Today's blog is about fruit trees. In my humble, (okay not so humble), opinion everyone should have a fruit tree or two in their yard. In today's article, I list 5 different trees that can survive thoughout most of the US. Each tree has its advantages and you will need to decide what is best for you. So click on the link and learn about fruit trees.......
Tomorrow's blog will be about the lowly Horseradish plant. Does anyone actually eat this? I hope so, apparently you can use it in just about anything and it will grow like a weed!
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Four new postings! Take a look!
Rosemary is an easy to grow perennial herb that everyone should have in his or her garden. Having a perennial and annual herb garden is a simple and tasty method of reducing your food costs. Just think if you are making a side dish of mashed potatoes with leaks and Rosemary, no longer would you have to buy that small container of old dried over priced rosemary herb. Instead you could simply walk out your front, (or back), door and pick a handful of rosemary leaves, chop them in your blender and add to your recipe. Fresh herbs will provide a much bigger kick in flavor to any dish so be careful when switching from dried herbs to fresh.....
Cheesecake is a favorite treat in most families, yet it is something we seldom eat unless we are ordering a dessert when we dine out. Among our family’s favorites flavors of cheesecake is cherry. Yes, cherry cheesecake is a simple, but tasty snack after dinner or as in our case, as soon as it cools down. The ingredient list is short and the actual time to prepare your cherry cheesecake takes less than 45 minutes, (not including time for cooling)....
How many of us can remember the first tax revolt in this nation’s history? Everyone is aware of the Boston Tea Party and how it led to the revolution that created our nation, but in schools today the most that is said about the Whiskey Rebellion is a quick one liner about a few disgruntled farmers who were upset and how George Washington raised troops to put it down. In reality the Whisky Rebellion had its beginnings in 1791 when Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton imposed a 25% tax on all distilled products throughout the nation. The purpose of the tax was to help pay for the debts incurred during the Revolutionary War. ...
A great deal has been said and done about taxes over the last two years, including the creation and rise to prominence of a political party whose platform champions the idea of changing the tax code and reducing the spending of the Federal Government. Known as the TEA Party, this “new” national party and all of its chapters have been a major player in the fight for lower taxes and even had a direct impact upon the 2010 Congressional elections. Despite the ground swell regarding spending and taxes, no lasting effect upon the levels of taxation or the methods of collection for these taxes has been implemented. Nor does it seem there will be any significant changes before the 2012 Congressional / Presidential elections. Yet in Georgia, Governor Deal Georgia’s newest Governor, has been floating trial balloons suggesting that the onerous Georgia State property tax and income taxes maybe going the way of the Dodo bird. ....
I hope you liked today's postings!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A change of Pace!
Today's blog is a little different than what I have published in the past. Today I was writing an article about a video game called Duke Nukem. If you are not familiar with Duke Nukem, think of a ranchy, sexist video game and you would barely scratch the surface. This franchise has been going since 1991, for those who are a bit younger, than was way before the Playstation and Xbox. It was when PCs ruled the video game world. Yes, really ancient times!
Take a peek, who knows you may be a new fan!
Tomorrow we will have postings about four new articles. I have begun a series of perennial herb garden plants and shrubs. The first of the series will be about Rosemary. The next three will consist of a cherry cheesecake recipe, A commentary about taxes, (income and property), as well as a history lesson. Do you know what was America's first rebellion was about?
A bit of a history lesson: George Washington himself was the one and only sitting President to ever wear a military uniform and lead our military forces in battle. No one since ever has including "Old Hickory" himself Andrew Jackson!
Enjoy!
Take a peek, who knows you may be a new fan!
Tomorrow we will have postings about four new articles. I have begun a series of perennial herb garden plants and shrubs. The first of the series will be about Rosemary. The next three will consist of a cherry cheesecake recipe, A commentary about taxes, (income and property), as well as a history lesson. Do you know what was America's first rebellion was about?
A bit of a history lesson: George Washington himself was the one and only sitting President to ever wear a military uniform and lead our military forces in battle. No one since ever has including "Old Hickory" himself Andrew Jackson!
Enjoy!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
New Follower!
I see that I now have two followers. Nothing like having a couple of people who are willing to follow your scribbles on a page to make your day! To all of my followers, welcome aboard.
Today's post contains three new articles for your review.
The first article is a second addition to the 5 Myths about Landlords. I went on a bit of a rant on this one, but being a landlord can be a pain at times.
Have you seen the number of "buy gold now!" commercials? It's almost as if the world will end tomorrow if you don't. This article questions the wisdom of buying gold and silver in today's markets.
Lastly, is an article for the DIY in the family. Have you ever replaced a toilet? Unfortunately I needed to install one after replacing a rotted out floor, so an article was written. Who knows, you may decide that you need a new toilet, but really didn't want to pay the plumbing costs. Now you don't.
Enjoy!
Today's post contains three new articles for your review.
The first article is a second addition to the 5 Myths about Landlords. I went on a bit of a rant on this one, but being a landlord can be a pain at times.
Have you seen the number of "buy gold now!" commercials? It's almost as if the world will end tomorrow if you don't. This article questions the wisdom of buying gold and silver in today's markets.
Lastly, is an article for the DIY in the family. Have you ever replaced a toilet? Unfortunately I needed to install one after replacing a rotted out floor, so an article was written. Who knows, you may decide that you need a new toilet, but really didn't want to pay the plumbing costs. Now you don't.
Enjoy!
Friday, January 21, 2011
A Smattering of Articles by JD Barlow
I have decided to simply list the balance of the articles that I have written to date. They run the gauntlet of topics, so hopefully you will see something you like.
1) Heat pumps and pellet stoves.... generally I should have listened and installed a pellet stove. Heat pumps just can not keep up during the coldest of days in south Georgia and when do you need them most?
2) How to make a dry erase board... everyone knows about the fancy dry erase boards that replaced the old fashioned chalk boards, but did you know how easy they were to make?
3) Why we need to store food..... this is rather self-evident, but read the article anyways.
4) Do you like berries, try this recipe for berry pie. It works with any type of berry.
5) Do you have any Noxzema in the house? Read this article and find out why you should!
6) What to learn a few new home remedies? In this article we list some of the more popular ones.
7) Is food inflation getting to your food budget. Here are a few ideas on how to stretch it.
8) In this article, you can learn to build your own brick walkway on a budget.
9) Here is a product review of the Wagner Paint Crew.
10) Two more product reviews, a nice around the house electric screwdriver and a simple clamp-on vise.
11) Are you prepared for a disaster. Ready to bugout or stay in. Learn the basics of what you need to do either.
12) Are you thinking of becoming a landlord? Click here to learn if you have the mettle to become one! Of course, you will need to know five of the more common myths about landlords also.
13) Inflation is coming, what will it do to you?
14) Need an eye lift? Before you go under the knife, read this and you may change your mind!
15) Lastly, a book review by a local author here in the Golden Isles of Georgia
Enjoy!
1) Heat pumps and pellet stoves.... generally I should have listened and installed a pellet stove. Heat pumps just can not keep up during the coldest of days in south Georgia and when do you need them most?
2) How to make a dry erase board... everyone knows about the fancy dry erase boards that replaced the old fashioned chalk boards, but did you know how easy they were to make?
3) Why we need to store food..... this is rather self-evident, but read the article anyways.
4) Do you like berries, try this recipe for berry pie. It works with any type of berry.
5) Do you have any Noxzema in the house? Read this article and find out why you should!
6) What to learn a few new home remedies? In this article we list some of the more popular ones.
7) Is food inflation getting to your food budget. Here are a few ideas on how to stretch it.
8) In this article, you can learn to build your own brick walkway on a budget.
9) Here is a product review of the Wagner Paint Crew.
10) Two more product reviews, a nice around the house electric screwdriver and a simple clamp-on vise.
11) Are you prepared for a disaster. Ready to bugout or stay in. Learn the basics of what you need to do either.
12) Are you thinking of becoming a landlord? Click here to learn if you have the mettle to become one! Of course, you will need to know five of the more common myths about landlords also.
13) Inflation is coming, what will it do to you?
14) Need an eye lift? Before you go under the knife, read this and you may change your mind!
15) Lastly, a book review by a local author here in the Golden Isles of Georgia
Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Today's Politics and the Entitlement Program
When it comes to politics, it’s all about empire building. Everyone who has the desire to run for office is in the game for power. It doesn’t matter if they wish to help hurt or even build personal wealth; power is the ultimate goal of every politician. What is the simplest path to power? Entitlements, rather the ability to control who receives the gifts of entitlements, is the easiest path to political power in this nation. This is why you always see our elected officials competing to out do each other with the largesse of government. You ask why entitlements? Entitlements has the double edge sword of making those who receive them dependant upon the continued receipt of those benefits and by doing so, makes the recipient more likely to vote for the politician who has the power to dispense the benefits. Also, when it comes to government programs for the poor, there is always a built in penalty that discourages the people who receive the benefits from increasing their income and thus remove themselves from the lists of recipients. For example, if you were a single mother with two children working full time and earning $15k per year and applied for all applicable government programs, you would end up having a disposable income of about $38k per year. Yet if you were a single mother with two children and earned $60k per year, you would not be eligible for any benefits as your income levels would be above the limits allowed by the various programs. As such, your disposable income after taxes, etc would be about $36k per year. So where is the incentive to do better? Why work hard putting in extra hours and earn an income that would support your family, but end up doing slightly worse than a person who simple puts in the minimum effort. It is under such programs, that politicians gain the most power for how many people do you know would be willing to put in the personal sacrifice to bridge the gap between minimum wage and the effort required to make $60k? Not many in truth, that is why our entitlement programs are growing by leaps and bounds.........
If entitlements aren't enough to get your blood boiling or make you want to give up, then consider the article about the changing of America. We were once a nation of farmers, then builders, world leaders, bankers beyond compare, but no longer.....
Do you really have the right to say what ever you want? Not according to the Supreme Court and if Congress has its way, you won't be able to say much of anything......
How actually believes what we are told by our leaders? This article covers some of the more common lies that we hear on a daily basis.
The TEA Party had a significant impact on this nation during the last election, but America's frustration goes further. People are asking "Who is John Galt"?
Enjoy!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Pensions are they secure?
Okay, I was planning to talk about entitlements, but I haven't finished putting my thoughts together on the subject. The research did turn up an interesting fact or two, which I will repeat tomorrow. For now, think on this, if you are a single person with two minor children work full time and apply for all applicable entitlements, you can have a greater level of disposable income than a person who works full time earning $60k annually with two minor children. So what is the incentive to work for a living? More on this tomorrow.
Today, I did a little work on government employee pension plans. If you discount what the Federal Government does, (simply prints money), and instead concentrate on what the local, county and state level pension plans are currently obligated to pay versus what they in funding, don't plan on getting your pension plan. Already some cities such as Prichard Alabama have already stopped paying their pension obligations. In the case of Prichard, there have been a great deal of hardship. It can even be argued deaths, but I would hesitate to say so, since I have no directly knowledge only press reports.
We have all heard of Bell City California where the officials have been milking the tax base for years, we it seems they are about to declare bankruptcy and in doing so, will no longer have any obligations to pay its pensions, which will in turn be picked up by the state. Yes the same state, (California), that has stopped paying its vendors for months at a time for lack of funds.
If these pension plans implode, you can expect a bigger problem in this country than what the Great Depression created. The people of this nation have been raised on being able to milk the tax payers of this nation for too long and if the money stops flowing, you can expect a greater degree of strife than we have ever seen before. It will make Greece look like a quiet retirement party in comparison.
Now you know why so many officials are eager to restrict our 2nd Amendment rights. Greece in turn has no laws allowing the possesion or ownership of firearms and look what happened there.
I will see you tomorrow
Enjoy!
Today, I did a little work on government employee pension plans. If you discount what the Federal Government does, (simply prints money), and instead concentrate on what the local, county and state level pension plans are currently obligated to pay versus what they in funding, don't plan on getting your pension plan. Already some cities such as Prichard Alabama have already stopped paying their pension obligations. In the case of Prichard, there have been a great deal of hardship. It can even be argued deaths, but I would hesitate to say so, since I have no directly knowledge only press reports.
We have all heard of Bell City California where the officials have been milking the tax base for years, we it seems they are about to declare bankruptcy and in doing so, will no longer have any obligations to pay its pensions, which will in turn be picked up by the state. Yes the same state, (California), that has stopped paying its vendors for months at a time for lack of funds.
If these pension plans implode, you can expect a bigger problem in this country than what the Great Depression created. The people of this nation have been raised on being able to milk the tax payers of this nation for too long and if the money stops flowing, you can expect a greater degree of strife than we have ever seen before. It will make Greece look like a quiet retirement party in comparison.
Now you know why so many officials are eager to restrict our 2nd Amendment rights. Greece in turn has no laws allowing the possesion or ownership of firearms and look what happened there.
I will see you tomorrow
Enjoy!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
DIY Day - Working on Self-Sufficiency
With the Christmas season over and the January bills filling the mailboxes, you might want to plan ahead for the next year. Right now Solar Christmas lights are on sale @ Amazon. Solar lights have a few advantages over convential lights, easy to move, easy to set up, once you buy them no additional costs to run and not least of all, no electrical cords running through your yard. Take a look at this link and see if they can do you any good.
It's the new year and if you are looking to get a few of those annoying projects done around the house, but are unsure how to start them you may want to look at the links below. A good way to becoming more self-sufficient is to learn how to start and complete a DIY project. It not only will save you money, but will also give you the extra confidence to tackle larger projects as they come up.
Installing a room of carpet
Tinting double pane windows
Installing a room of drywall
Reparing drywall damage in your home
Grouting Ceramic tile
Installing a towel bar
I realize the working around the home is not glamorous or a real fun way to spend your weekends, but if you actually total up what you spend paying people to do the little things you don't have time for, you will quickly realize that you can really save quite a bit of money. Working too much can create a negative feedback loop. The more you work, the less time you have for family and fun, so you pay someone to help and next thing you know, you need to work more to make the money needed to keep paying someone to help.
So take a moment, look at your budget and see how many things that you pay others to do and how these things are costing you money and thus time. Break that loop, stop being a good worker bee and become that truly independent person we were meant to be.
Next time: entitlements and how we are tricked into becoming money trees to government officials
It's the new year and if you are looking to get a few of those annoying projects done around the house, but are unsure how to start them you may want to look at the links below. A good way to becoming more self-sufficient is to learn how to start and complete a DIY project. It not only will save you money, but will also give you the extra confidence to tackle larger projects as they come up.
Installing a room of carpet
Tinting double pane windows
Installing a room of drywall
Reparing drywall damage in your home
Grouting Ceramic tile
Installing a towel bar
I realize the working around the home is not glamorous or a real fun way to spend your weekends, but if you actually total up what you spend paying people to do the little things you don't have time for, you will quickly realize that you can really save quite a bit of money. Working too much can create a negative feedback loop. The more you work, the less time you have for family and fun, so you pay someone to help and next thing you know, you need to work more to make the money needed to keep paying someone to help.
So take a moment, look at your budget and see how many things that you pay others to do and how these things are costing you money and thus time. Break that loop, stop being a good worker bee and become that truly independent person we were meant to be.
Next time: entitlements and how we are tricked into becoming money trees to government officials
Saturday, January 15, 2011
How to live through the coming tougher times!
Yesterday we spoke about the coming tougher times in America. For those of us who are older, it is simply a case of been there and done that, but for the others it is now time to learn to live frugally. In essence, you need to get back to the basics. Start with dropping the fast food and learning to cook. In our house, we make virtually all of our food from pizza to our different snack breads. Think about it for a moment. If you like pizza and everyone does, how better to save a few dollars than by making it yourself. Pizza consists of flour, yeast, sugar, cheese, tomato sauce, spices and what ever toppings you desire. To make 2 large pizzas costs less than $5 and the same pizzas with silicone cheese and who knows what else can cost as much as $30 at the local pizza shop. Just look at what you eat and begin the process of breaking it down into the most basic elements and learn to use them in new/better ways.
The next thing you can do is start a garden/orchard. If you grow your own foods, you not only will save money over what the grocery stores will charge, but you will have a better quality food. Do you realize that most tomatoes are picked green and sprayed to change their color to red? It will be challenging, but if you work at it and are willing to fight the multitudes of pests, you can really do well in a rather short period of time.
Lastly, if you are truly interested in saving money, try raising your own chickens. Again, a quality produce that costs less than what you would pay at the grocery store and it will be hormone free.
All in all, my family, by using the tips listed above, was able to expand our food budget by 51% last year and not once did we use a coupon. We just bought the basics. How about you? Are you willing to live frugal? You may not have a choice before too long.
For those who like saving their change, I have an interesting article on what your coins are really worth. Did you know that some US coins now in circulation are actually worth more in melt value than the listed face value? These coins are now in circulation, just click on the link to read the article.
Enjoy!
The next thing you can do is start a garden/orchard. If you grow your own foods, you not only will save money over what the grocery stores will charge, but you will have a better quality food. Do you realize that most tomatoes are picked green and sprayed to change their color to red? It will be challenging, but if you work at it and are willing to fight the multitudes of pests, you can really do well in a rather short period of time.
Lastly, if you are truly interested in saving money, try raising your own chickens. Again, a quality produce that costs less than what you would pay at the grocery store and it will be hormone free.
All in all, my family, by using the tips listed above, was able to expand our food budget by 51% last year and not once did we use a coupon. We just bought the basics. How about you? Are you willing to live frugal? You may not have a choice before too long.
For those who like saving their change, I have an interesting article on what your coins are really worth. Did you know that some US coins now in circulation are actually worth more in melt value than the listed face value? These coins are now in circulation, just click on the link to read the article.
Enjoy!
Friday, January 14, 2011
2nd Day on the Job!
All right! I made a little more money today all while I was at work earning a living. You really can't knock the internet. Here I am writing articles on Hub Pages and earning residuals all the while I am sleeping, eating, etc. Not a bad way to go.
So far I am in the pee wee leagues, but each month is better than the last. Not too hard considering this is only my second month, but on a same numbers of days comparison, things are still looking better.
For those who are interested in writing for a living here is my link
http://hubpages.com/profile/JD+Barlow
Next topic of the day.
Survival in these changing times. For those who are under 40, you have never experienced an actual economic slowdown. This is due in part to Ronald Reagan and the Lafer Curve. Danger: school knowledge! What President Reagan said was that if we reduced the amount of taxes that were being sought by the Federal Govenment, we would have a greater level of economic activity and thus higher tax revenues. He used the Lafer Curve to demonstrate this. This ended up creating nearly 40 years of upward trending economic growth and due to this, we have forgotten how to live with less.
So, what can we expect the next decade or so? If you have studied the 70's at all, it was a time of stagnant growth and higher interest rates. That is what we are beginning to see all across the nation, rows of empty houses and emptier stores. Anyone who wishes to grow and achieve some sort of economic independance will need to breakfree of the chains of low wages.
Tomorrow... how to do that!
For your benefit a Hub I recently wrote:
Entitlements and the Underclass
So far I am in the pee wee leagues, but each month is better than the last. Not too hard considering this is only my second month, but on a same numbers of days comparison, things are still looking better.
For those who are interested in writing for a living here is my link
http://hubpages.com/profile/JD+Barlow
Next topic of the day.
Survival in these changing times. For those who are under 40, you have never experienced an actual economic slowdown. This is due in part to Ronald Reagan and the Lafer Curve. Danger: school knowledge! What President Reagan said was that if we reduced the amount of taxes that were being sought by the Federal Govenment, we would have a greater level of economic activity and thus higher tax revenues. He used the Lafer Curve to demonstrate this. This ended up creating nearly 40 years of upward trending economic growth and due to this, we have forgotten how to live with less.
So, what can we expect the next decade or so? If you have studied the 70's at all, it was a time of stagnant growth and higher interest rates. That is what we are beginning to see all across the nation, rows of empty houses and emptier stores. Anyone who wishes to grow and achieve some sort of economic independance will need to breakfree of the chains of low wages.
Tomorrow... how to do that!
For your benefit a Hub I recently wrote:
Entitlements and the Underclass
Thursday, January 13, 2011
1st Day on the Job
Here I am trying to create a blog. It's amazing that I am able to write a 1,000 words a day for the Hubpages, but when I get a chance to write anything that I want, everything goes blank.
So let's try this... items of interest.....
First my profile page...
Take a look and see what I have written. There are a variety of topics and if you don't find something you like, drop me a note and we will see what can be done.
For those who like to do things themselves and enjoy a drink here and there, my link to the latest ....
It's really good stuff and it if you make it yourself, then it adds a little spice to the whole thing.
More to come....
Enjoy!
So let's try this... items of interest.....
First my profile page...
| http://hubpages.com/profile/JD+Barlow |
Take a look and see what I have written. There are a variety of topics and if you don't find something you like, drop me a note and we will see what can be done.
For those who like to do things themselves and enjoy a drink here and there, my link to the latest ....
| http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Great-Limoncell-Receipe-by-jd-barlow |
It's really good stuff and it if you make it yourself, then it adds a little spice to the whole thing.
More to come....
Enjoy!
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