Buy Nothing Day streak is over!

I spent a LOT of money yesterday.  I had to take our car to Bowling Green to the shop.  Jake followed in his car (to bring me home) and then, since we were off the farm, already, we went shopping.  We stopped at the feed store to get grain for the oxen and horses, then went on to the car garage, then to Hobby Lobby for art supplies for Gerry's writing/illustration needs.  Then to GFS for some bulk food purchases, and finally to Chuck's Liquor for a month's supply of libations (yes, we have to drive 2 counties away, 1 1/2 hours, to buy alcohol.  That's what we get for not understanding what a dry county is!)  And finally, HOME.

I forgot to mention that all of this was AFTER finding out that the horses had escaped from jail, tracking them and walking them home, in the rain.  All of this was in a fierce rain, did I mention that, at all?

Schoolwork and chores for Jake, Supper for me and Gerry (I made tortillas for the first time, it was a qualified success, and finally we sit down to watch the latest offering from Netflix.  Nice reward after a long, cold wet day.

This past year I have become a complete and total Documentary Junkie, and so I was delighted to find out that the disc they had sent was Disc 1 Season 1 of Morgan Spurlock's television show, 30 Days. A television show of Documentaries.  Better than chocolate, but not better than sex. The premise is that people would agree to go into unfamiliar situations, for 30 Days, in order to learn about that segment of humanity.  Really like Morgan Spurlock, he has a heart to make a difference.

We were tremendously impressed by the 3 stories on the disc.  We liked episode 1 _Living on Minimum Wage_ and episode 3, a Christian goes to live with a Muslim family, much better than episode 2, which was about anti-aging programs.  But we got a lot out of that one too, because the couple featured displayed 2 traits that we feel are running rampant in the developed world today.  He displayed an incredible ability to depend on wishes and ignore problems, and then he felt betrayed that the problems really would not be ignored out of existence.  The wife, on the other hand, displayed a disconcerting ability to rewrite history as she wanted to remember it, and was really bitchy when she was not the center of attention, thus becoming the center of attention.  All 3 episodes have sparked deep discussions amongst us, and we eagerly await Season 1, Disc 2!

Some Solutions

                                              


                                    

  This is just a short essay on the some of the possible solutions for the problems I expressed in my last essay. I talked a little on the subjects of consumerism,outsourcing, and debt. This essay will not express all of the solutions possible, but it will cover those that stand out to me.


  We must stop buying ''cheap and now'' products and start buying quality goods that will last for a long time. We also need to stop buying just because we can, or because we want too. We must control our urges to buy something just because its the ''newest and greatest thing to hit the shelves of America.'' We need to understand the difference between essential needs and just buying because we want something. I personally have trouble discerning the difference between need and want.


  America needs to start producing more goods instead of outsourcing for everyday products and food.In the year 2009 America spent 76,839,392.00 dollars on imported food. No wonder the country is going broke. If we started producing our own goods we would not only be bringing money into America, but it open many new jobs for poeple all over the country.


  If we stop spending money on things that we don't need, that would reduce OUR debt, which is a huge part of our national debt. I'm not saying that its all our fault, we can blame the government for some of the debt, but not all. We are the ones who have to buckle down and do something about it. I believe that a good start at reducing the national debt is to stop spending and start saving money.


  One huge point that I'm trying to get across is that much of this is our fault , and we are the ones who can fix it. We will not be able to fix any of the problems without a change. Not just a change in in what we do, but how we think.







Rottinkid

I love this challenge...

It is just what I need.

Zero Food Waste Challenge

National Debt part 2: Simplifying the Economic Crisis

We are in dire economic straits because economics bore us, so we let other people do our thinking for us. In most cases, these people are the financial industry (stock and commodity food markets) and the government. Neither can be trusted to look out for our best interests. I think it would be too much of a digression to explain why these two put their own self interests before the good of the country, so let’s just say, they are predators, we are prey.

To start with some basic facts, all businesses are out to make money. A corporation is simply a business with shared ownership. U.S. corporations understand their market very well; we want quantity, not quality. We are into cheap goods. A wise corporation gives its customers what they want. There is no morality involved, they hear our call for cheap; they give it to us. So, the big box stores, like Wal-Mart grow rich moving production to other countries like China, Pakistan, Mexico, and India; maximizing their profits.

To do this, they need deregulation, and above all a “free trade” philosophy. We have provided this incrementally since the 1950s. The Republican Party has stood soundly on a “free trade” platform since the end of World War II.  I’ve listened to people scream about NAFTA. We seem to blame this on Clinton. I remind you that it was a George H. W. Bush project. It was only signed into law under Clinton and he was faced with a Republican majority that would have overridden any veto.

No other country would permit this to happen. We are now the fourth strongest economy in the world (down from first), led by Germany, China and Japan in that order. Each country ahead of us protects their industry. In the name of “freedom“, we do not. Corporate profits really hurt the United States. I do not find fault with Germany, China and Japan. They are simply more intelligent than we are.

The information is there; read Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Fortune. They all acknowledge that it is the export of our industry that has created massive unemployment. It is the price of cheap products. It is not hurting the corporations; large U. S. corporations are reporting record profits.

Here is what it is doing. The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published that unemployment is at 7.5% this week. That is a false figure. Just searching the Internet I came up with 18.8% unemployment. Another 9%+ are underemployed. A website called MintLife worked it differently and came up with 17.5%.

We have become a dependent nation for many of the necessities of living. We import food, technology, clothing, toys, kitchen gadgets and the components for many of our weapons systems (computer items just for a start). I am not sure this is smart. What happens if transportation costs rise? What if we go to war with one of our supplier nations?

We now have a disastrous trade imbalance. You cannot survive having more money going out than coming in. I know Keynesian theory says it can work, but no country has been able to make it work so far. I think I’ll believe in History.

As a result of our poor balance of trade, we are a debtor nation. We buy from other countries on credit. Even though it is a U. S. corporation owned factory or oil well, the economics of it is that we are buying from China or Saudi Arabia, much of the time on credit. Some of this is paid directly to the workers and associated overhead, but the bulk of it ends up in the hands of their governments. They hold this U. S. debt. They use it to buy our government debt in the form of bonds (actually we sell it to them). That is why China holds so much of our national debt. They can, and do, manipulate our economy by adjusting currency values. This increases our national debt; I understand that it currently adds about 25% to 30% to our debt load.

Think of this when you go to your favorite big box store to do your Christmas shopping.

Buy Nothing Day, Day 2

Someone brought Buy Nothing Day to my attention.  I willingly and gladly observed it yesterday.  I also bought nothing today, unless you count paying a bill, which I don't.  I plan to see how long I can go without a purchase.  Will let you know.  Again, I am not counting paying a bill.  But buying anything new-to-me, either in a store or online, or in a restaurant, will count.  I wonder how long I can make it.  How long have you gone without a purchase?

Uncertainty and Contentment

Today, I have been quite the domestic goddess.  Made love to my husband, Spun wool into yarn, Planned a warp, Baked bread, Cooked beans, Washed dishes, Herded horses, and Continued on my Christmas planning.  Did not clean house or wash laundry though.  I want to get that done tomorrow.  And I want to start my sprouts. And I want to gather wild greens.  And I want to make corn tortillas with my new tortilla press.  I found directions on youtube.  Who invented youtube?  That is a remarkable thing.

I feel really good about my day, even though I was not _The Compleat Domestic Goddess_ I left too much undone.  That is really what it is all about, my focus on Connecting the Dots of responsible living.  I know that we can't do it all, and certainly not all at once, but we sure are heading in that direction.  So much of my life, I just never considered what my choices were saying or costing.  And sometimes, Yeah, I miss buying something and not wondering what I am going to do with all that plastic packaging I am bringing home.  I miss buying something cheap and not wondering who made it and if he/she had been a slave.  I miss automatic washers and dryers from time to time.  But you know, at the end of a hugely productive day of doing for myself, of not throwing a single bit of plastic in the trash, when I connect with my ancestors by getting better at a task for which proficiency was just a given for them, then I feel a great content in my heart. 

I still had time to read for pleasure, and I watched 3 movies as I went about my domestic goddess tasks.  I got a lot of yarn done.  It strikes me that the more I have someone or something else work for me, the more time I waste.  My life is made up of time, just like yours is.  It is not made of money, or things, or people.  Only time.  The more money we feel we have to chase, the less time we have.  The less we value others, either human, or animal, or plant, the less we are saying we are worth.

I think we are worth a LOT, and so I know that all the decisions we have to make are worth it, because we are saying others are worthy of our consideration.  I am so happy that we have started on this path.   It is a good one, with intriguing bends around which I can't see.  We don't have it all figured out, We have only figured out that we MUST figure it out.  And doing for myself is a good start.

An AMAZING World...

Seen by amazing people!   National Geographic Photo Contest

The oceans really are rising!

Norfolk, Va., on Front Line, Tackles Rise in the Sea - NYTimes.com

Overflowing with appreciation

Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us, to all of you!  Have a fantastic day, See you Friday!

The promised connected dots rant.

Our world is being swallowed up by the by-products of our consumerism.  Last week, I spent a lot of time off the farm, and away from our little town.  I saw I-65, I-264, I-40, and I-24, as well as several Non Interstate highways, completely jam-packed with trucks or commuters (not at the same time, of course).  I saw television shows totally based on wanting more and buying more and having to know the retail prices of things in order to win.  I saw television commercials that promised me the most outrageous results if only I would buy...fill in the blank.  I saw parking lots so crammed that it was guaranteed to raise my husband's blood pressure as he tried to get to his VA hospital appointments before they decided he was too late, they would not see him.

We had to pass right by a large UPS airport on the south side of Louisville.  We passed it 6 times last week and there was always something landing or taking off.  One time, (I wish I could have taken a picture of this for you) a  UPS cargo plane was coming in for a beautiful landing, smooth and lovely, while a Fed-Ex semi was 2 lanes away from us right underneath the plane, and heading in the opposite direction was a UPS semi. Next time you are on the road, really open your eyes to all the cargo being moved from place to place just within your sight, and imagine what is happening where you can't see.

And the commuters! and the piss poor driving of the commuters!  All those people living far from work that pays enough for all that driving, and to pay for all that cargo that is coming at their suburban or rural homes, either via delivery truck or store, doesn't matter, it is still cargo that had to be shipped and paid for.

I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!

And we haven't even touched Christmas yet...

Convenient Truth Contest: Wasting Xmas

Please watch the above link, it is not long.

Remember, that all of this, ALL OF IT, is being made possible only by dependance upon petroleum.  The driving, the hauling, the manufacturing, even the plastic television that seduces you into putting up with this life.

And we are running out of the petroleum.

This year, do yourself, your budget, your family, your country, your species(!!!) a favour.  Shop second hand.  Learn to love your local second hand or charity shop.  Learn to make something for yourself, or be willing to pay your neighbor for some of her artistry.

We can do this, we can have a Merry Christmas without a Black Friday.  In other words, please visit with your loved ones on Thursday instead of wasting it camping in front of store doors.

What will you choose?

What is "Right To Life" really?

and who gets to decide?

BBC News - Biodiversity talks end with call for 'urgent' action

What is happening to our country

 
I believe that our country is in a snowball effect.

 To start the ball rolling we have the issue of consumerism. People want everything now and cheap. Consumerism is one of the most common illnesses of Americans today. To keep up with this constant demand for cheap and now,companies such as Wal-Mart are forced to outsource.

  Outsourcing is the production of goods in some other country, where the workers can be paid almost nothing. One of the most commonly outsourced countries is China. China now makes most of our everyday products. Even our own  military is outsourcing to China to manufacture some of our weapon components.

  This leads me to my final point in this essay,  debt. Because all of our money is going into cheap goods at places like Wal-Mart, countries like China are getting all the work and all the money. Our country, unable to make money, is going deeper into debt. We are now trillions of dollers in debt and are unable to get out. This is not Wal-Marts fault, or the fault of any other company that outsources. It is our fault for wanting things now and cheap.

  This one of many issues that need attention. Many more elements are involved in this giant snowball effect. I believe that this country is doomed to a horrible end unless we do something different. Whatever that something is, we must do it soon,time is running out.

National Debt part 1

There are times I could just scream. People enraged about taxes and the national debt (in the same breath) are the same ones creating the problem. Yes, George W. Bush got us into two expensive, poorly thought out wars. Then, in the closing act of his comedy, we got TARP (signed into law Oct. 3, 2008 by President Bush). President Obama was inaugurated to the tune of a traumatized banking system, a stock market disaster and industrial collapse. The stimulus package, health care bill and assorted other economic corks have added to the problems, but none of these address the root of our dilemma. We are spoiled children. We got in this mess by wanting everything, now. We went in debt. We removed laws that kept the financial institutions from making bad loans on real estate. We have a love affair with credit cards. And, we buy Chinese goods at Wal-Mart because they are cheap and we want it, regardless of the consequences.

Look at the reality. Our personal debts are out of control, and this reflects in the national economy. That compounds the problems of the national debt. Take a single issue: Trade imbalance. We have more money going out of this country than we have coming in. If this was your house, you would know that you were headed for financial disaster. However, conservative economists tell us this is healthy. They, and the politicians and pundits that espouse their philosophy tell us, that being in debt is good for the economy. After all, Bush said after 9-11 that we should go out and spend for the good of the country. That’s what we all need when we are depressed, a good trip to the mall.

The fact is, that a bad balance of trade means less jobs. If you are out of work and buying at Wal-Mart you have done it to yourself. That means fewer tax payers. It means more people on unemployment or another way of saying it is, a bigger drain on the working tax payers. Businesses, such as the big box stores, are making bigger profits. Under Eisenhower these businesses paid as much as 91% taxes. Today they pay 30% and cry like a rat eating onions about it. Reagan was blind about the trickle down economy. Profits never trickle down, debt does. Worse, that national trade deficit carries over into national debt. The debt is in dollar instruments. Countries like China use these to buy the U. S. debt in the form of bonds. As our money weakens, they defend themselves by playing with the exchange rate. Our debt grows.

Big business wants it to stay this way. The guiding philosophy of our financial and industrial institutions is short term profits at the expense of long term growth. One is fast, one is slow, that is American. They back the Tea Party movement to the hilt (with lots of money, both overt and covert). This is not conservative nor liberal, this is stupidity. Big money buys our elections. Big money does not care about our long term survival, they are in it for short term profits. They know they will survive. And the masses follow blindly. Buy Wal-Mart, vote Tea Party, it is good for China.

Good times tonight!

And we need it.  Our good friend Joe has come over and is spending the night.  We plan to have pizza again, and watch another Documentary (I am a total documentary JUNKIE) and then play games tonight.  We have not seen Joe all month (unusual for us) and we are glad to take a break from our usual routine and play tonight.

SIL Janis has decided to undergo an experimental treatment for her cancer, and her phone calls are up and chipper, even though she acknowledges that the prognosis is extremely poor.  Gerry is still quite ripped up and I don't know how best to support him through this.  I am happy that both Jake and Joe are here tonight.  I think it will be good for all of us.

This afternoon I took all the clothes off the line in readiness for another laundry day tomorrow.  We had a lot of rain this past week and we weren't really home anyway, so the clothes got extra rinsed and sunned.  They look and smell fantastic!

Don't know yet what we will watch tonight or what we will play, but we are glad for the break!

What makes a welcome break in your routine?

The dots are connecting...

Nothing was updated yesterday. I am sorry about that.  Gerry had his last hospital visit yesterday (at least, we hope it is the last for a while).  We got home just about completely brain dead from exhaustion and stress.  I checked my email, he checked his, and that was it for the computer work for the night.

I had a chance to see what the "real" world is like while I spent the last week out and about.  I saw and heard things that do not normally intrude here on the farm or making a quick trip to town.  I also saw a lot of television while ensconced in various waiting rooms (I only have a DVD/VHS player here at home)  Things are really fermenting and percolating in my Deep Thinking Well.  It is not ready yet, but a rant is coalescing.  Expect a Connected Dots entry soon.

What a marathon of a day!

Yes, we went back to the VA hospital, and we will go back again tomorrow for more tests.  When we got back, I immediately went to see the CSA farmers who I spin fleeces for.  They are taking my yarn to a farm products show to sell and needed to talk to me about pricing, sales, spinning, etc.  Then I rushed home and got dinner in the oven.  Home made pizza is cooking right now.  And now I get to relax a moment and visit with you!

Remember when I talked about priorities, and how I wanted to work toward making a difference?  Well, I have chosen the difference I want to work on.  A documentary I watched recently stated that for each pound an United Statesan (my term for American, not the documentary makers) Thousands of gallons of gasoline are used just to haul our overweight asses around.  That is per pound, per annum!  I am 52 pounds heavier than I want to be.  In a 7 day time period, I have made 3 trips to Louisville, 1 trip to Fort Knox, 1 trip to Tennesee to handle banking issues.  With my 52 extra pounds, I seem to have really used more precious petroleum than is my share.  While it is true that this was not an ordinary 7 days, I can not deny that unusual 7 days do occur.  Maybe even to you?

So here is the difference I am working on now.  For the good of the planet, I am going to lose this 52 pounds.  If I can lose an average of 1 pound a week, I can do it in 1 year, just in time for Thanksgiving, 2011.  Will keep you posted!

What difference do you want to make?

A new sadness.

We found tonight that Gerry's beloved sister has terminal cancer.  She has been fighting for a year, but there is nothing else that conventional medicine can do.  Her name is Janis, she lives in Charlotte, NC.  She and Gerry are only 18 months apart, and they have been best friends all their lives.  We are so sad here tonight.

another worthy offering from Gerry!

Gerry wrote this and put in on his other blog. I was jealous for you. I have hijacked the link so that you can all benefit! If he divorces me it will be worth it for you to have had the opportunity to read this.

Adventures in History: Reaction to the 2010 Election: "We are, sadly, an extremely dysfunctional people. I am a believer in both capitalism and democracy. I am passionate in my belief in and dev..."

A Child Shall Lead Them...

11-Year Old Organic Food Activist Explains What's Wrong With Our Nation's Food System - Planet Green

Priorities

I have 3 priorities in my life, 3 things that guide my day-to-day decisions, as well as my really big once-in-a-lifetime decisions.

1. Freedom
2. Family (mainly my husband)
3. Futuristics Facilitation (making a difference)

Everything else I value is important because it streams into at least one, and often all, of my Big Three.

I plan to do something concrete this week as regards to #3. But I don't know what yet, and will keep you posted here on this blog. Suggestions are welcome.

What is important to you, and how will you show it this week?