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Ten Principles of Preparedness: #10 Communication

In the second season of one of my favorite television shows, “Jericho”, there was a perfect illustration of what can happen if reliable communication does not exist (I recommend you renting this two-season series or at least catching some of it on hulu.com). While communication is the last aspect of the Principles of Preparedness, this doesn’t mean it’s insignificant in any way. In fact,  there’s a lot of danger, panic, relying on misinformation and chaos that can arise, all from the lack of communication. (more…)

gold

Blind Bedazzling-Gold & Silver Reviewed

goldI suppose I have to address this issue sooner or later. What do I think about buying gold and silver to hedge against a financial collapse? Personally, I’d pass.

Among the 10 Principles of Preparedness, the Principle of Financial Preparedness is Number Nine in order of prioritization. If times get so tough that one feels like they have to rely on gold and silver, there are a heck of a lot worse problems that will come to the forefront which will have nothing to do with traditional currency.

Several years ago I had

Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

 

It’s a famine, an earthquake, no, wait, it just might be a plague! A plague of some of the smallest, yet most inconvenient creatures known to man, and feared by every Hospitality Industry Manager—bed bugs. Whether you’re dealing with it now or in an uncomfortable time in the future, I felt that this particular topic merited my attention.

Move over Broadway, you’ve got a competitor for the spotlight now. And don’t let the news headlines fool you. It’s actually much worse than you’re hearing.

As bed bugs creep out NYC, tourists crawl away

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What the KittenTaught

Nearly three months ago my husband and I went to our credit union to conduct some business.  As he waited in the car, I went inside.  Standing at the teller’s window I couldn’t help but notice the stifled but evident excitement around me. No. Sorry to say it wasn’t because of something great I was wearing or my new hairstyle. It was because another one of the employees was bringing in a bin of tiny kittens to bid one last goodbye before she took them to a “no-kill shelter.”   Uh-Oh. I knew I was in trouble. I knew that I would end up taking one of these babies home.  Having had two wonderful cats for over 14 years and lost them, I wasn’t inclined to try and replace them and their space in my heart. But this was certainly different.  These were the tiniest kittens I had ever seen.

Apparently the mother cat had delivered her litter of kittens somewhere in the bushes next to the credit union. The employees kept watch over them and when the mother went away for more than a day, they even attempted to feed them.  But one little black and white rascal wasn’t eating. I knew that if someone didn’t take her, who would be willing to hand-feed her every couple of hours, she wouldn’t make it

Independent

A Great Day for Independent Preparedness

Perhaps it was a conspiracy, but that Saturday morning when I woke up and went through my routine, three light bulbs had burned out.  Three? Really? Was it something I said?  No problem. I can handle that. Downstairs I went to the bin in which I invested heavily in the “old” kinds of light bulbs before they are taken off the market (My personal favorite).

Independent

Officials More Forthright About the State of the Economy?

I have to admit that when I read today’s comments about the state of the economy by Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, I was shocked that the article would be so truthful.  Yes, finally a news article that was based on facts rather than political agenda.

The article today actually admits that the Federal Reserve will have to “print money” in order to purchase Treasury Bonds from the U.S. as well as conceding that such an act would cause an even greater strain on the tanking value of the dollar.

news

Good News—Tough Times Ahead!

newsI’m not sure why, but I actually got a bit excited at the announcement I heard from two elderly ladies in church last Sunday. Having not escaped the decades of wear and tear, her wrinkled skin, grey hair, and a weakened posture didn’t seem to be damper her childlike excitement as she announced that she and her 86 year-old mother were there “just visiting her granddaughter in hopes to be there for the birth of her first great-grandchild and great-great-grandchild respectively.” Anxious to be there and perhaps even snag a five generation photo, their excitement was contagious to the rest of us. You heard a low roar of excitement in the room from the crowd of enthusiastic supporters of the good news. Then it hit me…

“Good news.”