Staying abreast of the News stateside by Richard of Danbury

Economics…

Cash-free Greek communities take off while economy collapses

Economist Yannis Ioannides of Tufts University, Massachusetts, believes a retreat to rural life provides a “safety net” for young people. “At least they can protect themselves against the market by dropping out of it,” he told Metro.

“It’s not a solution to the crisis — it’s a solution for us,” says Dionysis, 30, a chemist who gave up his life in Athens and closed his bank account, vowing to never return.
http://metronews.ca/news/world/426940/cash-free-greek-communities-take-off-while-economy-collapses/

Edit. Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes. The indomitability of the human spirit also comes into play as people begin to see that big government not only is no recourse, but also never was meant as a stopgap, safety net or other Newspeak term that may apply to this situation. The fact is that in due course individuals and families will have to depend on themselves, their own creative resources, and their own skills and talents. Better to prepare now while things are relatively stable than wait until dire circumstances force you to act.

If you are blessed to have some old folks around, ask them how they coped during WWII and the Great Depression; then adapt and implement this precious firsthand knowledge to your situation.

Rumors of Wars…

Russian Submarine Detected Near East Coast

A Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine cruised within 200 miles of the East Coast recently in the latest sign Russia is continuing to flex its naval and aerial power against the United States, defense officials said.

http://nation.foxnews.com/russia/2012/11/05/russian-submarine-detected-near-east-coast

Edit. Well as Yogi Berra would say: déjà vu all over again. Yep! This harkens back to my childhood during the Cold War when we had practice nuclear drills at school, we had public fallout shelters in the basements of city apartment buildings, when Nike missile bases ringing US cities, and good ol’ grade B sci-fi movies about mutant creatures produced by nuclear weapons. This presence off our coast is not the first time recently that Russia has been flexing its formidable muscle. While we dissipate our military might, our treasure, and blood in military misadventures the world over Russia has quietly been rebuilding not only its economy but also its conventional weaponry. These near incursions in to US border areas are meant to warn us of expanding the Middle East conflagration into Iran.