Higgenbotham's Dark Age Hovel

[Higgenbotham]

The first hour this Monday morning produced what we have, over the years, called “waterfall breadth numbers,” which we define as breadth worse than -2000/-2000. Breadth at 10:30 a.m. is -2103/-2203 as we write. We have noted over the years that “waterfall breadth” often accompanies what some might call a “crash” or “mini-crash.” While frequently a correct accompanying relationship, it is not definitive. But it certainly serves as a warning.

[Guest]

https://www.financial-reality.com/post/ ... ast-bubble

[Higgenbotham]

Meanwhile in London...

The tube is filthy, London streets scruffy and crime ridden.

Two broken bottles remained on the steps down to Bakerloo Trafalgar Square tube station, for an entire day on Tuesday. Multiple people told tube staff who were chatting at a booth. The staff directed them to call Westminster Council. The glass was 20 feet away from them. And the escalators are never machine cleaned to bring out the metallic shine of the grooves as they do in the first world. Asked the station manager in relatively new Tottenham Court Road and she gave me a passive aggressive lecture about how her station’s escalators are regularly cleaned. It doesn’t take a Swiss person to see the grooves are never cleaned, and heavily soiled black.

A picture would be worth a thousand words. Can you take some photos of what you are describing and post them?

I've been intending to document a similar situation and was prepared to take photos one day, but it was raining and the rain hid the filthy concrete. But it is coming very soon...

I wouldn't do that. CCTV would pick you up with facial recognition and you would be arrested for a hate crime.

If you're concerned you will be flagged as a terrorist by taking photos near public transport you could just take photos somewhere else in London. The area I will be photoing is not near any public transport or other infrastructure.

[Higgenbotham]

Last night, I went through a bag of old hardware from the late 80s and early 90s. Nowadays, most everything is stamped Made in China, so I was curious as to whether I would find such a stamp on any of this old hardware. I did not. Most of the hardware items in the bag were not the type to be stamped (things like bolts) but of the ones that were stamped, all were Made in USA. They are shown below.

[Higgenbotham]

These are some photos of the apartment building we have moved out of. Relative to most professionally managed complexes, it is well managed. They did everything they could to deal with issues that were brought to their attention that could be fixed. Apartment numbers have been edited out of photos.


Front of our apartment:


Across the hall:


Next door:


Kitty corner across the hall:


On the floor below in front of building:


On the floor below in front of building:


Concrete steps between floors:

[Higgenbotham]

I discussed the situation in this apartment complex in a lot more detail for several pages about a year ago beginning with this post on The Christmas Light Indicator.
http://gdxforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=76464#p76464

This post linked below and the one after that provides a summary.
http://gdxforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=81452#p81452

[Higgenbotham]

In pre new dark age America, the rule of thumb was a week's wages equals your rent. The numbers in this apartment complex are approximately $800-900 per week in wages based on a 40 hour week and $2,100 in rent. As previously stated, I take my kid over to the play area. I talk to all the parents there and hear their stories. Probably about 10 in total in the past year. They are all working and they are all struggling. Some are quite open about how they are struggling while others put a more happy face on it.

Yesterday I was outside with my daughter and ran into a neighbor in her 30s who has had the flu for 7 weeks and can't shake the cough. She told me she works remote and had been holed up in her apartment for 2 years during the pandemic. She's the second one we've seen in their 30s who can't shake the cough, but the first one was the complete opposite - out and about during the pandemic working in health care.

Anyway, I told her about the Christmas light indicator which seemed to resonate and also mentioned another reason for people being so sick could have to do with not being able to afford as much nutritious food as prior to the pandemic and inflation. She confirmed that even though she is working she cannot afford to eat as well as she could in past years.

Pre-2020, these folks were probably doing better than their counterparts out in rural America, but as the new dark age has tightened its grip there's been a definite observable downward adjustment since that time.

The new dark age continues to relentlessly tighten its grip on regular working people day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year.

[Guest]

In pre new dark age America, the rule of thumb was a week's wages equals your rent. The numbers in this apartment complex are approximately $800-900 per week in wages based on a 40 hour week and $2,100 in rent. As previously stated, I take my kid over to the play area. I talk to all the parents there and hear their stories. Probably about 10 in total in the past year. They are all working and they are all struggling. Some are quite open about how they are struggling while others put a more happy face on it.

Yesterday I was outside with my daughter and ran into a neighbor in her 30s who has had the flu for 7 weeks and can't shake the cough. She told me she works remote and had been holed up in her apartment for 2 years during the pandemic. She's the second one we've seen in their 30s who can't shake the cough, but the first one was the complete opposite - out and about during the pandemic working in health care.

Anyway, I told her about the Christmas light indicator which seemed to resonate and also mentioned another reason for people being so sick could have to do with not being able to afford as much nutritious food as prior to the pandemic and inflation. She confirmed that even though she is working she cannot afford to eat as well as she could in past years.

Pre-2020, these folks were probably doing better than their counterparts out in rural America, but as the new dark age has tightened its grip there's been a definite observable downward adjustment since that time.

The new dark age continues to relentlessly tighten its grip on regular working people day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year.

Only illegal migrants eat well these days.

They also have free medical and dental care. Must be nice.

[Higgenbotham]

Only illegal migrants eat well these days.

They also have free medical and dental care. Must be nice.

When it comes to waddling up to the window for a bailout, illegal aliens are at the table scraps level while the large corporations are at the caviar and pule cheese level.

Table scraps level:

Working the welfare system 100. This is our basic course for the low class shmuck who wants to live off the government. Covered are how to apply for and get the maximum dollar amount of food stamps, AFDC, child support, energy assistance, rent assistance, free telephone, disability, and any other welfare program in existence in the United States today. Plan to spend 2 semesters studying this one.

Caviar and pule cheese level:

Waddling up to the window for a bailout 406. This is an advanced course and caps off our degree program. Here, an instructor from the NSA has been commissioned to sleuth through the secretive denizens of the top financial institutions in the US to learn exactly how to get "free money" from the Federal Reserve. Students who successfully complete this course have a 100% job placement rate with the nation's top banks, even the ones with tattoos, poor communications skills, or body odor so bad it could clear a room.

[Guest]

Millions of homeless Americans don't even get table scraps.