By Kellene Bishop

OK. I admit it.  I do have a few pet peeves that really bother me.  One of them is seeing my city’s municipal properties drowning their lawns in the middle of a rainy day when we live in the middle of a desert. I figure that it makes an impact in my taxes as well as the volatile water table that I rely on. The second peeve I have is when people leave their garbage in the movie theatre as if it’s the employee’s responsibility to clean up after them. I mean really? You can’t lift that heavy EMPTY popcorn container and put it in the trash on your way out? I figure that if we all cleaned up for ourselves, then our ticket prices could go way down, which is a reasonable request since the level of entertainment has certainly decreased, eh?  Lastly, I have a hard time with coupon shoppers who are clearly purchasing goods in a dishonest manner—we’ll call it working the system (I won’t tell you how this is done, because I don’t want to tempt anyone. *grin*). If you knew the method I’m speaking of you may share my sentiments that such abuse is no different than the blatant theft which causes my grocery prices to increase. So yeah, I do feel myself getting all ugly inside when I witness this kind of behavior.  I see it as an infliction of harm on others, and the “heroine” in me has a hard time shrugging that off easily. Of course, I do try to sensor my judgmental feelings because they do me no good. But here’s a question for myself. What am I doing that is costing my fellow Americans a whole lot of money? I’m not talking about $50 here. I’m talking about hundreds of billions of dollars. And the unfortunate part is that my research shows that 97% of you are actually my accomplices in this act.  Oh boy!

Do any of you take any satisfaction in the fact that you don’t abuse the welfare system and stand on your own two feet? Perhaps you take pride in the fact that you don’t owe any family or friends a penny? Perhaps you can be relieved that you’re not one of those people who file false workman’s compensation claims?  Or at least you’re not the CEO of Enron or Goldman Sachs, or AIG and thus not responsible for fleecing Americans 10 generations deep? I’ll admit it. I do take some level of pride in all of that. At least I did until I realized that I was a willing thief to my neighbors’ financial strength. The fact is that until I was able to give up a really bad habit, I wasn’t anywhere near as expensive of a liability to my nation as my city’s water bill was to me.  So, what wrong have I committed along with so many other adults?  I used credit cards.

Ok. Now before you roll your eyes, no, this isn’t going to be another one of those “get out of debt now” articles. I have no allusions of grandeur in believing that I’m the first one to espouse such wisdom and am suddenly capable of getting you to change your debt habits when no one else could.  Obviously you’ve heard the “get out of debt” message before, but for some reason you’re still using them.  In fact, it’s an interesting trend we’re seeing as of late. Thanks to so many being upside down in their home mortgages, more and more Americans are actually paying their credit cards before their mortgages—why? Because they have to live off of their credit cards and they’ve stopped caring about carrying a mortgage on a worthless asset.  These desperate people reason that they can stay in the good graces of 4 or 5 credit card grantors OR they can pay one “greedy little SOB who didn’t earn their money.” Which would you pick in desperate times? For many families in our nation, their credit cards feed and clothe them.  If you haven’t been there, it’s quite likely that you know someone who has.

About 40 years ago, the average number of credit cards in a home was one.  Today, it’s 5.6. (In New Hampshire or New Jersey, that average number is TEN!) Nearly 50% of the WORLD’S Visa cards are held by Americans! It’s no coincidence that one of the poorest cities in our nation, Jackson, Mississippi, also holds the highest amount of credit card debt to income ratio in the U.S. There are over 1.5 BILLION credit cards in the U.S. right now. Alarmingly, this number increases to SIX for persons who are retired and on a fixed income. Some families actually count their available balance as a financial asset in their monthly budget! Ok. So where’s the crime in all of this? Bear with me for just a moment.

As you may have heard me harp about previously, the amount of currency in circulation in comparison to the available goods and services is what determines our financial health. Think of it as the percentage of body fat to muscle in a human. Obviously, a body that is 58% body fat is ripe for a heart attack, diabetes, arthritis, and a compromised immune system.  The problem with our monetary system at present though is that unlike the amount of fat in our body, we have no primary way to determine just how much is in circulation.  We can identify the amount of goods and services produced in a given year, but the Federal Reserve has conveniently halted its production of the M3 report, which is what published the information about the amount of currency that was issued into our market each year.  For several years now, we’ve been flying blind, so to speak.  So instead of an M3 report, we need to look at other factors which can be nearly as useful as an M3 report, although surely on a conservative level. (It’s interesting though, that the Federal Reserve has no problems regularly publishing the amount of debt though. Natch.)

Bear with me. There’s one more fundamental aspect of economics that I must establish in order for the light bulb to turn on for everyone. The real value of any nation is based on what it produces—preferably in the form of tangible goods such as food, clothing, real estate, etc.  America quickly became the financial powerhouse that it is because of the significant amount of hard goods that it was able to produce and export to the rest of the world. It was in part this very reason that the U.S. dollar became the standard in currency markets worldwide, the U.S. had more tangible production to show for their work versus other nations. So long as hard goods continue to get produced and sold, then a nation is not in anywhere near as much financial peril as they would be if they just kept printing money and making up intangible things to spend it on.  Let me restate that. Even though money is being printed with reckless abandon, if it’s at least chasing hard, visible, goods, it’s bearable to just about any economy.  However, when money is created out of thin air, backed by nothing other than a “Because I Said So” signature, and is spent on nothing tangible, then the path to serious financial failure is imminent.  The reason being is that when it comes to not having anything to show for it, the useless money becomes even more of a thief by appearing in useless, intangible forms—say, digits on a computer screen. Think about it. I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one who had a brother who went through cash like it was water with NOTHING to show for it. He was always broke. Now, picture an entire nation like that.

So, now let’s take a look at credit cards. When a credit card is issued to a person, it’s not in exchange for anything initially, right? If you have the lucky numbers on your credit report, or if you have a pulse in some cases, you get one. (Ironically though, last year over 1.2 million “pre-approved credit card” offers were awarded to deceased persons or pets!)  Even for those cards which charge a fee for their “privileged use”, nothing tangible is circulated into the economy.  Worse yet, there are numerous fees associated with credit card use AND possession.  Yes, this means that even those who pay off their credit card every month, are still feeding the problem.  Last year, over $20.9 BILLION dollars were charged to consumers for “over the limit” fees. Another $15 BILLION was charged to hardworking consumers for the privilege of having a credit card. Hmmm…plastic has never been so valuable, eh? Remember, I’ve not even addressed the interest earned on these credit cards. Let’s take that aspect on now.

We all assume we know what happens when a credit card is used. I purchase $1,000 of household furnishings at my local House Mart.  Instead of paying cash for it though, I use a credit card. House Mart delivers the goods to my home and then send the credit card receipts to their merchant (digitally). Within a couple of days, the merchant sends digits into House Mart’s bank account. House Mart then pays their employees, vendors, taxes, rent, and all other expenses as a result of these digits which they see on their computer screens when the log into their bank account.  So yeah, I get drapes, end tables, and a dining room table and some throw rugs, but no one else has received anything tangible in exchange for that, right? Now let’s follow those digits. Employee A receives his weekly amount of digits in his bank account. He then goes about town paying for his groceries, gasoline, taxes, and mortgage with those digits, right? Still, nothing tangible is exchanged.  House Mart uses their digits to pay their vendors who then turn around and use their digits to pay their supplies in China. Still, nothing tangible, not even our worthless paper money here. But that’s not the most alarming part.  The fact is that credit card companies are playing a true ponzi scheme with a very thin margin for error. If they grant me a $1,000 credit line, they are only required to have SIXTY to EIGHTY actual dollars (in the form of digits, of course) on hand to do so. So, even if House Mart demanded that they not get paid in digits, but in actual dollars, Credit Card USA could not do it. The ponzi scheme would unravel.

Now, let’s consider that there is presently over $850 BILLION dollars in credit card debt currently owed. There is also an average of 14.48 percent of APR charged on that debt.  This means that each year Americans are exchanging real labor in order to pay over $126 billion in credit card interest. So, let’s just take a quick M3 kind of look here.  $126 billion in interest, plus $20.9 billion in over limit fees, plus $15 billion in possession fees. That equals $161 billion of intangible services that Americans are exchanging for their real labor. See the problem?

Now, this gets even worse when you take into consideration the amount of bad debt that is “written off” each year by the credit card companies.  “Written off.” Exactly what does that mean? All it means is that the credit card companies are now able to limit their amount of taxable income by the amount that is “written off” via bad debt, delinquencies, or bankruptcy. So, yes, because someone files bankruptcy, that means that an obligated corporation pays less in taxes. Vicious, eh? Nearly  twenty four BILLION dollars of credit card debt was written off last year as the result of bankruptcy or other type of delinquency.  So, not only do we have all of those digits being created out of thin air, but we make almost a third of those digits USELESS through defaults.

Are you seeing the problem here?  Credit card usage is VOLUNTARY INFLATION. Inflation affects all of us—employed, unemployed, over paid, rich or poor!  Feeding the credit card beast which thrives among the world of the Federal Reserve and our banking system is akin to ensuring a heroine addict has Carte Blanche access to the Mexican drug cartel, only much more convenient. So yes, debt is harmful in oh, so many ways, but the use of a credit card is an even more vicious offender to the sanctity of our currency value. It’s worse than drinking the Kool-Aid folks. It’s drinking it AND watering it down to nothing!

We may not be able to get Congress to hold the Federal Reserve accountable any time soon, but we DO have the power to starve the Kraken! When you exchange hard work for credit card use then you discount all of what you produce for society. It’s akin to offering yourself, and that of your loved ones to be raped and pillaged by the lowliest of fiends, and paying them to do it. After all is said and done, it’s the quality of life that you give yourself that you can rely on, not the hand outs, praise, or “Black Diamond” privileges from others.  So, for the sake of yourself, your family, and your fellow Americans, burn up those credit cards and never let them adulterate your honest work or the value of your nation again!

For more credit card statistics, visit http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/credit-card-industry-facts-personal-debt-statistics-1276.php

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

Remember all of those online webinar classes we offered that you wanted to take but simply didn’t have the time to do so?  Or worse, the class was being taught in a time zone half way around the world from you, making it that much more challenging?

Perhaps you recall enjoying some of the classes we’ve had in the past but wished for more complete written information as a follow-up, or more recipes, or more visual “show how.” 

I think the one we hear the most is from people who wish that we had it recorded so that they could review it again and again.

Well, we’re happy to say that you’ve finally got all of your wishes! Whew! And boy, are we tired! *grin*

As of October 1^st, we will begin to release our best and most requested training events in a prerecorded and a complete written format. We’ve expanded the written content to be more book-like, so that the training therein can stand on its own, and we’ve expanded the visual portion of the class so its more comprehensive and inclusive of some of the aspects that have gotten left out in the past webinars because we’ve run out of time.  Now with this new format all you have to do is get comfortable in front of your computer either by yourself or with family and friends, any time you want to learn about your most compelling preparedness topics! Even better, since the training is now broken down in chapters, if there is a portion which you want to bypass because of your existing expertise, you can easily do so without wasting your time or diluting your enjoyment.

Whether you prefer to watch a demonstration or read instructions, these perfectly combined packages of education will provide you the same quality of instruction you’ve come to expect from The Preparedness Pro with just a little exception—convenience! You can now watch the training as much or as little as you want and you can also read a complete synopsis of the training event PLUS additional written resources in print. And since we’ve chosen to embrace the world of technology in delivering these courses to you, there are no shipping costs! Yeah! While I must say I’ve been exhausted trying to put all of this together and keep up with the blog, my health and the health of a very dear friend, I have to say I’ve been so EXCITED! Every time one of you has e-mailed me expressing disappointment that you were going to miss a date of an event, or that you wished there was more written content etcetera, I just knew this had to get done.  In fact, it’s actually better for us all this way. I can take a vacation if I want (ha! Like that will happen) and you can enjoy it at 3:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. I love that your family and busy schedules no longer need to be sacrificed just so that you can get complete Preparedness Training.

Additionally, since I’m no longer restricted by time restrictions or seat capacities, I’ve opted to provide detailed and fully comprehensive visual and written education of the most requested training events that have been offered in the last 2 years PLUS the ones that you guys keep hollering for. By revamping previous courses and creating some long-overdue ones, I’m confident that this venue of training will over-deliver and exceed your expectations every time. I’ve added a lot more content into the video portion of the classes, and gone to the expense of editing both the visual and the written portions.  Neither you nor I are restricted any more by a “reasonable amount of time to expect someone to sit through a class” or those “bladder breaks” we’ve experienced during the training. *grin*  YOU get to decide when that takes place with the push of the pause button. 

There’s even better news too. Thanks to the pool of talent I’ve encountered during the first step of assembly for these products, I can now provide you with some of the classes that you’ve been asking for that don’t portray themselves very well in a Powerpoint and voice presentation. This means, yes, you will now have access to Pressure Cooking and Making Wheat Meat in a video format! Yeah!! And did I mention that there are also a lot of great recipes? Yup. I know there will be a few of you excited about that. Each recorded visual presentation will provide you with a quality learning experience, complete with a detailed resource guide for you to reference again and again. This new development means no more cutting corners on a vital topic just because of time restraints. No more getting up early on a Saturday morning just so you can make a class halfway around the world! And no more missing the classes you want but just can’t seem to find time for. Enjoy these highly educational topics at your own pace and in accordance to your own interest. Simply slip into your most comfortable set of clothes, curl up with some munchies, and enjoy this vital training anytime, anywhere, you desire.

I love that the folks in both coasts of the U.S., South Africa, Norway, and Scotland can ALL enjoy this now. I’ve been trying to get it done for what seems like forever, but now it’s really here! Excuse me while I whoop!

Just be aware that we’re not going to release them all at once. And even though we’re spending some bucks to try and make them as professional and thorough as possible, we’re going to price them modestly. It’s more important to me that you have the training but not at the cost of other vital preparedness items.

So what I’ll be doing is as soon as I get a class ready for  the final editing stages, I’ll announce a pre-release of the course about 30 days prior to its official launch date. Any persons who purchase the class during that pre-release time frame will get a substantial discount. Even better, for this first pre-release, those of you who have already enjoyed the live webinar version of the two classes we’re prelaunching  will receive the new, more complete one, but with a $7 credit  towards your purchase! In othe words, if you paid  for The Wonderful World of Wheat in the last 12 months, you’ll be able to purchase at the pre-release price of $20, and then we will credit you $7.  My husband isnt’ too keen on that cause he knows how much info I provided in the first place. But he’ll get over it. hee hee.  (We wanted to do a full credit of your previous class, but the logistics of that were a nightmare since we had so many different prices over the last year. *sigh)  Anyway, I like offering a little something extra cause I’m so excited about the launch!  This way you get the best of both worlds without having to pay for it twice at full price!  Remember, the previous tuition credit will be credited to applicable purchasers after you’ve made the purchase and the offer is only good during the pre-release period which ends after the first 50 purchases. So don’t delay if you want that extra savings.

Now I realize that there are some of you out there who are a little technically challenged. To be truthful, I’m probably one of the worst. But I assure you that viewing these classes this way will be super easy. All you need is your computer and an internet connection and you can enter a world of professional, detailed, and accurate preparedness knowledge!  Remember, this isn’t just audio. This is a visual class presentation PLUS the written resource as well. You can even save the materials to your own computer to view at your leisure.  No matter what you choose to do in your preparedness preparation, I believe I’ve still managed to create some fun, professional, and upbeat classes that will really help you be prepared in many different areas. The fun, professional and upbeat style of The Preparedness Pro will expertly steer you in each of your preferred topics.

So are you ready for the first batch of pre-released classes? Here they are!

Due October 1^st, 2010—“Enough and to Spare” Coupon Training Boot Camp

This 4+ hour training will expound on every possible coupon saving strategy so that you can get the most out of this important financial strategy. Not only will you save literally hundreds of dollars a month using this training, but you’ll also be quickly putting together your preparedness supplies for free or cheap!  Unlike previous education opportunities, this class now comes with the exclusive book “Enough and to Spare” written by Kellene Bishop. You will find out where to get all of your coupons, how best to manage them, when to use them, where to use them, and how to stay on top of them without feeling overwhelmed!   There are literally hundreds of people who have taken this class and have loved it—even those who were already couponing! This particular class impacts 7 out of 10 of your Principles of Preparedness, so it’s definitely not one to miss!

Regular Retail price Oct. 1^st is a steal at only $45 but the Pre-Sale Special Price is only $30!

Next:

Due October 1^st, 2010—“The Wonderful World of Wheat”

I’ve been teaching this class for over 10 years now and it’s continued to develop and expand. Now I’ve got all of the aspects of wheat combined in one class—complete with valuable written information that you can reference at any time. For a more detailed description of this class, just go to this link.

Regular Retail Price Oct. 1^st is only $30, but the Pre-Sale Special Price is only $20!

More Classes Coming Soon! I’ll be sure to let you know when they are coming out and give everyone the pre-release price opportunity as well. Look forward to these classes coming your way soon!

Pressure Cooking Galore!

 Solar Oven Success

 Neanderthals in the Kitchen

 Integrating Essential Oils

 UNDERWhelmed in Food Storage

 Food Pantry Makeover

 Financial Velocity

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For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit!

Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

Hey folks, last Saturday Scott (at Five Star Preparedness) did a preparedness fair and he put together a package of specials for the fair attendees through the 31st of this month. So when I saw the flyer, I asked if he could give the same deals to my readers. And of course, since I asked all nice and cute, he said yes. *grin*

So here’s the link to his flyer from the fair. http://www.fivestarpreparedness.com/documents/stakeprep.pdf

Also, be sure to check out their group buy for this month on packages of essential oils. There’s little or NO shipping on them–depending on which package you choose and they are 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade oils. So have at it. Personally, I’ve done some damage to my bank account on this one. But I just never seem to have enough essential oils now that I know what to do with them.  For the special on the oils you need to go to http://www.fivestarpreparedness.com/GroupBuy Enjoy!

By Kellene Bishop

While I usually love talking about the merits of these invaluable additions to my medical preparedness, I feel that it’s also important to point out some dangers and cautions as well.

For starters, let’s be clear that you really need to listen to your body when it comes to using essential oils.  Some oils act completely different on a person who is pregnant or who struggles with epilepsy than they do on others who aren’t in the same position.  For example, in pregnant women, ylang ylang could cause blood pressure to drop. It’s not one that I would put on my “no no when pregnant list” but it should definitely be viewed with caution.

There are a few oils that I don’t believe anyone should use singularly, regardless of their state of health. Those oils are bitter almond, boldo leaf, yellow campho, horseradish, jaborandi leaf, mugwort, mustard, pennyroyal, thuja, tansy, rue, sassafras, savin, southernwood, wormseed and wormwood.  Finding these in an essential oil blend may make them less harmful, but for the most part, these botanical are better if used in their herbal form, not in a concentrated one.

When you use an oil, understand that each drop you use is usually the equivalent of an entire pound of botanicals, if they are pure and unadulterated.  Some quality of oils are more like and ounce of botanicals, but regardless, they shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Sure there are some essential oils that seem to do no wrong such as lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, and grapefruit, but all essential oils have a cleansing effect on the body. Drastic cleansing in an epileptic patient can bring on a seizure, so the essential oils must be used with care and caution.

When it comes to knowing how much oil to use, understand that for the most part, if you’re using pure therapeutic grade oils, one drop is all you need. In fact, in most cases the essential oils wont’ increase the effectiveness if you only use one drop vs. 5. If you must use more oil in order to have any noticeable impact, then chances are you’re using a weaker concentration of oil. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, so long as other lesser oils aren’t cut into the essential oil you’re relying on for aid.  However, obviously if more than one drop of oil is necessary, then it certainly should be taken into consideration when you purchase your oils.  The price may be less, but if the effectiveness is watered down at all, then your money may be better spent on a more concentrated oil.

Many essential oils are a bit “spicy” meaning that they will actually burn if they are applied directly on the skin. Such oils should be combined with a mild, pure carrier oil such as coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or almond oil. You can also get the same result if you use a bit of KY Jelly to apply the oil. Appropriate cautions should be noted on the containers of oil you purchase, or at least with accompanying marketing information. Since the molecules of essential oils are extremely small, it poses a challenge to get them to spread evenly over an area of the body before they absorb all at once in one small drop of an area. A carrier oil is ideal to help you get the most surface benefit of an essential oil. If you don’t have a carrier oil, you can also use water (preferably distilled) to help cover a larger area with just one drop of essential oil. Understand, though; that water actually amplifies the effects of the oils and carries it more quickly into the body.

Bottom line, begin with a small amount of oil and increase as your body sees fit.

When it comes to using essential oils on children and infants, they always should be diluted with a carrier oil. Remember that some of the essential oils smell really yummy to a child.  So be sure that you keep them out of reach of children so that they don’t decide to take a chug. (Remember doing that with Vanilla Extract when you were a kid?)  If you ever find that a child has dumped a bunch of essential oil on themselves, quickly apply a vegetable protein oil to the spilled areas such as olive, almond, grapeseed, or safflower. This will slow down the absorption rate of the oil.  Remember, do not use water—even if the oil gets into the eyes. Water will only intensify the effect. Use a petroleum jelly or something similar that is safe to be around the eyes.  Once you have applied the carrier oil, then you can begin wiping away as much of the excess with a soft, dry cloth.

Lastly, there are some essential oils which are considered phototoxic, which means that if they are on your skin and then exposed directly to the sun, it will actually absorb more of the UV radiation faster.  So, pay attention to where you are applying your oils so that they aren’t in the direct sunlight on your person or at least make sure that you’re mindful of the oils which are inherently phototoxic.  These oils are angelica, bergamot, orange bitter, grapefruit, lemon, lime, petitgrain, and rue. Some caution should be used when applying fennel, aniseseed, and cumin if they will be exposed to direct sunlight.  Again, remember that direct sunlight is key to the unpleasant effect. If you apply the oil where the sun doesn’t shine *grin* then you’ll be fine.

Lastly, I want to reiterate that I have found NO cases in which the use of essential oils has caused serious injuries or death. On the other hand the American Medical Association has reported the hundreds of persons who die every year while correctly using prescribed pharmaceuticals. Again, this is where the spiritual preparedness comes in. Listen to your gut and act accordingly. Essential oils are generally safe even in the hands of amateurs, but too much of any good thing could still be harmful. It is for this purpose that I share this information with you today, that you may all be appropriately cautious as well as anxious to jump in to this world of independent medicine.

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If you would like to host a preparedness party for your business, community, or church group, please contact Vicky at vicky@preparednesspro.com

For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit!

Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

I wonder what would have been the result of the Revolutionary War if the heads of the British Army possessed a list of the names of every patriot and patriot sympathizer, a list of owned firearms, military experience, special wartime skills, who had extensive supplies and where, as well as a listing of what vulnerabilities each head of household had such as wives and children that they cared about.  It might also have been helpful to the British if they had a list of all known relatives and friends of the revolutionists so that they could best determine where the patriots might flee for safety or meet for strategy sessions. In fact, the British were provided with a great deal of this intelligence by cowardly, non-sympathetic citizens who were loyal to the Crown. Thankfully, ultimately it wasn’t enough for them to win the war.  It is my belief that the British’s loss was primarily due to the lack of knowledge they had about the revolutionary citizens.  As a result, the American citizens, their weapons and their resolve were an invaluable element of surprise for the British which defined the outcome of the war. Nothing can be more underestimated in a time of war than the element of surprise combined with a deep passion and commitment.

Today, the necessary ignorance of our enemy is archaic. Today our potential enemies are fully armed with far too much information about us, which puts us in a very weak defensive position. Every person’s home address is available from any company with whom we do business with; our purchasing history goes along with those “grocery rewards” cards, our credit card usage and credit reports can practically tell our life stories, and a picture of our home as well as a list of known relatives and their addresses is readily available on Google and a litany of unashamed websites.  Automobile registrations, passport tracking, GPS systems on our vehicles and our cellular phones, RFID chips in our pets, checking and saving accounts with a Federal organization, utility bills, and so many other of our everyday activities provide all of the information on us that any of our enemies could use against us successfully—crippling any chance we would have to defend our freedom and liberties. As if that’s not enough information tossed out there for any Tom, Dick or Harry, we add to that compromise willingly in the name of friendliness and a desire to not be “paranoid.”  As such, far too many persons willingly provide personal information compromising their own safety and privacy as well as that of their family members.  A person dressed to impersonate a UPS delivery driver only needs to possess a friendly and inquisitive demeanor to easily obtain more information on you from your neighbors—more info than even your own parents know about you.

Many of us have had the experience in which we get a call from some company trying to locate one of our relatives—claiming that it’s urgent, etc.  Later we may discover that they are just an overachieving collections agency, preying on our need to trust everyone and never turn into paranoid freak like we read about in the news. If that’s the kind of tactics that are deployed just to collect $200 in past due medical expenses, imagine what strategies could be used against us when the stakes are much higher. Unlike others, I will never, ever provide such callers with contact information of someone else. If they want to give me their information, I may pass it along.

My point in all of this is to try and get some readers to understand that there is a big difference between being paranoid and being aware—especially when it comes to dispensing your private and personal information.  Much is taking place nowadays that causes me to believe we must be hyper-vigilant in concealing information and keeping it on a strict “need to know” basis. Many of us are surrounded though by persons who view any resistance to dispensing unnecessary information as if we are a maniacal serial killer in the making. If I dare to have the audacity to require to see the identification and license of the person who comes to repair my air-conditioning unity, I’m easily accused by many mainstream cowards as plotting a world takeover. If I refuse to open my door unless I know the person who’s standing on my door step, I’m laughed at and accused of being a radical.  Sorry, folks. This is me in the name of preparedness, also known as independent.

No one who calls my house gets very far unless they actually know me and knows how to pronounce my name.  I don’t pay for my telephone to be a bullying tool by aggressive fundraisers, sales pitches, or updates from Nordstrom’s of their newest and greatest sales. I also never fall for the phone call in which the caller feigns to have forgotten who they were calling. “Who’s this?” they say when I answer.  My response is always “Who were you calling?”  The Revolutionary War, both World Wars, the Salem Witch Hunts, the imprisonment of thousands of American citizens with Japanese DNA, and the Holocaust should all serve as a reminder that we must never underestimate the power of privacy.  Likewise, we must never be naïve of the motives and evil intents of our own government officials.

For example, why does the school which you pay to teach your children require a social security number?  My two cents: Don’t give it to them! They get paid for your kid being in school, SSN or not.

When you get a physical, why does the doctor ask you if you wear seat belts or own any firearms?  My two cents: It’s absolutely none of his business!

You know how the stores ask for your information in exchange for some kind of a loyalty card? My two cents: Loyalty is better measured by how much I spend there, not giving away my freedom. I refuse to provide any grocery store with my personal information in exchange for better pricing.  Yes, I do have “rewards” cards for each of the grocery stores that I shop, however, I’ve obtained them via a frank conversation with a store manager who understands my refusal to provide such information.  In my opinion, it’s nobody’s business how much toilet paper, pasta, and meat I’ve purchased.  For this very same reason, I am much more likely to purchase my firearms privately, pay cash for every conceivable transaction, and use complicated and ever changing passwords on my cell phone, computers, and debit cards. Additionally, as a reminder, every federally insured bank is required to ask for your social security number, however, you are NOT required to give it to them. As a person on Facebook, I am painfully aware that nothing I share is truly private or out of the view of prying eyes, regardless of what privacy settings I may use. As such, there are simply some things that I will never Tweet about or post online. Do you permit a retailer to write down your social security number or your driver’s license number when you write a check? If so, stop it!

Harbor Freight, a national hardware store, has been advertising a free flashlight to anyone simply for coming into their store—“No strings attached.”  But when you go to the store to get your free flashlight, they insist on receiving your e-mail address. So much for no strings attached, eh? I guess you have to decide if your privacy is worth more than a cheap, plastic flashlight. I actually still got the flashlight by pointing out the words “no strings attached” in their advertising. *grin*

Perhaps you think I’m making too much of all of this.  Ok. Well, let’s go back to beginning of this article. Sure, you might have someone who used to work for you that hates you passionately and wants to make your life miserable. And if not that, then there’s a strong likelihood that one of your family members likes to stir up mischief for you and uses your personal information to do so. Then again, there’s the errant psychopath who you just may attract. And if all else fails, there’s just plain bad luck of being casual with your information to the wrong person, thus making yourself the perfect mark for a robbery or other crime. But, the likelihood of any of these instances happening to you are actually substantially less than the plausibility that your own government will turn on you and use your information for their own gain.  Oooohhhh, yes, I said it. And I’ll even say it a bit more clear so that there’s no doubt in your minds what I’m saying here.  Governments—even ours—are known and proven offenders of the freedoms and liberties of their fellow citizens.  Ours has proven to be just as irresponsible and unworthy of our trust countless times already.  As time continues with our elected and judicial leaders being left to their own designs, things will only get worse—unless we pay attention to every possible infringement on our pursuit of happiness, safety, and security. Guarding our freedom to be independent of their influence requires diligent awareness. We can’t afford to be aloof of our government any more than a chef can ignore a chocolate soufflé in the oven.

Let’s be blunt here. For those of you who look out your tent door and see a wild bear pacing back and forth, don’t think for a moment that he’s suddenly decided to protect you or that he’s lost his sense of direction.  You’re naturally his prey, period. To continue in that analogy, let’s consider that you raised this bear from the first moment he was born. You fed him, you bathed him, and you were his world. He existed solely to be with you and perhaps even protect you. But, if you get lazy in your relationship with him, and let him go anywhere he wants and eat anything he wants, he’s going to forget all about him needing you for his survival.  The pacing back and forth at the entrance of your tent may have started as an adorable, anxious teddy bear, but I assure you that if left unattended and undirected, the pacing will soon be shadowed by a full on attack.

So, let’s revisit the whole paranoia accusation thing…

True or False: The government has violated their own regulations and has long been robbing the social security trust account.  True.

True or False: Our government has relinquished complete control of our economy to non-elected officials whose only agenda is power and profits. True

True or False: Our government has frequently ignored constitutional rights in violation of habeas corpus, state sovereignty, fair trials, and safety from foreign and domestic enemies.  Oh, so painfully TRUE.

True or False: If there’s a way for our government to spend more money on more indulgences, they will find it. *sigh* True.

Some may wonder what all of this has to do with preparedness. Remember that I have long presented that preparedness is not about panic and knee-jerk reactions, rather it’s about being independent in any and every way possible. I hope that no one would ever think of hiring an employee only to never check on them again to make sure they are doing their job. Surely you wouldn’t let them have unquestioned access to your cash register, be responsible for all of your inventory, and be in charge of customer relations. Then why would you hire the U.S. Government to protect you and your family, and not stay on top of things to make sure they do their critical job?

So, let’s be real here for just a moment. We can’t change our government in one fail swoop, but we certainly can change how we behave so that we don’t give them any more leash than absolutely necessary.  While it may seem like quite the chore to be vigilant in this respect, it’s the only way to ensure that your preparations for independence remain as “just in case” supplies instead of ones for imminent disaster. I believe that in order to be independent and properly prepared to keep that independence, then we have to just as informed of our potential enemy as they are of us.  We’ve got to expertly know the laws that keep them at bay as well as we know our daytime job.  We simply must be experts about the rules and regulations, the proper authorities, and the backbone of our freedom.

In truth, all of this has nothing to do with paranoia. It has everything to do with maintaining as much freedom as is still possible and ensuring the safety and well-being. When it all comes down to it, I’d much rather that my friends and loved ones be “paranoid” rather than being naïve and unnecessarily exposed.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

I was just informed of a giveaway for a Wonder Junior Hand Operated Grain Mill that ends this Sunday, the 22nd and wanted to pass that along to all of my readers! A hand mill is essential in your preparedness pantry, so even if you don’t win, this is a great mill to have.  Please visit this website for more information:

http://www.vanillajoy.com/giveaway-wondermill-wonder-junior-hand-grain-mill.html

The Preparedness Pro

By Kellene Bishop

The pharmaceutical industry has long practiced singling out one particular component of a plant in order for them to duplicate it chemically and then qualify for a patent. Regardless of how perfectly the chemical component matches the original portion, it still is sorely lacking in one of the most important factors of the original effective compound—the synergistic effect that the other portions of the plant have which makes up the whole.  It’s no different than someone taking the cello out of the symphony and trying to pass it off as a full symphony by itself. A piece of lettuce isn’t a salad and an orphaned child isn’t a family.  While beans and rice each on their own can taste wonderful, the combined effect of the two of them together comprise a perfect protein for our bodies.  This principle is also true when you look at the effect which botanicals have in impacting our health and well-being. The part is more effective when joined with its counterparts.

When you combine one or more pure essential oils together, you can rely on a blend that is more effective than if those oils had been used separately. Even more importantly, I would recommend that you only use an oil blend that was put together professionally because the order in which the oils are added as well as the amount is critical.  It takes a long, long time to become educated and an expert in this aspect of essential oil use.  The frequencies of each oil act separately as well as in a symphonic manner. As such, a single drop of a blended oil with 8 different oils making it up, it will work much better than 8 drops of 8 different oils. That’s synergy for ya! For example, chamomile essential oil has an anti-inflammatory property. But this particular property is powerfully increased when lavender is appropriately used in concert with it. The interaction between these two oils creates a noticeably stronger impact on the targeted ailment.

It’s helpful to understand that essential oils all consist of a frequency.  Well, frequencies each have a “pitch” like a note. In the case of essential oils, each note determines the rate that the essential oil will be evaporated.  This makes sense to most music majors. Just like some notes can penetrate and thus break glass, some essential oil notes permeate organs, other frequencies, It’s also important to note that there is no such thing as an essential oil that works only on the body or only on the emotions of a person. All oils possess a frequency which affects both the body and the heart.  Just like the smell of Pepto-Bismal gives each person an emotional reaction, as well as a physical one, so do essential oils.

Higher notes/frequencies work most effectively on the mental aspects which plague us.  Middle notes/frequencies work effectively on emotions, digestion, respiration, and metabolism before they evaporate. Whereas the deeper notes are more effective in working with other aspects of the body, deeper tissues, and grounding our mental energies to create stronger focus, concentration, etc. because they take longer to evaporate. This is also true because when you really come right down to it, no physical ailment stands alone without any emotional ramification as well. It’s still too complicated to determine which comes first in an ailment—the emotion or the physical detriment—but science has proven that that they simply cannot be mutually exclusive of each other. Along that vein, understand that you may be able to identify an effective essential oil by lining it up with your emotional challenges first and foremost. This isn’t necessary, but in some cases people are at a loss as to what their physical ailment really is, but usually are able to identify the emotional challenges they are experiencing. Chances are very good that if you tackle the appropriate emotional ailment, you’ll also conquer the physical dis-ease.

Most of you are aware that Vitamin E is good for you. But you also know that it’s an oil. As an oil, it can easily go rancid when exposed to oxygen and thus become a toxic poison to your body if consumed. You may also know that each kernel of wheat contains vitamin E. It’s actually the E vitamin the preserves the wheat for so very, very long. But if the wheat kernel is cracked, the E becomes a liability as it gets exposed to air.  It then goes rancid and ruins the wheat.  I share this with you because one of the other benefits of using blended essential oils it that it mitigates any “side effects” the some people believe they have experienced in using a particular essential oils.  For example, some folks have a hard time incorporating straight clary sage into their body’s health needs. However, when clary sage is in a essential oil blend, then the other oils help to mitigate the harsh effect of straight clary sage so that we can instead receive the benefit from it. In other words, blended oils give us so many more possibilities of healing as well as greater ability as opposed to the use of single oils. Blended oils are much more effective for children, pregnant women, the elderly, or folks who have serious sensitivities.  When blending is performed correctly, everyone can take advantage of the benefits without any nasty side effects. If you’ve ever had a less than desirable experience with an essential oil, I suspect that it’s because a single oil was used, or an incorrectly blended concoction.

Essential oils can be utilized in a single form wonderfully to promote healing. However, most users of essential oils find better results when a blend of oils is used, combining several pure oils in order to effectively promote healing at the core as well as the cause and subsequent symptoms. For example, a headache rarely just exists on its own.  It’s usually started because of a pinched nerve somewhere, dehydration, or some other illness within the body. Then, as a result of the headache, blurred vision, fatigue, and irritability accompany the symptoms. Obviously, it would be less effective to try and treat just the headache when it would be better if you could promote a body which inhibits the pinched nerves, the headaches, and the subsequent symptoms as well, right? That’s what blended oils are created to do—too work harmoniously on all of the culprits of dis-ease in the body and mind.  For example, a person who struggles with fibromyalgia has a litany of sub-problems as a result of the disease: depression, sleeplessness, physical pain, brain fog, and feelings of hopelessness.  Appropriate essential oil use would address the cause of the pain in fibromyalgia at the skeletal level as well as aid with the depression, sleep disorder and lack of focus.  In such an instance, I would recommend someone use a blend or blends which contain birch for the analgesic and cortisone effect, and is frequently used for muscle and bone pain. It has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-spasmodic properties. Likewise, I would also recommend that the blend has Helichrysum in it.  Helichrysum is one of the most sought after essential oils and is very expensive, but a person doesn’t need a lot of it in order to have an impact on their body.  It’s renowned for it’s skin and muscle relieving properties, blood cleansing, helps regulate cholesterol (which goes haywire when analgesics are regularly consumed) regenerates damaged tissue (which is a big deal when you have torn tissues and surgical adhesions) and helps heal colitis. See how we’re taking care of multiple areas of dis-ease here?  Additionally, I would want myrrh in my chosen blend which has been used successfully for thousands of years for a calming of the respiratory system, digestion, hypo-thyroid, mouth ulcers, wounds, and a feeling of being chilly. It’s also a proven anti-fungal, gland decongestant, aids sore throats, skin conditions, thrush, and hepatitis. Myrrh also has some properties which help brings emotions of relief—which would be ideal for someone battling chronic pain and fatigue.

Ok. I’m not going to go further. Hopefully you are getting my point. Bottom line, rather than investing in hundreds of single essential oils and trying to combine them yourself, I would rely on professionally blended oils and reap the benefits accordingly. Additionally, make sure that you’re purchasing 100% pure oils—pure, means pure unless you are the FDA. If you are not aware, let me remind you that the FDA allows labels to state that an essential oil is “pure” so long as it contains 10% of pure—in the true sense of the word—oil as a part of the blend. In other words, a company could sell a 10 ml bottle of “100% pure myrrh essential oil, so long as the bottle which is mostly filled with almond oil has at least 10% of pure myrrh. So always be cautious, read your labels, etc.

One last thing I would recommend is for everyone use at least one essential oil daily; it doesn’t matter which one you use for this purpose. Just use one daily! Each time you use a quality essential oil, you are improving your body’s frequency.  By improving your body’s frequency you’re improving your mood and your immune system. I can’t wait to hear of some of your experiences with essential oils. It’s opened a whole new world to me!!

If you’re interested in my opinion of where to purchase quality, affordable oils, continue reading.

For years I have been purchasing and using essential oils from some of the more popular multi-level marketing companies. It’s logical to understand that the cost of the oils must go up in such a scenario because each bottle sold has to do more than pay for the production of the product plus a profit.  Several other individuals have their hand in the kitty which necessitates the increase in price.  I’d much rather purchase my oils as direct to the manufacturer as possible. I figure that the fewer hands that touch it, then fewer hands compromise the integrity of the oil.  I’m happy to say that Five Star Preparedness has recently launched their selection of essential oil blends. I believe that they are the group buy for August as well.  I did some comparisons of their regular retail prices and those of other companies. Understanding that the Five Star oils are pure in the truest sense of the word, I couldn’t believe that the difference in price between theirs and other company’s was as much as 90% lower!! This means that I can have a true arsenal of essential oils and take my health and treatments more into my own hands rather than being subject solely to the medical community. To check into the group buy, go to www.fivestarpreparedness.com/groupbuy and just click on the Group Buy button.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

Last weekend I wanted to create a recipe in which I could successfully use wheat pasta. My husband tends to be just as picky as any of the kids I know when it comes to eating “healthy foods” so when he declared the culinary creation one of his favorite top 10, I was thrilled and relieved.  Relieved because it meant that I wasn’t going to have to eat the leftovers single handedly, and thrilled because it was an easy one for me to make.  I’ll be sure to share the recipe with you down below. Before I do that though, I wanted to clear up some of the confusion that folks have about how much wheat they should store and what they should be able to do with it. So here goes.

For starters, understand that a year of preparation supplies is my minimal benchmark. The most basic way to say why I use such reasoning is because a cursory look at all potential “disasters” would require at least a year in order for society to get back on its feet. A major earthquake, financial collapse, pandemic, flooding, and even unemployment in today’s market, is highly likely to require a year to cycle through the healing steps. As such, I recommend that everyone supply themselves with a year’s supply of necessities such as food, water, medical needs, clothing, etc.

Today, I want to take a look at just one component of this preparation, and that is your grain supply. Each person needs at least 300 pounds of grain supply for a year. I always say to have that much on hand regardless of the age of the persons in the household. The reason being is that you never know when you’ll be using those supplies, and you never know what you may elect to use in order to aid others as well. So instead of trying to analyze what your 3 year old may need now, just play it smart and have enough in the event your 3 year old turns into a 16 year old before you have time to change the amount of your supplies.

Understand that grain preparedness can take on all different kinds of forms.  Wheat is what folks think of first usually, but remember that alternative wheat items such as quinoa, millet, and amaranth, are viable substitutes. Also keep in mind that if you are ever required to use your supplies exclusively, VARIETY is one thing for which you’ll be grateful. So mix things up a bit now. Grains include oats, pasta, cornmeal, rye, flaxseed, any type of flour, rice, barley, and corn. You could even supplement your grain supply with things like baking, pancake, bread, and muffin mixes as a part of your 600 pounds.  Out of all of these recommended grains though, wheat has the longest shelf-life, the most stable nutrition, and the most adaptability.  As such, I suggest that you make yourself as familiar with using it as possible.

There are 4 culinary aspects that I encourage everyone to learn to do with their wheat supply. One is to learn how to make pasta from scratch. This means that you’ll need to invest in a hand operated pasta maker so that you can quickly and easily make pasta such as ravioli, linguine, and spaghetti with it.  Wheat pasta tastes a bit different that regular pastas, so for starters you may want to expose your family to some wheat pasta dishes. There are several commercial wheat pastas that I have been easily able to use in my regular pasta dishes (including the one I made last weekend).

Next, I would make sure you can master making at least one type of bread with your wheat or other grains—be it rolls or bread loaves, or even just scones.  Sandwiches, and slices of bread can easily turn a “barely there” meal into a wonderfully memorable and satisfying one.  Keep in mind that the more fiber you have in your recipes, the more satisfying for a longer period of time they will be. In other words, having high quality meals full of fiber could actually reduce your need for a lot of other supplementary foods and could even reduce the number of meals per day you need. This kind of food also brings with it more energy and significantly better health.

Which reminds me of another aspect of using wheat.  You must introduce it into your diet now. Don’t wait until a scenario in which you have to live off of it. If you do, you could very easily cause dehydration, painful constipation, and even death if your body is not already used to high fiber in the diet. If you’re just now venturing into the use of wheat and high fiber into your meals, start with one serving each day of high fiber, then increase it to two, and then to three. You should be fine after that. Be sure that you drink PLENTY of water with this kind of a diet too. The fiber can only do its job if it’s accompanied by plenty of water, at least two quarts of drinking water every day per person.

The next culinary skill I would recommend is making homemade tortillas.  Tortillas are a great carrier for a variety of foods including salads. They are fairly simple to make, but the right tools and a little bit of practice will create a stress-free occasion for you later down the road. It’s easier to make them if you have a tortilla press; otherwise you’ll have to use a whole lot of physical energy getting them thin enough with a rolling pin. Besides, a tortilla press doesn’t require as much work space as a rolling pin would. I recommend that you do a search on The Food Network’s site and get Alton Brown’s recipe for tortillas. They turn out perfectly every time.

Lastly, I suggest you learn how to make your own pita bread.  Pita bread is very easy to make and it can be used as an alternative to bread in so many different ways. A piece of pita bread can accompany a meal or it can be the main part of the entree. You can easily make pita chips or large pita breads to stuff with a combination of sprouts, dressing, and seasoning. Yum!  Pita is also a good substitute for a pizza crust with only a fraction of the time to make it. Pita dough doesn’t require as much kneading, rising, and cooking time either. Remember, the easier something is to make, the less stress and the more energy you’ll have; out of all of the things that you need to prepare to conserve, your physical energy is at the top of the list.

Enjoy this recipe! My husband is already asking me when he can have it again.

(As you can see, all of the items in this recipe are easily found in a long-term pantry. This recipe can also successfully be cooked in a Solar Oven)

Spaghetti Pizza Casserole By Kellene Bishop

8 ounces of wheat spaghetti—cooked according to manufacturer instructions or 4 cups of cooked pasta

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (about 26 ounces)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of Shirley J Onion Seasoning

1-1½ pound of ground beef (I use that which I’ve already canned or browned and frozen)

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon of grated cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar is the best, but I also like Colby Jack, and Medium Cheddar)

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese

½ cup of sliced black olives

½ cup of sliced pepperoni, cut in halves or quarters

1 ½ cup of prepared Shirley J Universal Sauce or 1 can of cream of mushroom soup

½ cup of beef broth (I like to make this with the Shirley J Beef Broth combined with ½ cup of the water I used to cook my pasta in.)

Cook the pasta according to directions (the thin spaghetti works best for this recipe). Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, either brown or warm up your ground beef with the minced garlic and the onion seasoning. If it’s too fatty, be sure to drain off some of the fat before adding the seasoning.

In a large bowl combine the cooked ground beef, pasta sauce, Universal Sauce, beef broth, 1 cup of the grated cheese, and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese. Mix gently to incorporate all flavors throughout.

Then add the drained, cooked pasta. Mix gently and then pour ingredients into a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Top with the pepperoni and sliced black olives. Then top with another cup of the cheddar cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and then top with the remaining cheeses. Serve and devour!

Serves 6. This recipe is easily doubled and tripled. You can also make it successfully without the pepperoni or black olives.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

by Kellene Bishop

I’ve been reading a great book over the last couple of weeks, “Molon Labe.” In it the author reminds the reader several times that all fights are decided before the battle begins. The point being that it’s the level of preparation which takes place before a battle which determines the victor.  To me that’s certainly what preparedness is all about—a way to ensure that we win as many of life’s battles as are thrown at us, but this particular saying comes in full view when it comes to physically defending yourself as well.

In the case of the self-defense, I advocate consistent, challenging practice which will ensure successful self-defense BEFORE an encounter ever occurs. While any attacker may have life-long experience as a bully or a law breaker, it doesn’t make him/her superior to you in their battle with you specifically. Through consistent mental and physical rehearsal you stack all of the odds in your favor when applied to various “what if” scenarios. Your level of preparedness, not your knee-jerk responses, determines your state of victory. This is how you win your battles before they ever begin.

Even better, confidence, calm, presence of mind, necessary tools, and a clear conscience are the fruits of such preparation—even if you are called upon to defend yourself, which may result in harming another person.  For years, some of our nation’s most advanced warriors are able to maintain mental stability by mentally preparing for scenarios prior to their engagements, thus literally allowing them peace of mind and conscience, in spite of the nature of the battle. There is simply no price of time or money that can be put upon such fruits, in my opinion.

This past Saturday I took a couple of my girlfriend’s children to the dollar theater to see “Shrek 4.” Both children were under 12, with the youngest being only 9 and who also has Asperger Syndrome. Unfortunately, by the time we were able to get into the theater for seating, there were very few options left for 3 people to sit together. Thankfully one of the theater employees escorted us to a side row of 4 seats, with the outside seat being occupied by a hefty man. The movie had just begun and so the employee quietly leaned down and requested the man allow us to scoot by him and be seated.  As if he had just been asked to relinquish control over his own private remote, and give up a years worth of beer, and run a 5K marathon, he responded as if he was quite put out.  His only “effort” to allow us to pass was to spread his overstuffed sausage legs further apart. Yes, it was so attractive,–not—and a bit creepy. Because of his size, it was still a bit difficult for the kids to get past him, let alone myself—who is also quite chubby. It would have been so much easier if he had simply got up from his seat, and stepped into the aisle a moment.  I suppose that I’m a bit spoiled nowadays with such a notion, as common sense and common courtesy seem to be anything but common. But I guess I’m spoiled by the man I married, as he certainly would have stepped out for us and any stranger. Needless to say, it was irritating to have an example of such rudeness displayed to the kids.  Well, being the somewhat sassy person that I am, I just couldn’t hold it in and it had to be heard. I just had to say it. And say it I did. “Well, I guess chivalry is dead”, I quietly demurred.

I didn’t have any anger when I made this statement, nor did I shout. I suppose that a kinder person would have just kept quiet and tolerated his rudeness, but I guess I’m not very good at keeping some of my thoughts to myself. Having said my two cents, I realized that such an inconsiderate man would have been compelled to say something in return, but I suppose I had simply expected an apathetic “whatever” from the sweating, heavy breathing mammoth.  Not that I expected an apology in response to my comment, but I was a bit startled with what did come out of his mouth. “Why don’t you just shut your mouth or I’ll punch you in the face!”

Wait a minute.  Did you really just threaten to physically assault a woman with two kids simply because she called you out?  Really? This was your very first instinct, to threaten physical violence in a packed movie theater without a care in the world as to the consequences?  This was your knee jerk, comfortable, standard response?  Folks, that’s saying a whole heck of a lot right there!  But more importantly, understand what I’m about to share with you here.  I’m only 5’2 ½”—yes, you’ve got to count the ½ inch. *grin*  And I’m just over 200 pounds. So no, I’m not an imposing person to deal with physically. In fact, I suspect that I’m looked at as an “easy mark” by some fools due to me being out of shape.  This man was approximately 6 feet and weighed probably about 300 pounds.  In spite of these physical factors, combined with his revealing physical threat right off the bat, , I was not frightened. In fact, it’s probably my lack of fear of any repercussions which I thought I could handle which caused me to utter my initial sentence within earshot of him. I was calm and confident. In fact, my only concern at the time was that I didn’t want to cause the kids to feel uncomfortable—especially the youngest. So I simply replied, “I’m not trying to fight with you. You could have simply been nice and let us in. It was two kids for crying out loud.” His response, “Shut the hell up or else.”

I must say, I was a bit shocked at the intensity of his anger in response to such a small incident and in spite of there being plenty of people surrounding him. Like a crazy mouse dancing free and happy in a room full of cats, he seemed to posses no shame, no modicum of morality, and certainly no care in the world about anyone else. It was easy to see that he was comfortable with his rage and his attitude against others who inconvenience him. Since I would be sitting beside him during the course of the movie, I decided that I would make clear to him that I wasn’t quite who he thought I was.  I wasn’t about to just play dead. I suspect that too many had cow-towed to him like this in the past.  While it may seem overly dramatic, given his “first impression” I saw the faces of various women in my mind’s eye, who may have been the brunt of his societal standards. I’ll be honest. There was a point when I asked myself if the opportunity would present itself for me to use my Asp on this guy. I was almost excited for a split second at the prospect. (I love my Asp!) I know. I know, just a titch warped. As such, I looked right at him and said very clearly “Sir. I’m definitely not the woman you want to mess with.” He turned his head to me for a moment as if to size me up.  He then sarcastically replied, “Oh. I’m really scared.”

“Good! That’s just where I like ‘em. Overconfident and unaware,” I said, still looking directly at him.

He then turned his head back to the movie and said “Just shut up and watch the movie. That’s what you paid for.”

I decided that I had said enough at this point and ran the risk of upsetting the kids if our voices got any more elevated so that they could hear.

Now, there’s a reason I’m telling you all of this and it’s not for a purpose of self-aggrandizing. It’s because there are two important things for you to learn from this scenario. First of all, I was told by one of my friends that I should have said “Let’s see how scared you are with a forty caliber pointed at you.”  I suspect that my friend was just getting into the mood of things in this comment, but if I had said something to that effect, I actually could have gotten myself in a whole lot of trouble. I could have easily been accused of inciting a riot, “brandishing a weapon”—even though I wasn’t literally showing my firearm, disturbing the peace, and lastly, creating a threat. More importantly, if a person ever truly does feel threatened in such a situation, you certainly would not want to show your cards like that. If you truly feel threatened, then do something about it. Act, not react. Don’t tell someone what you’re going to do. You lose the element of surprise. If the situation calls for it, then just do it.

In this case however, I felt that for the time being this guy was just full of himself and didn’t like being called out by a girl.  If I had truly felt threatened, then it would have been within my legal right to have physically assaulted him with non-deadly force.  Yes, in such an instance I, being out manned in weight and height, would have been legally within my rights to have “thrown the first punch” so to speak. As women, it’s not necessary for us to get hit, shoved, beaten, etc. by an imposing threat first, before we respond. I realize for some of you that that may be hard to conceptualize. But after Mr. Sausage made his first physical threat of punching me in the face, I would have easily have been “in the right” with a solid punch to his wind pipes, or whatever other physical maneuver I would have felt necessary—enough to minimize the physical threat of this man. However, that’s only the case if it was me, short and chubby, against him.  Had a 6 year old boy said that to me, then I would not be permitted to proactively defend myself. It all boils down to the level of threat and the weight of advantages, vs. disadvantages.

For example, if it had been my husband who was being talked to that way, he would not have gotten away with a first strike because of his training, physique, and the fact that he was armed. In order for a well-trained man to have responded to this threat, Mr. Sausage would have had to make a physical threat imminent. Now, remember, that just because you can do something legally, does not necessarily mean that you should. When we pick up one end of the stick, we are always picking up the other. And the other end meant that I would stress out the kids, hurt myself at least a bit, and probably end up being the lead story on the 6 o’clock news that night. So, I decided that I wasn’t going to take this too far. But did I just sit there and watch the cute movie and not give this anymore thought? No; that also would have been foolish on my part. This man gave me every reason to be in a state of heightened awareness.  As such, I was strategizing, in the event that my leg bounced just the wrong way to make him mad, or one of the kids aggravated him if they had to squeeze out to go to the bathroom, or if I took too much of the arm rest on my right. Because this man had already shown himself to be emotionally volatile, I made sure that my Asp was in my grasp, my pepper spray was ready to spray, and I discreetly removed my knife from my purse and put it in my pants pocket. Combined with my readiness and willingness to use appropriate physical leverage, if necessary, I was ready if I had to defend myself as if it all depended on me.  But I also recognized that the two kids were a liability to me if there was an altercation. So, I decided to bring in reinforcements. I texted my husband and invited him to join me at the dollar theater. Through a series of texts he was brought up to par on the scenario, and secured a seat right behind Mr. Sausage in the theater.  I casually made it obvious to Mr. Sausage that I knew the man sitting right behind him. Towards the end of the movie it seems that all of the preparedness paid off.  When the movie was getting ready to wrap up, Mr. Sausage decided to calmly exit before all of the mushy, happily ever after took place in the film. No parting words, not even a grunt. All he left behind was the stench of his body odor and a lesson learned. Even better, he left me with no regrets. No fear. No rattled children. All was well.

As the children and I exited the movie theater, all they talked about was how cute the movie was. They were impervious to the problem, didn’t notice that my husband had joined us or that I had additional contents in my various pants pockets. We were able to keep everyone else safe without any stress or concern.

There’s one other thing that I want to share with you. While I was sitting there, enjoying the movie, I thought about you. Yes, you.  You; who may lack the sufficient confidence necessary to handle such a situation. You; who may be lacking in the appropriate tools of leverage necessary to handle such a situation.  You; who may think that you’ll only need such tools and tactics when “the end of the world” comes to pass.  While a firearm would not have been appropriate self-defense tool for this particular level of threat, nor would the environment, would you have been essentially unarmed otherwise? I decided that this man had obviously pushed around, without challenge, too many people (probably mostly women) in his life thus far. I want to do my best to ensure that you are not one of them in the future. So, I decided to share this little story with you. I hope it provides you with some food for thought and that you will see that occasions for sharp mental and physical self-defense capabilities are not limited solely to robbery, rape, or a home invasion. They are not all solved with one particular tool each time either.  The great benefit of really internalizing and learning self-defense though, are the scenarios which you can walk away from without any regrets, and with your confidence still intact.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

I have SO much that I’ve got building up that I want to share with you guys! When I don’t write regularly, I feel like I’m ready to explode with information and insight. So, you may be inundated this week with info if I can find enough time to write. For those of you who have inquired, my friend is definitely in a battle for her life, but I feel very, very confident that she will be victorious. Thank you all for your kind comments and prayers on her behalf.

I’m also busting at the seams because I have not one, but TWO great announcements to make this week! I’m so excited I’m definitely having trouble sleeping. Fortunately though, in spite of a lack of sleep, I’ve still been able to keep up with my schedule requirements, so I guess a little excitement won’t kill me.

So, one of the things that I really wanted to share with you all is my experience a few weeks ago that ended up being what I call Coupons on Steroids! Not to discourage anyone, but I spent about 2 ½ hours in one store. Why? Well, because there were SO many deals, and I was being very meticulous, that it simply took me that long to go from one aisle to the next. Yes, I went through EVERY aisle. Yes, that’s uncharacteristic of me, but I assure you there was a method to my madness. Unlike my normal store excursions, I didn’t take a master shopping list this time. The reason being is that the store was offering a special coupon promotion; they would double, triple, even quadruple any coupon you had up to $1 dollar.  So, if you had a .20 cent coupon off of Hunts Ketchup, then the store would increase it to $1 off of Hunts Ketchup. When you take such circumstances and combine them with the fact that every store has thousands of un-advertised sales and clearance prices, that no “coupon shopping service” can ever know about, then you can do several months worth of shopping all in one fail swoop. Everywhere I turned I was able to get something I wanted or needed for free or cheap! The real excitement comes when you realize that this was the SECOND time I was able to do this kind of shopping at this grocery store in a 4 week period of time! After doing this for years, I have to say that this was by far my best coupon adventure. (And I haven’t gone back to a store since then as I have satisfied my retail therapy need for at least 4 weeks. *grin*)

So, in an effort to help you guys literally SEE what I did, I want to go through a lot of this with you blow by blow—at least as it relates to this particular haul.  For those of you who still have not taken our Coupon Training Boot Camp, I strongly recommend that you do so this Saturday, August 21st.  There will be some significant changes coming about for our webinars effective after this Saturday, so I recommend you take advantage of this while you’ve got it. I won’t share more than that with you right now, but you won’t be able to say that I didn’t warn ya. Hee hee.

Most important to me about one of the coups I pulled off last month was that I took a girlfriend with me who had taken my class.  She actually did better than I did in the savings percentage—which is simply the result of her purchasing more “free” items in ratio to her total number of items purchased which increased her percentage of savings overall. Ok. So first of all, here are the pictures of my most recent endeavor—the one I did without my friend.  I like to go late at night when the kids aren’t around and the aisles are mostly empty. The one thing I do detest though is when the store turns off half of their lights at 10:00 p.m. with some nonsense about saving energy—forget the fact that they make their shoppers feel like they need to leave the store 2 hours before they actually close. Anyway, here’s a picture of that evenings haul. At first blush, it may seem uneventful to you. One of the items that’s not picture was the $20 worth of Ribeye steaks that I got for free. How did I get them for free? I’ll be happy to tell you.

First of all, the store was having a clearance on the meat because it was nearing expiration. So they had a special, buy one get one free.  Secondly, I had $10 worth of “store money” that I had received because of my purchases last month. In other words, I bought enough of some items that the coupon/catalina machine spit out two coupons worth “five dollars off of my next purchase.”  I had two of these and could combine them with any purchase. I selected exactly $20 worth of meat, minus my $10 off in coupons, plus the buy one, get one free, I ended up getting them for free. I used them specifically on a meat purchase earlier in the day so that we could have a yummy, carnivorous meal. After I was suitably nourished for some marathon couponing, I went back to the store later that night. The picture is what I came home with.

Do you see the bottles and bottles of Old Spice Body Wash as well as the 8 containers of Old Spice Deodorant?  These items are regularly priced between $4.99 to $5.29 at the grocery store. However, tonight, thanks to the perfect storm, I obtained ALL of them for FREE! Here’s how. First of all, as with all coupon purchases I make, the products were already marked down to a great sale. The body wash was on sale for $2.99 (The deodorant wasn’t on sale, but I still got them for free. You’ll see how in a moment). I had a coupon for $3 off of two Old Spice Body Washes.  I also had another coupon for buy one body wash, get one free.  Remember, the rule of thumb is you can only have one manufacturer’s coupon per item. Ok. So I have a price of $2.99 and I have one coupon that gives me $3 off of two items, right? So I’m now at $2.98 for two body washes ($2.99 times 2 minus $3= $2.98) So then I also apply the other body wash coupon that is buy one, get one free.  The two coupons end up cancelling each other out and I end up getting both of the body washes for a negative two cents at the check out.  Are you with me so far? Next, I have yet another coupon for a FREE Old Spice deodorant when I buy 1 body wash. Well, am I buying one body wash? Yup. Lots of them.  If I had more of these free deodorant coupons, I could have purchased 20 FREE Old Spice deodorants. But alas, I only had 8 of the coupons left, since I used so many of them the month before. Ok. So I now have 28 coupons, and I have 28 items (20 body washes, and 8 deodorants). This is permissible couponing so long as I do not have more manufacture coupons than I have items, and it’s obviously highly beneficial to your bottom line. I purchased all of the Gillette Body Washes the same way—combination of buy one, get one free coupons PLUS $3 off coupons. When you purchase two items, the two coupons cancel each other out, combined with a sale price just below $3, and you’ve got FREE product.

Obviously, these body washes and deodorants went into their designated 4 gallon storage buckets in my basement and we have plenty for our own personal use, helping of others, and even some nice gift baskets for mens’ birthdays.

Ok; on to the next strategy. This may not be a big deal to those of you who aren’t fanatical about skin care like I am.  But you’ll learn something from the strategy nonetheless.  When you have a coupon, it’s not the picture on the coupon that determines what you use it on; rather it’s the WORDS on the coupon. For example, I had several $3-off coupons for any Olay Regenerist Product. Now, for those of you who don’t know, Regenerist is the hoity-toity line of Oil of Olay and the products usually cost anywhere from $15 to $30 each. That’s why that particular coupon was such a high value coupon. However, Oil of Olay also has facial wipe cloths as a part of that Regenerist brand. This particular item is not as expensive as the other Regenerist products at a regular retail price of $7-$10. However, as with all coupon strategies, the Regenerist Wipes were marked down to only $4.52.  Once you apply a $3 coupon, it makes a high value product irresistible, and even giddy in the purchase. 

But wait, it gets better!  I also had coupons for a FREE Oil of Olay cleanser/Moisturizer product when I bought any Oil of Olay moisturizer or cleanser. Is the Regenerist Wipes Oil of Olay? Yes. Are the Regenerist Wipes a moisturizer or cleanser? Yes, indeed, they are, as stated right on the packaging. So, not only did I get the Regenerist Wipes for only $1.52 each, each one of the moisturizers I purchased gave me a FREE Oil of Olay moisturizing or cleansing product in their basic line.  Color me clean, happy, and independent even if there is a water shortage now, folks! Unfortunately, I had purchased a lot of the Regenerist Wipes a couple of weeks before and they were dwindling in supply at the store. So I did some mix and matches and ended up with what you see in the picture—mostly to the left. I ended up getting 24 high end cleansing and moisturizing products for only $18.24. But keep in mind that negative 2 cents I was on each dual body wash purchase previously.  The store didn’t give me back 2 cents. They applied it to my total purchase, thus making a dent in my Oil of Olay purchase as well. So did a few other items.

Obviously, items like this will be helpful in the event that there is a water shortage. I’ll still be able to feel human.  But they actually are products that I am already using and in love with since I can’t stand going to bed without washing my face, but sometimes, I am just too lazy to do a whole facial. Regenerist Wipes to the rescue.

Ok. You see the small packets of Tide?  I get these all the time at the end of the month. Proctor and Gamble puts out coupons for $1 off of any size Tide. These Tide packets are sample/travel sizes and are usually only .97 cents. Voila. You have free laundry detergent that you can take with you on a road trip, camping, or may be great for bartering in the future, rather than trying to measure out a cup or two from large bottles. 

The same holds true on the Head and Shoulders, the Olay soap bars, and the Pert Shampoos. All of those items were free because the coupons permitted use on any size of that item. I always wait until the end of the month to use them though because you never know when a coupon like that can end up getting you a full sized item for free or cheap. So I wait until they are ready to expire before I use them to purchase sample sizes.

Next, see all of the Crest Toothpaste and Oral B toothbrushes?  They were ALL FREE—even the higher end Oral B toothbrushes with motors and the refills.  It all boils down to sale prices combined with manufacturer coupons. Crest Toothpaste is typically one of the more expensive brands, but Proctor and Gamble frequently sponsors store sales down to a dollar. That’s when you jump on it and use your $1 off coupons. When you have a buy one get one free coupon AND a $1 off kind of coupon, you can end up getting a lot of items for free or cheap that way as well. Again, you simply have to keep the rule that you can’t have more manufacturer coupons than you have items.

The Bounty Paper Towels were 9 cents each thanks to the store’s everyday low price of $1.09, combined with a .25 cent off coupon, which was quadrupled into $1 off.

Smart Balance Milk was negative .50 cents when combined with a high value coupon and a manager’s clearance sale. We’ll drink it fast enough, and besides, it’s like bending down to pick up two quarters to me.

The pretzels were free thanks to a sale price of .97 cents and a .50 off coupon which was doubled to $1.

All of the Soft Soap bottles were free thanks to a $1 clearance price and a .35 cent off coupon that was increased to $1.

The KY was negative $1 when combined with an unrestricted high dollar coupon of $2 off, and a $1 trial size price.

The Herbal Essence Shampoo was probably my hardest decision of the night. I was struggling because I knew I would actually have to pay for shampoo. But I actually like the Herbal Essences, and since there was a sale price when you purchased 10 of them, plus a .50 off coupon that would be increased to $1 each, I ended up paying .99 cents for each of them. Fortunately the KY and the milk would help eat into some of my out of pocket cost there.

All of the Mentos gum (one of the few I chew) were free thanks to a .55 cent off coupon that was increased to $1 combined with a sale price of $1 each.

Febreeze Noticables were only .35 each and they were a scent I really liked. I’m particularly grateful for them this past week as we have inherited a young kitten abandoned by its mom. Whew!

The Johnson First Aid kits were free thanks to an unrestricted $1 off coupon. The kits are considered travel size and were only .97 cents. The Miracle Whip ended up being only .75 each thanks to sale prices and coupons. The Huggies Wipes were only .40 each because I paid attention to what the WORDS said on the coupon, not the picture. It was a high dollar coupon for ANY Huggies Wipes, so that included the Winnie-the-Pooh travel series. The Kleenex were only .50 a box—and I was running out at home. And the storage bins were free because I received yet another $5 off coupon when I purchased the Miracle Whip. So I made a separate purchase and got some storage boxes that were on sale for only a dollar. Lastly, the pineapple was only .17 cents each thanks to the sale price and the doubling of coupons. So I bought as many as I had coupons.

In closing, I realize that there will be some of you who bemoan that you don’t have double coupons anywhere in your area. Or that you “only eat organic foods” or that “your store doesn’t do coupons.”  I can assure you that YOU are not the exception to coupon success. If you have a store, they take coupons. If you have a store near you, they also have sales. Even if you don’t have a newspaper that carries coupons, you still have no excuse not to save at least 70% regularly on your groceries and household supplies. And if you haven’t noticed it, what you eat has only about a 30 percent impact on most grocery budgets, as it’s the detergents and paper goods that suck up all of your money each month. No one; and I mean NO ONE has come to me that I couldn’t help significantly—even those on food stamps and a fixed income! The girlfriend who went with me last month was just shopping for her and her husband. She was still able to save NINETY-FOUR percent on her grocery budget, and that’s even taking into account that she had to buy Bounce Dryer Sheets, a can of beans that was only slightly on sale, three gallons of milk and a couple of battery packs. In spite of all of this, her total out of pocket was only $41.22 for over $409 worth of groceries!  So, how about you let me help you too with what YOU want in your preparedness supplies?

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.