Current Events – Page 6 – The Laughing Wolf

Heads Up

Bouncing back, and wish this didn’t have to be the first new post up after the medical. Keep your heads on swivels, and if your Church does not have security or a security plan, get one. Keep in mind that there have actually been three events recently, with the two worst being the terrorist on a boat firing into a restaurant and the Church ramming and shooting.

With all the vitriol being lashed out at “Christian Nationalists” and “fascists” (etc., etc., etc.) I’m surprised more haven’t cut loose — yet. For the record, I think that a number of accounts on anti-social media who are doing this are doing so to extend kill orders. I’m looking at Gavin’s account as being but one.

Why? Because they are losing. If they had a counter to Charlie Kirk, they would have used it instead of shooting him. Given that the government spigot through the NGOs has been tapered down (still not off but getting there), funding is low. Soros and others are picking up the slack, but it’s not the same and a lot of things, including the paid protestors, training, and travel are now able to be more easily tracked and traced.

Yet, it is an abundance of riches that is not yet easily taken advantage of. For all that Pam Bondi — who has led an amazing job on winning the court cases against the over-reaching (and IMO corrupt) judges and desperate, frivolous lawsuits seeking to hamstring the Trump administration — and Kash Patel are having to work without a solid base, or even a trustworthy legion. DOJ and FBI need to be fumigated and honest operators recruited. That is going to take a while, no matter what. The upcoming shutdown may drive out more of the swamp, or at least make it easier to fire them, but you still have to get people in who are honest, will honor their oaths, and follow the Constitution and the Law.

I really do hope there are mass-resignations and walkouts resulting from the Comey indictment. Comey is one of the larger sleazeballs in DC, but far from the largest or worst. Really hoping that the current indictment is a holding action so that more charges can be brought against a man who bragged openly about the illegal things he did. The Statute of Limitations may apply to many of those, but betting it doesn’t apply to all. Also wondering how conspiracy issues (and charges) could change that a bit. I can but dream. The faster we can root out and get rid of those who forswore their oaths and pursued political vendettas in violation of the law and Constitution, the better. That goes double for those involved with J6 and the malicious prosecutions afterwards.

Which brings me back to the fact that those of the “godless authority” that is progressive politics are losing right now and know it. They see power slipping from their grasp and they will stop and nothing to try to recover it. Note who has not tamped down the rhetoric (progressives) and who has been trying to keep things from exploding (almost everyone else). Fact is, between the losing and the rhetoric, I’m surprised more hasn’t already happened.

There are a lot of idiots out there who want Civil War 2.0 and are doing all they can to make it happen. And (again, and again, and again) I say they are idiots not living in or dealing with reality no matter what “side” they are on. The communists/socialists are going by a playbook that hasn’t been reality in almost a hundred years. The WEF-types are in the same boat (those that aren’t part of the communist/socialist progressives). Things have changed. Their playbook hasn’t.

I think things are going to get better if we can hold on and keep things from exploding. Long term. Fact is, the short term is going to get worse, potentially a LOT worse, before it gets better. A lot of the lunatics are going all-in, and throwing more than just gasoline on the fire. That is going to push the least-stable to act. I think that is not going to go well, or at least not as they think it will go.

Just look at Antifa being designated a terrorist organization and investigations opened into operations, funding, etc. Not what they expected (or at least not this soon). Again, though, the problem is enough honest people in place to conduct, evaluate, and coordinate actions and charges. Trump needs to keep going nuclear on appointees, and they need to step up recruitment of good people to go in below them.

Which is all well and good, but leaves us — The People — with a problem. We can’t trust the FBI, most Federal LE, or even that much local LE and prosecutors (I wouldn’t trust our local prosecutor with anything). So, we need to step up.

Keep your heads on swivels. If you can do so without a lot of fanfare, beef up security at your Church, events you are involved with, etc. When you are out, be prepared for terrorist attacks such as those that have just happened. And, yes, those were terrorist attacks as they were designed not only to inflict casualties, but fear so as to change behaviors. Don’t care what “side” anyone behind them was, I condemn and reject them utterly.

When out, be prepared. I’ve started carrying my personal trauma kit with me places, especially to Church. Might I suggest that in addition to whatever other preparations you may undertake, make sure you have appropriate first aid with you that you can share at need. Also, keep in mind cover and concealment when eating out and such.

Meantime, pray. Pray for those at the Church shot up yesterday, pray for those at the restaurant, and pray for our Nation and the Republic. If your first thought yesterday was to go on a rant that they were not “real” Christians, please talk to a priest as you are missing the point of being a Christian. We can argue dogma later, after they aren’t trying to kill us all. As for me, I’m praying for those at the Church, those at the restaurant, and for all of us. For we need Divine Grace to get through the days ahead with our Republic and our souls intact.

Be prepared. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. And Pray. Often.

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.

Nasty Winter Ahead?

Looking around, my back is getting a nasty itchy feeling about this coming winter. I fear it is going to be a nasty one, on more than one level.

I’m trying to set some preparations for the fact that I’m worried it may be a very cold and snowy/icy winter. There are some signs and portents that it may be so. As for the weather guessers (my name for forecasters), they seem to have a spread that would make Vegas proud. That said, number of interesting people are in the nasty winter camp.

I really want to get at least one more Mr. Buddy emergency heaters, and stock up on propane. Between camp stoves and heaters, I will be able to stay warm and cook — and people who’ve been there know what a difference a hot meal can make. I’m pretty well set on blankets and such, and am continuing to experiment with solar power additions to the power and lighting game. The more options you have for power and light, the better.

I’m even trying to get the landlord to invest in some power backups and a small generator, but not sure I’m going to have any luck. Did add some options to my Amazon wish list in that regards.

Snow, ice, and storms can bring down power lines in a hurry. It’s not too late to do trimming around power lines and such to keep ice from bringing them down. I’m also encouraging that around here.

Thing is, I’ve got an itchy feeling about why this could be a nasty winter on another level. Frankly, I’m amazed that the anger I’ve been talking about hasn’t broken yet. Part of it is the “safety valve” that is provided by naming, shaming, and inflicting consequence culture (as opposed to cancel culture) on those saying and doing the worst of things. Part seems to be something else that I can’t quite put my finger on. But, they are holding for now.

How long they can hold is the interesting question. Ian makes some good points, and I would add that if the “ghouls” are not brought to heel, there’s a good chance the safety valve may be clogged. Also consider this food for thought from The Scuttlebutt. And in regards part of it, I do sometimes use the word “Normies” (usually in quotes) but with affection and a small amount of envy as there are days I wish I was one of them as I live here in flyover country.

All it will take to make this a truly nasty winter is one idiot, one person having a bad day when they respond to said idiot. We do not want to see here what many have seen elsewhere when civil war breaks out. Riding the ragged edge short of that won’t be nice or pleasant, but it will do far less damage. It may set some things back a year or two, but a civil war will change the country and potentially set back a great future (interplanetary species, advanced medical and health, and other things that are about to happen/break loose) by a century or three. Humanity is likely to survive, but our current level of civilization is not. So, let’s avoid going there if we can.

Let’s get through the winter and hope that it is not cold and nasty on multiple levels. Me, I’ve got things I want to do/am planning to do next Spring. Things that bring growth on many levels, and not necessarily just for me.

Fixing the problems that face us will not be easy or fun. Nor will it be easy to keep them short of that ragged edge. It is, however, the best shot for humanity and our future. Pray.

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

And Rumors Of Wars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two To Share

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

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

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

Just wanted to share.

9/11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go Read

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

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

Charlie Kirk

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

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

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

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

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

Charlotte

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Things That Make You Wonder, Part???

Italian police thwart a terror attack (guess who) which was set to use a machine gun on thousands of Christians packed into a relatively small area for a religious festival. French police thwart a terror attack (again, guess) that was going to use explosives against a school or police station. There is some possible chatter that other such ‘thwartings’ have taken place and that LE here in the U.S. is prepping for unnamed events.

I inclined to think those ‘thwartings’ may well have happened, and if anyone has heard of such elsewhere, please sound off in the comments. Not every country announces such openly after all, even allegedly free ones. For example, does anyone honestly think the government of England would willingly announce such, or that the groveling hacks of the British press would report it if they did? Then again, there are other countries that don’t go public just because they want certain organizations to wonder what did happen to their people…

Then, throw in the narco boat taken out on its way here. Why did it have 11 on board, when normal crew is 2-3 max? Why those particular people? Who were they/what were they? Very interesting given that there are already thousands of potential terrorists here thanks to the Biden Regency. Suspecting that there is much more to this story.

If not already, get your heads on swivels and ears open. 9/11 is coming up and you know how the Islamics love their symbolism. To borrow from Ian: Once is happenstance; twice is coincidence; and, three times means there is a pattern we need to discern as fast as possible.

And, yes, I do think this is tied into my earlier post. Again, if you know of a ‘thwarting’ or similar event, sing out. Something is starting to smell, and I don’t think it’s breakfast.

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

Shady Lady’s Latest

If you missed it, the Shady Lady that is the New York Times released classified information on a SEAL mission into North Korea. This was done to harm the current administration, even though it has hurt the United States even more than any impact to the Trump administration. No links, not going to reward this treachery. And, before any of the tiresome pedantics chime in, it is indeed treachery though not treason.

I doubt that anything will happen to those at the paper (but, frankly, there should be charges over this one), but one hopes that Pete and the DOJ are both hunting for the leakers. They need to be found and dealt with as strongly as possible as they have not only harmed the U.S., but they have put lives in danger by so doing.

If in the process of this mole hunt one comes across any of the people Gov. Pritzker claims are leaking info to him, deal with them as well.

We are well past time for slaps on the wrists and party passes (‘aw, you did it to hurt an R, that’s okay then) or RHIP. It’s time for max penalties regardless of who you are (and Bolton is only one of several I’m looking at).