Federal Timber Dollars Drying Up Expose Addicted Counties and Failed Federal Policies

Federal Timber Dollars Drying Up Expose Addicted Counties and Failed Federal Policies

http://apne.ws/Itzl6l

The environmental lobby used the spotted owl to destroy the western timber industry by shutting down vast stretches of National Forest from logging in the 1990’s. Twenty years later we learn that it wasn’t the logging that was killing off the owls, but instead it was their larger, more efficient and adaptive cousin the Barred Owl. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/The-Spotted-Owls-New-Nemesis.html

The spotted owl is destined for relegation to the same list as the Dodo bird. Extinction happens. I’m not happy about it, but part of nature is the survival of the fittest. Sadly the same isn’t true for the federal government. Speaking of which, since we now know that it wasn’t really logging killing off the spotted owl, we’ve opened the forests back up for logging right? Not at all, instead the very tax base that used to support those communities, loggers, saw mills and the trucks that shipped that would all went silent within a few years of the spotted owl being placed on the Endangered Species List. (By the way now the Forest Service is organizing kill teams to shoot barred owls.)

Ah, but don’t fear, the good folks in Washington DC felt your pain, and sent PILT money. Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILT, was designed as federal to help those communities make up for lost tax revenue. Some counties knew that the gravy train wouldn’t last forever, while others after being decimated by the loss of industry and brain drain of the best and brightest to bigger cities decided to become structurally dependent on the PILT dollars, as if they would never end. Recently, elected officials in the federal government have realized that there are no votes of consequence in these rural counties, and thus the federal dollars (borrowed money) can be used in places where it might actually buy votes that could swing an election.

Today the grand jails, and paved roads that used to be dirt cannot be maintained on the backs of the locals alone. Do I feel for the local communities? Absolutely, I was living in Corvallis, Oregon in the late 90’s and watched the mill town of Sweethome die a slow death each time I drove through on my way back to Idaho for monthly Guard Drill.

So why write this post? Simply this, we’ve all been spending PILT money. We have borrowed from our grandchildren to finance our current lifestyle. I’m as guilty of this as anyone, but I still feel the responsibility to prepare for life after PILT.

The federal government is borrowing $0.40 of every dollar we spend right now. Should interest rates rise just to 6%, that number goes well above $0.50 within a year or two. At some point all of the federal budget will have to be cut. (Unless of course we point to Greece, saying that austerity doesn’t work…) How will your state, your county, your town, your kids’ schools, and your family weather that coming reality?

Things I Learned in Providence

Thoughts on My Year in Providence

Rhode Island marked the ninth state I’ve lived in, and I’ve learned a lot about myself while I was here.

I learned that I really enjoy walking. Over 800 miles according to my GPS walking app.... I learned that a lot of folks here in Rhode Island view walking anywhere as the past time of the mentally ill… So even in the rough neighborhoods, people looked at me oddly and more or less left me alone.

Except, that is, for the Brown University Police. Apparently middle aged white dudes outfitted in North Face gear pose an especially insidious threat. I found myself assuming the “position” against a tree while needing to justify taking pictures of old buildings on the day I re-enlisted back in the Air National Guard. The irony was not lost on me.

I learned that the food scene in Providence is pretty fantastic.

I learned that the downtown area between the mall, Brown, and the Dunkin’ Donuts center is amazing on foot.

I learned the hard way that GroupOn more or less sucks.

I learned that a “Gagger” is not some sort of term from the adult entertainment industry, but rather Rhode Island’s idea of a chili dog. I believe that if you were blind drunk a gagger might just taste like heaven.

I learned that 15 miles is a long walk for a cheese burger.

I learned that wherever someone lives if they expect to meet friendly, helpful, and kind people you will. I’ve been lucky enough to meet and work with amazing people.

I learned not to get too close to Leprechauns. I also almost got in a fight at Wal-Mart with a Leprechaun in the self-checkout lane at Wal-Mart – because I went to stand in line at the register instead of waiting outside the queue. My guy Max was there to see this… 

I learned that everyone truly does equate Idaho with potatoes, and no one harbors ill will when you say Idaho, pity sometimes, but never ill will.

I’ve learned that sheep jokes don’t work too well outside of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

I learned that people really don’t make eye contact in the east when in public.

I knew I had one of the best friends in the world. I learned I had the best – best friend in the world.

I learned that distance not only can make the heart grow fonder, but can be an amazing way to fall deeply in love with someone.

I learned that one man’s idea of a mountain is another man’s idea of a foothill.

I learned that home truly is where the heart is.

To My Best Friend

The story that is told is that my mom went to his dad, father of 6 boys and coach of my little league baseball team, and said, “My son needs a friend.” To which his dad offered up his second born son and said, “Adam will be his friend. “

It’s been so long that I don’t remember exactly how our friendship formed. So cemented in my heart is that friendship that it is just inconceivable to me that it could ever cease to be, a bond so deep that I think of him as my brother.

He is the best man I have ever met. And I have known many good men.

While I have spent two decades with my head in the clouds chasing dreams and deep thoughts, he became a big oak tree in meadow. Planted, rooted, deep and strong – raising a family and building a life.

He has helped me move more times than I can remember, and each time we always had fun. Well, I had fun at least.

We have had our adventures, shooting, off-roading, and camping. There are details of a certain camping trip that I will take to my grave and keep from his wife. Thinking of that story, one that I have told and retold to other good friends, the story of “Just think positive” still makes me laugh out loud.

He baptized me into a new faith, and he has always lived his religion better than any man I know. His imperfections he knows, and works hard to balance them. I went from “knowing” to hoping as I lost my faith in God, in religion, but he’s never lost his faith in me.

I know that it’s been hard for him to see me stray from a path we both thought we’d walk together. Unlike so many of the self-anointed, he has walked the path beside me, lovingly as a servant of Christ always seeking to serve, never to judge.

Should I have a son, he will carry my best friend’s name, and hear often of what he must do to live up to his namesake.

He saw me come back from war a different man. I was lost for several years in my own mind, still fighting to come to grips with who I had become. Though I pushed him away, he never went too far. Just about every week since that time he’s invited me to church in a way so kind and humble that my weak way with words can’t do justice to.

He was the best man at my wedding. I think that he was happier for me on the happiest day of my life, than I was. That’s who he is.

When I went to Rhode Island to provide for a family I didn’t yet have claim to, he mowed their yard, put training wheels on bikes, and gave my wife peace of mind that all the money in the world couldn’t have bought.

I seek his counsel before that of old men, Doctors, and other wise men I know. I value his counsel and advice more than he will ever know.

When we are both gone my children will still know his story. I don’t know of a better gift that I could give them.

Why My Wife and Daughters Learned How to Shoot

Why My Wife and Daughters Learned How to Shoot

http://bit.ly/JMw6XT

The link to a CNN story above goes into detail about the grim realities women and girls face in the aftermath of a disaster. This hit me in the stomach. I love my wife more than life itself, she brought two wonderful little redheads into my life that I simply adore. To think of them having to go through anything like this is beyond my ability.

Before I left we had some conversations about shooting. She’s not opposed to it, but I simply didn’t make the time. This article has put a sense of urgency in those plans. Here’s my plan to get her up to speed on running my guns.

Prior to coaching women I never really thought about how differently women view the world. Their situational awareness is usually higher than men’s. As men we don’t leave the every building at night with a plan/counter attack strategies in mind. Most women do. Safely and effectively arming your significant other is just the next step in the mindset most women have.

I remember reading an article that spoke about firearms as the equalizer for women. A large male perpetrator has no fear of a woman until he knows she is armed. Your security plan for you home has to go further than just buying a weapon and teaching your wife how to use it. You must have quality doors, locks, situational awareness, know your neighbors and cameras have gotten so cheap that as a force multiplier they are hard to beat.

Finally, as city, county and state budgets continue to shrink response times are going to get longer and longer. The ability to protect your own family and aid your neighbors is going to become more and more important as our currency continues to weaken. Be frank and talk about whether it’s better to live knowing you killed a potential rapist or live with the screams of your assault or your children’s assault that you were powerless to stop. Those are ultimately the two extremes we may face.

1.       Have her read the article about Haiti above.

2.       Talk about what kind of emergencies and/or natural disasters could lead to something like this where we live.

3.       Talk about our plan for natural disasters/emergencies and contingents therein

a.       What if one of us can’t get home?

b.      What if we can’t get calls through?

c.       Where would we meet?

d.      What alternative means of communications do we have?

4.       Talk about home defense versus being stranded in an emergency.

5.       Shoot a lot, and possibly with an instructor instead of me. Find out what guns she feels most comfortable with and design a plan around that platform.

6.       Make sure she’s familiar enough with basic firearms procedure that she can run any gun she finds.

Some great videos: http://www.ignatius-piazza-front-sight.com/2009/10/26/ignatius-piazza-the-great-equalizer/

Great list of reasons to own a gun: http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/gillespie1.1.1.html

Top 10 Tips For Growing Your First Garden

Top Ten Tips for Growing a Successful Garden   

1.       Relax and enjoy the process! Gardening is a “real” activity. There is no rushing how long a radish, or a tomato, or basil take to harvest – so, enjoy the journey.

2.      Make your garden as labor un-intensive as possible. Put traditional newspaper down around your plants and cover with your grass clippings. No weeding and your ground will retain moisture more easily.

3.       Compost. Compost. Compost. Find a local supply if you can’t make enough of your own. If one or more of your plants are struggling add a couple of inches (tall) of compost in a ring a few inches around the center stem and see the miracles it’ll do for you.

4.       Know that you can’t control all the pests in your garden. This includes: snails, slugs, ants, aphids, and any of the other hundred waves of the garden hordes that will from time to time throw themselves on your beautiful vegies and fruit trees. Seek balance in your garden, encourage snakes, frogs, lady bugs, the venerable praying mantis and other predators in  your garden by making sure they have a place to hide, and by not using insecticides that will kill indiscriminately both good and bad insects.

5.       Don’t over water. Don’t over think it. If your plant is wilted water, if it’s not don’t.

6.       Experiment with something new every year. Whether it’s Arctic Kiwis or Kohlrabi pick out at least one thing each year that you’ve never tried.

7.       Share your bounty. There is something universally transcendent about sharing food with someone who may be hungry. It feels amazing to drop off food you grew at a food bank or pantry.

8.       Share what you know and take time to learn from others. If you really want to improve as a gardener join a community garden. I learned so much from a group of older ladies who ran a community garden. And you get to be another part of #7!

9.       If you have kids get them involved in your garden! Pay them a nickel each to pluck the yellow flower from dandelions. Show them how the compost pile works. Share that first fully ripe strawberry with them and see how easy it is to get them outside.

10.   Cook what you grow! This again is where you get to stretch yourself. I saw the most wonderful recipe on Rachel Ray for Swiss Chard Au Gratin. Never in a million years would I have thought of that. Google, Bing, etc. what you have with the word recipe after it and try something new!

Farm Labor For Young Adults Becoming Illegal?

http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/25/rural-kids-parents-angry-about-labor-dept-rule-banning-farm-chores/ 

  

My first job was at 15 working light to dark for the month of August topping corn. This involved removing the male tassels on four rows of "cow" rows so the "bull" row would cross pollinate and you'd get hybrid seed corn in the Melba, Idaho valley. It has to be done by hand at a pretty good pace, rain or shine, heat or cold. We could do dozens of acres in a day. 

My job paid $4.25 per hour with no overtime, and I was happy as hell for it. I bought by first car with that money, and when I finally got a job in a restaurant I had a great work ethic and felt lucky to be working in a place with A/C. To this day I have fond memories and gratitude for learning how to work hard and get along with others.

I didn't know it then, but I was engaging in what today would be criminal activity. The crew of high school kids rode 10-15 strong in the back of a 1 ton cattle truck (now illegal) and if we needed to use the bathroom, we either did our business at the farmer's house, or in the row (also now illegal, the crew has to tow their own porta-potty around.) This story just broke my heart.

Maxpedition Fatty Pocket Organizer

Maxpedition Fatty Pocket Organizer

Going through my Everyday Carry items that are part of my Go Bag, today’s review is of the Maxpedition Fatty Pocket Organizer.

I picked up the Maxpedition Fatty Pocket Organizer about a month after a month of really liking it’s thinner mate the Maxpedition EDC. It does have a ton more storage space than the EDC, but to fit it fully loaded in an ABU cargo pocket is much like your wife trying to get into her prom dress for the 10 year reunion, you might be able to squeeze her in there, but it sure doesn’t look good.

That being said I’ve used it from the beginning to help organize my Go Bag. It holds a Frontier Straw Filter, water purification tablets, lighter, Energizer Headlamp, wet wipes, band aids, Gerber Strata Multi-Tool, small container of ibuprofen, 10 feet of paracord, an additional USB cord and plug in charger for micro-USB so I charge from a wall or USB outlet, and a zippered pocket with enough room for the discreet carry of  a passport, several credit cards and a bit of silver coinage.

It has worn really well, seeing as how the bag goes with me everywhere. Like most Maxpedition products the Fatty seems bullet proof in its long wearing ability. I really do like the large pull handle on top, makes it much easier to find it by feel according to size in the bag and then pull it out easily. It would definitely be large enough to put a back-up pistol (small frame) and an extra magazine without any outline of the pistol being obvious. It would not lend itself to getting to the pistol to bear very quickly, so it depends on what you’re looking for. It comes with a full complement of MOLLE straps on the back, but the usability of those will be determined by how much weight you’re packing in it.

How You Can Protect Your Family Financial Collapse

I read a great article over at Zero Hedge today, written by Brandon Smith, and originally posted on his site, Alt-Market.com, http://www.alt-market.com/articles/720-how-states-can-protect-themselves-from-financial-collapse titled "How States Can Protect Themselves From Financial Collapse"

The article dealt with how individual states can protect themselves from financial collapse. It was one of the best articles I’ve read as far as an action plan. Though Mr. Smith wrote it with states in mind I think it really applies to individuals as well.

1.     Stop Accepting Federal Funding was his first premise. As an individual that means preparing for life after government entitlement plans – regardless of how much we may have paid into the “lockbox” in Social Security and/or Medicare we have to prepare for life as if that money will never show up. (If it does bonus.) The same goes for Pell Grants, student loans, and even the GI Bill for college. If we couldn’t afford to go to school without these benefits are we in a financial situation to actually be in school? If you qualify for food stamps, what would life be like without them? If you don’t know how to grow a garden or put food up start learning now.

2.       Set Up a Personal Bank – Mr. Smith suggested each state set up a bank, modeled after North Dakota. I would suggest a different model at the family level, modeled after my favorite Command Sargent Major of the Army. In his family grandfather acts as the banker, when you want to buy a house the family pools the money, analyzes whether or not you’re a dirtbag, and if the house is worth buying. You pay back the family with interest and are expected to pony up your own capital to help others down the road. Is it going to work in every family? Of course not, but in the future 8% to the family may seem cheap compared at 12% at the bank.

3.       Resource Development – Mr. Smith makes the case that individual states that are resource rich will fare better than those that rely on the financial/government sector for revenue. As an individual I believe individual development transfers into having multiple skills. If you are able to fix garden implements, garden, plumb, fix automobiles, raise animals for meat, etc. and there does happen to be a currency meltdown, you’ll be better able to feed your family.

4.       Adopt Alternative Currency – Mr. Smith sited states making gold, silver, and copper recognized methods of payment. I’d suggest that we do the same as individuals. Start asking if people will take barter, bit coin or silver in exchange for goods or services. Even a polite no may still start a conversation.

5.       Encourage Localized Markets – If you’re not shopping at farmer’s markets, growing a garden in your back yard or at the community garden you really don’t have much room to complain about government regulation, poor quality food in your child’s cafeteria or the high cost of food. You’re funding all those things.