Replies

1. 
   JeffHeath | Oct 22, 2009 06:35pm | #1

   What? The economy, or KNOTS.

   I promise to give my opinion on either, or both......ha ha ha.

   Jeff

1. 
   habilis | Oct 22, 2009 06:52pm | #2

   Well, that was the first part of the question; what matters to you?Keep laughing! ;~}pete

1. 
   JeffHeath | Oct 22, 2009 09:09pm | #5

   As far as the Knots goes, this place has changed a lot to me. As a consequence, I don't come as often. I believe it has gone the way of the magazine.....not nearly as interesting as it once was. Could just be me, though. I at least acknowledge that.The economy is terrible in my neck of the woods. My woodworking business has become like a polar bear, nearly extinct. I refuse to lower my prices to compete with the hacks who buy their plywood at home depot, slap on some Behr paint, and call it finished. Unfortunately, with the economy seemingly creating hardship for all levels of the American food chain, I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel for the foreseeable future. For the past 18 years, almost all of my work was being sold to those who I lovingly refer to as the "upper, upper middle class." They live in houses from $600k to $1M+, but they aren't the super rich. These same people are now crying poor because they can't keep up their country club memberships and afford to send Jonny and Susie to college, so I'm not getting hired to do any custom work right now. Wah, wah, wah......I just got a call last week to bid a job for a referral. When I got to her home, she showed me the 10 foot wide wall, with a fireplace in the middle. She wants floor to ceiling cabinets, bookshelves, and full surround mantel, and......oh......she wants to spend around $2500.00......I actually laughed a bit and asked her if she was kidding. She was insulted, and I was outta there in about 10 minutes. Apparently, her friend, who is a wonderful customer of mine, failed to tell her that job I did for her was $15K. It, happens......right?Other than that, the world is spinning at its usual pace.What else would you like to talk about?Jeff

1. 
   polarsea1 | Oct 23, 2009 10:11am | #6

   I read about a theory of parallel and/or serial universes. After reading about the serial universe theory I began to believe that it might be true and then thought: if there are serial universes, there must be an infinite number of them and in that case every iteration of a particular universe must recur an infinite number of times.

   Same old,  same old :-)

1. 
   Eef | Oct 28, 2009 07:13pm | #25

   p,
   possibly without effort.
   eef

2. 
   Tinkerer3 | Oct 24, 2009 08:39pm | #17

   "........I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel......"

   Regretfully, the reason you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel is because the general economy is so bad that they had to shut it off. 

   Why don't you move your operation to Morgantown, WV?  The housing industry is booming.  Least unemployment of any city in the US.  I can just see the bust coming though.

2. 
   9619 | Oct 22, 2009 06:56pm | #3

   Pete,

   Knots doesn't change. It is like a river. The water in the river keeps changing, but the changes in the river only take place over long periods of time.

   We go through ebbs and flows. For a while, there will be lots of hand tool discussions on sharpening and which shoulder plane is best, and which is better, BU or BD. Haven't seen too many of those lately, BUT THEY WILL BE BACK, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.

   People continue to ask which saw they should buy.

   People keep arguing about Norm.

   THings are pretty much the same. That's a good thing. THis is a great place.

   Mel

   Measure your output in smiles per board foot. 

1. 
   habilis | Oct 22, 2009 07:11pm | #4

   Mel,
   nice to talk with you again. But, I beg to differ; someone once said,"you can never step in the same river twice."Interesting thing is, I've been asking this question on a couple different forums, family, friends, strangers, etc.... since 6amCurious how people take the ? and what we focus on.This is a place I come back to, to listen to you, Samson, that crazy guy from New Zea-land, Forest girl, et al...pete

1. 
   philip | Oct 23, 2009 11:20am | #8

   Which crazy guy from New Zealand?? They are all crazy here.Philip Marcou

2. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Oct 28, 2009 05:32am | #22

   pete,

   Things have been going great in Knots.  How's about you?

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   habilis | Oct 28, 2009 08:25am | #23

   Bob,
   'twas an interesting question.
   For me-self, I'm still here, learning, hopefully growing. Health crap reminds me I'm not 18, do what they say and pretend I am.
   Staring death in the face brings up the old drive to do what I can while I am here. Tempered by experience. Getting into making customized mooks and other various martial art apparatus. Working on a Torii gate for the garden. Moon gate is going to be more difficult. Having fun where I can. Many other projects going.
   See the current economic woes from an historical perspective; no surprise.All is good.BUT, I object to a (not to be mentioned) contributors injection of a discussion of narcissism. Does he not know this is all about ME ;~}Thanks for the warm return greetings. Blessings to all,peteWhen Irish eyes are smiling,
   You know there is something afoot.

1. 
   Lataxe | Oct 28, 2009 12:20pm | #24

   Pete, you seek to establish your fact:

   "Does he not know this is all about ME ;~}"

   However, the experiments you have been running to determine that you really are the centre of the universe must be flawed in some way as only this morning the cat proved once more (and without a shadow of a doubt) that he is The Centre of All Things.  I have been taking lessons from him in self-esteem, as he seems to have it down to a fine art.

   His Feline Grace may also have opinions to offer concerning the original question about whether things are getting better.  In his view things are never quite good enough and if matters are not moving towards "perfection for pussycats" then by definition they are getting worse.  But take heart!

   This perfection he seeks is often approximated via simple procedures: lots of catfud at all times; a warm cushion to lie on (otherwise known as a human) with a view across one's domain; pleasant memories about the last time one beat-up an enemy found attempting a breach of that domain.

   In human terms, "better" might translate to: a plate of favourite vittals and a glass of grog, taken whilst in one's favourite chair gazing out across the garden and recalling how one got the better of some irksome fellow down the road or even across the electric telegrapher.  Simple pleasures are best.  Certainly there is no striving and jostling in the "look at me" contests.

   Then there is shed-nirvana..............

   Lataxe, a proto-cat.

    

3. 
   JDBraddy | Oct 23, 2009 10:56am | #7

   All that is reqired for evil to triumph, is for good men, to do nothing.

   What have you done to make the world a better place today?

1. 
   habilis | Oct 23, 2009 11:30am | #9

   I smiled. I laughed. I learned. Told a few how good they are doing. Thanked more. Helped a hard working kid buy a car. I asked a question that has yielded amazing results... Worked, loved and played

4. 
   Lataxe | Oct 23, 2009 12:09pm | #10

   H,

   Just now I yam obsessed with the concept of narcissism.  However, does this mean that judgements of "better or worse" should be entirely subjective - should I go with them Ns, as I may have been infected by this dominant meme anyway, having just stepped out of the "century of the self"......?

   Or, should one consider an account of the better/worse thangs from somewhere other than my own psyche?  This is difficult without a machine to create out-of-body experiences, let alone out-of-mind ones.  Still, it is possible as I was watching a BBC Horizon programme about this very subject just a few days ago.  An Oxford mathematician subjected himself to a number of procedures and gubbins to create these separations and was duly puzzled by the whole experience.

   So, what's the answer as it appears from this neck o' the woods?  Strangely, life feels very good as long as one does not scan The Daily Frightener or form overweening ambitions concerning the acquisition of a huge dosh-pile. 

   Of course, next week I may fall ill with Swine flu and die.  This will cause a "worse" judgement to be issued by the ladywife (until a widow-consoler arrives) but possibly a "better" jusgement from the rest of humanity (should they even notice the event) as I will have reduced the population by one; and this population thang is definitely moving to a Malthusian "worse".

   Meanwhile there are still blackbirds singing in the garden at evening time and the Queen has not stopped sending me my old-gimmer's stipend of a few pennies per month, for crusts and a bit of coal to keep warm.

   Also, I am learning the classical guitar, which tends to take one's attention from anything else.  Juliam Bream had better watch out (in about 20 years time).

   Lataxe, who has a T-shirt emblazoned "Ripen'd to Perfection", which is true, if I am judged agin, say, a fine blue stilton of the septic kind.

1. 
   habilis | Oct 23, 2009 12:18pm | #11

   That should give me a bit to chew on.
   Thanks

2. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 26, 2009 08:08pm | #21

   I like this copied from Wikipedia. Not sure if is OK to copy. So kill me...

   Healthy narcissism

   Healthy narcissism is formed through a structural truthfulness of the self, achievement of self and object constancy, synchronization between the self and the superego and a balance between libidinal and aggressive drives (the ability to receive gratification from others and the drive for impulse expression). Healthy narcissism forms a constant, realistic self-interest and mature goals and principles and an ability to form deep object relations.[5] A feature related to healthy narcissism is the feeling of greatness. This is used to avoid feelings of inadequacy or insignificance.

   "(the ability to receive gratification from others and the drive for impulse expression)"

   Seem very much like KNOTS to me. That is a GOOD thing in my opinion.

   EDIT: I see the word Abuse used much with the word Narcissism. I wonder if that is true for the so called average folks? I for one believe we all have at least a bit of it lurking within us. What makes us human.

   Edited 10/26/2009 1:16 pm by WillGeorge

5. 
   RalphBarker | Oct 23, 2009 08:26pm | #12

   "Is it getting better or worse?"

   Time makes some things better, and some things worse. I figure any day that I wake up is a good day. The day I don't wake up, it will no longer matter. ;-)

1. 
   Lataxe | Oct 23, 2009 08:47pm | #13

   Ralph,

   That entropy is a trrbl thang!

   Lataxe, constituted of some used-up stardust and destined for heat-death but going agin' the 3rd law of thermodynamics whilst he can.

2. 
   OC_Paul | Oct 23, 2009 09:12pm | #14

   "Is it getting better or worse?"YES.Your choice.Misery loves company - until someone has a "better" story.

1. 
   habilis | Oct 24, 2009 09:15am | #15

   Exactly.

3. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 25, 2009 02:36am | #18

   The day I don't wake up, it will no longer matter. ;-)

    I think you have alot going for you.. As in, you are sort of a 'Carpenter'. No Bible thumping here but... God made wood to be used for many, many years!

6. 
   hamelech | Oct 24, 2009 02:36pm | #16

   It's better. I was once unemployed, now I draw a paycheck.

   It's worse. My paycheck requires that I wear a wooden yoke and pull a dung cart all day long.

   Cheers,

   Seth, who is new to the beast of burden industry

7. 
   James R. | Oct 25, 2009 09:08am | #19

   Don't know you Pete, for that matter I don't really know anyone on Knots, but any time I need help with a project I get it here from people who are gracious enough to offer their advise and I'm always amazed by the extent of their geographic locations. I've been getting help here for about three years, so for me it's always been good. Kind of like my life.

   Jim

8. 
   jonnieboy | Oct 25, 2009 05:44pm | #20

   Habilis,

   Good to have you back.

   In response to your question, all I know is that never before has it been more than like it is right now.

   --jonnieboy