The Woods Are… OPEN

My worst nightmare is over. 

Finally, after weeks of being shut out of the Nova Scotia wilderness, our government has rescinded the directive to stay out of the woods.

The only fires I heard of, including one that was visible on the horizon from my home, were started by lightning. 

Too bad the government couldn't ban that.

It is true though, that this was a droughty, dry summer without any appreciable rain whatsoever for months. It was terrible, and I have never seen so many trucks hauling water pass by our home in the 11 years we have lived here. Nor have I ever had to be out in the garden watering almost every day, which was a nice problem to have.

But it was also a drought for the part of my soul reserved specifically for enjoying the wilderness. It was parched, cracked, and hurting after my multi-week hiking and biking dry patch.

I definitely did not break the mandate three times to slake my shrivelling soul because I am a good, obedient, and compliant citizen. All governments operate for the safety, health, and happiness of the people. And if you believe that, I have a mandate you might like.

As soon as I heard that the woods were OPEN mid-September, I got my act together pronto and hit the trails. 

I took the pictures in this post on a recent bike ride to a local lake. The route consists of several kilometers of old logging trails through the woods. While I did not see another soul over the two hour ride, I did have a great blue heron fly directly over me at the lake, and I flushed a spruce grouse on the trail.

Back in nature, elation followed against a fall pallet of reds, yellows, and browns splashed against a backdrop of clear, blue sky.

My heart soared, and I was finally able to satisfy the wilderness requirements infused into every cell of my being.

Open at last, open at last, thank God almighty we are open at last.

Zombified

We’ve been zombified in so-called developed nations because what has really been developed has been a slick, modern, shiny, unhappy compliance with the consumer economy.

How could it turn out any different with the massive push to infect us with the viruses of FOMO and instant gratification?

That is why I don’t blame the victims here, all of us that have been indoctrinated, marinated, obliviated, and manipulated into a robotic satiation of consumer cravings by a young age.

Data backs this up: in the U.S., retail sales hit $7.2 trillion in 2024, and the purchase of ‘experiences' (travel, concerts, etc.) grew 30% since 2019. 

Social media is the superspreader of this infection, with 60% of Gen Zers polled saying posts on sites like Instagram invite viewers to join the Consumer Zombie Nation and indulge in impulse buys. Better than brains - less messy and more fun.

Meanwhile, simple living, mindfulness, and minimalism trends are (feebly) rising as a pushback forms. Research shows that only about 10% of Americans actively practice minimalism. 

I get it - zombies want what zombies want. But eventually everyone has been zombified, the system is tapped out, and there are no fresh brains left.

The still zombified, or the zombie curious in newly consumerized nations, need compassion and understanding.

The kind and loving thing to do for yourself or someone you love, is to take a dose of the safe and effective simplicity solution. Its ingredients are minimalism, enoughism, discipline, gratitude and mindfulness. This solution has been tested over thousands of years and proven to be a robust treatment for consumer zombification.

Side effects include frugality, thrift, moderation, self-control, joy, and happiness, as well as improved mental and physical health.

There has to be a mass movement of people that wish to reclaim a more genuine life and purpose through mindful joyful living guided by the practices of simplicity and minimalism. Only then can we successfully de-zombify as cultures and civilizations.

What, or who, do you think’s driving the zombie-like cravings that continue to command so much time, money, resources, and attention? 

Is it social pressure, boredom, or something deeper? 

Let us know what you think in a comment below.

Smplf

Simplify! Simplify!

Simplify.

Simplify

Smplify

Smplfy

Smplf

Y m hv rcnzd th wrd n th ttl bfr y gt hr. Rght? 

If so, it was simple, but not too simple.

This is my thought experiment on simplification. 

Henry David Thoreau said, 

"Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify, simplify.”  

Why didn’t he just say simplify?  

Wouldn’t that be smplr?

"Keep on going…" he seems to be stressing, because there is always more that can be done.

Albert Einstein said, 

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” 

In other words, even simplicity contains a component of complexity, and by oversimplification, we ignore the reality of that which helps us understand the world around us more completely. 

We sometimes need more details to make informed decisions, or to notice finer things. 

Think about the difference between going to the store and buying vegetables versus buying seeds, preparing the soil, planting, watering, caring for, and finally harvesting and processing the vegetables you grew. 

In this scenario, which in the simple life, and which is more complex? 

Buying vegetables from the store is the simpler alternative, but by avoiding the complexity of growing your own, you also miss out on the joys of doing so, which are many.

As we traverse the complexities of our world, striking a balance with simplicity is crucial. 

This equilibrium helps us make well-informed decisions and cultivates a deeper understanding of ourselves and the amazing cosmos we all share.

Doing the most simple thing may not be doing the absolute best thing. 

Einstein reminds us that we can take joy in the complexities, too, and therefore soak up the full spectrum of experience.

Tht sms smpl engh. 

Wht d y thnk?

Break Free from Propaganda

Mark Twain nailed it: “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they’ve been fooled.” That denial won’t change the fact that we’ve been fooled time and time again. 

From slick ads coercing us to buy things we don’t need and didn’t even know we wanted, to government mandates, our world is awash in manipulations designed to make us conform and comply without question. 

In post-COVID times, when blind obedience to “trust the science” or “follow the rules” has been challenged, it’s clear we need to rethink how we respond to propaganda. 

Simple living isn’t just about decluttering your space—it’s about freeing your mind from lies and outside control. Here’s why we’re so vulnerable and how to fight back.

Why We’re So Easy to Fool

Our brains are wired to trust, not doubt. Psychological research, like Paul Ekman’s studies on deception, shows we’re lousy at spotting lies. That is because we assume good faith, even when power, money, or control is at play. This makes us easy targets for those who exploit our trust. We’re also cognitively lazy. Critical thinking takes effort, and in a world of endless work and consumption, we often skip the mental heavy lifting, even when it’s critical. 

Over the last five years, we’ve seen how this laziness can lead to accepting directives without questioning their logic or impact. Finally, our psychological weaknesses—fear, need for belonging, aversion to conflict—leave us open to manipulation.

Governments and corporations know this, using propaganda to shape not just what we think but what we do. 

In recent years, we’ve seen how fear-driven narratives can push entire populations to comply with rules that, in hindsight, many now question.

The Propaganda Machine: Consent and Compliance

In 1928, Edward Bernays, the “Father of Public Relations,” wrote Propaganda, a blueprint for manipulating the masses. 

He declared, 

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.” 

Bernays didn’t just engineer consent—getting people to agree—he mastered compliance, ensuring they acted as desired, often without thinking. Bernays used emotional triggers, media saturation, and trusted figures like doctors or celebrities to make behaviors feel natural. 

His 1929 “Torches of Freedom” campaign convinced women to smoke by tying cigarettes to liberation. If he could sell that, he could sell anything.

Today more than ever, Bernays’ tactics feel eerily familiar. From blanket mandates to media-driven fear, we’ve seen compliance weaponized on a global scale. 

Mask rules, lockdowns, and vaccine campaigns leaned more on social pressure and “expert” authority, backed up by The $cience. Questions were discouraged, then banned. 

Yet, as skepticism grows—fueled by revelations of inconsistent policies or hidden agendas—people are waking up like never before. 

Blind compliance isn’t just dangerous; it’s the opposite of living simply and authentically.

How to Fight Back

We’ve had enough of being manipulated, but compliance thrives when we stay silent. To live rebelliously and simply, we must reject propaganda and reclaim our autonomy. Here are four ways to stop being fooled: 1. Hone Your Critical Thinking: If something seems off, it probably is. Question The $cience when it’s inconsistent or agenda-driven. Do your own research, check primary sources, cross-reference, and think independently. 2. Be a Relentless Skeptic: Question everything—politicians, media, even “experts.” A simple living mindset means cutting through the noise to find the basic truths. Ask: Who gains? What’s the real motive? 3. Trust Your Instincts: Your gut is a powerful guide. If a narrative feels coercive or wrong, don’t ignore it. Your intuition often catches what your mind misses. 4. Resist Compliance: Propaganda banks on obedience. Push back, especially when compliance feels forced. In a post-COVID world, saying “no” to blind conformity is a radical act of freedom. Keep fighting for a world where truth trumps control.

5. Read This Blog: Question everything it says.

Join the Simple Living Rebellion

The world needs skeptics, thinkers, and rebels—people who refuse to comply with the lies. Simple living means rejecting mental clutter and standing firm against manipulation. 

A small group of determined individuals can dismantle this “Empire of Deception” and lead the way to truth and change.  According to Margaret Mead, those small groups of indiviuals are the only thing that has ever led to change.

At my blog, I’m not buying their stuff, or their nonsense demands and brainwashing. That’s the start. 

What’s one moment you questioned propaganda and the official narrative and found your own truth? 

Share in a comment below. 

Let’s build a community that values autonomy over compliance, and truth over the lies and deceptions of the sort that Bernays weaponized with his books.

100 Questions for Contemplation

I don’t have any answers. Sorry.

But I have plenty of questions. 

Endless questions. 

I guess you could say I am a very curious, inquisitive person prone to periods of prolonged contemplation.

A lot of my questions are included in the list below that I found during a search for images on intrinsic happiness.

Considering these queries one at at a time could form the basis of a daily mindfulness/contemplation practice that could eventually provide much needed and elusive answers.

My latest personal favourite that I have been asking myself during my daily time in my morning contemplation corner is, 

''What emotional and/or mental blocks are preventing me from becoming the best person I can be?''

In closing this post, I have a final question. Why only 100 questions when life confronts us with infinite questions daily?

Why not 200 questions? 2000 questions? Too much of a good thing, perhaps.

However, if we were to expand on this excellent list, what life changing question, or questions would you add? 

Share your contemplative queries in our comment section below.

50 Ways to Leave Your Stuff

With apologies to Paul Simon for butchering his song… maybe he is a minimalist.

"The problem is all inside your head," I say to you 
The answer is easy if you take it logically" 
I'd like to help you in your struggle to be free 
There must be 50 ways to leave your stuff

I say, "It's really not my habit to intrude 
Furthermore, I hope my meaning won't be lost or misconstrued" 
But I'll repeat myself at the risk of being crude 
There must be 50 ways to leave your stuff 
50 ways to leave your stuff

You just slip it out the back, Jack 
Make a donation plan, Stan 
You don't need that toy, Roy 
Just get yourself free
Put it on the bus, Gus 
You don't need to discuss much 
Just drop it off at the 1st second hand store you see, Lee 

And get yourself free

Consumer nations generally have a bad relationship with stuff - we carry lots of baggage. It is mostly easier to acquire than to get rid of. 

But, like Paul Simon’s 1975 song 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, there are also many ways to leave your bad relationship with unwanted stuff behind you. 

Inspired by Simon’s song, I brainstormed some lyrics around getting rid of unwanted baggage, and setting ourselves free. Some are serious, others not so much.

1. Put it at the curb, Herb. 

2. Throw it away, Ray. 

3. Sell it in a pawn shop, Pop.

4. Put it on a rocket to space, Grace.

5. Regift that unwanted present, Kent.

6. Throw a yard sale, Gail.

7. Take it to the dump, Gump.

8. Bury it in the yard, Marg.

9. Do a declutter, Sutter.

10. Donate to Goodwill, Bill.

There are many more that come to mind, but you get the idea. 

I was going to suggest ‘'Put it in pile to burn, Vern'', but that is probably not the best alternative, as satisfying as it may be.

I hope this helps you in your personal struggle to be free of the tyranny of unwanted, unloved, and unnecessary stuff. 

Or at least helps you to have a laugh at it all, and gain a new, fresh perspective.

What are the ways you leave your stuff? 

Stuff, not lovers. Paul Simon already covered that one.

The Great Green Grift

For more on the Flying Hotel see my 1st ever dumb consumer item post here.

Welcome to the Great Green Grift—where noble intentions drown in a sea of hypocrisy and cash, and the planet’s salvation is just another lucrative market for the 1% that already own about half the world’s wealth. 

The climate crisis, soon to be an ‘emergency’, we’re told, is humanity’s existential threat, and CO2’s the villain, warming the Earth by 1.1°C since the Industrial Revolution (IPCC’s numbers).

It seems obvious that change is happening, but the solutions? 

They’re less about saving anything and more about fattening wallets. Welcome to the Great Green Grift, where hyperbolic eco-heros and corporate sharks team up to screw the rest of us, all while cloaked in superhero capes in shades of glorious green stitched together with vines of virtue. Take carbon credits, the indulgences of the 21st century. You pay a fee to offset your carbon “sins”—say, an international flight—and some company promises to plant a tree in Borneo. Half the time, those trees are already there, or they’re cut down for palm oil before you’ve unpacked your suitcase. 

The global carbon market’s worth over $800 billion, yet emissions keep climbing. Funny how the mansions of the rich are lit up like Vegas while they lecture us to unplug our toasters. It’s performance art for profit, with the greenwashing on the outside masking the greed on the inside. Then there’s the renewable energy racket. Wind turbines and solar panels sound great, until you see the strip-mined cobalt for batteries or the used turbine blades being buried because there is nothing else that can be done with them. 

They have been lying about everything else, what makes us think they are all of a sudden telling the truth about all of this?

Subsidies for green tech are a goldmine for corporations with about $1 trillion globally in 2022. Meanwhile, your energy bill spikes because “sustainable” grids struggle to keep the lights on. 

The 1% don’t care. Their Tesla charges just fine at their third vacation home. And the greenwashing continues. BP rebranded as “Beyond Petroleum” while spilling oil like drunken frat boys spilling beer. It’s a shameless move of optics over action.

It’s not about the planet; it’s about control and cash, just like the failed global COVID response (or worse, did it turn out exactly the way the wanted it to?). If so, what is their real agenda with the manufactured climate panic? Sure, CO2 traps heat—physics doesn’t lie. But the apocalyptic prophecies? Often overcooked models that ignore methane, solar cycles, or plain old human adaptability. 

The green grift, and others like it, thrive on fear, not facts, peddling panic to the masses while the 1% pocket the proceeds. 

So, next time you’re told to eat bugs to save the Earth, ask why Klaus Schwab’s still eating steak. The planet might warm, but the real heat’s coming from the great green grift burning a hole in our wallets.

Like all the movements prior, environmentalism has been long co-opted and transformed into yet another get rich scheme for the already wealthy.

If they were truly green, they would give up their riches and adopt voluntary simplicity, and how many of them that you know of are currently doing that?

Leading by example is a solid principle. People watch what you do more closely than what you say. Action has more impact than words.

Is the real existential threat a changing climate, or is it the grift and power grab of governments and the one percenters?

Calmcation + Quitcation = Simplification

A calmcation sounds kind of nice - a vacation where you actually get what a vacation was always supposed to give you - rest and relaxation so you can return to the grind feeling refreshed and ready to increase productivity for the benefit of shareholders. 

I am partial to staycations, but a calmcation is definitely preferred if the alternative is a busycation. 

The simple life can be a constant calmcation compared to a chaotic consumer life. It is a staycation that provides all the peace and calm that one would need, right where you are at. 

Calmcationers seek quiet and tranquility while on holiday, and travel providers are going with that until the next trend hits. They are putting together pre-made packages to spoon feed rattled workers on the brink of burnout.

It is a good idea, but if serenity, mindfulness, and being present are goals, getting off the treadmill permanently to craft a simpler life is an option that can be considered.

You could call it a Quitcation. 

That was the brand of break Linda and I took 25 years ago, after starting with a one year long sabbatical/calmcation (except we called it escaping the rat race) during which we traveled the world. After that it turned into a two year sabbatical so we could extend our epic calmcation, and when that ended, it turned into a quitcation to pursue the simple life more ardently.

Not that we never needed to work again, but since we left on this journey, we have been working to live, rather than living to work. That alone changed our entire perspective on life.

Stress levels returned to healthy, manageable levels as soon as unnecessary striving and struggling was eliminated. 

Begin with a calmcation to restore your peace, embrace a quitcation to break free, and transform that solace from modern life’s chaos into a lasting sanctuary in simplicity.

It worked for us, and it can work for you, too.

As Lily Tomlin said, ''for fast acting relief, try slowing down.''

Still Not Happy

The consumerism lie is a whopper that goes against thousands of years of human experience.

The lie? 

That life would suck without a bunch of stuff you don't need, and that we all need more of it. And if we can't get more, we will not be happy.

Are we to believe that before consumerism no one was ever happy? 

Before there was air travel, were people happy? 

Before cars? 

Before fast food?

Before computers and smart phones?

Before vinyl siding, forever chemicals, and big box stores?

Of course they were.

Most likely though, they were happier (and healthier) than we are today. That’s progress, folks.

Consumerism isn't to make us happier. It is to make the pushers of stuff happier.

Will more crap will make us happier?

In my experience the opposite is more accurate. Over the years as my minimalism has maximalized, I find myself with less and less stuff, and more and more happiness.

Upon investigation, all the evidence across the eons shows us that collecting a stuff we don’t need, and making our happiness dependent on that, was never a good idea, and it still isn’t.

And that is no lie. 

David Shi’s Primary Attributes of the Simple Life

"David Shi describes the common denominator among the various approaches to simpler living as the understanding that the making of money and the accumulation of things should not smother the purity of the soul, the life of the mind, the cohesion of the family, or the good of the society.''

- Duane Elgin

 

In my experience simple living is like yoga in practice - both are supremely adaptable to any person and situation. 

Having said that, there are also grounding principles, guideposts to aid practitioners to the better life they steadfastly strive towards. These basic principles give us direction, meaning, and purpose.

For example, simple living, yoga, and meditation all share an emphasis on mindfulness, self-discipline, and personal growth.

More broadly, what are the foundational principles and values embodied by this mind-expanding practice we call the simple life?

David Shi, historian of the Simplicity Movement, admits that "the simple life is almost as difficult to define as it is to live".

But, he forges ahead bravely anyway, and defines what he sees as the primary attributes of living simply: 

- thoughtful frugality 

- suspicion of luxuries 

- reverence and respect for nature 

- desire for self-sufficiency 

- commitment to conscientious rather than conspicuous consumption 

- privileging of creativity and contemplation over possessions 

- aesthetic preference for minimalism and functionality

- sense of responsibility for the just uses of the world’s resources

In an overall assessment which elevates simplicity to the loft heights it deserves, Shi calls voluntary simplicity  ‘enlightened material restraint.’

Developing that restraint is the antidote to consumerism, and the ticket to clarity and freedom.

When pursued diligently, the attributes of simplicity lead into a joyous and beneficial daily practice that brings the practitioner into the present to cherish the moments with kindness, peace, and gratitude.

While simple living is a challenge to define, I think that  David Shi’s attributes do a great job of summarizing how most of us think about this beautiful way of living. 

How does this mesh with your ideas of simplicity as practiced in your home? Let us know in a comment below.

This is a Net Zero Crap Blog

Most consumer products are crap we don’t need.

You could call this blog a net zero blog, but not the net zero that most people are thinking about these days.

Our net zero is about reducing dependence on the system’s capitalist consumer crap complex to zero.

Why is this important? Because ninety percent of everything is crap. At least, that’s what science fiction writer, Theodore Sturgeon, opined in 1957.

 

His revelation has been dubbed “Sturgeon’s Law” ever since, even though this reality has probably been known since forever.

The way I see it, Sturgeon wasn’t being ambitious enough. Many would put the amount of crap at around 99%. On a good day.

Living a not buying anything life helps achieve a balance between the amount of this crap that flows into our lives and the amount removed, resulting in no net increase in crap levels. 

Our net zero way of living typically involves eliminating purchases, and therefore potential crapification, as much as possible through measures like reducing, refusing, replacing, repairing, and rethinking. 

It also means learning to do things yourself, while offsetting any remaining crap intrusions through actions like decluttering, downsizing, and other marvelous minimalist methods.

And it also means living according to the ''one thing in, one thing out’’ rule, which leaves the crap level neutral overall. 

Consumer crap is harmful to children and other living things, and is more harmful to life as we know it than CO2. Actually, the consumption of consumer crap   creates CO2 in large quantities, so when you reduce the crap you also reduce the CO2. 

Considering this, you would think that governments would be promoting simplicity and minimalism, but I don’t see this happening. 

How curious this callous crap conundrum. 

I still think the best solution is to go net zero on the crap continuum, and simply not buy anything you don’t need.

What do you think? Are you part of our net zero crap community, or do you think you might like to join us? 

We are a gentle, compassionate and kind group, and our goal is to make life great again for all the world's children, and all other living things. Not through the banks and elite controlled systems, but by individual personal changes, and community efforts from the ground up.

Let us know where you stand in a comment below.