reality check. no sunglasses required.
October 14, 2008
“We have front row seats for this theater of mass destruction. The demolition committee of Project Mayhem wrapped the foundation columns of a dozen buildings with blasting gelatin. In two minutes, primary charges will blow base charges and a few square blocks will be reduced to smoldering rubble. I know this… because Tyler knows this.”
– the Narrator, Fight Club
“In the world I see – you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You’ll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You’ll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you’ll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway.”
- Tyler Durden, Fight Club
Credit crisis? Bullshit. Manufactured? Perhaps, by who, I don’t know, but the flames have been fanned by the media, who only stand to profit from the mayhem. Many others are also profiting from the mayhem. You can too, but in a good way.
Coming recession, or depression? Bullshit. Adjustment, more like it. Perhaps someone wants us to think that the world as we know it is coming to an end. Maybe it is, but not yet, and not because of a housing and credit crisis.
Take a look at the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index between 1970 and now. The last time it dipped this low was in 2003, and it had not gone as *high* as the recent *low* until some time in 1997. I am by no means an expert, but I can read, and thanks to Google, I can perform basic research. I won’t go into gory detail, but yes, some banks have failed, perhaps due to the fact that they were breaking rules that had applied to them, up until the US Federal Reserve Policy was changed in early 1995.
Which, coincidentally, is about when the slope of the Dow Jones Index started to increase. If it had followed along the way it had been tracking, it would most likely be somewhere around 7800 today. It would not have peaked at over 14000.
There is no crisis in my opinion, at least, not for those who arranged this. Someone has profited from this “crisis”. I mean, have a look – after two weeks of “doom and gloom”, it is on the way up again – someone is making money from the misery of others.
I don’t think Tyler Durden and Project Mayhem could have done this any better. No one had to take down any bank buildings, but we certainly have front row seats for this theater.
I am not downplaying what is happening to the many people who have lost or are about to lose homes and savings. It just is not right, and I feel for them. It is bullshit. We will all feel the repercussions of this for years, by way of higher prices for goods and services, perhaps, or difficulty in securing loans.
People by and large used to work to create things, their work had physical meaning in the world, or at least created some value – and many still do work like that.
Unfortunately, many people do very little except move money around, to make more money – like a shell game – except it is more like a pyramid scheme, in my eyes.
I don’t have a financial advisor – why not? Well, aside from not having much to invest anyway (hey, I’m investing it in my children), I can make my own decisions. Disagree with me if you like, but seeing as many of these people make money whether you win or whether you lose, does it make sense to entrust them with your money?
The panic that I see in people who should know better just boggles my mind.
Someone I know and respect recently canceled a vacation. He had sufficient points to fly for free, round trip. His house is free and clear, as are both of his vehicles. He is old enough to draw a pension, he has (as far as I can tell) a lot of money saved, and he runs a very successful consulting business.
But – he works in the banking sector, and follows the financial news religiously – so all he could talk about recently was the “credit crisis” and “how bad the market is” – and this is the reason for the canceled vacation.
The market. The market. The market.
He only had to pay for a hotel room and food to enjoy this trip. I’m quite sure he thinks I was an idiot to take an expensive vacation to New Zealand last year. He is far better off than I will ever be, as far as I can see – or is he? I have a mortgage, two vehicle payments, and four children – so of course I will *never* be as well off financially.
Or will I? To be honest, I am secretly laughing at him, and people like him. I believe I have the power to surpass him, if that is what I want to do, because I believe this is not a crisis – it is a reality check – a wake-up call.
I believe this is a great opportunity. It is time to put a lion in your pocket. I believe we have front row seats, to witness not the decline of our civilization, but a new beginning, another chance.
What can you do, what skills do you have, that can truly add value to someone’s life? Can you provide a service that someone truly needs, that they cannot get anywhere else, or can you make a unique physical product that someone absolutely must have? Will someone pay you for this?
I know I can do that – I can’t yet make leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life, but I can make leather shoes that will – and I can build a simple water purification system out of common materials you can find outside. I also have other plans in motion that will come to fruition, with a little luck and a lot of hard work.
I believe this is the reality check, the wake-up call, the future for us. Get out there and create something of value, rather than playing a shell game. Whatever you do, try to help someone. You don’t have to be a shoemaker, it doesn’t have to be physical, but it has to provide some useful value for someone.
If you hate your job, change yourself first, and then change jobs. Become a veterinarian before Tyler Durden hunts you down.
Perhaps if enough of us turn our backs on those who are trying to instill fear in us, we can make a difference – we can build for the long term.
What if I’m wrong? Well then, we’re all in for a rough ride, but at least I know how to make shoes and build water purification systems. I don’t think I’m wrong though.
I’ll leave you with this quote, from a movie called “They Live” – think about it, it isn’t as paranoid as it sounds.
“We are living in an artificially induced state of consciousness that resembles sleep. The poor and the underclass are growing. Racial justice and human rights are nonexistent.
They have created a repressive society and we are their unwitting accomplices …their intention to rule rests with the annihilation of consciousness.
We have been lulled into a trance.
They have made us indifferent, to ourselves, to others, we are focused only on our own gain. They are safe as long as they are not discovered …that is their primary method of survival. Keep us asleep, keep us selfish, keep us sedated…they are dismantling the sleeping middle class.
More and more people are becoming poor. We are their cattle. We are being bred for slavery.”
[...] Here is the original post: reality check. no sunglasses required. [...]
Your Best. Post. Ever. Long time a lurker, shorted you in the comments until now, Brett. To paraphrase Scrooge, “This crisis is a HUMBUG!” Total junk. Rife with opportunity for folks who think creatively. Pete and I are doing a week-long take on our blog. Thanks for passing good old-fashioned common sense on!
Betsy’s last blog post..RELIANCE
Betsy,
Thank you, and thank you for taking the time to say hello today. I have just returned from reading your latest piece. Wow. The first paragraph alone – I know how that feels. And then the rest of your words – you speak the truth. Hard work and courage brought your country (and mine) to where it is, and that formula will continue to work, especially now.
I look forward to your week ahead – you’ve got a new subscriber.
Brett,
Well, Betsy stole my opening line: Best post EVER. To elaborate: this, Brett, is what 6 Weeks is meant to be. I know not every post anywhere can rock people’s world, but this post and others where you’ve reached out and grabbed me are why I subscribe. Effing awesome. I literally had tears in my eyes about halfway through. You nailed every word and thought.
Jeez. I’m blown away.
And thanks for the link. Sometimes you just have to let the rage at the stupidity out, and hope to get a few more people to THINK.
Beautiful, Brett. Frame this one.
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Why We Muddle Through—and What to Do About It
I just don’t pay attention to the fear mongering. I have always paid off my credit card debts at the end of every single month. In other words, if I can’t afford it, I don’t buy it. Mortgages and car payments are realities, but I have always made sure that I can more than afford them. I refuse to be debt poor. The number of people with multiple credit cards maxed out is scary, not to mention owning houses and cars that they really can’t afford. Bigger is not necessarily better!
Nice rant, Brett.
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Through someone else’s eyes
Kelly,
Thank you – it was time for a “return to the roots of the blog” post, and this one’s been brewing for some time in me. I’m happy you liked it – and by the way, that’s also why I am a faithful reader of yours – you make me think.
(Your post today is talking right to my core, again – very nice, good show… back to the secret laboratory I go…)
Panther,
Thank you. You’re so right, of course – the right kind of debt is okay, for houses and vehicles – those help us out. But so much of it is… unnecessary.
It felt good to write this. We must stay the course.
PS – you know what’s funny… I toned it down a bit from the original draft
This “adjustment” has been due for a long time Brett, but my fear is that it won’t play out and that the old conditions will creeep back and take root again.
As I see it there are two problems. The first is that people have a lack of personal relevance in their lives. Too many people aren’t seeking out what genuinely matters to them, the things that have a personal relevance and meaning. That leaves a big old hole that’s easy to fill with media and fear.
The second problem is that the financial system is based wholly on 2 of humanity’s most undesirable traits – fear and greed. We’ve seen this in spades over the last couple of decades, and particularly in the last month. While traders and bankers in their many thousands operated from a fear based on nothing real, other bankers (as you suggest) reacted to the first bunch with pure greed. How can the civilised world be so dependent on the whims of a few, when those whims are fuelled by fear and greed.
Too crazy for words.
I hope that system goes for good, but as I say, my fear is that it’s too deep rooted to shift without something utterly seismic. I guess the trick is for everyone to engage with the things that having meaning and relevance to them and to let go of the rest – perhaps that’s the only way to have this adjustment play out and see things reset to a more human, meaningful level.
Steve Errey’s last blog post..How to Stand Up to Your Boss and Make Them See How Good You Really Are
Go Brett GO!!!
I have been saying this for WEEKS to anyone who would listen! Thank you! I TOTALLY AGREE.
The people I feel sorry for are the senior citizens who are scared and living on that money right this minute, the rest who shouldn’t be even touching the money are being played like fiddles and it really makes me mad.
The media and the fashion industry are even touting the *New Depression Clothing fashions* ug, how silly are we?
You are a smart Man Brett. Way to call out the Emperor’s nakedness!
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..October Tomatoes
@Steve,
I agree with you 100 percent – I was actually going to go on a bit about this but when the word count reached 1300 I decided to wrap up my post
What you said has captured perfectly what I would have said – fear and greed.
Just look at the commercials for life insurance, funeral insurance, and so forth. On and on, these folks say “do you have enough to retire” but what they really mean is “do you have enough to maintain your current lavish consumer-based lifestyle (and make us rich in the process)”.
It is crazy and I share your hope that people will change – or at least think about it. There are small pockets doing that right now. The transition towns are an example I can think of http://www.transitiontowns.org/
Of course, if the market continues to go back up (for now), many will just go back to watching reality TV shows… until the next time – and then panic again.
Fear and greed. Evil.
@Wendi,
Woo hoo – thanks for cheering me on
Yes, I too feel sorry for these folks – it always seems to be this way for them.
I did not know there were “new depression fashions” – oh my. I’d say I’m speechless, but I’m never speechless!
That is just terrible – and you know, it figures.
Hey, you’re a smart lady too – we need more folks like you.
Brett, I’ve never felt more kindred. You’re dead on, bulls-eye. a-okay with me. Bravo.
Writer Dad’s last blog post..Namasté
@Writer Dad,
Thanks my friend – coming from you, it is a real compliment. And from what I’ve read of the path forward for you and Daisy, I know you understand the subject matter as well as anyone.
(Oh I’m always such a devil’s advocate…)
You’re right on, Brett…for your side of society. The ability to get loans has taken a hit, which is probably good for the irresponsible adults who don’t deserve them, but we’re forgetting 1 thing: education. Loans for school? Forget about it.
College kids are having a difficult time affording school and things are just getting worse. Planned attendance in some of my professor’s classes have dropped so far that they’ve had their classes (and income) pulled.
(It doesn’t help that the people who run this school still continue to suck money into their own pockets….) Basically, we’re paying more and getting less. And our professors are getting screwed. If we piss off our professors too much, they’ll go find field work and the colleges will get stuck with a bunch of half-wits who aren’t clever enough for the field.
I’m feeling a bit doom and gloom about the situation, even if the media is blowing it _way_ out of proportion. My situation is looking grim, but the younger children are worse off than me.
If you can’t tell, I’m passionate about education. It’s what keeps the media from being able to control people through fear. Money problems have screwed over early education long ago (What happened to the Arts?) and it’s creeping into the universities.
I don’t mean this as a dig (I love you all. Really
), but while you all are finding ways to live your dreams (which I applaud), this generation of children is almost completely neglected. They dream of music, but have no programs to foster it. They’re scoffed at when they dream of being an artist when they grow up.
So, I agree that you all shouldn’t be panicking for your own sakes. You should, however, be concerned for this country’s silent minority: the wee ones.
@RL David,
Please do continue to play devil’s advocate, and that goes for anyone reading this – good, intelligent conversation with different viewpoints is what we need – too many sheeple following the lunatic shepherds got us here in the first place.
As I said on Twitter, I could have gone on and on with this post – because what you said is exactly right, and I’ve been feeling it too – I have four children, after all, who will need some form of education.
How are they to get loans? Or for the more immediate generation, in between me and my children, how are they to secure financing?
I certainly will not disagree with you, rather, I want to stand beside you on the tallest mountain and scream it out along with you.
I don’t take it as a dig at all, so not to worry. Your reality of increased education costs and reduced choice is also my reality.
When people talk about Freedom 55 – I laugh. I laugh because rather than see gloom and doom, I accept the way things are and I know that there is a very good chance I will not be able to retire. But I am okay with that, and so, I seek to find work that is both enjoyable and challenging.
Thank you for taking the time today to share this with us – because what you have said is extremely important.
@Brett – I had a feeling that as a father of 4, you would be sensitive to that situation. Plus, your audience doesn’t consist of 12 year olds…
I figure that if I keep on shouting about education, more people will start looking at the local schools. In my parts of the country, as soon as the kids graduate from high school, parents stop caring what happens to their schools. They figure that it no longer impacts them, so they make really boneheaded calls.
I go to school in a relatively big city, where the public schools (especially the inner city ones) are piss-poor. The problem is that they have enough *theoretical* funding to _not_ be piss-poor. Where’s the money actually going? The bigger question is: why aren’t more people in my area asking this question?
It all boils down to one thing: people are not actively thinking about the education system.
Education never stops impacting us. I just wanted to make sure that everyone was thinking about it
RLD,
How do I get the minority in my house to be silent?
I agree with some of what you say, but I think that realizing that the power and the weakness is inside us is just as important for younger folks.
My mother and father both went to university without student loans. They busted their butts 7 days a week for grades and jobs, postponed classes for their jobs as necessary, and put themselves through school. My father was one of seven, and he even helped some of the younger ones in his family so they wouldn’t have to work like a dog as he did.
I was going to use the phrase “I was lucky,” to describe my own situation—I went on full academic scholarships—but you know what, it wasn’t luck.
From a fairly young age my parents clued me in to the reality that a generation later, they made barely too much to get any loans for me, but not enough to help me pay. So I was going to be On My Own. From grade school I sweated every nanosecond to make sure that the brains God gave me would put me into school and take me through.
I am NOT aiming this directly at you. I don’t know your situation and I wouldn’t be so condescending. Maybe you’ll think it doesn’t apply to you, but…
I do appreciate the difficulties kids are finding themselves in. At the risk of being a downer, I don’t think enough young folks today are being told: the power is within you—stop expecting external help, and the weakness is within you—stop whining.
Again, not directly at you, but at the situation that both adults Brett was targeting here, and younger folks, find themselves in. The power and the weakness are both there. We’ve got to wake up and take control of the power. Work our butts off to get what we dream of.
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Why We Muddle Through—and What to Do About It
Hi Brett – thank you so much for your kind words, and for visiting back. It’s going to be a fun series, and I’ll do my best to live up to your praise.
Betsy’s last blog post..RELIANCE
Wow Kelly, that’s a fabulous point!
Personally, I don’t believe in loans–my mom is dead-set against debt to “the man” of any kind. We’re kind of hippies like that. Plus, we created a little commune-thing in the suite I live in on campus, so we like pulling together to get the job done.
As a whole country, however, I believe that kids are getting screwed from day one. Our kids want to express frustration (or any emotion) through art, but their artless teachers are afraid of that and suspend the children for “dangerous” expression. Kid != terrorists (usually).
I hear what you say that kids don’t really know the power within themselves, but I believe that it’s a part of this catch-22. Our teachers can’t get good educations because the good professors are leaving for lack of money (…or want of the money that the chancellors are pocketing). We then have less than qualified people (I’m being nice here) teaching our kids, who deserve teachers who are AT LEAST above average. Our children don’t get very good educations because of this, and our education system continues to decline.
I want to say that I realize that you’re not aiming your comment at me and that you bring a wonderful viewpoint to our conversation. I’m impassioned about education, but not to the point where I’m going to kill people who disagree with me
Part of my personal history involves being bounced around amongst all kinds of schools. When my single mother had the money to do so, I went to a school for accelerated learners and flourished. When the good woman couldn’t afford it, I was at a public school that feared accelerated learners. I was literally banished from my classes, because I was too accelerated. I’m not even joking here–no exaggeration.
Because of my experiences, I start thinking of all the smart kids with no outlet. Today, kids have no art programs to escape into. Accelerated learners are punished for being above average. The only way a kid can even hope for a part-way decent education is if their poor mothers work themselves ragged to pay exorbitant tuition and uniform fees. I wish that good education was accessible to all children–no mother should have to lay awake at night weeping that she doesn’t make enough money by herself.
@Kelly,
You raise some excellent points here – the power and the weakness both exist within us. We need to use the power to do whatever it is we need to do.
And, what you said reminds me of something my father-in-law said – it is not our responsibility to pay for our kids’ education in full – we can certainly help, but they also have to do their part – to work and study hard, and to chip in as much as possible. They will value what they have more if they are not handed everything on a silver platter (plus, I’m not sure I can hand it to them anyway!)
@Betsy,
You are welcome – I have no doubt it will be a great series.
Brett,
With four, you gotta hand it to them in a Dixie cup, same as single moms like me.
RLD,
“A public school that feared accelerated learners.” I’m laughing with recognition. Not to mention how other kids feel about you. Eeeek.
My little genius is very, very lucky to be in the sheltered harbor of a gifted program within the public schools, something that certainly didn’t exist when I was a tyke, and is still too rare now. She’s also lucky in that (limited) art and music are still, so far, cross fingers, available in this district. We’re kinda arty at home, so she’d survive without it at school, but I agree heartily that many kids are losing out on self-expression because these programs are limited or gone.
Oh my, don’t get me started on teachers. Many in my family, and I married one. Boy do I know the disincentives for them. The dedication required to ignore monetary rewards for karmic ones (and the way some kids are raised the karmic rewards are dwindling)… that’s a huge challenge.
Great reality check here on all levels.
Later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Why We Muddle Through—and What to Do About It
Okay, just one more random thing
I live in one of the country’s most segregated cities. The public schools have a bunch of theoretical funding, but the rich euro-americans are funneling the money to their children’s schools. They figure that the inner city non-euro-americans won’t amount to any good, anyway.
This is another reason why I get all hyper about funding and education. When the finances start failing, children get screwed for being a mixture of the following: poor, inner city, advanced or talented.
But again, I’m just all uppity because my city is screwed. I’m sure the rest of the US is a bit more full of sunshine :3
@Kelly –
“My little genius is very, very lucky to be in the sheltered harbor of a gifted program within the public schools…”
They actually have those? I breathe a sigh of relief that at least one child is fortunate enough to be stimulated! Your comment make my nasty day a bit more sunshine filled
“Oh my, don’t get me started on teachers. Many in my family, and I married one. Boy do I know the disincentives for them. The dedication required to ignore monetary rewards for karmic ones (and the way some kids are raised the karmic rewards are dwindling)… that’s a huge challenge.”
Big kudos to you and your significant other. It takes a special kind of person to be able to deal with all that stress, while still keeping faith in the children. Or in humanity. That’s why I could never teach–the uphill battle would kill me. I remember my favorite teachers (and now professors) raging when the funding got cut once again.
Great read. I’d love to see that chart with an overlay of the Presidents!
Will Reinhardt’s last blog post..Manual Lip Synch Toon Boom Tutorial
RLD,
My other is very, very insignificant. And very gone. (I should have mentioned that, maybe.) However, I had a 10-year insider’s view of several inner city systems through him, and you are right, the stress is amazing.
I have uncles (those little dudes Dad helped with college!) and aunts who teach, also. You can’t say the word “funding” in their presence without steam coming out of their ears, and with very good reason.
Brett,
Have we hijacked the show enough?
Later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Why We Muddle Through—and What to Do About It
The children…Oh my God, who will LOOK OUT FOR THE CHILDREN?
“It is time to put a lion in your pocket. I believe we have front row seats, to witness not the decline of our civilization, but a new beginning, another chance.”
I agree wholeheartedly, and baby, I’m ready to roar!
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Novels, Blogs, and Poetry – Oh My!
I see no cause for worry.
If a rich merchant has something I lack…
…I will take out my battle-axe, plunder his house….and TAKE what is MINE!!!
….NYARGGHHH!!!!
@Kelly,
No kidding… hey, we do the best we can, and we do a damned good job. I know you do.
@Will,
Thank you – you know, that’s a great idea – maybe worth an edit of the image.
@Kelly (& RLD),
When the comments section of a blog post gets hijacked like this, and becomes so completely entertaining that I just want to sit back, read it and smile, I know that I did something right
so hijack away, this is a great conversation.
@Oprah Mom,
Well, we know *you* will look out for the children
@Melissa,
I’ll be roaring along with you… the time is now.
@Olaf,
Sharpen that axe, my Viking brother.
@All,
I saw this just a few minutes ago – a rally and protest in NYC on Wall Street this Thursday:
http://www.votenader.org/events/nyc/
You know, if I lived there…
[...] The Beauty of Pirate Ships – another ocean-based allegory, tells us to always seek the treasure. Brett Legree powerfully concurs, “Perhaps if enough of us turn our backs on those who are trying to instill fear in us, we [...]
Hey Hey…I am so glad to read that you have made conscious decisions about how you want to feel, against the backdrop of panic and fear in the financial markets. Many folks are allowing the movement of stock prices and the depressing news to dictate their emotions.
Enjoyed your post! Thanks!
Evelyn Lim’s last blog post..Blog Action Day 08: Poverty
[...] this a reality check, says Brett Legree, in one of the best darned posts you’ll read about our global economic [...]
Evelyn,
Thank you – it is a critical thing to do – we need to focus on more important things, and use our strengths to move past this time. Depression and fear will get us nowhere.
I come late to the conversation but I bring with me nuclear weapons. Somehow this got spun into a discussion on ed-jew-kay-shun (education) but I’ll get back to that later.
First to the post! Well done Brett, this is why we get along, because we think a like. Do you know how much this “crisis” is affecting me and my family? Quite nicely thanks. I have investments and I have a very long view. So my current investments while down, will eventually come back up. I am excited by the downturn. My static monthly investment is now BUYING MORE! And when they go up they will be WORTH MORE! The same goes for my RESPs for my kids, they are 2 and 4, lots of time yet. My cars are paid for. My house is up for renewal, yeah low rates! And my current morgage is variable so I am PAYING LESS! Yeah! Finally, gas prices are coming down and my income has stayed the SAME!! Yeah, more disposable income. Your crisis is a boon. All those people who speculated with oil, currency and loans and “made” a fortune have lost their phantom fortune. My heart bleeds for you.
My only advice to folks is: stop buying shit you can’t afford with money you don’t have! That includes big houses, fancy cars and vacations (sorry Brett). Live within your means, Plasma TVs don’t make you happy.
Now onto education. I hated school because of my teachers. I got an education in spite of them because I did it on my own. I did however have 2 great teachers and they taught me how to learn. I paid my way through university with some help from my folks but not much.
Yes, schools are more expensive but “going away” to school is a luxury. There are many great schools close to where anyone lives. You don’t need to go to Harvard or U of T to get a good degree.
Finally. Don’t ever rely on teachers to teach (read babysit) your kids. You are the parent, you teach them, you take care of them. My folks taught me everything I ever needed to know.
OK, I am done. Let the flaming begin. I haven’t been roasted in a while.,
Francis
Francis Kopke’s last blog post..Killers
@Francis — Aw, now why do you think that you would deserve a flaming? I think that you bring some good points to our conversation
Education got brought into the mix, because it’s always forgotten. While you all are laughing at the crisis, there is a very real problem in the school system. All my good professors are going to find better jobs, because attendance is going down. Way down.
I go to a public school close to home. I still pay more than 20 grand per year. You know where my money’s going? I can say for sure that it’s not going to my school. Oh, and Harvard is for tools, anyway
I’m not meaning this as a dig (really–you have to know me to know that I don’t flame), but I think it’s a little silly when people of previous generations tout that they paid their way for school. The cost of school has disproportionately risen when inflation is considered. The government used to take a goodly portion right off the top, but that stopped a good 4 years before I was born (give or take some years). Plus, degree requirements have changed considerably, in order to keep the students in school longer (and suck more money out of them). I know that parents say it out of love–they just want their children to learn the value of hard work–but it kind of doesn’t apply.
As soon as a financial crisis happens (perceived or real), education is the first to get cut and everyone sits back and says “so what?”. Our public schools are now babysitting services, because decent programs are gone, the libraries are nonexistent or irrelevant, and our teachers are either overworked or morons.
I know that I don’t want to send my children to a 9-3:00 waste of their time. I spent a good 15 years wasting my time, mostly because the administrations at my schools said “I don’t care that you can test out of our school, you need to sit there and be bored.” And I quote.
But, like I’ve said before, I’m doom and gloom because my area of the country is screwed. Maybe your area is better, so you think I’m crazy
If that’s the case, then my day is sunshiny again because children SOMEWHERE are getting a decent education 
(And if this post sounded flaming, I’m really sorry. I blame it on my flu
)
Nope, no flames detected. But I am assuming you are in the US. If so then you will find things very different in Canada and in Ontario especially.
The US has inflicted mortal wounds on itself through its education system. I don’t know how you are going to fix it. And neither candidate for President has a plan. They are more concerend with healthcare and the aged, both big lobby groups.
My kids will get a “decent” public education and a subsidized University education. And that is because as Canadaians we have made it a priority and defended it with blood and tears when it is attacked. In my city alone we have built and are building 5 new schools in 5 years.
Anyway, move to Canada, we’d love to have you. Just don’t bring your guns.
Francis
Francis Kopke’s last blog post..27 seconds
@Francis —
I’m seriously considering moving to Canada. I’ve decided that you guys have things all figured out, and that the US is going to be the next Mexico (no offense, Mexico).
Will I have to learn French?
@Francis,
You’re never late to the party, my friend – especially if you bring nukes.
Somehow I knew you’d enjoy this post – you’re right, that’s why we’ve been friends for a long time (16 years – wow!) – and what you’ve said is right on the money.
The only thing I would add to your comment is “Live within your means, but don’t forget to live.” I know that *you* know how to live and that you know how to enjoy life, so really who I’m speaking to are people on the other side of the coin.
I know many people here at work, even people my age, who are so obsessed with saving for retirement (coincidentally, many of them talk of “the market, the market, the market…”), that they don’t know how to live.
Yeah, they’ll have a big fat bank account in 30 years – if they don’t live that long.
So – live within your means – and take the time to live, to enjoy life – each day – in case it is your last day.
And to schools – you don’t need Ivy League type educations, and there will be more options in future. Right now, you can view just about every MIT lecture online for free. It will only be a matter of time before you can study there from home, and at other schools as well. I think UBC is like that, and there’s Athabasca University as well.
Perhaps our children will not leave home, but study at schools in other cities, or other countries, remotely.
@RLD & Francis,
I see both sides of this. The public school system offers certain things, and parents can fill in the gaps, and vice versa. As parents, we can encourage our children to learn to learn, and to do what makes them happy. I’d sooner my kids be plumbers and millwrights and be happy, than see them study something for 4 to 6 years that they absolutely hate doing for the next 30 years.
We can’t rely on the government to fix the problem for us, at least, not until we vote for people who will effect the changes. And then, our work isn’t over – we may have to write letters to elected officials, make phone calls, attend rallies and so forth.
We need to remember that the government officials work for *us* (Francis, I know you know this, and I suspect you know it too, RLD, so I’m preaching to the choir here).
@RLD,
No need to learn French – unless you want to do so – it would help you get a government job
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[...] seriously, I think this ties right in with my rant about the whole *bullshit* financial crisis – if anyone out there is still worrying about that, stop worrying. If it really is the end of [...]
Thank you for sharing this post, I will show it to my lovely bride – it should help her feel better about our “Going John Galt” decision ( http://www.utterli.com/u/utt/u-ODAxODIyMA#utt-ODAxODIyMA )
Since everything that we need is online, and I can do my work from anywhere, we have decided to go anywhere, and everywhere. This is going to be very exciting!
@Stephen’s last blog post..The Triiibes Case Book
@Stephen,
I am glad that you enjoyed it – I’m about to go watch your video, as the whole John Galt thing intrigues me (thanks for putting me on to it at Kelly’s blog).
That’s the power we have at our disposal – to be anywhere, and everywhere, appearing to be somewhere else.
[...] are some signs of European countries taking action and there seems to be a ground-swell of opinion that’s noticing what’s wrong, so I guess the trick is for us to keep noticing what’s wrong [...]
Hooray. Love the post. Totally true.
I’m a believer that growth such as we’ve seen it cannot be sustained ethically.
Growth as we’ve seen has come from outsourcing garbage to China, using sweatshop labour and sucking the general life out of the Earth. Growth comes from people buying things they don’t need, can’t use and end up tossing out.
So I when I see people talking about “we need to grow our company/country/house” more, I get annoyed. We have to stop worry about growing and worry about sustaining what we have.
asrai’s last blog post..Support System
Hello asrai,
Thanks for stopping in to say hello today! And thank you.
You are right, we cannot sustain this current growth, ethically or even otherwise. We need to take care of ourselves and learn to look after each other again.
We need to learn to reuse what we have, fix it if we must, and either make or purchase things that will last us a lifetime. Those $10 shoes we can buy at the MegaMart only last 6 months, and then end up in a landfill. Though it might hurt the wallet at first to purchase better quality shoes, if they last 10 years, that is a good thing.
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Thanks for the article – its good to read/see something like this every once in awhile. Especially because it kept me busy while I am at work
) haha! Anyway, I will be sure to be back!
Glad you liked my writing, and nice to see you here – feel free to stop in again, hopefully I can help you pass the time at work (as others help me!) Quite the site you have too!
Hi there I like your post and site .. Good Job