Over a million people are without power. Good thing they are prepared.

After Category 4 Hurricane Ida ripped through the New Orleans area, over a million people will be without power for up to a month as the power grid is rebuilt.

But that’s OK because I’ve been warning you for years now to be prepared and buy a generator. Since everyone did what they were supposed to do, they should be fine. Everyone listened and set up a backup power system and emergency air conditioning so the suffering would be minimized.

Right? Surely. If not, then who’s fault is that? I warned you. Perhaps you should wake up and pay attention. The Earth is melting down and you need to be ready if you wish to survive.

What are your survival plans?

As we are now entering the state of uncontrolled hyper climate change, what do you plan to do in order to survive? I hope you have some plans otherwise you’re at the mercy of the coming firestorm and all you can do is hunker down and hope.

Well, hope doesn’t save you. You need to do something. It’s too late to reverse catastrophic climate change, now you will have to act specifically for yourself and your family should you have chosen poorly enough to have one.

So what will I be doing? I started by moving out to the country on my own private 4 acres where I can do as I please. If you live in a city then you can do nothing and will be reliant on the government to help you. The government will be busy so you’ll be on your own.

To protect against fire, my house has a metal roof, fiber-cement siding and is situated in a virtually empty field that is kept properly mowed to prevent wildfires from crossing it. I feel confident that it can easily be defended if the area around me goes up in flames.

For water, the giver of life, I will be obtaining two IBC water tanks which each hold 550 gallons giving me over 1000 gallons of storage. I’m currently connected to a water supply cooperative for my main supply but one shouldn’t rely on outside sources of life. Much could go wrong in our end-of-world-as-we-know-it destiny.

I’ll keep them full using my hose while the water source is reliable, during a crisis, I’ll be using rain gutters to funnel all rainfall into those tanks as well as use other sources like my air conditioner condensate drains. That water won’t be directly drinkable but can be boiled and treated before use. It will mostly be used for non-drinking purposes like flushing the toilet and washing dishes and clothing as well as my hydroponic garden system.

For drinking water, I am currently in the process of building a Peltier-based atmospheric water generator.

It will use solar power to condense water out of the humidity in the air. We have PLENTY of humidity here so drinkable water should not be a problem.

The system will freeze the humidity onto a heat sink then allow it to melt into a container for holding. It will perch on the edge of a 5-gallon bucket so when the bucket is full, I just move it to the next one. This won’t generate a LOT of water but it will be enough for me to drink and keep me alive in an emergency.

For food, I plan on both regular gardening as well as setting up a hydroponic garden which will be far more water-efficient and easier to maintain.

I’ve been wanting to do this for years and this winter will be the perfect time to get started on it so it will be ready for the spring.

It will be great for the summer. For the winter, I’ll grow a winter garden traditional style in the dirt. A winter garden is far easier to maintain than a summer garden where you are battling the sun and weeds.

I had planned to go mostly vegetarian anyway for my health so that would work out quite well. I might get some chickens for eggs and meat.

I also have various berry bushes around the property and will be planting more.

I’ll have my electricity needs covered as well. Currently, I have a 4kw grid-tied system that prevents me from paying outrageous electricity bills. That system won’t work when the grid goes down so I am building a backup system.

It will be an off-grid, battery storage system with 2KW of solar power input, 6KW peak output. Since I’ll be using less than 2 KW most of the time it should be able to handle all my needs INCLUDING my energy-efficient mini-split air conditioner which pulls around 900W when running.

We will definitely be needing air conditioning as the heat waves become more and more prevalent. My simple house is extremely efficient and can actually do pretty well without any AC at all. It’s the humidity that gets you down mostly. I go naked most of the time so energy usage is greatly reduced. I set my AC at 80-81 and am perfectly comfortable under the ceiling fan. You had better get used to being naked! Get over it!

That pretty much covers the basics of my survival plan. I’ll have a pretty good stock of supplies from the grocery store but that will only last so long. Relying on such things is not a good long-term plan.

I hope you have some ideas now and will be properly prepared. Don’t wait very long though. You need to do it right now. Time is of the essence. Get on it.

A Week of Soul Searching – The Results

I put this week on my calendar to ensure that it was blocked off. I also made sure that nobody could call or text me. It was a whole guaranteed week of uninterrupted me-time where I could rest and reflect and do some serious soul searching.

It was wonderful to be untouched by exterior demands. I was free to do as I please.

I’m not a sedentary person so just sitting around was impossible. I got so many great things accomplished as well as spending plenty of time on the couch.

Overall, my soul searching was partially successful. I don’t expect we are ever fully successful in this endeavor. Perhaps the best accomplishment was my rediscovery of Buddhism. I studied it well a number of years ago but it’s amazing how easily we forget things that are so important. Our daily lives wash those important lessons away like water down the drain.

The main premise of Buddhism is that life is dissatisfaction and we can conquer dissatisfaction by controlling our desires.

Easier said than done when your deepest desire is a basic human nature function. Ah, there’s the rub!

My unfulfillable desire for compatible companionship is part of the meaning of life. That explains why I can’t just let it go. It’s part of our DNA. Part of our programming. It’s our purpose. The desire can be banished temporarily but it will ALWAYS return. That is guaranteed.

I also learned that perhaps I should consider trying harder and be less choosy. There is something to be said for partially compatible companionship. At least it’s something. How to accomplish that, I don’t have the foggiest idea. I have 53 years of self-programming that would have to be rewritten. I should at least cherish time spent with those around me.

I guess if I was serious, I would need help. How does one find that kind of help.

Anyway. Overall, my soul searching week was a positive experience. I have a choice of going either East or West. Both paths are dark and scary. Perhaps I’ll just stay right where I am in the middle as I always have. It’s incredibly painful sitting in my vat of acid but it’s easy. Sometimes the easy path is the best.

I’ll have to do this more often. You really need an extended period of uninterrupted self-time every once in a while. It’s totally worth it. You have to figure out where you are before you can figure out where to go.

Fixed my running shorts!

Yay! I fixed my favorite running shorts.

I have a sewing machine that sometimes comes in handy. The elastic in my tiny little running shorts had lost its elasticity. After a short run, they fell off and I was naked. Not a problem for me but other people seem to have issues with that.

I ordered some elastic from Amazon and sewed it in. Voila! Good as new.

Aren’t they awesome? They’re almost like wearing nothing at all.

Short shorts are the best.

Seguin, Texas.

The RV Waits

My poor 1982 Holiday Rambler Imperial is waiting patiently. We haven’t gone anywhere since 2017 I think. When I started to build my house in the country, I moved it to my property first so I would have a base during construction. I lived in it for a short period after selling my old house.

It’s an awesome old machine. 39 years old now! It is special. It has character that you don’t see in most RVs new or old. It was top of the line back in 1982 and I only paid $4000 around 10 years ago. I’ve done some upgrading and repairs and it’s mostly operational. Only a few unimportant things aren’t working but they’re low on my list.

A few days ago, I went out to start it up and move it a little to get it out of the sinkholes and keep the tires from getting flat spots. Also, keep the juices flowing and lubricated. It wouldn’t start and I knew exactly what was wrong. For some reason, the carburetor float needle valves stick in the closed position. Probably old gas and lack of use. Also, the battery was dead. It automatically charges from the solar panels on the roof but after a while, lead-acid batteries lose their capacity. I borrowed the battery from my F150 just to get it started. Even that one is getting tired. I’ll buy a new one later when travel urges return. I’d hate to have a new battery just getting old before I get to use it. A pain but we’ll see. Maybe I’ll just go buy a cheap one for now.

I took the carb out and got the needle valves unstuck. I realized that there are ports where I can lubricate and loosen them without having to take the carb off the engine. Remember that for next time! I put the carb back on, hooked up all the hoses and it started right up. I let it idle for 10-15 minutes. It ran nicely.

It needs some basic maintenance and upkeep which I plan to do this winter when it’s not 1,032 degrees outside. I’ll move it up near my workshop and give it a good tweaking.

I don’t know when I’ll be going anywhere. I haven’t paid the fees and license stuff on it in a number of years to save money while it’s not in use. That was wise. Maybe in 2022. It’s not the pandemic that’s keeping me from traveling. Not entirely. I just don’t feel like it right now. My first destination might be to go back to Star Ranch Nudist resort near Austin. It’s a really nice place and not too far. I almost don’t want to even go anywhere I can’t be naked. What’s the point? Like I said, we’ll see.

I wish I had someone to travel with. That would give me some motivation. I don’t mind going alone but I never get over feeling like I’m missing out on something special. Sometimes a little moral support is helpful. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

I’m right here. Waiting for you. Come get me.

Are we facing a Garbage Apocolypse?

Today I decided I would put on some clothes and go out for a little lunch. I had to go by Home Depot to return something so it was a two for one. I never leave the house unless there are at least two things I can do. Going out for just one thing isn’t worthy of wasting energy and time.

After finishing at Home Depot, I stopped in at a local fast-food Mexican restaurant. Taco Cabana. I love Taco Cabana because the good is good enough, cheap enough and I don’t have to leave a tip which raises the price to over $10.00 at most restaurants. $10 is my pain point. I remember buying lunch at a sit-down restaurant and paying $5.00 including tip so paying $10 just sounds wrong to me and I refuse to do it happily.

But to the point…. When I finished my lunch, I was appalled at what I saw on my table. There was SOO MUCH plastic and paper that I was just about to drop in the trash can. I had left my phone in the car so I couldn’t take a picture of it to prove my point. Let me describe:

They bring your food in a To-Go container. There were two plastic salsa containers with lids, one Jalapeno slices container with lid, individually wrapped fork, individually wrapped knife which I didn’t need. A huge wad of napkins of which I used only two. My paper drink cup with a lid that I didn’t use. An individually wrapped straw which I didn’t use. My receipt. A plastic bag in which to deliver it all. ALL of it went into the trash can as I left. Wow! Was that really necessary?

Multiply that by a family of four. Multiply that by 9.5 billion people on the planet. Probably at least 50% eat out occasionally. Seriously!!??

Things have gotten far more disposable due to the pandemic and don’t forget to include all that PPE being thrown out by hospitals and businesses after a single-use. OMG! Did you ever watch them make your sandwich at Subway? If the same person who makes your sandwich uses the register to check you out then they have to put on new gloves each time. Holy cow! Necessary but what a waste.

Can anything be done about it all? I don’t think we can. Even after the pandemic is over, we will still be wasting so much plastic.

Recycling is a joke. Very little of what we use is recycled. It’s just not cost-effective. Surely we can do something about that. They invented biodegradable plastic decades ago but nobody is using it. It all goes into a dump where it sits for thousands of years after being used for 5 minutes. Some of it makes its way into the ocean where it swirls around in massive garbage patches the size of some countries. Does that bother you at all?

Can we do anything about it? Nope. We are set in our ways and don’t have any alternatives. You can start by not buying those stupid bottles of water. It’s water! It comes out of your faucet and is perfectly fine. Get a reverse osmosis filter system if you are that paranoid.

Why don’t we bring our own yeti cups with us for to-go drinks? We could bring our own reusable utensils and cloth washable napkins. Restaurants could use washable plates and cups again and metal utensils. There was a time when that was normal. I don’t think we can ever go back again.

Are we doomed? Unless somebody steps up and does something about it, then, yes. We need a leader to pave the way. It needs to be a public concern. It’s not good enough if only “crazy” people care about such things. Humans are not wise enough to do it individually. I don’t like the thought of making Laws to govern these things. It should be enough that we should all care. Businesses who manufacture these things should care enough to make them out of something less wasteful.

I don’t know. I’m not sure I really care either. I have maybe 20-30 years left on this planet. After that, it can burn to a cinder for all I care. If you have children whom you love, then perhaps you should be concerned enough to do something about it.

An Uninterrupted Week of Free Time

I’ve finally achieved my desperate desire to have a whole week ALL to myself. I dropped my mom off at my sister’s house and set my plan into action.

I set my iPhone into Do Not Disturb Driving mode which blocks all calls and texts from reaching my eyes or ears.

I set an Autoresponse text message saying that I was not available this week, please contact me next week.

I set my voice mail to say that I was not available this week, leave a message and I’ll call you next week.

Awesome!!

I’m on day two of experiencing complete freedom and so far it’s quite wonderful. Nobody can contact me and steal my time by making me do something for them. I’m free to do anything I want. Go anywhere I desire. Or do nothing at all.

So far, I haven’t gone anywhere and I don’t really plan to. When I first retired, I had planned to do some sightseeing but the pandemic put a stopper in that. A few weeks ago I spent a day at the nude beach and got that out of my system. It was fun but not really satisfying as I had to go alone. The more I think about it, the less travel sounds good to me. If I had someone to share it with then it might be rewarding but to just ramble around by yourself is mostly pointless. I’ve pretty much lost interest in doing that.

Right now, I’m content to sit at home and watch the world burn on TV. Not full-time of course. It can burn without my attention. I’m enjoying filling my long, uninterrupted days with full-time nudity, reading, napping, watching tv and movies, yardwork, masturbating, hot tubbing, looking up at the stars, and just appreciating what life can be like when you have all the time to spend as you please.

Responding to a voice call or text message or interacting on social media only detracts from carefree living. Nothing good can come of it so just let it go. Others will just have to figure out how to deal with their problems without my help all the time. It’s OK to live.

I still haven’t let go completely of my worry that I am supposed to respond to the desires of others. I’m hoping that it will slip away as the week passes and I realize that their needs aren’t my needs. I am a real, individual, person and I am free to do as I wish. I’m not your slave. I don’t want your money and I don’t want your lunches. I have only two needs which are social naturism and occasional sex. If you can’t offer me those things then you’re wasting my time. I would much rather be alone if that is the case.

Being alone is 2nd best to having a BFFWB and if that is the way it has to be then that is The Way. I love it that nobody can see me. Nobody can make me wear clothes. Nobody can judge me. Nobody can waste my time. Nobody can make me feel awkward. I am myself and that’s the best way to be. Hooray for me! I’m the best! I am Awesome!

Oops. I let some of my anger get out.

I am usually pretty good at keeping my rage contained but today some of it got out when I wasn’t paying attention.

I was with an acquaintance at an auto parts store where he was returning an A/C charging gauge that didn’t work. The girl behind the counter was claiming that he paid less for it than the shelf price. I wasn’t paying full attention because it wasn’t my problem. He disputed the price difference. I started paying attention when she started pointing out that the gauge was slightly different as if he was trying to pull a switcheroo or something.

As things got more confusing, I don’t even know how it happened but I stepped in and asked to see the manager about it. She claimed to BE the manager and I was like, “Really? Then why are you giving him such a hard time?” I couldn’t even believe it was me saying that. I stepped back and let them deal with it. He is a master dealer so I shouldn’t have even said anything. It turned out that she was right and he was originally given a discount for some reason. I felt bad. She was crying by the end of the transaction and it was likely to have been partially my fault. If I hadn’t said anything they would have worked it out just fine.

It makes me sad that I have so much rage inside that it has to leak out unexpectedly. I guess it was inevitable. Every vessel has a pressure limit. When you overpressurize, things will happen.

Why am I so angry? Well, as I might have mentioned before, I’m lonely. When you’ve been lonely for 40 years and there’s nothing you can do about it, the rage will build up. I’m also trapped and hopeless. What now?

It’s OK. Just relax. It is as it is. Don’t overthink it. There are things that you cannot change. Those things must be accepted. Calm down and sleep on it. You’ll feel better in the morning.

The End of Windows 10

The date has been set. Windows 10 will be considered End of Life on October 14th, 2025. But should you panic?

Microsoft said that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows. They lied.

This phase-out is a little more significant than previous upgrades because the majority of us will not be able to just upgrade to the new version. Due to special minimum requirements, you will need a computer with a newer processor, a TPM version 2.0, and UEFI. This will mean that TONS of older computers will suddenly become useless if you want to keep your system current and secure. We’re looking at a blast of e-waste going into the landfill.

There’s no technical reason for these requirements, Windows 11 will run just fine on your current hardware should these requirements be lifted. They are there for security reasons. Something that is probably for the best but will be painful for many people. Fortunately, we still have four years to prepare.

So what are our options?

1. Save up to buy a new computer. It might be time for an upgrade anyway. If your computer is that old you might benefit from something fresher. My old machine works just fine for my needs but if I was to start editing 1080p video, it would be helpful to have something more current.

2. Continue to run Windows 10. You won’t get security updates but it will continue to work. In today’s cyber-security world, it could be dangerous. Maybe not a good idea.

3. Switch to Linux. This may be a good choice for many people. Linux is updated and can be very secure. You won’t be able to run your favorite windows programs but there are alternatives like Open Office for example. Nowadays, most of what we do is in a browser anyway. It doesn’t really matter what operating system you are using. If you are a basic needs user, this might be the best choice. Linux is very Windows-like these days so I’m sure you can handle it. I might choose this option for my secondary machines.

4. Hope for Microsoft to make the minimum requirements optional. I think there is a good chance this will happen. Microsoft has a history of maintaining backward compatibility. It would be nice if these security requirements could be phased in to minimize user pain.

I think my plan will be to wait until the date comes then see what my hardware looks like. It might just be time for new machines. I hate wasting money so it will be hard for me to do that. If the computers are still operational then I’ll probably try Linux first.

I have tested Linux over the years and have watched it grow from an idea for hard-core techies only to a modern, robust, user-friendly operating system that rivals Windows and MacOS. In another four years, it might be really amazing. In another four years, we may be using only tablets and not even be needing computers anymore. In another four years, the Earth might be a smoking shell anyway.

Secret Rage

What happens if you are angry inside but can not share it with those to whom it pertains? What then?

I’m angry with friends because they can’t give me what I need and I can’t tell them that because it would be inappropriate.

I’m angry with my mom because she’s stealing my life. I can’t tell her because it’s not her fault and she’s my mom so taking care of her is my duty.

I’m angry with my brother because he isn’t there for me. I can’t tell him because that would only make things worse.

I’m angry with myself because I can’t go out and get what I need. I can’t tell myself because I can’t do anything about it.

So what happens when you have all that repressed anger? People think I’m a Buddha because I seem so calm on the outside. They have no idea what’s going on inside. Do I snap one day? Do I keep it all repressed and let it fester silently as a mental illness? I’m betting on the mental illness because I have too much control to let it burst forth in mixed company. Perhaps I have the patience of a saint. Or so it may appear.

Thank god for the internet where I can let it out and reduce the pressure. It doesn’t matter if anyone sees it or even cares. Just getting it out there makes all the difference.