The one time I introduced pullets into the flock, I put a box in the chicken house with a hole/door cut into it that was small enough that only the pullets could get into it. I put them in after dark, so they would all wake up together, but had the box so the smaller pullets could get away if the bigger hens or the rooster was picking on them. After a couple of weeks, I removed the box.

Love cast iron. I've also discovered I like carobon steel for certain things. Other than for doing something like boiling water, I only use carbon steel or cast iron.

Cast Iron and a gas stoves go together like chocolate and peanutbutter.

Big dogs are the best

Thanks. Much appreciated.

Our annual rainfall is about 12.5". At the end of this week, they are predicting ~2.5" of rain. That is 20% of our normal annual rainfall in 4 days. The plants are going to love it, but I hope we don't have flooding, especially since a month ago we got 3' of snow and we are still getting melt from that event.

#grownostr

This is a great article on wisdom regarding conspiracy theories. He promotes (and I agree with him) that conspiracy theories should be looked at based on probabilities, rather than dogmatically supported since there is rarely enough information to prove 100%. We also need to be careful to not fall into the trap of hanging on to a theory because we feel smarter or superior due to our "special knowledge". There are also cases where pushing a theory can harm the cause even if the theory is true, so care needs to be taken.

"What Can Graphene Oxide Teach Us About Facts and Fictions?

Tips for navigating uncertainty in a world filled with lies

A MIDWESTERN DOCTOR

MAY 6, 2023

Since I was young, I’ve craved information, and looking down every avenue for it soon brought me into the world of conspiracy theories and alternative sciences. From that world, I assembled a relatively wide lattice of beliefs and relative probabilities I attached to each (e.g., I think there is a 20% chance one conspiracy theory is true, whereas I believe there is a 90% another one is true). Then, as I came across more information, I gradually revised and updated those probabilities.

Since I spent a lot of time in this conspiracy realm, I feel I should share that one of the biggest things I took from exploring it was how often a corporation would commit a crime against the American people to keep a profitable product on the market. Then once people tried to expose the crime, the corporation would put out fake science and biased news coverage claiming the idea the crime was happening was a conspiracy, resulting in the conspiracy realm being the only place you could learn about the crime. It really bothered me how often I saw this happen.

Eventually, I drifted away from that field because I hit the point where most of it was repetitive, it didn’t seem like an efficient way for me to gain more knowledge and I started looking in other areas instead. As time went on, I realized that my experience with the conspiracy literature significantly differed from almost everyone else I talked to for two key reasons:

•I was at peace with holding contradictory beliefs or theories in mind. I never viewed any of them as a tangible reality and instead saw each as a relative probability that composed part of a larger probability field. I, in turn, assumed I would eventually gain insights into how to address these contradictions, and their contradictory existence didn’t bother me since none of them existed as solid entities my mind had latched onto.

•My foremost desire was to learn as much as possible, so I was not particularly attached to any specific idea or concept I came across. I was specifically drawn to the joy of realizing I had uncovered a deeper truth and the expansion I experienced in my mind when my reality was broadened rather than the specific idea that made this experience happen.

Don’t Covet Rare Objects

My time on Substack often makes me think of a verse from one of the Chinese spiritual classics:

Do not glorify the talented

So people will not become contentious

Do not covet rare objects

So that people will not become thieves

Do not flaunt what is desirable

So that people’s hearts will not be amiss

Per my understanding, the essential meaning of this passage is that "people" also refers to the individual who does the glorifying, treasuring (coveting), or flaunting. This passage is thus meant to teach what one does to themselves by engaging in this behavior by illustrating how it mirrors what one can see it does to others.

I've specifically thought about this passage because I've realized the rare objects many covet and treasure are simply pieces of information or ideas. Put differently, the underlying motivation I see in many is not a desire to understand the world we live in but rather the desire to know a truth no one else knows and to hoard it in the same manner someone else would hoard a physical treasure or a collection of rare objects they had assembled (which I likewise believe is never in the soul's best interest).

In the conspiracy field, this tendency to covet rare objects shows itself by people latching onto a specific conspiracy that allows them to feel superior for possessing what no one else knows. This behavior becomes a problem because once they covet the idea, they will both try to push it onto others (so they can affirm the value of their idea) and lash out at anyone who challenges the value of the idea they covet.

To some extent, I believe this is a reflection of our society's historically unique decision to glorify intellectual intelligence (which I must emphasize is only one type of intelligence, and that I regularly see "smart" individuals suffer and lead miserable lives because they are deficient in the other critical forms of intelligence our society seldom emphasizes). Because of this emphasis, one of the most common ways I see people being manipulated by society is by it telling them to be "smart," they need to do something like parrot the ideas of "smart" experts (this sadly describes much of the current left). I mention this because it continually astounds me how effective this form of manipulation is.

In the previous article, I discussed "empowering vs. disempowering belief systems." I did this because people's subconscious choices to adopt disempowering belief systems (many of which are fed to them by the media) are one of the most common causes of the wide range of issues (e.g., unhappiness or lack of success in life) they experience throughout their lives.

The great challenge I've found more and more as I ponder the essence of being a conspiracy theorist is that, even though I greatly value seeking out the truth, many of the belief systems being a conspiracy theorist requires you to hold are fundamentally disempowering. For example, it does not empower you to be black-pilled about how bad everything is, even if doing so makes you feel superior over the fact everyone besides you does not realize just how bad things are."

You can read the rest of the article at the link below. I highly recommend.

#grownostr #conspiracy #conspiracytheory

https://amidwesterndoctor.substack.com/p/what-can-graphene-oxide-teach-us?publication_id=748806&post_id=119388072&isFreemail=true

This is one of the few goods to come out of the covid nonsense.

There are many examples of the Bible saying that wisdom and knowledge come from fear of God or fear of the Lord. One example is

Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,,but fools despise wisdom and instruction.,

If we want a right view of the world, life, science, history, relationships, etc., we need to have a healthy fear of the Lord and respect for his word, the Bible.

Last night I was reading "The Created Cosmos" by Danny R. Faulkner. At the end it has an appendix article by Lee Anderson, Called "Scripture as the Controlling Factor in Christian Worldview Development". This particular statement stood out to me.

"This 'fear' involves an awe-filled reverence toward God in view of a knowledge of who God is and what He has done which, in turn, produces a dependence upon God's revelation in navigating the path of life."

God's word should be the foundation upon which all of our beliefs, words, and actions rest.

#grownostr #christian #Jesus #bible

I don't agree with him on everything. He is too into handouts to the poor, but he is good on health. He is good on stopping foreign meddling. He is good about fighting corruption. I think he is an honest man even when I don't agree with him on everything. We could do much worse and probably will.

If he was the Democrat candidate (almost zero chance of it actually happening), I would vote for him over several of the Republicans that are running, including Trump.

I tend to think that what most people think are ghosts or aliens are actually demons and they are 100% lying to us.

Most people that hear it for the first time, it is so contrary to everything they have heard, that they can't accept it. Their brains refuse. It is hard for most people to change their world view even when exposed to overwhelming evidence, especially the first time they are exposed.

I think the way you are posting things, exposing little bits of evidence at a time with no pressure is the best way to win people over. If too much pressure is put at first, they will fight against it. They can't help it. When slowly exposed with no pressure, sometimes they will start considering the truth after their brain has time to process the data without fighting it.

Schweitzer found the first soft tissue in dinosaur fossils, but now lots of soft tissue has been found. I know there are more than 100 examples. According to physics organic proteins can't last more than 100,000 years even in perfect conditions. Obviously dinosaurs aren't as old as we are told they are. Maybe that is why there are so many examples of drawings and carvings of dinosaurs around the world.

It would be nice, but I think you mean LBRY. BAT is used by the Brave browser.

I agree.

My husband and I talked recently about how for most of our lives, we looked forward to going to heaven, but not yet. As the world gets more and more crazy, heaven sounds better and better. If a few friends and family members, especially my youngest son, would accept Christ, I'd start praying for him to come back instantly.

When I was reading through my Bible, I used to dread when I got to Revelation. It seemed so confusing and didn't seem to make sense. Now, with the things going on and stuff like implantable microchips, digital currencies, genetically enhanced viruses, the internet, and digital phones, reading Revelation seems like I'm reading the daily news. I think the time is close. If I die a natural death of old age, I will be shocked. I think I will even be shocked if things continue for another decade. Of course, I don't know anything for certain. Nobody can know the day or hour.

Kids today rarely know how to drive a manual transmission. You could consider that a theft deterrent system.

#grownostr

Welcome to Wyoming. I am in central Wyoming, so a bit away, but dealing with similar climate and other issues.

When do we get to go home?

Wow! That is beautiful as well as handy.

I hope you guys don't mind a big brag. My eldest son, who I have homeschooled since 3rd grade, is a senior, and who has taken almost all of his classes the last 2 years at the local community college, just got an award as math student of the year at the community college. I'm so proud.

Ironically, the girl he is playing a piano duet with Sunday at his final piano recital, got statistics student of the year. She's also homeschooled. Her older sister got Biology student of the year.

Homeschooling is the best!

#grownostr #homeschooling #gottabrag

I keep 2 cup pyrex containers. Most things I cook in a crock pot or baking dish, I make extra. We put the leftovers in the pyrex containers. They can usually stay in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for longer. Then leftovers work for lunches or when a family member is eating alone because the rest of the family is busy.

Some of the things I do this with are smoked turkey leg soup, salsa meat (chicken, pork, beef, or elk) casserole, seafood bisque, keto gumbo, jalapenYum, etc. I don't eat these things anymore, but we will also do the same with homemade mac & cheese with sausage & broccoli or spaghetti and meatsauce with veggies.