Charlie and Penny Crockett

Rockland Parade of Lights 11/25/2023

Watch this video of the Rockland, Maine , Parade of Lights, a highlight of the 3 day post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas celebration – A Festival of Lights. This night parade featured many lighted and animated floats celebrating the midcoast community and Christmas. Trucks and cars were festooned with garlands of lights. On the floats were grinches, santas, live entertainers, and much , much more. Parade commentary by Penny & Charlie Crockett; video and editing by Charlie Crockett.

Images From Maine #167 || Peter Ralston

Dear Friends, When we were young, our mother taught my brothers and me the quiet but deep gratification of sharing a proper Thank You. Every year at Thanksgiving we each wrote a letter to someone of our choice to whom we owed thanks for something in the past year and...

New Tactics in the Ukraine War || Peter Zeihan

From 30,000 feet, the pace of the Ukraine War appears to be slowing and even reaching a stalemate; however, when we zoom in on places like the Dnieper River and Mariupol, we can see the new tactics and strategies being implemented on both sides.

The Ukrainians are beginning to use smaller waves of units to push across the Dnieper and hold ground along the riverbank. If this continues and they can successfully move south, there’s a chance that they can cut off supply routes and stir up some problems for the Russians.

Russia Backs Away From Nuclear Test Ban Treaty || Peter Zeihan

If you were hoping to start your week with some cheery news – it might be best to skip this video. Russia has stepped away from the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, so we have plenty to discuss today.

My initial concerns aren’t about a return to nuclear testing but rather a much darker scenario — that control of Russia’s nuclear arsenal may be compromised. We’ve already seen failures and cracks throughout the Russian military, but have those vulnerabilities made it to the nuclear program?

Escaped emus captivate Washington County

For the past month, a number of emus have been running wild across Washington County. The sightings of the birds, normally native to Australia, have prompted a range of responses from local people, and while some of the birds have reportedly met untimely fates, some have been recovered safely.

Why Electric Vehicles Aren’t The GreenTech Panacea || Peter Zeihan

When the major auto manufacturers start changing their EV plans, it's probably a sign something's not quite right. For all those who think they're better than everyone else because they drive a Tesla, this video is for you... Most people see electric vehicles and...

Images from Maine #164 || Peter Ralston

Dear Friends, It is a supremely gorgeous day here and minutes ago I walked from my studio over to the bridge—all of a one-minute stroll—to make these two images. Well, actually that’s not quite right; I did take my camera along (of course) but it was a little walk to...

Gigabit Fiber Speed on the way to Camden, Maine

For those of you in the Midcoast Maine, some of you south of Camden are starting to be able to get Gigabit Internet service from Fidium. Initial experiences have been high speed, dependable and reasonable pricing. For those in Camden, Maine, another company...

The Third Shale Revolution—Reshoring Manufacturing || Peter Zeihan

The third piece of the shale revolution is all about timing. As the world shifts from globalized supply chains to more localized and secure means of production, utilizing cheaper energy sources and products will be essential.

The US has become the lowest-cost-highest-quality producer of intermediate materials, meaning much of the leg work to restore supply chains and manufacturing has already been done. So what do we have to show for it?

The Second Shale Revolution–Industrial Expansion

So, how did the US use all that crude oil and natural gas produced during the first shale revolution? As the need for industrial expansion grew, so did the American refining industry’s footprint.

That’s the essence of the second shale revolution – America could now turn that crude oil and natural gas into a suite of products, ranging from refined oil to intermediate chemical products.