MORE THOUGHTS ON THE ECONOMY

I've been surfing around trying to get some sort of feel for this economy. I went out on the porch to have a smoke and Brown, what we call United Parcel Srvice, was making a delivery to my neighbor who runs a small logging operation.



I wondered about UPS and how they are handling this fuel and business bust the country is going through. Someone blow up an oil pipeline in Basra, Iraq, today and crude has shot up to $107+ a barrel. UPS runs on petroleum fuel. It's the life blood of their business. When they first started I would say that fuel was not that big a deal, but times have chnaged. And I wonder if cheaper methods of delivery are being used, because the higher cost of fuel has to be passed on to the consumer. Brown might be getting less business just from companies going out of business.



I was just reading about Irving, California. They lost 4000 good paying jobs in a two or three week period of time. Great big office towers are standing empty and no one seems to be ready to rush in and rent them. The office towers used to house some huge subprime mortgage companies. Biggest in the country as far as the amount of dollars they processed.



I was just talking to the wife and it looks like we are only going to get $300 total for our "stimulous" money from the government. She didn't even make enough to qualify for $300 on her own. So we live poor and that is good. We love our survival preps and we just naturally love beans and rice, so it looks like home cookin' to us. But it sure tells you that the filthy poor are not loved by this government. No way. You have to get out there and bust ass and make good money to get that $600 check. I ain't gonna forget that, Mr. Bush. I needed $600 to get a new computer with which to drag your name through the mud and you won't let me have it because I am poor. Cowardly sonovabitch. Big chicken. So I have to continue to lay hands on this old computer and ask for divine intervention to keep it running. But I reckon it's just that way when you try to keep something old running. How many times do people say, "Just one more day Lord."



We are flooded here in southern Indiana and down in Mississippi the ground is drying out. But it is in the 70's down there and quickly apt to get warmer. In the 50's here and can snow anytime. I've seen many an April snowfall. But that was before we got global warming. HAH! If that ain't a joke. Al Gore ought to be committed, institutionalized, for spreading that pile of shit around the globe. But he has made too much money off of it to be locked up. Now some political pundit is saying the Democrats should give the nomination to Gore and forget about Hillary and Barak. I'm for that and 1000 bushel an acre Corn. Hell yes. But bring 'em both and not just one. I better think about that statement, though. I'd take the 1000 bushel an acre corn and let Al Gore go to hell. He's enthralled with that "warm" effect.



Like I was telling somebody earlier in the week, I am not seeing too many drivers out burning gas on Friday and Saturday night. People are being conservative with their disposable dollars these days. Me too! I wonder what the taverns are doing as to dollar volume. Far be it from me to know. I can't afford those kind of places. Don't really feel left out either. Don't need the headaches and don't need the money drain. Perfect. I'll just eat my rice and beans tonight and watch my one dollar movie. Again, perfect!



Our preps are coming along just fine. The Dollar Store still has all those good rice and beans. The wife checked Big Lots today and saw not much of anything interesting. But she brought home a bunch of rice and beans and I like that. I meant it when I said that a rice and bean diet was like home cooking for us here. The Handmaiden and I like the stuff very much. She is a soup fanatic anyhow. She has Lentil soup for breakfast! Or Split Pea. I like sausage and eggs myself. But I can eat rice and beans twice a day if it's necessary. The Handmaiden is getting her bean cooking down to a gourmet science. Love it.



Seems like some canned meat would be on order for seasoning our beans. By the way, Basmati rice DOES smell like popcorn being popped. Never had that before. I think a couple flats of canned Hormel Chili would be a nice survival invetment. I like that Hormel stuff. Probably full of the chemicals America loves best but it sure does taste good.



We are getting our survival knife collection done right. Good cutlery. When you need it there ain't no substitute. A very important tool. Back when my Handmaiden was living alone in upstate New York she bought a professional butcher knife for around $125. She was not afraid to spend the money to get the right thing. I bought a second butcher knife at Wally World three years ago. It was a Chicago Cutlery knife for $18 and she says it is at least as good as her $125 model. No technical wizardry on my part. Actually, it was blind luck. But it payed off. Now we have two very sharp and beautiful knives in our collection. Don't get in front of an angry person who might be holding one of them.



We socked away some TANGIBLES today. Ten pounds of white rice and 8 pounds of pinto beans. I think we will be getting some black beans pretty soon. They are just nutritious as all get out. The Handmaiden thinks we might be getting near a good food cache. I love those words. 18 more pounds today on top of what we already have. That brown rice is very tasty. Too bad it won't keep over 6 months without some questionable storage practices. But we will be fine. There is an abundance of game where I live and for 22 cents I can add meat to the pot.



I'll put this in storage and put it up on the blog tomorrow. Keep the faith and stay alive!



Michael



mboone@rtccom.net