Worse than zombies?

I am going to write this one quickly and make it short as my youngest wants to go play and my last blog was rather lengthy....this one I found while looking for a link for one of the others I'd written. I am always fascinated by dark things and I don't know why but something I was fascinated with but never want a close up look at was the black plague....aka Bubonic plague. I think this interest comes from my interest also in medical things and the dark ages. (I blame my Mom for that as she is the one got me interested in medical phenomena) anyway....Bubonic plague is passed usually via fleas carried on wild rats and mice and in the past it was usually in unsanitary conditions. Apparently this particular plague is coming back a bit. They don't seem to think it will be of the size it was in the past (up to 60 percent of the European population)by any means but it is happening in more affluent neighborhoods. My own theory is people are seeing a rise in the number of pests due to climate change and in places they really weren't an issue in before as they encroach farther into the human population in search of food, water, and shelter. When they do they are carrying with them disease such as the aforementioned plague and  others such as rabies , etc. Here is the yahoo link on this topic plague. I may post more on this later :) Oh here is another link...unrelated yet sort of related http://www.giantmicrobes.com/

Health eating, food stamps, and other stuff

tomato from this years crop

(Rewriting this one) This is the news story on the food stamps: food stamps Short version of this is they really want to put restrictions on the food stamps where you can't buy things such as pop and junk food. I can in a way see where they are coming from on this as we do live in a very unhealthy society and they feel like these are luxury items. On that part I do agree....However this is where I have a problem with this. Why specifically target just the food stamp users? Why not do something to change the country as a whole as far as nutritional food if that is the problem. The cost of said junk food tends to be lower than the healthy foods and actually buys more. Granted the nutritional value does not go as far but if you are trying to feed a hungry family and stretch things as far as you can then you are going to try to buy things that go farther. I have been pretty low in my own life. (Try living on $500 dollars or so a month at the time myself and 3 kids....yeah that includes house payment and utilities it was a very depressing time for me lots of spaghetti with tomato sauce and I HATE that stuff plus whatever veggies were in the sale cart the store had set off to the side.  It sucked. Anyway also for example my kids are each allotted now so much a week for snacks beyond the things we keep normally. They are allotted an amount to buy their lunch meat, fruits, whatever they want to eat with it. This is partially to try to teach them more about budgeting and grocery shopping. Today when we went to the store my son quickly discovered that a bottle of sunny d was more than two bottles of pop. This does not make it easier to help them make healthier choices but I imagine that is how it is for a lot of people. Plus these are comfort items. Meat is now outrageous. Hamburger used to be the low budget go to item in the meat section...now as someone else put it...it is as expensive as a nice roast. What used to be as low as 89cents a lb soon went up and up til now the cheap hamburger (like the 75/25 stuff) is now around $2.00 a lb and that is on sale in the tubes. The hamburger we are having tonight (again not even the most costly stuff) is around $2.69 a lb. Chuck steak used to be a favorite of mine though I am not much of a beef person I still like to sear some steaks or grill them on occasion. They have gone up to a price where it just isn't economical to do. Water melons that are the size of those cheap little basketballs you find (not actual basketball size but the smaller toddler size ones) were $5.00 ...now compare that to  Little Debbie snack cakes that can be as low as 50 cents a box on sale and usually we see them for like 75 cents to a dollar.....which one will go farther? Especially when you are trying to feed a bunch of hungry kids? I can see the problem with this. The watermelon would be healthier as would any fruit or veggie and nutrient wise would go a lot farther but a lot of times people are looking to fill tummies or comfort. Again this doesn't make it right but I think the prices enable this behavior.  I was just talking  in comments to someone about this and they bring up a good point. Healthier food is not more expensive if made from scratch...  This depends on your grocery stores I think. The cost of flour and such as well. I think they could start doing nutrition classes for food stamps and while it wouldn't help everyone it might help some if it were not these short little classes that WIC has. Those can be helpful but maybe expand on those. As well as working with time constraints. Finding the time to fix healthier meals on a tight schedule  between work and school. I think there can be an addiction problem in a way as well. (I.E. caffeine in pop even in diet pop, sugar, etc can all be addictive) It is relearning a life style which can be a bit trying. It isn't just the people on food stamps either that really need to learn this though at this time they are the ones being targeted. Also I think if they are going to look at that they need to look more at the people who sell their food stamps (yes they do this still even now that it is on a card) for cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. I know of people who do this. If you can sell them for that and get by you likely don't need them. As of recently my husband went to another store that I hadn't been to in awhile and found that the veggies and such there are cheaper than what we've been getting at our usual stores. So I hope to go there soon and check out what they have. I am trying to move farther away from foods with a lot of preservatives (less canned if possible more frozen or fresh) and he is kinda slowly warming up to this. He isn't a fan of veggies really any way except for a certain few. I also want to grow more of our own stuff and I have some mint plants I need to replant in our yard so that they will spread out more. My tomatoes are doing really well this year and I am constantly learning with this. I got my first decent sized zuchinni off the plant (for some reason it vastly outgrew the other zuchinni plants.) and it looks like we will have pumpkins. These came off some pumpkins we'd bought for Halloween and let the seeds do their own thing under the a/c. Pumpkin seeds grow super easy it seems. I now have some sunflowers I want to plant for my youngest. Something to add is that you can also buy seed packets with food stamps. I don't think a lot of people know this but I think with a bit of education I think they'd find the program might work better. Oh another thing you have to watch out for especially in the smaller local store here is expiration dates. I bought some chicken livers and normally I think to look and didn't this time and they had expired around the first of the month. I buy them on occasion and fix them with feta and cherry tomatoes and onions (and send over half of it over to my Mom) to help with iron levels. Mine get low really easily. The kids actually like them too. Something else that is a problem where I live is the water. We are still getting notices (always after the fact) of how the water contains bacteria and they are working to fix this matter....then the next month we get the same letter. People are suffering some pretty nasty stomach viruses around here as of late and I wonder if it is a coincidence. We had one a couple of weeks or so ago and then a couple of members of the family had it AGAIN not even a week ago. These always seem to coincide with these notices. I have a screwy immune system. I keep trying to drink tea or such which of course requires use of the water...which always seems to end badly for me. Therefor it is almost safer to drink my pop (which since I drink diet pop probably is just as bad) I really would like to buy one of the huge water containers they sell at the grocery store (or two) and get the pumps for them and then just take them when they are empty to the little ice shop for refills (if they aren't using city water which they may be...) Anyway back on the original topic the government as well as wanting to tighten the reins on food stamps are also wanting the industries to do away with super sized drinks and now this New york banning foods They want to ban buttered popcorn and milk based drinks. 

So anyway they (the government etc) wants to promote healthier eating and to decrease obesity and disease associated with the junk food diets of America...Why don't they start with education? You put it out there enough it actually does stick with people. Just don't make them numb to it but you go putting out advertisements pushing things like bacon sundaes (while I am intrigued by this and STILL trying to wrap my brain about it) then yeah people push the limits of the bad food ideas to see what else they can come with. It is like a delicious sin sorta thing. Can be okay in moderation but as Americans we do nothing in moderation anymore. People want instant gratification. We stay on a rush rush rush mode in our day to day living. That is the biggest part of our problem...I'd say that is more of the problem than nutrition education by far. It is our lifestyles as a whole.

Footing

I am trying to find my footing again right now. I think I am just kind of worn out physically and mentally and need a refresh. I did some drawing today which usually helps but I guess just need a breather.
I had a dream recently that was kind of interesting and stuck with me. Basically the whole dream was telling me to write down my dreams. I haven't done it yet but I've been trying harder to remember them. One of my more recent ones was really cool. Something about reprogramming and it was basically watching like all the nerve endings etc reprogram which sounds ...weird but looked really cool. Like what you might see in a computer graphics music video type thing. Wish there was a better way to describe it. Anyway.... 
I need to find my motivation and ambition again. I guess I am off to go attempt again to draw or play a game for a few. 

Economic woes

As of recent I've been watching the news stories come in faster and faster about the economic problems spreading across the Eurozone. I've never been on to read business news or pay attention to stock markets etc but I am right now. There is a domino effect happening and it is starting to become more rapid in its pace. I will be watching it still though at this point in time the stories and news sources are posting so rapid fire it is hard to keep up.
At this time I am wishing I lived out on a small acreage away from city limits and that is just out of grasp for me right now. Someplace I could fence as I wish....here we can't even fence the front part of our house or side yard because we live on a corner even though the house is far enough away from the road....I find those rules strange when you have young kids and you want to make your yard safe for them to play in. I could raise a decent sized garden. I could have more livestock that could actually give back and my chickens could be free range reducing on feed that we buy. Etc etc. 
I honestly think I'd feel more at peace. I think it would be a much better learning environment for the kids as well. 

 

I have times when I want to vent certain things that I can't blog. Which sucks so there really isn't many ways to vent them. I guess sometimes I am not sure why life is the way it is. 

Looking through a window

I've noticed as of late I've gone from being a very outdoorsy type person to finding myself sucked into the in internet easily. I can find so many more ways to express myself on here than I ever could in the physical world and I've noticed what I say looks better in print than it sounds with me saying it LOL :) At least to me anyway. I do have things I enjoy doing offline such as every other weekend I play karaoke with my kids (usually my 2nd oldest but also the other two older kids if they want to sing and we sometimes will give my youngest a little play microphone so she can play along in her own way. It is a fun....what would that be ...hobby maybe? I also have been wanting to pick up my painting and beading but the only time it is safe to do so is after the youngest is in bed and at that point all I want is peace and quiet or to sit quietly on the couch and watch a movie and now my oldest stays up and hangs with us so that time period isn't really free anyway. I need to find a space during the day in which to work though or figure something out. Especially if I plan on doing more with this. Outside things I like to do are gardening and I am trying to become more involved in that. This year I've gotten more produce from my little garden. I want more plants that I don't have to replace yearly though. Like berry bushes and fruit trees. I've found out my mint plants are supposed to last and they make my garden smell wonderful. I do find that with any hobby you do learn things about yourself. With me I've learned through karaoke ...something that originally was for the kids as a Christmas gift for all of them that I actually LOVE to sing. I am not nearly so bad at it as I had thought I would be. I underestimate myself all too often. I have also figured out that I do really well with throaty songs LOL I am also as I type this being made to listen to myself in playback on one I just did and....it isn't half bad LOL Mainly if I actually know the song and can get into it. :P Anyway then with gardening I've learned it really is okay to try new things and learn from the ground up so to speak. I'm starting to learn to let go and have fun again. I would like to also get back into my belly dance some but right now I don't feel I'm doing too badly. I think my biggest thing though is doubting myself. I usually surprise myself and find that I am far more capable than I believe I am but it takes getting past that hard part of pushing myself to try it.  It is like getting stage fright I guess.
I guess the whole point is to try new things without fear of failure

Viral

After following the "zombie" stories (I'm sorry I have a morbid fascination with this) I am a collector of sorts of weird information and weird news. Anyway in the latest story I read they mentioned not entirely substantiated stories of mystery illnesses and people in hazmat suits in FL. I decided to see what I could find and found this...
Bio chem warehouse A man who was reported to have been doing research for the military.....makings of a good horror movie, no?
I believe I all ready posted on the man who eviscerated himself.




Anyways what I was originally going to post about was the virus we just got over ourselves. (The timing made for some really awesome bad jokes around here to keep us going)  Apparently there is a stomach virus going around including the usual problems and then extending to leaving you so weak you cannot walk really (apparently unless you are a kid in which case you get to get over it quickly so that you can then annoy your parents to no end while they are still trying to decide if breathing is too much effort) It also leaves you with high fever, pain, skin can't stand to be touched even by air, and the most massive headache of all time. (That part takes forever to go away) and then in my case when my lupus kicked in with its auto immune response I started itching all over like crazy. I had to take a benedryl for that but ours lasted about 24 hours for the worst part maybe the kids maybe 8 or a little longer. I'm so jealous of their immune systems though my youngest has had a couple of mystery illnesses. One which swelled her lymph node under her throat up HUGE and scared us half to death with high fevers both times. Looked to me like mumps honestly. She thankfully (knock on wood) has done okay since then with the occasional cold or virus. I am most fearful of the viruses. We also have to worry about trying to not get the grandparents all sick. 
In any case we are feeling better now and I am off to challenge one of my girls to a karaoke duel.... we do that like every other weekend. 

Weird news: so called "Zombie" attack

Okay for me the weird news of the world fascinates me to no end. The news story recently about the man who ate another man's face caught my attention of course among the half joking comments of "Well here comes the start of the zombie apocalypse" Anyway so here is the news story Miami Herald "zombie" story Now since this story came out they've figured out who the man was and are looking for witnesses to the story and putting the pieces together. So far no real leads on what was wrong with the man that attacked or anything. I will go more into this in a moment but what just got me is I came across a post of the photo that no one has been able to show yet. I have seen video surveillance footage which just shows the feet etc but there is now a picture of the damage the man did. I will warn you this is very graphic: Graphic Photo How in the hell is that man still alive? (Though I know of people with more severe injuries that lived) but this was a lot more damage than I had really assumed had been done. The strength of a person to rip the flesh off like that with their teeth would be no easy task. I'm not sure if a lot of people realize what that would take without the use of an instrument to cut with. (Gross I know but seriously) As well as the fact they shot him numerous times without it fazing him and he ws growling while continuing to eat. There is rumor that he was on the new street drug that is essentially called "bath salt" I'd seen it on the local news and it is a bad one but I'm still not sure it would cause this degree of violence/strength. Who knows though. I know I've seen stories on certain drugs that seem to amp up a person's adrenaline and make them stronger and numb any pain they might feel.  (Updated local story  on the man) I had thought the other man was nude as well but according to the photo I found he was pantless but still had his shirts. The first link I put up has the video but it doesn't show much. I am really curious how this all plays out. The same night there was an anesthesiologist (I had to ask the obvious...same hospital the injured man was taken to?) that was arrested for being drunk and had an awful lot of cash on him as well as 2 guns and became angry at the officer and bashed his head til he drew blood and spat it at the officer....that story here