Veg shortages

I am lucky to have some land and a poly tunnel so I grow quite a lot of veg here, I like to grow my own as I know they are organic and not modified reproductions designed to look good on supermarket shelves. I think the taste is better especially when food is harvested and eaten rather than ripening after harvest in the time taken to get it to market, so it looks perfect. The down side is my veg doesn't look perfect.

Anyway, you may have heard about the Dutch farmers protesting against the Dutch government's plan to buy up and shut down almost 3,000 farms in a bid to meet tough EU greenhouse gas emissions targets. I think their reasoning in EU emissions targets does not make sense, if  Holland stops producing fruit and veg then it will be sourced from countries outside the region which will have longer distances to travel to market and therefore increase C02 emissions in both the transport and other regions. This is just posturing, outsourcing carbon emissions and not reducing them.   

Holland has problems with its water quality, some of which no doubt, is caused by intensive farming. The pesticides, chemicals and fertilisers used in intensive farming could be eradicated by organic farming which would keep farms in business, this would mean a lot less product per acre and result in a product demanding a lot higher price, but better resulting water quality. 

The problem is people are used to buying tasteless perfect shaped fruit and veg at very cheap prices, the fact that most of the products have been genetically modified to fill the market brief seems to go right over peoples heads but that's another story.  

Getting rid of farmers in the EU to satisfy emissions targets will make food less available, more expensive and higher in C02 emissions because of the distances it has to be transported. The targets will not help global warming.   

I hope we will see a rise in farmers markets soon and people embracing good nutritious, tasty products that are grown in their local area, without a middleman, and that the WEF plans for everyone to eat insects and even more modified veg, gets the thumb down from everyone.  

$19.99

Have you ever wondered why the Rounding Laws introduced when 1 and 2 cent coins went out of circulation in 1995 have never been changed?

Well here is the answer to the question. 

We couldn't be arsed to complain about false advertising. €19.99 and €19.98 and €19.97 are actually €20 the reason they are priced at €19.99 on the shelf or on petrol pump prices is to do with psychology and its quite interesting to read about. 

When people are buying based on their feelings (e.g. hedonic products such as food and fashion, a spa experience), use round prices (e.g. €15, $200).

When people are buying for rational reasons (e.g. utilitarian products such as a washing machine, business services), use non-rounded prices (e.g. €15.95, $229.50).

Your customers will have higher preferences for your product and will be more likely to buy.

It works this way because 

1.Rounded numbers are more frequent in our life, so we find them easier to mentally process - which increases how likely we are to use our feelings. 

2.Non-rounded numbers are harder to process but feel more rational - as if they are more grounded in facts.

3.When the price matches our state or emotional vs rational, our judgment about the product “feels right”. 

4. In turn, this intensifies our judgment of the product (i.e. good becomes great, bad becomes terrible).

Psychology is used throughout our lives by marketers, in the supermarket layout to colours in brands and all sorts and it is also used in propaganda with reciting data over and over and over until we believe there is no question about the propaganda being truth and just take it as read. 

Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth is a good example, his movie is a 2006 American documentary about his campaign to educate people about global warming. The film features a slide show that, by Gore's own estimate, he has presented over 1,000 times to audiences worldwide. His movie has been used in School syllabus and the claims he made were taken as a crisis bound to happen.  

The crisis never happened, but he is still preaching global disasters today because if you say something enough times it has to be true. 

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How Mineral Supply Will Change EV Forecasts

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Cobalt is considered the highest material supply chain risk for electric vehicles (EVs) in the short and medium term. EV batteries can have up to 20 kg of Co in each 100 kilowatt-hour (kWh) pack.

I would argue that it is physically impossible to replace all cars with electric ones because:

Nissan Leafs, which have under 200 miles of range, come in 40 kWh and 60 kWh variants. The Long Range Tesla Model 3, capable of over 300 miles of range, comes with a 75 kWh battery pack.

So if we take it that each car requires 10kg of Cobalt to make its battery.

Total world reserves of Cobalt are estimated by the United States Geological Survey at around 7.6 million tons of contained cobalt. There are 1.446 billion cars in the World in 2023, my basic grasp of arithmetic dictates that to replace the cars would require 1 trillion four hundred and forty six million kgs of cobalt. There are 907.185kgs in a metric ton so the required amount in tons is 1,609,374,052

The Congo is the Worlds largest producer of cobalt, accounting for roughly 70 percent of global production, 130,000 MT in 2022. Production would have to be ramped up 12.5 times.

Maybe battery recycling can reduce the amount of raw material that needs to be dug up but it doesn't exist in any capacity yet.

So who gets a car? well that's obvious. Klaus will have one and Bill and Al and everyone else can walk.

It will be great, our health will improve and we will be happy, and sarcasm will be outlawed.

 

I just focused on Cobalt, and didn't even mention Lithium,manganese, graphite, steel, and nickel.

Having problems understanding the need for a Metaverse

The Metaverse : is a spatial computing platform that provides digital experiences as an alternative to or a replica of the real world, along with its key civilizational aspects like social interactions, currency, trade, economy, and property ownership.

Do we really need an alternative to the real world? Maybe if we are locked into 15 min cities the only escape will be to strap on a helmet and virtually escape. Its quite scary the plans the likes of the WEF have for us. 

Imagine a virtual world where billions of people live, work, shop, learn and interact with each other -- all from the comfort of their couches in the physical world.

In this world, the computer screens we use today to connect to a worldwide web of information have become portals to a 3D virtual realm that's palpable -- like real life, only bigger and better. Digital facsimiles of ourselves, or avatars, move freely from one experience to another, taking our identities and our money with us. WHY? 

Rather than sitting on couches young people should be encouraged to meet other real people not digital avatars, in real situations not bigger and better virtual worlds, to get out into nature get their hands dirty and learn about life.

I just don't get it.

Well done Florida Health Department

I'd like to congratulate the State of Florida Health Department in the US for making public and transparent their vaccine adverse reactions data, even though I realise they probably have been transparent to oust a different political party from power.

This You Tube video by Dr John Campbell who has been concerned throughout the pandemic is a good breakdown of the reactions data taken from the Health Departments release. I would really encourage people to watch it especially if thinking of taking another shot.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2YGdDbZpSg&t=620s 

I can understand why Governments and the Elites like Mr Gates and Big Pharma are trying to cover up the fact that they insisted we all dosed up on vaccines that had not undergone the rigorous trials that all previous vaccines had to go through, as it will see them lose their positions of power and riches, but I think the Facts cannot be swept under the carpet as they could have been in the past due to the internet and social media.  

 

Geneology and my family tree

 I got given a DNA testing kit for Christmas and the results came back today. There was nothing really surprising in the results with 91.7% of recent ancestors being from the UK, mostly SW Scotland and Northumbria where my Mum is from. 

I added the results to a website I have been working on in my spare time instead of watching Love Island or Sam Smith, its at  http://shairp.xara.hosting/ 

It goes back to 1562 and I got a bit carried away with my research so the website only contains direct ancestors on my Paternal and Maternal sides and indirect ancestors on Angela's side. The site is quite bland at the moment being of a more a database than anything fancy and for viewing on a bigger screen than a phone but I might jazz it up a bit when I finish linking all the pages etc and do a responsive version.

 

                                                               http://shairp.xara.hosting/ 

 

Feel free to leave a comment if I have made any mistakes. 

A rebel in my old age

Whats the World coming to?

I started off believing that an untested vaccine was "safe" and would stop transmission of Covid 19 and after traveling an hour into Galway, I queued up, with hundreds of others, some almost definitely already infected with the virus,and got my first shot. 

Then I did the same thing again for my second shot, because I was in the risky category and wanted to the right thing, but then I drew the line. I am almost a hermit here in Derrykyle I just plooter around in my garden carve the odd sculpture, occasionally go out fishing and hardly see a soul so the risk of me contracting and then passing on a virus was very low. 

Now I could be called an "Anti Vaxxer", actually I'm not, its just untested jabs I oppose and wont be getting another untested Covid shot regardless of what I'm called.

We are now learning about Covid vaccine side effects like myocarditis; how the vaccine can affect the endocrine system and T-cell suppression and increase the risk of conditions like Epstein-Barr virus and shingles.

The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and organs. It uses hormones to control and coordinate your body's metabolism, energy level, reproduction, growth and development, and response to injury, stress, and mood.  

But the WHO and Governments are still pushing vaccines? to admit they were wrong would be better in my eyes than trying to cover up things, and I think the truth will out in the end. 

Then there is the testing of "passports" to control peoples movements and access to events/ restaurants/ travel etc during the pandemic. I think this was and is part of a plan to digitize and eventually control all aspects of our lives. Wow this makes me a conspiracy theorist and an anti vaxxer, told you I was a rebel. 

So I watched and listened intently to the World Economic Forum in Davos this year for the first time and was horrified at what this group of so called "Elites"have planned for us all.

The drive to Net Zero, I am convinced will bankrupt us and do next to nothing to stop global warming, how can it when the biggest emitters are not signed up. 

They rolled out Al Gore in Davos, he has made $350 million out of climate alarm-ism, he set up a green investment firm now worth $36BN that pays him $2m a month... as he warns about 'rain bombs' and 'boiling oceans'  It's like the bankers who caused the 1980 crash receiving huge bonuses, you get rewarded for getting things Wrong. So Ive become a Climate Skeptic.

CBDC's and the phasing out of cash. Do I want to live in a World where everything I do or buy is monitored by Government? Nope.

CBDC's are an additional instrument of government control over citizens rather than just the convenient, safe, and stable medium of exchange they are being sold as. I watch what is happening in China who are the leaders in CBDC's, anyone not towing the party line has their rights taken away, for example they cant travel or access the internet. 

Ohh that wont happen in a democracy!!! what about the Canadian truckers who were protesting at having to have Covid shots whose bank accounts were frozen until they stopped protesting.

Digital ID's a person’s overall digital identity is vastly different and more complex than a simple digital ID. A digital identity encapsulates a person’s online activity, biometric behavioral data, and a number of other important aspects that allow people to login into the online community every day and interact.

There is no free market for ideas in China, no genuine rule of law to protect basic human rights, and the Chinese Communist Party has a monopoly on power. That institutional infrastructure is not conducive for a robust civil society, a free financial market, or trust in governance. 

So far I can be labeled, an anti vaxxer, a conspiracy activist, and a climate skeptic, what else can I add to my resume? ohh yep I am not interested in any one else's sexual preferences, I don't want to hear anything more about gender or pronouns so apparently I'm trans phobic. 

I don't think the ripping down of statues because of links to slavery has done one iota of good for anti racism, in fact I think it has probably done the reverse so I'm probably to be branded a racist as well.

I like Neil Oliver's "Love letters to the British Isles" I find it informative and entertaining (unlike Love Island) so may well be a white extremist.

Back to the WEF, At Davos, John Kerry the US climate advisor said the government has to spend yet more “money, money, money,” like a drunken sailor is the only solution to global warming.

At the end of 2022 more than 28,440 onshore turbines with a combined capacity of about 58 gigawatts (GW) were in operation across Germany.  

Over the last decade, journalists have held up Germany’s renewables energy transition, the Energiewende, as an environmental model for the world. Over the past five years alone, the Energiewende has cost Germany €32 billion a year. Germany’s electricity prices are more expensive than those in all the other G20 countries. And yet Germany is still the highest carbon emission country in Europe with 628.9 million tons emissions in 2021. 

If renewables can’t cheaply power Germany, one of the richest and most technologically advanced countries in the world, how could a developing nation leap frog fossil fuels and remain "developing".

So in conclusion my rebel advice, take it or leave it, is say

No to Digital ID's, No to Net Zero by 2030, No to CBDC's, No to un-elected Elites dictating policies, No to mainstream media sponsored propaganda, No to the new form of colonialism Datafication, No to constant apologies for things that happened well before our times, No to cancelling people exercising their right to free speech.

 

     

    

Derrykyle Cottage

My house in February 2023 before the Spring bursts into life

Central Bank Digital Currency

According to the Central Bank of Ireland "A digital euro would be a central bank liability (similar to physical euro banknotes and coins), except offered in digital form. It would be a fast, secure and easy to use instrument, which would be available for use by European citizens and businesses for the everyday payments. A digital euro would ensure that citizens of the euro area would continue to have access to widely accepted, safe and trusted means of payment for the digital age."

 CBDCs are divided into two types. These are wholesale and retail. Financial institutions are the primary users of wholesale CBDCs. Retail CBDCs are similar to physical forms of cash.

At the moment I can have a monetary transaction concluded with the exchange of cash that is private between myself and the person I am transacting with. This will end when cash is phased out, no transaction will be unrecorded. I believe surveillance leads to the government tramping on individual rights so I am against Digital Currency and Digital ID's especially when they are linked like China has done.

In 2018 in China, the eastern city of Suqian announced a plan to score the “trustworthiness” of every adult resident. Everyone would start with 1,000 points. They could get more for performing good deeds, such as voluntary work, giving blood, donating bone-marrow or being a model worker. Points would be deducted for bad behavior such as defaulting on loans, late payment of utility bills, breaking the rules of the road or being convicted of a crime. Scores would be recalculated monthly and allow residents to be sorted into eight categories, from AAA (model citizen) to D (untrustworthy).

Model citizens get incentives and untrustworthy ones have their liberties like travel removed, its a great way to keep your population under control making sure they tow the party line. 

If you think this wont happen in a democracy it is happening already, take the Canadian freedom truckers case that freezed hundreds of bank accounts associated with protest organizers and Canadians who had blockaded Ottawa’s streets with their vehicles. 

The social credit system is already here in Europe here we are well accustomed to credit checks: data brokers such as Experian trace the timely manner in which we pay our debts, giving us a score that's used by lenders and mortgage providers. We also have social-style scores, and anyone who has shopped online with eBay has a rating on shipping times and communication, while Uber drivers and passengers both rate each other; if your score falls too far, you're out of luck.

Imagine a World where you cant buy anything without having permission, where every daily choice you make is monitored and logged into a database watched over by Government.

 

John Kerry

The Worlds largest study of global climate related deaths every year to abnormal temperatures has been done by Monash University in Australia, the study used 43 countries’ baseline data across five continents with different climates, socioeconomic and demographic conditions and differing levels of infrastructure and public health services – so the study had a large and varied sample size, unlike previous studies.

It found 9.43 per cent of global deaths could be attributed to cold and hot temperatures. This equates to 74 excess deaths for every 100,000 people, with most deaths caused by cold exposure.
Importantly, cold-related death decreased 0.51 per cent from 2000 to 2019, while heat-related death increased 0.21 per cent, leading to a reduction in net mortality due both to cold and hot temperatures.

You can check the study at https://www.monash.edu/.../worlds-largest-study-of-global...

Maybe John Kerry the US Climate envoy recently at the WEF forum should have referenced this data rather than preach in his Evangelical fashion that "10 million people are dying annually from the heat" – a statistic that he used to illustrate the urgency of action in what he referred to as the world’s hottest year ever.

I find it shocking to hear the US climate envoy appear to give such a misleading impression of what the evidence tells us on heat-related deaths.

Does he get sanctioned for his propaganda and fake news? nope he jets off to his next speech on his wife's private jet, a Gulfstream GIV-SP, which has made 48 trips lasting more than 60 hours and released an estimated 715,886 pounds — or 325 metric tons — of carbon dioxide since Biden entered the White House in January 2021.

To put this in context an average the typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year.