Something to Worry Everyone; 9 Things You Need to Know Now!

Bruce's Poor Man Survival Bulletin
Your choice for urban survival resources!
Http://www.PoorManSurvival.com


Inside this issue:

1. What will November elections bring?
2. Nine things you should be doing right now
3. The Armchair Survivalist Speaks
4. Home made radiator charger-easy!
5. Start a hand-me-down club
6. More broken promises from eBay



"No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women." (Ronald Reagan)


What will the November elections bring?
 
   Two main scenarios loom with the November elections...more of the same government swill in terms of bailouts and deficits or perhaps enough Americans will show they are fed up with garbage as usual and they'll remove career politicians who don't know how to zipper the federal wallet.
   For thirty years the feds have been trashing freedoms of Americans, ignoring the Constitution and have been spending us into financial Armageddon...they need to pay a price for this anti-citizen behavior.
   Given that our government is already insolvent  and that ever since the Federal Reserve ripoff was put into place in 1913 (along with the shakedown called income tax) our dollar has lost 95-1/c cents of its value...I'm unsure how it will continue plodding along as if everything is just fine in Mayberry, especially knowing that roughly 25% of our total foreign debt will come due in the next 12 months!

All of the known government held reserves, including oil, gold, cash on hand and foreign reserves only total $511 billion...but we owe $1 trillion by the end of the year just to foreign creditors!
   The $13 Trillion National Debt is only a down payment on our actual debts when we factor in liabilities from Medicare, Social Security, and the money that will be required to continued funding for our wars and for Fannie and Freddie.  As of March 26th of this year, the Congressional Budget Office announced that our projected deficit total for the next 10 years will grow to at least $9.75 trillion.  If you add up all of the unfunded liabilities the real number is $109 trillion...foreign creditors are already jumping ship and investors are fleeing the US for greener pastures elsewhere.
   In July '09 at the G8 Summit, Russian President Medvedev showed off a new coin minted with the words “Unity in Diversity,” a prototype of a future world currency.  China, our biggest lender, has quietly been opening currency swap lines with other countries in order to bypass American currency in order to do business.
   What happens when our creditors abandon the dollar?
   Alan Greenspan and Pablo Cuidotti came up with this theory about the collapse of any economy (keep in mind, NEVER in the history of the world has a country outlasted its fiat currency):  To avoid a default, a nation has to maintain hard currency reserves equal to at least 10% of its short term debt.
  As I showed earlier, this rule will be used by our creditors to cut off our credit.
 
   For the first time in history, we have a global monetary base that's not anchored to any real asset!
 
   In this country I always said our money was based on the faith of its people in the government since nothing of value backs it, or as my friend Mike says “IOU Nothing.” 

   It's predicted 700 US banks will likely close within the next 18 months (see last issue for a list of such banks on the endangered list...much of this fueled by bad commercial real estate paper...something I've told our readers about beginning 16 months ago or so).

   If major investors such as George Soros and others are buying more gold than ever before, you know we're in trouble.  If the system collapses, as it did not long ago in Argentina, watch for common services you now take for granted to vanish.  Your credit & debit cards won't work, no gasoline, empty store shelves, government workers won't be paid on time.

   People were selling their family heirlooms for 10 cents on the dollar.  When their banks reopened, 75% of everyone's savings was gone – stolen by the government (recall in previous issues that I've been warning readers that Obama is figuring out a means to tap your retirement accounts...it will happen).  In essence, the middle class in Argentina was wiped out.
Can it happen here?  Well, let's just see how the elections come along...my guess – the US has 18 months tops before it officially goes bankrupt.  But alas, most Americans are oblivious to the crisis and I must admit, I need to get the last of my cash out of my retirement IRA!

NOTE: Compiled and edited from various sources, newsletters, etc. which the Poor Man subscribes to

"Government," as Frédéric Bastiat, expressed it, "is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else."

Weekly Resource
s & Tips

Skip 'prime' cuts of beef & other supermarket savers

Go for choice cuts instead of prime to save money. You may have to use a crock pot or marinades to make the meat tender, but you'll save dough and be sure to look for meat markdowns in the morning as that's when they're placed for sale before the 'sell by' date.

For bargains on pantry staples look at the top and bottom shelves. Stock up during sales and opt for house brands.

Home Made Radiator Supercharger

If your home uses radiators for heat, take a piece of cardboard from a box you were going to pitch and cut it to the size of your radiator, cover one side with aluminum foil (shiny side out), then place it between the wall and your unit creating your own reflective insulation for free. Save some $$$

Looking for a lost love?

Sure, you can Google people but getting additional info can be gotten from this free site which has three times as many listings as Pipl.com or White Pages.com
www.ZabaSearch.com

Hand me down club

The Poor Man has featured many kinds of co-ops including food, babysitting and services but here's another suggestion from reader Barb...avoid childrens' clothing stores since kids grow so fast, clothes are quickly outgrown. Instead of buying new clothes all the time, organize a club of parents from your church or daycare or the school to exchange clothing twice a year – fall and spring. Try to arrange it so each family brings clothing in good condition and from a variety of ages. NOTE: Though the Poor Man no longer has small children, this is a good idea & we're sending you a new DVD of the Disaster Preparedness series which also features terrific activities for preparing your children for natural disasters and 46 other projects (also available from our OldBookNook.com – eBay storefront).
I suppose this concept could be applied to many areas of life.

TO DO NOTHING IS TO RISK EVERYTHING.




Winterizing Tips for Your Auto-Free Checklist
It's been many years since I've had to think about winterizing something...but a bit of prevention will go a long way in avoiding trouble not only for your home but for your auto as well. Indeed, the Poor Man finally resolved an issue he's wondered about for years...synthetic oil – YES, it is better to change over to this once your vehicle hits 100,000 miles. May cost a bit more, but you won't need to change oil as frequently and it does a better job of reducing friction in your engine.
Of course, a winterizing checklist for your car should include:
--battery, belts, tires, all fluids, exhaust system, batter terminals & cables, hoses, plugs, change to winter blades, air filters, etc..complete printable list you can use at:
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/affordabletransportation/tp/High-Mileage-Vehicle-Maintenance-Checklist.htm?nl=1


How to Solve Problems & Prevent Problems-Free ebook (interesting group)
http://www.alphapub.com/howtosolve.html

The Super-Saver's Guide to Grocery Shopping at Dollar Stores
...a few errors in this Rachel Ray piece, but a good one overall
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/financiallyfit/the-super-savers-guide-to-grocery-shopping-at-dollar-stores-2394411/


How to Know where you're calling from...
If you ever find yourself in an unfamiliar place and need to use an unmarked phone, call the ANAC (automatic circuit number that phone repairmen use)-when you dial the number from a land line, it reads back the number from which you called. You can Google local ANAC numbers but here are a couple of common ones to use: 800-444-4444 or 444-3333...good to use if you find yourself in danger in unknown territory.

Stop eavesdroppers...you know something is fishy when a phone repair guy shows up even though no one has contacted him...if there is interference on your home phone, home radio or car radio...strange sound comes from your phone like static and squealing or if sound continues after you hang up...most likely means you're being bugged. Note: sophisticated methods also include picking up phone conversations from ¼ mile away with eavesdropping dishes or scanners...used by law breakers and law enforcement. Fun way to screw with them is to give the mouthpiece a blast from an airhorn.


Instant 'Mace' to protect your homestead...
I know some do not like to use guns and some states have stupid laws preventing people from owning tools such as mace or tear gas to defend themselves with...keep cans of Raid hornet & wasp killer handy at each door. A solid blast to the face and eyes will achieve nearly the same effect allowing you to slam the door shut, bolt it and grab your pistol. (from our Poor Man Homestead Defense CD).

"To the extent that these [New Deal policies] developed,
they were tortured interpretations of a document
[the Constitution] intended to prevent them."
-- Rexford Tugwell
(1891-1979) American agricultural economist

The Armchair Survivalist

I’ve lived through floods, fires, riots, earthquakes, hurricanes and massive snow storms. I’ve seen two types of people in each calamity.
There are those spent their time insulting those of us that prepared – calling us “kooks”, “right-wing conspirators”, “fear mongers”, and other degrading epitaths.
These are the type people we’ve all watched on TV after Katrina whining “who’s gonna feed me???”
Then there’s the other type:
Me. and you’ll never see me, or others like me, begging for food, clothes or protection from the worthless government after a disaster.
But you will see people like me, helping the idiots amongst you that were too stupid to even THINK AHEAD!
But it could never happen to you…….
http://www.armchairsurvivalist.com

Crock Pot Beef

1 (3-4 lb) pot roast or 2 pint-sized jars home-canned beef
1 (11 oz) can cheddar cheese soup
1 (11 oz) can condensed golden mushroom soup
1 (11 oz) can French onion soup

Mix soups together.
Place roast in crock pot. Cover with soups.
Cook on low for 8-9 hours or just heat through if using home-canned beef

“Made this for dinner the other night with two pint-sized jars home-canned beef. Just add the beef and broth from the jar and shred the meat. Stir in the soups and heat through. Bet this would work nicely with a deer roast too. I thought it was pretty good for a really easy meal. We served it over egg noodles since that’s what I had. Would be really yummy over mashed potatoes. I think a hot beef sandwich would be good too. Consider adding a bit of red wine and rosemary or parsley. Would be delicious with mushrooms or peppers too. Completely change it up and add dehydrated potatoes, carrots, celery and make it a stew."


Nothing worse than a dull knife-here are some DIY ways to sharpen-The Poor Man just bought a bench grinder & it works well for me for quick sharpening of axes, etc.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Knife-Sharpening-Tricks/
http://video.about.com/culinaryarts/Sharpen-Knives-With-a-Whetston.htm


AuctionBytes Publishes Guide to Forthcoming eBay Changes
eBay company management break their promise to their customers.

AuctionBytes published a cheat sheet in the September 26th issue
of AuctionBytes Update to help sellers navigate changes eBay is
making next month. The guide includes a roundup of policy changes
along with answers to some frequently asked questions sellers had
about the announcements.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y10/m09/i27/s02

Amazon recently sent an email to thousands of their associates (affiliates) inviting them to sell on Amazon for the holidays. If you are an eBay seller, you might want to consider that as Amazon continues to surpass eBay as a sales platform and it is really easy to sell on Amazon.
Everyone is holding his or her breath to see how the holiday season works out this year. Although unemployment is still high and shows no signs of getting better, about 85% of Americans still have a job and those folks have been saving instead of spending. In fact the savings rate in the United States is at a 30-year high. Usually when Americans have money it tends to burn a hole in their pockets –but that isn’t happening. Retail sales last month came in at an anemic 0.4% growth –and only 3.5% higher than the same month last year. But August of last year was in the depths of the recession –so that isn’t saying much.
As a seller this is not the time to have all your eggs in one basket. Let’s face it: eBay’s strategy to reposition the platform as a fixed price marketplace hasn’t worked too well. Personally when I am looking for a new product at a fixed price I almost always go to Amazon first. And so do most other people. Amazon continues to grow while eBay is still stagnant.
Does that mean you should leave eBay altogether? No! There are still billions of dollars worth of goods sold on eBay every year and you want a piece of that –but why sell only on eBay, when Amazon is just as easy. This way you get the best of both.

Bragging rights for a knife...
I just purchased a great Herter (Murphy) knife from an eBay seller who provided precisely what he advertised, delivered quick and I wanted to share it with our readers. Check out Mike's Elliptical Knife site at:
http://ellipticalknives.com



The very first law in advertising is to avoid the concrete promise and cultivate the delightfully vague.
Bill Cosby.


The Nine Things You Should Be
Doing NOW and Everyday
by Henry Daniels
http://www.whiskeyandgunpowder.com


“Must Do” #1: Stay Alert and in the Know.

New economic realities confront us on a daily basis. Our discussion has centered on a groundbreaking documentary, “The Fall of America and the Western World” which let us in on the thoughts, principles and policies of right wing, left wing, centrist and independent economic and political thinkers.

Each week we’ve offered practical advice on things you can do to prepare for further economic deterioration and ultimately, your survival. This marks the last of our articles — we thought it would be advantageous to summarize our previous tips on what you should be doing starting right now and going forward to best position yourself to keep your head above water…

TIP ONE: Get Real. You must realize you are being lied to by the media, the politicians and the experts. If you don’t accept this reality, then you will not be serious in your efforts to change your situation.

TIP TWO: Be Prepared. Figure out what you’ll need to survive and examine what you have. This will tell you what you don’t have. Start a plan so you can get what you need, but don’t yet have.

TIP THREE: Become Self-Sufficient. The more dependent you are on others, the less likely your chances of survival. Start with the basics: food and water. Do you have a plan for feeding yourself if the food supply chain breaks down, supermarkets go out of business and your cupboards are bare?

TIP FOUR: Be Secure. As things get worse, those that have will become targets of those who have not. Is your home secure? Are you hiding your “wealth” and looking poor? Are your assets easy to get to but securely protected?

TIP FIVE: Get Off the Grid. As resources dwindle a steady, reliable source of power will become a necessity. Solar, wind and hydropower are all within the reach of the individual, depending on your location. Transportation needs also must be considered, especially if you are reliant on public transit. Do you have a bicycle?

TIP SIX: Get Out of the Dollar. You will need an emergency fund. Dollars are not the currency you want this fund in. Think precious metals and buying a safe to store them in as your bank may not be around much longer.

TIP SEVEN: Think Individually, Act Privately. Be brutally honest about your skills. If your skill set will enable you to do things that others are going to need, you’ve just improved your odds of survival.

TIP EIGHT: Educate Yourself and Your Family. Go old school. Read books. Don’t satisfy yourself reading just those who mimic your beliefs; read about alternative viewpoints, too. The more you know, the more you grow. The wise man learns something new every day. When was the last time you learned something new?

TIP NINE: Investigate the Opportunities. Every situation has opportunities, even our current economic climate. Keep your outlook positive, surround yourself with upbeat people and keep your eyes open for opportunities to present themselves. They will. Just make sure that you seize them when they do.





America Loves Crap...Parting bittersweet thoughts!

Am I the only one who realizes what’s happening globally…how America is losing its stature, how China is coming into a dominate role with Russia coming in as number two? Hell, the US won’t compete any longer in space as NASA retires its space fleet soon with nothing to replace it…you can bet this is not the case in China or Russia. China in particular, is investing in every sort of technology and hedging its natural resources bets though investment throughout Asia and Africa.

The US still maintains a dominant military role, but that won’t last much longer.

What kills me is how stupid most Americans have become in terms of world affairs. The flatworms who run the network news have helped to dummy down America through its infotainment empire, no hard news, no documentaries, just crap. Dateline and shows of that ilk have become murder nonsense of the week. There is no journalism because Americans are more concerned with American Idol malarky than world affairs.

It breaks my heart to witness how our country is taking a back seat to just about everything meaningful and becoming a second class debtor nation...it's especially painful to see how few of the younger generation seem to care. So long as they have their cell phone, it doesn't seem to bother them.

The Washington-Wall Street Cartel has been torching the Bill of Right and the Constitution for 30 years while Wall Street has destroyed the middle class...hey, who needs a job in the USA, everyone can just become a burger flipper or work for the government! Most recently, the FBI staged raids against peace activists (guns drawn of course). I thought this type of government folly had gone the way of Viet Nam antiwar protestors but apparently it's not. Video at: http://www.utne.com/Politics/FBI-Raids-Unite-Left-Right-in-Reaction.aspx?utm_content=09.29.10+Spirituality&utm_campaign=Emerging+Ideas-Every+Day&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email




“The income gap between the richest and poorest Americans grew last year to its widest amount on record as young adults and children in particular struggled to stay afloat in the recession.” (USA Today)



Yeah, I know, there are always a few bright spots but they are getting harder to find.

Here are Signs the U.S. Is Losing Its Influence In Its Own Backyard:
Our most powerful regional ally--Brazil--refuses to follow our orders on Iran
Hillary Clinton went to Brazil to beg support for sanctions against Iran and came away empty handed.  Now the UN is counting on Brazil, which is friendly with America and Iran, to lead nuclear diplomacy.
The World's Richest Man is now a Mexican, not an American.
For the first time in 16 years, the World's Richest Man is not an American. Carlos Slim, worth $54 billion, is the first Latin American to hold that title and one of many emerging market billionaires to eclipse the U.S.
Three years after a US financial crisis, Latin America is again growing rapidly. The U.S.? Not so much...read more at:

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/10-signs-the-us-is-losing-its-influence-in-the-western-hemisphere-535456.html?tickers=eem,ewz,fxi,eeb,jjm,^dji,xle

The end of the USA, just like the end of Rome won't come all at once...the plug won't mysteriously be pulled in the middle of the night. Short of a nuclear attack, it most likely will be a gradual thing. As we see our rights gradually erode, our incomes slide, further declines in government services, etc.



That's all for this week from your lamentable latitudinarian – the Poor Man!
Send us your suggestions and news poormansurvivor@yahoo.com
http://www.PoorManSurvivor.com
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Don't Get Caught With Your Pantry Down-New 11th Ed.
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