I had to fuel up the car today and for the first time this year I had to pay over $3.00 per gallon for gasoline. Granted, crude oil is up a little bit, but not enough to justify the recent price jacking seen here. Maybe it is because of the Iranian capture of the British sailors? There is always a good reason for the odd pricing structure for gasoline, at least there is according to the oil companies. I have found that the “reasons” given usually lack substance (my favorite is refinery maintenance) yet somehow pacify enough to keep legislators from investigating. So spring is here, open your wallet, smile and tithe to the oil barons.
It’s A Gas
March 31st, 2007Globalization
February 25th, 2007I don’t know if I am the only one that gets bothered by the direction that our economy is headed, but there is something wrong. Very wrong.
I find it very odd that even the tiniest widgit is now made in China when for decades it was manufactured in the USA. Does it really make sense for a 99¢ item to be manufactured on another continent, (in a communist country no less) shipped across the ocean in a large ship that is guzzling non-renewable fossil fuel, and then distributed throughout the US? Somehow there is some financial incentive to produce products this way. We know that it doesn’t increase the number of manufacturing jobs, it sends them offshore. We know that it doesn’t push prices down, consumer prices continue to rise. Since we know that the product costs less to produce (and that is the battle cry of the sellers of these products) and we aren’t benefiting from the lower prices, we can safely conclude that outcome of all of this is greater profit for the producer. This is of course is to the detriment of the US worker, especially the one whose job was lost when the manufacturing was outsourced.
This has always bothered me, but it really got me riled up last week when I bought a bottle of pineapple juice, organic juice, no less. I bought the R.W. Knudsen branded organic pinapple juice and when I got it home I looked at the freshness dating information that inked directly on the glass. In very small print is clearly stated “Product of China” right above the freshness date. Nowhere on the paper label, the place where people are accustomed to looking for product information, does it state a country of origin.
If we continue to allow ourselves to become dependent on imported products, and our country becomes less and less able to produce products that keep the country functioning, we are at great risk should the supply chain ever become interrupted. When the food on your plate is coming from the four corners of the globe, what will you do if the supply becomes unstable or unsafe?
Support local food!
Blackeyed Peas
February 4th, 2007Dinner last night turned out well. It was a simple dish I make every so often
Blackeyed Peas & Collard Greens
32 ounces of vegetable stock
1 cup dry blackeyed peas
Collard greens 4-6 leaves
Blackstrap Molasses to taste
Chop the collards into bite-sized pieces, remove the large veins.
Bring the stock, collards and blackeyed peas to a boil.
Stir in Molasses.
Cover and simmer for one hour.
Test a pea or two for doneness. They should be nearly cooked.
Continue cooking as needed, usually another 15 minutes should do.
If nowhere near cooked, you probably have old peas.
The Full Moon
February 3rd, 2007As I walked up to the street to get my mail today I noticed some intestines left on the driveway. Judging by the size, I would guess that some rabbit lost them today. I have lived here for over 16 years now, these sort of little discoveries don’t startle me anymore. I have a front row seat for observing nature’s life cycle.
As I was cooking dinner I heard a coyote yelping fairly close to the house. This isn’t as common as it used to be, I think the pressures of development have caused the coyotes to thin out a bit. They were back in full force tonight. I stepped outside to grab some more firewood and the pack of them had moved down the road toward the new development. I am sure that excited the new residents. All of the yelping activated several dogs far off in the distance. Soon, peace and quiet returned to the woods.