Author: laughingwolf_qh33q8

DCA Almost Final

My apologies for not writing more (and sooner) but I will just say (again?) that the theology course I’m taking is like drinking out of a fire hose. While it will be a few weeks yet before the final report is out on the DCA crash, the items that are going into the report are now released.

I’m going to start with the Safety Data report, which frankly is damning to the FAA and now-former tower management. Short version is that DCA has had problems for years, including the perception that reporting issues would lead to retaliation. There are multiple recommendations in the report for the FAA, and a few for the Army, as leadership at both agencies (and the DoT) was abysmal.

The human performance report is a good overview of the human operations and interactions with onboard technology that is supposed to help prevent collisions. If you want to understand what was happening in each place, the information available, factors that limited the use of technology and prevented adequate warnings, and more, this is it.

The report notes early something I had “seen” early on: the call-out of the CRJ operated by PSA (Piedmont) for American Airlines lacked critical information. There were several planes in the area called out by the controller, and there was no way for the helicopter crew to know which one was being pointed out. There is evidence that they mistook another aircraft for the one they were supposed to be watching. I may not have many hours as a pilot, but every time I had other traffic called out it always specific, as in “you have X aircraft at your Y o’clock high/low/same (altitude). SOP was to locate, then call back and read-back “I have X aircraft in sight at Y o’clock high/low/same” to verify the information.

As a side note, so long as the object was moving relative to you, life was good. It was when things were a dot that you needed to act as the lack of movement meant it was coming straight at you. Therefore you dove or climbed and/or changed course as well. Doesn’t matter if it was a bird (birds can take out a plane and/or pilot) or a plane — by the time it starts to get visually larger it usually is too late to avoid.

There is a lot more in that particular report, and it is well worth reading carefully. As I said earlier, the only people who come out of this pretty much in the clear are the Piedmont crew who were never warned about the helicopter.

Here is the helicopter operations report, and the medical report. On the latter, the controllers on duty that night should have recourse against management for failing to do the proper drug and alcohol tests. While there is no evidence of such, the failure to follow SOP unfairly puts a cloud over them as they have no way to prove they weren’t impaired. On the former, it is worth reading and re-reading. There are a number of issues with Army aviation leadership and operations that need to be addressed. One of which is that a number of the helicopters in the unit involved had altimeters that were/are not giving correct altitude. There’s more, but the altimeter issue is an ongoing major issue that needs to be addressed.

The airplane systems group report is a good primer on ADS-B and collision avoidance — and the limits of technology. This is a good read and I suspect a number of changes may come out of it.

Now, keep in mind that the area around DCA is some of the most congested in the United States. Fact is, there have been a number of efforts to shut down Reagan because of volume, runway length, location, and other issues. Congress has not only prevented closure, but expanded normal operating hours over the expert advice given it simply because it is convenient for them. And make no doubt it is highly convenient. I’ve flown in and out of there more times than I can count because it is right there at the Pentagon, close to downtown DC, etc.

Also keep in mind that there is a lot of military traffic in the area. There have been efforts made to limit military traffic, primarily helicopters, from the area around DCA because of the congestion and safety issues. Those were ignored/overridden on the basis of national security (and convenience as well).

In an ideal world, the helicopter should have been to one side and gone behind the Piedmont CRJ at a safe distance. It should not have been coming up under it as it was landing.

The NTSB has already heavily hinted/indicated that a majority of the blame for the accident resides with the FAA, and I think they are correct. The lack of leadership, poor management (at all levels including the DoT) failed to address a number of issues, technical and human. I would put among them the long-standing failure to upgrade critical systems, a push for DEI over competence in hiring, and other efforts that inhibited recruitment. When you look at all the problems, the FAA failed at every level.

But, there is plenty of blame to go around. I suspect the controllers are going to take a few hits even with staffing/overwork as mitigating factors; and, the instructor pilot in the helicopter is probably going to take a hit or two despite the fact that without an accurate altitude neither he nor the instructee had no way of knowing they were not at the right altitude. Those of you who know aviation also already know that even if the instructee did make one or more mistakes, the failure to correct them (in time) lies with the IP.

As for all the wild speculation that the instructee kamakazied the Piedmont CRJ; that she failed to obey the commands of the IP; that she wasn’t competent as a pilot and shouldn’t have been flying; and all the other junk: the cockpit recorders and radio transmissions (nor her official background) in no way support those claims. In fact, if you look at the voice recordings, it sounds like a fairly typical learning flight. The IP issued guidance as needed, encouraged the instructee, and seemed to have no major issues with the instructee. Yes, the instructee was green in many respects, but that’s sorta the point of doing training flights. And again and again, without accurate altimeter readings in such a congested area bad things are going to happen.

From the reports, along with photos and diagrams released by the NTSB, it is quite possible that the helicopter and the CRJ may not have seen each other until the last second (if at all). The only people who seem to have done everything right and by the book are the crew of the CRJ. When finally did get warning, they did their best to avoid the crash. It is in no way their fault that they were not able to do so.

So, again, I suspect that the FAA is going to get the lion’s share of the blame (deservedly) for failures of leadership and gross incompetence; whether they get called out or not, DoT should catch some of that too; Army Aviation as a whole, along with senior leadership above them, bear a good bit of blame as well; the controllers on duty will be called out; and, it is likely that the IP will take a hit as well. Not named, though they should be, will be Congress who not only continued operations at DCA but expanded them against all informed advice.

Right now, one of my hopes is that the efforts begun in the wake of the crash to finally modernize the FAA systems using Commercial Off The Shelf technology (COTS) are indeed still underway. Elon and some of the DOGE team were providing advice and assistance and I hope his leaving government did not hamper those efforts (which a lot of entrenched interests in DC are opposed to since COTS doesn’t allow for as much graft and power). I also heard that recruiting efforts for controllers and other critical positions had DEI and other hobbles removed and there were a number of people looking to enter the field. Again, I hope that is continuing as it was and is desperately needed.

I agree with the NTSB assessment that this was one hundred percent avoidable. Had FAA management addressed issues and concerns instead of retaliating against those pointing out problems, this would never have happened. If Army aviation and other entrenched interests had not kept the helicopter route open despite strong advice not to, and if they had properly functioning aircraft, this would not have happened. If Congress hadn’t kept DCA open and expanded operations, this would not have happened. I could go on, but what happened is far more the result of an absolute failure of multiple leadership on multiple levels than anything else.

One of the other things I hope does come out of this is improved collision avoidance systems. We need what we have to work, and part of that lies with setting minimums and standards for lower altitudes. We need newer systems that can and will integrate and operate as noted in the report(s). We also need to be sure military and civilian systems will interoperate, especially in areas such as DC and DCA where there is heavy traffic in close proximity. Again the reports make some good points on that.

I hope some good can come out of this tragedy. I also hope that the final report, along with these reports and previous releases, will put to rest the unfounded and reprehensible speculations of a deliberate crash and/or an out-of-control helicopter trainee.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, 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.

Quick Cold Update

For those wondering, I did indeed survive the storm and the clean-up. Mostly. Looks like we got 10-12 inches here at the house with a fair bit of drifting. I did do a bit of snow shoveling (with the blessing of my cardiologist) and per agreement kept it slow, careful, and watchful for signs of overdoing it. I was very glad the housemate took over the shoveling duties Monday afternoon once he got up (he works night shift) as I was feeling it on a muscular level.

Since then, we’ve had several days of below-zero lows (-8 to -10 here at the house) with highs in the teens. I did get out yesterday for some quick errands and a meeting with my priest in regards something I’m learning to do. I did have to pick up more distilled water but am still good on most things.

I use distilled water for making beverages, cooking, and drinking. It is also used in the new humidifier for my room. I had based my reserves for the storm on the ‘normal’ use of the humidifier, which turned out to be insufficient when the storm hit. As the temps dropped and the snow fell (and the heat runs almost constantly), the humidifier went to continuous max operation. That proved to be about five times normal usage, which meant I needed to get more yesterday. That proved problematic as my regular store was out and steam-distilled water was hard to find. Got it, and stocked back up, but lesson learned.

For those still paying attention, the NTSB is getting ready to release it’s final report on the DCA crash. As I suggested at the start, there is plenty of blame to go around and the NTSB is mincing no words that a majority of it lies with the FAA. The only people to come out clear are the Piedmont pilots who were NEVER warned of the helicopter approaching them. I’m going to link to some of the recent briefings released here soon and go over what some of them mean. I will note, especially for those who bayed for the blood of the helicopter pilot being instructed, that while she and the IP did make mistakes, one of the things noted by the NTSB is that the helicopter itself — and others within the battalion in question — were not registering an accurate altitude. This indicates battalion and higher issues. It is also why both the instructee and the IP were consistently 100 or more feet higher than they thought they were, with tragic results. Again, more soon with links as it is a sad tale that was indeed 100 percent avoidable that had been known and squashed by FAA leadership multiple times.

Also have some thoughts on Iran. I do wish that action had been taken on day 4 of the uprising, when POTUS urged them to take to the streets. Revolutions have a rhythm, and I think much bloodshed could have been avoided if there had action rather than just words. As it is, I think the revolution can still succeed, but I think the delays in promised actions will change the flavor of things to come in ways that could have been avoided. As it is, read here, here, and here for some good background and takes. I’ll have more soon I hope.

Also, while I think a lot of us saw this coming, do read this in regards the first Minneapolis shooting. Everything there (and in a few other cities) has been rather carefully planned and fully funded. One hopes that DOJ really is looking into this.

Lots to write about that I hope to get into soon, but: still recovering from the respiratory infection; dealing with a lot of snow and some serious cold weather; and, my seminary course is like trying to drink out of a firehose. It is also not quite as “asynchronous” as I had thought, which may ultimately be a good thing.

More soon. Be prepared, keep your friends and family close and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Quick Addendum: Picking up grenades to throw back at people rarely works out well unless they forgot to pull the pin (that does happen). Also, never try for CS or smoke grenades unless you have a heat-resistant glove on as they are exothermic and have been known to cause fires and burn flesh. Knowing is half the battle, and a lot better than half a hand.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, 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.

A Bit More On The Plan

I was hoping the storm might be less than the hype, but from some reports I’m seeing from Texas and beyond don’t look good. I still hope it is far less than the breathless warnings (which are reminding me uncomfortably of early COVID days), but as with anything where the weather guessers give large ranges, we will see what we get. May it be on the low side for all.

A part of me has halfway thought of a quick run to the store, but I fear that way lies madness, not to mention last-minute shoppers gone mad. If I went, it would be for some more heavy cream, a couple of extra gallons of distilled water for the humidifier, and maybe more chocolate. At least I’m not in the boat of someone on X who had to admit she had already eaten all the peanut butter M&Ms she had bought for the storm…

There have been some inquiries as to some of preparations, so thought I might share a couple of plans as they may help others.

We rarely have power outages where I am right now, but they do happen. Since we are a block away from a major hospital, tends to get back on pretty quick. Think the worst in the last few years was several hours, but you never know.

For heat, I have an emergency room heater that runs off propane, and enough propane to run it for several days, as well as enough propane to run the camp stove for several days. I also have a grasshopper stove that uses a different type of propane tank, as well as a butane portable chef’s stove I can bring into play. A goal of mine is to come up with some more large tanks and long hoses so I can run the camp stove and heater off the large tanks. That’s a matter of money, which is tight right now.

For light, I have two hanging lampada that are part of my home shrine; big church candles in the fireplace; lots of other candles at need; multiple good battery-operated camping lanters; multiple not-as-good camping lanterns to fill in the cracks and/or to loan to the landlord and housemate for use upstairs; a solar-powered lantern that is nice (thank you Beege!); and a couple of other options at need. So, bedroom, bathroom, and in between are well lit no matter what.

In terms of batteries, I have both rechargeable and regular batteries. The rechargeable can be done via a solar system I have, via a car adapter at need, and by regular electricity when it comes on again. I also have a solar-powered UPS that will run some basic electronics (or more) and the landlord has a UPS on the wifi and fiber-optic router so we should stay online.

If the power goes out, I plan to move items from the refrigerator into the area between the old garage door and the new interior wall. Problem may be keeping such from freezing. Items in the freezer can go into the big coolers and outside since temps are likely to be around zero.

I remember years ago a bad storm hit Northeast Georgia and a friend and her then-husband were trapped for a good while without power. They had a fireplace, which helped; but, it was so cold in their house that they had to open the door to the freezer to keep the food frozen, and open-and-shut the refrigerator to keep things cold and not frozen. Not going to get into the tale of the flying squirrel that froze to death in one of their toilets…

I have a fair bit of distilled water in place as I use it for cooking, drinking, etc. City water is mostly used for cleaning and such. City water has only gone out once, and not in winter, so we should be good but I do have plans in place should it go out. As long as it is on, if the power goes out, DRIP THOSE FAUCETS! Do not let the lines freeze. Make use of the hot water while you have it and be prepared to boil water at need afterwards until the system is flushed.

Oh, if the water does go out for you, remember the line: yellow is mellow, if brown it goes down. Save your flushing water for absolute need, and remember that you will need to still be able to wash and/or sterilize your hands.

Before I forget, I want to thank Kate of SmallDeadAnimals and Spudislander35 over on X for bringing back some good memories last night. Hard to believe in some ways that I got into preparedness and such while still in high school. My science fair competition project was designing a shelter for a fair sized group of people and a solid core of human knowledge to ride out a full-scale nuclear exchange for five years (or so). With what I’ve learned since then I would pretty much start over from scratch on the design, though it wasn’t bad.

That project led to other things, including getting to do planning (and even some implementation) for the office I was part of at the U.S. Arnold Engineering Development Center and being it’s liaison to Emergency Management/Disaster Preparedness there. Which helped lead to yet more down the road.

Last night also brought back some good memories of dinners and talks with Jerry Pournelle (and the ever gracious Roberta), and with Dean Ing. I think Dean and I were on a panel together at a North American Science Fiction Convention with Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (an organization I wish were still around).

May it be a weekend of good memories for us all. Remember, make the most of any time together as we know not what the future will bring.

Meantime, 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, and to start a truly new life, 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.

Be Careful Out There, Winter 26 Edition

Well, planned posting isn’t taking place as Tuesday afternoon I had the Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) that is going around try to pay me a visit. More on that in a minute.

For all my friends down South, be careful out there. What a lot of Yankees don’t understand is that the South rarely gets snow (mountains excepted) and when it does fall it doesn’t stay snow for long but turns rapidly into ice. One can and does drive on snow. Driving on slick ice is a game for fools. Worse, instead of snow we often get freezing rain, which coats roads, power lines, tree limbs, etc. and brings the latter group crashing down (if not whole trees and light/power poles). Sleet is better than freezing rain (though not by much) as it isn’t as likely to bring down power lines, tree limbs, trees, etc.

I grew up in the South, but my Dad had spent time where there was snow, so taught me both to drive on snow and to recognize ice and not drive. When living in the South, I did have some fun watching northern-types go blazing out onto the “snow” covered roads only to find out they were ice. Low and slow is the way to go people, and if you are in the South and your state allows chains, use them.

As we’ve talked about before here, I don’t get the milk and bread thing. I had friends who never bought milk and bread in normal shopping rush out to buy gallons and loaves if the “s” word was mentioned on the news. My take is if you buy beef and bourbon, you are better off.

Seriously, if you have even a modicum of preparedness you will get by. The second time I was working (contractor) for NASA, we got hit pretty good. Power was out, but I pulled out a few things (mostly camping supplies) and had coffee, hot food, light, heat, etc. There was a knock on the door, and when I opened it there was a young lady from the apartment complex office there to let me know the clubhouse had been opened as an emergency shelter. She looked at the light, felt the heat, smelled the cooking food, and asked if she could come stay with me.

We are going to have cold and some snow, but it’s not going to hit us as hard as it will down South. We have plows, sand/salt trucks, and while we may lose a few limbs, the trees down south (particularly pine) are not used to that structural load. The South does not have the plows, sand/salt trucks, and other equipment and neither the grid nor the flora are used to such weather.

Be sure to drip those faucets! Sub-freezing weather is not the time to have to be trying to fix a frozen or busted pipe. And please don’t be stupid with how you try to thaw a frozen pipe: every year seemed to bring multiple stories of people setting their house on fire trying to use a torch to thaw a pipe. Also, please don’t try to stay warm by bringing your charcoal grill in and lighting it. Yes, that happens far too often still.

Be Prepared. Be Careful. Be Safe.

As for me and the URI, I’m bouncing back. Tuesday afternoon I started coughing a bit, so when I ran errands I picked up some things for that. I also ate a hot/spicy meal while out; but, by the time I got home I could feel things hitting. Started my normal routine of apple cider vinegar shots, extra C, and such. Chills set in fast, so I went to bed and bundled up to ride things out.

Fever is actually a response by the body to infection, an attempt to kill it by raising the thermostat. Problems with fever come from high-temps (particularly spiking) and high-temp over time. I’m not convinced the modern urge to stop fever at the start is entirely good for us. So, I deliberately roasted a bit overnight, trying to sweat the URI out.

Yesterday, I continued my normal routine for such (AC vinegar, extra C, cough tablets, hot/spicy food, etc.) but added in something recommended by my friend Snarksalot, Cold Calm. It is homeopathic and does not appear to have any interactions with anything else I’m taking, so gave it a try. Even though this is not a cold, it has helped and I plan to add it to my “war chest” for such things.

As for the vinegar and hot/spicy foods, years ago I was told that part of the life-cycle of most colds/flu/etc. was in the gut. Change the Ph even a modest amount, and you disrupt that part of the cycle. Since infections depend on viral/microbial load, breaking or reducing the chain drops the load so your body can finish things off. When it comes to the vinegar, you have some who claim the mother has various properties that help; others say it simply provides amino acids that help; or, that it just helps skew the Ph. I don’t really care which it is, it seems to work and the results are what matter to me.

So, be careful out there. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. More soon I hope.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, 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.

Theophany and Interesting Days

NOTE: I wrote this yesteday on X and wanted to share it here as well. Adding a bit to flesh it out a bit.

I’ve been offline a good bit recently because of my “work” at my Church. It’s not a paid job, and while it is work for which I volunteer it is not a typical “volunteer” position type thing. It is very much a labor of love, and a chance to grow in Faith and in knowledge of the Faith. It is also part of why I am going back to school, as I officially started a class (online) at a well-regarded Greek Orthodox seminary today (Monday).

The “work” I do is, on the surface, fairly mundane. I am helping our Deacon (which is almost like an Assistant Priest in a protestant church, though that’s not a great analogy). The Deacon is not a Priest, but is one step below being a Priest. They do a lot of work in the Sanctuary and at the Altar to help the Priest with their duties. Some of that work is fairly mundane, such as taking care of the olive oil lamps (lampadas) and candles.

What I do is go in an hour or two ahead of a service, and take care of the lampadas and candles in the Sanctuary. Quick note: I can only work on those in the sanctuary as I am not authorized to enter the altar area. In the Orthodox Church, there are limits on who can go where and do various things. One has to be tonsured (will explain that in a minute) as an altar server (and/or reader) to enter the altar area and even then you are generally supposed to have the blessing of the priest to do so. You are also not allowed to touch items on the altar proper unless instructed to do so by the Priest. Really, only the Deacon and the Priest can touch or handle items on the altar. That includes any candles or lampada on the altar.

Tonsuring is a special ceremony that is only done by Bishops, Metropolitans, or the Patriarch of the Church. Rather than shaving a head, it involves cutting hairs from different parts of the head and burning them in a censure (incense burner) during a special ceremony/service. There are different levels of tonsure that apply to one’s duties. For example, I am a Chanter and as such I sing in the choir and can read certain prayers, Psalms, and Old Testament readings. To read from certain portions of the New Testament and other prayers, I would have to be tonsured as a reader. To be an altar server and help with the services I would need to be tonsured as an altar server. To read from the Gospel proper, one really needs to be a Deacon or Priest (in most Orthodox Churches, my understanding is that Sub-Deacons can’t read the Gospel). To be moved up and trained takes time (you have to do previous level for various periods) and the approval/direction of the Priest and then earn the blessing of the Bishop (or higher).

Now, to bring this back home, a Sanctuary usually has a number of lampada and candles. This is on top of any lampada and candles on the altar or in the altar area. In our Church, we have ten prayer candle stands with lampadas, service candles, and at least one hanging lampada that are my responsibility. What I am doing is taking care of such in our Sanctuary, which frees the Deacon up for other things and for him to take care of those in the altar area.

It’s not rocket science but it is a bit more than some may realize. I have to prepare wicks for the lampada which takes time. In fact, one of my goals this week is to make about a dozen wicks and have them ready for use. These have to fit into the floating holders in the lamp, and threading them into same can be a bit of a challenge. Part of what I do in making the wicks is ensuring that they can be easily worked into those floating holders.

Of those with wicks already in place, you have to raise up the wick with special tweezers, trim them with a special trimmer, and then adjust things so that you have roughly the same-size flame in each lamp. Since it seems each floating holder is different, you can’t just count on having the wick set to a uniform height. I’m actually OC enough I measure the flame on each lamp to ensure they are all close to the same height.

One also, of course, has to fill the lamps to a uniform depth with olive oil, make sure there are no spills, things are clean, etc. Nor can you just take a paper towel and toss it afterwards as trimmings, wicks, bits of wick, spilled oil and such have to be put into a Holy Burn Bag for proper disposal.

Then there is the fun joy of trying to fish prayer candle ends out of holders when they have burned down into the holder. Before I got to be the person fishing them out, I used to be a lot more willing to let candles burn down low. Not so much anymore. Thing is, certain sized candles are almost impossible to get out, necessitating taking the stand apart, putting the part with the candle holders into an oven, and melting the beeswax out. I’ve gotten fairly good at getting enough wax out using an old pair of hemostats such that we can keep using the stand without having to do that. I mean, we do it twice a year as part of cleaning and polishing, but it is nice not to have to do it more than that.

Service candles can be fun since they are in glass holders. There are a few tricks to making them easy to get out; but, they don’t always work. One is to put some water in the bottom of the holder. Get it right and when a votive or other such candle burns down, it is easy to get that base out. Get it wrong and either the candle will suck up the water and stop burning, or when not enough water is in the holder you have to scrape it out (or melt it out). Trying to work out a recalcitrant candle is also fun in that using the standard tool (a screwdriver) you can break the glass holder and cut yourself. I’ve avoided it so far and would like to continue that.

There is an order to the lighting of the different lamps and candles; and, while there is supposed to be an order for putting them out, enthusiastic volunteers generally make that a moot point. For me, I also do a number of prayers and venerations as I go. One of the more interesting things I’ve found is that I am learning more about some of the saints as I go. I recently found myself drawn to St. Gabriel of Georgia, got curious, and started learning more about him. Neat thing is, he is recent so there are some photos and such of him. The saints are supposed to challenge us, and some do pose quite the challenge to live up to what they did, and did over time.

I also take care of some more mundane things, like being sure our wireless microphone has fresh batteries off the charger. I do some minor maintenance, make sure other things are cut on/off, tissues are out, etc. I also ensure the front doors are open at the proper time and that various things are secure.

Once I’ve done all this and gotten everything lit, I switch to being a Chanter and depending on the service (vespers, matins, etc.) I may be pulling things together so we have what we need for the service. My Deacon is working to teach me how to pull vespers and matins from scratch as it were, which involves about eight different books. Give me a year or ten and I will get there. I’m also working with our Priest on something similar, which is helping to pull together the handouts for Saturday vespers and matins.

Which is why I started a class on liturgics today (Monday) at a seminary. If things go well with this course, and with my journey of Faith, I could end up attending that seminary in person for a degree and certificate. The path I am on can lead to several different destinations (church administration, monastic life, the Deaconate, and Priesthood are the main ones). We will see what happens, as the destination is not up to me.

Right now, I’m exhausted as the last few weeks have seen the Nativity [Jan. 7 as we are old (Julian) calendar] running though to Theophany. I’ve lost track of the number of services this last week but can tell you that yesterday (Sunday) was a marathon of around 14 hours for me. Started with liturgy at the usual time, then a special service to bless the waters (inside) and consecrate/create Holy Water for the year (we can make more later at need, which is good given that our Church is growing and I doubt we have enough). A fun thing we do as part of this is at the end: everyone, everything, and everywhere gets sprinkled/blessed with the new Holy Water: from the attic to the basement and everywhere and everything in between gets it. We all line up to be blessed in a similar manner. It is a time of laughter and joy along with the Grace and Blessing of the Lord. After a short break, we then did about a two hour special service preparing for this morning’s service.

The ice altar was made by a parishioner at the Serbian Church out of ice cut from the river. Photo provided by a friend.

That service as a joint service at the local Serbian Orthodox Church (we are part of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the difference between Orthodox Churches is primarily the language as the same basic liturgy, written in the 400s, is used in all; and, I would mention that in the U.S. many/most Orthodox Churches are using English as the primary language). We did an indoor liturgy (a liturgy is a service where the Eucharist is partaken), and then went down to the White River and did an outdoor blessing of the waters. As typical for such, this may have been the coldest day of the year so far. At least ,unlike last year, the ramp into the river wasn’t coated with slick ice. It was 9 degrees however, with a stiff wind. Chattering teeth were almost as loud as the singing as we did the service. And, at the end, we were once again blessed with the holy water which froze as it went through the air or hit our clothing. It was fun, but I was glad for hot soup and hot coffee afterwards.

Yes, it was a multi-page service with a fair bit of singing and chanting. Photo courtesy of a friend.

One thing I should mention is that after a liturgy there generally is a meal. Since we fast from food and drink for 8-12 hours beforehand (NOTE: I think 6 hours is the minimum, but for a Sunday liturgy many stop after dinner so you end up going 8-12 hours), so we are properly prepared for the Eucharist, we have a community meal (usually a pitch-in) after the service. I admit that the first thing I go for is coffee, as food or anything else can wait as I am craving the Water of Wakefulness at that point.

The Serbian Church is growing to the point they are having to build a new Church. Ours is growing also, and that seems to be a trend nationwide.

So, that’s a bit of why I haven’t been online much the last week. I’m also thankful that there was nothing I HAD to do for the class today, or at least nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow as my brain is fried at this point. I am going to relax, find some cute animal videos, and rest up so I can hit the ground running tomorrow morning on my classwork.

A New Free Europe

I had really intended to write about the dangers of the civil war certain progressive elements are pushing (as I mentioned here yesterday; and I think Sarah is both very wrong and somewhat right here and Tom Knighton hits many of the points I want to raise), a chance exchange on X this morning with The Diplomad has pushed me to expand on some previous work.

If you are one of those who doesn’t remember the Blogosphere of old, and did not read The Diplomad, you truly missed out. He is posting far more on X these days than on his blog, but I have always found his work to be insightful, well-reasoned, and a pleasure to read. He is one of those wonderful people that even when you don’t agree with him, you are moved to think and consider all he has to say. Oh, and you also really should read of some of his adventures in interesting places working for State.

This morning, he was kind enough to make a one-word comment in response to a comment I had made to a post of his. This has led to an exchange where it turns out we are on the same page as to the need for a bulwark in Eastern Europe to contain a fallen Europe and to defend against other incursions along the old Muslim invasion routes.

I’ve talked a bit about this before (here for a start, several linked posts within for those interested). If I were one of those well-dressed apparatchiks in DC, I would already have a catchy name with logo and full marketing for this concept. Seems that is what sells and gets things considered in DC; but, I’ve been thinking a good bit more on issues of substance instead of marketing. Right now, I want to lay out my current thoughts in the hope that I might entice The Diplomad into sharing some of his.

Background: England has already fallen and even if every Labor/Torrie is voted out today I fear it is too late to save. I’ve written about this in previous posts, and see no way England as we used to know it survives given demographics. Even if they do mass deportations, it will get bloody and what comes out will not the be England we knew, but something else. France is in much the same boat with many of the same political calculations on the part of ruling politicians. Germany has committed economic and demographic suicide and is fighting being given the political equivalent of narcan by its citizens. Switzerland is iffy, though I have not discussed it before. I am worried about Spain, but would invite The Diplomad’s thoughts as he is the expert there. Italy could still save itself but is hamstrung by local bureaucracies and the EU. The Netherlands could hold out for a bit, but demographics alone will see it swamped fairly quickly. Belgium is pretty much lost already. I could go on, but that covers major and some minor players. For one take on the Muslim conquest of Europe, check out Tom Kratman’s book Caliphate. No, I don’t get anything if you buy the book, other than satisfaction. I can see something like this within the next 20 years.

Background II: Per previous posts, NATO is committing suicide at the behest of the EU bureaucracy, which is primarily the WEF progressive crowd. There is already strong sentiment within the U.S., including within defense circles, to withdraw from NATO. I support this, which may or may not bias my analysis to some degree. NATO was valid and necessary for many years; however, it has outlived its usefulness and has become a strategic and economic liability to the U.S. Given that the EU is twisting things to engage treaty obligations against our own interest (and that of the EU members IMO), we need to look at our participation.

Background III: For all this came out of a discussion of a “New NATO” what I am proposing should not be a military alliance. Rather, it should be an economic and civilizational alliance that focuses on unleashing the intellectual, technical/scientific, and skills-based resources within a framework of Classical Western thought and processes with a focus on individual liberty. Much like the U.S. was originally founded. Within that, there should be a component to help the member countries to develop and field the ability to defend themselves against any incursions from West or East.

Personally, I see Poland as the linchpin for this effort. I admit, I have a soft spot for them given their role in ending the godless authority that was the USSR, as well as other anti-communist efforts. They have had the political resolve to stand up to the EU bureaucrats, which speaks highly of them. Geographically, they are in a unique position: it can either be a highway for invasions or a block against same. It has been both at different times in the past. Ports on the Baltic allow some Sea Lines Of Communication (SLOC), which is essential for trade. Yes, those can be compromised (see Larry Bond’s book Cauldron for a fairly thorough analysis of such, and no I don’t get anything if you buy it) but real trade depends on shipping, and they do have the ports needed. It has produced numerous scientists, engineers, composers, and more over the centuries. It also has a fair bit of resources.

To go back to the ports for a moment, those also have another use in this context. We really don’t want England and France’s nukes falling into the hands of a new Caliphate. I hope (possibly against hope) that we have already drawn up plans and are working to plant the seeds that when things go fully south in England that we can get their nukes out. Part of this should be encouraging truly loyal members of the RN to either bring them to us (not likely currently) or to a fairly neutral third party. Poland and it’s ports fit that bill. Same holds true for France. Air bases in Poland could accept flights carrying weapons to safety. As for people flying to safety, I would recommend extreme vetting and not allowing any such refuges citizenship or voting status for about three generations. Finally, when I proposed that if any member of this new alliance needed to be made nuclear to deal with nuclear threats, I recommended Poland in part because that is not something they want or desire. If you don’t get why that is important, think on it a bit and look at those countries openly seeking nukes as you do so.

In the center there is Hungary. A beautiful country with a rich heritage that has also stood up to the EU bureaucrats as well as to past Muslim invasions. While it does not have seaports, it does have extensive river ports and operations that link it with several of its neighbors. River traffic is still a much larger component of trade than many still realize. There have been some criticisms raised in regards their relationship with Russia; but, I think some of those are misplaced and most else can be dealt with in the course of creating the alliance.

Next is Romania. It has seaports, river ports, rich resources and a lot of good people. It’s navy may be small by some standards, but those within it are proud and professional. If it can remain free (and keep in mind the EU vacated their elections when they didn’t like the results) they have everything they need to become a powerhouse, possibly even on the world stage. They have not resisted the EU bureaucracy as well as Poland or Hungary, but have blocked a number of things. Creating an alliance of which they are a part could give them what they need to take themselves where they want to go.

Next is Bulgaria. Mountainous enough to prevent extensive river traffic (and many north-south rail lines), but it also has ports on the Black Sea. It sits astride many of the invasion routes used by Muslim armies in the past, which has kept it from the development experienced by more peaceful lands. Again, a lot of potential here that could be developed by the Bulgarians if they were part of such an alliance. More on that later perhaps.

Now, to the west of Romania and Bulgaria are Serbia and the Balkans. These too are potential candidates for such an alliance, I would note that bringing them in not only provides strategic depth, but additional SLOC options for trade and defense. If Italy doesn’t fall, it would allow the Adriatic to be a secure trade zone both between alliance members and potential overseas partners and customers.

Going back to Larry Bond’s novel Cauldron and to Kratman’s Caliphate, it would be nice if Spain could hold as it would make the Straights of Gibraltar less of a choke point for international trade. I would also note that if Denmark were smart, it would make any trade or sale of Greenland contingent upon support to resist a European Caliphate. For all that Denmark has shown some awareness of the problem, they have not taken it seriously nor posed any real resistance to the EU bureaucrats. If Denmark falls, the Skagerrak is at best “iffy” for trade; and, if Sweden falls it will close it to effective traffic.

Frankly, I see Sweden as 50/50 on whether it falls or not. The politicians and public seem to want to deal with the migration issues; but, the super-woke bureaucracy is dug into the body politic like a disease-laden tick. Digging that out and making real change will take more than many are willing to give I think. That said, it could be yet another reason to try to get them into such an alliance.

I would also consider the Baltic states as potential members, though they are a good part of the reason I think this should not be a military alliance. Members can make self-defense treaties between themselves, but should not be able to make treaties that obligate others. The purpose behind the alliance is to promote economic growth, which will allow them to defend themselves as they see fit. Pushing economic and individual liberty is a key part of this, as such always results in growth at many levels.

Finally, such an alliance should look at Finland. Ports, resources, and a lot more. It would also help secure the Baltic, and prevent a European Calipahte from being able to do as much via sea power, economic or military. There are also some other financial factors, but we may explore those another day.

As I’ve typed, I’ve had the idea for a name for this initiative to pop into my head: the Free Europe Initiative. Encouraging economic and other growth while advancing the concepts of freedom and individual liberty that are the bedrock of Western Civilization would provide not just a light for continental Europe, but potentially to the whole world. In a world gone mad, such will be much needed.

Just the rough outline for now. I’ve got some other thoughts already in place, but this needs more fleshing out. More soon I hope.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, 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.

Catching Up

Sorry to be offline for so long, but life has been busy and even a little interesting. I was a small part of multiple different services Christmas Eve including our “midnight” service that runs into Christmas Day (old calendar). We’ve had a number of weekday services as well (‘Tis the Season) and they have kept me busy.

I’ve also started back into (hopefully) regular workouts and even took advantage of a free session with a personal trainer to tweak and add to the workout. My goal is to try to meet with them twice a month to get the most out of my time in the gym.

Unfortunately, I’ve also been reminded not to eat casseroles without double-checking the ingredients. It was only a bite, but that was enough to make yesterday (and even today) not particularly pleasant. If I didn’t mention it before, I’m one of a growing number of people who have developed an issue with a protein in garbanzo beans. Enough of a problem to have sent me to the hospital before.

Yes, I do have more thoughts on Iran and more. It is amazing how Venezuela, Iran, China (and Russia), and the paid protests here are all linked. If the mad mullahs fall (and I hope they do), it knocks the legs out from under more than one country and a large number of not-nice groups. More on this later, but you really need to look at all the work being done by DataRepublican (link in upper right) in that regard.

China may well be the biggest loser out of all as changes come to the world. Their much vaunted military tech failed spectacularly in Venezuela (as did the Russian, which was older); their oil shenanigans have taken quite a hit; and, there is more including some interesting reporting on their true demographics. All of which is having a very negative effect on their Belt and Bend Over initiative (they secure their partners with the belt, which makes it much easier to then bend them over). Add in all that is coming out about their funding of the anti-ICE and other protests, manipulation efforts via Tik-Tok, and other delights, and it is clear why it is good that Trump and company are moving to deal with them, even if indirectly.

BTW, did anyone notice any corporate media coverage of the fact that one of the tankers we seized headed to Venezuela was full of Iranian drones that could hit the Panama Canal, Guantánamo Bay, and other military bases? Long way to go with Venezuela, but taking it out of the equation just made us exponentially safer. I strongly suspect a lot of C&C for various terror cells and terrorists sent into the U.S. over the southern border ran through there, and I hope we can get some good intel as part of the process.

Finally, be careful out there. The idiots are back pushing for a civil war and it would be best for all if we could avoid it. Many thoughts on that, hope to be able to get to them soon.

For now, be prepared and be safe. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. I see a LOT of cause for optimism, and unfortunately a lot of chances for idiots to mess things up in their grasping, gasping, corruption. Let’s push on the optimism and do what we can for that better future.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, 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.

Eclectic Food For Thought

I’m going to be offline more than on the next few days, as Christmas is fast approaching for those of us who keep the old calendar. But, looking ahead a bit has me quietly laughing and going “wow!” The Trump II team is not thinking small.

What happened this morning has global implications. The illegitimate ruler of a country (anyone thinking any of the elections including the one installing Chavez courtesy of The Peanut were legit is a fool and/or a liar) has been taken on the basis of legally issued arrest warrants from the U.S. for him, his wife, and others. Been on the books for years, and it is worth noting that Argentina also has arrest warrants out for him and many of the same people. Haven’t dug, but they may not be the only ones.

Okay, so a dictator has been removed. Whoop I hear from the peanut gallery. Yes, his “government” still stands — for now. Thing is, it has had it’s legs cut out from under it not just by the strike, but by the blockade and the ending of the illegal oil and drugs that have funded it and provided the means of staying in power. In turn, Maduro and company have been propping up Cuba and some other interesting regimes (cough Ortega family cough).

Without Venezuelan oil, money, and other support, Cuba probably has about 30 days before things go from horrible to nightmare. There are already blackouts, shortages, and more just from the current blockade. Going to be interesting to see what happens in several countries in the region over the next year.

This has also just knocked a major prop out from under the mad mullahs in Iran. They have been playing oil games to keep themselves and others funded with Venezuela a major partner in same. The blockade has hurt, but having this taken from them while they are in the fight of their lives with an uprising is a nice indirect knife twist. Hard to pay Arabic mercenaries to fight for you (which is happening right now) when your already shaky revenue stream takes a major hit. More thoughts on Iran later, but have noted for a year plus now that it was a powder keg and not a lot would be needed to see it explode. Without Obama to intervene on behalf of the Mullahs, think this time may be the time. Also worth noting that two groups had/have transition plans and such in place, which is good.

The actions this morning also cuts off the terrorism and weapon pipeline that Iran had been running into the Americas. Venezuela was not only that, but it was the command and control nexus for all operations in this hemisphere including those being set up here in the U.S. It is a given that assets are already here and in place (as previously discussed here ad nauseum), and they have just been cut off. That could get spicy, but it also changes the nature of the engagement. Been noticing a number of stories about various plots being foiled and such, much of which gets buried because it appears to be related to immigration enforcement that corporate media ignores. I simply note that such would be a good way to bury coverage of intel ops and related.

Nor was Iran the only one using Venezuela as a base for attacking the U.S. Interesting that the Chinese special envoy met with Maduro just hours before the snatch, pledging undying support. Funny how China seems to be the source for a lot of both precursor chemicals to, and fully produced fentanyl, that flooded the U.S. for several years there. Interesting that since the U.S. got serious about the border and eliminating as much of the fentanyl smuggling threat as possible that overdose deaths have dropped dramatically. Sure it’s all just coincidence though…

This is also going to impact some other governments and regions. Maybe more on that later if I get the chance but not counting on anything until after Wednesday. Between now and then will be mostly at Church, or trying to catch a bit of rest.

More soon I hope.

UPDATE I: From Wretchardthecat courtesy of Instapundit

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, 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.

Happy New Year

A new day has dawned along with a new year, and I hope all of you came through the night relatively unscathed. I have to admit that for the first time in about a decade I went out for a bit. Nothing too crazy, some friends had a small group of people over after the prayer service for the. new year at our Church. I was home well before midnight and the only mistake I made was upon getting home I sat down and decided I would read for just a few minutes…

Unlike a number of pundits and such, I don’t regard 2025 as a dumpster fire or all that horrible. It was, in fact, a year with a lot of positive changes. I will admit that “positive” does not always equal “pleasant.” That said, let’s step outside the box and look at 2025 from a different perspective.

One of the first things to look at is that in 2025 the process of starting to save the Republic truly got off the ground and we avoided a civil war. Note that I said “starting to save” as there is still a LOT of work to do to turn things around, and things can still go south on us in a heartbeat; and, that we avoided a civil war then. We are still, in my opinion, tap dancing on the edge of the razor, but the edge is a little thicker now which starts to provide more options and flexibility of you will.

Yes, a lot of horrible corruption was exposed last year, from USAID to daycare centers, and I suspect more is to come. Fact is, sunlight has indeed hit on the festering mess and despite corporate media and politicians/bureaucrats (of all stripes) being in on it and trying desperately to keep it out of the public eye, the average citizen is starting to be aware. Where corporate media won’t go, intrepid independent journalists are there and the work they are doing is amazing. It will take years for all the investigations and yes some are likely to skate; but, faucets are getting turned off and that may keep us from bleeding out financially.

Along those lines, the corruption of federal law enforcement is getting some sunlight as well. Things can still reset to Biden Regency levels of corruption in a heartbeat, but enough changes are in process that I see hope there. I still think the FBI too damaged for rehabilitation, but the process there is underway as well. Again, it will take time as you have to identify, fire, and then replace. Quite a few at the FBI and DOJ have taken themselves out, which is good. Finding good replacements for them does take time however. For just one example, the changes Harmeet Dhillon is making in the civil rights division are much needed and long overdue. The real bottleneck now, for her and most offices, is finding and hiring GOOD people.

Another positive sign is that race cards and similar are being declined in record numbers for being overdrawn. The public is tired of it and not putting up with it in ways large and small. A lot of groups are finding out that when they block streets and such that the public is quite willing to deal more directly with things when LE and local politicians won’t act. Be aware though that this is a mixed bag, as there are still those (especially overseas) who would love to help push us into a civil war.

Along those lines, X courtesy of Elon Musk, has been not only allowing relatively free speech (still some issues IMO) but has unmasked a huge amount of information operations including an amazing amount of foreign interference. I’m not just talking the goose-stepping bureaucrats of the EU, but when X exposed all the alleged MAGA/AF/ETC accounts that turned out to be foreign it was delightful. Thing is, we need to keep the lights on and extend their reach to keep them running and not thinking of coming back anytime soon.

2025 also saw some very positive steps towards taking humanity to the stars. With the removal of the Biden Regency, Space X was able to push Starship’s testing schedule to something reasonable. This has led to a number of improvements and puts Starship on a good trajectory for use. Also, if you are one of those low-synapse people out there, what Elon and Space X are doing is condensing the equivalent of the rocketry development of the late 1940s and 1950s into roughly a three year program. In all seriousness, by deliberately sacrificing these early Starship designs (and finding out how far you can break them and still have them work) they are skipping a decade or more of development. Also, if you think we didn’t lose rockets back then, you’ve never seen any of the Nevergo (Navajo) and other launch failures.

Despite a setback, NASA finally got a new administrator and we are fortunate it is “Rookie” Jared Isaacman. The man has a plan, and if he is able/allowed to implement it both NASA and America will be much better off. If you’ve read me over the years, you might have gotten a hint (cough, choke, wheeze) that I think NASA has lost its way and needs some serious reform. For all that certain elements of Congress and the military/space industrial complex have been screaming and fighting against Isaacman from the moment his name was first floated, the bloat needs to go. NASA has been the largest bottleneck to space commercialization, space exploitation, and even space exploration for far too long. If the “Rookie” can start to return NASA to it’s charter mission rather than it’s non-mandated expansion, I’d be willing to bet we go further and get more done in the next ten years than we have in the last fifty.

There are a host of similar changes, but the world is not just politics. 2025 also saw a growing number of people return to Faith, particularly in traditional Christian Churches. There have been a number of amazing medical breakthroughs, and a number of blockages to effective research have been removed. There were a number of scientific discoveries that not only will change our understanding of this world, but may help improve the quality of life within it. There is more, but I’m getting tired and hopefully you are getting the point.

On a personal note, 2025 saw changes to health, Faith, and more. There are some things that happened in my past that were not pleasant. Healing from them has not been fun or easy, and in fact it was somewhat debilitating at times this year. Worth it though for the progress made. My physical health, along with mobility, balance, and such, has improved as well. Do I wish I had gotten the physical and massage therapy sooner? Yep. Sure do. Thing is, glad I got it now as I can again ride a bike and am starting to do some serious workouts.

The idea of a pilgrimage for spiritual growth and discernment moved from a crazy dream to practical reality in 2025. The original plans have pretty much been scrapped, and that is a very good thing. What has been developed instead will be much more immersive and hopefully illuminating. Yes, I am still going to get to do the cooking lessons, but they are now part of a much richer opportunity. I’ll be sharing more details soon I hope.

I’m doing more at Church, and getting taught how to do even more. I start my first online seminary course later this month. Well, first formal as I have been doing the “fun” course the last few weeks.

Looking at 2025 from this angle, I’d say it was a year of many needed positive changes. The changes and what they revealed, or require in response, may have not always been pleasant. However, growth of any type — mental, physical, or spiritual — is rarely painless. Growth spurts in children leave them aching, tired, and often grumpy. Yet, that growth spurt takes them to a new stage of life.

Just as a child can’t go back to where they were before a growth spurt, we can’t return to where things used to be. What we can do is try to take the opportunities presented and make the world better on as many levels and in as many ways as we can. Won’t always be pleasant, but growth — particularly positive growth — rarely is so. The best we can do is run with the positive change and make it as pleasant as possible, long-term, for as many as possible. Strikes me as a worthy goal for 2026.

So, let’s keep dancing and see if we can move beyond the razor’s edge to more solid footing. May 2026 be not just a year of continuing positive change, but good year for us all.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, 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.