Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

US$200 a barrel,,,probably translate around $2.20 a litre,....., I'll smoke 2 cigarettes less per day and my wife can buy one less "bottled water" per week and we are in-front!!! YIPPY.
Hope it get's to US$300 , I'll save a fortune

This has been a delightful post reflecting on (or maybe not) a lot of history as both we have been told and as it might, or might not, have actually occurred.

One of the things I really like is how the USA takes credit for defeating Germany in WWDuce while the Ruskies get little credit. But, then again, they are/were Commies/socialists and therefore EVIL! (of course we don't have a socialist party in the USA, with the exception of the ones that use a donkey as a symbol ... and the ones that use an elephant .... and just maybe a couple more)

I am in my mod 50's and a returning student to college. It is entertaining the physics professor is more knowledgeable about the Vietnam War than the hystorical Professors. More than once I have corrected one of the professors, "Excuse me Sir, I was alive at the time. I had a brother in Vietnam. I was paying attention and it didn't happen that way."

Most folks have a very short memory. History was/is written by the victorious. Journalists are more commentary than truth these days. The United States has always controlled the media through back-channels.

The internet now makes it possible to verify facts ... and debunk a lot of stories. Still, many do not let facts get in the way of a good story.

I contend one should look at history as a puzzle. The pieces given do not convey the complete picture. When one researches and finds a piece to the puzzle that fits, it usually does.

The one thing governments do is try to control the populace. They use any and all methods to do so. The US tax system, environmental regulations, traffic laws and about anything else I can think about is all for control, not for the good of any one group. 'Welfare' is not about helping folks it is about securing one's position in the power structure (buying votes with other's funds).

While it would be nice to be able to purchase 'local food', I doubt it will happen. The government subsidies allow the 'factory farmer' in (insert state or foreign nation here) to compete with the local farmer. Laws here in Texas create so many hurdles small local farmers have difficulty complying with them all. There is always some 'tin star god' who has been paid to show the farmer/businessman who really IS in control. It is cost prohibitive to fight the (insert fitting term here).

Well - rant only started but I need to go.......

Ron

EVERYone knows it was the Aussie soldiers that won the war.Once the Generals met some Aussie troops, post Rum drinking , they knew they had the ultimate weapon:)

A lot of our vegetable farmers are moving to Mexico- one Calif. lettuce farmer (2 million head a year) moved because of the lack of immigrant workers. Remember most vegetables and some fruits (like fresh toms and strawberries) have to picked by hand. And there in Mexico, the labor and the land are far more cheaper. We still don't have an immigrant worker program and the agriculture here depends on that for most of it's crops. A Calif. congresswoman just tried to slip in a 5 year worker program, along with the war funding. I don't think it went over very well but I don't know if it passed either, at this point. A huge fresh tomato farmer in Pennsylvania refused to plant this year because of his worker fears- he planted something that could be machine harvested- and that made the government stand up and take notice. Now some of our dairies are migrating out of the area- they migrated out of Chino/Riverside area (Calif.- for you Chappo) because of urban growth, they're moving now because of stricter and stricter air pollution regulations.

Similiar problems here in Aussie land . I think it was last year that we opened " working tourist visa's" to help solve the problem. Seems to have worked , as they have closed the offers off for a number of countries as the number has reached target. I think they get up to 6 months here to work and travel ,, fruit picking etc ,, great idea.I wonder how many will just NOT go home ..... ?
If people just woke up to AP this problem would be solved almnost over-night ..... imagine near every house and flat ( apartment for you ) having their own fresh fish and veg.
WOW ,, I'm feeling green ( almost)....., but not yet ready to hug any damn tree's

Thank you, Chappo for the concession. Being half British, I understood the word "flat". Heck, I almost can understand Aussie!!!! Almost. The foot fetishes.... I'm not too sure.

Anyway, where do your agricultural workers come from?
And is the drought in Austrailia really as bad as I have heard?

Drought was / is VERY bad . Has improved slightly over the last 6 months or so.
Workers are mainly from Thailand / and other countries that have a good record for following the rules and going home. I think Vietnam was offered ZERO placements as there is a huge Viet community here and when others come to visit they often just dissapear..


Foot fetish???? leg , rear-end and tit man myself

Actually Australia has been lucky ,, the drought would have put our economy under a lot of pressure , except China just can't seem to buy enough iron ore etc and we are happy to supply. The benefits of this has even pushed the Aussie dollar near equal those funny green things you guys use

I was referring to the foot fetish ON THE FORUM!!!! The one joking about using his toe nail as a fish hook, nearly made me lose it.

And you obviously, have not seen our money lately- our $5 bills have orange in the them and our $10 bills have purple- our money has gone rainbow all of a sudden.

Yea, China is using their money to buy up everything- mining properties in Africa and agricultural land in South America. China is the one to watch- it will guide the world's future and is already starting to. When you have 2/3rd's of the world population, you have a lot of power- they haven't been called the sleeping giant for nothing.

And I know this is a personal question but since you obviously like to share PERSONAL INFORMATION, how much is the price per acre of farm quality land in Thialand?

Sorry if I was TOOO personal ..... just the way I am ,, I don't feel shy or any shame unless I've actually done something wrong.

'AHHH yep ,, I have tried VERY hard to block that toe-nail image from my mind ,, ....., a v ery disturbing image that one.

I paid about $AUD 30,000 per acre for the land I got in Thailand ,, but it is only 400 metres from the centre of town. Several kilometres ( miles) out land drops to around $AUD 3,000 per acre. Way out of town ,, your down around AUD $1,000 per acre.

China is the big story now ,, but a new big-kid on the block is growing fast ..... India ,, hopefully they will stem China's rapid growth in power.

Sorry, I'm a little behind reading this thread. I couldn't figure out what you were talking about, Chappo. Then I realized that all our nice little flags disappeared (along with zodiac symbols) with the new version of the board. We got to pick out our country flag, and if you couldn't tell what a less-common flag was on someone else's post, you could mouseover to see the name. Please don't assume that we're arrogant. We were done in by a technology change. So I've revised my location just for you, Chappo.

1up'ed!

Janet,,,I was talking "in general". Most Americans I have actually spent time with have been lovely company. My best mates step father is Yanky Doodle Dandy and I gotta say he's a top bloke, he is so patient that he hasmanaged to know me for more than 10 years and hasn't tried to strangle me once,,,this is very rare.
ROFLMAO

Good on ya, Tam!!!!

"I think it was last year that we opened " working tourist visa's" to help solve the problem"

Really? We have had foreign fruitpickers on working visas on our farms for at least the last 20 years.

Yes ,, really.