Ride the Slide!

Murph's got a fire going in the greenhouse while working on the hides.

Freeacre

Thanksgiving week - and I know we've all got things to do and people to see. Our heart is with Montana Freeman, especially, as we all hold his daughter in our collective embrace as she heals from a car accident.

Rather than list the many aspects of our collective lives that are deteriorating or the obvious threats to our well-being, let's take a look at what we can do to make things better. Bear with me as I repeat myself because we have a lot of newer readers who may not know what we've been doing for years. We are getting over 2,000 hits a month now, so there are many new people in the shadows around our cyber campfire.

We have been criticized for not supporting public protests against the resource wars or other reprehensible policies and behaviors. That's not exactly the case. We are very active in a local, grassroots citizen action group that has been very successful in changing policies and personnel at the city and county level. It's been a dog fight and we're still at it. We have replaced 2 of 3 county commissioners, the mayor and one city counselor, got one of our own on the DEQ Steering Committee, and several of our group on the County Planning Commission. We have spent three years organizing, standing outside grocery stores collecting signatures on petitions, raising money for class action lawsuits, submitting testimony at commission hearings, and attending meetings of many kinds. We're active in the Grange, support the area's youth, and have organized a Farmer's Market. I would not say that we are just whining about things and sitting on our hands. Oh, yeah, we also grow our own food, raise chickens and rabbits, and have stored up about a years worth of food and supplies. Our house is paid for, we are out of debt, we bank at a community bank, and we don't fly. We also have created this Campfire to support those who “get it” that we are on the brink of the end of the world as we know it. And we do it on a combined income of $24,000 a year from social security (plus some savings for back-up)

We understand and sympathize with those who get annoyed with writers who bemoan how screwed up everything is but do not walk the walk to make things any better.

What we do not do is stand outside of Walmart with a sign saying “Don't Shop Here” or run cross country “to find a cure for cancer” or picket against the One World Order. Hey, I'd love to be standing at the base of a skyscraper on Wall St. with a sign saying, “JUMP!” I'd do that in a heartbeat if I lived in New York. But, I live in Central Oregon in a town that just got it's first stoplight and where there isn't even one two story commercial building. So, if you think you can do something else that will work, by all means do so. We all need to do whatever is appropriate to our individual circumstances. And, yes, we all definitely need to do more than piss and moan about things and take no action.

I've been participating in that exercise to imagine a better world emerging from all this deterioration and chaos that is outlined on the Reality Transmission site (http://www.wix.com/realitytransmission/11-11-transmission/page-1). I'm not doing it perfectly, as I am not disciplined enough to do anything at the same time every day. But, I have been thinking as well as meditating on what kind of reality I would like to see manifest and how to get there. If that's too “New Age” for ya, so be it, I guess. You gotta go with what works for you. This works for me.

I've come to terms with the idea that “some things are worth believing in whether they are true or not” (a quote from the movie, “Secondhand Lions”). Things like liberty, honor, compassion, courage, love, and honesty. Science is discovering more and more that objective reality is an illusion anyway. The observer seems to affect, or even create, what is observed.

So, what concrete endeavors do I suggest that we do to create a better world once the shit hits the fan (as it is already doing) and a new paradigm needs to be created? I envision a world where the people feel a strong harmonious connection to each other and to the planet. Something like the Na'vi people in “Avatar.” To that end, we stay in touch through the internet, through community meetings and organizations, etc.

Work to localize food production. Grow your own food and support local farms and gardens, farmer's markets, etc. Learn about fish farming or hydroponics, building brick ovens, making cheese – anything to help feed your neighbors and yourselves.

Stop Feeding the Beast. Identify the malefactors (the Central Banks, Wall St., and the Military/Industrial complex), and shun them as much as possible. Don't purchase goods made by slave labor. Shop at second hand stores and flea markets. Learn to make things like soap, laundry detergent, herbal medicines, toothpaste, candles, clothing, etc.

Demonetize as much as you can. That does not mean “caste out demons.” although maybe that would be good, too. .. It means pay off your credit cards so you are not paying interest. Do not invest in 401K's. (Personally, I'd buy physical silver or barter items instead). Barter and trade and gift each other. Be generous and compassionate with your money, your time, and your stuff. When somebody shows up in your life who needs help, then help them. If you have space to allow a person to camp out in your yard or a room to rent or crash in, then make it available. We would not have a homeless problem if people would share their housing.

Be a resource for your neighborhood or community. Build a personal library of resource books, tools, documentaries to teach coping skills. Teach by example. When people see you walking the walk, they will be inspired without you having to convince them. Then, all you have to do is answer their questions.

What else? Stop eating processed food, corn syrup, commercial beef and pork from food lots and poultry concentration camps. Stop using fluoridated toothpaste and drinking or eating contaminated or adulterated crap. Prepare sit down dinners for your family. Teach your kids how to grow and cook healthy food. Invite your neighbors over for dinner, or bring them homemade bread or muffins once in awhile. You might want to organize a neighborhood self-defense group. Learn to shoot and re-load. (I know, this is not for everybody.) If it's not for you, figure out what you are willing to use to defend yourself and your neighbor – even if it is just a baseball bat or some wasp spray (shoots 27 feet and is debilitating). If you are not willing to do anything, then it would be poor form to ask anyone to help you if push comes to shove.

We began reading the tea leaves concerning the potential mortgage meltdown and resource depletion back in 2002. We began doing what we figured we needed to do. But, the tea leaves keep changing. Younger people and those with children need to look at what is happening and make their own plans. If I were younger, I'd be real careful not to get into debt servitude with student loans training for professions that are not going to be there when you graduate. I'd be looking for apprenticeships and trade programs in skills that will be needed in the future, such as manufacturing useful items, or re-fitting homes to make them more energy efficient. If I were wanting to invent energy or new building materials, I'd be learning another language in case I need to leave the country in order to secure financial backing. I don't want to go all Bruce Springsteen on you, but, let's face it – America has been red-lined. The jobs aren't coming back and neither is the financing. I'd be traveling to South America, China, India, Vietnam and Singapore. Learning to teach English as a second language to people in those countries as a start. I'd be studying permaculture, re-cycling, cluster septic systems, geo-thermal, alternative medicine. If you don't, you may find yourself enlisted in some goon squad to secure a meal and a roof over your head. People with children are going to need to team up to buy land collectively, or homestead. It isn't going to be about carting them around to soccer practice and keeping in touch with cell phones when gas goes to $5 or more a gallon and the electrical grid is unreliable. Kids are going to get their exercise tending the garden and the animals and playing hacki sack. Eventually they will still be able to become builders and astronomers, scientists, healers, and artists. But, it will be different. Hopefully better. With any luck, there will be no more MBA's.

Thinking about immanent war, false flag events, financial melt-down, die off, weather wars, earth and sun changes, et al, can be frightening stuff. But, it's also exciting to think of the possibilities for transformation. It's empowering to change the fear into resolve, once one takes steps to prepare. To cope with all the weirdness and pathos, it helps to have faith that we were born into this incarnation for a purpose.

“Ride the Slide!” (as Lucretia counsels) and make a better world.

I am certain you have your thoughts on this, so, as always, we want to hear them.

A venison flank gifted from a neighbor - stuffed with quinoa, craisins, bacon, onion, sage & thyme

...winter's back

From Murph

From the comments posted here, it seems that everyone is keeping up pretty well with the goings on of the PTB and the political elites, at least as well as we are able to. I have seen some articles and commentaries lately that I sure do wonder about concerning their validity.

So let’s assume that around half of what we are reading and seeing on the internet has some actual factual basis. Our problem is deciding, of the two alternatives in what we read, what is the factual and what is propaganda or just plain speculation. Most of what I am reading is pretty much speculation concerning the future, which of course is what it will always be until it either does or does not happen. As I’ve said before, history shows that humans have a pretty poor ability to see future events, and then we have universe throwing surprises at us all the time.

However, when we determine that something sure enough appears to be factual, and we get enough of these tidbits, we can start to connect the dots of information and come to some conclusions about what is coming next.

Let’s look at the MSM stuff. I hardly every hear on the news that things aren’t just fine, a few bumps in the road but things are getting better, like the Postman movie; unemployment is down, disposable income is up, it’s going to take only a couple of years for the housing mess to get straightened out and we can all start dreaming of the McMansion with the Beemer in the driveway again. Then I start to look at the dots of facts and start connecting them.

According to most of the information I see on unemployment, it is at the same level as it was during the last depression and is going to continue to get worse, not better at 20% I think. Which makes sense to me. Just how many service workers does a country actually need? Just how many resorts need around 40 million workers to bow and scrape before the elite enjoying the fruits of their free lunches? Every week, the unemployment claims turned in are in the 5-6 figures if I remember right. So just what could possibly lead me to draw the conclusion that it is getting better? That maybe there isn’t just that many non government employees to fire or lay off? Hmmm, last stat I saw said the amount of government employees (at all levels) is approaching 50% of the work force presently employed, (around 150 million I believe) and for most, at stupendous salaries and benefits too, way over the median or average pay and benefits. But things are getting better.

Then, we just saw a news clip about how the upscale shops are experiencing a big boost in purchases and anticipate a really really good Christmas season. And that is a fact where we can draw the conclusion that things are getting better? They featured a watch for sale at $800 grand and have a years worth of back orders for them, and that is to tell time on your wrist. Then I saw a news clip of a woman modeling a new bra that is made of precious stones strung together, up in the high 6 figures again. Then we saw a show where the upper income ladies are getting moral support to decrease the amount of clothes they buy and partner with another to keep tabs on each others spending and to limit their shopping time. Oh yeh, I just bet disposable income is going up, but for whom? I sure haven’t heard of SS recipients getting a boost in their incomes. And, the MSN never seems to get around to noting that wages for everyone under the elites has stagnated or decreased since 1970 in purchasing power. But times are getting better for sure.

I’m sure that all of you have at least a passing taste of how the home foreclosure business is doing. We now have “rocket courts” in Florida to process claims by the banks, at the rate of one every 2 minutes or so, processed by retired judges in hole in the wall slapped together courtrooms about the size of our kitchen. That works out to around 2000 people made homeless every day that court is held. And what we get from the bankers concerning this is;” the dumb shits shouldn’t have bought these places, they owe the money and won’t pay”. Now I ask, what in the world do the banks want with all these properties that can’t be sold, will start to deteriorate with no occupancy and are really fucking up neighborhoods? But the-times-they-are-a-getting better. You bet.

Of course the political pundits and talking heads are all over the last election and what that means, and Obama’s visit to the East. Here at least, there seems to be some difference in opinion. Some think this is going to force bipartisan support for legislation to fix the problems. Other not so sure. It appears to me that one of two things is going to happen. 1. Political gridlock. Or 2. The dems will once more find they are balless and cave in to the demands of the right wing, which of course means that we definitely get more of the same shit thrown at us. Then I understand that Obama’s reception overseas was not all that great, couldn’t get agreements to bolster the U.S. economy and maintain the hegemony of the dollar. I guess Indonesia had a lot of demonstrations putting poor Obama down. But things are getting better.

Then we learn that the sun is going berserk and there is a bunch of earth quakes and volcanoes erupting all over the place. Of course this is the reason for the 800 or so FEMA camps scattered all over the country, to take care of the displaced of course. But things are getting better, (said in a loud and forceful voice)

Then we are reading a bunch of news concerning food production world wide. This really doesn’t look good in the statistics. And then there is the water problem that nobody seems to have an idea about how to solve it either. But things are getting better, (screaming it out).

It remains to be seen if Cliff High’s predictions come true or not. There is support for is "release" language. Events like the missile launch or the G20 debacle or some other weirdness might have had the stage already set and just need time to manifest. If his prediction of some kind of event that is much greater than 9-11 comes about, I suspect that we will see some rather dramatic changes in some way in this country. If nothing happens, I further suspect that any of the “things getting better” will be a very long way down the road. If we do have some kind of monumental event, then we do have the potential for things getting better after the chaos that follows. But I sure as hell don’t see things getting better in the near future, no matter what happens. Batten down the hatches, here it comes!

ALL RIGHT!! THE ELECTIONS ARE OVER, FINALLY!

Times long past, my jug band I had in Germany in the 60's.

ALL RIGHT!! THE ELECTIONS ARE OVER, FINALLY!
From Murph, A short post this time.

This round of (s)elections are done. Notice how the call to not elect any incumbents didn’t work out that way. Now we have more of the Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush types in office. A promise of more governmental gridlock coming up; which is probably a good thing. No telling how much more damage to the country is/maybe going to be done. Near as I can tell the supposed paradigm changing (not) election carried right down to the local level, I know it did here. Already the local winners are proposing jaw dropping, head scratching; I don’t believe promises to fix everything.

And now the ambitious can begin campaigning for the next election cycle. At least the lying dreadful political ads will be taken off the air for another 2 years. I bet Rove and Limbaugh are having mammoth wet dreams. Expect more promoted ideological splits to be evident. Liars, all of them, to the very backbone of their souls.

So now we can all get back to our run of the mill doom and gloom predictions, or, our run of the mill optimism, take your pick. The people (sheeple) have spoken and now we got to live with it again. The old question of; “when will the sheeple wake up?” Is still the question, hasn’t gone away.

Did you notice how much money had to be raised for this election cycle? Holy shit! Talk about boosting the economy, at least for the ad agencies and the mass media networks. Whitman alone spent $140 million out of her own check book, and lost the race anyway. Again, we have been assured that only the wealthy or those in step with wealthy backers can win elections. See; http://www.houstonconews.com/articles/2010/11/03/opinion/02whitehead.txt
An estimated $4 billion spent on this election. Not a bit of which will actually change what is happening in this country. Amazing! Sickening!

Meanwhile the Fed is planning on spending $600 billion in buying up our own countries debt. Hmm, just who again is this going to benefit? I surmise the Joe six pack’s job won’t be a bit more secure. I sometimes wonder just how many Wall Mart greeters that company can absorb from the population. Of course, the hiring of more people into the governmental systems will increase. Big boost to the economy for sure.

In reading a multitude of articles and commentaries concerning the great “UPS bomb scare” I’m coming to the opinion that it was a false flag op, again. Like the 9-11 event, way too many questions concerning it. I find it amazing that in between the drone bombing runs and hiding out from the anti terrorist forces, those pesky terrorists would come up with something so lame. And, what about those announcements out of Yemen about no UPS planes in or out of the country? And, what the hell actually was that powder? Talcum powder or what?

So where do we as individuals go from here? I’d suggest more preps for sure. I, for one, do not see anything improving from this election cycle. What about you?