Rix's Rants ; Views on how the world REALLY works.

Global Warming: There are some who think this is nonsense. Not me. So climate is on the move to the ever warmer side. I've heard that we can quit it any time that we quit adding greenhouse gasses and allow the earth to recover in its own way, in its own time. If we just don't quit it how long will we last adding ever more greenhouse gasses? I don't know but I'll bet it'll get pretty unpleasant just before we all cook too death in a cauldron of toxic stew. How biblical. [ Will some new age Noah appear? I claim movie rights! ]

   Intentional Global Dimming is an intervention we can do to halt the progression of warming. Criss-cross the high sky's with contrails to shade the earth below and reflect sunlight off the earth from above. Got any better ideas? Problem is - you have to keep it up forever - or else. It'd have to be a commitment. Do or die. Really.

   Additionally there is the option to 'scrub' that excess CO2 out of the atmosphere and sequester it somewhere. A promising idea is engineering a 'bug' which uses CO2 to live on, producing something for waste like usable or sequesterable methane. I can't see what can go wrong now. I hope we're smart enough to add a 'suicide gene' which we can use to terminate a 'bug' that turns out to have been a bad idea.

World Population: There exists a tipping point in the carrying capacity of human life on earth. If people won't limit their number, then ultimately, nature will do it for them - and nature will not be kind. I believe in the end we will find that Malthus was right. Those who urge larger birth rates are the enemy of the world (got that, Roman Catholics, Mormons, Amish,...Texas polygamists). If this old earths human population was 1/10th of the present this could be the garden of Eden again. I wish for everyone a place to live, enough to eat, clean water, jobs, health care but if people won't limit their numbers nature will (war, famine, plague, ..).

Gold : The gold backed currency foils governments options to print more on demand. In the long term the taxes collected reach an equilibrium with federal spending. When the currency is backed by nothing the government can make and spend at will. The collection of taxes is a voluntary exercise to balance the supply with inflation. They at least have to have the will to collect taxes or suffer the pain of inflation.

Churches : I'm not in any of their 'clubs' but I think they're a good thing. In my experience they spend effort recruiting but then lay out the 'rules' (their beliefs). If there's ANY ONE thing that you can't go along with  - you're out. Still, they provide schools far better than the public schools. They help out in a crisis - flood, famine, what have you. And they provide another sense of community that is vacant from government. Thank goodness.  But I maintain that if you want to know how the world works - look to science - physics - economics, not religion.

Inflation: The Iraq war was paid for by political printing press money. The T-bills that back the new currency was sold to China - not our friend, by the way. A partner of necessity. We buy what they make - we pay in dollars - what to do with all those dollars? Buy those freshly minted Treasury notes. (see F.R.) Even China can't absorb the number of T-bills printed to cover the cost of that stupid war. Inflation is NOT the result of 'greedy consumers' or 'greedy businessmen' or unions. Consumers ALWAYS seek the best deal that they can get. Businessmen ALWAYS work to maximize their returns. It's uniform, predictable behavior. The government (and the media) knows the governments money printing volume is the REAL reason for inflation but never seems to step up to the plate and admit that they are the CAUSE of it. Why is the media trying so hard not to bring it up and embarrass the politicos? Not even in the case of Zimbabwe!

The dumbing down of America: Ignorant people are more trusting and compliant. Government schools produce half educated 'consumers'; Joe-six pack workers. They can read and write; know how to use a calculator; but chemistry? economics? Naw, not really. Being uneducated is bad for your liberty. Don't let go of internet access. That's one place you can find out what's REALLY going on the world.. You won't get it from ABC, NBC, CBS or Foxx. I like BBC news.

 ...and you're not 'a consumer'; your a 'citizen. A consumer is just a cog in the middle between the consumption, refinement, manufacturing and marketing of the earths precious resources - from god knows where - and the recycling, waste toxic pollution of landfills, air or oceans. Break the 'consumer'  link and the other cogs before and behind jam up and grind to an eventual halt. We CAN save the earth. Live simply. Need very little. Grow your own. Share. Repair rather than throw-away and repurchase. If a vendor is known to foil our repair efforts by refusing to supply replacement parts - never buy from them again. Take your business someplace that does.

  Consumers have no responsibilities to each other. Citizens are responsible in the bottom line, for looking out for each other, standing up for the defense of their way of life. As citizens we are to take care of each other and our way of life. Don't loose sight of where and who you came from. We're trusting YOU to take care of things for all of us.

What to do about credit: Pay it off ASAP. Don't accept credit being thrust at you from every quarter. It's a lousy deal for you. The banking and credit systems LIVE off of 'consumers'. It sells you into servitude to the creditor - the antithesis of liberty. Just say NO! You don't 'need' these bums cluttering up your life. Simplify.

The price of gasoline: It won't stop at $4 a gallon folks; nor $10 nor higher. Why? The USA has chosen to inflate its currency AND also gasoline is a limited, depleting resource. We just don't know the timeline of the price rises but here, we're only quibbling about when. I'm afraid the higher prices will be here all too quickly and there isn't a dam thing any one can do about it. On the other hand, the all electric vehicle is the answer for the local commuter car. Hydrogen is NOT the answer. The #1 thing to be planning is being more 'local' less 'global'. I don't think flying fresh flowers or anything else from South America or asia to our markets is an economically sustainable plan with the prices of freight rising.

   I expect the development / emergance of the 'techno-amish' back-to-the-landers. They'll probably use horses. Maybe be co-op communities embracing self sufficiency in all ways, Perhaps some generating income from the sale of power to the grid. If someone knows of examples I'd love to hear of them. If some would like to dream and plan one include me.

The Federal Reserve Bank : In 1913 over a Christmas season holiday some bold treacherous bastards ensnared the USA in this system of robbery that we haven't so far been able to shake it off. What's there motive? The biggest heist the world has ever known. Here's how it works; Switch over from the system of precious metal backed currency - insuring that the politicians could not print currency at will - with another system, The Federal Reserve System, whereby to get currency to fund the government the F.R. prints a T-Bill and trades it to the treasury to back printed currency (the national debt). Then the USA / IRS has to make payments on this debt including interest. Wait a minute! Paying interest on what - that T-bill that the F.R. printed? There was no REAL, fundamental value in the T-bill. It's just an accounting entry and certificate.

   So who RECEIVES this 'interest' on the National Debt? The Federal Reserve is a privately held company owned by stockholders. It's never been audited. The stockholders are secret. There's your 'secret society'. How much have they taken so far? Given that the level of inflation has reduced the buying power of today's (2008) $ and that of some yesteryear where it bought ten times as much (1975 maybe) I think that the other 90% has been taken in that same amount of time. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve cloaks itself in an aura of governmental legitimacy by such things as using American Eagle icons everywhere and large marble buildings fronted with Grecian Columns - lots of flag waving.  It has the US government held at bay or in its pocket. Now, that's power.

The Republicans, Democrats; the two party system : I spend time pondering where the division comes between what is the 'Government' and what is America. America has wonderful, compassionate, people. To think of America as a 'flag' or whatever goes on inside the DC beltway is to introduce confusion. The flag could change. Lord knows 'democracy' (the Representative Republic) has been corrupted to the point of despair. The civics class lessons would have you think that they way it's done is to listen to the candidates; become an 'informed citizen' and vote for the candidates that share your opinions, your point of view. Problem is: They LIE. For one example, candidate George W. Bush asserted that he stood for peace, prosperity and fiscal responsibility. Once elected, president George W. Bush Started a 'preemptive' war, Funded it with printing press money, ignored the well being of the US citizens - while continuing and escalating wars abroad - the list is just too long for this blurb and you know the grievance, anyway. What's this 'foreign aid' business while American schools are failing, infrastructure (bridges, highways, ,...) are crumbling. He ran the national debt to astronomical levels. We would NEVER have voted him in had he revealed that agenda. They lie, use propaganda, 'spin'. Democracy as practiced here and now isn't working. "when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." [The declaration of Independence. July 4, 1776,]

Jail: Why is this country hosting the largest prison population ever in history? Why is the largest percentage of our people in jail of ANY westernized, industrialized country? Something's not right. Is it because judges are elected and don't want to be seen as 'soft on crime' so that they can be re-elected? Surly their 'judgment' has been skewed by something.

Wall Street : What's up with that HUGE flag wrapping the Grecian columns on the front of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street? And still more on pikes in front of that one. Whose DOING this? Why? Not a very subliminal visual association between government and the marketplace. Will someone please explain to me what's really going on here? It's a 'visual' that one sees often on TV News reports. Could it be that one group feels so unworthy that it has to be seen kissing-up to another group? Which is the marketplace and which group is represented by 'the flags symbolism?'

Here are some links to TED 10-20 minute presentations that I have found to be 'wow' moments. Perhaps you will too. 
These are   "Ideas Worth Sharing/Spreading"

also see Rix Dobbs info and Solar Thermal Power

Here's what we did for the Ron Paul Dark Horse Ale.

The Ron Paul Dark Horse Ale recipe.
1/2 lb Crushed rye
1/4 lb Chocolate barley
1/8 lb Melanoiden          steeped in 2.5 gallons of water at 158 degrees f for 25 minutes.

Then we added 3.3 lbs of amber LME and
2 lbs of light dry male extract

Boil 30 minutes then add 1 oz Liberty hops (for bittering)
Boil 28  minutes then add 1 oz Liberty hops (for aroma)

Combine with 2.5 gallons of cold water in the primary fermenter - top it to the full 5 gallons - let cool to <80 degrees F.

Starting Gravity: 1.040 - estimated ABV: 5% Fermented one week at about 72 degrees then kegged and force carbonated. Now on tap.

Why endorse Ron Paul?
Every other candidates platform involves MORE big government and still less individual freedoms. We want the opposite - smaller government and more personal freedoms. Whether Mr. Paul prevails or not in the November election we are sending the message that this is what we want.

Ron Paul is NOT a lawyer. He's a medical Dr. although now, a politician. He's a 'Dukie' from Durham. He graduated from Duke University in 1962.

Tell us what you think
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