10/12/08: Politics

Doug and I just watched the debate on 9-news (Denver, CO) between Betsy Markey and Marilyn Musgrave, running for the 4th Congressional District. Unbelievable how, even though one candidate stated she'd like to see the mud-slinging stop, the other candidate not only ignored that remark but continued to be mean and nasty in her remarks.

Talk about the economy. About foreclosures and decreasing home values. Talk about ending the war and national health care. Talk about issues that affect us and our basic needs.

When political ads interrupt TV shows, we automatically hit "mute" now. No longer do candidates state what they will do for us, the American citizens. They take every chance possible to demolish reputations and cast doubt. When was the last time we saw a political commercial giving good information about a candidate's plan? It's been a while but we're not quite sure because WE MUTE!!

Unbelievable.

How can we teach our almost 12-year-old how to be a good and nice person when he hears commercials and these debates of mean and nasty mudslinging campaigns?

Vikki www.newviewgroupllc.com

8/06: Survival of the Prepared

Someone recently sent me a link to a story about the government buying up all the canned butter and dehydrated meals/MREs through end of 2009. The same person sent me a link about a stockpile of plastic coffins in Georgia (I think). The thinking is that the government is expecting the bird flu pandemic or something else that will either greatly reduce the population or that the Middle East war will go on much longer than expected.

It got me thinking about our family's preparedness for various situations. Sure we have a little garden growing some great stuff. I dehydrate or can whatever possible (because of rising food costs). I buy dehydrated veggies and fruits we can't grow (which I've been doing for years because it was the only way to get my son to eat certain things). I buy dried soy and rice milk (we have a lactose intolerant person here and dried is cheaper in the long run and longer-lasting). We have dried eggs and soy beans because the prices of those things are getting out of hand.

ABOVE: Our dried eggs (purchased from www.beprepared.com)

ABOVE: Our powdered rice milk (purchased from www.amazon.com)

ABOVE: Our dried soybeans and dried peas (purchased from www.justtomatoes.com).

Weslee also loves their dried blackberries, blueberries and mango.

Doug likes their "tropical treats", including the kiwi, mango and papaya.

I like the strawberries, bananas, pomegranate and... almost everything they have!

I buy toilet paper and shampoo in bulk when I find them on sale. We have rechargeable batteries because it's good for the environment. We bike or walk (ok, infrequently but sometimes!) not in preparation for no fuel but because it's good for us and the Earth.

I don't consider our little family survivalists. We don't have a 2-year stockpile of food, nor an electrified fence or guns to defend our home. We are simply working to take care of our family in a difficult economic time. Yes, we're prepared, or working to be. And yes, we're thinking things out. Does this make us survivalists?

Vikki

p.s. Started to rain here in Thornton around 4:30 and now we're worried about flooding. Still.... needed the rain!!!!

7/31: Temperature, Exxon, Obama, McCain

Today the Denver area reached 97 degrees (it varied from station to station - from 95 to 99). We broke the 18-day streak by today becoming the 19th day in a row of over 90 degrees. Tomorrow we're supposed to be at 101. I'm melting! As did our poor corn beds; we had to give them an extra deep drink today. We did harvest 1 cucumber (our first!), 2 more yellow straightneck squash, 2 roma tomatoes and a handfull of string beans. No pic today - sorry!

Heard today that Exxon reported a 2nd quarter earnings of 11.7 BILLION. Excuse me?!?! Just my own thought here but what the hairy-heck do they think they are doing? They are helping to gouge us plain folk's pocketbooks and they have all this extra money going into theirs? Something about this isn't right. Perhaps WE should gouge Exxon's pocketbooks and BOYCOT their pumps.

About McCain's latest "celebrity" ditch ad about Obama with Britney and Paris and blaming Obama for the rising gas prices ... tsk tsk tsk. Mr. McCain, is this really how you want to run your campaign? Do you really not have much positive to say about your plans and policies and choices that you need to viciously attack your opponent? Do you really believe that one senator has (or had) so much power that he singlehandedly is responsible for the rising gas prices? Did he convince the President how to vote for particular fuel bills? Did he start the war on the other side of the Atlantic that convinced the world we're no longer a force to be reckoned with but a country to be toyed with? Do you really believe that this senator has such a celebrity status that he is equal to the "panty squad" of supposed airheads Britney and Paris? Does he go out and party just for photo ops? Does he dress provocatively?

Oh Mr. McCain... what are you thinking? Who are you listening to? Don't attack. Explain. Tell us... Do you have a plan to bring this country once again to greatness? To get us out of a war that is called "War on Terror" but isn't really? To help people afford their homes and basic everyday costs again? To help us put food on our table without giving up prescriptions? To stop people in government from lying and cheating those of us who put them there? To help our children learn how to be healthy instead of serving them junk food and sodas in the cafeterias while recess and arts programs are abolished? To solve our fuel problems by finding alternatives that are renewable?

Senators Obama and McCain: these are the issues important to me and most of America. What will YOU do for us? Vikki