“L’Argent” (1983, Robert Bresson)

A teenage boy in Paris passes off a counterfeit bill to make some extra money, and we follow the repercussions, eventually leading to a man’s incarceration, and a family’s murder. Robert Bresson, cinematic genius and Jansenist Catholic, delivers his final film, and the only one completely devoid of any hope for redemption. Dealing with the manner in which duplicity and dishonesty are passed along from generation to generation, this is recession special #1.

“Wages of Fear” (1952, Henri-Georges Clouzot)

Yves Montand is a drifter who’s come to a dreary oil town in Venezuela with hopes of striking it rich. He and his friends spend most of their time in a dingy town bar drinking and waiting for their big break; then suddenly it comes—an offer of two thousand dollars to drive a truck full of nitro-glycerin over treacherous roads to the other side of a jungle. One false move and—BOOM—the whole rig’ll blow sky-high. The best suspense set-up ever (sustaining the constant risk of death through a whole picture), and another relentless portrait of a world where money always trumps a man’s life, and humanity itself is worthless. Also, the only sequence in movies where a man drives a truck to the rhythm of “The Blue Danube Waltz.”

It searches mp3s posted to blogs, and you can download them for free.
http://skreemr.com/

Thanks Carl

It might be more difficult to get a job and whatnot, but the world has not stopped turning. Why not use your more abundant free time (that phone won’t ring anyway, even if you step away from your desk) to invest in your social life or pursue your artistic goals? Now is the time to integrate art into everyday life.

Tip #6: Think about the recession as a party with another name.
Just because you have less disposable income doesn’t mean you can’t have as much fun. Some of the poorest people I know could teach us a thing or two about getting the biggest bang for your buck, enjoyment-wise. The key to staying entertained during times of less is creativity. I can’t stress this enough.

Here are some activities that don’t cost a lot, but can bring much joy:

- Throw a party. Why go to a bar and buy drinks when you can drink in the privacy of your own home or office for a fraction of the price and eliminate the undesirables that lurk in the outside world? Assign your party a theme or special feature, and the party becomes an event.
- Card games. Care to join us for a game of poker? The buy-in will remain $7 due to the recession. Don’t like poker? Try Uno (or my personal fave, pinochle).
- Take a walk. This activity has served me extremely well during the many, many impoverished years I spent in New York and elsewhere. A city is an amazing place—now’s the time to appreciate it more. Spring is coming—are you ready? Take a look around your neighborhood or another. What havoc has gentrification wreaked this week? Visit a faraway neighborhood or even another borough. Mega-dérive!
- Flea markets / thrift stores. I hate it when other people have the same stuff as me. Flea markets can help you out of this rut. They are also good for looking at random things such as other people’s snapshots, socializing, unique artwork, affordable furniture. I got a dresser this weekend for $25.
- Ride a bike. Hours of entertainment, reduced reliance on taxis, big savings. Cancel that gym membership and commute to work on your bike. Also, if you get really bored or really broke, learn how to fix your own bike. There are a lot of places in NYC that will teach you basic bicycle maintenance skills for free (among them, Dumbo’s own Recycle-A-Bicycle, where I learned how to fix a flat tire and the meaning of the word “truing” three years ago). Self-reliance is of the essence during times of squalor!
- Make something. Start crafting. This week I made a quilt square and a lot of pom-poms. You can craft with your friends and it’s like having a party, but more productive. You can make projects together. If you want, you can even sell the things you make for extra cash.
- Art openings. Their usefulness is trifold: inspiration, networking (more money!), and free food and drink.
- The Met. It’s still pay as you wish. Have you seen the new Greek and Roman galleries yet?
- Ever heard of the library? It’s full of books, movies, classes, free bathrooms, weird people. Go there one afternoon and don’t buy anything. Cancel that netflix account and order your movies (or books) from the library. You can order them online and have them shipped to your local branch. Keep them as long as you want — just be sure to renew!
- Develop a new creative pursuit. Learn how to draw, take photos, make some LOLhunkz, start a band, grow your own herb garden, refinish furniture. Ease your anxious mind by focusing your attention on all those activities you never had time for before.

Share your tips!

There’s much to learn, but the key takeaway point was this: you are too stupid to be any good at this. And it’s a fairly wise point! Sure, the idiot jocks from college are the only people you know in finance, but the truth is that they’re still entry level. Their bosses are actually pretty sharp. And I don’t need to tell you that even they seem to f*ck things up fairly regularly. So if they can’t beat the market, why you think you can?

Tip #4: Eschew Market Timing. That means, decide how much you’re going to invest on a regular basis, have a plan, and stick to it through thick and thin. A couple months ago, when the market tanked, I thought “what a bargain!” and nearly put a bunch of money in. And then it fell further. See? I don’t know anything.

So while I am not a licensed financial advisor, and you should not take anything I say seriously, know that at the very least Andrew Sloat will be disappointed if you pull all your money out of the market right now (or put all your money in).

Tip #3: Don’t have kids.

Kids cost money. According to common knowledge, they cost upwards of $17,000 a year. Do you have a spare nearly 20 grand lying around? Perhaps you’d like to spend it on Legos and child-size skateboards that linger, unused, in the garage. In place of the car you had to sell. Or perhaps you’d like to just sign your paycheck over to Spongebob Squarepants? (He also takes Visa.)

Also, kids bring guilt. You’ve got to feed them something other than rice and beans and cheap scotch. This is a fine (even recommended) diet for a bachelor or barren couple, but kids require pre-packaged Kid Food that comes in neon colors and funny shapes, so don’t do it.

More on this situation as it develops.