No. I had a well-qualified guy come in and look it over. He found “nothing conclusive” as to why it went down. Some irregularities and some lack of attention to security details on my part but nothing he could point to with certainty and say I was hacked. So that is the end of that story.
Yes, I will write an article on Groupthink and its ugly cousin Confirmation Bias. You gotta give me a couple of weeks. I am still trying to get caught back up to speed on the website…and still finish building the house.
Yes. What form it takes is another subject. The real key to this is watching the primaries for the Democratic Party, they have already started cancelling primaries. Why? Because they can’t take a chance that Comrade Sanders could become their nominee. He would lose by a massive landslide. They are also afraid of Biden becoming the nominee. It is obvious his mental state is severely depleted. He is no long mentally competent, that is plain to see. Without the primaries they can use their old-school power players to choose (or control) their candidate vs letting their party members (i.e. voters) choose their nominee.
Here is something else to think about…let’s say the panic is still going on in November. Do you think that we would vote as normal? Or, do you think they would turn to mail-in ballots, voting by phone, Internet-based voting, etc.? And if we would use non-traditional voting systems consider the following questions…
1 – What would the reaction be from the Democrats if Trump won?
2 – What would the reaction be from the Republicans if Trump lost?
3 – How would TPTB react to either situation?
4 – Would the results of the election be more easily manipulated or corrupted? Or at least the appearance and/or claim that it was corrupted?
Yes, there is a high probability of violence as a result of the virus panic. And it will only be bad if you, a family member, or someone else you know gets caught up in it. Reduce the probability that you would become a victim of it and you have little to worry about. Properly prepare for it and you don’t have to fear it. Now, that being said, in the larger population centers it could get very bad if; food runs out, water gets shut off, large areas are quarantined and contained via guns, groups of people feel neglected, ignored, or de-prioritized due to any other number of “bias” reasons. But, the single biggest reason…food. If food runs out in some areas…watch out!
Yes…and no. Individuals are responsible for their own actions. However, the panic pushers, hype hustlers, and fear promoters are stoking the mob mentality fires. So yes, those folks will be partially to blame when the violence begins. Why? They are 24/7 pushing the virus…or rather pushing people’s mentality into panic over their non-stop, intense “news”. But trust me… the panic pushers, hype hustlers, and fear promoters will never, ever acknowledge their role in anything negative…let alone violence. They are far too busy stoking their own egos and vying for attention as a “savior” or justifying their actions as “keeping people informed”. No they are not keeping people informed…they are examples of pathetic leadership.
Well, thank you…I think. I am not sure you are showing empathy for me and disappointment in him. Or, showing disappointment in me for not slamming him for being a bully. And trust me…I am sure he doesn’t see himself as a bully, or wrong in anything, no matter who says what.
But, the truth of the matter is a little more complex than it appears on the surface. First, he owns the website and I think it would have been in poor taste to go after him…and rather un-Christlike. But more to your point, I received a couple of private communications that shed some different light on the subject. In summary: he has “gone off his nut a little” (their words, not mine) since a close personal friend of his and former employee got into some potentially serious legal/criminal troubles. And some of that may roll off towards him as well. So he has enough troubles on his mind, he doesn’t need me dog piling on him. He has a history of being a bully, some have called him arrogant. I will let others judge the situation for what it is and our actions for what they are. Case closed.
For all the same reasons that the website went down and my distraction in building my house. I will get to the email and respond as time permits…I sure hope you understand.
Ah, ooooppppppssssss! That is one of those articles that I can’t find any trace of. I will have to go back to my Word Doc archives and try to find. If I can’t I will attempt to recreate that article. I kinda like that subject matter. It’s hardcore prepper info! Get me a couple of weeks to see what I can do.
2009 - 2020 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved No reproduction or other use of this content without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com See Content Use Policy for more information.
COVID – 19 I began considering issuing this “Warning!” last night, this morning I don’t see any alternative…I have to issue it. Before I get into the substance of it I want to say that I am embarrassed, humiliated, and deeply saddened to have to issue this statement. But the current situation makes it the prudent thing to do. Here goes…
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The COVID-19 name comes from coronavirus identified in 2019. Coronaviruses were first identified 60 years ago, are common, and almost everyone becomes infected by a coronavirus at some point in their life, normally as a child. A coronavirus can appear in humans and animals. The most common yearly time frame in which the virus is spread is Fall and Winter.
Best estimates are the COVID-19 virus first appeared in China in December 2019 according to Chinese sources and World Health Organization (WHO) sources. Best available credible numbers indicate that as many as 3,000 – 4,000 Chinese citizens may have died from the COVID-19 virus. That is approximately .000003% of their population (if I did the calculation correctly).
The COVID-19 virus has now spread to a large portion of the world. Best estimates point to less than 6,000 deaths to date worldwide attributed to COVID-19. That is an almost incalculably small percentage of the world’s population. But, for perspective purposes the number of deaths from COVID-19 represents approximately 1% of the deaths of a normal regular flu season. Or .0002% of the deaths that occurred during the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918.
As a result of the appearance of the COVID-19 in the United States we see large corporations taking some unusual steps:
Also many states’ governors have taken the following actions:
And those governors have done so primarily through declarations of emergency.
The federal government has taken the following actions:
And we are seeing a near crash of the stock market…although the stock markets are bouncing back really well this morning. The markets have fallen significantly in the last couple of months and are now in near bear market territory. If the panic continues we could see the potential for a moderate crash of the stock markets. The same could be said for some sectors of the commodities markets.
Virtually all media is 24/7 with news reports, many partially or wholly fictional, concerning the outbreak and the current status of COVID-19. Websites are listing dozens, if not hundreds, of articles a day, many of which are not based in fact but based almost solely on opinion, or are fabricated stories all together.
As for “prepper groups” or the “prepper community” it appears to be just as bad. Over the last couple of months I have seen, generally speaking, the prepper community fare no better than the general public, perhaps worse in some cases. I am witnessing prepper websites pushing the fear, panic, and hysteria as widely, or more so, than the media in general. They are publishing articles without regard to authenticity, author qualifications, accuracy of figures, etc. Some of the websites are also promoting goods and services along with their hyping of the situation for profit and gain at the expense of the public welfare.
One of the largest prepper/patriot organizations in the United States just issued a plea to state and federal government leaders to take drastic emergency measures against COVID-19. Unfortunately those measures include restricting or eliminating Constitutional rights and freedoms.
As a result of the panic, hysteria, and fear being generated from almost every angle of society we are seeing panic buying in stores and online. People in a fearful frenzy are buying items as if this were an apocalyptic end of the world event. Many stores are not able to keep up with demand of essentials such as toilet paper. They are also mostly sold out of items such as hand sanitizer, disinfectant liquids and wipes, etc.
As the panic continues to worsen, as fears deepen, as the hysteria grows we will see an increase in potential for violence, maybe even extreme violence. People may gain more of a mob mentally becoming irrational as essentials become more scarce or non-existent in stores and/or online…and as they fall victim to the panic pushers.
We know from sad experience that looting, rioting, and violence accompany irrational people who get swept up in a mob mentality of fear and panic. We are quickly approaching that point with the COVID-19 virus scare.
That potential violence could be against any member of your family, or your family as a group. That threat of violence could come in the form of threats of physical harm as in extortion, or actual physical harm, be it from gunshot or blunt force trauma.
There is no limitation on location where the violence could occur. However, it is most likely to occur in a public place after dark, in or around vehicles, in a larger population center. It would probably be in close proximity to a drug store, grocery store, general merchandise store, or camping/survival/hunting retail outlets. It is least likely to occur close to, or in, your home unless you are a prepper and your status as a prepper is known.
As outlined many times on my website, the threat of violence is the #1 risk in any emergency, disaster, or grid-down situation. While serious, there are steps you can take to mitigate the potential for, or severity of, violence.
Steps to consider are:
1 – Increase your Situational Awareness.
2 – Train family members in Situational Awareness.
3 – Review your security plan. If you don’t have one, develop one. Discuss with your family parts of the security plan that apply to your situation. Do NOT scare your family or create a panic situation within your family. Outside sources have already done enough damage through promoting fear, panic and hysteria…you don’t need to make it worse with those you love and cherish.
4 – Take prudent steps to secure your home from intrusion, especially intrusion as night.
5 – Avoid large public gatherings/crowds.
6 – If you are in a store or other public location and a confrontation occurs, leave immediately.
7 – Ensure all weapons are functional, cleaned, and ready to be put into action. Magazines are cleaned, readily available, and ammunition loaded.
8 – No family member travels alone.
9 – No child travels without an adult.
10 – One adult is always armed (conceal carry) when outside the home.
11 – Weapons for home defense are readily available for use.
12 – If you have a home defense plan that is coordinated with a neighbor or group, discuss the situation with them.
13 – Ensure the safety of ALL family members around firearms! The safety of children is especially important…do not jeopardize their safety around firearms!
14 – Review the “7 Common Risks/Threats” (click here) and take actions based on what you feel is appropriate for you and your family after careful consideration, pondering, and prayer.
15 – Make sure you have a 60 – 90 day supply of all medications on hand at all times.
16 – Keep a minimum of 3/4 of a tank of fuel in your vehicle. Maintain a minimum of a 5-gal can of fuel in reserve stored in a safe place.
17 – If violence breaks out in your community consider a “blackout” condition on your home at night. Meaning…make sure no visible light from inside your home can be seen from the outside of your home.
18 – Review your medical aid kits. Update items as needed. Review basic First Aid skills.
The fear merchants and profiteers have won. They have created an atmosphere of panic and hysteria. In this situation the panic and hysteria is growing and will continue to grow. Expect to see violence, looting, and even rioting. The potential for these to occur continue to grow as long as the fear is encouraged to grow. And at this point…almost every source of information, almost every politician, almost every organization is promoting panic and hysteria…which leads directly to fear. Fear will drive the violence as it always does.
When most people get hungry they will have no problem taking food from you and your family. If they are sick and you have medicine they will have no problem taking yours. If you have shelter or any other essential of life and they need it, they won’t hesitate to take yours. This also applies to their perception of their need or their perception of your possession of the fulfillment of that need.
Again, I apologize for this “warning”…I truly do. I hesitated to send it out but felt an obligation to get information out to you for your consideration. It is not my desire to add to the fear, panic, or hysteria…there is enough of that going on already through ignorance or personal agenda. This warning is strictly for consideration to keep your family safe from the potential of violence.
Potentially useful links:
A great series of articles that I bet you would find interesting and helpful… Days of September – 8/29/2019
If you would like information on home security you might like to read…Grid-Down House Security : Strengthen your door…
If you would like more information on medical kits you might like to review…MEDICAL CARE: Introduction
If you haven’t already read my SitRep from yesterday you may like to get up to speed there as well (click here)
2009 - 2020 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved No reproduction or other use of this content without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com See Content Use Policy for more information.
As you can imagine there is a lot to talk about, it’s been a while since my last SitRep. My last one was SitRep – 9/18/2019 (click here to read more). But, before I get started and before you read more I want to give you a very stark warning…do NOT waste your time reading this SitRep if you are expecting me to be like all the other prepper authors and websites. I am not one of those and will not regurgitate their pabulum. So if you want a fresh, unbiased, agenda-free, level-headed, commonsense view from a trained, experienced professional…read on. If you want anything else…go somewhere else.
Wow! Talk about attitude…I am full of it.
Yeah, I heard what you were thinking…maybe full of more than just attitude 😉 But you decide after you read it all. And if you think this SitRep is a different view wait until I publish my COVID19 article.
One other note…I am not going to go into extensive detail and long commentary. Very different from what you normally see from me I know. But I feel it important to get this out there for you in a timely manner to see and digest. If there are items that motivate you into an action…well, that is the important part not some long winded blathering on my part.
So here are the areas I will cover…
Here we go, hang on…
If you have followed my SitReps all along you know I am not an optimist when it comes to the economy. Yes, the markets have done well…until recently. Yes, the job market has done well. Yes, interest rates are low. There are some positive parts of the economy and I give credit where credit is due, and that includes President Trump in many ways. But…and that is a huge “but”…the underlying problems are worse than ever.
What?????? I just complemented the President and talked about parts of the economy that are doing so well. Now I try to walk it back? No. I am not walking my positive comments back. I am expanding the view to include the most fundamental aspects, the foundation if you will, of the economy.
Private debt has skyrocketed! The real question is “why?”, then follow it up with “quality?” Consumers have been spending money like crazy, and I mean spending it…big time! So that adds to retailers, etc. doing well and showing good corporate P/L statements. So what’s the problem, isn’t that a good thing? Ah, no. Reason? They, the consumers, are borrowing money to spend. Credit card usage/spending is at an all-time high. Car loans are rampant, especially subprime car loans. Home equity loans are surging as well. But, the equity that consumers are pulling out of their homes isn’t going to reduce existing debt (i.e. credit cards), it is being spent. So, the economy is doing well in many aspects but it is almost all fueled by debt. And what happens when people stop borrowing…or can’t? And worse yet, what happens when people begin to have problems paying their credit cards, car loans, mortgages, student debt, etc.?
Here is the other shoe dropping…default on subprime car loans is rising and has been for the last year. Generally speaking that means a portion of people have stopped paying their subprime car loans AND the loan companies keep loaning more money into the subprime market. Why? Because it is one of the few places the finance companies can make a high interest return on their money. And their loses are not outweighing the gains…yet. So what happens to them when those loses climb and do overcome their gains? Ah, remember 2008 and 2009 with the home loan market, especially the subprime market? Yup, same thing…crash.
And now the biggie…federal spending and borrowing. Remember the movie Dumb and Dumber? That is federal spending and borrowing…dumb and dumber. And under President Trump it is exponentially worse than any other President or any other time in the history of our country. Yup, it’s true!
But, there is a third leg to this pending disaster…income tax. Ah, but Trump did a tax cut so we are good, right? Nope!!! We are worse off…by far.
You can look at the tax cut at the micro or macro level. If your tax hit went down then you obviously think the tax cut was awesome…that is the micro view. But, a more realistic view would be this, the macro view…after the tax cut there was a HUGE increase of tax revenue collected by the federal government. Hey, that’s a good thing right? It shows that the economy is doing well, people make more money and pay more taxes, and that gives the federal government more money to pay down the debt. Good…right? Ding, ding, ding…NO!!!!!
When money flows from the private sector to the federal government the private sector can’t spend that money on what they (i.e. individuals and families) think is important. Instead that money goes to the government for it to spend on what it, the federal government and politicians, thinks is important. And here’s the test… do you think the government and politicians spending money on what they think is important is a good thing or not? And FYI…studies show that the individual is 10 times more efficient in spending money than the federal government.
So the next time you get your paycheck remember this…you just paid for Senator Chuck Schumer’s cheese cake habit. Yup, he has spent almost $10,000 in recent years on cheese cake. Must be nice…for him and his cronies to have you, the tax payer, buy their cheese cake!
So we have historic amounts of money being sucked out of the private sector through increased tax revenues, we have a huge increase of federal government spending (historic high actually), and the largest national debt in the history of our country…and that debt is growing faster than it ever has with no end in sight. A three legged stool of disaster just waiting with a big smile on its face for something to come along and tip it over.
Digest that and see what you think about the economy now.
Let me just touch on the virus effect to the economy…
The stock markets: How the market is doing depends entirely on your viewpoint. Some folks are panicking amid the recent market loses…which are substantial. Others are saying it is a wonderful buying opportunity due to stocks being “on sale”.
If you have a short view…stocks have fallen 23% since the beginning of the year, down 15% in the last two weeks, or 7.5% so far just today. Oh my gosh!!!!!!! We are collapsing!!!!! It is the end of the world as we know it!!!!! The dollar is worthless!!!!! It is the apocalypse straight out of the Book of Revelations!!!!!!
If you have a longer, more mature view…stocks are down about 15% from a year ago, up about 23% from five years ago, or up about 200% from 2009 (11 short years ago) when people were crying once again it was economic Armageddon.
Here’s my view…money left in a high quality index based mutual fund has more than doubled in value since the last so-called financial Armageddon. And if you want more historical fact…the markets have recovered and performed extremely well after every single dip, recession, correction, or even depression/crash. Further, I am not a day trader so I don’t worry much about daily, weekly, or even monthly performance. Our IRA money is in there for our retirement…NOT day trading. That means it is in there for years not days or even weeks. I figure we will spend it out over the next 15 – 20 years…not the next 15 – 20 days.
That being the case I have “bought the dips”…meaning I have made three modest purchases of our growth mutual fund in the last couple of weeks. I will probably do one or two more in the coming month as far it looks now. If I need money out of the IRA for an emergency I will draw it out of the money market portion allowing the growth portion plenty of time to grow out of the dip…just like the market has always done.
You say, “But you are a prepper…and the world is coming to an end…and your IRA will be worthless!!!”
Well, I’ve been a prepper since the late 70’s…yeah the 1970’s and the world has not come to an end. And if I had followed that TEOTWAWKI philosophy exclusively all along, my wife and I would have no retirement savings. How does that sound?
So I hedge my bet, I don’t put all my eggs in one basket…I think maturely and use common sense. I plan that TEOTWAWKI won’t come during my lifetime…but bills will. However, if TEOTWAWKI does come…I am as prepared for that as possible. Hence, I don’t fear TEOTWAWKI or retirement…for I have prepared.
World Trade: World Trade is taking a serious hit. Why? Panic!!! And that is the truth. Yes, the virus scare is the underlying cause of the panic in the world trade situation. Remember COVID19 has only killed about 3500 people around the world. That is .5% of what the regular flu kills each flu season. Yes….you read that right! COVID19 has killed about 1/2 of 1% of those that die from the regular flu each flu season. And that is FACT!!! So, no…the COVID19 virus is not the reason of the current trade problems…it is the panic and hysteria that is resulting from COVID19.
But isn’t that the same? Absolutely not!!!! If the virus was the reason/cause then it would be fact-based, medical reasoning. Since the medical FACT aspect of the COVID19 shows it to be almost a non-issue, then it is the panic and hysteria that is being pushed upon the world’s population. And it is that panic and hysteria that is causing the trade problems.
Will it get worse? Of course it will. Mob mentality has taken hold. It has gripped normally rational intelligent people and they are panicking and falling into hysteria more and more each day. And the more the panic/hysteria spreads the more trade and resulting economic conditions will worsen.
Employment: While the most recent employment and unemployment numbers look good, things will change…sooner rather than later…maybe sooner and later. With trade taking a hit, and the economy soon will, and employment will suffer. Some companies will lay off folks. Other companies will undoubtedly go out of business due to this mess. So yes, employment is going to suffer…how badly remains to be seen and is entirely dependent on how deep the panic and hysteria goes.
You: OK, touchy subject since I don’t know each of you personally, although I wish I did. If you are drawing a social security check, that income stream is good. If you are in the travel or related industry you are going to see the negative effects. If you are a healthcare worker you will do well because of overtime. Yeah…I don’t know how you will do personally but it won’t take much deliberation on your part to figure it out. And I am not telling you what to do with your 401k or IRA…or how yours will perform. I told you what we are doing. You have to decide what’s best for you. But, I suggest you review history and go on facts and reality not all the hype and hysteria that is being pushed.
To sum is up…It Sucks!
We have Joe Biden, head of the infamous Biden Crime Family, appearing to be the Democrat Party nominee. He has a slim chance to win in November…provided he is not in prison.
If Joe is sitting in a prison cell, which he should be, or somehow otherwise falls out of the race (i.e. gets admitted to a mental institution) then Comrade Bernie Sanders will be the Democrat Party nominee. He will lose against Trump in the biggest landslide most people have ever seen in this country. And the pre and post election violence will be considerable.
As long as the economy doesn’t seriously tank and stock markets don’t crash President Trump will be the Republican Party nominee. And he will win handily. Should the economy tank and/or stock market really “crash” his chances of winning fall substantially regardless of the Democrat Party nominee.
If it is Trump vs Biden and the economy only does a minor tank and/or stock market only does a minor crash then I see it being 50/50 on who wins. Biden may gain a small advantage over Trump but not much of one. That is also dependent on Biden’s mental condition not worsening. And yes, you read that right. Joe Biden is slipping badly, mentally speaking. He was never very bright to begin with, but his mental capacity is slipping more and more each day. Yes, I am saying he is mentally unstable and becoming worse. I don’t know his condition…it could be Alzheimer’s, dementia, or some other mental disease…but, whatever it is, it is getting noticeably worse. Should he be elected he will probably not serve out his full term. The 25th Amendment will be invoked and he will be removed as President before the end of his term as I see it now with his mental condition. Well, that is the case unless they would cover up his mental incapacity…and that is always a possibility when dealing with Washington.
My biggest concern right now is what the politicians are doing in Washington under the cover of the virus panic. Well, there is also the concern what the more minor state-based politicians are doing during this panic also. I am telling you flat out…all of the politicians are using this manufactured crisis as an opportunity to take power from the people. I have no doubt of that. What exact form that takes remains to be seen…but it is happening.
Let me repeat what I wrote earlier…”COVID19 has only killed about 3500 people around the world. That is .5% of what the regular flu kills each flu season. Yes…you read that right! COVID19 has killed about 1/2 of 1% of those that die from the regular flu each flu season. And that is FACT!!!”
And if you are in the United States…well, let’s do it this way just for dramatic effect…
If the number of deaths in the United States is 100 times worse than what is currently being reported…that means for every person actually reported to have died, it is actually 100 people have died for my dramatic scenario. Then the COVID19 has killed 4% of those that normally die during the flu season each year. Yes, only 4% of the regular flu season deaths.
What??????
Yes, that means that fact…FACTS!…well, technically inflated facts…show that the COVID19 virus is far, FAR less deadly than the normal flu season. If you use only the actual reported number of deaths, not my inflated dramatic scenario number of deaths (100x), then the actually rate is .04% of the normal flu season deaths.
Now, that being said…is there the potential for a higher death count? Yes. There a chance it could get worse. No actually, not a chance…it WILL get worse. OK, then will it be worse than a normal flu season? We don’t know that yet. But all the figures, the facts, the actual numbers show that it won’t be worse…but those numbers might change…but only “might”. There are no actual facts showing that it will be worse…or even close to it.
If you go back 20 years we’ve had the Bird Flu, Swine Flu, MERS, and SARS…all of which were pandemic scares. Each time many “experts” claimed that it was the end of the world pandemic that will decimate the world’s population. And what came of all those apocalyptic predictions? Absolutely nothing of any significant note!!!
Yeah…I am NOT a panic pusher, I am NOT a hype hustler, I am NOT a fear promoter. I use my professional experience, my training, my knowledge, reality, and history to deal in FACTS. And the FACTS indicate that this COVID19 is not the worldwide killer that wackos are trying to make it out to be.
Dang! How do I possibly summarize this SitRep?
Let me try…
We are in a world of hurt! Why? Because our economic system is a house of cards waiting for a breeze to come along and blow it up. The panic from COVID19 is running rampant and turning people into hysterical idiots. And idiots make very, very poor decisions. But, politicians around the world, and in the United States, will use this crisis to remove more and more power from the people. That is what governments do…they grow themselves stronger not weaker. And the way they grow stronger is taking power away from people. For it is the people who God gave power to…God did not, does not, give power to governments. People either willingly give power to governments or governments take power from people.
And in this current world-wide panic I am seeing people plead to, beg to, demand of, and cry for governments to act. And those same people are ever so willing, standing in line, to allow governments to seize more and more power. That power is seized through declarations of emergencies, either at the state level or the federal level, and the passage of emergency legislation. Those declarations and legislation give governments, state and/or federal, tremendous control over people and draw even more money out of the private sector. And the sheeple appear to be perfectly fine with that.
And many people who claimed to be patriots, the ultimate preppers, prepper website owners, even prepper leadership have fallen prey to this mess and have become nothing more than more sheeple following the other sheeple right over any cliff that the government and/or the media points to. Sad…very, very sad to see. However, not unexpected…I’ve seen it before.
Critical thinking, common sense, independent thought, dependence on facts, even intelligence, has, for the most part, evaporated. This current panic virus situation is a perfect example of people having talked a good game…but when it comes right down to it…they can’t walk the walk…they were/are all talk.
I am begging you to not fall into that trap!!! Please don’t be another sheeple following these people off the cliff. There is absolutely no need to fear!!!!! Yes, you should be aware and concerned about what is going on…that makes perfect sense. And then prioritize what the threats really are and take sensible and practical action to mitigate those threats and risks.
The #1 threat as I see it now are the people, companies, governments, media, and websites (especially prepper websites) that have become panic pushers, hype hustlers, fear promoters, etc. They have their own agendas…even if that agenda is utter ignorance. But, I only wish it were ignorance…but it is far worse from what I am seeing. It may be in support of large, more powerful governments, or commercial gain, website clicks, paid membership, or who knows what. But there is the biggest threat…those that are promoting fear through the promotion of the COVID19 virus scare.
So here is my list of “to-do” items, my solution for my wife and I:
1 – We will not get caught up in the fear, panic or hysteria. And I will not promote any of it either.
2 – I will review my own preparedness to ensure I can self-quarantine for 30 days with no unbearable discomfort.
3 – I will improve my immune system. By increasing my intake of those things such as potassium, magnesium, garlic, vitamins C & B, etc.
4 – I will plan to deal with those who do panic and look at me for some kind of forced physical relief.
5 – I will regularly review the 7 Common Risks/Threats and ensure I am on-track to mitigate each. (click here to read more)
6 – I will do what I can to spread the facts and reality of our situation.
8 – I will take appropriate steps with our IRA money to hedge our bet against TEOTWAWKI.
9 – I will prepare for idiots who wish to and will force TEOTWAWKI through their utter stupidity and/or ignorance…or their personal agenda.
10 – I will prepare for government to force a police state under the guise of this manufactured crisis.
And I will do all of this while I continue to finish building our house so we can enjoy it and my wife will be happy 😉
So there you go…I lied!!!! I said this would be a brief SitRep…I lied, I admit it now in retrospecct. I look at the stats and it is no shorter than normal, longer than some. So deal with it…it could have been longer and much more boring.
In closing…You come to my website for a specific reason. I run a small website, relatively small number of visitors each day, not a paid site, not a site full of ads, not a site pushing books, coins, food, or private newsletters. You come to this website for original content, independent thinking and uncommon views…and my opinions from an experienced professional. Or maybe just for a good laugh from someone you think to be a clown.
Now, take what you have read today and don’t believe a word of it!
But, ponder it, verify whatever you wish, discredit whatever you wish. Then I ask you to pray about all of it and take whatever action you feel prompted to take for you and your family.
Remember the tag line of this website…
”If ye are prepared ye shall not fear!”
Go forward and continue to prepare…and don’t fear.
2020 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved No reproduction or other use of this content without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com See Content Use Policy for more information.
Well, this will take a little time…but let me give you the executive summary and then you can read more of the details if you want to.
Almost all of my time has been spent on building our retirement home. Then for some reason right after the beginning of the year my website went down again.
I was wrapped up in working on the house and ignored the website. Sorry. But, I was posting on another website of which I am a member. Again, sorry, I should have used that time that I was posting there to get the website back up and running. So why didn’t I do that? I only had my little Android phone to work on and it was virtually impossible to work on resolving the website problems using that tiny screen. I just now got a WiFi up and running and my laptop hooked up. With the laptop I was able to work through the problems and get the website back up and running.
Why did the website go down? Not entirely sure but I have my suspicions. And those suspicions are simple…a couple of years ago I published a series of articles very critical of the FBI, CIA, and NSA. The website was hacked and all the articles deleted. Literally nearly 1,000 articles gone. So this time I was surprised since I hadn’t even resurrect those articles…until I thought through the timing. Right as the COVId19 virus starts gaining speed….poof! the website goes offline again. Fortunately the articles are all there. Just to be sure…I have multiple backups stored in different locations ready to re-uploaded should the need arise.
So there to you go…that is my story and I am sticking to it.
More information and articles to come…should be daily updates for a while. I have been repeatedly contacted to get my SitReps fired back up and published. OK, I am working on one…stand by!
Last February (2019) I began building our retirement home. Yeah, started in the winter. You already know I am not the brightest bulb on the tree but that is the start date that worked for my wife and I. I had 11 months to build it before my wife retired and we wanted to move into the house. And no, I am/was not going to supervise the building of the house…I was/am building it myself. See, more evidence that I am not the brightest bulb…building a house in my mid 60’s by myself. More on that later.
So I was working on the house, going back home (325 miles away) periodically to visit my wife, take a shower, and get more articles back on the website. Then remember I shot myself? (click here to read more on that) Well, her retirement date came…and the house was not ready. But, we moved anyways. We moved into a 300 square foot cabin with no running water, no indoor toilet, solar power, wife, 2 dogs, grill to cook on, and a wood stove for heat. Fun and Games!!!!!
So my #1 priority was to get the house livable. Why? Because it had to be ready no later than spring. Why? Remember my articles????? I was talking directly about the potential for serious problems in 2020 and I knew I had to get the house ready before those things started happening. So yes…I put my house building and wife’s happiness and my personal preparedness as a higher priority than getting the site back up and running and more articles published. Sorry.
So the house is not done but it is livable and I am working feverishly to get it more livable. It still has to get done before spring! Why? You know why…and I will give more details on that later.
In the Executive Summary I gave all the details I am willing to share about why the website went down. Might share more later, but don’t count on it.
So here are my website priorities: #1 get a SitRep out as soon as possible, #2 get a FAQ out shortly thereafter covering some of the questions I’ve been asked since the site went down, #3 an article dedicated to the COVId19 virus situation, #4 resurrect more old articles, #5 update the Table of Contents to enable you to find articles easier. If you want something else, then use the comment feature on this page to let me know what you want to hear about.
I hope you are well. I hope you haven’t fallen into the fear, panic, and hysteria trap swirling around COVId19 that I have dubbed the “panic virus”. I hope you are not falling victim to the panic pushers, hype hustlers, or fear mongers. Hang in there!
note: article first appeared in December 2015
Back in January of this year I did a review on a tactical flashlight that I have been using for a number of years now. It is the LED Lenser V2. I absolutely love that flashlight! It has done everything I’ve ever asked of it and then some. It has never failed me, that is saying something.
The V2 was always plenty bright enough, tough as nails, fit my carbine’s vertical grip perfectly and was just an all-round perfect tactical flashlight. It was so good actually that I made it my family’s all-purpose flashlight. Yes, that means we standardized on it.
Then LED Lenser discontinued manufacturing it. But, they supposedly replaced it with a new and improved version. I am always leery of “replacements”, they never seem to be as good. This review is all about the “T Square” replacement version (model # 880229) of the LED Lenser.
The mission:
“A single flashlight that is capable of operating in the most demanding of tactical environments, bright enough to see a minimum of 100 yards, and battery efficient.”
Here were the flashlight restrictions and requirements:
The flashlight specs:
| FEATURE |
V2 (original) | T-Square (new) |
| Lumens | 104 |
|
| Lighting Modes | 1 | (2) High & Low Beam |
| Beam Distance | 180 yards |
|
| Length | 4.5” | 4.5” |
| Diameter | 1” | 1” |
| Weight | 3.6oz | 3.56oz |
| Batteries | 3 x AAA | 3 x AAA |
| Housing | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Water Submersion Rating | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Finish | Semi-Gloss Black | Matte Black |
| Burn Time | 4 hrs |
|
| Switch |
|
|
I’ve owned this line of flashlights for a very long time. I think I had one of the first V2’s that hit the market. I really like the way they feel, and how sturdy and dependable they are. The first model had a slick/smooth switch cap in the end of the tube. I am not talking “slick” as in a good thing, I am saying there was no positive grip to it. Then they upgraded to a nice button with checker boarding in the rubber. That really made this flashlight a winner.
So, I open the box, excited as always anytime I get a new product to review, and what do I see? This stupid orange target on the switch button cap. I mean bright orange and it looks just like a clay pigeon. I hate that!
OK, that relieved a little stress. Can anyone in their right mind tell me why a company would go with a bright orange anything on a tactical flashlight? I mean seriously…do they think we can’t find the button without it being bright orange? And another bad thing is the button cap is now back to being “slick” as in slippery.
Well, that is the downside. Everything else about this flashlight rocks!
The finish on the flashlight is better than before, less reflective. I also found that the finish added to my ability to hold onto the tube. This is especially helpful when your hands are wet with body fluids or something similar.
One of the first things I noticed, after the bright orange crap, was a distinctive red band around the inside of then lens right below the flashlight’s lip. I liked the “look” of it but had no idea what the purpose or advantage would be. So I kept looking at it from different angles. Low and behold I figured it out. While it may be unintentional it is interesting. I held a V2 model up to the new model and saw that from the side view the red band inside the lens drastically reduced the amount of light seen from the sides.
Yeah, think that one through for a minute. If you are trying to reduce your night-time profile you want to use red light. But for most tactical purposes you want to keep your overall location pretty much to yourself, right? So there you are in a warehouse, the middle of the night, using your new 240T on low beam. The red reduces the amount of light seen from the side and reduces the other guy from being able to get a solid “fix” on you. Sure, they can see your beam out in front of you but it is hard to spot the origin of the beam. The red simply helps keep you more covert.
Well, while I was playing around with that idea I tried shining one light on the front of the other light’s front. The light without the red in the lens reflected back brightly. The red lens lights barely reflected at all. So another nice feature at covertness.
Here is the biggest change to the new 240T light…the button switch. There are multiple positions now for the switch. The V2 had a partial depress would give you the beam that would turn off as soon as you let up the pressure on the switch. Fully depress the switch and the beam would stay on until you fully depressed the switch again. The new 240T has a high beam and a low beam light.
You activate the light just as before, but this time when you partially depress it the first time you get the high beam. Next time you partially depress it you get the low beam. Same goes for full depression of the switch for constant on. You have to do the depressing quickly for the switch to go from high to low.
What I mean is it alternates between coming on with the high, then the low beam. But it “resets” after about 5 seconds to come back on with the high beam.
So I have mixed feelings and opinion about the whole high/low beam thing. The low beam keeps your projected light much closer in and significantly increases burn time. And that is a really nice thing. I think the vast majority of my flashlight time is more closely associated with low beam needs than high beam capability.
I wanted to verify that Amazon had them for sale. While I was looking at the product to validate it, I noticed that there was a review with a “one star” rating. So here is the 1-star review, “When i received I saw different than this in the picture, and when I was using did not work.”
Yeah, I don’t put any value to that review whatsoever. It reads like they are from Russia. I think it was a “plant” to run down the product vs. what someone who actually bought and used the flashlight. I have bought a bunch of these flashlights over the years; never, not once, did they arrive broken or misrepresented. Actually, I have yet to break one of these flashlights or even burnout a bulb.
Other than a couple of subtle differences, the newer version flashlight is as rock solid as the V2. And I love the V2!
Final note, the flashlight carries the name “Leatherman” and I believe this is a marketing thing only. I don’t think this is a true Leatherman designed, engineered, and manufactured product. But, that being said, it is still a quality piece of gear.
My recommendation…”BUY!” I did…multiple times.
Tip: The LED Lenser tactical light fits perfectly in a pistol magazine pouch.
2019 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved No reproduction or other use of this content without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com See Content Use Policy for more information.
note: article first appeared in January 2015
Let me start this review of the LED Lenser V2 by describing what I was looking for in a flashlight.
The mission was:
“A single flashlight that was compact, lightweight and bright enough to standardize on a single brand & model.”
Here were the flashlight requirements:
To sum it all up – This flashlight does the job in every aspect, excels at each requirement.
So here are the technical details –
I first started using this brand/model of flashlight nearly 8 years ago and I’ve never been disappointed. Actually, I’ve been 
thrilled with it! It is a great size for my pants pocket and fits any flashlight holder on a spare belt mounted spare magazine holder that I use. I use a Command Arms Accessories Flashlight Holder Grip Adapter on my AR and this light fits it perfectly. The light shines a very bright narrow beam of light that exceeds my expectations of a tactical light. The light is not so bright that it will washout my vision in the dark but plenty bright enough for me to do whatever I need to with it. The distance the beam goes is amazing for such a little unit running on AAA batteries.
My Duracell batteries will last well over two years in the light depending on how much I use it. The battery carrier/cartridge is absolutely high quality, as is the entire housing. I felt the quality and close tolerances as soon as I began to unscrew the battery cartridge. This flashlight is a top-quality piece of equipment.
The checker boarding on the body is substantial but not uncomfortable, they struck a happy medium. It has never slipped in my hand under any conditions, wet or dry. The newer models have a thumb switch that has ‘nubs’ on it as well to ensure that your thumb won’t slip off. And speaking of the switch, it does have the momentary-on capability or the ‘click-on’ for a constant light.
This flashlight has replaced all my other flashlights except my big 4 x D-cell Mag light that I keep under the front seat of the truck. You won’t need another flashlight (other than a ‘tire check’) once you’ve tried out this keeper, you’ll love it! Use with absolute confidence.
The price on this can vary from about $28 – $40 out on the Internet so shop around. I’ve bought mine (6 of them now) off of eBay.
Note: If you are going to submerse your tactical light for any length of time you might not want to search elsewhere or waterproof the Lenser yourself. I don’t think it would hold up too long underwater but I haven’t done any conclusive testing on it for that particular mission.
2019 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved No reproduction or other use of this content without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com See Content Use Policy for more information.
note: article first appeared in August 2015
Some years ago I came to the conclusion on what combination of guns that I wanted to have. They were; 1) pistol, 2) shotgun, and 3) tactical carbine. I felt that was the right combination of defensive weapons to deal with any disaster, emergency or “grid-down” situation. Today, more than ever, I am convinced that I am right. I even wrote about “Choosing the Right Gun” in three separate articles.
And then I wrote an article about tactical vests to carry the right equipment, and that included the magazines and
Siaga 12
ammunition for the “right gun.” Yes, I know, shotguns don’t have magazines. Well, unless the shotgun is a Siaga 12 and then you have magazines😉
But the focus of this article is putting together a very specific “load” of ammunition to have assembled for your shotgun. And, just for the record, I am not talking about your quail hunting shotgun. I am talking about your defensive weapon, a tactical shotgun. Or at least a shotgun that you will use as your defensive weapon.
I have talked about shotgun ammunition before. Essentially I believe in three types of ammo for a shotgun; 1) 00 buck, 2) 1oz slugs, and 3) Hornady SST sabots. Just a quick explanation…
00 Buck is probably one of the best rounds ever made. It is unreal devastating when it comes to personal defense. 
Remember, for a round to be effective it must create significant shock and a debilitating wound channel. The shock stops a person’s mind from continuing to function. The wound channel creates physical trauma to prevent the person’s body from continuing to function. Those two things combined stops the bad guy from hurting you or your family member. 00 Buck comes in a two basic options 7 and 9 pellet. Obviously the 9 pellet version is better generally speaking. That is 9 rounds of .31 caliber balls heading down range to stop the bad guy.
1oz Slugs are a pretty amazing round. They transfer a massive amount of energy to whatever it hits. The little 
dimple in the nose ensures that it expands, transferring even more energy with expanding mass. It is a good hunting round; it can bring down large white tail deer without any problem. It can also breach a door nicely. They are a little limited in range. Most slugs, in the hands of the average person, are good for 50 – 100 yard shots, not much more.
Hornady SST is a fairly recent newcomer to the shotgun ammo scene. It weighs in at 2/3oz, making it 2/3 the 
weight of the slugs mentioned above. But the nice thing is the ballistics and performance of the SST. You can get sub-2” groups at 100 yards, and 4” – 6” at 200 yards with plenty of energy in the round to bring down medium sized game. So, for a little less weight you get very decent accuracy. And can you imagine getting hit with a 300gr / .68oz round? Ouch!
Those are the three basic type of shotgun rounds that are appropriate for defensive purposes for the average person in an emergency, disaster, or grid-down scenario.
OK, moving right along…But how do you store your shotgun ammo and is it ready to go at a moments notice? Do you have the right number of each type of rounds and are they ready to be picked up and carried off without searching, scrounging and praying?
Well, I have a suggestion for you and one worth considering. I spent a whole lot of time thinking through what the different kinds of defensive encounters that the average person might encounter during the scenarios mentioned above. I then thought through which round would be best suited for dealing with the threat that each encounter might produce.
Once I accomplished that then I started thinking about the best way to store the right amount of ammunition that an average person could reasonably be expected to carry. And here is my suggestion:
And to store them…a .50cal ammo can.
Yup, that simple. Those rounds fit perfectly in the space that a .50cal can has. The can seals out water, air, dirt and dust. A perfect 
environment for your ammunition. There is a bonus…it has a built-in handle that you just grab and go. Then there is the whole stacking thing if you have multiple cans.
The ammo can only weighs in at 24 pounds with the ammo listed above. That is well within the capability of any adult and many children. You can store it just about anywhere and never worry about the ammo “going bad.” It just won’t.
Here are some brands and types of ammunition I use –
.68 ounces
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note: article first appeared in May 2016
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy, no, truly love my original model Petzl Tactika XP headlamp. It is exactly what I want a headlamp to be. But, why am I talking about a Petzl when I am reviewing a Princeton Tec headlamp? Simple, the original model Petzl Tactica XP is the standard by which I will, I must, judge all other headlamps.
Original Petzl Tactika XP
Sooooooo right about now you are saying to yourself, “Why doesn’t AH just buy himself another original model Petzl Tactika XP headlamp?”
Well, I would if they still made them. Yup, Petzl (in all their stupidity) discontinued making that little gem a couple years ago. True, they still have a Tactika model but I already did a review on that new model. Yeah, it sucks compared to the original model. So I have been on a quest ever since to find a headlamp that is just as good, maybe even better. The Princeton Tec Tactical Quad is the latest contender.
As always…the mission –
“To provide personal lighting capability for night operations in a tactical or camping environment.”
Requirements & Restrictions –
With all of that in mind I began searching for an acceptable substitute for my old Petzl. This Princeton Tec Tactical Quad model stuck out to me as possibly meeting all my criteria and it looked like it was positioned at very reasonable price point as well. What really caught my attention was the red lens that operated similarly to the Petzl as well as being the right color and compact in size.
The headlamp arrives and right off the mark I see that the housing is not the best quality plastic. There is a gasket to protects the inside components from moisture but it requires tightening a thumb screw to tighten it down. And, there is an option to use a screwdriver, but that might be a problem. What happens when someone tightens it with a screwdriver and you don’t have a screwdriver when swapping the batteries?
The four LEDs are plenty bright enough but they cast a semi-focused wide light pattern. And that pattern sends light too much to the sides for my liking. Although it is pretty focused in the middle of the pattern. I want the light to be tightly focused out in front of me. I am not worried about a “wide” light pattern, I want to see what is out in front of me. The leftover or light-bleed will allow my eyes to pick up details peripherally vs. really bright light. I don’t need the headlamp intentionally sending out a wide pattern or for everyone and their brother to see it.
So I am not crazy about the white light pattern very much but it is acceptable.
Where this headlamp really shinned (no pun intended) was the red lens light pattern. It is really nice, great pattern, and another nice feature was the red lens, you can tell that it is in place making it tough to accidentally light up the area in white light.
The red lens simply slides up into place.
Since the headlamp has three intensity settings you can adjust as needed. The picture above is at the high intensity setting.
Another really nice aspect of the headlamp is the band. It is a decent piece of expandable material that appears to be top quality.
At $42+ online, it is at the top of my acceptable price range. But, I still give it a “buy” recommendation…but barely and only if you really need a headlamp and can’t find one anywhere else. Wait till you hear about it’s brother…the Princeton EOS model…Sweet
2019 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved No reproduction or other use of this content without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com See Content Use Policy for more information.
note: first appeared in July 2016
Son of gun! So I was in Walmart the other day and passed by the sporting goods counter. Low and behold what did I see? A multitool that looked pretty decent. But, that isn’t what grabbed me…the price pulled my eyeballs out of my head.
I thought the price applied to something else, but I had to ask, “Are those multitools actually priced $3.97?”
“Yes sir they are,” was the associate’s reply.
I bought 10. Yeah, 10…right there, right then…on the spot.
I got home and buyer’s remorse started kicking in. I kept wondering are they worth it, should I have waited, will they be a cheap piece of crap? All of those questions were floating around in my head. I couldn’t wait to get home and get some testing done.
Well, I could go on and on about this mutlitool, but there’s no point. Here is my summary –
Bottom line – Buy this freaking multitool !
Here’s why I did…I needed ten of them. I am responsible for a 10-person response team for our church’s emergency preparedness. I’ve put together kits for each person. So when they show-up I can hand them a kit and they have some basics; knife, radio, flashlight, writing tablet, pen, etc. Now I have added a multitool to the kit. And I spent less than $40 doing so. Yup!!!
So, is a SOG, Leatherman, or Geber better? I think so. But they also cost a whole heck of a lot more money too. So, is the Ozark Trail worth the $35 Gerber? Maybe, probably not. But the Gerber is not 8 times better than the Ozark Trail but it costs 8 times more. So use the Ozark Trail until it breaks…throw it away and get another one out of storage. Repeat 6 more times as needed.
If you want to get a multitool in the hands of each family member, each group member, or just have a supply on-hand this is the way to go. I have no problem recommending this to you…especially at this price…$3.97!! So go to the sporting good’s counter at your local Walmart and look for it. The picture at the beginning of this article and it will show you exactly what to look for.
2019 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved No reproduction or other use of this content without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com See Content Use Policy for more information.
A.H. Trimble - Emergency preparedness information for disasters and grid-down 