Summer School: Adam Curtis and James Howard Kunstler

Spent a nice evening at home tonight, basking in the wonders of the 20th century. Since chucking the T.V. out, all I've got to do is set the computer down and an evening of food, talk, singing, reading, and playing opens up. I wish we had company more often, or a common place to gather - but that's what we get for living in these FHA-backed car storage pods.

Once everyone else in the place falls asleep, I've been watching and reading a lot of Adam Curtis lately, creator of the 2004 "Power of Nightmares" series for the BBC, along with regular Monday doses of my favorite doomsayer, James Howard Kunstler.

It's a late night summer school for the economic contraction we're going through, and a great escape from the grind of daily life.

If you'd like to read along, check out Adam Curtis' BBC blog, "The Medium and the Message", or watch the aforementioned three-part series for free via Google Video starting with part 1 of 3 of The Power of Nightmares: Baby It's Cold Outside.

James Howard Kunstler has published numerous books, none of which I've read, and publishes a regular Monday morning dose of doom and gloom on his blog "Clusterfuck Nation". I started following him after a recklessly funny and sage descriptions he provided in the documentary "The End of Suburbia" and in a TED talk he gave several years ago.