Saudi Arabia

Recently I cited Mexico's declining Oil exports into the U.S. Bad stuff, but small potatoes compared to Saudi Arabia.

Here is the history of Saudi Oil exports into the U.S. since 1973. Please scroll to the bottom. Notice 2009 Saudi exports to the U.S.? Down BIG.

Why?

I have no idea, but it certainly is statistically significant (IMHO).

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India buys half of the IMF's Gold. I need to put my head around that for a day or two.

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Warren Buffet buys Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad... Now why would he want to do that? Buffet buying a business that will certainly survive, and thrive, in an Oil starved America (coal moves by rail)? Who'd a thunk it.

Its good to be the King.

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If you think the US$ is at risk, we've got NOTHING on Japan. Japan's national debt makes ours look puny, they have no natural resources or farm land to speak of, and a birth dearth that will leave the island uninhabited some time in the next century (only a slight exaggeration), with only senior citizens to work the factories later in this century.

Yet look what happened to the Yen when that carry trade came to an end. I think the US$ will see the same event play out - but bigger

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I hate to point out to the Obamaphiles... but your guy has been in office for nearly 1/4 of his term. Did he accomplish 1/4 of his promises? How about 1/8? Maybe a steenth (before decimalization, that was Wall Street lingo for a 1/16th, sometimes called a "teenie")? Ah, but we know the truth, don't we? He has not delivered on 1/32 of his promises, nor 1/64, 1/128, or 1/256. Your side, your guys, are somewhat more FOS than your opponents... you were so... sanctimonious.

"Kuum By Ya, My Lord..." Meets the MTVization of American politics.

Whatever.

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Hopefully, when I get done with this post I will turn on the T.V. to hear Jon Corzine's concession speech. Not that his oppenent does it for me, but the world needs another Goldman alumni in a leadership position like it needs a hole in its head.

Halloween

When I was a kid, Halloween was my favorite holiday. Every year, my best friend Freddy and I would dress as hobos, burning a wine cork to use as make up for fake beards. Those were the days (funny, Freddy tracked me down last year from this Blog).

Here is a photo of one of buddy's kids in a costume that must have taken he and his wife hours to get together (if anybody has any other cool halloween photos feel free to email me, and I will put them up. Its good for kids to have 15 minutes of innocent fame).

libertariananimal (at) gmail (d0t) com

"A Fit of Sanity"

Coal Guy described the article written by Gene Logsdon about "animal rights" that I posted on my web site some weeks back as "A fit of sanity in an insane world".

Well, this Logsdon fellow is at again. Read that link. This guy simply overwhelms me with his good sense and lack of fear of political correctness. I am a stone cold, Libertarian-Capitalist... yet Logsdon's analysis of the "business" of farming is unnerving - if you really take the time to think about it.

Agriculture gave rise to civilization - not the other way around. But most "civilizations" collapse at some point, and reorganize into another that eventually collapses once again... it amazes me that my fellow American's know how much the CD rate at the local bank is, but have no idea what food inventories are across the land, and while I fully recognize that is more likely a shortage of MONEY that causes food shortages, Logsdon's point on SOIL could not be more accurate. Just take a look at Haiti (or Africa, or China) in satellite photos to see what happens when soils are permitted to erode or are over produced.

I am more than an avid gardener, I am almost a rabid gardener. I care for my garden's soil like one of my children, and it returns the favor - we produce most of the vegetables we eat on the farm (not to mention, our meat, milk, and eggs).

I loved his essay, as well as his mind set, and taken a step further - that small scale farming/gardening IS (or could be) a money making enterprise for every family with access to a plot and the interest to work it in that growing stuff is fun, and anything you grow yourself you don't have to buy, or pay for the gas to get back and forth to the store. (A neighbor of ours in Boca Raton, FL, has chickens in their backyard! No big deal in rural Tennessee, but in Boca Raton? Could have knocked me over with a feather.)

You see, I am a big fan and supporter of "family farms" (and all small/family business for that matter... I told you I was a capitalist), but "family farms" means much more expensive food - not everybody is going to support that or can support that. Industrial farming is the low cost producer, no matter how many Farm-Aid concerts we have. Folks that cannot afford family farm prices can certainly grow their own, and all of this is going to come to pass over the next decade or 2 - but it sure would not hurt to motivate people, especially the 11% of the US population now receiving food assistance, in this direction. In the end, as any gardener worth his shovel knows:

If you keep taking the produce out of the garden without putting it back in (if you catch my drift) you won't be taking much out for long. What you are really selling is your soil, and once its gone you can't sell it anymore. Even a capitalist like me can grasp that.

Mr. Logsdon, keep it coming.