A while back I met a couple who made a million USD transporting those portable cubical toilets to fire fighting sites in MT. It’s not a job to brag about, but the money sure is. As things continue to heat up and dry out there will be even more of a demand.
Transport Canberra (TC) is planning to convert its entire bus fleet from diesel to electric within the next few years. The diesel mechanics currently employed by TC, who are not few in number, are understandably worried about their futures. TC is working with them to move them into new trades, but the average EV motor is so much simpler than the average ICE, and the nature of the work is so different, that it’s hard to see where all the redundant men and women can be placed. So far the government is confident that it can redeploy them or help a few into retirement, but who knows?
for one who can settle a mare, raise a mule and train it. muleskinners were the bottom of the 18th-19th century IQ curve…they didn’t starve. it may all come full circle…
settle your mare!
robie,husband,father,farmer,optometrist
MKI, I just wanted to clarify that I hope what I wrote didn’t imply that I thought welders, millwrights, boiler makers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC folks, etc. were necessarily low IQ individuals because I am aware of the cognition needed with most, if not all of the trades. But they don’t typically possess Mensa level IQs (although I know a carpenter acquaintance who does and can intelligently debate me on almost every subject). I’m not even sure if the majority of them are in the top one third. Nevertheless, many individuals that we would not normally consider bright or high IQ in the academic sense have higher intelligence in other areas such mechanical aptitude. Most doctors or lawyers that I know don’t have the knowledge or skill to fix their automobile or their central heating/cooling system so obviously, we all need each other.
I agree with you that there is an increasing recognition that not everyone has to go to college or should go to college and I know increasing numbers of tradespeople who are doing better economically than their equivalent, college educated, generational cohort. The tendency for things to be disposable and throw away is also very true but I find it interesting that in our town, there is one shoe repair guy and one vacuum cleaner repair guy, both of whom have all the business they can handle. They’re not rich but they’re making it. They really seem like anachronisms in the modern age but there doesn’t seem to be any decline in their business over time. In fact, with harder economic times over the past 10 years, they actually seem to be doing better.
I also find it interesting how reliable automobiles have become yet how relatively unreliable (as compared to decades again) such things as refrigerators, computer printers, etc. have become. I have an old HP Laser Jet II printer from 1989 that still works, even though it’s been rendered obsolete by software changes. No modern printer has even come close to that in life span. Right now, my wife would like to buy a new refrigerator since the old one has some wear and tear and is not particularly energy efficient. But she hasn’t been able to find a simple refrigerator, without all the bells and whistles, that will last as long as the ones from decades ago (BTW, if anyone out there as any product recommendations, I’d love to hear them). A couple of years ago, we had to replace our washer and drier, both of which had lasted us close to 25 years. The only replacement brand I could find that might last an equivalent length of time was Speed Queen. I made sure to order models with mechanical rather than electronic controls to improve the likelihood of having a long service life and to decrease repair costs if repairs were ever needed.
I think you are correct about time chipping away exceptions. I have big concerns about UBI though, especially if there is no connection whatsoever to some type of gainful employment or service. For younger males in particular, I have a hard time imagining how a large percentage of them won’t wind up getting into some kind of trouble with all that free time on their hands.
My 27 year old son just attended a wedding of some friends his age who have become farmers. All the food served at the wedding was raised, slaughtered, and prepared by them and friends. The flowers and decorations were all grown and made by them. Their wedding cost them essentially nothing in terms of cash outlay. My son worked on agricultural sustainability in the Peace Corps and was planting moringa trees and investigating ways to better promote moringa and lapsi fruit on the international market. He tried his hand at plowing with water buffalo (not an easy task, I was told), slaughtering and butchering goats with a kukri, etc. He also did some WOOFing (Working On an Organic Farm) in this country. He picked up some valuable knowledge and skills and is planning on going back to school to combine his economics degree with one in urban planning looking at ways of integrating agriculture, silvaculture, aquaculture, etc. into an urban environment. A good female friend of his from the Peace Corps is working on her family farm and developing that activity as a career. I worked on a farm as a kid but had no interest whatsoever in ever doing something like that for a career. But there’s much more interest among the younger generation now.
RodgerMitchell wrote: It is not clear why the author is concerned about dollars “created from thin air,” since that is how all dollars are created. The U.S. government is Monetarily Sovereign. It has the unlimited ability to create dollars at will, and has been doing so since we went off all gold standards. Also, lacking inflation, dollar creation is no concern at all. See: It is 2019, and the phony federal debt “time bomb” still is ticking. Finally, the article says, “It’s about accelerating social inequality, the rejection of capitalism and globalization, rising geopolitical divisions, resource scarcity, and the loss of liberty, health and happiness.” Oh, my. All this from creating dollars? Not really. It’s how the dollars are used that counts. If the dollars were used to provide Medicare for all, Social Security for all, advanced education for all, and other social programs, we could ameliorate the “resource scarcity, and the loss of liberty, health and happiness.” And still we have moderate inflation.Every few years we are graced with Rodger Mitchell's wisdom. Rodger used to go by "RodgerMalcolmMitchell". Perhaps that is why he only has 3 posts. Then again, it could be because most of his posts were on the subscription side. Since PP switched to the new format, those posts are invisible to the nonsubscribers. Even if you happened to be the author of posts while being a subscriber, your posts are no longer available for non-subscribers (i.e. you, once you no longer subscribe) to see. That means that I can't link my earlier quotes. Rodger's message is that governments are monetarily sovereign. In my opinion, that's just another version of modern monetary theory - MMT. (I'm sure there are nuanced theoretical differences, but I don't think those differences exist in the real world.) From what I understand of Rodger's theory, governments are monetarily sovereign and can therefore print as much money as they wish. Governments can never go broke - simply because they can always print as much as they need. Hence, they should run ever increasing deficits to fund their operations so there is enough scrip flowing to the populace to power the economy and make everyone rich. There's no need for federal taxes since the federal government can just print as much as they need. I've asked Rodger repeatedly for his reason why Zimbabwe (a monetarily sovereign nation) experienced hyperinflation and an eventual collapse of their currency. So far - crickets. Either he is unwilling, unable, or uncaring to explain where Zimbabwe went wrong (even though they seemed to follow his formula to the letter.) I even went to one of his blog sites to try to understand his theory. His writings were unconvincing to me. The comments to his article mostly fell into 2 categories: the acolytes (e.g. davyd - author of the 7th post in this thread) and the apostates (who questioned his theory.) He treated the apostates in a manner that wouldn't be acceptable at Peak Prosperity; however, it was his site and he had administrative control over who posted. I lost ALL respect for him! His ideas are as perfect as Marx's - in other words, not workable (as intended) in the real world. I've wondered why Rodger even bothers to post here periodically. I've concluded that he is reaching out to susceptible individuals who might be willing to purchase one of his books. I'm also wondering if his accountant asks him to post here for documentation for tax purposes so he can "legitimately" deduct PP membership dues from his taxes. Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me. Rodger, I think your monetary sovereignty theory is less than worthless! I'll be happy to debate you as soon as you explain where Zimbabwe (a monetarily sovereign nation that printed its way to widespread poverty) deviated from your theory and why its currency essentially failed in hyperinflation. I've asked you a few times before and you have never responded. I'll bet you're too chicken to respond now! Grover
Well, I’ve butchered a sheep with a straight-bladed survival knife, just the one time.
I also happen to have a kukri, received as a gift from my then brother-in-law who was a British officer in the RGR.
But using a kukri to butcher a goat? My kukri is massive! It looks a lot like these:
https://nepalkhukurihouse.com/default/categories/gurkha-army-current-issue.html
Using one of these to butcher a goat really would be quite the feat. I’m sure the Ghurkas do that sort of thing all the time - but they are, after all, Ghurkas. Six impossible things before breakfast. 
Well. Grover. That’s quite the response. I too am eager to hear his reply.
Thanks for reminding us (me!) about the older posts which I did not recall. I withdraw my overly-hasty troll characterization. I may have been suffering from an overdose of Gerry.
Apologies, regrets.
Now that you mention it Dave, having butchered a few animals, I could see how a kukri would be an awkward tool for the finer parts of the butchering. For slaughtering, they grab the goat and pull on its head (if I recall correctly, pulling on the ears) to make the neck taut and decapitate it with one blow. But I also recall my son saying he saw a time when someone just sawed through the neck with a knife to take the head off. He said it was pretty barbaric (as compared to quickly slitting the throat of a goat or sheep and letting it bleed out before commencing butchering which is what I’m familiar with). I’m assuming the kukri could also used to quarter the animal. Although I would prefer using a smaller utility knife, I could imagine that, in a survival situation, if a smaller utility knife were not available, the mid portion of the non-edged spine of the kukri could be grasped to use it like a skinning knife or a scraping tool for just those purposes but I can’t say for sure if that’s how they do it.
Now wait for this one. It really shows the capability of a kukri. My son said on one occasion, he watched someone decapitate a water buffalo off with one blow. Same thing. Pull on the head, make the tissue taut, and with a mighty blow, off with the head.
Here’s a related story. When we were in the Falkland Islands, the tour guide made a point of showing us a position on the high ground that was held by the Argentinians. He took particular glee in relating that when the Argentinians got word that the Gurkhas were going to be sent in, they fled their positions. Some Argentinians, like gauchos, can be quite skilled with a knife but I don’t know anyone in their right mind who would want to to face a Gurkha with a kukri.
davefairtex wrote: Well. Grover. That’s quite the response. I too am eager to hear his reply. Thanks for reminding us (me!) about the older posts which I did not recall. I withdraw my overly-hasty troll characterization. I may have been suffering from an overdose of Gerry. ? Apologies, regrets.Dave, I wouldn't be so quick to withdraw the troll characterization. Trolls come in all forms. Some use their postings with the sole intent to generate traffic to other specific websites. I believe Rodger is doing that. Of course, he could just be a philosophical snake oil salesman who truly believes his own BS. (Just as with GerrySM, arrogantly believing something doesn't make it any truer.) I really doubt that Rodger will answer the call to support his theory. If he could defend his theory with respect to Zimbabwe, he would have done so years ago. Instead, he scurried off to the safety of his own domain - only to pop up here to generate more clicks to his site. By my definition, that makes him a troll. (I'll withdraw my characterization if he does interact sufficiently. Clickbait trolls can't afford to waste their time interacting.) Expect to see him again in a few years with more clickbait. By then, he'll be a few years closer to the grave ... and hopefully wiser. I won't hold my breath. Grover
Hey MKI… you wrote:
“It’s also critical to understand real wealth is being created daily. Not fake wealth, but real wealth. The internet has made life better in uncountable ways. Autos are way more reliable than 30 years ago (how many flats do we get anymore?).
And those who play the game correctly can participate in this wealth creation and generate financial returns like the wealthy do. All it takes is to understand the system.”
I would genuinely like to hear more about that topic if you are of a mind to share … What is the way to play the game correctly and participate in this wealth creation?
Suppose everything here that you posted was true. What of it? We’ve had other members here who have published books and sold them here too. How much less offensive to point someone to his own website, and … if they choose to buy, they choose to buy.
RMM was a paying subscriber; that’s more than I ever was. Something about PP made him want to pay.Therefore, even if everything was as you said, he’s still not a troll.
Neither am I – but when I, as an engineer, remained unconvinced of certain engineering and physics claims of the truther creed, I too was labeled a troll… also a horrible engineer
It’s quite uncivil. Unkind, even. Down here in the South, I might say rude.
Dave Fairtex is doing well. He is very good at giving a person the benefit of the doubt. And no, I don’t think he or I like MMT either, in any form.
The American economy is actually a consumer based economy. If the Fed wants to pump $60 Billion a month into the economy, give it to the consumers. It’ll get out into the part of the economy that needs it to shored up.
The American economy is actually a consumer based economy. If the Fed wants to pump $60 Billion a month into the economy, give it to the consumers. It’ll get out into the part of the economy that needs it to shored up.Absolutely true. The fact that the Fed isn't doing that tells you all you need to know about who and what they actually care most about...and it ain't us.
It’s spreading. The unhappiness, the sense of being fucked over, the feeling that the system no longer cares about the average person…all spreading:
Fourth turning indeed.
Note also that as far as the BBC is concerned, the Yellow Vest movement isn’t happening. /rolls eyes
Many of the smug high IQ crowd are likely to revel in their superiority whilst being beaten to death by a burly idiot with their bell curve I feel. Just sayin…,
...way to...participate in this wealth creation?My approach isn't popular in today's "everything" bubble. Quick summary: invest only in assets with cash flow & shun consumerism. Details: 1. Observe wealth still grows at the societal level but little is allocated back to workers anymore. 2. Commit to family/unified/traditional values and never act individualistically/impulsively. Modern individuality is a prole luxury. 3. 10% NW in PM (physical off-grid: legal/medical/collapse insurance). 4. 25-75% NW in 10-20 "A" blue chip, >20 yr dividend-pay-stocks with 50+ institutional investors that had earnings & dividends increase in last decade & decent PE/Bk Val/PayOut/LT debt. Adjust % based on the Dow's dividend % (<1/3-1/2 today). 5. 15-65% in local real estate directly owned/rented/managed by you. 6. Get creative with the big 3 expenses: medical (cook from scratch to eliminate processed foods, lift weights at home); housing (rent some of your space); education (get serious, no debt). 7. Cut spending hard. Avoid paying for labor. Buy used. Fix everything. Do your own investing. Garden. Repair home/auto. Sew/tailor. Vacation at home. Track spending. Treat work as play.
Hi all - I posted this 2 weeks ago but think it got missed by folks. This is a video from Real Vision about what is happening behind the scenes in the housing market. I have not heard anyone talking about this anywhere. I would love to hear what you all think!
Karen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFkkN2M3Y3c
Michael Rudmin wrote: Suppose everything here that you posted was true. What of it? We’ve had other members here who have published books and sold them here too. How much less offensive to point someone to his own website, and … if they choose to buy, they choose to buy. RMM was a paying subscriber; that’s more than I ever was. Something about PP made him want to pay. Therefore, even if everything was as you said, he’s still not a troll. Neither am I — but when I, as an engineer, remained unconvinced of certain engineering and physics claims of the truther creed, I too was labeled a troll… also a horrible engineer It’s quite uncivil. Unkind, even. Down here in the South, I might say rude. Dave Fairtex is doing well. He is very good at giving a person the benefit of the doubt. And no, I don’t think he or I like MMT either, in any form.Michael, Yes. I agree that the "troll" designation is overused; however, there is a big difference between people like Charles Hugh Smith and Rodger. Charles interacts on a personal level. Charles does his best to answer questions and add to the conversation. On the other hand, Rodger lays out the same barebones BS with links to his site every few years. Each time he has posted something here, I've asked him to explain why his theory doesn't work. Each time I'm left hanging. So, if "troll" isn't appropriate, what should we call someone who does what Rodger does? His monetary sovereignty theory is really quite seductive to those who can't see the eventual catastrophic results. Essentially, government just prints as much as it needs and we have to trust that they won't overdo it. There are no real checks and balances built into the system. Any of the theoretical checks and balances can be overwritten in times of emergency. When isn't there an emergency that needs government assistance? It works until it doesn't. In engineering terms, it is considered "fracture critical." Nova on PBS aired a special on "Why Bridges Collapse" and featured the Morandi Bridge in Italy. It stood for over 50 years and then suddenly collapsed - killing 43 people. Because it wasn't deemed an act of war, forensic engineers were able to investigate and piece together the puzzle and determine that corrosion had sufficiently weakened tensile steel members in one concrete encased cable assembly. Nobody expected the bridge would collapse. Nobody detected the corrosion before catastrophe ensued. Although collapse of confidence in the nation's currency won't occur so quickly, it will trap and harm many orders of magnitude more than the 43 who perished in the Morandi Bridge collapse. Just look at the situation in Zimbabwe during their hyperinflation. Above graph and following snippet copied from https://www.goldonomic.com/zimbabwe.htm
To call this action by Mugabe and Gono premeditated theft, is being nice. Because of the actions of these guys, each day 7 million people don't have anything to eat...and this used to be one of the richest countries in Africa.[For those of you who are a wee bit math challenged, each partition on the vertical axis is 10 times more than the partition below. In 2001, ~100 ZWD was worth about 1 US dollar. Within 2 years, it took more than 1,000 ZWD to equal 1 US dollar. The next year, it took more than 10,000 ZWD to equal 1 US dollar. The 104 = 10,000 (easiest to remember it as 1 with 4 zeroes.) The top number is 1032 which is 1 with 32 zeroes meaning 1 US dollar = 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 ZWD.] Although this graph never shows a "catastrophic" collapse like the Morandi bridge experienced, at what point would you say collapse occurred? Was it when the currency was worth 1/10 as much (so, it took 10 times as much money to buy the same needed goods?) 1/100? 1/1,000? What would happen to any savings? I don't know who wins but I sure see a lot of losers. This is why I'm purposefully being "rude" to Rodger. I think he's a charlatan who won't (or can't) defend his theory; yet, he continues to periodically post his modified spam here. Nevertheless, hope springs eternal. I hope he will explain to me where I'm missing his big picture. Realistically, I won't hold my breath. Grover
Believing that any complex topic such as climate change is “settled” is all I need to know about someone’s thought processes. There are topics that I believe to be settled - and they are settled in my mind. However, I would never be so intellectually totalitarian as to believe they are “settled” to everyone else. Nor would I want to operate within a community of people who enforce consistency of thought through coercion. Yes, there are people “like ao” on this site. I am one of them.
Rector