Saturday, December 19, 2015

pious profits


PIOUS PROFITS

When you comment on an article, I merely ask a few things of you.  Don’t drop the N Bomb ( we’re a high class place here ) and don’t libel others.  Libel is when you say something like “Mr. X molests mules behind his stable”.  It isn’t “I don’t like Mr. X, he is a meany”.  However, because of lawyers, one is always better off just assuming some stupid prick is going to sue you for libel even if you just called him harmless names.  It is still safe, for now, to call someone out for being full of crap, but I think it is best to avoid names if at all possible to avoid issues.  So, I’m writing this article without naming names and I expect you to do the same if you submit a comment on it ( also, to be fair, my displeasure is with a group in general, not anyone specific ). 

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I used to make $100 a month ( no more than every other month ) with ads on my blog, and another $150 to $250 from Amazon commissions ( book sales have always been pathetic at $5-$20 a month ), before the economy took a large stinky.  This doubled my take home pay ( most of my “real” job income went to paying taxes and child support ) and was invaluable to surviving financially.  Of course, some jag-off always comes along to screw up a good thing and while my landlord was “inflation indexing” rent 10% upwards a year, the bankers were crushing the economy for fun and profit.  Nowadays, I rarely clear $100 from all sources of writing income.  I’ve come to be at peace with this.  As long as I can buy books from my writing efforts I’ll continue to labor at such.  Yet, I’m sure very few of my fellow survival blog writers are as philosophical in dismissing profits ( I could name one particular nicer older gentleman who refuses profits altogether, but again, no names.  Bad or good ).  They seem to be fighting tooth and nail to increase their income.

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Judging from the common trend, ads are crowding out content even as content goes from poor to horrendous.  As more and more desperate morons wake up to our future reality, trying to search for advice on prepping, the quality of that advice is terrible.  Mom and Pop survival sites are duplicating corporate America is offering substandard products at increased prices ( you never get free.  “Free” means you suffer through ads.  Hell, sometimes you paid to read the ads, such as Shotgun News [ prior to it pimping out with articles ] or American Survival Guide whose articles were so lame and forgettable you were really just reading the magazine for the advertisements, a situation nearly as bad as buying a mobile home and renting a lot for it [ delivering the worst of both worlds ] ). 

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I’ve written on this before, never one to be above trashing a competitor to advance my own cause ( although since I never steal anyone’s site traffic I’m not sure what gets served other than my smoldering hate and discontent ), and I don’t know if I have an actual different point this time.  But from time to time this gets me atwitter, when I once again discover a new low in a new site.   All these Jesus genuflecting pious puffed up experts pretending to enrich their readers and only being here to help are serving up mostly worthless advice masquerading as lifesaving tips, yet believe their own hype.  If they represent the holiest of the holy, those standing for libertarianism and a beacon for the fight against Federal tyranny, what can we expect from others less scrupulous.  In other words, with friends and spiritual leaders such as these, who needs enemies?  This is as good as it gets?  Profits are this important?  Mammon their only one true God?

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These are the kind of people who are strangely quiet as any citizen is allowed to be detained indefinitely without a trial yet squawk and holler if their favorite plastic carbines might appear on a New Clinton Ban list.  While I agree with them that my personal investment in something usually does indeed exceed the financial value of a lot of fellow human beings out there, I’m not clutching the bible as I place those inanimate objects higher on my hierarchy of value, either.  The good news is that almost 99% of the “preppers” out there trained on this trash will be quickly killed off before you arrive on scene, diminishing the competition.  The bad news is trying to find a suitable prepping partner/group.

END

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*Contact Information*  Links To Others*  Land In Elko*  Lord Bison* my bio & biblio*   my web site is www.bisonprepper.com
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31 comments:

  1. I understand your concern James. I know that the cheap ass living blog was at one point removed from google's index, (Though a google search just a little while ago brought it up) and best that I can tell, he never posted anything that could be considered controversial? Yet the travel trailer hermit dude posted what would be considered some rather controversial stuff, and his blog is still up, (yet long since defunct) so who knows what triggers the PC police anymore? It's unfortunate, but censorship is the new normal.

    http://www.cheap-ass-living.blogspot.com/

    http://traveltrailerhermit.blogspot.com/

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    1. I guess we are lucky computers do the work cheaply as live people censoring would be much more efficient.

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  2. A Comment a bit off the topic, but what the heck... Fed Gov has a new rope a dope in place. Bad stuff happens, threaten gun control in public, throw up hands in frustration when congress blocks any gun control, then increase invasive monitoring of citizens. Survivalists think they fought off gun control successfully.

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    1. The FedGov has few clues and little real strategy. Obammy is a useless puppet and all his threats are just meaningless blather. Of course, yes, gun control could happen and honestly I see few folks actually actively resisting simply for the fact that most are out of shape blowhards, but if it happens it wasn’t because of some master plan but because a few idiots not knowing their bungholes from a hole in the ground thought it was a good idea. Kind of like the Ukraine. Accidents will happen, but not real planning or implementation. For those wishing to resist, expect zero support from your friends or former patriotic cheerleaders, but also expect a target rich environment of out of shape blowhard Tactical Tommy’s at every level of government. Stop thinking rationally about how the government is acting or will be reacting. Expect dysfunction and Keystone Kops.

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    2. " Stop thinking rationally about how the government is acting or will be reacting. Expect dysfunction and Keystone Kops."

      Exactly why you should be as far away from government interference as you can.
      100 miles from every city bigger than 10k, 100 miles inland from the coasts or borders (I failed at this one myself so the federal border patrol out number all other law enforcement in the area by about 20 to 1) 100 miles from any state capital or major Federal institution. 100 miles from any nuclear facility of any sort.
      1 - 10 miles from work and a town with a source of food and water.
      Evaluate where you are in relation to these minimum and maximums. And adjust your tolerance for safety or your position accordingly.

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  3. You’re spot on, LB. I used to support that other blog financially - small $, but support nonetheless and occasionally provided technical feedback on some of the poorly written guest articles whose authors were more concerned about winning the monthly prize than providing sound advice. I’m an degreed electrical engineer with twenty years’ power systems experience and some of the power generation advice given was not just wrong but could prove fatal.
    I swore off the blog when I wrote in with a question for the head honcho about ways that those of us who were still living in the city could deal with the post-crash issues caused by friends and neighbors who were not preppers. Instead of useful suggestions I got an earful - printed in the column for all to see – about what a selfish person I was for not being charitable like the author who gives money to certain Christian charities. (Big deal, so do I.) I considered blasting back about how easy it was to be charitable when you’re safe and secure in your “hidey hole in I-Dee-Ho”, hypocritically letting those of us who are still part of the system continue to provide the infrastructure that makes that life and the blog possible. Instead I just walked away and never bothered to offer technical corrections again. To your point in the article – ”The good news is that almost 99% of the “preppers” out there trained on this trash will be quickly killed off before you arrive on scene, diminishing the competition.” Very true.
    Thanks for your blog, LB. It’s good to be part of the White Trash Irregulars.

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    1. I look at my small but dedicated readership as a blessing. Not only do they keep me honest- I have to think clearer and more rationally- they have mad skills I need.

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    2. Thank you for the implied compliment. Yes, I am a good engineer and believe I’m a smart fellow - that's why I ditched the other blog and now follow yours. It’s also why I buy all of your newsletters as soon as they are available (shameless plug for information that is worth many times the small amount one pays for it) and buy through your Amazon links to support your writing.
      Engineering analysis accepts the fact that all arguments and plans are based on assumptions. Good engineering practice therefore includes a dispassionate examination of the assumptions and empirical data before choosing a solution (assuming you are given a choice, of course…). It also includes ongoing analysis and modification of your solution if new data make that necessary.
      That other blog assumes a sharp but relatively short discontinuity before everything rebalances. In that scenario my skill set would still have some value. That was appealing and made sense at the time, so for a while I embraced it and tracked down that road.
      But as more data became available and that scenario looked less and less certain, I asked myself what the consequences would be if I was wrong. I concluded that gambling my future on that scenario was like playing Russian Roulette. Sure, the odds (5 to 1) are on your side. But it’s not the odds that matter – it’s the stakes.
      I reasoned that if something like a PODA scenario played out then my skill set would be worth about as much as a bucket of warm spit. I’d be screwed when my short-term preps ran out.
      So I embraced Jim’s model and am getting ready for an uglier, more protracted slide into unpleasantness. As he points out, if you embrace his approach and something less severe occurs, you’re still golden. If you follow the other path and things turn out worse than you expected, you’re going to pay a high price for that mistake.

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    3. See, you are a smart fellow-buying my writing and following my advice :)

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    4. I too started off at the other major site. One of the first signs that led me to believe that I couldn't take that site too seriously came when a commenter wrote in describing the events of Katrina, and the looting that followed. Well, apparently this set off the site Administrator's PC alarm system, and he felt the need to add a disclaimer to the effect that “the looters were of an equally wide variety of demographics”. What's funny about it was that the commenter did not even bring race in to it at all? Well, I saw most of the footage, and the looters were comprised of primarily one demographic. And no, I'm not a hater, only reporting what I saw. It was this sort of sickening pander to the PC gods that eventually put me off from that site.

      One day someone in the comments section trashed that “Bison guy at that other site”. I'm don't even remember how I ended up here, but it must have piqued my curiosity, and the rest is history. This is my favorite site. James puts out a good daily article, and the contributions that I've made in the past, in no way add up to the value that I get from this site. He certainly deserves more recognition than he has received, and I hope that he receives his due someday. But I understand that this topic is a unique niche in the world of literature, and most people want the sugar coated version of the truth, as opposed to the much tougher to swallow Bison version.


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    5. I like to think that my message has evolved to a more enjoyable “laugh along with the gods” as events unfold. Instead of being fearful and anxious over our impending luxuries being lost we should eagerly embrace our coming role in a devolving civilization. Laugh, be merry, drink mead and slay ones enemies and tomorrow we meet at Valhalla. Yes, I know. It is a goal we can only strive for, not necessarily the one we meet. I’m glad you found me as there are far too few of us. Cheers.

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    6. Engineer dude - IMHO Electrical engineering will still be useful for most of the rest of your life, if only on a small scale, house and small business size at most. Butchers need cold running water and electric saws, grocers need lighting and coolers, LEO needs radios, housholds really like electric lights and fans- even if they cant have microwaves and fridges. Buy a couple pallets of solar panels, LED lights, charge controllers, and a way to recycle car (or other) batteries and with your skill set (maybe with more "off grid / green" emphasis)you have a great business to take you well into the collapse with your own business.
      But I probably isn't an ideal skill set for your great grand kids to be apprenticed to either.

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    7. Thank you, JJ - you make an excellent point! Over the past 40 years I've accumulated boxes of components (ICs, passive devices, connectors, etc.) that I got when places were clearing them out. You're right, on a small/local scale the ability to keep some devices going just a bit longer would be sought after.
      I've been mulling over getting involved in a solar (PV) business after I retire in a few years. Sounds like that experience would be a real plus.
      You're spot on about the long term future of the career, too. Too few jobs and too much competition from lower cost providers (like H1-B visa holders).
      Thanks for the encouraging words, bro!

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  4. Lord Bison, some conspiracy crap for you. My friend works transportation for Keesler AFB in MS where I am located. He says that from his shipment observations is that keesler and 2 guard bases in south MS they are stockpiling ammo and bulldozers that are bullet proofed. What the heck? A bullet proof dozer could level a resisters house easily. FWIW.

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    1. I would imagine that the bulldozers are “for middle east conflict contingencies”. Even if not, what can one bulldozer do, without support personnel? A crowbar in the treads, a cut hose. Even waylaying the fuel resupply truck. For individual SWAT attack targets, fine. A dandy anti-terrorist anti-taxpayer device. For a general insurrection, no tactical application.

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    2. Maybe they're getting ready to start playing under "Hama Rules" here at home.

      Background on "Hama Rules": http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/21/opinion/21FRIE.html

      From the article: "In February 1982 the secular Syrian government of President Hafez al-Assad faced a mortal threat from Islamic extremists, who sought to topple the Assad regime. How did it respond? President Assad identified the rebellion as emanating from Syria's fourth-largest city — Hama — and he literally leveled it, pounding the fundamentalist neighborhoods with artillery for days. Once the guns fell silent, he plowed up the rubble and bulldozed it flat, into vast parking lots. Amnesty International estimated that 10,000 to 25,000 Syrians, mostly civilians, were killed in the merciless crackdown."

      Substitute your own preferred term for "Muslim extremist" as you see fit.

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    3. Nothing is bullet proof. We in the architecture field stopped using that term in the 70's. It may be bullet resistant.

      We tested some Amorcore wall panels last week with .223, .308, 9mm and .348. Impressive stuff. Then I contacted the manuf in Waco, TX and got stunned. Stuff is about $11 per square foot in 4'x8' sheets, but about $4 per sheet for shipping. Armorcore is 3/8" thick and stopped the .223, .308, and 9mm but the .348 went all the way through it. Spalling is a concern though for the smaller calibers and must be taken into consideration. Spalling is the shock that reflects off the backside of an object that has received force on the opposite side. Spalling is what will kill the wearer of a bullet resistant vest. Don't shoot him just once and give up. Empty the magazine and he'll be dead. He may survive a couple shots but all 18 will put anyone down, permanently.

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    4. Would "spalling" be a good thing for prospective buyers of vests to learn about? Might be why you don't hear much about it.

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    5. Yep, a good thing to know about for anyone - the difference between cover and concealment is penetration, and eventually even if cover doesn't let the projectile through, the energy delivered to the cover will cause the cover itself to become dangerous (aka spalling, shrapnel, etc.). The most expensive armor in the world can barely match the effectiveness of 3 feet of sand and soil.

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  5. Jim as a long time reader of different survival site's . I come here daily because you lay out a cheap plan that involves 80 percent food and 20% effort. All the others preach toys will save you buy them from my links.

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    1. Buying Tommy Tactical Toys won’t save you after the collapse? Fudge! Now you tell us.

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  6. As far as books from your wish list go James, do you mind used copies or Kindle editions? Any preferences or it's all good?

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  7. I prefer paper but will gladly take anything and thanks in advance

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  8. Never sent a hard copy of a book to someone through Amazon before James. Do I send it to the c/o FISH
    821 Water Street
    Elko, Nevada 89801 address?

    The default when I add to the cart is my address. I wasn't expecting that, and thought it would provide the option to ship to you since it was selected through your wishlist?

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    1. Okay James, it looks like I did it right. It took the book off of your wishlist so no one else can accidentally buy it for you. It did ask for a phone number when shipping to your address though. I had to put mine since there was no number in your contact info. No biggie, just thought I would let you know.

      It's the “Why Lincoln chose war” book for your information.

      Cheers!

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    2. Your welcome James.

      I'll add this to save anyone else buying anything off of your wish list future trouble. After purchasing the item in whatever format or through which ever vendor, go back to the wish list, and under the purchased items “Add To Cart” Button, click the below link:

      “Buying this gift elsewhere? “

      You will be sent an email asking you to confirm that you purchased this item, and it will removed from the recipients wish list, so that the item does not get accidentally purchased by someone else. And of course, the gift recipients address does not come up by default if sending a physical object (Kindle books or gift certificates only require an email). You must state that you want the item shipped to a different address, or you will be the gifts recipient.

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    3. I apologize to you and everyone else for the PITA involved in sending me a book. Of course, to be fair, writing these damn articles can be the same pain, so we're even. :) And I do loves me my books.

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    4. No biggie James, I hope it didn't come across as complaining. It wasn't that difficult, and now I know the process. I had never purchased a physical gift for anyone through Amazon before, only Kindle and gift cards, so it was new to me.

      Yes, I do wonder how in between writing your daily article, reading several books a week, and holding down a job, you manage so well?

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    5. It's my hobby, so it fills most of my free time. No, it didn't come across as complaining. I read your description and put myself in others shoes and realized what a pain it is, that's all.

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