Mountain Steps

Our Book: Step By Step Guide To Emergency Preparedness by Mountain Steps

2010-09-10T07:48:00.001-07:00

Our book Step By Step Guide To Emergency Preparedness is now available on Amazon.com!

The book is 184 pages. It includes the most relevant posts and articles we've written pertaining to preparing you and your family for future emergencies. The book is organized in easy to digest sections and chapters.

From Amazon.com:
This book is based off a collection of posts from our blog Mountain Steps http://mountainsteps.blogspot.com. This was originally written so that friends and family can learn what we've learned (without needing to make the same mistakes we've made) and can use it as a source of helpful resources. Since October 2008 we've gone through a crash course on survival skills, American and political history and economics. We've created short term and long term goals for ourselves. We've documented what we've learned, what we've accomplished and hopefully these will give you some ideas and resources to better yourself. This book, like our blog, breaks preparedness topics into easy to digest sections and goals. This makes it easier to prioritize what you want to focus on and makes this otherwise overwhelming topic more manageable. The sections in the book cover Short Term Goals, Long Term Goals, Water, Food, Health, Security, Skills, Personal Finance, Frugal Tips, Precious Metals, Investment Strategies and Economics.

Makes a great reference. Be sure to consider buying one for family members as a gift.

Buy the Step By Step Guide To Emergency Preparedness by Mountain Steps

CERT: Community Emergency Response Team

2010-07-27T07:37:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for a way to get some Emergency Preparedness Training as well as serve your community by helping out duringg an emergency or training and educating people about Emergency Preparedness you might want to consider checking out your local CERT. They also have a free online course located here: http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/IS317/ Both the online course and the hands-on course taught in your local area go over how CERTs are organized and itneract with first responders, fire safety, hazardous material and terrorist incidents, disaster medical operations and search and rescue. I've taken the online course and I'm pretty impressed. I like the idea of the CERTs. Basically you first take care of yourself and your family, then work outward to your neightborhood, then your city, and then your county.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

More Info: http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/

Animation of US Recession - Unemployment Across the Country 2007 - Present

2010-07-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is a fascinating animation titled The Geography of a Recession.

It shows US unemployment via a colored map of the nation with each county colored accordingly. It starts from 2007 to the present.

http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html

Movies: Dual Survival - new Discovery Channel Show on Survival Premiering

2010-06-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

I got this email from a publicist for the Discovery Channel. Passing along the information to you all:

Hello,

My name is David, and I am a publicist for Discovery Communications. I saw that you cover survival tips and have written about The Colony, so I wanted to make sure to share this upcoming Discovery Channel premiere with you and Mountain Steps readers.

Experts agree there are some very basic - and universal - rules for surviving in the wild. Find shelter, find water, find food, find help. Beyond that, there's not much they agree on. Meet the military-trained Dave Canterbury and naturalist Cody Lundin - the odd couple of survival experts featured in Discovery Channel's all-new series Dual Survival, premiering Friday, June 11, at 10pm ET/PT. Together, Canterbury and Lundin take on some of the planet's most unforgiving terrain to demonstrate - in their own way - how the right skills and some creative thinking can keep you alive.

Links to embeddable video clips from the show are available below, along with a few images. Please contact me if you would like more information or additional video or images.

Dual Survival: "Bush Hippie Logic"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HX2clxorE4

Dual Survival: "A Run in the Dark"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkiS88WmErc

Also, The Colony is returning for a second season so I can also include you on new information about the series when it becomes available.

Thank you for your time,
David

Book Review: A Back to Basics Guide to Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine

2010-06-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is a beautifully produced book. It's broken down into 7 different sections that cover all the basics of independent living - and every page has many, many full color pictures and illustrations. The negatives are that this is a basic book - so if you are just starting prepping for independent living this would be a great book to start with, but it does not offer a whole lot of new information for more advanced preppers. I did love the section on making your own ice cream and different cheeses and I'm definitely going to experiment with a few of the easier cheese recipes! The other thing with this book is that it seems to be written for more of the yuppie type who is concerned about their "carbon footprint", etc so a few ideas are very expensive and not too practical, but overall very informative.

From instructions on making your own composting toilet to trimming the toenails on your llamas, this back-the-land guide offers a vast wealth of resources for the eco-minded, twenty-first-century homesteader. The crowded chapters cover growing and harvesting food; keeping livestock (and building structures to house them); incorporating renewable energy technology, such as solar panels, into existing homes; making crafts, household items, and toys; homemade health remedies; and earth-friendly interior design. With so many topics introduced in such a limited space, it’s inevitable that some subjects are treated more superficially than others; for example, a spread on stress management, which includes tips such as “take a walk,” seems out of place in a title filled with so much targeted, useful advice. Best are the practical specifics, and even city dwellers with no interest in taking up beekeeping or basket weaving will enjoy browsing this for recipes, gardening ideas, and, as the introduction states, other accessible ways to “take a few steps closer to a healthier, happier, and more responsible lifestyle.” --Gillian Engberg
Product Description
The companion to the bestseller Back to Basics for country, urban, and suburban folks. Who doesn’t want to shrink their carbon footprint, save money, and eat homegrown food whenever possible? Even readers who are very much on the grid will embrace this large, fully-illustrated guide on the basics of living the good, clean life. It’s written with country lovers in mind—even those who currently live in the city.

Whether you live in the city, the suburbs, or even the wilderness, there is plenty you can do to improve your life from a green perspective. Got sunlight? Start container gardening. With a few plants, fresh tomatoes, which then become canned tomato sauce, are a real option. Reduce electricity use by eating dinner by candlelight (using homemade candles, of course). Learn to use rainwater to augment water supplies. Make your own soap and hand lotion. Consider keeping chickens for the eggs. From what to eat to supporting sustainable restaurants to avoiding dry cleaning, this book offers information on anything a homesteader needs—and more. 1000 color illustrations

Buy: Homesteading: A Back to Basics Guide to Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine, and More (Back to Basics Guides) by Abigail R. Gehring

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building ~ Robert A. Heinlein Quote

2010-06-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. " ~ Robert A. Heinlein

America Is Not The Wealthiest Nation, Americans Are Not The Wealthiest People - Response To A Preacher

2010-05-24T11:06:00.001-07:00

I Heard an interesting sermon on Sunday. This is my thoughts on it.

------------

Hi Pastor,

I enjoyed your message on Sunday May 23.

I understand the basic point of your message that we each individually need to figure out what we do with our own resources and wealth, but there were many parts of your sermon I disagreed with. I hope you don't mind me emailing you about them.

I've heard this basic message about how America is the wealthiest nation and how Americans are the richest people preached by a variety of preachers from many different denominations throughout my years as a Christian, and always previously I've believed much if not all of it. So - this is more of a resulting response from messages I've heard over the years than a direct response to you personally. In fact, for all I know, your sermon may have been perfectly targetted to your audience, the congregation.

Since this financial collapse began happening in 2008 I've been reading voraciously - mainly about how to protect myself and my family from the next great depression which I believe more and more everyday is soon coming, if it's not already upon us. Through my extensive reading and pondering I've come to the appalling conclusion that America is NOT the wealthiest nation, if we ever were the wealthiest nation.

Don't get me wrong - there are many wealthy Americans, but most American's are not the wealthiest people. There are basically two separate ideas here - individual worth and national worth. Let me explain.

Just because people have lots of stuff does not mean they are wealthy. I hate to generalize, but in this instance I believe it is accurate. Most people who have lots of stuff do not actually own that stuff ... yet. They've bought it on credit.They have borrowed from someone and hopefully will pay for it later. They now have an appearance of wealth, but if you subtract their assets (what they actually own) from what their debts are (what they actually owe) they often are far, far poorer than they appear or maybe even realize. What separates Americans from other citizens of other countries is the ease at which we can gain access to credit and can borrow money - this can be a useful tool or a cement block around ones neck because sooner or later the borrowed money will need to be paid back. This easy ability to borrow for the recent past has been reliable, but the assumptions many Americans have made (that they will make more in the future and their purchased goods - like houses - will always increase in value, etc) are proving to many people to have been bad assumptions. As a result many of these purchased goods purchased with borrowed money with the intentions of being paid back at a later date are now worth less than they were purchased for - making the purchaser even more poorer then before. To compound the problem, many Americans are finding they can not get jobs that make enough to pay back what they owe.

When you are indebted to someone you are basically enslaved to them. You lose a little bit of freedom. We have whole congregations of poor people who feel rich because they have lots of stuff which they think they own. And then they hear a message of how because they are so wealthy they need to give more and so instead of paying down their debts they give the money to some other cause - money that could be used to help free themselves from enslavement. If they then do not make a payment on their debts larger than the interest generated on what they owe (and on credit cards this can often be 20% or higher interest rate) they are in fact now going deeper into debt because they now owe MORE than before. All because they feel wealthy and are told by authority figures that they are wealthy and because, maybe, they don't want to face the fact that they are not wealthy.

But let's take this to a national level. It's essentially the same situation. Over and over we're told America is the wealthiest nation - yet when you look at the figures it doesn't add up! We, as a nation, currently owe over $12 Trillion - and the government has promised over $100 Trilllion in entitlements such as Social Security, Foreign Aid, Medicare, Pensions, etc.

If we owe $12 Trillion and have promised over $100 Trillion where does the money come from?

There are three current ways that money is gained for governments.

Taxes - the government can take money from it's citizens by force. Unfortunately - the government is coming close to owing more money than all the citizens together have. If the government takes all money and all assets from all citizens it will still owe money. This is compounded because the individuals will still owe their debts, but now have even less to pay the debts down with.

Borrowing - currently the government is borrowing money from foreign and domestic sources - mainly from China and Japan. Of course this money is charged an interest rate and sooner or later will need to be paid back - but how? Well - if it is pushed far enough into the future then it will be paid for by our kids and grandkids and other future generations through very excessive taxes. This is also assuming people and nations will be willing to always loan America money, but what if at some point they no longer want to? Then this option will no longer be viable.

Printing Press - Since the government has a monopoly on currency and since the currency is not tied to a tangible asset like gold the government can increase and decrease the money supply at it's own discretion. If the government chooses it can print up more and more money and then pay it's debts back. Individual citizens can not do this - it's called counterfeiting, but when it's done by the government it's called Good Economic Policy. At any rate the debts can now be paid off, but the end result is that the dollar is now worth less. This solution creates inflation and is essentially a hidden tax on citizens and theft from the individuals who money was borrowed from because they are being paid back in cheaper dollars - dollars intentionally cheapened. So far the US Government has been fairly lucky doing this - they haven't suffered the extreme inflation as quickly as other countries. It's taken the US government over 80 years to decrease the value of the dollar by 95% - some countries manage to do this same thing to their currencies in weeks and days!

Of course, a government and individuals can simply claim bankruptcy and default on their debts. If done completely intentionally this also is a form of theft as the borrowed money is never paid back and borrowed with an intention of never paying it back. Of course, between countries, doing this can often be a cause for war.

At any rate - when you look at the numbers much like how many individual Americans appear wealthy the US Government appears wealthy when in fact it's not. The Treasury has been pillaged, the coffers are empty, and the economic laws of give and take can not be repealed and the piper must be paid someday.

If you want to look globally the situation is even worse. Since 1972 the entire global economy has become unhinged from any tangible assets and is based entirely on faith in paper money and faith in governments ability to manage it. The entire system is simply an illusion - a house of cards that is now teetering. Even mainstream leaders are beginning to face up to the facts instead of simply ignore and deny it - recently on the David Letterman show in mid May of this year the news anchor Brian Williams admitted how economists are telling him that the dirty little secret is that "The world has no money and the emperor has no clothes."

But let's go back down to the individual level - many Americans are wealthy and many Christians are wealthy - and as you stated - the bible does not necessarily say this is bad. But by far most Christians are not wealthy and bible verses of what to do with wealth do not apply to them. I believe unneeded frustration and damage can be done when they apply the wrong verses to themselves. Instead - bible verses against debt and it's enslavement are what they should be worried about, not wealth. This is a free country and if indebted Christians want to pay themselves last and risk long term enslavement of themselves or intentionally enslave themselves to their debtors that's, of course, their prerogative. I personally think you can do more good the freer you are. But if Christians are borrowing and paying for charities, churches, etc. and have no intention of ever paying it back - that's just being dishonest and being a thief. I would hope Christians would not be considering that option.

You gave an example of how poor Bedouins are when compared to the wealthy who were in a bus driving pass them on your trip to Israel. But this isn't an accurate comparison. As you said - within their culture there are even wealth disparities - some have more goats than others. But further, just because they have less Stuff doesn't mean they are poorer. Stuff alone does not create wealth - owning stuff that retains value free and clear creates wealth. I would argue that many of these Bedouins may actually be more Free then many Americans because they may not be indebted like many Americans are. But again it's not an adequate comparison - they have different responsibilities which may actually hinder their own freedom - they are reliant on certain livestock, geography, etc for their survival and they are in a different economic system.

You state that wealth is having more than you need. This to me is not an accurate definition - wealth is simply retained value which you can use in the future at your discretion on things or services you desire to use the value on. As I've shown above - many individuals have lots of stuff, much stuff maybe they don't actually need, yet they are not wealthy since they actually do not own much of it. But for arguments sake, let's assume a person does own all the stuff they have in their possession - who is to say whether it is for a need? A need for what? Survival? Enjoyment? Their career? Their hobby? Government Central Planners attempt to answer this through force, but it always fails and never equalizes completely. Very often it simply makes most people poorer while enriching the select few. The reason it can never adequately succeed is simply because all humans value things differently. Whoever is in power will use their values to determine when someone has more than they need, based on whatever variables they desire to measure this by.

But let's assume having more than you need is simply about standard of living - how can another person determine what someone else's standard of living should be? I can tell you that my wife and I are probably on the bottom mid level of standard of living - and it's largely by choice - should other people not making the same choices as us be punished because they have more stuff or make more or have a bigger house or prefer a different hobby? We will, God willing, be increasing our standard of living soon, but the level of our standard of living will still largely be determined by all sorts of variables such as our future financial goals, career goals, hobby goals, recreational goals, etc. and will definitely differ from many other peoples standard of living.

Now let's assume two people have the exact same incomes. Person A receives $1000 and Person B received $1000. If Person A saves $200 of their money by choosing to go with less now and Person B spends all their money now - well Person A will now be more wealthy if Person B spent money on items that do not retain value. Done long enough Person A will have far more wealth than Person B - especially if Person B is purchasing consumables or items that do not retain value over time. Someone on the outside might be tempted to say Person A is selfish or greedy when all they are is a saver - they value things differently then Person B. Now what if Person A received $800 while Person B receives $1200 and Person A still saves and Person B still spends. Person A will still be more wealthy - and yet, even though they make less, because they have different values (and in my view are more responsible with their money) they will often be viewed as being more greedy, more selfish, OR be expected to give even MORE. After all - they are richer than Person B.

In a sense - every dime you save, assuming it's retaining most of it's value, is a dime that can be paid in the future to purchase various goods and expenses - that savings is what creates wealth. If you save enough than at some point you can stop working to generate an income and simply live off the savings - this is often called retirement. BUT who is to say when it's right or wrong for someone to retire? Is 62 the earliest someone needs to retire - why? If someone can retire at the age of 52 - why shouldn't they? If they saved their money and want to use their money to retire earlier - why shouldn't they? The current retirement ages are simply arbitrary numbers picked by the government for it's various entitlement programs. Most likely these retirement ages will need to be raised in order to keep programs like Social Security working. Once this happens will it now be wrong for someone to retire on their own at age 62? And what if someone doesn't even want to retire? Should all people be required to work as long as they physically can? Why is it called prudent to save for retirement, but only when you retire at a certain age, but possibly considered hoarding if it's being saved for other reasons or for an earlier retirement age?

I guess - my ultimate point is this. It would be a grand thing for Christians to be in a financial position where they need to grapple with many of the questions I've just asked, BUT as long as they owe more than they have these questions and many of the verses in the bible about wealth do not apply. It can not apply - because they are not wealthy!

I think individuals need to give to themselves first - free themselves from their enslavement to debtors, before they can ever do maximum good. This may sound selfish, but it's not when you think about it. If it is selfish, then all retirement savings are the epitome of selfishness because that's what retirement savings is all about - amassing enough wealth to no longer work. But it's not selfish because if individuals neglect themselves, if they martyr themselves financially, they are in the long run creating an unnecessary burden on their fellow brothers and sisters. It's unnecessary because it's being created by their own mismanagement of their resources and not a crisis or bad luck and circumstances. People who are genuinely in need are then competing with people suffering from self-inflicted needs for available resources. If the people were not inflicting the crisis on themselves then more resources would be available for the genuinely needy.

Once freed from debt then of course they will be in a position to start saving wealth. At this point they can individually grapple with what to do with that wealth. To these Christians you're well delivered sermon will be very applicable, but only when they are truly wealthy, when they are truly freed. Then again, maybe _______ is an exception - maybe most of the members are wealthy. If that's the case than please disregard all I've just said - you know your flock better than I.

Peace be with you.

DVD Review: 50 Outdoor Skills Everyone Needs To Know

2010-05-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

This is a good DVD for the audience it is aiming for - the very beginning backpacker with next to no outdoor experience. The biggest flaw with the DVD is the misnamed title - it only has about 15 actual outdoor skills, the rest are basic descriptions of equipment like types of packs, knives, tents, food, etc. It is not the DVD I was hoping it would be - although there were a few things I learned. I particularly liked the idea of a survival scarf which can be used for a multitude of purposes. None of the topics are covered in depth and it's assumed if you want to learn more you'll watch a DVD, read a book, or take a class that is devoted to the topic of interest. The host, Dick Person, does seem like quite the character and I bet he'd be a fun trip leader - full of fascinating and interesting stories and tips.

From Amazon.com:

Whether you're a veteran camper or an occasional hiker, you'll find information to enhance your outdoor adventures in this program from expert guide and environmentalist Dick Person. Along with his assistant, Laura Zealand, Person provides advice for every possible eventuality: from basic skills such as how to build a "one match" fire to information on proper gear, staying safe and dealing with emergencies.

Buy: 50 Outdoor Skills Survive Survival DVD

DVD Review: Gunshot Wound First Aid

2010-05-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

After taking a Red Cross Basic First Aid and CPR course I've been looking for a few good sources for learning some advanced First Aid. I came across the DVD Gunshot Wound First Aid and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. Mr. Klatt presents the course in a no-nonsense fast paced manner. In this DVD he demonstrates how to do First Aid if a person is shot in various parts of the body. This DVD is geared for anyone who wants to learn, but since Law Enforcement and Military also use his DVD's he does talk about a few situations that might occur in those fields. He has more DVD's I'll be getting in the future - one on Basic First Aid and CPR, Knife Wounds, and Blunt Trauma. I learned more efficiently watching his DVD than I did attending the Red Cross course. Definitely worth the small investment to have on hand to periodically review!

From Amazon.com:

About the Actor
John Klatt is a former US Navy Medic as well as a former US Navy rescue diver. He is also the president and founder of America Safty.

Product Description
Imagine you're at the shooting range and the guy next to you has an accidental discharge that hits your friend or loved one! What would you do? The hospital is 30 - 45 minutes away on a good day, and it will take an ambulance 45 - 60 minutes to respond. What should you do to help this person have a better chance of survival? This program will show you how to minimize bleeding and trauma, prepare the wound for transportation, and handle shock and victim duress. These are life saving First Aid techniques, to teach you how to access and evaluate gunshot wounds more efficiently. This is a MUST view for all police officers, federal agents, CCW license holders, and everybody who carries a gun or is around firearms for a living!

Buy: Gunshot Wound First Aid DVD

Protests Are Spreading Across Europe - May 2010 - Dramatic Video Footage

2010-05-16T00:17:00.000-07:00

The protests started in Greece over the austerity measurements are spreading.

In Dublin Ireland riots broke out near banks were people were protesting. Below is a clip from coverage of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BA8pi-ZGGA

Also in Romania protests happened, but from a completely different demographic. Cuts are being made to pensioners and it was retired people who were doing the protests. These are rebellious young people, but grandparents doing the protests. Here is footage from those protests.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp_I3Ruviv4

As other countries in Europe began making severe cutbacks to avoid a meltdown like Greece you can expect more. America is still on a spending spree (including bailing out Greece and other countries) and the difficult cutbacks haven't begun, but it's only a matter of time before cutbacks must be made - and all those dependent on the system will be directly affected. And there will be those who will protest these required cutbacks.

Book Review: This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries Of Financial Folly by Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff

2010-05-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

This book was a bit too scholarly and dry for my taste. There are lots of tables and data included and the authors definitely did their research! I personally like anecdotes from history more than simply numbers, although I do understand the importance of good collections of data. The authors take a look at the past 800 years of financial data and various crisis that have occurred and compare it to the present. Essentially, they come to the conclusion that, not surprisingly, right before a crisis many people come to believe that this time is different. They won't make the same mistakes as people in the past, etc. The last few chapters which is section III of the book read easier and present a pretty good overview of the current crisis that is unfolding.

From Amazon.com:

The authors use copious amounts of data . . . to make the compelling case that any well-informed person should have seen the Great Recession coming. The essence of their book is that while financial crises come in different varieties, they are not mysteriously born of undersea earthquakes, but frequently occurring events that can be spotted and even controlled if politicians and regulators know what to look for.
(Devin Leonard New York Times )

Reinhart and Rogoff have compiled an impressive database, which covers eight centuries of government debt defaults from around the world. They have also collected statistics on inflation rates from every country where information is available and on banking crises and international capital flows over the past couple of centuries. This lengthy historical study gives what they call a 'panoramic view' of the unending cycle of boom and bust, showing how claims that 'this time is different' are invariably proven wrong. . . . This Time Is Different doesn't simply explain what went wrong in our most recent crisis. This book also provides a roadmap of how things are likely to pan out in the years to come. . . . This Time Is Different is an important addition to the literature of financial history.
(Edward Chancellor Wall Street Journal )

Professor Rogoff and his longtime collaborator Carmen Reinhart . . . know more about the history of financial crises than anyone alive. The pair have just published their broad survey of financial crises, This Time is Different. In an era when most 'analysts' rely on maybe 30 or 40 years' worth of financial history--and then only that of the U.S.--the authors' knowledge of financial crises and government bond defaults going back to the Spanish empire and before offers a richer perspective.
(Brett Arends Wall Street Journal )

Buy: This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly by Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff

My Current Self-Education

2010-05-13T07:36:00.001-07:00

Over the years I've gotten into the habit of constantly reading some sort of book - usually multiple books at once. My reading slowed down over the past few months as I focused on finishing my Masters Degree but you can view what I've read over the last few years HERE. Now that summer is here I'm excited to dive into the Wish List I've created at Amazon.com. I've broken down books into various topics and I usually try to get one book in each category. I might add, often I'll supplement my reading with watching DVD's if I can. I recently read about how to skin a deer, but during hunter's safety they showed a DVD demonstration. I learned far more watching than reading in this case at least. My approach to self-education is 1) Read about it, 2) Watch about it, 3) Do it. I try to integrate various media and ultimately, if I can, try it myself.

If you're interested here's the broad categories I usually am learning about / reading:

AMERICAN HISTORY - Largely to relearn so I can teach my children. I'm surprised at how much I haven't been taught.

SKILL BUILDING - Practical knowledge on many topics. Some things I enjoy more than others, but I'm convinced knowledge without practical skills won't be much use.

HOBBY BOOKS - This is often a subset of SKILL BUILDING. But sometimes, like coin collecting, it's not.

ECONOMICS - Often about Austrian Economic theories and about Capitalism vs. Socialism. I've slowed down on these books as I've read too many now and have to be more picky since I'm finding many authors are simply teaching me what I've already learned.

LIBERTARIAN TOPICS - I agree with the foundational basics of libertarianism, and am largely leaning towards the Libertarian approach towards foreign affairs. I'm excited to read about the approach to the environment.

SPIRITUAL TOPICS (Usually having to do with Christianity) - I don't post these reviews. It's for my own personal growth. Whatever your spiritual beliefs - don't neglect them! These beliefs are what will help you make it through the hard times. BUT, in case your interested, my favorite authors are - For Theology: George MacDonald and many of the early Church Fathers (Origen, Ireneus, etc.), Fiction: George MacDonald, Stephen R. Lawhead, and C.S. Lewis and for History: Rodney Stark.

FICTION - I don't know when the last time I read a fiction book. I've read a few over the last two years involving TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) themes. I'm a fan of science fiction and historical fiction / fantasy. Interestingly, many science fiction authors are libertarians and there are a whole slew of science fiction books exploring civilizations / cultures / etc involving the implementation of libertarianism. Now that I have more free time maybe I'll sample a few of these.

A Financial Tower Of Babel

2010-05-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

"And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4)

I was talking with my brother-in-law over the weekend and was sharing with him an analogy I've come to a realization on about the global economic system that is currently in place. We've created something unprecedented in history - a system so large, so complex, and so intertwined it boggles the mind to reflect on. And it seems to be groaning under it's own weight.

The underlying issue of the Tower of Babel was arrogance. In the story the generation that created the Tower of Babel wanted to make something the world had never seen - a building so large it would create an everlasting name for themselves. Something so great it would be a testament to the greatness of man - but not just man, but to them.

And the current economic climate has created this same arrogance. How many times have you heard someone claim "This is a new economy" or "This time is different" or "We know better than they did the last time they tried!" Or, often in regards to the Founding Fathers of America (or even the Church), "That was then. We know so much more now! Things are different!". Oh the arrogance of it all!

And of course the modern symbol of the Tower of Babel is The Burj Dubai in Dubai(renamed The Burj Khalifa in an attempt to kiss up, er, I mean honor the President of the United Arab Emirates to try to get them to bail the Burj out of debt!) - at about 2,600 feet tall and 160 stories it is the tallest building ever made. And it's largely vacant! At the moment of it's completion the current economic crisis hit and now the Los Angeles Times calls the Burj "the latest ... in [a] string of monuments to architectural vacancy."

But the Burj is nothing compared to the economic system currently in place. Around 1913 was largely the beginning of a grand experiment in paper fiat money and 1971 was the final nails in the coffin when money was permanently and globally separated from Gold and Silver. Thinking they could ignore economic principles and reality certain men and women have tried to create a grand system - thinking, like those who created the Tower of Babel, they will leave a lasting legacy to their greatness! I say certain men and women because we are not all guilty for the potential calamity, we did not all help build this Financial Tower of Babel, but we do all share the same earth and will still be affected regardless.

Unlike the Tower of Babel I do not think this financial crisis is Judgement or Wrath from God, but rather the universal principle of You Reap What You Sow playing out on a global scale. And wishful thinking, ignoring of economic principles, and self-confidence will not prevent the inevitable. Pushed too far the system will collapse under it's own weight. The entire system is intertwined and groaning. All of a sudden we find ourselves in a situation where seemingly unimportant countries actions can reverberate around the globe, sending tremors and shockwaves to the very foundations of it all! ~ And those involved will smile pridefully until the end, clapping each other on the back, congratulating each other on their brilliance.

Unfortunately we all know what comes after Pride. And this time it's Global.

Planted one of our gardens!

2010-05-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

We planted one of our gardens. We're doing raised gardens and have a total of five. The other four will probably not be completed until the end of the summer. We planted Strawberries, Zuchinni and White Onions. We'll grow peas again in the small containers just for fun. For the main gardens though I'm aiming for large quantities of items we eat lots of instead of a small variety of a bunch of different vegetables. I'd like to have surplus vegetables so we can try preserving them via freezing, drying, etc. and also I'd like us to have surplus to give away (or sell).

A Tsunami of Red Ink - Debt!!

2010-04-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Tribune has published an excellent graphic showing the US National Debt and the debts around the world.

Below is the graphic. It's rather alarming. I keep praying for more time - I'm not prepared enough!

Book Review: The New Deal In Old Rome by H.J. Haskell

2010-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this book. It was written in the 1940's to reflect on the New Deal of the 1930's and takes a look at how the ancient Romans attempted to deal with modern problems. You always hear how there are parallels between Ancient Rome and America - well here's some proof. It's fascinating how many programs the Roman government established that were similar or the same to many of the New Deal programs implemented by President Roosevelt. For example, for almost 300 years there was free food (grain, bread, and later even salt and spices) given to poor citizens. What happened though was people became comfortable in their poverty and even many not-so-poor began getting the free food. In the end - the government ran out of money to pay for these and many of their other programs. There were land programs, farm aid, and even price and wage controls. The Romans ended up physically devaluing their currency by diluting the silver content to pay for these programs and their many wars they fought. It might be a good idea to brush up on Roman History before reading this book - there are no pictures and a lot of names are mentioned in a context assuming you already know who they are.

Buy: The New Deal in Old Rome by H.J. Haskell

Bread and Circuses

2010-04-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Bread and Circuses - I've been thinking about this phrase lately. I'm currently reading a great book about Roman History and how the Ancient Roman Government tried to solve many problems similar to modern problems via Big Government programs - much like today (and especially like during the FDR 1930's era). (See: Book Review: The New Deal In Old Rome by H.J. Haskell)

From Wiki:

"Bread and circuses" (or bread and games) (from Latin: panem et circenses) is a metaphor for handouts and petty amusements that politicians use to gain popular support, instead of gaining it through sound public policy.

To many across the political spectrum, left and right, it connotes the triviality and frivolity that defined the Roman Empire prior to its decline and that may contribute to the decline of modern society.

Roman politicians devised a plan in 140 B.C. to win the votes of the poor; By giving out cheap food and entertainment, politicians decided that this policy of "bread and circuses" would be the most effective way to rise to power.

The Annona (grain dole) was begun under the instigation of the popularis politician Gaius Sempronius Gracchus in 123 BC; it remained an object of political contention until it was taken under the control of the Roman emperors.

Now Consider:

More Americans Turn to Food Stamps for Help (VOANews) - "The economic downturn and ongoing under-employment in the U.S. have resulted in a big increase in the number of Americans using food stamps. Once considered a social safety net for only the lowest income Americans, the use of federally funded food stamps has grown dramatically over the last two years. New government data shows one in eight Americans now rely on food stamps to make ends meet." Please note: I'm not saying people shouldn't be helped! In fact, my wife and I have had to personally and privately help out more people than ever. I can't even tell you how many people we know who are balanced precariously on the cliff of financial ruin. The point though is dependency on the government and the bribing of the voters.

That above news article is literally about food (bread), but also consider the other recent variations - expansion of medicare, social-security payouts (an impressive $250 is coming to each retiree), mortgage bailouts, cash-for-clunkers, and other forms of hand-outs. Currently almost 47% of all american do not pay federal income taxes. This is expected to rise even further in the coming years. In Detroit a while ago there were thousands of people who showed up in the center of town when a rumor spread that President Obama was handing out "free money". Thousands! And of course there was the soundbite from the Obama supporter who voted for him because he would get her "Free Gas"! The flooding of New Orleans after Katrina was exasperated because of the over dependency of the citizens on the government - they relied on the government for food, transportation, housing, and ultimately did not know how to help themselves - many just waited for help to arrive. And then think of all the public interest groups trying to get their pet project funded - holding out their hands - begging. I write that as I reflect on the many special interest groups I support and with full understanding I can no longer support them - there is no money for them - the treasury is empty - it's all just borrowed money from the future - borrowed from Foreigners and borrowed from our children and grand-children through higher taxes.

The government hasn't exactly got to the circuses part (except during some of their news clips and debates), but who knows how they'll want to distract us, pacify us, or rile us. There seems to be an awful lot of outrageous rhetoric directed toward the supposedly small and irrelevant Tea Parties. Maybe that's an attempt. At times I feel the self-righteous outrage at Global Warming, and Sugar, and Salt are other attempts of distractions. I don't know.

Just some things I've been thinking about ...

"The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money." ~ Anonymous

Something To Think About: National Socialists and International Socialists Clash! 4/18/10

2010-04-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

So this weekend (4/18/10) some National Socialists (called Nazi's for short) were protesting immigration reform in Los angeles[NewsOne.com]. Counter protesters appeared who were apparently International Socialists (Communist or Communist influenced based on some of the groups there) of some sort. The Communist/International Socialists began chanting "End the Hatred" and other slogans, began throwing rocks and bottles and eventually beat up a couple of the Nazis.

There has to be some irony there somewhere.

At any rate there is a lesson here and that is this:

Both of these sides in the scuffle are bad for you. They both want to control you - they have different end results they want, different motivations, etc, but they both are in favor of totalitarian governments where they are in power and control you. Don't get caught up in having to figure out which side is the better side - they are both BAD news.

Take a Hunters Safety Education Course

2010-04-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

I just finished hunters safety education so now I can get a license to hunt. It was well worth it (despite having nightmares of junior high!) Seriously though, I learned alot about various wildlife, first aid, outdoor survival, and of course, gun safety. All useful skills. I recommend taking a hunters safety course even if you're an adult. Your state Fish and Wildlife should have information on the regulations for where you live.

Intergalactic Space Nannies: Anti-Human Collective Guilt Themes In Movies : Spoiler Alert

2010-03-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

SPOILER ALERT - specific movies and plots discussed below. For movies: Avatar, The Box, The Happening, and The Day The Earth Stood Still.

I know this isn't a new trend or anything, but I've been noticing more recently trends in many movies (usually science fiction) having to do with the themes of collective guilt and overall theme that humans are bad / evil / hopeless / etc.

For example - Avatar (2009)! I've heard this described as Pocahontas with giant smurfs! All kidding aside - in this movie us evil humans rape and pillage a foreign land, er, I mean world filled with innocent nature-loving primal aliens. James Cameron, the director and writer, appears to be feeling guilty for his success and his culture and projects this onto the entire human race.

But he's not the only one, of course.

M. Knight Shyamalan wrote and directed The Happening in 2008. Because I've watched many eco-horror films from the 1970's (Frogs, Squirm, Prophecy) I could appreciate Mr. Shyamalan's cheesiness in the movie (although overall the movie was boring), and like those 1970's movies his movie involves Nature turning on us evil humans - plants spontaneously start poisoning and killing humans apparently out of revenge for being exploited and abused.

Then there is the Keanu Reeves movie remake The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008). This is the type of Anti-Human movie I find the most annoying. In this movie an arrogant alien comes to earth in judgement of man. Because man is so evil and bad (to the earth in this movie) on behalf of the earth the alien will commit genocide and eliminate all humanity if they don't immediately change their ways. The Box (2009) was another movie like The Day The Earth Stood Still (except way better
produced/directed/filmed). Once again some arrogant intergalactic space nanny comes to earth to see if humans are worth saving. And I absolutely love the logic in The Box ... the alien wants to kill humanity not on the behalf of the earth, but because if he doesn't destroy humanity humanity will destroy itself. What the .... ? (I did find The Box very enjoyable until the stupid ending, by the way.)

Basically - I've come to the conclusion these Intergalactic Space Nannies are Socialists or some sort of Marxist / Communists. You naughty, bad people can't make the right choices, are too stupid to make the choices we want you to make so you'll all be punished. In these movies there appears to only be collective guilt - we are all guilty for other peoples sins. Well that's hogwash! I'm only guilty for my own sins, you're guilty for your own sins, neither of us are guilty for that other persons sins!

In the aftermath of this economic crisis that we are undergoing I've heard statements like "We were all guilty ... " or "We were all lazy ..." or "We were all greedy ... " or "We all deserve this ..." or "We all bought houses we couldn't afford .." and on and on.

Well sorry - but WE ALL did not do all that. Some of us were responsible, some of us settled for what we could afford and try to live within our means, some of us prepare, some of us educate ourselves, some of us do good, and many, many of us are not guilty for your sins!

Once you start down the road of collective guilt you open the door to mob rule! Individual rights do not matter and can be squashed in the name of the collective - either for the collective good or to correct the collective bad. Who are you really in the scheme of things? You're just one person - one measly member of the unwashed masses - a person working against the collective - standing in the way of progress - not living a lifestyle that the powers that be would prefer - you must be assimilated into the Borg!

Security: Don't Blog, Facebook, or Tweet when you'll be gone for vacation!

2010-03-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

I understand it's all the rage these days - blogging, tweeting, and facebooking up-to-the-minute details of your life for all to read, but stop and think. Even with proper security settings in these applications the short notes you write are disseminated to your friends and often their friends (people you may not even know!). When you post an update that you'll be gone away for the next few days you've just told everyone your house is likely to be empty - a prime target for opportunistic thieves and / or desperate people! So before posting think how that information you're about to give to everyone may be exploited by nefarious characters and / or desperate people.

After Armageddon by The History Channel (Flu Pandemic Aftermath) Video

2010-03-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

I watched After Armageddon which was produced by the History Channel. It is available in 9 parts on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlcYpgfI564

It is well worth watching! But not specifically because it gives good advice. The program follows a family who struggles to get to Idaho from Los Angeles after a Flu Pandemic causes societal collapse. Much like the show The Colony - much of what you learn is in discussion about whether you would have reacted the way the family in the show does or what you would have done differently. The enactments were compelling and the acting was ok and the discussions with the experts were very well done.

Part 1 - 9 below:

A response to Obamacare passing this past weekend.

2010-03-22T08:41:00.001-07:00

I saw someone hold up Medicare as a successfull government program and a reason why this healthcare that has passed will also be a success. Below is a quick note I've written as to why this is not the case.

I hate to break it to you - but Medicare has lots of issues. For one it will be bankrupt within 8 years at the most not to mention the limits imposed on members. Now that millions more will be added on to it this will quicken the bankruptcy (And the national debt) AND the quality of care for all will decrease. Social Security is another example many Pro-Obamacare people hold up as a shining example of success. Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme and the paying base is about to be overshadowed by the amount of people retired and getting payments (ie. It will become unsustainable as most Ponzi schemes do). Not to mention that the accounts been "borrowed" from by the politicians and is now full of IOU's. Oh yeah - and the healthcare is not free - Someone is paying for it. Currently it looks like mine and your children are the ones being enslaved to the Chinese and the Japanese as the government borrows money to prevent an economic collapse while the wealthy in this country will be impoverished through brutal taxes. Expect unemployment to climb as companies lay off people in order to be compliant with the new regulations or decide it's not worth the punishment to start and expand businesses. Oh yeah - and for the first time in American History it is now a crime for citizens to not buy a certain product (Health Insurance). Expect small insurance companies to go bankrupt or be bought out while large insurance companies become enriched and expand into huge monopolies. Watch the prices then increase to unsustainable levels. The good news is that none of this is sustainable and so will not last. The bad news ... that means a complete economic collapse.

100 Skills Every Man Should Know - Popular Mechanics List

2010-03-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon the following list from Popular Mechanics titled 100 Skills Every Man Should Know. I'm not sure what gender has to do with these, but it seemed like a pretty broad list. It's an interesting list. What do you think? What would you change?

From: PopularMechanics.com -

Automotive
1. Handle a blowout
2. Drive in snow
3. Check trouble codes
4. Replace fan belt
5. Wax a car
6. Conquer an off-road obstacle
7. Use a stick welder
8. Hitch up a trailer
9. Jump start a car

Handling Emergencies
10. Perform the Heimlich
11. Reverse hypothermia
12. Perform hands-only CPR
13. Escape a sinking car

Home
14. Carve a turkey
15. Use a sewing machine
16. Put out a fire
17. Home brew beer
18. Remove bloodstains from fabric
19. Move heavy stuff
20. Grow food
21. Read an electric meter
22. Shovel the right way
23. Solder wire
24. Tape drywall
25. Split firewood
26. Replace a faucet washer
27. Mix concrete
28. Paint a straight line
29. Use a French knife
30. Prune bushes and small trees
31. Iron a shirt
32. Fix a toilet tank flapper
33. Change a single-pole switch
34. Fell a tree
35. Replace a broken windowpane
36. Set up a ladder, safely
37. Fix a faucet cartridge
38. Sweat copper tubing
39. Change a diaper
40. Grill with charcoal
41. Sew a button on a shirt
42. Fold a flag

Medical Myths
43. Treat frostbite
44. Treat a burn
45. Help a seizure victim
46. Treat a snakebite
47. Remove a tick

Military Know-How
48. Shine shoes
49. Make a drum-tight bed
50. Drop and give the perfect pushup

Outdoors
51. Run rapids in a canoe
52. Hang food in the wild
53. Skipper a boat
54. Shoot straight
55. Tackle steep drops on a mountain bike
56. Escape a rip current

Primitive Skills
57. Build a fire in the wilderness
58. Build a shelter
59. Find potable water

Surviving Extremes
60. Floods
61. Tornados
62. Cold
63. Heat
64. Lightning

Teach Your Kids
65. Cast a line
66. Lend a hand
67. Change a tire
68. Throw a spiral
69. Fly a stunt kite
70. Drive a stick shift
71. Parallel park
72. Tie a bowline
73. Tie a necktie
74. Whittle
75. Ride a bike

Technology
76. Install a graphics card
77. Take the perfect portrait
78. Calibrate HDTV settings
79. Shoot a home movie
80. Ditch your hard drive

Master Key Workshop Tools
81. Drill driver
82. Grease gun
83. Coolant hydrometer
84. Socket wrench
85. Test light
86. Brick trowel
87. Framing hammer
88. Wood chisel
89. Spade bit
90. Circular saw
91. Sledge hammer
92. Hacksaw
93. Torque wrench
94. Air wrench
95. Infrared thermometer
96. Sand blaster
97. Crosscut saw
98. Hand plane
99. Multimeter
100. Feeler gauges

Take a CPR and First Aid Course

2010-03-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

We just finished a full day of CPR and First Aid training from the Red Cross. If you're interested in a class check out the Red Cross's Website: RedCross.org. This should be a good foundation for us to build upon.

Begin An Exercise Routine

2010-02-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

I've postponed posting this entry for a few months, but I think I can post it now. (I wanted to make sure I was following my own advice!)

Paying attention to your health will be very important in trying times. If you start out now before things go crazy you'll be in better shape to deal with whatever crisis comes your way.

In my opinion any exercise is better than no exercise. Too often we get discouraged because we feel the exercise we are doing is too little - so we completely stop. Just do what you can and if you can work more exercises in - great. If not, well, work with what you have.

I wanted to hold off posting this until my own exercise routine had become a habit and it's now been over two months of me consistently exercising! Here's my new approach to exercising which seems to be helping me stick with it longer than in the past.

1) Don't compete against anyone except yourself! If you can only do one push-up than try to get stronger and be able to do two push-ups! Don't worry if you can't do 40 push-ups like someone else! The goal here is to make you stronger.

2) Make realistic goals - if you can only walk at a fast pace for 5 minutes before getting winded - make a 10 minute walk your goal! Don't compare yourself to the person running a mile! And if you can run a mile - aim for two miles. etc.

3) Don't be ashamed about how little of an exercise you can do. Two months ago I could barely do 10 push-ups on my knees. Now I'm up to three sets of 10 (well - actually I'm now aiming for three sets of 20 so my numbers are not even right now).

4) You don't need fancy equipment to do exercises. Walk / jog will help your breathing / heart / stamina. Push-ups strengthen your bones and your upper areas. Sit-ups strengthen your stomach and back. Buy fancier equipment once your routine is habit. Equipment has it's place though - I'm looking at some home gyms because push-ups alone are not doing it for me - plus I'm actually beginning to have fun trying new exercises out!

5) Don't let time get to you - even a 5 minute exercise is better than nothing. And this summer when you're outside getting that garden ready, feeding the chickens, mowing the lawn, etc. - look at it as all exercise! Don't feel bad when a days work leaves you too tired to do your routine - just do the parts of the routine left out from the days work if you can!

Lesson For Today From Nazi Germany On What Can Be Done On Behalf Of Society ...

2010-02-09T08:37:00.003-08:00

I know the health care debate might seem last year news, but I recently came across this poster on Wiki. The above image was a German advertisement (propaganda) justifying the Nazi's forced Euthanasia program as a betterment for society. It reads:
"This person suffering from hereditary defects costs the community 60,000 Reichsmark during his lifetime. Fellow German, that is your money, too."

Now consider some of these recent news items (Emphasis mine):

(NYDailyNews)
Studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine show that reducing salt intake by 3 grams a day in the U.S. could prevent 99,000 heart attacks, 66,000 strokes and 92,000 deaths.

Researchers say the cutback in salt is doable. And cost-effective. It would also save $24 billion in annual health costs per year.

“Even if the federal government were to bear the entire cost of a regulatory program designed to reduce salt consumption, the government would still be expected to realize cost savings for Medicare, saving $6 to $12 in health expenditures for each dollar spent on the regulatory program,” the researchers wrote.

(NY Times )
“For 40 years in this country we’ve been trying to get individuals to reduce the amount of sodium we consume and it hasn’t worked,” said Cheryl A. M. Anderson, an assistant professor of epidemiology and international health at Johns Hopkins University and a member of the Institute of Medicine panel.

“We need to collectively come together and approach the problem with a combination of efforts, including changing the food supply,” said Dr. Anderson, who also is a co-author of an editorial about the study in The New England Journal of Medicine. “This type of evidence really helps us support that movement toward not just relying on the individual to do something that is really difficult, limit salt.”

They've already banned Trans Fats, and Soda Taxes are around the corner to try to make you not be so fat.

But this is a long way from Euthanasia you might say. Well, the danger with nationalized medicine is that your private actions like eating that twinky or putting on some extra salt no longer will impact just you, but all of "society" because of the drain on the healthcare you will be causing.

And old people are the biggest drain of all. In a system with only limited resources priorities will need to be made - who gets the kidney transplant - the 24 year old or the 75 year old? Who get the dialysis machine - the 35 year old or the 85 year old? Who gets the heart transplant? Who gets the emergency care?

Healthcare will need to be rationed.

Obama's chief economic advisor Larry Summers said as much in April 2009:

(Washington Times)
Whether it's tonsillectomies or hysterectomies ... procedures are done three times as frequently [in some parts of the country than others] and there's no benefit in terms of the health of the population. And by doing the right kind of cost-effectiveness, by making the right kinds of investments and protection, some experts ... estimate that we could take as much as $700 billion a year out of our health care system."

And it's all done in the name of the betterment of society.

Obama gives the go-ahead. Keep saving copper pennies and Nickels.

2010-02-03T05:56:00.000-08:00

Inside President Obama's 2011 budget which takes effect October 2010 are many ways for the government to save money (to sort of balance his out of control spending!) Anyway - there is one item which is very interesting. In order to save money he has given the go-ahead to the US Treasury to research and create coins using cheaper metals. What this means is that nickels will now join copper pennies, and silver quarters, dimes, etc. as being bullion coins for their metal content and worth. 1946 - 2010 nickels are all made out of about 75% copper and 25% nickel.

Here is a link to the White House 2011 Terminations, Reductions, and Savings document: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2011/assets/trs.pdf

Here is an excerpt from page 100:

The Budget proposes to provide the U.S. Mint with greater flexibility in the material composition of coins to reduce its losses on some coins and the production costs associated with volatile metal prices.

Justification
The Mint’s primary cost driver is the price of metal, a factor over which it has no control. Daily spot prices of copper and zinc, the Mint’s two main metallic materials, have fluctuated in excess of 100 percent, and the price of nickel by 500 percent in recent years.1 This contributes to volatile and negative margins on both the penny and nickel: in recent years the penny has cost approximately 1.8 cents and the nickel approximately 9 cents to produce.2 Costs have exceeded the value of these two coins by over $100 million in prior years. Through its gains on other coins, the Mint annually returns hundreds of millions of dollars to the Treasury General Fund (GF) and is funded by the Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

Greater flexibility in the composition of coinage materials could enable the Mint to utilize less expensive metals in the minting process and substantially reduce its production costs. Using alternative coinage materials could save $150 million annually after an initial period of development and capital adjustments. These savings result from increased seigniorage, or the difference between the face value of the coin paid by the Federal Reserve and the cost of production. Seigniorage increases the available means of financing, but has no direct budgetary impact. Specifically, the Budget includes provisions that authorize the Department of the Treasury to approve alternative coinage compositions and weights across five denominations (half dollar, quarter, dime, nickel, and penny)

Interestingly they are going to look at half dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. Pennies are already 97% zinc - so probably the copper in the other coins will be replaced with zinc. I'm not sure what they'll replace zinc in pennies with - maybe aluminum, wood or plastic? At any rate - let the savings begin.

Sorry - Posting has slowed way down ...

2010-01-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry about this, but I've slowed down on posting largely because I've finished reading all the books I had identified as being helpful when we started on this journey. Through this process of educating myself I've queued a bunch of additional books that I'll be reading sometime in the future but for now I'm just trying to apply all I've learned and actually do some of the things. Because of this there hasn't been a whole lot new for us. We're saving and diverifying funds and resources to build up a cushion when the next crash happens (is it starting now? The Dow's had a very rough week! I hope it holds out a bit longer.) I've got some physical projects like the chickens, rain barrels, fruit trees, and garden that will be keeping me busy in the next coming months, and maybe when these projects are done I'll start up on some new books. I've been playing around with the idea of collecting all these blog entries into a book to create an easier offline resource. I'll keep you posted on this if I do it.

Japanese Proverb: Vision without action is a ...

2010-01-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare ~ Japanese Proverb

Proverbs 27:12

2010-01-17T20:10:00.001-08:00

The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it. ~ Proverbs 27:12

Bible Quotes

2010-01-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 27:12

Government does not give you your rights. You have those rights without Government!

2010-01-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Government does not give you your rights. I'm sure I've posted about this before, but it's the fundamental concept to understand I think. If you understand this you'll be able to spot the Nannies and Tyrants coming from a mile away!

I was reminded of this recently while watching a clip of Senator Tom Harkin as he was talking about the Healthcare Reform passed on Dec. 24 2009. Not only did he say Healthcare was a right and not a privilege (which, by the way, is wrong - it's not a right because someone pays for it! Either, or more likely through a combination, you will have to take through force money from one group to pay for others healthcare or you will have to force health providers to perform procedures for free or cheaper than the market demands. i.e. Forced Labor which was supposed to be ended with the 16th Amendment.), but he also said something amazing. He went on to talk about how with healthcare as a right it can be added to and expanded on like a starter home can have additions added to - much like what has been done to the other rights the politicians have given us. Did you catch that? Let me bold it for you: much like what has been done to the other rights the politicians have given us.

You are wrong Senator Harkin - you, nor any other politician or government, gives us our rights. Our Creator (or for Atheists - Nature) has given us our rights. We have these rights by virtue of being human. We loan these rights to the Government so the Government can protect these rights and so we as individuals can be free to pursue our own means to happiness and prosperity.

Why is this so important? Simply because if Governments give you your rights Governments can take those rights away in a whim! Majorities can then rule over Minorities through Mob Rule!

Maybe Senator Harkin needs to read the Declaration of Independence. Here's a helpful excerpt:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, ~ The Declaration of Independence

So far I'm not impressed with Sprouts!

2010-01-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

For the past month we've been growing sprouts. They are really simple to grow except ...

They don't smell that good and they don't taste that good.

We've tried broccoli sprouts and these might be fine on a salad, but not in a sandwich or as a snack. And they really smell pungent.

We've also tried a zesty mix of some sort of various onion sprouts. It really was zesty! So much so it didn't taste good either.

I'm not giving up yet though - we've got some Mung Beans to grow. These are the Asian sprouts popular at some of the restaurants. Maybe I can fry these up with some onions or something.

I also want to try alfalfa sprouts - these are the sprouts available at the stores and these do taste good on sandwiches. Unfortunately - these are also the sprouts that a super small minority sometimes appear to get contaminated with salmonella. But since it's the seeds themselves that are contaminated I just need to buy some organic sprouts.

If the Mung beans or Alfalfa sprouts don't work I think our sprouting days might be over.

As a side note though: We've found that the water that collects at the bottom of the sprouting dish is super nutritious for houseplants and the sprouts that don't taste good do compost really nicely!

You're A Criminal If You Defend Yourself in UK - 1/11/2010

2010-01-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

I understand the UK is messed up and I view them as the canary in the coal mine for where the US is heading. But the following story I originally thought was a joke. Alas, it's true.

Myleene Klass warned by police after waving "illegal" kitchen knife at intruders in her garden.

Ms. Klass saw some teens breaking into her garden while she was at home alone with her 2 year old daughter, so she waved a kitchen knife at them and told them she was calling the police. When the police showed up (and the thieves were long gone) they warned her she was not allowed to carry an 'offensive weapon' even at home. 'Offensive weapons' such as kitchen knives are illegal.

Apparently in the UK if you're threatened you're supposed ask the criminals to please leave while you sip on some tea - or maybe you can throw a crumpet at them. Would a crumpet be an 'offensive weapon'?

Alternative Solutions / Ideas

2010-01-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

Alternative Ideas: Taxpayer Choice For Funding Areas Of Government - 1/7/10

Alternative Ideas: Taxpayer Choice For Funding Areas Of Government

2010-01-06T14:16:00.001-08:00

People have a legitimate gripe when they complain about where their tax dollar's are going. Especially if those tax dollars are being used for something they personally would never donate their own money too. If you are Anti-War you have every reason to complain if your tax dollars are used to finance a war. And if you're Pro-Life you have every reason to complain if your tax dollars are used to abort babies. Why are we having our money forcefully taken from us to pay for stranger's down payments on houses and cars? Why are we having our money forcefully taken and sent to subsidize foreign countries or big corporations or any and all special interest groups we do not agree with?

Is there a solution? Well - assuming we can't lower taxes and cut current spending - how about we introduce a bit of democracy into the tax system! If the politicians are going to take our money at least give us the dignity to choose where it's spent. When we fill out our taxes allow us to allocate where we want our share of tax dollars to go. This way an Anti-War person can choose not to allocate their taxes to the military and instead into an area they agree with. People who do not want foreign governments being given their tax money can choose not to allocate their taxes to foreign aid. Etc, Etc.

The argument against this is that the "common people" will not allocate their taxes "wisely". But what makes you think government elites will do better? What makes them wiser than you? All I see from them is that they are leading the United States into a financial holocaust with unsustainable debt and mismanagement. But this person won't allocate tax money to the area I prefer. So? You allocate your tax dollars and don't force someone to allocate their tax dollars where they don't want to - and they'll do the same towards you.

A system of tax choice will only work if the government does not over spend and borrow in unmanageable amounts. But at least a system like this will cut back on some of the social conflict that is being fermented by the out of control spending and payoffs being conducted in the US Government by giving tax payers a choice and an outlet for some of their discontent. And if done properly those government programs not funded by tax payers (i.e. not wanted by tax payers) will whither away and disappear. What if your preferred social program disappears from Government? - well, start up a private organization with other like minded people and use your own money to finance it. Don't take someone else's money by force and use it for your pet cause. You'll do a better and more efficient job running that social program than any government bureaucrat could ever do.

I have no doubts the military will be efficiently funded. And if we are threatened enough Patriots will volunteer to defend us. What will happen in the above scenario though is that wars not wanted by the American citizens will not happen. Foreign adventuring and Empire building will be curtailed. Quick decisive campaigns will be called for - not neverending wars being manipulated by political one-upmanship and sabotage of our brave men and women's efforts.

What are your thoughts? How can we tax people while giving them choices? Would this work? Would even a general implementation of the above be better than what we currently have?

Book Review: Pillars of Prosperity by Ron Paul

2010-01-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

This is largely a collection of transcripts from Ron Paul's career in congress. It's fascinating reading through the many times where he was a lone voice taking a stand for liberty and freedom - often against his own party and often resulting with him being the only No vote on many of the votes that came up!

He is definitely a man of principles which leads him to be probably the most consistent politician I've come across. I particularly loved where he voted against the gold Congressional award that was going to be given to Mother Theresa to honor her! You might wonder why a congressman would vote against this and here's Ron Paul's reasoning: Congress is not constitutionally authorized to give out these awards and further it costs $30,000 of tax payer money to create the award. It was an inappropriate use of tax payer dollars. Instead - Ron Paul put up $100 of his own personal money and challenged the 435 Representatives to match him - this would have raised over $43,000 in private funds which they could have then used to create the award without using tax payer dollars. Not one representative took him up on his challenge. For the record he also voted against awards for Ronald Reagan and Rosa Parks and put up the $100 offer with those to the same result!

From Amazon.com:

This economic manifesto by Ron Paul (484 pages!) collects his greatest speeches and debates over the last 30 years, and provides documentary evidence that he is not only a master of the topic; he has provided a coherent explanation of nearly everything the government has done wrong in this area since he first entered public office. He also provides a way out, as implied by the subtitle: free market, honest money, and private property.

Dr. Paul has consistently battled for all three.

Economics is topic about which most politicians are abysmally ignorant. As this books shows, Ron Paul is a master of the topic and the nation's teacher on a vast range of economic issues. He addresses monetary policy during critical times such as the late 1970s inflation mania, and was a lone voice pointing to the real cause of Federal Reserve monetary policy.

Whereas most members of Congress are intimidated by Fed officials, Paul's confrontations with Greenspan are documented here word for word. In addition, he reveals the social and economic effects of loose credit, and shows the ill-effects of bailouts. He addresses high taxes, regulation, trade restrictions, and bravely denounces sanctions against foreign countries for fueling international tensions.

He also explains his view of free trade, for the real thing but against misnamed treaties that embroil international traders in bureaucracy.

He covers welfare, bureaucracy, war, and a a host of other economic topics in what is surely the most comprehensive, intelligent, and revealing book on economics ever written by a U.S. political figure -- all informed by the Austrian tradition of thought that has so influenced his thinking.

Buy: Pillars of Prosperity by Ron Paul

LATimes: Ron Paul's ideas no longer fringe - 1/5/10

2010-01-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

LATimes.com: Ron Paul's ideas no longer fringe -
This is a fascinating article focusing mainly on Ron Paul's economic views which are becoming more accepted by Americans as this downturn continues. It's written by the LA Times so they, of course, sneak in some elitist snide descriptions of Ron Paul and his views - but that's to be expected by them.

Learn Some Skills Over The Next Year

2009-12-30T10:16:00.000-08:00

Now that we've got many of the basic physical items in placed or in the process of being acquired, and have diversified our savings/investments we are going to focus more on acquiring a variety of skills. So far here is a list of the skills training we already have planned:
Formal:
- CPR / First Aid Course - Done
- Basic Rifle
- Basic Pistol
- Basic Shotgun
- Hunters Safety - Done
- Advanced Pistol Self-Defense

Informal: (Either because I can't find a formal course or we can learn by practicing with book/DVD)
- Gardening
- Chicken Raising
- Trapping
- Advanced First Aid
- Flint / Steel Fire starting, etc.
- Wild edibles
- Outdoor Survival Skills

What are some other skills you might recommend? What are some training programs you recommend?

Book Review: Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand

2009-12-29T07:59:00.000-08:00

This is a nice collection of essays written in the mid 1960's in defense of Capitalism from Statism. Most of the articles are by Ayn Rand but there are a few other authors included in here. Most notably Alan Greenspan wrote some articles - these were well written and he wrote these while he was a Libertarian and a pro-Gold individual. This was before he sold his soul and tossed his principals and ideals out the window when he became chairman of the Federal Reserve. The irony, of course, is Mr. Greenspan then proceeded to help create the largest financial bubbles in history - starting with the Dot Com's, then the Real Estate and now (with the help of his successor Ben Bernanke) a Currency Bubble.

Ayn Rand's articles are quite fascinating. I particularly enjoyed her reflections on individual rights and how there really is no such thing as a public or a society good - since these are actually a collection of individuals each with their own individual rights. In the appendix she had a great essay on what a "right" really is and contrasted rights with what FDR proposed rights were. I will be posting about FDR's Second Bill of Rights shortly as it is highly relevant in regards to the current debates going on (Healthcare, etc).

From Amazon.com:

The foundations of capitalism are being battered by a flood of altruism, which is the cause of the modern world's collapse. This is the view of Ayn Rand, a view so radically opposed to prevailing attitudes that it constitutes a major philosophic revolution. In this series of essays, she presents her stand on the persecution of big business, the causes of war, the default of conservatism, and the evils of altruism. Here is a challenging new look at modern society by one of the most provocative intellectuals on the American scene.This edition includes two articles by Ayn Rand which did not appear in the hardcover edition: The Wreckage of the Consensus," which presents the Objectivists views on Vietnam and the draft; and Requiem for Man," an answer to the Papal encyclical Progresso Populorum.

Buy: Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand

Video: Learn Gun Safety With Eddie Eagle

2009-12-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIEBrb_wRYc

This is a short 7 minute video produced by the NRA to promote gun safety to children.

Here is the simple rules it teaches:
If you see a gun:
STOP!
Don't Touch.
Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult.

Below is an excerpt of the idea behind Eddie Eagle:

The purpose of the Eddie Eagle Program isn't to teach whether guns are good or bad, but rather to promote the protection and safety of children. The program makes no value judgments about firearms, and no firearms are ever used in the program. Like swimming pools, electrical outlets, matchbooks and household poison, they're treated simply as a fact of everyday life. With firearms found in about half of all American households, it's a stance that makes sense.

Eddie Eagle is never shown touching a firearm, and he does not promote firearm ownership or use. The program prohibits the use of Eddie Eagle mascots anywhere that guns are present. The Eddie Eagle Program has no agenda other than accident prevention -- ensuring that children stay safe should they encounter a gun. The program never mentions the NRA. Nor does it encourage children to buy guns or to become NRA members. The NRA does not receive any appropriations from Congress, nor is it a trade organization. It is not affiliated with any firearm or ammunition manufacturers or with any businesses that deal in guns and ammunition.

More Info about the Eddie Eagle program can be found on the NRA website here: http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/

The Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009 by Ron Paul

2009-12-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to the statement of introduction for the Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009 introduced by Ron Paul. In one page he explains how currency was meant to be used in the United States and the benefits of allowing competing currencies instead of a government sponsored monopoly through the Federal Reserve. He also explains the steps that need to be taken to ensure free competition of currencies. Well worth the read!

Sprouting sprouts!

2009-12-16T09:30:00.001-08:00

We've started growing some sprouts in our kitchen to eat. They grow really quick and taste great. I found some nice, layered sprout kits from Burpee.com but there seem to be all sorts of kits out there.

Why Can't I Force You At Gunpoint To Donate But The Government Can?

2009-12-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

Taxes are basically taken at gunpoint. Don't believe me? Ask Wesley Snipes. Or better yet - stop paying your taxes and see how long it takes before men with guns show up to either arrest you, access and take your assets without your approval, or both.

So I wonder ....

I think people should donate food to food banks and needy people. That's a nice thing to do. Is it OK for me to take a gun and go to my next door neighbor (or to you for that matter) and at gunpoint force him or you to "be kind" and donate some money or food to the food bank or some other charity I prefer? Why is it OK for the government to do such a thing? They're just people too. Why do they get special rights to forcefully take peoples money and send that money to special interests which they (the Government) prefer?

You might try to convince me "It's for the General Welfare of the Public" and if we were talking about roads, or police or a defensive military I might concur. I might be fine with having my money forcefully taken for the general welfare of all. But that's not what we're talking about - we're talking about special interests. And what if I don't like the special interest you are sending my money too at the point of a gun? Why can't I be allowed to send my money to the special interest I prefer? For that matter why should I be able to use government to forcefully take your money and send it to my special interest which you may not prefer? I wonder this because every time you (or I) advocate for the government intervening and sending money to a special interest of your preference you are doing just that - You are using the Government to use a gun to take money from someone else and send it to a special interest of your choosing - not their choosing.

Book Review: Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front by Joel Salatin

2009-12-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

This is an awesome book. It shows via real life stories how big overburdening government with lots of regulations and laws is bad for sustainability, local community food networks, the environment, small business, and entrepreneurs. You'll cheer Mr. Salatin on as he relates his run-ins with meddling bureaucrats and find yourself frustrated by the injustice that happens. I'm consistently flabbergasted at how arrogant many Republicans and Democrats are! Many of them feel they can run your life and make choices for your life better than you can. And if you're not cooperative they're willing to bring the full force of the government down on you. In addition, in the name of security we are centralizing our food network. The answer to a safe food system is decentralization - not centralization. In a decentralized food system contamination will only spread within a small confined area and you will have more choices and be able to have more influence - but now that we have a centralized system if either through accident or intentional sabotage contamination happens the devastation to the food system will be unfathomable and widespread. Mr. Salatin has some great ideas on how a parallel independent food system could work, if only there was the political will to attempt it.

Drawing upon 40 years’ experience as an ecological farmer and marketer, Joel Salatin explains with humor and passion why Americans do not have the freedom to choose the food they purchase and eat. From child labor regulations to food inspection, bureaucrats provide themselves sole discretion over what food is available in the local marketplace. Their system favors industrial, global corporate food systems and discourages community-based food commerce, resulting in homogenized selection, mediocre quality, and exposure to non-organic farming practices. Salatin’s expert insight explains why local food is expensive and difficult to find and will illuminate for the reader a deeper understanding of the industrial food complex.

As an aside - I've been trying to find other resources in our area for food and it's frustratingly difficult. When I do find local and grassfed meat products they are almost 3 to 4 times as expensive. Right now we can't afford that luxury. We do have a source for pork that is local and affordable though. I've been playing with the idea of raising pork myself - but that won't be anytime soon. I need to get our chickens first and get our garden and fruit trees growing.

Buy: Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front

Cartoon. The Way To Grow Poor. The Way To Grow Rich. Great advice from 1875 Currier & Ives.

2009-12-02T08:32:00.001-08:00

Great cartoon! Good advice from 1875. Currier & Ives.

Website: HometownSeeds.com

2009-12-01T10:56:00.001-08:00

HometownSeeds.com - The owners of this website contacted me to let me know about their website. They seem to have a good selection of seeds including non-hybrid seeds and they have an affordable Survival Seeds package. You might want to consider them.

Book Review: The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving The Economic Collapse by Fernando Ferfal Aguirre

2009-11-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty good manual that covers an awful lot of the various areas for prepping. The author has definitely earned this knowledge in a unique way - he's lived and survived through the economic collapse of Argentina in 2001. He's definitely blunt with some of his statements and stories and often uses choice (i.e. swear) words - but if you and I lived through what he's lived through and crime was rampant and living conditions were as bad - I'm not sure you and I wouldn't react very similarly. You can definitely tell English is the author's second language and at times the book reads unevenly. The author claims that book publishers weren't interested in his book so he's self-published this. It's a shame - with some help with the editing and organizing this book would be alot more accessible to people. As it is - there are some great first hand tid bits and knowledge here that I have never read anywhere else. I found his chapter on bartering and gold / silver very enlightening particularly.

From Amazon.com:

My book is a Modern Survival Manual based on first hand experience of the 2001 Economic Collapse in Argentina. In it you will find a variety of subjects that I consider essential if a person wants to be prepared for tougher times: -How to prepare your family, yourself, your home and your vehicle -How to prepare your finances so that you don't suffer what millions in my country went through -How to prepare your supplies for food shortages and power failures -How to correctly fight with a chair, gun, knife, pen or choke with your bare hands if required -Most important, how to reach a good awareness level so that you can avoid having to do all that These are just a few examples of what you will find in this book. It's about Attitude, and being a more capable person and get the politically correct wimp out of your system completely.

About the Author
Fernando "FerFAL" Aguirre is a father, husband and survivalist that has lived through the Argentine socio-economic collapse of 2001, and the consequences such collapse had in the years that followed. He's the author of numerous articles found on line and is recognized among the survival and preparedness community for his personal experience and no-nonsense approach to survivalism. He's also the publisher and owner of "Surviving in Argentina", a blog he keep up with updated articles, posts as well as reports of the situation in Argentina.

Buy: The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse by Fernando Ferfal Aguirre

Video: Dollar Bubble Documentary

2009-11-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZA0qNsf4m0

This is a great documentary video with very recent clips from leaders and various economists along with some commentary explaining the dollar bubble that is forming.

These producers are very bullish on gold and silver - so that's their take on how people should prepare. Well worth watching.

Book Review: How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times by James Wesley Rawles

2009-11-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

I wish this book had been published last year when we first began our prepping. It would have saved me alot of time! If you are new to prepping for emergencies then this is the book for you! (Heck - even if you've been prepping for a while this book is a handy reference!) Mr. Rawles (author of SurvivalBlog.com organizes his book in an easy to read manner and gives you all the facts he's been learning over the years. Not everything in the book is appropriate for your particular situation - but you'll have more than enough items and skills that will be suited to your particular circumstances. James Rawles does lay it all out there and at times it can be overwhelming. Not all of us are ultra-rich and he understands that, but he still explains high-end preps too. He's really big on relocation if possible and setting up retreats. But he does emphasize that skills trump stuff. That is - you can buy all the survival gear and latest things, but without skills it won't help you nearly as much (if at all). And skills we can all learn regardless of our income / wealth. Just pick something and start doing it - don't just read about it. This book will be one of those books I reference over and over and with each read through I suspect I'll find something I postponed or missed.

From Amazon.com:

The definitive guide on how to prepare for any crisis--from global financial collapse to a pandemic

It would only take one unthinkable event to disrupt our way of life. If there is a terrorist attack, a global pandemic, or sharp currency devaluation--you may be forced to fend for yourself in ways you've never imagined. Where would you get water? How would you communicate with relatives who live in other states? What would you use for fuel?

Survivalist expert James Wesley, Rawles, author of Patriots and editor of SurvivalBlog.com, shares the essential tools and skills you will need for you family to survive, including:

Water: Filtration, transport, storage, and treatment options.
Food Storage: How much to store, pack-it-yourself methods, storage space and rotation, countering vermin.
Fuel and Home Power: Home heating fuels, fuel storage safety, backup generators.
Garden, Orchard Trees, and Small Livestock: Gardening basics, non-hybrid seeds, greenhouses; choosing the right livestock.
Medical Supplies and Training: Building a first aid kit, minor surgery, chronic health issues.
Communications: Following international news, staying in touch with loved ones.
Home Security: Your panic room, self-defense training and tools.
When to Get Outta Dodge: Vehicle selection, kit packing lists, routes and planning.
Investing and Barter: Tangibles investing, building your barter stockpile. And much more.

About the Author
James Wesley, Rawles has been an enthusiastic survivalist since his teenage years. He is now a survivalist author and lecturer and the editor of www.SurvivalBlog.com. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose State University with minor degrees in military science, history, and military history. A former U.S. Army intelligence officer who held a Top Secret security clearance (with Special Background Investigation) and access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), he was awarded Officer specialty 35A (tactical all-source intelligence officer), and the additional skill identifier 5M (electronic warfare officer). He achieved the rank of Captain, attended the Army NBC defense officer's course, as well as Northern Warfare School at Fort Greeley, Alaska.

Buy: How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times

NRAInstructors.org - NRA Gun Safety Courses

2009-11-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

The NRA offers very affordable gun safety courses through their website: NRAInstructors.org - if you're thinking of getting a gun or have purchased a gun. They offer Introductory courses to Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun handling as well as Personal Protection inside and outside the home, Refuse To Be A Victim seminars, and even a course on how to reload your own ammunition!

Book Review: Freedom Under Siege by Ron Paul

2009-11-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

In 1987 Ron Paul ran as the Libertarian Party candidate for President of the United States. He wrote this book at that time to explain his ideas on Individual Rights, Foreign Policy, and Economics. The chapter on Individual Rights is one of the best chapters about that subject I've read. The other chapters were ok, his later works do a better job on the topics of Gold, The Economy and Foreign Policy.

From Amazon.com:

Here is Ron Paul's political manifesto, a courageous book on civil liberties and the rights of Americans that are relentlessly under assault from government. It was written in 1987, on the 200th anniversary of the Constitution, and is back in print for the first time. It is here that Dr. Paul provides his most extended thoughts on what it means to be a constitutionalist in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson. He connects violations of individual rights to an interventionist foreign policy and the supposed needs of national security. Here he blasts the draft and draft registration, impositions on the right of individuals to own guns, restrictions on the freedom to speak and write, and draws out the links between all these policies. Paul further discusses the tie between individual liberties and sound money. When a nation's money is controlled by the people instead of the state, they retain their essential freedoms. But when money is monopolized by government with no tie to a commodity, the state is in a position to ride roughshod over our liberties. Other issues discussed include the true meaning of patriotism, the moral law as it applies to politics, the meaning of leadership in a free society, the nature of the state in light of his experiences in Washington, and the historic and ever-lasting conflict between the individual and the state.

Buy: Freedom Under Siege by Ron Paul

Video and Pictures: 32% Inflation in UCLA Tuition Causes Near Riots - 11/19/09

2009-11-20T05:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33UU6MKuWSE

The Board of Regents voted on November 19, 2009 to raise UCLA undergraduate fees and tuition by 32% - this has sparked protests where students surrounded the building and refused to let the Regents members to leave and as you see in this above video the students confronted physically some of the police assigned to protect the peace.

Here are some things to think about - public colleges are partially funded by you and me - by tax dollars. A whole generation has been raised to expect handouts from the government - they are entitled to the low tuition - it's their right they say! I'm all for lower tuition (I'm going to graduate school [while working and raising a family and planning for The End Of The World As We Know It!]) but I also understand the reality - California is bankrupt - you can't have your economic pie and eat it too! There is no right to college - just a right to not have your rights infringed upon so you can do what you want - including going to college if you want too. But there is no expectation of a requirement for publicly funded college at certain prices - these are privileges not rights. Someone is paying for it somewhere, that's the distinction.

Many people's short sighted thinking if followed might lead to temporary good feelings of jobs, low tuition, etc but in the end would result in a complete collapse which would be worse then sucking in your gut and trying to work through the hard times.

UPDATE:
The LA Times Blog has an article on the protests.

Here's an interesting quote:

Kyle Tramberly, a junior at UC San Diego, said he did not sleep since arriving at UCLA late Wednesday night.

“I’m here in solidarity with people across the state of California that are being subjugated to these outrageous fee increases,” he said. “I can’t afford the fee increases, personally. I have to take out private loans in order to cover this. It’s completely unjust to put the burden on students.”

It's unjust to expect students to (gasp) have to pay for their education?

Losanjealous.com has a great photo gallery of the protests. Check out the green sign in this one:

If you have to take money or assets from one group in order to give it to another that is a sure sign a right is not happening.

The prevalence of this feeling of entitlement does not bode well for the future I fear.

If There Is A Complete Collapse Of The Currency Why Would It Be Important If You Had Paid Down Your Debt?

2009-11-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

If there is a complete collapse of currency, and all of this doom happens, why would it be important if you had paid down your debt? Wouldn't it not really matter at that point?

That's a great question. There are some people I know of who are gambling on this. If the dollar is worth less it will be easier to pay off debts. That's actually why the government wants the dollar to go down in value - because they can pay back China and Japan easier. Some people I've heard of are actually borrowing now in the hopes they can pay back later with cheaper dollars. This is the "carry trade" I mentioned. The problem is they are borrowing and speculating instead of buying a tangible wealth creating productive asset.

There is a couple reasons to pay down your debt and not to gamble on this.
- Until you pay down your debt you don't own the thing you owe money on - it could be confiscated as collateral because at least the loaner will now have something of value - the purchased item - and not dollars.
- You might be fine as long as you have a job and can keep it and you might be able to stay at pace with the payments on debt. Except - wages always lag behind the inflation (the lowering of the dollar and the rise in prices). If inflation rises too fast governments implement wage and price controls so you can't get a raise. The US government did this in 1971 when inflation was only at 5% - it created very hard times for low wage earners and the unemployed. It actually increased the unemployment rate. And currently the unemployment rate doesn't seem to be stopping. If you use the pre-1982 calculation methods of unemployment the unemployment rate is actually around 17%+. They've changed the way they calculate unemployment to make the number smaller.
- People living on a fixed income and who are very poor will be hurt the worst. People on Social Security will eventually get a cost adjustment - but it too will lag behind the actual inflation.
- If you do have debt be sure it's in the form of a fixed rate not an adjustable rate. In the 1980's the interest rates went up to 20% to try to stop inflation. Can you imagine a mortgage with a 20% interest rate? They are going to have to raise interest rates to fight the collapse and people still stuck in those ARM loans will be put into foreclosure at a faster rate.
- There is also the possibility that for a long while the inflation will be held off and will go through a period of deflation like what happened in Japan in the 1980's. They've been printing money left and right since the 1990's and bailing out banks and companies and can't kick-start their economy. In this case - debts actually get harder to pay off not easier.

The money bubble is going to burst when the people loaning money are going to want the money back (because they'll be watching it losing value and will want to invest it in something other than the dollar) and the people who borrowed the money will not be able to pay it back because it's tied into their speculation. These speculators will lose their money plus whatever items they were speculating in. Many are speculating in other currencies which are just as vulnerable as the US dollar.

The less debt you have now - the more money you can put towards tangible assets you will actually own - food, tools, metals, house improvements, etc. - instead of towards interest and repayments.

I'd focus on paying off all debts that are non-mortgage and not fixed interest rate first. Especially credit cards. There is legislation in congress to try to control the credit card interest rates - but currently they can adjust the rates up in an unlimited manner. (I've heard of credit card rates up to almost 30% interest last year!) It's too great of a gamble to borrow to take advantage of the dollar going down - that is what is fueling the bubble itself and judging from the last two bubbles - the Dot Com and the Housing - you don't want be stuck in the middle of the bubbles.

Layout

2009-11-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

Layout Graphics. Ignore.

Top Corners

Bottom Corners

Global Asset / Money Bubble - The Glenn Beck Show November 17, 2009

2009-11-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

With the interest rates at near zero, investors and speculators have begun borrowing US dollars and investing them internationally and in commodities because with the collapsing dollar there is an almost guaranteed return on investment with near zero short term risk. This is creating a bubble larger than the Dot Com and the Housing Bubble. When this bubble pops it's going to destroy the dollar and create unimaginable chaos. Below is the Glenn Beck show from November 17, 2009 where he and guests outline what is happening.

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckksvu-MOIo

Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku9nfWZLOOo

Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKl5ASVx9i4

Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqMJKSzm24I

Part 5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcfkHEl6rlU

Book Review: The Hyperinflation Survival Guide: Strategies for American Businesses by Dr. Gerald Swanson

2009-11-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to find various books about hyperinflation and came across this book. During business continuity planning the scenario of hyperinflation came up. In investigating Figgie International found there was next to nothing written about how a business should deal with and survive hyperinflation, so they sponsored a two year research project where the economist Dr. Gerald Swanson and a team interviewed over 80 business and financial leaders to learn how they dealt with the rampant hyperinflation in South America. If you own or manage a business this book will be invaluable too you! The lessons are simple and to the point and every chapter lists out a nice summary at the end. There are even some important lessons for individuals to learn including:

- Governments always implement wage and price controls to try to stop inflation. It never works but costs of running a business and peoples wages are consistently behind inflation
- During hyperinflation long term planning is a month or a few weeks - short term planning is days.
- Stocking up on inventory now saves you in the long run as prices change upward.
- During extreme hyperinflation prices can change daily and hourly.
- At 50,000 percent inflation, what Brazil experienced in 1985, a $25 item would cost $12,525 in one year! (In other words - if you spent ten years saving up $12,000 - all it could buy you is a necktie!)
- South American inflation ended with a bailout by the United States - if it hits the United States - who will bail us out?
- A new currency was created by lopping off a couple of zeroes and renaming it. For example: A $1000 bill would be equal to a $10 of the new currency.

From Amazon.com:

Of the books published regarding hyperinflation, this may be the only one that provides effective strategies for operating a business under conditions of a rapidly depreciating currency. "The Hyperinflation Survival Guide: Strategies for American Businesses" was written by Dr. Gerald Swanson (an associate professor of economics at the University of Arizona). Harry E. Figgie, Jr. sponsored the research and production of this book. As it was originally printed in 1989, it was way ahead of its time. However, this doesn't change the fact that this book will prove to be an excellent resource for businessmen and individuals once the Federal Reserve's destruction of the U.S. dollar enters its terminal stage.

Buy: The Hyperinflation Survival Guide: Strategies for American Businesses by Dr. Gerald Swanson

Food Source: Wild Edible Plants

2009-11-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

I'm fascinated with wild edible plants. What I often consider an annoying weed or simply a pretty flower can be a useful resource. The best general book I've found is Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants by Christopher Nyerges. He has some great illustrations and pictures (too bad they aren't in color though) along with ways to use the plants. Ignore his and Ed Begley Jr's anti-capitalist / elitist introductions and head straight to the info! The two plants I'm excited to try are Dandelions and Roses. My kids are excited to try a Dandelion and Rose salad!

A book on edible plants may be a good resource to purchase. You might also want to get some region specific books that are tailored more to where you live. Start learning the plants in your yard now at your convenience instead of when you're starving.

From Amazon.com:

Nyerges, an authority on survival skills, discusses 71 wild foods--from agave to yucca--and tells where they can be found. Some of the more familiar plants are chickweed, chicory, dandelion, fennel, grass, milkweed, nasturtium, prickly pear, thistle, and yarrow. Photographs, other illustrations, and textual descriptions of the various parts of the plants (stalks, stems, leaves, and flowers) make identification easy. In each listing, the author explains the plant's edible properties and medicinal uses, where to find it, and its growing cycle. The book also includes some plant folklore and several recipes. A few of the plants, such as poison hemlock, tree tobacco, and jimsonweed, are poisonous but have some medicinal value. There is a pictorial key to leaf shapes and one to fruits and seeds, as well as a glossary, If you're lost in the woods, the book could save your life; if you're interested in plant life and botany, the book is fascinating reading. George Cohen

Thomas Jefferson Quote: A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall

2009-11-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government. " ~ Thomas Jefferson

Book Review: The Wealth Of Nations by Adam Smith

2009-11-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

This is the absolute classic in economics. Adam Smith's huge book was influential on the Founding Fathers (it was published in 1776) and on almost all economists since (even those who don't agree with Adam Smith.) This is probably the most quoted economic text out there - so if you've read any other economic books you've probably read some of his ideas. His most notable thought was about the "invisible hand" of the market - that ideally (that is, with Liberty) the market will regulate itself and that government's should not manipulate the markets. But the invisible hand is only mentioned once in the thousands of pages of this book. I really enjoyed the first 500 pages or so when he talked about economic theory, but later in the book he diverged into current events of the time and it was interesting, but not practical information for me.

Buy: The Wealth of Nations (Bantam Classics) by Adam smith

Book Review: Economics In One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics by Henry Hazlitt

2009-11-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

This is one of the best books on economics I've read because of it's simple, clear presentation and explanations. This book definitely lives up to it's name! The actual economic lesson is only a few pages - the first chapter. The rest of the books chapters are elaborations of common economic fallacies and how they illustrate the lesson from the beginning of the book! This book was first written in 1948 and updated 30 years later with more data showing how right the author was! The economic lesson in a nutshell: Bad economics thinks only short term and how to best help a specific interest group (Cash For Clunkers is a recent example of this!) - Good economics looks at the long term consequences and how policies will effect everyone else in addition to the special interest group. Sounds simple - but it's actual more difficult to think of all the what if's surrounding issues. The book's discussions will show you how to recognize the various arguments.

From Amazon.com:

Hazlitt wrote this book following his stint at the New York Times as an editorialist. His hope was to reduce the whole teaching of economics to a few principles and explain them in ways that people would never forget. It worked. He relied on some stories by Bastiat and his own impeccable capacity for logical thinking and crystal-clear prose.

He was writing under the influence of Mises himself, of course, but he brought his own special gifts to the project. As just one example, this is the book that made the idea of the "broken window fallacy" so famous.

Written for the non-academic, it has served as the major antidote to fallacies in the popular press, and has appeared in dozens of languages and printings. It's still the quickest way to learn how to think like an economist. And this is why it has been used in the best classrooms more than sixty years.

Buy: Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics by Henry Hazlitt

Book Review: The Gift Of Fear by Gavin De Becker

2009-11-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

The first 6 chapters of this book alone are worth purchasing this book for. The author is an expert on predicting violence and the beginning of the book explains how many people ignore their own intuition. Upon discussing this with victims it turns out they picked up on clues in their surroundings that something was "off", but often talked themselves out of accepting it. Often they didn't want to be rude to a stranger, etc. so they ignroed the fear they felt or their intuition to not trust someone. The rest of the book is pretty fascinating and educational, but I personally didn't find it as interesting as the beginning of the book. The rest of the book is more about predicting violence and various scenarios the author has come across during his consulting practice. He points out that very rarely does someone just snap - there are very often many, many signs that people either didn't piece together or simply ignored.

From Amazon.com:

Each hour, 75 women are raped in the United States, and every few seconds, a woman is beaten. Each day, 400 Americans suffer shooting injuries, and another 1,100 face criminals armed with guns. Author Gavin de Becker says victims of violent behavior usually feel a sense of fear before any threat or violence takes place. They may distrust the fear, or it may impel them to some action that saves their lives. A leading expert on predicting violent behavior, de Becker believes we can all learn to recognize these signals of the "universal code of violence," and use them as tools to help us survive. The book teaches how to identify the warning signals of a potential attacker and recommends strategies for dealing with the problem before it becomes life threatening. The case studies are gripping and suspenseful, and include tactics for dealing with similar situations.
People don't just "snap" and become violent, says de Becker, whose clients include federal government agencies, celebrities, police departments, and shelters for battered women. "There is a process as observable, and often as predictable, as water coming to a boil." Learning to predict violence is the cornerstone to preventing it. De Becker is a master of the psychology of violence, and his advice may save your life.

Buy: The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

Successfully Used Our Back Up Generator!

2009-11-06T05:53:00.001-08:00

Last night we lost power for 5 hours and we were able to use the backup generator for the first time. We have special flashlights in the walls that turn on automatically when the power goes off. We grabbed these, I started a fire in the wood stove, and then we gatherered the power cords and used the generator. It worked like great! We were able to power the fridge, the freezer and the TV and DVR. We tried the microwave, but it wasn't getting enough power. Of course, as we went around responding to the power outage we came up with a list of things we were missing including: Extra Lamp Oil, an Extra Oil Lamp, Extra Battery Powered Camping Light, and Head Flashlights. It's a pain and annoying trying to hold a flashlight and grab an armful of wood in the dark.

Unemployment Rate Graph For U.S.: 1948 to 2009

2009-11-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

The above graph is courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are their official unemployment numbers. Currently we are 9.9% for unemployment - since 1948 there has only been one other period where the rate was this high - and this was in 1982 when the rate rose up to 10.8%. And that was unemployment caused by the effects of the 1970's crisis and which came after the crisis of high inflation, high energy, low dollar, real estate slump, etc. We are at 9.9% and the crisis hasn't even ended!

Storing Water For Short Term Emergencies

2009-11-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

There were a few comments on my last post (Thanks for the feedback!) about whether storing water is a solution for long-term preparedness.

We personally don't have the capacity for long term storage of water of any significant amounts. But I will be setting up rainwater barrels in the future so we should be able to continuously harvest this water by purifying it. (See these book reviews for resources: Book Review: Design For Water by Heather Kinkade-Levario and Book Review: The Home Water Supply - How To Find, Filter, Store, and Conserve It.)

I think water storage is more practical for short term. We've personally gone through two separate water related events (this was years before we began prepping). One was suspicious activity that was spotted near the community well that provides our water. We were not allowed to drink water until the official tests came back as to whether someone had contaminated the well. (It was negative).

Another event was during a malfunction of the well and construction that accompanied that. We did not have water for a few days.

We were able to get bottled water from the water company in both cases. But it's not a guarantee this will be available.

Short term prepping in my opinion is meant to allow you the ability to NOT have to panic during an event and to NOT have to get caught up in food and water runs that may happen. If it's a short term event you can then wait it out at home or if it turns out to be a long term event you will be able to focus on what to do next instead of be distracted with how will you fulfill your immediate needs.

How Long Can You Store Water For?

2009-11-02T07:46:00.001-08:00

After reading a variety of recommendations I've settled on this little pamphlet by PennState called How To Store Water For Drinking Or Cooking (PDF).

They break down the information as follows:

- It's recommended to store a minimum of 1 gallon of water per person per day for anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks.

- Clean purified water can be stored in a tightly sealed plastic container for about 6 months at which point it should be replaced.

- They include two methods on cleaning contaminated water:
- Boiling water for 3 minutes
- Add basic bleach - add 16 drops (about 1/4 teaspoon) per gallon. Mix thoroughly and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

Book Review: Living off the Grid: A Simple Guide to Creating and Maintaining a Self-Reliant Supply of Energy, Water, Shelter and More by Dave Black

2009-10-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

This is a great introduction to various technologies and techniques on how to live a self-sufficient and independent lifestyle. He doesn't go too in depth into any one area, but instead gives you a great overview and if anything is something you want to pursue further he includes some great resources in the back of the book. He appears to be a green activist, but this only surfaces in a few sentences in the book - overall he sticks with facts so it's not too annoying. I definitely recommend this book if you are just beginning to decide what your next move should be.

From Amazon.com:

A how-to handbook to free yourself from the constraints of modern living.

In daily life, we can take control of the resources and services we depend on. Electricity and energy don't have to come off the public utility grid—alternatives abound in solar, wind, and water generated power. Design decisions can drastically affect power consumption, and bio-diesel and alternative fuels can help break the oil habit. Dave Black describes alternatives for eco-pimping your home and lifestyle for independence, economy, and a more integrated way of life. Equally valuable for the urban dweller vaguely concerned about the size of his or her carbon footprint and the rural self-sufficiency enthusiast, Living Off the Grid can help anyone take control of his or her life and way of living. 50 b/w photographs.

Buy: Living off the Grid: A Simple Guide to Creating and Maintaining a Self-Reliant Supply of Energy, Water, Shelter and More by Dave Black

I Agree With A Socialist! (Sort Of)

2009-10-30T13:35:00.001-07:00

You might or might not have heard of Net Neutrality in the news. It's a complicated solution too a problem that doesn't exist - but Socialists are frothing at the mouth to pass Net Neutrality laws. Leading the charge is the Socialist Organization Free Press.

The Founder of Free Press is American Professor Robert McChesney. During this interview titled Media Capitalism, the State and 21st Century Media Democracy Struggles for The Socialist Project based in Canada he explains many of his philosophies, etc.

This post isn't about Net Neutrality - but rather something Robert McChesney said towards the end of the interview and something the interviewer said.

I've been astonished at the pace things are changing in America. I get the impression that many of these Socialists have been planning and waiting for the right time to pounce. It seems that as they pass these emergency bills in Congress they tack on and bury Socialist Bills which wouldn't pass any other way. They have these laws and bills written and seem to be waiting for the perfect bills to come along to add them too.

President Obama's Chief Of Staff Rahm Emanuel has said the following:

You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.

During the interview with Robert McChesney the interviewer and RM (in the interview) had this exchange. Emphasis is mine.

RM: But this doesn’t stop the fact that everywhere you go in our culture it is still hyper-commercialized. There is a fundamental crisis when you are in a world that is entirely commercial, in terms of the integrity of speech and thought. We are at the tipping point and we need to struggle directly against it.

TM: The world economic crisis presents us with an opportunity to do so.

RM: We are at a critical juncture in the history of communication. The world economic crisis is accentuating that critical juncture because it impacts all of society. The capitalist economy dominated by corporations has failed. The entire world is struggling to come up with something that is sustainable and humane and allows for human happiness and democracy. Issues, proposals, and solutions to the problems of the media and the world that would have seemed outrageous just a few years ago, may seem common-sense in five or ten years. This is the type of critical juncture we are in. These critical junctures only come along once or twice a century and we are in one now. But I don’t want to romanticize the present. If we don’t do it right, the alternative is going to be a nightmare. We have our work cut out for us here.

I agree with this Socialist. We are at a critical juncture in history. What kind of future will we have? Limited Government or Big Government? More Freedom or Less Freedom? Liberty or Tyranny?

The Socialists and their army of Nannies and Thugs are mobilized - they see an opportunity in the current crisis and they are moving. Will the Freedom Lovers - the Lovers of Liberty awaken in time?

Children's Book Review: Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose by Dr. Seuss

2009-10-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

This book appeared on a few lists for children's books I came across. It's a pretty entertaining story about respecting other people's property (in the case of the story - the property was Thidwick the Mooses's horns). Thidwick really is a nice moose so his single kind deed snowballs into lots of animals taking advantage of his kindness and them feeling they have a right to his property. My kids loved this story and it I enjoyed listening to them discuss what the animals were doing to Thidwick.

From Amazon.com:

This classic Seuss title stars a happy-looking quadruped from the shores of Lake Winna-Bango who has the most amazing antlers and the kindest disposition. Alas! Everyone, but everyone, takes advantage of his generosity, and before long he has three-quarters of the animal kingdom nesting in the convenient perches atop his head. ("They asked in a fox, who jumped in from the trees, / They asked in some mice and they asked in some fleas.") You might think someone would take pity, but nobody seems to like an oddball, and all Thidwick gets for his trouble is complaints and contempt. Unable to cross the lake when winter threatens, he looks all set to starve--and then things get even worse. He is saved from certain death just in time, swims the lake, and joins the herd again. One reason this Seuss is so good: it has a moral, but the moral isn't pressed too far and the exuberant linguistic fun isn't subservient to it.

Buy: Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose (Classic Seuss)

Move Review: John Adams (HBO Miniseries)

2009-10-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

This was an amazingly acted movie with amazing scenery and prop details. It is also a fiction movie based off a biography based on the life of John Adams. This is important to remember because what you'll get from this movie is a great feeling for the Revolutionary times and a good feeling about John Adams thoughts, but this movie is about as historically accurate as a Disney Cartoon. OK, not quite that inaccurate. Regardless, It's still worth seeing though! It's fun watching the movie and finding some tidbit of information and then researching to see if that was what actually happened. Unfortunately towards the end of this series we stopped researching stuff because it was becoming too much work to decipher what was true and not. We just decided to not try to get history from this movie, but entertainment. I don't know why HBO made some of the changes they did - the story wasn't really improved with their alterations. The biggest annoyance of this movie was that the movie would go between years in a matter of an instant without letting the viewer know - so sometimes this was disorienting. A simple date on the bottom of the screen during these transitions would have helped.

From Amazon.com:

Based on David McCullough's bestselling biography, the HBO miniseries John Adams is the furthest thing from a starry-eyed look at America's founding fathers and the brutal path to independence. Adams (Paul Giamatti), second president of the United States, is portrayed as a skilled orator and principled attorney whose preference for justice over anti-English passions earns enemies. But he also gains the esteem of the first national government of the United States, i.e., the Continental Congress, which seeks non-firebrands capable of making a reasoned if powerful case for America's break from England's monarchy. The first thing one notices about John Adams' dramatizations of congress' proceedings, and the fervent pro-independence violence in the streets of Boston and elsewhere, is that America's roots don't look pretty or idealized here. Some horrendous things happen in the name of protest, driving Adams to push the cause of independence in a legitimate effort to get on with a revolutionary war under the command of George Washington. But the process isn't easy: not every one of the 13 colonies-turned-states is ready to incur the wrath of England, and behind-the-scenes negotiations prove as much a part of 18th century congressional sessions as they do today.
Besides this peek into a less-romanticized version of the past, John Adams is also a story of the man himself. Adams' frustration at being forgotten or overlooked at critical junctures of America's early development--sent abroad for years instead of helping to draft the U.S. constitution--is detailed. So is his dismay that the truth of what actually transpired leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence has been slowly forgotten and replaced by a rosier myth. But above all, John Adams is the story of two key ties: Adams' 54-year marriage to Abigail Adams (Laura Linney), every bit her husband's intellectual equal and anchor, and his difficult, almost symbiotic relationship with Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane) over decades. Giamatti, of course, has to carry much of the drama, and if he doesn't always seem quite believable in the series' first half, he becomes increasingly excellent at the point where an aging Adams becomes bitter over his place in history. Linney is marvelous, as is Dillane, Sarah Polley as daughter Nabby, Danny Huston as cousin Samuel Adams, and above all Tom Wilkinson as a complex but indispensable Ben Franklin.

Buy: John Adams (HBO Miniseries)

Bank Failures This Year To Date: 106

2009-10-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

We've passed the 100 mark for bank failures this year. We are at 106 total.
Here's the updated numbers:

Year	Banks Failed
2001	4
2002	11
2003	3
2004	4
2005	0
2006	0
2007	2
2008	25
2009 (October)	106

(Last updated June 2009)

Book Review: A New Beginning by Ed Clark

2009-10-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

One thing you have to say about Libertarians is that they are fairly consistent with their message. This is because they approach the issues from a philisophical baseline of principles instead of deciding what their opinions and solutions will be based on whichever way the political winds are blowing. Ed Clark was the Libertarian presidential candidate for 1980. There isn't much new in the book regarding issues - in fact, that's whats fascinating. The problems we are facing now are what they were facing then - except it's larger now than it's ever been. The problems from the 60's and 70's were only postponed - they were never dealt with. If our politicians fail to deal with them accurately now I doubt they will be able to be postponed until our children can deal with them.

One fascinating thing was when Ed Clark was talking about sound money that is back by something of value like gold. In the mid 60's you could buy a gallon of gas for a quarter. That same quarter, because it was made of silver, could still buy a gallon of gas in 1980. Is that true today? YES!! Right now in our area gas is about $2.80/gallon of gas - a silver quarter is worth a little over $3.00! It's actually gained value in comparison to gas. The only thing going down in value is the paper dollar.

From Amazon.com:

From Back Cover: "Ed Clark's Libertarian call for A New Beginning... To anyone who is seriously concerned about solving America's problems and is looking for a whole new approach, Ed Clark... provides a thoughtful, stimulating program for change. Inflation, taxation, poverty, education, energy, social security, foreign policy, national defense -- Clark offers specific, detailed answers on these issues and many others..."

Buy: A new beginning by Ed Clark

Childrens Books Relating To Freedom And Liberty

2009-10-22T20:40:00.001-07:00

These are books that have themes about freedom and liberty.

Children's Book Review: The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss

Children's Book Review: Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose by Dr. Seuss

Children's Book Review: The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss

2009-10-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

This is a book Dr. Seuss wrote during the mid 1980's at the height of the Cold War. It's full of Dr. Seuss's wonderful silly words and amazing drawings, but the story is rather somber. You see, The Yooks and the Zooks have a fundamental difference - the Yooks eat their bread butter-side down, while the Zooks know the correct way to eat is butter-side up. One day, while a Yook is patrolling the wall dividing their lands a Zook with a larger weapon attacks - and thus begins a zany arms race. This is a good tale about tolerance and, although it simplifies many issues between cultures, often I feel some of the differences and ongoing battles within our own culture might often amount to simply a difference in how we each want to live our lives - or eat our bread. If you're free to eat bread the way you want, and others are free to eat bread the way they want - why do you both have to eat bread the same way?

The Butter Battle Book: (New York Times Notable Book of the Year) (Classic Seuss)

Send Me Your Children's Book Recommendations About Freedom, Liberty and US History

2009-10-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to find children's books with themes of Freedom and Liberty and Early US History.

Do you have any you can recommend? If so - post it in the comments or email me.

Thanks!

A Successful Hunting Trip As Far As I'm Concerned

2009-10-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

I got back from the hunting trip with my father-in-law. I hadn't had a chance to get my hunting license so I just scouted with him and carried the backpack. We didn't have much luck seeing many deer - let alone any legal deer to hunt. According to an article apparently the harvest rate of deer on average is only 18%. At any rate I felt it was successful because we got to hike around and learn the surrounding terrain better, got better at finding signs of deer and seeing their trails, broke in our equipment - well at least I did since mine was new, and hiked to some amazing places where not many people get to go and see. The first day we hiked about six miles through some rugged land, the second day we climbed up a tall hill for about a mile or so where it seemed you could see forever in all directions. We did see some blue jays, found some coyote dens, and stumbled upon some really old Homesteads which were fun to explore. Next year I'll get my hunting license and we'll plan an overnight camping trip somewhere now that we kind of know the area a little better. The next hunting expedition I have planned is next Spring when we go rattle snake hunting. That should be lots of fun!

George Santayana Quotes

2009-10-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Book Review: Wealth, War & Wisdom by Barton Biggs

2009-10-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most fascinating books I've read. The author studies how during World War II the markets seemed to reflect future events better then the experts. This isn't because a crowd mentality was happening, but because the market usually acts as a average measurement of all the individuals and their views - are they optimistic or pessimistic? Scared or confident? Of course, the markets can have fits of mania and then bubbles appear in the economy, but during normal times they seem almost prescient.

He weaves together some fascinating stories of World War II (many stories I had never heard of) and studies how the markets behaved. The other main point of his book was to discover how people preserved wealth during these chaotic times - and this is where the best lessons from history can be learned.

Instead of quoting all the paragraphs (there's such good information in the book - there would be too much for me to quote) I'll just sum up the lessons I learned.

- paper money wasn't the safest asset to have. Many currencies were completely destroyed.
- Art was not a good asset to preserve wealth. It was too easily destroyed or stolen.
- Gold and Jewelry were the best ways to preserve wealth. Easy to hide and transport and still valuable. People had to sell their jewelry for a fraction of it's worth - but it was still more valuable then many of the paper currencies.
- People who could afford it and were paying attention stored some wealth outside of their countries ahead of an emergency. Many even purchased second homes to escape to as retreats.
- Buildings weren't that valuable - but land was. The buildings could be destroyed, but if you had land you could rebuild and grow food and start over.
- Flaunting your wealth was a death sentence. Modesty was a way to survive.
- If your country was occupied by a viscous army and you couldn't escape - then all bets are off on what can actually preserve wealth - burying and hiding stuff might work.
- In some countries the only thing of value was food - food became money!
- Equities for the strongest companies were a good store of wealth - but only if you could wait 20 years or longer.

As far as practical lessons - this is one of the best books I've read! Do yourself a favor and read it yourself!

Buy: Wealth, War and Wisdom by Barton Biggs

John Adams Quote: I Must Study Politics And War ...

2009-10-15T07:55:00.001-07:00

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain. " ~ John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, 1780

John Adams Quotes

2009-10-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

Book Review: End The Fed by Ron Paul

2009-10-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

This is Ron Paul's most recent book. In this book he presents a clear history of the Federal Reserve, his interactions with various Federal Reserve Chairman, the dangers of a central bank and various arguments for ending the Fed. And I have to say - his arguments are clear, concise, authoritative and convincing. Ron Paul believes what we are experiencing economically is the end of the dollar and it will end in high inflation or hyperinflation if the correct actions are not taken. His last chapter is a plan of action for how the government could End the Fed and avert the coming disaster. He is very optimistic that there is a growing movement of freedom loving individuals and that true change may actually happen. I hope he's right on this, because I have my doubts. I don't think the government wants to fix the problem - that would mean we would need to pay back our debts. It's easier to inflate the dollar and decrease the debt by using cheaper dollars.

From Amazon.com:

Product Description
In the post-meltdown world, it is irresponsible, ineffective, and ultimately useless to have a serious economic debate without considering and challenging the role of the Federal Reserve.

Most people think of the Fed as an indispensable institution without which the country's economy could not properly function. But in END THE FED, Ron Paul draws on American history, economics, and fascinating stories from his own long political life to argue that the Fed is both corrupt and unconstitutional. It is inflating currency today at nearly a Weimar or Zimbabwe level, a practice that threatens to put us into an inflationary depression where $100 bills are worthless. What most people don't realize is that the Fed -- created by the Morgans and Rockefellers at a private club off the coast of Georgia -- is actually working against their own personal interests. Congressman Paul's urgent appeal to all citizens and officials tells us where we went wrong and what we need to do fix America's economic policy for future generations.

Buy: End the Fed by Ron Paul

How To Decide Which Precious Metals To Buy

2009-10-13T08:25:00.001-07:00

Just a recap on how to decide which precious metals to buy. The fundamental purpose of precious metals currently is to preserve wealth. As a paper currency gets destroyed precious metals will retain value. Even if a paper currency ceases to exist - precious metals can be sold for other currencies that survive.

With that in mind - in a death spiral of a currency - any metal will be better than paper. Here's the break down of how I'm currently viewing potential purposes for various precious metals.

1 Oz. or larger Gold coins and bars - Preservation of wealth. A large amount of value in a very compact size.

Fractional Gold Coins and Bars - Preservation of wealth. Possible barter but not as convenient. These are more affordable because of the smaller size. You can buy gold in as small of a size as a 1/4 gram and even a grain. But these are not practical for barter - they are so small the slightest breeze will blow them away!

Silver Bullion Bars And Rounds - Preservation of wealth. Might be able to be bartered with.

Junk Silver Coins - Preservation of wealth. The most likely of all to be used for barter. (Well technically - they'll become a currency again - but valued because of their metal content - not because of coercion by the government.)

Nickle and Copper coins - These may be used in barter and will also preserve wealth - and their plentiful in loose change! The easiest and cheapest metal coins to get!

If you're trying to preserve wealth I'd focus on the gold and larger silver bars.

If you think you might need some options for barter I'd get the junk silver, nickle and copper coins.

But if you can I'd diversify in all the areas as much as possible.

And don't look at precious metals as an investment - It's an Insurance Policy against the decline and / or destruction of the dollar!

Book Review: A Foreign Policy Of Freedom by Ron Paul

2009-10-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

I personally had some confusion on a Libertarian approach to foreign policy. Throughout my adult life I've swung back and forth on my opinions of how much foreign intervention American should have. This book has helped me clarify my ideas better. This book is a collection of Ron Paul's foreign policy speeches and writings throughout his political career starting in 1977 to 2006.

When you study American history you will notice that around 1913 there is a huge change in America's foreign policy. For the first 125 years of our history the federal government basically followed a non-interventionist foreign policy. This dramatically changed around 1913 and a century of war and killing on an unprecedented scale began!

Ron Paul has been advocating a return to the Founder's views of foreign policy consistently for his entire career! In fact, that is what is so impressive to me - his consistency. With any and all foreign policy issues he weighs them against his principles which are basically summed up in the following quotes from our Founders:

"It is our true policy to steer clear of entangling alliances with any portion of the world." ~ George Washington

"Commerce with all nations, alliances with none, should be our motto." ~ Thomas Jefferson

Ron Paul sums up his ideas:

It's time we reconsider the advice of the Founding Fathers and the guidelines of the Constitution, which counsel a foreign policy of non-intervention and strategic independence. Setting a good example is a far better way to spread American ideals than through force of arms. Trading with Nations, without interference by international government regulators, is far better than sanctions and tariffs that too often plan the seeds of war." ~ Ron Paul, p. 285

So - should we go back to the foreign policy of the Founding Fathers? If we did it would have to be done in an organized manner as we are currently entangled in hundreds of countries. It seem the evidence of the effectiveness is in the data - the amount of people killed and property damaged in the last 100 years is truly mind-boggling and abhorrent. Why not try what the Founding Fathers encouraged? How could it possibly be worse? I'm convinced our entanglement with foreign countries will end - whether we intentionally end it or not because the United States government is bankrupt and cannot continue paying for it. The only question to me is - will the withdrawals be organized and intentional, or happen with a collapse and be chaos?

From Amazon.com:

Product Description
Ron Paul has always believed that foreign and domestic policy should be conducted according to the same principles. Government should be restrained from intervening at home or abroad because its actions fail to achieve their stated aims, create more harm than good, shrink the liberty of the people, and violate rights. Does that proposition seem radical? Outlandish or farflung? Once you hear it stated, it makes perfect sense that there is no sharp distinction between the principles of domestic and foreign policy. They are part of the same analytical fabric. What would be inconsistent would be to favor activist government at home but restraint abroad, or the reverse: restraint at home and activism abroad. Government unleashed behaves in its own interests, and will not restrict itself in any area of life. It must be curbed in all areas of life lest freedom suffer. Ron Paul's singular voice on foreign affairs has done so much to keep the flame of a consistent liberty burning in times when it might otherwise have been extinguished. He has drawn public attention to the ideas of the Founders. He has alerted people to the dangers of empire. He has linked domestic and foreign affairs through libertarian analytics, even when others have been bamboozled by the lies or too intimidated to contradict them. He has told the truth, always. For this, every American, every citizen of the world, is deeply in his debt. We can't but be deeply grateful that Ron Paul's prophetic words have been collected in this book. May it be widely distributed. May its lessons be absorbed by this and future generations. -- Foreword to "A Foreign Policy of Freedom" by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

Buy: A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship

Book Review: The Survivor Personality by Al Siebert

2009-10-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

This was a pretty interesting book. The author is a psychologist and he takes a look at the mental processes and traits of survivors and takes a look at different tasks and skills people can try to improve those traits. Many of the things in this book I already knew either from personal experience or other books, but he has some great anecdotes and examples throughout the book featuring people who have survived various ordeals. One of the interesting lessons was how after the 1990 Earthquake in San Francisco experts figured people would begin preparing. The opposite occurred - people began to be less prepared. This was because they were now under the impression that the last earthquake wasn't so bad - so the next one wouldn't be bad either. This is very similar to what happened to people in Hurricane Katrina - many people stayed behind because all the previous hurricanes had not been that bad - and when a Category 5 Hurricane came along they were not prepared!

From Amazon.com:

Amazon.com Review
When faced with adversity, tragedy, or just bad karma, what makes one person crumble, another survive, and another thrive? Al Siebert first became interested in this question when he discovered that World War II combat survivors were less like Sylvester Stallone in Rambo and more like Alan Alda playing Hawkeye, the irreverent M.A.S.H. surgeon. Years of subsequent research taught Seibert that those who survive (and thrive) often respond to challenge with humor, wisdom, and mental and emotional flexibility. No, life isn't fair, but Siebert shows us the tricks to regaining our stability in a world that seems hell-bent on knocking us off track.

Product Description
Who survives? Who thrives? As a psychologist who has spent more than 40 years studying the phenomenon of survival, Al Siebert shares both valuable insights and practical strategies in this book, painting a portrait of the "survivor personality" to show how these skills can lead to better coping in everyday life.

Buy: The Survivor Personality: Why Some People Are Stronger, Smarter, and More Skillful at Handling Life's Difficulties...and How You Can Be, Too

Thomas Jefferson Quotes

2009-10-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

"Commerce with all nations, alliances with none, should be our motto."

"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government. "

George Washington Quotes

2009-10-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

"It is our true policy to steer clear of entangling alliances with any portion of the world."

Quotes We Like

2009-10-09T17:42:00.001-07:00

These are a collection of quotes we've come across which we like.

Bible Quotes

George Santayana Quotes

George Washington Quotes

Japanese Proverb

John Adams Quotes

Robert A Heinlein Quote

Thomas Jefferson Quotes

Gold At Record Highs - You CAN Buy Gold At These Prices!

2009-10-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Gold is at record high prices currently and although it will fluctuate it will only go higher as the dollar gets destroyed. For those aware of the price of gold it may seem you've lost your chance at buying some gold. At over $1000 for a single 1 Oz. Gold Coin it may not seem realistic for you to buy. The great thing about the present gold market is that coins and bullion come in fractional sizes too! You can buy 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/20, 1 Gram and even 1/4 Gram gold coins and bullion! And don't forget about silver - the 1 oz. coins are very affordable even at the current prices for silver.

Remember - the idea for buying gold or silver is not to invest your wealth, but to preserve your wealth - Buying precious metals is an insurance policy. As dollars get devalued gold will still be worth something - and priced in dollars they should be worth more. Gold has never been worth zero - there have been over 500 paper currencies in the history of the world that are now worth zero. The dollar is slowly following them into the paper currency graveyard.

1/10 Oz. Gold Coins:

1/10 Oz gold Coins on Ebay

Gold Gram Items on Ebay:

Gold Gram Items on Ebay

The Four G's - How To Prepare In One Sentence

2009-10-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

Guns, Grain, Gold and God*:
Protection, Food, Real Wealth and Faith.

* Exact Order Will Vary! :)

Addendum to earlier post: Demise Of Dollar

2009-10-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

In this post 9.8% Unemployment - Amazing Graph Showing Percentage Job Losses I wrote about how we appear to be heading into a deflationary depression. But I added that I don't know how the out of control spending of the government will affect deflation / inflation.

I should also add there could be some sort of big event that could throw a monkey wrench into how things play out - whether it's a 9/11 type terrorist attack, another Hurricane Katrina natural disaster, or a foreign event such as Israel attacking Iran.

Two big items happened yesterday (October 5, 2009) that don't bode well - 1) Australia unexpectedly raised their interest rate up from their 49 year low (Australia Raises Rate From 49-Year Low, Signals More, Bloomberg) and 2) it's been revealed that the Arab states and China, Japan, Russia, and France have been secretly conspiring to begin trading oil in currencies other than dollars! (The Demise Of The Dollar, The Independent)

First - the Australia news. Raising interest rates slows down the spread of the money supply. For example, in America in the early 1980's the interest rates were set all the way up to over 20% in order to stop the rampant inflation of the 1970's. If other countries follow Australia's lead than pressure will be on the Federal Reserve to do that to American Interest Rates. The Federal Reserve is stuck - if they raise interest rates they could re-crash the economy as mortgages and loans come to a halt because people can't afford them. If they do not raise interest rates then the dollar gets devalued even more!

Second item - If this news items is true then 2018 is when the plan for trading for oil in "a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar. " is set to begin. What this would mean is that other countries are acknowledging that the dollar is too much of a risk to continue using for trade and that it is in their best interest to begin positioning themselves to have better advantage in getting better access to resources - oil and other commodities.

Book Review: Design For Water by Heather Kinkade-Levario

2009-10-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

This is the second book out of three I've identified of being interest to me in regards to water and preps. It is full of amazing pictures and examples of different techniques on how to harvest and use rainwater. Unfortunately, most are not applicable to me and the layout of our land and house. So far, I've decided I will be implementing rainwater barrels to harvest water. Since this water is harvested from the roof of our house we will mainly use it for plants, flushing toilets, and as a last resort, for drinkable water. It won't be used for daily living as there will be contamination from the shingles. The best way to harvest water is from a metal roof. We do have a metal carport and I will harvest this water with the idea that it will be emergency drinking water if our stored water runs out.

One great emphasis in the book was the fact that we use clean purified water for flushing toilets and other uses that don't require that level of purification. Some people actually plumb rainwater into separate pipes into the toilets, thus utilizing tap water for drinking, washing etc.

The last third of the book is case studies of different cities and organizations and how they are designing their buildings to harvest rainwater. There should be some good ideas in this book for you to consider for your living environment.

From Amazon.com:

Product Description

In an era of dwindling resources, water is poised to become the new oil. The entire world now faces the reality of a decreasing supply of clean water. To avert a devastating shortage, we must not only look at alternate water sources for existing structures but must plan our new developments differently.

Design for Water is an accessible and clearly written guide to alternate water collection, with a focus on rainwater harvesting in the urban environment. The book:

Outlines the process of water collection from multiple sources-landscape, residential, commercial, industrial, school, park, and municipal systems
Provides numerous case studies
Details the assembly and actual application of equipment
Includes specific details, schematics, and references

All aspects of rainwater harvesting are outlined, including passive and active system setup, storage, storm water reuse, distribution, purification, analysis, and filtration. There is even a section on rainwater harvesting for wildlife.

In addition to rainwater, there are several affordable and accessible alternate sources, including cooling tower bleed-off water, air conditioning condensate, gray water, and fog collection. Design for Water is geared to providing those making development decisions and guidelines with the information they need to set up passive harvesting techniques. The book will especially appeal to engineers, landscape architects, municipal decision-makers, developers, and landowners.

Buy: Design for Water: Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater Catchment, and Alternate Water Reuse

9.8% Unemployment - Amazing Graph Showing Percentage Job Losses

2009-10-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

I came across this graph at the blog Calculated Risk Blog. The author gave me permission to repost it.

This graph shows the percentage of job losses from the peak before the many recessions that have plagued us since WWII.

What this shows is that what is currently unfolding in America is NOT a typical recession. The economy is still losing jobs month to month and there is currently no turn around happening.

It's looking like a deflationary depression is unfolding. The more job losses, the less people spend, the more companies lose business, the more job losses continue. Prices will fall and no one will buy.

This happened in Japan in the 1990's and they are still trying to kick start their economy.

There is a giant difference between America and Japan. We have a Federal Government which are dead set on not letting the market recorrect itself. Instead of taking the temporary pain of a market reset they are hell-bent on preventing the pain. They will continue to print money and try to convince consumers and businesses to borrow and spend like they did the past twenty years.

So far the American people are not cooperating. Enough of us are paying down debt and saving our cash. BUT if the government convinces enough people to start spending when they can't afford it, like the glory years, then I fear and am convinced inflation will not just be sparked, but enflamed with the very real danger of the destruction of the dollar's value.

None of the above is even considering the crazy out of control spending the government is doing as they try to restructure the very fabric of American society into some sort of Socialist, Fascist, Communist amalgamation - some sort of Frankenstein monstrosity mish mash of Big Government economic organizing. This is unprecedented in our history and I have no honest clue how that will affect anything - except that I don't think it will be good.

See also: Addendum to earlier post: Demise Of Dollar - 10/6/09

Getting Ready For A Hunting Trip - My Shopping Spree

2009-10-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

So - I'm getting ready for a hunting trip. I'm not actually going to be doing the hunting. Because of schedule conflicts this year I wasn't able to get my hunters education course taken. But I'll be accompanying my father-in-law as he hunts. I went on a shopping spree to prepare.

Rifle:
I still need to purchase my rifle for next year's hunting, but I've got some time on that. At least I hope so - the way the politicians seem to be behaving it makes me wonder how long I have to purchase an affordable and easy to get rifle. But that's a discussion for another day.

Here are some of the items I purchased.

Hunting Boots:

I got these for 1/2 off at Big 5 Sporting Goods. They are all leather, water proof, high ankled, comfortable, and have a solid toe protection.

Hunting Gloves:

These are almost like the gloves I got - from Big 5 also. I wanted something warm, but with the trigger finger protected, but with the light spandex covering. I tried on multiple kinds and found a pair that seem perfect. The gloves I got also have a nice rubber grip built in for more secure handling of a rifle.

First Aid Kit:
I found some small first aid kits that will fit either on my belt or in my jacket. They are very basic, but better than nothing.

Outdoor Watch:

After doing some research I settled on the Casio SGW100-1V Watch. It was affordable and yet had the main features I was looking for. It's amazing how expensive watches can be. The main features, apart from time, I was looking for was 1) Temperature and 2) Digital Compass. This watch had both. The best deal I found was on Amazon.com! And they are offering free shipping!
Buy Casio Men's Digital Compass Twin Sensor Sport Watch #SGW100-1V

Hunting Knife:

This is a very affordable hunting knife. After reading multiple tutorials about hunting knives (The best tutorial I found is here: HuntingBlades.com Tutorial) I decided on this knife. 1) It is very affordable, 2) The reviews I read is it's sharp out of the box and very sturdy and rugged, and 3) It works! - for skinning a deer and just a camping knife in general. I was also looking for a fixed blade knife and the blade itself is legal length for knives in general in my state. (Although there seem to be exemptions for hunting and fishing knives.)
One of the best deals I found was on Amazon.com and it too is eligible for free shipping.
Buy Gerber 22-41795 Profile Fixed Blade Knife, Drop Point

Compact Binoculars:

I bought some 10x25 powered compact binoculars. I confess, this was an impulse buy. I had been thinking about some binoculars but not planning on buying them, and when I looked at them at Big 5 the sale price was too good to pass up. I found a similar deal on Amazon!
Compact Barska Lucid 10x25 Compact Binocular (Camouflage)

I'm excited to learn some new skills on the trip - hopefully my father-in-law will get a deer and I can assist him with the butchering and / or preparing.

Silver Canadian Coins

2009-10-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

I've turned a friend onto saving pennies, nickels, and silver coins. He was digging through his loose change and the lucky dog found a 1962 Canadian Quarter! I've been searching my change for nearly a year and have yet to find a silver coin!
The quarter he found is 80% silver and is currently worth around $2.45 each.

Coinflation has a page that calculates Canadian coin values here.

Canadian Silver Coins
1920-1967 Dime 80% Silver
1967-1968 Dime 50% Silver
1920-1967 Quarter 80% Silver
1967-1968 Quarter 50% Silver
1920-1967 Half Dollar 80% Silver
1920-1967 Dollar 80% Silver

Response from Producer of Money As Debt

2009-09-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

After watching the videos Money As Debt and Money As Debt 2: Promised Unleashed I was left with some questions so I emailed the producer the following.

Hi Mr. Grignon,

I just finished your video Money As Debt 2. Great job. Thanks for better helping me understand the system and some of the causes for the current economic crisis.

I have a few questions.

Now that I understand this - how can I escape out of the system?

Banks use to give me a sense of security - it was safer to me keeping large sum of money there then in my home. But now I'm not so sure.

And keeping Federal Reserve Notes themselves no longer seem as secure with the real threat of inflation and hyperinflation.

I do owe mortgage (luckily it's affordable to me still!) and some school loans and that's pretty much all so far.

How does an individual make themself independent of it all? What are you doing as an individual?

Thanks for any help and advice.

The following is the response I received from Mr. Grignon.

Most people buy gold and silver in this situation.

However, if it all collapses really badly, having real stuff people actually need will be the only true wealth.

shelter, clothing, food,clean water, medicines natural and otherwise, knowledge... all useful!

Paul

His response was informative, but didn't really tell me what he personally is doing. Make of it what you will.

DVD Review: Inside Hurricane Katrina by National Geographic

2009-09-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is the best documentary of Hurricane Katrina and it's destruction I've seen! It follows Katrina from being a Tropical Storm off of Florida along it's route to when it hit Louisiana and adjacent states as a Category 5 Hurricane in August 2005. There are exclusive interviews and videos throughout the documentary and you really get a good impression about how devastating this storm was. They show some great animated maps showing where the Levees were that broke. The producers do a great job of not taking political sides, but just show how things transpired. Although, I was left with the impression most of the fault was due to the Governor of Louisiana's refusal of Federal help from FEMA. I understand the states rights issues, but it doesn't seem that was why she refused the help - but rather, it was because it was President Bush offering the help. Judging from how many of the Congressional Democrats reacted after the storm the issue became politicized quickly and this hindered recovery alot.

The ultimate lesson though is that you shouldn't be totally reliant on the state at any level for help in emergencies. With limited resources and turf wars between agencies things can get chaotic quickly. The problem many of the residents of New Orleans had were that they were super poor and dependent on the welfare of the state for their money to live. Many did not have personal transportation to evacuate. At the same time, many people in New Orleans were out partying it up the night before Katrina hit! They laughed off and ignored the warnings that were repeated over and over. Many of these people became refugees trapped in the Superdome for days and days!

I view the situation of Hurricane Katrina as a metaphor for the current events that are unfolding. An economic hurricane is approaching. The first waves of it washed ashore last October 2008, but it's still coming. With a little preparation, some common sense, and an awareness of the times you don't have to be the people so dependent on the state that you are helpless and powerless to get to safety, and you don't have to be the people who ignore the warnings!

From Amazon.com:

Product Description
From the creators of critically acclaimed Inside 9/11 comes another powerful journalistic account, Inside Hurricane Katrina. Go beyond the round-the-clock news coverage for a comprehensive look behind the devastation caused by nature's fury and human error. How did this happen? Can it happen again? Why weren't emergency personnel fully ready to respond to a real disaster? Using comprehensive analysis of events, hours of government audio tapes, and personal interviews, National Geographic takes viewers into the eye of Katrina to uncover the decisions and circumstances that determined the fate of the Gulf residents.

Buy:National Geographic - Inside Hurricane Katrina

Video:Police Intimidating protestors at Pittsburgh G20 Meeting / Use of LRAD Sound Weapon 9/25/09

2009-09-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akwjAjcQnqM Police Intimidating protesters at Pittsburgh G20 Meeting / Use of LRAD Sound Weapon 9/25/09

I found this video disturbing. I don't in any way agree with the Anarchists protesting in Pittsburgh. I definitely do not agree with them intentionally and physically confronting law enforcement or destroying peoples private property. I also do not agree with the 9/11 Truthers who are protesting and their view. But I do believe Americans have a right to peacefully assemble and speak - whether I agree with their ideas, thoughts, and speech or not.

In the above video the police begin moving the apparent peaceful protesters (these weren't the Anarchists in the other videos out there that I could tell. It appears to largely be a different group). The police attempt to move them and disperse them by first marching and chanting in repetition "Move, Move, Move" and slowly moving forward. At the end of the video they bring in the LRAD, Long Range Acoustic Device, that plays a pre-recorded message warning of arrest or escalated use of enforcement and in between the talking high-pitched frequencies are played that are painful to hear and which can be targeted in specific directions.

Book Review: Two Treatises of Government by John Locke

2009-09-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

John Locke lived from 1632AD - 1704AD and is probably best known for his influential political writings although he wrote on all sorts of other subjects. Two Treatises of Government was published anonymously in 1689. These writings were very influential on the Founder of America. In fact, his writings are echoed in the Declaration of Independence.

The First Treatise was rather tedious to read. It is a line by line rebuttal of a contemporary author of Lockes named Robert Filmer who was defending the idea of Divine Rights of Kings. He proves through this writing that kings do not have divine rights and must be under the same laws as their subjects. This idea is still relevant in regards to politicians of today who seem to exempt themselves from certain laws or live like they don't need to follow the laws they pass for the rest of us. He also argues that all are born equals.

The Second Treatise was more relevant and more a general writing about the ideas of government and it's uses. In it he talks about representative government and what government's purpose is for. He ponders that in a completely natural state people are born completely free and are the complete owner of themselves. (This is a theme found in Libertarian ideas!) He then wonders why people band together in society to form a government.

If Man in the State of Nature be so free, as has been said; If he is absolute Lord of his own Person and Possessions, equal to the greatest, and subject to no Body, why will he part with his Freedom? Why will he give up his Empire, and subject himself to the Dominion and Control of any other Power? To which 'tis obvious to Answer, that though in the State of Nature he hath such a right, yet the Enjoyment of it is very uncertain, and constantly exposed to the Invasion of others. For all being Kings as much as he, every Man his Equal, and the greater part no strict Observers of Equity and Justice, the enjoyment of the property he has in this state is very unsafe, very unsecure. This makes him willing to quit this Condition, which however free, is full of fears and continual dangers and 'tis not without reason, that he seeks out, and is willing to join in Society with others who are already united, or have a mind to unite for the mutual Preservation of their Lives, Liberties and Estates, which I call the general name, Property.
Second Treatise of Government ~ John Locke

There are some important ideas here.

Some people want to believe that government gives people rights. That is completely backwards. The Declaration of Independence explains perfectly: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." People, by their very nature of being human, have rights automatically - universal human rights. No government on earth gives these rights to people - we have them first. We band together to form a government and loan these rights to the government to protect them. In ideal conditions (i.e. When the government is not abusing these rights or taking away rights we have not loaned to them) this allows us the freedom to pursue our own interest in the pursuits of our Happiness. Again - we loan the rights to the government - the government does NOT give us rights. We already own the rights.

There is great debate on the purpose of government. Some people thing the government needs to be your mommy or daddy and take care of all your needs from cradle to grave. The more milder form of this is called the Nanny State - the harsher form is a Totalitarian government such as Communism or Naziism. Some people see the government as a tool of force to exploit for their own ends. (I've heard there's something like 3000 plus professional lobbyist in Washington D.C. alone!) But the government is meant to be a minimum (especially the Federal Government.) It's meant to protect our rights from being infringed on by others - whether internal or external. At the local level each community can become more specific with their laws and ways of organizing themselves, but they don't all have to be the same! It's ok to have variety in communities.

As a side note - many people view the States as being the creation of the Federal Government - but that's backwards too! The States existed before the Federal Government. The States created the Federal Government, the Federal Government did not create the States. And they created the Federal Government to be very limited in it's duties - to protect the States from foreign invasion and to make sure commerce was fair amongst the States.

Buy: Two Treatises of Government by John Locke

Save 1932-1964 Silver Quarters

2009-09-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Quarters made between 1932 - 1964 have the same design as many of the current quarters (with the exception of the state quarters that have been issued). Except these quarter are 90% silver and 10% copper. If you get a chance to hold a silver quarter the weight is noticeably different then modern quarters in circulation. It feels like it's worth more! You might get lucky and find a silver quarter in circulation, but it's highly unlikely. The best place to buy these is from a dealer or on Ebay. Be sure to check Coinflation.com for the latest price in metal so you know if you're getting a good deal.

There are quarters from before 1932 with different designs and they are also made out of silver, but they have become worth more as a collectible coin.

Ebay Silver Quarter Listings