The Separation of the USA -- Left and Right

Unless you live in a cave -- and a very deep one at that -- you know that our two-party system in the United States isn't working so well right now. Heck, it hasn't been working well in a while.

This group hates Trump and Ryan; that group despises Pelosi and Obama. The Clintons are immoral. Nixon was a terrible crook.

The left is for the people, all the people. The right stands only for the rich, the uber-rich.

Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah!

There's a problem here, people. Want to know who has a worse approval rating than our current President? All of Congress, that's who.

And I haven't gotten to the worst part yet. The problem is deepening. Even though everyone in politics -- as well as the rest of us -- know there is a huge issue here, what are they doing? Are they playing nice and working on coming back to the table and seeing eye to eye?

Hell no! They're digging in their heels and widening the gap between themselves!

We are at an impasse, my friends. Plain and simple. The tipping point is nearing. And that means trouble for us in the United States, big trouble...for every one of us.

Here's what I think (and many agree with me). Our next Civil War will not be over resources, or states rights, or oppression. No, it will be Left vs. Right. Liberals vs. Conservatives. And this will be a war that will rip us apart.

I feel this way so strongly that my next series focuses on it. To discover more about those novels click here. I think you'll find it an interesting read.

I don't have a timeframe in mind and I pray such a war never comes. But as I watch the news each morning I can't help but see the writing on the wall. Forboding words that shake me to my core: This 200+ year experiment is no longer working!

That's all for now,

e a lake

Things you won't miss in the Apocalypse: #2

The Recycling Police

Don't get me wrong, we sort at my house. Trash is separated from recyclables, and almost weekly we have 30 to 40 gallons to be reused somewhere in the world.

But some folks take it too far

And you know exactly who I mean. That relative that brags about only having five gallons of trash a month because he or she recycle the rest. The neighbor who only buys recycled materials. The kids in your neighborhood that wander around on trash day in their neon-green shirts, urging you to dig through your crap and fish that one aluminum can out of the bottom. The one covered in potatoes peels or dog crap.

I have nothing against recycling; I'm just not fond of the Recycling Police.

I won't miss sorting my trash in the Darkness

Not me. I also won't miss trash day -- both literally and figuratively. My recycling comes at about 5:00 a.m. That's a little before my comfort zone of rising (since I wrote fiction well into the dark hours). So if I don't get my recycling out the night before, it ain't getting out that particular week.

And I hate each spring when the groups of youngsters spread out in the neighborhood. "Please remember to recycle," they say, pleading with tears in their eyes. Or even better, "Save the planet for me, Mister."

Wow, now I hate spring...and kids in neon-green shirts!

No one is going to bother you in the Darkness

Not about recycling, at least. They may beg for food, or shelter, or protection. My former recycling materials will be of no one's concern any longer.

Plus, people will recycle in new ways. Those plastic bottles shown here? Forget about the BPAs. They will be used many times over to store fresh water, regardless of dangerous they were once thought. They're easier to carry in a backpack than a five-gallon pail, right?

We will be more creative with our recyclables at the EOTWAWKI. We will have to be because once they're gone...they'll be gone forever.

Goodbye people worried about the trash we spread

I can't say I'm going to miss you.

Until next time when we talk about not missing the Internal Revenue Service,

e a lake

Oh My, Your Car Doesn't Work? I Warned You!

This week we continue with what your world is going to be like if (or perhaps when) WWIV comes a callin'. Last week we hinted at life without electricity. This week, I take your vehicles away.

Here's your first hint. Jumping won't help. To be exact, it's not even possible. Unless you find someone with an older car (sans computer), and, they had it stored properly.

Whatever happened to cause The Darkness was bad

Real Bad, actually. It seems to have emulated an EMP (electromagnetic pulse). And those aren't good. Here's a link to what it would be like after one of those babies. Scroll down to the part covering "effects". And trust me, if you dig a little deeper, it gets a whole lot scarier.

Suffice it to say that if The Darkness hits the world with the same effects as an EMP, well - we are all in a lot of trouble.

Damn computers, the bane of our existence

It's bad enough your laptops, and desktops, and tablets won't work. But your 2103 Chevy Impala has a computer as well. Several computers actually.

And guess what? It's dead, now that The Darkness has come. Dead - never to work again, never to be fixed, never to be replaced. You see, radiation has come to rest on our world. And it has covered and destroyed EVERYTHING!

(I'll cover more about what happened later - as in it will all be revealed in Book Three of my Shorts Series The Truth)

So, I guess we'll be walking a lot more now

You know your daughter's cute bike out in the garage? The pink thing with the streamers on the handle bars? Yeah, get used to it.

Or get some good shoes.

Or find a sturdy horse.

'Cause there won't be any more planes, trains, nor automobiles. Not for a long, long time (most likely ever, but let's not perseverate on that right now). Just like last week - can you say welcome to the 1800s? That's what transportation is going to look like - for the rest of your life for sure!

It's sobering, isn't it?

Never again will you take a Sunday afternoon ride to Grandma's. Quick trips to the store some five miles away? Nah, I don't think so. Weekend jaunts to cities hundreds of miles away are now things of the past.

On any given weekend, I drive as much as 300 miles from my home. Perhaps I'm off to the cottage for a weekend of fishing and relaxation. Or maybe a fall dash to the farm to hunt deer. Ah, the good ole days.

After The Darkness comes, my range will be limited greatly. Maybe five miles, perhaps less. Without a vehicle to transport me here and there, I'll be doing plenty of walking. I've got a bike, something my daughter and her husband gave to me as a birthday gift a few years back. But, I don't bike much. Perhaps I'll have to dig it out of the corner of the garage and become more acquainted with that thing.

What will your life be like without gas-powered transportation? Tell me about it...if you dare.

Have a great week; enjoy Thanksgiving (my US readers). 

e a lake

(books below are interactive, so go ahead and click on any of them)

                       

Come'on, Get Serious!

Gun control. There's a nice hot-button topic for this week. Too hot? Okay, how about we discuss liberals and conservatives? Or perhaps I can tell you all about Jesus. No??? Okay, gun control it is.

We already have gun control...sort of

If you own certain guns, you are aware of an issue plaguing your shooting ability. It's called ammunition shortages. No bullets means no projectiles. Thus, gun violence control.

Over the past number of years, certain calibers have been mighty hard to come by. These include all handgun sizes, mini 30 rounds, and still (to this day) all 22 caliber bullets. Coincidentally, these calibers are the most likely to be used in violence involving guns.

Well played, Mr. Government (or as some call you - Big Brother)

If you can't get ammunition for your weapon, it's hard to commit a crime with your gun, right? Well, sort of.

There's two sides to this. Most criminals can't legally own a weapon. Thus, the black market fills that need. The same is most likely true for the ammo they use in these illegally obtained weapons. 

The flip side is that law abiding sportsmen and women can't get the ammunition they so dearly desire. That's a problem for those of us who legally possess, safely store, and use weapons for non-violent purposes. And it's not fair.

Pay Attention now - this next point is important

Criminals are going to get their weapons, and ammunition for those weapons, no matter what the government does. A lot of people don't want to face the harsh truth, but that's the way I see it.

So why do I, Mr. Law Abiding Citizen, have the pay the price (and a false price in my mind) for a policy that doesn't work? People drive drunk all the time. People drive with their cell phones plastered in their face - all the time! I do neither. Is the government going to take away my car, or tighten control on gas supplies, so that people can't drive as much? Or perhaps they will ban the sale of alcohol (already tried, didn't work) or cell phones. Of course the government won't do either of these. And far more people die every year in auto crashes compared to gun violence.

There is a solution; It just needs to be well thought out

I don't have an answer for you today. I'm sorry. But I don't believe that limiting gun and ammunition sales will not necessarily bring a sudden halt to the gun violence that plagues us on an almost daily basis. If everyone, on both sides of the issue, will settle down and discuss this calmly and rationally, something can be done. We can all be winners here.

Two things that will help

1. Forbid the sale of ammunition to convicted felons. Note: not the overall supply, just the illegal selling of it. I am not opposed to having some sort of registry process (like a membership card) for buying bullets. I'm not sure how it will work, but I think it's a start.

2. We must, I mean have to, provide better care for our mental health patients. No matter how you feel about ObamaCare, it still misses the mark on addressing this issue. We are all getting hurt here, people. 

I know we have a problem. And I know there are answers out there. But knee-jerk reactions from both sides will not help. We have an opportunity to do great work here; our representatives in Washington need to get more serious about all of this.

In the post-apocalyptic future found in my WWIV series, there are still plenty of guns. But each year that the darkness passes, ammunition becomes more and more scarce. Dysentery will kill more people in this fictional future than guns. Many, many more. That's why I write from time to time about clean drinking water.

None of this is easy people, but we have to try. At least that's how I feel.

e a lake

(click on my books below to see more)