Keep Our Service Free-Donate

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Peak Food Production in the US? Organize Your Pantry DIY Firebricks


Poor Man Survival                                             

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources




"One of the sad signs of our times is that
we have demonized those who produce,
subsidized those who refuse to produce,
and canonized those who complain."

-- Thomas Sowell


It’s all about the Benjamins

I opened my garbage collection bill this week and see their ‘fuel surcharge’ of $6 was still in place.  This ‘fee’ has been included for over a year despite low fuel prices…I asked about it when I sent my last payment in and guess what?  ZERO response.  Like most of corporate America, greed drives their need.  Lower fuel prices HAVE NOT reduced airfares, grocery prices or much of anything else.

Why?

Because the only thing that drives Wall Street and the government is greed.  In the case of the government, they are the only ones who still offer generous wage and retirement benefit packages and as a consequence, they remain one of the few bastions of middle class jobs.

The shrinking social contract between consumers/taxpayers and their feudal lords have been steadily shrinking for years.

Let’s use fuel stations as an example.  In the 1950s, 1960s and much of the 1970s fuel was cheap.  When I was a toddler, I recall seeing ‘gas war’ prices of 10 and 12 cents a gallon! Now, the state and federal taxes are four times that and they can’t seem to keep the roads in good repair.

SIDEBAR:

Many government entities are seeking new ways to gouge the public even further with EZPass tolls and some are considering a new tax based on how many miles you drive.

Corporate America is on the hunt for new ways to relieve taxpayers of their cash and privacy including telematic devices to compile records of your driving habits, putting black boxes in all vehicles, and license plate scanning technology which has already compiled more 2 billion entries into a national database with more than 70 million license plate photos being added monthly!

Oddly enough in those days gas stations were full service.  High School kids could find work at the stations pumping the fuel, checking your oil, and cleaning your wind shield…AND most stations had giveaways such as road maps, glasses, Green Stamps, and more.  They also offered FREE air to fill your tires with.

All of that of course is gone today and yet the oil companies reap huge profits every year.

How is it they could make a profit then and still offer SERVICE?  Now they are pushers of junk food and beer while parking their profits offshore in order to avoid US taxes.  [Corporations used to pay the bulk of US taxes but they managed to buy enough politicians to shift the burden to the middle class family].

SIDEBAR:

Research conducted by independent bodies and by the Federal Highway Administration has found that red-light cameras end up causing more accidents.

In some states, state transportation funds are used to fund red-light cameras in large urban areas.

But the revenue from fines stay in the cities where the cameras are located. One more example of taxpayer bailout of incompetently managed inner cities!

Some Good News to Report

The good news is that citizens have gotten wise to the red-light camera scam and have come up with some interesting ways to challenge the authorities. Check out the website for details of how to fight these tickets and how to avoid getting them in the first

                                   

 

Has Peak Food Production Finally Hit?


 

13 Tips to Avoid a Data Breach
There are steps you can take to minimize the odds of being breached. There are also steps you can take to help ensure you don't suffer any consequences, should thieves get their hands on your data.

 


How to organize your pantry read more here


 

The Weekly Roundup of Useful Stuff

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Your support allows me to continue offering this newsletter!

 

Books, Art, Video – the saucy, the odd, the retro, even the practical…

Gifts he’ll appreciate for Valentine’s Day

No comments: