laughingwolf_qh33q8 – Page 11

Heads Up

No definitive intel, but I would suggest increased alertness for the next little bit. Iran is likely to try and strike back against both Israel and the U.S. Even if they don’t (or better yet they go the way of the dodo soon), you have the possibility of sleepers/cells taking independent action. Given all those military-aged males from various parts of the Middle East that came across the Southern Border under the Biden Regency…

If I hear anything definitive, will post it; but, I suspect that if the sleepers/cells go active, booms will be our first notice they have done so.

Fear no evil; be prepared; keep your family and friends close; and, keep 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. 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.

Iran I

Going to hold off on saying a lot right now, but will say hold on to your hats as there is more to come. Some of it mindblowing. Right now, I want to say two things.

First, great job Israel! Thank you.

Second, to the people of Iran: this is your moment. Make the most of it. If you wait for outside troops and others to free you, you will never be free. The corrupt and rotten regime is teetering and will not be able to freely respond. So, the ball is in your court.

The Case For New Space Embryology Experiments

As I mentioned yesterday in my post about Breakfast with Instapundit, we verified that there was never a follow-up to the Frog Embryology Experiment (FEE) on Spacelab J/STS-47. I talked about that experiment, and it’s implications, in my Sex In Space post a while back. For those interested in the mission, there is a link to download a PDF of the mission brochure here.

I will also note that while many missions did 90-Day and 1-Year science reports, I can’t find any record of such for Spacelab J. In researching the Frog Embryology Experiment I found a potential reason for now follow-up experimentation in that the lead investigator (PI), Kenneth A. Souza, tragically passed away unexpectedly while still quite young. However, I was able to get in contact with one of his co-investigators, Steven D. Black, who was kind enough to share a copy of a paper done on the experiment and some general observations with me.

I’ve read the paper (PNAS, Vol. 92, March 1995, pp 1975-1978), and confirmed that my memory of “funky” tadpoles in orbit was partially correct. To quote from the abstract: “Eggs were fertilized in vitro, and although early embryonic stages showed some abnormalities, the embryos were able to regulate and produce nearly normal larvae.” As I noted in the previous post, they did grow into normal frogs that could reproduce normally once back on Earth. There were also some differences in lung size between the microgravity and 1G tadpoles/frogs, but this did resolve as well over time with exposure to a 1G environment. But, what happens if there is no rapid return to 1G?

However, the authors of the study (and paper) note that more experimentation in regards amphibians and other vertebrates. Sadly, this has not happened and I think it is time to do so. Especially given that within the next few years (if all goes well) we are likely to become a truly interplanetary species. The U.S., China, and others are looking at lunar bases. Elon has his eye on Mars (and beyond to the asteroids I suspect). I’m with Elon in respect to having such settlements as “lifeboats” if bad things happen on Earth. Given that we are in a major change of how things are done (see here if you didn’t read it the first tiime), and those who have been in power are not happy at seeing it end, not to mention politicians are fairly stupid overall, I think lifeboats are a great idea. Frankly, lots of them. I want The Island Worlds and I want them ASAP.

But, to truly have that and to deal with the fact that boys and girls are going to be boys and girls whether on Earth, Mars, the Moon, etc., we really need to be sure we understand embryology under those other circumstances. The original abnormalities seen in the FEE are a concern for me. Yes, they did appear to self-regulate and recover; but, do we really understand the “why” in either case? Do we know that this will hold true for other experiments or future generations? No, we don’t, and so we need to get such data rather quickly. Which means ISS is right out and we need to make full utilization of commercial space.

On the previous post, you my good and kind readers, helped flesh out the basic hardware and protocol. Let’s expand on that a bit, and see what we can come up with as a suggestion for those who can do something about this need.

First, the hardware will require a glovebox or similar concept for in vitro fertilization, and microgravity “living quarters” for both amphibian and mammalian subjects. It will also need four centrifuges that can contain “living quarters”/development chambers for both amphibian and mammalian subjects. The centrifuges should be divided as follows: 1G (control); 0.5G; 0.38G (Mars); and 0.16G (Luna). While it would be nice to have an additional centrifuge at 0.75G, it’s not essential and this beast is going to be enough of weight and space constraint as it is. Especially since some form of sonogram and/or other imaging is going to be needed to monitor the mammalian embryology and development. We need to be seeing what’s happening before birth.

Hopefully storage will be available outside of the experiment hardware for fixed or preserved samples; and some provision will be needed for returning live specimens to Earth on a regular basis. Otherwise, storage of preserved and live specimens needs to be incorporated in the hardware design. I will note that the Spacelab Frog Environmental Unit (FEU) could make a good start for helping with an updated design.

Frogs having been frequent fliers over the years, from sounding rocket experiments to the FEE on Spacelab, they make a good place to start. Lots of good data extant for comparison, known quantity in terms of resilience, handling, etc.

Where we have less knowledge (to the best of my knowledge) is mammalian development. While monkeys have flown in space, their size does not make them good subjects for such experimentation. Mice come to mind, but may not be optimal. We need rapid development and maturity, small size, and fairly resilient. Thoughts?

The basic protocols would be very similar to the FEE. Fertilize, grow, gather data, gather samples, and once mature start the next generation. For amphibian and mammalian I’d like to see this run out 10-15 generations. If a regular return service is available, it would be good to return at least one male and one female of each generation to Earth (mammalian, more better) and several of the amphibians of each generation to see how they do over time.

My two largest concerns, again, are normal development and the differences seen in lung size/development between microgravity and 1G tadpoles. Yes, they all did “normalize” and grow into normal adult frogs. But, will that happen without exposure or a full return to a 1G environment? Will this hold true for mammals? Pretty important questions, and just the start of some that are occurring to me. We are a predator species optimized for a 1G environment, what happens when we develop in a totally different environment?

Okay, there are the main concerns, some thoughts on hardware and protocol. Let’s flesh this out a bit and see if we can find someone who can make this happen.

EDIT I: Added link to PDF of PNAS paper.

Breakfast With Instapundit

More than 20 years ago, the internet was a new and wild place. There was a lot of potential there, and some were smart enough to do new and interesting things with it. One such was a professor who used it to share links to stories and information, and have some interesting discussions on law, space, and more. He was known as The Blogfather to some, and he helped inspire what became the Blogosphere. His name is Glenn Reynolds, and he blazed a trail and continues to do so.

Neither one of us can remember the last time we met in person, but suspect that it was at least 20 years ago at one of the early blogosphere related events. It used to be common for bloggers to get together in the flesh, especially when passing through a town or area. Not so much anymore, though as he pointed out laughing that we are engaged in a virtual world.

While I was down in Tennessee for the LSESSI conference, he was kind enough to meet me for breakfast one morning. It was good to catch up, remember some people and past events, and discuss the future a bit. We both are passionate about space, space exploration, and even space exploitation. We had fun talking about the early Shuttle days, and wondering a bit about some experiments and avenues of experimentation (continuous-flow electrophoresis and other delights). We ended up talking about the Frog Embryology Experiment on Spacelab J and he was the one who used AI to verify that there were no follow-up experiments done, or at least nothing showing in the public record.

We also talked a bit about some of what lies behind certain advances. For example, the same thing lies behind the ability of Space-X to land rockets upright and military drones: data, and the ability to access and process same. There is a reason for Starlink that lies beyond use here on Earth, as setting up a settlement on Mars and exploring (and more) out from there is going to require lots of data and data transmission. Also, if you want to win the next war here, you need to be thinking about what lies beyond drones. When you have massive amounts of data, the ability to quickly transmit same, and the ability to process that massive amount of data, a lot of interesting possibilities emerge. All I can say is drones are this war, smart is looking to see what’s next.

There may well be a few posts coming up inspired by our talk. Hopefully soon even.

It was a good time, and I thank him for taking the time. It was good to talk people, science, and even next steps a bit. For all that blogging is a virtual world and relationships, it’s nice to meet in person every now and then. Reminds me that I would love to catch back up with a few others. Thanks Glenn!

More Soon

Things got busy, and I even managed to get in a quick 20+ miles on the bike yesterday afternoon. Last few miles were on me as I succeeded in running down the battery while out. More on that and the possible fundraiser soon.

I’m also in contact with one of the co-investigators for the Frog Embryology Experiment on Spacelab J. Sadly, the person I knew as the PI passed away unexpectedly a few years ago. However, the CI has shared some information with me that will be in a post soon.

Also, working on my action plan post conference. Implemented the easy part, now working on the rest.

Standby, more soon.

A Possibility

I think in both my write-up of the LSESSI annual meeting and on Greyhound, I made a comment about riding my bike to the next event. Which sparked more than one thought I wanted to share.

First, if Tesla and Neuralink have any marketing or advanced projects people who are on the ball, they should look at helping sponsor the conference and get some of the members there. It would be a great demo of Full Self Driving, the automated cab concept, etc. for people who can’t drive anymore or don’t like driving much anymore as a result of injuries from lightning and electrical shocks. I know I can see a series of posts here and on X talking about the experience, and it could generate some serious positive exposure at a time when they need it.

Alas, I feel it far more likely that using my bike is the way. In fact, I got to thinking about the concept of doing so as a fundraiser for LSESSI. It would take some help, some serious corporate backing, and some time. Here’s the rough take on the concept.

I’m betting that by the time the September conference rolls around, I should be good for 80-100 miles a day, maybe a bit more. It would be a longer route there using backroads and such, but it is doable I think. It would require a chase car to both provide a safety escort and to have supplies for emergencies. The ride would go Monday through Saturday, with Sunday a day of rest and hopefully attendance at a Church.

To pull off such a thing, I would need someone to help who has experience with corporate sponsorship, organization, and keeping everything on the up and up. I’d really like an 18-Delta along, but to be honest just having a 68-Whiskey doc along would be most reassuring. We would all need to sit down and plot out the trip, as I am betting there would be a couple of long stretches in there where lodging may not be readily available. Add in a couple of extra days because of weather (not riding in or near a thunderstorm thank you), illness, etc. I’m doing well at relearning how to ride a bike, but things happen so you add in a couple of days for that.

Thinking I may reach out to the maker of my bike to see if they have any interest. Be good to have important spares along at any rate.

Main goal is to raise money (and awareness) for LSESSI. Secondary goal is to see if I can do it given all the issues that have come from being hit by lightning. Want to find a way to support and encourage others to push the envelope, maybe even to do some group rides during or at/to future events.

I do all my riding right now wearing long pants, thinking I might stick with that to emphasize the what and why of the project. At most, drop to cargo shorts for the desert portions. Make it a push for average person participation, not a super bicyclist thing. Point out all the specially modified bikes out there for those injured/disabled, as well as showing a way to increase mobility and recovery.

What say you?

Quick Overview Time

Sorry for the lack of posting at the end of last week, got distracted by some things (Shiny!) and also my ego took a hit (smile) that I may share. Maybe not. Will see.

Yes, I’m watching events in LA and am simply going to note that if you think the protests are grassroots, organic, etc. I’ve got some bridges for sale you would love. Nothing says organic like pallets of bricks being set up in areas in advance, just like the ‘summer of love’ a few years ago.

In point of fact, DataRepublican (small r) has an excellent series of posts on X detailing who is behind the riots, organizing and coordinating, that it’s not limited to California, information on the real Karen Bass, and much more. As usual, she brings receipts. Between her and Mike Benz, who also has up some good info (see this one for example), lots of data and some very good analysis. I sincerely hope they both have good personal security.

Keep in mind this is the same playbook from the ‘summer of love’ from everything I’m seeing. Problem is, this isn’t then and the circumstances are very different. I keep pointing out the huge amount of anger out there in the general population, and the so-called elites are missing it. Rather, they see limited instances of it in certain select populations (ones they are using for rioting) and think it a good and controllable thing. I fear they are very mistaken on that and are going to provoke responses they really don’t want. Nor should anyone want them, as they could be a larger danger to the Republic that will be harder deal with long-term.

However, this ties into an excellent post noted by the good Sarah A. Hoyt at Instapundit, which I highly commend to you. Sarah and the author are right that the effects will be seen across much more than the knowledge economy. There will be few areas of life not affected by the ten signs noted.

I will simply note that I don’t expect the so-called elites to be terribly rational about things, especially right now. It’s not just that they see things changing, it’s also that their rice bowls (especially with the NGO scam) are going away. They are desperate, not terribly bright in many regards, and almost totally cut off from reality. They exist in bubbles where virtue signalling is far more important than reality, and what they believe is what everyone in the bubble believes, and spends endless time reinforcing that such is right and good. So, I expect them to try the same-old same old, expecting the same-old results. Problem is, reality has moved on and I think they (and we) may find out the hard way that they are not in control of anything. Such will finish off any respect for major institutions, and the damage done — fiscal, physical, and to important concepts in the Social Compact (Rule of Law anyone?) — will take generations to restore.

Meantime, not a lot I can do other than pray. I don’t have everything I want, but am prepared as best I can be for emergencies and to provide at least some limited humanitarian help at need. I hope and pray it won’t be needed, and that the current administration can and will short-circuit what is being planned and executed. Oh Lord, save the suffering people of Earth from the yoke of the godless authority.

Finally, not going to take sides in the Elon-Trump divorce. Both are driven, both are successful, and both have UUUUUGEEEE egos. I’ve noted on here before that I think Elon can be his own worst enemy on occasions. Hoping they both check those egos, remove their sense organ clusters from their ventral orifices, and get back to doing what is best for the Republic and for taking humanity to the stars. I think it would be very good for us to have a lifeboat or three (thousand) sooner rather than later. Humanity reproducing in the stars is a topic coming back up soon. Meantime, good to know Dragon is safe from the feud.

More soon. Remember: Be Prepared, keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. Have Faith, and fear no darkness.

Review: Greyhound

I will give you the ending first: if you have no other choice, and the flexibility to travel one or more days early to a location, and not have any timeline on your return, Greyhound will work. Otherwise, I suspect one would be far better off walking or hitchhiking.

The trip down was not bad, nor was it particularly good. Because of their service schedule, I traveled down a day early. That was a good decision and in fact I might consider two days early if I ever travel with them again. More on that in a minute. The pros of the trip down: we made it, and reasonably on-time. The cons of the trip down: narrow and uncomfortable seats, interesting subset of passengers made it interesting for everyone else, and “terminals” when actually terminals and not a bus stop somewhere were limited. When we stopped at a restaurant or such, there was an immediate dash for the restrooms. Bus conditions varied throughout the trip, with one bus having no working overhead services (lights, vents, etc.).

We made it down, and that is what counts. I will note that the Knoxville “terminal” is literally a bus stop in an apparently interesting part of town. I did note that Greyhound paid to have an armed security guard present whenever busses arrived. I also noted that the busses seldom stayed more than ten minutes before leaving. The guard left right after as well.

The trip back was not fun. I was dropped off in plenty of time (and in style even) by Old Paratrooper, only to find out about ten minutes later when the Greyhound agent pulled up in her car that the incoming bus was running more than four hours behind schedule. No clue why, but instead of a 6:15 departure it likely would not arrive until after 11 pm. So, five hour wait with no facilities and such. Thankfully, a nearby restaurant allowed some of us in to sit and relax as much as circumstances allowed. I was very glad I had started dehydrating myself earlier in the day given the restroom situation.

When the bus arrived, we got our luggage stowed (you have to put your suitcase into the cargo bay yourself FYI), got onboard, and got going. The driver let us know that he was a relief driver, that the bus was late when he got it, suggested we call customer service if we could and if not don’t worry Greyhound would likely have the missed connections rebooked by the time we got to Nashville. Right.

In Nashville, the customer service crew acted as though they had no idea the bus was late, and the customer service agent got mad at the passengers (in part apparently because we had missed our connections like it was our fault) and all but threw little sheets of paper with the customer service number on it at everyone. Short version, no help, call the customer service number and don’t speak to her.

The customer service number starts with a several minute long legal disclaimer, then I think one or two other things, before putting you in line to eventually talk with a customer service agent. Who, of course, wanted info off the app on the phone you are using to call them. Sigh. Eventually did get a person, get the info, and got rebooked though it was not what I had hoped for. Earlier, a young gentleman and myself had looked at rebookings and it shoould have been possible to get back faster than I did. Instead of getting back at 0430 hours Sunday morning, I didn’t make it in until after 10, and in fact it was about 11 as I started walking away from the terminal.

I should use a proper phrase here, but I don’t feel like it and in fact feel like it is well worth having to confess saying that Greyhound customer service at almost every level sucks big fat hairy warty ones. You will encounter more Cartmans at Greyhound than in all the seasons of South Park combined. Seems to be a thing for them, and I suspect some of it comes from having to deal with that special class of passenger that makes life so interesting for everyone. The class that results in signs up next to terminal locations stating that said passengers are not allowed to stand, sit, etc. in front of neighboring businesses or the cops will be called.

I will note that I did meet a number of nice and interesting passengers, but that special class makes it interesting for all. It is why the terminals have a bit of a ripe reputation.

The lack of interest in timely response, timely rebooking, and the attitude that seems fairly prevalent in terminal employees means that no one is going to be trying to get you rebooked if they screw up, much less in a timely manner. Hence, I would plan any future trips I do to get me to where I needed to be one to two days early; and, not count on getting home as scheduled either.

Greyhound will, eventually, get you there. It just will not be comfortable, pleasant, or enjoyable. They did get me there and back, and that is sadly the best I can say.

Quick note: the highlight of the oh-so-interesting trip back home was pulling into a Buc-ees. Those of us who knew dashed inside with delight to the clean, clean restrooms, which after dealing with Greyhound were very much appreciated. Also, decent food and other delights truly made it the highlight of that 12+ hour bit of joy.

Lightning Strike Conference Report

Before I do anything else, I want to thank everyone who encouraged me to go to this event despite the difficulties, and who donated to help make it possible. On the former, I particularly need to thank my Godfather for his push/kick there near the end. On the latter, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the gifts that helped me to get there. I may be a while paying off the rest, but it was more than worth it to get there.

I’ll cover general transport in another post, but also want to thank Old Paratrooper for his extreme kindness in picking me up in Knoxville and getting me to the conference, and for then picking me up at the end of the conference and driving me back to the bus. Riding in a convertible through the mountains was a thing of beauty. It was great to finally meet him in person, and we had fun sharing tales and stories. Thank you my friend! Also, thanks to Instapundit, Prof. Glenn Reynolds, for joining me for breakfast one morning. It was good to see him in person and to catch up a bit. More on that soon in another post (or three, we covered a lot of ground).

The short version is that I wish I had been able to attend one of these Lightning Strike and Electrical Shock Survivors conferences very much sooner. As in not long after I was hit. The amount of information I got was almost like being hit with a firehose. Even better was talking with other survivors and finding out I’m not alone and not crazy (well, not in terms of the after effects of the strike anyway).

The longer version is that the life I had is gone, and it’s not coming back. In the words of the song, it’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine. In fact, I feel more than fine. There is a part of me that is sad and other emotions at knowing that life is not ever going to come back. My mind and body are never going to work the way they did, and I will never be able to do some of the things I used to do. I’m still a pilot, though I will likely never fly again. If I can adjust to that, I can learn to deal with needing grab bars in the shower.

Fact is, on many levels I had already accepted that and begun moving forward. For parts of my old life, I was and am glad to see them gone. I prefer to see it as a chance to start over, to build a new life, and hopefully a better one, despite the difficulties. While I was never one who worked at Elon-speed/level, I did okay in certain areas. I can still work through certain types of problems, it just takes me longer to do the work. As I noted to Glenn at breakfast, what used to take me 30 minutes to write back then now takes me four hours (or more to be honest).

I can still look at data and spot patterns and trends, it just may take a bit longer. On the physical side, I’m doing a lot better than I was right after the strike and the conference gave me some ideas on how to work to step up my game mentally and physically. It would be nice to be able to do full prostrations, and get up again afterwards. One thing I realized during the conference is that I’ve been viewing, and gaming, my recovery as yet another experiment — one I’ve not bothered the human subjects committee about (think Les Geddes may have rubbed off on me more than I realized).

Which is probably a good thing, as I sure can’t count on the medical field to do much on a holistic level, much less within specialties. The fact is, lightning strikes and high-voltage electrical shocks are a niche field. There is no ICD (ICD-10-CM) code for lightning strike, and few in the medical field are prepared (or even interested in) dealing with the multiplicity of problems that crop up over time in survivors. And we are survivors, as I was quickly corrected when quoting a medical provider involved in my case who did refer to us as victims. Long-term readers of this site know my aversion to the use of victim as a term anyway. You can be a victim, or a victor. Know where I’m going to put my time and money on that one.

I was incredibly fortunate back when we first figured out I had been hit (I thought at first it was a near miss, having missed the hole in the bottom of my foot as it wasn’t bleeding), in finding Dr. Mary Ann Cooper who was gracious and kind enough to give myself (and my GP) some information and guidance. One of the things she did was to recommend my joining LSESSI, which I did. Finally starting to take full advantage of the resources they offer.

One of our speakers was a counselor who’s presentation included information on EMDR 2.0. Having been a previous beneficiary of EMDR, I was intrigued at what he reported and will be using the EMDRIA.org website to find someone here in Indy trained in it. Short version is that in addition to dealing with trauma, EMDR may also be effective in helping to deal with some of the side effects (including second and third order effects).

I have some upcoming cognition/neuropsych testing which may help me with that effort. Mr. Interruptus interjected during my introduction that I was going to be disappointed in what came out of it. Bullshit. I am not expecting a lot out of the whole follow-up in terms of direct help from the neurologist. I’m looking for indirect and to prevent avenues from being blocked. I pushed as I need real data, imaging and otherwise, to plot the next parts of the experiment on myself, and to lay the background needed to see how much I can get insurance to cover of treatments like the EMDR, physical therapy, and other needful things. One thing I have learned over the last (almost) four years is that you have to play the insurance game, which can be a delicate dance.

It is a delicate dance especially given that many medical practitioners (and I strongly suspect most neurologists) think survivors are crazy because of the issues and symptoms reported. Add in that a number of things pop up over time and don’t happen all at the first adds to that. Finally, keep in mind that under the current system, a number of insurers and providers (sometimes the same) could/can make lots and lots of money off you by putting you into home health care or assisted living even if you don’t need (or want) it. Getting the help you do need while avoiding being used to milk the government teat (and lose your freedoms) is yet another dance. As I’ve said before many times, you have to be your own medical advocate, as no one else is going to do that for you. Get informed, push, find new doctors at need — they are not going to care about or look for your best interest, that is up to you.

One thing I want to try came from another survivor. We had a presentation on various therapies to help with some issues (mostly biofeedback, meditation, etc.), which prompted a survivor to talk about something she had used with a student she counseled. Short version, when reading or trying to learn (memorize and more), do something tactile with your hands. Play with a stick, use a fidget spinner, etc. and it can aid in retention. Worked for the student, so I’m going to experiment with it a bit. My basic retention has improved, but if this can help with memorization and recall…

One more thought to share on medical types that was brought up more than once: they don’t deal well with intermittent. Quite a few of the things that can pop up in the life of survivors are intermittent. I’ve had it suggested to me that I’m lazy or crazy when noting that I do well overall but have occasional glitches. If the medical types can’t see it happen, or test for it, it’s all in your head. And they are very quick to make that jump. It’s why you have to advocate for yourself. It’s also why though I am glad to have the latest MRI of my brain, I do wish I could have gotten a functional MRI or even some PET data as those would be far more revealing and useful. But, that’s not likely to happen under the current system as the medical types and you both have to play the insurance game and insurers want to save those dollars…

Outside of EMDR 2.0 and physical therapy, one thing I do want to do is get some regular massage/deep-tissue massage. There are some interesting reports on such helping with those second and third order effects, so figure it is worth a try. Have already found a place near me that says they do deep tissue, so may be checking it out soon. Be great if covered by insurance, but not going to wait for that. Not sure how, but will find a way to pull a visit or two out of the budget.

Before I forget, for all of you who have helped with the guitar and lessons, and voice coaching, thank you! Turns out, I’m not the only one who has had to relearn how to sing. Had a great visit with another survivor who also had to do it. Relearning is needed, fun, and great therapy. I will be pressing on with that. In fact, I will admit that I am enjoying singing again on levels I can’t describe.

It was also very interesting meeting multiple-hit survivors. While there are several theories as to why, reality is that each time you are hit the odds of you getting hit again go up. I really do hope to avoid it, but it was eye-opening to talk with people who have been hit four and five times.

One of the last things we did was to break off into survivor and caregiver groups. I really need to do a full post one day soon on caregivers and how important they are. Please remind me. In the survivor group, the two of us who were new to the conferences went over what was going on with us, our action plan, and related. Those who have been around a while asked questions, made suggestions, and offered advice. All within the framework of not everything works for everyone, and I will note that LSESSI does not endorse any products, services, providers, etc. The roundtable was worth the pain of getting there all by itself.

Finally, I will note that those there noted the importance of Faith in recovery. There is a lot of data showing that success rates go up rather dramatically when one has Faith. Given some of the miraculous things that have happened to me in my recovery, especially after my Baptism, I do believe it.

In short, it was well worth the cost, fiscal and physical. Even with your help I had to pull a good bit out of what I had set aside for moving. Worth it. Boy howdy was it worth it. So, again, my thanks for your encouragement, your gifts, and your support. I’m working on an action plan for the near-term and even long term. I’m also more than half considering biking to either this conference next year or to one in Arizona this September. I think it possible I could do a hundred miles a day, which makes it less impractical, and it would be far better and more reliable than the bus.

There is more I could share, but that’s enough for today. Just remember that if you see typos and incorrect word use here, be gentle as it just means I’m having an off day (one of those intermittent glitch things). More soon.

Quick Aside On Memorial Day

Been trying to decide what to say about part of Memorial Day, as I ended up very disappointed and only half surprised at something that happened. For years now, I’ve bought a beer for ‘the guys’ and never had an issue. In fact, the Oaken Barrel in Greenwood has been glad to host them and one staffer there has even saved all the lists.

This year, I couldn’t get down there so decided to try my luck in downtown Indy. I should have had a clue from the lack of American flags, though there were an abundance of trans/pride flags around. Short version is that no one would host them, and one place even copped some attitude at being asked if they would. That was strike three for them (shame, like a couple of their brews but they have issues that even I can’t ignore).

There is a divide in America and it is getting worse. The true ‘woke’ are doubling down. Increasingly they are turning to violence, and encouraging it. They are turning their backs on civility, and the things that make our Republic, and civilization itself, possible. Back in 2007, people could not do enough for the troops. Today, it’s honor those who gave all on Memorial Day? Are you nuts/right-wing/etc? The most neutral answer I think I got when asking was an admission that all that mattered were the dollars and any space in the place not being used for that was a loss, so no.

Next year, will find a way to get back down to Oaken Barrel if they will host the guys again. And, I will not be spending any of my limited funds at the places that said no.