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”. Wait till you hear the latest on SkyNet!
Food Sovereignty
Maine has become the first state to enact a “Food Sovereignty” law which allows communities to regulate their own local food economy. This frees up the church potlucks and the local farmers markets. Even the local dairy farmers who sell raw milk to those who want it. You can now legally sell your eggs to your neighbor without worrying that the S.W.A.T team. They won’tl be breaking down your front door, trashing your home and abusing your family.
Old Home Day
New England has a tradition called Old Home Day where the old ways of farming are taught to those who have an interest in such things. It was originally started years ago to teach the returning soldiers from the Civil war how to farm, but it is now entrenched as a tradition. If you’re in the area, you might want to stop by and see what it’s all about.
SkyNet
The US military has long had a policy of keeping a human in the decision loop when artificial Intelligence is used in support of the operation. This thinking is even evident with Steve, the robot that tried to drown itself last week. Even Steve had a human counterpart that it worked with. The reasoning is simple and understandable. AI can make fast decisive decisions, but it lacks a moral basis for those decisions. The U.S. stays away from fully autonomous robots, but that is also a weakness. In any competition between human assisted and fully automatic, the human assisted looses. The Kalashnikov Group has announced a Fully-Automated Combat Robot that will be unveiled publicly later this year. SkyNet, here we come! Thanks to K.B. for the link.
JWR’s Comment: What could possibly go wrong?
Nanny State
Reader DSV sent in This article that summarizes 5 other articles on how the state is taking the rights of parents away. From California to Oregon to across the pond in Britain, the state thinks that it knows best how to raise and care for your children. If you disagree, they will threaten and cajole you until you succumb to them or you will lose your children. And now the number one selling device on Amazon Prime day turns out to be a smart device that spys on you in your own home.
o o o
In Boulder, if you don’t push the “Walk Button” to cross the road, you’re going to get a ticket for $50. It started with the “Jaywalking” ticket when you didn’t stay between the lines (literally — the crosswalk) and now it has progressed where the robot (you) must perform the appropriate maneuver (activate the cross walk) before you step off the sidewalk. This is all done under the auspices of your own safety. Apparently, you can’t be trusted to look both ways before you cross. Thanks to H.L for the link.
Homeschool Resources
Reader P.C. wrote in to suggest the Netflix documentary “Is Genesis History?” as a homeschooling resource. This is apparently a documentary supporting a Bible based beginning.
TEOTWAWKI Sanitation
Reader P.S. sent in this link to a PDF hosted by the Portland, Oregon government on a twin-bucket system toilet. This was designed from the lessons learned after the major quake in New Zealand in 2011. One bucket is for pee, which is basically sanitary and the second bucket is for poo, which requires more care due to the potential diseases which can be spread. With proper care, a single bucket can last 3 people up to 3 weeks.
Stop, press button, turn 3 times in a counter-clockwise direction, cross with your best silly walk to receive your soylent green food pellet on the other side. Now I wonder what if 5 people are at the cross walk at the same time- does just 1 person have to hit the button or do all 5 have to hit the button to be “safe” or maybe a simple majority in the most democratic way possible will be accepted?
Is there some sort of camera there taking a picture or finger print of them to know who to send the fine to? Which of the 5 would get fined for not pushing the button? If there is a camera doing ID, why doesn’t the camera automatically sense their presence and protect them? Oh wait, I know the answer to that. It’s because the goal is not for public service (a tool, paid for by the tax payers, for the use of the tax payers) but to gather money to grow the size of government.
I kinda agree with jaywalking laws. The streets are dangerous with 2 ton steel objects traveling between 25mph and 55 mph. The drivers of these vehicles deserve the right to drive without hitting people playing on their cell phones. It is so irritating ti have the right of way and see some 18 year old slow walking across the street against the light while you wait for the fool to read his cell phone. To argue against jaywalking laws it the equivalent of arguing against laws that prevent cars from driving on sidewalks.
@GoneWithTheWind,
That is most likely because you are not familiar with the “history” of Jaywalking and have become fairly comfortable with “The Nanny State.” Those are precisely the sentiments that government is depending upon to advance the narrative that you must be taken care of from cradle to grave.
The forgotten history of how automakers invented the crime of “jaywalking”
I am primarily responsible for my own safety. At an intersection, I have to watch all four directions as well as for traffic making right or left turns. I can’t assume drivers will not run a red light and mow me over. In the middle of the block, I only have two directions to watch and no turning traffic. I have half the block to see that the coast is clear. I regularly jay walk because I consider it safer. My responsibility. My right
Well, lets just take your analogy a step further. To argue against gun laws is the equivalent of arguing against laws that prevent criminals from using guns, right. To argue against food laws is the equivalent of arguing against laws that keep people from dying of obesity. To argue against prohibition of alcohol is to argue against laws that keep drunks from beating their children. None of that works, nor is it the job of government to legislate morality. Laws don’t stop criminals from committing crimes, they just regulate folks that obey the law anyway. Jaywalking laws are just revenue for government, and the nanny state exerting it’s pull.
What could possably go wrong? This:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZZhhA87d6g
The Jaywalking and Walk Button laws remind me of the required seat belt law because obviously I’m not smart enough to take care of myself, the nanny state has to enact these laws and threaten me with fines If I don’t abide by them. The seat belt of the driver helps no one except the driver. So the decision of the driver to protect himself or not is taken away and the driver is forced by law to wear the seat belt for their own protection. The freedom of choice was taken away just like crossing the street is now no longer a freedom of choice, but instead it is now mandated in how you do it.
In my opinion, these nanny laws come from court cases where certain parties had to pay out funds to someone that screwed up. So big insurance companies, County, City, and State governments create laws with no input from the population the law effects. Seat belts save lives and reduces the funds insurance companies have to pay out. Mr. X was killed in a wreak caused by a state vehicle, but Mr.X had no seat belt on so the State is not liable for the death.
Pedestrian Y was hit at a crosswalk and wants to sue the city, but he did not press the button before crossing so he has no case. Pedestrian Y broke an ankle at a cross walk from a pot hole in the street. To cover the medical cost Pedestrian Y wants to sue the city for negligence of their streets. Pedestrian Y was found at fault because the pot hole is actually outside the line of the cross walk. Not crossing within the marked lines of the crosswalk made Pedestrian Y guilty of not following the law and was fined $50. Pedestrian Y’s law suit was thrown out due to not being within the Nanny state’s law for crossing the street.
I could go on and create a long diatribe for all kinds of laws that are supposed to protect me where my input was never asked for. Sometimes I just want to go run away and live in a cave somewhere, but I’m sure the tax man would show up sooner or later. After that I’m sure some other do-gooder from the county or state would come tell me how it isn’t good for me to live in a cave and then evict me.
The jaywalking ticket is not for your safety its the same as all tickets : to generate revenue Period. 23 years as LEO in Texas. Now in Montana thank God.
The movie “Is Genesis History?” is loaded with lots of great information to support a young earth, Bible-based worldview. I would recommend it as a teacher resource rather than something for students under the age of 13 to view. It’s not the most engaging film on the topic I’ve seen. However, imo it’s a great movie that provides ammunition for anyone to defend their faith.
Have you been to the snowflake capitol of the world, aka Boulder? They’re all engrossed in their electronics, high on legal pot, or underage drunk (it’s a university town). People blindly blunder out into the street with great regularity. I agree with attempt to make pedestrians responsible for themselves instead of making the drivers responsible, as they have done with bicyclists. Unfortunately a good number of car drivers are as impaired as the walkers.
Re Skynet read “Kill Decision” – Daniel Suarez a very prescient novel that explores the very scary landscape of autonomous lethal drones.
Push the button, cross the street, get hit, Sue the city.