Humanity cannot survive for long apart from the natural environment. At present we lack the necessary technology to do so and even if we could, would we really want to? For now and the foreseeable future our fates, or more accurately the fates of our descendants, are tied to that of this planet.

There will certainly be very serious consequences long before that. Many people will probably die of starvation or in resource wars along the way, but it would take a very arduous and protracted hardship to eliminate every last one of us, that's why I gave it 1000 years. If agriculture ever becomes very difficult or impossible then those who are still around will know on that day that they are in very serious trouble. I'm still hopeful that that day is far enough into the future that none of us will be around to see it.

What did Warren Buffet say about leverage and betting on short term price movements in the marketplace? I believe it was something along the lines of, "The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent."

Well then, it seems that I was wrong after all. It was the former and not the later. Thanks for clearing that up, Mr. Zero "Humor" Kelvin.

Human error very likely will cause our extinction yet. In fact, it's something of a minor miracle that we haven't already wiped ourselves out. As you know well, since around 1952 and continuing until present there are still hundreds of nuclear warheads on alert and ready for immediate use. Beyond that there are several thousand more which could be reactivated or made operational within hours, days or weeks. There is also the matter of climate change and the ongoing destruction of the natural environment that sustains all life on this planet. Personally, I rather doubt that humanity will see another thousand years if some big changes aren't made within the next few hundred or so. However, that doesn't mean that we cant laugh at the absurdity of it all or appreciate the irony of an intelligent species using that very intelligence, often cited as our greatest advantage, to bring about our own annihilation.

As it did in this thread.

It was funny, you just didn't get it.

Ah, but you didn't say American Idol, you said "American Idiot" (sic). Hence the reason why the going out in public part is funny because those of us who are compelled to do so, especially here in America, find ourselves constantly surrounded by idiots. Why watch them on television, and thus bring them into our private homes, when we already encounter an endless parade of them every day in public? The mere suggestion is absurd. That's why it's funny.

You did not perceive it which means that you're either one of the aforementioned idiots or you lead a very sheltered existence. We'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume the later rather than the former.

or as an owner of the capital necessary for production.

Woosh

Lacking only a decent text editor!

There's a booming industry surrounding "victimhood" here in America, but the "victims" themselves seldom seem to get ahead. Don't believe that? Just ask the blacks. If you want something better for yourself then you must seize it with your own two hands because nobody cares more about where you end up than you do and if you don't care then nobody else will either. Luck is no accident, so go out and make your own and stop listening to the people telling you that you're a victim, it's not your fault and that you're entitled to something better. It's a trap.

You mean go out in public? That's so uncivilized.

I know at least a few local bars where just about any band that produces something even slightly better than noise can get a gig. Of course it's not a paying gig, but you might get some stale beer thrown your way if your really work at it.

No doubt you've heard of, "singing for one's supper"? At one time that was quite literally true and even today there are probably people who wouldn't mind doing that provided that the performance was agreeable to the owner and the other patrons and the payment in beer and food was good.

Labor has been losing ground to capital for a while now and the trend is only getting stronger. In the not so distant future it's not difficult to imagine an economy where the labor that most people have to offer is essentially worthless compared to what can be produced by robotic factories and automated assembly directed by only the very best humans who will be paid quite well indeed for their labor. If we haven't figured out something for the rest of society to do by then then things could become very interesting in a dystopian sort of way.

From your dented thermos?