PM's Self Reliance Tools: fixing the economy

Showing posts with label fixing the economy. Show all posts

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Return of debtor's prison, 4 ways to secure your home

Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

http://www.PoorManSurvival.com

For Independent Minded People!

ISSN 2161-5543

In This Issue:

1. Building community, Reaching out to neighbors

2. 10 ways to pest proof your home

3. 4 ways to secure your home when away

4. Return of debtor’s prison in the US

"Beware the greedy hand of government, thrusting
itself into every corner and crevice of industry."
-- Thomas Paine
(1737-1809) US Founding Father

Three Big Benefits of Reaching Out to Your Neighbors

The most tangible benefit of setting up a community fix-it group is that you'll save money on costly repairs and replacements. But there are still more advantages to consider.

Setting up a neighborhood or community fix-it group gives you the opportunity to learn and practice barter and negotiation skills. Now I'm not suggesting you try to squeeze every last bit of value out of your next door neighbor in an intense business-like negotiation. I am saying that face-to-face bargaining is a great skill to keep up in an era when we accustomed to getting most of our "stuff" from a store or by pointing and clicking on a computer. Tips on starting your own community group:

First get the word out. Let your neighbors know you are interested in started a fix-it group. You might be tempted to make everyone feel welcome, but you may be better off focusing on those individuals who the skills you'd like to see in the group: electricians, people who know how to work on small engines, people who know woodworking, and people who know sewing might make a good start.

Then, build a roster. Put together a list of people who are interested in participating and note what skills they bring to the group. Some might be interested in joining simply to learn, and that's okay. That means they'll be developing skills and greater self-reliance — always good traits to have in your neighbors.

Next, look for a home. To fix things, you'll need to have access to tools and supplies. You may have a neighbor with a well-stocked workshop who is willing to host your fix-it group in his garage. If not, the local religious or civic organization might be able to give you access to its shop. Or you may be able to find a third-party shop to rent for cheap.

Set up a meeting time. Maybe once a week or once a month, get together with your fix-it group. Ask everyone to bring items that they'd like to fix. You work on them together, teaching each other and assisting each other, sometimes learning as you go if a project requires skills the group doesn't have.

A final word: I've developed these options here for your thinking. But you can start small and even stay small if you'd rather by working with just one or two friends and neighbors. And you can definitely keep more of your hard-earned money by making a decision to make your stuff last longer – taking a personal stand against our throw-away society.

What to do when you're desperate for cash
read more here

PM’s Compendium of Useful Resources

10 Cheap, Effective Ways to Pest-Proof Your Home

Pest control employment is expected to boom by 26 percent through 2020 according to the United States Department of Labor, suggesting Americans are having a problem keeping critters outdoors where they belong.

But exterminators should be your last option. If you take steps to create a hostile environment for bugs and other pests, you won’t be spending big bucks on the bug man this summer. Here’s a quick video Money Talks founder Stacy Johnson put together about keeping mosquitoes away. Check it out:

http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2013/04/04/10-cheap-effective-ways-to-pest-proof-your-home/

4 Cheap Ways to Secure Your Home When You’re Away

We save up for vacations, but we can spend way too much on home security when we're away. Here are cheap but effective alternatives.

http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2013/03/12/4-cheap-ways-to-secure-your-home-when-youre-away/

8 Little-Known Tax Day Freebies
http://www.tiphero.com/tips_7983_

Getting Started Container Gardening
Experienced gardeners give advice for getting started as a container gardener, offering tips on everything from making your own potting soil to keeping critters away from your veggies.

To Build a Community Economy, Start With Solidarity

A powerful idea

“Building a community economy.” That ethic, heard from ADP members and workers alike, defines the Springfield-based nonprofit. Deputy Director Keya Hicks, who was an active member before joining the staff, explains the power of the idea, loosely taken from the work of the late feminist scholar Julie Graham: “These are folks who live right in the community. They want their lawns to be mowed. They want their snow to be removed. They work for United for Hire; they pay rent from those checks to keep the property running, so the wealth circulates in the community.” How residents who can’t afford to buy in still get the benefits of co-op work and housing. MORE »

http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/how-cooperatives-are-driving-the-new-economy/how-solidarity-builds-a-community-economy?utm_source=wkly20130405&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mrScher

· FREE eBooks

· Prudent Food Storage and 4 Keys to Food Security

· http://www.poormansurvival.com/Pages/diyfoodcoop.aspx

Do you know what a Monkey Hut is? It is a fantastic

design for providing shade for your garden during the hot

summer months: http://www.chromatest.net/Lovemonkey/

The Nanny State Updates… Americans are fat n happy while their rights are trampled!

ATF Uses Brain-Damaged Man To Set Up Gun and Drug Deals Then Shuts Down Operation And Charges Brain-Damaged Man

From our ‘stupid government stunts’ pages…

The ATF continues to struggle in the aftermath of its moronic Fast and Furious operation where they allowed powerful weapons to walk into the hands of gangs. One of those guns led to the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent. However, in true lunacy, a more recent operation would seem to demand similar ridicule. In Milwaukee, ATF agents ran an operation using Chauncey Wright, a brain-damaged 28-year-old man with a low IQ in the 50s to set up gun and drug deals. They then shutdown the operation and, you guessed it, they arrested Wright.

Do you still wonder why the Poor Man always says, We don’t need another election, We need another revolution?

Homemade cleaner for jetted tubs, shower heads and sprayers
read more here

The Parting Thought- A return to the ‘good old days in America.’

The Rise of “Debtors’ Prisons” in the US

In October of 2010, the American Civil Liberties Union published a report titled In for a Penny: The Rise of America’s New Debtors’ Prisons. The ACLU had found that debtors’ prisons were “flourishing” in this country, “more than two decades after the Supreme Court prohibited imprisoning those who are too poor to pay their legal debts.” In 2011, Huffington Post reported that debtors’ prisons were legal in more than one-third of the states in this country.

According to the ACLU report, some state and local governments “have turned aggressively to using the threat and reality of imprisonment to squeeze revenue out of the poorest defendants who appear in their courts. These modern-day debtors’ prisons impose devastating human costs, waste taxpayer money and resources, undermine our criminal justice system, are racially skewed, and create a two-tiered system of justice.”

Federal imprisonment for unpaid debt has been illegal in the U.S. since 1833. It’s a practice people associate more with the age of Dickens than modern-day America. But as more Americans struggle to pay their bills in the wake of the recession, collection agencies are using harsher methods to get their money, ushering in the return of debtor’s prisons.

Two years ago, the Wall Street Journal reported—after interviewing twenty judges across the country—that the number of borrowers who were threatened with arrest in their courtrooms had “surged since the financial crisis began.” The Wall Street Journal added that some borrowers who were jailed had “no idea before being locked up that they were sued to collect an outstanding debt” because of “sloppy, incomplete or even false documentation.” Diamond said it was becoming more and more common for debtors to serve time in jail. She added that some debtors are even required to pay for their time spent in jail—which, she said, exacerbates their dire financial situations.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Four Step Plan for Weathering the Financial Storm-Survive Tough Times

Surviving Tough Times

Becoming Independent during challenging times

www.PoorManSurvival.com

A Four Step Plan for Weathering Financial Storms

INTRODUCTION

I want to see a show of hands. Which one of you is responsible for the recession?

For the past 35 years Congressional policies have bankrupted our country. I don’t recall signing any of the checks Congress authorized to special interests, lobbyists, military contractors, etc. Did you?

In the past 10 years we’ve lost roughly 10% of our middle class; we’ve sent our jobs overseas, we no longer produce much. Our dollar, just since 2005, has lost about 40% of its buying power. Nearly half of our fellow citizens get some kind of public assistance – a record number. The average middle class family has lost roughly 30% or more of their financial net worth, much due to the decline of housing. I now call them the Whittled Class!

Wages, when you factor in the ever increasing cost of living, have been realistically stagnant since the late 1970s. The upper five percent of wealthy Americans control about 90% of the wealth in this country – the gap between the ‘haves and the have-nots’ hasn’t been this wide since the Great Depression. There are fewer good paying jobs and even fewer with decent benefits and pensions…the exception have been those employed by the government. Now, governments, at every level, are going broke trying to keep up with gold plated retirement benefits, especially with the decline of tax revenues due to so many non-working citizens.

Since the 1980s US jobs have been sent overseas in record numbers as many US and multi-national companies find it cheaper to pay someone in China $10 a day vs. $10 an hour here AND we all flock to WalMart to buy those foreign made goods, helping these corporations to be profitable. Government tax and labor policies actually encourage this which is why I call it the Washington-Wall Street Cartel.

It’s been said we have the ‘finest government money can buy’ and I no longer dispute that claim. Congress has become ineffectual and rarely serves the people any longer. Think about the gold-plated benefits Congress gets after just one term (full pension and health care). Frankly, I don’t care which party you support, each has proven dangerous to the American people and cannot be trusted. I am tired of the shallow and empty promises candidates make during the election process.

Your vote at the national level doesn’t really matter as far as I am concerned, collectively, we all get snookered.

How many of you are counting on Congress or the President to fix the economic mess they created? I, for one, am not holding my breath.

Therefore, it’s up to us to help ourselves. Historically, Americans have been a self reliant nation, a ‘can do’ people. I figure it’s time for us to get off the couch and take back control of our lives.

Who is looking out for you? You had better take control of the reins of your life if you wish to survive!

The Four Steps

1. Recognize that you are part of the problem…AND part of the Solution!

A. Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results is the definition of insanity, wrote Albert Einstein. Yet, that is precisely what most of us do when it comes to voting. Our Founders never envisioned lifelong politicians, yet we see dozens of such people in Congress who should have been put out to pasture long ago. They no longer serve the people and many of them have never had a real job and are out of touch with mainstream Americans. What would happen if NO ONE voted in the next election? Do you think politicians might get the message we are not happy with the whole process? Elections today seem to be more about generating large amounts of cash contributions than anything else. Politicians will say anything , promise you the moon and the stars to get re-elected but as the Native Americans always said, “The White Man speaks with a forked tongue.’

B. Many Americans, like Congress, have spent themselves into oblivion, creating a financial nightmare of debt for themselves. Unlike Congress however, none of us has an unlimited credit card backed by “print-as-you-will’ fiat currency.

Since the end of WWII, the credit industry took on mammoth proportions, urging Americans to buy now, pay later and did we ever take them up on that challenge. How many of us, when times were good and overtime cash was flowing in, took on a ton of debt buying second homes, motorcycles, boats, jet skis, snowmobiles and more? Later, when the overtime stopped or the job was lost, we faced tough times trying to manage the debts? Did we plan for the unexpected, did we salt away extra cash for those rainy days, weeks or months? That leads to the second lesson…

2. Get out of debt

Despite new rules Congress applied to credit card firms and banks, mortgages and other debt, few of us saw any immediate benefit or relief. Interest rates on credit cards are killers and few states anymore have usury laws on the books. Paying the minimum required on a $15,000 (about the average credit card debt for American families) balance can take a lifetime.

Most financial planners tell us to put away our credit cards and set up a target to pay off one card at a time, to negotiate interest rates with existing cards and to set up a strict budget and spending diary based on 80% of our take home income. For many, spending is an addiction or hobby which may require counseling. Many churches and non-profit groups offer free or low-cost financial counseling. As a last resort, consider bankruptcy. Usually, a lawyer will speak to you about the ramifications of such an action free of charge. Each state differs on which assets you are allowed to keep, but will not lose everything and you do get a fresh start which can be a lifesaver!

During your quest of debt recovery, your new start may be aided by applying for rent and utility assistance, food stamps, WIC or other government programs. There are 46 million other Americans on assistance and sometimes it’s necessary. This is a personal choice but with the cost of living so high, many of us can use all the help we can get.

(You will find many resources for this and many of the other areas we discus here at our site: PoorManSurvival.com)

3. Develop additional sources of income-Make it a family endeavor

Those who rely on a single source of income are the ones who run into the most problems. Consider treating your family like a business. Few businesses sell one product or service. For example, when new car sales are down at a dealership, many survive because of the repair shop revenues.

Every member of your family should develop one or more circles of income, even your children. Revenue producing activities can range anywhere from babysitting, lawn care, pet care, handyman chores, to starting a sideline business. With computers and the internet, there are literally thousands of service businesses one can start ranging from writing and bookkeeping services to graphic arts and marketing services.

The goal is to use this income to pay off all your debt and then for saving up for emergencies and investment. Again, visit our site for resources on sideline businesses or part time jobs using our Boot Strap Biz and Jobs section. We’ve posted many resources for companies which hire at-home workers and you’ll find a PDF book you can download which lists 100 Firms Which Offer At-Home Employment – all free of charge. Personally, we’re involved with Watkins Home Products, a firm which has been around for more than 100 years and its products are environmentally friendly.

The job picture in America is none too bright and we especially feel sorry for those graduating from college saddled with large debt and a dim employment outlook. The earliest economists forecast for a recovery is the beginning of 2014, but I would not hold my breath.

4. Developing community networks for mutual support

In the old days…most of us grew up in tight-knit communities where everyone knew each other. Indeed, the mothers in my neighborhood had their own mental telepathy network; in a heartbeat every mother knew if we had misbehaved!

I grew up in such a neighborhood, lower middle class and even though we didn’t have ‘two nickels to rub together,’ as my mother was fond of saying, she was the neighborhood Kool-Aid mom. She always had home-made pop-sickles and cookies for neighborhood kids. If someone new moved in, she went over to introduce herself, usually carrying a dessert she had baked. If someone died, she was there with prepared dinner for everyone.

It was not uncommon for her to do the laundry for other families if their washer broke down or mend their clothing or even give a haircut to someone who couldn’t afford it (I hated the cuts she gave me and my brother – military buzz cuts).

Since the 1960s everyone wanted more from life, a bigger house, two cars, new this and new that so many mothers went to work in order to obtain all the goods and services we might ever desire and children became wards of day-care or extended family and we often lost touch with our neighbors. In some cases, we don’t even know our neighbors.

Although some might argue that despite living in a disconnected world, they stay in touch through Facebook and other social networks. Maybe?

Although there are exceptions, most of us became less active in church organizations as well. Churches often formed the backbone of mutual support networks for families.

There are still communities like the one I recall from my youth, but they are becoming somewhat rare. My suggestion in this last segment is for each of you to sit down over the weekend and with pen and paper, evaluate the kind of friends you have currently. Are they like-minded, would they be a part of your ‘mutual support network?’ Make a list of those who might be interested and plan a party, backyard BBQ, brunch, afternoon tea, whatever…invite those folks over and share this outline with them.

Give each a 3x5 card and have them fill in their name, address, phone, email and the kind of things they might bring to the table. Skills might include gardening, carpentry, computer repair and so on.

Make copies for each member who decides to participate. You might agree to meet one day each month to share ideas, war stories, resources, etc. If your group becomes large enough, you may consider creating a ‘community money’ program (see our site under this same name for information), like Syracuse Dollars in order to foster trade among members without the use of cash. Some of these groups have been around for decades and services often include haircuts, meals, massage, lawncare and more.

Some groups meet just to exchange coupons, recipes, children’s clothing, books and other areas of group interest. The goal is to help each other. As motivational speaker Zig Ziglar always says, You can get everything you need if you just help enough other people get what they need.

Parting Note: It’s been my long term goal to help others and the economic demise of our country was my incentive to launch the Poor Man Survival Series which includes a helpful website and twice weekly online newsletter geared toward independent minded people who want to increase their self reliance, frugal living and economic-political awareness. We live in times which are difficult for many. Signup for the free newsletter and get several free reports including the Best of our Frugal Living Resources and How to Survive the Economic Crash.

http://www.poormansurvival.com/Pages/Brucebulletin.aspx

Yours for better living,

Bruce ‘The Poor Man’

bedavid@yahoo.com

**Based on our mini-workshop program. If you feel this is worthwhile, please consider making a donation using the PayPal donate button found on our site. Also, please feel free to share this plan with others who might benefit.

Friday, July 15, 2011

PM's Practical Guide to Becoming Self Sufficient-New

The Poor Man’s Practical Guide to Becoming Self Sufficient

A ‘BootStrap’ plan for surviving turbulent times.

Still waiting for your government bailout? Don’t hold your breath. It’s time for Americans to take back control of their lives. We’ve always been a ‘Can Do’ people and our easy-to-use, resource-filled guide will show you how.

Divided into four easy to follow sections:

1. How to get out of debt and take control of your financial life.

2. How to create multiple sources of income (includes resources for work at home)

3. How to cut your expenses and still live the good life – Self preparation skills

4. How to protect your privacy and nurture your new lifestyle

Includes a subscription to the twice weekly online Poor Man Bulletin - featuring multiple hard hitting, money-saving bonus reports:

· The best of our freebies and frugal living resources

· How to cut your utility bills in half on the cheap

· How to Survive the Coming Economic Collapse

· How to Restore Your Personal Freedom

Value - $39.95

Clearly written with extensive resources throughout…simple strategies anyone can do to lead a better life beginning within hours. Cut your debt, reduce expenses and increase your income.

We’re also including more value with the inclusion of our Poor Man II guide…

This handy collection includes more than a dozen reports on how to become more self-sufficent.

· How to Survive a Job loss

· 21 Cutting Edge Strategies for protecting your privacy

· A classic book – The Science of Getting Rich

· Prudent food storage; preparing for natural disasters

And a whole lot more…additional download links are included in the book

Also, a link to our main Poor Man Survival site is provided - this offers a wide assortment of urban survival resources such as how to lower your property taxes, ‘prepper and bug-out kit’ resources, DIY links, Consumer resources, how to create a community currency, how to start a co-op food program, how to barter and much more. NOTE: This isn’t another tome about homesteading and farming, that information is included on our main website. This will get you out of debt, help you to develop extra or main income sources and get you started on being more prepared without government help. The combined content of this package, with all of its bonus reports is nearly 600 pages.

Special bonus – The Urban Survivor-45 Ways to Make a Living Without a Job

This 100-page report is also included with this new program. (We’ve sold 100s as a standalone report previously).

The complete package comes to you on a CD-ROM for easy access.

In short, you’ll find everything you need to live a better life and be prepared for whatever circumstances befall our country. Our goal is to restore the Can Do Spirit of America, so join our growing community today.

Price – Only $5.95 postpaid The CD ROM is sent by first class mail within 24-hours

I believe this is the finest value anywhere. Resources you can put to immediate use to secure your future. Hey, we’re not owned by some big media conglomerate like Mickey Mouse. Just average folks trying to help our neighbors.

To Order, visit: http://poormansurvival.com/SelfSufficiencyProgram.aspx

Sunday, April 10, 2011

When Money Dies-Fiscal Meltdown Timetable

Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin
Your choice for urban survival resources

In This Issue:

1. Fiscal meltdown in spitting distance-when money dies
2. Woman lives in 90 sq ft apartment
3. More free building plans & other free goodies
4. Asset Forfeiture laws just an excuse to enrich police
5. Free Earth Day Workshops
6. Top 10 Best Freebie forums
7. The Power of Words-short film that will make you smile

"The ruling class has the schools and press under its thumb.
This enables it to sway the emotions of the masses."
-- Albert Einstein

Mandatory federal spending is going to surpass total federal revenue for the first time ever in this fiscal year. That was not supposed to happen until 50 years from now

Laurence Kotlikoff: Fiscal Meltdown in Spitting Distance

During the past year several readers asked me when the crap will hit the fan and my response was - an average of 18 months. According to Kotlikoff, that time-frame may come sooner.

(Laurence Kotlikoff is professor of economics at Boston University, president of Economic Security Planning Inc., and author of “The Healthcare Fix.” The opinions expressed are his own.)

The two parties are having a heated debate over the Republican plan to slice $61 billion off Uncle Sam’s projected $3.6 trillion budget. If the Republicans get their way, the deficit will fall from 9.5 percent of gross domestic product to 9.1 percent. If they don’t, they’ll probably shut the government for a couple of days. Then they’ll compromise on, say, a $40 billion budget cut, having proved they gave it their best shot.

Arguing over lowering our deficit by just 0.4 percent of GDP when we need to run massive surpluses to deal with the baby boomers’ impending retirement is, pick your metaphor — rearranging the Titanic’s furniture, Nero’s fiddling, Custer’s Last Stand.

Is this malign fiscal neglect, or has Congress somehow missed what its own Congressional Budget Office is indicating? CBO’s baseline budget updates suggest the date for reaching what Carmen Reinhart, Kenneth Rogoff and other prominent economists believe is a critical insolvency threshold — a 90 percent ratio of federal debt held by the public to gross domestic product — has moved four years closer, in just nine months
Read more: Laurence Kotlikoff: Fiscal Meltdown in Spitting Distance

Related Sidebar:

Food prices are up 57% since Obama took office.

Only you can prevent government abuse…
Consider the analysis and conclusion of South Carolina Rep. Mick Mulvany, a newer member of Congress who's been looking at Uncle Sam's cooked books and is fessing up to his constituents: "It's much, much worse than I expected." Rep. Mulvany's analysis does better than most to explain our situation as a country. His apt conclusion as noted in The Wall Street Journal:
"Picture a family of four with an income of $46,000, annual costs of $78,000 and a credit card debt of $281,000... these figures are roughly proportionate to federal government revenue, annual outlays, and accumulated national debt."

If you eliminate all national defense spending, make no payments on the national debt and eliminate all spending on education, infrastructure, agriculture, and housing, Congress would still be staring at annual $700 billion deficits as far as the eye can see.

Some $65 trillion in unfunded spending for entitlement programs are NOT based on some future estimate of spending; that back-breaking number represents the discounted net present value of the current spending curve. And all this assumes virtually zero inflation.
Gross notes that Uncle Sam's unrecorded debt burden is close to 500% of GDP – a net negative national worth of some $35-40 trillion!

For an interesting look at what happens to people and nation when money dies, read this 1975 classic-it’s free at this link.
http://university.unitedstatesliberty.org/654/textbooks/adam-fergusson-when-money-dies-nightmare-of-the-weimar-collapse/

One of the best tools I own is an electric bench grinder. My axe split through downed tree limbs like butter this week…I put on a nice edge on my machete and on an old hunting knife I found!

Resource Roundup for the week…

Talk about frugal living space! And we thought the Poor Man’s cabin was small.
Woman lives in 90 sq ft apartment in NYC-View her video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZSdrtEqcHU&feature=player_embedded

Related: Living in a Cobb Home-interesting and cheap!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frkps9jmCVM&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_856266

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil.
It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Recovery Resources
Geared mainly toward small government and community agencies, but useful
http://nnlm.gov/sea/services/emergency/disasterrelief.html

More great free DIY building plans-storage barns and more.
At 10 x 16 ft., this handsome building is large enough for most backyard needs. It has an interior partition so it serves double duty as a storage shed and an all-weather multi-purpose room. Double doors on the side and gable end make it easy to access the space.
A free illustrated step-by-step building guide, by Joseph Turini of Popular Mechanics Magazine, includes an isometric drawing showing all building details.

This project is planned to be easy for do-it-yourself builder.
( http://www.todaysplans.net/use-popularmechanics-free-backyard-barn-plans.html )
Click here to find more free shed and mini barn plans >>>
( http://www.todaysplans.net/find-free-shed-plans.html )
Click here to find hundreds of inexpensive small DIY barn blueprints, prefabs and building kits >>>
( http://www.backroadhome.net/barns-small-diy.html )

Free Earth Day Workshops at Home Depot
http://ext.homedepot.com/community/blog/join-us-for-free-earth-day-weekend-workshops/

Get a Free Copy of the Complete Survivalist Magazine (just pay postage)
http://survivalist.com/free/

Webstore.com likes to call themselves "The Robin Hood of online marketplaces," and there may be some truth to that.
The Webstore platform is much like eBay in the early days -except it's free! Buyers and sellers can come together and trade just about anything without membership fees, bidding fees, or selling fees. Low fees allow sellers to sell for lower prices and this attracts bargain hunters. The way Webstore works with no fees, is that they place advertising on the site and earn all of their revenue from that.

Free books, recordings and other goodies…share this one with friends…
Thousands of titles in the public domain that you can copy and download. It's not just books, the website includes photos, videos and recordings too. The site is called The Internet Archive.
http://www.archive.org/details/texts

The Top 10 Forums to Find the Best Free Stuff and Freebies
http://poormansurvival.com/Freebies.aspx

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Recycle ink jet cartridges OR get a check from www.advantagecartidge.com

Recycle electronics at www.yourenew.com, which donates to renewable energy initiatives or plants a tree for every device you donate.

Buy Second Hand to save money & reduce waste at these outlets:
These sites also sell, so you can some bucks here too!
www.secondipity.com
www.refurbdepot.com

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Free-Cooking with kids site, offers easy recipes
http://www.childrensrecipes.com/

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Events that affect our lives…

OPEC Ministers: We Can't Keep Oil Below $120

OPEC ministers on Wednesday brushed aside worries that inflated fuel prices will slow economic growth, saying there was little more they can do to rein in $120-a-barrel crude…that means you’ll be paying more - for EVERYTHING!
The IEA and OPEC remain at odds on the root causes of soaring crude prices. The agency points to roaring demand from Asia and a reviving West.
"The price began rising in the fourth quarter of 2010 because demand exceeded supply by 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd). At that point stocks were falling and companies were willing to pay more for oil," Jones said.
OPEC sees a market divorced from the realities of supply and demand, driven by political unrest and its worst fears.
Prices are being stoked by speculators rather than any shortage of supply.

>>>

New Dollar Coin Rumored to no longer have ‘In God We Trust’
Although it took Canadians quite awhile to accept the ‘loon’ as a replacement for the paper dollar, many Americans are reluctant to use coins (as are retailers) and the attempt at replacing paper dollars has not done well.

The government’s assumptions and values used in this study are fascinating. Here are a few:
Because coins circulate more slowly than bills, 1.5 coins will be needed for every 1 bill (note).
Dollar bills have a lifespan of 40 months while coins have a lifespan of 34 years.
A dollar bill costs 2.7 cents to produce while a dollar coin costs 15 cents each.
There are 9.5 billion dollar bills in circulation today.
There are 3 billion dollar coins in circulation today, with an additional billion in Federal Reserve vaults

According to Snopes.com, “In God We Trust” will now be on the rim of the new coins.

<<<>>>

While the Constitution has been largely ignored over the last 80 years, the document is very real, and its purpose is clear: to limit greatly the powers of the federal government.

Parting Thoughts-Obnoxious, Anti-Citizen-Asset Forfeiture laws!
It ‘ain’t just for the drug war, it’s a means of keeping cops in cash

Civil forfeiture laws represent one of the most serious assaults on private property rights in the nation today. Under civil forfeiture, police and prosecutors can seize your car or other property, sell it and use the proceeds to fund agency budgets—all without so much as charging you with a crime. Unlike criminal forfeiture, where property is taken after its owner has been found guilty in a court of law, with civil forfeiture, owners need not be charged with or convicted of a crime to lose homes, cars, cash or other property.

Five days before Christmas, Cheryl Sanders of CA was pulled over for speeding in Sulphur, LA. Instead of giving her a ticket, they asked to search her car. Inside the trunk they claimed they found a hidden compartment and despite not being able to find drugs, they arrested her anyway and she was taken to jail for a body cavity search which turned up nothing nor did she have a criminal history. She was freed, but they kept her car because the car was suspected of being involved with drugs!

It’s more profitable for law enforcement to go after the ‘little fish’ because they don’t have the resources to fight back; it’s legalized bounty hunting. In NJ, police agencies used $500,000 in forfeited funds for entertainment purposes. --Carol Thomas, former Sheriff

This is just one of 100s of examples of this happening to honest Americans who have done nothing wrong. According to Steven Kessler, former attorney with of New York’s asset forfeiture unit, “the focus is no longer on combating crime, it’s on fundraising.”

You may recall a 60 Minutes piece where police in CA broke into a man’s home in the middle of the night, shooting him dead while his horrified wife looked on. Police told her they suspected her husband of growing pot on his huge ranch. Turns out this was a lie, they simply wanted to seize his property for its multi-million dollar value. Eventually, the police had to settle a lawsuit in the millions for their lies.

Americans are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but civil forfeiture turns that principle on its head. With civil forfeiture, your property is guilty until you prove it innocent. These laws may have started out, as they so often do, with good intent, that of targeting drug kingpins, but law enforcement can go after everyone, on a whim.

Asset forfeiture - definition & outcomes-Administrative forfeiture is the process by which property may be forfeited to the United States without judicial involvement. Federal seizing agencies perform administrative forfeitures. Seizures must be based on probable cause. The authority for a seizing agency to start an administrative forfeiture action is found in 19 U.S.C. § 1607.
Administrative forfeiture can be used to seize and forfeit the following:

• any amount of currency;
• personal property valued at $500,000 or less, including cars, guns, and boats;
• hauling conveyances of unlimited value.

Law enforcement officers seizing cash and other assets under the pretext of forfeiture and then just keeping them without reporting the seizure is just wrong and these criminals need to meet some justice!
Suggested reading: Mugged by the State by Randall Fitzgerald

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