• The economy of the 1760s as a precedent to the war for independence from the English empire;
• The depression of the 1750s prior to the war for Southern Independence;
• The period just before our entrance to WW I;
• And our great world depression of the 1930s before WWII broke out.

Today, I will take a look at the increasing controls being placed upon the citizens of this country as we continue to steamroll towards the next great depression, which I believe will officially be recognized in late 2013 or early 2014. Of course, some analysts will say that this depression has already begun, and I for one agree with them. It normally takes some time for any government to accept the fact that failure has come upon them, and this economic situation we are enjoying today is no different.

Government controls come in many forms, from control of the media to removal of personal liberties. The headlines are ablaze with the reports that both the senate and the house have both tabled further discussion of the SOPA/PIPA legislation, accompanied by shout of victory by the opposition. Unfortunately, there has been no real victory as the intent is to restart passage of both of these pieces of legislation after the furor has died down.

The hallmark of any despotic regime is the thumbs on approach that the regime takes towards the media industry, and their attempts to squelch any untoward criticism of that regime. For example, if you own a newspaper and say something bad about fearless leader, you most likely will lose your newspaper, and quite likely your life as well. It used to happen all the time in the Soviet Bloc nations, and still occurs even today. The SOPA/PIPA legislation is a wide-ranging set of laws that could easily be used to quench the fires of dissent in this nation based upon the ability of the government to require any particular websites extinction based upon a false claim of copyright infringement. For example, if I were to use this, or another of my blogs to copy a substantial portion of any newspaper article with reference to wrongdoing by our government, they would be able to shut me down cold. This action would be based upon my “piracy” of the copyright holder of that newspaper article.

Granted, piracy is an unacceptable act, and we already have sufficient legislation on the books that addresses that issue today. Unfortunately, our government refuses to utilize current legislation and pursue those scofflaws that already break those laws. The true downside of this legislation is that instead of pursuing criminals, it makes it all that much easier for our government to control the public. The fear aspect of the law is what makes people allow their government to become stronger, and as the government gets stronger it becomes more despotic. Additionally, it is not just the federal level of legislation that the government uses to control people, but state and local level legislation as well. Take the increasingly frequent usage of what the government calls roadside sobriety checkpoints. I prefer to call them chokepoints, myself. These are where a state, county or local police agency sets up a roadblock and checks for drunk drivers or other persons who are operating a vehicle illegally.

We accept these chokepoints because we demand something be done about drunk drivers, or people who drive without insurance, or operate with a suspended license. This makes sense as we wish to be protected, however, this action actually violates our constitutional rights. Amendment four of the US Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights states:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

This means that your property, which includes the car you are driving in, shall be secure, and free from search without a warrant, and that warrant shall not be issued unless there is probable cause that you have violated a particular law. For Sherriff Billy Bob to set up a roadblock and check each car that passes through for violations is tacitly illegal. How can any law enforcement officer state without exception that each of those vehicles, without knowing who will be coming through that chokepoint, to be in violation of a law, and how could any competent judge agree to issue warrants against any and all vehicles that may be driving on that road during the established chokepoint? The answer is simple; they cannot.

We keep asking for more and more protections, but what we really accomplish is the surrender of our constitutional rights, and thus the surrender of our personal sovereignty. We allow a despotic regime to be established because we haven’t the courage to stand up and argue for our own rights, and our guarantee of liberty provide by the constitution.

I believe that no matter who wins this round of election for president, we will see an explosion of government control by the end of this year. My next post will go into some detail with what I see happening to support that view, by the way. Special interest groups are dictating more and more as to what we will be allowed to do and say, and I see that movement becoming stronger in the coming months. Obama-care is a patently unconstitutional piece of legislation, and yet many of us asked for it, to our shame. (Not me, by the way.) Our beloved incandescent light bulbs are going the way of the dinosaur, and the 100-watt light bulbs are already on the banned substance list. 100-watt bulbs are verboten as of 01 January of this year (2012).

The list of controls is growing longer every day, with the passage of each new law. As the economy continues its slide into failure, we will see more and more legislation to hide the reality and extent of the danger, while cloaking that public controlling legislation under the guise of it being “for our own well being.” Stay tuned while I address more of what I see as contributing to our demise as a nation and the collapse of the world as we know it today.

If you liked this post, please visit my main blog site at www.survivaltimestoday.net, where I post a broader range of topics.

That is not much of an increase, comparatively speaking, but it is in fact what I believe is the beginning of what will be a long term trend to crank the price of automotive grade fuels up to a level at least 25 to 30 percent higher than what we are comfortable with today. What do I base my predictions on, and what kind of timeframe are we looking at here? Simply put, part of my reasoning has to do with what some analysts refer to as a situation known as peak oil. Unfortunately, many in the prepper community have a false idea as to what peak oil really means, and are led astray by some of the merchants of fear we encounter all too frequently when discussing preparedness and survivalism.

Another part of my reasoning lies in the fact that the subsidies that have allowed for lower ethanol costs in the fuel stream are gone, and this is the causative factor for the recent increase in gasoline prices at the pump. The true cost of Gaia worshiping is starting to come to light, but people still fail to see the truth of the so called climate change argument, or rather, the climate non-change argument. However, this is another issue that I will get into later, for now, the increasing price of fuels is the topic under discussion.

Peak oil, as I mentioned earlier, is a somewhat misunderstood or misrepresented phenomenon that can in fact mean different things to different groups of stakeholders. One camp suggests that peak oil will occur when the maximum amount of oil is reached, and the supply begins to decline. In one sense this is a correct description, as the peak of any commodity is considered to be when its maximum rate of production is reached, and the available supply begins to decline. This goes for any non replenishing product, not just oil. Copper, silver, gold, and other minerals all can be placed under the same consideration. When you pull all there is out of the ground, there ain’t no more. That’s when the price will really skyrocket.

However, when I talk about peak oil a different definition is suggested. Since 1979 the ethanol industry has been subsidized by the taxpayers to the tune of 600 billion dollars and then some. Because the tax bennies expired on 01 Jan of this year, this will drive the price of ethanol up, and therefore the cost of gasoline at the pump. I do not actually see any major jumps in the price of crude over the next twelve months, barring any military action regarding Iran’s posture, however, we will see a gradual increase with a lot of bumps and grinds tempering that increase. Again, the bigger consumer level price increase will be mostly the ethanol component of the fuel we are forced to use in our vehicles.

Herein lies the bigger problem with fuel prices and preparing for the coming times. The RFS program created under the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005 established the first renewable fuel volume mandate in the United States. This mandate required 7.5 billion gallons of renewable- fuel to be blended into gasoline by 2012. This will happen, but the situation gets worse. According to the EPA’s renewable fuels website:

Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the RFS program was expanded in several key ways:

• EISA expanded the RFS program to include diesel, in addition to gasoline;
  
• EISA increased the volume of renewable fuel required to be blended into transportation fuel from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons by 2022;
  
• EISA established new categories of renewable fuel, and set separate volume requirements for each one.
  
• EISA required EPA to apply lifecycle greenhouse gas performance threshold standards to ensure that each category of renewable fuel emits fewer greenhouse gases than the petroleum fuel it replaces.
  

RFS2 lays the foundation for achieving significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from the use of renewable fuels, for reducing imported petroleum, and encouraging the development and expansion of our nation’s renewable fuels sector.

The elimination of this subsidy will force the price of ethanol to rise as the government-forced usage of it increases, as we get closer to 2022. This will naturally cause the price at the pump to reflect the increasing production prices. We are going to need to accommodate an increase in the production of a fuel that is of questionable worth at the cost of mo0re than just the creation of ethanol. More crop acreage is going to be needed to be utilized for fuel production at the expense of food production acreage.

Currently, to add to the escalating price we find that speculative investment is creating a situation whereby the actions of Iran as it threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz is seemingly causing the price of crude to rise. The reality is, as always, that it is really the speculative investment market that is causing the rise in price. Other Arab powers have already promised to increase production should Iran make good on its promise, so in effect the supply available should not drop, suggesting that this pending crisis is really a non-event in real terms. Always be aware that speculative investment drives much of the pricing in commodities markets.

So, to summarize thus far, we have two major factors contributing towards the coming collapse of life as we have come to relish it, 1. increasing food prices, and 2. increasing fuel prices. Both of these elements are vital points to consider as you make your plans to survive the coming times. In part three of 2012-A Doomsday Year? I will look at some of the geopolitical elements and how what happens on a global basis really does affect you, and what you do in your back yard.

Whenever some nut-job with enough you know what’s decides to embark upon a campaign of misinformation and fear-mongering you can pretty well bet on there being a huge herd of followers to counter the effects of the nay-sayers. Either side you play on, if you get in the game early, you stand to reap some good financial gain from the claim, no matter what the claim is, and even if the claim is proven false right from the get-go.

Calendars come and calendars go, but the days upon the pages are just simply pages. They are simply mankind’s way of telling God what day it is, and nothing more. I don’t believe in the Mayan Calendar myth any more than I believe that Santa Claus is a real being.

However, I do believe that we are going to see some huge changes will occur as to life as we know it today. We keep repeating the same tired old mistakes year after year, decade after decade, and century after century. Moreover, each time we make the mistake it immediately becomes the worse scenario in the history of man. It usually is not, of course, but it does make for good press coverage. But of even greater importance to the governments of the world, it provides an opportunity to increase the governments control over its citizens.

What do I see happening to make me believe that this year will be a year of drastic changes? Several items in the news over the last few weeks tell me to beware of certain situations.

For one thing, 2011 saw an overall average price increase at the consumer level of approximately 2.5 to 3.0 percent in at home food categories. There are now several guesstimates as to what the 2012 rates will be, but the most reliable seems to be the Food Institutes projection of: “The all-food CPI is projected to increase 2.5 to 3.5% over 2011 levels, with food-at-home prices increasing 3 to 4% and food-away-from-home prices increasing 2 to 3%…” My own analysis suggests a 3.5 to 4.0 percent or greater increase in at home foods. One of the reasons that I tend to hold to a greater increase is simply because retailers bent over backwards and then some to keep from having to pass increases on to the consumer.

Costs at the distribution level will continue to increase and there will in fact be no alternative available except to raise prices at the shelf level of commerce. Manufacturers have been quite adept at hiding food price increases from the consumer thus far, but people are beginning to wonder out loud where their paychecks are going. The shelf price (the price you see per unit on the UPC tag on the shelf) has been fairly stable, but the price per (price per measured unit i.e. quart, ounce etc.) has been steadily changing in several ways. Cans of coffee, soup and other goods may be the same size as two years ago, but they have fewer content. For instance, a one pound can of coffee we once bought has turned into a twelve ounce can of coffee. My favorite beans that used to be sold in sixteen ounce can are now fifteen ounces. And the shelf price has risen by several cents.

This has been a gradual transition to higher prices, so most people have only been casually aware of this trend. However, in keeping costs low, individual retailers have cut services and payroll to make up for the dwindling profit margin. Additionally, they have cut the quantities and varieties of products carried in store. The end result will be that as customer demands for variety and service increase to meet expectations, shelf prices will have to increase to cover those costs to meet consumer demands.

The cycle will repeat itself as the consumer balks and protests at the price increases, causing the retailer to cut payroll and so on. Round and round until we find ourselves in a position that nobody has a job that pays enough to buy the products that we want to buy causing more business failures and changes because there are not enough profits to keep the business running and growing in an acceptable fashion. Today, most retail profit comes not from the markup of an item, but from the sheer volume of product sold.

This is why we see big box chains growing bigger, while the smaller local chains either simply close their doors or get swallowed up through acquisition by the mega corps of the retail world.

My prediction is that towards the end of the year we may well see an exponential increase in the numbers of food riots around the world, and may come to see a few here in the United States, a relatively unheard of commotion in this nation.

And that point brings me to the further indications of why I believe we will see some pretty disturbing events happen here in America this year, especially after Obama has been reinstated as demander in chief of this nation. That is right, I believe he will be reelected as he seems to be the best puppet that the new world order has ha d available for many years. A perfect neo-con, just like his brother in arms, George Bush was. Of course, Mitt Romney appears to be a perfect neo-con as well, so maybe the Republicans have half a chance after all.

I will get into some other aspects of my guesstimates for the year of 2012 in part two of this posting. But as a teaser let me say that I believe that the Occupy movement has been utilized as a training tool for further implementation of the new world order, as well as how several financial reports lead me to see that total financial failure is not that far off. Tune in next time on the same bat channel, at the same bat time as we see what the projected outcome will be for 2012.

Both PepsiCo and Coca Cola have come to a point where they have no choice but to raise prices, but they have the problem of how to do that without risking market parity. A 4 July, 2011 article from Adage.com says that PepsiCo “vowed to increase beverage prices from July 4 to offset higher commodity costs, with rival Coca-Cola also saying prices would increase 3% to 4% in the second half…” They accomplished that with little fanfare or outrage, with the prices I paid at my usual C-store stops rising from $1.29 per 20oz bottle (Coke, I don’t drink Pepsi, normally) to $1.38 per bottle, with Pepsi being sold at the same price.

So, now we come into the closing period of the fourth quarter of 2011 and we see yet another price increase in the making, but this one is more subtle. The price is rising not in the way you think, by simply changing the price tag, but by changing the size of the product available. I normally buy one six pack 16.9oz bottles of Coke for my home, which had normally cost $3.33 per pack, every week. This works out to .031 cents per ounce. A few weeks ago the six pack disappeared from the shelves, only to be replaced last week with a new price of $3.98 per six pack, making it now cost .039 cents per ounce. It’s not much of an increase when you look at it in this light, but what used to cost .56 cents a bottle is now .67 cents a bottle. Still not much of an increase, but it is still an increase.

Meanwhile, both PepsiCo and Coca Cola seem to be removing their 20oz bottles that now cost $1.38 each with a smaller sized 16.9 oz bottles at a projected cost of $1.25 per bottle. The change has not actually occurred yet, so I am going by unverified quotes from the distributor reps. That makes the new price work out to .074 cents per ounce as compared to .069 cents per ounce. It appears cheaper to the impulse buyer, suggesting that the product is now cheaper because the price per bottle went down from $1.38 to $1.25 per bottle, but the bottles are smaller and in the end actually cost the consumer more.

Soda is not a product high on the preppers list of needed survival items for long term food needs, so why is this price change such a big deal to me, and why should it be a big deal for you, as a fellow prepper?

The reason is the bottom line reasons for these price increases to have, or will, occur. Natalie Zmuda also writes in that same Adage.com article that; “In communicating with retail customers, both bottlers cited rising costs in ingredients, with Coke Consolidated saying that, in the last year, corn prices are up 110%, aluminum is up 24%, plastic is up 42% and crude oil is up 43%.” These are the same ingredients that go into much of our long-term food storage products, MRE’s and other products we tend to eyeball for our prepping needs.

There are several problems that culminate in determining a price for any given product. One of those problems is the sticker, or target price to be placed on an item. That is the cost we need to be concerned with, unless you are purchasing strictly from a real wholesaler.

By the way, when you look at businesses you should take a moment here and remember that many retailers claim to be selling their products at wholesale cost. These advertisements and claims are not really correct in the greater scheme of things. True wholesale cost is always lower than what you pay, not matter what the vendor claims you are paying. The vendor needs to make a profit to stay in business, and therefore has to charge you a higher price than he paid, and so the price the vendor paid to the manufacturer or distributor is his true wholesale cost. You may be paying a lower cost than you would at a conventional retail outlet, but you are still not paying true wholesale costs.

At any rate, no matter where you buy your supplies, the manufacturer or producer needs to include in his calculations all of the costs required to get that product into the retail environment. This includes many things, such as the cost of labor, production and facilities costs, acquisition of raw materials, commodities prices and taxes, et al. Herein lies the problem with our preparedness planning.

Over the last couple of years, the pricing of the commodities that go into producing food products as well as consumer packaging has been steadily increasing along with the steady decline in the value of the US dollar in the worlds markets. Simply put, it costs on average 10 to 15 percent more to make a can of dehydrated food today than it did a couple of years ago. Many of the producers of long-term food product have tried to keep costs low by absorbing much of these hidden costs of business, but we have seen that the bottom line retail costs have still increased. There was a huge across the board increase this past January (2011) and it appears as though we need to expect another one this coming January (2012). Beyond that, as we creep closer to the coming worldwide economic depression we can expect even greater costs, along with a decreasing availability of these products as producers and distributors crumble under the weight of the declining economy.

My suggestion to you today is that you do whatever it takes to fast track your acquisition of these long-term food supplies to avoid having to pay substantially more in the coming years. How much of an increase can we expect? If I had the answer to that question I could solve the problems facing our economy, and since I don’t have the answer, the best I can do is to guestimate what we can expect for pricing increases over the next few years.

Short term; expect an overall increase in all prepper category products combined of about 8 to 10 percent over the next 12 months. I believe we will see a food product increase of about 4-7 percent in January of 2012, and increases in other categories of between 3 to 8 percent, with the highest increases in products such as generators and solar power modules. Of course, these guestimates are dependent upon the fluctuations of the commodities markets, and therefore can change quickly from day to day.

Long term; expect an increase over the next decade of anywhere from 40 to 210 percent over today’s pricing of all prepper related products. This includes generator and solar power products, long-term storage foods, seeds, tools and gardening supplies, shelter products, camping supplies, and water and sanitation categories.

Probably the best way to maneuver around the issue of long term planning is to develop a preparedness planning binder, divided into different categories of needs and areas of concern. By doing so you can keep track of pricing and availability of products, thereby gearing your purchases to suite your needs, and not give into the temptation to buy based upon the fear of the moment instilled by many marketers of prepper geared supplies and products. A person never thinks best when under the strain of an immediate emergency, and if you have paid close attention to advertising as long as I have, you’ll find that there are many companies that urge you into a quick purchase based upon a current emergency

Remember the wheat scare of 2010, where Russia banned exports of their wheat crops to compensate for the droughts that caused the reduction of available domestic supplies of wheat in that country? Advertising said that wheat based products would increase in price exponentially and that we would soon see bread in the grocery stores at ten dollars a loaf or more? Didn’t happen, did it? I suggested at the time on Surviving the Times that you either buy your storage wheat the week of that post, or wait a few months until the speculative flurry of investments calms down and prices get back to serious levels.

You need to be aware of what is going on around you, not only locally, but globally as well. Remember to ADD to survive in the coming times. Analyze and Assess, Develop your plan, and then Deploy that plan for success.

~~~

Save 20% on Surviving the Times and A handy Guide to Disaster Preparedness until 9 Sept, 2011! Simply enter the code SEPTEMBER305 when asked for coupon at checkout! Both are also available as downloads for your e-reader by going to my bookstore here. The same discount applies to all products at this site.

A variety of facilities can be built or adapted for home storage. The type of storage built depends upon the climate and the choice of the individual. Elaborate facilities for home storage are not practical unless outside temperatures during the winter average 30° F. or lower to permit proper cooling. The size of the storage space will vary according to family needs.

The principles for successful storage apply to all facilities. For example, the cooling of the storage space and maintenance of a desirable temperature depend upon the outside temperature, the manipulation of the ventilators, and the extent of insulation against undesirably high or low temperatures. Proper drainage and the exclusion of light and rodents are also important.

Storage in a Home Basement

A well-ventilated basement under a modern house with central heating can readily be adapted to home storage needs. The furnace room is an excellent place to cure sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and squashes. After curing, however, these commodities should be moved to a cooler part of the basement. Temperatures in ordinary basements vary in different parts of the country. In basements, temperatures ranging from 60° to 70° F. in winter, when the furnace is in operation, and 70° to 80° in summer are perhaps average. While too warm for most commodities, the regular basement is satisfactory the year around for holding potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions for short periods, and for ripening tomatoes.

If the basement is to be used for winter storage, a corner should be partitioned off and insulated so that the storage space can be kept sufficiently cold. The storage room should be located preferably on the north or east side, and should not have heating ducts or pipes running through it. At least one window is necessary for cooling and ventilating. Two or more windows are desirable, especially if the room is divided for separate storage of fruits and vegetables. The windows should be darkened to protect the produce from light. They should also be boxed or shaded in such a way as to prevent the entrance of light even when they are open.

Bins may be used for storing certain commodities, but crates and boxes are preferred, as it is possible to remove them for cleaning. Equipping the storage room with shelves and a shitted floor keeps the containers off the floor and provides free air circulation. It also permits the use of water or wet materials, such as dampened sawdust, on the floor to raise the humidity.

Storage Cellar Under Home Without Central Heat

The old-fashioned cellar beneath a house without a central heating system has long been used successfully for winter storage of fruits and vegetables in the colder parts of the United States. The cellar usually has an outside entrance and a dirt floor. The outside doors serve as a means of ventilation and to regulate temperature. Some cellars have no windows, but if present they aid in ventilating and in temperature control. Windows are especially needed if the cellar has a partition to separate the fruit and vegetable compartments.

The precautions regarding light, drainage, and insulation described under “Storage in a Home Basement” also apply to the cellar under a house without central heat.

Outdoor Storage Facilities

Outdoor storage facilities can be constructed above ground or partly or entirely below ground. Cellars constructed below ground are superior because they can maintain a desirable temperature longer and more uniformly than any other type of home storage.

Outdoor storage facilities may be attached to the house or located in the yard or under an outbuilding. They should be convenient to the kitchen, and have proper drainage and insulation.

Underground Cellars

The structure of an underground cellar must be strong to support the weight of earth over the roof. Stone and masonry block in combination with concrete can be used, but a structure made entirely of reinforced concrete is best. A variety of plans can be developed. In the plan illustrated in figure 1, the cellar is attached to the house basement. This structure can also serve as a storm cellar or protective shelter against radioactive fallout in case of an emergency.

The whole structure, with the exception of the door, is covered with earth to prevent freezing. The thickness of the covering varies according to geographical location. In northern sections of the country, 2 to 3 feet may be necessary. Straw or fodder may be used for additional insulation if necessary. Wire screen over the outside ends of air intakes and ventilators will keep out birds and small animals.

Partly Underground Cellars

One type of cellar that can be used in certain northern sections of the country has walls of masonry that are partly below and partly above ground. Earth from the excavation is banked around the walls that are above the normal ground level and one end is left exposed for the door (fig. 2). As in other storage houses, an air inlet and a ventilator should be provided for each compartment, if there are more than one. Proper provision for ventilation is illustrated in figure 1. The double door is insulated.

Figure 1.—Longitudinal section and floor plan of concrete storage cellar that can also serve as a storm and fallout shelter.

Figure 2.—A partly underground storage cellar with stone walls and insulated frame roof.

Storage Above Ground

Aboveground storages can be built of masonry or lumber, but must be well insulated. Even masonry walls, regardless of thickness, have little insulating value. The following discussion is applicable where the climate is consistently cold, but where the average temperature- does not drop below freezing. Even in these climates the minimum temperature may drop to zero or below, and supplemental heat may be needed on very cold nights. Thermostatically controlled heat can be used if electricity is available. Only a small amount of heat is necessary to prevent subfreezing temperatures, and the storage temperature should be watched closely when low temperatures are predicted.

Hollow masonry construction such as cinder block provides the simplest means of installing insulation. Vermiculite, or some other dry granular material, can be put in the vertical channels formed by the alignment of the blocks as each course of block is laid. If cinder block is used, the inside and outside surfaces should be scrubbed with a cement grout to make them less porous. After the walls have been scrubbed with cement grout, the inside of the walls should be painted with aluminum paint to serve as a moisture barrier. Tar paper should be placed between the ceiling and joists as a moisture barrier, and at least 12 inches of dry sawdust or other granular material should be spread in the attic above the ceiling.

A frame building can be built of 2- by 4-inch studding and rafters. “Walls can be made tight by sheathing both the inside and outside of the frame with matched lumber. The space between the inside and outside sheathing should be insulated with loose fill or mineral wool blanket. Laminated kraft paper with asphalt between the layers, aluminum foil, or polyethylene should be placed between the insulation and inside sheathing as a moisture barrier. Building paper over the sheathing in the roof and outside walls is of great assistance in making the structure tight. The interior can then be painted with aluminum paint or whitewashed.

Ventilation for any aboveground storage building can be provided by the same type of roof flue and floor inlet that is recommended for concrete cellars (fig. 1).

You know how it goes; Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, my will be done on earth as it is…..”Whoa! Wait a minute, that is not how it goes,” you are screaming as you read this piece. (I know you are, I can hear you.) Of course, it isn’t but that is how most Americans pray, isn’t it? You seem to believe that America has a special dispensation to be relieved from misery and failure. However, this simply is not true.

A peculiar revelation crept into the back of my mind as I was mowing the lawn earlier today. Scripture tells us that we are to be a good steward with the earth, and to tend to His flock and garden. But we all too often forget that they are His flock, and His garden, not ours. We are merely to tend to His property and take care of it.

It is not our lot to decide which grapes to grow and where. It is not our decision to decide whether to make wine, grape juice or simply harvest the grapes to eat as a fruit. It is our lot to tend to the vines, clipping, weeding and watering the crop. It is up to God to decide which grapes will be grown and how they will be used after HE harvests them.

We are required to tend to His property here on earth, not make all of the decisions and control the earth for our own benefit. What we do is to be done for His benefit.

As we get ready to survive the coming times, we need to hold these truths in mind as we develop our preparedness plans. Some of you are under the impression that America will never fall under the dominion of the spirit of the Anti-Christ, but scripture says otherwise.

According to Revelation 17:17; for God did give into their hearts to do its mind, and to make one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast till the sayings of God may be complete… (Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) The King James version puts it; For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled…

What this verse basically says is that all rulers will give control of their nations over to the power of the beast. Gods will cannot be done until this occurs. And guess what, this is being done even today. More and more we are seeing control of our lives being put into the hands of people who are clearly not true believers in Christ.

The end times are a comin’, watcha gonna do ’bout it? The answer is, naturally, prepare for the coming times. This brouhaha over the so called debt ceiling is certainly sign enough for anyone willing to open their eyes and ears to realize that there never was a recovery from this economic depression time we are going through today. Prices continue to rise, food and other products are becoming scarce and we frequently se out of stock labels on an increasing number of products on the grocery store shelves.

Sales figures are trending downward across the entire retail spectrum. Even Walmart has experienced their seventh period in a row of declining sales volume. And you know things are bad if the big blue giant is struggling. So what are we going to do to get ready for the coming times?

There are several areas of need that you should be taking a serious look at. One of them is heating your home this winter, and in following winters as well. I have already posted a piece on heating oil and guaranteed price contracts, usually known as fixed or capped price contracts. Read it and use that knowledge to lock in some good pricing for this coming season. (2011-12 season) You should also take a look at how well insulated your home is and ways you can improve upon that insulation to lower your heating costs. Also take a look at some of the various alternative heating sources, as well as back up plans in case you suddenly find yourself unable to heat with your usual equipment.

Your food storage needs also should be examined. Have you started your long term food storage plans? Have you begun to acquire this type of food supply? How are you going to store that food so that it is kept safe and in a controlled environment?

Water is another concern. What are your plans should the public water supply suddenly fail if that is your current source? If you are on a well, is your pump operable without having to rely on the commercial electric grid for power? Look into a DC pump and a solar panel/battery setup for your wells pumping need.

How about your income situation? If things collapse will you still be able to collect a paycheck, and actually use it to purchase what you need without having to rely upon that little plastic card we all use today? Do you have some cash on hand in a safe place to tide you over until that cash becomes useless? In addition, do you have a plan to have a second or alternative income stream should you no longer be able to work? I hate to say this, but if the economy collapses, will your employer fold like a bad poker hand?

There is really no need for the economy to come to a crashing halt should an agreement not be met on raising this bogus debt ceiling, but it is possible that this is simply an engineered disaster that will allow the government to implement its plans to enact a dictatorship of this country. This is not a pleasant thought, but it is a possibility, however remote it may be. We will know in three weeks time what the outcome will be. I am predicting that the debt ceiling will be raised and that our government will continue to increase its spending on wasteful programs that do little more than lock in votes for those professional politicians that have come to rely on buying the vote as opposed to truly earning the vote of the people.

Hard times are a comin’, brother, watcha gonna do ’bout it?

You can keep your fuel costs low by entering into a fixed contract, of which there are two basic types for your home energy needs. One of these types is a fixed price contract, and the other is a capped price contract. You can get burned easily on either one if you are not careful, but it is much better than praying that the price of oil won’t climb beyond your ability to pay for it.

Here are a few general points to consider, and bear in mind as you search for an oil supplier;

• All contracts for the retail sale of home heating oil must be in writing.
• Read all the terms and conditions outlined in the contract before signing; keep a copy for your personal records. Pay extra attention to the small print.
• Be familiar with the types of contracts a company offers for price protection programs.
• Usually, fuel contractors offering pre-paid fuel contracts must show upon request that they have pre-purchased the fuel or have obtained a bond against fuel sales.
• Be aware of any default terms that may void the contract.
• Check on references of customers who have had contracts with the oil company.
• If you think that a fuel company has not abided by its contract or has used unfair or deceptive business practices, you can generally approach or contact your state agency that covers the issues in question.

States have different regulatory requirements for not only supplying fuel oil, but in how the individual contract/agreements can be set up, so I would recommend you investigate thoroughly the laws pertaining to your state before committing to any deals.

Fixed Price Contracts

Fixed price contracts are simply that, a contract that says you pay X number of dollars per gallon of fuel for the duration of the contract. Normally, a fuel dealer is able to provide for this pricing structure because he either has pre-purchased the fuel under contract, or has made an agreement with a wholesale supplier via a similar contract scheme as you have agreed to with the retail dealer. Initially, the price per gallon may be higher than the market price or advertised price, and you may feel as though the dealer is screwing you, but as demand for heating fuel increases, so doesn’t the market price. With a fixed price contract, you will pay that same amount no matter how high the market price gets. You will be happy when the price soars, but not so happy when it does not. It is in fact a gamble, but in my experience, it is a gamble well worth taking.

The commodities markets show a steadily increasing price on the wholesale market, and I would guess that we may easily see $4.50 to $4.75 by the end of January, at least in the area I live in at the moment. Currently, the price ranges from $3.299 to $3.539 per gallon in this same area. And there are indications that the price may in fact top $5.00 per gallon, though I do not see prices in this area getting that high.

Capped Price Contracts

In a capped price contract the price per gallon is free to float up and down, but it will not exceed the top price set between you and your retailer. This scheme may have some benefits that are not readily apparent, such as the possibility that some extant reason may keep the price of oil lower than expected for the entirety of the season, which would be a bummer for those who chose the fixed price scheme. But again, I do not at this time see any such thing happening in the markets this year.

No matter which way you chose to pay for these contracts, you will always have to either prepay the entire amount owed to the dealer, or agree to installments, which sometimes come with added surprises, such as processing fees and high interest rates for late payments. Either way, you need to be able to guarantee that you can in fact pay for the fuel. This usually leaves those who are poor out of the loop as their credit score suck like a broken Hoover.

It is best that you investigate now as to what your options are for your situation. No matter what the forecast says, it is going to be a cold winter, and heating your home is something only the truly obtuse will put off till the last minute.

As I stated before, August is always the best month to buy oil for heating, so keep an eye out for pricing deals that will allow you to save big during the winter months. Always read, and reread the contracts before signing, pay attention to the small print, and if you don’t understand something on the contract, get someone to explain it before signing. Another thing to watch for is the financial stability of the retailer you are looking at to buy your heating oil from. Are they stable enough that they won’t pull the plug from you in the middle of the winter? I have seen too many instances where dealers have gone under in the middle of the season because they failed to anticipate market conditions far enough in advance. Many good people have been literally left in the cold because of no fault of their own.

Pay attention, do your research and prepare for the coming times. Don’t be cold this winter because you thought a better deal might come along.

Alternatively, you can click onto the titles to go to a securedordering site.

	Surviving The Times Print: $20.00 Download: $10.00 Surviving the Times takes you through the steps to make your own preparedness planning binder. You’ll learn how to guage the level of various threats as they relate to your preparedness planning by using the three P’s of preparedness, the SaWaFo pyramid and more. We will look at some of the main issues such as gold and silver for survival, and the basic survival arsenal as well.
		A Handy Disaster Preparedness Guide Print: $14.95 Download: $10.00 A compilation of tips and how to’s on developing an emergency preparedness plan, and how to get ready for natural and man-made disasters. Also includes a comprehensive listing of state and federal agencies to contact for more help and assistance in dealing with emergency planning and dealing with the aftermath of a disaster.

So can we expect an apocalyptic event in this nation in the near future? Of course we can, and if you are a true prepper you will be very busy preparing for just such an event. But what kinds of events would be considered apocalyptic in nature? These events fall into two categories, natural and manmade. There is little we can do to prevent the natural events, as we have absolutely no control over them. These events would be supersized hurricanes, abnormally large tornado swarms, and earthquakes of a very high magnitude, say 8.0 and above. We can prepare supplies and equipment to ride out the storm, but we cannot prevent them from occurring.

Manmade events would include mega wildfires, such as we see in our southwestern states even now, nuclear reactor catastrophes such as an explosion or complete failure of a reactor core and EMP threats. The last one is what today’s post is all about, EMP threats.

There is much mystery afoot in the world geopolitical scene today, and even more goings on in this country, and the general public doesn’t have a clue as to what we should be preparing for. However, by piecing together several bits of unrelated rumor, news reports, innuendo and imagination, we can in fact come up with one scenario that may well occur. Whether there is anything going on that we should be afraid of is up for grabs, but here is one scenario.

I have read that FEMA has put out a RFP, or ‘Request for Proposal’ to procure something like 160 to 480 million MREs for immediate delivery. If this is true, and these meals are delivered in 2011, we can create a viable timeline for the perceived threat that these meals were ordered in response to. MREs are generally labeled as having a five to seven year shelf life under proper storage conditions. These meals can be stored for longer periods under certain conditions, while in a harsh environment this shelf life could conceivably be substantially shorter. However, we will use the average expectancy here and suggest a five to seven year time frame for this apocalypse, if you will, to occur. That means we have a maximum of five to seven years for this event to occur, or a time frame of somewhere between 2012 and 2018. I’m going to guesstimate probably three to five years, or sometime between 2013 and 2015 for this event to occur.

What is the event? Most bloggers seem to believe it is because some experts suggest that the New Madrid fault line is set to do the rubber dance and remodel our Midwestern US scenery. I happen to believe something else will occur. for one, earthquakes are highly unpredictable, and not one person has been able to accurately predict the time of occurrence or the magnitude of a single earthquake. Ever. Manmade events have in fact been accurately predicted, as well as the magnitude of destruction. So if not an earthquake, what is the threat? The same logic holds out for hurricanes and tornados as well. Nature plans them, not humankind. But humankind can plan other kinds of events.

Take the ending of WWII, when a couple of atom bombs decimated Nagasaki and Hiroshima. That would certainly qualify as an apocalyptic event, would it not? Of course it would, so is this what the US government is expecting to occur? I think not, for several reasons. For one, a bomb of that size can only be delivered in one of two ways. One way if via an airplane, which we would spot and destroy long before reaching our heartland. The other way would be through an ICBM, or Inter Continental Ballistic Missile. Again, we have the technology top see and destroy something like that in plenty of time to avert a disaster, so it would take several ICBMs, perhaps dozens of them, to penetrate our nations borders and wreak their unholy devastation upon our soil. And besides, look at the cash outlay it would take to launch such an attack. The only two nations in the wprld that could pull off such a stunt would be China and Russia, and I do not believe that either nation has the wherewithal, or the drive to begin such a military action against us. The economic damage from such an attack would certainly result in the destruction of these nations economies, as well as ours.

More probably, some rogue nation or cartel would attack us with a nuclear device resulting in an EMP, or Electromagnetic Pulse, attack that could cripple the nation, while causing little damage or loss of life. This could be accomplished rather easily, and I have addressed this issue in previous posts. However, this will still require considerable cash outlay and planning. The generally accepted scenario would be that a terrorist group could utilize four to five fishing vessels that would simultaneously launch small missiles into our atmosphere while safely sailing in international waters. Detonated at an altitude of around 150 miles these warheads would cause regionalized EMP pulses that would cripple segments of the power grid, causing the entire national grid to become overloaded and fail. We would, of course recover, but the financial damage from the interruption of business and life as usual would place us in a precarious position, thus weakening our economy and position in world trade and world politics.

However, here is another thought, based upon recent events. A week ago today as I write this Iran has launched the 34 pound Rasad-1 satellite into orbit via a Safir booster rocket. And we all know that Iran is not exactly friendly towards the west, and the US in particular. The Safir booster rockets are builtupon an ICBM framework, but I do not believe that is their intent. The satellite is the key component here.

UPI reports that; In 2010, Iran unveiled plans for a four-engine, liquid-fuel Simorgh rocket to carry a 220-pound satellite into orbit at an altitude of 310 miles. That missile and payload capability is more than enough to carry a nuclear device of such magnitude that if detonated over the continental United States would create an EMP event of sufficient force to cause the worst of our fears to turn into real life nightmare. The electrical distribution capability of our grids, as well as most un-hardened solid state devices would become little more than scrap equipment.

Factories and transportation would be shut down immediately. Distribution networks would no longer function. Communications would cease to be the norm. No TV, no internet, no cell-phone service. Think of the damage such an attack would cause. The image to the right shows the extent of damage, and severity if such a device were detonated at an altitude of 250 miles. At three hundred miles, of which the Simorgh rocket is capable of achieving, the area would encompass the entirety of the US, southern Canada and northern Mexico.

And yet we want to be politically correct and be nice to these people. Have you laid in your store of food and supplies yet? On my Blogtalk show I had brought up the story of Pharaohs seven zombie cows from Genesis. You may want to listen to that episode, and I will be bringing it up again in a week or so. Seven is an important number in the Bible. I suggest you pay close attention to what we are not being told, and keep one eye peeled to the sky.

One of the important things about camping is a campfire. There are two kinds of campfires, the “warming up” fire, and the “cooking” fire. Of course there are others, such as the “smudge” to drive away mosquitoes, and the “friendship”—the kind you just like to sit around and talk or silently watch the flames shape themselves into fantastic forms. The most useful since man discovered fire is the cooking fire—flames for the pot and coal for the pan.

Select a sheltered and safe place to build your cooking fire, where no wind can blow it out or into the surrounding dry brush, ascertain the direction of the wind, and then build your fire so that the smoke will not blow into your face when you are doing the cooking. Next in importance is the wood. Certain kinds of wood, such as hickory, oak, beech, birch, hard maple, ash, elm, locust, longleaf pine, and cherry, have fairly high heat values, and laboratory tests show that one cord of seasoned wood of these species is equal to one ton of good coal. Short leaf maple, hemlock, sycamore, cedar, poplar, Norway pine, cypress, basswood, spruce, and white pine, have a comparatively low heat value. These woods ignite readily and give out a quick hot flame, but one that soon dies down. The principal disadvantage of the resinous, pines is their oily black smoke.

The woodsmen of British Columbia have a wood-chopping trick that keeps nicks out of the axe blade. When chopping the wood, instead of laying it on a block or on the ground where you have a chance to miss and put a nice nick in your axe, just stand it on end, holding it with the left hand at a convenient angle and strike a glancing blow into it, turning the branch till you have gone all the way round. It will then break with a blow from the head of the axe and you have a nice feathery end to catch fire easily.

You can make make what are called “fuzz-sticks” or “firelighters,” by taking a dry, resinous stick about an inch thick and shaving it with a good sharp knife into thin slivers, which remain on the stick. Three or four of the “fuzz-sticks” will insure the starting of a fire.

Gather dry twigs and dead branches and plenty of birch tinder. When the wood has been gathered and prepared, you are ready to begin building the fire. Time is saved by having everything on hand and within reach. Haste always wastes time in making a cooking fire.

The simplest and handiest all-round cooking fire is that made of two green logs laid parallel on the ground. Level off the top with an axe. Place them a few inches apart, so that a frying pan or coffee pot can rest upon both. Between the logs scrape a trench about six inches deep. In placing the wood in the trench, pile it in such a way that allows plenty of air space. Place several “fuzz-sticks” first, then dry twigs, and keep adding heavier wood as the fire progresses. When it is blazing well, start your water boiling. For broiling, or frying, or baking, scrape the hot ashes and live coals evenly, and you will have a wonderful fire for such purposes. Never add more fuel just before putting on your stuff to cook. Avoid too big a fire. Remember that you do not cook with flames, but with hot coals, which give a greater heat and one that is steady. Never use soft wood if you can get hard wood. Soft wood is smoky, covers the food with flaky soot, and produces a ruffled temper. A windbreak or fender will add to the convenience during chilly or windy weather.

A simple camp-fire crane that may be used in connection with any kind of an open fire can be made by cutting a sapling of hard wood about three inches in thickness. Drive sapling firmly into ground.

A common method of building a cooking fire is to take flat stones and put them together in a sort of fireplace. Grates may also be purchased for outdoor cooking. Toasted bread just reaches the right spot. A useful toaster can be made from flexible withes bent and tied in the shape similar to that of a miniature Wikiup. Bread will toast better when placed before glowing embers. Turn the bread frequently.

Making Fire Without Matches

There are three distinct ways of building a fire without matches. The simplest, but most difficult, is by the rubbing of two sticks or hand drills together; the second, by use of a bow drill, which is an improvement over the first, in that it gives a more rapid movement and increases the friction; and, third, by the use of flint and steel. Every good camper should be able to accomplish all three, and by all odds the last two.

Fig. 8 is a good illustration of the simplest sort of fire drill, one used by the Indians of Washington and the Northwest. Following is a description of the set, quoted by special permission from the Smithsonian Report, “Firemaking Apparatus in the United States National Museum,” by Dr. Walter Hough:

“It consists of a hearth, two drills, and a slow match. The hearth is a rounded piece of cedar wood; opposite the fire-holes, it is dressed flat, so as to rest firmly on the ground. There are three fire-holes with wide notches. The drills taper to each end, that is, are larger in the middle (Fig. 8). The powder, a fine brown dust, collects at the junction of the slot and fire-hole, where they form a lip, and there readily ignites. This side of the hearth is semi-decayed. No doubt the slots were cut in that side for the purpose of utilizing this quality. The drills are bulged toward the middle, thereby rendering it possible to give great pressure and at the same time rapid rotation without allowing the hands to slip down too rapidly, a fault in many fire drills. The slow-match is of frayed cedar bark, about a yard long, folded squarely together, and used section by section. Mr. Willoughby says:

“The stick with three cavities was placed upon the ground, the Indian kneeling and placing a knee upon each end. He placed one end of the smaller stick in one of the cavities, and, holding the other end between the palms of his hands, kept up a rapid, half-rotary motion, causing an amount of friction sufficient to produce fire. With this he lighted the end of the braided slowmatch of cedar bark. This was often carried for weeks thus ignited and held carefully beneath the blanket to protect it from wind and rain.’

“Fire is easily produced with this set. It takes but a slight effort to cause a wreath of aromatic smoke to curl up, and the friction easily grinds off a dark powder, which collects between the edges of the slot. When this ignites it drops down the slot in a little pellet, and falls upon the tinder placed below to receive it. Both drill and hearth are eighteen inches long.”

Fig. 9 shows a second set, reproduced from the same book, and shows the method the Indians used to keep the precious hearth dry. The entire length is carefully wrapped with a strip of taut buckskin.

Fig. 10, also from “Firemaking Apparatus in the United States National Museum,” and shows an interesting feature. The handle by which the hearth is fastened to the Indian’s belt also shows the spliced drill, the hardwood point spliced into a favorite or especially desirable handle.

Probably when the simple hand drill was used, the grinding of the powder was facilitated by adding a small pinch of fine sand to the bowl of the hearth.

The next method is that of intensifying the friction by means of using the bow drill. This is the more common method, and is found in general use, from the Indians of Alaska—who use bone instruments, except the hearth, which is usually white pine—to the Indians of South America. The principal law, however, is the same in all; only the material used changes with the locality. See Fig. 11.

Ernest Thompson Seton, the master of woodcraft, declares that the best results are obtainable by having the hearth and the drill of the same material. But others are not so agreed. There is one thing certain, however: the wood used must not be too hard nor too soft, but hard enough to make very fine brown grindings, and soft enough to make a sufficient quantity to hold the spark. The tinder and carefully prepared pile of slivers should be ready before the drill is set going.

No matter how carefully the process is described, you will never be able to make a fire without practice and personal experimentation. Study the cuts here reproduced, then adapt what you have to the principle. You are sure to succeed if persistent.

Third method, building fire with a flint and steel. Note carefully the implements in Fig. 12. To be successful you will need a select piece of absolutely dry punk wood, the longer the fibers the better, a piece of hard steel fashioned so as to get a good striking surface without injury to the hand (a large, stout jackknife can be made to work well), a selected piece of flint—it will take much experimenting to find just the right piece, but when found you have a prize. A small tin can may be used for a tinder horn, but the tip end of a cow’s horn is better and safer. Prepare the tinder, place it in the horn, then dash the sparks into it. When a tiny bit of smoke rises, blow carefully into a flame and apply the burning tinder to the twigs previously arranged for the fire. Anyone can become expert in this little trick with persistent effort. If not successful, ask some neighboring old-timer to come in and aid you until you see how it is done.