Terrorism

Right now, there is a lot of chatter about this or that group being domestic terrorists. There is chatter about a terrorist supporter here on a green card being deported. Lots and lots of chatter (got to drive that engagement!), but to my mind some important points are being missed.

Yesterday, I shared a post on X about how what is going on now is how the Red Brigades and Baader-Meinhof got started. I shared it because to my mind it made a point while missing the point. The poster in the thread that followed held forth that this is just starting. It’s been building for years.

Mr. Andy Ngo has been writing about Antifa and others for several years now. Here’s one example outside of his book(s). I seem to recall writing about some things going on a couple of years ago myself with interesting groups getting interesting training and how it was even more interesting that top leadership had encrypted coms and more. I also believe I wrote a bit about how the shooting of transformers was not limited to the Northwest and was a much bigger issue than the FBI and others cared to admit.

The fact is, the modern equivalents of the Weather Underground, Red Brigades (a group with which my 12-year-old self had direct experience), and others are already here. They are organized and funded. Does anyone really think all those massive pro-Hamass riots were spontaneous? Heck, certain leaders have admitted they funded those demonstrations. Personally, I think a lot of the groups we are seeing active now are second- or third-order groups enabled by the long-term efforts of the first-order groups mentioned above.

It’s a classic move. Get one or more hardcore groups into place quietly. Build up cells, stockpiles, and more. Test the system a bit (transformers are but one area tested) Identify and recruit true believers who get checked out, and if they pass go overseas for clandestine training. Meantime, use other members to help recruit and establish new groups who do the things that get attention. Make sure there is insulation between the originals and the second- and third-order groups.

As the second- and third-order groups do the flashy public things, the first-order group or groups can do things far more important and have a lot of it buried in the noise. And, if the flashy public things bear fruit, it advances the cause.

Right now, I suspect we are seeing a deliberate use of those groups even if it puts them at risk. The fact is, the attacks on Tesla dealerships and owners is terrorism, whether you quibble by calling it domestic or not. On one level it is domestic; however, I strongly suspect the ultimate driver and funding source(s) are not domestic. Nor does it stop with Tesla.

Frankly, I’m surprised it’s taken this long for the “peaceful” attacks to return. They truly are not protests, nor are they demonstrations — unless one considers them a demonstration of violence and the willingness to use same. Progressive/Socialist ideology has always embraced the use of violence, and the analogy that they see it as a rheostat is not wrong. Nor is it wrong to note that others see it as a binary switch. There is a reason a number of us have warned about the danger of letting that switch be thrown, because we have seen it in the world now and because we actually study and understand history. The Reign of Terror in the French Revolution was actually relatively mild if you know history.

Right now, you have the progressive left/rule by the elites crowd in disarray as their world is being destroyed by the Trump administration. Major sources of funding (graft) are being cut off, people are being laid off, and efforts to reform the government and government spending are proceeding rather rapidly. The methods that worked on Trump 1 (lawsuits, resistance, etc.) are not working this time. People are being exposed and since legacy media has shot itself in a sensitive area adjacent to the leg, it can’t be hidden.

Now, add to that the fact that there are a LOT of governments and politicians who do not want to see the U.S. reformed. I will even start with the EU (and UK Labor) who have interfered in U.S. elections for a while now. On top of that, the UK, France, Germany (and probably others) also don’t want to see the reforms happen. Moving beyond our “friends” (allies, though that may be stretching it a bit these days), you have Russia, Ukraine, Iran, China…

Interesting information is that the servers in the attack this week on X were located in the Ukraine. This may be false flag, but I do find it interesting. Especially since Zelensky’s media operation has been accused of doxxing American journalists, and calling for their arrest or assassination. Still evaluating some info, but not getting warm fuzzies.

Interesting information came out this morning on another front. Anyone who has been truly paying attention is aware that Vladimir has really been pushing the sabotage efforts, especially the “accidental” damages to undersea cables and pipelines from dragging anchors on ships linked to Russia. There are also a number of reports of GRU units active in Germany and elsewhere. This morning, it emerges that the captain of the cargo ship that rammed the tanker supplying U.S. Navy ships is a Russian national. Now, the thread I linked believes for now it was truly an accident, but we are getting to the point where I don’t believe in coincidences Mr. Bond.

If Kash and others can get DOJ and the FBI back on track (a topic on which I retain strong doubts, think they need to nuke and start over), I think we might discover some very interesting things. Personally, I think there are at least two first-order groups working within the U.S. Possibly three, but the patterns in the data indicate at least two. There is an argument to be made if Antifa is first- or second-order as it has been public far more than the norm for a first-order group.

The third-order groups are going to get all the media attention for now. Expect to see not only more violence, but sob stories in legacy media on the order of ‘she was a good girl who meant well she shouldn’t be prosecuted for doing X’ and even more of the ‘it’s wrong and a violation of the First Amendment to deport those supporting or engaging in terrorism’ stories. On the latter, it is legal since if you are here on a Visa or green card you are not allowed to support terrorism or designated terrorist groups. Meantime, there is a huge difference between peacefully espousing your views and leading riots that block access, illegally trespass, and physically assault others. The first is protected, and the second should not be tolerated at all.

Quick aside: if you don’t follow or read Gad Saad, you should. I really need to add his books, particularly his new book on Suicidal Empathy to the Amazon Wish List. The West has a lot of problems. If we can save the Republic, which is not guaranteed, we still have even larger fights to come to save what remains of Western Civilization. And, yes, that is something we really do need to do.

However, the first- and second-order groups are the ones who worry me right now. The third-order are the shock troops, the cannon fodder even though they (mostly) don’t even suspect such. The others are the ones who can and will do real damage if ordered. By my estimates, some three battalions worth of military-aged males entered the country under the Biden Regency. How many of them joined the ranks of those first- and second-order groups that were waiting. What is their task?

If we had an intelligence community and law enforcement focused on their job and doing right by America, we might know. Instead, they are focused on politics and trying to maintain an order that is done. Which makes it a scary time for America and American’s who are paying attention.

There is a lot to celebrate in the efforts to drain the swamp and restore the Republic. Thing is, there is a lot that can go wrong too, and I will repeat again that the so-called elites have no idea how much anger there is in that almost eighty percent of the population that supports what is being done. I do not want to see that switch flip — to to have things get where those first- or second-order groups can work to flip it.

So, keep your guard and preparations up. If things get truly tense, don’t respond to provocations. Until then, celebrate your victories and work for more. As always, 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.

Itchy Feeling (Updates Below)

Okay, not sure what is going on other than that I think The Attack should be in non-fiction. Of many things going on right now, check out this story which should be ringing alarm bells far and wide about sleeper cells and worse. There are several others out there, all of which should be raising hackles and alerts.

For all I would be reluctant to step beyond the Firelight yet, starting to get a real itchy feeling about Monday and the days just beyond. Everyone is happy (and should be) over the election results and the chance to save the Republic. Problem is, what makes you think the deep state and progressives are going to play by the rules? They’ve already shown a large and varied willingness to step beyond the law on various fronts. What makes you think they are just going to lay down and follow the law now?

Interesting that the WEF is 20-24 January, right in time with the inauguration. An inauguration that looks to have a host of those hated by progressives (Milei, Nigel, Katie Hopkins, Musk, Bezos, Pichai, Cook, Altman, Zuckerberg, possibly Meloni, Orban, Bolsonaro, and more) in a small area. Now, add to that a number of darlings of the WEF and Deep State who are suddenly announcing they won’t attend. On one level, good as their absence will raise and enhance the event. On a different level, interesting that some of them will be at events or places well away from a potential ground zero. At the risk of sounding very “conspiracy theory” some of them are at locations where there have been multiple reports of emergency bunkers being built by “nervous” millionaires. Or bigger.

Also, how do you think corporate (legacy) media would respond if something like “The Attack” took place on or just after Inauguration Day? Heck, given what has been going on with DOJ, FBI, DHS, SS, et al, what if they stood aside if not helped?

Yes, I am a professional paranoid. There is a point to game things worst case, so as to be prepared. What we are seeing now could be totally random and innocent, or it may not. Face it though: you are about to have most major and many minor “enemies” of the elites/deep state (world wide) in a small area for several days while good progressive elites are well away and bunkered up (and dispersed).

Probably paranoid, but my shoulder blades are itching. After Butler, I have no faith in those in charge of security at almost any level. Frankly, I hope some foreign who have been cagey do stay away, just to thin the target pool. I also think that Trump and JD need to be widely spaced. As in very, very, nuclear-level widely spaced. Something’s not right. Pay attention. Hope this is wrong, but life could get very interesting real fast.

I’m going to be very busy with Theophany (spent most of today on it actually) the next few days. Will mostly be at Church, but will be keeping an eye on things and will cover as needed/can. Again, hoping I am wrong and the itchy feeling between my shoulder blades is just dry skin. That said, not going to bet on it for all I hope that is all it is.

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

UPDATE: Moving inside due to “weather” and some major changes to security perimeter. Note that “weather” could well be legit, or it could also be a good cover for reacting to other things. Only time (and the usual DC leaks) will tell. Also, looks like security is beefed up elsewhere too (Not a big DCD fan, but info is info). See this as an additional info point.

UPDATE II: I am delighted at all the continuing last-minute changes to events and plans. Funny that so many progressives are highly upset at them, you would think (as quite a few have noted on X) that it upset sightlines and plans. I want to see more to be honest. Not just on the day, but after. I noted above that the next few weeks could be very interesting. Then you get stories like this which prove the point. It’s still not too late to prepare, or to read The Attack if you have not already done so. No, link generates no payback to me FYI, prefer honest donations if I do good. I’ve been using the recent time at Church to offer up some prayers for today and the days ahead, prayers for peace, for growth, for safety, and more. I encourage you to join me, as I think such is very much needed. I don’t often do this, but will share a daily prayer that is modified from a traditional Orthodox Christian prayer:

O Lord Jesus Christ Our God, forgive our iniquities. Through the intercessions of Thy most pure Mother, save the suffering people of Earth from the yoke of the godless authority.

I will note that non-respectful discussions of the prayer will see the banhammer brought out of storage. Also, is anyone surprised at the last spasm of pardons? The Biden Regency is protecting all those it can, and through them others as well. All the more reason change is needed.

And if you need something unsettling for the day, think about this. Note the dragging of feet on confirmation hearings for several key players in the new admin. Now, look at the line of succession. Particularly look at who is where as of about 1230 hours today. Now, literally, look at where 1-3 are at that time. Now, look up who is 4, 5, and 6 and where they will be. More soon.

UPDATE III: Made it through the day surprisingly peacefully. Thank you Lord! As of this morning, Rubio is confirmed so as soon as he is sworn in a major problem in succession is fixed. Now to get the others in place.

Now to make it through the next few weeks. Read the comments as several good calls about things. One of my concerns remains attacks against civilians and infrastructure. It would not need assistance from elements of the government (already had that) nearly as much as weaponized elements of DOJ, etc. standing down or simply not standing up at need. Blame the new admin and not the failures and machinations of the past Regency. The next 2-6 weeks are critical in terms of change-of-command and dealing with rot. That said, Trump seems to be coming in with better intel this time, and plans laid out, and that could narrow the window, possibly even considerably. The top of the chain is relatively easy in many respects, it’s down the chain that time is needed along with good leadership. Keep those prayers and thoughts going folks. We are NOT out of the woods yet, but we are in a much better place than we were yesterday morning.

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.

Firelight

I’m continuing to follow events and right now the only thing I’m prepared to say is that too many things are not adding up. Nothing about Las Vegas makes any sense (a SF NCO who can’t make an IED?), and there are gaps in too many things there, New Orleans, and elsewhere.

Parts of this are reminding me uncomfortably of The Attack and if you have not read it I do recommend it. Parts are reminding me of the old Keystone Cops movies. Parts, well, parts of it are making my hackles rise with hints of what is out there.

Interesting that a well-funded and organized demonstration just happened to take place in NYC the day after the attack, just like they did after Oct. 7. No, I don’t believe in coincidences but I do believe in enemy action.

Buckle up as there is turbulence ahead. My advice is to take care of last minute prep and be prepared. Hunker down, avoid crowds and other clear targets. Lot of stuff going on that isn’t yet tripping the coverage but that could change. Be prepared. Keep your loved ones close and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Sandstone

I had planned (and wanted) to do a nice post about 2024 and how I hoped 2025 continued things for us all. Instead, I woke up to the terrorist attack in New Orleans, and am watching things continue to unravel here and around the world.

The attacks on NYE in Europe were no surprise; rather, the only surprise is that they were not larger and worse. Notice those countries where such did not take place or were shut down fast. Then notice where they weren’t. Not a surprise.

I’m trying to hold to the 24-hour rule on New Orleans, as things are in flux. Since the Stasi got involved, and the agent in mouthpiece declared it not to be terrorism (just before getting overridden apparently), I am going to take things with a bit of salt. Perhaps a tun would be a good place to start. And, yes, that is the proper spelling for what I have in mind.

Now, however, a cybertruck has exploded in front of the Trump Hotel in Vegas. Could you be any more obvious?

Heads on a swivel folks, the next twenty or so days are going to be a bit turbulent methinks. Be prepared.

Remember, keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Brace, Brace, Brace

Place this post in the category of being yet another one where I hope I am very, very wrong. In fact, it goes into that category where I will be happy to admit I was wrong. May the worst-case pass us by and may the least-case set the norm.

What am I talking about? The upcoming election, of course. Before I get going, some homework for you in regards the upcoming discussion.

I highly recommend going back and re-reading Larry Correia’s excellent takes on the 2020 elections, here and here. There are some other good ones out on that election, and 2022, but those do a very good job of establishing the patterns. Patterns we are already starting to see in Colorado (passwords, multiple other issues, trying to keep Trump off the ballot), Minnesota (multiple votes same voter ID number, etc.), Michigan (Chinese student voting), Pennsylvania (closing lines, voter intimidation, etc.), and, well, there are more.

In some cases, you will hear ‘oh, it’s just the one’ and other excuses, but keep in mind: each of these is a canary in the coal mine. Where there is one, there are usually more. Unlike 2020, the RNC and others are quick to file complaints, lawsuits, and such — but they still don’t stop many of the efforts (cough, Pennsylvania, cough). Oh, and if you watch some of the video from Pennsylvania starting with the two ‘Emergency Services’ people stopping the line. Pay particular attention to the body language of the dark-haired guy: that’s someone hoping for a fight, a chance to use force. Nor is he alone if you look at the other videos and watch the body language. Remember, mouths lie but body language rarely does. Also keep in mind that at least one person associated with a campaign has apparently been arrested in PA for telling people not to leave the line when (illegally) ordered to do so. While it will be an interesting case to follow later, it’s already succeeded in intimidation and more for now. Also remember, process is punishment.

While we are at it, don’t forget this going on in Arizona and elsewhere. Now, for non-domestic shenanigans, please pay attention to this story as this and worse are quite likely to to be happening well outside the Pacific NW.

Now, may I recommend you go read Sgt. Mom (always a good read anyway), David, and then Mike. Then go read Sarah. Win, lose, or draw, I think the odds of the Gods of the Copybook Headings claiming their own are far larger than I would like. I think this will indeed happen if Trump wins by a good margin; I think it will happen if either Trump or Harris win by a narrow margin; and, I think it will really go off if Harris and the cabal win by a large margin.

A bit of history here. The current ‘rule of the elites’ aka the rule of the credentialed elites (technocracy, etc.) has been a thing since at least FDR, though I would argue it really started under the loathsome Wilson. Now, it truly took off under FDR and has been the defacto ruling party for the decades since. Generations of our political class and so-called elite leadership have taken their place in government and associated organizations, grown fat, passed positions and power on to children and even unto grandchildren and great-grandchildren at this point. You see it with Pelosi, Bush, and others. The smart ones have stayed more in the background, and when you start looking at that level it gets most interesting. Government, no-longer-emergent NGOs, think-tanks, and the rest of the incestuous mess.

Now, for something different, a bit of older history. I would argue that most today have no clue how rare (and precious) the peaceful transfer of power throughout history. In point of fact, a very good argument can be made that it didn’t really exist until the founding of America. Even in monarchies, the transfer from one monarch to the next was a perilous time that often resulted in bloodshed. Even when the initial transfer was (relatively) peaceful, it often happened that such was a carefully papered over and the bloodshed only delayed. In such cases, it almost always was more bloody and nasty as a result as well. Remember, entire blood lines oft disappeared in cruel and unusual ways.

Another little bit of history that Sarah, myself, and others have mentioned before: What happened in Israel on Oct. 7 is not an abberration but the historical norm for sacks and similar attacks. Why do I mention this? Because I am worried Kurt Schlichter may have been an optimist. Imagine what happens in the book if there were two or more brigades of terrorists involved. More on that in a minute.

Before I get into things, I am also going to point out that while historical analogies to Rome (or Greece, Egypt, etc.) have some validity for comparison to modern events, personally I think it’s a bit limited. I would instead recommend looking at the French Revolution, a number of the civil wars in Central and South America, and even some of the civil wars/revolutions in SE Asia. I think they are far better than the former as comparisons, and in current events even more so than the Russian Revolution.

The fact is, you have an ‘elite’ that has effectively been in power and ruling in the U.S. for about 100 years. This is the only system the younger members know, and it’s all that counts as the older members are now dead. Even the “elders” right now essentially grew up in the system, so it is all they know. They see their power ending, along with family dynasties and a gravy train that has done them and theirs very well.

What makes you think they are going to give any of that up peacefully? Do you really expect them to say ‘hey, it’s time and we can transition to new opportunities and grow even more?’ Look at history and see how often that has happened, either with governments, people or systems immersed in a particular technology or market (think, cotton, guilds, heck, even the mafia looking to go legit), or even early NGOs (think guilds for just one). Please, name me one time such has happened on a large scale.

Now, look back at the last twenty years and the lawfare waged against those who would rock the boat (Trump is just the latest and most blatant); the efforts at government censorship in defiance of the Constitution (governmental agencies, organizations, etc. working with Facebook, Twitter, etc.); and the efforts to stonewall challenges in the last two elections in particular. Now, look at what the Harris campaign has said about disinformation, rights not being absolute, etc. Do you really think they are just talking? That it means nothing?

The so-called ‘elites’ are a uniparty and they have been building towards this for years. History started before 2016 and since the days of hanging chads, the beat has gotten louder and louder: illegitimate election, electoral college bad, the D candidate got more votes, etc. That hit an initial crescendo in 2016, but I will bet on something much louder this time if the cheat doesn’t work.

We could well see an action as was just seen in France, where Macaroon refused to acknowledge the results of the last election. What happens here, if the peaceful transfer of power does not take place? It really doesn’t matter how or even if there is a shred of legality to anything done, the question will come back to what happens now. What happens when one side knows lawfare and more (and if you think the people killed/murdered in unnecessary dawn raids were not noticed, you are mistaken). What if one side sees it as the end of the life they’ve known, and other other knows it means the end of their lives and that of their loved ones? What happens if the Constitution is null and void.

Do I think the so-called ‘elites’ are stupid enough to go there? Yes. Most live in a bubble and have no clue about reality, history, or much else. They do think the deplorables will just accept, go along, and wear the chains. They have no clue of what is and has been building, and that their place in history is gone.

To make this even more fun and interesting, what happens if in the early days a series of events take place to disrupt voting and disrupt the process after the election? When the election is already (rightly) suspect in many areas? Especially if known groups are the front? What happens if there is an attack like in The Attack?

While Iran is clearly in the lead for countries that wish us, the Great Satan (remember, Israel is the Little Satan) gone. They, however, are not alone as a good case can be made for China, Russia, and even Ukraine more directly interfering in our elections than has already been done. Think they haven’t? Think they aren’t prepared for more? Look at the number of Chinese, Middle Easterners, and others of interest (including Chechen) that are known to have illegally crossed the border.

Imagine you suddenly see the country that you hate the most/is the biggest block to your plans suddenly spinning into a major crisis. You have the chance to indirectly add to the chaos and push things so that they are not a threat to you or yours for years or generations. What are you going to do?

It is a time of great peril, and a time of great opportunity. The former should be obvious to anyone who has any knowledge of history or who has spent time overseas — particularly in countries that are in or just out of internal strife like this. The latter is something that we really need to deny to our enemies, and seize for ourselves. We are at a cusp that sees us poised to become interplanetary, eliminate a variety of health problems, end scarcity of a number of resources, and ensure our survival as a species (at least for now). I want that future for us, and not one of nasty, brutal, and short for all but a self-chosen few.

My advice for now is prepare, keep your head on a swivel, don’t respond to obvious provocations, and keep your things where you can find them in the dark. Pray. I hope some sanity breaks out, but I’m not seeing much sign of it in the data so far. I hope I’m wrong, and it does pop up. Not betting on it though.

The ride is not just going to get bumpy, it’s far too likely to get beyond turbulence and things that toss us around a bit. Hang on and hope for the best, and seriously, pray.

Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. Let’s hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.

The Flip Side

Yesterday, I talked a bit about the Pagercide (and more) committed against Hezballess by parties unknown (cough) but widely suspected to be Israel. As I noted then, it was and is a masterstroke of an op and targeted against leadership with minimal chances of collateral damage. Brilliant. Pity they reportedly had to go early.

But, as I noted yesterday, it does raise a number of questions, many of which fall under the umbrella of ‘is it a good idea to buy products, especially critical products, from an open or potential enemy country?’ It is a very important question, and I’m old enough to remember when purchasing com gear from a NATO member who wasn’t always, er, in sync with NATO and it’s operations, generated a bit of conversation — some of it in public even.

Yet, a decade or three ago we began outsourcing a lot of our manufacturing, assembly, and other work to China and other countries that were potential enemies, somewhat open enemies, or former open enemies. Now, admittedly we have a thing about rebuilding former enemies and trying to turn them into our friends. Sometimes it works; sometimes it works for a few decades; and, sometimes it really doesn’t work no matter how much one or both sides try to paper over things. China is a case of where we tried to turn a potential/semi-open enemy into a friend and bring them out of communism in the process, and in my opinion at least it has been an abject failure on both counts.

Now, Cdr. Salamander and members of the naval brigade have been jumping up and down and pointing out that buying critical products, like port cranes and more, from China was a bad idea. They have been jumping up and down for a decade, if not longer, in fact. A number of others in non-naval roles have done the same for other products in other areas. I will simply note that when I’ve tried to point out that it is a bad idea derision is about the nicest response, and they go downhill from there. Lots of DC applecarts would be upset by recognizing reality. Heck, the CCP and Winnie the Pooh really don’t even bother to hide all the money (and other considerations) flowing into American politics and politicians, even into academia and other fields.

I’m less worried about explosives in devices as I would hope that despite the massive corruption and incompetence is our major institutions such would be discovered fairly quickly. That said, it is a possibility especially if you weren’t obvious about it. There are other things that I think are a far greater possibility that our elites and major institutions are furiously ignoring.

First up, intelligence gathering. Just for fun, go look at your phone, computer, the computers in your household appliances, the computers in your car, and other delights. How many of them are made in China? Other interesting countries? How about the major components such as chips? Where were they assembled?

Now, think about how easy it is for a company like, say, Apple to monitor what you do and have on your computer? Think they can’t and don’t? You haven’t read your terms of service, and unless you take steps that destroy a lot of functionality, they can, have, and will hoover a lot of info and can share it with LE and others quite legally. It is also not that hard to activate built-in cameras and microphones, both by the manufacturer and others who are up to no good. Most every computer security person I know has tape over their camera unless in use, and some have even installed switches to control microphones — even if they take a more ‘moderate’ approach in public comments. That says a lot.

Now, add in that if you have a smart home of any type, you’ve given permission to more than one entity to monitor everything said in your home. Ostensibly it is both to ensure commands are heard and to train the system to understand what you (and others) are saying so commands can be heard and heard correctly. How hard to you think it is for other parties to gain access to that info, openly or covertly? Especially if they make the hardware or the key components of same?

Now, take it a step further. How many of those large and important cargo cranes in our ports are made in the U.S. and how many of them are made in China? On the latter, who wrote the software and what is contained in all those lines of code? Chips are incredibly complex, are you sure you know what every part of every chip does? How many other critical products, including military products, use chips or other parts made overseas? Imagine if a data packet could be sent to tap something hidden in plain sight, and shut those products down? Or simply change a charging parameter so that your lithium battery overheats?

Years ago, a friend of mine named Bryan Gibson (sadly passed now, a very good artist) came up with a concept for a story where in a futuristic society terrorists attacked by simply changing tolerances in systems by one decimal place. Imagine if auto-avoidance or terrain-following systems suddenly went to feet (or more) instead of inches of tolerance in areas where inches counted? Don’t know that it ever got finished, but it is not only a quick way to create chaos, but to cause populations to lose faith and confidence in their systems. And, with a lot of fiction, it was a warning. One we have not heeded.

Just as an aside, if you are not aware, various Western government agencies often insist on backdoors for things like encryption, other software, and even systems and networks. Sure they get proper warrants to use it, really.

Heck of a thing when you have to start with the assumption your systems are compromised from the start. Even more fun is realizing how easy it would be for someone to turn them all off or otherwise manipulate them.

Imagine that things go hot with China. What would happen if a signal were sent, or a regular signal not received, and the port cranes quit or began to operate wildly? Same to systems in power plants and other critical infrastructure? Even down to your smart refrigerator and other appliances in your home?

It’s not that far fetched, and in fact it is a cold douche of reality that it can happen. We are conditioned in many respects to giving up privacy for the convenience of our smartphones and apps, which gleefully send information on our locations, purchases, purchasing habits, and more to those who use it and sell it. Not that hard for an enemy, foreign or domestic, to tap into those data streams. Not that hard for someone ill-intentioned to use our hardware and even software against us.

Leaving aside domestic considerations, it’s beyond foolish to allow open or potential enemies to supply critical infrastructure and systems. Civilian, military, it doesn’t matter. The opportunities for intel and for system denial in time of war or crisis are far greater than most realize or will admit.

Caveat Emptor.

Bravo!

Sorry for the lack of posting, been fighting a sinus infection and other smaller issues. Took some time to rest and heal a bit.

The operation by whomever (cough, Israel has not officially said it was them, cough) to take out Hezballess (HT Chris Loesch as apparent originator) operatives was masterful. On several levels even.

First, it was fairly precise targeting, which limited (nothing can eliminate the possibility of) “civilian” casualties. Limiting the explosive to one or two ounces helped guarantee limitation of collateral damage. Those who are screaming otherwise, and that it was against the rules of war, are both wrong and far more upset that their favored side was hurt and that the Jews dared defend themselves instead of just lining up for the slaughter. By their words and actions, they reveal who and what they are. Make notes.

Second, if they could intercept and do this to THOUSANDS of pagers, do you think they wouldn’t be able to also use those devices to track locations, monitor communications, and more? Months of data, and just the location data alone would have revealed locations and more. Where did they meet? With whom did they meet? Where did they go when things got hot? The so-called meta data on this is tremendous on its own. If they literally did get inside their coms and were reading the mail…

Third, most interesting that the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon had a Hezballess-issued pager. Not surprising in the least, but interesting. Even more interesting is that a rumor is making the rounds that the pagers were altered in Iran. For those that aren’t familiar with how things like this work, it is not likely that Hezballess placed a direct order with Gold Apollo for the pagers. Because of sanctions and other delights, there would have been cut-outs, middle-men, and such in play. Odds are good that various blinds and fronts were used by the IRGC to get them and have them shipped indirectly to Iran. From there, they would then go to Hezballess.

Now, think back to the recent assassination (that made the news) allegedly by Israel (who once again has not claimed credit) inside Iran. That one set a cat amongst the pigeons in Iran as members of the IRGC (and possibly others) were implicated. Nice little round of purges and accusations got going before being stomped out by Iran’s top leadership. Lots of hard feelings, suspicions, and upset at not being able to eliminate internal enemies (political) on the part of several it would seem. Now there is this. Openly or not, the cat is back amongst the pigeons and there is a good chance of all heck breaking loose. Let your enemies attack themselves is an ancient and honorable concept, and I think it just got played beautifully.

Fourth, if you think Israel wasn’t watching the hospitals and other locations to see who came in and when, and wasn’t monitoring local social media for news and IDs, I’ve got a bridge for sale… Again, no way for them to know in advance who all the members of Hezballess were. They do now, and can plot that against all the intel from the metadata and…

Oh, and as for those who are screaming about doctors having pagers too, note that only doctors (and other medical types) who were members of Hezballess were issued “augmented” pagers. No danger to honest medical types, only terrorists. See the above about those who are upset as their side was hurt and no Jews died. It applies to those making this argument too.

Fifth, whomever did this just took Hezballess pretty much offline. In many respects, not just temporarily. Lots of damage, including lost hands, fingers, etc. Those that raised up to look at the mesage (a la the Iranian ambassador) have eye damage if not permanently blinded. When you are talking several thousand injured simultaneously, you’ve taken major units (and potentially several thousand others) out and rendered them combat ineffective. If Israel gets lucky, some of those having to take command are not truly fit for such and are going to do stupid things. Stupid things always, ALWAYS, open doors for the enemy, and one presumes Israel is prepared to take full advantage of such openly and covertly.

If you also go in and hit some of the critical centers you’ve already identified, you can do a lot of de-fanging. Funny that I heard reports that Israel hit a number of targets in Southern Lebanon last night…

Also smart is that Israel (if they did it, cough) was smart enough not to tell the U.S. in advance. Good thing, as in hours after U.S. officials were allegedly briefed on the op that details were leaked to corporate media, who promptly spilled the beans. Leaks to hurt Israel were the rule (and specialty) of the Obama admin, so no surprise that such continues now. Cough. One hopes that such a briefing left out key details and may have even included daisy or two. That is, information that may be true (or not) but is not precise and is intended to send people down the wrong path. After all, it’s not the first time the current admin (cough) has done such to hurt Israel. Know your enemy and use them accordingly.

One more positive benefit out of the op is that right now, terrorists everywhere are looking at their coms and going “oh bleep.” I guarantee you some have ditched pagers and other items in panic. Why? What if it wasn’t just Hezballess that was targeted? Who do you think supplies coms to Hamass, Hooties, and others around the world? Also, if one country did this, what’s to say others have not and would not do this? What this has done is to create mass uncertainty and to emulate Hamass and go as much as possible to in person and courier communications. Which will slow things down and bring up yet other opportunities for infiltration and co-option. I mean they could go carrier pigeon, but with drones and/or the amount of explosive you can fit in or on a pigeon… Just sayin…

There are some other points but I’m going to skip them for now. Especially if this was not a one-off use-or-lose op. What I will say is BRAVO! and bow in respect to a mastercraft operation. Whoever did this, my hat is off to you.

UPDATE I: The next round has begun, with radios and other devices exploding across Lebanon. What I said two paragraphs above is now playing out in the open: no electronics are safe. Terrorists around the world are having to look at all coms, and even solar chargers, as compromised. When even your battery charger can explode, there is nothing you can trust. Also, you may find the first explosive charge, but what if there is a second, hidden/camouflaged charge in the device? I mean the children and grandchildren of Pride-of-Dupont have come a long way since it pretended to be paper orders after all. Remind me tomorrow to talk about other potential Christmas Gifts/Easter Eggs of which we need be concerned.

9/11

I still remember that morning all too well. The first report, easy to think it an accident like the B-25 (?) that hit the Empire State Building back in the day. Rapidly it became clear it was deliberate, and I got to call my boss and tell him the United States of America was under attack. Even ended up in NYC a bit later and spent some time at the site and at various emergency command posts.

I fear we have forgotten that day, and the lessons of it. As a result, I fear that we may soon experience far worse.

Remember the day, pay heed the lessons, and be prepared. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Venezuela

I’m watching far too many people celebrating as if the objections to the outcome of the rigged election had already liberated that country. Sadly, this is a tune we have seen before. For all the unrest and for all the countries and organizations denouncing the election, Maduro is still in power.

Keep in mind that there are elements of Quds, Wagner, and others in Venezuela and they are not likely to just sit idly by and let Maduro be easily swept away by a mere election. Keep in mind that there are thousands (hundreds of thousands even) of Venezuelan gang members and a number of males of military age beyond that here in the United States — and one wonders (cough, cough) what they may be up to.

So far, Maduro is arresting opposition leaders at all levels (failure to protect them has been a huge weak spot for the opposition from the start). For all that some gangs, military, and LE have gone over to the opposition, it’s not been a huge amount nor has anything truly meaningful been done with it. How many tanks and weapons were distributed from the base taken the other day? Hmmmm?

It is likely to get bloody, nasty, and unless some brains and backbone start showing up in opposition leadership, it will either be the usual capitulation by the opposition or a bloody slog that is likely to spill over into the U.S. courtesy of all the illegal immigrants/infiltrators. I’m hoping that the opposition gets smart and operates smart and that Maduro does fall quickly. I’m expecting the slog. I fear very much this will be yet again a failure by the opposition to do anything truly meaningful and effective resulting in Maduro remaining in power. Hope I’m wrong, but buckle up as whatever happens there is likely to be reflected darkly here.

UPDATE I: Meant to add this at the start, but over on X someone pointed out that this is not a fight between freedom loving types and evil commies. Rather, it’s more a fight between different sects of socialists/communists and while you could do analogies to Trotsky/Lenin, I think the Chinese and the multiple sects there may be a better analogy. It’s also one reason I suspect the major opposition has mostly been operating with gloves instead of (much needed) bare knuckles or even a horseshoe in the glove…

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

Be Alert

There has been a lot of unofficial chatter, and even a few official statements of concern, over the possibility of terrorist attacks in the U.S. (thank you open borders!). Quite a few of us think it is a given. Something that happened at Church yesterday makes me even more concerned.

A young male came into the Church during the service, wearing dark clothing that had the air of a delivery uniform, with one of those urban draw-string backpacks on. Under one arm he was carrying what looked like a (decent sized) cardboard box with a delivery label on it. He came in and sat down (most were standing at the time) and stayed a while.

My first thought was ‘heck of a time for a delivery’ and the second thought was ‘uh oh.’ I kept a discrete eye on him, and it turns out the friend sitting next to me was keeping an even stronger eye on him. He got up and left, and my friend went to be sure he was leaving and see where he went — which was to the church across the street.

Now, this could be entirely innocent, however… The box was more than large enough to have held a single SMG or multiple regular pistols with spare mags. It could have held one or more explosive devices (may have walked over to be sure nothing left on the floor or secured under a pew despite not seeing any indication he had tried to access the box). My friend’s thought was to be sure he wasn’t going out to arm up before coming back in. Both of us, I think, have a concern he was casing churches in the area.

Could be innocent. Could be recon. Know I’m going to have an eye out and am inclined to see about giving an unofficial heads up to some LE types.

To all of you out there: keep your head on a swivel, have a plan, and be prepared. Things are such I will be amazed if biological material does not impact the rotary impeller and soon. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

UPDATE II: Someone pointed out the Idaho ISIS member, very pertinent to this discussion.

UPDATE: My thanks for the many, many good comments and suggestions. Since not everyone reads the comments, my response to a comment that might be of interest:

I’m going to treat this as an honest question, despite some doubts, and put on my teacher/instructor hat for a moment. Might I suggest that your comprehension of what I wrote is a bit off, and that it appears you not only did not read the assignment but did not do any additional reading? First, I thought I was clear that I wasn’t happy with my own response, though that could have been lost via less-than-perfect writing on my part. However, you also seemed to have missed that I wasn’t the person who followed them out the door and tried to keep an eye on them. You also seem to have missed that I didn’t write in any form about what was or was not done by the person who did follow them out beyond that basic fact. There’s a reason for that, and it is called OPSEC and the fact is neither you nor anyone else has a “need to know” on that subject. More on that in a moment, first, let’s go back to the top and cover a few points that may help improve your comprehension and/or misapprehensions. Had you fully read the post and done even a modicum of other reading, you would have noted that there might be a reason I did not attempt to follow the person as I’m not moving as well as I might like after getting hit by lightning and experiencing multiple surgeries and other delights. The fact is I’ve never been a high-speed low-drag type even before that. Cheerfully admit it, reluctantly admit that the walking stick is not always a prop (and frequently a prop), and grudgingly admit that the idea I have one more war or good battle in me may be coming from the same part of my mind that thinks I’m still 20. Currently, it clearly is not my strength, and I’m probably better as a meat shield at need though it’s not my first choice. The person who did follow is younger, fitter, and is also in a much better position to deal with the situation both within the Church and in any liaison role. Precisely why again falls under the concept of OPSEC. Speaking of which, allow me to put on my nasty spook hat for a moment, and note that your comment would actually be in keeping with someone trying to gain intel on both my Church and the people across the street. It is clearly designed to provoke, and possibly elicit an response along the lines of ‘ah my honor has been challenged and my ego hurt by some unknown internet rando so I must reveal details to assuage my honor!’ Eh, no. The conclusions you leapt to suggest much about you, but do not require much more than a shake of the head at poor “student” performance from me. Back towards educating, have you considered that regardless of potential “lone gunman” or something more organized, that they are likely to be checking to see if they were noticed/got a response? A good Boolian search would have found this post even without use of a scraper bot. Consider also that there may have been more than one purpose to the post, and that in situations like this if you aren’t hitting on three or more levels you aren’t trying. For the slow students in back, consider that if they do see this, anyone involved knows they were noticed and that people care; given how poorly most official networks function, that quite a few churches over a much wider area (nationwide even) now know to be on the lookout; given that various LE agencies/members read this site, that this is now known across far more agencies (and much, much faster) than through channels (and avoided potential “roadblocks” in the process); that it has also engendered some good discussion on security and security in depth; and, well, there are a couple of others but I will leave them as an exercise for the student as it were. Also, in the process of this, no details were provided on what levels of security exist beyond the greeter (and that some of us care) and there is a reason for that. It is also why I have avoided any discussions here or elsewhere on photos, video, or other possibilities that may or may not exist. I also note for the record that I have no idea what security is in place at the church across the street, but I do hope they are on their toes and that I hope all churches in Indy are doing the same. I will also note that I can only do what I can do, and this is part of it. As a response to others, I will note that certain suggestions remind me to suggest that legal consultations are a good idea as there are often fire regulations and other delights that need be kept in mind, and that surrounding someone in a parking lot and demanding they open packages may not be a wise move legally or otherwise (boom). Similar to why I recommend Guy Relford’s Indiana Gun Law class to anyone buying or carrying a firearm in this state, as Theodore Sturgeon (Sturgeon’s Law) was wrong and it’s not 90 percent but 99 percent of the “legal” advice (or anything) on the interwebs is crap. Something you and young mister Love should keep in mind. Again, I will admit I was not happy with some things including my own response. To be fair, however, it is not so much that I was in the white as I was and am a bit more focused on the service itself these days. None of us know the time of our departure, and while I could have 20 years left in me that could also be 20 seconds (true for all), I’m at a point in life where it behooves me to act more towards the 20 seconds and thus was more focused elsewhere. In whatever time I have left, I have that focus and I post about preparedness, current events that may influence the need for same, and try to spark discussions and awareness. I can but hope that the warning and discussions here have a positive effect across as wide an area as possible.

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.