Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts

Friday, November 5, 2010

Austerity Measures Coming To America

By Ray Gano
Austerity measures - In economics, austerity is when a government reduces its spending and/or increases user fees to pay back creditors. Austerity is usually required when a government's fiscal deficit spending is felt to be unsustainable. - source -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austerity_measures
IF you were like me, you were watching the new speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, as he told a crowd of supporters, "This is not a time for celebration."
He went on to say, "It is a time to roll up our sleeves and go to work. We can celebrate when small businesses begin hiring again. We can celebrate when the spending binge here in Washington has stopped. And we can celebrate when we have a government that has earned the trust of the people that it serves."
While I am very glad at the republican sweep in the elections, this sweep will not stop what has already been put into action by the Federal Reserve
See no matter what, the Federal Reserve is still moving forward with thier plans to purchase US debt with money printed out of thin air. The fancy name for this is quantitative easing.
What this will do is drive government bond yields to levels that we have not seen since the great depression. The US dollar is now moving into "junk bond" status.
What is going to take place is higher inflation, in fact it is believed that the inflation is going to be so much that it is goign to cause a major shake- up in currency and bond markets globally.
The outcome will be huge price increases, and again it does not matter who is in office, congress or senate; the Federal Reserve, a privately held corporating of banking elites are doing this. There is nothing "federal" about this organization. They are the ones who control the money and they do not care how many lives will pay for thier usery and greed.
In fact, just three weeks ago silver was siting around the $19.00 range. Today it is $26.69. It was $24.00 just two days ago, that is till the Feds announced that they were in fact going to enact QEII.
Now, there is a chance,very slim, but a chance that we can possibly escape some of what is before us. But what it will take is massive amounts of sacrifice. 
The new speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner said, "It is a time to roll up our sleeves..."
Like it or not, "rolling up our sleves" means Austerity Measures are coming to America.
On Nov 2,201 the United Kingdom's PM David Cameron's coalition government announced massive cuts to the military and social housing in an attempt to reign in out of control deficits before addressing a very large debt. 
In France, an estimated one million protesters took to the streets against austerity measures proposed by the Sarkozy government which would raise the retirement age from 60 to 62. Well, our retirement age is 65, so personally France can suck this up. But what they are looking at here in the US is to move the retirement age from 65 to 70. 
Greece's economy has collapsed, and now Portugal's President is warning of a major crisis unless thier new austerity budget is accepted. Ireland is not be far behind in collapsing.
Europe is facing hard lifestyle changes, and the US is not far behind them.
On February 18, 2010, President Obama signed an executive order called "The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform." He did this by executive order because Senate was unable to pass a bill agreeing to a binding all powerful fiscal commission. Yet another abuse of power from this president.
Like the many other draconian "Czars" he has given power too, this commission will also wield authority and power.
On Nov 1, 2010  the Deficit Commission used the New York Times as a messenger service to tell politicians — and us the American people exactly what they intend to do if Republicans win the House and a good number of seats in senate.
It’s all there in black and white: They’ll cut benefits, increase the financial burden on the middle class, and make sure that wealthy Americans aren’t troubled by the kind of sacrifices everyone else will be expected to make so we do not default on our debt.
Here are the quick points...
(1) The average family health plan in the United States cost $13,770 in 2010. At a Federal tax rate of 25%, that’s $3,440 in new taxes — and the costs of these plans keeps skyrocketing. Employers would pass these costs on to employees, and would probably also reduce benefits (which is permitted to some extent under the new law) in order to reduce their own costs.
(2) The loss in middle-class wealth through plunging household assets is one part of the problem. Another is the fact that so many homeowners are paying mortgages based on grossly inflated home values, since banks have not had to write down any of the principal on these loans. And the bank bailout has not “broken even” or “made the taxpayer money,” despite reports that suggest otherwise.
(3) About those “unnamed supporters”: “Unnamed” by who, exactly? By Calmes herself, apparently. Are they “supporters” of the Commission, of eliminating these tax breaks, or of something else? Are they Commission staffers, or do they work for an advocacy group of some kind? Colmes doesn’t say. Has she read the New York Times’own policy about unnamed sources? Unattributed sources are only to be used for clearly stated reasons, which should be provided in the article. But then, disclosure have never been the Deficit Commission’s strong suit.
(4) Social Security’s fully funded through 2037, and then 75% funded after that. Lifting the cap on the payroll (FICA) tax would fix it forever. But Republicans will resist that, so your benefits are going to be cut instead. How? By raising the retirement age and altering the price index and cost-of-living formulas. That would come to an estimated 16.5% across-the-board cut in benefits – all because Republicans have drawn a line in the sand.
Co-chairs Alan Simpson (former Republican Senator from Wyoming) and Erskine Bowles (Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff) have promised, as basically ordered by our illustrious President. That everything will be on the table when it comes to balancing the budget, including social security, taxes, the military, and Medicare.
Does this need to be done? Yes it does.
But will those who govern, lead and make all the laws do the right thing? I pray that enough constitutional conservatives made it into the house and have the fortitude enough to stand when they see present day evil making headway.
I also pray that Republicans take seriously that the people of the United States have spoken. We are sick and tired of the abuse and we want it stopped now.
Now I have to say that I am encouraged by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky)and the speaches he has been giving. The president is saying compremise and McConnell is saying "no you are going to what the American people want." I like his tough, take no prisoners, draw the line in the sand attitude.
Now how long it lasts and will they stand firm is another thing.
If sacrifices are spread out evenly and if we as a nation turn back to God, I can see us making our way through this storm. It will be difficult, but it is possible. But it will mean sacrifice as a nation.
What I fear is that those in power will take the easy way out. That most likely is create a major war effort. That has always been the answer when the FIAT Model starts to break down. Just in case you do not know, America is based upon the FIAT monitary system, and she has always conducts a major war effort to try to get ourselves out of debt.
History has shown this time and time again.
When we could not fix our debt in the 1800's, we had the civil war. When we could not fix our debt in the 1930's we went to war. This is why I say that the odds are very good that we will go to war. Odds are also good that we will ramp up our military machine and go to war with Iran.
If we do not go to war, then we will continue to try to spend our way out, which we all know that is a dead end street that will result in entering a sever depression / hyperinflation even quicker. 
Austerity Measures are coming to America, we have been officially warned by John Boehner and no matter what, it will be carried out and we will feel the pain. To which direction we take, will be seen.
Will they send our young men and women across the sea to shed their innocent blood to pay for the banksters and Wall Street exececutives massive greed?
OR...
Will they just sacrifice America on the pire of Mammon and let this nation sink into third world status wiping out the middle class and stealing just about every bit of wealth the American people have built.
Both of these senarios will send this nation into an "econimic winter" where not much growth and great hardship will take place.
I have to be honest and say that there are times I do not relish the job God has given me. I know that many people are excited with the turnout of the elections and I know am raining on their parade, being doom and gloom and seem to always be pointing out the negative.
But I am a Watchman, called upon by God. I have got to sound the warning, the fire is in my bones. But not only that, the blood of the innocent will be upon my hands if I stand silent.
Scripture says...
Ezekiel 33:6-7  But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. 7  So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
Therefore, I must sound the alarm.
So what does the road look like possibly ahead?
We will probably see a "positive bump" in the markets, things will seem to be doing well. As a matter of fact the markets are reacting in the positive these last few weeks because "stock prices" are up. What they fail to see is that they are up due to inflation. In other words it is taking more dollars to purchase the stock than it did say a month or so ago.
The stock prices are not going up, the buying power of the dollar is going down. Don't believe me, look at the price of gold - $1,396.50. Gold and silver has consistantly been going up since July.
If a positive speed bump takes place, we may see the price of gold and silver drop for a bit(if it does, buy silver). This will be the calm before the storm. Things will seem to be rosy, but it will be only for a season. We will still have the same problems, same issues and the same gigantic mountainous debt facing us. Then the tide will change and we will see massive inflation take place in just a matter of days.
What do we do?
We need to be doing all that we can to prepare our selves spiritually, mentally and physically for the sake of the Gospel. Many will be hurting and need the hope that we have to offer in Jesus Christ our Lord.
If you have not protected your wealth, then I would start finding mediums of wealth to purchase like silver. If a drop comes, that will be the time to purchase silver, it will skyrocket after that.
If you want to learn more about silver, get Prophezine's Christian Guide To Silver.(http://www.prophezine.com/pz_store/)
In fact here is what PZ Insider Danny said...
"I'm new to investing in silver and I have to tell you that your "Christian's Guide to Silver" DVD is a "wealth" of information.  After watching the DVD, I was able to find over $30 worth of silver just sitting in my closet. Coins that I would have eventually rolled up and cashed in at the bank or just spent for far less than $30.  This DVD has already paid for itself and then some. Everyone who wants to learn about investing in silver should watch this DVD!"  
It is up to those of us who are the laymen who must be ready. Many of The pastors and shepherds have let us down, seeking approval of the world, instead of standing with the Word of God.
I believe God is seperating the wheat from the chaff. He is calling laymen to be ready for service. We must be ready to stand with boldness and credibility and to not be burdened as to where our next meal comes from or where to lay our head. We have been good stewards and we have prepared for the coming storm.
Finally, I leave you with the following...
Ephesians 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.


Prophezine's A Christian's Guide To Silver

SILVER-VIDEO.jpgIn this DVD Video we teach you about the precious metal Silver from a Christian's Perspective.
This video covers:
- What is Silver and the different types you can own
- Why Own Silver
- Purchasing Silver on the internet
- Walking the viewer through an actual purchase
- How to find Silver for pennies on the dollar
Video is approx 60 minutes in length
COST = $25.00 (US) Plus $3.00 shipping and handling
INCLUDES - Gold and Silver Tracking File - must have excel



JUST RELEASED - Broadband Version / International


This is a reduced file that you can view on your computer. The screen size of this file is 320x280. You will NOT receive a DVD. You are paying for only the video file.

If you live outside the US, you can purchase this file as well and it will play on your computer. Please note though that the file sizes are rather large
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YOU MUST HAVE A BROADBAND CONNECTION TO DOWNLOAD THIS FILE
The file format is WV or Windows Media file, the file size is 164 Mb. 
COST = $15.00 (US)
INCLUDES - Gold and Silver Tracking File - must have excel

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

One World Currency - Step By Step

By Ray Gano
Last week I wrote an article titled " USPS Now Converting US Dollars To Global SDRs."  Needless to say I have been generating a lot of questions out there. The primary one is "Will there be a one world currency?"
My answer, not only is there going to be a one world currency, it is already here and in the works.
As I showed in my previous article the US Post Office is already trading in what is called SDRs, or Special Drawing Rights. SDRs are becoming the defacto Global Currency Reserve.
But this is not the final solution.
We as Students of bible prophecy know and understand that the Antichrist will create a one world currency that will envelope legal, political, religious and social aspects.
I am one that believes that things do not take place over night. Man needs time to adjust and adapt to change. Otherwise chaos ensues and "the herd" is dispersed.
Background on The Enemy
You and I know the enemy. His name is Lucifer AKA Heylel Ben-Shachar
In the Bible, the Hebraic text in Isaiah 14:2 refers to Helel Ben Shachar or Heylel Ben-Shachar (היללבן שחר). Helel Ben-Schachar is translated into English as “O shining star, son of the dawn!" The name Lucifer is a translation of Helel Ben-Shachar into Latin by St. Jerome in the fourth century. Lucifer derives from two Latin words, lux (light) and fero (to bear–to bring), meaning light-bearer, light-bringer. The Bible identifies Lucifer as Devil, Satan, serpent, dragon, dweller of hell and other names. (1)
Knowing that the enemy is driven by pride and ego, he always shows his hand in a secret way announcing his intentions.
The enemies move to shift the world from multiple currencies to that of a single global one world currency was recently announced. And like many of the announcements of the enemy, it went unnoticed by many.
 Back in April of this year (2010) a paper was released by the Strategy, Policy and Review Department of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) titled  “Reserve Accumulation and International Monetary Stability”
In this document the IMF recommends that the world adopts a global currency called the "Bancor." But that is not all, what is also proposed is a single global central bank be created to administer the currency.
Folks, this is not conspiracy talk, black helicopters, or little green men.  The IMF, through this document is telling the world of its intentions of running the world's economy. Let me say very clearly, what the IMF wants, the IMF will eventually get.
The Bancor is coming… step by step.
 
 About The Bancor
The following is what Wikipedia states about the Bancor.
The Bancor was a World Currency Unit of clearing that was proposed by John Maynard Keynes, as leader of the British delegation and chairman of the World Bank commission, in the negotiations that established the Bretton Woods system, but has not been implemented.[2]There are some suggestions from the IMF of the possibility of its use in future.[3][4]
It was to be initially fixed in terms of 30 commodities, of which one would be gold. It would stabilize the average prices of commodities, and with them the international medium of exchange and a store of value.
In practice, until the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, gold itself filled this role, with the U.S. dollar fixed to gold and many other currencies fixed to either the U.S. dollar or directly to gold.
There have been variations on the model of the Bancor recently, such as having a currency unit for regional trade organizations such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), etc. In this model the commodities that would be placed into the pool would be limited to a fixed number of the currencies of the partner nations, and this would be done on an annual basis with agreement on prerequisites for withdrawal.
Step By Step - The SDR
As I have said, I do not believe in things happening overnight. To numb the senses of the masses, steps towards the final goal need to be taken. You can move a herd of cattle to the slaughter house very easily as long as it is done slowly and methodically otherwise the cattle go every time.
The same goes for people.
We have been moving towards a single global currency for some time now and a major step in that direction was when the SDR or Special Drawing Rights was established. But it was just a step in the direction that the IMF wants the world to go.
In the IMF document “Reserve Accumulation and International Monetary Stability” the report does say that  SDRs will become the "principal reserve asset" as the world moves towards a single currency.
The report states:
“As a complement to a multi-polar system, or even—more ambitiously—its logical end point, a greater role could be considered for the SDR.”
But  the report also states that SDRs have some serious limitations. What is that limitation? Well currently the SDR is tied to national currencies So with SDRs being tied to national currencies, when said currencies go up, the SDR goes up. When said currencies go down, like what is taking place today, the SDR goes down.
Here is the breakdown of the "basket" of currencies that the SDR is tied too:
*U.S. Dollar (44 percent)
*Euro (34 percent)
*Yen (11 percent)
*Pound (11 percent)
As we all know the dollar is not doing too well and in fact the trust of the people is starting to wain against the dollar. This effects the value of the SDR and the IMF does not like that.
So the IMF needs to move away from the U.S. dollar as the world reserve currency and urges the adoption of a currency unit that would be truly international.
But that is not the only reason. The fact is that SDRs are a pain in the rear to use. To obtain SDRs, people need to purchase them in their own currency, then use them, then the person who received the SDRs need to convert them into their own currency.
It is this trading, converting, back and forth that really limits their usefulness according to the IMF report….
“A limitation of the SDR as discussed previously is that it is not a currency. Both the SDR and SDR-denominated instruments need to be converted eventually to a national currency for most payments or interventions in foreign exchange markets, which adds to cumbersome use in transactions. And though an SDR-based system would move away from a dominant national currency, the SDR’s value remains heavily linked to the conditions and performance of the major component countries.”
So what is the answer?
Well, as stated by the IMF report, they believe that the adoption of a true single global currency administered by a central global bank is the answer.
Enter the Bancor
In reading the IMF report the IMF thinks that it would be a great idea that the Bancor be introduced as a stable global currency throughout the entire world.
Like the adoption of the Euro, the Bancor would be accepted everywhere along with that countries own currency. People would naturally gravitate to a stronger more stable currency over that of their own currency.
I have to say that if I was offered a means to protect my assets with a stable method of exchange, AKA currency, I know that I would purchase it. I do not have faith in our dollar. The current as well as past administrations have incurred debt that is impossible to pay off. That is a fact.
Knowing this, eventually the US will default on loans. In the day of digital money that we live in the dollar will go down the tubes in a matter of hours. There will not be enough time to pull money from the bank, inflation will instantly kick in and in a matter of days there will be a national financial emergency. The president will declare a bank holiday and close all the banking institutions.  Chaos will erupt and millions of middle class people will see their life savings wiped out.
That is unless people have thought ahead and maintained their wealth in a solid method of exchange (currency) or better yet a method of wealth (gold, silver, tangible assets)
But I am digressing here.
The IMF thinks it would be a solution to the world's problem if one single currency would be put in place. The IMF report clearly calls out the need for the Bancor to ride along side of nation's currencies.
 “One option is for Bancor to be adopted by fiat as a common currency (like the euro was), an approach that would result immediately in widespread use and eliminate exchange rate volatility among adopters (comparable, for instance, to Cooper 1984, 2006 and the Economist, 1988). A somewhat less ambitious (and more realistic) option would be for Bancor to circulate alongside national currencies, though it would need to be adopted by fiat by at least some (not necessarily systemic) countries in order for an exchange market to develop.”
AND what will naturally be needed is a global central bank to administer this new one world currency.  This central bank is something like the current Federal Reserve today. But what is very troublesome is that it will be completely outside the control of any particular national government….
“A global currency, Bancor, issued by a global central bank (see Supplement 1, section V) would be designed as a stable store of value that is not tied exclusively to the conditions of any particular economy. As trade and finance continue to grow rapidly and global integration increases, the importance of this broader perspective is expected to continue growing.”
In fact, the IMF report makes no bones about it and compares this coming global central bank to the Federal Reserve….
“The global central bank could serve as a lender of last resort, providing needed systemic liquidity in the event of adverse shocks and more automatically than at present. Such liquidity was provided in the most recent crisis mainly by the U.S. Federal Reserve, which however may not always provide such liquidity.”
Folks, just in case you do not know this; the Federal Reserve has nothing to do with the federal government. It is a privately held company whose stock you can purchase from the stock exchange. It is run by a cartel of elite bankers, financiers, businessmen and they are the real power behind the curtain.
In creating a central global bank like the one being proposed, it enables the power of the world to be easily wielded  by one single person, the head of that central bank. The likes of an Allen Greenspan or Ben Bernenke would head this bank up.
As I have said, what the IMF wants, the IMF gets. Knowing this, we will eventually have the Bancor and a central global bank running the show. Power will be given to a group of people headed by a single man.
Now do you see how easy it would be to control the masses by one single man?
Scriptures say…
Revelation 13:16-18 KJV And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Slowly the stage is being set. The enemy in all his pride and egotism is laughing at man  and his ignorance as he makes his plans right before our eyes and no one seems to even be paying attention.
That ol' worm Heylel Ben-Shachar is playing his game and man is falling for it. Eventually he will demand that man take a mark to identify himself as one of his. Those who do not will lose their head as a martyr of our  Lord Jesus Christ.
But for that to take place, there are still some steps that need to be established. We who are here now will face some if not all of this setting of the stage. While we are here we need to be ready always to preach the word, share the gospel and occupy till HE returns.
The time is now to prepare and be ready, not run off to some corner and hide. We have a responsibility to our Lord, it is our reasonable service.
One Final Note
There is today a system already in place. In fact this system envelopes all legal, political, religious and social aspects. It is the system that is spreading like a cancer and it is the Antichrist will use to rise to power. As I stated, the game that our pride filled egotistical enemy likes to play is hiding things right before our eyes. It really is the best place to hide something. This legal, political, religious, and social system many do not want to acknowledge and in fact many are already welcoming and defending its right to be spread;  is Islam and it is right before our eyes. In its system is everything that scripture describes that the Antichrist will use to come to power.
 It is here now and within 20 years it will have established a global government dedicated to its god Allah.
Who by the way is also known as Heylel Ben-Shachar - which literally translated from God's word means Crescent Moon - Morning Star.


END NOTES
Download and read “Reserve Accumulation and International Monetary Stability” at http://www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2010/041310.pdf
1 -http://www.helel.com/
5- http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13382167&CFID=48661507&CFTOKEN=95325844

Friday, July 9, 2010

How to Obtain a Duplicate Passport and Passport Card


This was such a great article that I had to share it.  Ray - S4C



by Bryan Black on July 2, 2010

If you’re like me, you have meticulous records, backups of everything, and are always war gaming everything. “What would happen if the house burnt down and I wasn’t able to get anything out?”
I seriously go through these scenarios all the time, especially when it comes to important documents. I’ve recently started investigating the steps to obtaining duplicate passports and passport cards for myself and my family.
Post image for How to Obtain a Duplicate Passport and Passport CardThere are many reasons why you’d want to have a duplicate passport and even one of the new U.S. Passport Cards.

Why a duplicate?

The primary reason I’m getting duplicates is redundancy. Two is one and one is none, as the saying goes. I live by this. A duplicate allows you to have a passport stored where a friend or family member can access it and send it to you. This is important if your passport is stolen overseas and you need to get home.
I always carry color copies of my passport, but nothing beats having the real thing to receive in an emergency situation.
Here’s some other reasons to consider a duplicate:
  • When applying for a visa for international travel to certain countries, you will be required to send off your passport to a consular. During this time, you will be without your passport and unable to leave the United States, unless you have a duplicate passport.
  • Having a duplicate passport will allow you overlapping dates of expiration, so that you’ll be able to always have a valid passport, even if a renewal is taking longer than it should. I did this with my Concealed Handgun License. I have my TX CHL with one expiration date, and a Florida permit with a different date.
  • Traveling to sensitive countries with certain stamps can cause delays, this is where a second passport comes in very handy.

How to obtain a duplicate

  1. Fill out Form DS-82 on the U.S. Department of State Website. This is the basic form for applying for a U.S. passport by mail, and is not specific to a duplicate passport. Once the application is filled out, print it out, as you’ll need to mail it or bring in person when applying for a second passport.
  2. Write a letter explaining your need for a duplicate passport. Just one paragraph is all you need, but it helps if you have travel plans that help your case. Providing a history of trips where a duplicate passport would have been needed will work too.
  3. Submit Form DS-82, two passport photos, passport fees, and the letter explaining your need for a duplicate. Currently the fees for a duplicate passport are $135, but they’re changing by July 13, 2010, so act quick. It will take 4-6 weeks to find out if your duplicate passport has been approved.

Passport Cards

U.S. Passport Cards have only been around for two years now, but are a great way to have official backup identification in an emergency. If a duplicate passport is more than you’d like to bite off right now, a Passport Card might be the way to go.
The Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card CAN NOT be used for international travel by air.
Even though there are limitations with Passport Cards, they’re a great item to have. Other than your travel being logged by the Government, there’s no stamp placed on a Passport Card like there is on the Passport Book. That’s not really as important as it is with sensitive countries and the Passport Book.
The current cost is only $20 if you have a valid Passport Book, but that price is going up to $30 when the new fees go into effect. Here are some great FAQs on Passport Cards, including instructions on how to obtain a Passport Card.

U.S. Passport SymbolRFID

Just a note that all new Passport Books AND Passport Cards contain RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips in them (denoted by the mark in the photo to the right). While the Department of State says there’s no personal information written on the electronic chip itself. The chip does contain a unique number which identifies a stored record within secure government databases.
A protective RFID-blocking sleeve is provided with each passport card to protect against unauthorized reading or tracking of the card when it is not in use. I’d recommend a RFID blocking sleeve for your Passport Book too, or just disable it if you’re paranoid about it (Warning: tampering with your passport could land you 25 years in prison, and land you a strip search each time you travel).

Source - http://www.itstactical.com/2010/07/02/how-to-obtain-a-duplicate-passport-and-passport-card/

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Crisis Meltdown Greece - Sheep, Sheepdogs, and Wolves

Crisis Deepens; Chaos Grips Greece
Greece protests: Riots erupt in Athens, 3 bank workers killed
ATHENS—Greece's fiscal crisis took a new turn to violence Wednesday when three people died in a firebomb attack amid a paralyzing national strike, while governments from Spain to the U.S. took steps to prevent the widening financial damage from hitting their own economies.
In Spain, rival political leaders came together Wednesday with an agreement that aims to shore up shaky savings banks by the end of next month. Banks in France and Germany, which are among Greece's top creditors, pledged to support a Greek bailout by continuing to lend to the country. Investors, meanwhile, are pouring money into bonds of countries seen as less exposed to the crisis, from Russia to Egypt.
Anxiety over the euro-zone economies sent the euro down to about 1.29 to the dollar, its lowest level in more than a year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell for the second straight day, losing 58.65 points, or 0.54%, to close at 10868.12.
If you have not been paying attention to what is going on in Greece, you need to be.
Why?
Because this is a foreshadow of things to come here in the US.
Here is a new acronym you need to learn. SHTF = Shcumar (crap) Hits The Fan.
Folks, many people out there have bought into the Hollywood scenario of the apocalyptic world of Mad Max and the Thunder Dome.  
When the SHTF, we are not going to resort to being Will Smith in "I am Legend" world.
You know what is going to happen?
Life will go on as soon as the main crisis slows down.
What people do not realize, it will be a completely different world from the one you used to live in.
Those who have prepared will make the transition, those who don’t will fall by the way side and become a casualty of the crisis.
Everyone is worried about EMP, or a Nuke attack and zombies. Can these things happen? Sure, well not the zombies, but the odds are pretty high to possibly not happening at all.
But the odds of a financial crisis hitting this country is very good. In fact I am going to say that it isn't a matter of "IF", it is a matter of "WHEN."
One of the greatest teachers is history.
It is a teacher we often ignore.
Scripture says…
Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV)  The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
What we are seeing in Greece is a repeat of history. This is the same thing took place in Bolivia, Zimbabwe and in Argentina  just in the last decade.
Folks, a financial crisis is here, the masses just don’t know it yet.
It isn't zombies that you will be fighting, it will the crime, the high price of everything, sporadic water services, sporadic electricity, all the while everything is breaking down around you and nothing getting fixed or replaced.
Again looking at history and those countries that have come before us we see what will take place.
But out of all of it, it is the crime that will sooner or later be like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Again history and just knowing the sin nature of man will show this to be true.
When the SHTF,  you’ll feel a real, urgent need to increase your security habits and find means of self defense.  Problem is that the million or so other people that live in your general area will have the same real urgent need.
Wanna get a gun, the shelves will be empty. That or the cost will be so high that it will be basically impossible. Those who are prepared will have already taken their personal, family and home security into consideration and have already acted. This is why I highly encourage you to get a Carry & Conceal license now. On top of that, take at least some basic fundamental classes on how to handle the weapon and even some close quarter tactics. They are out there, call your local gun shop owner and they can usually hook you up.
What about any sort of home alarm system, security system, even automatic lights. You will see the prices go through the roof. But not only because the money you are using is basically worthless, but the fact that you are now competing against the million or so masses who are looking for the same things you are. Those who are prepared have already set this up as well.
When the SHTF you will not be able to make ignorant mistakes, they will cost you in money and God forbid, possibly your life if you are too foolish.
In his book "On Killing" Lt. Col David Grossman noted that people are divided into three groups. There will be the "sheepdogs" and there will be the "sheep." The third group, they are the wolves. It is the wolves who the sheep and the sheepdogs will need to contend with.
What About a Job and Food?
Like during the great depression, people will be job hunting for months, even years. Competing for a job will become an art form of its own. Monster and the classified adds in the newspapers will be a joke. Those who are prepared will already have friends of friends, networks and abilities to help secure a much coveted job.
In fact, just getting to and from work will be an exercise in logic, tactics and nerves of steel. You will have riots, roadblocks, fires, carjacking, kidnappings, shootings and looters to contend with. That's just to name a few of the obstacles.
Grocery stores will have very limited supplies and when they do, getting in and purchasing food will be like walking the gauntlet. You will be on alert getting to and from your car with pepper spray or other means to keep the wolves at bay in hand.
Once inside you will have to contend with the prices being 200%, 300%, possibly even 700% higher.
Do you know that today it costs 32 billion Zimbabwe dollars just for a dozen eggs?
But that is not all.
The banks are going to be closed and when they do open they will limit how much you can withdrawal.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the equivalent to our own Fed Reserve has fixed the daily withdrawal limit at Z$100 billion. Folks, that is roughly US$1.25 per day for individuals. Newsflash -  that doesn't even cover the average day to day cost of living for people. Not to mention that they are living in the world's most inflationary country on the globe today.

Want a shocker, a loaf of bread costs Z$100 billion, meat sells for Z$450 billion a pound. (about US$5.60) and a half-gallon of milk costs Z$200 billion (about US$2.50). These items are all fixed priced by the government by law too. If they weren't the cost would be astronomical.
In Zimbabwe, local shops that are open associate a fee just for using Z-dollars, and although these fees differ, most charge about 15% commission for cash.
Why? Because the hyperinflation is so bad that within 24 hours, they have lost money due to prices going up higher and higher.
Those who have prepared have protected their wealth by putting it into silver, gold, jewelry, hard based assets. They may even have other hard currencies on hand like the Swiss Francs, Chinese Yuan or other currency that has not lost value in the worlds economy.
 They in turn can trade these items in and will be able to afford food to feed the family, gas to go to work, and other day to day expenses and not have to worry to much about the bank limits set upon them.
People, you have time right now to decide who you will be. Take this opportunity so that you can prepare for this situation now.
Life will go on after the SHTF, but it will be the end of the world as you know it and be an entirely different world the next morning with new rules and new attitudes.  
Those who have prepared now will have the upper hand and be able to transition. They will have already seen the writing on the wall for a while now.  These people will be the sheepdogs
Here is what they have already done…
They have purchased food and have a well stocked pantry - they see food as an investment.
They have provided means to protect themselves, their family, their home with as many means as possible.
They have chosen to be the "sheepdog" instead of being the "sheep."
They blend into the crowd, walk with a purpose and completely alert to their surroundings before they even step outside their front door.
They prepared knowing that this situation was coming not only because they have learned from history, the bible told them also told them too.
There is nothing new under the sun.
The key is will you take the time to learn and be a sheepdog or will you ignore it and become one of the sheep.
The wolves will be out there and you will have to learn how to contend with them either way you look at it.
Take the time now and learn from Greece, Zimbabwe, Argentina and the others. It is not a matter of "IF" it is only a matter of "WHEN."

Special Thanks to Lt Col Dave Grossman for his insight and his great article On sheepdogs, Wolves and Sheep. 

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Surviving The Emergency No One Ever Plans For

By Ray Gano
Hmmm, I am ready for earthquakes, tornadoes and floods. I even have NBC gear, KI Pills and my trusty radiation meter just in case of a nuke. 
What can hit me now that I am not ready for?
Can you say Pink Slip?
I have been writing now about preparedness and stewardship for close to 6 years now and this is the weak link I see in most people's preparedness plans. They have not prepared for being fired, laid-off, or unemployed for long periods of time. 
Except for suffering serious illness like cancer, that and unemployment for a long period of time seems to be never thought about. 
Even most folks who are preparedness minded say "it can't happen to me."
See many folks out there have been watching way to many "Mad Max" or "I am Legend" movies and think that when "the schumar hits the fan" the world will melt down and turn into" apocalypse now."
Folks, history as well as what is going on currently in the world show it in a completely different picture. 
Just look at the war in Iraq. People are going about their day to day business, kids going to school ect. But there is also high unemployment, high crime, terrorism, sickness, and in spite of all of this, life goes on. 
The key question that you need to ask is what level of quality of life will you have if you get the pink slip?
Can earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, and even nukes happen? Sure they can, but the odds of them effecting you are actually pretty slim. But the odds of you getting a pink slip are very good. In fact in today's economy, the odds are against you.

Person 1 or Person 2 - Which One Are You?
There are two types of employee. Ask yourself, which one of these people are you? 
One has a good idea of what they do, who they are and what position they play in the company. They are alert to their environment, their position, their subordinates and supervisors. When they see the beginnings of the ship starting to go down they are under no delusions, and will no doubt have already had other irons in the fire; jumping ship for another job long before they are ever considered for the pink slip.
And then there’s the other kind people out there. You know who I am talking about. What about that person who lives to text, chatting on the phone to friends all the while surfing the web doing online shopping. 
Or what about this scenario, you got Joe down in sales who is completely oblivious that the recent merger means his job is now obsolete. 
How about the person who thinks they are the only one who can perform their job, therefore making them irreplaceable.
Is this you?
All these folks have what I call Ostrich Syndrome. They couldn’t see a pink slip coming if it was as big as the broad side of a barn screaming “you’re fired!”
Here is a little hint, you want to avoid being in that 2nd category at all costs. 
To really be prepared, you have to keep an eye on the horizon. In the military there was an old saying that I still use today. "Stay Alert - Stay Alive" 
One of the first things you can do is to is pay attention to your environment and watch for tell tale signs of a possible job loss.
Here are some things you need to personally look out for…
  • Are you no longer in the loop about, well, anything?



  • Did you recently screw up big-time?



  • Are people avoiding you at all costs?



  • Did your last performance review read like a train wreck?



  • Has your company recently been sold or merged?



  • Are you being given impossible jobs with no chance of success?



  • Do you now have less responsibility than the intern?



  • Has your office, cubicle or working space recently been down-sized?



  • Do people whisper more, or does the conversation change as you approach?



  • Did your recently receive a pay freeze or, worse still, a pay cut?



  • Have you seen a job posting for your company that matches your job description?



  • Does everyone hate you? I mean really dislike you with a passion?



  • And sometimes there is no warning at all!



Folks, if you can answer "YES" to three or more, you may want to drag out the resume and start bookmarking those job websites like Monster.com or Dice.com. Why, because the odds are that you are on the way out. 
Something that you need to realize is that this has happened to the best of us and there are times that the odds are just against you, things happen that you have no control over. It is what you do about it that matters. 
Or better yet, what contingency plans did you have in place knowing that sooner or later this would happen to you.
What you need to do is take control over those things that benefit you and your family now before you see that pink slip. Thing is that if you have said yes to at least three of those things above, you don’t have much time and should have been prepping for this when times were "good."
What you need to do now is address the coming problems that will be coming no matter what.
Problem #1 - Food & water
If you are reading this, then you are probably a "prepper" like me. 
With that said, the odds are good that you have already started your food storage. 
Folks, this is called "insurance." 
We have car insurance, home insurance, renters insurance, health insurance, but it amazes me how many people have all these different insurances, and yet refuse to insure that their family can eat three square meals a day if the store shelves went empty after three days. 
If you lose your job and you have no more money, what will you eat? 
When money is short, 6-12 months worth of food is a wise idea. Is it too much to insure that your family has enough to eat? 
It is hard, specially for a man to get fired or laid off. The stress is up there, add to that the problem of not having enough food for your family and having the problem of finding another job and the stress levels have reached stratospheric levels.
On the flip side of that, if you have 6 - 12 months of food stores laid up, that means you have at least that amount of "breathing room" time and that is less money going out that you can retain in your pocket. 
Think that you could sleep a little easier at night knowing that you have this sort of "insurance / safety net" already in place? Would having the knowledge that your family will not go hungry help in lowering that stress level instead of it going through the roof?
The answer is clearly "YES."
Using the rule of 80-20-10-2, I can bet that 80% of you reading this do not even have a single months worth of food stored up. 
20% have at least a month to three months… 
10% have 6 months …
and 2% have 12 months worth of food stored up. 
Let me spell this out for you. 
For 80 % of you, the dreaded PINK SLIP equals NO MONEY which equals NO FOOD, which means you and your family will be standing in the soup kitchen lines, begging for food or eating out of a dumpster in less than a week.
This is not the movies, Mad Max or make believe. In today's world, this is reality and with the economy going south in the good ol' US of A, odds are very good that things are going to get worse and take you right along with it for the ride.
Solution… start today in creating that food insurance plan. You don’t have to go out right now and buy 6 months. Start out small with getting the basics. 
  • Buy 5-6 boxes of oatmeal and 5-6 boxes of Cream of Wheat - there… 30 days of breakfast
  • 6 - 7 cases of assorted Rami-noodles -there.. 30 days of lunch
  • 20 boxes of Mac & Cheese
  • 10 lbs of pasta
  • 10-20 cans of spaghetti sauce
  • 2-3 spiral sliced Hams
  • 2-3 cooked Turkeys
  • Couple cases each of canned green beans, corn, peas
  • Get 20-30 boxes each of instant pudding and instant jello
  • 10 cans of Instant drink mix in different flavors
  • 10-20 boxes of instant milk
This is just an example, but you see what I mean. Here is a rough menu that you could feed a family of four on for almost 30 days.
Now is it the greatest meal plan and menu? No it isn't, but it is a start and the total cost is about $200 - $300.00. The Ham, Turkey and Instant Milk will be the most costly. If you replaced that with other alternatives, you could probably get away with 30 days of food for around $100 - $150.00. If you used coupons and shopped the sales, you would save even more. 
Now if you cannot purchase this all right now, then purchase a little every week. Plan it out and then work your plan.
Next, clean out that closet that every home has and that no one really uses except to store junk in. Add some shelving to it and that will be your food storage pantry. Once you have place to store your food, and you keep adding to it every time you go to the grocery store, you will be amazed how fast you can then fill it up.
The key is taking concerted steps forward and buying at least one item for your food storage every time you go to the grocery store.
Problem #2 - No Place To Live
This is already happening at an alarming rate. In Southern California, tent cities are popping up all over the place. Why? Loss of income / unemployment.
Because of very unwise lending practices coupled with personal greed and the need to keep up with the Jones's; people got in over their heads with huge mortgages that they could not afford.
Do you realize that most Americans today are one flat tire away from bankruptcy?
People have stretched their financial budget so thin that just about any unexpected event will cause a major cascade of financial loss. In other words, people are simply losing their homes because they can’t keep up with the payments. This is happening right here right now…today.
Local authorities say the number of families seeking help has risen in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Washington.
USA TODAY found:
  • In New York City, 2,747 families applied for shelter in September 2008, up from 2,087 in September 2007.



  • In Hennepin County, including Minneapolis, 880 families were in shelters from January through August 2008, up from 698 in that period last year. At least 10% this year came from foreclosed properties where most had been renters, says Cathy ten Broeke, county coordinator to end homelessness.



  • Dennis Culhane, a University of Pennsylvania professor of social policy, expects foreclosures to cause a "big increase" in homeless families.



  • Mangano says a new federal law gives communities $3.9 billion to buy foreclosed properties or provide services to the homeless.




    Source - http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-21-homeless_N.htm
What is happening today? We are beginning to see multi-family homes come together. In other words kids and their families are moving back in with "Mom & Dad." And that is normal, family needs to help and work together. Times are getting tough and it is a strong family unit that will survive. Everyone brings their assets together for the good of the family. It is what our great grand parents did during the depression, we can do it also.

Now the real problems happen when you don’t have that family safety net and the need for some sort of shelter becomes more primal. 
A tent isn’t much of a home but it is better than nothing for a couple days or even a couple of weeks. It is wise for every family to have several tents for "just in case." If you have a camper or motor home, then you are living in luxury. 
Here in the Texas Hill country we have what we refer to as "snow birds." These are retired folk who come down from the north during the winter and leave back home in the spring. We see trailers, campers and RVs of all sorts and sizes. 
So in a survival situation a family can get by for several weeks and even longer periods of time in an RV, trailer or camper. Living in one of these also are a lot more safer and solid than that of a tent. Living in one of these will also boost your moral verses having to crawl in and out of a small camping tent. 
Bottom line is when you have no job, you have no funds; no funds mean no roof over your head. Go out and at least get a 7 man multi-room dome tent. Spend the money now for something with lots of room, compact and easy to set up. During the spring you will see camping gear start to go on sale, that is a great time to purchase a good dome tent for around $150 plus.
Becoming homeless is a real issue and it can happen to you if you got the pink slip. Is a $150.00 tent too much to spend for this type of "insurance" for you and your family? 
Don’t believe it can happen to you? 
Look at all the people who lost their homes due to foreclosures and living in tent cities all over the US.
Problem #3 - No Jobs To Be Found
The job just doesn’t appear. You pour over the daily newspaper, search all your on line job websites, but there’s just no job to be found.
In the corporate world when there are more workers than there are jobs, it goes in the favor of the company. In fact during hard times it works greatly in favor for the company.
  • They can pay you want they want, not what you are worth



  • They can make higher demands upon you for less



  • They can cut back on benefits or have no benefits what so ever



  • And the list goes on …



Basically they can turn you into a company slave and if you need the money, there is nothing that you can do about it either because there is a line a mile long of people who will be more than happy to do what you are doing and agree to do more of it for less.
So what do you do? 
If you are one of those people who are proactive and alert to your environment, the best thing to do is create a home based business now.
Like food storage and having that "just in case" roof over your head, these are things that you do not need "right now" but need to put in place for "insurance" sake./ 
If you have not figured it out by now, self sustainability is what you need to work towards. You need to build a means of cash flow coming into your home right now. 
What is the old saying? The best time to look for a job is when you have a job. Well, the best time to create a home based business is when you have a job already that can "subsidize" you while you are building this secondary form of cash flow.
This in and of itself is a whole article, which I will write at a later time because it is needed. But the key point of having a successful home based business is that you have got to truly love what it is you are doing. 
For example, my primary source of income is writing about Bible Prophecy and World Events. I have a website that I started back in 1991 called Prophezine. I send out a 30-40 page newsletter, daily news and commentary, produce a weekly podcast and even produce videos I post on You Tube, I do all of this for a subscription of only $10.00 a month. Now I have only been working a subscription based model for a few years now and only have about 120 monthly subscribers and it is slowly growing.
In doing the math, you can see that I bring in about $1200.00 a month from subscriptions.
Does this cover our family expenses? No it does not, so I create more streams of cash flow.
For example, I try to produce an audio CD or video DVD once a month and then sell it to my website members and visitors. 
My latest project is TEOTWAWKI, a data DVD that I sell for $30.00. On this data DVD I have written and compiled a lot of articles, have about 15 hours of audio lecture and "how to" videos. I have some e-books and other great information. It would take an average person a couple of months to really go through everything and in dept that is on this DVD. It is well worth the money and may people have purchased this. 
On this project, I am only talking hundreds of dollars, but couple that with our subscription and you can see that one can start "eeking" out a living.
Now I love what I do and it is what God has called me to do, that is what is commonly referred to as a "watchman on the wall." 
Because I love what I do, it is that love that pushes me to get up every day, commute to the computer, answer hundreds of emails, search the news, research the bible, pray for people, update my website, mail out products, write articles, blog, produce podcasts, produce you tube videos, ect, ect, ect.
On average, I spend from 7:00 AM to about 9:00PM working at my home based business. That is 6 days and almost 7 days a week.
Now, here is where the rubber meets the road. 
As I stated I earn about $1200 in monthly subscriptions and about another $300.00 in product sales. That is about $1500.00 a month. 
Let's just average and say I work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. That is 27 days in a month, 12 hours a day. That comes to be about $55.00 a day or roughly $4.62 an hour.
This is why you have got to love what you do with great passion, because otherwise, you will not work yourself hard for $4.62 an hour. But it is the passion that you have that will get you through the hard times and it is your passion that will help you grow your home based cash flow.
Add more forms of cash flow into your home and you can see that you can create a home based business that you can live off of. 
Another thing that you can do is get the whole family involved and create a family run home based business. Invest in your kids and help them create a home based business. 
For example my son enjoys doing yard work, mowing and such. We are going to help him get his business going and then he can start chipping into the family funds that all the family benefits from. 

The Catch - Lowering Your Expenses… A LOT!
I need to caveat all of this by saying that one of the primary things that you need to do is also cut way back on your family expenses. You need to go through your budget and really ask yourself do you really need 250 cable channels or will 150 do just as well for half the price. Or better yet, do you need cable at all? 
Do you need a land line phone as well as cell phones? Can you get rid of one over the other? Can you sell that car you still are making payments on and go out and get a "cash car" for a couple thousand dollars that you then own outright?
These are just some of the things and there are even more that you need to start doing now while you have a job that can "subsidize" your home based business. 
You need to also realize that it take years to grow a solid cash flow home based business. That is why you need to start now instead of being behind the "8-ball" and trying to start one when you are out of work. 
Finally, you need to have patients and allow your efforts to compound. 
Often I tell people I advise that you cannot go out into the yard this week and plant tomatoes and expect next week to go out and harvest tomatoes. 
It takes time and patients. You have got to nurture your cash flow and allow it to grow. You will have set backs, obstacles and even lose money. But it is the love of what you do that will help you push through a lot of this and keep going on growing your home based cash flow. 
In summary, if you have been prudent and you have created these multiple "insurance" plans such as food storage, a "just in case" roof over your head, and home based cash flow. You are well prepared for that one emergency that about 95% of the population says "can't happen to them." 
Please, start today. 
For those who wish to get started today and want a jump start, order my data DVD, TEOTWAWKI -The DVD . This stands for "The End Of The World As We Know It" and you pronounce it "Tee-oh-tah-wak-ee." 
Here is just some of the 280+ Files we have on TEOTWAWKI - The DVD...
- 52 Week Food Storage Plan
- How to Grow Potatoes in a Garbage Can
- How to build a cheap temporary smoke house
- Plans for Building a Greenhouse
- Finding Wild Edibles
- Facts on Dirty Bombs
- How To Prepare For The Coming Influenza Pandemic
- Trench Medicine-Advanced Field Procedures for Emergencies
- ARMY FM 21-76 - SEAR Guide (Survival, Evasion and Recovery)
- How To Shelter In Place
- Sustainable Poultry
- Profitable Poultry Raising Birds on Pasture
- All About Worms
- Wi-Fi Toys - 15 Cool Wireless Projects For Home, Office, And Entertainment (2004)
- The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments (banned in the 60-s)
- Understanding Surveillance Technologies Spy Devices Their Origins and Applications
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Rock Plant Filter Operations, Maintenance, Repair
Subject Folders are - Alternate Energy, Christian Finance, Food Storage, Living off the Land, Man Made Disasters , Medical and First Aid, Odds & Ends, Preparedness, Raising, Animals, Special Ops - Kitchen Warfare, Water & Compost.
15+ Hours of Audio Lecture - examples are...
* How to start a Home Based Business
* How To Buy Silver
* Living in God's Economy
* Wilfred Hahn - 13 guideline to Christian Finance
* Credit Cards are dangerous
* 40 files in all
Videos on
* Building a fire w/ flint
* Makeshift utensils
* Trapping game
* Nuclear Preparedness
* How to Make Cheese
* 23 videos in all
We have even included some great freeware to help you survive the coming years.
* Bit Torrent 6.3 - UNDERGROUND NET You need it, find it with this.
* Nero 9.4 (Free Version)
* Debt Eliminator Loan Calculator 1.3
* GA7 Stock Forecaster 1.0.145
* 9 files in all 
COST = $30.00 (US) with Shipping and Handling included - International Orders $40.00
Finally, for all that have read this, I pray that you heed my warning. The Pink Slip is not a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN. 
You can act now while you have the time, money and ability. 
When you boil all this down, it is just practical and biblical stewardship put into action.
Do the right thing, hold a family meeting and put goals in place and then start taking baby steps to achieve those goals. It is amazing how far you can go when just taking baby steps forward and not look back. 

About the Author:
Ray & Tracye Gano are the Executive Directors of Prophezine (
www.prophezine.com). Prophezine deals with Bible Prophecy and World Events from a Pre-trib, pre-millennial, dispensationalist stand point. They currently serve close to 70,000 (and growing) people worldwide with a weekly newsletters, daily news updates, community based website and Internet radio shows. Ray recently released his latest project “TEOTWAWKI the Data Library. This DVD covers how to escape the trappings of mammon and learning how to live simply in God’s abundance. Order it at http://www.prophezine.com/pz_store/
God's Word says …
Ephesians 6:13 (KJV) Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all,
To Stand.