0.0001% Full

Almost the last week of July and finally an end to the endless torrential rain.  Today a beautiful day, almost a June day with temperature in the high sixties and blue sky and bright sun.  Camera Girl’s vegetable garden looks like all the life was washed right out of the plants by the flux of water dissolving the nutrients out of the soil.  The leaves of the squash plants are pale and yellowish.  I’ve told her I’ll try to save them with some fertilizer later today.  But all in all, the fields look good.  The grass is very green for the end of July and the monarch butterflies and their caterpillars have begun appearing on the milkweed.  In actuality the butterflies must have been there a while ago without being seen because the caterpillars are almost full grown.

I guess today I’m feeling less pessimistic than usual.  After all, there are still something like one hundred million Americans out there who still believe  lot of the things I believe in.  And even if we’re outnumbered and dispossessed of our rights and persecuted by the bugmen we’re still here.  And now that we’ve recognized our status as the enemy of the woke we have a natural tendency to band together for protection, to accomplish goals and for fellowship.

We can seek each other out and make common cause with others of our kind whenever we need to diverge from what the official policy would force us to do.  And that goes for cultural activities too.  They’ve destroyed all the fraternal organizations and now they’ve even destroyed the children’s activities like the Boy Scouts but they can’t do much about a fishing trip or a baseball game.

But we’re going to need to figure out how to recognize each other.  Secret handshakes and lapel pins probably won’t cut it.  John Locke said, “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”  So maybe our actions will have to be the signs that announce our principles.  I’ve been thinking for a while that maybe the churches we attend will be part of this sorting process.  Recently I’ve read that one or two of the denominations are splitting apart based on whether or not the local congregation adheres to biblical teachings about homosexuality and ordaining women.  This splitting up of churches into orthodox and deviant congregations sounds like a very good idea.  Freedom of religion is a very difficult right to subvert even in the new America and can be a valuable force in allowing normal people to retain many healthy social practices.  I’ve sometimes thought that being a clergyman might be my fate.  Who knows, one day “Saint photog the Venerable” could end up on a stained-glass window as the patron saint of blue check twits.  At least it’s possible.  I wonder if Elon Musk has an on-line ordination that includes a pay-pal button for Sunday donations?  I’ll suggest it to him.  He needs the cash too.

But yes.  I’m a lot more optimistic today that life in the American archipelago isn’t as bleak as I sometimes feel.  Sure, the Deep State is in charge and the Uni-Party is as corrupt and evil as anything Stalin perpetrated.  But there’s a lot of good people around still.  Just by our presence we prevent that much more bad from infiltrating into the space around us.

So let’s say today I feel like the glass is 0.0001% full instead of 99.9999% empty.  For today, that’s good enough.

The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth

Damning.  Will anything come of it?

 

Who Will Fight Joe Biden’s Wars?

The Neo-Cons want to fight Russia and China.  Well, that’s a bold ambition.  The question I have is fight them with what?  Or should I say with whom?  Because despite all the gear and munitions we’ve handed over to the Ukraine I’m sure we could ratchet up domestic production of weapons and munitions if we decided we want to.  But I don’t think we have an army to use those weapons.

Recruiting doesn’t seem to be going well.  The demographic that the military has always depended on to fill their ranks has been declared the enemy.  Straight white men are white supremacists and not to be trusted or promoted in the ranks.  So, it looks like minorities, women and sexual deviants will have to take up the slack.

But will they?  I’m guessing they won’t.  And if war seems imminent, I think the shortfall will get much, much worse.  And that’s as it should be.  Fighting for your country is a duty.  But when you’ve been told it’s no longer your country then it goes without saying that you must step aside and let the new owners bear the burden and make Joe Biden proud.

And I think it’s important that the new country use its new flag.  I think the rainbow flag should be hoisted high over the ranks of the high heeled drag queen warriors.  Why, if the Russians and Chinese even hear that these fierce soldiers are going to be the tip of the spear, I doubt they even show up.  They’ll surrender unconditionally and allow the victorious army to sashay through downtown Moskow and Beijing to the marshal beat of that proud anthem, “It’s Raining Men.”

Seriously, I think Washington is hoping to get the Poles and Baltic nations to attack Russia for us.  The question is whether we’re willing to start chucking nukes when the Russians start using them on these NATO partners.  I can’t make up my mind.  But chances seem good I may find out.

As far as the Chinese, I don’t think it will get beyond a war of words.  I don’t believe the US navy still commands the respect that it used to.  The Chinese won’t even have to call our bluff.  Taiwan does not want to be drawn into a confrontation with China.  They want the status quo to go on for as long as it can.  And in fact, I believe that the Koreans and Japanese probably feel the same way.

But as I said, I think it’s extremely likely that Biden’s neo-con military and state department may manage to trigger World War III.  How exactly it starts; Ukraine or Kaliningrad or the Baltics or Poland is unclear.  But the options are all there and it doesn’t look like there’s anyone smart enough or sane enough to prevent it.

It’s sort of ironic that while madmen like Stalin and Mao were in charge of Russia and China guys like Eisenhower and Nixon were smart and sane enough to prevent the situation from boiling over into nuclear war.  But now fate has given us Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.  I guess I should be able to see the humor in this.  And I guess I do.  But the laughter is a little like hysteria and the smile is more like a grimace.

Well, hail to the chief.  Go get them Joe and good luck, you’ll need it.

Guest Contributor – ArthurinCali – 21JUL2023 – California Sights

Here is a photo I took on our last road trip to the coast around the Big Sur area. Anyone who gets an opportunity to travel the Pacific Coast Hwy (PCR) while in California should take full advantage of it. The views and landscape is stunning.

Also, Here is a photo of the main Hearst Castle swimming pool I took while taking the tour. Another site worth visiting.

 

 

21JUL2023 – OCF Update

Once again I will be uprooted from my cushy lair and hurled into the outer void.  I must travel and unravel my tangled skein of thought while keeping track of time, space, and parking meters.  I will return sometime today after many frustrating and mind-deadening minutes of forced waiting.  I shall bring my new omnibus Shakespeare to while away the time.  The Bard will comfort me with his timeless prose and poetry;

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”
See you soon.
photog, the idiot.