Category: Current Events

26MAR2023 – The Week Begins

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Christmas Cooking, Sony A7 III, Sony 90mm f\2.8 macro lens

The weekend was replete with good food, happy visitors and talk.  We heard stories about the really old days, over a century ago when our ancestors came to this country and made their fortune and then lost it and then started over again.  It was exciting, pathetic, sad, funny and very familiar.  Familiar because it’s family.  And we heard tidings of some old friends and relatives who are ailing.  But as we age there will always be more of that.  But there were tidings of the next generations venturing out into the world.  That’s always a necessary and welcome development.  And we made plans for upcoming gatherings.  Easter is almost upon us and we’ll be hosting the family which is great.

And now here we are beginning a new week.  Chaos reigns supreme in Dunwich and I expect pandemonium when I arrive at work tomorrow.  But the world we live in is in a permanently catastrophic state and if no other good thing has come of this shambolic existence, it’s that we’ve become less delicate.  Anything less than a megaton of destruction is routinely just shrugged off as “more of the same.”  Well, good.  We’ll continue on and deal with these occurrences, one catastrophe at a time.  Who knows maybe they’ll run out of plagues eventually and we’ll come out on the other side.

And at least there is a bit of humor to the whole thing.  Even the outside world is starting to catch on to just how pathetic Joe Biden and his gang of losers really are.  Even the Saudis, who have never been known for their love of humor have joined in the act.  Saudi tv has a skit where Biden and Harris look-alikes wander around a political soundstage hopelessly lost and stupid.  Imagine when even stone age people like the former headhunters of the Amazon jungles and the New Guinea highlands join in the fun.  Maybe it could become a meme when representatives of every race and ethnicity compete on Rumble to mock Dementia Joe and Magic Bus Kamala.  That would be a true moment of solidarity for the whole human race.  It chokes you up just thinking of it.

But seriously, this is going to go on for a good long time.  As a very smart man said long ago there is a lot of ruin in a nation.  Before the US is degraded to a level where people will do anything about it, it will have to get a lot worse.  So, I intend to do my best to take care of those I love and try somehow to make my immediate surroundings a little less horrible.  And when I have the time, I’ll put up some of my scribblings here as moral support for folks like me.  If you have something to share leave it in the comments and if you have something longer, you’d like to see posted send it to me at the e-mail address listed or just say so in the comments and if it’s something I can support I’ll probably post it up.

Things are a lot worse than they used to be.  But one thing has improved.  We now know the truth about the country we live in.  Tens of millions of people now know that what we were told was a big lie.  And that is a powerful thing.  And I don’t know how, but I’m pretty sure that one day that is going to have a tremendous impact on some critical moment in our history.  A country is made of more than just banks and bureaucracies.  I think there is a component that depends on the trust of people.  And this country has lost that.  It was that characteristic called American exceptionalism.  It was belief in ourselves as being part of something remarkable.  Now we know that’s not true.  And pretty soon the rest of the world is going to find out too.  The day will come when one of Joe Biden’s gang is going to ask us for help and he’s going to get

… nothing.

Guest Contributor – TomD – 25MAR2023 – Scientific American Goes Woke

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Did a quick google (Laura Helmuth) and found she’s chief editor of Scientific American. That would be hard to believe if SA hadn’t been totally co-opted 20 or so years ago. I hate it too, I subscribed to SA for decades and absolutely devoured every issue. I remember the issue with the article on the Supernova of 1987 in the Great Crab Nebula. Whoever wrote it did a great job, it was exciting, mesmerizing, illuminating. Back then, the basis of the magazine was purely science

I watched politics and what is now called wokeism creep in. There was an editor change, don’t remember the names now, but that opened the gates. SA hired a new columnist (again don’t remember the name), who on his 2nd column, stated flatly that the verdict of history was now in and the political organizing system of the future was clear and that was socialism.

Oh, yeah? That was it for SA for me. Now you don’t know if any particular article is true or an outright lie intended to mislead you to believe in some woke bulls***t.

Matt Taibbi Chronicles the Ministry of Truth’s Exposure

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Taibbi is a lefty who actually believes in the constitution. And by all appearances is an honest man.  Such a rare bird.

 

In this essay he traces the origins of the information state and shows how Americans may have had enough of it.

But has it had enough of us?  Taibbi may be a bit too optimistic about his lefty comrades and their willingness to let go of power.

Guest Contributor – ArthurinCali – 24MAR2023 – Ugly Americans

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The trope of the ‘Ugly American’ can be a sad reality at times. What is an Ugly American you ask? From Wikipedia;

“Ugly American” is a stereotype depicting American citizens as exhibiting loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless, ignorant, and ethnocentric behavior mainly abroad, but also at home.

It is important to recognize that applying this pejorative to every scenario that involves a cultural faux pas is incorrect. For example, when dining overseas it is not rude or inconsiderate to ask for clarification on what a menu item is, or what ingredients it contains. For those with food allergies this can mean the difference between life and death. This article on the signs of an Ugly American points to the practice of asking the exchange rate in US dollars for items. This I disagree with as not everyone can always have currency exchange information on their smart phones. Many merchants and businesses helpfully keep currency conversion handy just for this reason. There are however, a few clear-cut examples I recall from traveling overseas that are worth mentioning. These I classify as Ugly American Situational Syndrome, or UASS for short.

I have written before about Guam, but here is another story on island life…

A lifetime ago in the late 90s I was stationed on the pacific island of Guam at the start of my naval career. After purchasing a ‘Boonie’ car whose better days were seen around the Reagan administration I began to explore the island in my time off. Being a naïve 19-year-old sailor, I went pretty much all over the island without regard to islander dynamics in mind.

One weekend, I went to a pool hall by myself and began to play with a group of Chamorros (local Guamanians). I had noticed the bar in passing a few times and decided to finally check it out. After meeting the owner and playing a few games with him, I noticed that I was the only American in this local bar. I asked Richard (the bar owner) if it was ok to be in the pool hall, and he replied, “You are welcome here anytime. You are respectful.”

Back at work that Monday, several fellow sailors asked where I was that weekend. (pre-cell phone era) I explained that I had gone to the pool hall downtown. They expressed shock and dismay that I went there, explaining that they had tried to go a few weeks ago and had been summarily thrown out after being told it was for locals only.

“Were you drunk and being dumb?” I asked. “Yeah,” they admitted.

This attitude of barging into places and acting as if there was a sacrosanct right to be in a space was a common theme overseas. Going into a local bar and trying to take over is textbook UASS behavior.

Spending time exploring the country of Singapore is quite the experience. Located at the southern tip of Malaysia, this small island nation has many attractions. From the world famous Singapore Zoo, to the famed Gardens by the Bay, a $1 billion botanical garden inspired by the three distinct ethnic cultures of Chinese, Malay, and Indian. On this visit, our group of Sailors found ourselves on the famed Orchard road, a retail and dining district. Lining the street were plenty of restaurants to choose from, and we quickly decided on a pleasant outside café with a patio. A large sandwich style billboard on the sidewalk displayed the drinks available for order. Besides Coca-Cola and various teas, the café had three types of beer; Heineken, Stella Artois, and Tiger beer (the local favorite, usually consumed as a last resort).

A polite waitress came to the table and we began to place our drink orders. Everything was moving along smoothly until she came to our traveling companion that I’ll call ‘Don.’ Without too much backstory let’s say that Don was, well, unworldly is the nice way to describe it. On this deployment, he was one who would look for the nearest McDonald’s, or ask nonsensical questions on local culture. Not one to disappoint, he requested a Budweiser. Then a Coors Light. When informed that the café did not carry those he topped it off with, “You mean to tell me you don’t have any American beers?” Maintaining my composure through gritted teeth I helpfully directed Don’s attention to the before mentioned sign on the sidewalk that had the available refreshments. He continued to show his dismay that a restaurant 8800 miles from the USA would not carry his favorite swill.

It is not that difficult to avoid the UASS label while traveling and living overseas. Understanding different customs and cultures will help one avoid becoming a living embodiment of UASS.

Links:

Ugly American Definition

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugly_American_(pejorative)

7 Signs You’re An Ugly American

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/seven-signs-youre-an-ugly-american_b_1952474

Singapore Travel

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/singapore

Singapore’s Orchard Road

https://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/places-to-see/orchard/

 

Dunwich in the Time of Mud

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Spring has arrived with its endless supply of muck and slop and just in time with it the town has gone topsy turvy.  Revolution has broken out.  The Old Guard and the Young Turks are having a set to and I’m caught in the middle.  I’ll be working more and making a little extra money but being of an extremely lazy nature I’d prefer the opposite.  But there are some interesting aspects to this turn of events.  New England town democracy in action is a bizarre force to observe.  The fact that the Old Guard is putting up a fight is almost unheard of in this neck of the woods.  I’ll have a ringside seat for the proceedings so it may make an interesting story when all is said and done but I expect that much angst and hard feelings will spill over into everyday life.

But at the same time, it will also cut into my blogging time, in fact it already has.  And on top of that I’ve mended my ways and now have begun applying myself to my fiction writing.  I cranked out four thousand words over the last three days and that has also cut into my posting.  But that’s all to the good.  The story is expanding and becoming more interesting.  I’ve definitely decided to nuke my hero’s base at some point.  I mean what’s a science fiction story without an atom bomb somewhere?  No one calls them atomic bombs anymore.  It’s nuke this and nuke that.  Thermo-nuclear.  Who came up with that name?  Thermo- implies heat.  Are there any cold nuclear explosions?  I guess if they ever figure out an actual cold fusion process, we could talk about it but anyway I think I’m going to nuke my base.

I’ve had to write some personal scenes into the book.  The hero gets to see his family for the first time in a long while and there are grandkids and his son’s widow and that was tricky.  I think I did alright which surprised me.  I’m not a very touchy feely kinda guy but I could see that leaving out his relationship with his family felt fake.  So, there you go, human interest.  What’s next, an Oprah interview for our hero?  I’ve even added an AI character.  That’s actually kind of fun.  It’s funny once you get going these things kind of write themselves in.  Anyway, the story is percolating along.

But all this stuff really just enhances the blogging.  You can’t just write about national stories all the time.  It’s just too much of the same thing.  We’ve got to be in the story too, or what’s the point?  I could just listen to Tucker Carlson or some other talking head.  That’s why I like when some of the guest contributors have something to add.  I like to get some other angles on things and I’m sure that’s the same with everybody else.

I think the whole Trump indictment story is both a ridiculous joke and at the same time an important object lesson.  It’s important that everyone on our side realize that this is not our country anymore and it doesn’t work by the rules we were told apply.  The people in charge change the rules as needed.  They don’t play fair and they play as rough as needed.  And if the January 6th prisoners aren’t enough to convince you of that just wait till Donald Trump gets his treatment.

So anyway, busy, busy, busy but still keeping my nose to the grindstone.  Wow, that sounds painful!

Guest Contributor – ArthurinCali – 23MAR2023 – NeoCon Redux

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The same people have apparently gotten lazy in the justifications for NeoCon adventures. The new(old) reasoning for escalating involvement in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is so we can ‘fight’ them over there instead of in the USA. Sound familiar? This convoluted logic was used for Iraq after the WMD business ended up being nothing but smoke. They actually think we should believe that the Russian flag will be planted in Paris if we do not accede to their warmonger whims.

This Red Dawn mindset continues to convince people that these political factions actually care about them. Meanwhile, as we fund pensions and salaries in Ukraine so Zelensky can buy another exotic car and send his wife on Paris shopping trips, the CBO has recommended means-testing for VA disability. To help balance the federal budget of course.

These folks are evil to the core.

ZMan Has a Very Useful Article, Know Your Enemy

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It has very simple and very practical advice:

“The thing is, it is never easy to know your friends in politics, but the only way to survive is to know your enemies. Those would be the groups whose very existence depends upon your demise. Friendships are transactional as they are situational. When your interests align with those of another faction, you are friends while you have some common interest. When conditions change, the friendship ends. Enemies are always enemies because who they are (is) the negation of you.”

Very easy to understand.

Know Your Enemy

A COVID True Believer

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This post from Laura Helmuth is pretty remarkable.  Even the pharmacist who’s paid to spout the party line and would probably be fired if he said what he really thinks tried to help her,  But she’s all in.  If she dies tomorrow of myocarditis it will be “something else” that killed her, not the vaccine.  She’s all in.

So, what’s a Poor Boy to Do? – Coming to Terms with the Real World

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I was talking to some friends and the discussion came around to Trump and DeSantis in the 2024 race.  And there was all this noise about Trump and the electability problem with women and how DeSantis was like Trump without the drama and on and on.  I kept quiet and eventually someone asked me what I thought and I said, “I don’t think we’ll be winning anymore presidential elections from here on out.  And everyone got quiet but they kinda nodded their heads and said yeah.  And that was a good moment.  We started talking about other things, local things and things we were doing personally.  And that was better.

Honestly, it’s time to come to terms with where we are.  We live in a country that is easily controlled by a subset of the population that will not be knocked off its perch by any combination of opponents currently present.  And that could change but waiting for that eventuality would be like the Carthaginians waiting for the Visigoths to defeat the Romans for them.  It would eventually happen but that would be five hundred years after Carthage had been sacked.  No, we have to utilize our time usefully.

And what is that?  What makes sense?  First off, prioritize the problems with living in this environment.  Look at the aspects of this government that cause the worst damage.  If you live in a Blue State or City then without a doubt the deleterious effects are all around you.  Economic mismanagement and crony budget boondoggles are high on the list.  Then there are the educational issues; poorly performing teachers and schools along with very dangerous social indoctrination of your children.  And if you happen to live in an urban center or even some suburban areas the breakdown of law and order is absolutely a critical problem that will have to be addressed.

These are all critical issues that have to be addressed.  For the most part it seems to me that the best way to reduce the problems is to move out of a blue state or city and into a red state where the local government isn’t oppressive and where conditions are least damaging.  I think we’re already seeing this play out in a big way.  And it just makes sense.  No one can afford the absurd taxes in places like California and New York.  And no one can afford to risk the education of their children no less their lives in cities like Chicago and New York.

But will moving to a red state be enough?  That’s the million-dollar question.  I think in a few years the Supreme Court will be shifted to the Left and federal policy will mandate the same kind of policies in the red states as we see in the blue.  Our hope is that the red states will successfully resist these attacks.  But what if the Left insists?

I think we try our best to opt out of as much of civil society as we can and form our own institutions; our own schools, churches, businesses and the like.  But if all these attempts are sabotaged then the only three choices left are to fight, hide or to leave.  As far as fighting we can’t match the resources that could be brought to bear against us.  Joe Biden wasn’t kidding about nukes and F-16s.  They’ll happily use them.  Unless a real general comes along who can take up for our side, we won’t stand a chance.  At least not in the near future.

Hiding means pretending to adopt the woke identity but maintain a clandestine existence.  It seems to me that such an existence could be maintained for a short time but eventually living in a woke world would corrupt the children.  So, I don’t see this as a viable option.

No, if the federal government decides to persecute the red states and no Caesar shows up then the only real long-term option for people like us is to leave for a better place.  And it’s not obvious that such a place exists.  It would have to be outside of the influence of the United States.  Everywhere else is already being molded to accept the rainbow coalition and pledge allegiance to the woke agenda.

So, what does that leave?  Russia and China are the obvious holdouts.  Probably areas of Asia like India and Southeast Asia and currently a good chunk of the Muslim world are independent.  Brazil has made some movement to embrace China and Russia.  And that brings up the question which is worse; living in a woke American society or living in the third world?  Now there are some exceptions.  Places like Singapore, Dubai, Japan and Hungary are relatively affluent enclaves outside the direct control of the United States.  But none of these places are clamoring for ex-pat Americans to invade.  Even if you want to move to these places, you will need skills that these places need.

So that’s the bottom line.  Is it better to become a woke bugman or to leave America forever.  We may have a generation before the red states are sufficiently degraded but one day that choice may be upon us.  If the Left wins, we will have to pick one.  Choose carefully.