Response to a Comment

Sorry it has taken me so long to write another entry, but i have been thinking about what i am writing today over and over, trying to decide if i really wanted to do it or not. I came to the point that if I don't deal with it now I will have to at some point, so if you will bear with me and read the entire post we can get it out of the way now.

Do I believe Bush knew about the aircraft attacks on 11 Sept? No i don't, he just honestly wasn't that smart. Did the Government know about the attacks? Yes. But that is not the question you should ask. Did the Government UNDERSTAND what it knew? Of course not. The Government was no smarter than Bush. Where the conspiracy comes in is after. They are smart enough to 'take advantage of a crisis or event and turn it to their favor'. And i think that is what the Government did.

There are the certain groups out there, running around saying that Bush planned it, organized it, and jumped from one of the planes at the last minute to take America by the hand and say I will fix it. And these people will not be happy unless I say the same thing. Do not just dismiss them, they are only half wrong and misguided, but maybe some can be shown the right path. Let me explain.

In my opinion, which is worth what you are paying for it, here is where we are. The Gov't has been wandering away from the people they govern since the early 60's, and if you have been around that long, and you can think back clearly enough, you will remember a slow divide forming between the people and the gov't from the federal and state levels. Now history will tell you, as it did told them, that when the people are unhappy enough with their rulers, the people will remove them. By force if needed. Our country was born from this anger at the Government of England and the King. Once again, Washington is smart enough to know this.

So they want to ensure that when the people reach the 5th level of pissed off they can't or won't do anything about it. Gun control, more and more general laws, very specific regulations to limit your land and home use, very invasive information gathering of you income and spending habits, a form full of non-related information gathering questions before you can do very basic things with your property, and the banking laws that flew through the congress and Clinton signed. Now if you sell a nice car and put more then $10,000.00 in the bank they notify the Gov't.

These laws and regulations started out as "the war on drugs". We need to stop these terrible drug dealers and suppliers, and we will do whatever it takes to get that done. Well here we are and drugs are at the same levels that they were when we started. So what is different? New more restrictive laws on your money, travel, seizure of property laws, surveillance of 'suspect' people, and one of my favorites, the invention of the 'person of interest', who can be detained without cause, so they can talk to them about something they want to know. Does that sound like the Gov't has gained a lot more oppressive power, under the cover of protecting the people, then they really should have? I think so. That is an example of them taking advantage of a crisis or event and growing their control over the people.

Now the country has been attacked. They now see another chance to make great strides toward complete control of the people. The war on terror begins. Not just overseas, but here as well. Have you ever thought that all the training to take out 'terror cells' in the U.S. allows the Gov't to get in great practice and education on urban combat in American cities and suburbs? Consider this, when I was very young I learned how to change the spark plugs on a 1965 ford truck. Now since then, I have used that same exact knowledge to change the plugs on every vehicle I have owned. Knowledge is knowledge. The main thing I am trying to teach you here is to take what you learn for one application whether I teach it to you or someone else does and use it everywhere you can in all ways and areas it can be applicable. The Government is 'concerned' with foreign people coming here and committing violent acts, they are ' wet their pants scared' of the American people taking up arms against its own government. So through laws, regulations, limits, intimidation, and frankly anything else they can think of, the people in charge will try to prevent that from happening. And any event or concern that the people have, i.e. drugs, terrorists, that can be used as the excuse for a stronger hold on the people will be exploited to the extremist level the people will allow.

Now you think I sound like a nut. It is simple self preservation. The same thing you are here to learn. The Government, as an entity, must survive. It doesn't matter if there are no people left to govern, the position must remain. I am sure you are well aware of numerous bunkers around the country that officials can run to in case of an attack on this country. Much news has been made of it over the years, some have even been portrayed in movies, but has anyone ever thought to ask why it will only be the governing class that will be allowed in them? Why should your governor have a safe place to go and not you? Is your congressman worth more than you are and just has to survive or all is lost? It is an interesting question, and one that is never posed to an elected official. It is the idea that "the government" must survive or the country will be lost. Well, the country was here before we had a government, but i guess over the years even the very dirt under your feet has also become dependent on the elected officials for its existence.

I really didn't want this to be a big rant, I just wanted to point out that there are a lot bigger concerns out there then the ones being talked about. Again, don't look at the obvious reason you are being told, look at the side effects that can be put in to play because of it. As i said earlier, the certain extremist groups are not completely 100% wrong, and there may come a time they may be needed. Directed in the right way to allow us to have true freedom again. But keep in mind just as we can direct them towards our goals, so can the Gov't direct them towards theirs. Emotion clouds their reasoned thinking and they don't take anything to the next step. We will try to help direct them in the proper way here as we go along and make sure that the people as a whole are all on the same page and headed toward the same goal of freedom and less oppressive control of our lives. However as I also said earlier, you can only do that if you live to make it happen. So rash actions are not the way to accomplish this end and may only help the other side.

I hope I didn't turn you off or annoy anyone too much with this post. It is my thoughts put you, make of them what you will. If you made it this far, do think about what I have said, try to reason them out in your head and see if they make any sense to you at all, and feel free to comment back to me on them. I am very interested in everyone's opinions, mine have changed over the years with the finding of new information and facts, and I am not afraid to change it again if the situation warrants.

Thank you for this indulgence, and more will follow.

Random Thoughts on Lazy Convienances and Freedoms Lost

I saw a commercial last night on television that really got my attention. It was for Onstar®. Now we are all aware that if you have an Onstar® equipped vehicle and the systems subscription is paid and current, you can use many services that range from hands free phone use to turn by turn directions. But has anyone ever thought about how that works, and if it really doesn't work when the subscription is expired or never activated. In fact Onstar® is required to call the authorities if you press the button and request it of them in an emergency situation, whether you pay for the service or not. This more then anything else proves that some level of the service is active whether or not you pay for it. Well then why don't we think about it a minute.

In order for these services to work, they need to know exactly where you are at all times. When they advertise the turn by turn directions, which you would think most people would pick up on, they know where you are and can then tell you where to go. The 'call the cops and medical personal when you have a crash' feature. They know where you are and have monitors in the car to tell them that you have been in a wreck. There are even able to monitor the on board computer systems on the car so they can tell you what it means if your dash lights come on or remind you to change your oil. Now that is pretty tied in to your vehicle, don't you think?

Which brings me to the commercial last night. As we are aware, there promos telling how 'if your car is stolen we can track it and alert the authorities as to where it is, so you get your car back'. And in New York and LA i can see how that may be a good idea. But the folks at Onstar® have taken it even further. (big brother alert)
Now if your car is stolen, with a few keystrokes, when it is turned off Onstar® can prevent the ignition from restarting. Now the sales pitch is cute, a guy steals your car, stops for beer at gas station and turns the car off. Boom, car won't restart, car thief gets pissed and runs away. Good sales pitch. However, does that mean that they can now, or will be able to in the near future, turn your car off as it is driving should a branch of law enforcement want it stopped? Some people claim they can and have done this several times in the last few years. Think about it, this could be a good sales pitch to law enforcement, in view of the public relations risk involving high speed chases through city streets, or to allow them to kill the car at a time of their choosing to "detain a person of interest" that they want to interrogate, I mean question. You could be stopped at any time for any reason, and i mean stopped, a dead car doesn't go anywhere. However, as far as I presently am aware they cannot do this yet, but the keyword is yet. When they are able to do this, will they tell us, the general population?

To me that is yet another good reason to buy older cars and trucks that are not remotely controlled. If i get lost, that is what they make maps for. When you lock yourself out of your car, you go to the bumper and get the little hide-a-key magnetic box you were smart enough to put there and open the door yourself. People are getting so lazy and wanting so much handed to them with little to no effort that they are giving up their freedom to do what they want when they want to do it. And is it actually easier and faster to call Onstar®, verify who you are, verify you own the vehicle, then have them open it for you than it is to get the damn hide-a-key?

I realize this is just one area that is up for this kind of discussion, but we don't have 18 months and unlimited 'paper' to write it all out and talk about it. So think about stuff on your own that you see as a possible problem or threat to your freedom or items that may be used to limit what you do if it is not approved by the right people. If you want to answer this post with some of your thoughts and share with the group please do. What i want to do get your brain thinking, your mind observing, and mostly get you thinking like a survivalist!!!! Look past what they are telling you it does and think about the 'side effects' and what it could do. That is the same way you think about items now. How can i use this item in more ways than it was designed for and make it work for me in this situation? That is survivalist thinking. Do it.

More to come.

Plan Ahead

I know it is the middle of September and the last thing you want to think about is Christmas coming with the shopping and crowds, and the bills from it all. But you are wanting to think and act like survivalist. So when you see all of the toy commercials, instead think about winter coming. Cold weather, snow storms and power outages. And now is the time to act on these thoughts. If you act now you will be ahead of the curve and not running around with the rest of the unprepared masses hoping to find what you need when the 'emergency' or 'unforeseen' happens.

Remember, this is preparedness. If you have it and don't need it great, if you need it and don't have it you are screwed. You are preparing for the worst and hoping or praying for the best.

So look at your situation, what is the worst thing that can happen to you this winter? And what will you need to survive it? Winter usually means snow and ice storms depending on where you live. If you are in an area that gets this kind of bad weather here are some ideas.

Heat: If the power goes out you need to stay warm. If you have a fireplace or wood stove you should have been cutting wood all summer to have this winter. If not than buy some. It may seem high now, but what will it be when demand is through the roof and snow is flying? Also a kerosene heater, when used safely, is an excellent source of warmth. Put in few extra jugs of fuel and you will be alright if you lose power.

Stuff: OK, if you are without power and can't get out of the house, you will need to have supplies on hand to make it through the storm. Toilet paper, paper plates, and for gods sake get a manual can opener, plastic silverware, all of the things you use everyday you will still need then. Also think of food. What can you store for a few months and eat easily without power. And don't think you can't cook, because you are a survivalist and you think outside the box. A charcoal or gas grille works just as good in January as it does in July. Put away extra coals or gas just in case. Toothpaste, speed stick, baby wipes for quick clean ups, and lots of water. Also some kool aid for flavor if you want.

More stuff: Lots of blankets and warm clothes. Battery powered radios and flashlights with extra batteries or hand operated. And long burning candles with matches. And don't forget some books and games, you will get bored. A metal bucket can be used to melt snow for flushing the toilet and for sponge baths. Remember, think about what you have in front of you and any way possible to use it to help you with your situation.

This is a basic idea of what you need to start a winter survival stash. If you buy a little at a time over the next few months you can build a fair nest egg by Christmas. And this is also just the first step. If you have the money buy a generator and store fuel for it. Get a portable camping toilet. Maybe a gas camp stove with extra propane tanks. Make yourself as comfortable as possible, and over time you can add to your store and then be in really good shape.

Be prepared. If you need it, you got it. If you don't, use what will not keep until next year and sit on the rest. You will then be that much farther ahead and maybe able to upgrade some things next year.

More to follow.

11 September

I really am not sure what to say. This is the anniversary of the terror attacks in 2001. There are lots of people still touched by what happened. Lost loved ones, family members and friends. And you know, I was about to say that only combat vets know how the survivors feel, but that is not really true. For one thing, we have all lost people we cared about. The empty space left by their absence is always there, and a constant reminder that you can't call or visit them anymore. And to a lesser point, at least in combat you can shoot back. The terror attacks came in a way that there were no enemy targets for the people in the buildings to strike back against. At least the passengers were able to attempt retaking the plane as it went down. I don't know, i just believe its different.

And of course there are the conspiracy stories. Bush knew and let it happen much like the attack on pearl harbor was ignored by FDR. Clinton passed on Bin Laden when he was more or less offered on a silver platter in the 1990s. LBJ lied about the Tonkin Gulf Incident. Many presidents have lied or overlooked items to achieve there political goals or even secure our military superiority. It is hard to say if the presidents themselves or their advisers were the ones who made these decisions, but they are the ones who were held responsible. And they were the ones who had to live with the fallout of those decisions.

Blame can be laid a plenty, and this is not the day to do this. This is a day to remember your loved ones and friends who were touched in same way by that day eight years ago. No one in the United States and not many in the world were not touched by this event in 2001. This is a day for remembrance... Remember it but don't dwell upon it.

You Need a Plan

Now that you have decided to live and share your love of freedom with others like you, you need a plan. Now it is not as easy as you may think. The questions you have to consider are tough ones and you need to make sure you are answering them correctly to best of your knowledge at the current time. Your plan can change as situations change, but this will give you a good starting point.

1) Who is in your team?
Your team is your life. These are the people you will be betting your life on in every aspect. They must be dependable, solid people. Able to think on their own and sometimes out of the box.Able to improvise to changing situations, in short, people you can trust. Think about the worst possible bind you could find your ass in, then think of who you would want there to get it out.

2) Where will you go?
Are you going to stay where you are now, go to a cabin in the woods,a lake house,an underground bunkeronly you know about? This is important because you must consider your surroundings. What is your access to food, waterand medical supplies? Can you grow a garden,hunt wild game,get water from somewhereother than a faucet? How defensible is your choice?How far away can you see someone approaching, when can they see you? What are your escape routes?You get the idea.

3) Inventory
What do you have? What do you have now that could be used in a survival situation?List what you have, i will tell you what you need as we go along later.

4) What are your teams skills?
Do you have construction knowledge,know how to fix a car or generator?How to grow food or hunt and clean game? What are the skills you now have at your disposal, and what skills should you try to learn as we go along?

5) Most important part
Have a plan B, and a plan C, and a plan D.Draw up several different variations of your plan just in case something is screwed up when you start to implement it. How many times have you listened to the radio on the way to work and had to detour around an accident? That is the idea, you do not want to be 'winging' this shit when you butt is on the line!

Something to work on and think about. And do take this seriously, your enemy will not be ready for an organized effort against them. One that is thought out and practice has been put behind. The man who has a plan is the man most likely to survive.

More to follow.

Just a Note

Well, at least one person read me post. This is in response to the comment added to my first post. And yes he/she did send me an email on a throw away hotmail account with the name John Smith, how original. I figure why not post it, it can't hurt anything. More to come, I'll have another up this weekend or Monday at the latest.

Just Remember...

Introduction to this Blog

Hello, Edgar Friendly here. You may remember me from the movie Demolition Man.I was the freedom loving anti-establishment target of Wesley Snipes. Obviously I am not the 'real', or 'fictional real' as it were, Edgar Friendly, but that movie and the speech he gave to Stalone and Sandra Bullock down in the sewer had a large impact on the way I look at the local, state and federal government. How they operate and view the citizens that elected them to office to serve the people. Recent current events have led me to start this weblog and share my thoughts, opinions and what I consider to be valuable information with any who will listen and consider them.

The Cash for Clunkerssocial engineering attempt, the forced Health Carelaw, Bail Out Bills,Uncontrolled Borders,the list can go on for days. But it all comes down to one absolute fact: the people no longer control the government, government controls the people. They do what they want, pass the laws and bills they want, and don't give a rats ass what we the people who put them in office to represent us are saying about their actions. The governments of this country from the local city halls to Washington DC are completely out of control and will wreck this country both economically and socially if it continues the way it is going.

The question is what can we do about it? The answer is easy... not a damn thing. People in Irantried to fight the system and all it got them was beaten, arrested and killed. I have zero doubt that the very same outcome would happen here if a similar attempt was made. The government controls the press, law enforcement and the military, same as in Iran. It is useless to fight that head on. So what do we do?

LIVE! SURVIVE! Keep the idea of what this country used to be alive, and teach it to our children.That is the information that I will share with you here. I will teach you to fight and defend yourselves and your families, but not as a primary response. A sad fact of life is that there are fewer of us everyday and when we are gone there will be no right thinking people left to guide the country back to the track it was on when the ink was still wet on the constitution and this country was free.

I will suggest books, movies, television shows, weapons, shelters, vehicles, military surplus and camping supplies. I will teach urban and wilderness survival, combat tactics, shelter defense, urban and open country warfare, improvised weapons, everything I have learned I will pass on to you. There will be looters, gangs, the often mentioned 'hordes', and you will need to protect yourself from them when the situation gets worse, and it probably will.

But as I said earlier, this information is to be used to protect yourself, friends and family so that you may live and keep the idea of a free country with limited government intrusioninto your lives going. Because if it does come to pass, their control of the country will fall apart as it always has throughout history. And someone will need to rebuild, if the right people are there it will be rebuilt correctly, if they are all dead, what do you think will happen.

I hope you understand my thoughts and position, and that you can benefit from them. But I also hope you never need to use what I am going to share with you in the time to come. More to come later.