QOD – FOR THE WIN

“Is progressivism the opiate of the intellectuals? It makes them feel good, but has dangerous side effects.” – Ori Pomerantz in response to this thought provoking article.

How Will THis Effect Weather?

Volcanic eruption in Iceland grounds flights across Europe.

This eruption has a good chance of effecting weather this summer and possibly into next year. In the 1990s, a short eruption in the Phillipines caused world temperatures to decrease for a year or two. This eruption looks likely to last longer. The question will be how much material is lofted into the upper atmosphere. We are already dealing with slightly reduced temperatures caused by reduce solar output. It is very likely we could be seeing a cooler than normal summer, fall and possibly longer in the northern hemisphere. A big question will be, what will this do to rainfall. It could possibly cause either increased or decreased rainfalls (there are arguments for both). Either way, I would suggest stocking up on storable staples (rice, potatoes, canned food) as a hedge against increased food prices.

I Found My Computer Problem

I believe I have found the cause of my computer problems. I ran a check on the processor and found some errors (I also found that the compatibility between my motherboard and the processor was iffy). So, I ordered an AMD Phenom X3 8750. When I removed the processor, I found a slight discoloration on a section of it (like it was slightly burnt).

Now, let’s see how long this processor can stay up.

Say Hello to Soaring Prices

Paul Volcker (White House economic adviser) has started making noises about imposing a Value-Added Tax.  In simple terms, this means that a sales/VAT tax will have to be paid on everything at every step of the production process. The farmer buys the seeds, he’ll pay VAT tax on it. The farmer sells the food to the distributor, there will be a VAT tax. The distributor sells to a restaurant or grocery store, there will be a VAT tax added. You buy from the grocery store, you might pay a VAT tax.  To disguise the taxes you will be paying on food, they might not have VAT taxes when you buy at the grocery store.

If VAT is passed, I will be turning my entire backyard into a farm to produce food for my family. Of course, I might just do that anyways. More people will be either reducing spending or doing things themselves. Talk about a way to slow down the economy.

QOD

By CALLING ATTENTION to ‘a well regulated militia,’ the ‘security’ of the nation, and the right of each citizen ‘to keep and bear arms,’ our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason I believe the Second Amendment will always be important.
-John F. Kennedy

A little thought for you

FEMA says that the best case scenario for them responding to a major disaster is 3 days to get aid to the affected area. If you do not have electricity (gas if you cook with it), and running water, can you feed your family (including pets) for 3 days?

An interesting take on marriage and the Constitution

Respecting Marriage and Equal Rights
By: Tammy Bruce

But the debate over the idea of gay marriage has brought out concerns by one extremist end that it will lead to people marrying their livestock to Gay Gestapo charges of homophobic bigotry against those opposed to same-sex nuptials.

Neither accusation is valid, so as an independent gay woman, I think it’s time to make a few things clear. First of all, despite what you hear from the Gay Elite, there is not a consensus in the gay community about this issue. We do not all operate in the cultural or political equivalent of a Vulcan mind-meld.
….
I also believe that every American deserves the same rights and protections as every other. Most of you do, too. The very same polls that show how united Americans are against “gay marriage” indicate a majority approving of civil unions.
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On one hand you have the reckless law-breaking behavior of San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom bestowing marriage licenses on gay couples. A few of my gay friends have voiced their support for this. I reminded these friends, who are also pro-choice, that Fresno, California has a pro-life mayor. How would they feel if that mayor decided to ignore the law and keep women from accessing their legal abortion rights?

They heard me, but it was disturbing that I had to put this into perspective.

Now, in Washington, D.C., the president has declared the need to amend the U.S. Constitution! Really now—that appears to be as much of a stunt as the rogue gay marriages in San Francisco. And this from a man (who along with Cheney) in the last election who said it should be a matter left to the states. It seems, though, only if the states do what you like.

Clearly, the Constitution should be amended as a last resort. Regardless of how you feel about gay marriage, or abortion, or saving the spotted owl (or not), the Constitution is not made of silly putty—to be twisted and shaped and torn apart depending on our national mood. It is written in a way that makes us have to struggle with issues we face.
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Part of the fight for gay marriage is based in Sullivan’s lament—that it is only governmental recognition of who are that will make us whole. Let’s get real—the only thing that will make gay people whole is personal acceptance of ourselves by ourselves. Instead, we are still looking to Mommy or Daddy, now in the form of Society, to tell us we’re “okay” – to sanctify, if you will, our lives and relationships.
Now, as most who know me have already heard, I think government should get out of marriage. Marriage is a religious institution. Instead, government should offer civil unions to everyone. If you want to get married, find clergy of your faith willing to provide the ceremony. If you can’t find clergy of your faith to perform the ceremony, either change faiths or don’t get married. As to states not honoring the civil unions from other states, this violates the full faith and credit clause of the US Constitution. If a state chooses not to honor any license or contract from any other state, no state should honor any license or contract from that state.

Good Grief! More Fracking Snow!

This has been the snowiest winter in North Texas that I can remember (30 years of experience). We’ve gotten over an inch of snow and it is still snowing.

Permaculture Experiment

I’ve been learning a little more about permaculture. Part of it is taking advantage of your current landscaping and where the plants would naturally be found. An example would be squash. Squash is naturally found in forest edges and growing on things (it’s a natural climber). I am going to try planting squash seeds along my chainlink fences in my backyard near shade from trees. This should help with giving them a structure to grow on and the proper amount of light.

Now, I need to find out where carrots would be found in nature.

Some Thoughts Inspired by a New (to me) Podcast

I just started listening to a new podcast (The Survival Podcast).  This is a podcast that has been running for a long time that covers realistic disaster preparedness/survival issues. Listening to selected past episodes, it has caused me to think about a few things:

I need to reduce my debt load. Not counting mortgage or car payment, I have over $600/month of loan(credit) payments. If I get these paid off, and then get my truck paid off, I will have an extra $1200/month. This could make things much easier for me. When you have less debt, you have more freedom. This means I won’t be doing the firearms related spending I’ve been thinking about now. But, it will allow me to be able to spend more later. I should be able to pay off my one actual credit card next month (I think).
I need to look into permaculture. Permaculture is a gardening/farming method that produces higher crop yields in smaller spaces with more perennial plants. It is a little late to get everything started for this year. It involves planting things like heirloom vegetables (I’m doing this with tomatoes), fruit vines and trees that do not need to be replanted. You end up with a great deal more food for a lot less money. If I’m not worried about buying food, I have more options.
I need to build up a longer term food supply. I have a limited supply of food that does not require refrigeration. I can do this slowly over time. This is another item that will provide me with greater freedom. If I’m not worried about buying food, I have more options.
I need a to clear space in my garage for storage by getting some sort of storage shed in my backyard. My garage should be more long term storage than garden tool storage.
I need to get a freezer. This will allow me to take advantage of sales on meat and other goods that can be frozen. Along with the freezer, I need a a vacuum sealer so I can more easily break up bulk purchases.