January 22, 2012
Subculture of Americans prepares for civilization's collapse
(By Jim Forsyth - Reuters - Published - 1/21/12)
When Patty Tegeler looks out the window of her home overlooking
the Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Virginia, she
sees trouble on the horizon.
"In an instant, anything can happen," she told
Reuters. "And I firmly believe that you have to be
prepared."
Tegeler is among a growing subculture of Americans who refer
to themselves informally as "preppers." Some are
driven by a fear of imminent societal collapse, others are
worried about terrorism, and many have a vague concern that
an escalating series of natural disasters is leading to
some type of environmental cataclysm.
They are following in the footsteps of hippies in the 1960s
who set up communes to separate themselves from what they
saw as a materialistic society, and the survivalists in
the 1990s who were hoping to escape the dictates of what
they perceived as an increasingly secular and oppressive
government.
Preppers, though are, worried about no government.
Tegeler, 57, has turned her home in rural Virginia into
a "survival center," complete with a large generator,
portable heaters, water tanks, and a two-year supply of
freeze-dried food that her sister recently gave her as a
birthday present. She says that in case of emergency, she
could survive indefinitely in her home. And she thinks that
emergency could come soon.
"I think this economy is about to fall apart,"
she said.
A wide range of vendors market products to preppers, mainly
online. They sell everything from water tanks to guns to
survival skills.
Conservative talk radio host Glenn Beck seems to preach
preppers' message when he tells listeners: "It's never
too late to prepare for the end of the world as we know
it."
"Unfortunately, given the increasing complexity and
fragility of our modern technological society, the chances
of a societal collapse are increasing year after year,"
said author James Wesley Rawles, whose Survival Blog is
considered the guiding light of the prepper movement.
A former Army intelligence officer, Rawles has written fiction
and non-fiction books on end-of-civilization topics, including
"How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It,"
which is also known as the preppers' Bible.
"We could see a cascade of higher interest rates, margin
calls, stock market collapses, bank runs, currency revaluations,
mass street protests, and riots," he told Reuters.
"The worst-case end result would be a Third World War,
mass inflation, currency collapses, and long term power
grid failures."
A sense of "suffering and being afraid" is usually
at the root of this kind of thinking, according to Cathy
Gutierrez, an expert on end-times beliefs at Sweet Briar
College in Virginia. Such feelings are not unnatural in
a time of economic recession and concerns about a growing
national debt, she said.
"With our current dependence on things from the electric
grid to the Internet, things that people have absolutely
no control over, there is a feeling that a collapse scenario
can easily emerge, with a belief that the end is coming,
and it is all out of the individual's control," she
told Reuters.
She compared the major technological developments of the
past decade to the Industrial Revolution of the 1830s and
1840s, which led to the growth of the Millerites, the 19th-Century
equivalent of the preppers. Followers of charismatic preacher
Joseph Miller, many sold everything and gathered in 1844
for what they believed would be the second coming of Jesus
Christ.
Many of today's preppers receive inspiration from the Internet,
devouring information posted on websites like that run by
attorney Michael T. Snider, who writes The Economic Collapse
blog out of his home in northern Idaho.
"Modern preppers are much different from the survivalists
of the old days," he said. "You could be living
next door to a prepper and never even know it. Many suburbanites
are turning spare rooms into food pantries and are going
for survival training on the weekends."
Like other preppers, Snider is worried about the end of
a functioning U.S. economy. He points out that tens of millions
of Americans are on food stamps and that many U.S. children
are living in poverty.
"Most people have a gut feeling that something has
gone terribly wrong, but that doesn't mean that they understand
what is happening," he said. "A lot of Americans
sense that a massive economic storm is coming and they want
to be prepared for it."
So, assuming there is no collapse of society -- which the
preppers call "uncivilization" -- what is the
future of the preppers?
Gutierrez said that unlike the Millerites -- or followers
of radio preacher Harold Camping, who predicted the world
would end last year -- preppers are not setting a date for
the coming destruction. The Mayan Calendar predicts doom
this December.
"The minute you set a date, you are courting disconfirmation,"
she said.
Tegeler, who recalls being hit by tornadoes and floods in
her southwestern Virginia home, said that none of her "survival
center" products will go to waste.
"I think it's silly not to be prepared," she said.
"After all, anything can happen."
January 11, 2012
Why Revolutionary Realty thinks Wolves don't belong in North
Idaho
!!WARNING - GRAPHIC!! - Click
Here
December 30, 2011
Idaho has cheapest Electricity Cost in America:
USA Today 12/13/11
Electric bills have skyrocketed in the last five years,
a sharp reversal from a quarter-century when Americans enjoyed
stable power bills even as they used more electricity. Households
paid a record $1,419 on average for electricity in 2010,
the fifth consecutive yearly increase above the inflation
rate, a USA TODAY analysis of government data found. The
jump has added about $300 a year to what households pay
for electricity. That's the largest sustained increase since
a run-up in electricity prices during the 1970s.....click
here for complete article and electricity bills by state
chart .
August 21, 2010
Tax Increases for EVERYBODY? No, tell me its not so!!!
In less than six months, the largest tax hikes in the history
of America will take effect. They will hit families and
small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2011:
First Wave: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief
In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax
cuts for investors, small business owners, and families.
These will all expire on January 1, 2011:
Personal income tax rates will rise. The top income
tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also
the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are
taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent.
All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions
and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has
the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates.
The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:
The 10% bracket rises to 15%
The 25% bracket rises to 28%
The 28% bracket rises to 31%
The 33% bracket rises to 36%
The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%
Higher taxes on marriage and family. The "marriage
penalty" (narrower tax brackets for married couples)
will return from the first dollar of income. The child
tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per
child. The standard deduction will no longer be doubled
for married couples relative to the single level. The dependent
care and adoption tax credits will be cut.
The return of the Death Tax. This year, there is
no death tax. For those dying on or after January 1 2011,
there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over
$1 million. A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement
account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their
loved ones.
Higher tax rates on savers and investors. The capital
gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent
in 2011. The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this
year to 39.6 percent in 2011. These rates will rise another
3.8 percent in 2013.
Second Wave: Obamacare
There are over 20 new or higher taxes in Obamacare.
Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011. They
include:
The "Medicine Cabinet Tax" Thanks to Obamacare,
Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account
(HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement
(HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter
medicines (except insulin).
The "Special Needs Kids Tax" This provision
of Obamacare imposes a cap on flexible spending accounts
(FSAs) of $2500 (Currently, there is no federal government
limit). There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new
cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special
needs children.
There are thousands of families with special needs children
in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for
special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school
that teaches special needs children in Washington , D.C.
( National Child Research Center ) can easily exceed $14,000
per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay
for this type of special needs education.
The HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike. This provision of Obamacare
increases the additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals
from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative
to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain
at 10 percent.
Third Wave: The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer
Tax Hikes
When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January
of 2011, they'll be in for a nasty surprise-the AMT won't
be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will
have expired. The major items include:
The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from
4 million last year. According to the left-leaning Tax Policy
Center , Congress' failure to index the AMT will lead to
an explosion of AMT taxpaying families-rising from 4 million
last year to 28.5 million. These families will have to calculate
their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level.
The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.
Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing
will disappear.
Small businesses can normally expense (rather than slowly-deduct,
or "depreciate") equipment purchases up to $250,000.
This will be cut all the way down to $25,000. Larger businesses
can expense half of their purchases of equipment. In January
of 2011, all of it will have to be "depreciated."
Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses.
There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that
will take place. The biggest is the loss of the "research
and experimentation tax credit," but there are many,
many others. Combining high marginal tax rates with the
loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.
Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced.
The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available.
Tax credits for education will be limited. Teachers will
no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses. Covered
Education Savings Accounts will be cut. Employer-provided
educational assistance is curtailed. The student loan interest
deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of thousands of
families.
Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed.
Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute
up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their
IRA. This contribution also counts toward an annual "required
minimum distribution." This ability will no longer
be there.
PDF Version Read more:
http://www.atr.org/six-months-untilbr-largest-tax-hikes-a5171#%23ixzz0sY8waPq1
Now your insurance is INCOME on your W2s
One of the surprises we'll find come next year, is what
follows - - a little "surprise" that 99% of us
had no idea was included in the "new and improved"
healthcare legislation . . . the dupes, er, dopes, who backed
this administration will be astonished!
Starting in 2011, (next year folks), your W-2 tax form
sent by your employer will be increased to show the value
of whatever health insurance you are given by the company.
It does not matter if that's a private concern or governmental
body of some sort. If you're retired? So what; your gross
will go up by the amount of insurance you get.
You will be required to pay taxes on a large sum of money
that you have never seen. Take your tax form you just finished
and see what $15,000 or $20,000 additional gross does to
your tax debt. That's what you'll pay next year. For many,
it also puts you into a new higher bracket so it's even
worse.
This is how the government is going to buy insurance for
the 15% that don't have insurance and it's only part of
the tax increases.
Not believing this??? Here is a research of the summaries.....
On page 25 of 29: TITLE IX REVENUE PROVISIONS- SUBTITLE
A: REVENUE OFFSET PROVISIONS-(sec. 9001, as modified by
sec. 10901) Sec. 9002 "requires employers to include
in the W-2 form of each employee the aggregate cost of applicable
employer sponsored group health coverage that is excludable
from the employees gross income."
Joan Pryde is the senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters.
Go to Kiplingers and read about 13
tax changes that could affect you . Number 3 is what
is above.
People need to know the truth because an election is coming
in November.
August 1, 2010
Are you thinking about Selling your home or Land; or for
that matter Buying in the next year or two? If so, I think
this bit of information might mean something to you, as
it will affect all of us:
There is indeed a tax
on the sale of real estate. It doesnt apply to
many people, but it WILL apply to some people that have
profit from the sale of their homes. Starting in 2013, those
with incomes over $200,000 will have to pay a 3.8%
tax on profit from the sale of their primary residence
or investment properties . The exact amount will be based
on a formula that includes the profit from the property
and the income above $200,000. The tax is not an income
tax, but rather it is a payroll tax
officially
it is a Medicare
Tax.
It does not just apply to real estate, but also applies
to investment income and dividends.
Something to keep in mind
July 5, 2010
Sadly, I have seen many people who would have been easy
to finance in 2006 get completely shut out of the Real Estate
Market in 2010.
Regardless if the Loans are commercial or residential,
the determining factors as to if a person or couple can
receive a loan from commercial banks (or any institution
for that matter) is pretty consistent for all property types.
What Ive seen lately that would qualify the average
person for a conventional loan is the following:
720+ FICO
score
Verifiable and sustainable employment or self employment
for the last two years (minimum)
12+ months of mortgage payments in a cash/checking/savings
account
A minimum of 25% in reserves if planning on purchasing an
investment property
Two years experience as a landlord/property manager, if
purchasing an investment property
No late payments or foreclosures on real estate debts
The world has changed a lot, when it comes to financing,
so these requirements are the norm, and many banks are actually
demanding more.
Ive seen a ton of good solid people lose deals directly
as a result of not being able to obtain financing from the
same banks that we Bailed out. I think its
a shame, but its also reality; if you want to get
a loan from a Bank, on any form of Real Estate, the best
& most available are government backed loans FHA/HUD
and the conventional loans that arent backed by the
Government are extremely hard to obtain.
June 15, 2010
When you leave Coeur dAlene, Eastbound on I-90, you
go up & over a few smaller mountains, but big enough
that some people might call them a Pass. In
any event, this is a Stunningly Beautiful drive, looking
down over Lake
Coeur d'Alene, Wolf
Lodge Bay, and the surrounding Coeur
dAlene National Forest for miles & miles.
The scenery is dramatic enough that plenty of people have
crashed because they were so mesmerized by the views, so
be careful if youre driving here (please).
This weekend, I was driving home on I-90, and I was following
a big Harley Davidson Bike. This guy was taking his time,
breathing in the clean air, and enjoying the views on a
sunny North Idaho day. Just past the top of the pass, there
is a huge, majestic bridge named the Veterans
Memorial Centennial Bridge.
I watched this biker let go of the right handlebar, and
make the crispest, fullest salute Ive seen in a long
time, just before he crossed onto the bridge.
And this struck me.
As I watched this bike ride along in front of me, a couple
of things came to mind; one is that I think that this pony
tailed biker was either a Vietnam Vet (and a BIG THANK YOU
for your service would be in order) or he is one of these
awesome people who understands what our Vets have paid for
our Freedoms over the years, and especially right now, with
all that is Iraq & Afghanistan. He could easily be both.
In any event, I pushed my vehicle right up to 90 MPH to
catch this guy, right at my exit, and as he looked over
at the lunatic passing him on his right, this Veteran saluted
him back.
Im glad to see guys like that, and equally happy that
I served for them.
America THE Beautiful.
May 25, 2010
Late Spring has arrived in Beautiful Coeur d'Alene, but
the winter passed by quickly for all of us who are lucky
enough to have enjoyed the great outdoor experiences available
in North
Idaho , with snowmobiling, skating, skiing, ice fishing
and exploring the breathtaking snowscaped Rocky Mountains
taking up a lot of our time. Last weekend, Memorial Day
Weekend, we skied at Silver
Mountain one last time-in 71 degree weather!
With each and every seasonal transformation comes more
exciting opportunities for everyone and anyone who enjoys
all that a 4 season activity center such as Coeur d'Alene
has to offer.
Our local area lakes are Crystal clear, the rivers serenely
clear of ice and flowing free, blossoms now appearing everywhere
and it's a great time for hiking enthusiasts and bicyclists
to travel the trails, explore history or simply enjoy the
rebirth of nature in it's purest form.
Springtime temps are expected to be mild while warming
steadily, great news for area gardeners who have a unique
dedication to home grown specialties while at the same time
saving on that family budget.
Now is a great time to enjoy North Idaho's outdoors; golfers,
fishermen, bikers, bicyclists, shoppers, all can expect
a ton of sun, warm days & cool nights.
Enjoy!
April 22, 2010
The people of the Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho enjoy
a great many natural and National wonders they can be very
proud of, however, outside of the obvious natural beauty
of Coeur d'Alene's Rocky Mountains I came across another
category which again places Idaho residents in first place
overall throughout the entire nation.
A
National Drivers Test which consists of questions compiled
from all 50 states reflects that Idaho
is top of the list with regards to safe drivers. While
the test is not indicative of actual citations issued or
accident claims presented per capita, it is positively a
result which verifies that Idaho residents have a greater
awareness to rules of the road and the law in general.
This makes me proud of my fellow Idahoans, and from my
perspective, people here are fairly friendly on the roads,
seeming to always lend a hand when someone is in need.
In order to follow the law of the land, a person has to
know the law; and the number one ranking again proves that
Idahoans work pretty hard to do the right thing, making
good common sense decisions when driving.
Bravo Idaho!
April 10, 2010
Lake Coeur dAlene Spring Fishing
The temps are warming and the northern pike have now become
very aggressive in Lake
Coeur d'Alene Our Beautiful Lake contains an abundance
of trophy sized pike, many capable of surpassing the 25
pound range. Most pike anglers would expect to find this
caliber of fishing in the desolate reaches of far off Canadian
fly in trips but it is also located right here in Coeur
d'Alene, Idaho.
Hooking into the whopper northern pike isnt uncommon,
experiment with Silver Crankbaits, the more action produced
by the lure the better your chances, hook up with live bait,
suckers or shiners in the 6 inch plus category. A great
technique while drifting is to lay a large smelt a reasonable
distance behind your boat. Shore fishermen can have great
success simply by using frozen smelt under a big bobber,
watch the bobber being pulled around by the sucker until
the bobber disappears underwater, when it does, set the
hook hard because the fun has just begun.
After you've landed the Northern, don't forget to remove
those Y bones during the fillet process. Fillet
and skin the pike as usual, then cut a line down the entire
length just above the line of Y bones, then
cut on an angle upward just below the line of y bones, remove
the bothersome y bones in one connected section and slice
the fillets into 3 inch lengths for a delicious home fried
dinner or shore lunch. When you catch the really big one,
double fillet the sides, they'll fry up much more efficient
and complete.
Have fun!
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