Category: current events

We’ve all heard the common laymen’s definition of insanity – “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”  By this definition, I’m definitely insane!

I don’t think I’m alone in this but there are many aspects of my life where I’m trying to improve and do better but I don’t change the underlying principals or actions that end up leading me right down the same old path to failure.  I keep telling myself, “This time it will be different – I’m really serious and focused this time” but I fail to change the basic behavior that is at the root of my discontent.

This definition not only applies to each of us as individuals but equally applies to groups, associations, organizations, companies and yes, even countries.  The phrase, “History repeats itself” was penned as a result of this very principal.  Year after year, decade after decade and century after century this seemingly simple principle is repeated in countries throughout the world.

History books are full of stories about countries creating governments and implementing policies that have proven to fail in the past but nevertheless, this time will be different.  But guess what, it never is.  Sure there may be slight differences in how certain economic policies are implemented but the end result is always the same – failure.

We are currently seeing yet one more example of failed economic policies being played out in Venezuela.  Your heart goes out to the desperate citizens of that country who are in a fight for their very lives.  They are starving to death.  With the current inflation rate of over 60,000%, IMF economists are predicting Venezuela’s inflation rate could exceed 1,000,000% this year and the leaders of the country are grasping at straws in an attempt to resolve these overwhelming issues.

It now requires stacks of bills (bolivars) to purchase just a roll of toilet paper.  There’s probably more paper in the stack of bills than in the roll of toilet paper.  One might be better off just using the bolivars as toilet paper for they are worth less.

Stories of using wheelbarrows to carry all the bolivars necessary to purchase just a few items are common.  But this story isn’t a new one.  There are many stories of similar circumstances due to hyper-inflation.  In Zimbabwe, due to hyper-inflation, it cost 100 Trillion Zimbabwe dollars to purchase 3 eggs.  During the 1920’s, the Weimar Republic in Germany experienced a similar financial implosion when the German Mark became almost worthless.  Take a look at this chart at how quickly things got out of control.

The current exchange rate in Venezuela is about 250,000 bolivars per U.S. dollar.  In an attempt to somehow get control over this debilitating issue, the government has just announced they are devaluing the bolivar by some 95% and will attempt to peg it to the governments proposed cryptocurrency, the “petro”.  This pushes the exchange rate to over 6,000,000 bolivars per U.S. dollar.

Seriously??  We all know where this is going to end up – total financial collapse and a bankrupt country.  Unfortunately, there are millions of innocent citizens who will bear the brunt of this financial disaster.

The underlying lesson to be learned here is that we cannot afford to rely on politicians and governments to provide for our needs or guarantee a life of prosperity or even basic survival.  This is a lesson that has been taught throughout the centuries but very few learn from the mistakes of the past.

In addition, it’s all too easy to rationalize that such things could never happen here.  Our country is too big to fail.  We are the financial anchor of the world with the dollar being used as the international reserve currency.  Things might get a little tough but we’ll never fail, right?

Remember the definition of insanity.  Is our country doing the same things over and over expecting a different result?  Are we repeating and implementing failed practices of other countries throughout the world?  Are we moving forward with the attitude that “this time things will be different”?

It doesn’t take long reading and watching the news to realize that’s exactly what we’re doing.  Our “beloved” politicians continue to try and please the masses (so they can keep their jobs) with financial plans and programs that we absolutely cannot afford and that will lead us to destruction.

I have a friend who is a recovering alcoholic.  The definition of insanity we’ve been discussing was the pattern of his life.  Indeed, he knew he needed to make the hard decisions and take the actions to start down the road to recovery but he initially wasn’t willing to learn from the experience of others.  He had his own plan which was unfortunately just repeating his feeble efforts to cut down on his drinking, but it never worked.

He saw himself as someone different – unlike all the other alcoholics.  In his mind, his circumstances were unique and he saw himself with will power and abilities others didn’t have.  Unfortunately, it was all just in his mind.  He wasn’t different.  To begin the healing and recovery process, he had to admit it and be willing to do the difficult and often painful things to turn his life around.

That’s one of the biggest problems with this whole insanity thing – most of us are not willing to do the difficult and painful things that will change our lives for the better.

Let’s face it, there’s very little, if anything we personally can do that will keep our country from heading down the path of financial ruin.  We are so far beyond the stage of bankruptcy (base on the definition you and I know and understand) that to turn this ship around and pay off our debts is nowhere near reality.

The only way these overwhelming financial issues can be corrected is through a major reset.  And such a reset will create a monumental hardship for us all.  It’s no longer a question of “IF”, but “WHEN”.  And we will not be receiving much of a warning as to when it will all hit the fan.

When we’re finally ready to embrace the idea that our country cannot continue to go down the financial path we’re on, then we’re in a position to do something about it.  Since we can’t change the direction our government is taking us, we need to focus on the direction we’re taking our own families.

We need to earnestly prepare for the day when our precious dollar may be worthless.  How will we feed our families?  How will we provide for their needs?  Where will we live?  How can we survive?

Please take the time now to create a survival game plan for you and your family.  The need has never been greater.  The day will come, sooner rather than later, that you will be so very grateful you did!  Don’t allow yourself to be drawn into the ease of complacency.  Don’t allow the consequences of insane behavior to jeopardize your family’s future.  Be willing to do the difficult and painful things now for the sake of your loved ones.

It seems like seldom does a week go by when there is not some form of natural disaster affecting the lives of countless thousands of people somewhere in the world.  It’s happening so frequently nowadays that it seems we’re getting used to such events and they don’t seem to instill the same level of emotions or fear and concern, unless you’re one of those who are directly affected.

As I viewed several videos of the Kilauea Volcano and the resulting earthquakes on the Big Island of Hawaii today, I couldn’t help but think about the awesome power of Mother Nature and her ability to change landscapes and lives within moments.  I also read articles and watched videos detailing the eruption of the Fuego Volcano in Guatemala where more than 100 lives have been lost so far and in some spots, a mixture of gasses and volcanic matter reached 1,300 degrees totally devastating everything in its path.

It’s so very sad to see people’s lives and futures destroyed in this manner and it becomes very evident just how puny and insignificant man is in trying to control the elements.  Mother Nature will do what she wants, when and where she wants regardless of our planning and desires.

My mind then shifted to the scriptures where we were warned in the last days these types of natural disasters would occur in greater frequency.  Matthew chapter 24 in the New Testament spells out quite a few signs of the times and specific occurrences we should be watching for.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

The Lord goes on to tell us to be ever mindful of the signs of the times and by so doing, we might be better prepared to provide for ourselves as well as our neighbors when he states, “Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready.”

Watching so we’ll be ready certainly makes sense to me but I’ve found the Lord’s timetable isn’t necessarily the same as mine.  I must admit, watching can sometimes be wearing.  In fact, it’s easy to become impatient and just wish for things to accelerate.  I mean, if the Bible tells us things are going to get worse before they get better, let’s get it over with.  Sometimes I feel like I’m watching a train wreck in slow motion – things are definitely getting more trying but life just seems to keep going, regardless.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not promoting Armageddon to take place tomorrow.  I do indeed enjoy my current lifestyle and time with my family.  If I could wave my magic wand, I would want things to stay as they are and not continue to go downhill.  So I try and enjoy each day for what it is realizing it’s as good as it will ever be today.

So how do we balance enjoying the moment and “watching” so that we’ll be ready?  I do believe it’s a delicate balance.  There will always be those who take it to the extreme on one side or the other.  Most of us know those who insist on keeping their head in the sand and ignore all warning signs and move forward each day as if the conditions of their lives will never take a downward turn.  These are those who often scoff at the idea of food storage or preparing for difficult times ahead and tend to view those who do choose to prepare and fanatics who have gone off the deep end.

Then there are those who take prepping to the extreme.  Every moment of every day seems to be focused on preparing mentally and physically for the end of the world.  It’s difficult to interact with these folks socially because even casual conversations seem to be diverted to a discussion on some type of preparedness and the pending doom and gloom of events that will change the world as we know it.  One would think that constantly focusing on the potential negative of the world would give one major ulcers!

As I reflect on the Lord’s counsel to “Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready”, I can’t help but think of the saying, “A watched pot never boils.”  Yes, if we’re watching so intently that we never take our eye off the “preparedness ball” so to speak, things will have a tendency to drag out and we will waste our time worrying and being concerned.  Watching does not mean focusing on nothing else but preparedness, but it does mean keeping it on our to-do list.  Be prudent – put first things first in your life.  Keep your family relations, your spiritual well-being, your health and finances strong so you’ll be far better prepared in every regard to not only help and bless the lives of your loved ones but those around you as well.

So yes, the threat of war, natural disasters, economic concerns and a myriad of other potential life altering events will continue to increase in frequency and intensity and will be totally out of our control.  Our decision is to take control of those things we can influence and become better people.  We have to opportunity to become a true asset in helping and blessing the lives of others in times of need rather than a liability.  So please, continue to watch and be ready as you live your life to the fullest.

The most obvious factor controlling our food supply is climate.  If it’s too dry, the crops won’t grow.  If it’s too cold, once again, the crops won’t grow.  There are many other conditions that will affect the quality and amount of food we can produce, but basic moisture and temperature are the two biggies.

There are many who track potential climate changes and much of the data is available to you and me as well.  There are YouTube Channels such as Suspicious0bservers, Adapt 2030, Ice Age Farmer and Grand Solar Minimum that will provide you with more information than you probably bargained for.

Contrary to all of the nonsense being spewed by governments, NGO’s and so-called centers of higher learning, we are NOT suffering from Anthropogenic (man-caused) Global Warming, Carbon Dioxide Poisoning, Climate Change (when the “forecasted” models didn’t deliver the promised rise in temperatures), etc., etc., etc.

We are now entering what is known as a Grand Solar Minimum period where the temperatures will mainly be dropping (with some areas warming as well) resulting in cold, wet conditions, shortened growing seasons, crop failures, the spread of disease and so on. This does not mean that it will be getting colder everywhere, as it may be likely in Iceland, Alaska and probably the western U.S. the temperatures may be warmer and drier if you follow the historic model of what happened in the Maunder Minimum in the early 1600’s. These cycles go like clockwork, every two hundred or so years: The Dalton Period of the early 1800’s, The Maunder Minimum of the 1600’s, the Sporer Minimum of the 1400’s, and so on.

A solar minimum period is when the sun goes into a quiet period of reduced sun spots (a normal eleven year cycle).  A Grand Solar Minimum is when the sun spot activity goes down to very little or next to none. The sunspots are what help energize the weather patterns on earth. When solar activity goes down, it changes the weather patterns. Cosmic ray activity comes lower into the atmosphere, creating low and cold cloud layers that increase levels of rain fall and snow.

Look at all of the unseasonal weather, the 500 and 1,000 year flooding and other events (like snow in the Sahara and the Saudi Peninsula) that keep occurring on a continuing basis.

With all of this late season cold weather and continuing snow storms, there has been a growing increase of crop failures due to snow, ice, hail, cold, etc.

Many have followed Dave Dubyne of Adapt 2030 (meaning adapting to the Grand Solar Minimum period bottoming out around the year 2030) for some time now, and he has tracked crop failures across the globe and has noted the increased pattern of crop failures and the results look pretty dim in the coming year and years to come.  Livestock losses have been mounting as well because of bad weather.  Below is his most recent video which shows these trends. Take a look at his earlier videos in the past several weeks, for they are eye-opening.

Be ready for what is coming: a reduced food supply, which means greatly increasing prices, increasing bad weather, earthquakes and volcanism and disease – which will all mean increasing societal pressures.

Here’s an interesting article posted in Armstrong Economics that discusses this same issue and how it’s affecting crops in Russia.

Russia’s Wheat Crop Fails

“The weather turned very cold this year as our computer has been forecasting. The importance of our model’s forecasts lies in determining what will be the next cycle focus. Each cycle tends to shift from one to the next sector. While we still risk a strong dollar rally into 2020 creating the economic recession through deflation as assets decline, the next 8.6-year cycle appears to be setting up to be a commodity cycle. As the climate changes to bitter cold, we have warned this is when FAMINE and DISEASE rise. The flu season is always when it turns cold – not warm.”

“It is important to keep an eye on the climate cycle and prepare for the next real bull market. This year, the wheat crop in Russia has failed because of the bitter cold with even April coming in as the coldest in more than 140 years. The people who want to believe in global warming are so enamored with this idea mixing up pollution with climate change that they fail to see the trend coming. As crops fail with colder winters, food supplies will decline and prices will rise. So look for the next 8.6-year Economic Confidence Model Wave to bring higher prices in food.”

Here’s another interesting video showing more about the unexpected facts regarding climate change.

Dr. Raymond H. Wheeler (1892-1961) developed a clock to forecast recurring droughts, which coincided with colder climates. He found that every 170 years, the climate would turn colder and dryer, social mood would turn negative, civil wars would proliferate, and the economy would suffer from financial collapse.

Although he completed his work during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, he was able to accurately forecast the second half of the 20th century, based upon the cycles that occurred over and over again like clockwork from 600 BC through today.

The Drought Clock shows shorter 100 year cycles of cold and dry which are compounded by the larger degree 170 year cycle, when they happen at the same time. You can see that he forecast the start of a cold, dry 170 year cycle just before the year 2000.

The bottom line – there are numerous factors that can and will affect our food supply.  It’s critical that we learn from the past and properly prepare for the future by assuring we have enough food stored to provide for our families in these uncertain times.

Source:  https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/markets-by-sector/agriculture/russias-wheat-crop-fails/

Source:  http://worldcyclesinstitute.com/dr-wheelers-drought-clock/

2017 brought a slew of natural disasters; fires, hurricanes, and earthquakes.  They hit back-to-back, adding a feeling of unease to most of us. Even those of us who were perfectly prepared assessed our situation to see how we needed to adjust. Here is what we learned.

Emergency Packs
Many people are prepared for long-term emergencies. That is imperative.  However, it’s also important to be prepared to get out at a moment’s notice. Good 72 hour kits need to be kept updated and ready at all times.  Here are some tips to keep your emergency packs ready.
1- Check emergency packs every 6 months. A good time to remember this is when you change your clocks for Daylight Saving Time.
2- Have a mixture of MREs, freeze-dried foods, & calorie bars. Calorie bars are the priority, but a mixture of the 3 types of food can help sustain you for a few days.
3- Keep your emergency packs close to you. It’s a good idea to have your packs at home and in your car.

Be Creative in Your Preparedness
A customer affected by the flooding in Southeast Texas was grateful to have a heavy-duty blow-up boat on hand. That item went from recreational to necessary when her neighborhood was flooded. She was able to take supplies to neighbors in need.  She assessed her needs afterward and determined she’d also like waterproof waders and/or wetsuits if her area was ever flooded again. She was also grateful for baby wet wipes that the whole family used for bathing. Look around and assess the possible natural disasters and think creatively about what might be helpful.

Prepare During Good Times
Preparedness companies stocked out of many items during and after the hurricanes. Shipping companies had trouble getting orders to disaster-hit areas.   In fact, in 2017, MREs became very difficult to get because FEMA and the US military required extensive supplies, leaving retail distributors without inventory. Once a storm is in the forecast, it might be too late to get your preparedness items.
*Set a monthly budget and stock up along the way so you aren’t scrambling when the disaster comes.

Water, Water, Water
Floods, earthquakes, fires, and any other disaster can completely wipe out a safe water supply. It’s a good idea to have several types of emergency water sources. Here are some ideas:
1) Pouch water in emergency packs– Pouched water is easily transportable and can be packed in bags fairly easily.
2) Disposable water bottles– Grocery store water bottles can be stored easily and are also easy to transport. They are easy to stock up on and easy to store. Just try to store in a cool, dark place because the BPA in the plastic can leach out into the water when they are too hot. Anoter alternative to plastic is canned water.
3) Long-term storage containers– A large water container with water preserver and a siphon is a great idea to have on hand. 90 gallons will last 1 person 3 months if used for drinking, washing, and cooking.  Start with 1 container and add more throughout the year to ensure your family has clean water.

Be Ready  to Evacuate
Evacuating an area is tricky business. You don’t want to evacuate and disrupt your life if it’s not necessary, but you also don’t want to wait too long. Leaving when the masses evacuate can be just as dangerous as staying in harm’s way. Here are some tips to consider when evacuating:
1- Keep all cars gassed and ready. Some people never let their cars’ gas tanks dip below 1/2 full. Traffic and gridlock can drain gas tanks quickly.
2- If possible, leave early. Booking a hotel on the outside of town can give you the flexibility to go to work and function for a day or two when you’re not sure what is going on, but can also help you be outside of the worst parts of traffic if you do need to evacuate.
3- Again, make sure you have emergency packs in your car.