The Unthinkable Is Poised to Happen, Economist Warns

By Katrina Turner

 

The Aftershock Survival Summit is a gripping, no-nonsense presentation that’s quickly becoming a financial beacon in an economic tsunami.

Featuring an exclusive interview with famed economist and best-selling author Robert Wiedemer, this disturbing presentation exposes harsh economic truths along with a dire financial warning — a prophetic message that’s spreading across America like wildfire.

But it’s not just the grim predictions that are causing the sensation; rather, it’s the comprehensive blueprint for economic survival that’s really commanding global attention.

Officials say crime ring has uranium

WASHINGTON – Investigators following up on a nuclear sting in eastern Europe suspect that a crime syndicate was trying to sell weapons-grade uranium to buyers in North Africa.

Officials in Moldova, a former Soviet republic, told The Associated Press that 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of highly enriched uranium remains in criminal hands and is probably in another country.

Though that is a fraction of what is needed for a bomb, the investigation has provided fresh evidence of a black market in nuclear material probably taken from poorly secured stockpiles in the former Soviet Union.

U.S. authorities have been aiding the Moldovans in the international search for a Russian believed to be the ringleader of the smuggling operation. They also are searching for a North African man who they believe attempted to buy the uranium in Moldova before fleeing the country.

"Should the existence of a legitimate buyer (or middleman) from a region with a history of terror cells be confirmed, then the case would be substantially more alarming than other recent fissile material interdictions, where official agents were the sole potential buyer," said the report, which was obtained ahead of its release Tuesday.

They arrested six people and seized 4.4 grams (0.16 ounces) of uranium that had been offered as a sample at a price of 420,000 euros, or $600,000. The sellers claimed to have 9 kilograms (20 pounds) more as well as a quantity of plutonium, according to Lugar's report. The group wanted 23 million euros (nearly $31 million) for the larger quantity of uranium, which would have been about one-third of the material necessary to build a crude nuclear weapon.

According to U.S. and U.N. officials, the sample of uranium oxide was traced to specific Russian enrichment facilities and was matched later with at least one earlier seizure of uranium. Nuclear forensic experts can analyze chemical traits of uranium and other radioactive material, which can provide a kind of nuclear fingerprint that can be traced to known stocks.

According to Olli Heinonen, a former investigator at the International Atomic Energy Agency, a small quantity of uranium oxide enriched to bomb-grade level could have come from Russian civilian nuclear stocks used in research reactors. But if the smugglers indeed have the larger quantity they were offering, it would signal that criminals had gained access to military stocks.

The offer of plutonium, if legitimate, also was particularly troubling, because less plutonium is needed to make a nuclear bomb. Unlike highly enriched uranium, plutonium can be combined with conventional explosives to make a toxic dirty bomb that could spread radioactivity over a wide area.

http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110927/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_moldova_nuclear_smuggling

Preparedness Priorities?

Preparedness Priorities?
by FerFAL

    How real is the threat that martial law will occur in the US in the next 18 months?
    Is it your opinion that as a father my priorities should be?

       1) Be debt free
        2)have some cash on hand
        3)have some precious metals on hand
        4)have emergency supplies of water
        5)have emergency supplies of food
        6)have a hand gun
        7)

    Jeff

    
Hi Jeff, I cant say for sure but it is a possibility. I doubt its 50/50 but even if its 20%, which would be a reasonable yet conservative estimation, its still probable enough. Even more important, chances of sporadic violence, rioting and mobs (check the Flash mob posts) those are very real and already occur.

These would be my priorities.

1) Using computer terms, update your own and your family’s “softaware”. For this you will have to assess your current status. How’s your spending? How’s your family budget and where could it be improved? Where does your family stand in terms of awareness and security? Are the wife/kids/yourself spoiled with habits that aren’t acceptable any more given current times? I make sure my kids get t even from an early age what the priorities are. For one, being spoiled brats is simply not acceptable, nor will it be ok for them to be spoiled teens. If that sounds a bit harsh keep in mind that after spoiled kids comes spoiled teens, and right after that come spoiled adults. We have enough of those as it is and I especially don’t want my own kids to suffer being one of them. This also involves something that scares the living heck out of most parents: Spending time with those little people you have living in your home! Parenthood is a responsibility, its about both money and time. Some parents throw money at the problems and hope that’s enough.

It’s not. My priority now and always has been my family, and this should be taken into special consideration when preparing. Your family is your safety net, the core that will make all of you strong during tough times. Spend time with your family, wife, kids, make the effort to be as close to one another as possible. This point alone is huge and would require its own article but think about it from the preparedness perspective as well. Working out or practicing sports as a family, hiking, taking those moments to talk about attitudes towards problems, about coping with them and current events. Talk with them about security and crime, ask them what they think, what they’ve been seeing in school/work. Don’t just monologue, have them all talk about these topics. This is what I mean when I say “software”. The gear and stuff, guns, ammo, etc yes its important but not as much as what’s in your brain.

2) About the points you mentioned. I’d get a handgun if you don’t own one already.   Get a revolver if your budget is really limited and you have little resources to gain the skills you need, otherwise a nice semi auto such as the Glock.  A 6-shooter in 38special/357 magnum is light years ahead of being totally unarmed. Of what you have left, buy at least 2 months worth of food and plan on working up to 6 months. Two months worth of food stored sounds like a lot, right? It does if you don’t plan on eating by then. If you think about it that way two months, six or twelve is all very reasonable. A six month minimum goes according the following logic: First, you’ll be eating it anyway, that’s basic enough. Second, if you get fired from your job, given the situation today its possible that you may spend several months looking for a job. The last thing you need is worrying about putting food on the table. If there’s rioting and serious social unrest supermarkets may be closed or looted as well. This is why it makes sense to stock up on food and water.

After you have a gun and two months worth of food, I’d keep the rest as emergency cash. If you cover two months worth of expenses in cash, then put the rest in precious metals. This will of course vary widely depending on how much money you’re talking about but this would be my generic recommendation.

Take care and good luck!

FerFAL


http://www.themodernsurvivalist.com/?p=1605

Treating Serious Wounds with Sugar and Honey?

Sugar and honey for Serious Wounds?
by FerFAL

A friend of mine who suffered a bike accident is using common sugar for treating his injured foot. He still goes to the hospital, has the progress checked and dressings changed but he still does some of it at home, and the doctors indicated that he should use sugar on daily basis. We’re talking about a serious injury with significant loss of skin, flesh and tendon damage.

My mother in law was indicated similar treatment after her breast cancer surgery, pouring sugar over the wound. I know its used at the Buenos Aires City zoo for animal wounds and that it has been used in battlefield wounds as well. Sugar works as an effective antiseptic, in some cases it even works in cases where typical pharmaceutical antiseptics have failed.  Honey is also used and is an old time remedy for insect bites. Sugar and honey not only works as an antiseptic, several studies have showed that it also reliefs pain and speeds up the healing process when compared to not using it.

The way of using it is pretty straight forward. Clean up the wound with soap and water, dry so that there’s no moist the apply sugar directly into the wound. In some cases its recommended to first apply honey and then sugar so that it sticks. The people I know, they used sugar simply powered directly into the wound. The sugar crystals should go inside the wound when possible. After that, cover the wound with sterile dressing.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1220316/Cut-Sprinkling-SUGAR-wound-help-heal-faster-lessen-pain.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/96076-use-sugar-heal-wounds/

http://www.herbalskincareblog.com/2010/12/03/honey-and-sugar-for-wounds-healing/

Its surprising how effective such a simple remedy can be. Doing some google you’ll find out several studies and hospitals that have come to accept hoe effective it is.

FerFAL



http://www.themodernsurvivalist.com/?p=1607

Grinding America Down

State Rep Curtis Bowers (R) IDAHO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQf_QfitmKE&feature=player_embedded

"America is like a healthy body and it's resistance is threefold: Its patriotism, it's morality, and it's spiritual life.  If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within."  - Joseph Stalin

This story really begins for me, back in the summer of 1992.  I got a phone call from an older gentleman that I knew who was a writer.  He asked me if I could go attend a meeting for him at the university of California Berkley.  He told me that the communist party USA had recently split over differences in how to best take America down.  Some were wanting to still work towards a violent revolution, while others were wanting to focus their efforts on using public policy to subvert America from the inside.  He was curious what they had to say. 

After all, the Berlin wall has just come down, the Soviet Union has just dissolved and the whole world was saying that Communism was dead.  So why were they meeting and what were they up to?

I was in graduate school at the time and the whole idea of slipping in undercover to a communist meeting sounded pretty neat so I decided to go.   The first surprise that I had was when I walked into the college auditorium.  I was expecting it to be filled with college radicals.  instead it was 50 60 and 70 year olds, grandparents, professionally dressed with briefcases.  I realized this may be a little more serious than I thought.

As the weekend unfolded, I listened carefully as they outlined their plan and agenda on how they were going to infiltrate the institutions in America and influence us in the direction.

To destroy our families, they wanted to promote cohabitation instead of marriage; They wanted to try to get children away into government programs at the earliest age possible; and they also said they'd like to get behind the feminist movement - because they felt it would be very successful in making women discontent with marriage and motherhood.

To destroy business, they wanted to get behind the environmental movement.  In 1992, the environmental movement was very modest.  But they thought it was the only vehicle capable of creating enough regulation and red tape to discourage business growth.

And finally, to destroy our culture of religion and morality they said that if we can get Americans to accept homosexuality, they thought that it would begin to extinguish our traditional moral values Americans held.

I remember thinking at the time "this plan does not seem very realistic .  It is not something that I'll have to worry about in my lifetime."

It was 15 years later I was appointed by the governor to be a state representative in the legislature.  I had only lived in my district for 2 years so I thought it would be a good idea to write a monthly letter to the editor.  Each month I wrote on a different topic.  In January 2008 as I was contemplating what to write my letter on, I thought back to the meeting in 1992.  I thought of the goals they outlined and where American was today and I couldn’t believe how successful they had been.  I mean our families were totally disintegrating;  The environmental movement had become the most powerful force for destroying our free markets; and hate crimes legislation was being considered in Washington DC that would make it illegal to even say anything against the homosexual movement.

I realized people needed to know what was going on.

After I wrote this letter, within days, people were protesting at the capital, it was the feature story on the evening news.

"Controversial comments have state legislators buzzing tonight, after a freshman lawmaker alleges the Communist agenda has infiltrated America"

Over 40 letters to the editor had been printed in response to what I said.

"I just wanted to give you support on your newspaper article.  Don't let them grind you down."

I realized then that I'd hit on something.  One of the letters written in my defense stated that  book from 1958 had outlined a similar agenda.  The book was "The Naked Communist" by Cleon Skousen who had been a former FBI agent.  Inside the book, it documented 45 current communist goals from 1958.  As I slowly read thought the list, seeing how specific their agenda had been to subvert us from the inside, I couldn’t believe it.

Goal #28

Eliminate prayer in the school on the grounds that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

Goal #40

Discredit the family as an institution.  Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

Goal #17

Get control of the school, use them as transmission belt for socialism... soften the curriculum.  Get control of teacher associations.

Goal #24

Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

Goal #

Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography in books, magazines, and TV.

Goal #26

Present homo-sexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy"

Goal #20, 21

Infiltrate the press.  Gain control of key positions in radio, TV and motion pictures

Goal #27

Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion.  Discredit the bible.

It accomplished almost every single one of them and nobody seemed to be noticing.

For at least the last 50 years, they've been working actively behind the scenes in the shadows, trying to move our people and our culture in a directions that was designed to destroy us.

- State Rep Curtis Bowers (R) IDAHO

Receive the Award-Winning DVD Film “Agenda” with $25 Donation to The Christian Worldview

http://thechristianworldview.com/tcwblog/archives/4339

Now That We’ve Seen “AGENDA”, What Should Be The Christian’s Agenda?

January 28, 2011 by David Wheaton  

http://thechristianworldview.com/tcwblog/archives/tag/curtis-bowers

A record-high 81% of Americans are dissatisfied with the way the country is being governed

A record-high 81% of Americans are dissatisfied with the way the country is being governed, adding to negativity that has been building over the past 10 years.

Majorities of Democrats (65%) and Republicans (92%) are dissatisfied with the nation's governance. This perhaps reflects the shared political power arrangement in the nation's capital, with Democrats controlling the White House and U.S. Senate, and Republicans controlling the House of Representatives. Partisans on both sides can thus find fault with government without necessarily blaming their own party.

The findings are from Gallup's annual Governance survey, updated Sept. 8-11, 2011. The same poll shows record or near-record criticism of Congress, elected officials, government handling of domestic problems, the scope of government power, and government waste of tax dollars.

Key Findings:

• 82% of Americans disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job.
• 69% say they have little or no confidence in the legislative branch of government, an all-time high and up from 63% in 2010.
• 57% have little or no confidence in the federal government to solve domestic problems, exceeding the previous high of 53% recorded in 2010 and well exceeding the 43% who have little or no confidence in the government to solve international problems.
• 53% have little or no confidence in the men and women who seek or hold elected office.
• Americans believe, on average, that the federal government wastes 51 cents of every tax dollar, similar to a year ago, but up significantly from 46 cents a decade ago and from an average 43 cents three decades ago.
• 49% of Americans believe the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. 

Bottom Line

Americans' various ratings of political leadership in Washington add up to a profoundly negative review of government -- something that would seem unhealthy for the country to endure for an extended period. Nevertheless, with another budget showdown looking inevitable and a contentious presidential election year getting underway, it appears the ratings reviewed here could get worse before they improve.


http://www.gallup.com/poll/149678/Americans-Express-Historic-Negativity-Toward-Government.aspx

Deadly drug-resistant TB now spreading at an alarming rate

Multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis (TB) are spreading at an alarming rate in Europe and will kill thousands unless health authorities halt the pandemic, the World Health Organization(WHO) said on Wednesday.

"TB is an old disease that never went away, and now it is evolving with a vengeance," said Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO's Regional Director for Europe.

"The numbers are scary," Lucica Ditiu, executive secretary of the Stop TB Partnership told a news conference in London. "This is a very dramatic situation."

TB is currently a worldwide pandemic that kills around 1.7 million people a year. The infection is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and destroys patients' lung tissue, causing them to cough up the bacteria, which then spreads through the air and can be inhaled by others.

Cases of multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) -- where the infections are resistant to first-line and then second-line antibiotic treatments -- are spreading fast.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/14/who-dangerous-tb-spreading-at-alarming-rate-in-europe/

Government Asset Seizures on the Rise

by Tyler Durden

The Fifth Amendment states that “No person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-us-government-asset-seizures-rise

New EPA rule could lead to rolling blackouts in Texas, PUC chairwoman says

By Jack Z. Smith

The head of the Texas Public Utility Commission expressed concern Friday that a new federal air quality rule, set to take effect Jan. 1, will cause disruptions in electric service.

If implementation of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule is not delayed, "I have no doubt in my mind that this rule will result in reliability issues and rolling outages in Texas," Donna Nelson said at the start of the commission's meeting.

Draconian EPA regulations lead to blackouts

Draconian EPA regulations lead to blackouts, artificial scarcity after vow to “bankrupt” coal industry
by Paul Joseph Watson

Following Barack Obama’s vow to “bankrupt” the coal power industry, Americans are set to be hit with a wave of utility bill hikes as draconian EPA regulations drive up the cost of energy while General Electric, one of Obama’s biggest campaign donors, gets a waiver and is completely exempt.

New EPA rules dictate that utility companies will be forced to spend an initial outlay of $800 million dollars to conform with the regulations that mandate  “harmful” emissions be reduced under the Clean Air Act.  Groups like the Edison Electric Institute warn that the new rules eventually “cost utilities up to $129 billion and force them to retire one-fifth of coal capacity,” prompting a wave of coal plant shutdowns.

The new rules will exacerbate the problem of rolling blackouts, warns Donna Nelson, head of the Texas Public Utility Commission.

“I have no doubt in my mind that this rule will result in reliability issues and rolling outages in Texas,” Nelson said.

Popcorn!

Scouting offers kids the chance to be of service to others, build self-confidence & reinforce ethical standards. For nearly 30 years, Trail's End has been in partnership with the Boy Scouts of America, to help Scout packs, troops and councils raise the money needed to fund their programs and activities throughout the year.

Your purchase helps to pay for the activities Scouts do, for the camps they attend, and for the equipment they need, like canoes, tents and uniforms. 70% of your purchase goes back to the Scout, his troop or pack, and his council. Trail’s end offers the best-tasting, highest-quality snacks possible.

To order go

www.ScoutCorn.com

I set this URL up to redirect to the Trails-End web site with my Son's scout number 

so he gets credit for the sale.

Please make sure it says "supporting scout Ryan G" 

If not, then click “change” and type in scout number 7380810 

Or just go to:

http://www.trails-end.com/estore/scouts/email_referral.jsp?id=7380810

Curveballs

I apologize for the lack of posts recently. With school, baseball, scouts, and Sunday school all starting up at once life has been a bit hectic. Then I got a hit with a curve-ball in the form of a job layoff. Blog posts will resume as soon as I stop scrambling in 7 directions. In the mean time, if you know of any Information Technology openings, please let me know. :)