So much has changed. But then again, it ain't.

[presence]

Listenin' to some luke bryan and it got me thinkin'

So much has changed. But then again, it ain't.


Personally... not much at all has changed for this hillbilly.

Barber shops closed? I've always cut my own hair anyway.
Neon sign out front of the Twisted Titty is off? I don't know the last time I was in a hooker bar.
I'd never swim in a filthy city pool if you paid me; I'll go down to the river on a tube thanks.
Can't recall the last time I ever set foot in a city park... why when there are 100's of thousands of acres of open land to explore?
The last time I was in an indoor shopping mall was over 5 years ago and I was installing lights on a under the table gig contract.
Fitness centers? I tote feed bags or set fence posts manual when I need to burn off some lard.
Tanning salons? Don't everyone take off their shirt while they work the ground?
Gambling? Nope, I'll algo trade thanks.
Waxing and spas? lol that's just funny.
Pot shops? Not a chance in hell I'm buying my herb from fedgov licensed shop; whenever I'm in need there's an agorist with weed.
No funerals? I've never been much of one for crowded wakes, embalmed viewings, and say a prayer in church...
though I've shoveled out a few holes for the dead, personally I have strict orders left to incinerate what's left of me asap, on the cheap, and without a fuss.
I have no interest in cheering on some athlete in a silly sporting event; you're not going to catch me in any big sports arena.
I don't go to bars or drink government booze; I home brew my own wine from fruit I grow.
They're snackin' on frito lays? I'm poppin' off the 50# sack of popcorn and frying chicken skin cracklins
$#@! restaurants, their cisco $#@! feed, and spit in your food servers; I'll dine at home or brown bag on the go, thanks.
I don't go to large social gatherings, I prefer my space and privacy long before "social distancing" was cool.
Shouldn't shake hands? I've always been a germaphobe fist bumper if I touch ya at all. No need for flu shots when you keep yer hands to yourself
I home school my kid... though I do with bitten lip pay property tax for everyone else's kids to get a good state indoctrination.
I only ever travel to town once every month or two for necessities and I pack out everything I'll need until next venture.
When everyone else was panic buying toilet paper... I already had 150 rolls sitting on the closet shelf as always.
Any work I do locally is independent - own my own tools and leverage my own knowledge - plumbing electric or carpentry for hard cash or good barter...
and nobody has any plans to ban such because its productive and usually mission critical.
...and yup that left me sitting on a 100 pack of N95's when covid $#@! hit the fan for everyone else.
Most of my remaining work is from home over the internet for crypto; not a chance in hell anyone can stop me from dev'ing p2p.
I'm spiritual but I don't know the last time I was in one of these big religion churches shoulder to shoulder with the fanatics.
I have 9 months of food at any given time in dry goods and filled chest freezers; so empty shelves at the city grocer matter little.
I farm meat, I hunt and butcher, I spend a lot of time gardening, canning, and preserving.
I've got a good barter relationship with the local dairy and the local grass fed beef cowboys.
If I got real hungry first I'd have to eat through 40 dozen frozen scrambled eggs, eat the laying flock... the ducks, the geese, the guineas, and the turkeys...
And if feed ran out for the critters? I buy by the ton and I'm sittin' on a half year!
Soap? Yup... I save my lard and cook it hard with lye.
Even if the world was totally without tomorrow... chances are I'd find a way to keep mine fed years into the future.
I have plenty of cash in mayo jars for bad times. I have plenty of crypto if that runs out too.
If it got real bad there's plenty of scrap metal sorted out back and enough junk vehicles to pay taxes on scrap value for a few years.
Property crime and theft? They can try... I don't leave the farm much.
I'm heavily armed and have keys to most hunting cabins in the area with more guns and ammo than I could ever want.
If I can put rabbit, quail, or turkey on the table whenever I like without hitting my dog...
chances are someone skipping away from my house with anything under arm is in a $#@! pickle.
Wifey's not a bad shot herself and you're probably better off messing with me than her; she might get scared and trigger happy.

Hell, if most of the world lived as responsibly, within their means, and with purpose instead of hedonism....
as I and most other rural hillbillies do... there would never be such a pending disaster as covid.
Instead there is this vast world of $#@! headed city folks doing various $#@! headed city things;
clusterfucked breathing each others ass every day... never planning past tomorrow and with no sense of personal space.
a clear disaster waiting to happen on so many fronts.
does nobody consider the sustainability of it all?
how hung out to dry you are paying a fat mortgage on a corporate job?
need I even mention the wuhan endangered species, bat, cat, and live baby rat eating $#@!ers magnifying issues?
Is there any surprise they're breeding disease, famine, and a prison state in cities across the globe?
And that they can't go indulge in their various - ffs learn to $#@!ing do without - bullshitisms?
The girls can't get their pretty little fake nails painted? omg I should shed a tear.
20 years I've been married, my wife has never had a nail job... even if, she'd ruin them in the garden the next day.
Then theres no oreos, dortitos, ramen, or other box good conveniences to buy at the downtown overpriced shop? omg we should all panic!
hey look that asshat just bought 20 twelve packs of my favorite fizzy dew drink! call the cops! illegalized hoarding!
you can't buy a steak for dinner? what in the $#@! are you gonna do with one steak at retail? why the $#@! are your chest freezers empty?
Its still March, you can hunt rabbits they're $#@!ing everywhere when I wake up.
they're shutting down the fedgov freeways? I don't know the last time I used an on ramp; $#@! those speed trap revenue generators.
I spend most of my drive time on dirt; when I must skip town: a double yellow.

dinner tonight was homegrown cornish cross chicken, some rice and lentils from some of the 50# sacks, and frozen veggies from last season; I washed it down with some mason jar canned apple juice from the orchard. Now I'm crunching on some walnuts we've had in storage from last harvest.

yup... 75 gallons of wine still in keg. I'll be alright tonight.

All this hoopla with lock downs?
Meh. Frankly, I could care less.
From here, I can barely tell the world is locked down at all.

Today, I planted 200 hazelnut bushes I sprouted last year.
Tomorrow, I'm going to plant 200 more.

... and not two $#@!s will be given by anyone except mine in a few years when we have endless filbert butter to spread.


I'm here to tell you to stop fussing about what the state will or will not do

and to focus on what YOU will do so they don't matter.

[JoshLowry]

All this hoopla with lock downs?
Meh. Frankly, I could care less.
From here, I can barely tell the world is locked down at all.

Today, I planted 200 hazelnut bushes I sprouted last year.
Tomorrow, I'm going to plant 200 more.

... and not two $#@!s will be given by anyone except mine in a few years when we have endless filbert butter to spread.


I'm here to tell you to stop fussing about what the state will or will not do

and to focus on what YOU will do so they don't matter.

[Okie RP fan]

Good on you!

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to presence again."

[The Northbreather]

Just pushed two more 60 foot greenhouse flats for the garden

[presence]

Just pushed two more 60 foot greenhouse flats for the garden

I'll up ya a 40X3 row of beets, radishes, and carrots planted today