It has been a good long time since I've posted (and rightly so, maybe more on that at some future time). Things have been quite crazy "out there", but that's what was expected and should most certainly come as no surprise. Between the now admitted triple meltdown at the Fukushima nuke plant, the record breaking floods that currently threaten one or possibly two nuclear plants here in the US and the raging wild fires currently threatening the Los Alamos nuclear storage containers in New Mexico, there definitely appears to be a "running theme" developing. Then there's the continuing "GlobalRev" uprisings around the world along with the failed attempts to hijack the movements by TPTB, the continuing economic collapse playing out like a slow motion train wreck and the incredible weather anomalies that are only now being recognized as "incredible" by the MSM. Again, maybe more on these at a future time.
See, that's not what this post is about. I'm not interested in posting an "update" on the news, nor an editorial opinion piece...nor even a "how to" type article about RVing or growing a container garden in a campground somewhere in Florida.
If you're not already "up-to-date", you're simply doing it wrong.
If you're more interested in what I have to say than what an expert has to say, I thank you but please do check out the expert first - we can chat later about what he/she says.
If you haven't been greedily consuming everything you can find on the net about "how to" this or that, you are not only wasting valuable time but you most likely deserve the ignorance you currently possess on your particular "this or that".
No - this "post" is a sort of reminder of what should be considered sustainable. This post is here to help clarify some very false and potentially lethal misinformation that's out there (and has been out there), and hopefully help guide the misguided toward a more rational middle path (both in a physical, practical sense and in a more "spiritual path" or "way of life" kind of way).
And to top it all off, I'm not even going to write a "proper post". I'm going to simply embed a video you should watch, in which an actual expert talks about this, and leave it at that. So here's that video:
Showing posts with label economic collapse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label economic collapse. Show all posts
4.03.2011
Dear American
The story, as many others do, begins like this: A long time ago, in a land far away...
The story is a long one, leading up to this point, and may, in fact, be a long one leading forward. We wont concern ourselves with what happened before, nor what happens later, as this story is about a young man's "today".
You see, "today" is today, no matter where you are - no matter what land you inhabit - and what this young man was realizing is something many of even our own people, and our current generations, can relate to. His world, as it stood, had become a very dismal place. Greed and corruption ran rampant. The people of his land were encouraged by their overlords to "sacrifice" their "cares" in order to pay their bills. Everyone was being forced into acting as a sort of compulsory slave, and they found themselves working long hours for little in return.
It seemed only the most ruthless could succeed in this young man's world. Those who followed their hearts were destined to become outcasts.
The young man wasn't happy about any of this, and so he found himself taking it upon himself to worry. He would worry about his family, his friends and his neighbors. He even worried about the future generations of his people. Continually reminding himself that he shouldn't worry so much, that it was unhealthy to do so and that these people he worried over had, for the most part, brought this all upon themselves, didn't seem to help.
He found himself sleepless and experiencing a very real physical pain as he imagined how his world "should be".
Day after day, night after night, the young man would put on a brave face. He would spend time with his family and pretend that he fully understood the situation his world was in. He offered his very best spiritual and emotional insights to others who worried, and he assured them that their worry was unnecessary...that things would take care of themselves.
After a few hours of this, he would retreat to his home, exhausted, and find himself swimming in his despair. The world was so big, and so corrupt. He knew there was no way for him to save his people from the approaching cataclysm.
Each night, his heart would cry silently while he attempted to distract himself from the problems he knew he alone could never solve. Evil itself had corrupted everything he knew, every aspect of his society, and the only solution to this problem was a complete devastation of his world.
But today, instead of impatiently waiting for sleep to come, as he usually did, the young man decided to take action. He decided that it was more honorable to try to speak out to the people of his world than it would be to just watch silently as his world was destroyed by the pervasive greed and corruption.
So, sitting quietly in front of his computer, he began to write:
Dear American,
I am writing in hopes that you will wake up. Your way of life is corrupt, and it will soon be over. I am not making a "death threat", I am trying to warn you of what is coming if you don't open your eyes. The world we live in is changing rapidly, is becoming more difficult to live in by the day, and it will soon become impossible to maintain society in its current form. It is up to each and every one of us to change the way we think about life and the way we act in the world.
There is but a short time to get your affairs in order. Soon, time will run out and we will all be living a very different way. Today's world is about to become a thing of the past...both a happy memory and a dire warning for future generations. The question is, will you be helping to preserve freedom and liberty, or will you be helping to destroy both with your blind faith in a failing system? Will you be prepared for the world you find yourself in?
We are all aware of the rampant corruption in government. We are all aware of the escalating erosion of our liberties. What we may not all be aware of is that such things as the current economic collapse were planned events. You see, a handful of individuals, families and corporations have amassed a large amount of wealth through their financing of such atrocities as World Wars 1 and 2, Hitler's concentration camps and even modern day terrorist activities. With this wealth came power. Lots of power. From the Federal Reserve Bank and the Bilderberg Group to Skull and Bones and Bohemian Grove, there is far too much secrecy surrounding those who run this country's affairs. Just ask yourself this question: if these people have my best interests in mind, why do they meet behind closed doors?
I am not telling you to go out and buy guns, nor am I telling you to stock up on canned meats and vegetables, though both of these may be good ideas. What I am telling you to do is this: become aware of the very painful but obvious conspiracy at play. You have become slaves in your own country. The dystopia of science fiction is already our way of life, from constant surveillance and big government nanny states to mind controlling drugs administered to the masses and high tech gizmos that betray every aspect of your being.
Through the consolidation of power by the wealthy elite, we the people have lost all but the faded memories of what made this country great. The dollar bill in your pocket is nothing but a debt to be repaid, and every hour you work, every penny you save, makes somebody else rich as you slide deeper into poverty. This is not the "American Dream", and it's not intended to be. This is the dream of the powerful elite. And it will only get worse from here.
It is already too late to make things right without many years of painful recovery and rebuilding, but if we don't start working today, we're only allowing things to become worse. Every year we sit back and allow this cancer to progress, our nation's recovery will become harder and more painful. You can help save our children and grandchildren from decades of suffering, but you must start by changing the way you think about wealth.
Wealth is NOT money. Wealth is NOT a new car or expensive clothing
Wealth is love, friendship, family and happiness
Wealth is freedom of emotional and spiritual fulfillment
To make things right, you must stop buying your video games, cell phones and fake fingernails. You must stop feeding these empty material desires that have done nothing but enslave you. Stop sacrificing your dreams by flipping burgers and answering phones for a living. Instead, invest your time and money into what makes you truly happy...what truly fills you with joy. Decide to love your neighbors and cherish your dreams. Invest in your local businesses. Buy your local produce. Grow flowers and vegetables in your own back yard. Spend time with your children before they learn to distrust and hate you. Withdraw all your money from the bank and spend it on what you know will last...on things that can be handed down generation to generation and shared amongst communities.
This is the only way to break the cycle of corruption we find ourselves in today.
This is the only way to get our country back.
It is your duty, as an American, to become informed. It is your duty to prevent the slavery that has been planned for you and your children by the powerful elite. There is little time left to open your eyes, and little time left to do what's right. Failure is simply not an option.
I am asking for you to work harder than you ever have before to ensure our country's survival. Now, more than ever, your country needs you. And it needs you to wake up.
Sincerely,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Blogger
The story is a long one, leading up to this point, and may, in fact, be a long one leading forward. We wont concern ourselves with what happened before, nor what happens later, as this story is about a young man's "today".
You see, "today" is today, no matter where you are - no matter what land you inhabit - and what this young man was realizing is something many of even our own people, and our current generations, can relate to. His world, as it stood, had become a very dismal place. Greed and corruption ran rampant. The people of his land were encouraged by their overlords to "sacrifice" their "cares" in order to pay their bills. Everyone was being forced into acting as a sort of compulsory slave, and they found themselves working long hours for little in return.
It seemed only the most ruthless could succeed in this young man's world. Those who followed their hearts were destined to become outcasts.
The young man wasn't happy about any of this, and so he found himself taking it upon himself to worry. He would worry about his family, his friends and his neighbors. He even worried about the future generations of his people. Continually reminding himself that he shouldn't worry so much, that it was unhealthy to do so and that these people he worried over had, for the most part, brought this all upon themselves, didn't seem to help.
He found himself sleepless and experiencing a very real physical pain as he imagined how his world "should be".
Day after day, night after night, the young man would put on a brave face. He would spend time with his family and pretend that he fully understood the situation his world was in. He offered his very best spiritual and emotional insights to others who worried, and he assured them that their worry was unnecessary...that things would take care of themselves.
After a few hours of this, he would retreat to his home, exhausted, and find himself swimming in his despair. The world was so big, and so corrupt. He knew there was no way for him to save his people from the approaching cataclysm.
Each night, his heart would cry silently while he attempted to distract himself from the problems he knew he alone could never solve. Evil itself had corrupted everything he knew, every aspect of his society, and the only solution to this problem was a complete devastation of his world.
But today, instead of impatiently waiting for sleep to come, as he usually did, the young man decided to take action. He decided that it was more honorable to try to speak out to the people of his world than it would be to just watch silently as his world was destroyed by the pervasive greed and corruption.
So, sitting quietly in front of his computer, he began to write:
Dear American,
I am writing in hopes that you will wake up. Your way of life is corrupt, and it will soon be over. I am not making a "death threat", I am trying to warn you of what is coming if you don't open your eyes. The world we live in is changing rapidly, is becoming more difficult to live in by the day, and it will soon become impossible to maintain society in its current form. It is up to each and every one of us to change the way we think about life and the way we act in the world.
There is but a short time to get your affairs in order. Soon, time will run out and we will all be living a very different way. Today's world is about to become a thing of the past...both a happy memory and a dire warning for future generations. The question is, will you be helping to preserve freedom and liberty, or will you be helping to destroy both with your blind faith in a failing system? Will you be prepared for the world you find yourself in?
We are all aware of the rampant corruption in government. We are all aware of the escalating erosion of our liberties. What we may not all be aware of is that such things as the current economic collapse were planned events. You see, a handful of individuals, families and corporations have amassed a large amount of wealth through their financing of such atrocities as World Wars 1 and 2, Hitler's concentration camps and even modern day terrorist activities. With this wealth came power. Lots of power. From the Federal Reserve Bank and the Bilderberg Group to Skull and Bones and Bohemian Grove, there is far too much secrecy surrounding those who run this country's affairs. Just ask yourself this question: if these people have my best interests in mind, why do they meet behind closed doors?
I am not telling you to go out and buy guns, nor am I telling you to stock up on canned meats and vegetables, though both of these may be good ideas. What I am telling you to do is this: become aware of the very painful but obvious conspiracy at play. You have become slaves in your own country. The dystopia of science fiction is already our way of life, from constant surveillance and big government nanny states to mind controlling drugs administered to the masses and high tech gizmos that betray every aspect of your being.
Through the consolidation of power by the wealthy elite, we the people have lost all but the faded memories of what made this country great. The dollar bill in your pocket is nothing but a debt to be repaid, and every hour you work, every penny you save, makes somebody else rich as you slide deeper into poverty. This is not the "American Dream", and it's not intended to be. This is the dream of the powerful elite. And it will only get worse from here.
It is already too late to make things right without many years of painful recovery and rebuilding, but if we don't start working today, we're only allowing things to become worse. Every year we sit back and allow this cancer to progress, our nation's recovery will become harder and more painful. You can help save our children and grandchildren from decades of suffering, but you must start by changing the way you think about wealth.
Wealth is NOT money. Wealth is NOT a new car or expensive clothing
Wealth is love, friendship, family and happiness
Wealth is freedom of emotional and spiritual fulfillment
To make things right, you must stop buying your video games, cell phones and fake fingernails. You must stop feeding these empty material desires that have done nothing but enslave you. Stop sacrificing your dreams by flipping burgers and answering phones for a living. Instead, invest your time and money into what makes you truly happy...what truly fills you with joy. Decide to love your neighbors and cherish your dreams. Invest in your local businesses. Buy your local produce. Grow flowers and vegetables in your own back yard. Spend time with your children before they learn to distrust and hate you. Withdraw all your money from the bank and spend it on what you know will last...on things that can be handed down generation to generation and shared amongst communities.
This is the only way to break the cycle of corruption we find ourselves in today.
This is the only way to get our country back.
It is your duty, as an American, to become informed. It is your duty to prevent the slavery that has been planned for you and your children by the powerful elite. There is little time left to open your eyes, and little time left to do what's right. Failure is simply not an option.
I am asking for you to work harder than you ever have before to ensure our country's survival. Now, more than ever, your country needs you. And it needs you to wake up.
Sincerely,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Blogger
2.25.2011
MSNBC Runs Story on Fed Money Printing - WOW
Who'd have thought we'd see the day when MSNBC actually runs a story on the Federal Reserve printing too much money?
I mean, wow...this story just doesn't get reported.
I believe they're wrong that these protests and revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa are simply due to higher food and commodity costs, but what do you expect? It's mainstream media. If they can't spin it, they wont report it.
That said, admission by the MSM, especially MSNBC, that the Federal Reserve is printing too much money - times are definitely changing.
Get ready for a wild 2011...
I mean, wow...this story just doesn't get reported.
I believe they're wrong that these protests and revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa are simply due to higher food and commodity costs, but what do you expect? It's mainstream media. If they can't spin it, they wont report it.
That said, admission by the MSM, especially MSNBC, that the Federal Reserve is printing too much money - times are definitely changing.
Get ready for a wild 2011...
2.24.2011
Protests, Revolution and A Whole Lot of Stupid People
Reading this article today, Middle East Chaos: What To Learn And What To Expect, I couldn't help but think of all the banter I've witnessed, and often been a part of, on the various forums as of late. There seems to have developed several distinct camps on the issue of the protests and the whole idea of revolution here in the US.
Camp 1 is the original protesters. These are the people who took to the streets, etc, early on in the game - the ones who warned of protests before there were protests, then followed through with the protests they had threatened. They don't appear to talk of revolution, nor do they publicly declare support for right or left as part of their protests. Camp 1 took to the streets simply because they were wronged by bad legislation. They don't froth at the mouth spouting rhetoric they first heard on their favorite daytime talk radio show.
Camp 2, however, is composed of those with a liberal, thieving mindset. They believe wholeheartedly that NPR, the Democratic Underground, ObamaNation, etc, are all out for the American people's best interests. It's the camp where nothing but the ideologies of liberlalist, socialist leaders are being used as rallying cries among the people. These people are not actually protesting anything resembling the real issue themselves, but somehow believe they are playing a central role in some great "revolution" by simply frothing at the mouth about how tough teachers have it and how those "republicans" are such bad people. Engaging these people in meaningful dialogue is pointless as they truly believe that our government should spend this country into extinction in order to pay the way for "the children" and "the poor". These people don't realize that our founding fathers founded a Republic, not a Democracy, and somehow never understood the difference between the two.
Camp 3 is the "conservative" mindset where such people as the co-opted "tea partiers" and the avid Glen Beckers, along with the traditional Bushites and Limbaugh listeners, are lining up to do nothing but insult the Midwest protesters and those who support them, then declare their unbridled support for the Governor of Wisconsin. Their camp seems to knowingly dismiss the most glaring issues behind the "unrest", from the Koch Brothers support to the implied, thinly veiled threat of National Guard use, pointed out at the onset of the protests by even their own neo-con talking heads. They believe their camp is somehow more intelligent, and therefore important (and more powerful), than Camp 2, and they believe any talk of revolution is simply related to the stupidity of it. Somehow, they are incapable of seeing the fascist and socialist ideologies running their own political party of choice, and they, like Camp 2, are impossible to engage in meaningful dialogue because of this.
Camps 2 and 3, in typical American fashion, believe they are the only camps who exist. It's "us versus them" and nothing more. These two camps are also, unsurprisingly, the center of the media circus surrounding the events in the Midwest.
Contrary to the previous three camps, Camp 4 is full of avid conspiracy theorists, mostly those of the more matured generation, in whose circles it's plain as day that "The Powers That Be" are trying to co-opt the "unrest" in the Midwest after successfully doing so in the Middle East and North Africa. They are at times sickeningly cynical and continuously talk of the plan to introduce martial law should any more people pick up signs and take to the streets. It's hard to argue with this camp simply because they're right on basically every single point they make. This camp, however, no matter how much they hate the current status quo and what has become of this country, somehow refuse to even entertain the idea that something good could come from this small but significant event.
The final camp, Camp 5, is composed of the younger "conspiracy theorists". They've read the books, threads and posts from those of Camp 4. They've watched shocking documentaries most of their lives dealing with the corruption and deception at the highest levels of their own government. They see clearly the idiocy and blindness of Camps 2 and 3. They see "the error in the ways" of even Camp 1. But being young and enthusiastic, full of dreams of "something better", Camp 5 is optimistic about a real change and keeps trying to steer the conversation toward the truly relevant topics of today. They are quick to jump all over the asinine rhetoric from Camps 2 and 3, and carefully attempt to debate the defeatism occasionally spouted by those in Camp 4. They support Camp 1's cause while placing it into a larger perspective, weaving a tapestry of corruption and deception that spans well beyond the thinly veiled threat and obvious "private ownership" of the Governor of Wisconsin. Camp 5 is the embodiment of a real revolution taking place in this country. Camp 5 is also the minority camp with the smallest voice.
In the article (also linked above), Giordano Bruno lays out our current situation clearly. Because he did a much better job than I can right now, I'll simply quote him here (emphasis added):
"The fact is, state governments are beyond broke, and eventually, they will have to nix spending and entitlement programs regardless of how anyone is affected, especially in the face of unchecked inflation. State employees and all people dependent on welfare are not necessarily the culprits behind financial clear-cutting either. The argument cannot be allowed to devolve into a mindless cage match over who deserves the money, because, first, there is no money, and second, this distracts from the original cause of the distress; the corporate banking elites who instigated the disaster in the first place. Already, I can see a certain subsection of the populace lashing out wildly at figureheads and opposition parties, just like in Egypt, instead of the corrupt system and the banking moguls who built it.
...
Some may welcome such bedlam as a sign of change. I don’t see it that way. Revolution without direction, without a plan, and without a clear understanding of the source of the problem, is meaningless. We can allow ourselves to be herded by our own rage into even more pronounced tyranny, or we can stay focused, collected, and act with purpose by organizing our communities with the objective of self sufficiency and self protection. We can work with state legislators to bring support to Tenth Amendment issues, giving them the strength to withstand an economic collapse and the ability to turn down DHS or FEMA’s 'help' when the time comes. We can organize intelligently, without centralized control, or we can hand over our destinies to yet another elite group of unaccountable autocrats. As impossible as it might seem, the choice really is up to us. How we act and react in the coming months will mean the difference between a free and prosperous America, or a scorch mark in the annals of history."
Which camp do you find yourself in, honestly? You know where I stand.
Camp 1 is the original protesters. These are the people who took to the streets, etc, early on in the game - the ones who warned of protests before there were protests, then followed through with the protests they had threatened. They don't appear to talk of revolution, nor do they publicly declare support for right or left as part of their protests. Camp 1 took to the streets simply because they were wronged by bad legislation. They don't froth at the mouth spouting rhetoric they first heard on their favorite daytime talk radio show.
Camp 2, however, is composed of those with a liberal, thieving mindset. They believe wholeheartedly that NPR, the Democratic Underground, ObamaNation, etc, are all out for the American people's best interests. It's the camp where nothing but the ideologies of liberlalist, socialist leaders are being used as rallying cries among the people. These people are not actually protesting anything resembling the real issue themselves, but somehow believe they are playing a central role in some great "revolution" by simply frothing at the mouth about how tough teachers have it and how those "republicans" are such bad people. Engaging these people in meaningful dialogue is pointless as they truly believe that our government should spend this country into extinction in order to pay the way for "the children" and "the poor". These people don't realize that our founding fathers founded a Republic, not a Democracy, and somehow never understood the difference between the two.
Camp 3 is the "conservative" mindset where such people as the co-opted "tea partiers" and the avid Glen Beckers, along with the traditional Bushites and Limbaugh listeners, are lining up to do nothing but insult the Midwest protesters and those who support them, then declare their unbridled support for the Governor of Wisconsin. Their camp seems to knowingly dismiss the most glaring issues behind the "unrest", from the Koch Brothers support to the implied, thinly veiled threat of National Guard use, pointed out at the onset of the protests by even their own neo-con talking heads. They believe their camp is somehow more intelligent, and therefore important (and more powerful), than Camp 2, and they believe any talk of revolution is simply related to the stupidity of it. Somehow, they are incapable of seeing the fascist and socialist ideologies running their own political party of choice, and they, like Camp 2, are impossible to engage in meaningful dialogue because of this.
Camps 2 and 3, in typical American fashion, believe they are the only camps who exist. It's "us versus them" and nothing more. These two camps are also, unsurprisingly, the center of the media circus surrounding the events in the Midwest.
Contrary to the previous three camps, Camp 4 is full of avid conspiracy theorists, mostly those of the more matured generation, in whose circles it's plain as day that "The Powers That Be" are trying to co-opt the "unrest" in the Midwest after successfully doing so in the Middle East and North Africa. They are at times sickeningly cynical and continuously talk of the plan to introduce martial law should any more people pick up signs and take to the streets. It's hard to argue with this camp simply because they're right on basically every single point they make. This camp, however, no matter how much they hate the current status quo and what has become of this country, somehow refuse to even entertain the idea that something good could come from this small but significant event.
The final camp, Camp 5, is composed of the younger "conspiracy theorists". They've read the books, threads and posts from those of Camp 4. They've watched shocking documentaries most of their lives dealing with the corruption and deception at the highest levels of their own government. They see clearly the idiocy and blindness of Camps 2 and 3. They see "the error in the ways" of even Camp 1. But being young and enthusiastic, full of dreams of "something better", Camp 5 is optimistic about a real change and keeps trying to steer the conversation toward the truly relevant topics of today. They are quick to jump all over the asinine rhetoric from Camps 2 and 3, and carefully attempt to debate the defeatism occasionally spouted by those in Camp 4. They support Camp 1's cause while placing it into a larger perspective, weaving a tapestry of corruption and deception that spans well beyond the thinly veiled threat and obvious "private ownership" of the Governor of Wisconsin. Camp 5 is the embodiment of a real revolution taking place in this country. Camp 5 is also the minority camp with the smallest voice.
In the article (also linked above), Giordano Bruno lays out our current situation clearly. Because he did a much better job than I can right now, I'll simply quote him here (emphasis added):
"The fact is, state governments are beyond broke, and eventually, they will have to nix spending and entitlement programs regardless of how anyone is affected, especially in the face of unchecked inflation. State employees and all people dependent on welfare are not necessarily the culprits behind financial clear-cutting either. The argument cannot be allowed to devolve into a mindless cage match over who deserves the money, because, first, there is no money, and second, this distracts from the original cause of the distress; the corporate banking elites who instigated the disaster in the first place. Already, I can see a certain subsection of the populace lashing out wildly at figureheads and opposition parties, just like in Egypt, instead of the corrupt system and the banking moguls who built it.
...
Some may welcome such bedlam as a sign of change. I don’t see it that way. Revolution without direction, without a plan, and without a clear understanding of the source of the problem, is meaningless. We can allow ourselves to be herded by our own rage into even more pronounced tyranny, or we can stay focused, collected, and act with purpose by organizing our communities with the objective of self sufficiency and self protection. We can work with state legislators to bring support to Tenth Amendment issues, giving them the strength to withstand an economic collapse and the ability to turn down DHS or FEMA’s 'help' when the time comes. We can organize intelligently, without centralized control, or we can hand over our destinies to yet another elite group of unaccountable autocrats. As impossible as it might seem, the choice really is up to us. How we act and react in the coming months will mean the difference between a free and prosperous America, or a scorch mark in the annals of history."
Which camp do you find yourself in, honestly? You know where I stand.
2.17.2011
Wisconsin Protests and Web Bot "HOLE Incident"
It's been developing for a few days now, but sort of "in the background". Today, however, it's grabbing the top headlines on Drudge. Firstly, let's get an idea of what's going on and how this all started.
The story goes like this: The federal government in the US is broke. Nearly every state government in the US is broke. Wisconsin finds itself at number 28 when ranked against all the other states based on state and local debt in the year 2010, ranked low to high (dollar amounts in billions). The US Debt Clock website shows, as of writing this, current debt per citizen in Wisconsin stands at $7,689.
Could it be worse? Sure could - look at California on that chart...ALL the way down on the bottom with the highest debt figure - $433.5 billion. That's roughly 11 times the amount of state and local debt, for the year 2010, as Wisconsin had. Yet the debt per citizen there is only showing as $9,815 on their State Debt Clock page, which is not significantly higher than Wisconsin's. Why? Simple - California has a much higher population. With a higher population, the debt is sort of "spread thin" amongst the people and each person's slice of the "fiscal irresponsibility pie" is that much smaller. There's a similar situation when you look to Massachusetts, which ranks at number 44 with roughly $98.7 billion of state and local debt, yet due to the lower population shows a whopping debt per citizen of $15,392 on the state's Debt Clock page.
So it's obvious at this point that the state of Wisconsin is broke, even if they're not as bad off as many others. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker knows this and proposed a bill that would help fill in the $137 million "hole in the state budget" this year and the $3.2 billion "hole" by mid-2013, which sounds like a good idea. Put the fires out before things rage out of control like they have in other states, right? The plan he outlines in the bill would require public employees to pay around 5.5% into their pension plans, a significant increase in Wisconsin but actually about the average nationwide. Also, public employees would have their health insurance premiums increased to about 12%, which is about half the national average. That all sounds pretty damn reasonable - and smart. Yet, we see this:
So why in bloody hell are these people protesting? Are they not willing to help get their own state back on track, reigning in the irresponsible spending practices and criminal underfunding that's been taking place for years?
Now, this is where the Governor of Wisconsin overstepped. His bill aims to remove basically all the public employee rights to collective bargaining. That means unions would lose the right to negotiate on issues like working hours, training, health and safety, or overtime. The bill does allow unions the right to use collective bargaining on matters of wages/salary, but otherwise strips away the power of unions to do much of anything constructive.
That's why people in Wisconsin started protesting. The fact that the Governor then overstepped again, threatening the use of the National Guard to break up the protests, just adds fuel to the fire.
Yeah, now we're starting to see the bigger picture. Basically threatening the use of force to stop peaceful protests over controversial legislation. No wonder this is becoming front page news!
[Edit 2-18: Feel I need to address the issue of whether or not the Governor actually threatened the use of National Guard troops to "quash protesters" - his original statement on last week was ambiguous at best and was styled, in my and many others opinions, to intimate this and he has, in fact, stated even in his clarification that the National Guard troops will be used for any purposes he sees fit. Again, while never explicitly stating that he plans to impose police state measures by rolling out National Guard troops (freshly returned from active battle) as an impromptu police force, this is still a real possibility that the Governor of Wisconsin has previously hinted at.]
Now, on to the seriously freaky web bot connection, which caused me to write this post.
This is from the Shape Of Things To Come report released in January (emphasis added):
on page 3: "The reader needs to be advised that *some* texts within this report will point to specific instances of upcoming violent events without providing additional descriptors of the event, though peripheral elements not germane but pertinent may well be provided. Got that? When you see an obvious 'hole' in the text, there is a good reason for it to be there."
on page 31: "The [destruction of civil life] sub set contains repeated references to [civil unrest] and [riots], as well as [armed insurrection]. This last is cross linked extensively to the TPTW and Markets entities. Within the [destruction of civil life] sub set are the previously described (in past ALTA reports) instances of [mob action] that results in the [burning alive] of [minions] and ['power elites'] and their [families]. The HOLE incident will act as a [spark] to [spreading contagion] {ednote: from the words to-be-used by the political minions} that is indicated to [start a riot] in an [urban area (north of DC)] that will itself [spread like fire]. The data sets are showing a lot of support for the [riots] sub set through Spring and Summer, but the [mother of all riots] does not appear within our data sets until later in HOLE."
and on page 43: "The SpaceGoatFarts entity also has some hints that the aware observer should keep a wary eye out for the appearance of the [planet-terran society] in 2011. This [group of planet-terrans] will be worth watching. The effective temporal markers include the [aftermath] of some [riots (in usofa, east coast, likely Spring)] that will [unleash (big) stink (across the nation}]. Note HOLE"
Welcome to the "Budget Hole" people. Holy freaking crap, it has begun. If this is right, it looks like the National Guard will be used...and the people aren't gonna like that one bit. Time to hunker down with your pie/popcorn and order that shortwave radio you've had on your need-to-get prep list for the last two years.
The story goes like this: The federal government in the US is broke. Nearly every state government in the US is broke. Wisconsin finds itself at number 28 when ranked against all the other states based on state and local debt in the year 2010, ranked low to high (dollar amounts in billions). The US Debt Clock website shows, as of writing this, current debt per citizen in Wisconsin stands at $7,689.
Could it be worse? Sure could - look at California on that chart...ALL the way down on the bottom with the highest debt figure - $433.5 billion. That's roughly 11 times the amount of state and local debt, for the year 2010, as Wisconsin had. Yet the debt per citizen there is only showing as $9,815 on their State Debt Clock page, which is not significantly higher than Wisconsin's. Why? Simple - California has a much higher population. With a higher population, the debt is sort of "spread thin" amongst the people and each person's slice of the "fiscal irresponsibility pie" is that much smaller. There's a similar situation when you look to Massachusetts, which ranks at number 44 with roughly $98.7 billion of state and local debt, yet due to the lower population shows a whopping debt per citizen of $15,392 on the state's Debt Clock page.
So it's obvious at this point that the state of Wisconsin is broke, even if they're not as bad off as many others. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker knows this and proposed a bill that would help fill in the $137 million "hole in the state budget" this year and the $3.2 billion "hole" by mid-2013, which sounds like a good idea. Put the fires out before things rage out of control like they have in other states, right? The plan he outlines in the bill would require public employees to pay around 5.5% into their pension plans, a significant increase in Wisconsin but actually about the average nationwide. Also, public employees would have their health insurance premiums increased to about 12%, which is about half the national average. That all sounds pretty damn reasonable - and smart. Yet, we see this:
So why in bloody hell are these people protesting? Are they not willing to help get their own state back on track, reigning in the irresponsible spending practices and criminal underfunding that's been taking place for years?
Now, this is where the Governor of Wisconsin overstepped. His bill aims to remove basically all the public employee rights to collective bargaining. That means unions would lose the right to negotiate on issues like working hours, training, health and safety, or overtime. The bill does allow unions the right to use collective bargaining on matters of wages/salary, but otherwise strips away the power of unions to do much of anything constructive.
That's why people in Wisconsin started protesting. The fact that the Governor then overstepped again, threatening the use of the National Guard to break up the protests, just adds fuel to the fire.
Yeah, now we're starting to see the bigger picture. Basically threatening the use of force to stop peaceful protests over controversial legislation. No wonder this is becoming front page news!
[Edit 2-18: Feel I need to address the issue of whether or not the Governor actually threatened the use of National Guard troops to "quash protesters" - his original statement on last week was ambiguous at best and was styled, in my and many others opinions, to intimate this and he has, in fact, stated even in his clarification that the National Guard troops will be used for any purposes he sees fit. Again, while never explicitly stating that he plans to impose police state measures by rolling out National Guard troops (freshly returned from active battle) as an impromptu police force, this is still a real possibility that the Governor of Wisconsin has previously hinted at.]
Now, on to the seriously freaky web bot connection, which caused me to write this post.
This is from the Shape Of Things To Come report released in January (emphasis added):
on page 3: "The reader needs to be advised that *some* texts within this report will point to specific instances of upcoming violent events without providing additional descriptors of the event, though peripheral elements not germane but pertinent may well be provided. Got that? When you see an obvious 'hole' in the text, there is a good reason for it to be there."
on page 31: "The [destruction of civil life] sub set contains repeated references to [civil unrest] and [riots], as well as [armed insurrection]. This last is cross linked extensively to the TPTW and Markets entities. Within the [destruction of civil life] sub set are the previously described (in past ALTA reports) instances of [mob action] that results in the [burning alive] of [minions] and ['power elites'] and their [families]. The HOLE incident will act as a [spark] to [spreading contagion] {ednote: from the words to-be-used by the political minions} that is indicated to [start a riot] in an [urban area (north of DC)] that will itself [spread like fire]. The data sets are showing a lot of support for the [riots] sub set through Spring and Summer, but the [mother of all riots] does not appear within our data sets until later in HOLE."
and on page 43: "The SpaceGoatFarts entity also has some hints that the aware observer should keep a wary eye out for the appearance of the [planet-terran society] in 2011. This [group of planet-terrans] will be worth watching. The effective temporal markers include the [aftermath] of some [riots (in usofa, east coast, likely Spring)] that will [unleash (big) stink (across the nation}]. Note HOLE"
Welcome to the "Budget Hole" people. Holy freaking crap, it has begun. If this is right, it looks like the National Guard will be used...and the people aren't gonna like that one bit. Time to hunker down with your pie/popcorn and order that shortwave radio you've had on your need-to-get prep list for the last two years.
2.10.2011
It's All Just Happening So FAST...I Can't Keep Up!
Those of us who attempt to keep up on the crap going down in the world are finding ourselves at a serious disadvantage over the last few months. Between the "revolutions" going on overseas, the global economic crises and the increasingly painful deaths of fiat currencies, the weather anomalies and mass bird and fish kills, and the beginning of what could be one of the most important sessions of the US Congress in the last 60 years, it's all too much to keep track of.
Firstly, this "revolution meme" is certainly catching - Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, etc, etc...even reports of solidarity protests in China... Thinking about this, spurred on by posts at abovetopsecret.com, I realized that the elitists must have had their hands in this cookie jar for a good long time. The protest and ensuing "revolution" in Tunisia was what we in the US saw as the beginning of all this, but where did that start? Sure, some well educated dude couldn't find work and, in a desperate attempt to survive, attempted to sell fruit on the side of the road...long story short, the police didn't like that and he ended up burning himself alive (self-immolation) over the whole ordeal. The protests and riots ensued shortly thereafter... But why were the people of Tunisia ready to protest in the first place? You see, obviously, the act of self-immolation by one man does not in-and-of-itself begin a revolution - it does, however, act as a rallying cry...a flash-point, if you will.
The simple, obvious answer is WikiLeaks. People were already angry.. People were already struggling to survive and being horrifically oppressed.. But the revelations by the WikiLeaks CableGate releases of the Tunisian government's seemingly endless corruption was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. It affirmed all their worst fears and embarrassed the people as a whole - how could they let this happen in their own country? Imagine, if you will, that WikiLeaks had released a diplomatic cable stating that, in fact, Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii. Do you not think that American's would take to the streets? Well, wait...maybe America's a bad example. You get my meaning though.
The oblivious puppet Assange was secretly handed the perfect documents to begin an elitist-controlled revolution that would quickly spread throughout North Africa's and the Middle East's resource-rich nations. How convenient for them.
It still didn't fully sink in for me, however, until I bothered to take a closer look at what's going on in Egypt... Today, this article from the "Land Destroyer" blog was syndicated on Infowars.com and outlined some interesting details. It turns out that the power elite have had their man of choice, ElBaradei, campaigning since Feb 2010. ElBaradei, as you know, acted as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and has been sitting on the Board of Trustees of the US foreign policy think-tank International Crises Group for some time. Interesting enough in and of itself.
He also played an integral role in establishing the National Front for Change (another "change we can believe in", perhaps), which included the Muslim Brotherhood we've heard so much about in the mainstream media. Also included in the list of groups within this "front" is the April 6 group, who have played one of the biggest roles in organizing protests via Facebook and Twitter. Would you believe that they're supported by "Movement.org"? That group is "sponsored" by entities such as MTV, Pepsi and even Google. Yeah - the same Google that's been in the news so often for privacy invasion and other forms of "doing evil". The same MTV that teaches young girls to dress and act like whores. The same Pepsi that is literally stealing water resources in places like the Great Lakes.
So, long story short, that whole thing has been being controlled from behind the scenes by the very same people the protesters think they're fighting against. Great news, isn't it?
Next up, let's take a quick look at the ridiculous, spiralling out of control, global economic meltdown that is taking place. The part of this I want to focus on this time around, of course, ties in closely with the weather anomalies the world has experienced in the past couple years. You see, if you thought the mortgage/foreclosure crises and derivatives bubble stuff was bad, go take a look at what's happening with food now. Over the last few years, the entire world has been dipping into reserves of wheat, and with the weather acting up the way it is, the situation has become even more dire. The massive heat-wave in Russia last summer and the flooding in Australia last month are only the biggest, in your face examples of how much the weather is screwing up our food supplies.
Extreme weather events in China, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Europe, Canada and the US are quickly hacking away at what we're able to put away as reserves each year, and we're getting close to living hand-to-mouth. Is the extreme weather part of a natural cycle? Is it because of anthropogenic global warming? Is it being caused by "weather wars"? My answer to that is a simple "yes". You name it, it's probably contributing to what's happening. At this point, I wouldn't even deny that inter-dimensional space reptiles have their hand in it. The fact is, shit's getting bad out there, and we're about to feel the effects full-on. Already, corn prices are up some 92% and wheat is up around 80%. This translates to higher prices on a broad range of foods, including meats and dairy, processed foods (which you shouldn't be eating anyway) and even "your daily bread". It will even translate to higher gas prices in many places as GMO corn is used to make that ethanol in your gasoline blends.
Add in to this the facts that pesticides (and cellphones and chemtrails and whatever else you want to name) seem to be killing off our pollinators, the increasingly acidic rain and mineral depletion in the soils are making our crops weaker and more prone to disease and parasite infections, and that increasingly hostile weather conditions, swinging from extreme heat and dry to cool and wet, or any combination thereof, are becoming ever so common, and you have a very precarious future for even those things outside the group of foods we call "staples" (wheat, corn, rice, etc).
Food prices are going up, and it's already happening fast. Here in Florida, the cold snaps in November/December sent produce prices up initially. Just as they started to level, of course, cold snaps in Mexico caused them to go up even higher than before. Green Bell peppers are currently running $1/each ON SALE! This as opposed to the wonderful sale prices you could get even last year, which wasn't much better on the "cold front", at 25 or 50 cents each.
As the prices go up across the board, everyone will be left with less money to spend on other "essentials" like big-screen 3D plasma TVs and box-sets of "Lost". Can you spell "unemployment"? Imagine the job losses we will incur as people tighten their belts, yet again, because they're struggling to put a box or two of mac and cheese on the table every week. The hardest hit in the US? My prediction on that is the so-called "big box stores". Kiss your low-paying stock-boy job goodbye as they downsize again and again over the next 12 months. We may even see some burger-flipping jobs disappear as people find they can no longer afford the "$10 Menu" (yeah, inflation's a bitch, isn't it?).
With all this stuff going on, it's no wonder I find myself overwhelmed. If you're not, you're obviously not paying attention. Keep in mind, I haven't even touched on these mass bird and fish kills that are still ongoing since late December of 2010. Yeah, they're still happening, and world-wide. Some of them are, I'm sure, just that usual background noise from overpopulation of a particular species or other natural environmental causes like red tide or outbreaks of disease. There's too many of them, though, and a good chunk can't be just written off as "normal".
And the Congress...and the Senate...and Ron Paul with his House Subcommittee for Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology...and ObamaCare...and the Patriot Act...and you freaking name it...
My head's spinning again. Let me go focus on something more mundane for a while - then maybe I'll post more later.
Firstly, this "revolution meme" is certainly catching - Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, etc, etc...even reports of solidarity protests in China... Thinking about this, spurred on by posts at abovetopsecret.com, I realized that the elitists must have had their hands in this cookie jar for a good long time. The protest and ensuing "revolution" in Tunisia was what we in the US saw as the beginning of all this, but where did that start? Sure, some well educated dude couldn't find work and, in a desperate attempt to survive, attempted to sell fruit on the side of the road...long story short, the police didn't like that and he ended up burning himself alive (self-immolation) over the whole ordeal. The protests and riots ensued shortly thereafter... But why were the people of Tunisia ready to protest in the first place? You see, obviously, the act of self-immolation by one man does not in-and-of-itself begin a revolution - it does, however, act as a rallying cry...a flash-point, if you will.
The simple, obvious answer is WikiLeaks. People were already angry.. People were already struggling to survive and being horrifically oppressed.. But the revelations by the WikiLeaks CableGate releases of the Tunisian government's seemingly endless corruption was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. It affirmed all their worst fears and embarrassed the people as a whole - how could they let this happen in their own country? Imagine, if you will, that WikiLeaks had released a diplomatic cable stating that, in fact, Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii. Do you not think that American's would take to the streets? Well, wait...maybe America's a bad example. You get my meaning though.
The oblivious puppet Assange was secretly handed the perfect documents to begin an elitist-controlled revolution that would quickly spread throughout North Africa's and the Middle East's resource-rich nations. How convenient for them.
It still didn't fully sink in for me, however, until I bothered to take a closer look at what's going on in Egypt... Today, this article from the "Land Destroyer" blog was syndicated on Infowars.com and outlined some interesting details. It turns out that the power elite have had their man of choice, ElBaradei, campaigning since Feb 2010. ElBaradei, as you know, acted as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and has been sitting on the Board of Trustees of the US foreign policy think-tank International Crises Group for some time. Interesting enough in and of itself.
He also played an integral role in establishing the National Front for Change (another "change we can believe in", perhaps), which included the Muslim Brotherhood we've heard so much about in the mainstream media. Also included in the list of groups within this "front" is the April 6 group, who have played one of the biggest roles in organizing protests via Facebook and Twitter. Would you believe that they're supported by "Movement.org"? That group is "sponsored" by entities such as MTV, Pepsi and even Google. Yeah - the same Google that's been in the news so often for privacy invasion and other forms of "doing evil". The same MTV that teaches young girls to dress and act like whores. The same Pepsi that is literally stealing water resources in places like the Great Lakes.
So, long story short, that whole thing has been being controlled from behind the scenes by the very same people the protesters think they're fighting against. Great news, isn't it?
Next up, let's take a quick look at the ridiculous, spiralling out of control, global economic meltdown that is taking place. The part of this I want to focus on this time around, of course, ties in closely with the weather anomalies the world has experienced in the past couple years. You see, if you thought the mortgage/foreclosure crises and derivatives bubble stuff was bad, go take a look at what's happening with food now. Over the last few years, the entire world has been dipping into reserves of wheat, and with the weather acting up the way it is, the situation has become even more dire. The massive heat-wave in Russia last summer and the flooding in Australia last month are only the biggest, in your face examples of how much the weather is screwing up our food supplies.
Extreme weather events in China, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Europe, Canada and the US are quickly hacking away at what we're able to put away as reserves each year, and we're getting close to living hand-to-mouth. Is the extreme weather part of a natural cycle? Is it because of anthropogenic global warming? Is it being caused by "weather wars"? My answer to that is a simple "yes". You name it, it's probably contributing to what's happening. At this point, I wouldn't even deny that inter-dimensional space reptiles have their hand in it. The fact is, shit's getting bad out there, and we're about to feel the effects full-on. Already, corn prices are up some 92% and wheat is up around 80%. This translates to higher prices on a broad range of foods, including meats and dairy, processed foods (which you shouldn't be eating anyway) and even "your daily bread". It will even translate to higher gas prices in many places as GMO corn is used to make that ethanol in your gasoline blends.
Add in to this the facts that pesticides (and cellphones and chemtrails and whatever else you want to name) seem to be killing off our pollinators, the increasingly acidic rain and mineral depletion in the soils are making our crops weaker and more prone to disease and parasite infections, and that increasingly hostile weather conditions, swinging from extreme heat and dry to cool and wet, or any combination thereof, are becoming ever so common, and you have a very precarious future for even those things outside the group of foods we call "staples" (wheat, corn, rice, etc).
Food prices are going up, and it's already happening fast. Here in Florida, the cold snaps in November/December sent produce prices up initially. Just as they started to level, of course, cold snaps in Mexico caused them to go up even higher than before. Green Bell peppers are currently running $1/each ON SALE! This as opposed to the wonderful sale prices you could get even last year, which wasn't much better on the "cold front", at 25 or 50 cents each.
As the prices go up across the board, everyone will be left with less money to spend on other "essentials" like big-screen 3D plasma TVs and box-sets of "Lost". Can you spell "unemployment"? Imagine the job losses we will incur as people tighten their belts, yet again, because they're struggling to put a box or two of mac and cheese on the table every week. The hardest hit in the US? My prediction on that is the so-called "big box stores". Kiss your low-paying stock-boy job goodbye as they downsize again and again over the next 12 months. We may even see some burger-flipping jobs disappear as people find they can no longer afford the "$10 Menu" (yeah, inflation's a bitch, isn't it?).
With all this stuff going on, it's no wonder I find myself overwhelmed. If you're not, you're obviously not paying attention. Keep in mind, I haven't even touched on these mass bird and fish kills that are still ongoing since late December of 2010. Yeah, they're still happening, and world-wide. Some of them are, I'm sure, just that usual background noise from overpopulation of a particular species or other natural environmental causes like red tide or outbreaks of disease. There's too many of them, though, and a good chunk can't be just written off as "normal".
And the Congress...and the Senate...and Ron Paul with his House Subcommittee for Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology...and ObamaCare...and the Patriot Act...and you freaking name it...
My head's spinning again. Let me go focus on something more mundane for a while - then maybe I'll post more later.
1.31.2011
Simple Solar Heating for RVs
Having lived full-time in an RV for several years now, my "green" side tends to run wild at times yielding some interesting results. With the economy just totally sucking the way it does, and so many people ending up living in campers "not by choice", some of these quirky projects from my past may be invaluable. This will be the first of a series of posts where I share some of these projects.
For those of you living in a location that receives cold winters, this project might prove invaluable. It saved me hundreds of dollars in heating costs while living in central New Hampshire, and only cost less than $50 to set up!
Firstly, here's an animated gif that demonstrates simple passive solar heating. With just a basic understanding of how this works, you'll probably find yourself coming up with some pretty cool ideas on how to harness the power of the sun. Keep in mind that the amount of heat generated when sunlight hits black collector plates is substantial - up to 800 or even 1200 BTUs per square foot! That easily translated to air temperatures of 50 to 100 degrees warmer coming out of the heater than the air that goes in.
I tried various ideas, from what I called a "solar curtain" hung in my kitchen window to various simple window collectors made from old cardboard boxes spray painted black. They certainly worked, and worked well, but I knew I could do better. Plus, all the projects I had been trying would just recycle the stale indoor air. You see, I smoke cigarettes and absolutely refuse to "smoke outside" in the middle of a New Hampshire winter. I wanted a way to pipe in heated fresh air from outside.
The solution was to set up some solar collectors on the outside of my camper, one on each south-facing window. To ensure the temperature of the air coming in to the camper was good and hot, I used 12V computer fans (hooked into my RV's 12V system of course) to blow the air in through the window when a thermostat registers high enough temperatures.
The "collector plates" were simply thin sheets of wood, painted black and taped to the side of my camper. I used 1x2 lumber to create a simple frame for securing the clear plastic (.7 mil). The cold outside air entered through the bottom of the collector and heated up against the black collector plates. The heated air naturally rose to the top of the collector, where it was then blown inside by a computer fan.
Outside air temperatures were around 30 degrees on the day I took these photos. By 3:30pm, the temperatures inside the collector were over 110 degrees and the temperature of the air blowing into the camper was about 87 degrees.
A cheap programmable thermostat, set to the "cool" mode, monitored the air temperature inside the collector. When the temp was above my setting of 80 degrees, it sent power, as though it were turning on the AC, to the computer fans. When the air inside the collector cooled down, either because the sun was beginning to set or it had gone behind clouds, the thermostat stopped sending power and the fans shut off.
Like I said, this system saved me hundreds of dollars in heating costs over the course of that one winter, and the total cost to set it up was less than $50. There were problems with the system, of course: on windy nights, cold air would often sneak through creating drafts. Overall, though, this system was a huge success.
Watch for my post about a makeshift "sun room" made from plastic and electrical conduit that ended up saving me over a thousand dollars AND provided fresh greens all winter!
For those of you living in a location that receives cold winters, this project might prove invaluable. It saved me hundreds of dollars in heating costs while living in central New Hampshire, and only cost less than $50 to set up!
Firstly, here's an animated gif that demonstrates simple passive solar heating. With just a basic understanding of how this works, you'll probably find yourself coming up with some pretty cool ideas on how to harness the power of the sun. Keep in mind that the amount of heat generated when sunlight hits black collector plates is substantial - up to 800 or even 1200 BTUs per square foot! That easily translated to air temperatures of 50 to 100 degrees warmer coming out of the heater than the air that goes in.
I tried various ideas, from what I called a "solar curtain" hung in my kitchen window to various simple window collectors made from old cardboard boxes spray painted black. They certainly worked, and worked well, but I knew I could do better. Plus, all the projects I had been trying would just recycle the stale indoor air. You see, I smoke cigarettes and absolutely refuse to "smoke outside" in the middle of a New Hampshire winter. I wanted a way to pipe in heated fresh air from outside.
The "collector plates" were simply thin sheets of wood, painted black and taped to the side of my camper. I used 1x2 lumber to create a simple frame for securing the clear plastic (.7 mil). The cold outside air entered through the bottom of the collector and heated up against the black collector plates. The heated air naturally rose to the top of the collector, where it was then blown inside by a computer fan.
Outside air temperatures were around 30 degrees on the day I took these photos. By 3:30pm, the temperatures inside the collector were over 110 degrees and the temperature of the air blowing into the camper was about 87 degrees.
 |  |
| Kitchen window collector Fan is not in operation (note plastic flap) | Bedroom window collector Fan in operation |
 |  |
| Thermostat in operation At 80* and above, the thermostat sends 12V power to the fans | Air temperatures in operation Numbers top to bottom: temp of air blowing in, temp inside the collector and humidity |
A cheap programmable thermostat, set to the "cool" mode, monitored the air temperature inside the collector. When the temp was above my setting of 80 degrees, it sent power, as though it were turning on the AC, to the computer fans. When the air inside the collector cooled down, either because the sun was beginning to set or it had gone behind clouds, the thermostat stopped sending power and the fans shut off.
Like I said, this system saved me hundreds of dollars in heating costs over the course of that one winter, and the total cost to set it up was less than $50. There were problems with the system, of course: on windy nights, cold air would often sneak through creating drafts. Overall, though, this system was a huge success.
Watch for my post about a makeshift "sun room" made from plastic and electrical conduit that ended up saving me over a thousand dollars AND provided fresh greens all winter!
1.28.2011
Mike Ruppert Says We're In It
Here we go - Mike Ruppert is now telling us that we're in it - that this is, in fact, the beginning of the systemic collapse he's been calling for. One thing that comes to mind is the "mokers", as in "run amok", that the web bots have been pointing to...it certainly fits considering so many people are actually burning themselves alive in protest.
YouTube Link
YouTube Link
1.20.2011
The 8th US Saturn Return - Part 1
In my last post about the US natal chart, I concerned myself specifically with the solar eclipse of January 4th. This time, I'd like to share some insights into what the US, as a nation, may be going through during this, it's 8th Saturn return.
In part 1 of this 3 part, extended post, I will first review the previous Saturn returns and the events that coincided with them so we can better understand the nature of what Saturn returns mean to the US natal chart. In The 8th US Saturn Return - Part 2, I also review some of the other planetary placements during these previous returns, specifically Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. In part 3, I will take a closer look at the current Saturn return, including the US natal "personal planets", and offer an analysis of what challenges may be in store for the US.
With the first return, which occurred over the period from December of 1804 through to September of 1805, we see circumstance similar to the one we are experiencing this time. It was a 3 part event where Saturn retrogrades over the natal Saturn placement after making the first transit, and thus makes the transit a total of 3 times over the course of less than a full year. Returns that behave this way are quite interesting as it seems to spread out the "main event", giving the native first a taste of what's to come during the initial transit, then a refresher course as Saturn transits again in retrograde, and finally a sort of "final exam" on the 3rd and final transit. Many of the returns experienced in this way see the majority of their effects during the first two transits, with the third either proving a right solution to the problems brought to surface by revealing a resolution to the issues of the day, or the third shows a sort of stalemate scenario where the issues are not resolved but instead are left to fester over the following years.
The first transit of this particular Saturn return occurred on December 16th in 1804. On November 30th, at about one degree of orb, the first wave of the Saturn return was beginning to take hold as 8 articles of impeachment were served to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. One of these charges apparently went right to the matter at hand - he had, in 1803, publicly spoken out against the repeal of the Midnight Judges Act (the Judiciary Act of 1801). Chase, being a Federalist, had quickly found himself in a minority as Thomas Jefferson's "Democratic-Republican party" (usually known as the "Jeffersonian Republicans") took hold of the US Government, and as it turned out, the impeachment was more or less just a witch hunt to rid the Supreme Court of it's one remaining Federalist.
On March 4th, Jefferson was sworn in for his second term as President, this being 2 days before the second transit, and on March 11, just 5 days after the transit, Samuel Chase was acquitted on all charges by the Senate. This was the only impeachment ever tried against a Justice of the Supreme Court in all of US history.
The third and final hit occurred on September 6th and passed without much fanfare. These transits, as a whole, however, marked the end of the Federalist parties power and the beginning of the control by the Democratic and Republican parties that are still with us today. They also marked the first presidential election to be carried out with the newly ratified 12th Amendment, fixing many of the embarrassing issues with the electoral procedures. Another point of interest is this transit marked the beginning of the tensions with Britain that eventually led to the war of 1812.
It's said that the first Saturn return marks the point of maturity, and that's exactly what happened for the US during this first return.
The second Saturn return of the US occurred in October of 1834, during the rise of the Whig party. The US public debt went to $0 - the only time in US history. However, this was also a time of extremely high inflation and speculation in real estate, spurred by the use of debt monies issued by the Second Bank of the United States, directly leading to a debt bubble that burst, causing the Panic of 1837, along with 5 years of economic depression and record high unemployment.
Again, on November 25, 1863, Saturn made the first of a 3-part return to the US natal position. This period, of course, from roughly 1861 through 1865, was the time of the American Civil War. The first transit of this return marked the beginning of a great turning point in US history, including the infamous Gettysburg Address in November 1863. Saturn transited in retrograde on April 3rd the following year and then direct on August 19th, marking the beginning of the end for the war as first President Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant as commander of the Union Armies, along with the subsequent appointment Major General Sheridan by Grant to command the Army of the Potomac. This Saturn return arguably marked the most chaotic and important periods in all of US history, deciding the literal life of the nation in a way not seen since the nation's birth.
September 30, 1893, the US experienced it's fourth Saturn return along with the Panic of 1893, the worst depression to hit the US to that date. Over 15,000 companies and 500 banks failed and unemployment rates climbed to between 17% and 19%. Homeowners began walking away from their mortgages. Eventually, the Alaskan gold rush did help to bring the economy out of the depression, but yet another panic quickly followed in 1907.
The fifth Saturn return, occurring in 3 parts on November 8, 1922, May 4, 1923 and July 29, 1923, marked the beginning of a time of economic prosperity dubbed the Roaring Twenties. The prosperity was spurred by reduced taxes, less government intrusion into private businesses and immigration reforms. However, the US Federal Reserve, established in 1913, quickly inflated the money supply by about 60% during the decade, sparking the enormous amounts of speculation in the markets and easy debt that lead to the market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression.
The return of 1952 began with Saturn going stationary only 10 seconds of arc beyond the US natal placement, marking a prolonged period of "return" transit from January 10 through February 6. Saturn then revisited the point on September 15th, completing the full return. This period marked the middle of the Korean War, considered a proxy war between western powers and the Soviet Union, as well as the first NATO military exercises and the tail-end of the height of anti-communist sentiments in the US.
The last of the previous Saturn returns occurred on October 22, 1981, and marked the middle of yet another major recession in the US, highlighted by the beginning of the Savings and Loans Crisis.
Each of these returns marked important milestones politically, economically or militarily. Each coincided with a challenge put to the US to "grow up" and take on new responsibilities while asking it to reject a system that wasn't working. When the right choices were made, the new system that manifested would endure and prove fruitful, but if the wrong choices were made, the system would fail, resulting in dire consequences being felt before the following Saturn square, approximately 7 years later, or approximately 14 years later during the Saturn opposition.
In the case of the first return, a whole new political mentality, seen through the Jeffersonian Republican party, came into power. It endured and shows signs of it's presence even today. Through the acquittal of impeachment charges by the Senate, a potentially disastrous precedent was avoided during the earliest years of the nation's life. However, we can see the seeds planted by some decisions made during this return that 7 years later sparked the war of 1812.
The third return, after a couple of smart decisions and right moves, led to the end of the American Civil War and a full reunification, ensuring the nation's survival for the many years since. Echos of this time still ring today, with President Lincoln still held as one of the most honored men to sit as president. By 7 years after the return, all southern states had been readmitted to representation in Congress, and over the 14 difficult years following the return, the Reconstruction Era steadily ground forward.
In the case of the second, fourth and fifth returns, however, the fiscal irresponsibility of the day had led to debt bubbles, market crashes, "panics" or bank runs, and economic depressions. The seventh return, also, led to a continued financial and economic turmoil due to the Savings and Loans crises, with its effects lasting for more than a decade thereafter. The sixth return proved only partially successful as new military strategies and alliances may have helped prevent nuclear war, but at the cost of calamitous wars like Vietnam 7 years later and the following half a century of tense "mutually assured destruction" mentality.
In The 8th US Saturn Return - Part 2, I take a look at some of the other planetary transits and how they affect the flavor of each of these Saturn returns. In part 3, I take a focused look at the transits of the current return and make projections of what may be in the cards as the remainder of it unfolds in the coming year.
In part 1 of this 3 part, extended post, I will first review the previous Saturn returns and the events that coincided with them so we can better understand the nature of what Saturn returns mean to the US natal chart. In The 8th US Saturn Return - Part 2, I also review some of the other planetary placements during these previous returns, specifically Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. In part 3, I will take a closer look at the current Saturn return, including the US natal "personal planets", and offer an analysis of what challenges may be in store for the US.
With the first return, which occurred over the period from December of 1804 through to September of 1805, we see circumstance similar to the one we are experiencing this time. It was a 3 part event where Saturn retrogrades over the natal Saturn placement after making the first transit, and thus makes the transit a total of 3 times over the course of less than a full year. Returns that behave this way are quite interesting as it seems to spread out the "main event", giving the native first a taste of what's to come during the initial transit, then a refresher course as Saturn transits again in retrograde, and finally a sort of "final exam" on the 3rd and final transit. Many of the returns experienced in this way see the majority of their effects during the first two transits, with the third either proving a right solution to the problems brought to surface by revealing a resolution to the issues of the day, or the third shows a sort of stalemate scenario where the issues are not resolved but instead are left to fester over the following years.
The first transit of this particular Saturn return occurred on December 16th in 1804. On November 30th, at about one degree of orb, the first wave of the Saturn return was beginning to take hold as 8 articles of impeachment were served to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. One of these charges apparently went right to the matter at hand - he had, in 1803, publicly spoken out against the repeal of the Midnight Judges Act (the Judiciary Act of 1801). Chase, being a Federalist, had quickly found himself in a minority as Thomas Jefferson's "Democratic-Republican party" (usually known as the "Jeffersonian Republicans") took hold of the US Government, and as it turned out, the impeachment was more or less just a witch hunt to rid the Supreme Court of it's one remaining Federalist.
On March 4th, Jefferson was sworn in for his second term as President, this being 2 days before the second transit, and on March 11, just 5 days after the transit, Samuel Chase was acquitted on all charges by the Senate. This was the only impeachment ever tried against a Justice of the Supreme Court in all of US history.
The third and final hit occurred on September 6th and passed without much fanfare. These transits, as a whole, however, marked the end of the Federalist parties power and the beginning of the control by the Democratic and Republican parties that are still with us today. They also marked the first presidential election to be carried out with the newly ratified 12th Amendment, fixing many of the embarrassing issues with the electoral procedures. Another point of interest is this transit marked the beginning of the tensions with Britain that eventually led to the war of 1812.
It's said that the first Saturn return marks the point of maturity, and that's exactly what happened for the US during this first return.
The second Saturn return of the US occurred in October of 1834, during the rise of the Whig party. The US public debt went to $0 - the only time in US history. However, this was also a time of extremely high inflation and speculation in real estate, spurred by the use of debt monies issued by the Second Bank of the United States, directly leading to a debt bubble that burst, causing the Panic of 1837, along with 5 years of economic depression and record high unemployment.
Again, on November 25, 1863, Saturn made the first of a 3-part return to the US natal position. This period, of course, from roughly 1861 through 1865, was the time of the American Civil War. The first transit of this return marked the beginning of a great turning point in US history, including the infamous Gettysburg Address in November 1863. Saturn transited in retrograde on April 3rd the following year and then direct on August 19th, marking the beginning of the end for the war as first President Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant as commander of the Union Armies, along with the subsequent appointment Major General Sheridan by Grant to command the Army of the Potomac. This Saturn return arguably marked the most chaotic and important periods in all of US history, deciding the literal life of the nation in a way not seen since the nation's birth.
September 30, 1893, the US experienced it's fourth Saturn return along with the Panic of 1893, the worst depression to hit the US to that date. Over 15,000 companies and 500 banks failed and unemployment rates climbed to between 17% and 19%. Homeowners began walking away from their mortgages. Eventually, the Alaskan gold rush did help to bring the economy out of the depression, but yet another panic quickly followed in 1907.
The fifth Saturn return, occurring in 3 parts on November 8, 1922, May 4, 1923 and July 29, 1923, marked the beginning of a time of economic prosperity dubbed the Roaring Twenties. The prosperity was spurred by reduced taxes, less government intrusion into private businesses and immigration reforms. However, the US Federal Reserve, established in 1913, quickly inflated the money supply by about 60% during the decade, sparking the enormous amounts of speculation in the markets and easy debt that lead to the market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression.
The return of 1952 began with Saturn going stationary only 10 seconds of arc beyond the US natal placement, marking a prolonged period of "return" transit from January 10 through February 6. Saturn then revisited the point on September 15th, completing the full return. This period marked the middle of the Korean War, considered a proxy war between western powers and the Soviet Union, as well as the first NATO military exercises and the tail-end of the height of anti-communist sentiments in the US.
The last of the previous Saturn returns occurred on October 22, 1981, and marked the middle of yet another major recession in the US, highlighted by the beginning of the Savings and Loans Crisis.
Each of these returns marked important milestones politically, economically or militarily. Each coincided with a challenge put to the US to "grow up" and take on new responsibilities while asking it to reject a system that wasn't working. When the right choices were made, the new system that manifested would endure and prove fruitful, but if the wrong choices were made, the system would fail, resulting in dire consequences being felt before the following Saturn square, approximately 7 years later, or approximately 14 years later during the Saturn opposition.
In the case of the first return, a whole new political mentality, seen through the Jeffersonian Republican party, came into power. It endured and shows signs of it's presence even today. Through the acquittal of impeachment charges by the Senate, a potentially disastrous precedent was avoided during the earliest years of the nation's life. However, we can see the seeds planted by some decisions made during this return that 7 years later sparked the war of 1812.
The third return, after a couple of smart decisions and right moves, led to the end of the American Civil War and a full reunification, ensuring the nation's survival for the many years since. Echos of this time still ring today, with President Lincoln still held as one of the most honored men to sit as president. By 7 years after the return, all southern states had been readmitted to representation in Congress, and over the 14 difficult years following the return, the Reconstruction Era steadily ground forward.
In the case of the second, fourth and fifth returns, however, the fiscal irresponsibility of the day had led to debt bubbles, market crashes, "panics" or bank runs, and economic depressions. The seventh return, also, led to a continued financial and economic turmoil due to the Savings and Loans crises, with its effects lasting for more than a decade thereafter. The sixth return proved only partially successful as new military strategies and alliances may have helped prevent nuclear war, but at the cost of calamitous wars like Vietnam 7 years later and the following half a century of tense "mutually assured destruction" mentality.
In The 8th US Saturn Return - Part 2, I take a look at some of the other planetary transits and how they affect the flavor of each of these Saturn returns. In part 3, I take a focused look at the transits of the current return and make projections of what may be in the cards as the remainder of it unfolds in the coming year.
1.12.2011
Latest Updates from Web Bots and Assange's Plan B
Looks like the guys over at the web bot project are calling the alarms on what's going on with the weather, especially regarding the flooding in Australia. Yesterday, Clif High released a note about what they've been calling for since at least last summer - issues with dams...one, in particular, being a near failure scenario. Evidently, the data they're working with currently is literally screaming about this dam - specifically, screaming that this dam is about to be "shifted off it's base" in some way. Official water levels for the dams in that area are nearly all at 100%, and many are already spilling over. Should be interesting to see if this comes to play out. One thing's for certain, the flooding there in Australia is beyond anything ordinarily imaginable and it will likely be stretching on for days or weeks yet. Hopefully the part about this being a "near" failure is true.
Unfortunately, flooding of this magnitude wont be confined to Australia. Already, there are massive floods in various places all around the world that are causing damage and loss of life. A quick look around the news this morning shows severe flooding has been occurring in Brazil, Sri Lanka, the Philipines, and South Africa. The potential for flooding in Oregon and Washington over the next few days as well as a lot of talk about the impact of the snow melt for most of the western states this spring is also in the news - record snowfalls do usually mean record melt and runoff. This on the heels of the record flooding experienced just last month in southern California...
Meanwhile, of note is the SST anomaly map that shows the waters between Canada and Greenland still so much warmer than normal that I'm really starting to get panicky. Water temperatures between 60W and 40W, 45N up to 70N, are ranging up to 5*C above normal. Translated to Fahrenheit, that's up to 9* warmer than they should be for this time of the year. This has been going on all winter so far, with no sign of letting up. This could spell complete disaster for the Atlantic currents, which we already know are in bad shape. Also, as expected, down here in the Gulf of Mexico the water temps are generally hovering about 1*C below normal with some areas reaching down to nearly 4*C below normal. Looks like no help on that persistent trough that keeps setting up for the east coast of the US. Expect more blizzard scale nor'easters over the next few weeks. In fact, the one slamming the north east this morning has already dropped over 20 inches of snow in parts of Connecticut.
Back to the web bots, however, as another interesting and very unnerving update from Clif is pointing to some pretty violent shaking in the markets over the short term. Specifically, Clif is mentioning phrases like "basket" and "bad foods", and is saying this appears to be a "planet wide" event that will be described by mainstream media as a "boil over" situation. Also of note, he's seeing some serious issues related to precious metals and/or gold where some kind of derivative fails due to a crises. My mind, of course, races with thoughts of JP Morgan and the COMEX being fully and publicly exposed for their fraudulent activities. If that's the case, now would certainly be the time to move all your investments out of cash and paper and into gold and oil. I wish I had something to move myself!
And that brings me back to our favorite puppet, Julian Assange of Wikileaks. For the record, I'm pretty convinced at this point that he's been an unknowing, as opposed to knowing, participant in this whole grand scheme. In an interview with John Pilger for NewStatesman, Assange has reassured the world that he has "insurance" files that will be released in the event he's imprisoned or worse, sentenced to death. Evidently, Assange's lawyers are concerned about him facing the death penalty if he's extradited to the US. I'd also be more than a little concerned about the potential for "accidents" to happen - fatal car and plane crashes definitely come to mind. Of course, Assange isn't just warning TPTB about his insurance files, but also warns about hundreds of embassy cables relating to a particular "broadcasting organization" (BBC perhaps?) as well as some specifically about News Corp's Rupert Murdoch of all people.
The question is, will the mainstream media even care enough to cover more Wikileaks releases? The latest shows a certain lack of excitement on that front, as CNBC is already looking to soften the impact of the coming bank documents release. Whatever the case, they're stepping up efforts to get this stuff out soon and, my guess is, it wont be more than a week before we see the first wave of these bank documents come to light.
Unfortunately, flooding of this magnitude wont be confined to Australia. Already, there are massive floods in various places all around the world that are causing damage and loss of life. A quick look around the news this morning shows severe flooding has been occurring in Brazil, Sri Lanka, the Philipines, and South Africa. The potential for flooding in Oregon and Washington over the next few days as well as a lot of talk about the impact of the snow melt for most of the western states this spring is also in the news - record snowfalls do usually mean record melt and runoff. This on the heels of the record flooding experienced just last month in southern California...
Meanwhile, of note is the SST anomaly map that shows the waters between Canada and Greenland still so much warmer than normal that I'm really starting to get panicky. Water temperatures between 60W and 40W, 45N up to 70N, are ranging up to 5*C above normal. Translated to Fahrenheit, that's up to 9* warmer than they should be for this time of the year. This has been going on all winter so far, with no sign of letting up. This could spell complete disaster for the Atlantic currents, which we already know are in bad shape. Also, as expected, down here in the Gulf of Mexico the water temps are generally hovering about 1*C below normal with some areas reaching down to nearly 4*C below normal. Looks like no help on that persistent trough that keeps setting up for the east coast of the US. Expect more blizzard scale nor'easters over the next few weeks. In fact, the one slamming the north east this morning has already dropped over 20 inches of snow in parts of Connecticut.
Back to the web bots, however, as another interesting and very unnerving update from Clif is pointing to some pretty violent shaking in the markets over the short term. Specifically, Clif is mentioning phrases like "basket" and "bad foods", and is saying this appears to be a "planet wide" event that will be described by mainstream media as a "boil over" situation. Also of note, he's seeing some serious issues related to precious metals and/or gold where some kind of derivative fails due to a crises. My mind, of course, races with thoughts of JP Morgan and the COMEX being fully and publicly exposed for their fraudulent activities. If that's the case, now would certainly be the time to move all your investments out of cash and paper and into gold and oil. I wish I had something to move myself!
And that brings me back to our favorite puppet, Julian Assange of Wikileaks. For the record, I'm pretty convinced at this point that he's been an unknowing, as opposed to knowing, participant in this whole grand scheme. In an interview with John Pilger for NewStatesman, Assange has reassured the world that he has "insurance" files that will be released in the event he's imprisoned or worse, sentenced to death. Evidently, Assange's lawyers are concerned about him facing the death penalty if he's extradited to the US. I'd also be more than a little concerned about the potential for "accidents" to happen - fatal car and plane crashes definitely come to mind. Of course, Assange isn't just warning TPTB about his insurance files, but also warns about hundreds of embassy cables relating to a particular "broadcasting organization" (BBC perhaps?) as well as some specifically about News Corp's Rupert Murdoch of all people.
The question is, will the mainstream media even care enough to cover more Wikileaks releases? The latest shows a certain lack of excitement on that front, as CNBC is already looking to soften the impact of the coming bank documents release. Whatever the case, they're stepping up efforts to get this stuff out soon and, my guess is, it wont be more than a week before we see the first wave of these bank documents come to light.
1.07.2011
A Warning on the Perilous Act of Buying a Camper, or How I Learned to Trust Nothing and Got Stuck with a Rotting Tin Can
Back in 2006, I knew nothing about what to look for in a camper. At the time, I was recently out of college after a year studying for a philosophy major. Money was so tight that I was unable to qualify for another loan, so it was a no-go on continuing my education. I left school and moved in with Mom to help her sell the house she was living in (and about to lose). After a thorough house prep, I got a job doing graphic arts for a major corporation and we started putting money into "important things" - learning such things as how to make our own herbal tinctures and soap-making as well as good quality "Bug Out Bags" and miscellaneous survival gear.
After months of trying to sell and barely ever showing the house, we got a bite. It wasn't much of a bite, however, as the selling price was a mere $6k above what was still owed - we felt lucky to get that much.
So the next move, carefully planned out based on internal feelings, money supply and the prophecies, predictions and trends of the time, was to buy a camper. This would allow us to be mobile in the event of a disaster. It cost less than an apartment or house and would not only allow, but actually force us to get out and enjoy nature again. Many aspects of the full-timer lifestyle appealed to us, not the least of which was the idea that if you don't like your neighbors, you could just move your house.
But in retrospect, I should have done a lot more research on what to look for. With such a small amount of money to work with, the only options were used and mostly abused rigs, most of which were literal nightmares manifest. We checked the floors for soft spots and wouldn't buy anything with signs of water damage. We knew enough to ask about water tanks and heaters, furnaces and propane lines. And we finally found one: a 26' fifth wheel rig that seemed a wonderful investment.
Note the use of the word "seemed".
We found a campground that was like an oasis in the middle of the city, here in Florida, with trees and grass and big, roomy sites. A few months later, we hauled north to New Hampshire to spend time with my ailing grandmother. But after a total of maybe 6 months living in the rig, we discovered something shocking: the wall around the stove vent was completely rotted out. You see, we didn't know how rot occurs in these rigs. The wall may look 100% normal from both the rig's inside and out, but behind that wall-paper covering, the wood might be sopping wet, rotted out and full of termites and carpenter ants. We started running around checking everywhere and found that most of the walls in the camper were fine. We assumed it was isolated.
Then, about 8 months later, during a prolonged period of rainy, dreary New England days, a drip developed from the ceiling in the overhang, directly over the queen bed. I made my way to the roof to check things out and realized the rubber membrane showed no signs of cracking or anything. There was no pooling water, no rips or tears...no sign of why the ceiling was leaking. By the next morning, the ceiling was dripping fast and steady from a couple locations along the panel joints. I opened things up to check where the water was getting in since the roof seemed fine, not knowing what I was going to find.
And I found mold. A lot of it. I found the 2x2 framing was rotted through in spots. I found the 1/8" chip board that presses directly against the rubber membrane swelled up and sopping wet. It fell apart with the lightest touch of the finger.
From there, I proceeded to remove the entire ceiling in the overhang. The damage was extensive, showing what must have been years of water damage, rot and mold. Fungus of all colors covered the face of the chip board. The small amount of fiberglass insulation was blackened and soaked with water. As I opened up the walls, I found the same thing had happened there and was only just starting to penetrate into the interior panelling.
At this point, I got very discouraged. My mother had moved out of the camper a few months previous and I was fairly cash poor - there was no way I could afford to strip everything down and rebuild, nor could I afford to get another rig. I opted to just seal things off and sleep on the couch until my situation improved. Up went the plastic to protect both myself and the pets from the infestation of mold, to at least some extent. I made it a regular habit to spray down the walls and ceiling with a mist of bleach solution.
And I resolved to save money up to get myself another rig - a rig that I could be sure is safe from such disastrous neglect.
That was back in 2007 when I made that resolution. Of course, like most long term goals, nothing has gone to plan. In 2008, I was forced to change jobs. I began earning a bigger and much more reliable paycheck, but my savings grew slowly. My car broke down, then my truck, then my car again...then my truck again. Gas prices went through the roof and I found myself driving my 8-cyl Dodge pickup 60 miles a day. Frankly, in today's world, what money there is just doesn't like to hang around long.
By the summer of 2009, I finally had enough saved to start figuring out what the next step would be. I began vigorously researching various rigs and was disappointed by everything that was available. The better rigs cost more than I could afford and what was in my price range had all the same weaknesses I had discovered with this rig: rubber membrane roof, basically no insulation, poorly designed electrical systems, and cheap construction materials with no thought to durability.
The best solution, I decided, was to literally build my own - a "Bus Conversion", and specifically one on a "flat-nose schoolie". I drew up the plans and budget, then set out looking for my bus.
But then, that October, I got a wake up call I couldn't ignore. My gut told me to get moving in no uncertain terms. By that December, I had quit my job and moved back to Florida. I spent around $2k of my meager savings in that move, paying for gas, repairs, new tires, rent and food. It took me three months to find work, but once I did I was ok again. After 3 more months, I was back to where I was and felt comfortable.
But then another wake up call. Another push into the unknown. I found myself moving to New Mexico and spending out of my savings yet again. And the trend continued.
You see, I'm now effectively stuck with this rig. No matter what plans I make, I can't seem to get out of it. Something else always comes up. I'm back in Florida with about half of my original savings left. Meanwhile, the exterior seams have popped and the roof leaks in dozens of places. In fact, the roof is caving in now on the overhang.
So you ask yourself, what's the point? What's the moral of the story?
Due diligence and thorough research. Never take anything at face value.
If you, like so many others, are finding yourself ready to buy a used camper and become a full-timer, learn about what to look for. Learn about what might go wrong. By making a single honest mistake in the beginning of all this, I have spent years dealing with dripping ceilings and worries about mold.
What appears to be is rarely the case with these rigs, and you're probably going to be stuck with what you buy for years to come.
After months of trying to sell and barely ever showing the house, we got a bite. It wasn't much of a bite, however, as the selling price was a mere $6k above what was still owed - we felt lucky to get that much.
So the next move, carefully planned out based on internal feelings, money supply and the prophecies, predictions and trends of the time, was to buy a camper. This would allow us to be mobile in the event of a disaster. It cost less than an apartment or house and would not only allow, but actually force us to get out and enjoy nature again. Many aspects of the full-timer lifestyle appealed to us, not the least of which was the idea that if you don't like your neighbors, you could just move your house.
But in retrospect, I should have done a lot more research on what to look for. With such a small amount of money to work with, the only options were used and mostly abused rigs, most of which were literal nightmares manifest. We checked the floors for soft spots and wouldn't buy anything with signs of water damage. We knew enough to ask about water tanks and heaters, furnaces and propane lines. And we finally found one: a 26' fifth wheel rig that seemed a wonderful investment.
Note the use of the word "seemed".
We found a campground that was like an oasis in the middle of the city, here in Florida, with trees and grass and big, roomy sites. A few months later, we hauled north to New Hampshire to spend time with my ailing grandmother. But after a total of maybe 6 months living in the rig, we discovered something shocking: the wall around the stove vent was completely rotted out. You see, we didn't know how rot occurs in these rigs. The wall may look 100% normal from both the rig's inside and out, but behind that wall-paper covering, the wood might be sopping wet, rotted out and full of termites and carpenter ants. We started running around checking everywhere and found that most of the walls in the camper were fine. We assumed it was isolated.
Then, about 8 months later, during a prolonged period of rainy, dreary New England days, a drip developed from the ceiling in the overhang, directly over the queen bed. I made my way to the roof to check things out and realized the rubber membrane showed no signs of cracking or anything. There was no pooling water, no rips or tears...no sign of why the ceiling was leaking. By the next morning, the ceiling was dripping fast and steady from a couple locations along the panel joints. I opened things up to check where the water was getting in since the roof seemed fine, not knowing what I was going to find.
And I found mold. A lot of it. I found the 2x2 framing was rotted through in spots. I found the 1/8" chip board that presses directly against the rubber membrane swelled up and sopping wet. It fell apart with the lightest touch of the finger.
From there, I proceeded to remove the entire ceiling in the overhang. The damage was extensive, showing what must have been years of water damage, rot and mold. Fungus of all colors covered the face of the chip board. The small amount of fiberglass insulation was blackened and soaked with water. As I opened up the walls, I found the same thing had happened there and was only just starting to penetrate into the interior panelling.
At this point, I got very discouraged. My mother had moved out of the camper a few months previous and I was fairly cash poor - there was no way I could afford to strip everything down and rebuild, nor could I afford to get another rig. I opted to just seal things off and sleep on the couch until my situation improved. Up went the plastic to protect both myself and the pets from the infestation of mold, to at least some extent. I made it a regular habit to spray down the walls and ceiling with a mist of bleach solution.
And I resolved to save money up to get myself another rig - a rig that I could be sure is safe from such disastrous neglect.
That was back in 2007 when I made that resolution. Of course, like most long term goals, nothing has gone to plan. In 2008, I was forced to change jobs. I began earning a bigger and much more reliable paycheck, but my savings grew slowly. My car broke down, then my truck, then my car again...then my truck again. Gas prices went through the roof and I found myself driving my 8-cyl Dodge pickup 60 miles a day. Frankly, in today's world, what money there is just doesn't like to hang around long.
By the summer of 2009, I finally had enough saved to start figuring out what the next step would be. I began vigorously researching various rigs and was disappointed by everything that was available. The better rigs cost more than I could afford and what was in my price range had all the same weaknesses I had discovered with this rig: rubber membrane roof, basically no insulation, poorly designed electrical systems, and cheap construction materials with no thought to durability.
The best solution, I decided, was to literally build my own - a "Bus Conversion", and specifically one on a "flat-nose schoolie". I drew up the plans and budget, then set out looking for my bus.
But then, that October, I got a wake up call I couldn't ignore. My gut told me to get moving in no uncertain terms. By that December, I had quit my job and moved back to Florida. I spent around $2k of my meager savings in that move, paying for gas, repairs, new tires, rent and food. It took me three months to find work, but once I did I was ok again. After 3 more months, I was back to where I was and felt comfortable.
But then another wake up call. Another push into the unknown. I found myself moving to New Mexico and spending out of my savings yet again. And the trend continued.
You see, I'm now effectively stuck with this rig. No matter what plans I make, I can't seem to get out of it. Something else always comes up. I'm back in Florida with about half of my original savings left. Meanwhile, the exterior seams have popped and the roof leaks in dozens of places. In fact, the roof is caving in now on the overhang.
So you ask yourself, what's the point? What's the moral of the story?
Due diligence and thorough research. Never take anything at face value.
If you, like so many others, are finding yourself ready to buy a used camper and become a full-timer, learn about what to look for. Learn about what might go wrong. By making a single honest mistake in the beginning of all this, I have spent years dealing with dripping ceilings and worries about mold.
What appears to be is rarely the case with these rigs, and you're probably going to be stuck with what you buy for years to come.
12.30.2010
T Minus 2 Days and Counting...
This morning's scan of the news turned up an interesting, worrisome and thought provoking editorial piece on The American Dream dealing with what I'm referring to as the Baby Boomer's "Economic Shock and Awe campaign".
The author points to "16 Statistics About The Coming Retirement Crisis That Will Drop Your Jaw". Honestly, my jaw didn't drop one bit. It simply got tight as I found myself grinding my teeth in a sort of dread filled anticipation.
The beginning of this latest assault on our floundering economy and financial futures will begin on January 1st, 2011, just two days from now, as the first of the official "Baby Boomers" begin turning 65. Over the following 19 years, every day an average of more than 10,000 Boomers will follow suit by retiring and claiming their monthly social security checks. This is absolutely devastating news for a broken system that already, some 6 years ahead of recent estimates, gives more than it receives.
What's worse is that, due to the exportation of the US industrial base, especially over the last 20 years, a large majority of even fully employed Americans have been left struggling to make monthly bills. Add in the fact that borderline fraudulent, and occasionally outright criminal, marketing of credit products to Americans has left a large percentage with mountains of personal debt and you can start to see the bigger picture. According to this 2009 CNBC article, 23% of people surveyed that made over $100,000 per year were already living paycheck to paycheck. Obviously, those making less than $100,000 make up the majority of our increasingly impoverished nation. If people that somehow "floated to the top" are struggling that much, what does it say about those making $30,000 per year or less?
And it's only getting worse as price inflation continues, wages continue to drop and jobs continue to evaporate into the Chinese and Indian ether.
The CNBC article goes on to say that 36% of all people surveyed weren't contributing anything to retirement savings. In fact, 33% of all those surveyed didn't even contribute monthly to regular short-term savings accounts. That does not bode well for the typical Baby Boomer and his ability to survive in a state of retirement. Nor does it bode well for the rest of us.
Of those who actually DO have retirement savings, most have 401k plans...and the vast majority of those is invested in equities. We all remember that during the initial and subsequent downturns in the economy, along with the accompanying shocking "corrections" in the markets, there have been very significant losses for those with their money in a 401k. This wiped out a large percentage of the Baby Boomer safety net. Most 401k plans will never recover the losses incurred unless the markets surge to levels well above what we saw before the "crashes".
Do you expect such a bull market to come back any time soon? I sure don't. Certainly not in time to cover the Baby Boomer asses, at least.
And as for Baby Boomers with pensions - forget about it. The few that even have them are really in no better shape.
Pension plans are in serious danger of going completely belly-up all around. Article after article, since 2008, has turned up in the mainstream news about how severe the money problems are with these pensions. Back in January of this year, Forbes published this article on their website detailing some of the troubles facing the US in relation to debt. The article states, bluntly, that a figure of $3.2 trillion in shortfall for unfunded pension liability nationally is "a more accurate number" when compared to the US Government Accountability Office's estimate of $405 billion at that time.
So, obviously, a large chunk of the Baby Boomer population will soon be relying entirely on their monthly Social Security checks.
According to the article, Social Security had 16 payers for every receiver in 1950. For 2010, that number has decreased to around 3.3 payers per receiver. By 2025, the number is projected to fall to only 2 payers per receiver, though I would expect it to be lower. What that means is that each employed worker will be responsible for an average 50% of a retiree's monthly Social Security payment.
Just think about the burden that will place on an individual's income - if the average monthly Social Security payment was only a mere $600, we'd be talking about an average $300 per month being taken from each working person who, by all rights, would likely be unable to even make the bills before that $200 was taken from them. According to this Wikipedia page, the median income for 18+ workers in the US for 2005 was $25,149. That $300 per month would represent around 15% of their "pre-tax" income. When you consider all the other absurdities, such as the upcoming mandatory health care costs along with medicare/medicaid, state taxes, federal taxes, etc, that average "take-home pay" will likely fall well below today's poverty levels. And we certainly can't count on prices for necessities falling nor on wages increasing.
You see, many of the Baby Boomers in this country have looked at the numbers, heard all about how bad things are going to be, and they just rolled their eyes.
It's all just been too much for them to think about. They've busy just trying to take care of the important things like paying the electric, phone and cable bills. They've been worried about buying new cars and making sure they have health insurance so they can afford their blood pressure meds. They've been paying off their credit cards and trying to pay off mortgages.
They have had no time to worry about tomorrow and what kind of future their children and grandchildren will be facing, nor to worry about what they can do to change it.
And by not worrying about tomorrow, by simply living in the moment and letting the government, banks and big corporations completely run amok, they've essentially passed the financial responsibility for their continued living after age 65 to the next 2 generations - "Generation X" and, as I like to call us, "Generation Why the F***". Simultaneously, they let this country's economic engine fall into ruins and this nation's government become so corrupt that it, today, closely resembles the Beast of Revelations.
In pursuit of the "American Dream", they've turned future generations, of their own seed, into personal slave labor.
Did they somehow think this was a good idea?
The Economic Shock and Awe that we're about to experience, due to this outright negligence on the part of the Baby Boomer generation, is likely to cripple this nation in VERY short order. How long before we have tens of thousands of highly educated, and highly motivated, young people rioting in the streets over their lack of even menial job prospects and their inability to pay for even the most basic necessities?
My guess is not very long. Not very long at all.
The author points to "16 Statistics About The Coming Retirement Crisis That Will Drop Your Jaw". Honestly, my jaw didn't drop one bit. It simply got tight as I found myself grinding my teeth in a sort of dread filled anticipation.
The beginning of this latest assault on our floundering economy and financial futures will begin on January 1st, 2011, just two days from now, as the first of the official "Baby Boomers" begin turning 65. Over the following 19 years, every day an average of more than 10,000 Boomers will follow suit by retiring and claiming their monthly social security checks. This is absolutely devastating news for a broken system that already, some 6 years ahead of recent estimates, gives more than it receives.
What's worse is that, due to the exportation of the US industrial base, especially over the last 20 years, a large majority of even fully employed Americans have been left struggling to make monthly bills. Add in the fact that borderline fraudulent, and occasionally outright criminal, marketing of credit products to Americans has left a large percentage with mountains of personal debt and you can start to see the bigger picture. According to this 2009 CNBC article, 23% of people surveyed that made over $100,000 per year were already living paycheck to paycheck. Obviously, those making less than $100,000 make up the majority of our increasingly impoverished nation. If people that somehow "floated to the top" are struggling that much, what does it say about those making $30,000 per year or less?
And it's only getting worse as price inflation continues, wages continue to drop and jobs continue to evaporate into the Chinese and Indian ether.
The CNBC article goes on to say that 36% of all people surveyed weren't contributing anything to retirement savings. In fact, 33% of all those surveyed didn't even contribute monthly to regular short-term savings accounts. That does not bode well for the typical Baby Boomer and his ability to survive in a state of retirement. Nor does it bode well for the rest of us.
Of those who actually DO have retirement savings, most have 401k plans...and the vast majority of those is invested in equities. We all remember that during the initial and subsequent downturns in the economy, along with the accompanying shocking "corrections" in the markets, there have been very significant losses for those with their money in a 401k. This wiped out a large percentage of the Baby Boomer safety net. Most 401k plans will never recover the losses incurred unless the markets surge to levels well above what we saw before the "crashes".
Do you expect such a bull market to come back any time soon? I sure don't. Certainly not in time to cover the Baby Boomer asses, at least.
And as for Baby Boomers with pensions - forget about it. The few that even have them are really in no better shape.
Pension plans are in serious danger of going completely belly-up all around. Article after article, since 2008, has turned up in the mainstream news about how severe the money problems are with these pensions. Back in January of this year, Forbes published this article on their website detailing some of the troubles facing the US in relation to debt. The article states, bluntly, that a figure of $3.2 trillion in shortfall for unfunded pension liability nationally is "a more accurate number" when compared to the US Government Accountability Office's estimate of $405 billion at that time.
So, obviously, a large chunk of the Baby Boomer population will soon be relying entirely on their monthly Social Security checks.
According to the article, Social Security had 16 payers for every receiver in 1950. For 2010, that number has decreased to around 3.3 payers per receiver. By 2025, the number is projected to fall to only 2 payers per receiver, though I would expect it to be lower. What that means is that each employed worker will be responsible for an average 50% of a retiree's monthly Social Security payment.
Just think about the burden that will place on an individual's income - if the average monthly Social Security payment was only a mere $600, we'd be talking about an average $300 per month being taken from each working person who, by all rights, would likely be unable to even make the bills before that $200 was taken from them. According to this Wikipedia page, the median income for 18+ workers in the US for 2005 was $25,149. That $300 per month would represent around 15% of their "pre-tax" income. When you consider all the other absurdities, such as the upcoming mandatory health care costs along with medicare/medicaid, state taxes, federal taxes, etc, that average "take-home pay" will likely fall well below today's poverty levels. And we certainly can't count on prices for necessities falling nor on wages increasing.
You see, many of the Baby Boomers in this country have looked at the numbers, heard all about how bad things are going to be, and they just rolled their eyes.
It's all just been too much for them to think about. They've busy just trying to take care of the important things like paying the electric, phone and cable bills. They've been worried about buying new cars and making sure they have health insurance so they can afford their blood pressure meds. They've been paying off their credit cards and trying to pay off mortgages.
They have had no time to worry about tomorrow and what kind of future their children and grandchildren will be facing, nor to worry about what they can do to change it.
And by not worrying about tomorrow, by simply living in the moment and letting the government, banks and big corporations completely run amok, they've essentially passed the financial responsibility for their continued living after age 65 to the next 2 generations - "Generation X" and, as I like to call us, "Generation Why the F***". Simultaneously, they let this country's economic engine fall into ruins and this nation's government become so corrupt that it, today, closely resembles the Beast of Revelations.
In pursuit of the "American Dream", they've turned future generations, of their own seed, into personal slave labor.
Did they somehow think this was a good idea?
The Economic Shock and Awe that we're about to experience, due to this outright negligence on the part of the Baby Boomer generation, is likely to cripple this nation in VERY short order. How long before we have tens of thousands of highly educated, and highly motivated, young people rioting in the streets over their lack of even menial job prospects and their inability to pay for even the most basic necessities?
My guess is not very long. Not very long at all.
12.28.2010
Congratulations! You owe $44,886.57!
Catching this story off CNSNews.com this morning was a little unnerving, to put it mildly. I mean, we all know that the US government has saddled the public with staggering levels of debt that could never be payed off. But do you know what the actual numbers are?
$13,858,529,371,601.09
That's as of December 22nd of this year...nearly 14 trillion dollars.
This, of course, is a new record in debt - a number so high it really doesn't make any sense to think about in our everyday lives. When you break it down to your individual share of the debt, however, it starts to become a little more clear.
You owe $44,886.57.
Ahh, sir? I don't have that kind of money. I live in a camper and drive an old beat-up pickup truck. I struggle to pull in enough to pay for a campsite to park on every month. And you say I owe how much again?
Keep in mind, that's your "equal share". The other 308,745,537 people in this country owe that much too. Even the unemployed ones. Even the ones who are currently losing their homes to foreclosure, can't afford an apartment and will soon be forced to live in a cardboard box.
And wait! That's not even the whole story!
The US Debt Clock, a "real time" breakdown of some pretty important numbers, shows us how much deeper this proverbial rabbit hole really goes.
When you look at the personal debt numbers, composed of such things as mortgages, car loans and credit card debts, the numbers are just as staggering. $16.199 trillion dollars, or $52,088 per citizen. I wonder if "we the people" should pay off our personal debts before we tackle the national...think the Chinese will wait?
And then there's that "US Total Debt" number which stands around $55.487 trillion dollars at 11am today. That breaks down to $178,415 per US citizen, or $680,593 per US family. And the clock shows only a meager $7,976 in savings per US family. Wow.
I wont even start on the "Unfunded Liabilities" number showing over a million dollars "owed" per taxpayer.
This is just another striking example of how badly the system is broken.
Fire up those printing presses Mr. Bernanke! I'll go get the helicopter!
$13,858,529,371,601.09
That's as of December 22nd of this year...nearly 14 trillion dollars.
This, of course, is a new record in debt - a number so high it really doesn't make any sense to think about in our everyday lives. When you break it down to your individual share of the debt, however, it starts to become a little more clear.
You owe $44,886.57.
Ahh, sir? I don't have that kind of money. I live in a camper and drive an old beat-up pickup truck. I struggle to pull in enough to pay for a campsite to park on every month. And you say I owe how much again?
Keep in mind, that's your "equal share". The other 308,745,537 people in this country owe that much too. Even the unemployed ones. Even the ones who are currently losing their homes to foreclosure, can't afford an apartment and will soon be forced to live in a cardboard box.
And wait! That's not even the whole story!
The US Debt Clock, a "real time" breakdown of some pretty important numbers, shows us how much deeper this proverbial rabbit hole really goes.
When you look at the personal debt numbers, composed of such things as mortgages, car loans and credit card debts, the numbers are just as staggering. $16.199 trillion dollars, or $52,088 per citizen. I wonder if "we the people" should pay off our personal debts before we tackle the national...think the Chinese will wait?
And then there's that "US Total Debt" number which stands around $55.487 trillion dollars at 11am today. That breaks down to $178,415 per US citizen, or $680,593 per US family. And the clock shows only a meager $7,976 in savings per US family. Wow.
I wont even start on the "Unfunded Liabilities" number showing over a million dollars "owed" per taxpayer.
This is just another striking example of how badly the system is broken.
Fire up those printing presses Mr. Bernanke! I'll go get the helicopter!
12.23.2010
The US Chart and the January 4 Solar Eclipse
Many people don't give much credence to astrology. Many of those that do only look at superficial sun signs. Many read a horoscope daily that tells them of all the good fortune they can have based on some loose and generally perverted form of true astrology.
Me, I give astrology its place in the grand scheme. Specifically, God put these planets and stars in particular arrangements and told us that we'd know the seasons according to their passage. Astrology, to me, is a grand cosmic clock in the sky.
And you can glean a lot of information from the timing of the seasons, especially when it comes to major events or changes in perception and consciousness.
In looking over the January 4, 2011 solar eclipse transits on the "US natal chart" (July 4, 1776 at 5:10pm, Philadelphia), I'm noticing some interesting patterns. Of course, I searched around the web to see what others have said, many of which use fixed stars and obscure asteroids in their readings. Some say "Ooooh - this is a good one!" while others rant about how "bad" the transits are.
There are no good or bad transits. They are merely markers on a calendar - what you do on a given day is up to you.
First thing I notice here, however, is the striking opposition between the placement of the eclipse in Capricorn to the US natal Sun in Cancer. This opposition marks a time of struggle between egos. Another possibility here is that the "great spotlight", i.e. the focus, perception and consciousness of the masses, will be divided between two camps: Capricorn being a material focus dealing with moneys, hard work and wealth; Cancer being a more fluid emotional, patriotic and "security of the home and hearth" type of focus.
Add to this opposition the placement of Saturn, generally thought to denote such things as rules, law and judges, making a return to conjunct the US natal Saturn in Libra, and you have the makings of a tense struggle of the opposing Sun energies trying to divide our focus with Saturn caught in the middle, forming what's called a t-square. A Saturn return is a difficult time to begin with, often associated with being forced to "take responsibility" and, in turn, become mature. Throughout US history, Saturn returns have marked difficulties such as the Civil War and The Panic of 1893, the worst depression to hit the US before the Great Depression in the 1930s.
This sounds like major court battles are brewing (Saturn in Libra), likely over problems with the US economy (Capricorn) and overbearing "homeland" security (Cancer). Overtones of screaming pressures from the masses for "someone" to take responsibility for the mess we find ourselves will appear on both fronts, and the two sides will have only the rule of law to guide them.
Another interesting and significant transit, that's been occurring since middle 2008, is the Neptune conjunction to the US natal Moon in Aquarius. The Moon placement in Aquarius generally is thought to signify the "melting pot" aspect of the US, with many cultures, ideologies and skin colors merging into one great nation of people. This placement also signifies a particular rebellious streak, and a person, or nation, with this placement will absolutely refuse to be told what to do.
But Neptune, often considered to cloak whatever it touches in a bank of "dreamy" fog, transiting here has been causing a lot of confusion, and even delusion, for this part of the US chart. In the summer of 2008, during the presidential election campaign, many Americans suddenly found themselves lost in a sea of smoke and mirrors, a trend that is only beginning to break with this eclipse and wont truly be over until December of 2012 (there's that date again). Between the eclipse and early summer, it will be as if we are seeing the world clearly for the first time in years, as Neptune moves out of the conjunction, only to return again, in a loose orb, around the summer solstice.
Lifting the fog of Neptune will shock this nation of independent free-thinkers after having spent years with the proverbial wool pulled over their eyes, and this eclipse marks the beginning of it. This is likely to be a time of a lot of anger toward media and government, large corporations and institutions.
Venus, often thought to sort of "bless" the place where it resides in a chart, is found in the US natal 12th House. This house is often associated with dreams and subconsciousness, and often fear itself, but in ancient times is was considered more of a wastebasket of placements...that anything present in this house would be flaccid and ineffectual. Venus here would thus lose all its ability to "brighten" the chart with benefic qualities, allowing only the tension present to make the front page. No helping hand will come from the skies.
Pluto, known for explosive, sudden destruction of "old ways", has been slowly transiting through Capricorn, opposite the US natal Jupiter in Cancer. This represents a time of fragility in relation to philosophy and religion. Old ways of thinking are being stripped away in sudden firestorms and media frenzies (Wikileaks certainly comes to mind) and those who try to hold on to those old ways are stripped away with them (Tea Party?). This trend will continue for some time, and will only be exacerbated by the eclipse. Eclipses mark the end of something old and the beginning of something new, and this is exactly what Pluto does best. In Capricorn, Pluto's focus is on institutions and corporations, economy and hard work. Opposing the US natal Jupiter in Cancer shows the plan is to destroy our false beliefs about home, family and security.
The result is the rebellious, angry replacement of our collective "Neptunian delusion" with ideas and systems that are both more realistic and more economical. We will be required to expend copious amounts of elbow grease as we hold on to constitutional principals and reject the failing systems we find ourselves suffering with today.
It's that or face the global power vacuum as corruption, at the highest levels of our largest institutions, is revealed and we do nothing about it.
So the stars are marking a very difficult period emerging for the US. It's not a "bad" period, but one full of challenges and tension. In fact, if we respond to the cosmic call to arms, this may be one of the most important and benefic periods in all of US history! For the three months leading into early spring, we the people become the masters of our nation's fate. What we do during this important time of court battles, revealed secrets and failing institutions will form the foundation of a new future for the US. The eclipse, acting as a delineation between seasons, will turn our focus to these issues and will not let us ignore them.
It's up to us what we do with the day, and this eclipse is marking the beginning of a new planting season. The real question is, will we the people get out of bed in time to sow the seeds of our own future?
And what seeds will we plant?
Me, I give astrology its place in the grand scheme. Specifically, God put these planets and stars in particular arrangements and told us that we'd know the seasons according to their passage. Astrology, to me, is a grand cosmic clock in the sky.
And you can glean a lot of information from the timing of the seasons, especially when it comes to major events or changes in perception and consciousness.
In looking over the January 4, 2011 solar eclipse transits on the "US natal chart" (July 4, 1776 at 5:10pm, Philadelphia), I'm noticing some interesting patterns. Of course, I searched around the web to see what others have said, many of which use fixed stars and obscure asteroids in their readings. Some say "Ooooh - this is a good one!" while others rant about how "bad" the transits are.
There are no good or bad transits. They are merely markers on a calendar - what you do on a given day is up to you.
First thing I notice here, however, is the striking opposition between the placement of the eclipse in Capricorn to the US natal Sun in Cancer. This opposition marks a time of struggle between egos. Another possibility here is that the "great spotlight", i.e. the focus, perception and consciousness of the masses, will be divided between two camps: Capricorn being a material focus dealing with moneys, hard work and wealth; Cancer being a more fluid emotional, patriotic and "security of the home and hearth" type of focus.
Add to this opposition the placement of Saturn, generally thought to denote such things as rules, law and judges, making a return to conjunct the US natal Saturn in Libra, and you have the makings of a tense struggle of the opposing Sun energies trying to divide our focus with Saturn caught in the middle, forming what's called a t-square. A Saturn return is a difficult time to begin with, often associated with being forced to "take responsibility" and, in turn, become mature. Throughout US history, Saturn returns have marked difficulties such as the Civil War and The Panic of 1893, the worst depression to hit the US before the Great Depression in the 1930s.
This sounds like major court battles are brewing (Saturn in Libra), likely over problems with the US economy (Capricorn) and overbearing "homeland" security (Cancer). Overtones of screaming pressures from the masses for "someone" to take responsibility for the mess we find ourselves will appear on both fronts, and the two sides will have only the rule of law to guide them.
Another interesting and significant transit, that's been occurring since middle 2008, is the Neptune conjunction to the US natal Moon in Aquarius. The Moon placement in Aquarius generally is thought to signify the "melting pot" aspect of the US, with many cultures, ideologies and skin colors merging into one great nation of people. This placement also signifies a particular rebellious streak, and a person, or nation, with this placement will absolutely refuse to be told what to do.
But Neptune, often considered to cloak whatever it touches in a bank of "dreamy" fog, transiting here has been causing a lot of confusion, and even delusion, for this part of the US chart. In the summer of 2008, during the presidential election campaign, many Americans suddenly found themselves lost in a sea of smoke and mirrors, a trend that is only beginning to break with this eclipse and wont truly be over until December of 2012 (there's that date again). Between the eclipse and early summer, it will be as if we are seeing the world clearly for the first time in years, as Neptune moves out of the conjunction, only to return again, in a loose orb, around the summer solstice.
Lifting the fog of Neptune will shock this nation of independent free-thinkers after having spent years with the proverbial wool pulled over their eyes, and this eclipse marks the beginning of it. This is likely to be a time of a lot of anger toward media and government, large corporations and institutions.
Venus, often thought to sort of "bless" the place where it resides in a chart, is found in the US natal 12th House. This house is often associated with dreams and subconsciousness, and often fear itself, but in ancient times is was considered more of a wastebasket of placements...that anything present in this house would be flaccid and ineffectual. Venus here would thus lose all its ability to "brighten" the chart with benefic qualities, allowing only the tension present to make the front page. No helping hand will come from the skies.
Pluto, known for explosive, sudden destruction of "old ways", has been slowly transiting through Capricorn, opposite the US natal Jupiter in Cancer. This represents a time of fragility in relation to philosophy and religion. Old ways of thinking are being stripped away in sudden firestorms and media frenzies (Wikileaks certainly comes to mind) and those who try to hold on to those old ways are stripped away with them (Tea Party?). This trend will continue for some time, and will only be exacerbated by the eclipse. Eclipses mark the end of something old and the beginning of something new, and this is exactly what Pluto does best. In Capricorn, Pluto's focus is on institutions and corporations, economy and hard work. Opposing the US natal Jupiter in Cancer shows the plan is to destroy our false beliefs about home, family and security.
The result is the rebellious, angry replacement of our collective "Neptunian delusion" with ideas and systems that are both more realistic and more economical. We will be required to expend copious amounts of elbow grease as we hold on to constitutional principals and reject the failing systems we find ourselves suffering with today.
It's that or face the global power vacuum as corruption, at the highest levels of our largest institutions, is revealed and we do nothing about it.
So the stars are marking a very difficult period emerging for the US. It's not a "bad" period, but one full of challenges and tension. In fact, if we respond to the cosmic call to arms, this may be one of the most important and benefic periods in all of US history! For the three months leading into early spring, we the people become the masters of our nation's fate. What we do during this important time of court battles, revealed secrets and failing institutions will form the foundation of a new future for the US. The eclipse, acting as a delineation between seasons, will turn our focus to these issues and will not let us ignore them.
It's up to us what we do with the day, and this eclipse is marking the beginning of a new planting season. The real question is, will we the people get out of bed in time to sow the seeds of our own future?
And what seeds will we plant?
12.07.2010
Confirming Suspicions - Assange is Just a Puppet
It's been hard to ignore all of the mainstream media coverage of the latest WikiLeaks. The rising chorus of "Assange is a terrorist" over the last week, however, should definitely give us pause. Over and over, Assange is been called a "criminal" and a "terrorist" by corporate giants and governments around the world. The newspapers, meanwhile, who were instrumental in publishing the leaks, from the New York Times to Der Speigel, have received no mainstream criticism for their role.
So, why are they so adamant on labeling the guy as "bad"?
Then this morning, after experiencing a debilitating internet outage yesterday, which continues intermittently today, I find that the charges brought against Assange in this supposed "rape" are, actually, that he didn't wear a CONDOM? Come on people. This is about as absurd as it gets. An international arrest warrant for not wearing a rubber.
These are fake charges brought against a shill, only to be dropped later after the mainstream media circus has had its fun...where have we seen THAT before?
Over the years, a clear pattern can be seen to emerge when you look at periods of time in which something serious was brewing under the surface. Be it Michael Jackson, OJ Simpson, Lacey Peterson, Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden, when someone's face is plastered all over the mainstream press, you can be SURE there's something "they" don't want us to see.
Does Assange KNOW he's being used as a distraction? Does he know that he's being used by the very same elitist fraudsters he's supposedly trying to expose? Of course he does. Otherwise, I'd expect that he'd have been a lot more outspoken when it comes to such ridiculous charges being brought to him by the industrialized world governments. He'd have taken up the offer of residency/asylum in Ecuador. And by now, considering how clear it's become in the last week, he'd have stated very publicly that government operatives have obviously been funneling him junk information and are trying to use him as a distraction from the truth.
The fact that nothing Assange has released, to date, is truly mind-blowing - that everything he has released was already "out there" on the internet and known to anyone with a brain and 5 minutes of free time every day - says to me that he's very aware of the role he's playing.
So aware, in fact, that he's probably smiling to himself at this very minute while thinking about how easy it was to pull the wool over so many eyes at once.
So, why are they so adamant on labeling the guy as "bad"?
Then this morning, after experiencing a debilitating internet outage yesterday, which continues intermittently today, I find that the charges brought against Assange in this supposed "rape" are, actually, that he didn't wear a CONDOM? Come on people. This is about as absurd as it gets. An international arrest warrant for not wearing a rubber.
These are fake charges brought against a shill, only to be dropped later after the mainstream media circus has had its fun...where have we seen THAT before?
Over the years, a clear pattern can be seen to emerge when you look at periods of time in which something serious was brewing under the surface. Be it Michael Jackson, OJ Simpson, Lacey Peterson, Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden, when someone's face is plastered all over the mainstream press, you can be SURE there's something "they" don't want us to see.
Does Assange KNOW he's being used as a distraction? Does he know that he's being used by the very same elitist fraudsters he's supposedly trying to expose? Of course he does. Otherwise, I'd expect that he'd have been a lot more outspoken when it comes to such ridiculous charges being brought to him by the industrialized world governments. He'd have taken up the offer of residency/asylum in Ecuador. And by now, considering how clear it's become in the last week, he'd have stated very publicly that government operatives have obviously been funneling him junk information and are trying to use him as a distraction from the truth.
The fact that nothing Assange has released, to date, is truly mind-blowing - that everything he has released was already "out there" on the internet and known to anyone with a brain and 5 minutes of free time every day - says to me that he's very aware of the role he's playing.
So aware, in fact, that he's probably smiling to himself at this very minute while thinking about how easy it was to pull the wool over so many eyes at once.
12.04.2010
Washington and Wall Street are Shaking in their Boots!
A quick read of this Businessweek article reveals much about the mentality of today's outdated, out of touch "leaders". Viewed as a serious threat to their raping and pillaging, Ron Paul has become, again, the whipping post for the power's that be, or more appropriately, the powers that WERE and who still, for some reason, think ARE.
The article starts off with the story of retiring Senator Judd Gregg, the current chairman of the House Financial Service Committee’s Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, handing out Ron Paul's End the Fed, at a central bank meeting in November. The book, which outlines a return to the gold standard, among other things, debuted on the New York Times non-fiction best seller list at #6 and ranked at least as high as #18 on the Amazon books best seller list. Gregg supposedly told those in attendance of the meeting that it'd be worth finding out what Ron Paul, next in line to take chairman of the subcommittee, has planned for them.
You see, they KNOW we're coming for them. They KNOW we've had enough of them inflating the middle class into poverty while lining the pockets of their elitist cronies. They KNOW we're looking to fix the mess they've made by, first and foremost, exposing them and their ilk for the sociopathic criminals they truly are.
This will lead to stripping the big government incumbents and the Federal Reserve fraudsters, the investment banksters and the too-big-to-fail corporate jackasses, of all their self-assumed power. Eventually, it will lead to the greatest accomplishment of modern times - a global revolution where the shadow government, illuminati freaks are imprisoned for their crimes against humanity.
Let's be clear here, I voted for Ron Paul in the 2008 Primary. I wanted this guy in. I can be quoted as saying then that "if Ron Paul doesn't win this thing, we wont achieve freedom again until there's blood in the streets."
Obviously, he didn't win. He didn't even win the republican nomination. What's followed has been a steady decline into tyrannical "Big Sis" government and a full-on Nazi-esque police state mentality. We have, at this point, no real chance of fighting this thing off without a true uprising of the people.
The "Tea Party" movement, which I have viewed with a heaping dose of skepticism since it was hijacked by those looking to make a fast buck, still does have the underlying spirit of the movement intact. The recent ousting of incumbent Democrats and neo-con Republicans has put the elitists on edge, and for good reason. Republicans and Democrats alike know that time is up and they have to start listening to their constituents. If they don't, they're not only done for politically, they risk a civil uprising or even a civil war.
So what are they doing about it? The same thing they always do! They're distracting everyone with more BS as they keep doing what they've been doing! But this time they're scared. They're scrambling to make things happen before it's too late. They know their smoke and mirrors tactics don't get them very far anymore, and pony shows have almost no effect on the people who have already woken up.
The incoming House Speaker, Republican John Boehner, has already been reported to be discussing ways to keep Ron Paul from becoming the chairman of the subcommittee...you know, to keep him from exposing the fraud and criminal activity of our elected leaders and the banksters. He's doing this secretly and quietly, trying to not raise any alarm bells. Too bad, Boehner - you're on candid camera now.
According to The Daily Paul, if they DO pass him over at the vote next week, the full House of Representatives will have to ratify the chairman's appointment. If that happens, the phone campaign will begin. Don't miss out on that one, should it arise.
What I need to say about all of this, however, is that EVEN IF Ron Paul gets the chairman seat for the subcommittee, the ball that is the complete lock down of the US population is already rolling. We have not only an uphill battle on our hands, in getting our freedoms back, but a battle in which we're heavily out-gunned and certainly out-numbered. For every one true patriot in this country, there are dozens of pathological thieves who want nothing more than their monthly "poor me" welfare checks and GMO foodstamps. These mindless zombies will do anything to protect their entitlements.
Those on the front-lines of this battle will be the first to go. They'll be locked up in FEMA camps and labeled "domestic terrorists".
We're coming into a time when things are going to get very scary in this country. VERY scary. All I can say is, it's about damned time.
The article starts off with the story of retiring Senator Judd Gregg, the current chairman of the House Financial Service Committee’s Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, handing out Ron Paul's End the Fed, at a central bank meeting in November. The book, which outlines a return to the gold standard, among other things, debuted on the New York Times non-fiction best seller list at #6 and ranked at least as high as #18 on the Amazon books best seller list. Gregg supposedly told those in attendance of the meeting that it'd be worth finding out what Ron Paul, next in line to take chairman of the subcommittee, has planned for them.
You see, they KNOW we're coming for them. They KNOW we've had enough of them inflating the middle class into poverty while lining the pockets of their elitist cronies. They KNOW we're looking to fix the mess they've made by, first and foremost, exposing them and their ilk for the sociopathic criminals they truly are.
This will lead to stripping the big government incumbents and the Federal Reserve fraudsters, the investment banksters and the too-big-to-fail corporate jackasses, of all their self-assumed power. Eventually, it will lead to the greatest accomplishment of modern times - a global revolution where the shadow government, illuminati freaks are imprisoned for their crimes against humanity.
Let's be clear here, I voted for Ron Paul in the 2008 Primary. I wanted this guy in. I can be quoted as saying then that "if Ron Paul doesn't win this thing, we wont achieve freedom again until there's blood in the streets."
Obviously, he didn't win. He didn't even win the republican nomination. What's followed has been a steady decline into tyrannical "Big Sis" government and a full-on Nazi-esque police state mentality. We have, at this point, no real chance of fighting this thing off without a true uprising of the people.
The "Tea Party" movement, which I have viewed with a heaping dose of skepticism since it was hijacked by those looking to make a fast buck, still does have the underlying spirit of the movement intact. The recent ousting of incumbent Democrats and neo-con Republicans has put the elitists on edge, and for good reason. Republicans and Democrats alike know that time is up and they have to start listening to their constituents. If they don't, they're not only done for politically, they risk a civil uprising or even a civil war.
So what are they doing about it? The same thing they always do! They're distracting everyone with more BS as they keep doing what they've been doing! But this time they're scared. They're scrambling to make things happen before it's too late. They know their smoke and mirrors tactics don't get them very far anymore, and pony shows have almost no effect on the people who have already woken up.
The incoming House Speaker, Republican John Boehner, has already been reported to be discussing ways to keep Ron Paul from becoming the chairman of the subcommittee...you know, to keep him from exposing the fraud and criminal activity of our elected leaders and the banksters. He's doing this secretly and quietly, trying to not raise any alarm bells. Too bad, Boehner - you're on candid camera now.
According to The Daily Paul, if they DO pass him over at the vote next week, the full House of Representatives will have to ratify the chairman's appointment. If that happens, the phone campaign will begin. Don't miss out on that one, should it arise.
What I need to say about all of this, however, is that EVEN IF Ron Paul gets the chairman seat for the subcommittee, the ball that is the complete lock down of the US population is already rolling. We have not only an uphill battle on our hands, in getting our freedoms back, but a battle in which we're heavily out-gunned and certainly out-numbered. For every one true patriot in this country, there are dozens of pathological thieves who want nothing more than their monthly "poor me" welfare checks and GMO foodstamps. These mindless zombies will do anything to protect their entitlements.
Those on the front-lines of this battle will be the first to go. They'll be locked up in FEMA camps and labeled "domestic terrorists".
We're coming into a time when things are going to get very scary in this country. VERY scary. All I can say is, it's about damned time.
12.01.2010
DOT-P2P and US bails out EU?
After reviewing the rest of the news today, I have a few interesting articles to share.
We'll start off with this, a wonderfully fun video to watch:
YouTube link
Love getting those behind the scenes looks at what really goes in D.C. when "no one's looking".
Meanwhile, back on earth, in a push to keep big government out of our business, it looks like "anonymous" and the hackers of the world are working on a new project. The "DOT-P2P" project, a "decentralized open domain name system", is what I would have to say is the biggest push forward in years for online freedom and privacy. The recent seizure of domains by big government over supposed illegal copyright infringement or some such has shown how vulnerable we are to censorship on the web. The project, started only days ago, aims to create a decentralized system that relies on peer-to-peer networking technologies, including BitTorrent, to completely bypass ICANN and ISP DNS services. It will use a ".p2p" top-level domain, handled by an existing "community-based" DNS.
Not since TOR has a better idea been put forward in my opinion.
Read more about this at TorrentFreak, the openNIC project and the project's official pages at the dot-p2p.org.
In other news, be ready for a rocky ride in the next week. Not only is the Federal Reserve releasing some important information (namely, the names and other data of financial institutions and foreign central banks it has loaned money to as of late), but the US is evidently preparing to bail out the EU! If the euro were to plummet toward death, one can easily imagine a lot of money flowing into dollars, giving the dollar a big boost akin to a shot of anabolic steroids. However, if the US dollar is about to go flooding into Europe in an attempt to keep the euro from falling flat on its face, one can also imagine a move away from both euros AND dollars.
The question becomes, what direction does money move when both the euro and the dollar are considered worthless pieces of crap? My guess is gold.
We'll start off with this, a wonderfully fun video to watch:
YouTube link
Love getting those behind the scenes looks at what really goes in D.C. when "no one's looking".
Meanwhile, back on earth, in a push to keep big government out of our business, it looks like "anonymous" and the hackers of the world are working on a new project. The "DOT-P2P" project, a "decentralized open domain name system", is what I would have to say is the biggest push forward in years for online freedom and privacy. The recent seizure of domains by big government over supposed illegal copyright infringement or some such has shown how vulnerable we are to censorship on the web. The project, started only days ago, aims to create a decentralized system that relies on peer-to-peer networking technologies, including BitTorrent, to completely bypass ICANN and ISP DNS services. It will use a ".p2p" top-level domain, handled by an existing "community-based" DNS.
Not since TOR has a better idea been put forward in my opinion.
Read more about this at TorrentFreak, the openNIC project and the project's official pages at the dot-p2p.org.
In other news, be ready for a rocky ride in the next week. Not only is the Federal Reserve releasing some important information (namely, the names and other data of financial institutions and foreign central banks it has loaned money to as of late), but the US is evidently preparing to bail out the EU! If the euro were to plummet toward death, one can easily imagine a lot of money flowing into dollars, giving the dollar a big boost akin to a shot of anabolic steroids. However, if the US dollar is about to go flooding into Europe in an attempt to keep the euro from falling flat on its face, one can also imagine a move away from both euros AND dollars.
The question becomes, what direction does money move when both the euro and the dollar are considered worthless pieces of crap? My guess is gold.
Thievery
I worked about 18 months doing loss prevention for a clothing store back in the north east. That's why this morning, this story caught my eye: Women accused of hiding merchandise in body fat. Now, I've watched people steal many times. I watched old women and young boys, teen-age girls and middle-age mothers, as they grabbed whatever caught their eye and shoved it into a bag or ran for the fitting rooms to rip tags off shirts and pants, then casually walk out of the store wearing high-price clothing they had no intention of ever paying for. Teen-age boys had the mentality of "smash and grab" engrained in them - they'd walk in, grab their item of choice and rip the tags off while running out the door, leaving gaping holes in the backs of their new gangsta shirts. I'd see them coming from a mile away, like a poorly camouflaged hunter pacing off his nervous energy before taking a shot. Old women, seasoned by years of experience, would skillfully pick up items and slide them into a bag, then calmly walk out the door, sometimes so quickly you could barely tell if you had actually seen it happen. The one thing I haven't seen is what these women did - concealing merchandise in rolls of body fat. That's definitely a new one in my book.
The whole loss prevention thing made me sick inside - who'd have thought so many people could steal? Who'd have thought it was so easy, so natural, and so common? In the loss prevention profession, there's a well known and typically unspoken truth - everyone, given the opportunity, is not only a potential thief, they're a LIKELY thief. It's the saddest realization I ever had.
Some would do it because they couldn't afford all the fabulousness they desired and would simply steal what they couldn't afford. Some would do it because they were "mentally ill" and just couldn't help themselves - getting that cheap thrill when they got away with stealing became addictive.
However, most did it simply because they could. After stopping someone with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise shoved into a bag, we'd always bring them back to the office, sit them down and interview them. "Have you ever done this before?" and "When was the first time you stole?"
"Why did you steal these items today?"
More often than not, the thief had enough money in their wallet to buy the item stolen.
I remember coming home from that loss prevention job one night. I stopped at a gas station to grab a case of beer, a usual occurrence. A woman in line just in front of me was paying for, I think, gas and a drink. As the cashier was putting her money in the till and counting out the woman's change, the woman grabbed a candybar and shoved it into her purse. This was in full view of me, standing behind her, and not quick or skilled in the least. The cashier saw nothing, of course.
When I told the cashier, after the woman had left, that the she had stolen a candybar and that she should be watched the next time she comes in because "she *will* do it again, now that she's gotten away with it, and she'll likely steal something worth more than a candybar", the cashier told me very matter-of-fact that they "can't do anything about it anyway" - can't stop them, can't call the police...can't even ask if they'd like pay for the item.
I wish I was surprised by that revelation, but I wasn't.
It fully occurred to me, at some point along the way, that our society has broken down to the point where we literally serve the people who steal. Those who "have-not" but "do-want" are somehow treated as worthy of just taking. Even big government welfare, foodstamps, and housing programs provide more than enough to live on. In fact, they provide so much to those who don't work that it turns out to a better deal than working for many.
A 40hr/wk job at $7/hr works out to $280/wk before tax. After tax, monthly income is somewhere around or below $1,000, right? Let's assume that the apartment of choice costs $800/mo. That leaves less than $200/mo for food, gas, etc. Who can blame a person for quitting that job and getting on welfare? The apartment they'd live in would be free or at least cost them a lot less that $800/mo. They'd receive much more than $200/mo on foodstamps, so much more that it's common practice nationwide to sell your unused foodstamps for spending cash.
I've heard many stories, some of them first-hand accounts, of people doing this - quitting their job to go on welfare, and subsequently earn more for doing less. Many will even look for ways to "work under the table" to avoid losing their big government handouts.
What these people fail to realize is that the more they take in these handouts, the more is taken from the working stiff's paycheck. It's a snowball effect in that the more these welfare programs cost, the less worthwhile having a job becomes. Of course, monetary inflation is another huge factor in this. In order to ensure that the working stiff doesn't get too upset by the higher and higher dollar amounts coming out of his paycheck each month, the big government in charge of all this just prints up more money to pay for the higher costs of welfare. This way, the dollar amount might not change but the nation's "wealth pie" is being divided into smaller and smaller slices every day. Over time, your $10/hr job just doesn't pay for what it used to. You're eventually forced to realize that giving up your job and getting on the welfare bandwagon not only pays better but sounds like the best deal of the century.
It has become like this everywhere you look in our society. People who produce are not only taken for granted, they're taken for a ride. They're taken for a ride by those who produce nothing.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, one of the candidates, referring to the income tax, said that it was a terrible idea to punish people for working, for generating an income. If anything, people should be punished for SPENDING rather than saving, encouraging a more responsible and frugal mentality. He was advocating a move toward a sales tax system and away from the income tax. When you stop and think about what he said, that people are being punished for generating an income, you have to realize that he's right. The more you work, the more you produce and the more money you make, the more is taken away from you for income tax, entitlement programs and welfare. That just doesn't seem right, does it?
Anyway, I'll cut this short here as I still haven't finished scanning the news this morning and it's already after 2PM.
A final thought: Who can blame these people for stealing from stores when it's so engrained in our culture to just "take"? Who can really blame them?
The whole loss prevention thing made me sick inside - who'd have thought so many people could steal? Who'd have thought it was so easy, so natural, and so common? In the loss prevention profession, there's a well known and typically unspoken truth - everyone, given the opportunity, is not only a potential thief, they're a LIKELY thief. It's the saddest realization I ever had.
Some would do it because they couldn't afford all the fabulousness they desired and would simply steal what they couldn't afford. Some would do it because they were "mentally ill" and just couldn't help themselves - getting that cheap thrill when they got away with stealing became addictive.
However, most did it simply because they could. After stopping someone with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise shoved into a bag, we'd always bring them back to the office, sit them down and interview them. "Have you ever done this before?" and "When was the first time you stole?"
"Why did you steal these items today?"
More often than not, the thief had enough money in their wallet to buy the item stolen.
I remember coming home from that loss prevention job one night. I stopped at a gas station to grab a case of beer, a usual occurrence. A woman in line just in front of me was paying for, I think, gas and a drink. As the cashier was putting her money in the till and counting out the woman's change, the woman grabbed a candybar and shoved it into her purse. This was in full view of me, standing behind her, and not quick or skilled in the least. The cashier saw nothing, of course.
When I told the cashier, after the woman had left, that the she had stolen a candybar and that she should be watched the next time she comes in because "she *will* do it again, now that she's gotten away with it, and she'll likely steal something worth more than a candybar", the cashier told me very matter-of-fact that they "can't do anything about it anyway" - can't stop them, can't call the police...can't even ask if they'd like pay for the item.
I wish I was surprised by that revelation, but I wasn't.
It fully occurred to me, at some point along the way, that our society has broken down to the point where we literally serve the people who steal. Those who "have-not" but "do-want" are somehow treated as worthy of just taking. Even big government welfare, foodstamps, and housing programs provide more than enough to live on. In fact, they provide so much to those who don't work that it turns out to a better deal than working for many.
A 40hr/wk job at $7/hr works out to $280/wk before tax. After tax, monthly income is somewhere around or below $1,000, right? Let's assume that the apartment of choice costs $800/mo. That leaves less than $200/mo for food, gas, etc. Who can blame a person for quitting that job and getting on welfare? The apartment they'd live in would be free or at least cost them a lot less that $800/mo. They'd receive much more than $200/mo on foodstamps, so much more that it's common practice nationwide to sell your unused foodstamps for spending cash.
I've heard many stories, some of them first-hand accounts, of people doing this - quitting their job to go on welfare, and subsequently earn more for doing less. Many will even look for ways to "work under the table" to avoid losing their big government handouts.
What these people fail to realize is that the more they take in these handouts, the more is taken from the working stiff's paycheck. It's a snowball effect in that the more these welfare programs cost, the less worthwhile having a job becomes. Of course, monetary inflation is another huge factor in this. In order to ensure that the working stiff doesn't get too upset by the higher and higher dollar amounts coming out of his paycheck each month, the big government in charge of all this just prints up more money to pay for the higher costs of welfare. This way, the dollar amount might not change but the nation's "wealth pie" is being divided into smaller and smaller slices every day. Over time, your $10/hr job just doesn't pay for what it used to. You're eventually forced to realize that giving up your job and getting on the welfare bandwagon not only pays better but sounds like the best deal of the century.
It has become like this everywhere you look in our society. People who produce are not only taken for granted, they're taken for a ride. They're taken for a ride by those who produce nothing.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, one of the candidates, referring to the income tax, said that it was a terrible idea to punish people for working, for generating an income. If anything, people should be punished for SPENDING rather than saving, encouraging a more responsible and frugal mentality. He was advocating a move toward a sales tax system and away from the income tax. When you stop and think about what he said, that people are being punished for generating an income, you have to realize that he's right. The more you work, the more you produce and the more money you make, the more is taken away from you for income tax, entitlement programs and welfare. That just doesn't seem right, does it?
Anyway, I'll cut this short here as I still haven't finished scanning the news this morning and it's already after 2PM.
A final thought: Who can blame these people for stealing from stores when it's so engrained in our culture to just "take"? Who can really blame them?
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