The Economy and Our New Class

Sweetheart and I are co-teaching the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University (FPU) at our church again. This semester we had 49 adults sign up for the class and 32 showed for the first one. The rate of people showing up for the first class is about average, but the size of the class is about double what we usually teach.
 

Statically, after the third lesson [of a 9 week course] we should be down to about 20-25 committed people. As a husband, father, son, and friend, gaining control of your finances is one of the most important preparations that you can do to protect your family.

It's very cool to see people that have gone through the course, and to see that they are changing their future. Our church is even paying $25 of the $99 for the kit from the FPU organization, because they know that people are hurting in this depression/recession.

Imagine the good that could be done with a financially sound church body. Heck, we would do a better job at helping people than the government, and put the government out of the entitlement handout business!

There are many good ways to get a better handle on your finances. It takes discipline.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

PS-No update on rental house sale today.

The Game or The Dance

We received our first offer on the rent house, which was rather insulting. The low ball offer was 40% below market value, we paid their closing cost, $500 home warranty, plus another $350 towards a new survey. Of course, we countered with very little give to see if they wanted to make a serious offer.

We counter with -$900 off list, no closing cost, $500 repair allowance, and to either pay for half of new survey or accept our old one when we bought the house.

They counter with 5K below our asking price, still want us to pay their closing costs, and move the $500 warranty into the repair allowance category. This was supposedly their best and last offer. As far as I'm concerned, they can keep fishing or take our last counter-counter offer. If they take the deal, they will walk into the house with at least 5-6 thousand of our equity.

We just lowered our list price by $2000, and will meet their "demands". Saying demands, makes it sound like a hostage situation....

The market will be getting warmer with spring right around the corner, and we have no problems waiting for another buyer, but would like to sale the house and be done with it.  I have no problems making the house into a permanent rental property, even though we'd like the equity out of it and less responsibility. We also aren't gonna give the house away either. I really hate this part of the process.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

You Know That You're Getting Old

Okay, I'll admit that I'm getting old. I came to the realization when I started to shake my head in disgust at how other drivers were driving. I really like my music and over the years I've accumulated a small CD collection [200-300] and every so often I get the desire to add an odd album to the collection. For example, I'm looking for the Broken Bells self titled album which is a fairly recent release. No luck. I went to five different stores in the last few days.

I'm not big on digital music sales. I'd rather have the album in my hands. A computer or device crapping out on you and you've got a headache. Plus, if it's not in your possession, it's not really yours. I can see a time when an album becomes politically incorrect, and deleted from the cloud.

The first stereo that I had in my room was my Dad's old 8-track player. I was a hipster, at the age of 14, before it was popular!  Jim Croce and Chicago are two of the big 8 track tapes that I can remember.  From 8 tracks, I went straight into cassettes, then CDs. I really don't relish the idea of accumulating/replacing my music collection.

What are some of your fond music memories?

Keep Right On Prepping - K

DIY Off-grid Moisture Collector Idea

In my search to make our family water independent in case of a SHTF scenario, I was thinking about the movie Star Wars.

On the desert planet of Tatooine, where Luke's uncle was a moisture farmer, it got me to thinking about building my own moisture collector.

Power: Of course, it would need a power supply, either wind or solar, and a battery system to run the unit longer, but not necessary. Easy enough to buy off the shelf systems, especially solar. The wind turbine might require more thought.

Moisture Collector: Dehumidifier can be bought fairly cheap which is basically a moisture farmer. The water can be directed into a collector device with a Berkely osmosis water filtration system, then to a clean water area for storage.

I'll do further research into how they work, and possibly tinker with my own version. The more mechanical the system the better. Most of my preparations have been geared towards a long term grid down situation or EMP event.

Here is a link to a version already on the web.

A Youtube video on another version. LINK TO VIDEO

Just an idea for your thoughts.

Keep Right on Prepping - K

I Feel Slightly Retarded

I must have lost a few brain cells a couple of days ago, and that is without any drinks. I didn't sleep very well, and that might be to blame. In MRI, the "hand" is the area slightly above the knuckles and down to the start of the wrist. In Xray, the hand consists of the fingertips to the wrist bumps.

I scanned the whole hand yesterday, and the Senior Tech got a phone call from the radiologist. When a radiologist calls the clinic it's never to say "good job." It's kinda like getting a letter from the IRS or your wife starting a conversation with "we need to talk." Nothing good every comes from it.

We also have a protocol for scanning the brain with and without contrast that also includes the orbits [eyes]. These are two separate billable procedures, and I forgot how to place the order into our system. Granted, we probably do about 20 a year, and I only work the ordering side once the Senior Tech is gone, but I should know how to do this ordering procedure.

In short, I hate screwing up and feeling like a rookie. Today, I'll go in and take notes on how to order the single scan/ duel billing scan so that when it comes up next time, I wouldn't feel like a rookie.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

The Truth About Hillary From An Arkansan

As an Arkansan, this is entirely my opinion that is based in fact. Hillary is a liar. White Water, which was investigated as a real estate scam, and eventually led to the perjury trail against President Bill Clinton. The White Water Real Estate was a joint venture that crumbled after Bill Clinton lost the race for governor to Frank White in 1980. I'm sure that it was all "legal" since Hillary worked at the Rose Law Firm and was their council. Ever been legally screwed?

Benghazi, in which Hillary Clinton testified that  "Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night and decided they’d go kill some Americans. What difference — at this point, what difference does it make?" I matters because these are Americans that requested help, and because of her failure, they are dead. Ask the mothers and fathers of these people, if it matters?

Notice any similarities?

I really love this one (dripping sarcasm). Anyone remember when she visited Bosnia and had to avoid sniper fire? (LINK). “I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base.”  Here is the CBS news report with link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pef5AUt-tic

It turns out that she "misspoke", the truth. A little lie to make herself look better? Here's the definition of narcissistic.

Currently? The Democratic presidential front-runner told a mostly black audience at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sunday that the situation was “not just as an environmental disaster and a health crisis,” but “a civil rights issue.” She implies that the water issue is racially motivated, but lets take a look at the all Democrat Flint water council.

From the city of Flint

Must be more black on black crime.

UPDATE: Survival Blog (James Wesley Rawles - Army security officer) has posted an excellent article about the major protocol breach by Unprosecuted Felon Hillary Rodham Clinton. Here's the LINK. I've also included the cut and paste web address as well. Please read this article.

 https://survivalblog.com/hillary-rodham-clinton-the-queen-of-codeword-compromiseamericas-1-unprosecuted-felon/

Keep Right On Prepping - K

A Primer for Low Information Voters

Please feel free to share this with your "special" friends...

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Hamburger Dogs

Row, my brilliant ten year old, wanted to make a hamburger for lunch, but we didn't have any hamburger buns. We had hot dog buns, so naturally he made these....Salt & Garlic crusted hamburger shaped hot dogs!

He's gonna be a real problem solver!

Keep Right On Prepping - K