The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

 Print This Post Email This Post Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit Google LinkedIn LinkedIn

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 the arrest of the NFAC’s “Grandmaster Jay.”

NFAC Leader Faces Federal Charges

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site:  ‘Grandmaster Jay,’ leader of NFAC militia that demonstrated in Louisville, arrested on federal charge. JWR’s Comments: Readers may recall that this is the same poseur who was seen wearing Straight Outta eBay fake Airsoft gaming “body armor” at several of his organization’s public displays of force.  Lest we poke too much fun at him, consider this: If these were conservatives who had done the same thing, then they too would have been charged. Hence, a lesson learned:  If you want to see details of the law enforcement perched on rooftops that are glassing you while at a rally, then use your binoculars or your camera’s telephoto lens– NOT your rifle’s scope!  At such public events, rifles are best kept slung muzzle-up or muzzle-down, to avoid charges of “brandishing a weapon”. Ditto for any use of laser pointers. Leave them turned off until any shooting starts. Note that state and local laws and norms of behavior vary widely. Know before you go.

New Radar Satellite Can See Inside Buildings

Jeff sent this: New Satellite Can Peer Inside Buildings, Day or Night.

Few Details Available on The Big Hack

Reader C.B. sent us this: US agencies, companies secure networks after huge hack. Here is a snippet:

“The identity of the perpetrator remained unclear. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of an ongoing investigation, told The Associated Press on Monday that Russian hackers are suspected.

The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, said the attack was carried out by Russian government hackers who go by the nicknames APT29 or Cozy Bear and are part of that nation’s foreign intelligence service.

The intrusion came to light after a prominent cybersecurity firm, FireEye, determined it had been breached and alerted that foreign governments and major corporations were also compromised. The company did not say who it suspected, though many experts believed Russia was responsible given the level of skill involved.”

Norway Expands Transgender ‘Hate Speech’ Law

J.S. sent us this: Norway Expands Transgender ‘Hate Speech’ Law to Include Private Comments in One’s Own Home

How Digitization Will Change The Food System

Reader B.M. suggested this: The future is not what it used to be: How digitization will revolutionize the food system. Here is a brief excerpt from this overly-optimistic article:

“As many already know and are concerned by, the food journey the world currently is on is not sustainable. We share a planet currently inhabited by 7.8 billion people. By 2050, it is projected the population will balloon by another two billion. This will require an estimated 50% increase in agricultural production to feed everyone. At the same time as the number of mouths to feed increases, so does food waste and packaging — while fresh water supplies and available farmland are shrinking.

The pandemic has made the speed of this digital transformation all the more urgent. The food system was not prepared or advanced enough to shift and meet demand during this time. However, there is hope: digitization can and will completely transform and impact every link in the food value chain including agriculture, processing, packaging and purchasing — enabling us to be more prepared and ready to face future challenges.”

ISIS Affiliates: Africa’s Jihadists

Reader Claire E. mentioned this book review article: ISIS Affiliates Turning Africa into New Jihadist Battleground.
—

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


74 Comments

  1. RE: Satellite-based SAR. Does anyone understand what is needed to block or disrupt this 9 gHz radiation?
    The wisdom of this type of surveillance is questionable in my mind. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should build and orbit it.

  2. RE: Population growth and food shortages.
    They are a self-correcting problem. The way things are this year, we are well on our way to getting one or both down in short order.

  3. Re: Food… Save your (OP / Heirloom) seeds and learn how to garden…NOW!
    Re: Norway’s Trans stuff… Nature (and God) determines gender at time of conception. Case closed.

    1. Rucksack Rob… You are right. Save those heirloom seeds, and gear up to start or expand your gardens. Consider as well any supplemental plant food, a solid starting supply of good quality growing soil (including bulk compost), a variety of garden tools, plant starter pots for a late winter or early spring start to the growing season, and more. Go to it!

      1. T of A…
        to add to your “and more”, don’t forget items such as chicken wire / fencing, T-post’s, bird netting, PVC and greenhouse plastic(s) for hoop-houses, but one of my most important items are perennial food producers, berries, fruit trees, self cultivating plants like Homesteader Onions (aka: Egyptian Walking onions), Jerusalem Artichokes, Asparagus, Rhubarb and of course various greens such as Kale(s), Arugula, etc and don’t forget seeds and beans for sprouting, especially for winter meals.

        Oh yeah… If you readers are not on the annual mailing list(s) of seeds producers, NOW is the time to order your spring ’21 seed catalogs. Most of the good companies run out fast

          1. and please, do not take my recommendations as coming from a master gardener, because I AM NOT! I fail miserably every year, some years are just more miserable than others… after 15 years, I’m still trying to work out what is best for my local and season(s), but guess what? Next season, I’ll go out, work hard and attempt to beat ‘the miserables’ once again.

        2. Perennial crops like what you mention — Egyptian Walking Onions, Jerusalem Artichokes, Asparagus, etc. should be in every garden. They don’t need to be stored in a root cellar either. I think a lot of gardeners overlook these crops.

          1. An excellent point — definitely do not overlook those perennials!

            In addition to traditional perennial plants, consider trying to winter over some of the traditional annuals. We keep both bell peppers and poblanos in the green house, and enjoy at least some additional production across the colder months. Thus far they have survived well.

          2. David “n” Goliath …is there a particular variety of Jerusalem artichoke that is preferable? Thanks for any input!
            (Have been trying to trade for some In a seed swap group but might end up purchasing.)

        4. An additional note in follow up to Rucksack Rob… Your thoughts and thoughtfulness are very much appreciated! We all begin at the beginning, and we remain works in progress throughout our lives. What an amazing journey, and one we get to share with one another through this the SB.

        5. My inclination is that everyone should expand their growing season, with indoor growing and or a greenhouse. The future is colder.

          Also, regarding perennials such as Jerusalem artichokes, etc, rodents cleaned out all off the tuber potatoes, beets, in the ground as well as all other root crops, chewed green bean bushes and all our peas to the ground, radishes, chewed into the pumpkins, and more.

          Our garden is surrounded by hay meadows and pastures, and an elk proof fence which keeps out coyotes and other natural vole hunters.

          With global cooling coming, we all need to grow in manners to prevent meadow voles, rats, and mice from predation of our crops.

          I’m thinking of a greenhouse with solid mats covering the ground, raised hard-sided beds with small mesh screen bottoms, and trying to see if I can afford earth-bermed walls and a large COB heating unit.

          And a breeding cat population. One thing that was most often stolen on the American frontier were cats.

          We have a heated bed for our barn guardian to keep her happy.

          God Bless

          1. Wheatley Fisher, you are right!

            From your post: “My inclination is that everyone should expand their growing season, with indoor growing and or a greenhouse. The future is colder. ”

            The greenhouse strategy has been very helpful to us. Ours is built into the side of a slope where the back wall is 8′ below grade. The exterior cladded is twin wall polycarbonate. We added raised beds to one exterior side and across part of the front as well.

            On the inside we have placed raised beds (some self-wicking), and various hydroponics systems (some with pumps, others passive).

            We are able to keep our indoors temperature comfortably above freezing with the combination of 1) geothermal exchange with the earthen surround; 2) a little bit of benefit from the twin wall cladding; 3) the exterior raised beds on the outside that add an additional insulation blanket; 4) the thermal mass created by the water stored in the bases of the self-wicking beds; and 5) a back-up heater (hung from one of the rafters).

            Given the much colder conditions we anticipate in the future, we have plans to add a passive solar hot water heater and black barrels which will act as heat syncs.

            We’re wishing you every success, and are happy to share what we’ve learned to help!

          2. They were a couple of pinko-commies, but an interesting study in year-round gardening was Helen & Scott Nearing’s “The Good Life” and “Return to the Good Life” where they outlined their year-round gardening in first Vermont, and then Maine, in stone greenhouses.

            Also look into the Earthship communities. A bunch of leftist hippies, but there’s a guy who grows oranges in Canada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5iE5lZXhhI

    2. That’s right, God doesn’t make mistakes. And for those who follow “science” what does your DNA say? Scientifically speaking, you have XY or XX chromosomes meaning you are male or female. It’s funny how they pick and choose which science to follow.

    1. I remember when I was seven years old, many moons ago, my father had some friends over looking at a new gun he had. Everyone checked to make sure it was unloaded as they looked at it. When it got to me, I knew it was not loaded so I didn’t check. I didn’t touch a gun until the next summer, not even my cap guns. Lesson learned.

  7. The food thing is concerning and is a subject spoken about increasingly. What will happen as The Powers To Be start to see it won’t be in line with most of our thinking. That’s the part that concerns me and the future of my children and grandkids.

          1. That’s liberal “science” for you. Believe only the science they want to believe and make the rest up knowing most people won’t bother to check. The real answer to increase food production is to locally source it. Whether that be backyard gardens or local farmers growing and selling their own produce.

        1. Once a Marine, Always a Marine.

          As a Marine, I know you understand the need to be ready for emergencies [such as food and you own protection]. … We need to have our preps, and our own gardens. [Not always possible for everyone.]
          [I said this because some new readers don’t understand the necessity of being prepared.]
          ****

          I (GGHD) believe the Globalists would like to get rid of a lot of us. … It’s taught in the American public schools and colleges; = there’s too many people in the world. Movies and television shows are made about large numbers of people suddenly disappearing. The people still here afterwards have fun adventures.

          To make this comment even longer. There’s a lot very overweight people with the Free Enterprise economic systems. … There’s also a lot of malnourished and hungry people in the countries where Socialists or Communists are in charge of the government.
          ****
          ****
          There are ~many of articles like this on the Internet. =
          Canada’s Home to the World’s Largest Rooftop Greenhouse Sep 22, 2020, at Goodnet(dot) org.
          Lufa Farms greenhouse is the size of three American football fields!

          Growing food near where people live is one of the most sustainable agricultural practices. Now a company built the largest commercial rooftop greenhouse in Montreal, Canada that will allow it to deliver fresh sustainably grown veggies to the people who live in the city. …

          The company said that their rooftop hydroponic farms are very efficient but to feed all of Montreal they would need to convert 19 rooftops but they are not there yet. The new super large rooftop greenhouse is their fourth and it is larger than three American football fields according to Montreal CTV News.

          This greenhouse that sits on top of an old Sears warehouse in Saint-Laurent is so large that it can grow enough food to feed over 10,000 families per year. Currently, Lufa Farms is delivering 25,000 pounds of tomatoes per week as well as eggplants, herbs, microgreens, bell peppers, and cucumbers. Enough to feed two percent of Montreal.
          ,,,,
          ,,,,
          How Canada Became A Greenhouse Superpower
          June 16, 2016 NPR(dot) org [of all places]

          If you’re a home gardener in most of the country, your tomato plants are probably just getting started. It’s not even officially summer.

          Yet if you go to the grocery store, you’ll probably see tomatoes that come from even farther north: Canada!

          Our cold-weather neighbor sends us more tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers than we send the other way. Despite all the vegetable fields of California and Florida. …

          Paul Mastronardi takes me inside one of his company’s greenhouses. It’s comfortably warm. The entire floor is smooth concrete. Endless rows of green tomato vines are hanging on lines from the ceiling; the vines reach 10 or 15 feet into the air.

          “All the ripe fruit are basically at my waistline,” Mastronardi says. “There’s no bending, no ergonomic issue with harvesting the crop.” …

          In recent years, Canadian greenhouse producers have led the way into new kinds of tomatoes, like those little ones that you can just pop into your mouth. “They’ve diversified so much into specialty mini-products,” Harrison says. “The mini-tomatoes that you see, the grape tomatoes, cocktail tomatoes.”

          The United States hasn’t developed a big greenhouse industry because it didn’t need to. It had all those warm-weather fields in Florida or California.

          That’s now changing as American growers go after the high-end tomato market. Big new greenhouses are up and running in Michigan, Ohio and Texas. But many of the people running those greenhouses are Canadians who learned their trade in Leamington.
          ….
          ….
          (Canada was used to illustrate what is possible, in order to, increase food production for hungry people.)

          [With God’s Grace, the Earth can produce enough for everyone. It’s through the free enterprise system, that food production will match the foreseeable population growth. The Earth is capable of feeding everyone here now. Governments lead by corrupt people are responsible for a lot of evil.]

          But as scripture tells us, only God can see into the future, and foolish people ignore God’s Commandments.

          1. Well said, GGHD.

            You say: “But as scripture tells us, only God can see into the future, and foolish people ignore God’s Commandments.”

            I fear I have been one of those foolish people more than once. Sigh.

            Carry on

    1. If the cartoons have taught us anything, the rifle is just a backup. Her real superpowers ARE the fingernails. Either poisonous or radioactive, from the color they’re painted…. 😉

  9. Yuuuuup. How many of the new gun owners this year even know the four laws? Last time I was in line at the pro shop, I was repeatedly getting muzzled by folks ahead of me who were looking at items for purchase.

    1. MB, yes distribution is one of the biggest issues.
      Quantity of population is not an issue IF, we believe that a all intellingent, all powerful, Supreme Being, creates the souls that inhabit an area.
      This Being would not “create Too Many” souls.
      Part of the situation is that a large percentage of the” Family of Man” demands to come to the table, without earning their daily bread.
      And many are incapable of providing for themselves, eg: Zimbabwe.
      Zimbabwe [back when it was Rhodesia] used to grow enough to feed the population sufficiently and large export of grains.
      Now with recent and current governments, must be given “assistance” to feed the population as the current “farmers” cannot feed themselves.
      But, just maybe that is by design..gives the Gates Foundation a reason for existence.

  12. Russians hacked us???? Please! Are we to believe it was Russians who hacked/stole/ the 2020 presidential election out come too by sending it to Spain, Iran & Germany where the CIA manned server farm was raided?
    I think that is a stretch!

    1. Oddly enough, I had a conversation last night with a person who works for a private cyber security firm. Cozy bear is real, and happens way more often than we’d think.

      2. This from the headline: US agencies, companies secure networks after huge hack.

        Um, weren’t they believed to be “secure” before the hack.

        If I’m in charge of those agencies, I’m definitely assuring everyone that the information is now “secure”. Simple public relations. In the Corps, called CYA.

        Carry on

    1. T of A, I saw that article and have been looking for any more on it. Have not found. Unsure if VP Pence acted with the letter to S of S’s, or not; not that that news would have necessarily reached us.
      What I keep wondering: why would DJT invite us to come to the Jan. 6 rally in DC, saying “it will be wild”…? Has he already realized his second term is a done deal? and all that we read, almost daily, is just to keep his base motivated?
      I wish I knew.
      But I know Who does know: a much higher Judge is adjudicating this day, in America.

      1. I have been reading a lot about this as well. It has happened before, Thomas Jefferson did something similar when he was vice president, and it helped him become president! Be interesting to see what happens

      2. Les… I do so hope you are right!

        From your post: “Has he already realized his second term is a done deal?”

        Unfortunately we cannot take the chance, and must continue the fight without relenting.

        My go-to-word is PERSEVERE! …and pray that we are all feeling much relief and enjoying the celebration of a victory lap on January 20th.

      3. Radio silence from VP Mike Pence… I do not want to believe he would abandon President Donald J. Trump, or worse yet, betray him. I am doing my best to hold out hope that there is something we do not yet know that will explain his silence. I am also increasingly concerned. It seems that every institution and every person within those institutions who have the authority to take some action are simply running out the clock. This is entirely unacceptable. The growing anger among patriots is understandable.

          1. A lovely thought, Spotlight, and we pray it is a prayer come true…

            The Gateway Pundit posted this article: “TWJ Exclusive: New Legal Memo Brings Hope to Trump Supporters This Christmas”

            This is a most excellent discussion of the errors of the Supreme Court, and the pathway to another suit that might be more successful. It’s certainly possible that more people will have a greater knowledge and appreciation of the Constitution than ever before in our nation’s history — IF the rule of law prevails, and the Republic survives.

            https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/twj-exclusive-new-legal-memo-giving-trump-supporters-hope-christmas/

            …and the Wisconsin GOP has joined a promising federal lawsuit.

            https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/wisconsin-gop-lawmakers-join-federal-lawsuit-overturn-fraudulent-elections-swing-states-wi-pa-ga-mi-az/

            Meanwhile… We are waiting for word on what will happen regarding the enforcement of the subpoena allowing a forensic audit in Arizona. Patriots in the state gathered just before the Christmas holiday for a “Stop the Steal” rally. You tell ’em, Arizonans!

            In other related news! Christopher Langan, the smartest man in America (and perhaps the world) is also convinced that the election was stolen from President Trump. Although I am not sure his proposal is viable, I do like his thinking with regard to the reasoned and reasonable consequences of election fraud.

            Christopher Langan: “Erasure or concealment of evidence is grounds for a second (corrective) election. There’s no way to legitimately certify an election in which crucial information has been deliberately destroyed, or in which corrupt officials and judges refuse to let the evidence be duly examined.”

    2. Maybe I am misunderstanding…but I thought that the 23rd was the deadline for the states to submit them? And only after that date Pence responds, but the 24th and 25th are federal holidays and then the weekend, so…?

      1. Bear! You ask a great question about the dates… We’re all learning a lot given the uniqueness of the current situation. Some of these are governed by tradition. Others by federal statute, although I have not read these particular statutes and so can’t really comment here. The Constitution actually says very little about dates, although a whole lot more on process. For anyone interested in substantive background material, the Federalist Papers are an excellent and important study, and insightful as to the thought processes of the Founding Fathers.

        Certainly one possibility is that patriots across America will learn a whole lot about the Constitution, and the Communist Left will be sorry they overplayed their political hand. We can all hope, pray and join together to work toward this productive result!

      1. Hello PL C! An excellent American Thinker article, and I saw that too… Thank you for posting it! Just wondering why VP Mike Pence appears to have been silent. It may be that “the huddle” has a plan for their next moves, and that VP Pence’s role will be revealed as a part of that plan. I just pray that VP Pence will not betray the President and the Republic. Under any other circumstances, I would not even imagine having thoughts like these. In this time, and given everything we’ve seen thus far, I find myself wondering — and very concerned.

  14. Thank you for the link to the Federal Register. I used it. Seems to me that anything that makes a purposeful discharge of a firearm more accurate should not be infringed.

  15. Not too worried yet about the radar technology. There are still practical, physics based limitations to getting high enough resolutions from orbit to make out real details. Notice that they have a 50cm resolution, thats close to 3ft. Optical resolution from orbit is about double that, due to atmospheric turbulence. The bigger threat is from drones inside the atmosphere that don’t have those limitations.

    1. It’s just a matter of time before the technology gets refined/improved. And who knows what unscrupulous entity, including the government, might use such information.

    2. The radar tech was shown on a space shuttle flight. It showed underground ruins in Central America. 50cm, how small are bunkers & underground shelters. The SAR was to look for buried military targets like missile silos, control centers, command bunkers, etc.
      But it could be turned back on you. Also, it might be used for initial search for things that might be looked at by computer programs. Closer looks might then tasked to JSTARS. That system started in a 707 size airframe. For the replacement AF is looking at Gulfstream as the airframe or possibly large drones.

  19. Regarding Grand Master Jay, yes, he was a poseur, to say the very least.

    You will recall that, at the march in Louisville, he said that he had warned the Kentucky AG that he wanted to see the Breonna Taylor investigation report in four weeks. Otherwise, he said that he would return and they would “burn it down.” (“It” being, no doubt, Louisville.) Of course, when the report didn’t come that quickly, he did nothing.

    About the charges now filed against him, the most appropriate response is most succinctly incorporated by the acronym, “FAFO.”

    If anyone wants to know the real truth about the shooting of Breonna Taylor, the subject of so much lies, rumor, and disinformation from the media and BLM, just read Ann Coulter’s account: https://anncoulter.com/2020/12/16/breonna-taylor-the-true-story-of-a-blm-herox/

    Of course, BLM only has so much to work with, so it has to take up every possible cause célèbre even if it is a poor one. People who don’t bother to dig further usually don’t figure out the truth.

    1. He opens the state certifications on 1/6/21. Some people say he can literally select which ones to accept and could throw any states he chooses and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Depending on who you read that’s completely true or a total falsehood and he can’t do anything about it and it’s a done deal for Biden. One or the other lol.

  21. Re: digitation of food production.
    From the article: “These types of public-private partnerships are critical to advancing farming technologies to secure our global food system.”

    Hmm, that sounds an AWFUL lot like socialism. A mixture of Public and Private enterprises.

  22. This alien looking clown from PepsiCo has written a very scary essay detailing how big businesses are spying on the population, compiling data and dumping it into algorithms to whip you up a batch of whatever mood altering crap they want you to eat for their profit and to aid in controlling us. 50 years ago Kentucky Fried Chicken, at the time probably not a property of PepsiCo served deep fried chicken that tasted like chicken although even then it was totally soaked in cooking oils that probably weren’t healthy. And they provided little packets of honey to sweeten the product. It was at that time what they marketed as“finger lickin good”. Today that packet of honey has been digitally transformed into honey “sauce” which contains little to no honey and the chicken is mush. Ask for a cup of coffee you get some disgusting powdered imitation of coffee that is undrinkable. Great R &D. These are the results this fellow is heralding as the overdue revolution in the food industry. What is needed is not the digitization of the food production and supply and transport industries. But instead an honest effort by the population to produce as much of their own food as is humanly possible. Grow what you eat as much as practical, cooperate with others to cover the spectrum of what you need, purchase and store as much as you can and beware and avoid like the plague all this corporatized digitized profitized mess. For what this guy is selling is a plague.

  24. Russian hackers! Please, the high security system had a password of the product name followed by “123”. The idiots of that system were begging to be hacked. Also, the high tech hackers had competition. Low/no tech hackers were also in the systems.

  25. I do not understand why so many people think at the ta-da nick of time that President Trump is going to get a second term.
    SCOTUS has already sanctioned election fraud.

    I have also heard President Trump could do the insurrection act but that time frame is gone now. The report never came.

    So by what mechanism will Trump get another 4 years? I think people are not seeing the reality that the left’s Coup worked and thousands of Americans were in on it.

  26. Merry Christmas to all.

    As far as election fraud, the entire democrat party, from the smallest village to the largest city, should purge all liberal progressive socialist communist traitors, by default, accessory to the crime. They got caught, they should be disqualified across the board, purged. And justice dealt as warranted.

  27. If anyone really cares the SolarWinds hack AKA Sunburst as of a 12/24 update from FireEye, still doesn’t have any attribution. It’s still classified as UNC2452. I know Pompeo said it’s “probably” the Russians, but unless he shares the evidence, IMO, is irresponsible. To those of us in the private industry who do this stuff, we don’t “know” who did it. Pompeo may have more insight ( I hope so) but still shouldn’t be attributed until there is more evidence available.

    I’m not saying the Russian didn’t do it, I just don’t have enough information to say one way or another.

    Just think about this when reading something online. In today’s climate, many times the truth is as far as the East is from the West.

Comments are closed.