The Freeholder

Beavering Away

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 00:41:00 +0000

B was right, there is more learning curve than I anticipated. It would help if I was putting more time into it, but needs must.

At this point, the new site is up, and if you want to follow the sausage being made, head over to www.thefreeholder.net. It is still very much a work in progress. I have migrated all the posts, the comments and the tags that exist. Things like the blogroll and so on are having to be done by hand-there doesn't seem to be a way to export/import those. The posts don't appear in order, I need to kill off the categories, and all the posts belong to the wrong author. Plus a lot of other things.

I'm going to leave this here for now, but this will be the last new post here, barring big problems. Once the new site is up and to my satisfaction, this version of it will turn into a re-direct. I'm not leaving anything for Google.

Yep-we're moving

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 23:06:00 +0000

At long last, I'm going to take the advice of several folks and move. I've registered a domain name and I'm looking into a host for a WordPress blog. When the time comes, I'll leave a trail of breadcrumbs.

This is part of a plan to disentangle myself from as much of Big Tech as I can. Short of becoming a hermit, I won't be able to totally remove Big Tech from my life, but I'm planning on removing as much as I can.

This ought to be interesting.

Hold the line

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 05:30:00 +0000

This gets me, every damn time. Now perhaps more than ever. Keep the faith and hold the line.

Fine Art Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 05:30:00 +0000

The Terrace at the Restaurant Jacob in Nienstedten on the Elbe,
Max Liebermann, 1902

Max Liebermann was a German artist, born in Berlin in 1847, the son of a wealthy industrialist. As with many artists, his early studies were in non-artistic fields. Once his talent started to emerge, his parents very reluctantly his art studies, but they never truly approved of his vocation. For many years, it was his brother who acted as his primary patron.

Studying under Carl Steffeck and at the Weimar Art School, his early realistic works were not well received. He moved to Barbizon, France and continued to work on his art, becoming acquainted with the works of many of the luminaries of the Barbizon School.

In 1878, Liebermann return to Germany, winding up in Berlin in 1884. For many years, he spent summers in the Netherlands, painting his favorite subject, the poor. (I'm unsure if the painting used as my illustration today is reflective of that subject, but I like it, so in it goes.) He is said to have painted "realistically and unsentimentally working people, without condescending pity or romanticism, but also without denouncing. In his motifs he recognizes the natural dignity and does not have to gloss over anything."

During the Franco-Prussian war, Lieberman was turned down for service because of a poorly-healed injury. Instead, he served as a medic for the Order of St. John near Metz.

Around 1890 he was becoming increasingly influenced by Impressionists such as Manet and Dega. In 1920, he was elected the president of the Prussian Academy of Arts. As a Jew, he was forced to resign by the Nazi regime in 1932. He died in his sleep in Berlin in 1935.

Note: Fine Art Tuesday was started by Eaton Rapids Joe in memory of Ol' Remus, late proprietor of the Woodpile Report.

Life in the Time of Wuflu, Part 37: Things seen and heard

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Ah, Wuflu, the gift that keeps on giving.

On a personal note, I may be a bit scarce next week. Two of the health issues I fight, migraine and acid reflux, are co-morbid. 22% of people with one have the other, and when one flares up, the other does as well. A month of fighting migraines has gotten the acid reflux off the scale. Gastro Guy had to put off a colonoscopy and endoscopy last summer because of, yes, Wuflu. My call to his office this week netted me a new yet old potion that has given some relief, plus an appointment for a pre-surgical workup, including Wuflu test, on Wednesday and the delayed procedures Friday.

At least my appetite isn't so great at the moment, so the purge routine won't be quite so miserable. I hope.

Wuflu-it's everywhere you have to be.

On my few trips outside the wire, I've seen the price of gasoline and diesel jump up around 15¢ in the last 2 weeks. Most people I talk to blame Biden and his incessant executive orders, especially shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline. I disagree; I think it's all the talk of a "carbon-free US". That sort of utter lunacy ought to scare the hell out of everyone. Taken to it's extreme, which the Left is wont to do, you will be cooking that rat you killed over an unlit fire. Oh, no rat, because that's animal cruelty. Feel free to starve instead.

Grocery stores continue to be well-stocked, with only minor spot shortages. Other than rising prices, things appear to be mostly normal, if you can ignore the plexiglass, masks, hand sanitizer, one way signs and incessant nagging over social distancing.

One thing that Wuflu has not killed off is Girl Scout Cookie season. They've been at the local big box home improvement place and the grocery stores, and I have bought far more S'mores and Lemonades than I should. Ever look at the calorie counts on those things? And it's the last year for S'mores. Grumble.

While we're on the topic of Things That Are Necessary For Life, how about a chip shortage that's hitting auto manufacturers? This is on top of the ones hitting computer parts, game consoles and pretty much everything else electronic. This issue may have some rather drastic effects, given the prevalence of electronic gadgetry in our lives. Brother, can you spare a vacuum tube?

There is something that strikes me as rather odd happening in the real estate market, at least around here. I'm seeing a number of new subdivisions being started. I'm seeing long vacant lots bought and houses being built. I'm seeing houses that have been vacant for months, sometimes years, being renovated. I'm not sure what's up, but it seems odd that, with the numbers of business shutdowns and our unemployment numbers, so many people can now afford to go house shopping. It may simply be a case of the unwary piling in at the top of a market. We'll see.

It's introducing some stress into the local market. Son, who had been looking for a house, has decided to stay in his apartment another year and hope this dies down-everything in his price range was in the wrong location, a crappy neighborhood, needed a ton of work or all of the above. We've had realtors contact us repeatedly to see if we are interested in selling our home. "No, dammit, and stop bothering me."

We've lost two more local businesses and possibly a restaurant. A downtown building that has been vacant since it housed the county Republican Party HQ has been bought, and a couple have announced plans for one of those pretentious home and craft style stores. There are two more of them in the same block on the same side of the street, so I seriously question the wisdom of this. A number of the stores in downtown Bitty Burg are already closed closed more often than they are open and have been for months. However, not my circus, not my monkeys.

While not feeling well, I've spent an inordinate amount of time watching YouTube. It seems that there is a serious interest in the 20-something set in living rurally in "tiny houses" (I hate that term). As opposed to the privileged twits we've seen rioting, these young people live small and cheap, and their personal possessions are pretty limited. They enjoy the outdoors and each others' company. They have learned how to do things, even if imperfectly. They're used to what most would call an inadequate living situation. If things go south in a big way, they're ahead of the curve. Kyle's Cabin is a particularly interesting example of this.

Speaking of living small and cheap, it's something I've been thinking about. While we love our home and all our crap, and Lord knows there's a lot of crap in this house, could we "live our best lives", as the saying goes, by radically downsizing? Mrs. Freeholder has all but decided that she is calling it a career at the end of the current school year, and it's a question I've been pondering. No, you won't see us in a huge motor home, shuttling north and south as the seasons change. I'm thinking about something like a much smaller house with rather more land, definitely somewhere more rural.

Our area has been seeing far more crime than normal, and is unfortunately mirroring this Zero Hedge piece. I can't say what the percentage increase is, but it seems impossible to open any of the local media web sites without seeing a murder or a shooting. I am going to increasing our physical security measures shortly with cameras and a driveway alarm. There is going to be a lot of cable pulling going on, and I imagine there will be some increased income for my chiropractor.

That's it for now. I'm sure there will be more installments coming. I hear Dr. Fauci was dragged out of his house and saw his shadow, so we have 6 more months of pandemic coming.

Something to consider

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Feb 2021 16:11:00 +0000

“The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed — where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once.”

Judge Alex Kozinski

Silveira v. Lockyer, 328 F. 3d 567 - Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit 2003, Dissent by Judge KOZINSKI

My son came to visit yesterday. Historically, he has been disinterested in politics. That is beginning to change.

He was fussing about "What are we going to do?" In that, he's like a lot of folks these days. No one wants to sell themselves cheaply or wastefully. No one wants to be portrayed as "yet another right-wing whacko" on the news. Whatever it is we do, we understand that it needs to count for something, and all the things we do need to be additive, working toward the goal of ridding ourselves of our oligarchic elite.

So I read him this. So far, we're at one of three. There is still time to prepare.

Vocations for a New America: Small Scale Movie Theater Owner

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Got a backyard? A garage? Got a movie collection, especially a physical one that contains Unapproved Films? You, my friend, can be a movie theater owner in the New America.

Get one of the snazzy blow-up screens, or just a white sheet. Buy a decent projector. Have a source of power, especially if the grid gets flakey. Sell tickets for whatever currency still works, or barter for food and other goods.

Take it one step further and have a concession stand.

Theme nights, Elvis double-headers and retrospectives are all options. People will beat a path to your door, because entertainment is going to be hard to come by for any reasonable price. All the big names will be showing only Approved Films, and people will get tired of social justice in a few minutes.

Coronal Mass Ejection

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 05:30:00 +0000

I will be the first to admit that Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) are a prime subject of too much bad doomer porn. That doesn't mean we can ignore them as a potential problem.

Most CMEs are non-events-they miss the Earth. Some are minor events that trigger the fantastic displays of the aurora borealis or the aurora australis. Pretty lights in the sky, maybe something you can bounce a ham radio signal off of, but nothing to worry about.

Then you have fun things like the 1859 Carrington Event, which knocked out telegraph communications (the Intertubz of its day) and triggered auroras as far south as Cuba. Fortunately for the world, it wasn't as dependent on electrical gadgetry as it is today.

The 1859 event wasn't a one-off. In March, 1989, a geomagnetic storm knocked out the Hydro-Quebec power grid. In August another one knocked out the Toronto stock market.

There is historical evidence of a number of such large CME events.

The march of science being what it is, we have a new and improved estimate of a worst case CME-a large one, directly impacting the earth, which follows another one shortly before it that has, in effect, cleared a path. The effects will be bad. We'll likely lose most if not all satellites, knocking out communications, GPS services and disrupting weather forecasting to some extent. I would imagine that we'll lost the power grid in at least some areas.

As the article says, these things are rare, but they do happen. What has happened before will happen again.

Just a little something else to worry about.

Wednesday Weirdness

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Yes indeed, it's time for another episode of irregular "Wednesday Weirdness". Going for non-political this week if no one minds.

Item 1: This one comes courtesy of Mountain Man-
"Hackers Hold Man's Penis For Ransom In Digital Chastity Belt, Demand Bitcoin To Unlock" TL;DR: It comes off with bolt cutters. The belt, not his penis.

Item 2: "Two Rescued From Icy Waters After Truck Doing 'Donuts' Loses Control During A Snowstorm" Probably should have picked a better parking lot.

And we'll stop there. Enjoy your day.

Fine Art Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Autumn's Glory, Kyle Buckland

It's said that art is supposed to evoke an emotion, a feeling, a time in your life. To me, this just feels like...home. Even though I didn't grow up in the mountains, my family hails from West Virginia, and mountains are my heritage.

Kyle Buckland was born in Delaware but has relocated to Abingdon, VA to pursue his art. He is a en plein air artist, painting the outdoors, well, outdoors. He has works in private and corporate collections. I checked prices, and while they're reasonable for original works, they're beyond my ability. Pity. But at 48x48, they're also beyond my space.

Kyle is obviously not as well known as some of the artists whose work I've featured, but I suspect it will speak to many. And that's what fine art should do-speak to you.

They want you dead

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 19:54:00 +0000

Actually, I don't think they'll settle for your submission

I don't know if any of you who drop by here follow me on Gab. Gab is where I generally do short form commenting and, as it's come to be called, shitposting.

It's a weakness.

One line I use a lot is "They want you dead." This isn't original to me. I stole it from someone who would probably rather remain unnamed at this point in history. He has more to lose than I do.

I used it in a message to Mountain Man this morning, and he didn't follow the meaning. I told him I'd send him the rant later. Then I thought about it, knew that I had been remiss in posting lately (fighting the Migraine Wars leaves little time for much else) and decided to share it with you and just send him a link, driving up my clicks. :-)

I'm betting my reasons for saying "They want you dead" are different than other folks, but most everyone I've seen say it comes from different places, travels different roads and reaches the same destination. I'll go through how I've made the trip.

I'm one who, for most of my life, derided conspiracy theories, and I was pretty quick to label something as a conspiracy theory. Then, the last decade, which culminated in 2020, happened. The other side stopped hiding and came out in the open. My blinders had no choice but to come off.

Remember when Ted Turner started buying up huge chunks of the American West? Yeah, now he owns 2 million acres and is the second largest individual land holder in the US. But hey, it's a business, right?

More recently, Bill Gates became the largest holder of farmland in the US, with 242,000 acres spread across 18 states. Ted is apparently only #4, but he was busy buying up all the ranch land. And by the way, you might want to really read that article and start researching names. You're going to get an education in what the rich folks are doing with their money these days.

Why are these things important? Because the whole "Great Reset" isn't a conspiracy theory, it's a thing. It's went by other names in years past, like George Bush I's "New World Order", but in the end it's all the same plan. It's out in the open now because they think they're so far down the road with it that we can't stop them, and all it will take is a little marketing to get us to go along without violence. Hey, "You'll own nothing and you'll be happy about it!"

I think there's even more behind the scenes that we haven't seen yet. Many of these same people have been preaching for years that the planet is over-populated and that we need to drastically reduce the number of humans for a variety or reasons. But we're not co-operating with that. Many countries, specifically Eastern European ones, aren't going along with the plan and are pushing for more babies. Liberals, as noted in the uber-liberal UK Guardian, are not amused. How dare we!

Stronger efforts are obviously needed. Still, they don't want out-right violence, because they're afraid they will lose. And so comes along Covid-19. No one knows just how this virus got going, but there is continued suspicion that it wasn't a natural accident. Even the WHO, which seems to be at least partly controlled by Chinese interests, is taking a look into the subject. Probably not the group I'd want, but we little people have to take what we're given and be happy with the white wash.

From Visual Capitalist

Numbers vary from place to place, and many want to call this one of the the deadliest pandemics in history, but so far...no. Besides, who ever heard of a pandemic that needed such a marketing effort to sell people on fearing it? You can't hit the website of any mainstream media outlet where the Wuflu isn't at the top of the page. The space aliens could finally land on the White House lawn and they'd be squeezed to page 3.

The pandemic is simply to keep people scared and unresisting for the next stage. Our world economy is on borrowed time. It's only been a matter of time before it caved in, and Wuflu offers a great opportunity to manage the timing of that event. So we've seen massive global spending on efforts to battle the disease, stimulus checks, support for those who have lost everything due to the actions of their own governments and anything else they've been able to sell-which is pretty much anything at this point. The amount of money that has been created and is owed is beyond belief. There is no way this money can't eventually cause massive inflation, and the amount of debt will never be repaid.

The collapse is coming, and probably sooner rather than later. Reset, as it were. A new order emerges from the chaos of collapse, and it won't matter to most that it's a neo-feudalist new order. It will offer protection, safety and food. You'll own nothing, serfs, and you'll like it. You'll have a nice hovel, plenty of gruel 3 times a day and all the work you can do. You'll be alive for as long as you're useful.

(I have to note I'm taking great pleasure in finding such good writeups of these concepts on Wikipedia. Odd how that is working out.)

No matter how it is stage managed and no matter how many people die from social upheaval, starvation and disease, there will still be plenty left. Probably more than enough to staff the new estates of the global élite, even knowing that all the work will be done by hand and with animal power, because "Carbon BAD!"

So yeah, they want you dead. If you're old, have a chronic disease, the incorrect political views, live in the wrong place, own a small business, think for yourself or any of a hundred or thousand other reasons, they want you dead. They need you dead. You're an impediment to their plans. They're smarter than you-why, they have all the money, and that proves it! So die already.

Obviously, I could be wrong. This could all be a string of coincidences. I could just be seeing monsters under the bed. I may be a paranoid conspiracy theorist myself. But I'm not betting on any of those. It may not happen as the elites expect, and I doubt it will. I expect their most excellent plan to come apart as it encounters the chaos system that is a collapsing society. They may manage to pull it off in places, but I expect most of their proto-estates to be looted and burned, and they and their acolytes hung from the nearby trees if they're lucky.

We'll see, won't we.

Fine Art Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Night, Arkhip Kuindhzi, c 1905-1908

Arkhip Kuindhzi was a Russian landscape painter connected with the Realism Movement.

Born in 1842, his parents died when he was 6. He endured a hard childhood, raised by an aunt and older brother and working at a church building site, grazing animals and working in a corn merchant's shop. He received a rudimentary education from a family friend and then attended a local school.

At the age of 13 or so he went to the city of Fedosia, apparently hoping to study under Ivan Aivazovsky, but wound up studying under Adolph Fessler, a student of Aivazovsky. From 1860-1865, he worked as a retoucher for photographer Simeon Isakovich. Following that, he tried his hand at opening a photography studio of his own, which failed.

Following that, he moved to St. Petersburg and studied painting both at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and on his own. By 1872 he was painting professionally. In 1874 he received a bronze medal at the International Art Exhibition in London.

In 1880 his work Moonlight Night on the Dnieper brought considerable fame. By 1882, Kuindhzi was a millionaire, not because of his work his work, but by real estate investing. He maintained a modest lifestyle, and donated much of his money to various charities.

During this time he returned to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, where he achieved full professorship in 1892. In 1897 he was fired for supporting student protests.

Kuindhzi died in St. Petersburg in 1910.

This is another artist I was introduced to by the DailyArt app. for those of us who haven't had much exposure to art and art appreciation, it's an app well worth having.

Note: Fine Art Tuesday was started by Eaton Rapids Joe in memory of Ol' Remus, late proprietor of the Woodpile Report.

Vocations for a New America: Radio Station Owner

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 21:30:00 +0000

No, it won't be this much fun. But you might be able to make an
income out of it.

(Yes, another series. This one will be irregular, with posts as I think of things that haven't been beaten to death elsewhere. Plenty of people have written about blacksmithing and such. No need for me to cover it as well.)

One of the first things I seriously wanted to do with my life was to be a radio DJ. WKRP In Cincinnati and the movie FM are to blame for that. I even gave it a try working at the college radio station during my first try a post-secondary education. "340 watts that sounds like a lightbulb" wasn't quite the tag we were supposed to use, and I got in perpetual trouble over it. And for blowing off the format. Sorry, but "Disco sucks!"

Sidebar: I was working with a buddy on a Sunday evening, and in bursts a friend of his with a new album (ask your parents). "You gotta hear this!" We put it on a turntable and listened to a track, and then we re-queued it When the current song was over, we played the entire thing, both sides. That album was The Cars first release.

That first tune we listened to was Just What I Needed. I have no idea why he queued up Side 1, Track 3, but he did, and holy s**t.

Good times.

However, time and experience showed me that I really didn't want to be in the radio game, at least not to earn a living-because it was nearly impossible to earn a living. So I went from one thing to another, sometimes earning a living, but mostly not. Eventually I went in to IT, and earned a pretty good living. Odd how things work out.

But that radio bug never, ever went totally away. And eventually I ran into a little thing called, among many things, Part 15 broadcasting. Yes, you can own your own, very low power, radio station and you can do pretty much what you want with it, as long as you deal with things like copyright and the 7 words you can't say on radio (well, the original was TV, but work with me here).

Eric at Farpoint Farms has a station, and he's done some videos on the subject.

The reason I say this could be a vocation for the New America we are running headlong towards is that, if current trends continue, free speech isn't going to be so free or easy. And fitting in my (and others) advice to start tightening your circle and acting locally, this would be a perfect way to sit on the intersection of those two trends. Equipment is still readily available and relatively cheap right now. Play by the rules now and be prepared to, maybe, step a bit outside of them in terms of power or antennas when needed and when no one is going to care, because you're providing an important community service and no one is going to turn you in for doing it. You would not only entertain, but you could provide local news (and from further afield if you can get it) and sell ads-folks who are producing needed goods or services will need to get the word out-and you charge for ads.

You could do talk shows with people who are selling services or who have expertise they are willing to impart on others. One show idea like is simply reading books, a chapter at a time. Got audiobooks? I don't think the copyright cops will come looking for you if things get bad enough this is a feasible concept. Got a music collection? You could put it to work for you. People will be starving for entertainment, news and information.

You'll need power, but the grid handles that, and if it doesn't, go solar. You aren't trying for 24 hour a day coverage. I figure 12-16 hours ought to do it, maybe shorter on some days and longer on others.

Just a little something to consider as we move forward.

"We are all East Germans now."

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 18:41:00 +0000

(Via Western Rifle Shooters)

Never miss an opportunity to shut up. I'm guilty of this myself, but it's time to learn.

Hat tip to NightBreaker in the comments to the article.

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 16:40:00 +0000

They aren't all in this picture, but I counted 17 turkeys.

For those that don't recognize it, that's Psalm 118:24.

For me, on the first full day in New America, it's something to wrap my arms around and hang onto. They may have stolen the election and they may sit in the seats of power. They've already began reversing 4 years of progress. They'll do damage on a scale the we can't yet know.

Future generations will curse their names, if they are remembered at all.

They may screw up my life beyond measure. But you know, they can't screw up my days.

This morning, for the second time this year, our flock of wild turkeys is back. Even here is our slightly-less-than-suburban setting, we have turkey, deer, foxes, racoons, skunks, possums and all manner of critters. They are all continuing along just like nothing has changed. I envy them that lack of knowledge.

My Dad loved to turkey hunt nearly as much as he loved fishing for trout. If he was still with us, he'd be 97 now, and he would be thrilled to see a flock of turkeys just across my back yard. I figure he'd also be mounting his pretend shotgun, draw a pretend bead and pretend to take one for the table. The man loved to hunt and fish. I miss doing that with him.

I did not watch the inauguration of the Thief in Chief. I did read a few stories from a fawning press. Gack. Not doing any more of that.

Today, the weather is going to be warm for this time of year. I plan of bucking firewood and working on my new and hopefully improved ham radio setup. I don't plan on paying much attention to the goings on in Washington. Nothing I can do about them and anger is a non-productive emotion.

Instead, I'm going to rejoice and be glad in this day-this one, right here where I am. This day has been given to me as a gift. I plan on making something good of it.

I think one of the secrets of surviving in New America is going to be developing an ability to ignore the larger picture. Not totally; you need to be aware of what's going on. But just note it and move on. Concentrate your focus down to "local". That's where you're going to be able to make a difference. Narrow that circle of family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances. See clearly the things that are close to you. Do what you can to make your life, the lives of those who matter to you and the place that you live, better. Help people build a resiliency in their lives that will see them through the hard times to come.

Look at seed catalogs and consider a bit of gardening this year. Get your to-do list for warmer weather ready. Keep talking to those friends, neighbors and acquaintances and work on improving your community. These are just a few of the things we're going to need in the hard times ahead.

Someone in the neighborhood is currently banging away with a gun. Not sure what they're doing, but it sounds like rapid-fire target practice. I need to do some of that myself.

Rejoice in the day the Lord has made. Don't let the other side drag you down into despair.

The last morning

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Debbie Downer time again.

I fear this is the last morning of the United States I grew up in.

By the time most of you read this, the Imposition of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the two-headed President of what remains of the carcass of the United States will be complete.

President Xi will smile a non-enigmatic smile, I'm sure.

A video I saw yesterday had a National Guard general saying there are 65,000 troops in DC for the event.

Does it seem odd to anyone that we have never before, in the history of the United States, walled off our capital and posted troops in order to have an inauguration? Or that they were all specially, and some hold illegally, vetted to be sure they didn't pose a danger to the new President?

An article said Biden would be speaking to 200,000 US flags rather than a crowd.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if they spontaneously combusted?

President Donald J Trump bought us 4 years to make ready after the catastrophe of 8 years of Obama. I know I feel that I could have done more, but reality is what it is. You do what you can, with what you have, as you can.

While many in the DC swamp feel that this is "getting back to business as usual", I don't think so. This has the feel of something else. I expect some unholy love child of Atlas Shrugged, Patriots: The Coming Collapse, Lucifer's Hammer and Unintended Consequences. maybe a little Spurlock: Sheriff of Purgatory and the Book of Revelation thrown in for comic relief.

Here's the thing. The Uniparty thinks its won, and for the moment it has. But they have unleashed forces, such as BLM and Antifa, that they can not control. They may think they have things in hand, but they don't, and that actually isn't going to matter nearly so much as one might think. Evil now walks the land. Real, serious Evil.

The actual elephant, or more accurately, herd of Saltriovenator zanellai, in the room is the economy-ours and everyone else's. Money has been borrowed and created by the trillions of <unit of your choice>. It's went on for a long time without major deleterious effects. That can't go on forever, and signs point to it not going on for much longer.

When the global economy tanks, we're going to see things that we couldn't have imagined a year ago. Be surprised at nothing.

Of course, I could just be having a moment of gloom to celebrate the completion of the most obvious theft of a national election in US and perhaps world history. While I would be happy to be proven wrong, I think I will be more right than wrong-but I'm a little weak on the timeframe. Maybe months, maybe years.

If you pray, this is a good time for it. It's also a good time to top off and do anything remaining on your list to be ready if things go south/hard left/sideways/tits up. I've got several action items left, if I can get some cooperation from this increasingly old body.

Lord of Hosts,
Hear my prayer.
My strength and courage flag in the face of what is to come.
Father, forgive me of my weakness.
Renew my strength and instill in me fresh courage.
Still my doubts in myself.
Still my fear that I am inadequate for the tasks ahead of me.
Grant me victory in all that I will endeavor in the coming days, weeks, months and if you will, years.
Mercifully hear my prayer.

Amen.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 05:30:00 +0000

And I thought last week was just too weird to pick out only a few weird stories. As 2021 said to 2020, this week has said to last week: "Hold my beer!"

Item 1: After ordering 25,000 National Guard troops to the Capital, the Uniparty realizes that the majority (vast majority, perhaps) of enlisted personnel have political leanings and that they lean toward Donald Trump. Hilarity immediately ensues.

Item 2, A & B: A) A Tennessee school principal is suspended after he questions Big Tech censorship. Several someones complain, and the principal is now groveling for his job.

B) Mom is at the Trump rally in DC and gets punched in the nose. Highly disaffected 18 YO daughter, who has apparently been disciplined more than a few times and thrown out of the house, sees a chance to get even. Mom loses her job.

This is just the beginning of the level of vindictiveness and destruction we're going to see. Be ready.

We'll be back next Wednesday, I suspect.

Fine Art Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 18:01:00 +0000

Italian Landscape, Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, c 1840

Johann Wilhelm Schirmer was a Prussian artist and was a leading Romantic landscape artists of his day. He is also noted as a member of the "Düsseldorf School".

Born in the Pruussian Duchy of Jülich in 1807, he studied art at the Arts Academy in Düsseldorf. There, he became an associate professor in 1830 and a full professor in 1839. As did many artists of his day, Schirmer toured Europe, painting this work while in Italy.

Schirmer died in Karlsruhe in 1863.

I was introduced to Schirmer via the DailyArt app. Well worth having on your phone or tablet.

Fine Art Tuesday was started by Eaton Rapids Joe in memory of Remus, late proprietor of the Woodpile Report.

Sunday Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Jan 2021 16:58:00 +0000

(Housekeeping note: Sunday Reading is going to become an "if and when" post, like Wednesday Weirdness. I'm spending a lot of time doing, not so much relaxing. It makes no sense to me to have to keep saying "Not this week.")

While I don't get to read as many books lately, I do read, and probably more than I should in terms of time spent. That reading is from various sites around the Intertubz. Here's a partial list of things that have struck my fancy this week.

How They Hunt-counter insurgency tactics in the modern era.

What Do We Do With A Pretend President?-How one man is dealing with a stolen election.

How We Take America Back-An ambitious plan to defeat the left.

Communications in the Purge-Stay in touch.

And what I think is the last edition of The Woodpile Report. Damn, but I miss Remus.

Life in the time of Wuflu, Part 36: Observations

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 21:05:00 +0000

I had hoped to allow the "Life in the time of Wuflu" series to die a natural death, but it seems events have me outmaneuvered. I feel just like a Trump supporter in Washington, DC.

Speaking of Trump supporters, recent outings revealed that there are still a lot of Trump flags and yard signs firmly planted. I'm starting to feel bad about taking my bumper sticker off. Of course, I do have one I saved for emergencies.

The Wuflu has finally hit a little closer to me. Someone I knew many years ago has lost her mother to the Wuflu, and her father is hospitalized with it. Both were in their 80s, and I don't know if they had any significant health issues. Thee are also a couple of members of one of my ham radio clubs who have showed up with it, but they seem to be recovering nicely, despite being in their 70s.

I remain a mask skeptic, but I do try to keep my hands clean and stay at some distance from people I don't know. It gives a new twist to Ol' Remus's advice to "avoid crowds".

Local grocery stores are well-stocked, finally. This is opposite of what many, myself included, expected to see by now. Shows what they and I know. I continue to keep things topped off. Gas prices have risen since Christmas. I continue with my new "3/4 = empty" rule. I'm not taking chances when it's so easy to...not take chances.

My efforts to build better connections to my neighbors continue, if slowly. The weather here has been cold and yucky (by local standards), and few people are out walking the neighborhood. I've made a couple of walks and noticed that many folks have purchased golf carts. I've also noticed that no one, other than me, is burning wood for heat, and every house with a re-lined chimney has no obvious stash of wood for "just in case". These things don't make me so sanguine about my neighbors' situational awareness and thought processes.

One of my next-door neighbors, who is probably the youngest homeowner in the place, is an exception. I was carrying in some firewood the other evening about dusk, and I heard a gunshot very nearby. The first thing that went through my head was that one of the local idiots was taking an out of season shot at a deer in the beanfield out back. Nope, turned out it was my neighbor and his wife, trying out a new 20 gauge shotgun. He also has a 9mm pistol of unknown parentage waiting on his pistol permit to come through.

The family is raising 3 kids on blue collar money, and that money is short. (Of course, he is still working, and that's more than a lot of folks around here can say.) He's never owned a gun before, but he has been shooting a few times-I took him when he was a teenager. He volunteered the information that he was concerned about his family's safety, and his wife backed that up whole-heartedly. One more new gun owner for The Powers That Be to chew on.

We've lost a couple more restaurants. Pickings for Sunday evening out are getting a little thin. But it's interesting, because some of the remaining places have the obligatory sign on the door about masks and social distancing that may or may not be honored, but they are operating at about half-seating capacity. Others are back to full seating (minus government approval, I'm sure) and some are unfortunately back to pre-Wuflu sanitation practices as well. Others are in full-bore compliance mode with the signs, enforcement thereof, at half-capacity or less and I could do surgery on one of their tables in a pinch. Those last ones seem to do less business. Go figure.

I don't think one fast food place is open for dine-in eating. However, the drivethrus usually have a line, especially around meal time.

Local grocery stores, which had back-slid on cleanliness, are upping their game again. Honestly, that's one positive thing about the Wuflu infestation-most places are simply cleaner than they used to be.

There are several new small businesses that have opened recently as well. I admire their courage, but question their business savvy. I wish them good luck, because they're going to need it.

Wuflu vaccinations are happening, but I'm ineligible due to age. Mrs. Freeholder is on the list for the next round due to her being a teacher. She asked my thoughts. I told her that obviously it was her call in the end, but that I had no interest in taking the thing until field testing is complete. Give it a billion or so people stuck and no zombie apocalypse, and I'll probably get it.

Speaking of being a teacher, all schools here are on full remote learning again. Teachers may work from home if they like. Most do.

After seeing Big Tech's mostly successful efforts to silence or neuter free speech on the Intertubz that they don't agree with, I've dusted off an old IBM laptop, ordered up an IDE-to-CompactFlash adapter and a CF card to replace the old hard drive, and downloaded a number of BBS systems from the Intertubz. I'm going to try my hand at making all this work and putting a BBS on the air via an old-fashioned phone line. One big wrinkle I see is how will other folks call, when most people have given up their landlines?

Another is figuring out a way to connect a data modem to a cell phone, which would solve the first problem. Modems are still available; USRobotics is still out there, and they make a USB modem. I found a used one cheap on fleaBay, it's arrived and is recognized by a Windows 10 laptop. It's correctly recognized when you download and install the driver. I'm thinking of an adapter between whatever port a given phone has and one of those modems, but that may or may not work. I have access to both iPhones and Android phones, so hopefully I can figure something out.

Yet another is how do I publicize it without compromising my own OPSEC? I'm under no illusion that an alphabet agency couldn't find out who I am in 60 seconds or less, but I do want to make it as difficult as possible for J. Random Loser to do it. Still thinking on this one.

Some folks are working at cutting at least a few of their ties to Big Tech. I'm all but off of Facebook again. A number of us have added Signal and Telegram to our phones. We're doing our best to make sure we can route around Big Tech's censorship efforts. We've jumped on a number of alt-media social platforms, including Gab and Parler. Pity Big Tech took out Parler.

Gab is working on their own Android-fork cell phone. If they get it going, I'm sure it will be banned as a danger to the cellular networks.

Others are working at cutting their ties to places like Amazon while others call for boycotts. Reader Jed and I have discussed the concept of boycotting, and we both conclude that you simply can't boycott every entity that is working against us-there are too many, and you have to shop somewhere.

But you can minimize your support of those who want us silenced, marginalized, re-educated and dead. For example, since I canceled Amazon's Prime, I use their shoping cart to hold items I need, and then check various other sites for prices. Surprisingly, I often find better prices and faster delivery on fleaBay. Yeah, it takes time to do this. I'm retired and I have more time than money. Win-win for me.

I note the national political news is even stranger than it was last week. I don't comment on it because many of the folks over at the left are doing a better job at it than I probably could. I keep up with it, but I'm working hard to not obsess over it, and so far I'm succeeding. There is a fine line between knowing what is going on around you and drowning under the tidal wave of BS the mainstream media spews forth every day.

Speaking of not obsessing, it's time to hit the "Publish" button. Be careful, keep your eyes and ears open, complete/top off your preps and stay away from those crowds at the imposition of the new President.

Fine Art Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 16:37:00 +0000

Liberty Leading the People, Eugéne Delacroix, 1830

Eugéne Delacroix was a French Romantic artist and is regarded as the leader of the Romantic movement in France. His work influenced the work of the Impressionist and Symbolist movements.

Born near Paris in 1798, Delacroix drew his inspiration from both historical and contemporary events. Today's subject is an example, drawing it's subject from the July Revolution. This painting is roughly from the middle of his career.

His education began with classical studies. His interest slowly changed to theater and music, then finally to art when he became a pupil of Baron Pierre-Narcisse Guérin. Early in his career he was receiving important commissions and backing from the French state, who in 1822 put him in charge of "architectural decoration".

Delacroix painted throughout his lifetime, and on his death in 1863 left a catalog of over 6000 items, along with many works completed in his roll of head of architectural decoration. He also kept a substantial journal related to his work portions of which were finally published in 1951.

Fine Art Tuesday was started by Eaton Rapids Joe in memory of Ol' Remus, late proprietor of the Woodpile Report. If you're a blogger and are so moved, please feel free to join us with your own Fine Art Tuesday post.

Sunday Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Another week of no reading of consequence. Maybe later.

Running out of options

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 01:42:00 +0000

Yet another Big Tech company that would rather virtue signal than make money. I'm ditching Mozilla products.

Pretty soon I'm going to have to figure out how to connect a CP/M box to the Intertubz.

More thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 18:03:00 +0000

It may be an understatement, but it's been a hell of a week, hasn't it? I've been trying to organize my thoughts on the week, and am all-too-well aware it ain't over yet.

This is as far as I've gotten. I'm still thinking things through. I've read quite a bit and talked to a number of my friends. To use a term you don't hear often these days, we all are pretty much "floored". I think we all expected a miracle. Well, God does answer prayers, but sometimes the answer is "No."

Mountain Man is of the opinion that God has turned his face from our country. I hope he's wrong, but I have to admit that it's starting to appear he isn't.

The big thing it seems all of us are doing is watching and waiting. Enough mistakes have been made by our side recently and no one is in the mood for more. It feels like we have been out-thought and out-maneuvered at every turn.

The Georgia elections-no one was really surprised at the outcome. You had the same people running the show, using the same voting machines and under the same rules that encourage fraud. There is evidence that fraud was again involved and some that the election was simply purchased. I also suspect that Republican candidates helped do themselves in.

January 6. What a shit show. I listened to much of the President's speech, and while he really said what he thought, I never heard him say "Hey, let's go take over the Capital Building!" or anything like that. Still, he and his supporters are blamed for it, even though evidence is growing for police incompetency and Antifa agitators being the ones who, for the most part, orchestrated the thing. Yes, some of our people were involved, but it's very easy to turn a crowd into a mob, especially if that's the plan.

The taking of the Capital was followed by Republicans running for cover, both literally and figuratively. Of course, they were just doing what they do best-cave. They followed up by caving on the objections to electors.

One person I knows says this was "the Reichstag fire". Possibly so. I think it was a masterful piece of planning on the part of those who are working to fundamentally transform our country. They knew the rally was coming on the same day as the canvass of the electors and they planned to cause trouble. They knew that Republicans are the Party of Cave, because that's been demonstrated for decades now. They had their plan and they executed it just about flawlessly. I think they may have also cought a lucky break or two, and that just made things all the better-for them.

It makes no difference that we have them on video, and that more and more of the actors are being identified. The narrative is "Orange Man Bad, Orange Man Supporters EVIL!" and it's being spouted by every Leftist celebrity and elected official in the land, not to mention most of the media, even some that is supposedly friendly to Trump. And please don't get me started on most Republican elected officials, various Trump aides and a couple of cabinet members.

I really dislike people who want to be eaten last. At least my Congressman was a Congressman, not a Congressweasel. he stood up on his hind legs and voted against seating the electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania.

We also have the incessent calls for the invocation of the 25th amendment and/or yet another impeachment. I listened to Rush Limbaugh some yesterday, and he has a thought that I have to agree with-the left is scared spitless of Donald J. Trump. He must be utterly destroyed, no matter what the cost. I suspect they still haven't figured the guy out. I'm disappointed that he didn't have some masterstroke that would turn things around, but I suspect he is just as surprised as most of us out how deep the Deep State goes, how many are in its thrall and at how far they were willing to go.

With luck, Mike Pence will be unable to get elected dogcatcher going forward.

I still suspect Trump is up to something, but I could well be wrong. Perhaps he will simply wash his hands of the whole thing and go have drinks on the terrace. I doubt that, though. The man has no quit in him as far as I've observed.

The number of people who still get their information only from the mainstream media simply confounds me. Are the vast majority of Americans so...stupid, unobservant, something...that they can't figure out when they're being told that war is peace and slavery is freedom? How often do you have to be smacked in the face before you decide that you're tired of it and you go elsewhere? Of course, as I've noted, even the so-called "alt media" is far from perfect.

Like Republicans, journalists don't seem to have the courage of their convictions.

Yesterday, despite the urge to both sit at the keyboard and buy every round of ammo available on the Intertubz, I did neither. Despite everything, life must go on. We've been told that we're going to get snow today, and any snow around here shuts everything down for days. So I had to get trash to the dump, get money, get gas and heaven help me, groceries, as Thursday is Grocery Day. Plus I needed to get fire wood split and under cover and help a friend with a radio problem. All of it got done, and it kept my mind off things that, frankly, I can do nothing about other than obsess-and that ain't helpful. It also gave me time to think, which you're getting the supposed benefit of now. Man, am I sore.

The Democrats and Leftists (I believe there is a difference here) are now firmly in control of the Federal government. The last time this happened we got Obamacare. We'll get worse this time. They are scared to death that they'll get tossed from power again, so expect election "reform" that will cement their ability to cheat at will at any level they so chose. Expect attempts to turn DC and Puerto Rico into states. Expect the borders to be thrown open, and there will be zero wall building. Expect them to work on undoing the progress we've made with the courts. Expect draconian gun laws, supposedly motivated by the goings-on of January 6, even thought the only use of a firearm was by the police.

RIP, Ashli Babbit. You deserved a lot better from your government than you ultimately got. I have to wonder what happened to the flag she had draped over her when she was shot. That's a relic the Left ought to be very frightened of, if history is a guide. Out of such things movements are built.

Expect to see government spending go to the moon. Tax rates and items taxed will follow shortly. There is a very good chance that our economy will fly into the side of a mountain, and we will take the global economy with us in large part. One of the dangers of the unfettered globalism we've been subjected to is everyone's exposure to everyone, and I'm betting we're going to get a powerful lesson in why that's a bad thing.

I hate being dark. At heart I really think of myself as an optimist, although most people who know me don't agree. I suppose it's my nasty streak of realism that does that. But I don't see anything good coming from this, unless it's the dissolution of the Republican Party and the formation of a new party that gets back to the basics of honoring the Constitution and caring for the citizens.

Time for me to push back from the keyboard. There are things to do, things that will keep me sane and that I hope will improve our ability to outlast what's coming. Don't be shocked if posting is lighter than it has been recently. I'll try to find something to say, but right now I'm afraid all I'll do is go over the same thing again and again, and you don't care to hear that, I'm sure.

Keep the faith. Sometimes that's all you have.

Looking into the abyss

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 22:28:00 +0000

It's started. I've been watching TheSaltyCracker most of the afternoon. It appears that the anger has finally boiled over. The mainstream media is blaming Trump while the RINOs and other Deep State creatures are running through the tunnels underneath the Capital seeking cover.

It's getting dark now, at almost 5:30, and folks are starting to disperse. At night is when Antifa comes out, and I expect them to show up tonight and start burning. We will be blamed for it.

Lord knows what tonight and tomorrow will hold. Pray, if it's your way. And hang on, it's going to be a bumpy night.