The Collapse

[pan]

OK, I'm an idiot - how do you upload video?

Watch this

[waldopaper]

Some stuff from the parts pile: something new: Only your money is not pretend. well... actually- it is. And this classic: The kitchification of September 11 by Daniel Harris (who is an interesting story himself). I'm preparing another ditty to throw down the well. Bo... dunno how you could go wrong shorting the buck... but there's always a way to cheat you- no matter how wise you are.
Speaking of... this is my first full week of no smoking (without being in a hospital where there are very few "triggers")... with NO CHEATING. none. note one lousy cig. not even a puff. not sure why... was hoping to die before the bux ran out... which is going to be very soon. the bux that is.
I have more work than I can do as well... unfortunately, nobody is ever gonna pay me for it. About a quarter way thru two books that nobody will ever read. Gor- wotta fucked up year.
The "Obama's Preacher" flapdoodle has the twittering lacquerheads calling "hate speech," which means we won't be talking about any kind of reality any time soon...
...and the roll into the crash continues unabated.

[BO]

"my first full week of no smoking" Good for you, Waldo. One more week of pain and your home free. That's what my brother tells me anyway--been trying to get me to quit as well.

Regarding the buck...it's been rallying for the last couple of weeks. My investments in gold and energy move inversely with the value of the dollar. Gold has dropped from over 1000/oz to around 850/oz in the last month or so. Right after moving my old 401k account over to a schwab IRA invested in gold and energy. Bad timing.

I'm pretty sure I'll recoup my losses once we return to our decent into third-world status. Our currency will undoubtedly follow suit.

I can't pay attention to any political news these days. It's become so absurd that I can find no reason at all to follow it. In fact, after watching Ralph Nader's 'Unreasonable Man', I don't believe there's much of a reason to even consider voting. It's all become background noise in my life. I'm completely dissinterested.

I'm sure you've seen Stonefruit's latest. Glad to see he's regained his anger.

[waldopaper]

yep- had gold and stones swiped by the insurance co... lost about $10k in that deal (3 years ago) which would be worth about $20k now. Could use the bread about now. Could use a fugging fag about now. Yeah- speaking of stones- just just read this latest which somehow led to this thread... which is interesting if ye like to listen in.

Seen the Bank Implode-O-Meter? You can watch the shit hit the fan in slow motion! The Permatopia Link is working again. Been sending the "yazbut you dont offer no solutions" stoods there. There much more receptive to permatopia than oilempire... which still just freaks them out. This is the part of the sem when we talk about the "elephant in the room" (most have never heard that idiom). Most of 'em still can't see it... but more are beginning to see the collapse is happening now.

[littleoldme]

Hubby told me something interesting today. The car dealerships down here are refusing to take SUV's as trade-ins.

[BO]

That was a hot news story last week...

Dealers see SUV glut as drivers trade in gas guzzlers

At least both our cars are four-bangers. Although, I let my wife talk me into getting an all-wheel-drive mitsubishi outlander that I'm stuck driving since I'm the soccer mom in the family. She drives a VW beetle. Luckily, we both put very few miles on our cars--less than 8k per annum.

At least we don't drive the hurkin' SUV's like most of the parents at my kid's school drive. What is it with the god-fearin' folk? Even the pope has had to resort to telling them to tone it down.

Personally, I'd love to drive a Smart Car. They are just too cool. Not only good (well, better anyway) for the environment, but small cars are a blast to drive. And a big fuck you to the deluded big SUV driving christian wacko's who couldn't care less if their lifestyle is directly contributing to resource wars and starvation.

Today's motto, Save a tree--kill a christian. Oops, there I go again. Being obtuse.

[BO]

Well, Eric, you've got a cute as a bug daughter who actually seems concerned with real issues. You've done something right.

I think the main reason I come here is to bitch about the crap I see/experience without having to resort to bitching about it to my wife who most times seems disinterested. Personally, I don't think anything is going to improve for us humans. Too few of us are concerned that anything is even wrong with the world. And there sure as hell aren't many who know that the next prez hasn't a chance in hell of changing anything. But the peeps gotta believe in something I guess.

Got our stimulus check last week. My wife and I have decided to go to Canada with it and 'stimulate' a few canadians. It'll be nice to see some white folk for a change.

Nice to have you here, Eric.

[Mouse]

Just dropped by to shout brilliant, Waldo, been thinking about you giving up smoking, so pleased. Have you always got fruit handy?

Now is a good time to start being sure to eat tomatoes or carrots every day, in any form. The complex delivery of beta carotene and associated mysteries in these vegetables and fruits is particularly important to one who has become a person with clear airways to look forward to. Carrots are metabolically easier to absorb when cooked, but don't let that stop you enjoying them raw; really nice snacks, refreshing. Have you tried them with raisins thrown in?
As for tomatoes, however you have them, canned or fresh, in juice or sauce, in salad or sandwiches, enjoy them. I have a sprightly friend in Italy, an artist of extraordinary courage and generosity of spirit, who starts every day with chopped tomatoes and crushed garlic on toast. She runs faster than me and she's over 70.

This dietary adjustment does not have the same benefits for smokers, who need to keep the beta carotene in smaller proportions amongst a variety of other fruits and vegetables. It is however very important to those who have given up that particular servitude, and are anticipating much improved freedom of movement and mood.

Really pleased, I want to read your books.

Hello everyone, goodness, how can I tell you.. my little girl is pregnant again, and so tired and unwell the doctor thinks it's probably twins. She's coming for roast chicken today, stuffed with sage and onion, as earnestly requested. The bread is crumbed and drying, there's a fresh free-range chicken in the fridge that will make 5 good meals, and disorder is reigning supreme as always.
All this walking about, pushing that heavy bike and keeping up with my granddaughter is somewhat time consuming and takes a lot of organising for me, but it helps me to keep my mind on the important things.
Survival, understanding, communication, sharing what we understand... friendship, duty and being.
I do hope she can actually eat and keep it down before she falls asleep again, leaving my granddaughter and I to fight amongst ourselves.
When she's aloft on my bike, me pushing, our heads are at the same height and we can talk at length if we please.
Talking about the colour pink the other day, I told her that such things as frills and flounces are just a small part of the fun of being a girl. That we can also do the things we want that are difficult and complicated and that by being brave and clever and strong we can make a huge difference to the world.
And at my ear I heard her breath expelled in a hearty "Yes".

Just had a phone call from someone asking if the chicken's in the oven, must go....

Oh, but first, last paragraph of a book review I was reading yesterday:

Challenging Authority
by Frances Fox Piven, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006, 220 pp.

The message in Challenging Authority is clear: in order to create change, social movements must be disruptive. The strength of this book is in Piven's flawless analysis and persuasive arguments. At a time when protests in America seem to be increasingly conventional and therefore ineffective, this book becomes ever more relevant. If only social activists would read it.

from review by Edgey Wildchild http://www.zcommunications.org/zmag/viewArticle/17039

[Cal]

Can't go wrong with a name like Edgey Wildchild -:)

[Cal]

Oops - reply got put above Mouse's post instead of below it ... Edgy WildRBC at work here ....

[littleoldme]

I love it, Edgy Wildchild.
Spent the day yesterday with the grandson. Took his little butt swimming. After about 40 minutes he's slowed down a bit, at least enough his gran can keep up with 'em for the rest of the day. He aced his "fcat"s. He does math in his head, addition, subtraction, multipilcation, and division, smart little shit. He's a wonder and his favorite color is pink. His dad keeps trying to discourage the love of pink, but being his gran, I tell 'em pink is a lovely color, such a happy color, and it does not only belong to little girls, all colors belong to everyone to enjoy.
I also tell him to keep it his secret favorite color, after all he doesn't need to be made fun of by the other little animals. Shows you how truely fucked up this world is when you have to be careful what color you like.

[pan]

According to Jean Heifetz, for centuries, all European children were dressed in blue because the color was associated with the Virgin Mary. The use of pink and blue emerged at the turn of the century, the rule being pink for boys, blue for girls. Since pink was a stronger color it was best suited for boys; blue was more delicate and dainty and best for girls. And in 1921, the Women's Institute for Domestic Science in Pennsylvania endorsed pink for boys, blue for girls. (When Blue Meant Yellow. pp. 20 -21)

[littleoldme]

Thanks for the info Pan. I'd never heard that before.