Buckle up for the Bumpy Ride-Our Contrarian View on the 4th

Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin
Your choice for usable Urban Survival Resources

In This Issue:

· Too much ‘stuff’ comedy by George Carlin
· Helping your septic system to survive
· Loose change
· Free patriotic activities this week
· Make your own mouthwash
· Trouble in paradise




The possession of arms is the distinction between a free man and a slave.

— Andrew Fletcher, Speech before Parliament [May 6, 1703



Supreme Court Gun Ruling

I guess the seed doesn’t fall far from the tree as exemplified by the Mayor of Chicago’s reaction to the Supreme Court ruling about gun ownership being a right…I thought politicians had to swear an oath to support the Constitution, something the mayor has apparently never done.

—“ Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says he's disappointed by Monday's Supreme Court decision that Americans have the right to own a gun for self-defense anywhere they live.”

The basis of his complaint is there are too many gun related crimes in his fair city. So what he’s saying that despite all of the anti-Constitutional anti-gun laws Chicago has, that bad guys STILL manage to get guns and that ‘God forbid’ honest citizens should be allowed to defend themselves using rights guaranteed by law.

Typical of a nanny state politician where the ‘state will protect you’ only if you just give up a few of your rights. Of course too, he forgets that police most often arrive after a crime has been committed and can rarely prevent a crime.

I do feel everyone who owns a gun should undergo training and a background check but there should be agreements between states to accommodate concealed weapon permits. My wife and I had CCW permits from several states but upon moving to MI we were informed we had to pay another fee and get another FBI background check – despite the fact we had already done all that as I explained…”guess you guys use a different FBI I responded to the state cop…he didn’t seem to get it which is nothing new.

Finally, a little fun about ‘More Stuff” Terrific comedy routine by George Carlin about how much stuff we have! Watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qznyYLu9m28


<<<<>>>>

Useful Stuff!

Make Your Own Mouthwash
Alcohol-based mouthwashes rule the market place right now, and are effective in killing germs and freshening breath for healthy teeth and gums. One bottle of vodka will make four bottles of mouthwash, when blended with three parts of distilled water. No fancy, high-end designer vodka is required here; just the cheapest bottle with a good alcohol content. Those are the only two essential ingredients: vodka and distilled water. Just swirl, gargle, or pucker it around in your mouth for at least thirty seconds, spit and rinse. Germs and bacteria are gone. Add a few drops of a citrus extract or peppermint oil to each bottle for better taste and fresher breath if you like.
The alcohol is diluted enough so kids can use it also, but that is your choice.

Celebrate the 4th w/ these patriotic freebies
>>>Watch videos of fireworks displays at: PBS.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/gall_00.html
>>>Enjoy a trip through US history with great photos of American icons by visiting: Life.com and typing United States into the search box
>>>Browse historical documents and webcasts at the Library of Congress:
LOC.gov/topics or
WDL.org

TLC for Septic Tanks
Do not dispose of non-biodegradable materials into toilets, sinks or drains. Always check detergents, soaps and other products to ensure they’re acceptable for septic tank use. Don’t plant trees & shrubs in the drainage field and I recommend not using Rid-X but plain old dry yeast once a month to keep the bacteria at a good level. You can check for leaks using a dye test yearly and some suggest pumping it out annually (we do it every three years because of our use of yeast). Check our GreenIrene.Com/PoorMan site for more information and effective products you can use safely.
Digging up a septic is a lot of work and/or expensive to hire out. The average life-span of a septic system is about 25-years depending on use.

Ask a geek (Jake) many tech questions free at:
www.jakeludington.com

The average American has about $30-$50 in loose change laying around in drawers, pockets and purses. Perhaps that’s why there is a penny shortage (it cost the mint about 8 cents to produce each cent). Before cashing in your stash of coins, go through them to see if you have any valuable ones…use Redbook or other coin books.


Capitalism produces. Socialism distributes.


Trouble in Paradise…News Briefs

Krugman Sees U.S. in 'Third Great Depression'
'Double Dip'? Or Did the 'Great Recession' Really Never End?

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks and interest rates tumbled Tuesday after signs of slowing economies around the world spooked traders…

The U.S. economy is in the “early stages” of a depression, one which will be much more severe than the Great Depression, Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman warns.

“We are now, I fear, in the early stages of a third depression. It will probably look more like the Long Depression than the much more severe Great Depression,” Krugman writes in the New York Times.

“But the cost — to the world economy and, above all, to the millions of lives blighted by the absence of jobs — will nonetheless be immense,” he wrote in the Times.

This third depression will emerge as a result of the failure of government economic policy.

“Around the world ... governments are obsessing about inflation when the real threat is deflation, preaching the need for belt-tightening when the real problem is inadequate spending,” writes Krugman More at: http://www.moneynews.com/StreetTalk/paul-Krugman-US-Early/2010/06/28/id/363250?s=al&promo_code=A2A0-1

Monday's weak consumer spending data is the latest in a string of reports that has many Americans worried about a "double-dip" recession.
Then again, considering the unemployment rate has remained elevated, many Americans would be forgiven for thinking the recession that began in December 2007 still hasn't ended. Notably, that's the view of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the nation's official arbiter of economic expansion and contraction.
http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/double-dip-or-did-the-great-recession-really-never-end-yftt_510021.html

Note: No one can be sure where we will go from here, but one thing is certain - if even if mainstream media are rejecting "the worst is behind us" rhetoric and asking the tough questions, then the problem must be serious. The lessons of history and economics are in agreement, making the case that we should buckle up for a bumpy ride.

>>>>>>>>
New Day for Consumers-Upheaval Sweeps Consumer Finance
Investors and those who advocate on their behalf did not get everything they wanted. Stockbrokers and annuity peddlers are still not required to act in their customers’ best interest, for instance. But mortgage shoppers stand to gain under the new rules and millions of people will now have access to a free credit score.

Here is a roundup of some of the biggest consumer issues that members of Congress addressed and where they ended up: More at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/your-money/26money.html?src=mv

RELATED STORY: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704629804575324932694423998.html?mod=WSJ_PersonalFinance_PF2
The reform bill comes TWO YEARS after the U.S. financial system teetered on the verge of collapse.

On becoming an expatriated American-Advantages/Disadvantages
The Poor Man is a political prisoner but you may find this somewhat lengthy contribution of the pros and cons of becoming a perpetual traveler of interest…find it at our Guest Column section at: http://www.PoorManSurvival.Com


I’ve been using Vista Print for years to make everything from T-shirts to business cards and magnetic car signs. Prices are always reasonable and you can do everything online (I just got us a Poor Man car decal – see the photo on our site). Check it out at:
http://vistaprint.tellapal.com/a/clk/lpR14

Parting Thoughts on Independence Day

…Washington needs an enema

The 4th of July is when we celebrate our independence, something too many politicians have forgotten as life under the new crop of ‘kings’ has become almost as serf-like as during Colonial times and taxes and laws are 100 times worse.

Government now dominates and rules every aspect of our lives – a far cry as to what our founding fathers had envisioned. Until the early 1950s the government pretty much left us alone…taxes were reasonable, cost of living was reasonable, there was little gun control, and the government didn’t meddle as much in foreign affairs as it does now.

For the past 30 years the taxpayer has been sentenced to a chain gang operated by a political-corporate machine and the average American no longer seems to think for himself, ignorance has become a virtue. Celebrity narcissism has seduced the population.

We live in a culture where politicians and corporations manufacture disinformation. They lie and cheat… We’ve been sold out by Washington and Wall Street. There is no place to hide because they are watching. They are in control. The men & women who screwed our country beginning in 2007, are still screwing us and we do nothing because we are not in control. We’ve become serfs.
Makes me want to stay home and bolt the door!

"Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power."
-- Benjamin Franklin
(1706-1790) US Founding Father

Have a great 4th of July weekend, and as always, please forward this e-mail to at least one friend or family member that could benefit from these tips.
I hope your week starts off on the right foot


Your Independent Minded Poor Man – Enjoy the BBQ!

http://www.PoorManSurvival.com
http://www.GreenIrene.Com/PoorMan
http://www.OldBookNook.com

A Shallow Planet Production