mr peters calls this essay his fireside chat, powered of course by the heat from the wood he cut from his own land;

It’s single digits outside as I type this – but 72 degrees inside, as I type this. The fire is keeping us warm.

But that’s only part of it.

The fire can’t be turned off (or even down) by a remote central authority – as electricity can. If you rely on the latter to keep warm, keep in mind that they control whether you stay warm. Their control can be asserted by what they call a “smart” meter – or a “smart” thermostat. Which it isn’t very smart to have in your home, if you dislike the idea of not being in control over whether you stay warm.

It is psychologically interesting that they use such verbiage to wheedle people into thinking it is “smart” to accept what is manifestly stupid – in terms of their own self-interest. The same etymological mind-fuckery can be observed in the use of such words as “assistance” to describe “technology” that’s likewise used to control people........more.........