General – Page 14 – The Laughing Wolf

Most Annoying

I had really wanted to get a good solid post up yesterday, as there is a lot going on in the world. In fact, some of the “minor” things not getting much media play may have a lot more impact on us here in the U.S. than it would appear. Unfortunately, what started as the body and I not getting along great on Monday turned into full flare. Spent yesterday resting, fluids, soft foods, etc. to try to keep from having to go to the doc or ER.

Calling the GP as soon as his office opens to see what he recommends, but without a car can’t get to him and don’t trust the hospital/ER nearby anymore. Looking at heading up to the nearest facility of the group the new cardiologist is with if GP recommends or things get worse. Can get there by bus and have already pulled up the schedule(s) to get there if needed. My current thought, which may or may not be a good one, is to get a shower, go up to the nearby diner for some scrambled eggs and cheese, then catch the bus from there if needed. Trying to work out the timing(s) to get the most efficiency.

We will see. I want to be efficient and make any movement count for as much as possible. As much as I hate to admit it, think I may need an antibiotic and something other than ibu to knock things back a bit.

Anywho, here are a few of the things I’m keeping an eye on.

Bangladesh. Pray for them. The Islamists are using the situation to attack not only Hindu (a minority), but also possibly other religious minorities including Christians. If such is indeed true, you will hear about as much on that in corporate media as you do about the kidnappings, killings, and forced conversions/slavery going on in Africa. Keep an eye on religious media instead. Also, if humanitarian is not enough cause for concern, look at who backed and assisted the coup (very quietly) and who lost (India, among others).

Venezuela. I really am not sure what is going on right now, other than Wagner, Cuba, and Iran seem to be going all-in to keep Maduro in power. No surprise, they are not going to let him fall without a fight. Absent something unexpected, this is likely to be a bloody slog (see previous writing). There are some interesting tidbits popping up about Maduro and the Venezuelan gangs causing havoc in the U.S. Also interesting to note what gangs are involved and what gangs appear to be supporting Maduro or have gone over to the opposition at home.

Nicaragua. Something other than just arrests of Catholic clergy is going on. Ortega hates the Catholic Church, and that the Catholic Church has been (effectively) the last organized critic of his regime. So, no surprise at the repression, but there are disruptions in the patterns that suggest something else may be going on.

Iran. Yes, keeping an eye open for what they plan to do to Israel, but there are reasons to look well beyond that. Not the right word, but brittle keeps popping into mind. The mad mullahs are hanging on by a thread right now, and they know it. They also now have to really keep an eye on each other given the penetration by Israel and others of various factions within the power group. When you find out the innermost groups of the Revolutionary Guard are cooperating with external enemies, it tends to make you trust no one. There are investigations, purges, and more underway as shadows are seen everywhere along with little men upon the stairs (who are never there). The problem with mole hunts, however, is the tendency to see anything that even slightly sticks up (real or imagined) as a mole that needs whacking. One wonders if they may be making Angleton’s worst seem mild. I would point out a few things about those days, but I would love to see the mad mullahs make not only all his mistakes but as many new ones as possible. Besides, it was fun to watch “big k” anxiously scan the sky during the funeral.

Space. It’s more than the latest with Woeing, though that is spectacular. With what I know right now, I would not ride that capsule back down. Now, it’s possible there is data I don’t have that indicates it is perfectly safe but… That said, I agreed with Charlie Martin on X yesterday that it would not be surprising if Nelson told them to take one for the team and ride it back down. Especially since Woeing somehow decided to do away with the software on this capsule that would let it do an unmanned undocking from the ISS. Go read David Strom at Hot Air and Stephen Green at PJ for very good coverage of this, and Stephen is doing outstanding ongoing coverage of space. Check it out.

Somebody please remind me later to do two posts on space. First is on the late, great, Martin Caidin as I can just about hear him commenting on what is going on now. Second, on a previous discussion we had here about challenges to our moving off planet. Been fairly reliably informed that Elon and others are aware of the two big issues we talked about here (some excellent comments, thank you!) but there are some updates needed.

England. Two-tier keir (sorry, that creature does not deserve a cap letter) is running things into the ground even faster than expected. Lots to discuss, but when you are subjects, and disarmed subjects at that, what else did you expect? My assessment is pretty bleak (hail caliphate) but there is still a chance though not likely as it requires both spines and reproductive organs and I’m not seeing politicians or so-called leadership class/elites with such. When a female comedian and a female author have bigger pairs than the entire British political establishment combined…

Oh, before I forget, my semi-regular reminder to read Sarah A. Hoyt. Most of you do already I suspect, but always some good food for thought there, whether you agree or disagree. Personally, I agree a good bit, but it is almost always a feast rather than a small portion of food for thought. Also, there seems to be something going on with the Dragon Awards that is concerning, pay attention.

There’s more, but I need to get going. May your day be good, and be thinking about what you can do to be prepared. Then, act. Be prepared. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Oh, and keep in mind the universal maxim of what happens to disarmed populations…

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, 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.

What A Week!

Last week, I had volunteered to help with food for a national conference being held at our Church. Officially, I signed up for one three or so hour shift I think. Unofficially, I had already talked with the Chef in charge of all the food for the event, and pretty much signed a blank check. Yes, my mind does still think I’m 20, why do you ask? <smile>

Some of you have figured out a good bit about my Church, but I try to keep them out of the line of fire. Short description of what went on is this: An open annual meeting was hosted by my Church that is in practice national but open to all Churches in our denomination that fall within our diocese. Our diocese covers the United States, Canada, and Australia (!), and apparently a couple of other odd countries. Have sort of gotten the feeling that when they don’t know where to put the Churches in a country, they stick them in our diocese while they figure things out. So, while all of the Churches in these countries can take part, it really comes down to it being the Churches in the U.S. Sometimes there is participation by Canadian Churches, but even that is rare I am told.

Now, the conference is more focused on nuts-and-bolts of operations, though there is some discussion of theology and theological considerations. As a result, the — call him Archbishop though he has a different title — over the diocese (that is all the Churches in the U.S., Canada, Australia, etc.) attends. From a religious perspective, this is — of course — a big deal. Those that have met him before told me a lot of good things about him, but for those that are Roman Catholic or understand their system, you are talking effectively a Cardinal. I had hoped I might get to meet him at a service, maybe get a blessing as part of such, but really didn’t expect more than that. More on that in a bit.

The Chef (and I use the initial cap VERY deliberately) who was in charge of the food is amazing. I’ve met her briefly before, and the short version is that upon coming to America she got a job as a dishwasher at a higher-end establishment, quickly got promoted to cook, and I understand she owned her own restaurant for a while. In short, she knows what she is doing, how she wants things done, and while she may have a small penchant for micromanagement, she’s earned it. I have no objection to being told ‘cut this way and to this size’ and in fact I like it when I am working for someone else if I know EXACTLY what they want and how they want it. Makes life much easier.

Now, it wasn’t one meal. It was an introductory supper; breakfast/brunch, lunch, dinner; breakfast, lunch, (dinner catered as it was also a dance/celebration held elsewhere); then, brunch/lunch. For those who have done restaurant or food service work, it was effectively cooked to order. For those who don’t know what that means, here’s a quick breakdown.

We started food preparation on Wednesday. While some things were bought commercial and pre-made (desserts, chips, etc.), everything else was prepared from scratch. What this really means is that the clock started ticking Wednesday and it is a very complex clock. Some of what I did Wednesday was to prepare ingredients or to prepare to create ingredients that would be needed on Sunday for the final meal. It is a complex process to ensure everything comes together at the right time so that the final products come out at the right time, at the right temperature, and in the right condition for each meal.

Now, to add to the fun, each meal had a different number of people signed up for it. We also had to take into account that there were fasting requirements in place. My Church takes fasting rather seriously, in that during the average week there are two fasting days where depending on circumstances you can’t use meat; you may or may not be able to use oil or wine; and, there may be other restrictions. Also, some of the monastic orders have dietary restrictions on members. So, the whole menu has to be planned around this.

One example. The opening day was an open day, so anything went. The next day was a fasting day with no meat, no dairy, and some minor considerations. We did a salad on the first day native to the home country of the Archbishop, which included a special cheese. Great in that respect (and he was quite happy at seeing it); but, it could not be used in any way on the second day. The Chef did an outstanding job of threading the menu needle with the planned dishes. She also did an AMAZING job of timing things out so that every dish was on the table at the right temp and right condition at precisely the right time.

Which of course meant that almost immediately we got the dreaded ‘can you do this 30 minutes earlier/hour later’ well after the clock had started in earnest on that meal. Unless you have worked food service or cooked professionally, you don’t know what a big hairy warty deal that is, or how much it sucketh more mightily than an 10-to-the-negative-16th TOR vacuum. The clock on that meal starts 8 or more hours before that meal. When you have multiple dishes (and most meals literally have six to 10 dishes/components), you are talking a very complex operation. A good Chef can handle 5-15 minutes even if it is a major pain in the patuchas. Beyond that, only the really good ones can handle it and not at the very last minute. You get much beyond 30, well in advance, and most are going to laugh at you. Thirty minutes, we handled, though the “customer” didn’t have a clue how much work that entailed. When you have a good team, the customer only sees the result, not the massive amount of extra work and sweat. We had a good team.

Now, we did have to change a couple of things on the fly to accommodate both changes and issues. The latter is expected, and you account for it in planning. An ingredient may not be available, a product not delivered on time, etc. Changes are a major, major, pain.

*****

Which leads me to something I want to say to everyone: When you do something like this, and they ask on the flippin registration form if you have dietary issues (for any reason), tell them. If you are going out to eat and have special requirements, call ahead and ask/notify. Please, for the love of all, do not wander up and demand/ask people to stop setting up the meal service to tell you what dishes do/don’t have X in them. If you are massively allergic to dairy, shellfish/iodine (my issue), or peanuts, or whatever TELL THEM AS FAR AHEAD OF TIME AS POSSIBLE.

When you don’t, and we have used prepared ingredients, say a store-bought sausage we did not make ourselves, when you wander up at the last minute we then have to dig through the garbage can (and/or the dumpster, potentially) to find the package and check. This is a bit of a disruption to getting the meal out on time as you then have to have everyone not only stop to try to find every ingredient label from everything used all freakin day, then clean up, sterilize areas, and wash up and sterilize ourselves, and well, if you don’t get it, it is a major pain in the rump and a MAJOR legal liability for those doing the food. In short, if we can’t find all the labels the default (legal and the court of public opinion) is that we have to tell you that a given dish has to be considered as having dairy/shellfish/nut/etc. in it as we can’t prove it DOESN’T. And, no, having just cooked food for 50 to 200 people, we can’t just whip up dishes to accommodate your needs in five minutes. Even if we have the staff, you are talking 30 or more minutes to send someone to the store and hope it has products that meet your specific requirements, prep time, cooking time, and serving time. TELL THE PEOPLE AHEAD OF TIME ESPECIALLY IF THEY FLIPPIN ASK YOU!!! If they ask and you wander up at the last minute, you are either seeking attention or are an idiot. DON’T BE THAT CUSTOMER!!!

Also, if it is not from a medical issue, don’t be that customer who goes into a barbecue joint and demands a vegan option. That’s just being something I’m not supposed to call people these days, and frankly if you do it you get what you deserve. Choices are not medical issues. If you have a medical issue, you should know to check ahead. If it’s not a medical issue, don’t be a jerk. Period. No, we did not have any of those, thank goodness. We did have a couple of people that should have notified us ahead of time on the registration form when asked. We could have at least has signage out saying that X dish was dairy/nut/shellfish/etc. free. Signage is easy. Scrambling at the last minute is not. Be considerate. Also, just a reminder, ask early rather than trying to stop service to get an answer. Again, be considerate.

*****

Oh, and a few extra people showing up usually isn’t an issue. More than seven or so gets to be a problem, but a few is okay. If a few don’t show up, well, your food staff is usually appreciative as it means they get to eat. (smile)

In our case, everything went relatively smoothly. Some changes, some timing changes, etc. Nothing too far out of the park. Which was good as we were usually starting full prep on the next meal before the guests were finished with the one being served. Again (and again) the Chef in charge ran the operation like a restaurant and I really appreciated and enjoyed that. Lots of good reminders.

Also, some good lessons. Her method of cutting/preparing fresh pineapple was much better than what I had been taught. Quicker and less waste. Picked up a few other new takes on how to do things. I’m not as fast as I used to be with some of the prep, but can still get the job done.

I did have a bit of a (pleasant) shock the first day when setting up the food table for the first dinner. A gentleman in robes wandered up and was admiring the table, we chatted a small bit, and I froze as I realized I was talking with the Archbishop and had not been briefed on protocol. I think it amused him that I froze up for a moment, but he just went on and made a couple of nice comments on how good everything looked. I then dove back into preparation and he got ready to eat. Had the impression, and heard from others later, he was very happy to see the salad from his home country on the table, and apparently enjoyed it very much. I did get a more formal blessing later, and he was kind enough to describe the food as “manna” and was quite happy with all the meals from what I could find out. Came away with the impression of a laid-back and even humble man, though he was quite emphatic in the areas that truly counted.

So, it was a week of long (very) days. I’m still exhausted and could tell it both walking to/from the guitar lessons and even with the lesson this morning. Other than this, trying to take the day off and recover a bit. Might have even had a glass of wine. Going to cook up something quick and easy for supper soon. If the weather was nicer, would walk back down to the taco truck, but the weather isn’t nice and the walk to the guitar lesson was a PITA from the humidity and from having to push things because of weather. Really glad I didn’t do anything in the kitchen yesterday as I attended Matins then Liturgy. Was so tired, and voice was off, so made no attempt to sing in the choir/chorus. Besides, let me focus on the services, which were unusual as we had more than 20 priests and deacons (40+???) taking part in addition to the Archbishop. When they sang or chanted in chorus, wow! I did get asked to hold a large bowl of blessed bread at the end of service, which I did as it was just standing there holding a large bowl. Easy.

Because I was in the kitchen so much, didn’t get to mingle and meet quite as much as I would have liked. That said, did get to meet a few new people and was amused at one young man who saw my hat (straw Panama) and thought I looked like an archeologist, which is what he wants to be. Have some invitations to attend other Churches around the U.S., and who knows, I may take some of them up on that one day. Wish I could have met more/spent a bit more time with the crowd, but had a great time in the kitchen. Kitchen is home in many ways.

So, while I’m sorry I didn’t post a whole lot since last Tuesday, I was a touch busy. Today will be a bit of a let-down food-wise, but that may be for the best.

I hope you all had a good weekend, and there is more to come.

Hump Day Update

For all that there is a lot of sound and fury, things are also sort of calm beneath the surface. Won’t last, but enjoy it for now even as you keep your eyes and ears open.

Use the time well. Prepare in ways large and small. Enjoy things as much as possible and while you can. Enjoy each day.

I’ll have more soon, but the next couple of days I’m going to be busy as my Church is hosting a national get-together and I’ve volunteered to help the chef who is handling all the meals and such. Going to be an interesting but also hopefully fun time.

More to discuss on preparedness soon, from short-term to long-term; suspect more current events will be discussed; and, tied into preparedness is some self-reliance as I hope to share some experiments in mustard and mayo making. Did some deviled eggs for Church the other day, and suspect I’m on Southern Living’s ‘headed to hell’ list for using my own mayo instead of Duke’s. (smile) Did some classic, wasabi, oriental hot mustard, dijon-style mustard, and chili-lime.

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

Quick Thoughts On Fights & Protection

Sorry for the lack of posting, but life has been interesting. Mostly in good ways, as still processing the unexpected news from last week. The heart is good. Associated issues (hypertension, etc.) are still there. The body, well, that’s a different story. Trying to get some more medical lined up, and also having to verify that my insurance is good and will remain in effect. Just love paperwork…

Yesterday (I think) I posted on X about abject stupidity and breathtaking incompetence being indistinguishable from malice. Which leaves me with a bit of a quandry as I can’t quite believe either and am leaning towards embracing the healing powers of the word “and” in this regard.

Yes, I have helped do security, physical and other, including being close in. If you are close in, your entire job is to play bullet sponge and protect the package. If things go well your armor will keep you alive. If not, too bad, what matters is keeping the package alive. I could get into zones and such, but I figure most of you can guess that I do have at least some clue on the subject.

I’ve held off saying a whole lot for now, as this needed at least 72-hours and not 48. Problem is, it really doesn’t matter if it was malice or just DIE-inspired breathtaking incompetence and abject stupidity. Again, I’ve begun leaning towards “and” being operative here. Regardless, Mayorkas and the entire senior leadership of the Secret Service need to go. At this point, they have willfully endangered the lives not just of Trump, but also RFK and others for political reasons. The more that comes out from the assassination attempt, the worse it gets for the SS, DHS, and even LE.

I may get into all the failures one day soon, but they are legion. From SS members appearing to hide behind Trump to a response that couldn’t clear a basic fence, this is beyond amateur hour. Diversity Inclusion Equity leadership and participation failed spectacularly at the only thing that matters: protecting the package.

If Trump is eliminated, or if the public even thinks he MAY have been eliminated, I don’t think it will be pretty. It’s the whole rheostat versus on/off switch thing, and those playing with the dial don’t have a clue what they are doing or what will happen. Only idiots (on every side) are stupid enough to want such to happen. Those of us who have seen the world a bit, and studied history, have a clue and want to avoid such.

Which also gets into the calls for a new Munich by the Chamberlin Brigade. Cancel culture is now coming for the progressive side, and the civility brigade is all a dither at the horror of the “new rules” being done to “average people” on the left.

You know what? It’s not nice. It’s not pretty. It’s not the best of the best. It is, however, necessary. For long years, those anywhere to the right of Lenin (and mostly “average people”) have had their lives destroyed, families and friends threatened and attacked, and worse by the progressive cancel and rage mobs. The progressive elements have cheered those attacks and destruction, be it on children or adults.

Until it is driven home on them, until they experience what they have cheered on others, they will continue to do it and gloat. Our Republic can’t survive living under two sets of rules where only one side is destroyed. To paraphrase their secular icon, make the enemy live up to their rules. They have to experience it and do so unto a level that they stop this dreck. It’s like rubbing a puppy’s nose in the puddle or mess until they get the hint.

I don’t particularly like it, and look forward to the day it is no longer needed. But if we are to destroy the evil that is cancel culture and the rage mob, it needs be done and those demanding the high road will achieve nothing but the destruction of liberty by their misplaced and misguided efforts. The progressives were warned what would happen, and that they would not like the new rules; but, they were convinced that the rule(s) never would apply to them. Again, and again, and again: until those rules do apply to them and it impacts them, things will not change. If we stop now, not only will they not change, they will get worse. That’s a discussion for another day, but to the Chamberlin Brigade/MoQ types, this is NOT a fair fight, if you are in a fair fight your tactics suck, and if you insist on trying to be noble, high-minded and fair right now you are guaranteeing the death of freedom of speech. Suck it up, hold your nose, and rub the puppy’s nose in it until the lesson is driven home. Hold them to their rules until the rules are changed for the better FOR ALL.

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

Checking In

Sorry for the lack of posting, still processing what happened and trying to keep up with life. Friday is my baking day, and bread production is underway. In between stretch-and-folds and such am doing laundry, pretending to clean my room, and the other usual activities of life. Got the girls (my sourdough starters, Audrey and Rachel) fed and giving them some time out of the refrigerator.

Had coffee yesterday with my Subdeacon, and one of the topics was what has happened. He was also the second or third person to ask me recently what it would take for me to be able to increase my bread production. That basically boils down to some equipment and having a kitchen of my own. Also, he told me I’m not allowed to move or move to another Church, even if I win the lottery. I do have a dream of sorts of if I win the lottery move out west and put up a diner out in the middle of nowhere and feed those who stop by. Have a little chapel as part of it. It’s a dream.

The second guitar lesson went well on Monday, and I am practicing and trying to build up my fingertips. Can’t remember if I mentioned it before, but my landlord gave me a music stand that is perfect for guitar work. Now considering finding a used guitar stand to go with it.

More soon, off to do more stretch-and-folds and start the first proofing of this week’s bread. More later I hope.

Tales From MOC Con

Really, there is a redundancy in that title, but if you don’t know what MOC stands for, or accept that it became a proper name unto itself, the extra Con is needed. Today, a quick (?) tale from my time on the science fiction convention circuit and an interesting (if ultimately slightly horrific) interaction with one of the actors from Dr. Who.

For today’s post, I blame Amy and Aymar as it was a discussion with them that led to my thinking about/remembering this episode. We were discussing Dr. Who as the result of some rather loathsome comments by an actor, and got to thinking about the Doctor who brought us into the series. Given my memory, the first episodes I ever watched (most likely on PBS) may have been Jon Pertwee, but it was really Tom Baker who was “my Doctor” and got me to enjoy the series.

Over the years, I actually met a number of actors from the show, including Mr. Pertwee (still, I hope, have an autographed and personalized copy of his autobiography somewhere). When I met Louise Jameson she was on a tear trying to scandalize those attending a convention, I suspect in part because of the location where it was held. A story for a different day. Can’t remember some others (stupid lightning), but I did very briefly meet Patrick Troughton.

For several years, I was a guest at MOC con, which started as “Macon Opus Con” and then became “Magnum Opus Con” before just getting called MOC con by most. It started in Macon, Georgia, and was too big (and just too much for sleepy Macon) even in the first year. As a result, it moved to Columbus, Georgia, for its second year. And, yes, I did look up a number of things for this (stupid lightning).

Since I was not a television star, but a science (and minor writing) guest, I was not in the main convention hotel at the start of that second year. Disappointing, as being able to go back to your room, store stuff there, and be close to your room between panels was handy. Got through the first day okay, but was on a list to get moved to the main hotel if a room came open.

One thing I do remember from that first day was opening ceremonies. I seem to recall that one of the guests had played “The Master” on Doctor Who, and when he was introduced to the crowd a bunch of booing and cries to do bad things to him broke out, such that the poor man looked rather scared for a moment. Then he realized that the “crowd” doing the booing and making comments was one person: Patrick Troughton. Who, as the other actor clutched his chest and shook his finger at him, was doubled over in laughter at having gotten his colleague. Everyone cracked up, relaxed, and a fun time began.

I was surprised to get a phone call early the next morning, telling me a room had become available at the main hotel, and asking if I would like to move over? Of course, I said yes and move I did. Made it much more convenient in regards my panels, and things were going along well until around lunch time I think. It was then someone mentioned a thing not being discussed in public (I don’t even remember any rumors that morning), that Mr. Troughton had died of a heart attack at breakfast (just after ordering apparently). Thankfully, the room I had moved into was not his, but had belonged to friends traveling with him. I have to admit I was relieved.

Yes, it did cast a pall over the convention. Mr. Troughton was friendly, had a good sense of humor, and was very much enjoying himself. I seem to recall some DJs put out on air that the “star” of the con had died so don’t bother going, which did hurt attendance. Jerks never did apologize for that one if memory serves.

I was a guest at a couple of other MOCs over the years I think, and I met some interesting people as part of it. Got to meet some literary figures I enjoyed, and was surprised a bit at some of the media people truly being interested in what NASA, DoD, and others were doing. Got to visit with Mr. Doohan on a couple of occasions at MOC, which was always a pleasure and not a surprise that he was interested in current projects.

Over the years, I was a guest at some other conventions, including one or two of the early DragonCons. I remember one at least, as that was the one where I spent a bit of time with Larry Bond, Tom Clancy, and some other interesting people. I also got Timmyed (a word I just made up) into helping with the start of LibertyCon, working with Klon on programming. If you never worked with Uncle Timmy, especially when he had a project (crusade), by the time you heard the whistle, the locomotive had already run over you. The Timmy Train was quite the thing. Again, a story for another day.

I think I’m making getting back to LibertyCon a bucket list item. It would be good to see how it’s grown and to meet up with some old friends in the process. Maybe even make some new ones. Heck, with what the lightning did, some of the old I don’t remember might become new again.

That was the interesting thing about the cons: you did meet some very good and interesting people, and sadly I’ve realized writing this how many of them have passed. Which means it’s time to try to meet some new good and interesting people.

Onwards.

Mea Culpa

This weekend, I made a mistake on Twitter and want to not only own up to it, but examine how it happened and try to make up for it a small bit. It involved the now infamous viral video of an HOA Karen (biological male, HOA president living up to your expectations/stereotypes) who may or may not have been drinking, was a complete douche, and who snapped a teenager’s fishing pole (expensive) over its knee.

The abuse of authority, especially against minors, is one of those things that sets me off. I dug into the story, especially as it involved Knoxville, TN — as I used to live there and have a few fond memories of the town and a certain academic institution located there. Others had done the same, and Karen was quickly identified as one Matt Webster, who is a member of a Church and takes part in a Haiti relief operation that is affiliated with the Church. There were photos of him, and they matched the video.

Someone else identified him as working for United Community Bank in Knoxville. Now, this was from a different source and while they seemed to have some credibility with the party who had done the initial detective work, I did try to check their work before accepting it. Couple of problems came up.

First, UCBI had scrubbed the personal page, which is not a good sign of innocence. Worse yet, it appeared one or more notes had been posted on it before being wiped, one of which appeared to be to the effect that what people did in off hours was not the business of the bank. Again, seeing that something had been posted that appeared to indicate it was the person then was part of the wipe was not a good sign. If you are doing coms, keep in mind that such ghost pages can and do show up for a bit even after you wipe them.

Second, I had limited my search in regards this Matt Webster to Knoxville, trying to eliminate false returns. Net result, I missed an article in a Nashville journal that had a photo that clearly did not match the video and other photos of Karen Webster. Had I seen it, I would have known the info was not correct. In the absence of such, and in the absence of a photo on the corporate website (which deleted page apparently had a photo that could have prevented much grief), I decided to go with the information.

Net result, I screwed up. I have deleted the tweet and posted both a mea culpa and an apology. I want to do so here as well. I also would like to offer a couple of suggestions to the “good” Matt Webster and UCBI.

Crisis communications is not easy, even with prior planning. Management seldom wants to invest time or money in such, though they should. Having done a bit of it over the decades, here are a couple of suggestions for UCBI.

First, always plan for a crisis and the way to bet is that such will come up on a holiday or during a time key people are not available. Seems to be some variant of Murphy’s Law. In a case like this, a good response is to remove all contact info while putting up a banner to the effect that this is not the person in the video, acknowledge that the video is disturbing, and that the bank shares the concerns of the public even though it is not involved. From experience, legal may object to such, but I will note that if you go with what legal recommends and only what legal recommends, you will get corn cobbed every time. It’s a balancing act but such a banner gets across: it’s not your person, your bank is not involved, people have the wrong person, and, you share the disgust at what happened. Not perfect, some will ignore, but it gets the basic information out and sets the stage to do more later at need. Internally, you change the coms for the person involved, shield them as much as possible, and work to help them weather the storm. There are arguments for and against doing a generic reply to emails, but my own take is that a generic reply emphasizing wrong person, wrong institution, not involved, and shares community concerns over the video helps reinforce other messaging Ignore the most vitriolic, but forward them to security for safekeeping against future need or turning them over to law enforcement as needed.

For Matt Webster, I recommend using humor (though you might not be feeling it right now) and flipping things on a tangent to your (and UCBI’s) advantage. First thing, reach out to the kids in the video and their parents. Not to complain, but to check on them, how they are doing, ask if the pole has been replaced and if there is anything you can do. Not all Matt Webster’s are like Karen Webster and while you share the same name you are thankful you are not that person. Keep it light, focus on them, and consider offering expertise and help with what is going on, that while monetization of content and such is not your area, glad to provide introductions to those who are, etc. Focus on them. Do not publicize that you have reached out, leave that up to them. You should note it made your weekend most interesting, and can only imagine what it has been like for them.

Once that is done, consider a video of your own at UCBI. Again, keep it light as humor works well with American audiences. Do something short emphasizing you look nothing like Karen, clearly you are younger, more handsome, and a professional. Maybe say something about internet supersleuths getting it wrong (with an eye roll or such) and noting that while HOA rules are not your thing, X, Y, and Z are and you look forward to providing that knowledge and service to the members of the community. Recommend not mentioning Karen by full name, rather, something like “that other fellow” instead. Again, this approach works well with American audiences, and can be a good start to a larger professional campaign.

As for me, I am sorry for the mistake, and apologize for spreading the false information. I hope this helps explain how it happened, and provides some suggestions that may help deal with the situation.

Three Years Ago

Tomorrow, 30 June 24, is a special day. On that date (not day), my life changed as I sat drinking coffee on the front porch.

There was no real warning. I had just put down phone and coffee mug, getting ready to go inside. I remember the hairs on my body suddenly standing straight up, and before I could do anything my world went white. It felt like my brain was vibrating at a very high frequency, and there was a roaring sensation — not a sound — in my brain. I had several thoughts during this time, almost overlapping, starting with ‘this is going to hurt’ and I think some thought of ‘wow the lightning hit close by.’ I thought it was just clenching up in fear, but my body locked up in the chair.

Then my world went dark, and I literally thought the power had gone out to the house/neighborhood from the strike. I was still thinking it had hit nearby, and remember thinking along the lines of ‘bleep, we will have to reset every clock in the house’ which was a pain. In the darkness, I began to wonder what I would see when the lights came back on: Heaven, hell, or something else? I admit I was quite relieved when suddenly I could see again and was on the porch.

I still didn’t realize I had been hit. I don’t remember any pain, and there was more wonder at what was going on than fear. After a moment I thought something along the lines of wow that was close, wonder where it hit as I scanned around to see if I could tell. I honestly thought it had hit across the street. For the record, almost anyone who is hit or has a near miss is probably not firing on all cylinders, even if they think they are — and I truly did think I was firing on all cylinders.

It’s been a heck of a ride, and it’s not over yet. There was a form of failure cascade that eventually led to open-heart surgery, and there is more cardiac testing and scanning early next month. The path I/we think the lightning took through the body tells a tale. There is hearing loss in my right ear, with nerves being dead. My best guess is that the lightning that got me hit in or just behind my right ear. It went down the inside of my torso and eventually exited the ball of my right foot.

Funny that I missed it that morning. You see, being unaware I had been hit, I went inside, took care of a couple of things, gave thanks to God and the Blessed Mother I was alive and that it had missed me (cough), got my shower, and went to work. Missed the hole in the bottom of my foot as it wasn’t bleeding; rather, it was filled with carbon. Looked like a thick pencil lead going back up into my foot when I did find it. Sole of my shoe got the neat burns, but my body didn’t — at least on the outside. Inside may have been a different story.

The docs and therapists at RHI told me that it would take three years for my brain to heal (as much as it was going to heal), and that we should look at repeating tests and doing more tests after that. May look into that, provided I don’t have to go through the useless Dr. Lichen-stine to do so. Sorry, one of the nicer names I have for the neurologist. Having a doc tell you that he’s not going to do a lot because there’s nothing that can be done about it anyway is a heck of a thing. I had to work hard to get into outpatient at RHI and I don’t think I would have had I just left it up to him and his office. In terms of recommendations, thumbs-up to RHI, thumbs down to the neurologist.

Also, belated kudos to the people I worked with at the time. They saw some of the failure cascade starting, and were the first to question my thought that the lightning had missed me. If not for them questioning/pushing, I might not be here. I also want to thank them again for the recliner they pitched in to get me after the open-heart surgery, as the camping chair really didn’t cut it… Thanks guys, you were a great bunch to work with.

Given that some of the short-term memory issues seem to have backslid a bit, and the long-term memories are still messed up, may indeed get with RHI. If some of the (possibly increasing) brain glitches are going to be an ongoing thing, may have to re-evaluate some of my long-term plans. Really hoping we get some answers, and maybe some better questions, with the upcoming cardiac testing. There are things not adding up, be nice to start figuring out what is missing from the equations. There are issues with my right foot and leg, which may (or may not) be cardiac related (and one of the things not adding up), some GI issues, and such.

Since I was hit by lightning though, I’m not going to complain. It could be a lot worse. I could be dead, and in many respects it is surprising I am not. Glad I’m not, mind you. Very glad even. I could have taken far worse damage than I did, and again I’m glad I didn’t. There is a list of little miracles that morning, and I am grateful for them all.

For all that I do think that the best visual to represent things is the last jump of the Battlestar Galactica, shuddering past the moon as it sheds chunks and pieces to slowly fall to the surface, the basic systems are still up (mostly) despite what has sheared away. The brain may not be what it was, the heart is definitely not what it was, and there are a few other system that have indicated they might like to add a word. Even so, I may be (a lot) slower than I was, but I’m still moving. I can still spot a pattern or two in the data, and I hope/think I have a bit more to add on preparedness. Maybe a few other topics too. We will see. My ability to learn is a topic that needs exploration, but I can share a bit of what I do remember.

Meantime, I plan to press on. I will be pushing the docs for data and/or answers. I hope to get a lot more writing done. Yes, I am looking for a keeper as such would be good for me on several fronts and levels. To be honest, though, I am putting it all into God’s hands. I’m not joking when I talk of minor miracles, and that there is a reason I’m still here. I have my Faith, and the faith to say “Let that which is right be.”

That doesn’t mean sitting back passively, as that’s not the way things work. In fact, work (and working at things) is the key. We are expected to work, and work hard. It is just a lot better and easier when we work in the ways directed and shown. I really am trying to listen better, and not do anything too stupid (despite dehydrating last week). Really. Honest. I’m trying to be good. As best I can, at any rate…

Been a heck of a ride. Thank you for being a part of it, and for your prayers and assistance. You have made a huge difference in my life and recovery, and I thank you all profusely for it. May there be a good bit more to come for us all.

Also, pay attention to the lightning safety brief! Be careful out there.

Still Here

Sorry for the silence, but having to deal with ensuring all doctors are aware of what the others are doing, etc. Also trying to arrange a ride to the day of cardiac testing, would help if I had more (any) faith in the service my insurance provides. Or that it wasn’t such a (needlessly) complex and convoluted process that requires you to jump between phone, computer, and text within a poorly designed system.

Also, while I’ve had more than one close brush with death, I decided last year to combine all the alive days and my birthday into one big Alive Day. That day is 30 June, and it is the day lightning hit me and by the Grace of God I got up and walked away. As I noted on GiveSendGo, not unscathed, but still moving and fighting. Slower and weaker perhaps, but I ain’t dead yet.

Circumstances are such I will not be doing a celebratory meal or such on it this year. While I will be giving thanks for it in Church, am putting off anything else until after the next round of cardiac testing and such are completed. Besides, budget isn’t great right now and I need to see how some things go.

More soon I hope. Right now, have to go see about using a blender to grind some grains for bread. My Godmother wants some rye bread made by a certain recipe, and I am going to do everything I can to make that happen. I also am going to grind some red and white wheatberries once done with the rye, as I want to see how it does in the sourdough bread. The Dijon-style mustard turned out good (!!) and I will share the recipe soon. If anyone knows a good source of bulk mustard seeds, do let me know as I see a lot more mustard in my future. 🙂 Also, need to share an updated chili-lime mayo recipe with you as it and regular mayo are easy to make, tasty as all get outs, and a LOT healthier than what you will find in the store.

Baking Day

And laundry day. And cleaning day. And the day I put Zombie Car up for sale. Also the day I am experimenting with mustache wax.

Had another brain fart while baking this morning, but this one is (I think/hope) recoverable. Doing one loaf of rye and one loaf of regular. My godmother wants me to bake her some rye to her recipe, and started that process this morning by creating a rye starter with dark rye flour. The loaf I did today is so I can get a better feel for the rye flour and proportions. One or two more feedings of the new rye starter, and we should be good to go later this next week.

I ordered a pizza stone for cooking bread (and pizza) but had another brain fart and instead of arriving Monday it is arriving on 1 July. Not what I wanted, but will live with it. Need a good stone no matter what.

At least five years ago, I bought mustache wax and wasn’t thrilled with it. That said, they sent two tins and one has sat in a drawer as I slowly worked through the other one. About out on the first, so pulled the other one out and it was a hockey puck. So, the tin is currently in some water on the stove getting melted, and I’ve added a small bit of avocado oil, olive oil, and scented beard oil. Mixing it up good and once uniform will let it cool and see if it will actually work. I am cheap, and refused to give up without trying. If it works, should hold as well as it ever did (not great, but good enough) and have a very light bit of scent to it.

Haven’t done as much cleaning as I should, but have gotten a good bit done otherwise. Special services tomorrow at Church as we pray for the departed, but hoping to get to the barber (long overdue) so I can stop looking like a long-haired hippie freak. (smile). Also hoping to set up some regular guitar lessons while there.

Bed is changed, laundry done and put away, and bread should be about doubled here in just a few. After doing final work, hope to get it into the baskets and in the refrigerator soon. Have to bake super early tomorrow because of the special services.

By the way, here’s the text of the sale ad for ZC. Figure even money odds it triggers someone:

For Sale: 2004 Ford Taurus L(X), 3.0L engine, 235,685 miles

Like many a tale of an ex, this one is sad. When I got hit by lightning three years ago, she apparently did as well, but unlike me she kept running. I replaced the radio that died then with a Kenwood, and she kept plugging along. Alas, this year she started drinking heavily, and has quite the anti-freeze habit now though she still only sips oil. She has arthritis (rust), and needs work. Sold as is, no warranty expressed, implied, or hinted. She runs, but would probably appreciate a ride to her new home.

Landlord laughed and liked it, so… More soon.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, 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. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.