"Questions 67 and 68" (opens in separate window)

the sinister nature of electric cars

friday, december 17th, 2021

The Democrats are doing everything they can to get Americans into electric cars. However, those cars come with the risk of a serious loss of power — not just for the car, but for those who buy those cars.

We have to begin with asking, why is the governing pushing electric vehicles? And it's not just cars; it's also trucks. Why are they ignoring hybrid vehicles? If something happens to the electric guts of a properly designed hybrid car, the vehicle can limp along with its smaller gas engine until it reaches safety. What happens to a fully electric vehicle if its electrical system fails? Nothing, of course! You're stuck. All you have is a hunk of metal and plastic. And if you run out of electricity while driving, you can't just get a gallon gas can to fill the tank until you get to the nearest service station. Again, you're stuck. You'll never get the past back, as it's over. You'll never get the future back, as it hasn't happened yet.

The next question is, "Are electric cars cheaper than gas cars?" No, they cannot be cheaper, and that's even if you run them on renewables. Take solar energy, for example. Even if sunlight is free, the laws of thermodynamics still control.

Every time energy changes form, there is a loss factor. Sunlight impinging on solar cells changes only 14–47% of the energy to electricity. The forty-seven percent figure is state-of-the-art, so it is not available for everyday use.

Electricity is then stored in chemical-based car batteries (with a loss). And then chemical energy is reconverted back to electricity (with a loss) and finally to mechanical energy, where the tire rubber meets the road (with a loss). At a guess, not more than 5% of the original sun power turns the wheels of an E.V. That's awful. What this means is that it is more efficient to run a gas-powered vehicle.

You can do similar analyses with other renewables, whether wind or water power. They simply aren't efficient.

Moreover, renewables are available intermittently (when the sun shines, the wind blows, or the water flows). Because we want to drive when those power sources aren't immediately available, we will have to store excess sunlight in chemicals or in other ways, always remembering that storage and later reconversion is never free. And we will always have to maintain fossil fuel backup plants in case of renewables' failure. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this Earth.

This energy loss is not a secret. Smart people know about energy losses. Why, then, do so many favor a less efficient mode of transportation?

This analysis begins by recognizing that these smart people are fully aware of the above two points — namely, that fully electric vehicles are a riskier transport system compared to hybrids, and renewable power is a less efficient use of limited energy resources than gasoline.

Given this information, it is time for our conspiracy theory. By favoring a transportation system that can fail at a single point, we confer upon those in power the ability to shut down an entire civilization. And even if they don't completely shut it down, the price of electricity will be centrally controlled, allowing a chokehold on all the people all the time.

Redundancy is more expensive than efficiency, but redundancy at least leaves options. With our advanced understanding of complex systems today, no engineer would knowingly structure a system where failure at a single point makes everything inoperative for the foreseeable future. One broken gear in a clock makes it useless for its purpose, but we can buy another clock. Remaking a resilient transportation system is a herculean task.

The proper conclusion here is that society, meaning each and every one of us, should fight like hell before we allow such catastrophic vulnerabilities to be built into our future. One EMP explosion will eliminate most of the affected population within six months —- and it won't be pleasant. Starvation is a particularly nasty way to end our days. And all the time we are starving to death, we'll have time to think how stupid we were to allow such things to be done to us.

Why would anyone trust the government to look after our welfare? Just don't do it. Just don't allow it! Just say no to EVs! Long live carburetors!

A Day In The Life.

Up at 6a on Friday, I went thru my finger stick to check my BSL (Blood Sugar Level) and recorded it on my Diabetes 2 chart, made Kona Coffee and breakfast, had a couple smokes in the cold garage and checked the leftover errands list. It was 35°, and I some a few errands to do. I'd forgo listening to the "Chris Plante Show" and get them done, since I was meeting Sherry at 1p, to hopefully do some walking exercise, even though my right side Sciatica was hurting again. I had one 10mg Oxycodone left and would probably use it to ameliorate the pain, so we could get some exercise together.

I left at 8:45 and was back home by 10, and caught the last 2hrs of the "Chris Plante Show". I called Sherry about meeting at 1p, at the York Galleria, and since she wasn't feeling well, we decided to postpone it to next week. Prices (CPI) across-the-board on products, jumped 6.8% in December alone, the highest rate since 1982, for us battered consumers. It's really 11%, not 6.8%. Thanks Bidet & Co, you lowlife, commie, rat-bastard, socialist, Marxist, fascist, incompetent assholes. I'm going to start looking for "road kill" to bring home, rehydrate and grill, with lots of BBQ sauce, from now on. Just kidding.

"Mother Nature's In Charge. We're Just Along For The Ride." – John D.M. Shelley II, 1996, and here.

Uh-oh, massive, destructive storms are moving into the mid-South and Ohio Valley tonite and over the weekend, and we're considered in the Ohio Valley. Heads-up, neighbors!

I did paperwork, had some Jambalaya for lunch, paid some utility bills online, and took the 10mg Oxy pill for my R/S Sciatica Nerve pain, had more Kona Coffee and just relaxed for much of the day. After Prime Rib w/ Au Jus & Steamed Asparagus for dinner, I watched Discovery's "Gold Rush" until Fox News' "Tucker", and went back to "Gold Rush" until 11p. Lights out.

Nothing is to be tolerated like intolerance.

I slept-in until 9:30a on Saturday, fired-up the furnace, although it was a "tropical" 52° and rainy outside, did the usual finger stick, made coffee and had a croissant and orange marmalade, and checked the weather and news.

Horrible news: 50+ dead (actually many hundreds), thousands injured and more missing as a massive EF3 tornado slammed into in Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee for almost 250 miles long and 3-4 miles wide, and destroyed villages, towns, and cities by the scores. Additionally, swarms of multiple EF3 tornadoes hit other rural and village areas, doing massive damage. Look here for a couple pics, and here for a drone video. God Bless & Rest the souls of those people dead, injured and missing, their pets and farm animals.

I decided to stay-in for the day, as I'd taken a Lasix pill. I made an Allen Bros USDA Prime Boneless Ribeye Steak for dinner, and put it in the 'fridge; I wasn't hungry from eating breakfast so late. Some days I feel like 'Norm MacDonald'; other days I feel like 'Snake Pliskine'. Go figure.

Slim pickings for any TV programs, on a Saturday, but I managed to find some auto racing Qualifying previews on ESPN, and some other race venue reruns I hadn't seen. The heavy rain started around 7p, as the front moved thru; the same one which had caused all that damage in the Southern States. I watched selected TV shows until 10:30p, and then called it Yankee Doodle.

I'd set my alarm for 6a, but work-up at 5:20. The final F-1 race of the 2021 season, in Abu Dhabi, wherever the hell that is, goes-off promptly at 8a, so I wanted to watch it. I fired-up the furnace on a 38° at 0-Dark-Thirty, made Kona Coffee, had a croissant, to get awake before climbing into the usual morning shower. I settled-in to watch the final F-1 GP Race of the 2021 Season, AND WHAT AN UNEXPECTED, EXCITING FREAKING RACE IT WAS!

Lee stopped by while I was watching some of the F-1 replays, and doing 2 loads of laundry, and we switched channels over to some crap series called "Succession", which he and his wife like. Boring as paint drying. He left around 5p, I had some dinner and struggled to again find any TV worth watching. I did manage to find a few shows until 10p, and called it a day.

Up at 6:30a on Monday, I fired-up the furnace, office-sunroom and garage heaters, as it was only 30° outside. I did the usual coffee-finger stick-breakfast routine, checked the news and weather. The forecast called for a mild 54° day, and if true, it'd be a decent day. I had no real errands to run, called Sherry to see how she was feeling, since I last saw her on Dec 2nd. She had a 1:30p dr's app't, and said she'd call me when finished.

The tornado casualty news reports just keep getting worse: 64 dead in KY, and more sad news to come, the governor stated. I had paperwork to do, Christmas cards to make in MS-Publisher, some condo chores to finish-up and a utility bill to pay online. My NatGas bill was $95.35 (2021) vs $77.37 (2020), so everything is going thru an inflationary period (The USN&WR idiots claim 9.6%, but it's actually over 11%). And it'll get worse. Much worse. I skipped lunch, had dinner and watched History's "Ancient Aliens" until 10p, and unplugged. I have to p/u Lee, who is dropping-off his 2010 Nissan 370z for some performance mods, at a shop in South York.

Up at 5:45a on Tuesday, I fired-up the furnace to a cold 33° outside, made coffee and did the morning routines, at 0-Dark-Thirty. I had a buttery croissant for breakfast, a mug of Kona Coffee and left at 7:30a. After picking-up Lee at the car shop, and dropping him off at home, I headed home, to get some more coffee, finish listening to the "Chris Plante Show" and get an hour or two of sleep on the LR couch. I was tired, and slept for 3hrs. Awake in time for some dinner, I watched History's "The Curse of Oak Island" for most of the evening, then switched-over to Fox for "Laura" and "Gutfeld". Lights out at midnight.

If ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.

Awake at 8a on Wednesday, it was a cold 30° and cloudy, so I fired-up the furnace, garage and office-sunroom auxiliary heaters, did the usual morning routines and settled-in to listen to the "Chris Plante Show", and work on a food shopping list, for an after lunch trip. That done and back home by 1:30p, I unpacked and tackled a pile of growing paperwork, until 6. After a light dinner, I watched some Fox News shows until around 11:30, and unplugged.

Up at 7:15a on Thursday, it was a downright "tropical & balmy" 45° outside, but I still fired-up the furnace. I made Kona Coffee, had a light croissant for breakfast and listened to the usual "Chris Plante Show" until 12noon. After a banana for lunch, I headed south to Restorative Bodywork for my monthly neck/shoulder massage. I left at 12:30p.

By 12:30p, it was 57° and I left for South York. The restorative massage worked well, and I left around 2p, feeling much better. After getting home, I had a load of Pendleton (Virgin Wool) Shirts to wash in cold, then dry on Delicate, and hang-up immediately. I had lunch while that was ongoing, and started to lose energy and just wanted to sleep. I had to stay awake, or I'd be up all night, so I found some other condo chores to do. I caught some Motor Trend's "Iron Resurrection" and Discovery's "Homestead Rescue" until "Tucker" at 8, and nodded-off in my comfy leather office chair, until 10p. Time for sleep.

Tomorrow starts a new week here in the "Journal".

The Frogs Have Begun Fleeing the Government's Boiling Pot.

The federal government spies on every email, text, and call you make. It uses your phone's location services to pinpoint where you are at all times. It knows which I.P. addresses are associated with online comments that have been deemed "politically incorrect." Its partnerships with Amazon and Walmart let it know what you're reading and buying. Its partnerships with Google and Facebook let it know what you're thinking. Its partnerships with Twitter and Hollywood allow it to censor unapproved messages before too many brains have the opportunity to consider new thoughts. Its alliance with credit card companies allows it to track all your financial transactions and thereby understand your habits, preferences, choices, and addictions. Its alliance with cellular companies allows it to monitor all your movements, contacts, and associations. And all of these consumer comforts that are used by the "national security" surveillance state to watch everyone in real time constantly measure every American's potential for subversiveness, even when that American is engaged in the most mundane things during the course of an ordinary day.

Now, whom does the government fear most under these conditions? Hint: It is not the millions of illegal aliens who pour through our uncontrolled borders (during supposedly the greatest pandemic threat in a century), or foreign governments that bankroll American elected officials (How else could Biden and other lifelong politicians be millionaires?), or the threat of an electromagnetic pulse attack taking out America's aging electrical grid (because Congress's "infrastructure" spending won't bother fixing actual infrastructure when there are so many campaign donors and special interest groups to pay off).

Rather, it is the person who has no problem walking away from the government's panopticon to go hunting in the woods, who decides to pay in cash, or who has woken up to the reality that the federal government is in the business of control. It is the solitary American capable of questioning the government's official State narrative and willing to think for himself who scares the bejesus out of the powers that be. It is the patriotic grandmother who has the temerity to show up at the nation's capitol after a heavily disputed election to wave a Trump flag while drinking hot chocolate. It is the parent who has the gall to believe that the public should be in charge of public education. It is the humble police officer publicly outed and fired for privately giving a word of encouragement to an innocent teenager politically persecuted for defending his life against a State-sanctioned Antifa mob. It is the health care worker, firefighter, blue-collar worker, or soldier who refuses to let Big Brother pump him full of experimental gene therapies for the remainder of his life just because people who wear their prestige like crowns proclaim, "You must because we say." In other words, governments pretending to protect freedom are most afraid of individuals who insist on being free.

Does this seem like a system that is destined to survive?

Although I am deeply sympathetic with those Americans who throw up their arms in hopelessness and fatigue at the growing authoritarian State that is visible everywhere, I would point out that self-sustaining human systems function best when individual, voluntary acts interchange organically and invisibly to keep the societal machine running from the bottom up. When coercion and surveillance are required to artificially keep society intact through a top-to-bottom tyrannical squeeze, the whole system is at risk of collapse from a single dissenting voice that chooses to throw sand into the rusting, brittle cogs. When the social fabric is knit together with individual free will, you get an American flag for which people are willing to die. When governing elites choose to push their sinister interests upon the masses through the threat of punishment and the attractiveness of cheap rewards, you get a meaningless, multicultural ball of yarn that free-thinking people learn to kick around for sport.

Authoritarianism has taken root in America? Yes. The police state is beginning to enforce its will at the expense of dissent? Certainly. All hope is lost because the political left's "long march through the institutions" is heading up the front drive toward total victory? Au contraire! The State's slow yet relentless takeover of society may have achieved success this last century by dedicating its enormous energy to rounding up all the independent-minded frogs and throwing them into the same barely simmering pot under close watch until those in power became hungry enough to feast, but now our totalitarian cooks have begun boiling the societal pot with such intemperance that the more slippery frogs have begun squirming to safety and threaten to topple over the whole cauldron, leaving the tyrants with nothing to eat.

Watching the government lay down fresh mandates and executive orders demanding that citizens submit to its will or suffer the consequences should be seen not as a sign of unstoppable power, but rather as evidence that its grip on power is spinning out of control. For the time being, even its most important objectives — training Americans to accept forced injections and digital passports —- have been put on hold because too much of the workforce has said, "No." What's the lesson here? That pushing back on the immoral and unconstitutional dictates of a government exercising illegitimate power works! And, even more importantly, that the government is more afraid of the people than the people should ever be of their government!

Let me be clear. We have had a three-body problem in the United States since World War II: (1) the Democrats have been steadily pushing Marxist socialism upon the American people while claiming to liberate them; (2) with the exception of small reprieves provided by Presidents Reagan and Trump, Establishment Republicans have falsely presented themselves as stewards of the inalienable rights and liberties defended by our Founding Fathers while actually providing aid and comfort to the Democrat's Big Government conquest of America; and (3) a nefarious shadow bureaucracy made up of the permanent D.C. Leviathan, multinational firms, and a financial aristocracy controlling and manipulating the dollar's value and therefore each American's personal wealth has pushed unprincipled elected "leaders" to do what's in its sinister interests while actively harming the best interests of the people they purport to represent. This was as true thirty years ago as it is true today. What is the difference now? The cat's out of the bag, and more and more Americans are acutely aware that the U.S. government works against their self-determination.

On this side of the battlefield, our banners proclaim, "free speech," "freedom of conscience," and "free will." Our warriors cherish liberty; the right to own property through the efforts of one's own labor; the right to approach the world with an open mind capable of seeking universal truths; and the certainty that they, and not some king or queen, are responsible for their own destiny. On the other side is a crumbling system dependent on State propaganda, censorship, threats of force, and total control. Those are all fearsome tools of government, to be sure, but they don't look so attractive when held high atop banners for all to see, nor do they rally the hearts of men to charge forth against some enemy army, especially when that might mean willingly sacrificing themselves in defense of the intangible virtues of glorious ideas that sometimes require the "last full measure of devotion" to persevere.

So the world is waking up to the reality that only one real conflict exists —- that between individual liberty and total State domination. Thanks to decades of taxation and money-printing, states sure do have a lot of pretty toys. But with history as a guide, I'll bet every time on those poor souls who choose to defend freedom.

On Bill of Rights Day: Is the Source of Our Rights Government or God?

Today marks the 230th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, the foundational document that guarantees basic liberties—like freedom of religion, speech, and association—to all American citizens. Never has it been more important for us to reflect on those rights, for never before have those rights been more threatened than they are right now.

Our nation is fixated on the idea of “rights.” But even as we throw the word around constantly, we’re in danger of forgetting what rights actually are: who grants them, who has them, and what they really mean. If we lose sight of the truth about our rights, we risk losing the rights themselves.

The basis of the American understanding of rights derives from our founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. In those documents, the Founders recognized that the source of these rights is God; indeed, the Declaration describes humanity as being “endowed” with “certain unalienable rights” by our Creator. Divorce humanity from God, and it’s only a matter of time before our understanding of rights collapses.

That is precisely what we’re seeing today: a crisis of “rights,” in which many people do not recognize rights as the precious, God-given gifts that they are. Instead, people have begun to think of “rights” as dispensations from the government, things that can be given and withheld based on whatever is popular at that particular moment.

This misunderstanding has serious consequences. If God is the source of our rights, then no person and no government has the authority to deprive someone of those rights. But if our rights are bestowed by our government, then our government can take them away.

And that is exactly what we are facing today—a grave threat to our rights by the government and other powerful entities.

For example, many in America—including many elected officials—no longer tolerate diverse religious beliefs in the public square. In fact, many Americans no longer tolerate religion at all. Instead of viewing it as a positive influence on society, they see it as a harmful phenomenon that needs to be stamped out. Some leading voices—in media, academia, and the business community—regularly treat religion as an antiquated vehicle for discrimination and even openly advocate for government restrictions on religious exercise.

This certainly does not bode well for religious people, but it also poses grave problems for secular people, because without religious freedom we have no other freedoms. Those who aren’t religious benefit just as much from the Bill of Rights’ protections as those who are.

Freedom of religion—premised on the idea that everyone should be free to live in alignment with their conscience—lays the groundwork for freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, and a host of other freedoms that we take for granted today. Once we permit the government to restrict or punish people on the basis of religion, we have opened the door to all kinds of restrictions that will eventually bring the end of our free society.

A second danger to freedom in America today is a fundamental misunderstanding about freedom of speech. Today, many government authorities and entities with monopolistic power treat free speech as a vice, not as the virtue it is. They believe that the only way to create a “tolerant” society is to silence, restrict, and punish speech with which they disagree. And they are willing to use their levers of power to achieve those ends.

They preach an ironic impossibility: that tolerance requires intolerance, and that freedom requires us to give up our free speech or allow it to be censored.

The truth is quite different. The answer to an idea we don’t like is not to stifle that idea, but to respond to it with an idea we think is better. The idea that speech we disagree with should be punished is dangerous, not just to the people being silenced today, but to everyone. Once we allow the government to decide what is acceptable speech and what is not, anyone’s speech can be targeted. The “acceptable” speech of today may be unacceptable tomorrow.

That’s why it is in the best interest of every American—religious or secular, conservative or progressive -- to uphold and strengthen the freedoms protected in the Bill of Rights. Those rights, which include the right to hold unpopular beliefs and to say unpopular things, are vital to protecting those who hold minority views. Societies change; the majority of today may be the minority of tomorrow.

It is one of our nation’s great virtues that its founders recognized the true source of these rights, and from the beginning enshrined protections for our basic freedoms -- protections that have weathered cultural changes and persist to this day.

But it is up to each of us today to preserve those protections for tomorrow -- for all of us.