The party's over (graduation, that is) and I'm back to my usual PO musings. I've decided to do a little round-up of things people have posted this week on some of the PO forums I frequently visit. Besides the excellent comedy routine of Robert Newman (posted in the entry below) about the History of Oil, the major themes this week have included food, finances, freedom, and the "fall".
In the areas of finance and the economy, there have been several references to Greenspan's comments on peak oil at the Energy Bulletin, the International Herald Tribune, and the Monterey County Herald to name a few. Will this make peak oil go mainstream? Yahoo won't let me acces the article I saved about Russia switching a fraction of it reserves out of U.S. dollars. Then, someone is concerned about the Federal Reserves recent moves in an article at The Information Clearinghouse. Finally, one of my favorite financial geeks posted a link to Freedom to Facism in order to really make the hairs stand on end.
Another interesting theme evolving this week about exponential arithmetic and population included the World Clock and Bartlett's Laws Relating to Sustainability.
Which brings us to The Crash and has become a movie in its own right. Others have been willingly offering newbies websites like this one and a guidebook on how to weather the coming storm of oil depletion.
The remainder of the discussions were concerning how we're going to eat and rocketstoves. I've noted two new blogs from people in the forums such as Entire-of-itself and Green, Blue, Brown who also liked Newman's "History of Oil" clip, too! Michael Kaer, if you're reading this, I haven't forgotten your blog and links...I just don't have them handy at the moment. I will be placing these blogs in my roll when I get some time.
There were lots of other topics discussed, of course, but these were the ones I was interested in.
On the personal front, I ordered my internet friend, Richard Embleton's "Oilephant Down" lastnight. I should be getting it in a few days now.
The garden is so-so this year. We had torrential rains that delayed planting out the seedlings at the right time, and then the graduation took the rest of the time away. My garden is about half planted at the moment. However, I have plans to start a fall crop for the cool season veggies in August. I should have more time then. My elderberries are growing and my new peach tree has leaves!!!! My grape vine is in its third year and it is taking off! Even the rhubarb is ready and it's only in its second year. Horseradish is doing great, too, as are my Tom Thumb peas. All of the herbs are doing excellent.
The Farmer's Market just opened this weekend from 7a-noon on Saturdays. It was pouring down rain but I went anyway. Everyone was huddled underneath the only tent that was up. I bought swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, and lettuce. Tonight I had the broccoli cooked in butter and water with spaghetti, drained and then mixed with parmesan cheese at the suggestion of the farmer who sold it to me. It was really good!!
I've also been garage salin' this weekend looking for tools, bikes, preserving materials, etc. I bought a small axe, a large axe, and 4 grocery bags of canning jars. That was about all I could find. Someone was selling metal shelving (great for storage) but I got there too late and they were ALL sold! All 10 of them! The bikes for sale weren't much to look at. Most of them were too rusty and they wanted too much for them in their condition, I thought.
Would someone please tell these women that garage sales aren't supposed to be all clothes all the time!? When I walk up to the sales, many of them take me straight to the clothes. I tell them "I'm not looking for what you might think I'm looking for." Then they ask what. I say hand tools, canning equipment, bikes. They grimace because they can't help me. I don't look like a person who would be looking for these things. I look more like someone who would be looking for baby things or nicnacs or something of that nature, I guess. Maybe it's just because I'm a female, I don't know. Oh! I found a good wind-up alarm clock (an old Big Ben) for $1. I walked out of that sale looking like an axe murderer with a clock.
That's it. Anyone have any good recipes for Swiss chard or spinach?
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