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Got a call from the doctor who told us he can't help us with Mom's problems. He wants to see us again in 2 months. REALLY?????
An atheist in one of my clubs said that, if SHTF, praying won't help since there is no God. He believes the world evolved naturally. However, he also firmly believes that someone needs to control civilization to keep things from falling apart. (Someone like him, of course).
My neighbor (a city boy) put up an 8' fence with flood lights. He has subscribed to a security firm that promises a 5 minutes response. He said he now feels safe. My first thought: I am a thief. The fence will keep anyone from seeing me. The flood lights will give me plenty of light to see by. I have 5 minutes to get in, loot the place, and get out.
My bell pepper has been dropping all of it's blossoms. This morning I noticed that it now has set 4 perfectly formed bell peppers. I also noticed that the ground has been aerated by a vigorous nest of fire ants. So, do I kill the fire ants? Or just avoid them as I pick the peppers?
There was an article in the paper today about brake tags. The state is considering going to a 2 year tag to save money. I have a better suggestion. Get rid of the brake tags. If your car can pass you don't need the inspection. If it can't, you won't go anywhere near the inspection stations. To me this is just another way to extort money from people. For the record, I don't believe in renewable driver's licenses or involuntary car registration. Just doesn't make sense to me.
Yes, friends, it has been that kind of day. I just finished mowing the grass and now it is raining. Everyone stay health and happy and I will talk to you later.
Got a call from the doctor who told us he can't help us with Mom's problems. He wants to see us again in 2 months. REALLY?????
An atheist in one of my clubs said that, if SHTF, praying won't help since there is no God. He believes the world evolved naturally. However, he also firmly believes that someone needs to control civilization to keep things from falling apart. (Someone like him, of course).
My neighbor (a city boy) put up an 8' fence with flood lights. He has subscribed to a security firm that promises a 5 minutes response. He said he now feels safe. My first thought: I am a thief. The fence will keep anyone from seeing me. The flood lights will give me plenty of light to see by. I have 5 minutes to get in, loot the place, and get out.
My bell pepper has been dropping all of it's blossoms. This morning I noticed that it now has set 4 perfectly formed bell peppers. I also noticed that the ground has been aerated by a vigorous nest of fire ants. So, do I kill the fire ants? Or just avoid them as I pick the peppers?
There was an article in the paper today about brake tags. The state is considering going to a 2 year tag to save money. I have a better suggestion. Get rid of the brake tags. If your car can pass you don't need the inspection. If it can't, you won't go anywhere near the inspection stations. To me this is just another way to extort money from people. For the record, I don't believe in renewable driver's licenses or involuntary car registration. Just doesn't make sense to me.
Yes, friends, it has been that kind of day. I just finished mowing the grass and now it is raining. Everyone stay health and happy and I will talk to you later.
Your friend may be right to think that we are headed for bad times. If there is a God, he better appear and fix us...There are plenty of us who think the world evolved naturally, we do not "believe" it since it is not a faith based system but a fact based system
Texas has a $90 "new resident tax" when you go to register your "out of state" vehicle after moving to Texas. It also makes you get a yearly inspection that costs $15. New resident tax?? Why not just set up roadblocks on each road leading into the state and collect roadside robbery money?
When I mentioned this on the TX CD forums, someone who moved from Massachusetts mentioned that they were happy they only paid $90 since in the state of MA the tags are a percentage of the value of the vehicle. As if I am supposed to be happy to choose the lesser of two evils?
Anyways, the "state inspection" included driving the car in reverse and then stepping on the gas and hitting the brakes. After that was done, the guy honked the horn, checked the lights and brake lights. He was supposed to hook up the computer to check emissions but he didn't. A week after the "inspection" the lights may not work and a few months after, the brakes may not either. But, who cares, easy $15 for the state...
I am still willing to bet that our ancestors in the 1800s lived shorter lives but they were happier since they had more freedom. Freedom to saddle up and ride anywhere they wanted, freedom to carry their own weapons and freedom to be responsible for themselves. Freedom to claim their land and be on their own. No cubicles, no banks, no ordinances. Yeah, there was no medicine like today and there was no intricate federal or state infrastructure but hell, they were truly FREE.
..........I am still willing to bet that our ancestors in the 1800s lived shorter lives but they were happier since they had more freedom. Freedom to saddle up and ride anywhere they wanted, freedom to carry their own weapons and freedom to be responsible for themselves. Freedom to claim their land and be on their own. No cubicles, no banks, no ordinances. Yeah, there was no medicine like today and there was no intricate federal or state infrastructure but hell, they were truly FREE.
OD
That's a nice fantasy but I think if you actually go back and read the newspapers of the day you'll find that there were local ordinances, taxes, and yes, banks. Some were more free than others. The moster we know as the federal government was not what it has become today but it was there and even they in the 1800's felt their freedoms being imfringed upon and chose to move to more wide open spaces.....Westward.
Your friend may be right to think that we are headed for bad times. If there is a God, he better appear and fix us...There are plenty of us who think the world evolved naturally, we do not "believe" it since it is not a faith based system but a fact based system
OD
I don't want to prompt a religious argument. I claim to know nothing of the matter (I can't because I haven't died yet)--I've made my bet, you've made yours.
But I do have an observation: In our acute wisdom, our "fact based system" has basically done as well with our species/society as a group of children playing with matches inside a pasteboard box. It doesn't matter if any of us believe in hell or not--we're there. And since I have not seen any God around here lately, we seem to have constructed our hell without the aid of a God. One of the main reasons I "prep" is because our "fact based system" is such a good one.
There is my inspirational, optimistic thought for the day.
Now back to the regularly scheduled non-religious-oriented banter. Have any of y'all eaten any Siberian Elm samaras (seed pods) this year? Yummy! And all over the place right now. Pick a handful and pop 'em in your mouth or make them into a salad--better than lettuce by far. (that's my misc thought for today)
Watched my dear, sweet, lovable, neighbor (who just moved here from New Orleans) buy a pint of blackberries at the farmer's market for $3.00. We have the same 'blackberries', aka dewberries, growing along our mutual fence line. Time for another lesson.
I just finished teaching him how to kill small trees growing thru his fence. He didn't know that cutting off a ring of bark all the way around the trunk would kill it. He proudly showed me the enormous jug of Roundup he bought to spray the tree with. He just couldn't figure out how to get the spray to the top of the tree. He wanted to know if I could help him out. After I showed him how to girdle the tree, I reminded him that Walmart would take back the Roundup for a full refund.
Last week I showed him how to treat fire ants. A bed of fire ants was growing (and growing and growing) right next to his septic pump. He was preaching 'live and let live' to me until I told him the fire ants would build inside the pump and a new pump could cost as much as $500.00.
I introduced him to the county agent. I think he got one of every pamphlet they had.
He and his wife are nice people, but I have had to introduce him to a number of our country customs.
He kept calling the parish to treat mosquitoes. We are on a street that is some distance away from the 'main drag'. They kept telling him he was on the schedule for the trucks to come by and spray. I called the parish office and made the same request. The truck showed up late the next day. (When the trucks finish their scheduled run, they are allowed to go to the next area to finish using up any spray left in the tank.) I put the cold 12-pack of beer on top of my mailbox post and went back inside. Our area was sprayed with the mosquito-specific spray (instead of the generic that kills everything), the ditches were treated with oil and any misc debris that was in the ditches and on the side of the road was removed. The beer disappeared. He grumped that I was giving them a bribe. I reminded him that I didn't GIVE them anything. I told him that there was an old country saying 'you can catch more flies with honey then vinegar'.
I'm a 'live and let live' kinda gal -- the carpenter ants can live over there and I can live over here. I intentionally left them plenty of healthy habitat to have a home over there out of harm's way, so if they're over here eating my fence and house I don't feel bad about killing them. The mosquitoes get no quarter from me at all
Some of our neighbors can't get anyone to help them in a timely manner or at all, but I've never had a problem when I asked. Maybe it's because I know the difference between asking and demanding
I don't want to prompt a religious argument. I claim to know nothing of the matter (I can't because I haven't died yet)--I've made my bet, you've made yours.
But I do have an observation: In our acute wisdom, our "fact based system" has basically done as well with our species/society as a group of children playing with matches inside a pasteboard box. It doesn't matter if any of us believe in hell or not--we're there. And since I have not seen any God around here lately, we seem to have constructed our hell without the aid of a God. One of the main reasons I "prep" is because our "fact based system" is such a good one.
It is what you do with the "facts" that is good or bad. Same with "faith" (or religion), there are many evils that befell this earth and its people - all rooted in religion.
Now we can definitely go back to "regular programming"
More neighbor talk. They moved out here to feel safe. Told me that, if SHTF, they would just dig an outhouse in their back yard. Gave them a lecture on proper outhouse placement.......not uphill from their (or anyone else's) well!
I have a 'live and let live' attitude with any ants except fire ants. I don't like them and they done like me. Of course, my bell pepper plant now has a half dozen peppers on it.
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(that's my misc thought for today)
Just another thought
