Was running the foundry tonight to cast the block for my engine project.
Ran into a little snag.
The bottom fell out of my crucible during the melt. NO INJURIES!!!! Just loss of about 3lbs of fine aluminum straight to the bottom of the furnace.
Wrapped everything up, brought the flask back to the shop after shutting down Ol' Lucifer (the pit furnace) and had a smoke and a beer.
Just ordered another crucible, and some other supplies that I am running low on.(to the tune of $180) Thinking that when my bonus check comes in; I should order a couple or three more for later. Like everything else in this economy, they are going up in price and they aren't cheap to begin with.
The last crucible was actually a 1Qt cast iron dutch oven. I am happy that I managed to get as many melts out of it as I did. While not optimal for casting, it worked and in a pinch works just fine.
Funny, I am a frugal being to begin with, but this economy is making frugality just a tad painful to boot. I would hate to be someone that has to have the latest and greatest with no mind to cost. They are going to be going hungry real soon.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A commentary and an opinion.
Bashing William, AKA Bill Nye is a an amazing catalyst to my brain. His writing style, despite his best protests, is immaculate in bumping thoughts of mine together causing great synaptic reactions. He really got the neurons firing today with something that has been simmering below the surface for a long time.
Here is his post.
This subject is like playing rough with Mercury Fulminate. You may get off with nothing more than a sweaty brow, then again, you could blow your head off.
The following will be some thoughts I have had on this subject over the last few years.
First lets dispense with a warning. I am going to use words that are crass, rude, downright offensive, and all have the potential to label me 'something' by whomever takes offense.
I am also going to offend those on the other side of the aisle too.
For everyones benefit, please read to the end and DO NOT comment for at least 24 hours if you want to start a flame war. Let what I have to say simmer for a few before you shoot from the hip.(that goes for both sides of the issue)
Gays in the military.
Not a damned thing new here. So why is it such a big stinking issue now? Two reasons. DISTRACTION! and DIVISION!
Why do I say that? The answer should be obvious but I will explain in detail. History first.
Roman and Greek empires. Both at one point were the stellar points in history; one gave birth to the other. Each had army's where homosexual behavior was pretty much the norm. Why? Simple logistics. Nothing more. Its a fact that when a person is subjected to life and death situations and survives, the libido is magnified intensely. Any High-Energy output will increase Sexual drive, the release from high duress situations makes it that much more intense While there is nothing that can be done to correct this (they tried salt peter but we all know how that worked out) and there was no way to carry the 'support' needed to curb 'strange appetites'. In order to discourage "rapin and pillagin" the troops were encouraged to vent their energies on each other, either through exercise(wrestling) or 'exercise'(the other wrestling). Much easier to win over the people you just conquered if they weren't trying to patch up the women folk at the same time. The Romans called soldiers "shieldmates" and it had nothing to do with "Esprit de Corps".(and yes, the term Esprit de Corps was started by the Romans) Want to piss a group off right quick? Fuck over the fem's and see how easy it is to make headway with the group.
History aside for now, that is only the logistics side of it.
I did my tour in the Corps and to have someone tell me that there were no gays in then (this was just before don't ask don't tell) is a laughing matter to me. I KNOW there were a couple in my unit alone. It wasn't an issue then and shouldn't be an issue now. The fact that once 'DADT' went into effect there was a shuffle out the door of a "few good men" bothered me and not how you would think.
The ones that 'opted out' under DADT more than likely WERE NOT GAY! They were the toads that every unit has under the rug and they saw a way out with no fuss. They may have even been 'encouraged' to take that out.
One particular person, I won't name even though I believe he is out now, was the model image of a Marine. This guy was built like a fuckin tank, would carry the Ma Deuce and tripod by himself on 'forced marches' and never bitched about a damned thing. He had a different taste in sexual appetites but that was it. AND HE NEVER ADVERTISED IT. That was the key point. If you weren't on good terms with him, you would never have a clue that he had that bend in his nature.
NOW to dispel any shit right now. I am not gay, nor have any shit like that to hang me up. I am just trying to point out that this is just another tool to cause shit amongst decent people.
NOW Here is my take on Homosexuality.
No emotions, just logic.
I won't bring religion into it, just science.
And I am going to show WHY homosexuality is wrong.
As a species, we have a genetic code just as every other species upon this planet has. EVERY SPECIES intent is to procreate, spread the code, enrich the code through diverse breeding. ANY SPECIES that loses that motivation is on the chopping block of history PERIOD!
Homosexuals CAN'T breed. They may be able to find some opposite sex to breed with but the intent is the same as if they weren't gay. They can't breed with each other. To share same gender sex is no better than masturbation. Feels good but doesn't do a damned thing for the species. It goes against the very code written into the double helix that is embedded within a body.
From the species point of view, its extremely selfish.
I could try and go into what causes it. There is always the 'excuse' of "I was born this way" to which I call bullshit. I just can't see the genetic code building in a self destruct mechanism like that. It may be how a person is raised, it may be some psychological 'fail safe' that the person feels comfortable with. I dunno and I have no real inclination to find out. It is one of those things that does not apply to me and I could really care less.
BUT
Why is it such an issue for society? First and foremost, it shouldn't be. For the longest time, there were gays amongst us and it was 'accepted' even though it wasn't really acceptable behavior. People understood that, on occasion, someone might have a twist in their psyche that allowed this perversion. (and yes, I do think of it as a perversion. It goes against the grain of nature and procreation) Many thought that due to lack of procreation, it would 'breed itself out'. The fact that it hasn't shows me that this is a societal issue, not a genetic one.
More recently, the 'Gay movement' has taken on a life of its own. The demanding of "Sexual Rights" is hilarious to watch. Umm, 'scuse me, but if she don't wanna fuck ya, what RIGHT do you have to demand it? Same goes for the gays: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXIST but not if it FORCES us to give up our societal standards. The 'institution of marriage' was never intended to be anything but a mutual contract between MAN AND WOMAN to extend the species. Yes, there is emotion involved and anything without it would end quickly and yes, emotionally for all involved. Some may say that Marriage is by God. I think marriage is strictly between the individuals and that the state or others have not one ounce of shit to say about it. If two gays want to get 'married', fine, but don't pull me into the fray by making it mandatory under law. That shit is what caused myself and my ex to avoid 'consummating' under law. (good thing too or I would have been far worse off in the long run when that ended.)
Seriously though, if you really feel the need to pack fudge or suck cock, thats your damned business: do it behind closed doors. So long as everyone is an adult, consenting, and not in an altered state, your business, not mine.
BUT I damned well don't want to see it.
Back to the Military issue though. DADT was a bad move. It opened the doors to bigotry where there was already a bit of it, but under control. NOW, we have open hostile reactions because the issue has been forced upon people in an already hostile environment. (think going to war on a regular basis isn't hostile?)
My only comment to those that think this is 'the right thing to do': Smooth move assholes, you just tossed the mercury fulminate really high. Watch what happens when the shit hits the ground.
Here is his post.
This subject is like playing rough with Mercury Fulminate. You may get off with nothing more than a sweaty brow, then again, you could blow your head off.
The following will be some thoughts I have had on this subject over the last few years.
First lets dispense with a warning. I am going to use words that are crass, rude, downright offensive, and all have the potential to label me 'something' by whomever takes offense.
I am also going to offend those on the other side of the aisle too.
For everyones benefit, please read to the end and DO NOT comment for at least 24 hours if you want to start a flame war. Let what I have to say simmer for a few before you shoot from the hip.(that goes for both sides of the issue)
Gays in the military.
Not a damned thing new here. So why is it such a big stinking issue now? Two reasons. DISTRACTION! and DIVISION!
Why do I say that? The answer should be obvious but I will explain in detail. History first.
Roman and Greek empires. Both at one point were the stellar points in history; one gave birth to the other. Each had army's where homosexual behavior was pretty much the norm. Why? Simple logistics. Nothing more. Its a fact that when a person is subjected to life and death situations and survives, the libido is magnified intensely. Any High-Energy output will increase Sexual drive, the release from high duress situations makes it that much more intense While there is nothing that can be done to correct this (they tried salt peter but we all know how that worked out) and there was no way to carry the 'support' needed to curb 'strange appetites'. In order to discourage "rapin and pillagin" the troops were encouraged to vent their energies on each other, either through exercise(wrestling) or 'exercise'(the other wrestling). Much easier to win over the people you just conquered if they weren't trying to patch up the women folk at the same time. The Romans called soldiers "shieldmates" and it had nothing to do with "Esprit de Corps".(and yes, the term Esprit de Corps was started by the Romans) Want to piss a group off right quick? Fuck over the fem's and see how easy it is to make headway with the group.
History aside for now, that is only the logistics side of it.
I did my tour in the Corps and to have someone tell me that there were no gays in then (this was just before don't ask don't tell) is a laughing matter to me. I KNOW there were a couple in my unit alone. It wasn't an issue then and shouldn't be an issue now. The fact that once 'DADT' went into effect there was a shuffle out the door of a "few good men" bothered me and not how you would think.
The ones that 'opted out' under DADT more than likely WERE NOT GAY! They were the toads that every unit has under the rug and they saw a way out with no fuss. They may have even been 'encouraged' to take that out.
One particular person, I won't name even though I believe he is out now, was the model image of a Marine. This guy was built like a fuckin tank, would carry the Ma Deuce and tripod by himself on 'forced marches' and never bitched about a damned thing. He had a different taste in sexual appetites but that was it. AND HE NEVER ADVERTISED IT. That was the key point. If you weren't on good terms with him, you would never have a clue that he had that bend in his nature.
NOW to dispel any shit right now. I am not gay, nor have any shit like that to hang me up. I am just trying to point out that this is just another tool to cause shit amongst decent people.
NOW Here is my take on Homosexuality.
No emotions, just logic.
I won't bring religion into it, just science.
And I am going to show WHY homosexuality is wrong.
As a species, we have a genetic code just as every other species upon this planet has. EVERY SPECIES intent is to procreate, spread the code, enrich the code through diverse breeding. ANY SPECIES that loses that motivation is on the chopping block of history PERIOD!
Homosexuals CAN'T breed. They may be able to find some opposite sex to breed with but the intent is the same as if they weren't gay. They can't breed with each other. To share same gender sex is no better than masturbation. Feels good but doesn't do a damned thing for the species. It goes against the very code written into the double helix that is embedded within a body.
From the species point of view, its extremely selfish.
I could try and go into what causes it. There is always the 'excuse' of "I was born this way" to which I call bullshit. I just can't see the genetic code building in a self destruct mechanism like that. It may be how a person is raised, it may be some psychological 'fail safe' that the person feels comfortable with. I dunno and I have no real inclination to find out. It is one of those things that does not apply to me and I could really care less.
BUT
Why is it such an issue for society? First and foremost, it shouldn't be. For the longest time, there were gays amongst us and it was 'accepted' even though it wasn't really acceptable behavior. People understood that, on occasion, someone might have a twist in their psyche that allowed this perversion. (and yes, I do think of it as a perversion. It goes against the grain of nature and procreation) Many thought that due to lack of procreation, it would 'breed itself out'. The fact that it hasn't shows me that this is a societal issue, not a genetic one.
More recently, the 'Gay movement' has taken on a life of its own. The demanding of "Sexual Rights" is hilarious to watch. Umm, 'scuse me, but if she don't wanna fuck ya, what RIGHT do you have to demand it? Same goes for the gays: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXIST but not if it FORCES us to give up our societal standards. The 'institution of marriage' was never intended to be anything but a mutual contract between MAN AND WOMAN to extend the species. Yes, there is emotion involved and anything without it would end quickly and yes, emotionally for all involved. Some may say that Marriage is by God. I think marriage is strictly between the individuals and that the state or others have not one ounce of shit to say about it. If two gays want to get 'married', fine, but don't pull me into the fray by making it mandatory under law. That shit is what caused myself and my ex to avoid 'consummating' under law. (good thing too or I would have been far worse off in the long run when that ended.)
Seriously though, if you really feel the need to pack fudge or suck cock, thats your damned business: do it behind closed doors. So long as everyone is an adult, consenting, and not in an altered state, your business, not mine.
BUT I damned well don't want to see it.
Back to the Military issue though. DADT was a bad move. It opened the doors to bigotry where there was already a bit of it, but under control. NOW, we have open hostile reactions because the issue has been forced upon people in an already hostile environment. (think going to war on a regular basis isn't hostile?)
My only comment to those that think this is 'the right thing to do': Smooth move assholes, you just tossed the mercury fulminate really high. Watch what happens when the shit hits the ground.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Ruminations, reasoning, and moral ponderings.
Let it not be said that I am wholly moral and upright standing citizen of the United States. I am not. I, like many others in this world, am fallible to the littlest temptation even as I can resist the larger ones. I freely admit to being a chocoholic for example. (That Capital 'U' is the biggest 'legal fiction' ever perpetrated upon this country. Most true southerners know what I mean.)
Yes, the little ones are the ones that eat at you, they are the ones that slowly deteriorate your resolve on the larger issues. And therein lies the problems within our country. Slowly, over time, the little temptations have encroached upon the people of this country, withering away their willpower to resist. The small temptations of convenience have supplanted the larger goals of complete freedom and liberty.
An Example: Being able to access your e-mail, bank account, take calls, get voice-mail when you don't want calls, even entertain yourself from one device has led to a major breech in anonymity. Both Apple and Google are culprits within this. There are more ways to access someones comings and goings in our society now, than even the Chinese have attempted on their people.(supposition I know but probably not off base)
Our 'representatives' have written legislation that would require installation of a GPS device to track vehicle usage 'for Tax purposes'. To assume such a device would remain so innocuous is insane. Even so, the fact that every little thing they do is for Tax purposes leads one to question every motive they have. If they were able to do the things that every honorable (not necessarily honest)person of this country has to do; IE live within their means: Our Country wouldn't be in debt beyond its cranial mass.
And yet, if you look at the markets today, a large majority of the people in this country live 'just like they do' triple mortgages, underwater mortgages, 115 credit cards all running near or maxed, Car loans, student loans, boat loans, rec Veh loans, etc etc etc. Calling them crooks by most would be calling the kettle black. The only real difference is that the persons with all of those debts don't look to others to pay the debt. Hard to demand (legislate) a raise(Tax) when you work in the public sector.
And yet, I have hope.
Read history. Even recent history. Ferfal does an excellent blog on surviving an economic collapse. One point that repeats itself, time and again, is that society may go into massive upheaval, but PEOPLE continue on. Even so far as having micro-economies within active warzones. Yes, we have one issue that most of these countries did not have and that is SIZE. Our country is massive and yet, most people tend to congregate within small sectors in huge proportions. These will feel the worst of a collapse far faster than say, Lost River, Idaho.
I know, we all know these things. What I am trying to point out, WE preppers already have a leg up on the competition. Those of us that are in the 'boonies' are even better off. Unless there is a call to remove 'certain individuals' from society, chances are better for those of us that have made certain 'we have insurance' in place.
SO. Bug out or Bug in. Obviously a situational decision. But, have you thought the realities of either situation? Have you a 'plan C'? or even D and E?
Health matters will also weigh in. Admit it, none of us is getting any younger and we are all starting to show signs of wear and tear. I was recently reminded of this fact (thankfully not directly). There is a reason the young go to war and not the old farts that know the real reasons behind the fight. (but there is that old adage of 'don't mess with an old guy, he will just kill you, not fight you.')
Chances are (arguable point), bugging in is going to be the majority in our decisions. There may be severe communications failures (and that is really my biggest fear). There WILL be severe disruptions in transportation, and shipping. That is going to be the Achilles heel of this country (more specifically, large metropolis')
And it is all by design.
And another SO! Are you ready?
IF you are like me, only in your own mental state. I can spend every dime I have from now, to the collapse on preps and not be ready. But mentally, I have no problems. I am at peace with what is coming. Knowledge is the key here. I may not have it, but I can make it (mostly). The reason I fear loss of communications is a lack of knowledge in that area. Its one lack I am working on rectifying now. ( and the funny part being, I was a sound engineer playing will all of the tools of the trade and I haven't the first clue how to transmit a signal in radio.) I know that if push comes to shove, I can grab my BOB and hit the trail running. I won't be the most comfortable Joe on the trail, but by God, I won't be forced to join the zombie hoards either. Most of what makes my BOB work is not whats in it, but whats in my head. The BOB is only a tool; like my rifle or my knife.
I have hope. I know we can pull out of this, it will only take time and be painful (or terminal) to the vast majority of the people of this country. Like any birth, pain and blood are just a part of the package. It is going to take adults to protect the new child and teach it.
Yes, the little ones are the ones that eat at you, they are the ones that slowly deteriorate your resolve on the larger issues. And therein lies the problems within our country. Slowly, over time, the little temptations have encroached upon the people of this country, withering away their willpower to resist. The small temptations of convenience have supplanted the larger goals of complete freedom and liberty.
An Example: Being able to access your e-mail, bank account, take calls, get voice-mail when you don't want calls, even entertain yourself from one device has led to a major breech in anonymity. Both Apple and Google are culprits within this. There are more ways to access someones comings and goings in our society now, than even the Chinese have attempted on their people.(supposition I know but probably not off base)
Our 'representatives' have written legislation that would require installation of a GPS device to track vehicle usage 'for Tax purposes'. To assume such a device would remain so innocuous is insane. Even so, the fact that every little thing they do is for Tax purposes leads one to question every motive they have. If they were able to do the things that every honorable (not necessarily honest)person of this country has to do; IE live within their means: Our Country wouldn't be in debt beyond its cranial mass.
And yet, if you look at the markets today, a large majority of the people in this country live 'just like they do' triple mortgages, underwater mortgages, 115 credit cards all running near or maxed, Car loans, student loans, boat loans, rec Veh loans, etc etc etc. Calling them crooks by most would be calling the kettle black. The only real difference is that the persons with all of those debts don't look to others to pay the debt. Hard to demand (legislate) a raise(Tax) when you work in the public sector.
And yet, I have hope.
Read history. Even recent history. Ferfal does an excellent blog on surviving an economic collapse. One point that repeats itself, time and again, is that society may go into massive upheaval, but PEOPLE continue on. Even so far as having micro-economies within active warzones. Yes, we have one issue that most of these countries did not have and that is SIZE. Our country is massive and yet, most people tend to congregate within small sectors in huge proportions. These will feel the worst of a collapse far faster than say, Lost River, Idaho.
I know, we all know these things. What I am trying to point out, WE preppers already have a leg up on the competition. Those of us that are in the 'boonies' are even better off. Unless there is a call to remove 'certain individuals' from society, chances are better for those of us that have made certain 'we have insurance' in place.
SO. Bug out or Bug in. Obviously a situational decision. But, have you thought the realities of either situation? Have you a 'plan C'? or even D and E?
Health matters will also weigh in. Admit it, none of us is getting any younger and we are all starting to show signs of wear and tear. I was recently reminded of this fact (thankfully not directly). There is a reason the young go to war and not the old farts that know the real reasons behind the fight. (but there is that old adage of 'don't mess with an old guy, he will just kill you, not fight you.')
Chances are (arguable point), bugging in is going to be the majority in our decisions. There may be severe communications failures (and that is really my biggest fear). There WILL be severe disruptions in transportation, and shipping. That is going to be the Achilles heel of this country (more specifically, large metropolis')
And it is all by design.
And another SO! Are you ready?
IF you are like me, only in your own mental state. I can spend every dime I have from now, to the collapse on preps and not be ready. But mentally, I have no problems. I am at peace with what is coming. Knowledge is the key here. I may not have it, but I can make it (mostly). The reason I fear loss of communications is a lack of knowledge in that area. Its one lack I am working on rectifying now. ( and the funny part being, I was a sound engineer playing will all of the tools of the trade and I haven't the first clue how to transmit a signal in radio.) I know that if push comes to shove, I can grab my BOB and hit the trail running. I won't be the most comfortable Joe on the trail, but by God, I won't be forced to join the zombie hoards either. Most of what makes my BOB work is not whats in it, but whats in my head. The BOB is only a tool; like my rifle or my knife.
I have hope. I know we can pull out of this, it will only take time and be painful (or terminal) to the vast majority of the people of this country. Like any birth, pain and blood are just a part of the package. It is going to take adults to protect the new child and teach it.
border wars
On a little state road overlooking the Texas Arkansas border. I am about 50 miles south of Texarkana. I don't see anything . What the hell, Give me a fence or a bunch of cars to work around or something. Seems like they are making this easy. Soffitrat is about 120 miles away and I still have my trike, now loaded down with 6-1 gallon milk jugs of water in addition to the rest of the gear and ammo. Think I will sit tight and see if there are patrols or something. I brought one thing that I hope may 'ease' tensions some IF I do run into 'the new border patrol'. A Gadsden Flag. One can hope anyways.
When we started getting plans together to head out and 'see the world', we started having internal issues with “I don't want to do anything” and the usual suspects were also the ones that at one time had been dependent upon the Government for support. Several of them were former pillheads. Within one week of my leaving out, there was a confrontation with one that ended up in him dead and swinging in the breeze. No judge, no jury, none needed. He had been caught redhanded with stolen goods and the owner took matters into his own hands. Hopefully, that was a lesson that won't need retaught. I had no idea what the motivation was behind the theft but it really doesn't matter any longer.
Granted when things start improving, there will need to be some sort of justice system. I am thinking a system setup similar to the one envisioned by Heinlein in 'Mistress' will be sufficient. Both sides 'purchase' a Judge(shared cost), both sides agree to abide by the judges decree BEFORE trial, The judge hears the case and decides the merit of the accused and accusers then makes his decision. (if you have never read the moon is a harsh mistress, do so. Libertarian rant fest but well worth the read with many great ideas on how to set up , or not, a government)
While sitting here waiting, I am having a conundrum. Do I Return home to drag the family here, or do I retreat home to hope for the best. Obviously, I am going to wait and see what I find but the hint of an actual republic in Texas is tempting. Then again, where we are is complete anarchy and a welcome relief to the crap I dealt with the first 43 years of my life. Hard work yes, but the end results are mine to keep or share as I see fit.
There are never any guarantees in life. Well, there is one. You will die. Can't get around that one. There is some control over the method of your death however.
What would we do if given the choice again. Our founders had a choice to make and did so. For several years, we ran without a constitution and everything was just hunky-dory. I am sure that there were some issues, but if people are fully in control of their own lives, they tend to make better decisions. We were in control to some extent but there were so many rules and regulations to 'abide by' that sometimes not making a decision was safer than trying to do anything. Safety is now back in our hands, decision making is now back in our hands. Will we screw it up and piss it away like we did the last time? Like the Romans did? Like the Russians did? Like the French did? The only thing I know, no matter what direction we go in, I won't be alive to see the fall of it this time. That will be many generations down the line. I can only teach my kids what I know and hope they are strict enough on their kids to pass it on and keep the lessons taught for generations to come.
Just saw 3 ATV's go flying down the road. Now that I see them, I also see a rut they have been making. Time to go sit and wait for them. I would rather have a peaceful meeting than a violent confrontation. I know I saw longarms on the racks of the ATV's and I wouldn't expect people to be running around unarmed in a war zone (and this area is one though rather calm for one) ATV's that are running?. Either they didn't get hit hard with the EMP down here, or they had things prepared in advance. More questions without answers. For now. Soon enough, soon enough.
Morning. I hear a couple of ATV's coming in the distance. Time to set up my 'trap' and see if I catch a bear or the bear catches me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, well, That went much better than I expected. Made it to John's house in less than three hours once I was able to establish that I am 1) not a spy and 2) that I am here to 'work as an ambassador for Kentucky' (that last is still leaving me a bit tickled. That was the Captains idea since it is obvious that I had walked quite a long way to get here.)
Sitting here on the porch overlooking his 'estate'/shooting range enjoying the smells coming off the BBQ and a cold beer. After the initial meet and greet (considering we know each other from the web but had never met.) Getting the scoop on things was a real eye opener. I am copying the original Paper that was published the day after the EMP's went off. (apparently they did get one down here but it was detonated too high, there were some failures but nothing like up north.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We the people of Texas, having seen the corruption and systematic dismantling of the Constitution of the united States, have unanimously voted to revoke the charter with said entity as is a prerequisite of our Original agreement. The recent events of the Federal Government attacking the citizens of its own country with non-lethal weapons, with the intent of subduing a faction that stood for the original intent of the the Constitution , was an onerous and crucial mistake. A blatant disregard for any of the original Declarations in the Bill of Rights: The Entity that calls itself the Federal Government is now charged with Breech of Contract, Multiple violations of the all of the Amendments of the Bill of Rights and given future death tolls due to the original breech, War crimes to include Genocide.
We the PEOPLE of Texas hereby Rescind any and all affiliations with said entity, vow our lives and honor to defend OUR land from intrusion by said entity and now consider any interstate contracts with states unwilling to withdraw support from said entity, null and void. Any encroachment upon or within the borders of the Republic of Texas will be dealt with in extreme prejudice. Indirect attacks will result in immediate retaliation upon the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia.
The PEOPLE have spoken that it is time for Responsible Government and simple laws.
Forthwith, all immigrants, have 30 days to either approach a house of law to swear allegiance to the Republic or remove themselves from our country. After 30 days, you will be considered a potential spy or terrorist and dealt with on an as come basis. All entitlement programs created by the former Government will be suspended within 30 days except in cases of severe health issues: Considerations for these will be made within that time period. All In-state commerce is now subject to a flat tax rate of 9%, there will be NO Income or entitlement taxes: This will include commerce between business's. Import Tariffs are being decided upon, please bear with us while we make the transition.
For the interim, the Coinage of the united States will be acceptable for transactions. Current yield will be against the Canadian Dollar for price setting. Until our Republic is able to establish a new currency this will have to suffice: again, please bear with us while we make the transition.
Federal Prisons within the borders of Texas will have a review of the inmates to determine those guilty of political crimes vs violent crimes. Those that have been incarcerated for non-violent, victim-less crimes will be released. They are free to return to their former homes. Those that wish to remain within Texas will have a full review of their cases to see if they are fit to return to society and those that are, will receive temporary accommodations to ease their transition. For all others, there will be a review of cases by a panel of judges and peers to determine new sentencing. The prisoner will have a chance to make their case again in front of said review. For
Capital punishment is back in full force, no appeals with execution to be delayed by no more than 48 hours.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is more where that came from yet more than I care to put down here.
Here is my issue: Government was the problem. Not The People. Granted that is an arguable point but as a whole, the people themselves were pretty harmless against the entire mess. Collectively, they were a nightmare unleashed. The powers that were elected represented that nightmare.
And here I sit reading something that on the surface sounds danged good but my suspicions run very deep now. You can color a turd whatever color you want, put some shine on it and fact remains, its a turd. If it weren't for the fact that there were a government encroaching upon my little slice of anarchy, I probably wouldn't have found need to come here. Sadly, I see the flip side of the coin too. Anarchy is a power vacuum and nature abhors a vacuum. So long as there are powerbrokers in the world looking to expand their power base, we will have to form groups to defend our ways of life. To not do so is to accept the inevitable bullet to he temple or the ovens.. Choice is yours.
You can pick it apart until the sun collapses and never come up with a satisfactory answer. Philosophers have been debating these points since Ancient Greece(documented) and probably longer than that. I know that there are better thinkers than I that are just as stumped on this dilemma. I am just a tinkerer looking to make lives simpler, not rule the world.
When we started getting plans together to head out and 'see the world', we started having internal issues with “I don't want to do anything” and the usual suspects were also the ones that at one time had been dependent upon the Government for support. Several of them were former pillheads. Within one week of my leaving out, there was a confrontation with one that ended up in him dead and swinging in the breeze. No judge, no jury, none needed. He had been caught redhanded with stolen goods and the owner took matters into his own hands. Hopefully, that was a lesson that won't need retaught. I had no idea what the motivation was behind the theft but it really doesn't matter any longer.
Granted when things start improving, there will need to be some sort of justice system. I am thinking a system setup similar to the one envisioned by Heinlein in 'Mistress' will be sufficient. Both sides 'purchase' a Judge(shared cost), both sides agree to abide by the judges decree BEFORE trial, The judge hears the case and decides the merit of the accused and accusers then makes his decision. (if you have never read the moon is a harsh mistress, do so. Libertarian rant fest but well worth the read with many great ideas on how to set up , or not, a government)
While sitting here waiting, I am having a conundrum. Do I Return home to drag the family here, or do I retreat home to hope for the best. Obviously, I am going to wait and see what I find but the hint of an actual republic in Texas is tempting. Then again, where we are is complete anarchy and a welcome relief to the crap I dealt with the first 43 years of my life. Hard work yes, but the end results are mine to keep or share as I see fit.
There are never any guarantees in life. Well, there is one. You will die. Can't get around that one. There is some control over the method of your death however.
What would we do if given the choice again. Our founders had a choice to make and did so. For several years, we ran without a constitution and everything was just hunky-dory. I am sure that there were some issues, but if people are fully in control of their own lives, they tend to make better decisions. We were in control to some extent but there were so many rules and regulations to 'abide by' that sometimes not making a decision was safer than trying to do anything. Safety is now back in our hands, decision making is now back in our hands. Will we screw it up and piss it away like we did the last time? Like the Romans did? Like the Russians did? Like the French did? The only thing I know, no matter what direction we go in, I won't be alive to see the fall of it this time. That will be many generations down the line. I can only teach my kids what I know and hope they are strict enough on their kids to pass it on and keep the lessons taught for generations to come.
Just saw 3 ATV's go flying down the road. Now that I see them, I also see a rut they have been making. Time to go sit and wait for them. I would rather have a peaceful meeting than a violent confrontation. I know I saw longarms on the racks of the ATV's and I wouldn't expect people to be running around unarmed in a war zone (and this area is one though rather calm for one) ATV's that are running?. Either they didn't get hit hard with the EMP down here, or they had things prepared in advance. More questions without answers. For now. Soon enough, soon enough.
Morning. I hear a couple of ATV's coming in the distance. Time to set up my 'trap' and see if I catch a bear or the bear catches me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, well, That went much better than I expected. Made it to John's house in less than three hours once I was able to establish that I am 1) not a spy and 2) that I am here to 'work as an ambassador for Kentucky' (that last is still leaving me a bit tickled. That was the Captains idea since it is obvious that I had walked quite a long way to get here.)
Sitting here on the porch overlooking his 'estate'/shooting range enjoying the smells coming off the BBQ and a cold beer. After the initial meet and greet (considering we know each other from the web but had never met.) Getting the scoop on things was a real eye opener. I am copying the original Paper that was published the day after the EMP's went off. (apparently they did get one down here but it was detonated too high, there were some failures but nothing like up north.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We the people of Texas, having seen the corruption and systematic dismantling of the Constitution of the united States, have unanimously voted to revoke the charter with said entity as is a prerequisite of our Original agreement. The recent events of the Federal Government attacking the citizens of its own country with non-lethal weapons, with the intent of subduing a faction that stood for the original intent of the the Constitution , was an onerous and crucial mistake. A blatant disregard for any of the original Declarations in the Bill of Rights: The Entity that calls itself the Federal Government is now charged with Breech of Contract, Multiple violations of the all of the Amendments of the Bill of Rights and given future death tolls due to the original breech, War crimes to include Genocide.
We the PEOPLE of Texas hereby Rescind any and all affiliations with said entity, vow our lives and honor to defend OUR land from intrusion by said entity and now consider any interstate contracts with states unwilling to withdraw support from said entity, null and void. Any encroachment upon or within the borders of the Republic of Texas will be dealt with in extreme prejudice. Indirect attacks will result in immediate retaliation upon the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia.
The PEOPLE have spoken that it is time for Responsible Government and simple laws.
Forthwith, all immigrants, have 30 days to either approach a house of law to swear allegiance to the Republic or remove themselves from our country. After 30 days, you will be considered a potential spy or terrorist and dealt with on an as come basis. All entitlement programs created by the former Government will be suspended within 30 days except in cases of severe health issues: Considerations for these will be made within that time period. All In-state commerce is now subject to a flat tax rate of 9%, there will be NO Income or entitlement taxes: This will include commerce between business's. Import Tariffs are being decided upon, please bear with us while we make the transition.
For the interim, the Coinage of the united States will be acceptable for transactions. Current yield will be against the Canadian Dollar for price setting. Until our Republic is able to establish a new currency this will have to suffice: again, please bear with us while we make the transition.
Federal Prisons within the borders of Texas will have a review of the inmates to determine those guilty of political crimes vs violent crimes. Those that have been incarcerated for non-violent, victim-less crimes will be released. They are free to return to their former homes. Those that wish to remain within Texas will have a full review of their cases to see if they are fit to return to society and those that are, will receive temporary accommodations to ease their transition. For all others, there will be a review of cases by a panel of judges and peers to determine new sentencing. The prisoner will have a chance to make their case again in front of said review. For
Capital punishment is back in full force, no appeals with execution to be delayed by no more than 48 hours.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is more where that came from yet more than I care to put down here.
Here is my issue: Government was the problem. Not The People. Granted that is an arguable point but as a whole, the people themselves were pretty harmless against the entire mess. Collectively, they were a nightmare unleashed. The powers that were elected represented that nightmare.
And here I sit reading something that on the surface sounds danged good but my suspicions run very deep now. You can color a turd whatever color you want, put some shine on it and fact remains, its a turd. If it weren't for the fact that there were a government encroaching upon my little slice of anarchy, I probably wouldn't have found need to come here. Sadly, I see the flip side of the coin too. Anarchy is a power vacuum and nature abhors a vacuum. So long as there are powerbrokers in the world looking to expand their power base, we will have to form groups to defend our ways of life. To not do so is to accept the inevitable bullet to he temple or the ovens.. Choice is yours.
You can pick it apart until the sun collapses and never come up with a satisfactory answer. Philosophers have been debating these points since Ancient Greece(documented) and probably longer than that. I know that there are better thinkers than I that are just as stumped on this dilemma. I am just a tinkerer looking to make lives simpler, not rule the world.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter
Hope everyone had a good holiday.
Teaser alert: Writing Secession papers sucks.
Back soon with more.
Teaser alert: Writing Secession papers sucks.
Back soon with more.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Boomin good fun
Took the new/old (1973) Winchester .30-30 out to sight her in. The Williams peep sight came in today so what other excuse was needed. I really should learn to take more rounds though. 20 is just a damned warm-up: Kinda like masturbating, feels good but sure as hell ain't as good.
Anywho, Was sighting in at 100 yards, walked off so it may be off but close enough for what I was doing. The intent was to sight in Zero plus 4" so that it would be zeroed at 200. (Gonna get some pics to explain, I left my phone behind. Sorry.)
My cousin heard the booms, spaced apart by 1-2 minutes, and came up to see what I was up to. Oh, the shit I get to give him now. LOL.
"Whatchadoin?"
"Sighting in."
"At what? Don' see nuthin"
"That target on the post down there." (100 yards away.)
"I see the posts but wheres the target? You shoot it off?"
"nope, down near the ground where I won't shoot over the berm."
He squints and I just smile not even bothering to hand him the Bino's that I am using that he can plainly see.
"Horseshit, Still don' see it"
"Well, lets go take a look. I want to see how far I need to come up."
We walk up to the target and he looks back to the cinderblock I was using as a steady rest. "Ain't no way you are hitting that from there with Irons man, no way!"
"Hey Cuz, if I ain't hitting it, why is the post about to fall over?" I say as I point to the bullet ravaged post that is about 1/2" from not existing.
"Ah, you shot that at 25 and came back there just to mess with me."
"Hey, if I you think I can't do it, why don't you stand here and call the shots. I promise I won't do more than wing ya."
"What!?!?! Me stand here while you're shootin that THING?"
"Yup, You can even hold the target so the wind doesn't get up under it. No more than a flesh wound, I swear."
"Your dad told me you were nuts. He's right."
"Maybe. If ya ain't gonna hold the target, come back here and call my shots for me, this walking back and forth shit gets old."
We head back to my 'bench' and I load up the last of the rounds I brought with me. Two shots later, the post falls over.
"Just gonna wing me huh?" laughing.
"yup, not bad either"
"The only person I know that shoots that good is your dad. Guess you are his kid." (running joke in the family since I tower a good foot over my dad)
" Yup, But I have a question."
"sure"
"Being a Buckeye, I heard you Kentucky boys were the best shots around, what gives?"
"Fuck you asshole." Laughing.
And we pack it up and walk back down the hill.
Anywho, Was sighting in at 100 yards, walked off so it may be off but close enough for what I was doing. The intent was to sight in Zero plus 4" so that it would be zeroed at 200. (Gonna get some pics to explain, I left my phone behind. Sorry.)
My cousin heard the booms, spaced apart by 1-2 minutes, and came up to see what I was up to. Oh, the shit I get to give him now. LOL.
"Whatchadoin?"
"Sighting in."
"At what? Don' see nuthin"
"That target on the post down there." (100 yards away.)
"I see the posts but wheres the target? You shoot it off?"
"nope, down near the ground where I won't shoot over the berm."
He squints and I just smile not even bothering to hand him the Bino's that I am using that he can plainly see.
"Horseshit, Still don' see it"
"Well, lets go take a look. I want to see how far I need to come up."
We walk up to the target and he looks back to the cinderblock I was using as a steady rest. "Ain't no way you are hitting that from there with Irons man, no way!"
"Hey Cuz, if I ain't hitting it, why is the post about to fall over?" I say as I point to the bullet ravaged post that is about 1/2" from not existing.
"Ah, you shot that at 25 and came back there just to mess with me."
"Hey, if I you think I can't do it, why don't you stand here and call the shots. I promise I won't do more than wing ya."
"What!?!?! Me stand here while you're shootin that THING?"
"Yup, You can even hold the target so the wind doesn't get up under it. No more than a flesh wound, I swear."
"Your dad told me you were nuts. He's right."
"Maybe. If ya ain't gonna hold the target, come back here and call my shots for me, this walking back and forth shit gets old."
We head back to my 'bench' and I load up the last of the rounds I brought with me. Two shots later, the post falls over.
"Just gonna wing me huh?" laughing.
"yup, not bad either"
"The only person I know that shoots that good is your dad. Guess you are his kid." (running joke in the family since I tower a good foot over my dad)
" Yup, But I have a question."
"sure"
"Being a Buckeye, I heard you Kentucky boys were the best shots around, what gives?"
"Fuck you asshole." Laughing.
And we pack it up and walk back down the hill.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Grab a cupa and lettz talk.
Or grab a cold one and pull up a chair. Lots going on in the sphere and its dirty laundry thats needed aired out for some time.
I know its allowed me to refocus my energies.
My previous posts are just as relevant today as when I posted them, I retract nothing.(the edit being the only part and my reason was sound)
I have stated I am no leader. Just that simple statement, make what you will of it. I have been in 'command' several times in my life, even in a small way during my military tour. I have ran a business with 13 employees. I have ran road crews while on tours where my hands were different day to day. I have jumped in, in emergencies to control crowds, and had no incidents of damage to persons or equipment. I can do it IF need is there. I choose not to step forward unless need dictates.(use your imagination on what that dictate may be, its quite situational.)
My reasoning is based upon my own independence. I am one that tries hard to be the solution to any problem I encounter. It has made my world rather hard to share at times. I am probably putting into words something that others have ran into also. My Ex stated pretty simply but with much wisdom when we split up, that I am "too intense". I am a hard person to live with because I am so demanding of myself. I accommodate others but many find it hard to exist near me; due to my example I guess. To put it lightly, I have very few friends other than the ones on the net that don't have to deal with me on a day to day basis.
As you have seen in the year and half (or has it been two plus years now, I dunno) that I have been blogging, I do for myself on as much as I can. I constantly educate myself, I constantly put that education to work for me, and try to help others through my knowledge (that last may not be as apparent since I don't often talk about the stuff I do for others) There are times where the intensity of my thought bubbles can drive others absolutely nutz. Even the shell I build around me when I am cramming my head with info can be exasperating to those close to me.
And I don't want to change a damned thing. If I am to be lonely and single till the end days, so be it. Accept me as I am or walk away. LOL.
All of the dirty laundry really gets summed up for me in three posts today. One by Concerned American, one by Bill Nye, and the other by Arctic Patriot. I read all three and had some time to think while driving the return trip of my route today. It all boils down to, we ain't gettin no younger, and only we are responsible for what WE do between now and death, and It ain't worth shit if you aren't willing to own up to it for yourself.
Some JBT could bust the door in at Zero Dark Thirty and its still up to ME to decide to cap his ass or submit. Either way, the end result is just a consequence that I have to decide my willingness to accept.
no more
no less.
Everything I have done in my life is mine. Like it or not.
regrets?
A couple. Nothing that I can't live with. One I have been making amends with and it has turned out far better than I ever thought possible.
Everything I have done in my life is mine. Like it or not.
Every action I take 'tween now and dead, I own. No one can force me to do what I don't want to do. No one. I choose to compromise or not. The only thing they can force upon me is the ending and that 'force' is going to end badly for all involved.
And as Bill so eloquently put it. I OWN IT.
James Maynard. mynamewithnospaces40 AT gmail.com
I will be off Blog for a couple of weeks, to finish my story and post it accordingly. I really have nothing political to say anymore. Stay tuned for further chapters and details of my projects and my house. As Toaster 802 put it: "Then pull up a chair on that nice porch, butter the popcorn, and watch them burn the village to save it."
I know its allowed me to refocus my energies.
My previous posts are just as relevant today as when I posted them, I retract nothing.(the edit being the only part and my reason was sound)
I have stated I am no leader. Just that simple statement, make what you will of it. I have been in 'command' several times in my life, even in a small way during my military tour. I have ran a business with 13 employees. I have ran road crews while on tours where my hands were different day to day. I have jumped in, in emergencies to control crowds, and had no incidents of damage to persons or equipment. I can do it IF need is there. I choose not to step forward unless need dictates.(use your imagination on what that dictate may be, its quite situational.)
My reasoning is based upon my own independence. I am one that tries hard to be the solution to any problem I encounter. It has made my world rather hard to share at times. I am probably putting into words something that others have ran into also. My Ex stated pretty simply but with much wisdom when we split up, that I am "too intense". I am a hard person to live with because I am so demanding of myself. I accommodate others but many find it hard to exist near me; due to my example I guess. To put it lightly, I have very few friends other than the ones on the net that don't have to deal with me on a day to day basis.
As you have seen in the year and half (or has it been two plus years now, I dunno) that I have been blogging, I do for myself on as much as I can. I constantly educate myself, I constantly put that education to work for me, and try to help others through my knowledge (that last may not be as apparent since I don't often talk about the stuff I do for others) There are times where the intensity of my thought bubbles can drive others absolutely nutz. Even the shell I build around me when I am cramming my head with info can be exasperating to those close to me.
And I don't want to change a damned thing. If I am to be lonely and single till the end days, so be it. Accept me as I am or walk away. LOL.
All of the dirty laundry really gets summed up for me in three posts today. One by Concerned American, one by Bill Nye, and the other by Arctic Patriot. I read all three and had some time to think while driving the return trip of my route today. It all boils down to, we ain't gettin no younger, and only we are responsible for what WE do between now and death, and It ain't worth shit if you aren't willing to own up to it for yourself.
Some JBT could bust the door in at Zero Dark Thirty and its still up to ME to decide to cap his ass or submit. Either way, the end result is just a consequence that I have to decide my willingness to accept.
no more
no less.
Everything I have done in my life is mine. Like it or not.
regrets?
A couple. Nothing that I can't live with. One I have been making amends with and it has turned out far better than I ever thought possible.
Everything I have done in my life is mine. Like it or not.
Every action I take 'tween now and dead, I own. No one can force me to do what I don't want to do. No one. I choose to compromise or not. The only thing they can force upon me is the ending and that 'force' is going to end badly for all involved.
And as Bill so eloquently put it. I OWN IT.
James Maynard. mynamewithnospaces40 AT gmail.com
I will be off Blog for a couple of weeks, to finish my story and post it accordingly. I really have nothing political to say anymore. Stay tuned for further chapters and details of my projects and my house. As Toaster 802 put it: "Then pull up a chair on that nice porch, butter the popcorn, and watch them burn the village to save it."
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Story update.
With the Pandora's box that Bill and I opened up today, I have been a little lax on the story.
BOOO Hissss New writer please
yah yah yah, I know, loser geek that I am. LOL There is more, I am working on it, it will be posted soon, Hold your damned horses.
As it is, there are conversations taking place all over the blogosphere. Most of them are spurious inventions of the two posts that Bill and I did on our respective blogs. This Pandora's box won't close easily, nor should it. Without people figuring out WHERE they stand, without doubt, we will NEVER get anything done. Period.
Follow the links that Bill's blog created, pay close attention to the comments sections. You will see WHO is legit and who isn't.
Edited by me. I am not going to get in a pissing war with people through my blog.
yah yah yah, I know, loser geek that I am. LOL There is more, I am working on it, it will be posted soon, Hold your damned horses.
As it is, there are conversations taking place all over the blogosphere. Most of them are spurious inventions of the two posts that Bill and I did on our respective blogs. This Pandora's box won't close easily, nor should it. Without people figuring out WHERE they stand, without doubt, we will NEVER get anything done. Period.
Follow the links that Bill's blog created, pay close attention to the comments sections. You will see WHO is legit and who isn't.
Edited by me. I am not going to get in a pissing war with people through my blog.
The Governer broke and speeds a climbing
Have you ever felt like you were on a runaway railcar without brakes?
Yeah,I know. Current conditions what they are, we all do.
There are days,today being one, where I just want to pack up my plans, load up the truck and go looking for a few good men to 'pick a fight'.
I had a conversation with Bill today and he has posted about it(with my permission) on his blog.
The more I think about it, the more I realize, its not really about finding that inspiration. Hell, we have had that inspiration in our faces since 1992. They keep bringing it up and shoving it in our faces and still, WE DO NOTHING.
Is it any wonder that the Administration shits all over everything American and gets away with it? Is it any wonder a PUBLIC SERVANT union in Wisconsin shuts down the damned state for 2 weeks AND GETS AWAY WITH IT(while also vandalizing the capitol).
They KNOW we aren't gonna slap 'em back. We have proven that point time and time again.
Yeah, I could probably put together a squad of like minded people that would go start some shit, but to what end? Why bother when the end result would be this.
Think it wouldn't? How do we really know it isn't happening now? Think about it for a few and see if you can argue it away. I can't.
How many times have we heard about some group or individual being targeted for crimes of sedition(they color it all sorts of shit but the end is the same.) Then, two weeks later, nothing, nada, zip. Try digging up further information on the case and you may or may not find any. I know that with the Freedom of information act we run into stonewalls all the time when it comes to retrieving information. Why would they want us to really know the truth?
They don't. All of it is for one point and one point only:To keep those that would resist, pliable.
Since 92 and possible further back (I am only going with what I know) the Militias have been castrated, ridiculed, and ran underground. As Bill likes to bring up, the Frat boys are the ones that keep fist pumping. But Fist pumping is mental masturbation at best. Its not even real masturbation where you at least get off. Even I can be accused of it since even now, I am talking about fighting back but doing nothing.
Suicide by cop does not appeal to me.
In 92 I stood my ground on a cause I felt strongly about. I had no back support (and a court supplied lawyer is not there for your best interests, believe me) BUT, I had nothing to lose. They could have locked me up and it would not have mattered. They could have done many things and none of it would have mattered. Why is it that now, I waffle when there is everything to lose. A life: what is that if you are hobbled, castrated and wearing blinders? Its not my life that holds me back, its the life of my daughter and granddaughter. IF I were to "pick a fight", the backlash on them would be nearly as devastating were I to point the gun at them myself. Leviathan knows how to Hold us hostage within our own minds.
AND ITS VERY GOOD AT IT!
Alex Jones has a site called prison planet. I rarely go there(I get far too angry for my own good when I do.) but I can't think of a more apt expression of our world now. I mentioned once that joining a mission in the rainforest would be the closest I could find to true freedom, and I may not be wrong. All of the trappings that make our world work are also shackles upon us. The internet, a valuable tool for communication, education, entertainment, you name it: but its a shackle too. All of our communications networks are compromised. All of them. Scattered we are safer from annihilation by Leviathan, but scattered we are harmless to her too. Together we could do some damage but together we make a very attractive target(and an easy one with the toys they play with now)
It's hard to draw a line in the sand when they built the sandbox out of wiremesh. The sand keeps running out.
Maybe its time to just up and head to the hills and just let it all come apart. not wait for it, just let it.
Then again, part of me wants to 'help it along'.
Yeah,I know. Current conditions what they are, we all do.
There are days,today being one, where I just want to pack up my plans, load up the truck and go looking for a few good men to 'pick a fight'.
I had a conversation with Bill today and he has posted about it(with my permission) on his blog.
The more I think about it, the more I realize, its not really about finding that inspiration. Hell, we have had that inspiration in our faces since 1992. They keep bringing it up and shoving it in our faces and still, WE DO NOTHING.
Is it any wonder that the Administration shits all over everything American and gets away with it? Is it any wonder a PUBLIC SERVANT union in Wisconsin shuts down the damned state for 2 weeks AND GETS AWAY WITH IT(while also vandalizing the capitol).
They KNOW we aren't gonna slap 'em back. We have proven that point time and time again.
Yeah, I could probably put together a squad of like minded people that would go start some shit, but to what end? Why bother when the end result would be this.
Think it wouldn't? How do we really know it isn't happening now? Think about it for a few and see if you can argue it away. I can't.
How many times have we heard about some group or individual being targeted for crimes of sedition(they color it all sorts of shit but the end is the same.) Then, two weeks later, nothing, nada, zip. Try digging up further information on the case and you may or may not find any. I know that with the Freedom of information act we run into stonewalls all the time when it comes to retrieving information. Why would they want us to really know the truth?
They don't. All of it is for one point and one point only:To keep those that would resist, pliable.
Since 92 and possible further back (I am only going with what I know) the Militias have been castrated, ridiculed, and ran underground. As Bill likes to bring up, the Frat boys are the ones that keep fist pumping. But Fist pumping is mental masturbation at best. Its not even real masturbation where you at least get off. Even I can be accused of it since even now, I am talking about fighting back but doing nothing.
Suicide by cop does not appeal to me.
In 92 I stood my ground on a cause I felt strongly about. I had no back support (and a court supplied lawyer is not there for your best interests, believe me) BUT, I had nothing to lose. They could have locked me up and it would not have mattered. They could have done many things and none of it would have mattered. Why is it that now, I waffle when there is everything to lose. A life: what is that if you are hobbled, castrated and wearing blinders? Its not my life that holds me back, its the life of my daughter and granddaughter. IF I were to "pick a fight", the backlash on them would be nearly as devastating were I to point the gun at them myself. Leviathan knows how to Hold us hostage within our own minds.
AND ITS VERY GOOD AT IT!
Alex Jones has a site called prison planet. I rarely go there(I get far too angry for my own good when I do.) but I can't think of a more apt expression of our world now. I mentioned once that joining a mission in the rainforest would be the closest I could find to true freedom, and I may not be wrong. All of the trappings that make our world work are also shackles upon us. The internet, a valuable tool for communication, education, entertainment, you name it: but its a shackle too. All of our communications networks are compromised. All of them. Scattered we are safer from annihilation by Leviathan, but scattered we are harmless to her too. Together we could do some damage but together we make a very attractive target(and an easy one with the toys they play with now)
It's hard to draw a line in the sand when they built the sandbox out of wiremesh. The sand keeps running out.
Maybe its time to just up and head to the hills and just let it all come apart. not wait for it, just let it.
Then again, part of me wants to 'help it along'.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
equally frustrated.
Reading Bill's post today really brings it home, to me, that my fiction I am writing is out of frustration more than needing a creative release. I don't want things to fail, but then, Yes, I do. I am hearing more and more the saying "its gotta break so we can fix it". And in many ways, there isn't any other solution. IF we managed to elect people that really truly felt as we do, that were willing to commit political suicide to cut all of the entitlement crap out of our Budget, Bring our troops home and tell the countries we are in "good luck", on and on and on. It would take a complete 100% cleaning house from the lowest Senator, to the Judges on the benches and a complete overhaul of the Administration, but it could be done, IF(return to beginning of paragraph)
We all know whats broken. The real problem isn't our Government at all. It's US. not U.S. But US as a whole. There are far too many divisions of ideology within this country to achieve anything good without pissing off, or shitting on someone. No way. Fact is, no matter how the Change/Revolution/Collapse happens; many people are going to get hurt. Hurt feelings, hurt bodies, hurt souls, hurt families, even Dead: but the change has to happen because the other option is FAR, FAR worse. Yet it seems that many don't see even that most days. Even among us we sometimes put the blinders on. (and its perfectly safe to do so long as you don't leave them on. We need a break now and again to maintain sanity)
(Time for a confession that only 8 people in this world have known about till now)
I swore an oath 23 years ago. I have had my motives questioned by people I hold dear, by people that I would rather shoot than share space with, and by my command at one point. I was ran out of the Corps labeled a Patriot by the Shills under Clinton. Funny how 1 1/2 years prior I was involved in Kuwait under Bush 1 and received many meritorious and unit decorations. Yet, big yet, my senior command had a tizzy over my Refusing to Go to L.A. to help put down the unrest. (B.S. That was outright moronic behavior by idiots with no honor) I.E. My refusing to follow and unlawful order (by my standards.) ((If ANYONE thinks Posse Commitatus is still in effect, think again. The only reason we don't see it outright(and we are seeing signs of it coming) is we haven't actively opened fire on 'The Elite'. A couple of hits here or there but nothing that can't be drummed up for further legislation; no need to call in the guns yet.)) Drummed out, other than honorable discharge (I refused to submit); which is on step above dishonorable, and no way to get it upgraded while the socialist's are in power.(to include Bush 2)
Chesty Puller would have been proud of my refusal to submit.
I hadn't been 100% sure of what direction to go in for a long time. I still push forward on making my gulch for reasons that have been covered here and elsewhere many times.
But my resolve is this:
Should strife assemble and start forward momentum, my oath to defend my country will still be valid. If the enemies of my country speak English and have birth certificates from the U.S.: so be it, they made a choice the same as I have.
I see their faces everyday I scan the news, and yet, there are millions more standing behind them, voted for them, BY CHOICE.
If this means hauling but to Texas, or Florida or even (choke) Kalifornia, So be it.
I will be there.
I WILL.
We all know whats broken. The real problem isn't our Government at all. It's US. not U.S. But US as a whole. There are far too many divisions of ideology within this country to achieve anything good without pissing off, or shitting on someone. No way. Fact is, no matter how the Change/Revolution/Collapse happens; many people are going to get hurt. Hurt feelings, hurt bodies, hurt souls, hurt families, even Dead: but the change has to happen because the other option is FAR, FAR worse. Yet it seems that many don't see even that most days. Even among us we sometimes put the blinders on. (and its perfectly safe to do so long as you don't leave them on. We need a break now and again to maintain sanity)
(Time for a confession that only 8 people in this world have known about till now)
I swore an oath 23 years ago. I have had my motives questioned by people I hold dear, by people that I would rather shoot than share space with, and by my command at one point. I was ran out of the Corps labeled a Patriot by the Shills under Clinton. Funny how 1 1/2 years prior I was involved in Kuwait under Bush 1 and received many meritorious and unit decorations. Yet, big yet, my senior command had a tizzy over my Refusing to Go to L.A. to help put down the unrest. (B.S. That was outright moronic behavior by idiots with no honor) I.E. My refusing to follow and unlawful order (by my standards.) ((If ANYONE thinks Posse Commitatus is still in effect, think again. The only reason we don't see it outright(and we are seeing signs of it coming) is we haven't actively opened fire on 'The Elite'. A couple of hits here or there but nothing that can't be drummed up for further legislation; no need to call in the guns yet.)) Drummed out, other than honorable discharge (I refused to submit); which is on step above dishonorable, and no way to get it upgraded while the socialist's are in power.(to include Bush 2)
Chesty Puller would have been proud of my refusal to submit.
I hadn't been 100% sure of what direction to go in for a long time. I still push forward on making my gulch for reasons that have been covered here and elsewhere many times.
But my resolve is this:
Should strife assemble and start forward momentum, my oath to defend my country will still be valid. If the enemies of my country speak English and have birth certificates from the U.S.: so be it, they made a choice the same as I have.
I see their faces everyday I scan the news, and yet, there are millions more standing behind them, voted for them, BY CHOICE.
If this means hauling but to Texas, or Florida or even (choke) Kalifornia, So be it.
I will be there.
The Creed of a US Marine
This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I WILL...
My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. WE WILL HIT...
My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my rifle clean and ready. We will become part of each other. WE WILL...
Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. WE ARE THE SAVIORS OF MY LIFE.
So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace!
I WILL.
firelight musing
I am camping outside of Bradley Arkansas tonight. I had a good day meeting up with some good folk from a town called Stateline earlier today. 3 pounds of Jerky and my old brass for 50 rounds of .30-30. That Doe turned a profit for me today and she is still feeding me. Have to make sure I send a thank you to the real powers that be for her sacrifice. Information was plentiful and free. Felt good to be able to talk to someone again. Being on the road with the dead sure gets lonely.
Seems I am getting close to a world of shit. Shreveport is supposedly a trip back in time to Stalingrad during WWII. Fighting in the streets while people are still trying to get by within. Texarkana is supposedly not so bad off but still a place to avoid if at all possible. Not positive but it seems that the Texans have finally decided to use that clause in their original charter. They have seceded from the union (for what that name is worth any more) I may run into issues at the border. Pretty funny: Never thought I would be a border jumper. At least language won't be an issue.
We started hearing about trouble in West Virginia 10 months before I started on this little trip. Here we were in TEOTWAWKI and we were prepping again. This time, more hands made things a little bit easier. Our only limitations were how fast we could get the harvest done. We managed to can up most of the harvest from the spring planting, We still had quite a bit from the last harvest so no one was hurting. Having old mines around helped lots in setting up caches. None of the older ones are well documented and you stumble over them from time to time. There were three within running distance from the homestead. One, we turned into a shelter. I didn't know what to expect but having somewhere defensible to fall back to is never a bad thing. If things got really bad, bugging out was an option too even though the majority felt standing ground was more likely. We started keeping a shooter on the watch points which cut into help. Better to be safe than sorry. I had rigged up a simple bell system to the watchpoints back to the homestead. There were three bells and each on an adjacent wall to the point. We would know which direction to expect trouble. I hope that hey have not needed them in my absence.
What we were hearing about was FEMA troops going around and gathering up able bodied people and all that they could load into trucks of peoples supplies. They were leaving NOTHING behind except people over the age of 50, usually with no food or anything else.(conscription/slavery: whats the difference?) We had a couple of 'refugees' wander through. Just like a government to want to help by stealing. We had a meeting that night to discuss what our options were. No one wanted to run, we were settled in and growing. Much more than we were just before things flip-flopped. It was decided to send out two parties to see what the rest of the world was like and if we could find communications that still worked; something that we could return with. My dad and a cousin headed north to find friends he had up there and to find my sister if possible. I decided to head to Texas since the majority of my blog and forum friends were there. We had a group from another family that saddled up to probe what was going on in the east. All in all, three parties, totaling 8 people. I chose to go alone since I know what I am capable of and that its easier to hide one person than two when needed. There have been a couple of times where I wished I had brought another along. Even just for the company. Squirrels don't make very good talking companions, nor do birds.
History doesn't always repeat itself but it does rhyme. I forget where I heard that or who said it. Damn if they weren't right though. We aren't Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, or the Khmer Rouge. At least I hope this country hasn't sank that far down the list of crap. That pit in northern Arkansas may have been some evil mutant zombie biker hoard. Part of my mind prefers to think of it that way. People do strange shit when they get desperate. Maybe I shouldn't try to delude myself though. Keep an open mind since there is always the possibility of a government going that low. ALWAYS. It may take decades to reach it, but the chance is right there at the top. One thing that is also a given: The people doing what they have to, to get by. When things broke apart after the EMP's went off, people pulled together pretty quickly in my area. I can't say that is the case everywhere I have been the last couple of months, but there are pockets here and there. One given is the ethics of those pockets. They tend to be warm kind hearted people, but cautious. With reason of course. They are willing to get their hands dirty, enjoy a good laugh and the occasional 'cuttin up'. But they get up everyday and do what needs done and only ask for strength from on high, not 'help'. These people were also the ones that were hard off before everyone was made hard off. They knew how to do for themselves with little to no outside help. The suburbs on the other hand went sour quickly. I have been near some while avoiding major towns and what I have seen looks more like a mass exodus than struggling to get by. More than a few were nothing more than burned out homes. Some are just destroyed by what appears to be tornado weather. Not any real way to rebuild using the old methods now, nor is there a source for materials like we had with the chain stores.
Rather curious to see what I find on the border tomorrow.
Seems I am getting close to a world of shit. Shreveport is supposedly a trip back in time to Stalingrad during WWII. Fighting in the streets while people are still trying to get by within. Texarkana is supposedly not so bad off but still a place to avoid if at all possible. Not positive but it seems that the Texans have finally decided to use that clause in their original charter. They have seceded from the union (for what that name is worth any more) I may run into issues at the border. Pretty funny: Never thought I would be a border jumper. At least language won't be an issue.
We started hearing about trouble in West Virginia 10 months before I started on this little trip. Here we were in TEOTWAWKI and we were prepping again. This time, more hands made things a little bit easier. Our only limitations were how fast we could get the harvest done. We managed to can up most of the harvest from the spring planting, We still had quite a bit from the last harvest so no one was hurting. Having old mines around helped lots in setting up caches. None of the older ones are well documented and you stumble over them from time to time. There were three within running distance from the homestead. One, we turned into a shelter. I didn't know what to expect but having somewhere defensible to fall back to is never a bad thing. If things got really bad, bugging out was an option too even though the majority felt standing ground was more likely. We started keeping a shooter on the watch points which cut into help. Better to be safe than sorry. I had rigged up a simple bell system to the watchpoints back to the homestead. There were three bells and each on an adjacent wall to the point. We would know which direction to expect trouble. I hope that hey have not needed them in my absence.
What we were hearing about was FEMA troops going around and gathering up able bodied people and all that they could load into trucks of peoples supplies. They were leaving NOTHING behind except people over the age of 50, usually with no food or anything else.(conscription/slavery: whats the difference?) We had a couple of 'refugees' wander through. Just like a government to want to help by stealing. We had a meeting that night to discuss what our options were. No one wanted to run, we were settled in and growing. Much more than we were just before things flip-flopped. It was decided to send out two parties to see what the rest of the world was like and if we could find communications that still worked; something that we could return with. My dad and a cousin headed north to find friends he had up there and to find my sister if possible. I decided to head to Texas since the majority of my blog and forum friends were there. We had a group from another family that saddled up to probe what was going on in the east. All in all, three parties, totaling 8 people. I chose to go alone since I know what I am capable of and that its easier to hide one person than two when needed. There have been a couple of times where I wished I had brought another along. Even just for the company. Squirrels don't make very good talking companions, nor do birds.
History doesn't always repeat itself but it does rhyme. I forget where I heard that or who said it. Damn if they weren't right though. We aren't Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, or the Khmer Rouge. At least I hope this country hasn't sank that far down the list of crap. That pit in northern Arkansas may have been some evil mutant zombie biker hoard. Part of my mind prefers to think of it that way. People do strange shit when they get desperate. Maybe I shouldn't try to delude myself though. Keep an open mind since there is always the possibility of a government going that low. ALWAYS. It may take decades to reach it, but the chance is right there at the top. One thing that is also a given: The people doing what they have to, to get by. When things broke apart after the EMP's went off, people pulled together pretty quickly in my area. I can't say that is the case everywhere I have been the last couple of months, but there are pockets here and there. One given is the ethics of those pockets. They tend to be warm kind hearted people, but cautious. With reason of course. They are willing to get their hands dirty, enjoy a good laugh and the occasional 'cuttin up'. But they get up everyday and do what needs done and only ask for strength from on high, not 'help'. These people were also the ones that were hard off before everyone was made hard off. They knew how to do for themselves with little to no outside help. The suburbs on the other hand went sour quickly. I have been near some while avoiding major towns and what I have seen looks more like a mass exodus than struggling to get by. More than a few were nothing more than burned out homes. Some are just destroyed by what appears to be tornado weather. Not any real way to rebuild using the old methods now, nor is there a source for materials like we had with the chain stores.
Rather curious to see what I find on the border tomorrow.
Monday, April 18, 2011
guhh!
Sorry, no new story today, I am working on it but little wings got in the way.
Literally hundreds of thousands of little wings. This is the third swarm today and if ya don't catch em and get em into a hive, they will choose trees, houses, whatever but never anywhere where you can harvest honey from them.
No worries though, more to come, this one isn't done yet.
Literally hundreds of thousands of little wings. This is the third swarm today and if ya don't catch em and get em into a hive, they will choose trees, houses, whatever but never anywhere where you can harvest honey from them.
No worries though, more to come, this one isn't done yet.
Profit where you find it.
This doesn't look fresh. I see flowers growing around the dead.
Even so, caution dictates I ease into this. I am no hero, I don't even play one in my own mind. I creep back down my side of the hill to the trike. Stashing it is easy enough for now. I figure if shit gets strange, it will be much easier to hightail it back to the trike for reinforcement. Even so, the PSL is going with. The Winchester is fine but I want the ability to reload quickly if needed.
I creep back up the hill to survey a bit more. No real way around to the other side without taking days to do it. This was a pretty good spot to set up whatever went down here. Only one thing to do.
Walk in like I belong right there by God's decree.
Oh to be home by the fire with Granbehbie prattling on about whatever Mama is teaching her this week. Much preferable to Intel gathering in an unknown AO.
Strolling up to the scene with a confidence I don't feel inside, I can see that whatever happened, took place sometimeago. The corpses don't stink. They look rather dry actually. Looks to be about 4 or 5 hundred rounds of spent brass around them. The Hummer looks like blackened swiss cheese.
No hardware. No M4's, No mags, no support gear like canteens. Nothing. They have been stripped of everything but the clothes they were wearing. The hummer is empty too.
I am guessing that who ever ambushed them took it all but burnt the hummer since it was shot to shit.
National Guard.
Well, at least they died in this country and not another third world country halfway around the world like so many of ours were/are doing. I still wonder whats going on now that things have flipped to the other side of the looking glass. Did O abandon them there? Were they pulled out to 'help' against the rising resistance before he blew it all up? More unanswered questions. Who knows when or even if we will find out.
Time to get the trike and keep on, keeping on. At this rate, I will be on the road for 5 months before I reach my destination. Still, gonna have to keep my eyes wide open. Seeing lots more signs of trouble more frequently. May even have to figure out a different route with fewer towns on the way. That may be hard to do since I am getting closer to the Gulf.
We started seeing Aircraft in the stratosphere about two years after the lights went out. Heck, most of us probably wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for the little ones. They spotted the contrails and wanted to know what made those 'funny clouds'. No real way of knowing what or who they belong to but the likelihood of them being commercial is pretty slim. Did they bust out the old spy planes? Are they moving troops and gear?
Dammit, TOO many damned questions. NO answers. Not knowing drives me flat nuts. Not having a way of finding out pushes me a little further to complete hopelessness. I won't quit though. Can't. Too much at stake.
We had one 'visitor' to our little compound not long after the planes were spotted again. This guy came riding up on a horse and walked right up to the doors like he was on a mission. I saw the whole thing from the beehives. My Daughter answered as she was on teaching duty that day. Not even three seconds later we all heard the gunshot. Seems this guy said he was from the government as a census worker. My kid didn't need to hear anymore. She rammed her .45 right into his throat and squeezed the trigger before the guy could react. I asked her what made her do it.
“ Fuckers think they can just ruin the world then want to know how many of us lived through it? Fuck the rat bastards! Hell, He was probably a scout for a raiding party anyway.” she spat back. “Besides, I am not going to let anyone take what we have put together here just because some dumbshit elsewhere can't get off a couch.”
I raised her right.(proud papa moment.)
And we got a horse for the cost of one .45ACP round. You count your profit wherever you can find it. My dad took the mess away, but I doubt he buried the guy. Probably fed the hogs.
Asking around, this guy seemed to come out of nowhere. Ours was the first stop. Since we are on the western side of town and the first place you really bump into, I figured he was a scout. Now, seeing the hummer, I am sure of it. I knew the military vehicles would be alright with EMP's even if fuel would be an issue. If this guy had been from whatever is left of the Government, he wouldn't have been on horse.
We started a watch at that point. Having the mountains around there is a huge plus. Great vantage points for lookouts without giving away position. You really have to be in shape though. Getting around in the hills is not for the timid or weak. Most people, in vehicles or not, won't cut through the hills when the roads are relatively clear. Horses make it easier, ATV' made it real easy before the computers fried. Now, unless we are hunting, we stick to the roads. I am guilty of it too. I have stuck to the side roads this whole trip. Who knows how many times I have been spotted. I am just lucky so far that I haven't been held up.
No loss is a profit these days.
Even so, caution dictates I ease into this. I am no hero, I don't even play one in my own mind. I creep back down my side of the hill to the trike. Stashing it is easy enough for now. I figure if shit gets strange, it will be much easier to hightail it back to the trike for reinforcement. Even so, the PSL is going with. The Winchester is fine but I want the ability to reload quickly if needed.
I creep back up the hill to survey a bit more. No real way around to the other side without taking days to do it. This was a pretty good spot to set up whatever went down here. Only one thing to do.
Walk in like I belong right there by God's decree.
Oh to be home by the fire with Granbehbie prattling on about whatever Mama is teaching her this week. Much preferable to Intel gathering in an unknown AO.
Strolling up to the scene with a confidence I don't feel inside, I can see that whatever happened, took place sometimeago. The corpses don't stink. They look rather dry actually. Looks to be about 4 or 5 hundred rounds of spent brass around them. The Hummer looks like blackened swiss cheese.
No hardware. No M4's, No mags, no support gear like canteens. Nothing. They have been stripped of everything but the clothes they were wearing. The hummer is empty too.
I am guessing that who ever ambushed them took it all but burnt the hummer since it was shot to shit.
National Guard.
Well, at least they died in this country and not another third world country halfway around the world like so many of ours were/are doing. I still wonder whats going on now that things have flipped to the other side of the looking glass. Did O abandon them there? Were they pulled out to 'help' against the rising resistance before he blew it all up? More unanswered questions. Who knows when or even if we will find out.
Time to get the trike and keep on, keeping on. At this rate, I will be on the road for 5 months before I reach my destination. Still, gonna have to keep my eyes wide open. Seeing lots more signs of trouble more frequently. May even have to figure out a different route with fewer towns on the way. That may be hard to do since I am getting closer to the Gulf.
We started seeing Aircraft in the stratosphere about two years after the lights went out. Heck, most of us probably wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for the little ones. They spotted the contrails and wanted to know what made those 'funny clouds'. No real way of knowing what or who they belong to but the likelihood of them being commercial is pretty slim. Did they bust out the old spy planes? Are they moving troops and gear?
Dammit, TOO many damned questions. NO answers. Not knowing drives me flat nuts. Not having a way of finding out pushes me a little further to complete hopelessness. I won't quit though. Can't. Too much at stake.
We had one 'visitor' to our little compound not long after the planes were spotted again. This guy came riding up on a horse and walked right up to the doors like he was on a mission. I saw the whole thing from the beehives. My Daughter answered as she was on teaching duty that day. Not even three seconds later we all heard the gunshot. Seems this guy said he was from the government as a census worker. My kid didn't need to hear anymore. She rammed her .45 right into his throat and squeezed the trigger before the guy could react. I asked her what made her do it.
“ Fuckers think they can just ruin the world then want to know how many of us lived through it? Fuck the rat bastards! Hell, He was probably a scout for a raiding party anyway.” she spat back. “Besides, I am not going to let anyone take what we have put together here just because some dumbshit elsewhere can't get off a couch.”
I raised her right.(proud papa moment.)
And we got a horse for the cost of one .45ACP round. You count your profit wherever you can find it. My dad took the mess away, but I doubt he buried the guy. Probably fed the hogs.
Asking around, this guy seemed to come out of nowhere. Ours was the first stop. Since we are on the western side of town and the first place you really bump into, I figured he was a scout. Now, seeing the hummer, I am sure of it. I knew the military vehicles would be alright with EMP's even if fuel would be an issue. If this guy had been from whatever is left of the Government, he wouldn't have been on horse.
We started a watch at that point. Having the mountains around there is a huge plus. Great vantage points for lookouts without giving away position. You really have to be in shape though. Getting around in the hills is not for the timid or weak. Most people, in vehicles or not, won't cut through the hills when the roads are relatively clear. Horses make it easier, ATV' made it real easy before the computers fried. Now, unless we are hunting, we stick to the roads. I am guilty of it too. I have stuck to the side roads this whole trip. Who knows how many times I have been spotted. I am just lucky so far that I haven't been held up.
No loss is a profit these days.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
You take what you can get.
You take what you can get.
Was hoping that I would find a town. Well, people anyway. I found the town. And a pit that wasn't quite covered up. Don't want to go into details but what I saw reminded me of pics from my old history books. I think the smell was the worst part of it. I hadn't smelled anything like that since I was in Kuwait near the highway of death. Twice is more than enough in one lifetime.
I found some rounds for the winchester in an old workshed back out of the way. No food to be found anywhere. It looks like whomever dug the pit also raided the town for anything and everything edible. Looking at it any other way leaves too many questions unanswered. I have a lot of those these days. More questions than answers. Oh to have the news resources of three years ago. So much of this could be avoided if we had some reliable way of getting in touch with others.
The biggest unanswered question now is; Who did it? Raiders or FEMA? I may never know.
Venison gets old after awhile. You take what you can get though. The other option is using another round to get something different. I can't be greedy, I have food and rounds don't grow on trees. If I had brought the .22 I could get a rabbit or squirrel: a .30-30 will turn one of those inside out. If I were home, I could get more by reloading. Being on the road; not an option. 260 miles to go to the Texas border, gotta be frugal. Went ahead and pulled the PSL out today and reassembled it. I may not need it but the land is getting flatter and that last town has me nervous. I would rather be able to scope out a situation from a distance and alleviate issues if need be than wait until said issues are within 200 yards.
After the first year, things had really settled down to a working system. There were rough spots. People getting a little cabin fever going, loneliness, and whole lots of depression in normally upbeat people. Had one suicide, well, we think it was a suicide. No real hunger considering the lack of variety. Beans, chicken, potatoes, chicken, beans, occasional bacon or ham, beans, eggs, beans, side of beef that stretched really thin, beans, corn, beans. You get the idea. Did I mention beans? There were times when the inventor in me really wanted to come up with a way to capture the gases we were emitting. God, I could have ran a generator on that.
We had a Doc, that was one of my real concerns. No real medicine to speak of. The hospital had been looted pretty quickly. The pill heads took everything that wasn't solidly locked up in a safe. What we had is antibiotics for cattle and horses, some Over the Counter painkillers and a whole lot of 'Shine. The alcohol was extremely important since we had no other way of disinfecting other than boiling. Hard to do that with some of the stuff the Vet, I mean Doc, used.
When things stopped working there were very few people in the little town near us. Many probably stayed put when they realized that the game was up. Safer that way. Don't know if they are doing well or not. Things have changed a lot and there is a serious lack of communication. Maybe this little trip will pan out and things can start moving forward soon.
Burned out Hummer in the ditch.
I am on a hill overlooking the scene. Looks like an ambush site. I can see two corpses near the hummer, lots of brass and nothing else. Don't know if I want to really know but I may find some answers too.
((this thing is unpredictable right now. It is literally writing itself.))
Was hoping that I would find a town. Well, people anyway. I found the town. And a pit that wasn't quite covered up. Don't want to go into details but what I saw reminded me of pics from my old history books. I think the smell was the worst part of it. I hadn't smelled anything like that since I was in Kuwait near the highway of death. Twice is more than enough in one lifetime.
I found some rounds for the winchester in an old workshed back out of the way. No food to be found anywhere. It looks like whomever dug the pit also raided the town for anything and everything edible. Looking at it any other way leaves too many questions unanswered. I have a lot of those these days. More questions than answers. Oh to have the news resources of three years ago. So much of this could be avoided if we had some reliable way of getting in touch with others.
The biggest unanswered question now is; Who did it? Raiders or FEMA? I may never know.
Venison gets old after awhile. You take what you can get though. The other option is using another round to get something different. I can't be greedy, I have food and rounds don't grow on trees. If I had brought the .22 I could get a rabbit or squirrel: a .30-30 will turn one of those inside out. If I were home, I could get more by reloading. Being on the road; not an option. 260 miles to go to the Texas border, gotta be frugal. Went ahead and pulled the PSL out today and reassembled it. I may not need it but the land is getting flatter and that last town has me nervous. I would rather be able to scope out a situation from a distance and alleviate issues if need be than wait until said issues are within 200 yards.
After the first year, things had really settled down to a working system. There were rough spots. People getting a little cabin fever going, loneliness, and whole lots of depression in normally upbeat people. Had one suicide, well, we think it was a suicide. No real hunger considering the lack of variety. Beans, chicken, potatoes, chicken, beans, occasional bacon or ham, beans, eggs, beans, side of beef that stretched really thin, beans, corn, beans. You get the idea. Did I mention beans? There were times when the inventor in me really wanted to come up with a way to capture the gases we were emitting. God, I could have ran a generator on that.
We had a Doc, that was one of my real concerns. No real medicine to speak of. The hospital had been looted pretty quickly. The pill heads took everything that wasn't solidly locked up in a safe. What we had is antibiotics for cattle and horses, some Over the Counter painkillers and a whole lot of 'Shine. The alcohol was extremely important since we had no other way of disinfecting other than boiling. Hard to do that with some of the stuff the Vet, I mean Doc, used.
When things stopped working there were very few people in the little town near us. Many probably stayed put when they realized that the game was up. Safer that way. Don't know if they are doing well or not. Things have changed a lot and there is a serious lack of communication. Maybe this little trip will pan out and things can start moving forward soon.
Burned out Hummer in the ditch.
I am on a hill overlooking the scene. Looks like an ambush site. I can see two corpses near the hummer, lots of brass and nothing else. Don't know if I want to really know but I may find some answers too.
((this thing is unpredictable right now. It is literally writing itself.))
On the Hoof
((Alright, ya all win. All 10 of ya. LOL Heres the next installment.))
\
Walking is easy. At least for me. Even when I was in the Corps, I could out walk anyone. Running, well, not so much but walking, even under load (which I am not) was a breeze. One trick to know, comfortable socks and boots are essential.
When the truck broke in Memphis, I found some retirees tricycle. This has made moving the gear I refuse to leave behind so much easier. I am not riding it; just load it up and lean into it; Ho Chi Mihn trail style. Getting 150 pounds worth of gear moving is easy with 22” tires. So much easier than trying to lug it around on my back. It also makes getting down hills a breeze: literally. Fall in the south can be brutal. Any breeze you can get is welcome relief. The one downside is size:It won't hide easily. I only hope I don't run into any 'Postman' scenarios. So far, so good.
Six months after 'The Shit Hit The Fan', life in my little pocket of the world was actually reasonable. Most of the area were ready for it without ever realizing it. Most people in the Appalachians never really did get much past the Great Depression. No fault of their own really, just bad economics and greedy power brokers that were able to talk fast. No property owner in the southern areas held mineral rights to the ground they owned. It was worked out that way back in the 1800's at the start of the coal boom by lawyers that saw opportunities. Due to this, most people would live on land worth Millions and only be able to claim the the top 5' of topsoil and rock which was worthless. They never did get payback. But they never did quit either. That was the saving grace for awhile. Gardens in every yard, chickens and hogs scattered profusely, even wildlife afoot. Lacking money wasn't so hard, most people never had a lot to start and barter had never really gone away. Knowing how to make something rev with spit and paperclips became a point of pride. Knowing how to plant when things didn't rev only slowed us down; it didn't stop us.
My little family had settled in fairly well. Its nice to not have to worry about the kids now that the trains aren't running. No coal leaving, bleeding KY dry of life. No trains to worry about running over curious little kids. There is only one steam engine in the area and I have no idea how hard it would be for someone to get to a mainline. Or if they would even be able to convert it back to using coal instead of propane. No worries on that yet.
The kids were a little miffed when I started the school up. They thought they were done with that forever. Ha! Fat chance of that around me. No way am I going to let the little ingrates inherit the world with a crappy leftist education rotting in the brain. No way. They settled into it pretty quickly when they realized that school was only 3 hours a day. One hour each subject for the younger kids, the whole three hours on specific subjects for the older kids. Plus the older kids helped 'teach' the younger ones, continuing their education through reinforcement. They have to help out around the stead but we make it as much fun as possible. No video games to stagnate the mind or body and the change in the way the kids were developing was staggering, even in just six months. Maybe it was all the real food; Not a mish-mash of processed crap and a sedentary existence.
My secondary role was as the 'mekanik'. I didn't just fix things, sometimes I had to come up with the whole 'fix'. In one case it was making a waterwheel out of old PVC gasline to get water to some gardens. No power to use other than the water itself. Damn thing worked so well, we had to divert half of the out put into a ditch to run it back to the river. Teaching the older kids about gravity and the difference between gas pressures VS hydraulic pressures was worth the headaches the questions gave me. A lot of the adults were listening pretty intently too, I guess they figured out they needed to learn something new too.
Bagged a doe today, right in the neck at the base of the skull. She fell like a stone. Means I am going to be taking a few days here locally to process as much meat as I can. I hate to waste any of it but there is only so much I can take with. The local feral dogs will find it I am sure. Couldn't find any hickory but I did find what smells like mesquite when burning. Should do well enough to make a bunch of jerky with. I have to say though, backstrap is so much better than ANY beef I have ever had. Thats going in my belly while I wait for the rest to process. Mmmm, mmm,mmm. Good stuff. A few Dandelion leaves fried up with what little fat I could find on her (around the heart which chops up just fine) and I have one hell of a meal. If there are are any zombies within 5 miles of me, I am going to be having company, albeit unwelcome company.
Hoping to find some .30-30 rounds in the next town. I haven't seen any traffic perse, but I have seen fields harvested. Someone around here is up on things. Maybe they will be up to some trading.
\
Walking is easy. At least for me. Even when I was in the Corps, I could out walk anyone. Running, well, not so much but walking, even under load (which I am not) was a breeze. One trick to know, comfortable socks and boots are essential.
When the truck broke in Memphis, I found some retirees tricycle. This has made moving the gear I refuse to leave behind so much easier. I am not riding it; just load it up and lean into it; Ho Chi Mihn trail style. Getting 150 pounds worth of gear moving is easy with 22” tires. So much easier than trying to lug it around on my back. It also makes getting down hills a breeze: literally. Fall in the south can be brutal. Any breeze you can get is welcome relief. The one downside is size:It won't hide easily. I only hope I don't run into any 'Postman' scenarios. So far, so good.
Six months after 'The Shit Hit The Fan', life in my little pocket of the world was actually reasonable. Most of the area were ready for it without ever realizing it. Most people in the Appalachians never really did get much past the Great Depression. No fault of their own really, just bad economics and greedy power brokers that were able to talk fast. No property owner in the southern areas held mineral rights to the ground they owned. It was worked out that way back in the 1800's at the start of the coal boom by lawyers that saw opportunities. Due to this, most people would live on land worth Millions and only be able to claim the the top 5' of topsoil and rock which was worthless. They never did get payback. But they never did quit either. That was the saving grace for awhile. Gardens in every yard, chickens and hogs scattered profusely, even wildlife afoot. Lacking money wasn't so hard, most people never had a lot to start and barter had never really gone away. Knowing how to make something rev with spit and paperclips became a point of pride. Knowing how to plant when things didn't rev only slowed us down; it didn't stop us.
My little family had settled in fairly well. Its nice to not have to worry about the kids now that the trains aren't running. No coal leaving, bleeding KY dry of life. No trains to worry about running over curious little kids. There is only one steam engine in the area and I have no idea how hard it would be for someone to get to a mainline. Or if they would even be able to convert it back to using coal instead of propane. No worries on that yet.
The kids were a little miffed when I started the school up. They thought they were done with that forever. Ha! Fat chance of that around me. No way am I going to let the little ingrates inherit the world with a crappy leftist education rotting in the brain. No way. They settled into it pretty quickly when they realized that school was only 3 hours a day. One hour each subject for the younger kids, the whole three hours on specific subjects for the older kids. Plus the older kids helped 'teach' the younger ones, continuing their education through reinforcement. They have to help out around the stead but we make it as much fun as possible. No video games to stagnate the mind or body and the change in the way the kids were developing was staggering, even in just six months. Maybe it was all the real food; Not a mish-mash of processed crap and a sedentary existence.
My secondary role was as the 'mekanik'. I didn't just fix things, sometimes I had to come up with the whole 'fix'. In one case it was making a waterwheel out of old PVC gasline to get water to some gardens. No power to use other than the water itself. Damn thing worked so well, we had to divert half of the out put into a ditch to run it back to the river. Teaching the older kids about gravity and the difference between gas pressures VS hydraulic pressures was worth the headaches the questions gave me. A lot of the adults were listening pretty intently too, I guess they figured out they needed to learn something new too.
Bagged a doe today, right in the neck at the base of the skull. She fell like a stone. Means I am going to be taking a few days here locally to process as much meat as I can. I hate to waste any of it but there is only so much I can take with. The local feral dogs will find it I am sure. Couldn't find any hickory but I did find what smells like mesquite when burning. Should do well enough to make a bunch of jerky with. I have to say though, backstrap is so much better than ANY beef I have ever had. Thats going in my belly while I wait for the rest to process. Mmmm, mmm,mmm. Good stuff. A few Dandelion leaves fried up with what little fat I could find on her (around the heart which chops up just fine) and I have one hell of a meal. If there are are any zombies within 5 miles of me, I am going to be having company, albeit unwelcome company.
Hoping to find some .30-30 rounds in the next town. I haven't seen any traffic perse, but I have seen fields harvested. Someone around here is up on things. Maybe they will be up to some trading.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Two "something new" s today.
Obviously, I am delving into some sort of fiction. There are some resemblances to the living but I will let you pick it out for yourselves.
The other thing is, not realizing it at the time; today is B.A.G. day. April 15th AKA Tax day.
Today, I picked up a Winchester 94 in .30-30. I have always wanted a 'cowboy gun' and today was the day. I didn't even realize it was 'tradition' until I went to TSM.
I know, I know, save the damned money for real preps. I already have the guns lined up right? WELLllll,,, What can I say, I wanted one for several years and the price was right.
Who am I kidding. I fell in love with it on first peep down the sight line. LOL And it was designed by John Moses Browning. What else would a body want out of a gun?
For the comments already on the last post, I am working on the next section. I think this thing is writing itself.
The other thing is, not realizing it at the time; today is B.A.G. day. April 15th AKA Tax day.
Today, I picked up a Winchester 94 in .30-30. I have always wanted a 'cowboy gun' and today was the day. I didn't even realize it was 'tradition' until I went to TSM.
I know, I know, save the damned money for real preps. I already have the guns lined up right? WELLllll,,, What can I say, I wanted one for several years and the price was right.
Who am I kidding. I fell in love with it on first peep down the sight line. LOL And it was designed by John Moses Browning. What else would a body want out of a gun?
For the comments already on the last post, I am working on the next section. I think this thing is writing itself.
Feedback please.
It's been three years since they burned the sky.
The truck died about the time I hit what was left of Memphis. Been on foot since. Still about 300 miles to go to get to east Texas where I am hoping to meet up with some friends from long ago. I hope they are still there.
I guess I should start at the beginning, or should I say the end: it gets confusing sometimes since I am still upright and breathing when I should be coyote droppings like the rest.
The year is 2012, I had just turned 43 and things were getting pretty rough in the world. We were involved in Five international “Kinetic Engagements” and things at home weren't very pretty either. The upper midwest was essentially a free fire zone though no one really knew 'who' was on what side. The Unions went terminal before things really went crazy so there was no way to be certain if it was internal or just economic strife reaching critical mass.
The Patriot movement was getting more aggressive while not actually making any show of real force other than showing up armed at TEA party events. No one really expected things to go the way they did but wanted the Powers that Be to know, with certainty, that they were ready.
Only no one was ready for what came next.
Obammy was sitting at 23% approval rating and falling 3 months before the elections. When my birthday rolled around in September, it was sitting right around 19% or so. But the number is really irrelevant now. It was low enough that the Paul/Palin ticket was pretty much a shoe-in. Obama was losing his teeth even after conniving Trump to switch sides. Things were getting uglier by the day . The dollar had to be tracked on a 24 hour basis since it was no longer the Reserve currency. Gold was holding steady at $1985/oz. No one wanted it to cross the $2000/oz cut-off that would call for confiscation. Silver was trading at 8:1 with gold. Holding a roll of silver dollars made you the mayor of whatever town you were in. Jobs? If you could find anything that wasn't directly working for the Government, you were lucky. We hadn't gone into hyper inflation since the Government was in charge of the banks now and there was NO actual cash trading hands any longer. You would get a Debit Card from an employer that held your 'money'. You had thirty days to spend it then they started deducting 'service charges'. It wasn't pretty.
Being involved in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Iran and Israel, we had the Majority of our troops overseas. The ones here were either on medical leave, preparing to discharge, or being held in custody for 'war crimes'. The only ones that didn't fall into that list were Obamas 'chosen few' that were loyal to him completely. Only we didn't know it then. When they cut the trunklines of the net by using a MOAB on Memphis, we thought that the Chinese had struck. We were still that naive.(or was it mass denial? )
Thank God for geeks though. I don't know what group was able to do it but they rerouted all traffic through the Birmingham backbone. It only held for a few weeks but it was enough to get information through. While it took three days to do, the damage was done. People were dying en mass. Transportation was down due to lack of information. No one was able to get food or fuel due to being forced into a cashless society.(its for the security of the nation, think of the children! I hope whomever managed to put a bullet in that bitches head had an orgasm while watching the gore explode all over Harry Reid. Too bad they missed him though.)
Having information back up opened up the Pandora's box that O really wanted opened at first. The Patriots, Tea party, Militia's, and others managed to get their dope together for once. And that was what brought about burning the sky. O (at least I believe it was him) gave the order to blow 5 EMP's over fly-over country.
Everything I have learned since then is second and third hand information. If it isn't pre-1970's Tech, its toast. I managed to get my truck running by using an old Weber-Carter Carburetor and an old points distributor from a junk yard wreck. It cost me $3silver. The FI fuel pump still worked but I had to rig up a relief valve to reduce the pressure to keep from blowing the bowl off the carb. She ran pretty damned good on a mixture of Moonshine and kerosene. Smoked a little but she always did. Considering she had 250K when all of this started, I am just glad she lasted as long as she did.
We weren't too bad off at first. We had the gardens, I had already 'gone green' with solar power. For some reason, I didn't lose all of my panels. Maybe it was the mountain between me and the Cincinnati burst; I can't say for sure though. My kid showed up 3 months later with her little family in tow. Funny to see the Granbehbie riding a bike but she held her own the whole way they tell me. Things went down hill fast in Cincinnati. Riots were already breaking out due to the non-existent food supply within the city. That was when my daughter decided it was time to split. Good thing she did too. I was prepared to go get her with little hope of being able to pull it off. Not sure what happened to my sisters. One was in Cincinnati but no one knows where she is now. The other was in Colorado and winter was fast approaching. I doubt either one made it with how long it has been.
I need to find more .30-30 rounds. Holding off rebuilding the PSL until I am in country where I will need the reach.
(((This is what happens when I eat chili before going to bed. Maybe premonitory or just bad vibes and good food with too much spice. dunno))))
The truck died about the time I hit what was left of Memphis. Been on foot since. Still about 300 miles to go to get to east Texas where I am hoping to meet up with some friends from long ago. I hope they are still there.
I guess I should start at the beginning, or should I say the end: it gets confusing sometimes since I am still upright and breathing when I should be coyote droppings like the rest.
The year is 2012, I had just turned 43 and things were getting pretty rough in the world. We were involved in Five international “Kinetic Engagements” and things at home weren't very pretty either. The upper midwest was essentially a free fire zone though no one really knew 'who' was on what side. The Unions went terminal before things really went crazy so there was no way to be certain if it was internal or just economic strife reaching critical mass.
The Patriot movement was getting more aggressive while not actually making any show of real force other than showing up armed at TEA party events. No one really expected things to go the way they did but wanted the Powers that Be to know, with certainty, that they were ready.
Only no one was ready for what came next.
Obammy was sitting at 23% approval rating and falling 3 months before the elections. When my birthday rolled around in September, it was sitting right around 19% or so. But the number is really irrelevant now. It was low enough that the Paul/Palin ticket was pretty much a shoe-in. Obama was losing his teeth even after conniving Trump to switch sides. Things were getting uglier by the day . The dollar had to be tracked on a 24 hour basis since it was no longer the Reserve currency. Gold was holding steady at $1985/oz. No one wanted it to cross the $2000/oz cut-off that would call for confiscation. Silver was trading at 8:1 with gold. Holding a roll of silver dollars made you the mayor of whatever town you were in. Jobs? If you could find anything that wasn't directly working for the Government, you were lucky. We hadn't gone into hyper inflation since the Government was in charge of the banks now and there was NO actual cash trading hands any longer. You would get a Debit Card from an employer that held your 'money'. You had thirty days to spend it then they started deducting 'service charges'. It wasn't pretty.
Being involved in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Iran and Israel, we had the Majority of our troops overseas. The ones here were either on medical leave, preparing to discharge, or being held in custody for 'war crimes'. The only ones that didn't fall into that list were Obamas 'chosen few' that were loyal to him completely. Only we didn't know it then. When they cut the trunklines of the net by using a MOAB on Memphis, we thought that the Chinese had struck. We were still that naive.(or was it mass denial? )
Thank God for geeks though. I don't know what group was able to do it but they rerouted all traffic through the Birmingham backbone. It only held for a few weeks but it was enough to get information through. While it took three days to do, the damage was done. People were dying en mass. Transportation was down due to lack of information. No one was able to get food or fuel due to being forced into a cashless society.(its for the security of the nation, think of the children! I hope whomever managed to put a bullet in that bitches head had an orgasm while watching the gore explode all over Harry Reid. Too bad they missed him though.)
Having information back up opened up the Pandora's box that O really wanted opened at first. The Patriots, Tea party, Militia's, and others managed to get their dope together for once. And that was what brought about burning the sky. O (at least I believe it was him) gave the order to blow 5 EMP's over fly-over country.
Everything I have learned since then is second and third hand information. If it isn't pre-1970's Tech, its toast. I managed to get my truck running by using an old Weber-Carter Carburetor and an old points distributor from a junk yard wreck. It cost me $3silver. The FI fuel pump still worked but I had to rig up a relief valve to reduce the pressure to keep from blowing the bowl off the carb. She ran pretty damned good on a mixture of Moonshine and kerosene. Smoked a little but she always did. Considering she had 250K when all of this started, I am just glad she lasted as long as she did.
We weren't too bad off at first. We had the gardens, I had already 'gone green' with solar power. For some reason, I didn't lose all of my panels. Maybe it was the mountain between me and the Cincinnati burst; I can't say for sure though. My kid showed up 3 months later with her little family in tow. Funny to see the Granbehbie riding a bike but she held her own the whole way they tell me. Things went down hill fast in Cincinnati. Riots were already breaking out due to the non-existent food supply within the city. That was when my daughter decided it was time to split. Good thing she did too. I was prepared to go get her with little hope of being able to pull it off. Not sure what happened to my sisters. One was in Cincinnati but no one knows where she is now. The other was in Colorado and winter was fast approaching. I doubt either one made it with how long it has been.
I need to find more .30-30 rounds. Holding off rebuilding the PSL until I am in country where I will need the reach.
(((This is what happens when I eat chili before going to bed. Maybe premonitory or just bad vibes and good food with too much spice. dunno))))
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Goin Green (and I won't be bashing this time out)
I may have opened a can of worms today with this 'goin green' business of mine. Now don' get me wrong, I really hate it when I hear the preaching of greenweenies about 'saving the world' and other feel good anecdotes of theirs. When I am talking about going green, I am talking about setting things up to keep the green in your wallet(kinda).
Was talking to my boss today about finding a particular style motor from a washing machine. He tends to gather up junk appliances to gut then scrap so I figured if anyone could find it, he would. As it is, the conversation took a turn towards self-sufficiency and went on a wild goose chase from there. (he lives near a creek that never freezes and while it gets low, never dries up either. You can see where that is going eh?) It got me to thinking about "starving the monkeys" though. One of my main goals with this house is to establish 1)My independence of most if not all systems and 2)withdraw my consent on anything the monkey collective runs out in the future. Now, do I invest in setting up 'renewable energy' for the locals or do I wait until they come a knockin? The upside is it would be damned good business until the monkeys caught wind of it, the downside being, It ain't cheap even when I hack things together.(and most around here are borderline broke to start)
I broke down and listened to some of the news today. O'boys speech(campaign style no doubt. I didn't listen in) really made a few in the District of Criminals angry.(and McCain is still a slimy Communist weasel. I think the VietCong had more effect on him than he lets on) It had a side effect of really tipping the hat towards other functions as well. Gold up $18.40(1.26%) Silver up $1.52(3.74%) Crude up $1.33(1.24%) and of course the dollar down $.22(-.29%). That last has been quite incremental over the last few years: been really showing some movement over the last 8 months.
One of the programs I listen to is Coast to Coast AM(I only get the tailend of the recast in the mornings). Granted, more often than not, only for the entertainment factor but today was an exception. I don't recall the guest speakers name but he was an economist with a finger on reality.(Addendum: The guys name is Greg Hunter, link included.) I was blown away. Holy shit! A voice of reason on a national/international radio show. This guy really has his numbers down. The only downside to the show (more irritating than anything else) was his speaking style. I was irritated by it and you could hear it in Georges responses as well but the mans info was deadnutz to what I have been seeing, what Shenandoah has been yelling about, and 180 degrees to what the District of Criminals has been saying(I know, big surprise huh? LOL with a bit of dread mixed in.)
Now, in the comment section of Bills blog, I stated that I thought we have another 10 years of PROGRESSIVE destruction, that the wheels wouldn't fall off so much as the whole mess come to a grinding halt. Today, I am not so sure. The unemployment figures today, the IMF sending up redflags of changing the Reserve currency, O'boys continuous Campaigning, the lack of any significant balls on the hill(they are there but not en mass enough to make a dent on the stupidity level.): All of these things got me to (re)thinking my timeline.
I can't make any predictions but I can state some educated guesses.
IF the IMF pulls the dollar as the reserve currency, we are beyond fucked. The Debtors will call to collect BEFORE our administration (this or next) makes the attempt to 'print themselves out of debt'. (and on this I have to quote that guy from this morning; "what we will see will make the Great Depression look mighty tame, nearly inconsequential.") We haven't seen the end of the unemployment. Not even close. With them talking about raising the taxes 'on the rich' (no word about getting the banks to pay more but I digress) there won't be ANY formation of new work that isn't Goverment based AT ALL for many years to come. Well, that may be an exaggeration but I don't think it's too far off base.
So, keep all of the above in mind for the next couple of days. I am giving a homework assignment and I won't be grading it. You will. This is for your benefit, not mine (I already know the answers to my assignment, and I didn't like what I found.)
Here is your assignment: Call and talk to your bank. If you are on good terms with a teller (not an ATM) talk to her/him. Find out what the Maximum Daily Transaction limit(withdrawal) is on BOTH your savings (if you still have one) and your checking. You may find she/he won't tell you outright. They may not know, but then again, they might. If they aren't willing to talk to you, get the manager (DUH! We know Dio, what's your point?)
I have a Credit Union, Not an FDIC insured place and what I found disturbed me. I knew that there were limits, but what I found was worse than I thought. ATM withdrawals are limited to $200/24 hour period. (used to be I could withdraw 200 at 11:55PM then another 200 at 12:05 AM. No longer. 24 hours.) Maximum Debit/credit transaction is $400/day.(same 24 hour standard.) It used to $1000.00 This has not one thing to do with my balance either. It is actually something pushed upon them by the some higher power(she wasn't really sure but it was external, she did confirm that) (There is also something that is from the Feds. You are only able to make 6! transfers between accounts per month. What the hell is that about? I guess thats their way of showing us who REALLY owns that debt instrument huh?)
You may find nothing, you may find that your accounts are in a similar state. I can't say, thats why I pointed it out. You may not want to know either. Your choice.
What does it mean? IF this is system wide (I doubt it but who knows, it may be to different levels per institution); its a sure fired sign that the Feds are preparing for Bankruns, out of control inflation, and potentially moving us into a completely cashless society. For that last note, think about the level of control they have to 'fix' the system, keep hyper-inflation at bay, and, of course as a side note only, 'we won't use it like that':What better way to keep the people caged up? A man with cash in hand is a master of his own destiny(at least till he loses his head or cash) A man that has to ask for permission to get access to his money is a bit less than slave material. Oh How the Nazi's would have loved to had this level of technology and money. It would have made things a lot less messy in the long run.(and think about how easy it will be to control entire sections of the country just by withholding 'some' cash.)
Guess you guys didn't see that coming did you? Started slow and cool then dropped the shitbox right in your laps.
Might want to get used to it, we are going to be seeing LOTS of it soon enough. Oh yeah, you might want to crank up the throttle on the simplest items now, Things are going to get really outlandish, really fast.
Was talking to my boss today about finding a particular style motor from a washing machine. He tends to gather up junk appliances to gut then scrap so I figured if anyone could find it, he would. As it is, the conversation took a turn towards self-sufficiency and went on a wild goose chase from there. (he lives near a creek that never freezes and while it gets low, never dries up either. You can see where that is going eh?) It got me to thinking about "starving the monkeys" though. One of my main goals with this house is to establish 1)My independence of most if not all systems and 2)withdraw my consent on anything the monkey collective runs out in the future. Now, do I invest in setting up 'renewable energy' for the locals or do I wait until they come a knockin? The upside is it would be damned good business until the monkeys caught wind of it, the downside being, It ain't cheap even when I hack things together.(and most around here are borderline broke to start)
I broke down and listened to some of the news today. O'boys speech(campaign style no doubt. I didn't listen in) really made a few in the District of Criminals angry.(and McCain is still a slimy Communist weasel. I think the VietCong had more effect on him than he lets on) It had a side effect of really tipping the hat towards other functions as well. Gold up $18.40(1.26%) Silver up $1.52(3.74%) Crude up $1.33(1.24%) and of course the dollar down $.22(-.29%). That last has been quite incremental over the last few years: been really showing some movement over the last 8 months.
One of the programs I listen to is Coast to Coast AM(I only get the tailend of the recast in the mornings). Granted, more often than not, only for the entertainment factor but today was an exception. I don't recall the guest speakers name but he was an economist with a finger on reality.(Addendum: The guys name is Greg Hunter, link included.) I was blown away. Holy shit! A voice of reason on a national/international radio show. This guy really has his numbers down. The only downside to the show (more irritating than anything else) was his speaking style. I was irritated by it and you could hear it in Georges responses as well but the mans info was deadnutz to what I have been seeing, what Shenandoah has been yelling about, and 180 degrees to what the District of Criminals has been saying(I know, big surprise huh? LOL with a bit of dread mixed in.)
Now, in the comment section of Bills blog, I stated that I thought we have another 10 years of PROGRESSIVE destruction, that the wheels wouldn't fall off so much as the whole mess come to a grinding halt. Today, I am not so sure. The unemployment figures today, the IMF sending up redflags of changing the Reserve currency, O'boys continuous Campaigning, the lack of any significant balls on the hill(they are there but not en mass enough to make a dent on the stupidity level.): All of these things got me to (re)thinking my timeline.
I can't make any predictions but I can state some educated guesses.
IF the IMF pulls the dollar as the reserve currency, we are beyond fucked. The Debtors will call to collect BEFORE our administration (this or next) makes the attempt to 'print themselves out of debt'. (and on this I have to quote that guy from this morning; "what we will see will make the Great Depression look mighty tame, nearly inconsequential.") We haven't seen the end of the unemployment. Not even close. With them talking about raising the taxes 'on the rich' (no word about getting the banks to pay more but I digress) there won't be ANY formation of new work that isn't Goverment based AT ALL for many years to come. Well, that may be an exaggeration but I don't think it's too far off base.
So, keep all of the above in mind for the next couple of days. I am giving a homework assignment and I won't be grading it. You will. This is for your benefit, not mine (I already know the answers to my assignment, and I didn't like what I found.)
Here is your assignment: Call and talk to your bank. If you are on good terms with a teller (not an ATM) talk to her/him. Find out what the Maximum Daily Transaction limit(withdrawal) is on BOTH your savings (if you still have one) and your checking. You may find she/he won't tell you outright. They may not know, but then again, they might. If they aren't willing to talk to you, get the manager (DUH! We know Dio, what's your point?)
I have a Credit Union, Not an FDIC insured place and what I found disturbed me. I knew that there were limits, but what I found was worse than I thought. ATM withdrawals are limited to $200/24 hour period. (used to be I could withdraw 200 at 11:55PM then another 200 at 12:05 AM. No longer. 24 hours.) Maximum Debit/credit transaction is $400/day.(same 24 hour standard.) It used to $1000.00 This has not one thing to do with my balance either. It is actually something pushed upon them by the some higher power(she wasn't really sure but it was external, she did confirm that) (There is also something that is from the Feds. You are only able to make 6! transfers between accounts per month. What the hell is that about? I guess thats their way of showing us who REALLY owns that debt instrument huh?)
You may find nothing, you may find that your accounts are in a similar state. I can't say, thats why I pointed it out. You may not want to know either. Your choice.
What does it mean? IF this is system wide (I doubt it but who knows, it may be to different levels per institution); its a sure fired sign that the Feds are preparing for Bankruns, out of control inflation, and potentially moving us into a completely cashless society. For that last note, think about the level of control they have to 'fix' the system, keep hyper-inflation at bay, and, of course as a side note only, 'we won't use it like that':What better way to keep the people caged up? A man with cash in hand is a master of his own destiny(at least till he loses his head or cash) A man that has to ask for permission to get access to his money is a bit less than slave material. Oh How the Nazi's would have loved to had this level of technology and money. It would have made things a lot less messy in the long run.(and think about how easy it will be to control entire sections of the country just by withholding 'some' cash.)
Guess you guys didn't see that coming did you? Started slow and cool then dropped the shitbox right in your laps.
Might want to get used to it, we are going to be seeing LOTS of it soon enough. Oh yeah, you might want to crank up the throttle on the simplest items now, Things are going to get really outlandish, really fast.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Redbud Winter.
Well, I was planning on doing some casting on my days off this week, but, Mama nature has other plans. Redbud winter is kinda like the Dogdays of summer in reverse. Temps are down, rain is up, skies are greyer than hand washed laundry, and of course, the cat is pacing the floor wanting to know what the hell happened to the sun.
Of course, its typical weather patterns for this time of year. Just glad as hell I don't see snow today. (knock on wood)
I have no political fire today. Hell, I am thinking that I am done when it comes to anything 'politics'. They win, for now. I say that yet I know that within the next month, some jack-knob on the hill is going to do something stupid to get my Ire up and I will post about it.
Fact of the matter, I am withdrawing my consent as much as is possible. I have been working on it for sometime now; its almost time to finish the job. I found out that I don't need a permit for the septic system if I am not tying into the electric grid. (don't ask me what the logic here is, its purely politics and taxes so logic hasn't a thing to do with it) That makes my world that much simpler and simple means cheap; cheap means I can apply a little more throttle to my plans. The one downside, if you want to call it that, is that getting insurance on my house. I don't know if I can get it since I won't have any inspections or certificates or any of that shit. IF I do get it, it may be outrageous in price too. Then again, I may not want to even bother with it at all. That is something that can wait for now. I have some time to dwell on it and figure out what I want to do.
I find it funny that I can build a house, without all of the trappings that Regulations insist upon, better and cheaper than one built 'to code'. I won't have all of the bells and whistles that most people insist upon in a newer home but the way I see it, I don't need all of those bells and whistles. My home is a place to keep the weather out, and my privacy in. Somewhere to sleep, shit, study and occasionally eat. (granted I will eat there more than occasionally but more grilling out than cooking in.) The majority of my 'living' will be done outdoors or in my shop. Why would I want a 3000' sq/ft McMansion with a gourmet kitchen? Why would I want to budget for 1000KWh/month to keep the danged thing comfortable? Its not a matter of being able to afford it, I would find a way. The point is why would I WANT TO? LOL I guess I am just a cheap bastard in the end. I hate spending money on anything that doesn't have a highly defined and dual function in my life. Heck, even in my tools, I prefer dual function. I hate fixed blade knives for the same reason(though I own several). Give me a Gerber multitool or a Swiss Army knife and I will go far. Fixed blades are ok but a multitool really gets the job done.
Now, for those that get a little frustrated with my writing style, My apologies to you but too bad. I don't always have a defined subject in my head. I rarely have a set of notes about what I want to write about. Most times, I sit down at the terminal and just start tapping away until my sub-conscience sends feelings of relief to my conscience. I wouldn't call it therapy. More of a way to unblock my creative outlets. 9 times out of 10, I send off a post then go work in the shop for a few more hours. Its like my sub-conscience is telling me to get out of the way while it works on something. I haven't the gumption to write fiction like Mayberry does, but I can vent. (besides, tried it in creative writing and bollixed the shit out of my 4 or 5 attempts. I know better now.) Even now, I am venting so bear with me while I seem lost in the torrent.
Bill Nye posted today about feeling lost in the deluge of crap that seems to be raining down on a daily basis now. I understand exactly what he means. I have to follow up on that with the commentary that those teaching us what it means to be American were also mis-informed. The real Americans were slaughtered in the battles of the Civil War. Since then, we have been coddled and preened to be 'gentle Americans'. Even those that volunteered and fought in WWI and WWII were softened by progressive ideologies. Granted, not nearly as much as what we have been subjected to, but it was started well within the middle of the 1800's. Starting about the same time as the FedReserve, Education started its downward slide to False Self-esteem. There was a time where your standard 8th grader could outperform a college graduate of today. There was a time when the 8th grade was sufficient for the average citizen and to continue on into 'Higher school' was your step towards going to colleges or universities (and there was a difference in the two.) Now, we find Senior College students that struggle to read. We have Doctors that haven't the first clue how to balance an Red/Ox reaction(so how do they know if there will be complications by cross prescribing any medications?)
Now, children are taught more about "rising up" or "being fair" or how everyone is "special" more than they are taught anything worth the time and money spent on them. A person who is taught to think doesn't need someone else to lift their self esteem up. Those that know how to think for themselves don't have a need for 'public opinion' since they see it for the shallow thought it really is.
A person that learns how to think for themselves is a lonely person in this world now.
I know I feel it most days.
I think Bill is feeling it now.
Here is thinking about the rest of you out there that feel the same way.
Of course, its typical weather patterns for this time of year. Just glad as hell I don't see snow today. (knock on wood)
I have no political fire today. Hell, I am thinking that I am done when it comes to anything 'politics'. They win, for now. I say that yet I know that within the next month, some jack-knob on the hill is going to do something stupid to get my Ire up and I will post about it.
Fact of the matter, I am withdrawing my consent as much as is possible. I have been working on it for sometime now; its almost time to finish the job. I found out that I don't need a permit for the septic system if I am not tying into the electric grid. (don't ask me what the logic here is, its purely politics and taxes so logic hasn't a thing to do with it) That makes my world that much simpler and simple means cheap; cheap means I can apply a little more throttle to my plans. The one downside, if you want to call it that, is that getting insurance on my house. I don't know if I can get it since I won't have any inspections or certificates or any of that shit. IF I do get it, it may be outrageous in price too. Then again, I may not want to even bother with it at all. That is something that can wait for now. I have some time to dwell on it and figure out what I want to do.
I find it funny that I can build a house, without all of the trappings that Regulations insist upon, better and cheaper than one built 'to code'. I won't have all of the bells and whistles that most people insist upon in a newer home but the way I see it, I don't need all of those bells and whistles. My home is a place to keep the weather out, and my privacy in. Somewhere to sleep, shit, study and occasionally eat. (granted I will eat there more than occasionally but more grilling out than cooking in.) The majority of my 'living' will be done outdoors or in my shop. Why would I want a 3000' sq/ft McMansion with a gourmet kitchen? Why would I want to budget for 1000KWh/month to keep the danged thing comfortable? Its not a matter of being able to afford it, I would find a way. The point is why would I WANT TO? LOL I guess I am just a cheap bastard in the end. I hate spending money on anything that doesn't have a highly defined and dual function in my life. Heck, even in my tools, I prefer dual function. I hate fixed blade knives for the same reason(though I own several). Give me a Gerber multitool or a Swiss Army knife and I will go far. Fixed blades are ok but a multitool really gets the job done.
Now, for those that get a little frustrated with my writing style, My apologies to you but too bad. I don't always have a defined subject in my head. I rarely have a set of notes about what I want to write about. Most times, I sit down at the terminal and just start tapping away until my sub-conscience sends feelings of relief to my conscience. I wouldn't call it therapy. More of a way to unblock my creative outlets. 9 times out of 10, I send off a post then go work in the shop for a few more hours. Its like my sub-conscience is telling me to get out of the way while it works on something. I haven't the gumption to write fiction like Mayberry does, but I can vent. (besides, tried it in creative writing and bollixed the shit out of my 4 or 5 attempts. I know better now.) Even now, I am venting so bear with me while I seem lost in the torrent.
Bill Nye posted today about feeling lost in the deluge of crap that seems to be raining down on a daily basis now. I understand exactly what he means. I have to follow up on that with the commentary that those teaching us what it means to be American were also mis-informed. The real Americans were slaughtered in the battles of the Civil War. Since then, we have been coddled and preened to be 'gentle Americans'. Even those that volunteered and fought in WWI and WWII were softened by progressive ideologies. Granted, not nearly as much as what we have been subjected to, but it was started well within the middle of the 1800's. Starting about the same time as the FedReserve, Education started its downward slide to False Self-esteem. There was a time where your standard 8th grader could outperform a college graduate of today. There was a time when the 8th grade was sufficient for the average citizen and to continue on into 'Higher school' was your step towards going to colleges or universities (and there was a difference in the two.) Now, we find Senior College students that struggle to read. We have Doctors that haven't the first clue how to balance an Red/Ox reaction(so how do they know if there will be complications by cross prescribing any medications?)
Now, children are taught more about "rising up" or "being fair" or how everyone is "special" more than they are taught anything worth the time and money spent on them. A person who is taught to think doesn't need someone else to lift their self esteem up. Those that know how to think for themselves don't have a need for 'public opinion' since they see it for the shallow thought it really is.
A person that learns how to think for themselves is a lonely person in this world now.
I know I feel it most days.
I think Bill is feeling it now.
Here is thinking about the rest of you out there that feel the same way.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Somedays,
Having witnessed the illusory transition of a power smackdown on the hill Friday( I can't think of any other way to put it) This weekend has been something of a 'So what' moment for me.
Right now, the way I feel about it all, I could wake up tomorrow and find that The Chinese had installed a Figurehead president in O'boys place and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.(well, the fact that we aren't actively calling him a Manchurian Candidate beside the point) Seriously, the predictability of the shenanigans on the hill are pathetic. It's like watching an 5 year old trying to get away with the same shit you tried to get away with at 5. You know all the little tricks and the kid still keeps trying. Thats how I see our "leaders": 5 yr old brats trying to get the cookie jar. The Cookie jar that ALWAYS has the cookies that is.
It really makes me sick some days.
Well for the next three days, I will keep my ear to the ground but I am not going to let them get to me. I have the next three days off work (now that all of the vacations are out of the way. I have till next year for mine, if it all holds together that long) In that time; work towards my Gulch. Maybe, if the weather permits (no rain) I will cast those parts I have been holding off on. Its been a danged fishbowl around here the last month and I won't cast if there is potential of a steam explosion due to weather. (can't wait till the shop is done with a set furnace and a sandcrab floor so I don't have to wait out weather)
As for keeping my ear to the ground. I watch only certain trends to give me a clue if something is really going on. Gold and silver tend to be steadily rising but spikes indicate something hit the fan. Oil is another one. I have those fed to my phone so I get alerts if things really start moving. Thats when I fire up the laptop and see what's going on.
You may hear from me in the meantime, if not, back on Thursday.
Right now, the way I feel about it all, I could wake up tomorrow and find that The Chinese had installed a Figurehead president in O'boys place and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.(well, the fact that we aren't actively calling him a Manchurian Candidate beside the point) Seriously, the predictability of the shenanigans on the hill are pathetic. It's like watching an 5 year old trying to get away with the same shit you tried to get away with at 5. You know all the little tricks and the kid still keeps trying. Thats how I see our "leaders": 5 yr old brats trying to get the cookie jar. The Cookie jar that ALWAYS has the cookies that is.
It really makes me sick some days.
Well for the next three days, I will keep my ear to the ground but I am not going to let them get to me. I have the next three days off work (now that all of the vacations are out of the way. I have till next year for mine, if it all holds together that long) In that time; work towards my Gulch. Maybe, if the weather permits (no rain) I will cast those parts I have been holding off on. Its been a danged fishbowl around here the last month and I won't cast if there is potential of a steam explosion due to weather. (can't wait till the shop is done with a set furnace and a sandcrab floor so I don't have to wait out weather)
As for keeping my ear to the ground. I watch only certain trends to give me a clue if something is really going on. Gold and silver tend to be steadily rising but spikes indicate something hit the fan. Oil is another one. I have those fed to my phone so I get alerts if things really start moving. Thats when I fire up the laptop and see what's going on.
You may hear from me in the meantime, if not, back on Thursday.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Whooooo! whooo! chug a chug a chug achug
And we aren't talking about the little train that could.
In a set of emails today, a Friend and I were discussing the price of fuel. There are rumors of $180/brl oil in the near future.(Haven't felt like digging for the actual reports online: no linkie today)
It really doesn't matter much anymore does it?
Someone is going to yell for the Gooberment to do something. They always do.
Then the Gooberment 'does something' and we all know just how well that will work.
My comment to him was about we won't really see much more than $6/gallon gas. We might see it but by then it definitely won't make as much of a difference as you would think.
By that time, Diesel will be well over $7/gallon. Trickle down economics will mean that everything else is 50-75% higher than now (not counting in inflation: this is straight off production and delivery costs) Yet the likelihood of pays rising in accordance is unlikely. By the time we hit $6/gallon, many people will find it cheaper to stay put, raise a small garden and hope for the best. It won't behoove them to go to work when it costs more just to GET to work then they earn. In cases such as mine; the likelihood of 'permanent layoff' is VERY likely. In order to justify my position I would need to carry roughly 200% more product on a daily basis and that isn't possible without increasing the size of the vehicle I drive.(more costs in addition to more fuel usage. Best to cut the loss and struggle through)
But here is the interesting part. Not only will people be buying less gas, (note 1 below) working less (note 2) and eating healthier foods (note 3) BUT the GOVERNMENT of all things will be bringing in less Revenue (here's note 1) due to less fuel sales,(note 2)less revenue from higher unemployment(and more unemployment claims) and Trying to figure out how Micheles ideas of eating healthy are killing the beast.
OK OK, I know I am reaching here. Hell, no matter how any of this 'falls out' its going to be painful on a huge portion of the world. Not just here, but all over. Food is going to get really scarce and only those that foresaw it and prepared are going to be 'not so pained'. Bill has pointed out that some of what is going on in MENA has not one thing to do with oil but the reserves of fresh water stored underground above that oil. We aren't seeing the real pain from that yet, but we are hearing muscle spasms of its nature from out west.
We also know that there is a lot of turmoil over religion in that region. Always has been but it seems to be growing to new levels. I don't know if that is going to stabilize or peak and spill out to other areas(like it has been doing.) Nor do I really wish to contemplate it now. For this to come to America would take a lot of effort though its not all that impossible.
Here is a thought for you. I don't want to sound like some crackpot or whatnot but I have been thinking on this for some time.
Assuming God has 'wash his hands' of guiding the human race (or at least one specific tribe as some have argued) We are making a real mess of things on our own. Also assuming that God has done the above, doesn't mean other entities have.
But lets look at the numbers. World population in 2010 was estimated at 6.91 billion.. This is up from 4.5 billion when I was in highschool in the 80's. Thats a lot of Monkey meat walking on the face of this planet.
Thats a lot of monkey meat that wants stuff. Stuff that isn't going to be sustainable at present levels let alone accounting for projected growth.
Are those other entities attempting to 'thin the herd' or at least set up a situation where the herd thins itself?
Chug a chug a chug a chug. Toooot-tooot!
In a set of emails today, a Friend and I were discussing the price of fuel. There are rumors of $180/brl oil in the near future.(Haven't felt like digging for the actual reports online: no linkie today)
It really doesn't matter much anymore does it?
Someone is going to yell for the Gooberment to do something. They always do.
Then the Gooberment 'does something' and we all know just how well that will work.
My comment to him was about we won't really see much more than $6/gallon gas. We might see it but by then it definitely won't make as much of a difference as you would think.
By that time, Diesel will be well over $7/gallon. Trickle down economics will mean that everything else is 50-75% higher than now (not counting in inflation: this is straight off production and delivery costs) Yet the likelihood of pays rising in accordance is unlikely. By the time we hit $6/gallon, many people will find it cheaper to stay put, raise a small garden and hope for the best. It won't behoove them to go to work when it costs more just to GET to work then they earn. In cases such as mine; the likelihood of 'permanent layoff' is VERY likely. In order to justify my position I would need to carry roughly 200% more product on a daily basis and that isn't possible without increasing the size of the vehicle I drive.(more costs in addition to more fuel usage. Best to cut the loss and struggle through)
But here is the interesting part. Not only will people be buying less gas, (note 1 below) working less (note 2) and eating healthier foods (note 3) BUT the GOVERNMENT of all things will be bringing in less Revenue (here's note 1) due to less fuel sales,(note 2)less revenue from higher unemployment(and more unemployment claims) and Trying to figure out how Micheles ideas of eating healthy are killing the beast.
OK OK, I know I am reaching here. Hell, no matter how any of this 'falls out' its going to be painful on a huge portion of the world. Not just here, but all over. Food is going to get really scarce and only those that foresaw it and prepared are going to be 'not so pained'. Bill has pointed out that some of what is going on in MENA has not one thing to do with oil but the reserves of fresh water stored underground above that oil. We aren't seeing the real pain from that yet, but we are hearing muscle spasms of its nature from out west.
We also know that there is a lot of turmoil over religion in that region. Always has been but it seems to be growing to new levels. I don't know if that is going to stabilize or peak and spill out to other areas(like it has been doing.) Nor do I really wish to contemplate it now. For this to come to America would take a lot of effort though its not all that impossible.
Here is a thought for you. I don't want to sound like some crackpot or whatnot but I have been thinking on this for some time.
Assuming God has 'wash his hands' of guiding the human race (or at least one specific tribe as some have argued) We are making a real mess of things on our own. Also assuming that God has done the above, doesn't mean other entities have.
But lets look at the numbers. World population in 2010 was estimated at 6.91 billion.. This is up from 4.5 billion when I was in highschool in the 80's. Thats a lot of Monkey meat walking on the face of this planet.
Thats a lot of monkey meat that wants stuff. Stuff that isn't going to be sustainable at present levels let alone accounting for projected growth.
Are those other entities attempting to 'thin the herd' or at least set up a situation where the herd thins itself?
Chug a chug a chug a chug. Toooot-tooot!
Friday, April 8, 2011
I think I see a dim light.
But its not a light at the end of the tunnel.
For the record, I have been Talking head free for over a week now. Just getting to the point where it matters not if they are NPR or FOX-ish in nature, I get angry just hearing the crap from 'both sides' of the aisle, when its all the same shit; just different ideologies reaching the same end.
A great example.
HT to Theo
There is one thing that Glenn Beck has said in the past though that I totally agree with.
Sadly, this is exactly what you have to do when your world is so Dominated by Dis-honorable people. Even sadder when the worst one in the lot is also the highest ranking one.(Talk about Failing upwards, This takes that idea to all new hieghts) Yet watching his actions is exactly what needs to be done here. Doing so may illuminate more into what his agenda truly is, far more than his statements (present and past)
While I haven't been listening in to the radio, I have been reading Drudge. Just the headlines show how infantile our 'representatives' are. I say infantile since they act just like a bunch of 1st graders trying to get the teacher to punish 'the other guy'. Both sides know who stole the cookie jar and neither one wants to be the one to actually take the blame. (Doing so, and actually making a change in the way things are done, would be too devastating to their sensitive egos. Especially after 'Bubba' gets finished and passes 'em on to the next guy. If they don't wear a hemp necktie first)
And O'boys commentary about 'being grownups', while on the money at the time, was not much more than a sophomoric retort in light of his own actions.
BUT,
What is he doing?
My take on things.
Obviously, all of his actions at this point are highly calculated to extend his political clout. No matter how it pans out, he wins (at least for now)
IF they compromise, his "be adults" stance gains him some clout.
IF they don't, and the shutdown happens (with Military pay) his Hesitation to take action 'at first' will open up room for him to "save the day", again, gaining him clout (remember this, not everyone can see through the smoke, they also vote. That is what he is counting on)
IF they don't and the shutdown happens (WITHOUT military pay in place) He will hesitate only long enough for the military to react. Once the lower pay grades start 'acting up' he will step in and "save the day". This serves two functions. Gives him information about the loyalty levels within ranks, opening up room to 'clean house'. AND it gives him Clout with 'saving the day'.
No matter how it pans out, most people won't really notice too much. It really depends upon how long it goes on, how much the media is 'going along' AND if the military doesn't totally rebel.(not likely in my opinion.)
Notice though, its all about him, his power, holding that power, reaching towards that 2012 extension on his power. He knows that the year and a half he has left more than likely won't be enough to 'finish' the job. I am guessing he wasn't as prepared for the backlash he stirred up. It's not near enough but it may be enough to hold the doors a bit longer.
Even so, this is ultimately going to be the real problem for a vast majority of the American populace.
Until that Vast majority realizes that Fiat Currency based upon Debt is just another definition of Slavery; the above Frag is going to be smouldering away until it 'blows'. And that brings us to what may be the ultimate goal with all of this. Financial blow up. I don't understand all of the ramifications of this 'shutdown'. Hell, in my previous post I mentioned the last shutdown and how it went by rather unnoticed. I highly doubt that this one will. There are just too many factors involved, and more than a http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giffew that are awake. But what if this is just one more step towards the real bubble (the dollar) bursting?
(and yet, I have this sniggling suspicion that the left hand is up to something too. Not just what is going on in MENA but behind closed doors with the Bankers.)
ADDENDUM: added 2 hours after post. John Galt does a GlennBeck impression but brings together some points that only support my above observations. THIS IS A CREATED AND INTENTIONAL ACT! Intentional acts are either Tactical political moves or Warfare or both. Where does O'boy fit in? Politician or Enemy of the State? Discuss amongst yourselves.
For the record, I have been Talking head free for over a week now. Just getting to the point where it matters not if they are NPR or FOX-ish in nature, I get angry just hearing the crap from 'both sides' of the aisle, when its all the same shit; just different ideologies reaching the same end.
A great example.
HT to Theo
There is one thing that Glenn Beck has said in the past though that I totally agree with.
Watch the mans actions not his words.
Sadly, this is exactly what you have to do when your world is so Dominated by Dis-honorable people. Even sadder when the worst one in the lot is also the highest ranking one.(Talk about Failing upwards, This takes that idea to all new hieghts) Yet watching his actions is exactly what needs to be done here. Doing so may illuminate more into what his agenda truly is, far more than his statements (present and past)
While I haven't been listening in to the radio, I have been reading Drudge. Just the headlines show how infantile our 'representatives' are. I say infantile since they act just like a bunch of 1st graders trying to get the teacher to punish 'the other guy'. Both sides know who stole the cookie jar and neither one wants to be the one to actually take the blame. (Doing so, and actually making a change in the way things are done, would be too devastating to their sensitive egos. Especially after 'Bubba' gets finished and passes 'em on to the next guy. If they don't wear a hemp necktie first)
And O'boys commentary about 'being grownups', while on the money at the time, was not much more than a sophomoric retort in light of his own actions.
BUT,
What is he doing?
My take on things.
Obviously, all of his actions at this point are highly calculated to extend his political clout. No matter how it pans out, he wins (at least for now)
IF they compromise, his "be adults" stance gains him some clout.
IF they don't, and the shutdown happens (with Military pay) his Hesitation to take action 'at first' will open up room for him to "save the day", again, gaining him clout (remember this, not everyone can see through the smoke, they also vote. That is what he is counting on)
IF they don't and the shutdown happens (WITHOUT military pay in place) He will hesitate only long enough for the military to react. Once the lower pay grades start 'acting up' he will step in and "save the day". This serves two functions. Gives him information about the loyalty levels within ranks, opening up room to 'clean house'. AND it gives him Clout with 'saving the day'.
No matter how it pans out, most people won't really notice too much. It really depends upon how long it goes on, how much the media is 'going along' AND if the military doesn't totally rebel.(not likely in my opinion.)
Notice though, its all about him, his power, holding that power, reaching towards that 2012 extension on his power. He knows that the year and a half he has left more than likely won't be enough to 'finish' the job. I am guessing he wasn't as prepared for the backlash he stirred up. It's not near enough but it may be enough to hold the doors a bit longer.
Even so, this is ultimately going to be the real problem for a vast majority of the American populace.
Until that Vast majority realizes that Fiat Currency based upon Debt is just another definition of Slavery; the above Frag is going to be smouldering away until it 'blows'. And that brings us to what may be the ultimate goal with all of this. Financial blow up. I don't understand all of the ramifications of this 'shutdown'. Hell, in my previous post I mentioned the last shutdown and how it went by rather unnoticed. I highly doubt that this one will. There are just too many factors involved, and more than a http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giffew that are awake. But what if this is just one more step towards the real bubble (the dollar) bursting?
(and yet, I have this sniggling suspicion that the left hand is up to something too. Not just what is going on in MENA but behind closed doors with the Bankers.)
ADDENDUM: added 2 hours after post. John Galt does a GlennBeck impression but brings together some points that only support my above observations. THIS IS A CREATED AND INTENTIONAL ACT! Intentional acts are either Tactical political moves or Warfare or both. Where does O'boy fit in? Politician or Enemy of the State? Discuss amongst yourselves.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Grrrrr!!! What is it with the Green weenies
As you all know, I am building my house for living off grid. No grandiose 'enlightenment' about Gore'bal Warming or holes in the Ozone or carbon footprint. Nope, none of that crap for me. This is all about becoming independent of anyone but myself.
Now, I have been looking around for information on systems, and ideas on this and I keep running into Prancing Rabbits and their ilk.
Here is a clue for the Green weenies. IF you want people to pay attention to you, STOP rubbing in their face how "horrible their Carbon Footprint is". First and foremost, We (obviously) DON'T GIVE A SHIT! Look around at the bumper stickers in this area and you will see MANY Friends of Coal stickers and others that say, "Ban coal and let the SOB's freeze in the dark." I don't care about my carbon footprint, all you have to do is look at my ragtag beater mid 80's pickemup that has the Cat cut off and leaks oil at enough of a rate to kill the weeds in 'her spot'.
(just look at the pavement and you can see where she has marked her spot.)
Here's another hint. IF you want people to take you seriously, TAKE SHOWER! Hot water, Real soap, shampoo (you may need to shave off your Dred's first but hey, those things can't be all that healthy anyway.)
Here is how I see my future without a Grid tie in. I have purchased two (thinking a third.) hot water heaters. These use GAS! (OMG, how many tons of CO2 am I dumping on you guys? ;P ) I am going to be adding a small GAS stove also. I will heat my house with WOOD and Coal though I lean more to the wood as I don't really like the smell of coal in the house. The shop is fine. I have a very small need for electric. I don't really use as much as you would think IF I don't rely on it for heating water. Really the largest draw on my system is going to be the Fridge. Followed by my tools in the shop. My netbook pulls so little power that I had to change the setting on my Fluke to get a good reading. While on, and recharging, its only drawing 1/3 W !!! IF I leave it on and plugged in, It takes an entire month to come close to one days use of my old laptop.
The reason I have been looking at these things is to root out any issues I may run into. What I have been finding (5th book and all run a similar vein) is Preaching about the first three myths. GW CC Ozone. And every single stinking one of them talks about 'gooberment subsidies' and how that is making things more affordable.( umm, do I really need to start firing off torpedoes at that or should I wait until I have a GW in my face first? ) NOT ONE book has actually answered a single question I have.
Maybe I need to write the book myself. Sell it online at Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Nobel as an E-book for a measly $.59. That would cut the sales of these Greenweeny books I am certain.
What do you think the title should be? "Getting off Grid so I can make the hippies Scream in outrage"
Just saying.
Now, I have been looking around for information on systems, and ideas on this and I keep running into Prancing Rabbits and their ilk.
Here is a clue for the Green weenies. IF you want people to pay attention to you, STOP rubbing in their face how "horrible their Carbon Footprint is". First and foremost, We (obviously) DON'T GIVE A SHIT! Look around at the bumper stickers in this area and you will see MANY Friends of Coal stickers and others that say, "Ban coal and let the SOB's freeze in the dark." I don't care about my carbon footprint, all you have to do is look at my ragtag beater mid 80's pickemup that has the Cat cut off and leaks oil at enough of a rate to kill the weeds in 'her spot'.
(just look at the pavement and you can see where she has marked her spot.)
Here's another hint. IF you want people to take you seriously, TAKE SHOWER! Hot water, Real soap, shampoo (you may need to shave off your Dred's first but hey, those things can't be all that healthy anyway.)
Here is how I see my future without a Grid tie in. I have purchased two (thinking a third.) hot water heaters. These use GAS! (OMG, how many tons of CO2 am I dumping on you guys? ;P ) I am going to be adding a small GAS stove also. I will heat my house with WOOD and Coal though I lean more to the wood as I don't really like the smell of coal in the house. The shop is fine. I have a very small need for electric. I don't really use as much as you would think IF I don't rely on it for heating water. Really the largest draw on my system is going to be the Fridge. Followed by my tools in the shop. My netbook pulls so little power that I had to change the setting on my Fluke to get a good reading. While on, and recharging, its only drawing 1/3 W !!! IF I leave it on and plugged in, It takes an entire month to come close to one days use of my old laptop.
The reason I have been looking at these things is to root out any issues I may run into. What I have been finding (5th book and all run a similar vein) is Preaching about the first three myths. GW CC Ozone. And every single stinking one of them talks about 'gooberment subsidies' and how that is making things more affordable.( umm, do I really need to start firing off torpedoes at that or should I wait until I have a GW in my face first? ) NOT ONE book has actually answered a single question I have.
Maybe I need to write the book myself. Sell it online at Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Nobel as an E-book for a measly $.59. That would cut the sales of these Greenweeny books I am certain.
What do you think the title should be? "Getting off Grid so I can make the hippies Scream in outrage"
Just saying.
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