I saw this T shirt and just had to order it

http://www.planetarybargains.com/Have%20A%20Nice%20Day%20Army%20Shirt%20Grey.php

Updates, new plans, revised plans, status reports on where our projects and personal improvement goals are:

I cannot justify retiring into today's economy....i had hoped to retire within the next 12 months but retirement will be just another lie our society fed me. The only way i would retired is if the monetary system and society crashed as in the Soviet Union in the 90's and then it would make better sense to use my time and energy in real survival production for us rather for the bribery of money but based on today's economic sit rep------ I will not retire. Yes it does bother me and yes it does hurt---i looked so forward to being free for once in my life.

Greenhouse purchase and installation is right on schedule for June, 2011. This will be a cash without debt purchase..with the idea of starting to produce year round food beginning with the winter of 2011/2012...on track on time.

My Lifebook U810 is in route to me and I expected to receive it next week. I am have been considering the purchase of a solar charging pouch/attachment for my every day carry backpack to charge the U810 while i am on the go. I have also bookmarked a portable usb powered, external hard drive, the size of a pack of cigarettes for downloading movies and other high storage requirement data.

I am currently read out of books and on my way to amazon when i complete this blog to resupply, so there are no book reviews or updates currently. Our latest stored food acquisition is a number ten can of Mountain House freeze dried Chicken a la King with noodles....I am attempting to branch out in what i am storing---this can alone will be 10 meals---and possibly a treat from stored staple food products when we are starving---i also stored 1000 waterproof matches.

I have become somewhat fixated on shelling pecans...... the largest surviving tree on our 50'x90' urban homestead is an old pecan tree. This is the first year in the 3 that we started our urban self sufficiency project that i had the time to gather up boxes of pecans....

My wife bought me a type of Amish lever action pecan shell breaker on the Internet.....when she discovered me using a rubber mallet in my first attempt to harvest this year's gift from the tree. This thing works great----i am so far working on my second gallon of perfect pecan nuts to be stored.

There is something incredibly fulfilling about sitting in the kitchen when it is 9 degree's outside shelling pecans...something very hunter/gatherer in doing the right thing at it's right season---I can imagine the guys who built Stonehenge spending time in the winter doing the same shelling near the fire in their hut.

The pecan tree can be an incredible pain in the ass....it drops shit all the time, leaves, seeds, branches all aimed at my gutters to prevent me saving rain water...I am constantly sweeping the back patio...but then again, we have squirrels which can be taken by air rifle if necessary, I save the fallen branches to burn in our little outdoor fireplace, and there's the gift of free food....so i never bitch about the tree.

Later on this evening I'll sit in the kitchen and harvest more of what we collected it's enough to turn me into a druid.

75 million Americans are now receiving food stamps.....75 million people in the United States cannot produce enough food through their labor or from their wages to feed themselves an/or their families....75 million. In New Mexico 1 in 5 families are receiving food stamps.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/us/04brfs-FOODSTAMPNUM_BRF.html

Why are we involved in Iraq and Afghanistan--- our government disregards the will of 63% of the population that desires an immediate end to our involvement in these nations and the use of this incredible waste. This endless war money could be redirected to help feed our own citizens...but our government prefers to feed Afghans rather than our own citizens. The accounting of war costs is so horrible that it should be considered that the government does not actual know what it is spending on these stupid never ending conflicts but it is estimated that one billion dollars per day goes down the toilet in these wars...for no result. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/30/63-percent-of-american-public-opposes-war-afghanistan_n_802765.html?ir=Politics

The true unemployment rate untouched by governmental accounting spin stands at 16.6%

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/learn-how-to-invest/The-real-unemployment-rate.aspx

It is believed that many of the unemployed will face a situation of simply NO WORK ever again as in NEVER...it's going to get crowded under that bridge.

I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.
Winston Churchill

We are lost and confused as a people. Our world balances while our politics, our bankers and our system of reward without work has spread gasoline about us and although we cannot see, we feel as if someone amongst us is holding an unlit match....ready to make the sky into fire.

I cannot help myself when it comes to ultra mobile personal computing.. I just purchased, used, a Fujitsu LifeBook U810 Mini-Notebook. When the U810 (as the U1010) came out 4 years ago in Japan I lusted, oogled, drooled...but the price was simply out of bounds....

There comes a time in the life cycle of computers when the expensive becomes reasonable as the design ages, the capability is the same but age is the enemy of computing hardware. I attempt to find that reasonable zone, buy used and enjoy an excellent tool, one that is no longer the cutting edge, but perfect for me. Running full windows vista, changeable into a tablet format by turning the screen, fingerprint id security system, small enough to fit in a BDU pocket, touchscreen or regular format the U810 will be for my computing on the move. For my mornings at the coffee shop where i write miss you emails to my wife. One can however fit the U810 into a dock ($99.00) and utilize it as a desktop if one wishes....

I am so hoping that what the seller advises is true that my purchase is "like new" for I am completely beside myself at the moment. I will advise with a review and real life photo's when it comes in....

The city of Prichard Alabama's pension fund collapsed in Sept 2009 causing the death of one of it's 150 city retiree's...collapsed as in NO CHECKS as in NOTHING paid to people that worked for 30 years but with many who cannot get SS yet. These were not huge California pensions that you read about, they were regular people's pensions that averaged $12,000.00 only one singular pension was $39,000 per year. The town government just didn't care enough not to steal from the pension fund....that is pretty much the long and short of it and now economists are studying Prichard Alabama to prepare for what is going to happen to the rest of us! Read this and try not to weep.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Alabama-Towns-Failed-Pension-nytimes-93215960.html?x=0

Straight Razor:

I cut the shit out of myself using my straight razor for the first time and only did one small part of my face....it looked like I was out chumming for sharks with Quint! It is going to take waaaay more time to figure out how to shave with the straight razor than i originally thought....i don't mind taking time to learn...tougher than i thought tho....a good winter project.

Greenhouse:

We have decided to hold on additional solar panels for the house and put our money this year into a full size, full service greenhouse to eat out of next winter....more postings & photo's on this later.

Reading:

"The coming Anarchy" and "Planet of Slums"....

PECANS:

Still shelling and harvesting them off the ground since there is no snow here yet. I am really getting into the gathering part of hunter/gatherer. After all the work so far there is only 1/2 a quart jar of shelled pecans but---a gift from the tree.....to be appreciated.

Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much.
Oscar Wilde

I continue with no politics, I have been sick delaying my normal posting

it is cold and wet here.

Quite possibly a tie for the best Science Fiction movie of my year is "The Horde" a French Zombie film---YES---FRENCH-----ZOMBIE. More an action horror film the Horde has Nigerian drug dealers, corrupt French police, and Zombies, lots and lots of Zombies.....big, big violence in this one and not for the weak of heart....it is simply excellent.

Don't let some of the Amazon reviews fool you. There are viewers that are apparently more interested in how the zombies came about than what is happening in the movie. The coolest, coolest segments are the hand to hand combat scenes with the zombies. In American zombie movies once you are out of ammunition you are zombie food---Not so with the French, they believe in going hand to hand with these bad boys if you are out of ammo and there are outstanding---outstanding----desperate hand to hand scenes with zombies that once again are not for the light of heart.

If you enjoy a GOOD zombie film you absolutely must see the Horde, watch it in French with English subtitles the only way to do it. This is going to be a cult classic.

http://www.movieweb.com/movie/the-horde/trailer

• 177 nations guarantee paid leave for new mothers; the U.S. does not.
• 74 nations guarantee paid leave for new fathers; the U.S. does not.
• 132 nations guarantee breastfeeding breaks at work; the U.S. does not.
• 163 nations guarantee paid sick leave; the U.S. does not.
• 48 nations guarantee paid time off to care for children’s health; the U.S. does not.
• 41 nations provide leave that can be used for child education needs; the U.S. does not.
• 33 nations provide paid leave to care for adult family members; the U.S. does not

My newest piece of every day carry I am very proud of....my $5.00 cigarette case. I found this air tight, waterproof small container on amazon. Checked the size and discovered that i could safely place 8 filtered cigarettes inside and close it up. Originally designed for people to take to the beach and hold money, keys etc---it works perfectly in my world as a weather proof cigarette case. Sometimes cool stuff is out there just for the finding.....

How much did that cost? I inquired of my wife when she came home with shaving supplies for me from Sams Club....3 large packages of triple bladed cartridges, and a 3 pack of shaving cream equal $65.00 in todays world. Bullshit I thought...I refuse to play to this game any longer.... unable to stand being bearded, which would be the easiest alternative---I decided to buy a straight razor ( which never runs out of sharp ) and the old fashion shaving soap, Strop and brush pictured here. My belief is that it will pay for itself in 5 months and after that I am free of another societal forced outlay.

There's a learning curve---no doubt. I am unafraid of sharp instruments and easily capable of sharpening the razor when required. This system was the facial hair removal standard for 300 years...why wouldn't it work for me now?....and why did it take me so long to figure this out?...bewitched apparently by not thinking of alternative methods on day to day cost requirements. These items are on their way to me and I'll report on how this all works out...quite possibly from the horrible disfigurement ward of the local hospital.....

In fair weather prepare for foul.
Thomas Fuller

Valhalla Rising is a film that cannot be described, it must be viewed....each of us will walk away with our own interpretation of what this film is, means,and tries to do, each opinion as viable as the other.

Christian Vikings, Picts, a main character who never speaks, incredible outstanding but very,very graphic fight scenes, and beautifully photographed Valhalla Rising is just something beyond what we expect as usual in a film.

The ending you will either hate or embrace.....i don't believe there will be a middle ground. Regardless, this is a film where the ending is unimportant it is the trip within the film that is important.

Prince Charles learns the hard way not to ride about in a big old Rolls Royce to elite functions when the population, otherwise known as the scum of the earth, has been royally screwed over by bankers. Next time it might wind up where somebody gets dragged out of their perfect little traveling Rolls world. This was just the result of angry students protesting tuition hikes, wait until they are starving......

Cannibals prefer those who have no spines.
Stanislaw Lem