"2014 Giving" - Thai Commercial - [English Subtitles] - You'll get the message...

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man." — Benjamin Franklin

Well respected men, are they right or wrong? Dent, Faber, Celente, Maloney, Rogers – What Do They Say Is Coming In 2014?

Some of the most respected prognosticators in the financial world are warning that what is coming in 2014 and beyond is going to shake America to the core. Many of the quotes that you are about to read are from individuals that actually predicted the subprime mortgage meltdown and the financial crisis of 2008 ahead of time. So they have a track record of being right. Does that guarantee that they will be right about what is coming in 2014? Of course not. In fact, as you will see below, not all of them agree about exactly what is coming next. But without a doubt, all of their forecasts are quite ominous. The following are quotes from Harry Dent, Marc Faber, Gerald Celente, Mike Maloney, Jim Rogers and nine other respected economic experts about what they believe is coming in 2014 and beyond...

-Harry Dent, author of The Great Depression Ahead: "Our best long-term and intermediate cycles suggest another slowdown and stock crash accelerating between very early 2014 and early 2015, and possibly lasting well into 2015 or even 2016. The worst economic trends due to demographics will hit between 2014 and 2019. The U.S. economy is likely to suffer a minor or major crash by early 2015 and another between late 2017 and late 2019 or early 2020 at the latest."

-Marc Faber, editor and publisher of the Gloom, Boom & Doom Report: "You have to say that we are again in a massive financial bubble in bonds, in equities, in [other] asset prices that have gone up dramatically."

-Gerald Celente: "Any self-respecting adult that hears McConnell, Reid, Boehner, Ryan, one after another, and buys this baloney… they deserve what they get.
And as for the international scene… the whole thing is collapsing.

That’s our forecast.

We are saying that by the second quarter of 2014, we expect the bottom to fall out… or something to divert our attention as it falls out."

-Mike Maloney, host of Hidden Secrets of Money: "I think the crash of 2008 was just a speed bump on the way to the main event…the consequences are gonna be horrific… the rest of the decade will bring us the greatest financial calamity in history."

-Jim Rogers: "You saw what happened in 2008-2009, which was worse than the previous economic setback because the debt was so much higher. Well now the debt is staggeringly much higher, and so the next economic problem, whenever it happens and whatever causes it, is going to be worse than in the past, because we have these unbelievable levels of debt, and unbelievable levels of money printing all over the world. Be worried and get prepared. Now it [a collapse] may not happen until 2016 or something, I have no idea when it’s going to happen, but when it comes, be careful."

-Lindsey Williams: "There is going to be a global currency reset."

-CLSA's Russell Napier: "We are on the eve of a deflationary shock which will likely reduce equity valuations from very high to very low levels."

-Oaktree Capital's Howard Marks: "Certainly risk tolerance has been increasing of late; high returns on risky assets have encouraged more of the same; and the markets are becoming more heated. The bottom line varies from sector to sector, but I have no doubt that markets are riskier than at any other time since the depths of the crisis in late 2008 (for credit) or early 2009 (for equities), and they are becoming more so."

-Financial editor Jeff Berwick: "If they allow interest rates to rise, it will effectively make the U.S. government bankrupt and insolvent, and it would make the U.S. government collapse. . . . They are preparing for a major societal collapse. It is obvious and it will happen, and it will be very scary and very dangerous."

-Michael Pento, founder of Pento Portfolio Strategies: "Disappointingly, it is much more probable that the government has brought us out of the Great Recession, only to set us up for the Greater Depression, which lies just on the other side of interest rate normalization."

-Boston University Economics Professor Laurence Kotlikoff:"Eventually somebody recognizes this and starts dumping the bonds, and interest rates go up, and inflation takes off, and were off to the races."

-Mexican Billionaire Hugo Salinas Price: "I think we are going to see a series of bankruptcies. I think the rise in interest rates is the fatal sign which is going to ignite a derivatives crisis. This is going to bring down the derivatives system (and the financial system).
There are (over) one quadrillion dollars of derivatives and most of them are related to interest rates. The spiking of interest rates in the United States may set that off. What is going to happen in the world is eventually we are going to come to a moment where there is going to be massive bankruptcies around the globe."

-Robert Shiller, one of the winners of the 2013 Nobel prize for economics: "I'm not sounding the alarm yet. But in many countries the stock price levels are high, and in many real estate markets prices have risen sharply...that could end badly."

-David Stockman, former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan: "We have a massive bubble everywhere, from Japan, to China, Europe, to the UK. As a result of this, I think world financial markets are extremely dangerous, unstable, and subject to serious trouble and dislocation in the future."
And certainly there are already signs that the U.S. economy is slowing down as we head into the final weeks of 2013. For example, on Thursday we learned that the number of initial claims for unemployment benefits increased by 68,000 last week to a disturbingly high total of368,000. That was the largest increase that we have seen in more than a year.
In addition, as I wrote about the other day, rail traffic is way down right now. In fact, for the week ending November 30th, U.S. rail traffic was down 16.3 percent from the same week one year earlier. That is a very important indicator that economic activity is getting slower.

And we continue to get more evidence that the middle class is being steadily eroded and that poverty in America is rapidly growing. For example, a survey that was just released found that requests for food assistance and the level of homelessness have both risen significantly in major U.S. cities over the past year...

A survey of 25 American cities, including many of the nation's largest, showed yearly increases in food aid and homelessness.

The cities, located throughout 18 states, saw requests for emergency food aid rise by an average of seven percent compared with the previous period a year earlier, according to the US Conference of Mayors study, published Wednesday.
All but four cities reported an increase in demand for assistance between the period of September 2012 through August 2013.

Unfortunately, if the economic experts quoted above are correct, this is just the beginning of our problems.
The next wave of the economic collapse is rapidly approaching, and things are going to get much worse than this.

So what do you think?

Water: Resupply

Even if you fill your basement withtanks of water, that supply isn’t going to last forever. In a protracted crisis, you’re going to need a source of water to replenish your reserve—or, ideally, multiple sources, ranging from nearby bodies of water or wells to systems for catching and collecting rain from your roof so that it can be purified. Here are some tips on how to ensure that you’ll have a continuous supply of H2O.

• Know Where Your Water Supply Comes From. To most denizens of modern civilization,potable water is such a given that we don’t even think about how it gets into our pipes. But if you’re trying to find alternative water sources, or evaluating the security and dependability of your municipal water supply, it helps to know where your tap water actually comes from. From the Nature Conservancy, here’s a guide to the major water sources for many parts of the U.S.

• When Evaluating Potential Resupply Sources, Be Realistic About Distance and Accessibility.  As Hunt points out, a body of water that’s several miles away is not a very practical source for resupply, because after a breakdown of social order, getting to it may mean running a gauntlet of violent predators. Additionally, since a gallon of water weighs eight pounds, you’d need a truck that can handle a 2,800-pound cargo in order to get two-week supply for a family of four—and the fuel to power the truck. Closer, obviously, is better.

• Buy a Property With a Water Source.  As expert prepper and author James Wesley Rawles notes in his book, How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It, if you’re going to buy a piece of property out on the country as your disaster redoubt, look for one that has a water supply on the grounds. Gravity-fed spring water is the ideal water supply for preppers, because the water flows to the surface without need for an electric pump to bring it up. A well that taps into an aquifer is another great source, especially if your house is positioned so that the water can flow downhill to you without pumping equipment. But most of us won’t be that lucky, and remember that if your pump relies upon power from the utility company grid, you’re going to be in trouble if that goes out during an upheaval. Setting up a solar-powered pump to draw water from your well is an option. Be sure to equip your well with a float switch on the cistern, so that you can avoid needless wear and tear on your pump from working an empty well.

• Rainfall as a Resource.  One good way to replenish your water supply is to outfit your house with a system for catching rainfall from the roof and funneling it into barrels, from which you can treat it and purify it for use. Tanks to collect rainwater from rooftop runoff  already are a major source of drinking water in some parts of Australia, where the government of New South Wales provides this detailed guide on how to collect rainwater. Water can be collected from most types of roofs. Some companies tout  standing seam metal roofs as providing the best water quality, but  University of Texas researchers have found that concrete tile also produces high quality water. The UT study also found that some increasingly popular “green roofs” contained high levels of dissolved organic carbon that can form carcinogenic byproducts when mixed with the chlorine that many use to disinfect water. You also should make sure that overflows or discharge pipes from air conditioners and water heaters don’t discharge and contaminate your rainwater collection tank. You’ll also need to maintain your gutters and continually keep them clear of leaves and other debris.

If you only do three things:

• Know the average precipitation in your area. Hunt notes that if you live in a place where there only are a few inches of rainfall annually, relying on rain barrels as a water supply isn’t a good option.
• Get your water source tested. A stream, spring or well may look perfectly crystal clear, but it may be contaminated with toxic waste buried by some long-forgotten polluter. So get it checked out in advance.  Accepta, a maker of chemicals for water treatment, provides thisguide to hazards that may be lurking in your natural water supply.
• If you’re going to haul water from a source, it may pay to travel light.  Instead of making yourself conspicuous in a truck, you might be better off hauling a few gallons at a time using a popular prepper means of self-propelled transportation-- a bug-out bike,  possibly equipped with a cargo carrier.

Missionary Work Is the Lifeblood of the Church - H. Verlan Andersen - Oc...

How to Easily Peel Farm Fresh Hard Boiled Eggs

Peel freshly laid hardboiled eggs with ease – without baking soda, or poking holes in them.

Ever boiled up some eggs for a dish only to discover that you can’t peel them without destroying the egg? Then looked online to see an endless variety of experiments that range from trying to change the pH of the egg to poking little holes in them? Nonsense. Here are two time tested methods to easily peel hard boiled homegrown eggs, so easy they are often over looked. Are these new techniques? Nope. Just sharing it to those of you who may be struggling with this little quirk of  self-reliance.

Growing up with our own chickens these were and still are the only two methods we ever used. It took my college roommate to point out to me that I didn’t need to do this with store bought eggs because they always peeled well (because they are old).

I don’t know about you, but I do not have time to poke holes in all of my eggs with a needle or tack every time I want a batch of hard boiled ones so this is my first “go to” method.

The Hot Water Method

1. Boil the eggs with medium high heat for 12 minutes (once it starts boiling I usually dial the heat back a bit).
2. When the timer goes off immediately remove the pot of boiling water and chill the eggs by running cold water over them, or over them with ice and let them completely chill.
3. Once cooled take one hardboiled egg and hold it under hot running water (but not skin scalding hot, use your commonsense) for just a few solid moments. Do not hurt yourself.
4. Crack and quickly peel the egg. You must be quick – as the egg cools the inner membrane will stick to the egg again. You can also put a small group of eggs in a small bowl and fill it with hot water, then let them sit for a minute – just make sure to peel them quickly before the eggs start to cool.
5. Repeat.

You can even delay peeling – take them to work as a snack, run them under hot water for a few good moments at work and peel them with ease there! Occasional yes, you will hit a snag but all in all this is a quick and easy no nonsense method and I would put my success rate at about 90% or better. If shell still sticks on one, well then – I am eating that one myself!

The Cracking Method

You could also just let your eggs sit for a couple of weeks then they would peel as easily as store bought eggs. But if you don’t have room for that or if you would like enjoy your farm fresh eggs while they are still “fresh” give this simple method a try.  I have used it in the past with almost as much success as the above method.

1.  Boil the eggs with medium high heat for 12 minutes (once it starts boiling I usually dial the heat back a bit).
2. When the timer goes off immediately remove the pot of boiling water and run cool water over them – just until you can safely grab them with your bare hands. While the eggs are still warm tap them up against the pot to crack them all over, be careful the eggs are still a little soft at this point. Not just once or twice, all over – the entire egg shell should be cracked.
3. Let them cool the rest of the way in running cool water or in ice water.
4. When completely chilled select an egg and peel it. If you experience any resistance – run the egg under hot water for a few moments.

TIP: If its Easter time and you color those cracked eggs with food coloring, while they are cracked, the coloring will stain through to the egg itself leaving a cool marbled design on your hard boiled eggs.

Enjoy your farm fresh eggs any time!

APPLICATIONS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT AID SOAR TO 9-MONTH HIGH - (Don't worry everything is ok)

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits increased by 10,000 for the week ending Dec. 14, bringing the total to 379,000, up from last week’s revised figure of 369,000, the Labor Department announced Thursday.

This is the second week in a row that applications have risen. It is also the highest posting since March.

The four-week moving average, a “less volatile” figure, increased by 13,250, bringing the total to 343,500, up from the previous unrevised average of 330,250.

“The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending December 7, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week’s unrevised rate,” the Labor Department said.

“The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 7 was 2,884,000, an increase of 94,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 2,790,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,799,000, an increase of 4,250 from the preceding week’s revised average of 2,794,750,” the report added.

Approximately 4.4 million people received unemployment benefits in the week ended Nov. 30, the Associated Press reported, citing the latest data available.

The states with the largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 7 were California (+21,876), New York (+14,322), Pennsylvania (+14,004), Georgia (+11,582), and Texas (+9,761).

Meanwhile, Ohio (-1,095), Kentucky (-838), Vermont (-400), Massachusetts (-317), and New Mexico (-176) posted the biggest decreases in initial claims.

Despite the report, markets are still poised to open higher, held steady by Wednesday’s “taper”announcement and the passage of the Ryan-Murray budget agreement:

–

The Nativity

Look to the Light

What Shall We Give?

Dedication Prayer 19–22 November 1974 by Spencer W. Kimball

Our Holy Father in heaven, thou who hast created our spirits and the heavens and the earth and all things therein, thou most glorious one, perfect in mercy and love and truth, in the name of thy greatly Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, we come to thee this day in this beautiful edifice, to dedicate it unto thee, our living God.

We praise thy Holy Name, our Beloved Father. We are grateful that thou didst cause this land to be rediscovered and settled by people who founded a great nation with an inspired constitution guaranteeing freedom in which there could come the glorious restoration of the gospel and the Church of thy Beloved Son.

And now we present to thee this beautiful temple, provided by the sacrifice of thy people who love thee devotedly.

We are thankful that thou didst send thine Only Begotten Son to this earth to be its Savior, and thou didst send a Prophet, Joseph Smith, called and named long before his birth to bring about the restoration, and that thou and thy Beloved Son didst deign to appear to the Prophet in person, to foil the evil one, and to open the heavens and to restore to the world the knowledge of thee and thy Son and thy holy purposes, through revelations.

We are grateful that this, thy son, Joseph Smith, till the day of his martyrdom, and his successors to this day, are recipients of thy revelations through which the priesthood, the apostleship, the temple work, and all facets of the true and complete gospel have been restored, and holy men have delivered the keys of the kingdom and all vital work for the living and the dead, to bring them to eternal life.

We are grateful for the preservation of the gold plates so that the Book of Mormon, the most correct book, might be restored with all its glorious truths, to show to the house of Israel "… that they may know the covenants of the Lord … and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God . …" (Title page, Book of Mormon.)

Our Father, we bless thy Holy Name and magnify thee day by day as thou sittest enthroned in glory, might, and dominion, and with an infinitude of power and glory; increase our faith, as we remember the glorious deliverances of the past, that we may not falter, but may accomplish all thy holy purposes.

Our Father, bless us that we may live thy commandments and follow thy program. Please forgive us our trespasses as we totally repent, and let us earn and enjoy the rich blessings thou hast promised to the faithful.

Father, we know that the wicked have been punished in the past with famine and pestilence and want and sorrow and war. We pray that thy people may repent and follow thy commandments and be able to avert such calamities as others have suffered before us.

We are greatly concerned, our Father, with the widespread wickedness in this world, the blasphemy, the corruption, the pollution, and the immorality, and we are reminded of days long past when the cities of the plains were destroyed, when cities were sacked and buildings razed and people taken prisoner, to become slaves of enemy nations. We remember the devastation of a flood which was to cleanse the earth from pollution of men, and now we see all the sins of the past being portrayed before our eyes again, when people worship the permissiveness of so-called freedoms, walking blindly into the traps which must terminate in destructive calamities. Bless them, Father, that they may return to thee in total righteousness.

Father, we are concerned with the political world of today and that nations seem to need only the lighting of a match to bring war and desolation and destruction. Bless, we pray thee, the leaders of nations, that they may rule wisely and righteously and give thy people freedom to worship thee in truth and righteousness. Stay the powers, our Father, that would bring us to the brink of annihilation.

Bless all people, our Father, that they may prosper, but not more than their faith can stand.

Our Father, bless the leaders of thy kingdom here upon the earth; reveal thy mind and will to them. Let them be true to righteousness today, tomorrow, and until the scene is folded up.

Our Father, in blessing thy people with prosperity, we pray that they may not be surfeited with flocks and herds and acres and barns and wealth which would bring them to worship these false gods.

Insomuch as the nations repent and follow thee, be gracious, our Father, and let thy destroying angel be pacified and let thy people be forgiven. Be merciful, O Lord, with thy repentant ones when they have suffered and transformed their lives.

Our gracious Father, we remember vividly the commands of thy Son to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15.)

Our Father, our efforts to fulfill this command seem small and infantile, not wholly rewarding. Give us, we pray, hearts of determination that we, thy people, may make such sacrifices as are necessary; that our sons may live righteously through their growing years and strive for spiritual excellence to be worthy to take the gospel to the nations of the world.

Our gracious Father, there are national gates which seemingly need to be unlocked and doors that need to be opened, and hearts of kings, presidents, emperors, and ministers which need to be softened, that they may permit the gospel to be taken to their people.

Our Father, bless the countless millions in the world, that they may receive thy truth, and bless the missionaries on whom the sun never sets, that nothing will prevail against them in their faithful presentation of thy gospel to the world, and bless especially, our Father, the children of thy people in overseas countries that they may devote their sons to this holy work. Wherein we have failed, help us to see our duties; wherein we have been prevented, open the doors, we pray, and swing the gates wide open and let thy servants cover the earth with their testimonies.

Our Almighty Father, increase our faith as we remember the glorious deliverances of the past. We remember that thy powerful hand did reveal thyself in the unconsumed "burning bush" in the desert. Thou didst reveal thy power in delivering the children of Israel from captivity in Egypt; thou didst deliver Noah and his posterity from the raging sea; thou didst lead the Lehite family across impossible deserts and uncrossable seas; thou didst protect Daniel in the lions’ den; thou didst open prison doors and thou didst lead the modern Saints across the plains to the mountain valleys.

With these and numerous other events, we know that thou canst unlock gates and open doors, that we may present to the people of this world thy exalting program as thy Beloved Son has decreed. So we pray, lead our missionaries to all nations with their testimonies of the truth and successfully bridge all barriers.

Our Father in heaven, our hearts go out to the Lamanites. Give them listening ears and understanding hearts. Let them believe; cause that they may commune with thee and rid themselves of all "other gods" and superstitions and fears; let them grow mighty in thy cause. Bless them that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they may believe the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved.

Our gracious Heavenly Father, bless, we pray thee, thy leaders. We are grateful for all the presidents from Joseph Smith, Jr., to President Harold B. Lee, and thank thee for the rich contribution that each has made to thy cause. Bless, we pray thee, the incumbent president, and reveal thy mind and will to him and his counselors, that together they may give inspired leadership to thy program on the earth. Give to them wisdom, judgment, peace, protection, inspiration, and thy revelations continually. Likewise, we pray for the Twelve Apostles, that they may properly take the gospel to every soul of the earth. Give them thy holy revelations also. Bless the Patriarch to the Church, the Assistants to the Twelve, the First Council of Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric, the Regional Representatives of the Twelve, the stake and mission leaders, the wards and branches, the educational institutions, the auxiliaries, and all thy people in every area who give concerted action to bring growth and development to thy Church.

Bless, we pray thee, the presidency of this temple and the matron and all the officiators herein. Endow them with wisdom; help them create a holy atmosphere in this place so that all ordinances may be done with a sweet, spiritual tone that will cause the people to greatly desire to be here. Bless also the watchmen, the guards, and the officials who look after every part and portion of this edifice.

We are so grateful, our Father, that thy Son has thrown wide open the doors of the prisons for the multitudes who are waiting in the spirit world.

Wilt thou deign to make this temple thy house and let holy angels visit it to deliver thy messages, as the rushing of mighty winds with power and glory.

Holy Father, we are grateful that thou didst permit the appearance on the earth of Peter, James, and John to bring the Melchizedek Priesthood and the apostleship to thy servants, Joseph Smith and associates, and through them to us.

Our Holy Father, we have watched with great concern our brethren of Judah. We have seen their persecutions and torture and sufferings, and we pray that the hour may speedily come when they will believe the gospel, accept thy Son as their Savior, and be redeemed.

Bless the people who come into this building for their sealings, marriages, anointings, and other ordinances. Bless this place that it may be a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of glory, a house of eternal marriage, a house of sealings, and the house of God, even thy house, wherein the holy saving work may be done by the living for the countless dead.

Bless those who come here, that their hands may be holy as they lift them high, and that no unclean thing shall ever be permitted to come into this, thy house, to pollute it.

We ask thee, Holy Father, to confound and confuse and shame all who lie and spread false reports against thy servants, that all their destructive works may be brought to naught.

Our Holy Father. we pray that thou wilt bless this great nation, organized here on the choicest of all choice lands. Bless the President of this nation, the Congress, the Justice Department, the Cabinet, the lawmakers and the law enforcers in states, counties, and cities, that liberty may continue to be the foundation stone.

Our Holy Father, hear our pleadings; accept our penance; forgive our sins; and help us in our endeavors. Let thy blessings flow from thy heaven where thou sittest enthroned in glory, honor, power, majesty and might, dominion, truth and justice, judgment, mercy, and an infinity of fullness from everlasting to everlasting.

And now, our great and kind Father, accept this house, we pray. We dedicate it unto thee for thy holy and righteous purposes and put upon it thy name. Let us sing hosannahs to thee and the Lamb, and let these, thine anointed ones, be clothed in salvation, that thy Saints shall shout for joy.

And now, our Father, we ask thee to accept this house, the workmanship of the hands of thy servants, this house in which thou canst dwell forever.

We pray thee, Father, to accept this building in all its parts, from the foundation to the capstone and to all in between, and sanctify it and consecrate it.

From the lowest stone to the highest spire, on which the statue of Moroni stands, we ask thee to accept and protect.

Please bless these walls, that they decay not, and the partitions and floors and roof, the bridges, the elevators, and the stairways. Bless the lighting, the heating equipment, the boilers, the dynamos, the connecting pipes and wires, the lamps, the furniture, and articles of all kinds.

Bless also the veils, the altars, the curtains, the rugs, the baptismal font, and the oxen, the safes, the vaults, the record books, and the documents; bless all the furnishings, the seats, the cushions, the hangings, the locks, and all the appliances and appurtenances, including ornamentation, all work in wood and metal, the embroidery and needlework, the pictures and statuary, the silk, the wool, and the cotton;

The glass, the china, and all else herein, we humbly present for thine acceptance, thy sanctifying blessings, and thy protection.

Our Father, we present the altars before which thy servants and handmaidens will receive their blessings and sealings, and we pray that such may be kept holy.

With the buildings, we present the land on which they are built, the walks and fences and ornamental beds and trees and plants and flowers and shrubbery. May they blossom beautifully and be pleasant to all, that these hillsides may be a haven of peace and rest and holy meditation.

Father, we beg of thee to protect this building and appurtenances from injury and destruction by fire or flood or the rage of the elements, shafts of lightning and blasts of hurricanes, the upheaval of earthquakes, and all disturbing factors; O Lord, we beg of thee, protect it.

Now gracious Father, permit thy loyal, loving people to praise thy Holy Name forever in all nations with all kindreds and tongues and people, and let them cry with a loud voice before thy throne and before the Lamb of God, saying, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb," and let us in unison "praise thee, saying, Blessing and honor and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, power and might be unto our God and His Son forever and ever."

And now, by the power of the holy priesthood thou hast given us, we dedicate this building and all that is connected therewith and all its furnishings and contents to thee, our Holy Father, and ask thy blessings upon it. In the worthy name of Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen and Amen and Amen.

Price of Ground Beef Hits All-Time High

(CNSNews.com) - The average price for a pound of ground beef hit its all-time in the United States in November, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In January 1980, when BLS started tracking the average price of 100-percent beef  ground chuck, a pound cost $1.82. By this November, the same pound of ground beef cost $3.61 per pound. That was up from $3.49 per pound in October.

A decade ago, in November 2003, a pound of ground chuck cost $2.49. Since then, the price has gone up 45 percent.

Despite the increase in the average cost of ground beef, the Consumer Price Index remained unchanged in November, according to BLS.

“On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers was unchanged in November after decreasing 0.1 percent in October. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in November after increasing 0.1 percent in October,” the BLS states.

“The food index rose slightly in November, with the food at home index unchanged,” said the BLS. (See CPI, Nov. 2013.pdf)

The BLS calculates an overall food index of food prices and also a food at home index and a food away from home index. Ground chuck beef is included in both the "food index" and "food at home" index, according to the BLS.

How To Successfully Grow Potatoes In Tires

Here’s a question that I get from potato lovers: “How can I grow potatoes in abundance in limited space?”

Growing potatoes in tires can be quite simple and here are my instructions how to do it and have a bumper crop. You get a chance to do some recycling and vertical gardening all together.

Depending on the size of the tires, I first wash them. If they are small enough for me to get them in my pickup truck, I’ll take them to a car wash and wash them under pressure
with soap then rinse with water. Inside the tire and outside as well, making sure the tread is free from road grim and grit.

You’ll want to set the tire away from an prevailing winds to keep their foliage from getting wind damage. Make sure the spot you select will be free of most foot traffic and out
of the way of activities to avoid the set-up from being knocked over. Press down any growth on the ground such as clover or grass, and lay a thick mat of saturated newspapers over the grass or area which you will be setting tire over. Over this, put down 2 nice layers of cardboard: one long ways, the other cross ways: you can cut the cardboard away AFTER you position the tires on top of the cardboard. The newspaper will soon deteriorate into the soil, but the cardboard hangs around for awhile, giving added protection against weeds and grass that would come up into the tire.

Whether or not you trim away the rim of the top tire is your decision. Some tires I do trim, others I do not. The bigger the tire is, the more likely I am to trim away the
sidewall up to its tread. (This is just my own way of doing things).

Wet the cardboard down really good then start stuffing newspapers, leaves, straw, corncobs, sawdust or whatever you have that will absorb moisture into the inner rim
of the tires so when rains come, the organic material will take up the excess moisture and hold it till the plants need it the most: moisture will “wick” away from the inner rim into the main tire container area.

Once the rim is packed with such materials you have on hand or can obtain at no cost to you or for little cost, crumble your topsoil, potting soil and cover the cardboard with 3 or 4 soil inches of this mixture, then seat your potato seeds into that mixture. I always add a dusting of hardwood ashes I’ve kept from the wood stove over the potatoes. Potash is very good for root crops.

Once your potatoes are in place, dusted with wood ash, cover with a layer (not pressed down) of straw, shredded newspapers, compost, or whatever mulch you’ll be using, then cover the top hole with a piece of glass, Plexiglas, or you can rig clear plastic over the top if you have nothing else to use. Glass and/or Plexiglas is ever so much easier on you the gardener, than using the plastic cover is. Because the bed must be watered weekly unless rainfall measures 1-inch. You never want the soil to dry out, and potatoes (sweet and Irish) need a lot of water to return you a bumper crop.

Irish potatoes need only 4-inches of top growth. When your tater vines/plants reach 6-inches tall, it’s time to add a 2-inch layer of mulch, and snug it up around the potato plant stems. When it’s time, add another tire on top of the first one. And just keep adding mulch, water, and tires until the stack grows 5-6 tires tall. You may need to drive a wooden stay on 2 or 3 sides of the tires so they won’t blow over when storms come, or when you brush against them, or dogs hit them while chasing a ball, or once night temps no longer offer a chance of frost, you can omit the glass top: if you have who might eat the tater vine, you can use an old window screen instead of the glass top. And when the temps get around or above 80 degrees, put a layer of newspaper around the upper edge of the top most tire: this will to deflect heat away from the tire and preserves inner moisture as well.

The first blooms that form, I pinch off. This pours more growth to the roots which is what you’ll harvest anyhow. The 2nd set of blooms, I allow to form and soon after the vines will begin to dry and become mulch. You can “dig” your taters by removing one tire at a time. If you’ll prepare another tire spot before unloading your tater tire, as soon as you remove one tire, you can roll it over on top of the cardboard spot you’ve just made beside your tater tire, and by the time your potatoes are all lying out on the ground, you’ll have another tater tower built ready to plant into again to make another crop of late fall taters to harvest just before a hard freeze hits your area…depending, of course, on just what area that is.

Shelter: Off-Grid Cooking

Even preppers who buy and store large quantities of pre-prepared food eventually may get tired of eating it at room temperature, and those who grow their own crops and raise animals for meat will need a way to cook what they produce. Properly cooking food is an important way of preventing food-borne illnesses, as this U.S. government food safety web pagedetails. Additionally, as Practical Preppers consultant Scott Hunt notes, being able to enjoy a good-tasting, well-prepared and varied diet is an important factor in maintaining morale in difficult circumstances.

In order to eat well and stay healthy, you’re going to need the means to cook your food. But you’re also going to have to learn to cook without using some of the conveniences to which many of us have become accustomed. Without a utility company hookup, your standard gas-fired or electric oven and range isn’t going to be of much use. And depending upon your electricity-generating abilities, you may have to reconsider your use of appliances such as microwave and toaster ovens. (From Consumer Energy Center, here’s a chart of how much electricity various home appliances use.) Instead, you’ll probably find yourself having to rely more upon renewable sources of heat, such as wood, for your kitchen.

Here are some key points for setting up a sustainable kitchen in your shelter.

• Get a Wood Stove:  According to Hunt, a wood cook stove probably is your best option for several reasons. If your property is in or near a wooded area, you’ve got a reliable, sustainable source of fuel. According to a 1991 Mother Earth News article on the subject, preppers who cook with wood as a heat source may need to learn different culinary techniques. The surface of the stovetop may not become hot enough to fry foods in a skillet, but it’s perfect for simmering and slow cooking, and the oven inside the stove can be used in a fashion similar to an outdoor charcoal grill to cook vegetables or meat. And in addition to providing a means to cook your food, a wood stove also can provide heat for your shelter during the cold months—a typical stove that generates 35,000 BTUs of heat will keep a 2,000 square-foot home warm, Hunt says. (For efficiency, the stove needs to be centrally located in the home, so that the heat radiates throughout.) To get a high quality stove that is versatile enough to be used for baking, broiling and stove-top cooking and also can provide home heat, you’ll probably need to spend upwards of $4,000. Wiseheat.comoffers reviews of different brands and styles of wood stoves. Woodheat.org offers this Q&A about wood stove cooking.

• Learn About Wood as a Fuel:  For your stove to work properly, you need the right wood in the right amount, and you need to prepare it properly for burning and use good fire-building techniques. The Environmental Protection Agency offers this best burn practices page, which covers the key points. Ideally, you want to use hardwoods, and wood should be seasoned outdoors for six months before burning it. You’ll be able to tell, because it will be darker and have more cracks in the grain than freshly cut wood, and will make a hollow sound when you smack it against another piece. Additionally, according to the EPA, you should purchase a moisture meter, a device that allows you to test wood to make sure that the moisture content is less than 20 percent. You also need to regularly remove ashes from your stove to maintain proper airflow.

• Propane: If you prefer cooking with gas, a propane-fueled stove is an option—though Hunt cautions that you’ll want to cook outdoors, to prevent the possibility of carbon monoxide buildup, which can kill you. “A large 100 gallon tank hidden in crawl space or basement can supply for months depending on outside temperature,” Hunt explains. You’ll also need equipment to transfer your fuel from the big storage tank to smaller tanks that you can attach to your stove or grill. From the Modern Survival Blog, here’s an article on proper storage of propane.

If You Only Do Three Things:

• Get a wood stove.  It’ll double for cooking and as a heat source.
• Stock up on cooking supplies and equipment. A cast-iron griddle like this one will enable you to cook everything from steaks to pancakes on your wood stove top. Be sure also to stock up on supplies such as aluminum foil and matches.
• Be wary of carbon monoxide. Hunt cautions that any sort of open flame—from candles to camp stoves—can cause a fatal buildup of this deadly gas. So never cook over an open flame indoors.