We chat about the seemingly unlimited hypocrisy of the people who constantly call us names, PorcFest, school choice, and more!
The 18th Annual Porcupine Freedom Festival ended yesterday, but lament not, tickets are already on sale for 2022. Get yours TODAY! Why come to PorcFest? Because if you’ve ever wondered what the Free State Project is about, there’s no better way to get a flavor of our growing and thriving community than spending a week camping with us in the woods.
Over the years, PorcFest has often been described by attendees as “a gateway drug for the liberty curious.” PorcFest draws people who sense something is unbalanced in our world and are seeking answers–whether it is to the violence we see, the pain and suffering caused by the state in the name of control, the destruction of our purchasing power through inflation and unsustainable monetary policy, or, well, frankly, whatever the f*ck 2020 was–PorcFest is the place where free-thinkers come to share their visions for a better world.
After almost two decades, we know that mingling our community’s “porc power” with the “liberty curious” turns attendees into movers. We also know the more like-minded, peaceful people we can gather together in New Hampshire, the stronger our chances of building the “prosperity-for-all” future we seek.
We are on a mission to create a peaceful free state based on voluntary human interaction and consent.
This year, we sold more than 2,500 tickets. We had scores of intellectuals and academics speaking about a myriad of socio-economic topics, including feminist writer Naomi Wolf (read THIS) and antiwar spokesman Scott Horton. For the first time, both the Anthem Film Festival, and Gene Epstein’s SOHO Forum were present. We were also delighted to welcome back some of our favorites, like economist David Friedman, podcaster Tom Woods, writer Jeffrey Tucker, and comedian Dave Smith.
PorcFest XVIII had 15 main stage sponsors and 10 facilities sponsors. About 500 decentralized events were hosted by smaller hubs, villages, and individuals across the campground. Topics ranged from knitting and knives, to body positivity and health freedom, to tiny homes, off-the-grid living and how to raise chickens, to school choice and unschooling, to teaching newbies gun safety and how to shoot.
Hundreds of free-range children spent the week playing together. Some sold printed programs, knickknacks, and walked dogs for cash. Drones flew over drum circles. A Thriller flash mob appeared on the field before the Bardo Pork roast on Saturday, which took place opposite a Shrimp Boil. [Aside: I had incredible #freedomnomnom noshes all week long, including authentic bánh mì sandwiches and phở. I’ll do an entire foodie post later!]
PorcFest epitomizes the best of the Free State movement: individualism, team work, selling and buying things, crypto and other alternatives to the coercion of the state, sharing ideas, agreeing, disagreeing, growing, thriving, teaching and learning, all always, always PEACEFUL.
Reporters often ask me, “Explain who Free Staters are,” and, after I have a good belly laugh, I explain that as individuals, we are all different, but if there’s one thing you might say unites us, it’s the ethical stance of the non-aggression principle. As one of PorcFest’s sponsors, Free the People’s t-shirt says: “Don’t hurt ppl; don’t take their stuff.” Easy enough!
I’ve been doing this “Liberty lives in New Hampshire” thing for a good long time now. I attended my first PorcFest in 2005, and moved to New Hampshire in 2008. I organized PorcFest in 2009 and 2010, doubling attendance. In 2020, I proceeded with PorcFest XVII as a First and Second Amendment protected assembly, with no negative outcomes.
This year feels different, like we’ve arrived. PorcFest XVIII’s Chef de Village, Dennis Pratt, somehow managed to take the picture I’ve had in my head for years and years and made it appear before my eyes. I am in awe of what Dennis accomplished.
By engaging and energizing hundreds of others to bring their best and brightest, to bring their ideas and passions, to bring their swagger and game, i.e. by decentralizing and trusting one another, we had the biggest and best PorcFest yet!
A HUGE, SPECIAL THANK YOU to Dennis Pratt and the entire volunteer team, especially the core heavy lifters, Chris Lopez, Constance Spencer, Shawn Grissom, Pete E, Scott S, Frans Honer, Katie, Aureus H, Zoe Noctum, Anie, Stephen Nass (and their relevant partners!), and all the other amazeballs, incredible, awesomesauce Free Staters who worked hard to make PorcFest a smashing success!
As totalitarianism grows around us, so too does interest in the opposite: self-respect and human dignity through self-ownership. As I jokingly said throughout PorcFest XVIII: “2020 was good for those of us in the freedom business!” The more the boot of the state stomps down, the stronger our movement grows.
Remember: There is safety in numbers.
Think of the Free State movement as creating a “libertarian safe space” where we can choose to “Live Free and Thrive!” Surely we too are allowed to exist somewhere? In many ways, Free Staters are refugees, seeking safe harbor from the exploitation of a corrupt, immoral, unrestricted, and unaccountable federal government.
We seek one place to exist, and we come in peace to New Hampshire in order to preserve and expand the liberties we find here.
If YOU are liberty curious, I encourage you to follow the Free State Project, PorcFest, and me personally (Twitter; Facebook; Insta; MeWe; YouTube–where I host a weekly political show and have a cooking show called #Freedomnomnom). The FSP will be hosting more events as we grow, so stay tuned for more info, but in the meantime, buy your PorcFest XIX tickets TODAY for June 20-26, 2022.
I will be writing more pieces about PorcFest in the coming days, and encourage you to seek more information online (see #porcfest on social media). I will update here on The Art of Independence with news pieces and other speakers media and social media posts as I gather them.
Thank you to everyone who attended, love ya, and see YOU next year, if not before! My heart is full.
The more things change the more they stay the same!?! PorcFest is happening next week in the beautiful White Mountains of the Free State of New Hampshire.
We’re SOLD OUT, and expecting more than 2,500 people, of which 2/3 are from out of state. That’s a LOT of potential movers, people seeking a better life, which is what living in liberty in NH offers!
As the rest of the world moves towards more top-down control and totalitarianism, I encourage all peaceful liberty lovers who believe in private property and self-ownership to join us!
I am doing several talks at PorcFest, including “Make America States Again”; my future vision; police accountability; and the how and why of the Free State Project. I am looking forward to talks by speakers like Naomi Wolf, Tom Woods, Jeffrey Tucker, Gene Epstein, Stephen Kinsella, Scott Horton, and more!
On Saturday at 6PM, we are again hosting SOAPBOX IDOL, which is YOUR opportunity to do a 3-minute rant about whatever you are most passionate about. Don’t miss the auditions 11A most days in the Upper Picnic Tent.
If you haven’t looked at the schedule yet, it’s bananas! On top of the main field, there are HUNDREDS of programs, from knitting to newbie shoots, being offered by individuals. Be sure to walk around the campground and enjoy each others’ company. We are all here to learn and share!
A reminder, PorcFest is about personal responsibility, i.e. how YOU are behaving and showing up in the world. We want YOU to have the time of your life, while also being considerate of others. Attendees run the gamut from singles to great-grandparents, with a lot of families with young ‘uns in-between. Quiet time is 11PM. Tomorrow is another day; pace yourself. 
Take photos, record talks, and use this PUBLIC link to upload pics: https://dropevent.com/PorcFest. Live tweet, and help us create buzz and capture memories. Use #PorcFest and #LiveFreeAndThrive. I can’t wait to meet YOU.
Come say “hi.” Plan to buy my book, The Ecstatic Pessimist for $20 and/or support my Carla Gericke for New Hampshire efforts. Liberty lives in New Hampshire! Come join the fun!
(PS: I’m pretty sure the whip was a prop. The gun and crown are real. 
)
This week, we discuss how people are trained to appeal to authority, how you can change and take command of your life, the upcoming sold out PorcFest XVIII, and more!
Have you ever stopped to wonder where the “free stuff” the government “gives you” comes from? Do you know what inflation is? Hint: it’s an invisible tax on YOU. When the prices on everything rise this year because of the $6 TRILLION in new
printing, on top of the unsustainable trillions in America’s national debt, not to mention (because no one does anymore) the unfunded pension and social security liabilities that are coming up, please remember the people, LIBERTARIANS, who have warned and warned you. If you are not hedging against a dollar collapse with metals and crypto, START! If you don’t live in NH yet, MOVE. It’s going to get worse before it gets better, and there’s no safer space for visionaries and thought leaders who actually understand the issues and have the solutions than right here, right now. Come be legendary! #LiveFreeAndThrive
My guest for the third episode of Liberty & Wine is Carla. Author, activist, attorney, and genuine freedom fighter, she tells me all about her diverse background and her involvement in the Free State Project.
LISTEN NOW!
The wine I am recommending this month is the 2016 Luigi Righetti Amarone della Valpolicella, a bold Italian red wine with a complex nose.
This month’s links:
Wine selection: https://www.vivino.com/CA/en/luigi-righetti-amarone-della-valpolicella/w/91761?year=2016
Free State Project: https://www.fsp.org/
Porcupine Freedom Festival: https://porcfest.com/
Basically, this is a curried minced beef dish with apple and dates topped with an egg custard. You are welcome.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat lard in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Sautee onions and garlic, add and brown the ground beef breaking into small crumbles. Remove some of the grease, if necessary. Add the apple and dates. Stir. Add the spices and cook until meat is cooked and dish is fragrant. Remove from the heat. Cover in loose tinfoil and place in oven. Cook for 30 minutes at 350F. A few minutes before the dish is ready, mix the cream and 5 eggs, season with salt and pepper, and beat until frothy. Remove meat from oven, pour over the eggs, add the bay leaves, and return to oven. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the egg custard on top is cooked through. I serve this with toasted coconut flakes, Mrs. Balls chutney, and sometimes, if I'm cheating, sliced fresh bananas with mayo/yogurt mix with parsley. Traditionally, bobotie is also served with "borrie rys" which is turmeric infused rice. I find it doesn't need the carbs to be a freedomnomnom bomb!
Ingredients
Instructions
I’m working hard at “just shipping it,” as Seth Godin suggests. So, even when I could tinker to make something better, I don’t, I just “ship it,” because I promised myself I would. This leads to me I producing more stuff, and this FEELS GREAT!
There are some steps between feeling great and shipping it, though. Mostly me yelling at the computer about things I am struggling with, like learning how to use waaaaaaaaay too sophisticated video editing software, or trying to synch video captions, or designing an opening slide, or adding A SUBSCRIPTION BUTTON (finally!).
Video production is a skill that I still need to learn and everything takes waaaaaaaaay longer than it should. Since I value my time, I find this frustrating, but then I remind myself, the state of flow comes from routine and passion combined. Patience, my pretty. And, while I’m s-l-o-w-l-y learning new frustrating things, I am also s-l-o-w-l-y building out an actual video production studio at home, and I’m getting to play around in my keto kitchen, and I’m growing. How cool is that?!?
Other things I learned this week, related to filming and editing a cooking show at home:
1. Don’t multitask! Making two recipes at once, while functional when you have 20 guests coming for dinner is grand, but it makes editing for one recipe a nightmare!
2. Pause between situations if you plan to edit later.
3. Consider going back to one camera and one take?
Do you have a passion project you’re dying to launch? What’s holding you back? How do you spend your time now? If you could change one thing to help yourself kick off this project, what would it be? What if I told you, maybe focussing on your health is where you should start…
I mention health, because good health is the gift of natural stamina, and this is what you need in order to complete the things YOU want to do! I would not have been able to successfully add these personal projects to my plate a couple of years ago. I would not have stuck to the timeline, gotten discouraged, and given up.
Now, I know better. I know, for me:
1. It is crucial to stick to a production schedule. JUST SHIP IT! (Even when it is not perfect!)
2. I had to develop this skill and teach myself that routines for my personal projects matter just as much as my professional obligations (if not more).
3. This means prioritizing myself, and saying “no” to other things because producing my creative projects matters to me, and that’s enough!
4. And, thanks to the lifestyle changes I have made, I have the stamina and energy to push through and make the things I want to make happen, happen.
Learn how I became a healthier me by making slow and steady changes. If I can do it, so can YOU!
I had such a great time with these guys! Show them some lurv and subscribe to their podcast and channel!
The Resistance Chronicle
We were so happy to have another Free State Project alum join us for a fun conversation covering Liberty in NH, Porcfest, and nourishing your mind and body. Carla gave us a rundown of her move to the states and NH, her run in with the law and the landmark case that resulted from it, and her continuous journey towards self improvement. Carla’s infectious positivity really lit up this episode. We are already buzzing about getting her back on for round 2! Start your journey into finding out about Carla with these links: https://www.carlagericke.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carla_G…
https://www.fsp.org/author/carla/
https://www.carlagericke.com/product/…
As always, thank you for tuning in. We’d love to hear from our listeners. We appreciate you all. Email us at: theresistancechronicle@gmail.com Check out our website and support everyone in our Hall of Fame. Check in often as the list is growing. www.theresistancechronicle.com We also started a merch store. Check it out. All proceeds go directly back to making this show possible so we can continue to grow and improve this thing we started. http://tee.pub/lic/TRCPod Thank you and enjoy the show!
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