Category Archives: 2) Collapse

The collapse of the financial system, breakdown of supply chains, blackouts, end of being able to make computer chips, and so on are symptoms of the underlying cause: LESS OIL AVAILABLE TO DO MILLIONS OF ESSENTIAL TASKS. Whether the house of cards goes from the financial shock of a natural disaster or from debt and corruption, blockage of the Suez canal, Export Land Model, or (nuclear war) — there is certain to be a series of dislocations that ultimately bring population down to 1 billion or less, and given past collapses, take about 20-30 years. Let’s hope there are some islands of sanity and that you, dear reader, are living on one of them!

Venezuela collapse: looting, hunger, blackouts

Posted on October 9, 2018 by

[ Venezuela is experiencing a double whammy of drought and low oil prices, which has lead to blackouts and inability to import food.  It just keeps getting worse and worse.  Related posts: Book review of “In order to live: A … Continue reading →

Posted in Central & South America, Social Disorder | Tagged , | 1 Comment

What percent of Americans are rational?

Posted on September 21, 2018 by

Preface. Why does rationality matter — what’s the harm in believing there’s a fat old “Santa Claus” God in the sky noting down every time you’re naughty or nice on trillions of inhabited planets in the universe every second of … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Thinking, Critical Thinking and Scientific Literacy, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The electric grid: fragile, filthy, poorly managed, polluting, inefficient, corrupt

Posted on September 18, 2018 by

Preface. Most forms of alternative energy depend on the electric grid (nuclear, wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower). But the Grid is falling apart.  Most people who care about climate change believe electrifying everything will solve our problems. This energy section of … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Blackouts, Books, Electricity, Energy | 3 Comments

Book review of Hillbilly Elegy and why hillbillies voted for Trump

Posted on September 12, 2018 by

Source: David Horsey / Los Angeles Times Preface. I bought “Hillbilly Elegy: A memoir of a family and culture in crisis” because I’d like to understand why anyone would vote for Donald Trump. Before the election, it was well-known that … Continue reading →

Posted in (Auto)biography, Human Nature, Politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Book review of “Deer Hunting with Jesus”. Best book to find out why people voted from Trump.

Posted on September 9, 2018 by

[ Joe Bageant grew up in poor, conservative Winchester Virginia, which is like tens of thousands of other small towns in America. He is one of the few who escaped and got a college education.  So when he retired there … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Thinking and Scientific Literacy, Human Nature, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The dangers of relativism, of not being able to criticize anyone or anything because all of our beliefs are equal

Posted on September 4, 2018 by

[ I’ve been criticized for attacking right-wing Republicans, fundamentalist Christians, astrology, medicinal quackery, and so on.  This is dangerous nonsense. It means I can’t criticize Hitler, because after all, he was a product of his times.  I can’t tell my … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Thinking, Human Nature, Politics, Religion | Tagged , | 5 Comments

How Christians were manipulated by Pat Robertson into becoming right-wing Republicans

Posted on September 1, 2018 by

[Now that the right-wing Christians are changing everyone’s lives by electing Tea Party and other right-wing Republicans, it is long past time to do something, anything to stop them. Over 20% of Americans are evangelist / fundamentalist Christians, and 80% … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Thinking, Critical Thinking and Scientific Literacy, Human Nature, Pat Robertson, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fantasyland 9. Myths and infotainment

Posted on August 28, 2018 by

Preface. This is the last of the Fantasyland review series. Alice Friedemann   www.energyskeptic.com  author of “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation”, 2015, Springer and “Crunch! Whole Grain Artisan Chips and Crackers”. Podcasts: Derrick Jensen, Practical Prepping, … Continue reading →

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Fantasyland 8. Religion the main factor in America’s descent into the darkness of superstition

Posted on August 26, 2018 by

[ This is the 8th of nine posts about Fantasyland.  Andersen believes all of the madness and superstition in America originally springs from our history of religiosity. The scariest part of the insanity is that there are Christians trying  to … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Thinking, Critical Thinking and Scientific Literacy, Human Nature, Religion | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fantasyland 7. How America became the world’s biggest theme park

Posted on August 23, 2018 by

  [ This is the 7th of 9 posts about Fantasyland. Some theme park quotes:  One of America’s first theme parks was created in 1894, Black America, with 500 pretend slaves advertised as “Fun for the Darkies” and the “Fun-Loving … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Thinking, Critical Thinking and Scientific Literacy, Human Nature | Comments Off on Fantasyland 7. How America became the world’s biggest theme park