Wadda Ya Mean I'm Powerless?
May 10, 2008 11:28 AM Subscribe
I'll only believe it when I hear the Phillip Glass soundtrack.
posted by Smart Dalek at 11:59 AM on May 10, 2008
posted by Smart Dalek at 11:59 AM on May 10, 2008
kooooooyanisquaatseeeeeeeeeeee
posted by nosila at 12:12 PM on May 10, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by nosila at 12:12 PM on May 10, 2008 [2 favorites]
I can't tell if this is a parody or not.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:14 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:14 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
peak oilers are generally a bunch of self-parodiest, so you're safe in assuming this is both consciously not a parody and unconsciously a parody.
posted by Justinian at 12:56 PM on May 10, 2008
posted by Justinian at 12:56 PM on May 10, 2008
I'm writing the Great Post-American Novel even as we speak.
posted by dhartung at 1:13 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by dhartung at 1:13 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
Why would a stockbroker loose all his money in a crack?
posted by ikkyu2 at 1:27 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by ikkyu2 at 1:27 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ten percent of the population of Ohio now relies on food stamps while hordes of domestic animals abandoned in foreclosed homes endure long and grotesque deaths from starvation.
i just hate it when people sugarcoat things, don't you?
posted by pyramid termite at 1:37 PM on May 10, 2008
i just hate it when people sugarcoat things, don't you?
posted by pyramid termite at 1:37 PM on May 10, 2008
I'm writing the Great Post-American Novel even as we speak.
oh - you must own a gravel pit then
posted by pyramid termite at 1:38 PM on May 10, 2008
oh - you must own a gravel pit then
posted by pyramid termite at 1:38 PM on May 10, 2008
step 3) - powdered eggs - they're not just for breakfast anymore
posted by pyramid termite at 2:09 PM on May 10, 2008
posted by pyramid termite at 2:09 PM on May 10, 2008
The day that peak oil is reached, the government will finally release that 100 mph carbuerator that the space aliens left for us.
posted by three blind mice at 2:22 PM on May 10, 2008
posted by three blind mice at 2:22 PM on May 10, 2008
100 mpg, while going 100 mph that is.
posted by three blind mice at 2:23 PM on May 10, 2008
posted by three blind mice at 2:23 PM on May 10, 2008
I've been reading histories of prior cases where civilization broke down and found some common traits, one of which is the outlawing of "hoarding" - those who have "hoards" of goods and don't distribute them to other people in need. Like imagine in Myanmar right now, some peasant who has a cache of rice and everyone around him is starving. People like that either hand over their goods to the authorities right quick, or become targets for retribution. Stocking up is good for short-term, maybe a month or so.
posted by stbalbach at 2:24 PM on May 10, 2008
posted by stbalbach at 2:24 PM on May 10, 2008
I'm torn on both anti-hoarding and anti-gouging laws. If you know you won't be allowed to keep your supplies in an emergency why bother to stock up? If you know you won't be able to make a bigger profit on selling stuff in an emergency, why pay money to keep a higher inventory than you need? Answer: you don't. So in an emergency you have no extra inventory to sell to people and they're screwed.
My gut instinct is that such anti-hoarding/gouging laws lead to much bigger problems than they solve. Unfortunately, the problems they cause (while significant) are not readily apparent to a casual look while the "problems" they solve are blatantly obvious.
posted by Justinian at 2:55 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
My gut instinct is that such anti-hoarding/gouging laws lead to much bigger problems than they solve. Unfortunately, the problems they cause (while significant) are not readily apparent to a casual look while the "problems" they solve are blatantly obvious.
posted by Justinian at 2:55 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
My gut instinct is that such anti-hoarding/gouging laws lead to much bigger problems than they solve. Unfortunately, the problems they cause (while significant) are not readily apparent to a casual look while the "problems" they solve are blatantly obvious.
What you're missing, I think, is the fact that anti-hoarding/gouging laws are not passed in a calm and secure context. They are generally the result of widespread popular demand for them--demand that usually takes the form of massive riots. (See, for example, eighteenth-century England and France.) In other words, it's not that without the laws the hoarder would be able to keep all his stuff--it would just be taken away from him by a mob, an offer impossible to refuse.
posted by nasreddin at 4:34 PM on May 10, 2008
What you're missing, I think, is the fact that anti-hoarding/gouging laws are not passed in a calm and secure context. They are generally the result of widespread popular demand for them--demand that usually takes the form of massive riots. (See, for example, eighteenth-century England and France.) In other words, it's not that without the laws the hoarder would be able to keep all his stuff--it would just be taken away from him by a mob, an offer impossible to refuse.
posted by nasreddin at 4:34 PM on May 10, 2008
Speaking of Truth, I wish I had the Power to stop people from using the former for the latter.
posted by etaoin at 5:17 PM on May 10, 2008
posted by etaoin at 5:17 PM on May 10, 2008
Carolyn Baker is an adjunct professor of history, a former psychotherapist, an author, and a student of mythology and ritual.
Finally, someone with the appropriate credentials to predict the futures the global commodity resource markets, economies, governments and civilizations. Does anybody else remember when Eric Utne became convinced that Y2K was going to, despite all predictions, go really really bad?
posted by nanojath at 5:43 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
Finally, someone with the appropriate credentials to predict the futures the global commodity resource markets, economies, governments and civilizations. Does anybody else remember when Eric Utne became convinced that Y2K was going to, despite all predictions, go really really bad?
posted by nanojath at 5:43 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
Frankly, I don't quite understand anti-gouging laws, especially in America with its worship of free market.
Finally, someone with the appropriate credentials to predict the futures the global commodity resource markets, economies, governments and civilizations.
Well, she's been predicting that oil price would go up. Seems like she's been more or less correct, at least in the short term.
posted by c13 at 6:37 PM on May 10, 2008
Finally, someone with the appropriate credentials to predict the futures the global commodity resource markets, economies, governments and civilizations.
Well, she's been predicting that oil price would go up. Seems like she's been more or less correct, at least in the short term.
posted by c13 at 6:37 PM on May 10, 2008
Years ago, my dad and I were watching TV and a Clairol commercial came on. For the first time that night, he spoke up and told me that in his childhood, during the depression, "be good to yourself" was a not-so-subtle insult. We won't need new laws, we'll have new mores.
posted by klarck at 7:14 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by klarck at 7:14 PM on May 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
...while hordes of domestic animals abandoned in foreclosed homes endure long and grotesque deaths from starvation.
I'm not sure how widespread this is, but I have experience to back this up. I work at a kennel here in Houston, and we've been directly involved in at least one case where a nearby house was foreclosed and the owners left their dogs inside to starve. Other owners have left their dogs with us for boarding and training but have never returned.
Rough times.
posted by Avenger at 8:47 PM on May 10, 2008
I'm not sure how widespread this is, but I have experience to back this up. I work at a kennel here in Houston, and we've been directly involved in at least one case where a nearby house was foreclosed and the owners left their dogs inside to starve. Other owners have left their dogs with us for boarding and training but have never returned.
Rough times.
posted by Avenger at 8:47 PM on May 10, 2008
If everyone just moves to the outdoors and lives "eco lifestyles" there won't be enough room. once oil goes so does any high density population because of drastically reduced food production per acre.
Most people won't seriously consider it until everyone else is, the point at which oil prices start to cripple industry. At that point, only the rich and lucky will be able to.
I mean, who knows how peak oil will pan out, but our high population densities are only sustained through oil powered industry - that is, oil goes - people starve en masse. Depends mostly on how sudden the price hikes / cut backs / actual depletion of oil reserves happens, though. Just my 2c.
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 2:32 AM on May 11, 2008
Most people won't seriously consider it until everyone else is, the point at which oil prices start to cripple industry. At that point, only the rich and lucky will be able to.
I mean, who knows how peak oil will pan out, but our high population densities are only sustained through oil powered industry - that is, oil goes - people starve en masse. Depends mostly on how sudden the price hikes / cut backs / actual depletion of oil reserves happens, though. Just my 2c.
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 2:32 AM on May 11, 2008
Well, she's been predicting that oil price would go up. Seems like she's been more or less correct, at least in the short term.
Isn't that like shooting fish in a barrel? "I'm peering deeply into my crystal ball and predicting that gasoline prices will also rise."
posted by fixedgear at 7:33 AM on May 11, 2008
Isn't that like shooting fish in a barrel? "I'm peering deeply into my crystal ball and predicting that gasoline prices will also rise."
posted by fixedgear at 7:33 AM on May 11, 2008
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posted by The Light Fantastic at 11:36 AM on May 10, 2008