Monday, September 12, 2011

How’s all that hope and change working out for you?




The job market is in the toilet.  More and more of our domestic jobs are being outsourced to third world countries.  The national unemployment rate it over 9% and much higher than that among Hispanic and African Americans.  Our national debt is now putting the next several generations of Americans in hock to China and other people who are not necessarily our friends. 

That warm fuzzy feeling that all is well or at least okay in the world is being replaced by a sense of general apprehension.  

Have you noticed the price of food going up by leaps and bounds?   It has risen almost 30% across the board in 2011 alone.  As I write this it takes almost $1900.00 U.S. dollars to buy an ounce of gold.   How safe and secure is your job?  How’s that 401K doing since the market started tanking?  Does it bother you that we are giving billions of dollars in aid to people that hate us in places like North Korea while we have families here that are hungry?  

Apparently enough people are feeling the need to make at least some preparation for some kind of future event that even Madison Avenue and the big box stores are getting into the act.

Could it be that people are figuring out just how fragile the food distribution system is?  I can't say for sure.  The freeze dried food manufacturers around the world can't keep up with the orders.  Costco™ now has long term family survival food packages that are actually sold by the pallet.  Military surplus stores are doing a very brisk business these days.  Gun and ammunition sales are at an all time high.  Another interesting symptom of all this that many of the people who were the donors and contributors to food banks and soup kitchens are now some of the people being served by those organizations!  Food bank contributions around the holidays are shrinking every year as more people fall out of the middle class.

I’m not sure what the outcome of all this will be, but things are certainly not heading in a positive direction.  Here are some things that you can consider and may be a small part of the solution anyway:
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  • Be as self sufficient as you can.
  • Be as self reliant as possible.
  • Be the change you would like to see.  Live as an example to others.  
  • Plant a garden and grow as much of your own food as you can.
  • Learn from each other.  The skills like gardening, canning and drying food are basic and should be learned and shared and learned by all.
  • Learn to cook and bake.  Microwaving frozen foods is not cooking.
  • Learn to defend yourself. (State, local, and federal laws taken into account)
  • Avoid debt. (With the possible exception of a home loan).
  • If something bad happens, deal with it the best way you can with the resources you already have.  Relying on politicians and government agencies to help you is what got us into this mess in the first place.
  • Keeping at least some of your assets in physical silver or gold is not a bad idea.
  • Learn first aid.
  • Get to know your neighbors.  Form a mutual support network.
 Throughout history societies have blossomed, prospered and collapsed for various reasons.  We are no different today.  The veneer of polite civilization is and always will be fragile.  (Think “lord of the flies” etc). 

I’m just a regular guy that has taken a hard look at what’s going on around me. I’ve made the decision to try to be prepared for the future whatever it holds.  A disaster could be simply the loss of a job or as bad as a nuclear war, there’s no way to know.  Would planning for the future now and taking positive action now to cover  your back side in the future be a bad thing?   Even if nothing bad ever happened, wouldn’t you sleep better knowing have the skills and resources in reserve?


Saturday, September 3, 2011

Rest in peace Mom...


Jean MacGregor Breeden August 27, 1925 to September 2, 2011....

As with everything else, life its self eventually comes to an end.  For those of us who were close to that person, there is a profound feeling of loss and an empty place left by their passing from our sight.  The absence of their usual activities that have become a part of our daily lives serves as a consent reminder of them.

Yesterday Virginia and I lost someone that was close to our hearts. She was a friend, a companion and a loving mother.  Thank you mom for the time we had with you and the children you brought into the world.