Forget 'Sandy'... are YOU prepared?

You've probably heard by now: National weather authorities have issued an URGENT ALERT regarding Hurricane Sandy. They say it's likely to be the most dangerous hurricane to hit the Northeast corridor in decades. High winds, destructive flooding, fallen trees, blizzard conditions and widespread power outages affecting as many as 60 million people are anticipated up and down the East Coast. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued across the region, particularly in coastal areas. Places hundreds of miles inland are expected to be severely impacted by the storm as well. After the snow accumulation begins to melt, what effect will that have on already-soggy ground?

Fist fights have reportedly breaking out at some stores, as unprepared citizens fight over basic supplies. At least folks are TRYING to prepare, but why wait till the last minute? Crises such as this raise a pressing question you MUST ask yourself...

"Do I have the basic necessities I would need to evacuate or survive an emergency?"

Not just you, but what about your business? Your employees? Your church? Your neighbors? What could YOU be doing differently RIGHT NOW so you can hit the ground running when the next storm has passed YOUR area? 

And it IS coming.

Disasters do NOT have to be an "every man for himself" situation. At best, it's an opportunity for we, as Followers of Christ, to let our light shine brighter than ever before. Our Biblical models of disaster readiness include Noah and Joseph, but there are many others. If you are out of harm's way, living far west of Hurricane Sandy (uh, last I heard, Hawaii and Seattle were under a Tsunami warning from a 7.7 quake Saturday - some safety!), let's use this so-called "FrankenStorm" to remind us of the importance of disaster preparation. 

I use the acronym "FEPS" as a guide for preparedness: Financial, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual Preparedness.

FINANCIAL: What will you do if the electricity stops working - for days? You can't use charge cards, ATM's, banks. Cash registers won't work and the lack of electricity won't be keeping food and milk cold in the stores any way. You COULD be using this time to exchange your cash for gold in small 1-gram bars such as Karatbars offers (CLICK HERE, then contact me) as well as pre-'65 silver U.S. coins (I recommend dimes).

EMOTIONAL: Emotional Preparedness comes in the form of training. Reading articles on preparedness (I suggest Ready.gov) and taking courses on First-Aid will help you "keep your head" during disasters. You may even want to conduct a drill so family or staff know what to do when the going gets tough.

PHYSICAL: You could start walking or cycling, perhaps join a gym. If you needed a reason to shed some pounds, saving your life and your loved ones is a great place to start. What about your physical needs... food, water, warmth, shelter, self-defense? This is a great time to start stocking up. A friend just attended a large gun show in our area. He said he surprised at how many people were not buying hunting rifles or even talking about hunting; they were Preppers. People were buying dried foods by the case. Ammo cans were being purchased for seed storage. Some gun show, huh? In our house, we've been storing GOFoods (CLICK HERE for FREE SAMPLES). It tastes delicious and it's nutritious. Remember, if you can't air your tires, pump gas, watch TV, illuminate your home, warm your family, cook your meals, what will you do? Now is the time to make lists and have discussions with others in your world. This bears repeating: people start dying after only 3 days without clean water. In flood conditions, all the water becomes highly toxic from everything that's been swept along with the surge. What about meds? Have you stocked up? Supply lines always get cut-off during disasters.

SPIRITUAL: This is a great time to examine your own spiritual condition. While some see faith as a crutch, I prefer to think of it as a wheelchair. There are certain things we humans were simply not built to handle; we need One who is greater than we are. The God I serve (I call Him Jesus) has been there for me and has come through in so many of my own personal disasters, I cannot help but trust in Him for Wisdom and Safety in the midst of life's storms (and I am NOT talking only about weather-related kinds). It all starts with a decision to renew your mind. I suggest reading the Holy Bible, starting with the Gospel of John. Prayer is good; it's merely conversation between Created and Creator. Forget all those thee's and thou's; just talk as you would with anyone else. Don't change a thing (God can handle it, trust me). You might want to consider attending church services or, at the very least, having discussions with others whose lives reflect a level of intimacy with God that you admire. Ask them questions. Learn from them. Bear in mind, the word "church" that we use does not refer to a place; it refers to people are are to BE the Church wherever we go, including stained-glass steeples.

Remember, God, Gold, Guns, Groceries and GOOD Water are five important check points where disaster readiness is concerned. Well, are YOU ready?

Let's talk!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Texas, USA

miketummillo@me.com

DID YOU KNOW...

FEMA has ordered 420 million survival meals. Somebody please tell me why would FEMA need a 7000% increase of survival meals?

We all know the world is in bad shape. Disaters are on the increase.

Maybe FEMA's preparing for another X-class solar flare like the one that knocked out all of China's communication back in February 2011 ("X" is NASA's highest solar flare classification).

Maybe it's the shaky state of the world's economies. Just look at Europe - they're worse off than we are and their citizens are dumpster-diving for food!

Maybe they recognize that America's fragile food supply chain could be knocked out by just the threat of disaster (even if it was a false alarm)...

Whatever FEMA's motivation might have been, I'm glad they woke up and ordered all those survival meals. Sadly, since our population stands at about  314,165,191, what FEMA ordered is enough for less than one meal each, IF they could get the food distributed. The reality is, we must NOT rely on government for assistance. As one American to another, I've got to tell you - it's time we took matters into our own hands. 

Folks, I'm not a fear monger; no one would've said that about Paul Revere when the British were coming, would they? But ask yourself if you have enough food to get through a crisis. An ice storm. A job lay-off. A tornado. A broken water main. Ask yourself if you'd be eating in a week if your food ran out today, or are you hoping the government, a church, somebody else will be taking care of you and yours. Did you know the average person can only go three days without water?

I recommend GOFoods. They are delicious and nutritious. They cost less than $2 per serving and all you need is hot water. You can get FREE SAMPLES by CLICKING HERE.

Let me know if I can be of any service to you where Disaster Readiness is concerned. Refer back to this BLOG for more information.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Texas, USA

East Coast Super Storm Possible
X Class Flares Also A Concern

 

This is just a Heads-Up, mainly on the East Coast, who could possibly find themselves being hit by a superstorm next week. Tell your loved ones along the coast!

 

"Climate Central" is quoting a number of official sources which are concerned that a tropical storm  that's about to hit the Bahamas may turn into a Super Storm and track into the East Coast from October 29 onward..

 

They're using terms like "....think if a hurricane and nor'easter mated, possibly spawning a very rare and powerful hybrid storm, slamming into the Boston-to-Washington corridor early next week, with rain, inland snow, damaging winds, and potential storm surge flooding."

 

Granted, these scenarios are currently based on modeling what might occur as Tropical Storm "Sandy" travels up the East Coast and hits the jet stream coming down from the Arctic, so there's still a wide margin of speculation involved.

 

However, the possibility does exist that this storm could be one for the record books - perhaps one of the worst in 200 years, they're saying.

 

At the same time, X-Class flares from the sun are also a concern for the next few days.

 

They're the sort that can disrupt satellites, GPS systems, and radio transmissions. Extreme X-Class flares can knock even out all electricity.

 

NASA reports that the sun emitted a significant X1.8 solar flare on Monday this week from an active region that has been numbered AR 1598.

NASA says harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This can disrupt radio signals for anywhere from minutes to hours.

The same sunspot produced three strong flares before this one in just the two days since it became visible from Earth's perspective.

 

"This means more flares are probably in the offing, and they will become increasingly Earth-directed as the sunspot turns toward our planet in the days ahead," astronomer Tony Phillips wrote on Spaceweather.com.

Prayer usually helps. Preparation remains, as always, a great idea!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

When it comes to Disaster Readiness, REDUNDANCY is key. 

Like Barbara and I, you may be gardening, using heirloom seeds and organic techniques. That's great, but what if you have to "bug out"? Can you take your garden with you? For that reason, try bucket gardening! This way, you CAN take your garden along for the ride!

If your food plan is to let your garden's produce sustain you, you'll be in a heap o' trouble if your seeds fail, you run out of water, or something gets hold of your veggies. For that reason, we're investing in GOFoods as part of our planning strategy. It tastes delicious, it's easy to make, and it has a 25-year shelf-life.

As far as food goes, there's nothing wrong with buying a few extra cans of soup and some bottled water each time you go shopping. Good time to stock up using that Sam's membership!

Remember, all your prepping need NOT be done all at once, so don't go broke getting ready! Anything you can do to sustain yourself is better than relying on the government or neighbors.

What about water? A Prepper can have all the GOFoods and Ammo on earth but, without water, he's one dead Prepper. Again, be redundant where water is concerned. Have a purification technique using filters and another involving tablets. Learn how to use the sun to purify, too. Experiment with creating water from condensation using plastic bags wrapped around a small tree or bush. Cover a hole with plastic and capture the condensation as it drips. In a disaster situation, you might need water for cooking, washing clothes, keeping yourself clean. Make and capture water any way you can, but LEARN HOW TO PURIFY IT!

Planning on cooking? Use that camping equipment and charcoal grill till it's all gone. Afterward, then what? 

Where GOFoods are concerned, all you need is boiling water. Great, but without electricity or gas, do you know how you'll boil water? What about cooking that deer you shot or that squirrel you caught in a rat trap you nailed to a tree? How about heating up your oatmeal or frying eggs? Can you cook anything at all? 

Again, be redundant! The sun is a great help in food preparation. Use it! Did you know you can cook a turkey using a piece of glass, a board and a spare tire? How about a magnifying glass? Get one! You can use cotton balls, Chapstick and a water-proof match to create a long-lasting fire (Chapstick is petroleum-based, burns a long time). This will help with staying warm, too.

But how will you stay clean? If the water isn't running, you can flush the toilet using a gallon of rain water you've been harvesting off the roof. Shower? Get a black rubber bladder available in the Walmart camping section for taking camping showers. When that breaks, use a 2-liter Coke bottle, spray it black and lay it on its side and let the sun heat it. Then, pour the warm water over your head (remember to fill it again for the NEXT guy!). 

I could go on and on, but you can get LOTS of ideas from YouTube and by Googling stuff you're interested in. HINT: Print things and keep them in a Red Disaster Binder. If you want to ask questions, here I am! What I don't know, I can find out.

Hey, order some FREE SAMPLES from GOFoods HERE... even if you don't buy any more, hey, it's FREE FOOD!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Prepping from a Biblical Perspective

As anyone can plainly see, disasters are on the increase. Some folks say, "Don't worry! God won't give us any more to handle than we can bear! He will make the way for us." 

Others are convinced, "We won't even be around when things get bad... God's gonna rapture us out of here!"

Personally, I am convicted that, whenever things start falling apart, there's no one better than those who follow Jesus to serve others, meet their needs, pray for and comfort those who are hurting, and shine light in the darkest situations. This is precisely why I felt compelled to take a HAM radio course; in a disaster situation, I want people knocking on MY door in an effort to try and get hold of their loved ones. Afterward, we will pray with them, maybe we'll even feed them. I want them to meet Christ in me, the hope of glory!

Folks, we can sleep peacefully because our heads are in the sand or because we've gotten ourselves prepared. It was about three years ago when my wife and I began prepping. No, we weren't worried about anything Apocalyptic. We simply didn't want to be part of the riotous crowd clearing the shelves at Walmart. 

We never want to wind up standing in line waiting for a FEMA hand-out. 

We wanted to be part of the SOLUTION, not part of the problem.

How about you? 

Let's see what the Bible tell us about Disaster Readiness:  

Genesis 6:21

"...be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.” 

This was God speaking to Noah about building the ark and "prepping" for the flood. Noah took 100 years to do the job - and he did NOT have everything given to him!

Genesis 41 describes how Joseph took 7 years to prepare for the Great Famine of Egypt... SEVEN! What a committed Prepper! 

Verse 54 says: "Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food."

Leviticus 26:10

"You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!"

Proverbs 6:5-9

"Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net. Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?"

As I can attest, far too many Christians are not being pro-active in preparing for their families. WAKE UP!

Proverbs 21:20

"The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get."

Are you spending like a drunken sailor? Is money burning a hole in your pocket?

Proverbs 22:3

"A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

Are you being prudent?

Proverbs 30:24-28

These verses describe four creatures who exemplify a great deal of wisdom through prepping:

1) Ants, because they gather food during good times and store it for bad times.
2) Conies or Rock Badgers (a type of rabbit) are weak prey so they make their homes in hard to reach places (i.e. the rocks) and store food all summer.
3) Locusts are independent creatures but they band together for a common cause and for the good of the whole.
4) The spider is wise enough to camouflage itself in the midst of the establishment.

Proverbs 31

This chapter describes the ideal woman of God. It's a standard all women should attempt to measure up to. Read it... she's a Prepper!

Matt.25:1-13

“...the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom."

Luke 22:36

“But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one!"

1Timothy 5:8
"But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers."

Revelation 18

"Babylon is fallen! She has become a home for demons... Come away from her, my people." 

Many believe 'Babylon' is the world's system - the way of the world. If this is true, Jesus prayed, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it,” (John 17:15-16).

God doesn't always do things the exact same way. Have you noticed? In Exodus 16, God provided for the Hebrew children in the wilderness for forty years, by giving them manna and quail every day. While He brought them to Egypt where Joseph was storing grain, He brought them out of Egypt by providing for them one day at a time.

In I Kings 17: 1-16, we see how God provided for Elijah in two different ways, but both were at the exact moment he needed food. First, God sent ravens to bring him bread and meat each morning and evening. Later, He sends Elijah to the house of the woman in Zarephath and she makes a bread cake for him each day until the famine is over from a jar of flour and oil that God miraculously kept filled. 

In Matthew 10, Jesus sent the disciples out with nothing but the clothes on their back. He instructed them to find those willing to provide for them in return for preaching and healing the sick. 

Are you ready to start getting ready?

For some reason, many people have an aversion to "prepping." Maybe it's because they don't want to get lumped-in with wild-eyed radicals living in the woods in a bunker. 

Forget them for a moment. 

Forget the end of the world. 

Instead, ask yourself: "Do I own a spare tire and a jack?" If so, congratulations - you're prepared for a flat tire! 

Ask yourself if you have Band-Aids in the house. If so, you're "prepping" to take care of a cut you might get. 

When you go shopping, do you ordinarily buy food? Great! That means you're prepping for when you get hungry!

See where I'm going with this?

Someone MIGHT lose a job. Someone MIGHT get injured. Someone MIGHT die. Someone MIGHT get hit by an ice storm, a tornado, an earthquake, a flood, a terrorist attack. If that 'someone' happens to be YOU, are YOU ready... or will YOU be at the mercy of the Government, the Church, or your neighbors?

Are you ready?

Whether it's for you, your family, your church, or your business, any preparations are better than no preparations. If you are interested in having me do a presentation on "Preparedness Peace," just ask. 

If you like, check out my BLOG, "PrepareTodayEverybody.Blogspot.com." The things I post there will be of great help.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

7 Must-Have Skills That Could Save Your Life

7 Must-Have Skills That Could 

Save Your Life

Starting a Fire: Try on this scenario for size. You have two weeks of fuel on hand to run your vehicles and your camp stove. So cooking your food is easy... except the power is down for more than two weeks. No problem. With a little wood and a few rocks, you can build a campfire ring in your backyard, put one of your oven racks over it, and cook whatever you need. But, do you have fire starters on hand, and do you know how to build a fire that will actually catch?

So, I urge you to stock up on waterproof matches and cheap disposable lights. But you still need to know how to quickly and efficiently build a fire.

Start with a layer of easy burning material at the bottom like dried moss and pine needles or crumpled up paper. Place some small kindling over that in a crisscross pattern – you want plenty of air circulation for your fire to burn well. Then place three or four larger logs over the kindling, also in a crisscross pattern. Use a match or flint and steel to light the quick-burning material at the base.

Treating a Wound: Injuries happen. During a natural disaster or a time of social chaos, they're even more likely. During social disruptions of any kind, an emergency room is the last place you want to be. They'll be overwhelmed. At best, you'll spend hours waiting for treatment. At worst, you'll pick up an infection while you're there. So, you need to know how to treat a basic wound, and how to recognize when it is beyond your capabilities.

The two main things about treating a wound are stopping the bleeding and keeping it clean. To stop bleeding, put pressure on the wound. Use gauze, clean towels, or clean clothes to apply direct pressure to the wound. If those items aren't available, use the cleanest material on hand.

Place it over the wound and then apply direct pressure. Keep applying pressure for 15 minutes. If blood seeps through the gauze or cloth you're using, add a new layer rather than removing what you have. Don't let up on the pressure or check the wound until 15 minutes have passed. Most wounds will stop bleeding by that time. If not, you'll need to brave an emergency room.

Once the bleeding is under control, you need to clean the wound. Wash your hands thoroughly and wear medical gloves if you've got them. Remove any debris from the injury – use tweezers for the small stuff. Then wash the wound under running water for at least five minutes. You can use a mild soap to clean it while under running water; Dawn dishwashing soap is perfect. Betadine is another great topical antiseptic to add to your prepper supplies. Apply a light layer of antibiotic ointment and bandage the wound with clean gauze. Change the bandage regularly.

Treating Infection: If a wound shows signs of infection, the best thing to do is get the assistance of a doctor. But if, for whatever reason, a doctor's care is not available, there are a few things you can do that will help fight minor infections.

Both honey and bentonite clay can help leech toxins from a wound and fight infection. If you notice an injury is getting red and swollen and is producing yellow-green pus, you need to begin treating it for infection. Soaking it in warm salt water can help draw out the infection and draw healing antibodies into the area. Clean it regularly and apply honey, clay, or more antibiotic ointment. If the infection gets worse or if you notice red streaks emanating from the wound, a doctor's care is imperative.

Finding Your Way: In the event that the transportation system breaks down, you'll need to be able to get around without your usual means. Around your hometown, it's pretty easy to find your way on foot or by bike, but what happens if you're somewhere unfamiliar when the stuff hits the fan? Would you be able to make your way home?

Learning basic orienteering skills can help you navigate even in unfamiliar territory. Check your local outdoor supply stores to see if they offer orienteering classes. Kill two birds with one stone – get your daily exercise by walking between your home and places you'll likely need to get to in an emergency, such as a natural water supply.

Handling a Knife: There's a saying among survivalists. "A knifeless man is a lifeless man." Invest in a good fixed blade knife with a four to six inch blade. It can come in handy in numerous situations – including cutting kindling for a fire or cutting away clothing from a wound – but only if you're able to use it safely. Once you buy a knife, practice with it so you know how to handle it without cutting yourself or someone else!

Gathering Your Dinner: In an extended breakdown, you may find your food supplies running short. (If you've set up a six-month reserve like I've recommended, that's highly unlikely.) If that happens, one of the most useful things you can know is what edible (and medicinal) plants grow in your area. Obviously, edible plants differ from region to region, but most libraries and bookstores stock books on local botany. Invest in one and spend a little time getting to know a few of the local plants. Chances are you'll never need this knowledge, but if ever you do, you'll be glad you have it.

Fending Off an Attack: During a disruption, personal attacks are higher. You're more likely to be mugged, assaulted, or robbed. Two things can help protect you: learning to be aware of your environment and developing some self-defense skills.

Let me underscore that in any attack, your main objective should be to escape to safety. Consider taking a self-defense class that focuses on breaking holds and quickly incapacitating an attacker so you can run. Any good self-defense class should also focus on learning to recognize red flags that will help you avoid bad situations in the first place. You also need to consider arming yourself, including learning to use your firearms safely. The mere sound of chambering a shell into a shotgun will send most intruders running for their lives without you ever having to fire a shot!

These essential skills aren't difficult or costly to master, and in any sort of breakdown, they can be lifesavers. Each one is just one more step toward being ready for anything.

Yours in Savvy Preparation,

Lee Bellinger, Publisher
Independent Living

CRITICAL INFORMATION!!!

Excerpted from an article by John Longenecker, News with Views

...how is the population going to endure the stresses and adversities of a disaster when genetically modified foods [GMO's] serve up depleted produce and few citizens actually consider wellness as a survival tool?

The key is to become aware of both and to remedy them for the household as part of your preparedness plan.

Enter the nutritional supplements of your own choosing for the menu of your own choosing for the safety plan of your own choosing.

Supplements are nutrients the body needs and cannot get as well as before. They are taking on a new importance in general health and wellnes due to shifts in politics and farming practices. Amid this, stress puts added demands on the body, and unrelenting stress is a serious hazard of a disaster. This is an opportunity for the opportunistic infections and other environmental hazards.

Useful nutritional findings are identified by experts: that our so-called recommended dosages of nutrients have been grossly under-estimated. Translation: our bodies need much more of those nutrients in order to fight off degenerative disease...

Next, it didn't take long for diabetes experts to recommend megadoses of various supplements for that reason. 

Professionals have known forever that many degenerative diseases develop from poor nutrition and that health and wellness depend very much on good nutrition. Supplemental Nutrition has proven to be good intuition.

This brings us to the smart thing of adding supplements to your disaster plan when your safety depends on being alert and at your best. Beforehand in order to be throughout.

Now is the time to learn about the role of nutritional supplements in your safety and survival not only as part of your disaster kit, but as part of your disaster plan. That plan begins now.

Imagine trying to stay alert with a bad case of the flu and you have a good feel for your ability to function under the combined conditions of disaster and malnutrition.

Yes, malnutirion.

I described why nutritionals are essential to your safety in time of disaster, namely when you find yourself operating at 100% at times for extended periods. No one can do this for long, but for bursts when needed, optimal health can get you through. Ordinary food is becoming more depleted of nutrients and alternatives are fewer, including personal gardening. Any disaster condition may last for months [Haiti comes to mind], and how you come out on the other side will be directly proportional to how to go in. You'll want to be as healthy as you possibly can.

When I say healthy, I am not speaking about a physicality of strength and power, I am speaking about how nutritionals affect your survivability of the disaster's hazards at the cellular level. Your immune system, your alertness level, your ability to focus and concentrate, your ability to plan intelligently, coordinate with others when necessary, and avert stress – all of this I call your ability to cope, your objective.

For, it is not your ability to lift or run that will be life-saving, but your ability to adapt to changing situations, your ability to respond and not merely react; in short, your overall ability to cope with conditions. This optimizes your functionality when your life may depend on it.

When you are alone, or as head of household, you are the only person you can count on. Imagine trying to stay alive and alert with a bad case of the flu and you have a feel for your ability to function under malnutrition conditions.

Disaster and its stresses sets the stage for all sorts of conditions including malnutrition of even the healthy. With a very short supply as food pipelines break, shelves are empty and supplies dwindle quickly. Irrespective of how you might see the face of malnutrition, Americans can develop malnutrition in time of disaster, and this will affect your ability to protect your family.

For a family, acute malnutrition of children under the age of 5 sets in sooner than it does for adults. A sick child profoundly affects your head-of-household decisions. What some adults might believe is tolerable for themselves in terms of going without comes on sooner in their young children. Wasting is well known around the globe, but human physiology is what it is wherever it is, and it needs to be averted by not only plenty of food, but plenty of nutrition.The answer is not in vitamins, but nutrition.

World health scholarly articles address food availability and distribution in relief efforts. Though many of the experts clearly recommend supplements, this reliance on centralization means waiting. One of the greatest complaints in relief in the United States is in the waiting for the arrival and distribution of food and for the continuing, reliable distribution of whatever they have on the menu. Even that can be depleted or insufficient to make up the difference between your super-stress and your ability to function. They may still be operating on the old informaiton of smaller dosages of supplements, and all you get is what they hand out.

Why not have your own? Why not have your own supplements in the proper dosages? Why not have your own reaction time, comfort and security in better assuring your own nutrition for energy, immunity and alertness?

Nutritionals keep rather well and are the perfect complement to emergency food which can be good for decades. But time is running out. Focus on food and water is only part of the picture of preparedness; actual nutrition is a must-have for your ability to cope and survive. This means improving your knowledge base on the subject.

Food Price Inflation is a new threat to your planning today for household safety tomorrow. Not only are foods being diverted to fuels or other ends, but pricing is increasing from other factors. This affects decisions made by households as budget considerations are shuffled to re-prioritize options. Nutritionals which also keep very well should be acquired and shelved in your preparedness larder while their pricing is unaffected. They should also be made part of your diet now to improve your overall ability to cope always.

As I write often, outcomes are what we medical people work for, optimal outcomes. Preparedness is a thorough undertaking, a serious-minded, attention-to-detail approach to pre-thinking need and instituting it before need for one outcome: survival, and surviving well. Making nutritionals a part of your health and your ability to cope will optimize your outcome come what may

Great article! Nutrition is the #1 reason I've become such an advocate of GoFoods when it comes to long-term food storage. The fact this food is delicious and easy to prepare are two other reasons. Do YOURSELF a favor. Click this LINK and scroll dow to the section labeled "PRODUCT CALLS", the 6th recorded message is entitled "12 important reasons why everyone should have a food security strategy." LISTEN TO IT! It's less than 13 minutes long and packed with things you should know. Get on board with GoFoods TODAY! 

Preparedness Tips of the Month Tip #1 Take a moment to imagine that there is an emergency, like a fire in your home, and you need to leave quickly. What are the best escape routes from your home? Find at least two ways out of each room. Now, write it down - you've got the beginning of a plan. Tip #2 Pick a place to meet after a disaster. Designate two meeting places. Choose one right outside your home, in case of a suddenhousehold emergency, such as a fire. The second place you choose needs to be outside your neighborhood, in the event that it is not safe to stay near or return to your home. Tip #3 Choose an emergency contact person outside your area because it may be easier to call long distance than locally after a local/regional disaster. Take a minute now to call or e-mail an out-of-town friend or family member to ask him or her to be your family's designated contact in the event of an emergency. Be sure to share the contact's phone number with everyone in the family. During an emergency, you can call your contact who can share with other family members where you are; how you are doing; and how to get in contact with you. Tip #4 Complete an emergency contact card and make copies for each member of your family to carry with them. Be sure to include an out-of-town contact on your contact card. It may be easier to reach someone out of town if local phone lines are out of service or overloaded. You should also have at least one traditionally wired landline phone, as cordless or cellular phones may not work in an emergency. Visitwww.redcross.org orwww.ready.gov for sample emergency contact cards. Tip #5 Dogs may be man's best friend, but due to health regulations, most emergency shelters cannot house animals. Find out in advance how to care for your pets and working animals when disaster strikes. Pets should not be left behind, but could be taken to a veterinary office, family member's home or animal shelter during an emergency. Also be sure to store extra food and water for pets. For more information, visit the Animal Safety section on www.redcross.orgor visit the Humane Society Web site atwww.hsus.org Tip #6 Check your child's school website or call the school office to request a copy of the schools emergency plan. Keep a copy at home and work or other places where you spend a lot of your time and make sure the school's plan is incorporated into your family's emergency plan. Also, learn about the disaster plans at your workplace or other places where you and your family spend time.

Concerned about the declining dollar?

You should be!

The sad fact is, when it comes to what I call “FEPS” - Financial, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual Readiness - most Americans are doing absolutely nothing. Even FEMA estimates 93% of us are unprepared for any disaster whatsoever  and will find ourselves looking for handouts during a disaster.

Let's take a look at the true consequences of the falling dollar. They’re much worse than you think. 

Historically, one of the best ways folks have protected themselves against a floundering currency is to purchase gold and silver. Simply put, a falling dollar means everything priced in dollars is falling in value. If the dollar falls, say, 10%, and you are paid $50,000/year, your earnings will fall by $5,000. If your home is worth $200,000, its value will fall by $20,000. If your stock portfolio is worth $100,000, it will decline by $10,000.

Got it?

If you’re like most Americans, this erosion in the value of your dollar-based possessions is hardly noticeable. That’s because you’re probably still paid in dollars, paying your mortgage and making purchases in dollars and, in many cases, investing in dollar-denominated stocks.

NEWSFLASH: Just because the dollar decline is almost invisible doesn’t mean it’s not real. Like the frog in the gradually boiling kettle, it's happening right before our very eyes. Slowly, we've become accustomed to the gradually reduced purchasing power of our money.

What's the cause of this decline? Most experts say the dollar is falling because of our “twin" deficits: the federal budget deficit and trade deficit. 

Simply put, more money is being spent than earned. How's that workin' for ya, Uncle Sam? Folks, if you and I overspent the balance in our checkbook, checks would be returned for “insufficient funds.” But the U.S. doesn’t have that problem. Not yet... because the dollar is the world’s “reserve currency,” viewed historically as being “good as gold” by MOST countries. Among other consequences, this is why oil is sold in dollars, not yen or euros, and why people in third world countries hide dollars, not rubles or pesos, under their mattresses.

Now, both these deficits are serious, but the one most concerning to economists is the trade deficit. I've read that, when a trade deficit exceeds more than 5% of a nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), that country’s currency must fall sharply—20% to 40% in most cases. Devaluing the currency makes that country’s exports more competitive, and imports more expensive. That in turn spurs exports and discourages imports, bringing things back into balance.

I know, it's boring. But we're talking about YOUR FINANCES. So, pay attention.

The dollar is falling, and is likely to fall more. In the near future, you can expect to be paying more for anything made overseas - and the declining dollar will then not be nearly as invisible as it is today. It's already happening. Have you noticed?

The real question is: Can anything protect you from this decline in the purchasing power of your dollars?

Yes! All you have to do is physically possess gold and silver. Why will that help? The most fundamental reason is this: gold and silver, are, in fact, REAL money. Gold has been a trusted store of value for more than 5,000 years, and silver for almost as long. The monetary nature of gold and silver is even specified in Article I, Sec. 10 of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the states from making “any thing but gold and silver coin a tender [i.e., an offer] in payment of debts.” However, there is no such prohibition for the federal government, and so today, the dollar has no connection whatsoever to gold or silver. It is “fiat” or paper money, with no intrinsic value, and backed by nothing but the “American dream.”

In essence, we're trusting in monopoly money. The entire planet has grown tired of this game and many nations are set to bail. Some, like the BRICS nations, have already begun to abandon the U.S. dollar.

Gold and silver are actually competitors against the dollar and all other forms of play – I mean, paper money. And because of this, when the values of paper currencies decline, gold and silver prices increase. That’s what’s been happening for the last 90 years, during which time the value of the dollar has fallen 95% against gold! To put things in a slightly different perspective, during this 90-year period, gold has moved from $20.67/ounce to about $1770/ounce! This is the fundamental reason why you should have gold and silver.

HOW CAN I AFFORD GOLD AND SILVER?

Frankly, none of us can afford NOT to have gold and silver! Just remember, you aren't BUYING or even INVESTING in precious metals... you're EXCHANGING your dwindling dollars for gold and silver which starts GROWING the moment you take possession. For example, ten dimes dated pre-1965, contain 90% silver. Their value is worth more than a $20 bill! Conclusion: Get pre-1965 dimes!

How Much Should You Invest In Precious Metals? Here's what I learned:

First, a growing number of investment advisors suggest placing 5% of your investment assets into gold, which is never sold. This is referred to as your “golden anchor.”

Next, another 15% of your investment assets should be placed into gold and silver to be bought and eventually sold as you would a security. A purchase of one-half gold and one-half silver of the 15% allocation is often suggested.

There are a number of forms your investment in gold and silver can take, with the most conservative listed first: 

• Gold and silver bullion, in the form of coins or bullion bars 
• Gold and silver certificates, representing the ownership of a certain amount gold and silver stored in a secure location 
• Shares of gold and silver mining companies, traded on securities exchanges and  
• Futures contracts or options speculating on the future price of gold and silver. 

Personally, I believe there's too much risk in speculating in mining stocks and futures and options contracts. There’s no question that such investments provide tremendous leverage relative to any move in precious metals prices but, since these types of investments are denominated in fiat currencies, they don’t provide the same protection from the falling value of a paper currency as physical gold and silver.

For that reason, we have decided to – rather than invest in anything – start EXCHANGING our declining dollars for physical gold bullion in small, user-friendly amounts produced by Karatbars in Germany, and in junk silver, U.S. coins minted before 1965 which are recognizable to shop merchants and contain 90% silver.

Incidentally, gold, silver and platinum coins, bars and certificates may be included in your self-directed retirement plan. An IRA is like a "jacket" you can wrap around whatever wealth you have. The IRA, or other form of self-directed plan, must have an administrator/trustee located in the United States, but storage can be anywhere in the world. I recommend talking to Tom Barrett of GoldenArtTreasures.com about this. He is an expert when it comes to rare coins you would use as a store of wealth in an IRA.

COINS, BARS, CERTIFICATES???? 

When planning to acquire gold and silver, I had to consider WHY I WAS DOING THIS in the first place. If my gold and silver were going to serve as a means of exchange during an economic collapse, I needed gold and silver in small amounts that could be used without over-paying for goods and services, and they had to be recognizable. Also, I had to be able to barter with them. 

Remember, when you have coins or bars, you’ll need a secure location in which to store them. A safety deposit box, private vault or professionally installed floor safe at home are all acceptable. Many banks, especially in Switzerland, also offer precious metals custodial services, for an annual fee of approximately 0.25%–0.5% of the value of the metals. Karatbars comes in 1 gram, user-friendly amounts and they will store your gold purchased through them at no charge.

Offshore storage of precious metals is attractive to those U.S. investors who are concerned about the repeated confiscation of gold in U.S. history, most recently in 1933. It was only in 1975 that Americans were again legally permitted to own gold but many are in fear of confiscation while others say, “They gotta find it first!” and are coming up with some VERY creative places to hide their wealth!

Personally, I believe the government has ALREADY confiscated far too much of your hard-earned wealth; it's called “taxes.”

Since storing large quantities of physical precious metals may prove problematic, for some, certificates might be considered an attractive option. Personally, I've grown tired of paper wealth, if you know what I mean.

THE STRONG CASE FOR PRECIOUS METALS 

Precious metals are an important part of any portfolio in these uncertain times. And some of the world’s most influential investors agree. In 1997, Warren Buffet bought a staggering $650 million of silver bullion. More recently, George Soros, the man who made $1 billion in a day by betting against the British pound, made a huge silver purchase as well. 

The current “bull market” in precious metals is only just beginning. The gains so far have mainly been a reflection of the weakness of the dollar, not any inherent strength in gold or silver. But experts project that’s about to change.

Best of all, you don’t have to be a billionaire like Buffet or Soros to invest in precious metals. Even today, you can purchase a one-ounce silver coin for less than $10, and a one-ounce gold coin for under $500. That’s pretty inexpensive monetary insurance, ESPECIALLY if your assets are primarily in depreciating dollars anyway because those are going nowhere fast.

Folks, if WE can do his, so can you. If you'd be interested in establishing a FREE Karatbars Gold Savings account, simply email miketummillo@me.com and type "KB" in your Subject Bar. I'll be in touch!

Blessings,

Michael Tummillo