My personal “to-do” list is about 10-miles long and it will likely take most of the weekend to get it done.
Sometimes, there is – as a mentor trained me years ago – no alternative but to write it all down, prioritize the list and then just devote time on task.
The new treadmill that was so graciously replaced by Schwinn (now Nautilus) is sitting in the shop. So it a replacement motor I found on eBay for the old treadmill. The lesson worth sharing? You can find damn near anything on eBay if you’re patient enough.
(Continues below)
That is not at the top of the list, however: Mowing the yard is. With another 3/4-inch of rain in the gauge Thursday, this part of Texas is totally benefitting from “climate change” which is decried locally as a farce.
The recording studio parts should be in today, so we can move ahead with plans for the podcasts September’ish.
And Elaine has been given the task of setting up our next trip out to Aridzona (sic) to look at potential homes and visit with friends. All made possible by the brother-in-law who still volunteers to come out and supervise the cat in our absence.
“Pretend You’re Going to Die”
My list-management mentor explained how to always put things in proper perspective.
“If you were going to die an hour from now, what is the one thing you need to get done?”
Pretty terrible way to think (though you get used to it, after a while).
That’s where I got the urge to get most tasks distilled down into one-hour, or shorter, blocks of time. Elaine hates my sometimes slapdash approaches, but it gets tasks off the list.
“After you get that one important thing done, pretend you’ve just been given a second hour to live. What would you do then?”
It’s a good personal management tool that helps to facilitate urban survival – and continued employment, too.
Think like you own the company. Maybe if you embezzle enough, you can.
Enjoy it. I think you have at least a day left.
Mickey D’s
Having suffered through two days of missed meals (not being able to keep Outlook entries right – though another reader in the comments section reported a similar time warp this week) I was ready for a fish sandwich after the blood draw and visit with the doc Thursday.
Sat down at the counter and had a marvelous chat with a black gentleman, about my age. As we both watched the news coming out of Barcelona, he turned to me and remarked:
“You know, I think the whole world has gone nuts.”
We worked on the problem of when we passed that final tipping point – when was the moment when America went totally bonkers – but try as we did, after the discussion, we ended up agreeing that if there is an Almighty, that’d be the most graceful way to sort things out, once and for all.
But then it struck me that it’d be just plain rude to wake all the peacefully sleeping dead just to come watch the End of the World. He agreed and said the best thing would be to stay alive until then.
Nice fellow. Wish the world was full of nice people. As we parted, I noticed a woman of just over 300 pounds with was “adorned” with skeleton tattoos and I just shook my head.
Seems as those there are three kinds of people in the world: The nice ones, who believe is something bigger than themselves. Then there are the not-at-all nice who are sure they are the Almighty. In between there are the undecided.
If you’re looking for a great exercise in “UrbanSurvival” try going into restaurants every lunch hour and just talking to someone at the next table. I’ve seen what I think is a subtle shift in the ratio of good-to-bad.
Nothing that would be noticed in the pop psychology press, because no one goes out and surveys “Are you crazy?” (who would answer honestly?) on a statistically meaningful basis. But if you do your own polling, it’s pretty interesting to see how people let themselves get kicked around emotionally by the mindless media screed.
When I got back out to the ranch, Elaine had two Kindles and CBSNow all streaming the body count from Spain. We’re all susceptible to it…what’s been called the “looky lou drivers” who hold up traffic by slowing to a crawl going by accidents.
National What?
Walls being built – or not – this is still National Fajita Day.
Zeus the Cat is still pissy this morning because we didn’t fly in lobster or bring home some of the monster shrimp he loves for National Black Cat Day which was Thursday. I explained to him that this is America and we don’t observe British holidays.
Somewhere in a hiss, he mentioned if that’s the case, why are we planning of Fajitas (and margaritas) today? I might have raised my voice a bit about inclusion and diversity…he slunk off down the hall.
With Zippo-Deluxe having insulted me, I took to the task of monetizing National Fajita Day for ME.
Bingo!!! How about a diet book chronicling the various food days listed by the National Day Calendar?
The diet begins with Fajitas and since this is also National Ice Cream Pie Day – this sure sounds like Ure kind of diet.
Tomorrow is National Soft Ice Cream day and Sunday is National Pecan Pie Day. Is this a dream diet, or what?
If you look at the calendar here, you see that Monday brings spumoni ice cream and since it’s also National Senior’s Day, we’ll be having the ice cream while looking into the mirror.
Tuesday’s diet would center around Pecan Torte’s but the 24th looks good: Peach Pies and Waffles.
The 25th is Whiskey Sour day (I can’t make this stuff up!). It’s also National Kiss and Make-Up Day, which I believe may be related to too many whiskey sours, but that’s just a guess.
A few days throughout the year don’t seem to have a “food assignment” so for this great diet book I’m thinking of writing, those would be days to fast. Although, you may want to have something sugary handy. Since most of the food days involve a disproportionate number of sweets, we don’t want you dropping into a diabetic coma.
OK, off to perform our daily sanity check. The headlines offer the obvious (foregone) conclusion, but we like to hope one of these days, everyone will get off their mood drugs safely and we go back to the old (sane) way of being.
Remember: Everything’s a Business Model and the Secret to UrbanSurvival is moving or acting before the rest of the herd. Be in front of the herd of run over by it.
Write when you get rich,
George@ure.net
Back in the late 1930, early 1940s Sci-fi writer Robert Heinlien predicted “The Crazy Years” a time when a sane person would be at risk of being locked up. His theory was that the increasing pace of social change, wrought by technology, would disconnect most people from a consensus view of reality.
Perhaps the most accurate forecast of any I’ve ever seen.
Everyone’s a star, or a wannabe, that affects mentality.
Everyone’s a star, or might be, just look at me I’m on tv!
Everyone’s a star, bright as a light, dumb as an opinion, might makes right.
Everyone’s a star, just wait your place in line, smile at the camera, now’s your time to shine!
Everyone’s a star, just one more break, or million dollar.
Everyone’s a star, can’t sing? No problem, can’t think, better yet, catch your strip and watch your step!
Everyone’s a star, get your edification, skip your identification, join us, won’t you, so you can shine, too.
That does make total sense! As a kid growing up in the 60s I became used to the mass consumerism that pushed cheap, technology driven goods out to people. I really knew nothing else growing up. We became used to new everything on a continuous basis right up to the present day as opposed to my parents that were simply happy that the war years were over along with the shortages and rationing policies. Most of the earlier generations, being dumbfounded by my generation at least had the remaining space to insulate themselves from what they did not understand.
I was talking to a Korean War vet in the barber shop yesterday who had recently attended a reunion in Oahu, HI and said he’d never go back there again due to the mass of people that had completely ruined the island. I’d been stationed there for a brief time in the early 80s and hated to leave as it was such a wonderful place. This is what happens everywhere I go and is indicative of another “bubble” that we’re in – a population bubble. It’s no different from the rise and fall of rabbit populations that resulted in rabbit drives here in Texas back in earlier years. Things always look good when growth is being experienced but when the environment’s ability to sustain growth is exceeded the inevitable occurs – growth dies, contraction in all markets in the human realm ramps up and a general deterioration of all things related to that population begins which, in our case is just about everything since we consume everything in sight. The ONLY people that can experience any kind of relief from anxiety are the One Percenters that can buy the exclusivity that keeps them far away from the crazies and in contact with their like-minded friends. The end result is always the same, though, but in our case will last longer as we can manage things better than dumb animals … relatively speaking.
Not true, your parents showed you how to handle anxiety. The simple life IS the solution to this anxiety of keeping up and getting crammed in. None of us can take a thing with us except what we take within our heart and between our ears, that’s it. Spend your energies there and that will be time well spent and a life well lived.
The simple life died toward the end of the 60s and into the 70s. I don’t recall, if you’ve said it in earlier postings, where you live but if it’s anywhere close to a large population area you’ve been the proverbial frog in a pot of water being slowly boiled. I’ve lived in 5 major cities growing up as well as others in the military afterward and going back to any of them is a major shock to the sensibilities. It’s one thing to be able to treat people you run into according to the Golden Rule. As Christ said in that rule lies the Law and the Prophets or something to that effect. It’s something else to see the turning that such a population explosion produces. I can’t recall off the top of my head the mouse and rat experiments a social scientist (I think) performed back in the 50s and 60s but it mirrors exactly the behavior patters of humans as we get piled on top of one another as long as the necessities of life are taken care of in an increasingly Socialistic world. The “No Go” areas in cities have been increasing in size and will continue to do so until you wind up with an “Escape from New York” scenario in many of them. My guess is Chicago will be the first. Watch the edges of your own “personal bubble” and see how it’s become smaller and smaller over time.
Barcelona, yet another false flag… yup, they’ll keep ’em coming, cuz everything is a business model, even how “they” control earth. And people think nations are separate – No, the root word “nat” – means, “to be born” – verb “nasci”
Yeah, and you tell Zeus, no more inviting your friends over while you are gone and tearing the place up !! Although I might side with him on the shrimp thing. Being the office manager has got to account for something !!!
George,
Had an interesting thought the other day. Having a formal education as a Mechanical Engineer, it occurred to me that we have this whole “climate change” thing all wrong. It is not man’s emissions of carbon dioxide (and the need for a carbon tax, HA!)that is the problem. According the Law of Conservation of Energy, energy is not lost; merely transformed into another form. This became the basis for my “Aha!” moment. Just for discussion, suppose that by converting wind energy into electricity; we have upset the weather balance. We have transformed the wind energy that moves our weather systems around into electricity and therefore we have disrupted the weather/climate cycle if you will. Since the energy that normally moves cold/warm fronts has been transformed, it is no longer available to push those weather/climate systems about. In effect, man is disrupting the ecosystem by transforming wind energy into electricity. Makes as much sense to me as “cow farts” causes global warming. Solar energy I don’t think is a big an offender. Yes, you are transforming part of the spectrum into electricity, but some still remains to causes the radiant heat gain the earth experiences from solar energy.
But as you have said, “Everything is business model”; and after all GE makes these wonderful wind generators.
Best,
Lloyd Snider
Brilliant
Let see, The Empire, ( USA )is dead. Russia and China are doing everything they can to make the landing of the falling giant as soft as they can, as the entire world is going to suffer, as all financial ties lead to the dead giant. There, simple, right ?
Keep in mind that demographically, Russia is in deep trouble. And China peaks demographically very soon as well. Less consumers, less consumption and a global economy built around consumption implodes. The only growing populations are in Africa and they lack the income to consume on western levels.
George,
The RSS feed for UrbanSurvival no longer updates on My.Yahoo.com page. Last update shown is for 8/15/17. Any ideas on how to fix that?
“You know, I think the whole world has gone nuts.”
I love a good conspiracy theory..all this drama over a statue.
Why now? Why there? It’s been made into a racial issue but my mind says I doubt that’s what originally was behind it. Why wasn’t this statue a concern during Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, etc. Why now. What hasn’t anyone petitioned for it’s removal.. kind of reminds me about the abortion issue that’s always on the campaign floor. It’s a non issue.
The Pied Piper is playing his flute and there are dumbass’s on both sides willing to rise to the occasion and dance to his tune.
I think the person or persons instigating this nightmare should be stopped.
But my guess is the puppet master’s of this are more than likely the puppet master’s that control many things. They just have a thorn that’s been messing up their true agenda pulled to gain ultimate control.
Blue pill (team), red pill (team), keep the masses at war (with each other) so they can never see the real reason for their misery. This is the reason the middle class must be systematically decimated, because it is, for the most part, the middle class, through education, who can see who’s behind the curtain. Without a middle class you have the great unwashed, infighting forever, believing all the propaganda (we have always been at war with [insert current bogeyman here]) while those who rule do so without fear. It seems oh so easy in modern America.
Hey! Thats my handle here! Isn’t there some rule against that? Well, Ok you can borrow it today only…
I agree with your post. But it reads somewhat as though you’re missing an intermediary maybe. Yes I think there’s someone(s) pulling these strings, but to me, the real question is why. Just finished reading a book entitled “People’s Republic” that has a possible answer to that question. So as to not spoil the book, in a nutshell the east and west coasts succeed from the Union, but the reasons why and the outcome are pretty interesting. Decent book, some good action, and more importantly, suggests strongly the “why” part of it all. Hope like hell that dystopian version of the future never comes about, but then I never thought I’d see things the way they are today either.
I’ll change my handle lol sorry.. oh I have to read the book now..
What gets me is the sheer.stupidity of this whole situation..my God tell me they all aren’t that stupid..
You know this statue was commissioned before Mount Rushmore was built or the statue of liberty being commissioned..
Our federal government should be seeking the very few that started this mess the instigating few and make them accountable..
This kind of reminds me me of isis blowing up monuments in the middle East.. a true tragedy..
Read Marx…
We’ve heard from the right-wing “Boy who cried ‘Wolf'” types since 1934 that “First, they’ll take our guns…”
I don’t know who the ubiquitous “They” is, but they undoubtedly will “take our guns.”
But before they do, they must eradicate written and monumental history, so as to rewrite it in agreement with their ideology.
First they’ll take our statues…great call Ray
They’ve already kicked the God out of One nation Under…
just an older news story that comes to mind..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1pGJPMp9fY
It was actually the left wing guys who started that saying.
Hi George.
Yes you can find just about any damn thing on ebay. I once saw on ebay a helmet for a Rocket Fuel Handlers Clothing Outfit for sale. They were used while working on liquid fueled rockets. I didn’t wear one but I worked around guys who did.
Question: Did the comments from “Coping: Real Estate Facts of Life” help you finalize your plans? Inquiring, (nosy), minds want to know!
All the Best!
I read somewhere that the reason things have gone crazy is that the Cubs won the world series
It has upset the natural order of the Universe.Maybr so
When you really know the end is near is when you are watching the super bowl and the Vikings take it 27 /0
at that time.. you either wake up from the nightmare.. or realize that hell has truly frozen over.
George, I grew up in an arid climate (California’s Central Valley), and if you move to AZ, you’ll be able to “pick and choose” your yard design, as lots of plants only grow if you give them water, in a dry landscape; but if you move to the desert, brush up on drip irrigation tech! My folks are still living independently in their home in California and my Dad is always grumbling about his emitters!