Wow! Palin=Bush?

I haven't watched all of the RNC speeches yet, but I just watched Palin's speech. Her world view was reminding me so much of Bush, and then I started thinking about their histories as governors, her denial of the human role in environmental destruction, her attribution of the war as God's will...the list goes on. WTF?!

Neighborhood Walkability

Thanks to my lovely mother for introducing me to http://www.walkscore.com/. On first glance, there seem to be a number of useful applications for such a website, including:

• Gain some perspective on your neighborhood in the grand scheme of walkability
• Find out the truth about places you want to live
• Find great places to live if your options are open
• Look for a good score to help your market your home when selling
• Get assistance in evaluating a potential neighborhood when considering a new purchase or rental
• Find out about treasures you can walk to in your neighborhood that you may not know about or may have overlooked
• Enjoy some photos and/or reviews of familiar locations
• Write your own reviews of locations in your neighborhood (just remember you have to confirm your email after registering before you can write a review)
• Get tips to help you advocate for greater walkability where you live
• Read "how it doesn't work" for an honest assessment of the website's own limitations, and ideas for other walkability considerations you might want to make
• Read a blog of interest

Want to Understand the "Oil Crisis" Better?

This is fascinating. I found this link by listening to today's radio show on "Science Friday.". This link is to an educational seminar for journalists on asking helpful questions about oil.

You'll first need to click HERE for the Powerpoint presentation for the seminar to follow along. Then click HERE to hear the seminar.

The seminar is either an hour or an hour and a half long, but likely very useful if you are interested in being an informed citizen, voter, and consumer. If you can't manage to make time for it, though, hopefully today's Science Friday broadcast will eventually be posted online.

Help! Help! I am joining a CSA and I HATE leafy greens!

I am two weeks late, but they said they would let me in for a full share. The price is normally $550, but they took $50 off for the first two weeks. I have to confirm tomorrow. Among my many feelings (Hooray! I found one where I can WALK to the delivery location on a cool enough day!), I am unsure where I will come up with the $500 by tomorrow. I am also doing this, so far, without having consulted G. Finally, I am terrified because I am seriously not a fan of leafy greens. I can put up with small doses of romaine and iceberg lettuce, but that is the extent of it. The problem? In New England, at this time of year, that is pretty much what you get. Eeeeeewwww! Leafy, leafy greens!

Anyone with survival tips on cooking with leafy greens when you generally don't like them? "Oh laaawd, the drama!" you say? I probably am being a little overly-dramatic, but I guess I just need my moment to do the juvenile thing. I am already collecting some smoothie recipes, that apparently folks love even when they hate greens. But what else? I can stand a small, single leaf of almost any type of green on a sandwich with many other flavors. Spinach can go in lasagna if there is a day cool enough to heat up the kitchen making it. (I guess I could blanch and freeze in the meantime???).

But cabbage, chard, and kale have been known to make me vomit...or nearly so! What will I do if they want to send me cabbage? I've only eaten one coleslaw I could stand-- and yes, believe me, I am going to be contacting this church member for the recipe.

I don't want to sautee up a bunch of leafy greens because the slimey texture will make me gag. If I chop it up small enough, I might be able to add small doses to soups and stews, if not now, maybe in the winter (can I freeze everything but lettuce?). What else?! What else?! I am having CSA panic!

Half Tank of Gas

On June 22nd, I posted that a few days prior I had filled up my car with a half tank of gas. Yesterday the needle went to its original position. So that is 13 days, give or take since I didn't keep exact notes (not quite two weeks on a half tank). Not bad considering what I was expecting.

My notes so far:
1. My move consumed a lot of the gas, but...
2. on the other hand, we did not visit the IL's (who live 1.5 hours away) until G. went there with the kids a few days ago in the other vehicle.

Huh.

"Use Your Walking Feet..."

...It's a very silly parental phrase I picked up goodness knows where. It means, "walk," as opposed to running.

Tonight, it was as if some divine parent said it to me, "Use your walking feet 'Masasa.'" But "walk" was in opposition to driving. The battery on my van died while I was at work. G. is sure she turned off all lights in the van before giving it to me to drive to work, but she was moving dozens of boxes in and out of the van this morning, and it appears one of the back lights got flicked on. She must not have noticed that one.

So I walked home, since G. was already asleep in bed (as were the kids).

I had really worked up in my mind what this walk was going to be like, when we first put an offer on this house and I was considering changes I might make in my transportation choices. I have never liked walking. It actually makes me feel irritable, especially when the weather is not perfect walking weather. I would rather bike or skate (not rollerblade, apparently, as I have failed miserably so far at that). This walk seemed like it would be pleasurable for the first half, near the downtown area where there were things to see and people still out and about. But the second half seemed like it would be a bit dreadful to me. There is a stretch of road with quiet houses on one side and a mildly wooded area on the other side. The street lights are more stretched out, so it gets dark too. I don't like walking in the first place, but walking without landmarks is an especially dreadful activity.

I felt before doing it that the second half of the walk would be a boring one. Instead, I found the whole walk to be rather invigorating.

The first part was easy, as I suspected. I did stop at a restaurant after the first 0.3 miles or so, and thankfully there were several still open (it was around 11:45pm), just to get a sandwich since I hadn't had a real dinner and mainly to hear someone's voice besides my own. I got a cheese and veggie sub and some homefries, and ate a few bites before putting it away in my bag. Between taking some bites and checking out the different businesses, I kept my mind fairly busy. Before I knew it, I hit the grocery store that I know is between 0.7 and 0.8 miles from my house. This felt encouraging...I was getting so close.

The next stretch was the part I had been dreading. In fact, I suddenly noticed there was a little hill in front of me just to add an additional irritation. I know, I know, a little hill-- one I'd never even noticed before-- should be no big deal. But it has been a while since I've taken a walk this long aside from times when I've set out to "go hiking." I'll admit I am not in good shape right now. Nonetheless, my mind went drifting and I didn't notice I was on the hill for some time. Suddenly my other thoughts stopped and I said to myself, "man, I am getting a little tired...my feet and legs are starting to hurt." And then I realized I was on the hill, and I felt better knowing this was the cause.

When I reached the top of the hill, I could see the roundabout that is one of the central pieces of my neighborhood! I also could see a school that the neighborhood kids attend. "If they walk home from here," I thought, "I must be close." So much for no landmarks!

Soon, I was in the roundabout. At that point, mild anxiety arouse again as I considered that it felt like I was "almost home," but in fact, my street was still a ways up the road, and my house is about 0.3 miles up my street. But it wasn't too bad getting to my street. The longest stretch of the whole walk was probably the one on my own street, as it had fewer landmarks and was the darkest of them all. But I made it home in the exact amount of time I predicted: about 40 minutes. I live about two miles from my work, so I was walking a 20 minute mile, more or less, which is what I predicted. I do hate walking after all, and am out of shape, but 20 minutes seems average.

My realizations include:

• Since I am not big on walking, I wouldn't want to walk this everyday, but I think biking it will be a breeze, and I think I'd be willing to walk it on occasion.
• Tonight was a cool night, but humid. I came home somewhat chilly but also damp and sticky (ick!). I don't think I could have tolerated the humidity if it had been hot out. I was glad to be walking when the sun was down.
• I think I could walk this with M., if not the full way, at least partially (and we have already taken a bus to my work, so we could catch a bus if he got tired). I wouldn't do it with K., on the other hand. She is a hard kid to walk with in general: she gets tired very fast and also does a lot of funny walking (walking while putting her head and shoulders down so she yanks off your arm, etc.). I might try it sometime with her in a stroller, but in this weather I can't imagine tolerating our beloved backpack/frontpack carrier because we'd both be soaking...and the sling would irritate my old car-accident related upper back injury (the injury that has given me daily headaches for about five years now).
• The sidewalks for the most part are great on this walk! Nice and wide...very old New England. You don't see sidewalks going in like this anymore. It makes for a much more pleasurable walk, and if absolutely necessary, could be a safe albeit illegal haven for a biker trying to avoid crazy New England drivers. There are some stretches of sidewalks with big tree roots going right through, ripped up and ill-maintained. But most of it is nice.
• On my way, I passed a street sign where there was no street. It was a street name followed by "Terrace." It appears it is a footpath Terrace. I found that to be a delightful discovery...it felt like it must be an old street that survived the invention of cars unscathed!

All in all, I am reminded once again that sometimes I build things up in my mind to be much more difficult or unappealing than they actually are. I am glad for this reminder.

$25 of Gas

This cartoon found at http://www.mo-river.net/Reference/Humor/photo/gas_pump_humor/gas_pump_photo_humor.htm during an internet search using the term "tank of gas." By the way, like many others, on some significant level, I am hoping the price of gas remains high to affect change in U.S. consumption of fossil fuel resources. Still, I worry if I'll be able to afford to heat my house this winter, as it is oil heat.

I have sooooo much to post, but have been too busy with the move to actually take the time to do so. Hopefully in the next few days...

In the meantime, thought I would share quickly a challenge I have given myself now that we are in a better location for biking, walking, and bussing.

I filled up one of our cars the other day, the one I have been driving lately, with $25 of gas. This took it from slightly above 0.25 tank to about 0.75 tank. In other words, it was about a half tank. Now my challenge for myself is to measure how far I can get by before I get back down to that slightly above 0.25 mark. As time goes on, I hope to get longer and longer stretches from a half tank of gas.

Though G. and I decided we won't be selling one of our vehicles at this stage in our lives, if I can go long enough between gas refills, I will alternatively be considering "garaging" my car for a six month period. That is, putting it in the garage (except for occassionally drives around the neighborhood just to keep it from rusting out, etc. from non-use) and canceling my insurance policy. If the six months go well, I'll consider an extension. But first step is to see how well I do with the half tank.

I will share any observations worth sharing as/if I have them as I do this challenge. So far, my only observation is that this move wasted a good portion of my half tank!

My Dream Bike

By the way, of course everyone in the below photos should be wearing helmets. Yikes!

This is my dream bike right now. I started reading the blog of someone using it, and I am just in awe. I could fit both kids AND groceries. Or heck, the dog. I could have a new baby and bring the baby too. I could bring loads of books and art supplies back and forth from work, even in the rain. I know it would be less maneuverable than a good ol' fashioned bike, but I don't mind. Really. I swear if I got this, I would drive only in the winter or when heading out of town. I am in LOVE.

It would pay off in gas, I am certain of it. Still, I don't have the money. The CHEAPEST is $2500 and would have to be shipped from out of country, putting it waaaaay over the top. Couldn't I build something like this within a $1000 range, somehow, if I knew some talent to help me??! Not that I can afford a $1000 bike either, but...one can dream. Or fundraise???

On a related but different note, I was brought to this discovery by two paths:

1. I have been looking for a good bike and a good biking system where I can take the kids around town and also pick up groceries.

2. I have begun to tiptoe into a big debate on one of my online parenting boards about the safety of bike seats for young kids, versus bike trailers, versus riding in cars. I would LOVE to see any statistics anyone can dig up on each of the above three. I would like to do some comparison, taking into account that the studies might be apples to oranges. Still, I'd like to just see.

Survival International

I learned today of an organization called Survival International. Thought a link worth sharing, and some (warning: very unsettling) videos:

http://www.survival-international.org/





The other day on NPR I listened to a political forum on the Diane Rehm show in which one speaker argued against the very notion that global warming even exists. If one can't get behind the need to reduce overtaxing natural resources for environmental reasons, surely the prevention and end to genocide might be a motivator???

That said, the idea of "uncontacted" people is a misnomer, and ethnocentric. The language isn't particularly helpful. However, I am finding a lot of the videos on the Survival International website itself interesting and more helpful. Right now I am watching one called "From the Kalahari to Court." I recommend it.

Shout-Outs

You may have noticed I don't have any links, including links to other blogs, on the sidebar of this blog. Long story...but it is an OCD thing.

Anyway, it seems I at least ought to periodically post some shout-outs to those folks with whom I am keeping in touch. So here is what is up with some of the folks "in the neighborhood."

• My friend Sara introduced me to "flat traveling," an idea with which I immediately fell in love. Check it out: http://learningumbrella.homeschooljournal.net/2008/05/29/flat-traveling/ Turns out, though, it can be a bit of a disappointment in practice if you don't do it with folks you know who actually follow-through. So basically I've decided I need to secure myself a pal for my kidos in each state and elsewhere around the globe...sometime in the next couple of years ;-). Good thing my kids aren't quite old enough for this yet. It's bought me a little time LOL.

• Quinn from one of my parenting boards is worrying about her body, which makes me think of my little girl and whether she'll worry about her body too. Still, it is a big struggle I can relate to and I appreciate Quinn's honesty: http://rainbowmamajourney.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-am-not-beautiful.html

• My mom is introducing me to some fun animation set to music at http://ragtagsf.blogspot.com/. I never got into animation much, but this stuff is beautiful and interesting, and yes, appeals to me.

• The Rev. Ford passed on this artistic depiction of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/2008/05/universal-declaration-of-human-rights.html (advance notice: this declaration has thirty articles, so the video is about twenty minutes, but visually really interesting...I'd be interested in seeing artistic spin-offs of any type)

• The Rev. Ketchem is thinking about science and religion: http://mskittyssaloonandroadshow.blogspot.com/2008/05/importance-of-science-to-unitarian.html. I'm looking forward to when she posts her sermon because I love both science and religion, and I too find them closely intertwined in my life.

• The Rev. Ms. Peacebang is doing those new to ordained ministry a great service by sharing more good tips, this time on graveside services: http://www.peacebang.com/2008/05/29/graveside-ceremony/. It's actually an interesting read for *anyone* who might be attending a graveside service and is not experienced in such services. She also posted a book recommendation that sounds really interesting: http://www.peacebang.com/2008/05/29/practicing-resurrection-a-peacebang-review/. Good thing I've been slow to finalize my 8 x 8 in 08 list ;-). Oh yes, and on her other blog, Beauty Tips For Ministers, she is offering a worthwhile reminder universal to any human being to periodically update one's underwear rather than wearing it ragedy ol' andy like I have been lately: http://beautytipsforministers.com/2008/05/25/a-festival-of-inappropriate-sharing-at-the-festival-of-homiletics/

• I continue to pray for Little Warrior. The latest update is here: http://uuminister.blogspot.com/2008/05/just-update.html. I'm also trying to incorporate love through action into my life, and hope to be writing Lizard Eater with some stories soon: http://www.lovethroughaction.blogspot.com/. I encourage you to join me, even if you have no idea who this little kido is. Here is the short story at the top of the blog: "Little Warrior is my daughter. She's almost three and she's fighting cancer for the second time. Friends far and near have asked what they can do. We said, 'Show love through action.' Do a good deed, then let us know. We'll compile these in a book for Little Warrior to show her how love for her made the world a better place." If you want to better understand the idea you can check out: http://uuminister.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-you-can-do.html. Finally, I highly recommend you check out Little Warrior's "Happy Birthday" video. What a cutie: http://lovethroughaction.blogspot.com/2008/05/happy-third-birthday-little-warrior.html

And lastly, some "posting anytime soon?" shout-outs:

• My oldest sister hasn't posted for a little while, probably busy with the end of the school year and travel to VT and all. Last I heard, she was promising tips on moving. In the meantime, if you haven't visited her site (at least not recently), check out her new project, a rainbarrel: http://awfulbrothers.blogspot.com/2008/05/say-say-oh-playmate.html.

• My "little" brother (http://www.sunthroughleaves.blogspot.com/) and his wife (http://www.chickadeescout.blogspot.com/) are probably doing the newlywed bliss/lovebird hide-away time, or maybe they are traveling (I never did ask them about post-wedding plans), but before the wedding my brother did post some thought-provoking conversation starters on polar bears, government, and responsibility. And his wife-- also before the wedding, of course-- has been posting some great photos including of some delicious looking food she and my bro have whipped up and some of the plants in their lives.

• My nephew is apparently too busy learning how to use "the force" lately to post on his blog, but he's a cutie so here's my little auntie brag: http://amazingadventuresofdante.blogspot.com/2008/04/force.html

• My dad is a "weekend poster" and seems to have been too busy with the wedding and related travel, work crunches, etc. to have posted too recently, but I really, really appreciated his post on what a college education should be about: http://colin-quodlibet.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-to-learn-in-college.html. By the way, I heard a piece on NPR about a book discussing and critiquing universities as businesses as much as educational institutions, etc. Sounded interesting.

Galileo

First, one more picture from work. It is not a good one, but it's a little slice of nature anyway.



Various notes...

House

1. Our offer is in on the house. Within 24 hours, we'll know whether it has been accepted (but even if it is accepted, of course, that doesn't mean we're in the "clear" because then there will be inspections and further negotiation, etc). I think we put in a very competitive offer. Someone could still beat us out, but we were trying to also be as gentle as we could be on our bank account despite the good chance that this will be a bidding war in the end. My agent said she'd call if she heard anything at all about another offer coming in so we could re-write our offer if desired. No call yet, so baited breath...

2. With the offer, I submitted the letter. I asked my agent about letters, and she said they were a fine thing to do, and that sometimes personalizing the offer helps. After reading it, she said she could go either way. On further discussion, we eliminated only this: "We will present to you the best offer we can afford..." We kept the letter exactly as-is otherwise, and went ahead and put it in with the offer.

3. If all goes well, we'll be moving next month.

4. Things I am thinking about now:

• Giving notice to our landlord


• Pool safety and also pool covers-- options. Also, caring for pools, salt water system conversions, etc.


• The lead inspection-- how to minimize costs related to lead abatement.


• The utility bills. For heat and hot water, given the use of oil and single zone heating, we are looking at a huge monthly bill. We're wondering if converting to gas is possible in this house, but I didn't notice a gas line. Maybe at least converting to zones? Electric? What's the cost of all this? When can we do this? It is anticipated that next year's oil will go up to $7/gallon! Those predicting the fossil fuel economy is crumbling before our eyes, starting with oil, just might be correct yet!


• Other environmental-economical issues on the domestic front: Is biking/bussing to work now an option (it is a flat and straight shot, but I am a little concerned about safety because the streets out here are crazy and the drivers are crazier). How far is the nearest grocery store from this house, and can we walk there with a wagon...what kind of sidewalks or lack thereof would the route involve? Can we get a wood stove and start stockpiling wood for next winter in case there is a fossil fuel crisis? Can one build a small raised bed vegetable garden on a small plot of concrete...and how does a novice with no natural gardening abilities go about getting started with such a project? How much does a push mower cost and where can we get one so we can replace our old gas mower (which we liked a lot for our former large lawn)?
• The roof-- how much life is left on it and what to do next and will this become part of the negotiations.


• Dog poop-- where will our dog go poop? *That* is the question.


• Neighborhood schools-- will I ask to visit our new neighborhood school and consider a placement for M. there next year in the preschool he gets via his IEP?


• Tax money. We could use some for closing costs, etc. Have we received any yet? What is on its way? What will we be waiting for, for a while?


• How to stay focused at work with all this going on! I can't stop my mind from going a million miles a minute right now. Eeek.


• How will I cope with the disappointment if this doesn't work out? If our offer isn't accepted or if things come unraveled in negotiations?
• And where or where is my trusted Virgin Homeowners Manual? I love that book and want to dig it out before inspections, which I need to get working on scheduling right away if our offer gets accepted tomorrow because we set our deadline for seven days.

Other

Remember the band Queen? Remember Brian May? Did you know he is Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist? I heard him on NPR today http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90273890, and I loved hearing him talk about the way his worlds intermix. What a joy!

On the marketplace beat

As talk of recession becomes more and more dominant in the public discourse, I find myself challenged to balance my views of the long-time human practice of predicting impending doom with the fact that yes, bad things do happen. The depression happened. Recessions happen. People lose jobs and houses. I could lose either or both. We all could. Things could get really messy around here.

While putting on my shoes to head out to work this morning, the image of the famous photo at left, Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother (1936), flashed through my mind. The woman in the photo is Florence Owens Thompson (who later said she wished Lange had not taken her photo reportedly because Lange did not give her any compensation, did not send her a copy of the photo, and did not take her name or ask her anything about her story, etc.). She was thirty-two years old when this image was taken. That is, very close to the age I am now.

In many ways, my family is among the especially financially vulnerable right now. This possible recession has been precipitated by a housing crisis rip tide that we were swept into. We are carrying a rent and a mortgage at the moment as we live over 3000 miles from the home we own, a home which we have been desperately trying to sell for over a half year now. We've had to talk about foreclosure, though fortunately we do believe that we can avoid it.

The home we are renting is heated by oil. Before we knew what it would cost to heat this home, we spent $800 on oil in a matter of twenty days. We live in a rather cold climate.

In terms of income, I support my four-person family on a low middle class salary, with plans for my dw G to supplement this with her working class earnings. My job is not among the particularly secure. Our savings were wiped away in our move. We are already living beyond our means, despite the fact that we have no other debt besides our mortgage and home equity (which we took out to prepare to sell our home before the market took the dive that it did, and which also has actually and ironically been paying our mortgage) and that we are conservative spenders living a pretty simple life. It wouldn't take much to correct this, to get our budget back on track, if only the housing market could make it out of this slump. It is the housing that is killing us.

Predictions of the immediate financial future of this country and the world seem to vary wildly. One interviewee on NPR (Marketplace, I believe), who had proper qualifications, claimed that based on the patterns of previous recessions, we can safely bet that if we go into an actual recession, we are going to come out of this much more quickly and much more safely than folks are predicting. Many others are recommending that folks batten down the hatches. They are taking a moderate stance. They are explaining that this, like all recessions, are a natural correction/pendulum swing in the marketplace and that things will get pretty bad for a while but that we should all ride this out with some sense of patience and calm because at some point, we are going to come out of this. I've heard multiple people in this camp say, "Just start storing some nuts for the winter."

On the other end of the scale, there are a few who are predicting a devastating and long-lasting financial turn for the worst. A buddy of mine online, who apparently successfully predicted the "housing market boom" that occurred over the last couple of years, is suggesting that we all prepare for this to become not only a full blown recession, but for the recession to develop into a depression worse than "The Great Depression." The reason? Our whole economy is built around having cheap energy, and we are depleting fossil fuels at a breathtaking speed. Of particular concern, OIL. Batten down the hatches is an understatement for her recommendations. Think Y2K.

Here are the links she recommended:
http://www.richardheinberg.com/
http://www.peakoil.com/
http://www.energybulletin.net/
http://www.postcarbon.org/
http://transitionculture.org/
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
http://www.kunstler.com/

She basically is suggesting that we all prepare to be as independent of the economy (built on finite fossil fuels) as we can get. Stockpile food while you build a garden that you can use to feed your family. Harvest rainwater. Find ways to cook without cooking fuel. Move close to the places you need to go. Find ways to light your home without electricity and stockpile candles. Get a wood stove and secure wood sources. Consider moving to a climate without extreme hot and cold.

(more of Florence Owens Thompson from Dorothea Lange)

These are good earth-saving if not money-saving, and thus, potentially family-saving suggestions. However, if she's right, I fear my family is doomed. Not only did I just move over 3000 miles from a place of moderate, survivable temperatures to a place with extreme cold in the winter and extreme heat in the summer, but I also have not the slightest green thumb nor do-it-yourself ability. And since I've just moved to a rental home, I don't have the power to insulate, start a garden, install a wood burning stove, replace windows, nor do anything else to improve our chances of survival, at least not without permission from the landlord. And it is probably not in my best interests to invest in this rental home where I have a short-term lease, unless I end up signing for a longer lease or am committed to buying it down the road.

Of course, as another online buddy pointed out, the most extreme end of this side of the spectrum lands smack dab in conspiracy theory: http://www.projectcamelot.net/norway.html. And someone else aptly concluded that as humans, we tend to predict the apocalyptic in these types of scenarios. She's right. People have been predicting the end of civilization since the beginning of civilization. People have seen reason to have no hope for at least as long as history has been recorded in writing. Consider for example, this quote, which I've seen attributed to Hesiod of 8th century B.C.

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint" - Hesiod, 8th century B.C.

Perhaps we not only tend toward the apocalyptic, but also the apocryphal.

So yes, bad things can and do happen, and I will try to be disciplined enough in the next month or two to indeed batten down the hatches here. There is much I can't control, but I can at least start with these :

• Pay off some large bills that have gone unpaid for far too long...work on my credit score
• Get a renter in the home we own
• Re-evaluate our monthly budget and cancel any services we no longer use, etc.

At the same time, fretting over a recession is just going to contribute to the emotional response that seems to be dooming the stock market right now. While I find it an interesting intellectual exercise to consider how folks would respond to a depression in these modern times of ours when we are used to living longer, for instance (a post for another day, perhaps), I don't find it particularly calming to my own already high stress level to predict what may come to be known as apocalyptic and apocryphal stories. I'm visualizing instead, a stable future...for my family, the United States, and the world.