Disaster @ MindSay 
katrina
I got my first essay back today, and was supposed to get another back, but this is delayed until tomorrow - more on that later. The first one back was 20th Century AmLit. I felt kinda bad about it because it was rushed and not really representative of what I had to say on the subject. But you know how deadlines are and when you've gotta hand something in, you've gotta hand it in (I am trying desperately not to fall on the one-day penalty crutch that plagued me last semester.) So yes, my most advanced course, and not my best work. The magic number?
55. D. Probably my first such mark in a non-math course ever.
I think what did it was the fact that I relied so much on biographical information about the authors, without providing citations. This is not the first time I have gotten into citation-related controversy this year, and I will have to accept the blame on both counts. The TA (unnamed on the paper, which irks me,) noted that I strayed too far from literary analysis and too much into this biographical detail.
Which of course becomes a problem when I'm writing an essay comparing two essays of a highly autobiographical nature by virtue of how the authors write about themselves. Or was that not communicated in my thesis? Look, I can accept that it was a shitty paper, but given the topic - which I had run by a TA (the one who marked my essay? Or not? I have no idea!) prior to engaging in this exercise. Had I known it would get me in shit I'd have written about A Streetcar Named Desire like everyone else seems to have. FML
The kicker was the last remark he made. I hate it when TA's feel the need to inject snide commentary into their commentary, but this really boiled me. It alludes to the lack of citation but is in general insulting: "Are any of these ideas your own?" Thanks, guy. Way to stomp my balls while I'm down.
I guess I could've taken the opportunity to write a less interesting subject more competently. I'm not going to argue this mark, not going to fight it. I'm not a fighter (and in that area I firmly believe in picking one's battles wisely anyway.) and I won't start now. It's not worth it. It was not a very good essay, but not for the reasons stated. I have a right to be disappointed in myself, either way.
This really just compounds something I've been muttering under my breath for months. Academia just isn't my thing. I'm destined, I hope, to be the guy they talk about in these classes, certainly not the one teaching them (given how bad I sometimes am at following them.) I'm a writer, not a student. Sometimes I forget that.
The silver lining in all this came earlier, promises to pay off later. I was supposed to get my film history essay back, about which I'd had similar misgivings. Anyway, she hands them out one by one but at the end of the class I have no paper. She says "If I didn't call your name, please see me." Gulp. So I go with a few others and she explains that she'll have ours back tomorrow, but really wanted to "do justice" to them. I ask whether this should be taken as a good sign and she assures me, yes.
I really had my doubts as to whether I had anything useful or interesting to say about the French New Wave, and now I'm imagining suddenly I've dashed off this brilliant piece of insightful criticism. It's hard to stay grounded in this scenario, the number 73 (what I've accepted as my realistic goal this year) always echoing in my ear. I even ran into her later, and we got to talking in general about how stressful the Mid-March crunch can be, juggling 5 courses, and one of us said "And then there's not enough time to devote to papers--" and I quip, "Should I take this as a hint?" and again she assures me, "No!"
So I'll find out exactly how brilliant I may be tomorrow afternoon.
I'm disappointed about AmLit, but the moment has passed.
Stay tuned and keep on rockin'
-Scotto
As far as economic job loss, I my self have not worked in a year now. Having lost my job only a week before my daughters birthday a year ago. With the first excuse they had I was sent packing. I was not the only one either. I worked for U.P.S. for 3 and a half years... almost 4.... and other than my failing health I was a perfect employee.
I noticed 2 years ago that there was a HUGE decline in the amount of packages being shipped even though the internet and mail order should have been increasing business not declining it. The last holiday season I worked they kept NO ONE from their holiday hires. THAT was unusual... but making it worse was that they let them all go prior to the season's end. And that turned my head... what was going on?
well it was not other companies taking our business... FedEx was doing about the same as us. The post offices service was far under ours in package handling. The newer company DHL, though in our area not able to process as many packages any how, never hit the levels they should have for their size and were just as bad off if not worse than us.
So simply put, it was the whole like industry of shipping and not just the failure of one business. but it gets better.... other industries started laying off... BIG industries... so just to make ends meet people then look to getting other jobs. good luck there!!! and not saying no one is getting hired but it is near imposable to get really good employment which by the way for those of you who dont realize this..... no one is calculating this kind of factor in to the job statistics. They only talk about the completely unemployed not those who found under paying work some where. and they do not count those who they consider as not trying to get work.
This past fall my significant other had to look for employment for some time. He has spent the past 15+ years being self employed with cars, cleaning, whole sale, and transportation of. Not only could he not find dealership work, which could not pay him his worth any how, but he could not get hired at delta sonic a car cleaning company that hires teens and young adults. They were over staffed and would only pay him $8 an hour at a job he had been making much more at. And the hourse were under 10 a week if that. . . . .
I sent him to a temp agency I knew paid well.... and believe it or not but they still are one of the better paying ones.... well the jobs he was offered were all the same type I usually took. The difference is that I worked them for over 4 years 4-8 years ago and I was paid on average $3.00 and HOUR more!!! over a weeks time thats $120 less!!!! and it was not just him it was evrery one!! Over time, the wages jobs pay are supposed to increase with inflation! Not to mention the minimum wage was lower back when I worked for them. With inflation he should have been making at least the same or a little bit more. Now before you assume that it was still at least 10-12 an hour.. think again. they offered him state minimum through to the highest offer of $8.00 for INDUSTRIAL JOBS!!! WTF!!! And for those that don’t know.. Industrial jobs usually pay higher because people don’t want to work them, and the type and quality of work is tougher on physical levels than retail.. (btw that is with NO benefits at all other than 1 weeks vacation if you work a certain number of hours in a year) and he would have gone else where if he would have even gotten one offer but he didn’t even get called.
In the long run he worked a month for the temp agency and managed to strike a deal with his brother and father, which meant back to self employment and family work. At least this time not with his father directly. Me... I am not even going to bother with a job for now. I will not be abe to find a part time over night job in and industrial field, especially one that is going to pay enough to make even driving there worth my time. Full time and even part time daycare for a day time job at today’s wages especially is unaffordable. Besides I wanted to raise my daughter myself, though I do not knock working parents for daycare use, its just not what I want if I can avoid it.
Over the summer 2 of my aunts on my dad's side lost high end executive jobs, and some of my uncles will not be fairing any better soon or are being moved around their companies. My brother lost his part time at Dunlop tire. Many of the old guys coming into my friends barber shop are telling him about layoffs from the big motor companies in the area, and very little if any hiring is going on. They also don’t some in as often now. Though teachers are needed, my mother who has a master’s degree can only find limited work as a sub. The teenagers and early 20s some-things of family and friends are not able to get jobs normally open to them because the jobs are being taken by older people who lost their jobs else where and had to settle for lower end retail and other like positions in order to try and make their bills. And that’s if these jobs are not being taken by the elderly like my grandmother who just turned 70 and can not retire because my grandfathers failing health and the lack of money and support they other wise would have had. Or my other grandfather who is a trades man... he installs carpet, and he just cant retire though he is able to put in less hours than in his youth, they live well enough but because of the inflation could not keep it up under what they saved and planed for. Then there are my friends from all around who either loose their jobs to lay offs or ill reason, or just simply have their hours reduced to a starvation point.
Banks are charging even larger fees than ever, and coming up with some of the stupidest policies for accounts held with them. Up to and including the closing of mortgages and checking accounts. I personally saw my checking closed though it was in the positive with no fees incurring. They said it was closed do to inactivity?? WTF!!! I didn’t know I was required to do anything more than keep a positive balance! did you? and we are not talking a years worth of inactivity we are talking 4 MONTHS! This bank was M&T.
I have heard of many banks newer policy about how they calculate over drafts and fell victim to it myself a year and a half ago where in which they now count if from the date charged or written instead of when it is cleared. what this means is that if you know you get paid on Friday by automatic deposit and you go to the grocery store on Thursday even at 11pm at night cause you have to, to get diapers or food, and you write a check or charge with the debit you are now charge a fee even though the store you made your purchase at did not place payment through till 5 days after and it did not compete clearing till another 3 days passed.
And of course the bank pays your charges not in the order you made them in. they work from high to low. So lets say that you went out Friday.. …. You went to the gas station and put in $20.00.. Then you charged your morning coffee $2 to your debit card after witch you went to the grocery store and wrote a check for $45.00 Now lets say that you didn’t do your book right, and honest mistake or maybe your other half placed a charge you didnt know about yet and you only had $64 in your account and not the $67 you just spent! You were off by $3.00 did you know you would get charged $70 for that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF!!
How did they do that you ask? They count the grocery store first cause you spent 45 there…. Leaving you now with $19... But then the next highest is your gas of $20 oups! There is your first fee cause you are short $1… and cause you are already negative then comes your $2 coffee which is now worth $37 or $72 depending on how you look at it. I hope that was some good coffee sure as hell was expensive enough. Now do understand that that is not the order you charged in! and any other combination of which to pay first and last makes only ONE charged fee of $30 to your account possible and not the 2 they gave you.. Shitty isn’t it? Yep banks are out to take your money. $70 for $3 yeah thats fair... which I could charge that to people who I lend money too! I would pass it out left and right!! oh and if you dont know about it right away and your account stands negative the 'nice' banks only charge you $10 for every 5 days... others up tp $30. So likely if you only check your account on pay days you have a nice 3rd fee waiting for you.
To make these insults better is that even though automatic payments posted to ones account at 12am, some times that money would not appear till 2pm the next day and some times even as much as 3 days later. and even though the money was there purchases during this time were charged fees as well. I thought the idea of the automatic deposits were so that the money WAS there right away. that is how it used to be after all. If that is not the case please hand me my check in person and I will take it to the bank it is written from and get the cash! Thanks.
So what does this job loss and money stealing (its what the bank is doing) all mean? the economy is bad... really really bad! (these are not the only pointing factors to the economy… just the ones I am listing for now) and it is not just the USA. The whole world is facing this and some of it even worse that us. one such country I hear about now is Ireland being the worst hit in the euro zone. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/irish-economy-worst-hit-in-eurozone-1547150.html So the world is fucked up right now! I am not going to talk mortgages btw…. Ieeeee…
Oh and did any one hear about the California state government? Yeah apparently they are completely broke and paying this years state tax returns with I.O.U.s!!!!!!!!!!!! Wtf!!!
What the things I have been seeing 2 years ago through to now have done is turn my head. I had not been one to watch the news and pay attention to smaller political events in the usa, yet alone the global political events. I am not usually one to nose into other religions and groups to see what they are saying. I am not usually one to take a strong hold on things that most would consider conspiracy theory or just ridiculous thinking. But not any longer.... no now I am paying attention..... STRONG attention. I started with the presidential election... knowing that neither party that would win would be perfect. but one must try to find the less of 2 evils so I watched waited and hoped. I wish I would have paid greater attention starting then to every thing else going on in the spring too... Or even earlier still.. but alas I was the typical human playing ostridge... or in my case and ostridge who peeks out for a second or two. This fall that changed and I am no longer said ostridge... People are very happy when they don’t know that they live in a fiction. And in the words of the matrix… ‘why oh why didn’t I take the BLUE pill?’ XD
So I have become obsessive. Yes I admit it… my looking into what has been going on… especially the looking I have done in the past month has now gotten to the point where I spend too much time looking, reading, watching every thing that is going on and catching up with what I have missed during my ostridge years. And what I have found shows so much and so little. So much greater and still yet nothing.
What topics have I covered? EVERY topic that I come across to some degree has been dug farther into. No I do not know it all…. I wish I did. But not knowing enough is part of what has been fueling me on further in my research. Though not limited to this list, I have looked into every thing From every political corner of the word, governments(especially the usa) secret organizations, health care, global warming and solar system warming, economic melt downs, food shortages, religions, religious prophecy of all religions I can find info on, other topics that most would consider conspiracy theory, aliens, ancient civilizations, modern science, metaphysics, and the sociology of the human race, and last but not least 12/21/2012. (the last one listed has always been and interest of mine) I can find doom and gloom in EVERY one of those things…. Do you know what scares me the most about this? (keep in mind I don’t scare easy, and in fact have only 2 known fears)
People are scaring the shit out of me! If the poles shift or a comment hit’s the earth who the hell cares. If global warming continues and the world floods, or it is followed by another ice age who fucking cares. If a super-volcano goes off, a massive earth quake or series of world wide earth quakes so fucking what. Another tsunami or 2, maybe the worst hurricane tornado, or brush fire season the earth has ever seen I don’t give a shit. Maybe the aliens come back and make them selves know to the world? Good! Great! But so fucking what! The illuminati or Rothschild family prevail and succeed in ‘the new world order‘… don’t give a fucking shit. World wide pleuge? don’t give a shit…. No value in money… don’t give a damn.. Not enough food to go around aka ‘famine’ don’t give a fucken shit. World war 3, mass bombings, nuclear and biological war fair, don’t give a damn. Marshal law and warring in the streets and FEMA? don’t know what else to tell you who fucking cares.. The renowned ‘Satan’ or even his Anti-Christ reappears and or the second coming of ‘Jesus’ (or for the Jewish the first coming of the savior) and the ‘rapture’ actually happening? I don’t give a shit and May the four horse men ride swiftly through our lands…. The return of the burning times? Or persecution of any religious or non-religious peoples? don’t give a shit… And even if the galactic center alignment occurs AND some how changes our 3rd density beings to 4th and wakes up collective consciousness or co-creationism oh fucking well. And the many other possibilities that are out there?? dont give a damn.
No the only thing I give a shit about is the people. There reaction to ANYTHING is what scares me about this. And if nothing at all happens with any of these things, man made, natural, or supernatural GREAT! But not great…. Cause so many people expect something to happen… and if nothing super natural or natural occur, then it will turn to the first and be man made…… With each and every one of these potentially disastrous catalytic catastrophic occurrences there is but one root core to the problem that is faced by us. And it is people and what they do with it….. Plain… and…. Simple…..
A side note for those of you who wonder about my other fear. (which I consider to be my more important fear) It is what transitioned my worry about human reaction into my fear of human reaction. I fear for my daughter… for her just to be happy. That is first and always will be, and it entails a lot of areas to concern myself about. Should I ever have another child then the fear will change to that of my children’s happiness. And though I do hold other children’s happiness just as high… having her makes it personal to me. (*shakes head at self* great now I sound like one of those parents… oh well I am happy being that)
Now on to the issue of human reaction. No matter what happens or does not happen short of the face of the earth being wiped clean of all organic matter or even the earth itself being left to nothing but cosmic rubble, there will be some people left. Hope fully most people left. But it doesn’t matter in all reality how many people are here or maybe gone…. If something happens or doesn’t happen, where in which not a single person dies GREAT!! But look at how people will react.
Oh, yeah, some heroes and valiant people will emerge at times like this. People will step forward and be a hand that guides the rest on a positive path. Some will have thought things out and have a plan for at least some of these scenarios and be of help to others, and willingly and open heartedly help those in need. People give what ever they can offer to others. This does always happen time and time again in the current day and through out our history. That does give me hope..... And it is people like that that have seen this world through its darkest times in the past. But it is people like that, that we ALL need to be and when it comes down to it…. but how many of the mass population actually are.
Many Many others act out of fear, and do things that they normally would not other wise even consider. This fear is out of preservation of self and family or friends. After all we all just want to live and be happy right? what the same for our loved ones? Many would like to believe that they would act nobly at such times. But instead turn to their fear and act accordingly thinking that they are making the best decisions. And maybe they are for those they chose to protect and help. But some times that can lead the rest of us to being in harms way. This also can be pointed out many times through out human history.
We care about one another sure… but how much do we care and how conditional is that care? Oh and some may care unconditionally but how many of us over all? How many people risk their lives for strangers? And if their family is in harms grasp who are they likely to help first? But even if life risk is not involved how many people ignore needs that are right in front of them. Even basic needs? How about even giving basic curtsey in every day life? Did you know that even the lack of BASIC curtest can cost human life! And if people can not take care of these basic things what makes you think they will be different in some type of disaster man made or other wise!
How many times have you heard of some one being trampled to death in stampede or mash pit. Happened just this past year in Wal-Mart no less and wasn’t a first. Wow, nice people! Hope the savings were worth the murder they caused…. Tragic accident? When you are more concerned with saving a few dollars that a human life gets tossed to the way side! HELL FUCKING NO! THAT is murder! Now no it was not intended murder or even caused by one individual over another… but the crowd mentality at that moment was not concerned with other living beings, was not concerned with kindness or courtesy… no… they wanted to be first…. They did not want to miss out on the savings. Happy holidays…..
In similar, how many people have been crushed at concerts and even died cause the BACK of the crowd pushed forward with such force as if the few feet they each over all moved closer to their idles really made that much of a difference! Oh but it DID make a difference and now a few less people walk the face of this planet because the crowd didn’t care. BTW how many bands have ever stopped a song to address this issue before some one gets hurt? No they don’t always notice, and I am not calling them completely guilty…. But what about the managers and other staff to the sides of center stage who DO see this… as well as see security lifting people to safety over the rail? Nope the show must go on. It might save a life or a few… but it would piss of the fans to stop a show when no one is dead yet wouldn’t it?!!!
Beyond the lack of common caring and curtsey for the individual life is the more founded fears of human reaction as far as the future is concerned. The author of the poem below is in debate… but… it speaks of human nature during the holocaust. Though you could change a few lines easy enough to fit it into other wars of the past as well. I feel that this poem is a great example of how that society reacted with fear and self/family/friend preservation.
If not you, then who?
They came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time, no one was left to speak up.
And that is just it. People turn their heads and ignore pain and suffering and warnings to at least some degree, until it affects them directly. In this case as self preservation. Lets not leave out how some joined this movement out of fear for them selves and loved ones. Others played snitch in hopes to keep their selves and loved ones safe. And yes there were heroes inside the Nazi and sounding areas… but where they the majority? And how many helped beyond the endangerment to their selves and loved ones? I am not saying even the littlest help was not worth it or appreciated, but that the over all society did what the felt they had to, to survive. And yes other countries came in to end it…. But for sake of political peace or fear of involvement how quick were they in acting to help? Were they quick enough? Could they have done more sooner? I don’t know.
The scarier thought though is that some…. Many really cause the Nazi army was large…. They BELIEVED in this movement!! And so the actual Nazi party made up of those who believed in it and others out of fear….. Look how much was destroyed! How many lives of precious people…. Children even…. CHILDREN! People killed others cause they were ordered to and no matter which type of the Nazi they were they DID it. Peoples reaction…. Its scary.
I could go on with things from the past where in which people’s reaction and society mentalities cause harm to others. Some bigger and some smaller like the ones above. But I can do that later so for the sake of my blog I move forward.
So, what exactly do I have to worry about if I am not in Nazi Germany or in a crowed concert or shopping center? Well look around you with open eyes. The world is high in tensions. We have war fronts waging, a failing global economy, the weather and earth changes increasing, religious people on edge, and political undercurrents most do not even know exist. There is much of the KNOWN world that is ignored as well as there is much of the known world that is not common knowledge as it should be. Opinions are held fast by some who trust the word of others and never examine the facts plainly at their access for them selves.
I will take one future possibility and pull in apart some for you.
The global economy. All politicians agree its bad word wide… though the degree of agreement it is different… what to do is different and the out come is different. Some feel governments should leave it alone while others beg it to be fixed by them. Some feel it will recover and things will get better with in a year or a couple…. And others feel total collapse is emanate.
One reason why a government or politician or news caster might lay down hope for the economy and banks is because a run on the banks would ensure the final collapse. So they might be lying in hope their lie actually helps. Lessen the panic in people and lessen the risk of a run on the bank. Lets also remember that the usa government no longer has what is called the gold standard…. This means there is NO gold in some vault some where supporting the value of our money. Our money only has theoretical value because we have all agreed it has value. If there was a run on the banks there is nothing there to be had.
So lets say economic total collapse happens… we would like to belive it couldn’t but lets say it does ok? How many people can make their own food? I don’t mean cook… I mean grow, can and store enough food to feed themselves and loved ones through out a years time. How many have the land and skills to even TRY this. Not very many… Very very very few. And even if they did are they doing this now? Nope. Because we go to the store and by our food in a nice package and delivered there for us. Not to mention it takes time to grow the food so if it happens tomorrow or in the next few months how much food is in your house? How long could you feed your self and loved ones on what you have already?
‘I thought you were talking about money and the economy where did this food topic come from?’
Boy am I glad you asked!! Why am I talking about food… you buy it with money don’t you? And if you have none how ARE you going to do that? Not to mention that while money still has some value people will buy out what ever they can grab from the stores.
have you ever been in an area where there has been a natural disaster such as a sever storm, flooding, fires, earth quakes, or power outages? I have… the water was a gone from the shelves cause our water plant lost power long enough that the water was contaminated. And other foods were disappearing rapidly from the stores that could be open, because peoples fridges and freezers were powered off. Batteries flashlights and other basic needs depleting… I personally went to a different county that happened to have power to get our stuff… a good half hour drive so not too bad for us. Others had to drive farther… oh and the gas? That was draining quick too from stations that were able to get power to run the stores and the pumps. We had had a sever ice storm. Blocking roads and taking down lines. But basically again.. right after a total collapse many people will try to grab up what they can of their families needs.
‘Why would they do that?… I still have fifty bucks in my pocket and some around the house. Besides doesn’t the government insure our money in the banks? So I would get it back? And its not like the stores would be closing!’
We are talking TOTAL collapse…. Not a recession or depression. The government only insures so much…. Many people would loose a lot if not all. Don’t forget there is nothing backing up our dollar any more. To explain that I would have to get into how the dollar works. I wont just now cause I don’t ‘get it all’ myself and so do not have a super easy way to explain it. But lets think of businesses. Their money is only insured for so much too… and if they loose big how many of them can afford to stay open and pay you? And what would they be paying you with? So those nifty grocery stores… possibly gone… the gas stations that supply the trucks for delivery of food to these stores? Well how are they going to buy gas from other countries when that country we are getting it from no longer takes US dollars? (an what condition is that contry in besides? And if the companies that supply the food to the stores can no longer pay workers or buy the items used in the making of their product? What is going to be in the stores?
Btw… would you still go to YOUR job if you were not getting a pay check? How about your family and friends? How much industry does that alone effect from your personal stand points? And if you are willing to go to work… are enough of your coworkers going to feel the same way you do to even run that business. If it is retail who is going to be shopping for much now… and again with what money? Or hell what job anywhere is going to be necessary enough to even run it?
The truth is we can live with out many things.. Many many things that we now have in our lives and those things take up the greater chunk of how our economy is running. 'consumer goods' But the things we can not live with out… water, food, and shelter in that order. So you work at a car factory? Or a ‘best buy’ who is going to buy a new car or new tv when they cant find food with what ever money they have. You work for the cable company or satellite company? Great! plan on serving a lot of shut off orders lol….
So money is gone and food becomes highly valuable. What other infrastructures would be affected? And for how long? How would this be corrected? And what about the people….. And lets just hope some how we get to keep our utilities not mater our ability to pay…. don’t know about you but I don’t have a lot of fire wood for cooking… no fireplace inside to heat my home, no well to get water from, I don’t own an out house… oh and I really do like to take some form of shower or bath at least every so often.... you know... at least enough to still feel human...
Well some have planed for this possible event or any other events… they have stockpiled food water and other basics such as hygiene. Have you? Your neighbors? Your loved ones? The truth is most have not. Why should they after all it could never happen! Could it? And if what they though could never happen DID happen how would they be feeling about that? And what about the unknowns at that point like who and how are they going to get the help they need? When is it going to go back to normal? How are they going to get their next meal even?? Panic and fear set in…. survival sets in… and people turn ugly.
No not every one.. Many will help how ever they can. But how much can they help a stranger when they too have loved ones to worry about. Not enough people are going to be getting help.. Its that simple.
What does that do to people? Are they going to sit there and allow them selves and their families starve to death? Hell no! some will try foraging and farming if they can, bargaining and trading what they can… but others… will get scary and take what they can. They don’t know you.. Though they may not relish the choice… Your family dieing will not hurt them as much as their own family dieing. Can you protect what little your family may have? Would you want to harm others who try and take from you? If that’s a yes, you become scary too, and if you dont and cant get new suplies it may be your death notice. And the fear that could set in by many, who now are worrying that others might take from you what they might have, could make them less willing to let others even know what they have let alone offer ANY of it.
‘What about the government? wouldn’t they help us?’
Well yeah.. Sure… but what are they going to do.. They cant get the economy straightened out now and we are talking a much worse event. which to a greater degree its their fault we are here now. Not to mention that the workers of the government have families to look after too. Some speak of ‘marshal law’ by the government… others talk about a ‘one world government’ or aka ‘new world order’ as some of the things that would try to be enacted…. I just don’t even want to cover those right now.
But I will say one thing… if either of those 2 things above get mentioned… or if it ’feels’ like that is where it is headed…. then the patriots who have been arming up will take that as a sign to strike our government. They are strict believers in the constitution and believe our government to be corrupting the law, and that those who run the government may be a part of a higher order of people who run the world in secret. I do highly praise them for how strong many of them feel about standing up for what is right and ethical.
Back to the point though…..The patriots also believe that this economic crisis has been CAUSED by the higher orders and our own governments as well as the banks as one of the steps for the members of the higher orders to take global domination.
‘Why would this be a step toward new world order?’
Well if they harm the economy thus creating its fall in secret… we are now hurting and in need oh help…. Then the great ‘oz’ steps out from behind the curtain and offers us his help. We who are in desperate need thus agree to what ever the terms are like blind little grateful sheep... and the new world order gets to look like a hero. Mean while us grateful little ‘sheepole” have no idea it was the same group pulling the strings for the downfall to begin with… and our lives now take on a new set of control and distaste.
So to the patriots this has already started and they are waiting and watching for the rest of it to come….. I sure as hell hope they are wrong…. But what if they are not… they connect a lot of logical lines that the average person chooses not to even hear about. Then again I have seen a couple… not too many… but a few outrageous theories such as cameras being inside the digital Tvs so that big brother can watch you in your home. And that is why they are switching every one to those digital Tvs and converters. Who IS going to watch ALL those sets cameras?? XD that one makes me smile.
After something like this, in time it would get better and maybe go back to ‘normal’…. After all other societies have taken huge dives in history and yet here we are…. But during something like this people would go crazy and do some wonderful and valiant things or some cruel and stupid things. And the rest of us would be taking a wild ride of devastation along with them all.
Keep one thing I mentioned in mind however…. Even if the economy never collapses the patriots are still out there! Waiting.. Watching… and they could panic…. They could react… and if they don’t maybe asteroid will hit us… maybe solar flares will fry us… maybe the poles will shift and shake us off like bad case of flees in the process…. Who cares WHAT happens… just be ready for the peoples response!!! Oh! And if something does happen try to be one of the helpful ones, The more that do the better the outcome. Only a few bad apples or a few natural disasters can devastate many lives. Proven through out history as well.
So yeah… The.. World… has… lost… its… ever… blasted…mind….
This should be a great relief to a great many people now… you no longer have to fear any of the possibilities for the future cause I have narrowed all worries down to one! XD and that is people’s reaction! As far as the rest of it? Plan if you can for what ever comes… but don’t bother fearing it cause they are not as great an enemy to us as we are to our selves. And no mater which if any we face in the future, the one that remains the same is the human race….
I hope life finds us all on brighter and happier paths!!!!!! (cause that shit up there can be depressing!!)
And the Salvation Army came to mind. Now, I know them to be a Christian based organization, but I thought I'd check out their website anyways, to see what all they do.
So I looked at their page online, and looked at all the wonderful things they do. I was thinking, well I would really like to be part of this. Then I looked further, to their mission statement and values, and it has "god" and "christian" every third word, practically. Now, I wonder why this is. Why is it so important that they be based on Christianity?
I don't have a problem with Christian organizations, only the wonder that they have to be based around only one religion! As if only Christians care about other people. As if you have to be religious to want to help make the world a better place.
Well I'm not, and I do! I am wondering, that if I ask to volunteer, they may not accept me because I am not Christian. Now I wouldn't want to pretend to be something I'm not, but I think this sounds like a really good cause and I would be willing to act Christian, to help out.
Do you think this should be necessary? Would they refuse my help because I am not a Christian? I believe in helping people, and the work they say they do, without religious belief.
I don't think someone has to be religious to care about the world, or to be a good person, or to want to do good things.
******
What do you think of the Salvation Army and their work?
Do you think it would be better if they weren't focused on one religion? Or even religion in general?
What do you think I should do?
Okay. I know am more politics, geopolitics and anti-jihad in my posting; however I live in the Tulsa Metro area. Two-thirds of the people are without power due to an ice storm.
Okies are not used to cold temperatures of the nature of freezing and just below freezing. Add this to the apparent majority of households/Apartments seemed to all electric without gas heat.
Our family embarked to a motel that had power. That motel told us we were the last reservation and then they would be full.
My honey is a travelling sales lady so me and the grandkid pulled up stakes and travelling with her the next day in Arkansas. It is not freezing in Arkansas.
Just as we were about to leave the motel in the Tulsa Metro area, that motel lost power.
Driving in the area around 8:00 AM it was a view like the movie The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The sky was grey and the trees were crushed with ice. Limbs were in the streets, on cars and on houses. Then we disembarked for Arkansas.
So here I sit in an Arkansas motel wondering when the power is coming back on in the Tulsa Metro area.
JRH
**********************
Power out in much of Tulsa
By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer
December 11, 2007
Storm linked to 14 state deaths, 2 here
More than two-thirds of the Tulsa metro area was without electricity Monday as heavy ice caused trees to snap and fall, taking power lines with them.
At least 14 deaths statewide were attributed to the weather, including two in Tulsa.
The first was in a morning traffic accident on 46th Street North in which a man drove his truck into a low-hanging electrical wire that pulled the utility pole down, crushing him.
The second Tulsa fatality was of a woman who died of smoke inhalation in one of the more than 75 reported structural fires.
Among those was a house that was destroyed by fire on Monday night, firefighters said.
About 5:15 p.m., fire crews were called to the 7600 block of East 58th Place after an electrical short on the outside of the house caused a fire to spread into attic of the 2,220-square-foot brick home, said District Chief Pat Remmert.
The fire, which likely started because of a short circuit caused by the ice and falling limbs, engulfed the house, although all of the occupants were able to escape unharmed, Remmert said.
The Fire Department received 1,800 calls between 8 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Monday -- about 10 times more than normally received, officials said.
The American Red Cross was overwhelmed by the huge demand for services in the Tulsa area and was unable to assist the family in Monday night's fire, Remmert said.
Lt. Gov. Jari Askins signed a state of emergency declaration for Oklahoma on Monday because of the storm.
Askins has been acting governor since last week, when Gov. Brad Henry flew to Honolulu for the dedication of the USS Oklahoma Memorial.
Paul Sund, spokesman for Henry, said the governor was trying to fly back to the state as soon as possible.
"The goal is to return to Oklahoma by Tuesday. The problem is getting a flight and making sure you can land in Oklahoma City," Sund said.
AEP-PSO was reporting more than 213,000 homes and businesses without power Monday night out of roughly 300,000 in the Tulsa metropolitan area.
"It's an absolute mess out there," said Preston Kissman, American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma vice president of distribution.
Tulsa International Airport had power outages and hospitals were using generators. Residents of a Collinsville nursing home were evacuated after the facility lost power.
It could take until mid-next week -- seven to 10 days -- to restore electricity to everyone, with individual homes being last on the priority list, Kissman said.
"We will be able to make a huge dent in that number later today and Tuesday," he said. "It will get better each day after that, but the reality of it is, it's going to take a long time to recover."
Oklahoma Gas & Electric, based in Oklahoma City, reported 237,306 customers were without power as of Monday, according to the company's Web site.
Cox Communications had about 5,000 phone customers in the Tulsa area without service and 24,000 in the Oklahoma City area.
Tulsa residents were being asked to conserve water Monday afternoon because Mohawk Water Treatment Plant was without power. Output was increased at the A.B. Jewell Water Treatment Plant.
The Mohawk plant was on AEP-PSO's priority list and expected to have electricity restored later in the day.
Kissman said this is the worst ice storm to hit Tulsa since the late 1980s.
"It's like what McAlester experienced last January," he said.
Hundreds of linemen were working to restore power Monday. A request has been made for 1,500 more.
"This has hit Oklahoma City all the way up to Missouri, so there's a heavy demand for resources," Kissman said.
"The good news is that it's supposed to warm up, but we're not out of the woods yet."
Emergency shelters were opened in several locations.
Mayor Kathy Taylor said few people Monday were taking advantage of Tulsa's shelters.
"We want residents to know that if they're in the dark and have no heat, they have a place to go," she said, noting that food will be provided.
About 40 people were stranded at the Tulsa Greyhound Bus Station and some of them made their way to the shelters.
Tulsa area schools were closed Monday and many have canceled classes Tuesday.
Many nonessential government workers were sent home for the day.
Tulsa's Emergency Operations Center was activated at 5:30 a.m. Monday.
The center has asked state emergency management officials for assistance for both the city and the county by preparing emergency declarations.
Residents were urged not to try to move downed tree limbs or power lines themselves.
"Right now is not the best time for you to be addressing the trees in your backyard," Capt. Larry Bowles said.
"You should stay in your homes because the trees are still breaking and someone could get hurt."
Bowles also said that all downed lines should be considered live.
"Stay away from them," he said.
Fire officials also warned residents of carbon monoxide poisoning through the use of alternative heating sources.
"Go to a shelter if you need a warm place," Bowles said. "Don't risk harm or death for you or your family."
Firefighters were busy Monday handling structure fires related to electrical problems. Many homes also have sustained roof damage from falling trees.
EMSA spokeswoman Tina Wells said ambulances responded to 168 medical emergencies between midnight and 2 p.m.
"We're seeing a lot of people with breathing conditions and heart conditions who are experiencing trouble in this cold air and who are out exerting themselves," she said.
Tulsa's street crews spent more time clearing tree debris from the roadway Monday than spreading salt.
"Our top priority is to keep the streets passable," said Dan Crossland, Public Works Department deputy director of public facilities.
"We've got a lot of arterials that are partially if not completely blocked."
Broken tree limbs are simply being pushed to the side of the road, Crossland said.
"Once we start to see some melting, we can go back and start picking them up, but right now we're far too busy for that," he said.
Crews began putting salt on the city streets early Sunday morning and have been working 12-hour shifts.
"The streets really haven't been that bad because we've kept on top of them," Crossland said. "You just have to watch yourself on the bridges and the highway overpasses."
Tulsa County road crews began emergency weather operations late Sunday afternoon.
County Engineer Ray Jordan said county crews are running two, 10-hour shifts a day.
"We're clearing trees from roads -- that's the big issue," he said.
The Tulsa Police Department on Monday was operating at twice the normal strength, with more than 120 uniformed officers on the streets.
The midnight uniformed shift was held over to work through the daytime hours and being assisted by detectives and academy recruits.
"About two-thirds of them are devoted to blocking streets where the power lines and trees are down," Police Chief Ron Palmer said.
Many intersections are without working lights and officials have not been able to place four-way stop signs everywhere, he said.
The Police Department remains on Operation Slick Streets, meaning that officers will not respond to noninjury traffic accidents.
Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Gary Cox encouraged people without power to keep their refrigerators closed.
Frozen foods should last about 48 hours. If there's any question as to whether food has spoiled, it should be thrown away, he said.
____________________
Power out in much of Tulsa
World staff writers Ginnie Graham, Curtis Killman, Randy Krehbiel, Kevin Canfield and Jason Womack contributed to this story.
Copyright © 2007 , World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
By Cpl. Peter R. Miller, USMC
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - In response to a request for help from the government of Bangladesh, elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked aboard USS Kearsarge traveled about 3,500 miles from the Sea of Bengal and are providing disaster relief to the cyclone-stricken country. On Nov. 15, Tropical Cyclone Sidr ripped across the coast of Bangladesh, killing more than 3,000 people, leaving several hundred thousand people homeless, and ravaging the local crops and infrastructure.
On Nov. 23, the MEU's relief effort began with the delivery of 700 gallons of bottled water to a small airfield in Barisal, Bangladesh.
"Today's mission was essentially a humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, mission to start providing the necessary materials," said Capt. Andrew M. Traynor, a CH-46E Sea Knight pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261, who flew in the day's mission.
As the helicopters hovered over the airfield, children clad in colorful clothing watched and waved from a nearby roadside. Bangladeshi soldiers lined the tarmac until Nix greeted them and led them back to the aircraft.
"We got out there and said, 'Hey, this is what we need,'" said Nix. "I think they were just hesitant to jump right in because they didn't want to offend us."
The wary stares of the Bangladeshi soldiers quickly evolved into friendly embraces as they crowded around the rear of the aircraft to shake hands and chat with their visitors. They were soon working with the Marines to unload the water.
"We worked together, and the language barrier wasn't a problem," said Traynor. "The offload went very smoothly and quickly. It's all about the team, because that's how we work."
The crew chiefs did an excellent job by taking the lead and getting the water out of the aircraft, Traynor said.
"It was pretty cool," said Sgt. Mickael S. Clemann, a CH-46 crew chief, and Brandon, Fla., native. "A lot of the (Bangladeshi) soldiers smiled and showed what I'm guessing is their gesture of thank you, where they put their hand on their chest and bring it toward you."
The sight of two militaries, unfamiliar with each other, coming together was one of the most impressive things Nix had ever seen, he said.
"It was good to see those guys with smiles on their faces, even though they've lost some of their countrymen," said Nix. "It's good to be able to help them out."
(Marine Cpl. Peter R. Miller serves with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.)
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