Welcome to the Suck this week.....nationally and personally.

Nationally, do we really think the SCOTUS is in any way shape or form not as bought and paid for by the 1% as the rest of our government?....Do we really believe that an honest ruling on Obamacare will come about? As proof of my doubt, I give you Clarence Thomas and his wife---both proven to be bought and paid for....good luck on this one--- I for one could give a shit any longer about anything such as this---it is all fiddling while Rome burns.

....we'll discuss the price of gasoline further along in this blog--as we cast about to blame someone--anyone except ourselves...

On the personal front of the SUCK---- work travels further and further from reality into a dimension of delusion--to the point where i needed to pull a sick day today just to have a bit of time to think---worn out from keeping the required interested, i am a team member face on all week as the ever rising, desperate stupidity there, was drowning me.

It is not yet the "rape the public by oil corporations" summer, high gasoline price season and per gallon prices in my area--at the highest priced locations, are $3.91 pg. I can't wait to see what the "Let's go to Wally World for Vacation" summer price gouging will push the price per gallon of gasoline to? One of the side benefits of owning my Prius (pictured above) is that when gas prices are low--I am a leftist, Obama environmentalist, putz to my co-workers---and when gas prices rise, as in our current situation I am suddenly a genius and constantly asked what my mpg is? I have been averaging, on a daily basis during my 66 mile total daily commute between 50.9 and 51.2 mpg. My mpg average has risen as the season has changed and I ultimately expect consistent highway averages, once the summer truly hits, in excess of 52 mpg on a daily basis. A total round trip to work today costs me, on a very conservative estimate, $6.00.

I cannot imagine how my co-workers owning 16mpg, SUV's so large, I cannot see beyond them to back out of my parking space at work are managing cost wise now, much less come the increases that are sure to happen this summer. I do my best when they complain, not to respond that it is their own stupidity that costs them, their Fox news, oil company propaganda inspired belief in "drill baby drill" Republicanism that soon will force them to be trapped inside their underwater MacMansions, staring at their immovable Dodge, Hemi, SUV in the driveway. Stupidity kills both animals in the wild and societies who lose decades refusing to change...wait until we can no longer afford to even bid against the Chinese for what oil is still available---won't that be nice since we have no national plan---no government that works---and a stupid public.

Do you have a personal plan?

I plan that I can economically continue commuting until gas reaches $8.00 pg in my current manner, with my Prius--once gasoline reaches $8.00 per gallon, I will drive my 22mpg, VW camper into work on Mondays---camp out at work during the week, stealing power and water from my employer, and drive Friday to spend the weekends at home, repeating the process again every Monday. When driving 38 miles twice a week becomes unaffordable, this will bring about retirement--which would, under these conditions, become the economically more viable option..ride our bicycles, (I also have a 3rd bicycle store for sale/trade) and/or my Segway when necessary, or as transportation to part time work in the town i reside in. Do you have a plan for $8.00 a gallon gasoline---or do you prefer sound bites?

The 2012 Urban gardening plan is displayed below--these are real photographs facing from the house to the back of the lot. The first photo below displays our attempt at fighting climate change in our area by building individual garden boxes that are, higher walled and with PVC tubing to be used for support for greenhouse shade cloth coverings. The boxes are lined with plastic to attempt to help hold moisture for as long as possible but do also contain drain holes. This photo displays the left side of the rear portion of the lot.

The photograph below displays the right side of the rear of the lot. To the far right you can observe one large garden box that runs three quarters of the length of the backyard. This area also has overhead supports for shade cloth....and at the front right is our greenhouse.

We are attempting this year to honestly confront the climate change increase in temperatures, wind, and the reduction in rainfall in our area of New Mexico with our urban garden plan for feeding ourselves. This combination of confrontations---the climate change factor and the upcoming failure of society requires individuals to become both ingenious and self reliant.... The importance of being able to feed yourself in the upcoming years against any odds, is your most important issue. I will re-photograph these areas once we are into the actual growing season and provide information on the results----Feed yourself for no one else will. Feed yourself and be free.

As I start work on this blog, Sunday 03-25-12, it's been announced that Dick Cheney has undergone a heart transplant...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/vice-president-cheney-has-heart-transplant/2012/03/24/gIQAYYcgYS_story.html

The donor species is as of yet unknown--I can only hope that there is something to the notion, often used as a poor plot line in B grade horror movies, that transplanted parts change the recipient---in this case, whatever changes that would occur, from whoever donated this organ, would be a change for the better in the heart of this man. We all know why his issued heart was dead.

This week i ordered several items---two of the below Boker Magnum, Damascus with black bone slabs, folding pocket knives. One as a gift for a retiring co-worker and one for me...since by the time I get to retire there will be none at work who care, so I gifted myself....

The second item is a cheap, fold into a small pocket, Anorak for carriage in my daily EDC pack, as emergency protection from the elements especially during the coming summertime. I chose black since the goal with this item would be to attempt to warm up on an emergency basis in the desert...or to provide warmth while escaping and evading during darkness.

Lastly, a black on white Shermagh for the upcoming windy season here in New Mexico. It is already hot, way above average for this time of year, and I expect the windy season to be extremely hot and difficult...my other Shermagh's are dark for use as scarfs in the winter...I am hoping this version helps me escape the sun as necessary.... going on, or into the EDC pack.

"Everything happens to everybody sooner or later if there is time enough".

George Bernard Shaw

Protocols were disrupted this week. Extreme weirdness by those in control at work...as if the hive queen died or something...no walking this past week but hoping to get back on the protocol this coming week. I am rebuilding my everyday carry pack for hiking in hotter temperatures with the change of the season, and hope to catch up on a few minor homestead jobs tomorrow. With the coming of Easter here in New Mexico we will begin planting...and with it the hope for a growing season that will provide us the vegetables we need for the year, both for us and to give away to neighbors and friends.

My new goal is to actually take photo's this year for posting on the laptop---i have been truly negligent in posting photo's of our homestead, our vehicles and my projects...i am going to get onto this.....

This week i conducted an examination of my aging and coolness quotient--the fact that I am now old--is not important to me--I enjoy being old and the advantages that being old compared to your suddenly younger, co-worker, neighbor and practically everyone else around you, brings.

The coolness quotient in aging, however, is extremely important to me.

When I was a kid there seemed to be two categories of old people...the cool and the uncool. The uncool we all know--shouting for their senior discount at Ihop--and who speak of nothing but their ailments and how fucked up everything is now. The cool old people tho--still had a life..and could appreciate the world around them...never gave up styling...never lost their sense of humor. In conducting a recent, honest, review and examination of my current old + coolness status I came away pleased...I am happy, non-grumpy but honest about the world around me, I blame my generation for the way things are, rather than blaming the younger people around me...and I don't look, think or act like a clone of some elderly TV Evangelist...Age has given me a freedom from the social requirements I have always hated and I am taking advantage of it....and will take advantage of this freedom to be old and cool even more, if and when i do finally retire....and am finally, totally, free.

The blame game for this relatively minor first stage of peak oil is going on--activated by our election cycles---blame anyone but ourselves for the price of gasoline---our stupid society that continues to purchase huge, gas hog suv's so that soccer mom's can drive purposelessly about all day at 12 mpg cannot be the fault---of course not...the people racing past me constantly at high speeds in these types of God fearing true American vehicles---while i doodle along at the speed limit in my Prius at 50 mpg---have a right to complain....right?

I'm seeing more and more long distance hitchhikers on the side of the roadway while commuting. One in a wheelchair last week....this coincides with an observed increase in begging at Walmart's---you know, the guy out on the grassy area as you turn in with a cardboard sign telling you he's a veteran asking for money? I guess I should just turn on the news and reassure myself that things are getting better...that the economy is fixing itself and happy days are here again? Or maybe I should listen to a few of the political soundbites from both parties telling me they have the answer--bought and paid and mouthed for the 1%--that should make me feel more secure? Right?

I never knew there was an Irish Martial art? Being full Irish and as a child observing my relatives I assumed the Irish Marital arts were ---first get drunk--then get pissed off at anything---and then hit each other until somebody passes out...

The recent acquisition of my reproduction Blackthorn walking stick led to an Amazon recommendation and ordering of the book below. The cover art sort of leads me to believe that my childhood observations are probably correct tho.............

"One may know how to gain a victory, and know not how to use it."

Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Breaking the 50 mpg marker easily on the commute again--spring is here---I watch people hurtle by me in their huge SUV's and Pick-ups making 12mpg. Insane, doomed when gas pushes beyond $4.00 per gallon. I do everything i can to make a gallon of gasoline go as far as possible...I admit i feel completely alone while watching the world pass me by without a thought on this subject---90,000 miles now on the Prius now with only routine servicing and a set of tires.

I have been spending the past few weeks walking, reading, sleeping, working. Rinse and repeat as the label says...

The most recent reading is Deer Hunting with Jesus by Joe Bageant. Recommended by my friend David on his excellent Blog---Just thinking it out---

http://justthinkingitout.blogspot.com/

I had this book on my list for a long time but just recently picked it up (used) and cannot understand how this outstanding, well written, sadly funny book escaped me. Brutally honest, Bageant spares no one in his analysis of class warfare in the United States. He has provided an answer to a question that has eluded me forever---Why do the poor--working poor and almost poor provide the greatest support base to the Republican party--the party led by 1%er's who routinely skin and eat them? Bageant also answers my question of why Liberals have not won over this group which should naturally be aligned with us......

Written in 2007, Deer Hunting with Jesus, has one of the most accurate forecasts of the future, economic failure, which we now live in, I have ever read. Amazing. I am currently about halfway into this book an I recommend it highly. Thanks David---

Just tell me what the fuck we are doing? Please?

Why after bankrupting ourselves, and losing who really knows how many lives, and destroying the souls and minds of countless others, can we not call it quits from this country of bearded rat bastards?

The US Secretary of Defense cannot even land in Afghanistan, in a supposed secured area--with all the protection of NATO troops-- without a local setting himself on fire while trying to blow himself and the Secretary up in an attempted attack-- the Defense Department spin doctors claim "it's not known for certain if it was an attack" desperately trying to preserve the lie that we are succeeding with our Afghan allies-- what a laugh, we cannot even get a break from our own bullshit artists on something this obvious?

This non-country, this bottomless pit consuming our money and our lives is WORTHLESS---it's people are WORTHLESS, their government, which we are propping up and by the way, who also hates us, is WORTHLESS---their society is WORTHLESS. They have stolen our money, our lives and minds because our government was stupid enough to think that we could change Koran chanting fundamentalists into Iowans, for Christsakes...if they just got a good enough look at good ole' Aumerican democracy and had enough good ole Aumerican money thrown at them.

It just didn't work.....these people throw acid in the face of their women---they have dancing boys---they despise us-----they have Opium warlords---they cannot read, write and choose not to think--because they love being led by religious fanatics. They are as alien as the Kennedy Clan with guns for fuck's sake....plus we need to come home and fight our own religious right wing that is trying to make us just like them.....

GTFO, do it--we GTFO of Iraq--it was easy----leave all the equipment behind--if we lose all that war making equipment it will just be harder to do something this stupid again for a while. Why is something so simple impossible?

Hats---Combine my new endurance walking program with the summer arriving all too soon here in New Mexico--and a hat is not merely a fashion accessory item--it is a matter of life and death in the desert----I have a head the size of a Mount Rushmore President---a size 8 as a matter of fact---I would attribute this dome to huge brain mass if you wouldn't laugh in my face....so hats for me are difficult to come by---but i ordered two just to be safe---the first photo below is a "size adjustable" cap---size adjustable, in today's globalization world really means fine for your average pin-headed, American redneck, and for me it just might fit if stretched to the absolute limit maybe--or maybe not---as a backup the second photo is of a Boonie cap actually offered in sizes----i ordered the 2X version just in case the sizes were Vietnamese based...

My distance walking training with a 35 lb. pack has indicated the age of certain joints and muscles...right hip joint and right calf muscles to be specific. Age, as a thief in the night, has crept upon me in areas without my knowledge. My gait has become somewhat lopsided as compared to my youth..or perhaps i was always that way and my youth ignored it. There's no ignoring it now tho. I went in search of one of those high tech, modern, hiking stick/staffs with the concept of either balancing my walking or giving the right side of me a bit of help. None of the available hiking sticks appealed to me, even tho they were light weight and collapsible for easy backpack storage. When I found the cold steel Blackthorn walking stick---which I prefer to call my Shillelagh...being the good, full Irishman that I am, I had to have it.

The Cold Steel Shillelagh, is a modern reproduction of the walking stick/weapon which has been in use, well forever.

http://www.coldsteel.com/irishblackthorn.html

This model is plastic, as compared to the chimney cured, wooden originals--which may be available out there somewhere, but if so, are totally beyond my means to purchase. This model will do me fine however and I have attached a rubber, cane type tip on the contact point. Finding this item on sale helped with the purchase--the pricing on this item varies widely on the internet--This reproduction looks authentic and works wonderfully....I already have a cold steel sword cane laid away for possible use in the future as I was afraid the purchase of one might be difficult in the years ahead...my new Shillelagh is not only a great help in my hiking training but will be also be useful tool in the future. I attach it to my daily EDC pack as if it was a climbing ax with the pack's molle attachment points, it works great---I love it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shillelagh_(club)

"In modern war...you will die like a dog for no good reason."

Ernest Hemingway

Every day carry literally saved me at work this week. I guess, realistically, you could say both my EDC and OCD saved me. Friday, we experienced one of those desert weather conditions where suddenly, and I mean suddenly, the temperature fell by 45 degrees, the wind became extreme and it began spitting light snow and sleet on a random basis...this after more than 30 days of insanely spring like weather. This was, for once, a good time that I was me, so to say, for out of my daily carry pack, came a down vest, shemagh, gloves, and goggles...to reinforce an absurdly light leather jacket......Yeah, I was pretty glad I was me that day.

Faced with a projection of another year of extreme drought---we are attempting to do what we can to protect and adapt the homestead for food production. My JoJo, the botanist and soul of our self-sufficient gardening project, has obtained Iraqi tomato seeds and we are sprouting these seedlings in the greenhouse. We are planning a test planting of these tomato's this year.

We needed to face the reality of life here in southeastern New Mexico due to climate change.

To not simply rail against the increases in drought, heat and new strangeness in the weather patterns but to use our intellect to adapt to these changes. We are researching the techniques and patterns of desert peoples and cultures elsewhere in the world to possibly make changes to our protocols. Oasis gardening, new vegetables varieties, alternative watering techniques which other cultures have used with success, as their farmland turned to desertification. The definition of insanity is constantly repeating the same failing process each time with a hope for success---we as a society are doing exactly this against every problem we face----- my wife and i are intent on NOT failing.

Paid Spokesmen, Spin doctors, Wall Street, Government officials all telling us the depression is over, that employment is up, houses are selling and the economy is improving?

Vote for me--go out and spend, happy days are here again!!

Why then I have observed more and more older RV's parked in a stealth manner in my town?

My daily commute includes an area of combined light industry and residential which has been attacked and destroyed by the economic depression. In fact, the research and development building photograph, I use in the blog title, was taken in this area. In this area, full of abandoned industry, junk yards, burnt out modular homes---I have observed multiple RV's parked behind deserted commercial buildings...behind abandoned residences, or in hidden groups apparently squatting this winter.

They move occasionally, sometimes leave the area completely, but appear to be immediately replaced by a different vehicle--as if that particular urban, guerrilla spot is a prime location for persons seeking not to be found out....trying to live as best they can with what the 1% has left them, an old RV...I never actually see a human moving about. I understand completely--these are the perfect urban escape and evade locations to hooch up. Locations I would pick to live for as long as I could under these conditions, liberating power and water from these abandoned businesses if possible. I would not show myself either, attempting to pass as an abandoned vehicle...or an RV parked there by the property owner now long lost, gone to bankruptcy...as have so many. The truth is not to believe what you are being told by the 1% and their lapdogs...use your own eyes and look about you at the changes for the worse that have occurred in our society----do not LISTEN when they tell you where we are as a society or where they want us to believe we are going----use your eyes and see for yourself what they have done to us and where we and all those like us are going to wind up.....use your eyes!

Zero walk out training this week unfortunately. Work itself was very active and I could not find the time during breaks to get away and train...i do consider this a long term process so a minor setback does not upset me greatly---I had been looking forward to using the local, foul weather this past week, as very useful for training, but it simply was not to be.

I ordered and received a leather sheath (previously mentioned) for my Tom Brown tracker 2 knife.

http://www.epragueknives.com/sheaths/custom-rmb-horizontal-carry-black-leather-knife-sheath-for-tops-tom-brown-tracker-2-lobo-quick-release-system.html

This smaller, black, leather sheath is exactly what this particular knife required. The sheath fits comfortably, horizontally on your belt in the small of the back and although you do know it is there, the leather sheath is much, much more comfortable for all day wear and sitting than the Kydex version. I am very happy with this new larger, knife and sheath combination and am wearing it on a daily basis...something I just could not do with the supplied sheath.

I am absolutely enamored with a set of Riggs Workwear, Wrangler, Loden, ranger pants I purchased as a test. So enamored I just purchased a second pair. These are easily, 20 year pants, very heavy duty, very comfortable, and many, many pockets for my every day carry equipment. These are pants that will be with me through retirement...one of my new required protocols for clothing. The Loden (subdued green) color, new to me, is excellent--these pants are dual purpose with civilian blend in and military function capability. Not cheap, Maybe?

(I guess i have lost track of value other than personal value) they are more of an investment.

Fighting hypothermia in the desert, while on the run, was recently brought to the forefront of my attention in Chris Ryan's excellent book, The One that Got Away.

I therefore acquired a new item for my EDC pack...an Adventure Medical Emergency Bivy sack.

Basically an emergency bag designed to help you retain body heat. Small and lightweight while stored...and relatively inexpensive at $13.00....after reading Ryan's ongoing fight against hypothermia during his escape and evasion i decided for sure that having one of these in my bug out pack was a necessity.

"He who Joyfully marches to music in rank and file

has already earned my contempt.

He has been given a large brain by mistake,

since for him the spinal cord would suffice."

Albert Einstein