Before heading off for a long-overdue 'good-walk-spoiled' on a vacation golf course, OS has been reading commentary and reactions on the past week's events.
The level of anger approaches that of 1850's America, which does not bode well.
The sense that people are losing hope seems also to surface.
So, OS would wish to raise his aged hand and remind one and all: Yes, the world seems to be in the hands of knaves and fools, presiding over a clown circus. And, by no means is this the first time we have experienced such a circumstance.
Our hope, our confidence that the future exists, and that we will participate in it, does not lie within ourselves, or any political arrangement, or asset allocation.
St. Paul explained it to the Romans, during times much darker in the first century Roman Empire.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
(Romans 5: 1-5 KJV)
This is where Hope is located.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Broad Oak Blog: Banks' Final Grab: The Land
So eloquently stated, that no comment from here is needed.
Imagine what Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson would say, if they could see how in the Land of the Free a tiny elite not only owns most of the cash, bonds and shares, but now aspires to seize the real estate. America is approaching a peak of wealth inequality and mass servitude comparable to the condition of England in the eighteenth century, but without the hopes offered by the Industrial Revolution.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Thoughts During The Hiatus: OldSouth's Modest Plea For Freedom
The hiatus continues, a slower pace, in part by choice, in part because the heat simply tends to tamp down one's ambitions. So much that could be done in the garden and golf course, were it not for 95 degree temps for the third week, with more to come.
Travels begin tomorrow, with only one destination planned, as the heat deters one from making reservations anywhere. May as well swelter at home as in some other location. The destination is the home of one of the kids, now a successful young adult, married, grad degree completed, employed in a job that pays well, is highly engaging, and in a desirable part of the country.
This morning Mr. and Mrs. OS transported another child to the airport for a return to university studies far far away. Such a good week with that kid in the house, and yet the cultural distance between LifeAway and LifeHere is very pronounced.
Both kids are miraculous in different ways, as is LifeHere, the last place on earth OS imagined he would spend the past twenty years. Yet, as he ponders the two decades, the successes and failures, he is struck by the sense of Providence that seems to have preserved his family and life. So many tales that cannot be told yet, or perhaps ever, and in a way the details aren't worth recounting. When OS tells you things got a bit wild and crazy from time to time, just take his word for it.
One theme re-occurs: In this place, and during these years, we were afforded the freedom to build our lives, here in an obscure spot in a Tennessee county generally scorned by the literati. We were free to marry, parent and educate as we thought best, and build unorthodox careers as we thought best. We were free to fail--and there were some spectacular failures along the way, which taught some valuable good lessons.
We were also free to succeed, to pursue some outlandish good ideas never before attempted, and succeed with them. We have reputations as mild eccentrics, which is not such a bad thing. As one long-time successful eccentric of the county counseled us, 'People here are left alone to be themselves, not so much pressure to conform, and it's ok to be eccentric here. Outsiders don't understand that about us.'
That freedom was, and is, a fragile thing. With each child, and several of those good ideas, we saw the doors of opportunity close behind us, just as we slipped through. Had each child been born a year or two later, OS is not sure he would be writing about such happy circumstances. Some of those good ideas that didn't gain traction may not now be viable, due to an economy in stall, a government intent upon keeping the lid on any and everything, and an atmosphere of timidity that seems to have taken hold.
With a bit of age and experience, OS hopes he has gained a sense of sobriety, a clear-headed view of the world that helps guide his efforts. He writes, in great part, to advocate for both freedom and sober wisdom. Freedom fed by too much adrenaline, with too little thought, creates chaos. Sobriety without courage is timidity and creates stasis. Above all, a sense of humor must be maintained, lest we despair.
So, as he breaks into the local patois, OldSouth hopes all ya'll and all yall's kith and kin gits to enjoy even a portion of the blessings of freedom he's privileged to enjoy, and that yew and yours gits to live in a small town in the American South for even a few years. Jes' don't show up all at once, ya heah? It takes some time to break ya'll in, if'n yer not from around heah.
Travels begin tomorrow, with only one destination planned, as the heat deters one from making reservations anywhere. May as well swelter at home as in some other location. The destination is the home of one of the kids, now a successful young adult, married, grad degree completed, employed in a job that pays well, is highly engaging, and in a desirable part of the country.
This morning Mr. and Mrs. OS transported another child to the airport for a return to university studies far far away. Such a good week with that kid in the house, and yet the cultural distance between LifeAway and LifeHere is very pronounced.
Both kids are miraculous in different ways, as is LifeHere, the last place on earth OS imagined he would spend the past twenty years. Yet, as he ponders the two decades, the successes and failures, he is struck by the sense of Providence that seems to have preserved his family and life. So many tales that cannot be told yet, or perhaps ever, and in a way the details aren't worth recounting. When OS tells you things got a bit wild and crazy from time to time, just take his word for it.
One theme re-occurs: In this place, and during these years, we were afforded the freedom to build our lives, here in an obscure spot in a Tennessee county generally scorned by the literati. We were free to marry, parent and educate as we thought best, and build unorthodox careers as we thought best. We were free to fail--and there were some spectacular failures along the way, which taught some valuable good lessons.
We were also free to succeed, to pursue some outlandish good ideas never before attempted, and succeed with them. We have reputations as mild eccentrics, which is not such a bad thing. As one long-time successful eccentric of the county counseled us, 'People here are left alone to be themselves, not so much pressure to conform, and it's ok to be eccentric here. Outsiders don't understand that about us.'
That freedom was, and is, a fragile thing. With each child, and several of those good ideas, we saw the doors of opportunity close behind us, just as we slipped through. Had each child been born a year or two later, OS is not sure he would be writing about such happy circumstances. Some of those good ideas that didn't gain traction may not now be viable, due to an economy in stall, a government intent upon keeping the lid on any and everything, and an atmosphere of timidity that seems to have taken hold.
With a bit of age and experience, OS hopes he has gained a sense of sobriety, a clear-headed view of the world that helps guide his efforts. He writes, in great part, to advocate for both freedom and sober wisdom. Freedom fed by too much adrenaline, with too little thought, creates chaos. Sobriety without courage is timidity and creates stasis. Above all, a sense of humor must be maintained, lest we despair.
So, as he breaks into the local patois, OldSouth hopes all ya'll and all yall's kith and kin gits to enjoy even a portion of the blessings of freedom he's privileged to enjoy, and that yew and yours gits to live in a small town in the American South for even a few years. Jes' don't show up all at once, ya heah? It takes some time to break ya'll in, if'n yer not from around heah.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
From The WSJ Twitter Account: Vince Cable Thinks That The Problem With The US Debt Is From Right Wing Nutters In Congress
Really, that horse's patootie actually blathered these lines to the BeeBeeCee:
Vince Cable, the British business secretary, told the BBC today, "The irony of the situation at the moment, with markets opening tomorrow morning, is that the biggest threat to the world financial system comes from a few right-wing nutters in the American Congress rather than the Eurozone."
'Scuze me Vince! Most of those guys you refer to weren't even elected until 2010, or didn't you get the memo at your London club?
The Congresses and Presidents that preceded them created this mess, and they are the first group in modern times to stand up and represent their voters, saying an emphatic 'NO' to more of the same.
Voters, Vince. Remember them, you pitiful excuse for a political leader?
Back to your G & T's at the club, Vince.
By the way, why don't YOU try some of that 'voter' stuff at home, like giving the British citizenry the opportunity to actually vote on whether they wish to be further tethered to the EU sinking ship.
Go ahead, Bubbah! Give it a shot. Let's see what happens.
(Loser!)
Vince Cable, the British business secretary, told the BBC today, "The irony of the situation at the moment, with markets opening tomorrow morning, is that the biggest threat to the world financial system comes from a few right-wing nutters in the American Congress rather than the Eurozone."
'Scuze me Vince! Most of those guys you refer to weren't even elected until 2010, or didn't you get the memo at your London club?
The Congresses and Presidents that preceded them created this mess, and they are the first group in modern times to stand up and represent their voters, saying an emphatic 'NO' to more of the same.
Voters, Vince. Remember them, you pitiful excuse for a political leader?
Back to your G & T's at the club, Vince.
By the way, why don't YOU try some of that 'voter' stuff at home, like giving the British citizenry the opportunity to actually vote on whether they wish to be further tethered to the EU sinking ship.
Go ahead, Bubbah! Give it a shot. Let's see what happens.
(Loser!)
'Super Congress'? Where The Blankety-Blank Do We Find That In The Constitution?
Can you say 'Moral Hazard', ya'll?
Denninger has some choice words as well...
OS has not much more to add, except to say he sees our freedoms now being eroded unashamedly and publicly, with the last shred of conscience and its accompanying sense of shame now a thing of the past amongst the political class of this country.
He's going back to his hiatus now, to enjoy his family and free life while they are here to be enjoyed.
Denninger has some choice words as well...
OS has not much more to add, except to say he sees our freedoms now being eroded unashamedly and publicly, with the last shred of conscience and its accompanying sense of shame now a thing of the past amongst the political class of this country.
He's going back to his hiatus now, to enjoy his family and free life while they are here to be enjoyed.
Intermission: OldSouth On Downtime, And A Visit To Southern Indiana
It's midsummer, and finally, finally some time off can be taken. One child is home from his university far far away, and it's been a year since he's been home. It is a wonderfully sweet time, just hanging out at home, cooking, jabbering about school and life. It will be tough to drive away from the airport after putting him on the plane to his future. The young man has so wildly exceeded any expectations his parents could have had for him nearly twenty years ago, and most of the credit belongs to him, with a bit to his stumbling mom and dad, who mainly tried to stay a step ahead of him during his childhood.
Sweet as well the visit to take the young man see his new infant cousin for the first time, and to visit with his aging grandparents, now well into their 80's. Lots of pictures taken by everyone, knowing this may well be the final occasion with everyone still alive, well, and in the same room. The thought, of course, was left unspoken, but hung in the air: Don't let this day's happiness go uncelebrated. We've all worked a lifetime to get to this afternoon. Let's not waste a moment of it.
Business travel took OS to southern Indiana, through Jeffersonville, Scottsburg, Hanover and Madison. The Ohio River valley at this point is breathtakingly beautiful, both in its natural state, and in what the Hoosiers who settled and developed the area have done with it. Bucolic, pretty towns, beautiful farms. A sense of order, built within the context of the natural endowments encountered here. Genuinely friendly people, who seem aware of how blessed they are to live in this somewhat remote corner of the States, largely ignored by the GreatAndGoodAndGlamorous.
On the drive back from Hanover to Jeffersonville, through the farms and villages, on Highway 62, OS listened in on the news of the failure of the elites to grasp that they cannot spend money that does not exist, and found himself musing: What's wrong with these people? Have they forgotten what it's like just to drive through this sort of country and remember how wonderful it is here? Why would they want to kill this way of life off? Why do they hate these people so much? If they didn't hate these people, how else to explain the behavior of an Obama or Pelosi, who will simply suck the life out of this culture in order to have their own way?
OS also mused on what may await his son and infant nephew if we don't all eat a big serving of Humble Pie, and deal with the mathematical realities that now stare us in the face. Will they enjoy anything like the freedoms that allowed their parents to build their quiet and happy lives?
OS has been reading, keeping up with events, or non-events as it were. No need to repeat what is written more effectively elsewhere. (By the way, Monday morning will open with the news of the collapse of The Bank of Ireland and the default of Greece. No surprise there, except to those completely embedded in denial.)
And so, OS returns to his hiatus. The boy departs in a few days, and a vacation begins after that.
May Heaven bless us every one, and preserve the United States of America by divine grace.
Sweet as well the visit to take the young man see his new infant cousin for the first time, and to visit with his aging grandparents, now well into their 80's. Lots of pictures taken by everyone, knowing this may well be the final occasion with everyone still alive, well, and in the same room. The thought, of course, was left unspoken, but hung in the air: Don't let this day's happiness go uncelebrated. We've all worked a lifetime to get to this afternoon. Let's not waste a moment of it.
Business travel took OS to southern Indiana, through Jeffersonville, Scottsburg, Hanover and Madison. The Ohio River valley at this point is breathtakingly beautiful, both in its natural state, and in what the Hoosiers who settled and developed the area have done with it. Bucolic, pretty towns, beautiful farms. A sense of order, built within the context of the natural endowments encountered here. Genuinely friendly people, who seem aware of how blessed they are to live in this somewhat remote corner of the States, largely ignored by the GreatAndGoodAndGlamorous.
On the drive back from Hanover to Jeffersonville, through the farms and villages, on Highway 62, OS listened in on the news of the failure of the elites to grasp that they cannot spend money that does not exist, and found himself musing: What's wrong with these people? Have they forgotten what it's like just to drive through this sort of country and remember how wonderful it is here? Why would they want to kill this way of life off? Why do they hate these people so much? If they didn't hate these people, how else to explain the behavior of an Obama or Pelosi, who will simply suck the life out of this culture in order to have their own way?
OS also mused on what may await his son and infant nephew if we don't all eat a big serving of Humble Pie, and deal with the mathematical realities that now stare us in the face. Will they enjoy anything like the freedoms that allowed their parents to build their quiet and happy lives?
OS has been reading, keeping up with events, or non-events as it were. No need to repeat what is written more effectively elsewhere. (By the way, Monday morning will open with the news of the collapse of The Bank of Ireland and the default of Greece. No surprise there, except to those completely embedded in denial.)
And so, OS returns to his hiatus. The boy departs in a few days, and a vacation begins after that.
May Heaven bless us every one, and preserve the United States of America by divine grace.
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