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We all have a lot of fun on this site with our ongoing theme of pushing wrinkly dissembling bearshitters down open manhole covers, steel fire escapes and empty elevator shafts,, but time in South Florida can really change one’s perspective.
Brothers and sisters, there are fewer more important imperatives for the ongoing health of our civilization than a reverance for our elderly citizens. Think of it — our aged are our only living link with history. Each is a conduit to the past alive and inextinguishable. Those of you lucky enough to still have all four grandparents still with you and sentient (I have none alive) have a veritable treasure trove of personal and historical information unique to your own ancestral past.
Even those of you with living parents (I’m one for two, unfortunately) can still reach back to a period before your birth where those before you confronted the same irascible problems and uncomfortable situations you struggle with every day.
Let’s not be hubristic. There is not brave new world, and the errors and intransigencies of this life have been painted and repainted on the walls of caves and castles many time before this. Why not take the opportunity, while it’s available to us, to plumb the depths of history, even as it stands before us, weathered, mellowed and perhaps past the cheap cynicism that mars the not-yet old.
Reach out — today if you can– and have an elderly friend or relative over for lunch or dinner. Ask them about their youth, and what times were like for them and their family. You will be well compensated for your time and interest, I promise you.
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What do you know? [[SLV]] is kicking Dungeons & Dragons Geek arse in a plummeting-down-the-elevator-shaft fashion. Who’d a thunk it?
Platinum has awoken as well. Dont’ forget about Stillwater Mining Company [[SWC]] , North American Palladium, Ltd. [[PAL]] and [[PTM]] . I share with you my good will, and my winning ways (ahem [[TBT]] ) as I head off into the mists of South Florida, to do “kids stuff & shit.”
Best to you all.
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Great post ……..Again!
I really enjoyed watching this video of Munger….this guy has seen every scam in the book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtvTOJISXKg
Thanks for posting that KC. Great video.
In some ways, I think Munger may be the more valuable partner of BKRA.
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WTF? Munger says that Larry Summers is “terrifically smart”.
That would be a FAIL.
Summers is smart.
Just flawed.
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Old people smell funny
No I don’t!
too much zicam
LOL! I think she’s on an all-Zicam diet.
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Funny you should mention time with old folk, as I just met with my acct of the old folk genre; he was regaling the time his family was (luckily) forced out of Germany in 1938. Not exactly good times, but fortuitous, none the less.
That’s a perfect example of priceless history.
I still remember the dignified tanned and leatherned old folk who were members of a beach club where I used to work summers as a teen, with their sharp German/Yiddish accents and their fading blue-black tattoos.
Proud survivors of the camps, they would never speak of that time, and to my chagrin, I was never brash enough to ask.
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Jake, fwiw, this has been a VERY weird winter in Florida weather-wise. Temps have been 15 degrees colder than normal on a daily basis for the last 2-3 months. We have no snow, but the cloud cover & wind chill on the coastlines make it not nearly as comfortable as typically expected.
Hope the weather cooperates for you and yours during your stay.
Yeah, I’ve been coming down here for years, and the last two have been two of the more cold visits since I was a kid in the late seventies/early eighties.
Global warming my ass.
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Excellent post, Jake. I was taught this lesson about listening and respecting the elderly way back in the 80’s when I was sitting next to an 80+ year old neighbor and I thought “Oh shit, I’m gonna have to listen to this guy talk about the old days”. He leaned over and said “Don’t be afraid of nuclear power…I was around when electricity was just becoming popular and everyone was afraid of it”. WHEN ELECTRICTY WAS NEW??? HOLY SHIT I better listen to this guy. And it was one of the most memorable conversations of my life. We Americans should take a page out of the books of some of the other cultures in the world who revere their elderly. That’s what is wrong today. Americans revere the famous and rich. We need to sit with, listen and respect our elders. Then, once you get everything out of them you need, kick ’em down the elevator shaft. (just kidding)
SLV!!
It’s felt like an age since I’ve actually talked to anyone on this site, on account of how busy I’ve been. How’ve you been doing Jake? Enjoy the Olympics?
Yes, I actually enjoyed them more than I can ever remember. Probably because we had some winners this year. The women’s skating was also astounding in its quality. My wife is a big fan so we always end up watching at least a bit of it, and I don’t think I remember a time with so few falls, and such graceful performances. That young woman from S. Korea was sublime.
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The opening ceremonies were all I really got to see. As luck would have it, the first country I saw enter was Greece, while enjoying a beer and a jack daniels burger at a pub in a local town. My family was confused why I broke out laughing.
I’ve always wanted to go to one of the games; maybe I’ll try and make the summer games in Brazil. I’ve got a friend down there I’ve been meaning to see.
Cold as a weutches (sic) teet when i was down at the Mojo Mansion. Hope it’s warmer for you guys.
Have you seen LIWA today? I have some and pretty sure you picked up some too a while back.
LIWA was the winner of last years Annual stock pick competitions pick for this year. So this is not unexpected. We have 4k btw.
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It’s been cold at night, but not terrible during the day. Some rain this morning, but sunny now, going down to the beach w. the kids.
Saw Mo playing in a tennis tourney yesterday and had a nice conversation with the lovely Mrs. Hurley of Buffalo, NY (originally), which somewhat prompted this thread.
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Sold mine into the run up today
Looking to get back in on a pullback
Also, in regards to your post, i’m watching the “Band of Brothers” mini series on HBO for about the 40th time since it aired about ten years ago (can’t get enough of it). I don’t know if you’ve seen it but if you haven’t you should. Every time i watch it, it shakes me to my core. It’s such a strange feeling. To hear from their mouths what those guys went through and to see what had to do to survive leaves me questioning, after every episode, what i would have done and how i would have handled myself in their situation. The bravery, the comradery, and the selflessness that that group of men had is inspiring. And it makes you want to spend more time with that generation.
Yes, HBO’s finest work, I’d say.
I think I got it for Mo some years back, btw.
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BoB is arguably the greatest piece of TV-feature making, ever.
The long-awaited “pseudo sequel” The Pacific premieres in a couple weeks, also on HBO. Should be a good one: http://www.hbo.com/the-pacific/about/video/trailer-5.html?autoplay=true
Very nice post Jake.
good post.
I just was with my grandmother sunday, she is 98, born in 1911 (she’ll be 99 this year), our topic of the day was the great depression and how she made it thru and her stories of all the people in town and how hard times were. This of course first hand and her memory is top notch, she can remember everything as if it were yesterday.
I won’t get into details, but for the 5 hours we talked about the subject, and her first hand experiences with it, it makes me more able to see what we could go thru.
Artist…you are a stud!
I listened very quietly to your comments on Harley….construction ….CRE….
Man I’m sick of this recession and weather….
I liked things better when everyone was leveraged up….. much mo fun.
Ha….I just failed the flash card addition on the spam…..How fucking old am I?
yep, that is the very key reason Harley is in the dumps, the majority of sales were by people who took equity lines out on their homes (as prices were rising every year 2000-2007) and went out and bought a hawg, that free money is gone and dried up and not only has it dried up, but alot of folks who bought that hawg are now selling it to raise cash, and not only are the new bikes setting on showroom floors but used ones are way down in resale value and therefore anyone looking to buy a Harley now is going used, not new, and even then the prices are half what they were just 3 years ago.
and I do not see it getting better, but I see it getting worse.
Artist- do yourself and your kin a favor and visit this fine woman as much as possible with recording device in hand. Then, transcribe.
Your children and grandchildren will thank you for it.
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way ahead of ya.
I write it all down.
Quality post.
true.
I loat my last grandparent before october last year. But she was having dementia for years before she passed. I loved her, and i believe you state the truth when you shend time with your elders. You learn things that cannot be learned anywhere else.
God bless.
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“Brothers and sisters, there are fewer more important imperatives for the ongoing health of our civilization than a reverance for our elderly citizens.”
You sound like Tom Bwokwa trying to hump a book.
Listened to, OK.
Recorded, surely.
Cared for, yes.
But revered? Fuck no.
Take people one at a time and think for yourself Jake …decide which INDIVIDUALS to revere. Unearned reverence is bad for the revered, the revering, and for society. Just being old is not enough.
Remember, young fools grow up to be old fools.
Remember this, young fool.
Even old fools have experience that may be distilled into wisdom. Curse not the acorns ye may find along the path…
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“Remember this, young fool”
Feel better Jake?
You revert to name-calling any time anyone disagrees with your pontifications. The fact is that you pigeonhole everything based on labels: old/young, Repub/Dem, lib/conservative, etc. I suspect that, in your personal life, you surround yourself with slow-witted, compliant agreers – just like you do here on your blog.
Anyway, try not to browbeat the family for a couple days – it’s their vacation too.
Try… please try to bank your anger for just this one night, Purdy.
Make it a sacrifice for history, or for yourself, whatever warms yours cold hard heart.
I will keep you in my prayers, though it may anger you.
Denninger is not your solace.
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LOL at your projection. We’ve discussed this problem.
The “problem” of me “browbeating my family,” etc. etc.?
Get help, son.
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Thanks Jake…….
You’re welcome.
Silver banging $17, as we speak, dollar down 21 cent….
” … and there was much rejoicing…”
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Yea well I went a bit short today….. so no joy here…
I dont have much of a country colection but this is some good stuff….be the first on your block…
Kinda fits in has an old guy talking at the start…. I do call the Bluegrass home so enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLvziNM2eyE&feature=channel
Excellent, thoughtful post, Jake.
Growing old is a blessing and brings mental perspective nearly always missing in the young. I don’t enjoy the physical part of getting older though, but that is part of the journey.
I’m now over the age where I could drop dead on any given day, and that alone brings thought.
Thanks for your comments MX. I would think incipient mortality would sharpen the mind, but I imagine it also affords one the comfort of resignation as well.
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Obama marching his Democratic caucus into fixed bayonets with the anti-democratic reconciliation process..WSJ calls it an “Abuse of Power.”
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Sold RGLD @ 47.38 today, thanks for pointing it out when you did!
HI HO SiLVo…….
lol — see next post.
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Dare I say that MVG has outperformed SLW ….
Not today it didn’t.
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Since we bottomed 2/5 …. just saying