Major Website Change Announcement

The time had to come sooner or later.  We’re revising our publishing plans as our interests have evolved over time. First:  I am selling off the www.ruralpioneer.com website.  I will also sign over the Trademark with it.  It goes without saying that a younger person should take over the task. Running a 29 acre tree … Read More

Prepping: The Basic Radio (and Antenna) Inventory

One day this week, I’ll be sending one of my sons-in-law our trusty old Tecsun PL-660  shortwave receiver.  We’ve had it a good long while and its main use around here has been listening to CoastToCoast AM with George Noory out of WOAI in San Antonio late nights. This particular SOL has done more actual prepping than … Read More

Conning the Flock: Useless News

Years back in my Major Market News Director’ing days, I saw lots of market research about what people wanted to know about when the news came on. Some of the thought-leaders at the time included the Associated Press and (Frank N.) Magid and Associates -both of which are still around today. Back-when, we learned that … Read More

Coping: Lazy Man’s Home Automation

When the idea of X.10 home automation came out, I was lukewarm to the idea of using computer technology to make living “lazy” – as in “turn the lights on for me” lazy. When I went through the X.10 commands list, there were obviously some things that would be nice to have around the ranch. … Read More

EU Shoots Archduke Android in WWWeb

We think Google should kill all Android phones in Europe and tell the EU to piss off.  Details follow… If you are a shareholder in Google, how does it feel to have the Hoodlums of Brussel’s (the “sprouts” of socialism) declare themselves to be your new more than equal partners? That’s what most commentary on the … Read More

Coping: America’s “Hot Language Crisis”

The American Left has a serious problem:  They are running out of “shock talk” to spew. Allow me to show you a few facts – and then how the Left (and liberal types) are trying to bury their terrifying shortage of shocking terms. First a couple of identical news searches to make the point: On Bing’s … Read More

Coping: “Messin’ with Authority”

I have (like I need it) another new hobby. OMG, what now? Turns out on eBay, there are all kinds of now-defunct magazines available on CD and DVDs for a reasonable price.  I think in the last month I’ve picked up $150 worth of such collections.  Great sources of ideas and in-depth knowledge lost on the … Read More

Prepping: Tech Bench Sunday

Radio gear for emergencies?  Prepping?  Figuring out the Big Picture?  You’ve come to the right spot. While I usually don’t post a column on Sundays, we continue pressing on with all kinds of odd pursuits.  Some of which include ham radio, more ham radio, hacking space-time, using LLLT therapy for inflammation reduction and neural stimulation, … Read More

Coping: Check-Out Line Brain-Power

My friend (and co-author) Gaye Levy really likes “adult coloring books.”  So much so, she even has an article “Pursuing Your Passion: Getting Started With Adult Coloring” on her website. I have been thinking this one over in background for almost a year now, “Should I try this…or do I need another hobby?” Then, an … Read More

Coping: Seven Teaching Billion (7TB)

Want an idea that has a lot more value than zero-value/z-val social media? This hit me as Elaine and I were having the afternoon toddy this week.  I’d just read the first few pages of a book she’s writing loosely based on the personal experience of growing up in the wild west of upland/mountain Arizona country – … Read More

Coping: Feeding Your “Learning Appetite”

If there is one thing all our friends have in common, it’s the notion of being extremely competent in many different parts of life.  While some people piss-away their time on (useless) social media and what one financial analyst refers to as “z-val” (zero value) activities, people we find interesting are those who are really good … Read More

The Website Changes

The charts will come back to the top of this page as soon as I figure out how to get that done.  If you have an opinion on this, please post a comment. Charts take a long time to load on a mobile device and since the majority of our readers are on phones, tablets, … Read More

Coping: With a New Form of Art (Part 1)

Until 3:08 AM Thursday, I had no idea what was going on with my research direction.  While I had lots of reading material (plus half a million must-do projects around the ranch), the websites, investing, etc.) I kept coming back to the art book “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The Definitive, 4th Edition.” Not … Read More