Those who know me, realize that I’m a big proponent of amateur radio (commonly called Ham Radio). It’s a volunteer-organized, volunteer-run system, that is reachable with less than $100 investment in training and equipment, and is run in a non-hierarchal, ad hoc way. Which makes it the perfect fit for those who mistrust those who would take control of every means of communication.

Such an unofficial basis must drive the Nanny-Staters nuts. Some of them, “in charge” in California, have decided to step in to keep those “amateurs” from being involved with emergency actions.

BTW, that government-led effort to supplant the Hams? Already obsolete – and it only began in 2012.

So, once again, the non-government actors have proven that those ‘comprehensive solutions’ simply aren’t workable in the real world.

I can’t say that I agree completely with the above blogger’s take on the ARRL – http://arrl.org. I’ve found them to be sharp, helpful, and a great resource for a relative newb, such as myself. But, YMMV.

Now, that effort in CA started in 2019. I haven’t heard much about the plan since then. I suspect that the news did their usual efficient and responsible job of explaining the situation. If you’d like another take on the issues involved, see this link.

CA has unique problems, a lot of it due to the out-of-control fires that have been erupting over the last few years. One unmentioned issue of the “unofficial” repeater towers is that – if not carefully maintained – the tower might become a fire hazard. An improperly grounded tower is a hazard.

“But, I’m sure that the ham grounded it correctly.” Probably. But if not regularly inspected, things happen. Animals can damage it, thieves can target the copper or aluminum parts, leaving it a hazard-in-the-making, and the radio frequency emitted can be a danger to nearby people or animals. Lightning strikes the highest objects in an area, and, in some cases, that’s the tower. That doesn’t even take into account how dangerous it can be for those fighting forest fires, should a repeater be in the area.

So, it is somewhat reasonable that the Forest Service might want some input into which towers stay, and which go.

This is a case where responsible and mature advocates need to work with those government officials. Given budgetary concerns, government needs to realize they can’t do everything. Volunteers, properly trained, can augment the official efforts. Both ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) and Storm-Spotters (just what it sounds like, these are the on-the-ground volunteers that are responsible for many of the reports featured on the evening news) require a heavy investment of time to train and respond to emergencies.

There is a place for the trained professional. And, there is a role for the volunteer. They need to learn to work together.

I feel as though I need to write this now. Many of my fellow bloggers are posting like they might need to be talked off the ledge, so to speak.

If you accept what they write, it’s all but over, and we never even fired a shot.

Not that I’m the shooting type. Well, I was taught to use a .22, many years ago, by my Daddy (all good Redneck girls are instructed in the proper use of firearms by their Dads, don’cha know?). But, it’s been years since I practiced, and, since an unfortunate wrist injury in my dominant hand, I’ve not tried to get back to it.

But, other than that very mild “insurrection” in January of this year, the Left has been flaunting their “victory” without a worry or serious effort to stop them.

So, no, armed revolution is very unlikely, for now.

Well, then, what CAN we do to stop the UN-American Sons (and Daughters) of Wayward Mothers and Absent Fathers?

Fran says, and I think rightly, that Voting Won’t Do It. So, maybe we stop. Not completely, we still need to show up at the local and possibly the state level (depending on your state’s resistance to the Leftist Juggernaught). So, yeah, vote for the local candidates – work for and contribute to them, as well. That is the level you might call the incubator level, and it allows you to help guide them in the way you want them to represent you.

But, our motto in the future should be NOT ONE MORE RINO! Don’t vote for them, don’t contribute to their campaigns, and make their endorsement or personal recommendations radioactive.

Merely speaking out won’t do it. Can’t argue with Fran there, if by speaking out is meant standing up in public and risking assassination. But, there are other ways to speak:

• You can try listening to other people’s concerns, and asking clarifying questions.
• You can chair the meeting, and help keep them on topic – and, off any public speech that is likely to get them arrested.
• You can volunteer to write the meeting minutes – and THAT gives you a lot of control over the record, and the tone of the meeting.
• You can create a podcast or video series that allows you to voice your concerns. You can be public about it, or anonymous.
• You can write the script for others to voice. You can invite the guests, produce, or otherwise work in the background.
• You can be the Tech Guy that keeps the information flowing.

Fran discusses why the American Revolution worked, and why it wouldn’t today.

Point One was that the British were an ocean away. It’s true that the Overlords aren’t that far away in distance, but they are MORE than an ocean away in support. Outside of the major cities and their nearby Elite bedroom communities, the Leftists have little support. Even in the major cities, the enclaves that house the Elite and the government workers are surrounded by angry, hostile, anarchistic minorities and their allies.

I’m not too impressed by the military and weaponry capabilities of the Left. There are MANY ex-military vets, angry about having been driven out of their service arms, and many of who have actually experienced combat. As the Afghan insurgents showed, high-tech is not always the answer. It doesn’t hurt to have the capabilities, but rebel forces can manage without them.

Drones can be designed and built in the garages of small towns (and, provide a nice tax-free income for fly-over residents). It doesn’t take much to hijack the enemy drones, assuming that you are willing to violate FCC and FAA regs – which I assume is not an issue.

A relatively small group of people can bring down a complex society with a few attacks on chokepoints. Hell, look at the damage the shipping situation has done to the economy. It’s hurting us a little, but it’s KILLING China, who HAS to move their stuff through those ports.

A journalist with a good reputation, and some deep pockets is suing Facebook, and their Fact-Checkers. FB choose to use a separate company from FB, apparently under the impression that the hands-length relationship with the Fact-Checkers would give them protection against any consequences.

That relationship is what lawyers call an Agency Relationship, and it doesn’t keep them from ALL or ANY liability for the actions of their agents. I have NO doubt that discovery will uncover the interwoven ties between FB and their agents. That will put them at jeopardy of liability for defamation of character, financial consequences for those actions, and even punitive damages, should, as I am fairly confident of, FB be determined to have tried to hide the evidence from the court, or even flat-out lied under oath.

In other words, bend over FB. You’re about to get a cavity search.

UPDATE – I’ve been trying to get some work done online, but the internet is incredibly slow right now. It’s likely my system, but it’s frustrating me no end. So, I’m going to get offline, and get some Real Life stuff done.

Much of this reminds me of World War I, the “Great War.” Look up the causes. They are all amorphous. Nationalism. An assassination. Treaties. Diplomatic confusions. The Serbs. Meanwhile none of these reasons can actually account for 20 million dead, 21 million wounded, and wrecked economies and lives all over the world, to say nothing of the Great Depression and rise of Hitler that came as a result of this appalling disaster.

Despite investigations, countless books, public hearings, and public fury that lasted a decade or more after the Great War, there never was anyone who accepted responsibility.

So it might be for the lockdowns and mandates of 2020 and 2021.^[1]

So it is with the long, slow slide into our present clown version of what the original American constitutional republic was all about. Penumbras emanate. Cities decay. Crime spreads. Schools don’t. Deficits happen. Debt soars. The currency evaporates. Jobs too. Riots happen. Thugs roam. Surveillance came. So did hostile and indigestible foreigners. Wars happen. Regimes change. Money flows. Votes appear.

Notes
^[1] “Who Will Be Held Responsible for This Devastation?” By Jeffrey A. Tucker, Freedom First Network, 12/11/21.

Moscow’s behavior has been more a reaction to aggressive moves that the United States and its Ukrainian client have already taken than it is evidence of offensive intent.

~ Ted Galen Carpenter quoted in “Joe Biden, Let’s Not Go To War.” By Sheldon Richman, ZeroHedge, 12/11/21.

It’s my own fault. I’ve been putting off some tasks – household, financial, personal – for too long. Today is the day that I have set aside to play catch-up.

Starting with posting on my own personal blog more regularly. Today’s post is a mish-mash of random things. That’s the way my mind has been working – little concentration for extended essays, but jumping around at poorly connected topics.

When I finish my current cup of coffee, I’m off to shower and dress for the day. I’m going to build some “fun” time into the day, don’t you worry. But, my goal is to stop around dinner, look around, and see significant progress.

I’m trying to detach from the idea that I, and I almost alone, am responsible for seeing that this country survives. That’s pretty much what is behind the obsessive reading of the many atrocities of our occupied country’s temporary overlords. I’m acting like gathering more information is key to holding off the Final Battle.

Well, it’s not. There is a lot wrong at present; some of it affect me, some of it is just causing pain to others, not related (and, often, living in far distant places). I cannot take on the task of a superhero, ever-vigilant and hyper-aware of every danger to the public. I’m ONE person.

And that ONE person is going to work on things closer to home for now. If something particularly pernicious hits the headlines, I likely will read about it, and may even post about it somewhere. But, I’m no longer going to make it so much a focus that I miss my opportunity to live my own life in peace.

And the state in which I still own a house is one of the worst – South Carolina.

Now, there is much to love about SC. The people are generally friendly, they have strong family ties, the children are generally quite civil and polite, and the winter temps are a relief, after having lived in Cleveland, OH for many years. Just NOT having to scrape the ice and snow off your car in the winter is tremendous.

But, the state legislature is too complacent about the many abuses of Civil Forfeiture, which hits the Black population harder than it does the White population. Black people are more likely to not have access to a bank account, or other ways to put their money safely away. They are more likely to keep it in their car or on their person, making them more vulnerable to losing it in any encounter with the police.

 “Black men pay the price for this program. They represent 13 percent of the state’s population. Yet 65 percent of all citizens targeted for civil forfeiture in the state are black males.”

Those encounters don’t have to involve a crime – or, even, an arrest. Many people have had their cash taken without having any recourse, except to hire a lawyer (good luck with that if you’ve lost access to your money!).

So, for all the people I’ve heard saying how the Red states will provide safety and freedom, I can only say:

That’s why I’m not concerned about leaving the Red for a state that is generally classified as Blue. I know that moving to a “freer” state is not a solution, by itself.

No, Americans need to learn that – no matter where you live or work – Freedom doesn’t come freely. You have to be prepared to push back against the bullies – even the government ones – that try to keep you from your Sovereign Rights.

Sure, you probably won’t want to stay in a place that is more abusive than not. And, I can’t honestly counsel people NOT to leave, should they be able to without a huge financial or personal penalty.

But, just walking away from an overbearing government is no more the answer than walking out on an abusive spouse. Even after you leave, you will likely have problems. If not with that person, you will often manage to find another abusive a$$hole who will push you around.

The cure is to develop a spine. Learn to tell them NO. And, when they push you, push back (metaphorically). Figure out how to clip their wings, whether by refusing to stick around, hiring a lawyer, going public about the abuse, disentangling yourself financially, or whatever it takes.

That movie always makes me cry. I’m at the point when the President – a guy who, although a movie star, really ACTS like a President – is giving the speech that precedes the attack. He talks about how humanity will NOT go quietly, will NOT lie down and die. Very different from today’s “leaders”, who expect us to be sheep, lining up for shearing (or worse!).

I really don’t believe that The Left know just how many of us are out there. The old and tired, the young and untested, the veterans, the never-in-combat ones, even those who – technically – are not Americans – all of us who are determined not to give up our freedom without a hell of a fight.

And, likely, not even then.

They just cannot imagine it. Imagine someone willing to kill/die rather than live like a slave. Rather than give up the essence of what citizenship means. To be willing to die on their feet, rather than live on their knees.

That’s what we are.

Free men and women. Descended from others who risked it all to possess that freedom.

God help them if they continue to stand in our way.

I do find it mystifying that love of your country is a GOOD thing, unless the Lover is not a PoC (Person of Color).

The thing is, EVERYONE is biased towards the values and culture of the country in which they grew up. We recall the sights and smells and sounds of our life in that country (in a Proustean way), and have a rush of emotion that supersedes any intellectual overlay. That love taps into the primitive parts of our brain, and is not easily dislodged.

When I remember the America of my childhood, it was rich in ethnic languages, non-WASPy faces, and smells of the cuisine of foreign lands.

For, I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, a time in which the refugees of the world eagerly rushed in. With them, they brought their cultural heritage, their food and clothing, and their stories of their beloved country of exile.

In time, their children became wholly American. Many of them spoke only a few dimly remembered words of the old language. They were eager to wear the clothing of America, dance and sing to its songs, and become enmeshed in its popular culture. By the time they became parents, little remained of the heritage of their ancestors.

And, such has been a common experience in our country. Many of the newly arrived settled in, initially in nationality-tight enclaves. As time went on, they moved out into the suburbs, where their children grew up surrounded by people who spoke and read English, who followed the American cultural norms, and who expected to be able to benefit from the American Dream in their own lives.

The kids became truly Americans. And, in the process, broke the connections with the ancestral heritage of their families.

Such a process was known as Assimilation. And, at that time, it was considered a Good Thing.

Those kids, having dipped into the American Dream, felt free to date and marry other Americans, regardless of their ethnicity. That included people who had grown up with different religions. And, those who didn’t share a skin color.

The thing such couples had in common was a common love for this country and its traditions.

New Topic:

Apparently, there is some credible talk about China having built containerized missiles, that they plan to ship in on regular shipping vessels (it is likely a violation of international law).

The scheme is really interesting; it’s quite flexible, as it can be transported via ship, truck, or rail. It also has the advantage of hiding in plain sight.

Now, is it a LIKELY scenario?

China may try it. They may even manage to get some of the container missiles inside the USA. Perhaps in high-value target locations.

But, without regular maintenance, such missiles are unlikely to be useful beyond a relatively short period.

They need to be checked and serviced. The software needs to be checked regularly. The hardware is vulnerable to local weather conditions. Ethnic Chinese going in and out of storage locations will be a red flag to observers.

But, the idea has some merit, I will acknowledge.

For us.

I’d suggest the military throw some good engineers at the problem of fabricating those delivery systems – hell, we have battalions of them available in the military – and put them to working out some designs that use off the shelf components, can be fitted into standard containers readily available, will be insulated and weather-proofed, and can be serviced – both remotely, more often, and in-person, less regularly. And, have mechanical backup, should the EMP disaster happen.

Store them outside of major cities/transportation hubs on the West Coast and near overseas air bases controlled by friendlies (Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan, et al). NOT in the boonies. The point of such missiles is to get them near the targets.

It’s happening, and not just in Australia.

In the USA, it’s happening via the schools, large corporations, and local efforts. The not-that-serious Omicron variant – what you and I would characterize as basically a cold – is being used as an excuse to remove civil rights from dissidents:

• The right to travel freelyhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/lost-your-job-for-refusing-a-vaccination-mandate-can-you-still-collect-unemployment/ar-AAPhNht
• The right to an education (and, it doesn’t seem to matter whether that education is in-person or virtual – BOTH have been disallowed for dissenting students) – now, the schools have generally, upon receiving resistance, backed down, but that takes time and money
• The right to medical care (yeah, if you’re deathly sick with Covid, but vaccinated, you can get care – however, if you have ANY illness, and are not vaccinated, then DIE, DIE, DIE, Dissenter!)
• The right to transplant surgery for the unvaxxed
• The right to collect unemployment, should your workplace fire you for refusing to get the shot
• The right to kill yourself, with government help – well, actually, this may be seen as a Good Thing

I would expect a push to get The Center for Medicare Services (CMS) to change their policy to forbid treatment for the unvaxxed seniors. So far, CMS has held firm (although allowing differential premiums for vaxxed/unvaxxed). If the Left – and, by that term, I specifically include those Dopey GOP-ey Almost-A-Leftist A$$holes, wins in the next election, it may fall to the states to save our freedom.