Allyson

Ran into a song… got to thinking about a “reprise” I’d heard. Here is the original:

Dolly

Jolene’s side, because there’s always more than one side to a story:

I’m not as much into white bread as some people are, but once in a while it’s nice to have that soft, spongy white stuff. Grilled cheese, for instance, is fantastic in a good white bread. And French Bread is the ultimate white loaf. It’s also ridiculously easy to make, which I appreciate so very much. This is the recipe that I use, and it turns out some freakin’ awesome loaves (pics at the end of the post)!

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups warm water, 110-115 degrees F
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast (see note)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons salt (see note)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil or avocado oil
• 5 ½ – 6 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour (see note)

You can make this in a stand mixer or by hand. It’s not a difficult dough to make even entirely by hand. I’m including directions for both methods.

Start by combining the water, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture bubble and foam before moving on to the next step (this can take up to ten minutes if it’s really cold or your yeast is old, though usually you can see bubbles within a minute). Instant yeast doesn’t require you to activate it, but I find it’s always good to do this. If no bubbles happen, you know that your yeast is dead BEFORE you start investing time and flour into it.

Once the bubbles start, add in the salt, oil, and 3 cups of the flour, and mix. This can be done in a stand mixer with the dough hook on it, or with a wooden spoon in a large bowl. Continue to mix until the dough becomes a bit soupy, then slowly add in 2.5 to 3 cups more flour. I usually do this about a quarter to a half cup at a time so I don’t overload the dough with too much flour. When the dough is too “formed” to use the spoon anymore, when working by hand, turn it out onto the counter and begin the kneading process. In the stand mixer, continue adding flour until the dough clears off the sides of the bowl and makes a soft ball that might begin crawling up the dough hook. Turn it out on the counter and work the rest of this by hand.

French bread is a soft, sloppy dough in my opinion. You want to knead the dough for a few minutes, but not the 20 minutes a regular hearty bread requires. If it gets too tacky and starts to stick to your hands, add a couple of tablespoons of flour and knead that in. The goal is a ball of dough that is slightly tacky, very smooth, and soft enough that it starts to slump a little bit when left on the counter.

Put the dough into a bowl (I just use the mixing bowl I was using earlier) lightly coated with olive oil, and turn the dough to coat it LIGHTLY. Cover the bowl with a grocery bag or some plastic wrap, or cover it with a warm, moist towel. Set the bowl in a warm, relatively moist place. If you have a proofing box, use that. If you have nothing else, you can use your microwave to heat up 2 cups of water to almost boiling, then put the dough bowl in there WITH the hot water, and close the door. It’s usually a tight fit, but most modern microwaves will manage it. It becomes your proofing box.

Normally I would suggest several methods for rising bread dough, but French bread is a little finicky. It likes it very warm and moist. You want 85*F and almost steamy. My usual tricks won’t work (in a box with a heating mat, or in the oven with the light on but nothing else).

Let the dough rise for about an hour, until it’s doubled in size. If it isn’t doubled, wait longer. I sometimes snap a quick pic of my dough, so I can judge the size more accurately when I go back to check.

Once the dough is risen, turn it out onto your counter and cut it in half. Using the heel of your hand, pat each half out into a thick rectangle, about 9″ x 13″, though it doesn’t have to be exact. I usually put my baking sheet out where I can use it to judge size, and aim for a loaf about the length of the sheet. As you’re patting out the dough (NOT rolling it), use your palm to press out any air bubbles you find. Roll the dough up the long way (you want it 13″ long, not 9″ long), and then pinch the seam closed. I usually tuck the ends in as well, but that’s me. Just make sure they’re even and as sealed closed as possible. Place each of your French loaves onto a bit of parchment paper, onto a baking sheet. Some people use two different baking sheets, but I just pull up the parchment paper between the bread so it doesn’t accidentally grow into its neighbor.

Using a bread lame, razor blade, or VERY sharp knife, cut several gashes at an angle over the top of each loaf. While you can score the bread after it rises, that will sometimes deflate it. Doing it now ensures a nice, even rise that you don’t disturb. Spray some plastic wrap with no-stick spray, and cover each of the loaves gently, leaving a little room for growth. Try to avoid sealing it down, as you want it to have room to rise properly. Put the loaves back in your proofing box, or in the least drafty, warmest and moistest place, and allow them to rise again until they are about doubled in size. This will take another hour or so.

Preheat your oven to 375*F, and make sure your oven rack is centered. Put a small, heat-safe bowl in the bottom of your oven. Remove the plastic wrap from your dough, and slide it into your preheated oven. Toss 2 or 3 ice cubes into the small bowl that you put into the bottom of the oven. This gives you a nice, extra crisp crust! Bake the loaves for 25 to 30 minutes, checking ever 5 minutes after the 20 minute mark. You want golden, puffy loaves that sound hollow when knocked with your knuckles.

If you want a softer crust, slide a stick of butter over the top of the loaves the minute they come out of the oven. If you like it crispy, don’t butter it. Allow the loaves to cool entirely before cutting into them. Remember: bread continues baking for about 20 to 30 minutes after being removed from the oven, so cutting into it early will interfere with that.

Notes:

I use this bread for French Dip sandwiches. I use it for French toast. And most importantly, I use it to make garlic bread. It’s just generally yummy, though, whether you serve it as a sandwich or with soup or stew. Enjoy!

So some of us live in the boonies or in largely “settled American” areas, and the likelihood we’ll see ICE or DHS is pretty low. But let’s look at this as a “what if” scenario. What if ICE arrived in your town? What do you think would happen?

I live in an area that has a lot of Conservative folk, but a lot of Liberals as well. Considering we have a small contingent of people who stand on the corner of what used to be the Rite Aid building every Friday, protesting whatever (I don’t read the signs), I can say we have some people here who would choose to cause problems for ICE. I don’t know what our Chief of Police, our Firemen, or our Sheriff would do. What this means is that there are likely to be armed LEOs in my vicinity, and they will be agitated and possibly there will be people actively obstructing them.

I will tell you that if someone starts that whistle crap in my neighborhood, I’ll end it right quick. No, not with a firearm (I understand the desire, but not the morals of it, if that makes sense), but with a noise ordinance complaint. Or a lot of noise ordinance complaints. That would not fly well in my little bedroom community. Even some of the libs might find it unconscionable.

I would find it disturbing to see armed, armored men walking the streets of my little town. And where I live would set me walking or driving past them every time I wanted to leave home, because of where my home is situated. I would need to make outings something that happened only during down times, when mobs weren’t being active. I have less then zero interest in getting caught up in ICE stuff. I certainly wouldn’t be interfering in their duties. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t somehow end up in the middle of something, unintentionally.

The first and most important thing I would do is continue my life as normal, as much as was safely possible. The moment I allow someone else to make my life change, they win. On the other hand, if I’m stopped by ICE or other LEOs, I will happily provide whatever they ask for that’s within my power. If I’m armed and I’m stopped, I will keep my hands either above my head (if out and about) or at 10 and 2 (if driving). I’ll let LEOs know I’m armed, what the weapon is, where it is, and where any relevant paperwork is. If someone “jackboots” me, I’ll argue about it AFTER the stop, not during. Hard to argue if someone gets rushed and you end up shot dead. My goal is to make it through any such stop with the least problems for LEOs and myself.

For those who don’t like to show ID, I get it. I don’t either. My general position, prior to the current mess, has been to prepare myself to ask, “Am I being detained?” Because if I am not being detained, I am not showing ID (tho of course if driving you have to show a license if asked). If I am being detained, then I will invoke my right to silence, after asking for a lawyer. None of those things are likely to bother a LEO, especially if you’re otherwise polite and non-threatening.

I don’t need to be threatening. It’s not my goal in life to have others afraid of me. On the other hand, I don’t like being questioned unnecessarily. That whole Fourth Amendment thing about being secure in my person, papers, home, etc. is important, after all. But I’m also going to look at the situation in hand. A random traffic stop is not anything like ICE asking for proof of citizenship. ICE is showing up in places where there are dangerous criminal aliens, and dealing with them. I’m pretty sure they’d rather be dealing with picking them up at the local jail, but if they have to, they’ll hunt them down. I want the cops to pick up serial killers, rapists, and the like… and I want ICE to remove criminal aliens when they find them. That requires at least a little cooperation on my part.

Here’s the thing, though, when it comes to these ICE protests and riots. You don’t have to participate. Yes, it’s possible to get dragged into a mob by accident (and it’s terrifying, by the by), but if you keep your wits about you, you get away from it as soon as is possible. You don’t have to celebrate ICE, either, if you’re concerned they’re being a bit over zealous about doing their job. You just don’t interfere. It’s that simple.

Most of us are highly unlikely to ever get caught up in an ICE sweep. We’re not hanging around with illegal aliens or criminals. We’re not protecting them. Therefore, ICE really isn’t that interested in us. So our goal is just to stay out of their way.

That is the best preparation you can have, when it comes to ICE. Don’t play stupid games, and you’re not likely to win stupid prizes. Don’t FA and you probably won’t FO.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. (The Second Amendment, The Constitution)

In the years before the American Revolution, British rule stated that only Protestants could keep arms for self-protection (Regan Library). In the quickly coalescing United States, those early State governors and representatives realized that We The People required arms in order to protect ourselves, both at a personal level and as a country, and that denying arms to a subset of people (those not Protestant, for instance, and a few years later, Black people) was a bad idea. Either the Right was going to be infringed, or it wasn’t. Our Founding Fathers decided that not infringing was the correct way to go.

I happen to agree with them.

I am an absolutist when it comes to the Second Amendment. It is wrong, 100% wrong, to infringe on the right of someone to keep and bear arms. Anyone. Even Leftists. Even criminals, in fact, though I still struggle with this one (as an aside, if a criminal is too dangerous to be allowed to have their firearms, then they ought not be out of jail). You want to own a rail gun? Sure. You want to have a nuclear missile in your backyard? Fine. You just have to follow all the laws surrounding the owning of those things (for instance, if you have nuclear weapons, you have to have adequate, safe storage for them so that you don’t poison your land or your neighbors). It’s permissible, to a small extent, to limit certain things when it can inherently damage other people (as with nuclear weapons). The Founders were clear: SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.

The moment you start saying, “Oh, but I don’t want *that* person to have guns…” you’ve lost. You’re now on the Left, and you’ll be issued your blue hair dye and have your septum ring installed momentarily. And yes, this IS a hill I will die on.

“One primary motivation for the Second Amendment was the fear of federal tyrannical power. Many Founders believed that governments naturally tend toward oppression, and that an armed citizenry served as a crucial check against government overreach. This reasoning reflected the Revolutionary experience of fighting against what was perceived as British tyranny.” (Vanho Law)

People on the Right have long talked about the concern of the tyranny of the government. When Biden was in office, I heard it every other day. I heard it almost as often when Obama was in office. Valid concerns were voiced, and while I didn’t agree with all of them, I did listen. At that time, the Left thought the Right were a bunch of nutters.

Right now, people on the Left are concerned about tyranny of the government. They are in a complete and utter froth over Trump, ICE, and DHS. I hear this several times every day. I’m strongly of the opinion that most of the concerns voiced are bull… but even when I don’t agree with them, I listen. And now the Right thinks the Left are a bunch of nutters.

Is it scary to me that people who might be my enemies are arming themselves? Yes it is. But here’s the thing… freedom is not free. It’s not safe. It’s not easy. If you think anything about freedom is safe or easy or free, you obviously have not read your history books. Go read them, and then you may come back and comment.

It doesn’t matter if I’m scared or nervous or freaked out that the left may be arming themselves. In the same vein, I have been telling the left that for years, that the fact that I’m arming myself or my husband is arming himself or whatever is none of their business and it doesn’t matter if they’re freaked out or scared. It’s my right, I get to exercise it, and if you want to be upset over it, you are absolutely welcome to be but you’re not going to stop me exercising that right.

There is no possible way for me to say that to the left and then turn around and tell them that my piddly little fears or my gutty terrors are a reason for them not to be allowed to have firearms. I refuse to be a hypocrite. I refuse to be unethical, or situational. My ethics and my morals stand, no matter who they are aimed at. I believe the same things have to apply to everyone, and if there are laws and rules and regulations that don’t apply to everybody equally, then they should be removed. You can’t have rules for me but not for thee.

To bring this to a close, I strongly believe that people who jump through the hoops to get their firearms and the training, and maybe their CC paperwork, will become good and ethical 2A people. Eventually. I believe it is functionally impossible for someone to be a firearm owner, do training and practice, and not become a 2A supporter. In my albeit limited experience, everyone I know who has gone on to learn how to safely and properly use their firearms, has realized the stupidity of the gun control crowd.

Let the left arm themselves if that’s what they feel they need to do. If I’m scared, then I’m scared. That has nothing to do with their rights. Just as I tell them that their feelings have nothing to do with limiting my rights, I have to give them the same in return.

If you’re all for taking away the rights of your enemies, or restricting their access to certain things, whether that’s free speech, firearms and self-defense items, information, etc… then you are the Gestapo that they have been afraid of.

This is important stuff. You are all welcome to believe however you want, because I believe in the first amendment as well as the second. You have the freedom to believe what you want, think I’m an idiot, and anything else. But so do I.

I will protect your right to be afraid of the left being armed, to talk openly about that fear, and to brainstorm ways ways to be safe. But the moment you step out of line and start trying to take away the rights of others to speak freely, to keep and bear arms, you’re no better than you’re saying they are. I’ll still protect your right to say what you want, but I’m not going to protect you from the consequences of your statements.

I have often said both here on the blog and in other places that only in the crazy world that we live in right now, could I be considered conservative. In a sane world I would be slightly right of center of the liberal side, and I don’t have a problem with that. But in writing this missive and in interactions recently, I think I might be a bit more conservative than some of you give me credence for. Because I will say it clearly, it is a conservative value to refuse to use the government to take away the rights of someone else. And that’s where I stand.

We all know that the Left and the media (who, though they often do things together, ARE two separate groups with two separate agendas) are not great at giving us all the facts. They post up stories like how ICE arrested a five year old child (not true; they detained the five year old because the parent was being incarcerated and they couldn’t exactly let a five year old go wandering around alone, which is the same thing DCF does when they have a parent arrested… but I digress). A few days ago, I saw a news report about an “elderly gentleman” (their words, which I find extremely offensive considering I’m 55 in 3 days and I’m not f’ing elderly, thankewvrymuch) being “dragged” out of his home in nothing but crocks, his underwear, and his 8 year old grandson’s blanket. I knew there had to be more to the story (and I was correct), but I couldn’t find anything.

Now, I am a proponent of keeping government small. (No, smaller than that. That’s still too much government. Put more back. More.) I believe the government has reverse Midas touch: everything it touches turns to shit. Therefore, unless it’s really necessary, the government should just back off. ICE is a government agency, and they are a strong-arm group. For what they’re doing, that’s an important skill, and I’m thankful they are doing as good a job as they appear to be. I mean, for all the Left is freaking out over the “deadliest year for ICE in decades” (NPR), that number of people who died over the entire year is 32. Jails lose more people in a year, by far. That number, 32, is for all of ICE detention centers… LA alone lost 22 inmates to death in 2025. You can shout about their numbers, but ICE seems to be doing a pretty good job.

That said, it’s important to watch all people in positions of power. ICE is a powerful place to be. I firmly believe that the vast majority of people working for ICE are morally upright, good people just trying to do a very difficult job, made worse by idiotic protesters and rioters. But there is always the possibility of there being a bad guy in their midst. Just as there are bad cops, there are probably bad ICE agents. It behooves us, especially those of us supporting ICE, to keep an eye on them. I don’t mean in the “citizen monitoring” way, but more in the same way we keep an eye on our politicians.

So when I heard about this elderly gentleman being dragged out of his home after they smashed his door in (in 7*F weather, I might add), I wanted to know more. That sounds bad, and I was worried we’d finally found the one bad apple in the barrel. I did what I usually do: I went looking for actual information, factual stuff.

I didn’t find it.

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If you look at the current snow maps and storm maps available, Chris and his family, and me and my family all live within the wibbly red area (in New England) labeled “Armageddon Area.” They are measuring likely snow in feet, not inches. We are ready and prepared for the weather, and have plans in place for if power goes out. If you don’t hear from us for a few days, you know the reason why. We’ll post when we can, and give updates. You update us, too!

If you live in an area about to get hit with ice or snow, and you aren’t used to that, please be prepared. That doesn’t mean bread and milk, although those aren’t a bad idea either. It means making sure you have enough food to last through the worst of the emergency (because having to go out to get eggs or whatever is never a good idea). It means having firewood on hand to make a fire, if you have the means to do so. Have a camp stove ready to go, with extra fuel, so that you can cook if your power goes out and you’re dependent upon an electric stove. Know how you’ll keep warm, should you lose power and heat. Have something to use as a port-a-pottie if you can’t use your bathroom due to frozen pipes.

To generate heat, pick a single room and designate it “the warm room.” Everyone stays in that room unless they have to pee, and trust me, they’ll move quickly to get back to the warmth. Get every blanket, towel, woolen thing, tablecloth, and bring it to that room. Seal that room off so that the heat stays inside it. Cover windows, doors, doorways to halls, anything that might have a draft. If you lose power and must stay at home for a while, drag a mattress into that room so you can sleep there as well. If temps go into the single digits, consider setting up a cheap tent in your warm room, and sleeping inside that to conserve heat.

Ways to make safe heat:

• candles and oil lamps
• fireplaces (though they sometimes let out more heat than the give you)
• wood stoves
• indoor safe (RATED) propane heaters like Little Buddy
• hot water bottles
• hot food
• layers of clothes and blankets

Ways to kill yourself:

• use your stove, outdoor rated gas camp stove, popcorn popper, etc to make heat
• bring your generator inside the house
• leave candles and/or any flame unattended
• putting flames where they could get knocked over by a pet
• eating snow (it lowers your body temp very quickly)

You can use tea candles to cook over, if you’re desperate. Having a camp stove makes it much easier. I prefer propane to butane, because in the temps we’re expecting, the butane won’t work. It’ll fail more often than not. So be aware. You also don’t have to have the fancy folding stove like in this video for the sterno stove. I just have an old wire basket that was once used for doing deep frying, and I turn it over top of my candles. I put my pot on top of that. Voila, stove. You can also put a brick on either side of your heat, then use a baking rack. And remember, you can always go outside and cook, even when it’s cold. Snow is an insulator, so if you dig yourself a snow pit and cook in the center of it, it’ll help keep you warm and keep the breeze off your fire.

Pie crusts in the medieval era were rarely the flaky, buttery confection we are used to today. Instead, they were the ancient version of take-out food containers, only sort of edible, and designed to allow you to eat their delicious innards and then throw the crusts away. This recipe is a more edible but just as solid version of those “hot water crusts” as they were known in later periods of history.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 oz lard
• 3 oz butter/margarine
• 8 oz water

To make a standing paste crust, we’re going to ignore the sort of instructions you may be used to while attempting flaky pastry. There is a reason these crusts were sometimes called “coffins” and you’re about to discover it in person!

Add your flour (by weight, please) to a large bowl, then sprinkle the salt over it. Whisk or otherwise mix the dry ingredients well to distribute the salt as evenly as possible.

In a small pot, add the water and heat it up gently. Add in the butter or margarine, and the lard, and heat until they are all melted together. DO NOT BOIL or even simmer this mixture, if at all possible. You just want it warm enough that the ingredients can combine together.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones, and then use a spoon or fork to begin mixing the dough together. You should continue using the spoon or fork until the dough has come mostly together, or it’s cool enough for you to knead by hand without burning yourself. Please be careful, and remember that the water you just poured into your flour mixture is HOT. Knead this until the dough has come completely together. It will be a very stiff dough, and that’s fine. You don’t want to over-work this dough.

If you are making a single pie, split off about 1/4 of your dough (this will be turned into a lid for your pie) and set it aside under some parchment paper or in a plastic baggie. On a Formica counter or granite dough surface, sprinkle some flour and then begin to roll out the dough. You want to have a circle of dough large enough to fill an 8″ spring-form pan, and it should be between 1/4″ and 1/8″ thick when it is ready.

To make the pie crust, you are either going to press the dough into a pie pan, or drape it over the outside of the pie pan, in order to get the shape right. Flour the pan well, regardless! While the dough is still on or in the form, refrigerate it for at least one hour. While the pie crust is chilling, roll out the lid for your pie, which should be about one inch larger in diameter than your pie pan. If you look at the pictures in the header, you can see that the crust for a standing paste pie goes inside the outer crust, not over it as you would for a flaky pie. Let the pie lid sit, sandwiched between two pieces of parchment paper, until it’s ready to be used. If it will be more than an hour, consider covering it with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. Do NOT put it in the fridge.

If you are making multiple small pies (this recipe should make about 3 individual pies), separate the dough into three equal sized pieces. From each of those, remove about 1/4 of the dough for the lid of that individual pie. To form small pies, flour a glass or mini pie pan and follow the same general directions as for a large pie. Roll out the lids as well, and set aside for use after refrigeration.

When the crusts are well chilled (which allows them to be standing until they bake and become stiff), unmold them from the pie pan or whatever you’re using for a form. Put the pie crust on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (lipped, please), and add in your filling. Please note, fillings can be cooked or raw, as your cooking time will be about 90 minutes, which is enough for most meats to cook. The fillings should be cool when added to the crust, however. Hot fillings would melt the fats in the crust, making them prone to drooping, and you don’t want that! The filling needn’t be cold from the fridge, but make sure it isn’t hot, either. If you can’t stick your finger in it for 30 seconds, it’s too hot.

Once your filling is in, regardless of size of pie, whisk up an egg to use for an egg wash. Brush the edges of the lid and pie with the egg wash, then add the lid to your pie, and crimp the edges closed with your fingers, a pie crimper, or a fork. Cut a small hole in the center of the pie. This is easily achieved by using a sharp knife to cut an X in the center, then peeling back the triangles. Egg wash the entire pie and sprinkle with herbs, if you like.

If you want to decorate your pie, simply use bits of left-over crust rolled out thin to create leaves, vines, or other images. Have some fun with it! Attach them by using egg wash as a “paste”, then egg wash over the decorations as well. You could also press herbs or cracked spices into the lid, if you liked. I would suggest doing that before attaching it to the top of the pie, however.

Bake the pie in a 350°F oven for 80 to 90 minutes. Start checking your pie at the 60 minute mark, and every ten minutes thereafter. When the pie is dark brown and solid when tapped, it’s ready. See the pictures in the header for reference!

Many types of fillings can go into pies like this. In medieval times, they would add chunks of beef, goat, or chicken into standing pastes, and then cook them up. Gravy wouldn’t be added until it was time to serve the pie. The gravy was poured in the hole on the top. Later period pies of this type would have contained ground or minced meats, or mixes of meats and fish. They also had fruit pies made in these types of crusts.

In my opinion, standing paste done this way is much easier than a flaky crust, and more forgiving. It doesn’t require “blind baking” (pre-baking the crust before filling it, in order to keep the crust from being mushy) because it’s so darn solid.

Serve your pies with a side of mashed potatoes or some “bashed neeps and carrots” for an authentic meal that will fill your belly and warm your soul.

Folks, my ability to connect with the Left is becoming more and more dicey. The ones that aren’t insane are slowly creeping to the Right (which doesn’t mean they should be Conservatives, but is a relief), and then there’s the insane ones. I would like to say that the insane ones are a loud minority, but I think that’s not entirely true. I think it’s a rigid subset (Leftist women who are/were radical feminists who have been brainwashed by the media and have become radicalized jihadists for so-called Liberal values), and it’s not small. I don’t think it’s a majority, by any means, but it’s certainly the only part of the Left getting any air time.

Y’all know I’m not Christian. I was HORRIFIED at Lemon and his cohorts invading a church service. I don’t have to be Christian to know that’s a no-go. When I visit someone else’s house of worship, I follow *their* rules, not mine. If I’m unwilling to do so, I don’t go. Churches are the one place I consider to actually be a place of sanctuary. That is time-honored and long-standing, and goes far beyond the United States. Watching children cowering in the aisles, it was awful. But those folks, they were true Christians in my personal opinion, because their response to Lemon’s invasion was to pray. That part, at least, was nice to see.

I’ve been watching people on the Left go crazy in Minnesota. Blocking traffic, protesting in roadways, stopping ICE and other LEO vehicles, these things are wrong but I can at least kind of understand them. They’re “normal” protest tactics. I disagree (and for what it’s worth, I have *always* disagreed with any protest that blocks roadways, schools, LEOs, or hospitals, don’t care which side is doing it) but that’s between the protesters and the LEOs. But stopping everyday citizens and demanding papers (the protesters, not ICE who have the right to do so under many circumstances), requiring people to chant slogans (“I hate ICE!” and “I am not a Nazi!” are two I’ve seen on TikTok of late), etc… Why is this being allowed? WTF folks? That is literally what the Gestapo were doing. What ICE is doing is NOT what the Gestapo were doing. I’m aghast.

Mr. Magoo (my name for the heavy set Leftist gentleman who’s “protecting his neighborhood” with a firearm in Minneapolis) originally had my disdain because I thought he was breaking local laws (ie it’s illegal in Minneapolis to open carry a long rifle, which is what I thought he had), but turns out he’s perfectly within his rights to do what he’s doing. Therefore I’m fine with him, even if I think he looks a bit silly “protecting” his very white, very not-bothered-by-ICE neighborhood each day.

Which brings me to 2A stuff. Folks, there’s a lot of Leftists right now going out and purchasing firearms. There’s a LOT of noisy Conservatives complaining and bitching about that. I say to those Conservatives: shut the fuck up. I don’t CARE why the Leftists are finally exercising their right to keep and bear arms. They are doing so, now leave it alone. Encourage them to learn how to use their firearm safely, explain the basic rules to them, offer to take them to a range to practice on the regular. They are new 2A people. It’s none of your business WHY they are new 2A people. Doesn’t fucking matter. They think we’re nuts for the reasons we carry; we think they’re nuts for the reasons they carry. It doesn’t matter; they’re carrying. Time to step up and put your values into action. I am all for everyone carrying who wants to, and if we have new folks doing it, GREAT. At the end of this bullshit in Minnesota, they will still have their guns, and will probably continue to carry, and that makes them one step closer to being rational human beings. They’re also extremely unlikely to be vocally anti-2A while holding a handgun or rifle. The correct answer to, “I’m going to go buy a gun for protection!” is “Great, here’s the name and number of a fantastic trainer who’ll show you the ropes. Use it.”

About Charlie’s Voice: if men want women to be “real women” today, then they need to start being “real men” first. Yes, first. Because that’s LITERALLY the basics about being a man. You get to go first. Do you know when I started wearing skirts and cooking and doing home-bound stuff? When my man stood up and made it safe and comfortable for me to do so. Before that, I was working and trying to keep myself alive and healthy, and I didn’t have time to fuck around with peasant skirts and home cooked food. You want me to be a woman, then start by being a man. I’m really lucky that I have two very manly men in my life, who make it safe for me to be the woman that I am. They also support my decisions about myself, whether I want to exercise or work or stay home and write, or whatever. They make it safe for me to take the softer route, and I’m thankful for that. I was well on my way to being a hard-ass old woman, and instead, I’m a happy, healthy, productive and softer lady.

Chris and I have talked a bit about the possibility of Civil War. I’m not sure it will happen, mostly because I believe the vast majority of millennials are just too damn lazy to rise up, but also because I trust in Pres. Trump to keep things under control.

However…

I believe Tim Walz and others like him are actively attempting to start a Civil War. I don’t mean that figuratively. I don’t mean it as a metaphor. I believe he actually wants to whip up his constituents to a froth and send them out as cannon fodder against ICE, DHS, and other authorities.

Walz posted this on X on January 7th, after the Good shooting. A number of conservative friends said it was just Walz posturing, flapping his arms and making noise to stay relevant. I don’t think so. His words were exceptionally clear: “To Donald Trump and Kirsti Noem: You’ve done enough. We have soldiers in training, and prepared to be deployed, if necessary.”

If he had ordered the National Guard to stand against ICE and/or DHS (and thank the gods he did not), he would have started a Civil War. Or tried to. He would have asked Minnesota NG to face off against a Federal authority, present and following the President’s lawful orders. Ordering local authorities to stand against Federal authorities is, essentially, the definition of Civil War.

I have no idea if Walz is intelligent enough to have figured out that what he’d said was almost but not quite a declaration of war against his own country’s government. Someone in his office must have, because after that tweet, he changed his tune and was overly clear about the NG being deployed ONLY to do traffic and local law enforcement.

I hope to hell that Trump or one of his advisors called up Walz’s office and had a little chat, explaining how bad that would be for everyone and for our country. I hope that Walz and his cronies got the message. I doubt they did, though. They knocked it down one notch, so they wouldn’t get impeached or arrested, but they’re continuing their ridiculous defense of rapists and murderers.

I don’t know how to deal with the people on the Left who are making noises like ICE is horrible. I have had a handful of people I’ve known long enough to consider them “not liars” even if I think they’re uneducated and not thinking right, who are telling tales about ICE. The stories go that ICE is picking up American citizens who have their papers on them, throwing them into dark, dank, moist detention centers with no toilets, no water, no food, and no access to lawyers or telephones. They’re kept there for hours upon hours (most of the stories talk about 8 to 16 hours, but less than 24, and they’re very specific about it being less than a day), have to beg passers by to let them out to pee, and are denied health care for injuries caused by ICE. They give names of ICE agents. They detail how they were sorted into “citizens and non-citizens” early on in the process, so ICE knew they were Americans. The stories go on and on.

When I go to research it, I can’t find any of the information. The names come back empty. There’s no other people making the claims, even though in the stories there are many people being detained. It’s relatively obvious to me that they’re JUST stories, and have no basis in the truth. But of course I can’t ask for proof, because that’s a hanging offense. Even when I say, hey I’d like to get the word out but you know I only pass on things I can verify (a longstanding moral on my part, I *will not* pass along stuff without bone fides included, and have not for many, many years)… crickets.

It’s exhausting. I’m mentally wrecked most of the time now. The left gets more and more frothy, and impossible to talk to or get information out of. They don’t seem to understand the basic “boy who cried wolf” issue that’s going on. Right now, I just assume anything from the left is wrong, either a lie, an exaggeration, or whatever. I have to, because I just don’t have time to investigate *everything* that’s thrown at me. I have a job, I run a household, I have relationships to tend to and children to watch after. So if something truly bad actually happens, I’m just going to ignore it, and assume it’s the same bullshit rhetoric they’ve thrown around every other time.

And just briefly before signing off, a few words on Iran.

In the 1979 timeframe (give or take a couple of years… I was just a kid who didn’t know shit about politics at the time and I’m going on memory here), I had a friend whose family was moving to Tehran. They had planned it for quite a while. And then the regime change happened, and suddenly their entire world fell apart. They didn’t go to Tehran, and I’m glad, because I firmly believe they’d be dead. I would have been 7 or 8 when it happened. The only reason I remember that, from my very privileged place in society, was because it interfered with a friend’s travel plans.

Iran went from being a fairly modern country to being a third world shit hole in very short order. Women were not allowed to work, first, and they had to cover their hair. Then they weren’t allowed to drive. Then they couldn’t be on public transit or out and about without an adult male family member. Then they had to keep their entire bodies covered with voluminous robes. Then the full burka, covering everything but the eyes. A few years ago the Iranian government decided eyes could be too alluring, and had blackout panels put into place in the burkas, so that you couldn’t even see a woman’s eyes. In 2021 or 2022, they decreed a woman shouldn’t speak in public.

Last night, I watched a live video feed out of Tehran, of women dancing in public, wearing nothing but miniskirts and white tee shirts that said “Fuck Khomeini” on the front in large, English letters. No shoes, no head coverings, no long arms, no tights or stockings. Bare skin, hair, eyes, and minds exposed to the evening air for the first time in almost 50 years. I saw a photograph of an Iranian woman lighting a cigarette from a burning Khomeini flag. I listened to hundreds of thousands of Iranians chanting “Iran! Iran! Iran!” I am witnessing history.

This is people from ALL walks of life, which is why it’s not slowing down despite Khomeini’s attempts to murder every protester. Cutting off the internet didn’t silence them. There are young people there, risking their lives to demand freedom from oppression, REAL oppression. They risk being shot, because the authorities there are using live ammunition to “put down” the protesters. Many are being arrested, and they’re starting to shoot and hang them. They’re going to their deaths with their hands held up in signs of victory, afraid but incredibly brave. There are youngsters who were born after Khomeini took over, and who’ve never known a day of freedom, never seen a free Iran. There are middle aged people who had their childhoods viciously and violently ripped away from them. There are old people, who remember the freedom of pre Khomeini Iran, when the Shah was trying to bring the country out of the dark ages and into the light. Those old people have whispered the stories to their children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren so that they didn’t die.

When Karen from Minnesota says she is oppressed because she can’t have an abortion or because we’re enforcing our immigration laws, I point her at the women of Iran. THAT is what oppression is, and THAT is how it’s fought. With dancing. With singing. With praise. With joy. Not with temper tantrums and lies.

Well said. I felt the need to share it. Well worth watching in its entirety.

I know the term “weaponized incompetence” and have used it to describe actions of others before. But when I did, it was for stuff like the kids “not knowing” how to clean a bathroom or do the dishes, or a friend’s husband who would scream at her because he “didn’t know how to make dinner for himself” and therefore she couldn’t ever be out at dinner time.

I’ve talked about the exhaustion of dealing with Leftists… I know YOU all know that, and are likely a lot more exhausted than I am. I hadn’t realized that it was yet another iteration of weaponized incompetence, though. And that knowledge gives me ideas on how to change my interactions.

“But why…” Well Karen, do you think it’s okay for a kiddie diddler to be hanging around the playground at your kid’s school? If you say yes, then you need to be put on a 72 hour hold because you are not well. If you say no, then that’s the answer to “but why?”

But I don’t believe I’ll even bother with that much. “Are you telling me that you cannot understand why ICE is in our city, when there are thousands of social media reports on it every day? Are you really that uneducated?”