swine flu statistics similar to death rates for normal flu

I did some checking concerning swine flu. From what I find the death rate is very similar to regular flu, at least in the USA. CDC reports 6552 probable and confirmed cases and 9 deaths.

This site has slightly higher case numbers but no more deaths:
USA
confirmed - 7751
suspected 1014
fatal - 9

Reports from Mexico show (not sure how this would compare to normal flu there):
confirmed cases - 5234
suspected cases - 3971
fatal - 212
The WSJ proposes that the reason for the higher death rate in Mexico could be the lack of quality health care and the delay in accurately identifying it.

Canada:
confirmed - 787
suspected - 5
fatal - 1

even the Wall Street Journal weighs in with insights on eating healthy

Wall Street Journal site

Raisins as a preservative - alternative to sodium nitrite

During digestion, sodium nitrite can break down into cancer-causing chemicals but there is a study that shows raisins can be used as a health-safe alternative for preserving foods:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/31/raisins.aspx

All the more reason for me to like raisins! :-P

repeal of homestead property tax

A proposal from a couple of years ago to repeal the property tax for homesteads in Indiana:
http://www.munciefreepress.com/node/17712
I wonder where this is now...
Need this in Texas, too!

God's perfect balance

In my homesteading class today, we looked at the importance of soil and how to care for the soil. It is the foundation of all life. A pound of soil has over 900 billion living things in it. The health of the soil determines the health of the plants, which determines our health and the health of the animals which then continues to impact us when we eat the animals as well. It is amazing to see the synergistic, symbiotic cycle of life. A farm must be seen as a whole system of life on many levels, from the interconnectedness of the physical life systems but also on the level of the earth is a stewardship which God has given to us and how we relate to the life systems which God has designed in the earth is connected to our relationship with God. When we are out of order with how God has designed the earth to operate then it has serious consequences for life. Truly, the earth is groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God, those who are living and governing in the earth according to the design of Father God.

Raising Goats

Here is an interesting article about a man raising goats.
It is encouraging to me right now, as I am having a hard time finding about 10 acres I can afford to buy to start my place. I might need to start a little smaller.

Here is an article about using goats to control brush. It has information about fencing, predator control, and goats per acre which I might find useful. "The percentage of brush cover and the number of acres need to be considered when determining stocking rate. One goat per acre per percent brush cover is a good minimum beginning rate." Of course, this is not completely accurate, since if the acreage has no brush, it could still support some level of goat grazing on the grass.
In their study, "Stock density ranged from a high of 3 to a low of 1.5 goats per acre." But yet they also say, "Stocking rate dropped to 0.5 goats per acre."

Global Cooling?

There is a lot of evidence to support global COOLING, NOT warming. Do the research, don't get caught in the political propaganda machine. Some theorize that the increase in temperature in the past 150 years is just part of the earth's normal cyclical warming and cooling trends. We don't even have exact temperature data except for about the past 100 years and even the quality of that data has issues.
Here's my link to some info I have found.