Strange Map Of Greendale

Blogrol
The town of Greendale exists only in fiction. Today Greendale is featured on the website Strange Maps.

Historic Photos of Columbus

Blogroll Me!
I have been enjoying my copy of Historic Photos of Columbus put together by Nick Taggart, and published by Turner Publishing Company. I am tempted to post some of the photos from this coffee table book but I am going to refrain to protect the integrity of the work.

This delightful book of black and white photographs of Columbus covers history from the late 1800's to the mid 1900s. Contained in this volume we get to see horse and buggy times through the transition to the automobile.

There are places that are still familiar, and places that have been long gone. I was particularly surprised and delighted to see photographs of the early arches that have long been removed but now are being rebuilt with a modern twist of two in what is now The Short North. I have shared this book with several of my friends and family and it is providing hours of entertainment.

Nick Taggart works in The Columbus Metropolitan Library in the Biography, History and Travel section. He has written the text for this work and compiled the various photos most of which have never been published. The only thing I was disappointed in was that the book ended in the 1960's. I felt like I wanted to see more of the changes up to the 1990's when I first moved to Columbus. If you are a Columbus Fan this book is for you. If you want to see pictures of the Horseshoe Stadium at OSU under construction and The Lavec Tower being erected this is the book for you. There are pictures of Lincoln's funeral train under guard by Union Army Troops, and his casket on display at our State Capital. These are just a few wonders captured on film and brought out of the archives for this generation to ponder. Who knows maybe Mr. Taggart will make us a sequel. I know I will be sharing this book with as many people I can before the holidays as I think it would make the perfect Christmas gift for Columbusites.

The Black Swans

Blogroll Me!If these guys are scared witless, then we need to be!

Zombie (Undead) Toxic Televisions

Blogroll Me!
What are we suppose to do with our old pre HD TV's on February 17 2009? Check out this website for the Zombie TV Video.

On February 17, 2009, television stations will throw the switch, and stop sending out analog TV signal in the United States. On that date, the millions of people who receive “over the air” TV signal (as opposed to cable or satellite subscribers) must have a TV capable of receiving digital signal, or their TVs will go dark. Consumers can purchase set-top boxes that convert digital signal into an analog signal (that they can view on their old televisions). But the set top box option isn’t being promoted strongly by an industry that wants consumers to simply discard their old televisions and replace them with new ones.

Consumers are trashing working televisions

The digital conversion is leading consumers to get rid of their old analog televisions, even though many still work. While the rule of thumb used to be that consumers would demote older televisions to some other room in the house, we are now seeing a change in consumer behavior. When they replace their big, old, clunky cathode ray tube TVs (and the big piece of furniture holding them up) with sleeker flat panel TVs, which they can hang on the wall, many are simply getting rid of the older TVs altogether. So while the set-top converter box is a viable option, for some consumers this digital signal conversion is the tipping point for replacing their older TVs. That’s why the FCC DTV rule is the largest government mandated obsolescence initiative in U.S. history. And this mandate is being implemented with very little attention to helping affected consumers avoid the expense and difficulty of coping with the transition.

Why This is So Important: Old TVs Are Toxic E-Waste

TVs contain toxic materials, like lead, cadmium, and beryllium, that don’t belong in the landfill. The old CRT TVs contain an average of 4 to 8 pounds of lead. While it’s still legal to throw TVs in the trash in most states, it’s not an environmentally sound practice, because the toxic chemicals can leach into groundwater over time. Because only about 15% of e-waste gets recycled, that means most of these old TVs are going into our landfills and incinerators. Most e-waste that is collected for recycling in the U.S. is currently being exported to developing countries for primitive “recycling” where it is causing great damage. Electronic waste sent to China also appears to be a source of a lead used in the lead-tainted jewelry that is manufactured in China and exported to the US.

Sugar Bear Ecology Club

Blogroll Me!
Back in the day when I was a youngster, I became a member of The Sugar Bear Ecology Club. I believe we had to send in a self addressed envelope to activate membership, receive our certificate and membership card. This was promoted on the back of a cereal box.

Everyone is acting as if global warming, population explosion, the extinction of species, and the ravaging of our planet are new phenomenon. But I remember sending in for my Ecology Club Kit in the early 70's. I was deeply concerned about our planet even then. It was a main topic in our science classes.

Some 40 years later I still hold my membership card. And even though the economy of growth has outweighed any concerns about our environment...some of us still uphold "the code". Perhaps when we run out of clean water we will understand that our earth is precious and finite. Membership dues are forthcoming!

Neil Young Makes An Electric Car.

Blogroll Me!
Out of a 59 Lincoln?

Take BackThe Land

Blogroll Me

Apparently in Miami Florida they have a solution to the foreclosure problem. Read about Take Back The Land.

The Cult of Planet Aid

Blogroll Me!

Have you seen these yellow boxes scattered throughout your town? Before you donate to this "charity", do you know what Planet Aid is, and where the money ends up?

The difference between the financial system and the economy

Blogroll Me!
This is a very painful video clip of Secretary Paulson as he conveys that he and his buddies have robbed the treasury. Did you know there is a difference between the financial system and the economy? There is. You and I are part of the economy. Mr. Paulson and his banker buddies are part of the financial system. They get the money and we get...what a Depression?

Governor Palin Pardons Turkey

Blogroll Me!
Is there no end to the Governors stupidity?

Top 25 News Stories That Have Been Censored

Blogroll Me!

I don't know how George W. Bush can get away with what he does. Are we really free if our news is censored? Click on the link below to see the news stories that have been censored.
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/category/y-2009/

Buy Nothing Day

Blogroll Me!
Suddenly, we ran out of money and, to avoid collapse, we quickly pumped liquidity back into the system. But behind our financial crisis a much more ominous crisis looms: we are running out of nature… fish, forests, fresh water, minerals, soil. What are we going to do when supplies of these vital resources run low? There’s only one way to avoid the collapse of this human experiment of ours on Planet Earth: we have to consume less. It will take a massive mindshift. You can start the ball rolling by buying nothing on November 28th. Then celebrate Christmas differently this year, and make a New Year’s resolution to change your lifestyle in 2009. It’s now or never!
http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

California Burning

Blogroll Me!
We need to pray for California!

30 Reasons We May Be Heading For Great Depression #2

Blogroll Me!

Paul Farrel has written an article about the reasons we are surely heading towards the second Great Depression. For the total article copy and paste this address.


http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/well-great-depession-2-2011/story.aspx?guid={B28B49B5-EFD1-4941-B57E-A2BA1545BA09}&siteid=yahoomy

Scan these 30 "leading indicators." Each problem has one or more possible solutions, but lacks unified political support. Time's running out. We're already at the edge. Add up the trillions in debt: Any collective solution will only compound our problems, because the cumulative debt will overwhelm us, make matters worse:

1. America's credit rating may soon be downgraded below AAA
2. Fed refusal to disclose $2 trillion loans, now the new "shadow banking system"
3. Congress has no oversight of $700 billion, and Paulson's Wall Street Trojan Horse
4. King Henry Paulson flip-flops on plan to buy toxic bank assets, confusing markets
5. Goldman, Morgan lost tens of billions, but planning over $13 billion in bonuses this year
6. AIG bails big banks out of $150 billion in credit swaps, protects shareholders before taxpayers
7. American Express joins Goldman, Morgan as bank holding firms, looking for Fed money
8. Treasury sneaks corporate tax credits into bailout giveaway, shifts costs to states
9. State revenues down, taxes and debt up; hiring, spending, borrowing add even more debt
10. State, municipal, corporate pensions lost hundreds of billions on derivative swaps
11. Hedge funds: 610 in 1990, almost 10,000 now. Returns down 15%, liquidations up
12. Consumer debt way up, now at $2.5 trillion; next area for credit meltdowns
13. Fed also plans to provide billions to $3.6 trillion money-market fund industry
14. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are bleeding cash, want to tap taxpayer dollars
15. Washington manipulating data: War not $600 billion but estimates actually $3 trillion
16. Hidden costs of $700 billion bailout are likely $5 trillion; plus $1 trillion Street write-offs
17. Commodities down, resource exporters and currencies dropping, triggering a global meltdown
18. Big three automakers near bankruptcy; unions, workers, retirees will suffer
19. Corporate bond market, both junk and top-rated, slumps more than 25%
20. Retailers bankrupt: Circuit City, Sharper Image, Mervyns; mall sales in free fall
21. Unemployment heading toward 8% plus; more 1930's photos of soup lines
22. Government policy is dictated by 42,000 myopic, highly paid, greedy lobbyists
23. China's sees GDP growth drop, crates $586 billion stimulus; deflation is now global, hitting even Dubai
24. Despite global recession, U.S. trade deficit continues, now at $650 billion
25. The 800-pound gorillas: Social Security, Medicare with $60 trillion in unfunded liabilities
26. Now 46 million uninsured as medical, drug costs explode
27. New-New Deal: U.S. planning billions for infrastructure, adding to unsustainable debt
28. Outgoing leaders handicapping new administration with huge liabilities
29. The "antitaxes" message is a new bubble, a new version of the American
    dream offering a free lunch, no sacrifices, exposing us to more false promises

Will the next meltdown, the third of the 21st Century, trigger a second Great Depression? Or will the 2007-08 crisis simply morph into a painful extension of today's mess to 2011 and beyond, with no new bull market, no economic recovery as our new president hopes?

Perhaps some of the first 29 problems may be solved separately, but collectively, after building on a failed ideology, they spell disaster. So listen closely to "leading indicator" No. 30:

At a recent Reuters Global Finance Summit former Goldman Sachs chairman John Whitehead was interviewed. He was also Ronald Reagan's Deputy Secretary of State and a former chairman of the N.Y. Fed. He says America's problems will take years and will burn trillions.

He sees "nothing but large increases in the deficit ... I think it would be worse than the depression. ... Before I go to sleep at night, I wonder if tomorrow is the day Moody's and S&P will announce a downgrade of U.S. government bonds." It'll get worse because "the public is not prepared to increase taxes. Both parties were for reducing taxes, reducing income to government, and both parties favored a number of new programs, all very costly and all done by the government."

Reuters concludes: "Whitehead said he is speaking out on this topic because he is concerned no lawmakers are against these new spending programs and none will stand up and call for higher taxes. 'I just want to get people thinking about this, and to realize this is a road to disaster,' said Whitehead. 'I've always been a positive person and optimistic, but I don't see a solution here.'"

We see the Great Depression 2. Why? Wall Street's self-interested greed. They are their own worst enemy ... and America's too.

Queen Najla has a website!

Blogroll Me!
Recently I have been given the opportunity to create a website for Queen Najla who is a drummer, dancer, and storyteller. She is a member of The Columbus Womens Drum Chorus which I am also privileged to be a part. She is in the group Sistah Ngoma directed by Wahru.

I look forward to working with Queen Najla, and am asking anyone who might have a picture of her that could be website worthy, to please contact me. Queen works with children, and seniors here in the Columbus area. She will be leading a Childrens Drum Circle and Harvest Dance November 19th at 802 Lilly Ave. Keep checking her website for future performances.

When WAL-MART Comes To Town

Blogroll Me!
I know it will be tempting to shop WAL-MART this Christmas. But, please do not do it. Part of the reason our nation is hurting is because of big businesses that do not give a hoot about people or their communities. Hopefully this will be the last year for WAL-MART as importing cheap and poisonous things from China becomes less fashionable! This is the 1st part of 11 YouTube segments in the series "The High Cost Of Low Prices". After you watch the first part you will be given the option of the other 11 parts.

Who is laughing now?

Blogroll Me!
Yesterday you got to watch this guy Arthur Laffer (pun intended) bet Peter Schiff that the economy was just fine. If you didn't see my blog yesterday then this one will not make any sense. "Hindsight is always 20/20"

Looking Back In Time...In Order To See The Future

Blogroll Me!
This clip shows how Peter Schiff stands up to ridicule from his peers, and the media. It is too bad there is not a YouTube of these people watching themselves in their denial a year later. Just ask yourself who you would listen to these days.

Treadmobile

Blogroll Me!
Before you get too excited about this, try to remember the purpose of a treadmill in the first place.

Homer Laughlin House

Blogroll Me!
Here is The Homer Laughlin House in East Liverpool Ohio prior to its demise. This historic building has been leveled for a parking lot.

As you might expect this house was spectacular and had unbelievable woodwork and chandeliers that were sold prior to the appointment with the wrecking ball.

The Homer Laughlin China Company is now located in Newell West Virginia and is the home of Fiestaware the most popular dinner ware ever sold in America. It is sad that a historic landmark was allowed to deteriorate to the point that a parking lot would replace it. It is much like Detroit in that respect. There is not much left in East Liverpool that would indicate that Homer and Shakespeare Laughlin made their start on the Ohio side of the river. If we lived in a different world, this house would be a landmark and a tourist stop on the way to The Ceramic Museum. But we live in an age where towns and zoning laws are centered around the automobile. Parking becomes more important than archetecture. If our auto industry fails or downsizes, perhaps then we will redesign our towns and keep historic buildings rather than lose them to unimaginative parking lots.

Bailing Out The Auto Industry

Blogroll Me!
Before we bail out the Auto Industry we need to consider letting them reduce in size, and putting people to work repairing and expanding our passenger rail system.

With gas being dirt cheap right now it would be easy to begin to believe that the price of Oil won't go back up to $150 a barrel.

It would be difficult to rebuild our railroads if gas were to go back up to $4 a gallon.

Perhaps the economy of growth is just destruction and neglect. These pictures of the once thriving neighborhoods of "The Auto Industry" are now slums. How could this be?

When you see this, you have to ask yourself; if an industry that cares not for its historical imprint leaves this sort of debree behind, do they deserve a bailout?

Got Seeds? Honesty is my first transaction.

Blogroll Me!
For months now I have been blogging about the importance of heirloom seeds. Finally I started a web site dedicated to exchanging heirloom seeds. I believe the time is short and that we need to do this now. I hope I am wrong, but if I am not then really this call for barter, exchange, and trade is too late. So check out Got Seeds?

Place an ad, or order and be part of this important network.

Shapeshifting Business Opportunities

Blogroll Me!
Several months ago I blogged about losing our neighborhood corner store. For months now it has been vacant. In the last week or so there have been workmen there. I see now that the lighted sign inside the window reads Once Ridden; a local bicycle shop two blocks south on Indianola.
This is a good move to a nicer location and more exposure for the neighborhood bike shop. I will miss the K&M market, but I will be glad to have a bicycle shop for a neighbor. I think they will be needing more space in the next few years as more people ditch their automobiles for bikes, scooters, and anything fuel efficient. There is all sorts of shapeshifting going on in my neighborhood.

Post Apocalyptic Blacksmith

Blogroll Me!
In 2005 Dale Raby wrote The Post Apocalyptic Blacksmith.

While I do not share his beliefs entirely, I do agree that we may be heading into some very trying times. It will be helpful to know some basic blacksmiths skills, or know someone who is a blacksmith. At the end of Dale's article is an address that you can send a dollar to him if you think this article is worthy and useful!

Here is something I would like to be played at my funeral

Blogroll Me!

Cooking Up A Story

Blogroll Me!
Here is an idea that could soon be very profitable!
The website http://cookingupastory.com/

The Future Is Not What You Expect

Blogroll Me!
I just finished a book called The Long Emergency by James Kustler. I look forward to his recent book which is fiction called World Made By Hand. Here is the trailer.

The Family Farmer...The Next Endangered Species

Blogroll Me!
I asked Pamela Turner to write something for my seed exchange site (Got Seeds?) on the importance of steering clear of Genetically Modified Seeds. The integrity and purpose of the whole website will depend on trading only heirloom and safe seeds. In the meantime she sent me this great video that pretty much explains everything. Now, may be the most important time to begin growing your own food and buying locally produced "organic" produce. Thanks Pamela. We will be waiting on that article. In this instance Knowledge Is Power. Food is political, and we need much more government regulation in food safety organizations, not less!

What If...

Blogroll Me!
Sometimes the answer to a question is as simple as asking "what if". Ever since I heard the term colony collapse disorder I was suspicious that pesticides, genetically modified crops, and industrial agriculture methodology were at the heart of the problem. I can believe that big business will do everything in its power to not allow us to find out what is causing it.

I voted for that one

Blogroll Me!

I have walked the souls off my shoes before, so I know what it is like.
I voted absentee ballot this year as I don't have the stamina to stand in line for hours like I did back in the day...when I walked off the souls of my shoes.
I don't regret voting for someone who only has one house and one car.

If you are still undecided

Blogroll Me!

The Times They Are A Changing

Blogroll Me!

Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream

Blogroll Me!
I have been playing guitar and singing since I was 13 years old. One of my favorite songs that I learned was this one by Pete Seeger.

Remembering Our Ancestors...newest ones as well.

Blogroll Me!
Tonight I honor and remember Katie Ryder as one of my ancestors. I still hear you Katie!


Post Script: In Loving Memory of my friend Scott Bueler 1956-2008 who died this very night. Scott is one of my ancestors now right along with Katie.

There Is Still Time To Plant Garlic

Blogroll Me!




There is still time to plant Garlic. I snagged this article from The Columbus Community Gardner a local Columbus Ohio Gardening Blog.

By Nancy O’Donnell * Albany Times Union
Not quite ready to throw in the gardening towel for the season?

Try your hand at growing garlic. The optimum time to plant garlic is just around the corner, so there's still time to get prepared.

To grow your own, plant anytime from mid-October up until about five weeks before the ground freezes. Planting within the next few weeks takes advantage of the cooler soil and air temperatures, which are a catalyst for root development.

Once the ground freezes, the bulb will go dormant until spring, securely anchored in the soil throughout the winter. Come spring, the roots will be in place, ready and waiting to absorb nutrients and begin the growing season.

Begin preparing your soil by incorporating lots of organic matter -- compost, grass clippings and shredded leaves -- into the garden.

Garlic loves organically rich soil with excellent drainage. Provide full sun and a pH around 6.5 to 7.

When you buy garlic, it comes as a complete bulb. Separate it into individual cloves. Make a furrow about 2 inches deep, then plant cloves pointed end up and at least 6 to 8 inches apart.

Once covered, tamp and keep watered well until the ground freezes. Apply a 2-inch layer of mulch and leave until you harvest it next summer.