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wednesday edition...

3/4/2015

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I am an American
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Farmers To Face Fines Or Prison For Selling Food Directly To Customers
"This would seem to embody the USDA’s advisory, “Know your farmer, know your food,” right?  Not exactly.  For the USDA and its sister food regulator, the FDA, there’s a problem: many of the farmers are distributing the food via private contracts like herd shares and leasing arrangements, which fall outside the regulatory system of state and local retail licenses and inspections that govern public food sales.  In response, federal and state regulators are seeking legal sanctions against farmers in Maine, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California, among others.  These sanctions include injunctions, fines, and even prison sentences.  Food sold by unlicensed and uninspected farmers is potentially dangerous say the regulators, since it can carry pathogens like salmonella, campylobacter, and E.coli O157:H7, leading to mild or even serious illness.  Most recently, Wisconsin’s attorney general appointed a special prosecutor to file criminal misdemeanor charges against an Amish farmer for alleged failure to have retail and dairy licenses, and the proceedings turned into a high-profile jury trial in late May that highlighted the depth of conflict: following five days of intense proceedings, the 12-person jury acquitted the farmer, Vernon Hershberger, on all the licensing charges, while convicting him of violating a 2010 holding order on his food, which he had publicly admitted."


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An Adult's Guide to Hygiene (for Those Who Weren't Taught Growing Up)
"There are no classrooms that teach you basic hygiene growing up.  Your parents may do what they can, but a surprising number of people make it to adulthood with gaps in their knowledge.  We're here to help fill those gaps.  Last week, we asked our readers what necessary skills they weren't taught growing up.  While we got a huge response, personal hygiene skills were the top of several of our commenters lists.  And it's understandable.  Most people don't get outside input on these essential, everyday routines until much later in life.  For that reason, we're going back to basics."


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Is Opting Out of Processed Food the New Eating Disorder?
"It’s time for an intervention.  We need to talk.  Are you concerned about the stuff they call “food” at the grocery store?  Do you opt for whole foods most of the time, and feel unwell if you eat so-called “junk food”?  Are your views about food causing you to make changes in your day-to-day life?  Do you believe there is a connection between the food you eat and your physical and mental well-being??  Then, it’s time to face reality.  If you choose to eat food without chemicals on a regular basis, you, my friend, are mentally ill.  It’s called Orthorexia Nervosa."


How’s that deflation working out for you last year?  Beef and veal +22.5%  Ground beef +21.0%  Steaks +14.9%  Pork +7.4%  Ham +11.5%  Whole Chicken +6.1%  Fresh Fish +3.5%  Eggs +8.2%  Cheese +7.8%  Fresh Vegetables +4.3%  Lettuce +12.2%  Tomatoes +9.6%  Coffee +6.7%  Butter +19.5% Restaurant food +3.1%  Housing +2.9%  Hotels +7.6%…
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The BLS put out their monthly CPI lie last week.  They issued the proclamation that inflation is dead.  Did you know your costs are 0.1% lower than they were one year ago.  They then used these deflation numbers to proclaim your real wages soared last month.  It’s all good.  The American consumer is so flush with cash, they decided to spend less money for the second month in a row.  The Wall Street shysters are so happy with declining consumer spending, declining corporate profits, and a global recession, they pushed the NASDAQ up to 5,000 for the first time in 15 years.  Hey!!!  That was the year 2000.  Things really got better after that milestone."

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With America facing record cold, President Obama wants electricity prices to skyrocket.  Because he loves America.
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In contrast to the steep decline in the gasoline price index over the past year (which led to a decline in the overall Consumer Price Index), the seasonally adjusted electricity price index hit an all-time high in January, according to data released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  In January, the seasonally adjusted price index for electricity was 212.290.  That was up from 210.489 in December, which was the record up until then.  Before that, the high had been the 209.341 recorded in March of last year.  The annual electricity price index set a record in 2014 of 208.020 up from 200.750 in 2013."


Minnesota aims to fine family farmers $500 per day
"If the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) gets its way,  Lake View Natural Dairy Farm, owned and operated by David and Heidi Berglund and their daughter Lyndsay, will be fined $500 per day until they submit to an unconstitutional inspection of their farm.  When the farm briefly explored the possibility of selling milk for processing, this triggered a call to the MDA by the processor, and the MDA realized they had no record or control over this farm.  On October 14, 2014, the MDA demanded to do an inspection of the farm, which the family refused on the grounds that the Minnesota Constitution acknowledges their right to peddle the products of their farm.  Now, the MDA hopes to fine the small operation a crippling $500 per day after the March 9, 2015 hearing if they are found to be in contempt of court."

Texas Town Sees 61% Drop in Crime After Kicking Out Cops
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Rather than degenerate into a lawless land where criminals rule the streets, a Texas town that fired its entire police department has seen a 61% decrease is crime.  In 2012, Sharpstown, a community of 66,000 located just southwest of Houston, declined to renew its contract with the constable’s office, essentially dismissing its cops."

Obama Announces His Plans to Nationalize Local and State Law Enforcement
"Dictator Barack Obama has announced plans to nationalize law enforcement like all despots like Hitler, Mao and Lenin did:  “We have a great opportunity… to really transform how we think about community law enforcement relations.”  “We need to seize that opportunity… this is something that I’m going to stay very focused on in the months to come.”  “I expect our friends in the media to really focus on what’s in this report and pay attention to it.”  Three short lines but they are very revealing.  Like all criminal enterprises, the Obama administration wants to consolidate power.  By nationalizing the police force, liberals will be able to spare minority criminals from going to prison.  It has long been their contention that too many blacks and Hispanics are sent to prison merely because they broke the law and the fact that a proportionate amount of whites should be in prisons.  So either whites need to greatly increase the number of crimes they commit or we will be forced to only send 1 out of every 3 convicted blacks and Hispanics to prison."

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IRS Confirms Illegal Immigrant Tax-Refund Ruling, Sparking GOP Outcry
"The Internal Revenue Service on Monday confirmed it would allow illegal immigrants benefiting from President Barack Obama ’s recent executive action to file for tax refunds for prior years, fueling an outcry from Republicans.  The IRS explanation came in a letter from Commissioner John Koskinen to a veteran GOP lawmaker, Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa).  The letter confirmed and expanded on previous public comments by agency officials.  In response, Mr. Grassley vowed to push legislation to overturn the policy.  The November executive action offers some four million illegal immigrants who qualify the chance to apply for “deferred action,” which gives a temporary reprieve from deportation and the ability to apply for work permits.  Because of Mr. Obama’s executive action and the IRS interpretation, “these individuals will be eligible to claim billions of dollars in tax benefits based on earnings from unauthorized work in the United States,” Mr. Grassley said.  “The tax code shouldn’t reward those who broke our immigration laws,” he added."
(Sgt Trainer:  I anticipate the same type of fine leadership action by the GOP that they displayed as evidenced by the next article below.)


House Approves Clean DHS Funding Bill
"After weeks of relative stalemate, House Republican leadership caved to the demands of Democrats and allowed a “clean” Department of Homeland Security appropriations to come to the floor Tuesday.  The measure passed 257-167 with majority Democratic votes.   Seventy-five Republicans voted to pass the clean bill, 167 voted against passage.  The full funding of DHS through September 30 — leaving President Obama’s executive amnesty untouched — comes after weeks of wrangling.  Last month the House passed a DHS funding bill that also defunded President Obama’s executive amnesty.  Senate Democrats spent the much of the month of February blocking the House-passed bill from getting to the Senate floor for debate.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell eventually acquiesced to Democrats’ demands for a so-called “clean” DHS funding bill — or one free of the Democrat-opposed House immigration riders — last week.  That clean bill passed the Senate, creating discord between the House- and Senate-passed bills.  In an embarrassing defeat for House leadership, Friday 52 Republicans helped to defeat a three-week stop-gap continuing resolution to give the House and Senate more time to reach an agreement."

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The Death Of The Eastern Pacific
"If the oceans die, we die.  The seas are being assaulted from countless sources and directions.   The damage has accumulated far past the breaking point, there will be no hiding the gravity of what is unfolding for much longer.  The power structure will then become more dangerous than ever.  Governments and mainstream media are not giving any significant coverage on the extremely rapid ocean die-off.  What part has climate engineering played in this cataclysm?  Plenty."


Republican Introduces Bill Revoking ATF’s Power to Regulate Ammo
"On Friday, Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) introduced legislation revoking the ATF’s claim of power to regulate ammunition via “armor piecing” language in the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA).  The ATF is specifically claiming the ability to regulate ammunition via the “armor piercing” language contained in the Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act, an amendment added to the GCA in 1986.  Their current focus is on banning the wildly popular M855 round for AR-15 rifles.  Rooney’s bill would roll back the ATF’s powers to pre-1986 levels.  According to The Hill, Rooney’s bill “would prohibit the ATF or any other federal agency from issuing or enforcing any new restriction or prohibition on the manufacture, importation, or sale of ammunition in the United States.”

Reloading Ammunition, part 1:  Why, and is it worth it?
"Erin has talked at length about guns and why they are a vital part of a prepper's kit.   A major weakness of guns, though, is that they require a stock of ammunition to operate.  Under normal circumstances this isn't a problem, as you can just pick up a couple boxes at your local sporting goods store.   Under less-than-ideal circumstances, however, ammunition can be unavailable, or extremely expensive.  One major way to lower these costs is to load your own ammunition.  Loading your own ammunition has many benefits.   In addition to lowered costs, rounds can easily be "tuned" for a particular gun or purpose.  Hard-to-find ammunition can easily be assembled, keeping in service guns  that might otherwise be unusable.   Some people even see reloading as a relaxing hobby in and of itself."

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Is Urban Survival Possible
"There is a mantra within the hallowed halls of prepper knowledge, lore and opinion that goes something like this.  The only way to survive TEOTWAWKI is to find a hidden retreat far away from any city of significant size and live there as self-sustainably as possible year round.  This idea of the survival retreat has been around for years and it is actually a lifestyle I aspire to for myself and my family.  I dream of a fortified home in the woods, streams rolling through my mountain location, solar arrays, livestock in fences, wild game aplenty and wood burning stove goodness all around me.  There is one major problem with this mantra though and that is the prospect of moving everything we have and living in a cabin in the woods is nearly impossible for the large majority of us."


Should a Walking Stick Be Part of Your Survival Gear?
"Most of us don’t think about  including a walking stick in survival preparations.  But for some, a sturdy walking stick could be a key piece of emergency gear.  Older people might need the stick for helping stay balanced.  With training, the stick can be a formidable weapon.  The stick can serve as one support for a tarp shelter.  If you have to cross a stream, a wading staff can keep you from going into the water.  If you are wading out of your house in floodwaters, or picking your way through debris after a tornado, a sturdy stick can be very helpful.  Like most people I never gave any thought to using a walking stick, even though I read Fletcher’s books cover-to-cover  several times.  I backpacked and hiked more than a thousand miles without a stick, and never thought anything was missing.  But one of the weapons I studied in the martial arts was the bo staff.  A long stick about six feet long, the weapon has been used informally since the earliest recorded history.  A martial art called kobudo emerged from Okinawa in the early 1600s that featured this weapon.  My idea of a weapon is something that shoots.  I’ve had some rudimentary training, enough to know that I don’t care about nunchucka, exotic swords, twirly chains and the like.  But a bo makes sense – it is deadly in the right hands.  If I can’t have my first choice rapid-fire, high-capacity magazine weapon, my second pick would be a bo staff."

Fundamentals of Marine Corps Marksmanship
"This video is an older (1999) video from the US Marine Corps dealing with rifle marksmanship.  Every Marine is a rifleman, and the Corps prides itself on its marksmanship training.  This video may be old (it was created the year I was discharged) but its message is timeless."

Alternate Uses of MRE Components
"While MRE’s are normally used for food, that are several components that do have other uses than their intended ones."

Herbs for Seasonal Allergies:  An Herbal Back Up Plan
"One of the most uncomfortable day to day health challenges has to be suffering through a round of hay fever every year.  Many people rely either on prescriptions or a handful of capsules from the health food store to stay comfortable during allergy season, but herbs for seasonal allergies can be a simple alternative, and surprisingly, many of them are readily available as common weeds.  Because of their weedy, grow-almost-anywhere nature, these plants make a great allergy back up plan for anyone looking for more natural remedies.  Here are four of the best wild herbs to learn as part of your health preparedness strategies for allergy season."

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High Salt Diet Protects Against Infection, Increases Immune Function
"The dietary tides are once again turning for salt.  You may remember a landmark JAMA study in 2011 that showed that contrary to what the medical community espoused for years - salt actually lengthens your life; it doesn't cut your life or raise the risk of hypertension.  That study found that people actually lived longer if they consumed salt.  Notably, they were not studying pink Himalayan salt, but regular old, processed table salt.  Additionally, a Cochrane study confirmed that salt did not cause heart or blood pressure problems and that reducing the substance offered no reduction of heart risks.  Some people are consuming salt in their water to help with adrenal function and hydrate better in the summer heat.  Now researchers, in a study published by Cell Press March 3rd in Cell Metabolism reveals that dietary salt could have a biological advantage: defending the body against invading microbes."


7 Creepy Robots Used By The Police State
"Cops use robots to defuse bombs, confront barricaded suspects and rescue victims during disasters.  But they also use robots that can see, record and track what you are doing all day long.  If you aren't paranoid by the thought of cops knowing your business, watch as Reason TV counts down 7 Creepy Robots for Cops."

Tips for Better Food Storage
"Imagine an emergency occurs and you have to open your food storage only to discover that it’s not good anymore.  That would be horrible.  How and where you store your food can have a huge impact on the life of your food storage.  In this article we will explore various location requirements for maintaining your emergency food supply and keep it secure and at its best quality for when the time comes for you to use it."

10 Things You Need To Know BEFORE You Buy A Shipping Container
"Off Grid World has created this mini guide to help you with the in & outs of buying a shipping container.  Whether you are buying one to make into a home, a guesthouse, a garage, shelter or shed, the information below should help you save money and a lot of time."
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11 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Waste
"Maybe you’re not ready to break up with plastic altogether, but there are some low-hanging fruit that can make a big difference in reducing the amount of disposable plastic in your life.  Although recycling can help reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills, waterways and ecosystems, only a few types of plastics can be recycled by most municipal governments.  The fraction that does get recycled still requires a lot of energy and water which just isn’t a good proposition when it comes to single-use items.  Plastic garbage that ends up in landfills and oceans take hundreds of years to degrade, and there’s increasing concern about the toxins they release into the environment.  But in our modern lives, plastic surrounds us and cutting it out can seem daunting.  Below are some super easy ways to get started."

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Don’t Be A Willing Victim
"Don’t be a willing victim.”  That seems easy enough.  Fight back.  Stand up for yourself.  Don’t take $h*t from anyone.  Apparently, though, this is a concept too difficult for some to either understand or act on; one or the other.  When people won’t stand up for themselves I just don’t understand it.  I think part of my lack of understanding is how I view “victim.”  You see, I don’t hold that outlook, “don’t be a willing victim,” just in relation to violence, crime, terrorism, etc.  I hold that outlook in a more universal fashion.  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” is another well known and oft-followed phrase/philosophy, but how many of you realize it’s a two way street?  “Don’t let others do unto you anything you’d feel guilty about doing unto them.”  In other words, don’t tolerate people who don’t treat you with the necessary modicum of common courtesy and respect.  Again, I don’t see this as a difficult concept, but apparently – when you throw it together with employment or relationship issues – it gets all kinds of complicated."


Polluting Drinking Water and Lobbying go Hand in Hand
"Companies that break the law by polluting America’s waterways tend to spend large amounts of money on lobbying politicians, according to a new environmental report.  Environment America says in its report Polluting Politics: Political Spending by Companies Dumping Toxics in our Waters that the 10 biggest corporate water polluters in the U.S. spent $53 million on lobbying and nearly $10 million on campaign contributions.  These companies also dumped 100 million pounds of toxics in public waterways, according to the report.  “As it turns out, the same companies that are polluting our waterways with toxic chemicals are also polluting our politics with their spending,”  Ally Fields, the report’s author and a clean water advocate at Environment America, said in a press release."

The Water Wars Are Coming
"Does a warning mean anything if nobody listens?  With the precarious case of Lake Mead, doomsayers never seem to break the surface.  For years, reports of the lake’s declining levels have popped up in the news.  Yet residents of the surrounding area still refuse to listen.  The latest report from the Interior Department is very troublesome: there is a 20% chance of water shortages for Nevada and Arizona in 2016 if the lake maintains current levels.  Lake Mead, if you are unaware, provides 90% of the water to Las Vegas.  It is also a crucial water source for Los Angeles and major cities in Arizona.  Thus, it’s easy to see why residents of Nevada and surrounding states have an interest in the viability of the lake to sustain itself.  News of drought or weakening levels should be cause for alarm.  Often times, attention is roused with reports that water may become scarce in the immediate future.  But that scare usually dissipates when rain comes, essentially washing away the fear of future paucity.  There is an assumption by people living in the southwestern United States that water shortages are a naturally-caused phenomenon.  A coworker of mine who hails from the region recently informed me that most Nevada citizens don’t understand the underlying forces driving the water crisis.  They ignore the fact that the present situation is unsustainable.  Worse yet, they don’t see the real culprit behind a continual lack of H2O:  the government.  Contrary to popular belief, the current state of the American southwest isn’t the norm.  Rather, it’s an artificial creation that likely wouldn’t exist without government planning.  What do I mean?"

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    You don't have to like these things, you just need to KNOW these things!

    Sergeant Trainer

    Retired from the US Armed Forces and Corporate world, after 40+ years of experience in the areas of Security, Law Enforcement, Emergency Preparedness, Readiness, and Training, he now likes to help educate people with information that is pertinent in today's society and world events that will provide them knowledge in areas that will help them help themselves in being prepared for whatever contingency might arise.

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