Growth of Economy a Hoax

I don't know about you all, but this "growth" of the economy we've seen in the last few years which gives rise to the theory we are not in a recession is BS. I did some research and came up with this link

http://www.quickmba.com/econ/macro/gdp/

If you're like me and not an economist or lawmaker, you might also conclude these terms are thrown around in ridiculous fashion hoping no one takes the time to think about it. Lying to us.

Inflation is raising the total cost of goods and services which makes it look like the economy is growing by 2.5 percent. Yeah Right. Somehow it balances the value of homes which are in record foreclosure. Our local paper had pages, yes whole pages devoted to properties being sold "by public outcry" on the courthouse steps come Novemeber 1st. My heart goes out to the folks. Taxes deliquency, mortgage payments, whatever. I got a lesson in economics from my savy partner about home purchases, properties and tax collections.

Here in N. E. Georgia we still struggle. Leaf season is about over, no one is making any money. Tourists are heading home to lick their economic wounds.

Ok, I'm just saying. Enough bullshit. And anyone wanting to add a federal sales tax to goods, please say it isn't so. We who are not required to pay federal taxes because of low income (whether by choice or circumstance) do not want or need an extra 9% added to everything we buy from aspirin to apples to dish soap.

Just saying. Go trick or treating on Wall Street Today. Maybe they can hand out money.

Putting the Garden to Rest

With frost predicted, I harvested the remaining tomatoes from my garden. It has been very successful. Measuring only 15  x 12  feet, it's located in the only open area on the top of this mountain.

Pain Management In Survival

Pain is a very subjective thing. Pain thresholds vary, with some folks being sensitive to the littlest thing, and others refusing medication unless its truly serious. Pain is depressing and changes a person, long term.

Its occurred to me that when or if the SHTF, ibuprofen, Tylenol, and aspirin are going to be pretty good commodities to have in stock. Each over the counter pain relief has its warnings, too much Tylenol can wreck your liver very quickly. Too much ibuprofen can eat out your stomach. Too much aspirin can thin your blood making even a small cut bleed profusely.  I like to keep all three on hand, and alternate which one is used, taking as little as possible to minimize risk.

Of course, the old fashioned remedy of alcoholic beverages, which you could brew at home, would help too.
I'm thinking most trade will be done at the end of a gun barrel, so having your own stash neatly stored in a cool dry place will be important. Keeping a low profile will be important so I won't have to defend it.
I have a girlfriend whose father committed suicide when his pain became overwhelming. I can see that. If a person had no hope of feeling better, and the pain became the sum of their existence, suicide could be tempting.

In the meantime, building up my immune system with plenty of rest, reducing stress, lots of sunshine and good food is part of a long term survival plan.

One blog offered the question: what is the biggest threat to your survival? There were hundreds of answers, all well written and thought provoking. The one I remember most is "Old Age".  I like that.

Woman Reroutes Griz

I love this story so much I posted the link here about the wrangler in Montana who chases a griz who is dead set on a meal. A little boy and several tourists witnessed it. Dave Letterman does an outstanding job in the interview. The hero horse is shown on stage at the end.

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2011/oct/11/erin-bolster-and-tonk-late-show-david-letterman/

Updates From the Homestead

The new raincap, tomatoes still growing, and a beautiful shot of our driveway. Life is good.

Leaves Falling Gracefully

Its such a beautiful time of year. One of my favorite past times is walking through the crunchy leaves watching the leaves fall gracefully from above.

Of course, if you were a kid, you'd try to catch them. I caught them on video.

The tomatoes still haven't suffered frost. Looks like they will not need covering this week either.

When the Stove Won't Draw-Update and Solutions

Getting to know my little stove here has been a journey. The cutest stove in the world, still I know my installation isn't the idea set up. I was able to configure it by myself, without any permanent changes to this studio. It works perfectly, most days.

We had some torrential rains, and the rain cap was switched out from the original one shown below. That turned out to be too scanty. I now have one from Ace hardware, your standard rain cap.

We live on top a mountain, surrounded by trees. On rare days, the down draft caused some challenging lessons. The smoke normally turns this corner without any problems. But, a down draft turned it into a nightmare.

Solution! Make a smokeless fire. This has been achieved by clearing the ashes from the grate. Place one small piece of cardboard on grate, a homemade fuel tablet and small dry twigs. Gradually warm the stove by adding more twigs until it naturally rises through the pipe. This has proved successful twice, and I believe my problem is solved.

I did a youtube video on how to make these fuel cubes with wood chips and old candle wax
http://youtube.com/user/brawny03

So far no frost on our mountain. Color is peak, and life is great!

Lemons to Lemonaide, What About that Dress?

Some nights are made for surfing. Tonight I found this article about a guy who was married for 12 years, then his wife left him. She also left the wedding dress which inspired a website and book for the newly single man.

He has since remarried, and is an inspiration to fellow sufferers of failed relationships. Check it out at:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44951001/ns/today-relationships/t/he-turned-exs-wedding-dress-book-success/

I thought it was cool that he has a photo of him in the dress holding a rifle.

Bug Out Expert Videos

The creator of a great series of SHTF videos, making a bike for bugging out, and information on generators can be found by heading over to youtube. Here's a short one to get you started.



cernunnos5 is the channel. You can subscribe, too.

Book Two Is Available

The second book in End of Days series is finished and available at Kindle. It was good to have the second book completed. The last book is in progress.

There are so many things in survival situations that are harder when a person is on their own. In this second book, I looked at what a woman might go through, and how decisive she would need to be. If she let emotions rule, or offered compassion, a woman would soon loose her freedom, and eventually her life.

I thought about families and spiritual needs, the loneliness and regrets a person would suffer. Its been quite a personal journey.

I'm thinking its time to improve my hunting skills.

The 999 Plan is a Sham

Has anyone yet put two and two together?

Or is it just me who sees a crazy contridiction in this candidates plan.

Somehow, with our economy being 70% consumer driven, installing a 9% federal sales tax is supposed to help?

I know what I'd do, quit buying stuff in the stores. Maybe we'd do some trading, garage sales, share and swap, but that 9% is not going to make my consumer confidence rise anytime soon.

Does this apply to Internet sales as well, which at this time are increasing as consumers elect to forgo their own state sales tax?

I see a huge cluster f...k coming with this candidate. But, the harder he pushes this nonsense, the sooner he'll be history and the Republicans will find someone serious.

Many of us who struggle now do not pay 9% income tax, we actually get refunds. Tell me the rich are going to contribute more by the 999 plan. I don't see it.

How strange Michelle Bauchman told us to turn the number upside down, the dreaded 666 is scaring her off.

Can we dispense with religion and get some common sense?

Stove Pipe Installation for Tents

This channel bears watching. A new friend sent me this short clip from his channel and I favorited it for future reference. Tents are easy to come by or construct. Having a way to install a venting pipe is useful information.

Too Big to Fail

With the Occupy Wall Street Movement going global today, it will be interesting to see just what our politicians will do about it. Already democrats and republicans alike are making statements to the effect, "they understand the frustration".

Could the movement be too large to ignore, too big to be allowed to fail.

Does that ring a bell? Yeah, me too. Those banks which manipulated the markets, lied to investors, created paper wealth, loaned without normal protocol, and nearly destroyed the US economic stability, bailed out in the end. The Feds continue to manipulate interest rates, maintaining insanely low returns on savings, while encouraging long term loans at teaser rates. Let the market right itself, that's how capitalism works.

Not that all banks are bailed. The small hometown banks which made stupid loans without sufficient collateral are being taken over by larger banks. They had way too much debt compared to assets.  Hey, if you can't run the ship, get a better captain so we all don't sink. I got my stuff in that boat!

Ok, so if http://news.yahoo.com/wall-street-sit-goes-global-saturday-105459242.html
 this Protest Movement truly gets a foothold, and the message becomes clear,  we can hope, yes that nebulous state of optimism, for real reform.

I just haven't sat down long enough, or dreamt large enough, to come up with real solutions myself.

First Steps In Dismantling the Impossible?

For those of us who are self employed, but not broke (yet) this new health care thing is a looming threat to freedom.
In just a few years, we will be forced to buy a product regardless of our personal beliefs. I've heard people say that you have to buy insurance to drive a car. Not so. You have to have a valid licence, and use a car that is insured. You could drive someone else's car, or rent one.

Unless we're stone broke, and qualify for medicare, or lucky enough to have a good job which provides health coverage, some how we'll need to come up with whatever premiums are required.
And if we all have coverage, where will all the health care professionals come from to handle the preventative care visits.

I saw this and wondered if the general public will be able to say, Sorry, it just isn't sustainable, long term, so we'll just over look that part of the bill.


http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/14/8325174-obama-administration-halts-part-of-health-care-law

I don't hear the insurance companies complaining about the new law. Instead, we're being told its no longer necessary for men to get prostate exams, women to get mamograms as often, and vitamins are not necessary. I think alot of this is so they won't have to cover the cost once we are forced to buy the insurance.

Medical costs are rising faster than anything except gold. It doesn't need to be that way. I checked into a full CAT scan down in Mexico. It was only 1/4 the cost here, including the reading.

Keeping our health care affordable should be a priority, not requiring us to prop up insurance companies.

Book Two and Stuff

I'm finishing up the last proofing of my second book in the End of Days series (trilogy).

Is it me, or does every novelist discover themselves in the story?  Maybe because the main character in Journey North is a woman and she is dealing with the Post Grid Down situation on her own, I'm feeling the personal need for more gun practice.

A survivalist would need to be strong, decisive, and not give into emotions. That can be challenging!

But, back in the real world, we are already inundated with Republican candidates for the presidency bid next year. Each candidate takes his / her turn leading in the poles, whereby the media has enough time to trash them out, uncovering plenty of stuff to raise eyebrows. Little things, stupid things, but enough that someone else emerges as front runner. Sort of like a pack of bikers in a road race, each taking their turn  to lead so others can draft and regain their strength.

Anyways, my mountain garden is nearly done for the year. A few volunteer onions and the over achieving tomato plants are making their last stand. So far no frost, lots of good drenching rain.

Gas prices have dropped to $3.16. This seems like a bargain. But wait, thats just the mind game these oil potentates have played with us for years. Reduce consumption, that's my moto.

Things are good at the homestead, hope all is well at your's.

I Love This

This is exactly what I had in mind when I posted my blog on August 19, 2011. I wrote about using the same frame work to enable wind and solar collection at every location.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/10/hybrid-wind-solar-power.php#ch01

Combining wind-solar capturing devices and funneling them into the same power station makes sense.

I love it!

This creates tons of jobs for Americans and gets us off the oil tit.

Random Thoughts and Tunnel Explanation

Every morning I take a good walk in the woods. The colors are beautiful, changing a bit earlier this year. I find myself thinking all sorts of random stuff, analogies for the current world mess.

My last post about the tunnel may have raised eyebrows, What the hell is she talking about?
No doubt you've heard of that proverbial tunnel, that there is a light at the end of it? All the troubles we go through, but there's hope just around the bend? That sort of thing.

Well, economists are now forecasting years into the future of the same old mess, maybe worse than what we are now experiencing. All these federal programs to create jobs are turning out to be flops. Flops, absolute debt raising, false hope-dependency creating, flops.
Of course there are also major scandals, but as one Harvard professor put it, nothing illegal. Immoral, certainly, but all legal maneuvers by top corporations and banks to enrich themselves.

So I thought about the analogy of a solar panel when all you have is rain. Not going to work. The solar panel will work once the rain is gone.
Just like all this national debt from gluttony of wars, dependence on foreign oil, roller coaster stock market, regulations for mandatory health care, and out of control consumerism without resources to pay for it. Its holding back the light. We have to get these things solved.

The people Occupying Wall Street, camping out in Atlanta, and all across the country? Before you start a protest, figure out what you're protesting. Protesting Greed? How is banging a bunch of bongo drums, dancing with balloons on your head,  and marching with signs asking "Where's the Love" going to make any CEO do anything? Greed is not illegal. Neither is not hiring your ass.

So, get you a torch, make something happen, start a business, prepare like  survivalists are doing. Get a realistic list of goals, a mission statement. Are we wanting socialism? Firing every congress person and revamping the entire thing?

I don't have the answers. Not sure I even have the right questions.
 
My bottom line is there is no functioning light at the end of this economic world wide mess. No one knows when things will turn around. There are jobs for those willing or able to relocate, to learn new skills, become self employed. Its hard, but while we're under a capitalistic system, business owners and CEOs have the right to not create any jobs.

Anyways, that's my excuse for yesterday's post and I'm sticking to it.

Light at End of Tunnel Replaced by Solar Panel

The light at the end of the tunnel has been replaced by a solar panel.

We've been having a ton of rain lately.

If you listen to the forcast, one station will try to tell you its just drizzle, another will claim its just cloudy. Go outside, its pouring pretty good in these parts.

Some folks are bitching and whining cause no one gave them a flashlight, while others want the government to aim a heat lamp at the panel.

Seems like we're gonna have to go through the rain and pray the sun reappears.

In the meantime, I'm using a torch. Look around, you probably have something to make one with, too.

Wall Street Types Stockpile Food and Ammunition for Armageddon

" U.S. government securities are revered in the financial world as the risk free asset. They are the modern equivalent of gold; they are the safe haven in times of trouble.  Indeed, when Lehman imploded, capital flooded out of privte debt markets and into Treasuries, similarly after the 9/11 attacks. Treasuries rallied briskly. But if China were to engineer an inverse crisis, in which the customary life boat became the source of the storm, a different order of panic might ensue. There would be nowhere to hide, nobody would trust anybody. When you hear that sober Wall Street types have stockpiled food and ammunition in hideouts in the deep woods, this is the Armageddon they imagine."-- Time Magazine, May 11, 2011 written by Sebastian Mallaby  

Mallaby directs the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomics Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. The fact Time printed this article gives it some mainstream credibility.

I read this paragraph four times, then read it aloud to my life partner. He thought it was revealing as well, and notable to the long term survivalist who now see "sober" wall street types making preparations.

The name of the article, which begins on page 34 is, You Are What You Owe: Why power built on debt is no power at all.

We all know of faux multi-millionaires, who carry on in a huge pretense of wealth, yet underneath are one tiny step from total bankruptcy. Hell, the "banks too large to fail" did just that.

This 3 page article details the historical precedent of the rise and fall of several nations. Is ours next? Its no secret that China holds a vast amount of our debt. A calculated sell off of Treasuries would put our country in economic Armageddon.

The characteristic downplay of such a scenario is that we are such an important force in their economy we are safe from such an objective. Yet, as the author so aptly puts it: ... states inevitably inflict losses on themselves when they get into fights, if they calculate that the losses suffered by their adversaries will be more severe...

It is good to remember that we are only as strong as our independence. Why would we imagine a benevolent creditor on an international level when that doesn't even happen on the local level.

A very good article which spells out the disaster of this ever growing debt-cancer in our midst.

Let me go buy some more food and ammunition.

Special Quotes from Steve Jobs-A Great Man

Steve Jobs, CEO and genius has passed away at the early age of 56.

His photo is haunting. Behind those eyes you wonder what he might have accomplished had he lived to a ripe old age.

He leaves a legacy, and no matter what a person thinks of Wall Street Greed at this point in time, his innovations have changed the world. It can be good or bad, depending on what we do with it.

Like guns, its the people behind those tools that make them evil or good. I'm thankful for the good citizens who own firearms to thwart criminals. Self defense if the god given right of every living thing.

Below are some profound statements I read last night, and wanted to share with you.

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life," Jobs said during a Stanford commencement ceremony in 2005.

"Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure -- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." (Reporting by Edwin Chan; Editing by Gary Hill

I, Caveman, Back to The Stone-New Series Review

Its obvious some folks will do anything to be on T-V. I could have slapped Manu, a female bounty hunter who whined and complained how cold she was. Her feet got wet and she refused to sit by the fire.
I know mountains cool off at night, but there was not a sign of fall weather, it looks like mid July. Please.

She could have removed the wet foot gear, and propped her feet by the fire. A guy would probably have massaged them if she hadn't been such a bitch. I could have slapped her several times.
See I don't get it. Didn't they screen these 10 people to eliminate the cry babies? I guess that keeps it interesting.

The Discovery Channel new series involves 9 men and women with a dude named Morgan Spinlock who take on 10 days of survival in a lush verdant valley, mountains in the distance, elk roaming in herds, stream filled with trout and frogs. They trade all clothing for skins and hides replicated to be exactly as stone age people would have had. They must work together, fashioning a shelter, creating fire via spindle and block, and get food and water.
After a while, some guys get tired of feeding some laying around women, and they whined and complained about a tribal vote to move 3 miles. Picking and choosing among the bountiful stack of hides and weapons they've created, they carry all on their backs.
See, I don't get it. Have they never heard of travois, where these hides are tied between two lodge poles, laden with goods and drug those three easy miles. They weren't crossing through any forests that I could see.
So, I'm sorry, but between all the commercials for beer, cars and what more (I use the time to surf channels) and all the complaining, its hard to watch. I love learning new things. Watching them fish in the cold stream, using hands to slip around the trout bodies and fling onto the banks was nice. Creating the sling spear and launching practice was cool.

Can the directors give us more substance and less emotional crisis? We who watch such shows know about short tempers and illogical decisions due to physical stress. It shouldn't comprise 90% of the content. The question posed by the creator of the series: does modern man have what it takes to survive with as cavemen did. Number one, cavemen were raised with the knowledge, not snatched off New York streets, from lunch at Applebees.

Thats enough rant for one day, And here's my vote for better substantive programing.

Lets have more like Dual Survival, I love those guys.