The Laughing Wolf – Page 11 – Commentary, Punditry, and More

Another Old Memory

Again, X strikes again. In response to a post on X, I remembered the time a group of unsuspecting passengers participated in a mock carrier landing with a 747.

My go-to airline used to be Delta, and the second time I worked for NASA I usually made Platinum-level frequent flyer by March of each year. Domestically, Delta at the time was very good. Other than some issues with things being stolen out of luggage (and oddly enough one time returned), things went fairly well.

Internationally however, I had a huge issue with the fact that one of their major partners was Air Chance, aka Air France. There was a chance the flight would not be cancelled, there was a chance it would take off on time, there was a chance it would arrive on time, and you get the picture. It was also a given that Air Chance would lie to your face about any number of things.

I will give them credit for one thing: they knew they were lying and while they didn’t really care, they had a unique way of dealing with the customer service issues. After having been lied to about arriving on time; about having my connecting flight delayed for us on it; and, about a few other things, I and others were put aboard a later flight to the same destination. Pretty much the entire plane was filled with passengers who had been lied to and delayed. The flight crew came down the aisle with carts full of wine and booze. Pick your bottle, shut up, and be quiet we are not going to deal with it. By the time we landed, we may have been still PO’d but we didn’t care. Amazing what a bottle of good cognac will do to help you cope with the unchangeable. I will say that from then on I told the transportation people to not put me on anything Air Chance and have avoided them like the plague.

Which brings me to the story seen above. The flight was supposed to be Delta, but was (of course) Air Chance. We did the trans-Atlantic bit, came into land, and for some odd reason the pilot decided to re-enact a carrier landing. Now, to be fair, I’m not sure that’s accurate as there are several other possible reasons he decided to land on the overrun and stop the plane before the first cross taxiway. Not sure what those could have been (chemically induced perhaps?) but there may have been a reason of which I am not aware.

Had it been a real carrier, I’m pretty sure we would have hooked the first wire. Seriously, I think we hit on the overrun. We hit hard and we braked hard. Not entirely joking that we could have stopped on a carrier deck. To say the plane made odd noises is an understatement. We stopped. We stayed stopped for about ten minutes at a very busy airport.

When we moved, the plane made VERY odd noises and parts of the plane did not appear to move in unison. During our sitting phase, I had already made a mental bet we would have to be towed in. Still amazed we were not. As it is, with a mechanical cacophony, we eventually made it to international arrivals. I heard later that the plane was then towed (with no passengers or other witnesses around) to maintenance.

That was almost as much fun as the time we passed the abort point on takeoff and were still on the ground. Different flight, but another time I thought we were going to make the news in a bad way… Remind me and I will tell that tale one day.

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

Odd Memory Of The Past

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kapustnica

This last Sunday, we celebrated the feast day of the saint for whom our Church is named: Joy of All Who Sorrow. This is, of course, the Theotokos, known to many in the West as Mary the Mother of God. Being a feast day and not during a fasting period, it means there was a lot of good food at our “coffee” after the service.

While it is called a coffee (and there is some excellent coffee to be had as one of our members has a relative who owns a coffee roasting business), it usually is something of meal. That is because we generally fast from all food and drink (even water) starting no later than midnight Saturday night before partaking of the Eucharist. Some even do longer periods. Technically I’m exempt because of health and now age, but other than enough water to go with the medicines and such I have to take (and I take them about 0300 so that at least six hours have passed before service begins) I do my best to keep the fast.

Since becoming a Chanter, I haven’t been able to cook or do as much with food as I would like to do. There were also some issues that came up with kitchen access where I rent, but those are getting resolved (and I’m developing alternatives). For this day, however, I really wanted to do something nice. So, I had seen a recipe for an Eastern European soup that sounded good, and would be a good (close enough) ethnic fit. That soup is called Kapustnica.

The picture above really doesn’t do it justice, especially since my version really was more a stew than a soup. It is technically a sauerkraut soup; but, reality is that is a bunch of sausage and smoked meats cooked with some sauerkraut, mushrooms, and onions. With good sauerkraut, it is also extremely tasty. Here’s what I did:

To start, I diced a huge white onion medium fine (not coarse, not fine, in between), and sliced three large cloves of garlic as thin as I could. The onion, garlic, and three fresh bay leaves (use dried if you can’t get fresh) then were cooked/sauteed until tender (clear) in a mixture of lard and bacon drippings (a few T, didn’t really measure it). Three tablespoons of sweet smoked paprika were then added and the mixture cooked until the paprika turns dark and roasted.

As I was cooking the onion, I prepared my crockpot. Into the bottom I put the sauerkraut (I used a jar of Polish sauerkraut with some carrot included, mild and good) and a bag of dried mushrooms that I had rehydrated using white wine for a couple of days before use. In this case, I used a white wine from Romania as it both fit the spirit of the recipe and the deli where I got the meats and sauerkraut had it at a decent price. My own take is that a slightly sweet, not dry wine, is best. This one really worked well.

The onion/garlic mixture then went on top of the mushrooms and kraut. On top of that, I chopped up a couple of different types of Eastern European sausage (I picked two that looked good from the meat case), pretty much a whole smoked pork loin, and a small chunk of smoked cured beef. The beef is the only thing I would do differently, as the cure made it hard and it still wasn’t quite tender even after cooking. To be honest, at the meat case, I had just pointed and said: one of those, one of those, one of those, one of those… I went with what looked good.

Since I had drained the kraut (not much draining was needed to be honest), I put in some bone broth and some vegetable broth as liquid to get the cooking underway. I didn’t fill to the top as I had to transport the crockpot to Church, and a full pot will spill. Kept it roughly a couple of inches from the top, but was more than enough to cook the mixture.

It did cook faster than I expected, even on low in the crockpot. Figure about four hours as good. I ended up cutting it off a bit after seven when I went to bed, and around midnight it had finally cooled enough to go into the refrigerator. Once I had it at the Church, I plugged it back in, set it to low, added the water (and took the picture) and then let it go. Some wonderful people got it to the serving table for me, and I did make it to the kitchen in time to get the sour cream out of the refrigerator so people could add a dollop to top the bowls of soup if they wanted.

I will note that it is a rich soup/stew, and adding the sour cream is tasty but may be gilding the lily a bit. It was a hit, and I have very little cleaning to do of the crockpot. I also picked up a box of Russian chocolates to go with the other sweets. Someone did some meatballs, there was homemade fried chicken, and someone did some very nice cabbage rolls as well. Lots of other food, but tried to stay mostly keto.

So, Kapustnica is fairly quick and easy to do (couple of hours on the stove top in a big pot), and is also quite tasty and filling. If you don’t have a good Eastern European deli nearby, use some good smoked sausage (without corn syrup, Meijer brand here is good for that) and whatever other smoked meat you can find nearby. Or, heck, smoke some of your own on the grill or in a smoker and use that. I will simply say that the better the kraut, the better the soup/stew. Don’t have dried mushrooms, use fresh. Thing is, have fun and enjoy.

Random Thoughts This Monday

Tomorrow is an election day in much of the country, and my fond hope is that the yoke of the godless authority gets even further tossed aside. Not betting on it, as I think the people in two areas are about to vote to get it harder and more violently than ever before. Nor do I think what is happening was organic; rather, a massive astroturf that if we are lucky is the last gasp of a major front of the godless authority. Time will tell.

I’ve also been struck this morning by how some people have changed over the years. Sadly, not for the better. Two cases in particular came up this morning.

An early morning text conversation with a friend brought to mind a clinical therapist I knew of years back who I thought might be a good resource for another mutual friend going through a rough time. So, I looked them up to see if they were still in practice. I literally did not recognize them as they have completely altered their physical appearance from the last time I saw them. They have also gone from ‘I’m not Catholic but am Christian and will offer treatment according to Catholic beliefs to help someone’ to ‘trans-queer supporter’ all the way! They apparently are only accepting any new patient (limited number) from that community, and I won’t be recommending them to anyone. Sad.

Also came across some references to someone who used to be a huge “influencer” and figure in domestic political punditry. They started a number of media companies that were bought up and some are still going in fact. I had effectively cut ties with them years ago about the time of my first embed to Iraq, finding them to be a touch strange and odd. If some of what I came across today is true, strange and odd may well be a considerable understatement. Part of me wants to dig in and research; but, frankly, neither they nor any controversy around them are worth that much effort. As with the LCSW above, the best that can be offered up is prayer.

On a more positive note, was and am glad to see a number of people making positive changes in their lives, in some cases to the point of completely turning their lives around. I’ve offered up some prayers for them too as they do one of the hardest and most rewarding things in life.

Feeling sort of lazy today, as the last few days have been busy, to be polite. Lots of time at Church, and having the car gifted to me has been a true godsend in terms of getting there and running errands related to the Church. This week should be a little more laid back, though I need to get to the storage unit as — weather permitting — I’m thinking of having a yard sale Saturday to start selling off a number of things. This time, lots of packs, rucks, and related along with clothing and some electronics. My goal is to eventually sell off pretty much everything but my books, cooking gear, and some holiday/sentimental items. Proceeds will go towards the pilgrimage, possible future pilgrimages, possible religious education, and covering some other expenses.

More soon.

Thoughts On A Theological Smugging

Back in this post, kindly linked by Sarah A. Hoyt over at Instapundit, a response was left taking issue with the fact that a prayer I shared dared mention Mary the Mother of God/Theotokos. Since there was no response to the questions I asked in the comments (or to any comments), I e-mailed them and was unsurprised at the responses/non-responses.

It seems the person is in the habit of depositing such nuggets of what they deem wisdom in various punch bowls around the blogosphere. So much so that they can’t be bothered to keep up with all of them (according to one response). Apparently it is a busy life bravely dropping these nuggets on the fly (without even a glance in the rear view mirror).

However, what they regard as nuggets of wisdom can be seen as something else floating in the punchbowl. I also find the response to an old and much used prayer a bit churlish, inconsiderate, and even somewhat ignorant. My amusement at the refusal to answer the questions asked and bidding me “Good Day!” (I’m really surprised given the apparent dudgeon that I didn’t get the full “I said Good Day Sir!”) has sparked an idea for a series of posts.

What follows is not a refutation of the comment, per se; rather, it is an opportunity to lay out for your edification and my clarification some points about early Christianity and traditional faiths and how they differ from non-traditional Christianity. Given how many people there are out there today for whom history begins and ends with their own lifetime, it is good to review real history and how a number of things developed within it.

Please note that I am not a theologian and don’t claim to be one; rather, I am laying out some points and concepts for my own use and growth — a process previously started here and here. If these happen to help others, then that is a happy coincidence for which I am very glad.

Today, I want to look at the Bible, it’s development, and a bit on it’s use — along with other sources — in understanding Christian faith and the teachings of Jesus. Along the way, I think you may pick up on why I think it would be easy to make the case for Sola Scriptura as a heresy; but, I instead see it more as an idiocy. Some may see that as a bit harsh, but I think I can make a good case.

Let’s start with an honest question for you the reader: When did the Bible as we know it come into being? Was it extant before the Passion? Was it created immediately after? Was it created and accepted in the first century after the Passion? Was it created and accepted almost three hundred years afterwards? Was it created and accepted five hundred years afterwards? Is this a trick question?

The answer to the last question is: sorta. It’s not really a trick question except that it would depend on which part, Old Testament or New Testament, is being referred to above.

The proper Old Testament, as I have been taught of late, is the Septuagint. This is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, and was the Bible from which Jesus preached in the Temple and elsewhere. It has books not contained in the current Hebrew Bible because the Hebrew faith changed versions of the Old Testament because of the rise of Christianity.

While it is a bit of an over-simplification, what happened was that since Christianity claimed and used the Septuagint, the Hebrew faith elected to switch to a different version of the Old Testament. Of course it’s much more involved than that, but it’s a (fun) rabbit hole that is not terribly germane to the current discussion.

I will note for the record, however, that there are sources (mostly online, caveat emptor) that have different accounts of this. Not having taken formal courses on such (yet), I admit there could be some error in this presentation. It is one reason I very much would like to attend formal seminary training, though I note that given my history geekiness that if I get in and have the chance to dig into this to my heart’s content, you may need to use a nuclear shaped charge to get me out again.

As for the New Testament, it took a bit over three hundred years for a version to be formally accepted. Up until then, the different Churches and bishops used a variety of different sources. That said, I will note that one of the early Apostolic Fathers (the first generation of Church leaders trained by the Disciples) pretty well nailed the books that became the New Testament some 200 years before such was formally ratified.

Side Quest/Note: At least one book of what is currently accepted as the New Testament has never been formally ratified by the Eastern Orthodox Church (and possibly others). It also has not been formally rejected. That book is the book of Revelation. Make of that what you will.

Now, as for those works not included in the New Testament, some were rejected as not being canon. Others were rejected as not rising to the level of Gospel. A category not often discussed (IMO) are the books deemed duplicative. While they might have unique insights and information, the key points were duplicative of the other gospels. As such, they were not included, though some continued to be used as supplementary texts.

Keep in mind also that there were two levels of costs involved with adding texts to the Bible. One was the cost of production. Given that such had to be hand-written and/or illustrated, a single book of the Gospel could cost the equivalent of a year’s wages for a family. The second is the cost of memory, as most scripture was memorized.

Christianity was not based on written tradition; rather, it was based on oral tradition as were most academic and theological undertakings of the time. The fact is, most people — often including priests, Bishops, and others — were illiterate. It does not mean they were stupid, far from it. It simply means that they were not able to read or write. When you read the epistles in the New Testament, find a version and translation that includes the salutations and conclusions as these will have discussion of who wrote the actual letter and how to know it was a faithful rendition of what was said to them. Interesting note, often the actual writer was sent with the letter so they could be questioned and the recipients satisfied as to the accuracy of the epistle.

The fact is, most of the instruction of new priests, bishops, and such was oral. Which is why the Didache was created: it was the written supplement to the oral teachings of the Disciples and Apostolic Fathers. It is also worth noting that a good bit of time is spent reminding the readers (or those to whom it was being read) how to spot False Prophets, which came in two types. One spread false gospel and did not preach the gospel of the Lord, and the second would be described today as grifters, who were in it for money and other riches (including power). I would note that the tests provided can be applied to drive by smuggings even now.

It is also why a number of the epistles included in the New Testament were written (as were a number of those not included for being duplicative). When you look at them, many boil down to: diplomatic greeting; polite description of problem; discussion often about no that is not what the Lord said/meant, that is not what we said/meant, you young punks need to put back those who you removed from being over you and apologize, this is what we are supposed to do, this is how we are supposed to do it, and this is what we told you (did you even listen?); and, a polite conclusion inviting the recipients to get it in gear, straighten up, and fly right.

Such letters were necessary because of the oral teachings. Again, let me emphasize that being illiterate does not mean being stupid. In fact, I would put the average member of the Church then (and even many priests who were not literate) up against most current Christians in their ability to quote, analyze, and discuss Scripture and other related teachings. Fact is, many of them could, would, and did quote not just passages, but entire books of what became the New Testament as well as the Old. They could also chant or sing hymns and prayers that went with them.

One reason for the elaborate decorations in the early Churches was that they created in effect a picture Bible. Each picture sparked the appropriate scriptures, hymns, and prayers associated with the events and people depicted. You still find this in many Greek and Eastern Orthodox Churches (Coptic too I think), and even some Roman Catholic Churches. It was all there to support the oral teachings and traditions of the early Church as memory aids.

Now, those oral teachings and traditions included a lot of discussion not simply on what Jesus said, but what it meant. Just as Jesus explained many of the parables to the Disciples (and in the process to those who heard said teachings later as they were chanted/sung during worship), the Disciples and the Apostolic Fathers also explained meanings, symbolism, and more to their audience. And again, these were handed down in oral tradition for centuries.

Even after Gutenberg revolutionized Western printing, books remained expensive and it actually took some advances in paper making to get prices down where books could be afforded by a wider section of the population. Even so, memorizing large chunks if not whole books of the Bible continued to be a significant factor until roughly a hundred years ago.

When you look at it, Sola Scriptura is based off the idea of everyone having access to the printed word, and that word alone — without any of the supporting words, writings, hymns, and other inputs of the Disciples and Apostolic Fathers (or even major theologians since) — and that such is sufficient for people to find their own special meaning in scripture.

I find that a conceit on more than one level (and meaning). Among other things, it is the idea that only now are we sufficiently advanced to truly understand the Word (all on our own!) and, by implication, that all those who came before were not true recipients of God’s Grace and Salvation because they lacked the intellectual and moral sophistication of their betters who are only now arriving on the scene. Think about it a bit.

As a final thought for the day, consider also that from the original Bible every schism has removed books from both the Old and New Testaments. For that matter, with at least one schism underway now we are hitting a point where it appears line-item exclusion is in process. So, again, which version of the Bible are you using for Sola Scriptura? The entire and complete version? If not, which edited version of the Bible are you using?

Also, which translation as that very much matters. One of the things I enjoy about our Bible study class, as I’ve mentioned before, is that our Sub-Deacon often presents different translations of the same text so we can hear and/or see the differences. Some of those differences can be profound. Again, which version are you using? It does make a difference.

In the next post, unless I get a flash of inspiration to do something different, I plan to go into more of the oral tradition and even (I hope) share some of those early items for your consideration. Until then, God Bless and Keep you.

He’s Right You Know

Over at Instapundit this morning, I saw this post in regards the sleeper cells in the U.S. There have been some comments, and even a bit of pressure to deny them and to derail/deride the idea that four battalions of such may have found their way into the U.S. I stand by the four battalions, and in fact will be most pleasantly surprised if that is all that came in from various places (including the “Orient” cough cough). That none have activated so far is miraculous IMO.

Do not forget about them, or that they may coordinate with other interesting people and groups including domestic. The ideas in Kurt Schlichter’s The Attack are not yet off the table. For all that a number of ideologies and such are on the ropes does not mean they are harmless and a lot of damage can still be done — especially if we are complacent.

A Car Owner Yet Again

Well, this morning the BMV was indeed open and I set out upon my quest to get the title changed to the car I have been gifted. The lady I dealt with started out with ‘there is supposed to be other paperwork already done!’ type comments, and then transitioned to ‘well, I will see what I can do and if a legal review will approve’ and then on to ‘let’s do this and this and all should be good.’

She ended up creating and having me sign about five different forms, including one noting it was a gift and not sold to me, and the legal review was rather anti-climactic (the look on the person’s face was very much ‘you’re bothering me with this why?’) and I am supposed to get my title and a new tag within 21 days. Yee-hah. So, for now I have a paper tag and am hoping for not a lot of rain until the new tag gets here.

I did go do a bit of grocery shopping and while I was at it, picked up appropriate oil, brake fluid, power transmission fluid, and even wiper-washer fluid (my Godfather already had antifreeze in the trunk) just to be safe. If anyone cares to hit the tip jar, want to get a new fire extinguisher, general first aid kit, and a small trauma kit to keep in the vehicle. Also plan to pick up a new jump pack and some other items as I get the chance.

So, not exactly something I would love to take across country, but for getting me to Church and the grocery store, should be good. Makes a lot of interesting noises, and know there are some things it would be nice to have worked on. Thing is, it runs and the rest can wait. Onwards.

Time To Catch Up A Bit

Okay, sorry for the long silence but last week was hectic. As I mentioned, I’ve been gifted a car and last Monday I went and got insurance for it so I could transfer the title. By waiting to activate the policy until today, I saved app. $200 in fees. Got a good deal, as I think I said last week, even though I am paying cash up front, it works out to about $55 a month for insurance.

I went today to transfer the title only to find out that Indiana BMV is now closed on Mondays. So, I will go early tomorrow and get it transferred (hopefully no problems or delays).

Spent a lot of time last week at Church, as we had multiple services and special events. Think I’ve mentioned that I am getting trained in how to plot out various services, and found myself helping to do that at Wednesday vespers. In fact, with our Deacon out, my baptism brother (we were Baptized on the same day) and I found ourselves drafted into doing the Chanter/Deacon part and got it mostly right. Thank goodness our priest could come over for part of the service and help us with the various tones and music. Getting the tones memorized (there are about 20) will be a challenge but is needed.

I also went Tuesday for massage therapy (such a blessing and has really helped with my mobility), then went over to an office supply store (more in a bit), and then to the outdoor outfitter to see if the Osprey pack I was given could be used for the pilgrimage next year. Sadly, the answer was no. The pack frame is a small, and if you’ve met me in person I am not a small-framed person. It literally was too small for my body. However, we figured out what I did need and they talked me out of getting a very large pack (100 L) and instead going with a 70-litre Osprey pack (plus a bit).

The frame is a Large/X-Large, and we now have it fitted to me. Need to do some smaller adjustments, but those will wait for load-out tests. I’m going to start practicing loading it for the trip, working out best placement for various items, and then going for some long walks with it to get things worked out. My goal is to have everything I take come in at about 40 pounds, as there is a 50 pound weight limit and I want a margin. As I progress, and work out at the gym, the outfitter is going to do more adjustments and help me get it dialed in as precisely as possible.

Nice thing is, for all I hated having to spend the money, it will work for this pilgrimage and any future such (really would love to get to the Holy Land one day), as well as for actual backpacking and camping. Again, an ouch but one worth taking. It also doesn’t hurt that they updated the frame system since the other one was bought and it does make a difference in keeping weight off the artificial shoulders.

I was also able to get an eye-doctor appointment set-up through my new (this year) insurance. That will be this week, but if things work out I should be able to get new glasses if and as needed this year, and then get prescription sunglasses for the trip next year for cheap or free. That’s the goal at any rate.

The office supply store visit had two purposes. One was to check out a TSA PRE option for next year, and to get a decent binder and some page holders (nicknamed page condoms at NASA a while back) for holding music and various other needed things at Church. As a Chanter I need the music not just for the liturgy, but also for some of the special services. I’m also dividing it up into sections for each service as I work on learning how to plot out those services.

I also met with my priest a couple of times last week on doing some of the prep work for the Saturday Vespers and Matins. I’m going to be learning how to get the right info into our standard form for handouts so that those are ready to go on Saturday afternoon.

We also had a Church cleaning day on Saturday, which was well attended and we even got some things done that hadn’t been done in a while. One of the people who volunteered was very enthusiastic to the point of dusting architectural decorations and other locations up high that have not been done in years. And it showed, and he even went and vacuumed in the sanctuary and other places that needed it after his work. I did a small bit, and managed to get my lower back very upset with me. Since my Godmother reads this blog on occasion, won’t admit to all I did, but I will say that I do enjoy making OSHA inspectors cry. Nothing too dangerous, but needed to get to a few places that hadn’t been done in years as well. Worth it though, as the sanctuary gleamed Sunday morning.

So, hope to get more regular posting done this week even with a few things going on. Most of the Church things are towards the end of the week, though I will be meeting with the priest of the local Romanian Orthodox Church on Thursday as he just got back from a sabbatical in Romania. He’s going to be showing me what apps were used there for payments and more; going over some of his lesson’s learned; and, he’s even even helping me with a Church to attend while I am in Romania (even though it won’t be for long). Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be filled with services, so might not be posting much at the very end of the week.

More soon, and thank you for your patience! As always, your suggestions, prayers and kind gifts towards the pilgrimage, the “new” car, and life in general are very much appreciated.

Doing Fine

This morning has been spent at the doctor’s office, with a side trip to Costco. Courtesy of being hit by lightning, every six months I get a pretty good check up. Today’s went very well with the bloodwork very good overall. My blood glucose was one point higher than the average, and the doc said he wasn’t going to ding me over that. (smile). The important things were all in range and/or excellent in some cases. Hoping that getting to the gym will make things even better.

Also, yesterday I was gifted a car that had belonged to my Godfather. Not pretty, but mechanically sound and runs well. This despite being stolen at one point by people who did not know how to drive stick-shift and abandoned it. (grin, equipped with millennial anti-theft protection system)

My Godfather had a bunch of work done on it earlier this year, so should be good for getting to Church and back, and occasional trips to the grocery store. I go tomorrow to sign paperwork on insurance, and once I have proof of insurance will transfer the title. Doing a yearly bill as it drops my insurance cost to $55 a month at full coverage. The bill is an ouch, being unbudgeted, but long-term worth it.

My doctor being across the street from a Costco, walked across to take care of some things. When I joined, I had a high-pressure guy who got me to try the Executive membership. Didn’t do much for me, so knowing renewal was coming up, went in and asked to downgrade the renewal. They had me shop first, then came back. Long-story short, they did the downgrade now, refunded the difference, and used some other goodies to renew me for the year at the regular membership price for no additional charge, so I’m good until the end of December 2026 without any payment. That was excellent customer service.

More to come!

Prognostication, Pt. 2

A while back, in this post, I offered the start to some prognostications of the future — at least in Europe. Now what I was doing ties into this post and this post on NATO and the need for a new non-military NATO. I stand by my comments on the need to get out of NATO, and why we need to be looking at a new approach and even location.

While I had intended to do detailed run-downs on several countries, and to note some potential inflection points, I fear the time for that has passed. At least it has passed for me and where I am headed on my own personal journey. That said, I want to look at some of the possible futures I see while noting that there are things that can happen to prevent or change the direction of events. These deflection points are going to depend on individuals and their actions, as such has the power to change the world.

First up, the EU is an evil organization and, to my mind, represents the face of the yoke of the godless authority. It is anti-freedom, anti-nationalism, and anti-individualism. It is also a drain on it’s member nations and is doing all it can to destroy them as individual countries. It is a group of WEF communist/socialist flunkies who crave power and wield it like a junkie after a fix. Possibly harsh, but keep that in mind as I go through the following.

England, whatever you call it, is lost. As I’ve noted in previous posts, the still-increasing number of mainly Muslim migrants who are not assimilating but seeking to make it a Muslim country are outgrowing and out-breeding the natives. Law enforcement has gone all-in on promoting and protecting that effort and those behind it, and all-in on persecuting if not terrorizing average citizens who dare object in any way, shape, or form. The courts have gone all-in on a two-tier system of justice where native Britons/average citizens are given harsh and even draconian punishments for not being willing serfs while the new masters of Britain are given slaps on the wrist at worst for far more horrific crimes like rape and murder. Speak up against it and you will be in jail for years, where the rapist or murderer you objected to gets little or no jail time.

Demographics are against England. So are the politics as while the current Labor government is cracking down as hard and fast as it can (and even trying to censor Americans and American companies), the rest of the lot including Reform isn’t much better. While Tommy Robinson may be a viable alternative, I suspect the current government will succeed in killing him within a year via more trumped-up charges and false imprisonment where the dirty work can be done by others. Hope I’m wrong on that, but not going to put a bet that I am.

With elections still several years away on the normal cycle, I don’t think they offer much of a chance. In fact, if things keep going as they are, I don’t think such elections will matter at all. See some of my previous writings for my thoughts on why an uprising is not likely to succeed. Absent arms and other supplies, a revolt against tyranny is not in the cards. If we are not laying the groundwork and making plans to secure England’s nukes when it falls, the staff at the Pentagon is failing at their jobs.

Germany is in much the same boat. The government is continuing the immigration policies started under Merkel but adding their own thuggish touch to them. They are looking to outlaw the growing AfD party and I note with interest the recent sudden deaths of six or so members of the party who were already on ballots but also who could not be replaced before the elections, preventing any AfD victories. Add in a two-tier justice system on the English model, and much tighter governmental controls, and the deck is stacked against the native citizens of Germany. Also, again, demographics is a bear with a declining birthrate on one hand and a rising birthrate on the part of the immigrants not painting a good picture.

While Germany has not yet internalized and accepted the industrial-level of grooming and rape of children as have the English (and it is worth remembering that members of law enforcement and government were paid off with use of the children for years, as well as by political votes and support), it is still tolerated by the courts (and to a lesser extent LE) though not by the citizens. There is a reason for the growth of the AfD…

That said, Germany looks to fall just as England has. If the public suddenly stands up against the government, they may have a chance. Again, however, the odds are against it and, again, they have given up any and all means to revolt against a tyranny. I think Germany will hold on longer than England, but face the same fate absent sudden, radical change.

Now, let’s turn to France. In some respects, France is further along the fall than most realize, thanks to Macaroon and company. France has a huge immigrant problem, and Paris is not the only city that has large-and-growing no-go areas. The French Government and French media for the most part have waged a fairly successful effort to keep bad news suppressed, especially to external audiences. I more than halfway suspect that Macaroon’s shameless pandering to Hamass was an effort to curry favor with the majority Muslim invaders.

Keep in mind that Macaroon and company are still in power because they have refused to accept election results that would put them out of power and Ms. LePen and her populists into power. They are also doing all they can to trump up charges to keep her out of power in the mistaken belief that if they block her the rest will fall away. They would rather see France fall, to the point of becoming a Muslim nation, than accept the will of the people.

Which means France may have a chance. More than once the people of France have taken pragmatic action themselves when the government would not. Given the laissez-faire attitude of many of the citizens of France to various laws (including weapons laws), they may deal with the problem such that the government is handed a fait accompli which can be regretted in public while celebrated in private.

Problem is, once again, demographics. The French are being out bred even as more and more immigrants pour in on top of that. Given the actions of the current French government in fighting their political enemies, there is a very real chance that they will focus on them and not on the larger threat. So, while I think there may be a greater chance there than in England or Germany, I don’t see it happening outside a significant and unexpected event or events. Also, again, we need to be laying groundwork and making plans to secure French nukes when it happens.

Spain may have a chance, if the current group of loons is voted out and someone with some sense voted in. The mood in the Spanish public does seem to be shifting far faster and far greater than those in power realize. However, I think it likely to fall as it is a prime target for the Islamists who want it for historic reasons (and propaganda). Lot going on there now, largely out of view, but it is one of the few countries I think could end up holding on for a while.

Italy is one of the few countries I think has a chance of survival, though it may be in parts. Given both internal Italian politics and the outsized role of the EU in blocking Italian government efforts to control immigration (and more), I have the suspicion we may see the Risorgimento rolled back with mostly the region from Rome north holding. As for Sicily, it may hold out by dint of going full-Sicilian on all immigrants.

As for Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc., even if they hold out at first, they will be overwhelmed by numbers. Absent a fanatic defense requiring a LOT of outside assistance, they will fall soon after the larger countries.

Switzerland should be able to hold, though outside aid will be needed long-term. In fact, I can see the mountainous regions of Germany, France, Austria, and Italy being a redoubt around it if and when the rest of same falls. I can see the mountains of Spain being a no-go zone for the Caliphate, and portions of the Scottish Highlands and isles as a redoubt in England. The problem will be sufficient agriculture to feed the population, and sufficient manufacturing of weapons and other needful things. Absent ground logistics, air will be a poor alternative. Sea logistics will be interesting for most of the areas save England.

Which is why I think it would be wise to go with a new, non-military NATO as I discussed in the linked posts above. If we build up Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia, and Croatia. Yes, I know there are some issues with some of the countries, but I also think that such can be dealt with. Fact is, if you have most or all of those countries, you have a solid bulkwark to contain the new Caliphate and provide ground logistics to northern Italy and Switzerland.

You would also have some Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) which are going to be essential. Of course, those are contingent on keeping the straights of Gibraltar open, but again it can be done. I wouldn’t count on the Bosphorus as right now I would put my money on Erdogan going all-in on the side of the Islamists. That again is a good reason to beef things up in the traditional areas that have opposed invasions from Istanbul for a thousand years or so.

There is a lot more behind what I have proposed, but I lack the time to get into all the details. It’s not as off-the-wall as some might think, and there are some historic details hidden beneath the surface. Besides, it’s not a battle I’m likely to fight; so, I put this out for others to consider.

Thing is, the future is not yet written. I can already see some things that could happen to prevent the worst case, which is what my discussion centers around. Thing is, many of those events are as likely to be as catastrophic as the individual countries falling. In a majority of the cases where native citizens rise up not only against their own governments, but to repel the invasion of the immigrants, it will likely be the bloodiest event(s) in human history. It’s why no sane person wants Civil War 2.0 here.

While there are a few chances for a more peaceful resolution of things, the odds are that even if they survive and survive as a Western government built on the foundations of Western civilization, it will not be the country we once knew. If they don’t survive as a Western government built on the foundations of Western civilization, they will be so far removed from what they were as to be unrecognizable.

It’s why we need to start now working to save not only our own Republic (an effort already well underway), but to reform and/or replace those governments that have turned against their own people. The best way for that to happen is from within, by the people and through the ballot box. If we do anything, it should be to ensure free and fair elections do take place and to stomp hard and fast on efforts to push censorship, legislation, and unrest from abroad. We need to use our economic clout to reward governments that do right by their people and their treaty obligations, and to punish those who do not. Some of that is already underway, the only question is will it be enough and in time.

What I present here is the worst case, but it also what I see taking place before us. I truly do fear England is lost, but hope that it may yet save itself without losing itself. All it could take is that one spark, that one unexpected person and event that opens a door for events. Otherwise, I fear that most of Europe will live out Tom Kratman’s Caliphate. Pray that we, and the rest of the world, don’t.