Hey, Santa…I want a Bushmaster!

Yup, all I want for Xmas is my two front teeth--umm, I mean--a Bushmaster (or any decent AR)! After the recent media assault re: yet another mass-loony-tunes shooting, I gotta change my wish list. Man, I cringed at the obvious propaganda play-up, aimed at instilling greater emotional reactions to the killings. The music and images used were spot-on to aggravate anger and sorrow. I'm talking so-called 'news' coverage, but especially the morning programs. I immediately said to my son…"You watch--they will be going after weapons now--their excuse is primed". The media adeptly began their propaganda Blitzkrieg--Geez--it was so transparent. They are using this tragedy as impetus for gun control, at a time when we Americans cannot afford to lose any more of our rights. Not like this...

Don't get me wrong; the killings are and were atrocious--unforgivable. I admit I was touched  by the media portrayal, too. I'm human, after all. However, this is a time when we all need to keep it rational, when we are talking about losing even MORE of our inalienable rights. There is simply no room for emotional knee-jerking responses to this latest event. Just say "NO"! We were suckered by a similar dialectic after 9/11; the 'Patriot' act. Since then, Bush n'Bama have eroded our constitutional rights via knee-jerk laws, as well as through quasi-legislative acts and orders that bypass Congress and the peoples' rights. After writing this, for example, I am probably now on some nebulous HL security watch-list as a terrorist. After all, I am Christian, and I do support: the Constitution and the rights contained therein, gun ownership, third-party advocates, Food gathering/preparedness, and other such 'radical' ideas they key on in their internet-spying sweeps. How many millions of us are there now?

One can only hope that there are enough rational people out there to fend off the latest push to rip guns out of civilian hands. Luckily, many Americans saw through the media ploy, and the handwriting was completely legible to more than just myself. (On early-morning news  today I saw that 130,000 new AR-type weapons were purchased in just the first few days following the propaganda blitz) We know your tactics and ploys, you damned media puppets...

I can't afford a decent AR, so that's why I'm asking Santa for one. Oh, and a couple thousand rounds too, eh?

Reality Sets in, Post-election…Should We Become Republocrats?

Reality Check: The 'Fiscal Cliff' Illusion and Election-year 'Blowback'

There seems to be an excess of smoke and mirror effects originating from both sides of the aisle. Recall that this upcoming 'event' was devised jointly via bipartisan committee agreement. In reality, it was a cowardly scapegoating move for both parties, so that neither would reap the blame, directly or immediately, for things that really need to get done (but that are dangerous to endorse, for either party). The fact is, both revenue increases and spending cuts are a true necessity, if we are going to limp on down the fiscal highway. Now, it's all about the blame-game though; who will take the brunt of the blame for the truly necessary cuts and revenue increases--who will be the real scapegoat?

Clearly, Democrats have no fear of being seen as protectors of the proletariat, so continuation of their ongoing class-warfare campaign is a no-brainer; they are pleased to be positioned squarely against the so-called 'rich' (defined as those earning >250K/yr). In fact, they have positioned themselves to be the peoples' heroes with regards to both taxing and spending. Advocating a tax on the highest 2% makes them seem like they support the 'people', or average, (lower?)mid-to-lower class earners--the majority--and so does proposing weak (essentially nil) budgetary cuts. In reality, its neither a real budget-boosting increase nor is it a seen to be a real personal burden to simply add a few additional points onto their (the 'rich') tax burden. That is, the resulting increase in revenue would  neither make much of a dent in the deficit, nor break the backs of the 'taxees'. The latter will either wince and grumble, or grin-and-bear it; either way, they're essentially screwed, and nobody else cares. Those 2% don't likely vote for them, anyways--a win-win.

On the other hand, by opposing either of the former (weak and ineffective) positions, Republicans are, by default, positioned as advocates of the 'rich', which feeds the class-warfare monster. Trying to reframe the issue to include such nebulous things as 'deductions', instead, further embeds them into the 'rich' camp; what the hell are deductions, to the average 'Joe', anyways? Likewise, advocating deeper cuts in spending is another alternative, but such would surely be demagogued as 'draconian' cuts, further alienating the party from the masses. However, there is a way out of this vicious circle of total BS; taking control of rhetoric and getting real.

Getting 'Real'

It is inevitable that some group must be taxed, but neither party is going to commit political suicide by suggesting the middle or lower classes should be targeted. However, In reality, everyone knows that we aren't going to get out of this fiscal mess without doing so. Lets talk about "fair": Talk about fairness. The reality is that everyone will have to suffer to some degree--and that seems only fair. Everybody will have to share in the solution; not just the top one or two percent. Maybe propose a sliding scale tax increase for everybody, with 5% on millionaires down to 1%  at lower brackets? yeah, I know--suicidal, but real. Likewise, There must be huge, even draconian, cuts to the budget. This means that non-discretionary spending must be reined in. This will inevitably lead to pain at the lower end of the financial totem pole. However, to do nothing, or not enough, means we all go down the tube, and I'm talking total financial collapse. On the brighter side, the reality is that after a (perhaps prolonged) period of shared pain, we would all benefit from the eventual recovery and a return to growth and prosperity. Try selling that to our instant-gratification/there-is-no-future generations…Ha! no way!

What, then, is a better 'reality-based' solution? Republicans need to reframe themselves as the protectors of ALL Americans--the protectors of our capitalistic society and for all the freedoms that go along with it. They need to make the government (not the 'rich', or Republicans) seem to be the 'bad guy', as Reagan did in (better) days-gone-by. Get to compromising on things that matter, while asserting points all Americans can agree with. Agree that, OK, the two percent will be taxed a bit more, and then agree to compromise with Dems on whatever minute cuts that eventually will be set in motion--as a compromise, they should be able to get some decreases in spending beyond those proposed initially by the Dems/Obama--Hey, it's a start. Not enough, agreeably, but a start. We could build from there in the near future.

Then pound the message into the public regarding the real problems facing us. The fact is, even if we SPENT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ($0.00) BEYOND NON-DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, WE WOULD STILL BE RUNNING A  TRILLION DOLLAR [+] DEFICIT--EVERY YEAR! Show them simple graphs to reinforce their understanding, because the truth of the matter is, the public has no real idea of the sad state of the Union! Educate the public! To anyone and everyone, it would seem, therefore, ridiculous to be adding additional 'stimulus' spending, as proposed by Obama--this could fix that obvious mistake, if it is pounded into the public psyche. Also, as suggested by Steve Forbes recently, set the Republicans as champions of the retired 'everyman' (OK, already mostly their base, but seems more universally friendly to all, as everyone [eventually] uses both Medicare and/or Social Security) by mandating that Social Security trust fund assets be converted to marketable Treasury bonds, instead of fake 'IOUs' now present[*]. Selling such bonds would raise some cash, while strengthening the public's confidence in the shaky (ponzi) scheme as well as government, in general, and Republicans, especially. Cut off subsidies to everybody and everything not required for national security. This means farmers, as well as oil companies. Give some of them a withdrawal period to ween off the teet. They will either adapt and survive, or fail. If they can only rely on taxpayers' money to get by, then they need to find something else to do or produce--simple as that. We also need to be assured that big businesses and banks (etc) will never be bailed out--ever--again. Again, if they fail because their practices were unsound, even criminal--as it has been--they deserve to fail. We all feel like we got the shaft, while big business got all the breaks--for free, and off our backs (then gave huge salaries and bonuses to CEOs); it's that kind of favoritism that is clearly not seen as fair to the taxpayers, and it widens the gap between the classes--not good.

Other 'Real' Reforms or Proposals that Republicans (and really, Everyone) Need to Back:

Support Freedom, Privacy, and Constitutional Rights as 'Untouchables'

The last few  (Obama and BushII) years have wreaked havoc upon our Constituion and our rights, fueled by so-called 'terrorist' threats. Frankly, the chances of being actually threatened by some terrorist act are pretty slim-to-none. I feel more threatened by losing my rights--and I WILL fight for them--with foreign or domestic enemy. So you Republicans better wake up and start championing our rights--and the potential loss thereof, or we might become really disenfranchised. Use fear--Scare the public [yes, scare!]--by constantly drumming about those fascist executive orders [&/or public bills], 'Homeland Security' measures (etc) allowing surveillance, arrest, and detainment of Americans without charges [even indefinitely]--and then propose some legislation to prevent governmental abuse of our God-given rights from happening--&/or go to court!! I tell you, I don't know why these things go on without more Republicans expressing extreme outrage, but if they don't 'nip this in the bud', I'm afraid they have lost my support. Period. Forever…There is just no excuse for undermining the Constitution, and our rights, as set forth therein!

Promise to Revamp the Tax Code, Balance the Budget, and Fix or Phase-out Social Security:

All, without putting anyone in the 'poor house'. Yes, the tax code is huge, unwieldy, and unfair. Simplify it and make it fair for everybody, and increase revenue overall, by 5%. Cut spending, across-the-board, by say, 10%. If we limit growth on all governmental programs, we should be able to balance the budget within a few years--a decade at most. Doing the foregoing would not only save America from itself, but also increase confidence in our government, and improve both the economy, as well as our credit rating. Keep a good safety net under us, and add flexibility in times of war or national distress or disaster. Make Social Security into a real retirement program, or simply mandate a retirement program for all, akin to health insurance, yet keeping it out of governmental 'hands'. We all know anything done by government is full of waste, fraud, and abuse, so keep it private, and keep it fair. Explain how the current ponzi scheme will not be tenable as the baby boomers drain off all the funds, leaving nothing for the next generations. One must also consider 'Means Testing' for 'entitlement' programs; Since we don't have enough for everyone to get benefits, in the long-run,we should reduce or eliminate providing them to those who don't 'need' them. The difficulty will be setting limits that would be seen as 'fair'. Perhaps a voluntary opt-out program with some added incentive, like discounted services or a tax break of some kind?This is a better alternative than raising the retirement or Medicare eligibility age, which is certainly not viewed positively, by anyone--and is not fair.This will also enamor the younger generation--future voters, and those who simply hate anyone who might be thought of as 'rich'.The truth is, if it's fair, we will all sacrifice in order to save America--just recall the last world war--Propaganda works wonders. 

Get Tough on Government Corruption:

Get tough on graft and corruption in the 'evil' government by proposing limits on, or better yet, eliminating lobbyist organizations' ability to 'buy' favors or influence via campaign financing. Get money out of the hands of Unions, corporations and PACs by limiting donations to small amounts by individuals ONLY, and make these transparent and open to public scrutiny. Perhaps limit contributions to those from their own home state or district? Pass a campaign finance bill mandating free TV  time to be equally divided among competing candidates or parties--the networks will hate it, but if framed properly, it could be their 'public service' contribution to our society, and their duty. Could this actually enable people to vote for a good candidate that perhaps has limited or no funding from outside--even a real 'average Joe'? I hope so! Eliminate the revolving door of congressional office holders going into lucrative 'consultant' jobs (etc) in corporations they helped via legislative action (yes, we, the people [aka everybody] see that as obvious corruption) and eliminate their retirement benefits altogether, unless they remain active as a career of 20+ years. Alternatively, put them all on Social Security retirement and healthcare plans (yup--they would have to pay in, like everyone else). This should be done for all government employees, as nobody should get any advantage over everyday people. These things are needed for Americans to see that their politicians are not just a bunch of crooks working for 'the man' or the banks/corporations. Yes, we need to see this happen!

Address Real and/or Perceived Waste, Fraud and Abuse: 

Do an independent, internal audit on every program of any significance to evaluate, then eliminate, waste, fraud, and abuse. Offer real incentives to governmental employees to increase efficiency and save our tax dollars. Doing the foregoing will both energize government employees, as well as increase positive opinions towards both them, and the government. It would also engender positive opinions upon those who promote and achieve success (Republicans )We need to see government working for us, and for public employees to be seen as public servants once again. EZ cost-cutting example: Cut off Saturday mail service. Yeah, we can wait till Monday…

Advance Both Education and Employment:

At present, we are getting an 'F' in education, even compared to most 3rd-world countries. This spells 'doom' for both our children and the future, as well as our future economy. Considering the current system pumps out increasingly worse students for increasingly greater per capita spending, we need a new system! We need to free up our children to become all that they can be, instead of holding back everyone to the level of the least able, as it is currently. My proposition? First, drop the requirement for attending 12 years of school, and stop reinforcing the status quo of current 'education' practices. Really, the limited skills needed to graduate are truly pathetic, by any standard. However, in a more modernized system, people could gain more knowledge, faster, and be on their way to a well-paying career in any field in which they truly excel. Everyone benefits, and America will remain prominent. How? Design a free, universal education plan that can be implemented as individualized and self-paced study, in addition to guided studies using instructors, as needed. A core curriculum could be produced that can be implemented online, with modules for myriad 'elective' or alternate topics, as desired, and with demonstrated proficiencies, even advanced, or college-level, topics. All that would be required are some computers and/or pads, or even a big screen monitor for larger classrooms, and the coursework modules. Such coursework could be used in extant schools, in which many parents rely upon now mostly as babysitters, or could be used at home, or in smaller study groups with supervision, or a combination of both, as needed. Those without a computer could lease/borrow one, or be given one every 'x' number of years--the money saved on school administration and salaries could be considerable, so this is not really a sticking point. Use a pool of current teachers and professors to get each subject's content certified as meeting minimum competency standards, at each level of study, and get started educating our children the right way--on an individualized level. States are already doing so; this can be done so that even home-schoolers can get the accredited skills and competencies in all subjects deemed (universally) necessary. States could maintain their own standards, as well as control content. Those particularly adept at one or more skills could also improve and accelerate their learning, independently, and perhaps enter into an industry or educational apprenticeship (see below). We could likely save a lot of money, time, and resources, while simultaneously improving the overall education of our children to be able to compete within the global market. 

As an adjunct, and in partnership with industry, devise and implement a voluntary mentoring/apprenticeship program for our youth, especially for those fields of employment and education in which we are lagging behind other countries, or behind the expected needs of the near future. First off, this would ensure that our changing needs for future technologies will be met. It would also encourage employment, and at an early age--gainful employment--not service jobs. This should be a partnership between people and industry, or educational institutes, not necessarily government. If it is beneficial to all parties, then it will be good for the economy, and will be deemed a good idea by both parents and youth. This could help the party gain support that will carry on for years, even generations.

Reform the Judicial and Prison Systems:

Stop dumping money into failed projects like the 'war on drugs' and on incarceration facilities for the 'victimless' crimes. Stop legislating morality and get out of people's lives, and out of our families' business. If we spent as much money on promoting economic growth or needed infrastructures as we did on prisons, we would not be in the spot we find ourselves. Geez--legalize or decriminalize drugs, and then tax them like cigarettes and booze, and we would be in the black in five years or less, probably without even cutting spending. Use some portion of those taxes to promote rehabs. Also, if we didn't have such a FAIL school system, there would be more competent people to be working at jobs, instead of leeching their lives away in our prisons. Economic improvements set in motion by aforementioned proposals would also mean more employment for underemployed populations, decreasing crime rates overall. For those imprisoned, I suggest we mandate that they work in order to pay for their own room and boarding costs. Perhaps we would not need illegal immigrants to pick our farm produce, do our landscaping, keep our common areas clean,etc., if we had access to convict labor? Maybe even get a profit for the states? Maybe a convict could learn a trade that could keep them out of prison in the future? Maybe we could compete against the Chinese if we trained cons to work in actual factories?These are really worth doing, or at least considering.

At any rate, if the Republicans can't get it together, and Democrats continue their socialistic, class-warfare routines, maybe we should all form a moderate, middle ground party aimed at American peoples' core values and virtues--without all the posturing and rhetoric, and BS social issues--the Republocrats? Think about it...

(*see Newsmax.com:  http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Forbes-Boehner-renewal-letter/2012/12/07/id/466928?s=al&promo_code=11075-1)

Prepping to Fail (Part 4): Essentials

Well, it's been some time since I made any additions to this 'series', admittedly. I simply had other things going on my mind, and distractions. However, I was busy improving my SHTF plan, among other things. Onward, through the fog...

The Essentials (continued)

Food, water, shelter, and security are the most basic human needs--the essentials researched by Maslow, and illustrated within his 'hierarchy of needs'. Thus far, we have touched upon some basics, a discussion far from complete. We continue now with a more in-depth discussion of food storage, pertaining to what kinds of foods might be better, in terms of several dimensions of note. In addition, water-related topics will begin to become more in focus, although not really in-depth, at this point...

Food Storage and Prep: Prepackaged?

Previously, we discussed the basics for acquisition and storage of food[s]. Rather than prepackaged meals, etc., the emphasis was on stocking staple items with extended storage capabilities: pastas, rice, beans, and canned/boxed goods. It is suggested that by utilizing basic staples [mostly carbs], and supplementing and/or preparing with canned, boxed,  and bagged sauces, veggies, and/or  other packaged foods, one can sustain a reasonably varied diet. However, a perusal of many 'survival' food sites, and the foods they promote showed an emphasis on pre-packed (PP) meal entrees, and then, mostly pasta dishes. Such would be fine, in my view, with the caveat that they were, indeed, 'good' and palatable. Unfortunately, several problems arise from such pre-packaging:

1. Palatability: One must first determine that a PP product is palatable. This suggests that one must purchase and sample a particular brand/item to ensure that one would enjoy it, keeping in mind that long-term storage foods preclude "...on-second-thought" or 'do-overs'. What you have is what you will be eating. So, if a preparation is borderline on palatability, it will likely go uneaten until all other alternatives are exhausted. Further, this could mean that one might have to endure prolonged periods of consuming that which may come to be reviled. It also could become quite expensive searching for the PPs that suit one's tastes, not to mention waste of those opened PPs which do not pass a taste test.
2. Variety: Although PP foods come in many varieties, and from different sites and/or packers, in order to get real variety in both tastes/textures, and nutrition, it may be impractical or even unreasonable to assume that one can afford to rely on PPs. As suggested, PPs are predominantly pasta/staple-based mixtures, and there really is not much variety. Conversely, with a little imagination, one can start with a staple such as pasta or rice, and add any number of ingredients, spices, flavors, etc., to suit one's mood or tastes, given they are part of your storage cache. 
3. Cost/Shelf-life: Many PPs come in large #10 cans for extended storage needs, and presumably, cost-effectiveness. However, unless one is sharing food with a crowd of friends/family, large PP cans may, in fact, prove to be more expensive, due to waste and/or secondary storage parameters. Yes, they have lids which can be used for very short-term storing of leftovers. However, it seems that one could expect to be eating a lot of the same foods, over and over, in the approximately 30-day window of its spoilage. This goes back to both previous points regarding palatability and variety, both of which are decreased by large PP cans. On the other hand, given that both preceding points (1 & 2, above) are corrected by the utilization of smaller, or single-serving portions, the additional cost may be prohibitive ($/meal or $/calorie)

Given the foregoing, it seems more reasonable, on several dimensions, to find and store items that you do [now], and will [in future], eat. Purchase staples with which to flavor and enhance other stored items, rather than rely mainly upon PPs. For example, given pasta dishes, it seems more reasonable to purchase and store a variety of noodles, macaronis, etc., in quantity, then stock up on various spices, sauces, flavorings, and veggies like tomatoes and mushrooms [canned or dehydrated] that can be added for palatability and variety. For both ST and MT storage, canned sauces are both cheap and practical, and come with great variety (alfredos, primaveras, etc...). The same can be said for both rice and bean-based meals, soups, stews, and so on.  One's food variety is limited only by imagination, resources, and storage capacity; emphasize variety by investing in staples, and an assortment of spices, flavorings, and sauces. Doing so will also conserve financial resources. Instead of opening a huge can of PP which will have to be consumed shortly, prepare meal-sized quantities using flavors you already know that you enjoy. (PS: If indeed a PP meal is preferred or established as 'good' food, one can always add variety by adding spices/sauces or additional ingredients...)

Water

Of course, the main essential in any survival strategy is the availability of potable water, not only for maintaining hydration, but also a necessity for preparing meals. Although one can go without food for extended periods, the same cannot be said for water (approx. 3 days). Thus far, the procurement and storage of water has been overlooked in this series, for a variety of logistical and psychological reasons. For example, being that it is a universal need, one might assume that our various governmental entities will ensure its availability. Second, it is difficult to store an adequate quantity of potable water, and many have neither the capacity for water storage, nor the basic knowledge of the processes involved. Some kind of a mental block relating to denial may be another aspect...

Realistically, one truly cannot count on dubious governmental departments to ensure our survival, that is for sure. Remember the victims of Katrina, and the futile FEMA efforts to get fresh water to thousands gathered at a stadium? Like, five days--DAYS! Further, we have no way of knowing for sure what particular situation will present a need for implementation of our SHTF plan; will it be natural disaster? financial collapse? war? plague? aliens or zombies (lol)? Given that most people rely upon pumps, and therefore, the availability of electricity, for access to water at the tap, there are several scenarios which might preclude reliance upon city water, even if it were known to be safe (and other scenarios in which it might be unsafe). Most folks don't have their own private wells, and even fewer have storage capacity for more than a few days or weeks worth. Granted, some investment in time and materials would serve us all well. 

However, what seems to be the simplest alternative, to me, is not actually storing a large quantity of water, but instead to maintain the capacity to filter water. It is said that over seventy percent of earth's surface is water, yet only a tiny fraction is drinkable. Utilizing the many existing sources, including rainwater, it seemed most tenable to rely upon a reusable ceramic filter element/system. These so-called 'ceramic candles' are available on the web, from Amazon.com, and elsewhere, at a reasonable cost (~$20-$30each), and a 10-12 gallon system fairly easily made for under $75.00 USD. At this point, I personally have two reusable filters, and plans/ideas for the system, not yet constructed. I hope to have a more detailed exposition regarding this system, later, but the following provides the basics... 

The Ceramic Candle Filtering System

Basically, the 'system' consists of two 5-gallon (or larger) buckets available almost anywhere (type = HDPE--evidenced by a '2' surrounded by the recycling code 'triangle' on the bottom of the bucket, and/or HDPE). The top bucket/lid is fitted with one or more of the ceramic candle filter elements, which will filter and drain into another bucket/lid upon which it sits, the latter of which serves as a short-term storage container. The more 'candles' fitted, the faster the filtering, and the greater capacity, in terms of gallons/hour. If the bottom bucket is elevated on a small platform, and fitted with a spigot, filtered water is available for use--easily and rapidly. It requires no power, and little space.

The .9 micron ceramic filter elements are said to filter out most impurities, bacteria, and even viruses. They also increase the clarity of the drinking water. Even greater filtration can be obtained with more dense ceramic filters, costing more, but realistically, such may be redundant. They are easily cleaned with a scotch-pad-like scrubber, and are thus reusable. One can use tap water, rain water, pre-filtered lake/river water, well water, etc. As stated, this type of filter is truly affordable (see above), making this system the simplest and most cost-effective purification system available, in my opinion. Compare to the Big B***** system and others, which use the same type elements. If you need or desire the stainless steel, you will pay much more for it. Given the dubious quality of 'tap' water and various biologic/chemical impurities present in most modern city water systems, it might be a good idea to filter all your water even now, pre-SHTF. I presently use an in-line filter for coffee and drinking water purposes, and I can attest to the difference it makes in both flavor, and in the time between cleanings (coffee maker, esp.). If indeed the quality of the tap water became in question, post SHTF, The filtering system mentioned would seem to ensure clean, usable water without boiling, regardless of the source. If used with tap water contaminated with chlorine, it may be advisable to set aside a 5G bucket overnight prior to filtering.

Additional Water Resources

As stated, filtration may be the easiest, and most cost-effective potable water solution. However, it is not applicable in every case nor is it practical for some. Without getting into detailed scenarios, it might be a good idea to have additional water resources. One such thing would be water treatment chemicals to either purify or maintain purity of stored water. Another would be storage containers, rainwater catchment systems, etc.

It seems prudent to have some chemicals on hand to purify questionable water sources, and especially for those occasions when one is away from known good resources, on-the-run, or in outdoors camping situations (etc). These may be used as adjuncts in addition to filtration. Some issues may be resolved by pre-settling particulates in cloudy water, or chlorination with simple bleach, found everywhere (unscented!). Note: Allowing chlorinated water to set seems a good idea, prior to filtering. Another chemical treatment is available for increasing the time that your stored water remains viable. Several purification and stabilization/storage chemicals are readily available online and likely even at the nearest Wally mart, in liquid and/or packaged powder or tablet forms. I cannot attest to their efficacy or cost, as I have not researched this other than informally. Because I have no real plan or capacity to store water at this time, and have little knowledge about this topic at present, I will just mention it, in passing. I do plan on having some bleach and/or purification chemicals on hand though, just in case. 

In terms of actually gathering and storing any quantity of water, it seems some type of rainwater system would be most practical. Gathering and storing rainfall depends, of course, upon getting some measurable rain, which can be problematic in some regions, and during droughts, which seem to be frequent in my region, the last few years. I have done some preliminary research into this topic, and have come to think that a simple sturdy trash container (again, HDPE--see above) might serve as the most economical alternative. Placement is fairly straight-forward--somewhere rain runs off a roof, or one may design/build a more intricate downspout system. There are many plans and ideas on the 'net, free or cheap, and others that can be purchased outright (see YouTube, also). I may implement a simple system in the near future, so again, more on this later...

Deficit Analogy

From a link sent from Uncle Paul:

also, see the Democrats' deficit analogy:

Lol?

Dolla Stowe Penny-Pinchin' CAB Couponz

Booyeah! Gimme one of those bright yellow Dolla Stowe carts, and I'll careen through the crowded aisles until it is full or my wallet is empty! Savin' O' the Green! Again, I got some outstanding bargains in my local store, including a 30% more Bean-n-Bacon Soup, some DS branded raisen bran, and some chocolate-covered cashews, of all things (ya, they good). Cruising around, I managed to find all kinds of crap that I needed[?], but were somehow not on my 'list'. Dolla Stowe = fairly good place to get my dog, Ratchet, her fav 'red bones' in a 3# bag, and some chew stix too, at reasonable cost. Haven't seen those big bags O' rawhide chews she loves , anywhere, for awhile; wtf is up with dat??

Anyways, so I get outta there under $50, even after the $15 mini hi-velocity fan I impulsed into near checkout (hey, I needed a new, small, fan)--to my surprise, the receipt has like a 20% off coupon for the upcoming Saturday--what a grand deal ($5 off $25/+ purchase)! I might be out-n-abouts then, so mayhap I'll drop another $25 there, just to get the discount....yup--I is a CAB. No telling what indispensable item[s] I'll come across that will likely never make it onto a shopping list...

Decay

Decay affects all things natural, from the physical realm to the psychological, from rust to relationships, from anthills to empires. It is the main catalyst in an inevitable cycle from birth to death. Without constant remedy, it will eventually destroy all that comes to fruition. Perhaps it is a 'necessary' evil; a part of nature which allows for rebirth and regrowth out of things decayed. In nature, at least, it seems an integral part of the process and cycles of regrowth. For example, the leaves fall from the trees, renewing the soil with nutrients, and feeding other organisms, in symbiotic fashion.

But in the realm of humanity, and all things human, decay seems to be a negative thing. We constantly battle and succumb to its effects; we try in vain to delay the inevitable losses--we grow old and perish. It may indeed be a curse upon humanity, something we are destined to battle, everlasting. Or a blessing? If we, and things we create did last in perpetuity, would they, and we, be judged to be 'good' things?  Perhaps in our longevity, we would leave no room for the lives and accomplishments of our progeny? Does life indeed, require decay, change, and renewal, ever striving towards some undefined 'perfection'? It matters not, one must relent--it is inevitable for we mortal beings, and all things borne of us. Maybe it is simply a necessary 'evil'. For without evil, can there be good? There be no shadow, if light is absent. 

Given its inevitable effects, then, is it foolish or vain to attempt to slow, negate, or 'reverse' the processes of decay? Surely not. We shall always be drones in an army pitting us against an indomitable, and often, unseen, force. Though the outcome of the war is inevitable, the battles can offer a timely reprieve; a brief relief from our constant struggle. To repaint one's house, or repair some leaky plumbing, or simply to change one's motor oil. Failure to maintain and redress decay may indeed be a sin of omission. To do so would facilitate decay and destruction--something we cannot desire. 

Thus, one should strive to add light, and goodness, into the theatre of darkness and decay, whenever possible. To battle chaos, and instill order, wherever one detects the former. It can build upon simple beginnings, slowly but insidiously converting the light to the gray, then to blackness. It is not unlike an urban wall, gaining graffiti slowly over time, then exploding into excessive scrawling, engulfing all. An unkempt room filling with dirty laundry and haphazard deposits from daily living. At some point, it exceeds the threshold for just noticeable differences. It screams out for action, or reaction; it cries out for repair. To disregard would be like willful sinning.

But there are things that decay that are neither accessible to the senses, nor to awareness, without attending; the ethereal, and the intangible things that we often treasure most; love, relationships, and interconnections we strive to maintain, Freedom, security, and finance. The realm of thought, emotion, and psychological or spiritual processes. These, being unavailable to our limited input senses, become even more susceptible to decay, sans vigilance. Introspection and feedback from others is often required to even detect the inevitable decay. Thinking these aspects of our lives to be free of defect, or taking them for granted, can lead to sudden  failures of catastrophic proportion. A failure to detect and redress decay in these realms can lead to the destruction of marriages, friendships and families, revolution, and even the collapse of civilizations. It's just that important to comprehend.

Beware; the signs are not salient, and we are often oblivious to the decay, until it reaches the point of landslide, or eruption. Tensions and emotions explode, leaving all destructions in their wake, leaving few survivors. Perhaps we are all fated to taste the decay. Periodical vigilance and introspection may aid in the detection of decrepitude, on many levels. Be wary and cognizant of issues and effectors which are of value to you. There will be tremors; signs and harbingers of things to come--attend!

GT

Bookmarks are Memory (or, I Have Forgotten More Than I Ever Learned)

One thing that I have learned in my extensive studies, regarding both psychological and bio-psychological  realms, is that the mind and body are quite adaptive. More specifically, it/they conform to a 'conservation of energy' scenario in which processes and functions are allocated on a basis of 'need'. For example, if a function were to be undertaken by exogenous chemicals (like pharmaceuticals), then the body can and will adapt to the presence of same, and may even alter/shut down production of endogenous analogues, and/or change transmission or reception of associated neurotransmitters. Similarly, if a physiological process were to become deemed 'no longer necessary' by the brain, and related automated mechanisms, then it would cease to be supported. One extreme example is the shutdown of processes involved in muscle maintenance and bone density that was discovered to occur when astronauts operated in a zero-gravity environ. These examples are simply a function of the homeostatic needs of the organism in question.

Without getting into too much scientific gobble-de-gook, the mind/body saves energy and resources by altering or even eliminating processes which it deems unnecessary. Recently, I read some information suggesting that Modern Man is coming to rely upon exogenous memory systems, as opposed to storage in what might traditionally be known as long-term (LT) memory. That is, in this age of information, we have come to rely upon the computer/internet as an extension of our own endogenous systems; bookmarks are now memory!

 I wholeheartedly agree with the concept; it's not that we 'need' such an exogenous memory system, but just that it is there, and we do use it, so the logical and proper reaction by the mind and body would be to adapt. It's all about informational overload, folks. What would we do without 'stickies' and bookmarks? There is just way too much going on in the minds of Modern Man; zooming around through the maze of information, available 24/7 via both computers and cell phones. Who among us can say that they have not become lost in the internet 'process', ending up asking oneself, "how the hell did I get HERE, and what the hell was I looking for again?".  Nobody.

Although it would be difficult to measure, I think it's safe to say that the pure volume of information that we access and process daily would simply overwhelm anyone unexposed to the information age (say, an aborigine or somebody from the [not so distant] past). But we cope, with our new memory systems, and we will continue to adapt (bookmarks! booyeah!). Why bother remembering something when its only 'a click away'? Makes good sense to me, and reminds me of the 'learn-and-dump' memory system that was necessitated during my college years; so much information was needed to be retained, but only for constrained periods--till the 'test'. Henceforth, the majority of the information 'learned' became quickly inaccessible--no room for that crap we don't really need. Of course, overlapping and/or basic knowledge which was to be built upon likely forced its way into LT (endogenous) memory. However, given the definition of learning, then, as it pertains to storage into LT memory, it is fairly safe to say that I have forgotten more than I ever learned! What a hoot of a concept; It's funny because its true. Lol!

Given the foregoing, it seems that one might wish to consciously mediate our 'new' memory processes, in order to take advantage--to maximize "retention" capabilities, while minimizing expenditures. Keep in mind that this is not limited to simply bookmarks--that is just a grand analogy which may include myriad other resources and/or processes. One thing that I have found to be helpful is to categorize my bookmarks into nested folders, with related information. This minimizes temporal cues, but since I have nearly lost all capacity for temporal-based memory ("...just the other day" phenomenon), it seems to help keep things organized. A while back (seems like just the other day/week/month/year [?]) I began to keep documents and such in folders labelled 'recent (this-n-that)', but it didn't help much. Now I have a bunch of damned 'recent this-n-that' folders that I have to look through, in order to find crap I forgot wherever-the-hell-it-is. I will self-suggest that labeling by month might prove to be a better system, then nesting those by year(?). Dunno--I'm just becoming cognizant of this whole exogenous memory stuff--with practice, my pseudo-memory will likely improve  ;)   Any one else suggest some working model??

GT

The 'Jimmie Cut', and Other Sleight-of-Hand BS...

Yup. The 'Jimmie Cut'. Worst card-cutting crapola ever. Back when we were teens, we used to get together a few times a week to play poker (OK--we were pretty bored, mostly, and mostly broke, so...). There was this shifty character who usually joined us--a younger neighborhood brat--'Jimmie'. This kid was a terrible cheat, though not for lack of trying. Although the sneaky devil probably spoofed us a few times, we soon learned to be always watching his hands when he dealt, because he would be shuffling and manipulating the deck, then pull what we later dubbed the 'Jimmie Cut'; it kind of looked like a 'cut', but it wasn't--just slapping the cards in such a way as to resemble a cut, but retaining his ordered (rigged) deal. Suffice to say that we all were cheating as much as possible, such that periodically there would be an under-the-table check, and usually there would be some cards flopping down to the floor, from who knows where[?]. Anyways, it was all in good fun, and we all knew and accepted the unwritten/unspoken ground rules; cheat if you can, as best you can, if you can get away with it. But the penalties could be severe if caught. This could be related to the US Tax code, I assume, for some suckers--Uh!...I mean...folks.

Now, Jimmie was what one might call a 'feeder'; without feeder funds, there likely wouldn't even be a game, because nearly everyone was really broke, and/or had extreme funding limitations. For the most part, our games were 'just-for-fun'--penny ante BS--and the pot shifted between the players in a fairly cyclical fashion. But Jimmie seemed to pretty consistently lose, and over time, came to be in debt to other players. Hell, at one time, I remember he owed me like 6 months of his daily 'lunch money' allowance. I don't remember what he owed others. However, at some point, one had to 'just say no'--"Sorry, Jimmie, you can't play anymore, till we get some of that cash back that you owe, or something of value--whatever". Often, we'd give him a break, or let him slide a bit. After all, this kid had been financing my cigarette habit (and my brother's ?) for months, and even allowing me to save up some cash, in doing so. Yet, here he was, always trying to 'bum' a smoke...an interminable leech. Needless to say, we started seeing less and less of him, till he simply faded out of the 'game'. I gotta say, we all missed the kid, and especially his money, when he actually had any, and I was probably smoking less, as a result.

Well, the other day, I got to thinking about both Jimmie, and the Jimmie Cut, and it kind of reminded me of another shady character--aka 'Uncle' Sam. This nefarious dealer has also been pulling the Jimmie Cut, after rigging the deck, for years. Now, I can't say for certain, specifically, who has been the benefactor of all these riggings, but it's pretty safe to say it ain't 'Joe Six-pack' (JSP) or John/Jane Q. Public (JQP). Sure, he tosses them (us) a few bones, and give-aways, but these are chump change--penny ante BS--meant to keep support for the brokers of the real thievery (yes, Virginia, there really is a Congress). Meanwhile, huge chunks of the GDP continually go out to the same players--the Powers That Be, or TPTB, year after year, and these are actually funded by the future income of JQP. Kind of like we, and all our children and grandchildren, and probably on down to great-great-grandchildren, are actually INDENTURED SERVANTS, at best. And, technically, we are not even playing. By proxy, each of us is allowing the Congress, and via their conveyances to TPTB, to usurp our freedoms, and mortgage our future into a virtual slavery. This is one of the main reasons that people came to the New World--to escape.

Yeah, yeah, religious freedom blah-blah-blah crapola we read in the history books--my ASS. The truth is that people in Europe had been getting shafted into classist serfdom for so many generations--Jimmie Cutted--that the only place open for real opportunities [for JQP] was America. And many of our Founding Fathers and New World colonists were indeed indentured servants; the tradesmen and workers needed to get the infrastructure going in this new land. One thing for sure; there was no opportunity in the 'Old World' for JQP.

Back then, mayhap indentured servitude wasn't so bad. After all, one worked for, and was 'kept' by  a rich landowner or businessman, and ostensibly, one learned a trade or important skill set with which one eventually gained financial freedom and personal independence. Thenceforth, the fruits of one's labors were one's own property and responsibility. The problem with the new indentured servitude is that it never ends--we never earn the freedom to reap our own rewards, and neither do our offspring [and so on]! Just like a slave's offspring was the property of the slaveowner. Show me how that differs from the current life-mortgaging debt system in practice today here in the USA. The real problem is that we will never be free of the debt, and neither will our progeny. TPTB/debt-holders will always have a captive population to whom to sell their wares, and the bare staples of living--and will be happy to finance by credit card whatever we cannot purchase outright for cash; holding us even further into debt...  Big Agra/Pharma/banksters are the new 'company store'?


And that's not all. Just like Jimmie, the Gub'ment has been borrowing incessantly for years, and not just from us--also from shrewd players like China. How long will Jimmie (aka Uncle sam, aka indentured servant JQP) be able to 'float' loans and stay in the game? We're not talking a little bit O' lunch money here--we talking serious beer! One may ask "What happens when it's put-up-something-of-value-or-get-out?".  China wants to 'smoke more', and will soon be demanding more substantial payments, but Sammie and JQP are broke--what more can we give? Will the USA be asked to leave the table--to stop playing altogether? Will we be sold down the river to China and TPTB that already hold our 'notes'? Will they end up owning the USA, or will we simply be indentured to them, or both? Where will it all end? Nobody can say for sure. I get the feeling it's 'serfdom or bust'--and there ain't any"New World" left to get us out of this slavery, this tyme.


The worst part is that we keep playing with Jimmie, even knowing that we are being duped, and robbed, and yes, indentured at minimum. Keep electing people who spend more than we can give in, forever borrowing, and we all get kicked out of the game-SOON. When the EU goes broke [soon], and those houses of cards fall, won't they be asked to sit out? Won't our joint debt drag us down with them, until the prophesied collapse of $USD as the reserve currency occurs? Won't we still be in debt then? Yes, and our "money" won't be worth doodly-squat. Ah, but all that slave labor we owe, maybe...? I think it wise to start learning to speak Chinese, or bone-up on chopstick techniques...