The Food We Eat is Safe-Just Another Government Lie?

 

 

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…

www.poormansurvivor.net

 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resource

 

We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.
- Calvin Coolidge

 

 

 

One of the Biggest Government Lies: “The Food We Eat is Safe”

The FDA didn’t perform any kind of testing in regards to rBST. FDA official John Scheid admitted to the Associated Press that the agency based their approval simply on a summary provided by Monsanto.

Former FDA veterinarian Richard Burroughs, who was a lead reviewer in this hormone’s approval process, said the drug “was approved prematurely without adequate information”… and that “the whole rBST thing was bad science and bad regulation.”

The European Union even investigated the FDA’s faulty approval process and concluded that the hormone’s safety had never been proved.

Canadian scientists also analyzed the FDA’s approval process and wrote a lengthy and scathing report. If you google “Gaps Analysis Report”, you can read it online.

Unless it’s labeled organic or “rBST free”, everything in the dairy section of your grocery store, including yogurt and cheese, probably includes milk from cows injected with this hormone.

Unfortunately, milk is just the tip of the iceberg.

With the help of the FDA, GMOs have spread throughout our food supply. It’s virtually everywhere.

Why would the FDA put Americans at risk?

Well, it turns out the Deputy Commissioner for Policy at the FDA in 1993 had strong links to Monsanto. He had worked for the company, before joining the FDA.

In fact, after helping secure the approval of rBST, he went back to Monsanto to work as its Vice President for public policy.

Today, he’s once again at the FDA, working closely with the Obama administration on food safety.

Well, once you understand the strong link between government and big corporations that produce GM food, the answer is not exactly a surprise.

But that doesn’t make it any less disturbing.

Big corporations, lobbyists and politicians will do anything to keep you in the dark. Why? Because there’s big money involved. That’s the cold truth of our food supply.

If word gets out that genetically modified foods are potentially dangerous, the food companies’ billions of dollars in profits will be in SERIOUS jeopardy.

The genetically modified crop market is huge. In the last decade alone, Monsanto, which controls 90% of the market, has made more than $116 billion in sales.

And they use a lot of that money to make sure nobody will interfere with their business.

For example, in recent years they have spent over $52 million in lobbying to make sure they get the most favorable legislation possible.

And that has paid off… as the New York Times said, “the White House worked behind the scenes to help Monsanto get the regulations that it wanted.

For years, polls have shown that about 93% of Americans support the labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms.

But the biotech industry, with the help of the FDA, has decided that we don't need to know when there are potentially harmful ingredients in our food. So, GM foods are not required to carry identifying labels.

We are being denied the fundamental right to know what's in our food - a right that more than 50 other nations, including China and Russia, offer their citizens.

It’s estimated that 70% of processed foods contains genetically modified organisms. But because of the lack of labels, Americans have no clue.

 

Additional goodies you’ll find useful…

 

InstantWatcher.com: I found this site through a Consumer Reports newsletter I receive each month. The site helps you find titles to stream from either Netflix or Amazon. It can also be a great tool when you are trying decide which service is best for you and your family.

 

• Most 20-Somethings Can’t Answer These 3 Financial Questions. Can You? (Time): "A new study finds that young Americans could use some help when it comes to managing their money.  A new San Diego State University study of young Americans has found that they are lacking when it comes to financial knowledge and behavior.."

• 7 Personal Finance Basics for New Grads (NY Times): "Share these tips with your children to help them get off to a good start on their own."
• ‘Free’ apps may not be so free after all: (USC News): "There’s no such thing as free — especially with smartphone apps, according to a new study."

Small Gardens

I don't have space for a big garden. I just use a small portion of my patio. Last year, my garden supply center had a great deal on broken bags of potting soil, so I bought six of them. I set them out on my patio and cut a few slits in the bottom and a hole in the top. I planted tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers in the bags. I watered them just like I would normally and had a mini-veggie garden!

 

Video: Barter Smarter
When cash is scarce, more and more folks are going back in time to the barter system, trading goods and services for the things they need. This week, The Ultimate Cheapskate gives us his best bartering tips and tricks!

 

17 Clever Food Storage Tricks

If you’re like most of us, building your food storage out can be a daunting proposition. Not only can it be costly, but it also requires figuring out what kind of food to store, when it needs to be rotated, how much to buy per person, and more.

One of the biggest hang-ups of them all though, is WHERE to keep your food storage. Many of us live in smaller footprints as it is, without trying to cram in several months’ worth of food somewhere (or we just have so much junk it’s practically spilling out of our houses!).

Even so, with a little creativity, there are likely some additional places you can store food in your home, no matter what your living situation is.   Click here to find out what they are.        

 

Take a peek at Cam Mather’s ‘Sensible Prepper’ site – he got started about the same time I did in the late 1990s in terms of becoming more self reliant…You’ll find plenty of useful resources.  http://www.cammather.com/books-dvds/sensible-prepper

FINALLY, according to John Williams of shadowstats.com, if honest numbers were used they would show that U.S. GDP growth has been continuously negative since 2005. There are many of us, myself included, who do not trust government numbers for employment or other economic numbers…which ultimately could mean another economic downturn is headed our way.

Stay alert my friends!

The Poor Man is donating 50% of the net profits from all its online sales to the disaster relief program in Nepal…I thank you for your support!

 

http://RetroGuy.net

DIY Masonry Fire Pit, Pot Smoker, Emergency Fund Builder

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…

www.poormansurvivor.net

 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resource

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

DIY Flower Pot Smoker

Find grill grate size of choice

Find pot for that size grate and a second pot to use as the lid.

Find smaller pot to hold charcoal and ceramic plate for indirect cooking.

I found all pots at my local Home Depot for around $30.

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Flower-Pot-Smoker/

 

 

DIY Masonry Fire Pit

Now this is something I plan to build at our mini-farm this summer…mighty nice!

 

This fire Pit has become the main attraction at our house. We have since made a habit of sitting out here with or without an actual fire. The stone was a potpourri of closeouts. The bricks were picked up cheap from a job that never used some over orders. The block, sand, and mortar are just everyday Lowes stuff. All said and done I probably had $200 in it. If I had to buy the other stuff at regular price it would probably be around $500. Plus sweat.

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Masonry-fire-Pit/

 

 

Study: One-Third of Americans Have Less Than $1000 Toward Retirement

We have previously discussed the income disparity in the country and the alarming lack of savings for a great percentage of our fellow citizens. Now a study shows that roughly one third of the population have saved less than $1,000 for retirement. Equally surprising is the estimate of what will be needed to live comfortably in the future.   Read more of this post

 

How to build an emergency fund when you're living paycheck to paycheck
read more here

 

Video: Ways Thieves Steal Credit Card Data
The three most common places thieves steal data are ones many people visit on a regular basis.

 

Landscape Your Yard with Edibles - Plants to Consider

One of the best gardening decisions I ever made: landscaping my backyard with edibles. It took some time to get everything established, but now my yard is as pretty as it is tasty. Here are some edibles to consider adding to your yard.

 

 

Garden-in-a-Can

Watch the video and visit backtotheroots.com to learn more about our new Garden-in-a-Can.

 

No Ice Needed Picnic Cooler

Here's a simple way to keep food cooler outdoors. You'll need two unglazed clay pots. One should be larger than the other. Put the smaller one inside the larger one and fill the space outside the smaller one with sand. Pour water on the sand until it's saturated. Then put your food in the smaller pot and cover with a damp cloth and a heavy lid. The inner temperature will be about 20 degrees cooler than the outside air until the water evaporates. I've never used it on things that spoil quickly like potato salad, but it's great for veggies and fruits.

 

A beginner's guide to co-op buying
read more here

 

No Need to Panic…or is there?

 

McDonald’s has announced that it will be closing 700 “poor performing” restaurants in 2015.  Why would McDonald’s be doing this if the economy was actually getting better?

>The number of publicly traded companies in the United States that filed for bankruptcy during the first quarter of 2015 was more than double the number that filed for bankruptcy during the first quarter of 2014.

 >New home sales in the United States just declined at their fastest pace in almost two years.

> US Manufacturing PMI plunged to 54.2 in April (from 55.7). Against expectations of a rise to 55.6, this is the biggest miss on record.

 

> When priced according to “the average blue-collar hourly wage“, U.S. stocks are the most expensive that they have ever been in history right now.  To say that this financial bubble is overdue to burst is a massive understatement.

 

Needful Things   Needful Things   Needful Things

 

Hard Core Chicks: Eight Self Defense Tactics Every Women Should Know

 

7 Amazing Foods You Can Make With Cake Mix (Besides Cake)

Save Money by Cleaning Something That Everyone Forgets to Clean

Where to Find Free Weight Loss Programs

How to Make Beautiful, Baked Apple Roses for Dessert

Clever Hospital Trick for Removing a Stuck Ring from Your Finger

 

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

http://RetroGuy.net

 

 

A Shallow Planet Production

The Copenhagen Window or Thinking in Terms of Probabilities about Your Future

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…

www.poormansurvivor.net

 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resource

Glance into the world just as though time were gone: and everything crooked will become straight to you!   >Nietzsche

 

 

 

 

Think in terms of probabilities -- and not in terms of hard truths. Expect the unexpected.

Think about the concept of the Copenhagen Window

The interpretation is the notion that the future is nothing more than an expanding set of probabilities, time lines of possibility that continuously collapse into one reality as observances of measurements mad; kind of the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics.

This is also expressed in detail as Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.         

There is no crystal ball for predicting one outcome then proceeding on a single path.”

Rather, it’s best to adapt to new information as it comes. Stay nimble.

You have to think in terms of probabilities -- and not in terms of hard truths. Expect the unexpected…and with our political leaders, we can always anticipate the unexpected with one exception:  Always follow the money!  In Washington, nearly everything happens because of money, who gets it and who has it removed from their pocket.

For instance, when I review my various resources on the economy I look at what our Fed is doing, what China is doing, the price of precious metals and so on.  If gold suddenly falls or triples in price, I get concerned…does this indicate a crash, government crisis, international crisis or???

The Global financial system is unfathomably complex and most folks know nothing of how it works.  If they did, they would tremble in fear.

Earlier in the year a prestigious gathering of the International Monetary Fund held at the annual Davos Economic Forum issued a dire warning about America’s financial system, specifically in regard to the shadow banking system [I wrote about this extensively two years ago but few paid attention]. 

The Telegraph summarized it:  “Shadow banking now poses top risk to US stability…non-financial lending has reached $15 trillion since the collapse of a few years ago and is outside the control of authorities”

Federal Reserve Chairwoman Yellen has said this about shadow banking, “We simply have to expect that when we draw regulatory boundaries and supervise intensely within them, that there is the prospect that activities will move outside those boundaries and we can do nothing.”

I suspect she was referring primarily to the derivative market, which are essentially unregulated, high-risk credit bets…the same crap which nearly collapsed the monetary system in 2008 after Clinton eliminated the Banking Act of 1933, which is also called the Glass-Steagall Act.

Currently, central bankers around the world are all fighting currency wars. In all major financial centers at once -- from Washington, D.C., to Moscow to Beijing.

I look at factors like inflation [not the BS stats provided by government agencies], social disorder [which are increasing in a nation of have-nots], the movement of government agencies in terms of how they create and enforce laws which bash the Bill of Rights, how law enforcement engages its citizens while arming themselves for civil war.

Are we ready for another major worldwide credit crunch?  Today, the entire global financial system resembles a colossal spiral of debt.  Just about all economic activity involves the flow of credit in some way, and so the only way to have “economic growth” is to introduce even more debt into the system.  When the system started to fail back in 2008, global authorities responded by pumping this debt spiral back up and getting it to spin even faster than ever.  If you can believe it, the total amount of global debt has risen by $35 trillion since the last crisis.  Unfortunately, any system based on debt is going to break down…simply a matter of when.

Consider that China has seen more debt growth than any other major industrialized nation since the last recession.  This debt growth has been so dramatic that it has gotten the attention of authorities all over the planet…

Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany’s finance minister says that “debt levels in the global economy continue to give cause for concern.”

Singling out China in particular, Schaeuble noted that “debt has nearly quadrupled since 2007″, adding that it’s “growth appears to be built on debt, driven by a real estate boom and shadow banks.”  Sound familiar?

Poor earnings reports in the U.S. are starting to rattle investors…we just learned that GE lost 13.6 billion dollars in the first quarter…

One week following the announcement that it would dismantle most of its GE Capital financing operations to instead focus on its industrial roots, General Electric reported a first quarter loss of $13.6 billion.

The results were impacted by charges relating to the conglomerate’s strategic shift. A year ago GE reported a first quarter profit of $3 billion.

That is a lot of money.

How in the world does a company lose 13.6 billion dollars in a single quarter during an “economic recovery”?

Other big firms are reporting disappointing earnings numbers too…

In earnings news, American Express Co. late Thursday said its results were hurt by the strong U.S. dollar, which reduced revenue booked in other countries. Chief Executive Kenneth Chenault reiterated the company’s forecast that 2015 earnings will be flat to modestly down year over year. Shares fell 4.6%.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said its first-quarter loss widened as revenue slumped. The company said it was exiting its dense server systems business, effective immediately. Revenue and the loss excluding items missed expectations, pushing shares down 13%.

And just like we saw just before the financial crisis of 2008, Americans are increasingly having difficulty meeting their financial obligations.

For instance, the delinquency rate on student loans has reached a very frightening level…

At this point, the American consumer is pretty well tapped out.  If you can believe it, 56 percent of all Americans have subprime credit today, and domestically we’ve seen the biggest spike in credit application rejections ever recorded.

From what I see, we are entering a place that offers no solutions and plenty of bad decisions from the political elite and the bankers which control them…

Interview with Canadian Billionaire Rick Rule - The Global Financial System Is Now A Confidence Game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Opv2wj3aDk

 

 

 

Something the Poor Man has discussed often: A new country which is FREE - A drum roll please…

A Czech man has created a new country. He's calling it Liberland to celebrate the sort of liberty-based ideals championed by libertarians. But, his project is much more than just a libertarian enclave. Rather, it's a big step forward for freedom on Planet Earth.

Liberland is a new European country founded upon the principles of freedom, and that’s why I’ve applied for citizenship just three days after its founding.

Vit Jedlička is a member of the conservative Party of Free Citizens in the Czech Republic and is the self-appointed President of Liberland, which sits on unclaimed terra nullius territory between Serbia and Croatia. The 3 square miles is a place where taxes are optional and military does not exist.

Finally, a few other tools you might find of use…

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan: This book resonates with me as I attempt to simplify every aspect of my life

The Penny Hoarder: I met the founder of this site, Kyle Taylor, at a conference in Las Vegas. Kyle and his team produce some great content on saving money.

How to Declutter Your Mind and Unleash Your Willpower by Using “Bright-Line” Rules (James Clear): "A bright-line rule refers to a clearly defined rule or standard. It is a rule with clear interpretation and very little wiggle room. It establishes a bright line for what the rule is saying and what it is not saying."

I hope you found this issue thought provoking – Feel free to share your thoughts using the feedback box below.

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

 

 

http://RetroGuy.net

 

 

A Shallow Planet Production

 

Never Turn Down Free Money, Plug-in Planters, Home Farming Boxes

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…

www.poormansurvivor.net

 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resource

"Democracy leads to anarchy, which is mob rule."
-- Plato

CHOOSE ONE: Further work on the mini-farm or vacation in AZ. For now, we're using the few good months of weather in MI to work at the goal of creating a100% self-sufficient, off-grid homestead.
Deer, weather along with my up and down health took their usual toll. We'll need to replace all the fruit trees we had planted two years ago in addition to the other projects. And the price of everything continues to escalate...while at the same time online sales [for everyone we know] continued to decline...some days I feel like chucking it all, buy a houseboat and do a lot of fishing.

From Home Farming Boxes to Plug-In Planters

 

In commercial and home applications, hydroponic gardening has proven itself a valuable way to conserve space and water when growing plants. This ultra efficient system is ideal for gardeners of all levels, especially since it can be so low maintenance. Appealing to beginner green thumbs, products like Eliooo teach you how to assemble a hydroponic system from IKEA boxes, while NIWA comes as a pre-assembled system that connects to a smartphone for monitoring. For personal use, the best part is that you can actually grow plants like lettuce and tomatoes to eat at home.

Since hydroponics can be vertically arranged, this could mean that there will be a huge shift in the way traditional agriculture is approached in both small and large scale applications.

 

The Hyundai Kitchen Nano Lets Users Grow Their Own Organic Veggies

 

 

For those green freaks out there, the Hyundai Kitchen Nano seems like a pretty good option to start eating local -- really local. The kitchen garden is a device that lets users grow all their own organic vegetables, all with the appropriate amount of light and nutrition.

The Hyundai Nano Garden uses hydroponics instead of any pesticides and fertilizers to give you the most organic, fresh food at hand. The device actually lets users know when to give water or nutrients so you can get the greenest vegetables possible.

 

Also Noted…

 

The ‘Click & Grow Smartpots’ are optimal gifts for environmental tech enthusiasts who lack green thumbs. Owners of the planters merely have to fill the device with water, the subsequent fertilization, airing and watering is then done automatically.

This electronic approach to gardening is battery-operated. The company prides itself on Click & Grow Smartpots easy-to-use functions, requiring minimal attention despite its production of plants and edibles like basil. Users will also be alerted should the batteries die with a small flashing light.

As the element of labor is altogether removed here, busy workers can take on elaborate cultivation projects without having to master the art of horticulture, a feature that will bring foliage displays to the most unlikely spots.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsFRpa-bto0

 

More Gems You can Ponder, Read, Share

 

18 Genius Ways to Organize Your Garage

Save Yourself from Choking With This Life-Saving Technique

 

Care Connect USA. Everything from utilities assistance to tax debt relief. It's been so popular that thousands of company HR departments use it with their employees, as do many governmental social service agencies. In short, it's been a great resource. Calls are free and the advice is free.

Here’s a post on who's all checking your credit score. It includes a link where you can get a free credit score and learn about your credit monitoring and protection too. I know that a lot of people put it off. I just went through the process. It took about four minutes. They did need a little personal information, but did NOT require a credit card.

An Extra Income Source
Lucky you, you've got a good-paying, full-time job in what you believe is a recession-proof business, the Federated Flyswatter Company. But, bad news might be lurking just below the horizon. The China-based Wang Dang Flyswatter Works is thinking about buying your company outright, and if it does, you might be laid off. During any period of economic uncertainty, it's definitely not the time to hunker down and hope for the best. It's time to find or build a second source of income before you need it. Read more.

Make an Emergency Door Lock Out of a Dinner Fork

Never turn down free money!
read more here

 

Sweeter Trash?

Since we recycle and compost, we don't create a lot of kitchen trash, so we don't have to take out the trash nightly. We were having a problem with some trash odors. I started putting a little baking soda in the trashcan liner. It soaks up odors without adding any unwanted fragrances to my kitchen. Plus, it's all natural!

 A Parting Thought...

We are the American sucker, easily fooled and bamboozled by the political elite.

In 2014, police in the United States killed 1,100 people.  During that same year, police in Canada killed 14 people, police in China killed 12 people and police in Germany didn’t kill anyone at all.

 Yours for the hell of it...

Bruce 'the Poor Man'

 

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

 

http://RetroGuy.net

 

 

A Shallow Planet Production