The Sloth Man's Guide to Simple Living

I've never been one to follow the conventional pace of life. 
My friends even nicknamed me 'Sloth Man' in the past, thanks to my stubborn refusal to rush.
A perfect example of my sloth strategy is my recently completed clothesline project.
Here's how it unfolded:
1. Move into a new rental after crossing the country.
2. Wait 10 years for trees to naturally grow close to the house.
3. String a line between two of the now 3-4 meter tall trees to hang laundry.
The best part? I didn't need to buy a thing. The trees were free, and I repurposed rope and hardware from our unused hammock.
All it took was patience, waiting for the right moment, and then proceeding at my own pace.

This experience reminds me that sometimes, the simplest solutions require only time, patience, and creativity – no shopping required.
And if that makes me a sloth man, so be it. There are definitely worse things to be.

Sloths are fascinating creatures, and their personality characteristics can be quite inspiring. 
They are worthy of emulation in an increasingly, obsessively fast paced world.

Some notable traits associated with sloths:

1. Relaxed and calm: Sloths embody serenity, moving slowly and deliberately.
2. Patient: They take their time, often waiting for hours or even days for the perfect moment to act.
3. Gentle: Sloths are non-aggressive and peaceful, avoiding confrontations.
4. Resourceful: They adapt to their environment, using their surroundings to their advantage.
5. Independent: Sloths are solitary animals, content with their own company.
6. Flexible: They adjust to changing circumstances, like weather or food availability.
7. Playful: Despite their slow pace, sloths have a playful side, especially in social interactions.
8. Resilient: Sloths cope with challenges, like predators or harsh weather, with remarkable adaptability.
   
   

And finally, as I draw this Sloth Fest of a post to a slow conclusion, I implore you to consider embracing your own inner sloth.

Prioritize relaxation and self-care.

Cultivate patience in daily life.

Seek creative solutions to problems.

Appreciate the value of slowing down.

Simple living sloth people unite. 

Slowly and carefully.

Berry Nice Days

''When the blackberries hang swollen in the woods, in the brambles nobody owns, I spend all day among the high branches, reaching my ripped arms, thinking of nothing, cramming the black honey of summer into my mouth; all day my body accepts what it is.''

 - Mary Oliver

It is a wonder, and I call it the MOABB - The Mother Of All Blackberry Bushes. 
Just a short bike ride from my home, a lush patch of purple-black berries hangs heavily from heaving, prickly canes along an old logging path through the woods. 
For the past few years, I've made it a point to visit this spot every year around this time to reap the abundant forest bounty.
My first day of berry gathering was serenaded by the calls of a raven in an unseen nearby tree. 
The sun shone brightly, and the temperature and humidity combined to create that perfect sense of oneness with nature - where the boundaries between self and surroundings blur.
Over two glorious days of picking, I collected several litres of perfect, dark berries. When I got home I made a few cans of long boil jam with no added pectin and a moderate amount of sugar.
I find immense joy in living off the land as much as possible in my area and continue to learn and expand my knowledge every year.
There's something thrilling about gathering and processing free food from the forest or my garden, year after year.

How's the bounty in your area?

You Don't Need as Much as You Think

You are in space orbiting the Earth in a large tin can. What do you really need?
As two astronauts contemplate a short stay at the International Space Station turning into a possible 8 months, people down on the ground are wondering what they will do up there without more stuff.
I saw an interview with an astronaut who has spent time on the space station, and she had words of wisdom for viewers, and her colleagues on the ISS.
She was laughing when asked about the "they need more stuff" situation and responded, 
"You don't need as much as you think.''
Clearly, she could also be talking about life on the ground.
Whether you are orbiting the planet or are on terra firma, you probably don't need as much as you think you do.
Over the years, I have been ridding myself of stuff I don't need, and I don't miss any of it.
Indeed, jettisoning all the excess baggage from my life has only made things better. I am living lighter, am less distracted, and feel more focused on what matters as a result.
When the two astronauts finally return to Earth, they may look at all the stuff in their homes and ask, "What is it all for? I just spent 8 months with enough possessions to fill a small bag, and I did just fine."

We can learn valuable lessons from space for a simpler life down here.
1. Reassess your needs: You might be surprised by how little you truly require.
2. Let go of excess: Jettison unnecessary possessions and distractions like your life depended on it.
3. Focus on what matters: Clarity and freedom arise from simplicity.
As the astronauts continue their journey sans stuff, everyone's perspective on "stuff" may forever change, inspiring a new appreciation for the beauty of minimalism no matter where you hang you hat... or helmet.

The Nag Factor: How to Overcome Manipulative Marketing

The "nag factor" refers to the ability of children to persuade their parents to buy something or allow a behavior by repeatedly asking for it. This phenomenon is not only used to influence purchasing decisions but also to manipulate parents into permitting behavior they normally wouldn't allow.

The Alarming Statistics

• Teenagers nag their parents an average of nine times for an item until they get their way.
• Social media influencers who promote products exacerbate the nag factor.
  
  

The Concerns

• Parents may unintentionally reinforce nagging behavior by giving in to their children's demands.
• Using children to nag parents is a exploitative marketing technique that adds to the challenges of parenting.
• Many products that kids are programmed to nag for are unhealthy, addictive, and poisonous.
  
  

The Link to Commercial Television

• The more commercial television children watch, the stronger the predictor of nagging behavior.
  
  

Overcoming the Nag Factor

• Establish rules around nagging and pestering, and stick to them.
• Praise children when they display appropriate behavior to reinforce positive habits.
• Ignore negative behavior and the advertisers recruiting children into consumerism.
  
  

Protecting Our Children

• It's crucial to shield our kids from the trillion-dollar advertising industry's influence.
• By being aware of these tactics and setting boundaries, we can help our children develop healthy relationships with consumerism.
  
  

Breaking the Cycle

By recognizing the nag factor's influence and taking steps to overcome it, we can empower our children to make conscious choices and resist the allure of manipulative marketing. 
As adults, it's our responsibility to protect and guide them, teaching valuable lessons about self-regulation, critical thinking, and responsible consumption. 
Together, we can break the cycle of nagging and foster a healthier relationship between our children and the world of consumerism, raising a generation that values what truly matters.

The New Off-Grid: Not on Google Map's Street View

Off-grid living in the modern world - my residence is not on Google Map's Street View.

“The natural flow of technology tends to move in the direction of making surveillance easier.” 

-  Phillip Zimmermann

Is your house on Google map's Street View? Mine is not, and from a privacy perspective, I like it that way.

Not everyone wants to be on-grid. That is because being off-grid has its advantages.

Off grid used to mean disconnected from the utilities most of us take for granted. Now there is another kind of off grid.

This alternative off grid, is when your home has not been surveilled by Google Map's Street View vehicle, and uploaded to the net so anyone with a computer can see that wrapping for all your stuff we call a home. 

Now, some homeowners that are currently on-grid are trying to get semi-off-grid by having Google blur the image of their home on Street View.

But you can't win in the high techno wars, except by disconnecting from the whole mess entirely. You have to escape your pod.

Now when thieves are looking around your neighbourhood from the comfort of their computer, they are  also looking for the blurred homes, assuming (possibly correctly) that the owners must have some juicy stuff to hide.

On-grid, or semi-off-grid - they have you either way.

The best way to be officially off-grid is to live in areas without the google map surveillance vehicle prowling around.

My house is off grid because I live in a rural location away from a substantial population centre, or major road. 

If you want to rob my home, you will have to physically case the joint the old fashioned way. Today's cyber-based thieves are too lazy for that. 

Probably rural thieves are more fit than city thieves, so I am not sure if I actually have an advantage.

It's alright - i have nothing of value to steal anyway, which is the best protection of all.

Are you on-grid, or off-grid Google map's intrusive Street View surveillance? 

It's a blurry conundrum.