Dat Gum Govern'ment, Home Arts

Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin
Your choice for urban survival resources
http://www.PoorManSurvival.com


In This Issue:

1. DIY Home canning, jerky making, more
2. Quick guide to non-refrigerated foods
3. Make your own vinegar
4. Using a pellet gun to hunt with
5. Quick guide to traps and snares
6. 5 Things to consider for being thrifty
7. Nutrition on the Cheap



As Ann Coulter said, “Liberals live in a world in which everyone is either an oppressor or a victim.”


Living with a ‘bargain master”

Although the Poor Man’s wife goes by many monikers, including Barn Goddess (she loves animals, especially horses), she is best known to all as a bargain master. During this cold weather, she more resembles an ‘Eskimo Babe’ with her head to feet Carhart garb (it’s been tough re-acclimating ourselves to winter weather again).

Whereas I have a “want list” about a yard long, hers is about three miles long.

She’s the master of after Christmas sales and it’s how we can still manage to send greeting cards each year (as opposed to ecards). If chocolate is on sale, she can smell it before we get into the store. This is one of the reasons the Poor Man is becoming the ‘fat man’ as I too cannot resist a Hershey bar with almonds!

The bottom line…it’s extremely helpful to have a supportive partner during these chaotic financial times. Although she’s much younger than me (keeps me young), she too fully realizes how our government has imperiled the nation.

Aside from that, she’s a patient sounding board for all of my ideas AND, she’s a good shot!

Finally…

Last year, I reported that the United States fell from sixth to eighth place -- behind Canada -- in the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal's 2010 Index of Economic Freedom. Now, we've fallen further. In the just-released 2011 Index, the United States is in ninth place. That's behind Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada, Ireland and Denmark

New Speaker John Boehner, leader of the Republicans who now control the House, says he wants to cut spending. When he was sworn in last week, he declared: "Our spending has caught up with us. ... No longer can we kick the can down the road."
But when NBC anchorman Brian Williams asked him to name a program "we could do without," he said, "I don't think I have one off the top of my head."

Is he crazy? There are dozens of programs that could be cut, starting with the Dept. of Education & perhaps the Dept of Energy, none of which have accomplished anything meaningful since their inception!


Get flake salt from a feed store-no aluminum in it and 25lbs cost what 1lb does at markets.


This Week’s Useful Stuff (& it’s all useful)

Free downloads of how-to ‘home canning’ publications
http://www.pickyourown.org/canningpubs.htm

Basics of food dehydrating
http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/DehydratingMenu.htm

Making a basic animal snare/trap & other resources
http://www.survival-homestead.com/how-to-make-a-trap.html

Make your own jerky at home guide-free
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Beef-Jerky

Brand new workshop play area plans.
.Its a 100% free download with no strings
attached.
Just click the link below to get it.
http://www.free-projectplans.com/FreeBarnPlanGarage.htm


USPS to Raise Postage Rates in April Including Media Mail
The cost of First Class and Standard Mail will rise in April,
including Media Mail, as the USPS filed new mailing service
prices with the Postal Regulatory Commission.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y11/m01/i14/s01

Quick emergency candle-fill an empty shotgun shell with paraffin using a heavy cord for a wick.

Make your own vinegar

Vinegar is such a useful product, good for unclogging drains, adding flavor (while reducing intestinal gas) in soups and stews, good on salads and more. You can make your own vinegar at home using a variety of fruits but most I know use apples.

The least expensive ones to use are those which are bruised but use a variety that is tart so you get a bit of a bite with the end product. Adding pears to your home brew provides a nice, tasteful variety. Visiting local apple orchards is usually the cheapest source.

Clean and chop the fruit…or, place inside a sturdy container and mash them with a 2x4.

Let the mashed fruit ferment in a clean glass, crockery or wooden container. Do not use a metal container. Leave enough space at the top, about 25% for expansion and keep an eye on the pulp as it ferments.

Keep the container covered during this process with a towel or old sheet, tied tightly with a string or large rubber band. This keeps the bugs out and still allows for the necessary air to get inside. Set the container in your basement with a moderate temperature and allow it to age for three or four months. Stir and taste every so often and when the flavor is pleasing, strain out the juice and store in glass containers in a cool dark place. If you find the flavor a little too strong, dilute with a bit of water.

"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." ~ Robert A. Heinlein

Hunting with a Pellet Gun
They’re silent and they work…

Are you thinking about going out hunting with a pellet gun? There are a few important guidelines that you are going to need to follow if you want to make sure that you are being both humane and effective out there. Some of the things that you need to consider include choosing the proper gun, the proper scope and the proper ammo, and you must also make sure to use the correct practices when you go pellet gun hunting. The first consideration that you are going to want to make is what type of game you should be hunting and should not be hunting. Here is a quick guide to pellet gun hunting using an air gun…you’ll find these sites useful resources.
http://www.huntinghunters.com/pellet-gun-hunting-guide/
http://www.pelletgunhunting.net/
http://www.airgundepot.com/popular-hunting-air-guns.html


In some countries in the Middle East, you can’t use alcohol, or have sex outside of marriage (whether you’re married or not). Here you can’t use marijuana or cocaine or pay for sex with anything other than dinner, movie or a mortgage.

<<<>>>

Good, non-refrigerated food to use when outdoors, power failure, etc.
One method of supplying enough protein in your diet is to purchase Meals Ready to Eat. If you have plenty of cash and the time to buy MREs this may be an option. However, there is an easier and cheaper way; cheese and sausage.

Cheeses and sausages are concentrated sources of protein that can be made to keep very well even when not refrigerated. This makes these foodstuffs of special value as survival food for the backpacker, camper, and wilderness enthusiast.

Emergency food storage and dehydrated food have come a long way in recent years. There's more variety than ever, and the foods are quite flavorful. In an emergency, you'll be very thankful that you took precautions. Something your body will miss however are fresh greens and you need that to stay alert. You can purchase sprout kits online and perhaps buy a few of those Chia kitchen herb gardens.

A great deal of what's in your fridge absolutely does NOT need to be there. If you're interested in trying this, just start by taking all these things out of your fridge, and putting them in a pantry type situation:

Butter/margarine - shelf life about 2 weeks
Eggs -shelf life at least a week
Cheese - keep covered, shelf life variable- taste when unrefrigerated hugely better
ketchup/mustard - shelf life - forever
honey - shelf life - forever
onions/garlic - shelf life - 2 weeks
tomatoes - shelf life - 4 days
cabbage - shelf life - 1 week
cooking oil - shelf life - months
peanut butter - shelf life - months

Read this free PDF on to keep food without a fridge-even in the tropics
http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/Livingwithoutrefrigeration.pdf

Storing food without refrigeration-what to do in an emergency
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-preserve-food-zm0z71zsie.aspx

Side Bar…
People don’t realize how cheap wheat is today, even after its recent gains. In 1904, a bushel of wheat cost about $1.00. That was in 1904 dollars. Since a $20 gold coin contained about an ounce of gold in those days, your $20 gold coin would buy about 20 bushels of wheat. This was a typical price until the mid-1960s.

Today, your $20 gold coin – it could be the very same one – would buy about 187 bushels of wheat. Since there are 60 pounds in a bushel, that would be 11,220 pounds of wheat. At today's $7.74/bushel, a pound of wheat costs about $0.13 wholesale. Combined with a little meat and vegetables, it would feed a man for a day.

Two empty shotgun shells, a 12-ga & a 16-ga, one pushed inside the other, makes a good holder for matches & will keep them dry.

Apple Pie Sandwich

The mock apple pie recipe offered an issue or so ago found this recipe sent in by another reader. Sounds good.

Slice & parboil some soft apples.
Add some brown sugar & cinnamon to taste
Toast some bread lightly
Slice up some cheese (optional, we prefer cheddar) into small strips
Lay the cheese around the perimeter of the toast, pour the apple mixture into center
Place the other slice of bread on top, then quick fry in a skillet full of butter until the cheese melts, which acts as a sealer.
Enjoy!


Baked Bananas

Brush some peeled bananas with melted butter & honey
Roll in whole wheat bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes or minced nuts
Bake about 10 minutes in a hot oven (375)

Our favorite cookbook is the Joy of Cooking (especially pre-1974 editions)
http://www.joyofbaking.com/

Getting Nutrition on the Cheap
Consumer Reports has some ideas on easy ways to improve your consumption of key nutrients without spending a fortune.
http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2011/01/my-entry.html


In 1922, Henry Ford wrote the following....
"The people must be helped to think naturally about money. They must be told what it is, and what makes it money, and what are the possible tricks of the present system which put nations and peoples under control of the few."


States Forced to Grapple with Fiscal Troubles
“The dismal fiscal situation in many states is forcing governors, despite their party affiliation, toward a consensus on what medicine is needed going forward. The prescription? Slash spending. Avoid tax increases. Tear up regulations that might drive away business and jobs. Shrink government, even if that means tackling the thorny issues of public employees and their pensions.” (New York Times)
Is reality finally getting through?

NOTE: The muni-bond market is declining rapidly as cities which issue such investment vehicles can no longer pay them off…they’re being charged higher interest rates, if they can get them at all. This is all due to overspending, especially for employee benefits.

Carry a bandana when camping or hunting. It can protect your nose & eyes in bad weather, act as a tourniquet, bandage or basket…you can also use it as a quick patch for your canoe.

Disasters Everywhere--The Parting Thought

Mudslides in Brazil, snowstorms and mudslides throughout America, crop failures in Russia…natural disasters are plaguing the planet.
2011 has just begun and yet we are already seeing significant price shocks and serious food shortages in many areas of the globe. In fact, violent economic riots are now being reported in Algeria, in Chile and in Mozambique. Food shortages and price increases are also causing political unrest in other nations such as India, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

A recent article in Forbes magazine summarized the current global food situation this way....
The world is treading on dangerous ground. Market forces are in place for another global food crisis, and, as the wheels keep turning, it will become harder for these to be put in reverse.


Food shortages, price shocks or both? USDA Suggests being prepared.
http://economycollapse.blogspot.com/2011/01/food-shortage-or-price-shock.html

If a global food shortage was sharp enough and went on long enough, the price shocks would eventually turn into empty shelves and physical food shortages inside the United States. This isn’t simply another government manufactured crisis (through they are the underlying reason).

While many of us are distracted by Golden Globe Awards, American Idol, the Big Game Syndrome and other ’bread n circus’ events…Rome is burning. I spoke with several owners of area dollar stores and like McDonald’s, they are having a tough time buying some of their wholesale goods while still maintaining a profit margin.

Becoming self sufficient isn’t an easy task, nor inexpensive. This is one of the reasons I started our bulletin and site. It may not be the fanciest or best laid out site, but we do pack it with useful information and resources. Our country is slowly imploding.

For the first time in history, the dollar is now valued less than the Australian dollar.

The Chinese premier is headed to Washington & made statements to the press this week that he thinks the currency of China should replace the dollar…but, I wonder-since it’s a Communist regime, would western countries take a chance? The Communists do not have a good track record for any kind of checks and balances that we offer.

One of the things I have learned, the hard way, is that you cannot do it all alone. It’s very helpful if you have like-minded family, friends and perhaps church members who will assist each other.

We always like to leave you laughing!

Dat Gum Gov’ment-Humor song from Roger Miller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exM8vf2eC5I&feature=fvsr

That’s it for this issue from the Poor Man! Solving the world’s problems one issue at a time… Please share this with friends.

http://www.PoorManSurvival.com

http://www.OldBookNook.com

http://www.GreenIrene.com/Poorman

Don't Get Caught With Your Pantry Down-New 11th Ed.
http://tinyurl.com/PMBasics

Free Money assistance for women, businesses, more.
http://hop.clickbank.net/hop.cgi?poorman11/mlesko

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