Face it: The paper money that you have sitting in your bank right now is worthless. We all know this.
My heart breaks for the many people that I know who have taken hard-earned money and purchased a shitload of gold, silver, palladium, etc. To die-hard investors I will never convince you that you've made a mistake, so stop reading here. For everyone else, you need to realize that when all forms of civility break down you MUST have a way to barter for your needs. Now, I'm not saying those investments are BAD - they do have a purpose. But if there is a long recession/depression what do you think everyone is going to need? Certainly not a hunk of metal.
Make a quick mental assessment of your skills. Do you have the ability to sew? Are you a good mechanic? Can you cook? Hunt? Fish? Are you a green thumb with the ability to grow more than what your family needs for each season?
My son is an electrician AND an auto mechanic. He has skills that can be bartered for food, weapons, etc. I have a neighbor who is a former nurse. She can barter her knowledge. I am a hunter. I can barter meats in exchange for other provisions. How many of you are planning on taking out a gold coin (today's value of $1600 an ounce) to buy a bag of flour? Is anyone stupid enough to take a gold coin in exchange for a portion of their provisions? You can't eat it. The electronics that use gold as a portion of their components are likely not being used because there is not enough power to use them.
You will need items and skills that other people depend upon for survival. When you see natural disasters on TV what are the things that people are waiting in line to get? Certainly not gold coins!!!! Water, food, fuel, shelter. The necessities of life.
My investments consist of a bit of precious metals, a bit of cash in small bills, food, weaponry, and knowledge that I can "sell". When it comes down to it, I'll be able to trade a dozen rounds of ammo for a bag of flour, and the guy holding the chuck of gold will go hungry.
I know that my 401k is going to be worthless. I know that my bank accounts will be confiscated. I know that my home will likely be taken away from me. Hell, the federal goverment is now "considering" renting out foreclosed homes. How well do you think this is going to turn out? This is yet another socialist dream being captured by our president. The confiscation of all forms of private property is ongoing and the Supreme Court paved the way by revising our Constitutional rights to imminent domain.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
LESSON 5: SECURITY - You Can't Handle the Truth!
It is inevitable: The Shit is GOING to hit the fan. Cities and municipalities are going broke. Police and fire departments are going unfunded. Our military is stretched to capacity and the entitlement class is screaming about the possibility to being downsized. Eventually some idiot is going to start something stupid.
None of the members of the entitlement class are willing to stand in a line for government cheese. Just this week a report was issued in which the concept of "poverty" in America means cells phones, air-conditioning, larger living spaces that most European citizens, and a daily intake of calories that would make a third world nation regurgitate from gluttony. Eventually the gravy train is going to end and those hungry masses are going to come to find your storehouse of food and supplies. You MUST have a way to protect it. More importantly, you must have the NERVE to protect it.
If you can't see yourself capable of taking a human life that threatens yours or that of someone in your home, do not buy a gun. In fact, buy no weapons at all. In your case you're going to need lots of extra supplies to just give away, or extra supplies to sustain yourself after yours are taken. The reality of this scenario is that you will die - either by force, exposure or starvation.
If you're not pleased with this idea, get weapons and learn how to use them. There are several good firearms that I can recommend for beginners, but I'll recommend three: A good shotgun. A .22 rifle (get a banana clip for a good flow of fire). A good handgun with a few clips kept FULL. The shotgun is ideal for large game hunting and waterfowl (different shells are needed), the .22 is excellent for small game and warning shots, the handgun for close combat. Don't forget the need for cleaning and repair of your weapons and plan accordingly.
I cannot stress enough that you MUST be ready to use it or have it used against you.
I believe in morphology..meaning, I use what I have and improvise. There are literally hundreds of prepper and survival websites that will tell you any number of ways to protect yourself, so I can't give you a one-size-fits-all answer. I also don't want to advise you to do anything illegal. These days it really doesn't take much to wind up in jail.
One of the products that I really like is solar lighting for outdoors. Even in the winter I'll bring the lights in during the day (if the weather is bad and the panels cover with snow) and put them in a sunny window where they charge up nicely. I also recommend that you have a few of these in various windows around your house. They work great as ambient lighting inside the home and a couple of them placed together in a clear, glass vase make a great reading lamp.
The very best security that you have is eyes, ears, and what I call "spider senses". Be observant of your surroundings. Know what sounds are normal. If you have the creeps about something follow your gut instinct.
A dog or two is a great way to maintain security in your home insofar as you have a disciplined animal. Don't sacrifice your dog to an intruder if one happens to get past all of your defenses. This is what bullets are for. Keep your dog safe so that it can alert you another day.
None of the members of the entitlement class are willing to stand in a line for government cheese. Just this week a report was issued in which the concept of "poverty" in America means cells phones, air-conditioning, larger living spaces that most European citizens, and a daily intake of calories that would make a third world nation regurgitate from gluttony. Eventually the gravy train is going to end and those hungry masses are going to come to find your storehouse of food and supplies. You MUST have a way to protect it. More importantly, you must have the NERVE to protect it.
If you can't see yourself capable of taking a human life that threatens yours or that of someone in your home, do not buy a gun. In fact, buy no weapons at all. In your case you're going to need lots of extra supplies to just give away, or extra supplies to sustain yourself after yours are taken. The reality of this scenario is that you will die - either by force, exposure or starvation.
If you're not pleased with this idea, get weapons and learn how to use them. There are several good firearms that I can recommend for beginners, but I'll recommend three: A good shotgun. A .22 rifle (get a banana clip for a good flow of fire). A good handgun with a few clips kept FULL. The shotgun is ideal for large game hunting and waterfowl (different shells are needed), the .22 is excellent for small game and warning shots, the handgun for close combat. Don't forget the need for cleaning and repair of your weapons and plan accordingly.
I cannot stress enough that you MUST be ready to use it or have it used against you.
I believe in morphology..meaning, I use what I have and improvise. There are literally hundreds of prepper and survival websites that will tell you any number of ways to protect yourself, so I can't give you a one-size-fits-all answer. I also don't want to advise you to do anything illegal. These days it really doesn't take much to wind up in jail.
One of the products that I really like is solar lighting for outdoors. Even in the winter I'll bring the lights in during the day (if the weather is bad and the panels cover with snow) and put them in a sunny window where they charge up nicely. I also recommend that you have a few of these in various windows around your house. They work great as ambient lighting inside the home and a couple of them placed together in a clear, glass vase make a great reading lamp.
The very best security that you have is eyes, ears, and what I call "spider senses". Be observant of your surroundings. Know what sounds are normal. If you have the creeps about something follow your gut instinct.
A dog or two is a great way to maintain security in your home insofar as you have a disciplined animal. Don't sacrifice your dog to an intruder if one happens to get past all of your defenses. This is what bullets are for. Keep your dog safe so that it can alert you another day.
LESSON 4 - Shelter. You Can Survive and Thrive
If you're lucky your home is not on the 24th floor of a concrete-bound high-rise. If you're damned lucky your home is in the middle of a huge piece of land, on the high ground. If you're like most people your home is in a neighborhood somewhere with a bit of grass around it. You probably get all of your energy from the power company, all of your water from either a well or municipal source, and your neighbors are probably strangers to you.
Consider what you'll do for shelter if you have to leave your home. What will you do to protect yourself from the elements? Do you have a plan of how to transport your hard-earned survival tools?
The best thing I can advise is for you to have two or three safe places that you can count on as a safe place. Do you have friends or family who live a few hours away, perhaps in a rural area? Do you have friends who live outside of a small town? If yes, you may want to ask them if you can begin sending them a little money each week to do some shopping for you. Tell them that if the worst never happens they are welcomed to use your supplies, but that if it does, (and you have to relocate to their property) you are willing to SHARE your supplies.
I can't tell you to buy a trailer, a wagon, or a pickup truck. But I can tell you to be prepared to transport whatever you can gather quickly, efficiently, and leave. I'm fortunate to have already lost everything I ever had in the world three times in my life. I've learned to NOT get attached to anything material. The things that matter to me now are my photographs, my memories, and my freedom.
You've all seen every survivor show on TV that I have, and yes, they make it look easy. The fact is, if you've never built a lean-to shelter you will spend many hours trying to do it the first time under pressure. Practice now. Learn how to construct a simple shelter appropriate for your area and your climate. Keep in mind that it is important to keep the dew, or moisture, off of you, and a lean-to shelter will do this for you. Keep enough extra boughs on hand to use as a covering in case it rains or snows and you should be pretty comfortable.
There are so many options for shelter, so many environments, that I can't go into all of them here. So, in simplicity I'll tell you that if you think you might be out in nature you're going to want one hell of a knife at all times. Pick one with at least an 8 inch blade on one side, a heavy handle (there are many that have hollow handles for storing matches, filiment, etc.), and saw teeth on one side. It's hard to cut down boughs with bare hands, and if you're in the south a lot of those palm fronts have thorns.
Plastic tarps are essential, but I wouldn't bother packing an easter-egg blue one if you're trying to bug out into the woods and hide. In a pinch a clear, plastic painters tarp will do. It won't hold up in the wind because it has no stitching or grommets for support, so don't count on using it for more than a few hours.
One key bit of advice is to only build your shelter with materials that can be found within 100 ft of your campsite. Remember, this is a temporary shelter. Many a camper get lost looking for items within a mile of their campsite. Once disoriented it's hard to find your way back. I also recommend a brightly colored bandana or scarf to hang up high enough to be a visual guide to help you find your way back. Every 20 steps turn around and locate the bandana. Stop moving forward if you can't see it and retrace your steps back until you do.
When I was a kid in scouting we learned how to build various native American houses. Tepees, wigwams, lodges, etc. Bottom line: Don't bite off more than you can chew. Building a shelter requires time and energy, so don't go all Survivorman on yourself.
Consider what you'll do for shelter if you have to leave your home. What will you do to protect yourself from the elements? Do you have a plan of how to transport your hard-earned survival tools?
The best thing I can advise is for you to have two or three safe places that you can count on as a safe place. Do you have friends or family who live a few hours away, perhaps in a rural area? Do you have friends who live outside of a small town? If yes, you may want to ask them if you can begin sending them a little money each week to do some shopping for you. Tell them that if the worst never happens they are welcomed to use your supplies, but that if it does, (and you have to relocate to their property) you are willing to SHARE your supplies.
I can't tell you to buy a trailer, a wagon, or a pickup truck. But I can tell you to be prepared to transport whatever you can gather quickly, efficiently, and leave. I'm fortunate to have already lost everything I ever had in the world three times in my life. I've learned to NOT get attached to anything material. The things that matter to me now are my photographs, my memories, and my freedom.
You've all seen every survivor show on TV that I have, and yes, they make it look easy. The fact is, if you've never built a lean-to shelter you will spend many hours trying to do it the first time under pressure. Practice now. Learn how to construct a simple shelter appropriate for your area and your climate. Keep in mind that it is important to keep the dew, or moisture, off of you, and a lean-to shelter will do this for you. Keep enough extra boughs on hand to use as a covering in case it rains or snows and you should be pretty comfortable.
There are so many options for shelter, so many environments, that I can't go into all of them here. So, in simplicity I'll tell you that if you think you might be out in nature you're going to want one hell of a knife at all times. Pick one with at least an 8 inch blade on one side, a heavy handle (there are many that have hollow handles for storing matches, filiment, etc.), and saw teeth on one side. It's hard to cut down boughs with bare hands, and if you're in the south a lot of those palm fronts have thorns.
Plastic tarps are essential, but I wouldn't bother packing an easter-egg blue one if you're trying to bug out into the woods and hide. In a pinch a clear, plastic painters tarp will do. It won't hold up in the wind because it has no stitching or grommets for support, so don't count on using it for more than a few hours.
One key bit of advice is to only build your shelter with materials that can be found within 100 ft of your campsite. Remember, this is a temporary shelter. Many a camper get lost looking for items within a mile of their campsite. Once disoriented it's hard to find your way back. I also recommend a brightly colored bandana or scarf to hang up high enough to be a visual guide to help you find your way back. Every 20 steps turn around and locate the bandana. Stop moving forward if you can't see it and retrace your steps back until you do.
When I was a kid in scouting we learned how to build various native American houses. Tepees, wigwams, lodges, etc. Bottom line: Don't bite off more than you can chew. Building a shelter requires time and energy, so don't go all Survivorman on yourself.
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