laughingwolf_qh33q8 – The Laughing Wolf

And Rumors Of Wars

I suspect I am like many right now, still processing the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I wasn’t a huge fan. I wasn’t his enemy. I knew he was out there, doing his thing and sometimes I agreed with him and sometimes I did not. I wish I had watched more of the full videos of his debates, as he was good at it and a happy warrior with it. He didn’t pull stunts, dodge, or belittle his opponents. He sought to change minds, and that takes a different approach.

Clearly he was good at it, and it got him murdered for talking. Those who are now calling to cool down and talk things out need to realize that’s not going to work this time because you murdered the man who was willing to truly talk and engage in discourse.

It’s also because a large part of the public, the “normies” if you will, who are not terminally online and such, not only saw Charlie assassinated before their eyes (how many millions have now seen the videos?) but they also watched as their neighbors, doctors, nurses, and teachers ripped off their masks and openly celebrated the death of someone simply because he talked and had beliefs that a bit over half the country hold. The normies realized that those people truly do want them dead and would celebrate their death just as they did Charlie’s death. And, this comes on top of Iryna’s death in Charlotte, which reached them and horrified them even before Charlie’s political assassination.

They have seen behind the masks, and are repelled by what they saw. They are catching on to the manipulation and outright lies being arrayed against them. They believe their lying eyes, and that’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s good in that they are waking up and facing reality.

It’s also bad in that this is a group where there is a LOT of anger out there. They have seen friends and family (or even themselves) cancelled for the made up ever-changing ‘sins’ of the woke. They saw their lives turned upside down during COVID. And then, cancel culture and control doubled down again. They have seen us go from a high-trust moderate-crime society to a low-trust high-crime society, and they are not happy about that either. The amount of anger out there frightens me, and I know it scares others too. That’s why several of us have been hammering away at the ‘keep calm’ and related messages. It is only going to take one idiot being idiotic to release that anger.

I honestly thought for a short time that the idiot who assassinated Charlie had done that. Thankfully, at least for now, the majority of the public (and let’s face it, the true progressives are less than a quarter of the population, like not even an eighth I suspect) is doing the normie version of rioting, looting, and burning: getting people fired for being uncivilized jerks. Unlike the woke, it’s not over made-up imaginary sins; rather, it is for the true sins of no impulse control and being willing to murder their fellow citizens simply for holding a different opinion. That’s not acceptable under the Social Compact (which I fear went out the window an couple of decades ago, along with having a high-trust society), nor is it theologically acceptable to Christians and a number of others.

On top of that, the normies are now having to think about things a number of us already have been thinking about. Will I or my family receive sub-optimal medical care simply for our beliefs? Will our schools target our children over our beliefs? (the answer is yes BTW). Et cetera et cetera et cetera. They realize that such people are a direct threat and responding to it in the nicest way they can — for now.

Thing is, the woke have never had consequences applied to them before. They have been coddled, protected, and shielded from even a harsh word, much less real-life consequences to employment and such. Why, that was only for the great unwashed, the victims of their cancel-culture antics, not them. They are not happy at having consequences apply to them, which sadly does up the ‘stupid-doing-something-stupid’ odds. Now that they are seeing their normal obfuscation via the media isn’t working, yet more are getting upset and scared. Which, again, ups the ‘stupid-doing-something-stupid’ odds. Then, add in that all the lies they are telling are getting the majority even angrier, and ramping up the trantifa contingent, well…

Seriously, pray. A couple of days ago, I started handing it over to God, as “ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” I think we will skate the razor’s edge once more, hopefully without really bad things happening. I expect further bad things; but, the reaction of the majority to the assassination gives me some hope, and a reminder that the woke are a small but vocal minority. They have held an outsized grasp on power, but it is slipping.

One thing I will recommend is that if you are on anti-social media of any type, and you are connected to anyone calling for war, especially now-now-now, disconnect. Unfollow, unfriend, mute, even block. Do the same to those spreading disinformation, quit giving them attention as they thrive on it and often get paid (openly or otherwise) for it. I may also cut back on my time online, as I have a lot of things to do, for both my future and for the pilgrimage. Those I can do something about. So, I will work on them and trust in God for the rest.

I’m going to leave you with some reads I’ve enjoyed or at least appreciated over the last few days. There are more I should link, but… Read this and this from the Bugscuffle Gazette; this one in regards Kipling from LOdlO; and, this one from Holly Math Nerd. Some good food for thought there.

As always, Be Prepared. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Backpacks And Artificial Shoulders

If anyone out there has artificial shoulders like me (I have reverse replacements) and has used backpacks since, let me know what you’ve found. The pilgrimage is coming together, and it appears a suitcase is not going to work for portions of it.

One option is to use a backpack in place of a suitcase. The other option I’m looking at is using a suitcase for part of the trip, but have a smaller backpack as my carry-on and for times when suitcase isn’t going to cut it. The latter would work only if I do rent a apartment/room for the trip.

The only thing the doctor who did my surgery suggested is that I should get lots of padding for the shoulders. My thoughts are that a hip belt would be a good idea to keep pressure off the shoulders.

Thoughts?

Decisions

This morning, I could have slept in and frankly I PLANNED to sleep in. For some reason, however, I activated the alarm so at 0345 my day began. I wasn’t feeling great, so got online and started to read. That was in some ways a mistake.

Someone I know, an author, who has been one of the stalwarts of not being stupid and avoiding flipping the switch, had his personal switch thrown by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. He’s all in on civil war, and there are some of his points with which I do have to agree. However, I think we can and should still avoid such. I much prefer the person who argued for a few waves of civil purges instead of civil war. It would be much better for us and for the future.

For all that the author’s posts made my heart heavy, it finished clarifying some things on which I had been thinking and had already disturbed my sleep. As regular readers know, I’ve been looking at a change in my life, one that could set me on the path to several destinations, including ministry.

For those that know me, or even if you don’t really, it’s not a place where one such as me should be expected to go. Of the major and minor sins, I think the only one I haven’t punched is directly killing another. I’m not particularly proud of parts of my past, and for all I tried to be a good person and a man, didn’t quite get there. Then again, Jesus didn’t come here to save the perfect, but the sinners.

A few weeks ago, I started the process but this morning the decision was firmly made. It is a scary one to make, on several levels; yet, it was also an easy one to make in the end. I have no idea where the path I am starting leads, but I am content to walk it. Some things which had troubled me have fallen away, and I lay aside the sword I carried for man. I choose to pick up a different sword, and walk a path I know not. Nothing will happen quickly I suspect, as it a process where things happen over time. I am content with that.

If you are the praying type, please do pray for me and my soul. Where I end up on this journey is not up to me; but, wherever the path leads me I will be content. I think I’ve suspected this path was in my future from the moment I stood up after being hit by lightning. Still scary in many ways, but only if I look at the past, and not to the present and future that have been granted to me by the Light.

One day I may share more, but for now this is enough. To borrow from Tolkien, I lay aside the old sword, staff, and guardianship. I pick up the new.

Two To Share

I want to share two videos. Yeah, I know. I rarely do or post videos as I am primarily a reader. I love the written word, and had to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing videos when I was a part of Blackfive. These two, however, need to be shared.

First up, a moving tribute to Charlie Kirk from an Orthodox Priest. Take the time, as it is worth it. Main link here, will try to embed the video.

Next up, the interview he referenced between Charlie and Father John Strickland.

Just wanted to share.

9/11

In the past, this has been a hard day for me. I watched it unfold at work at NASA, made the calls duty required, and wondered. I knew someone who was supposed to be in the towers that day (they lived, co-worker changed out with them), and had friends in the Pentagon. Still get a smile at the NASA worker who thought President Bush had been hit in the knee by someone with a baseball bat when I called out to my boss (former SAC) that the President was NEACAPed (i.e. AF One was in the air and had assumed duty as the National Emergency Airborne Command Post). A day of horror, a day we kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, yet also a day when we still had hope.

Around the country, I was aware of specialized burn and trauma centers activating emergency plans and preparing for a flood of victims from NYC and DC. I heard that every military and civilian Nightingale (medical evac planes) went to hot pad status. And waited in vain.

No survivors came out of the wreckage. No wounded. Only the dead and later I watched as NYFD worked to find the dead even as the boots melted on their feet.

I remember them today. The living and the dead. God Bless Rick Rescorla and all those like him who went in and tried to save lives. Rick was last seen going back up a third time (I think) trying to save yet more when he had already saved hundreds. If you don’t know his song, you should. It is well worth knowing and singing unto the generations.

The memories of that day fade a bit each year, and with it the raw emotion. Today, though, I feel worse than I have in years. It’s not just the assassination yesterday (and, yes, I suspect it was done in part to tie into today) and what it means for the social compact and a representative democracy. Thing is, I just can’t shake the feeling that the people behind the Biden Regency let in such a large number of people who bear America ill-will because they were planning something much larger and worse than the first 9/11.

Such an attack could be used for either cementing power for a long, long time; or, it could be used as a Gotterdamerung if they lost. Either way would work for those pulling the strings. I very much agree with Sarah that a wounded/dying beast is far more dangerous, and woke is wounded and dying. Thing is, the win of individual liberty and the principles of the Great Experiment is not guaranteed even now. Stupidity can still set us back decades, or even centuries potentially though I prefer to think optimistically. As I’ve said before, woke is not just going to roll over and call the game.

We can survive a good bit, and push forward for further victories. Provided stupidity doesn’t get in more hits. We do not want the switch to flip, and I have to admit I never thought of Charlie as the first target. Honestly, I thought they would go at Trump (the boogie man in their fevered dreams), JD (largest real threat), or Pete (who is working hard to turn around the military) first. For that matter, I half expected a go at part of the Supreme Court, which Schumer and company have pushed hard and long.

Thing is, they couldn’t have picked a worse target (but then again, they are stupid). Charlie stood for discourse, debate, and discussion. They hated him because he was effective. In killing him, they have created a secular and religious martyr. When you cut out someone’s tongue, you do it because their words scare you and you don’t want them heard. Taking out the man who stood for discourse really was incredibly stupid as you have just confirmed his words as dangerous to you, and indicated in the strongest way that they were true and powerful. Add to it that you took out a Christian who spread the word and encouraged others to Christ, and you have created a religious martyr on top of that. Synergy is guaranteed to take that double whammy and turn it into something even more powerful.

I really do hope for the best case, and that TPUSA grows by leaps and bounds. Didn’t know him personally, but think he would be delighted if that happened. Worst case is, of course, that the thousands he reached have been shown that peaceful discourse is not going to happen, and… Not the way I hope or want things to go. The people behind this (and I don’t think it happened in isolation) truly failed to consider first or second order effects, much less third. Awakened a sleeping giant? Maybe. Shown thousands that peace is not an option, and that violence will come for them who are already shunned and marginalized by the woke? Oh yes. The only question is the response. Hence my first choice above.

More than ever, I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. And praying that sanity, and not stupidity, rules the day.

Go Read

Then think, then pray. The assassination of Charlie Kirk was not just a horror and tragedy, it was stupid. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that we needed to talk about how, despite all that has been accomplished in a short time by Trump, one or more stupid people doing stupid things (here and abroad) could have catastrophic consequences. This is one of them.

As usual, L’Ombre de l’Olivier posts a very good one. Go read his post. I’m also going to link to it on my post from yesterday. The anger that has been building in the majority of our citizens just got hit with a blast of pure oxygen. It may or may not flip the switch, and I hope it doesn’t. But it won’t take much for stupidity for it to be thrown. Seriously, pray.

Charlie Kirk

Not sure I ever met him in person, but his online presence was hard to miss. He was tenacious, hard working, and built an organization that worked hard to reach students, especially those that were a product of public indoctrination. I agreed with him on some things, disagreed on others, and appreciated him making his case openly.

His murder today is horrific, and terrifying. It is horrific that a man known for debate and intellectual prowess was murdered for his ideas. A father to young children, husband, mentor and more taken simply because others couldn’t stand disagreement.

His murder is terrifying in that I have to agree with Larry Correia that on top of the murder in Charlotte, attempts against Trump (and who leaked that he was going to that restaurant needs to be found, ASAP), and other political violence, we may indeed see the switch flipped. What switch? The one that most of the world has when it comes to violence. The progressive woke faction sees violence as a rheostat to be turned up or down at need. Almost everyone else sees it a switch that is either on or off. We really don’t want to see that switch flipped as it could destroy our Republic (and the attempts to restore it) faster than the woke mind virus.

I have prayed for Charlie’s soul. I have prayed for his young family and all those he leaves behind. I’ve also prayed for our country and that we avoid what comes with the flipping of the switch. Please join me.

UPDATE I: Go Read This. You really want and need to do so.

Charlotte

First up, please help stop the stupidity. There are those trying their best to start a race war. They are stupid. Don’t be stupid. I suspect a number of them are bots, and I’m wondering how many of those bots are run from China (and Pakistan)? Point, laugh, and short-circuit as much of that as you can please.

One of the more horrifying things to me was that, as someone who regularly uses public transport, I had a good idea that something was going to happen even before Iryna Zarutska sat down. Something about him was setting off alarms from the start, and there are reasons I am not on my phone a lot while riding public transport. Between bad suspension and the need to keep my head on a swivel (esp. on certain lines) it’s just not a good idea.

I also don’t blame her for not being more aware. In Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and Russia, the trains and such are still largely safe. There is security. It’s a different experience. It used to be that way in Western Europe, but with all the immigration that’s no longer true. Used to be in the Paris subway the worse you had to worry about were pick-pockets. Sigh.

Here, public transport is not clean, fun, or safe and that seems deliberate. Busses and even subways/light rail are often unofficially used to house and move the mentally ill/homeless, particularly in winter or other bad weather. You also run into people who feel very privileged because of their victim status, and are not shy about deserving to ride for free, special stops, etc. Some in that class have been told for years that whites are the enemy who has always abused them. Which means you run into some very nasty racism, such as the elderly black lady who tried to spit at me simply because I was white and on “her” bus. You do meet some nice people on occasion, but…

She was lied to on many fronts, and she paid for it with her life. The look of fear and shock on her face will stay with me for the rest of my life. Fact is, she was already dead at that point, she simply didn’t know it. Those blows probably took out one or both carotids and the jugular. Any chance she had was lost when it took some 90 seconds to come to her aid — none of those around her did a thing for her. Not allowed to say some of the words I want to say; but, I also remind myself there wasn’t a lot that could be done absent clotting/pressure bandages and a surgeon.

I’m also going to ask you not only to pray for her soul; but, to pray for the man who did come to her aid from elsewhere, and the lady who joined him. Dollars to donuts he (and maybe her) is playing the “what if” game right now: what if I had moved faster, what if I had done things differently, what if… It’s a thing, and it haunts more than one combat medic I’ve known and it eats at a lot of first responders. I hope they both are smart enough to get some help, or find some people who’ve been there and done that to help them through the aftermath.

For the thug and those who sat there and did nothing, not even ask or check to see if they could help her, I’m asking the Lord to illumine them. To open their eyes and minds. May justice be done.

Your safety is your responsibility. It can’t be delegated, it can’t be hired out, and it can’t be ignored. You have to be paying attention and you have to be prepared. Over the years, I’ve been able to de-escalate a few situations; and, to avoid even that by being aware and avoiding situations. It can be as simple as taking the next bus, or going with an alternate route or plan.

Thing is, be aware. Keep your head on a swivel, have a plan, have backup plans, and know what you can, should, or will do. If turning and walking away works, do it; but, if it drops in the pot aggressive and forceful action quite often causes the other party to break off and run. Stealing from Instapundit this morning, here’s a post on just that. Ambush close: turn in, engage, destroy. Sarah A. Hoyt has a good post on the lies we tell our children, lies that get them killed. Finally, from The Lawdog Files comes the truth in that everyone is a lesson.

There are a lot of good things happening in America, but we are not out of the woods yet. This is a reminder that local elections matter. Vote for your health and safety, and that of those you love. Hold your local government, prosecutors, judges, etc. accountable. It’s not just in Charlotte that they have blood on their hands.

Teach your children well. If you don’t teach them, and more importantly show them in everyday life by your actions, they don’t have a chance.

Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. And, as you see the photos and videos, go give your kids an extra hug.

Passport Away

Well, the passport application is now submitted via USPS. I made an appointment yesterday, went in today, and was done in about 15 minutes including getting a photo taken. Turns out my old passport expired a while back, so had to do a complete new application. I will note that the costs seem to have gone up since my last one, but not surprising.

Over the last week, I’ve had two people do some incredibly wonderful things to push my planned pilgrimage along. One person is arranging a guide and facilitator (also a translator) in Greece for Mount Athos. He’s experienced and knows how to work the system with the Greek government and with Mount Athos. Another person helped with some of the other travel.

There is more to come on this, stay tuned. If inclined, feel free to hit the tip jar, note it is for travel, and it will go towards it.

USS Robert A. Heinlein

Okay, got this from Sarah A. Hoyt over on X today, and I’m in. Help make this go viral.

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It is the prerogative of the Secretary of the Navy to name Navy vessels. Navy policy is to name destroyers for deceased members of the Navy. We want the new Secretary of the Navy – John Phelan — to name a future DDG-51 Flight III destroyer for Robert A. Heinlein. This would happen if lots of people write asking him to name a future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer for Heinlein. Phelan’s address is: The Honorable John Phelan Secretary of the Navy Room 4E686 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301 More information may be found at the Campaign website. http://USSRobertAHeinlein.com What To Do — • Write John Phelan; ask him to name a U.S. Navy vessel the U.S.S. Robert A. Heinlein. • Get as many others as you can to do the same! • Spread the information on the Campaign as far and as wide as possible!