Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Back once again

So it has been a while since I posted last. Life has a way of keeping you busy at times. For me it has been working long distances from home that has kept me busy. It's a sad sign of the times when you consider yourself lucky to have work and your willing to drive 10 hours away from home just to get work. While out on the other side of the state I met several from around the country who had traveled even farther there just to find work. So is life in these times I guess, it could be worse , just look at Japan and the horrors going on currently in the aftermath of a major earthquake that ruptured several nuclear reactors.
This natural and man-made disaster is going to send shock waves around the globe. First is the obvious threat to the immediate population from radiation poisoning. At this time they are struggling to contain it the best they can but it has serious potential to spread massive radiation globally. We can only hope that they get things under control before the situation gets worse. Second is the economic impact this will have as the worlds third largest economy is ravaged by the road bumps of dealing with not only the ongoing radiation crisis, but the immediate after effects of the devastation left in the wake of the quake and resulting tsunami as well. My prayers go out for the people in that region. Seeing the photos coming out of there is a very sobering and humbling event.
I sometimes think our society has numbed us to situations such as this as many simply ignore events like this. They do nothing to secure their future safety in the event that an situation such as what we have seen in Japan happens closer to home.
I know the world is overwhelming and with a simple glance around its easy to see how people get overwhelmed and simple shut down, tuning out the world around them.
The middle east has gone from a simmer to a soft boil as demonstrations flair up across that region. We have seen the toppling of leaders in Egypt and Tanzania. We have watched as Gaddafi slowly regains his grip on the reigns of power that briefly slipped from his grasp. Baring international intervention it is almost certain he will succeed in extending out his dictatorship for a few more years. The African continent as a whole has seen so much hardships that for the most part we tune it out and only see little blips. Conflicts in Africa are simply so common place , just like conflict in the middle east that we have grown numb to the carnage.
The continuing economic turmoil certainly dominates most peoples attention as it directly effects us all. It to has its numbing effects as we tend to often look locally instead of realizing the vast extent of the problem at hand. The slowdown of the third largest economy will certainly have some impact on us all.
Though it is easy to grow numb and put on blinders to the rest of the world ,now is the time to be even more vigilant regarding our personal responsibility to provide for ourselves. When disasters , either natural or man made strike you simply can't depend on others meeting your immediate needs. Granted , if a tsunami takes out your whole neighborhood your probably screwed but if you have food stocks stored securely you can possibly provide some immediate relief in lesser situations. At the base of everything we need food, water, shelter and heat. It's basic common sense survival 101 but it is amazing how many are totally clueless on basic preparation. I am neither a big fan, nor a harsh critic of Darwin but in the near future I do believe we will see a survival of the fittest event. Unfortunately the fittest isn't always the smartest or most refined. Barbarians took down the roman empire and many advanced cultures have been succeeded by lesser , more adaptable peoples.
Personally I believe we are headed towards the great tribulation referred to in the christian scriptures. There is also the Mayan and Hopi predictions of the changing of the age around this time. Combine the ancient superstitions with modern science and world events you can read the writing on the wall for a period of serious upheaval.
Fortune favors the prepared in times like these. We are all at the mercy of our times but we can take steps to lessen the impact on ourselves and others. This is life, there are no guarantees but it is better to not go softly into that dark night.
Where there is life , there is hope , and the possibility of a better tomorrow.
Hang in there , Until next time
Lasco X