Uncategorized – The Laughing Wolf

Predictable, If Despicable

On cue, the attack has begun. I’m a little surprised that they chose to go after Pete rather than Matt Gaetz, but on reflection I think it reflects the fact that they see Pete, and the cleaning up of DoD, as the greater threat to the status quo. Besides, they fully believe that Gaetz is DOA in committee and will not advance to confirmation.

After all, it’s endless war and constant emergencies that enable massive looting of treasuries and money laundering that are essential to the status quo of the credentialed “elite” that see their control slipping. It is the excuse for draconian and other “emergency” measures to “deal with this unprecedented” crisis du jour. As such, having control of the DoD becomes paramount. It is through that control that things like Biden giving Ukraine permission to fire on Russia with U.S. made weapons (despite the rather clear mandate of the last election), or Blinken stating that they will send Ukraine as many supplies and funds as they can before Trump takes office.

Also, in my opinion, it has been the goal of Obama (and he is a key player in the Biden Regency, which is basically Obama III in policy terms) to gut the U.S. military for reasons of his own. Reasons not in the best interest of the Republic.

So, the legacy/corporate media, having already tossed aside any pretense of objectivity and professionalism over the last ten or so years (and particularly the last four years), jumps in with a predictable attack. The goal is to damage Pete Hegseth, or to create a chimera of unfitness, sufficient to allow establishment republicans and other craven cowards to avoid supporting him. Note that they don’t have to openly oppose him; rather, they simply have to express concern that he is tainted such that he isn’t a viable candidate. It allows them to focus on the appearance, the chimera, rather than the facts and it puts it on an emotional level beloved of progressives and those seeking to manipulate people.

And what better way to do that than to attack an institution they loathe: Christianity. Short version is that when one wants to reshape America (and the world) into a progressive socialist/communist entity, you have to destroy the philosophical underpinnings of that society. The cornerstone of much of the philosophy that undergirds the Republic comes from Christianity. The concept of the individual being capable of choosing the right path for themselves, individual freedom and liberty, and — importantly — individual responsibility all derive in part (or in whole) from the tenets of Christianity. Even informed consent derives from same. Christianity was also the driving force behind the elimination of slavery, an institution which frankly most progressives would like to see return (and given a different name).

Now, Pete is a proud, unrepentant, Evangelical Christian. That is enough to send progressives into a frothing rage on it’s own, but combine that with other positions he holds, and a strong desire and the ability to clean up DoD and return the focus to war fighting capabilities (rather than social experimentation and losing wars), and they fear him even more than they hate him. So, two birds with one stone by attacking him via his Christianity.

The key to the attack lies in lying about two tattoos he has (which are hard to miss). The main attack seems to be against the Jerusalem Cross, which has been a symbol of Jerusalem within the Roman Catholic church for a bit over a thousand years now. Depending on which source you go with, the four Greek crosses with the larger cross represent the five wounds of Christ (hands, feet, spear); Jesus and four apostles; and, I think there may be a couple of other interpretations floating around out there. Key is, it’s been in use within the Roman Catholic church and various protestant denominations for a while now. It is used to represent the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and is frequently used as a tattoo to signify a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Lands by Roman Catholics and others.

It is not a major symbol of white nationalism, white supremacy, or Christian nationalism. No doubt some fringe group(s) somewhere may have used it at some time, but the same can be said for almost any other symbol out there. To claim otherwise is a bunch of bovine excrement. Yeah, watching my language a bit…

Again, the media is lying but the talking point has gone forth. The idea is to create an impression of something amiss, a chimera of unfitness, since reality is otherwise. It is all to give cover to sellouts and cowards. Make a note of those who go with it, or even flirt with it: they need to be voted out ASAP. Yes, we got a reprieve this election, but it makes it even more urgent to take care of down-ballot offices in the midterms. If those are not fought and won, the big win may not have the long-term effects needed for the health and continuation of the Republic.

To be honest, I expect worse to come. There are fractures appearing lots of interesting places, here and abroad. The landslide on November 5th has revealed some here, and it has those depending on the status quo terrified. As I’ve said before, don’t expect them to just give up and go away. They are going to lash out, and fight to try to preserve their world for as long as they can. That said, they are on the way out and while it may not be fun, nice, or painless, we can win — as Sarah Hoyt frequently notes.

My thought right now is to not fall for this, to laugh and and openly mock (with facts even) those pushing the lie. Get the truth out, and make them dance naked before the world to emphasize that they are propagandists, not journalists. Point to real journalists on X and blogs, emphasize them, and note how often they are right versus legacy/corporate media. Back those people as well, by funds. I’ve decided to spend money on X by getting a checkmark again to provide financial support for X. While it is not yet a truly free speech platform (IMO), it is the best out there for free speech and needs the support to continue.

Also, contact your congresscritters and urge them to back Pete. I would be careful about adding anything about not supporting them if they don’t, but an implication of such is not amiss IMO. The idea behind the attack is to give cover to the craven, so let them know they have your support on this confirmation. If they get the message from enough people, they will also get “the message” if you will.

We are not out of the woods yet, but we have what I regard as a very unexpected opportunity. Make the most of it. Be prepared. Keep your friends 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, 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.

Getting Bumpy

Lots going on in the world: Iran getting frisky, the markets not feeling frisky, turmoil in Bangladesh, English politicians seemed determined to foment a civil war, and I could go on. I will go into more soon, I hope. Right now, if you have investments, talk with a professional. My not-quite-as-joking-as-I-would-like-to-be is to buy canned goods, freeze dried, guns, and ammo. Oh, and edged weapons as they always come in handy.

More soon. Now that I’m recovered from the walk to-and-from my guitar lessons (and thank you all for them!!) with high humidity and heat indexes that were already into the 90s by about 0800 (really don’t want to know what it was when I came home at 1100) I have to head out again. It’s not a bad walk, being almost exactly 1.75 miles, but in the heat it is a bit much so I took the time to cool off, rehydrate, and recover. Need to run one more errand while I can, and then see about relaxing and practicing.

Buckle up, the ride is about to get interesting. So, be prepared and always keep your things where you can find them in the dark.

Amazon Wish List

I hate giving them any business, but… Some have asked about donating things rather than funds, and I like that idea. So, I have created a new Amazon Wish List that if I’ve done everything right should allow people to send things rather than money. It should be showing up in the top right under The Bard’s Jar but I’ve been having some weirdness where it shows up, then is gone, then shows back up.

On a few of the things on the list, I’ve noted things I think you may be needing in the days to come. With the loss of the petro-dollar and other systems dropping the dollar, on top of the hordes of military-aged males from so many countries coming across the border (and missing police uniforms, complete vehicle markings/wraps, etc. in NYC), now is a good time to stock up. If you can help me do so, much (MUCH) appreciated too.

More soon, been a busy day already dealing with lawyers, government, and more. Hoping to get to a real post up in a bit, but no guarantees as the infernal ones (lawyers and govt) get first dibs on attention today. 🙂

UPDATE: Think I noted on the list, but stock up on supplements now. Not only do disasters not wait, but keep in mind all the attempts to control food production and distribution. Also keep in mind that if they go after that, the previous war on supplements will be nothing compared to what comes next. Paranoid? Perhaps, but keep in mind the “conspiracy theorists” are batting about a thousand and the so-called experts about zero. I’m opting for the CTs on that basis alone.

UPDATE II: Getting Zombie Car ready to sell, but am calling off further work on that due to rain and the possibility of thunderstorms. Oddly enough, I’m quite content to come inside and hunker down in the basement where it is cool and at least semi-safe. 🙂 Really do want to get back to building underground, both as a thought experiment and to respond to the excellent comments. Think Old Paratrooper hit on something that may well work for me in reality rather than in thought experiment.

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.

Preparedness Pays II: LTS Containers

Long Term Storage (LTS) is a different game from storage for general preparedness. For the former, you are talking 20 or more years, while the latter is generally standard shelf life, or about 2-5 years. Yes, I am (over) simplifying things, but…

For me, I have two major reasons for doing LTS work. The first is that I think it a very good idea to have some basic stocks on hand for emergencies and disasters. I know I would like to eat during such, and that there might be others who do as well that I might can assist.

The second reason is that I am a cheap [male offspring of unwed parents — trying to clean up my act a bit as clergy and others may be reading this], er, Scottish, and like buying bulk. Let’s face it, times are tight for us all, and for me having to take early retirement (stupid lightning) puts me on a very tight budget. So, I buy bulk and don’t want to waste any of that food. Bit more on that discussion soon.

There are four major materials used for LTS containers: glass, metal, plastic, and concrete. Yes, I did say concrete. For now, let’s take them in that order and look at some of the pros and cons of each.

Glass, and pottery before it, has been a staple of LTS for literally eons. One still comes across articles detailing how a sealed bit of pottery was found to contain still-edible food (honey turns up fairly frequently) even after a thousand or so years. Glass, and the glass canning jar, really did revolutionize food storage with the advent of more modern types of rubber for sealing.

Glass is durable and has a long shelf-life of its own. Which means the jar you use today could be used by your child or grand-child many years from now. The clarity lets you keep an eye on what’s inside and spot problems before opening. The downside to glass (and pottery) is that it is quite brittle/fragile, which limits emergency utility.

Metal has also been around for a while, and offers great strength and protection to the contents. You have metal boxes and cans available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Above is a large can and an ammo box I repurposed as a humidor. Sadly, I am out of good cigars for it.

The drawbacks to metal include bulk/weight, expense, and that coatings are often required as some metals and/or the sealing agents used on them are toxic and/or will corrode easily. Some of the early cans had more than a little bit of lead in them, and poisoned those who ate their contents. Modern cans have little to no lead (depending on where you are in the world) and are often lined to prevent corrosion, especially from acids (think tomatoes for just one example).

Before I forget, I have a larger ammo can that can be used to store electronics and such that I want to shield from radiation of various types and intensities. This includes from sources man-made or from that huge fusion furnace that lights our world — the sun. You don’t have to get to the level of a Carrington Event (or worse) before it becomes good to tuck things away. Given some of the recent strong eruptions from the Sun (so far pointed away from us), might want to think about that.

Plastic is probably the most used modern material for LTS and general storage. It is travel cases, storage cases, coolers, food-safe buckets, mylar bags, and much, much more. There are many different types of plastic out there, and each has advantages and disadvantages.

On the pro side, plastic is relatively inexpensive, depending on formulation quite durable, stronger and more resistant to impact than glass, and lighter than metal or concrete. There are a number of food-safe options available for food and other storage. Just my take, but I tend to use food-safe for as much as possible so I can re-use it at need. For example, in an emergency or disaster, that storage container can be re-used for storage, washing, food prep (soaking, brining, etc), and more. Don’t just think of the initial use, consider that when one moves into disaster territory what you have may well be all you have for some time to come. Make it count.

The con side is that plastic can and and will shatter, often does not take well to sunlight and heat, and is not something you really want to stack, particularly 5-gallon or larger containers. Stacking will result in structural failure, so just don’t do it. Yes, I do speak from experience.

Oh, keep in mind modern coolers/ice chests can be used to store both food and non-food items. I know more than one person who uses them as a humidor for cigars. Load in boxes of cigars, throw in some humidity packs, seal the drain plug, and things are good for months before you have to think about replacing the humidity packs. Add in desiccant packs and you can store books, electronics, and much more in a controlled environment. That way, you not only have the contents, but you have those coolers for use in an emergency or disaster. Just a thought.

Our final category of material is concrete. No, not thinking concrete briefcases or such, but when looking at storage that involves less-than-optimal conditions, certain varieties of disaster, or the need to store things such that they are not obvious, concrete — especially pre-formed concrete products — can be a good way to go.

As I noted here, in the opening of Lucifer’s Hammer Niven and Pournelle had a character loading carefully packaged books into a modified pre-made septic tank. With the normal input/output openings sealed, such makes a very good and durable underground storage unit. I’ve even heard of people using several linked together for shelters. Thing is, with the number of pre-formed concrete pipes, cisterns, etc. you can find something of almost any size for your storage needs. Think also that burglars or other not-nice people are not going to think to check something that has pipes running in and out or appears to be an active septic tank within a basement or pump house, etc. The metal that is in most such pre-formed items is also going to diminish the effectiveness of metal detectors and such when used indoors. Something to think about for outdoor use. Just a thought.

Tomorrow, I hope to take a look at long-term food storage and a bit of my take on the subject. There is no one right way or system, individual tastes vary, but within that one does need to provide for complete and balanced nutrition. For me, I like to survive in style as much as possible, so I may have a few thoughts on how to make friends and have a bit for trade. 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.

Some Thoughts On The Crucifixion

As a reminder, I am not a theologian. I am a bit of an amateur historian, however. This time of year, a Christian does think of the Death, Resurrection, and the Ascension just a bit. One of the tropes used to attack these things, and Faith, is to attack the Crucifixion itself. However, I find those attacks only increase my Faith.

Crucifixion has been used in various forms around the world for most of recorded history. The Japanese used a version of it that utilized a framework rather than the cross of the Romans. Some cultures just tied you to a tree. For this post, let’s just look at the Romans and take some of the attacks on a case-by-case basis.

For Romans, crucifixion was reserved primarily for the lower classes and subjugated peoples. If my memory is correct, full Roman citizens rarely were crucified. It happened, but it was not the norm.

I seem to recall that such executions were often done outside the city gates and along roads, so that all could see what happened to those who broke the law, particularly Roman law. In some places, a site was chosen so that the public could gather and watch, and the happenings observed from the city walls or such.

Attack One: Romans didn’t use the Cross as depicted by Christians. While it is true they most often used a tau-cross, they did use the Christian cross when a message was being sent.

The fact is, the Romans were cheap. They were not going to spend any money they didn’t have to on dealing with the riff raff. The Christian-style cross cost money (and time), therefore was reserved for when they wanted to send a message.

The standard way of doing things was to tie the victim to the cross-member and have them walk thus bound to the site of the execution. More on scourging and such in a bit. If not already naked, they were stripped and then Roman soldiers would stand on stools, piles of rocks, or other such to lift the cross-member up and fit it into a pre-cut slot of the post. The victim’s feet would then be loosely tied into place.

Pretty much immediately, the victim would begin to twist and writhe as it was rather painful. I seem to recall hearing the phrase ‘the dance that has no steps’ to describe this. To add to the physical, there was also an element of psychological torture in that the victim knew they were just off the ground, and if only they could touch it they could relieve their suffering and/or escape.

This is also why troops guarded the execution sites. It kept friends or family of the victim from coming and freeing them. For those troops, there could be other benefits, as it were. One such was obtaining any clothing or (rarely) jewelry from the victim, which could then be sold or traded. Little extra cash, as it were. There was also rape and other physical pleasures to be had.

The troops were also there both to encourage or prevent various attacks on the victims by the public. Another part of the torture that was death by crucifixion was that the public could throw things at you, hit you, sexually assault or humiliate you, etc.

It also could be a slow process. Someone in decent shape, unwhipped, etc. could last for days. As such, the troops had an iron bar that after three days (or other period specified) they would use to break the legs of those being crucified so that they died more quickly.

In contrast, what we now know as the Christian-style cross took a bit more time. The cross-member had to be fitted in place and secured, and it took several people to raise it up with the victim on it, get it into the prepared hole, and wedge it in place. For most riff-raff/scum (as the Roman’s saw it), the tau-cross was the cheaper and better option, and could be re-used many times.

Attack Two: Use of nails. There are about three different attacks, and I will reserve one of them for discussion next.

Again, the Romans were cheap and they were not going to spend any more money on executing the riff-raff than they absolutely had to. For the vast majority, rope was used as it was cheaper and reusable. It was also much easier to produce, even using local products.

Nails, however, were labor intensive to produce which only added to their expense. In construction, they were only used when pegs, wedges, tongue-and-grove and such would not work. Nails also were not always reusable, even from crucifixions because of the various stresses put on them during, and especially after when trying to remove them.

They also seem to have hastened death, and as such were reportedly used on those the Romans wanted to die in quickly. Which meant that they were often used on the royalty/leadership local (subjugated) populations who challenged Rome but a protracted death could cause unrest. See this on a Jewish prince, and I suspect there is a tale to tell behind this story. Especially since I seem to recall recently reading that they had found twelve nails buried with the man.

So, the idea that the Romans never used nails is moot, and they did use them on local royalty and others they wished to die in a hurry. For all that they mocked our Lord, keep in mind that he was by Roman standards treated like royalty. That had defied Rome. For all that it was intended as mockery, the sign above him on the cross, in three languages, proclaiming Jesus to be King of the Jews. You see it abbreviated as INRI (Latin), and INBI (Greek). In their mockery, they also declared him royal.

It also ties back into the charges against him, of which Pilate found him innocent. Pilate did not want to kill him, and so washed his hands of the affair after doing all he could to make it go away quickly. Bit more in a moment.

Attack Three: Positioning of the Nails. What little archaeological evidence we have is that the Romans tended to drive nails through the heel bone. This guaranteed that the condemned wasn’t likely to come loose. There are accounts of nails being used in the wrists, though no archaeological evidence to support that.

Keep in mind that the bodies of people crucified often were not buried, but essentially tossed on a midden heap. Most had rope used on them, not nails. So, there is not a lot of forensic evidence, which some use to attack the account in the scriptures.

The thing is, people making such attacks try to pull their “ah ha” without any understanding of why the Crucifixion happened

Yes, if you put a nail in the foot or palm, they can be pulled out. If you saw the most recent John Wick movie, the scene with the knife showed one way it could be done. But, that ignores the all-important why.

Christ chose to die for us out of love. He placed himself on the Cross in and with love, and it was love that held him in place until the end. He did not die because God demanded blood, Blood, BLOOD and death for the sin of Adam and Eve and the subsequent sins of the world. There was no penal substitution; rather, Christ paid the debt of Adam out of love, so that we could become spirit-bearing men and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Attack Four: Too Quick. This attack is an odd one, but basically according to those making it, Christ died too quickly and the timeline doesn’t add up.

Part of me really doesn’t understand this one, but here’s a few thoughts. We’ve already covered that the use of nails seems to have been tied to hurrying things along. What a lot of people don’t get is that Christ wasn’t just whipped, he was scourged.

A scourge is a nasty thing. It is a whip, usually with three or more strands, that is embedded with metal and sometimes glass. The Roman scourge tended to use chunks of metal and sometimes metal hooks on the end of those strands. Others had metal chunks or balls along with bits of glass, metal, and metal hooks. Short version is that it stripped the flesh off the person on which it was being used, as well as pulverizing muscle, bone, and even organs beneath. For example, even a single blow over the kidneys could damage or destroy them. Under Roman law, there were no limits to the number of blows, though they did want the victim to live long enough to go up on a cross or otherwise be executed.

For all that as a carpenter Christ probably had very good arm, shoulder, and back development, this would have been destroyed by the scourging. For those wondering why I say this, there were no power tools back then, only muscle power. As a result, carpenters tended to have some development. Without those back and shoulder muscles, the ability to stay up on the Cross – which allowed better breathing – would have been diminished or even eliminated.

Add to it that Christ was quite likely severely dehydrated by that point, and you have a situation where a quick death is likely. Again, I don’t understand the argument that he died too quickly, especially in light of all of the above.

I think there was something else, but I failed to write down any notes or a list, so… I will add that I find depictions of other crucifixions, or modern ones cinematic or otherwise, that make use of a crown of thorns to be off-putting (to be polite) as there was only one known use of such. Also remember that every effort made to humiliate Christ backfired, and worked to his glory.

Some Additional Background Memories

While not entirely germane to the overall discussion, some memories came back to me in the course of writing and as a result of some people from my past writing me. I want to put them down before I forget them (again).

First, Vineville Methodist had one of the finest choirs in the nation, in my highly biased opinion. Part was some good talent, and part was having the head of the music program at Wesleyan College as the director of Music. Sylvia Ross was gifted on several levels, including that of herding cats I suspect, and did wonders. She even brought in some promising students as members or guest soloists over the years. Along with the raw talent in the Church, that choir could and did hold it’s own against pretty much anything in the state, or even the nation. Again, my very biased opinion is that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir only beat them because of numbers. Smile.

That held true for a number of years, right up until the bass section lost what seems like about half it’s members to heart attacks and other health problems. The first I remember was Mr. Thomas, who lived not far from the house where I first grew up. Shame, as that section rocked it, as it were.

Also, the church had/has a magnificent organ. The organist, Mrs. Lawson, knew I had some favorites and would sneak them in on occasion for me. One I listen to regularly still, both as Christmas music and in general, is Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring. Have a recording of that done in the Thomaskirk where the song was composed.

Second, I think the memory of going to visit Rev. Wilson at the parsonage was part of an evening of caroling by the children’s choir, of which I was a part. Seem to remember going to the homes of some members, possibly those in poor health and unable to attend, and singing for them. We may have finished at the parsonage where we got some food and drink to cap off the evening.

Third, my interest in the Catholic Church may have been far earlier than I realized. Popped up that I had some romantic notions about the Catholic Church and some of its actions that a 9th-grade teacher (who I much respected) had me do a research paper on said actions. Romantic notions busted, but it actually did help set the stage for a train ride across Italy where a Jesuit stuck with us took the time to tell me about the history and more of the places we were passing.

I also remember going to a certain monastery in Conyers, GA when I was about 12 with a church group. For those of you who read John Ringo, no I was not trying out for Team Conyers as I’ve always been (IMO) medium-speed high-drag. I was, however, rather interested in the life of a monk and starting to give it a bit of consideration. My parents, this time both mom and Dad, pretty much expressed their displeasure and disapproval of such thoughts.

A final thought is that all of the aptitude testing I took in late high school shared one thing in common. They all said one career I should consider was that of a preacher. That was NOT an interest of mine at the time, and I was looking rather strongly at the whole engineer, Air Force, astronaut route. Even Mr. James Doohan, Scotty on Star Trek, was giving me some encouragement on that, so being a protestant preacher did not get serious consideration by me at the time. As noted elsewhere, I am very glad the process of divination for becoming a Catholic priest is a cup that passed from me.

Just some flashes of memory that may or may not add to the background discussed the other day.

The Series Of Posts:

Exploring Faith, Christianity, and Theology

Some Thoughts On God, And Man

Some Additional Background Memories

Transport Update

Sorry for the lack of posting, but one thing I have discovered is that taking the bus is at least four times as long as driving somewhere. Knew it took longer to get around, but have been experimenting and while it works it is not efficient.

For example, what would have been a 20-30 minute car ride down to the rebuild dealer my landlord recommended took a bit over two hours. He has a number of vehicles in stock and in process, was very happy my landlord recommended him (landlord and family having been regular customers), and I left with some ideas including on how much I need to try to raise. As soon as I have someone check my math, plan to see what can be done. Total time in transit ended up being a bit over 4.5 hours (and that does not include time at the dealership or a stop on the way home).

What I am working up is the cost of the vehicle and all the related expenses (taxes, tag, etc.). Am also including the cost of having my mechanic check it out for me, and possibly some other precautionary measures. Will also have the insurance agent involved in the final selection (they actually offered to do so). So, working to ensure a good vehicle with no unexpected surprises. For all that the cost is much more than I have, it is far better than I anticipated.

May try to get some more up today, but have to attend a funeral shortly. Cancer blows. If you pray, please say a prayer for the soul of Ana, her mother, her husband, and five-year-old son.

More soon, working on something a bit different as I explore some of the gaps in my memory.

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.

Wednesday Update

I hope one and all had a Merry and Blessed Christmas! Mine was both, in part because I could cook again. I hit the wall, hard actually, both Christmas Even and Christmas Day on a physical basis, but got the food done and that was what I was after. Will try to post photos of the book and two cast iron pans that were my treats to myself.

The car issues progresses. Just had a talk with my insurance agent and they can cover a rebuilt title. So, looking at going Friday to a dealer my landlord and his family have used who specializes in such to see what they have and the price range. Once we have that, I will get something up. Big things for me are reliable, working heat, and working windshield washer/wipers. Most anything else is negotiable.

I need to do an update on some of what is going on in Russia. Saw where there was apparently some discussion of a Russian Black Swan event that would take Vladimir out of power and plunge the world into chaos. In immediate terms, don’t see him going anywhere — yet. Ask me again in March/April and it may be a very different answer. For all there is an effort to project an image of calm and deliberation, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Going to be interesting to see who is in the photo in a few months, who isn’t, and who is obviously airbrushed/photchopped out.

In regards the reporter predicting a Black Swan event for us, I think she’s onto something. In fact, I’m a bit worried 2024 could see more than one as well as a host of other problems. Be prepared. Need to do a post on that as well.

More soon, but am trying to take some time to recharge, recover, and otherwise get ready for the new year. Good news is, PT continues to go very well. Hoping we can take it up a level or two again here soon. Will have to spend most of Friday dealing with car, getting a bus pass, and maybe doing some grocery shopping. I now have one of those urban grocery carts that can go on a bus, as the arms were not happy with carrying, and the backpack was a bit limited on several fronts including how much I could put on the shoulders.

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.

Update 19 Dec

Sorry for the lack of posting, have been under the weather a bit. While I did make it to PT yesterday, that may have been pushing it a bit. Between that and something later, both shoulders hurting. Feeling better, but still dragging today.

If you haven’t seen the eruptions in Iceland, check them out. Spectacular, though I hope the best for the town and power plant.

My thoughts on the Houthi are semi-unprintable and I hope that they get blitzed. Hard. Unsurprised but very disappointed to see who was not a part of the Naval group moving to protect shipping and/or take action. Sad.

Going to get the car to the mechanic tomorrow no matter how I feel, one of us needs to be fully running again soon. Hate spending the money and am hoping for quick, easy, and inexpensive fix as a semi-unexpected major expense is hitting. I would call it an unexpected, but it was expected in March, not the first week of January. So, semi-unexpected.

May cut back on Christmas dinner a bit as a result, but still looking to do some tasty. It will NOT be pizza again unless things fall completely apart in the world. Got some ideas but still thinking about what I want for the main course. Leaning towards a rare flank steak, but also considering a charcuterie board and making it more a brunch. Working out how to make a favorite casserole into something of a more appropriate size. More on that soon.

Be prepared! There is more to come, hopefully 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.

A Christmas Village And Inklings

Or, how I spent my weekend having exhausting fun. I’ve recently begun attending an Orthodox church, which had it’s annual Christmas Village and Market this last weekend. The structure itself was built a bit more than a hundred years ago by a Protestant group, and the Village proper, seen above, is in what was the original sanctuary but converted into general use space when they built a new sanctuary adjacent to it. The Village is made up of different vendors ranging from a man who makes stained glass items to one who does homemade soaps and such. There is even a special shop for the children, where most everything is a quarter, so that every child can afford to shop there.

I missed getting a photo of the bakery and cafe it seems, but there is food available. The cafe side had to raise prices this year for the obvious reasons, but there was a range of options and I stayed as far away from the bakery as I could. Lead me not into temptation…

There was a “General Store” area as well, with a variety of items for sale. This shows about half of it. I also failed to get a shot of the bookstore, which is one of the better religious bookstores in the area IMO. I love bookstores, though they are a danger to my budget.

Where I spent my time was in The Lamp Post. You may ask what a bar is doing in a church, even if it is right now strictly a coffee bar? There lies a tale, and it is part of what led me to visiting in the first place.

Look carefully at the bar. Very English, no? If you are familiar with good fiction, and modern Christian apologetics, you might even find it tugging at a corner of your mind. That’s because it is a reproduction of the bar in the “Bird and Baby” as the Inklings called The Eagle and Child pub where they met once a week. That’s why there are photos of C.S. Lewis (Anglican) and J.R.R. Tolkien (Catholic) on the wall.

I still don’t have the full tale, but somehow a C.S. Lewis museum at a university contacted the Church to see if they would like to have the reproduction. Given that the priest is a fan of C.S. Lewis, he said yes. A group rented a truck and made the trip to get it. I understand some refinishing and other work was done, and it now has a new home where it is hoped it might inspire discussions and conversations similar to what the Eagle and Child did for the Inklings.

There is still some work to be done on the room itself, and with luck I hope to be helping with that a small bit this winter. Mostly decorative, though the Deacon hopes to one day get the gas fireplace working, and they do need to have some rewiring done. Yes, it is possible that the ‘they’ may become a we as I am open to exploring and possibly joining the Orthodox Church. Not rushing anything, but I will say this Church has been amazingly welcoming and encouraging.

We did have a visit from Santa Lucia both Friday and Saturday (if you look behind her you can see the entrance to the bookstore). Saint Lucy was martyred by the Romans for feeding Christians hiding in the catacombs. To find her way around, and to help those hiding to find her, she wore a wreath of candles and white. I did not know of her following in Scandinavia however, in particular Sweden. It seems that during a famine, a ship was seen approaching a town with a woman in white, wearing a wreath of candles, standing in the bow. The ship came in and docked — and there was no one on board. Only much needed food. As a result, she’s extremely popular there. It’s hard to see, but there is a basket being held by our Lucia filled with a special bites of sweet bread which she gives out to everyone present.

There was a very good turnout this year, and I spent most of my time as greeter, explainer, and got into several good discussions on the Inklings, woodworking, and even into differences between Catholic and Orthodox services. Even clean-up wasn’t too bad. That said, I was dragging Sunday and noticed that a number of people who had worked the event skipped Sunday. Monday I rested a bit, but doing grocery shopping via bus and shanks mare yesterday have me a bit tired again.

More soon, but that’s what I’ve been up to since early Friday. My Christmas treat to myself is a book on the Inklings, which may be the first new book I’ve bought in almost two years. I think the last time I bought new books was just before I ended up having the open heart surgery.

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.