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 Have y'all be watching the series Landman? Billy Bob Thornton plays a landman in the Permian Basin.  A lot of it is drama and bullshit, but some of it is pretty good.  Hard truths.

There is a great clip here about alternative energy.  It's something to think about.

Maybe there's something in the water in Washington D.C. these days, but this is clearly A Very Good Thing Indeed:

A bipartisan, bicameral pair of lawmakers urged newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to reevaluate U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence-sharing relations with the United Kingdom in response to a report revealing that the UK secretly ordered Apple to build a backdoor into encrypted iCloud backups.

The Feb. 7 report from the Washington Post says that the order issued last month demands UK law enforcement and intelligence operatives be granted worldwide, unfettered access to users’ protected cloud data. Apple customers residing in the United States would be cast into that dragnet.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., asked Gabbard in the Thursday missive if the Trump administration was made aware of the order by stakeholders and whether the White House has understanding of the CLOUD Act, which lets U.S. law enforcement get data stored by American tech companies, even if that data is on servers outside the U.S., by using warrants or subpoenas.

“If Apple is forced to build a backdoor in its products, that backdoor will end up in Americans’ phones, tablets, and computers, undermining the security of Americans’ data, as well as of the countless federal, state and local government agencies that entrust sensitive data to Apple products,” they wrote in their letter to Gabbard.

Remember, Encryption Backdoors are a Very Bad Idea.  It's not just me saying this, it's the former Director of the UK's GCHQ (their NSA equivalent).

And well done to Congresscritters from both parties in both the House and Senate for putting some pressure on the idiots in Blimey.

 Watching the federal workers freak out over basic accountability is both amusing and disheartening.

This ain't that hard, folks.  When I was a cop, I had to fill out a patrol log every day.  I got my screwing-off time like everyone else, but I had to account for my time.  In my plain-clothes assignment, I was still accountable for the miles I put on a vehicle and to keep my supervisor off my back.

Even in the military, as an enlisted soldier, I had to keep my sergeant happy.  As an officer, I had to keep the colonel happy and supervise the sergeants. I didn't have to be an asshole, but I knew how to be when it was necessary.

The idea that federal employees are unable to provide basic accountability is both amusing and an indictment of their supervisors. Federal employment is not an entitlement program. This ain't hard, folks.  Earn your paycheck.

"Archaeologists there are piecing together clues about ancient industries and trade routes across the glaciers."

While the article had the obligatory reference to global warming,  the bigger question is why were humans up in these frozen areas thousands of years ago?  The answer should be obvious: these areas are just now returning to temperatures that they were at in earlier eras.  We are returning to temperatures that have been typical in the past. 

We’ll let you in on a critical secret that is about to get exposed. That strike zone called by human umpires in the big leagues may be a rectangle in theory — but it’s more like an oval in real life. That’s because many pitches up and in, or up and away, are not called strikes by human umps, even though they’re technically in the zone.

February 25, 1814: Australia’s first currency – the “holey dollar” introduced, made of Spanish ‘pieces of eight’  (8 Reales) with the centers stamped out and overstamped with a date and “NEW SOUTH WALES”, for the colony of New South Wales. — Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — We are in need of entries for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. …

The post Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 25, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

The ability to effectively sharpen a chain is one of the most basic foundations for productive chainsaw use. Cutting with a well-sharpened chain is a joy. Trying to cut with a dull chain is a frustrating and soul-rending ordeal. In Greek mythology, a man named Sisyphus was punished in the afterlife for his wickedness. He was eternally compelled to roll a large bolder up a steep hill. Every time he neared the top of the hill, the bolder would slip away and roll back down to the bottom of the hill. His punishment was the frustration of being forever engaged …

The post Granberg G-1012XT 12-Volt Chain Grinder, by Thomas Christianson appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, a news story that described the use of thermal imaging.  (See the Idaho section.) Idaho Thermal imaging drone helps police locate suspect hiding in darkness by riverbank. o  o  o The future of the death penalty hangs in the balance in Idaho. o  o  o …

The post SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.” – Aldous Huxley

The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

 I'm a grandpa, first and foremost.  This blog nods to that with its name.  I remember my grandpa, who would drop whatever he was doing to help me out of a bind.  It's our job.

Grandson Zach came to me this afternoon as I was lounging in the shop.  He had a flat, in my driveway.  Too bad, so sad.  Zach knows how to change a flat.  He wanted to change it in the shop, where we have floor jacks and air tools.  Okay, but we need to air the tire so that you are not running on a rim.  I gave him a small compressor that would run off his battery.  Air the tire and bring the car around.

I prepped the shop, moving stuff so that he could get his car in the door.  In a few minutes, he came around and drove the car into the shop.  He knows how to do this, but I sat on a stool and coached him through the job.  He used my tools to change the tire, then we went through his trunk, made sure that he had a jack and a lug wrench and a jack handle.

He needs new tires, and he is gainfully employed.  I'll be a pain in his ass until new rubber is between his car and the road. If necessary, I'll get his grandma involved.  He does not want that.

The state website which focuses on Washington State Fiscal Information indicates that more than $365,000 in public funding has been paid to a billionaire-backed gun control lobbying group for “grants, benefits & client services,” “goods and services,” and, in July of last year, for “personal service contracts.” The money, according to the state website, went […]

The post <strong>WA: State Funds Supported Gun Control Group in 2 Bienniums</strong> appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

The announced appointment of former Secret Service agent and conservative talk host Dan Bongino to the post of Deputy Director of the FBI has ignited verbal fireworks, with supporters hailing the move and opponents essentially declaring the sky is falling. Ammoland Editor-in-Chief Fredy Riehl is calling the Bongino appointment “a bold move that solidifies” President […]

The post <strong>Verbal Fireworks over Bongino Appointment to FBI No. 2 Post</strong> appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

 Thanks for the help.  The following bash script will generate gCode for cutting a regular hexagon.  The parameters should be obvious enough when you read it.

#!/bin/bash
if [[ $# -lt 8 ]];
   then echo "$0 xstart ystart zstart zstep zend xyfeed z feed height"
   exit 2;
fi
cat prolog.nc >hexagon.nc
xstart=$1
ystart=$2
zstart=$3
zstep=$4
zend=$5
xyfeed=$6
zfeed=$7
height=$8
halfheight=`echo "$height/2" | bc -l`
oneandonehalfheight=`echo "$height*1.5" | bc -l`
doubleheight=`echo "$height*2" | bc -l`
sqrt3div2=`echo "$height * .866" | bc -l`
sqrt3=`echo "$sqrt3div2*2" | bc -l`
cat prolog.nc >hexagon.nc
echo "g1 z1 f25" >>hexagon.nc
for z in $(seq $zstart $zstep $zend)
do
    echo "g1 x$xstart y$ystart f$xyfeed" >>hexagon.nc
    echo "g1 z$z f$zfeed" >>hexagon.nc
    # First vertex
    echo "g1 x$halfheight y$sqrt3div2 f$xyfeed" >>hexagon.nc
    # second vertice
    echo "g1 x$oneandonehalfheight y$sqrt3div2 f$xyfeed" >>hexagon.nc
    # far (third) vertex
    echo "g1 x$doubleheight y$ystart f$xyfeed" >>hexagon.nc
    # fourth vertex
    echo "g1 x$oneandonehalfheight y-$sqrt3div2 f$xyfeed" >>hexagon.nc
    # fifth vertex
    echo "g1 x$halfheight y-$sqrt3div2 f$xyfeed" >>hexagon.nc
    # back to start of hexagon
done
echo "g1 z0 f25" >>hexagon.nc
cat epilog.nc >>hexagon.nc

The prolog amd epilog files are just to have consistent gCode files.

prolog.nc

%
g17 g20 g54

epilog.nc

m2
%

 Fox News is reporting that the liberal swamp-dwellers are continuing to cry about Elon and his DOGE wizards.  President Trump, always the master troll, is promoting this meme.

That is funny, and probably ore than a little bit true.

“In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks,” Musk continued. “In other words, there is outright fraud.”

I would like to think that if you are just collecting a paycheck that you would put the effort into at least checking your email.  This at least separates the dead from the living and the hopelessly lazy from those motivated enough to scam the government.  You can see why the federal employees union is hopping mad.

"Apple said the investment will create 20,000 jobs.

"Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced tariffs of 10% on all imports from China, from which Apple imports many products, including most of its iPhones. Trump signaled Friday that Apple was planning to make this investment following a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday. Trump attributed the investment to his tariffs."

Having a manufacturing base in America creates jobs and jobs that are generally better paid than, "Would you like fries with that, sir?" 

This process is not without its risks, of course.  Tariffs need to be carefully considered.  I have read that New Zealand has very high tariffs on cars,  even though it has no makers of cars.  Tariffs can create industries, as Hamilton's tariffs did to make America a great manufacturing nation.   But if no industry develops,  those tariffs will just be destructive to consumers. 

During the 1930s, SIG Neuhausen made a series of really beautiful submachine guns. They were the MK series, offered in either 500mm / 19.7 inch barrels for military use or 300mm / 11.8 inch for [...]

The post A Beautiful Factory Semiauto SIG MKPO first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.

The artist Winslow Homer was born on March 24, 1836 in Boston, Massachusetts. The illustration above is a detail from Homer’s 1865 painting: “The Veteran in a New Field.” It hangs at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. — On February 24, 1905, the Simplon railroad tunnel through the Alps in Switzerland achieved breakthrough after 7-1/2 years of construction. — February 24, 1971:  Algeria nationalized 51 percent of French oil concessions. — Today’s feature is a guest post that is not part of the writing contest. (On Mondays, we normally post a review penned by our Field Gear Editor, Tom Christianson.) — …

The post Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 24, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

I am still looking for a wife. I am offering up to $50,000 to be given as a gift after marriage to the person who introduces me to my spouse and if my wife and I become the parents of two healthy children. This gift is in up to three parts: $18,000 will be given after marriage to you if you provided the introduction and two payments of $16,000 given after the birth of each healthy child up to two. Thus, if I get married because of your introduction and we have two healthy children, then you would receive the …

The post My Quest For a Wife, by Single Farmer appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

The following recipe for Simple Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies is from SurvivalBlog reader Carol in Delaware. Ingredients 1 large egg ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, very soft — room temperature) ½ cup light brown sugar, packed ¼ cup granulated white sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 ½ cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not instant or quick cook type) ¾ cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/8 cup more semi-sweet chocolate chips to add after baking (or substitute with raisins, walnuts, etc.) Directions Fully preheat oven to 350 degrees …

The post Recipe of the Week: Simple Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Today’s graphic:  Geography of the Continental United States. (A “cstats1” graphic, courtesy of Reddit.)  This exaggerated view helps to illustrate why The American Redoubt is so redoubtable. The thumbnail below is click-expandable. <<<Insert Thumbnail Image >>       — Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The post SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“You cannot save the planet. You may be able to save yourself and your family.” – Clint Smith

The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

With the submission and fast-track of HB 472, certain Georgia Republicans are partnering with Democrats to turn-back hard-won victories for the right of citizens to carry firearms in public for the protection of themselves and their families, by creating an additional place (besides the numerous ones already in existence) to be a crime if going to while armed with a self-defense pistol.

This bill is set to be heard in Committee Feb. 26th, 2025.

It would make it a crime to be armed inside a fenced-in area at the Georgia World Congress Center. Now keep in mind that outdoor events there for years have occurred without incidence, even though lawfully armed carriers have worn their self-defense handguns while in attendance.

Today, Feb. 23rd, I sent the email below (using my list, which may not be completely updated) to all of our state lawmakers under the Gold Dome:

Dear Lawmakers, 

Please see my personally authored email below. No organization asked me to send this to you:

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee will hear HB 472 Wednesday Feb. 26th. Talk about a whiplash fast-track!

This sudden backwards turn against LIBERTY comes in the light of ZERO progress to abolish further off-limits places to carry a firearm since 2017.

And since that time, numerous of us have been asking you all politely the entire time to let us carry in more places to protect our lives and those of our loved ones from evil people, all falling on deaf ears. Who are we to ask for more? "Can I please have some more, sir"?

If someone is caught armed for their protection at the Georgia World Congress Center inside the fenced area, because they came there by bus and didn't want to be unarmed on MARTA, here's what will happen:

They will be roughly arrested and separated from their spouse and children, taken to jail, have their rectum and other orifices rudely probed, and cast into a cell with violent criminals.

*** And this is merely because they wanted to avoid harm from a criminal attack in public. ***

Republicans have submitted a gun bill that the Democrats will be happy with. Hands joining hands with the enemies of liberty.

 Sorry about the light posting.  I've been quasi-busy for the past couple of days, and my efforts have been elsewhere.

The Pope is in a bind with medical issues.  He's 88 years old, and having respiratory issues.  Love him or loathe him, he is the Pope, and deserves our prayers. If I were a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic church, I'd have a bag packed and I'd be checking airline schedules to Rome.  It seems that there might be a conclave in the immediate future.

Elon Musk and Co continue to cut government.  Not with a finely hones scalpel, but with a chainsaw. I understand that federal employees will be getting an email asking them to detail what they accomplished last week.  Falure to respond will be considered a resignation.

I don't want to hear any crying or whining about federal workers losing their jobs.  It happens.  More locally, we learned last week that the paper mill in Campti, LA is closing.  That mill employs hundreds and for the past 50 years or so, it has been cranking out paper and issuing W2a to hundreds of workers.  That's over now, or will be shortly. It happens in the public sector and in the private sector.

I had an old pipeline welder tell me once that every time he quit, was layed-off, or run-off a job, it was the best thing that ever happened to him.  There was always something better around the corner.  That is the right attitude. Losing a job sucks, but you stand back up, dust off your britches, and get on to the next thing.

On February 23, 1921 the first US transcontinental air mail flight arrived in New York City from San Francisco. — On February 23, 1945, six Marines from E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi during the battle of Iwo Jima. — Today is the anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836). — February 23rd is also the birthday of Captain Isaac Davis (February 23, 1745 – April 19, 1775), a militia officer and gunsmith who commanded a Minute Company in Acton, Massachusetts during the Battle …

The post Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 23, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

For many years alternative economists and “conspiracy theorists” have argued that, according to the evidence, there has been an organized criminal cabal operating a long-running agenda to exploit and eventually destroy western culture. We have suggested that much of this agenda was being funded with our own tax dollar while using government institutions and NGOs as vehicles for social engineering. In the 20 years since I started work in the liberty movement (or patriot movement), I have seen corruption beyond imagining and it all culminated in 2020-2023 when many of us battled against the imposition of total medical tyranny and …

The post Conspiracy Theorists Were Right About Everything, by Brandon Smith appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: So, Explain This to Me In Simple Shiba Doge Terms: How Does a Two-Term Congressmember With a Salary of $174,000 Per Year… Suddenly Have a Net Worth of More Than $9 Million? News Links: Increase in Net Worth of Congressmembers (2014). The Wealth of U.S. Members of Congress: Laying the Foundation (2024). Congress Live Net Worth Tracker. Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to repost memes …

The post JWR’s Meme Of The Week:  appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, …

The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.