Slick Willy actually has some good ideas

Bill Clinton is actually outlining a dozen or so (ok 14 if you must know) easy steps that will help the economy. He isn't saying these steps will solve all our problems, he just points out most of them are easy and would help. Since the first one is decreased government regulation prior to construction starting and #12 is Cut Corporate Taxes, I'm all for it.
Check out the whole list here, its worth a read.
I like them all  except #3 plus #14 isn't really an idea, its an idea to get together and find other ideas.

Its worse than you think

So, the economy is already starting to tank so bad that even in a middle class suburb such as my neighborhood, where I am on a first name basis with the majority of folks living within ten houses of me, I get all my tomatoes, squash and zucchini stolen. My extra propane tank for my grill is also missing. I know animals didn't get the veggies, b/c of the fence and netting I have in place around my garden, the lack of animal footprints and the set of human shoe prints in the garden that don't match any shoes I own and are too big to be my wife's.

Someone went in my yard, stole from my garden and stole a 20lb tank of propane. This really makes me mad, sad and scared all at the same time. I seriously doubt it was any of my next door neighbors, I have a suspicion it was someone from the crew that came and cut down my neighbors backyard tree on Saturday. Although we do have curb side pickers/scrap guys who roll through the neighborhood daily, but they don't ever seem to take anything not on the curb, at least I haven't heard of anything going missing that wasn't out for the taking.

I was looking forward to eating those veggies. If I have to start protecting my garden 24/7 from two legged predators, which I can't, things are worse than I think.

Monday Humor

Ever see a warning sign that make you go "wtf?"

 Check out the rest of the Feral Irishman's pics for other laughs

Its worse than you think

If you read anything this week, it should be this
"Please soberly consider the implications of the National Debt, and think through what it means for you and your children. In the years to come, we can expect to see higher taxes, a panoply of new fees and fines, decreased pension benefits, and orchestrated currency inflation. Simultaneously, we will face a declining standard of living, shortages, riots, higher property crime rates, labor protests, currency devaluations, currency expatriation controls, bank runs, forced redistribution of wealth, and "social justice" programs that will nationalize entire industries and expropriate productive farmland. This may very well spin out of control until the wealth redistribution and social engineering schemes resemble those in Pol Pot's Cambodia, or Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe."
James Wesley, Rawles
Survivalblog.com

How do we fix this? Is it even possible?

Really great read, for a really bad reason

You need to read this, its long, but it tells you why and how Goldman Sachs has basically been bamboozling us all since the 1800's. If we arrested all their former alums in high government posts, we wouldn't have much government left.

Makes you shiver realizing some conspiracy theories might actually be true.

Who owe who what?

Ok, so, we sell our debt to the Federal Reserve, they then print more money, we then have to pay them interest on the debt we owe them, but they in turn pay us the majority of their profits back to the US .gov each year.

Does anyone else think this is screwed up?

"We owe, like, $1.6 trillion because the Federal Reserve bought that debt, so we have to work hard to pay the interest to the Federal Reserve," Paul said. "We don't, I mean, they're nobody; why do we have to pay them off?"  Congressman Ron Paul

However, the Fed returns the interest earned on those holdings to the federal government. Last year, the Fed sent $79 billion to the Treasury.

I agree with Tam 100% - Our tax dollars at work.

"If you're going to steal money from me at gunpoint, promise me you'll use it to do cool stuff like shake the ground with thunder and punch holes through the sky."

Good luck STS-135, sure has been fun watching all those missions. I can remember watching the first shuttle launch sometime around kindergarten or 1st grade, they wheeled TV's on carts into most classrooms and those without went into a classroom that did. We all watched with great wonder and awe as that spaceship blasted off and flew into the great beyond. I was enamored from that moment on, visiting Cape Kennedy and writing letters to NASA asking for mission patches (I got some cool stickers and a poster, but no patches, had to buy them at the gift shop, LOL).

On a related note, Congress is trying to defund the NOAA weather satellites, one congresscritter went so far as to tell the NOAA director at a hearing to just get the data they need by "turning on the weather channel". Apparently he doesn't know where TWC gets their data, where electricity comes from, or how to pull his head out of his ass.

God speed STS-135; heres hoping I see more space ships blast off in my lifetime.

Buy Monster Hunter Alpha

Larry Correia writes some of the best fiction out there these days, and he needs support to keep his full time job as 'writer'. I already own the previous two Monster Hunter titles and have pre-ordered the 3rd at Amazon. The books are cheap and you can read them again and again and enjoy details you missed the first time.
As Linoge says "Buy the book today"

I will personally send you mental hugs and warm wishes if you buy a copy.

Commercial message ends here.

Funniest thing i've seen in weeks

For those who don't know, Plaxico Burress just got out of jail after serving a term in NY for illegally carrying a handgun after shooting himself in the leg in a nightclub. A: use of a holster and B: some common sense would have helped him avoid jail time.
Click on the link above the watch the funniest PSA I've ever seen.

Why do we care about the wrong things?

We just don't seem to care that the country is falling apart.....

Thought of the week - Show someone you care about them

If you meet a woman who enjoys your hobbies and enjoys spending time with you, perhaps you should drop what you're doing and show her you care. Just a thought.

Included below is a picture of a beautiful over under shotgun with some gorgeous inlay on the receiver. The wood of the stock and grip are fantastic as well.

China and India are going nuclear, using Thorium, US did this in 1964

Thorium based molten salt nuclear reactors (MSR) have multiple built in safeties against meltdown or explosion and actually can in theory provide more power per ounce of fuel than uranium based reactors. Why isn't the US doing this anymore? B/c the government regulations for nuclear power plants are all based on the Gen II Westinghouse uranium reactor design and its mods, generating electricity from a new style of reactor would almost be impossible in the US b/c of bureaucracy (the H3TR project in Texas is a proposed research reactor using thorium coated beads, but is not an MSR).

Of course, its not a mature technology, but how is it going to become one if no one in the US is funding it?

No emergency cooling system is needed, which is both expensive and adds thermal inefficiency. In the basic design, an MSR generates heat at higher temperatures, continuously, and without refuelling shutdowns, so it can provide hot air to a more efficient (Brayton Cycle) turbine. An MSR run this way is about 30% better in thermal efficiency than common thermal plants, whether combustive or traditional solid-fuelled nuclear.

China won't grow forever

Interesting look at why and how China will eventually have its economy cool and the affects this will have on them and the US.

If you don't check out the business insider website from time to time, you really should.

OK, even CNN is saying it

Could America go the way of Greece?

The BBC is asking the same questions.... I don't even have to comment

Will the US or Greece default first?

"Will the US government default on its debt before Greece does? The fact that I can even pose the question tells you we live in peculiar times."
Stephanie Flanders, Economic Editor, BBC News

"As someone in their thirties this to me is a depressing sign that perhaps developed societies have enjoyed higher living standards than might have been possible had they been obliged to live within their means. As with Greece, throwing good money after bad, I worry that kicking the can further down the road for both countries will simply mean younger generations picking up the tab." Comment from 'Laurent'

Thoughts on Great Men in History TRUE LEADERS

I am a big fan of Teddy Roosevelt and truly believe he was one of our greatest presidents, if only he were alive today....
Well, with the 4th of July weighing on my mind, I also wanted to share some history of Ted Roosevelt Jr, Brigadier General US Army. He fought in both World War I and II and was the only General to land on the beaches at Normandy, and to top it all off, he landed with the very first wave of troops. He personally directed troops for hours and was given much credit for establishing the first US beachhead in France. General Omar Bradley was quoted as saying the bravest fighting he had seen during the war was Ted Roosevelt on Utah Beach. Pretty amazing praise considering Ted Jr never fired a shot himself that day.
When he was informed the boats had come ashore a mile off course, he famously shouted “We’ll start the war from right here!”.
We could use more of that spirit.

More of the same old same old

Obama thinks he can step in and offer the same old tired dialogue of spending cuts and raising taxes on the rich to fix our deficit and debt ceiling problems.
Man, when is DC going to wake up, realize the country is not pleased with their performance and do WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE!

Drastic problems require drastic solutions.

Happy 4th of July

Independence Day is always a good time to reflect on those things that make America great.
Have a safe and happy holiday!

Carry your gun, someones child may thank you some day

1. If you have a concealed carry permit, or live in a state where one is not required, keep your gun handy. Not all dog owners are good ones, and a 7 year old boy might want to keep his face.
I hear having a face is a good thing. Also, if you don't carry a gun, look into carrying a brick, apparently.

2. If you are the parent of small children, keep your eyes open. Bad things happen quickly.

I have two wonderful kids and I have had to ward off dogs plenty of times while walking in our neighborhood and in parks. Only once did I ever have to actually touch a dog in question; it tried to bite my daughter and my yelling at it and waving my arms wasn't scaring it away. Eventually I resorted to grabbing it by the scruff of its neck, and drop kicking it a few feet and it ran away. A nice .380 in my pocket would have left me with other options if the situation had gotten worse.

KEEP YOUR KIDS SAFE

Hat tip to A NC Gun Blog for the story.

Florida, They know how to handle things....

Reporter asks Sheriff why his deputies fired 68 rounds at a man who was suspected of having killed an officer during a traffic stop and fled from other officers in a police cruiser;
Sheriff replies "Because that's all the ammo they had..."

From wirecutter:

They only had 68 rounds? That's budget cuts for you...

I need to move back to the South,
in Ohio they would have a recall election for the Sheriff for his comments and the family of the deceased would have sued for a civil rights violation since he wasn't given a fair trial.

The Deficit Is Worse Than We Think

I've pointed this out to a few people over the last few years, as soon as the Fed finally raises interest rates beyond their supernaturally low current levels, the amount of money we will have to pay to MAINTAIN THE INTEREST PAYMENTS on the national debt will balloon out of control. These current talks about raising the debt ceiling another trillion and cutting some discretionary spending are going to look ridiculous in hindsight.

Only drastic changes can fix drastic problems.

1. The rise in interest expense will cause more Federal revenue to go into paying debt interest, cancelling out any small gains made from cost cutting.
2. The economy is not going to grow by 4% annually as predicted by the White House, leaving us another 4 Trillion in debt over the next ten years even if we don't allocate an extra dollar.
3. The long run costs of Obamacare are going to be much higher than anyone anticipated, further adding to the debt.

We must bring the troops home, war is killing this country. We must end the Federal Reserve and let Congress dictate financial policies; buying our own debt with money we print is insane. We must raise retirement ages and cut back on the amount of Social Security, medicare and medicaid a citizen can collect. We must do these things now, before we turn into a failed state and leave my children living in a 3rd world country.

Greece, home of Democracy, now with more Anarchy

Looks like the vote to destroy their entitlements retirement at 35 country has gone over well with the people. Must not have a 2nd Amendment over there if everyone is going melee instead of FPS.

Why does the MSM use such odd analogies for measurements?

Why, in stories such as this, do we equate liquids (concrete) to olympic swimming pools and solids such as steel, to the number of Eiffel towers?
These aren't units of measure that help explain anything better than the cubic feet and tons that were used in the article. If people don't get cubic feet, so be it, but I don't think telling them it would fill up a football field to a depth of 10 feet really gets the point across any better.
Chalk it up to my scientific background, but that sort of thing in articles annoys me.

Best way to sum up the article? This bridge is really long and makes getting to an island 20 minutes faster.
There, no crazy analogies needed.

Fuckitol from the makers of Dangitamin

http://www.thefunnybox.com/2006/10/04/fuckitol-de-stress-pill/

heh.

Balanced Budget Amendment Being Put on Schedule

A balanced budget amendment is getting put on the legislative schedule in both the Senate and the House. I'm not overly optimistic, but it makes me glad to hear its even being considered. I still think the states should pass it and force it on the .gov.

Top 5 Places Not to be if things go bad with the Global Economy

1. Israel
2. Southern California
3. England
4. New York City
5. Washington, DC
"To sum up, those areas that have lived highest on the hog in the dollar paradigm will most likely be the worst places to live when the dollar collapses."
More here

“You can ignore reality,but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” -Ayn Rand

I don't think my neighborhood would fair too well either, but central Ohio will likely do better than NYC or DC and a damn site better than the deserts of the US Southwest. At least here we have rain and land to farm.

The question is whether free peoples will choose to remain free, or to submit.

Interesting read about how Iceland basically just shrugged off any chance of joining the EU b/c the Government and its people have voted, again, not to repay money lost by PRIVATE BANKS to foreign citizens.

Let me repeat: The EU is declaring financial war on Iceland b/c the Icelandic .gov won't repay money that PRIVATE BANKS lost to non-Icelandic citizens.

They are going to be denied entry into the EU, banks and brokers are downgrading their bonds and they will be made a pariah on the international stage b/c they aren't willing to jump on the same band wagon as other 1st world governments who all says "banks are too big to fail".

Man I wish my country had balls like this.

On a side note, if Iceland has to live with itself, at least the average Icelandic lady looks like this

Alan Greenspan says we're screwed, S&P says we're boned, Obama says things are looking up!

Greenspan says we are likely headed for another recession (this one ended at some point?) if a major economic bump in the road such as a Greek default, hits us anytime soon.

S&P says they are again warning the .gov that a downturn in their credit rating is in store if they don't stop playing games and fix something quickly

Obama and his financial gurus would have you believe things are getting better

Some folks who are big in the markets are calling for drastic changes soon to avoid Greek-style riots in the streets here in the good 'ol US of A. That's never good.

All I know is that between gas for my car and cereal for breakfast, I have no 'extra' funds for what life throws at me like I used to. Here's hoping a major appliance doesn't croak any time soon.

Random Pic of the week

Random thought from tha Intarwebz

lxa374 on Apr 6, 5:33 PM said:
"If we raise the debt ceilng, a loaf of bread would eventually cost $2000 thanks to inflation. Why dont we just slash Social InSecurity in 1/2, Military spending in 1/2 (bring troops home), pass tort reform and slash medicaid in 1/2? that will basically get us out of debt. That and impose tariffs on Chinese made crap (that I use)."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-if-the-government-shuts-down-2011-3?op=1#ixzz1QCYxTasY

Not sure this approach would work, since it might leave a lot of people seniors starving in the streets, but I like the general gist; we look at where we actually spend money and cut there, instead of tryign to get blood from a stone by cutting spending in the small areas of discretionary spending. Entitlements and Defense are the only things worth cutting to fix this mess.

Bees by mail

My best friend and his wife are beekeepers, and this video shows them "hiving" their latest delivery of bees (by mail no less).
Pretty interesting if you've never seen it done.

Scary thoughts from Ol' Remus

I usually take his writings with a grain of salt (or three) but Ol' Remus has some thoughts on what to expect under martial law in the US of A., makes an interesting thought exercise at the very least, especially if you've ever read the "The Day the Dollar Died" series by Shenandoah. or payed attention to what happened in NOLA after Katrina for that matter.....

One wonders what the portent of this is....

So China actually announces that Billions have been stolen by businessmen fleeing state owned companies to the US. Knowing that this could be embarrassing to themselves, I doubt they announced it just to be nice.

Either they are A: inventing reasons to crack down domestically on the autonomy offered to companies currently, in an effort to sidestep any criticisms of the economy in China (hey, whatever is happening isn't the Govt's fault, its all b/c these crooks, so we're going to crack down on them and HARD) or B: Looking for a way to stage a platform of grievances from which to declare economic war with the US (those shady Americans knew what was going on but allowed all that money into their country illegally, and WE WANT IT BACK) or C: All of the above. Another possibility is D: Something else, that I haven't even thought of, but is still bad for the US of A.

Don't expect this to go away, at least not domestically in China, the govt there will beat this horse whenever they feel it is in their best interest (the ruling cabal, not China). Combine this with China divesting itself of American debt in areas that it can quickly liquidate, and it looks like the Chinese are preparing for something. Keep your eyes peeled and if you aren't already out of the stock market, now's your chance.

Weed your garden after a good rain

Its that time of year again, and you should be watching out in the garden for those pesky weeds. They steal nutrients and water from your actual plants and if they touch, can pass diseases. Wait until after a good soaking thunderstorm and you should be able to easily pull those weeds, roots and all, right from the garden bed. Then they don't grow back and the wet ground pulls apart easily. This leaves more soil in the ground and doesn't disturb the roots of what you want to grow.
It might be a little muddy, but I promise that the dirt will come off your hands with a little soap and warm water.  :)

Michelle Obama doesn't like Jelly

So my mother-in-law comes home from working a shift at the church food pantry and she says that they can no longer get .gov assistance in receiving jelly to pass out with the peanut butter and loaves of bread. Apparently Michelle O' feels that Jelly is nothing but hollow calories.
Great, so the poor kids should eat nothing at all if they can't eat "healthy"? Somehow this is the opposite of "let them eat cake" and it rings just as false in my ears.
I was raised on PB&J, hell I ate two of them for dinner one night this week, and I'm not obese, I don't have diabetes and I don't have unhealthy eating habits. I would wager in fact that Michelle has the same BMI that I do.
Maybe the Nanny-In-Chief can just stick to campaigning for bigger nutrition labels on food and stop branding staple food items as 'trash'.
I will be buying jelly for the food pantry from now on, instead of my normal cans of tuna fish.

Oh my, that is pretty

Well, I found what I want for Christmas. Ruger just released a new 22 pistol in a "gun fighter" frame with polished wooden grips, fiber optic sights and a ten shot cylinder (compared to 6 for most Ruger 22 revolvers and 8 on a few other manufacturers). Titled the "Single-Ten", referring to its single action and ten round capacity, its just plain "purdy"; the satin finish just looks nice. And the fiber optic sights on a cowboy frame give it just a touch of steampunk...has a very Firefly vibe to it. I have no purpose for owning it, but I'll happily use it to dispatch groundhogs in the backyard if the need arises.

For your viewing pleasure

I just couldn't refrain...

The .Gov has gone nuts - Now they don't want us to poison mice!

So, I knew they were banning 100w light bulbs soon, I didn't realize they are also going to ban rat poison. Well, at least the effective kinds. 
The press release from the EPA says they will be banning the strongest types (i.e. most effective) and consumers will only be able to buy poisons with less toxicity that are sold in child and pet proof containers. If a pet can't get in it, whats the likelihood a rat will be able to? And if its less toxic, how much will the mice have to eat?
Plus, though they quote thousands of children exposed to rat poison, I can find no numbers online of the number of deaths attributed to pest poisons. Every child's death is tragic, but if this is affecting a very small number of people, shouldn't we regulate this a different way, maybe a public media campaign? Some PSA's on TV and radio would probably help stop a lot of those cases of child exposure. Maybe put some big warnings on the packaging ala cigarettes?

Now we're stuck with rat poison that isn't really poisonous. 

Good luck to all you folks in AZ fighting mice with the Hanta virus. As SayUncle says, its for your own good
I have kept away from New Jersey b/c I didn't want to live in a Nanny State, now all 50 of them are. Great.
Guess I'll be adding rat poison in with all the preps in the basement....

US Government to have technical default on debt?

While I applaud the Redumblicans attempt to bring the national debt into the debate in DC, even a technical default (letting interest payments slide a couple of days) would have us lose our AAA debt rating, and would require the Fed Reserve to raise interest rates, something that would be horrible during a recession.

Hopefully we can discuss options in DC without a gun to the head of ol' Uncle Sam.

Frightening thoughts about world resource usage

From Hugh Pickens, via Slashdot
"Pulitzer prize winning writer Thomas Friedman writes that in few years we may be looking back at the first decade of the 21st century — when food prices spiked, energy prices soared, world population surged, tornados plowed through cities, floods and droughts set records, populations were displaced and governments were threatened by the confluence of it all — and ask ourselves: What were we thinking?'We're currently caught in two loops,' writes Friedman. 'One is that more population growth and more global warming together are pushing up food prices; rising food prices cause political instability in the Middle East, which leads to higher oil prices, which leads to higher food prices, which leads to more instability.' According to the Global Footprint Network we are currently growing at a rate that is using up the Earth's resources far faster than they can be sustainably replenished, so we are eating into the future. Right now, global growth is using about 1.5 Earths. 'Having only one planet makes this a rather significant problem,' says Paul Gilding. 'We either allow collapse to overtake us or develop a new sustainable economic model. We will choose the latter. We may be slow, but we're not stupid.'"

Lets hope we do choose a more sustainable model. I hate to go all socialist all of the sudden, but it occurs to me that certain resources, such as oil, are the bedrock of the global economy and might need to be state controlled. The Libertarian in me hates that idea, however, the father of two who enjoys eating and being warm in the winter is largely OK with it really.

And now for something completely different....

This video rocks, check it out at the Feral Irishman

Bikes are free to ride where they want. Bike lanes are nice, but not necessary. In my neighborhood they start and then peter out so randomly I tend to ignore them. They tend to be in the straightaways, and then at intersections or busy throughways where they would be the most useful, they don't exist.

My wife's cousins in Germany, however, have bike and pedestrian only "roads" between villages that are completely separate and sometimes faster than the paved roads and highways. I've been over there twice and each time I was able to ride my bicycle I had rented between the two villages and the small city where her cousins lived without ever using the car roads. Now thats what I call bike lanes.

Just the facts ma'am. UN Global Small ArmsTreaty is an attempted gun ban.

From Forbes' Larry Bell
"In fact law-abiding citizens in America used guns in self-defense 2.5 million times during 1993 (about 6,850 times per day), and actually shot and killed 2 1/2 times as many criminals as police did (1,527 to 606). Those civilian self-defense shootings resulted in less than 1/5th as many incidents as police where an innocent person was mistakenly identified as a criminal (2% versus 11%).
Just how effectively have gun bans worked to make citizens safer in other countries? Take the number of home break-ins while residents are present as an indication. In Canada and Britain, both with tough gun-control laws, nearly half of all burglaries occur when residents are present. But in the U.S. where many households are armed, only about 13% happen when someone is home.
Recognizing clear statistical benefit evidence, 41 states now allow competent, law-abiding adults to carry permitted or permit-exempt concealed handguns. As a result, crime rates in those states have typically fallen at least 10% in the year following enactment."

No comments from me needed, this sort of stuff speaks for itself.

Default Looms One Way or the Other

This article from the Utah Herald is frightening but I can find nothing wrong with the columnists logic.

$61.6 Trillion in unfunded mandated spending. plus $14 trillion in national debt. We are currently "borrowing" money from the .gov employee retirement system (I have grave doubts that money was even parked there to begin with) and Congress and the Vice president are holed up somewhere trying to decide on what band-aid measure to apply so that redumblicans and dumbocrats can raise the debt ceiling and look like they got their way.


This country isn't falling off a cliff, but it sure is sliding downhill fast. Hope you brought your walking shoes, this is going to be a long journey before things get better.

Mexican Drug War

So the mexican marines capture a large weapons cache supposedly belonging to the narco group, Los Zetas. The number of weapons captured is impressive, even if it is just a small amount in the big picture, but what the heck are the Narco's doing with 2000lbs of fireworks? I love fireworks more than the average joe, but even so it would take me at least a long weekend to run through a ton of them. Maybe with a couple of my brothers in town I could do it one day, maybe.
I wonder if the mexican gov will auction off the fireworks?  hhmmmmm

Enjoy the fall of Rome - RUM PUNCH

Well, the economy is spiraling towards...well..something bad, the .gov is still printing money like crazy, the EU is falling apart, and China is divesting their Trillion dollars in US Debt as quickly as they can without causing a panic. The Redumblicans can't find a candidate to run against Obama worth a damn, and all in all, things are most definitely NOT looking up.
Well......not much I can do about it.

Best to enjoy these times with a nice adult beverage on the back porch. 

RUM PUNCH

Splash of lemon juice

2 Cups Bacardi light rum

2 liters ginger ale

1 qt. pineapple juice

1 qt. orange juice

Ice cubes

Pour into punch bowl. Stir well. To serve: pour over one ice cube in each glass.

Good deal on a good meal. Yum.

Preparedness Pantry/Emergency Essentials (beprepared.com) is having a product giveaway for their new Mexican Food Combo. Emergency Essentials is one of my favorite places to shop online, Give it a look, whether you win or not, its not a bad combo to have around, I'm going to buy one, either way. One question; I wonder how well tortilla's freeze?

Mexican Food Combo:
1 Can of spiced "taco" TVP
1 Can of white rice
1 Can of dehydrated re-fried beans
1 Can of freeze dried super sweet corn
1 Can of black beans
1 Can of dehydrated chopped onions

Mix in some salsa and sour cream with some flour tortilla's, splash a little lime juice in the rice, and you've got my favorite Chipotle burrito (although I always use black beans and leave out the re-fried). I'm going to see if I can figure out how to take this recipe backpacking......

Penn and Teller on the 2nd Amendment and my ramblings

Anyone who knows me for more than a few days will invariably find out that I am a strict Constructionist. Meaning I like our system of government and the framing document that supports it. It also means I fully support any amendments to the original, especially the one that repealed prohibition.  :)
I don't like how far our government has strayed from the Constitution, especially since the framers put in a wonderful mechanism for modifying it. Want a Dept of Education, no problem, get an amendment passed. Want a balanced budget requirement for Congress with some teeth? No problem, amendment. Want to do anything not spelled out in the document? Amend that puppy. Its a simple system and since we need a majority of states to ratify an amendment, not one that lends itself to abuse. Nothing is stopping us from having the government we have today codified in our Constitution, so why don't we take the extra steps to make it official? legislative laziness? Fear the amendments would never pass muster? Lack of anyone in DC caring about the Constitution? I don't know. I do know I get tired of people who complain about parts of our Constitution.

That being said, I know a lot of people personally and many more online who simply despise firearms (and those who own them in many cases). Since this is a right given to the people expressly in the 2nd Amendment and one that really isn't that big a deal, I don't for the life of me understand how we let people get away with railing against it. We wouldn't condone people setting up a "Repeal the 16th Amendment and put Blacks in as 2nd class citizens" Foundation. I know it'd be tough to get 503c status from the IRS at least, much less donors. Yet, groups that want to take away this Constitutionally granted, explicit right can indeed set up PAC's, charities, accept tax deductible donations and publicly rail against something, that if it were "civil rights" related would tie the ACLU in knots as they ran for their lawyers to stop you, or label you a hate group. Yet, really, when you consider life and liberty, what section of the constitution better addresses those "civil rights" needs then the Bill of Rights; all of them (well, maybe not the 10th, that's more about State's rights). The 1st allows us to say what we want, where we want, be it political or religious gatherings. The 4th prevents the government from just snooping around our house when its not warranted, so on and so forth. I think the 2nd, while a big deal to some hoplophobes out there, is actually pretty tame and is a reflection of the fact that our country had just fought a war to overcome a tyrannical government. Anyone who tells me that need could never arise again, obviously has their eyes shut and their ears plugged. Tyranny exists all over the world, the idea that it couldn't visit the US of A again is naive. A gun alone will never do anything, its just a tool after all, much like a hammer, rake or saw. But take away those tools, and you are powerless to do anything, be it build a chair, or defend you country or home. Yet, people all over this country stand up every day and say we need to take away guns for this reason and that. I'll be the first to admit there are guns in the hands of some bad guys out there, but that is no reason to take away my 2nd amendment rights b/c of what SOMEONE ELSE did. Punish them, not me.The justice system is delineated pretty well in the Constitution as well.

I just don't get it. I like Penn & Teller's thoughts on the 2nd, so I thought I would share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GNu7ldL1LM&feature=player_embedded

Excellent job, politicians. Keep up the good work!

We got trouble, right here in River City....

"President Obama's budget is $3.8 trillion. That's at minimum of $1.3 trillion more than the nation will get with projected revenues. But projected revenues will be even less [due to increased unemployment], thus amplifying the situation and adding to our total debt.
No wonder Congress is waffling and will raise the debt ceiling – by hook or by crook. Crook is more like it, when it is "borrowing" from the civil employee pension and disability funds. Good grief! Just stop the spending!
Things are about to get worse, much worse, before they get better. The stock market, bond market and our currency will wallow in the aftermath."

From Kirk Elliott via World Net Daily

Seen on twitter

HeardinLondon HeardinLondon

Oh the irony that Dominique Strauss-Kahn isn't allowed to get bailed out.

15 hours ago Unfavorite Retweet Reply

We are now running the government off federal workers retirement money

Um, just when are we supposed to notice things have gone down the crapper? When they tell us they have or when they run out of smoke and mirrors?
This will only get worse before it gets better. We still owe billions to the social security trust fund we haven't paid back and now we're 'borrowing' from the federal employees retirement fund to actively run the government?

Plus I hate to be the one to point this out, but isn't that still debt?
We're doing this to avoid selling treasuries (debt) b/c the debt ceiling was hit this morning. but, isn't what we're doing creating more debt? Shouldn't we just close down the .gov for a few days until Congress decides to buckle under to the pressure from the treasury and the federal reserve and raise the debt limit?
I mean, we all know that's what they are going to do, they might as well get around to it. No way that they could stomach doing the right thing and making the .gov live of revenues.

Get your 'preps' ready, b/c if someone sneezes in the petrodollar/gold/silver/insert important economic indicator here market, we're looking for a rough summer.

Really Ohio Legislature? Really?

You got a Republican super-majority elected in both houses and the Governors mansion* (and the state Supreme Court while were at it) on a platform of jobs and the economy and you're squabbling about which flavor of anti-abortion bill to pass?
Really? I don't remember you having fixed Ohio's economy yet, so I have the feeling you have other things to do with your time right now. Get off your asses, cut spending, lower taxes, raise taxes, invent new grants for business, argue about ways to fill Ohio's budget gap, declare tomorrow "spend some money in Ohio day", something, anything, but focus on JOBS AND THE ECONOMY!


*per se, the Governor actually already lived in the capitol city of Columbus and chose to remain at his family home for his term, forgoing the actual mansion. Hopefully that will save the state a few bucks.

Child Safety Measures

So the #1 child is now taking the bus home from school as an experiment (she just turned 8 and has been pushing for this for months). I walk her to the bus every morning and that won't change; she'd never get dressed and on the bus without me playing drill sergeant.
BUT and its a big but, no one will be with her for the walk home. Now, to be honest its only a block and a half and its a safe neighborhood and other kids get off the bus with her and there is even one boy who lives across the street who will walk with her most of the way, but I didn't get as crazy as I am without being paranoid.

Anyone out there have any ideas for security measures for an 8 year old?

Obviously she cant take weapons like pepper spray, knives, saps to school (or leave them 'hidden' at the bus stop). She is a 4th degree belt (purple) in TaeKwonDo and knows not be in 'condition white' when walking home, but I'll feel more comfortable giving her something more substantial than a whistle. Perhaps she could always carry a freshly sharpened number 2 pencil?  LOL.

Aaahhh, the joys of being a parent in the 21st century.

Zombie Proof house? Maybe, but I don't want to pay the $$$

This house is awesome, and awe inspiring. Don't think I could afford it though, but still pretty nifty.

Age of America nears end

For the first time, the international organization has set a date for the moment when the “Age of America” will end and the U.S. economy will be overtaken by that of China. 

5 years, and then we will no longer be the dominant economy. Oil won't be traded in USD, international trade wont be conducted in USD and the USD will be worth a lot less then it is even now.
My kids will be 13 and 8 and they will be entering a new world, where the US is sliding towards default, permanent recession and 1 in 5 will be unemployed.

I just have to pray that things don't get as bad as they possibly can. Any chance we can get that balanced budget Constitutional Amendment we need?

Tax Reform Now!

American middle class families pay more federal taxes on a single gallon of gasoline (18.4 cents) than Exxon Mobil paid in U.S. income taxes in all of 2009.

Exxon Mobil Paid No U.S. Income Taxes In 2009

Looks like CNBC has noticed as well...

$6 gas? Man I have to setup a VPN at work.
Story from CNBC about weak dollar leading to $6 gas.
Yikes.

Uh Oh

We're flat broke, our leaders are squabbling in Congress and our President is re-arranging the deck chairs as the Titanic sinks and somebody over at Standard and Poor's has noticed.
http://phelps.donotremove.net/2011/04/sp-cuts-u-s-ratings-outlook-to-negative/

The Big Idea: Perennial Grains

Scientists think they can create perennial grains, thus solving many of the problems we have today with farming annuals. Can I hear a big 'woot' for science? Got to love those geeks out there solving problems with their minds.  :)

Don’t trust the AP for news. by SnarkyBytes

Completely ripped off from SnarkyBytes ,Thanks Alan.

If you haven’t realized it yet, the AP is totally untrustworthy.
Here’s a gem from today.

Oil has topped $108 a barrel, the highest price since 2008. Regular unleaded gasoline now goes for an average $3.69 a gallon, according to AAA’s daily fuel gauge survey, up 86 cents from a year ago.
The higher costs have been driven by unrest in Libya and other oil-producing Middle East countries, along with rising energy demand from a strengthening U.S. economy.

Completely and totally wrong. The price of oil is at a record high because the value of the dollar is at a record low. Oil is priced in dollars. When those dollars are devalued and buy less, Oil becomes more expensive. You can thank the Federal Reserve for it.
“Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon” –Milton Friedman
For you liberal reporters out there, “monetary phenomenon” means it’s caused by the central bank’s manipulation of the money supply*.
But you won’t learn that from the AP.

* Yes, I know other things affect the money supply but in this case it is directly caused by the quantitative easing the Federal Reserve is doing. For you journalists out there, quantitative easing = printing money.

Who do we owe? The national debt is crazy scary

So, China doesnt have to go to war with us, they just keep buying our debt until they own us. Nice.
http://www.defeatthedebt.com/understanding-the-national-debt/who-do-we-owe/

Spring, baseball and hot dogs

For those of you in North America, spring is finally coming in and its time for hot dogs. My favorite way to eat them is slathered in chili sauce, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, onions on a steamed bun.

Sauce Recipe (suspected to be Tony Packo's)
2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 T thyme
2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
1/2 T cumin
Dash cayenne pepper
2 T chili powder
3 c water
1 T black pepper
1 T Hungarian paprika (no substitutes)
1 t salt

Brown ground beef, breaking into very small pieces as it cooks; drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients; simmer 1 hour or until desired consistency.

Serve with chopped sweet onions, relish, shredded cheese and maybe even a pickle. Mustard, no ketchup on a chili dog. Steam your buns people.

Note: Serve over a Nathan's dog, Hebrew national, Bahama mama or any other high quality beef frank, not just any hotdog.

Why aren't we listening to the IMF

The IMF says we have to do something about our defecit/debt soon or the International economy will crash.

Why arent we listening to our armed forces?

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen has described our national debt as the greatest national security threat facing our nation.

Methinks that would get someones attention when the top soldier (ahem, ok, sailor) mentions that the government is its own worst enemy.

We have to act

Speaking of bad governments - Quote of the Week

"If George Washington knew you were Tweeting about the British royal wedding, he'd snatch the iPhone from your hand and kick your ass."  Tam

Our Government is out of touch

Man, this graph sums it all up

I'm too lazy for an April Fool's joke

So I will just link to someone else s.

Enjoy!

YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG

Yo dawg, I heard you like towing, so we put a tow truck in your tow truck, so you could tow while you tow!

Wow, thats a lot of pessimistic news....better get my garden planted

Economics and Investing:

 End of the Dollar?

 The Dollar Will Collapse Within 3-4 Months

Connecting the Dots … Grain Shortages & Food Inflation Quietly Accelerating Due to Perfect Storm

 Fears rise that Japan could sell off U.S. debt

Items from The Economatrix:
 Postal Service to Cut 7,500 Jobs, Close Offices  
Asian Shares Higher After Wall Street Closes  
US Experiencing Uneven Job Growth Across States  
Oil Hits Highest Levels Since Recession  
Private Corporation Official Admits Impending US Bankruptcy  
US Consumer Confidence In US Falls More Than Forecast On Rising Fuel Prices  
When Silver Investors Finally Wise Up

Time to plant your garden (in Ohio anyway)

You really should have started your sprouts by now (I have mine in an indoor greenhouse thingy). As soon as the snow stops falling (we got some yesterday) I'll plant everything outdoors.

Types

• Cool-season and warm-season vegetables can be grown in Ohio. Cool-season crops withstand light frost and include many leaf and root vegetables. Warm-season crops, such as cucumbers, squash, melons and tomatoes must be planted after the threat of frost passes.

Time Frame

• Experienced Ohio gardeners begin planting cool-season vegetables in Mid-March, according to the Ohio State University Extension web site. Ohio is located in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 and 6, with an average last frost date occurring in April-May. Warm-season vegetables can be planted after the last killing frost.

Considerations

• Starting vegetable seeds indoors during late winter can result in transplants by the early spring planting season. Using transplants instead of direct seeding can add a few weeks to your harvest season. Successive planting can also make the most of a season. Plant new crops as soon as the previous ones are harvested.

Chicken With Lemon and Green Onion Sauce

Tried this last night, it was awesome. Still working on side dishes, although obviously chicken goes well with lots of things.

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
4 tablespoons butter
dash salt
dash freshly ground black pepper or seasoned pepper

Prep:

Pre-heat broiler; line a broiler pan with foil and oil the rack.
Rinse chicken; pat dry. Put chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to thin to an even thickness. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange on oiled broiler rack.

In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 seconds.





Cooking:

Broil the chicken for about 12 to 15 minutes, turning about halfway through the cooking time. Drizzle each chicken breast with about 1 teaspoon of the lemon mixture 1 minute before it's finished. Serve chicken with the remaining sauce.

Goes well with a side of rice and cornbread.

Serves 4.

Tongue in cheek post about German gun laws

"Again, as a “normal citizen” you have to establish that you in terrible danger [to receive a concealed carry permit]. Being shot more than one time is considered adequate proof that you qualify. Being murdered is the best proof to get a CC. Unfortunately, a posthumous CC isn’t much use. The state does not allow citizens to be buried with a loaded weapon."

Check out the post here.

Funny one there Tam

Remember back in '50s and early '60s, when we set off something like 900 atomic bombs in Nevada? And how we just let the fallout blow wherever and it landed all over the eastern US? And how it wiped out life as we know it and all that was left from Colorado to the Atlantic were six-legged rats battling two-headed cockroaches in the glowing ruins?

Yeah. Exactly. So shut up with the panic already.

Courtesy of Tam

Understanding the Federal budget woes

It is predicted the Federal budget deficit will reach $1.65 trillion this year with a $14.1 trillion debt and about $2.1 trillion in income. Yet the House cannot reach agreement on spending cuts. The House Republicans want to only cut $60 billion in spending and the Democrats only want to cut spending $6.5 billion. If you were to scale this down into numbers people might be able to relate to it would look like the following.
If your family income were $50,000 then:

• Family debt is $335,700
• Family deficit is $39,300 (spending is $89,300/year)
• The head of household wants to cut $1,430 in yearly spending
• The spouse wants to cut $154.80 in yearly spending 

Props to Joe Huffman

Good point, seems like common sense...but its not that common

"When General Motors and Chrysler were facing bankruptcy our government stepped in, handed both companies a ton of our money to reward them for failing, and then allowed them to pay back these "loans" with money obtained through a different tax payer funded scheme.
There is another way companies can avoid bankruptcy and it doesn't involve stealing money from the tax payers. This method, although hardly known, is to produce a better product."More of the post here
http://wp.me/puTMW-1yU

due credit to Christopher Burg

Hometown Seeds, Check 'em out, I like 'em, Not affiliated.

Pardon the fact that my template goes over the ad, I'm too lazy to fix it. I like Hometown Seeds and think you should give 'em a look see.

If you need any help, give me a call

Man, sometimes I think our justice system needs to be re-named.

Its my site and I'll post what I want

Time Wasters, Enjoy!

Winter Recipe

Yes, I agree this is the tail end of winter, but this recipe sounded so good I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share. I am prepping my grocery list right now and cant wait to have the house smell so wonderful.
Hat tip to Tango Juliet.


"This is about the best cold weather drink ever invented IMHO.

And to think, I put the spotlight on it at the tale end of a fairly moderate winter!

What timing!

The basic recipe:

Into your favorite crock pot, dump 4 parts apple cider to 1 part cranberry juice.

Add two sticks of cinnamon.

Poke 6 whole cloves into a nice sweet orange. Toss it into the mix.

Let it brew for 6 to 8 hours.

This mix is guaranteed to flood your house with the best aromas since fresh baked bread.

Cautions and suggestions: Be sure you get good sweet oranges. Some navel oranges have very bitter rinds. Bad juju! I recommend buying two. Eat one for testing purposes.

Naturally the cider/apple juice to cranberry juice ratio can be varied.

Use caution with the cloves. They are potent little critters. Six is the most I'll use these days. The use of more than six ventures into +P territory very quickly.

This brew is very receptive to alcohol. I prefer cinnamon schnapps but I have seen others use rum with success as well"

OK, lets get this straight

Not that I am a true Republican, so I guess I can't rant too hard at the dumb decisions that party makes, but can you please make sure that Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are given the wrong date and address for the Republican Convention in 2012? If either of these two RINO's gets nominated you might as well just not even bother. Bobby Jindal, however, would give Barack a real run for his money.

Like New Again

So, my CRKT Carson Design M16-10KZ (which is a really long name for a knife btw CRKT, more on that later) came apart, mostly, in my pocket today at work. Nothing was damaged, just the main screw had worked itself loose and the blade had popped free from its pivot point. So, I took this as a sign that it would be a good time to take the knife completely apart* and clean it.

Now, its always important to maintain your gear and while I do sharpen the high carbon blade from time to time, I do admit that my everyday carry knife (EDC) does get a little less loving than some of my other backpacking, outdoors, fishing, camping, etc equipment. I just don't normally think about it, honestly. It goes in my pocket every morning with my wallet and cell phone and gets dumped in my wallet box every evening when I come home from work. I use it almost daily at work, giving it un-dignified work such as opening packages and mail.

Well, I was once again amazed at the quality of craftsmanship that convinced me to buy the knife originally. After cleaning all the parts and re-assembling it (I did have a little trouble getting the brass and the teflon bearings back in place) the knife works as good as new and I have a big smile on my face. 

I've had it over 3 years and have been very pleased with the blade and the feel of the handle; many folders feel loose or slippery in your hands and can lead to you cutting yourself, this model just "fits". This good grip allows me to be confident when I am using it for something other than packing tape and I have yet to nick myself with it. As far as EDC's go, this one gets 4.5 stars (I would give it a full five if it had an easier name).

As for the name (CRKT Carson Design M16-10KZ), CRKT has a number of (Kit) Carson Design blades and they have a number of variations named M16-##XX, so many so that I have long since forgotten what my designation actually means, although I assume it refers to the tanto style blade. A simpler name might have been the CRKT M16 Tanto. For a company that does a really good job with their own acronym (CRKT stands for Columbia River Knife and Tool and I pronounce it "cricket") you think they would find a way to make saying the names of their knives a little less hard. Spyderco's habit of giving their knives one word names comes to mind. Its kind of like Ford vs Lexus. While a Mustang may be lacking in certain specs when compared to the IS F11, I would much rather tell people I owned a Mustang versus admitting to owning the Lexus alphanumeric mouthful. Just MHO.

*I didn't take the zytel scales off the steel frame as I saw nothing to be gained doing that, it would likely just loosen the factory screws forever and I also didn't take apart the nifty CRKT Auto-LAWKS safety as I figured that was just asking for re-assembly hell.

For anyone shopping for an EDC, I would highly recommend you at least glance at the knife in question, its about $25 on Amazon and no I don't get any money from Amazon for sending you there, I turned off all the commerce settings on my blog months ago.

Dimensions
Open Overall Length	7.125 inches
Closed Length	4 inches
Weight	2.3 ounces

Blade
Length	3 inches
Thickness	0.08 inches
Material	8Cr15MoV
Blade-HRC	58-59
Finish	EDP
Grind	Hollow
Style	Tanto
Edge	Triple-Point Serrations

Handle
Material	Zytel
Liners	2CR13

Lock
Type	Locking Liner
Safety System	AutoLAWKS

Carry
Carry System	1 Position Clip

Here is Kit Carson's M16^® Every Day Carry (EDC) with our Zytel^® InterFrame build. Our knife users told us, "We want an affordable work knife that we can give hard use without feeling guilty, and one that won't break us up if we leave it on a job site or drop it in the river."

We heard you. So we set about to make the Zytel EDC the best value in the work and sport knife world.

That starts with textured Zytel^® scales and a dual 2CR13 stainless steel liner InterFrame. Assembled with Zytel back spacers and Torx^® fasteners, the result is amazingly rigid. Zytel is a fiberglass-filled nylon that offers excellent toughness and resistance to solvents. Teflon^® bearings at the blade pivot and an adjustable pivot screw allow for perfect blade action.

The blade is 8CR15MoV high-carbon stainless steel which gives an ideal combination of toughness and edge-holding ability in a work knife, and also allows easy field-sharpening.

The M16^®-10KZ features a dual hollow grind Tanto-style blade with Combined Razor-Sharp and Triple-Point^™ Serrated edges similar to our "Big Dog" M16 models. The result is maximum blade strength and ability to saw through cord, webbing, nets or vegetation quickly. It has a black EDP blade, black frame and hardware for a non-flective tactical look.

Of course, it features the Carson Flipper, which speeds opening of the blade and acts as a blade guard when the blade is open.

The real breakthrough was our ability to engineer our patented* AutoLAWKS^™ knife safety into all models, which automatically actuates when the blades are open, making these folders into virtual fixed blades when locked.

Add to these features the standard removable Teflon^®-plated stainless steel clothing/gear clip plus the CRKT limited lifetime warranty, and you have one of the truly great knife values of our time.

US Debt: What is the solution?

 After reading this Wiki article about the US debt, I have to say I am well and truly frightened for my children. While I don't think the world will come to an end, I do think tough times are ahead, if they aren't already starting. I also notice that we owe over 7 Trillion dollars to the Federal Reserve. Why don't we revoke its charter, assume its assets and functions into the Federal Government and cut our national debt in half?

Why does no one in DC want to really deal with this? They can barely bring themselves to fight over 100 Billion in cuts right now. Really? $100,000,000,000.00 seems like a lot, and its 25% of discretionary spending, but since our projected  deficit for the new budget is 1.1 Trillion, 100 Billion in cuts means our debt will still grow by ONE TRILLION DOLLARS during the next budget year alone.

We have to get this under control, I just don't know what the answer is going to be.

All is well

Bubba is feeling better, my first cousin Johnny, that I grew up next door to, and his wife welcomed a lovely little boy last night and my daughter is now over the flu. I am heading home from work and think I might stop off and get pizza for dinner. All is well. Now if the cold weather would abate long enough for me to get the 3 inches of ice off my driveway.

Be good.

Bubba is in trouble

Jimmy Buffett (Bubba) has taken a bad fall down under and is currently in the hospital under observation, my prayers and best wishes go out to my favorite musician, the man who is able to get me through these harsh Ohio winters. Get well quickly and I hope to see you again on tour soon.
More details here

My mom is turning 70

So my mom turns 70 this week, I have no idea how to celebrate that but I know its an important milestone to the whole family. Definitely going to have to do more than a hallmark card this year.  :)

We really need to have our own "tunisian" revolt against the Federal Reserve

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-10-things-would-be-different-if-federal-reserve-had-never-been-created

Without the Federal Reserve, our country would be in a lot better shape.

Book idea

A first aid/gardening/cooking/parenting/emergency preparedness/fishing/backpacking/joke book. Basically everything you would ever need to deal with untoward situations at home or in the woods with step by step directions, advice, lists of things to have on hand, etc. etc.


Know a good soup recipe that cooks well over an open fire? Know the best way to deal with splinters in the finger of your 5 year old? Not sure which corner of the house to go to in case of a tornado? Need a good joke to tell folks after a scary situation? Know how to remove a kids loose tooth? Have a good recipe for rabbit? Want to know what to do after falling in icy water? Interested in solar energy but don't know where to start? Interested in the best snow shovel? best bicycle? Well, my book will be a compendium of useful knowledge in an easy to read format.
I'm thinking about putting this together, maybe even throwing in a few short stories so people would have something to read during power outages with no TV, and some game ideas for how to entertain your kids during those big summer thunderstorms.

Worlds largest army recently disbanded

Don't let the title confuse you, basically it could also read "Millions of deer hunters have all taken their high powered guns home". Really good post below.

http://federalistpaupers.com/index.php/2010/12/02/why-the-terrorists-can-never-win/

internal security – the age-old cry of the oppressor

The one use of “necessary” and “security” in the same sentence by government that I am not afraid of is this one:
“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”


hat tip to Blue Collar Muse

My mouth cant begin to stop watering

Hat tip to Uncle for the Meat Creche Scene.
http://www.saysuncle.com/2010/12/01/so-awesome/

Also, Brigid has a new bacon choc chip cookie recipe.
http://mausersandmuffins.blogspot.com/2010/11/bacon-launch-sequence.html

My winter diet* is going to be tough this year. sigh

*I attempt every winter, with varying levels of success, to maintain my weight between Dec 1 and April 1. Its very easy for me to pack on lbs with comfort food once the snow falls.  Seeing as how I have gained 20 lbs over the last two years snacking with my two year old Boy, my winter diet becomes ever more important. My daughter wants me to lose the 20 lbs before her birthday (April 2011), but losing weight during the winter does not come natural for this mammal. We'll see.

Bernanke Action Figure

You too can throw money away like its nothing!

One other economy related post

Oh BTW, if you haven't seen this, you should watch it. Its 7 minutes or so, but it explains the Feds money policies very clearly for anyone who is confused. Basically it boils down to Goldman Sachs is putting us all in the poor house and loving every minute of their control.

That whooshing sound....

Ross Perot had his "sucking sound" to describe job lass with NAFTA, I hear a "whooshing sound" as every price around me seems to be shooting up, especially food. Hope you've put away some tangibles like canned fruits and veggies for this winter, I have a feeling the prices will get worse before they get better and you cant go too long on vitamin supplements alone.
Giant Eagle has 20 cans of veggies for ten dollars, I'm stocking up myself before I cant afford to eat peas with my dinner and put pineapple on my pizza. Hate to be all doom and gloom, but just read one too many articles about the coming inflation tidal wave.
Well, hold on for the ride and stay warm this winter,

Posts have been lagging

OK, you got me, I got a new job and I've been focusing my energies on that. I think the InterWebz will be fine without me.  :)

Thought for the week

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.
--Sir Winston Churchill

Phase out the dollar bill

Call your congressman and say you want the dollar bill phased out!
In this time of economic trouble, we need to look to the government to spend money where it is needed and chop it off where it isn't. We don't NEED one dollar bills, we just like them and we are creatures of habit. We could save 7 Billion dollars over the first ten years if we phased out dollar bills and then save even more the next ten years since the coins lasts for decades and the minting of dollar coins would slow to a crawl, kind of a maintenance level, eventually. We could likely save close to $12 billion dollars the second decade alone. I know people get jaded when they hear the debt is in trillions and here I am talking about Billions, but you start cutting 12 Billion Dollars here and there, and pretty soon you get a government in DC that can figure its way out of this morass.
Check out this BBC story for more info

Call your congressman and say you want the dollar bill phased out! The 1$ Coin Act of 1997 was a good start, but now we need DC to go all the way and phase it out. I know from travel in Canada, Mexico and the EU, they dont even print a $5 bill either.  If we assume similar rates of return VS the $1 phaseout, we could save ~$36 Billion dollars over the first 20 years by switching the $1 and $5 bills to coinage.

Personally I use my debit card for everything and don't carry cash money, but when I do, I carry the $1 coin, I put my money where my mouth is...literally.