 Common Sense Investing
Gabe Elton | Austin Rare Coins & Bullion |
The last ten years will most likely be called "The Lost Decade".... a decade where the once largest creditor nation in the world became the largest debtor nation. Since 2002, U.S. Debt nearly tripled from 5.9 Trillion to 16.4 Trillion. Traditional investments like stocks and bonds faltered while tangible assets such as Gold and Silver soared.
There is no question that things are not what they seem. We have been introduced to new terms like "Quantitative Easing" and "Fiscal Cliff "-massive social and economic issues. They have been temporarily remedied by simply increasing our debt limits when the credit lines are already maxed. Most business people understand this concept simply doesn't make sense, however, we're reassured everything is going to be fine. Don't forget what happened in 2008. Everything was alright, until confidence in the global monetary system disappeared. In May of 2008 the DOW was at 12,900 and ten months later had fallen in half. Before you had time to make up your mind, everything changed. Now, more than ever, it's imperative to think ahead today and be proactive, rather than reactive. The question remains: In a world with no rhyme or reason, increasing taxes, and a Government that spends to no end - how do you preserve and protect the wealth that YOU have worked so hard for? The fact is, precious metals like Gold and Silver have proven to be a safe harbor to protect investors from the financial hurricane known as the global economy. Ten years ago the price of Gold was just $300 per ounce, 1/5 of its current price. Silver was $4.50 an ounce, 1/6th of its current price. The mega trends in Gold and Silver are undeniable. For the foreseeable future, as the debt continues to mount and the money printing continues, the fundamentals are only getting stronger. Yet, we're supposed to be in a "Recovery Phase"? Since when is out of control deficit spending, credit downgrades, and economic uncertainty a recovery? We don't buy it, and you shouldn't either. In this report you will learn why Gold and Silver continue to be a safe haven in an uncertain world, how the United States has become an Empire of Debt, and how Washington has no plan to get us back on track. Read More Here  If the United States Government Were a Family - A Lesson In Numbers The numbers used by our politicians today are mind-numbing. To hear the words billion and trillion being tossed around on a daily basis has us impervious to what these numbers really mean. Perhaps this is the reason for our current course: many of us simply can't comprehend what a trillion dollars actually is. Recently some have compared the budget of the United States to the budget of a family household. The numbers below are real numbers with several zero's taken off to make them smaller, more simplistic, and easier to understand. The actual data is the exact equivalent to the recent fiscal cliff deal passed by the Congress.  If the U.S. Government were a Family Annual Income: $58,000/year
Expenses: $75,000/year
Credit Card Debt: $327,000
Proposed Cuts: $3,000/year
Revised Expenses: $72,000/year Keep in mind, the U.S. government still has $327,000 in credit card debt, and don't forget the interest. In fact, by February of this year, Congress will have hearings not to figure out how to reduce that credit card debt, but to find out who will be calling their credit card company to see if their limit can be raised. The $3,000 in spending cuts that Congress spent day and night arguing over during the Christmas and New Year holidays is a drop in the bucket compared to our deficit. This is no way to run a family and it is certainly no way to run a government. Common sense alone tells you that this experiment in loose monetary policy can't go well. History has proven time and time again that you can not print your way to prosperity. Every single case of hyper-inflation was preceded by government deficits getting out of control! |
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 Collapse Medicine
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Grow Your Own Medicinal Garden By Nurse Amy
We spend a lot of time discussing how to accumulate medical supplies for times of trouble. Despite your best efforts, however, you may find yourself running out of commercially manufactured medicines. In this case, you might feel like you're out of luck, but there are options that might be growing in your own backyard. Many plants have medicinal uses and it only makes sense to take advantage of their benefits.
Planting your own medicinal garden is a prudent way to provide alternatives to modern medicine. Until pharmaceuticals were produced in factories, communities and homesteads had to grow their own "medicine". This common practice was a natural part of the landscape and provided needed remedies for many medical issues. Oftentimes, a community would have a person that served as an herbalist and supervised the cultivation and processing for proper administration.
Growing your own medicinal garden is both rewarding and beneficial; in times of trouble, you will likely have limited access to pharmaceuticals. The learning curve when gardening can be steep, so don't delay planting those medicinal seeds until the situation is critical.
Select a well-drained, sunny area with healthy soil. Although some herbs grow well in shade, most plants need at least 6-8 hours of full sun for proper growth and development. Potting is appropriate for medicinal plants that will need to be transported inside during a cold winter. Water should be provided on a regular basis to allow the soil to stay moist, but not muddy or waterlogged. A small amount of natural mulch is perfect for maintaining an even moisture level in very dry conditions.
Learn about permaculture if you are planting in the ground. This method has many benefits and will reduce your maintenance schedule. Use only organic pest and disease control. A soapy spray of 1 tablespoon of neem oil, 1 teaspoon of Dr. Bronner's lavender, tea tree or peppermint castile soap and, optional, a few drops of tea tree essential oil to 4-8 cups of water makes a great disease and natural pest control. Spray foliage in the late afternoon every 5-7 days or after a heavy rain.
The medicinal plants you select should match your climate as best as possible. However, with certain plants, you may be able to grow warmer climate plants by protecting them from the cold with greenhouses or using row covers. This will expand the range of medicinal plants you may choose to grow either in pots or around your homestead.
Here is a short list of medicinal plants you may consider growing, with the most common part of the plant used and some of the conditions it might help: Read More
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Abandoned and Left For Dead, These People May Be Our Greatest Hope
by Marjory Wildcraft
 I am going to get to visit a country that went through a sudden, complete, and sustained economic collapse.
Cuba had embraced industrialized agriculture more than any other Latin American country.
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, overnight Cuba lost most its fuel imports, pesticides, fertilizers, and tractor parts. The lights went out, the cars and buses stopped running, and the average Cuban lost 20 pounds. The economy plummeted by 60%.
Instead of offering help, the US further tightened it's embargo.
 | | The devastation of Cuba by Hurricane Sandy |
Hunger became overbearing. How do you feed 11 million people? The social structure turned upside down as lawyers and doctors lost status and turned to their gardeners to learn how grow food.
How did they ever survive? They certainly weren't expected to. But they did. And the Story of Cuba's survival has many lessons for all of us.
Today, Cuba is the undisputed world leader in urban sustainable agriculture. Cuba has the lowest infant mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere and Cuban life expectancy is beginning to outstrip the US. It is not quite paradise, but considering what they've been through, it looks pretty good.
 | | A man waters the harvest in an urban garden in Havana |
I've jumped through all the State Department's hoops and am getting to go on a research trip to visit this fascinating country. Although you can get dial up Internet access in Cuba, I won't be staying at the fancy hotels that have it. But I promise to photograph and video as much as I can.
Did Cuban's erupt in violence as seems to be expected here in the US? Was there hoarding or black market sales? Was there death from starvation? How do you convert massive acres of conventional agriculture to local sustainable food supplies? What advantages or disadvantages does Cuba have over the situation in the US? Certainly a sudden dollar collapse would put us in the same situation, but how would we handle it?
I'll bring back insights into how these people faced a severe, sudden, and sustained change of life and I'll do my best to sort through both Governments propaganda machines to get a sense of the truth of the situation. Stay tuned!
Warmly,
Marjory Wildcraft
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College Isn't Cheap
A great info-graphic showing the soaring cost of higher education. The info-graphic is too large to show here but we've provided a link below
There are dozens of benefits that justify earning a higher education, including-but by no means limited to-better employment prospects, access to jobs with higher pay and the broadening of a college student's social and mental horizons. Even so, approximately one in two high school graduates choose to forgo these potential benefits because they cannot reconcile the cost of the college experience with the bleak reality of the financial situation in which many new college grads find themselves. Read More Here
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The Self-Reliance Corner
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Each week you'll receive videos, images or quotes promoting the concept of Self-Reliance and individual responsibility. It's our hope these messages will help with our mission of attaining "Freedom Through Teaching Others Self-Reliance"
 | | Old Pallets |
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APN Classifieds:
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Is an excellent bug out location in the mountains of East Tennessee
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Become self sufficient on large acreage, waterfront lands
Hunt,fish,farm within an hour of Minneapolis / St. Paul metro. -
- 192 acres with 1/2 mile East Rush Lake frontage,
- 25+ rolling acres on 1/4 mile of Snake River shores,
- Pine City area, 160 acres near Buyck, MN..Vermillion River flowage.
RushPointRealty.com for photos and information. All capable of multiple building sites..create a community! Victoria Frieberg, broker 612-369-3746 |
 Georgia Home & Acreage Blue Maxx construction with 10" thick concrete walls! 29.71 wooded acres with a 4,946 square foot home
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 Rural mountain top home built as ultimate SHTF retreat
About as safe and secluded as you can get but still have access to an Interstate, markets , etc.
Now must sell for health reasons. Single 4 mile blacktop
access. 40 mile views. Private, secluded but near Vail CO.
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 Join The Revolution
Learn how easy it is to save money creating personalized & powerful cleaning and home care products! Making your own is better because you control what goes in them. You know you are getting the highest quality product with superior cleaning power. Gain a sense of security knowing YOU can make your own.
The Magic of Making Your Own... Download a copy of "The Provident Housekeeper, A Beginners Guide to Making Home Cleaners" today! at www.theprovidenthousekeeper.com
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 Food Preppers
We are a premiere authorized reseller for Survival Cave Food products, including their delicious varieties of canned meats. This is one of the best choices on the market for a ready-to-eat source of protein in any situation: emergencies, camping, survival, and just day to day family meals. Canned meats are a "must have" for any food storage plan. Free Survival Gift with each order. www.FoodPreppers.com |
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Upcoming Events:
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 Southern Readiness Conference March 2, 2013 Union Road Church 2315 Union Road, Gastonia, NC 28054
- Inspired Speakers, experts in the prepping, survival, readiness field sharing their experiences and preferences when it comes to being ready (and we all know that could be for anything!)
- Local (and not so local) Vendors with display tables, real products in hand and items to buy... oh and did I say A LOT of vendors...
- Great Food - yep we want to be sure you see / get everything you came for.. so we have decided to provide a lunch option so you can eat on campus (find out more in the details area)
- Make Friends
Learn More
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Living Skills School Essentials Program in Barnardsville, NC is open for registration.
Natalie Bogwalker, founder and director of Wild Abundance and the Firefly Gathering, along with a team of top-notch educators in the region, is offering a program in the essentials of land-based living.
The Essentials Program of the Living Skills School gives students a foundation in the skills and knowledge necessary to embark on the journey toward self-sufficiency. The 160-hour course meets for about one 3-day weekend each month and includes field trips to area homesteads and permaculture sites. A wide range of skills are covered, focusing on practices integral to an earth-based life. Wild foods and water, survival shelters, natural building, permaculture design, fire and blade mastery, humane slaughtering, wild meat preparation, food preservation, primitive pottery, shoemaking are just a few of the many skills students will delve into. Students will leave the course with a greater understanding of how to provide for their own basic needs and for those of their friends and family.
160 hours; $1400
March-November First session: March 1-3 2013
Full course schedule and registration details at www.wildabundance.net , |
 Piedmont Earthskills Gathering
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 Fannin County CERT
(Community Emergency Response Team)
is hosting a Disaster Preparedness Fair on Saturday, September 7, 2013. The Fair will be from 9am-4pm in the City Park in downtown Blue Ridge, GA.
There will be dozens of vendors selling preparedness items as well as seminars offered throughout the day. The public is invited free of charge.
For more information, or if you are a vendor interested in a space, please see our website, or contact Bret Smith.
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Do you know of an event?
If you are putting on or know of events that should be listed in this section, please let us know... drop us a note here. |
 Self Reliance Expo
Big Thanks to Ron Douglas for inviting the APN to be a part of their expos. Watch for upcoming expos at SelfRelianceExpo.com |
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We want YOU to write for US!
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 Would you like to sharpen your Writing Skills? - Are you interested in helping others learn?
- Do you regularly do Preparedness oriented projects?
- Would you like to start building your name in the Preparedness Industry?
If you said yes to any of the above, keep on reading!
We're always looking for enthusiastic writers! We have a couple different available:
- Guest Author: Send us an article every once in a while, you get full credit in your article.
- Disaster Experiences: Submit a story for our Disaster Collection! Extremely similar to the Guest Author program, just with a focus.
- Contributing Author: Our Contributing Authors have a permanent spot on the website. Each of their articles uniquely identifies them. They commit to 2 articles per week and get to join the whole authoring team in our back channel community!
If you want to give it a shot, click on the links above! To apply to be a Contributing Author you will need to submit your first trial article as a Guest Author.
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Get Long Term Food Storage the Easy Way!
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Joe and Amy Alton are the authors of the #1 Amazon Bestseller "The Doom and Bloom(tm) Survival Medicine Handbook. See their articles in Backwoods Home, Survivalist, Self Reliance Illustrated, and Survival Quarterly magazines, and at their website at 
