As I've Said, the Federal Government Should Follow the Same Strategy...

...When they get back in power.

First.

Before all of the other things they've been salivating to do.

Relocate those offices of agencies/departments to inland places, and make relocation MANDATORY.

Give NO hint that this is punitive. Insist, both publicly and privately, that this is:

1. To reduce expenses administratively, thereby saving money in the agency's budget.
2. To reduce traffic congestion, thereby saving our environment.
3. To bring needed services to the hinterland, moving their administration closer to their clients.
4. To jump-start economies in depressed areas.

Now, to make sure that this all happens quickly, use RENTED/LEASED facilities in the new locations. This will give a BIG boost to the economy, and make the change happen quicker. Resist ALL efforts to slow down the process, answering "Don't you understand just how VITAL your agency is? Do you want to further ruin the environment? Do you not understand how important it is to be closer to the stakeholders?" to any objectors.

Point out the disparate impact on the average citizen, having to travel to distant places to talk to an administrator. Remind them that MANY private companies are re-locating to lower cost of living states.

Of course, PRIVATELY (don't even breathe a word to the spousal unit), you realize that many of the minions will not move to the new location, which will cut out the middle management faction that is so loyal to the Dems/Left. The lowest level of the staff may, in fact, move. Most of them are not truly on board with the Woke shit. Triage the staff:

• Should move - they have demonstrated an actual work ethic (not just B$ yearly evaluations, based on their alignment with Woke). Offer them some incentive to move, perhaps some assistance with finding jobs for the spouse (the cities/counties/states may come up with some extra money, for those who are identified as "essential").
• CAN move - you have not identified them as actively hostile to the new administration, and they seem to be doing an adequate job. If they're willing to handle the hassle, OK. Perhaps offer them a tax break - if they sell their house, they can avoid the tax penalty on any profits for not immediately replacing it with another. You don't want them to dig in roots in the new place; they should rent for a while, to see if they like it.
• Will not be offered the opportunity to move - their job will be eliminated through "administrative re-organization". Bribe them with some cash to accept without a fight.

Trump was truly the man needed for 2016. He shook things up, and returned a lot of the EOs to null and void.

In 2024, we need a PRACTICED administrator, who has a clear vision of just how to dismantle the government's apparatus, and the ability to identify those who will help him do that. 

Trump's weakest characteristic was his hiring. Now, he was handicapped by cautious people not eager to put themselves in the crosshairs of the Left, turning him down.

However, he was also hampered by deliberate sabotage from career "intelligence" moles who fed him misinformation, "vetted" disguised comrades, and made every attempt to hide their evil works.

Wartime Teen Recruits

This is an incredible story about the teens that were trained in firearms, underground work, spying, and wireless communications - radio operations.

That last part is quite interesting to me. People forget just how important radio communications is in an unstable country. It allows communication with the world outside, can be mobile, and can be operated by someone who is not suitable for regular combat duties.

I had a grandmother and aunt who regularly reported for monitoring activities by the shores of Lake Erie. No, the Nazis/Japanese couldn't directly attack in force at that point, but they COULD sent supplies to local spies, monitor movement of Merchant Marine traffic, and gather information about activities in armed forces stationed along the North Coast (both Coast Guard, near Cleveland, and Navy, at the Great Lakes training camp near Chicago).

I only found out when we were watching a movie about WWII Japanese planes, and someone referred to a plane as a 'Zero'. My grandmother glanced at the plane, and said, "No, that's not a Zero, that's a -" and identified the plane (I don't remember which type it was).

I asked how she knew, and she explained that she, and her daughter were trained as plane spotters, and had their assigned evenings to report to the roof of the Lakewood pool, right on the lake, with binoculars for a shift of observation and reporting. They kept a log of planes within their sight (those heading to local airports), and noted the type, time of first sight, and direction.

So, when working out schedules for watch duties, don't neglect the use of the young, old, or physically handicapped. And, give them training on use of non-cell phone means of wireless communications - both amateur radio - UHF and VHF - and the GMRS systems.

Countdown to Davos 2022

With all the important items on my personal agenda, I've not been paying attention to the upcoming Davos Conference - January 17 - 21. Here's the link.

Take a look at the aims of the various facets of the Agenda. Basically, the Davos Agenda mindset is: Shut up peasants, and follow the "nice suggestions" of your betters. And, do it quickly. We really don't want to have to force you.

But, we will.

"The Great Reset" - What is it?

It's the title of a new book, and is getting quite a lot of discussion online. Glenn Beck wrote it, so you know the Really Important and Knowledgeable People will HATE it.

It's not cheap - $14.99 for the Kindle version. There are other books on the same subject - both pro-Reset, and not.

If you aren't interested in spending that much on a single book, you might want to delve into some online resources - search saved here. For such a controversial - and heavily polarized - topic, I think it's important to get your information from a VARIETY of sources. Start with the official website of the World Economic Forum, that sponsored the conference - nothing like going to the horse's mouth, is there?

From there, check out some sources that suggest that the rosy future of the Resetters MIGHT not be quite as argued. Then, hop around and look at other links.

In other words, rather than take ANYONE'S word for it, check it out yourself.

“Where Did You Read That?”

That’s something I’m always being asked. I used to think it was a way of arguing about my conclusions, without going to the trouble of actually listening and coming up with a response. 

After some time hearing that, again and again, I realized that many people have NO idea of where to find credible information that is not Leftist-approved.

So, in that spirit, here’s a short list:

According to Hoyt - an eclectic group of writers and bloggers, leaning Libertarian/All shades of Conservative, but generally hostile/suspicious to organized parties.

Ace of Spades - this has it all. A round-up of the latest news, a strong tech news section, art, pets, guns, and cooking.

Bookwormroom - Miscellaneous, mostly politics and culture. Posts memes periodically.

Cold Fury - the owner of this site has been sidelined by his medical issues. He will be heading to rehab to learn how to function after his operations. His co-bloggers have been keeping the lights on.

Front Page Magazine - no, I don't always agree with them, but they have a clear sense of who the players are behind Progressive politicians pulling the strong (check out their Discover the Networks section - you won't believe how often the same names keep popping up). Good pamphlets, too, many of them downloadable for free.

The Gateway Pundit - mostly covers the news no one else will. Does a lot of their own investigation on politics.

Maggie's Farm Blog - it's hard to describe. It's an eclectic mix of viewpoints on a variety of subjects. Some of the blogger specialize, other just post what interests them at the time.

Reason - a Libertarian blog. Generally reliable about taking the position "Just Leave Us the Hell Alone".

The New Neo - her recent post on Ray Epps was terrific.

Victory Girls Blog - the women's point of view on news, politics, and culture.

VoxDay - a contrarian, an individualist, a comic book publisher, runs Infogalactic (a competitor to WikiPedia), and Social Galactic, a not-free social media site. As VoxDay puts it, if you're not paying for the service, YOU are the product. I skim his site, as some of his rants are not that interesting. But, he does get stories that will later be on the news.

Wilder, Wealthy, Wise - the funny take on life today, along with some graphs, economics, analysis, and predictions.

1/13/2022 - Just read that Colin Flaherty, the writer whose specialty was finding stories of people who'd been target for assault or worse, because of their race. More on Colin here. Only 66 years old, not COVID, but cancer.

Patterns, Patterns Everywhere

One thought from this video jumped out at me:

We are modern people in a high tech world, but our brains function on software developed in the time of people who depended on hunting - and seeing patterns in our environment - to survive.

It's relatively short, but punchy. I suggest that you turn on Closed Captioning; the speaker's strong Scottish accent makes it a challenge to understand him otherwise.

Sometimes, in our eagerness to embrace change, we forget that the old hardware and software are the limiting factors. You want to take up a new sport, but your aging body does not make the adjustment to the muscular demands as well as it used to. That limitation is mostly hardware, but also reflects the difficulty of re-programming those practiced responses to the changes.

Your responses to old ways of playing or working keep you from being as effective as younger, more plastic humans. Many female gymnasts weren't able to make the adjustment from the more more graceful, slower movements of the early days of the sport, to the more energetic, forceful movements common in modern gymnastics. It was partly their previous conditioning (software), but also their more elongated, slender body type (hardware). 

Expertise comprises a delicate balance between application of algorithms, routines, and other programmed responses, along with ability to see new patterns, and apply possible solutions in a rapid testing mode. 

It's a balance that is being studied as part of AI research, but that also has applications to human conditions, such as Alzheimer's.

Younger organisms are better at handling novel situations. Older organisms are superior at applying solutions that have been encountered before.

Plasticity vs. Stability. They are BOTH needed. But, in today's culture, it's a matter of "out with the old", in with whatever we TELL you is the 'right' way of thinking and acting.

The urge in younger people to destroy the culture and knowledge of more established societies is one that has been remarkably consistent since the 1960s. Such a mindset is one that would toss off any connection to the past.

Funny, but that desire to shrug off the past coexists with a fascination with old things - clothing, styles, handcrafted objects, and older, slower ways of creating. Whether or not they realize it, the past has much to teach those anxious to stomp it out.

What was that old song? Signs, signs, everywhere a sign.

People always leave clues along the way. Pay attention to the patterns, and learn the meaning. It's the secret of survival.

Myself, I have (reluctantly) learned to listen to my intuitions. I believe that such 'feelings' are really something else - and quite different from 'woo-woo' magical manifestations.

What your 'gut feeling' is:

You notice something. Often, it's beneath the level of conscious thought. But the older, more primitive part of the brain is sending you a signal.

Often, we ignore those signals. They can't be explained in a logical way, as the process involved did not involve the logical thinking part of the brain.

Nonetheless, I've learned - PAY ATTENTION!

One example that taught me that lesson was when my husband and I were leaving a dinner with a guy who was recruiting him to run a restaurant. The man had planned it with the idea of franchising the system.

As an engineer with a strong restaurant and food service background, my husband was both flattered and excited about the prospect of getting in on the ground floor.

Still, after we left, in the car driving home, I told him, "Don't take the job."

Naturally, he marshalled all the logical reasons for taking it, and asked me, "Why are you against this?"

I was initially stumped. I couldn't come up with an argument in favor of my position.

Finally, after a while reflecting on the evening, I answered, "Because his wife doesn't respect him." To me, that was a clue that beneath the dynamic facade, the entrepreneur might have some serious issues, that his family could see, while the outside world remained unaware of their existence.

Which, as it turned out, he did - he was a raging alcoholic, with complete inability to keep his hands off the day to day operations. He would contradict his staff, make decisions precipitously, and spend money freely. The restaurant failed within 6 months, and we had to pack up again and re-establish ourselves in a new city.

From that experience, I learned to trust those voices inside my head. I recently cashed out some investments, preferring to forego maximum profit for cash in the hand. No special reason, just a nagging feeling that sooner was better than later.

Trust the voices. Listen to the signals. Look for the patterns.

Day-Um! This is an Excellent Takedown of Shoddy, Poorly Reasoned Arguments

Here. Don't miss it, Peter Burns' Medium post is savage, thorough, and spot-on.

Now, I USED to enjoy Scientific American. It was a nice way to keep up on topics in a wide range of scientific disciplines.

That was then, before SA got Woke and Broke.

For starters, when arguing about Science,  it helps to reference actual science. Which starts with specifically quoting the disputed papers or statements of the person you are attempting to refute.

As opposed to making sweeping, fact-free absolutist statements, backed up with - nothing. Just your random, and unproven opinion. And, particularly, using terms widely regarded as slanderous or libelous, such a racist.

With no evidence, mind you.

Who the Hell is this broad?

Glad you asked. From her bio on the site:

Monica R. McLemore is an associate professor in the Family Health Care Nursing Department and a clinician-scientist at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco.

Oh, an ASSOCIATE Professor. And a CLINICIAN-scientist!

Not a RESEARCH scientist. And, she's in the Family Health Care Nursing Department, and Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health.

So, lemme guess. She's NOT the Pro-Life kid on the staff. And, she MIGHT be just a tad biased in favor of Seeing Sexism and Racism Under Every Pea Plant.

Y'all gotta scroll down the Medium post - the part about White Empiricism will particularly befuddle you with its incoherence and anti-scientific approach to interpreting scientific studies.

Now, Smithsonian Magazine, on the other hand, has a decent review of E. O. Wilson's book, The Social Conquest of the Earth, , which discusses the social nature of the human race, and may indicate some reasons why the old American Melting Pot idea is a more valid and useful way for our country to fit the disparate cultures that compose it into the whole.

The Social Conquest of the Earth can be bought here. I may try to reserve the hard copy edition from my library (the e-book edition isn't available through library loan).