How voting went

I went to vote today, as I hope everyone does. I hope you vote for the candidate you believe is best for the nation. I want to mention how my voting went. There was a person 2 people in front of me who had the same issue I did in 2020, where they stated he voted through mail-in ballot. That being said, I have no idea if he did or not, and he had to vote via a provisional ballot.

My vote was very simple and I usually bring my wallet in with me, but since there is no verification, I left it in the car. Today was the first time our poll watchers and volunteers had so many votes in the first hour. That being said, I am in a little town, and when they had well over 100 votes in the first hour, that was the busiest they have been.

Unrelated, but timing is odd, is that last night at about 2025-2030 (10:25-10:30 PM EST) someone did a drive by with a paintball gun. Police were called, and there was really nothing that could be done, really. After going down to voting this morning, we can see that these people (there were at least 2 because they shot houses on both sides of the road at the same time) shot up the church, a bunch of older peoples homes, and just a bunch of houses all the way to the voting place.

I hope everyone has a really great day, everyone votes and we have a peaceful election. We shall see what happens.

Election expectations

Politics have been playing more and more a role in my prepping plans. I have fears about this election specifically because people are so divided. No matter who wins, half the country will think the country is doomed. I have my own opinions which I will share a little here.

My biggest complaint is the campaigns telling lies to the American people. The U.S. has a tendency to listen to people and follow up with 0 research. My most recent notice was during a short drive to work, and what some Harris ads said. First brings up project 2025, which has nothing to do with the Trump campaign. It is like this battlecry for the left made up of falsehoods. It really drives me nuts. Trump has specifically stated, and it is very obvious that project 2025 is made up from some little think tank of possible ideas, and is not tied to any president or presidential candidate.

Another one is Harris ads stating that Trump will make a federal ban on abortion. This is really dumb, as the same people pushing this are the same people who complained about sending abortion to the state level. If the Supreme court sent abortion rights to the state level, what makes you think a federal law will be passed? If anything, be mad and vote against the governors who passed laws on abortion WITHOUT the people’s voices being heard by vote or election.

Another is how, in bad taste, or course, that COMEDIAN made a joke about Puerto Rico being a floating island of trash. Probably shouldn’t have a roast comic on a presidential tour, and I think we can all agree to that. The Democrats were all up in arms about that, but when Joe Biden called Trumps followers trash, which, in the sentence appears to be a whole lot of mis-speak, the same democrats stood behind Joe, and were like “oh, that’s now what he meant.” Weird, because during the presidential debate, the monitors were fact checking sarcasm stating it didn’t sound like a joke to me…. So which way is it?

We have lived through 4 years of Trump. At the time, people were mad about mean tweets. Since he has been out of office, outside of the blown out of proportions January 6th peaceful protests (not to be confused with the riots and burning down parts of cities in 2020 that Democrat leaders stood for instead of against with all the violence,) Trump has basically been crucified, and made to appear like some Satanic Nazi Fascist dictator. Times were good, people were safe and we had money in our pockets. I am making more, as is my wife, and we are now almost paycheck to paycheck. Making less, yes, we had more spendable money.

We have lived through 4 years of Biden/Harris. Harris stated she was at every major meeting, making decisions, and would not change a single thing. My money doesn’t go anywhere near as far, America is not safe, there are many wars starting, the country is even more divided. Illegal immigrants are pouring into the country, and there is, at the very least, some truth to the crimes they are committing. I personally work in a prison and have illegal inmates who are housed for unmentionable crimes, and will be deported after their sentences, after taxpayers pay to keep them in our institutions.

There are half truths out there to make republicans look bad and Democrats look good, but that is because they are taken out of context. Trump lost more jobs than any president in history. True, but that was due to the pandemic and a pandemic response from the CDC and WHO. Yes, the same WHO the Biden admin gave permission to basically run our country should there be another pandemic. Trump spent a lot of money, increasing the national debt. Sure, he was trying to work with solving the pandemic problem to open up our economy.

Remember, when Trump wanted to stop incoming flights from countries plagued with the Corona virus, the democrats said oh no, that is racist. Then when Covid was running through the population, the democrats blamed Trump for not doing enough to protect the people. The very people stating they are doing things better are the same ones who stood in Trumps way 100% of the time. Biden talked about how he had the most job growth in history. Yeah, more people were working because they were finally allowed to go back to work. So while it is true to an extent, the context has been hidden.

This falls into the Trump wanted to build a wall, and the democrats stood in his way. On the other side, Biden wanted to cancel student loans, and the republicans stood in his way. Both are true, and, whether I agree or not, both were what the people who voted wanted. I think that should have played a big role in decisions and both parties should work together.

Now we come to where there was 0 issue of Biden coming off the ticket, but at about the same time, RFK wanted off the ticket, it had to go through the court circus until last week I believe Nevada’s supreme court decided he could not be removed. Weird, rules for thee not for me. Anyways, this leads me to my concerns moving forward.

I fully expect Harris to win the same way she would up on the ticket. I don’t have belief either way of the 2020 elections and cheating, rigging or whatever. I know that in 2020 I was told I could not vote because I already voted through the mail, and I had to go home without voting, do research, find out what a provisional ballot was, and go back to vote. 3.5 weeks later I got an email stating my vote was counted. 3.5 weeks after the race was called. How many others had this issue?

I fear that if Trump wins, the current administration will ensure there are boots on the ground in Israel and Ukraine, effectively starting WWIII before inauguration day. Then the democrats will blame Trump for WWIII. If Trump wins, I fear that there will be more 2020-esque riots and cities burning again. I also believe that if Trump wins, we are onto a better future long term.

If Kamala Harris wins, I fear that we are also going to end in WWIII, but because of how weak our country has been and will be. China going into Taiwan, and America will be last to show, probably after attacks on our own soil. Republicans will be pissed, but we tend to show restraint and resilience. Look in the comment sections of yahoo articles, both sides partake, but one side will just bash anything conservative just because.

At the end of the day, there are lots of potential firestorms brewing, and either way will be bad for we, the people. I strongly recommend that, as always, we stay prepped and top of everything. I don’t care who wins, so long as it is a free and fair election. I will post how my election run goes tomorrow and see if they claim I already voted again.

I don’t care who you vote for. I have my opinions as you have yours. I assume, however, in reality, we are all in the middle and we all probably wish we could have better candidates who are also in that middle. The fact that we have to vote between extremes is where it becomes dangerous. I want everyone to vote for the candidate who shares your values, and who wins is who wins. I just fear that there has been so many lies and fear mongering that it clouds what people really want to do moving forward.

This story is a little one sided, and as I do research all around, I know there are lies coming from both sides, but it really seems more attacking 1 candidate over another. I am more conservative in general, but don’t think my conservativeness should tramp on your rights, just as your rights can’t interfere with mine. As always, treat people with respect, treat people with dignity, treat people the way you want to be treated. Kindness is not hard, and I feel that is why in real life, I can talk to people who have different opinions and have productive conversations. Yes, this included politics and religion, the 2 taboo topics. People need to learn to talk again without all the hate, so no matter what happens at the polls, please do not be part of the hate, but instead be part of the healing that we so desperately need. Stay prepped and stay safe.

Political Climate and Prepping

While it should not matter which side of the spectrum you are on in politics when it comes to prepping, we can all agree that we are in tumultuous time. There are many clear signs of that with in our main-stream media. Keep in mind that the News was intended to minimize bias while main-stream media thrives on bias and divide.

If you look at most articles that are peddling falsehoods, the comment section is shut off. This is to allow bias and misinformation to run free while minimizing push back from those who actually research. Here is an example of that. Kamala Harris is specifically stating that Trump wants to do a federal ban on abortions after Trump stated he is not and after the Supreme Court ruled that it is federal over reach, and sent that decision to the state level. This thought process shows the power of echo chambers.

If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at the Governors who decided that, when given the power to do so, made laws without the input from the people of their state. In my personal opinion, this was an over reach on their part, making those governors act like dictators. In my opinion, nothing should have changed until an election where voices were heard and opinions stated. I am getting a little off track here.

So you have 2 sides basically fighting for the future of our country. I lean more towards conservative in some ways personally, but I think the lefts argument about Trump being a threat to our democracy is extreme, and what has lead to recent political violence events. That being said, I also think that there has been a lot of hiding truths on the left’s side about Biden. Whatever you think of Biden, I think we can agree that what has been done has been wrong to Biden. I feel like he has been taken advantage of just as much as a phone scammer taking advantage of Grandma.

While these are partially fact and partially my opinion, these are all things that are affecting to people in our country. What is worse is that neither side can have conversations anymore it seems. Both sides bashing each-others character instead of talking about what they want to do. Unfortunately, I believe that we have to choose the lesser of 2 evils, and I do think that Kamala Harris is worse for our country. What I should say, more specifically, is that the media is spinning the so-called news into making her a hero. This is the same person who said Amen and Awomen.

Don’t get me wrong, I know the media loves bringing up Trump and JD Vance’s comments from the past, but I feel like, in the main-stream media, the left is highly protected. In reality, we are all in the middle, some prefer one side, some prefer the other. I prefer a little conservative. Do what you want, but your rights should not infringe on my rights. I really do not care what you do, and hope everyone is happy, but allow me the same privilege.

This is where the political climate affects preppers. Everyone has their opinions, and are entitled to it, but people get very hot over politics, and it can lead to dangerous events. I just wish you to be careful and allow conversation over heated fights. Be courteous to people, step away before things get crazy, and let the good times roll. Remember, we prep for our families, not to cause issue, but to avoid issue. As always, I wish everyone the best, and remember, comment sections on political stories are cesspools, but if you look into it, you can gauge the temperature of the environment. Be safe, be prepared.

A reason we have hunger… and other random thoughts…

I was sitting here today, as I replaced my brakes and rotors, and I was thinking about the many rules and regulations in place, and current articles about how bird flu is going to be the next big thing. I began thinking about how the idea of world hunger is, at least in part, due to a lazy society of technological life support. Another thought through this rabbit hole came from feeding the goats and chickens, and the temperature outside rising while my house is still so nice and cool…

People are lazy, especially here in the U.S. I don’t mean every single person, but the people as a generality. Rules and regulations support that same choice to be lazy. You are not allowed to plant here, not allowed to sell that food there. My local “big” town has a rule that you can only have a max of 4 chickens, and a lot of towns and cities don’t even allow that.

Many have to rely on these big layer farms for eggs and chicken, but then you have a bunch of unhealthy birds caged near each other, and you end up with a virus going through them, and the government ordering kill orders on all flocks around that area. If we had local flocks, spread of disease wouldn’t be able to disable egg production for a country. The same really goes for local gardens, but more so the idea that if you can produce it yourself, you are less of a strain on society as a whole.

This leads me to where my train of thoughts went. Shut it down. Shut down the power, shut down the entire grid. Make people “survive.” This would either force people to learn or die out. This is clearly not the intended purpose, but a thought that crossed my mind. Then I began thinking about how our government has made us this way, in part because we have allowed it, albeit over time. Shutting it all down would just prove the government right in their own heads.

People are dying because we couldn’t save them. Meanwhile, here in PA, 42% of state tax dollars goes into food stamps or healthcare for the poor, per a recent and study at the state capitol. How have we made it to the point where people feel comfortable trying to retire from welfare? Government assistance? I know it is made for some who need it, or a stepping stone for those in times of need, but I have family that live on it, and it disgusts me to my core because they are capable of so much more, but this is easy.

I tried explaining that, basically, on welfare, all your needs are met, but you will never own anything and you will be happy… Wait a minute, this sounds almost like what the government wants? If self-sufficiency was not borderline out lawed, society, as a whole would be in a much better place. I guess the whole idea behind my little ramble is that if we had to succeed to survive, I bet there would be a lot more societal victories, but instead, in appearance, we are destined to fail. Our forefathers would be embarrassed at what we, as a nation, have become.

While rules are preventing us from living that fulfilling life of production and self-sufficiency, I suggest people try a little harder and sustaining themselves and leave as little up to the government as possible. The government, no matter which side you are on, is looking out for your best interest. The government has been doing well in dividing us because we are controllable, as a whole, when divided. Fight back with self-sufficiency, and let’s make sure when the boot drops, we aren’t stuff begging for scraps, but are able to produce it ourselves.

Thank you for reading this little rant. I just thought about it and wanted to write, especially since it has been quite a while since I last wrote. Life has been busy, and I am trying to keep moving forward with preps while the kids get older and spending time with the family becomes just a little more important as that time shortens. Remember, human connection is a major building block, and one that should not be forgotten. Stay safe and stay prepared.

As the election grows near, U.S. division brings a reality check.

I am a man who lives in rural America. I have my Bachelor’s degree, as does my wife. We try to keep up with the news, but it is very hard to do so. Why, you might ask? It is because News itself is dead, and we are left with the destructive force of media, a completely biased and barely factual piece of literature made to harness people darkest feelings.

If you have been reading any of the media articles, you have seen that depending on the article, you either can comment or cannot comment. It seems interesting the articles that you are not allowed to comment on. Meanwhile, while all articles are inherently biased, the comment section has become a cesspool for some of the worst offenders. While I understand freedom of speech, I also cannot fathom the idea of resulting to name calling and 0 research comments because of an opposing view.

As of now, we are getting closer and closer to the U.S. presidential election, and all I read are puff pieces about Biden and articles about how Trump supporters are stupid. The reality is that, to me, this shows that the media is using this messaging to promote what it desires. When facts are put behind opinions, we tend to be in trouble.

A good example of this came on my son’s birthday party. My wife’s grandma, who is very liberal and avoids political conversations, out of the blue asked me why I do not like Biden. I answered her question with a response based on facts. Her next question was what makes you think Trump is going to fix everything? I had to tell her she asked why I didn’t like Biden, and Trump was never brought up. She could not understand that she was intentionally leading a conversation into controversy by making political opinions an If/Then statement.

I solemnly believe that 95% of Americans are in the middle, with differing opinions on individual topics, but somewhere in the middle. Our political landscape has turned us on each other, and our loss of morals have left violence on the table for the simplest of disagreements. While a touchy subject, a coworker of mine brought up abortion. I have my own opinion, but I wanted to know his, and I asked a question. This coworker wanted to physically fight over a simple question. I have to agree with Charlie Kirk on the idea that when we can’t talk about disagreements, we are pretty much done for.

As we move forward, we need to have nominees who are willing to work together. At the end of the day, we are going to have 1/2 of the country pissed off after November. The tendency from our recent history is that if Trump wins, cities will burn. If Biden wins, Rural America is going to be pissed. The most dangerous outcome, however, is if Trump wins, and then the Supreme court decides he is not allowed to hold office. I believe that is when there will be a serious issue.

As I write, and ramble, I must note that my fear has to do with what I call kicking the proverbial can down the road. When states were removing Trump from their ballots, and the supreme court was set to hear the case for the 14th Amendment section 3, I told my wife what I thought was going to happen. I told her that they will say he can run on the ballots as section 3 only states that they cannot hold office, but does not state they cannot run for office. The media was already putting out comments about not getting upset about the supreme courts decision. While listening to part of the hearing, this exact argument was brought up. My concern is that the SCOTUS is hoping they don’t have to make a decision, and hoping for Biden to win so they can keep their hands relatively clean of a real decision.

My fear is that, while I cannot foresee Biden winning personally, that if Trump wins, and the decision is then made that he cannot hold office, it is going to look like Biden’s relative threats of needing more than your guns to fight the U.S. governments may look like a cynical reality for a lot of people. The flip side of that coin is that the American people deserve to be voting for better candidates who want to work for the people.

Now, this ties into prepping by proxy. No matter the outcome, you are going to have 1/2 a country of pissed off people. No matter the outcome, we are screwed. The United States has become a laughing stock on the global stage, a myriad of pathetic comedies that aren’t funny, but sad. We are already having Cyber Attacks, another ballon crossing the country, so many aspects of a new gen world war being waged. I cannot see a point in the near future where our world at war doesn’t become a world war. Our signs of weakness and division has shown the world that we are no longer “United we stand” but instead we are ready to fall.

The political machine should be a massive motivation to keep prepping strong and making sure we can do the best to secure our families in the case of an emergency. I never really was too concerned about politics until it was 1/2 the cause of my prepping. I am not one to get into political arguments, but do not mind conversations. The climate of politics now makes me more certain that I need to make sure my family is taken care of.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that politics is touchy, and people are on edge right now. If a conversation comes up where people revert to name calling and it becomes pointless, drop out. Look after yourself and your family. Prep the basics. Have plans like communications. We just saw what it is like when that is gone. Stay prepped and stay safe.

Main-stream media and interesting decisions.

I wrote a comment on a yahoo article this morning. I know the yahoo comment section is a cess pool that if you have a conservative opinion, you basically get destroyed. I posted anyway, as for comversational I am very middle of the road, not leaning into either parties extremist views. To me, both sides have their nut jobs and both sides have people who need to leave. Anyways, here is the comment I left:

“This is the problem with our society today. Most people tend to be in the middle, conservative on some issues and liberal on others. Our political leaders on both sides want the relative extremes without compromise, and really not looking at what we, the people, want/need. As our elections move forward, it is going to be a constant back and forth on who swings harder back at the other party. The amount of tax payer dollars spent this was is disgusting. At the end of the day, the American people are the ones who suffer under the governments back and forth games. It will only get worse as the government and main stream media set to divide the people and push for extreme ideologies on both sides. We need to remember what this country is supposed to be. The America I thought I fought for is seemingly gone, I fear. As we move forward, I hope and pray that we find peace amongst our own because how are we supposed to help with peace across the globe when there isn’t peace at home. I wish we could have a republican president and democrat vice president or vice-versa. I feel like that would force both sides to have to work together instead of intentionally screwing eachother over with noone willing to compromise. Just my thoughts as another person in the comment section.”

This comment was flagged:

Then followed with being removed. Meanwhile there were very aggressive comments that I was reading that makes me understand why it is now called maim stream media instead of news. The incredible bias makes these “news” articles an echo chamber, and that is very scary.

For the most part I stopped commenting when people were attacking facts with their feelings. Specifically back in 2020 when cities were being burnt down by people utilizing protests to commit crimes. It was a disturbing time, and when you would bring up facts, peoples feelings would get hurt. That is not my intention, but facts cannot be hidden because it may hurt your feelings.

Anyhow, I just wanted to post this here as I could not post on yahoo. Wierd, a message about peace between both American political parties gets flagged. This is the time we live in. Stay safe and stay prepared.

Joe Biden Store Looks Eerie

I am just posting this because of how odd it looks. There has been some attention brought to the “Dark Brandon” meme thing. I never heard of it, but reminds me of that address that was made that looked evil. I think it was a poor choice because of how it really looked, but it was USMC dress blue pants with the blood stripe.

This is what is being sold on the Joe Biden website: https://shop.joebiden.com/

The whole evil red eyes Joe Biden T-shirts and coffee mugs really come across creepy. I am not a fan of Joe Biden, and this really does not help, especially when something like this is being used for re-election. I feel like this is notification of what people are voting for. I just wanted to post this before it disappears.

New ways leading back to the days of old?

There are all these talking points about 15 minute cities and all digital currencies. People are talking online about how this will destroy the U.S. and just goes against everything we hold dear. Part of me sees these as something different. Allow me to explain.

I know that, even though I don’t use social media, that it is covered with conspiracies or truths being labeled as such. That is really none of my concern, as I deal with what I need here in real time. This talk about 15 minute cities did get me thinking, though. Realistically, isn’t that what life was like before the convenience of the automobile? Every little town had a doctor, a pharmacist, a grocery store, and all your immediate needs could be fulfilled. That being said, people had far less “needs” then than people appear to now.

I look back to when I was a child and my mother was watching Little House on the Prairie. Yeah, people left for trading post (we will get to this in a minute) but the vast majority of needs were handled in the little towns. School houses, post offices, pretty much any basic necessity. Is this not, more or less, what 15 minute cities would be in intent? I feel like it is more about power and control, but from our perspective, perhaps it would allow small towns to flourish, especially should SHTF.

Now, in conversation about digital currency, I keep hearing that the reason is so that the government can tax properly. Like we all aren’t paying enough for the abuse of government funds being utilized everyday. That being said, I believe there is a positive to the digital currency. Is it possible that people will begin to barter again? It happens, but has lost its mainstreamability (my word of the day) in exchange for cash.

If I have or can produce something in which you value, and deal with that in exchange for what you have or can produce, we fully leave government hands out of our transaction. At the end of the day, taxation has become so irresponsible, and our governments spending so outrageous that we need to work around that system. We need to get back to basics.

All in all, while the theory of 15 minute cities has negative intent for society, and an all digital currency is all about control, perhaps we can find the silver lining in these. I also cannot help but wonder if, with our infrastructure filled with holes, the possibility of an all digital currency is a means to an end. Our own government is already talking about how China has backdoors into all of our infrastructure, so perhaps once our all digital currency takes place, our economy can easily be shut down completely. Cannot say anything for sure, but sound kind of ridiculous to me.

Anyhow, I was thinking about this and wanted to write it down, so that is all I have. Stay safe and stay prepared. Remember, at the end of the day, you are the only one really looking out for you and your family.

Political and Social confusion in the U.S.

Politics are such a hot topic item, and people do not want to have the conversations, but instead rather argue with no sense on reason. The U.S. is in such a downward spiral and the division being placed with in its citizens appear to be done on purpose. The division between races, which the average citizen could care less about, or the division between left and right. People forget we are all American first and foremost, and that most of us live in the center politically, with different opinions on hot button topics.

Right now, guns and abortion are some of the biggest dividers for politics. These are some opinions on abortion from a level headed and willing to talk about the topics person. I will not push my personal opinions, but a logical conversation on the topic ahead. The Supreme Court reversed Roe V. Wade because it is not explicitly covered by the constitution. I can understand it. I don’t have to agree on a personal level, but I can understand it. Abortion laws were then placed on the state level to prevent government over-reach. Preventing government overreach I am ok with.

A large problem came from when it was passed to the state level. Some states banned it, which is a states right, but then some states made it illegal to go to another state to have an abortion. Once you cross state lines, you are out of the states jurisdiction, and then it would become federal territory. State laws cannot extend beyond the reaches of the state. This is my understanding, and I may be wrong.

Another issue on the topic is that, prior to Roe V. Wade, abortions still happened, but were in dangerous dirty back offices and vans with rudimentary tools and unsanitary conditions, along with sometimes questionable medical qualifications. They still happened. Some state offer safe places to shoot up heroine with clean needles and no consequence for using illegal drugs. Why? Because the thought is that a safe and clean place to do your drugs is safer than doing them in some dirty alley with shared needles. Wierd? Even if illegal, we would rather them be done in a safe and clean environment, but for illegal drugs? Food for thought.

Another issue I find is one where I cannot provide a fool proof solution. When I had my vasectomy, my doctor would not schedule it until he talked with my wife. If I was unwed, he would need to talk to my girlfriend, and if I was single, to talk to my mother. This was to ensure that I wasn’t making a bad decision or taking the opportunity away from, say, my wife or girlfriend to have kids without their knowledge. The mother part was kind of wierd, but it was probably meant to open up conversation and make sure it is really what I want. The problem is that, theoretically, my wife could go and have an abortion without my knowledge and kill what could have been our child. Perhaps she was raped or cheated, and didn’t want that conversation, or maybe she would make a decision that effected us both, who knows? But that could happen.

That being said, the idea of specific qualifications for abortion are also kind of strange. You are only permitted if you were raped, a victim of incest or it risks the life of the mother. I am not the judge, jury and executioner, and I do not need to justify what another person’s decision is. I don’t know your situation nor can I really judge what your decision is based on. I think there needs to be a time limit on abortions outside of certain restrictions. Right now, the gestationally youngest child to ever live was born at 21 weeks and 5 days. That is a hard number that a child was able to survive with medical intervention. When does a clump of cells become a life is a very hard question, but I submit this number as the start of a serious talking point.

Abortion should not be just as easy as using a condom. Day after pills shouldn’t be bought like aspirin and tylenol. The reason I say this is because, while accidents happen, these do not prevent the spread of disease, and that is something it seem society has forgotten about. Day after pills, in my opinion, should be accessible. My wife and I had an incident once when had to use one. It was after my daughter was born, and she was breast feeding and, do to other issues as well, could not be on birth control at the time. We had a condom break. We took swift action utilizing the day after pill. This was a one time thing, and with a married couple. Things happen, and accessibility should be available as this really prevents the fertilization process, and cannot really be considered killing a life. This argument I never understood. This is before the sperm fertilizes the egg.

Moving onto my last talking point, at the end of the day, this one controversial topic is going to destroy republicans in the upcoming elections. Political figures are supposed to follow what the American people want, as we vote for them and pay them by our increasingly ridiculous tax rates. It is no joke that the U.S. political show appears to be a comedy by the rest of the world. The U.S. is a laughing stock, and losing its global renown faster than the dollar is losing its global currency status and faster than our inflation is raising…. I mean lowering, if you follow the “news.” One solution would be to go to the old system, where one wins and the second place becomes VP. Force the parties to work together. Could you imagine a Trump/Biden white house? Yeah, me neither. Nothing would get done.

The fact is that, whether Americans are for or against abortions, it needs to be a conversation, not a line in the sand. The people who voted these politicians into position didn’t have such a major decision to think about at the time they were elected, and don’t know those voted in places views on them. Instead of whipping ban orders, perhaps hold a question on the next ballots, and allow the people to vote what they want. If 65% of people support to ban, at least the people had a say. By appeasing your voter base, even if you disagree, and follow the people, you would truly be a successful politician.

On a personal note, I have mixed feeling about the topic of abortion. I think that you should have made that decision before you are halfway through your pregnancy, but then there are people who never knew they were pregnant. I think there are legitimate reasons and BS reasons, but if it is not my child, why should I have a say? If we provide safe places from illegal drug use, why not at least offer that protection for women who are having an abortion? It is a sensitive topic, and a hard conversation for some to have more logically and less emotionally.

When my wife got pregnant, we were only dating, and her mother asked her if she was getting rid of it. I told my wife if she did that, we were done as there was no redemption between us. We kept the child, got married, and have been going strong for many years. That child is now 12 and on a field trip with friend who may have never known this kid had my wife made a decision all those years ago that could have changed our personal history. That being said, we both partook in the events that led to that child, and we took the responsibility of our decision. We were both sober and of sound mind, and that was our decision.

How can expect you to make a decision based on what I do? I have made good and bad decisions as we all have, and those make us who we are today. The simple fact is that our politicians need to be compassionate and understanding of the people’s needs. Abortion is a complicated and challenging conversation to have, but it needs to be had. Don’t let tempers rage, but instead communicate. The people I deal with every day can have these deep conversations, surely you can too. Stay safe and stay prepared.

Throughout the months…

Moving forward through the months, my personal journey and growth has been going well. While weight loss hasn’t been extreme, that is not what I wanted. What has happened is a lifestyle change. I may have mentioned this prior, but first things first, diet. Not just I, but we, my family, have changed our eating habits. My wife and I have not had pasta since before the new year. We have, however, enjoyed spaghetti squash. Spaghetti Squash has 1/5 the calories of spaghetti and between 1/3 and 1/7 the carbs of spaghetti. This number seems to be all over the place, but either way, less than spaghetti. Another simple change comes to pizza. I make my food homemade, and that includes pizza dough.

I found a recipe that exchanges pizza dough for a chicken based crust, and it is delicious and filling. It uses 1 can of canned chicken, squeezed as dry as you can, like 1/4-1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, and egg and whatever seasonings you want. Put parchment paper on the pizza pan, roll it out, cook at 350 for like 20 minutes, turn it over, repeat, then add sauce, cheese and toppings. Cook like any other pizza at this point. Delicious and low carbs. We have been doing a lot like this, which changes lifestyle, not crash dieting.

The other side of the coin is exercise. Almost every morning, I have been hitting the trail, continuously, outside of terrible downpours or, more common, kids home from school sick. Outside of that, being outside, exercising and fresh air is quite enjoyable. Another aspect of exercise that is nice is going to the gym after work every night. There is a gym at my workplace, and I have, for the last few weeks, been going every night I work. This is not only enjoyable, but important for long term goals. I am still working on my goals, and maintaining the long term goal of being in better shape, lower weight, stronger, lower bad cholesterol, still keeping my good blood pressure, and just overall improve myself.

These are some simple things, but while relatively small changes, huge in the grand scheme of things. While yeah, an hour of walking the trails in the morning and 1/2 hour to 45 minutes in the gym at night doesn’t seem like much, that is an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes not sitting on my ass. This is doing something. Not only doing something, but doing something positive for yourself. You have to remember that while prepping items is very important, prepping yourself is far more important. What can you do if you are unable to support anything? This is something that really needs to play a role in your preps, especially in the direction our world is heading. Stay safe and stay prepared!