Summer 2011

OK, Almost 3 months without a blog post. I know. I keep saying that I will try to do better but it has just been so busy.

I think I am just about finished canning for the year. Hopefully. Peaches, nectarines, apples, potatoes, meat, tomatoes, salsa, soup, beans, corn, jams, relishes, etc. Not enough, but it will have to do.

And I have been hurting. Alot. My rheumatoid arthritis has been giving me fits all summer. I went to the doctor last week and he upped my meds again. Hopefully it will help. Fall will be here soon and the rain and cooler weather don't help my hands and feet at all. Let's all hope that another surgery isn't needed on the other hand.

We got our daughter moved back into her dorm room with minimal fuss for once. She seriously downsized what she took with her this time and that helped tremendously. Unfortunately, that means she left most of it here. But it is all neatly packed away.

The economy is looking bad so we are cutting back on the spending again. We moved some things around and started looking at what all we will need to do if we have to sell the house quickly. We have a lot more work than money at this point so it will take a while to get everything fixed up and sell-able. Sigh. It is always something.

I have started making lists for things that have to be done. Some things are a given. Dishes and laundry are a daily chore, but things like mowing the lawn and sweeping the floors I can pass off to other family members. Why does it always seem like my list is longer than everyone else's? Then there is the long term list. Getting gutters, paint the bedroom, getting new kitchen counters. That is the ugly list. And getting new floors. The bare concrete in the bedroom is really starting to get old. And the dryer is starting to go out. Yet another expense, and one that we can't put off to boot. We are headed back into broke time.

Well, my feet and hands hurt, but laundry waits for no one.

I am scared, and you should be too...

There are so many things going on in the world that we just tend to overlook either because it doesn't immediately affect us or because we are just happier not knowing what is going on in the world. In this age of instant news, we are more concerned about who will win American Idol than who is leading our country. We over look the laws that are being passed in Washington that restrict our freedoms, restrict our rights, and restrict our choices because that isn't as entertaining or funny as the new LOL Cats or a Youtube video of some stupid teenager taking a faceplant doing a bicycle stunt.

There are things happening in the world that we should be concerned about. Each new piece of legislation that is voted on limits the rights of someone in this country. Whether it be the small farmer who has no choice but to use pesticides and GMO seeds because the government tells him that he must or he can't sell his crops or the small business owner who has to close his doors because he cannot afford to pay the fees, and sometimes penalties, for not providing health insurance and other benefits for his 2 part-time employees that are already covered by Medicade or some other government service.

The news media is being very closed-mouthed about world events. Did you know that a few weeks ago there were riots in Spain because the government could no longer afford to provide the services their Socialist government had been handing out and the Unionized workers revolted? Probably not, because the media didn't want us to know that Socialism is not sustainable in the long term. Did you know that the Bilderburg Group is meeting is Switzerland as this is being posted to decide, well, no one actually knows what they talk about because the meetings are secret. Did you know that your water can be contaminated with "proprietary" chemicals that even the local water departments are unaware of because the gas drilling companies are not legally required to disclose that information to the public? What about the radiation levels from the Fukushima Nuclear plant in Japan? They still do not have that reactor shut down and it is still releasing radiation into the atmosphere. Where is the news on that? And what are the health effects for us?

And the Economy? Well, do you feel safe in your job? The unemployment numbers that are being published are still hovering around 10%. 10% isn't that bad, you think? Those numbers, if you listen closely, are only "New Jobless Claims". That number doesn't count those who have been unemployed long enough to no longer qualify for benefits. Think of it this way, if there is 10% unemployment, that means that of every 10 people you know, 1 of them is out of work. And that isn't counting the people who have taken what ever job they can find just to be able to pay their mortgage and put food on the table. 10% is a very misleading number. There simply aren't any jobs available in this country any more because they have been shipped overseas where corporations can find literally millions of workers willing to do the job for what would be starvation wages in the US.

Public safety is another issue you don't hear much about. Were you aware that in Illinois it is illegal to film or photograph a police officer without his permission? So if you see a cop beating the crap out of someone, for whatever reason, you had better not take a photo or video with your cell phone or you could get 15 years in prison for it. Why would the Illinois Legislature pass that law? They are protecting their power to enforce unconstitutional laws. Did you know that a man in California was awakened a couple of mornings ago, by the Department of Education of all people, had his door broken down, dragged into the front yard in his underwear, handcuffed, and held in a police car for 6 hours while his house was being searched, while they were looking for his EX-WIFE'S student loan papers that she supposedly defaulted on? Does this sound like we live in a free society?

What ever happened to Free Speech? What about the right to be free of illegal search and seizure? For that matter, what about the rest of the Constitution of these United States?

This has got to stop. It will soon come to the point where we will all be living in a society that is wholly controlled by the government, told what to think, what to say, what to eat, where to live, and how to live our lives. All for the good of the whole.

I personally do not think they have the right to tell me what to do.

I fully expect that I will be in jail.

Memorial Day

For most of us, Memorial Day means grilling out with friends and family, going on a camp out, the first dip of the year in the ole swimming hole, or just enjoying a day off. We have forgotten about the men and women who have fought, and sometimes died, so we can have a day of rest.

These people have made the personal decision to protect and defend our nation from all threats, foreign and domestic, to put their very lives on the line, so that others, that they do not even know, can enjoy a barbeque.

We know these people. They are your fathers, and grandfathers. The paper boy. The nice clerk at the grocery store. Your neighbor's kid that used to mow your lawn. The old geezers who sit all day in the coffee shop. And in some cases, our own children.

And it isn't just the Armed Services. It is the police officer who stopped you from speeding so you would not endanger yourself or others. It is the Firemen who saved your next door neighbor from a burning house. It is the Rescue worker who got you out of your wrecked car when someone on their cell phone ran a red light. All of these people put their lives on the line, EVERY SINGLE DAY, so that we all are safe, comfortable, and can live our lives without worry.

When was the last time you thanked a soldier? Or a Police Officer? Or a Park Ranger?

Or even the old geezer at the coffee shop?

This Memorial Day, thank someone who protected you. Remember those who gave everything so we can have our burgers and hot dogs. But most of all, never forget that these people live and die for you. And they should be honored for their sacrifices.Memorial Day

A few random thoughts for the day

Well, we have the bathroom remodel finished and it just looks great. We spent a lot more than I had originally intended, but I think it is money well spend. And we should be able to recoup some of the costs when we get ready to sell next year. And it won't be a day too soon.

My garden is doing well so far. The green peas are blooming so we will have fresh peas in the next couple of weeks. And I noticed this morning that my tomatoes have several bloom buds on them. Hopefully I can start picking tomatoes by the first part of June. Strawberries are just starting to come in season so it is time to start thinking about what I want to do with those as well.

I have found a lady that has LOTS of canning jars that she doesn't plan on using again and she is willing to sell them to me for $4 a case. I may go ahead and buy them all. It won't hurt to have them around if I can clean out the shed enough to have a place to store them.

I need to get serious about cleaning house. The whole place is covered with construction dust from the bathroom. And it will feel good to have everything clean to go with the nice new room.

I am getting really worried about the safety of the food supply. Radioactive Iodine 131 has been found in our local milk supply. It isn't in dangerous levels yet, but it doesn't bode well for the future. If they don't get that Japanese nuclear plant under control, it will only get worse. I can only imagine how bad it is for the folks living in Japan. I pray for them.

Death and taxes. Well, no one we know has died yet, and the taxes have been filed. We had to use the refund from one to pay the other. Sigh. But at least that chore is over with for the year.

I am still keeping an eye on properties in the area we want to move to. There aren't many for sale that will satisfy our needs, but the ones that are have been on the market for a while now. Maybe they will still be available when we get ready to move and the price will be more negotiable. Or maybe something more desirable will show up. Either way, here is hoping.

These chores will not get done by themselves. I had better get busy.

Japan, the Economy , and Food

The more I watch the world news, the more concerned I am for the state we will soon all be in. The earthquake in Japan has fallen from the top stories, but is it still of grave concern for all of us. There are still large amounts of radiation being emitted from the Fukushima plant and it doesn't look like it will be ending any time soon. It has now contaminated the water supplies in Tokyo, but unless you are paying close attention to the news, you miss it in the mass of reports about Libya. The people of Japan are in grave danger. And we in the US are as well. The radioactive plume, that was reported as being less than a single chest x-ray when it made landfall last week, is continuing. What the news isn't telling us is that radiation is cumulative, meaning that while a single exposure is less than a single x-ray, this is still continuing, building up to be a lot of x-rays every time you go outside. And anything that lives outside, cows, chickens, vegetables, fruit, etc., will all be exposed to a concerning amount in the long term.

I will not be buying any food produced in California any time soon.

Japan owns or operates a lot of the US manufacturing. Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Sony, Hitachi, Samsung, all of these and many more like them are all based in Japan. Japanese companies have a general rule about production. They do not like to keep and warehouse large amounts of parts for the items they produce. They manufacture just enough to keep production in full swing. If something happens, like an earthquake and subsequent loss of power, there are no more parts to build with. So the factories in the US that build stuff for these companies are having to shut down due to lack of parts. Toyota has announced this week that they are having to shut down at least one of their plants in the US. That is a lot of jobs that will be lost. Another problem with items from Japan is that the products are contaminated with radiation. Most every ship coming from Japan lately has some at least some contamination. That means that even if we can get the parts, we can't use them. Again, this isn't really being reported except as an afterthought.

Have you actually thought about everything that you own that has a semi-conductor or processing chip? What will you do if you have to get it repaired and the only chips available are from radioactive Japan?

Now, back to the radioactive plume. It is hanging over the US. Yes, most of the radioactive materials have fallen out over the ocean. And yes, the levels that are hanging out over us are small, comparatively. But remember the cumulative effects. That is building up. There are places in Scotland where they still cannot sell their sheep for human consumption due to the contamination from Chernobyl back in 1986. That was 25 years ago folks. Yes, we are farther away from Japan that Scotland is from Chernobyl, but if they do not get this radiation stopped soon, everything on Earth will be contaminated with low levels. Everything we eat, the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, everything. Remember the cumulative effects. And the real problem will be food. There will be no getting away from it. Until there is a way to grow food, in large quantities, without exposure to soil, air and water, we will all be getting it. Expect a rise in cancer rates across the US in the next 20 years.

If you think what happens in Japan doesn't affect you, you are mistaken. It affects us all. And on more than just the humanitarian scale.

Is it the End Times?

With world events spiraling out of control, things are going to be getting really bad, for every one. People are dying by the thousands in Japan, either from the earthquake/tsunami or they will soon be dying from radiation poisoning. People in Africa are being killed by their own governments. And this is not just in Libya, but all over the continent. Disease, famine, wars, gang violence, thousands are dying every DAY. And what are we doing about it?

Nothing.

Everyone has been taught by society that we should all look out for ourselves first and others second. How can we learn and grow as humans if we look out for ourselves first? It is just insane to think that we can succeed by only looking out for ourselves. Do we not learn compassion by seeing, not looking but really seeing, those who are less fortunate? Do we not learn what love is by loving others unconditionally? Do we not learn, well, anything important, by doing for someone else? Is it really surprising that most of us don't even think to donate to charities until there is a disaster of some sort?

Most of us do not see how current events will affect us in the long term. We are not prepared, none of us, for a global tragedy. We, as a society, have exchanged the ability to provide for ourselves for convenience. Take out is cheap so we no longer cook our own meals and in many cases wouldn't even know how. We do not know how to make clothing, grow food, preserve food, build a shelter, find water, protect ourselves and our families. We think Survivor is an entertaining show, but not anything we would ever have to do ourselves.

I am afraid that we will all have to be Survivors in the near future. When there is nothing left in the stores, will you be able to either do without or make it your self? You know where to look to see what is happening in our world and what it means for humanity. Will you be part of the problem, or part of the solution?

The State of the World

I know that I haven't posted in a while, and I apologize. There has been so much going on around here that I just haven't had time to sit and collect my thoughts.

There are a lot of things going on in the world these says that are very worrisome. Civil wars in the Middle East, the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Japan, the instability in the global economies. All of these things will affect us in the months and years to come. It is rather frightening just how little most of us understand how all of these things together will affect our way of life.

Fuel costs are going up, with no end in sight. This will effect the price of everything we purchase. It will cost more to produce goods, from agricultural products to clothing and everything in between. It will cost more to get to work every day as we fill up our SUV's with gas. It will cost more to heat and cool our houses. Businesses will have to cut costs, either by cutting salaries or cutting jobs. Rising costs of production will be passed on to consumers who are already cash-strapped. Your dollar will not buy as much as inflation takes off. And that is just from fuel prices.

The disaster in Japan will have a whole different effect on us in the United States. Japan is the 3rd largest economy in the world, but at the moment, their economy is shut down. Their factories are not producing, their already produced goods are very limited and possibly contaminated. The population will soon be having food and water shortages as they deal not only with earthquake and tsunami damage, but rolling blackouts and contamination from the nuclear disaster. The Bank of Tokyo has been pumping trillions into the Japanese stock markets to keep it from completely collapsing, but there simply isn't enough yen available to maintain this.

And since every nation's economies are tied globally, it will affect every nation on Earth.

Food costs are going to be the biggest problem in my opinion. People will stop buying luxury food items, like steak, in favor of cheaper cuts and ground meats. We will stop eating out so much in favor of eating at home. Generic canned goods will become more popular choices causing a drop in sales for the name brands. Big producers will have to lay off, causing more economic problems for the US as a whole. And with the legislation being pushed through Congress that favors Big Agri, the small farmers and small producers will have no choice but to go out of business causing even more food issues.

And that is supposing that there will even be enough food to feed the country. If there appear to be shortages, a lot of people will begin hoarding food, causing even more shortages on the store shelves. Depending on just how bad it gets, there could be food riots. Yes, this is a worst case scenario, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility.

And then there is the fact that the radioactive plume being produced by the Fukushima Power Plant will reach the West Coast of the United States tomorrow. No one is really sure just how that will affect us. There is so much dis-information being thrown out on the airways it is difficult to know just what is true and what is executives playing CYA.

Are we prepared for this sort of situation? The answer for most of us is NO. As Americans, we have gotten complacent in our land of plenty. We have come to believe it is our God Given Right to have a Starbucks just around the corner and strip malls full clothing and food and closets full of shoes.

We should all be asking ourselves What If?