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.