Author: webmaster

For us old folks who remember simpler times before mass surveillance, manipulated social media, and having your every waking moment tracked, traced, and sold to the highest bidder, the open-source life is looking better by the moment. Here’s how to go open-source…

• Use Graphene OS on your cell phone (and for the love of God, don’t load any Google services on it!)
• Use Linux OS on your laptop (I prefer Linux Mint on my laptops)
• Use open-source software such as Libre Office, GIMP, etc.
• If you must use social media, use decentralized social media
• Back up your files on a thumb drive/external portable SSD/etc (not the cloud!)
• If video games are your jam, check out open-source games
• For advanced folks, consider building your own server/hosting your own cloud server/setting up your own home surveillance system/etc

1. Reset your health with a Daniel Fast
2. Reset your fitness with a Couch to 5k Challenge
3. Reset your EDC kit for optimal performance
4. Reset Your Bug Out Bag for optimal performance
5. Prepare for alternate communication needs with HAM radio or Meshtastic
6. Make sure you have basic home emergency supplies
7. Take a class (CERT, First Aid, Stop the Bleed, etc)
8. Bulk up your emergency fund with a money-saving challenge
9. De-junk your home with the 30-Day Minimalism Challenge
10. Reset your ability to focus by reading at least one classic book this month

In an effort to reinvigorate this blog (after 22 years, I figured I said all that needed to be said, alas the world continues to change–generally not in a good way), I will pick up blogging again and see where it goes…

1. Whether you are military or civilian, consider putting together an ‘I Love Me’ book.
2. The Las Vegas massacre is getting some renewed attention (it really was one of the biggest government cover-ups in the history of our country).
3. Scammers are everywhere–be aware of these common scams.
4. 2026 National Park Fee-Free Days
5. Consider switching to a more open-source life this year.
6. Also consider switching to a more analog life.
7. For some DIY inspiration…
8. A few books to read: Extreme Privacy, The Gift of Fear, and Privacy is Power.
9. The Florida 50-Day Challenge recently kicked off, this is a good idea for everyone to consider.
10. Remember the cardinal rule…everything you do digitally can be tracked, traced, and used against you in a court of law and/or public opinion.

1. Be completely debt free including credit cards, student loans, vehicles, your home, etc.
2. Learn daily–survival skills, prepper skills, homesteading skills, communication skills, etc.
3. Have multiple sources of income.
4. Diversify your investments.
5. Have the tools and gear you need for any SHTF situation.
6. Be in top physical shape.
7. Focus on privacy.
8. Less doomscrolling, ragebaiting, and media; more focus on yourself and your family.
9. Read entire books, have conversations in person, work cooperatively with others, etc.
10. Drop bad habits.

Literally everything you do these days is an opportunity for TPTB to spy on you…

• Tesla spies on you.
• As does your insurance company.
• And your utility “smart meters”.
• ALL apps spy on your activities.
• And law enforcement can track your movements via license plate readers.
• As can anyone else who buys such a device from Amazon.
• There are a myriad of ways that tech tracks you.
• And if you’ve ever received a read.ai summery after a meeting, you will think that Big Brother was hovering right over your shoulder during the entire meeting.
• The massive amount of AI-generated content on social media platforms is highly annoying and, of course, manipulated by the platform algorithm which should have everyone terrified.
• So consider how AI plus technology’s invasive knowledge of you gleaned through digital tracking can lead to devastating consequences.

For most disaster situations, bugging in will be your best option. However, in situations like flooding, hurricanes to some extent, and as we are seeing in California this week, wildfires, bugging out may be your only option. Here are some evacuation tips to consider…

1. Pay attention to the news; many disasters like hurricanes and in many cases, wildfires, will provide enough advanced notice that you will know that evacuating is going to be necessary.
2. Don’t wait until evacuation orders for your area are mandatory; leave way before you are forced to (leaving very early will help you avoid gridlocked traffic as well).
3. Have pre-determined bug out locations (across the city, across the state, across the country, and international options as well).
4. Alert everyone in the home that they will be evacuating and assign jobs if necessary (gather pets, gather everything from the safe, etc).
5. If family members are not home, contact them and set a meet-up location if necessary (the family may all meet at a location on the way out of town or family members may be told to evacuate directly to the bug out location).
6. Unless you are bugging out to your vacation home, alert your pre-planned bug out location host that you are on your way as soon as possible.
7. Consider other bug out location options (your boat, for example).
8. If you have multiple vehicles, consider which will be the best to take (a sedan, an SUV, a mini van, an RV, a motorcycle, etc). All of these options have positives and negatives, depending on your situation.
9. Consider how you will leave your area. Check traffic cams, see if your airport is still open/has flights available, are backroads accessible or will these roads lead you into the wildfire area, etc.
10. Always carry a paper map/atlas in your vehicle which shows all roads in your area.
11. As you are leaving, gather information from multiple sources about current road conditions/disaster conditions (use local radio stations, various social media platforms, HAM radio, etc.).
12. Pre-disaster, always have a bug out bag packed and ready to go for each family member and pet.
13. Pre-disaster, always have all of your important documents scanned into your computer.
14. Pre-disaster, always have all of your important documents stored in one envelope in your safe.
15. Pre-disaster, have a checklist of things to do when leaving the house.
16. Pre-disaster, always keep the fuel level in your vehicle at no less than three-quarter tank.
17. Pre-disaster, have an evacuation plan for livestock, the elderly, the ill/infirm, babies/infants or anyone else who need special planning ahead of time.
18. Pre-disaster, review your home/auto insurance and make sure it covers the disasters you are likely to experience (does it cover hotel stays? all rebuilding costs? living expenses?).
19. Pre-disaster, have pre-packed plastic tubs of camping gear/water/food/emergency supplies, etc. that you can put into your vehicle just before evacuating.
20. Pre-disaster, always have an emergency radio set to alert you if a disaster is heading your way.
21. Pre-disaster, create pre-evacuation checklists for a variety of bug out situations (ie: board up windows for a hurricane, turn off gas at the meter, turn off water to your home–during an earthquake, keep it on during a wildfire–shut off electricity at the box, etc).
22. Pre-disaster, make sure your emergency tools are in good working order (fire extinguishers are charged, smoke detectors are working, sandbags and sand are easily accessible, all first aid kits are restocked/items replaced on a regular basis, battery banks are charged up weekly, etc).
23. Pre-disaster, print out an evacuation sign that you can quickly fill-in-the-blanks with a marker and duct tape to your door before you leave (ie: Our family (names) evacuated on (date, time) to (location) via (route). Contact (number, email). Special instructions (water left on, hidden key location, etc).
24. Pre-disaster, regularly use the video/photo app on your cell phone to document every room of your home, safe contents, etc. to use for future insurance claims.
25. Pre-disaster, make a checklist of grab and go items by room (safe contents, a couple of firearms and ammo, medications, pets, children, purse/wallet, INCH bag, bug out bags, laptop/charger, small heirlooms/photos, glasses, dentures, hearing aids, hidden cash, etc). Go room by room with a bag or pillowcase and quickly gather all of these items before evacuating.
26. Pre-disaster, take a photo of each prescription and store these in your digital files, along with medical histories for each family member, in case you need medical services after evacuation.
27. Pre-disaster, make sure your vehicle emergency kit has been updated on a regular basis.
28. Pre-disaster, make a digital file of all personal info, list of creditors/bill, list of all assets (vehicles, property, etc), list of all investments and banks, etc. Update your bug out bag USB drive with all of your files regularly.
29. Pre-disaster, scan all photos and store them in your backup drive.
30. Pre-disaster, make a grab and go comfort kit for all family members (small stuffed animals for kids, toys, games, chocolate, mini bottles of whiskey, Kindle loaded with books, etc).
31. When in doubt, get out. In a last-minute leave-or-die evacuation situation, get everyone in your vehicle as get out ASAP and sort everything else out when you are in a safe location.
32. If you do not have a vehicle, determine multiple ways you would be able to evacuate (way ahead of time, not at the last minute) using public transportation, Uber/Lyft, a bicycle, leaving with a neighbor, etc. Having someone come from outside of a disaster area to get you may not be possible.
33. Pay attention to your health and fitness now; this will be very important in an evacuation situation.
34. Be sure each family member/emergency contact has important contact info for all other family members/emergency contacts such as full name, cell number, email address, social media handles, HAM call sign, etc). This should be kept on everyone’s cell phone as well as printed out and kept in each person’s wallet.
35. Consider checking in on neighbors who may have difficulty planning for/evacuating and help them plan for this situation. During a disaster, make sure to check on them before evacuating.
36. Determine if there is time to do any proactive protection activities around your home (bring outdoor furniture in, hose down your roof/house/yard, board up windows, etc). Don’t take time to do these things if you are in an urgent evacuation situation.
37. Take a moment right now to determine your home’s GPS location and store this in your back up files (after a large-scale disaster, your entire neighborhood may be wiped off the map).
38. Make a long-term plan for the possibility that your home burns down/is washed away in a flood/is blown away in a tornado. Where would you live, how would you earn an income, etc.
39. Would you be able to evacuate from work? From school? From home? In the middle of the night? Sit down and write a plan for each of these situations.
40. Do all family members know basic first aid/AED use/CPR? If not, get everyone trained up to this level.
41. Do all family members know how to set up camp and survive outside/in the mountains/in an emergency shelter for a week or more? If not, practice these skills now.
42. Do all family members know self defense/personal security/situational awareness/etc. If not, practice these skills regularly.
43. Does each family member have a “middle of the night” emergency kit? This includes shoes, a flashlight, a cell phone, etc right next to the bed as well as an easily accessible bug out bag nearby.
44. Does the family regularly practice fire drills at home? Lockdown drills? Escape and evasion drills? If not, consider practicing these things.
45. Does the family continue to practice and improve disaster response skills? Improving firearms skills practice, taking community disaster prep classes, becoming CPR certified, etc. should be a regular family activity.
46. Do family members volunteer in the community (CERT, EMS, SAR, etc)? If not, considering doing this.
47. Develop a wide-range of contacts for people who could help you in an emergency (law enforcement, fire service, lawyer, veterinarian, doctor, etc).
48. Have you practiced driving a variety of evacuation routes? If not, do this as a family activity on the weekends.
49. Stack cash to use for an emergency. You want cash in hand, a robust emergency fund in the bank, credit cards with a significant amount of available credit on them, and an excellent credit score in case you need to get a loan to rebuild/etc.
50. Practice evacuating your livestock and pets. If your cat has never been in a carrier, you don’t want to have them flipping out as you try to stuff them into a carrier during an emergency evacuation situation.
51. Prepare to deal with multiple disasters at once (ie: evacuating to a far off location when one family member has the flu…how would you deal with this situation?). What would you do if you are evacuating during 110 degree weather or during a major snow storm? How would this impact your evacuation plans?
52. Never underestimate the need for wag bags during an evacuation.
53. How would you keep the family occupied/distracted during a long evacuation drive? Maybe put books, games, and movies on tablets for each family member to keep them occupied during the drive.
54. Be sure to completely unpack everyone’s BOB in the spring and fall. Make sure the clothing is optimal for the season (and still fits), food is still edible, batteries have been replaced, etc.
55. Depending on where you are bugging out to, consider having a power station (like an Anker or Bluetti 1000 watt battery bank) and portable solar panels to charge the device as well as a connection to charge the battery bank via your vehicle when driving.
56. Consider putting together a bug out bag tablet which includes survival books, first aid books, etc.
57. Check and see if there are local, disaster-specific resources (ie: county DEM website, National Hurricane Center website, CAL FIRE for local wildfire info, etc) for your location/disaster situation.
58. On YouTube, subscribe to useful, disaster-specific channels such as Ryan Hall Y’All (weather), Reed Timmer (storm chaser), Cal Fire TV (California wildfires), etc.
59. Google the specific type of disaster you are planning for and find additional resources to help you prepare (wildfire example here). You will usually find thousands of websites for every kind of disaster doing this.
60. Sign up for text alerts from disaster agencies (local DEM, fire alerts, hurricane alerts, etc) and be sure your cell phone allows you to receive local emergency alerts/reverse 911 calls.
61. Pack appropriate PPEs for each family member based on the type of disaster. In the case of wildfires this would include goggles, a cotton hat, cotton pants and long-sleeve top, an N95 mask or bandanna, etc.
62. When driving out of a wildfire zone, remember to set your vehicle’s heat/AC to use recirculated air on order to keep the smoke out of your vehicle.
63. For family members who have allergies/breathing difficulties that would be exacerbated by wildfire smoke, consider bringing extra inhalers, have them wear an N95 mask or even a PAPR for extreme situations.
64. Make sure you always keep a 50-foot barrier between your home/outbuildings where all combustibles (dried grass, dried out shrubs) have been cleared.
65. If you build in an area where disasters are common, research ways to build that are resistant to such disasters (ie: building with fire-resistant materials, building on stilts in flood-prone areas, etc).
66. If you must evacuate and have limited options to do so, look into the resources offered in your community (ie: evacuation shelters, community transport out of the disaster area, areas set up for food and hygiene item giveaways, etc).
67. During the disaster, keep abreast of updates on the situation via the media so you will know when it is safe to return.
68. Don’t try to return home before given the all-clear by emergency personnel (there may be hazards present that they want to keep residents away from so don’t try to sneak back to your property before being allowed to do so).
69. Consider how your actions can impact others (social media posts criticizing the response, misleading or factually incorrect social media posts, using your drone in an active response area, etc).
70. Be prepared to return to your property (do you have the materials needed for basic clean-up; do you have a plan if rebuilding is necessary, how will you deal with looters, etc).
71. Take advantage of all post-disaster services (generally FEMA and your local disaster management agencies will have information on this).
72. When the disaster is completed and all of the dust has settled, so to speak, make a written “after action report” where you write down what worked well with your evacuation and what improvements you would make next time.
73. Consider if you even want to return to/rebuild in the same area. People who repeatedly rebuild in hurricane-prone areas seem like an effort in futility.
74. Ask for the assistance you need. People often are willing to help but have no idea how to do so. Tell your family/friends specifically what would be most helpful like gift cards, meals dropped off, childcare while you clean up, etc.
75. Use social media to mark yourself safe/contact neighbors to check up on them/request help/post your Amazon wish list, etc.

Judging by the comments on mainstream media and social media platforms, the “official narrative” that is being presented to the public by local law enforcement and various three-letter agencies about the recent cybertruck bombing at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, is, well, quite unbelievable. There are many questions that either aren’t being answered or, worse, being answered in ways that make no sense at all.

1. Why would Shawn Ryan, who basically had this story dumped on him, need to disappear with his family right after the story dropped?
2. Why would a whistleblower who went to the trouble to send his email to people who would make sure it reached the public say the government was after him yet make no mention of being suicidal (he sent this letter via Proton mail, a service usually used by people who are very concerned about their safety and security)?
3. And why did the aforementioned email which sounded quite rational, vary so greatly from the two letters found on the guy’s cell phone after the blast?
4. Speaking of the letters, how did law enforcement open the guy’s cell phone? If he was very careful with his email, wouldn’t he be equally careful about securing his cell phone?
5. Also, why did the two letters found on his phone sound like they were composed by ChatGPT (in the present tense) followed at the bottom by the line “this was not a terrorist attack…” (past tense) even though he supposedly wrote this ten days before the event? Wouldn’t he have said “this is not a terrorist attack or this is not going to be” instead of speaking like it was an event that had already happened?
6. And speaking of his cell phone, how did the guy’s phone, military ID, passport, driver’s license, and arm with identifiable tattoos survive a fully engulfed fire that burned his body beyond recognition?
7. Which also begs the question, did he shoot himself in the head (with a .50 cal Desert Eagle no less) then detonate the bomb or did he detonate the bomb which immediately caused a massive explosion then shoot himself in the head? From the article, “authorities have learned that the subject suffered a gunshot wound to the head prior to the detonation, which they believe to have been self-inflicted.” How would that be possible?
8. Then, considering his special forces training and experience, the best “bomb” he could put together was gasoline and consumer-grade fireworks?
9. Why would a guy sending happy texts and a supporter of Trump make a statement by blowing up his vehicle in front of the Trump Hotel when there are dozens of casino hotels on The Strip backed by the likes of Blackrock and other hedge funds?
10. Or is this one big psy op to draw attention away from current government happenings like this, this, this, this, and this?

Per usual these days…

• Military whistleblower says the government is after him (short version…long version)
• Military whistleblower conveniently ends up burnt to a crisp (and shot in the head).
• Military whistleblower’s death ruled a “tragic case of suicide”.
• All US military bases appear to be on high alert today.
• Us usual, S2 Underground’s evaluation of the situation makes more sense than other sources.
• As does JP.

There will be more to come folks…

I was hoping to welcome in the new year with a happy post about basic prepping but so far, within the first several hours of the new year, there was a probable terrorist attack in New Orleans and another possible terrorism event in Las Vegas (S2 Underground sums up these events here). So much for a calm segue into 2025.

I hope 2025 will be a happy and prosperous year for you and yours, yet at the same time, now is not the time to let down your guard or slack off on your prepping. Our goals for this year will be high-skill, low-cost efforts that anyone can do to improve their preparedness for just about anything that may happen. Onward!

Getting back to basics, here are 100 suggested resolutions for 2025 (and yes, all of these can theoretically be achieved in one year).

1. Get your HAM radio license.
2. Buy a basic HAM radio.
3. Learn the basics of using a HAM radio via YouTube videos.
4. Join a local HAM radio club for even more learning opportunities.
5. Join local HAM-nets (Google for a list for your local area) regularly for practice using your radio.
6. Exercise daily (a walk and basic calisthenics each day will suffice).
7. Cook healthy food at home as the rule and not the exception.
8. Get your teeth cleaned and, if needed, fixed.
9. Make sure your physical health markers (weight, blood pressure, A1C, etc) are all at normal levels.
10. Fix any other health issues (new glasses, hearing aids, mental health issues, reverse diabetes, etc).
11. Revamp/update your EDC kit for optimal use.
12. Revamp/update your BOB seasonally (spring, fall) for optimal use.
13. Revamp/update your vehicle’s BOB and emergency kit for optimal use.
14. Revamp/update your home preparedness gear/supplies for optimal use.
15. Revamp/update your INCH bag…just in case.
16. Revamp/update all medical kits; toss expired stuff, replace missing stuff.
17. Pay off your home.
18. Pay off your vehicle(s).
19. Pay off all consumer debt.
20. Pay off all other debt(s).
21. Pull your free credit reports and ensure they are correct.
22. Increase your income.
23. Update your resume even if you don’t need it right now.
24. Develop multiple streams of income.
25. Pay your taxes on time and in full.
26. Stack cash, safely and securely, at home.
27. Make an investment plan for the upcoming year (Roth IRA, 401k, mutual funds, etc).
28. Review your health, life, auto, home, and long-term care insurances and make any necessary changes.
29. Make a list of your bills (including recurring subscriptions) and see if any of these can be reduced/eliminated.
30. Increase your emergency fund with each paycheck.
31. Allocate savings accounts to various needs (home improvement fund, vacation fund, Christmas fund, etc).
32. Make sure you have your/your family’s important documents (birth certificates, marriage/divorce documents, Social Security cards, DD214, adoption records, vehicle titles, etc) stored safely and securely at home.
33. Create a “when I die” folder.
34. Review and update your end-of-life documents (will, living will, medical power of attorney, etc).
35. Inspect your entire home and make a list of home improvement tasks to complete (clean gutters, repair the deck, new appliances, etc). Work on these improvements throughout the year.
36. Decrapify your entire home. Clean out closets, get rid of junk, get rid of clothes you no longer wear/fit, donate items you no longer use/need, etc.
37. Check the expiration dates of important items (driver’s license, passport, credit cards, vehicle registration, etc) and add these dates to your calendar/”to do” list.
38. Install several layers of home security (fence, alarm system, dog, tactical nightstand, etc).
39. Improve/develop a range of friendships/relationships with others (at work, via hobbies, with neighbors, etc).
40. Plant a garden; even a window garden will do for starters.
41. Stockpile seeds to be used within the next few years.
42. Practice canning, making jams, making pickles, making jerky, and other food preservation skills.
43. Increase your water/food/consumables stockpiles; rotate and inventory these seasonally.
44. Shop thrift stores and pick up/use DVD movies, books, board games, and other non-electronic hobby/entertainment items.
45. Practice making basic plumbing/electrical/construction repairs on your home (lots of good tutorials on YouTube).
46. Go camping at least once a season (spring, summer, fall, winter).
47. Join a local walking/hiking club and explore your local area.
48. Pick up some useful physical fitness hobbies (running, golf, bicycling, etc).
49. Pick up some useful survival hobbies (hunting, fishing, archery, shooting, etc).
50. Volunteer in your community and learn some useful skills (CERT, SAR, EMT, firefighter, etc).
51. Make sure you have two additional ways to cook food if your stove becomes unusable.
52. Make sure you have two additional ways to heat your home if your HVAC system becomes unusable.
53. Make sure you have two additional ways to create/store electricity if the electrical system goes down.
54. Make sure you have two additional sources of lighting if the electrical system goes down.
55. Practice drills with your family (fire drills, lockdown drills, communications drills, etc).
56. Buy and degoogle a cell phone (tutorials on YouTube).
57. Put Linux on an old laptop (tutorials on YouTube).
58. Get in as much range time as possible if you are a gun owner.
59. Read more books.
60. Do less doomscrolling/social media posting/watching YouTube videos that only try to sell you stuff.
61. Learn about Stoicism; incorporate these principals into your daily life.
62. Learn a new language.
63. Learn to play a non-electric instrument (drums, fiddle/violin, piano, etc).
64. Play games of skill (chess, horseshoes, poker, knife throwing, etc).
65. Instead of doomscrolling do crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku puzzles, etc.
66. Try bartering (example here).
67. Consider moving if your current living situation is not optimal.
68. Learn to tie a variety of knots.
69. Learn how to navigate with a map and compass.
70. Learn fighting skills (karate, judo, taekwondo, etc).
71. Do a no-spend week, or better yet, do a no-spend month.
72. Consider how to make your daily driver a bug out vehicle if needed.
73. Create a “safe room” in your home.
74. Do some preventative maintenance on your tools, guns, machinery, etc.
75. Buy (and hide) some luxury items to pull out in case of disaster (toys for the kids, chocolates, whiskey, etc).
76. Go dumpster diving.
77. Go foraging.
78. Do a taste test of survival foods (MREs, Mountain House, Costco survival food bucket) to determine what you like and what you definitely don’t want to stockpile.
79. Research the most common disasters in your area and do some preps specifically for these possibilities.
80. Live out of your bug out bag for a weekend in both wilderness and urban areas (fix any problems you find after this experiment).
81. Challenge yourself to reach a huge goal such as running a marathon by the end of the year, sewing a complete wardrobe, traveling to a far-flung place, etc).
82. Travel internationally at least once this year.
83. Hide a useful cache at the beginning of the year and retrieve it at the end of the year (or sooner if there is an emergency).
84. Practice being as close to zero-waste as possible.
85. Do a “don’t break the chain” challenge (pick a simple challenge like flossing daily if you often forget to do this and “don’t break the chain”).
86. Pick one bad habit to quit this year.
87. Avoid mainstream media and find a variety of balanced news sources to check out daily.
88. De-stress daily (meditate, yoga, journal, deep breathing exercises, etc).
89. Pick a day and do everything you can to avoid Big Brother tracking you for the entire day.
90. Do a complete maintenance service on your vehicle, get new tires if needed, deep clean it, etc.
91. Use cash only, no credit cards/Zelle/Apple Pay/etc for an entire week (or better yet, an entire month).
92. Only eat what you have in your home for two whole weeks (no grocery stores/restaurants/UberEats/etc).
93. Do something random and spontaneous–take a new route to work, take the day off and go for a long drive, give a stranger $100, etc.
94. Learn about fasting and consider doing a fasting challenge.
95. Replicate your favorite commercial foods (Pop tarts, Starbucks Frapuccino, Blooming Onion, etc) at home (lots of recipes online for this).
96. Learn a new skill (sewing, leather working, trail running, lockpicking, etc).
97. Back up everything–photos, files, documents, digital survival guides, etc–digitally and securely store this device.
98. Attend a prepper-related event–Rubber Tramp Roundup, Thunder Ranch class, prepper shows, etc.
99. Splurge on something you have always wanted to do or have a memorable family vacation.
100. Check off other self-improvement tasks using the Clean Sweep program list.