Hmm a RedDawn remake?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWnKEOJw-Ok&NR=1&feature=fvwp

A nice collage of the original film, a remake?

Not sure about the quality that a remake may possess:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oIRF4cYQ8Y

Well not surprising, a Red Dawn Remake merely shows the lack of creativity in Hollyweird...that said, media that focuses people on the Cruddy life is Always a good thing, life is not   all Pan and Roses and Butterflies.

BTW..always drove me nutz, the Original Red Dawn featured Pat Swayze and Scott Thomas discussing "no  radio" when in fact the radio in Swayze's pickup would have worked just fine..

Post Christmas...get yourself into gear..efficiently

Christmas day has arrived, they always do, on the 25th of every December.

Plenty of gifts, food, comraderie etc and so forth, perhaps even lending a hand in doing dishes or taking out the torn remnants of wrapping paper..

Enough of that, now that Christmas has passed, it is time to regift oneself from the ghosts of Christmas, Birthdays and splurges past.

The average purchaser of electronics, be they Play Stations or Laptops or even a PDA uses maybe 10% of the capacities of those devices, typically what happens is the gadget is used for one, or maybe two things, everything else is just not bothered with, at the Last Cause that is unacceptable.

We are all about increasing capacity by using what we already own, for example:

-Old Gateway laptop, 1 Ghz processor, DVD player has morphed into a 15 inch media center that can watch sports events or shows online for little to no cost in preperation for dropping Satellite Service once the cheapy intro rate expires.

-Old Palm PDA the M500 series, found a kit online for less than 40 dollars that allows it to transform into a GPS unit.

-Bread Machine, no new tricks with that, merely a schedule and Jankesque committment to a schedule, fresh bread is quite a treat, the capacity is already there, why not use it twice a week to create preservative free, tastee bread?

-Found an old Fax for Computer program that should increase capacity if I need to send a fax.

-Reformatted some old 1 gb thumb drives and installed DSL linux

-Went through the book library and found some old titles that I have not read in years, as the saying goes "If you wish to  learn something new, read a book you already have read".

-Open Office installed on the media center Gateway to create spreadsheets for the Alpha Strategy purchases that need to be made, as well as synching the laptop with the old palm pilot for penny by penny budgeting purposes.

-Cheapy digital camera that can record film, plan on going through self defense techniques with a blade in order to see where improvement can be made, most cellphones already have digital cameras in them, it does make one wonder if the camera is still good even if the service is dropped.

-Blew the dust off of old workout equipment, if 2010 is as bad as I think it can be, it will be a great time to get back into top shape, from the old Nordic Tracks to some dumbells, that equipment still works just fine and it is a positive outlet for frustrating times.

And it beats watching Oprah and wallowing in self pity.

-Langauge Course, these are  real gem, picked them up for 5 dollars on sale at Office Max, 51 langauges, coupled with "The Quick and Dirty Guide to Learning Foreign Languages Fast" and by Spring basal competence in 5 different languages can be mastered rather easily.

A few examples of recycling older tech and items and making them useful again, if one has ever shopped at a thrift store and found similar items keep in mind the item is not useless, the former owner just was not creative enough to find a new use for them. 

Have a Merry Christmas, save your money, be cautious, but decisive when acting. 

 

Khazad! Khazad! Christmas is Upon You!!

That time of year is here...again...and the ads are bombarding the buying public...again..Christmas must be some diabolical plot by marketers to influence feelings and drive the Consumer into debt or they are..less than caring..

From "laptop for $199" to the lastest greatest digital gadegtry, "you" will buy something..."you" know it, surrender, pull out the Credit Card...do it! 

Insert Sam Kinnison voice over.

Christmas in and of itself is not particularly Scriptural, in fact a better case could be made for Consumation over Immaculate Conception, however it is a golden chance to reconnect with family and loved ones and just enjoy some good company and have a nice meal and exchange gifts preferrably that one created themselves, that is how Christmas began and perhaps should return to being.

And times are hard, if the cooking is done oneself it reduces costs, unless of course one's time is extremely valuable, and of course cook a bit more so there are leftovers that can be given out as take home dishes for those less fortunate guests who are going through it.

It should be pointed out that the best bargains are often found in the returned items section of the local store, and items that are over purchased at the local market will be marked down in early January, a good time to stock up on wrapping paper and perhaps food items.

Unemployment to persist at high levels

Sadly, mankind never learns the big lessons, Unemployment will remain high for years.

Hundreds of billions in "stimulus" monies won't change that TARP has merely consolidated banking power at taxpayer's expense and made the Federal Government partial owners of the new conglomerates.

So while people lose their jobs, and inflation (actual inflation not the lies the .Gov is peddling this week) rises robbing money from rich and poor alike, now there will be even less employment available moving forward under the twisted Keynsian Vision that is en vogue in Babylon on the Potamic.

With a warehousing strategy in place, the loss of a job can be dealt with, at least somewhat, the problem is the 90's and 2000's housing boom created millions of mortgage holders, but far fewer actual homeowners, a lost job can see an eviction from one's home making the warehouse a burden, however that is one of the risks in America on the Decline, there is no longer Certainty only Doubt and loss moving forwards.

A one time favorite Author of mine, Boston T Party mentioned in his great "Surviving Doomsday" that Americans really should live with the thought that if their income were cot in half, it would have no effect on their day to day lives.

What a great concept, along with the rebirth of the Nuclear Family, two ideas who would allow Americans in particular to get back on their feet as a whole without living in one's car for an extended period of time.

W

Supplement table fare, a good strategy

"...The National Sporting Goods Association forecasts that spending on hunting and firearms will rise $350 million this year, even as spending declines for nearly every other sport the group monitors.

For hunters, deer meat isn't free -- there's overhead, including a deer hunting license, ammunition, gas for the car -- but it's cheap.

"You've got your loin steaks and your hindquarter steaks," Weaver said, "and the rest ground up into sausage -- comes to about 70 cents a pound."

http://www.indystar.com/article/20091019/LOCAL/910190348/In+trying+times++hunters+go+after+deer+to+put+food+on+the+table

The writer does a good job of reminding the reader that hunting "gear" often times outstrips the savings in venison going on the table.

I also would think that if savings were  really what were being sought, the Huntsmen would go out in groups and dilute the costs among several people, gas, lunch, even baits, those costs add up.

And such supplemental meat should also include smaller game animals such as Rabbits and Squirrels and Ducks (though  Ducks tend to be a "rich man's game due to the high costs involved, not always but once the dogs and the blinds and the time are  added in, as well as the custom perrazi's, it would take a lifetime of hunting to recoup  the cash layouts.

Some Venison Sausage with Rich along with some homebrewed wine and homemade bread sounds like  a great meal indeed.

Dollar begins free fall

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/dollar_loses_reserve_status_to_yen_hFyfwvpBW1YYLykSJwTTEL;jsessionid=65E301CF47ED50D15170F8D6530791C5

"After printing up trillions of new dollars and new bonds to stimulate the US economy, the Federal Reserve chief is now boxed into a corner battling two separate monsters that could devour the economy -- ravenous inflation on one hand, and a perilous recession on the other.

"He's in a crisis worse than the meltdown ever was," said Peter Schiff, president of Euro Pacific Capital. "I fear that he could be the Fed chairman who brought down the whole thing."

Well, who couldn't see this one coming? 

I see there are two trends emerging, A) Denial, the DC spendthrifts simply act as if this is not a fact of life for their budgeting purposes, they will not stop spending, they will not stop issuing debt and they will continue to print money with no inherent value. 

B) The statistics for inflation will be skewed and unreliable, quite simply they will lie about the effect that inflation will have on everyday life in America.

What this means in real world terms, if one stockpiles is imported goods are going to go upwards in price, everything from plastic storage bowls to Levi's will cost more and soon, perhaps as soon as this Spring, maybe sooner.

It also means that internally produced commodities such as Sugar and Grains will rise in price as the producers can now make more money selling internationally than domestically. 

I'd recommend inventory what items you purchase the most that are produced internationally and make a decision on what you would invest in and use the most and make a decision to purchase, or do without or substitute...because they are only going to rise in price as the dollar slides in purchasing power.

Greenshoots?

It is now official Senior Citizens will not see a Cost of Living increase for the next 2 years as the Treasury has determined that inflation will not be an issue.

An idea of course that is spurious at best, Utility Companies are raising rates, Grocery Store prices have also increased, but those are not "core inflation" measurements, which means Granny is outtaluck with a shrinking in purchasing power .Gov payout making do is again a reality.

I do believe that Seniors will be able to handle such a situation better than today's youth because at least they have heard the stories of the Great Depression, though they were rarely told that the .Gov and FDR actually prolonged the Depression.

Either way, the Alpha Strategy is nothing new for the Seniors I've met, for example a 81 yr old Florida lady who stockpiled grains and breakfast cereals as well as having a Orange and Grapefruit Orchard. 

Christmas time meant homemade Orange Marmalade, which is quite good actually.

To me, the recommendations for Alpha Strategy warehousing are non commodity items, anything that is imported will naturally rise in price as the dollar (and our purchasing power) continues to erode, imported items such as Quality cookware such as knives and cooking gear will rise in price by next spring, as will auto parts which on new cars will see increases in prices if one has dealer servicing, and parts will rise in price even on that classic Toyota 4 Runner.

Ammunition is a neutral buy at the moment simply because production will exceed demand and prices will naturally fall with the caveat being .Gov action to increase the prices via onerous regulations in places such as California.

The Federal Reserve begins Monetization

Monetization...or "Stabilization" is when the Federal Government issues debt, that a different branch of the Federal Govt purchases, in this case, the Federal Reserve which prints the "dollar" is purchasing from the Dept of Treasury, which issues Debt instruments.

So?

Basically the Fed is printing money and handing it over to the Federal Govt, that causes inflationary pressures, which in turn causes prices to rise across the board, everything from Ramen to Gasoline will rise in price.

The best hedges against the coming price inflation, besides marketable skills, are items that must be purchased either now, or 3 years from now, Motor Oil, Oil Filters, Toilet Paper, Food Items, key clothing items as well such as socks or briefs.

And keep in mind, the Porkulus monies, some 600 billion "dollars" remains largely unspent, add that to the 200 Billion in failed Treasury Debt that did not sell at auction, that produced 200 billion more that will be pumped into the US Economy, as well as the decline in the value of the Dollar v the ChiCom's Yuan, making even imported goods more expensive, and the Citizen is facing an inflationary spiral.

And the more the Obama Administration spends, the worse the cycle will grow, and they plan on spending Trillions more on non revenue producing projects, make work projects if one will.

Michael Janke's Take Control and change your life

Here on ye olde blog I think a new feature will be the "bargain book bin" featuring a review of a older book normally available for 1 dollar or less, but has content that merits mentioning.

This installment will highlight a work from the year 2000, Michael Janke's " Take Control Master The Art of Self Discipline and Change your life forever"

Found at the local Goodwill for the sum of $1.00, Janke was a one time motivational speaker who authored several other books along with a series of videotapes (it is from the Dot.com era).

Janke's work is small, 231 pages, and is mainly focused on increasing self discipline and productivity via a series of self assesing questions as well as worksheets that one designs that are a kind of Get Things Done system with absolutely no flab to be found. 

And that is the heart of the book and one of the most positive features of the work, Janke' is an ex SEAL and intersperses vignettes from his time in the military that, in my view, are written for the .com era new gen computer techie types, the stories don't add much to the overall message of the book, Efficiency via Time Discipline.

If the reader can put aside the SEAL references, and focus on the self assessment and goal setting portions, Janke's book can be very effective at turning dead time into productive time as well as focusing effort into finishing projects from the most mundane tasks to the longer term goals that must be completed. 

The simple system of a ledger and a box next to each task as well as Substitute Thinking is effective, and if followed, works surprisingly well. Results being the ultimate "proof test" Author Janke's should be given credit for writing a implementable system that actually works.

Janke' s Future Orientation is out of the norm for such a motivational work and makes for a interesting purpose in following his prescribed plan of Self Discipline. Actions now, ones that take concrete and positve steps in a parent's life do trickle down to the children, such a view is worth considering paying the $1.00 this book currently commands.

Summer time

We have had an incredible amount of rain this spring, literally, we have gone from drought to flood in 4 months.

Which is great for the plants, not so good for the people.

Inflation is slowly appearing out in the Real World

Alas, it's been a month since I posted simply because there is so much turmoil at the moment that patterns had yet to form, until now:

Gasoline has risen from 1.97 to 2.13

Motor Oil has suddenly spike upwards, premium brands are now 3.20 a quart, even the store brand at Advance Auto has jumped to 2.69 from 1.59 even during the height of the oil crunch last year.

Spaghetti Sauce has jumped from 1.00 or so to 1.25, even plain old boxed pasta has increased from .88 cents to 1.37 a box of rotini.

Ammunition is still scarce, with astronomical prices being asked for a single box of ammunition, 47.50 for a single box of aummunition.

The M1 supply has risen 10% already,  with more to come, meaning inflation will really kick in this year, meaning what you purchase now will be a better investment then most of the traditional intangiables investments that served so well from 1982-1999.

We've had an unusually wet spring so far, the home garden is doing well, and hopefully, home gardening will continue to grow in popularity as it will provide an offset to the inevitable increase in the price of gasoline and other food stuffs, in this case those in warmer weather climates will have an advantage over those in the northern parts of the US, or for that matter, the globe. If you have the climate and the space, there is little reason not to grow a garden this year, and grow that which will be expensive at the local grocery store, Red Peppers for example, are a good crop, Corn on the other hand, is not as 3/1.00 vs 1.89 per pepper makes quite clear.

The Propeht of Doom Syndrome v Enlightened Self Interest

No doubt about it, these are troubled times Spiritually, Ethically and Financially, from Bank Collapses to Nationalization to Inflation to increasing structural costs, and of course anyone who is even partially serious about a Religious Faith is the subject of scorn.

Times like these a Jeremiah or a Nietzsche arises to pronounce this era is the most trying ever and destruction is certain to come. It's human nature to seek out what we feel is the "truth" for the times, in good times, Anthony Robbins or Chris Warren, in bad times Gerald Celente or Peter Schiff.

The Prophet of Doom is set upon a pedastal and either praised or mocked depending on what one's views are, the Sunny Optimist is either called out of touch or bringer of hope, depending one what one wishes to hear. 

As a Preparedness Aware Individual, it is wise to maintain a balance between both, to be Optimistic about one's preparations but a Prophet of Doom subscriber is not a mutually exclusive philosophy, in fact, it is simple Enlightened Self Interest to grasp the fact that times are never as bad as they seem, nor as prosperous as they seem.

A year's worth of supplies should cost about a month's pay depending on family size and Cadillac tastes, and using the Alpha Strategy, one is insured either way, it is a safe bet that inflation will be a fact of life, so prebuying items that will cost more later makes sense in the case of job loss, or hyper inflation or simple piece of mind. So one has effectively hedged against both a crash or even a return to normalcy.

I enjoy Gerald Celente's work, I also like Rick Warren's outlook, I don't plan on moving to the hinterlands (yet) nor do I plan on putting on a happy face...

Ammunition is literally disappearing off the store shelves in what can only be described as a "panic". 

Nothing wrong with that, people should cherish their Rights, the problem is, how do you save money and still remain armed and accurate? 

Enter the ChiCom .177 pellet rifle, typically sells for 50 dollars or less, pellets are relatively cheap, and they hit hard enough to bring down small game such as rabbits or squirrels or soda bottles and since they are modeled after the SKS (which is now a 300 dollar rifle, weren't they 59 dollars not that long ago?) one can also have some training time behind a similar rifle. The cheapy ChiCom also allows for a telescopic site to be added which helps with accuracy a great deal.

This gentleman used his pellet rifle to successfully bring home some supper:

http://www.americanairgunhunter.com/huntingwithchineseAG.html

The price increase in SKS rifles is a great example of inflation in action, when they first became available in the early 90's, they were viewed as semi crappy fixed magazine rifles that could be had for next to nothing, now they command a week's pay and the ammunition is no longer 1.99 per 20 cartridges..and that happened in 13 years or so.

And so it begins, we are beginning to see the effects of all of the money that has been created even down to the "can of sauce" level of the economy, what used to be 98 cents is now 1.19, add in the coming increase in sales taxes and we are looking at a 1.25 a unit price.

The way around this is to rely on oneself and purchase Canning Jars and lids and the industrial sized cans of stewed tomatoes, and stir up your own sauce with a blender and can it before hand. Doing thus also lets the cook make their own sauces to taste, add basil from the garden or oregano or extra onions or garlic in either whole form, or powdered form.

Another clever way to enjoy pasta and to save some money is to harvest wild greens such as Nettle Tops or Kale or what have you, and make Pesto sauce with them, leave out the pine nuts and such pesto will be much more affordable to create and it utilizes one's own environment to improve your bottom line.

The Knife in self defense mode, cheap, handy and effective

Knife use in self defense is a pecuilar passion of mine as to me their potential is underrated and their effectiveness at defense (by being offensively defensive) is without a doubt. Fortunately there are some wonderful resources on the WWW that are not only free, but also were used in WW2.

W.E.B. Fairbairn's Get Tough comes to mind. Colonel Fairbairn designed a stiletto style dagger based on his years in the Changhai Police Force, in fact such a dagger is the picture at the top of the Blog.

More pertinent for this post is, Col Fairbairn also created a chart showing the major arteries in the human body along with an estimate of how long consciousness would be lost if one were severed as appears above.

A recent work by Paladin Press entitled Contemporary Knife Targeting studied Col Fairbarin's chart and asked medical professionals about it's accuracy or lack thereof. The work claimed Fairbairn was overly optimistic and that the volume of blood and heart rate would make the chart impractical and of lesser value.

My conlcusion is Col Fairbairn was too optimistic, but the Paladin Press work was to conservative in that the rate a injury will cause shock in an attacker varies from person to person, from situation to situation, they also failed to account for the increased heart rate and blood flow internally that a conflict will create. Authors Grasz and Janich however, did offer an effective biomechanical cutting program that relied more on targeting muscle groups then arteries.

That said, taking Col Fairbairn's chart and authors Grasz and Janich's study, it can be reasonably said that either penetration into the body cavity, or slashing a artery or muscle group can be done with the smallest of knives.

That 2 dollar steak knife literally can be used to save one's life in a pinch, if not knowing knife use system is a problem, it is one of a lack of knowledge only, the triceps, qaudraceps, radial artery (inside the wrist) are well known to most.

A steak knife one may ask? Of course, it is the deadliest blade in America, often a domestic dispute will erupt and the first thing that comes to hand is used, be that a chair or a knife from the butcher's block on the counter.

Of course things can be more complicated then this, and training never hurt, especially if one's life is in the balance, or could be in the balance, but do not let the "ninja master" syndrome effect one, mankind has used knives for thousands of years, it is not rocket science at a most basic level it is quite simple.

Frugality is the new fad...

When a major media outjest manages to run a story on the new sincerety, one has to take notice.


The nightmare of a consumer driven economy, the Urban Professional cuts back spending even when there is disposable income available, no worries though, tax increases and regulatory burdens and the hidden tax of inflation will destroy the value they are hoarding. That is the issue with merely hoarding cash under the mattress, it loses it's buying power to inflationary termites.

It could be said that official inflation is quite low, and that would be a truism, however in this downturn we are experiencing producer price hikes at the overseas manufacturing locations, the US inflationary measures also do not account for food or fuel, they basically are worthless as a economic measure in a Global Economy.

Those new to value hoarding would be well served by purchasing items that will increase in price over the long term that are fit to warehouse. Otherwise sticker shock at the local Wally World could make it to America's Funniest Home videos.

The idea to use plain vinegar over even plain jane fabric softener is a good one.

Spring is here, time to plant a garden.

The mini warehouse is located in an urban environment where tilling the soil would be frowned upon.

No problem, instead of a subsistence garden as would be the case in Europe, I've decided to use the limited space to grow herbs to supplement the variety of food during the year.

These work well:

Basil
Oregano
Field Onions

The only realistic food items that there is space to grow is jalapeno peppers and maybe a heavy yielding variety of tomato, both items are quite expensive at the store, as are the herbs when they are fresh, so this makes financial sense.

And it should be pointed out that culinary matters count as well, a few fresh basil leaves can light up a otherwise bland pan of scrambled eggs, and that also adds to the comfort factor, Fresh Oregano is wonderful when added to the typical can of spaghetti sauce which has little flavor of it's own.

So if one has the time, look into a small herb garden, it pays both in the wallet and in the comfort factor.

Gold is spiking in price

Gold has suffered a surprising upward trend, almost 80 dollars in a single week.

Normally Central Banks then sell gold to depress the price, however in this case, a rising gold price means the Central Banks now have more assets on hand and that helps to keep them solvent.

Silver, or poor man's gold, has also seen a upward trend, however not as large percentage wise as Gold has, there is perhaps still some room to purchase Silver in expectation of a rising price and a profit, however Silver is purely an investment as no Central Bank holds silver reserves.

Buyer beware on silver purchases for anything other then a small fast profit or as a minor hedge against inflationary presssures.

There will be no Hunt Brothers this time out, and the commodity bubble bursting effected silver.

Mormon Index rising...Alpha Strategy in effect?

Now I must confess my issues with Mormon Theology, however on the whole I've found such differences to be no barrier to friendship and good natured conversations with my fellow Mormon Americans.

That stated, I must say the "Mormon Way" of preparing for one year of hard times with no commercial food or personal care products is a great and wonderful example of what Americans of any creed or even no creed or faith should practice if possible:

A contrarian view of what is really happening in the US Economy is Mormon Index, a compendium of the utilization of the services of a Mormon Warehouses:

.....Winona and Kevin Black began stocking their shelves a couple of years after their 1985 wedding. When they moved to St. Louis, in 1990, they had two small children and began their food storage in earnest. Kevin Black was a resident at Barnes Hospital at the time, and the family was spending $30 a week on food.

Today, with seven children, the Blacks have increased their food budget to $100 a week, and they've abided by the church's food-storage suggestions for two decades.

One of their daughter's twin mattresses was set up on boxes filled with cans of powdered milk, potato flakes and red beans. Shelves in an upstairs closet of their Crestwood house are balanced on the large No. 10 cans used in the church's cannery operation and filled with wheat.

In a separate storage room downstairs, more boxes of wheat, pasta, sugar and oats sit next to multiple jars of mayonnaise, boxes of soup mix, bags of popcorn and cans of refried beans.

Winona Black keeps a black marker in the room to help her keep track of the rotation of supplies

The Bishops Warehouse also provides services such as resume writing and faux interviews that are video recorded and played back so any flaws in the interviewee's performance may be crtiqued and improved.

Quite impressive, and everyone whether atheist or other, could take a lesson from those remarkable preperations.

Individuality, Privacy, and the need for effort

I'm occasionally struck by the reality of modern Internet Communities and the amount of private information they can reveal.

From Facebook to Twitter, people are literally taking their most private details, and making a public spectacle out of them, which seems a bit foolish. The Internet is "forever" meaning 10 or 15 years down the road, what is youthful behavour now, will be cringe worthy later as people, believe it or not, change over time.

And it should also be mentioned that Officials frequently look for MySpace pages during the course of investigations, or when they are merely fishing around, and there has been two cases of such information leading to people's deaths at the hands of law enforcement simply because some well meaning, but misguided soul posted pictures of themselves with firearms on their myspace pages, in one case in NC, a poor slob simply had pictures of his friend holding firearms and he was killed in a incompetent SWAT raid on his home near a college campus.

It makes some sense to participate in such social sites, it makes even more sense to publish as little actual person information as possible and still participate with ones friends.

In Biblical terms, "Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves, be ye wise as serpents, and gentle as doves"

Over a month with no posts..dressed up for the New Year.

It's been a month, but no time lost per se, Deflation is beginning to emerge into the US Economy, and that is one tough thing to deal with effectively.

For the Alpha Strategist, this is a prime time to load up on long term storage items, prices will not be lower then they are now, add in a staggering 7.2% unemployment rate, and things are beginning to become "interesting".

It would make sense to acquire supplies for the larder now, as when unemployment hits, not only will one be broke, one will also be unable to purchase personal health items, or food supplies, or motor oil, or any of the things that make life move forward.

This downturn happening in the Winter only makes matters worse, but if one shows forsight, like the Ant in the parable, and gathered in the Fall, or gathers now, especially if one is employed in a Tourist or Travel business, one will be able to ride out a rough patch.