June 12--And hot days beginning here ... but on to other things

Another one of those days when I feel the time when everyone is going to get really bitten or smacked by the edges of our various threats is coming very fast. Prior to last fall, I could feel them coming but couldn’t see them without being able to see over the horizon. All the things I’ve been reading about for the past 3 years were coming closer but still out of sight. But no they—various issues of resource shortages, gas, electricity supply, climate change, local government budget problems, Presidential election stuff—are all around us now and easily visible. I didn’t think food shortages and price rises would be part of this circle of “things” surrounding us. Food issues are is the most frightening though.
Gas is now 4.13-4.15 here. Price of gas is scary and the reported reactions to it worldwide—riots, demonstrations particularly in Spain and Portugal this week. Bangladesh, Nepal, and Egypt various other SE Asian countries have had more riot than demos in the past 2-3 months.
But the food reports are the worst. The US has no reserves of any kinds of foodstuff for various reasons over the past decade and also because we’ve sold a big chunk some of it to humanitarian aid just this past month. Earthquake in china, humanitarian aid situations in East Africa, including Sudan and Darfur,--these are still creating needs for food.
Now with the dreadful rains and flooding in the Midwest, the corn crop and soybeans are not looking good for this year. There have been bad harvests in other parts of the world this year and Australia’s drought has lowered their production the past 2 years.