history must give the NSA the keys to open that encryption at will. Thanks to H.L. for the link.

The Internet of Things

Also sent in by reader H.L. was this article profiling how a hacker stole a casino’s high-roller database by hacking into an Internet connected thermometer in an aquarium located in the lobby. The hacker used his access to the thermometer to scan the casino’s internal network, located the desired data and then pull that data back out into the Internet at large through the thermometer. This problem is only going to get worse as companies flood the market with inexpensive interconnected hardware that hasn’t been thoroughly tested. Most of these devices are never upgraded or secured and the owners are blissfully unaware of the risk they place on their own networks.

Drug Resistant Typhoid

Reader F.M. sent in this article profiling an epidemic of drug-resistant typhoid that is spreading through Pakistan. This particular strain of typhoid has become resistant to five types of antibiotics and is expected to replace the weaker strains in areas where they are more common. As of right now, there is only one antibiotic that can combat the disease. One more genetic mutation could void the use of that drug as well.

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!




11 Comments

  1. The Russians are working overtime to sow propaganda and uncertainty about the use of nerve agents in Syria. For whatever reason we have allowed Russia to get a TV station within the U.S. and a lot of that propaganda is displayed there. But many blogs are also sources of this propaganda. And of course the same people that thought the U.S. brought down the WTC now eagerly assume we gases the Syrian civilians too. And of course there is the “stunningly brilliant” argument of “why would Assad use chemical weapons when he is winning?” I am “stunned” at the brilliance of that argument. It must come from the same people who deny the holocaust.

  2. The Russians are like cancer. Once they are in it’s almost impossible to get them out.and god only knows how many sleeper cells they have in the states. I am not saying that all people of Russian descent are bad but there are a lot that want this country to fall.

    1. This country is going to fall whether the Russians want it to or not. Its going to fall, not because of anything the Russians do, or have done, but because the sin of America has reached to Heaven. 60 million (give or take a million or two either way) murdered unborn is not going to be overlooked by God forever.

      Look around.

      We are in the middle of the fall of the American empire and I don’t see any Russians.

  3. Thank goodness the U.S. government is more reliable than the Russians… “Questions about the Gulf of Tonkin incidents have persisted for more than 40 years. But once-classified documents and tapes released in the past several years, combined with previously uncovered facts, make clear that high American government officials distorted facts and deceived the American public about events that led to full
    U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.” ~ U.S. Naval Institute

  4. So perhaps we should protest Dick’s and encourage them to stop selling and destroy their inventory of any firearm used in a crime? And why stop there? They should stop selling the ammo too. If they don’t they are just hypocrites . Maybe they put themselves out of business

  5. 12 hr anon is clueless here. Trolls are alive, everywhere…….folks. Discernment is the number one key to understanding, and that is based on knowledge and understanding.

  6. Folks, set your BS-O-Meter to maximum sensitivity.

    If our government is so sure the Syrians gassed there own people, PROVE IT. It should not be that difficult to prove a positive. Yet no actual evidence has been put forward to make the case other than “We say so.”

    On the supposed poisoning of the former Russian spy in England, PROVE IT. It should not be that difficult to prove a positive. Yet no actual evidence has been put forward to make the case other than “We say so.”

    Trust us, we’re from the government and we’re here to help. My BS-O-Meter has been pegged since this latest propaganda campaign started. Trump was ready to pull troops out of Syria, amazingly Assad decides to do the exact thing that would make Trump change his mind and attack instead.

    The British government is also suspect. Since the Roosky ex spy lived not 10 miles from Porton Down, the UK’s chemical weapons facility, maybe the Brits needed to do some live testing on an expendable target. Also, Trump was backing off, to a small degree, on the Russian sanctions regime. Can’t have that, now can we.

    We aren’t dealing with the old Soviet Union here. We are dealing with the most devoutly Christian country in Europe. As for Syria, it’s one of the few governments in the middle east that defends their Christian population from the actions of the jihadi’s attacks. As a matter of fact, the only other country that I can think of in the middle east that also defends people of the Christian persuasion it Iran. You certainly won’t get that kind of action from our supposed friends the Saudi’s, or for that matter the governments of the UK or the USA.

    I’m not defending anybody. All governments are basically evil.

    If your BS-O-Meter isn’t sounding alarms in your head, it should be. Get it fixed.

  7. Remember the Maine and a hundred years of propoganda and false flags should make you question anything this gov tells you.
    Russian tv(RT) is thr most reliable news source available(slightly slanted) but worlds better than CNN,Fox,MSNBC,ABC,CBS,NBC et al. Turn off your tv and learn to do your own research.

Comments are closed.