Slope of Hope Blog Posts

Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.

Not This Time

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There is hardly anything different about the experience we're going through right now than what we went thorugh late last June - – – the tear gas, the pledges that this austerity would solve everything, the declarations that everything was fixed – – it's all exactly the same.

But there's one thing that's going to be different. I'm not getting sucked into believing it. Last summer, I spent almost all my free time at Stanford Sierra Camp – – the time I should have been hiking, exploring, and enjoying myself – – – plopped in front of a laptop and sweating out the Greek vote drama. It was a complete and total waste of time. I was stupid to worry; I was stupid to think anything would get solved with another band-aid; and I was stupid to spend my time watcing politicians instead of enjoying life.

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Greek Fires

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The Greek Parliament passed the austerity measures required for the Eurozone rescue yesterday night, and the spontaneous street celebrations in Athens are showing that, for the moment at least, the greek public seem to be solidly behind the deal, even if those celebrations seem a little over-exuberant by non-mediterranean standards. It's reassuring to see however that the greeks are united, as they undertake a program of austerity and reform which might well prove overambitious for a more weak and divided nation:

  120213 Athens Burning

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Greco-Roman Wrestling

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It may sound odd for someone like me, but I'm glad the Greek vote passed. If it had failed, someone would have come up with some dumb-ass plan to "save" everything and undo the vote. As it is now, the bulls got precisely what they wanted. The Greek people have been sold up the river. So all the good news that can be had is already out there. Lap it up. Because there's not a doubt in my mind that Greece is ultimatley doomed, and the Euro is going to be drowning in due time.

Below is the "everything is saved and everything's going to be great again!" rally…..

0211-euro