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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Free plans for building a tractor, EPA Screws up again, 12 months of prepping, more


 

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

"Persecution is the first law of society because
it is always easier to suppress criticism than to meet it."

-- Howard Mumford Jones
--Abbot Lawrence Lowell Professor of the Humanities at Harvard
 
 
 
 



Bureaucrats still on path to destroy America

The Obama bureaucrats at the EPA fear that our little wood stoves may be contributing to “global warming”, so they have outlawed the production and sale of 80 percent of the wood stoves that are currently in use.  The following comes from a recent Forbes article

It seems that even wood isn’t green or renewable enough anymore. The EPA has recently banned the production and sale of 80 percent of America’s current wood-burning stoves, the oldest heating method known to mankind and mainstay of rural homes and many of our nation’s poorest residents. The agency’s stringent one-size-fits-all rules apply equally to heavily air-polluted cities and far cleaner plus typically colder off-grid wilderness areas such as large regions of Alaska and the American West.

While EPA’s most recent regulations aren’t altogether new, their impacts will nonetheless be severe. Whereas restrictions had previously banned wood-burning stoves that didn’t limit fine airborne particulate emissions to 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air, the change will impose a maximum 12 microgram limit. To put this amount in context, EPA estimates that secondhand tobacco smoke in a closed car can expose a person to 3,000-4,000 micrograms of particulates per cubic meter.

Most wood stoves that warm cabin and home residents from coast-to-coast can’t meet that standard. Older stoves that don’t cannot be traded in for updated types, but instead must be rendered inoperable, destroyed, or recycled as scrap metal.

 


Video: Open Source Ecology has released free plans for building tractors, brick compressors, and other essential machines. Why pay more for stuff that's designed to fall apart?   WATCH »


 


Land, Co-ops, Compost: A Local Food Economy Emerges in Boston's Poorest Neighborhoods

Reader Daniel Wheatley writes, "I'd be very interested in the quality of the soil testing for urban gardening. I've always loved the idea of this and think it's wonderful for the local economy, as long as it's not causing detrimental long term problems with the people involved."  
READ MORE »

Starting a baby-sitting co-op
read more here

 

12 months of prepping, one month at a time »
Let me help you break down the overwhelming task of emergency and disaster preparedness ("prepping") by providing you with a month-by-month road map of tasks to complete and items to purchase. The goal is to have a manageable number of things to do in a finite amount of time with a limited cash outlay. More »

 

 
Mobile fire log

Clever idea – portable campfire is an 8-inch-tall piece of timber that has been hollowed out, dried in a kiln and fitted with a long wick, so it burns only from the inside.  The flame can last two hours, great for the beach and for making a batch of s’mores…

OneLogFire.com

 

11 Frugal Hobbies
When the budget is tight, hobbies are often one of the first things to be cut from the budget. There are several reasons why this is not a good idea. Everyone's stress level increases in tough financial times. Medical experts and psychologists encourage us to engage in a hobby as a means of relieving stress. Even when money is tight, there are inexpensive hobbies that you can enjoy without denting the budget. Read more.

Four Free Reports [online]

·        10 ways to cut your power & heating bill in half

·        20 Inexpensive things you can do to create a ‘clean room’ in your home

·        How to hide from RFID, Cell Tower tracking, and WI-FI Snoops

·        Protecting your privacy from the unfolding Obamacare fiasco

Go to our associates at:


 


Unbury.me--A great debt snowball / debt avalanche calculator.  It's free and easy to use.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

All things being equal-And they're not in America


 

 

 

 

 

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 

ISSN 2161-5543                                                                                        

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources


"If you think you’re free, there’s no escape possible."
-- Ram Dass


 

Richest 1% to own half of world’s wealth by 2016, says Oxfam


   This is something I’ve written about for more than 10 years.  The reason I started the Poor Man Survival series.  A democracy cannot survive without a strong middle class.

 

In 2008, 53 percent of all Americans considered themselves to be “middle class”.  But by 2014, only 44 percent of all Americans still considered themselves to be “middle class”

 

During his State of the Union speech on Tuesday evening, Barack Obama is going to promise to make life better for middle class families.  Of course he has also promised to do this during all of his other State of the Union addresses, but apparently he still believes that there are people out there that are buying what he is selling…

Wealth accumulated by the richest one percent will exceed that of the other 99 percent in 2016, the Oxfam charity said Monday, ahead of the annual meeting of the world's most powerful at Davos, Switzerland.

"The scale of global inequality is quite simply staggering and despite the issues shooting up the global agenda, the gap between the richest and the rest is widening fast," Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima said.

The richest one percent's share of global wealth increased from 44 percent in 2009 to 48 percent in 2014, the British charity said in a report, adding that it will be more that 50 percent in 2016.

The average wealth per adult in this group is $2.7 million (2.3 million euros), Oxfam said.

Of the remaining 52 percent, almost all -- 46 percent -- is owned by the rest of the richest fifth of the world's population, leaving the other 80 percent to share just 5.5 percent with an average wealth of $3,851 (3,330 euros) per adult, the report says.

Byanyima, who is to co-chair at the Davos World Economic Forum taking place Wednesday through Friday, urged leaders to take on "vested interests that stand in the way of a fairer and more prosperous world."

Oxfam called upon states to tackle tax evasion, improve public services, tax capital rather than labor, and introduce living minimum wages, among other measures, in a bid to ensure a more equitable distribution of wealth.

The 45th World Economic Forum that runs from Wednesday to Saturday will draw a record number of participants this year with more than 300 heads of state and government attending.

Rising inequality will be competing with other global crises including terrorist threats in Europe, the worst post-Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West and renewed fears of financial turmoil.

More at:

 


 

A few disturbing notes to be aware of…

>American families in the middle 20 percent of the income scale now earn less money than they did on the day when Barack Obama first entered the White House.

 >American families in the middle 20 percent of the income scale have a lower net worth than they did on the day when Barack Obama first entered the White House.

>According to a Washington Post article published just a few days ago, more than 50 percent of the children in U.S. public schools now come from low income homes.  This is the first time that this has happened in at least 50 years.

                Fabulous French Toast

I don't make French toast often, but when I do, there's a twist that I think makes it better than most. I use a flavored liquid coffee creamer instead of milk. Just that little bit of flavor makes all the difference. I still add a bit of cinnamon and dip it into an egg bath.

 

 


More Ways to Save Some Green-Share Responsibly!

Make Money Upcycling
"Upcycling" is what you do when you're converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality. When you upcycle, you aren't wasting potentially useful materials. But what if you could make money upcycling?

Buy the Right Ground Meat

I just finished a food science course and learned something that most people don't know. When you buy ground meats, you should pay attention to the name. For instance, ground turkey can be any meaty part of the bird, including white or dark meat and even the skin!

A healthier choice would be to buy "ground turkey breast," or if you're buying beef, you should buy "ground chuck" or "ground round." It costs a little more, but you get what you pay for.

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

Bruce ‘the Poor Man’

Help support our vices … Valentine’s Day Fast Approaches!

The odd, the risqué and retro

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

The State-of-the-Disunion Speech or Why Politics has Been Very, Very Good to Me


 

 

 

 

Poor Man Survival                                             

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

"I am concerned for the security of our great Nation;
not so much because of any threat from without,
but because of the insidious forces working from within."

-- General Douglas MacArthur

 

 

Politics has been very, very good to me!

 

Watching the state of the disunion speech reminded me of old Bill Clinton, another glib and charming speaker…see if you agree with my sentiments here.

 

   I went from never having had a real job, a home or car of my own in rural Arkansas to living in the White House not once, but twice!  I got free travel around the world, more than any other president and I went from seeing floosies in cheap motels to high priced gals all over the world.

 

   I’m now one of the richest ex-presidents in history and I still didn’t have to buy my own home…I just sold a few political favors and pardons.

 

   And partner Billary did mighty fine too.  Turned $1,000 into $100,000 in the stock market in under a year!   She sold me on the idea of moving to New York so we could be one of ‘their’ own and worm our way back into another cushy government job.

 

I sure hope she runs for president…after all, she’s got a lot folks fools and beside, we got a lot of mighty fine ‘gifts’ the last time…even the silverware.

 

Each of us wrote a couple of cheesy books that paid us millions more than they were worth.

 

And look what I done for our trainee…Obama got some great book money too and look at all those multi-million dollar vacations he got for free!

 

Yes, there was a time when people made their fortunes the old fashioned way, like real estate or inventing something that someone needed.  But politics today, that’s where the real money is!
 
 

 

 
Obama is an excellent speaker too but bear in mind, things are seldom as rosy as the picture these forked tongue politicians paint!




>American families in the middle 20 percent of the income scale now earn less money than they did on the day when Barack Obama first entered the White House.

 >American families in the middle 20 percent of the income scale have a lower net worth than they did on the day when Barack Obama first entered the White House.

I always find it amazing at ‘enriching’ a political life becomes for those who suck at the public teat while never having had a real job, never serving in the military, and never having to worry about a payroll…

In any event fellow Romans…as I promised awhile back, the Poor Man Bulletin is scaling back and will only continue to appear here, on blogger.  Sparse input, low feedback and total lack of support at our online storefront have convinced this is the prudent move to make...

And by the way, won’t some staunch supporter of Biden buy him a hair piece?

Yours for a better life,

Bruce ‘the Poor Man’


P.S.  In 45 years of voting, nothing ever changes except the downward slide of the Middle Class
 

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Your Privacy Dumped - Again, How to Stock a Pantry & More


Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 

ISSN 2161-5543                                                                                        

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

"The obscure we see eventually.
The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer."

-- Edward R. Murrow

 

The USA continues its march toward a Soviet style government - our government does more domestic spying than the Russians ever did…

 




Your Privacy & [Probably] Security Dumped on Again

 

In the name of fighting against cyber attacks, Barack Obama wants to change the rules that protect your personal data. You see, the real motherlode of data on Americans currently sits in private hands.

But Obama wants to move the data into the claws of law enforcement agencies.

The goal is to have private sector companies give even more information to the government, in exchange for protection against lawsuits for the misuse of data.

It's a beneficial deal for the companies and the government, but what this deal implies for the consumer is downright frightening...
Read more »

 

[Note:  I had a Top Secret Security Clearance with the Navy, working on classified communication code and can see firsthand how the current government has accelerated its violation of our Bill of Rights, the Privacy Act of 1974 and more-all in the name of freedom – 1984 double speak at its finest].

 
 

 

Got gross sooty dirty windows on your woodstove?

Clean them twice weekly using Rutland Conditioning Glass Cleaner; apply with a white Scotch-brite pad and wipe the residue with a moist paper towel or use the old homestead solution of wiping the glass with a paste made of water and wood ash, then scrubbing with a newspaper.

 

 

How to Stock a Pantry
When you have a fully-stocked pantry, cooking is a lot easier -- you really only need to worry about getting fresh meat, fish, and produce to make a homemade meal. If one of your New Year's resolutions is to cook more, this guide can help you get started.

 

 
How a food grinder can lead to savings
read more here

 

 

More Ways to Save Some Green-Share Responsibly!


 


 


 

Bruce ‘the Poor Man’



To celebrate my birthday-every order gets a free 4x6 vintage Ziegfeld Folly photo included.  Good through the end of January!

Help support our vices … Valentine’s Day Fast Approaches!

The odd, the risqué and retro

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Collapsing Retail Industry and Warning of Hijacked PM eMail


Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 
ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

"It is better to live one day as a lion, then one hundred years as a sheep"
-- Roman Proverb

 


WARNING:  Someone hijacked our old PoorManSurvival email address and is sending out messages leading to porn sites.  Don’t open these as I no longer use that address and the site has been deleted!

 

The US Retail Industry is Collapsing: Here’s Why You’re in Trouble





Shopping malls across America are going to look a whole lot emptier soon. An exodus of giant retailers is beginning with the announcement of hundreds of store closures and thousands of people newly unemployed.

The first of January, I broke with my usual tradition and wrote not about positive resolutions, but about the impending rockslide of the US economy. And “rockslide” is an apt word: as one thing starts rolling down the mountain, it will pick up other things until a veritable avalanche of other businesses and people are affected and rolling pell-mell right alongside.

Last year, we saw announcements of the expected closure of some retail giants. In February of 2013, Michael Snyder wrote on The Economic Collapse Blog that we would see the following:


 

 


When the Natural Food Market Is Cheaper

I like to buy organic, but often the prices are pretty high. I've found one exception. That's dried herbs and spices. Instead of buying those little bottles, I buy herbs and spices by the pound at the natural food store. Typically I'm only buying an ounce or two, so it's only a few cents. Why pay for a bottle and packaging that you'll only throw away later?

 

 
Keeping Track of Pantry Inventory
Because of our flexible work schedules, my wife and I share cooking duties. We both actually enjoy cooking, but we're running into a problem. Both of us plan our recipes in advance, and make sure that we have (or I buy) the things we need. At least once a week, I look for one ingredient or another to find that we don't have it. I can't blame my wife. She didn't know that I was counting on using that last clove of garlic, too. Is there a way that we can keep track of our pantry inventory, so we know what we have and what needs to be bought before we run out?
 

 

I’m still giving these away…


Home Prepping Database Program


 

$What to do if the Dollar Collapses$


 

 Is a surprise recession around the corner?
From tumbling oil prices to record stock prices to the end of Quantitative Easing and rising market volatility, the latter half of 2014 has brought us close to an inflection point. What now lies ahead for investors? Click here to continue reading...

 
 
 

More Ways to Save Some Green-Share Responsibly!

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 
Bruce ‘the Poor Man’






Help support our vices … Valentine’s Day Fast Approaches!

The odd, the risqué and retro

Monday, January 12, 2015

The Number One Thing You Need to Survive [Aside from a working brain]


Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

You got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there.
- Yogi Berra

 


The number one thing that you need to do to get ready for the coming economic collapse is to build up an emergency fund.

During the last recession, millions of Americans suddenly lost their jobs.  Because they did not have any cushion to fall back on, millions of them also suddenly could not pay their bills and their mortgages.  Foreclosures skyrocketed and countless families went from living a very comfortable middle class lifestyle to being out on the street in very short order.

And now because the people of this country have been so foolish it is going to happen again.

I’ve personally learned firsthand that many people are idiots, they don’t plan ahead for the weekend [except to stock up on beer for the ‘next big game’] let alone for an emergency.

 

The following comes from the Wall Street Journal

Only 38% of those polled said they could cover a $500 repair bill or a $1,000 emergency room visit with funds from their bank accounts, a new Bankrate report said. Most others would need to take on debt or cut back elsewhere.

“A solid majority of Americans say they have a household budget,” said Bankrate banking analyst Claes Bell. “But too few have the ability to cover expenses outside their budget without going into debt or turning to family and friends for help.”

The survey found that an unexpected bill would cause 26% to reduce spending elsewhere, while 16% would borrow from family or friends and 12% would put the expense on a credit card. The remainder didn’t know what they would do or would make other arrangements.

Despite Obama propaganda:

·        EVERTHING COSTS MORE TODAY – despite government inflation nonsense

·        VERY few corporations offer benefits anymore…pensions and even paid vacations are becoming a thing of the past [unlike our European counterparts who get far more for their efforts]

·        Obamacare is already costing people more in terms of higher premiums

·        The value of the dollar is shrinking and when it is ultimately replaced as the currency of choice internationally, riots will likely ensue

Decent jobs which pay middle class wages are shrinking so my advice to all is to develop a secondary set of skills to make money with or to barter with…medical, computer, electrical, plumbing [especially wells and septic] and other similar skills would top my list.

3 Critical Tools for Paying Off Debt
This is the time of year when many people look at their debt situation and shudder. They dream of what it would be like to be out of debt. And, if they're brave, they begin to plan a strategy to reduce the amount of debt they carry.

                                      

Make Energy From Weeds


Solar, wind, water, geothermal and biomass are sources of producing renewable energy. Production of energy from sun, wind, water and geothermal all require costly equipment. Even the smaller scale models of solar and wind energy for a medium sized home costs more than 1000 US Dollars. Individuals can not think of energy from water and geothermal as the required infrastructure will cost the heaven. They also require regular maintenance of moving parts, batteries and other things. Renewable energy from biomass is the cheapest form of all sources mentioned above, which require minimum initial investment and practically no maintenance at all. The biomass fuels like vegetation, crop residues, cattle waste, kitchen waste and aquatic plants are abundant in nature and also easily available throughout the year. A medium sized biomass digester can be built with about 200 US Dollars.

More here:


 

 
Top five emergency first aid items you probably didn't even realize were medicine
(NaturalNews) When it comes to emergency medicine for preppers, everybody is already aware of the extraordinary usefulness of things like nano silver, fish antibiotics and off-the-shelf antiseptics such as povidone iodine. Here, I've decided to reveal...

 

Fed up: Record number of Americans identify as political independents »
Americans are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the U.S. political establishment. New polling data indicate that a record number are eschewing partisan political affiliation and describing themselves as political independents. More »