laughingwolf_qh33q8 – The Laughing Wolf

Amusement

I knew the last days in the bunker were going to be interesting. Trump’s forces and various populist armies were closing in, and the rats in the Regency knew it. Yet, I don’t think they realized that there was still some very important business to be done, debts to be settled as it were. The old boy may mostly be gone, but that mean and petty streak that drives the need for revenge (often mistaken/unwarranted/unnecessary) that has been a defining feature of Biden’s career.

For all that I am sickened and disgusted at the unprecedented flood (where are all the ‘our norms’ types on this?) of pardons, I noted a pattern that has made me smile. His family is covered, of course. A somewhat breathtaking (if unsurprising) list of people are covered. As for the overwhelming crowd in which they were semi-hidden is concerned, I must confess I wonder if money transfers were involved.

But, what makes me smile is noticing who isn’t covered. Notice no one named Vindman of any gender is on there (and boy was Mrs. V ticked about that!). I don’t recall seeing the name Ciaramella on there either. Nor was the name Pelosi (or any of her well placed family). There appear to be a number of Obama’s people not on the list. A number of DNC people are not on the list. Certain members of Congresss besides Nancy were not on the list.

Funny thing that all of the names not on the list were involved in removing one Joe Biden from the race (or were supporters of them) and ending his career in a rather ignominious fashion. Joe has long been known for paying back even the smallest of perceived slights rather overwhelmingly. How much of this is Joe (I suspect more than many might think, as this is not thought but reflex honed over a lifetime) and how much is Jill really doesn’t matter. Fredo has settled accounts and arranged to make life interesting for certain individuals and organizations including his Party.

Somehow, I don’t think the pardons, or lack thereof, is all he’s done. I suspect he voted for Trump; as I noted at the time, he slipped a knife into Harris campaign rather expertly more than once; he saddled Obama and the DNC with Harris when that wasn’t the plan; and, well, I could go on. Given all this, anyone want to bet he’s left a few more surprises around? It really would be in keeping with past actions.

Let’s just hope that they are all aimed at his personal enemies, as the Biden Regency may not have destroyed the Republic, but they did a huge amount of damage that will take years, if not generations, to fix. The good news is that we can fix things, restore the Republic, and begin exploring our destiny in the stars. Won’t be easy or inexpensive, and will take not just hard work but “blood, toil, tears, and sweat” as a great man once noted. Then again, nothing truly good is ever easy. Let’s get to it.

More soon. Be prepared and keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, 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. 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.

Some Quick Reads

Tied up with medical stuff this morning, mostly appointment joys, but came across the following good reads.

Glenn has a good essay up that is well worth the read.

Steve has a good post up at PJ that I enjoyed.

And also Steve but at Instapundit. Follow the links.

May add some more later, will see.

Ed on the rapid turnover at the FBI (deserves a double facepalm)

Steve is on a roll today, good thread on X. Yes, the classification system needs major overhaul, if not gutting and starting over.

Itchy Feeling (Updates Below)

Okay, not sure what is going on other than that I think The Attack should be in non-fiction. Of many things going on right now, check out this story which should be ringing alarm bells far and wide about sleeper cells and worse. There are several others out there, all of which should be raising hackles and alerts.

For all I would be reluctant to step beyond the Firelight yet, starting to get a real itchy feeling about Monday and the days just beyond. Everyone is happy (and should be) over the election results and the chance to save the Republic. Problem is, what makes you think the deep state and progressives are going to play by the rules? They’ve already shown a large and varied willingness to step beyond the law on various fronts. What makes you think they are just going to lay down and follow the law now?

Interesting that the WEF is 20-24 January, right in time with the inauguration. An inauguration that looks to have a host of those hated by progressives (Milei, Nigel, Katie Hopkins, Musk, Bezos, Pichai, Cook, Altman, Zuckerberg, possibly Meloni, Orban, Bolsonaro, and more) in a small area. Now, add to that a number of darlings of the WEF and Deep State who are suddenly announcing they won’t attend. On one level, good as their absence will raise and enhance the event. On a different level, interesting that some of them will be at events or places well away from a potential ground zero. At the risk of sounding very “conspiracy theory” some of them are at locations where there have been multiple reports of emergency bunkers being built by “nervous” millionaires. Or bigger.

Also, how do you think corporate (legacy) media would respond if something like “The Attack” took place on or just after Inauguration Day? Heck, given what has been going on with DOJ, FBI, DHS, SS, et al, what if they stood aside if not helped?

Yes, I am a professional paranoid. There is a point to game things worst case, so as to be prepared. What we are seeing now could be totally random and innocent, or it may not. Face it though: you are about to have most major and many minor “enemies” of the elites/deep state (world wide) in a small area for several days while good progressive elites are well away and bunkered up (and dispersed).

Probably paranoid, but my shoulder blades are itching. After Butler, I have no faith in those in charge of security at almost any level. Frankly, I hope some foreign who have been cagey do stay away, just to thin the target pool. I also think that Trump and JD need to be widely spaced. As in very, very, nuclear-level widely spaced. Something’s not right. Pay attention. Hope this is wrong, but life could get very interesting real fast.

I’m going to be very busy with Theophany (spent most of today on it actually) the next few days. Will mostly be at Church, but will be keeping an eye on things and will cover as needed/can. Again, hoping I am wrong and the itchy feeling between my shoulder blades is just dry skin. That said, not going to bet on it for all I hope that is all it is.

More soon. Be prepared and keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

UPDATE: Moving inside due to “weather” and some major changes to security perimeter. Note that “weather” could well be legit, or it could also be a good cover for reacting to other things. Only time (and the usual DC leaks) will tell. Also, looks like security is beefed up elsewhere too (Not a big DCD fan, but info is info). See this as an additional info point.

UPDATE II: I am delighted at all the continuing last-minute changes to events and plans. Funny that so many progressives are highly upset at them, you would think (as quite a few have noted on X) that it upset sightlines and plans. I want to see more to be honest. Not just on the day, but after. I noted above that the next few weeks could be very interesting. Then you get stories like this which prove the point. It’s still not too late to prepare, or to read The Attack if you have not already done so. No, link generates no payback to me FYI, prefer honest donations if I do good. I’ve been using the recent time at Church to offer up some prayers for today and the days ahead, prayers for peace, for growth, for safety, and more. I encourage you to join me, as I think such is very much needed. I don’t often do this, but will share a daily prayer that is modified from a traditional Orthodox Christian prayer:

O Lord Jesus Christ Our God, forgive our iniquities. Through the intercessions of Thy most pure Mother, save the suffering people of Earth from the yoke of the godless authority.

I will note that non-respectful discussions of the prayer will see the banhammer brought out of storage. Also, is anyone surprised at the last spasm of pardons? The Biden Regency is protecting all those it can, and through them others as well. All the more reason change is needed.

And if you need something unsettling for the day, think about this. Note the dragging of feet on confirmation hearings for several key players in the new admin. Now, look at the line of succession. Particularly look at who is where as of about 1230 hours today. Now, literally, look at where 1-3 are at that time. Now, look up who is 4, 5, and 6 and where they will be. More soon.

UPDATE III: Made it through the day surprisingly peacefully. Thank you Lord! As of this morning, Rubio is confirmed so as soon as he is sworn in a major problem in succession is fixed. Now to get the others in place.

Now to make it through the next few weeks. Read the comments as several good calls about things. One of my concerns remains attacks against civilians and infrastructure. It would not need assistance from elements of the government (already had that) nearly as much as weaponized elements of DOJ, etc. standing down or simply not standing up at need. Blame the new admin and not the failures and machinations of the past Regency. The next 2-6 weeks are critical in terms of change-of-command and dealing with rot. That said, Trump seems to be coming in with better intel this time, and plans laid out, and that could narrow the window, possibly even considerably. The top of the chain is relatively easy in many respects, it’s down the chain that time is needed along with good leadership. Keep those prayers and thoughts going folks. We are NOT out of the woods yet, but we are in a much better place than we were yesterday morning.

Elan Furs: Not Recommended

Sorry for two negative in a row, but I used Elan Furs to clean Fluffy, my Russian fur hat. Lot of good reviews, but I should have paid closer attention to the negative reviews. The long and the short is that they damaged Fluffy; did their best to hide it until I was out of the store; and, there is no real way to repair the damage. I have had something done (not by them) to try to keep it from getting worse, but it seems a true repair really isn’t possible. Not recommended.

DoorDash = Rip Off

The short version for those members of the short-attention-span theatre is that in my opinion they are thieves, and are not recommended. Do not use or trust them for anything. For those who want the full version, here is why I think they are thieves.

Back in December, on the 26th to be precise, I was under the weather and not wanting to go out of the house. This also meant I did not feel like walking to the Steer-Inn (historic diner, Flavortown approved) for a Fiesta omelette. So, being now officially disabled and sick, I decided to give DoorDash a try with the order. I had used them for a small order before, and that had gone okay. So, why not give them a try?

This is what my order looked like when it arrived. Does this look anything like a Fiesta omelette?

Does this? So, first thing I did was to reach out via the web page, but this leads only to an option to request a refund.

So, I use the chat feature to reach out to the delivery driver, Jonte. No go. Tried again. No response.

So, reached out every way I could find. Turns out, the contact info they have with PayPal does not appear to be current, and when I talked with PayPal they provided me a means to actually reach a person. Did so, three times I do believe, and each time they would launch an appeal which was denied. According to them, I got food so I should suck it up and deal with it; that because I got food and had only used them a couple of times meant I should just deal with it and any disappointment was entirely on me. In movie terms: “You f’d up! You trusted us!”

Talking with PayPal, no chance of any help through them because it was a delivery and they don’t get involved. I really need to talk to Visa and see what if anything they can do.

I also want to note that at no point in the process was I asked to provide proof of the wrong order being delivered. In fact, in the initial contact means provided there was no way to do so. When I was denied for the about the fourth time and someone said it was because I had provided no proof (that I repeat I was NEVER asked for) that I finally got an e-mail to send them the photos. I did so. Didn’t matter, no refund.

So, I’m done with them and I am going to do everything I can to warn people about them and their oh-so-interesting business practices. If anyone has any data on how often this is done to the elderly and disabled, I think that could be fascinating to share with a couple of different State AGs who have a habit of suing companies (and even administrations) for interesting practices and such.

Meantime, I do not recommend them and in fact urge you not to give them any business. Save yourself the money, time, and hassle as after about three days they will stop responding even if they have said they will do so. They lie. They also have competition, and if anyone has info on a good delivery service let me know. Meantime, save yourself a rip-off and avoid DoorDash.

Oh, and if they don’t like my opinion that they are thieves (didn’t get the food I ordered or my money back, that’s theft in my book and happy to discuss it in court if they like), they can suck it up and deal with the understandable disappointment (think that was the wording given me by one person on their staff) because it is fully on them.

Whew

I had planned to get another post up today, but had to head out this morning to an appointment. From there, I did a bit of grocery shopping in an area where the sidewalks were at least semi-clear, as they are not cleared in most of Indy from what I can tell. Makes walking, much less getting my bus-compliant grocery cart around. One errand turned into about three, and there was much walking in the snow. Also, I had to clear a path through the snow down the driveway and to the garage for myself and the grocery cart.

And it has wiped me out. The cough from the URI is still not completely gone, and hopefully the gut is returning to normal. I might not should have pushed as much as I did, but we have more snow forecast for tomorrow and Sunday. Joy. So, I’m stiff, sore, and sleepy already.

So no boom, er, post today. There will be a post tomorrow. There is always a post tomorrow. Sorry, couldn’t resist abusing that quote.

More soon. Be prepared and keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

A Resignation

My mother was always into family, which is to say the actions of ancestors in the past who gave some cachet to those still living. She actually became a rather well respected genealogist for her work to establish legal proofs on various lines. For her, every link to royalty and nobility was yet more proof of our goodness and superiority. Me, well, I rather enjoyed the playboys, cattle thieves, and other less-than-stellar ancestors. I’ve met various members of royalty over the years, and frankly with a few exceptions I’d rather drink with whores and rogues. The latter are far better sorts in my opinion.

That said, I also have to admit I enjoyed being a direct descendant of Duncan slain by the traitor MacBeth. Of course, I am one of many who suspect the family paid off Shakespeare to make Duncan into a saint when he was far from it. It was interesting to have more than one connection to the current royal family of England. And, I have enjoyed being a member of a society The Friends of St. George’s. Another earned it, but it was interesting to be a descendant of one who had done great things.

However, current events do have an impact on the past — and especially to those who worship it. I have never truly worshiped the past, but have respected it and those who maintained the obligations of the past. The late Queen earned my respect on several fronts, not the least learning to shoot with Churchill’s tommy gun. She will be missed on many fronts, and I have my doubts about her line ever climbing to her level again. William might surprise me, but Charles is not worthy of her or her throne.

Which brings me to a choice I must now make. I’ve written about the rape gangs (bleep calling them grooming gangs) for years now, took a small bit of flack for doing so and for publishing an editorial cartoon that hit home for some. May have to publish it again despite it being deemed too much for the public.

I, Clifford Blake Powers, Jr., do hereby renounce any and all membership in all English Orders, be they of nobility or otherwise. I renounce for myself and my heirs any and all claims to titles, lands, or other carriage within the Kingdom of England and/or Great Britain. I hereby renounce my membership in The Friends of St. Georges, and Knights of the Garter. I nor my heirs are no longer subject to being a member or life descendant member of this or any other order. I reject utterly and completely being associated with child rapists, their enablers, or their defenders. May God reward you all well for that which you have done, and that which you have enabled.

My die is cast, and I reject you all. My heart is with those abused, who you would fuck over even more.

Some Thoughts On Bugging Out

This post was inspired by Mr. James Woods on X, who posted about a local (Independent?) pharmacy that was opening early this morning to help people who had evacuated without their medicines. Before anyone starts to chest thump about being too good to get caught like that, let me just say Horsehocky.

Fact is, even those of us who think and prepare can get caught out under the right circumstances. Unless you have a very good doc, pharmacist, and insurance company, the odds are that medicines are going to be one of the last things dumped into your boogie bag. I know I can’t afford to get a set of meds just to keep at the ready, and frankly few of us who are older can do so.

In this case, it does reinforce the need to have thought out what you need to grab on the way out the door. I sincerely hope and pray I and you, dear reader, never have to bug out on extremely short notice. Keep in mind that things went from idyllic to a taste-of-hell quite literally in a matter of minutes for those hit by the fires. Most of the time between ‘oh we might want to take steps’ and ‘oh shit’ was spent trying to prevent fires and fire damage. The focus was on prevention and preservation, not on bugging out. I watched one video where two guy literally did get out the front of the house as the back apparently went up. They waited so late trying to save the house that they had to evac on foot (not a good thing). One of them kept repeating “I’m sorry bro, we tried” over and over again even as they went out into the smoke and flames on foot.

It’s a very human thing to want to fight to save your home in the face of such a threat. It is the focus, not the concept of bugging out, which can and does seem like a defeat under those circumstances. In some ways it is; which, just makes it worse to pull the plug and run.

Which makes it all the more important to plan ahead. I’ve talked about it before in Preparedness Pays, but it needs repeating because life is not neat and tidy and precise. Life is messy, hard, and comes at you fast. It is easy, deadly easy, to get caught up in a last-minute cycle of ‘I Need To Save…” It’s not the easy stuff — the copies/certified copies of important documents both paper and electronic, cash, etc. — that gets you. It’s the sudden thought of that gift from Aunt Nell, that menu or other item from a first date, the little things that are a huge part of our psychological life. Of home. The home you are about to lose. You are not likely to be thinking fully on plumb at that time.

Again (and again) we are not talking about a bug-out situation where you have time to think, plan, pack, and prepare. We are talking about a situation where you have to switch from defense of the home to immediate bug-out in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. That’s the hardest thing for some to plan for and handle.

For such situation, I tend to use the 90-second rule. Basically, if I can get to something in 90 seconds and have room, I will pack it out. For example, I’ve already thought about having to do an immediate departure of my home. There are several things that could happen which would cause me to have to depart PDQ. Trick is, evaluate what options are available for transport and grab the appropriate go-bags and get in the last minute items.

In 90 seconds, I can have all my medicines and supplements into my “on me” go bag. In 90 seconds, I can have the stockpiles of same in a separate bag. In 90 seconds, I can grab the small number of essential books and have them packed. If I can get to it in 90 seconds, there is one photo album I want to grab. Everything else is expendable. I am actually a very sentimental person, and there are small things that are incredibly important to me for that reason. None of them are worth my life or the life of those I love. Their loss will suck, but life can be rebuilt. New things can and will come in to take their place. Life will go on.

You need to be thinking and planning on that basis now. When you see the flames suddenly shoot up is not the time for thinking, it is the time to react. It is time to cut on the sprinklers, activate the defenses, and begin preparing to boogie.

Clothing, food, shelter, water, copies of documents to prove you are you and what property you own, cash and/or other valuables — those are the easy things to prepare. They are the easy decisions to make.

The hard decision is often how fast to pull the trigger on the boogie; and, what are the things you really want to take with you. Think about those now, while there is time and you can think rationally about them. The real key for me, at any rate, is to look at it on the basis of 90-seconds and if having it is worth a life. Like I say, for me it comes down to a photo album if possible. There are a couple of other things that if there is time and room/weight (you may be packing out instead of driving), I would love to grab. I might give up an edged weapon for the guitar, but would not give up a firearm. I want a balanced load, in all senses of the phrase since what I have may have to get me by for a while. Potentially a good while.

Again, think and plan ahead. For wildfires and earthquakes, there is likely to be little to no notice. That’s when planning ahead really counts. Just remember: things can be replaced. People can’t. Don’t let a thing put a life at risk. Especially your own.

More soon. Be prepared and keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Merry Christmas!

For those of more traditional Christianity, Merry Christmas! For my friends of an older faith, may your Festival of Lights be bright and filled with joy. I thought I would share these words sent to us by our Metropolitan.

“Heaven and earth are made one today, for Christ is born. Today God is come upon the earth, and man is gone up into the Heavens. Today He Who by nature is invisible, for man’s sake is seen in the flesh. For this cause let us also give glory and cry out to Him: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, which Thy coming hath bestowed upon us; O our Savior, glory be to Thee.'”

As I noted a while back, the nice thing about having effectively two Christmas days is that one can be given over to family and other things, while the second allows a focus on the religious. Either way, both are a time to reflect on God’s love and the miracle of his life.

May your day be Blessed.

Firelight

I’m continuing to follow events and right now the only thing I’m prepared to say is that too many things are not adding up. Nothing about Las Vegas makes any sense (a SF NCO who can’t make an IED?), and there are gaps in too many things there, New Orleans, and elsewhere.

Parts of this are reminding me uncomfortably of The Attack and if you have not read it I do recommend it. Parts are reminding me of the old Keystone Cops movies. Parts, well, parts of it are making my hackles rise with hints of what is out there.

Interesting that a well-funded and organized demonstration just happened to take place in NYC the day after the attack, just like they did after Oct. 7. No, I don’t believe in coincidences but I do believe in enemy action.

Buckle up as there is turbulence ahead. My advice is to take care of last minute prep and be prepared. Hunker down, avoid crowds and other clear targets. Lot of stuff going on that isn’t yet tripping the coverage but that could change. Be prepared. Keep your loved ones close and your things where you can find them in the dark.