10.25.2010

COFFINS and SPIDERS and WEBS, OH MY!

Where is our money going?  Why is it that the Federal Reserve can print TRILLIONS of dollars for bailouts but the average American becomes more desperate by the day?

The answer isn't all the complicated: just follow the Yellow Brick Road!  I assure you it all ends up in WALL STREET, America's Gold Brickin' District.

Though big bankers produce absolutely nothing of value and are committing fraud daily, 2010 is turning out to be the most profitable year in American History for the Billionaire Buttfuckers of WALL STREET.

Meanwhile, the rest of America is sinking deeper into the DEPRESSION.  This is not a coincidence.  I call them "buttfuckers" because they're ass raping US.

One of the most powerful tools being used to violate us is the hidden tax called INFLATION.  Inflation takes away Americans' spending power while artificially propping up the stock market: when dollars are worth less, shares of stock are worth more of them.

Every time the FEDERAL RESERVE prints more money to bail out the fraudulent, unnecessary banks, WE taxpayers pick up the tab.  Not only that, but what little money we have left loses value because the economy is being flooded with new money.  Adding insult to injury, the big banks take the money GIVEN to them and invest it in developing countries where the potential profits are bigger: they're NOT investing it to help out struggling Americans. The rest of us are truly getting screwed.
You need to know that the Federal Reserve is NOT a government entity: it is a private MEGABANK.  "The FED" was schemed up by the wealthiest men in the world in 1910 at a secret meeting on Jekyll Island, Georgia .  In 1913 they snuck the FED into a powerful position as a temporary emergency measure to liquefy the currency for World War I.

Though it is not part of Our Government and shouldn't even exist anymore, the Federal Reserve now has more power over the US Economy than the US Government has.  The FED creates money out of thin air -- reoccurring bank bailouts are just one example.  All the money it creates, it lends with interest.  It's biggest customer is the US Government.  The interest is paid by us.

In short, the FED controls Our Money Supply and profits from it.  The national debt is owed to the FED, but I say fuck em'.  Let's strategically default on that loan.

If you could create money out of thin air, would you take advantage of that ability?  I know I would!  The billionaire buttfuckers who run the Federal Reserve CAN and DO.

Every dollar you've ever made came from the Federal Reserve.  Take one out of your wallet and see for yourself.  Right at the top it sez "FEDERAL RESERVE NOTE".


Dollars didn't always look like this.  Before the FED started horribly manipulating Our Currency, US Dollars were backed by Gold or Silver and looked like this.


Read the fine print...

"This certifies that there has been deposited in the Treasury of The United States Of America One Silver Dollar payable to the bearer on demand."

Back in the day, you could take a dollar bill to the US Treasury and exchange it for Pure Silver... a semi-precious tangible asset.

Nowadays, if you went to Washington and tried to exchange a Federal Reserve Note, they'd have nothing to offer you but thin air.  You'd probably get tazered and interrogated as well.

Over the last century, the FED has become the local office for a GLOBAL BANKING CARTEL.  This cartel includes the Bank of England, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the"national" banks of numerous other countries, and the BIG BANKS here in the USA.

When they're in trouble, the BIG BANKS can count on a bailout from the FED... even if they caused the trouble themselves.  They're like a bunch of spoiled adult children whose bad habits daddy keeps funding.

A small local bank or credit union has no such protection from DADDYPANTS.   When a little bank gets in trouble, it is eaten by the BIG BANKS.  Competition is eliminated and wealth is consolidated in the hands of the Billionaire Buttfuckers who run the Global Banking Cartel.

A few years back - right here in Jackson Hole - my local bank got bought out.  I felt the impact immediately.

I was travelling in Central America and suddenly my debit and credit cards no longer worked.  The same happened to a good friend who was skiing in Argentina.  We got hung out to dry by this inconsiderate and greedy system.  Luckily we had good friends we could call on when we needed a little "bailout" of our own.

I'd love to see Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke stranded on the streets of Nicaragua with no means by which to support himself.  Maybe then he'd gain a little understanding as to what it feels like to get spit out of the godless and gutless system which he now controls.

The FED has printed TRILLIONS in the last few years which is causing rampant inflation.  They plan to print TRILLIONS more in the very near future which could lead to hyperinflation.  Everyday essentials keep going up in price because the money in Our pockets is becoming worthless.

This graph is from 2002.  The situation is growing much worse now.

The wealthiest assholes are hoping suckers will keep buying into the system right up until the moment when they cause the stock market to crash again.  The big dogs are selling in the weeks before the crash, and their plan is to reinvest once it bottoms out.    This is exactly what happened during the great stock market crash of 1929.

Don't believe me?  Then read this book:


Reading at least the first and last several chapters will clarify what's going on and help you channel your rage.

Just like the Wizard of OZ, Our World's "men behind the curtain" are only powerful so long as the rest of us don't know who they are.  Fortunately - all over the world - countless people know everything about them.  More people come to understand their secretive manipulations ways by the day!

The widespread growth in awareness taking place right now is truly amazing.

After a few weeks of intense homework I know who they are and what they're all about.  By the end of this you'll know too.  Let yourself believe.

Know that I've got no reason to lie... I'm not making a dime for sharing this information.

Know that the BILLIONAIRE BUTTFUCKERS have every reason to lie.  Their wealth and power rests entirely upon the ignorance of the American People.  They don't want you capable of critical thinking.  Just listen to the wisdom of George Carlin...



The whole situation stinks, but fortunately...


I enjoy looking at the traffic stats for my blog because it reminds me why I'm studying and writing about real world shit.  It's nice to know people are reading it.  Big thanks - personally - to YOU for your precious attention.

Today I glanced at the visitor graph and noticed a needle-like spike at exactly 2:00 am.  I've never had more than 100 people on the site at any given time, but in the wee hours of this morning 332 people magically tuned in for less than one minute and then went back to bed.  Also amazing, each visitor went directly to a different page of my blog.  No search engines.  No external links.

Obviously a SPIDER downloaded my entire blog, and it's probably under review by an entity more powerful than I.  I can't help but suspect that I'm under analysis by some manifestation of big money and/or big gubber-mint. 

I expected this after publishing the Stash Yer Cache article last week.  Offering real world advice as opposed to mere commentary must cross some fine line.  I was already audited by a few young spies during the Foster Friess Fiasco, so it's no wonder I'm getting a deeper look now.

Frankly, I'm glad the old system is paying attention - maybe they'll learn something - but I can't help feeling a little paranoid.  As Pink Floyd pondered, "What do you want from me?"

Last I checked there were very few English Majors employed at the Pentagon.  I hope whatever young pup or computer program they're employing to assess my opinions doesn't lump me too high on the potential threat list.  I don't want to get detained at the airport en route to visiting my family or suffer a Cheney-esque hunting accident.

I ALWAYS look both ways before crossing the street, NEVER contemplate suicide, RARELY mess with potentially fatal drugs, and FREQUENTLY knock on wood.  Also, my karma is pretty clean.

Unless I die by avalanche, it's safe to assume I got OFFED.  This is not paranoia.  The existing powers kill people ever day.  It's reality.  Welcome to it.  Good morning, America!

See, near as I can tell, there are two types of über-powerful people in OUR country.  It's safe to assume that people like me piss off both types.  I say...

Fuck em'!  They can't do half what they say, and their power slips away by the day.

The New Money Illionaires are in it for the PERSONAL SATISFACTION which wealth and status provides.  These foolish fools are overtly greedy, individualistic, and don't want anything standing in the way of their dominance.

As such, they hate government meddling and any sort of regulation.  Unfortunately, they don't realize this mentality isn't feasible on a FINITE PLANET.  My old buddy Fosta Freeze is one of this kind: he has to pay people to come to his parties as do all New Money Illionaires.

The Fabian Society pounding Earth into shape.
(I'm in the bottom left corner right behind Orson Wells.)
The Old Money Illionaires are a more complicated crew, and they've got the reins to the FED.  No longer jazzed up by mere billions, these dipshits suffer from guilt along with their greed.  Merely obtaining MORE has lost it's appeal.  The thrill is gone!

Those among them with generational aspirations to DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL with their wealth find themselves in a bit of a pickle these days.  Here's why:

The viagratized societal pillars of INFINITE GROWTH and TECHNOLOGISM recently spurted up their own asses... and then went perpetually limp.  That big gamble has proven a loss: humanity has no way to colonize new planets, and the gajillionaires aren't going anywhere.  They're stuck right here with the rest of us.

Meanwhile, as the result of a few centuries filled with technological advancement and "too much prosperity" there are now billions of entitled people consuming Earth's limited resources and trashing the place.  Surely you agree on at least this point.


Dwindling oil supplies are becoming a very real threat to human society, but most people couldn't give half a shit.  They either don't know better or don't want the party to end.

The Old Money Illionaires no doubt resent this situation.  They don't want the workers trashing the place.  They've got the power to change things, so they're trying to "save the planet".  They've gotten organized, and are plotting the most catastrophic shift in human history: a NEW WORLD ORDER.

Sadly, their NEW WORLD ORDER doesn't include your jacked up 1984 Ford Bronco.... or the cute little kids on the tailgate.  Sorry.

See, the one thing their TECHNOLOGISM has done is dramatically decrease the need for HUMAN WORKERS.  Robots and computers can already do most things better than us pesky old humans ever could.  Also, minus the huge population, most jobs wouldn't need to exist.

Right now the mass of men have nothing tangible to offer the Old Money Illionaires but their own destruction.  They apply the corporate model to global affairs, and the layoffs are escalating.

In the end, who destroys whom remains to be seen.  I'm rooting for the little guy because I am one.

Where do your cards fall?

The wisest Old Money Illionaires know there'll be no growing out of the current predicament: because of overpopulation and energy scarcity, contraction is the only option.

Since widespread prosperity is "part of the problem", the Old Money Illonaires have had to get really creative in the last few years.  They're intentionally destroying the US and global economy in a backasswards attempt to "save the planet".  They rank with the sickest and most deranged people in human history.  But they're not stupid...

Imploding the global economy decreases the use of energy and other resources.  It destabilizes communities leading to violence and lower population.  It creates poverty which causes disease and starvation.  It is sure to cause an endless war which further decreases the population while making the BIG DOGS richer.  If the GLOBAL BANKING CARTEL wins, EVERYBODY else loses.

In their steely eyes, workers must always be put in their place.  Slaves get shackles, drones get cubicles, soldiers get barracks, and a "lucky" few of the billions facing permanent unemployment already have their coffins awaiting.

A good number of Americans are slated to end up in these.  I figure they can fit at least 2-3 bodies in each.



This pic of the coffins is exceptionally informative, and you'll notice our beloved Tetons looking majestic as always in the background.

Frankly, I'd love to get my hands on some of these coffins: they appear to be perfect backcountry storage boxes, and the irony would be delightful.  They also look like great livestock troughs, rainwater storage containers, etc.

Instead of investing our tax dollars in preparation for the wholesale slaughter of Americans, why not let us put our coffins to good use in sustainable living instead?!

I say they send every American their coffin and let them use it as they see fit.  After all, we're paying for this shit.

If the coffins aren't enough to convince you the incarceration and elimination of unnecessary Americans isn't a part of the grand scheme, take a look at the "camps" that FEMA has invested countless tax dollars in.  There are over 800 FEMA "camps" in the US and they all look something like this...

Watch the whole video.  Notice how the barbed wire is angled to keep people in as opposed to out.



Personally, I plan to bartend my way through Armageddon.  Poor people who are failing to make ends meet feel the need to drink.  And rich people love boozing, especially when they've got a few billion murdered souls to drink off their minds.

Just a few years back they could get away with GENOCIDE and noone would bat an eye.  The problem is that now they're fucking with wrong people.  Americans aren't as stupid as they'd like to believe.

I will defend MY HOME, MY FAMILY, and MY FRIENDS until there is no breath left in my body.

Whatever it is you need, get some now.

Only the fittest of the fittest shall survive.  Stay alive.
-Bob Marley

Here's what his son is saying...

SABALI!  For now...




10.23.2010

Nine to Fives Ruin Lives.

A public service announcement from the folks at Skiing the Backcountry.


If you're part of the backcountry skiing community, join this  Backcountry Skiing Community.

I like Skiing the Backcountry because it's not filled with "cooler than you" bullshitters.

I contribute as WarPigSinFin.

My goal is to log 3 zillion vertical feet this winter.  Once the snow flies nothing else matters.

10.18.2010

Foreclosure This!

I personally know several people who've gotten fucked by the big banks' real estate scheme.  These acquaintances are friendly, reliable, hard-working Americans.  All of them are currently employed full-time or more, but -- for one reason or another -- all have suffered pay cuts in the last few years.  None of them went out on a limb and bought outside their means: like so many other people, they're just suffering the ill effects of our ongoing economic DEPRESSION.

Some have been forced out of their homes.  Some are falling behind on their mortgages.  Some are sick of scrambling to pay down the overinflated price tag of a home that they know will continue losing value.  Remember: the bubble popped by DESIGN.

Meanwhile, Wall Street is paying it's minions all-time-record wages to the tune of $140 billion in 2010.  Mind you, this is just the money on the books: I'm sure additional perks and bonuses numbering in the big billions are also being "rewarded" for their hard work in bankrupting the rest of Our Nation.

Frankly, I'm disgusted by people who overextended themselves on a massive mortgage, refinanced to buy a bunch of crap, and, generally, embodied the CONSUMERISM that puts us at odds with the natural world.  BUT I'm even more disgusted by the people who put that system in place, promoted it, perpetuated it, manipulated it, and are now profiting from its collapse.

Bottom line: poor people need homes more than bailed-out banks need additional assets.

Our economic system is inherently flawed and utterly screwed, so we're being forced into the massive change currently taking place.  Instead of fighting over what's whose it makes a hell of a lot more sense to acknowledge our flaws and fix them.  What flaws?

1.  INFINITE GROWTH is a stupid and impossible goal.  Planet Earth can't handle such a fundamental idiocy at the root of several billion peoples' dysfunctional lifestyles.

2.  "CREATING JOBS" for it's own sake is counterproductive because most jobs are frivolous, wasteful, and -- on a planetary scale -- destructive.  90+% of real work is done by computers, machines, and dirt poor people half the world away: it's amazing US unemployment is ONLY around ~15%.

People shouldn't have to work 40+ hours a week doing something they know is pointless just to maintain the fiction of earning one's keep.  Let's use our technology and creativity to LIBERATE people instead of chaining them to jobs.  Personally, I think we should have a work for one year, then take four years off based economy.

Let's acknowledge that labor-saving technology eliminates jobs.  Pay people to NOT have children.  Pay people to NOT drive cars.  Make sustainable living FREE so people's natural tendency is to embrace it.  Otherwise, we'll keep banging our heads against Mother Nature's wall... until it cracks all of our skulls.

3.  Ancient prophecy has no control over what we do right now.  This needn't be the end of the world.  We can use this situation to foster a new awareness.  What awareness is that:

GREED isn't GOOD.  SUSTAINABLE LAZINESS is.  Do less. Buy less.  Waste less.  Be more. 

4.  GOVERNMENT and BIG BUSINESS can't be in bed together.  They need to be equally powerful and at odds to assure that the little guy (and the Planet) don't get screwed.

In case you're still in denial, you're being screwed right now.  Me too.  And future generations?  We're all screwing them together.

Accept the fact that the whole system is SCREWY.  Support the people who have the courage to stand up against it.

10.14.2010

Stash Your Cache: Building a Budget Backcountry Retreat

NEWS FLASH!

Gold is booming even more than before cuz' the FED's QE2s in the works.  The dollar is tanking.

International conflicts are escalating, and the greedy rich are planning to profit from the most costly industry of all: WAR.

American kids are being enlisted to to patrol their neighborhoods spying with camera phones to "Keep America Safe" from suspicious activity.  I think we should all join!  Get old lady Sue on tape hangin' her laundry.  "She's kinda suspicious and she speaks with a Russian accent... better get someone down here."

***

I've been wrestling with this article off and on for a few months.  I kept putting it off as I contemplated the wisdom of publishing it.

It's finally finished and has been published by the friendly folks over at CleanSnipe.  Anyone sssssshmlurking to do a little tramping about may want to give it a look.

If you're in the market for any outdoor gear, consider searching for it through CleanSnipe.  They offer a great service and give me carte blanch to spew crucial knowledge like this...

Max Edward Mogren
October 13, 2010



10.11.2010

Inside Job: How Wall Street Goons Intentionally Caused The 2008 Financial Meltdown

This movie is definitely worth watching.  Spread the word and expose the crooks bankrupting America for who they really are.

All the greedy assholes responsible for this deserve prison or worse.  It's too bad most of our elected leaders either work with these guys or are too chickenshit to do anything about it.

This country needs business LEADERS, not business CHEATERS.

It's time to change that.  Demand change.   Vote for change.  Be the change...

... but first, watch the trailer for INSIDE JOB.

Essential Read: An Oil-Thirsty America Dived Into "Dead Sea"

Bill Clinton sealing the Gulf's fate with the Grand Teton looking majestic (as always) in the distance.

Wall Street Journal... cover story... 10/10/10... An Oil-Thirsty America Dived Into "Dead Sea"

Read it.  Analyze it.  Do the math and figure the situation out for yourself.

My own assessment is this.  Our childish excuse for an economic model hit an energy ceiling in 2008.  Remember $147 barrels of oil in July, 2008?  No!?  Remember paying $4.50+ at the pump that summer?  I thought so.

It's no coincidence that our economy shit the bed shortly thereafter.

Money doesn't make an economy grow.  Energy does.  Without an affordable, reliable, and GROWING energy supply, growth-based economies fail.  There's no such thing as a free lunch, and - contrary to popular belief - one cannot build something out of nothing.  When oil supply can't meet demand - and it's happening again right now - our economy is guaranteed to stall if not collapse.
 
Why are we dangerously drilling two miles underwater to get oil?  Why are we destroying pristine areas and wasting massive amounts of energy and water harvesting tar sands?  Because we think we need to.  Pending massive societal changes, we do need to.

No matter what we exploit, no matter how deep we drill or how crazily we search, continuing down this path is a guaranteed loss.  All extreme extraction efforts only stall our fall from oil's global production peak plateau.  Once humanity heads down that slope, all certainty flies out the window.

It's time to stop "needing" all that oil.  It's time for massive societal changes.  We can't "grow out of" the current depression because as soon as we start growing, our oil needs hit the very real ceiling of limited supply.  We can't even stay as big as we are because that ceiling is starting to drop.

 Read it.  Analyze it.  Acknowledge it.  Change yourself and start talking shit.  Our leaders have to wake up to reality... but odds are they won't.

The Fall of 2008 will look like a cakewalk compared to what the next few years will hold.

Prepare yourself.

Educators!  Get this for your "classroom"! OILPOSTER.ORG

10.08.2010

The Daily Show: Essential Truths For Our Times

The Big Banks caused the mortgage crisis, got bailed out of the mortgage crisis, profited from the mortgage crisis, cheated during the mortgage crisis, and are now fucking the American People again by lobbying for laws in their favor as they continue milking the mortgage crisis (and US) for all they can.  Check it...



The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Foreclosure Crisis
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorRally to Restore Sanity


Jon Stewart does a good job explaining another way the Big Banks are screwing America...




And if that wasn't enough, the biggest banks are skimming the cream right off the top of the stock market with high frequency trading.  There's a digital ghost in the machine that accounts for 70+ percent of all transactions made.  The only purpose of HFT is to make money at the expense of slower, less powerful, and less connected investors.  It's cheating and it should be illegal, but the SEC isn't doing anything about it. 

Unless you've got a badass computer with a pricey program located right on the floor at the stockmarket, you don't stand a chance.... and the HFT crooks are stealing from you.  Get out of the market and let them steal from each other.





Ohhh yeah, and don't feel bad about STRATEGICALLY DEFAULTING on a mortgage you no longer want to pay.  The Mortgage Banker's Association strategically defaulted on their $79 million dollar Washington DC HQ.  Now they're renting 5 blocks away... and paying a hell of a lot less.



The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Mortgage Bankers Association Strategic Default
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorRally to Restore Sanity




We're lucky Jon Stewart and his staff have the courage, tact, and sense of humor to tell it like it is... in a way we can stomach.  You're better off getting news from the Daily Show than from anywhere else on TV.




10.07.2010

A Letter to An Old Friend...

Dear XXXXXXXXX

Thanks for the reply. It's great to hear from you.  I'm glad you found the movie Collapse interesting.

I appreciate your thoughts on renewable energy and technology.  I agree completely on the potential for it to swoop in and save the day.  My confidence fails entirely on the likelihood of that happening. I think that "silver bullet" will come along too late for most people due to inherent flaws in and policies dictated by our economic and government systems.

It blows my mind how we spend a trillion+ annually on defense and fighting "terror" because most of that money is just a necessary expense for modern oil acquisition.  That money could be crucial in shifting to sustainables, but it's going down the crapper.

It also boggles my mind how we've recently created trillions out of thin air -- adding it to the national debt and the taxpayer's bill -- yet that money goes straight into the pockets of the TOP DOGS of our economic Ponzi scheme.  A trillion dollars is enough money to put $3,333.33 in the pockets of 300,000,000 Americans.  That's a hell of a lot of money and it's all going to the big boys.  Meanwhile, the average American's dollar gets weaker because the wealthiest 1% is flooded with new cash.

If our leaders wanted to get serious about renewable energy, there'd be tens of thousands (or more) new jobs right now advertising, manufacturing, installing, and servicing solar/wind/geothermal/etc. They'd be installing solar panels along every stretch of highway in the southern deserts to fuel SOCAL, VEGAS, PHOENIX, etc. They'd be throwing up wind turbines across the plains of the Midwest and off the East Coast.

They would incentivize and subsidize renewable energy and sustainable living.  Instead they continue subsidizing oil with absurd amounts spent every year on defense, road construction and maintenance, and tax incentives for Americans to buy new automobiles.

In reality, there's nothing major in the works and renewables only account for 3% of US energy consumption. Hydroelectric makes another 3% but I hardly consider all those dams a good thing.

When I try to look at the biggest picture, I can't help but think that the BIG DOGS know exactly what they're doing. Most people assume the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet are morons. I assume that they're manipulative and conniving: after all, the richest .5% has gotten 27% WEALTHIER since 2008... and that's just the money on the books. Meanwhile, the average American is getting fucked... lucky if they can find a shitty job where they're paid peanuts.

My guess is that our economic and political elites have taken the advice of a supercomputer modeling program and sick bastard "experts" in the field of global relations.  Also, many of them take the Book of Revelations literally and honestly believe we're living at the "end of days".

We have supercomputers and trend modeling programs capable of giving a good idea where humanity is at and where it's going.  If someone with deep pockets put this program to work analyzing the human condition and the global situation what would it say?

My guess is this: Planet Earth is dying due to Overpopulation, Overpollution, and Overconsumption. So if the BIG DOGS want to "save the planet"-- and their own selfish, sorry asses -- what do they do?

Well, both the computer modelling and the "experts" say:

*Devalue the currency.
*Consolidate wealth in the hands of less than 1% of the population.
*Cut wages, jobs, and take away social benefit programs.
*Pay lip service to "sustainability" and "green power" to keep the masses hopeful but put no real money into it.
*Saddle people with toxic debts (mortgage crisis) so they're forced to slave within the system to stay on the right side of the law.
*Jack up the cost of all basic goods: food, electricity, fuels, etc.
*Take away poor people's spending power and literally price them out of existence.
*Destabilize the world economy leading to chaos, widespread poverty, starvation, war, revolt, and a whole lot of human suffering and death.
*Feign concern and/or play dumb.
*Sit back at the mansion in a secluded spot like Jackson Hole and watch the carnage unfold.
*If the local situation gets ugly, hop in the private jet and fly off to somewhere safe.


And a few years down the road when 90+% of the world population is gone, they think they'll be sitting pretty.  But the planet will be utterly trashed and every poor person still living will know exactly who is to blame.

I think Busta Rhymes described the situation best in the intro to Extinction Level Event.... not entirely true -- and no doubt doomy -- but truer by the day.

Enjoy!

10.06.2010

Lifeboat Lessons From Summer Camp

For Michael C Ruppert's Collapsenet.com...

I was fortunate to spend a good chunk of my childhood living in an "oil free" environment.  Every summer from the age of 4 to 24 I spent at least a week -- if not three months -- living at a very special camp.  I learned lessons there which grow more pertinent to modern life by the day.

These Folks Were My Role Models.  Staff Summer of 92'
This wasn't some rich kids' camp: the dated infrastructure was perpetually falling apart, and the food was horrible.  We lived packed together in one room cabins with no heat or air conditioning.  A communal bathhouse and a couple rustic outhouses met the needs of 250+ people.  Aside from propane in the dining hall kitchen, a few naked light bulbs in the cabins, and the weekly food delivery truck we lived without modern convenience.  No cell phones.  No computers.

Even the basketball court was unpaved, and all cars remained permanently parked well out of sight.  Transportation was limited to walking, biking, canoeing, sailing, or riding horses.  We learned how to camp out, build fires, shoot guns, fend for ourselves, etc.

We learned how the natural world works and what roles are appropriate for humans within that world.

The staff was almost entirely under the age of 25 -- just kids ourselves -- yet we cared for and mentored over a thousand kids each summer.   Most staff members weren't "tree huggers".  We were just a bunch of outgoing young folks looking to get away from authority figures and have a good time.  The best days of my life were lived at that camp.  Together we shared something truly great: a real, functioning, damn-near-sustainable community.

At the end of every summer I'd experience horrible culture shock as I transitioned back into the "Real World" with it's senseless hurry and waste.  Heading back home to SE Minnesota, we'd have to drive through the sprawling Twin Cities where the chaos would literally cripple me.  Back then I'd think to myself, "Why would anyone in their right mind want to live in a world like this?!"

Now I pity my countrymen for suffering the cancer of consumerism spawned by infinite growth.  That cancer is running it's course, and soon many of us will be living some variation on summer camp once again.  Hopefully it's not FEMA-sanctioned or populated by homocidal maniacs.

As the lies fall away we need truths to replace them.  Hopefully these simple observations from my years at camp can help your lifeboat weather the storm.  Please share your own life lessons in the comments section.

Communal meals build community.  Scheduled community meals are a great way to share information, make friendships, and build a sense of belonging.  They're also a great way to get everyone out of bed and active in the morning.  Back at camp, if your cabin slept in through breakfast you got cold oatmeal and ridicule.  In a post-oil world I imagine many people will want to sleep in.  Scheduled breakfasts are a great way to get the members of your lifeboat up and on the same page.

Never underestimate the power of a bitchin' party.  Every summer the staff would spend a week training and getting to know each other before the campers showed up.  The community was usually cliquey and awkward until after we'd all gotten drunk and rowdy together.  After a solid night of good-natured debauchery we would form a cohesive group.  The lifeboat that smokes together jokes together.  The lifeboat that drinks together thinks together... just do so in moderation or you'll sink together too.

Making music together creates shared meaning.  Sing off key, dance poorly, beat on an old oil drum, whatever.  A community that makes noise together grows closer together.  After a while you might even make some good music.  I think Mike Ruppert's band, The New White Trash, showcases the importance of music to a lifeboat.  If he's got time to make music, you've got time to make music.

People grow quickly into responsible roles.  At camps around the country, it's amazing how quickly young adults pick up the reins and run with their role.  In my own experience, there were, of course, exceptions, but for the most part people who seemed needy, whiney, or incompetent in the "real world" quickly adapted to the needs of our rustic little community.  Anyone who couldn't make the transition was fairly easy to spot.

Lead by example.  Everyone hates a tyrant.  Unless it's a life or death situation, it's worth your while to tactfully guide the members of your lifeboat.  Nothing causes more strain on a community than a dictatorial leader.  Even the best intentions are lost in an overbearing delivery.

Teach with humor.  Nothing defuses nerve-wracking situations like a properly dropped joke.  Keep smiling, nurture your sense of humor, and laugh every day... no matter how bad life really is.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Back at camp things fell apart every day.  With minimal tools or training someone had to keep the place running.  Every disaster got dealt with eventually, and we got along fine.  The more problems you solve, the better you become at problem solving.  Plan as far ahead as you can, but don't stress too much over foreseeable but unlikely problems.  Build a bridge when you get to the river.

Kids work hard if you make it a game.  In a world without TV, cell phones, and video games dealing with children used to those toxic luxuries is equivalent to herding cats.  The same holds true for adults so used to the "real world" that they barely function in reality.  People unaccustomed to hard work will learn quickly if it's at all fun or rewarding.  One thing kids are exceptionally good at is collecting fire wood.

Daily bathing is overrated.  Back at camp, we'd have a contest to see which staff member could go the longest without a shower.  Even when we did shower, it was a one or two minute ordeal because the water was rarely anything but freezing cold.  On a year long sailing trip I went months at a time without a proper shower: daily dips in the ocean served me just fine.  If I wanted to get really clean, I'd lather up and then dump a gallon of fresh water over my head.  All good.

Think of how much water and energy is wasted every day in the "real world" for unnecessary and excessive bathing.  A lifeboat that wastes these crucial resources unnecessarily is not a sustainable lifeboat.

Electricity is not essential.  At summer camp we got by with minimal electricty.  On my sailing trip, I went for months at a time with no electricity at all.  Even if your lifeboat can generate it's own electricity, try to minimize your dependence on it and use it only when you need to.  It is very useful for applications like pumping water, emergency lighting, etc. but it's generally a luxury most of the time.  Waste not, want not.

Cell phones and the internet can make you stupid.  At camp we had no cell phone or internet service.  Though the cell phone and internet can be very useful tools, they can also debilitate you.  Both can inhibit your creativity and problem solving skills.  Also, they can cause information overload and a tendency to focus on things frivolous to your actual real world needs.

The internet is a great tool for sharing information and learning about collapse, but the real growth and preparation necessary takes place in the real world.  Limit your computer time and minimize your dependence on cell phones for maximum reality.

10.05.2010

The Zeitgeist Films: Watch Them Right Here.

If you're not familiar with Peter Joseph's ZEITGEIST Trilogy of films, you should probably watch them soon.

2007's Zeitgeist: The Movie takes a critical look at where the world was headed then.

2008's Zeitgeist: Addendum continues where the first one left off.  If you want to know what's going on with the economy right now, this film will help you make basic sense of it all.

The soon to be released Zeitgeist: Moving Forward will offer humanity a roadmap out of the catastrophe spawned by a corrupt and outdated system.

You can watch the first two films in their entirety right here.  The trailer for the third film is also available.  It comes out in January, 2011.

Zeitgeist: The Movie - 2007 by Peter Joseph from ZeitgeistMovie.com on Vimeo.



Zeitgeist: Addendum - 2008 by Peter Joseph from ZeitgeistMovie.com on Vimeo.



Zeitgeist: Moving Forward | Official Trailer- [ Extended ] from ZeitgeistMovie.com on Vimeo.

10.04.2010

Fuck Rupert Murdoch. Fuck Fox News.

Rupert Murdoch, Crusty Old Goon
The complete and utter corporate takeover of our government is taking place.  The exceptionally blatant offenses being committed by Rupert Murdoch, holder of way too much communication power, make this blatantly obvious.

He's got all the current Republican candidates eating out of his hand.  If Rupert sez kill, they'll ask, "Who?" and "How many?"

Not cool.  Not cool at all.  Here's what Paul Krugman has to say...

End of the Oil Age Gear Guide: You Need A Solid Bike.

I just finished this one for CleanSnipe.  Whaddya think?


by Max Mogren
October 4, 2010

10.03.2010

Go For It, Idaho!

My favorite part is all the birdies squawking in the background.



I couldn't possibly say any of this any better...

"As you can see though from the available information, this winter could be very unsettling. Hold fast, keep educating family and friends, continue preparations, and try to become as independent from this diseased economy as possible. Build meaningful community around you. Provide for yourself and others what the corrupt system will not, and remain free. It doesn’t sound like much, but it is truly one of the greatest contributions you can make towards a better tomorrow."


That's it. That's all. Believe it.

Economic Collapse Update: Acceleration In Autumn





10.01.2010

I LOVE THIS GUY.


In case you didn't know...


Florida Congressman Alan Grayson tells it like it is and calls out the bullshitters and crooks.  We need more elected leaders like him.


Screw Partisanship.  We need every leader we can get.  If they all served the PEOPLE instead of CORPORATIONS, we'd see some real changes.

***

Video 1: Grayson Exposing Systemic Fraud In National Foreclosure Proceedings


Video 2: Reminding us Bush was warned about 9/11 (in writing) long before it happened but went on vacation instead of doing anything about it.  My guess is Bush knew long before the warning...


Interrogating Bernanke... and making him squirm... as he tries to explain why he gave $550 BILLION to his banker buddies in Europe.




Debunk The Theory That Conspiracy Theory Is Bunk


Just because some conspiracy theories are total nonsense, doesn't mean they all are.  For example...

***

A group of young guys walk into a bar with intent to get laid.  They're dressed nicer than they normally dress, smile bigger than they normally smile, and talk sweeter than they normally talk: from the moment they step through the door, they've put up a false front.  Running into a few women they're friends with, they have a few drinks, share a few laughs, and hatch an impromptu plan to collaborate in carrying out the evening's seductions.

A woman across the bar catches the eye of one of the guys, so his female friends mosey over and strike up a conversation.  A few minutes later the lust-struck guy joins them, gets vouched for by his female friends, buys a couple rounds of drinks, talks a lot of bullshit, and before you know it he's leaving the bar with his new-found lover.

Did he and is friends conspire their way into that young lady's pants?  By the definition of "conspiracy", absolutely.

***

A guy is trying to sell his old car, but it's as piece of junk.  Though a few people have looked at it, there hasn't been a single offer.  He's got someone coming over to look at it in a few minutes, so he hatches a little plan...

The tricky owner is riding shotgun while the potential buyer test drives the hunk of junk.  A conveniently timed call arrives to his cell phone: it's an "offer" a mere $200 less than the asking price!  The caller is actually one of his buddies whom the owner instructed to call at just that moment.

The test driver is led to believe that the car is more desirable than it actually is.  He is also now limited in his bargaining margin.  Surely the tricky owner and his buddy have conspired against the test driver.

***

A college football program needs to win so they recruit ruthlessly, offering clandestine agreements to star high school players.  Once the team is assembled, they devise a book of secret plays which they practice for hours daily.  Every night they watch films of teams they will soon face, analyzing all aspects of the competition's strategy, probing for every potential weakness.  They might even resort to spying on the other team's practices in hopes of learning the competition's secret plays.

On game day, this highly trained squad rallies behind their ruthless leader (aka,the Head Coach) and does everything in their power to crush the competition.  They use secret codes, run deliberately deceptive plays, and hit hard in hopes of injuring key players on the other squad.  In a box up in the stands, several highly skilled assistants analyze the action and radio their findings to the Head Coach.  He is the general, they are his advisors, and the team is, of course, his army.

Have they conspired against the other team?  Is the other team conspiring against them?  Sure.

***

MegaCorp - like any other corporation - is designed to generate as much wealth as it can.  If it's not growing, it's dying.  This growth is facilitated by offering products and services in exchange for money.  Complicating matters, equally powerful competitors are trying to do the same thing.  Thus, knowing competitors' strengths and weaknesses gives a clear advantage while formulating strategies.

MegaCorp has recently been losing sales to ÜberCorp, so a few middle managers hatch a plan to take ÜberCorp down while bolstering their own careers.  They approach a few ÜberCorp employees with access to confidential documents, promising cold, hard cash in exchange for leaked information.  This information exposes a major weakness in ÜberCorp's business plan.  The middle managers share this information (minus it's source) with the top brass at MegaCorp.  MegaCorp exploits the weakness, and ÜberCorp is crippled.  ÜberCorp soon faces bankruptcy and is bought out by MegaCorp.

Obviously, those recently promoted middle managers at MegaCorp conspired against ÜberCorp.

***

One Final Example:

A nation "must" go to war in order to control a crucial resource.  The thought of paying a fair price for it doesn't sit well with the economic and political elites.  Recent history shows the general public won't support an offensive war unless they perceive a "direct and imminent threat to their security".  Thus, the nation's leaders know stating their actual intent for war would be political suicide... so they lie about it.

They demonize the "enemy" and claim - despite evidence to the contrary - that deadly weapons are poised to strike helpless civilians.  With no evidence whatsoever, they blame past atrocities on the "enemy" and do everything they can to plant fear in the hearts of their own citizens.  They claim noble intentions like "spreading Democracy" when actually all they care about is controlling the crucial resource.  They lie to their own people about their perceived enemy.  They trick their nation into supporting an unjust war.

There's no doubt these leaders conspired against not only the enemy but their own constituents as well.  Right?!  I mean they got their nation to go along with them using fear tactics and outright lies.  This sez a lot about their commitment to truth, justice, and liberty.

***

The point of this little exercise was to show how prevalent conspiracy can be at all levels of human interaction.  Whether it's a few people sitting at a bar or a few guys starting an unjust war, the basic concept of deceptively working together to capitalize at someone else's expense is the same.

In everyday matters, people conspire against people.  In business, corporations conspire against corporations.  In governance, political parties conspire against each other.  In international relations, the same is true of whole nations.  So why is it such a stretch to acknowledge that the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world conspire against the rest of us?

In discussing our current cluster fuck with intelligent people, I'm shocked by how many can't make the leap to assigning blame.  With all the technology and wealth currently at humanity's disposal, there is absolutely no reason people should have to suffer economic oppression... but most of us do.  Why is that?

The simple answer is because most of that wealth and technology is held tightly by a very small number of powerful people, organizations, and corporations.

The writing is on the wall in plain English, and all signs point to the global economic elite.  Sadly, as soon as someone points a finger, it triggers a defense mechanism somewhere in the average American's psyche.  The average American writes the messenger off as a batshit crazy "conspiracy theorist" and denies the possibility that the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet are capable of working together for a common goal.

Apparently - though personally sworn to the principles of planning, hard work, and cooperation - the average American assumes that the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet got that way though no effort of their own.  Though their fortunes and power are completely dependent upon controlling the masses, apparently the global elites are amateurs when it comes to collaboration, manipulation, and consolidation of power.

Really?!?!  Gimme a break!  Wake up!

The most important thing to understand is this.  In order to control our collective destinies - in order to conspire against the common folk - the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet don't have to get together and hold secret meetings.  They don't have to formulate grand schemes or cackle maniacally either.  Truth told, all they have to do is continue operating in their own self interest.  Here's why.

The principal of "growth or death" that we saw in the MegaCorp example applies similarly to individual wealth and power.  Once a person gets a taste of godlike power and insane wealth, most of them just want more.  If the 100 most wealthy, powerful and influential entities on the planet follow the basic bottom line and seek their own advantage over all other considerations, they're all on essentially the same page without having to plan anything.  The unwritten mission statement is: BIGGER.  STRONGER.  FASTER.  MORE.

Thus, even without some mastermind behind the scenes, most of the big buckaroos are on essentially the same page.  They get richer.  We get poorer.  And that's that.  No blatant conspiracy needed.  The conspiracy is built into the system.

So the system is broken?!  The system is inherently flawed?!  Yep.  Exactly.  Call me a Commie.  Call me a Socialist.  Call me whatever you want... at least my mentality isn't at the root of humanity's downfall.  Peace.

Lyric of the Day: Aceyalone, MORE



More and more and more and more....
Just a little bit more
just a little bit more
just a little bit more
More and more and more and more...


they always want a little more than they got
never take a little and they always take a lot
didn't any want more cause they never stop
you always on the bottom and they always on the top
they know what to say, you face em every day
always got a place for you in case you wanna play
a fire in the hole couldn't chase em away
they come around and take it all and never wanna stay
gotta have extra, add to the texture
I don't want a lecture but that's a nice gesture
need a bigger portion pile it on my plate
gluttony and suddenly there's nothin else to take
less is more unless you're poor
gimme everything and leave a mess on the floor
want the best score and the rest of yours
they forge and the gorge and they whore just a little bit...


[Hook]


no they not satisfied no it's not enough
make mine bigger pile it up to the roof
over your head I need more bread
even my ego needs to be fed
lock and load headed for the war zone
I need more stones to crush more homes
greedy and lust for em must have been known
we only want everything leave us alone
want you to give up more than you ever did before
open doors so I never get bored
it's never too many, gimme gimme gimme
come on down my chimney and gimme somethin good
add somethin to it super size kick it up a notch
gimme everything that you got in your stock
make it a double I don't want trouble
I'm takin all the rest of these don't look puzzled


[Hook]


it's perfectly normal to not have morals
no more talented they want every morsel
who is the mortal I see every mornin
with more than a little bit he must be important
no I'm not surprised you want more fries
you wanna be formally immortalized
mortified at the borderline
cause this moron got more than mine
I need morphine, I want more things
the mortgage is due and I need more green
to get more high, buy buy buy
take it or steal it or get it with a lie
an eye for an eye, make it more wide
I need more room when I jump the ride
there's more than enough more stuff I can hide
I need all minds in an endless supply


[Hook and fade out]