I have a question which occurred to me as I watched this video. Chris is always telling us that we are on our own. Do you think the coronavirus situation will make people more responsible for their own lives? For example I have long believed that the medical system has become bloated and in a sense more fragile because people have forfeited their right/responsibility to negotiate the price and treatment options which are available to them. The common practice is to let the insurance company dictate the treatment and the pricing. There are also policies and laws which are designed to move us to make decisions which are not always beneficial to our own interests. One of the many tax policies is to punish businesses which carry inventory from one year to the other. I have benefited from this policy by purchasing equipment at the end of the tax year and have also had to pay more tax because of the same policy when I carried inventory past the tax deadline. There are many other policies which cause us to modify our behavior but I wonder if I am one of a small minority who view this as a problem.
Hope you will continue to interview people who can share with us their thoughts about how this will play out in the future.
AKGrannyGrit and suziegruber,
I read an online update yesterday about my former employer, Goodwill, in addition to coverage on the news… Someone I spoke to on Monday told me we would be getting something in the mail in 7-10 days but didn’t tell me what the contents would be. In hindsight I wish I would have asked. For 4 years I have had pretty good medical and dental benefits at a very affordable price of $52.00 per month… The notices (2,600 of us, even though 2 weeks ago when I was in the break room I had heard someone in management tell someone else there was 5,000 of us, huh???) we are being mailed are layoff notices effective April 2, even though we were shut down on Monday March 23. We will be receiving checks for any hours worked, our sick and vacation time, plus $300, and they will pay our medical through the end of April. Shit!!! I will no longer have coverage. Not a happy camper. And even more not a happy camper, and pissed off, because I don’t know if it will be over 30 days before Goodwill reopens, I have to look for work or I won’t get unemployment checks. Tough choice, deplete my savings faster without those checks, apply for jobs I might not be able to get to if the bus system shuts down… Or a myriad of other issues too.
https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/03/goodwill-lays-off-more-than-2600-workers-hopes-to-bring-back-everybody-that-we-can-when-oregon-reopens-for-business.html
So, I’m not feeling a warm glow of belief either, more like they want to pacify us with their propaganda and outrageous lies… Behind closed doors they’re probably having gleeful conversations, especially after they get bailouts on our backs. Sick psychopaths. Anyone else read Bruce Gibney’s book “A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America”, a book about generational plunder.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Gibney#A_Generation_of_Sociopaths
If a LOT more people thought about this aspect beforehand and started speaking up, maybe, maybe, but I’m not confident everyone that survived a 2-3 week visit to the hospital will have a Jubilee day.
Linda
What Exists is always finite.
Infinity is never an attribute of any existent, but only refers to a process…and when that process ends…the result is always finite.
Existence does not need NON-Existence, nor does the finite, require anything but for Existence to exist.
AKGrannyWGrit and alanrgreenland,
AKGrannyWGrit,
Another thing you can do with the beetle killed trees is to make some BioChar. I first learned of it in 2006 or so, and have been to 2 conferences here in Oregon, one in 2009 and one 2016). Biochar is awesome stuff. Have you ever heard of Terra Preta in the Amazonian forest? That soil, discovered several feet down was still black and fertile after hundreds of years. There are many, many websites and books about Biochar (I have quite a few). When I first learned of it, I got extremely excited since it can be used to address soil fertility (it creates a “coral reef” in the soil for all of the microbial life; water filtration; is being given to cows to reduce the methane they release and for their health; can be used in commercial composting facilities to address leachate issues; bio-remediation, in addition to mushrooms; increases crop yields (anywhere from a few % up to 300%); bio-oils and bio-energy; and can draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere because it’s carbon negative (not just carbon-neutral). After pyrolyzing the organic matter (burning it in the presence of none to very little oxygen and at various temperatures), it slows down dramatically the decomposition process by a huge degree if put into soil. In the book “Ten Technologies to save the Planet” by Chris Goodall, one o the chapters is about Biochar, and he goes through some of the numbers. So has Albert Bates in his Biochar books. I have used Biochar in my raised beds for the last 6 years (would put it in the bottom of the hole for veggie starts) and I can tell they’re much happier and healthier. Unfortunately for the last 3 years I have had various personal issues in addition to whacky weather patterns, so I knew I wouldn’t have had reliable results if I had tried to document increased crop yields. Importantly, it does need to get composted or inoculated first, or it can reduce the amount of available nitrogen in the garden soil, which is important to consider if growing veggie plants! (If it’s already been inoculated, not an issue). Depending on the type of organic matter (feedstock, structure, and the size of it) used and the temperature it’s burned at, the resulting Biochar can look different and have different qualities or properties…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar
alanrgreenland,
Yes, JMG’s “The Long Descent”, and “Green Wizardry” are just as relevant now as ever, and even Kunstler’s “World Made by Hand” series. After reading both “The Long Emergency” by Kunstler and “Party’s Over” by Richard Heinberg, they both suggested getting physical assets and learning new skills, low-tech and “appropriate technologies, etc. Especially books. So I started collecting things, going to thrift stores, yard sales, etc. Books, manual tools, sewing machines, bike stuff, etc. etc. Once I got up to 200 books, I thought I was hot stuff. Yeah right… After reading Sharon Astyk’s book “Depletion and Abundance” and her blog, which I enjoyed for quite awhile and many times she would refer to a book when replying to questions. One day someone asked her how many books she had in her basement, she replied she had 1200 (if I remember the number correctly). Wow!!! I felt inspired and ridiculous too for my presumption. So, what I ended up doing was watching myself “with the beginner’s mind from meditation and yoga throughout my day. Putting my shoes on. Getting dressed. Eating. Cooking. Taking care of my cat and chickens. So, in addition to getting books about gardening and permaculture (I finally was able to get my PDC in 2015), I started getting books about making and repairing shoes, clothes, alterations, for my chicken’s and my cat’s health, more herb and healing books (especially so since I was a Massage Therapist at the time), candle making, soap making, cooking, food storage and preservation, pruning, seeds, propagation, etc. etc. As I got books, I created 4x5 index cards like the libraries used to have, and created categories since I have enough cards to fill 2 5”x10” boxes (a few years ago I counted and had over 1,000, and the majority of them are in boxes in a storage unit with the rest of my prep stuff… Including a massage table and sheets, waiting for the day when red tape isn’t such a big thing… I don’t have the time, and especially now the finances to go to massage school here in Portland as it’s extremely expensive. When I went, it was $600, now it’s in the thousands… Right. Oh! they’re probably going to fold also. I can’t imagine them drastically reducing their tuitions to make themselves affordable.
I have been contemplating, in some form or another sooner or later doing something. But, hadn’t sensed it was the right time yet. Being either a mentor or something like that with new gardeners, talking about soil and Permaculture, maybe brainstorming with them how they could design their gardens. A lot of people have charged a lot/too much for various “services”, I can imagine that changing, hopefully bartering and alternative currencies start up too, prices of services dropping once social distancing is in the past… There are books about bartering and alternative currencies too…
Linda
I’m pretty sure this, my first post @PP, will draw a laugh, fortunately I’m used to being laughed at 
What would be the effect of the government suddenly going back on the gold standard?
What if they pegged the price gold at say $35/ounce?
Joe the feeble minded…
Just listening to this show on the nightly Trump announcements about our sudden massive military joint initiative to “confront the cartels” by embarking army and marines on navy ships to accompany coast guard ships and immediately set to sea. I’d say this has little or nothing to do with ‘narcotics’. Army troops? What the hell are they going to do? Maybe invade Venezuela? This is all about getting our defense forces the hell out of the US before they get infected during the coming explosion of COVID-19 cases. After 2 aircraft carriers and a military base have been sidelined by infections this looks like a very scared defense response to protect themselves so they can maintain their ability to function. Makes one wonder what they are really anticipating?
I forgot to add books about rainwater (Brad Lancaster and others) and greywater harvesting (Art Ludwig and his books), humanure (see Joseph Jenkins) which used to be referenced as “Night soils” for fertilizing soils after proper composting!! since we’re running out of phosphorus too.
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2007-08-13/peak-phosphorus/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_phosphorus
https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/peak-phosphorus
“Still, plants need more nutrients than nitrogen alone. They need potassium and sulfur and even obscure elements like molybdenum. Perhaps most important, they need phosphorus to help form the backbone of DNA and to power their cells. Unfortunately, the world’s phosphorus supplies may soon run low—prompting the need for a new Haber-Bosch process, for element 15, for the upcoming century.
Regardless, there’s a growing concern that much of the easy phosphorus has already been stripped out of the ground. In some circles scientists talk about “peak phosphorus,” the idea that phosphorus production could level off within a few decades, at which point the world might face skyrocketing prices and widespread shortages. That phrase echoes similar concerns about peak oil, but peak phosphorus could be worse in some respects. We can at least envision alternatives to petroleum, like solar power or hydrogen. There’s no substitute for phosphorus.
So what strategies might latter-day Habers and Bosches pursue? For one, they could figure out a better biochemical delivery vehicle so plants absorb phosphorus more readily. (Currently, plants slurp up just one-fifth of the phosphorus applied to them; the rest leaches away.) Or scientists could figure out better ways to extract phosphorus from the ground. The continental shelves, although underwater and tricky to mine, contain loads of phosphorus, and many rock formations contain the element at low concentrations. But no one knows how to vacuum all those stray molecules up without doing massive damage to the environment. That’s where the genius is needed.
Another strategy involves recycling urine. (The German alchemist Hennig Brand actually discovered phosphorus in 1669 by collecting gallons of his urine and boiling it down.) Entrepreneurs have already invented “no mix” toilets that shunt number one and number two into different tubes and capture the urine for processing. These special toilets show promise because they’re a passive technology: people install them once, and pipes do the rest.”
Linda
It is one thing to postulate attributes of Existence, about which we are currently unaware. However, we can only apply Reason to those attributes we have identified and have properly integrated into the hierarchy of our intellect without contradiction.
Reason demands we simply ignore the purely arbitrary claim, as we are unable to rationally pay such any attention at all.
Example:
“Invisible, blue, Snorffs, living under a rock on Mars, are what control all Human sexual activity on Earth.”
The rational fellow does not consider the arbitrary claim as worthy of any consideration, whatsoever. One just ignores it, as it cannot be addressed.
Thus it is with all posits of invisible, magical, spooks.
“God is Love.” “Snorf is Blaff” Both mean the same thing, nothing at all.
Rational faith is a quite different from any religious faith, the two kinds of faith are often confused with each other…this was my point.
But, if you wish to have faith in the incomprehensible…and undefined…so be it. This is automatically irrational.
Preparing us for a military strike in the middle east and positioning our forces accordingly…
You make the universe sound so black and white. I won’t argue that religion is rational or objective, but I will argue that many… well, almost all, “rational, reductionist” physicists have come to the conclusion that, unlike the direction taken by many of the early thinkers in quantum physics, the human consciousness plays no role in the outcome of the double slit experiment. In fact, the entirety of the multiverse theory is just a clever way to make the math work for the contention that our consciousness is of no significance.
And yet, work done by Dean Radin suggests with strong statistical significance that humans can mentally modulate entanglement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sc0vlDmris
Linda
(you posted a detailed lament about how we are screwed due to “peak phosphorus” since the mines and oil are running out.)
The ocean is very big and seaweed generally is very high in phosphorus (and potassium). Moreover, part of the world (Asia but not America) has been improving its soil with phosphorus by adding seaweed to it. Eastern Asian soils have improved over the years, in part due to this. At certain times of the year (particularly in Spring) tons of seaweed phosphorus/potassium comes for free by washing up, on the abundant seashores of this planet.
Its game over for team petroleum. Time to move on with different thinking and altered behavior.
But, if you wish to have faith in the incomprehensible…and undefined…so be it. This is automatically irrational.
What? Every time I point the clicker at the big screen I have faith it will turn on and entertain me. Same with my I-Pad.
They are incomprehensible and undefined. So is my shower, turn the faucet and glorious hot water. Amazing, did I mention the gray box hanging under my kitchen cabinet. One touch and omg, music. They are also incomprehensible and a gray undefined, unremarkable piece if plastic and mysterious components. Magic. But I have faith they will all work?
That is true, but once supply and demand issues become more apparent, and transportation using fossil fuels and supply chains become more of an issue, and more people start trying to relocalize more and more… Only the coasts would have ready access to seaweed… People will need to look elsewhere and closer to home.
And I don’t completely agree with your statement “Its game over for team petroleum. Time to move on with different thinking and altered behavior.” Yes, different thinking and altered behaviors but I think in a different direction(s), especially once we start leaving fossil fuels in the ground more and more due to EROEI issues, for example finances and geopolitically.
Linda
When I look at myself and other men (women) (and the other 57 genders) I am disappointed in what I seeBrene Brown has a great story. She was extremely disappointed with a woman and judged her harshly. Well Ms. Brown checks in with a therapist, yes even brilliant, highly successful people do inner work and have therapists. Her therapist suggested that the woman she was so disappointed with was doing the best she could with what she knew and where she was in her life. The therapist asked Ms. Brown if she thought people do the best they can. So, because Ms. Brown is a researcher she asked everyone she ran into what they thought. After much consideration and research her conclusion was - it’s a choice we make to either think people do the best they can with what they know or to think they do not do the best they can. And sometimes peoples best is pretty awful, guaranteed. But, the key is when we sit in judgement and choose to take on that responsibility to judge people then our life is lived in a place of judgement. Judgement is a negative, unhappy place. When we choose to believe that people do their best even if it’s really crappy, we move out of judgement into acceptance. It no longer becomes our responsibility to judge. And in that space of acceptance there is peace. I am much more familiar with judgement than acceptance. But living with peace is a better way to live. An ingoing challenge to be sure. The ending of your post tells me your judgement of people disappoints you. I find that sad because there are extraordinary people out there that are truly amazing. And I wish peace for you. Hope I made sense Brene Brown explains the idea better. AKGrannyWGrit
I am no math whiz, but it seems to me the physicists and math folks who have stretched their brains to postulate other dimensions are very logical in reasoning. And also, the practitioners of Eastern philosophies, who have thought about these questions for ages. If, indeed, other dimensions exist beyond detection by our limited senses, is it irrational to speculate intelligent beings may inhabit those realms?
Edit: I do believe I have had experiences I would classify as extradimensional. But they are personal. Trying to explain them to someone else would be like trying to explain a blue sky to a blind person.
But it seems to have become de rigueur around here as of late. Join the club. I stand 0 for 3 in getting difficult questions answered.
As to your statement, “However, we can only apply Reason to those attributes we have identified and have properly integrated into the hierarchy of our intellect without contradiction.”, am I to presume from that you do or do not understand women?
If so, please enlighten me.
On to a third question, perhaps more answerable. Do you believe in the existence of out-of-the-body experiences and, if so, please explain? After all, your Community dabbled in such things.
And the slope of the curve doesn’t show the slightest sign of abating.