Couchsurfing with my soapbox

Thursday, September 29, 2011

My recent foray to Wisconsin and Michigan had me staying five different homes, hence sleeping in five different beds and eating at many different tables. It was quite an exciting adventure, spent with wide-awake people, and I hope to repeat the experience as many times as the industrial economy allows. I’ve embedded one of the [...]

Another road

Saturday, February 26, 2011

88 Comments

by Ed’s Apprentice Everybody thinks about his or her purpose in life. I figure going into their twenties most people think that purpose is pretty significant. However, getting out of their twenties — and I’ll be there soon — I think most people are at least beginning to accept that their purpose might have to [...]

Third time’s a charm?

Saturday, January 22, 2011

111 Comments

Kurt Vonnegut often described World Wars I and II as western civilization’s first and second attempts, respectively, to commit suicide. He hinted at peak oil as our third attempt in his memoir, Man Without a Country, which was published shortly before his death. After burying our collective heads in the sand for two years, peak [...]

I have no choice

Sunday, December 19, 2010

51 Comments

by Peaceful Life, a humanitarian activist living in the United Kingdom Whether it’s systematic dinosaur bureaucracy fueled by greed and ignorant arrogance or a lineage of agenda steeped in cowardly filth is not my concern. It’s broken. It doesn’t work, for me or you. For those at the top of the power pyramid, it’s all [...]

A Parent’s Dilemma: Preparing a Child for an Uncertain Future

Saturday, November 27, 2010

55 Comments

by Jeff Sties When our son Ben was born in 1999, my wife Stacy and I decided that one child was enough. For starters, there was her obvious discomfort during the pregnancy. Financially, we knew that we could not afford to put multiple children through college. Our chosen careers brought in a comfortable income as [...]

The risks of fiddling

Thursday, July 22, 2010

25 Comments

American Empire provides bread, circuses, and all the toys we (think we) need, stolen from other countries and future generations. I can understand why people are reluctant to abandon the empire. In exchange for inhabiting a cubicle, you get to harvest the fruits of empire while avoiding any steps toward self reliance. You get to [...]

Strike one … you’re out?

Monday, July 5, 2010

9 Comments

Bad Company’s Shooting Star blares over the PA system. Don’t you know, yeah, yeah The hour is late as the game enters the top of the ninth inning. The home team has held the Industrialists scoreless, and leads by a single run. If the Industrialists score, the home team will bring out the bats. Don’t [...]

The power of television in Asphaltistan

Monday, June 14, 2010

28 Comments

I’m just back from a quick vacation in the vicinity of Morro Bay, California. Most importantly and enjoyably, I communed with sea otters, pelicans, herons, and egrets while kayaking on the calm waters of the bay. But I also spent a little time reading and writing, and I watched more television than I’ve seen in [...]

Teetering

Thursday, June 10, 2010

29 Comments

The industrial economy, that is. On the brink, yet again. The real economy — not the born-again exuberance in the world’s stock markets — is stalling as the effects of easy money wear off. Indeed, investor fund flows haven’t been this bad since Lehmann Brothers collapsed in the autumn of 2008. The IMF says risks [...]

Dispatches from Central Absurdistan

Monday, June 7, 2010

27 Comments

1. In yet another reason to keep those shows on the air, reality TV breeds new body ideals. 2. It’ll take a lot of rats to clothe plus-size models in the latest fashion accessory. 3. Encouraging us to keep the weight on, the American Heart Association endorses Nintendo’s Wii. Please put aside your shovel and [...]

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