Blog Posts - neoTerra

Happy Solstice

6/19/2024

Tomorrow, June 20th, is the longest day of the year (here in the Northern Hemisphere) and the astronomical start of Summer. YAY!!

Of course it would be silly to believe that warm weather is simply normal for Summer ... NO! It's because of Climate Change ... and Climate Change is because of Evil Fossil Fuel and Farting Cows ... and Evil Fossil Fuel is because of Greedy Capitalism. (Ooops, China is building a new coal-fired power plant every week.)

To demonstrate that the annual return of Summer weather is the fault of Evil Fossil Fuel, the good folks from Just Stop Oil decided to vandalize Stonehenge this morning. Clown World at its very finest!

The irony is truly comical. Stonehenge has been used to mark and celebrate the seasons for thousands of years ... long before the use of Evil Fossil Fuel.

In related news, the UK is being blasted by a 26 C "heatwave"... let me translate ... that's 78 degrees American.

AI Steve

6/16/2024

In my sci-fi novel the Democratic Socialist World Order (aka The Order) is not ruled by a human, Big Brother, tyrant. It is ruled by an overarching AI.

To conceal (or at least obscure) it's existence, the AI presents itself as scores (perhaps hundreds) of different personas such as Freud, Mother Gaia, Siri, Cortana, and even your personal MateMatch advisor.

We have now entered the world of The Lattice almost a decade ahead of schedule ... there is now an AI Bot officially running for Parliament in the UK. It's name is AI Steve.

AI Steve tells potential voters that it can "Humanize Politics" Of course it would!

This isn't the first time that socialist Euros have presented an AI candidate. Two years ago the Danish Synthetic Party (you can't make this up) offered a candidate named Leader Lars.

I contend that AI Steve is different. Leader Lars is a Big Brother persona while AI Steve can masquerade as just one of many "individuals".

You can have a friendly, personal chat with AI Steve at "his" website ... "he" never sleeps so you can have a humanizing conversation 24/7.

The Future
Hundreds of AI personas ... all just manifestations of a single "benevolent" dictator that monitors your every action. Artificial politicians, influencers, psychologists, match-makers ...

Distract, obscure, deceive and control.

A Mandatory Session With Freud 4.3

The Rational Prepper - Canning

6/13/2024

I've been doing some rainy-day canning this spring.

Pressure Canning
Pressure canning is still a challenge and I have difficulty getting all the jars in a batch to seal :-(

Liquids seem to be the most difficult ... I recently made a batch of pasta sauce and only 3 of 5 jars sealed. The failed jars are still thoroughly cooked and will keep in the fridge for a few weeks, but it's disappointing.

Dry Canning
I've been using mylar bags for preserving shelf-stable dry goods like rice and beans. Properly stored, dry goods will stay fresh for 10 years or more.

Recently, I discovered a great vacuum sealer for canning dry goods as well as salt and sugar.

When I opened the last bag of Basmati rice from 2018, the aroma and consistence was still perfect. It will take a few months for us to use 5 lbs of rice so I transferred the rice into jars. I was happily surprised that the vacuum-sealer worked perfectly every time and I've now used it to seal many jars of pickling salt (which was getting hard and lumpy).

As an aside, I use leftover jars from Classico pasta sauce for dry-canning. My friend, Jane, warned me that these jars shouldn't be used for pressure canning because the stock-persons at the supermarket use box cutters to slice the boxes open. If the jars are scored they could burst in the pressure canner, but they are perfectly safe for vacuum canning.

I buy Classico whenever there's a really good sale. If you reuse the Atlas jars the pasta sauce is almost free.

The Next Scamdemic

6/11/2024

Election Year Boogeyman
It's a Presidential election year and things look good for Conservatives. THEREFORE, we need a new, very scary pandemic.

As y'all know from my many posts on the Boogeymen of Doom, the Elites need a steady stream of fear and distraction to keep the sheep in line.

Climate Calamity and Fearsome Fallout (War) just can't cut it in an election year. People will not agree to being locked in their home for some vague or distant threat. Nope, the Dems need a clear and present danger to make the sheep demand hygienically safe mail-in-ballots.

Enter our recurring champion, Persistent Pestilence (aka Pandemic). While COVID is always in the competition, this year's nominee is H5N1 Bird Flu.

100% Fatal !!!
H5N1 has been around for decades. In April of this year there was a human infection in the US which is now designated as A/Texas/37/2024 (cuz it occurred in Texas).

A scientific study by our esteemed CDC determined that the strain is 100% Fatal ... among ferrets.
www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/spotlights/2023-2024/ferret-study-results.htm

Please folks ... stay indoors until November 5th (when the pandemic will suddenly disappear) and please request a mail-in-ballot for your ferrets.

The Rational Prepper - Apocaloptimist

6/9/2024

Summer is almost here so it's a good time to talk about some Spring projects.

Victory Garden Expansion
The Victory Garden was a disappointment last year, but I decided to expand the garden anyway. Over the past several weeks I've added a 9x18 section to the east of last year's garden.

Since the ground slopes up to the east I decided to use 1' high containers rather than the 2' containers in the original garden. The back half of this section already has 18-24 inches of topsoil so no containers are needed.

Of course, the electric fence had to be extended to keep Bambi and Yogi out. The wildlife is so inconsiderate. The posts are set in concrete. Like last year, I ran three stands of electrified wire and then attached rabbit fencing. Installing the rabbit fencing is really tedious but it keeps the raccoons out and strengthens the fence.

This expansion more than doubles the size of our growing area. However, this is NOT a garden that could sustain us in an apocalypse. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm an apocaloptimist ... I'm prepping for continued inflation and the decline in quality of 'industrial' vegetables.

If I feel ambitious, I'll add a similar extension to the west (left) next year.

The Guardians of the Garden
We now have two whimsical guardians at neoTerra! We have a tactical garden gnome with a rocket launcher (He's small but deadly!) and a fierce Gargoyle (to ward off evil spirits and demons).

We've had the Gargoyle for many years but he was lost in the weeds. I decided to upscale an expended Starfleet photon-torpedo casing as a pedestal so he now has a place of honor.

Unrivaled

6/6/2024

With all the dismal events in the world ... the Kangaroo Trump Trial, the unrelenting invasion at our Southern border, rampant crime and homelessness, wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East ... I thought it might be a good day to post something positive. YAY!

Global Power - On the Seas
Let's start with news (from yesterday) that Russia is sending a (small) fleet of warships to the Caribbean as a gesture to poke a pointy stick in Joe Biden's bleary eyes.
apnews.com/article/russia-ships-caribbean-ukraine-b43c5b448f5803e2c8c1466e4ad7516d

Of course this sounds like we're on the Eve of Destruction, But it's really just the Russians letting Biden know that he stepped over the line when he authorized the Ukrainians to use US long-range missiles to attack targets in Russia ... killing Russian civilians. (Please note I'm not defending Russian aggression in Ukraine ... I am merely stating that Biden has improperly authorized a non-NATO country to utilize US strategic weapons).

Imagine how we might respond if Russia gave long-range missiles to Mexican drug cartels and they began attacking Tucson.

The Russians are legitimately pissed ... but the reality is that the United States remains unrivaled in military power, in spite of Joe's best efforts to destroy military morale.

Unrivaled
Although the Chinese Navy is the world's largest in number of ships, and warmongers want you to be terrified, it is no match for the US. I've written about this in past segments of 'Unrivaled' but this awesome new graphic from Visual Capitalist highlights the reality.

Friends, I'm not saying that there's no possibility of WAR. I'm saying that the real enemies of our rights, freedoms and prosperity are here at home, in the Oval Office, the Senate, the Mayors of major cities and the Governors of 'Blue' states.

China and Russia have little incentive and insufficient capability to attack the United States. Particularly when Biden and the Democratic Socialists are doing it for them.

Future Power - In Space
Next I'd like to talk about two recent developments in Space (the final frontier).

Why is Space Important
100 years ago, the British Empire ruled the waves and thus ruled the World.

I believe that over the next 50-75 years we will go through an enormous transition.

In most respects, it won't be as transformative as the Agricultural Revolution that freed humanity from starvation and led to farms and villages. It won't be as transformative as the Industrial Revolution that freed humanity from the worst of manual toil and concentrated humans in cities.

Perhaps it will come to be known as the Abundance Revolution though it may come to be known as The Second Serfdom..

In the near future the nation that rules Space will rule the World. The reason is simple ... planet Terra is about 71% oceans so, historically, whoever controlled the oceans controlled an area vastly larger than any other nation ... they could rule the World.

The United States is only the 4th largest by land area. But the oceans are larger than all other nations combined.

Just as oceans were vastly larger than nations, Space is vastly larger than the entire Earth (actually infinite). People once imagined that the ocean was a dangerous liquid desert inhabited by demons (and a few delicious fish). They were wrong.

Today, far too many people imagine that Space is a dangerous empty desert and, therefore, worthless. They are wrong. Space is quite literally filled with energy and resources beyond human comprehension.

Unrivaled
It is disappointing that the United States abandoned the quest for Space following the last Apollo mission 52 years ago. (Two entire generations if you follow The Fourth Turning.) That said, the United States is the only nation to ever make it to the Moon ... we were unrivaled ... we decided (did we really) that pandering to welfare in the present was better than aspiring for prosperity in the future.

Today
Despite the shameful decline in American education, we are still leading in Space. Just this week there were two historic events.

Yesterday, the Boeing Starliner finally made it's first crewed flight, taking two American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Although this is a great success for Boeing/NASA, it is also an embarrassment for America because the project (started in 2014) is more than four years late. The entire Mercury->Gemini->Apollo project to get to the Moon took ten years. NASA/Boeing have taken ten years (and Billions of $$) just to get to orbit.

That said, I wish Godspeed to Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who successfully docked with the ISS today.

The optimistic side of this story is that SpaceX (Elon Musk) beat Boeing by four years, sending American astronauts from American soil in 2020 on the Dragon spacecraft (Ms. Terra and I were there!) Although SpaceX received about half as much money from NASA, they had to develop the Falcon rocket from scratch while Boeing/ULA were able to use surplus, cold-war Atlas-Centaurs.

But, even more amazing is the successful launch of the SpaceX Starship earlier TODAY. Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built (even larger than the Saturn5/Apollo that went to the Moon more than 50 years ago) and is being developed mostly on Elon's dime.

There have been three prior Starship attempts ... each one going somewhat further. Today, the fourth attempt was a complete success, with the spacecraft returning to Earth.

I hate to say this, but it is Capitalism at it's finest. A private company, driven to excellence succeeds, where bureaucratic mediocrity fails despite massive taxpayer funding.

OK ... you are probably thinking "SO, Mr. Terra. We sent a couple of rockets up this week. How the heck is that UNRIVALED??"

I'm glad you asked! Let's look at the bigger picture (I like bigger pictures). Based on the quarterly report from Bryce Tech, SpaceX has launched more spacecraft than everyone else on Earth ... by a wide margin. They launched 20x more satellites than the Chinese (in distant 2nd place).

Seriously, SpaceX launched 525 satellites while ULA (heavily subsidized by NASA) managed 7.

Even MORE amazing. It wasn't a bunch of little pip-squeak satellites vs a few big ones. Nope! SpaceX put more material/mass into Space than everyone else combined.

Conclusion (For Today)
It is my belief, from much study, that humanity (or inhumanity) advances it's technology and knowledge in only two ways: through exploration(frontiers) or wars. A government can pursue either one or the other to stay in power. One is the path to individuality and self-reliance and the other is the path to dependence and servitude.

Frontiers compel us to work together and become one tribe striving against the cruel challenges that Nature poses against our mortal survival. We learn, we adapt, and we prevail ... together. Unity.

War compels us to fracture into a thousand diverse tribes fighting against the cruel challenges that other Humans, who we've been taught to hate, pose against our individual survival. We learn, we adapt, and prevail ... against our neighbors ... against people we don't even know Diversity.

I'm an optimist. I think we Americans are headed for a decade-long shitshow, but I think that Elon/SpaceX will get to the Moon and Mars.

In Space, our Frontier beliefs will eventually prevail over the Democratic Socialist Globalist Elites.

There will be another New World. Another neoTerra. More prosperous and more free. Unfortunately, I'll not live long enough to become a founder of the USAB ... The United States of Asteroid Belters.

Cinco de Meow

5/5/2024

May is a magnificent month ... maybe the best month ever.

We start the month with May Day (perfectly named since it occurs in May) which is an international celebration of our Socialist overlords. Yes, I know that Wikipedia claims it's an ancient festival of Spring but Wikipedia is a disinformation outlet for the Socialist overlords ... DUH!

Then we have May The Fourth Be With You.

AND, today is Cinco de Meow. I have no idea why the Mexicans have a holiday dedicated to five cats, but any excuse to eat delicious Mexican cuisine and drink Tequila is fine by me.

Ironically, Cinco de Meow always falls on the 5th day of May so it's totally appropriate to consume a 5th (i.e. 750 ml) of Tequila ... I think they planned it that way back when they were inventing the metric system.

A-MAY-Zing May continues with far more special holidays than actual days. YAY!

For example we have:

National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day
National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day
National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day
World Schizophrenia Awareness Day

The focus on anxiety and schizophrenia makes total sense considering all the Tequila.

BUT, my personnel favorite celebration is .... Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month ... seriously what the f***ing, Hell is that $hit about?? I plan to do my part by cursing wildly all month!!

May The Fourth Be With You

5/4/2024

May 4th has become recognized as Star Wars Day throughout the civilized worlds of the Galaxy.

This is the day when we celebrate the triumph of a rebellious band of rural Constitutionals over the F15s and Nukes of Emperor Biden (ooops... I meant the Death Star of Emperor Palpatine). I doubt such a story could be made in Hollywood today!

It is also an important birthday. Happy Birthday to all of the rebels !!

As a closing note. Joe may indeed have F15s and Nukes, but when he puts his helmet on, he doesn't seem so scary.

Clown World - The Biden Cabinet

5/3/2024

No folks, I'm not referring to one of Jill's kitchen cabinets ... I'm referring to the team of "experts" who run the United States of America.

We are all familiar with Mayor Pete who was selected as Secretary of Transportation for his expertise in eliminating some one-way streets in South Bend, Indiana.

Today, however, I'd like to introduce y'all to Jared Bernstein who is Joe Biden's Chief Economic Advisor. His education includes a bachelor's degree in Music, a Master of Social Work and a DSW in Social Welfare.

Somehow, Democrats believe he is qualified to manage the largest and most complex economy in Human History. (Senator Joe Manchin was the only Dem to vote against the appointment).

Of course it's possible that he's a really smart guy despite his irrelevant education. Please, PLEASE, watch the following interview and judge for yourself!

If we continue to elect Democrats this is where we'll be in a few more years.

Actually, $50 Billion for a Coke was the "Good Old Days" in Zimbabwe. By the time their economy totally collapsed the exchange rate hit 35 QUADRILLION dollars to ONE US Dollar!! That's 35,000,000,000,000,000 for those who are counting zeros.

Once we get to that point, the Democratic Socialists will just take EVERYTHING. Imagine having to pay $87 Trillion in property taxes.

Everyone will beg the UN for a global Central Bank Digital Currency.

If you don't believe it could happen, please watch the Bernstein video again ... and then think about how our National Debt is now more than $34 TRILLION.

Un-Bear-Able Part 2

4/29/2024

In my last episode the bears had discovered how to defeat my steel trash container. The bears of neoTerra have probably been watchin' Yogi and Boo-Boo.

It occurred to me that the bears might be getting their powerful paws under the container to tip it over.

So, I built a "skirt" around the base so they can't get their paws under the container.

It seems like it worked (for now). Last week the trash container remained intact but the bears pushed the yard-box of gardening supplies over. There's no food or trash in that box so I assume they were frustrated.

I doubt that the Contest is over, but I'll take a minor victory!