Saturday, January 31, 2009

Skull and Crossbones Recall


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Sooner or later this was bound to happen. I subscribe to a Consumer Product Recall Alert Newsletter. But today I am amazed how the Universe is sorta punning or making pun of us. This necklace has been recalled due to its "poisonous" lead content. Am I surprised? What does a scull and cross bones mean to you? If the recall hot link does not work go to

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09111.html

Friday, January 30, 2009

Ghost Town Mural


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Here is a mural in a Hotel in Chernobyl. Chernobyl is a ghost town that is radioactive for the next 600 years. I found this website referenced on Yoopers Trails, and I think it is safe to compare the photo journey of catastrophic collapse to pictures taken in downtown Detroit. You can visit this modern day ghost town at this link.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Ravine Shelter



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We went walking to the ravine yesterday. Someone has built a blue tarp shelter down there by the water. I sure hope someone isn't living down there in this weather. I have come across makeshift shelters in the summertime that I am sure folks live in. There is easy access to businesses where they can beg for change during the day.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Got Ice?


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It hardly ever gets so bad that The Ohio State University shuts down. But today is an exception. Today we have a level 2 snow emergency. Ice underneath snow, underneath more ice. Level 2 snow emergency means that driving is discouraged.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Reality Sandwich


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I found a way kool website called Reality Sandwich.

Here is part of an article about money by Charles Eisenstein.

Money and The Crisis of Civilization

Suppose you give me a million dollars with the instructions, "Invest this profitably, and I'll pay you well." I'm a sharp dresser -- why not? So I go out onto the street and hand out stacks of bills to random passers-by. Ten thousand dollars each. In return, each scribbles out an IOU for $20,000, payable in five years. I come back to you and say, "Look at these IOUs! I have generated a 20% annual return on your investment." You are very pleased, and pay me an enormous commission.

Now I've got a big stack of IOUs, so I use these "assets" as collateral to borrow even more money, which I lend out to even more people, or sell them to others like myself who do the same. I also buy insurance to cover me in case the borrowers default -- and I pay for it with those self-same IOUs! Round and round it goes, each new loan becoming somebody's asset on which to borrow yet more money. We all rake in huge commissions and bonuses, as the total face value of all the assets we've created from that initial million dollars is now fifty times that.

Then one day, the first batch of IOUs comes due. But guess what? The person who scribbled his name on the IOU can't pay me back right now. In fact, lots of the borrowers can't. I try to hush this embarrassing fact up as long as possible, but pretty soon you get suspicious. You want your million dollars back -- in cash. I try to sell the IOUs and their derivatives that I hold, but everyone else is suspicious too, and no one buys them. The insurance company tries to cover my losses, but it can only do so by selling the IOUs I gave it!

So finally, the government steps in and buys the IOUs, bails out the insurance company and everyone else holding the IOUs and the derivatives stacked on them. Their total value is way more than a million dollars now. I and my fellow entrepreneurs retire with our lucre. Everyone else pays for it.

This is the first level of what has happened in the financial industry over the past decade. It is a huge transfer of wealth to the financial elite, to be funded by US taxpayers, foreign corporations and governments, and ultimately the foreign workers who subsidize US debt indirectly via the lower purchasing power of their wages. However, to see the current crisis as merely the result of a big con is to miss its true significance...Click here for the rest of the article.



Monday, January 26, 2009

How To Spend Your Stimulus Check


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Stimulus Payment Info - This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format: Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment? A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers. Q. Where will the government get this money? A. From taxpayers. Q. So the government is giving me back my own money? A. Only a smidgen. Q. What is the purpose of this payment? A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy. Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China ? A. Shut up. Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your stimulus check wisely: If you spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If you spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs. If you purchase a computer it will go to India. If you purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala (unless you buy organic). If you buy a car it will go to Japan. If you purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan. And none of it will help the American economy. We need to keep that money here in America. You can keep the money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to a baseball game, or spend it on prostitutes, beer and wine (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are the only businesses still in the US. This was something I picked up on a discussion forum at Life After The Oil Crash website.


Friday, January 23, 2009

Yoopers Trails




I follow a blog called Yoopers Trails that shows lots of photos of Detroit as well as great commentary. Detroit is one of those US cities that we need to watch carefully as they are in the middle of a collapse. He makes note that he wishes he would have noticed this car in the parking lot before the picture was taken as its presence is probably drug related. It can be very dangerous out there innocently taking photos for a daily blog. Check out Yoopers Trails and find out about catabolic collapse. When I see these pictures I see a city that has been in decline much longer than the recent "bailouts" would have you know. I found Yoopers Trails on a discussion forum on Peak Oil.


Thursday, January 22, 2009

Obama Revokes Presidential Act!




By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to establish policies and procedures governing the assertion of executive privilege by incumbent and former Presidents in connection with the release of Presidential records by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) pursuant to the Presidential Records Act of 1978, it is hereby ordered as follows:

... Executive Order 13233 of November 1, 2001, is revoked.



BARACK OBAMA



THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 21, 2009.
Posted at 04:34 PM

Monday, January 19, 2009

A Special Gift For You


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On eBay right now, you can buy these Home Depot coupons that are counterfeit according to a Home Depot employee. EBay apparently are not shutting down these auctions even though they are being reported. It is very sad. The seller may not even know that they are selling counterfieit coupons. But sadder still that EBay is allowing them to be sold at all. I wonder how many coupons for businesses that are already liquidated will get sold on EBay in the near future.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Pink Slips Are The New Black


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I found a blog titled Pink Slips Are The New Black.
It is a blog dedicated to the unemployed. Here is a blog (from pinkslips) from December 30th about Ketzel Levine from NPR who had the idea for the series "American Moxie How To Get By.

The irony of it all! Ketzel Levine, an NPR reporter came up with the idea for a show called “American Moxie: How We Get By”. It began in December. The series chronicled the lives of people coping with the the rough times we’re all going through. Levine, who has worked for NPR since 1977, was handed the pink slip on about Dec. 10. Levine’s last day will be on January 12 and her last show will be about her own experience of course!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Fire In My Neighborhood


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There was a fire in our neighborhood the last night (Two nights ago at the time of this blog). It was the local bike shop Once Ridden. I have blogged about this bike shop at least 2 times. It was the K & M market before it was the bike shop. My photo does not do justice to the damage. The water from the fire hose froze in the sub zero temperatures, so all the bikes were frozen solid and reflecting like diamonds in the sunshine this morning. The adjoining apartment was boarded up today as well. What a mess. But these people are strong and flexible. I have every confidence that they will prevail and the bike shop will be up and running soon.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Seed Swap

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Here is a site where you can swap seeds! Or, my very own seed exchange Got Seeds?

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Magic Seeds or Death Seeds


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The truth about genetically modified seeds is a well kept secret. By the time our government does something about it, it may be too late. We hear all sorts of stories about India these days but the fact that Monsanto has tricked many Indian farmers into using these seeds, and then what happens to them is not making the news in this country. Monsanto's stock rises while every one else is going out of business. Where will this madness end.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

My Air Shoes


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I found a way kool website http:www.myairshoes.com that will custom paint shoes. They found me in actuality... and we are gonna exchange links I think! Exchange is good right?

Monday, January 12, 2009

Surviving Argentina


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I follow a blog called Surviving Argentina that is written by a guy who calls himself Ferfal. It could be that our economic collapse is following a similar course. Ferfal claimed these makeshift homes sprung up overnight. Check out Ferfals blog. He gives great advise to survive in an economic collapse. Be prepared for what may come...come what may!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Everything Old Is New Again



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Several months ago I wrote about the desire for streetcars in Columbus Ohio.
And when I reviewed the book Historic Photos of Columbus I may have mentioned old photographs of Columbus when it had both arches and streetcars. My only criticism about the plan was that I thought it was too small.

I was delighted last night to hear a story about Mayor Mike Coleman asking President Elect Obama for the money to build a Light Rail line in Columbus. I was further thrilled to hear that they want to make it 13 miles long instead of the original 2.8 miles.

All the great cities of the world have rail systems and I believe that this idea will employ thousands of Americans who have lost their jobs due to the recent economic downturn. Hooray for Mayor Mike. I think he is gonna get his train after all! And if he does I believe City Center Mall will come back to life as well.

I confess that I too have been visualizing trains for Columbus. James Kunstler has been warning us all that we need to get our railroad system back up and running. I grew up in a small town that at one time had a bus system but no longer does. The people of the town claim that it didn't work, so it won't work in the future even though the population is growing by the year and there are far too many cars on the road! Transportation is vital to a growing town or city. At one time Columbus had a very vital and successful rail system and streetcars ran up and down High Street. They tore it up to accommodate the age of the automobile and cheap oil. When you look at the old photographs with tracks running under the arches you can clearly see that we are repeating history to a certain extent.

It is time to start visualizing what Columbus is going to look like in 2012. My friend the mural painter Bonie Bolen painted the Columbus skyline in her mural for the show Round Trip Home. That is probably what it will look like. Thanks Bonie for giving us the image we can meditate upon, and thanks Mayor Mike for asking for the dollars to build it. For more information check out this link.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Project Censored

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This is a time that our country needs transparency, not more censorship!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Why Do They Hate Us?

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When I see footage like this it makes me ashamed of my country and angry that Bush took us into Iraq in the first place. Whoever this soldier is, I hope he comes home shamed. He does not represent me.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Eye Sore Of The Month


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I submitted our Convention Center here in Columbus as a candidate for Eye Sore Of The Month. Eye Sore Of The Month is a feature on Jim Kunstlers website where he gives voice to subjects like urban Sprawl and poor zoning laws, bad architecture, and the end of happy motoring. I have been following Kunstler since his book Geography Of Nowhere. Buildings such as The Columbus Convention Center can be explained by referring to the fairy tale The Emperors New Clothes. Basically the story goes like this: a city official is tricked into believing that these modern monstrosities will bring more revenue to the city because they are so hip. Somehow everyone believes this, when in fact they waste good building materials and space. In actuality, most of these spaces create an uncomfortable psychological feeling and alienate the population. Almost every major city has a few of these. Hopefully as our society becomes more frugal and resourceful, places such as Columbus Convention Center will be mined for their scrap value and we can just get on with designing a more conventional Convention Center. We could use the revenue!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Enough Already!


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Time to get back to work and time for the Christmas decorations to come down! This guy was a traffic stopper.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Art of Susan Sturgill


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I blogged this artist yesterday before I found her work in color. I am hoping to get Susan Sturgills new book I Am A Cat Mattress.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

I'm Just A Cat Mattress



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I Am Just A Cat Mattress is a book by Susan Sturgill local artist. Cats are a constant source of entertainment and quite often make great subjects for art. Support Susan by picking up a signed copy of her book by mailing a check for $16.45 with a happy message to Susan Sturgill PO Box 82061 Columbus Ohio 43202

Friday, January 2, 2009

The Difference

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What is the difference between a bank, and a Ponzi Scheme? Very little it seems!