What about 'W'. We could even pronounce it Dubya. It could stand for Woe. Or Worrisome. Or Wringer. Or,?

Paul. Two syllables too many? (If I were going in that direction, I think I would prefer The Aristocrats.)

(God knows what the other pervert does with it.)

So, in support of West Wing, I vote we call?

Giovanni, you demurred while I was still editing. Would you like me to amend your response to chime correctly?

No, it's okay, it captured the sentiment – I really don't think you can leave this particular turd at Georgie's doorstep, he was merely the last in a long line of?

I've been calling it the Collapse of Global Capitalism (CGC), but that is a bit of a mouthful.

* equivalent to about 11 of your NZ cents

That way we could say "wow, we're really in the bag now", "it's black in the bag", and when people and institutions fall over financially, they could have been 'bagged'.

With apologies to john & Yoko, it's the new bagism.

Oh, and I like Arist-oh-craps

It's yours.

bagel. Which is nothing like it

hm! A bagel could quite clearly be a symbol of nothing. So, possibly more appropriate than you intended for the current financial state of affairs?

(A parallel example: Graeme Norton once asked a New York audience for a radio-safe euphemism for a certain portion?

$10,000 post-collapse dollars* prize for best Woody

We don't talk about Woody in polite company.

$10,000 post-collapse dollars* prize for best Woody Guthrie reference on PAS this year.

I thank you kindly, brother. The prestige is nice and all, but the 11 cents, why that'll feed seven children.

But then again – bag might be even better.

* equivalent to about 11 of your NZ cents

Waiheke has its own currency now? One you can't smoke?

A recent Newsweek edition fingered Al Greenspan. On the cover, no less.

I've been calling it a Global Finance Meltdown. Six syllables but they roll off the tongue?

Mammon took my house away. Mammon told me I couldn't afford a new car/wide screen TV/payrise/food for children (delete as appropriate).

Nothing like blaming a deity for all your problems.

Too cerebral?

Greed.

Grifffim maybe.

I think we're heading in the right direction.

Naming the melt-down of American financial institutions after an ethnic Jewish foodstuff might be taken the wrong way in some quarters.

Yeah good point. I don't want to promote anti-semitism.

Grifffim maybe. Loosely based on Global Financial Meltdown. (It needed three f's to not have a Google hit).

Umm. Lucky?

David is being unfair to George.
He is only slightly to blame.
a fairer assessment would be "George Clinton"
but since that name coincides with one of the all-time geniuses of funk music, it shall be struck from the list.

George can be blamed for promoting?

(or, with an added twist, a Me-bias strip?)

what about Karl? He was right, after all...

Don't know, I'm more of a Lenny person myself. A lennynist in fact.

what about Karl? He was right, after all...

Don't know, I'm more of a Lenny person myself. A lennynist in fact.

Don't know, I'm more of a Lenny person myself. A lennynist in fact.

Yeah Lenny works for me. I like. Rolls off the tongue nicely. "The G20 leaders discussed Lenny today..."

Just heard John Key's Cabinet selection interveiw on National Radio....Suprisingly "It's a game of two?

We have Alan G, Robert R, Larry S and Phil G. Even Gordon B, Ronnie R and Maggie T deserve some credit (yes, pun intended).

And Roger D, Rodney H, Richard P, Don B and Jenny S. And maybe John K.

Poobris (a portmanteau of poo and hubris, as in "we're in the poobris, mate")

Brokest (because it comes after brokers. Usage: "G20 leaders today met to discuss the global Brokest")

Glunt (because there's no longer a glut of easy credit, and it's a contraction of "global" and a?

Poobris... Brokest... Glunt

Those are good but lack a certain humph. I know catastrofuck is taken, but I think we need a sweary touch.

I know catastrofuck is taken, but I think we need a sweary touch.

James Kunstler called his book about the collusion of American credit, urban sprawl and freeway building "Clusterfuck Nation", so how about "clusterfuckup"?

To keep in the same historical vein as "The Crash of 29"

I'm also open to blaming the Pillage Idiots

Very funny, but inaccurate, most of the pillagers did extremely well out of the whole thing. Some are getting sworn in as Prime Ministers as we speak.

More a case of the pillaged idiots, perhaps, but I'm against a culture of blaming?

it originally referred more specifically to the teetering tower of swapped credit, but extending it to describe the general situation seems apt at the moment.

Well we are New Zealanders. We should be able to swallow every sound in 'Global economic crisis' except perhaps for a syllable or two and the second-last 's' if we use the phrase often enough. Does that help?

Gloalconokrysis?

I recommend reading John Clarke's lecture from his father in the latest Listener. It is the Desiderata of our times.

Collapse of Global Capitalism (CGC), but that is a bit of a mouthful.

What is the Russian word meaning the opposite of Glasnost? Or the opposite of Perestroika?

(apologies to those who know the preferred spelling of those words).

Oh, that's right, we're all trying not to say it, huh?

Depression.

But what I have heard a lot of, is "That wont happen again". "We've learnt our lessons, we wont make the same mistakes"

It's comforting to hear, and I hope it's true.... but?

Depression.

So, no effect on New Zealand then?

Glunt (because there's no longer a glut of easy credit, and it's a contraction of "global" and a common mispronunciation of "crunch")

Tom, take extra care when ordering KFC's Country Crunch chicken.

The Big Shitpile.

It seems a common theme so how about...

Pile Of Total Unmitigated Shit

Of course you'd have to use the acronym which is two syllables

Yes we are lucky to live in NZ. Our economy, even when totally er, depressed, is still based around producing food. When you don't have enough money for a big screen iMAC you still spend money on food.

And if nobody buys our food,?

And if nobody buys our food, we can eat it ourselves, which sadly will not be the case for many countries.

Most New Zealanders aren't farmers, though. Do you reckon we're going to nationalise all the farms if the going gets tought?

Do you reckon we're going to nationalise all the farms if the going gets tought?

And then what, smothered in a mountain of beef? Honestly, there's loads of unused arable land around, just sitting idle.

There's a couple of hectares next door to me even, 6 foot high weeds (until?

Meanwhile, I can see the return to fashion of allotments & the like.

Maybe. Anyone want to buy any macadamia nuts?

Do you reckon we're going to nationalise all the farms if the going gets tought?

Nope, it will get messy. Global food prices will be all over the place. But what can't be sold elsewhere, will be sold cheap on the local market eg funny shaped kiwifruit. Cancelled export shipments?

some people I trust say this POTUS is the worst thing they've ever seen economically

See, that's just not going to work.

But what can't be sold elsewhere, will be sold cheap on the local market eg funny shaped kiwifruit. Cancelled export shipments of lamb taste just as good.

And the Chinese will get proper Imacs, instead of having to make do with the funny shaped sub-export quality stuff.

See, that's just not going to work.

Yeah. It has a double-meaning, which might work for the next couple of months, but hopefully not after that.

Oh, that's right, we're all trying not to say it, huh?

Depression.

How about Depression 2.0?

We can all remain perfectly calm, perfectly calm?

Possibly, indulge in some crustacean loving.

We can all remain perfectly calm, perfectly calm?

Possibly, indulge in some crustacean loving.

Because when a man holds a thing well-made...

Because when a man holds a thing well-made...

How are you doing, Jolisa? I hadn't seen you for years.

Because when a man holds a thing well-made...

Look, over there, in the back seat of that White Valiant!
Crustacean Angst!

Welcome to the Plunderdome

Yes, as through this world I've wandered
I've seen lots of funny men;
Some will rob you with a six-gun,
And some with a fountain pen.

I had to hunt far back into the record pile to unearth ?Pretty Boy Floyd? from Guthrie?s Dustbowl Ballads.
I guess one?

How are you doing, Jolisa? I hadn't seen you for years.

Hamilton.

Poor Don. I imagine he's having a few... emotional problems this week.

And while we're on a Front Lawn/Don McG tribute kick, the only thing weirder than watching this treasure from 1989 was realising that I'm in it!

God that was a stellar perm.

(I've still got that cassette, with?

We still have a lot of capacity, and at some stage, people are bound to start converting away from dairy.

Possibly, I'v heard that goats are becoming the new sheep. Apparently they eat gorse. And there meat is currently fetching the higher price, world wide, over lam.

I'v heard that goats are becoming the new sheep

In the eyes of their owners? Or actual genetic modification?

:)

'Gucci'

The desire for oneupmanship and obvious signs of prosperity led to this greed for more and more money.

It is as old as history. The only difference now is that women can afford their own Gucci's. They're not just an adorned accessory as a display of the?

I had to hunt far back into the record pile to unearth ?Pretty Boy Floyd? from Guthrie?s Dustbowl Ballads.

Also try Sweetheart of the Rodeo by The Byrds, Bob.

And if nobody buys our food, we can eat it ourselves

It is true that NZ grows a lot of food, and exports much of it. But we should look back at the 1930s depression to get an idea of what could happen this time. If farms can't sell their?

But we should look back at the 1930s depression to get an idea of what could happen this time.

Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle? That was seven decaded ago, though. There is no reason to believe that we won't be a lot more stupid this time around.

My grandparents house, built in the 1920s, had a large garden and chook house. Now there is a second house.

Mine too. My granddad fed a family with 6 kids out of that back garden. My dad likewise (we had chooks when I was small).

My dad has a large,?

It wasn't uncommon for men to go from house to house asking to be given any work in return for food.

My mother grew up on a Central Otago farm, which survived the Depression, but she used to tell of visits by swaggers who in exchange for food and a?

My grandparents house, built in the 1920s, had a large garden and chook house. Now there is a second house.

Mine too.

Just to buck the trend, our house (built 1905) had an extra house on the property until the 1980s (2 storey thing, jockeys used to stay there on?

That said, we had beef cattle grazing next door recently, the farmer needed a couple of favours from me with regard to fences & water & one afternoon he brought us some big?

Although I'll struggle with eating animals we've raised, let alone killing them.

Are you saying you'd find it easier to eat them alive?

Are you saying you'd find it easier to eat them alive?

Hey, it's the Great Depression Part Deux, times are hard.

"In my day we ate the chickens alive! Times were hard".

Exxcept I don't have a son. I'll have to settle for bothering random strangers on the bus.

Hey, it's the Great Depression Part Deux, times are hard.

I feel a Stephen Colbert question coming: "The consequences of the current financial crisis: Great Depression or The Greatest Depression?"

"In my day we ate the chickens alive! Times were hard".

A guy in my grandma's village used to refer to me (a city boy) as "magna gajine morte", literally "eater of dead chickens", which led my young mind to assume he ate them alive.

which led my young mind to assume he ate them alive.

Was he a freemason do you think?

Was he a freemason do you think?

There isn't a single person on earth that I would consider less likely to have been a freemason. Therefore he probably was.

Although I'll struggle with eating animals we've raised, let alone killing them.

Then dont! A dead chicken will feed you once.... a live one will keep on giving and giving and.........

a live one will keep on giving and giving and.........

We probably would have them only for eggs actually, given I'm a wuss. If we got a rooster too, we'll then be in the unsavoury position of having to cull all the young roosters.

We probably would have them only for eggs actually, given I'm a wuss.

Don't worry, Andrew, I can take care of that for you.

Problem is, I have no idea?

And while we're on a Front Lawn/Don McG tribute kick, the only thing weirder than watching this treasure from 1989 was realising that I'm in it!
God that was a stellar perm.

Jolissa – which of the various stellar perms on display is/was you?

Spilt some icing on the "s" key or something!

I feel a Stephen Colbert question coming: "The consequences of the current financial crisis: Great Depression or The Greatest Depression?"

Now That's What I Call A Depression – Volume 2!

which is pretty close to veal

Osso Buco?

And while we're on a Front Lawn/Don McG tribute kick

But it's only fair to point out that Don didn't write the lyrics to No Depression. Those iconic words were from Richard Von Sturmer. Don wrote the music.

Although I'll struggle with eating animals we've raised, let alone killing them.

And after all, you can't eat a friend like that all at once.

Those iconic words were from Richard Von Sturmer.

Oops, my bad. All credit to Mr von Sturmer. It's a masterpiece.

which of the various stellar?

Getting back to the name thingy, how about "the world accounting troubles" or TWAT. I think it has a fine ring to it.

To be alternated with Discrepancy In Counting Kopecks, for the sake of gender equality.

?? ?? ??
global financial crisis

more literally

?quan (whole)? bu (globe/ball)
?jin (gold) ?rong (melt)
? wei (danger) ?ji (machine, secret, opportunity)

the second part of crisis as 'opportunity', or 'secret opportunity' if you like, and 'secret opportunity machine' if you must.

mad place.?

global reduction in value (melting gold), which is at the same time
a hidden systematic opportunity (machine = system?) as opposed to a purely individual one?

melting gold sounds confusing, the word finance or financial is ?? jin rong (melt gold). the same jin as in Hu Jin tao.

the same?

back on topic, how about?

I also favour gack. It starts as GEC (global?

"Crash" or "crisis" sound somehow more accurate. Beyond that, I got nothing..

Beyond that, I got nothing.

That's what we should call it.

I hear the word crunch a lot on RadioNZ. As in "Global Economic Crunch". So, I'm beginning to think crunch is good. The 1930s was the crash and the 2000s could be the crunch. Has a nice cannibal sound to it.

How to weather the crunch:
1: Start a turtle?

Beyond that, I got nothing.

That's what we should call it.

Nothin's plenty fer me.