I watched the news today, oh boy...

[BO]

Interesting news day today. Here's a summary:

1. The US plans to shoot down a [supposedly] dying satellite before it spins out of orbit and kills millions. The real news: The US wants to test a new anti-ballistic missile. I'm sure the Russians and Chinese are thrilled.

2. Another college shooting. Hardly news-worthy anymore now that they've become so common. Question is: Has it become too risky to send your kid off to college?

3. The housing market is still fucked. And getting fucked-ter. People walking away from their homes in droves. Prices expected to come down another 25%.

4. The fed was all over the teevee today telling people the economy wasn't doing so well and bond insurers might start to default soon. The real news: Depression on the way. Fasten your seat belts, folks. Oh wait, I forgot about the rebate. Yeah right, that'll save us.

5. And my favorite: All misplaced Katrina folk have to move out of their FEMA trailers due to formaldehyde poisoning--all 35,000 of 'em. How ironic. Gee, I wonder what effect this might have on the mobil home/RV industry? And of course, the lawyers are all over it.

Did I miss anything?

[waldopaper]

Shit BO... the way I see it, we just careening toward Zombie Time. Maybe this thread should be about dealing with Zombie Time... when the grid flickers/ winks out... and the toilets won't flush. Fuckall... our computers/ networks won't work either... so mebbe we should figger this out ahead of time. I'd rather avoid all that ropegun bullshit about weapons and defense. I would rather establish correspondence thru snail-mail while that's still happening... stations on the railroad.

If yer situation is the same as mine... the missuz and fam aint gonna believe yer shit til it's Zombie Time... and then it's too late to "prepare," ye kin only adapt and improvise. O course that's the "worst-case scenario" and it probably aint gonna happen like that. As for me... I'm completely tapped out... every last penny thrown to the mortgage-car-payment machine and they will leave us alone for the next 30 days. After that, then what? As far as Ms. Waldo and the fam goes... as long as we're still in the house and the lights work, every thing's okey-dokey.

I hope it doesn't get down to fucking Zombie Time, because then all bets are off and you can't "plan" for shit. Until then... what chew gunner do? Where you god ago?

[BO]

I've actually been thinking about building another house just to keep busy. That, and I'm getting kind of tired of the Mad Max culture we currently live around. Most times I just avoid the news, but I just happened to catch the MSM version tonight. It just amazed me to hear about so much shit going down. And like you Waldo, I try not to burden the Mrs. with my interpretations of current events. Excuse me while I purge my system.

Some folks won't call it zombie time until they come knocking down the door. I think zombie time is now. I guess it depends on your location and whether or not you just lost a kid in college, got kicked out of your trailer, or had a satellite fall on yer head. I guess until it actually happens to one of us, we might as well keep going.

'Til then, it's just news.

[pan]

Rulings like this are vitally important to everyone's freedom.

[BO]

This story is as important as it gets. Not to mention fascinating.

Judge Shuts Down Web Site Specializing in Leaks

In a move that legal experts said could present a major test of First Amendment rights in the Internet era, a federal judge in San Francisco on Friday ordered the disabling of a Web site devoted to disclosing confidential information.

The site, Wikileaks.org, invites people to post leaked materials with the goal of discouraging “unethical behavior” by corporations and governments. It has posted documents said to show the rules of engagement for American troops in Iraq, a military manual for the operation of the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and other evidence of what it has called corporate waste and wrongdoing.

The case in San Francisco was brought by a Cayman Islands bank, Julius Baer Bank and Trust. In court papers, the bank said that “a disgruntled ex-employee who has engaged in a harassment and terror campaign” provided stolen documents to Wikileaks in violation of a confidentiality agreement and banking laws. According to Wikileaks, “the documents allegedly reveal secret Julius Baer trust structures used for asset hiding, money laundering and tax evasion.”

You can access the WikiLeaks site at this address...http://88.80.13.160/

[pan]

Looks like wikileaks is dealing rather well with the injunction. It warms my soul that the site exists and functions. With their multiple addresses based in different countries, they are doing the underground railroad thing at a scale that is effective. Of course the U.S. (and others) is working on ways of combating "terrorist threat" of having free access to information from foreign countries and disgruntled individuals who have decided to shed some light on Maggie's farm.

[waldopaper]

Been probing the minds of the focus groups... more about that later. Meanwhile, I found something about this rambling article disturbingly... weird. So I checked out Larry McDonald... an old-guard red-baiter who went down with KAL 007. Now who the hell is Johannes Koeppl? Here is his website... and if your deutshsprache is besser als meine (el-HINTO, Rossi)... you can pick thru it and tell us... is this guy crazy... or on to something? He's talking about ETs and a global conspiracy... are the Russian oligarchs in on this too?

oh yeah... and then there's THIS...

[curt]

Something many of us already knew : Prescription drugs found in drinking water across U.S.

I remember this being reported a few years ago. The scare didn't work, or maybe it was localized, limited to one area. Next thing ya know, tap / potable water will be costing us more. Then it will be rationed. Is it safe to shower in the drugs? Not if you inhale. Another form of population control? Or just plain junk, polution? Watch for bottled water prices to skyrocket. Here where I live, hardly anyone drinks tap water. There where I'm from and where I'm going (for a very short interlude), hardly anyone knows bottled water exists! Grandparents drove nearly 100 miles to fill up on well water once every three or four months. They said it was the only water they could drink without getting sick. That was in the 60s.

[BO]

I saw that last night but it was too late to post it. Glad you did.

I think 'Peak Water' is running hand in hand with 'Peak Oil.' Truth is, we're peaking all over...and not in a good way. We can fragment the issues one by one, but the problem boils down to overpopulation--we've exceeded the carrying capacity of our habitat.

This part almost made me ralph...

"People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue."

I guess Soylent Green isn't too far off.

[curt]

I think I'd rather eat shit than have to take your antibiotics! Damn, we're screwed all over again. Perrier anyone? They say it too is made from tap water.

[BO]

The big news item of the day: Eliot Spitzer gets caught with his pants down.

Bummer. I thought he was one of the few politicians left with a bit of integrity. He certainly seemed effective in routing out corruption and he was a likable character -- an Elliot Ness. But alas, he's just another schmuck who thought his peccadillos were above scrutiny. What an idiot.

I'm sure the crooks on Wall street are dancing in the street.

Kinda breaks my heart.

[Mouse]

That was on the news here in England just now. They said that the assignation that was discovered via the wire tap, took place on Valentine's day. Rather odd. I do prefer to leave the intricacies of private lives to the perusal of their owners.
In recent years it's been very sad to see the explosion in prostitution in England. I gather it's up by 80% since the turn of the century.

[curt]

It's none of our business what the fella does with his easily earned money. Far too personal. Has zilch to do with a person's credibility in politics. It's "dirty laundry" as Glen Frey sang. Was it Glen?

Prostitution in England on the rise....yes, that was the impression I had while there, last. Poverty and unemployment and even drugs play a major role.