The City Mouse in the Country

  Let me state that first and foremost that I am a Pacifist.   I don't believe in violence in any way, shape or form nor do I believe that violent actions are ever justified. That being said I was reading an opinion piece on an environmentalist discussion board calling for more direct - and confrontational - action concerning climate change and social justice. I can understand the writer's comments and their frustration.  That being said I personally cannot condone or support any act of violence in the name of ecology or social justice (or any other cause for that matter).  That's just my personal belief that any violence just begets more violence...and that solves nothing. I may have been reading to much into it or supplanting my own fears and anxiety onto the author of the original piece  I do feel it's an idea worth commenting on however because the solutions needed are complex and intertwined and frankly require more than slap dash attempts at "policy." B

       I generally don't fear technology. I may not understand it, I may not have an interest in a particular technology...but I don't fear it.  Technology is generally neutral; it is simply an item that, depending on how it is used can either be destructive or beneficial.       Sometimes it can be both.   Wagon makers and bicyclists welcomed the coming of the gasoline engine because they understood the potential of it; where farrier's and saddle makers rued the day for the same reasons.      Computer science has allowed the world to contact in a way it's never connected before, as we can chat in real time to people around the world, share information, support causes and discuss ideas.   It can also isolate us and build walls around us of our own design.  As the echo's of what we believe can be deafening; and that makes it all that more important to pop your own bubble and face your own prejudices.       Which is harder to do than you may think.   I'm guilty of

Recently I've seen memes and posts over "banning" the gas range.   What I'll be referring to as the Gas Stove War.  It's silly really...but I understand it. For some, it must seem like government over reach.  We personally are moving from an electric stove to a propane stove because my wife wanted one (she's a former professional chef) as we finish the last bit of the kitchen remodel; and because this would mean drilling a hole though the house for the gas range the installation will occur in spring. Yes, I'm very aware of my hypocrisy over installing a gas stove for ourselves while understanding the move to ban or limit the use of electric stoves in other parts of the country.  Frankly if it was up to me, I would stay electric.   It's not up to me.  I also was not aware of the environmental concern regarding the gas range till recently. Long story short, this whole kerfuffle began about two years ago New York City moved to eliminate the use of gas sto

When I started this blog, now going into it's third year, I wasn't sure what I wanted it to do.  It lacked focus and intent.     I had a rough idea that I wanted to be a homesteader?  However at the time I really had no way define it.  On TV you see people isolated to a great extent, trying to be off the grid and self sufficient.  To a certain extent that's where I would like to be too. That's really is the basic definition of "homesteading" and even that most basic of definitions means different things to different people.  Generally however, we can all agree that it means trying to be a little more self sufficient. In some ways I consider that lifestyle to be the ultimate goal.. For now however I am just trying to reconnect with with nature by growing a garden.  The more I learn about some company farming practices, the more concerned I become about the food that I eat.  Being able to grow your own food is never a bad skill to have.   Although I'm not i

**Several months ago I had a bit of an argument with someone on Facebook.  That promoted this article.   I've decided to republish it due to the city of New York recently purchasing over 1000 all electric Police cars and replacing most, if not all, of its gasoline fleet.  You can read about that here .**   One of the reasons I write this blog, is because I believe that knowledge is useless unless it is shared.  Someone that reads this may disagree with me or my conclusions and that's fine.   However they can't say that they didn't learn something. Facts and Reality are not something we get to choose.  Nor can we ignore a fact that does not fit our world view.   Example of an EV Fire Truck Even though I do try to keep politics out of the blog, this post and the last were inspired by a political debate about disaster relief in the future.  Or the mistaken belief that somehow hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles (EV) will never replace gas powered emergency vehicles. Or th

 So I got banned from Facebook for 24 hours. I violated community standards because of a post that was somehow taken out of context.   I don't know or really care about the technical stuff, but basically a "bot" that scans the world wide web looking for content that does not meet "community standards" tagged me.  I would be lying if I didn't say I was little bit upset about it; after all there is a lot worse things that are floating around on Facebook than "They are already here, kill them on sight." A friend of ours had posted a picture of the spotted lanterfly , which is an invasive species. The department of agriculture here in Pennsylvania has requested that you kill them on sight.   He didn't think they were in this part of the state yet and this was his first siting of one..   The problem that I have is that lots of news stories and articles have already been written about this problem.  Slate magazine even published a bit of a humorous

Generally speaking I don’t like to talk politics on this blog, but it is one of my favorite topics to explore.   It’s just so rich in history. Not everyone is going to agree with me, and frankly I am an anomaly in the country, so a brief explanation before I get to the gist of today’s topic. People living in the country or rural areas generally tend to lean right politically.   Those that know me however know that I am a dyed in the wool Democrat and that I lean liberal.  I consider myself to be a Social Democrat; which differs from Democratic Socialism in a lot of ways despite the names being so similar.  The best way to think about Social Democracy is “ Capitalism with a heart. ”  We are still Capitalists; we just believe that Health care is a right that every citizen has and therefore the current health care system needs reformed.     Or that no one should be homeless.  Examples of Social Democratic programs that have been adopted by the United States over time are the

  I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. - Thomas Jefferson            I sit outside on our front porch, a tall cool glass of home brewed iced tea in my hand.   I'm looking over our "front 40" - basically a few raised garden beds and containers holding our strawberries, cucumbers, tomato's, peppers, Brussels spouts and zucchini.  There is not much I can do for them now, just let them grow and hope that we get a harvest of something soon.   I'm actually a bit anxious about the garden, I want to have something...anything for the effort.     You can plant a seed and try to take care of it as much as possible, but so much is out of your control.     Although to be honest, for the most part I am actually very content, and I can't help but think of an opening line of a poem I once read.  Sadly the rest of the poem has slipped from memory.  The opening line was simply.  "