Wave Bye-Bye to That Amber Grain

First posted on
Green Mountain Daily.com

Soaring prices on grains and rice could be the worst wave of economic shafting we'll see.

Statistics are projecting something of a perfect storm:

400% - Rise in the price of spring wheat over the last year
75% - Average world food price rise since 2005
16 million more people at risk of food insecurity for every percentage point rise in the price of staple foods
33% - Amount of maize harvested in US this year that will go to produce biofuels

That's worldwide, not just our tanking dollar. Experts say it doesn't have much to do with population, but in distribution. Droughts in Australia and the emerging middle class in China (who are adding much more meat to their diet) are factors, but the sheer amounts of crops biofuels will consume are staggering.

From The Australian:
"The most contentious development among these is the rise in biofuels, and the use of food for fuel has attracted widespread criticism. Global biofuel production doubled between 2000 and 2007, from 21.8 billion litres in 2000 to 72.7 billion in 2007. The US has a target of 163.6 billion litres of biofuel by 2022."
That ain't chicken feed.

The Australian continues: "The US produces 43 per cent of the world's biofuel, mostly from corn; Brazil produces 32per cent from sugar; and the European Union 15 per cent, largely from oilseeds. More than 40 countries have implemented policies to encourage the use of biofuels."
From the UK Globe and Mail: "Starting next week, Britain will require gasoline and diesel sold at the pumps be mixed with 2.5-per-cent biofuel, rising to 5.75 per cent by 2010 and 10 per cent by 2020, in line with European Union directives. Ontario's ethanol-content mandate is 5 per cent. As the content requirements rise, more and more land is devoted to growing crops for fuel, such as corn-based ethanol. In the EU alone, 15 per cent of the arable land is expected to be devoured by biofuel production by 2020."

And from Canada, the CBC reported on the stress to the meat industry: "High feed prices are a problem across the country, from the concentrated feedlots in Alberta to hundreds of smaller farms, like the one Bob Murphy has operated for four decades in the small eastern Newfoundland town of Brigus.

"When the Canadian dollar went from - I don't know what it was - 90 cents to $1.10, the price of cattle dropped 20 cents a pound, in a matter of six weeks," Murphy said.
"So, you know, that just ... well, it ruined my year."

"Murphy said the (price of) feed - which farmers use to fatten up their animals before slaughter - is now killing them (the farmers).

"I know a guy who [has] a thousand head on feed in P.E.I.," Murphy said. "So, just figure it out, how much they're losing. If they're losing $200 or $300 a head, how long can you stay in business doing that?"

Cattle farmers are trying to reduce the cost by shortening the "finishing time", the time cattle are grain-fed to bulk them up, resulting in thinner cattle and meat that isn't top quality.
The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) warned two weeks ago that it will be forced to ration food aid. Factor in the high petroleum costs of transporting any relief and the costs are doubled and trebled. This situation is volatile. Last week there were fatal food riots in Haiti, ongoing violent food-price protests in Egypt, Burkino Faso, Morocco and the Ivory Coast. These follow many riotous protests in Senegal and Mauritania earlier this year. Rice is so valuable throughout Africa it is now transported in armoured truck convoys (hijackings and killings had escalated). Armed soldiers now guard fields and warehouses. Export bans are being instituted. Argentina and India have introduced bans and/or added taxes on exported products such as wheat, dairy products and meat. Russia has frozen the prices of staple foods. Manufacturers in China and Thailand will have to negotiate food price increases with their governments from now on. Algeria and Saudi Arabia have increased food subsidies across the board to producers and distributors.

Here in the good ol' USA, Bush has decided that the amounts of exported grains will remain the same to China, regardless of the possibility that Americans may soon be paying $2 or more for a pound of flour. When bread becomes a luxury, we're in deep doo-doo.

Spring Cleaning

I don't care if it's gray and rainy, it's the end of a winter I want to put behind as quickly and fully as possible. It was a cold, dark winter.

Sometimes people appear in your life that live in darkness and secrets. Their isolation makes you want to bring them in. But they have a learned coldness that mistrusts warmth. Sad and sick, they protect their insanity because it's all they know. But there comes a time sooner or later that one event bares so much reality that there's no going back, or even wanting to go forward. Like winter, they may recede or leave with a storm, but either way it's good to be done with them. And like spring, each day itself may be unpredictable, but you know the warmth is coming and everything will grow again.

So, on to spring cleaning. I'm looking forward, throwing out the trash, and takjing care to stay away from the darkness in the future. Nothing grows in cold insanity, no matter how much you tend it.

Bash Boom Bam

Quite the week for miscommunication. It's almost like bumpercars, without the laughter. Thankfully, I've only been in two such head-ons, but it's happening all around me, and so I'm feeling the others' ricochets.

My two best girlfriends are considering ending their relationships. One is married, and has had a rocky time since way before the wedding. The other fell quickly into a full relationship and is coming to the end of patience in living with a slob.

Guy friends seem to be having blow ups too; roommates that are getting aggravating are at the center of those focuses.

Strangely, all is calm with the usually ballistic. My gay couple friends are happy as clams and my family is all very peaceful.

In both head-ons I had, my part was in being quite direct and responding honestly. I don't feel wrong in either instance, because what I said/did are healthy things that I worked for years to be able to do. It's the responses to those actions that are the issue. I'm just at a point in my life where being real and dealing with shit as it comes up is the way to go. Some people aren't like that. I can have a hard time admitting when I'm wrong, but I always know when I am, whether I cop to it to others or not. I wasn't wrong in these cases. I was asked for an honest answer and gave it, in one; in the other, I was damned concerned for the well-being of someone and made a phone call to the only person who'd know if that person was okay, and got unbridled hatred in return. So, as usual, fuck me for caring.

Maybe these blow-ups will blow over, maybe not. Life is way stressful these days and boiling points are lower. At least nobody's dead, this week.

R.I.P Uncle Glenn

Glenn Blair, an honest man, a kind heart, a caring realtor, is dead.

Uncle Glenn came into our family in 1995, as my mom's real estate agent. The house would finally be sold 3 years later, following both my mother's and stepfather's death. But Uncle Glenn had become my Favorite Uncle by then, and will always be.

He was born in London to two stage actors in 1934. When the bombing in Britain became so constant that children were sent away, his parents shipped him to live with an Aunt and Uncle in Hollywood, California. Less than a year later, his parents were killed in a bombing raid in London and Glenn stayed with his Aunt and Uncle permanently.

He attended Hollywood public schools and began performing onstage, in the family tradition. His interest in acting waned in college, and he began pursuing a career in medicine. In his second year of Medical School, he realized he'd never reconcile his personal health beliefs with standard medicine, and quit. He became a personal assistant to Marlene Dietrich through family connections, and worked for her for several years. At one point during a trip to New York City, he decided he liked the East Coast better, and stayed. He took a job with a pharmaceutical company as a sales rep but quickly became disgusted with the drug industry. Then he went to work at Clairol as a sales rep, and was equally appalled at the practices used in that industry. He found his niche for many years working for the old Ma Bell, rising through the ranks from operator to supervisor to management. But he grew bored and quit to become a realtor.

He settled on Staten Island, buying a house on Drumgoole Road. There he collected stray people and dogs, caring for them all with love and patience. He went far over and above his duties to his real estate cutomers, and remained close friends with them all long after the deal was done. His strong ethics and fighting spirit kept many Staten Island brokers in line. He inspired my little brother Seth, who pursued a very successful realtor's career himself, under Uncle Glenn's tutelage. When Seth's cancer became terminal, Uncle Glenn brought him health foods and encouragement. When Seth died, Uncle Glenn held me together yet again.

I can't ever describe him in sufficient terms except to say he was infinitely kind, put others before himself, and was the most honest man I've ever known. His laughter will ring in my ears forever. His example will remain a standard to all who knew him.

The lovely congregation and pastor of the Rossville AME Church are in charge of his affairs. He'd found a second home with that church family, and I'm so glad he did. He was never happier than when he was puttering around on the churchgrounds, planting flowers and making it pretty. That's what he did in all things; made the world prettier. We are all lessened by his loss, whether you knew him or not.

Feel The Hate

I'm so filled with anger right now. Anger mostly out of hurt, and watching others be hurt.

Anger at arrogant stoners who are really beneath my contempt. I mean, really, you're in your midlife. Your brain cells are shot enough. I'm not gonna care when you've got dementia, which, BTW, you're showing signs of already. Grow the fuck up and get your heads out of your asses and get off your superior high fucking horse, while you're moving.

Anger at liars. People I thought were righteous are turning out to be powerhungry fucking Gollums chasing their Precious. People I was sure I knew are showing their true skins, and they're hideous.

Anger at cowards. Come on you fucking Quisling whining babies. I'm damned tired of tiptoeing around your fragile fucking nerves and coddling your moods. Grow some, somewhere. Need a spine? I'll be glad to insert one.

Anger at stupidity. Enough said.

Anger at being duped. I really thought this community was a forward-thinking, "Leftie" refuge of fellowship. What a fucking load of shit. These ego hippies are Fascists as much as the Bushites. Either think just like them, follow their program, or you're shit upon. So much for freedom.

Anger at being angry. I'm not good at anger. I have a hard time with it. It leaves me bitter and hateful. Oh, it can motivate me to do a lot of things. But not things I'm especially happy doing. I can forgive, but I can't ever forget. I have too good a memory.

Trying to stay yourself in a world that tries to change you in every way imaginable is very hard. And being so full of hate for so many people right now is very uncomfortable.
And it's fucking Valentine's Day and I'm alone with memories.
Fuck me, too.