Plans for 2012

As I look forward to 2012, there are certain things that come to mind.

As in previous years, one of my goals is to get in shape and lose weight - like the majority of most people. At 43 years old I am probably the worst shape of my life. I blame my own laziness and my office job.

When I was working in the welding field, I was on my feet for 8 - 12 hours a day doing hard physical labor. Keeping the weight off was pretty easy when you are walking several miles a day.

Something that puts the pounds on is drinking, and I can drink a good bit sometimes. When a beer has 150 calories, drinking 3 or 4 in one night can really add up the calories.

At christmas my nephew asked when we were going on another hiking trip. The thing is, I am so bad out of shape, going on a 9+ mile tip would be rough, very rough.

I guess I need to get down to the park to walk a few laps.

Changes in the world

With the sopa act, its become clear that big business runs the US government.

North korea had a change of leadership

Hopefully we are going to have a new president elected in 2012. The worst thing that can happen is if obama gets reelected.

Guantanamo Bay is still open where people are being held without due process of law.

The federal reserve is still printing money out of thin air.

The US government has borrowed more money then the tax payers can ever hope to payback.

Tensions with Iran are on the rise (as usual).

The US manufacturing base is depleted.

China now has the US manufacturing base.

The average US citizen probably does not realize how dependent we are on other nations. Flooding in Taiwan made the prices of hard drives double. It makes me wonder what would happen if we went to war with china, or if a nuke was detonated in a major US city.

What has me worried is the change of leadership in north korea. Some 20 year old young man now holds the key to nuclear weapons.

Climate change

One thing that really has me worried in the Texas drought. Some predictions say the south could be in for another 10 years of drought. If we think the price of food is bad now, add 2 or 3 years of lost crops into the equation.

My wife and I try to stock up on can goods when they go on sale. One of the plans for 2012 is to keep stocking up on food whenever possible.

February and March should tell us if we are in for another dry year. If we do not get rain in March, we are probably in for a rough ride for the summer of 2012.