Things that make me scream, take notice or engage me

Politics.  That’s a screamer for me. I’m happy you have an opinion – please, keep it to yourself. Just for the record I support neither party, registered Independent, and try to vote on issues when I vote.  What’s in the political news lately?  The damned Fast Track Trade agreement.  I’m currently neither for nor against, but more just rather curious.  I went and read the Bills online (there are multiples, btw).

Some things that piss me off. Why, oh elected reps, did you take a bill about reducing tax penalties for LEO’s, firefighters and whatnot after 50 years of age, and slap an amendment to it with the text for the TAA (Trade Adjustment Assistance bill)?? WTF?  (H.R. 2146 if you’re curious)

And then O.M.G. the notion that we’re giving this Prez some kind of gawd-like powers to enter into secret trade agreements. The sky is falling – run chicken little, run. It is subversion of ‘Merika. Seriously?

Check out these formerly in place but now expired trade agreements, which, BTW, give the exact same power to the sitting Prez at that time too. (If you’re lazy it was Bush Jr. 2002, Nixon 1974).   (H.R. 3009 Trade Act of 2002)  (H.R. 10710  Trade Act of 1974)

If you’re really lazy, I’ll tell you that Congress and John Q. Public got the same 90 day and 30 day information timeline as is being hollered about now.  In fact, the language from 1974 until today is very similar; so similar that I discovered this by reading the ‘amendments’ section and finding out that they had copied verbatim the previous bill language and needed to modify it to reflect back to the current document name.

In other words, Section 3 of S.995, Section 2103 of H.R. 3009 and Section 101 of H.R. 10710 say the same. damn. thing. Hint: they all fall under ‘trade agreement authority’.  So why the kerfuffle? Why doesn’t anyone, anywhere, point out that it is the same language?  You do have to jump around in the bills to find the ‘matching’ discussions.  But the nonsense about it not requiring Congressional law?

S.995:

Section 6:

(E) after entering into the agreement, the President submits to Congress, on a day on which both Houses of Congress are in session, a copy of the final legal text of the agreement, together with—

(i) a draft of an implementing bill described in section 3(b)(3);

(ii) a statement of any administrative action proposed to implement the trade agreement; and

(iii) the supporting information described in paragraph (2)(A);(F) the implementing bill is enacted into law; and(G) the President, not later than 30 days before the date on which the agreement enters into force with respect to a party to the agreement, submits written notice to Congress that the President has determined that the party has taken measures necessary to comply with those provisions of the agreement that are to take effect on the date on which the agreement enters into force.

This language is the same from the Trade Acts of 1974 (Section 102) and 2002 (Section 2105).

I get that the issue of Digital Rights and Biotech are new arrivals to the table and are icky and scary and that there are other issues with international trade agreements. But…report the facts that this language mirrors other historical trade agreeements! Quit making it out to be some nefarious thing that has never happened before!!

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I am not a fan of GMO’s due to the unknown, the proprietary seed practices that I feel hinder farming and the fact that blending two species is against Torah. I really don’t care for those experiments that bond human genes with plants.  It doesn’t set right with me, primarly because of our hubris in tinkering with creation.

So for your reading pleasure, here are some links regarding things humans are toying with:(coming to an open field near you!)

Permits for GMO plantings

This particular link is just for permits for Pharmaceuticals, Industrials and Value Added Proteins.  Some of these are open field grown containing human protein splicing into plant material. This bothers me. A lot. I’m tired of people mucking with our food. I’m tired of food scientists picking our brains and taste buds to make non-nutritious food items addictive and destructive to health.

And I wish broccoli tasted like donuts 🙂

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Since I’m still on my quest to hike the Appalachian Trail and build a tiny home in the woods, I’ve been rooting around on the interwebs for ingenious ideas again.  Things that maybe I can do with hands-on labor. I’ve been trying to determine a location that keeps me from having to have air conditioning that also allows for good gardening and food provision potential. But some of the coolest things I have found lately are listed below in no particular order.  I just find it amazing what people can come up with to do when they have the time.

Stackwall (aka cordwood) construction just makes me smile!

Netonia Yalte’s work

Rob and Jacki Roy’s work, including living roofs

Amazing selection from Inspiration Green from all over the world – from simple to elaborate!

A home for under 3,000.00? Yep.

Can I do something like that?  Maybe. Time.  Most of it takes time – both the construction and also the collection and storage of found/recycled/free items to keep the cost low. Working full-time I don’t have that luxury yet.  Is it a fool’s errand to consider taking a year off to hike the A.T. AND build a house? Possibly. But I’ll never know unless I try. So I keep eking my way towards those goals, and dreaming a lot along the way.

Some days I get tired of dreaming and putting my life on hold, living only a little bit in the here and now while all of my dreams live in my head for when I’m living some place of my own again. I sometimes wonder how much of actual life is passing me by while I ‘get where I am going’.  Well, at least I’m not sitting in front of the T.V.

I leave you with this song that plays often here…(well, except I’m not looking for a girl or to raise any more kids…haha!)

~SE…Dreamin’ and smilin’ as usual 🙂