I do not for a second believe Europe will figure their way out of their collective problem...

You cannot cure cancer with smaller doses of the toxins that caused the cancer in the first place....

No country - anywhere - is getting better.

The political answers are statists vs controlled opposition. Those that need to stand up, aren't. What Ayn Rand described was withdrawing from the process and heading to another state...but that was back in the 50's when that idea might have worked...now the state she picked to retreat to...is a bastion of the left!

...kinda like expecting Cossacks to retreat to Siberia in order to live in peaceful disobedience to their state.

The way I figure it, chaos is a comin' and it's part of the plan. Nothing like a little chaos to help sheeple "get right"...

I figure the chaos lasts about a year. That's how I've built the basis of my prepps, and I'm building forward from there...

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I think the government likes not having to force sheeple into anything, much better to make something free...get 'em used to relying on a means of communication that can then be easily manipulated/controlled.

If you ruin the credibility of the media - then force the truth into specific spots - sheeple will tend to go to those specific spots - looking for the same ol' information, the same ol' way.

As the article concluded - get a HAM radio and gather your own information.

Quote from: KC9TNH on July 08, 2013, 04:01:38 PM

Quote from: White Tiger on July 08, 2013, 01:36:05 PMIt is why most modern counter-revolutions fail.

I think you meant revolution, with the Leviathan doing that counter- thing. True enough, most do - and without external support even after getting folks off the couch - it would be a long row to hoe. Doesn't mean it's not worth doing. The depths of how ugly is has to get is borne out by the fact that Americans have largely not reached their tipping point. When the  money runs out for the constituency it's gonna get sporty.

Of course, they could always see the error of their ways and simply capitulate.
[/sarcasm]
8)

I agree whole heartedly with your conclusion(s), but I believe we have been in the midst of a Fabian-esque revolutionary creep for a number of years.

I say Fabian-esque, because the Fabian's are socialist, tending towards a worldwide socialist philosophy, captured by the phrase: "workers of the world, unite..." - while what has been underway in the USA (largely since the war to confront Fascism - WWII) seems to tend towards Nazional Zocialism (sans the designer uniforms).

It is therefore my firm belief that the revolution happened...the counter-revolution was infiltrated, it's leadership commandeered, it's goals co-opted and ultimately defeated...long ago.

To wit: the reason I began prepping - I believe we (as a nation, and a culture) have crossed the line - we are no longer capable of fixing this by "throwing the bums out". Too many of us are tied in some form or fashion to the government - which was the basis for the apathy. The operable, defining phrase from the novel Gil quoted by Ayn Rand is "who is John Galt?" - is a sigh of resignation...for a nearly forgotten ideal, from a bygone era...

...NOT a call to arms.

Sorry for continuing the hijacking, wanted to finish a thought! - forward error correction applied - that is all.

[P.S., if I close with an exclamation point, and a smiley face, does it help make me seem more approachable? ;) ]


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There ya' have it - couple making it easier to get, with distrust of government - and create the largest 4 year increase in amateur radio licensees in the past 40 years!

It is also determined by those who are NOT apart of its constituency (which in the beginning is usually not greater than 20% - 30% - but this group is completely dedicated group of true believers) - the larger population is apathetic, overworked, under-represented, and overall - in disbelief, if not depressed. It is hard to motivate this type.

It is why most modern counter-revolutions fail.

We have very little cohesiveness because those things we used to have on common, have been eroded from our culture.

We (those of us awake) seem now to be a bunch of lone wolves huddling in our dens, seeking to protect our own.


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KC9TNH and geek - here's a link from the ARRL website:

2012 Marks All Time High for Amateur Radio Licenses

Here's the pertinent (for me) excerpt(s):

"... ?This is an all-time high for Technician, General and Amateur Extra class licensees,? she said. ?When looking at the three current license classes, the number of Technicians, Generals and Amateur Extras peaked in December at 345,369, 163,370 and 130,736, respectively...(classes that saw growth)

"...The number of licensees increased at an average rate of 21 per day, while the number of US licensees has increased by 7 percent since 2008!? More than 3000 new licenses were issued in 2012 than in 2011...

The source data the article was drawn from comes from this FCC chart - check out the numbers for 2013...so far...

Graphs of All FCC Licensees by License Class

Oh, and if I'm reading this correctly - in just the 4 years since 2008 - there have been over 49,000 new amateur licenses issued...that's the largest increase in the last 15 years...and 2007 actually corrected a seven year decline that started in 2002...

No, I don't think truckers can account for this trend....

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This is from a blogger I've followed on the Internet and the HAM bands - I think his conclusions and opinions are spot on regarding this.

The Decline of Shortwave Radio Means the Spread of World Conflict

Yes, government funded radio projects like; Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, BBC International, and even Radio Australia...are succumbing to budget cutbacks and reliance on the Internet...

...and truth be told...(and shamefully so) I've actually heard more truth, especially regarding the reporting of US politics and the effects of economic policies - listening to overseas broadcasts from the likes of Russia Today, than anything I've seen or heard stateside.

For now. Making sure the propaganda always works is paramount for our leaders - I'm not sure if some group is working to destroy any shred of credibility that the people of the USA have for their domestic news outlets - or if those folks are seeking to build up our regard for foreign correspondence on global events....or some combination of both? I just don't think anything is happening by chance anymore.

...but back to the topic - individuals seeking an FCC license just broke a record in 2012 (per the ARRL). While I don't know how this year will shake out - my guess is the trend will hold, and the trend is way up since 2008, right along with long-term storage food, guns, and ammunition sales...over that exact time frame...right along with prices for those same things.

How comfortable are you with the idea that the increase in FCC license holders - may just be radio preppers...

Quote from: WA4STO on July 06, 2013, 06:54:28 PM
The guys that send to me; they're using amps.  I get it.

And so do I, now.

Thanks!

Agreed - almost like the current leadership of BOTH political parties have read things like; "1984" and "Brave New World" as a manuals...instead of the warnings they were intended to be - warnings as to what happens if you keep feeding your individual power to the state in exchange for peace, safety, and eventually...comfort...

There are folks that determine themselves to be very "left-leaning" - even here...the difference is...they think we're headed for some form of the apocalypse too (at least those I've spoken to).

I've become more libertarian in my political persuasions - not that I believe that will be the thing that saves us - it will just divide us three ways, instead of two.

We have allowed things to get to the point that they don't look recoverable -  doesnt mean I won't try to work to improve it, it just means I don't think politics (as they're currently defining themselves) are the answer to the problems we have. Somehow, those that can & should be working, have got it in their heads that this country of individuals owes them something? More takers than earners mean the system can't be sustained - something has to give - therefore some of us prepare for any/all eventualities.

I would think folks come here are preparing for the worst - it would be provocative for folks with a determined left-leaning agenda to come here and try and talk us OUT of prepping, or out of of including radio in our prepps.

However; I've been on larger prepping oriented forums where that has happened. Not sure why anyone would waste time with someone who deliberately seeks to be obtuse...

I'm thinking Gil might have a warning alarm at the QTH that automatically flushes  folks who decidedly do NOT agree that the world is sliding off it's moorings...and that radio is something that can keep like-minded folks tethered together when it happens....

Interesting.

Think about it - the term "net" can invoke a lot of different meanings for a lot of different situations. For those of us interested in civilian communications for "when the wind blows" (or other somesuch issue)...it gives is an opportunity to learn where to go for information we can trust, and listen for the ways information needs to be communicated. In this scenario the term "net" infers a "Network".

In the scenario where you want a bit more operational security, while sharing the same data in a much reduced time signature - we can learn where the digital modes communicate and how they do so...that kind of adds a different twist to the definition of "net"...

As for me, I'm thinking I might like to check into this digital stuff, that is if the old Omni-D can be coaxed into it...

Thanks Luck - appreciate this...kinda like a road map for what to do if the SHTF!

Quote from: KK0G on July 03, 2013, 08:01:33 PM

Quote from: White Tiger on July 03, 2013, 06:12:34 PM
My sister in Phoenix sent me a picture of her cars digital thermostat - pegged at 118!

That whole "but it's a dry heat" kinda loses any effect - I think the body can't tell a lot of difference between 118 with 20% humidity... and 98 with 90% humidity...at that point, it doesnt matter if its a wet or dry hear - hot is hot...

But there's absolutely nothing like standing still and sweating, stepping from your front door to your front porch and having your glasses instantly fog up...

And to be swarmed by monster mosquitoes - alerted to fresh meat - with every exhale.

Oh well, at least the Q-Tips have gone home ;-)

Ahh, the "Sunshine State" in summa....

I've never experienced 118 F low humidity temperatures so I can't really compare. What I do know is that even at 118 F, evaporative cooling still works when the humidity is low, i.e. - sweating works. When the humidity is sky high sweating doesn't have much cooling effect, it just makes you sweaty, slimy, stinky and stick to vinyl like duct tape :P

Yes...to that point...she has an evaporative cooling system that sprays a mist on the fan compressor just as the fans kick on. The intake puts enough humidity into the air that the AC unit actually works...

That's wanting it pretty bad...

My sister in Phoenix sent me a picture of her cars digital thermostat - pegged at 118!

That whole "but it's a dry heat" kinda loses any effect - I think the body can't tell a lot of difference between 118 with 20% humidity... and 98 with 90% humidity...at that point, it doesnt matter if its a wet or dry hear - hot is hot...

But there's absolutely nothing like standing still and sweating, stepping from your front door to your front porch and having your glasses instantly fog up...

And to be swarmed by monster mosquitoes - alerted to fresh meat - with every exhale.

Oh well, at least the Q-Tips have gone home ;-)

Ahh, the "Sunshine State" in summa....

You and I, and Stephen Hawking....

From this little iPad I've downloaded an app that allows me to hold near a speaker...and it will decode Morse.

Apparently, it can also do the same thing with PSK31...but I still have no way of sending anything...so, I need to download WL2K/RMS Express/WinMor?