Worried? Nervous? Angry?

Good. You should be.

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

~Jiddu Krishnamurti


Over a million Iraqis have been killed in a pointless war. (And who's even counting the Afghanis?) Top scientists estimate that on our present course, the arctic ice shelf will be completely gone by 2012. World energy production is in permanent decline. Our food and everyday items are filled with toxins. Every phone call you make and e-mail you send is monitored. The election system is rigged. Soldiers are being deployed to police America. Remote detention centers have been built to house millions of citizens. Unconstitutional legislation and presidential executive orders have stripped us of our most basic rights. The corrupt economy and fraudulent banking system are stealing our wealth.

And it's all based on lies, and neither party is doing anything about it.

So what's the answer? Well, this blog wasn't written to promote any ideology. Forget that noise. Politics and politicians have failed us. We are in very desperate times and we need to start relying on ourselves and our community instead of the government and big corporations. The first step is getting your own house in order. It's time to cut out the superficial stuff and prioritize the five B's:

Beans - and rice, lentils, and anything else that stores well. The breakdown of the economy and the decline of oil supply mean that someday soon you may not be able to rely on your grocery store to have full shelves. Even if you don't have a yard to plant vegetables in, you can still grow something on your balcony. Sprouts are easy to grow, extremely nutritious, and hardly need any light.

Bullets - Forget what Jon Stewart told you about gun control. When you call the police in an emergency, there's only a 3% chance they're going to get there in time to help. If those are your chances now, imagine what they'll be like in the middle of the Great Depression II. Self defense is a human right and in the modern world that means owning a gun. Furthermore, it's time to realize that Democracy is dead in America. And history shows us that it never turns out well when a totalitarian government has all the firepower.

Band-Aids - Buy an EMT kit even if you don't know how to use everything in it. First Aid/CPR classes are cheap or free. When critical infrastructure starts to fail, you'll be glad you did.

Blue-collar skills - Modern society has led many of us to be overspecialized and unable to perform many foundational tasks of civilization. A few courses in carpentry, electronics, or plumbing and the tools that go with them will make you a valuable asset to your family and community in tough times.

Bullion - If you have some savings after you've taken care of all of the above, consider protecting it with an investment in precious metals. A big reason we're in this financial mess is that we started to accept fake money (Federal Reserve notes, fraudulently multiplied by fractional reserve banking) instead of a real, limited commodity (like silver or gold) as wealth. Barter is okay, but a medium of exchange helps too.

* * * * *

When the world seems to be spiraling out of control, preparing for the worst can give us some sense of security. But we still have a responsibility to work for the best, no matter the odds. So what can we do to bring positive change? Here are a few suggestions:


*Educate yourself about what's really going on in the world. The people that own the corporate news channels are the ones who got us into this mess. They cannot be trusted. Use and protect the Internet. Check out some of the sites, documentaries, and books listed below. Do your own research.

*Share what you learn with your family, friends, neighbors, and complete strangers. Copy fliers and DVDs to pass out. Hang banners and posters over highways. Put up stickers and stencils. Speak at open mics. Post on Internet forums. Utilize social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook or create your own website. Host a documentary movie night. Organize and/or attend demonstrations. Support Media Reform. Democracy requires an informed citizenry.

*If you have any faith left in the system, demand some key changes such as campaign finance reform. Until political campaigns are publicly financed, only the wealthy and well-connected have any chance of getting into office. Demand instant run-off voting so you don't have to choose between the lesser of two evils. Under this system, you get to rank candidates, so if your number one choice doesn't get enough votes, your vote still goes towards number two. That way you can vote for a third party candidate without "wasting" your vote. Hold your current elected officials accountable. Support local grassroots candidates who stand for real change.

*Vote with your dollar. Boycott Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank. Put your savings into a local credit union. Instead of shopping on the Internet or at big box stores, support your local economy. Instead of going to a big supermarket, buy food from a local farmer's market. Use Craigslist and Freecycle.

*Live a sustainable lifestyle. Ride a bike. Use public transportation. If you absolutely need a car, drive the most fuel-efficient one that you can. Consider inexpensive alternatives like bio-diesel or straight vegetable oil. If you can afford solar or wind power, get off the grid and declare independence from the big energy companies. Weatherize your house. Install a gray water system. Eat less meat. Eat organic, local food if you can. Reduce, reuse, recycle. It all helps.


Get informed - get ready - get active.


Movies

You can watch all of these great documentaries legally and for free by searching for them on video.google.com!

9/11: Press for Truth
Zeitgeist and Zeitgeist: Addendum
Fabled Enemies
Terrorstorm
Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime
Oil, Smoke, and Mirrors
The End of Suburbia
American Blackout
America: Freedom to Fascism
The Money Masters
Money as Debt
The Fourth World War

Books

Fighting for G.O.D. (Gold, Oil, and Drugs)
Crossing the Rubicon
The War on Truth
The Big Wedding

Websites

truthmove.org
truthaction.org
cooperativeresearch.org
lifeaftertheoilcrash.net
oilempire.us
rawstory.com
informationclearinghouse.info
indymedia.org