Monday, July 14, 2008

Kunstler's Latest Made Me Laugh

I admit to reading a blog by James Kunstler. I'm not sure if I read it for the "end time" thinking or the really funny insults aimed at our current way of life.

Here's an example from this week's post by Mr. Kunstler about the mortgage industry situation, "It's hard to imagine what kind of melodramas were unspooling on the Hamptons lawns this weekend, while everybody else in America was watching Nascar, or plying the aisles of BJs Discount Warehouse for next week's supply of mesquite-and-guacamole flavored Doritos, or having flames and chains tattooed on their necks, or lost in a haze of valium and methedrine."

I enjoy his writing, although frequent reading of his blog leaves me with a depressed feeling. Small doses are the best way to handle hist gloomy stuff.

5 comments:

Matt_J said...

I think this comment is in the same vein. Sometimes I think about smashing the TV or cutting the cord and telling the kids it is broken, and then I end up in the easy chair channel surfing. Back when I was a kid (and it wasn't so long ago neither!) we'd be out playing kick the can or baseball or football or building ramps to jump bicycles or catching crayfish or butterflies or bullheads or building forts of wood or snow. Kids activities are too structured these days, either that or they are at home playing computer games or watching Nickelodeon.

Anonymous said...

"Corn-pone Hitler"

Jim Thill said...

The thing I like about Kunstler is his unflappability. He makes some outlandishly specific prediction like: the Dow is going to plunge to 4000 by next week. When his prediction doesn't materialize, he says simply: the rest of the world has managed to postpone contact with reality again, for a little while.

lemmiwinks said...

Kunstler is good for a giggle, but I think it's wise to avoid taking him too seriously, he's way off base with the vast majority of his doom and gloom predictions. Though I do thoroughly enjoy his take on the US financial sector, economy and overconsumption in general. It seems like he's got his finger on the pulse WRT the ongoing train wreck that is the US economy/banking sector.

As for his there'll be no cars/we'll all live in small town USA quietly growing our own food etc etc, he's so wrong he may as well declare that the earth is flat. Though I do think the vast majority of fossil fueled automobile commuters are an endangered species.

For you guys' sake I hope he's wrong about your economy, but I kinda doubt it. Could be time to get out of debt and start stuffing the mattress with cash.

If it makes you too miserable, feeling the sun on your back while you roll along on your favourite bike is still free!

rigtenzin said...

In one of his recent posts, he says after the US financial market crash and subsequent upheaval, we'll elect a "corn-pone hitler."

That really made me laugh. It keeps going through my mind and making me giggle.

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