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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Easy Corn on the Cob for a Crowd, Frugal Food Storage. Grocery Cycles


Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources


For Independent Minded People!

ISSN 2161-5543

In This Issue:

1.       Best way to cook corn on the cob for a crowd

2.      Grocery Sale Cycles, Frugal storage tips

3.      Hide in Plain Sight

4.      Free know-how from Tractor Supply

5.      If I wanted America to Fail-Panic Now-Avoid the Rush



No matter what anyone may say
about making the rich and the corporations pay taxes,
in the end they come out of the people who toil."

-- Calvin Coolidge
(1873-1933), 30th US President


We live in an age of paranoia where many of us believe that foods go bad long before their time is up. We confuse sell-by and best-by dates with expiration, and doing so involves tossing out an item when it's still entirely edible. We often refrigerate foods that don't require refrigeration.


When a food looks and smells fine, chances are it is but I found that many people don't think that's true. I left out cooked green beans overnight and asked people on Twitter and Facebook to take bets if I would get sick. While many people assumed I'd be fine, about as many figured I was headed for disaster. If you believe leaving a vegetable out on the counter for about a day is going to result in it going bad, you're wrong. I was fine, even though it is recommended to refrigerate after just two hours.


 Sites like Still Tasty seeks to provide recommendations for how long food can survive under various conditions, but in my tests I found these estimates to be overly cautious. It's probably in Still Tasty's best interest to err on the side of safety, but generally you're a pretty good judge of what's good and what isn't. If it's not growing mold, it smells fine, and a taste test reveals nothing out of the ordinary, chances are you're good to go. In the end, safety is the most important thing but don't go throwing out perfectly good food out of paranoia. Check if it's still good first.


StillTasty.com has comprehensive information about how long you can keep thousands of foods and beverages.



Kill poison ivy by drenching the plants with a solution of salt and a little dishwashing liquid; also works on poison oak.



PM’s Compendium of Useful Resources



Finding reliable, trusted babysitters…UrbanSitter uses Facebook Connect to access, with permission, the networks of parents and babysitters, and bring the two together. UrbanSitter.com

The Best Way to Cook Corn on the Cob for a Crowd?
 It's Cooler Corn…

 We like corn on the cob. And with eight adults at the table, that means a
couple of dozen ears. We would have used the lobster pot to cook them all,
but the lobster pot was busy steaming lobster…

Use a Coleman cooler and wipe it clean, then fill
with the shucked ears. Next, two kettles-full of boiling water are poured
over the corn and the top closed.
The corn will remain at the perfect level of doneness for a couple of hours


If your favorite cereal is on sale this week, do you know how many weeks it will be before it goes on sale again? Find out, and you'll know how many boxes you should buy.







Frugal Food Storage Tips
How do you take advantage of food sales when you have little food storage space? Get creative with these food storage ideas!



Tractor Supply also Provides Know-How

Be sure to check how their “Know-How Central” section for useful DIY information.

Livestock, garden, building resources and more…



Hide In Plain Sight
A lot of people are trying to make themselves very visible on the internet so they learn how to use SEO to make sure they are found. You can use those same principles to blend in among the noise of the internet and make yourself very hard to find.

Some people want to be seen. Others want to fly under the radar. Most of us want a little bit of both. The real issue that most people have in the fight between public and private personal information is control over who has access to what information. We want the ability to reach out to the public at times, and at other times retreat into our sanctuary. Retreating is more and more difficult in a digital world.  More at:




The Constitution should not be cast aside so quickly to achieve political ends, and its meaning must be carefully understood and respected. That's why The Heritage Foundation is proud to announce a new resource to help the American people and their elected representatives learn more about the history of our founding document. Heritage's Online Guide to the Constitution is a comprehensive and authoritative analysis of every single clause in the Constitution -- and it's available for free at ConstitutionOnline.com.



DIY Snack for Better Flowers

Before planting flowers this spring, mix 1 cup of sugar, 3 cups bone meal, and 1 cup of Epsom salts in an old bucket.  Sprinkle a pinch into the bottom of each hole as you’re planting.  The result?  A more colorful garden.



2 Liter Bottles of Light 

The slums of the Philippines are getting an extreme home makeover in the form of two liter bottles in their ceilings. The bottles function as 60-watt lights powered by 100% solar energy. Refraction is an amazing thing. If you drilled a hole in your ceiling light would drop directly through the opening in a straight line casting a shadow on the ground in the shape of the hole. By placing a bottle filled with water into the hole, the light is refracted by the water and emitted at 360 degrees like a light bulb. Light bulbs are taken for granted in America, yet are luxury item for the Philippines slums. The two liter bottles filled with water and a small amount of bleach to keep algae from growing, act as a light in the often-unlit slums.


The initiative in the Philippines to provide these lights to those who need them is known as “A liter of light”. It is estimated that each bottle light will last for about five years, which is more than any store-bought light bulb will do you for.


Read more AND find other useful, free how-to and DIY reports and resources at:




Get more creative and successful by carrying a personalized journal with you.  Put your name on the journal and make entries each time that creative light bulb goes off, even if at the moment is seems silly.



The Nanny State Updates…


Panic Now…Avoid the Rush!

Why is the DHS buying so much ammo for domestic use?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an agency that says its main purpose now is to thwart "homegrown terrorism," has awarded a contract to ammunition manufacturer ATK for acquiring 450 million rounds of .40 caliber hollow point ammo. You can view the announcement of the ammunition purchase at this press release: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/atk-secures-40-caliber-ammunition-co...

"Hollow point" ammunition is never purchased for practice or training. This ammunition is purchased for the sole purpose of being used in active fighting. At the same time, it is a violation of the Geneva Convention to use hollow point ammunition on the battle field.


The greatest global debt bubble in human history is showing signs that it is getting ready to burst

According to CNN, the level of selling by insiders at corporations listed on the S&P 500 is the highest that it has been in almost a decade. Do those insiders know something that the rest of us do not?



The Parting Thought –

The Fall of the Soviet Union, If I wanted America to Fail & Cycles of Life


Does it seem there is more bad news today than ever before?  It sure seems that way to me.  Of course, our planet has a bigger population so the sheer numbers would indicate more bad things will happen and with the immediacy of news today, we hear about nearly every bad thing from car accidents in India to the sick things people do to their fellow citizen.


When the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet empire collapsed the world was supposed to collect a peace dividend from the end of the cold war - and we did for awhile.


It didn’t take long for a new bogey man to appear, terrorists. Our government now spends more on ‘security and preserving our freedom’ than we did for all of WWII and WWI combined…but somehow, I don’t feel any safer and as most would agree, we’ve sacrificed our freedoms and privacy in the name of security.


For decades, it has seemed as though history has been slowly building toward some sort of crescendo. The pace of change just keeps getting faster and faster and faster, and our world is becoming unstable…and it’s not just the Mayan 20212 prediction that seems to be wreaking havoc with our climate and weather.


The economy is falling apart, the fabric of society is starting to come apart at the seams, war in the Middle East could erupt at any moment and the planet itself is shaking in unprecedented ways.


Everything is cyclical.  Empires rise and fall.  The American way of life, thanks in large part to political greed and stupidity, is slipping away.  There is no doubt in my mind our climate is changing.  People throughout the world seem to be increasingly unhappy.


Over the years I have noted the cycles in my life.  They always seem to come in three’s…three good things, three negative cycles.  Is this just the natural rhythm of the cosmos or is it perhaps, the Mayan predictions coming true?  If the Mayans are indeed correct, how did they acquire this knowledge?


We certainly live in interesting times.  If you’re inclined to believe in such cycles both for the planet and for your own life, you may be interested in learning more about the seven cycles of life at:  http://www.life-cycles-destiny.com/for/yearly-life-cycles.htm


For another interesting take on what’s taking place in America as to why our country is slipping away today, view If I Wanted America to Fail:





“Until the next revolution”, the Poor Man



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A Shallow Planet Production

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

DIY Chicken Feeder, Get a Bug Out Spot, Virtual Jobs


Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources


For Independent Minded People!

ISSN 2161-5543

In This Issue:

1.       Get cash fast, free useful download

2.      How to build a chicken feeder

3.      Have a bug-out location

4.      Virtual job resources

5.      Hitler’s Enabling Acts resemble US laws



Reasonable orders are easy enough to obey; it is capricious, bureaucratic or plain idiotic demands that form the habit of discipline.
Barbara Tuchman

What our country needs more of…Pro Bono startup services helping them to navigate the pitfalls of regulatory and judicial obstacles.


From zoning laws to quirky local statutes, all can slow down the launch of boot strap businesses.  Red tape routinely strangles American small business which curtails job growth, and in my opinion, is one of the real threats to job growth and national security…but you won’t see many politicians spending time addressing the need in America.


Too often local government leaders work overtime to enforce outdated regulations rather than foster business growth.  They operate on outdated civic and business models.  According to complaints the Poor Man hears, many municipalities don’t allow home based businesses, another obstacle to job growth.


Ripples from the Zambezi, a book by Ernesto Sirolli, is something I’ve recommended to many in government who supposedly foster entrepreneurship but in reality, only promote tax payment and compliance standards.  If they truly wish to help their local economies, they should be promoting viable rebirth strategies.


BLIP is one of the few groups helping entrepreneurs to overcome outdated regulations and you can learn more about them here…


The Brooklyn Law Incubator & Policy ("BLIP") Clinic functions as a modern, technology-oriented law firm. Since its inception in 2008, BLIP is training a new generation of lawyers who are well-versed across the spectrum of skills needed to represent emerging tech, Internet, communications, and new media companies. The BLIP experience is well-rounded -- in addition to learning the intricacies of representing start-ups, BLIP clinicians are at the forefront of tech-related policy issues and advocate on behalf of causes and businesses in various legislative, regulatory, and judicial arenas.


Get the user manual you need.  Unsure how to operate something you purchased used?

Go to this free site:  ManualsOnline.com



PM’s Compendium of Useful Resources


How to Build a Chicken Feeder

Keep your flock happy and well-fed with a weatherproof and pest-proof chicken feeder. The chickens step on a treadle, and the feeder opens up! Build one today…



Have a Bug-Out Location 

The idea of a BOL (bug-out location) is to have a place you can escape to and live at in the event of an emergency. Again, we don't know ahead of time what that emergency might be, so a good bug-out location should meet a variety of criteria. They include:

- A place you own or will definitely have access to.
- Has a shelter available.
- Is stocked with essential supplies.
- Is inconspicuous.
- Is far enough away from population centers.
- Is accessible year-round.

There are various ideas about what kind of BOLs are best. Some think of them only in terms of foreign homes, in case they need to escape the United States. Others may consider a second home in a small town a good BOL, anticipating chaos in the larger cities in some future political or economic unrest.

Of course, having several different ones might be ideal, so you are prepared for any circumstances. Even if escaping the country seems like a possible necessity at some point, you may need a bug-out location that is close by to use while you make further preparations.  Continued in Chapter 7 of A Survival Guide for Interesting Times, one of the books in The Secrets Package.)



Need some extra money?  Get this free report…

Fast Cash Secrets.  Free download at:


VIRTUAL, PART-TIME, INDEPENDENT" -- MAJOR WORKFORCE TRENDS KICKING IN

Even without the news of CloudFactory, more experts are noting the disruptive workforce changes that we've been talking about here for some time....

Basically, middle-class jobs aren't just disappearing -- the very concept of "job" is being redefined. The things that once defined a "job" -- reliability, benefits, a steady range of well-defined responsibilities at a given location -- are either gone or going.

Excerpted from a new Forbes piece on virtual workers:

"Among large employers upwards of 32% of all positions are now 'part-time' or contract-based."

"The new global workforce is virtual."

"By the year 2014, 47% of US workers will be under the age of 35."

The last point is significant because millions of boomers intend to keep working.



CLOUDFACTORY AIMS TO PUT ONE MILLION PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO WORK ONLINE

The Internet, as we've long said, is ultimately going to globalize the workforce. Among other effects will be increased competition for work coming out of mature economies like the US, Canada, Europe, etc.

CloudFactory, founded by a Canadian living in Nepal, offers a look at this trend. For more, see this new article in




New Social Networking Job Site

New York based Jibe provides job seekers with insight into how many connections they have at a given company, plus the ability to contact those connections, ask for referrals and attach those referrals to their job applications.

Jibe.com



Consumer debt in America has increased by a staggering 1700% since 1971

Americans are carrying a grand total of $798 billion in credit card debt.



The Nanny State Updates…


All aboard the Auschwitz Express...


Life is hard enough on its own. Government makes it harder


In his latest interview with the SGT Report, forecaster Gerald Celente of the Trends Research Institute warns of the multi-pronged attack on our liberty and suggests we are well on our way to living in a country not dissimilar to that of Hitler's Third Reich.

"First it was the Patriot Act. Now it's the National Defense Authorization Act. And then it was Obama's Executive Order giving El Presidente Los Estados Unidos the supreme right to call Martial Law at any potential threat – a potential threat.


According to Celente, nothing will change until the individual changes:

"The people aren't ready yet. They're not ready physically, emotionally, spiritually, philosophically – and that's all it really comes down to. Because when you are at those levels you don't take other people's crap, and you don't give it."


They're not willing to accept that they are no longer individuals, but rather, property of their government and those special interests who control it, and that their land, resources and very lives can be seized by Presidential decree.



New York became the first state to require license plates for autos in 1901.  Owners had to pay $1 and make their own plates!



The Parting Thought – Hitler’s Enabling Act in America



We’re All Criminals in the Eyes of our Controlling Government


Are you just a tiny bit sick of the feds constantly diminishing the quality of your life?

Are you ready to start fighting back?


Get big government off your back...almost daily, our so-called government passes laws restricting our freedom and privacy.  It is reminiscent of Hitler’s “Enabling Laws” which he passed one at a time to bolster his absolute control over the German people.


Those laws, like our unPatriot Act, allowed Hitler to sidestep the Constitution.


The following description of CISPA comes from the Electronic Frontier Foundation website....

CISPA creates an exception to all privacy laws to permit companies to share our information with each other and with the government in the name of cybersecurity…. CISPA’s ‘information sharing’ regime allows the transfer of vast amounts of data, including sensitive information like internet use history or the content of emails, to any agency in the government including military and intelligence agencies like the National Security Agency or the Department of Defense Cyber Command. Once in government hands, this information can be used for any non-regulatory purpose so long as one significant purpose is for cybersecurity or to protect national security.


Panic now... avoid the rush


The U.S. Constitution mentions only three federal crimes by citizens; treason, piracy and counterfeiting.

It’s almost impossible to go about your daily life and NOT commit a crime these days.


 Harvey Silverglate, author of “Three Felonies a Day” writes, every American commits three crimes each day without even knowing it. (Profiled in our bulletin in 2010).


Today, we have so many criminal statutes today that attempts by lawyers, academics and government officials to count them...have failed.

In a study conducted in 2008 by Louisiana State University Law Professor John Baker could only estimate the number of criminal statutes on the books… an astonishing 4,500.


It’s no wonder. Modern laws have exploded in number and concurrently become impossibly broad and vague.


The more aggressive the government becomes in restricting our day-to-day activities the more important our Poor Man Survival resources becomes.

We give you an endless stream of cutting-edge economic and historical insight to help guide you to a better future...some reader comments:


Jim G. of NY says, "I am most concerned about an intrusive, unlimited and untrustworthy government..."


And Deborah P. of Florida wonders, "Will there be anything that the government won't eventually oversee?"


“Until the next revolution”, the Poor Man



Your purchases and donations help fund our efforts at providing useful resources and for the development of our teaching farm project.  Please consider making a purchase from our site or a donation. Donate or purchase $20 and we’ll include a free’ We Need Another Revolution’ T-Shirts!   Use the PayPay Donate button here or to learn more about the farm & donate, go to:





Follow us on Facebook




 Twitter




Keep our services free, visit our sites…

Check our Resources



New self sufficiency books added weekly




A Shallow Planet Production