Blissfully unaware...or properly prepared?

Ignorance is bliss, or so the saying goes. What if a crisis looms right before your nose? Will you choose to act in time and get over your surprise? Or wait too long and let it smack you right between your eyes? Welcome to this week's "kick-butt" issue of the Prepper Upper! This Week's Sponsor: The Prepper Shaker: This could be it! This really could be it, folks. This is THE CRISIS. The one that could make all doomsday scenarios come true. The government bailouts and central bank interventions, which have held the financial world together during the last two years, will be powerless to prevent this one, which started in 2009 and is now looming right in front of our collective noses. And it's just a few months away. There has been tumultuous weather killing crops not just in our own nation, but in the world. The same USDA that is predicting record harvests is also declaring disaster areas across half the Midwest because of catastrophic crop losses. And just last week Florida suffered at least a 30 percent crop loss due to freezing temperatures, the worst in over two decades. And this at a time when U.S. food reserves have completely dried up, and may be gone for a long time. So what does it mean? It means there is overwhelming, undeniable evidence that the world could, and probably will, run out of food this year. But wait! There's more! And it isn't pretty. If you've got at least a 3 month supply of food on hand and a place to grow a garden and maybe even raise a few chickens, it's probably all right if you skip this week's offering and move on to the humor section. But for the rest of you, it's preparedness kick-butt time! Read on if you care: 2010 Food Crisis for Dummies or for a kinder version of the same story, go here: Top Ten Predictions for 2010 (from newjerseynewsroom.com) A final caution: Please remember that our job as preppers is to be doom-SLAYERS--not doomsayers. We're sharing this information to help you become better aware of what COULD happen in the very near future so you can prepare wisely. From the Funny Farm: Hammin' it Up! A ham (radio operator) is driving up a steep, narrow mountain road, his antennas flapping in the breeze and flopping into the other lane. A YL (young lady) is driving down the same road. As they pass each other, the YL narrowly misses him and leans out of the window and yells "PIG!!" The ham immediately leans out of his window and replies, "WITCH!!" They each continue on their way, and as the man rounds the next corner, he crashes into a pig in the middle of the road. If men would only listen!!!. Prep Talk: Expect the Unexpected Babies! Don't 'ya just love em? So innocent. So cute. So special. And so...unpredictable! Suppose you and your spouse decide to go to a movie one evening. You'll only be gone 3 hours at most. The baby has been fed, changed, and is already asleep when the babysitter arrives. Should be a piece of cake for even the most inexperienced babysitter, right? Wrong! I remember all too well what happened to me, the nervous novice, on my first real babysitting assignment. "The baby's already asleep so he shouldn't be any problem at all. He'll probably sleep the whole time we're gone. If his diaper needs changing before we get back, just use one of those Pampers (disposable diapers) over there. Don't worry. Everything will be all right. We'll be back by 10PM." Right. You can probably guess what happened next. Less than 5 minutes after the parents walked out the door, the baby woke up and started crying ... and crying ... and crying ...! Nothing I tried would quiet that baby. Nothing! He cried for almost the entire 3 hours, finally falling asleep (from exhaustion, no doubt) just a few minutes before they returned home. This nervous novice quickly turned into a nervous wreck! Oh well ... at least the diaper change went OK, or so I thought. No one told me that disposable diapers have two sides: an absorbent one and a non-absorbent one. Guess which side I put next to the baby??... Fortunately for me, I made that infamous diaper change around 9:30 PM. When the parents walked in the door at 10PM, I proudly reported that the baby was asleep, his diaper changed, and of course, he was *no* problem while they were gone. Did those parents ever ask me to babysit for them again? Nope. It took them months before they could even tell me with a straight face what I had done with the diaper change. Ah...we live and learn. So what's the moral of this story? Always look at both sides of a situation before you act. If you don't, you could have a real mess (literally) on your hands! Best Regards, Sharon Iezzi Your Hoppy-Go-Lucky Editor Parting Shot: Baby Diapering for Baseball Fans "Spread the diaper in the position of the diamond with you at bat. Then fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitcher's mound. Put first base and third together, bring up home plate and pin the three together. Of course, in case of rain, you gotta call the game and start all over again." --Jimmy Piersal, on how to diaper a baby, 1968 Keep on...preppin'! * * * * * The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by James Talmage Stevens, Publisher Author of Making the Best of Basics: the all-new and updated 11th edition. Editor: Sharon Iezzi Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email More free info at familypreparednessguide.com * * * * * If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Your comments are always welcome! © 2010 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may NOT copy and distribute any portion of this blog for commercial purposes without written permission. Mail requests to: ready2prepare @ gmail.com

Provident prepping--that's the spirit!

Are you a provident prepper? Does having "enough" mean a bunker full of stuff, or does being prudent, economical, careful and frugal in planning for the future matter more? This week we'll take a look into the heart and soul of prepping and mix it with a pinch of fun to get your new years prepping off to a rolling start! This Week's Sponsor: The Prepper Shaker: A Suggested Survival List What would a radio preacher know about prepping? More than you might think, especially if he's Chuck Baldwin, a radio broadcaster, syndicated columnist, and pastor dedicated to preserving the historic principles upon which America was founded. Chuck offers "provident" advice gleaned from the most learned, most trained, and most qualified "experts" in a variety of fields. He says, "What I write today, I have learned from others. I've formed my own opinions and priorities, of course...but if I can share something in today's column that will help someone be better prepared for the days to come, then my goal will have been achieved." Read Chuck's column here: Chuck Baldwin: A Suggested Survival List From the Funny Farm: Idol Worship Horror of horrors! Do some preppers actually worship idols? Let's examine the evidence: Since the cold weather started, the editor of the "Prepper-Upper" has been making round-the-clock wood offerings to a large cast-iron object occupying a prominent place in her living room. Then there's this prepper associate of hers who recently reported how she was up half the night "bowing before the porcelain god." Those were her exact words! And--oh yes--how about all those newlywed prepper wives who idolize their husbands by giving them burnt offerings at least once a week? Prep Talk: Are YOU Prepared? Ask Your Heart... Most people think of "preparedness" as a state of mind, a state of finances, or a state of readiness achieved through storing food and supplies for emergencies, Although all of these are important, preparedness is first and foremost a state of the heart. We live today in an age of fear: fear of terrorism - fear of nuclear war - fear of business failure - fear of job loss and/or failed relationships - fear of another stock market crash - fear of having our privacy invaded - fear of drought, flood, climate change, environmental and natural disasters - fears for our safety and the safety of our children - and the list goes on. You probably already know that fear is bad for the heart. It causes a rapid heartbeat which, over time, can make a weak heart fail. Even the Bible makes mention of "men's hearts failing them for fear" (Luke 21:26) in times like we see today. Will all the knowledge, wealth, food and survival gear in the world really be of much use to someone whose heart is full of fear? I don't think so. Maybe it's time to put first things first... to make the development of a strong, healthy heart the first priority in getting prepared for whatever the future may bring. How much easier is it to learn what we need to learn, to work hard, earn money, and acquire whatever we need in order to survive hard times (whatever the cause) when our hearts are in good shape! If you're sitting down, take a moment right now to check your pulse. Is it slow or rapid? What does that tell you about the current state of your heart? Are you satisfied with the results? If not, consider this: Fear weakens the heart. Faith strengthens it. How strong is YOUR faith? Let your heart tell you. It knows... Best Regards, Sharon Iezzi Your Hoppy-Go-Lucky Editor Parting Shot: "An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves." --Bill Vaughn (1915-1977), American columnist and author Keep on...preppin'! * * * * * The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by James Talmage Stevens, Publisher Author of Making the Best of Basics: the all-new and updated 11th edition. Editor: Sharon Iezzi Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email More free info at familypreparednessguide.com * * * * * If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Your comments are always welcome! © 2009 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may NOT copy and distribute any portion of this blog for commercial purposes without written permission. Mail requests to: ready2prepare @ gmail.com