Dear Black Bag Confidential Reader,
Things are heating up between the incoming administration and the Intelligence Community. In other news, harsh winter conditions are creating seasonal survival concerns.
This week’s must-read articles cover all this and more.
Find out what edible plants you can use to beef up your garden plot this year, how much screen time is actually good for your kids (the answer might surprise you) and what you have to do to get your hands on Navy SEAL survival secrets that will make you a hero to your loved ones.
Without further ado, here are this week’s articles.
1. In Scathing Attack, CIA Director Brennan Warns Trump to “Watch What He Says”
In the November issue of my Spy & Survival Briefing newsletter, ex-CIA operative JAVELIN — formerly known as Mr. X — wrote about how Republican administrations tend to support intelligence officers more than Democratic ones, giving them more money and more leeway to utilize their skills.
However, President-elect Trump doesn’t seem too fond of the Intelligence Community, which makes me wonder if his administration will follow this trend. If it doesn’t, what does that mean for our national security?
“Tyler Durden” of Zero Hedge doesn’t mince words, “The implications for Trump are quite clear. If his refusal to take intelligence briefings, or follow CIA advice, is serious, then serious consequences will follow.”
One of the most serious ramifications could potentially be the repetition of a historic tragedy. Click on the link above to read more.
2. Dang, It’s Cold! Treating and Preventing Hypothermia
Winter weather presents several extra survival challenges, one of the most dangerous being hypothermia. Joe Alton, MD — aka Dr. Bones — over at Doom and Bloom has penned this handy article with tips to take care of someone who is hypothermic and preparations to avoid hypothermia altogether.
Perhaps the most useful advice can be remembered using the simple acronym C.O.L.D. Click on the link above to find out what it stands for, and discover one cold-weather issue most people forget to consider — one that will make your blood run cold, literally.
3. Plant These Edible Flowers in Your Garden Now
Last week, we looked at an article from Homesteadology about the importance of prepping your soil to prepare for a successful growing season. So this week, I thought I’d pass along this piece from Preparedness Advice on 77 edible plants you can add to your garden.
Also included are links to several resources for further information on foraging. This is useful knowledge you can use to supplement your food stores if the stuff hits the fan. Because when that happens, you might not be able to run to the market to pick up ingredients for a salad to go with dinner.
So check out this list, figure out which plants would fare best in your area and start sowing.
4. How to Get Your Hands on Navy SEAL Survival Secrets
If you want to learn the survival tactics used by the world’s most famous, feared and respected war fighters in all of combat history, look no further. And best of all, you don’t need any previous training, know-how or survival skills.
This information has never before been revealed to the public. But if you click on the link above, you can get it delivered to your doorstep within days.
So if you want to get your hands on these coveted survival secrets…
If you want to be ready to face personal danger from violent and vicious criminals…
And if you want to protect your family when the unthinkable happens…
Then don’t waste another minute being unprepared. Click on the link above to become a survivor, not a statistic.
5. Moderate Screen Use “Boosts Teen Well-Being”
My kids are growing up in a very different world than my wife and I did. With the omnipresence of televisions, computers and hand-held devices, parents everywhere are faced with the question “How much is too much?”
Well, the latest take on this debate is that some screen time might actually be beneficial for children’s mental well-being.
Whatever you decide is the proper amount of screen time for your children to indulge in, be sure to assert the importance of situational awareness. Because, as I’ve said before, the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself is keep your head up. Don’t bury it in some electronic device when you’re out and about.
The inventions of smartphones, tablets and hand-held gaming devices are every criminal’s and terrorist’s dream, because people pay zero attention to their surroundings when using one. Children are already vulnerable, so don’t let yours become more of a target. Teach them good habits to help them navigate the increasingly dangerous world we’re living in.
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
