The Bankruptcy of Social Security and Collapse of US Economy

It has been known for some time that the Social Security fund was inadequate to cover the retirement of the baby boomer generation. However, the recent unemployment spike–now at 5.1 million without work–has moved the insolvency of the Social Security fund to next year.

For some time the Social Security fund actually ran a surplus and the US government borrowed this surplus to fund other programs (like military and bailouts). Now that this will be gone, they will have to resort to printing more dollars and selling more US treasuries to not only cover the programs that were funded by the surplus in Social Security, but also to pay for Social Security itself.

So why does this matter? As the recent bailouts–now reaching $13 trillion–show the government can continue just borrowing money and paying it back later, right?

Grassroots opposition halts landfill

There was a plan to build a landfill a few miles from where I live near the Withlacoochee River, which contains the headwaters of four major rivers and is the source of drinking water for most of central Florida. If it wasn’t for intense pressure by not just individuals but grassroots organizations, myself and many others would likely have been drinking contaminated leachate:

The state Department of Environmental Protection Thursday ruled Angelo’s Aggregate Materials failed to prove the project site was geologically stable and that its design would prevent leaks that could contaminate drinking water supplies… thanks to continued community opposition, formal objections by local governments in Pasco and Hillsborough and effective lobbying by some landowners, the state officials wised up. [TBO]

Yey for people power!

The Buried Link Between Alzheimer’s, Mad Cow Disease, and Vaccinations

Chances are you know someone with Alzheimer’s. Nearly half of all people over 85 are diagnosed with the terribly debilitating condition. And not only are more people getting Alzheimer’s each year, but at a younger age now. Over 500,000 people in the US have an early onset form of Alzheimer’s, some as young as 40. Deaths from Alzheimer’s have increased over 9000% from 1979 (no I did not misplace a zero). It is truly reaching epidemic proportions.

Over 40 Percent of Meat Tainted with ‘Superbug’ Bacteria

A recent study found that much of the meat in chain grocery stores contains a “superbug” strain of Clostridium difficile bacteria. This strain of C. diff was also just discovered to be behind a surge in severe digestive problems and other seemingly disconnected illnesses like strep throat and flu-like symptoms, which can develop weeks later after infection. C. diff is normally benign, but mutated to become resistant to antibiotics and more toxic. It thrives in a body that lacks benefical bacteria. There are an increasing number of superbugs like MRSA and E. coli, due to the over-usage of antibiotics–in common household products, prescriptions, and even animal feed (used due to the unnatural, industrialized feed lots).

The Moon is Bright

Being this is the first full moon I experienced living out in the country away from light pollution, I just realized it’s really bright. So bright, that it casts shadows. It’s almost like night and day from when the moon is not full, going from pitch black outside to illuminating about the same as a giant street light.

I was just reading Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual where Bill Mollison talks about the Anasazi people actually using the moon’s shadow to keep track of time. Employing nothing more than a spiral carving with perpendicular slabs of rock, they were able to predict the cyclical periods of flooding and drought, in style.

Download Helvetica and Vista Fonts for Free

I think everything should be available and open to all, especially information and bits of data. Recently, I wanted to use some fonts and had a hard time finding them. It seems like everyone wants to charge money for them (something about a ‘copyright,’ seems to be a relatively new idea that I don’t quite understand). So I am providing a link to these fonts, just passing along what someone gave me:

Helvetica
Vista Fonts (calibri, cambria, candara, consolas, constantia, corbel)

Harvard Psychiatrists Are Sick: Admit Secretly Taking Millions of Dollars from Drug Companies

Psychiatrists are simply legalized drug dealers, offering dangerous quick fixes to complex problems. Many major university professors are just in it for the cushy jobs. The combination of these two are not good for our health:

A congressional investigation has revealed that a group of Harvard psychiatrists, instrumental in pushing the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children and its off-label treatment with antipsychotics, concealed from university officials the millions of dollars they earned in consulting fees for the companies that make those drugs… Biederman and Wilens had received at least $1.6 million from the pharmaceutical industry between 2000 and 2007, while Spencer had received at least $1 million. [Natural News]

Obama Already Breaking Promises Before Even Taking Office

When does “They won’t work in my White House!” mean they will? With a politician of course. One of Obama’s major campaign promises was to not allow lobbyists on his staff. The elections just happened and he’s already tossing this promise out the window:

A day after being elected president and acknowledging “the worst financial crisis in a century,” Barack Obama asked one of the biggest recipients of Wall Street campaign contributions to be his chief of staff. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the Illinois congressman who was an aide in the Clinton White House, was the top House recipient in the 2008 election cycle of contributions from hedge funds, private equity firms and the larger securities/investment industry… Emanuel was an investment banker between the Clinton administration and his election to Congress and reported a net worth in 2007 of between $5 million and $13.2 million (lawmakers report their assets and liabilities in ranges). That would make him the 34th wealthiest member of the House. [Center For Responsive Politics]