Caveat: This is one opinion but it it Martin Armstrong and it’s worth reporting. Legendary economist Martin Armstrong projects war will begin in Ukraine. On May 15th he spoke with USA watchdog, urging the United States to get the Hell out of NATO. Every European country is re-instituting drafts because they want war, he said. […] The post Martin Armstrong: Europe Will Collapse and Needs War with Russia appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

In a significant victory for President Donald Trump, the Republican-led House early Thursday morning passed what the president has championed as the “one big, beautiful bill,” with enough Republican holdouts coming around to support the comprehensive tax and budget package. Trump met with House Republicans two days in a row as they hashed out last-minute changes to win over members from high-tax blue states who wanted a higher state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap and fiscal hawks who demanded more spending cuts. The final vote, a close 215-214, followed back-to-back all-night sessions in the Rules Committee and on the House floor. “We planned and we worked and we locked arms together as a team. And we have delivered this against all odds,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in the final moments. “The media has tried to divide us. They’ve written our eulogy about 10 times. And you know what? Sometimes it’s good to be underestimated, isn’t it? But we got this done.” Johnson managed to beat his deadline to pass the legislation by Memorial Day. It now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration. The Trump administration has indicated that it wants Congress to be done with the bill by July 4. The bill aims to provide funding and support for Trump’s priorities on border security, energy, and national defense. It also seeks to retain tax cuts from 2017 set to expire at the end of this year, raise the debt limit by trillions of dollars, implement “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime” policies, block federal dollars from funding transgender procedures, and more. The House led the charge in devising the finer details of the bill after Congress approved a budget framework last month. The budget reconciliation process they are using will allow the Senate, with its narrow Republican majority, to bypass the three-fifths majority threshold for overcoming a filibuster. Still, doing so may not be so easy, as some Republican senators expressed reservations with the measure as it came together in the House. Last-minute tweaks to the bill, meant to placate certain Republicans, include moving up Medicaid work requirements by two years to the end of 2026, and phasing out wind and solar energy tax credits after 2028. In addition, the SALT deduction cap was raised to $40,000, an increase from the $30,000 limit that had initially been placed into the bill. Lawmakers also settled on the name “Trump accounts” for a $1,000 savings proposal for newborns. Democrats levied various complaints against the bill, including claims that it would result in people losing healthcare coverage and benefit the rich. They all voted against the bill, as did Republican Reps. Warren Davidson (OH) and Thomas Massie (KY), who raised concerns about spending and the estimated trillions of dollars the legislation is projected to add to the national debt. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, voted “present.” Proponents focused on touting how the legislation would prevent a massive tax hike for working families and would kick illegal immigrants off Medicaid, among other things. Trump’s budget chief, Russell Vought, told Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro the legislation offers the “most historic level of mandatory savings that we’ve had, ever — $1.6 trillion” by reining in spending programs while fostering economic growth.

Cat exercise wheels are supposed to be stationary. For Presro’s sister’s cat, that is not entirely accurate. This curious little Bengal kitty discovered that the wheel works better when not on the stationary stand. He now “drives” the wheel around the house. Check out his ability to navigate corners! @.presro Bengals are something else I swear ♬ original sound – Presro Another cat owner built a cat wheel for his kitten, Sushi. She used it to roll around the floor unrestrained. She seemed to like it well enough that he purchased the streamlined version. He bought the fancy, stationary model and assembled it. Sadly, now-adult Sushi won’t touch the expensive new room decor. @wasabisushimatcha But you LOVED the wheel as a kitten , why not as an adult?! #catwheel #diycattoy #catsbeingstubborn #catsbeingcatsdoingcatthingsbeingcats #catwheeltraining ♬ 原聲 – 平凡 – 平凡 If you have spent time on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook, you have undoubtedly seen countless cat videos. Not all kittens are as adept at the cat wheel as Sushi was. Most have severe operational difficulty. Don’t worry, no kittens received injuries during their less-than-successful excursions. Image from TikTok. In addition to cats, some people have wheels for their other fur babies. We don’t know how she manages, but this pet mink eats entire meals during her cardio exercise. Some cats might be more intelligent than their owners. The fluffy ragdoll cat, Evie, is a bit of a drama llama. She pretends not to be strong enough to spin her cat wheel until her owner manually spins it for her. If you can’t get enough of these hilarious spinning cats and kittens, you can find plenty more on TikTok by searching for “cat running wheel fails.” If you prefer Instagram, there are plenty on that platform also. Happy spinning! Please share these incredible animals. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Crafty Kitty Figures Out Cat Wheels Don’t Have To Be Stationary appeared first on InspireMore.

'America first agenda is finally here'

'The very least they should receive in return'

Aaron Rodgers is out here keepin' it a bean

The Faces emerged from the ashes of two significant British rock acts in 1969, creating one of the most beloved and influential rock bands of the early 1970s. When Small Faces frontman Steve Marriott abruptly quit the band on New Year’s Eve 1968 to form Humble Pie, the remaining members—bassist Ronnie Lane, drummer Kenney Jones, and keyboardist Ian McLagan—found themselves at a crossroads. Rather than disbanding, they recruited vocalist Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood, both recently departed from the Jeff Beck Group, to form a new lineup. With the addition of these two taller members (both around 5’9″), the The post Complete List Of Faces Band Members appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

In Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, a local business sorts through thousands of donated sneakers to decide the best way to keep them out of landfills. Whether pristine or worn out, each pair will have a future either as recycled material or with a new owner who’s going to appreciate and continue to use them. Sneaker […] The post Unique Miami Recycling Company Gives Discarded Shoes New Traction appeared first on Good News Network.

When we preppers think of mindset and what will help us through a SHTF event, I would hazard a guess that most of us first think of mental toughness. Sure, toughness matters and we do need a lot of that during these difficult and stressful times.  What I’m going to share in this article is a mindset that I believe is helping me through this kind of slow-burning SHTF that we’re currently in. I am seeing the benefits in many areas of life of my rationing mindset and I hope it might be helpful to you, too.  What is a Rationing Mindset? As this is an idea of my own, I can’t consult Webster’s Dictionary for any help here. I would say that a rationing mindset has got two parts. The first part is being able to track usage of available resources and maintain awareness of what is an acceptable usage level in your current context. The second part is the kicker: being willing and able to cut down the above usage when the context demands it.  In a certain way, a rationing mindset is definitely connected to mental toughness. Can you do what is necessary to reduce your usage of resources when you need to? If you cannot, then your alternative is to increase your resources. Based on what I’ve read of Selco’s writings, that can be a high-risk endeavour, indeed, in a true SHTF.   Example: Toilet Paper QUICK: How much toilet paper do you need to supply your household for a week at your current usage levels? If you don’t know how many rolls on average, ask yourself if that is a useful number to know. Knowing how much you use for a week allows you to quickly extrapolate right up to a year with basic math.  NEXT: How much toilet paper do you currently have on hand and how long will it last? If you don’t know these two numbers, you might want to also ask yourself if these are useful number to know. Yes, I’m certain I can hear a number of you calling out that you have several shelves full of it, and that is lots. Remember the demand for TP during the pandemic? It could become a valued trading item. However, wouldn’t it be helpful to know how long your stash will last if you cut it in half, trading the other half for, say, fuel? TRY THIS: In a similar vein, whatever your current usage is, cut it in half. Yes, this week. Just cut it in half. Set out what everyone gets to use and hide the rest (if you can). If you don’t know your usage, check your usage this week and halve it next week. This is the rationing mindset. Think of the best way to accomplish this. Do you…..leave out the full supply and let everyone help themselves, trusting that they will reduce by 50%? Do you….leave out a few rolls and keep the rest in a secret place for towards the end of the week? OR, do you….ration a number of squares to each person per day or give them their own roll and wish them luck?  If you do run out before the end of the week, you can send your family members to this great article on Toilet Paper Alternatives!  You might be pooh-poohing (ha ha pun definitely intended!) and say that is a stupid drill, and what can I or anyone else learn from it? Here is where I see the value in it: You will determine at least two of the three levels of rationing in your household for that item.  The Three Levels of Rationing The first level of rationing is Unconstrained Usage. I would say this is a comfortable level of usage where you are not concerned with cutting back. For toilet paper, this would what I would call your regular household usage during non-pandemic times. Keep in mind this is not a wasteful level. You are not using excess, but perhaps not monitoring carefully. Let’s be honest: you could be using less. The second level of rationing is Constrained Usage. This is at around 50 – 70% of the first level, so you are definitely cutting back on how you use the item. The percentage of this will vary from item to item. What’s important here is that the level of usage is still functional. Using the example of the toilet paper, in constrained usage, you have cut back substantially on what you are using, but the toilet paper is still doing its job.  The third level of rationing is Ultra Constrained Usage. This is the level of usage of an item that is just above the limit of functionality. This level of usage is not pleasant and barely doing its job. This is just above the level where you would say, “Using this amount of toilet paper isn’t worth it, or is worse than not using any!”  You may remember a time when you were low on toilet paper but couldn’t get to the store right away. Suddenly your usage went from level one to level two, and then, when only those last few squares remained…..to level three. Why Care About the Levels? The levels are a tool. There are different ways to use them. With certain crucial items in the household, you could actually experiment and identify the three levels (e.g., toilet paper, toothpaste, rice, oatmeal).  In your records of your preps, do you record only how much of each item you have? Or do you record how long it will last? Now, that you know the levels, how long would it last at each of the three levels as you have defined it? This can help you understand exactly what it is you have and what the long term potential of it actually is in three different contexts. The levels can also be a shared language amongst the household. You can do a drill, such as the toilet paper drill suggested above, “Hey everyone, money is tight this month, we’re going to level two on toilet paper. Please act accordingly.”  And, yes, this is harder to do with food. I fast once in a while because I think it is invaluable training for any SHTF (Warning: Do not do this unless you first check with your doctor that it is safe for you!). Cutting back portions or going without supper are going to be pretty routine occurrences during SHTF. I don’t want to be finding out what hunger like while under all of the other stress at the same time. I see my preparedness as training towards mental flexibility, and therefore, I don’t mind if it’s difficult sometimes. It’s Rational to Ration Y’All! Adopting a rationing mindset gives you more insight into how long your preps could actually last. Could you see yourself trying the TP drill suggested here? Do you have your own ideas about rationing TP or other preps you can share with us? Please tell us in the comments section. About Rowan Rowan O’Malley is a fourth-generation Irish American who loves all things green: plants (especially shamrocks), trees, herbs, and weeds! She challenges herself daily to live her best life and to be as fit, healthy, and prepared as possible. The post The SHTF Benefits of a Rationing Mindset appeared first on The Organic Prepper.