We Live in a Sick Society...Part 3

If you missed Part 1 Click Here, If you missed Part 2, Click Here

3) The Medical Profession makes us sicker! Quick, name the five leading causes of death in America! Don't google it! If you are like most people, your list will probably have heart disease, cancer, diabetes, maybe accidents or stroke, things like that.
You would be right about heart disease being Number 1 and cancer being Number 2...but what's Number 3?
According to Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, 250,000 deaths per year are caused by medical errors, making this the third-largest cause of death in the U.S., following heart disease and cancer.
Broken down, it looks like this:
 106,000 Non-error, negative effects of drugs
 80,000 Infections in hospitals
 45,000 Other errors in hospitals
 12,000 Unnecessary surgery
 7,000 Medication errors in hospitals
 250,000 Total deaths per year from iatrogenic* causes
 * The term iatrogenic is defined as "induced in a patient by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy.  Used especially to pertain to a complication of treatment."

Furthermore, these estimates of death due to error are lower than those in a recent Institutes of Medicine report.  If the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000.  Even at the lower estimate of 225,000 deaths per year, this constitutes the third leading cause of death in the U.S.

Dr. Starfield offers several caveats in the interpretations of these numbers:

First, most of the data are derived from studies in hospitalized patients.

Second, these estimates are for deaths only and do not include the many negative effects that are associated with disability or discomfort.

Third, the estimates of death due to error are lower than those in the IOM report.  If the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000.  In any case, 225,000 deaths per year constitutes the third leading cause of death in the United States, after deaths from heart disease and cancer.  Even if these figures are overestimated, there is a wide margin between these numbers of deaths and the next leading cause of death (cerebro-vascular disease).

 When I was little, if my grandad got an episode of heartburn, he stirred a teaspoon of baking soda into a cold glass of water and drank it. Problem solved.

Go to a drugstore and check out the aisle that has heartburn remedies today.

Holy Cow!

Or ANY aisle with over the counter medications, for that matter.

There is not just a dozen choices for a medication to relieve heartburn or dry up a runny nose or banish a headache...there are several dozens, sometimes well over a hundred medications to "cure" whatever ails you. 

Prescription medications have also multiplied alarmingly, along with their side effects. 

Drug companies advertise on every t.v. program. Depressed? Take this!( Never mind that side effects can kill you...or make you want to kill yourself.) Have arthritis? Take this! (But it may cause you to develop lung cancer! Not joking...just saw that ad today) Eczema? Psoriasis? Take these! (Ignore the side effect that lowers your immune system to the point you can develop severe infections) 

And doctors hand out prescription with a free hand.

Drug companies woo doctors with gifts and free samples and trips to "conferences" in the Caribbean or other exotic locales to insure that doctors will continue to pass out their drugs.

And patients comply with doctors orders and gulp down every pill and potion handed out to them, all in the hope that their "trusted physician" knows what is best for them.

The worst thing today is the habit doctors have of handing out antibiotics for darn near every sniffle and cough. Because of this, many antibiotics are no longer effective.

New infections, such as MRSA have become common in hospitals.

Contributing greatly to this are the antibiotics dumped by the ton into animal feeds.Cattle, poultry, pigs, turkeys...if it is meant for the general consumer market, unless it is certified organic, the meat on a supermarket shelf is chock full of antibiotics.

Drug companies pushed antibiotics (and growth hormones, among other drugs) onto livestock producers...I guess those drug companies were not making a big enough profit off of people...and convinced the producers that their livestock would grow faster and healthier, fatten up faster and meatier, etc. And the livestock producers bought...and bought...and bought...and so did we. Every night across America, families sit down to delicious meals........ seasoned with antibiotics. (Vegans aren't off the hook...unless they grow all their own food from certified heirloom seed, they are probably chowing down on a plate full of GMO veggies and grains!) 

And the medical profession in this country went right along with the drug companies. I guess they need the income, too.

When I was a kid, some 40 to 50 years ago, we went to a G.P. (General Practitioner) or a pediatrician when we were sick. Look at all the specialties now!  It used to be that neurologists were a "big city" specialty. Now you can find one or two in towns with populations of less than 20,000, sometimes 10,000.Same goes for Pediatric Oncologists and just about every other specialty. 

Here's another shocker: the medical community in this country (okay, some in Europe are on the bandwagon, too) have CREATED "conditions"and "diseases"! Of course, if there is a disease or condition, then there has to be a treatment. A treatment usually entails the prescribing of a medication. Medications enrich the drug companies, who, in turn, employ doctors and those doctors happily come up with new diseases and conditions to justify their high salaries.

Look, I am not blaming ALL doctors, but I do personally feel that the medical profession in the US has helped us become this sick society.

And we, ourselves, are to blame as well. Parents pleading with a doctor "Can't you give Susie something for this cold?" and the doctor sighs and writes out a prescription for penicillin just to make them happy....because he knows if he doesn't, those parents might pick a different doctor for little Susie.

We propel this machine with our dollars. WE buy the antacids, nasal sprays, headache remedies. WE push our doctors to pull out those prescription pads for sleeping pills or diarrhea. WE expect every tiny ache, pain, sniffle and sneeze to magically go away with a pill. WE watch those ads on t.v. and believe them and then rush off to our doctor's office and demand this new treatment or pill.

Medicine can be a wonderful thing. My life and the lives of my children have benefited from modern medicine. I have been saved by doctors as have some of my kids. However, I have also been misdiagnosed, given the wrong prescription and almost killed by doctors, too. My eldest daughter was misdiagnosed once and almost died. Only because I questioned the doctors diagnosis and treatment and got a second opinion fast was she able to survive. 

Doctors, drug companies and the medical profession are not a coalition of god-like beings. They are human, just like the rest of us. Some are profit-driven, only in it for the money. Others genuinely care about their patients well-being. 

WE have to more carefully choose our doctors. WE have to make better decisions about our own health, diets, exercise, etc. WE have to listen to those ads more carefully. WE have to be more involved in our own health care.WE have to demand that the FDA ban antibiotics in animal feed.

Tomorrow, Part 4....What's the Cure for a Sick Society? Steps you can take now!

We Live in a Sick Society, Part 2

...continued, Part 2. ( Part 1 Here )

3) Corporate America has led us down a primrose path that is killing us! As the industrialization of America continued after WWI and WWII, petroleum was used more and more. Besides being used for gasoline and diesel fuel to power cars and industrial plants and tractors and factories, they started making more products from it. Plastics, fertilizers, herbicides, etc. Things were produced on a GRAND scale. The "market farmer" with his mule powered plow and cultivator could no longer compete with the huge agricultural concerns using tractors and combines that were raising crops on thousands of acres fertilized by petroleum products.
The overuse of agricultural lands in the heartland led to the dust bowl conditions of the 30s, which contributed to the Depression occurring.After WWII, tons of petroleum created pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers were dumped and plowed in on every acre of land that large agricultural companies could get their hands on.
Supermarkets sprang up like dandelions on a suburban lawn. Suburbs sprang up to house the millions of people that wanted city living without being in a city. Family farms were sold at a rapid rate as sons who had seen Paris and London and Amsterdam during WWII decided that family farming was "backwards". Everyone wanted in on the new America...and corporate America obliged.
Instead of a local butcher or greengrocer, housewives converged on supermarkets and bought prepackaged meats, vegetables in cellophane and eggs in neatly compartmentalized cartons. Radio ads and television ads extolled the virtues of products and assured America's wives and mothers about the "healthy" supermarket products. Why, instead of the drudgery of baking fresh bread, buy Wonder Bread! It's HEALTHY! We put VITAMINS in it! (Although currently, those vitamins are joined by the leavings of barber shop floors in China. Yes, they use Chinese hair in most commercially made bread. EWWWWW!)
Ad campaigns sold Americans on the virtues of pre-prepared frozen dinners (and still do).

For farmers it was worse. If you couldn't go BIG, you usually got forced out of the markets. Stores wanted UNIFORMITY in their vegetables and fruits. Food factories wanted uniformity as well. Tomatoes were expected fresh, year round, so they had to be varieties that could be shipped across the country. Most tomatoes in supermarkets are picked green, packed into warehouses and boxcars, and exposed to a gas to ripen them when they are shipped the thousand or more miles across the country to end up being labeled "fresh picked" and sold to the public.The same with celery and spinach and lettuce and...well, you get the idea.Many varieties of vegetables and fruits became scare. Some may have become extinct.
The same thing happened with livestock. Pigs and cows and chickens had to be UNIFORM, so the cuts and appearance was the same week after week. They had to be ready for market faster and gain weight faster. Slower gaining breeds and the "non-uniform" animals were left by the wayside. Even dairy cattle suffered the same fate. Go to a commercial dairy and look around. You'll see mostly Holstein cattle. Occasionally Jersey cows. I remember a local dairy that had only Guernsey cows...sadly, they closed down in the 1970s. But what  joys their milk and butter were! Creamy, sweet and the milk actually had a naturally yellow cast to it because of how high the butterfat content was. Luscious milk.
On farms in older days, you raised a "lard pig", a "bacon pig" and a "ham pig" for the family's needs. "lard from the "lard pig" was used for soap, cooking lard, baking lard, etc. Of course, the meat was used too, but the value of the pig (or hog) was in it's fat. Long, leaner breeds of pigs made better bacon, so they were used for that. But no part of the family pig was wasted! I remember my grandmother and grandfather butchering their pigs when I was little. NOTHING went to waste. Intestines were cleaned out and used as sausage casings (hint, do the final rinse in salted water!!). My grandmother even caught the blood draining from the pig to make blood sausage (don't say EWWWW! until you've tried it! It was yummy!).
Today, pigs are raised in confinement, in cages they can't even turn around in. They never feel the sun on their back or are able to root in the dirt. Their tails are cut off so that they don't bite them off of the pig in the cage next to them. And they are oh-so-uniform.
Sadly, many of the older "heirloom" breeds of livestock are endangered. A few are already extinct.
They weren't valued by livestock producers because they aren't as predictable as the uniform breeds they use. They take longer to reach butchering size, they may not have the perfect marbling of fat desired, etc.

Corporate America also convinced Americans that their breath stank, they sweat too much, they needed better cleaning products, their houses smelled bad, etc.
Dozen upon dozen of cleaning products, hygiene products, air fresheners, etc.  YAY! MORE chemicals becoming the normal day-to-day products in our homes! Of course we needed them....all the advertisements said so!
Never mind that many of the cleansers and air fresheners caused allergic reactions or over-loaded our bodies with toxic chemicals...our houses sparkled and smelled better! Never mind that that antiperspirant contained aluminum (which an overload of can be a contributing factor in Alzheimer's), WE smelled better! Never mind that the long term exposure to all these modern chemicals had never been adequately studied...our whole world smelled better!
And plastic. Plastic, the wonder material of our age. Toys, kitchen utensils, food containers, anything and everything that could be made of plastic...was.
The more plastic we put in our homes...the more things changed. Things like childhood cancer rates, adult cancer rates, asthma in children and adults, severe allergies,etc.
Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
And corporate America keeps on selling. And we keep on buying.
Now we have Genetically Modified Foods. These "miracle foods" were supposed to save starving populations across the world. Instead, they are now found to be causing more severe allergies, decreased soil fertility, hive collapse in bees and other catastrophic problems.
Monsanto is the worst of these offenders. They want to control the food. You control the food, you control the population. There is a revolving door between Monsanto and  our government agencies. If you work for one that gives you a basic "lock" on getting lucrative employment with the other.
If you want to get "up to speed" on how damn evil Monsanto is, I suggest you set aside some time to watch a few movies.
Most are free to view online.
Patent for a Pig
King Corn
Food, Inc.
The World According to Monsanto
Also, do a search on youtube for "India's Cotton Suicides" for more info.

Tomorrow, Part 3...the Medical Profession and Our Sick Society...

We Live in a Sick Society , Part 1

I went to a lot of schools as a kid. Around a dozen different elementary schools, a couple of middles/junior high, but fortunately, only one high school.
In all that time, I never once met a child with a severe allergy. You know, the "if little Billy eats one peanut he will die" allergy. Only one child in elementary school died. She was in a car wreck.
In high school, I knew perhaps 2 kids that died. Both accidents.
Also, in all those years, besides not knowing anyone with an allergy, I also only met precisely one child that had diabetes and that was in high school.Never met a kid with cancer in any of those schools, either. There was no such thing as ADHD, ADD, hyperactivity, etc.
Similarly, I knew a lot of older adults growing up. I knew ONE adult with diabetes. She still bought a box of Girl Scout cookies from me, though. Shortbread trefoils. Said her dog liked them.
I lost all my grandparents by the time I was 21. Two to cancer, two to heart attacks. None of them were young and while they were alive, all of them lived active lives and were not plagued with myriad physical ailments. (Well, except for my paternal grandmother...if you asked "How are you? she would start with her gallbladder operation in 1957 and work her way up from there. She died while  in her 90s.)

Now, go turn on a t.v. for an hour or read a medical page online or open a newspaper.
Ads for medications for ailments that were unheard of 40 or 50 years ago. "Cancer clusters" in various areas of the country. One out of four boys being medicated for "ADD" or "ADHD". Advertisements for diabetes meters and test strips, advertisements for drugs for eczema, psoriasis, heartburn, nail fungus, arthritis, etc. All, of course with the warnings spoken sotto voce (or written in very fine print) about the side effects...some of them potentially fatal.

How did we get here? What happened?
How did America get from a healthy, vibrant society to a sickly, medicated, sick one?
I put part of the blame on food, another part of it on Womens Lib and the feminist movement, and the rest on corporate America and the medical profession.
Let me break that down:
1) We don't eat healthy. We (as a society) have become dependent on highly processed food, microwave meals, fast foods, etc. We expect a "quick fix" for everything. Spend two hours preparing lasagna from scratch? NO WAY! Just pop some frozen lasagna in the microwave and TA-DA, dinner is served! Ever read the ingredients on that package of frozen lasagna? Let's put it this way, if you can't buy each of those ingredients off the shelf at your grocers, or grow them yourselves, you shouldn't be eating them!
Fast food? How about TOXIC food? I have worked at all of the major fast food places in the US, and frankly, I will not eat at any of them. I know what goes in their food. I have even worked at a cattle ranch that was under contract to one of the major fast food places...and I know the hormones and other chemicals that go into those cattle.
We also eat WAY too much meat. Meat consumption in this country is absolutely at ridiculous levels.
I love a good steak as much as the next person, but we should take a cue from Thomas Jefferson who  advised using meat as a condiment. We eat a lot of curries, soups, stews and stir-fries here. I can stretch a half pound of meat (before cooking) to fix a hearty satisfying meal for five people! We also eat "dinner salads" some nights or I use eggs as a base for a meal, making an omelet or souffle.
Sugar consumption of highly refined white sugars and High Fructose Corn Syrup is also WAY too high.
When I was a kid, an orange, some grapes or a banana was a "treat". Apple cider, apple juice, orange juice or a cold glass of milk was a beverage at the table. Kool-Aid once or twice a week in summer. Now kids stuff themselves with candy bars, chips and sodas. Parents excuse buying it by saying "But Billy/Susie won't drink anything else!" Oh, yes they will! We are cutting our soda consumption drastically here. First we cut it down to half of what we normally drank (which was WAY too much). Then we cut it in half again. Next week we will be getting a Soda Stream and will no longer buy ANY sodas. We'll flavor our drinks with spices and fruit juices and sweeten them with raw sugar or honey.
Our portion sizes are WAY too big. Go into any restaurant and order a meal. The amount of food they pile on a plate is astounding. Even at home, most of us have gotten used to huge portion sizes. We need to cut down on the size of our portions. I started using a dessert plate as my dinner plate. It fools the eye and makes you feel as if you have eaten more than you thought.

2) On to the Feminist/Womens Lib movement. Look, I believe women can and should do whatever they want in today's world. But I think it has gotten too extreme. Watch commercials...happy kids and moms at McDonalds. Happy family at Chuckie Cheese's. Happy kids and husband wolfing down moms choice of frozen dinner.
Yes, women got out of the kitchen...and nutrition for their families took a nosedive.
The last 20 to 30 years has seen a brainwashing of society in this country. We have been told that daycare is just as good as a mothers care, that fast food is a great replacement for a home cooked meal, that frozen foods ARE a home cooked meal, etc. They haven't told us about all the communicable diseases young children pick up in daycare from the other kids and caregivers. They haven't (until recently) warned us about all the fats and sugars in fast food and frozen dinners.
Women were told that what their mothers had done was "not enough" but now, women could "have it all".
Yes, as the song said "She could bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan and never let you forget you're the man". But that's not how it actually happened. A hot breakfast, lovingly cooked by Mom?
Nope, cold cereal it is, maybe a Pop-tart or two. No home packed lunch. School lunch would be fine. Dinner? Mom is exhausted so she stops and grabs a bucket of KFC and a couple of 6 packs of sodas.
I know, I was there once myself. I worked, not to "fulfill" myself but to support my kids.  I didn't enjoy working outside the home, but it was a necessity. I always tried to fix dinner for them, I am glad I did that, at least.
I know a lot of working moms that read this may be pissed at me right now. That's okay, I really don't mind.
I would ask those of you that are married and/or have a partner that works to figure out something.
Do you PAY to work?
Add up each of your work expenses separately. Include clothes you have to buy for work, commuting costs, eating lunch out (if you do), paying for daycare or a babysitter. Every single cost. By the way, both you and your spouse should add in the daycare/babysitter costs on both your work expense costs. I'll explain why in a minute. Now, when you get done, subtract that amount from your TAKE HOME  pay.
If you are in the red, i.e., bringing home less than you are spending for your job...you need to quit your job. Otherwise, see who actually brings home the most and figure out if you can make it on their salary alone if you have kids that would benefit by having a stay at home parent. If you BOTH have to work to make ends meet, that is understandable in today's economy. Just come up with sensible guideline for your diet and your kids diets.
Now, I know that some women out there have their jobs because they have a passion for their work, and that is wonderful. But, please, try to do it without cheating your child (or yourself!) of proper nutrition. No fast food or frozen dinners...plan ahead and maybe involve your kids in helping you make meals for the week on the weekend and have frozen meals that really are home made!
Keep your fridge stocked with snacks that you WANT your children to eat. Fresh fruit, carrot sticks, celery sticks, etc. A good idea is to get small tupperware type containers and fill each with snacking yummies that are easy for kids to make their own little snacks out of.  Similarly, you can use the small containers for dry, non-refrigerated snacks and designate a "snack cabinet" . Make good choices there, too. Dried apple slices, raisins or other dried fruit.You don't have to buy all "health foods", but try to give children better choices.

If you are on your own and have no kids and only cook for yourself, maybe make healthy cooking a hobby! Spend a Sunday afternoon teaching yourself to bake whole grain bread from scratch...then use that bread to make sandwiches for your lunches during the week. Invest in a crock pot if you don't have one and start a nice stew or soup before you leave for work in the morning...arrive home to a wonderful home made dinner!
Eat more salads. There is some evidence that shows a raw diet can slow or even reverse diabetes and other obesity related illnesses.

Tomorrow, Corporate America, Corporate Agriculture and the poisoning of America....

Just Popping In....

...to say a quick Hello! Will post later today, but right now, have too much to do!

Molly, checking out what we are doing inside the house!

Reassessing, Reprioritizing, Evolving

Maybe it is because Spring is here, but this is the time of year I tend to re-evaluate my life, my goals and what is going on in general. I generally make changes in the Spring, it seems the best time to do it, although I made a few changes last Fall.
The main change I made last Fall was I stopped using hair dye. I read numerous reports of hair dye causing severe allergic reactions because of changes in the chemicals the companies put in it. Apparently, some of the changes were mandated by the FDA, other changes were made by the companies themselves to make the colors stay vibrant longer, etc. Regardless of the intent or why they were changed, it had some Very Bad results. One woman in Florida went into a coma after using hair dye. She had used hair color for over 10 years, same brand, same color, but she reacted to it horribly. Other women had their scalps blister or break out so severely, they had to shave their heads. So, I received some henna as a Christmas present! (Okay, I ordered it for myself, but the Darlin' Man paid for it!) Yes, I intend to fight gray hair...I'll go gray kicking and screaming!
The henna worked beautifully and I am now a confirmed henna addict! Henna is an all natural vegetable based color. You can bright up a batch by adding paprika (!) or brown it down by adding some powdered rosemary. Mix it up with hot water, a bit of lemon juice and some olive oil and spread it on. Adding heat helps, but you can just leave it for a few hours. No harsh chemical smell! It smells a bit woodsy/mossy, but it is not bad.  The color is lovely and way more natural looking than the chemical dye!

The changes I am making now has to do with food.
We all need food. The food choices we make can determine our health.
So...because of recent news stories about various chemicals and other nasty things that are absolutely anchored in processed food, we have decided there are some foods we will never buy again.
I am sure most of my readers have heard about the HEK 283 furor (Human Embryonic Kidney cells, of which 293 were *harvested* from an aborted baby in the Netherlands in the 1970s). These cells are used by a company called Senomyx to test flavorings for companies, including Pepsi, Kraft Foods and Campbells Soup.They continue to grow the cells in tissue cultures in laboratories around the world. While the companies state that the human cells never make it into the food products themselves, I am not sure I want to trust them. After all, they never were open about GMO foods, either!
The Darlin' Man and I sat down, read all the various news stories and reports about HEK 293, did some research and made some decisions. We talked about our moral compasses and our personal beliefs. We are both pro-life, but he is more of a Libertarian than I am (or so he says, lol!), but still, he is VERY uncomfortable with the thought that the cells of an aborted baby are being used to develop food flavorings. Reading up on this, we found that they could have used animal cells, but that the fetus cells were cheaper for them in the long run. It is awful to think that it was cheaper to use those human cells than the cells from a rabbit or a rhesus monkey! We also talked about GMO foods, high fructose corn syrup (and that it is ALL made from GMO corn!),other foods that we know are GMOs (canola oil, for example) and the livestock that feeds on GMO corn, cotton seed  and wheat, etc.
Our diet has changed radically.
We were already *partially* organic. Our eggs, goats milk (and the resulting yogurt, cheese and butter and ice cream!) and what little gardening we do.
Now we are going TOTALLY organic. We know this will be more expensive, so we have also decided to drastically cut meat consumption. Every other day, we will be eating vegetarian. Not a problem, as everyone here LOVES spinach souffles and omelets and big dinner salads.
Also, we all like soda here. I have a Dr Pepper addiction and the fella loves his Coca-Cola.
BUT...since all sodas use HFCS (well, except for my beloved Dublin Dr Pepper which I can only order online once in a blue moon) , we are going to get a Soda Stream and make our own. I know the little packets of flavoring are not exactly organic, but I have found out from some friends online that you can make your own flavors using sugar and spices (real ginger ginger ale!)  Also, making our own will drop the cost of our favorite "toxic treat" (as the Darlin' Man calls it) down considerably.
We are also going to reduce our dependence on chemical based cleaning supplies. Baking soda and vinegar are going to be the basis for the majority of our cleansers. I make my own sanitizer/room air freshener out of lavender and rosemary already. (I swear, it works as good as Lysol...does for me, anyway...and smells SO much better!)
I have seen all the recipes for home made laundry detergent online and I plan to start making ours. If I want a gentle scent, I'll just fill a tea ball with lavender flowers and toss that in the rinse cycle. (I already do that for the sheets....try it! You'll sleep better!)
So, we are evolving. Becoming more self-sufficient. Hopefully, healthier.

Pics of the Day!

ALL the little goats love to nap in the wheelbarrow. Gerte gets comfy.

Pics of the day....I let the goats and chickens out all day again and they had a good time!

Raging Goose! Xander tries to come out the gate after me!

Champagne snuggles down in the loose hay box.

Gabby with Gerte and Gustave find a way to fit in the loose hay box.

Later, Gabby gives her should-be-weaned kids a snack.

Nola made it onto the steps!

L-O-O-O-N-G Political Post

On March 16, 2012, our current President signed an executive order. I am posting the order in it's entirety for all to read, with my comments in red interspersed.

Here is the Executive Order:

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

March 16, 2012

Executive Order -- National Defense Resources Preparedness

EXECUTIVE ORDER

NATIONAL DEFENSE RESOURCES PREPAREDNESS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2061 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:
PART I  -  PURPOSE, POLICY, AND IMPLEMENTATION
Section 101.  Purpose.  This order delegates authorities and addresses national defense resource policies and programs under the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (the "Act").
FDR, Truman, Reagan, Clinton... all had various variations of this "Act". Obama has substantially changed the wording and some of the intents, however. Also, FDR, Truman and Reagan ALL asked for and received assistance in the wording from Congressmen and Senators.
Sec. 102.  Policy.  The United States must have an industrial and technological base capable of meeting national defense requirements and capable of contributing to the technological superiority of its national defense equipment in peacetime and in times of national emergency.  The domestic industrial and technological base is the foundation for national defense preparedness.  The authorities provided in the Act shall be used to strengthen this base and to ensure it is capable of responding to the national defense needs of the United States.
Sec. 103.  General Functions.  Executive departments and agencies (agencies) responsible for plans and programs relating to national defense (as defined in section 801(j) of this order), or for resources and services needed to support such plans and programs, shall:
(a)  identify requirements for the full spectrum of emergencies, including essential military and civilian demand;
(b)  assess on an ongoing basis "Ongoing Basis" remember that, it's important! This means if you have a farm, a small business or you have a skill, the gov't has every right to "assess" CONSTANTLY whatever it wants. the capability of the domestic industrial and technological base to satisfy requirements in peacetime and times of national emergency, specifically evaluating the availability of the most critical resource and production sources, including subcontractors and suppliers, materials, skilled labor, and professional and technical personnel;
(c)  be prepared, in the event of a potential threat to the security of the United States, to take actions necessary to ensure the availability of adequate resources and production capability, including services and critical technology, for national defense requirements; POTENTIAL threat? What, exactly, constitutes a "potential threat"? And what "actions"?
(d)  improve the efficiency and responsiveness of the domestic industrial base to support national defense requirements; and
(e)  foster cooperation between the defense and commercial sectors for research and development and for acquisition of materials, services, components, and equipment to enhance industrial base efficiency and responsiveness.
Sec. 104.  Implementation.  (a)  The National Security Council and Homeland Security Council, in conjunction with the National Economic Council, shall serve as the integrated policy making forum for consideration and formulation of national defense resource preparedness policy and shall make recommendations to the President on the use of authorities under the Act.

(b)  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall:

(1)  advise the President on issues of national defense resource preparedness and on the use of the authorities and functions delegated by this order;

(2)  provide for the central coordination of the plans and programs incident to authorities and functions delegated under this order, and provide guidance to agencies assigned functions under this order, developed in consultation with such agencies; and

(3)  report to the President periodically concerning all program activities conducted pursuant to this order.

(c)  The Defense Production Act Committee, described in section 701 of this order, shall:

(1)  in a manner consistent with section 2(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2062(b), advise the President through the Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy on the effective use of the authorities under the Act; and

(2)  prepare and coordinate an annual report to the Congress pursuant to section 722(d) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2171(d).

(d)  The Secretary of Commerce, in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and other agencies, shall:

(1)  analyze potential effects of national emergencies on actual production capability, taking into account the entire production system, including shortages of resources, and develop recommended preparedness measures to strengthen capabilities for production increases in national emergencies; and

(2)  perform industry analyses to assess capabilities of the industrial base to support the national defense, and develop policy recommendations to improve the international competitiveness of specific domestic industries and their abilities to meet national defense program needs.

PART II  -  PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATIONS
Sec. 201.  Priorities and Allocations Authorities.  (a)  The authority of the President conferred by section 101 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071, to require acceptance and priority performance of contracts or orders (other than contracts of employment) to promote the national defense over performance of any other contracts or orders, REQUIRE acceptance means even if your business has contracted to deliver X number of "widgets" to Company B, the gov't. can come in and say "We need your widgets NOW. Hand them over." And you cannot do anything about it.and to allocate materials, services, and facilities as deemed necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense, Materials, Services and Facilities. Think about that. is delegated to the following agency heads: The authority of the President means the following Cabinet Secretary's have the same authority as the President of the United States in ordering the "allocation" (think seizure) of any and all Materials, Services and Facilities they deem necessary.

(1)  the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to food resources, food resource facilities, livestock resources, veterinary resources, plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment and commercial fertilizer; FOOD. They are saying they can take over any and all food...plant, livestock, etc., PLUS farm equipment, processing facilities, fertilizer, etc. They will also decide WHO gets the resources and HOW they will be distributed.

(2)  the Secretary of Energy with respect to all forms of energy; This will include ALL energy plants, coal mines, oil rigs, etc.

(3)  the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to health resources; Hospitals, medicine, medicine manufacturers, medical equipment, etc.

(4)  the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all forms of civil transportation; Planes, buses, trains, taxes...and possibly private vehicles as well.

(5)  the Secretary of Defense with respect to water resources; Rivers, springs, water treatment plants, wells...the water will belong to the gov't.! This goes MUCH further than previous Executive Orders addressing National Defense!and

(6)  the Secretary of Commerce with respect to all other materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials.Say goodbye to Home Depot! Also, "all other materials, services, and facilities" covers a hell of a lot of ground...doesn't it?

(b)  The Secretary of each agency delegated authority under subsection (a) of this section (resource departments) shall plan for and issue regulations to prioritize and allocate resources and establish standards and procedures by which the authority shall be used to promote the national defense, under both emergency and non-emergency conditions. Got that? "Emergency AND Non-Emergency conditions"Well, they haven't defined "emergency"...wonder if they will define "non-emergency"? Each Secretary shall authorize the heads of other agencies, as appropriate, to place priority ratings on contracts and orders for materials, services, and facilities needed in support of programs approved under section 202 of this order.
(c)  Each resource department shall act, as necessary and appropriate, upon requests for special priorities assistance, as defined by section 801(l) of this order, in a time frame consistent with the urgency of the need at hand.  In situations where there are competing program requirements for limited resources, the resource department shall consult with the Secretary who made the required determination under section 202 of this order.  Such Secretary shall coordinate with and identify for the resource department which program requirements to prioritize on the basis of operational urgency.  In situations involving more than one Secretary making such a required determination under section 202 of this order, the Secretaries shall coordinate with and identify for the resource department which program requirements should receive priority on the basis of operational urgency.
(d)  If agreement cannot be reached between two such Secretaries, then the issue shall be referred to the President through the Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.C and D just laid out what happens if two departments need something at the same time...tiebreaker rules, more or less.
(e)  The Secretary of each resource department, when necessary, shall make the finding required under section 101(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(b).  This finding shall be submitted for the President's approval through the Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.  Upon such approval, the Secretary of the resource department that made the finding may use the authority of section 101(a) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(a), to control the general distribution of any material (including applicable services) in the civilian market.They want to CONTROL what is allowed to be distributed (materials or services) to the CIVILIAN markets.
Sec. 202.  Determinations.  Except as provided in section 201(e) of this order, the authority delegated by section 201 of this order may be used only to support programs that have been determined in writing as necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense:

(a)  by the Secretary of Defense with respect to military production and construction, military assistance to foreign nations, military use of civil transportation, stockpiles managed by the Department of Defense, space, and directly related activities;

(b)  by the Secretary of Energy with respect to energy production and construction, distribution and use, and directly related activities; and

(c)  by the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to all other national defense programs, including civil defense and continuity of Government.

Sec. 203.  Maximizing Domestic Energy Supplies.  The authorities of the President under section 101(c)(1) (2) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(c)(1) (2), are delegated to the Secretary of Commerce, with the exception that the authority to make findings that materials (including equipment), services, and facilities are critical and essential, as described in section 101(c)(2)(A) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(c)(2)(A), is delegated to the Secretary of Energy.
Sec. 204.  Chemical and Biological Warfare.  The authority of the President conferred by section 104(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2074(b), is delegated to the Secretary of Defense.  This authority may not be further delegated by the Secretary.
PART III  -  EXPANSION OF PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY AND SUPPLY
Sec. 301.  Loan Guarantees.  (a)  To reduce current or projected shortfalls of resources, critical technology items, or materials essential for the national defense, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense, as defined in section 801(h) of this order, is authorized pursuant to section 301 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2091, to guarantee loans by private institutions. Now, they are setting up Guaranteed Loan programs. Wonder how many big businesses will get in on this?
(b)  Each guaranteeing agency is designated and authorized to:  (1) act as fiscal agent in the making of its own guarantee contracts and in otherwise carrying out the purposes of section 301 of the Act; and (2) contract with any Federal Reserve Bank to assist the agency in serving as fiscal agent.Yes, now they bring the Fed. in to help them guarantee the loans, and the loans are determined (terms, interest, amount) by the particular agency. The Fed will *assist*.
(c)  Terms and conditions of guarantees under this authority shall be determined in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  The guaranteeing agency is authorized, following such consultation, to prescribe:  (1) either specifically or by maximum limits or otherwise, rates of interest, guarantee and commitment fees, and other charges which may be made in connection with such guarantee contracts; and (2) regulations governing the forms and procedures (which shall be uniform to the extent practicable) to be utilized in connection therewith.
Sec. 302.  Loans.  To reduce current or projected shortfalls of resources, critical technology items, or materials essential for the national defense, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 302 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2092, to make loans thereunder.  Terms and conditions of loans under this authority shall be determined in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of OMB.
Sec. 303.  Additional Authorities.  (a)  To create, maintain, protect, expand, or restore domestic industrial base capabilities essential for the national defense, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 303 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093, to make provision for purchases of, or commitments to purchase, an industrial resource or a critical technology item for Government use or resale, and to make provision for the development of production capabilities, and for the increased use of emerging technologies in security program applications, and to enable rapid transition of emerging technologies.
(b)  Materials acquired under section 303 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093, that exceed the needs of the programs under the Act may be transferred to the National Defense Stockpile, if, in the judgment of the Secretary of Defense as the National Defense Stockpile Manager, such transfers are in the public interest.
Sec. 304.  Subsidy Payments.  To ensure the supply of raw or nonprocessed materials from high cost sources, or to ensure maximum production or supply in any area at stable prices of any materials in light of a temporary increase in transportation cost, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 303(c) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(c), to make subsidy payments, after consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of OMB.
Sec. 305.  Determinations and Findings.  (a)  Pursuant to budget authority provided by an appropriations act in advance for credit assistance under section 301 or 302 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2091, 2092, and consistent with the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, as amended (FCRA), 2 U.S.C. 661 et seq., the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority to make the determinations set forth in sections 301(a)(2) and 302(b)(2) of the Act, in consultation with the Secretary making the required determination under section 202 of this order; provided, that such determinations shall be made after due consideration of the provisions of OMB Circular A 129 and the credit subsidy score for the relevant loan or loan guarantee as approved by OMB pursuant to FCRA.
(b)  Other than any determination by the President under section 303(a)(7)(b) of the Act, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority to make the required determinations, judgments, certifications, findings, and notifications defined under section 303 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093, in consultation with the Secretary making the required determination under section 202 of this order.
Sec. 306.  Strategic and Critical Materials.  The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of the Interior in consultation with the Secretary of Defense as the National Defense Stockpile Manager, are each delegated the authority of the President under section 303(a)(1)(B) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(a)(1)(B), to encourage the exploration, development, and mining of strategic and critical materials and other materials.
Sec. 307.  Substitutes.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 303(g) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(g), to make provision for the development of substitutes for strategic and critical materials, critical components, critical technology items, and other resources to aid the national defense.
Sec. 308.  Government-Owned Equipment.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 303(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(e), to:
(a)  procure and install additional equipment, facilities, processes, or improvements to plants, factories, and other industrial facilities owned by the Federal Government and to procure and install Government owned equipment in plants, factories, or other industrial facilities owned by private persons;
(b)  provide for the modification or expansion of privately owned facilities, including the modification or improvement of production processes, when taking actions under sections 301, 302, or 303 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2091, 2092, 2093; and
(c)  sell or otherwise transfer equipment owned by the Federal Government and installed under section 303(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2093(e), to the owners of such plants, factories, or other industrial facilities.
Sec. 309.  Defense Production Act Fund.  The Secretary of Defense is designated the Defense Production Act Fund Manager, in accordance with section 304(f) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2094(f), and shall carry out the duties specified in section 304 of the Act, in consultation with the agency heads having approved, and appropriated funds for, projects under title III of the Act.
Sec. 310.  Critical Items.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 107(b)(1) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2077(b)(1), to take appropriate action to ensure that critical components, critical technology items, essential materials, and industrial resources are available from reliable sources when needed to meet defense requirements during peacetime, graduated mobilization, and national emergency.  Appropriate action may include restricting contract solicitations to reliable sources, restricting contract solicitations to domestic sources (pursuant to statutory authority), stockpiling critical components, and developing substitutes for critical components or critical technology items.
Sec. 311.  Strengthening Domestic Capability.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense is delegated the authority of the President under section 107(a) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2077(a), to utilize the authority of title III of the Act or any other provision of law to provide appropriate incentives to develop, maintain, modernize, restore, and expand the productive capacities of domestic sources for critical components, critical technology items, materials, and industrial resources essential for the execution of the national security strategy of the United States.
Sec. 312.  Modernization of Equipment.  The head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense, in accordance with section 108(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2078(b), may utilize the authority of title III of the Act to guarantee the purchase or lease of advance manufacturing equipment, and any related services with respect to any such equipment for purposes of the Act.  In considering title III projects, the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense shall provide a strong preference for proposals submitted by a small business supplier or subcontractor in accordance with section 108(b)(2) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2078(b)(2).
PART IV  -  VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Sec. 401.  Delegations.  The authority of the President under sections 708(c) and (d) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2158(c), (d), is delegated to the heads of agencies otherwise delegated authority under this order.  The status of the use of such delegations shall be furnished to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Sec. 402.  Advisory Committees.  The authority of the President under section 708(d) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2158(d), and delegated in section 401 of this order (relating to establishment of advisory committees) shall be exercised only after consultation with, and in accordance with, guidelines and procedures established by the Administrator of General Services.
Sec. 403.  Regulations.  The Secretary of Homeland Security, after approval of the Attorney General, and after consultation by the Attorney General with the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, shall promulgate rules pursuant to section 708(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2158(e), incorporating standards and procedures by which voluntary agreements and plans of action may be developed and carried out.  Such rules may be adopted by other agencies to fulfill the rulemaking requirement of section 708(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2158(e).
PART V  -  EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONNEL
Sec. 501.  National Defense Executive Reserve.  (a) In accordance with section 710(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2160(e), there is established in the executive branch a National Defense Executive Reserve (NDER) composed of persons of recognized expertise from various segments of the private sector and from Government (except full time Federal employees) for training for employment in executive positions in the Federal Government in the event of a national defense emergency. This whole section about the NDER program is actually about training people to be part of The Continuity of Government aka, the Shadow Government.
(b)  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue necessary guidance for the NDER program, including appropriate guidance for establishment, recruitment, training, monitoring, and activation of NDER units and shall be responsible for the overall coordination of the NDER program.  The authority of the President under section 710(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2160(e), to determine periods of national defense emergency is delegated to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(c)  The head of any agency may implement section 501(a) of this order with respect to NDER operations in such agency.
(d)  The head of each agency with an NDER unit may exercise the authority under section 703 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2153, to employ civilian personnel when activating all or a part of its NDER unit.  The exercise of this authority shall be subject to the provisions of sections 501(e) and (f) of this order and shall not be redelegated.
(e)  The head of an agency may activate an NDER unit, in whole or in part, upon the written determination of the Secretary of Homeland Security that an emergency affecting the national defense exists and that the activation of the unit is necessary to carry out the emergency program functions of the agency. Whoever heads DHS can implement NDER. Makes the Director of Homeland Security a pretty powerful person.
(f)  Prior to activating the NDER unit, the head of the agency shall notify, in writing, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism of the impending activation.
Sec. 502.  Consultants.  The head of each agency otherwise delegated functions under this order is delegated the authority of the President under sections 710(b) and (c) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2160(b), (c), to employ persons of outstanding experience and ability without compensation and to employ experts, consultants, or organizations.  The authority delegated by this section may not be redelegated.
PART VI  -  LABOR REQUIREMENTS
Sec. 601.  Secretary of Labor.  (a)  The Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the heads of other agencies, as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Labor, shall:

(1)  collect and maintain data necessary to make a continuing appraisal of the Nation's workforce needs for purposes of national defense;

(2)  upon request by the Director of Selective Service, and in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, assist the Director of Selective Service in development of policies regulating the induction and deferment of persons for duty in the armed services; This means they can bring back the draft if they deem it necessary. Not a biggie if we are in a declared war, but what if we aren't?

(3)  upon request from the head of an agency with authority under this order, consult with that agency with respect to:  (i) the effect of contemplated actions on labor demand and utilization; (ii) the relation of labor demand to materials and facilities requirements; and (iii) such other matters as will assist in making the exercise of priority and allocations functions consistent with effective utilization and distribution of labor; In other words, the gov't. can determine when and where a labor force is needed and can distribute said labor force as they (the gov't.) deems appropriate. So, maybe you are a electrician in Virginia and the gov't. decides it needs you in Oregon. Do you get a say in this? Not likely.

(4)  upon request from the head of an agency with authority under this order:  (i) formulate plans, programs, and policies for meeting the labor requirements of actions to be taken for national defense purposes; and (ii) estimate training needs to help address national defense requirements and promote necessary and appropriate training programs; and

(5)  develop and implement an effective labor management relations policy to support the activities and programs under this order, with the cooperation of other agencies as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Labor, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the National Mediation Board, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

(b)  All agencies shall cooperate with the Secretary of Labor, upon request, for the purposes of this section, to the extent permitted by law.
PART VII  -  DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT COMMITTEE
Sec. 701.  The Defense Production Act Committee.  (a)  The Defense Production Act Committee (Committee) shall be composed of the following members, in accordance with section 722(b) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2171(b):

(1)   The Secretary of State;

(2)   The Secretary of the Treasury;

(3)   The Secretary of Defense;

(4)   The Attorney General;

(5)   The Secretary of the Interior;

(6)   The Secretary of Agriculture;

(7)   The Secretary of Commerce;

(8)   The Secretary of Labor;

(9)   The Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(10)  The Secretary of Transportation;

(11)  The Secretary of Energy;

(12)  The Secretary of Homeland Security; 

(13)  The Director of National Intelligence;

(14)  The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency;

(15)  The Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;

(16)  The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and

(17)  The Administrator of General Services.

(b)  The Director of OMB and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall be invited to participate in all Committee meetings and activities in an advisory role.  The Chairperson, as designated by the President pursuant to section 722 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2171, may invite the heads of other agencies or offices to participate in Committee meetings and activities in an advisory role, as appropriate.
Sec. 702.  Offsets.  The Secretary of Commerce shall prepare and submit to the Congress the annual report required by section 723 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2172, in consultation with the Secretaries of State, the Treasury, Defense, and Labor, the United States Trade Representative, the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads of other agencies as appropriate.  The heads of agencies shall provide the Secretary of Commerce with such information as may be necessary for the effective performance of this function.
PART VIII  -  GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 801.  Definitions.  In addition to the definitions in section 702 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2152, the following definitions apply throughout this order:Read the definitions carefully!
(a)  "Civil transportation" includes movement of persons and property by all modes of transportation in interstate, intrastate, or foreign commerce within the United States, its territories and possessions, and the District of Columbia, and related public storage and warehousing, ports, services, equipment and facilities, such as transportation carrier shop and repair facilities.  "Civil transportation" also shall include direction, control, and coordination of civil transportation capacity regardless of ownership.Got that? "REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP"  "Civil transportation" shall not include transportation owned or controlled by the Department of Defense, use of petroleum and gas pipelines, and coal slurry pipelines used only to supply energy production facilities directly.
(b)  "Energy" means all forms of energy including petroleum, gas (both natural and manufactured), electricity, solid fuels (including all forms of coal, coke, coal chemicals, coal liquification, and coal gasification), solar, wind, other types of renewable energy, atomic energy, and the production, conservation, use, control, and distribution (including pipelines) of all of these forms of energy. Got a solar power setup? Not if the gov't. needs it! Own the mineral/natural gas/coal rights under your property? If the gov't. wants it, they belong to the gov't.!
(c)  "Farm equipment" means equipment, machinery, and repair parts manufactured for use on farms in connection with the production or preparation for market use of food resources.
(d)  "Fertilizer" means any product or combination of products that contain one or more of the elements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for use as a plant nutrient.
(e)  "Food resources" means all commodities and products, (simple, mixed, or compound), or complements to such commodities or products, that are capable of being ingested by either human beings or animals, irrespective of other uses to which such commodities or products may be put, at all stages of processing from the raw commodity to the products thereof in vendible form for human or animal consumption.  "Food resources" also means potable water packaged in commercially marketable containers, all starches, sugars, vegetable and animal or marine fats and oils, seed, cotton, hemp, and flax fiber, but does not mean any such material after it loses its identity as an agricultural commodity or agricultural product.Not missing a thing, are they? So, ALL farm equipment, ALL fertilizers (including manure by the definition!) and ALL FOOD, period.
(f)  "Food resource facilities" means plants, machinery, vehicles (including on farm), and other facilities required for the production, processing, distribution, and storage (including cold storage) of food resources, and for the domestic distribution of farm equipment and fertilizer (excluding transportation thereof).
(g)  "Functions" include powers, duties, authority, responsibilities, and discretion.
(h)  "Head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense" means the heads of the Departments of State, Justice, the Interior, and Homeland Security, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the General Services Administration, and all other agencies with authority delegated under section 201 of this order.
(i)  "Health resources" means drugs, biological products, medical devices, materials, facilities, health supplies, services and equipment required to diagnose, mitigate or prevent the impairment of, improve, treat, cure, or restore the physical or mental health conditions of the population. And of course, the gov't. will deem who gets medical resources or treatment!
(j)  "National defense" means programs for military and energy production or construction, military or critical infrastructure assistance to any foreign nation, homeland security, stockpiling, space, and any directly related activity.  Such term includes emergency preparedness activities conducted pursuant to title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5195 et seq., and critical infrastructure protection and restoration.Now look at this one CAREFULLY. "assistance to any foreign nation"....how is that deemed "national defense"? What foreign nations?
(k)  "Offsets" means compensation practices required as a condition of purchase in either government to government or commercial sales of defense articles and/or defense services as defined by the Arms Export Control Act, 22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq., and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, 22 C.F.R. 120.1 130.17.
(l)  "Special priorities assistance" means action by resource departments to assist with expediting deliveries, placing rated orders, locating suppliers, resolving production or delivery conflicts between various rated orders, addressing problems that arise in the fulfillment of a rated order or other action authorized by a delegated agency, and determining the validity of rated orders.
(m)  "Strategic and critical materials" means materials (including energy) that (1) would be needed to supply the military, industrial, and essential civilian needs of the United States during a national emergency, and (2) are not found or produced in the United States in sufficient quantities to meet such need and are vulnerable to the termination or reduction of the availability of the material.
(n)  "Water resources" means all usable water, from all sources, within the jurisdiction of the United States, that can be managed, controlled, and allocated to meet emergency requirements, except "water resources" does not include usable water that qualifies as "food resources." From ALL sources. Does that include YOUR well? The stream or spring on YOUR property?
Sec. 802.  General.  (a)  Except as otherwise provided in section 802(c) of this order, the authorities vested in the President by title VII of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2151 et seq., are delegated to the head of each agency in carrying out the delegated authorities under the Act and this order, by the Secretary of Labor in carrying out part VI of this order, and by the Secretary of the Treasury in exercising the functions assigned in Executive Order 11858, as amended.
(b)  The authorities that may be exercised and performed pursuant to section 802(a) of this order shall include:

(1)  the power to redelegate authorities, and to authorize the successive redelegation of authorities to agencies, officers, and employees of the Government; and

(2)  the power of subpoena under section 705 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2155, with respect to (i) authorities delegated in parts II, III, and section 702 of this order, and (ii) the functions assigned to the Secretary of the Treasury in Executive Order 11858, as amended, provided that the subpoena power referenced in subsections (i) and (ii) shall be utilized only after the scope and purpose of the investigation, inspection, or inquiry to which the subpoena relates have been defined either by the appropriate officer identified in section 802(a) of this order or by such other person or persons as the officer shall designate.

(c)  Excluded from the authorities delegated by section 802(a) of this order are authorities delegated by parts IV and V of this order, authorities in section 721 and 722 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2170 2171, and the authority with respect to fixing compensation under section 703 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2153.
Sec. 803.  Authority.  (a)  Executive Order 12919 of June 3, 1994, and sections 401(3) (4) of Executive Order 12656 of November 18, 1988, are revoked.  All other previously issued orders, regulations, rulings, certificates, directives, and other actions relating to any function affected by this order shall remain in effect except as they are inconsistent with this order or are subsequently amended or revoked under proper authority.  Nothing in this order shall affect the validity or force of anything done under previous delegations or other assignment of authority under the Act.
(b)  Nothing in this order shall affect the authorities assigned under Executive Order 11858 of May 7, 1975, as amended, except as provided in section 802 of this order.
(c)  Nothing in this order shall affect the authorities assigned under Executive Order 12472 of April 3, 1984, as amended.
Sec. 804.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect functions of the Director of OMB relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.(c) means that regardless of what a department, agency, entity or it's officers, employees or agents do THEY CANNOT BE SUED OR CHARGED WITH A CRIME. Got that? They shoot you when you accost them for trespassing on your property to take your cattle (even if they fail to identify themselves)...no charges, no legal redress, can't sue them, nothing.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
         March 16, 2012.

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Maybe I am being "Chicken Little" here...but this worries me. Not once does it mention a "Declaration of War" being necessary to take all these steps. Indeed, it states that this will be "ongoing", i.e.; the government wants to keep track of everything all the time.
Add to this a few other items that have been mentioned online and in the news in the past few months, even the past couple of years and it causes me more worry.
At almost the same time that the President signed this act, the Department of Homeland Security placed an order for 450 MILLION rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. That is enough bullets to kill every man, woman and child in the US. With some left over for practice.
Various agencies have made MASSIVE bulk purchases of long term storage food in the past two to three years. Enough that several providers of said foods were unable to sell to the public for several months.
Again, a little worrying. 
I have not completely dissected the Act/Executive Order, but what I have done (above) was hit some of the most glaring parts (to me, anyway).
I have often said that the most important part of "prepping" is educating yourself....not just in the skills you need/want, but about what is going on that makes it necessary to prep.
You watch out for storms or other natural disasters, you should also watch out for other situations, government plans, etc.
I fear there is a storm coming. Get prepared.

Goat-a-polooza! (and Chicken-po-looza, too!)

A beautiful morning here! Bright blue sunny skies, no wind, temperature is cool, but not cold.
So, in celebration of Spring, I released all the goats and chickens to frolic in the backyard today!
and frolicking they are! Okay, the chickens aren't frolicking, but the goats are, especially the little ones!

Neala...she has such unusual markings!

Nina escorts her little ones out of the pen.

Nina keeps close watch as they explore

Mama Nina tucked Nola and Neala under the milk stand when the other goats got too close for comfort!

Gabby and daughter Gerte browse through the hay box.

Lily and Liam

Champagne checks out the view from the back porch!

Liam climbs on EVERYTHING! But, he got stuck on the milk stand and then on the wheelbarrow and had to be rescued!

Gabby going to check out the chicken coop

Some of the girls enjoying the sunshine and a dust bath!

The chickens are not impressed by the goats. They especially don't like the wee ones...Liam and Max have been chasing the chickens around the yard...that all stopped when Pender, the rooster, decided to chase back!
Hope you all are enjoying the day and the weather has improved where you are!
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Later today I will be posting a rather political post. Some things are *gnawing* at me and I have to write about them.
But before I take the time to do that, I need to start some bread dough for dinner tonight and get some laundry on the line!

Weather Weirdness

The weather has been really weird here. Normally, at this time of the year, we have temperatures in the 70s and 80s, cooling down to the 50s at night.
That all changed over the weekend!
First, we had a windstorm, which means we had a sandstorm. Can't have one without the other here!
Then it rained, then snow, then more high winds and sand.
Which means that yesterday afternoon we had rain mixed with snow mixed with sand and dirt, all being blown around by high winds!
Basically, it was raining mud pies.

The goats were confused, the chickens were annoyed, the dogs sorta freaked out and looked at me as if they were asking "Where the heck did this stuff come from!? You don't really expect us to go out in THAT do you?"
Yesterday the sandstorm/windstorm was so bad in the morning that the milk from the morning milking ended up as a treat for the chickens and the dogs. Just too much sand blew into it! (Oh, how I wish I had an indoor milking parlor!) I couldn't strain it out, there was so much.
The dogs and chickens enjoyed the treat, however.
It was still cold this morning, but the wind had died down from last night, although the forecast calls for it to pick up later.
By Thursday we are supposed to have temperatures back in the 70s and 80s and no wind, so things should get back to normal around here. I normally have the heat turned off by now...but I actually had to crank it up a bit as the nighttime temperatures have been in the 30s!
From friends all around the web and around the country, I have heard stories of weather weirdness...warmer than usual, colder than usual, stormier, etc.
I certainly hope our weather straightens out soon...and yours, too!