Well, life does indeed go on amidst the chaos and confusion. Most survival writers think that Peak Oil
only means you might have to cut back on the amount of driving you do. They must also seem to think that the financial meltdown
will simply mean a few more decades of belt tightening before it all gets better ( we found oil before! We recovered before! ). Now, I don’t know about you, but I think that we pay these writers to be a little more perceptive about the future than your average run of the mill politician, Harvard trained economist or multinational CEO. Surviving a slow multigenerational collapse doesn’t have a whole lot to do with survivalism
. You could get decent enough advice studying up on frugal living. Even those that point to the elephant in the room seem to think you have plenty of time to prepare for the next Dark Ages
. Today I am going to look at a few examples of wishful thinking based on the collapse slowing.*
For the last few days/weeks ( it all blurs together ) the graph from the military showing oil supply shortages has been making the rounds. The general consensus seems to be that since the military is in the business of protecting us and perceiving the next threat correctly, they must be rational and logical about all this. Have these people ever been in the military? The military is one of the worst examples of bureaucratic inefficiency and political correctness
run amok. These people can’t actually pour piss out of a boot. Not even if they were to print the instructions at the top of the footwear in illustrated form. The average grunt is motivated, patriotic, brave and hard working ( perhaps not extremely bright, but who is at 18? ). The morons in charge of him are complete and incurable college educated idiots. Everyone looks at the chart and says, ooh, ahh! We are in trouble! The reason you are in trouble is not because you think we will slowly decrease in oil supply for twenty years, at a mere 4% a year or so. No, you are in trouble if you actually believe this fantasy presented to you in disguised form. This is obviously a plant to confuse the issue. Admit to the problem only after it is obvious, but then make it seem like it is a lot less of a problem than has been assumed. We won’t see a slow decline in output. We will see a decline that races faster and faster ahead. It is a waterfall, not a gentle ramp.*
The Goldman Saks circus is in town! Hooray! Get your kids and lets pay for admission to watch theclown show
. Greece pays the firm to massage its numbers to appease the EU which demands some form of fiscal responsibility. They actually looked like they had a somewhat balanced budget. Close enough for government work, anyway. Then, surprise, surprise, Greece gets screwed by the money masters and the whole ball of wax starts melting down. So a few suits from GS get hauled in front of some panel or other. The same kind of panel where “Chappaquiddick
” Kennedy would be chastising a swimming pool manufacturer for putting out a product that endangered children, or be giving a lecture on the advisability on enacting drunk driving laws. Our attention is momentarily distracted by the Catholic Church and its Merry Molesting Priests Group which is of course sick and wrong ( although the church still feels neither the need for marriage in the clergy nor birth control as large segments of its members kill each other over shrinking resources ) but doesn’t even begin to hold a candle to the damage politicians, lawyers and bankers do. So, while we are treated to the spectacle of a fake witch hunt, other countries are drained of their vital fluids to keep our empire running slightly longer. Every other country we control or finance will be sacrificed to sustain the US just a few more days or months. Do you wonder what will happen once all the other countries are gone? The collapse has slowed here only at the expense of others.*
National Pravda
Radio, such a soulless and communist run organization that I feel absolutely no remorse is in using it for free ( they plead financial hardship and the need for private help, but Lucifer’s 
Minions in the public sector will keep them around for the fine job they are doing at propaganda- a prostitute on crack turning tricks for ten bucks has far more scruples than the whores at public radio/TV ), was commenting on the rate of Nevada’s economic plunge. Since it is now, for the last three months, in only single digit declines rather than the last fifteen months of double digit declines, we must obviously truly be in an economic expansion and recovery. This gives the local, county and state governments an excuse to deny that more cuts are necessary. Of course, next fiscal year will be just like the last few, full of shock that the last cosmetic cuts weren’t enough and a shrill exclamation that any more civil servant cuts will lead to anarchy in the streets ( because obviously cutting teachers will mean no one is capable of opening a book and learning anything for themselves ). I read about Mayberry’s higher rate property tax that went along with official reduction of its value, so I imagine Nevada is far from unique. Well, actually my first thought was that no wife I’ve ever had was worth three grand a year, let alone all the mortgage on top of that. Bless him for all he puts up with. The point here is that it is becoming increasing difficult to put a happy face on the increasing evidence of a collapse
, and the ill concieved illustration of recovery in the slow down of collapse by the thought police is so pathetic it should be amusing you greatly. Take every friggin thing people with a stake in business as usual say and twist it around 180 to get the meaning of what really is going on. Then it gets pretty easy to make sense of it all. End Article.*
A loyal minion was a bit pissed I gave a link on the new company which sold self watering plans which you could get elsewhere for free. I should explain to everyone else also. Remember a week or two ago I linked you to a first aid kit company? I don't know if it is a good deal or not. I don't know if you even need their product. I'm just helping small or new companies out by spreading the word if they ask. Not paid ads, just a friendly "pass it on" ( if they give me a sample if the link helped, I see no harm in that ). You'll have to decide if it is something you want. If you wish to post in the comments your thoughts on the product, I'll post them as usual. Obviously, if any company thinks I'll censor negative comments on them when I don't those same types on my own writing might be in for a shock. I'm not totally frugal equipment only. Look at some of the books I review. Totally unnecessary to survival. But ones I enjoyed. Look at these new companies products in that same way. Ultimately it is your call if they are worthy or not. I’m not currently in the market for a self watering planter, so obviously I’ve done no research on the matter. Same with first aid kits ( a minion sent me a cool first aid kit with instructions in German. Don’t ask me why but I think that is the coolest thing ). You help me out in other areas I’m weak at such as construction or mechanics or whatever. You can do the same here. Also, just because something is free on the web doesn’t mean you don’t get value with a paid product. The obvious is a paper book compared to an e-book, but a lot of times you can’t even find the free stuff so the paid product provides the needed data. Or, the book is a collection of free stuff from all over, so the organization/all-in-one aspect is valuable. I see value in a $10 book, you see value in $10 worth of meat for a BBQ. We wouldn’t buy the others valuable item with the same feeling of getting our monies worth, right? OK, enough of this, I hope I made my point. If you care.
END
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6 comments:
I welcome the small company ads that posted on here because I never even knew most of them existed in the 1st place. Some are silly, but its the IDEA of someone trying to fix it which get experiments and investigations going - progress is made.
Yeah, I hear from talking heads that economy is getting better and better. Just trying to convince the people to begin spending again and all will be hunky dory. I don't believe for a minute.
Have a good weekend Bison - thanks for the article.
Hmmm...
Let's see. The stock markets are way up, too-big-to-fail banks are paying back their "loans" to the Feds. NPR and the government are putting on Happy Faces about just how great things are going.
But then, a great many medium to small-size banks are going into bankruptcy. An Oil rig is leaking in the gulf about to blob-up the Southern coast. Whole countries are bankrupt.
750 people form a temporary tent city to line up for application to 75 union jobs (elevator mechanics) in New York City. Tea Parties are forming. Many of my friends are without work and I wonder if I am next.
What "slow" collapse?
economic screwing is just like any other kind, a lot of in and out, up and down motion with a lot of moaning
and heavy breathing.
the difference is the climax. economic screwing is the home of faked orgasms. a lot of effort striving for self-control and little success.
in my humble opinion this dry humping will continue for years and years to come until all the involved parties give up and realize the thrill is gone..
Here's a joke for the lawyers out there:
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Because he had an easement.
Not so slow, if you ask me, but no end in sight unless we start making a lot more noise. Thanks for the post - keep it up.
Bill W.
military surplus
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 STORE WHAT YOU EAT reminds me. Someone whose opinion I value offered this
re millet and sorghum.
Don't see any problem with wheat and corn in Oregon. The crops are as large as normal (and we grow a hell of a lot of it). If it gets diverted to other uses, like gasohol, then that is a different situation. It's sold to the highest bidder. It will follow the money.
Yes, all of those "Other Grains" are not getting diverted. Yes, I have used the other grains in bread, pancakes, mush or grits. They are more nutritious than wheat, or corn, tastier, and they don't have the allergy causing problems that wheat does. Millions of people cannot eat wheat, or wheat gluten (it literally eats out the lining of their stomachs). Modern wheat is sort of o.k. for MOST folks, but it is not really a healthy food (don't forget that we once shipped wheat to the starving Chinese and they sent it back). They have bastardized the stuff so much from the original tiny wild wheat that it has all kinds of problems.
It has only been a thousand years since China switched from only millet being the common grain, to the use of rice. Why they did that I do not know. Millet is a wonderful healthy food! It is cheap in bulk, and stores long term easily. I have 4 or 5 buckets of it in my storage foods.
Boil a tablespoon of Millet and it will produce nearly a cup full of food. It really bulks up. Very tasty. I recommend that you buy a small package of it and try it for yourself. Use it like any other cooked cereal, or grits (Add fruit, sugar/honey, milk, butter, whatever you normally would). Plus you can use it like any cooked grain in salads, main dishes, etc. It is the main ingredient in parrot feed, and look how long they live!
All of those grains are very healthy and very available, It's just that the wheat and corn industry have a monopoly here, and can control the price by growing so much. Thus wheat and corn are usually cheaper in the U.S. Try some of the more exotic grains from Peru, etc, also, things like Quinoa ("keen-wah"). Wonderful! ----
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