Bruce’s
Poor Man Survival Bulletin
A
digest of urban survival resources
ISSN 2161-5543
In
This Issue:
1. Start your own community currency-end state
controlled money
2. The
real scoop on your credit report
3. Money
for your creative project
4. A
glimmer of common sense on the ‘drug war’
5. More
useful prepper downloads – free, Drones to spy on Americans
"The two enemies of the people are criminals and
government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution
so the second will not become the legalized version of the first."
--Unknown
Surly & Sour: the rise in rude and uncivil
behavior
We're More Rude Than Ever, Poll Finds...
'It's about the daily assault of selfish, inconsiderate behavior that gets
under people's skin on the highways, in the office, on TV, in stores and the
myriad other settings where they encounter fellow Americans.'" (ABCNEWS.com)
In the study mentioned above, nearly eight in 10 respondents said lack of respect and courtesy is a serious national problem; 61% agreed that there was more rude behavior than in the past; people blamed parents for not instilling courtesy in their children, and popular culture for encouraging rude behavior
In the study mentioned above, nearly eight in 10 respondents said lack of respect and courtesy is a serious national problem; 61% agreed that there was more rude behavior than in the past; people blamed parents for not instilling courtesy in their children, and popular culture for encouraging rude behavior
During the past 30 years we’ve all seen the weekly
reports of rude behavior on air flights, among politicians and bureaucrats,
among young children and youth, and adults alike – equal opportunity lunatics.
Our teacher friends, all report a rise in unruly,
ill-mannered, boorish behavior among students. School bullying has become the
target of national concern.
No matter who does the study, the results seem to be the same. Here, 79% feel people are ruder to each other now than just 10 years ago; 42% say they encounter rude behavior every day (Apr. 2002 Good Housekeeping)
What’s going on? We’re rude and we’re mean: there’s road rage, air rage, cellphone rage, checkout rage, bike rage, sports rage, parking rage, rail rage, bank rage, roller rage, boat rage, desk rage, car alarm rage, and drivers who even honk at people on crutches. And according to one expert, there’s also "funeral rage" – people actually flip the bird and cut off funeral processions (Dr. Frank Farley, former president, American Psychological Association)
Statistics prove that more than 8 in 10 of us, both with kids and without kids, agree that bad parenting -- the failure to instill good behavior in kids -- is the major cause of bad manners.
A new Census Bureau stat shows 47% of households are
now made up of single parent families. I
firmly believe this trend began after WWII and was pushed along by Hollywood
celebrities who popularized having children out of wedlock. It takes a lot of work to raise
children. The crap on TV is another
handicap to social morals.
Teachers often speak of how
rude and poorly behaved students have become over the years and the
‘Do-Gooders’ have made discipline virtually impossible. What do you think?
Tomatoes help prevent sunburn. People who eat 5 tbs daily are 33% less
likely to get sunburn.
PM’s
‘Betty Shocker’ Compendium of useful information…
The
Real Scoop on your credit report
Even though there are ways to get estimated FICO
scores and alternative credit scores for free, there are only two places to
obtain your true FICO score, and neither is free...
Equifax (866-493-9788, www.Equifax.com, select "Equifax Products," click the "Single Use
Products" tab, then select "Complete Report." $39.95).
In May 2010, the US Senate approved an amendment to a
financial industry overhaul bill that would give consumers a free look at their
credit scores when they are rejected for a loan, credit card, insurance rate or
apartment based on their scores.
Meanwhile, several free online credit score estimator
tools can give you a reasonable idea where your score likely stands,
including...
Bankrate.com (www.Bankrate.com/calculators.aspx, select "FICO Score Estimator" from the "Credit Card
Calculators" section).
Be skeptical of "free
credit score" offers. Many of these contain hidden costs... and the score
provided is unlikely to be a FICO credit score. Each of us is entitled to
receive a free copy of a credit report (which does not include a credit
score but does give details of your credit history) each year from AnnualCreditReport.com.
To protect yourself from identity theft and incorrect information, scan your
report for listings that you don’t recognize or that don’t seem accurate.
A Chemical-Free
Weed Killer
Weed Killer
The following solution is a safe, environmentally
friendly weed killer...
In a spray bottle, combine 1 quart of water and either
1 ounce of distilled white vinegar or 1 ounce of gin, plus 1 capful of baby
shampoo. Spray the weeds until they’re soaking wet. After a day or so, the
weeds will turn brown, shrivel up and then die.
CAUTION: When using any type of weed killer, be certain to
spray only the weeds, not any of the plants you want to keep.
More useful prepper guides – free downloads
OPM - A Federal Employee's Family Preparedness Guide http://www.opm.gov/emergency/pdf/NationalFamilyGuide.pdf
FEMA - Preparing Makes Sense. Get Ready Now
FEMA - Ready.gov
FEMA - Are You Ready? http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/areyouready_full.pdf
WANT
TO FIND MONEY FOR YOUR CREATIVE PROJECT? KICKSTARTER HELPS
Kickstarter
has an interesting idea of its own for funding creative projects: Post them to
its site and let funders small or large decide who gets money.
“Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields," its website says.
I haven’t tried it yet (I have no ideas; I just type), but check it out at http://www.kickstarter.com/ . With thanks to www.Sprouter.com for the tip.
“Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields," its website says.
I haven’t tried it yet (I have no ideas; I just type), but check it out at http://www.kickstarter.com/ . With thanks to www.Sprouter.com for the tip.
Alternative or Community Currencies
The dollar is not just in decline - it’s a
mess!
As the Poor Man has reported, several states are now accepting or in
the process of accepting gold and silver rather than Federal Reserve Notes due
to their inflation-prone status.
According to the US Treasury, the Coinage Act of 1965, there is no
statute mandating a private business must accept currency or coins for payment
of goods and service.
Currently, there are more than 150 alternative currencies being
accepted around the country. In some
states, retailers now have signs in place announcing they accept the Euro, the
Loon or even the Peso.
In some foreign countries such as China, place a limit on the amount of
US currency which can be exchanged. India
has announced they will no longer accept US dollars and Amsterdam severely
limits where one can exchange US dollars.
Even the Chicago Mercantile Exchange now accepts gold to settle futures
contracts.
The United Nations is warning that the U.S. dollar
could collapse. The following is a brief excerpt from a recent news report put out by Reuters....
The United Nations warned on Wednesday of a possible crisis of
confidence in, and even a “collapse” of, the U.S. dollar if its value against
other currencies continued to decline.
In a mid-year review of the world economy, the UN economic division said
such a development, stemming from the falling value of foreign dollar holdings,
would imperil the global financial system.
BerkShares (www.berkshares.org) BerkShares are a local currency for the Berkshire region. Dubbed a
"great economic experiment" by the New York Times, BerkShares are a
tool for community empowerment, enabling merchants and consumers to plant the
seeds for an alternative economic future for their communities. Launched in the
fall of 2006, BerkShares had a robust initiation, with over one million
BerkShares having been circulated in the first nine months and over two million
to date. View television coverage of BerkShares by
clicking here, and other international, national, and regional news
coverage by clicking here.
Reason.tv: Bitcoin & the End of
State-Controlled Money
Bitcoin is the world's first fully decentralized, peer-to-peer (p2p) virtual currency. It allows users to make anonymous and untraceable cash transactions anywhere in the world without any sort of real-world intermediary. So unlike PayPal and other online services, it can't be squeezed in the same way by governments or other control agents. Just how revolutionary is Bitcoin? Reason.tv sat down with Mercatus Senior Research Fellow Jerry Brito to learn how Bitcoin operates and what the implications are for traditional state-based fiat currencies. "Whether Bitcoin succeeds or fails is neither here nor there," says Brito, who predicts that currencies in the future will almost certainly be deregulated and decentralized - with or without governments' consent.
Bitcoin is the world's first fully decentralized, peer-to-peer (p2p) virtual currency. It allows users to make anonymous and untraceable cash transactions anywhere in the world without any sort of real-world intermediary. So unlike PayPal and other online services, it can't be squeezed in the same way by governments or other control agents. Just how revolutionary is Bitcoin? Reason.tv sat down with Mercatus Senior Research Fellow Jerry Brito to learn how Bitcoin operates and what the implications are for traditional state-based fiat currencies. "Whether Bitcoin succeeds or fails is neither here nor there," says Brito, who predicts that currencies in the future will almost certainly be deregulated and decentralized - with or without governments' consent.
"Advocates of a small but fast-growing digital
currency network called bitcoin think they've found the answer (or, at the very
least, an answer). If it is successful, claim its adherents, this
totally- decentralized, peer-to-peer (P2P) currency could supplant the world's
central bank-issued money, potentially providing savvy speculators with an
opportunity to cash in on the greatest politically motivated market distortion
of our time."
For every $10 the typical household earns before taxes, almost a full dollar now goes toward gas, a 40 percent bigger bite
than normal.
Households spent an average of $369 on gas last month.
In April 2009, they spent just $201. ---USA Today
The
Nanny State Updates…
Tyranny
in America – why we need a revolution…
A
rural MO fellow got fined $90,000 (by the US Dept of
Agriculture) for selling rabbits without a license. His net profit was only $200. Utter nonsense. In the 1950s only one in twenty professions
required a license, now it’s one in three!
Red tape and government bullcrap is killing this country and defies
common sense and proof to other countries (which are laughing at our stupidity)
that we’re no longer a free people.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending huge
amounts of money to install surveillance cameras in the cafeterias of public schools so that government control freaks
can closely monitor what our children are eating.
The Florida State Department of Juvenile Justice has announced that it will begin using analysis software to predict crime by young delinquents and will place "potential offenders" in specific prevention
and education programs.
17 year-old honor student in North Carolina named Ashley Smithwick accidentally took her father's lunch with her to
school. It contained a small paring knife which he would use to slice up
apples. So what happened to this standout student when the school discovered
this? The school suspended her for the rest of the year and the police charged her with a misdemeanor
Do you remember how much was made of the "Misery
Index" during the presidency of Jimmy Carter? At that time,
the "Misery Index" was constantly making headlines in newspapers all
across the country. Well, according to John Williams of Shadow Government
Statistics, if we calculated unemployment and inflation the same
way that we did back during the Carter administration, then the Misery Index
today would actually be higher than at any point during the presidency of Jimmy
Carter.
Big Brother already has access to our permanent
records, and soon he might literally be capable of looking over our
shoulders…with unmanned drones.
The T-Hawk is a flying robot small enough to fit in
your backpack and able to hover deftly, observe its surroundings, and pursue a
target. The Draganflyer X6 is an ultraquiet miniature helicopter that weighs
less than three pounds and can stealthily photograph subjects wherever they
are—indoors or out. Unmanned
Read more: http://www.utne.com/Science-Technology/Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicles-Drones-Police-Surveillance.aspx#ixzz1ODZIRoDl
Read more: http://www.utne.com/Science-Technology/Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicles-Drones-Police-Surveillance.aspx#ixzz1ODZIRoDl
Most Americans don't realize how much the U.S. dollar
has been devalued over the years. An item that cost $20.00 in 1970 would cost
you $115.93 today.
An item that cost $20.00 in 1913 would cost you $454.36 today.
The Parting Shot…The Fed is scuttling America
The United Nations warned on Wednesday of a possible
crisis of confidence in, and even a “collapse” of, the U.S. dollar if its value
against other currencies continued to decline.
In a mid-year review of the world economy, the UN
economic division said such a development, stemming from the falling value of
foreign dollar holdings, would imperil the global financial system.
Recently, U.S. Representative Ron Paul gave a speech
on "The Patriot Act" on the floor of the House of Representatives.
The following is a brief except from that speech....
Our
Presidents can now, on their own:
*Order assassinations, including American citizens,
*Operate secret military tribunals,
*Engage in torture,
*Enforce indefinite imprisonment without due process,
*Order searches and seizures without proper warrants, gutting the 4th Amendment,
*Ignore the 60 day rule for reporting to the Congress the nature of any military operations as required by the War Power Resolution,
*Continue the Patriot Act abuses without oversight,
*Wage war at will,
*Treat all Americans as suspected terrorists at airports with TSA groping and nude x-raying.
*Operate secret military tribunals,
*Engage in torture,
*Enforce indefinite imprisonment without due process,
*Order searches and seizures without proper warrants, gutting the 4th Amendment,
*Ignore the 60 day rule for reporting to the Congress the nature of any military operations as required by the War Power Resolution,
*Continue the Patriot Act abuses without oversight,
*Wage war at will,
*Treat all Americans as suspected terrorists at airports with TSA groping and nude x-raying.
And the Federal
Reserve accommodates by counterfeiting the funds needed and not paid for by
taxation and borrowing, permitting runaway spending, endless debt, and special
interest bail-outs.
Finally, perhaps a return to some common sense?!
A slew of big-name former politicians are endorsing a
report that says the war on drugs is not working and that drug enforcement
policy needs to fundamentally change. The Global Commission on Drug Policy will
urge a "paradigm shift" that emphasizes public health over
criminalization tomorrow at a meeting in New York City, The Guardian reports.
Those backing the report
include former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, former UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan, former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz and former Fed Chair Paul
Volcker. Former elected leaders of Greece, Brazil and Colombia have also signed
on.
Keep in mind, most government policies don’t work…
"The right to be let alone – the most
comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men." –
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, Olmstead v. U.S., 277 U.S. 438 (1928)
That’s it from your ‘Guardian’ – the Poor Man
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