Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today - an On going Thread #3]

Frugal Dad .com ^ | July 23, 2009 | Frugal Dad

[nw_arizona_granny]

Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)

Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.

To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.

The Frugal Roundup

How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)

Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)

Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)

Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)

40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)

Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)

5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)

A Few Others I Enjoyed

* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2009/08/policia-and-villas-miseria-in-argentina.html
Policia and “Villas Miseria” in Argentina

Saludos... It appears that the recent public demonstrations in various parts of Argentina in protest against the government's lack of ability to stem the huge increases in crime are having results. The Policia Prefectura are all over the Mar del Plata downtown area where I live. They are stopping cars day and night... I guess they are looking for DWI drivers using roadblocks. My wife reported they are also rounding up teenagers who are chemically impaired while walking on the downtown streets. Some of her middle school students are among those detained... soething the local cops don't usually do. One can see them in their specially equiped van-type vehicles in large numbers all over the highest crime areas... a very visible deterrant.

I don't know if this is the first time federal troops have been used in local crime supression.

The following article shows that the pharmacy murders allegedly by Mexican narcotraficantes over the psuedo-ephedrine traffic last year are also having results.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Argentine customs officers have seized more than four tons of a chemical that can be used to make methamphetamine during an investigation into drug traffickers with ties to Mexico.
Mario Crespo, director of investigations for the customs service, says a total of 4.2 metric tons (4.6 tons) of pseudoephedrine was confiscated at several government warehouses at the port in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. No arrests were made.
Carlos Stornelli, justice minister for the province, says the drug seizure is related to an investigation into a clandestine meth lab that was discovered near Buenos Aires last year at which nine Mexicans were arrested.

Captn. Rick

Hi Rick, hope you're doing well.
That's good news in terms of security, because “prefectura” is better at fighting crime and as you note, the militarized thing they have going on is a better deterrent. Of course its far from ideal because the police shouldn’t be a militarized force but its common practice in Buenos Aires. Same for gendarmería.

Do you remember the “gendarme” that was murdered last year(was it Fuerte Apache?)? I remember the comments from the neighbors were all very positive, they liked having gendarmería keeping a firm grip on things, keeping the goblins at bay so the honest inhabitants of the “villa” could have a better life.

Villa in Rosario, Argentina

About “villas miseria”, these are shanty towns and slums where there’s no formal street or sidewalk, just dirt passages that sort of form by themselves almost organically, as people build their shacks with metal sheet, cardboard, plastic sheets or whatever they can find.

This is what “Below the poverty line” means in Argentina: Not enough money a month to buy the needed calories to survive.
How many? 26% of the population as of 2004 according to INDEC. INDEC being manipulated by the K government, today we dont know how many live in these conditions.

These places have no formal floor other than the dirt and earth they sit on, and conditions are pretty bad.
They all have improvised illegal power connections but that’s where all luxuries end.
I interviewed people from “villa Carton”, as part of a special emergency Architecture project.
As the name implies, the place was full of cardboard and paper collected by the “cartoneros”, the scavengers that inhabited it.

“Cartonero” in Buenos Aires, one of the thousands that invade the city each night.

A fire, supposedly intentional, turned the place into firebomb and the people lost what little they had.

The more recent villa miseria I found near by in Ing. Bunge is a sight to behold. Looks like one of Dante’s circles of hell.
Imagine a junkyard, as wide and the eyes can reach and also gets lost in the horizon ahead. No imagine the place is flooded. Now imagine shacks with families living there.
I kid you not, as my wife said, even our dogs live better than those people. At least the kennel is dry.

People looking for food or trash to sell.

These people have a foot of water inside the shack as soon as they climb out of their soaked mattresses.
These villas are a politicians favorite dish: Poor, ignorant people willing to sell their vote for a few bucks and some false promises, each one procreating and making 4 or 5 new poor, ignorant and desperate voters. What an evil machinery.
Some of these villas have evolved, like villa 31, where the shacks were replaces by brick and mortar improvised homes. Still illegal in many ways, most have illegal power connections, but little by little the lucky ones evolve into real neighborhoods.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Keep in mind that Argentina used to have the eighth largest economy in the world. That was before Juan Peron took power and promptly divided the country along class lines, permanently undermining the social and political structure of the country.

[TASMANIANRED]

I had a huge fly in the ointment too.. Grateful that the freezer was able to provide my rescue.

22 inches of rain in my basement from a flash flood and garden cranking stuff.

I just shoved everything in the freezer and got back to flood recovery.

[TASMANIANRED]

I’ve learned a ton of stuff.

It has been very good to confirm that much of what I was already doing was correct.

Been running the dehydrator daily.

Most recently with the flood I’ve been using it to rescue photo’s and documents that got wet.

[nw_arizona_granny]

[This is a site with so much information on it, that I get confused.....LOL
granny]

One of the indexes:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/chat-tips-gold#hunts

These are a few of the many threads that I checked for content, they are all containing excellent posts, frugal and useful:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=910473

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=559760

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=820153

One person says that nuts are cheaper in baking supplies, but are different prices throughout the different spots in the store.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=806391

[nw_arizona_granny]

It is heartbreaking, knowing that people today are starving to death.

That baby reminds me of Purr Baby, for he too was starving and has the same look about him. His brother is gaining weight, now at least 3 or 4 times larger than when they came in.

San Diego had a lot of the “anything” for shelters, under the bushes in the canyons, and that was a couple years ago.

No, I do not forget that in 1939 we lived in the San Diego river bottom with the rest of the fruit tramps, looking for work.

Last week, Las Vegas used their prisoners to go out and remove some of the “anything for shelters” that were springing up there.

If one knows where to look, we have more than many are aware of, here in the U.S.

Thanks for the update on Ferfal.

Interesting take on martial law.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Been running the dehydrator daily.

Most recently with the flood I’ve been using it to rescue photo’s and documents that got wet.<<<<

Excellent idea.

I am sorry that you had to deal with a flood, for they are so blasted messy and take too much time to clean up.

Is there any way to prevent the future floods?

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20447095/detail.html?treets=den&tid=2659747428813&tml=den_4pm&tmi=den_4pm_1_05000108182009&ts=H

Bear Attacks, Injures Aspen Woman In Her Home
Woman Slashed In Unprovoked Attack
Edited by Wayne Harrison, Web Editor

POSTED: 11:07 am MDT August 18, 2009
UPDATED: 5:34 pm MDT August 18, 2009

ASPEN, Colo. — The Colorado Division of Wildlife is actively looking for a black bear that attacked and injured an Aspen woman in her home Monday night.

The bear will be killed if it is found, the DOW said.

“A person certainly has a right to feel safe in their own home,” said Perry Will, DOW Area Wildlife Manager. “This was an unprovoked attack and, if located, the offending bear will be put down. Bears that break into secured homes and bears that are aggressive toward people are too dangerous to relocate.”
Click here to find out more!

Maureen Hirsch, who lives in the western part of the city, had gone to main floor of her home to work in the office when her small dog began barking frantically. It was just after 10 p.m.

When Hirsch turned around she was confronted by the bear.

The woman screamed and turned to open the front door to let the bear out of the house, but the bear struck the woman with its claw, leaving lacerations on her back and chest. Hirsch ran to the upstairs bedroom and called 911.

The bear stayed in the house and continued feeding in the kitchen until officers arrived.

It escaped before Division of Wildlife officers arrived a short time later. They deployed two traps in the area, in an attempt to contain the bear, but have not been successful so far.

continues..........

There are more reports, these are for August:

Previous Stories:

* August 16, 2009: Bear Tears Up Motorcycle Looking For Pizza
* August 13, 2009: Bear Breaks Into Home For Biscotti
* August 11, 2009: Autopsy: Woman Attacked, Killed By Bear
* August 11, 2009: Bear Browses Through Aspen Fur Shop
* August 8, 2009: Necropsy Inconclusive On Whether Bear Killed Woman
* August 7, 2009: DOW Agents Find Bear Devouring Elderly Woman
* August 6, 2009: Charges Filed Against Man Who Killed Bear In Steamboat

[nw_arizona_granny]

Mass Transit: A Terror Target?

August 18, 2009

While America’s mass-transit systems have not yet come under attack, security experts say that trains and buses are atop terrorists’ target lists. Americans take more than 10 billion public-transit rides per year—many times the number of flights—but federal efforts to secure ground transportation from terrorist attacks have been underfunded and inefficient. Still, Congress plans this year to cut funding for mass-transit security from last year’s level of just $400 million—less than 2% of the $30 billion spent on airline security since 9/11.

William Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association, insists that mass transit remains a safe way to travel. However, he says: ‘One-third of terror attacks around the world have been aimed at public-transit systems. There are no guarantees when it comes to security.’ In 2007, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported 171 mass-transit incidents, such as those involving suspicious packages and behavior.

[large portion snipped]

Millar blames the grant process for the delays but says he expects improvement now that money is being given directly to transit systems rather than funneled through state governments.

Rep. David Price (D., N.C.), who chairs a subcommittee that funds the Department of Homeland Security, wants the money spent soon: ‘It is unacceptable to leave our rail and transit system vulnerabilities unaddressed because of unnecessary red tape.’

Source: http://www.parade.com/news/intelligence-report/archive/090809- mass-transit-a-terror-target.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

Napolitano: Border Security Not Isolated Issue

August 12, 2009

by Anna Gorman

[end of article....]

The federal government also announced Tuesday a new social networking site, ourborder.ning.com, as a way to promote dialogue on border and immigration issues.

During the conference, however, Napolitano did not discuss the progress of discussions with legislators on comprehensive immigration reform, other than to tell reporters that the conversation was underway and she was working to build support.

At the Mexican summit on Monday, Obama said that he expected to have draft immigration legislation by the end of the year but that passage of a bill would have to wait until 2010.

Rep. Bob Filner (D-Chula Vista), who attended the conference, said he and others have been pushing for legislation but have been disappointed in the administration.

‘We don’t sense that Obama thinks it can happen now,’ he said. ‘And if he waits until next year, it won’t happen.’

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-immigra tion12-2009aug12,0,3333326,print.story

[DelaWhere]

Hi, Welcome to the thread... Glad you jumped in!

>>>Grateful that the freezer was able to provide my rescue.<<<

Oh yeah, they are handy. Particularly when I have a deer or two and the weather is turning warmer - or when I get a hog or half a steer - It sure is great to be able to put the whole thing in in a hurry and take a break before further processing... (sausage, ground etc.)

>>>22 inches of rain in my basement from a flash flood and garden cranking stuff.<<<

WOW - almost break out the ark time... Amazing how when the garden starts cranking it out, it keeps on coming, even with some stress.

But, that productivity is greatly appreciated all winter.

I can only remember a rain close to that one time about 18 years ago - our sandy soil hardly ever has standing water, but we once had a storm that parked right over us and dropped buckets- for hours! My 6” raingauge was overflowing and I have no idea how much we received. Of course, I had 2,000 Chrysanthemums in pots, and for the first time ever, I had a huge deep pond right there. The ones that didn’t wash out, got mangled as the wind blew the floating pots all over the place. I think there were only about 50 that survived that flooding. And it was too late to take cuttings from them to re-start.

But, that’s life down on the farm... Once in 60 years that I know of - not too bad...

p.s. Love the picture of the Weimaraner (I think it is.) on your FR page... Had to call wife and daughter to see it as it reminded me of a Lhasa Apso’s bite that one of my daughters had years ago.

[nw_arizona_granny]

1. Remote Switches Recalled by Woodstock International Due to Fire Hazard

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2009
Release # 09-308

Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 840-8420
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Remote Switches Recalled by Woodstock International Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Shop Fox Dust Collection Remote Switches

Units: About 450

Manufacturer: Woodstock International, of Bellingham, Wash.

Hazard: An incorrectly sized wire inside the remote switch can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Woodstock International has received 10 reports of the remote switch overheating. No injuries were reported.

Description: The recalled product is a remote dust collector switch, which remotely turns on and off a woodworking dust collector. The product is a black electrical outlet box that comes with two hand-held remote controls. The electrical outlet box has a label that reads “Remote Dust Collector Switch”. Both the electrical box and remote controls have “Shop Fox” molded into the plastic on the top side of the product. Model numbers D3038 & D3346 were printed on the carton but not on the remote control unit. The recalled switches measure 4 and 13/16” long by 3 and 7/16” wide.

Sold by: Woodworking stores nationwide from July 2008 through June 2009 for about $50.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and contact Woodstock International for directions on how to receive a replacement or a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, please contact Woodstock International at (800) 840-8420 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, visit the firm’s Web site at www.Woodstockint.com, or e-mail the firm at Sales@woodstockint.com

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09308.html

********************************************************

2. Black & Decker Coffeemakers Recalled By Applica Consumer Products Due to Burn Hazard

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2009
Release # 09-309

Firm’s Recall Hotline: (866) 699-4595
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Black & Decker Coffeemakers Recalled By Applica Consumer Products Due to Burn Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Black & Decker(r) Thermal Coffeemakers

Units: About 9,800

Distributor: Applica Consumer Products Inc., of Miramar, Fla.

Hazard: The coffeemakers can overheat and melt, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received one report of a coffeemaker melting. No injuries reported.

Description: This recall involves Black & Decker 8-cup programmable thermal coffeemakers. Model number TCM1000IKT is printed on the rating plate on the bottom of the coffeemaker.

Sold at: Walmart and small retail stores nationwide from April 2008 through July 2009 for between $50 and $65.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumer should immediately stop using the coffeemakers and contact Applica to receive a free replacement household product.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Applica at (866) 699-4595 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.acprecall.com

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09309.html

********************************************************

********************************************************

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it: https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

[TASMANIANRED]

We got hit by a freak storm..6 inches in 1 hr and 8 for the day.

Sump pump couldn’t keep up.

[TASMANIANRED]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

The 2 black dogs on the Christmas card are mine.. Since then we have rescued a black cat as well.

The only time I’d seen harder rain was in a hurricaine. I don’t want to see it again either.

[DelaWhere]

>>>How awful to have your freezer go out while you are so busy harvesting. I’m glad to hear it’s something you can probably fix. Also glad you were able to process/find alternate storage for most of the stuff. It’s a good thing you discovered it early.<<<

LOL, yeah, when you least expect it... Part that went out (thermostat - $94.50 plus shipping) is out of stock and they don’t expect them for 3-4 weeks with no guarantee. I know, I could use another generic type and jury-rig it.

Now I have to decide - 15+ year old compressor, thermal overload and capacitor - maybe I will do some checking of new ones - good thing I wasn’t really depending on it as the only storage method... The equipment cost has only been $23 per year - maybe I’ll just spring for a new one when I get caught up a bit on the canning and drying.

Amazing how much the prices have gone up in 15 years...

[DelaWhere]

>>>The only time I’d seen harder rain was in a hurricaine. I don’t want to see it again either.<<<

LOL, I may get to see one next week if Bill doesn’t break North - hope it does, and then goes East out to sea missing all landfall, otherwise upcountry miss may get it, and I think they have had enough rain for one summer...

If they skirt up the coast, we usually get quite a bit of water piling up on the shore and marshes from the wind, but most of the heaviest rains are in the NE quadrant of the storms.

My Trucker’s Favorite heirloom yellow sweet corn is 10-12 feet tall and just coming into tassel - too much wind could really tear it up.

Will just have to wait and see...

[DelaWhere]

I had forgotten to tell you that I tried the copper wire treatment on the one apple tree to no success.

There is good news though - there are three suckers growing from the dwarfing stock root area - so I will have three tries to get a graft from one of the other trees going on it.

Just going to take longer...

[DelaWhere]

Take away the electricity and the block buildings, add some coke can signs and nehi signs along with some cardboard and palm frond thatching into the building materials, and that sure looks like the Fabrica district which was across the street from the Sears Warehouse in La Habana, Cuba. That one was about 150 acres but not as clean and there were hundreds of kids who followed every vehicle "Penny Mister?" over and over. I never did figure out where they got incomes from - but adults seemed to only be present in the evenings - but children were always there. They salvaged through every trash bin for anything they could use, sell or eat. But, you know, I never saw them ever being unruly or out of hand. Like they were accustomed to that being their lot in life. My father was always doing something for their community - even when they brought a Rodeo (which was a novelty there)down, he had a whole free performance just for the people from Fabrica, including free hot dogs. He even made arrangements to give them baby chicks when they had an order cancel instead of destroying them. He would have Ernesto Tisol (Who Castro made a Secretary of Agriculture, and then shot him because crops weren't as good as he wanted-)(that was several years after we left as Castro was in the U.S going to school when we were there) go over and show them how to take care of them - even would bring them some feed from broken bags. Never had any problems for any of the employees either. Sears was well respected by them even if they couldn't be customers.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm179287.htm

Frozen Culinary Circle™ Gourmet Macaroni And Cheese
Recalled Due To Possible Listeria Contamination

Contact:

Susie Bell
Susan.Bell@supervalu.com
952.828.4356

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 14, 2009 - Minneapolis – SUPERVALU INC.® (NYSE:SVU) is voluntarily recalling frozen Culinary Circle™ Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese products because they may have the potential to be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. The products are found in the frozen foods section in a 38 oz. package and were sold at SUPERVALU-owned stores including Acme®, Albertsons®, biggs®, Cub Foods®, Farm Fresh®, Hornbacher’s®, Jewel-Osco®, Lucky®, Shaw’s/Star Market™, Shop ‘n Save®, and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy® in all of the states where they operate.The possibility for contamination was identified through routine sampling of the product at the manufacturing facility. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the identified product. However, because the safety of customers is a top priority and out of an abundance of caution, SUPERVALU has voluntarily recalled the product. This product recall includes all: Product Name and Description: Culinary Circle Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese, a frozen product, 38 oz. package UPC#: 41130 38704 Customers who have purchased the affected product can bring it back to their SUPERVALU-owned store for a full refund or exchange. Customers with questions can contact SUPERVALU Inc. at 877.932.7948. Customers who have health-related concerns should contact their physician.

Page Last Updated: 08/18/2009

[DelaWhere]

LOL - sorry, but couldn’t resist as it reminded me of when I took one of the Credit Union Directors (a definite red-neck type) to a meeting in Washington, We boarded the Metro going in and it was off rush hours - he kept running back and forth to check the map so we didn’t miss our stop.

On the way home, it was rush hour, and they were jam packed. In the crowd he had been moved about 15 feet away, and in his loud country voice, yelled to me - Hey Cal, do you know what this reminds me of? I said What’s that - He hollered back that It sure reminded him of that Crocodile Dundee movie - you know when he said that these had to be the friendliest people in the world to be packed this close and get along.

EVERYONE was either snickering or laughing out loud - and as we got off, several patted him on the back - still laughing.