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 “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at how NYPD police officers are using facial recognition.

Demand for “Prepper Properties” is Soaring

Demand For “Prepper Properties” Is Soaring As More People Seek Refuge From The Nightmare That Is Coming To America

Building an Underground House with Hand Tools

Michael Z. Williamson (our Editor-At-Large) sent us this YouTube link: Building The Most Secret Underground House and Water Slide to Swimming Pool Underground.  It is no wonder that this video has had 35 million views.

Rogue NYPD Cops are Using Facial Recognition App

The New York Post reports: Rogue NYPD cops are using facial recognition app Clearview. The article begins:

“Rogue NYPD officers are using a sketchy facial recognition software on their personal phones that the department’s own facial recognition unit doesn’t want to touch because of concerns about security and potential for abuse, The Post has learned.

Clearview AI, which has scraped millions of photos from social media and other public sources for its facial recognition program — earning a cease-and-desist order from Twitter — has been pitching itself to law enforcement organizations across the country, including to the NYPD.”

Marines are Now Allowed Concealed Carry

Reader DSV spotted this: Marines are Now Allowed to Concealed Carry on Base

NOAA to Study Climate Plan B: Geoengineering

Reader Sean B. sent this: NOAA gets go-ahead to study climate Plan B: Geoengineering.

Oakland Bans Landlords from Background Checks on Potential Tenants

File under “Oh, California”: Oakland bans landlords from running criminal background checks on potential tenants.

Supreme Court: Welfare Recipients Can Be Denied Residency, Citizenship

Reader H.L. sent us this from PJ Media: Trump Win at Supreme Court: Welfare Recipients Can Be Denied Residency, Citizenship

A Ham Radio Antenna Launcher

Apparently ham radio and gadgetry go together: Pneumatic Atomic Antenna Launcher or PAAL. JWR’s Comment: Back when I first started attending Field Days (circa 1973), we were encouraged to practice lofting antenna wires using standard fishing rods. I suppose these mortars can reach higher tree branches, but what a huge pile of PVC required!

Ted Cruz Now Has Number 1 Podcast in America

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Ted Cruz now has number 1 podcast in America

Trump Administration Set To Ease Gun Export Restrictions

Another from H.L.: Trump Administration Set To Ease Gun Export Restrictions

Want to Own a Wyoming Missile Silo?

A listing over at my #1 Son’s site caught my eye: Wyoming Missile Silo Site 1.6 acres.  (Plenty of Due Diligence would be required!)

Bloomberg Now a Contender for Nomination

And to round out today’s topics, DSV sent this alarming news: Rival Campaigns Are Starting to Take Bloomberg Very Seriously

Here is a quote from the opening of the article:

“At a closed-door fundraiser late last year, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) was notably fixated on, and visibly irritated by, one of the fellow Democrats vying for the presidential nomination. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had just entered the race. But he had already managed to get under his competitor’s skin.

At the event in Northern Virginia, Klobuchar talked at length about Bloomberg’s massive TV ad blitz and the gobs of cash he was planning to throw into the 2020 primary, according to an account from a source in the room who attended.

“She talked about how she was on a Sunday show for 10 minutes and saw five or six Bloomberg ads while she was in the green room,” the Democratic attendee, who donated money to Klobuchar’s campaign for entrance into the event, told The Daily Beast. ‘She’s very worried about the amount of money he’s spending.'”

You can send your news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) Thanks!




55 Comments

    1. @cook- Another few inches down the slippery slope to total slavitude to the Almighty Feral Government that was begun with the enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights law where we lost the right of free association and the right to protect our property that was lost with the passage of the Firearms Act of 1934. Really, no part of the Feral government is not immoral now except the military.
      I hope you like my word that I invented “slavitude”.

  1. Wuhan virus update: The situation continues to worsen.

    7,921 confirmed cases worldwide, 170 fatalities
    South Korea confirms first human-to-human transmission
    China reported largest one-day jump in fatalities on Wednesday with
    Hong Kong warns of surgical mask shortage
    Russia closes border
    6,000 quarantined aboard Italian cruise ship
    Thailand leads with most cases outside China (14)
    First case in India

    The rise of cases and deaths are steeper than with SARS and have spread to more countries also. The situation is fluid and growing so stay informed.

  2. Don’t have any false illusions.
    Money is Power, and Mr. Bloomberg WILL get (buy) the Democratic nomination, and the 2 Billionares will fight it out for President. For those of you that think Trump is bad news, you haven’t seen anything yet.
    People that have no conception at all what it’s like for the common working man/woman.
    “It’s my way, or the highway” is their mantra.
    Our future does not look good, is putting it mildly.

    1. Little Mikey has already said he’s willing to spend $2 Billion of his own money to defeat Trump. That would be a Billion in the primary (he expects to buy the nomination) and a Billion in the general election, even if he is not the nominee, his words, not mine.

      This elitist scumbag actually thinks the world is better off with him running the show. That makes him dangerous. It also means he can win. Ego maniac, narcissist, and sociopath, maybe bordering on psychopath, this is a dangerous combination for all segments of the population. I pray people see through to the heartlessness and soullessness this evil madman.

      I don’t ever contribute to any political campaign. I may have to rethink my position on that one.

      1. @Charles K.-Leprechaun Mike would spend $2 Billion of is OWN money ? Like everything Mike says, THAT IS A LIE. And what he DOES NOT say is often more important than what he says. And like ALL communist politicians, he fully expects to recoup many times over any funds that he personally …or more likely has his donors kick in*cough*Soros*cough*… . If somehow, Mike steals the election, it will kick off the hot do-mess-tic guerilla war that we all dread. Same with gun confiscation in Virginia or ANYWHERE.

    2. GettinReady, I agree. Thankfully we had much time to prepare.

      Global elites’ target date for globalization is 2030. They are prepared now for their ‘global economic reset’ (their words not mine).

      Today global elites need two things: 1. The world masses to accept them and 2. Scapegoats to take the fall. My hunch is that their focus is now on maneuvering both. No matter what you believe about 9/11, it is a fact that in just 140 days the so-called ‘free world’ was pitted against 145 million people (GW Bush’s ‘Axis of Evil’ nations). Surely that model would suit their needs.

      Much must happen for global elites before 2030. Why would they wait much longer?

      I may be an old coot but I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. My truth-detector still works. Montana’s Brandon Smith of alt-market.com has analyzed the evil minds of global elites perhaps better than anyone. I highly recommend listening to him.

  3. I’m an arborist. We set ropes in trees using throw line and weighted bags. The line is special in that it is very strong and has a slippery sheath that allows it to smoothly ride over limbs and crotches. With a little practice you should be able to set lines up to 30 to 50 feet, higher with more practice. The footprint for this can be as small as a small paper lunch bag.

  4. Ref: Rogue Cops/Facial Recognition.
    No comments from the LEO haters? They must be sleeping in this morning. I’m confident that once they read the article a barrage of unkind and uncivil rhetoric will follow.

    1. I can recognize faces!! I have had this extraordinary ability since I was 6 months old. I did not know it was dangerous to our democracy. But in fact we all have this ability. and yet if a computer does it somehow this is bad. I do not understand. Why is it bad?

      1. You being able to recognize faces is certainly not the same thing as a flawed computer program being used for police work.

        Why is it bad?
        So this flawed computer program decides that a picture of a bad guy matches you. The software is used in court to file charges against, and convict you of a crime you did not commit. Oh you may be able to fight this in court, and even win. But your life has been turned upside down, you have spent tens of thousands of dollars to defend yourself, your reputation is completely ruined, and now you are on some watch list somewhere, all because of a flawed computer program that is now being considered a witness against you. Mind you, this is a witness that cannot be questioned and that you cannot face in court.

        What could possibly go wrong?

        1. OK I take that comment seriously. But the same exact thing is true for eye witnesses except humans are more often wrong. I don’t think your scenario is likely or any more problematic than eye witnesses. I think that the primary reason people object to facial recognition is the nebulous claim that it infringes on our freedoms. That is the very fact that there is a camera and it takes you picture and compares it with known faces (as in suspects) that this act is an infringement on your rights. I simply do not see how it is any more an infringement than an eye witness seeing you. I’m open to being convinced but I’m not convinced yet.

        2. Your justice System is rotten to the core, such a mistake should be at worst at utmost get you 24 Hours in a cell for identification and if not extraordinary circumstances are at Play the responsible Police officers should face Stern diciplinary measures for such a Long time

    1. The news is showing Mike ‘Iron Grip gun-grabber’ Bloomberg grabbing the top of a dog’s muzzle and ‘shaking’ it. [A variation of campaigning handshakes.]

      A talented gun enthusiast could make a clever anti-Bloomberg political ad with that video. =
      “Don’t let gun-grabber Mike Bloomberg grab your gun. He might NOT let go.”

  5. WHO meets again today to decide whether or not to declare 2019-nCov (coronavirus) an international public health emergency.

    We’re wondering about the reports that the evacuees brought back to the U.S. would only be monitored for 3 days? Seems unwise…

    An interview with the author of Three Seconds to Midnight on Fox offered an insightful reference to the dependence of the world on labor and supply chain mechanics. It was a brief mention, but it was an important message. Remember that grocery stores keep a limited supply of food on the shelves (sufficient for a few days). In addition to human suffering and loss of life, a global pandemic could wreck havoc on all kinds of systems affecting all people — whether or not they have been exposed to or have contracted the virus.

    In the face of deep concerns, we remain reasoned and cautious, aware and informed. Our hope is that the situation resolves without any additional loss of life or suffering, but we are prepared for the possibility that conditions will deteriorate further before improving. Stay well. Be safe everyone!

    1. Just another example of the fragility of our modern civilization. The JIT system is great…only when everything is working well. One of the first problems to arise from an epidemic is a disruption in manufacturing and distribution. That quickly leads to food shortages. Most people don’t have enough stored to get them through two weeks, let alone two months or God forbid a year. The just announced pending deaths of 300 million chickens at one factory farm in China is but one link in the complicated food chain. A chain that is far weaker and more susceptible to global shocks than we were lead to believe. More animal deaths means less food. Also if they do not correctly dispose of the mass of carcasses then there is the very real possibility of additional disease outbreaks due to poor sanitation and pestilence.

      1. Agreed! The system is so much more fragile than most people realize. When the first reports of quarantine came out of China, our first question was how long supplies within the quarantined area would last — and how would deliveries of new supplies be coordinated assuming safe deliveries were even possible. Our thought was “not long”.

        You also make a very good point related to the risk of other cascading events, and we believe there is every reason to remain especially cautious. Extraordinary measures are being activated because the virus has serious implications — but so do the implications of systemic breakdowns and panic.

        Stay safe and well!

    2. Telesilla of Argos, your concerns are well grounded.

      The incubation period for this virus is up to 14 days. I wish the best for the evacuees you refer to. But honestly, we are not going to put out any extra place settings for them.

      1. Yes. The asymptomatic incubation period of up to 14 days is a real source of concern. At least one report suggested that some of those affected might remain asymptomatic but contagious for an even longer period of time. We are tracking news of the diagnostic science, and that appears to be changing quickly as well… With this in mind, we question whether or not any current testing being used to evaluate the evacuees is accurate. Three days’ of monitoring is too short a time in my view.

  6. Re. Demand for “Prepper Properties”

    In fairness the author acknowledges that in some areas “working class families have already been completely priced out of the market. However he made no mention of remorse. Reparations? Yea, right.

    But take solace in knowing these “affluent professionals” are not “crackpots”. Their homes will not be “backwoods shacks with sagging metal roofs”. You know, like the indigent crackpots.

    Interesting the article begins with a picture of a ‘Private Property – Keep Out’ sign. Yea, that’s a great way to make a first impression with your new rural neighbors.

    Honey, on second thought, hold up on the casseroles.

  7. Personally, for tossing a line, I prefer the old Navy shotgun method, but those systems are a bit pricey for a field day event. Might be easier to find a 9 year old who likes to climb and have him play swashbuckler with a 1/4″ line between his teeth. I could up up to 40′ up a douglas fir back in the day.

    Coronavirus is just another name for the flu bug. The one problem I see is a long incubation period with relatively mild symptoms and no fever, which makes it harder to detect in a crowd. Maybe someone should invent an optical scanner like in the movie “I am Legend”. Oh yeah, that really didn’t change the outcome did it? The epidemiology isn’t much different from any other flu season, and from the stats I’ve seen, this is nowhere near the lethality level of SARS. The big problem seems to once again be a lying bureaucracy that fails to disclose the actual infection count until it’s obvious there’s a problem, and the fact that it doesn’t manifest itself in the host for a long period of active contagion. I do see one of the big pharma are putting together a vaccine, so we will see how the timing of that plays out.

    Players moving out to the countryside just become wealthy targets, especially with such a non-social attitude. Posting signs just means you’ve got something to hide. That kinda advertising usually attracts violent curiosity, unless can manage to put enough heads on pikes to ward off the evil spirits.

    1. “Coronavirus is just another name for the flu bug. ”

      And German is just another name for Ludwig von Beethoven, Martin Luther, and Adolph Hitler, but there is a difference, isn’t there? (And, yes, Hitler was born Austrian, but he was of German descent and was a German citizen. 🙂 ) SARS was/is a coronavirus. Thank God that the Wuhan virus doesn’t appear to be quite as bad as SARS.

  8. On climate change intervention, Plan B:

    What could possibly go wrong? Let’s put sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere, or some other substance, or a salt mist. So, all of a sudden, man-made acid rain is perfectly OK? We want to mimic volcanic activity to intervene in the atmosphere. Oh wait, there are already 30 some odd volcanoes in some stage of eruption as I write this, and that’s not enough for these lunatics.

    There has not been a sustained rise in global temperature since 1998. As a matter of fact, we have already had some small amount of global cooling. We have had volcanoes going of at an increasing rate since that time, especially in the last couple of years. Seems to me the planet is taking care of itself, without our help.

    CO2 good! Lack of CO2 bad! Atmospheric CO2 levels have been a lot higher in the distant past than they are right now. As a matter of fact CO2 levels are relatively low on a geologic time frame. Plants don’t live without CO2, we don’t live without plants, so we don’t live without CO2. Plants take in CO2 and give off oxygen. We, and all other mammals take in oxygen and give off CO2. It is called a synergistic relationship.

    Conclusion: No CO2, no life on earth. It really is that simple. These true science deniers are cruel and evil people. Psychopaths, dangerous psychopaths, committing crimes against humanity.

  9. So far 8,200 people have died and 140,000 people hospitalized during 2019-2020 flu season according to preliminary estimate from the CDC.
    Seems like we should pay more attention to flu rather than the corona virus.

    1. The next time someone is breaking into your house CALL A CRIMINAL, when your child doesn’t come home from school, CALL A CRIMINAL, see how well that works for you!!

      1. Vietvet,if you call a criminal,at least they probably won’t murder you,your family and neighbors then try to steal everything you have. Call a cop and everyone and everything is at risk.

  10. As for the due diligence on those Wyoming missile silo properties, is there any way to find out if the Chinese and Russians have taken them off THEIR radar yet?

    1. The person with the best connections to the Russian government would be Hillary Clinton. Maybe Bill and Clelsea too. At least they did when they had a middle eastern customer for Uranium One. But access to the Clintons might cost you millions.

  11. The closing lines to the article linked below should capture everyone’s attention…

    >>> “We reported earlier that frustrated Chinese have been defying the government censors: “We gave up our rights in exchange for protection,” one Weibo user wrote in a post. “But what kind of protection is it? Where will our long-lasting political apathy lead us?”<<<

    https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/citizen-journalist-exposes-brutal-truth-china-losing-battle-wuhan

  12. First human to human transmission of Wuhan coronavirus,husband of woman who caught it in China infected.
    PANIC!!!!
    As of yesterday a small suburban county had a higher death toll from flu than worldwide deaths from Wuhan virus(location of transmission)

  13. In layman’s terms, this corona virus thing is just another flu bug. Scientifically you can call it whatever you like. Politically, it is the next major disaster just waiting to happen if we all don’t jump on the bandwagon and do as we are all told.

    They want to sensationalize these things so the sheeple will keep running for the cliffs. The things I look at are the mortality rates, the infection rates, and whether or not someone can come up with a vaccine. As with all those previous “sky is falling” bugs, this one ain’t any different. I remember when H5N1 had everyone running to their doctor to beg for a script of Tamiflu to keep their family from dying. 6 months later it was just a memory.

    Sure, it pays to keep abreast of these things, but we gotta take what we are told with a grain of salt, look at independent information sources, and make a real determination as to how serious the threat really is. So far, I haven’t seen anything factual about this bug that raises my neck hairs any.

    Due diligence cuts both ways. Stay informed, figure out what you are being told and why.

  14. A Ham Radio Antenna Launcher

    Built this launcher and a couple of mortars this week. The sudden release of 40 psi made a sound that made me giggle like a little girl. I plan to fully test it out today in an open soccer field. I’ll make it down to my cabin in a week or so to see if I can get the end of a long wire antenna up in the highest branch a tree. Assembling the parts was the hardest part of making this launcher.

    1. If it isn’t too much trouble would you be able to post or give directions to the plan that you used? I would like to build a launcher, but haven’t settled on a set of plans yet. I’d love to see yours if you don’t mind

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