BULLOCKS: Bitching About Budgets

With all the talk in Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and City Hall, about budgets, I figured I would share our household budget for a two week period for groceries, as one of the things that gets touted aimlessly about is social security welfare and food stamp benefits reduction without reserve or cause. This is just food and doesnt include somethings as it is always an on going process and shifting from one thing to another to make things stretch and operate with less than you have or need. But as with every budget process you have to start somewhere in order to figure out if you have fucked something up along the way. I prefer to start at the top and work my way down.

One thing that is not listed in the budget is our beverage consumption as it varies based on the individual another is that I try to set aside up to $40 per month for really good deals that come up over the course of the month that allow me to stock up on stuff that then gets dissipated over next several months of savings by not having to purchase stuff at normal or increased prices and or quantities because I was able to purchase for dimes on the dollar now. This doesnt happen every month but its always in the back of my brain as a consideration. It also helps that I own a deep freezer too. Anybody hit a deer lately?

I encourage everyone to put their grocery budgets out there on the web, especially FACEBOOK, as a way of telling Congress (tag your member of Congress) and your State Legislature and City/County Council and pundits to get real about debates and budgets and have an honest conversation about where our dollars are spent, and quit trying to use or malign those whom barely have enough to survive on a monthly basis or receive benefits, because as I can attest below, it doesn't go to waste.

Grocery $77 for two weeks for basics for 3-4 people.

30 medium eggs $ 2.85 = $74.15
3 Gallon vD Milk $ 7.50 = $66.65
2 8oz pk cream cheese $3.21 = $63.44
3 loaves of bread $3.00 = $60.44
8 5oz cans Tuna $5.60 = 54.84
(+or 2 cans of Salmon $4.00 @FD)
3lbs roll of hamburger $6.00 = 48.84
Cottage Cheese tub $2.50 = $46.34
2 lbs Turkey Lmeat $8.00 = $38.34
1 48oz Butter Tub $ 2.25 = $36.09
3lbs Turk Burg/Sausg $6.00 = $30.09
3lbs Chicky Breast @1.79/lb = $24.72
Cereal/Oatmeal/Waffles $3 = $21.72
2lbs bolonga cheap shit $2.50 = $19.22
Herbs and Spices (AN) $3.22 = $16.00
Veggies Can & Froze $8.00 including:
+ 2 1lbs Broci &Chz Sau $4.00 WM/F
+ 2 13oz net Mushrooms $3.00 WM/C
+ 4 28oz cans of tomatoes $6.00 SL/C
+ Unknown Carrots/Peas/Corn $4.00
+ 3lbs bag of yellow onion $3.00
+ 5lbs bag of taters $3.00
1 8.5oz Olive Oil $3.00 = $5.00
1lbs Colby Cheese $4.00 = $3.00
1-3 pkgs of seeds $1 = $00 budget met

Thank you for reading F6 all these years

Hello and again thank you for taking the time to read F6 Queer Views Of Life Along Our Three Rivers even while it has been inactive for the last year and a half. I truly do miss contributing within this forum and getting to meet all of you across the electronic superhighway and side roads that we all slide down from time to time. I thank you for traveling down my dirt road from time to time. With all the changes that have occurred over the last eighteen months there have been and still are numerous times where I have wanted to return and share those stories and my commentary and illustrate the beauty of the male body and bond of brotherly love in the midst of all the chaos, if only to bring even for just a moment my unique perspective and order to the disillusion many feel on a daily basis.

There were other reasons that facilitated me taking a break, it was also right when GOOGLE was cracking down unjustly on questionable (at best mature, but not porn) gay content specifically, on blogger/blogspot. From a personal perspective, I took a break after my fathers passing and my health taking a turn for the worse temporarily. I waited for a year to decide whether or not to come back to it or clean it up a bit and turn it into a resource page while still keeping the historical record in tact. When that year happened to pass I was recovering from two major surgeries within a three month time frame and dealing with life issues and roommate issues and such. So as that deadline passed in October 2010, I just let it sit still and serve for the historical record and what little up to date resources there still were.

I hope that helps explain some of it. I am putting together a compendium of my writings and updating them to current sources and will probably have that published either this year or next. Sorry for being so morbid, but as it stands now, I dont foresee my being able to publish F6 any further on a regular basis. While there will be a few posts as I update and finish telling stories begun on here many moons ago, as much as I miss it and as much as I miss each of you, I must preserve what is already here so that we never forget and then make it the best resource possible for the future generation to see and remember the struggle and sacrifice for equality.

Enjoy this adventure of my life and may you have many Blessings Along The Journey,
Fr. Fozy Bear, MRev. Kenneth White, Jnr., Editor of F6
http://www.facebook.com/frfozybearftwin

This wouldnt be a proper F6 posting without a video from Jay Brannan

Whether you have been naughty or nice shouldnt matter before Thanksgiving

Preparation for Christmas has been moved back to Halloween and we're thinking about candy corn on the Fourth of July....the only reason we still celebrate Thanksgiving anymore is because food merchants want to get in their deals and steals throughout the holiday seasons too and the poultry industry wouldn't be the same if everyone just ate Chicken and told the Turkey to go screw off like it normally does in the wild. If it gets any worse improperly anthropomorphic animated Witches will be traveling around while straddling bottle rockets on Mother's Day delivering carnations to Church's flower sales with miniature bunnies siting on the other end to act as a tail fin.

We are allowing corporate greed and political correctness to bury our nation's history and broken promises but yet lofty dreams and bold ideals all at the same time by covering over part of the distinct position of this pseudo secular religious holiday. We see Thanksgiving as the beginning of a really expensive pipe dream that y'all will be paying off for six months or longer, rather than a moment to stop and give thanks for the year that has just passed, the harvest in our pantries and cellar storage, and the fact that for at least half the country we are gathered around with friends and/or family and taking a moment to share ourselves with each other, and perhaps a perfect stranger.

Like the story of the first Thanksgiving, that we were told growing up, when the Native people of this land shared the skills to survive in this new climate and circumstances, take a moment to remember this past year before you embark on the next journey in faith and peace. Also remember though to serve those whom do not have what you have been blessed with, by being the first to open your home and share it freely, as the Good News of Him who was, is, and will be, asked us to do, so that He may come and dine with you and your family today too.


There was suppose to be a post today...what happened?

The crack staff of F6 received word today that Father Fozy has been called away this Thanks Giving weekend on an issue of Apostolic proportion. All we could find was the prior pastoral commentary you all just read and then we received word as to where Father Fozy was called away towards, we never had no idea it was for this:

:: Breaking News ::
Santa's Workshop overtaken by drunk teen boy band
RIVER TRIO RODENTS
...live coverage coming soon....

Apparently the SeVille boys were a little depressed this Holiday Season with their second movie being pushed back three months (from March 2010 to Christmas this year) and album sales diminishing, but they were confident they would come in first place at the Mythical Creatures Annual Dinner & Karaoke Contest, and win the coveted Crown of Prosperity for another year. What they didn't know is Mr. Freeze's Assistant had spiked the eggnog at the table they all were sitting at to try to warm up everyone on a very chilly night at the North Pole....they are now holding the elves hostage.

Santa is okay, The Bishop from Turkey is on his personal yacht sailing around the Netherlands region, looking in on small children as they sleep. and is receiving reports from Fr. Fozy's staff who is making a SITREP from the scene hourly. To hear more live coverage call 260-312-2200 and listen to the report filed last night in the field by Father Fozy's staff Guardian Spirit, Weasel (Weasie) and Guardian Angel, Julian (Jules) Reign.

Happy Thanksgiving! everyone and to our men and women serving in the Military, HooRah! to you also.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The preceding news report and subsequent voice mail message are fictitious.
They are a continuation of a personal tradition to bring some bad comedy throughout the holiday season courtesy of my voice mail. I hope you all enjoy and check back for further installments in this year's series. No underage mythical or animated creatures were harmed or hammered nor were any copyright infringements intended in the making of this and subsequently following story lines.

Split Pea Soup: Entrepreneurial Spirit abounds at the Pontiac Mall this holiday season.

As most of my really close friends are aware I am in the process of moving from the north end of the City by Glenbrook Mall to the southwest side of town. Between the adventure of getting the house ready to move into (putting visquinne on the windows, getting utilities turned on), meeting my crazy neighbors, and getting to know the neighborhood I will now reside in, I found something really cool to tell you all about.

Three days ago I found myself in the throws of my stomach revolting against the idea of going another a hour without food, it was really warm that day so I had burned through my breakfast relatively quickly with everything going on, plus being hypoglycemic trying to stave off a protein deficiency and a sugar crash at the same time means only one option, milk product (milk has equal parts, protein and sugar, instant fix) and rest then food; cigarettes and nicotine and string cheese can only get you so far. So I went looking for a diner or cafe; I knew there had to be one somewhere. Somewhere down Pontiac Street there had to be a classic hole in the wall diner, some place with inexpensive, good quality, old soul style, food, (or as we use to call it, grubbins); the free market, my wallet, demanded nothing else. I wondered aimlessly across Pontiac looking for said restaurant, I wanted a real restaurant something with character and community fried into its pores.

After turning around one time to check back at the Pontiac Mall I happened across a sign at the very bottom that I didnt see the first time I passed thanks to a light pole and a bus blocking the sign from view at 30 mph. I park and walk in only to find a sign that said the cafe was only open from 11a-1p. Completely disheartened and my blood sugar levels close to crashing, I went into the convience store to grab a soda as a last ditch effort to give me a quick boost until I could find dinner, only to find out that the restaurant is open and the entrance is on the west-south-west (right of the main entrance) side of the building. I will be okay, yeah!

I went in and standing behind the service window of Mattie Mae's Cafe is a short and stocky middle age woman with a cheerful grin and a mild roar greeting me saying "how is you doing?" and "what will you have?" her name is Marnetta. Marnetta named the Cafe after her Aunt, there are several pictures of her in the Cafe. I would recommend that you try the signature Mattie Burger Combo which consist of a seasoned 1/4 lbs (after cooking) of meat cheese and the works including mayo, with a side of seasoned fries, and a can of Big K Soda (additional sodas are by the can at 50 cents each) for about 5.00. The other menu I can recommend is the Nachos both of these will fill anyone up easily. Mattie Mae's is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8a-7p and is located at the Pontiac Mall 1108 East Pontiac across from the Whitney Young Early Childhood Center.

The reason I am telling you all of this is because of what I found while I was there. At the service window on the counter they had a contest, for a dollar you got to guess how much candy was in this 2 pound container, if you won you got a free meal on the house. The donations from the game are going to put on a Thanksgiving dinner for the area homeless and hungry and the whole mall is participating and hosting the venture of service to those in need. So my request to each of you that read this blog is that if you like good food, and you want to spread the ideas of libertarian philosophy around, and support group of businesses that are reaching out to serve the community they are in, spend a dollar, take a guess, and then stay for dinner. At Mattie Mae's a family of four can still eat for less than a quarter of a buck (that is $25) in the Summit City and it doesnt have to be fast food.

Think about it and then do something about it!

Recent road collapse causes speculation on origin and prevention but also leads me to call out and question local broadcast stations

Monday evening the road collapsed on US Highway 27 northbound, south of State Boulevard, just before the Kroger Fueling Station. This incident caused major headaches as the road in question is a primary route through town and the lights are timed at 28-32 miles per hour to make traffic flow smoothly, typically a twenty minute trip one way. According to an interview given to Stephen Parker @ Around Fort Wayne by Rachel Blakeman, a former blogger, and current Public Information Officer for the City, they checked all possible causes and their working position now is that a water main break ten years ago caused the soil to move or become settled and therefore caused the road pavement to buckle under and take the City on a wonderfully (35 miles per hour, across a 12 inch dip in the road, on a curve, at night) fun ride. The City hopes to have the road repaired, at a cost of 26 thousand dollars (INC 23 September 2009), by Friday, weather permitting.

The only question left to ask now is: Does the City need to go back and check the sites of all other previous water main breaks to prevent this from happening yet again?

My Problem With Local Broadcast Media

This incident was responded to promptly so I wont critique the City on interdepartmental communication this time but I will critique the local broadcast media establishments for not broadcasting the traffic alert at the bottom and top of the hours as the incident unfolded and progressed. Most of the radio stations that I tuned into were on national syndication at the time with no one answering phones or able to announce the obstruction to traffic on the air. Maybe we need to take stock in what we want from local radio? I am not saying that national shows and prerecorded programs are a bad thing, but when there is no one present to put out the traffic advisory for such a major road closing, or receive up to date information from average citizens at the event's occurrence, we begin to see another issue at play. What does that say about the intention of these people we entrust with our airwaves?

That is right, our airwaves!
Publicly owned airwaves!

This isn't an issue of local only it is an issue of local at all. Most radio stations rely on the prepackaged or syndicated programs to fill time and just milk the advertising dollars from such programs. I miss the days of long term, local hired, Disc Jockeys (excuse me, Personalities) whom actually get involved in the Community they serve and do more than slut out the top 40 list every couple of hours, we need more indie and local music.

We need independent stations that aren't owned by conglomerates in the same market. We need to celebrate the arts and music but also receive our news and commentary from many different sources rather than allowing one or two stations to provide every comment or thought from a biased, small minded, position of assumed public trust. We need to start having public conversations again on air and actually invite the best people to the airwaves not just the ones who have the loudest mouths or the most clout in the industry or social landscape.

Allen County needs its own radio station that celebrates the people, arts and music, cultures, reports the news, and offers a balance of commentary on everything. My only question, Whom is willing to start providing and maintaining a truly free press for everyone to participate in? Are You?


F6 EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS POST IS CROSS POSTED ON THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF ALLEN COUNTY BLOG.

HEALTH CARE REFORM! The Squirrel Society is back and looking for some more nuts to tease, tag, and bag. Spread your cheeks wide open to speak out!!

I think both sides of this debate have been drinking too much KoolAide and need to quit bending over to the chemically flavoured coloured sugar rush of politics, and just do what is right for We The People in both practical care and further advancements within medical research and development. As a budding Participatory Economist and a Libertarian, this may seem to be a conflict of philosophies, however I disagree with both sides of the debate so far. I think that Health Care Reform is the perfect opportunity to move towards a new style of economics where money isn't the issue, but the affirmative answer to that historical question: "And we are our brothers keeper?" is the principle on which we stand!

Tomorrow @ 12 Noon concerned citizens across northeast Indiana can open their mouths, and the first 150 can even deep throat a Coney Dog, at the Allen County Courthouse on South Clinton at Main Street, to protest against national health care reform that is currently making its way through Congress. The hour long rally event is hosted by Americans 4 Prosperity and Patients United Now and will include commentary from highlighted speaker, Honorable David McIntosh, former US Representative from 1995-2001 in the 2nd District, who was succeeded by the Honorable Mike Pence in the sixth District, and is currently also working with Conservative Lobbying Groups against the Sonia Sotomayor nomination/appointment to The United States Supreme Court.

I believe that we can have a health system that both acknowledges personal and collective indemnity for basic health care yet at the same point assure a stable health care system that is not based on economic profit or to a very minimum more as a surplussed commodity of trade. Here are just some basic thoughts to start out:

1. Medical staff should be semi nationalized (LPN and below at min.) and all trained under a limited exchange pay system or for free. By not attaching such a cost to the education matrix persons in the medical field can be trained and monitored and advanced based on skills and desires to serve their fellow man not how much money they can accrue in a trust fund or slave to pay back for the next twenty years of their lives in college loans. The same regarding free education is true with teachers and other academics. All students should leave start college between 16-20 years old after six years at the age of 22-26 with at minimum a bachelors degree and possibly a Master Degree, and if able two - four years of apprenticeship and civil service under their belt.

2. By first eliminating the cost of education as a society we also trust that not far behind would be the serious reduction of and the amounts awarded because of malpractice or malfeasance to both a. an affordable standard and b. reasonable compensation, since the profit margin has been reduced drastically by the industry.

3. Basic care and wellness provisions would assure that everyone merits a basic standard of care. If you choose to be obese you will have to pay more into the system to deflect the cost of your added care but at the same pointe if you choose to work at maintaining a healthier life or donate time back to the work matrix the drain you added could be adjusted or removed from the matrix. If there are natural medical diagnosis like cancer or other ailments it would be covered under routine maintainability of life.

4. The matrices can be assigned locally and governed regionally with cross oversight by both a national council for final review and malpractice and a council of patrons served elected by each matrix's participants and professionals within each field of license to assure best practices management both locally and regionally.

5. Prescriptions and procedures are automatically covered no questions asked as the development cost is now covered by the matrix, this would greatly reduce the burden and profit margins simultaneously.

I began this post with a reminder of our own hopes and dreams for the future through where our current failures in leadership have and can follow towards by commentary of characters Captain Benjamin Sisko and Dr. Julian Bashir, whom while traveling back in time to AD 2024, expose us to the eventual fraud and dereliction of humanitarian services within indigent persons sanctuary districts, located in the abandon urban areas of major cities throughout this great Nation. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Past Tense, 8 Parts, c/o Project Infinity). I will leave this debate to y'all for now with these words from Jay Brannan in 26 Hour Day and ask you to consider the future you wish to leave behind for our children and our fellow Americans. The time for reform is now. The questions we must ask ourselves as a people now is, What will that reform look like ten or fifty years from now? How can we be sure that we will always take care of our fellow American?



WEBSITES AND RESOURCES ON HEALTH CARE ALTERNATIVES:
Northeast Indiana Chapter of Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan which promotes public financed, privately delivered, aka single-payer, universal health plan at the state and national level.

OTHER COMMENTARIES ON HEALTH CARE REFORM:

ObamaCare Yay or Nay? The Truth About Canada!
by Steven Crowder 13 July 2009
[Website][YouTube][Twitter][H/t: Fort Wayne News]

OTHER STAR TREK COMMENTARIES ON HEALTH CARE

VOYAGER: Season 7 Episode 5, Critical Care: The Emergency Medical Hologram Doctor willingly challenges the health care practices that are apportioned based on an individuals social class at a hospital facility he is held hostage at by infecting the Hospital Administrator and changing his designation to a lower section.
(Original Date 01 November 2000, 5 parts c/o Chromalias7)

NEWS STORIES AND OTHER BLOGS REPORTING OF EVENTS AND COMMENTARIES:

Pre Event Promotion:
08 July Rally Around Free Health Care Choices
by John B. Kalb @ Fort Wayne Politics
08 July Rally against Obamacare tomorrow at Courthouse Square
by Stephen Parker @ Around Fort Wayne Blog
08 July Rally Against Obamacare Tomorrow At Courhouse Square
09 July Patients United Now Rally Against Obamacare Today!
via Dan Turkette's @ Fort Wayne News

Local Commentaries on Health Care Reform debate:
22 June That Horse Is Dead
by Leo Morris Opening @ Arguments The News Sentinel
02 July Health Care Debate
by Jeff Pruitt @ Fort Wayne Politics
07 July Democrats To The Rescue?
by Leo Morris @ Opening Arguments The News Sentinel
08 July Evan Bayh's Priorities
by Craig Skinner @ Reverent and Free

Post Event Reports and Commentaries:
09 July Fort Wayne Health Care Tea Party
by Scott Sarvay Indiana News Center
09 July Protesting Obamacare in Fort Wayne
by Morgan @ My Two Cents Worth
10 July Obamacare Rally photos and video
by Stephen Parker @ Around Fort Wayne Blog


FOLLOWUP COMMENTARY: There is a snag excerpt copy of this post on the Libertarian Party of Allen County's blog. To which I will repost comments on that post here also:
1. Kevin Knuth, former Chair of the Allen Co. Democrats asked, "Anyone else find the humor (that an) event that wants to stop changes to health care is serving coney dogs and potato chips?"
2. To which I your Editor responded, "It was actually the second thing I noticed in the 1 1/2 page press release. It really got my creative and sarastic juices flowing.
Nothing says health care reform like 150 people digesting over processed meat smothered in sauteed onions and fried meat, sometimes with cheese, and always with mustard. The protest/rally organizers could have at least served ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and rasins) as well and eaten them in protest against a well rounded meal.
What really sucks is I didnt get the message til last night otherwise I could have forwarded out to more homeless people and had all them get fed a decent lunch. But I have a feeling some already know about it."
3. Robert Enders, Chair of the Libertarian Party in reply stated, "I'm planning on going and I'm planning on having a hotdog too. People should be allowed to make their own healthcare and diet choices."

EDITOR: More links, information, and comments to come later.