Troy York's highly recomended Prophets of doom History channel's excellent program

Troy York

On TV: Prophets Of Doom

Last year I saw a show aired on the History Channel called Prophets of Doom. From the History Channel website:

Today’s world has troubles unique to its time in history, from the global financial crisis to technological meltdowns to full scale, computerized global war.
Observing the convergence of such events, contemporary prophets have begun to emerge from obscurity to suggest that these conditions might be signs of the demise of the modern world. These men are historians as well, using all manner of information and patterns from the past to provide context for where we are going. Their predictions interpret the current state of affairs in our world as evidence that the America we know may come to an end. The men proposing these ideas are not crackpots living on the streets of New York; they are intelligent, learned men who come armed with the evidence to back up their claims. This show became the basis of starting this blog and dedicating the fight against the global capitalist world that is perpetuating this self destruction in the name of profit and keeping a few people and their descendents wealthy and in control of governments around the world.

In the 94 minute show, investigative journalist Michael Ruppert, economist Dr. Nathan Hagens, author John Cronin, investigative journalist/author James Howard Kuntsler, computer scientist Dr. Hugo De Garis, and executive editor Robert Gleason came together to discuss some of the greatest threats to the future of the United States, including economic collapse, water shortages/contamination, peak oil, species dominance by self-aware robots, and nuclear terrorism. The following are some of the points argued during the program:
Michael Ruppert
• Unsustainable population growth coincided with the discovery of oil
• Despite finite resources, the U.S. population continues to increase
• The population will crash with the arrival of peak oil
Dr. Nathan Hagens

• The United States is insolvent and its debts will come home to roost
• The global economy is one giant Ponzi scheme and can no longer continue to grow
• The economy will crash as natural resources run out and alternatives fail to come online in time
• Americans suffer from cognitive dissonance, “when our brains don’t want to acknowledge the gravity or seriousness of a situation”
• The greatest threat to the United States today is the coming financial reckoning

John Cronin  
• The United States is a “water economy”
• The quantity and quality of fresh water is in danger here and around the globe
• Waste dumped by sewage treatment plants into bodies of water not only contaminate drinking water with bacteria and viruses but also with exotic chemicals that the plants weren’t designed to remove, like pharmaceuticals
• Technology is needed to measure what’s in our water at any moment
• A shortage of fresh water is the most pressing threat to the United States
James Howard Kuntsler 
• Peak oil has arrived
• America will experience a devastating energy crisis in the 21st century
• A 2005 energy study, known as the Hirsch Report, concluded that the United States is facing an imminent energy crunch, and was subsequently buried
• Major complex systems essential to daily life will unravel in such a scenario
Dr. Hugo De Garis
• Develops artificial intelligence- a “professional brain builder”
• His field predicts robots, which could soon be widely-available to consumers, will develop self-awareness by the 2040s
• When this happens, robots will achieve “the singularity,” where they can begin to think and act separate from human control
• However, this could lead to species dominance, where the robots might see humans as nothing more than pests- and seek to exterminate them
Robert Gleason
• Nuclear terrorism directed against the United States is a credible threat
• Terrorists might unleash an “American Hiroshima,” where nuclear devices are detonated in several U.S. cities to incapacitate the nation
After each “prophet” made their points, they discussed which threats to the United States seemed to be most pressing. Cronin, De Garis, and Gleason decided that water shortages/contamination was the greatest danger. Hagens chose a financial reckoning day. Ruppert also indicated an economic collapse- due to resource shortages. Kunstler argued that the major threats couldn’t be ranked as they comprised “several competing fiascos.” The narrator announced that the group had highlighted a debt-based society and water issues as the biggest problems America faces down the road.
While noting that America is not psychologically-prepared for the problems it faces, each “prophet” went on to offer their prescriptions for dealing with the threats. A common theme was the focus on re-localization. They also realized that time would be a precious commodity. While no one claimed the end of the world was at hand, they did recognize that we had reached the end of a particular phase in American history. Americans, they decided, would have to become more self-sufficient in order to successfully weather the challenges ahead.
Interesting show, smart bunch of guys- highly-recommended. Don’t worry if you don’t have the History Channel, as the entire program has been uploaded on YouTube here.
(Editor’s note: Link placed on “Resources” page and SPTV)  I highly recommend the video on Amzon that you can download and keep stored on your tablet.

Bill Waterson would never want any Calvin and Hobbes coffee mugs

Ed West

  Bill Waterson ended the great run of the Calvin and Hobbes's comic strip many years ago despite it's potential for being a generational or two cash cow. Bill did not want that for his strip. he did not want to see his creation whored out like Garfield and peanuts in numerous items you would find in a Walgreens or a Wal mart. Bill felt this way although it would make him millions in licensing and he pretty much ended the strip after years of fighting the syndication print media company that distributed his comic.  

One of Bill's fears was that his comic strip Calvin and his tiger would be everywhere and Dot the office landscape in America and he particularly pointed out coffee mugs in some of his books explaining why he fought distribution of his images for corporate use. He didn't for see the Internet and that people would just create and sell the shit themselves through Ebay or Amazon. Bill knew he had something special with his comic strip from day one and fans backed this assumption up. he did not want it cheapened and used too often outside of the newspaper comic format that many people take granted. if people could gratify their Calvin and Hobbes fix through other outlets then what would be the point of drawing a daily strip. In the end Waterson couldn't take the pressure and eventually withdrew his creation totally from event he print culture but many die hards try to keep his drawn legacy and I own several Calvin and Hobbes coffee mugs to share in the offices of the Left Shark. So I really don't know why Waterson even bothered fighting his own popularity and ended his strip so dam early.

Remembering Dave Thomas and the shit food he gave America

Jim Oberweight

Dave Thomas was the founder of Wendy's fast food place in the year 1969. The man has provided many minimal wage jobs and expanded waistlines. He appeared in some 800 commercials and only a few of them were entertaining.This is an overlooked man in american business and people have little appreciation for the unhealthy habits he helped bring to a lazy fat public America has become thanks to the Dave Thomas's of the world. The food at these fast food restaurants are just a little step above McDonald's and crap.If there is a hell I am sure old Dave is serving some juicy burgers to guys with pitchforks and tails right about now. Dave Thomas made a fortune from America's growing appetite for bad fast food. He donated alot of his good fortunes to charities and is considered a good man because of his contributions to society in other ways. However the cheap food he helped to install into the minds of people in this country will be his lasting legacy that he should bejudged on and someone like him should not be missed. I really don't miss this man and there were many other hamburger joints over the years that were more deserving of the success than Dave and Wendy's. However they all serve cheap processedpink slime and profit from the stupidity and immobility of people from actually producing food at home.

Carson Palmer returns as an elite quarterback

Gino Frobel

  I bought a Carson Palmer jersey many years ago for my beloved Bengals anticipating him to be the next Troy Aikmen. The guy was a number one pick and surely he couldn't fail in becoming the long waited elite quarterback Cincinnati needed for a longtime to rejuvenate the franchise. for a few years he was playing up to that caliber but you don't have to be a Monday morning quarterback to know that he soon failed miserably after some stellar seasons. He was then shipped to Oakland where his indistinguishable carer continued for a short stint.
    Nothing much was expected when Carson Palmer happened to be shipped to the desert of Arizona. It was assumed he would just finish his career in a usual spot of human retirement yet he exploded this season. Carson is just totally kicking ass throwing all these touchdowns to Larry Fitzgerald instead of interceptions to opposing players. Well actually he is still doing that but it is always good to see a good quarterback come back from the brink of complete irrelevancy and maybe make another run towards another early playoff loss. Carson Palmer reminds me of one of the manning quarterbacks. Not Eli or Peyton who happen to have their fingers occupied with Super Bowl rings but their old man Archie manning. Archie played alot of years and put up big stats just to accomplish nothing in the playoffs. The Arizona Cardinals look like they are headed for the playoffs this year and I am sure when he is up against strong teams Carson will be picked apart. For the meantime though the quarterback fans at the Left Shark will continue to root for good play and at least for this season it includes Carson Palmer. I can wear that Bengal jersey again with pride after four years collecting dust in my closet.

Star Wars fools show up at auditions with audacious hopes

Jason Fool

  Chicago and I am sure other cities have experienced a pathetic early marketing ploy for the upcoming new Star Wars movies. A bunch of fools showed up most ly in their early twenties for auditions for small roles in the new movies. many of these fools stood in line for hours hoping to be discovered and cast in lead roles and become the next Mark Hamilton.

These people really are naive if they think that a bunch of nobodies with time to stad in line will actually be cast in star wars episode VII. If they think that really is the case then they are a bunch of fucking fools. This is all about generating buzz for star wars around major cities and in keeping this star wars relevant in this day and age of Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. Most of the dweebs that actually made Star Wars big are ageing fast and somehow I don't see how younger generations can actually think this star wars is cool. It shouldn't be because Star Wars is not theirs or even the generation before them. Stuff like Star Wars needs to be done with and let room for new material and story lines to be produced on the silver screen. This audition casting call is nothing but bullshit giving these morons false hope that they will be discovered and cast as a movie star. The final three Star Wars movies were so bad I can not believe that there is any buzz for thisridiculos franchise. Let Star Wars be Star Wars and just open up Circuit City again and more Best buys for these people to get jobs.

Canadian loser hicks and rednecks love their mayor

   Terry Blue


Toronto is a divided city between the cosmopolitan folks that live in the center city and the Canadian hicks that surround the city. The suburban and rural areas outside Toronto are also home to vast majority of growing minorities and people outside the business class mainstream. These people were incorporated into Toronto back in the nineties and they pretty much elected Rob Ford as mayor in the political debate and divide that is Toronto. I mention this fact as I have heard alot of expressions in the media on how a city like Toronto could elect a garrulous jerk and crack addict like Mayor Ford. They don't know the economic divide that exists in Canadian cities and is pretty much what we see around the world. The people who elected Rob Ford could identify with him when he was running for mayor especially compared to the corporate adversary of his that he defeated in the mayors race. Bob Ford is a man who lives life the way he sees it and has no shame to admitting his vice and passion for cigarettes,crack, and cheap Asian prostitutes. the amalgamation of five municipalities into Toronto saved Canadian governments much money and perhaps we should initiate this contraction of government in America. maybe then we will have some more real big time mayors like Bob Ford over the corporate alternative assholes.   Here is a map of the past election of Mr Ford and if you look even a five year old can tell that there is a major influence of geography to how people voted and I would be willing to bet that there is a major economic disparity in this fucking region. The sea of blue is the outer city region where major investing is lacking and it is likely filled with the less educated and ignorant smokers. The red is obviosuly the region where yuppies and international travelers live and jet set across the Canada and world to do their business most of the time. This is the new divide that suppose quote quote " All world class cities" have and Mayor Ford is a product of this divide. This site from one of my favorite sites better explains it. http://www.newgeography.com/content/001890-toronto-election-highlights-failure-amalgamation

The rebranding of Bob Costas

   Bob Costas is a pretty cool guy in my book. After years of just appearing to be another corporate sports guy blabbing commentary about sports all of the time it is marvelous to see the evolution of Bob Costas over the years. I love the fact that Costas throws in political progressive remarks into his telecasts much to the dismay of right wing football worshipping assholes in red states. Bob Costas has put his views on certain social issues and unfortunately for those who disagree he has earned the right to express these views. Indeed some of his views on gun control and the rotten Redskin team name has infuriated some viewers who express their anger on Internet chat rooms and comments. I am really surprised and wonder when Costas gained the courage to start putting his opinions out there on non-sport related issues in society and these comments need to be expressed with sports. Sports serves as a platform for people to be distracted from real problems and issues and I am sure Costas realized that these zombies need to be educated and start paying attention to things from time to time..

Cougar face jubiliant at Boston casino defeat

Cougar Face




 Corporate casinos trying to spread around to destroy Indian gaming faced a defeat in Boston as

voters struck down an attempt to put a casino in easy Boston. Casino advocates were shocked and said this was the only way to save some horse racing track that few folks go to anymore. If this is the last  racing in New England then let it be. Opponents convinced voters that an urban casino would be too costly with new roads and traffic congestion that would forever change this unique urban neighborhood. This victory shows communities that they can organize and fight the system even in a short amount of time to get the battle won. This was a dramatic defeat for the casino moguls in trying to create another massive complex for people to lose their fortunes.  It was widely given that Suffolk Downs and its casino partner, Caesars Entertainment, would win a Greater Boston resort casino license in recent months before a grassroots organizing attempt took fold to destroy these ambitions of the casino elites. This was one victory against the spread of corporate gaming that is basically set up to stop the increased wealth of Indian gaming and ruin the lifeblood of indigenous communities with no other investment or source of income. As far as the race track in Boston some rich folks want to preserve they need to go to financial institutions and just ask for loans to keep their unprofitable hobby going for them. Boston is a world class city with people all over the world and the last thing they needed was for a portion of their fabulous city to be a small Las Vegas.

Old geek Jim Oberweis tries to run for big office again

Otto Jansen


Incredibly Jim Oberweis seeks another high political voice after failing three other times for a senate seat in Illinois. This is guy who uses his wealth desperately to get political power and his fat ass in Washington but the people of Illinois will never elect this Republican.  after just one year after finally winning a minor state rep seat in far sprawl burbs of Chicago, this fat old rich white man is going to throw his hat into the senate seat. this is nothing new for Oberweis who uses his corporate money to finance these losing campaigns in Illinois.  Jim fat face has a history of outspoken gaffs that have embarrassed state republicans trying to rebrand themselves in a blue state. I actually look forward to seeing Oberweis run again and see what new controversial stupid comments he makes this time around. It is a good thing the dude is old, ugly, and fat from years of drinking milk from his company and if this guy was a face man he might have won one of these senate or governors races he has tried and spent so much. The guy has wasted and so much of his family's money that his poor wife had to become a Florida resident so they can save some of their millions through less taxes for income and property. This is one milk man that just has to deal with the fact that money cannot buy a powerful seat and be given to you.

Ali Muhammed live in Nicola's Maduro's Venezuela and their upcoming civil war

Ali Muhammad

Venezuela is in crisis and I have been interested in what is happening in this country for some years. I decided to take a vacation out there and picked a good time to see this socialist government in action in their economic battle against multinational corporations. I have been in Venezuela for several weeks and not much news is coming out into the American media mainstream as president Nicolás Maduro take shis war on the corrupt business class full stream. He practically took over Daka electronic appliances prices after the company refused to take inflation into account and lower their prices for the needed appliances

from a struggling public. Madura is not playing around and wealthy Americans who think Obama is bad better beware it will get worse for them and their corporations when we get someone like Maduro in power. I happen to witness the state guard being called in to help force this greedy corporation to lower their prices and make the more fair for the public. There was some looting as people got excited seeing their next great leader take it to this multi-national corporation price gouging the citizens of Venezuela.  Make no mistake American authorities are secretly watching and likely planning another coup attempt as they did with Hugo Chavez. Nicolás Maduro intensified his perceived fight Monday against "bourgeois parasites" he accuses of an economic war against the socialist country by threatening to force more stores to sell their merchandise at cut-rate prices. The shit is going to come down worse for the elites and rich in Venezuela. This is unsettling to Western capitalist elites and they worry about this cancer growing. Some say it is a political move by Maduro as some elections are coming up but I think it is a sleek good move that is justified taking the considerations of the struggles that people face in Latin America and the forced globalization the West has intensified for some years now. Its only a matter of time US intelligence steps up aid to the opposition and a full blown out civil war in Venezuela is a possibility in the not so far off future in this great Latin American country.

Gay owner arrested for burning his own gay bar in Oak Park

Baxter Lomax

Whats up gang. It is Baxter again with your local and international bar news and again I will keep it close to Illinois. When the velvet Rope burned down in beautiful downtown Oak Park I knew it was an insurance scam. In didn't want to write it then but now it is official. The gay owner of the place frank Elliot just wanted to collect insurance money from the money-losing business of his gaywad bar even though it was located in one of the most gay friendly areas in gay Oak Park. The shithead gay Frank also spray-painted gay slurs through the gay bar in an attempt to make this burning of the Velvet Rope look like some sort of anti-gay hate crime. That is why I am so glad to be working at the Itasca Inn. No gays out here bringing in their gay drama and whenever there is a business burning no doubt it is an insurance scam. I would be welling to wager that 80% of the time it is the owner doing the arson.  Frank was arrested in another gay bar on Halstead in Chicago after an informant told the police that the two of them doused this gay bar with expensive vodka and the real question I have is how this gay 26 year old got the money and financing to open up a bar on obviously expensive rent in downtown Oak Park. Since this burning of the bar there has not been another gay bar open up in Oak Park and that is a good thing. This whole story sounds rotten and gay to me.

The sham that is Derick Rose

Guy Baldwin

Derrick Rose received a huge contract that was unearned by the Chicago Bulls organization and it is player greed like his to why the NBA is clearly a place for the one percent. Now for the second tie Derrick Rose will have major surgery and now his 185 million dollar contract with Addidas is in jeopardy. Why a corporate organization would pay somebody that much money is another issue but thankfully they are not obligated like the NBA team to keep paying the often injured fool money to visit a hospital. Derrick Rose has driven more to a hospital in the past few years than past NBA centers and clearly he has taken bull fans and the organization for a ride. Derrick Rose will now become another part of the Chicago Bulls overpaid legacy such as Jay Williams who got a lot of money to play one season and then get into a motorcycle injury to never play again. The NBA and their huge contracts for undeserving players and a product that gets the low regular season ratings it gets surely is somehow a financial scam that the public is not really aware. The NBA and the huge contracts exist because the ultra wealthy need a place to go and be seen and spend some of the money they have allocated and taken away from the rest of society. A t least a few fools such as Derrick Rose and Jay Williams can somehow profit from this situation coming from the bottom of society.

Matt Lewis loses his cool to the racist professor Dyson

  Matt Lewis was on one of them TV talk shows as a panel and he had prepped himself for days for this. Matt writes for the daily caller and co-hosts a blogginghead tv channel I watch often on the web. He also has a little conservative podcast and he often uses football analogies to describe politics which I find utterly ridiculous. well He was on some guys show named Martin Bashir and Matt was pitted against two liberals on this MSNBC channel. Matt had prepared himself for days knowing he would be the only conservative on the panel but Matt lost his cool on this good discussion on Obamacare.

   Professor Dyson has made a name for himself talking about race. If Dyson was not a black man he would be a nobody perhaps just a history teacher in some high school in Brooklyn. Instead the jag always brings race on any discussion and he irritated the shit out of Lewis bringing up race in this debate. Lewis called professor Dyson out and they had a talking shout out on live TV when both men refused to shut up. It was pretty humorless and Dyson went onto some white male privilege accusation that he is surly has so many times exhausted in his speaking career. Dyson is a moron but Matt Lewis should not of lost his cool and just waited for Dyson to finish his idiotic comments bringing up race and Oprah Winfrey's comments. Lewis should of then waited for his next opportunity to slam this comments and ask what does Oprah have anything to do with anything. next time Lewis should better prepare and predict what his opposition would say and in this case you knew a jerk like Professor Dyson would say any opposition to Obama is racist because of his carmel skin.