The Long Emergency and Eyesores of the Month

Rolling Stone just published "The Long Emergency," a harrowing article adapted from James Howard Kunstler's book explaining just how poorly positioned the United States is for the end of cheap oil. As we're forced to wean ourselves from our 20 billion barrel per year addiction, Kunstler predicts the collapse of Wal-Mart-style distribution networks, massive loss of equity in car-dependent suburbs, and most of our ugly functionality reduced to just plain fugly. It's a timely read given the dime-a-gallon price jump at the pump over the last week.

Kunstler has a great feature on his website called "Eyesore of the Month," where he offers ball-breaking design critiques with all the subtlety of Lester Bangs. Although I disagree with his dismissal with the whimsical work of Frank Gehry and Rem Koolhaas, most of the crap he takes apart (like the red, white and blue eagle perched atop a deflated planet earth in front of a Hummer dealer as seen above) richly deserves it. And if we continue on this path, so do we.