Crime – The Laughing Wolf

Travel/Pilgrimage: Public Transport

A couple of questions/points have come up revolving around the use of public transportation, especially given differences in self-defense laws between countries (and here, states and cities even). The adage “Know Before You Go” comes strongly to mind.

There are cities where I would not hesitate to use public transportation any time of the day or night. There are cities where I would not use it any time of the day or night. Most are a mix to be honest, and the late night/early morning (say about midnight to 0400) are generally times to be on high alert, particularly on subways/metro trains.

In terms of this trip, Sofia had a wonderful subway system that I cheerfully made use of to get around. In fact, I got on it at the airport, rode into downtown, made one change, and came up less than a full city block from my apartment. The subway runs very much to schedule, the stations I used were safe and usually had some LE presence at the turnstiles (or whatever you want to call them), and you frequently saw LE and such taking the subway to and from work. So, while I was alert I seldom went to high alert while using the system. I was told one of the larger dangers were pickpockets, but never had a problem.

The only real downside to the Sofia subway system was that quite frequently the elevators used by those with mobility issues or luggage did not work. Those with escalators generally worked but I would still rate them as being on the edge of iffy, and therefore not something you could fully rely on.

I would also note that one thing helping with the safety was that panhandling on the trains was not allowed or encouraged and even traditional panhandling was not allowed in the stations. The one type of panhandling that did seem to be allowed were musicians, usually with a violin or chello, who played in various corridors. I will also add that most of them were quite good.

Quick note before I forget, most panhandling on the streets in Sofia is organized and comes primarily from one particular ethnic group. The people panhandling have an assigned location, are reported to have quotas to make, and can be quite aggressive. There are limits to that though, and I had the impression local cops could and would deal with anyone who got too aggressive.

Thing is, anytime there are panhandlers or people who try to walk close even when there is room, think and prepare for pickpockets. Crowded places, like markets or events, are sadly fertile grounds for them. Plan ahead, take proactive steps, and engage in passive if needed. I actually used to carry a dummy wallet as a passive measure, and will note that plastic grocery bags in the tops of pockets and purses can be a good barrier (noise, movement, blocking).

Tangent, but worth noting. RFID scanning seems to be a growing problem. I have anything with a chip, including my passport, in RFID-blocking sleeves, my wallet is shielded to block signals, and I even carried a passive jammer that works off the intruding signal. All I can say is that so far there seem to have been no problems and the expenses were frankly miniscule in the grand scheme of things. Can’t prove they did or didn’t help, and am very glad I took the steps.

Sofia also has busses and trolleys, which seem to go everywhere. I did not get to use these as much as I could or should have, and when I go back I hope to use them a bit more. Some are newer, some are older, but from what I saw and heard from those that did use them extensively, generally safe and relatively clean.

Constantinople (Istanbul to the heathen) had a metro train that got me from the train station to the area near the Hagia Sofia fairly quickly. The trains I was on were clean and, if you could get a seat, comfortable. The largest problem is that they have a fully automated entrance system that blows chunks as far as I am concerned. Getting assistance with it was problematic and I thought I was going to have to spend $$$ to get back to the train station via a taxi. They also allow musical panhandlers (often making use of small children) to operate on the trains. Not impressed and can’t recommend.

Just as an aside, as of the last time I used them, I’ve had good luck with the Paris metro; Moscow metro; Washington DC metro; and the Tokyo metro. In fact, I would rate Tokyo as my favorite. Sofia is high on my list, and I appreciate that stops are called in both Bulgarian and English. I will also note that when using any system you need to check on where the bad areas/stations are and avoid them.

As for self-defense and related topics, always check the laws where you are going. For example, when I grew up everyone carried a pocket knife as it is a useful tool. Even carrying a kitchen knife in your luggage for cooking may be illegal. Pretty much any type of knife or sharp objects is now illegal in the U.K, as is pretty much all self-defense.

Bulgaria has some of the best knife laws in Europe in my opinion, is good about self-defense, and there were even street/market vendors selling a variety of edged items. I liked that about Bulgaria. Greece, on the other hand, is more towards the U.K. in terms of pocket knives and such, though somewhat better on self-defense. Turkey, well, I was pretty sterile for other reasons but will just note that having a pocket knife makes a dandy excuse to detain someone for a while without charges while things are “checked out”. Again, know the laws where you are going, and make sure your travel insurance covers legal assistance for various contingencies.

Just a few thoughts to share this day. Always research, always double check, and always be prepared.

Please check out my Summer Bleg.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. If you would like to help me with seminary courses, pilgrimages, and more, 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. Thank you.

Keep An Eye

On the murder of Nuno Loureiro. Right now, no connection to anything else including the murders/shooting at Brown (which now stinks to high heaven) other than geographic closeness. That said, we will see what happens.

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.

Two Local Stories Going National

Well, really three if you count the redistricting story, but I’m sitting that one out for now. My thoughts on the Indiana GOP and most politicians (of both parties) would probably have me in confession for months. Instead, two other stories are going national and I am seeing some key details not always making it into social media and/or corporate news.

First up, the shooting death of a cleaning lady who was at the wrong house. I’ve actually heard two different accounts, that they were dropped off at the wrong house or that they drove to the wrong house. She was trying the key when the homeowner shot through the door, striking her in the head and killing her. Her death is a tragedy and I would ask you to pray for all involved.

The account from police and the lawyer for the homeowner indicate that he was awakened after just a short time asleep, heard someone trying a key or keys in his lock, retrieved a gun that he had never shot before, and after sending his wife into a safe room, fired a shot through the door without warning or having a target in view. Said round hit her in the head, killing her instantly, and he has been charged with voluntary manslaughter.

Now, having taken Guy Relford’s Indiana Gun Law course (highly recommended if you own a gun in Indiana), I know that Indiana does have a very robust Castle Doctrine law, but that there are exceptions and caveats. I also know that what the homeowner did violates my own personal code and what I have taught in the past. Then again, from the gun law and other legal courses over the years, I know that my code is not the law.

I also know that the homeowner has been smart enough to hire Guy Relford for his defense. If I had the money, I would hire him too at need. I think that may be the only thing that keeps the homeowner out of prison.

Let’s face it, even among strong 2A types what was done is going to be a hard sell. Speaking for me personally, having a gun (guns actually) and never firing it (or getting training on use technical and legal) is another month in confession for me; firing without a clear target (if anyone I trained does that outside of certain combat situations I will smoke them until corpsmen are needed to get them back enough to do it until they drop again, and I will proudly go to confession for that); and, firing without any warning or attempt to determine the situation (yes, I have challenged and de-escalated, more than once), well, I’m not going to be a sympathetic juror. If I’m a hard sell, what do you think is going to be the case for anyone not 2A or even anti-2A? The nicest I can say is that Guy has his work cut out for him. That said, I will wait until all the facts have come out before saying much more on this case.

The second story that is going to be blowing up soon is that a military humvee crashed recently on I-65. Some guardsmen were in a convoy on their way to Camp Atterbury when a car-hauler abruptly changed lanes, apparently striking one of the humvees, causing it to swerve and roll, eventually hitting another car. Three were injured, and Terry Frye (no rank given in story) was killed. Turns out the driver of the car-hauler, one Goderdzi Gujabidze of Brooklyn NY (who required a translator to talk with LE afterwards), is an illegal alien. A hold has been placed on him by ICE and is being honored. Expect this story to have legs.

Once again, not really the best image for Indianapolis (or area). That said, if some of the recent national coverage on crime actually results in real changes, prosecutions, and proper sentencing…

Odd Memory Of The Past

Over on X, this post sparked a memory that still makes me laugh. Not a nice laugh, and by many lights I should be ashamed of it. Yet, I still laugh. To quote from what I posted on X:

“Okay, this reminds me of a story from my past. Courtesy of a relative, I used to do some odd jobs for a local bank, which was part of a much larger bank (eventually). Which led to some odd things needing to be done.

One odd thing was hauling off a few tons of confidential records to a local landfill, where a bulldozer may have made a few passes and neutral steers over the many many garbage bags full of files (to let water and such into them before they were covered) as I watched.

Another was cleaning out a storage room (technically an old vault) at a major branch. Which led to me being given an old vault gate that I eventually sold for scrap. Along with a whole bunch of old medical gear from a doctor’s office. Suspect the elegant wood and glass blood pressure set-up would be classified as hazmat today (mercury spilled into the wood).

It was around that time that someone tried to rob said branch. The worthy in question came in, got a bag of money, and stuffed it down his pants as he ran out the door. About the time he rounded the corner of the building, there was a muffled explosion and a high-pitched scream.

The bank alerted the police, who alerted local hospitals; but, the thief never came in for treatment. The bank did not recover the money (not a huge amount by any means), but they unofficially considered it even as there was reason to believe that the thief had lost most or all of the physical attributes of manhood.

The explosive part of a dye bomb isn’t large, but it is highly exothermal. What didn’t get blown off was likely to have been severely burned, and without proper treatment…

While no official statement was ever made, word did get around. For years afterwards, that was one of the safest branches around. So, for all those contemplating mayhem, remember: it doesn’t take @DollyParton with a gun to turn a rooster into a hen.”

Go Read

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

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

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

Charlotte

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cruel To Be Kind

Those who have been in any way, shape, or form on the sharp end will get some of what I’m going to say. A few others might as well. Those of ivory towers and sheltered lives (made safe by rough men) probably won’t. This may actually take several posts, as it reflects some things I’m working through right now.

In terms of the individual, the concept of turning the other cheek is the right and moral thing to do. When attacked a couple of times, literally or figuratively, I have simply asked the person — absent signs of continuing the attack — why they did it? That is a form of turning the other cheek. It has kept some things from escalating and saved a lot of mess.

That presumes, however, you are dealing with a rational (or at least semi-rational) person or creature. When that is the case, there is an opportunity for reason, and morality, to de-escalate (as they like to call it now) and reach a reasonable and just (important part) resolution.

It was an important factor in the spread of Christianity. The early Church was extremely pacifistic, something that didn’t change until the third century and even then there was some strong limits on things. Fact is, Orthodoxy and I believe certain other groups (Coptic?) never did adopt a “Just War” theory and dogma while the Roman Catholic Church (and some Protestant denominations) did adopt such. The traditional Christian view is that self-defense is allowed, but wars of aggression are not. And, yes, some Churches seem to honor that in the breach, but that’s a different story.

Of the Disciples, only one died of old age. The rest, along with many (most?) of the Apostolic fathers became martyrs. Their refusal to act in the ways the Romans and others tried to provoke, along with their unwavering faith (and some of the miracles that occurred in their deaths) helped turn the tide such that Constantine was moved by his dream after thousands had been converted. I will point out that the Fathers of the Church had to decree that people should not seek out martyrdom; but, only accept it if it came their way.

Because the Romans and (most) others were not irrational, people were moved and the new faith grew. Societies changed, and changed for the better over time. While many ‘elites’ are loathe to admit it, Christianity reshaped the world for the better, with slavery eliminated as a wide-spread practice (it is still there in a sadly growing amount) as England and other Western Nations (including eventually the U.S.) worked hard to eliminate it. Post for another day, but Islam is leading the spread of slavery in the world today.

The problem is that there are two major sets of irrational players in the world today. There are an increasing number of irrational individuals (again, likely another post), in the West. The other set of irrational players are major governments. As I’ve noted before, governments play by toddler rules and not necessarily by reason. The older I get, the less I suspect reason is used in government at all…

Irrational people come in a variety of types. At one end you have your typical street person, where mental illness and drug use (often related) create irrationality that may be very harmless, or very harmful. Sometimes in the same person. A quick solution to the problem of them would be to restore mental hospitals and mental health; but, there are a lot of rice bowls that would be kicked over by such so don’t expect local or state governments to move on that anytime soon.

On the other end, you have an extremely protected class who have led very sheltered and protected lives. Rather than reason, they have been conditioned to run off emotions, with facts, evidence, and Reason things to be shunned. It’s not limited to academia (sadly), but is rather widespread amongst the so-called ‘elite’ class.

And there is some overlap between that latter class and government. Which only makes the problem of governments not following reason worse.

Now, when one has a ‘negative encounter’ with a street person, your choices range from ‘I will not harm another made in the image of God no matter what’ to ‘I will protect the lives of others and myself however I have to.’ That choice is yours to make and you will either live with or die by the choice you make. Martyrdom still exists (see Syria, Africa, et al for examples) though most Christian denominations say it is a sin to seek it out.

If it is just you, it may even be an easy choice. The problem is, it seldom is just you. That complicates things, for you have a variety of responsibilities and duties to your family, and even to the greater good as represented in the social contract. Keep in mind, however, that the social compact only truly works and applies in high-trust societies. It works not at all in low-trust societies, to which the West is being rapidly reduced.

Now, keep in mind that there is still that other group of irrational individuals who are often in the bureaucratic leadership as well as political leadership. The ‘negative interactions’ there are less physical and far more political, ideological, and religious (and Woke is a religion that is waging religious war on Western Civilization and the Christian Church in particular). This is where ‘Render unto Caesar…” can come into play. There are some sects of Christianity that feel a ‘true’ Christian should not care of this world and it’s politics at all, to the point of not voting and refusing to discuss or deal with matters political. Even when there are anti-Christian efforts to be voted upon. Not my cup of tea, but again probably a post for another day.

I think one turns one’s back on politics and politicians at peril for all one holds dear. Especially when is dealing with Woke and Islam. Both of those do not respect restraint or any number of things they consider weak. They see such not as a moral or ethical goodness, but a sign of submission and surrender — and they act accordingly.

Which, to wrap this up for today, leads to a good example that those I mentioned in the opening paragraph will get. Sometimes, the best thing and the thing that will result in the least amount of death and damage in the long run involves death and destruction on a small scale. “Chinese” Gordon did so in Africa many years back, and the Islamic terrorism of the day settled down right quick. There are other historical examples that we may get into later, but to close we have something recent to consider.

The U.S. military just blew up a narco boat headed to the U.S. with gang members/narco terrorists (take your choice) and illegal drugs of a nasty sort on board. The ususal suspects are wailing that this is extra-judicial murder (gee, not our citizens, on the way to do harm to the U.S. and it’s people, etc., so that’s a no on murder from me) and we should have intercepted, coddled, etc.

The counter-point they are missing is that this action just accomplished several things that may well prevent more suffering, destruction, and death in the long-run. It served notice to a certain country that these efforts will no longer be tolerated, requiring them to either double down (skeet shoot), try to find other ways (time and expense), or give up (not likely, sadly). It also made it much harder to find boat crew and narcos willing to do these trips as the smart ones will get that the U.S. government is willing to make a few more examples. It also kept a few tons (most likely) of drugs out of the U.S. where it is helping fuel a variety of problems. Couple of other points, but those are the main ones.

Next time, I want to come back and look at this again, and at how this applies to the ‘migrant rape problem’ which is both a cultural problem and a deliberate act of war. The latter far more so than many/most are willing to openly discuss since to do so will get one called Islamophobic (and arrested in England). I also want to get into the morality of ‘cruel to be kind’ and the related topic of the morality of being willing to sacrifice others for your beliefs. It’s complex, it’s complicated, and it’s important as we are going to be facing a number of choices in the coming years as we deal with irrational people, governments, and even religions (mostly non-Christian).

Part II soon I hope.

Car Saga Continues

Quick update to this post. Did not get to meet with the lawyer this morning, they looked a things late last week and said nothing they can do, recommended some other resources (including the group that recommended them), and I’m going to continue to try to get a second or third opinion. Really doesn’t look like a lot I can do at this point, so may just be a hit on my credit score with no recourse. Bleh.

Sold Car Saga

Those who are long-term readers will remember that I sold my car last year, I thought to a young man (young men) who’s grand-dad was going to use it to teach them car repair. The last few days have been interesting, as that was a great big steaming pile.

Not sure if I mentioned it here or not, but last fall I learned from the BMV that the title had never been transferred. Per their recommendation, I sent a certified letter offering to help with that transfer to the address I had for the buyer. Letter was refused and I made little progress in finding a lawyer (particularly cheap or free) that could help me with the issue.

Got back into that search hard yesterday, as Saturday I got a notice that the car had been impounded by the State Police and that as it was still in my name I was liable for fines, fees, and storage. Talked to the holder of the vehicle, and was told not to worry as if not claimed it would be sold. Since I do not have current proof of ownership, couldn’t claim it even if I wanted to.

So, spent yesterday dealing with Legal Aid and such, and this morning had an online chat with a lawyer through the Bar Association. Short version, I don’t have ‘proper’ legal proof of sale (photo of title signed over to the buyer); there is not much I can do/could do anyway; and, it could zorch my credit rating. Not sure about other legal liability, but am going to go next Monday to talk in person with a different lawyer to see what, if anything, I can do to protect myself.

To make it even more fun, the young man who allegedly bought the car may well have used a false ID, given a false address, and the name given does match a person with an extensive rap sheet that seems to involve a number of issues around cars and fraud going back a couple of decades. Seems ISP may have impounded it after catching him out with false plates on it. Don’t know for sure, but suspect the ‘grandpa’ was this man.

So, at least according to this consultation, there’s not much I can do. Other than Pray, and that will be done. Meantime, will be getting a second opinion, if not a third, and make every effort I can to protect myself and my credit rating.

Joy. Not what I wanted to be dealing with, or ever expected to have to deal with. If you ever sell a car yourself, take care and cover yourself. Oh well, onwards!

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.

Random Thoughts On A Friday

Not sure I am up to a full post today, but did want to share a few thoughts while I could. More on the personal in a bit. For now…

I’m unsurprised at the rash of SWATtings going on right now. It has long been a favored tactic of progressives and is effective. Sadly, it has even resulted in deaths. Those behind these really do hope for that I fear, but also seem to think it will intimidate people. I think they are wrong about that, and they should stop to think that if there is a death the FBI may be the least of their worries.

It is interesting that so far, the majority of those being swatted are on various enemies lists coming out of Ukraine. This is not to suggest Ukraine is behind it, but that the lists do make a good “shopping list” for some of the more unstable on the progressive side. Sending the pizzas (again, it appears that all of those SWATted have had pizzas show up right after, that are ordered prior to the event) is a message.

Frankly, I’m surprised there hasn’t been more violence. People who are having their rice bowls kicked over seldom like it, and when you see the system that you and yours have spent generations (keep in mind, a lot of this started under Woodrow Wilson) building up, and achieved unprecedented growth in the last twenty years (astronomical during the past four), you tend to be a little upset. Particularly if you are not in the top tier. They are upset, but have fallbacks. The next tier down does not have those same levels of fall back as they were still building.

If you are midway (or further) down, it’s worse and that’s also usually where you find your true believers and less-stable people. They are in the worst shape and are going to be far more likely to do rash things. This is the group you see on social media calling for assassinations and actually taking part in attacking Tesla and Tesla owners. They make good cannon fodder and will be used as such. See my earlier post this week for some background.

I will say that the SWATting needs to be dealt with quickly and strongly. So do the many other instances of law breaking underway (building takeovers, movement blocks, etc.) but those are mostly dependent on local action. However, SWATting, as it uses interstate communications, can get Federal help and the FBI is now assisting. It also has the ability to prosecute on it’s own if needed. We will see. It needs to be prosecuted as the attempted pre-meditated murder it is. If that is done, you will see it drop to almost zero rapidly.

I’ve lost track of when Space X is going to try to launch the crew again, but glad they stopped the last launch. For all I loathe the perfect safety culture/no failures club, a manned launch is not something where you want or need to run risks. Hoping they continue to have an unblemished launch record and that they get the “stranded” astronauts home soon.

Going to look at a duplex today, and am following up on some other prospects. Not rushing, but not dwadling (too much) either. I may have to go for larger than I might like, so I can get everything out of storage and get rid of most of it (keeping books, cooking gear, and some Christmas stuff). I want to downsize (except for my books, I want more, more, more).

Looking at a vocal coach to help me with my relearning how to sing. I have sorta relearned to read sheet music, but as with the guitar I can’t tell you the notes I’m playing. Show me where my fingers go and I can play a song on the guitar. If someone hits the first note on a page, I can (mostly) sing the rest. I have problems staying on pitch, and in dealing with some range issues. I’ve actually been singing alto a bit to get by, but tenor/baritone and bass seem to be more my range. Our music director is working with myself and another gentlemen to help us get better, but some extra lessons and help won’t hurt a bit.

If I seem a little off the next few weeks, we are doing a rather significant diet change. I am going back to a keto variant and feeling it. However, given a number of digestive issues and other delights, it needs to be done. A number of foods seem to cause problems, most of which are carbs, so… I may share more of the diet as we work things out.

More soon I hope. Take care of yourselves, be safe, and be prepared. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. 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.