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.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Amoral Creep Charlie Gilmour Sentenced To Sixteen Months Imprisonment
OS noted last December, in the wake of the shameful 'student' riots in central London, that the most notorious of sociopaths had been identified--Charlie Gilmour, adopted son of a rock star, and student at Cambridge University.
Fast forward to last Friday, and his sentencing hearing. The judge reviewed the little creep's behavior in open court, which included:
Sweeeeet....
For readers in the US, think of a child of someone the likes of Bruce Springsteen, a student at Yale, climbing on the Lincoln Memorial, or the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier and urinating upon it. Just because he thinks he can, because normal rules don't apply to him. Because he's LittleCharlie, son of The Boss.
Charlie claimed he didn't understand the significance of the Cenotaph. He's a bleeding history major at Cambridge, and at college after college are posted the tragically long lists of the Cambridge boys who went to war and never came back, so that boys like LittleCharlie could attend Cambridge in a safe and free country. That did not go over well in court.
The judge, to his credit, lowered the boom on the little creep.
Well, one could debate that last clause a bit, but OS digresses.
OS hopes his readers hit this link to read the whole story. It includes video of LittleCharlies escapades. Such a misunderstood child.
OS is not entirely unforgiving, however. Here's hoping LittleCharlie will use his court-enforced gap year plus six months to, well..grow up. He'll be meeting some interesting people in jail, with life stories a good deal more tragic than his.
Meantime, someone else who appreciates the opportunity to obtain a Cambridge education can take his place. Charlie won't be needing that degree after all.
Fast forward to last Friday, and his sentencing hearing. The judge reviewed the little creep's behavior in open court, which included:
Gilmour was part of a 100-strong mob that attacked a convoy escorting the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during last year’s student riots, the court heard on Thursday.
The Cambridge University undergraduate, who was also photographed swinging from a Union flag on the Cenotaph, leapt on the bonnet of a Jaguar carrying royal protection officers before allegedly throwing a bin at the vehicle.
Shouting slogans such as “you broke the moral law, we are going to break all the laws”, the 21-year-old son of the multi-millionaire pop star went on the rampage during a day of extreme violence in central London.
Video captured by police officers outside the Houses of Parliament showed Gilmour, from Billingshurst, West Sussex, waving a red flag and shouting political slogans. The judge watched one clip in which he was shouted: “Let them eat cake, let them eat cake, they say. We won’t eat cake, we will eat fire, ice and destruction, because we are angry, very f------ angry.”
As the clip was shown in court on Thursday, Gilmour sat in the dock giggling and covering his face with his hands in embarrassment.
Sweeeeet....
For readers in the US, think of a child of someone the likes of Bruce Springsteen, a student at Yale, climbing on the Lincoln Memorial, or the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier and urinating upon it. Just because he thinks he can, because normal rules don't apply to him. Because he's LittleCharlie, son of The Boss.
Charlie claimed he didn't understand the significance of the Cenotaph. He's a bleeding history major at Cambridge, and at college after college are posted the tragically long lists of the Cambridge boys who went to war and never came back, so that boys like LittleCharlie could attend Cambridge in a safe and free country. That did not go over well in court.
The judge, to his credit, lowered the boom on the little creep.
"Such outrageous and deeply offensive behaviour gives a clear indication of how out of control you were that day," he said.
"It caused public outrage and understandably so."
His conduct at the war memorial had prompted a deluge of "vituperative and in many cases obscene" emails and other forms of communication, he told Gilmour.
These were, he added, "not just to you but, it is with deep regret, to your whole family, who were of course totally blameless."
Well, one could debate that last clause a bit, but OS digresses.
OS hopes his readers hit this link to read the whole story. It includes video of LittleCharlies escapades. Such a misunderstood child.
OS is not entirely unforgiving, however. Here's hoping LittleCharlie will use his court-enforced gap year plus six months to, well..grow up. He'll be meeting some interesting people in jail, with life stories a good deal more tragic than his.
Meantime, someone else who appreciates the opportunity to obtain a Cambridge education can take his place. Charlie won't be needing that degree after all.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
ATT/T-Mobile Chases Off Yet One More Customer, Only This One Has Thousands Of Readers
Karl Denninger pulled the plug on his ATT/T-Mobile accounts, and details why in his latest post.
While running TV spots touting the joys of their brave new alliance, once again our friends at T go about their daily business of crewing customers to the wall. It's who they are, it's what they do. They will, sooner or later, go down the crapper, because they have obligations awaiting them that can't possibly be met. That's where the taxpayer comes in, to provide the safety net. But, that's another story for later.
Meanwhile, they alienated a customer whose opinions matter a lot, to a lot of people.
Does anyone at a place like T ever sit down and do the math that says:
'OK, we may make a few hundred bucks on this quarter's earnings, but we've pissed off a long-time customer in the process. What will that cost, since he'll never ever come back? His children and family will never be our customers for the next twenty years or so. He and his friends all go church, PTA, golf course, pub, and compare notes with one another. Our credibility gets dinged with, say, fifty potential customers every time we screw one over. Does this make sense for our business?'
OS drives a vintage 2000 Dodge pickup around his county--trash to dump, plants for the garden, golf clubs, etc. It's really been reliable, and even fun to tool around in. However, every one of those trucks around here from that same vintage were sent out of the factory with paint jobs that completely, utterly, failed. They look atrocious. And don't get OS started about the dealership, and the assholes at Mercedes-Benz credit who raped the family on the financing...OS now faces a decision in the next year--put some bucks into fixing up the old Dodge, or buy an F-150 or Toyota.
Notice what's not on that list of choices?
With a business culture like this, do we wonder why we struggle as an economy?
While running TV spots touting the joys of their brave new alliance, once again our friends at T go about their daily business of crewing customers to the wall. It's who they are, it's what they do. They will, sooner or later, go down the crapper, because they have obligations awaiting them that can't possibly be met. That's where the taxpayer comes in, to provide the safety net. But, that's another story for later.
Meanwhile, they alienated a customer whose opinions matter a lot, to a lot of people.
Does anyone at a place like T ever sit down and do the math that says:
'OK, we may make a few hundred bucks on this quarter's earnings, but we've pissed off a long-time customer in the process. What will that cost, since he'll never ever come back? His children and family will never be our customers for the next twenty years or so. He and his friends all go church, PTA, golf course, pub, and compare notes with one another. Our credibility gets dinged with, say, fifty potential customers every time we screw one over. Does this make sense for our business?'
OS drives a vintage 2000 Dodge pickup around his county--trash to dump, plants for the garden, golf clubs, etc. It's really been reliable, and even fun to tool around in. However, every one of those trucks around here from that same vintage were sent out of the factory with paint jobs that completely, utterly, failed. They look atrocious. And don't get OS started about the dealership, and the assholes at Mercedes-Benz credit who raped the family on the financing...OS now faces a decision in the next year--put some bucks into fixing up the old Dodge, or buy an F-150 or Toyota.
Notice what's not on that list of choices?
With a business culture like this, do we wonder why we struggle as an economy?
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sean Egan Explains The Math On CNBC
OS posts this, as much for his own reference as to share with others.
Mr. Egan calmly explains the situation, so OS really has no insight to add, except to urge his readers, and the families and friends of his readers to view this interview.
It's not long, it's conducted in PlainEnglish, not FinanceSpeak.
The news is not good, but the truth is always best.
Mr. Egan calmly explains the situation, so OS really has no insight to add, except to urge his readers, and the families and friends of his readers to view this interview.
It's not long, it's conducted in PlainEnglish, not FinanceSpeak.
The news is not good, but the truth is always best.
Pastor Peters On Harry Potter
Pastor Peter shares words of wisdom and compassion in this essay about Harry Potter, as the final movie arrives to the screen.
We need to listen to him, and a crucial point he has to make about our culture:
This is a wonderful essay. Grandparents, pass this to your kids. Parents, pass it along to your fellow parents.
We need to listen to him, and a crucial point he has to make about our culture:
It is not the Harry Potter story I want to talk about but how different this story is from so much that children have around them. Their hunger for the books and the movies only shows what kind of things they lack and their hunger for them.
They live in a world filled with temptation and evil, with short cuts and easy paths. They live in a world filled with disappointments and are easily disillusioned by the failures of those whom they depend upon. They live in a world filled with loneliness and emptiness and their lives are solitary even with all the techno toys that would appear to keep them connected. They live in a world filled with the moment and they feel acutely the pressure to fill that moment, to be doing something all the time, to do several things at the same time, lest the moment pass and they have not used it to the fullest. They live in a world of facts, not fantasy, of play that mirrors real life in often brutal ways (video games). They live in a world of adults and this adulthood is thrust upon them before they have even learned to be a child, to play as a child, to live carefree as a child. They live in a world in which families are broken and wounded and these hurts are passed on to the children and multiplied as families divide.
Is it no wonder they might be captivated by a story of selflessness and sacrifice, of love that is truly willing to bear with and bear for the other?
This is a wonderful essay. Grandparents, pass this to your kids. Parents, pass it along to your fellow parents.
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