Natural Chaos, Angry Crowds, and Cop Overkill – LOTS Project Ep 838

From earthquakes shaking Tennessee to volcanic warnings off the Pacific coast and mysterious objects falling from space, it seems like the earth itself is rumbling with discontent—and humanity isn’t doing much better. In this episode of The LOTS Project Morning Show, I reflect on nature’s warning signs, the rising tide of political anger and violence, and my own frustrations with small-town policing, table-building woes, and the never-ending saga with my truck.

Coffee, Mushrooms, and Moving Logs

I kicked things off with a cup of “Bob Blend”—my custom mix of leftover beans from Food Forest Farms. Surprisingly good, but unfortunately unrepeatable since I have no clue what’s actually in it. That’s the fun of small-batch coffee.

Before diving into the heavier topics, I gave a quick update on our mushroom logs. We finally moved them down to their permanent home in the food forest at Delinquents Gully. Shady, moist, and hopefully ready to produce soon. With a nearby creek and plans for a rainwater collection system, I’ll be able to keep them hydrated even if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Fingers crossed.

Earthquakes in Tennessee? Yep.

Believe it or not, Tennessee had multiple earthquakes in the past week. Most were centered around the New Madrid fault line—something I was aware of before moving here, but it’s still jarring to see it become more active. Then, out of nowhere, a 4.1 magnitude quake hit the other side of the state, near Knoxville. That one was deep—24 kilometers—which meant it didn’t shake much, but it resonated far.

Turns out, there’s another lesser-known seismic zone on the eastern side of Tennessee. Combined with a noticeable uptick in seismic activity across North America, it feels like the continent is under pressure. Maybe those ancient fault lines are getting restless.

Underwater Volcano Could Erupt Off Oregon

Another ominous headline this week: the underwater Axial Seamount off the Oregon coast might erupt in 2025. Scientists claim there’s no immediate danger to land—but they also said the same thing about past underwater eruptions that caused massive tsunamis. The documentary How the Earth Was Made came to mind, which detailed similar deep-sea volcanoes setting off catastrophic chain reactions.

Will this one do the same? Who knows. But the Pacific Northwest might want to keep an eye on the horizon, just in case the ocean decides to come inland.

Falling from Space: Russian Spacecraft Crashes to Earth

If quakes and volcanoes weren’t enough, a Soviet-era spacecraft from 1972—Cosmos 482—finally returned to Earth after orbiting aimlessly for 53 years. It crash-landed somewhere in the Indian Ocean, supposedly without incident. But the fact that a three-foot hunk of space metal can fall to Earth with no clear landing point is… less than comforting.

Political Violence & Public Rage

Switching from natural disasters to man-made chaos: there’s a noticeable rise in public anger, violence, and sheer lunacy. From people spitting on each other over politics to property destruction and street fights, things are heating up. What used to be spirited debate is now full-blown hostility.

And it’s not just one side. It seems both “sides” of the political divide have lost the plot—justifying violence because they disagree with someone’s opinion or hat choice. We’ve reached Idiocracy levels of rage and stupidity, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.

Why Does It Take So Many Cops?

This weekend, I had a run-in of the observational kind. A tiny Suzuki Sidekick was pulled over at a local intersection… surrounded by five cop cars and at least seven officers—including a K9 unit. I couldn’t even see oncoming traffic to safely make my turn because they were blocking the view, just standing around. I’ve seen smaller military operations.

And later that morning? Another solo driver—young woman, small car—pulled over with three officers present. Overkill much? No wonder people get anxious during routine traffic stops. You’d think they were pulling over armed fugitives, not locals on a grocery run.

Table Build Update: Faux 4×4 Frustration

Progress on the picnic table has been… frustrating. We attempted to create faux 4×4 legs out of 2x4s and wood filler. While structurally sound, the stain didn’t take well to the filler—it’s obvious where we patched.

We sanded the whole thing, went through three different sanders (Harbor Freight fails again), and finally found one that worked well. The top looks good, but I’m still debating whether to drive over an hour to find real, untreated 4x4s for the legs. Locally, it’s slim pickings, and I don’t want to wait months to dry fresh-cut lumber.

Truck Woes Continue

And, of course, no episode would be complete without a truck update. It’s still running like crap. I suspect the issue lies with the injectors, but I don’t want to start throwing parts at it without a proper diagnosis. The repair shop doesn’t stock parts and takes 5–6 days to order them, which is a major issue when the truck is our only vehicle. I’m exploring a solution that lets me get it diagnosed and back the same day—but we’ll see how that pans out.

Final Thoughts

Between the ground shaking beneath us, space junk falling from above, and angry mobs in the streets, it’s easy to feel like the world’s gone sideways. But at the end of the day, I’m still out here trying to build tables, move mushroom logs, and grow food in the dirt.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, or go support the show by picking up something useful:

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Stay safe, stay sane, and stay ready. Catch you next week.