Random Thoughts

From the Desk of John Rourke – March 24th, 2017

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Delayed vote on the Healthcare Bill. I hope they can pull it together and do what is right for the country. Obamacare has been a disaster – though there have been positive aspects of it. We put a man on the moon back in 60’s we should be able to figure out a way to provide healthcare to the maximum number of people for the lowest possible cost.

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Wikileaks has released information that the CIA has EVERY iPhone baited with technology right from the technology to allow them to spy on the owner. While I am all for law enforcement preventing terrorist attacks the level of privacy infiltration has gotten out of hand – if this information is to believed.

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I watched the movie Deepwater Horizon yesterday. Very good. Lot’s of action and characters are authentic. Not sure how accurate it portrays the events of April 10th, 2010

deepwater, horizon, DVD, movie

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“Yesterday the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America; and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony, ”that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.””
~John Adams

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Sent in by GG58 – excellent:

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Hope everyone has a great weekend.

A couple questions, if you have the time to answer, would really appreciate it:

 1. What topics would you like to see covered? Maybe something we’ve never touched on or you want more of. I ask this question every few months to generate ideas. Writer’s block, you know?

2. Are you interested in learning about saving money via being frugal? I’m talking such things as innocent as homemade laundry detergent up to bootleg movies and digitally downloaded magazines and books. Some people are morally opposed to watching a bootleg movie while others relish in “sticking it to the man.”

There are many reasons why so many love their Kindle and Amazon Fire tablets. One huge advantage is you could literally go years without every buying a book to read as there are tons of free eBooks available. Don’t have a Kindle or Fire? No problem. There are apps that can be installed on most any cell phone or computer for free. No excuses!

Today’s Freebies

Prepping Hacks for Survival

Survival Food Recipes

SHTF Survival

Survival Fish Harvesting

Ready Shooter Volume 1 – survival fiction

NOTE: If you see a free preparedness eBook that you’re interested in get it now. Prices change often and there is no way to tell how long the book will remain free. Before purchasing a free Kindle book on Amazon make certain the book is still free by making sure the price is $0.00. If it lists a price or says “read for free” or has a price for prime members the book is not free anymore.

 

 

 

 

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23 Comments

  1. Lightning says:

    Yes I am interested in learning how to be frugal-especially with the prices so high due to inflation.Lightning

    Reply
  2. goingray58 says:

    On the last part of Adams Quote “free and independent states”..
    You will note the we refer the the United States when it is properly referred to as “these” united states. Sounds subtle but is not.
    A collection of free independent states and the Federal Government has limited control over, and has independance from. “the ” united states means we all belong to and are controlled by the FedEral government. They do not and we are not. That subtlety over generations and the dumbing down of our citizens is how the argument is being won though. This to means that Secession is a right.. as was voluntary inclusion. The federal government has not right to levy individual taxes nor to payroll collect them. This didn’t happen until 1939 – 1945 and crossed 3 presidencies to occur. Think about it.. If you aren’t mad.. you don’t understand.. IMO

    I know we have been inviting a lot of new people to the Facebook page.. I have and they are the right kind of people.. It doesn’t however mean that all the things we have discussed her for a couple years .. no seeming like old hat stuff I might say .. “Well yeah.. Duh!” about One of our functions is to turn on the little light in people’s minds as to why preparing is needed, what patriotism is and how to begin. In that light
    I know you cross post.. I can see it.. but I feel like the conversations in details need to be here.. and we have some pretty good ones .. So promoting the FB folks to come here.. and vices versa and starting a prepping 101 or beginners .. and going back to basics… I am sure I will learn something I have forgotten or adjust my focus a little more.. IMO

    On the second topic .. umm .. anything along those lines can be talked about in general…as “educational” .. with a disclaimer.. and some of the things some folks won’t be ready for .. nor does the “man” need to see here .. just sayin..

    GG58

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      Good point GG58. I do often take for granted that visitors here already know the basics and if I go into a “Basic Food Storage” post that it will just be overlooked. That is wrong. Good thinking.

      On your last statement – there is not much I will not talk about here regardless of the “who” might be reading. I’m well past the OPSEC perspective – I blew that a long time ago. I truly believe it’s time to do the opposite and ramp things up.

      Reply
      1. goingray58 says:

        Yeah … OPSEC is not really a concern once you’ve put it out there.. I was more talking about specifics that probably don’t belong in public.. things like formulas and methods .. that could go off forum between interested individuals. Ramp up ? yeah .. probably All the house and just under the majority of the senate comes due 2018.

        Reply
  3. Pam says:

    There is so much more wrong with this medical system than just how we pay for it. We are not graduating many more doctors than we were in 1980. The ones we do graduate are 75% specialists. Primary care is provided mostly by mid-levels (PA, NP or mid-wife). in 1980 80% of patients not covered by medicare or medicaid were private pay (out of pocket). Office visits to a family physician ranged from $7.50 for problems like colds, sore throats, ear infections, etc. to $45 for a complete physical or an extended visit with multiple major problems ie. COPD AND diabetes AND arthritis where multiple prescriptions were managed and monitored for interaction. Back then you didn’t have to “tell your doctor about all the medicine you are taking” because he already knew because he gave it to you. The overwhelming majority of patients paid their bill as they left the office and accounts receivable were minimal. The high dollar service, OB care, delivery, followup for 6 weeks and newborn care for a month was $900 with $600 to the hospital. These accounts were paid off in an average of 6 months.
    Today, very few family or general physicians go into private practice but rather work for a corporation like an HMO or hospital based ‘clinic’ – even a good portion of the specialists go corporate. In the corporate setting the doc gets a salary and agrees to generate a minimum amount of revenue causing him, in the long run, to spend less time with each patient and order tests that are unnecessary. These corporate offices have 10 times the staff and overhead per provider than the private doc did in 1980.
    Because of all the different insurance policies and rules, the prices must be set high enough to get the most in “allowable” charges, while making up for high write-offs by collecting the full price from the un or under insured.
    Prescription medicine is the most glaring in disparate pricing and makes obvious that the whole medical / insurance SCHEME is designed to profit shareholders.
    Obamacare was created to INSURE the shareholders at the expense of the healthy working man until the electorate was so beat down they begged for socialized medicine ie. single payer which HRC was quite anxious to provide. As far as I can tell, Paul Ryan’s plan tweeks Obamacare a little but is light years away from providing a real solution. Honestly, I’m not sure there is a solution because somebody has to pay for the masses who are used to having everything in life come for free. Making any changes that treat everyone fairly, requiring some level of personal responsibility would probably cause the entire country to burn.

    Reply
    1. John Gault says:

      You are spot on. The AMA has a strangle hold on the system, purposely institutionalising limits on the number of doctors (to increase income) and fighting to limit what non doctors can legally do. Remember the mid-wife?

      I think people fail to realize that without a 60 vote majority in the Senate there is only so much the GOP can do. Anything that is outside the reconciliation process won’t get through the Senate….

      Reply
  4. Granpa says:

    I might offer my opinion about ‘healthcare’.

    I think my healthcare is eating right, exercising appropriately, and avoiding processed foods including chlorine.

    I think my healthcare comes from my garden.

    I think my healthcare is stalking and chasing animals such as rabbits, snakes, fish, deer, and elk. And occasionally catching them. If not, I fast.

    I think my healthcare includes climbing trees for eggs and nuts, digging for roots such as camas and potatoes.

    I think healthcare extends beyond the individual. I think healthcare is showing my love for my tribe by dying before I become a burden.

    That thing the government agents call ‘healthcare’ sounds suspiciously like ‘maintaining a barely-alive state after eating garbage while sedentary’.

    The healthcare offered by the government agents sounds like their Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals… just barely enough to keep you from falling over dead.

    Trust the government agents? Are you paying attention to the past couple hundred years?

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      Granpa – anyone that has been hanging out here for very long would know I would never suggest to “trust” the government with almost anything. I understand what you are saying however the reality is that the “healthcare” I am referring to has already happened and is a done deal. Federal government involvement in the healthcare system has happened and that is not going to change. There is an opportunity to at least improve it. I just hope an improvement is actually what happens and not more government overreach and bloating.

      Reply
  5. Patriot Believer says:

    Topics to cover? Hmmm

    1. What is truth?
    2. Community comms
    3. Just war theory and Cassius Belli
    4. Defense of self and others
    5. (real) ethics and moral basis
    6. Practical dissent and resistance in the face of a government that’s lost it’s mind
    7. What is the Bible, how die we get it and, can we trust what it says about the future?
    8. Ditch medicine–building a real emergency capability to help those around you in a time of emergency
    9. Welfare–who’s really responsible and how should it work?
    10. Caching, the only way to stand when it comes to that

    Sorry, I guess that gives some indication of where I stand on most things.

    PB

    Reply
  6. Pam says:

    I would be interested in posts about ideas for a senior with limited mobility. I am also interested in frugal living posts

    Reply
  7. JAS says:

    They have been saying for seven years that they wanted to repeal Obama Care and that is what they should do. This halfass bill makes no sense. There is no way to make a better bill. People need to realize that you are talking about buying insurance from for profit businesses to help pay for health care in for profit businesses and the customer always looses. Either they take over health care completely and give everyone medicare, or they get rid of Obama care completely and let the open market capitalism drive the cost.

    Reply
  8. Capt.Michaels says:

    – I’m so very disappointed in the current “Ryan-care” junk. I hope they vote it down. It is riddle with major insurance company’s input. Obama care still sucks, but I don’t want to go deeper down the rabbit hole!

    – iPhone…? Pfffft, any technology for that matter. Me and you touched on this a long time back. Paranoia, will destroy ya. However, just like driving a motorcycle. You MUST be on the defensive and aware of how to protect your self. So don’t go off the deep end and put tin foil hats on your head. But…do take steps to stay under the technology radar and protect your privacy,( as much as possible that is)

    Topics/suggestions?

    – More good articles about “knowing the enemy”.

    – Growing your own food. I wanted to start gardening now and learning now, before whatever disaster hits. Brother, let me tell you. I started off reading some articles we shared on here, videos on YouTube, suggestions from other people who gardened. Pfffft,..I need to/will “go to school” on this topic. Been growing for 3 years now. Thought I had seen some barriers to growing food and met them with reasonable efforts. Nope…I was wrong. There is this whole dichotomy of gardening that are just the tip of the iceberg. Just getting compost, some good garden design, and water are Not going to make it. I’m not saying dive into it to such great length you lose yourself in agriculture, BUT there is a lot you do need to learn. What regional, climate, and soil will grow what. What type of insects you will battle with. How you meet those threats when you can’t just go to the store and buy some chemical. For example..what the heck are those nasty fat creme colored things called grubs and how did they get into my garden. They eat roots. When your life depends on it most. You will not live or make it if you’re depending on growing food as part of survival by just putting good soil, compost, water, and seeds in the ground. There may very well be some simple methods that people used in the olden days, but you need to know what they are now so you can prepare.

    – Fire. How to deal with it and beat it. Especially, if your property is wooded. Most forest fires are started by a careless fire pit and smoking. Now, you think your neighbor or enemy can’t just light a match and flick it on your house/property? Southern Prepper1 has some videos on this.

    – Tactical/combat fighting. Do you know what a field of fire is? Kill zone? Crossing vectors? Making the enemy put themselves into a kill zone? This will sound really silly, but it will give you a VERY good dose of reality…Gaming. If you’ve ever done computer/console gaming in first person or strategy. You know how on a FPS(First person shooter) you always have idiots camping a spot and not helping. By the way campers always die. There are books, videos, and websites that can help. However, until you try to make something work in real time and see the chaos/cluster that happens. You will not be ready when it counts. There are some very old computer games that are now very cheap and/or free and would run on a Windows XP machine. You don’t need a super computer to run these and you can get some good practice. Then of course there is paintball and other things.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_strategies_and_concepts

    – Cyber security. It’s not just for businesses. Do you know or have you ever checked the credit card scanner at a bank ATM or gas pump to make sure a scanner has not been installed? Do you even know what/how these scanners work? What about RFID scanners? Though very rare, they are an issue. Are you using anything IoT (internet of things). These are things like a Nest thermostat which is tied into the internet and your phone. Your Smart TV. Totally hackable. Cyber-criminals are now learning how to use scanners to pick up your key less remote RFID and access your vehicles.

    – Optics. Do you have binoculars or any type of optics to help you see great distance clearly? Or will you just hold your hand up to your fore head to block the sun and focus?

    – Power. What options are they to get power? Solar, geothermal, wind, hydroelectric?

    -Medicine. How will you treat the common cold when there is no store and the common cold could lead to your death.

    – Shelters. Which shelter options have you looked at, which will you use, and how much time/cost is involved getting it ready or ready to be deployed quickly?

    Reply
  9. Fred C says:

    Wow, Capt Michaels, great list. To add to one of yours, Medicine, I had an emergency recently which really made me think of what would I have done had it happened to me or a loved one during a SHTF. I developed a really bad nose bleed that even the doctors couldn’t tell me why it happened. It was the kind that poured blood, not a drip. Holding my nose did not help. Finally had to go to the emergency room where the doc placed some stuff up it that really burned then a thing like a tampon (sorry) up my nose to stop the bleeding.

    With that said, a great topic would be a list of what we can stock for emergencies covering all injuries/sickness.We all could brainstorm ideas a list and include what to do about them off grid.

    A complete list would really be huge I guess but we could prioritize it.

    I have put away some medical items but not nearly enough to cover most things that could happen off grid. I am sure there are many that I have not even thought about.

    Reply
  10. jh says:

    Go back to revisiting basics 101. I am always learning something new due to the technology advances that makes preparedness easier. new\younger people may have a different take on things. So much has changed since i bought my first survivalist magazine in 1984 it’s amazing. Yet the same threats are out there today.
    I am glad Tumpcare was pulled, I am Still trying to figure out where in the constitution does it say we as a citizen MUST have health care insurance, in socialist nations it’s pretty much mandatory. So does that mean we are too and need to just accepted it? Supreme Court be damned in their decision. It’s a illegal hardship being placed upon the legal citizen.

    Reply
  11. ralph k says:

    @Pam,

    75% of med grads go into the specialties because of their humongous student loan debt. Can’t pay it on a general practitioners salary. One of my kids is in med school,
    will have 400k$ balance by the time its done. Its insane but reality unfortunately, but at least it will be a degree in something useful vs all the socialist degrees snowflakes have, then go on to be fast food workers or on the dole. Your statement:

    “Honestly, I’m not sure there is a solution because somebody has to pay for the masses who are used to having everything in life come for free. Making any changes that treat everyone fairly, requiring some level of personal responsibility would probably cause the entire country to burn.”

    Agree. Trump is lucky he won’t be attached to the currently proposed ‘fix’ of obummer care cause it isn’t a fix at all. It needs to just blow up completely, then propose an alternative that is workable solution. But until then, expect more of the same, both parties are beholden to the health/pharma/insurance industries. Have to stop contributions to PAC’s, congress, all of it. No reform, no change, no solution. Then kaboom. The system is irreparably broken in my estimation. I sometimes pray for an EMP to wash the whole thing away once and for all.

    Reply
    1. Pam says:

      Oh yes, student loan debt, there’s another topic I could make a 2 page comment on. I have a kid that’s a lawyer … no paid residency for lawyers or engineers and they don’t start at three figures either. Some docs, like lawyers, “do time” in under served areas in order to have loans forgiven. How’d ya like to be a DA or an ER doc in Detroit, Compton, Watts, or Harlem? Sounds like Hell to me, I’d rather go to purgatory and pay the bill.
      The situation is manipulated to guarantee even professionals are slaves to corporations. Don’t think for a minute this isn’t a long-term business plan.

      Reply
  12. LibertysTeeth says:

    Hey JR, great explanation of the difference between “democracy ” and “republic”. My daughter is a teacher, and I sent it to her. She thinks it’s a great example to show her students.

    Reply
  13. ralph k says:

    @Pam,

    Yes, paid internship. Not the med school part, at all, thats the 400k$ figure alone. And something for more consumption, having worked in the medical field for 3+ decades, the residency, internship hours divided into the compensation they get, is way below minimum wage. Yes it is a well planned racket for sure, and not all physicians start in 3 figure incomes, esp as noted before, general practitioners. The worse part of student loan debt is it is not dischargable in bankruptcy, courtesy of the clintons and banker cabal. Often, they made parents cosign loans, then go after them as well despite it was the non-dischargeable feature being added by the banking cabal as insurance for students with no assets or income. Then they screw everyone anyway. None of the snowflakes ever learn about this sweet arrangement made by clintons cause lame stream media won’t report it. As I said, the whole thing is system is broken because of corruption and stupidity of the electorate. Schools are not for learning how to think, just to follow orders. We need that EMP to wipe the slate clean, and some pitchforks and torches as well. Our current system is unsustainable in every facet. Oh, btw, my sister was a teacher in inner city Baltimore, a way to reduce her loan, and she did ok, made her tougher and smarter. Also, those who train in the ER’s of the purgatory regions get great experience in trauma care, for what its worth.
    Thanks for responding.

    Reply
    1. Pam says:

      I was the business manager for a FP residency for 15 years.The last 5, I spent a fair portion of my time setting up practices and negotiating contracts with the hospitals for grads in under served rural areas. Every single one of them begged me to go with them but they couldn’t afford me. I had one doc’s wife do an “internship” so she could run her husbands office. HUGE difference in the personalities and values of the grads that went rural vs those who went corporate. One gal and her engineer husband lived in a teepee for three years while paying off bills and building a cabin. Actually, their new baby expedited the cabin.
      We sent residents to LA to do OB rotation, they would deliver 10-20 babies a day, as you say, “good experience”! Handsdown, the best rotation was orthopedic in Vail, CO.
      If there were a way to suspend all liberal arts programs, for even just a decade, the social fabric of this country would change drastically. The mentality (or mental illness) inculcated on college campuses leaches into EVERY aspect of our lives. Even in Little League sports we have to make sure it’s a “safe environment”. What’s THAT? Contact sports but you can’t hurt somebody’s feelings? You must guard against bullying but can’t keep thugs and sex offenders out of the park? Sex offenders are supposed to be registered so the neighborhood is aware of them but murdering, raping illegal aliens are protected from the law?
      We need an EMP. I bet God agrees. Pray for a massive solar flare.

      Reply

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