laughingwolf_qh33q8 – Page 19

About The Texas Floods

UPDATE BELOW

What happened in the Texas hill country is horrible; and, the response to it by far too many is beyond horrendous. This weekend saw people throw down their masks and throw away any pretense at humanity and basic decency as politics trumps all.

One of the many lies promoted (suspect the social media version of JournOlist was running hot and heavy) was that no warnings were given because of DOGE cuts, short staffing, etc. All were lies as any cuts don’t take place until the FY, the NWS had extra staff on hand per SOP, and warnings were given in a timely manner. Not once, but no less than three times.

But, there does lie part of the rub. Texas was indeed right to criticize the NWS, as Todd Starnes pointed out on X. Back after Katrina, the NWS was (rightfully) criticized for not updating warnings and giving accurate warnings. The bureaucratic mind being what it is, the decision was made to treat every storm as the storm of the century and warn accordingly such that they could never be criticized again for not issuing strong enough warnings. Besides, that is easier, and easier to justify, that in having people show mature judgment and professionalism and update warnings if and as warranted. No thought, no muss, and it totally screws disaster preparedness planning and actions right in the keester.

If every storm or cloud is the storm of the century, none are. People tune out. I’ve cut off my alerts because of how often they go off for no real reason. It used to be the alerts meant something, and you got useful information from them. Now, you get the equivalent of the reams of useless paper that come with a one paragraph note from Medicare or any other government program. The alerts were meant to be short, effective, and only when needed. The perceived need to protect bureaucratic butt eliminated that utility.

As for the lack of preparedness and other issues in the area (dams needing maintenance, etc., that can wait. What matters now is trying to find those still alive; recovering the dead; and dealing with all the damage and things that come out of such a horror. As you pray for those missing and lost, say a prayer for the first responders who are dealing with a horror most can’t truly begin to imagine. And I guarantee you that they will wonder if they had been faster, better, etc., that some others might have lived. Probably not, but it is something they will be dealing with now and in the days ahead. Pray for them, and pray they get the help and support they need.

One thing to keep in mind is that in a flash flood, it’s not the water that’s the real enemy: it’s what’s in it and under it. Some do drown, but many die because of crush injuries caused by hitting debris under and in the water. Flailed chests are common from hitting trees, logs, vehicles or being caught between logs and trees while being swept away. Broken legs from hitting submerged vehicles and other objects are also common, and they remove the ability to swim (or even float). Those injured who survive the initial damage have a short window of survival. Pray they are found quickly, and can be gotten out of wherever they are.

If you live in an area prone to flash floods, your only realistic preparation is to be ready to evacuate on a moment’s notice. That, however, requires you to get real information concisely, accurately, and in a timely manner. The current warnings of the NWS are about anything but that. The system needs reform, and I hope that if nothing else comes of this tragedy that such does happen.

May God’s mercy be on those in Texas, and in the new flooding in Western NC. Pray for them, and let the basic humanity that seems all to scarce these days shine forth, now and in the days ahead.

UPDATE I: Sarah A. Hoyt, as usual, makes some good points in her post here. It does no good to send signals if they are not going to be received.

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.

A Bleg Of Sorts

I mentioned in the previous post about being out most of today. As I’ve discussed before, I came back from the LSESSI conference with an action plan I’ve been busy fleshing out and trying to implement. One of the things I’ve been able to do to a limited extent is massage therapy.

Today, I had an appointment with a sports medicine/therapeutic deep tissue provider that came highly recommended. She hurt me, but boy did it feel good and do good. I’ve already booked another appointment with her for next month, and my hope is to work things out so I can see her one or more times a month, and also see the general masseuse once a month as well.

Why massage therapy? Actually several things but the first is to help improve my mobility. Along with that, the idea is to help break up any internal scar tissue, improve elasticity (internal), and put me in good shape for physical therapy. There are a couple of other things in there, but those are the major ones. The sessions are right at $100 each.

With luck, I hope to get back to my good physical therapist tomorrow to see if she/where she works, takes my insurance and will accept the work order from the neurologist. If so, the goal is to work on balance, coordination, dealing with vertigo as needed, and improve general mobility. One of the goals I have is to be able to do full prostrations by next Lent and get back up again without assistance. That this also means I can get up and down without assistance in my home (or elsewhere), it’s sorta important in my eyes. If they do take my insurance, I am going to have to look at transport to and from their location as it is too far to walk and I may not always be able to bike there. So, money is needed for Lyft and such.

I’m also looking to continue the music therapy, as it stimulates parts of my brain that don’t always get the stimulation they need and it helps sharpen my thought. The voice lessons are roughly $50 each, or $190 for four if I pay in advance. Any discount is a good one.

I’m also looking at some personal training. No firm price on it yet, but again I want to get in shape, improve my mobility and ability to stay upright, and to get up again if I fall. And, yes, I have had some issues and if you could see my shoes you might guess about them: the left shoe is almost pristine, and the right shoe has numerous scuffs/tears on the front top and sides. Need the PT and the training to help me get beyond that.

If you like what I write, please consider hitting the tip jar (above right). Everything helps, and I want to push as hard as I can while I can. Not everything can be covered by insurance, and my monthly stipend doesn’t leave me much once rent and such are paid. So, please consider helping if you can. Thanks.

About The Russian Transportation Minister…

UPDATE BELOW

I’ve been out and about since early this morning, as I had an appointment on the north side of town that involved busses that only run every hour, and so not up on what is going on in the world. Had a friend ping me to ask me about ‘that Russian general that Putin fired, does anyone think it really was suicide?’ Told them that didn’t narrow it down any.

Turns out they were talking about (former) Transportation minister Starovoit, who allegedly was in meeting(s) Sunday, fired by Vladimir today, and may have been dead since Friday or Saturday. Allegedly found dead in his car, but may have been found a short distance away in some brush/trees/shrubs. You pays your money, you get to pick your story.

It may well have been a legitimate suicide. He was in the hot seat over trucks being used to bring in drones/drone swarms from Ukraine, and was being investigated in regards siphoning off defense funds for personal use when governor of Kursk, etc., etc., etc. But, given all it may well have been not his idea or that it was that or his family. Again, you pays your money and you pick your story. Any of those is likely given all, and GRU 29155 may not have even had to come knocking. I rather doubt we may ever know for sure which it was.

What is of interest is that this was a truly senior level person in the government. That’s a first, or at least the first in quite a while. It means things are getting serious in Moscow, and I suspect that he will not be the last as things continue to shake out. With China dropping any pretense of neutrality in the Russia/Ukraine conflict (note they want it to continue as it keeps us from focusing on them), and Russia not able to close the deal on their own (so to speak), things could get interesting indeed.

UPDATE I: The always-thoughtful Austin Bay has some thoughts about Russia as the “sick man” of Europe, or Eurasia (again, pays your money picks your version). A lot of very good food for thought that I wish Vladimir and a number of others within the brick walls would read and consider. And if you don’t have China going after Siberia and other territories on your bingo card, you should. I called that one how many years ago now?

The Real No Kings Day

Consider this the introduction to the Great Experiment that is the Constitutional Republic that is the United States of America:

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Neurologist Visit

Sorry to be silent, but I’ve been both busy and a bit under the weather this last weekend. The short version on the latter is that the digestive track did something a bit new and different. Got it handled for now, and am keeping an eye on things around the world. Not to mention keeping an eye on myself.

To that end, I went back to visit the neurologist (separate from the neuropsychologist I saw a week or so back for the cognitive testing) today. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much out of her as I tend to be a bit underwhelmed by the field. It’s not just that my first neurologist was as useful as teats on a boar (and a personality more fitting to a boar); rather, it’s discovering that a lot of other survivors have also had less-than-positive experiences with them.

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at how well the visit today went. She was cheerful, helpful, even printed out some data from the cognitive testing that I needed. I’ve got a new book to buy and read (that she would like read soon even), and, even better, a referral for physical therapy. That’s something I needed four years ago but am delighted to have it now. We need to work on balance, dealing with side effects of the vertigo, and related issues. One of my goals is to get where I can do full prostrations by next Lent. Not to mention that dealing with the balance, getting up, etc. will let me get in fuller workouts.

This should also help with the reflexes. They blow right now, and a sloth could truly probably outdraw me in a gun fight. I’m much better off using a coach gun these days… It would be nice to get the reflexes back into better shape on many fronts. The physical therapy should help.

Finally found this, and it’s not that far off….

I’ve got the data I was after, though it is probably not all I need. It would be nice to get some functional MRI data, not to mention a scan to look for scar tissue in the body. As was pointed out to me by a wise person a while back, I didn’t have any scars/burns on the outside, but no one ever checked on the inside. Not sure how to approach that right now, but that is why I need to put in place a good research plan as I experiment upon myself. Remember, if you experiment on yourself, you don’t require human subjects committee approval. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

The voice lessons and massage therapy should continue, and if anyone wants to hit the tip jar please feel free! Music therapy has been very good for me, and helps with stimulating parts of the brain that aren’t being engaged by writing and other activities. The massage therapy seems to be helping as well, and am really hoping it continues to help not only with mobility (and even some flexibility), but also with some of the muscle cramps that became a part of my life after the strike. Tired of them. Looking at some other areas and recommendations as well.

And, before I forget, my voice coach has me singing Sinatra: about an octave lower, but doing a decent job if I say so myself. I want to see if we can set a couple of Warren Zevon songs into my range as well. That would make a heck of a CD, wouldn’t it?

Really do think now is the time to push on fixing as much of what’s left as I can. Some of the healing that has happened, like my heart, is truly miraculous. With a lot of hard work and prayer, I may never be what I was; but, I can work to become something better. Thank you all for your help, assistance, and prayers over the last four years. I would not have been able to do all I have done without you. Thank you. With your continued help, I think the best is yet to come.

Now The Real Danger Begins

The 12-Day-War as it is rapidly becoming known was a masterpiece on the part of Israel. Israel not only quickly owned the skies above Iran, but they put special forces on the ground to join assets already in place to do extensive damage to the regime. Even more importantly, they dominated the psychological battlespace as well. Israel literally owned the regime lock, stock, and barrel.

If even half of what is being whispered in the background is true, it was even more amazing than most realize. I suspect, and even hope, that we don’t know the full extent for years. More on why in a minute. Some of the psyops are out in the open: for example, was Qaani killed in a strike, or an Israeli asset who was gotten out in a special operation and is now in Israel? If he wasn’t killed but is missing, he would be well advised to stay missing as there are those in the regime who are convinced he was an Israeli asset and are acting accordingly. If he was and did get out, hope he’s got great security. The fear and reaction by those convinced he was an asset may well be having all the results the Israeli’s could have hoped for. That appears to be happening for others up and down the chain as well.

The U.S. strike using MOPS appears to have worked very well. Ventilation shafts are a cliche in fiction, and are quick to get readers complaining about suspension of disbelief. Fact is, they often are an Achilles Heel to defenses as few want the cost of doing them right. Lots cheaper just to go straight down, no dog legs, no cofferdams, etc. Take a look at the satellite imagery, and pay particular attention to the subsidence in various locations. There are also signs of a hot and nasty fire. As others have pointed out, if you want to know what burns nicely and hot, take a look at the materials data sheet for uranium hexaflouride (and related compounds). As for the “reporting” saying otherwise I simply note that it comes from CNN (and amplified by the NYT, where the Spirit of Duranty lives!) and a reporter who is known to be a mouthpiece for the swamp portion of the intelligence community. I trust nothing from any of those sources until it has been confirmed by multiple reliable sources.

My only concern is that I think it should have been a 14-day-war. Israel was in the process of destroying the mechanisms that keep the mad mullahs in power. They blew open the doors to Evin prison, which is where many political prisoners were kept. They were destroying the Basij and other units propping up the regime. For all that I don’t think we should be directly involved in regime change, I wish that things had continued long enough to give Iranians a fighting chance at it. Even more importantly that the Shah-in-Exile, I am aware of one (or more) groups within Iran that were working for a successful revolution with all the planning that requires. Revolutions without such planning rarely work (most revolutions ultimately fail, TBH) and a lot of needed groundwork has been laid.

Iran is not a normal state. They are a theocracy contingent upon creating their version of Armageddon so as to bring about the return of the 13th/hidden Imam. That they die in the process is simply a cost of bringing about his return. If you don’t know about this, start reading because it shapes how much they are willing to suffer — and to have the people suffer instead of them. They will cheerfully sacrifice the entire country to this end. Of course, they expect that as the elite they will survive and be rewarded, but if needed are at least willing to give lip service to martyrdom.

Which means that what drives most state leadership does not apply here. They really are not subject to the art of the deal in that regard. Already they have tested Israel directly and via proxies. For Israel, it is no longer Oct. 6, and they have to respond with overwhelming force less they be boiled like a frog. One hopes that the White House is up on this, and realizes where we and they are in that regard. We are the Great Satan, Israel is the Lesser/Small Satan, and they are sworn to destroy us both. We must never forget that.

Now, there are some signs the mad mullahs regime is fracturing and may collapse on its own. Good. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch. Again, we should not be directly involved in a regime change; but, we should have no issues taking actions which make such possible so as to eliminate a clear and present danger to the U.S. We stand a much better chance with the Shah and the other group internal who have been planning for a real transition of power and who are well aware of historical precedents (including how unusual the U.S. revolution was to be honest).

As for the sleeper cells in the U.S., I’m honestly surprised we haven’t heard more out of them. Fact is, it’s a given they are here. Now, various raids were recently conducted against some illegal immigrants from Iran, some of who had most interesting pasts. Including one, a sniper, who still had his IRGC ID on him. My advice from previous stands: no definitive intel, but be alert and be prepared. This isn’t over and until the mullahs are gone and the illegal immigrants are removed. After all, the Iranians were only one part of the (at least, IMO) four-plus battalions of military aged males who entered under the Biden regency.

More soon. I’m bouncing back from the exhaustion of Brother Juniper’s and on being tied up on medical and other issues. Meantime, keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. Be safe and be prepared my friends.

Medical And General Update

Sorry for the silence, but this has been a medical week with re-opening for one-day-only Brother Juniper’s. On the latter, some of you may be old enough to remember a “chain” of restaurants called Brother Juniper’s. It was run by a religious order, and to cut a long story short, most of that order converted to Orthodox Christianity and the restaurants (save one) closed. My Church location came about because of this conversion, and once a year in connection with the Talbot Street Art Fair they re-open the restaurant for one day only doing certain favorite sandwiches. We actually still have some of the equipment and signage from the ones in Indy in our basement, which we bring up and use for the event. I’ve been working cleaning and prep most of this week in between doctors and dentist and other delights.

The great news is that I finally was able to get the latest round of neuropsych/cognitive testing done this week. As I mentioned in this post, I wasn’t expecting much out of it directly other than the data. My goal was to use it as a springboard to testing and therapy I think could do some good. I ended up surprised in that I did get something unexpected out of it.

I’ve had some of the standardized testing before (in fact remembered some bits of it as we were doing it), but they hit me with a couple of new tests. Turned out, the doc had actually read up on my case, listened to what I said instead of the usual, and thought some additional data would be good.

He almost blew it at one point, stating that he wasn’t sure it was a direct hit because of the lack of burns/blast injuries on the outside. If he had studied up a bit more, he might have known that many/most do not have those injuries. It’s a bit of ignorance that I’ve grown to ignore as doctors, more than most, hate to be told they are wrong (and can make interesting notes in ones file that are not helpful long-term). This one seemed a little irritated that some therapists had made suggestions/statements rather than doctors on high, but hate to tell him the therapists in my case have been like conspiracy theorists: they are well ahead on points, by about 63-2. I further note that I had no burns or scars EXTERNAL. No one, including the useless first neurologist, thought to do any imaging to try and determine if I had burning (or scarring) internally.

I did ignore that because of what he brought up next. If you did just the basic standard testing, my results still clock out high and there is no major sign of impairment. However, with the additional tests and looking at it not straight on, but from a different perspective, two things came up.

I won’t go into all the details, but the problems remembering things/learning new things most likely stems from the conditions not being met to form new memories. Several factors, but it did remind me of something I had been advised to try at the LSESSI conference: play with a pencil, stick, heavy bookmark, etc. when reading or trying to learn something new. Need to remember to share this with someone else at Church having some issues.

The second part was that I don’t do well in “noisy” environments, figurative that is. My ability to handle multiple levels of information and stimuli is not good. In fact, my ability to react to all of it and make good, swift decisions is not good at all. Add in my reduced reflexes, balance, etc. and I am off point. In fact, I am off point on several levels/operations. I can still work through things (and do) but it takes me a lot longer than it used to. I may no longer the the point on any team, but I remain one who can gather, interpolate, evaluate X-order effects, and plan accordingly with sufficient time.

Which is frustrating, as I remember when this was not so. Which adds its own issues to the mix. I can still do, but structured, ordered environments are best for me.

It’s good to have this, and/or to have some of this confirmed. It also should help with trying to get physical therapy and more approved out of the neurologist. We will see, but it gives me the data to amend my action plan/experimentation on myself so as to refine some of the methods and goals. It may or may not help with the insurance game, but if I have to fund things it lets me know where to invest my funds first.

It’s also good, and in this doc’s favor, that he brought up intermittent issues. Most docs automatically assume that anything intermittent is psychological because they can’t see and/or study it in a steady state. Since a lot of lightning strike/electrical shock survivors have intermittent issues that are physical, it creates a tense situation with the docs. This doc did not dismiss, but noted that some of the issues above could and likely did contribute to the intermittent issues.

So, glad it is done. Glad to get more out of it than expected. Now to fold that new data into the action plan and continue to move out. Want to make the most of this new life. Onwards.

Starlink For Iran

Standby to copy:

IRANIAN FAQ: HOW TO CONNECT TO STARLINK FROM IRAN RIGHT NOW FROM YOUR PHONE WITHOUT A DISH

Send Free Text Messages Using Only a Phone — No Internet, No Dish, No Wi-Fi Required

Starlink, the satellite internet system built by Elon Musk, is now active over Iran as of June 14, 2025. This means people inside the country can send and receive text messages directly through satellites — even if local internet or mobile networks are shut down. You do not need a dish You do not need Wi-Fi You do not need a router You do not need Starlink’s physical kit

What You DO Need •An unlocked phone (not locked to one phone company) •A modern LTE smartphone (iPhone 14 or newer, recent Samsung Galaxy, Pixel, etc.) •An active SIM card from a mobile carrier.

How It Works Starlink satellites now use something called Direct-to-Cell, which turns each satellite into a mobile tower in space. When your phone loses connection to ground towers, it can automatically link to a satellite overhead. You will not see a special symbol. It looks like a normal LTE signal with low strength.

What You Can Do Right Now •Send and receive SMS text messages •Works even if Iranian mobile service is blocked •Works without internet or any other connection

What You Can’t Do Yet •No voice calls •No mobile internet •No messaging apps (WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, etc.)

Full service — including voice and mobile data — is planned for later in 2025, but basic text messaging is available now if you meet the phone, SIM, and clear sky requirements.

Elon Musk confirmed that Starlink’s beams are currently active over Iran, so this method is working in real time. This may be one of the only ways to stay connected during network blackouts. You can’t stream Netflix. But you can stay in touch. Thanks to @elonmusk

And I repeat what I said the other day: now or never, it’s up to you. Godspeed.

Whew!

After posting yesterday morning, I went and joined a friend in the Church kitchen to help them cook for a social that night. What I walked into was a pile of groceries completely covering the work area, and a real-life version of “Chopped.” As in what do you make out of all these ingredients that will be tasty, fun, and enjoyed by an unknown number of people? And, no, we had no idea of how many were showing up for dinner so winged amounts and also had to consider special diets as a possibility.

So, we brainstormed a bit even as we started prep. The only two things he had planned were underway (a brisket in the oven and a big pot of borscht he was starting). We bounced ideas off each other and things took off. We actually changed plans on the fly a few times: something you really aren’t supposed to do, but it was just us and we rolled with the improvements.

Along the way we produced the following: a Thai-style chickpea curry, chicken korma, grilled chicken, grilled salmon, grilled thin ribeye steaks, a rosemary and lime ‘stuffed’ sirloin, grilled lime corn on the cob, grilled asparagus, grilled peppers, an amazing ham and potato salad, two huge bowls of green salads, baked potatoes (the ones not used in the potato salad), and of course the borscht and brisket. Pretty sure I’m leaving out a couple of dishes.

Thing is, I can’t really say how much fun it was. My mind hasn’t really worked that way since the lightning strike, but doing it engaged more of the creative side than the logic side. The bouncing of ideas off each other worked, and forced my brain to work in some ways that haven’t gotten a lot of stimulation. Somewhere along the way, I found myself just doing some things I used to know to do first, like mixing up batches of various seasonings: a general purpose ‘steak’ seasoning I like as a base, a mix for the salmon that used both dry spices and fresh minced dill, and some various herbs that were likely to be needed.

Tried something new with the corn (why not!), in that I covered it in lime juice before putting my ‘steak’ seasoning on it. As the ears roasted on the top rack in the grill, I had a stick of butter I would rub over them after turning them for even cooking. I did put a bit of Tajin on three of the ears as they grilled, though you couldn’t tell it by service. Only thing I would do differently is to put more lime juice on for a longer period of time, as I think it worked well flavor-wise.

I’m exhausted, and even hurt a bit, but it was and is so worth it. My friend is crazy in all the right ways, and playing a giant game of “Chopped” with a social event was indeed crazy, and crazy fun. Even better, the food was enjoyed. Two reactions that made me smile were comments from a somewhat picky “customer” who raved about the salmon; and, a little girl just starting in on solid food who loved the ribeye steak.

One trick I did on the salmon was to put pats of butter on top when I put it skin-side down on the grill. As it cooks the butter melts and keeps that top side moist even as it adds nice flavor to go with the dill. The step-by-step is squeeze fresh lemon juice on the fish, generously season with your chosen spices/rub, throw on some extra dill on top of that, and put pats of butter on top. Grill and enjoy.

So, don’t expect much out of me today unless things really blow up. Be safe, be alert, and enjoy the day. I think I’m going to do some voice exercises and practice singing. Other than that, it’s a good day to relax a bit.

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.