Facebook knows exactly which people, pages and groups I've chosen to follow.

So why the hell doesn't it show them to me?

After deliberately spending more than 30 days using Nostr again, I've noticed myself opening it before the other social apps. The network is tiny compared with Facebook, yet I'm getting more consistent—and arguably better—interaction because I've actually been able to build the feed I want.

That has me wondering why I'm still spending so much effort feeding platforms that don't reliably show my stuff to the people who specifically asked to see it.

But plenty happened away from the internet this week too.

We're still clearing the future solar field, moving logs and figuring out which giant trunks are simply getting split where they landed. I'm also starting to plan what happens around the array: swales, perennial plantings, propagation stock and eventually a productive food-forest-style system around the panels.

Then there's the cabin floor.

I screwed up part of the sheet-vinyl installation, and after weeks of injecting glue, weighting bubbles and experimenting with repairs, Kori and I finally decided we're done trying to make it perfect. Get it as good as possible, throw down an area rug and move forward.

Sometimes fixing the mistake becomes a bigger problem than the original mistake.

We also get into expectations—specifically whether expecting less from other people might make life a whole lot less frustrating—and how that idea eventually led me back to Stoicism and the question of what you actually control.

Plus Bitcoin jumped roughly 23% in a week, my ridiculous Bitcoin Price Guess finally won, the solar video series is moving into series-versus-parallel wiring, and I've picked up some new meter gear that'll make testing the pile of used solar panels considerably easier.

Links to the equipment and products I actually use are in the show notes. Some are affiliate links, so if you buy through them I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

☕ Coffee of the Week

Medium Light Ethiopian

Food Forest Farms

Use code LOTS10 for 10% off.

Support The LOTS Project

Fold Card https://use.foldapp.com/r/FANEWETX

• Blockstream Hardware Wallets https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• LogOX Forestry Tools https://tidd.ly/4y07Qhb

• Food Forest Farms Coffee https://foodforrestfarms.com

• ComfreyRoots.com https://comfreyroots.com

• Echo Radios https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250 Save $40 with code: ECHOBRIAN407720

Join the Telegram community: https://t.me/LOTSChat

If you enjoy these conversations, consider subscribing so you don't miss next week's episode or the ongoing off-grid cabin and solar build series.

Affiliate Disclosure Some of the links in this description are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Those commissions help support the channel and allow me to keep producing free content. I only recommend products I actually use or would recommend to friends.

This was apparently the week everything decided to break.

First the RV door handle snapped—and naturally it's an obsolete part that's basically impossible to replace. Then Starlink went down and looked suspiciously like another dead dish. Then my truck's tire-pressure warning came on and I discovered something I'd never seen before: a rock had actually punctured the tire.

The good news? I had the old RV parts. I had a spare Starlink cable. And I had the tire plug kit and compressor in the truck.

Check out my Amazon Storefront: https://amazon.com/shop/thelotsproject

Or my Roadside Emergency Tools List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/thelotsproject/list/9D0I27UYYS33?ref_=aipsflist

Maybe keeping useful crap around isn't such a bad idea after all.

We're also hunting hornworms after dark with a UV flashlight. If you've ever tried finding those giant green bastards on a tomato plant during the day, you know how ridiculously well they disappear. Under UV? Completely different story.

There's also progress on clearing the future solar field, plans for the wooden racking that'll hold 36–42 used panels, the continuing battle with bubbles in the cabin floor, and some thoughts about where the solar-build video series is going next.

Then Kori found a box of deer antlers on Facebook Marketplace.

So naturally we drove an hour to buy them.

The dogs approved.

Thanks for spending part of your morning with me.

☕ Coffee of the WeekBOB Blend (Bottom of the bags)

Food Forest Farms

Use code LOTS10 for 10% off.

Support The LOTS Project

Fold Card https://use.foldapp.com/r/FANEWETX

• Blockstream Hardware Wallets https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• LogOX Forestry Tools https://tidd.ly/4y07Qhb

• Food Forest Farms Coffee https://foodforrestfarms.com

• ComfreyRoots.com https://comfreyroots.com

• Echo Radios https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250 Save $40 with code: ECHOBRIAN407720Join the

Telegram community: https://t.me/LOTSChat

If you're enjoying following the cabin build, off-grid systems, Bitcoin discussions, and the occasional rant, consider subscribing.

Affiliate DisclosureSome of the links in this description are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Those commissions help support the channel and allow me to keep producing free content. I only recommend products I actually use or would recommend to friends.

Episode 900 feels like a fitting reminder that almost every worthwhile project comes with a few unexpected lessons.

This week I spent another long day clearing the future solar field, including dropping several large trees and one rotten dead tree that decided to make things a little more interesting than I'd planned. Fortunately, everything—and everyone—ended up on the ground where it belonged.

Back inside the cabin, we're still chasing the vinyl floor bubbles. After sorting through plenty of internet advice, we tested several repair methods, found a couple that were a complete waste of time, and one that actually looks promising. If you're installing sheet vinyl yourself, this may save you some frustration.

I also talk about the latest video in the solar build series covering the tools I'm using to clear the property, why I've been intentionally rebuilding my Nostr habit after getting burned out on traditional social media, and finish with a discussion about how Flock license plate cameras are being used in ways that go well beyond simply finding stolen cars.

Topics include:

• Clearing trees for the off-grid solar project

• Safely dealing with standing dead timber

• Repairing bubbles in sheet vinyl flooring

• The tools making land clearing easier

• Rebuilding healthier social media habits with Nostr

• Flock cameras and expanding surveillance

• Cabin build progress

• Bitcoin and the LOTS community

Thanks for listening and for helping this show reach 900 episodes. Whether you've been here since the beginning or just found the podcast, I appreciate you spending part of your week with me.

If you'd like to support the show, check out the affiliate links below. They're products I actually use around the cabin or in my Bitcoin journey, and using those links helps fund future episodes at no extra cost to you.

You can also join the conversation throughout the week in the LOTS Project Telegram community, and follow the ongoing off-grid cabin and solar build over on YouTube.

Support The LOTS Project

Fold Card https://use.foldapp.com/r/FANEWETX

• Blockstream Hardware Wallets https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• LogOX Forestry Tools https://tidd.ly/4y07Qhb

• Food Forest Farms Coffee https://foodforrestfarms.com

• ComfreyRoots.com https://comfreyroots.com

• Echo Radios https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250 Save $40 with code: ECHOBRIAN407720

• Amazon Storefront https://www.amazon.com/shop/thelotsproject

Join the Telegram community: https://t.me/LOTSChat

Every off-grid project eventually humbles you.

This week was our turn.

The cabin floor is finally glued down... mostly. One overlooked detail turned into our first real construction mistake, and I walk through exactly what happened, what we learned, and how we're planning to fix it.

Then we shift into one of the biggest Bitcoin stories of the week: the Coldcard security issue. If you self-custody Bitcoin—or plan to someday—there are some important lessons here that go well beyond one hardware wallet.

We also spend some time asking why so many of the people making major political decisions appear increasingly unable to do the job, and whether our political system has any incentive to replace them before nature does.

Along the way:

• Solar field progress
• Biochar update
• Flooring lessons
• Bitcoin Guessing Game
• Hardware wallet security
• Off-grid planning
• Weekly cabin progress

Support The LOTS Project

Fold Card https://use.foldapp.com/r/FANEWETX

• Blockstream Hardware Wallets https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• LogOX Forestry Tools https://tidd.ly/4y07Qhb

• Food Forest Farms Coffee https://foodforrestfarms.com

• ComfreyRoots.com https://comfreyroots.com

• Echo Radios https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250 Save $40 with code: ECHOBRIAN407720

• Amazon Storefront https://www.amazon.com/shop/thelotsproject

Join the Telegram community: https://t.me/LOTSChat

Some products discussed during this episode use affiliate links. If you decide to purchase through those links, it helps support The LOTS Project at no additional cost to you.

One minute I'm talking about clearing trees.

The next minute I'm listening to a government official argue that sheep need a permit to drink from a pond.

That pretty much sums up this week.

We also get into more real-world use of the LogOx, why election commercials suddenly seem to be everywhere, why I'm changing how I approach social media, and where this channel is headed as we get closer to Episode 900.

If you're interested in off-grid living, independent thinking, Bitcoin, building things yourself, or simply laughing at how ridiculous the world has become, you'll probably enjoy this one.

My buddy Erik's new book: Bounty Hunters' Craft https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HBLLZTYY

Support The LOTS Project:

Fold Card https://use.foldapp.com/r/FANEWETX

• Blockstream Hardware Wallets https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• LogOX Forestry Tools https://tidd.ly/4y07Qhb

• Food Forest Farms Coffee https://foodforrestfarms.com

• ComfreyRoots.com https://comfreyroots.com

• Echo Radios https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250 Save $40 with code: ECHOBRIAN407720

• Amazon Storefront https://www.amazon.com/shop/thelotsproject

Some projects fight you every step of the way.

This week it was sheet vinyl.

What should have been a simple pickup turned into delays, confusion at Lowe's, wrestling giant flooring rolls into the cabin, and making some pretty nerve-racking cuts that couldn't be undone.

From there we wander into a question that's been bugging me for months:

Why has everything become gray?

Cars. Houses. Restaurants. Businesses. Somewhere along the way it feels like personality disappeared.

We also talk about another week of "war...ceasefire...war again" and ask the question nobody seems interested in answering:

What's the actual plan?

As always, it's another unscripted Monday morning conversation about building a life outside the system.

Support The LOTS Project

Fold Card

https://use.foldapp.com/r/FANEWETX

• Blockstream Hardware Wallets

https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• LogOX Forestry Tools

https://tidd.ly/4y07Qhb

• Food Forest Farms Coffee

https://foodforrestfarms.com

• ComfreyRoots.com

https://comfreyroots.com

• Echo Radios

https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250

Save $40 with code:

ECHOBRIAN407720

• Amazon Storefront

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thelotsproject

Join the LOTS Telegram Chat:

https://t.me/LOTSChat

How much privacy are you willing to trade for convenience—or the promise of safety?

This week we look at the growing use of Flock license plate readers and why the argument of "I've got nothing to hide" completely falls apart once innocent people start getting caught in the system. One bad database entry, one misread plate, one false alert... and suddenly you're the problem.

We also dive into the latest speculation surrounding Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham before asking a bigger question: why does nearly every major event now come with multiple believable conspiracy theories? Is public trust collapsing, or has technology simply made it harder than ever to separate fact from fiction?

There's also plenty of homestead talk with updates on the cabin build, solar field clearing, flooring, wood chipping, and surviving another brutally hot Tennessee week.

This episode includes affiliate mentions for products and companies I personally use. If you choose to purchase through those links, it helps support The LOTS Project at no additional cost to you.

Support The LOTS Project

Fold Card https://use.foldapp.com/r/FANEWETX

• Blockstream Hardware Wallets https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• LogOX Forestry Tools https://tidd.ly/4y07Qhb

• Food Forest Farms Coffee https://foodforrestfarms.com

• ComfreyRoots.com https://comfreyroots.com

• Echo Radios https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250 Save $40 with code: ECHOBRIAN407720

• Amazon Storefront https://www.amazon.com/shop/thelotsproject

This week on Episode 895 of The LOTS Project Morning Show, I finally get the wood chipper running after replacing the carburetor and changing the oil. We also talk about a new forestry tool that's headed to the property, why real freedom means defending the rights of people you disagree with, and whether self-checkout has quietly trained us to do work that stores used to pay employees to do.

As always, expect plenty of opinions, a little sarcasm, and discussion from the live audience.

☕ Coffee of the Day: Light Brazilian from Food Forest Farms

Affiliate Links & Sponsors

• Blockstream Hardware Wallets https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• LogOX Forestry Tools https://tidd.ly/4y07Qhb

• Food Forest Farms Coffee https://foodforrestfarms.com

• ComfreyRoots.com https://comfreyroots.com

• Echo Radios https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250 Save $40 with code: ECHOBRIAN407720

• Amazon Storefront https://www.amazon.com/shop/thelotsproject

A simple flooring project turned into another lesson in why building your own cabin is never as straightforward as it looks.

This week I talk through the latest cabin progress, why weather is becoming the next obstacle, and how one overlooked specification completely changed the timeline.

Then we shift gears into a conversation about autonomous vehicles, why I still won't climb into a driverless taxi, what years of full-time RV living taught us (both good and bad), and finish with a discussion that's especially fitting before Independence Day:

Would the people who founded this country recognize what we've become?

Along the way we cover:

• Cabin construction updates

• DIY lessons learned

• Full-time RV realities

• Waymo and autonomous vehicles

• Bitcoin

• Government, freedom and personal responsibility

You'll also hear about some of the gear and products I actually use around the property.

Some links mentioned are affiliate links that help support the show without costing you anything extra.

Thanks for listening.

☕ Coffee provided by Food Forest Farms Use coupon code LOTS10 for 10% off and free shipping.

Support the show:

• Blockstream Hardware Wallets https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• Fold Bitcoin Rewards https://use.foldapp.com/r/FANEWETX

• Echo Radios https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250

• Amazon Storefront https://amzn.to/4xPF2YZ

• ComfreyRoots.com

Join our Telegram Community: https://t.me/LOTSChat

A camera on a pole doesn't sound like a big deal.

Until it becomes a network.

Until it follows vehicles across jurisdictions.

Until it starts identifying people instead of license plates.

And until cities start realizing they may have signed up for something bigger than they expected.

In this episode I dig into recent developments surrounding Flock, why some communities are pushing back, and why others continue expanding surveillance infrastructure.

I also share progress on the cabin build, including floor prep, patching seams, upcoming vinyl installation, and clearing trees for the future solar array. Plus my first impressions after finally getting the Echo Radios in hand and testing them in an area with almost no cell coverage.

If you're interested in self-reliance, preparedness, Bitcoin, homesteading, privacy, and questioning systems most people never think about, this episode has plenty to chew on.

Coffee of the Day: Light Ethiopian from Food Forest Farms Use code LOTS10

Sponsors:

• Blockstream Jade, Jade Plus & Jade Core https://rewards.blockstream.com/thelotsproject

• ComfreyRoots.com https://Comfreyroots.com

Telegram: https://t.me/LOTSChat

Echo Radios $40 off: https://echoradios.com?bg_ref=Sv7Jdlw250 Code: ECHOBRIAN407720

Affiliate Disclosure:

This episode may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of those links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Those commissions help keep the show running and support future content.