Will the future be an Utopia or Distopia?

So I was watching a video and near the end of the video the guy who made it started talking about whether the future of the world is going to be an utopia or a distopia.

And he further explained his position by stating that some people are optimists and other people are pessimists, but that there are also optimistic pessimists and pessimistic optimists. And of course there is also the realists, who are actually quite rare.

So lets break down what the 5 ideas.

The True Optimist believes the future of the world will be an Utopia and it is going to be Awesome.

The Pessimistic Optimist believes the future of the world will be an Utopia and it is going to be Horrible.

The Realist believes the future of the world will be more or less like it is now and it will be neither better or worse. The argument here is that Realists takes the world as it is, not as they would like it to be, because they have realized that nothing really changes. It is always two steps forward, two steps back.


The Optimistic Pessimist believes the future of the world will be a Distopia and it is going to be Awesome.

The True Pessimist believes the future of the world will be a Distopia and it is going to be Horrible.

So for the people who believe that an Apocalypse is approaching, they have to be a Pessimist. If they also think that the Apocalypse is going to be fun/interesting/provide new opportunities, then clearly they are an Optimistic Pessimist.

The True Pessimist however would believe that the Apocalypse will happen and that there is nothing we can do to prepare for it. We are all screwed, so don't bother being a prepper.

Myself, I don't consider myself to be a prepper. But I do have a bugout bag just in case.

And I admit, I do kind of fantasize what the Apocalypse could be like... Hunting, farming, living off the land, rebuilding society. Sounds nice.

So I guess that makes me an Optimistic Pessimist.

On the flip side, if there is no Apocalypse, I would still argue that we are heading towards a Distopian future where robotics and technology displaces large numbers of out-of-work poor people, and how various countries solve that problem in the future will be problematic.

1. Capitalist Countries will say corporations have the right to use robots as much as they want, and reap all the benefits. The poor are just lazy. Combine this with a police state, and you basically have a plot similar to RoboCop where police-robots kill the poor people whenever they rebel.

2. Communist Countries will say corporations have a duty to pay taxes, supporting a communist / welfare state wherein people no longer need to work, and the biggest problem is people finding something to do with all their spare time.

Both of these options have their pros and cons, clearly.

But since the USA/Canada are currently heading in the direction of a capitalist distopian police state, I am afraid that makes me a True Pessimist. Because it will be a distopia and it is going to be horrible.

One could argue we are already living in a distopia. How else do you explain Donald Trump in the White House?

It is really just a matter of time before the coal industry realizes it can replace all of its workers with robots. All those coal miners that voted for Trump are going to be out of work completely sometime in the next 20 years.

Alternative Ways of Hunting in Ontario

So in Ontario you can hunt using the following methods:

• Firearm
• Bowhunting
• Crossbow
• Spearhunting

But there are other ways of hunting that are, shall we say, a little unusual.

For example there is the Stone Crossbow (or Pellet Crossbow) which shoots a marble sized pebble (traditional made of ceramic so they were an uniform size and weight). That still falls into the category of being a crossbow.

Likewise there is also the Stone Bow (or Pellet Bow), which works on the same principle. Shown below is a traditional Paraguayan Pellet Bow.

It is basically a giant slingshot.

Another option is slingshots, which I personally find to be silly, but whatever.

There is also the sling, which is an ancient weapon that can be incredible powerful and accurate in the hands of a person who regular trains with it. (Goliath actually didn't stand a chance against David, as the sling is actually a very powerful weapon. It doesn't look like much, but the amount of kinetic energy it can release is actually pretty impressive.)

Ballista and Windlass Crossbows...

So check out the video below of a man shooting a 1,250 lb windlass crossbow. Like you, I also went "1250 lbs? What?!" but then I saw how thick the steel bow on that crossbow was and I realized, wow. I had no clue they could be that powerful.




Ontario Hunting Laws and Legal Grey Zones

So there are specific laws in Ontario governing what you can hunt with and what you cannot.

For example, if hunting with a crossbow, you must use a crossbow with a minimum of 150 lbs of force.

So that 1,250 lb windlass crossbow definitely is strong enough, but it also means there is no limit on how powerful the crossbow could be.

You could technically hunt in Ontario with 2,500+ lb ballista that shoots giant spears, and it would be totally legal.

And that is what I mean by "legal grey zones". There is no law expressly forbidding the use of ballista.

Just like there is no laws forbidding the use of Stone Crossbows, Stone Bows and various other types of unusual weapons that fall into the classification of an approved type of hunting tool. For example a slingshot can be modified to shoot arrows like a bow, thus it is basically classified as a bow.

Even though I am not a fan of slingshots, whatever, it counts.

Spearhunting, harpoons, atlatl throwers for throwing spears or darts, blowguns, spear-guns, gas-powered crossbows, harpoon guns, and more.

So for example...

You could go bowhunting, but instead of a regular arrow be shooting a giant arrow roughly the size of a spear. Does it count as an arrow or as a spear?

Upsetting the Vegans with "Primitive" Hunting Tools

Now the problem within all this is the animal lovers who hate everything to do with hunting, and if it were up to them they would ban bowhunting, spearhunting and indeed ban all forms of hunting and fishing. There is no pleasing people who are diametrically opposed to something.

So to the anti-hunters, the idea that someone could build their own ballista and go hunting with it really sticks in their craw. To them that is a reason to write angry letters to the government, to protest, to harass people via email and twitter, etc.

In various parts of the USA vegans have been trying to ban bowhunting for example, arguing that it is less accurate than firearms, and arguing that guns are more humane. (I would argue the opposite honestly. I have seen some people shoot and firearms are actually horribly inaccurate, or at least the people shooting them are horribly inaccurate.)

Mankind has been hunting with bows and spears for tens of thousands of years. It was perfectly adequate and accurate back then, and it is perfectly accurate and adequate now - more so in fact, thanks to modern materials and designs that increase both accuracy and penetrating power.

More so, traditional or "primitive" archery actually surprises researchers who study the effectiveness of such weapons.

Flint for example is actually harder than steel, and flint arrowheads are sharper than any razor honed steel arrowheads you can find. In tests flint arrowheads actually cut deeper than any steel arrowheads you can purchase. (Don't believe me, go browse YouTube.)

Fun Trivia Fact - The reason why flint and steel make a spark is because the flint is taking off tiny pieces of the steel, thus forming a hot spark that can be used for starting a fire.

So-called "primitive" weapons are far more powerful and accurate than people give them credit for.

So when vegans see someone hunting with a longbow with flint arrowheads, they look at that and think "Oh we need to ban that!" But their reasoning isn't sound because they are ignorant of the fact that flint arrowheads are actually very efficient for killing deer.

Anthropologist Comment - So my wife, the anthropologist/lawyer, would probably also want me to point out that using the word "primitive" is actually racist, because it implies that other cultures are more savage and lack technology. This is why I have been using the word "primitive" with quotations around it, because I wanted to bring up this topic of how people should stop using that word primitive in a derogatory way.

So when a vegan says that a certain hunting tool is "primitive", they are actually being derogatory and racist.

Ever noticed how most vegans are white? Well, I have.

Sure, a lot of them are also liberal-minded and would deny being racist, but I do believe that racists come in all kinds.

Vegans often believe they have a moral superiority and think that gives them the right to be elitist snobs. This then results in a horrible habit of them looking down on other cultures, people who prefer other kinds of food, and claiming to have some superior vision of how people should eat.

Except it is all nonsense.

They don't have any moral superiority. Half of them are wearing leather clothing and shoes. They're hypocrites.

Not all vegans are crazy people flouting their assumed superiority. I have met a few who are actually very nice people. Sure, they try to introduce me to new veggie dishes, but they don't push their beliefs on me.

Sadly those vegans are few and far between.

So here is the thing. If you find a new way to hunt using a hunting tool that is within a legal grey zone. Keep it to yourself! Don't go blabbing about it on the internet. You are only going to upset vegans and get them protesting outside the Ontario Legislature.

Personally I like the Ontario hunting laws just fine. Just the right amount of vagueness so that people can interpret what counts as a bow or crossbow or spear.

I see nothing wrong with an individual wanting to hunt with a ballista. Nobody is going to claim that deer or moose didn't die quickly and humanely when hit by a ballista bolt. A ballista would kill the moose AND the moose standing behind it with ease. A 2-for-1.

So lets not advertise that Joe Smith is hunting with his ballista. I think it is awesome, but the vegans will get their panties in a knot.

Conclusions

Yes, there are alternative ways to hunt in Ontario. Don't think of what is allowed as restrictions. Just use some imagination and you can see how the vagueness is actually an indication of what is allowed.

For example nobody said you can't hunt using a portable cannon or a "Punt Gun". Are Punt Guns ridiculous? Sure, they are. But good luck claiming that the ducks being shot weren't killed humanely. (Punt Guns were traditionally used for hunting flocks of ducks, killing a whole flock of ducks at once. But they could in theory be used for bear hunting or moose.)

This is actually a small Punt Gun.

Off Grid Air Conditioning in July and August

So today is July 1st.

And July and August are the two hottest months of the year in Ontario. Which is common for anyone who lives in the northern hemisphere.

And I admit, I am a fan of air conditioning.

So going off grid is a problematic thing because I cannot imagine living in a hot humid place, being outside all day in the heat, and then coming home to a house that is likewise hot and unbearable.

So air conditioning is pretty much a necessity to me.

Unfortunately air conditioners also use a lot of electricity.

Typically we are looking at the following amounts for a window air conditioner:

• Large Window Units – 1440 Watts
• Medium Window Unit – 900 Watts
• Small Window Unit – 500 Watts

And in case you were wondering about a Central Air system...

Central Air Conditioner – 3500 Watts

So that is a lot of electricity being used.

Keeping in mind that a good $2,000 wind turbine will only produce a maximum of 3,000 watts on a day with adequate wind, so if you want an air conditioner in your off grid home it had better be a tiny air conditioner (in the bedroom only with the door closed), or else you had best think about getting 2 or more wind turbines or another source of electricity.

eg. You could get a diesel generator to burn diesel, to produce electricity to run the air conditioner.

Ah, the irony of burning diesel to get cooler.

Alternatives to Air Conditioning

#1. Build Underground

Warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer.

 #2. More Shade, Less Heat

Build canopies that go over your home to keep the heat off, creating shade to avoid the sun as much as possible. It doesn't have to be a permanent canopy, you could erect them to be temporary and seasonal.

#3. Cross Drafts with Ventilation

Open windows or doors so that the wind passes through your home and cools it during the process. Works well in combination with lots of shade. You can do this with architecture. Also helps if the "entrance" windows for the draft are facing the source of wind.

#4. Fans only do so much...

 But if you are going to use fans, then ceiling fans are the best for moving the heat out. Fans + a nice cross draft = wonderful.

#5. Geothermal Cooling / Heating

So this method takes more investment in terms of time and money.

What it does is pump water (some geothermal systems use air instead of water) from the house through underground pipes, which then circulates back into the house after cooling down since the ground is cooler. In the winter it can also warm the house using the same method, since the ground further under the earth is warmer in contrast.

While it costs more to install initially, you do save money on electricity later over time. Plus for an off grid home it actually makes the most sense and you want to have to avoid spending too much on your heating and cooling costs.

Conclusions

So you are not restricted to just using air conditioning. There are other options, and some of the options work quite well in combination.

eg. An underground home that uses geothermal cooling/heating, with lots of shade on the entrances and the option to have a cross draft if need be.

Just add three canopies to the house below and you will be pretty close to the ideal. Plus a canopy would keep the water in that pool cooler.