Getting by on the Cheap.

Twin Cities Solutions is hosting another Give & Take Wednesday, July 22nd, at Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Avenue South. Doors open at 7 pm, program 7:30-9:30 pm.

One speaker is Ed Kohler, who knows about a lot of stuff. He is going to cover toilet paper folding.

Knowing this skill might get you a job someday.

[TP as folded at Bryce Canyon historic lodge cabin.]

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Hal Davis sends me more stuff than I can ever blog about. One of the latest, prison coaches, who prep white collar criminals on how to survive life in the pen. The $20k fee for Bernie Madoff was reported comped because his assets were frozen.

Then there's this snip from a piece by Barbara Garson, where she quotes a Financial Times columnist on why financiers are so hot to keep the exotic debt swap market unregulated:

"After all, if the dictates of style and tax auditors say you have to go easy on conspicuous consumption, and if there's no demand for the products of real capital spending, then you might as well take your cash to the track, or the corner credit default swap dealer."

In other words, people are speculating on derivatives and derivatives of derivatives because there's no action in the real world. You can't invest in new real businesses or lend money to old real businesses for expansion unless people can afford to buy the products they'll produce.

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Another friend and reader who comments under post-specific monikers put me onto the London Street Pianos project, where 30 pianos were placed for three weeks 30 street pianos on streets, in public squares and parks, train stations, and markets.

A CBS News story quoted one obersver: "This is what you need in a credit crunch. You need everybody to realize the pleasures of life are free."

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A missing hiker survived 12 days in rugged Australian back country by eating weeds and seeds. No word in the reports on the specifics of his diet — also what would be helpful in a credit crunch.