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”. A scary conference on global migration is taking place in Marrakesh.

Grid Down Report

G.P. sent in this article talking about the new report from the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council published by the Department of Homeland Security. The report warns that the power grid is now the prime target of terrorists and suggests that Americans need to prepare for a power outage of up to six months. The report also recognizes that most Americans do not keep enough essentials in their home to sustain themselves during such an extended, prolonged outage. While the report recognizes the potential length of such an attack due to the destruction of hard-to-replace equipment, it only suggests that people keep a minimum of 14 days of supplies. This seems like a strange political decision- recognizing the potential severity yet only recommending minimal preparedness. Of note is the suggestion that civil unrest would probably start within hours of the attack.

Global Migration

This article talks about the UN conference in Marrakesh, Morocco where the world’s nations are being asked to sign away their sovereignty, their freedoms and their identity by signing the infamous UN Global Compact for Migration. Thankfully, there are countries that have preemptively stated that they will not sign the agreement. Among those countries are the U.S., Poland, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Israel, Bulgaria, and Australia. Sadly there are many countries that will be agreeing to it such as Ireland, Canada and the U.K. The intent of the agreement is to make it easier for migrants to move and settle pretty much anywhere in the world that they desire. Remember that caravan that hits the southern border pretty much every year? Part of the agreement would be to make it illegal to even talk about such events. Thanks to F.W. for the link.

Auer and Chevron Defense

The Auer and Chevron Defense is used when a governmental agency, such as the ATF, is tasked with enforcing the law, but also has the ability to make the laws up as it goes along. With the stroke of a pen, the ATF can create and enforce a law that declares a bump stock as a machine gun, even though it is a firearms accessory that has nothing to do with how many rounds can be fired with a single pull of the trigger. The Supreme Court has now agreed to hear a case that challenges that defense. With the recent additions of Gorsuch and Kavanaugh to the court there may now be the needed five votes to reverse the trend of abdication of power to federal bureaucracies.

California Gun Law’s Impact

A recent John Hopkins study has found that California’s gun laws have had no effect on gun related deaths. Of course we all knew that instinctively, but progressive/liberals need to be reminded that their socialistic tendencies have never worked in the past and nothing has changed in that regard. In 1991, California instigated comprehensive background checks for firearms sales while simultaneously prohibiting gun sales to people convicted of misdemeanor violent crimes. The law was costly and cumbersome and utterly useless as the study finds. The John Hopkins’ study found that there was no change in the statistics through 2000. Of course, that won’t keep them from trying again. They’ll just say that the laws didn’t go far enough. By the way, try not to pay to much attention to the picture on the article as it violates some basic firearms safety rules.

America’s Decline

Reader D.S. sent in this article on the transformation of America’s culture as it moves away from Christianity and into pantheism. Ever since the early 60s, perhaps even earlier, America has challenged even the basic principles that it was found on. The changes introduced by declaring the death of God has affected its religion, its history, its social order, its ethics and even its psychology. The article is a bit tough to read, but that may be more to the fact that it hurts than anything else. “We have become a nation made up of immoral, narcissistic, infantilized people addicted to instant gratification and vice whose addictions are fed and fueled by warped, pornographic, propaganda-spewing media and entertainment.” – Ouch! On my way to the post office yesterday, I saw a political bumper-sticker that said “2020 – any adult not acting like a child”

Facial Recognition

Reader G.P. sent in this article on celebrities using facial recognition. Apparently Taylor Swift has a considerable following that could be described as “stalkers”. This past may, her concerts deployed a facial recognition software designed to monitor and identify stalkers. The software was placed in a kiosk that displayed highlights of her rehearsals and would secretly record onlookers faces and the data sent to a command post in Nashville, Tennessee that attempted to match hundreds of images to a database of her known stalkers. It should be noted that the concert is considered a private event and it is entirely legal to use facial recognition.

U.S. Debt

Reader P.B. sent this article by Michael Snyder on the U.S. National Debt. The Debt is poised to hit the $22 trillion mark and we have indicators of another financial crisis coming up. We have been adding an average of a trillion dollars every year to this debt load for the last decade and there is no sign of it slowing down. As conservatively as Trump is ruling, he has been signing every bill that is sent to his desk, and Congress shows no sign of reigning in the spending habits.

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!




21 Comments

  1. On the Transformation of our culture. This has been heavy on my mind for a while now. I’ve wondered why God had me get a degree in Theology. I hadn’t used it. Now I’m starting to get the picture. It’s so I won’t be led astray by these foreign religions and philosophies. It’s so sad to see.

  2. The Johns Hopkins study’s findings parallel those of Wright/Rossi/Daly’s “Under The Gun” from 1985, on Florida’s gun control laws. No effect on the rate of violent crimes with firearms. (Univ. of Fla. press.)

  3. Auer and Chevron Defense
    The notion that anybody in government anywhere and at level will raise one finger to defend freedom, especially guns, is now a ridiculous proposition. The US government functions solely for its own purposes of money and power accumulation. SCOTUS are traitors and Kavanaugh, if anybody had paid attention to the actual answers he gave during the Q&A of his confirmation would have immediately noticed that he is a capital L, Liberal. Funny that, how all of the accusations got Republicans to rally around somebody who supports Stare dicisis in Roe, the Common Use Test in Heller, the Welfare State, The Warfare State, and the continued obliteration of the US Constitution through case law results instead of a Constitutional Republic with a supreme law.

    California Gun Law’s Impact
    You perhaps misunderstand you enemy. You are looking at the problem from a gun rights perspective and your enemy is looking at it from a gun control perspective. They will never agree or even listen. They want you dead.

    U.S. Debt
    By any reasonably objective measure and not just economics, Trump is not conservative.

    1. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being totally Conservative and 10 being totally liberal/socialist Pres. Trump is probably a 3 1/2 to 4 and the Democrats are about a +15, Pres Trump is doing pretty well considering he is one man standing alone. Unlike the lone man standing in front of the tank in China, Pres Trump would be track grease if a Democrat was driving the tank

      1. What is surprising to me is that Trump is actually ruling more conservatively than any president in my lifetime (including Reagan). While Trump himself is not what I would consider a man of principle, so far his judgments and actual implementations are moving in that direction. What he says and what he does are often two different things. I wonder if that has to do with his experience as a CEO? Obama micromanaged things. Trump seems to speak wildly, yet let those he appoints make the decisions that they were hired to do.

  4. Look at it this way, suggesting that Americans keep 14 days of food and supplies on hand is actually an improvement. Every FEMA advisory I have seen in the past has told Americans to have 3 days of food and water on hand.

    I suspect that there are forces at work in Washington that result in a “dumbing down” of advice in order to maintain the illusion that 14 days will be enough. Not wanting to cause a “panic” is probably a concern.

    Given that the report mentions the likelihood of the early onset of “civil unrest,” it is completely contradictory to then advise keeping a mere 14 days of food and water on hand. If riots and looting are taking place, and if it will take months to restore power in places (which is no doubt inappropriately optimistic), exactly how is a person to go about obtaining food and water after that 14 days of food storage is exhausted?

    The fact is that most Americans will never even read the warnings in this report. Even most of those that do will ignore it and return to watching “Dancing with the Stars.” The Normalcy Bias is dominant. Almost assuredly, the result will be that any change in public attitudes will be inconsequential.

    For those who have made preparations and wish that others would become like-minded, the Prayer of Serenity offers advice, “…accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

    Plan accordingly.

  5. Over 40,000 illegal migrants have entered Canada in the last 2 years and many more are on their way. Guess where they’re from? The good ole US.
    Haitians and Nigerians with expiring visas also looking for better welfare, but you’ll get them back eventually, our border is 3,000 miles long.

  6. “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering. But if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell HOW SUDDEN A CATASTROPHE may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” -Daniel Webster, American statesman (1782 – 1852 A.D.)

    “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” Psalm 118:8-9

    “SALVATION is of the LORD.” -Jonah 2:9c

    “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from DEATH UNTO LIFE.” -Christ Jesus “The LORD our righteousness” as per John 5:24 [KJV]

  7. Good to know that Canada will be accepting excess numbers of freeloaders. You know…lazy no-good bums with sub-par hygiene who don’t work but need healthcare, education, expensive dental work, free housing, free food and welfare for their extended families of 50 or 100…er…I mean fine upstanding peasant vagabonds without portfolio.

  8. So, as much as I like the Redoubt, if this UN Migration nonsense passes, we could all find a large island or small country somewhere, migrate there taking our gold, guns, and God, and settle in and displace the local population, if any while depriving the US of most of its real brains and hands?

    And the downside is?

    Can we “migrate” to the Redoubt in the sense of a Bug-In bag or Staycation? Then demand as much as any other refugees (see Muslims demanding Mosques and Halal meat) here? And to recognize our “unique” culture that requires owning AR-15s like Sikhs have knives?

  9. Not only is Kavanaugh not a conservative, neither is Roberts. Look into the latest decision, or should I say non decision on States refusing to fund Planned Parenthood. They choose to refuse to hear a case that had made it’s way to the court. Thomas wrote the dissent, Alilto and Gorsuch signed on to the dissent, wanted to hear the case, Roberts and Kavanaugh voted not to hear the case. It takes 4 justices to agree to hear a case. Like Thomas said in his dissent, if Planned Parenthood had not been involved, we would have heard this case (paraphrased).

  10. Remember, it is only to us patriots that American is in decline. To the opposition its a brave new world where they are shaking off the old colonialism that stole from others around the globe to enrich themselves at the expense of others. Half our population favors socialism because our institutions that have supported this republic over the centuries were taken over while we all slept. Education, justice in the courts, our representatives, corporations, entertainment have been absorbed into an anti-constitutional force arrayed against what we always have believed was the “Land of the Free and Home of the brave”. Its not coming back! The question now is how will be survive whats coming and what will it be like on the other side?

  11. I would say with a grid down situation having your long term food storage is important but whats more important is your ability to garden and can and make more food. Its good to get thru winter but the long term goal is the next growing season here in the cold northeast.

  12. We did not ratify the landmine treaty for a reason instead of building wall up go wide seams they climb all fences so lay mines everywhere for 100 yards wide, small fence do not enter cross at own risk. Word will get around. We won’t need to pay $50,000 to get them to go home and make their land safe.

  13. James 2:18
    But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

    Perhaps the gentleman was a prepper.

    Carry on.

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