Quote from article:

[color:"red"]"Consumers are rewarding merchants who entertain them, save them time and make them feel and look good now rather than later.

What's different: People are accumulating less stuff - houses, cars, lamps, clocks. This money was saved early in the economic downturn but is now flowing to services and small items that can immediately boost a person's happiness."[/color]

INSTANT GRATIFICATION without accumulation of REAL GOODS. That's how Americans are responding to the threat of a complete financial break down.

This bodes very poorly for those of us that are accumulating real goods - those items that satisfy the most basic of human needs: FOOD WATER SHELTER DEFENSE - because we will be viewed with scathing animosity by those who didn't prepare.

Does anyone remember the Aesop's fable "The grasshopper and the ant?

[color:" blue"]Once there lived an ant and a grasshopper in a grassy meadow.

All day long the ant would work hard, collecting grains of wheat from the farmer's field far away. She would hurry to the field every morning, as soon as it was light enough to see by, and toil back with a heavy grain of wheat balanced on her head. She would put the grain of wheat carefully away in her larder, and then hurry back to the field for another one. All day long she would work, without stop or rest, scurrying back and forth from the field, collecting the grains of wheat and storing them carefully in her larder.

The grasshopper would look at her and laugh. 'Why do you work so hard, dear ant?' he would say. 'Come, rest awhile, listen to my song. Summer is here, the days are long and bright. Why waste the sunshine in labour and toil?'

The ant would ignore him, and head bent, would just hurry to the field a little faster. This would make the grasshopper laugh even louder. 'What a silly little ant you are!' he would call after her. 'Come, come and dance with me! Forget about work! Enjoy the summer! Live a little!' And the grasshopper would hop away across the meadow, singing and dancing merrily.

Summer faded into autumn, and autumn turned into winter. The sun was hardly seen, and the days were short and grey, the nights long and dark. It became freezing cold, and snow began to fall.

The grasshopper didn't feel like singing any more. He was cold and hungry. He had nowhere to shelter from the snow, and nothing to eat. The meadow and the farmer's field were covered in snow, and there was no food to be had. 'Oh what shall I do? Where shall I go?' wailed the grasshopper. Suddenly he remembered the ant. 'Ah - I shall go to the ant and ask her for food and shelter!' declared the grasshopper, perking up. So off he went to the ant's house and knocked at her door. 'Hello ant!' he cried cheerfully. 'Here I am, to sing for you, as I warm myself by your fire, while you get me some food from that larder of yours!'

The ant looked at the grasshopper and said, 'All summer long I worked hard while you made fun of me, and sang and danced. You should have thought of winter then! Find somewhere else to sing, grasshopper! There is no warmth or food for you here!' And the ant shut the door in the grasshopper's face.

It is wise to worry about tomorrow today. [/color]

I bought 20 Cyalume glowsticks that showed up today. Toss a couple in each vehicle, a few in the work bag, a few in the BOB, a few in my office desk drawer.

They are good to mark a gate at night, a spot to turn off, all kinds of things.

I think I will make a point to toss them every year.


Let me see...I bought a pair of Mechanix gloves for the BOB as well.

Oh, I had Propper Multicam ACUs with nonvelcro pockets on the porch tonight. Coat/shirt fits as it should the pants are a bit large. I am going to keep them for cold weather layering and add a size smaller to my next order.

I wear a belt and a bit large works anyway.

imaginefj,

Your last post gave me an idea for a new thread....

By the way, Propper Multicam ACU's are my choice for warrior wear as well.

Arch and JJ,
Thanks for the info on the MK3, I'll be picking one up after the holiday season!
My christmas presents this year are gear that I need to fill out my BOB and survival gear in general. I also am working on inspiring my family to be prepared as well. Shouldn't be too hard since my dad is a scoutmaster.
J

Arch, Hey amigo is that a base under the Canteen Cup? If so what for and where did you get it? Thanks -Jason

Jason, I am not Arch, but that is a Canteen cook stove sort of thing. Turn it upside down fill it full of wood or something that will burn and you have a heater for your canteen cup cooking pot!

I don't remember exactly what they're called but try Canteen cooker.

Jason, here is a link that has several of the "Stoves"

Thanks Randy. I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. I"m beat and fixing to rack out thanks for the quick reply. -Jason

Ok, I guess I forgot the link!

http://www.buycheapr.com/us/result.jsp?ga=us6&q=canteen+cup+stand

Jason,

Randy is correct. They are USGI Canteen Cup Stoves. I use to see them for $5 locally, but all that I see now are poorly constructed Chinese repro's.

They work well if you have enough small twigs to keep a hot fire under the cup. They weigh virtually nothing and give you the option of a "low vis" fire.

I am just glad the pockets on the pants don't have velcro.