Chet Raymo, "Starlight"

"Starlight"

by Chet Raymo

"Poor Calvin is overwhelmed with the vastness of the cosmos and no small dose of existential angst. He is not the first, of course. Most famously the 17th-century French philosopher Blaise Pascal wailed his own despair: "I feel engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces whereof I know nothing and which know nothing of me. I am terrified...The eternal silence of these infinite spaces alarms me."

And he didn't know the half of it. Not so long ago we imagined ourselves to be the be-all and end-all of creation, at the center of a cosmos made expressly for us and at the pinnacle of the material Great Chain of Being. Then it turned out that the Earth was not the center of the cosmos. Nor the Sun. Nor the Galaxy. The astronomers Sebastian von Hoerner and Carl Sagan raised this experience to the level of a principle - the Principle of Mediocrity - which can be stated something like this: The view from here is about the same as the view from anywhere else. Or to put it another way: Our star, our planet, the life on it, and even our own intelligence, are completely mediocre.

Moon rocks are just like Earth rocks. Photographs of the surface of Mars made by the landers and rovers could as well have been made in Nevada. Meteorites contain some of the same organic compounds that are the basis for terrestrial life. Gas clouds in the space between the stars are composed of precisely the same atoms and molecules that we find in our own backyard. The most distant galaxies betray in their spectra the presence of familiar elements.

And yet, and yet, for all we know, our brains are the most complex things in the universe. Are we then living, breathing refutations of the Principle of Mediocrity. I doubt it. For the time being, Calvin will just have to get used to living in the infinite abyss and eternal silence. He has Hobbes. We have each other. And science. And poetry. And love."

- http://blog.sciencemusings.com/

Kahlil Gibran, “The Prophet: Freedom”

“Freedom”

"And an orator said, “Speak to us of Freedom.”

And he (the prophet) answered:

" At  city gate and by your fireside I have seen you prostrate yourself

and worship your own freedom, Even as slaves humble themselves before

a tyrant and praise him though he slays them.

Aye, in the grove of the temple and in the shadow of the citadel I have

seen the freest among you wear their freedom as a yoke and a handcuff.

And my heart bled within me; for you can only be free when even

the desire of seeking freedom becomes a harness to you,

and when you cease to speak of freedom as a goal and a fulfillment.

You shall be free indeed when your days are not without a care nor your

nights without a want and a grief, But rather when these things

girdle your life and yet you rise above them naked and unbound.

And how shall you rise beyond your days and nights 

unless you break the chains

which you at the dawn of your understanding 

have fastened around your noon hour?

In truth that which you call freedom is the strongest of these chains,

though its links glitter in the sun and dazzle your eyes.

And what is it but fragments of your own self you would discard that

you may become free? If it is an unjust law you would abolish,

that law was written with your own hand upon your own forehead.

You cannot erase it by burning your law books nor by washing 

the foreheads of your judges, though you pour the sea upon them. 

And if it is a despot you would dethrone,

see first that his throne erected within you is destroyed.

For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud,

but for a tyranny in their own freedom and a shame in their own pride?

And if it is a care you would cast off,

that care has been chosen by you rather than imposed upon you.

And if it is a fear you would dispel,

the seat of that fear is in your heart and not in the hand of the feared.

Verily all things move within your being in constant half embrace,

the desired and the dreaded, the repugnant and the cherished,

the pursued and that which you would escape.

These things move within you as lights and shadows in pairs that cling.

And when the shadow fades and is no more,

the light that lingers becomes a shadow to another light.

And thus your freedom when it loses its fetters 

becomes itself the fetter of a greater freedom."

- Kahlil Gibran, “The Prophet: Freedom”

"A Brave New War, Part II: The Anti-Israel Swarm"

"A Brave New War, Part II: 

The Anti-Israel Swarm"

by John Robb

"Anti-Israel protests are showing up everywhere. Censorship, police crackdowns, and social threats (you won't get a job) aren't working. Here's why. The war in Gaza has:

• stalled, generated high casualties, and exhausted the IDF;

• left Hamas intact, ignited political unrest at home, and didn’t recover the hostages;

• been conducted so poorly that most of the world (the ICJ vote and polling support this) now believes Israel committed genocide and other war crimes; rendered the term anti-semite nearly worthless due to rampant misapplication and overuse.

Additionally, the pro-Israel network is finally realizing they are losing (have lost) the US information war as well.

• Protests. An anti-Israel networked swarm is mobilizing protests to generate the chaos needed for a BLM-style cultural shift.

• Voter unrest. The Democratic party is in full panic mode. Electorally decisive numbers of young voters have demonstrated that they will stay away from the polls due to Biden’s participation in Gaza.

• Negative information flows. The ratio of anti-Israel vs. pro-Israel media packets is running 100 to 1, even with nearly complete control of major media and aggressive censorship on most social networks.

In response, the pro-Israel network is doubling down on attempts to control the situation. So far, this strategy isn’t working:

• Escalate to reframe. Israel attempted to reframe the war’s narrative by attacking Iran. This attempt failed, surprisingly, due to Iranian restraint. Worse, the exchange led to a significant weakening of US power in the region.

• Control TikTok. The pro-Israel network ran a successful political effort - using fear of China as a false flag - to force the sale of US TikTok (a portion of the most heavily used network in the world) to censorship-friendly investors. However, this isn’t effort may still go awry since there are already signs that TikTok will fight this tooth and nail (while ramping up amplification for anti-Israel media packets in the meantime).

• Zero tolerance. The pressure to align Universities with the pro-Israel network and crackdown on anti-Israel protesters is intensifying. This effort isn’t working as expected. It’s generating the opposite effect as intended. Let’s dig into this.

Amplifying the Opposition: The Columbia protest is an excellent example of how the pro-Israel network’s zero-tolerance approach isn’t stopping anti-Israel protests and speech; it’s growing it.

Here’s the timeline:

• Aggressive alignment. On April 17th, the President of Columbia University was hauled before Congress and aggressively grilled over a growing criticism of Israel on Columbia’s campus. This coercive alignment effort worked.

• Seeded event. Simultaneous to this testimony, a small group of protesters set up a “Gaza Solidarity” tent encampment on Columbia’s campus (left image below). It was tiny and likely to disperse during finals week or when summer vacation started.

• Mistake. Under pressure to crack down, the University’s president asked the NYPD to arrest the protesters and remove the camp (falsely claiming they were suspended students and thereby trespassing). On April 18th, the NYPD complied and arrested more than 100 protesters, and the University used the trespassing arrest to suspend their student status.

• Self-Harm. These heavy-handed tactics backfired (right image above), and the protest quickly grew in size and support (including a walkout by the University’s professors in solidarity). Moreover, anti-Israel demonstrations spread to other Universities, and with each new attempt to crack down on it, it grew and adapted.

One potential explanation for this outcome is that the pro-Israel network walked into a trap, as Israel did in Gaza. ~ John Robb. So it goes..."

- https://jointhesessions.com

o

"A Brave New War, Part I:The Tribal War Over Israel"

The Daily "Near You?"

Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada. Thanks for stopping by!

The Poet: Robinson Jeffers, "Love That, Not Man Apart From That"

"Love That, Not Man Apart From That"

"Then what is the answer? Not to be deluded by dreams.

To know that great civilizations have broken down into violence,

and their tyrants come, many times before.

When open violence appears, to avoid it with honor or choose

the least ugly faction; these evils are essential.

To keep one’s own integrity, be merciful and uncorrupted

and not wish for evil; and not be duped

By dreams of universal justice or happiness.

These dreams will not be fulfilled.

To know this, and know that however ugly the parts appear

the whole remains beautiful. A severed hand

Is an ugly thing and man dissevered from the earth and stars

and his history... for contemplation or in fact...

Often appears atrociously ugly.

Integrity is wholeness, the greatest beauty is

Organic wholeness, the wholeness of life and things,

the divine beauty of the universe.

Love that, not man apart from that,

or else you will share man’s pitiful confusions,

or drown in despair when his days darken."

- Robinson Jeffers

"I Wish..."

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. 

"So do I," said Gandalf "and so do all who live to see such times. 

But that is not for them to decide.

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

- J.R.R. Tolkien, "Lord of the Rings"

"The Interlocking of Strategic Paradigms" (Excerpt)

"The Interlocking of Strategic Paradigms"

By Alastair Cooke

Excerpt: "Theodore Postol, Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy at MIT, has provided a forensic analysis of the videos and evidence emerging from Iran’s 13th April swarm drone and missile ‘demonstration’ attack into Israel: A ‘message’, rather than an ‘assault’. The leading Israeli daily, Yediot Ahoronot, has estimated the cost of attempting to down this Iranian flotilla at between $2-3 billion dollars. The implications of this single number are substantial.

Professor Postol writes: “This indicates that the cost of defending against waves of attacks of this type is very likely to be unsustainable against an adequately armed and determined adversary”. The videos show an extremely important fact: All of the targets, whether drones or not, are shot down by air-to-air missiles”, [fired from mostly U.S. aircraft. Some 154 aircraft reportedly were aloft at the time] likely firing AIM-9x Sidewinder air to air missiles. The cost of a single Sidewinder air-to-air missile is about $500,000”.

Furthermore: “The fact that a very large number of unengaged ballistic missiles could be seen glowing as they reenter the atmosphere to lower altitudes [an indication of hyper-speed], indicates that whatever the effects of [Israel’s] David’s Sling and the Arrow missile defenses, they were not especially effective. Thus, the evidence at this point shows that essentially all or most of the arriving long-range ballistic missiles were not intercepted by any of the Israeli air and missile-defense systems”.

Postel adds, “I have analyzed the situation, and have concluded that commercially available optical and computational technology is more than capable of being adapted to a cruise missile guidance system to give it very high precision homing capability … it is my conclusion that the Iranians have already developed precision guided cruise missiles and drones.

The implications of this are clear. The cost of shooting down cruise missiles and drones will be very high and might well be unsustainable unless extremely inexpensive and effective anti-air systems can be implemented. At this time, no one has demonstrated a cost-effective defense system that can intercept ballistic missiles with any reliability”.

Just to be clear, Postol is saying that neither the U.S. nor Israel has more than a partial defence to a potential attack of this nature – especially as Iran has dispersed and buried its ballistic missile silos across the entire terrain of Iran under the control of autonomous units which are capable of continuing a war, even were central command and communications to be completely lost.

This amounts to paradigm change – clearly for Israel, for one. The huge physical expenditure on air defense ordinance – 2-3 billion dollars worth – will not be repeated willy-nilly by the U.S. Netanyahu will not easily persuade the U.S. to engage with Israel in any joint venture against Iran, given these unsustainable air-defence costs.

But also, as a second important implication, these Air Defense assets are not just expensive in dollar terms, they simply are not there: i.e. the store cupboard is near empty! And the U.S. lacks the manufacturing capacity to replace these not particularly effective, high cost platforms speedily.

‘Yes, Ukraine’ … the Middle East paradigm interlinks directly with the Ukraine paradigm where Russia has succeeded in destroying so much of the western supplied, air-defence capabilities in Ukraine, giving Russia near complete air dominance over the skies.

Positioning scarce air defense ‘to save Israel’ therefore, exposes Ukraine (and slows the U.S. pivot to China, too). And given the recent passage of the funding Bill for Ukraine in Congress, clearly air defense assets are a priority for sending to Kiev – where the West looks increasingly trapped and rummaging for a way out that does not lead to humiliation."

Full article is here:

- https://www.unz.com/

"A Kind Of Stubborn, Unrecognized Courage..."

"For many great deeds are accomplished in times of squalid struggle. There is a kind of stubborn, unrecognized courage which in the lowest depths tenaciously resists the pressures of necessity and ill-doing; there are noble and obscure triumphs observed by no one, unacclaimed by any fanfare. Hardship, loneliness, and penury are a battlefield which has its own heroes, sometimes greater than those lauded in history. Strong and rare characters are thus created; poverty nearly always a foster-mother, may become a true mother, distress may be the nursemaid of pride, and misfortune the milk that nourishes great spirits."

- Victor Hugo

"The Ghetto-ization of American Life"

"The Ghetto-ization of American Life"

by Charles Hugh Smith

"Behind the facade of normalization, even high-income lifestyles have been ghetto-ized. Consider the defining characteristics of a ghetto:

1. The residents can't afford to live elsewhere.

2. Everything is a rip-off because options are limited and retailers/service providers know residents have no other choice or must go to extraordinary effort to get better quality or a lower price.

3. Nothing works correctly or efficiently. Things break down and aren't fixed properly. Maintenance is poor to non-existent. Any service requires standing in line or being on hold.

4. Local governance is corrupt and/or incompetent. Residents are viewed as a reliable "vote farm" for the incumbents, even though whatever little they accomplish for the residents doesn't reduce the sources of immiseration.

5. The locale is unsafe. Cars are routinely broken into, there are security bars over windows and gates to entrances, everything not chained down is stolen--and even what is chained down is stolen.

6. There are few viable businesses and numerous empty storefronts.

7. The built environment is ugly: strip malls, used car lots, etc. There are few safe public spaces or parks that are well maintained and inviting.

8. Most of the commerce is corporate-owned outlets; the money doesn't stay in the community.

9. Public transport is minimal and constantly being degraded.

10. They get you coming and going: whatever is available is double in cost, effort and time. Very little is convenient or easy. Services are far away.

11. Residents pay high rates of interest on debt.

12. There are few sources of healthy real food. The residents are unhealthy and self-medicate with a panoply of addictions to alcohol, meds, painkillers, gambling, social media, gaming, celebrity worship, etc.

13. Nobody in authority really cares what the residents experience, as they know the residents are atomized and ground down, incapable of cooperating in an organized fashion, and therefore powerless.

I submit that these defining characteristics of ghettos apply to wide swaths of American life. Ghettos are not limited to urban zones; suburbs and rural locales can qualify as well. The defining zeitgeist of a ghetto is the residents are effectively held hostage by limited options and high costs: public and private-sector monopolies that provide poor quality at high prices.

Daily life is a grind of long waits/commutes, low-quality goods and services, shadow work (work we have to do that we're not paid for that was once done as part of the service we pay for) and unhealthy addictions to distractions and whatever offers a temporary escape from the grind.

We've habituated to being corralled into the immiseration of limited options and high costs; the immiseration and sordid degradation have been normalized into "everyday life." We've lost track of what's been lost to erosion and decay. We sense what's been lost but feel powerless to reverse it. This is the essence of the ghetto-ization of daily life.

Behind the facade of normalization, even high-income lifestyles have been ghetto-ized. But saying this is anathema: either be upbeat, optimistic and positive or remain silent. What's worse, the ghetto-ization or our inability to recognize it and discuss it openly?"

- https://www.oftwominds.com/

"How It Really Is"

 

Adventures With Danno, "One Dollar" Items Everyone Should Be Buying At Meijer Right Now!"

Full screen recommended.

Adventures With Danno, AM 4/30/24

"One Dollar" Items Everyone Should

 Be Buying At Meijer Right Now!"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

Meanwhile, elsewhere...

Full screen recommended.

Travelling with Russell, 4/30/24

"I Took My Wife to a Belarus Supermarket In Russia"

"What does a Belarus supermarket look like inside? Join me on a tour of a Belarus supermarket in my small town in Moscow, Russia. Hatni Supermarket in Aprelevka, Russia is a unique supermarket made up of over 90% Belarus made products."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

"Walmart Targets Gen-Z With Cheap Private Label 

Food As Youngsters Struggle In Era Of Failed Bidenomics"

o

Full screen recommended.

Different Russia, 4/30/24

"Go Shopping in Russia - Inside Huge Garden Center"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Dan, I Allegedly, "Is Your Money Vanishing?"

Full screen recommended.

Dan, I Allegedly, AM 4/30/24

"Is Your Money Vanishing?"

"If you listen to the experts, everybody’s doing just fine right now. I had so many people write me and tell me how they do not have any extra money and I cannot even find a job."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Bill Bonner, "Different Kind of Dumb, Part IV"

"Different Kind of Dumb, Part IV"

"Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter

And like a lamb dumb before its shearer..."

Acts 8: 26-40

Dublin, Ireland - "One of the key dates for understanding how we got where we are is 1992. That was the year when Francis Fukuyama wrote his famous essay and wondered if it was the ‘end of history.’ The West was triumphant. No need for further ‘history.’ No further experiments. No need to learn... to evolve... or to question. Wars? Revolutions? New systems of government or economics? All of that was in the past. We had found the winning formula.

Looking in the mirror, back then, it seemed obvious what would happen next. Everybody wanted to be like us. They’d all become ‘Westerners.’ China was already learning fast. Following the model set for it by Japan, it was building an export-led economy... selling cheap products, gaining expertise and capital... and building out its manufacturing sectors.

All those exports helped to keep US consumer prices low... and gave China the money to buy US bonds. And why wouldn’t they? Everybody knew they were the world’s largest, most liquid, and safest asset.

Putin as Capitalist: Russia, back then, had just become Russia again. The Soviet Union, with its central planning and stifling economic controls, just couldn’t compete. Its insiders looked across the border at West Germany and wanted what they saw. They realized that owning the means of production - as capitalists - would be better than continuing to control them as bureaucrats. They gave up being apparatchiks in the Soviet system and became oligarchs in the new ‘Western’ system. Vladimir Putin even thought Russia might join NATO.

The trouble for the oligarchs was that the Soviet Union produced very few goods or services that Westerners would buy. All they really had was raw materials and energy. But with the profit carrot in front of them, rather than the communist whip on their backs... the oligarchs cranked up the mines and wells... and were soon driving down prices for basic resources.

Talk about sweet spots! With the Soviet menace out of the way, the US could enjoy a ‘peace dividend;’ it could cut military spending by hundreds of billions. And with the oligarchs now flooding the world with cheap commodities... and the Chinese pumping out cheap finished products - ‘The West’ never had it so good. Its consumer costs were going down as its asset prices were going up. Let the others sweat, it could think…and print dollars.

A colossus of plenty... a titan of justice and goodness... a Goliath of military might - the US, and its whole client kingdom - basked in glory for a charmed decade. The Primary Trend was up for financial assets... and policymakers in China, Russia and the US helped keep the boom going.

But they also laid the groundwork for the next Primary Trend. The US might have used this Goldilocks period to increase its savings, update its institutions and improve its infrastructure. Instead, after 1999 its deciders - perhaps guided by an ‘invisible hand’ to take the empire down a notch - made some of the most pigheaded, disastrous policy mistakes in US history.

No Peace Dividend: Military spending actually increased. There was no ‘peace dividend.’ Instead there were capital calls to pay for an outrageous invasion of Iraq and a farcical War on Terror. Then, in 2009, the feds (including the Fed itself) bailed out Wall Street... and took interest rates down below zero (adjusted for inflation) and left them there for more than 10 years.

If this weren’t enough, trade barriers were set up to slow Chinese imports. Sanctions were imposed wantonly, weakening the dollar-based international payments system. And trillions of dollars were squandered funding wars abroad and stimmie checks at home.

In 1992, the US had a remarkable opportunity. It already stood on top of the world. And thanks to new policies in China and Russia, it could have shored up its position - debt free, entanglement free... at peace, and more prosperous than ever.

Instead, it went on a spree of war and deficit spending... adding $30 trillion to its debt. And now... its domestic politics are a laughingstock; its foreign policies are a disgrace... and as it is shackled to a $34 trillion ball and chain, America struggles with a new and pitiless Primary Trend. Its asset prices are going down as its consumer prices are going up; its economy is slowing as its financial obligations speed up.

And much of the rest of the world, watching the catastrophe in ‘real time,’ vows not to follow. Instead, it is eager to ‘de-Westernize.’ Stay tuned."

- https://www.bonnerprivateresearch.com/

Part III

Part II

Part I

"Bad News: There's No "Plan", No Police, No Military, No Government, You're On Your Own When It Starts"

Full screen recommended.

Canadian Prepper, 4/29/24

"Bad News: There's No "Plan", No Police, No Military,

 No Government, You're On Your Own When It Starts"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Musical Interlude: Simon & Garfunkel, "The Boxer"

Simon & Garfunkel, "The Boxer"

Adventures with Danno, "Time To Start Prepping!"

Adventures with Danno, PM 4/29/24

"Time To Start Prepping!"

It is time for everyone to start prepping for the future and add these foods to your stockpile. Many grocery stores are having some super sales right now, and we need to take advantage of this opportunity!

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Chipotle Goes Insane; You Are One Emergency From Poverty; People Have Reached A Breaking Point"

Jeremiah Babe, 4/29/24

"Chipotle Goes Insane; You Are One Emergency From Poverty; 

People Have Reached A Breaking Point"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"15 Restaurant Chains Closing Multiple Stores Right Now"

Full screen recommended.

Epic Economist, 4/29/24

"15 Restaurant Chains Closing Multiple Stores Right Now"

"Over the past four years, many of us have had the unpleasant surprise of learning that our go-to restaurant, coffee shop, or fast food joint was closing doors for good. Thousands of well-established companies have gone out of business since the pandemic accelerated the descent of the U.S. economy, and conditions have been particularly tough in the restaurant industry. Even during the best of times, managing a restaurant comes with plenty of uncertainty. Though a brand can be incredibly popular amongst consumers, there’s a variety of factors that can result in mass closings, and in some cases, bankruptcy.

We tend to think that the biggest restaurant chains in America are better prepared to handle these challenges, but the truth is that many of them are, in fact, more exposed to financial problems due to their enormous expenses and extensive brick-and-mortar footprint.

Both inflation and deflation can cause drastic changes in consumer behavior, leading to lost sales and rendering some locations regrettably unprofitable. On top of that, something most people do not know is that, despite being backed by huge corporate entities, lots of restaurants have been struggling to stay afloat for quite a long time, and recent developments have just been the last straw for them.

That's why a considerable number of chains is closing multiple locations right now. While for some this is goodbye forever, for others, the closings are necessary to restore the health of their business. Executives are citing issues like underperformance and slowing foot traffic, as well as broader concerns about the strength of the American buying power over the long run, as some of the reasons behind the latest closures. Meanwhile, other companies are simply shuttering locations suddenly and without warning, leaving customers and even employees wondering what went wrong."

- https://www.youtube.com/

Musical Interlude: 2002, “Challenge From Heaven”

Full screen recommended.

2002, “Challenge From Heaven”

"A Look to the Heavens"

"Stars are forming in Lynds Dark Nebula (LDN) 1251. About 1,000 light-years away and drifting above the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, the dusty molecular cloud is part of a complex of dark nebulae mapped toward the Cepheus flare region. Across the spectrum, astronomical explorations of the obscuring interstellar clouds reveal energetic shocks and outflows associated with newborn stars, including the telltale reddish glow from scattered Herbig-Haro objects hiding in the image. 

Distant background galaxies also lurk on the scene, almost buried behind the dusty expanse. This alluring view spans over two full moons on the sky, or 17 light-years at the estimated distance of LDN 1251."

- https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210920.html

"Why Dogs Live Less Than Humans"

"Why Dogs Live Less Than Humans"

by Bill Overton

"Here's the surprising response from a 6-year-old. Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little Shane, were very attached to Belker, and were expecting a miracle. I examined Belker and found that he was dying of cancer. I told the family that we couldn't do anything for Belker, and I offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog at his house.

While we were making arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as if Shane could learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar capture in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within minutes, Belker escaped peacefully.

The boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that dog lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening silently, said, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth afterwards surprised me. I had never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try to live.

He said, "People are born so they can learn to live a good life, like loving everyone all the time and being kind, right?" The six-year-old boy continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do it, so they don't have to stay as long as we do."

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog were the teacher you would learn things like:

• When your loved ones return home, always run to greet them.

• Never miss the opportunity to go for a walk.

• Allow the experience of fresh air and wind on the face to be pure ecstasy.

• Take naps.

• Stretch before getting up.

• Running, playing and playing daily.

• Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the lawn.

• On hot days, drink plenty of water and lie down under a shaded tree.

• When you are happy, dance and move your whole body.

• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

• Be faithful.

• Never pretend to be something you are not.

• If what you want is buried, dig until you find it.

• When someone is having a bad day, be quiet, sit nearby, and nuzzle gently.

That's the secret of happiness we can learn from a good dog.”

- https://meawsandwoofs.com/

Love my boy!

"Gut Check"

"Gut Check"

By Tim “xrugger” Stebbins

"What does it mean to be a free man anymore? Am I truly free when the money I pay in taxes goes to support the excesses of a profligate, overreaching, and immoral government? Am I truly free when the scum that make the rules do not abide by them? Am I not free then to ignore the rules?  Am I truly free when some cowardly dimwit at the grocery store looks askance at me for not wearing a filthy rag over my face? I know he is having an internal debate about whether he should confront me.

My hope is always that he decides in the negative, as I have had just about enough of this crap. Now, the highest court in the land has turned a blind eye to the egregious theft of the Presidency itself. Marxists across the nation are celebrating the final nail in the coffin of the American Republic. Democrats held it. “Conservatives” have hammered it home. The outward forms of ordered liberty are dead and there is no recourse for the redress of grievances. It is time for every patriot to face the situation, without illusion or reservation.

If we would recover our liberty, then we must look inward and assess our own desires, motives, and abilities. A time of choosing is upon each and every one of us. What do we owe and to whom do we owe it. What follows is an attempt to answer those questions for myself and myself alone. Others of a similar spirit may take what they wish from it and leave the rest.

The Indefensible Nation: What do I owe to my country? Its central government is thoroughly and irredeemably corrupt. It is bankrupt both fiscally and morally. As of this writing, its judiciary has shown itself incapable of defending the Republic against the depredations of leftist rabble. The tentacles of its bureaucracy reach into the lives and wallets of the productive class “eating out the substance of the people” exactly as Jefferson warned. Yet still, with the stench of corruption and theft pervading the country, this government  assumes my loyalty.

What, pray tell, has it done to deserve it? Mobs of the indoctrinated expect that we should all just “get over it” and “come together to heal” as if the gangrenous clot of necrotic tissue that is the political culture of this nation will ever heal. Our rulers, our media, and half our “countrymen” piss down our backs and still insist it’s raining. The fealty of helots is what the Lords of Washington expect. They will not get it from me.

The loyalty of free men is reserved for a government of equals, not an aristocracy of reptiles. The latter is what we suffer now. The former we once possessed, but it lies now in the dust of history. The outward form and function remain, but the spirit of liberty, which animated it, has gone. The ties by which free men bind themselves voluntarily to any form of government have long since been sundered by the actions of those who have chosen to rule rather than govern. I will not suffer those ties to become shackles.

Since my forbears bequeathed to me a form of government that no longer exists, I am released from further obligation to the abomination that has replaced it. My loyalty, like my liberty, belongs to me and me alone. It is mine to give or to withdraw as I see fit. I owe the rulers of this land nothing: not life, not liberty, not the pursuit of my own happiness. These things are mine from my first breath to my last gasp. They cannot be abrogated, regulated, or terminated by the denizens of a distant city who presume to know what is best for me. These…people (I do not have the words for the contempt I feel for them) have polluted our forms of government, destroying what they can, dismantling what they cannot.

Everywhere is grift and graft. They have taken nearly everything, yet they still want more. They want my body shackled, my spirit humbled, and my mind enslaved. They try to steal the very breath from my body with their filthy rags. They have trampled upon my God-given rights, indoctrinated my children, accused me, threatened me, and silenced me. Now they have stolen even my choice from me. This government and its leftist appendages have betrayed my trust and half my fellow citizens treat me and mine with undisguised contempt. My loyalty to them and to their government is at an end.

The Shenandoah Syndrome: What then, am I to do personally in the face of this betrayal?  My mind often comes back to the old Jimmy Stewart movie “Shenandoah.” In it, Stewart plays the patriarch of a family trying to stay out of Lincoln’s War. He hopes to keep his family intact and neutral in the conflict. He wants no part of it and sees no reason why he, or his sons, should choose sides in a war that is, in his view, peripheral to the concerns of his family and the life they have built. It is only when rape, murder, plunder and the other accouterments of war destroy the precarious balance he has maintained, that Stewart realizes that the choice has been made for him.

I know that, in the end, what is happening in this nation will come to blood. I know too, that I and mine cannot hope to be left untouched while the nation tears itself apart. My one hope is that, by virtue of where we call home, we will see the tenor and scope of the destruction before it touches our lives directly. Perhaps that small grace will allow us additional time to prepare, though I believe I have done all that common sense demands and limited resources allow in that regard.

What remains to be done is the taking an intensely personal inventory. Will I fight, run, or hide? Will I be able to lead and defend my family when the crunch comes? Would I be willing to leave them behind to engage in some broader defense of my own and other’s liberty? Do I wait for the storm or go to meet it? At 60 years of age, am I even mentally or physically capable of such an effort? My fervent wish is to be left alone to live a peaceful life. I know many like me wish the same, but Jimmy Stewart was just an actor, and my “Shenandoah” a bucolic dream. The fight will be forced upon us all. The choices we make will define us. In Lincoln’s words, “No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.”

The Refining Fire: I am a peacetime veteran. I served a three-year hitch in the eighties, half that time with the 2nd Ranger Bn. in Ft. Lewis, Washington and half with a line infantry company. I do not count myself among the many chest-thumpers who are overly certain of their own intestinal fortitude and are not afraid to expound upon their warrior attributes in any number of internet outlets. In my limited experience, those who talk the most usually run the fastest. I do not include in that company those who have seen war and its desolation first hand and who now seek to educate and guide those of us who have not. I’m talking about the posers who crow about “taking back the country,” and explain in detail their future exploits in the battle for freedom.

Personally, I am certain of only a few things:  I know what it is like to exit an aircraft more door bundle than man and land in a heap in the Alaskan snow. I know how dark it gets in an equatorial jungle and what it’s like to sit in the rain for days on end. I know what trench foot looks and feels like. To my everlasting embarrassment, I know the feeling of waking up with my own .45 (in the hands of a very angry platoon sergeant) staring me in the face because I fell asleep guarding a pallet of live ammo.

I know what it is like to catch multiple fragments of a 7.62 mm ricochet in the face due to the negligence of a range safety officer and the stupidity of a member of my M60 crew. I know that face and scalp wounds bleed a lot. These are some of the things I know, but they are the experiences of long ago and comparing them to the trials of actual combat would be like comparing regular roulette to the Russian variety.

I do not think I lack personal courage, but the simple fact is that I know what I do not know, and anyone who has not been in a fight like the one coming can say no different. Any man who claims a virtue not yet tested by the fight we face is a liar and a fool. As a young man, I would have welcomed the test. Now, decades on, I ponder the depth of my commitment, the strength of my arm, and the clearness of my mind. Is the man I am now fit for the fight? Only the fight itself will reveal the truth of it. I simply do not know how I will behave when the shooting starts and to claim otherwise is the height of hubris. At the least, I hope that this old man will give good account for blessings received while on this good earth.

Hope: No good thing ever achieved by man remains unsullied by the grasping hands of those who seek to exploit it. So it is with these United States. Time, trials, the certainties of fallen human nature, and the machinations of the unprincipled have accomplished what they always accomplish. This nation will crumble and the ensuing chaos will engulf us all to one degree or another. Something good, either a restoration of the old or the institution of the new, will rise from the blood and ashes. I pray that I do not love this life so much that I would live it as a slave or be unwilling to expend it for the sake of those to come. That, at least, is my hope."

-  https://www.theburningplatform.com/

○

 "A man who does not have something for 

which he is willing to die is not fit to live."

- Martin Luther King Jr.

“7 Things Fear Has Stolen From You”

“7 Things Fear Has Stolen From You”

by Marc Chernoff

“There is no greater hell than to be a prisoner of fear.”

- Ben Johnson

“Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid; courage means you don’t let fear stop you. Everything you want is on the other side of fear. Don’t ever hesitate to give yourself a chance to be everything you are capable of being. Although fear can feel overwhelming, and defeats more people than any other force in the world, it’s not as powerful as it seems. Fear is only as deep as your mind allows. You are still in control. The key is to acknowledge your fear and directly address it. You must step right up and confront it face to face. This tactic robs fear of its power, instead of fear robbing YOU of…

1. Your true path and purpose. Fear of being different: Don’t be fooled by what others say, especially when they try to tell you what is right for you. Listen and then draw your own conclusions.  What is your intuition telling you? There is not a clear path that everyone should follow. Your greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding in life at all the wrong things. Choose a path that fits YOU. Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it. Challenge yourself to ask with each and every step, and each focus point that consumes your energy: “Does this thing I’m doing right now truly serve me and those I care about in the next few minutes, few months, and few years?” Whatever you settle on, just make sure you don’t gain the whole world by losing your soul and purpose in the process. 

2. Self-respect. Fear of not being good enough: Don’t be too hard on yourself. There are plenty of people willing to do that for you. Do your best and surrender the rest. Tell yourself, “I am doing the best I can with what I have in this moment. That is all I can ever expect of anyone, including me.” Love yourself and be proud of everything you do, even your mistakes, because your mistakes mean you’re trying. If you feel like others are not treating you with love and respect, check your price tag. Perhaps you subconsciously marked yourself down. Because it’s YOU who tells others what you’re worth by showing them what you are willing to accept for your time and attention. So get off the clearance rack. If you don’t value and respect yourself, wholeheartedly, no one else will either.

3. Your ability to make concrete decisions. Fear of commitment: You cannot live your life at the mercy of chance. You cannot stumble along with a map marked only with the places you fear, or the places you know you don’t want to revisit. You cannot remain trapped, endlessly, in a state where you are unable to ask for directions, even though you’re terribly lost, because you don’t know your destination. You have to commit to goals that speak to you. You have to stand up, look at yourself in the mirror, and say, “It isn’t good enough for me to know only what I DON’T want in life. I need to decide what I DO want.” 

4. Priceless opportunities and life experiences. Fear of change and discomfort: As Thich Nhat Hanh so perfectly said, “People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.” In many cases you stay stuck in your old routines for no other reason than that they are familiar to you. In other words, you’re afraid of change and the unknown. You continually put your dreams and goals off until tomorrow, and you pass on great opportunities simply because they have the potential to lead you out of your comfort zone.

You start using excuses to justify your lack of backbone: “Someday when I have more money,” or “when I’m older,” or the over-abused “I’ll get to it as soon as I have more time.” This is a vicious cycle that leads to a deeply unsatisfying life – a way of thinking that eventually sends you to your grave with immense regret. Regret that you didn’t follow your heart. Regret that you always put everyone else’s needs before your own. Regret that you didn’t do what you could have done when you had the chance.

5. General happiness and peace of mind. Fear of facing inner truths: If you keep looking for happiness outside yourself, you will never find it. Happiness is found from within. What you seek is not somewhere else at some other time; what you seek is here and now, within you. The more you look for it outside yourself, the more it hides from you. Relax, remember the source of your deepest desires, and allow yourself to know their fulfillment. A choice, not circumstances, determines happiness. Each morning when you open your eyes, say to yourself:  “I, not external people or events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. It’s up to me. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow hasn’t come yet. I only have today and I’m going to be happy in it.” 

6. Your willingness to love, truly and purely. Fear of not being loved in return: Although it is nice when gestures of love are returned, true love is one-way traffic. It’s a pure flow of giving and expecting nothing in return. Anything else is a contract. Notice how whenever you allow love to flow you are always clear, calm and strong. It is only when the thought arises, “What have they given me in return?” that there is confusion and resentment. Ego transacts, love transforms. Life is too short for all these meticulous contracts and transactions.

Look out for yourself by focusing your love in a direction that feels right to you, but once you decide to love, remain clear, remain bright, and remain strong. Love without expectation. Don’t let fear get in your way. When the love you give is true, the people worthy of your love will gradually reveal themselves over time.

7. The right company. Fear of being alone: Sadly, no matter how much love you give, some relationships simply aren’t meant to be. You can try your hardest, you can do everything and say everything, but sometimes people just aren’t worth stressing over anymore, and they aren’t worth worrying about. It’s important to know when to distance yourself from someone who only hurts you and brings you down. When you give your love to someone, truly and purely without expectation, and it’s never good enough for them, there’s a good chance you’re giving your love to the wrong person.

The bottom line is that long-term relationships should help you, not hurt you. Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven and like-minded. And remember, good relationships are a sacred bond – a circle of trust. Both parties must be 100% on board. If and when the time comes to let a relationship go, don’t be hostile. Simply thank the relationships that don’t work out for you, because they just made room for the ones that will.

Next steps: Your biggest fears are completely dependent on you for their survival. Every new day is another chance to change your life, and it’s way too short to let fear interfere. Today, focus your conscious mind on things you desire, not things you fear. Doing so can bring your dreams to life.

Your turn… What has fear stolen from you?  What has it stopped you from doing, being, or achieving?  Leave a comment below and share your thoughts with the community.”

- http://www.marcandangel.com/