text: Food Storage for Churches, Nashville, & Drunken Pirates | SecretsOfUrbanSurvival.com
  Welcome to this weeks Urban Survival Newsletter, sponsored by SurviveInPlace.com and UrbanSurvivalGuide.com.
  To subscribe to our podcast and hear the audio version of the newsletter, go to itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/urbansurvivalguide-podcast/id370964013?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
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  This week, the Fed borrowed and spent $56 dollars for every man, woman and child in the US ($17 Billion) to give to the IMF to bail out Greece.
  AND, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac asked for another $8.4 and 10.6 billion in bailouts, which currently look likely.
  Again, I really don't care if it's Republicans, Democrats, or pink unicorns doing the spending…the end result is BAD. We don't have the money to spend and this spending is going to weaken the dollar and cause everything we buy to cost more.
  On the bright side, the dollar may not be the first currency to fall. Right now, it looks like the Euro might go first. As it does, people with money in Euros are likely to move it to Yen and Dollars.
  Why? Because they are the only two other currencies with enough money in circulation to handle a large influx of money without skyrocketing. Even gold can't handle a large influx of money without massive jumps in prices.
  That leaves the Yen and the Dollar. Right now, Japan's economy is so far beyond bankrupt, it's amazing that it is still able to function. It's likely that as Euros stop moving into Yen, the Yen will start collapsing too.
  That leaves the Dollar. And since DC and the Fed are borrowing, looting, and spending like drunken pirates in port, it doesn't look good for the dollar either.
  So, how long will this whole process take?
  It's anyone's guess. It could be sped up by politicians, natural, and manmade disasters.
  For one, prepare yourself and your family for these natural, manmade, and economic disasters by stocking up on the things you use most, develop a team of like minded people, learn medical and self-defense skills, AND work to make your mind more resilient to bad times. I do that through prayer, reading my Bible, and exercise. You might have another combination that you prefer. Whatever it is, make sure you are doing it daily.
  I receive a few emails a week asking me for strategies to get churches/offices/etc. on board with storing up food for disasters.
  I got one this week, and I'm including it and my response here:
  Having spoken to our Sr. Pastor of our church about preparedness, he requested I bring up the issue of preparedness to the board members at the next meeting in June. I'd like some input on how to begin an introduction on the matter. Thank you for all your help and may God Bless you in all you do.
  This is a big issue, and I can't say that there is one perfectly correct answer to it.
  Whether it is talking with church leadership, business owners, or family patriarchs, you're going to run into three big hurdles:
  2. Resources/Storage
  3. Centralized vs. individual preparedness
  Recognition of the need. Many people think that, "God will provide" when disaster strikes and that preparing is a sign of a lack of faith. To them, I say, "poppycock!" That's just silly talk and is indicative of someone who hasn't read the story of Joseph, the book of Proverbs, or ANY of what the New Testament says about preparedness.
  Even Jesus told the disciples to prepare for bad times when he told them to sell their extra tunics so they could go out and buy a sword.
  The Bible continually tells people to be responsible and voluntarily save up during good times so that they will have provisions during bad times. If you want specific verses on this, get back to me. If there's enough demand, I'll do a lesson on it.
  If your church leadership, business owners, or family patriarchs don't know how unstable our food supply and economy is, here are some bullet point facts you can share with them:
  1. The average US city has 9 meals worth of food on the shelves. After that they have to be resupplied by an outside source.
  2. The 2nd (bigger) wave of residential mortgage defaults will hit sometime in 2010 as Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) reset.
  3. Towns and counties have less tax revenue and the number of bond defaults are likely to increase. The end effect is that properties will have access to fewer services and home prices will drop more.
  4. The amount of distressed commercial mortgages is increasing at a rate of $3-$5BILLION per month.
  5. MANY borrowers who got their mortgages modified by their mortgage companies last year are being foreclosed on 6-12 months later.
  6. Unemployment is at 9.9%, (over 10% when you back out Census workers) and the UNDERemployment rate is over 17%.
  Add these together and you see that MANY families are fighting for survival and may be eating through any reserve or long term food storage for their daily meals without being able to replace it. As defaults increase, more families will be in this situation.
  What this all means is that if there is a natural or manmade disaster that affects your area, not only will the shelves quickly be bare, you can count on 20-40% of households to have little to nothing in the way of even short term food storage.
  I agree that churches, business owners, and family patriarchs should do SOMETHING, but what?
  Resources/Storage. Let's say that you want to be able to feed 500 people for 30 days. The cost is going to vary. In the SurviveInPlace.com Urban Survival course, I laid out a plan to feed 500 people on $1.75 per day, including fuel, using bulk, pre-packaged containers with internal mylar bags.
  Some prison systems, including Philadelphia's and Alabama's hit that same $1.75/day mark for prisoners. Some county jails in Louisiana are under $1/day for prisoners, and foreign aid agencies feed a fortified Corn-Soy Blend or Wheat-Soy Blend with rice, oil, sugar, and salt for about 25c per day.
  Let's go with the $1.75/day number. Take that times 500 people and you're looking at $875 per day and 25 or so 5 gallon buckets (roughly a pallet stacked 3 high). Take that times 30 days and you're at $26,250 (or 30 pallets). That's a lot of food and requires a lot of storage space. Keep in mind that this doesn't address water yet.
  Somehow, you've also got to figure out how to store that much food without more than 2-3 people knowing where it is…otherwise, people WILL talk and it will be a security threat in the event of a disaster.
  Centralized vs. Individual Preparedness. Frankly, as time has gone on, I don't agree with churches letting their members know that they are planning to feed the people in the congregation who haven't made preparations. The worst thing that can happen in those cases is that people who DO have the ability to prepare think, "Oh…I don't need to prepare and be responsible…I'll just run to my church for food if anything happens."
  The reason is simple…centralized solutions are MUCH more likely to have big problems than individual family solutions.
  A better approach for churches, in my opinion, is to promote preparedness. You can get into the Biblical reasons for it, or you can just say something to the effect of, "Hey…I care about you. I see trouble coming and I want you to be prepared when it gets here."
  I do see benefit in churches sponsoring bulk food buys or buying a high quality canner (Like the LDS church does) that people can use to can their own food.
  Now…what about the 20-40% of households that I mentioned that have no short term food storage?
  Well, if you've encouraged a sense of responsibility among your group and made it known that there won't be food available in the event of a disaster, then you've got two things working in your favor. First, when there is a disaster, families who did have the resources and chose to prepare will have the ability to help those who didn't.
  Second, your church could choose to keep some food on hand from each bulk food buy for outreach/aid purposes.
  There are some obvious Operational Security holes in doing bulk buys like this. Namely, if you buy more than everyone else does, you make yourself a target to anyone paying attention. That being said, you may decide that the opportunity to provide aid and outreach and help people prepare for disasters outweighs the possible risks.
  Nashville's response to disaster–The way things SHOULD be!
  The flooding in Nashville has been horrible. My prayers go out to those who lost friends, loved ones, homes, and businesses.
  But Nashville is proof positive that surviving in an urban area after a disaster is realistic, even without the help of big government.
  Not everyone riots and resorts to violence at the drop of a hat. And not everyone sits around whining when a disaster hits about when "they" are going to come help "us."
  No. There are plenty of good people out there who are going to "bloom where they're planted" in the event of a disaster, just like we're seeing in Nashville.
  We just need to get as many of or friends and neighbors equipped with the skills and tools to do so.
  That's why I want you to consider promoting the SurviveInPlace.com Urban Survival course on your website, blog or by posting flyers on local bulletin boards.
  Since marketing is my biggest expense, I've set up a program through Clickbank where, if people click on a special link we'll give you, you'll automatically get paid 50% anytime someone signs up for the course. In short, I'd rather pay you that money than Yahoo, Microsoft, or other companies. (You'll note that I didn't mention Google. That's because they have decided to censor several thousand advertisers recently who talk about 2nd ammendment issues, natural health, and economic troubles.)
  If you're interested, go to www.SurviveInPlace.com/clickbank and join Clickbank. When you've got your Clickbank id, send us an email and we'll help you from there.
  If you haven't signed up for the course yet, you really should. It will slash hundreds of hours off of your research time, save you thousands in trial and error, and will help you make measurable progress in your survival planning every week.
  To learn more, go to SurviveInPlace.com/indexsp.php. Remember, if you don't like using credit cards, we DO take money orders.
  I've got some great stuff coming up for you next week on the self-defense front. Self-defense should be a core of anyone's survival planning. It's one of those skills that will make your life better, regardless of whether you ever have to use it.
  Until Next Week,Until next week.
  P.S. Yes, I believe in the free market and sell stuff to help you get prepared. Just like with TV, radio, and newspapers, this free weekly newsletter is supported by paid advertisements. In this case, it's supported by my own products. You don't have to buy anything, but my wife and sons would sure appreciate it 🙂 In case you didn't know what all I offer, here's a quick summary:
  / UrbanSurvivalGuide.com : This is the comprehensive online Urban Survival Course that over 2000 students have gone through. There's currently no other book or course available like it. It includes several advertised and unadvertised bonuses and an ever increasing number of lessons from the audio version of the course. At the end of the course, students have an option of receiving my book, which is the first 12 lessons of the course, or additional lessons. To see what other students have said, go here:secretsofurbansurvival.com/en…rvival-Course…..
  If clicking on the picture doesn't work, here's the direct link: www.amazon.com/gp/product/145…rviveinplac-20.
  David May 14, 2010 at 6:19 pm
  Hey Guys…David here. You can now comment MUCH easier. Go ahead. Join in the conversation!
  Scott May 15, 2010 at 6:59 am
  Hey David – this is a great newsletter. So many I talk to refer to the seemingly strengthening dollar, the DOW compared to a year ago, the "news reports" of economic recovery. These are nothing more than the powers that be kicking the "collapse can" further down the road. Hey, I don't necessarily blame them for that. Given slim or none, go with slim. I guess they're hoping for a break through idea; or maybe a miracle. In my humble opinion, it's too far gone. It hasn't fallen down around us yet, but it can't help but do so. It's mathmatically impossible to repay our national debt. Sure, print more money. That results in hyperinflation. Anyone see the picture of Germans pushing wheelbarrows of money to buy a loaf of bread; or burning piles of money to stay warm? That's one result of hyperinflation. I hear a lot of, "it won't happen here", "they won't let it". Hey – "they" caused it. I love this country and our constitution dearly; but we are not mystical or magical. We are human, just like the rest of the world. The burden on this tower has exceeded its capacity to remain upright. The foundation is cracking and, although duct tape is being deployed wildly, it's too late. The laws of physics say it will crumble. Slowly at first; but such things proceed exponentially.
  He who hesitates is lost, my friends. Proceed with deliberate haste.
  Bruce Hopkins May 16, 2010 at 5:54 am
  You *may* want to contact me regarding storable foods. I'll actually respond–in person–by phone or email.
  Mike May 20, 2010 at 10:40 pm
  Even though I read the Good Book on a regular basis I'd love to see a concise layout of Biblical preparation to help convince those I know who think God will provide all w/ no effort on their part. Thanks for all you do.
  Hank May 20, 2010 at 10:41 pm
  My name is Hank. I am enrolled in your course and have recently received
  lesson 6. I am pleased so far with the course material although I must
  admit that my actions are not yet up to speed with my reading. Regardless,
  in today's newsletter I saw the following that caught my eye:
  "The Bible continually tells people to be responsible and voluntarily save
  up during good times so that they will have provisions during bad times. If
  you want specific verses on this, get back to me. If there's enough demand,
  I'll do a lesson on it."
  I just wanted to let you know that I would like you to count me as an
  interested subscriber and tally one up for "demand" for such subject
  Great job, keep em' coming and thanks,
  Mark May 20, 2010 at 10:42 pm
  Hello every body. One thing people for get is 3 to 6 5gallon gas cans .Keep stored in a cool or out side place. Dont tell no one what you are doing.My sets on a trailer.Cover by a tap. Water containers are not always air tight. Bacteria can come a live in the water.Bleach is the fast way of cleaning water. 1 OR 2 tea spoons should kill the germs. You can boil the water or a fire. If it come down to drinking dirty color water. Stain it fist. Let it set so the settlement will fall to the bottom.
  There is also Corine tablets. You can get them at Wall-mart or A camping supplies shop. Survival of the smartest. Some people think i am crazy .When i tell them to stock up. i would rather be wrong . And have a lot of stock food. Good luck Mark
  Stephen May 20, 2010 at 10:43 pm
  Really enjoyed this week's newsletter, especially, those 6 points on food & the economy.
  Great facts everyone must know.
  I've been telling people about these issues for quite sometime and most just blow it off. What a shame!
  My profession is training elite tactical forces is survival fitness & conditioning. It's a very unique program I developed over the years and it's officially endorsed by the armed forces.
  I would love to share this program and many more with you and your readers.
  We live in Las Vegas and in KY. Las Vegas isn't far from you and I would greatly enjoy meeting you.
  Please let me know if your interested in meeting and exchanging great ideas, conversation and food.
  Caroline :) May 20, 2010 at 10:44 pm
  David you rock!! –Caroline 🙂
  Paul May 20, 2010 at 10:45 pm
  Please do if can, provide the Bible verses that reference preparedness. Especially interesting yo me was the one instructing the disciples to sell extra tunics to buy swords! Grew up as a Christian and NEVER heard that one before!
  I was just wandering what book "Even Jesus told the disciples to prepare for
  bad times when he told them to sell their extra tunics so they could go out
  and buy a sword" appeared. I can't seem to find any reference to it in my
  copy. I am interested in promoting your course but please don't misquote the
  bible. http://www.biblegateway.com is a quick way to fact check or quote without
  searching paper copy.
  David May 20, 2010 at 10:46 pm
  Not to be nitpicky, but I believe "Bible" should be capitalized 🙂
  In reference to your question, you are technically correct and I am technically wrong, although my statement WAS correct 🙂
  Most versions of the Bible interpret "tunic" in Luke 22:36 as "cloak", "garment" or "coat" and I can't find one that says "tunic". I just memorized it that way for some reason. Here are 10 or so different translations. http://bible.cc/luke/22-36.htm You'll see that while they differ on their particular word for clothing, they all agree that Jesus told the disciples to sell their extra cloak/garment/coat/tunic and use the money to buy a sword.
  And thank you for holding me to task on Biblical accuracy. In this instance I believe that I used a synonym that did not alter the meaning of the verse in context, but I don't mind being challenged one bit.