Little By Little

Little by little we either add to our preps or pay the cost of not doing so. Either we refrain from buying trinkets or gaze at them with disdain when we're hungry or can't pay the electric bill.

I've never heard of anyone eating the $19.95 gizmo they ordered off late night TV. Have you? Likewise, anyone who thinks a pot cover that acts as a strainer is a great investment has as many holes in their head as the cover. And how about that gizmo that cracks eggs in half? Don't people realize that a little egg shell adds calcium to their diet? Sheez...

Little by little, people continue to believe the gossip, innuendo, false promises and reassurances from the FDIC or any other alphabet agency. Like hell your money's insured. Just how can they claim it's insured when there aren't enough funds to cover the total deposits? But, I forgot, the FDIC is run like any other insurance scam. An amount is paid in, some claims are paid, others are denied, and the bulk of YOUR money goes to the officers, shareholders and annual junkets to warm climates. Recently the FDIC admitted it hasn't enough greenbacks. The fee banks must pay the FDIC was raised and collected well in advance. Trouble is, they're still broke. Sounds familiar.

Little by little more regulations are imposed, more people are hired to administer them and more people live their lives unaware of how many laws they've broke that day. The time will come when the only people employed are working for the government. The rest of us will be either dead, dying or enslaved. I never used to think to that extreme but lately I'm convinced it's the natural extension of today's world. The question is: will the masses revolt before life reaches that point? Personally, I don't think so. There will be skirmishes for sure, but overall, the populace is too fat, preoccupied, uninformed, fearful, brainwashed or otherwise clueless.

Just yesterday I read the IRS requires people to file a 1099 if they've settled a debt for say $500 when they owed $2500. The $2,000 is income as far as the IRS is concerned. So, I, like millions of others, am waiting to see if I get a 1099 in the mail. I don't file taxes but you can bet Uncle Sam is desperate for cash and will be knocking on my door one day.

This weekend my youngest son came to visit with his two children. I took them to our inland lake to walk on the ice. The kids marveled at "walking on frozen water." It was heart-warming to watch as my 5-year-old grandson tried pound a stick through the ice. He asked if we had any string so he could catch some fish. As he worked I thought to myself: this poor kid has no idea the world we're leaving for him. It brought tears to my eyes and I had to take a short walk to compose myself.

Later, as they were leaving, I told my son I'd like to take the kids at least once a month for a day-long outing. He said they'd drive me nuts because I don't have the patience for their electronic gizmos. It disappointed me that I had to explain our "outing" would not be held in an arcade.

Told him I'd take the kids to old cemeteries, old mining building, beaver ponds, lakes, rivers, beaches, fire towers, abandoned slate quarries, and the Indian cemetery near L'Anse. Other possibilities are the Hanka Homestead, the Quincy Hoist, and the old community of Alberta where Henry Ford had a sawmill for his Woodies.

My son claimed the kids would be bored. Not one to give in I said, "I'll do it anyway. Maybe someday they'll appreciate experiencing those things."