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.

Happy Little Trees

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I can’t draw. But I’ve always been fascinated by people who could, and part of the reason is a feeling that I’ve never discussed with anyone before.

It’s not that it’s particularly embarrassing or anything. But as a child I distinctly remember what would happen when someone would go up to the chalkboard and carefully draw something out. Or perhaps I’d see a television program in which someone was painting. Anytime anyone was slowly and carefully doing something illustrative, I got this……….funny feeling. (more…)

Sacrebleu

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Not that my area doesn’t have its own problems, but this is ridiculous……….

0412-france

So the French already have a government-sanctioned 35 hour “work” week. So, on top of this ordained laziness, they want to outlaw after-hours communication related to work?

There’s a reason you would be hard-pressed to conjure up the innovations, entrepreneurs, and great new companies coming from France. The government conditions the population to basically kick back and enjoy life. Meh. I’d rather work seven days a week like I do now. If I were French, honestly, I would be embarrassed about this law.

Watching For The Goldman Ticket

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In a world filled with innuendo, false flags, and more one thing remains constant: What is Goldman Sachs (GS) up to and more importantly – why?

No matter what one “thinks” about this firm one thing is incontrovertible: they didn’t get where they are because they’re stupid. Far from it.

There’s probably no other company on the world stage that has had more influence in financial matters than GS. Love them or hate them, it doesn’t matter. Yet, to ignore them or to take your eyes off as to discount even their smallest moves as “irrelevant” is at one’s own peril. For GS doesn’t make any move (even taking out the trash) without first considering all the ramifications or exploitations that can come of it first. Period. (more…)

Short Palo Alto

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My town has changed. When I first came here, in 1984, it was a pretty standard college town. Sure, the houses were kind of pricey, but the look and feel of the place wasn’t that much different than you’d probably get in any other town next to a big, well-known college.

But things have changed a lot lately. And I’ve got to say, the kinds of changes I’m seeing weren’t really apparent during the Internet bubble. For some reason, the self-importance and money-worship didn’t really take root until recently, after the financial crisis. (more…)