Glub, glub, glub...

The Titanic has already hit the iceberg. Its fate is sealed. It is going down, even if most passengers have no clue about the rising water levels in the lower decks. Those shoveling the coal know the truth.

Who do you want conducting the orchestra as it sinks beneath the waves? Who do you want to have this legacy attached to their name?

The specific politician finally allowed to head the US feral government as "The Union" breaks up isn't going to make that much difference. The united States is untied. It has been for a long time, but it is getting more obvious.

Texas and (for a random example) New Jersey are not parts of the same country, and they haven't been in ages. Only the desperate feral government (along with some constitutionalists, I suppose) imagines otherwise. It's not as much fun asserting control over even Texas or California as it is claiming to govern the whole of America by way of the (former) united States feral government. Breaking it up is only a formality at this point.

Trump is the devil we know. He's terrible, but not uniquely terrible (unless you listen to the national mainstream media's spin). He won't save the Titanic.

Biden has a long history as an evil politician we can clearly examine, but this doesn't exactly show what he will do as president-- if he lives long enough to actually do anything. As his mental deterioration accelerates there could be some big surprises. Biden (or Harris) may vary somewhat from the "rotting of the presidency" curve, or he may stick right to the schedule established by long precedent. He won't save the Titanic.

The most interesting result might occur if the selection is found to be so fraudulent that it gets tossed aside-- after the anti-Trumpers have already been celebrating their victory and threatening to make lists of, and "reeducate", those not sufficiently on their side. This would set off some depth-charges right against the crumpled hull. I can see why dedicated government-supremacists might not follow this path even if shown to be completely true, just to protect their "system" (and their scabby hides) for a little while longer.

Truthfully, I'm kind of excited to see what the coming disaster will be like, however it goes. I guess I'm sort of in a "watch the world burn" (or "watch the Titanic sink") mood recently. I don't recommend you be like me.

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A new holster review: Craft Holsters 20S for a revolver

Craft Holsters asked to send me another holster to review. I like the one they sent for my 1911 so much that I eagerly agreed.

This time I got a holster for my Smith & Wesson Model 37. I got the same model holster as last time: the 20S leather IWB holster with steel clip, but for my revolver. I had to ask for it to be modified to fit my 3" barrel.

I received the holster on October 28 and have been using it daily since then.

The box arrived in great shape.

Everything was packed neatly.

Here's the holster in its bag. I was so anxious to get it out that it was hard to slow down and take the picture.

I couldn't wait to try it out. I love the look and feel of good leather. Isn't that pretty?

The S&W fits perfectly. Just tight enough that it feels secure. They got the length right for my barrel, too. So they can customize.

I did use the break-in kit that came with the 1911's holster this time. The strap needed to be stretched a bit-- it did reach, but it was really tight. That seemed to work. The snap is still a little hard to snap. I put a small amount of bar soap on it to lubricate it, which helped, but it is a bit of a struggle to get it to snap. It releases easily enough when you want it to, and never has when I didn't want it to, and that's the more important part by far. I'd much prefer a tight snap to a loose one that fails to hold.

I suspect the snap will become easier to snap over time, and as the strap stretches a little more. Really, though, I don't snap and unsnap it very often. I hadn't even thought of the snap recently until I started writing the review and was trying to think of pros and cons. (Update: 11-15-- the snap has loosened up just the right amount now. No more issue at all.)

Once again, the steel clip is great. It's not coming off the pants unless I pull it off. It's smooth enough that I don't expect unusual wear on my waistband like I get from my homemade holsters. Only time will tell, though. 

I just really love this holster. Just like the other one. I tried to think of something I wish they did differently and can't think of a single thing. And I can almost always think of a way to improve something-- even if it isn't realistic. I'm impressed!

After almost 2 weeks of wearing this all day, it works perfectly. And a S&W Model 37 is much more comfortable than a full-size 1911. I can bend and sit without crushing my "junk". I hate to say it but I probably just changed my EDC.

Thank you again, Craft Holsters!

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Extremists should keep politics to selves

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for October 7, 2020)

Of all the political ideas I'm puzzled by-- which is all of them-- the ideas of White Supremacy and White Nationalism are among the most bizarre.

To imagine you're better than others because of your race rather than for your achievements is foolish. For that matter, anyone who feels they are owed something beyond the respect for life, liberty, and property every human is entitled to is mistaken.

To use government and its legislation to force your superiority on others is to admit you're inferior.

I'm in favor of you creating your own nation somewhere, though-- with whatever values you hold dear. If you want to surround yourself with other insecure people to shield yourself from those who would point out your weaknesses, it's your right.

You're still obligated to establish your nation without violating anyone's life, liberty, or property. If anyone already lives where you want to create your nation, you have no right to kick them out. Either buy their property at a consensual price or allow them to stay. You must respect their rights. If this is a deal-breaker, you can find empty land on the Moon and set up your superior nation there.

Why anyone would want to pollute other worlds with politics is beyond me, but this is already a subject of serious discussion by serious people.

Few things are as toxic as politics. It's antisocial to use government to force others to live as you want them to live.

It's always important to know who conspires to use politics against you, and how they plan to do so if they get the chance. Your awareness allows you to stay ready to defend yourself from politics of any sort, extremist or mainstream, race-based or something else.

I'm sure White Supremacists and White Nationalists exist, although I've never met anyone who claims to be one. There are other kinds of nationalists and supremacists out there, too.

Of all the supremacists you might face, the ones most often encountered are the government-supremacists. These extremists believe government interests trump individual rights. Many of them mix in other kinds of supremacism or nationalism too, but as with all extremists, it's the political aspect rather than the petty details which makes them dangerous.

If these extremist groups would keep their politics to themselves, so as to not violate others, I wouldn't care what they believe.

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Out of the frying pan...

I hope this recent presidential selection would show people that the whole process-- the whole system-- is a fraud. That it has come down to which side is better at cheating.

But, no. This hope of mine will be in vain.

People will still imagine that v*ting matters, when it only matters who gets to count and tally those v*tes in political selections.

For the next period of time-- months, years, decades-- the side that screamed at the sky over Trump will smugly threaten to re-educate and compile "lists" of Trump supporters. And, I suspect, anyone who wasn't sufficiently anti-Trump or pro-Left-Statist.

Trump supporters will criticize the new president/s, but will continue to act as though the system is legitimate, even if it doesn't work exactly as advertised. This means they are as much to blame as their opponents. It's time for them to join the "watch it burn" side.

Until Harris takes over, it appears America will be saddled with the first-ever media selected zombie president (if the old guy makes it to inauguration day). After Harris takes the reins an evil legislation enforcer who lies to keep people caged will be the supreme vermin (not to be confused with Vermin Supreme). With a cop as president, how could anything other than a police state be in store?

Who said 2020 couldn't get more interesting? What else could be waiting in the wings, and does anyone believe 2021 will be less interesting?

(I apologize for any remaining formatting issues-- I'm still fighting with a semi-crippled blog interface.)

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Blog fixed! (I hope)

I was able to use my phone to solve the problem with posting on this blog! Or at least fix it temporarily. We'll see how long it lasts.

I will now go back and update the previous trainwrecks.

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When cheating is the point

 

When I was about 10 years old, my best friend and I liked to play cards with each other. But the entire point of our game was to cheat. It didn’t even matter that the other person saw you doing it.

We would deal from the bottom of the deck, stick cards up our sleeves, drop a card on the floor and have it “magically” change into something better. We would score wrong, claim we had different cards than we did after we tossed them back into the deck, whatever we thought of.

We had a great time and would laugh ourselves silly.

I didn’t realize at the time we were inventing modern electoral politics.

I should be getting royalty payments or something from the DemoCRAPublicans.

–

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Blogging update

 (Note: Issue fixed-- maybe.)

I don’t know what’s going on with my main blog site over at Blogger. It isn’t letting me write anything. Well, anything other than a post title.

I haven’t gotten any warnings, so I don’t think it’s Google punishing wrong-think.

I’ve tried and tried to post something, but nothing is working. I sent a question to “the community”, but past experiences don’t make me hopeful for a helpful answer.

I’m still completely frustrated and discouraged over my financial situation, but that’s not the main reason I hadn’t posted.

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Thinking...

I'm going to have to re-evaluate some things.

In one swoop I just lost well over half my income. It's no one's fault; it's just the economy. I was already not making ends meet-- this has been a discouraging trend that began before 2020.

Maybe writing just isn't valuable. Maybe it's just my writing.

Not invested in the outcome

I don't care for or about Donald Trump. Yet, I do hope he wins re-election. But the only real reason is that I so strongly dislike the "Trump Derangement Syndrome" I've been seeing in his opposition since he began his campaign of 2016. It never made me join his side, but it certainly made me dislike the "other side" more than I otherwise would have.

I'm quite sure it did drive some people to Trump's side who wouldn't have supported him without the "encouragement". If they wanted people on their side, that wasn't the way to attract support.

Honestly, I don't want the rioters and those who scream at the sky over dead Supreme Courtjesters to get what they want. And it's simply because I find their behavior so reprehensible and childish. If you give in to the tantrums of toddlers, you get more tantrums. And over time, worse tantrums with bigger stakes. I'd rather nip that in the bud.

Donald Trump is not uniquely horrible. He's horrible, yes, but not uniquely so. Biden (Harris) isn't better in any real way-- to prefer him (her) simply because he (she) isn't Trump isn't my style. And again, I don't want to give the screaming toddlers what they want.

Even if some of Trump's supporters are screaming toddlers, too, they aren't as obnoxious about it. At least not in my personal experience.

I'm not going to be upset if Trump loses, though. I'm just not that invested in the outcome.

I think America is doomed either way. Past doomed, really. I think its fate was sealed when the Constitution was written. It's been a downhill slide at variable speed since then. This isn't going to end well, I just don't know when it will end.

Maybe one candidate would accelerate the destruction a bit. I don't know which one that would be, and I don't really care much at this point. Since I think the collapse will be more painful the longer it is delayed, I think it might be better for it to happen sooner rather than later. That might mean Biden would be the preferable "winner" after all. 

Either way, I don't need a president, and neither do you. Don't let yourself get too wrapped up in the middle school drama of elections.

Whatever happens, the immortal words of Robert A. Heinlein keep ringing in my ears: “I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”

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Tolerance, approval different things

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for September 30, 2020)

Few people understand the difference between tolerating a behavior and endorsing or approving of it.

There are things I don't approve of but don't have the right to stop others from doing. I may tolerate these behaviors for my own peace of mind while doing what I can to protect myself; including self-defense when necessary.

Even if I try to stop others from doing things I believe are harmful, my effect on the world is vanishingly tiny. It's probably wasted effort.

I have no right to control what you do as long as you aren't violating anyone's life, liberty, or property. My right to control what you do when you are threatening to violate me-- or someone else-- is limited to taking defensive actions. I can also cooperate with others for mutual defense.

Cooperation is useful, as long as you don't become an aggressive gang. A gang is more likely to violate rights than to defend them. It's too easy to pretend your collective power-- might through superior numbers-- makes right. This is mob rule, and is the foundation of democracy. Speaking of democracy...

I tolerate the act of voting, but I don't support it. It's similar to drug abuse in more ways than one.

Both can make a person feel unrealistically important, yet the high quickly wears off and the consequences stack up.

Drug abuse and voting could be seen as similar victimless acts if they were judged on their actual effects rather than by what you've been taught to believe about them.

In the real world, a drug abuser doesn't always stay on the couch but may get behind the wheel.

Just as a drug abuser can hurt an innocent person in an accident, a voter can accidentally harm the innocent by voting in an election. In the real world, a voter will vote for a politician who will use legislation and taxes to damage liberty a little more and take away more of your property. A politician is like the drug abuser's car-- the vehicle becomes a weapon.

I tolerate voting for the same reason I tolerate drug abuse. I know I have no right to stop it, but I must stay alert for anyone whose mind is under the influence of the drug of politics. Maybe I can help them when they sober up and nurse them through their withdrawal pains. Perhaps, through tolerance, I can even help them find strategies to avoid the pushers the next time.

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Big, ugly, and still not the boss of Halloween

"Did they cancel Trick-or-Treating this year?"

What kind of question is that? Government doesn't own Halloween. It gets no say in how it is celebrated. 

Sure, political monsters in some decaying grave yard-like places imagine they have a say, and they might torment you for ignoring their opinions. But they are not the boss of Halloween. They never were.

Remind them of that fact. That'll scare the poop out of those zombies for the whole year!

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Just in case...

Back in the late 1980s, there was a prediction of a major earthquake on the New Madrid fault. I was in the danger zone at that time. I didn't really believe it would happen. I prepared anyway. That was the first time I ever really did anything that could be called "prepping".

Even though I didn't believe the earthquake would happen, I knew it was always possible. I even knew a family in the area whose house was actually splitting due to a minor fault running under it (even splitting the street and curb in front of their house as well). I figured it couldn't hurt me to be ready even if nothing happened. So I did what I could think of, which mostly involved storing water and having a wrench handy to shut off the gas to the house. I've grown a bit since then.

Nothing happened. I wasn't disappointed.

I did the same when "Y2K" was approaching. Again, I didn't believe anything would come of it, but I couldn't see any way it would hurt me to be ready. That time I did more to prepare because by that time I knew more what I was doing.

Again, nothing happened. That time I admit I was a little disappointed.

It's the same situation with the upcoming election. I don't believe anything major will happen, no matter how the election goes. I'm ready anyway. I'll have to wait and see if I feel disappointed afterward.

No matter what happens, I know it is my responsibility to do whatever I can-- within reason-- to prepare. 

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An abnormal life

Sometimes I'm struck with the realization of just how strange my life is compared to the lives people have lived throughout most of human history and prehistory.

Take the whole of the timespan humans have lived on Earth, make it into a giant calendar surrounding you, close your eyes, spin around and toss a dart and then look at how the humans on that day were living. It's not going to be anything like the life we live now.

Probably they wouldn't even ride horses yet-- they might hunt them, though. They probably wouldn't use wheels. They'd live and die over whether they could make fire, find water, and avoid being eaten. Just picture what you'd be looking at right now if you suddenly saw from the perspective of that day, with everything from other times erased from view.

This may be why I sometimes feel so incredibly out of place. I'm not complaining. I like modernity, but I do have a primal craving for some of the old stuff, too. Almost all the time.

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Worries and non-worries

I worry about my kids.

I worry about my finances.

I worry about my health in non-specific ways.

You know what I don't worry about? Covid-19.
And that refusal to worry upsets too many people. 

I like to prep. I don't prep because I worry, I don't worry because I prep. I think everyone should prep at least a little. I don't freak out on other people who don't worry about not being prepared. It is what it is, even though their lack of preps could impact my life.

I don't understand those who are angry that I don't worry about coronaviruses. Why would anyone want others to worry? What good does that do anyone?

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Misplaced blame

People are throwing around all these accusations-- "How has Covid affected your life, your mental health, your job, your society?"-- assuming the blame lies with the virus when it doesn't. Covid-19 did none of that. 

In fact, if government hadn't been overhyping the virus you probably wouldn't have noticed it at all. Even if someone you know is said to have died of it.

Because, if they died, how would you have known to blame the virus if you hadn't been told that's what killed them? You wouldn't have. You would have assigned some other-- possibly more correct-- cause of death. You would have said they died of old age, or pneumonia, or something like that. 

Businesses are going under, people's finances are suffering (I know mine are), and their mental health is hurting, but they are pointing the finger at the wrong culprit. 

Don't blame Covid-19 for the hardships when it's the government response to the virus which is causing almost all the problems. 

Then, somehow those same people imagine government can be their salvation from the pandemic. Well, maybe it could be if it stopped responding in any way and got out of the way to allow society to come back. How likely do you think that is?

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The grossest leeches of all

Is your town, city, or county infested with parasites? Specifically leeches? 

Don't let the lack of standing water fool you into thinking you're safe from leeches. 

There is one deadly kind of leech that doesn't require bodies of water: the po-leech. 

Most of them even appear to be human. Don't be fooled!

They latch onto society. They'll suck the lifeblood right out of you if you let them close enough. There doesn't even have to be physical contact for you to be harmed by their parasitism. Avoid them for your own good.

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Consider stocking up for election

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for September 23, 2020)

Stocking up on food and supplies before the worst part of the forced shutdowns could turn out to have been good practice for what may be coming after the presidential election.

Especially considering the new vacancy on the Supreme Court. This development is just another piece in the colorful puzzle called 2020, and will probably make uncivil unrest more likely than before. This vacancy shouldn't come as a great shock to anyone. The shoe has been waiting to drop for years. People have had plenty of time to get used to the idea. Why didn't they?

Whatever the reasons, this latest turn of events doesn't bode well for social harmony.

If the more aggressive factions among us are upset over the outcome of the election and express their unhappiness in their favorite ways, the supply chain may be disrupted again. Possibly even more than it was before. Are you ready for empty store shelves again?

You're probably in better shape to ride out any new shortages thanks to the pandemic. Now, also focus on the possibility of social turmoil if the riotous crowd doesn't get the election result it wants.

Those who loot and burn businesses belonging to people who might have been on their side otherwise haven't shown much capacity for considering the costs of their actions. I don't imagine they'll suddenly get smarter. They'll starve themselves, and you, to show you just how angry they are if they don't get their way.

I don't expect violence to break out locally, but as you probably notice if you've seen our hazy skies recently, things which happen far away can affect us. Be ready just in case.

Stock up on the things you wished you had bought before the last shortages. Don't forget water. Make sure you have enough to ride out at least the time between the election and the inauguration. More would be better. Encourage your friends to do the same.

I'm not saying it will happen; just that it's a possibility and I can see how the election along with the Supreme Court vacancy could trigger it.

Maybe nothing big will happen and in a few months we can all laugh about how wrong and paranoid I was. We can hope. Don't bet your life on it, though; I'm not going to. I would rather take the risk of being a laughingstock than to see you caught off-guard by rough circumstances. Consider it my sacrifice for your sake. You're welcome.

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Ready or not, the pre-scheduled unrest is approaching

Are you stocked up and ready for post-election "sports"? 

I think I'm OK, although if I get any unexpected donations I have a few last-minute things I'll stock up on.

Most likely, nothing big will happen right after the election. The losers on both sides will have a whine-off. One side will imagine they won. And the State will grow more powerful and ever more intrusive.

But, there is a chance that unrest will disrupt things for a while.

This is one time there's an actual date on the calendar that we can prep for. A date we know because the enemies of society have announced their intentions and you'd be wise to listen.

A clear date to prepare for doesn't often happen and I'm not planning to fail by failing to plan. It's like ignoring a tornado warning-- sure, you'll probably be fine, but won't you feel like an idiot if it actually hits and you ignored your chance to do something to prepare?

Ready or not, here it comes. Please at least consider being ready. It can't hurt and it might just help.

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"Stop writing!"

Whenever a reader of my newspaper column strongly disagrees with me and emails to let me know, they don't give reasons. They just tell me I should stop writing until I agree with them.

Seriously, that's what they do almost every time without exception. Sometimes they also disparage my looks, my upbringing, and tell me to "go back where I came from" (which I did and why they are subjected to me). But, almost every time they include the barb that I need to stop writing until I change my opinion to agree with them. Without them giving me any reasons why I should agree with them.

An unhappy reader of this week's column ended her email with these words: "You need to stop writing until you face reality."* What "reality" is she referring to? I suppose that shutdowns are necessary and doctors say so. 

It's the same story time after time. Critic after critic. No reasons, just "stop writing". My words are so dangerous they can't be allowed out into the world. Or something.

Which makes me think they know they have no ground to stand on.

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*Full text: "Inconsiderate
You tell people to go ahead and get out in the same paper that the doctors are asking us to stay in as much as possible. You are incredibly inconsiderate. You go ahead and get out and when you get sick, we’ll just say 'Sure there was a cost' but he knew and was happy to risk it.
You need to stop writing until you face reality."

But, she's right about one thing. I know there is a cost and I'm happy to risk it. Even if I get sick and die.

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You have no right to...

Rights are more about what you have no right to do than about what you do have a right to do.

You have a right to govern yourself. You can't have a right to govern anyone but yourself. Such a right can't exist any more than any other right to enslave.

You have the right to join with others to form a government, even one based on politics. You have no right to impose that government on anyone else outside your group which explicitly consented. Implied "consent" isn't real-- it is a euphemism for aggressive molestation.

You have a right to have police. You have no right to impose those police on others who haven't been violating your life, liberty, or property directly, nor to force anyone else to help you fund them. No one owes your police anything-- not respect, obedience, or deference. If your police violate anyone in any way, you are as guilty as they are because you hired the gangsters and they work for you.

On the above issues there's a very narrow scope that is libertarian-- only the first sentence of each paragraph-- where you have the right to do those things... up to a point. But once you cross that point into the following sentences you are archating. You have no right to archate. No matter how you spin it.

If these things are difficult for you to understand or uncomfortable to face, the problem is yours. No one is obligated to explain it to you or to coddle your feelings.

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