The Laughing Wolf – Commentary, Punditry, and More

Amazon Wish List Update

Just a quick FYI, I’m in the process of massively updating my Amazon Wish List. I’ve dropped pretty much all of the “nice to have” with the exception of a couple of Seminary-related books and two storage “milk cans.” I mean, I would still love to have the still and some other items, but I’m really concentrating on things I consider essential.

There are a number of new food items on there. While I have a good stock of basics, issues from being hit by lightning continue to impact my digestive health. One example among many is that I’ve been advised not to have beans or products derived from beans for two years. The system is a bit sensitive right now, and I am pretty much on a strict carnivore while things (hopefully) settle down a bit. More on that soon as I’m having some blood work done which may have some answers.

So, no beans, rice is discouraged, and that takes a lot of easy things (dried beans and rice are easy to store) out of play. I’m working on canning a lot of beef, which is a learning curve. More on that soon too.

Bottom line, I’ve added a number of new items to the list and hopefully a range of prices though some things are expensive. Thanks to everyone who has sent things from the list, as they have been a huge help!

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. If you would like to help me with seminary courses, pilgrimages, and more, 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. Thank you.

Two More Good Reads

For some, this is a day off and while I have lots of class readings to do, here are two good reads for you. Both are worth the time and the thought.

First up, a good discussion of “Deconstructionism, Class Warfare, and Islamic Terrorism” Mr. Henderson does a good job laying this out.

Second, a guest post at Sarah A. Hoyt’s place. “Artificial Stupidity, The Prodigal Frankenstein’s Monster, and a Dead Irishman- A Guest Post By Thomas Kendal” lays out a lot of things far too many in the anti-AI and corporate media don’t want you to consider.

Good and fairly quick reads. Go enjoy some very good food for thought.

A Speech You Need To Hear

The more I listen to Marco Rubio, the more impressed I am. This speech sums up why. It is a speech which you need to hear. It traces a history of growth, of advancement, of a better future for all — and what we need to do to restore such. Take a listen, watch if you can. It is well worth it.

On this Columbus Day, let’s look back at what set things in motion for Columbus, Brendan, and others. Let’s make the right choices so we can gift that same growth and future to our descendants.

Lite Posting Alert

Lots going on, lots to say, but next week is going to be busy and I am already behind schedule. We have some additional services during the week that are going to take a bit of my time. What isn’t claimed by my class will be claimed by them. Trying to get ahead, but…

The last few days have seen me canning a bunch of ground beef. I recently did a bulk buy of beef, and part of it was in the form of ground beef. As I have been saying, I have an odd feeling about the next six or so months, so wanted to get a good chunk of the ground beef into shelf-stable form just in case we have a power failure. First time doing ground beef, and it was a learning experience on several levels. Good news is I now know more about the process; what realistic limits/levels are for a day; and, potential issues.

Today I cooked up about three pounds of ground beef that I couldn’t process (15 lbs is my max limit per session), added in any ground beef that didn’t get canned or eaten, and threw in some more things to turn it into spaghetti sauce. Simmering now. I’m also rendering down the last of the fat I was able to scrape up/out of things and will add it to the Grade B tallow (my designation) from yesterday.

I’ve also gotten classwork done, a load of laundry very early this morning, and a few other things (vigil text is now done, edited, and ready to print). I usually don’t post on Sundays, and can’t guarantee Monday. May be a lite week but have a lot to share, especially on the canning. More soon.

Securing The Nukes

If you’ve followed my posts on England, Western Europe, or the need for a New (non-military) NATO, you know that I’ve been pushing for a two-fold plan to secure nukes when the inevitable happens. Macaroon doing his best Little Kim (Jong-il) impression simply underscores that need.

One fold is obvious: plans and means to go in and get the nukes via direct action. Sadly, such planning is very much needed.

The other is equally obvious, but also something that needs to be handled rather discretely and quietly. It’s ensuring that personal, back-channel, connections are maintained (and increased) so that responsible individuals in the UK, France, or even elsewhere know that they can bring the weapon or weapons under their control the the U.S. and get asylum in the process. People responsible for a weapon or weapons need to know that if they call a U.S. friend it will be taken care of quietly, professionally, and with minimum risk to as many people as possible. Quiet professionalism is paramount, as is trust.

Problem is, there is reason to believe that such possibilities are already a concern to other people who do not want to see such a thing happen. Anyone too friendly with the Americans (or too openly anti-American) may already be suspect. Friendships with members of other armed forces or governments has always been a counter-intelligence red flag. In the case of those who control, particularly physically, nukes it has always been triply so. Which makes the need to be discrete and professional absolute.

Thing is, personal trust and relationship is key in this case. Someone over nukes is not likely to just trust a “call this number” advertisement. They will want to go directly to someone they know and trust, and in whom such trust is as close to absolute as possible. So, we need to be fostering relationships that are strong, sincere, and not terribly obvious. Welcome back to the 70s and 80s (IYKYK). I sincerely and fully hope we are doing so, and laying the groundwork to accept such “gifts” as presented, even if we have to stick covert necks out a bit.

Because the other method has much larger risks and no guarantee of success. There is no guarantee here; but, it gives much better odds. For a number of reasons, this may be the last I write on this openly. It is well past the time we need to be doing the quiet part, and making sure that other forces know we are serious, and will deal with things in a quiet and professional manner. The outreach, if it hasn’t begun, is long overdue.

UPDATE I: Welcome Instapundit readers! While you are here, feel free to look around, kick the tires, and join in some of the discussions. Try this post on the Fly Dubai incident, this post on Vladimir’s upteenth threat to use nukes, or this post on Medical Preparedness. There are archives for every category, my recommendation is go to the last page (oldest) and work your way forward. Thanks for stopping by, hope you will continue to visit on a regular basis.

Medical Preparedness Fun

Okay, a fair question/point: why don’t I recommend more specific items/drugs/etc. This comes up after I pointed out in yesterday’s update that Doxy and Keflex are handy to have around in true disasters. Well, there’s some reasons I don’t do more and they are two fold. First, there are legal issues I don’t want to deal with. Second, a specific drug or supplement, or even lifestyle, that works for me may not work for others, and that means you need in part to loop back to the first item of discussion.

What is generally good to say is that you need to include medical in your preparedness plans. You need to have as much of a stock of your regular prescriptions and supplements as you can. You need to be able to do basic first aid and have the gear to do it. It really is a good idea for you and those around you to take as much advanced first aid as possible, up to and including Combat Life Saver, EMT, or other training as is practical and possible.

Fairly generic and standard preparedness instructions. And they are generic for a reason. There is a two-fold legal problem if you get specific. First, you create the potential for legal liability. You recommend something that works for you, someone else tries it and has a problem, and unfortunately in today’s society you open yourself up to lawsuits and related legal actions — as well as bad publicity. No, not all publicity is good. Second, you also open yourself up to claims of practicing medicine without a license. Look back at the last administration during COVID, and you saw that being done both de facto and de jure to medical professionals around the country who ran counter to Fraudsti and the official narrative. A number of the medical professionals they targeted still can’t practice, and you should look at the price paid by non-medical people as well. If you get shut down, you can’t do anyone much good.

Personally, I think there is a point where you have to stand up and be counted. Absent that need, I find it best to walk a line. I know what works for me, and I share that within limits. I also do caveat that what works for me may not work for you and to check with your doctor before starting certain new paths. Before I start certain new things I check either with my doctor, or other medical professionals I trust, to make sure I’m not doing something stupid with interactions or known problems with that protocol.

If you truly trust your doctor (and there are good reasons not to trust a number of medical types, just look at who did what during COVID), they should be a part of your preparedness planning. They can help you plan, make sure you have sufficient current prescriptions for known upcoming things like hurricanes (to go with something current), and may even be willing to help you with contingency items. Current times are one reason I truly miss the sadly defunct Doctors for Disaster Preparedness as their membership list was a great resource for competent and trustworthy medical services.

So, am I going to tell you to get X and take it under Y circumstances? No. Most of you are smart enough to know that you need to obtain various things that you know work for you/probable circumstances. You read the same books and articles I do (yeah, Dark Tide Rising series is a good one, as is Alas Babylon, Pulling Through, and a few others I’ve mentioned over the years) and can connect the dots. Long time readers may remember that I shared that I did take certain supplements back during COVID. Didn’t have to push things, most caught the hint (and I love that a nurse looked at my medicine/supplement list during that time, smiled, and mentioned she took a particular combo too…).

That said, I’m looking at two emergency medical kits that just happen to have pretty much everything you would need for an extended time in the wilderness (cough). Neither is huge, designed for travel (cough), and can get you through a number of tight spots. Problem is cost (for me) so if you want to hit the tip jar feel free as getting both is pricey (app. $600). Will I share more as I can? Yes. Especially if I get the chance to fully explore this option as I think it could be a very good one.

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s good if you have a doctor or other medical professional on your preparedness team. Meantime, keep your eyes peeled as even a certified pharmacist can be a huge resource (many programs require them to learn to make various medications and other things from scratch). Me, I’m just glad my landlord has a special rental for contract medical professionals. Been a mix of doctors and nurses, but a nice resource to have nearby if things go sideways in any capacity.

So, don’t expect a lot of ‘you need X, Y, and Z drugs/supplies’ posts. Better to keep it generic in public while pointing towards certain things in a quiet way. For example, listing the drugs that work for a certain problem and noting that some may be more readily available than others. Or noting certain drugs or classes of drugs that end up being extensively used in major disasters. It is not my place to act as your doctor. It is, however, my place to remind you that making medical part of your preparedness is a good thing, as is having on hand the things that work and are legal for you in your circumstances with the help and advice of competent medical authorities. I will also note that a number of sources for emergency medical preparations offer free medical consultations in regards their products and your choices (and uses for) same. If you aren’t confident of your current doctor, such resources can be invaluable.

So, an answer to a point/comment. I am not likely to make specific recommendations of what products to have on hand. I am going to tell you that having as much first aid gear on hand as possible is a good thing. How exactly you construct your load-out is up to you. I may occasionally point to some resources who provide a variety of options or products; but, I will not be likely to recommend specific items within such products.

Hope this answers the question/comment/point.

Hello Vietnam!

Noticed that I seem to have picked up some readers from Vietnam, and I want to say welcome! I actually would like to visit Vietnam one day soon, both to explore and to explore reports that the Russian Orthodox Church is having some success there. Not something I thought I would be interested in during my youth, but older age has mellowed and I hope I do get the opportunity. Feel free to reach out with questions.

Not Capt. Trips But…

There are multiple reports coming out of an incident at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in Russia. Most unofficial accounts cite a test tube breaking, resulting in the death of a researcher/technician. The unofficial accounts cite pneumonic plague, which is a very nasty beast.

The official accounts now say she died of an unknown/sudden pneumonia (cough) and that there was no containment breach. A travel prohibition issued by a nearby area has been rescinded, there are conflicting statements and actions, and it appears that the locals are rather clearly indicating who and what they believe by their actions.

There are also some panicked calls for suspending travel to/from Russia. Hate to tell you, but at this point even if it were a major containment breach such a ban is not going to do a lot of good. At this point you would likely be into tertiary spread — containment really only works in this day and age if immediate and complete.

Quick reaction: this is NOT Capt. Trips and you don’t need to start playing “Don’t Fear The Reaper” while re-watching a certain old movie on the web. That said, this is likely not a nothingburger either. Watching the official reaction to whatever did happen tells you something did happen and it is fairly serious. How serious is the question as right now this looks to be a regional problem; but, with global travel it may not stay a regional problem. Don’t expect openness and honesty out of any government in regards this incident.

Yet another heads-up and all of us should keep an eye out for unusual infection patterns, especially of anything “pneumonia” related. Though, since that is the current cause, it may get changed to flu/flu-like/respiratory/etc.

So, Be Prepared. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

UPDATE I: Let me just say I agree with and share the sentiments of Instapundit and VodkaPundit. I will note that amoxicillin and doxycycline work well against bacterial pneumonia and might be easier to get than Gentamicin and fluoroquinolones which are used to treat plague in the U.S.

UPDATE II: A post well worth reading at Legal Insurrection.

UPDATE III: Adding part of my response to Bruce’s excellent comment: As for now, I think we’ve “lucked” out. Rather than any positive action by the Russian government, I think Divine Providence is far more at work. So far, there is no sign of secondary infection in the 200 or so being monitored, and the three-week lockdown of the hospitals and such ties into monitoring for secondary or even tertiary exposure. That neighboring countries have closed the borders is belated, but possibly helpful. Given some of the traffic out of the area, I really see the NORKS as being at risk but given general health and censorship, we would likely only have general knowledge of such in a worst-case scenario. Again, barring any out-of-country/high-level visitors at the time of the incident, I think we are likely to be okay. Note the careful wording of the Russian government agency who’s lab this is: the technician/researcher (some ambiguity of her job in different accounts) died without active plague in her system — which as others have noted is likely if she was on proper antibiotics. The damage already done can be fatal even if technically cured of the cause. Also on our side, doxycycline is very (app. 95%) effective and we have other items in the armory that are even more effective. Key is early treatment, even before formal diagnosis. We are now on alert and can act accordingly. Doxy (and Keflex for wounds) are good things to have in your emergency medical kits on a general basis, not just for this. By God’s Grace I think we are good on this one. Still, keep an eye out for any clusters of unusual illness, particularly respiratory.

“I’ll Use Nukes!” Yet Again

Once again, Vladimir is rattling the nuclear sabre like it’s a set of castanets in a flamenco dance. It’s been his thing from the start, as he’s threatened to go nuclear every time Ukraine dares to truly fight back. Put up resistance, NUKES! Any attack on territory Vladimir has seized, NUKES! Any deep strike against Russia, NUKES! Zelenskyy takes his daily dump, NUKES!

The latest bit of castanet soundings comes out of a 2024 update to military doctrine which allows for use of nuclear/special weapons in response to a conventional attack. Frankly, I regard it as a sign of awareness that Russian conventional forces are in a parlous state. The only thing interesting about this latest bit is that it may have been first stated in public by a Russian diplomat/dignitary in Ireland. Really doesn’t matter, as Vladimir and his Moscow Orchestra began baying about it for all to hear.

Why? Simple really. Go back and read here and here. Even the slackest armchair strategist noted that if Vladimir did indeed go after Estonia, in whole or in part, NATO or certain of its member states would be well within their rights to take out Kaliningrad. A pretty obvious response that seems to have slipped the attention of some advisors in Moscow. To try to block such a move, Vladimir has once again trotted out NUKES! as a tired, overworked, overused response to the possibility. Frankly, in many respects, it’s the only strategic card he has left.

It also leaves aside the questionable reliability of his nuclear weapons (don’t laugh, our own may not be any better) and that of his delivery systems. Dr. Doomsday can rattle on all he wants about limited use of tactical nukes and how Russia would win such usage and things would not escalate. Fact is, there has never been a distinction made between tactical and strategic use at the political policy level of the West. Under current U.S. leadership, I would expect that to hold. Caveat Emptor, at a level I really don’t want to see tested but know where I think things would fall. I have seen nothing to change my previous thoughts on the 80/20 divide.

So, I don’t expect nukes this time either. What I do see is an huge increase in asymmetrical warfare, including the use of proxy terrorists (who may even do it for one of the political causes de jour despite funding and assistance) to take out targets in Europe and England. I noted a good while back that England has gotten a LOT of the focus of Russian ire, and that has not changed. For now, Vladimir seems content to let the current leadership finish off what little is left of England; but, I also wouldn’t be surprised to find that there was some clandestine support for attacks via immigrants as well as some of the malicious prosecutions underway against ruling clique opponents. I will say that if there is anything approaching an open attack, it will be against England. In Europe, it will stay proxy for now. In the U.S. things will stay proxy for now.

For now, it never hurts to be prepared for interesting times. If you aren’t and want to get prepared, go here and work your way forward. For me, I’m not too worried about nukes. Far more concerning is how energy has become the primary battlefield and I expect that to continue and grow. Good time to explore alternate means of heating and cooking during the winter, just in case. My hope is that things don’t get out of hand, or otherwise too bad, and that we continue to walk the knife edge in all things. There is more solid footing ahead if we can just make it there.

Have Faith. Be Prepared. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

FlyDubai Incident

A fairly innocuous title for a potentially horrendous event. An event prevented by an almost improbable series of actions. A horrendous event that would have been but the latest in a string of horrors made possible by the very actions taken to prevent another 9/11. Normally, I’d be on the 48-hour rule, but there is enough out there confirmed for some preliminary thoughts.

By now the basics are known. The first officer attacked the captain/pilot with a bladed weapon (still some debate on exactly what was used) in a bid to take over the plane and take it down. The pilot managed to get away from the first officer long enough to open the cockpit door before collapsing. That one action made every positive event and action possible.

As soon as the door was opened, passengers and crew could get inside the cockpit and take action. As it was, an Israeli passenger put the first officer in a choke-hold to incapacitate, then managed — despite NOT being a pilot — to pull the plane out of the dive (spiraling dive?) in progress. This stabilized the flight and allowed pilots onboard (apparently as passengers) to take over and get the plane on the ground.

That any of this happened is a miracle. The pilot got the door opened before collapsing. Passenger without training took out the nutbag and got the plane out of the dive without breaking the plane apart or otherwise causing problems — apparently a perfect pull-out under the circumstances. The plane did not break apart, which by all rights it should have given it exceeded max speed by at least a hundred knots (and possibly dynamics in more than one dimension). Add to that the fact that the plane lost most or all of its rudder before nutjob got taken out making it extremely difficult to fly (cough, understatement, cough).

Just looking at what video and information has come out, as I noted on X yesterday, I shudder at the damage that is not visible. The wings should have come off, or buckled at the least, during the dive. The airframe was stressed at every joint and in every dimension well beyond design limits. Rudder control would have been rudimentary at best with that much gone, requiring the pilots who got her down to use the engines to help with turns (no confirmation yet, but willing to bet).

That it stayed together, and even kept cabin pressure despite all, is yet another miracle among many. If it had lost cabin pressure, the masks would have dropped. They didn’t, so despite the enormous stresses on the structure, that integrity remained. I don’t know how much of the investigation/evaluation we will get, but I would love to see the structural analysis on this airframe.

That’s about all I’m willing to say at this time. I will note that others have done some interesting lists of “disasters” aka terrorist attacks (and I do include any potential suicides on a grand scale as such) caused by the inability of anyone to get to the cockpit in time. I will also note that this possibility was brought up and overridden during the time that the decision was made to fully secure the cockpits. It is a two-edged sword and it was decided (based primarily on American/Western pilots IMBO) that the odds of flight crew doing something bad was minor in comparison to external actors. That’s all I will say on the record.

So many not-so-minor miracles to make one big one. Let’s see what comes out in the days ahead as I suspect parts of this story may get even larger. Will try to address Vladimir’s latest nuclear sabre rattling tomorrow.

UPDATE I: Welcome Instapundit readers! Many thanks to the wonderful Sarah A. Hoyt for her kind link there. Feel free to check out some of my other work, including a bit on my fall preparedness check list, some thoughts on what is going on with Vladimir and Estonia (and beyond), and the library of my aviation/aerospace posts. For those interested, I am a pilot of minor experience, former Board member of the sadly defunct Aviation/Space Writers Association (AWA), and did contract work for NASA twice — among other odd and interesting activities. Please do feel free to explore, kick the tires, and check things out.