Subject: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas
that they need to move into a city. Just ignore the long bearded guys
in overalls with deer rifles at the entrance to the compounds.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkb9xZj45whI4K9wpXKzKHQa3Zb4jKGQNGxFxNuV9YwVSGWM160fFXmvsgUBzaLqS4lc58VSEbUVN-uT3a6ymr5tKr_2iOROYDik7nW3sUwqRffLTcXTmM3rh0JKIOYAY-4CQ4cXdgdCYJ5yiW8-2xB-_53VTP__pkaFbvfjzZUDCZJcIFkkCAeUExnxw/s628/Meme%20-%20reduce%20car%20dependency.png

Hat tip to:

https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2026/03/memes-that-made-me-laugh-303.html

Lynn


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

On Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:26:21 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas
that they need to move into a city. Just ignore the long bearded guys
in overalls with deer rifles at the entrance to the compounds.

My reaction was quite different.
The first thing I thought of was not that the people to whom he gave such unsolicited advice would be offeded by it (although, no doubt, they would
be).
Instead, I thought of how inherently ludicrous such advice was. If
everyone lived in the city, who would grow the food we eat?

John Savard

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

quadi <quadibloc@ca.invalid> writes:

On Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:26:21 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas
that they need to move into a city. Just ignore the long bearded guys
in overalls with deer rifles at the entrance to the compounds.

My reaction was quite different.
The first thing I thought of was not that the people to whom he gave such >unsolicited advice would be offeded by it (although, no doubt, they would >be).
Instead, I thought of how inherently ludicrous such advice was. If
everyone lived in the city, who would grow the food we eat?

Machines, for the most part, already provide much of the food
we eat in America. Machines, oil (for the machines) and oil (feedstock
for fertilizer and pesticides).

It's not like the pre-1960s where a significant fraction
of rural residents actually worked on family farm and
every family farm had one or more hired hands.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city



On 3/17/26 07:40, Scott Lurndal wrote:

quadi <quadibloc@ca.invalid> writes:

On Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:26:21 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas
that they need to move into a city. Just ignore the long bearded guys
in overalls with deer rifles at the entrance to the compounds.

My reaction was quite different.
The first thing I thought of was not that the people to whom he gave such
unsolicited advice would be offeded by it (although, no doubt, they would
be).
Instead, I thought of how inherently ludicrous such advice was. If
everyone lived in the city, who would grow the food we eat?

Machines, for the most part, already provide much of the food
we eat in America. Machines, oil (for the machines) and oil (feedstock
for fertilizer and pesticides).

It's not like the pre-1960s where a significant fraction
of rural residents actually worked on family farm and
every family farm had one or more hired hands.

Well it still take human persons to run those machines.
And we have lots of organic farming done mostly by people.
The pesticides may be contaminating our crops.
Along with the plastic nano-particles found now every where
it may explain the loss of fertility.

bliss


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> writes:

On 3/17/26 07:40, Scott Lurndal wrote:

quadi <quadibloc@ca.invalid> writes:

On Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:26:21 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas
that they need to move into a city. Just ignore the long bearded guys >>>> in overalls with deer rifles at the entrance to the compounds.

My reaction was quite different.
The first thing I thought of was not that the people to whom he gave such >>> unsolicited advice would be offeded by it (although, no doubt, they would >>> be).
Instead, I thought of how inherently ludicrous such advice was. If
everyone lived in the city, who would grow the food we eat?

Machines, for the most part, already provide much of the food
we eat in America. Machines, oil (for the machines) and oil (feedstock
for fertilizer and pesticides).

It's not like the pre-1960s where a significant fraction
of rural residents actually worked on family farm and
every family farm had one or more hired hands.

Well it still take human persons to run those machines.

Modern tractors can plow or harvest a field completely hands-off. Thanks
to satellite navigation and automation.

And we have lots of organic farming done mostly by people.
The pesticides may be contaminating our crops.

There's no doubt about that, not to mention the adverse
ill effects on farmers and others in argribusiness from
overspray and other accidental exposures of those toxics.

Even though my grandfather was what today would be considered
an organic farmer (no pesticides, crop rotation instead of
artificial fertilizers), my grandmother developed parkinsons;
very likely due to inadvertent exposure to early pesticides
from neighboring farms.

Along with the plastic nano-particles found now every where
it may explain the loss of fertility.

That and hormones flushed into the santiary sewer system not
being effectively filtered before the water is reclaimed.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:

Modern tractors can plow or harvest a field completely hands-off. Thanks
to satellite navigation and automation.

And then they break and people need to fix them! Except that those people
have to be flown in from Moline because the big green guys won't sell you
a service manual!
--scott

Should have bought a Kubota.

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

On 2026-03-17, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

Well it still take human persons to run those machines.
And we have lots of organic farming done mostly by people.
The pesticides may be contaminating our crops.
Along with the plastic nano-particles found now every where
it may explain the loss of fertility.

"Organic" is a marketing term. Organic farmers can and do use large amounts
of very toxic pesticides. They just have to use older ones, which are less effective (thus having to use large amounts).

Known health advantages of organic food: none.
Times organics have beaten conventional foods in blind taste tests: none.
Land usage to grow the same amount of food: 20% or so higher than for conventional agriculture.

So organic farming uses more land (less wild lands and wetlands) while using more pesticides and provides no advantages.
--
Carl Fink carl@finknetwork.com
https://reasonablyliterate.com https://nitpicking.com
If you want to make a point, somebody will take the point and stab you with it.
-Kenne Estes

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) writes:

Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:

Modern tractors can plow or harvest a field completely hands-off. Thanks >>to satellite navigation and automation.

And then they break and people need to fix them! Except that those people >have to be flown in from Moline because the big green guys won't sell you
a service manual!

Hear hear for "Right to Repair" legislation.

Should have bought a Kubota.

I have a Kubota B7800. About 25 years old,
no fancy electronics. And sadly, no rear remote,
although I've seen references to third-party add-on kits.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city



On 3/18/26 05:10, Carl Fink wrote:

On 2026-03-17, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

Well it still take human persons to run those machines.
And we have lots of organic farming done mostly by people.
The pesticides may be contaminating our crops.
Along with the plastic nano-particles found now every where
it may explain the loss of fertility.

"Organic" is a marketing term. Organic farmers can and do use large amounts of very toxic pesticides. They just have to use older ones, which are less effective (thus having to use large amounts).

Known health advantages of organic food: none.
Times organics have beaten conventional foods in blind taste tests: none. Land usage to grow the same amount of food: 20% or so higher than for conventional agriculture.

So organic farming uses more land (less wild lands and wetlands) while using more pesticides and provides no advantages.

Organics where I live are not supposed to use pesticides. And they are not pushing
for higher yeilds but less machinery, very little petroleum, and uncontaminated food.
Live stock operations grow their own feed and while health benefits my
not be
apparent maybe it is because we are all contaiminated with the last 80+
years of
widespread plastic use which is everything from mother's milk to that
can of tuna.
Even in the Japanese farmed tuna.
And slightly smarter turkeys which are pasture fed.

To a point in my youth I don't remember seeing plastic and food products.
Sugar came in strong paper bags except for the brown sugar in waxed
paper bags
inside the cardboard box. At the butcher the meat was chosen and wrapped in
wax paper which was wrapped inside stronger "Butcher" paper. Milk sold in bottles or waxed paper cartons. No plastic bags for the produce and
soda pop
was sold in reusable bottles on which you paid a deposit which the grocery store could refund and was a source of income for children. Lots of canned vegetables in tin-plated iron or steel or glass which was used for small amounts
of oil and solid shortening in cans or can like containers with tight lids.

Still since I was in grade school I have seen lots of plastic used to wrap all sorts of food and I have used plastic containers myself because
the nano-particles were not discovered until recently. Now what to do
with all the convenient plastic containers I have accumulated?...

bliss


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

On Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:10:54 -0000 (UTC), Carl Fink <carlf@panix.com>
wrote:

On 2026-03-17, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

Well it still take human persons to run those machines.
And we have lots of organic farming done mostly by people.
The pesticides may be contaminating our crops.
Along with the plastic nano-particles found now every where
it may explain the loss of fertility.

"Organic" is a marketing term. Organic farmers can and do use large

amounts

of very toxic pesticides. They just have to use older ones, which are

less

effective (thus having to use large amounts).

Known health advantages of organic food: none.
Times organics have beaten conventional foods in blind taste tests:

none.

Land usage to grow the same amount of food: 20% or so higher than for >conventional agriculture.

So organic farming uses more land (less wild lands and wetlands) while

using

more pesticides and provides no advantages.

As long as people will pay more for "organically grown" food that
normal food, it provides advantages to those who sell it.

Interestingly, 2-3 decades ago /Consumer Reports/ informed its readers
that they had to wash organically-grown fruits and veggies just like
normal ones, because their was so much of the bad stuff out there from
years of use that you didn't have to use for your produce to be
covered with it.

There was even one (some sort of bean, IIRC) that had to be washed
/twice/: once to get the stuff on the outside off, and once after
boiling to get the stuff from the inside that was now on the outside
after it was boiled off.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

On Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:41:40 GMT, scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal)
wrote:

<why everbody should live in cities; response is to the assertion that
people are needed to run the machinery>

Modern tractors can plow or harvest a field completely hands-off.

Thanks

to satellite navigation and automation.

Back when I was trying to get an answer on whether my BD Player's
problems were related to solar activity, I found an article whose
/title/ promised information on consumer electronics and solar
activity effects.

The "consumer products" turned out to be modern tractors, who were
wandering about as if they were drunk because the solar activity was
messing with the GPS system they used to navigate. Not quite what I
had in mind.

The problem I was seeing was and still is inexplicable: every 6 or 7
weeks, for 2 or 3 days, I would see thin black lines on the TV screen.
This progressed to enough of them to black out much of the screen, and
added sound effects, bizarre choices of color, and complete shutdown
of sound and picture as time went on. It also began occurring on the
BD Player menu, no disc required.

When I couldn't get it back up, I got out my Naviskauto portable BD
player and found that the converter chain between BD Player and TV was
just as non-functional with the Naviskauto as it was with the BD
Player. I finished watching the film on the Naviskauto.

Later that night, after I gave up on sleeping, I read the manual again
on the Naviskauto and found that its AV Out supported stereo audio and composite video -- and that the box had a cable for it. I also used
the Naviskauto's HDMI In port to verify that the BD Player menu was
being output by the BD.

Later that day, I got the cable out, and that evening watched a film
on my TV using the Naviskauto AV cable. The next day I bought an
HDMI-to-AV adapter and it works!

Since the converter chain separates the audio out at the HDMI-to-VGA
converter, that is probably the device that failed (after 5 years)
since audio was affected as well as video.

I still do not know if it failed all by itself (the periodicity and
recovery after a few days still seems to argue against this) or
whether it was affected by something external that stressed it into
failure.

But, of course, that hardly matters now.

<more on farming>

Along with the plastic nano-particles found now every where
it may explain the loss of fertility.

That and hormones flushed into the santiary sewer system not
being effectively filtered before the water is reclaimed.

I thought the problem was that women were waiting so long to start
their families that the men were not as fertile as they once were, due
to the effects of age.

Or perhaps that some of the hormonal birth control measures caused
them to be attracted, not to males who produced lots and lots of
testosterone, but to those who do not -- something they were
unconciously smelling. And thus selected males who are, in terms of reproductive ability, inferior.

But, looking at those reasons, I suspect that they are no more or less
likely to be correct that nanoparticles and drinking water.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Please, start telling people on the very long dirt roads in Arkansas that they need to move into a city

Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:

Interestingly, 2-3 decades ago /Consumer Reports/ informed its readers
that they had to wash organically-grown fruits and veggies just like
normal ones, because their was so much of the bad stuff out there from
years of use that you didn't have to use for your produce to be
covered with it.

In most cases it's different bad stuff. Friends of mine grow their lettuce
in manure... and yeah, you need to wash it because there are bacteria that might be bad for you even in well-rotted manure.

Lots of organic farmers use Bordeaux mixture, which isn't super toxic but
is still not good for you. You need to wash it.

Groundhogs pee right on our pepper plants. I wash those peppers before I
eat them.

There was even one (some sort of bean, IIRC) that had to be washed
/twice/: once to get the stuff on the outside off, and once after
boiling to get the stuff from the inside that was now on the outside
after it was boiled off.

I'd be curious what that was.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)