Nearly a quarter-century after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is both sad and amusing to see a handful of backwards states on this planet still clinging to bizarre and discredited ideologies. I actually kind of hope Cuba doesn’t leap into the arms of capitalism, because within a decade it would just be a mishmash of grossness, like Cancun, Cabo, and Acapulco all rolled into one giant resort. It’s probably more charming as a socialist state. (more…)
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.
Money Can’t Buy Taste
I know almost nothing about the inner workings of cars, but I’ve always known what I’ve liked from an aesthetic sense. Back in the early 80s, the object of lust was the Ferrari 308gts. Today, while in my car, I saw a Ferrari in front of me which convinced me that the company has utterly lost its way. It looked like a Mazda or something. And this was, in fact, the second one of these models I had seen in as many days. I don’t know what these cost – $200,000? More? – but it looks like crap on four wheels. I guess the guy driving it figures that if it says Ferrari, it screams “success”. I’d say it screams “sucker.” What a bulbous, bloated bleah. (more…)
Trading Philosophers
A thoughtful Sloper sent in two videos he strongly recommended during these trying times.
The Bitchez Throw in the Towel
ZeroHedge registered its domain name on January 11, 2009, and in a hallmark contrarian moment, they sprung into existence at almost precisely the market bottom in early 2009. They have, since that time, been predicting the end of the world, and their readers (among whom I proudly count myself) have been cheering, pointlessly, all along the way. Doom is always just around the next bend. (more…)
