Revised expectations

Sabbath eve. July 3, 2009

I’ve had several topics in mind—even went so far as to jot down a line or two in my notebook. Had I written this ahead of time it would have been about something else, but now I sit down with an open mind; another Sabbath eve approaches, and none of the shit I wanted to say seems to matter.

The heat was once again rough this week—the weatherman's numbers were slightly lower, but I can attest to what it felt like out in the sun—goddamned hot. Apparently so hot that a couple of elderly women in San Antonio died from heat stroke.

My chickens and dogs, neither of which can sweat, hide in the shade and pant. A few hens succumbed, even so.

I met a fellow poster today, Old river rat, his handle. We picked tomatoes from the remnants of my garden in Seguin. The sun was hot. I don’t give a shit if you’re raised in a turban and the sands of Saudi Arabia, standing in the direct sun of that garden was hot.

I got a call while we worked. Daniel Pace is buying movie rights to Contrabando. He says he will make a pilot based on the first chapter or two of the book, then perhaps create further episodes if that works out. It does seem like a more suitable format for such a dense body of work. The guy is Argentinean. Somehow that also seems appropriate.

My hands spent the week tearing down and moving greenhouses I bought from a nearby cactus nursery. The owner died a few years back; his wife has watched what once was a multimillion dollar per year business employing upwards of 80 people turn to shit.

I feel like a hyena feasting on the carcass of someone else’s work. I tried to convince my dad to buy the entire place, but it doesn’t look like that’ll happen. Too much distance between what my father thinks is a viable number in today’s economy and the expectations she would have from its considerably higher recent value.

Buying expensive ornamental cacti is not exactly a crucial expenditure in today's climate.

I can’t help but compare that cactus farm to our country. The damage being done to her farm and to our country ensures that we will not be able to rebuild what once was. I’m buying houses that cost her husband $10,500 for $1,000; removal of the houses creates awful eyesores and further degrades the value and potential productivity of her land. It’s sad to watch, but:

I can’t afford to pay $10,500 for a greenhouse and then grow food crops in it. I might be able to make the equation work at the salvage value.

Economic breakdowns destroy existing entities on one hand; our continued needs for survival will create new opportunities on the other. Like the owner of that farm, we as a nation live in a time when we will be required to revise expectations and adapt or slowly and surely perish trying to keep an unsustainable system alive.

Right now, both Democrats and Republicans and the best and brightest economists from both camps are trying to keep the unsustainable alive.

The hyenas wait.

Don July 3, 2009 - 8:12pm

Don's diary | printer friendly version |

( categories: Miscellany )

We have had

a couple of very expensive ornamental cacti in the White House, each succulents of American virtues.

http://mauberly.blogspot.com/

mauberly July 3, 2009 - 9:43pm

LOL - Some were more prickly than others.

“The absence of any US-Iran bilateral channel...may have the perverse effect of reinforcing Iranian interest in progressing in the nuclear realm so that the US will be forced to take it seriously and engage it directly." ~ Richard Haass

JustPlainDave July 3, 2009 - 9:52pm

prickly...

freudian, but it always puts me in mind of the classic Carlin: "You can prick your finger, but don't finger your prick!! no, no!!"

-5.75,-4.05
"God gives men a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time." -- Robin Williams

justadood July 3, 2009 - 11:26pm

Just in case

anyone thinks you're bullshitting about the heat, let me affirm that it was really hot at your place today. You know it's bad when a nice dry 100 degree breeze feels good. Course, we could have got under that tree about 20 minutes sooner than we did...

Distrust anyone who wants to teach you something.

OldLakeRat July 3, 2009 - 11:05pm

yes two

I think 82 y/o ladies died- the window ac was off -- most likely they were trying to save on elec bill

JDFTEXAS July 3, 2009 - 11:40pm

Economic breakdowns destroy ...

... existing entities on one hand; our continued needs for survival will create new opportunities on the other.

Well said and very true. A perfect synopsis for the process that Schumpeter called creative destruction.

The only problem is that hard core free market fetishists will always be ideologically driven to somehow define this as progress.

quax July 4, 2009 - 12:20am

What are the greenhouses for?

I am wondering what a greenhouse is used for, in your area?

It certainly is not for retaining heat or extending the growing season, as it would be used for in northern climes.

magicCarpet July 4, 2009 - 1:18am

I'm curious too

How will you use them?

Doug Richardson July 4, 2009 - 7:39am

Oddly enough

it is necessary to extend the season (plant early) in order to avoid the killing heat of summer. We use greenhouses to start seedlings like tomatoes and peppers in late winter months. Broccoli, cabbage and other slow-to-start-growing plants are succeptible to surviving late season (fall) insects and weeds and need protection until they get to a certain size.

I plan to put shade cloth on a couple of houses to see if I can extend the amount of time tomatoes and peppers will produce in late spring and summer. Comes a point around these parts that the sun blisters fruit and vegetables before they can ripen.

In recent years we get very warm temperatures early in the season--as high as 90 degrees in February and early March. Then late in the spring (late for us, anyway) we get a frost or two, usually right before Easter. 90 degrees one day, freezing the following morning, then back to 80 degrees and dead plants. I've seen tomato plants with green fruits already set and growing be destroyed by these late freezes (happens every year of late).

The ability to cover plants on that one or two days can be the difference between making a crop or not.

Insects are another consideration. Swarms of grasshoppers or army worms can wipe out crops.

We also can grow out of season crops like tomatoes with minimal energy expenses during the winter. I haven't seen snow or ice in over ten years--most cold spells are short in duration. Fresh vine ripened tomatoes bring premium prices in the winter.

We may try herbs and other specialty crops as well--things like strawberries or blueberries, both of which can't stand this sun.

Selling tomato plants and pepper plants to others can also be a viable business. Onions as well.

I did inhale.

Don July 4, 2009 - 8:34am

Ahh c'mon

y'all...you thought Don was going to grow some "holy smokes"!

Distrust anyone who wants to teach you something.

OldLakeRat July 4, 2009 - 12:39pm

Here's Hoping That You See...,

..., some green from both the houses and the movie rights from the "Contrabando" project. Glad to hear it is back on the burner.

As for any other green shoots..., I think Denninger over at The Market Ticker pretty much shoots them down today.

http://market-ticker.denninger.net/

I may have to brave a venture into The Garden..., in spite of my earlier vow!!!!

Scott R. July 4, 2009 - 1:29pm

More revised expectations

Denninger's 4th of July Mid year check and one of the scariest forecasts I've seen. From the article:

I am quickly running out of possible scenarios to prevent a severe deflationary depression from taking place. By "severe" I mean 20%+ U3 unemployment, GDP contraction of at least 25%, and a possible loss of federal funding capacity leading to the immediate destruction of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, a 50% reduction of defense spending and near-complete-elimination of all other Federal Programs due to a "sudden stop" in the ability to fund Treasury issuance. Yes, it could get that bad, and it could happen a lot faster than you think.

I wish there was good news - "green shoots" - that I could honestly find and report. There are not. There is only more obfuscation and fraud, which I have and will continue to chronicle here in The Ticker, not so much in the belief that government gives a damn, but rather so that historians have it available later and, if the collapse I believe is possible does materialize, the angry proletariat with pitchfork and torch will know where to properly direct their wrath.

Government needs to lock up the psychopaths that have run the asylum for the last 20 years and let adults into the room to rationally discuss the inevitable and how to best deal with it. They're refusing now, just as they did when Bush was President. This is not a partisan debate - even having lost badly in November the Republicans are wasting time with the same old canards about "Tax and Spend" instead of attacking the problem at the root: fraudulent credit issuance, much of which they championed and enabled themselves.

Happy Independence Day

I did inhale.

Don July 4, 2009 - 8:06pm

archdruid report

Where economics fails

Yes.

I did inhale.

Don July 5, 2009 - 11:08am

Love the parallel he draws between the US ...

... economy and Michael Jackson's life.

quax July 5, 2009 - 6:37pm

Thanks

When I read your pieces, a number of things occur to me simultaneously; both the vast differences in our lives as well as all that is similar. Contrasts and congruities.

"Lord! What Fools these Mortals be!"

Doug Richardson July 6, 2009 - 6:55pm

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