Now, This Idea Makes Some Sense!

Over at Vox Populi, there's a post about China's decision to incentivize childbirth by providing extra money to those who have a third child. This is because their efforts to reduce the population resulted in many, many extr men, who have no hope of finding a Chinese wife, and having a family.

One commenter suggested that Americans start giving extra perks to those who provided more children (as the USA is currently in a below-replacement situation). That should be limited to those MARRIED couples who produce children.

Why married-only? Because those are generally the most stable home situations for children. We don't just want MORE kids, we want healthy, smart, emotionally stable kids.

The interesting incentive, and one that may well prove the most popular, is the idea that for every child, the couple gets an extra amount on their government retirement payout. Those without children will get enough to keep them alive, but not much more. They will have to provide most of their retirement on their own.

Now, obviously, this may have to be modified for those whose religious vows mandated no marriage, no children. Perhaps membership in that order would qualify for an extra share (particularly as many have contributed to the care and education children and services for the most poor of society). Or, perhaps people could contribute to their care, and gain a fractional increase in their own account.

It's very interesting that our society is beginning to see that protecting helpless life is a good thing, and that children are a benefit for society.

Be Careful - The Biden Overlords are Planning to Dismantle Infrastructure

I know, I know.

You, like me, thought that the infrastructure bill would be Yet Another Waste of Money Building Useless Roads, Bridges, and Buildings in the Heartland (YAWMBURBBH - pronounced 'yahmburb'). The "Heartland" being the places in which the vote is fairly reliably NOT Leftist. The money is a thinly disguised bribe attempt.

But, no.

This latest "Great Idea!" from Washington's Leftists is intended to SHRINK that infrastructure. To REMOVE it.

I know you are sitting there with your face scrunched up, trying vainly to make sense of that (I know, because that's what I was doing when I read it). Go to this link at Watt's Up to get the details. And, for heaven's sake, make that blog a regular stop on your coffee-fueled morning Search for Sanity.

The Tragedy of Being Blue-Haired in a Trump World!

Wired Magazine, a periodical that has become tired, Leftist, and boring, has a story - really, a Heart-Rending Plight of a young woman, bored during the epidemic, who decides to revitalize her life during the mandatory Portland, OR shutdown by coloring her hair a Bright Blue.

As, who has NOT contemplated that?

Alas, she lives, not in the Vibrant Central Portland, but along the fringes, where the closed factories, auto dealerships, and Trump-supporting Haters also co-exist. If co-exist could be considered the right correct word for such an uneasy living situation.

It was a COMPLETE surprise that making such a public statement with her bizarre hair color choice might trigger the Truly Horrifying Episode of the driver of a Trump-emblazoned vehicle hurling the Explosive and Threatening Assault Comment at her:

I was walking along a busy road in southeast Portland, Oregon, when a pickup truck pulled alongside me. It had a flagpole mounted to either side of the bed, flying Trump 2020 on one side and the Thin Blue Line flag on the other. The driver—a florid-faced white man in a ball cap and dad sunglasses—leaned out the window as the truck coughed by. “Nice ass, commie bitch!” he called. I didn’t have time to do much more than flip him off and hope he caught it in his rearview.

Oh, the Humanity! True, the end of the Assault Comment attempted compliment was more than a bit crude (if somewhat truthful), but it is hard to envision this as The Worst Thing EVER.

Let's ask a few questions:

• In a time when volunteer opportunities abound, from assembling food donations for distribution to the money-challenged masses, to checking on home-bound neighbors, to organizing a neighborhood grocery pickup (which would minimize the need for multiple people to interact in public), to helping out online students with tutoring, why the hell would you decide that the only thing that would relieve your boredom would be to spend money painting your locks with not-found-in-nature color?
• Was that the REAL story of their interaction? Not one, but TWO offensive (to her) flags - Trump 2020 AND the Thin Blue Line? "Florid-faced"? Why don't you just drop the euphemism, and call him a Redneck? Pick-up Truck? Ball Cap and dad sunglasses? Is there a stereotype that she FAILED to put in there?
• I'm not surprised that the guy yelled, "Nice a$$". Sadly, that is the high point of many men's ability to come up with a compliment. But, the "Commie Bitch" part strikes me as phony. Not a phrase beloved by the Rednecks, or common since the 1960s. Gonna call B$ on that, too.
• She had NO idea that the Blue Hair would trigger a response - none, whatsoever! Really? When just mentioning a red ball cap (even without the 4 Letters of Fear) is sufficient to place one's affinities in plain sight, would it be surprising that Blue Hair MIGHT be associated with Progressive/Leftist/AntiFa?

So, yeah, I'm going to assume that the REAL reason for the hair is specifically to provoke a response. Which, she got.

End of story.

Learning From the Enemy Training Manuals

Go over to Crimthinc, There is a wealth of information available there, from ideological, to strategies and tactics, to such helpful information as the printable booklet on how to prevent, and respond, to opponents' doxxing of you.

I'm a believer that you need to study your enemy's field manuals, to know how they operate, and, from that knowledge, develop a plan to oppose them.

This essay, for example, on creating cop-free zones - the so-called autonomous zones - is priceless as a thorough look at their rationale, and their methods of managing them.

I wouldn't spend too long on the site, but enough to become familiar with the basics of AntiFa and Anarchism. Some of the pamphlets might be useful - how to treat gunshots, or how to disable cameras, But, Don't Drink the Kool-Aid.

What Amount of Prep is Enough?

A lot of people are focusing on the idea of the Perfect Prep.

I'm of the belief that there really is no such thing.

I mean, don't get me wrong, you SHOULD prepare for unpleasant possibilities. For those cases, we prepare by:

• Buying insurance on common disasters - flood, fire, burglary, loss of income, loss of life, medical issues. The idea is to have sufficient money available to make recovery possible, not to try to live in the lap of luxury. So, buy enough insurance, but don't impoverish yourself in the process.
• Stocking pantries, planting a garden, filling your freezer. Not stockpiling so much food that spoilage is a major problem (particularly the food in the freezer), but enough to ride out a temporary situation.
• Having tools and supplies to handle life without access to outside assistance, whether for home maintenance, health issues, communications, travel, and other daily needs that might be effected by civil disruption, natural or contrived.
• Building and maintaining healthy bodies; having a good supply of common meds; being able to rehab injuries. If you're not as fit as you can be, you're a liability.

But, what if the situation you've prepared for does not arise? What if circumstances are very different?

What if your carefully paid for and stocked getaway home is taken for taxes (which can be inflated to be higher than any mortgage)?

What if a land redistribution scheme takes your homestead from you?

What if civil unrest, war, or natural disaster - or an UNnatural disaster, such as deliberate diversion of needed water from your area - makes living in that place impossible?

What then?

What if you have planned for inflation, only to find that the value of your preps plummets, due to deflation?

Perhaps the most important part of disaster prep is building resilience into the plan. Watching the changes in the local and national situations, and adapting to the needs of the future.

So, for that reason, I would say that communications is the essential prep. You have to be able to freely communicate locally, regionally, and nationally.

For that, you need radio. No other means is so difficult to disrupt or outlaw. Get a handheld radio, and learn how to use it. You can join a club for help with the process.

Some worry about having "the government" know about your communications capability. That's less important than the value of having contacts among the amateur community, who can help flatten the learning curve.

Radios are easier to hide than guns.

COVID and HIPPA

There's a meme going around. It is an official-looking answer to the question:

Can a business ask its employees if they are vaccinated?

Technically correct. However, many of those posting this are using it to justify a business banning customers that won't wear a mask or disclose their vaccinated status.

That would be wrong, as it violates ADA - the Americans with Disabilities Act. This was extended to provide protection to HIV+ and AIDS patients, when they were visiting businesses, but refused service because of fear of contagion. Therefore, barber shops, should they accidentally nick a customer, and cause blood flow (it happens sometimes), have to treat ALL of them as though they were HIV+, and don gloves, clean up as though it were hazardous waste, and so on. Can't just do it for the positive, because it would be a violation to single them out.

It will come to the Supreme Court, should the Left hold the line on stigmatizing the unvaccinated. Even though a bottom-of-the-class law student could follow the logical implications of treating just one class of person as though the ADA did not apply, and rule against that treatment, whether the Supremes will buckle under and rule, "Yes, the law is clear about this, but we're going to ignore it because of the following tortured pseudo-logic".

ALL of the Justices ruling in such a way should be targeted for investigation of their ethics, scandals, and vulnerability to blackmail. They should then - quietly - be presented with the evidence against them, and given the suggestion that it will all go away, if they retire for health reasons.

Then, give the same treatment to any potential justice with an agenda coming up for nomination. Tit for tat, baby!

Sigh. It's VERY unlikely that this will happen, but I can dream.

Some Random Things That Caught My Eye

The Nazi efforts to neuter the genuine voice of the Christian church.

Funny how the Not-Left gets accused of unlawful insurrection, but the Actual-Left engages in that regularly, without any notice by the Media (I'm using the Capitalism to denote the "Official Media").

I just checked, and NO MEDIA, other than the Dissident Media, has this story.

From MSNBC, a search for Austin:

Narrowing the search to Austin City Hall:

From FoxNews (same search):

At least the Fox search acknowledges that the police department has had their budget cut. But, nothing about the takeover of the area around City Hall (an autonomous zone, so to speak).

CNN? Nada. On and on.

I do watch (a little, as my husband starts every morning with tv, and always has the evening news on - generally, the channel with the best-looking female newscasters). I've seen nothing about the Austin City Hall 'insurrection'.

Funny - you would THINK that would be news, wouldn't you?

That "NIH Funded the Wuhan Lab" story?

It's complicated. What happens is, the original provider of grants funds another entity, which acts as a slush fund for those organizations the original provider WANTED to fund, but wasn't legally able, or didn't want to have that grant on record.

The intermediary entity is the one that does the funding (sometimes, taking it through yet another NGO in between, before passing it onto the intended organization). Yes, this does increase the cost - if nothing else, in accounting for the moving donation in paperwork. However, even the Mafia, when they move their dirty money through subsequent organizations to launder the cash, expects to pay a price. And, for the 'cleaners', it is quite lucrative.

Now, you know why so many organizations are cropping up - many of them were designed to be bland 'pass-through' entities for the eventual recipients.

That brief introduction I had to accounting and business practices in Cuyahoga Community College? It's been priceless in understanding the strategies of the Core Left.

Don’t Always Agree With Him...

 ...but, in this case, Angelo Codevilla is completely right.

I've been reading American Conservative more, lately. Why? Well, a lot of other Non-Leftist essays are moving to paid status. That may be good for the individuals who can - finally - bring in some money.

But, it is NOT good, generally, for awareness of how Leftism is killing our country.

In this case, although it might seem anti-capitalism to say it, I think that those whose writing is intended to change the world might have to forego the income, to reach more people.

Now, the standard ways are not generally available to use NLDs. Publishing has put a vindictive chokehold on those hoping to get a book deal, should they not pass their thorough examination for PC thinking.

Likewise, other media outlets - talk shows, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter - have clamped down on those not passing the Leftier-Than-Thou checklist.

Even the independent work-arounds have experienced deliberate attempts to shut them down, and thereby deprive writings and other creatives a chance to gain an audience.

Only a small handful of alternative media outlets survive. Many of them are financially struggling.

So, financial support is key.

The few money men supportive of non-Leftists have not, so far, stepped up to the plate with cash infusions. So, I get the need to set up paywalls.

It's just that the paywall keeps out the very people who need to hear Left-alternative thinking.

A compromise can be: part free, each month, Premium content available only to subscribers. That has worked for some - Townhall and Instapundit operate under that mechanism. For those who have some pull to bring in subscribers, that works.

The rest of us may have to get a day job.

Many have done that -Larry Correia of Monster Hunters books worked as an accountant and financial auditor for years, before recent successes made it possible to devote his time solely to writing.

Which brings me to the American Conservative essay that sparked this train of thought.

Rebeccah L.Heinreichs makes a counter-cultural case for women to put other ambitions on hold for their family. She doesn't say that they CAN'T have other interests; she simply says that putting off a family, or putting any children in day care to work, is not in the best interests of either the family, or the mother.

Full Disclosure: I did have my children 'early' - the first when I was 25. For around 7 years, I was home nearly full-time (short times when I could work part-time, mostly because my income was needed when my husband was finishing school, or was temporarily injured). Most of that time, we opted for sharing the load with each other.

The youngest was 3 when I returned to college to finish. By the time I finished, and started working, they were all in school.

The thing is, BRIEF periods of child care - 2-3 hours a day - are probably OK for most kids, past early infancy -say, 2 years old or so. For those will few or no brothers/sisters, or who have large age gaps between them, this may be a better solution than not having much exposure to other children. In some neighborhoods, the streets are nearly deserted during working hours.

I have a cousin who put her first child in all-day care as soon as she could - 18 months (she toilet-trained as soon as she could). But, in her case, her husband was in a very demanding college program, they needed the money from her working, and they were in housing right on the edge of Harlem - not a neighborhood that she felt safe in walking around with a child. So, rather than confine an active toddler to a small 2 BR apartment, she made her choice - one that most would agree was reasonable.

But, home care with family is optimal.

And, with the Internet, virtual classes, and work at home options, many women can function in the adult world with greater flexibility than ever before. Detaching from the Commuter Treadmill can be one of the best choices women make in their adult lives.

Death and Taxes - But, Mostly Taxes

I filled out our taxes this year, using Turbo Tax (more later on that experience).

For years, we've paid people to do our taxes, and, to be honest, it was worth it.

I'm married to a man who fiddles around just getting started with the whole process, then keeps postponing actually filing them, because he just knows there is a piece of paper around SOMEWHERE that will reduce his obligation to support government, if he only takes up just another day or two to find it (or weeks, or months).

For this reason, he has refused to sign off on our forms until we are racing to the mail drop-off point, at best. At worst, more than once, he has insisted on filing for an extension.

It was easier to pay for someone to tell him the same thing I was willing to tell him, for free.

Because, you know, despite accounting classes, business law classes, and bookkeeping experience, I don't know Sh*t about the topic. My telling him "that's not what that instruction means" and "you can't do that" mean nothing.

When a tax professional says the same damn thing, he may gripe, but he accepts it.

Did I mention that he is a die-hard Liberal?

Whatever.

This year, I decided to use Turbo Tax. And, it was remarkably easy to use, even though we had multiple 1009s and a small business. I finished in a day.

Well, except for a small glitch.

We owed 93 MILLION dollars. Hell, we don't even make 93 THOUSAND dollars.

So, something was wrong.

I got on tech support, and, after a short while, she asked to transfer me to a tax specialist. Which I agreed to.

The tax specialist was a sweetie. She asked for access to my screen, which I gave. She saw what I was seeing, which was that my alleged tax debt was HUGE.

After a long time, she asked if she could bring in a person who was more of an IT person - sure, I said.

Eventually, the problem was found. One of the papers I had scanned in created the problem of that enormous income, but couldn't be accessed to correct it. So, I asked, "Can I just delete that form, and re-enter manually?"

Once we agreed that would be the simplest action, I did, and, like magic, the program functioned properly.

We are going to be getting a nice fat refund, both the federal and the state. This is a program I will use again (not the least of which is I can fill out and submit the taxes without his explicit permission). He can always fiddle around later and submit a corrected version, should he want to waste the time.

Funny, This - I Was Just Starting a Re-Read of The Gulag Archipelago

This essay explains how we are more similar to the Russian Dissidents, and not the American Revolutionaries.

It also has some suggestions for acting in this very different, and oppressive, environment we have found ourselves in.

A Message From a Liberal Thinker

 It's surprisingly mild. And, the pointed criticism of the Leftist refusal to look at the disparate impact - based on class differences - of the COVID responses, is sadly needed.

However, it leans too far in trying to bring in the Dissident Non-Left. 

This is not surprising! Americans are not actually polarized. We’re pretty united over the major issues: We want police and prison reform. We want a higher minimum wage, a public healthcare option, legalization of marijuana, access to firearms within reason, and first term abortions. The polarization is only at the top, or over symbols of the class divide like Trump. 

Uh, no, honey. There are significant differences:

• We'd like the average person who works to be able to enjoy more disposable income. But that is NOT best achieved by raising the minimum wage. It is helped by easing restrictions, and the expense, of starting a business. It is also assisted by reducing fees, licensing, and taxes.
• Public Healthcare 'Option' - nothing OPTIONAL about most of those remedies. And, the demand that they be 'Comprehensive' is a major factor in their unaffordability. Don't get me started on the way that so many of the recipients pay not ONE dime towards their care. Frankly, EVERYONE should have to pay a co-pay for their treatment. Even if that's ONE DOLLAR.
• Legalization of marijuana? Personally, I doubt that the end result will be a good one, but I'm not personally invested enough to stop this. I do suggest that public intoxication, from ANY substance, be grounds to toss them in a slammer overnight. And, to kick a kid out of school for a day or two, at least.
• Gun access, Within REASON? No. Just - no. What the Left calls reasonable would take away our 2nd Amendment RIGHT. We don't need permission. Just leave us the hell alone.
• First-term abortions? While that is likely to be the maximum we can get at this point, many would prefer to see a nation where such an act was VERY rare, and only for strictly MEDICAL purposes, limited to the gravest conditions. Such as ectopic pregnancy.

When it comes to the levels of agreement on philosophy, this lady is completely deluding herself. It's still worth reading, if only to remind ourselves just how far apart we are on principles. The only real reason she is trying to play the Common Ground game is that she can see that their Woke Stance is losing them voters.

She seems to be a 'nice person'. She is invested in the idea that there is a way to bring American citizens (and others) together in a vaguely familial way to work towards the blandest social goals she can imagine. And, that, if she just backs off the extreme limits of her goals, she can coax the recalcitrant to join in.

Not gonna happen.

It's Spring, and the Seniors are Making Plans for College

And, as I think this post makes clear, both parents and kids need to think through their choices very carefully.

This is a strange year. The numbers planning for college is down (many didn't fancy paying good money to "attend" college, and still stay home with Mom and Dad). Many in the Class of 2020 decided to take a gap year.

Others went - online - and found it unsatisfying. Others attended in person, and, yet, due to restrictions on gathering in groups, found it an experience that depressed, rather than elevated.

So, the Class of 2021 is still considering its options.

I have, as it happens, a young relative who graduates in a few weeks. She spent the last few years in a virtual school (she started before the pandemic). She is planning on attending the local community college for 2 years, getting her Associates degree, and then making her choice about further education.

She has also been working for the last month in a retail establishment. She's enjoying the experience, as well as the freedom of being able to drive (coordination issues caused a delay in her obtaining a driver's license). In short, she is - finally - in charge of her life.

And, her parents, although providing guidance, left many of these decisions up to her. She will likely continue to live at home for several years, before launching into a fully adult (i.e., self-funding) life.

Too many kids have been coddled and directed, straight through graduation. They've not had responsibilities, or been required to earn spending money. Then once finished with high school, they've been tossed out the door, and largely on their own.

Some have responded by diving into the various groups that prey on the aimless. Fewer are captured by the religious sects, but many are caught up in aggressive and divisive political movements. This often leads to majoring in various 'Studies' majors, and graduating with heavy debt and no job prospects.

Others drop out (or are FORCED out). Or transfer. Or take WAY too long to matriculate (accumulating massive debt along the way).

The problem of CRT - Critical Race Theory - indoctrinating students may be a short-term issue. The Must-Attend-a-Prestigious-4-Year-College lockstep may be nearing an end. Younger students are more open to adapting their career pathways, and that is a BAD thing for CRT.

Why Have Certain Occupations Been Targeted?

By that, I mean the heavy-handed efforts to force political and cultural conformity on certain groups of occupations:

• Military
• Police
• Teachers
• Civil employees at all levels of government
• Employees in major corporations
• Clergy
• Medical/Nursing staff

They are cajoled, pressured by peers, forced by directive from leadership/upper admins, threatened with loss of license/certification, and generally forced into vocal compliance with Leftist dogma and practices.

They are made to swear open, vocal support with Woke statements, CRT principles, and/or their agreement with Leftist organizations. Woe to he/she/? who will not chant "Black Lives MATTER!" with the rest of their working group.

(And, true, Black Lives Matter - to MOST of us. They don't apparently matter a damn to the activists who ignore the massive numbers killed by other Black People. Or, the Black Lives that are cops.)

What will be the result of 'Defunding the Police'?

...while the Left is quickly gaining monolithic federal control by virtue of large population centers that vote (and steal votes) heavily for Democrats, controlling Middle America with its more patriotic police is a different matter.

That is, unless the Left can institute federal police. Ergo, the “re-imagining” of law enforcement.

Once your sheriff is an Antifa/BLM-sympathizing ideologue installed by D.C. (District of Communism) and hailing from 1,000 miles away — with no local community ties — he’ll happily “discipline” the white supremacists lurking around every corner.

Selwyn Duke refers to this, not as a Culture War, but a Pacification Program - and, sadly, I have to agree.

What can ordinary Americans do about this?

If you are required to have a license to work in your occupation, check out the regulations of other states - not all have the same rules.

You could get on the board of your state licensing organization - and work to bring in others who would not permit punitive actions against NLDs (Non-Leftist Dissidents).

Or, you could arrange to have part of your income brought in through non-licensed work. That is, work that does not require a license - Moonlighting.

Or, marry/cohabit with someone whose income does not depend on the permission of the state.

All of the above may cause you to spend a LOT of time trying to evade the Heavy Hand of the Oppressive Left. You might think it easier to act outside of legal channels.

I'm not telling you what to do - that's up to you, and your own conscience.

But, you need to start preparations for that day - and, it's coming soon - when the Left decides to slam the hammer down on your  income. Whatever your plan, have multiple streams of income available.

Interesting - NO Major Media Outlet Has Reported This

One of the accused officers has accused the prosecution team trying the other cops allegedly involved in the Floyd death of official misconduct.

Specifically, that the pressuring of the medical examiner who testified about his autopsy findings was sufficient to qualify as tampering with a witness.

The judge in the case didn't see fit to use that as grounds for a mistrial, or throw the case out. Not a surprise, he also saw no need to change venue, sequester the jury, or otherwise act so as to give the defendant a fair trial.

Before this is over, a LOT of people are going to be put on the spot.

"Do I go along, or make myself a target?"

Heroes are rare. Heroes who don't pay the cost are even rarer.

Don't Listen to What They SAY, Look for the 'Tells'

Good advice from Nitzakhon, over at Liberty's Torch.

I have to agree. There are so many out there who are flat-out lying/attempting to deceive - in business, in government, in the media. You just can't trust them to not use their access to push their agenda - and, that agenda is usually hidden.

It's Not Over Till I Say It's Over

And, the Long Island Loud Majority agrees.

Oh, 'ya never heard of them?

Neither did I, until today. I like to think of myself as well-informed, but a lot of stuff never hits my In-Basket.

Here's another link, that you can use to counter those Tw-ts (fill in the blank as you wish) who think the Bombing of Civilian Targets in Israel is acceptable.

Those who are fearing the oppressive control of the Tech Giants need to Get a Clue - these guys are NOT Masters of the Universe - they are, in many ways, Organically Stupid - Dumber than Dirt.

I really cannot believe just how BAD this guy is; I can only thank God that he wasn't voted onto the Supreme Court.

Listen, Merrill. IF the "White Supremacists" were really much of a thing, I think I would have heard from them by now. Both Ancestry DNA and 23 & Me agree that I come as close to 100% Northwestern European as anyone on this Earth. So, if the "White People" were being recruited, I think I would know.

They're a fringe group/several fringe groups. Probably fewer of them around than White NBA players. So, not likely to do much more than scare the demented Left.

The KKK - both after the Civil War, and, then again, in the early part of the 20th century - had enough support that they could act with impunity. Not so today. Many activists are a legend only in their own minds (on ALL sides).

How do I know? I knew some of these people (the Leftists, not the Alt-Right). They would set up multiple organizations/fronts/groups, and thereby inflate the number of people involved - by enrolling people in multiple different groups. They would target the unemployed, students, and other people with nothing better to do, and fake 'befriend' them to suck them into joining the group.

The Left is long experienced in using their people to direct the movements of the loosely affiliated to create the impression that the numbers involved are greater than they are.

One of the reasons that many meetings are so seemingly disorganized and rambling is that they are not where the actual planning and decision-making occurs. The meetings are meant to give the hangers-on a sense that their actions have great purpose, their comments and recommendations will be taken straight to the leadership, and that they need to enmesh themselves even tighter with the organization.

As Woodward and Bernstein were told, "Follow the money". It's like that Untouchables movie - the accountant is one of the real heroes. His work makes it possible to bring Capone down.

Apparently, I'm Not the Only One Who Thought This Was Interesting

Instapundit did, too.

There are a few things that I'm still keeping my eye on:

• Voting Integrity, at least as much as the Deep State apparatus at the state levels will permit to be uncovered. This is a more local problem, with national implications. It needs to be fought via your state legislators, courts, and county-level Board of Elections. The national seats get all the attention, but there are more local, and more influential, elections to focus on:
• County-level boards - water & sewage, commissioners, school boards, boards of election.
• Judges - as most of them are elected, not appointed, keeping an eye on them, and publicizing their worst rulings and politicizing makes a BIG impact. Don't neglect the appeals courts.
• State-level - Boards of Regents, Secretary of State (the ultimate decider on Election protocol), and all the other state-level offices in your state (it varies). Don't neglect the state reps and senators.

Don't forget, if the local GOP is filled with Never-Trumpers, you can always ally with alternative parties/candidates. Write-ins can be effective at that level.

Either way, attend the meetings, get to know the players/supporters, and decide who to affiliate with to bring change to your local organization. Also, look at free-from initiatives and issues - there is often where you will find the iconoclastic free-thinkers. Trade contact info, and build your own cabal.

The Irony Abounds!

I'm referring to this picture, found on the PJ Media site.

NIH Research Keeps Us Safe!

Really?

Because the Hidden Story of the Moment (kept so by the Mainstream Media) is that the NIH - at that time, led by FAUCI - funded the Wuhan lab that let the virus OUT!

Sharyl Attkinson, a journalist whose reports are thorough and careful - NOT hyped - has a deeper look at this controversy on her webpage.

She asks some uncomfortable questions, related NOT to whether China deliberately created and released the virus, but to the question of the year:

Are interests in America desperate to keep this undercover to hide THEIR involvement - however inadvertent - with the viral catastrophe?

EcoHealth Alliance's Peter Daszak has reportedly been partnered with Wuhan Institute of Virology virologist Shi Zhengli "for more than 15 years." Zhengli was the scientist named in State Department cables as conducting supposedly risky research on bat coronaviruses that could be dangerous.

In other words: if the Wuhan lab research is ultimately linked to the Covid-19 outbreak, it appears as though it would involve to a project and a scientist who were partnered with and funded by the U.S.

Would U.S. officials and or scientists, therefore, have their own reasons to steer public scrutiny away from the potential lab connection? Could that be a reason why when the perfectly logical question is asked, there seems to be an organized campaign to controversialize whoever asks it and claim it's a "debunked conspiracy theory"?

 

Now, I'm SURE It's Just Because I'm a Cynic...

...But, have you noticed that the states affected by this oil and gas shutdown are - coincidentally, I'm SURE - mostly those who are determined to carry on, despite COVID?

Why, it's ALMOST like someone on the Left ordered up this little hack to stop that Dissident Activity!

It Starts With Small Things

Like, who is actually in charge? In this report from on the ground, in Maricopa County, in NOVEMBER, 2020 - well within the range of fighting to overturn the "official" results - none of this got into the media - none of it.

The Gateway Pundit has done an amazing job of ferreting out The News the News Media Doesn't Want to Report. 

Many people don't understand why the police "get on Black people's backs" about relatively small crimes (to be fair, they ALSO get on White people about the same issues).

Like turnstile jumping - hopping over the barrier that collects money for fares on the subways.

It's just a little pocket change, after all - what's the point?

Two things:

• As this essay makes clear, those who bypass the fare-collection system may also have OTHER issues - carrying a gun, outstanding warrants, etc. Stopping the theft of a public service gives police a chance to keep them off the streets.
• When aimless people don't have to pay, there is no price for their wandering the streets, and in the process, often looking for illegal opportunities to profit. So, kids can "hang around" without a personal cost. Enforcement may well keep the younger ones at home, out of trouble.

The NYPD speculated that Saturday’s shooter escaped via subway. What do you suppose the odds are that he swiped his MetroCard as he fled the scene? Or that he even has one?

Obviously he had a gun. But would he have brought it to Times Square if NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea hadn’t disbanded his phenomenally successful anti-crime/anti-gun units a year ago? Would the city’s housing projects and adjacent streets be war zones?

Climate Change - due to changes in ocean currents (not a Leftist excuse for cramming USA debt down our throats, it's an actual possibility). What would a change in Atlantic Ocean currents do?

1. It would KILL Europe's economy, and many of its people. There's a reason that Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, and the western coast of Europe is generally a mild climate. The equatorial warmer waters are driven there by the speed of the ocean currents (see map). Those would be the North Atlantic currents. It's what keeps the eastern coast waters relatively warm (by spring break in the South, it's a pleasant temperature).
2. It would slow down the speed of currents. For warm waters, that means that less moisture would reach nearby lands, leading to more droughts (and, paradoxically, nastier hurricanes, when they do arise - trust me on this one).
3. It would cause temps to drop - perhaps leading to another mini Ice Age. The last one occurred during King Henry VIII's time - when the Thames River froze over. Even before that, the Vikings abandoned Greenland, due to changing weather.
4. It would make navigation more difficult, as ships will find it difficult to navigate the frozen narrow straits. The slower currents would likely increase the cost of imports brought by ship. In the United States, this may be less of a problem, as overland trucking/trains can supply much of that which we will not be able to access. But, other countries will suffer shortages of fuel, medicine, food, and essential materials.
5. I'm going to make a guess here - the Middle part of America would suffer some droughts. Not enough rain will reach that far, due to slower currents and winds. East of the Mississippi should be OK, but the plains may become depopulated. 

I'm no expert, but I have had coursework with the AMS Education Division, and most of that was on the effect of currents on climate. This kind of reporting seems to be extremely speculative.

All of the above is dependent on a reversal of the Beaufort Gyre. Keep in mind this is Public Radio.

The USA, except in a worst-case scenario, would be OK.

Not Europe. This could, finally, kill off the Mega-Union of Countries. And, good riddance.

That is, IF you believe the Public Radio narrative - which, I tend NOT to.

A Forbes report of NASA findings is MUCH less pessimistic.

And, last - have you checked out Trump's new site - very interesting. I'm not sure that this will increase his chances of a comeback, or changing very much at all And, he hasn't mastered the art of providing links (even a relatively important one, such as to Josh Hawley's new book). But, it's nice to see that - if you have a LOT of money - you don't have to worry about being deplatformed.

Update on the Voting Investigations

In Milwaukee, the coordination and collusion with the Far-Left groups was unbelievable. Personal meetings, daily reports on ballots received and where they originated, push by the Left to get actual data files - it's hard to imagine that the election officials didn't realize that this was open election fraud.

The mayors of the five largest Wisconsin mayors were holding virtual meetings on the election in May and June of last year. They coordinated their efforts to apply for millions from the Zuckerberg-funded CTCL.

Just what is that Zuckerberg organization?

It's actually a pair of organizations designed to throw ALL elections to the Dems (at least as long as they reliably vote the way that the Tech Oligarchy wants them to).

One part is the CTCL - Center for Tech and Civic Life; that's the part that funnels money to election boards, in the form of grants. Those grants are administered by the EII - Election Infrastructure Initiative. That last organization is not to be confused with the Government agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Check out the agency's website - it's an eye-opener.

Although, that is is, may be the whole point.

The other part is CSME - the Center for Secure and Modern Elections.

Now, who could be against that?

Me. Because the name, although seemingly bland and harmless, doesn't convey the actual scope of the organization - or its Dark Money funding.

The report on the Amistead Project is here - just click to download (and, prepare to be shocked).

“This report paints a clear picture of a cabal of billionaires and activists using their wealth to subvert, control, and fundamentally alter the electoral system itself,” Kline added. “We must act now to prevent such privatized elections in the future. The American public deserves transparent and fair elections, not lawless elections directed by powerful private interests.”

In addition to Zuckerberg, the main foundations funding the effort to subvert the electoral system were The Democracy Fund, New Venture Fund, Skoll Foundation, and Knight Foundation, according to the report. Key nonprofits involved in distributing the money include CTCL, the Center for [Election] Innovation Research, the Center for Civic Design, the National Vote at Home Institute, the Center for Secure and Modern Elections, and Rock the Vote.

The report demonstrates that funding from nonprofits was especially unnecessary in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, as the federal government had already provided sufficient funding through both the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the CARES Act.

Now, one question that may be concerning you is:

Why all of these organizations with similar goals?

Several reasons:

• Some of them are set up so/ that ordinary people will confuse innocent organizations (similarly named, but with other purposes, or that are government agencies), with these Leftist NGOs.
• Some of it is to give competitive people a leadership position, paid for with money that is tax deductible. Essentially, as it is a tax-exempt organization, the donor is getting that employee at 1/2 price.
• Some of it is to siphon off the energy and ambition that would otherwise hamper the parent organizations. Divide the leaders up, and they will spend their time trying to impress "Papa Organization", rather than plotting the leadership's downfall.
• It offers a testing ground for leaders.
• Who is able?
• Who is good at directing/controlling their troops?
• Who focuses on the bottom line - defeating the official enemy - and not getting sidetracked in empire-building?
• Who is ruthless at stamping out dissent?
• It allows the opportunity to exercise limited authority in a confined space, and therefore is useful for developing leadership skills.
• Many of them are women, who can be bought off cheaply with a title, some discretionary money, and some minions.
• The interlocking nature of the structures are confusing, and thereby escape the notice of the dimwits in the Media.

Early Morning Reading

And, it's GOOD!

Let's start with that EPIC B!tch-Slapping the Mittens had at the hands of the Core GOP of UT. You really do need to make a stop at Don Surber's a regular thing.

Got Tissues? You're gonna need them. I don't know whether his career will pan out, but I can argue that he has already achieved a level of character few reach.

Yet another person is in the crosshairs of the Vindictive Left! What in the Hell is the Woke Leftstapo getting out of that? 

Well, they're delivering a message - like Western Union or Messaging, but more crudely - that you BETTER NOT oppose them publicly!

Recently, I finally broke down and replaced my long-missing hard copy of The Gulag Archipelago - this time in digital form (hey, it's a Big Book!). I'll be posting about my study of it over the next few months - assuming that Amazon doesn't take it away because it represents Bad Thought - or, Dangerous Terrorist literature!

7:38 pm - returned from an informal, in-person meeting at YCARS clubhouse (York County Amateur Radio Society) - it was heaven to be able to meet in person again. I finally had a chance to meet with several people who I'd not seen in a long time (if ever, in person).

I saw some reports that the Capitol policeman who shot Ashli Babbitt had been identified - according to official reports, that ID is wrong. I'm going to hold off on discussion until there is confirmation. I've seen too many irresponsible accusations - by BOTH sides - that have caused lives to be destroyed. I'm not going to add to that chaos.

I'm Not Going to Comment Much

The Gates impending divorce is occupying a ridiculous amount of attention in the media. Rather than tsk-tsking about the sadness of the breakdown of a long-term marriage, they are salivating at prospects of a 'juicy' headline or two.

I'm a Catholic. Although I do acknowledge that divorce or separation may be the best choice when continued cohabitation is no longer possible, I realize the pain that such a drastic step represents (both at the time, and for years after).

That's not to say that I've never had random thoughts of splitting up. Anyone who says they have never contemplated divorce (or spousal murder) will probably lie about other things. Living with others can be difficult, even if you are not related - remember those fights with roommates?

The media seems shocked that there was no pre-nup. I'm not - to insist on signing such a document seems to bolster the idea that the marriage will break up. And, that is, in fact, not allowed in a Catholic marriage. For us, it SHOULD be a one-time event. To sign a pre-nup indicates lack of a full commitment to that marriage.

I won't be following the situation any further - it's none of my business, and I have no desire to wallow in titillation over another's pain. The Gate's marriage problems show that, even with money, such a state is not without stress. It's just another proof that Money Does Not Bring Lack of Problems.

Thinking About the Opposition

We can't permit ourselves to be deceived by our preconceived biases. The Enemy - and, I think that is a fair term for our Would-Be Leftist Overlords - has to be defeated in whole, not in part.

The Ruling Elite can be divided into several groups:

• Those who have the cash to get their agenda in place - Zuckerberg, Gates, Bezos, and all of the other creators of the New Economy whose most basic desire is to continue their hold on their wealth, without taxes or interference. Many of them have retired, or have stepped down from active management of their mini-empire. But, they still want the control and money.
• The Wanna-Be's - those who, through their connections - familial, spousal, or societal - can count on landing positions in the Elite Corporations (those that can count on a bailout from taxpayer resources for their more boneheaded decisions).

And, as this person says, that STARTS with naming the traitors.

EVERY SINGLE ONE IN THE GOP WHO VOTED FOR IMPEACHMENT NEEDS TO BE PRIMARIED, IF NOT BROUGHT IN FOR A "COME TO JESUS" MOMENT BEFORE THEN, AND ENCOURAGED/PRESSURED TO RESIGN.