Author Archives: matthewgilmanauthor

BLM and The Communist Manifesto

 

“We are trained Marxist.”  –Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter.

A week before the above statement was made, I had already noticed a comparison between what was happening around the country and the Cultural Revolution of China from 1965-1975. The initial demands from BLM had already been answered with the police officers involved in the death of George Floyd arrested and charged with murder. However, the protest didn’t stop. Not only did they not stop they escalated into riots, looting, and occupation zones. Businesses were burned down and statues torn down from their pedestals. These protests were no longer about the death of George Floyd, this was something entirely different.

I had read the Communist Manifesto years ago and in the past week several things were said or done that made me go back and read it again. What struck me while reading this short book is that if one was to replace “Bourgeois” with “white” you have BLM entire platform in this one book. Everything from the destruction of the Nuclear family to the elimination of property ownership is in there. For example, in section two is the following passage: “The abolition of Bourgeois individuality, Bourgeois independence, and Bourgeois freedom is undoubtedly aimed at.”

Now let’s try that again. The abolition of white individuality, white independence and white freedom is undoubtedly aimed at. Sounds pretty familiar, right? The examples go on and on.

These policies are playing out before our eyes with the destruction of statues that are not related to slavery, black oppression, or racism at all. In many cases these statues are a reflection of the opposite. This has nothing to do with the death of George Floyd. This is also linked to Marx. “Those who control the past control the future. Those you control the present control the past.” There is a rewriting of history taking place and it is an attempt to steer the country in the direction they want to go in. there is no negotiation with this.

“If this country doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it.” -Hawk Newsome, Chairman of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York.

This threat comes from the final lines of the communist manifesto. “They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forceable overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a communistic revolution. The proletarians (people of color) have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.” The threat is very real and at the moment they think they have the momentum to accomplish their goals. After seeing all of the politicians and celebrities bow down to these Marxists I have to say, they are right. There is a very real chance that the reigns of this country could be handed over to a bunch of childish brats who are screaming and crying their way into power.

In St Louis Missouri a couple went into their house to grab their guns after a locked gate was smashed open and hundreds of protestors walked onto their property. For the Marxists the ownership of property is an insult to the proletarians (people of color). In section 2 of the communist manifesto there is a list of measures needed to be taken in order to create a communist nation. Number 1 states “Abolition of property in land and applications of all rents of land to public purposes.” To the protesters those people living behind that locked gate did not own their property.

The idea of inherited wealth is another insult to the communist manifesto. During these riots we saw the destruction and burning of black businesses. The opportunity to have inherited wealth was taken away by the same people to claim “black lives matter.” However, number 3 of the measures to take in the creation of a communist country states “Abolition of all right of inheritance.” The destruction of private property is not beyond the creation of a communist state, it is just one step closer to creating what they want.

There is an organized effort here with the abolition of police departments to make sure the only authority in the country is BLM. With the help of the media outlets and 24-hour news cycles most events are being twisted to fit a certain narrative. It isn’t uncommon to hear reporters say “peaceful protest” or “mostly peaceful protest.” Both statements being complete fabrications of the truth. These news outlets are primarily sided with the democratic party and leave it to Marx to guide BLM towards their media allies. “In France the communists ally themselves with the social-democrats, against the conservative and radical bourgeoisie, reserving, however, the right to take up a critical position in regards to phrases and illusions traditionally handed down from the great revolution.” When one party already has a political media infrastructure why wouldn’t you take advantage of it, and threaten them if they don’t play ball? The threat of being labeled a racist is the harshest punishment one can undergo these days, guaranteeing everything from a lose of job to social outcast. It doesn’t mean death, yet. BLM’s ability to execute a person found guilty of a social crime hasn’t happened yet, but it won’t take long at this rate.

What started out as the death of one man has led to the death of countless followers in the weeks that followed. While the protest promote Black Lives Matter there have been multiple shootings across the country that have caused the deaths of several black people. The first weekend after Minneapolis announced it was disbanding their police force, Chicago saw 43 shootings in one weekend, the following weekend (Father’s Day) had a record number 104 shooting with two children killed in the process. The Capital Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) had five shootings with three black men killed during the two-week life span of that failed communist utopia.  Today 6-29-2020, there was a shooting in Kentucky where a BLM member was kicked out of a rally and came back to shoot into the protesters in retaliation.

Do I need to go on about how these are not peaceful protest? This is a communist revolution in the works. At the moment, the democrats are on their side. Some republicans are playing ball but I have to guess they have no idea what is going on or they haven’t taken their pills for dementia in a while. The media is still on their side although I have noticed they are not covering the protest anymore. The ongoing destruction is turning the tide away from Joe Biden, a mummified zombie who is ordered to do with they say if he gets into office. In any case, BLM has a higher approval rating than the president, congress, and the senate, allegedly. The movement is still going. Steps are being taken to further the cause. It won’t be long now before they claim their next victim and try to secure more land. This revolution is far from over.

 

 

 

 

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The Revolution is here

 

However, you may think of it this is not a good thing. What appears to have started out as a march against the death of George Floyd has turned into something completely different. The sad part is that the media and the people commenting on the recent activities around the country are still trying to figure out what is happening by last weeks standards. Statues in different cities have been taken down and many of them leave the host of what ever talk show you watch scratching their heads trying to explain the logic. There is none.

What we are witnessing is a cultural revolution. The ultimate goal of Tyler Durden in the book fight club. The desire to erase and rewrite history in your own image. The replacement of false gods with the ones you truly want to worship. This couldn’t be truer with the recent call to wipe white Jesus off of the map and replace him with nothing. The protest and riots we are seeing today is not a protest or a movement, it is the start of a social campaign to destroy the foundation of this country to create something else.

The media might have stopped covering the protest and riots because it tends to become boring until someone dies of course. As of today, antifa rioters fired paintballs and other projectiles at police in an effort to get them to fight back, with deadly force. After all, the media is the puppet of their BLM overlords and if they don’t paint the event in favor of the so called victims they will fall to the social pressure exerted by BLM. Maybe Don Lemon isn’t gay enough. Maybe Mr. Cuomo didn’t kiss his brother’s ass enough on TV. There is always a reason to cancel somebody and I for one am not putting up with it.

This is the type of life people have lived for decades in China. Always walking on egg shells hoping not to piss off the wrong person or saying the wrong thing. Knowing that at any time something could be found to have you unemployed or placed into a re-education center. This type of thing is already happening. Businesses are announcing mandatory anti-racism training. Companies are posting the percentage of minorities in their ranks showing how “Woke” they are. Of course, you don’t see the details. Were these people, as individuals, the most qualified for the position? Not only will we never know but they won’t either, always wondering if they got their job because of the work they put in or if it was to fit a quota. The disadvantage of the affirmative action law is the amount of self esteem lost wondering the answer to that question, not knowing if you have truly earned anything in your life or if it was just handed to you. The worst case scenario for these companies is hiring the employee that just doesn’t give a shit and think they are immune from everything because of it.

The party came to work for my mom last week. She works at a local hospital where her unit coordinator made everyone on the unit kneel for ten minutes in solidarity with George Floyd. This wasn’t about George Floyd. The movement never has been. This was about power. My mom is in her 60s and the ability to find a new job at her age along with a pandemic creates a prime environment for power hungry opportunist to come out of the woodwork and take advantage of an already shitty year. Once the ten minutes were over the Unit Coordinator pointed out the one nurse who did not participate and asked her why she didn’t join in. unlike the rest of the group this nurse was doing her job, charting for her patients so they could receive the care they needed.

Books are being burned in some places. Statues torn down. Movies are being taken off of the internet. Streets are renamed. Politicians are kneeling before false idols. The police are nowhere to be found. A woman in Virginia found herself and her daughter in the middle of a protest trapped in a car with people trying to open the doors and jumping on the hood. When she called 911 dispatch told her that they could not respond to the call. “Try to drive through but don’t hurt anyone.” The woman pleaded for help but they refused to send any police to the protest. This woman and her daughter were on their own. That is where we are at. The foundations of our society, the rights of the individual are crumbling from underneath our feet and the rights of groups and mobs are taking over. The justice system no longer functions, even on a basic level as we saw with the charges brought against two cops in Atlanta, Georgia. The function of the law has been to make the law fit the assumed crime. In both cases the police followed procedure but the state is following a mob to figure out how to convict these men to satisfy the mob.

“We are trained Marxist.”  –Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter.

“If this country doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it.” -Hawk Newsome, Chairman of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York.

“You cannot negotiate with people who say what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable.” -John F. Kennedy.

BLM is a left wing, fully funded, Marxist, terrorist group who only goal is to destroy western civilization in the United States. They have no plan for what comes afterwards. There is no goal line for this action. It never stops. Every statue will come down. All libraries will be burned. Court houses will crumble. Police will disappear. Property will belong to those who possess it. History will be written to fit a story. News will be filtered. Thoughts are controlled. People will be property. This is the future we are seeing. At the moment, if you don’t comply you will lose your job, lose your home, lose your family, and eventually they will start to come for your life. It is only a matter of time.

The revolution has happened before. Cuba, Argentina, Venezuela, China, Vietnam, and North Korea are a few examples to look into. People who live there know what to look for. They tear down the statues, try to erase history, and then they come for the people. In the end they will also devour their own, the good soldiers who fought their battles for them. Get rid of the people who are willing to kill for the cause. You don’t want them to find another to fight for. Both political parties are falling. Mitt Romney marched with protesters. Nancy Pelosi kneeled in the capital for them. Mayors and governors across the country try to appease them. This does not make them safe, they think they are becoming allies of the cause but they are simply being cowards who endanger everyone they represent. These traitors to the country will be the undoing of everything. This is how history will remember them, as cowards, and nothing ever ends well for cowards. They tend to have a sad fate in the end.

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Black Lives Matter, the white agenda

 

Let’s be honest here, there is a lot of horseshit when it comes to the discussion of racism in this country. Black Lives Matter, an organization created by black women after the death of Trevon Martin has been over run by an army of white guilt sadomasochist that enjoy nothing more than talking about there white shame while also trying to make others feel guilty about theirs. The movement went from a black movement to all races and now sexual orientation hijacking the plane and making it about them instead of the people it was started for. There was a time white black pride was the cause and anyone else trying to get in on the action would have their ass beat for trying to that the moment away from a black man or woman. “We got this. We don’t need your help.”

This sort of take over is becoming more common. During the #metoo events of 2016 the movement became less about empowering women who have been abused or oppressed by men and moved into the realm of trans rights. At the height of the movement Bruce Jenner declared himself a woman and was made woman of the year. Men are so awesome they are better at being women than women are. Keep in mind that Bruce still had his penis at the time, he never had a period and never will, he won’t ever give birth, and menopause isn’t possible unless he messes with his hormone medications. The focus of the movement became about something else and the movement was lost.

The brother of George Floyd spoke publicly about his brother’s death and told the protesters, rioters, and looters to stop what they were doing and that his brother wouldn’t want others hurt in his name. because the protest was no longer about George his message was ignored and the looting continues in Chicago, where 48 people were shot last week and 17 were killed in the deadliest weekend the city has seen. In Seattle, City Hall and third precinct were taken over and declared an autonomous zone. Protesters walk around armed and wearing body armor hoping the create some kind of left-wing utopia that has already started to fall apart after two days. The leader of the group, an 18-year-old named Lauracouc on Twitter, states that she is a lesbian Anarchist who wants to abolish whiteness, capitalism, and civilization while having a link to her cash app account. During their well thought out plan, the homeless were invited into their post-apocalyptic utopia, who immediately stole all of their food and left the autonomous zone. I wonder if they are still feeling righteous? In the video footage of this region I didn’t see one black person in the group. It should not surprise me that a black empowering movement should be taken over by communist Marxist like Jim Jones did in the 1970s. That ended well.

Today organizers of a protest set up stations on the sidewalk where black protesters could have their feet washed by white protesters in a feeble attempt to say they were sorry, for things they didn’t do, or did they? What is it that these people are hiding that would make them go to these extremes, or is there something more sinister at heart like a foot fetish of the dark variety? In a biblical sense I can see the comparison, a woman has nothing to wash Jesus’ feet when he was a guest in her house. This was a common tradition in the middle east at the time so this act actually meant something. She used her tears instead and dried his feet with her hair. I doubt the protesters went to such extremes and unless they did a pedicure afterwards the meaning is lost. After all what is the point except for some symbolism that will be lost on most of the crowd due to lack of education and an inability to read. I have seen more than my fair share of misspelled signs and poorly articulated arguments from these protests.

The 60s were a time of great change for black folk. They secured the ability to inherit wealth, receive equal education, and secured equal protection under the law. While some people sought to go back to their roots in Africa Malcom X changed his name to symbolize a new start, the beginning of his family starting with him, separating himself from his African roots. The world was going to be better and it was going to start with him, until he was shot in the head, but that ruins the story doesn’t it.

Black people don’t need our help. They didn’t ask for it and from what I can tell they don’t want it. In Grand Rapids Michigan 6 out of the 8 people that have brought up on charges of rioting were white. These people are not helping anyone, not even themselves. As for the notion that “silence is violence” you should be glad I as a white man is saying nothing about the protest (until now). I wasn’t marching on the street throwing rocks at the police making you look like a bunch of assholes. I kept my ass at home, shut my mouth and let you do your thing. Others didn’t have the same respect instead making it about them and their cultish white guilt.

I would suggest one thing while continuing from here, tell your white friends to go home and stop fucking things up for you. I’m forty-one years old and I can not recall all the times I had been told that black folks did not need help from a white man and I respect that. This is the American way, pave your own road, make things happen and don’t count on anyone else to make your dreams happen for you. I guarantee you that the white people who are running these events will stop when they get what they think you need and leave when you haven’t received what it is you are looking for. You are being used.

We are at a strange crossroads in this country where both side of the political spectrum want the same thing but the media tells us hat both sides are dumb. A few months ago, protesters stormed the capital building in Lansing, Michigan demanding an end to the lock down. They wanted Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The BLM protest wants Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. And yet each side scolds the other about their “white privilege” and “looting pieces of *&%$.” And yet they are both demanding the same thing. Maybe next time you organize a protest you should invite the white guys with guns who will keep the police away and protect private property at the same time. If you are looking for white friends to have that might be the group for you. The current assholes you are hanging out with are doing you no favors. BLM has already turned into Gay Pride, next month it will be some other horrible cause that you are shadowed by. Take back your cause and get something done, otherwise all of this was for nothing.

 

 

 

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Defunding the police, a move towards a privatized police force

 

If you had asked me in January of this year what I thought would be happening by June, in my wildest dreams I never would have thought we would be having this discussion. As I write this, a police station in Seattle has been taken over by protesters and proclaimed a “sovereign land.” This isn’t the first time something like this has happened and whether you are on the left or the right in the past five years both sides of the political spectrum have tried this. Ammon Bundy, a cattle rancher who had a problem with the expansive powers of the federal government, along with a handful of anti-government sympathizers, took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in protest in 2016. The federal government didn’t storm the Refuge, instead choosing to sit back and wait for these people to leave for supplies. The other entertaining aspect of this standoff was the mailing of donations and supplies to the sanctuary by the US postal service. The internet wasn’t cut off, giving these rebels a live internet feed to display the dildos and gummy bear penises that had been mailed in response to their pleas for help. The standoff did not end well, one man shot dead after he exited the car he was riding and pulling a gun on federal officers. President Trump pardoned Ammon in 2018.

While this latest protest is happening in Seattle there is also the cry across the country to defund police departments or disband them all together. The scariest thing is that some public servants are actually considering this. Minneapolis voted to disband their police force saying they are beyond reform. The day after my home town of Kalamazoo talked about defunding the department of public safety, which consist of police and fire department, we had three shootings in a span of 24 hours. I have to wonder if any of these measures will actually happen but considering the language that is being used and how easily the politicians are quickly trying to appease these protesters, I would hate to admit this might actually happen. Looking ahead and considering what this would mean, I don’t think these people have full thought about what would happen to their own communities they claim to protect or care about.

We are looking at the start of the tribal state. Instead of having one police force that works for a city, county, or state entity and funded by taxes, there would have to be a local force paid by the community and accountable to whom? If you don’t pay your monthly dues to the local posse will they refuse to investigate the break in at your house? If someone from the northside of town commits a crime in the southside will that prevent the militia from apprehending the suspect because they don’t have jurisdiction? What about all the laws we already have on the books for law enforcement? Will those be thrown out as well. Instead of being read Miranda rights as you are arrested you might receive a baseball bat to the ribs because that’s how they do things on that side of town. But hey, at least they are policing their own, right?

When it comes to the question of protection an idea like this will only make the inequality of our society grow. A wealthy neighborhood with consistent six figure incomes would have little problem funding their own police force to protect their neighborhood. Meanwhile, across town the poor neighborhoods that already have a higher per capita crime problem would find themselves at the mercy of whoever stepped up to run things. In some cultures, this idea isn’t all bad. When the tsunami hit Fukushima in 2011 the local government did little to help the locals evacuate and find a place to stay. However, the Yakuza stepped in and supplied food and water to the survivors when no one else did. They don’t call them organized crime for nothing. This model doesn’t work everywhere and it rarely does overall. It is not uncommon to find areas of Africa under the control of warlords. In Somalia the government controls a few square blocks of the capital city while the rest of the country is controlled by warlords and pirates. The same goes for parts of southeast Asia and eastern Europe in the former soviet bloc.

During the Iraq war there came a time when people wanted our boys to come home and the federal government moved towards returning our troops home. In return they were replaced with private contractors who did not answer to the pentagon or the Iraqi government. They were completely independent and they made more money than the troops that were originally there. Most of these men were former military and went back to Iraq for a better paycheck and the ability to do the job they wanted to do before but were unable. This resulted in the Nisour Square Massacre in 2007 where 17 Iraqis were killed and 20 injured. According to the new Iraqi constitution that the US helped write for the Iraqis, contractors working in Iraq could not be tried in Iraqi courts or charged for any crimes committed in country. Later this was changed during the Obama Administration but the fact that these men were able to operate with full immunity was unthinkable.

Some will say that is where we are at now. Cops killing people without being held accountable. The officer who is accused of murdering George Floyd was charged. The three officers with him were also charged. The theory that this was a racist crime goes out the door with these other officers, one of them being Asian American and another of Hispanic descent. The fourth officer who helped with the arrest had been on the job for four days and allegedly asked questions during the arrest about turning Floyd over when he said he could not breathe. Does this one act mean that we completely tear apart a system that has worked relatively well over the years? We don’t complain when cops arrest serial killers or child molesters. When there is a mass shooting, we don’t call the local militia to come out and stop the gunman.

Instead of looking at erasing the police from our society why don’t we take a look at other communities that appear to have gotten things right. In Japan it is required for police officers to be members of Judo clubs. Constantly learning how to grapple and restrain people with little or no effort. I might also point out that the crime rate in Japan is almost nonexistent. That is why when things do happen there it is a shock to the society and it is usually perpetrated by someone that is not from there. In the 1990s there was a case of children being found dead in old refrigerators, boxes, and alleys. These kids had gone missing during their solo trips to school that is a Japanese tradition. The suspect was later caught and it was a man who had migrated to Japan from Portugal for work. who are you going to call when your child goes missing?

I don’t know what the future holds, if we will end up with privatized police forces or some bastardized version of community policing that will be impotent and unable to function. Emotions are high and when we make quick decisions on those emotions, they usually don’t have good results. As a nation we need a change. We are completely divided instead of thinking of ourselves as Americans. We are democrats or republicans, Christians or other, gay or straight, white or black, man or woman, but we never think of ourselves as Americans first. There was a time when people would say “stop trying to label me, man” but that has been replaced by every subculture we can think of. A person would rather say they are recovering catholic, straight, white male, with liberal tendencies except for some conservative ideas about fiscal responsibility. Or they say they are vegan and then it is best to just leave the conversation and save the next hour of your life from a lecture about animal cruelty. The point is, we are not one tribe. We don’t work towards making things better for everyone. Instead we talk about oppression and unfairness, and equality in a land where everyone has the chance to make a better life for themselves. In Kalamazoo this could not be truer. We have a program called the Promise, where any graduate from the public-school system is able to go to college for free. Most kids don’t take advantage of it and find themselves years later still working in $10 and hour jobs complaining about how unfair the world is. That is who is protesting these days. Going to school to make your life better is too hard, it is easier to complain and blame others for your lot in life. Being a victim doesn’t take any effort. Taking personal responsibility, that is hard.

Just like occupy wall street and the riots in Ferguson this will be a little footnote in history. People seem to think this is a huge historical life changing event but considering the lack of thought or the root of the cause itself this will be half assed like the lives of these ignorant people. A statue of Winston Churchill was vandalized during a protest with the word “Racist” spray painted across it. These people clearly have no idea who this man was. He stopped the spread of fascist around the world. He fought in the Great War and understood the idea of personal sacrifice for a greater cause. After the war he provided universal healthcare for all British citizens regardless of race or gender. Churchill was a great man but to these idiots he was nothing but a racist. Our sense of belonging is gone and no one seems to understand what came before to create the world we have now. People complain about police brutality during these protests, while forgetting that protesters were shot and killed by national guard troops at Ohio State during the Vietnam war. Things have gotten better. They have always gotten better through constant reform, new amendments to the constitution, and the turn over of laws that were morally wrong. Running out into the streets and crying about how you want change and you want it now is not how you get what you want, it is how you end up getting spanked by an adult.

I really hope nothing comes out of this. I hope this dies down and we have a trial and the system does its job, not the one that the protesters demand but the fair and speedy trial that finds these men guilty or not guilty. That is not up to us but the men and women of the jury. Catering to a mob is not justice, it’s a lynching. You would think that these protesters would know what that is.

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How to prosper during the coming depression, security

 

Instead of buying another AR-15 we should talk about what real security is. Sure, having that over-priced, easily malfunctioning, scary paper weight might make you feel secure, but you could use that money on something that will actually work. There are several things you should be thinking about long before you buy a firearm.

First look at where you live. Is it an apartment or a place in the country? Do you have a yard or neighbors close by? Is your neighborhood relatively safe or is it a high crime area? These are the things you need to first consider. After that, how secure is your place? Do you lock your windows and doors during the day? Is your car always locked? Are motion lights installed around your place? Are there any places around your property where people could hide? The questions of security could fill a book and there are several out there to check out.

Some people prefer to have an alarm service, and while I have experience in using these systems I don’t know if I trust someone else having access to my home life. Doesn’t the NSA do a good job of spying on everyone already? Why can’t Alexa tell me when someone is in my house? No, I prefer to go old school and make sure my doors and windows are secure. Do things around the house throughout the year to scare the hell out of your neighbors. Butcher a deer in your backyard by hanging it from a tree where people can watch for the hours it takes to disappear. Bury weird random things in your backyard in the middle of the night. I guarantee people are watching. Before you know it, they start to whisper “stay away from that crazy white man’s house.”

Own a big dog. If its big and black that’s even better. Nobody is scared of a golden retriever. Those little ankle biters, that’s asking to come home and finding your dog dead. Get something that people would think twice about messing with. Personally, I prefer German Shepherds, they are easy to train and people recognize them as military and police dogs as well.

Now you own a dog and I still haven’t talked about guns. Fine, lets get to it.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to personal defense and guns. Everyday carry, something you leave the house with and keep on you at all times. Then there is home defense. With home defense you have to consider where you live. Do you have neighbors and could you kill them with the gun you have? If the gun you buy could shoot through several walls before stopping that isn’t the gun you should own. The basic home defense weapon is a shotgun. Loaded with 00 buckshot and you don’t have to aim well when shooting a target to bring something down. Consider that adrenaline is pumping and you will be shaking when the shit goes down. Do you want to use a pistol that is already more complicated to use compared to a shotgun?

I know that some people will argue that thirty rounds in an AR-15 is more than enough to take down a burglar but congratulations you just killed the neighbor next door when you unloaded on a 90-pound crack head and now you are being sued for negligence. Let’s use the old Chinese proverb here, don’t kill a mosquito on your friend’s forehead with a hammer. The same could be said about home defense. Don’t go crazy with it, guns are tools like everything else in the house. What is the job and what will fit it best?

Shotguns are a good start, and considering the depression it serves a dual role. You can defend your home and use it for hunting. There are multiple styles of rounds for it and it is easy to use. There are also smaller pistol versions like the Judge and the Governor that use .410 rounds. If you don’t have time to train on how to use a firearm this is the weapon for you. In countries or states where you might fear there being a limit to firearms sales the shotgun is usually the last to be banned because of the short range and lack of accuracy with this tool.

Next on the list if the pistol. This is more complicated to use and takes training to be effective with. Each design is different and can make it easier or more complicated to use. A revolver has more of a squeeze on the trigger and it is coming for people to shoot high with it, raising the barrel as they pull the trigger back waiting for it to fire. While pistols won’t jam, they have a slower rate of fire and less rounds than the average semiautomatic. Semiautomatics are easier to shoot but if fired too fast they become less accurate if you are in a panic and empty the magazine without realigning the sight. Semiautomatic pistols can jam, needing some training to quickly fix the issue. There is also slide bite, when your hand it pinched by the slide due to improper handling of the firearm. Needless to say, if a person buys a pistol for personal self-defense, they need to have training and regular range practice to stay proficient in using one.

Rifles are our last firearm to discuss and while they are popular with some people for self-defense, they really are the least effective. Keep in mind we are talking about defense inside of the home. A long weapon isn’t the best option for moving around in a small space. A rifle round will travel easily through several layers of drywall and wood making any missed shot able to hit someone other than the intruder. Plus, if you empty 30 rounds into a burglar it is difficult to defend yourself in court with self-defense. Believe it or not there are rules when it comes to self defense and people who think otherwise find out the hard way through years of legal battles and thousands of dollars in legal cost what is acceptable and what is not. The castle doctrine does not protect you from overkill. In my home state of Michigan there is little point in owning a centerfire rifle south of Grand Rapids. Not only is it illegal to use a center fire rifle during hunting season but it is also illegal to use one at a gun range. Only in the northern half of the state is the use of one legal. The only reason I own this style of firearm is to hunt large game in the northern region of the state and would never grab one for home defense when better options are available.

Bows and crossbows are alternatives to those who prefer not to use a gun or it is illegal for them to have. If you did something stupid as a kid and have a felony on your record then it is illegal for you to own or handle a firearm. However, you can own a bow or crossbow since these weapons are not registered. This rule also applies to muzzleloaders but do you really want to load a muzzleloader while someone is kicking in your bedroom door trying to kill you? A crossbow might be the best alternative considering the power and ease of loading. The ability to aim and fire a crossbow is no different from a firearm and is just as accurate as a rifle.

It is a good idea to carry some kind of self defense system on you at all times. This can include a pocket knife or a small can of pepper spray. The rules on knives and pepper spray can vary from state to state and even collage campuses as well. The local campus where I live have made it illegal to carry pepper spray while on their property. When it comes to knives in my state it is illegal to carry and concealed fixed blade knife but you can carry a folding knife as long as the blade isn’t longer than 3.5 inches. Each state is different and you should do some research on a reputable site before deciding what to carry.

When all else fails it is never a bad idea to know how to protect yourself if you are unarmed. There are several schools and styles that are available and while people will argue on the internet as to which is the best one knowing a little bit of something is better than knowing nothing if something happens. Even if you take a class where they teach the time-tested ball kick and eye gouge it is better than doing nothing.

Some styles I would recommend looking into include; Krav Maga, Brazilian Jujitsu, Judo, and Japanese Jujitsu. These are more combat oriented styles that won’t teach you how to fight with rules, except for Judo. If these are not the styles for you there are dozens of other martial arts to look into.

 

 

 

 

 

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How to Prosper in the coming Depression, Food (continued)

 

Stocking a pantry is a quick and affordable way to insure you have food in the distant future. We are currently seeing store shelves restocked with items that disappeared for a while. This can give people a sense of security in thinking that things are back to normal when in reality we are looking at a possible repeat of a shutdown in the fall. Keep in mind that factories and processing centers have been closed for several weeks, and commodities such as cattle and crops have been destroyed with nowhere to take them for sale, it is not far reached to consider that the next time a shutdown happens there will be less on the shelves than last time. In the coming weeks and months, it would be wise to buy a few extra items here and there to slowly build a pantry if you are on a budget.

When building a pantry stay away from perishable foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables that will go bad in a short period of time. In the fall it is possible to store long lasting items such as winter squash, root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and onions; however, this involves having some type of winter storage system such as a root cellar of which there are several different variations available to make or build. I have a friend who buys fruit in bulk when it is in season and at its cheapest price, then puts it in the freezer in the basement. When he needs room, he will can those items by making a jam or preserve that last longer on the shelf than the item would in the freezer.

The three types of food to look for to add to a pantry involve canned goods, dry goods, and freeze dried. Freeze dried is the most expensive and while it has a long shelf life of 25-30 years it is expensive. Canned goods will last for years and currently in my area there is no longer a limit as to how many cans you can buy at one time. Beans and canned meat were some of the first to disappear from the shelves so it is safe to say those might be the first to disappear the next time around. When the toilet paper starts to disappear from the stores be sure to grab the items you can eat instead. Try to stay one step ahead of the crowd when it comes to buying supplies.

Some items you might want to consider picking up that never as in short supply include Whey protein powder. This is a body building supplement that has a shelf life of a few years and makes sure you have complete proteins in your system while meat is disappearing from the stores due to a shortage. A large bottle of multivitamins isn’t a bad idea to have around if your diet is compromised and you find yourself on a limited diet without fresh fruit and vegetables.

Yeast and flour were a surprise to everyone when it was in short supply. With bread flying off the shelves those who knew how to bake bread invested in bags of flour and yeast packets to bake their own bread at home. Stored correctly flour can be stored for ten years. Yeast isn’t as easy to store and dies off after a year but there is a way to use bacteria in the air to ferment wet dough and make a sour dough bread.

Most importantly buy items that you will eat and enjoy eating. There is no point in buying cans of Spam because you noticed other people doing it. If you want to stay happy and positive during another Shutdown make sure you have food in the house that you enjoy. If that means having boxes of Doritos lining your walls by all means to that. It is better that you want to eat than dread having another bowl of lentil soup while wondering what the heck a lentil is.

If this is your first time creating a pantry take your time, buy items you enjoy and rotate your stock. Make sure items that are going to expire soon are not kept in the back of the shelf. Use what you have over time while constantly replenishing your supply. Before you know it, you can have a few weeks if not a few months’ worth of food.

Fishing was an item I forgot about in my last post about food. When I was a kid, I had a neighbor who went fishing almost every day from spring until fall. He would come home when he caught his limit and spent an hour filleting his fish and storing them in a freezer. During the winter months his family would live off the fish having cost them nothing expect for a fishing license. I know that most people don’t have the time to fish all day and the man I am talking about was on disability from a motorcycle accident. Even if you were to go fishing over the weekend and caught your limit, in Michigan its 25 bluegill a day, plus whatever other species you caught, that adds up over time. If you don’t own a freezer you can also smoke the fillets to preserve the meat. If you already own a fishing pole the rest of the material is cheap to find to start bringing home some food. The most expensive investment is time and if you don’t enjoy fishing then it will be more expensive for you. Honestly, you’re better off finding another hobby and source of food.

With each state being different, check with your local DNR to find out what is legal to catch and when, the fishing methods that can be used, and get your license before heading out to the water. It is better to ask too many questions than be caught doing something that is illegal and put you into serious trouble. Most of the time fishing is easy but do some research first to make sure you are keeping everything legal.

 

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How to prosper during the coming depression, Money

 

There are two huge problems that come to mind when I think about the average American and money, we own a lot of debt and most people could not write a check for a $500 emergency bill if they needed to. We have a bad habit of looking at what we make in a month and figuring out how to spend most of it or more if we can. Currently, being unemployed sounds like a dream come true with a $600 bonus given to unemployment recipients on top of what the state is handing out however as I write this on May 13, 2020 that bonus is drying up in July. After that good luck paying your bills.

I have hopes that this virus gives the average American a wake up call on their personal finances and last month 2.1 trillion dollars was put into savings accounts, something that hasn’t happened since 1981. When it matters Americans will save money but when it counts you quickly learned its not enough to cover what is to come. Back in 2009, people squeezed their wallets and cut out all the things they realized they didn’t need. Vacations were cancelled, kids were pulled out of over priced prep schools, cars were sold or handed back to the bank, less people ate out for meals, the coffee pot had the dust cleaned off of it, cable service was cancelled, and the latest fashion trends were traded for the years prior. People know how to save money, but when the situation is going to be worse than 2009 with little chance of a bail out for the little guy how far are people willing to go to save a buck?

Considering the interest rates that people have on their debts compared to the interest earned on savings accounts we should talk about debt first. If you are looking for a more comprehensive approach to paying off debt check out The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. To sum up the easiest path to getting out of debt, pay off your small bills first. Dump everything you can into getting rid of those debts and move up to bigger items over time. Pay off the credit cards and hospital bills that have been killing your credit. Get the debt collectors off of your back until you have the car and house left, if you have payments on those, then work on the car balance. The quicker the better. If you have a manageable house payment, I would suggest only making the payment during the depression instead of paying it off. The monthly payment won’t go up while the cost of other items will during that time. With your other debts out of the way you now have cash to buy the things you need while keeping a roof over your head.

Cut down your monthly bills as much as you can. I know that during the stay at home orders everyone is watching more television, and if you are smart you pay for internet and a few streaming services which is a hell of a lot cheaper than cable TV. At this point you may want to consider which service you enjoy watching the most and cutting out the rest. How much Hulu, Disney plus, Amazon prime, YouTube red, Netflix, or google plus can you really watch? What shows do you enjoy, who offers the most content and get rid of the rest. Let’s face it, the Mandalorian was the only good show on Disney plus unlike the Star Wars movies they have been making the last couple of years. Cut the rest of the crap out of your budget and start spending more time doing other things besides sitting on the couch.

Cancel your gym membership, you haven’t gone since January and your new years resolutions disappeared along with the rest of your plans for 2020.

Put your Keurig right where it belongs, in the trash. Each box of those stupid pod things only gives you twelve cups of coffee. A bag of coffee will give you 12 pots of coffee with 8 cups in each. Do the math you are getting screwed and NO the coffee does Not taste better.

Say goodbye to Starbucks and Biggby coffee. Have they ever made your coffee how you like it? Stop handing your money over to people who can not spell your name right.

Most of the clothes I own I bought at second hand stores. You would be surprised how many new clothes are tossed to your local goodwill and salvation army thrift stores because they don’t fit correctly or they are out of fashion. You can find name brand items for a fraction of the retail cost.

Just because there is a sale, or some kind of deal, at a store doesn’t mean you have to buy that item. There was one black Friday when a co-worker posted the $1000 television they bought for $300. They bragged about saving $700 until another co-worker commented that they saved $300 by not buying a TV that they didn’t need. You can argue amongst yourselves who was the smarter of the two but at the end of the day the second co-worker still had $300 in their bank account.

Cook at home. Don’t tell me you don’t know how to cook. The instructions are on the box. Cooking is like sex; you only get better at it with the more you practice.

So now you are saving money and maybe you have a bit sitting in the bank. What do you do with it?

There are several options available to you. Personally, I like the Ron Swanson approach and have a bit stashed away in gold and silver. Can you make money on buying precious metals, sure. It’s simple math. Buy low and sell high. It’s like any other commodity. The point isn’t to make money though it is to protect your wealth against inflation. Precious metals can be traded anywhere and keep their value. Money on the other hand fluctuates and tends to lose its value when the economy goes into turmoil. Precious metals tend to do better when things are rough. It is never a bad idea to have a bit stashed away in case an emergency comes up.

US savings bonds, don’t expect these to mature during your lifetime with a current interest rate of 0. With a national debt of 25 trillion dollars coming up by the end of this year I doubt any of those will be paid out in several decades if at all.

Stocks, the stock market is the one pyramid scheme that came up with the best sales pitch of the last 100 years. It’s like Amway except when you are about to cash out the market tanks and you are stuck working until 70 years old because all of your savings disappeared while corporations were bailed out. This happens like clock work every ten years.

Savings accounts, I started a savings account for my new born daughter a few months ago. I put $100 in there to start out and three months later I received a statement that her new balance due to interest was $100.01. The current interest rates for savings accounts is under 1%. At this point what is the difference between having cash at home you can access at any time and money in the bank that doesn’t gain any value, while they are loaning your money out to other people I might add?

It is important to have assets. Pay off the house. Own land. Find things that increase in value instead of depreciating over time. When you drive that new car off the lot it immediately loses value. That signed copy of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas sitting in the case at the book shop will continue to gain value over the years. The days that a man enjoys owning a boat is the day he buys it and the day he finally sells it. If you have a hobby besides beanie babies take advantage of the knowledge you have. It is not hard to find things that are overlooked at estate sales and build a collection of wealth under people’s noses. Recently I bought a copy of A Cook’s Tour by the late Anthony Bourdain. I later found out that the $3 first edition hard cover copy was signed by the author. A book that regularly sells for $250 on eBay. I could flip it and take that money to do other things but Bourdain isn’t exactly losing any popularity these days. I think it’s a safer bet to sit on it and wait until I need that money and cash it in later for what will still be more than $3.

To summarize my savings advice, keep money in the bank if you don’t like having access to it and like having other people make money from it except for you. Gold and Silver are safe bets for long term security of your wealth. Invest in things that you know will increase in value over time, except Beanie Babies. Buy land.

Book list:

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

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How to prosper during the coming Depression, transportation

 

Most Americans own some form of automobile, however only a small percentage know how to maintain them. If you are looking to keep your ride on the road and save some money along the way I highly suggest buying a Chilton auto repair manual for the year, make, and model of the vehicle you own. There are two schools of thought when it comes to not doing your car repairs, it’s too complicated or let the professionals handle it.

I bought a 2006 Toyota Corolla back in 2008 and I have only taken it to the dealership one time after it was purchased. This was for the “free” oil change that came with the vehicle. There are several reasons why I will never take it back there, for anything. The Corolla came with a 250 point inspection that insured it was in like new condition when I drove it off the lots but when I took it there for the oil change three months later the mechanics continued to pile on a list of things it needed besides the oil change. At one point a woman carried the air filter into the waiting room and said it needed to be replaced. The filter was still white except for a maple tree seed, one of those annoying helicopter like blades that fall to the ground every spring, and told me it was clogged. I took the tree seed out of the filter and told her to put it back in. once they started to add things to the oil change, I was done with that place. Either they never did the inspection before selling the vehicle or they were trying to rip me off. I’m not saying that every place is like that but I have heard other horror stories about $90-120 oil changes at those quick lube places from unsuspecting customers who didn’t know better. It has never cost me more than $30 to do my own oil change at home and it takes less than 15 minutes. Sure, it’s dirty and you have to crawl under the car but at least you know the job is done, what it cost, and that it was done right.

Granted there are things you can not do on your own. Changing tires needs to be done by a professional. The exhaust system, unless you know how to weld, should be done by a professional. Things like, replacing a headlight, changing the air filter, replacing the battery, checking tire pressure, topping off coolant, even replacing your own brake pads can be done at home if you know how to do it. That is where the Chilton’s manual comes in, showing you step by step how to work on your own car so that you aren’t paying somebody $50 an hour to do it for you and charging you extra for the parts that you can get from your local Auto Zone.

Don’t have tools? Instead of buying what you will need brand new for a premium look for these things at garage sales and estate sales in your area. There was a time when people worked on there own cars and it was a common practice. Many of those tools have a life span that will outlive us and can be handed down for several generations. Craftsman, Mac, and Milwaukee tools are top of the line and come at a high cost brand new. To find these at a discount is a steal when they come along.

Junk yards are a gamble and you have to be careful of what you are buying if your try to buy used parts for your vehicle. There will be times when you don’t have an option, especially if you have an older car, but often there are new parts still sitting in a warehouse somewhere waiting to have the dust brushed off them.

Spend a little extra to increase the life of your vehicle. When I change my oil I put full synthetic in instead of the cheaper generic brand options on the shelf. I find that the engine runs smoother and studies have shown that it increases the life span of the motor. You can decide to do this if you want but I don’t plan to have another car payment for a long time to come.

Protecting your investment is important. There are a few, simple ways to make sure your vehicle is never broken into. The common sense approach is to make sure there is nothing valuable left in the car that can be seen from people walking past. Keep your car clean and boring and nobody will think to smash a window to steal that phone, GPS map, or change in the cup holder. What they can’t see they won’t know about. Add an NRA sticker to the back of the car regardless if you are a member or not. Thieves will think you are a gun owner and will be less likely to brake into it. Of course, the next step to freak people out is to leave old copies of magazines like Guns and Ammo in the back seat to make thieves think you are a gun nut. At the end of the day always make sure your car is locked. At the first apartment complex I lived in it was common to walk outside at 6am and find most of the cars with their doors open and everything removed from the glove box and cupholders. Some thieves will simply check the door handle to see if it is unlocked and then go to work removing everything and throwing it into a bag.

So, you don’t own a car. If you are one of those people who use public transportation you can save money by ride a bike or walking to work. I know this is frowned upon by a good portion of our society but think of the benefits that come from these practices. You don’t have to fit in working out because you are doing it twice everyday going to work. The cost of good shoes or a bike is a fraction of what you will pay in a year for bus or train fare. Don’t talk to me about Uber, it is the Keurig of public transportation. It will cost you more per trip than just transporting yourself from point A to point B.

If you own a bike take the time to learn how to do your own maintenance. Purchase a flat tire kit for a few dollars. Wear a helmet. Unlike the rest of the body the brain does not heal when it is damaged. For the sake of your own sanity buy a kryptonite lock. I have seen too many bikes stolen in my home town because people either ran inside a place for a split second only to find their bike gone when they walked out. Even chains and padlocks don’t work. spend the money on the one time purchase of a lock that bolt cutters can not remove.

Overall, not having a car will save you more money in the long run, that is true. Freedom of mobility comes at a cost and if you want the option of getting out of a bad situation quickly it will pay to own a car. Owning a car also helps if you were to lose your job and future employment is only available at a farther distance than you are accustomed to. When you increase your availability, you become more employable. A common question asked at job interviews is “do you have reliable transportation?”

 

 

 

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How to prosper during the coming depression, food

 

As I write this there is the beginning of a food shortage happening in the United States. Many of the thing we are witnessing happened before during the great depression with farmers dumping milk they can not sell and food rotting in the fields. At the moment this only applies to meat and milk, however fruit and vegetables will be next since those seasons have not started and this virus in nowhere near finished with its agenda.

The last time I was at the local supermarket I saw the empty shelves and freezers wondering where my Cornish hens were and the cheap cuts of beef that I know how to turn into a $50 steak. Everything was gone except for some ground turkey that had been pulled out of a deep freeze.

I had to become crafty in finding places that would not be affected by the current shortage and if you have any granola eating, tidied wearing, “I only eat local” friends you may have a good idea where you can score some food in the coming years.

Two places came to mind in my town. The first is a small market where the owner is middle eastern and has local sources for meat that butcher it in the Halal style that Islam requires. This type of meat is not going to be produced by a large corporation and therefore the majority of his meat is also from similar, smaller, outlets. To this day his coolers have been filled with fresh meat and poultry with no problems in supply.

The second place that I started going to is a newly opened market downtown that is smaller and more expensive but there is an advantage to shopping here. One of the owners is a third-generation rancher and has access to beef all year round. The beef is butchered and processed by the owner cutting out any middle men. This place also has connections with local Indian tribes for smoked fish and Amish farmers who supply them with chicken and pork. These are the places I have found so far for my own food but here are some ideas for where you can look for your own food in your area.

Farmers markets are opening and it wouldn’t hurt to make friends with your local farmers who like having regular customers they can depend on for income. Even better than a farmer’s market is joining a CSA and having your share of a farm delivered every week for a majority of the season. The lump some up front might hurt but not needing to buy fresh produce over several months takes a burden off your grocery bill. While other people are struggling to find produce that might not make it to the shelves of the grocery stores your food is set aside and waiting for you because somebody grew it specifically for you. Some CSA farms also offer meat and poultry as well as vegetables, expanding what is available and making the hunt for good quality food easier.

Growing your own food is always an option even if you have limited space. For those of you who own your own house you have a huge advantage over the millions of people who don’t. That nice green lawn that you might be proud of, you can tear that up any time now. The luxury of having a lawn is an idea that needs to go the way of the dodo. In Europe, royalty would flaunt their wealth by having vast, unused fields of green grass showing the public that they had no need to work that land for their food. It was a gross mismanagement of wealth that continued to the united states and unfortunately didn’t die along with the control over the country by the British. Some of their bad habits stayed with us and now it’s time to kick it to the curb.

Victory gardens are springing up again, a tradition from WWII that kept the publics need for food down and meant more resources could go to the war effort. This time around the Victory garden could make sure you have food on the table while items are limited at the stores and harder to find. Several books are available for new gardeners and I will include a list of titles are the end of this article for those people who are interested.

Foraging is a favorite pass time for quarantine victims looking to get outdoors these days. On recent fishing trips it was common to see people walking through the woods with their heads hung low looking for morels. Mushrooms might be one of the few things to look for in the spring but other times of the year there will be berries, various greens, maple syrup, and nuts. I have spent many afternoons in early July collecting raspberries and black berries to freeze at home or turn into wines or jam. There was that time I collected dandelion leaves for salad and every year I make a batch of dandelion wine from the flowers. Foraging is a great way to learn how much food is located in your own yard.

Hunting is the last subject I will discuss in this post. Living in Michigan, hunting is a part of our culture. This was a subject that I was introduced to later in life, heading into the woods for the first time at 33. I have had some success and while I can’t remember how many squirrels, I have taken home, I can tell you that I bagged two turkeys over the years but have yet to drag home a deer. Hunting is a complicated subject and one should check their state laws before marching into the forests to bring home some meat. The cost of starting to hunt can be high for those who do not already own the equipment for it. Firearms, bows and arrows, muzzleloaders, boots, blinds, warm clothes, calls, bait, the list goes on and on. There is an investment of time to consider as well. We have all heard those stories of the guy who walks into the woods, kills a deer in five minutes, loads it into his truck and drives off. Odds are that will not be you. The years I have spent going to the same public land I know where the deer are, how they travel, and where to be. I have sent guys in telling them where fresh tracks are and the kind of deer in area. Later I get a thank you and find out they bagged a deer either that day or the next right where I told them. They had the time to spend waiting, I did not. It can be as simple as that.

Hunting is a long and vast subject in which I will cover in future posts, but for the moment it is a place to consider getting protein when it is difficult to find in the store. The amount of meat you can get from a deer for the cost of a few hours and a $1.50 shotgun shell doesn’t compare to the cost of a T-bone steak.

List of gardening books:

Gardening when it counts by Steve Solomon

Square foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

Crockett’s Victory Garden by James Underwood Crockett

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How to Prosper during the coming Depression, introduction

 

The following series will be about how to prosper, or at least do well, during the coming depression. Times are again changing and we must do so with them. The current situation with Covid-19 and job losses is revealing huge problems in our economy and our social structure, problems that will not be solved with a magic bullet and will likely last for years to come.

The following post will cover various subjects such as, saving money, various ways to find food, new hobbies that will help you save money, new ways to think about economics, and much more. Things may be tough in the coming years but there are many things you can start to do now to prepare yourself and your family to weather this event. The biggest thing to prepare yourself for is the amount of work it will take to live a better life in hard times. Work has a bad connotation with it and that mindset must change as well.

There was a time in this country when a person could pride themselves on the amount of work they did and how well they did it. Over the years that mindset has been replaced with “work is for suckers” and now people consider themselves too good to do the hard work that is needed to stay afloat in this world.

Many people look for quick fixes for problems including our government and in return we learn that same problem was just kicked down the road to be dealt with again. This would include the stimulus checks that were sent out to keep the economy afloat but ignored that it this payout added 4 trillion dollars to the national debt with no plan to pay it back. During this time, I would like to think that bill is not my problem. What is more important is knowing that my family has a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs, and are safe from those who wish to do us harm. It’s all anyone can ask for and that is what this blog is about.

If you are looking for advice on how to prepare yourself for what is on the way this is the place for you. It is a work in progress so if you find anything that isn’t accurate or think something was left out please mention it in the comment section. The information will only help others who are interested in the same thing.

 

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