collapse

I frequently think about what I refer to as the banana-republification of the United States.  Just watching, it seems hard to understand what a country of our wealth, innovative spirit, and successful history can no longer afford, or perhaps - chooses to no longer to afford.

Here is an article on that theme by Glenn Greenwald in Salon, "What Collapsing Empire Looks Like":
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/08/06/collapse

I think we've increasingly moved to a winner-takes-all style of economy, and in so doing we've managed to also develop a winner-breaks-it style of economy that is anything but resilient.  Perhaps these winner-takes-all policies are really golden-goose-killing policies.

I think of the lottery winners who squander their winnings and wake up one day to realize they've lost it all and and only in that moment of realization recognize what they now wish they had done differently.  Or athletes that  sign a big contract only to see themselves in bankruptcy court because they failed to treat their good fortune wisely.   I have optimistic friends who see emerging innovative ways-of-living and economic models of activity that may result in more success again for our country in the future; they turn away from the dystopian view I might see in Glenn's article.  I hope they are right.

Boston Globe on Fisher Cats

The Boston Globe has an article today about Fisher Cats locally.   We've seen a Fisher around our house for at least three years now.  A beautiful creature (similar to the one to the left) he's graceful and dangerous-looking.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2010/08/04/house_cats_be_warned_fishers_are_back_on_prowl/