Blog Posts - neoTerra

Happy Equinox

3/20/2024

The Vernal (Spring) Equinox arrived last night at 11:06 PM EDT. So, for some of us yesterday was the first day or spring while it's today for the rest of y'all.

Living in a passive solar home makes us appreciate the Equinox. At sunset, the sun shines directly down the hallway and we have an "Indiana Jones" moment.

We had a good freeze Sunday night and near freeze last night. The daffodils are about done but the hostas are sprouting. Time to start planting!

The End of Private Property - Part 4

3/19/2024

Back in 2022 I started a series called The End of Private Property. Here are the links:

New York
New York has now gone totally off the rails. A woman discovered squatters living in a home she inherited. She called the police who said there was nothing they could do so she called a locksmith to change the locks.

The squatter then called the police back and they arrested HER for changing the locks!!

You just can't make this shit up.

Atlanta
The problem exists nation-wide. It is estimated that 1,200 homes are occupied by squatters in Metro Atlanta. Many are rentals or homes that are for sale and vacant.
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-25/atlanta-landlords-confront-squatting-surge-in-vacant-rental-homes

At least in Georgia the Squatter Reform Act was passed by the State House two weeks ago. This Bill reclassifies squatting as Criminal Trespass which allows the police to get involved. It seems that Georgians believe that private property deserves protection.
www.thegeorgiavirtue.com/georgia-legislature/legislation-to-combat-illegal-squatting-passes-house/

Clown World - Canadian Edition

3/14/2024

Today, I am compelled to mock our socialist neighbors to the north.

Carbon Fees
Goodfellas Pizza has started charging a 2% Carbon Fee on every meal (because of the 'existential' threat of global warming). This is a particularly ironic bit of virtue signaling since it's a wood oven pizza joint. They literally burn trees to make pizza.

Leave Your Key Fob By The Door
Car theft has become so outrageous in Toronto that criminals are resorting to home invasions to force their victims to surrender their keys. Here's some advice from the police ... "To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at your front door, because they're breaking into your home to steal your car. "

Here in the barbaric United States we still believe in Castle Doctrine ... if someone is kicking your door down you can shoot them or hack them up with a Zombie Sword. This principal has existed since the Roman Republic and was codified in English common law in 1628. Apparently the concept of self defense no longer applies in the socialist state of Canada.
www.blogto.com/city/2024/03/toronto-police-car-theft/

But never fear, the socialists are diligently working to create a Nanny State where "You will own nothing and be happy" No car to steal and no front door to kick in .... problem solved.

Problematic
When I first saw the following post I thought it might be an odd Santa Clause convention. But then I discovered that it's the Canadian Supreme Court. It was an honest mistake on my part since they are close to the North Pole.

While considering a rape case they got distracted by the term "woman" and concluded "Where a person with a vagina testifies credibly ..."

Haiti Is Great

3/14/2024

Just a few days ago I wrote "There is a possibility that the Party-In-Power will get us into a foreign war to distract us from the failures at home. " Well we now have the fourth war of the Biden era ... in Haiti.

Democratic Socialist celebs started a Haiti Is Great Already campaign a few years ago. If ya hurry you can still get one of these awesome shirts!

The very best irony was Conan O'Brien going to Haiti to learn how to cook Haitian cuisine. I wonder if any of those chefs are on the menu now that the country has allegedly descended into cannibalism.

The reports of cannibalism are probably false but the violence, chaos and murder are all too real.

Rest assured that the Biden Administration will gladly welcome this chaos into the United States. There are currently over a quarter million Haitians living in Florida which is as large as the popultion of St. Petersburg. Since 2022 alone, over 138,000 Haitians have entered the US. Perhaps Haiti isn't as great as Conan thinks.
www.politico.com/news/2024/03/13/florida-haiti-migrants-desantis-00146694

Clown World - SOTU 2024 Edition

3/7/2024

Dark Brandon
OMG!! I can't keep up!!

Tonight is Joe's State Of The Union address to the nation. There is much speculation on how divisive the address will be and, whether or not, he can deliver a coherent message. But I'm not going there in this post because tomorrow is another day.

NOPE! In this edition of Clown World I am compelled to mock the New York Times for their fluff piece Dark Brandon in the House. It would be funny if it were satire.

"Enough already: It is time to unleash Dark Brandon on this soul-sucking downer of a presidential race. " Oh wow ... it gets even better!

"His State of the Union performance is the perfect opportunity to show rather than tell Americans that he still has the fire in the belly. When he steps behind the lectern, the president needs to slap on those aviators and start throwing some strategic punches."

Don't take my word for it ... read it for yourself.

Perhaps "Spicey Biden", as the NYT refers to him, will entertain us with another of his Hitler impersonations where he blames me for all the World's problems. I sure hope so.

We live in interesting times!

Clown World - Election 2024 Edition

3/7/2024

It is so difficult to get ahead of events!

Please note that this isn't a rant against the Democrat Party ... it's a rant against hypocrisy and dishonesty. Just yesterday I wrote about the parallels between 1968 when the Dems accepted the National Guard (NG) to quell rioting and 2020 when they refused.

One might criticize my comparison by saying "Mr. Terra, 1968 was a long time ago. Using the NG isn't appropriate now."

Well ... you would be very wrong. Just yesterday (mere hours after my Blog post) , Gov Kathy Hochul announced that she would deploy 750 NG troops to patrol the New York SUBWAY.

Imagine, that crime is so bad you need the Army to pacify the Subway.

And, please recall in 2020, Mayor Lori Lightfoot referred to similar assistance as "Donald Trump's Troops".

It isn't necessary to go all the way back to 1968. To see hypocrisy in action we just have to compare 2020 to 2024.

The very best irony of Hochul's militarized subways is that just last week President Joe told the public "Last year, the United States had one of the lowest rates of all violent crime in more than 50 years,"

The Administration must think the voters are all morons. I've hired an ASL interpreter for ya, Joe.

Election 2024 - Don't Panic

3/6/2024

Continuing the Apocoloptimist series.

As expected, Super Tuesday was a non-event with Trump and Biden sweeping the delegates. Though Nikki lost her own state of South Carolina a while back she managed to win 9 delegates in Bernie Sanders' socialist state of Vermont. Now that Nikki has dropped out, the remaining primaries are almost pointless.

Today, I'd like to continue my comparison of the last few years to the turbulent times of the 1960's.

Unprecedented Violence
The 60's was an era of global danger and domestic unrest.

The nuclear showdown with the Soviet Union in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Assassination of JFK
Lyndon Johnson initiates the Vietnam War
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Kennedy
Riots, arson and looting across the country
The 1968 DNC Convention is Chicago (which I wrote about yesterday)

Battle of Chicago
I'm not picking on Chicago ... riots and arson engulfed cities across America for several years. However I've got this awesome newspaper headline so I MUST use it.

Like today, the rhetoric from the Left was amazing and filled with hate ... but it was against the Democrat Party.
"the Democratic Party can continue to perpetuate its policies of domestic and foreign repression while attempting to reestablish control over the American population for another four years."

I encourage you to read the entire article below.

The MLK Riots
As mentioned, the DNC Convention riots were the culmination of a violent period with rioting, arson and looting in cities across the nation over the five year period from 1964-1969. In many respects, the riots of 1968 and 2020 were similar since both occurred during a pivotal election year.

That said, there are many differences that should be understood.

The riots in 1968 were triggered by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. A genuinely good man and a great leader. The 2020 riots were triggered by the death of a common thug.
In 1968 the Democrat president immediately sent thousands of troops to quell the violence. In 2020 when the Republican president offered troops the Democrats refused and said that only Hitler would use the military. The hypocrisy is disturbing.

I think the worst aspect of the 2020 riots is that high government officials actually encouraged riots and even insurrection, and the media went along with it.

Conclusion
There are many parallels between 1968 and 2024.

There is a possibility that agitators (from both sides) will provoke a summer of violence.

There is a possibility that the Party-In-Power will get us into a foreign war to distract us from the failures at home.

That said, we got through the 60's and 70's and I'm confident that we'll get through the 20's, as well.

Be prepared for disruptions but Do Not Panic.

Election 2024 - Don't Panic

3/5/2024

Hello Everyone. It's Super Tuesday so I've been thinking about our quadrennial Presidential contest.

Introduction
Despite its tone, this post is not intended to be a rant against the Democrat Party. As part of the Apocaloptimist series its purpose is to show that the situation in the 1960's (and early 70's) was just as bad.

Super Tuesday
The primaries this year are a non-event. On the Republican side Nikki Haley is the last woman standing against Trump's popularity. At least there were some interesting debates (sans Trump) that helped define the issues important to Conservatives.

On the Democrat side, Joe is the only candidate so there have been no debates and no discussion of future policy or direction. Only an irrational faith that the current leadership will somehow solve a faltering economy, rising crime, a migrant tragedy and a deteriorating global situation.

Right now, the contest is between two elderly white guys. One extolling past accomplishments and the other spewing excuses for current failures. SIGH

The Chicago Democrat Party Convention
Today, I'd like to talk about the absolute irony that the DNC decided to hold their national convention in Chicago. Crazy.

I was too young to vote in 1968 but, as a Chicago resident, I vividly remember the DNC Convention, the riots and the arson and looting of entire neighborhoods. (I could see the flames on the horizon from my bedroom window).

Anyone who believes that the J6 protests were an insurrection is simply living in non-reality. In 1968 6,000 troops were brought into Chicago to confront (left-wing) protestors. In 2021 Joe Biden brought in 25,000 troops for his inauguration.

Please note, the riots at the 1968 Convention were NOT some evil MAGA group protesting against the Democrats. It was the far-left Democrats protesting that the Democrat party wasn't far-left enough. I'd like to say it was a case of the Progressives eating their own ... but it was more a case of the Progressives violently attacking the moderate Liberals.

As an aside, no one is more willing to employ military and police brutality against their own citizens than the Democrat Party. Imagine commanding the military to drive jeeps, covered in barbed wire, though crowds of "peaceful" protestors.

As the 2024 contest becomes ever more emotional and heated I find it sad and ironic that Progressives will compare Trump to Hitler and ignore the fact that the Democrat Party has repeatedly used both military and police power to brutalize their own.

Those who revise history are doomed to repeat it.

The Rational Prepper - Apocaloptimist

3/3/2024

Happy Sunday Everyone!!

This is a long post but I promise that it's worth reading!

Apocaloptimist

I have recently discovered that I'm an Apocaloptimist... someone who knows the world is going to Hell; but still believes we'll all survive (Well, most of us).

I suggest red wines, they age better.

Pax Americana
Today, I'd like to talk briefly about the erosion and possible demise of Pax Americana.

Aside - many Democrats dispute the very existence of Pax Americana while others are gleeful with the belief that it will collapse. It seems that people who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

As recently as 2019, Democrat/Socialist pundits claimed that Pax Americana wasn't even related to American power ... they claimed that the powerful nations of Europe (who've been bashing each other's heads in for 2000 years) were no longer inclined to fight wars. The subsequent Russian invasion of Ukraine proved them wrong (and now they are all Hawks).

These so called experts conveniently ignore that fact that the most important aspect of Pax Americana is global Freedom of the Seas guaranteed by the unrivaled United States Navy. Up through the end of the 1800's piracy, privateering (government sponsored piracy), naval blockades and naval battles were the norm.

80 years of relatively safe and open trade has facilitated an unprecedented global expansion in prosperity. This is the true and most important effect of Pax Americana.

The Situation in Europe
Since Biden took office we now have a prolonged war in Europe, a war in Israel/Gaza and the Iranian backed rebels disrupting trade through the Red Sea. Though it seems that Pax Americana is coming to an end, I contend these are all problems for Europe and, perhaps, it's time for Europe to step up and fix their own problems.

The Red Sea
As an example of my position, a few days ago the Rubymar, a British flagged cargo ship, finally sank after being attacked by Houthis missiles near the entrance to the Red Sea. As you can see from the following image, the Red Sea is a vital shipping route for Europe and Asia, but it's almost irrelevant for the United States. (BTW, the coverage by Aljazeera is the best that I've found).

NATO Is Useless
Perhaps, Pax Americana isn't dead yet. Perhaps we have finally realized that NATO is truly useless and we should stop subsidizing our European "allies". As you can see from the following graphic from Visual Capitalist, the United States spends far more on defense than all of our European allies combined. To make matters worse, whenever the shit hits the fan, we do all of the heavy lifting.

Heavy Lifting
Back in December, several NATO countries agreed to assist in fighting piracy/terrorism in the Red Sea (which they depend on). Germany sent one warship, the frigate Hessen, which finally arrived in theater on February 26th and promptly tried to shoot down an American drone.

Fortunately, for US, the Germans aren't prepared to fight. They're running out of missiles and they are no longer in production! They've been in the fight for one week and they're running out of ammo.... CLOWN WORLD.

However, my friends (those of you who are spending over $800 BILLION on defense), Germany is not the worst ... at least they sent one (poorly armed) ship. Norway will be sending 10 naval officers, the Netherlands has agreed to send 2 and our allies in Denmark will be sending one! NOT one ship, just one guy! NATO is CLOWN WORLD.

Now, more astute readers might be wondering what these Naval Officers will be doing when they don't actually have a Naval vessel to serve on. Well ... they'll be hanging out at the Bahrain Beach Club conferring and coordinating. LOL

Optimism??
YIKES Mr. Terra, with all the shit taking place it seems your optimism is unfounded. However, as I outlined in the Unrivaled series, the United States has massive natural and societal advantages over all other countries. ( www.neoterra.us/blog/category/unrivaled )

Furthermore, the demise of Pax Americana, if it occurs, doesn't really hurt Americans all that much. Global disruptions in shipping will crush the resource starved economies of Europe but the only effect here will be large increases in the cost of some imports ...

Damn!! I may have to give up my beloved Basmati rice and switch to Texmati. I may have to drink Colombian coffee instead of Sumatra. I can live with that.

Trade with the Pacific Rim, Latin America and West Africa won't be affected by the problems in Europe and the Middle East.

Imagine what might happen if some enlightened leaders decided that an alliance with China would be better than a confrontation. Together we would control more than 50% of the global economy and more than 90% of all military capability. An Ameri-Sino Pax could last longer than the Roman Empire.
OMG!! I may have just found the theme for a second novel ... Perhaps, in the Aftermath, Constitutional President Andrew Rodriguez extends an olive branch to China ... while Europe descends into the Second Dark Ages.

That's all for now my friends. I 'm motivated and must write some dialog for President Rodriguez!

Ill-Annoy

3/1/2024

As y'all know I enjoy mocking Chicago and Ill-Annoy, because I escaped from Chicago.

SO, I'd like to brighten your morning with some Clown World antics from Peoria. I honestly thought this was satire ... but it is real.

In an age where Dems are defunding police departments and screaming about police racism, the Peoria Police Dept put up a recruitment poster depicting a bunch of YT cops pointing scary "assault" rifles. I thought the "Call of Duty" theme was in poor taste but kinda funny. However, as expected, the "public" lost their minds over the "overt militarization and violent implications".

Police Chief Echevarria apologized profusely to his outraged critic.

In the meantime, the murder rate in Chicago is more than one-a-day and people are fleeing the state. ROCK-ON Illinois!