"A.P. The nation's economy added 103,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate dropped to 9.4 percent last month, its lowest level in 19 months.
But the job growth fell short of expectations based on a strengthening economy. And the drop in unemployment was mainly because people stopped looking for work".
Where do i start, this is more state run media ridiculousness. first of all historically the hiring for the last three months of the year has always increased, with seasonal (i believe they mean "CHRIST"mas demand) factors being the primary engine of growth. To trumpet these numbers as an example of real economic recovery is, oh yes i have already given commentary, on this, let us continue.
In 2007 for instance the economy added more than 700,000 jobs in oct, nov, dec. As i see it the state run media has just reinforced the idea that they are complicit with the current administration. I am no economist, but i recall well that our current economic catastrophe was initiated by $5/gallon gasoline. has anyone noticed it above $3 dollars here in the Republic of Texas? I make an observation, some may call it a prediction, but when the numbers come out for this jan, feb we will see a loss of seasonal (there is that word again) jobs. just my dos pesos. happy new year, all.
Friday, January 7, 2011
The seven P’s
The seven P’s refer to an acronym oft used in the military, and repeated relentlessly by my father in law.
Proper, Prior, Preparation, Prevents, Piss, Poor, Performance.
I usually take my father in laws ism”s with a bit of humor, as most are given opportunistically at an appropriate “here’s your sign” moment. I have in the past laughed many times at his extolling the virtues of the seven P’s, however lately I find those words ringing in my ear, more and more often.
With our current climate, in politics, faith, and society, proper prior preparation seems to be more important than ever. The question is, what are we preparing for? In my case my family is preparing for a time the bible refers to as the tribulation, a time unequaled in all of history, comprised of wars, famine, disease, murder, theft, etc... You may want to prepare for something less complex and as specific a natural disaster, or for all out nuclear war, either way the seven P’s would be invaluable.
As a survivalist, I acknowledge the absolute in the rule of three’s, and I would urge you to as well. The rule of three’s state that a human cannot survive beyond three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food. Obviously these timeframes will vary depending upon you’re locale, and the climate there. Here in Texas, as in much of the south you can die within hours without hydration, but the requirements for air, and food are much more accurate. We, then can assume that man will always be presented with situations that may either lead to injury or death, so the specific scenario we prepare for should always be focused on the worst possible outcome, and its effect based upon the rule of three’s. Any less will just prolong the inevitable. I call this my insurance plan. Much like I carry insurance on my car in case I have an accident, even though I have a perfect driving record, and an accident is unlikely, many things are possible.
So let us focus on proper prior planning, and how that will prevent the piss poor performance. The key to me is to always start with a pencil, notebook, and a calculator.
I find sitting at the dining table, with no distractions allows me to focus my very random thoughts to the task at hand. Obviously you would want to determine a risk assessment, based upon your geographic location, proximity to urban or rural areas, natural resources, and your capabilities, not to mention how many people will depend upon your preparations. The first part of a risk assessment is for you to determine what natural disasters have happened in your area, and in this respect, don’t just limit yourself to recent events. Many natural disasters occur in recurrent patterns, such as tornado alley, hurricanes along the gulf and Atlantic coasts, floods along rivers, and crime in large cities. But let’s not forget uncommon but potentially dangerous situations, such as earthquake activity along even dormant fault lines, dormant volcano’s like in Yellowstone, an x class solar flare knocking out the electrical grid, and the unexpected biological outbreak. You will need to determine your risk and what you choose to prepare for. Thankfully your preparations for one scenario will quite often overlap with others, so the need for specialty items may be limited. Obviously air is the most important to all of us, and there are few situations comparatively which historically deprive people of this most precious commodity. But you should always prepare for it. A volcano can spew ash into the air which if breathed into your lungs will kill you. Just as dangerous a flood can drown you, if you are unable to move for whatever reason. Some areas of the world experience poisonous gases, and I often include pandemics in this area of preparation for the similarities. One can do as little as purchasing a few bandana’s, or as much as purchasing expensive gas masks and or oxygen tanks, to provide clean breathable air. Again think of it as insurance.
The second rule of three’s is water. “Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink”. Prior proper planning in this section is much more complex, and arguably the most important. Though three fourth’s of the earth is covered by water, very little of it is fit for direct drinking, and if not filtered, distilled, or boiled you will die from its ingestion. In our modern society our tap water is often treated and absent of any microscopic entities which you might build up a resistance to, which leaves a majority of us vulnerable. In almost every scenario I plan for, I assume the electrical grid will be down for whatever reason, and therefore the water pumps will not run. This is where preparation becomes more complicated, as storing water, requires ample storage space, and filtration is expensive. Either way you must be prepared on both fronts in my opinion, as diversity may allow you options, when the unforeseen is encountered. Most modern cities were founded near a water source, and if the source is a river, you have a leg up over ocean bound cities. Having stated this a person can build a solar still and process salt water, but I would only do this if you have a method to store water safely for the proverbial raining day. Some may need to travel some distance to find a safe secure water supply, as you and everyone else will be looking for safe water, so having both a method for storage that is portable and filtration would be invaluable. If you are in a southern climate your plans need to be magnified just to accommodate the increased strain on your hydration. If you plan for nothing else, planning for this may save your life long enough to find or be found.
The third rule of three’s is food. Now food is a commodity that is renewable to a certain extent. There is plenty of food down at Wal-Mart, right now. As hurricane’s Katrina, and Rita taught me, and most grocers will agree, most stores only keep a few days worth of food on the shelves. When hurricane Rita caused the evacuation of Houston, Texas en mass there was very little food or water in stores for approximately two hundred miles. I wondered what would have happened if the potential disaster had continued for a week or two like hurricane Katrina? Fights? Riots? Murders? when presented with a desperate situation, the average person looses all sense in the pursuit of food and water. Planning for this scenario is somewhat easier if you are in a rural area over urban environments. The basic premise here is to accept the fact that you cannot depend upon foraging. Most people miss this concept, and I am by no means infallible, here, but if you can imagine yourself foraging for food, then assume all of your neighbors are as well. Again proper prior preparation for the worst, will leave you rarely unprepared. I prefer in our preparations canned goods over other types of foods, but then I also live in a very rural area, and we have a secure underground location to store said canned goods in. a single can of vegetables is usually a portion of water, and food, that does not need to be cooked, and a shelf life of up to ten years. Dehydrated foods are also good if you have a water source, but they are expensive, and often need to be cooked. Military style meals, have been popular for decades, unfortunately they are very expensive and in my opinion, plagued by poor taste and nutrition. Dried beans and rice are great foods if again you have water, and heat, and most importantly a way to prevent weevils from entering your stockpile. We have done this by using plastic barrels and old drink containers, in conjunction with either pure nitrogen or dry ice. This is by far the area that will require the most thought, as there are so many options, just remember diversity presents options.
In conclusion I urge you to assess your needs and desires, and consider those around you. I have known many people who felt preparations were folly, but I often wonder what would happen if their loved ones were suffering from a disaster. Would they regret their decision to purchase insurance. I will not. Will you?
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Koch versus Soros
The American Freedom NetworkSeptember 13, 2010 – 6:39 pm A Recent comment on one of our articles attempted to compare the Koch Brothers with George Soros.
Yes the Koch brothers have given 250 million dollars to candidates, foundations, think tanks etc. George Soros has given 2 BILLION (8 times as much) to his collectivist causes, at least.
While you look up both the Koch brothers and Soros on the internet. Note and compare the tone of the articles you find highest in the search engines. Tell us what you note almost immediately (if you are honest).
While we wonder how a person who exploits their freedom to enrich themselves can in good conscience fight against freedom for other to do the same we just note some of Soros’ “causes”. (Note: Open Society and Tides are only a portion of the Soros political activism funding mechanisms.) Research each one of these when you have time.
Provided through Forbes.com
Below, a partial list of groups funded by Open Society and Tides in 2008:
| Alliance for Climate Protection | $5,000,000.00 |
| Drug Policy Institute | $4,000,000.00 |
| Media Development and Loan Fund | $3,900,000.00 |
| American Constitution Society | $3,650,000.00 |
| Proteus Fund | $3,200,000.00 |
| Revenue Watch Institute | $3,000,000.00 |
| Tides Foundation | $2,875,000.00 |
| Third Way | $2,250,000.00 |
| Tides Center | $2,100,000.00 |
| Public Interest Projects | $1,700,000.00 |
| Rudolf Steiner Foundation | $1,530,000.00 |
| Center for Independent Media | $1,500,000.00 |
| Working America Education Fund | $1,169,000.00 |
| Project Vote | $1,066,000.00 |
| Center for NYC Neighborhoods | $1,000,000.00 |
| Center for American Progress | $1,000,000.00 |
| Link Media | $1,000,000.00 |
| Foundation to Promote Open Society | $1,000,000.00 |
| Center for Community Change | $805,000.00 |
| Catalist | $801,000.00 |
| Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education | $775,000.00 |
| Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | $750,000.00 |
| PowerPAC.org | $750,000.00 |
| Institute for America’s Future | $700,000.00 |
| National Security Archive Fund | $695,000.00 |
| William J Brennan Center | $675,000.00 |
| Media Matters | $625,000.00 |
| NRDC | $620,000.00 |
| The Advancement Project | $600,000.00 |
| Public Justice Center | $575,000.00 |
| Community Rights Center | $500,000.00 |
| People for the American Way | $500,000.00 |
| Living Cities | $500,000.00 |
| La Raza | $500,000.00 |
| Center for Progressive Leadership | $500,000.00 |
| Center for Investigative Reporting | $476,000.00 |
| Protex a network for progressive texas | $473,000.00 |
| NAACP | $450,000.00 |
| Free Press, Florence, Mass | $450,000.00 |
| Demos | $450,000.00 |
| ABA Fund for Justice | $400,000.00 |
| Project Vote | $400,000.00 |
| Focus Project | $400,000.00 |
| National Women’s Law Center | $400,000.00 |
| EFF | $400,000.00 |
| Civic Engagement Fund | $400,000.00 |
| Center for Progressive Reform | $400,000.00 |
| Tides Center | $382,000.00 |
| Center for Independent Media | $350,000.00 |
| Due Process of Law Foundation | $315,000.00 |
| Grassroots Leadership | $305,000.00 |
| Project on Government Oversight | $300,000.00 |
| Progressive States Foundation | $300,000.00 |
| League of Young Voters Education Fund | $300,000.00 |
| Justice Policy Center | $300,000.00 |
| Drum Major Institute | $300,000.00 |
| Center for Responsible lending | $300,000.00 |
| Center for Political Accountability | $300,000.00 |
| Center for Democracy and Technology | $300,000.00 |
| Center for Democracy and Freedom | $300,000.00 |
| ACORN | $294,000.00 |
| Consumer Federation of America | $275,000.00 |
| Natl Consumer Law Center | $250,000.00 |
| American Library Assoc. | $250,000.00 |
| Union of Concerned Scientists | $250,000.00 |
| Govt accountability project | $250,000.00 |
| Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Calif | $250,000.00 |
| EarthJustice | $250,000.00 |
| Amnesty Intl | $250,000.00 |
| American Assoc for Social Justice | $250,000.00 |
| Center for Progressive Leadership | $250,000.00 |
| George Washington U | $240,000.00 |
| Capital Litigation Communications Project | $230,000.00 |
| Public Interest Research Group | $230,000.00 |
| Foundation for National Progress | $225,000.00 |
| USAction Coalition | $205,000.00 |
| American Judicature Society | $200,000.00 |
| Human Rights Campaign Foundation | $200,000.00 |
| Alliance for Justice | $200,000.00 |
| Consumers Union | $200,000.00 |
| Critical Resistance | $200,000.00 |
| Center for Constitutional Rights | $200,000.00 |
| Movement Strategy Center Oakland | $200,000.00 |
| Center for Public Interest Research | $200,000.00 |
| Natl Institut Money in state politics | $160,000.00 |
| Center for Community Change | $160,000.00 |
| Wired on Wheels | $150,000.00 |
| Colorado Center Law and Policy | $150,000.00 |
| Ruckus Society | $150,000.00 |
| United for a Fair Economy | $150,000.00 |
| Progressive America Fund – center for working families | $150,000.00 |
| Oregon Center for Public Policy | $150,000.00 |
| Apollo Alliance | $150,000.00 |
| Drum Major Institute | $150,000.00 |
| Civic Justice | $125,000.00 |
| center for responsive politics | $125,000.00 |
| Center for Media Justice | $125,000.00 |
| Center for International Policy | $120,000.00 |
| Oregon Progress Forun | $100,000.00 |
| New Democracy Project | $100,000.00 |
| USAction Coalition | $100,000.00 |
| EarthRights International | $100,000.00 |
| Illinois Campaign for Judicial Reform | $100,000.00 |
| Democracy a Journal of Ideas | $100,000.00 |
| Center for public accountability | $100,000.00 |
| Progress Michigan | $100,000.00 |
| Political Research Assoc | $100,000.00 |
| Center for Public Interest Research | $100,000.00 |
| Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | $100,000.00 |
| Missouri Citizen Education Fund | $90,000.00 |
| ProgressOhio Education | $90,000.00 |
| PETA | $81,000.00 |
| Michigan Citizens Eduication Fund | $80,000.00 |
| Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts | $75,000.00 |
| Virginia Organizing Project | $75,000.00 |
| Institute for Policy Studies | $60,000.00 |
| Campaign for America’s Future | $55,000.00 |
| People for the American Way | $54,000.00 |
| George Mason U | $49,000.00 |
| Iowa Citzen Action Network Education Foundation | $40,000.00 |
| VoterPunch | $40,000.00 |
| DemocracyinAction | $35,000.00 |
| Ducks Unlimited | $2,025.00 |
Will you join me, in the garden?
well neighbor, let me welcome es tu le jardin, home to the sweat of my brow. the rows of the garden stretch out in front and behind us, much as the muscles my ancestors used while they labored diligently with blood and toil to provide us a fertile bed for the seed of ideas to be sown. these ideas once planted in the spring of our nation, by people of passion did require much care with mulch and hoe, to prevent those unwanted tares from overtaking the tiny young crop. as time and experience turned our field of stones from brown to green to red preparations for those predatory creatures, who enter the field in darkness, to root and glut on the tender young shoots, were not successful and much of the crop was lost. as the march of the seasons continued the summer encompassed all, where the heat oppressed our passions, and we were dependent upon the reign of foolishness to nourish that which has been planted. through patience and faithfulness we continue on with our struggle until the leaves of fall adjust their hue in preparation of colder days. the end finally near, i will gather my gloves, pull up my boots, and sharpen my tools, for the harvest is almost at hand. i cannot offer you much more than sore muscles, and little sleep, but if you will join me, we will harvest the sweet fruit of freedom, and offer it to those who desire it.
"Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say "what should be the reward of such sacrifices?" Bid us and our posterity bow the knee, supplicate the friendship and plough, and sow, and reap, to glut the avarice of the men who have let loose on us the dogs of war to riot in our blood and hunt us from the face of the earth? If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom — go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen"! Sam adams 1776
"Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say "what should be the reward of such sacrifices?" Bid us and our posterity bow the knee, supplicate the friendship and plough, and sow, and reap, to glut the avarice of the men who have let loose on us the dogs of war to riot in our blood and hunt us from the face of the earth? If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom — go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen"! Sam adams 1776
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