The World Has Gone Mad : Exploitation Around the Corner

             

 


        This has been a difficult week for many people, and our family has been no exception. I have often said that I usually deal well with most types of adversity, but I am not nearly so graceful when something befalls one of my kids, or they are mistreated in some way.  Then, I can be rather difficult. I can also write a scathing letter on occasion.  I don't intervene on much very often because I don't think it's kind to cause people to lose their jobs, and because kindness and setting the example of kindness, as a general rule, is important to me.

                One of my sons is a professional sculptor.  His degree is in sculpture and extended media.  He makes one-of-a-kind pieces of sculptural furniture, one of which sits in the collection of Travis Pastrana and his wife Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins Pastrana.   This week he learned that a Chinese company has been reproducing and marketing one of his chairs without permission, using his company's name, the name of the one-of-a-kind chair, and actually using the picture my son took and uses on his website of the chair, on their own website !   Of course, they have no authorization and are in violation of copyright law. My son, who has a lot of medical needs and bills cannot afford to have his work ripped off.   However, Chinese companies do this all the time, and it can be difficult to sue and stop them.  However, this week, we have needed to retain an attorney for this.

              Secondly, one of my sons has a computer lab, teaching assistant, and tutoring position at his college. He was not initially paid because funding was slow to come through, but he was encouraged to hang in there and set up the lab over the Summer without pay.  Recently, he was told that all the funds for such positions had been given to other students and therefore he would not be paid.   He told them that he would like to continue in the position, if the college and the advisor to the lab would provide a reference for him so that he would gain valuable references for a future job after graduation.   Today, the Dean of something or another has decided that our son's providing 32 hours a week of working in the computer lab constitutes an internship, and that he should pay them.   In point of fact, we are already paying them to educate him.  Since when does one pay for an internship ?    Tomorrow he will tell them that we absolutely cannot pay for him to work for them, and that such an arrangement is exploitive.

               When I was a young adult, violation of a copyright, plagiarism, or something similar was a serious crime and worse hurt your reputation.  International violations were even worse.  When I was in college, we were paid, perhaps a paltry sum, for work study, but we didn't exploit students into working for us, and then put the bite on them for more money when they perform a service for us. No wonder a lot of young people don't have much respect for a lot of the institutions that my generation held dear.  Too many people do business in terms of what they believe they can "get away with".  (Yes, I know that I ended that sentence with a preposition, which is bad English usage for an author, but I wanted it to sound conversational rather than high brow, so cut me some slack)

              I work hard to stay out of my sons and daughter's private business so that they learn to navigate the work- a- day and personal world with the same or better skill than I do. However, this is one of those days when I would like to receive permission from them to rip someone a perfectly new one.  Watch yourselves out there. People are making it up as they go along.



              

Scrapping in the Blogosphere

           

This folks, is not a Halloween symbol !

 


   Some time ago, I was the subject of a series of negative posts on a blog.  I was criticized for my often Christian perspectives and for my attitudes toward preparedness.  I said nothing, because I don't care.  It's just as important for people with whom I don't agree to blog, as it is for me to post my own perspectives. This was a cornerstone to American life, at least until the last regime was crowned.   In addition, people who become angry at something you have said, are reading and considering what you have said, and for any writer, that is a not-so-small victory in itself.

              Of late, other bloggers I respect and read have also been the target of both negative press/blog and the recipients of negative actions.  I wanted to weigh in a bit on this.  First of all,  we are not going to agree on everything we discuss here. We are not supposed to.  It's my job as a nurse and former college instructor to tell you what I have noticed and what concerns me, and it's your job, as an electrician, an insurance agent, a dentist, or whatever else, to tell me about what concerns you, and what you've learned on our collective and all-too-short trip to Earth.    I am entitled to my perspectives, just as you are entitled to your own.

              Understand that when you do express your perspectives in cyberspace, that someone somewhere is not going to be in agreement.   Sometimes, rather than attacking our logic or our words, they will mistakenly attack you.  This is unfortunate, but it most certainly comes with the territory.

                The broadest concern I have regarding blogrolls being turned to attack-fests is that by indulging these impulses, we may defeat some of  the good which comes from what we do here.  I have learned a lot of things from "just plain folks" over the internet over the years. Much of the real work of the world is done by them, and they have much to say.  I hope others have learned from posts I have spent time creating also.

                I don't care what your political perspectives are, but life is about to get a good deal more difficult for all of us, whether you are libertarian, conservative, liberal, Christian, Confucian,  or whether you are swearing off all the labels entirely.  There may be limited time in which to prepare for some real challenges, whether they be emotional, financial, political, or otherwise.   Consider using these forums as a way to educate and share with each other, and as a means of helping one another during real world massive challenges, just as so many of you have so well with our friends at Mystic Mud..  We may not have time for the scrapping.   Let's entertain, educate,  and encourage each other as long as we can.
               As they say in my neck of the woods, "Nuff said".

What is a Derecho ?

        

This graphic is simply a guide. My farm has seen a derecho annually for the last several years. If I were going to construct this map, I would extend the every two year delineation to encompass most of Virginia, to the East.
   This graphic is the work product of the US Government.

  I went through a fair bit of my adult life never having heard of a derecho, and thankfully, never having been afflicted in any way by one.  In the last few years though, I have not only heard the word, but lived through several of these on our Virginia farm.  Derecho is a Spanish word, which is pronounced də-reh-choh.    A derecho is a type of thunderstorm in which severe straight line winds with severe thunderstorms pass over a land area.  A derecho brings with it a number of hazards.  There is potential for lightning strike of persons and buildings. This can also create difficulties for your home electrical box and for the electrical box of outbuildings, even if they were grounded correctly and even if they have lightning arrestors.  Next, there is potential for winds so severe that tornadic damage to buildings and fencing can occur.  Often people who have endured a derecho think that a tornado came through. The difference is that these are straight line winds, but straight line winds can do great damage which can be similar to that of tornadoes in terms of the total level of destruction.  They may deliver torrential rains which can cause zero visibility leading to chain reaction accidents on highways and individual accidents on secondary roads.  They can result in flash flooding.  A derecho can make it difficult to see where the wet road ends and the lake beside it begins.   A derecho travels quickly and has severe sustained winds. They are capable of doing the same level of damage on land as is a hurricane.  There are different varieties of derechos. Sometimes there is clear view of something called a shelf cloud.

This cloud preceded a derecho.  (Picture:  http://www.xweather.org/derecho )

  This is a link to other shelf clouds.  Please review these so that you would recognize this phenomenon in advance.





              A derecho most often occurs during warmer months when a cold front and a pre-existing warm air mass meet. The storm which is created produces a wind shear which has resulted in plane crashes.  They can occur at night as well as during daylight hours. The derecho which last graced my Virginia county took out eighty year old oak trees, thirty year old Virginia pines, and shredded a house flag.   Nearby it pulled the roof of a barn and tore the roof of a conventional new house.  These storms can be very dangerous because unlike hurricanes where we usually have some notice, a derecho can come on quickly during your work day leaving you potentially unprepared until such a storm is upon you.

               It is therefore important to have some contact with either internet based weather media during the day, or have a weather notification sent to your phone while you are out or working.  Be alert to the advent of cold fronts intruding on your area when it has been warm, especially during June, July, and August.  Derechos can however, occur at any time of the year.  Become alert to potential derecho weather BEFORE the National Weather Service tells you that one may be coming today.

              Of course, make sure that your ordinary preparedness supplies are ready.   A derecho can afflict a fairly wide long area and emergency help can be tied up for awhile.  You need to have your emergency radio, good first aid kit, emergency food and water, and your own shelter alternatives for people and animals. They can be devastating to the electrical grid doing damage which cannot be repaired for weeks from a simple standpoint of procuring repair materials to the area and getting sufficient manpower hours to repair such a level of electrical system devastation in a timely manner.

              Derechos can occur in many places in the world. The US, Canada, Europe, South America have all seen derechos.  Remember that a tornado is a twisted wind, whereas a derecho brings straight and severe winds with wind shear.  Remember that , the Great North American Derecho of June, 2012 took out the power for 3.7 million families in the US Mid-Atlantic Region during a heat wave.   Consider it a not so pleasant sibling of the tornado.



Read More About This Phenomenon At:

 http://www.xweather.org/derecho

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_derecho_events

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derecho

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesocyclone

Boo, the Heroic Canine

           

Boo with one of the kittens.   There are many more heartwarming pictures on Cecelia's blog at http://thekitchensgarden.com/2013/10/11/boos-babies-bed-time/

  With so many things going on in the world that are potentially ominous, unjust or just plain sad, it's good to know of something that's good.

    http://thekitchensgarden.com/2013/10/11/boos-babies-bed-time/


          Cecelia of the blog,  "The Kitchen Garden", tells of her dog Boo, a wonderful canine who has adopted some orphaned kittens.   Her post shows her readying them for bed.

A New Type of Insurance to Consider

          

There can be ramifications to defending yourself.  (picture:  www.coloradopersonalsecurity.com )

   In my rural part of the state, a lot of responsible citizens have a concealed weapons permit, which we abbreviated here as a CWP.   Of course, we all hope that we will never be in a situation where it needs to be used, but we have it for the situations in which a family member (or myself) would likely die, if we didn't.  I have a CWP in order to defend myself and my family.   I have been fortunate enough thus far, that I have never had to draw it on a human being, but I have had occasion to shoot a couple of rabid animals in separate occasions, as in many places in the rural United States, rabid wildlife is endemic. I am well practiced, and I take this responsibility very seriously.

               Once in a great while someone in a rural county which neighbors ours shoots and kills an intruder.  The law here does allow the shooting of an intruder within your home and the law does leave room for you to shoot someone if you are facing a potentially lethal threat outside your home. .  The last person I knew, or should say more accurately, with whom I was acquainted, who did this, spent $83,000 on legal fees defending himself for the shooting and subsequent death of an intruder who was armed with a knife.  It seems that if you do everything correctly, and survive, you still may incur legal fees for your own protection afterward which could wipe out a retirement account.  (If in this pale economy, you could ever manage to gather one, in the first place.)

            It seems there is now an alternative.  Whether your state calls it a CWP or CCW, CHL, HCP, HCL. CPL. or HR 218 you can now buy insurance which will protect you from having to pay the potentially outrageous costs of protecting yourself.   CCW Safe is a type of insurance that you may buy annually or every five years.  You may buy this as an individual, or as a dual membership (two in a family, husband and wife, brother and sister, mother and daughter etc.)   There is even a specialized plan for off duty law enforcement officers who may need to shoot someone is a use of force incident while away from work.   It not only pays your legal fees in association with the legal use of your firearm, but it provides expert investigators, expert attorneys who specialize in this type of case, and expert witnesses, all at your disposal.   There is a significant discount in your annual fee if you are a military officer or a law enforcement officer.   I have malpractice insurance in the course of working as a registered nurse.  Think of this as malpractice insurance for the lawful use of your Concealed Weapons Permit and your weapon.

            You may buy this insurance in whatever state you have a concealed weapons permit.  They recommend, if you are traveling that you become very familiar with the laws of the states you may be traveling through.    The terms of their Contract with you, is on their Terms Page.    You are covered for the use of legal weapons, even those other than your handgun, while in your residence, as you defend yourself or your family from an intruder.  You are covered for either a criminal, administrative or a civil charge in association with the legal use of a weapon.  You are, of course, not insured for any criminal acts, (just as my malpractice insurance doesn't cover me for acts of total stupidity like placing a tourniquet around someone's neck.)   Your annual fee will remain the same for that year, however it could go up when your insurance is renewed.  To order, you must have a concealed weapons permit with number, and you must give the state in which you are licensed/permitted to carry a handgun.

These are important contact pages:

Main page

Single membership information

Dual membership information

Military or Law Enforcement membership information

How to Join By Mail

To Join Online


           I am not an investor, nor do I have any financial interest in this company.   I also suspect that those of you with an NRA membership might find that the NRA has a similar offer.  I have not yet purchased this type of coverage, but I am considering it.

           I am not recommending any one type of insurance over another.  I am simply making my readers aware of such an offering.  Please do your own due diligence.    Check out other companies that offer a similar plan.   Call these people and ask them questions.
           Of course, let me know what you think, and with your permission, I'll post it here.  Perhaps we can make other readers familiar with all the offerings of this type.


This is another company which also offers CWP insurance:

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/shield/


Remember that this type of insurance does not pay for the medical care of the person you shoot. It pays for or provides payment for professional witnesses, attorneys who specialize in this type of case, etc.

 

 

       

Crunch Time

          

The windows on either side of this door are not a positive feature in the event of civil unrest. That front door cannot be reinforced well with the amount of framing around it. Look around your house and formulate a plan in order to solve these potential safety issues at your home.

This window to one side has a grille. The higher lock could be replaced with a keyed lock, but the key would need to be fairly conspicuous so that people in the home could locate it and exit quickly in the event of fire.

       As you know if you are not comatose, Congress has refused to approve a budget which would fully fund our government because it would also fund Obamacare a.k.a. the "Affordable Care Act". The only way this could be done is by raising the credit limit of the United States.  This would be like you and I placing all of our living expenses on the Discover card at 16.99% and quickly reaching our $5,000. limit.  Then we decide to meet with our spouse to request a tripling of our debt limit to $15,000.  If we can't make the payments with the card maxed out at $5,000, then we certainly won't be able to make the higher payments on a balance of $15,000.

                  President Obama pushed through a National Health Plan which is neither comprehensive, or affordable. It will markedly increase the costs of insurance for individuals and for families. It will markedly increase the amount that individuals pay for medications of supplies if they are on Medicaid (care based on a low income formula) or Medicare (provided after attaining a particular age.).   In very short order care will need to be rationed. It is extremely likely that expensive care will likely not be provided to those with multiple diagnoses, or those beyond a certain age. (That age could be as low as fifty-five or even fifty)  Since reimbursement for care of supplies is very likely to be erratic or difficult, this will translate to fewer companies selling diabetes supplies, ostomy supplies, or other medical supplies.  Medical supply shortages are therefore very very likely in the future.  The Veteran Administration plan will endure the least amount of changes, but many veterans recently believe that they have not received the best of care. (I am referring to a number of returning soldiers whose families found fault with the VA system, and then paid for private care for their sons and daughter's head injuries or other injuries acquired during war.)

               Sadly, as inconvenient and as disruptive as it is to many of my native Virginians who actually work for the federal government, the only way Congress can see to bring Obamacare, an injurious agent, as they see it, to additional scrutiny, is to shut down government.  They have offered to individually fund WIC (Women, Infants and Children, the food program which helps to provide healthy and specific foods to breast feeding women, babies and small children.)  They have also offered to individually fund the activities of the National Institute of Health, in the event that those receiving experimental treatments deteriorate during the governmental closure. They are also crafting a bill which will fund FEMA.    This was unacceptable to Mr. Obama, who has said on a number of occasions, that he will not negotiate.  He wants the debt ceiling raised, Obamacare fully funded and the entire government funded.  People working for the National Park Service have been told by the administration to be as difficult as possible for those wishing to enter our National Parks.  Basically, we have a serious stalemate.  Mr. Obama will not agree to an item by item funding of our government's essentials, and then an examination and perhaps a staging of Obamacare, which is surely not yet "shovel ready", unless, of course,  you plan to bury it.  Obama and his family, Congress, the Senate and their families are all exempted from this bad plan, while you and I and our families lives hang in the balance.
Meanwhile, the government has purchased many millions of rounds of ammunition of many different calibers, so many in fact, that there has been a significant shortage for the rest of us.  The government has also purchased huge numbers of MREs.  It's almost as if the current regime intends to collapse our current system in order to place a dictatorship in its place when financial collapse and civil unrest occur.

              I have no crystal ball. I can't tell you what will happen.  I know that a group that allies itself with Al Qaeda in Africa is attacking shopping malls and calls itself Al-Shabab. (I just remember the name by thinking about a group that would like to shish-kebab Americans) They likely have tentative plans to bomb malls in the United States also.   I know that we have a leader who has done, and is continuing to do, many things which do not appear to be in the interest of the United States. I know that the economy is not improving. I know that more and more people are on food stamps, food assistance, welfare, etc. I know that thousands and thousands of college graduates have not found jobs which are lucrative enough that they are able to pay their student loan debts. I know that the government owes approaching 17 trillion dollars. I know that quantitative easing is simply a band-aid on incredible national financial problems. Many people have been without work and depending upon family members, and living in basements and RVs for years.
I know that a militarization of local police is occurring, and that there is talk of collecting even legally acquired firearms. In fact, 24 million dollars was just appropriated in California in order to confiscate weapons which were legal when they were acquired.

             And no, if you oppose my assessment, I am not a Republican. I think they should have taken a harder line against Obamacare long ago. I am not a Democrat.  I am not a Libertarian.  I am, a Constitutionalist, and I still don't see how it could be anything approaching constitutional for every American to be required to purchase any product from anywhere, simply as a condition of being alive.

            So, these are not only tight times, they are dangerous times.  What can you and your family do ?

These are simply a few suggestions:


1.  You and your spouse need to analyze your budget for this year, here and now.  Before medical supply and food shortages occur, what can you trim from your budget ?   Must you have cable television ?  Can you use your cellphone less and get a less expensive plan ?

2. Analyze your food budget.  Most Americans eat fast food much more than they should.  Do you need to stop depending upon fast food as often ?    When you buy food, do you buy prepared foods ?   Could you buy a couple of chickens and cook them, making chicken and rice, a chicken noodle casserole, and hearty chicken noodle soup ?  You could freeze these and have three healthy meals for the price of one pre-prepared entree.  Should you buy a large container of oatmeal ?  You could make cookies and place them in a tin for the week. (They are quite healthy with raisins.)  You could make your own quick oatmeal without little packets !   My kids add a little raspberry jam to oatmeal we make ourselves.  Sometimes, we put a dollop of ice cream on oatmeal.   Remember, breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast food.  Go to Goodwill and get some cookbooks.  Make some healthy and economical new dishes. Remember that the calorie counts are included in the recipes and portions in a lot of contemporary cookbooks. Look up recipes for cabbage. This versatile long lasting vegetable deserves a second look.    Americans have forgotten how to cook, and this has swelled our grocery budgets as well as our backsides.

3. Take a look at your security situation in your apartment, your suburban house, or country home.  If civil unrest or rioting were to occur where you are, what would the hazards be ?   Consider reinforcing doors, windows, and better garage locks.   If you have defensive weapons, make an appointment or arrangements to practice more this weekend.  A weapon you can't use safely because you are inexperienced, places you and your family in more danger than if you didn't have one.

4.  It may not be possible or even wise to start construction on a safe room, however most homes have certain rooms which by location, are simply safer than others. Make sure your children know that in an emergency, we report to the _________room.   For some this is the basement, for others a windowless playroom.

5. If you are still working or drawing a paycheck, make efforts now to put away food supplies, and frequently used medical items.  If you use insulin, then get ahead on insulin now.   If you test blood sugars, then buy extra test strips now. You might want to invest in a cheaper back up system, a Wal-Mart glucometer and some of the strips it needs.  Don't forget specialized batteries needed for medical equipment, insulin pumps, glucometers, etc.   Get some extra nebulizer bowls and tubings if you use these.   If you use aspirin daily, buy some extra.  You need to avoid getting to the point where you desperately need something within in the next 3-5 days.

      Today, Merck Pharmaceuticals announced that they will be gradually terminating a large number of its workforce.  This is likely to happen to a number of large companies.  Please analyze what you would do if this happened to you.   We all need to have contingency plans.
       I doubt that whatever happens in DC will happen in Duluth. Whatever happens in Seattle will not be just like Miami or Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  Each of us needs to look at the potential for short or longer term financial collapse and how it would likely impact our area.  Very quickly, large angry masses express rage in destruction, looting and fire.  Where would you go and what would you do, if this or a natural disaster befell your area ?

       This is enough for now, but we all know something is coming.  The mood everywhere is tense and many people are on edge, pretty much everywhere you go.  You and your family are depending upon you to have a plan, and to keep yourself together.  You can do this.  I know you can.

The Unaffordable Care Act

           

Not to worry. Mr. Obama, his family, Congress, the House of Representatives, and their staff are all exempted from this train wreck. It only applies to the people who elected them.  Talk about "Pull up the ladder, Jack. I'm alright !"

        I have deliberately said very little of a political nature in the past couple of weeks, particularly as it concerns "The Unaffordable Care Act".   The fact that it was named "The Affordable Care Act" in the first place, is a clear indication that it isn't. It's not going to be affordable for anyone, certainly not the people who sign on, and certainly not for the government long term, even when they do start rationing care and not providing ordinary life saving care to those over fifty.
                I would like to tell you a couple of true stories from my own life.  My dear aunt lived all of her life in England.  She lived through World War II and her family did absolutely everything they were asked in terms of volunteerism there.  They embraced National Health when it came in.  My mother was a huge proponent of Britain's National Health Service.  My aunt's hypothyroidism was poorly managed through most of her life there. Although she was slim, her work as an actress was intermittently impeded by hypothyroidism and difficulty not only with stamina for roles but also intermittently in terms of learning lines. In her later years she developed a condition in which a stent needed to be placed within a vessel in order to keep a particular channel open  In the US, this procedure would have been scheduled immediately because damage from backflow can be dangerous to a variety of organs and can result in loss of life.  My own physician would have arranged this procedure for her within 24 hours, and offered to take my aunt as a patient who would self pay..  However, my aunt was already ill, and was not feeling well enough to travel out of England via Heathrow to Dulles Airport and all the work in between.  She had confidence that NHS would schedule her for the procedure because largely the propaganda of NHS said she would.  The procedure was scheduled for two weeks later. Then it was rescheduled, as critically ill people were placed ahead of her. Then, a power outage at the hospital delayed the procedure even furthur.  By the time it was done, there was liver damage and she was unnecessarily critically ill.   She died shortly after spending twelve hours on her kitchen floor waiting for an ambulance.  The NHS System my maternal family believed in betrayed them. The care was given away to so many, that it was not there when they needed it.  One of the last things my aunt told me before she died was that NHS had been unable to allocate money for hospital cleaning, and that the hospital had been filthy.   My aunt died shortly after.  Her surgeon admitted that had her condition permitted her  to fly to the US before the surgery, she would have lived an additional two years. "But that is not the system we have", he told me.
             I spend as much time as I can in Canada.  Some areas in Canada have fairly good medical care especially for those who have minimal primary care needs. However, if you need an ilesotomy for Crohn's Disease, or an unusual cancer treatment, or Lyme Disease treatment in Nova Scotia, you too are likely to die before it can be scheduled or received. (These are all cases of which I have first hand knowledge.)
            Nationalized Health does not work in the long term. It requires physicians and nurses to work for much less money or to give voluntary care. This results in the best and the brightest going to other professions.  The only places in which a Nationalized Health Plan works for any length of time is with small populations of similar people who are overall, healthy anyway.
            The rushed, largely unread mandatory Obamacare Plan which is circling the United States, and will likely destroy it, is not going to result in improved access to health care for Americans. The plan is not about health care. It is about control. We can't have some people receiving top care and others having difficulty accessing health care.  So, we are trashing the entire system in order to permit the present regime a large measure of control of the people and of mechanisms which will control the people.  How reasonable is it to collect very large sums for health insurance from healthy young people, in order to give substandard care to older people ?   How reasonable is it to pay thousands of additional dollars for health insurance, for much less care for everyone ?
           Whatever action in Congress and the Senate which is needed to stop Obamacare in its tracks is necessary.  It's almost as if this is a plan designed to bankrupt the country, collapse its systems, and leave it vulnerable to fascism.  Now that The House of Representatives realizes that the American people don't want Obamacare, they are willing to try to defund it along with in tandem with slowing Mr. Obama's spending. Mr. Obama has not brought a single annual budget to approval even within his own party, in all the years he has been president.  The Republican party is now willing to fund essential services without Obamacare, but Mr. Obama is keeping everything closed, because he will not negotiate.  Funny that he will meet with the Muslim Brotherhood for talks but not with members of our own Congress in order to craft a compromise.


          Please read this link:

    I ask you.   Is anyone here the least bit surprised ?


  http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/03/need-health-care-coverage-just-dial-1-800-fuckyo-to-reach-obamacares-national-hotline/