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

[nw_arizona_granny]

Press Releases: Briefing by Chief of Staff and Counselor Cheryl Mills on Food Security
Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:32:02 -0500

Briefing by Chief of Staff and Counselor Cheryl Mills on Food Security

Chief of Staff and Counselor Cheryl Mills
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
New York, NY
September 25, 2009

MR. CROWLEY: Good afternoon. Happy Friday to you. Many of you were over at the Sheraton for the speech by the Secretary of State as part of the Clinton Global Initiative. The speech focused on food security, which is a significant imperative that will infuse our diplomatic and development work going forward. During the course of the speech, there was a shout-out for the coordinator of the food security initiative, our Chief of Staff and Counselor, Cheryl Mills. So we thought we would bring her down to kind of help put the food security initiative in proper perspective.

MS. MILLS: Let me start by just saying a few words and then, really, just answer your questions. And I think the one thing I do want to start out by saying is that getting to today has really been a model of cooperation across the government. And so I do think it’s really important to recognize how many different agencies have participated in getting to this place and who are going to have to continue to participate to have this initiative be effective.

And I didn’t fully appreciate the joys of full USG collaboration until this initiative, and there have been many moments where I think the challenges of what it means to actually set aside what agency, what program, and what equities you might have are to actually come together and think about what you actually can do collectively. But it was actually quite an impressive process in that regard, and I feel like those of us who have been working through this process really see the benefits of what it means to actually collaborate in an effective fashion.

continues..............

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/sept/129649.htm

[As I read this, all I could think was “So this is why we got the new farm bill so we can no longer sell what we grow in our gardens.........”.

They need a market for the African farms products.......
granny]

[nw_arizona_granny]

Children’s and Infants’ Tylenol Oral Suspension Products - Recall

Audience: Consumers and Healthcare professionals

McNeil Consumer Healthcare and FDA notified consumers of a nationwide recall of certain Tylenol products as a precautionary measure because of potential manufacturing problems. The company initiated a recall of certain oral suspension products distributed between March 2008 and May 2008 due to the potential of bacteria in raw materials used to manufacture the finished product. There are no illnesses reported by patients using this product. The full list of recalled product lots can be accessed on the company’s website at http://www.tylenolprofessional.com/assets/TYLENOL_Letter_091809.pdf. McNeil is advising parents and caregivers who have administered affected product to their child or infant and have concerns to contact their healthcare providers. Parents and caregivers can find the lot numbers on the bottom of the box containing the product and also on the sticker that surrounds the product bottle.

Read the complete MedWatch 2009 Safety summary including a link to the FDA news release, at:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm183924.htm

You are encouraged to report all serious adverse events and product quality problems to FDA MedWatch at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm

[Eagle50AE]

Fr down most of night and sluggish this am..

anybody out there ???

[Silver Persian]

I sure hope you are feeling better now, Eagle.

What’s this about hitting ‘abuse’?...

[Eagle50AE]

>> What’s this about hitting ‘abuse’?... <<

I Guess that was a disconnected statement...

it’s a quick and easy way to get the admin mods attention.. and assistance..
probably not Mr.Thompson’s preferred method but whoever has been on the admin end has always been professional and helpful as one would expect..

probably a better way would be frmail to admin moderator

sorry for the confusion...

[nw_arizona_granny]

THE MITTEN turns 20 years old this fall,

To celebrate the 20th anniversay of THE MITTEN my publisher has
created a special edition and I’ve created a new version of my “all about”
letter. You can download and printout the new letter for free at:
http://janbrett.com/activities_pages_newsnotes.htm

Other fun projects for THE MITTEN

Learn to Draw a Hedgehog Video
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/video/video_main_page.htm

Mitten Masks
http://www.janbrett.com/mitten_masks_main.htm

Download and Print cards from THE MITTEN
http://www.janbrett.com/pdfcards/pdfcardgenerator_mitten.htm

Bookmarks from THE MITTEN
http://www.janbrett.com/bookmarks/bookmarks_mitten_and_hat.htm

Email postcards from THE MITTEN
http://www.janbrett.com/vcards/gbrowse.php?cat_id=27

THE MITTEN T Shirts Transfer
http://www.janbrett.com/transfers/the_mitten_transfers_main.htm

It’s a pleasure to be in touch.

Sincerely,

Jan Brett

Download a Free Jan Brett How to Draw Video - http://janbrett.com/video/video_main_page.htm
Read all about Jan Brett’s books and get the best bookstore prices - http://www.janbrett.com/bookstores/hedgies_lets_go_shopping.htm

This message was sent by Jan Brett, Post Office Box 366, Norwell, Ma, 02061

[nw_arizona_granny]

Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Cheese

Posted: 17 Sep 2009 07:50 PM PDT

I’ve been contemplating writing a list for a while now and finally got my inspiration from watching one of my favorite cooking shows, Good Eats. (Hush, Jamie. I know you hate that show.) My love of cheese has grown throughout the years, from asking my parents for some “cheesh” please to carefully selecting a new cheese to try from the gourmet section of my local grocery store. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it.

10
Etymology

Cheese

The root of the English word cheese comes from the Latin caseus, which also gives us the word casein, the milk protein that is the basis of cheese. In Old English, caseus was cese or cse, which became chese in Middle English, finally becoming cheese in Modern English. Caseus is also the root word for cheese in other languages, including queso in Spanish, kaas in Dutch, käse in German, and queijo in Portuguese. Caseus Formatus, or molded (formed) cheese, brought us formaticum, the term the Romans employed for the hard cheese used as supplies for the legionaries. From this root comes the French fromage and the Italian formaggio.

9
Early History

Eng-Hist-9B-Cheese

Cheese consumption predates recorded history, with scholars believing it began as early as 8000 BC, when sheep were first domesticated, to as late as 3000 BC. It is believed to have been discovered in the Middle East or by nomadic Turkic tribes in Central Asia, where foodstuffs were commonly stored in animal hides or organs for transport. Milk stored in animal stomachs would have separated into curds and whey by movement and the rennet and bacteria naturally present.

8
Evidence

Picture 1-134

Egypt brings us the earliest archeological evidence of cheesemaking, found in tomb murals that date back to 2000 BC. These cheeses were likely to have been very sour and salty (lots of salt was needed to preserve the cheese in the hot, arid climate) and similar to a cottage cheese or feta in texture. Cheeses made in Europe didn’t require as much salt because of cooler conditions, thus paving the way for beneficial microbes and molds to form and give aged cheeses their interesting and robust flavors.

7
Fine Art

Rom16

Ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to turn cheesemaking into a fine art. Larger Roman houses even had a special kitchen, called a careale, just for making cheese. After developing new techniques for smoking and adding other flavors into cheeses, the Romans spread this knowledge slowly through their empire. Local resources allowed for different varieties to develop along the way.

6
Variety

Cheese Display

After the fall of the Roman Empire, innovative monks were responsible for inventing some of the classic varieties of cheese we know today. According to the British Cheese Board, Britain has approximately 700 distinct local cheeses. It is thought that France and Italy have perhaps 400 each. The varying flavors, colors, and textures of cheese come from many factors, including the type of milk used, the type of bacteria or acids used to separate the milk, the length of aging, and the addition of other flavorings or mold.

Just paying the bills...

5
“Other” Cheese

Although most cheese is produced from cow, sheep, or goat’s milk, it can and has been made from a plethora of milk-producing animals. A farm in Bjurholm, Sweden actually makes moose cheese. The lactation period of moose is short, lasting from about June to August, and the farm, owned by Christer and Ulla Johansson, keeps three moose that produce only 300 kilograms of cheese per year. The moose cheese sells for roughly US$1000 per kilogram. Places in Russia also produce moose milk but have not had success with moose cheesemaking due to its high protein content.

4
Top Cheese

Cheezwhiz

The United States is the top producer of cheese in the world, with Wisconsin and California leading the states in production. Although the US produces the most cheese, Greece and France lead the pack in cheese consumption per capita, averaging 27.3 and 24.0 kilograms per person in 2003 respectively. In the same year, the average US citizen consumed around 14.1 kg, although cheese consumption in the US has tripled since 1970 and is continuing to increase. Pictured above is cheez whiz. Keep it classy.

3
Stinky Cheese and Feet

800Px-Cheese Limburger Edit

Limburger cheese is notorious for its strong and generally unpleasant odor. The bacteria known as brevibacterium linens causes this. It is also found on human skin and is partially responsible for body odor. The Chalet Cheese Cooperative, located in Monroe, Wisconsin, is the only maker of limburger cheese in North America today.

2
Fondue

Fondue

When eating cheese fondue, make sure to save room for “the nun” at the bottom of the pot, or la religieuse. Religieuse means nun in French and usually refers to a type of pastry. There is much speculation as to why the cracker-like, toasted cheese layer found in the bottom of a caquelon is called la religieuse, ranging from the legend that monks saved the last remaining bits of fondue for the nuns to the idea that eating it is a religious experience. In German, it is called the Großmutter or grossmutter, which translates to grandmother. The meaning behind this use is also unclear.

1
Great Cheese Quotes

Roquefort-1

“A cheese may disappoint. It may be dull, it may be naive, it may be over sophisticated. Yet it remains, cheese, milk’s leap toward immortality.” Clifton Fadiman (American writer and editor; New Yorker book reviewer, 1904-1999)

“A dinner which ends without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye.” Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (French lawyer and politician, epicure and gastronome, 1755-1826)

“Many’s the long night I’ve dreamed of cheese — toasted, mostly.” Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer, 1850-1894)

“How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?” Charles De Gaulle (French general and president, 1890-1970)

From:

http://listverse.com

[nw_arizona_granny]

anybody out there ???<<<

No, not a soul.

Didn’t realize that FR was down, LOL, at last I choose the right time to delete old emails...

[upcountry miss]

Am I ever glad you live in Delaware. You and my husband would be DANGEROUS if you lived next door to each other.

[DelaWhere]

>>>Am I ever glad you live in Delaware. You and my husband would be DANGEROUS if you lived next door to each other.<<<

Now, would you want us to be any other way?

LOL There is always something to look forward to waking up the next day for!

[upcountry miss]

There is always something to look forward to waking up the next day for>>>>
Those are almost the exact words I said to my daughter when she complained this week that her father was doing too much and getting too tired.

Root cellars, smoke houses, wind mills, water wheels, saw rigs run by steam engines, ice cream makers hooked up to a steam engine and too many other crazy schemes to list here. When he stops dreaming up these things, he will probably not get out of bed.

Anyhow, when does he find time to get those huge rocks out of the river for me? Fall rains will be coming soon. Was down by the river today, picking out the ones I want. (BIG ones)

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Just checking in Granny and dropping off some information from our friend FerFAL in Argentina.

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2009/09/argentina-surviving-without-money.html

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2009
Argentina: Surviving without money
Hi guys, watching this right now. I’ll comment on it latter.
Edited to add: The video is of 2001, pre December 2001 crisis.
To all the barter theorists, note the need for some form of currency. Most of those places no longer exist as true barter clubs, most simply started adopting the local currency (even dollars and euros) thus transforming into fairs and open markets.

[video at link]

FerFAL

Posted by FerFAL at 4:00 PM 10 comments
Labels: Argentina, Argentine Collapse, videos

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2009/09/robbers-targeting-homes-full-of-people.html

Robbers targeting homes full of people

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou090917_mp_full-house-robberies.18e08bf00.html?npc

Houston NewsHOUSTON – A group of armed men are barging into homes full of people and robbing them. Police say the robbers are targeting the Timbercrest neighborhood in the Third Ward. Thought you might find this interesting. Love my Colt .45 government model made in 1925. The wolf ammo, steelcase causes some of the brass cases to stick. Too much carbon build up I think. Pull the trigger slowly when your on the target. Let the hammer drop surprise you. Bulls Eye!
T.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou090917_mp_full-house-robberies.18e08bf00.html?npc

Robbers targeting homes full of people
By Lee McGuire / 11 News

HOUSTON – A group of armed men are barging into homes full of people and robbing them. Police say the robbers are targeting the Timbercrest neighborhood in the Third Ward.

One Sunday night, the Abernathy family was enjoying dinner when they had an uninvited guest. “I thought it was somebody playing with us,” said Helen Abernathy, robbery victim.

Helen Abernathy said she laughed when she saw the strange man in her kitchen, until he pulled out a gun.

“He said, ‘This is for real. This is a robbery. I want everything you have,’” Abernathy said.

He and a friend robbed everyone in the house.

It may sound like an ordinary home invasion except there weren’t just a few people in the home at the time.

“Twenty people. There was 20 people in the house,” Abernathy said.

Two days later, police believe the same men barged into a crowded fraternity house just down the street and robbed the people there. The students have now moved out and the home is for rent.

“That’s the fear that the community has. And they have every right to be fearful because they are taxpaying citizens and we are not going to take this,” said Houston City Council Member Wanda Adams.

The robberies prompted a town-hall meeting.

“It is our responsibility as citizens of this community to tell them, no, you’re not going to have that here. We’re not going to allow it,” said neighborhood president Tomaro Bell.

Residents think the criminals are hiding out in abandoned buildings which are numerous in the area since Hurricane Ike. But for all the fear they’re causing, the robbers don’t seem to be getting much for it.

“Cell phones and about $300. I don’t think it was really worth coming in,” said Abernathy. She says she’s not scared. Instead, she’s fighting back.

“They don’t want to go to work. They don’t want to do anything. They want to take people’s things. Work. Go to work,” said Abernathy.

The community is now working together with the police department to stop the rash of brazen crimes.

This is an all too common situation in Argentina, and one of the main reason lifestyle and habits end up being changed unless you want to be the next victim.

1)Doors locked at ALL times

2)Getting in and out of the house FAST

3) NO messing around and talking with the neighbors on the front door. Better to invite the person in for a drink or cup of tea than being exposed.

4)CAREFUL when answering the door. Never open the door without knowing who’s on the other side.

Not saying anything new here folks, but still people keep failing to apply these simple rules most of us know since we were little children.

A final consideration: Takes less than a second to kick, what? 95% of the front doors out there?

How long would it take you to reach your firearm? Better to carry your handgun with you at all times. Its not that big a deal once you get used to it. If you’re not still there, at least make sure you always have a weapon within reach. This goes specially for the big homes or the ones with to levels.

Robbers wont wait until you get your favorite rifle, gear up with all your tactical webbing, call your friends, etc. You need to reduce that reaction time gap as much as possible.

At night you can keep your weapon handy, along with a flashlight and body armor. Our good friend Nick from bulletproofme.com still has excellent armor at some of the best prices, don’t plan on shooting and never getting shot.
Takes just a couple seconds to gear up if everything is left handy, but if you don’t have those seconds (even though many times you do, and you should make the most of them) you need to fight back right away.

FerFAL
Posted by FerFAL at 7:09 AM 4 comments
Labels: crime, home security
Older Posts

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://otabars.blogspot.com/2009/09/explosion-of-fallin-your-mouth.html

an explosion of fall…in your mouth
Posted by Ashley at 3:43 PM

If you like oatmeal + pumpkin you MUST try this recipe. I have started preparing my basic bowl of oatmeal according to Kath’s awesome recipe for whipped banana oats. The only thing I change is that I leave out the salt. I have been using unsweetened rice milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of regular cow’s milk, but any will work fine. I use organic rolled oats that you can usually find for about $.99/lb in the bulk bins. They take a little longer to cook than the quick oats, about 5+ min on the stovetop, but there is a big difference in texture.

From there I added 1/4c. plain pumpkin puree, a dash of nutmeg and a 1/4t. cinnamon, 2t. of either brown sugar/honey/maple syrup/brown rice syrup [any will work, just to add a little sweetness]. I also topped it with vanilla almond granola, for a little crunch.

---

http://otabars.blogspot.com/2009/09/girls-night-easiest-dessert-recipe.html

Grilled Peach Marinade: [with 2 ota.ingredients]

4 peaches - cut in half and take out pit - you want to use slightly soft peaches
1/4c. balsamic vinegar
1T melted coconut oil
2T honey

-whisk all ingredients together
-add peach halves to large plastic bag
-add mixture to bag and shake around
-use right away or leave in fridge for 30min-4hrs

-preheat grill to med-high
-grill appx. 3-4min on each side

Top with vanilla icecream!! Can use marinade for grilling other fruit too fruit. I have also cooked the peaches in my cast iron pan, which worked perfectly.

I left the pineapple plain, but grilled for the same amount of time.

---

[nw_arizona_granny]

Robbers wont wait until you get your favorite rifle, gear up with all your tactical webbing, call your friends, etc. You need to reduce that reaction time gap as much as possible.<<<

I am glad to know that FerFal is still writing.

It is going on here too, in Vegas last night, they broke into a home, and taped the man to the refrigerator door, so he would not bother them while they searched the house.

He managed to get the door loose and got out of the house, and to help, door and all..........the cops were on the way and caught the crooks, if I heard it right.

There are several home invasion and kidnapping cases each night.

The best that I heard last night, the dispatcher wanting help at once, for 5 men were beating a woman, then she was on the ground and they were still beating her...in one of the parks.

The first Officer arrived and canceled all the other cars and Officers, which confused the dispatcher, she kept asking if he was really ok.

He had to explain 3 times, “it was not a woman on the ground, it was a man with long hair, who was hitting the woman, when the 5 guys happened by, and they were protecting the lady!!!”.

My mind adds “and they decided to give the bastard a taste of what it felt like to be helpless!!!”

[DelaWhere]

Special Historical Documents The Constitution of The United States of America The Declaration of Independence The Emancipation Proclamation President George Washington's Farewell Address The Federalist Papers The Antifederalist Papers

nw_arizona_granny [Survival Today - an On going Thread #3] Latest Archive Now Available! Thread #3 Part 1  (7.5 MB) Other Archives: Thread 1 part 1 : (6.6 MB) http://www.pixiesites.com/Granny/thread1pt1.zip Thread 1 pt 2 (21.3 MB) http://www.pixiesites.com/Granny/thread1pt2.zip Thread 2 part 1 : (2.6 MB) http://www.pixiesites.com/Granny/thread2pt1.zip Thread 2 Part 2 : (5.5 MB) http://www.pixiesites.com/Granny/thread2pt2.zip Thread 2 Part 3:  (7.9 MB) http://www.pixiesites.com/Granny/thread2pt3.zip Thanks to Eagle50AE and TenthAmendmentChampion for creating the archives. Note: All files are zipped Word files that you can search.  If you don't have Microsoft Word, you can use the Free Open Office. http://www.openoffice.org (More than 22,800 posts archived as searchable word documents)

Discussions and Informational Posts on: Growing Food Preserving the Harvest Food Preparation Recipes Survival Skills Necessary and Fun Crafts Old Time Living Hints Preparing for the Worst National and World Events Plus Many, Many More Topics & some Humor

[metmom]

He had to explain 3 times, “it was not a woman on the ground, it was a man with long hair, who was hitting the woman, when the 5 guys happened by, and they were protecting the lady!!!”. My mind adds “and they decided to give the bastard a taste of what it felt like to be helpless!!!”

I'm with you on that one. If more men got a taste of what it was like to be the beatee instead of the beater, I'll bet things would change.

It reminds me of a story I heard about a man in a church in a small town who was beating his wife. The deacons paid him a visit and told him that it had to stop and better not happen again.

It happened again. The deacons paid him a visit. He never touched his wife again...

After he got a taste of what it felt like from the deacons.

[Squantos]

Same here in TX Granny....lots of planned home invasions using teen girls knocking on the doors in mid morning or afternoons etc ......stay within arms reach of firearms and never trust a stranger these days .........NEVER !

Best defense is being alert and weakest point of your defense is YOU ! Don’t let yerself down !

[NaughtiusMaximus]

I’m bookmarking this for now. But it needs my wisdom-of-the-ancients garlic soup recipe to keep you healthy in case Obamacare passes.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the ping, DelaWhere to this great thread; Thanks for the information on home invasions; Granny,...THANKS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.

Sheesh...lots of catching up to do.

BTTT!

[DelaWhere]

We were having problems with archives as they would keep them up for 7 days or 100 downloads then ‘Poof’ they were gone. So we decided I would put it on one of my sites where we knew it would be up long term.

I think the neatest idea is to download them onto a memory stick - include pictures of your possessions scans of deeds, titles, marriage licenses,medical records, medications,bank records, insurance, and all other important documents - make a couple of copies of them and put one on your key chain, one on the wife’s and another with the grab bag. The 2 to 4 GB ones are getting pretty cheap and will hold a lot.

That way, if there is a computer running anywhere, you can just plug it in and have all your data. (I suggest password and encryption types) That way, even if you had to evacuate, you could have a whole box full of papers and all Granny’s wisdom right there with you on your key ring.